I miss when 7 hours sleep was a good nights sleep for me and I was grand to do what ever I wanted for the day.

These days its interrupted sleep and It’s 12 to 14 hours, and I spend most of my day on the sofa, doing very little, and still feeling tired. Also when ever I make plans, 1/3 of the time I have to cancel. I miss my old life.

With apologies to Mr Porter.

Where is the life that late I led?
Where is it now? Totally dead!
Where is the fun I used to find?
Where has it gone? Gone with the wine!

A Covid life may all be well
But resting just there
Could never compare
With raising a bit of hell
So I repeat what first I said
Where is the life that late Ied?

I just wish we were in a place where trans and non binary people were just respected decently, and had access to proper consent based, timely healthcare.

Non Binary and gender fluid people, don’t have the legal recognition they need, and the current healthcare is practically useless.The current healthcare for all trans people is gatekept appalling, is out dated and is harmful. Unfortunately to lobby and make changes it requires people to make themselves visible in a way which is often incredibly uncomfortable and frankly has dangers associated with it.

People shouldn’t have to make themselves ‘Publicly Visible’ to have basic healthcare.

Love and Solidarity To you all..

AND PEOPLE STAYED HOME – Kathleen O’Meara (1869)

“And people stayed home

and read books and listened

and rested and exercised

and made art and played

and learned new ways of being

and stopped

and listened deeper

someone meditated

someone prayed

someone danced

someone met their shadow

and people began to think differently

and people healed

and in the absence of people who lived in ignorant ways,

dangerous, meaningless and heartless,

even the earth began to heal

and when the danger ended

and people found each other

grieved for the dead people

and they made new choices

and dreamed of new visions

and created new ways of life

and healed the earth completely

just as they were healed themselves.”

We did it. They listened.
Reflecting on last weekend’s Yes vote.

9 people a day still travel and 3 a day take pills illegally, please if you can help support,
https://www.asn.org.uk/ and https://needabortionireland.org/

Shouts outs in this to the members of TFMR Ireland, I hope this means they don’t have to tell their stories again, and esp to Amanda Mellet who is suing Ireland and winning put pressure on the Government to resolve this.

Also to Tara Flynn, if you can buy her books as a token of thanks and support.

To Amanda Palmer who’s book the Art of Asking and her sharing her own stories about her abortions helped me long my way.

To everyone who put their shoulder to the wheel, who helped start and grow the abortion rights campaign, who set up other groups, who held meetings and did stalls when there was no inkling of a referendum, to all those who marched, leafleted, who canvassed, to those who could not, but had the important conversations with the people in their life, and all those who shared their stories.

Thank you, thank you so much.
and to everyone who voted, Yes. Thank you
They Listened, WE did it.

I’ve not been writing that much of late, life had been a bit bumpy and the mood a bit dark. So I am going to treat myself to a 2016 round up post to remind myself of the nicer things which happened this year.

This year I tried to do one thing which was new or scary to me each month, most months I managed more then 1 thing.




A photo posted by JanetOS (@janetos_) on Feb 10, 2016 at 2:46am PST

In January I sat my exams and pass officially moved into being half way through my degree in DCU.

 

#freesafelegal #ge16 @freesafelegal

A photo posted by JanetOS (@janetos_) on Feb 23, 2016 at 3:02pm PST

In February I took part in two photo shoots, one for the X ile Project and the other for Trinkets Jewelry. I was also being ahem present at the GE2016 TV debates

 

A photo posted by JanetOS (@janetos_) on Feb 23, 2016 at 12:14am PST

 

In March I was doing Promotions for a wonderful Arts event, which was an installation, musical play and discussion on giving birth in Ireland. http://4elements.ie/projects/daughters-of-the-revolution/





#clarkov

A photo posted by JanetOS (@janetos_) on Apr 16, 2016 at 6:21am PDT

In April I had the absolute honor and privilege of preforming a wedding ceremony for two dear friends.

 

#unilife

A photo posted by JanetOS (@janetos_) on May 18, 2016 at 7:31am PDT

May was all about getting assignments in and my end of end year exams.




A photo posted by JanetOS (@janetos_) on Jun 11, 2016 at 5:42am PDT

In June I was an invited speaker at the The 2016 Tom Johnson Summer School

 

3 days at #Longitude2016 helping to campaign for #repealthe8th #freesafelegal

A photo posted by JanetOS (@janetos_) on Jul 18, 2016 at 8:39am PDT

July I was at #Longitude and worked 3 days at the Abortion Rights Campgain stall, running the twitter and instagram account, talking to the oh so many wonderful people who came over to get leaflet, sign petitions and by badges and t shirts.

 

A photo posted by JanetOS (@janetos_) on Aug 18, 2016 at 11:18am PDT

August I was a speaker at the Galway Pride Festival about the intersection between lgbtqi rights and reproductive rights. I was also on TV3 as a spokesperson for the Abortion Rights Campagin as part of a debate on National TV as well as being on Dublin City FM for the Nerdy wordy girlie section of the Kitchen Table show.

 

A photo posted by JanetOS (@janetos_) on Sep 22, 2016 at 3:33am PDT

September was very, very busy. I was delivering training in Cork, working on the March for Choice,
from the press conf to doing media spokes person stuff, which involved going out to RTÉ today’s in a row to be interviews by the BBC, BBC Gobal and BBC 2. Doing interviews with media outlets. Then helping with coverage of the March on the day, and taking part in the Speak Out.

 

#Octocon2016 www.octocon.com 14th to 16th of October

A photo posted by JanetOS (@janetos_) on Oct 9, 2016 at 12:46pm PDT

October was OCTOCON! I was pro and Vice Chair! I got to be on some amazing panels, take part in some excellent discussion and help make the national SFF convention happen! We got some lovely coverage on Newstalk, Irish Examiner and Dubiln City FM. I am really looking for today next year as I am to the Convention director and two of my Fav writers are coming over as Guests of Honour!

 

A photo posted by JanetOS (@janetos_) on Nov 21, 2016 at 3:54am PST

November was thankfully a bit quieter after October and September. I was an invited speaker out at UCD Labour to talk about repeal the 8th as an ARC spokes person and to GIGSOC in GNUI to talk about reproductive rights. I also did one of the hardest, most panic inducing things of the year, applying for a passport. It was a mess of red tape, involving 4 different governmental departments.

 

Soo there were some tickets for tonight gig… So we are going again. #TheCure

A photo posted by JanetOS (@janetos_) on Dec 3, 2016 at 8:13am PST

For in December having a passport meant I left Ireland for the 1st time in 18 years, boarded a plane and headed off to the UK, where in Wembley I got to see The Cure play, twice.

2016 has been an eventful year (what I have listed is barely the tip of the iceberg), the last 1/3 of it have been a struggle at time, but looking back has helped. Still can’t believe the BBC 100 women thing! We got through this year, here’s to getting through the next one.