Halloween Flowers with Dave Clancy

Here is my boss, the wonderful Dave Clancy. Surely the only florist in Ireland, probably the WORLD with a parrot on his shoulder?

I AM IMMACULATE

Just before I left the house at 8am this morning, I read the magnet that a kind visitor had left for me. It has been stuck to the fridge door for a year and reads 'I'm happy, healthy and radiant'. I said it out loud through gritted teeth not once, but twice for good measure and bundled five teenagers into the car. 

I dropped the kids off at school and for the first time, noticed an ancient gate. I am sure that fifty years ago it lead into the main building of the school but not anymore. This morning, somewhat tragically, the gate was open leading only to a grey brick wall.  

I pointed out the 'Gate to Nowhere' out to the car full of teenagers but they did not bat an eyelid. I blame Twilight (and mascara applied so heavily that blinking is virtually impossible). Strange sights like these must be normal to them. What is an iron gate when you have mysterious vampires like Edward Cullen and Jacob Black in your lives?

To make things even more surreal,  upon closer inspection, the gate had something written on it. I jumped out of the car and walked up close to see what it said:

"Get back in the car. This is SO embarrassing" yelled my teenager as I took a photo. "But look girls, it is a rusty gate and LOOK! Read it! It says I AM IMMACULATE". Not one of them could see the irony in the gate. "Look girls! I AM IMMACULATE!" I continued. It was the least immaculate thing that I have seen for ten years. The girls walked into school with their bags over their heads and I got back into the car. But the message from the gate had stuck in my head like one of those life affirming mantras that people keep posting on Facebook. Or, like the fridge magnet at home. I kept repeating it over and over again. I couldn't help myself. 

Next stop, the supermarket. Inside, I bumped into a friend, literally. I had managed to find the only trolley with two wonky wheels in Newbridge that morning. I smiled apologetically. "How are you?" she asked more out of sympathy than genuine interest. I thought about it for a while, looking down at my life in a trolley. The dozen toilet rolls, family pack of sausages, sack of potatoes, a leek,  a jar of Nutella, some dog snacks and baked beans. My usual response would be something along the lines of "Fine" but this morning was different. I was inspired by my brief encounter earlier. "Actually, today I'm...... IMMACULATE". My fellow early morning shopper laughed,"Oh really? You are immaculate eh? Well isn't that great?" "Yes it is great actually. IMMACULATE IS GREAT," I called after her as she sped past me up the bread and cake aisle. 

Forget 'happy, healthy and radiant' from now, like the gate, this month I shall be IMMACULATE. I may be a bit rusty here and there, in need of a little oil, good lick of paint and in serious danger of becoming unhinged. But like the gate, I shall shout positivity to anyone who comes near me. This is the new me, the 'Immaculate' me. I'm liking it already. I feel a bounce in my step and a vitality that I've not felt for years. Excuse me now while the new immaculate me goes and does three hours of ironing. Immaculately of course.