You can’t teach an old dog new tricks...

You may remember a few blogs ago when my thoughts were mostly time related – well in a similar fashion here are some thoughts I’ve had recently regarding age. And more importantly how we change as we do!

My daughter came home from a friend’s house the other day with tales of her friend’s dog and how it was very wary of strangers. So much so that the dog actually growls and barks at outsiders when they go near him in the house. Not a great advert for the canine world you might think – that is until you realise that the dog was born in laboratory, and until it was rescued by it’s now family, knew only cruelty from humans while it was used in animal experiments. It is now an elderly dog, and all this took place when it was a puppy – and yet it still remembers. A chilling thought.

I personally can’t bear to think about what that dog must have been put through in those laboratories. I only hope it was a worthwhile type of testing, for drugs to cure a life threatening disease – not just some unnecessary testing of a new shade of lipstick, or a scented anti-dandruff shampoo.
Yes, of course I use both of the above things myself, but there are many products out there that do not use animals in the testing of their products – but human volunteers instead, and this is where the age part of it comes in.
When I was younger I wouldn’t use any product that had been tested on animals. I was also vegetarian, wouldn’t wear leather, campaigned against fox hunting – you name it I did it.
But as I’ve grown older my feelings for animal rights have still remained as strong – but my actions have wavered. Yes most of my beauty products still come from the Body shop – but there are a number of others in there now, that I have no idea of their manufacturers testing polices. I eat meat – but always buy free range eggs. Wear leather – but would never wear fur. You see I still have the same convictions, but I’ve softened as I’ve aged.
My daughter is taking up where I left off (much younger than I began I might add) – she’s now the veggie in the house, and I’m pretty sure it won’t be long before I’m being asked the ethical policies of the shampoo she’s washing her hair in, and the make up she wanting to put on her face...

Some more ‘age’ instances I’ve noticed recently :
Our attitude to Christmas -
Why are my children already busy planning what to put on their Christmas lists? When I refuse to even discuss the festive season until at least mid November? (And I know that’s still early for some people – usually those without large families to organise gifts and food for!)
I used to love Christmas – but now it just seems to equal several months of spending money you don’t have, on things people don’t want. Buying food you don’t need, and never have any hope of eating before January. And practising those fake smiles for getting you through the present opening session on Christmas morning – when you’re given yet another gift you don’t really want, and can’t understand why anyone would think you do!

The internet/Computers -
I spent several phone calls yesterday afternoon trying to coach my seventy year old parents through ordering their groceries over the internet – something I find so simple myself. And actually they’d done quite well until the very end, when you have to make simple choices about whether you want your shopping delivered with carrier bags or without (without obviously – better for the environment!) and whether you want your shopper to substitute items or not.
This caused great debate and consternation, as did the process of inputting their credit card details over the internet – but we got there in the end. And I’m pleased to report their shopping arrived safely today.
And on the plus side – unlike the two instances above – I was the young one for a change ;-)

Until the next time

A x

Service with a smile guaranteed!

Hi just a quickie for you today!
Actually considering the picture I'm about to post, that comment could be misconstrued!
We saw this service being advertised on a white van in Ireland..
I think the N needs to look a little bit less like an H !!!
Ah well, it amused my husband for a good few minutes.

And here's some more delights for the 'Nasty Files'
This week with an Elvis theme!
In reverse order at No3 we have:

Collectable Elvis Presley Showstopper Charm Bracelet
A bargain at only £99 + £5.99 P&P
Then there's this little beauty -

Elvis Presley Illuminated Rotating Tree
"Elvis's generous holiday spirit and warm, sparkling charm is lovingly evoked in this exclusive, first-ever illuminated collectable porcelain tabletop Elvis Presley Christmas tree! Aglow with over 100 sparkling faceted gems and gleaming 22K gold, this distinctive, handcrafted Elvis Christmas collectable rotates as it plays the nostalgic melody of "Blue Christmas."
Only £110 + £7.99 p&p

And finally in at Number One and the 'King' of the King merchandise is -

Collectable Elvis Presley Aloha From Hawaii Musical Egg!
"You'll feel the excitement of Elvis's legendary concert in Hawaii with the first-ever Elvis tribute in the shape of a sparkling collectable musical egg."
£49.98 + £3.99 p&p

I know what's going to be on the top of all your shopping lists this Christmas! ;-)
(As always the Nasty Files are simply the opinion of the Blogger, & do not reflect in any way on the fine craftmans ship of these quality items!)

Until the next time,
A x

Wishing witches, Camp waves, King goats, and Petrol flavour ice cream?

Yep you read it right, all three of these thing I experienced on my recent trip to Ireland.
Every year my husband, Jim and myself have some time away on our own without our children. This is usually just a long weekend, but this year we choose to have a week travelling around Ireland in a motor home. Now you see as I read that sentence back to myself it doesn’t sound quite right – the first part is ok, the travelling around Ireland bit, but the next - IN A MOTORHOME should have struck a warning sound with me when I first spoke it, many months ago.
I’m the first to admit I’m not much of a ‘camping’ sort of person. Much more a 4star hotel type girl ;-) But it was one of those, seems like a good idea at the time sort of things that I should have thought through more thoroughly. Anyway I’m not going to harp on about the pro’s (very few other than having your own portable toilet with you wherever you go – very handy when you want to go in the middle of no-where!) and con’s (the worst has to be the sleeping arrangements – I need a proper bed to sleep in a night with lovely clean sheets and a soft fluffy duvet. Not a sleeping bag above the driving cabin of a supped up white van!) of motor-homing as I’m sure some people out there love it, and perhaps if it were your own vehicle, and you could furnish it to your own requirements, it wouldn’t be too bad. But I would warn anyone out there from hiring a motor-home from this particular company http://www.kamp-easimotorhomes.com/ I’m saying no more other than – DON’T! Go elsewhere. You have been warned. (Unless you want to tour Ireland in a vehicle mostlly held together with Duck tape!)

Ok onto the delights of the Emerald Isle.
Ireland is a very beautiful country, and I would highly recommend visiting its west coast. The Dingle peninsular and the Lakes of Killarney on the Ring of Kerry, are extremely beautiful and definitely worth a visit.

But it’s the quirkiness of some of the things I noticed along the way that I thought I might share with you today.
Here are my TOP 5

In at No.5 is the Automatic Toll with a mind of it’s own:
So we pull up at this tollbooth, and are told the price for our vehicle to go through, then as we sit there rooting about for change, the toll changes its mind to a cheaper price. Great, even better we think, so again we begin to look for the right money, we throw the first 2euros into the bucket, then while there is some more ‘discussion’ between the two of us about the next set of coinage to use, the toll just gives up waiting on us, and opens it’s barrier – as if to say ‘Oh for lords sake – just forget the rest and go through will you, get out of my sight!’

NO.4 The Campers Wave
This may not be native to Ireland, I’ve a feeling it’s more a motor-home thing. However, everybody waves at you when you pass in your huge tin shed on wheels. From fellow motorhomers to random people you pass on the side of the street – you get the ‘campers wave’ a sort of half salute, half wave. (Plus, is there some sort of lower age limit we weren’t aware of before we hired this thing? As everyone we saw driving one was well into their second half century of living, or at least they looked as if they were!)

NO.3 Sheep are supposed to be white, & Dolphins aren’t Toadstools.
It’s patently obvious how proud the Irish are of there local area and it’s people, and never was this more evident than in the support for the local Gaelic football team when we drove through the county of Kerry. The final of the All Ireland cup was two days later and everywhere was covered in Yellow and Green flags, streamers, posters, and signs wishing the team Good Luck. Shop windows where bedecked in Green & yellow, and we even passed an unsuspecting sheep sprayed in the Kerry colours!

There is a small town called Dingle on the West coast where its most famous inhabitant is a 24year old bottle nosed Dolphin called Fungi. http://www.dodingle.com/pages/fungi_dingle_dolphin.html we weren’t in Dingle long enough to see Fungi which was unfortunate, but what is more unfortunate I think, is naming a beautiful animal like a dolphin, after a mushroom.

NO.2 Petrol Flavoured Ice-Cream.
Nearly every petrol station in Ireland sells Whippy Ice-creams and has a huge plastic cone on the forecourt advertising the fact – what’s that all about? And more to the point, how, when you’ve paid for your petrol, and bought your ice cream, are you supposed to hold it while you drive away?

Ok and in at NO.1 is…
Crowning a goat as your King!
Every year in the town of Killorglin in County Kerry a group of people go up to the mountains and catch a wild goat. The goat is then brought down to town and a young local will crown the confused goat the King of the Puck. This marks the beginning of the annual Festival, and the town erupts into an orgy of drinking, dancing, and the great Irish singsong. There is a large statue of a crown-wearing goat on the outskirts of the town to lay witness to this.
http://www.puckfair.ie/index.php

The Irish – you gotta love them. Well I do, my husband is halfway there already!

Just one more thing before I go today. This is a photo of me climbing the Witches wishing steps at Blarney Castle. They say if you can walk up to the top and down again backwards with your eyes closed your wish will come true. I managed to – so I’ll keep you posted…

Until the next time,

A x

If you would like to see more of my Ireland photos I've uploaded them to my facebook photos page http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=82391&id=1032877752

That's just 'Nasty'!

Time is a funny thing - and I’ve been thinking about it a lot this week.

We either spend our time trying to speed it up, or slow it down – whatever happened to just letting it tick away happily at it’s own pace?
Most of the time we complain we don’t have enough of it; either that or it goes far too quickly, or not fast enough!

For example how many of us mothers dreaded the six-week summer holidays when they were approaching, wondering just what we were going to do with our little darlings to fill their days? But how many of us this week when they’ve now gone back to school, our wondering just how did that six weeks manage to fly past so quickly – and what on earth did we do with all that time… I certainly am.

Why does something you enjoy pass so quickly? Yet something you hate go on forever? There’s still 60 seconds in a minute; 60 minutes in an hour; 24hours in a day?
Why are we always trying to speed up our journey times, but slow down the ageing process? Break world speed records, yet slow down global warming?
Faster – slower, faster – slower, it’s a wonder the whole world doesn’t grind to a halt – maybe it will one day…

From my own point of view waiting for news is one of the worst examples of time going slowly. Yes, I’m waiting again for possible good news on the novel front... and it feels like I've been waiting forever!

Can’t say anymore just now – but don’t worry you’ll be one of the many ‘first’ to know whenever that good news finally arrives – because it will one day… mark my words. I’ve never been beaten yet and don’t intend to start now.

Ok, I’ve just realised that this is quite a gloomy blog for me – so I’m going to try and cheer it up a bit, by continuing something that my daughter and I have been doing through the Summer holidays on here - I’ll call it the Nasty Files ('Nasty' BTW has to be said in the way that Donkey says it in the film Shrek. If you don’t know what I’m talking about go watch the movie it’s great!)
The first entry to the Nasty Files is something we spotted in our TV guide this week:

This lovely side table isn’t just limited to the almighty Manchester United. Oh no you can get it in other football teams too! A bargain at £145 +p&p

& then there's this little beauty :

Who, if you're too young to remember is Nora Batty from Last of the Summer Wine - yours to own on your sideboard forever for only £59 + p&p!

I hope to bring you more items to add to the Nasty files soon...

*Disclaimer: Obviously the Nasty file is just my own personal opinion, and I’m sure there are many people out there that would love items like these to take pride of place in their living rooms ;-) *

Till the next time,

From me & Donkey
x x

Hail the almighty Gok – a new super hero in our midst!

Apologies for this blog, biased towards the ladies today ;-)

You know how names go through spells of popularity? I.e. there are now a huge amount of teenagers just about to hit their twenties called Kylie & Jason?
Well I forecast the name Gok entering the top ten most popular names for boys list very soon.
Gok Wan - he of the wonderfully titled ‘How to look good Naked’ & more recent ‘Gok’s fashion fix’ programmes on C4, has been voted by women in a recent survey “The man I’d be most likely to leave my husband for.”
It’s not surprising when you watch ‘How to look good Naked,’ Gok possesses a rare something; a power so strong, no super hero has ever been able to carry it upon his being before – the ability to make women feel good when they look at themselves in a mirror.
Not just the quick glance we all do before we go out, thinking ‘well that bit looks ok I guess, but I wish my bum/ stomach/ thighs/ looked a bit smaller, then everything would be ok.’
When Gok’s finished with his women, not only do they all look wonderful, but they actually believe it too – which as we all know is half the battle.
Think back to the number of times you’ve received a compliment about your appearance. Do you ever actually believe what that person has just told you – or do you think they’re just being nice? Why is that? Why can’t you accept that they genuinely think you do look good?
Is it because you still don’t conform to the media’s ideal of what’s beautiful – an ideal that we’ve been promised has been about to change from unattainable into realistic for years?
But I think the tide is now slowly beginning to change, and people are becoming happier to accept that if it’s not natural for you to be a size 6, then no amount of dieting is going to get you there if your body says you should naturally be a size 14. Ok yes you can starve/smoke/drug yourself there – as many models/actresses/singers/and media folk do to attain that ‘perfect’ beauty, but if you want to live a normal, healthy, happy, life – the two just don’t mix.
I’m not talking people that are classed as obese (hated that word when I worked in the fitness industry & still do) and need to lose weight for medical reasons – that’s a whole different issue. I’m talking cosmetic reasons here. So if women can be persuaded that they do look fantastic with curves (men seem to think so anyway!) and just because their clothes size isn’t a size zero, doesn’t mean that their sex appeal has to be the same… Then I say all hail to Mr Gok Wan, because he is a huge part in starting to make the women of Great Britain feel good about themselves again!


This post was inspired by three things:
1.Someone telling me I looked like one of the members of the girl band -Hope my immediate reaction was ‘well I can’t be, they’ll all be anorexically thin if they’re in a girl band. And on finding photos of said band, I found out they were not – so my apologies to you girls for that. However, I’m still at a loss as to which one I look like…




2.Seeing some photos of a genuine overlly thin girl group - Girls Aloud on the Internet – I’m sorry, but that can not be natural. They were not that thin when they started out I’m sure of it.




3.Mr super hero himself! Although my daughter and I are not so keen on your new show, Gok – sorry, although we do tune in every week, & your outfits are always better, so I guess we’re still adding to your viewing figures ;-)

I'm famous! Well kind of ;-)

Hello,
Apologies for it being yet another mention of Boyzone! But it’s just a couple of newspaper clippings this time ;-)
I was in Glasgow on Sunday night at a very last minute gig with one of my best friends, Karen, who lives there. Karen and I met six years ago now, through one Mr Ronan Keating, and have been great mates ever since.
Karen wishes to remain anonymous (she’s funny like that!) although anyone that knows us both will spot her right away once you know where I am in the picture ;-)
Perhaps more on our past exploits together in another blog…But for now, my brief appearance in the Scottish press ;-) (2nd photo)




Larger versions can be found here
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v397/Alimac71/BoyzoneGG1.jpg?t=1214303001

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v397/Alimac71/BoyzoneGG2a.jpg?t=1214303043

Lucky George!

Well it’s Friday the 13th – unlucky for some?
That is if you believe in all that superstitious stuff…
Four leaf clovers, horseshoes, rabbits feet, and so on are all supposed to bring you luck, but why, and who on earth decided that they were lucky? Or for that fact that Friday the 13th was unlucky?

Well speaking from my own point of view (and that’s what writing a blog is all about) my luck definitely changed recently when I bought a monkey. Yes you read that right a monkey! Not a real one I hasten to add, but a toy one.
I had no intention when I went into a Cambridge gift shop with my two children a few weeks ago of buying a stuffed toy animal, but there was just something about George (more as to why he’s called that in a moment) that said buy me – and so I did.

I mentioned in my last blog that I would explain a bit more about the lack of blog posts recently. Well without going into too much boring detail, over the past few years I’ve had some health problems – in which I’ve managed to baffle much of the medical profession. But just recently after being referred yet again to another neurologist - I was diagnosed as having a condition that’s like a cross between Epilepsy without the fits, and Migraine without the headaches! Trust me to be awkward!
Well the Neurologist suggested I try a new Epileptic medication and surprisingly –because nothing else ever has – it seems be helping right now. The great thing about having lots of hospital tests over the last few years is having them tell me how fit and healthy I am! Which is great, but wasn’t actually getting to the root of my problem!
But finally something seems to be helping me – and I’m starting for the first time in a long while to feel just like the old me again.

But as I’ve said on here before, everything happens for a reason, and before I started to feel ill I was working almost full time in fitness and hardly had anytime for writing. Now as result of my problems, I’ve slowly cut down on much of the personal training, and concentrated more and more on my writing. As a result of this extra time my writing has definitely improved.

Anyhow, back to George. George named after the George Sampson who recently won ‘Britain’s got Talent’ because I saw George perform on the show for the first time the day I bought my George, and dancing George with his arms and legs flaying about to ‘Singing in the Rain’ looked just like my monkey George, with his own rather gangly limbs.
George Samson of course went on to win the show – nothing to do with his namesake of course…

http://youtube.com/watch?v=kyDnYeUnT7w

But what has happened in my own life since George the monkey came into it?
The main things of course is the vast and sudden improvement in my health – after having four years of specialists and tests and ‘not knowing.’
The second lucky thing was having yet another agent take an interest in my novel – when I hadn’t heard from anyone in ages.
The third; I got the free VIP tickets to see Boyzone (see last entry)
Fourth; the next night I caught one of the Boyz hats in a stadium of 20,000 people four hats where thrown, and I caught one of them.
Then this week, in addition to already having great seats to see Boyzone again (yes I’ve got the bug now!) which a friend had got for me for one of their Birmingham shows. I managed on the morning of the second Birmingham show to get a front row centre seat for that evening! I guess some people would think that seeing Boyzone in concert four times in a fortnight bad luck – but not me ;-)
So many other things have happened too – that we keep saying ‘That’ll be George’ in our house when anything out of the ordinary happens now.

If only George could pick our lottery numbers...
Superstitious – no, not us ;-)

Don’t 'scream' until you see the whites of their eyes!

Hi, first apologies for not blogging for so long. I know when you start blogging the first thing they tell you is DO IT REGULARLY! But sometimes other more important things just have to come first… (More on that slightly serious note another time.)

Over the weekend I was lucky enough to witness for myself the return of Boyzone to the stage. As previous readers of this blog will know, I became quite a fan of one Mr Ronan Keating some time ago, after discovering quite late the glory of this Irish charmer both in person, and on stage.
I was never a Boyzone fan as such, I knew of their music obviously, but at the time they were around Boybands weren’t really my ‘thing’. So it was with mixed emotions that I approached the forthcoming reunion tour between Ronan and the other four members of the band – was it just about the money? Or was it really, as they kept telling us in carefully prepared pre tour interviews, because they’d put all the bad feeling of the past eight years behind them now, and were ready to give the fans what they’d always promised them - a final reunion tour?

Well the crowds at the O2 arena on Friday and Saturday night didn’t seem to care what the Boyz true motives were – they were there to enjoy themselves and have a ball ‘No matter what!’
I was lucky enough to witness the show from two very different perspectives. On Friday night I was given two VIP passes (Many thanks to those who shall remain nameless, but know who they are...) and as much as I enjoyed being backstage with my husband, and then watching the show from both the wings, and in the so called VIP area reserved for family and friends (one of the better tiered side blocks,) it was nothing compared to the atmosphere of being up close and personal with the Boyz on Saturday night, in my genuine 2nd row centre seats, that I had bought myself from being online at 9am the day tickets went on sale – it was just fantastic!




Ok, I didn’t quite scream when I saw the whites of their eyes, but I sung and danced, and thoroughly enjoyed myself on Saturday night – particularly enjoying the section of the show from a personal trainer's point of view, when the Boyz sang half naked on treadmills, while doing a workout to ‘When the going gets tough!’
I also think being fit (or is that tall?!) helped when the Boyz threw their hats into the crowd after a medley of Michael Jackson songs. It was like one of those slow motion shots you get in a movie, of a bride throwing her bouquet into a gang of desperate single women, as I sailed across the heads of the two ladies (my apologies to you if you happen to read this) next to me, to grab one of the Boyz hats and claim it as my own unique souvenir of the night!
If you’re going to see the Boyz be prepared for a great two hours of tunes and lyrics that will be familiar to you even if you weren’t a true fan ‘back in the day.’
But perhaps anyone with an allergy to dairy, should be pre warned that treatment from the St Johns Ambulance team may be needed during the show, as it was mice heaven as far as the costumes and some of the dance routines were concerned – but that was what I enjoyed about it all, it was just so different from what I’d been used to seeing Ronan do as a solo artist. You needed to take your cheese along with a pinch of salt – I guess a taste many a Ronan fan won’t be able to stomach. But, as with all rich foods – a little of what you fancy does you good once in a while, and as long as Ronan’s new cheddar rich diet doesn’t continue for ever, I can’t see it can do him, or us as fans too much harm – just for the time being…

My apologies for not blogging since the New Year - if you should for some reason be following my occasional ramblings!
I've had some health issues to deal with - but normal service will be resumed soon I hope.

A x

Celibacy in the New Year anyone?

Happy New Year!

For most of us this time of year means the usual resolutions – Lose weight, get fitter, give up smoking.
I don’t smoke, but even fitness instructors – who find themselves spending more and more time sitting on their behind writing – enter the New Year needing to accomplish the other two.
But how about giving up your mobile phone for 3 months?
To me this would be as easy as giving up cabbage, but to American comedienne Amy Borkowsky it’s a real hardship. You can follow Amy’s progress on her blog Cellibacy should you feel at all sympathetic to her ‘plight.’

Other than New Year’s resolutions, further trauma to be found in January is on the 24th. (No, this is not my Birthday – that’s the 14th in case anyone’s interested!) The 24th is officially the most depressing day of the year according to the so called experts. Don’t they have anything better to do than to discover this?
What if you give birth on that day, or pass an exam, or even realise you’ve already shed over half a stone since Christmas, and you can fit into your skinny jeans again? All these would be a cause for great celebration (especially in my house, as I’ve never had the sort of legs that would fit into Jeans like that in the first place!) But no, apparently we’d be unable to experience the joy in these things, as we’d all be too immersed in our sea of depression to surface long enough to smile.

Rubbish! Enjoy January if you can, it’s a new start to a New Year, and who knows this could be your best year ever – I’m hoping it will be mine.

Until the next time, keep smiling.

A x

Boyzone, Spice, and everything nice - is it all for Children in Need?

How often do you switch on your favourite chat show and find a celebrity you don’t often see interviewed sitting on the sofa, chairs, or other household appliance currently deemed fashionable for interviewing guests on?

‘Oh that’s interesting,’ you think, ‘I don’t see them on TV too often.’
But very quickly into the interview, you realise that they’re there for a purpose. Which is? To plug their latest book, CD, film, perfume, or luxury toilet roll range - and you begin to feel ever so slightly cheated, as if you’ve been duped into listening to their sales pitch.
It’s almost akin to the product placement that goes on in the cinema and television these days . If you’re not aware of this – then you're definitely being duped!
It mainly happens in American movies and TV shows, when for example, the lead in the movie buys (or if he’s really cool, just nudges the machine in the right spot so it drops him a free one) a can of Pepsi from a vending machine. Or when the cops are on a stakeout, and they sit in their car eating donuts – watch as they casually lift them from a Crispy crème or Dunkin donuts bag. See what I’m saying?

This is all very well and good – I’m sure when I’ve got a book out (you notice I say when, rather than if!) I’ll be all too happy to sit on Richard and Judy’s/ Fern and Phil’s/ Jonathan Ross’s sofa, and chat to them about how wonderful my forthcoming novel is. Gosh, I’ve just realised they all have sofa’s, who has chairs these days except Parky - and he’s retiring?
Anyway my point is – this is all fine, and an excepted part of TV interviewing these days. But what happens when it’s a charitable event and there’s still ‘plugging’ going on?

This Friday sees the long awaited (by their fans) and anticipated (by the media) return of Boyzone to our TV screens.
They will be performing together for the first time in nearly eight years on the BBC’s Children in Need show.
And just how have their fans reacted to this news?
Well, if you log on to Ronan Keating’s message boards - with eagerness and excitement mostly. There is the odd doubter, a fan that doesn’t approve of the reunion, and wants Ronan to only continue with his solo career. But what’s the betting you’ll still see the Doubting Thomas’s sitting on the front row of Wembley arena next year, waving their glow sticks (will someone please explain why these are necessary in life?) and singing along with the rest of crowd?
But why have Boyzone chosen to make their comeback TV appearance on the BBC’s Children in Need show at peak viewing time on a Friday night?
Is it, as they and other acts would have you believe, solely to support this very worthwhile fundraising event? Or is it in fact, because they can at the same time ‘plug’ their new song, and in this case their new tour, which coincidentally goes on sale on Monday morning?
Ronan Keating and the other members of Boyzone I know do an awful lot for charity. In Ronan’s case it’s mainly through the Marie Keating foundation in Ireland, and Cancer Research in the UK, so I would never knock the Boyz overall commitment to charitable issues.
But are we really to be duped into believing that Friday night's big comeback is all about the ‘Cheerity mate’?
The Spice Girls are already booked to appear on the same show, they’re singing the official Children in Need song this year. I caught a bit of their video today, and I really don’t think that Posh gyrating about in what amounts to bondage gear, and Mel B rolling around in her bra, really fits in with the general ethos of Children in Need, does it?

But maybe I'm being too cynical, and there will be no mention of future albums or reunion tours, and both groups will just sing and enjoy the company of the big cuddly one on Friday night.
Oh, and alongside Terry Wogan, will be that Pudsey fella too ;-)

Til the next time,

A x

Pink Ribbons & Pizza!

Gosh, I can’t believe 15th October was my last Blog!
Hmm, now I’m trying to sit here and think just what I’ve been up to since then?

Well there was Half Term to keep me busy; with the joys of baking, the cinema, shopping, and Pizza Hut buffet to keep my children busy. Is it natural for a 9 year old to be able to eat nine pieces of Pizza + salad at one sitting? It seems to be for my son! And he just burns it right off – so unfair.

I’ve just come back from a rather lovely weekend in Dublin. My husband and I (sounds rather formal!) try and have at least one weekend away every year without the kids (my parents are very accommodating) actually this year we’ve managed two - St Ives, Cornwall in May, and Dublin in November. The Dublin weekend is fast becoming an annual event, and you’ll know if you’ve been following this Blog from an earlier entry, that we were attending a charity ball while we were there.

We had a lovely evening as always at the Pink Ribbon ball in Dublin’s Burlington hotel. The charity that puts on the event – The Marie Keating Foundation always does a first-rate job, it’s a fantastic evening for all to attend, and they raise lots of money as result.
This year after dinner, there were two acts to entertain us, a swing band ‘The Legends of Swing,’ and Bryan McFadden – Ex West life. Bryan was great; I’m a fan of his solo stuff, if not of the West Life boys, and I hear he put on a good show. Yes you read that right, I HEARD he put on a good show. Where was I when all this was going on? Outside chatting to an old friend I bumped into in the bar! How typical of me, but I didn’t mind, it was great to catch up with the friend again, who coincidently is also called Bryan too!
I also caught up with another chap during the evening – Ronan Keating. If you’ve been on my website, you’ll know I have a bit of a soft spot for Mr K, who I’ve been lucky enough to meet a number of times. He’s a grand (as the Irish would say) chap, and lovely to chat to.
This time I had my fitness hat on (which didn’t match my dress unfortunately!) and was talking training matters with him.
He hopes to do the London Marathon next year, and another long distance walk across Ireland (this would be his third) to raise money for both Cancer Research UK, and the Marie Keating foundation.
Not an easy thing to do I was telling him, when the training for each event is so different, and both events are so close together. But he seems to have it all in hand, so after a brief discussion, I wished him best of luck with it.
But I’ll wait and see next year if he manages to do both….

Me grilling Ronan about his training regime! I feel like I was ‘papped here, but thanks to the people that took the time to send me these photos.
P.S. Ronan's not really cross on the second from last photo, even though he looks like he's fuming!







And in more formal pose with Ronan, and then hubbie!

Do you have the X~Factor?

Why are people, (especially in the UK) always afraid of what other people might think, if they do something that makes them ‘stand out from the crowd?’

I admire people who have their hair died bright purple, wear clothes that others might not class as being ‘in vogue’, listen to the music they really want to, and not just what’s classed as being cool. My personal favourite is people who actually say what they think.
Not the rude types, who try and impose their own views upon you, but people that stand up for what they believe in, or who aren’t afraid to do something that might make them unpopular.

Love him or hate him, Simon Cowell is one of those people. My daughter and I have only recently discovered the ‘joys’ of the X-Factor on Saturday nights. And I have to say I really admire The Cowell. Look beyond the tight jerseys, and high waisted trousers – see that’s something else he hasn’t bowed down to the critics on, his unique dress sense, even though he’s been ribbed about it mercilessly.
The Cowell always says what he thinks, if that then makes him unpopular, he doesn’t care (ok, perhaps he can be a bit harsh on occasions – even I have to admit that.) but at least you know you’re getting an honest opinion from him, and I admire that.

Why can’t people take a leaf (if not the whole tree perhaps) out of his book? Why are they so scared of what others will say?

I’m a member of a message board for a well-known singer. I’ve been a fan of this chap for about five years. (if you don’t know who this is, then you’ve not checked out my website very thoroughly – the clues are there…)
My husband and I always attend a charity ball every year he holds in aid of his family’s cancer charity, and we will be doing the same this November.
So what should I find when I log onto his website’s message boards, but a topic created for this very event.
I log on with interest, to see what everyone’s saying, and am not really surprised to find the usual bitching and carryings on. (Just why are women are so bitchy? Another Blog me thinks) But the most interesting thing is – the comments on the thread are nearly all from people who are NOT going to the ball. So where are all the posts of delight, from people have got tickets to go to this wonderful event?
They’re kept well hidden in those same people’s minds. Whoah! They can’t tell people they’re actually going to this can they - what might people think or even say if they find out?

So me being me, decided to write the following, and post it on the Ball topic – I called it

‘Circle of Shame.’

I looked around the small room and saw the look of guilt and anguish on the faces of the other women that joined me in the circle of shame.
We called it that – the little meetings we regularly attended.

All it needed was for one of us to speak up, one of us to stand up and be proud. Not have to hide behind the forced silence, imposed by the harsh words and guilt trip laid in our path by others.

Then one day it began to happen. I noticed the numbers begin to decrease at our meetings, as one by one the others found the strength and courage to share their guilty secret, and when they shared, they no longer felt scared, no longer felt the guilt.

Now their secret was out, and everyone knew, they realised it wasn’t a bad thing, they knew they should be proud of what they were going to do, and no longer would they hide behind the shameful secret that has haunted them for the last few weeks.

And suddenly I knew too. I knew it was my time to come clean, my time to hold my head up and be proud. So that others could also follow in my footsteps, and tell the world their joyful news.
I slowly pulled myself to my feet. The others around the circle of shame looked warily at me. Surely I wasn’t going to spill the beans, tell them my secret? What might people say? Would they walk past me in street whispering and pointing? “There goes that woman,” they’d say, a look of disgust on their faces “You know the one who… well you know?”
But I didn’t care any more, my guilty secret would be over forever, and I would be able to relax and enjoy myself once more.
“My name is Ali,” I said in a shaky voice. “And yes I’m… I’m…” I nearly bottled out, as my bravery began to drain away as quickly as the colour was from my face. I took a last deep breath, and thought about the real reason I was doing what I was. The important, life changing reasons that could take place as a result of my actions.
“ And I too am going to the Pink Ribbon Ball again this year!”

And so far it’s had some great reactions. And people have indeed ‘come out’ and told others that they’re going – and are pleased to be doing so.

So I say well done to them – The Cowell would be proud of you.

A x

It all happens for a reason...

How odd – in my last Blog I made the statement ‘This will have happened for a reason.’ regarding some ‘bad’ news I had received.

Well I've just discovered the agency I was dealing with when I was getting the permissions for my new novel, is an agency with much trouble within its ranks just now.
So, was my rejection – that wasn’t really a rejection – good news instead of bad?

Being the positive person I am – I like to think so!

I have now read through, and I hope ‘polished’ the new novel once more. And have sent it off to a very nice agent who was very helpful last time I submitted a novel to her.
As I’ve said in a previous Blog you don’t often get much individual feedback and encouragement from agents, and when you do you cherish it, and remember that person’s name.
I’ll keep you posted…

As you can see if you’ve come here from my website, my current novel only has a working title just now. It does actually have a real title – but (quite unusually for me) I’m feeling a bit superstitious about it, and don’t want to reveal it’s full title until I have some good news about the book.

Talking of superstitions, we have three horseshoes hanging in our house now. They’re painted ones my children and myself bought on our canal boat holiday this year. So we should have a whole house full of luck just now – shame the lottery numbers haven’t noticed yet ;-)

Ah well maybe soon…

Until the next time,

A x

Ying and Yang?

Do you believe in Ying and Yang?
If something bad happens, something good must too, to balance it out?

http://fly.cc.fer.hr/~shlede/ying/yang

Well, last Thursday I finally got the news I’ve been waiting for. And although it wasn’t quite the life changing career news I was half hoping for – in retrospect, it was quite good.

Basically, to quickly fill you in, my new novel has a movie theme, and the story features parodies of many movie scenes, I needed to find out if what I’d written would cause any copyright issues. So I asked the agent of a writer whose movies feature quite heavily in my novel what he thought.
He finally got back to me on Thursday, after an agonising six week wait.

The Good news is he can’t see any problems with copyright in the way in which I’ve interpreted and used his client’s films in my novel – which is a relief – and they’re quite happy for me to go ahead with it.
But the bad news is – there was no other news. Not that I was really expecting any, after all he was only looking at it to check for copyright etc. But you never know with these things… it may have got passed on to someone, who knew someone etc etc…

But hey it didn’t, so we now carry on down the usual literary agent path with submission after submission, waiting to see if one of them like it. Or maybe this time it might just be the first one who shouts, “Yes, you’re brilliant, I want to help you get your fabulous novel published!” (Or words to that effect.)

One of my great beliefs and sayings is ‘Everything happens for a reason.’
And this will have happened for a reason, just you wait and see…

Strangely, after I had that ‘bad news’ email. I also had two ‘good news’ ones the same day – one of which was from another agent (oh what a showbiz life I lead!) of a celebrity whose name features both in the title of the novel, and in the story itself, saying that his client had no problem with me using his name in the book. Excellent news!

So now I actually feel quite positive about everything again, and very much in control of my own destiny once more.

Till the next time,

A x

I hate JUNK!

No, not the messy, rubbishy, car-boot kind – but the sort that pours through your letterbox, clogs up your Inbox, and the worst offender, insists on phoning you masquerading as “Just a courtesy call.”
I know this is someone’s job to ring you just as you’ve sat down to dinner, settled down to watch Eastenders, or sunk into a hot steaming bubble bath – but have these people no shame?

Here’s a quick tip if you suffer the same problem with unwanted callers:
The Telephone Preference Service
http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/tps/
The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) is the central opt out register on which you can record your preference not to receive unsolicited sales and marketing telephone calls to your home or mobile* telephone numbers. It is a legal requirement that all organisations (including charities, voluntary organisations and political parties) do not make such calls to numbers registered on the TPS unless they have your consent to do so.
Give it a try – our unwanted calls have all but disappeared since we joined this scheme – I highly recommend it.

Anyway, one of the main reasons I hate all these forms of Junk communications now more than usual, is one of the same reasons I now find myself having time to write this Blog. I’m waiting for some news!
I can’t say too much just now for fear of Jinxing it becoming good news – but it’s to do with writing, and could be great for my career… I’ll keep you posted.
Waiting patiently (something I don’t do well at the best of times) involves me refreshing my inbox every five minutes, jumping for the phone when it rings, and even though I don’t expect the news will come by snail mail, pouncing on the doormat when the post arrives. (Then chucking it all in the recycling bin when it’s predominately Junk.)
Here’s a question for anyone out there who’s a Postie: What do you think of Junk mail? Is it a real pain that you’re forced to deliver all this extra post that’s obviously unwanted? Or do you get paid extra for doing so? I’ve always wondered…

So to get back on course (I told you at the beginning I’d ramble) waiting for the ‘news’ is preventing me from getting on with further writing projects – I just can’t start something new until I know.
That’s just the opposite of what the writing ‘experts’ tell you to do. Finish one project, they say, then send your baby out into the world (well actually off to your publisher/agent etc.) then start something new – so the painful wait for (hopefully) some positive feedback, isn’t such a tortuous affair.

This painful wait is trebled if you’re an unpublished writer without an agent, because at this stage you’re ‘touting for business so to speak.
The standard way to sell your manuscript in this day and age is to send to a literary agent - a preliminary letter, 3 chapters of your novel, and a synopsis of the whole book. The agent will then 99.9% of the time will throw you into a ‘Not right for our agency’ pile. Or a ‘Not confident of being able to successfully place it with a publisher’ pile, or even the ‘I really loved this, but with my already large client list, and huge workload, I didn’t feel… blah, blah.’ Which basically all amount to the same thing – NO! And you then (well about six weeks later) get a letter saying as much, but gift wrapped beautifully - so not to offend - with one of the above agent catch phrases.
But occasionally you do get the odd word of encouragement – which, if there’s any agents reading this, (And if there are can I just remind you of http://www.alimcnamara.co.uk/ again!) means the world to us writers, and can make the difference between us sitting down at that keyboard again to write something else, and banging our head against a wall/flushing it down the toilet/ or, drowning our sorrows with a family size bar of Cadburys Dairy Milk. (I prefer the later, even if my waistband doesn’t!)

So now you know ONE of the reasons I’m currently finding the time to Blog.

More soon,

A x

I write – therefore I am.

No, I don’t actually take it that seriously. But my writing has become very important to me.
The story of how I started writing I will tell you in a later Blog when news is thin on the ground, but it’s certainly different...

I’ve now completed three novels. I write what I call ‘Romantic comedy’, some people might call it ‘Chick Lit’ but I don’t. Not because I have anything against Chick Lit – far from it, most of the novels I read are classed as this and I thoroughly enjoy them. But I just don’t think my novels have enough mention of shoes, make up, and designer labels in them to be fully crowned with the Chick Lit tiara (as sparkly and shiny as it may be.)
If you would like to know more about the novels I’ve written go here www.alimcnamara.co.uk


And if you want to know about me as a personal trainer go here www.alimactraining.co.uk

And if you want to join me on MySpace go here
http://www.myspace.com/alimac71

Gosh, seems like I’m everywhere in cyberspace now, I guess Facebook is next - whatever that one is, or Bebo?

I’ve just caught up on MySpace, but I’m told that’s old hat now. (Story of my life!) My friend count on MySpace is very poor compared to some, but I don’t want friends called Cindy whose ‘space’ is covered with topless pictures of herself. Oh excuse me, they’re not topless photos, Cindy is ‘tastefully’ covered with lace and leather clothing that probably belonged her Barbie doll at some stage. And under the heading – Who would you like to meet on MySpace? I think Cindy should say her feet, because with the size of her boobs, I bet she doesn’t see them very often.
I also don’t want to be friends with Rock bands from Detroit, and guys whose ‘Space’ is covered with red sports cars, Page 3 models, and whose ‘Top friends’ all look a lot like Cindy.

But MySpace is fun if you just take it as that. I’m particularly proud of my ‘me as a Simpson’ picture. Try it here for yourself: http://simpsonizeme.com it’s great fun if you like the Simpsons, and who doesn’t?!

See, I’ve gone off on a tangent about MySpace now and I was supposed to be talking about my writing. Well if you’re interested in that, you’ll have checked out my website by now, so enough said on that subject for today.

Until the next time,

A x

Welcome

Hello & Welcome!

Well I’ve had this Blog since February and this is the first time I’ve actually had the chance to write something in it.
“Why?” I hear you cry, “Do you have an exciting, crammed social life, full of wild parties, handsome men, and fluorescent, umbrella-filled cocktails?”

Answer: No.

But I do have a husband (fairly handsome some would say), two children, a part-time job as a personal trainer, and a strange – but very compelling – desire to become a published author.
So in all honesty, if the word ‘Wild’ is ever used in conjunction with me, it’s usually to describe state of my hair upon wakening in the morning.

“So why should I read on?” I hear you cry. (Full of questions aren’t you!)

Good question.

One I have no answer to currently – but if you might like to read about the trials of trying to become a published author, in between me babbling about lots of other probably quite irrelevant stuff in my life -
You’re either:
A. One of my friends waiting to see if I mention them in this Blog
B. One of my clients (again for the above reason)
C. Just really really bored!
Whatever your reason (and I’ll probably just be babbling to myself most of the time!)
Stick around and I’ll try and write something vaguely entertaining for you to read!