George, emma and I are sitting on the second level of the SL. The first year that was here is now gone and I really need to do something constructive!
*Goes to do something constructive*
What can I say?
Thanks for the support guys. I’m gonna try to blog a couple of times a week just to let family and other folk at home know that I’m ok.
And I am ok. I recognise the shitness of the situation but much worse has happened to me tbh so ‘fine’ will be the response if you ask me how I am.
I’m an optimist… I just happen to like Leonard Cohen.
Enjoy summer madness if any of you are there.
The biggest pain in the ass is that this is the first madness I’ve missed since I became a Christian… 6 years ago this week actually… Oh how things have changed… I’m not the same person I was 6 years ago… and I’m not the same Christian I was 6 months ago.
Ask me how I am in 6 weeks
‘I don’t feel particularly good
But don’t worry ‘bout me I’ll get by
‘Cause that was the last day of June
and this is the first of July’
(Almost) -Foy Vance
I am aware that it’s not the 1st yet… I’m also aware that Foy didn’t write that…
Some thing just make your soul feel clean
Or something like that. I’m finally, after far too long, starting to feel a bit like myself again. This may take some time!
And when I find myself again I will post… I promise
Light at the end of the tunnel
So… it’s nearly over. I’m not looking forward to the next 5 days but I am looking forward to the end!
I have no idea what I know anymore, I can only hope that it’ll come out when the right questions are asked!
Just gonna look over a couple of wee things then i’m going to church. Need to make myself go or i’ll just make myself sick with worry!
See you at the other side
H x
St Brendan’s voyage
A song by Christy Moore
A boat sailed out of Brandon in the year of 501
’twas a damp and dirty mornin’ Brendan’s voyage it began.
Tired of thinnin’ turnips and cuttin’ curley kale
When he got back from the creamery he hoisted up the sail.
He ploughed a lonely furrow to the north, south, east and west
Of all the navigators, St, Brendan was the best.
When he ran out of candles he was forced to make a stop,
He tied up in Long Island and put America on the map.
Did you know that Honolulu was found by a Kerryman,
Who went on to find Australia then China and Japan.
When he was touchin’ 70, he began to miss the crack,
Turnin’ to his albatross he sez “I’m headin’ back”.
To make it fast he bent the mast and built up mighty steam.
Around Terra del Fuego and up the warm Gulf Stream,
He crossed the last horizon, Mt. Brandon came in sight
And when he cleared the customs into Dingle for the night.
Whe he got the Cordon Bleu he went to douse the drought,
He headed west to Kruger’s* to murder pints of stout
Around by Ballyferriter and up the Conor Pass
He freewheeled into Brandon, the saint was home at last.
The entire population came (281) the place was chock-a-block
Love nor money wouldn’t get your nose inside the shop.
The fishermen hauled up their nets, the farmers left their hay,
Kerry people know that saints don’t turn up every day.
Everythin’ was goin’ great ’til Brendan did announce
His reason for returnin’ was to try and set up house.
The girls were flabbergasted at St. Bredan’s neck
To seek a wife so late in life and him a total wreck.
Worn down by rejection that pierced his humble pride,
“Begod”, sez Brendan “If I run I’ll surely catch the tide”
Turnin’ on his sandals he made straight for the docks
And haulin’ up his anchor he cast off from the rocks.
As he sailed past Inishvickallaun there stood the albatross
“I knew you’d never stick it out, ’tis great to see you boss”
“I’m bailin’ out” sez Brendan, “I badly need a break
A fortnight is about as much as any aul saint could take.”
CHORUS
“Is it right or left for Gibraltar”
“What tack do I take for Mizen Head?”
“I’d love to settle down near Ventry Harbour”,
St. Brendan to his albatross he said.
* - Kruger Kavanagh’s, the ‘Nearest pub to the States’
I’ve missed his feast day by a couple of days/over a week and this song doesn’t mention the awesome story about saying mass on the back of a whale…
I just wanted to say to my dear Emma the one thing we know about Ireland is ‘a fortnight (home) is about as much as any aul saint can take….’ esp when you’re a traveller like Emma. I hope that’s not the case this time and that she really enjoys her time on the north coast, even if it’s Portrush…
A lot of us Northern Irish people have a love/hate relationship with the suffocating wee country we call home but it’s not that bad really… Better than studying at any rate!
Praise my soul the king of heaven
You may laugh (don’t tease now) but I just had a flashback… I got the first line of a hymn stuck in my head and i’ll have to be honest this isn’t a hymn that makes me think of God.
If my school ever had a school hymn it would have been Praise my soul the king of heaven… I don’t think i’ve heard it since I left school but it conjures up images of teachers walking really slowly wearing robes (on prize day- not a regular occurance…) and choir practices trying to teach the descant to clueless 4th years…
little pang of nostalgia….
Much as we slag it off Bloomfield was a little bit awesome…
And university is hard!!
Drag
Do you think it’s weird that both my favourite movies involve men in drag? And that I think Tim Currie in one of those films is hot? I promise that men in drag aren’t usually my thing… was just thinking this may be odd…
No prizes for guessing what they are…
Rocky Horror… obviously
And The Birdcage… slightly less obvious…
This is one my favourite clips…
So… who’d have thought…
Tony Campolo in Belshaft
Jools has posting a few of his thought on Tony Campolo back in Belfast. You’ll find them here and here.
The second post has some thoughts that I found interesting… About how people who respond to Jesus and the message of justice and hope but really don’t connect with Christianese… the church language that we use to communicate with other Chrisitians.
