There is nothing nobler or more admirable than when two people who see eye to eye keep house as man and wife, confounding their enemies and delighting their friends.

Homer

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.

Germaine Greer

My sister got engaged last July and the wedding is this weekend. Needless to say the last couple of weeks have been a bit hectic. My brother arrived home from Australia after almost four years so there was excitement about that. Then my mother lost the top of her wedding outfit and one of her shoes for the wedding (don’t ask). This mishap resulted in a rushed trip to West Cork last Sunday and the hasty purchase of a whole new outfit. As luck with have it the missing items were discovered the following day after a new set of shoes had been acquired. The figurine for the wedding cake also went on the missing list but has since been returned to the fold. I’ve already had an anxiety dream about waking up late on the morning of the wedding and missing the hair appointments. So I’m planning on setting about five alarm clocks for the morning of the wedding to make sure that we are up on time. Anyway I’m taking the next couple of days off before the wedding so that I can be primped to within an inch of my life. I’m even succumbing to a dreaded dose of fake tan!

The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases.

Carl Jung
Swiss psychologist (1875 - 1961)

This is a particular apt quiz considering that tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day, the day for all things Oirish and what is more Oirish than leprechauns!

Your Leprechaun Name Is:

Bailey Whiskeybreath

I’m very pleased with my leprechaun name because it mentions two of my favourite drinks – Baileys and Whiskey!

Shake bicarbonate of soda over a mattress to dispel unwanted odours and then hoover the bicarbonate of soda off the bed.

Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.

Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln's Own Stories
16th president of US (1809 - 1865)

Betty the Sheep is a year old today. It’s weird to think that I have been posting for a whole year on this blog. Although the posting tends to be a bit random both in subject matter and in frequency it has been a fun diversion for me. I think this blog has made me more aware of the vast array of subjects out there that can be blogged about. I hope to continue to put up posts for as long as I am enjoying it. After all where else could I freely extol the merits of BellX1 music on a regular basis?

You Are an Old Soul

You are an experienced soul who appreciates tradition. Mellow and wise, you like to be with others but also to be alone. Down to earth, you are sensible and impatient. A creature of habit, it takes you a while to warm up to new people. You hate injustice, and you're very protective of family and friends A bit demanding, you expect proper behavior from others. Extremely independent you don't mind living or being alone. But when you find love, you tend to want marriage right away. Souls you are most compatible with: Warrior Soul and Visionary Soul

Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast - you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.

Eddie Cantor
US comedian & singer (1892 - 1964)

Today is International Women’s Day (IWD) and it is a day that has been observed since in the early 1900's. Celebrated on the 8th of March each year, it is the global day connecting all women around the world and inspiring them to achieve their full potential. IWD is now an official holiday in many countries such as Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Bulgaria, Tajikistan and Vietnam. In some countries IWD has the equivalent status of Mother's Day where small gifts are given to mothers and grandmothers. The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has marked the day by claiming that Ireland's gender equality legislation is among the most progressive anywhere in the world. He also stated that women had contributed significantly to the achievements of the Irish economy and that the Government was fully committed to their further advancement as key decision-makers in Irish society.

Happy International Women’s Day!

As part of Seachtain na Gaeilge, which runs from the 3rd of March to the 17th of March, a number of musicians have gotten together and come up with a CD entitled Ceol ’07. This is the third CD in this series with SnaG’05 and Ceol’06 being produced in the previous two years. All of the profits from the new CD, Ceol’07, will go to CONCERN to help with education in Mozambique. The CD costs €19.95 for a double disc and if it’s popular it might even inspire other musicians to write songs in Irish!




The CD contains the following songs:

GLÓR

Bell X1 - Bladhm
Declan O’ Rourke - Coscáin ar Bith
The Pale - Elizabeth Sna Bratóga!
Paddy Casey - Fágáil
Picturehouse - Sí
Gemma Hayes - Rith Mé Go Crích
Fiach - Is Aoibhne
The Frank & Walters - Tony Cochrane
John Spillane - Suantraí
Pauline Scanlon - Reilig Chríost
The Fuchsia Band - Cad Fiú?
Q - OOH! LA LA LA
Seneca - Chomh hÁlainn
Traic - An Scáil
The Hothouse Flowers - Sí Do Mhamó Í

FUAIM

Mundy - Lena Taobh
The 4 of Us - Bláth Fiáin
Jack L - Ó! Mo chroí
The Corrs - Buachaill Ón Eirne
Damien Dempsey - Taobh Leis An Muir
Blink - Fan Socair
Kíla - Cabhraigí léi
Claire Sproule - Tuigeann tú mó Chroí
Mickey Harte - Go dTé Tú Slán
Maria Doyle Kennedy - Réaltanna
Ger Wolfe - Brúscar Aráin
The Spikes - Fear Seó
The 4th State - Níl aon rud ann
Bevel Jenny - Gan scíth
Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin - Féileacán
Morgan is Mosney - Bata romhair ag toitín

A human being is only interesting if he's in contact with himself. I learned you have to trust yourself, be what you are, and do what you ought to do the way you should do it. You have got to discover you, what you do, and trust it.

Barbra Streisand
US actress & singer (1942 - )

Today is World Book Day; in fact it is the 10th year of World Book Day. This is an annual event that promotes the enjoyment of books and reading. As part of the celebrations for the day more than 2000 people in Ireland and the UK voted on the books that they couldn’t live without. The top ten books that they voted for are as follows:
1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen 20%
2. Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkein 17%
3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte 14%
4. Harry Potter books - J K Rowling 12%
5. To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee 9.5%
6. The Bible 9%
7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte 8.5%
8. Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell 6%, tied with His Dark Materials - Philip
Pullman 6%
9. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens 0.55%
It’s great to see the simple pleasure of reading being celebrated today. There is nothing like really losing yourself in a book and then missing the characters when you have finished that book.

The Choice Music Prize live event was on last night in Dublin. I heard some of the event on Tom Dunne’s Pet Sounds show on Today FM. This Irish music award was established last year and is considered to be the Irish equivalent of the Mercury Music Prize in Britain. Last year it was won by Julie Feeney for her album 13 Songs. The award is for the best Irish album of 2006.
The shortlist for the prize was:
Director - We Thrive On Big Cities
The Divine Comedy - Victory for the Comic Muse
Duke Special - Songs From the Deep Forest
The Immediate - In Towers & Clouds
David Kitt - Not Fade Away
Messiah J & The Expert - Now This I Have To Hear
Fionn Regan - The End Of History
Republic Of Loose - Aaagh!
Si Schroeder - Coping Mechanisms
Snow Patrol - Eyes Open

Last night the prize was won by the Divine Comedy for their latest album Victory for the Comic Muse. This was somewhat of a surprise win as Duke Special had been tipped to win. Neil Hannon was literally speechless when the winner was announced.