Platinum Clubhouse - October 2005 Newsletter

WE WISH OUR American Visitors, Steve and Jack, a safe trip back home to the U.S.A. Our thoughts are with all the members of Clubhouses in America, who have suffered as a result of the Hurricane Katrina. The coffee morning held in the Clubhouse to raise funds for the victims of the hurricane was a major success. We advise all members to be careful this month if out late at night, as this is the season of the witch. Members going on the weekend away to Killarney, are looking forward to the trip. My advice is to go there early and have a long relaxing weekend away. Thanks to all the members and staff who helped get ready for the Clubhouse Accreditation. Happy Halloween.

It is a while since we heard from this unit. As usual it is a busy unit and it is the heart of Platinum Clubhouse. Members and staff come and go through this unit all day. First thing in the morning members and staff meet for breakfast and a general chat among themselves and I like to remind you that anything goes in the chit chat. Lunch is prepared every day, baking is done, cleaning and ordering is completed by members and staff. Members and staff plan menus, discuss how items are ordered and prepared. Of late, we have organised a healthy eating day and this takes place every Wednesday. Most members enjoy this venture, and are delighted to add this venture to the wellness programme. There is lots of up date information available in our housing unit and some members are in the process of plans for housing and rented accommodation. All of Platinum would like to thank some constant familiar faces seen in catering: Lynda, Roisin, Brid, Patrick, Peter & Stephan C. If you are familiar with our newsletter you will have seen many recipes from the catering unit. We will not be putting in one this month as we are planning some exciting ones for Christmas. Oh its not far away, so watch out for our ideas.

Halloween is here again this year
so beware of this scary night
as soon as the darkness draws near
many spirits will drool with the fright.

Strange faces call to each door looking
for apples & nuts at their fill these
little monsters we so
much adore shall inhabit the night a shivery chill.

They will sing songs with great fun
and celebrate the night until late the night
will not be over and done
until the bonfire is burning great.

Kids will dance and play around and round
while the stars at night shine in glory,
fire works blaze from the sodden ground
while the spell of the night tells its story.

Witches and monsters have all again
arose with this festive night full of cheer,
a child’s imagination certainly grows
on this special night they hold so dear.

Thursday 6th Mystery Tour of Kildare
Fri 14th-Sun 16th Killarney Weekend Away
Friday 28th Employment Dinner Sallins or Kildare Town
Please contact the Clubhouse for further information on any of the socials

Silly Season

I thought we had passed the ‘silly season’ when the press will write about anything but it seems in Ireland we have lots of silly seasons. At the moment we have the pre-winter, pre-Christmas one. It is a time when the Dail are thinking about going back to session, the parents of the country have just realised that all the books and clothes they paid good money for with a lot of heartache and scrimping, just won’t do the next child in line. Now each child is assertive and very much demanding in their own right and tastes. Just for a start they demand a new MP3 player as well as designer backpack and mobile phone – while the parents were thinking about the essential requirements for the New Year in the ‘free’ school – like books and school uniform!

That silly season coincides with the realisation that we have to worry about keeping warm for the winter just as it is announced that all fuel costs have gone up, even the drop of petrol for the school car. Yes it can be a frantic time of readjustment to new challenges. We really need to celebrate ‘The Fall’ and have a Harvest Festival and try to celebrate this madness like in other countries, at least for sufficient time to dull the premature dawning of Christmas and “real” winter. I noticed there was a sort of silly season in Galway-before they lost the match. It had nothing to do with the crowds at the Galway races but more to do with all those fishing rods recently sold in “Lidl”. The mackerel came in, chasing the sprat all along the coast from Salthill to Spiddal. Talk about road rage! There was ‘rod rage’ at the pier in Spiddal. There were many mackerel caught but many rods tangled and baits got lost and each corner for a rod was viciously guarded. Such was the excitement for this very transient and fast paced arrival that not only the mackerel overdid the excitement in this ‘Galway silly fishing season’. It is at full tide only over a few nights and then it is all over! Best Lydia

Employment News

A lot has happened this month in the employment unit. Job development continues on with more sites hopefully in the pipeline. Mary has been working hard to secure another T/E site in the town so we should have more good news in the next edition. Congratulations to Patsy who has recently started a T/E in K.C.S.E. in Kilcullen. We now have three members out on T/E with another site open and waiting for interested members. We will soon be looking for a bigger employment notice board as we now have 10 members in supported employment and 19 in independent employment. On the education side two members started back in College and VTOS in the last few weeks and there are 4 more in supported education elsewhere. The employment team are working on job and education profiles for many interested members, so watch this space for breaking news.

Hurling Final

The all Ireland Hurling series came to an Anti-climatic end on Sunday when Cork proved to be too strong for a young Galway side. From early on it was evident that there would be one outcome to this match, as Cork always led and Galway were always playing catch –up. The game was no classic and from a neutral point of view more than a shade disappointing. It was Cork’s 29th time to lift the McCarthy cup. Cork players always seemed to be first to the breaking sliother and won the majority of the mid-field battles. Next year who knows Cork again? Waterford might make the break-through or perhaps Kilkenny might awaken from its slumber. Sport is the glorious uncertainty.

Pierce

Could You Believe It

Saint Kevin, founder of the Monastery at Glendalough, was one of the oldest people ever to live in Ireland. He died on June 3rd, 618 ad, at the age of 120. Because an octopus has no bones, a large one weighing up to 70 pounds could squeeze through a hole the size of a Hurling ball. Taiwan is the largest exporter of mushrooms in the world. Kildare was the first ever county to win the Sam Maguire Cup in Football. The captain of the team, Squires Gannon is buried in the graveyard in Kildare town. Pilatre De Rozier was the first man ever to fly. He flew for 25 minutes and 6 miles by balloon, over Paris at 2 pm, on 21 Nov, 1783. Two years later, he was killed trying to fly across the English channel. Jenny Pitman was the first woman ever to train the winner of the Aintree Grand National. The name of the horse she trained was Corbiere. An Irishman by the name of John Barry was the founder of the America Navy. Westmeath won their first ever Leinster football title in the year 2004. The question is how long will it be until the next one.

A politicians wife was worried about him when he was not home by midnight. She wired five of his political friends: “Joe has not come home. Is he spending the night with you?” Almost immediately after sending the telegrams her husband returned. An hour later she got five telegrams reading: “Yes. Joe is spending the night with me.” “What’s a democracy?” one worker asked the other. “Let me give you an example”, said the second. “You are standing in the rain at the street corner and the boss comes along in his Rolls Royce, stops, picks you up, brings you to his house, lets you take off your clothes and dry them at a blazing fire then gives you a beautiful meal with the best of wine and brandies, and because it’s so wet, lets you stay the night. That’s democracy for you.” “I bet that never happened to you.” “No but it happened a few times to my sister!” Woman: “Well I know I give my family a well balanced diet.” Friend: “How’s that?” Woman: “One day my husband complains and the next day my children do.

First of all I would like to thank the Clubhouse, without them it would have been impossible. I got the train up to Howth and arrived at about three o’clock. I was lucky with the weather it was really nice. The hotel and food were nice. My room was very big it had a double bed as well as a single bed, TV and en suite. The walks along the cliffs are most enjoyable and the views are magnificent. As I went on the 29th of August the season was just over so there weren’t that many people there. I was the only one in the sea and it was absolutely freezing. I only saw two or three people walking along the sand. It felt like my own private beach. I went to Bray for the day. It was very stony and it wasn’t as nice as Howth. I enjoyed sea world. It was interesting seeing all the different species of fish. All in all I had a great holiday. It was very relaxing and I would recommend it to anyone who just wanted a relaxing holiday.

Get Well wishes to: All our members who are unwell.

Birthday Wishes: Elizabeth, Martina, Mary, James, Kieran, Roisin, Linda, Darren, Desmond, Lydia, Siobhan.

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