I am now in the process of taking down my sites on the Ning platform. This is based on an email from Ning notifying me that they will no longer offer free service after July. We have our own "paid for" websites so it would be rather stupid to pay for the Ning sites. My Ning sites are:

Paddy's - Fayetteville, NC
Shamrock & Roll With Paddy & Bill
Fayetteville NC Area Music Scene

Most functions of these sites will now be on the respective websites. The events/shows will be posted on respective calendars. My only regret is that we will no longer have a place for you to post your fan photos. Those sites are:

Paddy Gibney Portal Page
Paddy & Bill
Paddy's Irish Pub
Fayetteville NC Area Music Scene

Thanks for your support.

Announcement From Ning

In July, we will roll-out three new pricing plans and begin phasing out our free service. Many of you chose the Ning Platform to build your communities because it’s the easiest to use, has the most reliable performance and easily scales to hundreds of thousands of members. Our shift to a paid service model will enable us to focus to a greater degree on enhancing the features, performance and services we offer to our paying Network Creators.

Just barely but I DID survive. I learned that 8 consecutive hours of 'partying' is a little much when you are in your seventies!!! You think maybe?? This was my ninth St Patrick's Day with Paddy & Bill and the first that I had to give up before the festivities were over. Lesson learned for next year!!!!!

I got hundreds of shots yesterday so it will be a while before all are edited and online. I have finished the show that Paddy & Bill did for the residents of Carolina Inn and they are now online - Click Here To View

I did get a couple of the shots from the pub uploaded to Facebook. I particularly wanted to get Paddy & Bill's toast to our military boys and girls on there. I got quite a few shots during the playing of the national anthem but boy my blood was boiling by the time I viewed all of them. I cannot believe the number of people who are so disrespectful to this country. Years ago we made a point to add the photos of those who were disrespectful to the slideshows and it seemed to work. I think I just may try that again. Seems to me that people could wait to play with their phones (texting or whatever) until after the anthem is over. And what about those who are constantly posing for the camera. Give me a break! Best I can remember you are supposed to stand at attention with your hand over your heart (well, in the pub you lift your pint or whatever). Hands in your pockets, slouched against the wall or whatever, reading a book, playing with the phone are all a BIG no-no in my book. Bottom line is that you just may see some not-so-nice shots of yourself on our slideshows!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh well, enough ranting and raving. One more thing......take note this is MY blog, not Paddy & Bill's, and it reflects my opinions, not theirs.

When I was first diagnosed with diabetes (about 10 years ago) I did not have a clue what it meant. Of course I had heard of "sugar diabetes" all my life. Now I learn that there is no such thing as sugar diabetes; it is, plain and simple, diabetes (well, diabetes mellitus). There is Type I diabetes and Type II diabetes. I have type II (most often diagnosed in older folks). The first thing I did back then was get online and research this 'thing'. Back then the Joplin Institute at Harvard University was the place to learn everything you ever wanted to know about diabetes - what it is, how to control it, etc.

I developed a 'plan' and within 6 months I was taken off medication with my blood sugar in control. I was told that it would probably flare up again and it did.......about 4 years later. Well, back in November I started feeling not so good and could not figure out what was wrong. I had not checked my sugar in a bit so decided that I should rule that out. Well, I found out that it was getting up there!! Clearly ;my 'plan' was no longer working so I am now working on a new 'plan'. That means back to the kitchen to develop recipes that will work for me.

I am leaning more to soups for now because I just simply do not want to spend much time in the kitchen. I have much more fun things to do than cook for one. I can make a large pot of soup, seal it in canning jars for the fridge, and eat for days!!!! Things are looking good right now but it will take a while to be sure that I am back on track.

Most soup recipes call for either potatoes, rice, or pasta and I cannot eat any of those things. I use finely shredded cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, okra, edame in lieu of lima beans, and dried beans. Works for me and really tastes pretty good. I will be adding the recipes to my website as I go along - Click Here

Have to get moving. I have a business meeting this afternoon and my office is a wreck so guess I should at least organize things a bit better.

See you next time.

Well, look who it is!!!! It's about time, don't you think? Let's just say that I have been more than a little busy and the holidays didn't help me out much either!!

Anyways, I was trying to clean my office this morning when I came to the realization that it just may not be "my office" so I took a few pics for you to see exactly what I mean.


Scooter brought this for me to wear to "Uncle Paddy's"!!!! Cute, huh?

This is my space........and it is about ALL I get out of this HUGE room. Go figure!!

That's right. I have a fireplace in "my" office but I am not too sure about the supplies on the hearth!!

This is the "Irish" corner. Wonder who that would be for!!


Not to complain though. I have lots of fun with Scooter's supplies when he is around.........well, except for those little, bitty Lego blocks. Man, I wish those things would disappear. (Maybe they will!!)

Oh well, back to cleaning. Now that's a job I could do without but somebody has to do it! Or, do they?

Been a while since I was here. I was having a bit of trouble with spammers, phishers, etc so decided to go away for a while with the hopes that it would take care of the problem. It has been "clean" now for a few months so now to see if they will come back when I post!!

During that time I have been very busy with all the sites. When Paddy left for Ireland a few weeks ago I put all of his stuff in a basket and did not touch it again until yesterday. I did work on some of my personal photos during this period. Of course most of them are of Scooter going back to June!!!!! Get to see photos of my birthday thingy; aren't you lucky!

This is what I have put online today:

Green Beret Baby Slideshow - June-September 2009
Green Beret Baby Slideshow - November 2009
Green Beret Baby Slideshow December 2009
Green Beret Baby Slideshow December 24, 2009
Green Beret Baby Slideshow December 25, 2009 (Lots more to come on this one.)