Wry Vita

Thought for the Week

"Love looks through a telescope; envy, through a microscope."

Josh Billings - American Humourist

Thought for the Week

"Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down."

Oprah Winfrey - Talk Show Host, Actress and Publisher

Thought for the Week

"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy."

Dale Carnegie - Author and Motivational Speaker

Thought for the Week

"When in doubt, mumble; when in trouble, delegate; when in charge, ponder."

James H Boren - Humourist and several times US presidential candidate

Thought for the Week

 

"If you're going to be able to look back on something and laugh about it, you might as well laugh about it now".

Marie Osmond.  Who'd have thought?

Paddy's Story

You might remember that a couple of weeks ago I decided I was going to have a fantastic week and I thought I should update you on what happened.

Because only three days into the week, the Universe bit me rather hard on the backside with my first family bereavement in over twenty years.

That wasn't at all what I had in mind for my fantastic week but it was a timely reminder that death is what happens while we're busy making other plans.

Releasing Your Limiting Beliefs

I was chatting to one of my neighbours recently about going back to school after the long summer holidays.  Here in Ireland our primary school children get three whole months off and the secondary schools get four months!

She admitted that every year, she gets constant nervous butterflies in her stomach from around the middle of August as she anticipates and dreads the return to school in the first week of September.  They wake her in the morning and throughout the day her stomach churns endlessly at the thought of a new term.

Interestingly, though, Alice hasn't been to school for more than fifty years!

Getting Things Off My Chest!

Even though I know one doesn't read the Daily Mail for the intellectual content and globally important news, I'm nonetheless cross - for the umpteenth time - with the way they belittle and demean women.  Grrrrr...

Today on page 3, they have a large unglamorous photo of Katie Holmes, who has clearly not slept a wink in the four months since she gave birth - silently? - to Tom Cruise's baby.

In case that isn't demonisation enough for the British and Irish public, they contrast her picture with that of Rachel Weisz who "sparkles just four months after giving birth" which is hardly surprising since her picture was snapped at the Venice Film Festival.

I mean, heavens, even I'd have a bit of a brush-up if I'd been invited to the Venice Film Festival.  New mascara, touch up my roots, a bit of the old "Holiday Skin", I could be mistaken for Rachel Weisz's gran.

A Lesson in Gratitude

It only took four hours after breaking up for the summer holidays yesterday for Jake to start whining: "I'm sooo booored..." 

Is that a record?

If it had been the start of a normal weekend he'd have been enjoying every moment of freedom but two entire months at his disposal was obviously too much of a good thing.

He's been a bit grumpy since I came back from Gatwick.  He had three nights away from home, staying at the childminder's and by the amount of yawning he's been doing I suspect he and Jason were awake half the night talking.

I think it's also an insecurity thing.  Though he's very independent and loves being away from home, I think he partly resents the fact that I might have been away enjoying myself without him!

Growing Your Business in the Shower(s)

Unable to sleep this morning, I found myself before 5am standing outside in a soft Irish downpour, communing with nature and the misty Galtee mountains across the valley.

Well in fairness I was only standing there because I'd let Waggy out and I wanted to divert him from remembering that he's discovered where the fox lives (a big old scary country one, not a pretty little urban one) because he'd then go and bark at it for twenty minutes without pausing for breath.  And that would wake Jake, and then my early morning bond with nature would be ruined by American wrestlers and chocolate-spreaded-toast.  (Oh come on, it's Saturday, give me a break).