5 MINUTES WITH - AILEEN

Aileen lives in Magherinture, Buncrana with husband Frank and son Garbhan, who is a trainee electrician. She has been running her highly successful dog grooming company for 6 years after making the decision to leave work and follow her love of animals. Her hard work and determination has paid dividends as she is now fully qualified in the fine art of animal care. Aileen’s Dog Grooming is going leaps and bounds as people from all over the peninsula take their pets in for a shampoo, a brush, a haircut, or to get their nails clipped. If your dog needs some grooming, then you can contact Aileen on (074) 9363873

What music do you like?
I move around a lot in the daytime, so I tend to listen to the radio a lot. I enjoy Highland in the morning but tend to turn over to RTE 1in the afternoon and listen to the Joe Duffy show. It’s always good for uncovering controversies and scandals.

What would you never throw away?
I hoard clothes. I even have them from when I was in my 20’s. I keep thinking I will fit back into them one day.

What book are you reading?
I tend to read more books in winter. I have been three months trying to get through a book called “Cesar's Way: The Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting Common Dog Problems” written by Cesar Millan, who is well known for his National Geographic channel called the Dog Whisperer. The book is a great training program for dog owners.

What was your favourite childhood game?
Rounders. I used to play a lot in Marian Park in Buncrana. The green had four concrete squares set in the ground, which made ideal bases for the game.

Have you been to the cinema recently, what did you see and was it any good?
I was at the cinema about six months ago and for the life of me I can’t remember what I went to see. It obviously wasn’t very good…

What section of the newspaper do you turn to first?
I usually read from the back. I start off at the classified pet section to see what dogs are for sale.

What is your idea of a good night out?
Going for a nice meal and a drink with friends. I love trying new places, the last one was Primavera, the new Italian restaurant in Buncrana.

Have you a favourite TV programme?
Desperate Housewives and Prison Break. There will be a new series of Desperate Housewives out in the winter. It’s so easy to get hooked in.

How do you relax?
I go swimming every morning and enjoy walking the dogs. I have three, Harvey, a Golden Retriever and Gizmo and Chloe who are Lhasa apso’s. I also exercise my horse Merlin whenever I get a free minute.

What job did you want to do when you were a child?
I wanted to be a vet. I loved animals. I remember keeping stray dogs and cats in a makeshift “house” made in a neighbours plot of land, unbeknown to my mother. I would get up early and take the stray cats for a walk in my coat hood.

Where would you like to go for your holidays?
Back to Kenya. I went on safari there a few years ago and went to the National Parks to see the big cats. I would like to see the gorillas in Uganda too.

Your idea of heaven?
Lying on a beach.

Have you ever been asked to groom something unusual?
I got a phone call form a man who wanted me to groom his miniature horse once. I am still not sure if it was a hoax or not… he never rang back.

Favourite animals?
My ultimate favourite has to be dogs, then horses, then cats.

What couldn’t you live without?
My dogs. They give me so much pleasure, especially Chloe (pictured) she is the Queen of the household.

Biggest fear?
Spiders. When I was young a friend and I were in a shed and one crawled up my friends leg. She screamed and flicked it off and I still don’t know where it landed. I had the biggest panic attack….

Biggest thrills?
I love seeing the transformation of a dog before and after grooming. Especially untidy dogs like Rough Collies. They love it too and often do a dance afterwards. Getting the horse onto the beach is another great thrill.

What is your idea of a good night in?
A good film a bottle of wine, with a pizza. It’s a luxury I save for the weekend.

Do you have a hobby?
My job is my hobby and I love what I do. But to get away from everything, I go horse riding.

Biggest disappointment?
I used to ask Santa for a pony every year and was always disappointed to see he hadn’t put one underneath the stairs for me.

Which period in history would you most like to have lived through?
The Wild West in America, just for the horse riding.

World’s most useful invention?
The mobile phone. I would still prefer to live without it but they become so much a part of life.

What do you have for breakfast?
Grapefruit, cereal and fruit.

What is the best piece of advice you have been given?
It was a big step for me to leave work and follow my interest in dog grooming. A few friends told me to go for it…..

Personal philosophy?
Follow your heart.

InishOH! - WATER - EDITORIAL

Magreth McGill is a passionate woman with strong ideals and purpose. I am talking to her about her new business venture with her partners Sharon McGilloway and Robbie Henry. Microwater Ltd is the only Irish provider of alkaline, ionised water -inishOH!

“I want to change people’s water drinking habits” she tells me. “This water tastes better, is better for you and it is local. Never mind being an armchair journalist –get a bottle and see what you think,” she challenges.

The Taste Test
Now I do like my water. I rarely go to the pub as all I ever drink is water, I don’t even have tea or coffee, preferring to drink hot water. It is not something I think about, it is something I do. I nip into Fullerton’s in Buncrana, one of the local suppliers around Inishowen. There are three sizes of bottles and they are slightly more expensive then the other bottled waters. I pick up a bottle and take it to the check-out. “Do many people buy this?” I ask the woman serving me. “Yes, it seems to be going well.” She smiles back.

Back home, I call Julie and we sit down to try it out. I pour two glasses, we pick them up, look at each other and drink in unison. It tastes lighter somehow. “What do you think?” I ask Julie. “It is soft,” she says. “It just slips down the throat,” I comment. We taste it again. Then Julie goes to the tap and pours two glasses of water. There is a definite difference. The taste of the inishOH! is definitely better and it sounds strange, but it is easier to drink.

Health Benefits
Magreth is telling me about a testimonial she got last night from a customer who lives locally and had been suffering with irritable bowel syndrome. This woman tried the water and for the first couple of weeks she felt a bit irritable as the toxins from her bowels were released. Then, after a fortnight, she started to feel much better than she had for years, the symptoms had cleared up and people commented on how well she looked. “This happens because inishOH! is alkanised. ”Magreth explains. “inishOH! can help balance excessive acidity which weakens all our body systems”

Water Cooler Service
Microwater Ltd provide a local water cooler service to businesses and Magreth is keen to promote the benefits of using a local provider. She is passionate about keeping the business local, processing locally, employing locally, supplying locally and providing support to local charities. With all the talk these days about our carbon footprint, it does make sense for local businesses that provide a water cooler service to their employees and customers to look for local suppliers. It also makes business sense to provide water that has health benefits to staff and customers. The water coolers can be rented or purchased from inishOH! and an inclusive price includes delivery, installation, maintenance and cleaning.

Local Charities
Five cents from every bottle of inishOH! purchased goes to local charities. “We like to target charities like the kidney foundation or a children’s charity or with a sport emphasis” Magreth explains. “Charity begins at home, so we want to keep the money in the local community.”

Body’s Choice
As I re-read the article, I feel a little thirsty. Both glasses of water are sitting beside the computer. Without even noticing or thinking about it, I watch my hand deliberately choose the inishOH! glass. My body knows what is good for it!

WISDOM OF THE WORLD - WEEK 30

The Empty Boat

If a man is crossing a river

And an empty boat collides with his own skiff,

Even though he be a bad-tempered man

He will not become very angry.

But if he sees a man in the boat,

He will shout at him to steer clear.

If the shout is not heard, he will shout again,

And yet again, and begin cursing.

And all because there is somebody in the boat.

Yet if the boat were empty,

He would not be shouting, and not angry.

 

If you can empty your own boat

Crossing the river of the world,

No-one will oppose you,

No-one will seek to harm you.

 

Chuang-tzu

Delicious Baconated Sandwich

I needed an intro to a food article, so I decided to list the ingredients instead of starting off a story about how I saw some impressive bacon food item or was hungry and invented a sandwich:

- 2 toasted white bread slices
- butter to cover one slice
- provolone cheese to cover the other
- glob of mayonnaise covering butter
- bacon bits dumped over cheese
- combine into one sandwich

[Baconated Sandwich]

The butter gives the sandwich the familiar taste of buttered bread, which makes me think, "I know this; it is familiar to me.", leading me on to feel safe about the forthcoming powerful taste of the provolone cheese. The more subdued buttered toast flavor has been lost around this point, which is good, because this allows the bread to not interfere with anything else but only act as the vessel for the insides. The bacon will now take effect. Since it is crumbly, it has intermingled with the mayonnaise a bit, giving it a somewhat creamy feel, but still bacony. The active flavors sort of alternate between cheese and bacon for the remainder of the sandwich. I'm not going to try to be cool and say it was disgusting eating this. It was delicious. I hope to eat more baconated food items in the future.

WORLD HEART DAY 2008

“It’s never too early, or never too late to start looking after your heart” Shahryar Sheikh, President of the World Heart Foundation.

The Irish Heart Foundation recommends that: “children and young people should aim to participate in activity of at least moderate intensity for one hour every day”

Be a role model. Children learn by watching what their parents do. Show your child that you enjoy and value activity by taking part yourself - even simple things like walking short journeys instead of using the car can have a big influence.


WORLD HEART DAY 2008



KNOW YOUR RISK
World Heart Day is the most successful international campaign against heart disease and stroke. The World Heart Federation, based in Geneva, Switzerland, created the annual campaign in the year 2000 to increase public awareness of the growing threat of heart disease and stroke. This year the World Heart Day is on Sunday the 28th of September and their message is: “Know Your Risk!" The aim is to let the public find out what they can do to reduce their risk to the disease.


POSITIVE MESSAGE
Heart disease and stroke is the world’s largest killer, claiming 17.5 million lives a year. The good news is that heart disease is largely preventable and that simple, affordable steps can be taken to reduce the major risk factors.

The message of World Heart Day is a positive one and emphasizes the importance of a heart-healthy lifestyle to leading a better, longer life.

LOOK AFTER YOUR HEART

Healthy eating
The key to healthy eating is to eat a wide variety of foods. Using the Food Pyramid as a guide will help make sure you get all the vitamins, minerals and goodness you need.

Get active
Regular physical activity is one of the main factors that reduces your risk of heart attack, along with not smoking and having a healthy level of blood pressure and cholesterol. Being active is the one factor that you can influence and change yourself without medication or treatment, and usually with very little cost. All it takes is about 30 minutes of aerobic activity most days, such as brisk walking, swimming or dancing. You can include household tasks such as cleaning the house and gardening.

Stopping smoking
You know the dangers and can feel it destroying your health.

Weight loss and heart disease

Being overweight means that your heart has to work harder to pump blood around your body. This extra pressure can cause wear and tear on your heart and blood-vessel system. Many people who are overweight for a long time develop high blood pressure or diabetes.

High blood pressure

A person with high blood pressure feels well, looks well and rarely has any symptoms. However, high blood pressure makes the heart and arteries work harder, causing damage over the years.
Watching your cholesterol level Having high cholesterol levels in your blood is one of the risk factors, which increases your chances of getting heart disease. One of the best ways to prevent heart disease is to keep your cholesterol at a healthy level.

Stress and the heart

If you feel stressed, your blood will produce more hormones. Although they are useful in small amounts, too many of these hormones, continuously and over time, can damage your arteries and may lead to high blood pressure.

Only you can change the way you react to stress.

DID YOU KNOW?

Approximately 10,000 people die each year from cardiovascular disease. The largest number of these deaths are caused by heart attack (5,000).

There are over 4,000 chemicals in a cigarette. Once you stop smoking your health improves immediately and you begin to reduce your risk of heart disease.

A recent Irish survey showed that: 34% of men and women had high blood pressure but were not on medication to control it. 18% were on medication but their blood pressure was still high. Only 40% of Irish men and women over the age of 45 had normal blood pressure levels.

By 2025 it is estimated that 1.5 billion people, that’s one in three people around the world could have high blood pressure if preventative steps are not taken soon.

High blood pressure rarely causes any outward symptoms.

You can get your blood pressure checked at your local medical centre.

5 MINUTES WITH - KATHRYN O'CALLAGHAN

Originally from Dublin, Kathryn O’Callaghan has been living on the outskirts of Carndonagh for three years with Seamus (her partner) and her two children. Kathryn got involved with the Inishowen Gospel Choir and it’s sister group, the Specular Choir when it began and their popularity has grown to such an extent that most of her time is spent managing the group. Their highlights this year include a recent appearance at the green Futures Field at Glastonbury and critically acclaimed performances with Duke Special and Foy Vance. They have also travelled to France, Poland and England and just returned from a spot in the Spiegel Tent in Dublin at the Fringe Festival. Kathryn loves delving into the wonderful world of wacky choirs and is looking forward to their next performance in McGrory’s in Culdaff on the 2nd of October. Billed as A Concert For India it also has performances from the Henry Girls and Spirit of Jazz.

BBC Northern Ireland will be at McGrory’s to film the choir for a programme called “Festival Nights” which will be shown on the 20th October. This is to highlight the Queen’s Festival in Belfast on the 25th October, where they will be performing at a concert called Urban Hymns with an array of special guests.


What music do you like?
All sorts, from blues to jazz, trad to classical, the list is endless.

What would you never throw away?
My children – I’m far too attached to them.

What book are you reading?
I don’t have much time for reading anything other than children’s books. My time is taken up with the family and choir. If I do get a minute, it’s usually to flick through a Homes and Garden magazine.

What was your favourite childhood game?
Repeating every word my friends would say until it drove them demented – I found this fiendishly funny.

Have you been to the cinema recently, what did you see and was it any good?
Kung Fu Panda with my two young boys. I found it surprisingly funny. Anything that manages to make a snake doing kung fu look cool is quite an achievement!

What section of the newspaper do you turn to first?
I usually start at the beginning, unless something earth shattering has occurred, most of my reading time is generally spent on the arts and culture section.

What is your idea of a good night out?
Going to see a good gig with friends. I enjoy any live performance. The last one I saw was La Clique Circus, which is like an old Burlesque show from the 1930’s. It has wonderfully endearing characters like the Norwegian Rubber Man, who passes his body through two stringless badminton rackets and an act called the Naked Man and Woman, who just wandered around the audience.

Most embarrassing moment of your life?
I have a couple. As a child I was helping to groom a horse, when my older cousins pulled a prank on me. I was a bit naïve and they sent me up to the neighbour’s house to ask them if I could borrow a jar of elbow grease! The latest was when we did a gig at Glastonbury near a Permaculture café. We thought it would be a good idea to do an impromptu session among the trees near the Permaculture café but due to space restrictions ended up performing in a bush, literally! It was probably the worst and funniest gig we’ve done to date! Thankfully, we had a few proper gigs over there as well to make up for it!

Have you a favourite TV programme?
Not really, I don’t tend to watch a lot of television. If I look at a screen it’s usually for e-mails.

How do you relax?
Listening to music and gardening. I have just planted a mixed hedge, which should give us a bit of shelter from the North winds when it grows.

What job did you want to do when you were a child?
First, to become a vet, then an artist, then a rocket scientist…I’m still dreaming.

Where would you like to go for your holidays?
Cuba for the history, music and culture – although I’ve heard the food’s a bit dodge so may have to bring a few packed lunches with me.

Your idea of heaven?
Being stuck in a lift with Johnny Depp.

Your idea of hell?
Being stuck in a lift with elevator music playing.

What famous people would you invite around for dinner and why?
Nina Simone so she could hopefully teach me how to sing the Blues in 10 easy steps. The Biologist, Richard Dawkins for a good debate, Jonathan Ross so there’d be no gaps in the conversation and Darina Allen so she could cook the dinner.

Favourite animal?
Anything belonging to the cat family (as long as those over 10lbs are sedated)

What couldn't you live without?
My gorgeous family…and my toothbrush (the former relies on the latter!).

Biggest fear?
Not achieving to the best of my ability.

Biggest thrill?
Ahem…lots, but none suitable to print.

The world's most irritating invention?
Foam containers for hot drinks – a menace to the planet, which also require people to risk life and limb opening them.

What is your idea of a good night in?
Having the famous people mentioned above around for dinner.

Do you have a hobby?
Mmm, it’s called my life.

Biggest disappointment?
Finding out the Big Fella didn’t exist when I asked for a horse for Christmas.

Which period in history would you most like to have lived through?
The period of creation, so I could tell my four year old how it all happened, and generally any period excluding the eighties – I’d rather not have been exposed to such fashion faux pas.

World's most useful invention?
Men and dishwashers in equal measures, they’re both useful and inextricably linked.

What do you have for breakfast?
When I’m feeling healthy – fresh fruit, when I’m not – lots of tea and toast with blackberry jam.

What is the best piece of advice you have been given?
“Always try your best”/”Don’t forget to feed the cat”

Personal philosophy?
Try not to get misquoted by the media.

WISDOM OF THE WORLD - WEEK 29

Living Wide Open:
Landscapes of the Mind

I will not die an unlived life.
I will not live in fear
of falling or catching fire.
I choose to inhabit my days
to allow my living to open me,
to make me less afraid,
more accessible,
to loosen my heart
until it becomes a wing,
a torch, a promise.
I choose to risk my significance,
to live so that which came to me as seed
goes to the next as blossom,
and that which came to me as blossom,
goes on as fruit.

By Dawna Markova