Life of Lu

Okay, I skipped day 5. It wasn't an accident, it just was not at all relevant to my way of thinking about things. Now on to the task at hand. The five people who mean a lot. 1) James. I know I gush about him a lot. I can't help it. He makes me so happy. He is just great. And I love him. And I know that he loves me. 2)Edel My best friend of old, she means the world to me. I don't see her nearly enough but when I do I always feel as if I met her only yesterday. I love her like a sister. 3) My Grandmother I would do anything for this lady. She is such a wonderful person. I love her unconditionally and I know that that same love is returned. 4) My sister I love her and I miss her every day. 5) My brother My brother. I am so proud of him. I think what he has done in the past few years is inspiring. He could have rolled up in a ball and stayed hidden in a corner for the rest of his life. But he didn't. I am so proud of who he is and what he stands for.

Hmmm difficult. But here goes. 1) James. I think about James a lot. Even when he is beside me I still think about him. I can't help it. I am addicted to every aspect of him. He intoxicates me beyond belief. 2) The future. What it will consist of, where it will take me, where it will take US. The future doesn't frighten me even though it will consist of so much change. I have my constant in James so whatever the future throws will just be another adventure. 3)Once upon a time, I used to think a lot about "What if?". I know realise that such thinking was pointless and silly so that is the one thought that I no longer allow myself to have. It is so important to look forward than to fret about the past. 4)Money, though I think this is a universal thought. 5) Getting Fit. Again, crops up a lot for a lot of people. 6) University. It is a place a plan to return to. I'm not sure what I'm returning to yet but I'm returning. I can't wait. 7) My friends a

1) Make me smile and laugh. Mock yourself, mock me, laugh at your stories, laugh at mine. Life is too short to frown all the time! Don't take yourself too seriously. 2) If I start to sing along with the radio, sing along too, just as out of tune as I am! 3)The same applies to dancing. 4) Let me see your tender side. Don't be a wuss but show me that there is a gentle soul in there somewhere. Generally this is obvious from someones eyes. 5) Rub my feet. That is always a good one! 6) Share your imagination with me. I want to see your inner child. I want to see will it play well with mine. The imagination is sometimes the best place to hang out. 7) When you look at me, make me believe that I am the most beautiful person in the world. To you. I won't believe you but I will feel special! 8) Love me for me. Irrespective of my story, life, looks. Just like my personality. Enjoy spending time with me. I will enjoy spending time with you.

1) I am Irish, I am proud to be Irish, I love being Irish. I love my heritage, I wish I was more capable in the Irish language, maybe 2011 is the year I do it. I love our stories, fairytales and traditions. I like our silly accents. 2) I am ginger. I guess this goes with my Irish thing! When I was a kid I hated my freckles and ginger hair. Then I grew to love them. I realised how rare and unique they are in a world larger than my home isle. I like to be different. I like to be me. 3) I want to see the world. A little at a time, but in its entirety as much as possible. I have the travel bug, and it is being sedated at the moment, but someday soon it is going to release itself again and I will again be wanderlust. 4) I love my James. He is my reason for smiling every morning. He is the person who makes me giggle when I'm nervous, gives me a mammoth hug when I'm cold, holds me in his arms when I am upset and gives out to me when I am being silly. I can't imagine him not bei

1. James, I love you and look forward to our plans for 2011 2. Jillian, I miss you but I am so glad that you are taking this huge leap into the unknown. Work isn't the same without you so I'm thinking of making a cardboard cut out of you and placing it beside customer service. 3. Dearbhla, Congratulations on getting engaged! I am so happy for you and Alan. He is just great. You are just great. Together you are mega! I have already started looking for my hat. I think it might be purple! 4. Edel, it has been ages since I've seen you. I miss you and hopefully I will see you soon. 5. Da, catch you in the new year! 6. Mam, Enjoy Christmas and I'll have you over soon. 7. To my friend who I can no longer help. I want you to be well and I wish you would help yourself. You will see my actions as a cruel, but you are breaking my heart the way you are. 8. Tiffani, we haven't chatted in a while. I hope you and your beau are well! 9. Howard Mc Donald, I wish I had paid m

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now. Day Two: Nine things about yourself. Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart. Day Four: Seven things that cross your mind a lot. Day Five: Six things you wish you’d never done. Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever) Day Seven: Four things that boys do that you hate. Day Eight: Three things that boys do that you love. Day Nine: Two smileys that describe your life right now. Day Ten: One confession

I was thinking this morning about books. Not so much about books, more about the main characters. Some of them I have loved, some of them I have loathed (but loved because I loathed them so much), and others I have just never believed in enough to care either way. So I'm going to list five of my favourite characters. If I can choose five! Click on the pictures for more info. Here goes: 1)Heathcliff I don't know why I love him so much. He is a horrible, horrible man who destroys three young lives to get his revenge on his foes. But I always find myself defending his actions as understandable, which they obviously aren't. Hmmmm.... Heathcliff... 2) Professor Snape I have always loved the character of Snape in Harry Potter. Then book seven was written and I fell in love with the character even more. I don't want to ruin the story for those who haven't read it so I won't go into details, but I loved it, I loved how Snape's personality was fleshed out, and

Oíche chiúin, oíche Mhic Dé, [Silent night, night of God's son.] Cách 'na suan dís araon, [Soundly in slumber, the pair together] Dís is dílse 'faire le spéis [The pair and love, watching with affection] Naoín beag gnaoigheal [The small bright beautiful child,] ceananntais caomh [darling little one.] Críost, 'na chodhladh go séimh. [Christ, calmly asleep.] Críost, 'na chodhladh go séimh. [Christ, calmly asleep.] Oíche chiúin, oíche Mhic Dé, [Silent night, night of God's son.] Aoirí ar dtús chuala 'n scéal; [Shepherds first heard the tale] Allelúia aingeal ag glaoch. [The angels crying out Alleluia.] Cantain suairc i ngar is i gcéin [Lovely chanting near and far.] Críost an Slánaitheoir Féin [Christ, the saviour himself.] Críost an Slánaitheoir Féin [Christ, the saviour himself.] Oíche chiúin, oíche Mhic Dé, [Silent night, night of God's son.] Cách 'na suan dís araon, [Soundly in slumber, the pair together] Dís is dílse 'faire le spéis [The

The last thirty (well, it actually took me over forty) days were fabulous. I have really enjoyed the challenge. I think I learned a lot about where I am in the world - my world- and what I consider important. A lot of the daily challenges made me think about who I am now. About who I have become. Where I am going. Who I'm going there with. I am excited about what is ahead of me I am done with what is behind me. And it feels super.

It is amazing how long a year can be. It is amazing how quickly a year can pass. My next year is going to be pretty crazy! I'm going on holiday to the states hopefully if my wallet can stretch that far! I'm moving country I'm going back to college. I hope to be happy I hope to be safe. I dream about the new life James and I will be starting together I plan to follow my dreams. 2011 will be a great year.

Dear Fifteen Year Old Louise, You are going to have a wonderful life. You are going to have a sad few years. But no matter what happens, when you hit your mid- twenties all the doubts you have about yourself now will be dispelled. Being you, I know that you will dismiss a huge amount of what I am saying. I wish you wouldn't. Some of it is important. Try to spend time with your family. In five years time you will appreciate every good moment that you have spent with them. Especially your siblings. Ignore those who upset you and make you doubt yourself. In ten years time you will barely remember their names never mind what they did. And you will be happy. You will grow up to be someone that you like. You will love your ginger hair and your freckles. You will have seen some beautiful places and met some beautiful people. You will have your heart broken. You will have your heart shattered. And then, when you think that it will never be mended You will meet the most perfect man ever. A

The last thing that made me cry was a book that I was reading. The name of the book was Shot In the Heart written by Mikal Gilmore. Mikal Gilmore is the brother of the infamous murderer Gary Gilmore, a man who killed two young mormon men in cold blood in the 70s. His infamy came more from his insistence that his death sentence be followed through at a time when the death sentence was given in theory rather than in practice. It was a horrible story of abuse and violence It was not Gary Gilmore story that made me cry. It was a particular moment in the book that did that. Mikal and his eldest brother Frank meet for the first time in a decade. They separated after the death of their mother, Gary and their other brother Gaylen. Then they have this moment where they embrace. The emotions of the previous decade spill out of the pages in a few simple lines. These two men who suffered due to their circumstances Who lost their family Their place in society Well they found each other again

Day 27 — The last thing that made you cry. Day 28 — Say something to your 15 year old self. Day 29 — Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days. Day 30 — Share what you have learned, if anything, about yourself in the last 30 days.

I'm very sad to say that I have been thinking about this for over a week and I was finding it really difficult to think of the last random act of kindness that I encountered. Until yesterday. There is a Christmas market in Galway city centre at the moment and at the edge of the market there is a merry-go-round. As I was eating my lunch yesterday I was watching the children pick out their horses and cars for the next ride. There was a little girl - maybe 3 years old - and she didn't fit securely into any of the remaining seats, so her dad took her off the ride. She cried her little heart out. It was quite heart wrenching to be honest. Then the loveliest thing happened. A young boy of about 5 walked over to the little girl and gave her some sweets. She stopped crying immediately. Then, he offered to sit with the little girl in the ride for the next go if that was okay with her dad. His mother seemed to beam with pride from where she stood. Everyone smiled at the inci

I want one tattoo. Only one. A daisy above my ankle. Why a daisy I hear you say? What a random thing to pick. You see... The french word for daisy is marguerite. My sister's name is Marguerite. She used to say- when she was alive- il y a beaucoup de fleurs - which in English means there are a lot of flowers. I cannot think of a better way to remember her than putting her floral namesake on my body. So she will always be with me where ever I go. And when I look at it I will remember Il y a beaucoup de fleurs. And I will smile. Always.

Every girl needs a few guilty pleasures. Here are mine... He is a pleasure, and it should not be guilty but I think I enjoy his company so much that it would not be unnatural to feel some amount of guilt about how much I indulge myself! The loves of my teenage life! Quite embarrassing now but I did love them. I have it on good authority that after a couple of glasses of vino I tend to youtube every Boyzone song I can think of and then sing along. Badly. Cadbury chocolate. The only known cure for PMS. mmm.... this I enjoy too much. I think Twilight is every girl's guilty pleasure... oh Edward... *drool*

To be honest. This doesn't really appeal to me. If you want to write me a love letter - do. But I think I will pass...

ONE WORD: SHEEP

Day 22 — Your deepest fear. Day 23 — Write a love letter to yourself. Day 24 — Reveal your most guilty pleasure. Day 25 — If you have tattoos, show them. If not, talk about the tattoos you want or why you don't think they are right for you. Day 26 — Talk about the last "random act of kindness" you encountered. Day 27 — The last thing that made you cry. Day 28 — Say something to your 15 year old self. Day 29 — Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days. Day 30 — Share what you have learned, if anything, about yourself in the last 30 days.

Hmmmm....... This is a toughie. Generally I don't follow recipes. I get an idea, I try to figure out how to do it and I do it. Before I went on my trip I made a yummy curry. Here is what I did: Ingredients: 1 large onion 1 green pepper (bell pepper) I red pepper (bell pepper) 4 chicken breasts (chopped) 2 tbsp curry paste (whatever you prefer, we used madras paste) 2 tbsp of soy sauce 3-4 tbsp cream cheese. 2 tsp olive oil Salt and pepper to season Coriander leaves to garnish. Rice to serve. Method: Add the olive oil in a hot frying pan. Add the chicken and fry until it starts to brown. Add in the peppers and onions. When the vegetables begin to soften add in the curry paste and soy sauce. Stir until the paste is evenly coating the vegetables and chicken. Add in the cream cheese. Allow to simmer until the cheese has melted into a creamy sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the chicken on a bed of rice and garnish with some torn coriander leaves.

The first thing that sprang to mind when I read today's challenge was travelling. Of all the things that I do in my spare time travelling is most definitely my favourite. My hobby has allowed me to see some beautiful sites and scenes. I have met some wonderful people. And best of all, it led to me meeting my James.

I know I am a day late with this. The reason is that I couldn't think of a talent that I have! I asked around and one thing kept coming up. My talent is telling stories. Not really fairytale stories or anything like that. My talent is telling tall tales. They are not lies per say... more stories that I make up about my life for the entertainment of others. Here are some examples. My dad is a leprechaun hence why I'm ginger. The reason that there is a myth about the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is due to a mistranslation of the leprechaun tradition of baptizing their children on the day of the rainbow (which varies from year to year like Easter Sunday). Because of the children's ginger hair the pot is called the pot of gold. I went to school on a donkey, holding on to is ears for aerodynamic reasons. I have been to Hogwarts and can turn children into bats... There are many more they just aren't coming to mind. As you can see by my tall tale content, my stories a

I know the romantic thing to say is that your partner/spouse/etc. is your best friend. As much as I love my James, there is one person who will always top him in the best friend stakes and that is Edel. Edel and I met over fifteen years ago. There was an open night at our secondary school and we spoke briefly. A week or so later we met in a cafe in Ennistymon, bonded over our Boyzone keyrings and we haven't looked back since. Edel is like a sister to me. She can tell by the way I say hello on the phone if I am upset/happy/ or in need of a confession. She can listen to me tell a story and know exactly what bits are true and untrue. She is the one person I will trust with everything about me. My fears, my complexes, my love sickness and my happiness. She is such a huge part of my life that even my Dad has informally adopted her! Even though we live on opposite sides of the country and don't see each other nearly often enough, when we do meet up it feels as if we saw each othe

This was difficult. There are two artists whose work I love - Salvador Dali and Esao Andrews and having to pick a piece by either felt like a betrayal to the other. I managed to pick one but I'm going to insist upon showing you the runners-up. My favourite: By Dali The runners up: By Dali By Esao Andrews:

The song that always brings a tear to my eye is Paddy Casey's saints and sinners . I know it quite an unusual choice of song. But it does make me teary. The song reminds me of the time my sister died. Music was a huge factor of my life at that time. This song, I felt represented my story. Here are the lyrics with my explanation in brackets: Anyone can loose it all (My family was shattered after she died) Anyone can loose it all If you don't heed your warnings call Anyone can loose it all Anyone can make a mess (My brother's situation) Anyone can make a mess Just take so much and make it less Anyone can make a mess When you got time and streets making saints & sinners Ink on sheets makin' losers and winners Well it's not what your dreams should be Anyone can be a saint (My sister) Well anyone can be a saint Well you just forget that you ain't Well we can go and be a saint Anyone can be a star (Me - People kept telling me I was "a star") Well

I have always loved mythology. Especially Arthurian mythology. This is a poem I wrote about the relationship between Arthur and his sister. According to legend, Morgaine and Arthur were tricked into sleeping with each other at Beltaine. Morgaine was to represent the goddess of fertility, Arthur the stag. It was believed that their child would bring peace to Britain. Unfortunately and tragically things didn't turn out quite as it was imagined they would. The Priestess A pure salubrious priestess awaiting Beltaine for her seed, A goddess to his stag. Sunset, their Beltaine fire his sceptre, her chalice. A licentious lust. A union never to be remembered Their love never to be forgotten. A Greek tragedy to a Celtic air. Like Jocasta to her Oedipus, Morgaine is to her Arthur. A love once pure is now twisted into a web of deceit and pain. All because the hunter fell in love with his Morgaine.

Okay, I don't have any pets so this challenge is not relevant. But if I did I'm sure they would be very cute! Day 14 — Talk about the cuteness of your pets. Day 15 — A poem you wrote. Day 16 — A song that makes you cry (or nearly). Day 17 — An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.) that is your favorite. Day 18 — Tell us about your best friend. Day 19 — A talent of yours. Day 20 — A hobby of yours. Day 21 — A recipe. Day 22 — Your deepest fear. Day 23 — Write a love letter to yourself. Day 24 — Reveal your most guilty pleasure. Day 25 — If you have tattoos, show them. If not, talk about the tattoos you want or why you don't think they are right for you. Day 26 — Talk about the last "random act of kindness" you encountered. Day 27 — The last thing that made you cry. Day 28 — Say something to your 15 year old self. Day 29 — Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days. Day 30 — Share what you have learned, if anything, about yourself in the last 30 days.

I have realised that because of my upcoming trip, I'm going to have to rush through this challenge in order to complete it in time! Oh well! How do I think others see me? Firstly, I make a point of not wondering how others see me. To do so is futile, it can be upsetting and it makes you strive to be someone you are not. How would I like people to see me? Well I would like people to see me as me. A fun loving person who will do her hardest to help those she cares for. A strong person who has been through enough grief to realise that life is too short to be afraid. Loyal, dedicated to those I care about and discreet when necessary. I also hope they see someone who does not tolerate bullshit. Or rudeness Or any kind of prejudice. I hope people see me as tolerant. Once people don't purposely hurt others (I appreciate that sometimes people get hurt unintentionally), I like them. I don't care about race, creed or sexuality. If we were all the same we would be incredibly boring.

This has just made me smile the biggest smile. Someday I hope I see this happen in person!

Today should be my sister's 23rd birthday. So little sister, to show that I have been thinking about you, I have gone and found out how to say Happy birthday to you in lots of languages. Here goes: Breithla shona dhuit Joyeux Anniversaire Alles Gute zum Geburtstag Buon Compleanno! Sveikinu su gimtadieniu Achent'annos! Achent'annos! Palju onne sunnipaevaks! qu ni sheng er kuai le

I don't have very many scars. And those I have don't really bother me. Except for one. I have one between my right eye and my nose. I have had it since I was a baby. There was a lump or cyst or something similar growing over my eye and it had to be removed. As a teenager I was overly aware of it. The first time I got my eyebrows shaped the lady reacted weirdly to it. Kids used to point at my nose and ask what is that? I felt like a witch with a dodgy wart! Now however, I love my scar! It makes me that little bit more unique. Kind of like a mini battle scar!

There is one story that my dad tells every now and then that makes me laugh so hard it hurts. He reckons the story is proof that I always had an answer for everything. I guess he is right! My bedroom in my parent's house was at the gable of the house and therefore it had a sloping roof. My bed was beneath one of the slopes and if I stood on the bed as I child I could reach the ceiling. One day, I was aged about four, my dad came into my room and found me sitting "innocently" on my bed. On the ceiling above me, scrawled in crayon was Louise O'Dwyer aged *squiggle* My dad saw it straight away. He pointed to it and said "Louise, what's that?" "That's my name Daddy" was the reply. "I know it's your name Louise, but why is it on the ceiling?" With my most angelic smile I said "Daddy! It's been there for ages! I did it when I was three!" My dad knew well that I was probably sitting on the black crayon as I spoke to hi

This one is a tricky one. I try not to have regrets. It is so stressful to feel bad about something from the past. I firmly believe that it is better to take things, realise the lesson that needs to be learned. And learn it. I think if I'm pushed, the one thing that I would change would be to have taken myself less seriously when I was younger. To have taken things in my stride and not have tried to be like everyone else. I think I only truly began to like myself in the last few years. There are years that were wasted on feeling inferior and I suppose I would say I regret that I didn't learn to love myself sooner. Then again, I guess hindsight is a wonderful tool isn't it!

My computer won't let me upload a photo so today's blogging attempt is a failure. However, check out X factor from last night (below). It was a beautiful moment!

Is he not just amazing. I love him. I want him to win. Oh. Matt. Wow!

Ha! Oh gosh! This is going to be the shortest blog entry ever. Ten years ago I had no style. I didn't know who I was, where I was going or anything. It is too embarrassing to even reflect on. But thanks for bringing that up! Day 08 — Describe the style you had 10 years ago. Day 09 — A photo you took. Day 10 — Talk about a regret you have. Day 11 — Share a story from your childhood. Day 12 — Explain how you got one of your scars. Day 13 — How do you think others view you? Day 14 — Talk about the cuteness of your pets. Day 15 — A poem you wrote. Day 16 — A song that makes you cry (or nearly). Day 17 — An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.) that is your favorite. Day 18 — Tell us about your best friend. Day 19 — A talent of yours. Day 20 — A hobby of yours. Day 21 — A recipe. Day 22 — Your deepest fear. Day 23 — Write a love letter to yourself. Day 24 — Reveal your most guilty pleasure. Day 25 — If you have tattoos, show them. If not, talk about the tattoos you want or wh

Me and my dad This is one of my favourite photos. It was taken in a nightclub in Vilnius and it was taken a few months before James and I started seeing each other. It is one of my favourite memories. We were out with a group of people from the hostel, Jen, Donna, Chris, Andrew, and it was a great, great night!

I have put a lot of thought into this. It hasn't been easy! So many people have said such inspiring words, or witty last words, or comical quips. My favourite quote it turns out, is from a cheesy pop lyric. "I'd rather love and lose it all, than never have it to recall, these are the things I will remember, When I remember when" It was the b-side of a 5ive single when I was a teenager. It was released around the same time my grandad died. For some strange reason I took great comfort from these words. Again when my sister died in 2004, these words sprang to mind. It is hard to lose someone you love. It is one of the worst things anyone must do. Be it someone that you are in love with, someone that has been with you for as long as you remember or someone who you loved with all your heart, who didn't know it as much as they should have. At least you have memories. At least you can imagine what was. I no longer have my sister physically beside me, but I can still s

Books, books, books! Oh how I love books! I guess my life is kind of consumed with them at the moment. I work in a bookshop and still I do not bore of those bounded beauties. As a child I loved mythology and fairy stories. I guess being Irish I grew up imersed in stories of the Banshee , the Púca , and all the different fairy folk. I had a great story book , it was quite old, written by Sinéad De Valera. I loved it. I still do. The cover is now torn off it and the pages have yellowed (or oranged in some places), but the book brings me back to a childhood world I loved. A world that has affected how I read even now. My love of magic has lived on through Harry Potter , The Black Magician Trilogy , The mists of Avalon . Naturally, when someone reads a lot their taste changes or becomes more diverse. Their library becomes more eclectic. I have had the most wonderful romances through literature. I have hated yet loved Mr. Darcy , been lovesick with Heathcliff , pleaded on bended knee for Ro

Now I am up to speed! Whooop! My favourite TV show. Hmmm... Again I have a few. I loved Lost and was devastated when it ended. But more devastated how it ended. And vowed never to love a TV show again. Until I watched House. Oh House ! I remember seeing a few moments of it in Hungary and learning the word for thank you from a little girl House was treating. I thought no more of it until maybe three months ago. Then one day James and I stumbled upon it late one evening. And the devotion began. I love him. James loves him. How couldn't we? Hugh Laurie has always been one of my favourite people. Blackadder was a work of genius, as was Fry and Laurie. Oh, Stephen Fry... we must not forget him. I LOVE QI. I always feel so clever after I watch it. For quite a while we kept a fact book of QI in the bathroom. It sounds weird I know, but I must say, it did lead to some fabulous conversations with our friends after they had been to the bathroom. Eventually we started having the same convers

Okay, so I have already fallen a day behind and it is only day 2. That is kind of shameful. In my defense, I had a great Hallowe'en and suffered for it yesterday! Now, down to business... My favourite movie.. Again this is a toughie. I have so many that I am attached to. My favourite movie tends to depend on my mood at a certain time. The top two are Cinema Paradiso and Rear window. I love both equally and really enjoy sitting down to watch them. My feel good movies are The Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Boat that Rocked and The Hangover. They always cheer me up and put a smile on my face. When I need a girlie day Dirty Dancing tends to tick all the boxes. Under a duvet, with some chocolate and a hot water bottle. It is all any girl needs in those times of need. Oh this pointless... I can't decide... how can you ignore Star Wars, Indiana Jones, most Hitchcock movies, most musicals... ahhhh! It is too hard. Lets just say, I have lots of favourites.

This is a tricky one. I don't have ONE favourite song... but I have favourite songs for a lot of different situations. Like James. When I hear Hello by Lionel Ritchie, or any of the Wombats songs, or the Zutons stuff then I think of James. Paddy Casey's Saints and Sinners, and Katie Melua's closest thing to crazy remind me of my sister. I think I can find a Queen song into most of the major moments of my life. I want to name my future children after Leonard Cohen's muses. When i'm feeling really down showtunes/musical numbers put the spring back into my step. I think the one song that does make my heart jump with joy every time I here it is Time to Say Goodbye closely followed by Barcelona with Freddie Mercury. But I don't think I will ever have a favourite song. There is far too much choice and nostalgia for that.

I have noticed more and more people are taking the 30 day blog challenge so today I decided that I too would do the same. The challenge consists of the following: Day 01 --- Your favorite song. Day 02 — Your favorite movie. Day 03 — Your favorite television program. Day 04 — Your favorite book. Day 05 — Your favorite quote. Day 06 — Your favorite music video. Day 07 — A photo that makes you happy. Day 08 — Describe the style you had 10 years ago. Day 09 — A photo you took. Day 10 — Talk about a regret you have. Day 11 — Share a story from your childhood. Day 12 — Explain how you got one of your scars. Day 13 — How do you think others view you? Day 14 — Talk about the cuteness of your pets. Day 15 — A poem you wrote. Day 16 — A song that makes you cry (or nearly). Day 17 — An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.) that is your favorite. Day 18 — Tell us about your best friend. Day 19 — A talent of yours. Day 20 — A hobby of yours. Day 21 — A recipe. Day 22 — Your de

I don't understand Why? How? What happened? How did it go so wrong? We were having a chat What did I do? Sometimes it's hard to decipher these things All I know is I love you...

Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths, Enwrought with golden and silver light, The blue and the dim and the dark cloths Of night and light and the half-light, I would spread the cloths under your feet: But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly, because you tread on my dreams. William Butler Yeats I adore this poem. It is so deep and meaningful yet simple in it's language. I came upon in while reading so I decided to share it. Enjoy!

Today I had the most splendid news! I was given a promotion at work! I am so excited. The job itself hasn't changed so much. I just have a little more authority, which always makes things a little easier if you have to give out! What a great way to start my weekend! Yay!

Fota! During the week, James and I went on a romantic break to Cork. It was fabulous! We were staying at a wonderful hotel in Cork city centre, the weather was beautiful, and best of all, we got to spend a whole day in an animal park looking at exotic animals! What struck me as strange (yet fabulous) was how comfortable the animals were just to wonder around. The squirrel monkeys played tag on the fence beside where James and I were standing. A kangaroo jumped the fence around the same time and starting playing with his friend in the grass behind us, and at one point, two parrots were sitting on a branch above our heads and we didn't even notice! The Giraffes were great. I love giraffes, probably a result of a hand puppet that we bought James's niece Emma for her birthday last year. It was lovely to see them chilling out in a field without a care in the world! James of course was like a child. At one stage I spotted him chasing three lemurs down a path, just to see whe

I'm currently flying through the final book of the Black Magician trilogy by Trudi Canavan . It is such an amazing read!

Last night we had a BBQ at our house. It was a "welcome to the house" party too for our housemate Joey. The weather was good, the food was good, the craic was plentiful, it was great evening all round. Little did we realise that it would turn into a bit of trad session!

There are many things in the world that make me happy ! Sometimes it is important to think about them and enjoy them. Here are some of those things... The colour purple. I don't know why purple makes me smile but it does. Hugs-I love hugs! They make me so happy! I think James's hugs are my favourite. Especially when I haven't seem him for a few hours. I love hugs from my family. Especially the ones from the kids that are usually accompanied by a very sloppy kiss! Whenever I am having a really sad moment, hugs are the only thing that will put an immediate smile on my face! Queen - The music of masters. I love them. Queen have been involved in my life for many many years. So much so that a bunch of their songs symbolise many of the huge events that have taken place. Some examples... Friends will be Friends -> This song is a reminder of one of my best friends Dearbhla and the time that we lived together. I love it and all its wonderful memories It's a Hard Life