With Spring comes that dillemma of Mother's day. I usually hate holidays like Mother's day, as I never know what to get for my Mother, as she is slightly fussy. She doesnt wear jewellery, she thinks flowers are a waste of money as they dont last long, she thinks chocolates are overpriced, and I couldnt just get her a bottle of wine, not personal enough. Luckily enough, my lovely Mummy understood my dilemma. So when out shopping the other day, she solved my lil problem.
Mom - 'I am going to give you a hint for what I want for Mother's day'
Me - 'fantastic, go on'
Mom - 'there is a small greenhouse for sale in town, I want that'
Me - ' subtle mom, real subtle'
I have no idea how I didnt think of it before! Its perfect for her. It also means lovely tomatoes and strawberries for us to enjoy later on in the year .... mmmmm.....
At the moment both her any my dad are executing the mission impossible of rotivating the vegetable patch, nightmare! But it does mean that we are on our way to lovely potatoes and beans again, plus there are plans to extend the patch. We will be veggie mad by the end of the season :-)
Also, it appears we have a broody hen. Roy (our rooster) has discovered his libido in the past month, and he now has his pick of the 12 hens around him. It does appear that he has a lil girlfriend who devotedly follows him from morning to night, from one scratching spot to another, and she stands and adores him as he views his vast estate of half an acre from the top of his pile of woodchips, now that's love!! ;-) We have noticed that his lil girlfriend is refusing to leave her eggs these days without a good fight. Of course we are thrilled with the prospect of lil chicks running around, but with it comes pressure from my Mom to get my Dad to build the maternity wing, another addition to the ever growing list of tasks for the poor man to complete ha.
Plus the weather lately is stunning, and more and more people are taking to the green areas of college, sitting on the grass with cups of tea and ice creams, basking in the sunshine. I always thought that if Ireland had better weather, if it had more sunshine, no person would ever want ot leave here. It would be a pretty perfect country .... minus the R word of course, we will just pretend its not happening .... lalalalalala.
Marching on with Spring
Paddy's Day Traditions
Hey all!!
So, its that time of year again, where we Irish wear our green with pride, and gather on the streets of our hometown as we watch the magnificant display of the local talent, content in the knowledge that our country is one to be proud of, and the day is one of celebration of our emerald isle.....
Ok so maybe the green resembles the colour of the faces of all the alcoholics taking advantage of the pub's drink promos, and we actually freeze on the streets as it is Ireland and March, and maybe the local talent consists of an overweight Elvis impressionist and the local first class and their tin whistles, but its still a tradition, so why not enjoy it a lil?
I have to say I have fond memories of Paddy's day. As a kid the day consisted of travelling with my mom and sis into town, parking in Trinity College where my dad works, and watching the students (who always seemed so mysterious and intelligent.... HA) as they walked through the college. We then all made our way onto the streets of the city, which were filled with people dressed in green plastic banners and face-paint. There were so many talented musicians lining the streets, all battling for your pound coin, and they all sang songs that I only ever head at country weddings. When we finally made out way to the main street, we were stood beside the railing, told to hang on and not let go, and before the numerous marching bands passed and art students showed their talents, we munched on sandwiches produced from my mother's Mary Poppins bag.
Funny enough, every year we froze, every year we got squished against barriers and didnt see the entire parade, and evey year the huge dragon float scared the crap out of me, despite the knowledge that it was made of plastic and pushed by hard working art students. Yet despite all this, every year we went, and every year I loved the music and the atmosphere, and it was such a massive part of my famiy tradition.
Lately though, the streets also play host to numerous drunken louts who had nothing better to do or spend their money on, and the Gardai play a much bigger role is keeping the day innocent for the children. Its such a pity really. I would love to have one more year of strolling around the gates of St Stephen's green with my dad looking at all the excited children and adults getting ready with their floats, and having my face painted on Grafton Street, and watching the young lads singing 'The Fields of Athenry' standing beside their hat on the gound. Now my Paddy's day is spent in work, but ah well, thats life. I must say, I really look forward to doing it all with my children, making new Paddy's Day traditions.
Feminist.... I dont think so
Yes I know its been a while, I do sincerely apologise. I should have some fantastic explanation such as I am writing a deep and perfect thesis, or I have been working 14 hour days, but I'm afraid that is simply not true. Im just plain lazy.
Well I must admit I have been busy with college. I am pleased to announce that I have well passed all my exams, so YAY!! Went out on a nice celebration night out on Wednesday. The college was smack in the middle of SHAG week (Sexual Healh Awareness and Guidence), and on Wednesday the Bio Soc held an extremely successful quiz in the student union bar. The success of this quiz was not down to good publicity or the promise of fantastic prizes, it was simply down to its subject ; sex. Must admit though, it was very scientific, so I have to say as an english student I was quite lost. But the image of the unsuspecting and extremely awkward biology professor who was unwittingly dragged into a tuix to present the whole shabang was definately the highlight of the evening.
Well, onto my above topic..... As regards my college course at the moment, I must say I found it hard to decide which one thing to talk to you about, as there are numerous interesting topics that I am studying at the moment. But yesterday I finsihed studying 'The Second Sex' by Simone De Beauvoir, so I decided to chat to you about that. It is esentially an anti-male, anti-patriarchial society, and extreme feminist piece of writing, yet interestingly I couldnt put it down. She talks constantly and repeatedly about how women are trained from birth to heed to oppression and societal attitudes and expectations of women. Basically, from start to end, she makes numerous arguements about men and how they oppress women in society in various ways, and how men live a life thats soooo much easier based on arguements that range from they have more societal freedom to earn a living for themselves and realise their ambition, to they can play with their ...... Ye you know what Im getting at ha. At the start of the set of lectures the lecturer asked the women to stand up if they considered themselves feminists, and I think he hoped that at the end of the lectures he would have more women saying that they were feminists. I highly doubt that was the case, for even though the book was only written in the 40's, it appears to me to be a show of one woman's complete obsession with her hatred of men and she decides to write down every possible reason that one could have for hating men. (even though ironically enough she had relations with men, mustn't have hated them that much lol) A lil overboard if you ask me, but interesting read if even just for the curiousity of her paranoia. Check it out if you want a thought provoking read.
Election Posters and Espionage
I dont want to make this blog a politic-based one, but I have to give a mention to the sight that met my eyes as I drove into Kilcock this morning. A mere day after former (better late than never I suppose) Taoiseach Cowen announced that the election will be on the 25th of this month, and the lamposts are completely covered in posters! The first one I saw this mornin belonged to the Independants..... hmmmm...... well I suppose you gotta give them the credit for enthusiasm. What i dont understand though, is how sticking an oversized poster of yourself in an equally silly lookin suit on a lampost is meant to help you get votes. I mean there isnt a hint at their election "promises", or what they will do for the country (bar pass brown envelopes around that is) Do they think that we vote for people on how good their roots look? .............. Just on an end note, are those not a bit of a driving hazard? I wonder if you crashed your car could you sue Aine Brady cause you were looking at her poster.....
Anyway, onto slightly more interesting things, I started back college on Monday after the xmas break and January exams. Results arent out until the 14th, so I wont say anything about them, but looking back I am afraid to even hope I did well. But anyhoo I began my new modules, and I must say, bar my core history module, Im a happy bunny. One of the English modules deals with Feminism Literature, and although I wouldnt call myself a feminist, its interesting. Sociological and consequential political history always interested me anyway, but I am reading Virginia Woolf "A Room Of Ones Own" at the moment, and although it takes a while to really get what she is on about, its good. I recommend it to anyone who likes a bit of heavy philosophical reading. On a side note, the lecturer is a man, which I find slightly strange. Thought it would be a typical woman fighting tooth and nail for "equality".
Also, in a strange twist of fate and unexpected change of timetable for the English course, I was forced to choose a new History module, as the International Relations module I chose in September (which involved a ridiculously slow computer in an internet cafe in Paris and A LOT of stress) clashed with my English timetable. So I was sort of landed with Intelligence, Espionage and State Diplomacy in the years 1648 to 1720. Its pretty much a big discussion on the spies and general mysterious gentry of the age, based sometimes on fact, and sometimes on maybe facts..... Anyway its kinda fun, and should turn out some pretty interesting stories for here :-)
Ah.... Love Is In The Air
Im sure many of you just clicked this thinking that you were about to get some juicy gossip regarding my love life or the life of some other unsespecting induvidual. I am sorry to disappoint you.
I am in fact making reference to the month that is arriving, for it is traditionally the month of love. Although I have a slightly different approach, for I feel it is more the month of retail's severe need to recover from the January slump in sales following the over-indulgent christmas period, and so they feel the need to create another expensive public holiday, one which people feel obliged to participate in. I know that you are thinkin, 19 and so pessimistic. Wrong! I am simply proposing that romance be inexpensive and not just allocated to one random day in the year. Forget about the cheesy overpriced flowers boys, a nice homemade dinner (scrap that if you're friendly with your kitchen extinguisher, takeaway will do in that case) or a bottle of wine (I recommend Mateus Rose, or Lidl's Lambrusco if your not a big wine drinker, its sooooo nice and equally as cheap, only €2.70 a bottle!!) and that with a nice soppy movie will do just fine. Its the thought that counts really.
Oh that brings me nicely onto my next train of thought, which is naturally linked to the above ; Romeo and Juliet was on Film 4 tonight. Now i know as an English student I am obliged to say that it is a good play (not one of Bill's best in my opinion, I am partial to Hamlet) but Leo in that film, girls you know what I mean..... hubba hubba..... [she coughs pulling herself out of dream world] Ok i know its as soppy as it gets, but isnt escapism and illogical love just nice sometimes. Why would we want to look at real life all the time, we have enough of that with the X factor and Dancing On Ice!
So to conclude, I have found a few nice ideas for Valentines Day if you're feeling a lil bit romantic and (like any other person these days) a lil bit broke.There is loads more if you just google "inexpensive valentines day ideas". Here is the link to a few pages on the subject
http://weddings.about.com/cs/gifts/a/valentinesgift4.htm
http://ezinearticles.com/?Ten-Romantic-Yet-Inexpensive-Valentines-Day-Ideas&id=1911269
http://www.creativehomemaking.com/inexpensive-valentines-day-ideas.shtml
Dont be put off by the wedding thing, and I particularly like the stuff on the creative homemaking page.
If you want to get an actual present, I recommend somthing they would actually like, for example I think if you make up a lil voucher/card thing that allows them to have one day where you wait in them hand and foot, or make one for a pamer day and include a few lil home pamper treatments (you can get them real cheap in pharmacies). Like I said, dump the flowers and chocolates, be original, it will mean a whole lot more.
Christmas Holidays Take Two
Exams finally finished on Monday morning at approx 11.05am, and I wont mention how I think they went cause if I tell a lie it will either jinx them and they will end up bad, or I will tell the truth and I will just look really bad and unstudious (yes I am aware that isnt a word)..... anyway moving on......
I felt completely like I didnt get an xmas holiday this year what with all the silly studying for cruel after-xmas-exams and just general havoc of life, so it was really good to be able to get out to bask in the bliss of the last bit of January sales today. So armed with two friends and a baby (by best mate's beautiful son) we headed off to the nearest shopping centre to raid the place, and I have to say it was raided. I found lovely tops in Bershka and Pull and Bear (on sale of course) and Penneys was sufficiently trawled through and some lovely jewellery was found.
Oh and I forgot how nice it was just to sit for a day and do nothing. Yes I have to admit I would go completely stir crazy if I did it all the time, but I had the chance to do it on Tuesday, ahhhhh, twas lovely :-) A day filled with watching pointless movies and eating jellies was just what I needed. No doubt there will be a few more of those between now and when I go back to college in two weeks (it is good to be a college bum).
Also Im in the process of choosing another recipe for my second attempt at domestic goddessness next week sometime, any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
On a slight side note (simply because my life is slightly boring and uneventful at the moment and I am simply too tired to talk about college books for next semester [will be in next blog] or try to think of something else more interesting to say) I just want to point out to anyone who is interested how incredibly annoying those Activia TLC ads are with whats her name, who simply looks too smily to be real, and how amazing "Without A Paddle" is, a great movie for a night when you dont wanna think about anything serious.
That is all.
Passed the point of no return
"We've passed the point of no return" ..... grrr i will be singing that song for the rest of the day now.
But it had to be said. Now this morning when i was thinking of what to write for today's blog, that sentence only really applied to me. You see I have my final exam of the current semester at half 9 tomorrow morning, and needless to say that taking in the fact that my course spans 350 years of history and the entire continent of Europe, along with the slight problem of the absense of a single hint from our cruel lecturer, that I am well and truly schizzled (well it is a family friendly blog). But funny enough, I dont care. I should care, god kows my precious life plan is slighty schizzzled too if I fail, but I think at this point I have stressed so much, and worried so much, that I have created a worry and stress free Amy, one that is past the point of saving. Magnificent.
Along with the fact that my head cannot hold any more dates of treaties or names of Popes, that explains why I am wasting my time on this anyway. Now onto why this "point of no return " thing not only applies to me.
Well I try keep this blog absent of any major political or generally disasterous or distressing realities, but whats about to come next I dont believe falls into that catagory, for it is simply too pathetic and comical to be taken seriously. If we took this seriously, I think we would all die of depression and loss of hope in society, and thats not good now is it. So here it is ; Brian Cowen is not stepping down as leader of this fine country, and will confidently hold a vote of confidence on his applicability to the position of Taoiseach in light of the unaviodable actions which he took in the best interest of the country while in a situation of high responsibility and stress (which he relieved with the odd game of golf as we all now know, big shock there) . ........... It is impossible not to find that comical. Ah we may as well laugh at it, all we can do at this point.
So Cowen has passed the point of of seriousness and has plunged head first into comedy (Micheal McIntyre watch your back), and I have passed the point of redemption. Overall a successful Sunday.
