Grannymar

Sam has tagged me!!

Here are the rules as posted on Sam’s blog…

1)Link to the person who tagged me
2)Mention the rules
3)Tell six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about myself
4)Tag 6 other bloggers by linking to them
5)Go to each person’s blog and leave a comment that lets them know they’ve been tagged

Six things? Now where to start……

1. I hate being late for an appointment. It is much worse when someone else causes me to be late
2. Cats are my least favourite animal. They insist on rubbing against my legs or jumping on me if I am sitting down. Please go purr somewhere else.
3. I wear socks in bed all year round. I have very cold feet and if I do not get them warm, then there is no chance of sleeping.
4. I dislike migraine music. It sounds like noise to me and prevents me hearing what people are saying.
5. Tailgaters make me wish I had an old Volvo, so that I could break suddenly. The alternative would be a Boot that opens at the press of a button while the car is moving to show the sign – No Parking in here!
6. Parents who allow their children to run wild and behave badly in restaurants, hotels or airport waiting areas, not thinking of other users.

I am not going to tag anyone so feel free to try it if you wish.

Toyboys keep me on my toes flexing my fingers on the keyboard. Jefferson Davis is no exception even though he lives in South Carolina. He is only playing forward the tag from K8 the Gr8 for a meme last week

The Rules

v List two things that irritate you for a reason (and list the reason!), and two things that irritate you for no apparent reason whatsoever!!

v Give credit to the person who tagged you.

v Link your answers to the original blog - Keiron over on http://www.skillett.com

v Tag four new people to participate.

Two things that irritate the living hell out of me for a good reason:

1) Wimps – People who whinge to anyone and everyone about how hard their life is, yet do nothing to improve it.

Let me tell them NOWHERE are we promised an easy life. We all have knocks and put downs in some shape or form. For some it is money problems, not having enough to put food on their table and heat in their bones. Others it is being in a job they hate or worse still having no job to go to day after day. Yet more suffer pain at the hand of abusers, or discomfort day and daily that prevents them sitting in a chair or walking across a room without wincing due to ill-health. Watching once again ‘The last Lecture’ by Randy Pausch, who died on 25^th July this year, I come away with two sentences etched on my brain.

“We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand!”

And

“The brick walls are there to show us how badly we want something!”

2) Waste – People buying things that they think they need because it is fashionable and the latest ‘must have’ or due to peer pressure.

We all do it in some shape or form. Falling for the ‘buy one get one free’ offers in the supermarket even when there is no way we will ever use two within the sell by date. Buying shoes, when we know full well that they are pinching your little toes and you already have a pair the same colour at home. Ordering food in a restaurant and leaving half of it on the plate untouched. Drinking until you throw up - where is the fun in walking around with a head pounding like a Lambeg drum. Some of the best fun in life is to be had without ever touching a drop of drink.

Two things that bug me for no apparent reason

1) Bread & jam that falls jam side down on the carpet

2) Food wrap that gets in a tangle.

This time I leave it open to tag yourself if you wish to.

Give a thing and take it back

God will ask you where it is

If you say that you don’t know

God will send you down below!

Now we all know there is no such thing as a free lunch. Hails from Coffee Helps, was singing my praises the other day. Usually when someone does that they are looking for something. The darling of Ballymena the European Grand Tour was no different to all the others, she gives me something and then she wants me to give it away….

This is what she gave me:

Now here is the catch:

• Pick five blogs that you consider deserve the award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also for contributing to the blogging community, no matter what language.
• Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.
• Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.
• The award winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of the Arte y Pico blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award.

I stopped at creativity and had no difficulty picking five blogs worthy of this accolade.

Deborah at Tastie has a blog that I lurked on for some time before joining in the fray. In fact the very first time I braved her comment box I ranted on about a recipe and the way she suggested it should be made. I have come to appreciate her talents, her recipes and suggestions to help all our pockets at a time when prices are rising faster and more often that the sun. Last March I had the opportunity to enjoy her bubbly personality when we met at the Ladies Tea Party in the run up to the Irish Blog Awards. Deborah has now launched her own online food business specialising in Spice Mixes, Sauces and mouth watering Brownie mixes.

Kieran Murphy is at the helm of Ice Cream Ireland a blog about the business he partners with his brother Sean in Dingle and Killarney in County Kerry. He regularly shares recipes with pictures that I defy you not to drool over. If only I lived a little nearer and didn’t have a doctor chastising me about my cholesterol. Kieran’s blogging has led to publishing The Murphy’s Ice Cream Book of Sweet Things

Claire otherwise called Gingerpixel is a very talented unassuming young lady who again, I had the pleasure of meeting at The Ladies Tea Party. She is capable of bringing tears to my eyes as I follow her photo blog, and she regularly makes me feel broody with her portraits of babies and young children.

I would not be Grannymar if I forgot to include a Toyboy. Phil at Iced Coffee is another talented Photo blogger. The images he captures leave me in awe. I hope that in studying his work I might improve my meager attempts behind the lens.

Made Marian. has recently updated and moved house with her blog. The clean calm ordered lines are just as every craft workbox should be. Reading Marian’s blog brings back the enthusiasm that I felt in my early days as I embarked on each new area of needlecraft, whether it was embroidery, cross stitch, crochet or sewing. Marian I know you will enjoy Arte y Pico blog be sure to scroll all the way down. It is full of wonderful craft ideas.

There are many more creative blogs out there but I was asked to select five.

Now go spread the love, visit enjoy and become enthused. Don’t forget to say hello and you can tell them that I sent you.

I must be an easy target

Once again I have been tagged

Wisewebwoman has thrown down the gauntlet

Construct a story in six words

A challenge accepted by Ernest Hemingway

And solved in the following way

For sale: baby shoes, never worn.

Now it’s my turn to compete

In words only six quite clear

My offering for your perusal below

Virtual Friends Become Real, Through Blogging.

Well you need something to keep you amused while I am busy at BarCamp Belfast today!

One Word Answers Meme borrowed from Tiger lamb Girl.

Only one word can be used in your answer and it can NOT be used twice.

1. Where is your cell phone? Pocket

2 Your significant other? None

3. Your hair? Shor

4. Your mother? Deceased

5. Your father? Dead

6. Your favourite time of day? Morning

7. Your dream last night? None

8. Your favourite drink? Gin

9. Your dream goal? Wakeup

10. The room you’re in? Lounge

11. Your ex? Cremated

12. Your fear? Hypothermia

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Alive

14. What you are not? Jealous

15. Your Favourite meal? Dinner (with friends)

16. One of your wish list items? Energy

17. The last thing you did? Type

18. Where you grew up? Dublin

19. What are you wearing? Clothes

20. Your TV is? Nonexistent

21. Your pets? Spiders

22. Your computer? Desk

23. Your life? Interesting

24. Your mood? Calm

25. Missing someone? Elly

26. Your car? Mazda!

27. Something you’re not wearing? Jewellery

28. Favourite store? Arnotts

29. Your summer? Mild

30. Your favourite colour? Cornflower

31. When is the last time you laughed? Now

32. When is the last time you cried? April

33. Your health? Unpredictable

34. Your children? Daughter

35. Your future? Unknown

36. Your beliefs? Simple

37. Young or old? Ancient

38. Your image? Approachable

39. Your appearance? Tidy

40. Would you live your life over again knowing what you know? Yes

Meme from Baino

What was I doing 10 years ago?

I was living in a great black hole, hanging on by my fingernails following the death of my soul-mate Jack. Dealing with this grief was not easy, while also coming to terms with the loss of my mother and Elly’s leaving the nest for University, both just 20 months earlier. Somehow I found the strength to keep going and made a new life for myself and formed fresh new friendships. There is always light at the end of the dark tunnel if we persevere. Thankfully I found my way to daylight and learned to smell the roses and hear the birds singing once more.

Five snacks I enjoy in a perfect, non weight-gaining world

Since I am, and always was a light weight I’ll change that to being free of health issues!

Dark Chocolate

Ice cream

Pistachio nuts

Fudge

Raspberries

Five snacks I enjoy in the real world

Olives,

Dried fruit – cranberries, apricots, dates, figs

Sweet Pepper biscuits ~ recipe next Monday

Raspberries, in season

Dark Chocolate (small helpings)

Five things I would do if I were a billionaire:

Give Elly & George half!

Move house to a small apartment or bungalow with 2 bedrooms both en-suites, a small lounge, with a bigger kitchen/dining/living room where friends can sit and enjoy a drink while I prepare lunch or dinner. I must have easy access to my beloved internet!

Sponsor a child.

Build a Hospice

Travel a little.

Five jobs that I have had:

Not in any particular order:

‘999’ Emergency Service

Court Clerk

Hot food outlet assistant

Medical Secretary

Substitute teacher

Three of my habits:

I like to be tidy in myself and surroundings

Pay attention to detail

Reading Blogs is now part of the daily diet

Five places I have lived:

I have only lived in three places so far:

Dublin

Wiesbaden, Germany

Co. Antrim

Five people I want to get to know better:

George, my son-in-law

At least four of my blogging friends (more if it is allowed)

Feel free to have a go if you wish.

Comment away I may be slow to get back to you, but promise I will.

Some teachers are never happy unless they are handing out the homework!

Paddy Bloggit has so much time on his hands he wants us to play a little word association game. To see what we can come up with using the colours of the rainbow!

Red roses for a blue lady, was a song I remember one of my uncles singing to his sweetheart.

Oranges and lemons say the bells of St Clements!

Yellow - Mellow Yellow by Donovan
I’m just mad about Saffron
Saffron’s mad about me
I’m just mad about Saffron
She’s just mad about me
{Refrain}
They call me mellow yellow
(Quite rightly)
They call me mellow yellow
(Quite rightly)
They call me mellow yellow

That’s enough people have places to go and people to see!

Green with envy is how I feel with folk who have musical talent.

Blue > Paul Mauriat - Love is blue

Indigo a colour that suits me

Violet was a lady I worked with many moons ago.

Paddy Bloggit has presented me with this Desert Island

Now we all know that there is no such thing as a free lunch…

Well with my island comes a list of instructions

Given a list of categories, choose one item for each.

In addition a person to accompany you must be chosen and 3 other items.

This is the ‘list’:

A CD: Under Milk Wood – BBC(1963) full-cast drama of Dylan Thomas’ poetic play for voices starring Richard Burton.

A book: Notebook (and pencil* because a notebook is not much good without something to write with).

An item of technology: A Laptop with mobile broadband

A Film: DVD of the Original Forsythe Saga by John Galsworthy Produced by BBC

A Game: A skipping rope to make up my own games

An item of clothing: A kaftan & large Sunhat (I need protection from the sun).

A Photograph: Jack & Elly

Who would I take with me? Richard Clayderman – with a Piano.

Three other items I would take:

A wind up radio

My sewing box (well I could sew leaves together to make a fabric)

A hammock

* Thanks to Bernie “topgold” Goldbach

What and who would you take onto your desert island?

Q. What’s your most challenging life experience?

A. Caring for my husband when he was ill with cancer.

Q. If you could re-do something in your life, what would it be?

A. Nobody can change the past, not even God, so there is no point wasting time on it.

Q. Have you done any travelling? If so, where did it take you?

A. I’m not finished travelling yet so come back in ten years for my answer.

Q. What life lesson have you learned that is most important to you?

A. To live in the moment.

Q. What’s your favourite pass-time?

A. Meeting new people and learning their back story.

Q. What “odd” thing about you don’t most people know?

A. I have a scar above my left eye.

Q. Share a moment of fame

A. A Radio Luxembourg DJ spent Christmas with us when I was in Germany. He loved my Christmas pudding so much; it was the first thing he mentioned when he was next on air.

Q. What has been your best blogging experience?

A. Being a joint winner of the Best Personal Blog at the Irish Blog Awards 2008. (Award in the post)

Q. What advice would you give to someone about starting a Blog?

A. Go for it! Pick a handle you are comfortable with and not your own name. Visit other blogs and leave comments. Never be offensive. Look after the people who visit your blog.

Q. What is your favourite saying?

A. Today it is: A smile is the sugar in our medicine of life

Jefferson Davis is a naughty boy ‘cause he tagged me.

This time his idea for the meme came from a book. “The Three Bears“, by Derec Jones.

“Bring to your consciousness those memories of the things you’ve seen and the places you’ve been over the last twenty-four hours. Now select a one-minute sequence of events and try to replay it over and over again in your mind.”

Here’s one minute in the life of Grannymar

Brrring, Brrring! Brrring, Brrring!

Off come the rubber gloves as I reach for the phone. It is twenty past one in the afternoon and my face is bursting into life as a smile stretches from ear to ear even before I say hello.

“Hi mum! The flight was on time and we have just landed at Heathrow.”

“Elly! It is wonderful to hear you and know you are back this side of the world” I say. “Did you have a good week?”

Elly goes on to give me details about her week in Arizona, in 30 seconds flat. I hear about work, her colleagues, friends and the good people I refer to as her American Family. She passes on their good wishes and tells me their news. She needs to change terminals so I let her go as she promises to call me later when she reaches home.

Elly is as effervescent as she always was, and I hope she never changes.

It is no different now to those far off days at the school gate, when my five year old little bundle of energy put her hot little hand into my frozen one, and told me at breakneck speed, all the stories and secrets of the day as she skipped along by my side on our journey home from school.

So thanks to Jeff I have had double pleasure, re-living the phone call and the sound of Elly’s voice, while remembering that hot little hand encased in mine and the close bond we have between us.