One of these days...

Stay at home Mom I'm at home on a day off today. Waiting for our mattress to be delivered. Ithink this will be the first time in my life I will have my very own mattress - not a hand me down or one (don't think about it) in a flat.

Go on the Yellowbellies Wexford man Niall Griffin will be leading the Irish Olympic Team in the Opening Ceremony on Friday. Of course, that team will be one man fewer than they expected...

A friend writes

"I was hoping you guys could help me 'shore up some loose ends' (a delightful mixture of metaphors from a student's email):

Do members of the various reformed churches send memorial cards? If not, do they send some kind of acknowledgement note? Likewise, what is the status of the memorial card in the UK? Has anyone received any?

What about the non-religious - really this must be the growth area for the producers, so any information here would be great.

Despite the revulsion in which I hold most memorial card 'designs', I really do believe that graphics has a place in the process of mourning, so I'd love if anyone has come across good or bad examples of visual funeral practice to tell me about them."

Any help can be e-mailed to me or left as a comment below. By the way comments can be completely anonymous...

Crawler I know I have been saying it for a long time now but Garman has really started to crawl. Currently he is sitting on my lap attempting to ull recipe books off the windowsill. His particular love is opening and closing doors.

Dublin stinks Even though it lashed rain before 1 Dublin has a vey pungent aroma

For the record I made it into work with time to spare. Himself has been slagging me about the fact that even though I was up and at em at 7 am yesterday I still didn't manage to make it in until after 9.15 am. As Marilyn Monroe said "I've been on a calendar but never on time" Other quotes about punctuality.

Beautiful day It's a gorgeous day in Dublin. For the first time since we moved I cycled into work along the canal. As Garman was staying at home, I didn't need to go via the creche. Cycling along the canal in the sun: it felt like I was in another country or in a film. Beautiful, tranquil and green.

The Life This is the life: sitting in the back garden, barbecue hotting up, a slight breeze blowing, glass of white wine by my side and Himself making the dinner. He shouldn't be really as he is feeling a little under the weather. Hardly surprising as he was working until all hours all last week.

Oh cluck! I am at home with Garman. He may have chicken pox. Anyone who visited us over the weekend should be wary if they haven't had it before. However, I have discovered that contrary to popular belief adults exposed to chicken pox don't automatically get shingles: shingles are not conagious; they are a reactivation of the virus that has lain dormant in the adult since a previous infection by the varicella-zoster virus. Anyway it doesn't seem to be doing Garman any harm at all. He's chilling out here beside me while I try to work.

In the hood Crumlin is great. I've met lots of our new neighbours and other people I know who live around the area. For example, yesterday evening Garman and I went out for a walk to bring back our DVD. The local video shop belongs to old friends of mine from DYT days so every time I go in there somebody else I know is behind the counter. Embarrassingly enough I have already managed to desroy one of their DVDs. Then on the way home, who drives past but my brother's friend, his partner and their two kids - she was having a driving lesson apparently. Garman gave them all a big smile!

Surprise Party So Saturday morning I says to Himself, "Why don't we buy a barbeque and invite a few people over?" I figured at that late stage most people would have their Saturday night plans sorted. All this time while we sat at home, being all domesticated, convinced all our peers were out raving it up, it turns out they're all looking for stuff to do too. All jokes aside though it was great to have everyone over to see the new place and I think everyone was well fed: we cooked up lamb kebabs (big thanks to KH for helping make them), mediterranean cous cous salad (the recipe for which is no longer on the BBC website since they dickied it up) and the ubiquitous chocolate fudge dolled up with some strawberries and cream. Himself has just arrived home from London so I gotta go...