I Want To Take You To The Island..

This song gets me on so many levels!
I was born and reared in a place called d'island'! (Not the most posh place in our town!) This song has nothing whatsoever got to do with where I come from!

(I was listening to this when my brother told me that Da had died!)

Ye'll Get this, Or, Ye'll GET this! Aye Pal?

And aye, HE do sound like this!

The Things Men Do.

Back in the early 1950's Da had to leave home, leave his wife and family of three young kids, leave his country and his friends, leave a way of life. It was a bad time, no work, no money, the only thing to do was to 'take the boat', go to England, hope to find work on the building sites and send money home every week to provide for his family. And this he did this for ten years. Ten years! The things men will do for their families. (I presume this is why there is a ten year gap between me and the big bro!) And yes, I know women are just as capable of such things, and DO such things, and make sacrifices and accomplish extraordinary feats when it comes to caring and providing for their loved ones. But today I am talking about Dads/Husbands. And the things they do to provide for, and protect those who are 'life itself'! And I don't know about the rest of the world, but us celtic men are probably a bit 'old fashioned' when it comes to the 'providing and protecting' thing. No, now that I think about it, I'm sure it's not just us, I think all Dads/Husbands must be the same the world over. And all Mams/Wives too for that! I just know I would do anything to protect my kin, would suffer any pain if it meant shielding them. Would lay down my life if it came to it, and that is not a boast, just fact. What man wouldn't step in front of his wife or child to take the force of a blow? And I know 'quite a few' people who are like me.

And I can think of one in particular.

18

Our Firstborn turns 18 today.
Was it that long ago already?

Make a Da happy and pop over to KateNap with your good wishes!
It will make her day all the better!

Alan Stivell

Once, when I was a wee young teenage thug bagpiper, I shared a stage with this genius of celtic music, (in France!). I also shared a dinner with him after the concert, he sat on my left, I was in a state of total AWE! My friends had never heard of him, and thought he was just this guy with the weird harp and even weirder eyes! I knew him as a Megastar! (I had, and still have a lot of his stuff on vinyl)!

Will Ye No Come Back Again?

I'm feeling a bit melancholy tonight/this morning, so give a lad a break, yeah?

Closing Time. Hey U.B. You'll Get This...

Feckin' Ash-Cloud!

We're supposed to be flying to Disneyland Paris tomorrow.
But that ash-cloud has reappeared over Ireland.
And some flights have already been cancelled!
Helena, our Youngest, has the saddest face!
Here's hoping the wind changes direction during the night.