Grannymar

On Friday I introduced you to three fine young men that I know of from the world of blogging and podcasting. One of them was

Cian MacMahon a fifth year student who podcasts as a hobby and so far has succeeded in finding two sponsors to cover his hosting expenses. Cian is a handsome young man with a crystal clear voice and excellent diction and I predict he will go places in the not to distant future.

Cian asked to interview me for a Podcast and the fruit of his labour is now available.

So make a coffee put your feet up and go pay a visit to View from the Quad where you can listen to the golden voice of Cian. In fact Mr Woss et al might learn a thing or two about how to conduct an interview with patience, good manners and preparation from this fine young fellow.

Years ago my father told me that it was a sign you were getting old when the policemen looked like school boys! Alas, the police have looked like schoolboys and schoolgirls to me for many a year now.

Sigh!

When I began this blogging lark most of my early contacts were Elly’s age group, yes I saw them as children. Well they were for the most part half my age. Over time the age groups widened. There were 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and a few 60s and now they go way up to the 80s.

It was the ageing downward that took me by surprise….

At Podcamp Ireland in Kilkenny 2007, I met Ian Healy a fine young school going lad who was very interested in all that went on. Alas, computer access with Dial-up internet prevents him from blogging and joining in the fun as much as he would like. He was back with us once more for Podcamp Kilkenny 2008. As soon as he saw me he shook hands and we picked up the conversation from the previous year.

Again at Podcamp this year, I met and spoke to Cian MacMahon a fifth year student who podcasts as a hobby and so far has succeeded in finding two sponsors to cover his hosting expenses. Cian is a handsome young man with a crystal clear voice and excellent diction and I predict he will go places in the not to distant future.

I first became aware of him at a talk led by Darragh Doyle, and like Darragh he is not afraid to approach and engage with people. Our paths crossed again later in the day when he attended my conversation about blogging and podcasting for the elderly. He stayed chatting long after the talk ended and kindly asked if I would consent to being interviewed for one of his podcasts. Email addresses were exchanged arrangements made and the recording took place some weeks ago via Skype, with Cian in Dublin and me with my feet up in Co Antrim! I think that episode will be available this weekend and there are plenty more examples of Cian’s work at View from the Quad.

The third young man I want to bring to your attention is Tommy Collison, a 14 year old student from Castletroy College in Limerick. His blogging home is to be found at Trust Tommy.com and once homework is out of the road Tommy joins the conversation on Twitter, where his short bio of 160 characters describes him as “Irish drummer, blogger, student, mischief-maker and maker of killer pancakes”.

So this keen drummer, and his work can be found on YouTube. Among his favourite bands are Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Dresden Dolls, Coldplay, Muse and Jamie Cullum. An avid reader he enjoys the words of Authors like Philip Pullman, Ian Fleming, Robert Muchamore and Stephen King.

Now I wonder what I have to do to get one of Tommy’s pancakes?

I had a great few days away from home and feel like I was on holiday for a month.

You heard about the lists, the tasks and the curtains so now you want the interesting bits.

Saturday meant an early start; we left home at 8am in order to reach Hotel Kilkenny and registration for PodCamp Ireland before 10 am. We drove through thick fog most of the way, so the journey was slow. Seeing friendly faces as we arrived soon brought the sunshine to our hearts. I was not the oldest and the generations were like steps of stairs to the youngest little lady that I saw at lunchtime, a mere one year old!

Ken McGuire Bernie Goldbach & Krishna De all did a trojan job in the past few months organising the event. It may have been an ‘unconference’ event but without the background work it would not have happened.

So what did I do?

I hugged, or should I say Keith tried to crush my ribs!

I listened with Marian while Darragh talked.

I learned, Ellie May shows me how to use an iPod.

I talked about blogging and Podcasting for the older generation.

AND

I was brought home to meet ‘The Parents’

We arrived back with Elly & George in time for a sumptuous dinner on Sunday night and again enjoyed friendship, fun and laughter for several hours.

On Monday a workman was due so I stayed around to let him in. I had three more fine young Toyboys on Tuesday and one of them came three times! The work was completed on Tuesday and everyone is satisfied.

Fearing I would be charged rent if I stayed any longer, the bags were pack and ready for the return journey on Wednesday. I didn’t go straight home. I went to meet and dallied awhile with another fine handsome Toyboy.

Then I was presented with this:

How’s your Latin?

Some of the 110 attendees that I actually had conversations with at PodCamp Ireland were:

Evert Bopp (Tipperary)

Mike Buckley (St Louis, MO, USA)

Cian Mac Mahon (Dun Laoighaire, Dublin) wants to do a Podcast with me.

Darragh Doyle (Dublin)

Keith Shirley (Carlow)

John Keyes (Kilkenny)

Rosemary Khelifa (Dublin) (whose talk I missed as it clashed with mine) gave me a lovely neck massage.

Elly Parker (Adamstown)

Martha Rotter (Dublin)

Gabriela Avram (Limerick)

Nicola Brown (Carlow)

Simon McGarr (Dublin)

Deborah Hadley (Tullamore) found her way to our hearts with delicious Brownies.

Jan Buckley (St. Louis, USA)

Marian Roche (Limerick) who made the PodCamp Logo buttons

Dean Whitbread (UK) presented and chatted despite an ear infection. Thanks Dean.

Sabrina Dent (Cork)

John Handelaar (Cork)

Keith Bohanna (Kilkenny)

Niamh Smith (Dublin)

Gav Reilly (Dublin)

Ian Healy (Kilkenny)

Jason Roe (Dublin)

Conor Lynch (Meath)

Marie Boran (Carlow)

Sabrina Marczak (Canada)

Katherina Fay (Dublin)

George Pratt (Dublin)

Sinead Murnane (Dublin)

Cathy Fowley (Dublin)

Sharon Tobin (Kilkenny)

If we chatted and I missed your name put it down to a senior moment.

More photos at Pix.ie

She’s leaving home after living alone for so many years….

By the time I get to Phoenix Newry, you will find this

‘cause I’m off to Dublin in the green.

Yes I am off to Dublin, or indeed half way there by now. It is the first stage of my trip to PodCamp. I hope to see you there. Now did I pack everything…

Clothes - yes

Pills - yes

Pen - yes

Paper - yes

Camera - yes

Curtains - yes

Now I know there was something else….

Toyboy Badges

Have fun while I am away but no hanging dirty washing on my line!

On another grey day we all need cheering up so I have the very thing for you.

I heard this on the PodCamp podcast today.

Ben Walker, a musician is in the middle of a song writing challenge. He aims to write 50 songs in ninety days. I love this one.

~

~

One…two… three are you ready

~

~

You’re No One If You’re Not On Twitter – the Twitter song

Sing up I can’t hear you!

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness!

Now that is the first line of a poem by John Keats. It always comes to mind at this time of the year as I wipe the mist from the inside of my bedroom window in the mornings. Over the next few weeks I hopefully will enjoy the early mist lying over the river in the valley. On some occasions it streaks like a ribbon across the landscape allowing me the view of the fields and buildings below and the hills and skyline above.

The month of September is in my books, the month of order and routine. Schools are open once more; sporting activities, evening classes, clubs and a myriad of organisations unfold their new programme of events. The roads become clogged with the chaos of the morning traffic rushing to beat the clock. I notice that friends become available once more after the long break of summer, for social events and meals.

This September I plan to be busy I am going camping! Not just once but twice. Now I know I asked for a tent but hopefully I won’t need it. You see the Camping that I am talking about has nothing to do with green fields, well I hope not, it is more about comfort, drinking coffee and making new friends. There will of course be the opportunity to learn new skills from experts who willing share and part with information and it all takes place indoors.

First off I am booked to go to CreativeCamp in Belfast on Saturday 6th of September at Blick Shared Studios.

CreativeCamp will be a un-conference event focussing on any medium that creative folk drool over. Topics covered include design, photography, web and mobile. The format is just like a BarCamp, so you can sign up to speak on a topic that you fancy.

Congratulations must go to Mairin & Andy for all the hard work in preparation for the day.

My second outing later in the month will be to PodCamp Ireland in Kilkenny on Saturday 27^th September.

It will be a return visit for me both to Kilkenny and to PodCamp. To date there are 80 people registered for PodCamp so the talks, discussion panels and the people attending should make for a very interesting day. I am so looking forward to rekindling old friendships and making new friends. The only cost to you the attendee at either event is in time - the time to come to the event - time to listen and time to join in and add your voice to the mix of the day.

I guarantee that it is impossible to attend an event such as these and not go away without learning something new!

See you there!

Today as a forerunner of PodCamp Ireland in KilKenny I was honoured to be included in this weeks Podcast and you can listen to it here

As the year draws slowly to its close, we all regardless of age seem to look back over the events of the past year, remembering lost loved ones, re-live our celebrations, rejoicing over achievements, tiptoe past disasters and move on to plan for the year ahead.

At first glance sewing seemed to overtake if not punctuate my year at every available space. In fact it was actually a year of great variety. In March I attended the Irish Blog Awards in Dublin, where I had the opportunity to meet with other Bloggers with amazing talent. A week later I turned sixty and officially become a senior citizen.

Over the months many hours were spent talking to Elly simultaneously on the phone and internet working through suggestions, ideas and plans for the wedding.

Moving forward to May I was approached on Skype and asked to help a young man in Italy to improve his English. I almost said no, but now we talk regularly and I think at this stage he can be counted as a friend.

The Wedding in June brought family and friends from across the globe to help celebrate and witness Elly & George’s Special day.

The weather was kind and Elly looked happy and glowing in her outfit. She said that it was very comfortable to wear and gave her the freedom she wanted.

The train of her outfit was detachable and was removed for dancing.

The end of June was rather scary with an emergency trip to hospital but thankfully I have recovered, and learned yet again to listen to my body! By the end of September I had sufficient energy to attend Podcamp in Kilkenny. It gave me the opportunity to learn and share, while renewing old friendships and making new ones.

November saw the passing of Cherry the mother of my new Son-in-Law George. I know that with Elly by his side, and the love of his father and siblings to share the great loss, George will feel the smile of sunshine on his face once more and hear and enjoy the birds singing.

Back in July I quietly marked the 30^th anniversary of the day I married. Sadly, and not by choice, I have been alone for a third of that time. When Jack was alive our world was wonderful and I am thankful for warm loving memories.

The mention of marriage reminds me of a radio interview I smiled at over the holiday, an 80-year-old lady was the focus, because she had just remarried — for the fourth time.

The male interviewer asked her questions about her life, about what it felt like to be marrying again at 80, and then about her new husband’s occupation.

He’s a funeral director,’ she answered.

Interesting, the young man thought. He then asked her if she wouldn’t mind telling him a little about her first three husbands and what they did for a living.

She paused for a few moments, needing time to reflect on all those years.

After a short time, a smile came to her face and she answered proudly, explaining that she’d first married a banker when she was in her early 20’s, then a circus ringmaster when in her 40’s, later on a preacher when in her 60’s, and now in her 80’s, a funeral director.

The interviewer looked at her, quite astonished, and asked why she had married four men with such diverse careers.

She smiled and explained, ‘I married one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, and four to go.’

Podcamp Ireland took place on Saturday 29^th September 2007 in the Ormond Hotel, Kilkenny, Ireland.

Some of the people I met

Krishna De

Ellybabes

Clare

Martha

Now the Toyboys:

Conn

Martin ‘GD’

Dennis

Dean

Keith

Neville

Brian

Michele

Tom

Bernie

Will

Ken

Niall

Spudshow Music Podcast

There were more, (hugs & squeezes at the back of the room!) lunch and coffee friends, but my lips are sealed

Last night I managed to clear the 1182 items in my google reader and went to bed square eyed! Today I opened up the computer to find a couple of hundred fresh items to read, glance over or comment on.

Having dealt with the blogs I moved on to the news items and this one stopped me in my tracks!

Women ‘are facing extinction’ in rural England, leaving thousands of bachelors in crisis.

It was in the Daily Mail so it MUST be true.

Well you all know me. Podcasts of PodCamp Ireland will have to wait. This is far too good an opportunity to miss, can’t have all those lovely toyboys stranded and lonely now can I?

Cover Elly’s eyes if you see her moving in the direction of this blog post. She worries you know!

Back when the panting stops.

Home at last and slowly recovering from chasing Toyboys, talking, boozing, eating and lack of sleep. I need time to gather my thoughts and write or podcast about the weekend…. well the printable part of it anyway!

Now who were those guys using camera phones? I wonder if I might be able to bribe them….

Thanks to Elly for doing the driving on Saturday and to George for the comfortable car.  Without you I would never have contemplated the long journey.

In the mean time while I catch up on the 1182 items in my Google Reader you amuse yourselves with this little item I picked up from Baino.

You Are Chardonnay

Fresh, spirited, and classic - you have many facets to your personality. You can be sweet and light. Or deep and complex. You have a little bit of something to offer everyone… no wonder you’re so popular. Approachable and never smug, you are easy to get to know (and love!).Deep down you are: Dependable and modestYour partying style: Understated and polite Your company is enjoyed best with: Cold or wild meat

Now after the weekend what would you say?

What Kind of Wine Are You?