Roundabout Ranelagh

I had a great day pottering around Ranelagh and then took the Luas in to the city.  

It was a lovely sunny day and I took a few pics of some of the quirky sights and shops in Ranelagh.

Here's a few businesses in Ranelagh.  Village Books is a book shop that I have never gone in to.  A small Tesco express opened in the last year or two and is located next to Mutt Ugly.  The bottom pics are of McSorleys and Birchill's pub (est. 1850).

The Luas Station is close to Nick's Coffee.

I don't get the Luas in to the city generally so it was a real novelty!

The picture of the road is taken from up on the bridge that the Luas goes over in Ranelagh.

Here's a blast from the past!
It's a public pay phone in the Irish Life Mall.  
I saw it when I was waiting for my sister to meet me for lunch.  
I had got my hair cut in a hairdressers close by (the less said about the hair cut the better).

The world goes green on St Patrick's Day

Sit back and enjoy listening to the dulcet tones of Liam Neeson!

Seamus Heaney

Seamus Heaney's "When all the others were away at mass" has been chosen as Ireland's favourite poem.  While I think it is an intensely powerful poem, my favourite Heaney poem is "Mid-Term Break".  I find it moving and incredibly sad and, in fact, when I read it aloud I tear up as I get to the last line.

Here it is in full below, please let me know what you think of it.

Mid-Term Break 

By Seamus Heaney

I sat all morning in the college sick bay
Counting bells knelling classes to a close.
At two o'clock our neighbors drove me home.

In the porch I met my father crying--
He had always taken funerals in his stride--
And Big Jim Evans saying it was a hard blow.

The baby cooed and laughed and rocked the pram
When I came in, and I was embarrassed
By old men standing up to shake my hand

And tell me they were "sorry for my trouble,"
Whispers informed strangers I was the eldest,
Away at school, as my mother held my hand

In hers and coughed out angry tearless sighs.
At ten o'clock the ambulance arrived
With the corpse, stanched and bandaged by the nurses.

Next morning I went up into the room. Snowdrops
And candles soothed the bedside; I saw him
For the first time in six weeks. Paler now,

Wearing a poppy bruise on his left temple,
He lay in the four foot box as in his cot.
No gaudy scars, the bumper knocked him clear.

A four foot box, a foot for every year.

The Rewrite - Hugh Grant & Marisa Tomei

I borrowed a new Hugh Grant film from the library and we watched it yesterday evening.  I've been a big fan of Hugh Grant since Four Weddings.

He seems to have become typecast as a washed up/failed songwriter, singer and now in "The Rewrite" as a screenwriter.  I have no problem with this as I think it is a format that suits him and I think he was perfect as the writer of a one hit wonder in "About a boy" and even more perfect as an ex-popstar in "Music & Lyrics" which just happens to be a favourite go-to film of mine along with "The Family Stone".

So what about this new film?

Well it's not going to set the film world on fire but it is certainly watchable and I was thankful that it was not overly cliched in regards to him getting the girl.

So if you are a Hugh Grant fan, I'd definitely recommend but if you aren't well you can probably put it to the back of your to be watched list!

Gifts & pressies

I had a 50th & 60th birthday celebration over the weekend which was a lot of fun.  Here's the two gifts I got for the birthday boys all wrapped and ready to go.

And speaking of pressies, look what my super twin sister brought for me when she called over to my house before the 60th party on Saturday for nibblies and drinks.

It's this really cute serving tray from Laura Ashley.  As you know I love Humming Bird prints (check my Jennifer Rothwell dress out here) so I was thrilled by this little gift!

Kasey brought me an early Easter gift! Gorgeous truffle egglets and praline-filled soldiers from Hotel Chocolat.  

I feel quite spoiled by Amy and Kasey! 

The theme of the 60th Birthday on Saturday night was "Travel" as my uncle was a great traveler and lived all over the world including London and San Francisco before coming home and settling back in Ireland a few years ago.  

Here is his amazing cake which is shaped like a suitcase.  It was made by Candylane Cupcakes (which just happens to be owned by my cousin!)  

Nibblies

Kasey and Amy called over to my house before we all went to our uncle's 60th birthday party.  

We chilled out in the hot tub before snacking on a selection of nibblies from Lidl.

Below are tempura prawns with a sweet chilli sauce and scallops with garlic and parsley butter.

We also had vol au vents with a selection of fillings.

This is a new Philadelphia product - cream cheese filled with a sun ripened cream flavouring.

I served drinks in bottles with paper straws which are great fun!

Campaign to stop Out of Control Drinking

A new campaign to change the mindset and behaviours of Irish people has recently been launched by Fergus Finlay.  It is the Campaign to Stop Out of Control Drinking.

At the public workshop the main speaker was Clinical Psychologist Maureen Gaffney (author of "Flourishing") who my sister very much wanted to hear speak so she invited me to come along.

There was refreshments available which was great as I had come to the event straight from work.  Lots of varieties of sandwiches - my twin sister got a great giggle as I commented on each sandwich "Oh there is a big chunk of brie in this one"!

After the talk there was a brain storm type part with a facilitator at each table and 3 questions to consider.  This was quite interesting - we wrote on the paper tablecloths - here are some of the comments from our table.

After the workshop, I was left with more questions than answers.  How do you change a behavior that is ingrained and wrapped around ones "Irishness".

However there have been changes in Ireland in the past that we probably thought never could have happened, examples include:

* Smoking Ban.  No smoking is allowed in workplaces - which included pubs!

* Plastic bag levy changed the habits of Irish people.  Plastic bags are levied 22cents by the government so most people bring cloth bags to the supermarket.

* Drink driving - complete change in acceptance of drink driving - no young people tend to drink if driving.

This is a really important issue so I'd love to hear your thoughts on it!