Grannymar

What a wonderful night/weekend we had at the Irish Blog Awards 2009. The Cork International Airport Hotel was a fantastic venue with surprises around every corner.  The staff treated us like Royalty and they were so very accommodating to our every need. I was thrilled to catch up with old friends and those who until that point, were just names on a page or twitter.  Already I am looking forward to IBA10.  Did I hear Belfast mentioned as the next venue??  I hope they are not thinking of Grannymar Gables as a venue, it is waaaay to small!

Thank you Damien and everyone who helped in the background to pull off a hugely successful Irish Blogathon*!  Sabrina, once again did a Fantabalous job organizing the Ladies Tea Party.  It was so good that two Toyboys gate-crashed to check up on me.  It is ok I kept them down on their knees - YES I DID!

Irish blogger Grannymar watches the infamous 2 girls, 1 cup - but what’s the twist at the end? This video was made to introduce the best Food and Drink blog at the 2009 Irish Blog Awards and features Lottie and Raptureponies in shot.

For more on the Irish Blog Awards 2009 please visit http://awards.ie/blogawards

Ciara Crossan suggests that we ALL dress up next year?!  Kind of a 5th birthday celebration - Blog Awards fancy dress?  Dress up in what they blog about - not sure I could go as a bottle of vinegar :!:  Or everyone could go along in what they wear while blogging….

I need to lie down…

get me my spray…..

I just had a vision of Ben Kenealy blogging in his altogether

Not sure this blogging is good for my heart.

Follow all the people who follow me on Twitter but….

There are only so many hours in a day.

I have a real life.

I need to cook and clean

I need to move, take exercise and rest my eyes from the computer screen

I have a blog to maintain and feed

So my solution is: If I don’t already know you, or your blog, or at least three people on your list of followers, then sorry not this time!

Learn about Facebook…

Again it is time consuming. I think had I realised what it was like at the beginning I might never have joined in the first place.

It is one thing to accept somebody as a friend, but when every single request requires opening yet another application – not my thing at all. I am not being rude but Facebook BORES me!

Be a Judge for the Irish Blog Awards…

I thought about it last year. I thought about it again this year but…

If on the off chance I am nominated, and there are practically no categories that I would fit neatly into, then it would rule me out of judging those. I have to admit that some of the categories I know little or nothing about, for example, technology, business and music, so they are out.

Then we have colour – that was the final straw for my decision to stay away. The blogs themselves are the problem. Black and some coloured backgrounds are a major problem for me to read. Today I opened a blog for the first time and I am sure the content was fascinating, but I was straining my eyes and the print was ghosting! I was unable to find where to comment to even inform the author of my difficulty because the print was so feint.

What is the point in going to the trouble of setting up and running a blog if people cannot read it?

I want to play my part, I owe it for all the fun I have had these past couple of years, but I would have Damien’s head turned, saying I cant’t see this one, or I know nothing about that subject…

OK I am no longer a youngling, and I do have a cataract forming in one eye, but I can still see and my eyes were tested recently and my glasses are fine!

I suppose I could offer an hour on the desk on the big night!

It is official! Damien is an elf.

How do I know? Well he told the world so on his blog.

It is not the only thing he told us…..

He has four prizes to give away

It’s all in aid of the Jack and Jill Foundation, who can help you recycle your old mobile phones in aid of charity. Jack and Jill didn’t provide the prizes but a supporter of theirs did.

So when Jack and Jill are not climbing the hill what do they do at the Foundation?

The Foundation provides early intervention home respite to families with children up to the age of 4, with severe neuro developmental delay and palliative conditions requiring extensive medical and nursing care at home.

Now everyone that donates one or more mobile phones to the charity, will be entered into a draw for three prizes (First, second and third out of hat) - a Nokia 5220, a Voyager 815 bluetooth headset and an Elextex rubberised portable keyboard for phones.

The blogger who gets these people to donate phones will also be entered into a draw for a Nokia 810 Internet Tablet.

Donating a phone is dead simple as you drop the phone and charger (if you have it) in a jiffy bag and send it to their freepost address: The Jack and Jill Mobile Appeal, Freepost, Ratoath Road , Finglas, Dublin 11

I think you are supposed to say I sent you!

Full details on Damien’s site

UPDATE: The Christmas Spirit got the better of me last night…  Finglas is in DUIBLIN 11 and not district 1 as I said.  Amended above and below. - Thanks to Steph for showing me the error of my ways.

Alexia Golez posted about a Qik video that Jason Roe prepared in advance of the Moviestar.ie Irish Web Awards Ceremony in the Radisson SAS Hotel on Golden Lane behind Dublin Castle last night. I watched it at lunch time and it was fine. Later in the afternoon I went for a walk. Well I knew I would be glued to my chair and computer screen to follow the events in Dublin as they happened. There would be at least three people live streaming the event on Qik. I bumped into a friend and she suggested we go for something to eat, it suited us both as she had places to go later on and I had people to see (on the net)!

When I returned home it was time for lights on and the action to start. Steph was online so I IM’d her and asked if the show had started. She sent me a link, but it was the one I had seen earlier in the day. I Twhirl’d my pals in Dublin for an up to date link. By return I had several replies, but alas each worked for a couple of seconds and then stalled. It was becoming very frustrating. Steph was wetting her britches! Well who could blame her, son and heir Robin was a finalist in three categories.

So there we were, Steph in Dublin and yours truly in Norn Iron, twiddling and clicking for all our worth and getting nowhere. Our know-all tekki offspring’s were at the event and unable to come to our aid. Then my darling Darragh came to the rescue! He was live twittering the event from his N95 Mobile. As each result came through I copied and pasted it into the IM conversation for Steph! At one stage there were more bells and clangers going off here than at a Campanologist Festival. I had Twhirl pings, IM rings and email buzzes! I was still hearing them in my sleep.

Somewhere I still had a Qik running and every now and then a loud cheering could be heard, it only lasted a few seconds each time but it added to the excitement. The whole thing had a Keystone Cops effect at this end but the excitement was mighty. I even had Davy Mac congratulating me because Elly got an award. I put him straight, she was only collecting it on behalf of some non-attendee.

To all those who now have an award to polish I say hearty congratulations! I won’t list you now as I am sure to leave someone out and that would not do. To Damien for the inspiration, the Sponsors for the means and to all those who gave of their time to work in the background I say thank you. No doubt this event will become part of the annual Irish Awards Calendar.

A very special thanks go to Darragh Doyle for keeping us all up to date on Twitter/Twhirl and it is to be hoped that you were presented with the Anti RSI Thumb Award and didn’t have to put your hand in your pocket all night at the bar!

My heart is pounding and I am in shock, I was literally finished dinner and sitting in the loo when the phone rang… well doesn’t it always ring at the most inappropriate time. Pulling up my pants I ran to answer it, I was waiting for a call, this is the time of day when Elly & I normally catch up on our news.

“Hi Mum” said the voice at the other end. I am not really concentrating because my trousers are at half mast and I am trying frantically to fix them!

“You won! You won!” the voice is shouting.

“What are you talking about, Elly” I say.

“The Award”! “THE FIRST EVER BLOG OF THE MONTH AWARD!”

I am totally lost for words.  I also have a prize of a fab new O2 N95 Mobile phone (are you jealous George?)

Thank you once again to King Damien for the idea behind the Blog of the Month Award, and to all those who nominated me.

I have said it before and I say it again; Commenter’s are the life blood of blogging. You are the people who inspire me on a daily basis and feed my thoughts with topics and subjects to blog about.

OK MS Elly, you proved that ‘Grannymar could Blog, Podcast and a zillion other things’, now can I go back and sit in the corner? No way! As somebody said to me today on another matter, I have taken the steps and there is no return. I really do not want to return to my pre blogging world, but I am well ready to take a back seat and let others have a chance to share in the glory of winning awards.

THANK YOU EVERYONE

King Damien is at it again! We have had Fluffy Badges, Annual Blog Awards and now De dah de dah!….

It’s the all new bright and shiny “Blog Post of the Month” award. I have thought several times while reading the wonderful insightful posts of fellow Bloggers that I would love to award them in some way. Now I have the chance to nominate them for this little beauty.

(Photo stolen from IBA site.)

So if you read, enjoy or are moved to tears and want to nominate a blog post, simply blog about it and link to it, and also link here.

They have put me on the list when I thought I would be missed - with apologies to Gilbert and Sullivan.

I am suffering from a touch of ‘déja vu’ right now. I want to say ‘You Could Knock Me Down With a Feather’, but I said that last year at this time for a very different reason!

Now in 2008, I am once more on the list of finalists’ for the Irish Blog Awards in the categories of Best Personal Blog and Best Blog. How did that happen? What did I do to deserve it? I just come out to play each day fluttering about like a butterfly, pausing for the moment with whatever takes my fancy. It might be serious or it might be fun. Blogging has taken me through some very dark and frustrating days. When I am unable to get out among real people, the blogs bring them IN to me. You are my teachers; I read your blogs and learn from your writing. You comment on what I have to say, correct me when I am wrong, support me if you think I am right and thank me endlessly if I share some little known fact with you.

In short you are MY FRIENDS!

Elly, you are my flesh and blood and I am very proud of you. Being related to me means you suffer a little of my madness. I really believed you were certifiable on the September day in 2006 when you first suggested that I should learn to Blog and Podcast. If I have not told you already, I am telling you now, it was the best suggestion you ever had for me! Thank you for the introduction to the sport and for opening the gates to a whole new world.

I wish to pay tribute to Damien Mulley, who with such enthusiasm and energy, working endlessly in the background over several months, has organised this event for the second year running.

To those unknown generous people who thought enough to nominate me in the first place, and to the team of judges who willingly gave of their time to read, mark and inwardly digest all the 788 nominations, trimming them down to 281 blogs or posts for the short-lists and again wading through them to produce the list of finalists that we have today. The competition is still very stiff. May the best people win!

Finally, I wish to thank all the Sponsors for their generous support, without you, Damien’s vision would fall on stony ground and the event not happen. Your sponsorship gives encouragement to a great variety of talented people from many walks and ages of life.

Now listen, we will have none of that thank you very much! It was the carry everywhere for emergencies mobile phone.

Are you near the computer Mum? Said the excited voice at the other end of the line.

Now what is she looking for? There is only one person who calls me mum, and that is when she is looking for something. I won’t repeat the things she calls me at other times. No, we will draw a veil over those… Has my Elly no work to do instead of disturbing when I am gardening pulling weeds to try and find my garden.

“The shortlists are out and you made it twice”, says she.

“The shortlists for weeds” says I. “Big, bad and in my garden”, that’s the long and short of it, I’m thinking.

No Mammy! (Ooooh,we’re getting respectful now) the shortlists for the Irish Blog Awards! You are through for Best Blog (one of 27) and for Best personal Blog (one of 14).

‘…………………………’ that’s the silence at my end.

Are you still there mum? (Respect gone already) Are you still there?

“Yes, I’m still here! I swallowed my tongue”. Says I.

I am Gob-smacked to say the least. And the people I voted for are on the same shortlists!! So I’ll take my five minutes glory and then get on with shouting for the real talent up there on the list.

So to King Damien who organises and puts so much work into the event, the Sponsors, he cajoles, torments or bribes to produce the goodies, the judges who are now cross-eyed from reading and judgely huddling, I say a great big thank you.

To all those who reached the shortlists, I say congratulations and enjoy the excitement. May the best man/woman win!

To those whose names did not make it this time I say, as some wise man said to me one day when I lost out at an interview many years ago.

“You are not a failure! You just didn’t make the cut this time!”

PS It is interesting to see we have a father/daughter and a mother/son combination this year!

Sabrina Dent and Ina extended an invitation to all of Ireland’s women bloggers to join them for tea and cakes (or martinis and olives, if you prefer) for a few hours before the Irish Blog Awards.on 1^st March.

I was ready to scream, and throw something heavy at my screen the other day when I read they were suggesting a pre Awards meet-up for Ladies Only.

Ok, ok! I hear you grumble “There goes that old Grannymar again! She has only one interest and we all know what that is! Toyboys, toyboys and more toyboys!

Actually the word bursting from my lips at the time was ‘Clique’ I saw the idea as a break away from the mood and idea of the day. Next up RedMum is organising a meetup of photobloggers and photographers. I suppose in an hour or two it will be the Pints for the Boys meetup.

Bloggers come in all shapes and sizes, some fresh and young with the urgency of snowdrops about to push through the ground, while there are others like me weather beaten and creaking like the branches of an old tree bending with the weight of a hundred years. This Bertie Bassett Mix is what the blogosphere is all about. What is so scary about it? We chat and banter with each other every day. There are no strangers there, only friends we have not met yet.

I decided to sit on my hands for a day or two and cool down. I lurked as they say and read the comments on the different blogs. Bock the Robber, never shy, asked the question for me. He wrote:

This blog awards thing is coming up soon and I’m looking forward to meeting a lot of people face to face that I’ve only corresponded with electronically.

Now, suppose I announced that I was organising a meet-up but it was only for men. Suppose I said that women were banned from it, what do you think would happen?

Would people call me a stupid, sexist fucker? Would a whole heap of shite pour down on my head from every woman in Ireland for being an uptight, narrow-minded, anti-woman bigot?

Probably.

And they’d be right.

The girls were all for the meetup and King Damien gave it his blessing. So as the song goes ‘I think I’ll have to think it out again!’

I go places alone and have no difficulty walking into a room full of strangers. Well, it is either that or live the life of a hermit! So back to the thinking…

• The girls seem to think it is a good idea; some of the names are familiar to me. But who is that Elly she seems to get her nose in everywhere!
• The photobloggers might end up clicking their way through the day as it moves to the Big Event and produce a digital flavour for all to enjoy.
• This only leaves the boys with the whole afternoon to fix their hair and enjoy a pint in peace.

Maybe with the help of hindsight it is not a bad idea after all. If I make it to Dublin and since my chauffeur Elly is already booked in I might come along.

Now where did I put that feather Boa?

*We must tell our own stories, and we must tell the stories of others. If you don’t tell your own story, who will? Of course you know I advocate writing your story, but if you can’t write it, or won’t, then for sure tell it. Tell it often, so people don’t forget. It could matter.* this is the final line of a blog post by Sharon Lippincott, aka Ritergal.

The time to start telling the story is NOW! By the time most of us think of looking back to discover our history, it is too late. The people who have the information are gone. Gravestones and Registers only give dry facts. People bring those facts to life

My oldest brother was at the graveside of a beloved paternal uncle, when he suddenly realised it was too late to ask questions, and he had not paid enough attention to all the stories my uncle had told over the years. All those stories and facts were gone never to be retold. My brother then set himself a task of tracing and noting his family history and by passing on this information to me it opened a whole new outlet and hobby.

Gingerpixel used a wonderful photograph of work worn hands to tell the story of her Grandfather, when she was Guest Phototrapher/Blogger for Mr Irish Blogosphere himself Damien Mulley.

If you are fortunate enough to have parents and grandparents alive, spend some time with them and ask them to write down their memories. If they are not keen you interview them and write it or make a Podcast of them telling the story. The first stage is the most difficult, but once they make a start the memories come back and the stories start to flow.

Your children and Grandchildren will be pleased. Remember their lives will be as different to yours as mine is in relation to my grandparents.