Monday, May 10, 2010

Todays post is brought to you by the Number 5

I am honoured to have been tagged by Patricia Stoltey. Patricia’s blog is always interesting and is wise and funny too. So if you are not familiar with her musings, do drop in and tell her I sent you.

I have to give 5 answers to 5 questions…. So here goes.

Where were you 5 years ago?
Sad woman that I am, I actually had to get out my 2005 Diary for this one (yep, I keep my diaries – which are just for appointments etc.).

1. So 5 years ago I was living in this house and about to begin some renovation work which transformed our living space.

2. Almost exactly 5 years ago, my gall bladder blew up (not literally) but I ended up in hospital for 2 weeks with a bad infection. My mother did not approve of the hospital and refused to let me have the operation there (in case I got MRSA) and so I came home and spent the summer on a low fat diet. I therefore lost nearly 2 stone. I had my gall bladder removed that September.
(BTW did you know that problems with your gall bladder signal unexpressed or unresolved anger??)

3. So 5 years ago I looked great and so did my house!

4. Looking at my diary, I was doing more Reiki than I am now.. so I need to get back to that!

5. I also found photos in the old diary. Gorgeous photos of my two youngest daughters at Glenroe Farm. Glenroe is an open farm in Wicklow where kids can get up close and personal with horses, goats, pigs, sheep, deer and small animals in the Pets Corner. My kids all loved it and we used to make a day trip of it during the summer, taking a picnic. I had forgotten how much I loved sitting at the picnic table in the sun listening the animal and small children sounds.

Where would you like to be in 5 years time?

1. Well in 5 years time, my children will be 28 (?), 16 and 14. So with two teenagers in the house I suppose my hope is that I will not be in a home for the bewildered.

2. I hope that we are still in this house and that perhaps my eldest has found the independence she craves by finding a place of her own!

3. I would hope to still have my animals.

4. I would love to have had a book published. I am working on a collection of short stories at the moment.

5. I would totally love (we are into the realm of total fantasy now) to have a regular spot on radio – national radio if possible. Ha ha!

What is on your To Do List today?
Well I will start by telling you what is not on it – cleaning up after my darling dog who has the trots today. My house smells of disinfectant. So that has taken up a large amount of my time today, but otherwise:
1. Housework
2. Catch up on reading my favourite blogs
3. Draft new blog post
4. Edit short story for possible submission to a competition
5. Make dinner.

I am half way there and deserve bonus points for not shooting my dog yet!

What snacks do you enjoy
Peanuts
Strawberries (only Irish ones - which are just coming into season now)
Peanuts
Crisps
Peanuts

What 5 things would you do if you were a billionaire
I can’t even imagine a billion euros but if I had endless money I would:
1. Make sure that every child with special needs had the education and general support they needed and are entitled to.
2. Build Foxrock Cabinteely GAA club a wonderful club house with a bar overlooking the pitch and spa like changing rooms!
3. Buy a cottage to escape to in Wicklow. It would be by a lake and although is a very rural place be within walking distance of a local village with a pub which did great food!
4. Sort out every member of my family – clear mortgages/loans etc.
5. Travel every summer to all the wonderful places on the planet I would like to see and experience.

Now all that remains is to tag another 5 bloggers with the same task. They are:

Susannah at The Streaming Now

Marie at Write Now Blog

Jane at Jane Obsessed with Jane

Niamh Boyce's blog

Brigid at Sort of Writing

14 comments:

  1. Hi Barbara, thanks for tagging me, your poor dog (or poor you cleaning up).
    I love what you would do with your billions and huge thanks for thinking of families with children with special needs.
    You will have a book published and you should put some demo tapes together for radio, it is a great idea and you have such a great radio voice.

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  2. Hi Barbara,

    In five years time you will be waiting outside Wes for a daughter or two! (sorry!)
    You will def be a well known author/radio personality. A nice slot like Joseph O'Connor has on Drive Time would be perfect.
    Whatever happened to red wine and chocolate in your snack list!
    I know maths was not your strong point but a billion is a lot of money so don't forget to sort out your friends aswell!!!

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  3. Hi Barbara, I take it you like peanuts! It also looks like you will be joining me in the home for the bewildered! I had three teenagers at one time; the atmosphere was toxic with adolescent hormones. But they were lovely when they were asleep.

    Congrats on the tag from Patricia! Hope the rest of your Monday is relaxing. Poor dog!

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  4. Clive was not the best today either - sick twice this morning in the kitchen! I reckoned he hoovered up too many bits of burger and hot dog yesterday! He really needs to stick to a very plain diet!

    My 13 year old is reading over my shoulder so you'll not be surprised that she really loved the Fox-Cab clubhouse idea! I thought that and the rest were equally as wonderful!

    We'll both be doing the Wes pick-up no doubt in a few years time!! Guess, it is going to get tougher before it gets easier!

    Hope the Woof is feeling better now - I give Clive three tablespoons of natural organic yogurt with his dry mix every evening - usually keeps his tummy and other bits in order!

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  5. Thanks for tagging me Barbara!(Didn't know what it was till today! ) I certainly share some of your hopes... hope my eldest finds the independence she craves (lovely way of phrasing it i have to say!) and hope to have a peaceful country cottage. Really enjoyed this post, may go have a good think for myself and write mine!Niamh

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  6. Thanks everyone for ur comments.
    Brigid and Maureen - thanks for the positive vibes abt books and radio slots. Wouldnt that be just great. Maureen - is wine a snack? I see it more like bread and milk - an essential!!

    Ann - yep remember that being true 'they were lovely when they were asleep'. lol

    Fiona/Clive - sorry to hear you were mopping up after ur dog too. Yep Dylan found where they dumped lots of fat from the burgers and had a nice old lick of that. Delicate tummy cant cope with anything other than cat food!!! He has been for a long walk and seems ok but is back in sick bay - just in case. And if I dont see u beforehand, see you at Wes!!! Or outside Wes... think I used to park in the Shell garage and try not to panic at all the legs, knickers and pushed up boobs on show!

    Hi Niamh - will be popping over to read your answers soon!! Thanks for the comment!

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  7. Interesting answers to the questions, it was nice to know more about your day, your snacks and your ambitions! And your poor dog. I hope you are a national radio personality, then I'll be able to hear you cuz I don't get Irish radio here.

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  8. Those are great. I love reading what people would do if they had a billion dollars or Euros. I will check out those other blogs.

    CD

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  9. The gall bladder infection sounds horrid.

    Good luck getting the book published and the radio spot.

    And I hope the strawberries are in season when I visit. I've never had an Irish strawberry.

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  10. Hey Karen - wouldnt hold ur breath while you wait for my radio column!!!

    Clarissa - thanks for dropping in to my kitchen table... and for leaving a comment. Hope you will be back soon.

    Theresa - good to hear from you too and looking forward to meeting you in Dublin. And I will you strawberries - ones from Wicklow or Wexford are best and they should have arrived by then. There is nothing juicier or sweeter!

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  11. I think you would be great on Radio - you are a natural! :-)

    Thanks for tagging me, I will have to do some thinking now!

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  12. Never say never about the radio spot, I'm sure in five years time we'll all be listening to you and saying, remember when Barbara blogged about it that day....!

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  13. I love that, "home for the bewildered." With two teens, that's exactly where I live!

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  14. Brilliant! And no didn't know that gallstones are caused by repressed anger, scary! That's great you're working on a book of short stories, exciting stuff :) And can I say you are now offically a GAA mum!!

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