Stirrings 4: In Ireland

Many Irish people of a certain vintage remember the RTE series, 'Glenroe' and the famous catch line, "Is there anything stirring?" See the clip below. https://youtu.be/H9oDBhhuUKk?si=l4XM6yg_QHMfkzQB In that case it was querying a pregnancy. The metaphor of something coming to birth can be seen in W.B.Yeats famous poem, Easter 1916 when he proclaims, "A terrible…

Stirrings 3: In Writing

“Writing can be a true spiritual discipline. Writing can help us to concentrate, to get in touch with the deeper stirrings of our hearts, to clarify our minds, to process confusing emotions, to reflect on our experiences, to give artistic expression to what we are living, and to store significant events in our memories. Writing…

Stirrings 2: Awakening Children to Discovery

Photo by Monstera Production “When individuals are unconditionally accepted and set free to live into their own abilities, skills, and passions, they are more likely to be motivated to contribute from their own natural resources.” - ― Sally Clarkson, Awaking Wonder: Opening Your Child's Heart to the Beauty of Learning Awakening the Wonder: Nurturing Talent, Beauty, and…

Stirrings

Also see https://eileenmoynihan.wordpress.com/kids-and-teens-fan-club/ Photo by Amel Uzonovic Stirrings in Nature At this time of year nature begins to stir, to awaken and come alive. We see birds nesting, flowers and buds on trees opening up, a hint of sunnier days and people getting busy cleaning their houses and tidying their gardens or yards. Inside ourselves…

Joyful Moments 3: In Writing

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio Moments when Writing is a Joy These are my moments: When you get lost in the story or poem you are writing and the words are flowing. When it is fun and it can even make you laugh out loud. When you share your writing with others. When you see readers…

Interview with poet, Thomas McRae: Talking about his life and his new poetry book, ‘Lyrical Revelations’.

Hello Thomas! Tell me a bit about yourself...Where do you live? How old are you? What kind of work do you do?   Hello! My name is Thomas McRae. I'm a poet, author and writer. I recently bought a beautiful one bedroom Co-op apartment in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, NY. I'm 41 years old, single, no kids…

Joyful Moments 2: Fostering them in Children

Photo by Josh Willink The Importance of Joy in Childhood Development This is an interesting blog on the topic https://www.miracle-recreation.com/blog/importance-of-joy-child-development/ I will list the main points. Joy Reduces Anxiety: Joy brings relief from anxiety. Ongoing stressful events trigger feelings of anxiety, especially if those feelings go untreated. Joy Boosts Learning Ability: Ongoing stress weakens a child’s…

Joyous Moments

Also see https://eileenmoynihan.wordpress.com/kids-and-teens-fan-club/ https://ie.pinterest.com/pin/457326537160947333/ Can you Write a Poem of Joy? Write the first line of the poem above... What is joy? write a list of 7 things that mean joy to you Write them as lines in a poem but keep the lines short. I will give it a try... What is joy?Family celebrationBeing…

Mother’s Day: In Ireland

Yesterday, Sunday 10th March 2024, was Mother's Day in Ireland and the U.K. This set me thinking about the importance of mothers in Irish society. The mother is a powerful figure in Irish culture. In various guises from Mother Ireland to the Virgin Mary, mothers symbolise the nation, the struggle for independence and the religious…

Starting Over 3: In Your Writing

Photo by Tima Miroshnichen “Writing a first draft is like groping one's way into a dark room, or overhearing a faint conversation, or telling a joke whose punchline you've forgotten. As someone said, one writes mainly to rewrite, for rewriting and revising are how one's mind comes to inhabit the material fully.”― Ted Solotaroff Rewriting is…