sinéad: focus on the voice, people

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godparent-hood

Across the land, 10 and 11 year olds are gearing up for a long church service the Catholic sacrament of confirmation. At various inconvenient times,  the Bishop rides into towns to welcome the little folk as ‘adult’ members of the church community. Our parish event is on a Monday night; the godfather can’t travel and the godmother has to rearrange her work pattern. There are no fancy frocks, or days out. None of that matters- Nana and Grandad will be here! Added grandparents make everything more fun.

Girl1 has decided to take the confirmation name ‘Ann’, in memory of Herself. (Own name Great grandmother’s name Herself’s name Spurs Fan’s surname- that trips easily off the tounge, don’t you think?) For my own confirmation I got to dress up and had platform shoes but these days school uniform is the norm. Both girls are in the school choir and have been doing a lot of singing- if they’re stuck I could probably fill in at this stage. Girl1 is very excited because she’s getting to sing a verse of the psalm, solo. From the altar. (She keeps referring to the ‘stage’ and the ‘audience’ rather than ‘altar’ and ‘congregation’ which suggests that her parents have missed a vital step in Religion 101.) It’s one of those tunes pitched so high that only dogs will hear her, but all will be well as long as she doesn’t fall off the wee stool provided for her to reach the microphone.

Girl1 announced that it’s a good thing that I’m not a godparent, because then I’d have to think of things to say. Say? I thought the godparents had done all the ‘saying’ at baptism, surely now they just need to nod, maybe put a hand on a shoulder, and be thankful they don’t have to lift the brute this time.

I turned to the font of all knowledge  internet for inspiration. Don’t thank me, godparents, it’s a public service I offer:

- Mr Corleone is Johnny Fontane’s godfather. Now Italians regard that as a very close, a very sacred religious relationship.

- Mr Corleone never asks for a second favour once he’s refused the first, understood?

- In Sicily, women are more dangerous than shotguns.

- Do you spend time with your family? Good. Because a man that doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man.

My personal favourite has to be Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.

We all know something of The Godfather series- aspiration, violence, business, loyalty, destiny. Family.

Family looking out for each other, protecting, caring, doing what needs done. I’d rather have found more warm and cuddly quotations about nurturing, individual needs and all that, but it is what it is.

I’ll take care of you now. I’m with you now. I’m with you.

What else do we need from family?

window shopping

When I came to live in Belfast, back in the dark ages, the world was a different place. I was rarely in the city centre, which closed down and had the big gates locked up about 5pm. There was the whole security thing going on, where we got frisked and had bags checked going into each shop. Luckily, I wasn’t a big ‘shopper’.

I’m still not a big shopper, if it means going to shops. Serious shopping is done on the internet. When I go into town it’s to potter about nice shops, browsing. That’s not to say I won’t come away with something unnecessary, but I rarely have plans.

Time has changed Belfast city centre. Not only do we have a full range of UK ‘high street’ shops, we’ve got some of the pretty, ridiculous, but oh so lovely ones too. A quick nosey tells me these are ‘premium’ brands. These are the shops I browse in, for good or bad.

The very lovely Irish shop Avoca, what Spurs fan calls ‘your shop, Paperchase‘, 70s style White Stuff, when I grow up I’m going to wear Jigsaw clothes, if I was a cook I’d shop in Le Creuset, and now we have the queen of floral patterns, Cath Kidson. In a shocking, yet convenient move, all these shops are in the one street. It’s about 35 mins walk from the house. Avoca has a café, especially designed for meeting friends in. What’s a girl to do? (clue: the answer is not ‘walk a different route’)

They offer items we don’t need, but can’t walk past.

Maybe I should buy an iPad, just because I could get a pretty case for it?

half term

It’s not quite spring, but there are window boxes.

It’s not school time, but there are educational visits happening.

It’s not in those leagues, but we went to see The Muppets.

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It’s funny, full of pathos, and enjoyably postmodern. A bit cheesey at times, but that’s ok.

You don’t need to bring a child, just go and enjoy.

my first

I’d been thinking about it for months.

The only way to learn was by doing, but could I do that?

What if I did it ‘wrong’?

Would I be told?

Was I ready to make that sort of commitment?

What if it didn’t work out?

How could I save face?

Could I face the ignominy, the public humiliation?

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I took a deep breath, and pressed the ‘create blog’ button.

My first blog post.

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Sidey’s weekend prompt: my first …

the weekend

Parts of the other island and mainland Europe were frozen, snowbound, cold. Rugby fans were unhappy.

Not us. Not here. Remarkably, it was mild, not too wet and calm. Unheard of.

Look!

 Yes, it’s grey; I didn’t say it was pretty, just calm.

We take what we can get round here!

Pitching a memoir

Bookmark that, a memoir

by Speccy McSpec

The tale of how an exhausted middle aged woman used the internet to cope with major life changes:

* beauty websites- no, she didn’t look ten years younger

* health websites- depressing as all get out

* parenting websites- maybe she was just odd?

Discover how she learned to cope with blogging, bereavement and lacking the energy to find out what ‘monetise’ involves.

Just how did this frumpy, unemployed, everywoman become a well known humourist, advocate for those with rare diseases, and wife of Liam Neeson?

Do major film stars really use internet dating sites?

What happened to Speccy and Spurs Fan? How did he end up with Kylie Minogue?

How did Girl1 become President of Ireland at 24?

What role did the internet play in Girl2′s ballet career?

Prepare to LOL, <3 and CRBT

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Write on Edge: remembeRED prompt: sell us your memoir in 200 words or less. In the interests of full disclosure, it must be said that everything from ‘become a’ to ‘Prepare’ is fiction. I know you’re shocked by that.

Pic of lovely Liam, and other fun info here