Celtic Ways Tales

I may not have got it, or maybe not, as I think Twitter is what you make of it. Normally, I go online at breakfast time and after my evening meal. Its when I look at my Yahoo reader, Facebook, Reverb Nation, YouTube and Twitter as well as emails.  My favourite moments on both Twitter and Facebook are reading what people are doing, those up to 140 digit microblog announcements. I enjoy the biz announcements as well as the social and day to day comment announcements too.   Some of those announcements get my attention and on Facebook leads me through to links where the announcement can be commented on and sometimes leads to entertaining and even learning discussions in public or private,  and sometimes a biz deal. On Twitter, the whole thing takes place on one page, the announcements and the discussions. I find people on Twitter with very interesting bios so I click to follow them only to have my pages crammed with chat. It takes me awhile to sift through...

Two Worlds is singer harper Claire Roche and John of Celtic Ways We have a two part show, extending from our March 2008 tour in the USA First part is a combination of ancient Celtic stories through folk drama and songs accompanied by harp. These are from our “Seven Tales of Celtic Ways” Second part is a selection of Irish songs and stories by Claire by request accompanied by harp. Sing-alongs are encouraged and lyric sheets will be available. I am also considering travelling with a mobile labyrinth for folks to try out at the break, but that’s just an idea at the moment. We also hope to feature special guests on our travels, especially dancers and story tellers that enhance the show. Here’s the itinerary but several venues are not yet confirmed so please do invite us. We can help you arrange a house concert too. This is my how-to on house concerts March 11th (Wednesday)  Jacksonville or St. Augustine FL (booked)  March 12th (Thursday)...

Two online posts interested me today and, to me, they were very related. They aligned my back to the mission behind the work I do and how I try to go about it. I wonder if this would do the same for you? First was a micro-blog on Facebook by excellent Co. Cork artist, John Ogden, who was asking why he has more friends on his Facebook profile page than fans on his Facebook presentation page. My response was “ because, I think, most people are interested in the person or persons behind the work or business is much more interesting. I think that's wonderful as people, when they are ready, will be attracted to your work because they know something about you rather than being sold something. I bet many folks here would visit your gallery or a travelling exhibition first, same reasons”. One of his fans followed later with a comment that Initialy agreed with the above but emphasised it was seeing John’s paintings first before knowing about the man is what stunn...

Not sure which it is, euro lowering or dollar rising, but the currency exchange rate for USA visitors to Ireland is currently the best it has been for over 5 years. Our fuel prices have come right down which is a huge help with my touring work if it keeps this way and I note airlines have reduced prices because of this too. Not so good for Irish people doing their Christmas shopping in New York and Chicago this year. London and Belfast provide the best rates for Irish people this holiday season. Right now, I can budget a 3 day, 2 night short break starting at around 250 euros and an 8 day, 7 nights vacation starting at around 950 euros A €950 vacation last July cost $1550 but today would cost just over $1200 Those of you who travelled with us last summer spent much more on their vacations. To keep within a 950 euros budget your vacation over 7 nights would have to be split over no more than two hotels and these hotels would have to be geared up for bus tours providing budget yet st...

After my blog, “Twitter and Tea” I feel there is a trilogy to be written here, so here’s part two. After we get going with our work after breakfast, unless we are shift workers, there’s that time after hard work we want to wind down. Some folks go to the pub or bar, but that’s a dwindling habit. A growing habit is to meet in a coffee bar or simply find a quite space in a coffee bar to read something. I do find Facebook is a wonderful virtual alternative for this, as I am not a regular bar person and a decent coffee house or bar is not near by. On top of that my work attracts contacts from all over the world so Facebook is perfect. There are some folks I have invited to Facebook who have not done much there as they have not discovered it. Its like buying a new digital camera with all of those buttons. However, if you take a break every day or two and focus on what just one button does on the camera, within a couple of weeks you’ll become a digital...

Now that our Labyrinth Garden is “active” with around 200 trees planted, winter heathers, colourful ivys, herbs, winter flowers, bulbs sown for spring, and the first of sculpture pieces folks are trying it out, but asking me “what is it?” There’s still quite a lot of work to do as the walkway is still bumpy and pathways from the cottage and theatre to the labyrinth entrance have to be levelled. Part of the outer circle also subsided, which I am delighted about as it is an excuse to create a bridge feature to return the balance. There is a fire feature and I hope to build a water feature during January, or maybe on nice days in December. As I have not had the quality time to create photos and video, which I would prefer to delay until the trees begin to bud for spring, I searched YouTube to see who else has a Labyrinth Garden. I only really found one that was genuine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJub3-ul5lQ This is a beautiful production, would l...

As internet use evolves and new applications appear, so does my daily routine. I am sure it must be the same for you readers. Mornings use to start with answering some emails and checking out web links sent by email. Then blogging came along so mornings commenced with checking out my blog reader, and Yahoo reader is still my favourite though the Google reader is getting my attention.  Next MySpace got priority as a social site, but Facebook soon took over. Now its Twitter that gets priority. My morning routine now is usually light the turf fires, put on the kettle and porridge and with the first tea made open up the laptop in the kitchen check out what’s being posted on Twitter, then make my comment, a micro blog of my day ahead or sharing a link or two that fascinates me and may intrigue my followers. This morning I followed a twitter link posted by writer Nick Daws to a TwitTip blog post by Darren Rowse from ProBlogger. How Darren and Nick find the time to wr...

As I am overweight and meet many people of my age experiencing heart problems and are already on daily heart medicines I tend to think a lot about my heart health. At present I am grateful that my days usually now include some gardening, mainly with the labyrinth, or walking hills and country paths to hidden ancient sacred sites. I am sure this reduces my heart problem risks that may come from being overweight. So far, thorough health checks have shown no problems present or developing. However, I have just read an article that may explain the real reason why I can be grateful for not having heart problems yet. More than gardening and hiking I tend to laugh a lot and listen to music I enjoy. I was overjoyed to read this article that explains in simple language a research that revealed why music we enjoy and laughing are so essential in our lives.   http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27666479/ Of course this is not foolproof. One exception is the remarkable pianist...

Early this morning, while making and enjoying breakfast, I was listening to a documentary about Dublin’s Abbey theatre on the radio, Ireland’s RTE1. A statement made was that theatre, and now films, in Ireland are made and presented in the image of W.B. Yeats, a mix of politics, occult, mythology and courage, served with some healing humour where possible. Now I think we can add community because it needs community to support the creation and continuity of theatre and even irish made films. As I was listening to this, eating breakfast and looking out towards a beautiful sunrise, which was lighting up our labyrinth garden being created, it dawned on me that this labyrinth is theatre and the land it sits on is a tapestry. I was warmed with an inner pride of being able to create an “art” that was also providing life and purpose to the soil it sits on. In time I look forward to the joy it may serve to visiting birds, insects and may...