I would normally be one of the few people who would say that January flies past…. This year I disagree. It seems like the longest month ever, albeit I still can’t believe that it is now over.

When starting to put this blog post together I realised that it was full of F words. To name a few:

• Four Months
• Fitness
• Focus
• Facial Expressions
• Fag Free
• February
• Father
• Flying

Of course if I wasn’t so polite! I think I would also fit in a few actual F’s!

Four Months, Fitness & Focus

So let’s start talking about Four Months and Fitness!!!

Today leaves me exactly four months until I will be standing at the starting line of the Asics Stockholm Marathon. I find it hard to imagine standing at that starting line never mind crossing over the finish line and still be smiling.

If I have learned anything in the few races I have been part of, it is that it is way too easy to forget about the camera that they put on the finish line. Look for yourself and see what I mean.

These pictures clearly shows I need to work on my finishers smile whether a 5km, 26km or 42,195km race!!

I am a strong believer that I am only going to get there by focusing fully on my fitness, including physical and mental health. It takes huge commitment and motivation to actually keep the training plan in place as well as listening to the body and mind during these sessions.

I remember a good friend who once said to me “you can do anything you want in a race as long as you have either mind or body with you. If both goes at the same time, that’s when the race is over”.  Those words are so true and although I am not at the stage in my training yet where this is likely to happen I am working hard to put the pillars in place to keep both as strong as possible.

As one of my goals this year is to increase my fitness and to reach the target of completing a Marathon, I have  throughout January, in sickness and in health, kept my focus to get nearer to this goal!! And not without help either! Family & Friends, Physio & Life Coach, Reading and Writing have all been parts of the support structures; all of which I will continue to use over the coming months.

So now time to get the runners on for February!!

Fag Free

Next week, 8 years ago, I gave up the cigarettes and I think that every year without them is worth celebrating and mentioning. In those 8 years, I have not so much as touched a cigarette and that I am very proud of.

This achievement also brings back memories of previous attempts of giving them up and particularly the second last one!! On that occasion I said I would not give them up altogether but allow myself a cigarette (or two) when out for a drink.

However, I hadn’t realised quite how inventive I would be in creating drinking opportunities most days of the week! So instead of becoming a healthier smoke free version of myself I ended up, not only continuing my smoking, but also slowly turning myself into an alcoholic (well not quite but nearly).

So here is a toast to smoke free lungs!!!

Fantastic February

With February just a short two days away I have taken stock of my goals and how I have progressed them in January. I didn’t get to them all (to be expected) but actually feel rather pleased with what I have got done so far.

So what does February have in store;

• My music adventures and travelling will kick off with a short trip to London to see the magnificent Bear’s Den!! Cannot wait to listen to them once more and to spend some time (well overdue) with one of my favourite people!!
• The next Run Clare event is on no further away than in Spanish Point on the 16^thFebruary! 5 miles this time!!
• Flying back to Minnesota!!
• Fourteenth of February stress 😉
• Fredrik’s Birthday!! That’s my brother who is soo much older and soo much wiser than I am!!!

It is also the month of my dad’s anniversary. This year we have been without him for a whole of 12 years and I still miss him every day.

All in all I am looking forward to another busy month and to some more sunlight!!! As a very wise woman, Amelia Earhart, once said “There is more to life than being a passenger”!!

So let’s fly!!

 

Wow, half way through January already!!

Yesterday morning when travelling to work I was listening to the news and a report on a survey completed by economist Dr David Blanchflower which confirms that we are getting increasingly miserable from the age of 18 hitting peak misery at the age of 47.2…….

Well, this is my fucking year and I have no intentions of making it a miserable one, never mind the next 6.5 years!!

Combining Goals!

You know you have hit gold, or at least a great shortcut, when you can combine multiple goals into one! This week I got the opportunity to merge 3 of them into one. Music, running and fundraising for charity. I signed up to #TourDePicnic which is an event which allows me to fundraise for three amazing charities, run 17kms to the gates of EP2020 and to get my weekend ticket in hand upon arrival! It is an excellent initiative and I am super excited to be part of it later this year.

Talking about running my official 2020 Marathon Training plan has now commenced and I am actually excited to get started! It helps that I am planning my first ever drive up to the Arctic Circle when in Sweden for the race.

I have my first running sessions done, signed up for the Clare Running Series and the Regeneron Great Limerick Run and I have also started to work on ensuring that I prevent injury along the training routes. I can do this!!

Hiking Bonanza

If you haven’t been there already, then I do urge you to go! Comeragh Mountains in Waterford are spectacular. Even if you don’t want to hike to the top you can get up as far as Lake Coumshingaun and sit down for a nice warm cuppa and take in the astonishing scenery!

Getting to the top was a little more difficult and as you know I have a fear of heights…. Let’s just say that this was the first ever hike after which my arm muscles were sore. I clinged on to the rocks on the way up for dear life and even took a mud slide on my but on the way down!! But it was worth every second and I will definitely go back to this one when the sun is fully displayed!!!

This weekend gone I managed to fit in a walk before storm Brendan, which took us around the beautiful Lake Graney in Flagmount! Another great spot and this time we were accompanied by two 11-year olds who managed the near 12km trek nicely!!

If you have any routes or places to recommend or to challenge me with, please let me know! Always looking for my next hike!

Honest Insults

So, I can only say that I am a very lucky lady when it comes to my friends! But genie you wouldn’t want to be sensitive or you would start thinking they really don’t like you……

To give some examples of this honesty;

1. Do not settle for second best, or third for that matter!
2. Get that shit storm sorted!
3. You deserve more than you expect!
4. Grab it by the……!
5. Stop moping, you have made your choices…… stand by them.
6. You may not want me here, but I am here anyway if only to annoy you!
7. And the most honest of all! In between honest insults we are actually able to say, I love you and I am lucky to have you as my friend!

Not only are they honest as f**k but they are also incredibly “free spoken” and at times I wonder(I am very well reared and super polite so this stresses me)if I can really be seen, never mind heard with these people in public places!!

All jokes aside, I couldn’t be luckier than to have the bunch that I have around me! Ladies and Gents, thank you 😊

So onwards with another week of adventures and challenges of equal measures!! Let’s go grab it.

This year I have only one New Years’ resolution!! (apologies in advance it includes a curse)

2020 IS MY FUCKING YEAR!

Now….. in order to make it my year I did what I do best and set out an excessive personal development plan in pink and blue which includes 11 core goals each with scheduled milestones to achieve. So those whom are picky may believe me to have near a 100 resolutions but no…. just the one!! The rest are goals to get me there.

Today marks two years since I started this blog page! However, I have abandoned it for nearing a full year. Many reasons took me away from it but now I am back and one of my goals is to stay with it.

So, this post will be a little more about the one resolution and a quick review of a decade past by (brief I promise).

ONE RESOLUTION

Just before breaking up for Christmas I was having a conversation with this wonderful lady and we were talking about personality traits (mainly mine might I add).

Towards the very end of our conversation she said;

“You need to spend more time being as good to yourself as you are to others and most importantly you need to realise how good of a person you really are”

That is probably one of the hardest compliments I have ever had to accept…. Well to be honest I am still trying.

What it did make me realise was that there were some serious truths in it and that I now, without being a total b**ch in 2020, need to find a way to put me first (at least at times).

Thus, came the idea of my one resolution! This is my fucking year and I own every bit of it!!

THE GOALS

When I put together the visual plan and  surrounding this resolution it looked a little something like this;

The visual plan was then divided into these 11 core goals;

• #Goal 1            My Home is Where My Heart Is
• #Goal 2            Writing (I am on it)
• #Goal 3            Reading (I am so on it thanks to the wonderful Mark Johnson!!)
• #Goal 4            Financial Planning
• #Goal 5            My First Marathon (only 144 days to go)
• #Goal 6            Family & Friends
• #Goal 7            Self Development through leaning and through my career
• #Goal 8            Travel & Music (and lots of it)
• #Goal 9            Hiking

The last two are the scary ones!!

• #Goal 10 –  ❤️
• #Goal 11 – ME

So I was thinking that I may use this blog as my accountability holder! To share my progress on each of the above goals.

A DECADE GONE BY

Wow a decade… that is like a very long time and at the start of it I was thirty and at the end of it like 40!! Ah, so what, I love it! I am having so much fun.

Myself and my older brother have been trying to explain this phenomena to our younger brother (still in his 30s and with a new-ish baby)!!

Looking back on the last decade opened my eyes to the sheer amount of stuff that happened in the last 10 years;

2010 – Can’t remember. It is simply too long ago. Only messing…. Kind of. First year of creating a new Christmas world – skiing with the gang.

2011 – Started my own business!!! Massive leap J

2012 – The year I gave up the cigarettes for good!!

2013 – Went to college for the first time and ran into this Clare woman! Mad as a brush, fabulous like cake on your birthday and gosh if she thinks she can get rid of me, she will have to think again!!

2014 – First visit to the big Apple!! Dreams passing me right by!

2015 – Graduated from college and kept hanging with that mad Clare woman!!

2016 – One event that turned me upside down! Literally!! Strictly Come Dancing West Clare GAA Style!! Amazing memories treasured forever.

2017 – This year was a lot about water!! A cruise with my wonderful mum to start the year and an amazing trip to Lough Derg where I got the opportunity to Kayak with a wonderful giggling bunch of hardcore women!!

2018 – One of the more significant years in this last decade for me at a very personal level which really took me out of my comfort zone. I started hiking, musicing lots, laughing and crying a lot more and certainly learning a lot more about myself.

2019 – Oh so many memories!! First ever half marathon, abseiling out of Thomond Park, lots of music events, lots of great friends, my daughter closing the door on childhood, my 40^th which I spent celebrating as a volunteer in the most magical of places; Barretstown, travel for work and leisure… oh this list can go on.

Maybe just because I can remember some of it!!!

There we are, first blog post of the new decade. A simple start, albeit I feel a bit cobwebby in my writing abilities!

Here is a toast to 2020 and all the magic that it is about to bring!!

Time to get writing again and what better time to do it then when sitting on the airplane on the way to meet my new nephew for the first time! So very excited and with my three amigos in tow it promises to be entertaining… to put it mildly!!

I have always maintained it’s the little things and the last 10 days have brought so many moments which have made me laugh, laugh some more and laugh again.

This blog post needs to come with a small health warning.

I went to Cork and mingled with Corkonians!!

A LARGE BANANA & MUD SLIDING AT LUNCH TIME

Last week I had the pleasure of working with a group of people in Cork for 3 days. This bunch was a real hearty Irish group that put some evidence behind the Irish being the happiest population in Europe.

On day 2 myself and 4 of the gentlemen in the group decided to, as upcoming safety representatives and a safety professional, to go on a walk in the sunny south. The facility offered a beautiful walk around a green area which we opted for on this fresh spring afternoon.

It all went very well until we neared the end when we met this dip in the green hills and the dip was nothing more than a full on mud slide! We all approached it with caution and a quick dynamic risk assessment determined the grass was a better path option allowing for a prompt run into a tree of rescue!

4 out of 5 made it safely to the bottom of the dip but the one sir that minded the rest of us wasn’t so lucky and took part in a lunch time mud challenge sliding down the hill with most of the back of his clothes fully destroyed with mud.

Full of sympathy and conscious of the now pending incident investigation (we are safety people) we did exactly what you would expect. LAUGHED!!

But laughing at the suffering does not go unpunished and when trying to get up the other side two more of us, myself included, lost footing and slid in to mud too.

Coming back into the place of work we all needed a cup of sweet tea. The people in the canteen gave us quite a look between the mud coming up to our ankles and the laughter. It was many moons ago since I laughed that hard, particularly at work! One gentleman, with only dripping wet shoes, was laughing so hard he was sweating, the other one laughed so hard he got pressure over his sinuses whilst the other one laughed with tears rolling down his face!!

So there is what not to do on your lunch break and especially not when you work in safety. I can think of way safer options…… but they are of course not my style and certainly not as much fun.  😉

I can only say that a feedback form following a course has never had this stated on it!!

One more story from Cork!!

On the last day it was time for the group to sit the exam and as one person needed to leave sooner I skipped lunch to let him get it done! Being exceptionally kind, the only lady in the group, offered me a banana out of her handbag. At first it may have seemed as a threat as she pulled it out of her bag holding onto it as a gun and on top of it the banana was probably the biggest banana I ever did see.

One of the male group members mentioned that it was certainly intimidating for the male audience in the room!

As I peeled it the “gentleman” sitting next to me, what after his statement seemed like too close, said “You know never to look someone in the eye when you are eating a banana”……..

I nearly went for the fork and bowl to mash it 🙈😝

It didn’t stop there but I can’t write a full blog about my visit to Cork which also included getting called a Safety Stork, talking about how Cork school kids gets stars placed in their forehead and much more.

It was a fabulous few days mixing my day job with some seriously fun personalities, stories and memories.

SOMETIMES IT’S A SHOW

Not every day is a good day, not for any of us, but certainly not for me. However the show must go on. During one of my off days, whilst delivering a manual handling training course, it dawned on me just how capable we are of putting on a show when we really need to.

The feedback form from one of the participants said “phenomenal speaker”….. What a word and it meant a lot to me that day as I was holding back a great deal of grumpiness and a little sadness!!!

As my job is working with people I need to stay focused, energetic and positive. I have learnt over the years how to do this, whilst at the same time ensuring that I find the time to just be too. Important to not stow away any of those emotions…. They make us who we are.

BINGO DISCRIMINATION & THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT…. EVER!!

I’ll start by saying that I am all for equality, not being discriminatory and all that jazz. But when the local bingo is changing one would wonder…!!!!!

So our parish has bingo every Sunday night (FYI I have never been) but this Sunday the discussion came around to the pending changes to how we are meant to call the numbers at bingo.

1. 88 – Two Fat Ladies – NO NO NO….. well what are we supposed to call it then? Asked one of our local gentlemen. Obese females?
2. 69….. seriously there is children at bingo and also elderly
3. 11 – Two long legs. That one remains ok…. Although I think I might be a little insulted. I’ve short legs….

They should have heard our banana discussion at bingo!!

So I want to finish this blog with telling you about one of the biggest compliments I have ever received!!! Especially when considering I am turning 40 this year.

The other day a man who was buying cattle called to the front door. Not having met me before he looked at me for a while (not really shy of looking either) and asked me was I Joe’s…. hmmm… daughter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will live on that forever more!!

Nearly time for landing so it’s a wrap for now!! Happy Valentines everybody!

 

In my last blog post I took a quick look on the happenings of 2018. When looking at it I realised that I had done quite the amount!!! Quite a valuable lesson for a person like me who would normally consider myself to not get enough done in any aspect of life! There is always that to do list and performance anxiety.

I do recommend that you do what I do when the going gets tough! Write down what you have done and treasure that instead of what is left!

To this post!! In this blog I have three things on the agenda! Rocks, resolutions for 2019 and rebelling against it all!!!

Caught Between a Rock, a Bunch of Burren Bullocks & a Most Competitive Sing Song

Went for the first hike of 2019 this weekend gone! This time to the Burren and to conquer Mullaghmore! This one (noted I might say this every time) was probably one of my favourites to date. With the combination of the landscape, the little bit of hardship (cliff hanging), fresh air and amazing company this is one to add to good memories.

One of the highlights was running into a fine bunch of Burren Bullocks and you always know when there is one male species in the pile to be wary of. He stands slightly away from his friend, totally pretends not to be looking at you, yet you know that this is precisely what he is doing. Using his peripheral vision to catch you and pin you against the rock the first chance he gets. But I haven’t lived on a farm for the past 18 years for nothing. I can handle the male species.

Whilst fellow hikers (a young, fit and strong looking couple) turned around I was adamant to get myself and my hiking partner (if possible) past this beast. So, keeping our backs close to the cliff wall, careful not to make a sound and of course not be seen in our bright pinks and blues we edged past him off the path! (Ever watched cliff hanger??)

Phew, got us there professionally and safely with muck up to our ankles, forgetting my fear for heights and a slight requirement to get to a bathroom quickly! However we continued on straight through the remaining, much friendlier looking herd!! Yeah, girl power!!

Keep in mind for this next part that the lady I was hiking with is fairly competitive and that I am not much better. We decided that instead of talking we would begin a sing song where one song would have to be related to the next!! We are still singing… and most definitely still competing. As the song goes ‘The Winner Takes it All’.

Then there is that comment that you say, that you know you shouldn’t have said. “Isn’t that the rock I took a photo of earlier……. To which, although I got a reply, I didn’t really need one. We were after all hiking through a limestone landscape! But…. Look at the picture. This rock is fairly special don’t you think!!

RESOLUTIONS

It is high time to set out some of the resolutions for 2019! As a tradition I don’t set or start mine fully until the first week in February! January is too much pressure to commit as everyone is going mad with all their 151 resolutions. This just makes me feel under pressure to perform again so I wait a little to get mine started. In saying that I have them written down, in a sealed envelope and I will re-open early January 2020 to look at progress!!

Here are a few of my resolutions;

1. To have lots of fun! I managed this last year and intent to manage it again this year! Keep pushing past musts and maybes and just have fun with my kids, my family, my friends, my work and work colleagues and of course with me!! I will try new things, go new places, meet new people and do some crazy s….tuff!!!!
2. Addictions – Oh I intend to keep some of them up!! I don’t believe all addictions to be bad ones and some releases your true you!!
3. My final tattoo until my 80^th birthday! This one bigger and bolder than those I have since before. (Sorry mum). This one is already in motion although we have not yet got to February!!
4. Keep Fit. I started this journey last year with the marathon plan. I am adamant to continue to keep fit, get fitter and sweat a lot!!
5. Breaking the comfort zone. This I want to do over, and over, and over again!!! To be challenged in all parts of your life creates and energy and drive that is to be reckoned with. Therefore, I will embrace the challenges that 2019 throws at me and push past my fears and inhibitions with gusto!!
6. Keep on finding MyMe and most importantly accepting MyMe!

My final one and probably one that summarises all the above, to some extent, is to be a REBEL in my own day to day life! Before anyone gets a chance please don’t call being a rebel having a midlife crisis! I am so not even near one of those!!! I’m just embracing life!! Oh I know the rules, but the rules don’t know me!

Turning 40 this year is one of the challenges coming and ahead of this I intend to make sure I am strong, healthy and bubbly from the inside out!  Started this week with a small spout of retail therapy, which certainly saw me start from the inside out, rebelling against the odds, breaking my comfort zone and having lots of giggles!!!

Oh, did I mention that I intend to have fun!!!

What does your resolutions look like?

Have a great week!

 

It’s over, it’s over, it’s over…. Back to reality with Christmas already a fading memory. A good one, but fading as we can begin planning for the next one. Got to stop signing things with 2018 for it to be fully over!

I had a great Christmas with a great variety of family time, food, drink, music, catch up with friends, more food, exercise (not enough) and board games.

One of the days I took time out with Ms Quaid and we went to visit the Glen of Aherlow to complete a hike. It turned out to be a most memorable day with a lot of those little moments….!!!

Weather hadn’t been and wasn’t the best so we did venture on some slippery slopes and had more than a number of near misses each! If there had been a fall we were both doomed as we were in the wrong company for help or sympathy! It would have been more photos and laughter….. than plasters and hugs.

During the hike we talked about everything….. everything that you can only talk about when you are alone in the hills of Tipperary! One particular mention and traumatising moment was when the very sophisticated travel companion of mine decided to (behind me) make a complaint about the increase in her level of boob sweat…. As I turned my head (the moment) I realised that in a less than “ladylike” manner she was trying to air and hand dry this sweat all in the one go!! Even I was blushing…..

On our hike we met two fellows jogging…. If you read this, will you please tell me what the story was with the Dunnes Stores shopping bag. Still haven’t figured that one out…..

Once back down the hills we decided on a Guinness & loo stop in Hospital. The only pub open at the time was this amazing old style pub with only a small bar and the bathrooms in through the family home. When coming in there was roughly 8 men around the bar counter and a female bartender.

And they were all Irish. Not only Irish but from Tipperary and it would so remind you of a Pat Short sketch. They didn’t fully know to handle strangers, especially not of the female kind, so the bartender started the inquisition as to why we were there, what we had done, where we were travelling from and so forth! Even her 89 year old mother (original owner of the pub) came out to have a chat!!!

With every answer or comment the group of the finest gentlemen had a comment that rounded in laughter. They settled after a little while to have their own conversations! One that was going on is what priest was used where. This is where Cannon Bacon was mentioned to which one of the chaps called out “You what, your priest is a can of pork”.

These were the group of men in Hospital!!

We finished our day with great food and proper pints (car no longer required to be driven by the chauffeur (me)) back at the Pipers Inn in Killaloe!!

One remark was made by one of the other customers!! “Fantastic, you obviously went for the after Christmas walk and never made it home”!!!

To finish this story Maria made a statement that will stay with me forever!!!!

“The two of us are like two dirty old men on the inside (no offense to old men nor dirty ones) but if anyone would dare to treat you any less than a lady I would kill them”

Friendship and beer talk at its best.

THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE………… MOMENTS OF 2018

Over the last week I took a look at the highlights of last year!! Needed to do so before going towards setting out my 2019 resolutions and challenges!! Here is one highlight from each month;

January – I went on my first ever cruise with my fabulous mum and friends! Trip of lifetime. By the way she is celebrating her birthday today!! I also started my blog this month!!

February – Few things into one here! Spent some self-rescue time in Killaloe which brought me to a place I now adore, got me to start hiking which as you know I have continued since, and got me to spend some time with me. In February I also collected my beautiful reflective portrait from the amazingly talented Clare Hartigan! This painting has become a part of my every day in all its magic.

March – SNOW and in particular good memories of the challenges that came with it!! (and I don’t mean the shortage of bread!!)

April – Getting to bring my small kids and new camera on a hike in Ballina!! The Graves of the Leinstermen. We still talk about it.

May – I ran 21.4kms….. Still hard to believe that I did!! Remember the tears of disbelief when I stopped and the beauty of walking my legs into the cold sea!!

June – The Kayaking Trip with the greatest bunch of ladies on Lough Derg!! Amazing from start to finish!!

July – Music!!! Three weekends in a row with music and friends!!

August – I went to Sweden with my daughter and my mum came here!! Treasured family and “home” time.

September – Got some amazing hiking done in September together with a trip to Birmingham which took me out of my comfort zone!

October – I got a new nephew and my baby brother became a dad for the first time!!!! Such a proud auntie and the time for me to meet him is finally nearing!!

November – New York, of course!!! Hard to beat New York and in particular getting to hang with my mum and two brothers. We are now in the planning stages of a holiday for this summer!!

December – December was rocking and full of excitement in a very short amount of time!! My first Christmas Jumper Day, The Riptide Movement, The Blizzards and HamsandwicH, Christmas, Hiking, Family, Food, Drink!! Truly turned out to be one of my favourite months!

These monthly highlights can be summarised into a few headliners which created my #smiles18

• Spending some really great time with my kids Jand getting to know their characters even better.
• Spending some really great time with myself – that is one I am very proud of and one habit I intent to continue.
• Finding, through my time with me as well as time with others, some inner parts of myself which had hibernated for so long they were nearly forgotten. Liberation!!
• Putting some exercise into my life and actually loving it.
• Having fun, trying new things and being a little (quite a lot) bolder which led to time with friends, family, colleagues whilst also creating new friendships.

I am currently accepting challenges for 2019 so let me know if you know how to push me to do something great this year!!

So finishing this blog with this great quote as well as wishing everybody a Happy New Year and best wishes for 2019!! Let’s start those #smiles19 from the outset!!

 

 

 

One more work week to go and then 2018 is really drawing to a close! What a year…. Although most definitely not my type of song…. “Life is a Rollercoaster” is a fairly good title.

This blog will be one of more (not sure how many) that will start to summarise the year gone by. But first…..

OOPS I DID IT AGAIN…..

I can’t help but to see the humour in this so have to share in words! It will never happen that I share this with you in person……. You will see why in just a second….

On Wednesday night last I was staying in the beautiful (warmly recommended) Killaloe Hotel due to some work commitments. On this particular day I had opted to wear a pair of hold up stockings! Feeling good from the inside out and all that….. (ok probably don’t need to justify wearing them)….

Arriving to the hotel I got the stocking caught and it tore exactly around the sticky part that holds it in place….. and so it began to roll down. Now imagine managing this gracefully…… Pulling it up into position worked when sitting down but when standing up it immediately began to roll down….. slowly towards the ankle! So I had to pull it up and hold my skirt and stocking in place (with my good hand – the right one), get my bag, open the door, talk to the porter…….. By the time I reached the hotel room… one leg was skin coloured and the other black.

It is no wonder I ended up in West Clare and not New York….. they wouldn’t have been able for my classy lady behaviour nor attempts at being a sophisticated professional career woman!!

CLOSING IT OUT

So in starting to close out 2018 I thought I would start with picking 12 words which defines how my year has been with some words picked out by friends and family!! Here goes;

1. Rollercoaster
2. Self-Care
3. Power
4. Change
5. Turmoil
6. Adventurous
7. Passion
8. Excitement
9. Drive
10. Fun
11. Boldness
12. Weirdwonderfulness

There are more words belonging to the pile but….. leaving it at that!!

MARY, MAL, MUSIC & SEAWEED

Oh third time… The Riptide Movement. This time in Dolan’s Warehouse, Limerick. And what a night!!!!

Started slightly uncomfortable! Decided to go out of my own comfort zone and wear a shorter, tighter & sparklier dress than I would normally wear! My fears of how I looked totally settled once I went to the bathroom for this first time.

This is where I met Mary. She came out of one of the toilets and commenced explaining the current toilet roll status and how we should all help one another. I politely replied (my mother has me trained) and in doing so Mary announced “You look only gorgeous” as she explained that she had make up on herself for the first time in 10 years and had cut her own hair as she was dying it black! She polished off our new friendship with a big hug and kiss on the cheek…… I sighed a breath of relief as a bathroom cubicle became free and one WITH toilet paper at that.

They night continued in amazing style! We sang, drank and danced lots and towards the end of the gig we headed up the front of the stage for a good old fashioned dance!! I had to film the band a little and in doing so got a wave from Mal, (well the camera did) the lead singer. I was slightly excited…. But it got even better!! After the gig when we had settled in quietly in the bar over another round of shots (tequilas this time I believe) the man himself, the lead singer, my second husband (although he doesn’t know it yet nor does my existing one) came into the bar!!! Like a true gentleman when asked to come over for a picture, he sure did and a small chat with it…… Aghhhhh so exciting!!!

The night ended around 4.00am (I think) with a pint of water and diversions from cider in the Killaloe Hotel!! Just one of those….

To finish this blog post I have to write about the best hangover cure I have ever been through! On Sunday afternoon I headed for a Seaweed Bath on the shores of Clahane in Liscannor together with Edel! Tucked in, side by side, in the foetal position in a barrel of hot salty water and seaweed….. well what more can I say! A truly different experience which left me feeling great from all the laughter (we are no good for tranquillity), the spray of water with the wind into the face and the slimy (apparently good for you) seaweed!!!

Go do it! It is well worth it 😄

 

 

It really is! Mainly because of me having spent a week with my family (mum and two brothers) behaving just like the kids we used to be but ….. as adults! It doesn’t really work that way, or does it?!

The giggles and follow up images and GIFs certainly said it hasn’t changed a bit! Burps, farts, snoring, sleep talking, sleep walking and getting very drunk…..Memories made and I do miss them already. (The Family that is)

A Yellow Cab with Strangers

It must be that friendly face of mine…??? Having reached the top of the queue for a yellow taxi leaving JFK the “check-in man’ asked  trip for two is it? I got slightly confused for a second as I was travelling solo. As I looked over my right shoulder I realised that the Cork man behind me (that accent doesn’t fool anyone) was standing slightly next to me with his wife still behind. So I couldn’t help myself but to say ‘unless you want to come with me?’. A great big laugh broke out which ended up with me sitting in between him and his wife all the way into Manhattan sharing great stories in a very un-awkward manner – very Irish!! (it was desperately warm however)!!!

Dead Rabbit Whiskey & Watermelon

Arriving to a NYC hotel late afternoon without an ability to check in is not a good idea…. Especially not the day after!!

I had five hours to spend with New York City and what better way to do so but a little bit of Black Friday shopping (consisting of a Christmas pyjamas) (I hate shopping) followed by a burger & beer, mingle at Time Square followed by settling down in the bar across the road from the hotel to await the arrival of the Swedish gang!

Spent the hours (2) with a New Orleans Man, an Irish Barman and later on in the evening a Welsh Barman drinking my regular drink of Jameson & Ginger Ale. Talking to the man from NO about Gaelic Football (gosh I don’t know where my Swedishness has gone) the Irish Barman decided it was time to introduce himself! A Dubliner having lived in NY for 10 years.

After my third drink I ran across to meet the family and when my younger brother wanted a drink….. I wasn’t one to say no and guess what. The bar stood a round of drinks on my return! This time the Welsh Barman introduced himself and another round was had one the house. We stayed until maybe, possible (I really have no idea) 2am, 3am which means it was now time to get up for work back home….. The finishing drink was a Dead Rabbit Whiskey cocktail….. with the word finishing having a whole new meaning…..

Came back to the hotel where my mother had to tuck me in (just like old days) and I fell asleep fully clothed…. Woke up at 8am with a slight hangover which left me in bed whilst the remainder of the crew had breakfast. I surfaced….  that’s all….  around 11am.

Felt ok, impressed with my own ability to recover so I bought some watermelon, red berries and a bottle of water. Walked on and suddenly……. An overwhelming sense of nausea…. Right in the middle to Time Square….. I will never live down the colourful creation….

Fuck Trump – He Stole My Weed!!

There are a lot of homeless people in NYC all competing for the attention of the people passing by. Three in particular stood out for me.

The first man was standing in the vicinity of Macy’s Department Store, better dressed than myself.  Tweed suit and all. He was asking for money….. Made us all stop in our tracks and I wonder was he doing a documentary….. It was just ‘weird”.

The second one had the best sign post….. the heading!!! Fuck Trump – He Stole My Weed. So he obviously doesn’t like Trump but he was also asking for money to replenish stock??

Then the last, he must be my favourite!! He said in his homeless husky (hoarse really) voice, as I was entering the hotel – “I love your hair”. It certainly gave me a fit of the giggles….. and a sensation of NOT AGAIN!!!!

Lace, Latex & Lubricants

Try walking through a 3 story Victoria Secret Shop with your younger brother. These are the items surrounding you. He looking for his girlfriend, me looking for me…. Just wasn’t happening without bringing us right back to childhood. Red faces, lots of giggles and confused faces (his more than mine) with how the hell all the strings, holes and ribbons were to be positioned!!

At least mum gracefully stood to one side waiting for us to come out and my older brother went to the more “not required to be censored section” Pink!

So did I end up empty handed…..?? Who knows. (my brother certainly doesn’t)!!!

Back Home

I love NYC and believe it truly was meant to be my home…. In saying that, there is nothing better than getting back to my true home, to my kids.

My Bella had prepared a scavenger hunt which had me running up and down the stairs in and out of rooms looking for clues until I found her in the kitchen with a bunch of flowers and quote jar…. Think they missed me…

Finishing off with a two year anniversary mention!!! This day two years ago was the day that started my SimplyMalin and MyMe journey!! The day of Strictly Come Dancing West Clare GAA Style!! So many great memories!!!

So here is to December one of my favourite times of year! Christmas is looming, lingering dark evenings, homes feel warm and fussy and there are lots of events and festivities to attend to and the excitement of what Santa might bring me is starting to brew…. Still a child at heart ❤️

 

 

 

Oh what a week it has been………….. My eldest daughter has applied to college, my middle one to secondary school and my son wants a hyper golden retriever for Christmas!

This blog post will start with the sharing of a few more of those little moments, followed by a look at what an alternative CV might look like. I will finish by talking about revelations around my strengths and weaknesses and what has led November to start being my most favourite time of year!!

BURKEES, CUBICLES & HUMPS

I certainly can’t blame my language barrier for saying the wrong thing….. at the most perfectly wrong time!! But this week I did just that. But first some other players had some wrong wording going on.

Last Sunday as my son came out of rugby training he announced that the trainer had them doing Burkees and that they were really hard. This of course led to me having to ask what on earth a burkee was? (Not all that up to date with the Rugby lingo just yet). Described perfectly I soon realised that this was not in fact a rugby term but instead my sons intention was to say that they had done burpees. When corrected (politely) he insisted that the trainer had said Burkees….. Oh he is a man in the making.

Next up was my little Bella!! She was showing me a new case she is using to keep her nail kit in. She explained she had the file, the false nails and the thing you push back your cubicles with!! I was double folded laughing. This girl is a farmers’ daughter for sure….

Then it was my turn! During lunch at work this week we had a discussion about the mumps currently going around in certain colleges. One of the girls mentioned that it probably won’t spread as college students certainly avoid rubbing off each other (sarcastically saying so of course). I hyperventilated briefly as myself and my eldest daughter had applied for her to go to college only the night before……

Over dinner that evening, with all the family seated, (which never happens) I went on to ask my daughter had she heard what illness was going around the colleges, Oblivious as she was I went onto tell her that it was in fact the humps….. yes I said the HUMPS…. To my near 17 year old daughter. Two red faces at the table, followed by long silence, followed by laughter that  is still ringing in my ears!! Talk about a slip of the tongue….

MY ME CV – A QUIRKY ALTERNATIVE

Over the past few weeks we have been discussing truths about ourselves that you would never put on a CV but possibly should. If nothing else I believe HR folks reading them would be more entertained by this version then by the one that reads similar to all others.

As a result of these discussions I decided to give it a go…… to prepare my Alternative CV, the one that best describes My Me. Here goes.

CURRICULUM VITAE

I am a hardworking, team player with excellent communication skills and……. That is what all the others wrote and I am not all the others….

I am me. Below you will find my alternative CV. The one that will demonstrate my true colours.

FIRST NAME

MALIN. I was given this name as it in Sweden didn’t rhyme with anything in particular and it had no r’s. It has nothing to do with Malin head but it a Swedish name which is taken from the Woman of Magdala (maybe a rhyme or an r would have been better).

Pronunciation: Málín

SURNAME

KELLY. Went from the most common surname in Sweden, Andersson, to the most common surname in Ireland.

TRAITS (GOOD & BAD)
Unique – There really is no one else like me. Really
Impatient – Prefer NOW
Visualiser – Yep…. Same as daydreamer but in modern terms ‘Mindfulness Practitioner’
Passionate – Borderline obsessive
Maturish – Old but I’m not that old, young but I am not that bold
Special – At least that is what my mother says
Pepsi Addict – We all have bad habits
Quick Witted  – Seeing the fun in life
Giggly – Both at the right and the wrong time
Discombobulated  – What’s going on?
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious – To good of a word to leave off the list.

WORK EXPERIENCE

A well experienced, probably one of the best, jugglers you would ever see. I juggle;

• 2 Businesses
• 3 Kids
• A Home
• A Husband
• Friends
• My Passion for Writing
• Hiking, Running & The Gym
• Reading

And if time permits…. Myself!

EDUCATION

My mainstream education is twofold;

1. School of Life – Here I probably learnt most of the things I know.
2. School of Mistakes & Failures – Has provided me with the best learnings.

HOBBIES

• Everything that drowns me makes me want to fly
• Everything that kills me makes me feel alive
• Oh and then there is that hobby that will just never be shared…. Classified information.

THE ONE THING ONLY ONE PERSON KNOWS ABOUT ME

Wouldn’t you like to know! There is a reason that only one person knows.

REFERENCES

If you want honest references please contact one of the following;

• My Mum
• My Kids
• My Accountant
• My Hairdresser
• My Local Barman

STRENGTHS -V- WEAKNESSES

As part of my MyMe journey I have been thought to reflect and turn things around on their head. This is an exceptional challenge and in particular when you learn that what you once thought was your strengths sometimes are the opposite. They are your weaknesses…..

I feel something so right doing the wrong thing and I feel something so wrong doing the right thing!!!

As this post is already long enough I won’t write more about this now. Instead I will ask you to list your S&W and try to turn them on their head! It is some learning curve….

To finish…. I think November has become one of my favourite months of the year!! It has certainly started on a high note and I believe it is set to continue as I have to do a reflection at mass (oh, oh), as I am travelling to the Big Apple, my city, with my mum and two brothers and as I can talk about and listen to Christmas every day for the next 6 weeks!!!!

So let’s go November!!

PS. Thank you to OneRepublic for some great quotes!!

So I would have for many years branded myself as a “good girl”, a well behaved woman.

In recent times this status has been tested…….. tested good and hard and has made me understand that being that good girl, that well behaved woman is not necessarily the right way for me to find MyMe.

It is known that well behaved women rarely make history….. I do want to make history!!! I don’t mean that I want to land myself in a history book, I just want to make my time count and matter, for ME, not just for others.

The best part…. I have every opportunity to do it!! May take a little imagination, a little boldness, lots of craziness and a whole lot of self-care.

So guess what, I am going to take out all the colours of the rainbow and paint my life in spectacular colours. My colours.

MINDFULNESS V CRAZINESS

As you know I have recently taken to hiking!! Try to do one or two hikes per month to replace some of my running while healing my ankle. On one of my recent hikes I caught myself in three moments which made me truly question my sanity!!

It started with a ferns bush, yes a ferns bush. I was climbing on a wood path up towards the top of the hike when a breeze passed. Whatever way it behaved but it managed to pick on one ferns bush out of a big bunch, which made it look like the ferns bush was waving at me……. You couldn’t guess what I did, I waved back. Yes I waved back and said hello (out loud). To a fern bush…..

This was closely followed by my apology to a bird that I scared out of his/her nest and a crawling through the woods to catch a photo of a mushroom. An important mushroom with lots of memories from my childhood, a “flugsvamp”. (think it may have looked like I was hunting for a bathroom spot)

Following my hike I just had to enquire about my sanity…… when telling someone the story they said “That is not craziness, you have mastered mindfulness”.

So is mindfulness and version of craziness or craziness a version of mindfulness? One would wonder…….

RESTRICTIONS

I recently visited a friend of mine and in the true spirit of Halloween her 5 year old son was telling me all he knows about the characters from scary movies. In the midst of telling me about Jason from the movie titled Friday the 14^th he went about telling me about why Jason turned evil. It was because he drowned in a big river and no one saved him.

To really help me visualise the river he ran up and down the kitchen floor saying in a big river like this or like that one he said pointing towards the fridge. On the fridge was a picture of a fountain and outside the window a lake. So I had to ask was it similar to the one outside or the one on the fridge to which he replied, like only a five year old can; “Like the one on the fridge, only straight.

These conversations is what has made me write this last piece of the blog. Because in children we see no restrictions, inhibitions or filters. They say what they need to say, express emotions they need to express, be who they need to be and most certainly behave the way they need to behave in a given moment. (this is possibly not the way we want them to behave but…..)

I was recently asked to consider how I behave towards others , why I behave in certain ways and most importantly what it gives back  to me to behave in that particular way. Challenging question right……. and one that will come with the realisation that some relationships places restrictions upon us which prevents us from being fully and holistically ourselves.

A classical and none personal example to give would be how we behave when the boss walks in the room. How we do not necessarily say what we want to say, how we don’t challenge their opinion, how we do not engage in learning fully, how we leave the seat next to them empty. All because we are afraid of what may happen if we say the wrong thing, how they will react to feedback or correction, what they will think about our abilities and comprehension. But guess what…. They are humans too and put the same restrictions on themselves as you do on you.

In my own world; last December (if memory serves me right) I let go of one small restriction when I let a client know to not forget me if a specific opportunity would come up. I knew in my gut that they would not have considered me for this opportunity based on my current behaviours in my role there. Now…… it has taken a year….. but what a challenge that is about to come!!!

It is only when you can begin to let go of such restrictions that you will get to know who you truly are and surround yourself with relationships that makes you shine!!! Plough straight through those big bold barriers!!!

So as a new week is dawning and another Monday is looming!! Hope you have your paint brushes out to colour it crazily magical! I do.

Bring it!!!