Sometimes I write about writing
Hi all
just to say that you have an opportunity to vote for an individual post of mine in the Grafton Media Blog Awards.
Most of the results will be decided by judges but the ‘Best Blog Post’ is The People’s Choice. So if you think that this post dedicated to her nieces and nephews is worth voting for, please do.
You can vote here!
Thanks everyone π
In case you didn’t read the previous post (and shame on you btw :D) I should mention that I was one of a number of bloggers who were set a challenge to write a post using two words randomly pulled out of a hat… and my two were ‘sandwich’ and intrigue’. So here we go…
Recently I tried to think of a vicar/priest/minister that isn’t portrayed as ridiculous or nasty in film/TV/literature. I’m not one of those people who hears about something that is hailed to be “disgraceful and offensive” to Christians and then goes looking for it so I can see how disgraceful it is and how offended I am! I do confess to being quite curious when I hear of the outrageous stuff, but I tend not to get too worked up.
From the funny, but hopefully inaccurate, Welsh vicar ranting about sandwiches, (you can see the clip here – just to check how offensive/funny you do/don’t find it – delete as appropriate) to the sinister scenes of intrigue and conspiracy with plotting bishops and assassin priests in The Da Vinci Code – your choice seems to be… wally or baddie. (Other clerical baddies include Cardinal Richelieu in The Three Musketeers and Dan Brown wheels them out again in Angels and Demons)
As much as I loved The Vicar of Dibley, she was a bit more sex mad than a single woman of the cloth is probably supposed to be. And there’s a whole host (pardon the pun) of poor hapless priests and vicars to choose from. Four Weddings and a Funeral has that great wedding ceremony scene with Rowan Atkinson. Jane Austen’s father was a minister, and a good one at that (supposedly anyway – I never met him myself), yet pretty much anytime she wrote a vicar/curate into one of her books, he was silly and vain. There seems to be no end of incompetence. Programmes like Rev, Jam & Jerusalem, Keeping Up Appearances, Killinascully – they all have these bumbling halfwit clergymen! And then there’s Father Ted…
I’m not saying they’re not funny or well written. OK some more than others, but they are often very funny and in some cases scarily well written. Tell me, people of Ireland, how many of the priests in Father Ted are you sure you’ve met at some stage in your life!
So, Iβm waving a banner. Just to say that there are many good, faithful, hardworking men and women out there. Serving God, serving the church and serving the community. Just in case there is someone somewhere wondering whether church leaders are all wallies and baddies. My answer is a resounding… CERTAINLY NOT! Well… not all π
In a little nod to the restoration of faith in the faithful, let me quote just a few lines from Series 1, Episode 5 of Jam and Jerusalem. The doctor’s receptionist ‘Tipp’ (played by the wonderful Pauline McGlynn, of Mrs.Doyle fame) is talking to the local Church of England vicar about how she was,
“raised by nuns in a cold convent, in southern Ireland.” “Yes, it must have been dreadful.” came the Vicar’s half-hearted reply. “No, actually. It was lovely.” answered Tipp. “I won’t have a word said against them! But THAT won’t win you the Booker Prize will it?”I know the feelin’ missis π
I went to the launch of the Grafton Media Blog Awards Ireland last night. It was also the 2nd birthday party of the #klck (Kilkenny, Laois, Carlow, Kildare) Bloggers Network. It was a great night. Met a few I’d met before and met some Twitter buds face to face for the first time.
The grape was flowing and there was some very nice food. We’d a few short presentations and some quick, fun blogging games. It was great craic!
BUT… 2 things happened that weren’t so great…
First… as me & himself were leaving, I tripped over a cobble stoney thing and went flying. And I mean flying! I remember saying out loud in some bizarre alien voice… “ohhhh nooooo!” as the path sped towards me. My phone in my hand, I had to fling it to try save myself & the thought flashed through my mind…. “I hope that new iphone cover is as good they said it would be…” CRASH!!!!!
Before I knew it, a man who I knew wasn’t the one I’d arrived with, was making sure I hadn’t broken my leg (while I was hoping someone was making sure I hadn’t broken my phone). With effort in greater proportion to the man, he managed to pick me up, and I was half way home when I realised he’d been at the awards and he’d been in the LIFT as we were leaving. I found him on Twitter & suitably mortified, thanked him – for all my 735 followers to see!
Second… I thought the awards had made me forget how to blog! I had been working all day and pondering on a blog post for this evening but… nada! Nothing, not a thing to say. Didn’t even think that the ‘falling over’ story was worth telling. Although reading it back, why I thought you lot wouldn’t LOVE IT, I don’t know! π
So on Facebook, I asked for a subject to help me get writing and my mate Matt from Kent sent me this one… “why so many people are now feeling the need to blog. Blogs everywhere.”
Why so many blogs? I don’t really know Matt. Sorry. bye…. π
It’s a good question though and I actually don’t know the answer. There are 28 different categories in this year’s awards. So does that mean there are at least 28 reasons?Β At the launch we had a representative from the Irish Internet Association. Her main connection to blogging is within the buisiness community – which seems to be a huge area of blogging! It’s said to be a great way of connecting a buisness to its customers in a more personal, regular and direct way.
In a few of the million articles I’ve read on blogging lately (sorry I can’t ref them…) it said that authors use blogs to stay connected with their fans in between books. They often put teasers and snippets on their blog to have their readers eager to buy their books once published.Β Other categories in the awards include, personal, lifestyle, music, journalist, popculture, food/drink, eco/green, arts/culture, photography, sports/recreation, humour, craft….
I think for professionals, it’s a marketing tool and a great way of more regularly connecting with customers. It’s also a great way of having a section of your business website that is always changing. But for the rest of us, it’s a way of sharing thoughts & interests. building a reputation for humour & story telling and also for sharing & gaining expertise.
For me personally… ? Well mine is a combination of things. I love writing and I want to be better at it, so it’s good practice. I enjoy writing humour – usually about myself (not cos I think I’m funnier than anyone else – I just seem to fall over more often!) Combined with that is my desire to work out my salvation in fear and trembling (as the Bible says in Philippians 2v12) You won’t find deep Christian theology on this blog. It’s more about the stuff I believe and how I work that out on this bizarre journey that is my life. I use mine to say out loud some of the stuff rolling around my head. Some people appreciate it, many don’t. But saying it out loud certainly helps me think through things.
Not sure If I’ve really answered your question Matt. What I do know is that you are right! “Blogs everywhere.” There were 2000 nominations in the awards. Click here if you’d like to see the Long List.Β If that’s too many to skim through, take a quick look here. @limmster who has also been nominted in the awards, has put a number of Irish blogs on her #pinterest page. You’ll find mine there if you look carefully.Β (Look for a pic of Katie Taylor π ) It’s a great quick look at the range of different blogs in Ireland. I’m not a lover of Pinterest but that page is quite striking. Thanks to Belle for letting me mention her here π
And thanks to you Matt! You got me writing this evening which I needed to do.
Oh and one of the games that we played last night got a few bloggers to come up to the front, grab words out of a hat and using those words, we have to write a blog post within the next week! So I won’t need help with the next blog post! It’ll have at least one of my favourite words in it…
Iβve no idea what to blog about this week! Actually that’s not true, I’ve plenty of ideasΒ – just this evening I was comtemplatingΒ writing a short biography on someone I only met about a month ago! I’ve had to put it off though, he’s not sure he’s up for being my ‘blog fodder! π #youknowwhoyouare!
It’s not that I can’t think of anything to write about, it’s just that Iβve been reading all these articles about blogging and not blogging and why you blog and how to blog and what to blog and what not to blog and blog views and readers and followers and unfollowers…. and whaaaaaat? Is it that complicated? I’m not sure if I know how to blog now! π¦
Since I decided to enter the Grafton Media Blog Awards Ireland my nerves have been in shreds. The stress, the tension, what if I donβt make the shortlist? What if I DO make the short list? What if all Iβve done is bring people to the blog only for them to rubbish me? What if I AM rubbish? Thatβs it Iβm rubbishβ¦ I canβt write! Iβm deleting this blogβ¦ and the other oneβ¦ and everything else Iβve ever written. And hereβ¦ throw that laptop in the bin… NO burn it! BURN IT ALL!!!!
Those voices that cause the above mental anguish are very loud and very persistent. You know them don’t you? The ones that tell you how rubbish you are at the thing you dare to hope to be good at. And as time goes on itβs getting worse. So much so that each subject Iβve contemplated blogging on this week has been swatted like a fly on a Louisiana porch.
It started like thisβ¦
Maybe Iβll write about that fantastic gig I went to last Friday
βNo one would read that!β
Sorry??? who said that?
βYou did! You said it yourself, you know well no one would read it. You love music but youβre no expert. And whoβs gonna want to hear your opinion on music anyway?β
oh.. eh.. well yeah… true I suppose. I could write a post about the weather – a funny one.
βYouβre not funny.β
Huh? What?! I AM funny, amnβt I?
βCome on, if you were funny you wouldnβt have added βamnβt I?β Anyway, the weather is old news. You couldnβt possibly say anything that hasnβt been said that would make ANYONE laugh.Β Just donβt blogβ
Whaddywhawha? Why not?
βThere’s no point, just donβt botherβ
Oh⦠ok then 
The increase in the desire to and love for writing is directly connected with the increase in the power of the voices. Now you know I believe in God but Iβm not saying this is some sort of spiritual attack. However, I do believe there is a Devil out there whoβd love to destroy me, but most of the time heβs happy enough to annoy me and make me doubt myself. But whether it is external evils, or my own inner ones… it feels like thereβs a battle going on.
And itβs a fight Iβm willing to take on. This is something I want to do and get better at.
It doesnβt matter if at this stage Iβm merely βokβ at all this, or not even as good as that. I can learn and practise and learn some more. And get better.
And in the mean timeβ¦ bring it on! Iβm going to keep up the fight. And Iβve got some βsuggestion swattingβ of my own to be doing! Starting with the negative ones!
I’ve decided to dabble in fiction! Yes, the truth it seems is not enough for me now. I’ve developed an itch to try my hand at a bit of story telling. I know… hard to believe!
(this stuff writes itself really…)
One of the more nagging things about the Christian life for me is the ‘insistance’ of truth. Now I don’t mean the ‘I’m right and your wrong’ type stuff. That’s a whole other rubik’s cube of delight No I mean that the individual should live a life that is true. No telling lies. Accepting a situation as it is. Loving people as they are. Believing that God is real and present. There’s plenty of room for dreaming and envisioning what could be, but it’s vital to have honesty in the ‘now’. It took a long time to get used to that because I daydreamed a lot as a kid.
I didn’t have imaginery friends. I pretended that real people I knew, liked me more than they actually did, or thought I was cool, or wanted to hang out with me or go out with me.
I used to imagine complciated scenarios where I’d be rescued by famous people. I’ll only tell you this one and you’re NOT to laugh! But… I had a fully scripted imaginery scenario (on repeat in my head) that the drummer from Frankie Goes to Hollywood (yes the ugly guy with the perm and the tash) ran to my rescue at a Frankie concert (which I never went to) cos some other fans were trying to steal from me. I got a VIP pass to the after party which had lots of St. Ledger (it was all I drank at the time!) and crisps!
Yes my friends, the inside of my head did and continues to hold a menagerie of nonsense!
Anyway… welcome to Ficticious Amo! It is my new blog where I will make stuff up. I’ve only posted a couple of things. I’ve a couple others that are entered into comps so they can’t go up yet. I will add more soon.
Would love love love, some suggestions, scenarios – funny or otherwise to get me rolling with this stuff.
I did spend a short time wondering if ‘making stuff up’ was going to be good for me. But then I thought hang on, if it sheds a few pounds it’s GOT TO be good for me! All I have to do is choose the weight I WANT to be and make sure to post it in the right blog π
But you know the ironic thing about all this… there are people who thought I was WAY cool and I never noticed. I only found out a few years ago that one of my nieces took ‘Annmarie’ as her confirmation nameΒ cos of how cool I was. I’ve spoken to people who would have loved to hang around but me but didn’t cos they thought I was too popular and ‘zany’ to want them to talk to me.
I spoke to one guy who is STILL single cos he chickened out of asking me out at a school disco and hasn’t fancied anyone else since!
I made that last bit up by the way! This fiction stuff is a doddle! π
I have decided to take a week off to work on my MA and write some other bits and pieces.
I should mention at this point that when I say MA, I’m not referring to my much loved and missed mother! By coincidence, on the day of her anniversary I posted this comment on Facebook. “MA paper 3 of 4 handed in. 1 more then the big Diss!!!!” My sister was very confused and wondered why I was submitting papers about (and threatening to diss) our ma!
So you get that I’m talking about my Masters yeah?
Good – so we’re all on the same… eh… page….
Anyway! My plan this week is to get a bunch of reading done so I can start writing this now infamous 4th ‘MA’ paper. Which is on the subject of Evangelicalism: Past, Present, Future.
But as well as that I’m hoping to write some short devotional pieces, hopefully a song and maybe even some poetry – which is not normally my thing but I might give it a go. Another thing I’d like to do some pondering about is a book…! I know… scary stuff.Β But it’s been suggested by a few people and I have been thinking about it for a while.
I think I need to ponder the whole writing thing in general actually. For ages I thought I would finish my MA (you can’t help yourself but picture her now can you…. ) and then move on to my PhD. Then someone gave me some sage advice about doing a doctorate. They told me that I firstly had to find a subject that I loved enough to spend 6 years researching. Well the only thing I love THAT much is me! And even I’d get bored with me in that time.
But it did make me realise that it isn’t so much the research that I love (which I do) but it’s the writing that I love more and THAT’S what I’d like to pursue. So.. after ‘dissing my MA’ I’m going to investigate learning how to write proper like! π I hope to do some courses and see where it all leads. Looking forward to it I must say.
But as for this week coming I’m going to be windswept and interesting. I will do a lot of looking out the window, staring into space as if I see someone I think I recognise, biting the top of my pen, looking over my glasses, nodding knowingly and… eating. Oh sorry, I meant tweeting… no… I mean writing!!!
I will let you know how I’m getting on. You can always ignore me if you’re not interested. But hey if you’ve read this far you must be even mildly curious.
That or fulfilling a community service requirement!
Please feel free to send me subject matter. Throw some words or phrases or subjects at me and I’ll see what I can do with them.
I really appreciate anyone who takes the time to read my nonsense. And I know a number of you have nominated me in the Blog Awards Ireland.Thanks a mill π
I’m looking forward to my week of words! π
1. Actuallyβ¦. you probably shouldnβtΒ nominate me! (Reverse psychologyβ¦ itβs yer only man!)
But seriously folksβ¦ there are better blogs, updated more, regularly by clevererer people! I am well aware that Iβm chancing my arm here!
2. Ignoring no.1β¦ You probably shouldnβt nominate me!
Iβm not an expert on anything! I talk about God, food, music, my family, myself and numerous other random subjects that Iβm not an authority on! This is no place to get useful information on anything!
3. IgnoringΒ no. 1 and no. 2β¦ You probably shouldnβt nominate me!
Lots of bloggers seem to have great tips on how to get people to read your blog. I only have one and itβs totally bogus! Here it is anywayβ¦ put the list of priestβs names that Mrs Doyle said when she was guessing Fr. Todd Unciousβ name! Iβm not kidding… since I added that post Iβve never been as popular!!!
4. Ignoring no. 1 and no. 2 and no. 3β¦ You probably shouldnβt nominate me!
This is the first year of the new ‘Blog Awards Ireland’! These guys are trying to build a reputation that will stand them in the future! Iβm hardly an ambassador for anything other than inane drivel!!! They wonβt thank you for itβ¦.
5. Ignoring no. 1 and no. 2 and no. 3 and no.4β¦ You probably shouldnβt nominate me!
Iβve nothing to wear to an awards bash! And reallyβ¦ can you see me getting up on stage and making a speech???? Come on now!!!
Well now! Thereβs five good reasons for nominating me π
Iβve done my best to convince you! If I donβt win, it wonβt be my fault!
I love my nieces and nephews so much and am very proud of them. In their honour (cos they are extremely cool), I’d like to do a roll call and share a little memory of each one.
Love you guys, Aunty Amo xxx
Mark Keeley β You stayed with us while your mam was in hospital having Sarah (I think). We got a call in the middle of the night to say she had been born. So I went and woke you up to tell you. I made you cry cos you I mentioned your mammy and then you wanted her. The plan was to make you happy…. #fail ο
Lyn Keeley and Sarah Keeley β remember when I used to mind you in the afternoons? We used to listen to music. I think we made up a few dance routines! I remember we listened to Michael Jacksonβs Thriller a lot and every time it would get stuck at βthe funk of 40,000 yearsβ ο
Claire Keeley β has to be when you visited Wales with Laura. We had the craic visiting the Millennium Stadium and the…. information centre! We laughed a lot… mainly at Laura: D Quote of the week has to be, βto the MAXβ, sharing joint first place with, βI mean seriously, thank God for hair straighteners!β
Katie Keeley β Kates you were only a few days old when I went to my 2nd debs. Your mam and dad came to the house. I had a Debs dress and a Mohican. You seemed to survive it tho.
Mick Keeley Jnr β Dancing Michael! Mick you were happy to dance with an audience of 1 or 100. Iβve seen many stunning routines over the years. The best has to be Lynβs 21st. I wasnβt there, but I had heard so much about your performance I had to get the video! I donβt think Iβve ever seen anything so funny.
Maria Brett β I spent a lot of my childhood with you ο I remember all sorts of mad things like βthe White Mariah Showβ and playing in the poppies in the back garden in Limekiln Farm, when we werenβt supposed to. I remember going to Brownies once and I donβt think I went again. Remember those twins who put their hats on over the bobbins in their hair? It looked like they had rabbit ears π Oh and there was the time when most of you stayed in Grannyβs and you called in (you were staying in Lizβs) and you showed us your line dancing moves, in a space about 1 foot by 1 foot. Wasnβt easy but you did it π
Karen Conlon β Bugsy Malone! That was great craic wasnβt it. You played a young black boy if I remember :D. Your song was great and we had the best laugh. You socked it to Breda Sweeney if I remember…. Actually I think you were a bad influence on me. I often got into trouble when I was with you!!!
Brian Sweeney β To be honest Brian, I think you were drunk when this happened. But I bumped into you in the Dragon (or Ahernes canβt remember). We said hello and you gave me a hug and as i walked away someone said, βWho the f*/@ was that?β and laughed. You replied, βshut up you, sheβs my aunty and sheβs cool!β
Christopher and Susan Sweeney β Your house in Mountain Park was sold and you came and stayed in Grannyβs for a while before the Hollow was built. On the first night I looked after you while your ma and da were finishing off emptying the house. Sue, I think I gave you my teddy Aongus McDougal didnβt I? (the low point of that time was when we all had chicken pox together! π )
Peter Kennedy – I remember the day your mam brought you home from hospital. She brought you to Grannyβs first. I ran home from school cos I knew you would be there. I ran in the door, through the hall, into the sittingroom… shouting something and was swiftly grabbed by the scruff of the neck and removed from the sitting room and got a smack for making noise and waking you. I owe you one for that ο
Emma Kennedy β I remember when you were nearly due to have Jamie. Your mam and dad were away for a few days so I stayed with you. We stayed awake really late talking about the last few months and how crazy it was that you were about to have a baby!!! He turned out tho alright didnβt he ο
Brenda Mockler β You and βSinΓ©addsβ spent what felt like a week (but was probably only 5 minutes) telling me about a fella that you fancied. You asked me for advice (which made me feel very cool) and when I told you what I thought you basically told me that I had it all wrong. Then you started giving me dating advice about Darren Byrne. In fairness… it worked π
Susan Keane and Jennifer Farrell β more babysitting and dance routines. This time to βHey Frankieβ by Sister Sledge. I still remember the moves! Susan you were an absolute pleasure to mind. Jen…. you werenβt! π
Philip Keane β Phil my abiding memory of you is at family parties you would tell dirty jokes. Your ma would be dying a thousand deaths in the corner. You stood in the middle of the room and made us all laugh.
Dillon Keane β Ah me godson ο When you were only a few months old I went on holidays to Wexford with you all. The car broke down in the middle of nowhere and it felt like about 3 weeks before anyone came to rescue us. I had to keep you occupied. You were a fun baby ο x (PS I have a picture of that day…)
Jean Keeley β I remember a hilarious conversation with you. I think you had just started secondary school and I was asking you about it. You told me that you had to wear slippers in school. I didnβt believe you and you worked hard to convince me. (Actually Iβm still not convinced you werenβt winding me up.)
Laura Keeley β (see Claire Keeley π ) Also, when I moved to Wales first you used to write to me. I still have the letters. You were going through a tough time we had this long distance conversation about it. You drew hearts all over the letters and the envelopes. I used to LOVE getting them. ο
Beth Keeley β When you were born, you were (and still are) the image of your mam ο With so many people in the family, I rarely got to hold babies for very long. (all 27 of you were passed from pillar to post, you know that donβt you?!) But your mam let me hold you and I was delighted that no one took you off me. At one stage you woke up, opened your eyes, looked at me and… went back to sleep. I took it that you were ok with me holding you, and I did… for ages ο
Jack Keeley β You were still living in Tallaght at the time. Canβt remember what age you were but you were just about talking. I was in your house. I sat on the floor beside you as you emptied the toy box all over the floor. You had a very serious look on your face. I thought you were looking for something. When it was empty you looked and me and said, βnow, you.β Then you went out the back garden. So I put everything back in the toy box β you bossy boots!! ο
Jennifer Keeley β Your 1st birthday Jen! Forever preserved on video! Not my favourite memory of you though and you share it with Susan S… It was Granny and Grandadβs 50th wedding anniversary and I came home from Wales for the doooo. You and Susan were practising βRide Onβ by Christy Moore. I stood outside and listened to you then burst in the door at the end. You and Sue lept a few feet in the air and screamed. Got a big hug from you both tho ο
Christopher Keeley β I remember when you came to Wales with Liz. Everywhere we went you wanted music on in the car so you could sing. We had some monster singsongs in the car β I nearly crashed, more than once ο If Iβm not mistaken you ended up with a few quid that weekend too ο
Kevin Keeley β The first time I saw you on stage in the Olympia I knew you were going to be a star! You were βone of the gangβ but you stood out a mile. The bit where you did the news report in Irish was brilliant. Was VERY proud to be a Keeley and an Aunty that night. I have another memory of you as a kid β but itβs about one night when I was babysitting and you called me to come and see what you did and where you did it…. I canβt tell the story, I wouldnβt do that to you… π
Liza Keeley – when you were a baby I was staying in Liz Kenβs house and I minded you there for a day and night. There was no cot so you were in the double bed with me. Youβd gone to bed about 8 but by 2 am you were wide awake and all chat. You kept crawling under the covers and hiding down the far corner of the bed and I had to pretend I couldnβt find you. You were lots of fun. (for about an hour, then I wanted to brain you π )
Bobby Keeley β you were in Grannyβs and you were only a toddler. I was out in the back porch ironing (that in itself is an event!) I could hear you singing Garth Brooks. βAaaaahhhh got fwends in yooooow paces….β I could hear you but I couldnβt see you. I knew you were close but I couldnβt work out where you where. Then I spotted you, standing underneath the ironing board β singing away π !
I used to blog quite a bit and have decided to get back into it.
Because my brain is usually muddled, I go from funny stories to serious atgumentative ramblings in my blogs. But they are always about God and me in some way or other.
I think I’ll start by bringing some of my old blogspot posts over to word press.
Hopefully this introduction to my musings will keep you looking in on me.
Do comment if you’d like to but be gentle… I’m big on theΒ outside but teeny weeny on the inside π
Here are my first two blogs ever, from over 3 yrs ago
In the Beginning…
Sorry about the corny title… But in the early Christian church people gathered together, shared food, shared fellowship, ahared their possesions and shared the gospel of Jesus Christ – the Saviour.
But now – it’s all so complicated!
And if jesus came to visit us one Sunday what church would He go to? A traditional evangelical church, a lively spirit filled Pentecostal church, a Baptist church, Presbyterian, Methodist, 7th Day Adventist, Anglican????
I am new to this blog stuff and I intend to develop this thought and question fully – but for now I am just throwing the queation out…
Church cont’d
Already I can see I am going to be as bad at blogging as I was at keeping a diary as a kid!
Anyway… on further reflection and looking at what God has to say about ‘church’ I realise my focus is all wrong. The church is the community of believers across the world. Not a building or a style.
And to be honest – if Jesus came back he would probably head off and have a cup of soup and a toasted sandwich in The Lighthouse on Pearse St or somewhere like that.
So short as it was my little musing on church was – I have found it helpful and will think some more and come back to it…
28 Oct 2010 You know what…. I never did lol
Just another Christian woman... 