Morg Today

See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil...

2012-01-04T00:10:00.000Z

See No Evil...

Hear No Evil...

Speak No Evil!

Merry Christmas one and All!

2011-12-25T22:00:00.003Z

Countdown to Christmas: Day 1

2011-12-01T23:00:00.000Z

Our pile is small, but like tomorrows Animation to-do list it will exponentially grow!

Day 1: In work I have encouraged/guilted everyone into getting involved with this years 2FM Toy Appeal in aid of St. Vincent de Paul. Basically individuals and groups around the country donate brand new unwrapped presents to those in need during the holiday season. All the gifts are dropped off to local SuperValu Grocery stores and from there are sorted/distributed to those deserving. I think it's a great cause and donated gifts last year too. This year however I kinda wanted to step up my game a bit and get my colleagues in A Man & Ink Animation company involved too. The more the merrier right? The owners were very supportive of the whole thing and after work even braved the cold night air in their own quest for festive favours to donate... If you'd like to get involved click the button below for more information: Deadline is December 11th 2011

Countdown to Christmas

2011-12-01T22:00:00.000Z

It's December 1st and the countdown to Christmas 2011 can finally begin! I can't wait, I love the holiday season so so much! I'm going to try a couple of things this year during the build up to Christmas.

Firstly, like last year I plan on doing/reading/watching/drawing something Christmasy everyday and posting it here...and possible on my Twitter also so stay tuned for daily festive fun...

Secondly, and this is the slightly weird one. My plan is to wear red and green cloths every day 'til Christmas. It's a bit of a silly challenge but one I plan on giving a go regardless. Naturally I don't mean ALL red and green, I don't have red/green pants for example, but every day I'll wear, in different combinations red and green shirts, t-shirts, hoodies, jackets socks etc...Oh and in case you're curious, today I wore a green knitted jumper Neen bought me, with a red Liverpool football jersey and a red and white Ferrari F-1 jacket...Oh and I'm also wearing reindeer socks and a knitted red and white reindeer hat! : )

Tree Hollow Designs

2011-11-28T17:43:00.001Z

I have been browsing eBay and Etsy recently looking for a piece of original Christmas art to buy, I love the holiday season and wanted if possible to find a special piece I could have up in the studio all year 'round that would remind me of my favourite time of year...

After A LOT of searching I happily stumbled across an absolutely charming shop on Esty. The shop is called Tree Hollow Designs and features the beautiful work of American artist Jessica Gardner.

I'm pretty choosy with the art I buy, I actually only have a handful of pieces in my personal collection. As an artist myself a piece has to really stand out for me to buy it. I found an original watercolour illustration entitled 'Christmas Morning' and instantly fell in love with it. The delicate illustration features a Christmas tree, the artists own dog and his festive bounty.

The package arrived last night and it was literally like Christmas had come early. The painting was wrapped in green wrapping paper and ribbon and was embellished with handmade tags.

(The package arrived late last night so the light wasn't great for taking photos. Instead I snapped a quick shot before unwrapping and took the following photos this morning)

In addition to the painting I bought (pictured above) the artist very generously included 2 hand painted Christmas cards (also tied up in festive green ribbon) and a personalized card featuring a print of an original watercolour illustration.

I cant tell you how much all the extra effort and the special gifts meant to me. The painting will remain a very cherished possession for years to come. If you are looking for a special present for someone or are hoping to add to your own personal art collection I cannot recommend Tree Hollow Designs and the work of Jessica Gardner enough. Her entire shop is wonderful and everything is extremely extremely good value and of very high quality. If you have a spare few minutes make sure you drop by her Etsy Shop by clicking any of the images above.

Sunday Morning Comics

2011-11-27T21:49:00.001Z

Sunday morning comic books in bed... this morning I was reading Spectacular Spiderman 'Lo this Monster' (1968) by Stan Lee and John Romita. Really fantastic story and Romitta's drawings are the best Spiderman art out there...

(Playing around with this retro photo app Nokia gave me...so much fun!)

Want to see what Saturday Mornings are generally like? Click here!

Dinner with Family in Scotty's Steakhouse

2011-11-26T22:43:00.000Z

Had dinner with Neen, Mom and Dad tonight in Scotty's after visiting the Galway Continental Christmas Market...food was wonderful as usual, if you're ever passing through Galway make sure you drop by for a bite!

Hallowe'en '89

2011-11-19T14:01:00.001Z

My lil sister and I around Halloween 1989 I think...San Angelo, Texas, USA

Congratulations Ireland!

2011-11-15T22:04:00.001Z

Congratulations to the Irish Football team on their qualification for the Euro 2012 Tournament! Bring on Poland/Ukraine!

President Michael D, Keith Duffy and Family at Terryland Park

2011-11-05T15:00:00.001Z

A young fan, Keith Duffy and President Elect Michael D. Higgins

Neen, Tuna, and Ant with President Elect Michael D. Higgins

Cast of Big Maggie - Druid Theater Galway with President Elect Michael D. Higgins.

President Elect Michael D. Higgins. and dedicated United Supporter.

Neen, Keith Duffy and Tuna

Dad, Neen Ant and Tuna at Terryland Park

President Elect Michael D. Higgins at Fridays Galway United Match

President Elect Michael D Higgins and Galway United Terry the Tiger.

Photos from last night special Michael D Higgins Celebration/Premier Division Play-Off match. I was as per usual taking shot before and during the match. The game didnt go our way, and Galway United will be relegated to the Second Division necxt year but we are all staying possitive...

I brought Neen, Ant, Tuna and Dad into meet President Michael D. Higgins during the half time interval. Neen wanted to have a photo taken to send to her grandfather so she was thrilled...

Neen and Shauna also got a shot with Actor/Singer Keith Duffy...they were both thrilled - and Keith was a really sound guy...

I Heart deviantART!

2011-11-05T13:09:00.000Z

I love deviantART. I've been on it for over 7 years and am always encouraging fellow artists, especially those setting out on their professional careers to set up an account. I have a website, blog, flickr...all of that stuff, but deviant has garnered more business, interest and good will for me than any other online art forum.

I love the sense of community - and love buying bits and bobs from the shop. All the revenue from the sale of my own deviantART prints goes straight back into the deviantART community...I've been saving up my deviantART dollars for ages to by a new tshirt... (My green deviantArt T is a bit worn from wear at this stage...)

Finally the last day a print sold and I was able to order the high decibal t-shirt I've had my eye on...

Well, I couldn't believe it when my FedEX package arrived, Maria, in the deviantART office had included in the parcel a free tshirt and a buttload of awesome deviant stickers too...

It doesnt matter how old I get free things always makes me happy. The ones that are delivered via snail-mail are even better. I love 'em guys! Thanks devianART!

Dare You to Stay Awake Watching This

2011-10-31T15:54:00.002Z

Presenting Michael D. Higgins a Cake!

2011-10-28T18:09:00.000+01:00

Photos courtesy Michael D' Higgins Presidential Campaign

I mentioned in an earlier post I had the opportunity to present Presidential candidate Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabina a 'Good Luck cake on behalf of Galway United last week...

Well the Presidential Election was held yesterday and it's official! Michael D. Higgins will be announced President of Ireland shortly! : ) Congrats President Higgins, myself and Neen wish you the best of luck! Hope you make it to Galway United match Friday! : )

Strange Strange Day

2011-10-18T22:15:00.000+01:00

Leaky ceiling, giving cake to the homeless and presents to presidents...

Leaky Ceiling

I woke up this morning to Neen screaming "there's a leak in the attic! Waters dripping through the ceiling.... " We were due to have the ball cock changed in the secondary water tank in the attic today. Landlord had a look at it last night and determined quite rightly the entire unit needed to be changed and urgently. Well up to that point I had managed to implement a make shift fix to prevent the tank overflowing. (Styrofoam wedge holding the floating cock up and the valve closed) With all his messing the delicate balance was disrupted and when we went to bed the valve wasn't working what so ever. As long as the water was able to flow out of the over flow faster than it was coming in we'd be OK until the following day...

By this morning the tank was nearly at over flow point and small drips of water started to seep through the ceiling justifiably freaking Neen out. We called the landlord asap and he arrived up, new part in hand to fix the problem. Generally for a job like this you have to turn off the water for the house at the mains usually located near the road. He didn't have a clue were the valve was so he just jumped in... Needless to say there was water everywhere. He did it as quickly as possible but a lot of water overflowed and was dripping heavily into the sitting room below. We managed to move the TV, Wii, Blue Ray player etc in time as well as a few family photos that lined the mantel but the place was soaked... Alls well now. I soaked up the pool of water in the attic, and turned the heat on full blast to dry out the house.

Cake for Presidential Candidate Michael D. Higgins

I received an email last night from the Galway United Secretary saying the manager would be presenting a cake to Michael D. Higgins the following day and that all support from the Management committee would be appreciated. I was feeling pretty crappy (I've been sick for the past few days) but I decided to go and fill out the crowd a bit and use the opportunity to wish presidential candidate Michael D. well in the rest of his race. Lo' and behold come 3 o'clock no body but myself had turned up. I didn't have the new managers number yet and the rest of the Committee were out of reach or unavailable. As Michael D and his caravan of volunteers and reporters approached we decided I would have to do. So I grabbed the cake, and while posing for photos presented Michael D. with it. There were half a dozen photographers and a crew from RTE the national television station who filmed the presentation and did an interview with Michael D. and myself. I was very briefly on the 6 o'clock main evening news today with Michael D. quite mortifying as I looked really out of place and awkward but it was good exposure for the club.

Giving Cake to the Masses

The cake itself was a token gift more than anything. For photo purpose only really. After the presentation Michael D's caravan walked off leaving the cake behind. I was on my bike so couldn't take it with me and naturally didn't want it to go to waste so I asked the bakery it was made in to slice it with the intention of catching up with the Michael D supporters and passing out the cake. By the time it was sliced and ready to go the crowd were long gone so myself and a friend went around town and offered free cake to the passers buy. We gave cake to buskers, homeless people...everyone! We brought the last dozen slices up to the 'Occupy Protesters' located in Eyre Square. They were delighted with the free treat until they found out the cakes origin - of all things they were eating a cake created in honour of a "Politician" Their disdain was fleeting and they put politics aside and happily polished off the rest of the cake with gusto. Really really nice people, - the Galway Occupy Protesters. I whole heartily applaud their dedication to the cause and wish them the best of luck in their journey for justice. If you are passing through or living in Galway I urge you to drop by for a chat with them or to donate much needed food and supplies. Better yet if you are so politically inclined and have the free time pitch a tent and join them...

Present for the President (to be) Michael D.

A cake wasn't the only thing I was able to present to presidential candidate Michael D. Higgins today. In a separate presentation I also gave him one of my original watercolours, featuring a quote by W. B. Yeats. Just a small token to wish him good luck and thank him for his dedication to the Arts in Ireland. I hope he liked it!

The watercolour I presented to Michael D.

Lazy Days...

2011-10-02T22:56:00.000+01:00

Playing...The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

2011-10-02T22:10:00.002+01:00

Another Game I picked up recently is The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks...My purchase is proof good advertising really works. You might remember recently I posted a couple of Robin Williams/Zelda videos...the one's produced by Nintendo that feature Robin and his daughter (also called) Zelda. Well ya that totally got me in the mood to play a Zelda game, I'm a huge Robin Williams fan so well done Nintendo for a great marketing campaign! I haven't played too much of this game yet, I usually play the DS at night for a bit before I fall asleep so I'll be tackling it with gusto tomorrow night...

Playing...Kirby's Epic Yarn

2011-10-02T21:47:00.002+01:00

I traded in a couple of old games the last day and picked this up, 'Kirby's Epic Yarn' on Nintendo Wii. This game rocks. It's truly beautiful looking and the gameplay is wholly unique. Everything about this gem of a game is charming. If you are a crafty person you should definitely check it out. 5 Stars!

Watching...The Big Bang Theory Season 4

2011-09-28T20:21:00.000+01:00

Neen and I picked up the fourth season of The Big Bang Theory over the weekend and watched the whole thing, all 24 episodes Monday on our day off...

The fourth season is great easily as good if not better than the previous three... Haven't seen the show, stop what you're doing and go out and buy the 4season box-set! You won't regret it!

The High Kings LIve in Salthill

2011-09-11T23:25:00.002+01:00

I brought the missus to see one of her all time favourite groups 'The High Kings' when they were playing in Salthill Saturday night. There was minor concern that the inclement weather would hamper crowd numbers (we nearly blew away walking the promenade out to Salthill) But by the time the act went on stage the ol' ballroom was packed.

We were a motley crew to be honest. Fans from 16 to 60 braved the elements to see the visiting musicians. I'm a firm believer that its well worth being uncool and turning up as early as possible to get a good seat, so we were the first in the doors and had front row seats...The High Kings were great...very talented musicians, great showman and nice guys to boot.

They weren't the only musicians performing that night. Before the show we were treated to a number of songs from 4 young fans sitting in the balcony section...One of which was even invited to sing one song on stage with the group later in the night. The official opening act was young Mark Boylan - another under-age talent who has had the opportunity to open for a number of recent HK shows. Even at such a young age Mark had great stage presence as he sang a number of covers and a couple of his own songs too. A definite rising star.

Neen was really hoping to get a photo with the group. After a missed opportunity before the show we assumed a precious chance was missed - but luckily and quite generously the group announced at shows end they would be signing autographs and selling merchandise immediately after the show. So Neen bought their brand new CD, 'The High Kings Live in Ireland' and had it signed by the entire band. Not only that but she also got photographs with each and every member. The guys were wrecked and drenched in sweat but were true gents with their adoring fans, and gave 110% to everyone who waited after.

If you like traditional Irish music, make sure to pick up their new album in stores now...

Thoughts and Prayers...

2011-09-11T22:48:00.002+01:00

Da Tang Noodle House

2011-09-11T22:41:00.001+01:00

There is great Chinese restaurant in Galway called 'Da Tang Noodle house'. Neen and I have often passed by and commented we'd love to try it out. Saturday we finally did and boy were we impressed. I absolutely loved it. Food was fantastic - the nicest Asian cuisine I've ever had. Service was suburb and the ambience idyllic. It was a quiet enough period when we were there and the waiting staff were having their own lunches at the opposite table - always a really good sign. I honestly can't recommend the place enough. If you find yourself in Galway be sure to drop by...

Da Tang Noodle House - Middle Street - Galway, Ireland

Friday Night Lights

2011-09-11T21:28:00.004+01:00

Friday was a pretty big day for Galway United. We finally broke our 23-game losing streak after securing a point against Dundalk FC at home in Terryland Park. Fair play to the team for a gallant and Brave performance...

Photo by Vinny O'Connor SR.

We also had a number of very special guests visiting the club Friday. First and foremost the Korean Ambassador His Excellency Mr. Chang Yeob Kim and his party. Galway United are the first professional footballing outfit in Ireland to field Korean players. We were joined mid-season by South Korean natives Yob Son and Jin Gu Kim and they have played an integral part in the development of the new team... The Korean ambassador, a football fan was eager to meet his fellow countrymen as well as the rest of the Galway United family. I only spoke with him briefly, but the Ambassador was a very nice man and I hope we have the opportunity to meet again.

Neen and Michael D.

Also visiting on the day was presidential candidate Michael D. Higgins. Michael D. is also the honourary president of Galway United FC and will I'm sure be getting all our Galway United votes come the Irish presidential election in October. Michael D. is a true gent. Neen and I chatted with him for a bit at the VIP after-party and we wish him the best of luck for the rest of his campaign.

(Also in attendance on the night were Foundation FC, local sponsors/patrons, Board Members and representatives from the Galway FA and LOI.) My congrats to my fellow Management Commitee members and all the countless other volunteers who worked hard to make the day the success it was.

Great Scott! 2011 Nike Mag!

2011-09-09T11:03:00.001+01:00

How cool are these...any billionaires out there feeling generous...I wear size 13US! : ) LINK Such a great idea and cause...I hope MJ Fox make a bucket load for his charity.

New Terrapin Tank

2011-09-04T20:32:00.001+01:00

Neen and I bought the terrapins a massive brand new tank yesterday...I still have to sort out a couple of little bits (enlarge the land area slightly and add a couple more plants) but they love it. They really really enjoy their swimming and the water level is about twice the dept of their old tank...

It took friggin' ages to install. But it was totally worth it I love seeing them so happy!

Guess what I can do with a banana!

2011-09-04T20:00:00.001+01:00

Saturday/Sunday mornings I usually wake up - feed the pets and grab a banana and some fresh air. Standing in our front doorway I finish the banana and throw the skin into the overgrowth behind the house for the wild animals (I don't know what eats them but someone does 'cause by the next day they are always gone...

Well this Sunday I had my usual banana and while barefoot, standing in the open doorway I threw the banana skin straight into the garden and look where it landed...

In a million years I don't think I could ever manage to throw it that distance and have it land on the clothes line again...a silly story I know but it made me smile! : )

Maureen O'Hara you still owe me €3

2011-09-04T19:32:00.006+01:00

Years ago, when I was acting as assistant Events-Controller during the Galway Film Fleadh I had the opportunity to meet Maureen O'Hara. Myself, Events Controller Dave Coyne and a couple of representatives from the Fleadh and the Town Hall met her at the door and brought her through the back entrance away from photographers and fans. Maureen was an extremely nice woman, very friendly and chatty...Well during my brief spell in the green room (I glamourously spent the rest of her visit acting as personal security more than anything) Maureen asked if anyone had hair spray. No one did so I offered to go buy her some...I returned 10 minutes later, gave Mrs O'Hara her spray - she's doused herself in a cloud of it and went onstage...

Well Sunday last Neen, my parents and I went out to Cong, co Mayo for the day and visited Ashford Castle. We were delighted to find out 'The Quiet Man' festival was on. As we walked through the gates of the Castle we noticed a procession of bagpipers coming towards us so we pulled in to let them pass. I was filming the bagpipers and noticed a vintage Emerald car pulling up the rear. None of us noticed until it was directly infront of us that it was Maureen O'Hara herself...The first thought that popped into my head was..." She still owes me three quid! : )

Miragaia

2011-09-04T16:18:00.001+01:00

I recently came across a great paper on this recently dicovered Stegosaur, Miragaia. The paper by Octávio Mateus, Susannah C.R Maidment and Nicolai A Christiansen outlines in good detail what exactly we can ascertain about this fascinating creature from the newly discovered remains...

Here is a short excerpt from the paper:

"Stegosaurian dinosaurs have a quadrupedal stance, short forelimbs, short necks, and are generally considered to be low browsers. A new stegosaur, Miragaia longicollum...from the Late Jurassic of Portugal, has a neck comprising at least 17 cervical vertebrae. This is eight additional cervical vertebrae when compared with the ancestral condition seen in basal ornithischians such as Scutellosaurus. Miragaia has a higher cervical count than most of the iconically long-necked sauropod dinosaurs...."

I think it's an absolutely beautiful species and has rocketed right up there as one of my favorites. The figure above is one I just bought on Ebay. Produced by Wild Safari LTD in Conjunction with the Carnegie Museum is a wonderful little sculpt. I'm planning to do a large watercolour of Miragaia shortly...I already have a couple of preparatory sketches drawn...just waiting for couple of free studio days!

NEW PHONE!!!

2011-09-01T16:48:00.000+01:00

I love my gadgets...and after a lot of contemplating...research, dropping into phone stores (sorry Neen) I finally upgraded my phone. I contemplated getting an iPhone 4 for a bit, I even thought about waiting for an iPhone 5...but in the end decided I'm not really an iPhone kinda guy. Iv'e used Nokia's my whole life so decided to stick with the Fins...

In the end I opted for the Nokia N8, and boy am I happy I did. What swung it for me is the camera. It's easily the best on the market (12MP camera, Carl Zeiss optics, Xenon flash, HD Video)... It' actually takes better shots than my own personal camera...when I heard that a major firmware update for the camera was soon to be released I knew now was the perfect time to get it. When I sat down and asked myself what exactly I was looking for in a portable device, the camera, OS and build quality were the most important factors for me. (I don't really care about novelty apps, or games.) The N8 is rock solid. The new Symbian Anna operating system is superb and like I said the camera rocks so I'm delighted.

BIG TIME - The Amazing Spiderman

2011-08-26T17:18:00.000+01:00

I dropped into my local comic book store the last day as I was having a hankering for a comic and wanted to play my small part in supporting the local comic book industry. You see I usually wait for the TPB or hard cover collections to come out, I rarely buy monthly editions anymore but this was 3 issues in one and features amazing pencils by Humberto Ramos so it was a perfect choice. The comic introduces a whole host of Marvel characters so if you are new to comics and want to start somewhere easy this is the issue for you! If you are passing through Galway Ireland and looking for a comic be sure to head to Sub City, (Bottom floor - Corbett's Court/Eyre Square Shopping Centre)

'Ish' by Peter H. Reynolds

2011-08-15T20:45:00.001+01:00

I don't buy loads of children's picture books...generally when browsing a book store I only take home the ones that really stand out...If I have to think twice about whether or not I 'need' it, the book generally goes back on the shelf.

'Ish' is one of those books that the minute I read the first couple of lines my mind was made up...It's a truly fantastic book by author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds. I can't recommend it enough - especially if either yourselves or a small member of your family is an artist.

I'm not going to divulge anything about the story itself - I'd prefer you to experience the wonder that is 'Ish' on your own.... My fellow artists of all ages I implore you, go out and buy this book now! I'ts truly magical!

Paintin' Today

2011-08-09T11:48:00.000+01:00

Unexpected day off today, so I'm catching up on my personal work...Going to watercolour a few sketches I've been hoping to do for a while...

Listening to...

2011-08-09T11:19:00.003+01:00

'All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone' - Explosions in the Sky

'Day Dreaming The Very Best of Doris Day' - Doris Day

'The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place' - Explosions in the Sky

Lisa Hannigan - New Song - A Sail

2011-08-09T11:09:00.000+01:00

How I See Galway

2011-08-07T01:27:00.006+01:00

One of our local newspapers, the Galway Independent is holding an amateur photo competition at the moment. First prize is a Nikon DSLR...I'm planning on entering soley because I would absolutely love to win that camera. You see, my current camera is years old, kinda falling apart and most definitely on it's last legs. It keeps bugging out on me and the light sensor is all over the place...shots look accurate one second and completely bleached out the next. Don't get me wrong I love my camera...it's been a faithful ally for many a year, and although it looks the part it's unfortunately not capable of capturing photos anywhere near the quality of the more expensive DSLR's. The truth is I've asked far more of my camera than it was ever designed to do....

Realistically I don't really stand any chance of winning...my photo's are a bit too 'arty farty' I fear...and admittedly probably not the best. The shots, angles and themes that interest me are not to everyone's tastes.

Of course none of this is going to put me off. I'll give it a go just for the fun of it, keep my fingers crossed! : ) - Now I just need to figure out which three shots to enter..

Fridays Galway United match was a passionate affair. The crowds were riled up, as were the players, managers - stewards - everyone. It's a hard time to be a Galway United fan - and even more difficult to be a player on a losing squad. Fair play to them for kiting out every week and doing their best - that's really all anyone can ask for. We all just want to see our club survive and the team return to winning ways. We lost the match but the atmosphere was pretty special. In particular I must commend our young keeper Conor Winn. He was very unwell leading up to and during the match. It showed great dedication and strength of character that he played the full 90...

As usual I was taking photos for the club programme ...(That's another reason I could really do with a 'proper' camera. My Galway United duties would be made all the easier with a professional camera) The shot below is of a young fan picking out a winning ticket for the half time draw...

Dig deep...

This next shot is of Tuna, my sister in law. She made a Galway United scrapbook and waited after the match to get autographs during warm-down.

Even in defeat...

I took the following shots in town today. The competition theme is "How I see Galway". I really liked the idea of how a dog might view the hustle bustle of shop street. As my wife patiently stood by I squatted down in the middle of the pedestrianized walkway and took a couple of hundred dogs-eye-view shots of passers by. It proved a really interesting set. It kinda reminded me of what it's like to be a kid. If I had been standing taking those shots everyone would have ducked out of them. But because I was only a few feet off the ground nobody really payed me any attention and just walked by as normal...It seemed a pretty accurate and hugely interesting snapshot of an average Galway day... (click photos for full-view)

Generations...

Everyone's City

Dogs eye view of the city - 'Hello'

Dogs eye view of the city - 'Goodbye'

Deadman's Beach, Renmore

2011-08-01T20:10:00.001+01:00

Hedge Hog

2011-07-13T23:50:00.002+01:00

So yesterday my wife gets a call from her family sayin' they found a hedgehog and were advised by the vet to feed him, keep him over night and release him the following day somewhere safe. Well they live near a lot of traffic so thought releasing him at our house would be a safer option. Last night they brought the little guy up...we said our hellos and goodbyes and let 'em go.

Well today my wife sent me one of the strangest messages I've ever received. The hedgehog was back. She found him in the garden...sitting down....eating a barbecued sausage.

That's not all...Cowling over him was our three legged cat Hope. She was sitting behind him with one paw tentatively wrapped around his prickly side. Unable to catch him, but equally unwilling to let 'em go.

You see Hope hasn't been much of a hunter since she lost her leg...she was obviously surprised, excited and bemused by this giant friendly prickly "mouse" whom she had managed to "catch"

At the moment, the hedgehog is in a box in our sitting room. He's well fed and as I type is making a bed for himself out of grass and shredded paper.

To be honest we don't really know what to do with him. Neen called the vet to ask for advice. Based on our description of his behavior the vet thinks he may already be partially if not completely domesticated. His food preferences suggest he is already accustomed to domestic food.

She said we have two choices...keep him as a pet or bring him far into the country and release him...what do you think?

Cinematic Classics

2011-07-12T13:54:00.001+01:00

Neen and I re-watched 'My Fair Lady' the last day and it was as good if not better than ever. Audrey Hepburn at her cinematic best...It got me thinking...I know it's cliched to say - but they really don't make 'em like that anymore. I mean the vast majority of graphic-laden blockbustin' monsters released these days will look dated and quite unimpressive in a few short years...These old musicals are absolute classics and I trust will grace our screens for decades to come...

I've gotta admit I have a serious penchant old school effects and traditional animation. In my opinion one of the greatest examples of visual effects in a film is 'Mary Poppins' which the missus and I also watched this week. This film was a huge influence during my younger years. I must have watched it 100 times by the time I was 10. It's an absolute classic and still looks as visualy impressive as ever. The merging of traditional animation and live action is flawless - and in my opinion a far better example of this style than even 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' it's fellow Disney sibling.

An interesting link between the two aforementioned films is this: Julie Andrews played the lead role of Eliza Doolittle, in the original Broadway stage version of 'My Fair Lady'. When Warner Brothers acquired the film rights and announced a movie would be made - Andrews was quite vocal in her interest to play the screen version of the stage role she had made so famous. Alas due to her relatively unknown status and her non-existent screen experience the more well-known Hepburn was offered the role instead. I can imagine that was quite an upset to Andrews at the time. Luckily for all involved Walt Disney offered Andrews the role of Mary Poppins shortly after. Both films were released in 1964, and looking at what could have been both were cast perfectly...

New Books

2011-07-11T20:25:00.001+01:00

It seems in the time it takes me to figure out want I want for lunch, Emily Gravett has managed to con-caught, write, illustrate, design, deliver, publish and publicize a new book! It seems every time I visit a bookstore, there's a new new Emily Gravett gem to break open and explore... If their's a harder working children's illustrator out there I'd like to meet them. These are three new books my wife bought me the last day as a surprise. I love 'em. I already have a lot of Emily Gravett books, so how she managed to find and pick the three I didnt' have is beyond impressive. Thanks hun - I love 'em! emilygravett.com

BBQ

2011-07-10T23:18:00.002+01:00

On Saturday after nearly 11 years together... Neen and I finally held our own barbecue. Granted it was just the two of us but that made it even more special. Well I had never cooked food on a BBQ before, and to be honest we don't even own one so instead we picked up one of those great little disposable BBQ kits which actually worked out great!

Food-wise I cooked 4 fresh burgers and a pound of sausages. I marinated the burgers and sausages in chopped garlic and butter and seared them to seal in the juices. When the coals were ready I then barbecued them with some red pepper slices. We also had lettuce, potato salad and giant cous cous. It was really lovely and best of all it stayed dry! (Saturday wasn't really a traditional BBQ day, It was pretty overcast.)

We are definitely going to do another BBQ soon. Those disposable sets are so cheap and absolutely ideal for our needs. We are probably going to stick with just the burgers and red peppers next time...cooking pork outdoors is always nerve-wreckin', No man wants his first attempt at outdoor cooking to end with a bout of food poisoning. To be honest as nice as the sausages were they weren't worth the stress. We practically burnt them to cinders before we were satisfied they were cooked....They were lovely though!

I drew and inked a quick illustration inspired by our day yesterday, Check it out on my art blog... LINK

Lego: Hagrid's Hut

2011-07-10T22:28:00.004+01:00

Lego was a huge part of my childhood and I hope it will be an equally important influence on my eventual kids early years too. My wife often has to remind me that there's no guarantee our future kids will grow to have any interest whatsoever in the little plastic bricks. I can very much imagine a scenario were my 9 year old son has grown quite adept at feigning interest and surprise as either myself or Santa produces yet another glorious 1000 pc. construction set to be built...

Well back to the point of this blog, every so often I get the notion I want to build a lego set. I know what your thinking! I'm a grown man - that's a little strange right?! We'll sometimes I agree, and go a few years with out a dabble in the Lego pond. Then I watch an interview or behind the scenes featurette with one of my fellow artist/animator colleagues. More often than not sitting on their studio shelves you'll spot a lego set or two...next to a limited edition bust of Batman, and a couple of Family Guy action figures...

That always reminds me I'm not alone in my refusal to grow old. If Neverland were real, I'm sure we artists would have time-shares...

I really think these Harry Potter lego sets are great - and for years have wanted to get one for prosperity sake. Well given the final chapter of the successive series is about to be released...it's safe to assume certain items of merchandise will soon be retired. Now seemed an ideal time to finally pick one up before they are gone.

It really is a great set. Cleverly conceived, full of little details and very accurate to it's screen counterpart. It's built and has been added to my small but growing collection of sets that will one day be placed on display behind glass - when my studio is large enough that is.

I guess that's the great thing about being in a career that mostly revolves around creating art for kids...every so often it's perfectly healthy...correction...necessary to act like one.

Reading...In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash

2011-06-24T21:35:00.000+01:00

One of my favorite childhood memories is watching the film "A Christmas Story"...I've more than likely mentioned it on this blog before...Well here is the book the film is based upon. I'm reading it at the moment. Select stories from this book were adapted for the films screenplay - also penned by Jean Shepherd. I'm really enjoying it...Shepherd is a super writer..full of wit, charm and childish wisdom..

Listening To...Lisa Hannigan Live in Fingerprints

2011-06-24T21:23:00.001+01:00

Robin Williams and Zelda Williams

2011-06-17T12:53:00.000+01:00

I'm a huge fan of Robin Williams and I think this trailer and featurette for 'The Legend of Zelda - Ocarina of Time' is great! I want his beard too!

Regular Posts Coming Soon...(Hopefully)

2011-06-10T11:44:00.000+01:00

I've been ridiculously busy of late - I have a lot of work at the moment so the 'ol blog has unfortunately been neglected this past month or two! Stay tuned...I'm hoping I'll be able to make more time to upload shortly...I have a backlog of stuff I'd love to share. Have a great day everyone!

Reading...The Martian Chronicles by Raymond Bradbury

2011-06-10T11:36:00.003+01:00

"The Martian Chronicles is a 1950 science fiction short story collection by Ray Bradbury that chronicles the colonization of Mars by humans fleeing from a troubled and eventually atomically devastated Earth, and the conflict between aboriginal Martians and the new colonists. The book lies somewhere between a short story collection and an episodic novel, containing stories Bradbury originally published in the late 1940s in science fiction magazines. For publication, the stories were loosely woven together with a series of short, interstitial vignettes." Source: Wikipedia

Listening to...Lots of Music

2011-06-10T10:54:00.003+01:00

These are the albums I'm listening to most this month...slightly different from one another! : ) Favorite tracks on each are: (Click the Links to listen/watch on Youtube)

Chopin Piano Favorites - 2. Prelude No. 15 in D flate 'Raindrop

Born This Way - 5. Americano

The Beginning - 12. Play It Loud

Great Music for Babies 1. Berceuse in D flat-major Op.57

Birthday Dinner in Scotty's Steak House

2011-05-23T14:20:00.000+01:00

On Wednesday - the day before my Birthday, Dad and I went out for dinner and a movie after work. I had been promising him I'd treat him to a steak dinner since last year...finally we got around to actually doing it. Dad had just wrapped up work on some deadlines so it seemed to be the perfect opportunity. For dinner we went to Scotty's Steakhouse in Galway. If you live near or are ever passing through Galway I can't recommend Scotty's enough. Both the food and service are absolutely fantastic. We both ordered the biggest steaks on the menu...After the meal we went to see 'Fast & Furious 5'...and it was actually pretty darn cool! Perfect movie choice for a lads night out! I had a really great time and hope dad and I can do it more often.

I Love Blu-ray....Players!

2011-05-18T13:38:00.002+01:00

Neen and I finally entered the 21st century last night. After many years of diligent service my Playstation 2 which was doubling up as our household DVD player kicked the bucket. So after work and before my Galway United meeting I dropped into town and invested in a Blu-ray player - a Sony BDP S370 to be precise. I'm not a huge fan of the whole Blu-ray thing. Obviously the quality is a lot better but I'm not quite ready to trade in my DVD's just yet. So for me at least the aspect I was most looking forward to was seeing how the device handled DVD upscaling.

To get things rolling Neen and I tested my one and only Blu Ray disc 'Fantasia' - the picture and sound were great. (We've had a HD television for years but have never experienced any HD content on it. You see, we still receive an analog TV transmission and my Nintendo Wii isn't HD.)

Next I popped Avatar on DVD into the player and I could not believe the quality. Neen and I were amazed. The upscaling feature works so so well. We are delighted with it!

I'm really glad I spent a little more on a good quality player, HMV were selling Phillips players for as low as €70, but I decided to go for the Sony instead which was €139

There are a load of DVDs I'd cant wait to re-watch on the Blu Ray now...first and formost Kenneth Branaghs version of Hamlet...

Summer is nearly here

2011-04-18T18:24:00.000+01:00

Summer is thankfully slowly creeping in. Sunday was a beautifully sunny day and the cats and I very much made the most of it! I took some photo's and made a couple of small watercolour paintings. I also caught up on a bit of reading and washed and hung out a couple loads of laundry. The cats seemed quite happy to have me joining them outside for the afternoon, wherever I sat they happily followed. I also let the terrapins out for their first run of the season. (the cats were locked safely away for that) They seemed to have a good time too. If the weather continues to improve I might convert one of these fisher price turtle shape sandboxes into an outdoor pool for them. Something I can leave them in for a few hours on a sunny day. I really just need to figure out a way to cover it. Maybe a thin wire-fence like lid?

I rescued this little guy from the pool of water featured in the previous photo. As you can easily tell I scooped him out with a dis-guarded cigarette box I found under one of the machines, he dried himself off and flew away quite unperturbed by his near death experience...

Fota Wildlife Park, Cork, Ireland 2011

2011-04-09T23:31:00.001+01:00

New Books

2011-04-09T20:46:00.000+01:00

Neen and I went into town today and while there dropped into our favorite bookstore Charley Burnes. I picked up three super books, all by talented artists I've mentioned here before. 'Jack Frost' by Kazuno Kohara . 'Blue Chameleon' by Emily Gravett. And 'Earnest - The Moose Who Doesn't Fit' by Catherine Rayner. They are all published by Macmillian UK and are definite must-haves for your family bookshelf!!

Tuna's Confirmation

2011-04-09T00:14:00.001+01:00

Tuna's Confirmation took place a week or so ago and here are a few snaps from the big day. Confirmation is a Catholic ritual...a right of passage of sorts in which a child is accepted as an adult member of the Catholic Church.

It was a really great day...I actually spent a big ol' chunk of it minding all the kids in the family. Most of the party was spent up in the field behind the house playing soccer and gaelic football..boy I slept that night!

Listening to...Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

2011-04-08T12:41:00.000+01:00

Visiting my old school

2011-03-31T15:32:00.001+01:00

Tuesday morning Galway United Manager Sean Connor and players were due to visit my old school - St Josephs College aka "The Bish". I was asked to accompany them. It was my first time back since I graduated in 2002. Only a hand full of my old teachers were still there but it was great seeing them again and having a bit of a chat. The staff even had a cake to greet the team which was very much appreciated...and tasty too. : )

My old Religion teacher Ciaran Doyle is now principal. Here he is chatting with Sean Connor the manager.

Goal Keeper Conor Winn with "Bish" teacher and Galway United Committee member Liam Glynn. Conor is also an ex-pupil of the school.

The Staff Room...my first time in there... : )

While there I also had the chance to chat with the school secretaries, sisters Maureen and Peggy whom I always got on well with during my school years. As it happens my wife and I have gotten to know the family pretty well over recent years. Rita their mum is a resident in the nursing home my wife works in.

Walk of Dreams

2011-03-31T12:24:00.000+01:00

Sunday, myself Antony and the rest of the Galway United crew took part in the John Giles Foundation Walk of Dreams. The 5km walk was to raise funds for the John Giles foundation and the everyday running of Galway United Football Club. We were joined by a number of amateur and professional teams from Galway City and County. The weather was great and it was a super way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

12 Things I love about being Irish

2011-03-17T00:10:00.004Z

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone... In honour of our national holiday St. Patrick's Day here's a list of a few of my favorite things about being Irish...In no particular order:

1 The Common Lizard: Our only native reptilian species I adore these little guys, they are the ultimate cold blooded survivors. How can we complain about the miserable weather when even they've gotten used tho it!

2. Salt and Vinegar Tayto's and Cadbury's Dairy Milk Chocolate. These are my favorite treats and the trick is you have to eat them together! The flavours work perfectly with one another. Tayto is an Irish company and although Cadbury is originally British, the Irish branch was established in 1932 and has produced it's own Cadbury products using only Irish ingredients since. Personally I think Irish chocolate is the nicest in the world! I'm off chocolate for Lent so I'm really looking forward to a Cadbury Chocolate egg come Easter.

3. GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association). The GAA is an amateur sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders. Pride in your county is of the utmost importance. No matter were you live, who you marry...where your children are born - an Irish man/woman will always support the county they were born in. No matter were I've lived I am and always will be a proud Galway man!

4. The wave: In the country, when you are either walking or driving and you pass an oncoming car or fellow walker they will ALWAYS wave "hello". It doesn't matter whether or not they know you - it's a matter of habit and country courtesy

5. The Irish International Football/Soccer team: I love my football. If I had three wishes, chances are I'd wish for world peace, an end to hunger and for Ireland to one day win the World Cup!

6. Travelling oversea's: Neen and I have been to quite a few countries at this stage. No matter where we are, the minute anyone finds out we are from Ireland their mood immediately changes...everyone seems to love the Irish!...Everyone we've met anyway!

7. "Sorry"....Let me explain: In Ireland if you bump into another Irish person while walking down the street their response will nearly always be "Sorry". In which you reply "Sorry" back. It doesn't really matter who's at fault. "Sorry" is used in place of "excuse me" For the most part we are very much a non-confrontational people. Something I really like. On a much larger scale that's partially why we as a country have remained neutral military-wise. Something else very important to me.

8. Green: I love the colour green, I love the fact that for ever more Ireland will be Internationally represented by such a beautiful shade. It may seem a small, insignificant and mundane thing to love but I do... I love the fact that we are the "Emerald Isle".

9. Farm Animals and the countryside: Ireland is such a small country. No matter what town or city you live in you're nearly always just a stones throw away from a green field full of cows or sheep.

10. Stone walls: Wobbly weathered stone walls line the entire Irish countryside. Like drunken old men staggering gingerly home from the pub they precariously line every field and country roadside.

11. Tea - In Ireland tea is more than a beverage it's a way of life. For most the day revolves around the act of continually reboiling the kettle. You will never ever arrive at a house without being offered a cup of tea a couple of rich tea and maybe even a ham sandwich.

12. The smell of turf: Nothing in the world smells better than a turf fire...unfortunately the only way to experience it is first hand...a picture really doesn't do it justice. So what are ya waiting for? Book those plane tickets and drop by for a visit.

The Warmest Spot in the House

2011-03-16T20:54:00.000Z

We ran out of heating oil towards the end of last week and are still awaiting a delivery. The weather of late, especially in the west has been unseasonably wintery. It even snowed over the weekend. So naturally the house has been freezing. Every day as I shiver away in the icy cold studio the terrapins get to relax in the only warm spot in the house. An underwater heater coupled with a UVA/B light means that for the turtles at least it's summer every day.

Felt Shamrock

2011-03-16T20:37:00.001Z

I was feeling crafty Sunday evening so decided to get out the box of fleece and make something. Initially my intention was to make a puppet. Unfortunately after 3 hours of planning, cutting, pinning and sewing I ended up scrapping it...To be frank it looked terrible. I was working with out any sort of pattern and it showed!

So I cleaned up my mess, destroyed the evidence and made Neen a shamrock badge instead. She'll be working in the Nursing home St. Patrick's Day so now she has something green to wear!

Listening to Chopin....

2011-03-12T23:46:00.001Z

I picked up a CD today in HMV...'Chopin Piano Favorites' I love Chopin's work and this album features a selection of some of the composers best. One of the tracks featured is 'Prelude In D Flat Major "Raindrop" Op. 28 No.15' my absolute favorite piece of music by the Polish composer.

Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami

2011-03-12T23:13:00.002Z

My thoughts and prayers are very much with the victims of the Japanese earthquake and subsequent tsunami...the picture above was drawn by a young child from Aizu, Northern Japan. (The drawing was originally featured on and property of this blog here.)

Playing Pokemon White

2011-03-05T16:26:00.000Z

Neen picked me up Pokemon White for the Nintendo DS yesterday...It's a really well designed update to the popular Pokemon series. The addition of a seasonal cycle and improved graphics are two notable changes. The world itself also has a more 3-dimensional feel to it. In fact although I'm only a couple of hours in, it's definitely the most beautiful looking Pokemon game I've ever played. Couple that beauty with perfectly crafted game play and it's obvious, Nintendo have hit another home run with these 5th Generation installments.

Kick Off!

2011-03-05T16:02:00.003Z

It was the first match of the season last night. Galway United versus St. Patrick's Athletic in Terryland Park.

Antony came along to watch his first football match and ended up donning the stewards jacket along with myself and the rest of the Galway United Committee. He did a really great job selling programs and helping set up. I was very proud of him. My cousin Mark was at the match too but as he was with his friends and had his image to uphold - I understandably didn't see much of him. : )

A few pre-match training shots...

The opposition in training.

Kick Off...

We ended up losing the match 3-0 but the young fans were just happy to be there. I was really impressed by the way the entire Galway United squad took time to sign autographs and chat with the munchkins. Even in defeat they were true gentlemen. The vast majority of the team are newly signed, but are already living up to their roles as hero's to the local kid's.

After the match Antony and I headed over to Pappa Johns and shared a sausage and pepperoni pizza. Despite the loss it really was a great night.

John Bramblitt

2011-03-02T17:02:00.002Z

The Documentary from John Bramblitt on Vimeo.

Galway United Pre Season Launch

2011-02-26T21:29:00.002Z

The Pre Season launch for Galway United's upcoming season was this afternoon. Here are a some of my fellow Management Committee members. The launch gave fans the opportunity to meet the manager and team, get autographs and have their photo taken. It was held in Elvery's Sports and was a big success!

Members of the Galway United Management Committee. (l-r) Morgan O'Brien, Vincent O'Connor, Bertie O'Leary, Mike Daly, Noel Connolly, Mairtin O' Mochain, David Flaherty, Sean Rafferty. Front: Ronan Coleman.

Saturday Walk...

2011-02-19T22:01:00.006Z

Neen and I went for a walk together this afternoon. Although we live just three miles from Galway city centre the countryside is literally on our doorstep. In truth we didn't know where we were going, we just decided to head out and see where the fate's brought us. We found a small country road we hadn't traveled down before so we thought "why not?!"

We walked until we reached a crossroads and to our detriment we chose left. A narrow low-lying road turned out to be impassable as a 20 foot patch of road was flooded.

We re traced our steps, took the right turn this time and stumbled across this friendly fellow. Neen was filming a video for her Youtube channel at the time and he immediately walked up to us and the camera to say "Hi" I rubbed his coat and after a couple of photos and a chat we moved on....

But the horse decided to follow...The wall on this end of the field was higher than he remembered!

Neen took a quick photo on her phone and for a second time we said our goodbyes.

The horse however had other ideas. Unbeknownst to us he made his way from one field to another and eventually found his way to the farm yard entrance for one last rub. It's a shame we didn't have a carrot or apple with us...next time though!

I find it pretty cool that on a day I found a mysterious horse shoe in our garden (check previous post) I also met a super friendly horse so close to our home. Neen eventually dragged me away from my new best friend and our walk continued...

We also met quite a few cows along the way...

Although they proved quite uninterested...

if not a touch suspicious...

I leave you with one last photo to ponder over...

Who or what lives in this absolutely minuscule house?

(PS If interested, Neens video of our walk can be seen here on her Youtube channel.)

I found a Horse Shoe!

2011-02-19T19:17:00.000Z

For the first time in months it was finally nice enough weather to go outside and kick the ol' football around. Sora came too, mostly to watch although she did "attack" the ball a couple of times just for fun. I wasn't out for long, maybe 40 minutes or so when I found this; a metal horse shoe, slightly eroded and embedded in the ground. I'm really not sure how long it has been there. Nor can I fathom how exactly I haven't stumbled across it before. It was literally right smack in the middle of the garden. The amateur archeologist in me would love to think it was considerably older than I'm sure it actually is. Still cool though!

Big News!

2011-02-18T20:25:00.000Z

Remember a short while ago, I mentioned I had just bought a season ticket for Galway United's upcoming Premier Devision season? Well what a difference a few short weeks makes. I approached the club early in the new year offering my design and illustrative services on a volunteer basis, should they have a need for them. You see, the vast majority of professional football clubs in Ireland are struggling on a weekly basis to stay alive. If I could help in any small way, I wanted to. Well they got back to me and I've worked on a couple of small pre-season design jobs thus far, not too much. Well Monday last, a few mere weeks before the start of the new season, Galway United were notified that they would not be granted a licence to play football this year. An appeal was possible but things looked pretty darn hopeless to be honest. The club naturally agreed to an appeal and had a few short days to compile their case before the hearing early Friday morning. It became clear that the failure to grant a 2011/12 Premier Devision license stemmed from a simple piece of paperwork that due to exceptional circumstances, hadn't been submitted on time.

Thursday night on the eve of the hearing an Extraordinary General Meeting was held by the Galway United Supporters Trust. All fans were invited so I went along. In a brave and selfless move GUST have taken over the job of running the club. All on a completely voluntary basis I might add. The prior management had run the club into a loss making rut and if the club was to continue trading, this drastic move was it's last hope.

Long story short Thusday night at the EGM a management committee was being established to run the club in the event we won the appeal. Chairmen, Secretary, FAI Liaison etc. Approximately 10 specific positions needed to be filled along with an additional 5-7 title-less committee spots.

Well you might have guessed where this is going. I am now one of the members of the 17-man Management Committee, tasked with running the club for the foreseeable future. It's a huge honour. I'll be working closely with the PR officer Sean Flaherty and his assistant officer Vincent O'Connor Jr. specifically in relation to marketing and the club program. I can't wait. I have a lot of ideas, and genuinely feel I can contribute a lot to the club in the years to come. I've said this already but I am honestly very honoured to be in such a position. Especially considering the fact that a few short weeks ago I was just another fan.

Are we addicted to the internet?

2011-02-17T15:25:00.003Z

Are we becoming addicted to the net? I don't know about you but I definitely spend more time online than I'd like...What websites do you frequent the most on a daily/weekly basis? Do you have an online routine? Fruitful, fruitless or downright embarrassing - feel free to leave your list below? My sites in no particular order are...

Blogs

My Art Blog:

My Personal Blog:

My wife's blog:

(Plus any newly updated blogs on my blog list)

For Fun

Football Shirt Culture:

Comic Book Movie:

My Nintendo News:

Bulbapedia:

Work

Google Search Engine (.ie and .com)

Gmail log-in:

To Shop

Book Depository: (Books)

7-Digital: (Music Downloads)

Ebay: (Stuff I don't need)

CD Wow: (CD'S and DVD's)

Lego Pokemon

2011-02-08T23:20:00.002Z

I stumbled across this project by Filip Johannes Felberg. He has created over 100 Lego versions of popular pokemon characters and has done an amazingly brilliant job...I am genuinely in awe of his creative ability. If you appreciate the art of Lego construction or are simply a fan of pokemon, be sure to check out his Flickr or Youtube accounts. (Illustrations © Nintendo - Lego creations © Filip Johannes Felberg)

Thorns

2011-02-07T00:54:00.000Z

Sora our long haired cat is always coming home with all sorts stuck to her. This weekend was no different. Saturday morning as usual she hopped onto our bed. Groggily I rubbed her back from fluffy collar down to her bushy tail. I noticed a clump of fur in-between her back legs so I sat up, found a scissors and proceeded the cut it off. In doing so I pricked my finger. Obviously I wasn't dealing with a run of the mill hair ball. Sora calmly and cooperatively flopped on to her side. (She is quite used to me removing knots from her coat.) I snipped off the unwanted accessory and on examination found she had a cluster of thorny branches matted in her fur...It must have been pretty uncomfortable to walk with.

Found Ya!

2011-02-02T22:53:00.001Z

First Lizard of the Season

2011-02-02T19:22:00.004Z

Today started pretty crappily. I have a cold and didn't sleep much last night. It was lashing rain and windy when I woke up and I was very aware and worried about Neen walking to work. I hated seeing her go...I also got a letter in the post I was in no mood to receive, especially today.

On the plus side I was greeted with the first lizard of the season. He was in the middle of the kitchen floor when I entered to boil the kettle this morning. I'm not entirely sure if it's normal behavior for all lizards but the ones I've encountered play dead when you first find them. They don't budge at all. If they are accidentally overturned they will lay floppy and lifeless on their backs until they no longer deem you a threat. This poor little guy had blood on his nose. Not much, just a dry faint stain. I'm not sure if it was the cats....After a minute or so of lying lifeless and comatose in my hand he suddenly sprang to life and started walking all over the place. He was very friendly and appeared to be in perfect health. I snapped a quick photo and then put him out side in the coal and turf bunker. From my experience it's one of their favorite spots, which they also happen to share with the snails.

Another nice surprise was I received some art from a young talented fan...if interested I uploaded images on my Art Blog here. Off to make some dinner...have a great night!

Galway United

2011-01-23T01:57:00.002Z

I bought a season ticket for my local football team Galway United today. Really really looking forward to the new season which kicks off March 4th. I used to go to United matches years ago with the lads, before Neen and I met but I haven't been to one since. I was talking to the manager Sean Connor and a couple of the panel today, extremely nice guys. I wish the entire team the best of luck this season.

My cousin Mark bought a ticket today too, he's a huge Galway United fan and it's going to be great going to the games with him. Mark plays football for Renmore F.C (rugby and hurling for his school) and is a super talented kid. I've no doubt he could be playing for Galway United or one of the big English teams in a few years.

Well I have my Galway United shirt and a brand spanking new season ticket. After last seasons near-relegation scare I'm all set for a clean start and a great season...bring on St. Pat's

A Moment

2011-01-19T22:00:00.001Z

I was working in the dining room today. It's a perfect spot to write on sunny afternoons as the light beams directly through the window and illuminates the room for a few special hours each day.

There was this one perfect moment where time seemed to stand still. I'll set the scene.

I'm typing. Sunlight bounces confidently off the polished dining room table. Music trickles through the thick padded earpads of my DJ style headphones. To my left the terrapins are basking, eyes closed on their floating island. Necks stretched high and proud the glistening, water tickles their toes. Directly in front of me, sitting on the window sill is Hope the cat. She catches my intrusion and for a split second stares back before returning to her world. Sora is sleeping below her on a dining room chair. Hidden behind several white tiers of drying laundry I can only see her tail. It's a deceptively frosty day outside and the radiator is throbbing wearily, cocooning both the cats and clothes in a steaming pocket of heat. The music continues to flow, quietly and perfectly as both the moment and song eventually ebb away.

I quickly jotted down the following poem in a desperate attempt to capture the moment before it was gone forever.

Sun gleaming.

Brothers vying.

Cats dreaming.

Morpheme tying.

Clothes steaming.

Shadows dying.

Writin', Leapin' and Treckin'

2011-01-19T00:48:00.005Z

Hi guys! I haven't been doing any bloggin' recently, owing largely to the fact that I have been spending 7 hours a day on an actual writing project. After a day staring googily-eyed at the screen, the last thing one wants to do is write about the experience. : )

Neen and I watched the last episode of Quantum Leap tonight. She has been hugely enjoying the recently borrowed box-set, however I get the distinct feeling she was annoyed, if not a smidge dispirited by the ending. I personally liked the episode, but I understand her disappointed. Neen has been waiting years to find out how Sam's journey ends. Since childhood in fact. In her mind the perfect ending was already written, nothing the show's writers came up with could never have satisfied everyone. Luckily a new movie is being penned by original series scribe Don Bellisario. At least that's something to look forward to. While the original cast members Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell will not reprise their respective roles, they will take part in the production in some facet or another.

Coincidentally I too am nearing the end of a box set. I have been watching All 7 series of Star Trek the Next Generation since last May. I am nearing the end at all all to hasty pace. Only a couple of episodes left...'heavy sigh'! Luckily I have the first 3 series of Star Trek Deep Space 9 (which I have never seen) to move on to so the sense of loss and abandon will be short lived.

Listening to...Ace of Base

2011-01-13T22:55:00.000Z

Listening to...Regina Spektor Live in London

2011-01-04T11:32:00.000Z

Christmas Night

2011-01-02T22:47:00.000Z

Christmas night after leaving Mary and Nathan's house Neen and I dropped out to Nanna and Pop O'Toole's house in Menlo. The entire Irish family was there...I swear this room is shrinking...

Wrapping paper was flying everywhere...

The greatest gift anyone can give a teenage boy...a 24 pack of Coke!

My Godson Ethan building the Lego set we gave him.

Stacy, myself and Neen

Nanna and Pop O'Toole

My sisters Milo and Genny and my cousin Andrew

Neen and my cousin Mark wearing the new jersey we gave him.

Neen and Stacy

Ethan and Me

Stacy and myself answering questions in an activity book she was given.

Christmas Dinner

2011-01-02T01:23:00.001Z

For Christmas dinner, Neen and I as well as my Mom, Dad, and my sisters Genny and Milo went to my Aunt Mary's. These are socks Tuna, Neen's little sister gave me. She bought me a pack of 5 and got to choose which ones I'd wear Christmas day...she picked the yellow ones! : )

Neen looking pretty...

The dining room table in Mary and Nathans house!

The Christmas Feast!!

My favorite parts of the meal were Mary's red cabbage and her white chocolate cheese cake! My only regret being I only had room for one slice of cheese cake!

My sister Milo and me!

Myself, Milo and Dad...

Nanna, and Mom...

Aunt Mary, the hostess! : )

Genny thinkin' about her boyfriend Graham...

As a special surprise Neen and I bought a second Chinese Paper Lantern to release with the O'Briens too. As we did with Neen's family the night before everyone inscribed on the lantern their Christmas wishes and Nanna and I released the glowing orb into the night sky. No one there had ever seen nor released a lantern before so the whole event was greeted with giddy excitement by young and old alike. We initially gathered in the back garden but as the lantern started to ascend out of sight the entire party ran through the house towards to front door to capture one last look. Every loved the experience and it's one we will never forget!

Christmas Morning

2011-01-01T23:53:00.001Z

Christmas morning Neen woke me up early at about 6:30 and guess what? Santa did come! He also left the sitting room in a bit of a mess. Snowy footprints all over the place...tut tut! : ) He very kindly left a tin of tuna for Sora and a tin of Salmon for Hope. Before continuing on his way he also filled our stockings with sweets and gobbled the milk and cookies we left out for him.

Tired and groggy, with the TV glowing in the background Neen and I then exchanged cards and gifts...I bought her a Rocha John Rocha leather handbag, 'A Nuns Story' starring Audrey Hepburn on DVD, wool, ribbon, buttons, thread and other bits for her sewing box, red pajamas, a wedding album filled with all of our wedding photos and a Gold Sapphire Ring. I think the ring and the wedding book were her favorites and the biggest surprises. The ring is based on the Princess Diana/Kate Middleton engagement ring which Neen fell in love with the minute she saw it. As for the wedding album, up 'til that point as much as Neen wanted to we hadn't gotten around to putting one together! Neen gave me....

A portable DVD player because my old one is years old and buggered from over use.

Super Mario All Stars 25th Anniversary Edition for the Nintendo Wii! This collects all four original Mario games for the NES and SNES. This is cool for a couple of reasons. As a kid I never owned a Nintendo, actually I didn't own any computer game console until well into my teens. I loved the original Super Maro games but only got the chance to play them, albeit briefly at my friends house. Now years later I finally get to! The second cool thing is this. When Neen was a kid Santa brought her a Nintendo and Super Mario Brothers 3. SMB3 was literally the only game she ever owned. She loved it and played it over and over and over. 19 years later to the day she first played Super Mario Brothers 3 the two of us played it together.

Neen loves Chanel and one day while in Boots we stumbled across this. Bleu de Chanel. Neen loved it and immediately sprayed me from head to toe with it, practically leaving the tester dry. I'm definitely not one for most colognes and after shaves but this I really liked. Coolest thing about it is the bottle. Really beautiful design and wait for it...magnetic lid! Yep hold the cap above the nozzle and the lid snaps smoothly into place!

Iron Man 2 on DVD

An Oral B electric toothbrush, which I love and have really wanted for years!

and Toy Story 3 on DVD!

Thanks hun...love ya and I love my gifts!

Christmas Eve (Day 24)

2011-01-01T22:39:00.002Z

Countdown to Christmas (Day 24)

It's been a tradition in our house the past few years that if Neen was working Christmas Eve or Christmas day I'd wake up extra early with her and make her a special breakfast. It might not sound like much of a big deal but I am not an early bird at all, and Neen was due to be in work for about 7:30am.

So that's what I did, Christmas Eve I woke up early and while Neen was getting ready I made her breakfast. Nothing fancy, just what she wanted...corn flakes with chopped banana, orange juice, tea and potato farls. We then walked together as far as the end of our hill. Neen continued on to work and I returned home alone.

When I got in I set up the couch, turned on the TV and watched some Christmas cartoons and had a snooze. Later on I fed the cats and turtles, had some breakfast, wrapped a couple of last minute presents and as per another Christmas Eve tradition went outside and took some frosty photos. Sora joined me too and was truly in her element running around in the snow, skidding back and forth following me everywhere I went.

Neen came home at about 5pm. I made us a small bite to eat, we gathered our bags and headed out to her families house in Renmore, dropping into her Nanny Gills along the way.

Old Irish Christmas tradition....The Pile Up!

Neen started it...

Ant and I watching TV.

Neens mum and dad making preparations for the following days Christmas dinner.

Ben watching in eager anticipation!

Next up we exchanged gifts...

Ben insisted on getting involved with this tradition too!

Together as a family we then read 'The Night Before Christmas' by Clement C Moore, this particular version illustrated by the talented Christian Birmingham. We each read a page at a time and passed it around the room until the closing lines. You really can't have Christmas without rereading Moore's master work.

Next up Tuna read to us all, a second book. 'Another Night before Christmas' a modern retelling of the classic tale by Mark Boutavant and Carol Ann Duffy. This is a truly beautiful book, one of my favorites and Tuna did a simply wonderful job reading it aloud to us all.

Before Neen and I went home, one final festive treat. I brought up a Chinese paper lantern and as a family we each wrote messages of hope, love and peace on the lantern and together released it into the foggy night sky. Despite the fog we were able to watch it for miles as it rocketed into the darkness. I wonder if Santa saw it on his travels...

When Neen arrived home to a cold house we turned on the heating, fed the cats, cuddled up on the couch and watched 'A Muppet Christmas Carol' before going to bed in anticipation of Santa's arrival.

Jonsi's "Sticks and Stones" Music Video

2010-12-28T21:11:00.000Z

Miracle on 22nd St

2010-12-28T15:50:00.001Z

Miracle on 22nd St from sarah klein on Vimeo.

Merry Christmas from the O'Briens

2010-12-23T23:38:00.001Z

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone - from the O'Briens! (Morgan, Nina, Hope, Sora, Rocky and River!)

Wrapping Robins! (Day 23)

2010-12-23T23:32:00.002Z

Countdown to Christmas (Day 23)

Today was present wrapping day! Pretty much every present wrapped by Neen and myself was in red paper but I wrapped Neens in brown paper and twine yesterday...something a bit different and special! Here are a few photos!

This is a Christmas decoration Neen bought me in Monsoon yesterday while she was in town. It's extremely beautiful, the glossy finish in particular is stunning. Speaking of robins, the last day, when I was out back trying futilely to unblock the frozen pipe a little robin flew down and landed beside me. He chilled for a bit, seemingly unperturbed then flew off. Right now we are chilling in the sitting room, just had hot chocolate and an apple crumble from the tart factory...yummy! Tomorrow's Christmas Eve...I cant wait!

So So Cold (Day 22)

2010-12-22T23:44:00.005Z

Countdown to Christmas (Day 22)

So so so cold -10 to -17 degrees in many places these past few days/nights. We Irish are used to rain, not snow and frost. Today I was due to go to the dentist for a teeth-clean, but received a call this morning from the receptionist saying all appointments were cancelled because the pipes and a number of instruments in the dental office were frozen. I wasn't looking forward to it at all so was suitably relieved.

The house was icy this morning. So cold the cats went outside to warm up in the morning sun! Broadband wasn't working again, sink was still frozen but pipes were OK...so quite a relief! Given work was impossible I fed the pets, cleaned the house, cleaned the studio, wrapped a bunch of presents made the dinner and then relaxed with Neen. Most of my presents this year are being wrapped traditionally in brown paper and twine, I think it looks wonderful. I'll upload a photo tomorrow, (broadband permitting) In between the cleaning and wrapping Sora and I grabbed the camera, went outside and took some photos, she's such a snow bunny! I gotta say...I think I love frost more than snow....something breathtakingly beautiful about a frosty morning!

Broken Broadband and Bargain Buys (Day 21)

2010-12-21T21:45:00.004Z

Countdown to Christmas (Day 21)

I bought the last few of my presents today! So so happy, Neen is always saying during the year that we should buy our presents early and I'm starting to agree! It's a 6-mile round trip in and out of town and I've made every single trip by foot over the last few weeks...I'm wrecked!

The broadband in the house and studio hasn't been working at all over the past few days. It flickers on and off occasionally but that's about it. I'm assuming the freezing cold weather has something to do with it, although our Broadband service is due to be phased out in the new year, I wouldn't be at all surprised if that's adding to the poor to non-existent quality of the connection. I've been writing these blog entries offline in the hope of uploading them at some stage over the week if the internet is active long enough to do a quick upload. If you're reading them it means I was successful if only briefly...

No luck trying to defrost the frozen kitchen pipe today. I cleared a few inches outside but the problem is too deep rooted. I tried a hair-dryer but no luck I'm worried If I use a more powerful heat source, such as an electric heater the pipes could expand and crack, so we'll just have to wait it out...I'm extremely great full we have running water at all. Not everyone is so lucky this winter so we cant complain about such a minor inconvenience.

Elveries Sports have a massive sale on football shirts at the moment. After much deliberation I decided to buy one, A 2010/11 Valencia CF Home kit, made by Kappa. It was €13.50 reduced from €60.00 a pretty good bargain, and I love Kappa as a sports manufacturer.

More Shopping and Frozen Sinks (Day 20)

2010-12-20T21:43:00.000Z

Countdown to Christmas (Day 20)

Today the plan was to head into town for a couple of hours and pick up the last of our Christmas gifts. I nearly sorted everything but ran out of money. My bank has a pretty low maximum daily withdraw allowance and are pretty strict about it. I'll have to go back in again tomorrow morning and pick up the few things I couldnt today, no matter how we all try to cut back Christmas is getting pretty expensive here!

It has been bitterly cold today. Thus far we have been lucky. We are in an old house but pretty much haven't experienced frozen or burst underground pipes yet. Our kitchen sink is unfortunately frozen, which is proving tiresome. The pipe which leads outside to the drain is frozen solid and has been since Saturday. This basically means we can poor water into the sink but have no way of draining it out. I've tried everything to defrost it, might take a hair dryer to it tomorrow. Hopefully I wont electrocute myself!

Cozy Christmas Sunday (Day 19)

2010-12-19T21:30:00.001Z

Countdown to Christmas (Day 19)

Neen and I, since our very first Christmas together have bought eachother a Christmas decoration. This year we opted to make eachother one instead. Today we stayed home, cranked up the heat and got comfy with the cats in the sitting room.

We watched a lot of Christmas movies today. To start RTE were showing two Sunday matinees back to back. 'Chasing Christmas' and 'Crazy for Christmas' Normally TV movies such as these aren't great but we really really enjoyed them, and were pleasently surprised. 'Crazy for Christmas' in particular rather impressively for a low-budget flick referenced 'Star Trek', 'Sesame Street' and 'A Charlie Brown Christmas.' Lolo my Godmother and cousin Mark dropped up for a visit and to pick up 4 Red and White Christmas hats Neen crocheted for them.

For the evening we each worked on our respective gifts. Neen crocheted me a beautiful Nativity Scene. Mary Joseph and baby Jesus all wrapped up together. It is stunningly well designed and made and I really love it!

While creating we ordered Pizza and watched 'The Nativity Story'. Neens Crochet Nativy being very much inspired by the film. 'The Nativity Story' is pretty perfect and up there with Neens favorite films ever. We actually loved it so much we watched it twice. We highly highly recomend this simple classic!

For Neen I hand-sewed a Christmas Ball style decoration using some of the material Neen bought for me at the Knit and Stitch Show. The red ball has a matching red ribbon and on the reverse of the decoration a green pocket. In the pocket we are each going to write eachother a note and will not read said notes until Christmas morning next year. The plan is to continue the tradition every year.

Tonight while finalyzing the final details of our decorations we watched 'Holiday Inn' another classic before heading to bed happy after a festive day of creating together.

Dublin DeLoreans and Dangerous Weapons (Day 18)

2010-12-18T21:14:00.003Z

Countdown to Christmas Day 18

Today Ant and I went to Dublin for the day. Ant had been to Dublin once or twice before but never actually had the chance to see and walk the city. We left Galway on the 9:45 GoBus. As we travelled from the West to East coast across the snow smoored midlands Ant and I chatted, joked, listened to music and snoozed. Dublin was especially busy and bitterly cold when we arrived just before 1.

The first thing we did was walk up O'Connell Street so Ant could check out the Spire. We then walked along Henry St. window shopping as we went. We were under strict instructions from Neen to pick her up some tights in Evans so that was our first stop. Over the next hour or so Ant bought a present for Tuna who is still in Hospital, a couple of Christmas presents and I bought Neen a ball of wool from the The Woolen Mills. We then crossed the Liffey and went to Forbidden Planet a place I knew Ant would love. We looked around for an hour or so. Ant picked up a cool Predators comic book, another couple of Christmas gifts and I found something super cool! A 1:24 scale replica of the DeLoreon time machine from 'Back to the Future' I love these movies and as an Irishman I'm extremely proud that the DeLorean was an Irish car. I love the cars design and would love to see the DeLorean brand back in Car Show Rooms.

After FP we had some lunch then went as far as the Georges Street Arcade. I heard there was a cool Urban Wear shop Ant would have liked. Unfortunately it must have closed down as we couldn't find it, Ant instead spent a lot of time in a stall that sells old coins and military memorbilia. He found the collection really interesting and bought an old coin and medal.

Next we hit up HMV, then had a wander through St Stephens Green shopping Centre. Ant picked up a Russel Brant comedy DVD and and two more Christmas gifts. In one of the shops we spotted BB guns for sale, Ants eyes lit up, but he had selflessly spent all his money on Christmas presents, so I bought him one. He deserves it as he's a really mature responsible teenager and extremely trustworthy. The Irish have pretty strict laws concering the sale of and use of these toys and unlike their American counterparts shoot 6mm plastic balls, not metal and are pretty harmless if handled responsibly.

By now it was about 6 and we were getting pretty hungry so we walked back up Grafton Street and bought a couple of pizzas-to-go in Pizza Hut. The two of us found a spot adjacent to Trinity College in front of the fountain and hungrilly and happy ate our meal under the icy starry night sky. Our bus was at 8:15 but shops were starting to close by now so we headed back to Henry Street in search of a department store open late, we could kill some time in. Debenhams was luckily open til 9 so we wandered the store floor by floor completely uninterested by it's contents but having lots of fun regardless just chatting and joking around.

Soon it was time to head for the bus which luckily arrived and departed on time as temperatures were dropping fast. I really felt for the homeless of the city. I can't even imagine how hard it must be for those living on the streets of Dublin, especially during the cold winter months. At this stage in the 21st century I find it appalling that we still have citizens sleeping on the streets. It's unacceptable. For the most part the Dublin homeless community are completely ignored by passers by. People seem to be so accustomed by the sight of them they are no longer phased. Millions of Euro was spent in Dublin alone the day we visited. Ant and I gave what we could spare to the few people we encountered who seemed to genuinely need it. But most others just walked right past seemingly uninterested and unwilling. I realize many argue that giving money to a homeless person merely fuels the problem. And that there life style is partially by choice but I dont consider it that clear cut. I will always give what I can spare, and pray I never become so hardened by the world that I stop 'seeing' these people who need our help more than anything.

Ant and I arrived in Galway shortly after 11 at the end of a long tiring but super fun day. Ant headed home in a cab and I walked the last few miles home. I was freezing, tired, laden with heavy bags but how could I complain? I had a warm bed waiting for me. A bed I am extremely grateful for.... Merry Christmas one and all!

Poor Tuna (Day 17)

2010-12-18T01:06:00.004Z

Countdown to Christmas Day 17

Today was a blisteringly cold one. The snow and frost are back and I for one am delighted. Granted inclement weather such as this leads to poor driving conditions but one can't argue with the happiness and joy a white Christmas brings. We had bad news today. Neen's little sister Tuna had to be brought to the hospital this morning, with assumed Appendicitis. If the initial diagnosis proves accurate she is expected to under go key-hole surgery in the next 24 hours and should be home for Christmas. We visited her tonight in the hospital and she is proving exceptionally brave, her only complaint being boredom. The television in her room is minuscule, only has four channels and no remote. There is pretty much nothing on, suitable for a 12 year old child. Ant joked that prisoners in the Irish prisons have more channels available to them than patients in public hospitals. The four of us had a lot of fun for the few hours Neen Ant and I were there. We bought Tuna a small 'Ocean in My Pocket' toy and had a lot of fun playing with that.

We made the most of what we had and included of all things, Tunas Sony MP3 player in the game. I gave him an English Accent, (London Cabby'ish) The nights playing saw the MP3 player giving off about iPods and touch screen devices, falling for the very attractive Nurse-call remote, and reacting rather humourously to the family of turtles who Tuna was making bark, meow and moo! simple fun but we were all in stitches laughing.

Neen got most of her Christmas shopping done in a blisteringly quick 3 hours or so this evening...I was very impressed. Even more impressive is she had her God-Child in tow during the seasonal shop. I sorted a few more of my gifts but have a couple left to payoff, pick up and choose Monday.

The snow was beautiful as we walked up our moonlit hill tonight so I grabbed the camera and took a few snaps! (Warning this is taken in natural moonlight, so it's quite dark)

Hand Painted Ornaments (Day 16)

2010-12-16T22:52:00.001Z

Countdown to Christmas Day 16

These are two small hand-made Christmas ornaments I bought for the tree this year. They were made by Nuns in a convent in Russia, who have a stall in this years Galway Continental Christmas Market. I really love 'em.

Love Actually and The Santa Clause (Day 15)

2010-12-15T19:35:00.002Z

Countdown to Christmas Day 15

Date Night! Neen and I are watching 'Love Actually' and 'The Santa Clause' tonight...Really Looking forward to it!

Letters From Father Christmas (Day 14)

2010-12-14T22:05:00.000Z

Countdown to Christmas Day 14

This book is amazing! It arrived in the post just this morning...."Every December an envelope bearing a stamp from the North Pole would arrive for J.R.R. Tolkien's children. Inside would be a letter in strange spidery writing and a beautiful colour drawing. They were from Father Christmas, telling them wonderful tales from the North Pole...." This book collects all the letters and pictures in one enchanting volume.

You'll shoot your eye out! (Day 13)

2010-12-13T23:30:00.001Z

Countdown to Christmas Day 13

We watched my absolute favorite Christmas movie tonight, 'A Christmas Story' The 1983 classic set in 1940's America is one of the best Christmas memories from my childhood. We used to watch it every year and it's a tradition I still keep. Directed by Bob Clarke and based upon the book of short stories 'In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash' by Jean Shepherd 'A Christmas Story' is about Ralphie, a nine year old boy with only one thing on his Christmas list: A Red Ryder Carbon-Action 200 Shot Air Rifle! With his parents unwilling to buy him a BB gun because he might "shoot his eye out" Ralphie decides to mount a full scale, hint-dropping, Santa-begging campaign.

We also watched this! Dr. Seuss' 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas', the Chuck Jones animated special from 1966. It is a true classic and in my opinion one of the few movie adaptions that manages to equal the magic of the book from which it stems!

"Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot, but the Grinch, who lived just north of Whoville - did not. The Grinch hated Christmas - the whole Christmas season. Now, please don't ask why; no one quite knows the reason. It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight. Or it could be that his head wasn't screwed on just right. But I think that the most likely reason of all may have been that his heart was two sizes too small...."

Jingle Bells and Christmas Mittens (Day 12)

2010-12-12T23:55:00.000Z

Countdown to Christmas Day 12

I got the notion early this week, I'm not exactly sure where from that I wanted to buy Christmas bells. I wanted to attach them to my coat or bag so that when I walked through town, or to the shop that the bells would merrily jingle and make people smile, most importantly children. I had to make a couple trips to town this week, delivering artwork to clients and also picking up Neen's new spectacles but on both occasions couldn't find one. Eventually I did find a bell,...In fact I found a pack of three!, so Neen has one one her bag, and I have one on mine. Neen kept the bow on hers but I removed mine as I just wanted the two bells on their own. (To see my wife Neens Christmas bells click here)

Everywhere I go people prick an ear or look up curiously expecting to see Santa or one of his elves. It seems such a simple way to partake in and spread Christmas cheer.

I never ended up finding those Christmas mittens I was looking for so my talented wife made me a pair. We went to Pippa Blue in Galway to pick out some wool last week. On asking how much yarn we would need she replied, just pick two ball in any colour you want. I couldn't decide between grey and turquoise so we opted to just make one in each! I often wear odd socks so why not odd mittens! : ) I love 'em and they fit perfectly!

Fun Festive Friday (Day 11)

2010-12-11T17:12:00.003Z

Countdown to Christmas Day 11

As per usual Neens brother and sister, Ant and Tuna stayed at our house last night. After doing the weekly shop and having some dinner we got out the craft box and some paper and pencils and made some hand-made Christmas ornaments. What I like about our rather eclectic collection is each of us very much created something in our own unique style and taste.

To start, Tuna made a Christmas hat for the tree in pink and red, my favorite bit which actually isn't visible is on the inside of the hat. Before she went with the polka-dot snow theme, she drew a very cool Santa hat on the reverse of the page.

Ant created red boxing gloves à la Mr T. They read "Merry Christmas Fool" which I thought was pretty darn funny! : )

Neen created a very beautiful paper and crochet bulb style ornament in a dark shade of rouge.

Finally I created a miniature Christmas book. It consists of a small red book with creme pages, dust jacket in green and a red bookmark. I intentionally left the cover and internal pages blank. I wanted it to be left open to the individual interpretation of each viewer. Maybe it's 'A Christmas Carol" "The Night Before Christmas, the Bible, or a Christmas Carol song book...who knows.

Next up, what Tuna had been eagerly waiting for! We played Lego Creationary! This is a super family game! so much fun and never ever gets old. It is a perfect gift for young and old and every single house should have one! If interested it can be ordered here from the Lego.com website! Last night, exceptional models that stood out were Ants football stadium, Neen's graveyard and Tunas Ambulance. The strict set of pieces available is great as it makes one really have to work hard and think through the best way to make any given picture.

Before Tuna went to bed they got out the big o'l box of Lego and got buildin' This time free style and just for fun! The night-time build saw the creation of a tropical Island with two teams of competing ship-wrecked survivors. Here's the twist, they were secretly being filmed as part of a reality TV show!....All this magic and hours of creativity made possible by a few hundred simple pieces of coloured plastic...

Toys for Tubs (Day 10)

2010-12-10T23:24:00.002Z

Countdown to Christmas Day 10

'Toys for Tubs' is a national toy-drive being hosted by Irish radio and television presenter Ryan Tubridy. They are collecting NEW and UNWRAPPED toys and vouchers for less privileged families this Christmas. It's a great cause and I absolutely encourage everyone to get involved if they can over the last couple of days.

Today, I bought a couple of Lego sets in Tesco and Ant and Tuna donated them at the local dropoff point. Just something small but hopefully will help make a special kids Christmas that much brighter. There were a lot of sets to choose from, but I chose a couple that looked cool and would suit a boy aged 7 up!

Closing date for donations is I think, this Sunday...for more info you can check the website here.

Advent Calender (Day 9)

2010-12-09T23:33:00.000Z

Countdown to Christmas Day 9

Lego Advent Calenders are in my opinion the greatest Christmas treat any house could have. With Christmas anticipation is key and I cant think of a better way for kids to count down the days to Christmas morning. I would have loved one as a child, and can't wait for my wife and I to have children of our own to be able to share the tradition with. We actually have this years Lego calender, we've bought one for the past couple of years too just for fun! It's such a super idea and I can't recommend them enough. If you have kids go to your local store and get one...if you don't have kids get one anyway...

I Discovered Marshmallows! (Day 8)

2010-12-08T22:06:00.002Z

Countdown to Christmas Day 8

I used to really hate marshmallows....maybe hate's not the right word. I guess I just didn't find them an all to necessary condiment, especially in relation to hot chocolate. To me hot chocolate was nice enough with out it. Well a couple weeks back while the kids were up watching the Toy Show, I made hot chocolate for us. Everyone was having marshmallows in theirs so as not to be a scrooge I popped a couple into mine too. "Why not I thought...sure it's Christmas!" Boy was I glad I did, nicest mug of hot chocolate ever!! I am a definite convert!