Grannymar

Inside every older person is a younger person wondering, ‘What the heck happened?’

To my deafness I’m accustomed,

To my dentures I’m resigned,

I can manage my bifocals,

But Oh! How I miss my mind……

I have no idea who wrote it, do you?

Dublin’s Fair City

Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and……..you have to blow your nose!

If at first you don’t succeed………get new batteries

Where there’s a will … I want to be in it.

Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.

On the other hand, you have different fingers.

I’ve taken a vow of poverty. To annoy me, send money.

Ever stop to think, and forget to start again?

Do you have a favourite saying?

On the 16th December 1756 George II granted to the Earl of Donegal the right to hold: ‘Two fairs yearly at the Town and Lands of Ballyclare’.

At first the fairs were markets for buying and selling animals and goods but soon they grew to four in a year. The May and November fairs became the most important as it was there that the farmers hired their labouring men and servant girls for the next six months. The May Fair was traditionally held on a Tuesday in late May but in the nineteenth century such was the demand for horses that the Monday was given over to the trade.

Local farmers needed horses to plough and transport their produce, while Belfast traders sought carriage horses and sturdy animals to pull carts. Any of the bakeries alone would need a hundred animals. The great days of the horse fair ended with the First World War and growing mechanisation.

Old photo thanks to Ballyclare Historical Society.

This photograph was taken in 1907 the Thatch pub on the left was replaced by an Ulster Bank branch. The small cottage on the extreme right is the oldest dwelling in Ballyclare where the Presbyterian minister hid some United Irishmen after the Battle of Antrim in 1798

In the nineteenth century the working day was from dawn to dusk the May Fair day was the only break in the year when young farm hands could be free to enjoy some simple fun.

This year’s Fair began yesterday with the Main Street again echoing to the sound of horses being exercised and dealers shouting, while the area around the Town Hall saw the return of Cullen’s amusements, a Continental market and live music performances. The local football ground at Dixon Park played host to a Shetland pony show, a Teddy Bear’s Picnic and a display by the Police Service for Northern Ireland (PSNI) Dog Team.

The Fair will reach its climax on Saturday 24^th May with the Mayor’s Parade and a host of activities in the Sixmile Park, including a rodeo show by visitors from the borough’s sister city of Gilbert, Arizona, helicopter rides, Trialstars Motorbike Team, World of Owls, a climbing wall, laser clay pigeon shooting and a military vehicle show. The festivities conclude with a fireworks display at 10pm in the grounds of the Leisure Centre.

My Elly’s post yesterday was short and sweet. For anyone with an eye to Fundraising it is worth a glance.

Elly, as you all know was married last June. Unlike most brides she did not want the usual Bridal Photo Album. She produced her own wedding book on Blurb.com and had copies printed for family members and those playing a special part in the day. It contained photos, readings, vows, menus, table settings and a flavour of the party atmosphere later in the day. Since then she compiled a Honeymoon Book for George and I am aware of a third book that is still under wraps, so I am unable to give details at the moment. The fact that she has gone back more than once, is enough of a recommendation for me.

*+*+*+*

We have a new Asda Supermarket in our Town and yesterday I went looking for Treacle & Golden Syrup. I had to ask for help to find them, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it, pun intended! The young man asked if there was anything else I needed help with, I thanked him and said “No thank you!”

“Well if you think of anything, just grab some of the staff and ask” he said.

“Literally” I asked with a twinkle in my eyes…

“Well yes, if you really want to!” He said.

Somehow I don’t think he heard of Grannymar and her reputation….

Alice from My Wintersong has given me a task - To write my own six word memoir - at least its not 1000 words! She was tagged by Colleen over at Meanderings.

The rules:

• Write your own six word memoir.
• Post it on your blog, including a visual illustration if you’d like.
• Link to the person that tagged you in your post and to the original post if possible so that it can be tracked as it travels across the blogosphere.
• Tag at least five more blogs with links;
• and Leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!

So let me think…

CANNILY CACKLING CĂBOCHON

CONSTANTLY CAUSING CHAOS

Now for the fun part

Let’s see what the Toyboys are made of Are you ready?

Darragh

Darren

Paddy

Rowan-Plaything

Will

Grandad asked a question on Saturday.

The conditions of his release from a short spell in captivity include lying low and not interfering with his neighbours property or staff building workers, shooting Tourists, or ranting and raving about the dedicated and hardworking personnel who so unselfishly and wholeheartedly give of themselves for the good of Ireland by serving in Government. This leaves little for him to do so in his boredom he committed a few short words to the laptop and asked a question.

Now this was either a ploy to check up on the loyalty of his followers, or to get them to do all the work and fill Cyberspace with their answers and keep his stats up. There is also the possibility that the answers would provide meat fodder topics for further blog posts.

The question he posed was ‘Why do I(you) Blog?’

I quickly sent my first thoughts winging over the Interweb:

• • Elly walked me into it.
  • The novelty.
  • Now to keep in contact with all the virtual friends I have made.

Happy enough with that I went about my daily chores. Alas there was no peace, the question haunted me at every twist and turn.

So, Why do I blog?

Yes, the answers above were all correct. Elly did walk or push me into it. I was her guinea pig for Bar Camp South East way back in September ‘06. I did say “what would I want to do that for? and many other unprintable things as well. But we I got there and my first post was two sentences!!!! Yes two.

Elly was more concerned with me learning about Podcasting. I did my best, and my first effort The Favour was all of two or three minutes. Way to long for anyone to suffer listening to such a dreadful voice!

With time I became more comfortable and adventurous, the blog posts grew longer as did the Podcasts. I learned to insert graphics and photos and last week I managed to add a mini video clip.

Slowly, very slowly over time the comments started to arrive. There are some folk who visit and tip-toe away saying nothing, and that is their right, but there are other stalwarts who visit everyday adding their wisdom, another point of view or sense of fun. At this stage I feel they are my friends and I cherish them. Not being able to ‘Run the Roads’, as they say here in Norn Iron, as much as I would like, I appreciate my blogging friends all the more.

Thank you, Elly for the push! Thank you George for your help also (now where are my flags?). I have learned so much since I started, I discovered there is so much more to learn and most important of all plenty more fun to be had.

So in short I blog, and read blogs because:

• I learn from others.
• Ranting or readings rants, raises my blood pressure.
• The laughter is like jogging on the inside.
• The smile some posts put on my face requires the use of more muscles than a frown, and it also keeps the laughter lines curved upwards giving my face a softer look!
• Then there is the ‘T’ word…..

So please visit more, you are good for my health!

Today I was sorting the gifts that I bought for my good friends this Christmas. I did not have a great deal of time for shopping last week and I have to admit to being a little flustered and mixed up at this stage.

I need your help please!

Below are the gifts that I purchased. Can you sort which gift is most suitable for each of my friends?

My friends are all in my Blogroll, you decide for me who gets which gift.

Now, no rushing, pushing or fighting please!

You are allowed select a gift for yourself of course, but you must say which one and why.

Over the years I have slept in many beds.

There was single, three quarter, double and King size.

I actually started my life in ‘Donal’s Cot’ as did my Elly, but that is a post on its own.

In my apartment in Wiesbaden, Germany there was a bed-settee in the living room. By day it was not recognisable as a bed. The seat was an upholstered mattress and the back rest was made of teak forming a hidden storage area for a duvet and pillows. It was used often and provided a comfortable nights sleep.

I have slept on fold-up & camp beds, and on one occasion while camping on Achill Island I slept in a tent, on a ground sheet with no bed! That bank holiday weekend in Achill, I went away with a bad cold. The mist was down and so thick we had to scramble around at snails pace. On the Monday we woke to glorious sunshine and I was able to see the scenery for the first time. Magically my cold had disappeared with the mist!

During one holiday travelling through mainland Europe, we were three young girls out to discover the world. We booked a room for the three of us everywhere we went, giggling about the adventures of the day as we waited for sleep to take over, was all part of the fun.

I remember spending a night in Liechtenstein where our room was enormous and contained four large beds. There was a door at the end of the room and when I opened it there was another room beyond with three beds. The only access to the three bedded area was through the first room. It was a wonderful elegant old building with high ceilings, elaborate plasterwork and each room had two heavy carved doors, the first one opened out to the corridor and once opened you discovered the other one that opened inward.

The Reception area was busy as we checked in, and we chatted and laughed while waiting for our keys and have our passports checked. We were told our bags would be delivered to our rooms in a few minutes. Elevators were not a necessity in those days. Having bounced on, and checked all seven beds I returned to the corridor to see if the cases had arrived. Several of the other guests were of the same mind and standing looking out of their rooms.

All of a sudden I was swept up in a strong pair of arms and carried down the hallway squealing with laughter to a room where I was deposited in the largest cot I have ever seen! The cot was placed at the foot of a King sized bed and was the full width of it. The strong arms were attached to a good looking gentleman who had checked in at the same time we did. He had heard me laugh and decided that I was a ‘fun’ person! The girls finally came in search of me, and only then was I lifted out of the cot! We had a good laugh about it and later at dinner the nice man had a bottle of wine delivered to my table.

Another comfortable bed I shared with my husband was during a self-catering holiday in Denmark. We were staying on a Pig farm! We were in site of the pig houses and there was something missing…… There was no smell! We only became aware of the piglets ten minutes before their feeding time. They started to squeal to remind the farmer it was time to eat. Once he appeared they stopped. Denmark provided wonderful memories and perhaps someday will be the topic of a blog post or Podcast.

Finally I come to the bed that inspired this post.

I made my one and only visit across the pond to the United States of America in November 2003. I was there to attend a family wedding. The Bride was from Cape Cod and the Groom’s family (my relatives) had taken a wonderful house Crocker Tavern in Barnstable Village on the Cape for the duration of the celebrations.

The bed I slept in was a great big Four-poster pictured above. The Bride’s mother called to meet us the morning following our arrival. We sat and had coffee at the dining table and she was able to tell us that her husband, the father of the bride had made the table. It was a work of art and he only uses recycled wood for his Studio Furniture.

Registration Must Be Completed By Friday October 12^th 2007

NOTE: Due to the complexity and difficulty level of their contents, class sizes will be limited to 8 participants maximum.

Classes begin Monday, 22^nd October 2007

Cheerfulness removes the rust from the mind, lubricates our inward machinery, and enables us to do our work with fewer creaks and groans. If people were universally cheerful, there wouldn’t be half the quarrelling or a tenth part of the wickedness there is.
Cheerfulness, too, promotes health and morality.
Cheerful people live longest here on earth, afterward in our hearts.
- Author Unknown

If I were to name two people who answer this description, one alive and another who has moved on to the world of eternal cheerfulness they would have to be:

Not two but three people have marked my life and outlook forever.

My Maternal Granny lived in Dublin, a bus journey away from us. She was a regular visitor to our home and immediately made for the kitchen or wherever she heard the voices. The mood became much brighter with her arrival and she always had colourful tales to tell from her journey on the bus, a visit to Town or of relations who had called to see her. Granny saw the lighter side in any situation and regularly saved us from a scolding. She used laughter to help make painful experiences a whole lot more tolerable.

We often stayed with her during school holidays. She loved going to the Cinema and regularly took us a matinee showing at the Green Cinema. It has long gone now, replaced by the St Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre. The first film I remember from those days was Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

Granny’s house seemed so much quieter than ours, but then there were only two people in it in those days. The youngest of her sons was unmarried at that time and he was either at work or out with his friends. She would send me up to open his bedroom window when he had gone to work and when I was half way up the stairs she would call out to me “Don’t be looking at those Dirty Books!” This was always followed by a hearty chuckle. Copies of ‘Men Only’ were scattered in bundles all over his room. Naturally I had to take a look at what I was not supposed to see. I am sure by today’s standards they would be considered very tame. Do they still print them?

I remember one day at the lunch table the conversation turned to ‘Wooden Legs’! We must have talked about my Paternal Grandfather because he had a wooden leg! He died when my father was eleven so I never knew him or saw his wooden leg. I was young enough at that time to be a little wary of having a ‘wooden leg’ at close quarters. Granny not to be outdone told me that she had one, it was in the coal shed and after lunch she would let me see it! Sticking close to her skirts we headed out to the coal shed. It was dark inside and there was no light. She ventured into the shadows and lifted something rather heavy from along the back wall. I was ready to scarper as she walked towards me with the leg. “Now do you believe?” she asked and she placed a beautifully carved table leg in front of me! Oh Yes! She laughed heartily for hours afterwards.

Jack the love of my life. We are back to wooden legs again! He was a Burma Veteran. I have talked about this part of his life in earlier Podcasts called Our John Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 in March this year. He had a badly injured leg and walked with a slight limp. In fact he mastered it so well it was more like a skip! He always referred to it as his ‘wooden leg’. He had such a positive attitude to life, his bottle was always half full. No matter what dreadful thing I did he would say “Ah sure it is not as bad as a bad marriage!” He found fun and laughter in all we did. Our 21 years together passed like a short weekend.

Helen, a friend I met on holiday in Spain the month before Elly started nursery school. Helen and her husband were holidaying away from their children for the very first time. Helen’s strong maternal instinct drew her to Elly. We discovered over the few days that we shared many interests. We became instant friends I was really drawn to Helen by her infectious laughter. It was impossible to be in her company for longer than five minutes without vibrating with laughter.

Helen’s life was crossed by many health complications over the years, but she never let this fact get her down. She is a true friend and when we talk or meet up the conversation flows without the gap of the weeks or months since we last spoke. There is one thing sure when I finish a phone call to Helen I feel like I have had a couple of weeks in the sunshine.

Remember: You don’t stop laughing because you grow old; you grow old because you stop laughing.

Now it is your turn…