MARRIAGES, HORSES AND CARRIAGES.

I am married 35 years today. Oh my goodness, where did the last thirty-five years go? Tony (my husband) would say you get less for murder! 35 years is only one year more than 34, but somehow there is more of a milestone (or millstone?) ring to it! My mind rewinds ... our first date, our first kiss, the proposal of marriage, engagement and wedding days, our first home by the canal in Betchton, Sandbach, moving to Ireland, buying our first and only home, the births of our two daughters, first schooldays, days of first holy communion and confirmation, of school shows, 'birds and bees' chats, taxi-ing them to and from discos, first boyfriends, staying up to until the wee hours of the morning to nurse broken hearts, waiting up when they first learned to drive, trying desperately to stifle the tears when they move out, smiling broadly when they move back in again!

The glossary of the last thirty-five years takes only a few seconds to rewind at speed. The pages from the book of this life are more likely than not, to be opened randomly, without command, by the strains of a piece of music, a  smile, a look, a scent, the discovery of the girls' first pair of shoes when sorting the attic .... or something as simple as .... one word.

Tony, a witty Dubliner, loves to joke and in response to friends' comments re our long marriage and its future, he would say, 'Well we might stay together, but I can't guarantee we'll still be talking!'

I have just spent the last four hours trying to put up some old wedding photos up onto this blasted blog and I am about to scream, because my ass is numb and I have to put on dinner, because when I am at home, I like to have Tony's dinner ready ... he's a hungry horse! If there is a way of stretching or enlarging (and there has to be ... I complicate everything!), I would be seriously grateful if someone would put me out of my misery, because the weeds in the garden are growing up around my ears as I speak.

About horses and carriages. My production of Oklahoma with St. Mary's musical society opens week next Tuesday, May 4th in the White Memorial theatre. Putting all the last minute touches in place. Temperatures and stress levels are rising as per usual at this stage of the proceedings. In the process of trying to get the menfolk to walk and talk like cowboys, my voice has lowered a few semi-tones and I notice that I have become asexual. I am neither female or male... I am the director!  Many musicals possess very frothy, quite shallow story lines. Oklahoma, set against a background of an ongoing war for land between the farmers and the cowmen, could be described as quite simplistic in that it boasts a love story where Curley gets his gal, Laurey, but the inclusion and realization of a poor obsessive and misunderstood Jud Fry, who meets his end, by falling on his own knife, adds a much deeper dimension to the libretto. I am extremely fortunate to have such a talented cast at my disposal, who will most certainly raise the roof with their poignant acting skills and glorious singing of songs like, 'Oh what a beautiful morining', 'People will say we're in love', 'Oklahoma', 'I'm just a girl who cain't say no', and 'Surrey with the Fringe on Top' and many more. I thank them for their hard graft and endeavours and as we say in the theatre, 'Break a leg!'

Will try and get the wedding pics up another time... they're hilarious!

Ciao for now!