Momma used to say…

Admittedly this picture is not an exact likeness of my mother… She’s not blonde. Nor armed. Nor so rude. In fact it’s a complete misrepresentation. Hard to justify at all really.

“What lesson from your mother do you still live by today?” I’m asked. *

There were many good lessons. How well I live by them? Probably wrong for me to judge myself. (Or else I’m too chicken to admit the truth.)

Except for one.

There’s one lesson she taught me that I always keep in mind and live by.

It’s this: V

Advertisement

Happy St Patrick’s Day you mutha…

Not at all like my own Mum. There'd be a tea cosy on that pot for a start. Sunglasses in the house? No way. That colour hair? No. And more importantly, she has no need to pretend on either of the two days in question. OK, end of excessive schmaltziness.

If only all festivals could be this cooperative.

St Patrick’s Day only starts after midday in my English village – in the pub whose owner is married to a Mayo woman, which is run by a Leitrim man and which is frequented by the denizens of Clare, Tipperary and Antrim. Some British people manage to squeeze in too.

The delay is to accommodate Mothers’ Day in the morning. (American mothers are even more accommodating, they mark it on another day altogether.)

So if you’re an Irish mother, you’re welcome all day. On the downside, you may have to put up with plastic Shamrock-tinted tat.

I may drop in myself – just out of politeness… to Mothers.

But beforehand, as is traditional, I’ll link to my all -time favourite St Patrick’s Day joke.

And leave you with this I Spartacus-type short Patrick-themed film

Is it time to see more breastfeeding in public?

Image credit: “Yo Mama” breastfeeding her daughter while sitting with her teammates from the Anarchy Angels Roller Derby Team (photo by Russ Desaulniers) via Avital Norman Nathman.

Is it time to see more breastfeeding in public?

As it’s a good, healthy and natural thing – though not easy for every woman – the answer has to be yes.

Anything or anyone trying to discourage or make uncomfortable a breastfeeding mother strikes me – as Mr T would say – as a crazy fool. As with that TV show you hate – you don’t have to watch.

And as Helen Lovejoy reminds us – Won’t somebody please think of the children? It’s for their good.

So in the spirit of support and encouragement, here are some inspired breastfeeding pictures. They’re from the Blue Milk blog (thinking +