Eight things you don’t know about me

Oh Dear!

K8 has been busy tagging everyone she knows in the Blogosphere today.

Thankfully she took pity on me and left me alone. I don’t like that sort of thing as I have to work hard to remember my young life… it was so very long ago.

While having a rest this afternoon I was thinking about my Newly Weds.

I gave Elly a bit of a scare last weekend, and instead of pushing up daisies I must keep struggling on. In case she decides to sell my body to science I completed a survey to tell me approximately how much money my darling daughter would get for it.



$4615.00

If you see her running up the road with a pillow will you let me know…

My Speech

I made a promise and so I must keep it.

While concentrating on my many sewing tasks over the past few months, Podcasting was relegated to the back burner. The longer the gap the harder it is to begin again. So where will I start?

At the wedding on Saturday several people suggested that my speech might work well as a Podcast. There are friends and relations who follow my blog, but were unable to attend so for you I will re-do the speech.

You will have to imagine the heckling and the rotten tomatoes flying through the air!

My adventure is over, theirs is only beginning…

Today I am home from Elly & George’s wedding and am feeling a little fragile:

So where do I start?

Thursday dawned and I woke early, the car was packed and ready to go. I spoke to Elly and she was in very good form (for a bride) and seemed quite relaxed! I had a good breakfast and set off on the road of a wonderful adventure.

Where have the 29 years gone, it seems at times as if while I blinked she changed from a tiny baby to the beautiful, capable, organised and independent young lady I now see. Her Dad would have been proud!

The journey was uneventful with some heavy rain as I crossed the border from Northern Ireland to the south. I called with Elly and we had some quality time before going to check into the hotel. Elly still had some things to sort out so she left me to get my bearings in the hotel and have an early quiet night.

Friday was a rest day for me with my only task being to press the famous outfit. This I did in stages and rested until after lunch.

Reception informed me when guests checked in so I was able to meet and greet them. My cousin and her husband from California who I met and stayed with a few years ago were the first to arrive. As we caught up with family news and looked at photos, my cousin from New Zealand and her son whom I last saw in the late 60’s were next to join us. These cousins were aware of each other but never met so it was good to make the introductions. We spent several hours catching up and filling gaps in family history.

Elly and the bridesmaids checked in and joined us for dinner. We were nine in total at this stage and the banter and craic was wonderful. A good omen for the day to follow!

Saturday dawned with sunshine and no rain. I went to breakfast at 8.30 and was joined by the Bride-to-Be and her attendants before they headed to keep hairdresser appointments. The remainder of the morning passed quickly with guests arriving from all arts and parts. It was becoming a very international affair. We had representatives from north, south, east and west of Ireland, London, Paris and Troyes in France, Romania, California, New Zealand and the high point for Elly was to have an Uncle from Australia who was bringing his 18 year old daughter to Ireland for the wedding and to meet his (our) family for the very first time.

Elly announced that she did not want to miss the fun so we all changed into our finery and rejoined the guests for the pre-wedding reception. It is the only wedding I ever attended where the Bride and Groom mingled with the guests before the ceremony.

At 3p.m. I had the honour of walking Elly in and handing her over to George. Music was provided by a sister of the Groom, while another sister, a friend of the couple and an aunt of the Bride took care of the three readings.

An Uncle of George’s officiated and the couple had written the service and vows themselves. It was very moving, and the place resounded with everyone singing ‘When I’m Sixty-Four by the Beatles as the couple walked, or should I say danced out.

At this point I have no pictures but if you check Elly’s blog, not alone will find a picture but can read her vows.

"I Gave My Wedding Dress Away,"

Eileen Reid sang with a group called the Melody Makers in Dublin during the early sixties before joining the Cadets with whom she made the above hit record. She has continued to act, in films as well as on-stage. I last saw her portraying Imelda's mother in Alan Parker's The Commitments.

The song "I Gave My Wedding Dress Away" is very much in my head at the moment. You know how it is – you think of a line and you find you are singing it all day long!

Well now I will be able to say "I Gave My Wedding Dress Away" and mean it. For the past eighteen months I have worked on (When health allowed) a very special wedding dress. In fact I have always referred to it as ‘Elly’s Wedding Outfit’. That is because it was not really a dress at all. For most of her life my daughter REFUSED point blank to wear a dress! Jeans are her usual choice of apparel.

No way would I let her wear jeans walking up an aisle, no matter what building she chose for the wedding.

We did go out one day a lifetime ago or so it seems, so Elly could look at and try on dresses, even though she had already asked me to make her special outfit. I wanted her to be sure and not commit until she had tried several different styles.

There were one-pieces, two-pieces, meringues all frills and flounces, slinky little numbers and the more traditional with big skirts. She tried while I looked. My face sometimes told more than the mirror even if I was slow to comment. One she liked had a rather full skirt with mountains of underskirts to support it. I reminded her of how she disliked being restricted and she agreed that yes it would slow her down far too much. “Anyway Mum, your arms would not hack all that weight of material” she said. I think I was secretly relieved.

Since Elly’s Graduation outfit (which I made over ten years ago) really pleased her she hankered after a similar one for her wedding. I hunted out ideas and we settled on a boned bodice, trousers and a train. Detachable sleeves were also an option. We ditched the sleeves last month and the train unhooks for Dancing.

I set to work on the train as it would not be affected by a change in Elly’s weight. Next I did the sleeves and then the trousers. I left the waistband and hems semi-finished for the second fitting. The bodice was the last piece to be tackled as it was boned and the most difficult to alter.

All this was going on some 125 miles apart from each other. Each time we met her weight seemed static and her shape & measurements remained the same. I took a chance on it and went ahead with the boned bodice.

In February work decided to interfere with the calm steady arrangements. Work trips around the globe were suddenly arranged and Elly took off on her travels. Mammy sat calmly (on the outside) sewing away wondering when we were ever to have a fitting. I kept a stock of safety pins at the ready, after all Liz Hurley got away with it at the Oscars!

I travelled to Dublin for the Irish Blog Awards in March armed with Wedding outfit, sewing box, sheets to spread on the floor for the fitting etc.

Ha, ha, ha! Serves you right mother! Elly lost a little weight. Where? Up top of course, so the alterations started. I still had time… 23^rd June was a couple of months away.

Elly arranged to come up on 10^th June for the final fitting but the car objected and gave up on her north of Drogheda. The car was sorted and she finally managed to take time away from work on Friday 15^th June. We had a good six or seven hour’s together but:

Whaaaa! More alterations were needed. Beading had to be removed to do them properly. I managed to do the crucial ones while Elly was with me and that left four days to get it all finished.

All that work just to ‘Gift Wrap’ the most precious treasure I have before willingly and lovingly entrusting her to George.

George all I ask is that you mind her, love her and may you both live long and happy lives together.

The Letter Box Clattered…

You all know how I love the sound of my letterbox clattering and the other day was no different.

My singular item that day was a card from Anne, a friend I worked with in Dublin before I was married. We have remained in touch by letter, phone calls and the occasional visit. Anne married a couple of years before me and had a daughter Rebecca by the time I walked down the aisle. She later has a son a little younger than Elly.

The card from Anne was to wish me well during this special month of June. She was encouraging me to savour every day and particularly Elly’s Wedding Day. She enclosed a copy of a letter that she had come across on a recent spring-clean and enjoyed re-reading. As I read the letter tears rolled silently down my face! I think I might like to share it:

Waveney Hospital

Ballymena

Tuesday 9^th May

Dear Anne & Tony,

Greetings from the Grannymar Family!

Yes Elly arrived on Saturday at 4.25p.m. She is just gorgeous. At 6lbs 12ozs she was much bigger than I had expected. The Consultant had told me the baby would be small and I had expected a wrinkled little prune! Well there wasn’t a wrinkle in sight.

The Consultant took me into hospital on the Wednesday as my sugar levels were very high. They ran tests and X-rays all day Thursday to make sure the baby was big enough to bring on. The results were through on Friday and they started the ball rolling at 10.30a.m. Saturday. I must say it was all very easy and couldn’t understand why they kept asking to give me an injection for pain!

Poor Jack had the longest day of his life, waiting and wondering. He was up and finished breakfast before 6a.m. and wandered around in circles all day. By 4p.m. when there was still no news he decided to come on over and wait at the hospital, but by the time he arrived, all was over and he was taken straight to see his little daughter.

I will never forget the look on his face when he came across to my bedside. The tears just ran down his cheeks with joy!

I had a try at breast feeding on Sunday but yesterday I had to stop as my skin is so fair and sensitive. I will try again today but am resigned to the fact that it may not work out. I will at least have tried and what more can I do. Yesterday I had a touch of the ‘Blues’, but am back to myself again today. I was just overtired and slept very little on Saturday and Sunday.

Sister has just made rounds and together we decided to quit the breast feeding. I am much too sore and raw and would run into more trouble. It is better to decide now and not wait until I am home and on my own.

Mammy has phoned to say she will come to see us. Jack persuaded her to wait until next week when I am home and she would have more time with us. I am really looking forward to her visit.

Well now Rebecca, we can take out the little bootees and make good use of them. It seems no time since you were as new as Elly. How time goes by!

Anne I must finish and get some more letters written while Elly sleeps and the mood is on me.

Love to All

Grannymar

We all use emails nowadays for speed and ease. I wonder how they will last as records of events in years ahead.

Don’t give up the Pen and paper!

My long pause…

The past couple of weeks have proved rather busy for me. I am trying to finish all my sewing tasks for the wedding. I have Elly’s outfit ready for the final fitting and hopefully my calculations are not totally off the scale. I now need to make a cushion for the Ring bearer and a little bag for the Flower girl.

I have completed my own headgear and my bag for the day. My project for this afternoon is to make some decoration to hide my scrawny neck…. Alas sacks are forbidden….

These notes are by way of an apology for not posting or Podcasting more regularly. I have lurked and added the odd comment. I am depending on my store of amusing stories and graphics and hopefully they are keeping you interested until my time becomes my own again. Hang in there because like ‘Old Blue Eyes’ I will be making a come back!

So to keep you going:

Lucy spent the first day packing her belongings into boxes, crates and suitcases.

On the second day, she had the movers come and collect her things.

On the third day, she sat down for the last time at their beautiful dining room table by candle-light, put on some soft background music, and feasted on a pound of shrimp, a jar of caviar, and a bottle of spring-water.

When she had finished, she went into each and every room and deposited a few half-eaten shrimp shells dipped in caviar into the hollow of the curtain rods.

She then cleaned up the kitchen and left. When the husband returned with his new girlfriend, all was bliss for the first few days.

Then slowly, the house began to smell. They tried everything; cleaning, mopping and airing the place out. Vents were checked for dead rodents and carpets were steam cleaned.

Air fresheners were hung everywhere. Exterminators were brought in to set off gas canisters, during which they had to move out for a few days and in the end they even paid to replace the expensive wool carpeting. Nothing worked.

People stopped coming over to visit. Repairmen refused to work in the house. The maid quit.

Finally, they could not take the stench any longer and decided to move.

A month later, even though they had cut their price in half, they could not find a buyer for their stinky house. Word got out and eventually even the local realtors refused to re turn their calls.

Finally, they had to borrow a huge sum of money from the bank to purchase a new place.

Lucy called her Ex and asked how things were going.

He told her the saga of the rotting house. She listened politely and said that she missed her old home terribly and would be willing to reduce her divorce settlement in exchange for getting the house back.

Knowing his ex-wife had no idea how bad the smell was, he agreed on a price that was about 1/10th of what the house had been worth, but only if she were to sign the papers that very day.

She agreed and within the hour his lawyers delivered the paperwork.

A week later the man and his girlfriend stood smiling as they watched the moving company pack everything to take to their new home.........

And to spite the ex-wife, they even took the curtain rods!!!!!!

Thank you for informing us…. 2

This is in reply to the comments on my last post.

Dario please hurry up and sort the world out.

Betty we need a licence for a TV and another one if we have a dog, but none for a cat, a rabbit or a baby! The world is crazy...

We have no cable TV where I live and would need something like this on the roof.

I know that in Dublin where Elly lives they have a provider of cable that covers the phone, internet and TV connection. Mind you the phone line is dreadful in my opinion. That is unless they jink it on purpose to get me off the line quickly. ;)

Nancy that pilot sounds like a guy I knew in the USAF.

Ouch!

I have a habit of talking of how ‘we mothers’ never cut that cord. No matter how many miles Elly is away from me our metaphorical umbilical cord is still attached.

Having read an article in The Guardian this morning I am beginning to wonder if I should do something about it!!!!

But then in the not to distant future perhaps….

By Baby

Elly arrived at 16.25hrs on 6th May 1978 as Ipswich scored the winning goal in the F.A. Cup Final. She was the first, only and dearly loved child for my husband and myself.

From the moment she was born she was alert and hungry!

She is still alert and hungry…….

Elly quickly moved through Education:

• She joined Brownies

• Learned how to be a radio broadcaster

• Went on a tour of Queens University Library (aged 10)

• Joined a church choir

• Played Hockey, Badminton and Tennis

• Took part in residential Science Courses

• Tried canoeing, caving & rock climbing

• After A levels it was off to Paisley University in Scotland, to read Marketing with French

• Year three at the IUT in Troyes, France followed with new friends & experiences, but playing rugby was not what mother had in mind.

• Back to Paisley for the final year and graduation.

• 

Moving to Dublin opened many doors

• Working for a Major International Company

• Meeting her True Love

• New Hobbies, Friends and of course travel

This is what happens when you fall in love!

On Tuesday she heads off on a working trip that will take her right around the world passing through the date line for the first time.

Elly work well, enjoy the experience and travel safely, as always bring my love with you and I look forward to the tales of your travels when you return.

Elly enjoy your birthday, make the day special! I will always love you

My Poor Chickens!

Today is not a good day in ‘Lover’s Leap’. In fact it has not proved to be a good week at all. Last Friday my Elly returned from a working week in Israel. She phoned me from Dublin Airport as she waited for her baggage to come through. She always checks in like this a) to see if it is time to claim her inheritance or b) to let me know she has landed safely. We talked until I heard the baggage carousel start up and I let her go to concentrate on that. A little while later I had a text from her to say the case had not come home.

Saturday she was involved at Barcamp Dublin, another long and busy day. The suitcase was delivered on Sunday mid morning so all seemed well.

Monday and Tuesday were spent playing catch up at work while sorting her paperwork for the Visa, and vaccinations required for the next trip in May, which is to Vietnam with a stop off for two weeks on the way in Arizona. Taking the westward route she should come right round the world, passing the date line for the first time and cover 20,800 miles of flying.

Her visit to the Post Office was slow and tedious but the Passport and paperwork were eventually sent on their merry way to London for the Visa Stamp. She returned to her car to discover a parking ticket on the windshield.

Wednesday dawned and the effects of the Vaccinations hit home and she was suffering from a sore arm and rear end! At lunch time a young man decided to be friendly with my Sin-in-Law, far too friendly! He ‘rear ended him’; I think that is the term. The car is a mess I believe. ‘S-i-L’ thought he was un-damaged so did not take my advice and go to his doctor.

This morning ‘S-i-L’ had a very sore neck and Elly’s rear end was swollen, sore and not allowing her to sit down. They both headed to see the doctor and were given medication and told to take it easy today and not to try working.

While I spoke to Elly on the phone this morning she was pacing up and down, ‘S-i-L’ put out his hand to touch her as she passed – to give her a sign of comfort. His hand was about 2” from her bottom when she gave him a ‘Moses’ look, like the look Moses used to part the Red Sea. When Elly does that you BACK OFF!

Tonight they are a little better and the wedding is going ahead!

Get well soon, I love you both!

So who was it then?

The clatter of my letterbox is a sound that always pleased me. Today was no different. Yes, the postman had come early and left an A5 sized envelope. Emails are instant but it is still nice to get some letters. The sound of them dropping onto the floor tells me I am still alive.

The lone item today was my Phone/Broadband bill. Old habits die hard and I always go through the bill with a fine tooth comb. Sometimes in the past it was a reminder that it was time to phone a particular person again. With the modern day options that have the free evening and weekend calls, the numbers in ‘free-time’ do not show up.

The bill this morning had a surprise for me. Second item on the list of calls was: 20^th January at 13.46 Somalia, followed by a number.

Yes, I did say Somalia.

I don’t know anyone in Somalia. To my shame I can just about tell it is in Africa, but I am not sure whether it is north, south, east or west. Google maps here I come….

I have never phoned anyone in Somalia in my life and since I live alone who did? I know it was not Elly or my Sin-in-Law as they were at Barcamp South East that day. I know they were there because Elly was giving one of the talks.

There was only one solution for it, so I phoned BT. I followed option 1, followed by 4 and 5. I nice English speaking girl asked how she could help. I told her my trouble and she wondered if I had misdialled. I assured her that that was not the case. She was still sceptical and said she would check back over the past two bills. No sign of Somalia there she said. I knew that, so reluctantly she said she would have it deleted from the bill.

What I still want to know is who used my phone to call Somalia?

Was it you? Go on own up!

Shoes

There was a time in my young days when passing the window of a shoe shop, particularly in early springtime, was an utter impossibility for me. It was a time when my hard earned cash provided me with a new outfit each spring, summer, autumn and winter. These outfits became ‘Sunday best’. The purchasing was not complete until the hat; gloves, bag and shoes all matching, were chosen.

I am talking about the days where all well mannered young ladies attending any job interview arrived punctually wearing her hat and her gloves. On entering the interview room she stood until invited to sit down. When sitting she kept her knees together and not crossed, keeping her gloves on throughout the meeting! “Why?” I hear you ask. Taking off ones gloves was considered forward and gave the impression that you were there to stay! Gosh I am so glad that things have moved on since then.

Leaving that tangent, I come back to my topic of shoes. I am not quite in the ‘Imelda Marcos’ category but I do confess to several pairs of shoes. I like to keep them clean and place shoe-trees in them as soon as I take them off. This helps keep them in shape and good condition. When they have cooled off I store them in their boxes lined with tissue. I have shoes that were purchased eight or nine years ago and still they look like new. They have spent more time on my feet than in the boxes.

Yesterday I ventured out to look for a new pair of shoes to go with the outfit that Elly helped me choose for her wedding. I headed for Ballymena and McKillen’s a well known Footwear Emporium in these parts. I walked slowly past the goods on display and realised once more that age was catching up on me. On past visits I have found difficulty in choosing only one pair of shoes. This time I was saddened that nothing appealed to me – I came away empty handed. I did find another shop who had a pair in the colour I wanted but alas not in my size. They offered to call their other branches this morning to see if they had my size. A phone call in the last hour confirmed my hunch that I was out of Luck. I am back to square one.

Now in desperation I have searched the net and think I have found the very thing. I wonder if I posted them to Granny would she wear them for a day or two to break them in for me.

So what do you think lads, would these heels do something for you?

My Sewing Box

History in the Making

On Sunday 17 July 1904 at the Showgrounds at An Umaimh, twenty-four shy young women, all pioneers in skirts that trailed the ground, lined up in two teams of twelve for the first Camogie Game ever played. It was a slow, very slow game of camogie because of those skirts and because the girls had little practice with the camans. In fact the rules were made as the game went along because not all the rules for men’s hurling were suitable for Camogie.

The teams were from Dublin; Keatings and Cuchullains. That day was born an Irish game for Irishwomen. It was a modified form of hurling suitable for women. The name in Irish “camoguidheacht” derives from camog, the irish for a turned stick.

Not all agreed with the game, tongues whispered: “Imagine women playing a rough game like that.”

This is a true story My Maternal Grandmother was one of those women. Is it any wonder then that my Elly went on to play Rugby?

On one occasion she played on an all male team against an all male team! That is her story and she might share it with you some day!

The picture shows the members of the Keating team. My Grandmother is sitting first left in the front row.

No Nursing Home for Me

Grannymar Returns

My Labour of Love

Do You Know Where You Came From?

Dublin Here I Come

♫ I am off to Dublin in the green, ♫ in the green ♫ well it is not quite in the green “I shall wear purple with a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me. This last quotation comes from a very old poem called “Warning” by Jenny Joseph it is about growing old disgracefully. Some day I will add it to the Blog and see if you agree with the sentiments.

Most of you think I am travelling to Dublin for the Irish Blog Awards; yes I will go along as an acknowledgement of Elly’s efforts in coaching me in modern technology and as a physical show of support to all involved in organising and bringing the Awards night to fruition.

My main reason for this trip is to fulfil a long time commitment to attend a Photographic Exhibition in Baldoyle Library, Dublin 13 from Monday 5^th to Tuesday 20^th March 2007. I have known ‘Richard M’, the photographer; since he was born and have watched his talent grow. He reminded me the other night that his first commission was to take the photos at my wedding! I am pleased to say that he has now agreed to do the same for Elly in a few months time.

‘Richard M’ is very skilled at his craft and over the years his work has ranged from photographing children visiting Santa, Graduating students, Official Conference photographs, Weddings right through to an Irish President inside Áras an Uachtaráin.

‘Richard M’ has a great love for nature and this passion is captured through his lens. He will wait several hours while the world sleeps to capture the sun as it appears on the horizon. This exhibition is mainly ‘Seascapes’ capturing moments at different times of the day in or around the Howth Peninsula taken over the past 30 years.

The word ‘Howth’ gives me a warm glow because it brings back memories of days spent either up at the head or down round the pier. I know that through ‘Richard M’s’ lens I will see it with new eyes.

Now I must sort out my packing for this trip. Where are my clean clothes…..