Going out for a cycle today...

Just too good an opportunity to miss and I'm so getting back into it now that the weather is milder and spring seems to have sprung!! The last cycle ride it took me a few miles to get into my stride and the muscles were feeling it, but little-by-little I'll get back into cycle-fitness. A lovely way to see the countryside and the animals that you often miss from a car!

Happy ST.PATRICKS DAY everyone...!

Just to wish all my friends and family a very happy ST.PADDY'S DAY today. How I wish I was in Dublin or Boston or New York where they throw the best of party's!!

A little OLD FASHIONED with a Paddy Twist to boot!! (Cocktails)

This is an OLD-FASHIONED Whiskey & Soda cocktail, Paddy Style!! Accompanied by my home-made Dark Chocolate Ganache dip with fresh red chilli, to dip those wedges of fresh mango, strawberries and water melon into...yum-YUM!! Enjoy and <>

Charlie & the Chocolate Factory

From the Children's book by Roald Dahl (although most of us adults suspect that we were included as part of the audience too!). Charlie goes into the Sweet Shop to buy a bar of chocolate and gets 'more than' he bargains for!! Then the ADVENTURE BEGINS...

PADDY and the JERSEY BOYS...

Many of you probably don't know that when I was in Chicago last March, it was absolutely 'freezing!!' Those cold mid-western winds just come off the lake and are funnelled down the grid patterned streets and make 'light work' of a young Irishman like myself!! So on making my way back to the hotel on a cold evening, I passed by a theatre that was showing the musical, THE JERSEY BOYS (The story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons). I popped into the foyer to get warmed as much as anything, but on the offchance (it was 7pm and the show was starting at 7.30pm) I went to the Box Office and asked if they had any last minute 'reduced' tickets, and THEY DID!! I bagged an excellent seat at a really low cost and had a BRILLIANT night's entertainment to boot!! so, YES, I can hightly recommend going to see THE JERSEY BOYS if you ever have the chance!! I never knew they were responsible for so many classic hits!!

	Frankie Valli - Who Loves You .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

	Frankie Valli - December, 1963 .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

To my Uncle Joe...

Uncle Joe served with the Royal Air Force (RAF) during WWII and some later conflicts too. He also worked on Crete with Special Operations Executive (SOE). I inherited an old cardboard box with loads of photos of him in the RAF. Since then, I have been invited to a Squadron Reunion and met some of the old aircrew who remember him. I've made this little amateurish collection of photos put to music (Music is called Tennessee).

Just heard this piece from Romeo & Juliet (film)

It's the 'Balcony Scene' composed by Craig Armstrong. I heard it on my favourite Classical Music radio station, and just fell in love with it as soon as I heard it.
Anyway...I've just added a few of my 'own' chosen photos to fill the space as you listen to this piece...

	Craig Armstrong - Balcony Scene .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Springtime in Paddy's Garden...

It seems that Spring has come 'on the dot' of March 1st..! Amazing...I KNOW!! Too often this early splendid Spring lulls both people and animals into a sense of false hopes and security, only for blizzards to quickly follow. But as long as the sun is shining (and 'yes..' there is still a pretty hefty NIP in the air) I'm making the most of getting out, tilling the soil and preparing the ground for this year's mega vegetable and herb planting session. Something about fresh veg and herbs that is hard to beat when cooking up something tasty in the kitchen!! So here's a little 'taster' from the garden today...



Music background is from Vivaldi's Four Seasons (the Spring movement - coincidentally not).