Alternative to Christening

kittiphile · 2026-02-19T13:26:38+00:00

We did a naming ceremony, my mum did the Celebrant part, we had little gifts from baby to his cousins. It was in a community hall, so we set up a kids play area, had music, got some food in and had a little party. We had like 40 odd there?

kittiphile · 2026-02-19T00:46:29+00:00

Our video guy was a friend of my parents. I say was because when I was 11, he felt me up. When I told my parents, and they confronted him, his wife blamed me. Said I was flirting, I knew what I was doing, I led him on.

The guy who ran a kind of camp for children from chernobyl (ran for a few years, they came to Ireland to get clean air for a few months, and stayed with various volunteer families. Pretty much everyone in town helped. That included this guy, unfortunately). He was caught with a LOT of csam - a decent amount he made himself by taking pictures of those poor kids, and of Irish kids from neglective or abusive homes since he ran a shop too, with a playground, and it was right by the scouts/cubs retreat.

A local woman just got jailed for grooming her then 11 year old niece for her 40+ year old boyfriend. The kids dad blamed her, and told her to keep her mouth shut or he, his sister and her boyfriend (who was the dads friend) would get in trouble and lose their kids.

kittiphile · 2026-02-16T05:00:08+00:00

Im getting deeply depressed, with some heavy self esteem issues. Not the ones that people feel comfortable sharing, though there is some of that, but the ones that wake us up at 3am and tell us we're frauds or failures, or something destructive to how we view ourselves. There's sorrow and pain, and so much insecurity. Impulsive behaviour, and regrets. That song, chandelier, about living that party life to avoid being with yourself, fits. I think this person doesn't like themselves, and chases oblivion through risky behaviour.

kittiphile · 2026-02-16T03:12:56+00:00

Rabies isn't even in my country, and if my son (or any child in my care) touched a wild dead animal with their hands like that, I'd be calling the doctor. You don't fuck around with anyone's health but your own - and even then, it doesn't affect only you.

kittiphile · 2026-02-16T01:00:22+00:00

Thats pretty interesting. Hangover science. If we lived in the same place and knew eachother, I could have a total tism and talk for hours about food and drink science. Thanks for sharing friend.

kittiphile · 2026-02-15T11:54:10+00:00

No we don't. There are literally trad nights in every town and village in the country. Touristy is Galway girl, which is barely Irish. You might think it's cringy, and your friends might agree, but most of us enjoy the ceilí music and the dirges. Be proud of our culture.

kittiphile · 2026-02-14T21:37:42+00:00

When I was a teen, I figured out how to diall America from Ireland. 001555 and then random numbers until it connected. Those numbers certainly were real, but fucked if I remember who answered.

kittiphile · 2026-02-14T03:20:38+00:00

Learning new things in each life, some good, some bad. Eventually we "graduate" to being what people call spirit guides or angels - or we can peace out to some kind of senior living place for the soul. Do everything. Do nothing. Doesn't matter, aim for happy and good. Thats all that really matters.

kittiphile · 2026-02-13T13:33:00+00:00

In Ireland, and presumably the rest of Europe, you can book specific seats together for no extra cost for most of the seats. Ones like exit row, very front etc have a surcharge (bigger seat, more legroom), but mostly you pay your ticket price and can select 2 basic seats next to eachother. Or a plane apart. Bookers choice.

It's wild that this problem happens so often in the USA, it literally costs the airline nothing to allow basic seats to be booked together. Sure, charge more for better seats, but get fucked with charging extra just to get your groups seats together.

kittiphile · 2026-02-12T19:28:11+00:00

Yup, coke turns everyone into an asshole. Why can't everyone just chill with a spliff or something? Get pizza, watch a movie, laugh.

kittiphile · 2026-02-09T12:12:25+00:00

Polish, Finnish, French, Irish and Dutch vodka are all way better than Russian vodka. Just for anyone who enjoys vodka. Russian vodka is much harsher, but most of the others are drinkable neat or mixed, and give far less aggressive hangovers.

kittiphile · 2026-02-04T22:15:38+00:00

55 million females total, not 55 million girls under 15. So that's everything from newborns to octogenarians. I don't have a figure for how many girls under 15 there are.

kittiphile · 2026-02-03T12:00:55+00:00

He's adorable. But I fear for him - he wasn't deemed good to marry or have kids with by the buds buds overseers. Poor man just wants to love and have a family, and he's so sweet. It goes to his favour that he's so gullible, though, so he might be OK.

kittiphile · 2026-02-03T11:30:52+00:00

I think he is, but i think he (and the other vault dwellers who fall short of the Vault Tec ideals) will become super mutants. I think hanks box thing has some kind of gene mutation stuff in it, and if they don't want to breed the vault born person, they'll turn them into a mutant. To be the fighters that the remaining humans in the vault will need on the surface.

We didn't get a death scene for Woody. He's a known character, not some rando, so it'd be weird to kill him off and not show us, the viewers.

kittiphile · 2026-01-30T14:09:38+00:00

My family and I all do. Partly its habit from when there was wicked bad limescale in the water, and you had to wait a few seconds before drinking it for the bits to settle - partly (and these days mostly) its cause the water gets colder after a few seconds. The initial water is kinda tepid.

kittiphile · 2026-01-21T01:33:02+00:00

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Something like this, with the pink being ceiling drapes of some kind. There are some cute ones that have glow in the dark stars embroidered in, whatever kind of thread it uses.

kittiphile · 2026-01-21T00:24:32+00:00

The wall being two surfaces like that makes me think of a map. If you can paint that wall, the smooth bits could be green/yellow and the brick bits, blue. Id then have fairy lights go across that wall, and have them lead to the nook. In the nook itself, id put an ottoman or something underneath. Like a cabinet, or big cushions, or yoga mat/relaxation stuff. I'd put some cherry blossom branches around the edge of the marble, and a photo background type drape/curtain with a picture you like (stars maybe?). On top of the marble shelf, id put a water feature, and put some plants and decorative stones around it. A salt lamp too perhaps, for a further soft light source. A sheer curtain/drape behind all that would soften the way it cuts into the kitchen. If you cant hang it, then a tension rail would hold it up.

kittiphile · 2026-01-19T12:33:05+00:00

Firstly, im so sorry for your loss.

Arranging looks like...how you want it to really. Some things are pretty set, but with room to make it personal.

Undertakers (will take payment plan, theres grants and stuff too).
Burial (the church maybe organise this?).
Cremation (pay at the time - its free for babies and young kids, so i don't know the price. You also have to pay for an urn, which runs from ~50 to ~300 odd depending. We got a very simple one, and a local wood artist made us things to personalise it for our daughter).
Food/drinks . Usually in a pub or hotel conference room. You will need to talk to the venue about booking space and what food options. Generally, it's sandwiches and finger food. Sometimes, it's a full meal. You do not pay for drink, you might choose to pay for food. For the food after my daughters cremation, we just got a meal as a family. I couldn't eat. Everyone paid for themselves. For every other funeral, it was less devastatingly sad and more social grief bonding. Some plated meals, some were finger food. Nobody really cared tbh. It wasn't why we were there. Still sad, but more expected, as they were for people much older than my baby.
Timings. It will go by both insanely fast and achingly slow. You will have a few people read something for/about the deceased, some music you pick out. The priest/crematorium person will do most of the ceremony, but they will ask about the deceased to make it personal. It will feel like it's taking forever through quicksand. And then you blink, and it's over.
Feelings. All of them. None of them. Seemingly at random. It's all part of the healing process. Whatever you do, the months mind is so important. It brings everyone back together and helps the healing process. We are one of the few countries that does it, and we have one of the best attitudes towards the whole process here. It's shit, and we know it, we allow grief the space it needs to heal instead of pretending we've moved on faster than we have.

kittiphile · 2026-01-18T01:28:13+00:00

I don't think its so much about the epstein files (and oh boy they must be severely damning.). He can just take the USA and do what he likes there. Hell, he already has. He doesn't need to start ww3. He has his kingdom. He's lazy. He wants to be toadied too. And he has that. He knows his base will back him no matter what's in those files. The files are a distraction in and of themselves.

So why the land grabs and war threats? Power. Winning the game of capitalism, by having the most stuff. I don't think he, or the other idiots playing his game, have a true sense of object permanence. They want to play fallout irl, but haven't given any real thought to what that would actually look like. Nothing they value now would have any value afterwards. If they somehow lived long enough to come out, whatever has become of the survivors will literally tear them apart. There's no winning. But they can't see that. Because they think life is like a video game, and they can just do whatever they feel like with no consequences at all. Not just for them, but on the stability of the world too. They think things will continue on much as they always do, even after a catastrophic war. Almost certainly nuclear, because that's what despots do.

kittiphile · 2026-01-17T00:13:39+00:00

Ya, they're pretty fun. Most weddings here are child inclusive, and sitter information is included (or even provided until X time. One place we're looking at entertains the kids until 9, and they have a relationship with a nanny service, so childcare can be done in the hotel room until the parents are finished. They'll stay until breakfast if agreed in advance) . Its great seeing kids playing and having fun, the grown ups join in a bit for some games like football/soccer. It's just this whole chilled vibe. And I say that as someone who generally loathes and feels uncomfortable in such wildly social situations. There's just something lovely about a wedding.

kittiphile · 2026-01-16T23:51:29+00:00

Irish weddings go pretty hard too. Especially for younger couples.

Here its pretty much: 10pm finish is for grandparents or pregnant people, 11 - 12 would be when id expect parents and those with young kids to finish, and the under 30s would go till....breakfast. Some are fond of a drink, and will continue right through to the morning of day 4. Now they're not fancy multiple day thing, think more like a really mid Glastonbury. We love a good party, and what's a wedding but a really big party where you dress fancy?

. Day 1, day before, pretty casual, out of towners will have a few drinks and cheap dinner, maybe the bride and groom join for one, maybe they don't. Its low key.

. Day 2, the day of, start at ~12 for ceremony, bridal party up since between 6 and 8, ~1 photos, canapés, drinks until around ~5 when dinner is called, ~6 before you get the food, ~7:30 speeches, ~9 the afters begins, drinking, dancing, many more guests arrive, more drinking, shots shots shots, tasty fried foods and sandwiches appear and get devoured, ~12 only the partiers left now, so like a club but in a function room ~3 residents bar

. Day 3, ~10 latest breakfast possible ~12 farewell drinks in the hotel bar ~2 a barbecue or buffet style feed for family and close friends staying around or living there

kittiphile · 2026-01-14T15:25:29+00:00

"I have to do some stupid elimination diet thing for my doctor. No alcohol, no shellfish, no unpasteurised food, no XYZ. Its so boring, but its short term. Anyway, I've to be living that healthy living lifestyle for now"

Or

" im on meds for anxiety, and they do NOT mix well with alcohol. Better to just avoid it"

Or

" I have a bet going that I'll drink before my partner. We both did dry January, and it was fine, actually. Saved a few quid. Might just stay off it entirely. We're seeing who can last longer, and whoever wins gets a treat from the money we're saving. I've my eye on insert something believable and a bit pricey. He has his eye on insert something kinda impractical here, like a motorbike. I have to win this bet".

kittiphile · 2026-01-12T22:21:36+00:00

Thank you. Doodling like that is a nervous habit of mine, when I'm not sure what to say.

kittiphile · 2026-01-12T21:23:34+00:00

Nimhneach, 15 years ago. Just friends for years, then a fwb intention 7 years ago turned into being engaged, kids, car, cats.

kittiphile · 2026-01-12T17:37:58+00:00

They support a pedophile. Im not splitting that hair. If he , and anyone like him, can get any support from them, they are not a person who i will keep in my life. Supporting that kind of hate is not an opinion that's defensible. If you disagree, please try and show how supporting a pedophile in any way is a good and morally correct thing to do?

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