Month: September 2012

What a Day!

On By auntyamoIn Family, Writing, Blogging etcLeave a comment

Well folks my Grafton Media Blog Awards Ireland journey has ended for this year – as I haven’t made the finals. Big thanks to the organisers who have been working very hard. And they’re not finished yet! Congratulations and best of luck to all the finalists! Keep an eye on #bloggm for further updates.

Despite the disappointment, yesterday was a fantastic day. I spent it at a Carousel Creates Writer’s Retreat. It’s a fabulous place in the most idyllic setting. The views are as promised, inspiring.  I met a small group of writers, all at different ages and stages of life and writing. It was great to chat and learn from others. There was plenty of coffee, lovely food and a walk up towards (but not all the way to) the Hell Fire Club. (For those not familiar with the HFC, its an old building with some interesting history, perched on Montpelier Hill in the Dublin /Wicklow mountains – google at will ;))

One of the beautiful views I could see as I was writing and thinking about writing 😀

The main aim of the day was to get some serious writing done. So although we walked, talked and ate, we spent most of out time typing/writing away. I had asked on FB and Tw for suggestions for titles of short pieces to write in the morning session. I wanted to see how well I could ‘write on demand’. I’m used to being able to pick my own titles… So of the long list I ended up with, I picked 4.

This is normal life, it’s not easy – suggested by Trish Nugent
The hardest thing I ever had to do – suggested by Karen Mulreid
There’s a mouse in the house – suggested by errrr, can’t remember (or find it on FB/Tw)
The Redemption of Knicker Elastic – suggested by Rhoda Doyle Yeomans

There’s some voting on FB as to which one goes up first… add a comment if you want to pick one. There were plenty more and I’ve added them to my pot of ideas for the future. 🙂

I had decided that in the afternoon, I was going to spend time thinking about the ‘humour’ side of stuff I write and try to work out if it’s something I can do ‘on demand’ or something I can only do spontaneously when I’m in a good mood. But a conversation at lunch changed all that. We started to talk about Moone Boy; how Chris O’Dowd had written this story based on his childhood, but not totally autobiographical.

Me and my niece around 1978 I think…

That got me thinking about a biography based on my dad’s life rather than a real life biography. But then with so many in the family it would take me years to get the ok for each chapter 😉 Then I thought… well someone else then! Who’s life can I write about that I won’t have to get the ok for? Oh… yeah… me..! So I spent the afternoon randomly scribbling the first few thoughts on a story based on my own childhood. I took memories that I have and merged them with a bit of made-up stuff. I genuinely don’t know if I have a talent for fiction but I think this is worth giving a go. Who know… I may end up with classic… Moone Girl maybe? I might even drum up the courage to post a section of it on the fiction blog… someday!

I ended yesterday with a host of new ideas. It was a great salve to the ouch of not getting into the finals. So… I shall write on 😉

A vote for Amo is a vote for… well… just Amo actually… :D

On By auntyamoIn Family, Writing, Blogging etcLeave a comment

I’ve never looked good on canvas…

I’ve been trying not to go overboard on the whole “vote for me” thing, but it seems my vague references to the voting procedure are not helpful! Particularly to the technophobes in my family who don’t know their hashtags from their URLs!

So here’s the skinny.. the gen… the suss… the story… and the instructions.

For the Best Personal Blog category – well your work there is done. The Grafton Media Blog Awards judges are almost done voting. The numbers are being counted this week and the finalist list will be announced on Friday! If I believed in luck I’d ask yiz all to cross everything, but sure you know me… 🙂

For Best Blog Post – you have 9 days to get me in to the final 10 entries. Now at this stage it’s nigh on impossible as I’m about 40th at the mo. But I’m still in and you can vote this week and next week if you like.

You’ve got to click on the link below – It takes you to a page. You scroll down to where it says “Just another Christian woman talking through her hat…
You click on the little circle.
Then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click vote.
To be clear … clicking ‘like’ here or on Facebook doesn’t count

The link to go vote is here

The post is “A Tribute to my 27 Nieces and Nephews” – to read it click here – you might want to before voting for it! 😀

Make sure to go to the FB page if you wanna vote for this pic 😀

Now ANOTHER vote you can give me is for the pic I submitted to win 2 tickets to the awards night.  Go to this Facebook page and have a look at the pics. Mine is on the last page (page 4) and it’s of me! looking fabliss 😀 There’s a little tickbox to vote on the pic.

SO all modesty shunned, giz an oul vote and shure you never know…

I’ve a bottle of champagne in the fridge from my 40th birthday in March. If I get on to the finalists list of the Best Personal Blog category, I’ll be cracking it open and when it’s empty I’ll write a blog post straight away – or maybe not 😀

You never know what’s going on behind closed doors…!

On By auntyamoIn Getting to grips with God stuff, Humour8 Comments

These days I’m a pretty poor evangelist! I wasn’t always like this. I used to be brave, bold, fearless. I also used to be obnoxious, arrogant, bordering on downright rude! Shame I didn’t land somewhere in the middle really.

One of my funnier brushes with the coal face of evangelism happened in conjunction with my Dad. He can always be relied upon to move any story into the hilarious/embarrassing category. However it wasn’t him I was trying to win over. I came home from work one day and he informed me that 2 religious men (not priests now…!) had been at the door. They were dressed in suits and ties and had haversacks and clipboards with them. When they asked my Dad if he was interested in religion his reply was something along the lines of… “Oh now my daughter Annmarie is in to all that, she’s not here at the moment but call back next week and she’ll talk to you about it. Sure she’d talk to you for hours about it. Call back when she’s here” and he promptly shut the door.

He was delighted he had dispensed of them with so little time and effort, my mam was DISGUSTED that he had invited them back but I was thrilled at the prospect of leading these two poor misguided souls into the light.

It was a few weeks later and I’d almost given up hope that they would come back. Then I saw them out the kitchen window. Two men in suits, clipboards in hand. This was it!!! I ran to the door, swung it open and before they drew breath I said – something along the lines of,

“Now before you start I want you to know that I am a born again, Bible believing Christian. I believe Jesus is the son of God. He is the Saviour of the world, died for our sins, raised from the dead to give us life and if you’re here to offer me a half baked version of this Gospel then don’t bother. And before you start arguing points of doctrine let me tell you that nothing…NOTHING… changes what God has done in my heart and in my life and maybe it is YOU that needs to sort out what you believe about God.”
 

I stood there, Charlton Heston-like, I could almost feel the staff in my hand and the wind in my hair and I’m sure I heard the distant strains of… “Let my people go!!!!”
After a moment’s silence I looked at the two men for the first time. they were both pale, with their mouths open. One still had his finger in the air where he had not quite managed to ring the bell. The other had a business card in his hand and slowly handed it me saying.. “eh we’re from Alcorn Insurance and… well… we were really just wondering if you’d… well if you might be interested… eh… well a chat about.. well… life insurance? But I suppose you…  you probably don’t think you… need it.”

The following few minutes are a bit of a blur really. But they hurried back down the path and I shut the door  and stared at my shoes for a bit. Sad day when the best your new found faith can do is drive evangelists (and insurance salesmen) away from your door.

My life assurance documents  🙂

I’d love to think that those guys are now leading mission teams to the Peruvian villages and Indian deserts. But I’m afraid I can’t confirm that, it is possible I suppose.

But one thing I’m fairly certain of, they aren’t selling insurance anymore!!!

Sorry boys – I can’t join your revolution!

On By auntyamoIn Getting to grips with God stuff, Random Ramblings1 Comment

I’ve connected with a group of mad yokes on Twitter! They’re a motley crew of complainers and curmudgeons and I love them to bits. 😀 There’s quite a bit of ranting going on, but they are very respectful to me even though I don’t fully agree with them, and in fairness don’t fully understand them either.

I was tempted to start a revolution meself when I saw this on the road to Kenmare!

Some are looking for a revolution. Some are angry at our government. Most seem frustrated with the cuts that are chipping away at the best asset that Ireland has ever had – her people. It’s a passionate cry to ‘give Ireland back her heart’ as one guy puts it. Having grown up listening to my granny singing ‘rebel songs’, these guys remind me of the spirit of those old come-all-ye’s. Songs about the fight for freedom  and justice that came with a huge cost but was never really won. The aching heart of the ‘fighting Irish’… it’s all there.

The other frustration for them is how few there are joining them in their ‘crusade’. The fact that I am responding and engaging in the conversation has earned me a bit of kudos I think! Today I was even offered the position of ‘Captain’! But I graciously declined it. 🙂 You see guys, I’m sorry but I can’t join your revolution.

I really don’t believe that is what God wants – not for me and not for Ireland. When I pray the ‘Our Father’, I ask for His Kingdom to come on earth as it is in Heaven. When the Kingdom of God came in the time of Jesus, it did not come as believers of God thought it would. It wasn’t a political overthrow. It was quiet person by person regeneration. Jesus didn’t come in and sweep the government to one side, changing the political scene from the top down (which He would have had the God given authority to do). No , Jesus came to the people and changed hearts and minds, encouraging us to change our communities – from the ground up and out!

The Bible tells me to pray for those who have been put in authority over me. It’s not easy, especially when I have so little faith in any of them, but it also tells me I’m to obey them and not rebel against them. It doesn’t mean I sit back and ignore what’s going on. But I can’t rant and rave and I can’t captain a revolution. Even though it sounds like fun 😉

Thanks for your friendship gang! Don’t give up hope on our country just yet. God’s got her firmly in His sights and He’s not finished with us. Yiz are in my prayers along with our native land.

And if you have one more minute to spare before it’s time to storm the gates 🙂 have a read of this…

Isaiah 42

A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick He will not snuff out!

1 Here is my servant, whom I uphold,  my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations.
2 He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets.
3 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; 4he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.”

A Review of Some Holiday Reading #2 Sons of Cain by Val Bianco

On By auntyamoIn Book Review3 Comments

I did a lot of reading in this beautiful spot!

So… if you’ve read review #1 you’ll know that we got drenched to the bone on day 1 of our hols. But the sun shone for the rest of the week. So much so that by day 3 I was sunburnt and wondering where in the attic the Factor 20 might be… We drove to Kenmare – what a beautiful little town! Strolling through the market I picked up some second hand books including an copy of ‘Juno and the Paycock’, an Irish play I studied in secondary school.

We had the most wonderful relaxing time. And as I mentioned, I got lots of reading done.

So to my second book review…

Sons of Cain by Val Bianco

Sons of Cain
by Val Bianco

After I read the prologue of this book I was intrigued but a little skeptical of how the story would progress. The book is a work of fiction but starts with an account of  Pope Leo XIII’s vision on October 13th 1884. This actually happened and is well documented. It surprised me by turning out to be exactly what I love to read. Well mostly…  Style wise – think John Grisham meets Dan Brown meets Frank Peretti with a bit of The Screwtape Letters thrown in for good measure!

Sons of Cain is a story that unfolds in two realms. On earth there is the appearance of a deeply hidden cult that is so extreme in its nature, it is considered by most to be folklore and exaggeration. But it is real and its influence and evil intent reaches far into the corridors of power right to the Supreme Court and the Oval Office itself. Then there is the team of godly men working secretly to fight this evil. (Already you can see why it’s right up my street.) In the other realm, the spiritual realm, demons and angels work to influence, help, hinder, trap, kill, save… and every so often the two realms collide.

As a Christian who loves action/thrillers this was a great combination but every so often it felt as if some very specific doctrine was being ‘crowbar-ed’ in to the story. The author is Roman Catholic and the odd time it felt like he was pulling me out of the story to correct my theology. I was raised Roman Catholic, but have lived most of my ‘committed Christian’ life outside of the RC church – so I realise my antennae were on high alert. There were a few nods towards why Protestants/Evangelicals have it wrong and at times I got frustrated and just wanted to get back into the story.

Having said that, it was fast moving, the story continued to unfold and kept getting better. There was some truly terrifying imagery but it rang true and reminded me that there is a lot going on that we don’t see. It also was a reminder that good eventually triumphs over evil, but at a cost.

I was a bit disappointed that it didn’t end exactly as I’d have loved it too (don’t want to do a spoiler here…) but it was fitting that fulfillment in serving God and his purposes was the priority. All in all a great combo of action and spirituality. If you’re into the things of God you’ll enjoy it. Especially if you’re a Catholic! 😀

Where were you?

On By auntyamoIn Getting to grips with God stuff6 Comments

I was off work sick. Curled up on the sofa, watching a film. I pressed the ‘pause’ button and went to the kitchen to make another Lemsip. But by the time I got back to the sitting room the player had gone asleep and the telly had kicked back in. “Grrr…. I hate when that happens!” The inconvenience of it all…

I saw the ‘Breaking News’ banner flashing as I fumbled with the remote control and as I went to press ‘play’ I looked up and saw the two towers with the plume of smoke coming out of one of them. As the commentary continued I sat at the edge of the sofa just shaking my head slowly saying, ‘No… way… no… way… ‘ then, well I thought my heart would stop when the 2nd plane hit the other tower.

I watched the telly for hours and days afterwards as the towers collapsed and the story of the other planes unfolded. The world has never been the same since. Even now, many long frustrating queues in airports are because no one knows if, when, where something like this will happen again. But listening now to the victims’ names being read out, one by one – it’s clear that the love and strength of those left behind is far more powerful than any force used to bring destruction that day.

On the Official 9/11 Commemoration Website, the 9/11 Memorial President Joe Daniels says of th2 11th anniversary,

“Despite the unimaginable tragedy of 9/11 itself, this day is also about the spirit of unity that came in the aftermath. It showed us that the best of humanity can overcome the worst hate. It gave us hope for the future.”1

Amen to that!

1 Taken from http://www.911memorial.org The full text of Joe Daniels’ message can be found here

Suicide Awareness Day 2012

On By auntyamoIn Family, Getting to grips with God stuff3 Comments

When I think about it, I’m shocked at how many people I know who have been affected by suicide. Today is the start of Suicide Awareness Week and marks Suicide Awareness Day around the world.

There are two people that come to mind in particular today. One I’d known since I was a kid. I fancied him like mad and dreamed of marrying him one day. He was a great laugh! Even though I hadn’t seem him for years, cos he was my brother’s mate, I invited him to my wedding – not as the groom tho 🙂 It was different from any other wedding he’d been to and he loved it! I remember him running over to me at one stage shouting, “Amo, this is a BRILLIANT day!” with his huge smile.

The other person I’m thinking about today I didn’t know as well, or for as long. She was a beauty! She was a scream too. I remember a wedding we were both at – we were dancing like mad women 😉 She was a fiesty fiery redhead  – another one with a big bright smile…

I’ve had down days. Some VERY dark and dismal days! But I don’t remember a day when I felt I didn’t have anyone in world that I could talk to, or that there was no way out of a situation. I can’t imagine what that would be like. How crushing it must be to feel that there is no way out and no one who can help.

I can’t give enough praise for Pieta House – an organisation working to prevent suicide and self harm in Ireland. Their work is inspiring – and tireless. And this week I’d encourage you to look at their website, Facebook page, Twitter feed – what ever is your thing. Get involved, raise awareness , or a few quid even – and let’s work together to help those who feel helpless.

There is always hope! My hope is in Christ Jesus. I know not everyone reading this shares that hope. But hope still exists and help can be found. You are not alone.

You are NOT alone!

Psalm 121
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

A Review of Some Holiday Reading #1 The Terrace by Maria Duffy

On By auntyamoIn Book Review, Writing, Blogging etc1 Comment

Drenched to the bone on hols but who cares 🙂

So am back after a lovely few days away in the west of Ireland. Kerry really is beautiful! On Monday we got soaked to the skin and on Wednesday I got sunburn! We had a great time.

Anyway… more of that anon. I can’t go any further without doing a little happy dance that I’ve made the shortlist of the Grafton Media Blog Awards 2012. Thanks so much to those who nominated me and to the judges for putting me through. I am shocked and delighted in fairly equal measure. There’s 3 weeks til the finalist list is announced but that little blue and brown badge will do me nicely! 🙂

Even though I’ve been blogging for more than 5 years now, the ‘I want to write!’ thing is still quite new to me. I’ve read almost every ‘How to be a better blogger/writer etc’ article that I’ve spotted. Some of it seems nonsense to me but there are some gems that I’ve gleaned and stored away for further peruuuuuusal! 😀 But there’s one tip that has been on almost every list. And that is – if you want to be a writer, you have to be a reader.

All I’ve been reading for the past few years are theology books. (Apart from the odd holiday indulgence and my annual read of Pride and Prejudice.) In 2007 I decided to actually FINISH my Theology degree (after starting in 1994) and then went straight on to do my Masters, which I’m currently in the middle of. So everytime some one recommends a great book, all I can think of is the pile of textbooks I should be wading through. But I’ve decided that I have to read other stuff so am now always going to have one non M.A. book on my reading list.

I got a head start while we were away and read two books. So I thought I’d do a couple of reviews. I should say I’m well aware I’m an ‘aspiring’ writer and these are just my own personal views on what I’ve read. There is a little voice whispering to me… “Who are you to review anyone’s book Amo?! You haven’t a clue what you’re talking about!” But that is the same voice that tells me not to write, not to like what I write, not to like myself and to deep fry everything before I eat it! So I’m going to ignore it 😉 Here’s the first one…

The Terrace by Maria Duffy
As I’m from ‘old Tallaght’ the heartwarming, neighbourly feel of The Terrace reminded me of my childhood. I could see my mam at the gate talking to neighbours as they passed by. The Terrace is about just that – a row of houses, the people that live in them, and the connections between them. There’s a ‘days of old’ open-door culture throughout the book that again, reminded me of my childhood. A lot of the story centres round the other thing that binds them – the missing lottery ticket that someone in the syndicate has, but no one can remember who…!

I am quite convinced that Maria Duffy could walk into the conference room where the script writers of Coronation Street/Eastenders/Hollyoaks/Fair City are gathered, and immediately take her place as part of the team. I reckon that if you like your soaps, then The Terrace is the book for you.
The problem is… I don’t! I gave up on soaps years ago and much prefer my intrigue to be about whether the President’s special advisor is actually the baddie who stole the launch codes – rather than, who had a drunken fumble with who after the pub last night. It’s a preference thing, I know.

I did tire a little of the popping in to each other for tea… and wanted things to move a bit faster. But there are two things about this book which I loved and applaud Maria for.

One is that I consider it an honest and real portrayal of how money affects things. The lost lottery ticket caused a lot of trouble. Accusation and counter-accusation rolled around the houses on the terrace as suspicion fell on almost everyone at some stage. Suddenly this tight-knit community that trusted each other with everything, began to lose their faith in each another and (mis) interpreted every move. Not only that, they began to lose faith in the community itself.
It’s the reason lawyers tell families to put stuff in writing and the reason that God warns us not to love it too much… money changes us!

The other is the fact that Maria does one thing that the soaps tend not to. She portrays marriage as worth fighting for. One of the reasons I hate the soaps is that everything is so temporary and someone can be madly and passionately in love with someone and a few weeks later be equally madly and passionately in love with someone else. Family ties and relationships are strong in The Terrace. They’re worth working at even in the midst of a whole heap of misunderstanding, temptation and heartache. And that is another part of our ‘once upon a time’ culture that is in danger of dying. But it’s alive and well in The Terrace.

Not my usual genre, but a great read. All the more special having met the beautiful lady who wrote it.

The Terrace by Maria Duffy is published by Hachette Ireland. It’s available on Amazon (including a Kindle version) but also available in all good bookshops – so I say, go support your local one 😉