The Easter season

Well We made it to Good Friday Mass safe and sound. It was lovely and I plan to make it every year (I should make it every year anyway!!). 

Of course there had to be trouble in our house about going to mass. My sister had to help at mass on Holy Thursday and didn't want to go again on Good Friday. Roaring and screaming for a good hour before hand, I really though my mother would give in and stay at home with her but she didn't. We finally got to mass and even though we didn't all enjoy it, I did.

I read at mass today (Easter Sunday) and the mass went very well. One thing I was disappointed with though was the lack of people at mass. Its really disappointing that some people don't make the effort to go, even on Easter Sunday. Well I guess all we can do is pray for them and try to show them the importance of mass, after that it is up to them to go.

In the Popes Eater message He said "The Resurrection is our Hope". I thought these were good words. The Resurrection is our Hope in a life after death. God showed us through the resurrection that although we may not be physically present our spirit never dies. He let His only Son die so that He could show is His great power, He can raise us from the dead.

I have finally realized that Easter is way better the christmas, no matter what. Easter is a time when the death of Christ happened (and of course the resurrection) but also the birth of Christianity :)

Holy week

Hi Guys,

Well this Holy week has been, so far, so good :). I helped a lot with cleaning etc. and went to adoration  last night (Holy Thursday). I found it really peaceful and relaxing. Although I couldn't make it to the mass I done more than what I usually do during Holy week so I guess thats a start.

We are going to Good Friday Mass at 3pm today. I think it will be nice as, sadly, I cannot remember other Good Fridays when I willingly went to mass and enjoyed the Easter celebration, apart from the eggs.

Tonight We are going to a  relatives house. I'm not really looking forward to it as parents are leaving us there by ourselves, while they visit more relatives and won't be back till all hours and there is a cranky 7 year old who I'm sure will not enjoy being up until 3/4am.

But I suppose thats the way things go so I'll just have to grin and bare it ha!!!

Good advise

A friend gave me this quote a few days ago, 

"Anything is possible if you put your heart and mind into it"

 and it was a really good quote. If you think about it, if you don't believe you are going to get something you won't get it. You won't believe in yourself and you will just keep dreaming on. For example if you dream to live in France but you keep saying "oh that will never happen to me" or "I will just keep dreaming about" it is never going to happen. 

This is the way I lived until I heard this quote. I hope to live in Spain or France, be fluent in spanish and french and raise a good Catholic family there. I kept telling myself that I wouldn't be able to do it. But being realistic it can and hopefully will happen. I mean it isn't an impossible dream I have. If I work hard enough I will be able to go there, Anything is possible if you put your heart and mind into it, before I wasn't putting my heart and mind to it, now I am.

Just thought I'd share the goals I hope to achieve in my life. Hopefully this quote has made a difference to you as it has to me.

Irish Potato Famine Part 1

Part 1: Causes and Contributing Factors

The great famine (in irish "An gorta mor" literally meaning: "the big hurt" or "An Drochsaol" literally meaning: "The bad life") was a period of starvation, disease and mass emigration between 1845 and 1852. During this time the population of Ireland was reduced by 20-25% - Dramatic!! On top of that over 1 million emigrated.

One third of Irelands population was entirely dependent on potato for food. Following reports of potato blight in England  the blight was first reported, in Ireland on the 13th of September 1845.

Also, as England had rule over Ireland all land was owned by the English. Irish tenants rented the land from English landlords. Some of these landlords lived in England and were called "absentee landlords". This made the Irish frustrated as most of their produce went to their landlords in England and they got very little pay for it.

Some families lived on potato and water, had a one bedroom house with no insulation and a bed and blanket was a rare luxury.

This caused tension between the English and Irish. Landlords used their power remorselessly and people lived in dread of them. Many people were evicted because of high rents of not producing enough food. This also contributed  to the effects of the famine as people were homeless too.

Further posts will be up in the coming weeks. Hope you enjoy.

The Irish Potato Famine

OK I cannot do this blog all at once so I will do it in parts

• Part 1: Causes and Contributing Factors
  
• Part 2: Potato blight in Ireland
• Part 3: Governments Response
• Part 4: Emigration 
• Part 5: Aftermath  

Good Idea

Dia Dhuit,

A friend of mine (from down under, OZ) gave me a really good blogging idea. She said seeing as there are so many Irish-Americans and Irish-Australians living around the world and for those who would like to know a bit more about Irish History that it would be useful if I posted blogs on Irish history and things about emigration etc.

I think this is a really good idea. What do you think? I will hopefully start this soon! 

Chicken had her french oral exam today. She said she did brilliant! She was able to answer every question she was asked and the examiner seemed impressed. Chicken didn't think she would do this well but now this has boosted her confidence a lot. Hopefully the two of us will live in France for a bit- putting all this learning to good use!

While we were in the Oratory, in school, practicing for the exam I started to read a children's book on St. Joseph of Cupertino. He seems amazing. I never got to finish the book though, hopefully I will. I really want to boost my knowledge of Saints and their lives, this is a start.

Any comments about the Irish History blogs would be helpful, ideas or specific information anyone wants I will try my best to provide. :-)

Moi et mon examen

Hi again,

Finally I figured out how to make a 3 column blog, thanks to Abby's posts. Thank you Abby :-) But I am having trouble when I get a new template, the things I added to the old template, Patron saint, feejit etc. all get wiped off? Any one have any ideas on how to fix this?

Today I had a french exam, the oral. This makes up 25% of my overall grade. The listening and written parts will be done in june. The oral exam went OK, I kinda messed up the start but once I got into the rhythm of things I flew through it- I hope. 

Chicken is still on crutches, we found out she sprained all her toes-ouch! She gets so many injuries on her right foot, 3 in the past 8 months and all have been serious. Hopefully she will get well soon.

I can't wait until these exams are finished!! Then 3 months off- going to Spain and probably finding a job, then the Leaving Certificate results and hopefully off to College. I can't wait to start college but I will miss the routine of school and seeing all my friends everyday but I'm sure we will all keep in contact! 

These past few days have been good. Chicken and I have been getting on great!! I really hope I don't mess things up again but I am trying my hardest not to. We have gotten close again over the past few days and her trust in me has definitely got back to its original state YAY!!

Her mam is also looking at new houses. I hope she finds a nice one :-). 

Everything else has been going great, except for studying, I really need to make a timetable and stick to it!! I am not the best person to study and knowing me I will probably leave it all to the last week- and I cannot afford to do that! Hopefully over the Easter Holidays I will make a timetables and get a lot done- only 8 weeks left!!