Wilde

17th March 2015 – Day 4 of my ‘Little Irish Adventure’. It’s Saint Patrick’s Day!

IT’s St PATRICK’S DAY IN NEW YORK CITY!

And my day was all the more special.

First thing in the am, Roz and I got to read some Irish stories to children in Mamaroneck’s Montessori – this was tough- not because I am shy at reading in public (as if!) but it is so hard to find an Irish story where it doesn’t end in bloodshed and slaying, or at the very least, curses or banishment.

I didn’t want to scar the little innocents for life!

So we stuck to fairy tales.

Parental responsibility over, Roz and I headed back into Manhattan.

Now, I am the sort of girl that likes to do things a bit differently.

So, NO, I didn’t go to watch the Paddy Parade.

For those out there who expect floats and giant air balloons or acrobats….You would be disappointed – because those type of parades happen on Thanksgiving. (think of the movie ‘Miracle On 34th Street’)

New York Paddy’s Day parades are all about marching bands.

Pre Paraders

Roz and I walked parallel to the parades and took glimpses here and there – but to be honest, we were on a different mission.

By private invitation (cough cough) we were off to Pier 90, where the NYPD were having their own Paddy’s Day celebration.

Where?

What?

Who?

I will let the pictures speak for themselves….

held in a secure location……

NYPD cruising for a bruising

NYPD keeping an eye on the Party

and some amazing music – I promise there WAS dancing

The in house entertainment

and lots of men in uniform

Cuchulain in the flesh!

Who’s got your back!

Friends from San Fran

Guardians of the Peace

best NYPD sandwich ever!

And then we had our own private parade as the NYPD pipe band arrived……

the pipes are calling

Short side view!

I never felt threatened or on constant alert (a natural feeling I get when surrounded by lots of testosterone) as these guys were natural minders.

True gentlemen to the core!

We had a great laugh – the NYPD gang were so welcoming and genuine.

And sure after a couple of beers, I felt we both blended right in!

What an afternoon!

Roz and I were VERY tempted to stay on but, we being good Catholic boarding school girls, and not forgetting we are both married….

we took ourselves off out of temptations way…….lol

After resting some, and strolling along the very pleasant Hudson river walk, in the sharp (and I mean very sharp) air…..

Riverside Rest

…..we linked up with Aileen (who had preformed at the fund raiser)

Aileen (pronounced ‘I-Lean’) has lived and worked for years in NYC -she currently is the Piano Artist Studio Manager working on a fab project Sing for Hope – (she also is a fab musician/song writer) – note the plug Aileen!

Anywaaaays, I know Aileen as my old pal from Kylemore. We have linked up over the years, and until this trip, always on Irish turf.

This was my first time to visit Aileen at her own base – and WOW! If I ever had a ‘far away fields are greener’ moment – this was it! City living is not for everyone but if I was without kids and didn’t own 3 dogs – I would gladly have what she has. Aileen couldn’t live anymore central to the creative world that is the bones of New York. As a writer I had little flashes of what my life could be like if I too lived somewhere similar…..how my writer’s world might be……..I wouldn’t give up my life now that as I have it….I have a fab husband and kids after all…….but if I lived in a parallel one?……..oh well, it might make a nice story someday.

We had a fab evening – it was lovely to see Aileen again, and have her show us a snap shot of what she is up to these days- I was tempted to take lots of photos of her super stylish apartment, but I thought that would have been just plain rude – but I did take a few to capture the evening – so I will let the photos speak for themselves!

: the fluff maestros

: cheese please

: 3 little maids from school

: nice back yard eh?!

When all was done and dusted – it was a truly amazing Saint Patrick’s Day – one I will never forget. A huge thank you to NYPD, and Aileen, for making it such a Paddy’s day with a difference.

Roz and I managed to get home before midnight, and not only that, but managed to get home sober – ish. As Roz had an early start for work the next day (5am),we were both conscious of the late hour.

I too was keen to get some sleep. The next day I was going to be flying solo and heading into New York again for some research. I would be going in wearing with my writer’s hat

– but that my dears, is for the next post…..

My seven year old found my old school diaries. Not that they were hidden for no one to find, just that it was the first time that he took an interest in them.

I have kept diaries, or journals, throughout my life – in fact, without them I don’t think I would ever have considered writing a novel at all. And so I have a big box of diaries that span my teen and young adulthood years (I journal less now that I write as an author).

Only 2 actual diaries have sat on my writing desk for the last 4 years. These two diaries were the background to the writing of ‘K-Girls’, and preparation for the sequel, ‘K-Girls Plus One’. I would have written them in 1984 and 1985, when I was 13/14.

I have to confess, that most pages are typical of a teens worries, thoughts and moans, with the odd love lost or crush.

All the same, for the most part, they are not suitable for a seven year old.

What I find interesting is that neither of my teen daughters ever took much interest in them, and so it came as a surprise that my seven year old son was not only fascinated with them, but wanted me to read them to him, and went so far as trying to sneak them into his bedroom to try and decipher my scrawl on his own.

As a parent third time round, I have learnt though, if you tell a child they can’t have something, they just want it all the more; and so in an effort to stem his new curiosity, I promised to read to him (that way I am in control) some of the pages within.

This has proved interesting to me. Most of the entries are what I would call typical, simple, occasionally cringe worthy, and even funny, on different levels. The best days are the one that, only for the diaries, I would have forgotten about them completely. To a stranger they may not mean a whole lot, but to me the pages draw on distant memory banks, and allow me to dip into my past, raise a smile and reminisce on old times. How cocky I was, how innocent, (and then again, perhaps not), how impetuous, petty, or immature, (some would say I haven’t changed much)

And then I think, hang on a second, is this what blogging has replaced? And facebook? Only as we are sharing our thoughts with the world, do we hold back on our REAL opinion for fear of judgement, ridicule? With journals, the premise is that they are private and so we can CONFESS, without judgement. We can truly speak plainly and openly. OFF THE RECORD as such.

Wasn’t Wilde that said ‘I never travel without my diary – one should have something sensational to read in the train.’

I know certainly that I am trying to be more careful in my blogging, what to say, how to say it, who is possibly reading it, (if anyone). My journals, they have a different sense about them – raw, as-it-is. Warts and all. There is a lot to be said about that I think – I can see that within the diaries, is the forming of my true writing voice – capturing the real feelings of a young teen girl, even if in the 1980’s. Have teens changed a whole lot – you would think I would know having two of them but is the main difference being social media has perhaps indirectly created a censorship to a young person’s voice?

In any case, I thought to share with you my first page in my diaries as a K-Girl – don’t get too excited now, I know my seven year old certainly didn’t.

diary transcript

8-3-’84 – Lent 1st day

Dear Diary,

Since this is my first page I thought i might has well tell you that I most probably wont be able to write every night cause I’m not great at writing every night. I don’t know why I decided to write but I said to hell and took this out and here I am writing this. To-day is the 2nd day of lent and I’ve given up sweets and I have to try and keep it ’cause I usually break it.

I’ve got to go to sleep now ’cause Miss Oakely is switching the light off now.

Good night

Sweet Dreams

Lydia

Lydia Little – creative writer and K-Girl

Memories, Musings & Manifestations

New York- Paddy’s Day with a Difference.

Diaries

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