Top 10 funeral songs?

As found on several websites online - Here are the top ten funeral songs:

1. “Goodbye My Lover” by James Blunt
2. “You Raise Me Up” by Westlife
3. “Time To Say Goodbye” by Sarah Brightman & Andrea Bocelli
4. “Wind Beneath My Wings” by Bette Midler
5. “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion
6. “Candle in the Wind” by Elton John
7. “With or Without You” by U2
8. “Tears in Heaven” by Eric Clapton
9. “Angels” by Robbie Williams
10. ”Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers

What do you think?? Right wrong? I think I might have to compile a list but my this list could be LONG!!!

Jim Henson - Heaven needed Muppets

Top 10 Irish Drinks

1 -Guinness

In 1759, Arthur Guinness acquired a four acre site and signed a 9,000-year lease for the St. James' Gate Brewery in Dublin. As the current Guinness ad claims, they are only 250 years into a 9,000 year lease with alot of Guinness left to brew. Guinness is a dark stout which can be bitter to taste. I personally can't stand to drink it but I have been told it is an acquired taste and to persist. Known for its amazing iron properties some people will claim a 'Guinness a day keeps the doctor away'.

2 -Tea

You can take your earl, chamomile, green, chai but if it ain't Barrys or Lyons then keep on walking mister! As I am not a tea drinker myself I am fascinated with the tea obsession in Ireland. On Average someone in Ireland will drink 4 cups of tea a day. Literally you cannot walk into someone's home without "will you have a cup of tea?". It solves EVERYTHING. NO matter what has happened the solution is ALWAYS "sure we'll have a cup of tea". My mind boggles but there is no denying it and sometimes you just have to accept a cuppa to be polite. Also known as a 'rosylee', 'cuppa joe', 'cup of cha' and a million others besides!

3 -Bulmers Cider

Also known as Magner's abroad due to branding issues with Bulmers in the UK, Bulmers Original Irish Cider is made in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. A firm favorite over recent years for both men and women alike especially in the summer or after sport in the local clubhouse at the weekends. A very refreshing drink, sweet but dry and beautiful with ice on a hot sunny day after a hike allowing you to relax and soak up some Irish atmosphere.

4 -Poitin

Also known as Moonshine in other parts of the world, the production of this spirit has been banned in Ireland since 1661. It was wickedly potent - akin to Absinthe and although you might think you have stumbled upon a rarity when you see Bunratty Irish Potcheen, alas this is not as potent as the original one.

5 -Baileys Irish cream

An Irish liqueur cream enjoyed either neat or with ice or as an alternative to the Irish coffee mentioned above. Baileys is a nice, albeit fattening drink and for me, I prefer it with other ingredients as part of a cocktail but it is very smooth, sweet, creamy and extremely popular around Christmas in Ireland.

6 -Irish Whiskey

'Uisce Beatha' is Irish for whiskey and means  “the water of life”. Black Bush, Bushmills, Jameson, Kilbeggan, Paddy, Powers, and Tullamore Dew are all world renowned Irish Whiskeys. The crazy thing is because of our taxes, Whiskey is more expensive to buy in Ireland than in most other countries - even though it has been made here!

7 -Irish Coffee

An Irish coffee combines coffee, Irish whiskey, sugar and freshly whipped cream. Here is our guide on how to make the perfect Irish Coffee. Get yourself to a decent pub at any time of the day for one of these to cosy up to. Delish!

8 -TK Lemonade

Mixed with whiskey for the adults and a glass on birthdays etc for the kids, this was the drink us 80's kids grew up with! Forget you Coca Cola! Still massively used in the country TK (red or white) is not as popular in the cities but still a firm favorite, having been nudged off by the likes of Coca Cola and Lucozade.

9 -Club Rock Shandy

Ahhhh the hangover cure in a fizzy bottle! The original Club Orange was the first orange soft drink to come on the market in Ireland. Club Lemon followed and then this new drink was discovered purely by accident - a dude called Frank Murphy from Blackrock in Co. Dublin enjoyed mixing his Club Orange AND Lemon, and thus Rock Shandy as we now know it was born! Hurrah for Frank!

10 -Miwadi/Ribena

No Irish top ten list would be complete without a nod to Ribena or Miwadi. Both are dilutable fruit drinks. During war torn Ireland people were given this when they were sick. Now it is an easy way to get more water into your body and be healthy but let's be honest - it is also a big ask in bars post a night out - another hangover cure for Irish people!

Oprah Winfrey Rosa Parks

Free Range Reaping!

So....we are going through a little shift in branding currently. Why? Well because to be honest we tried for too long to fit into a box that was just too small to handle us really and after reading Marianne Cantwell's book - Free Range Humans given to us by the awesome Voice Coaching Ireland, we felt we needed a change. Break free from the reins! A bit of a Run Forest Run moment. Kinda ironic considering my name is Jennifer and I OFTEN get slagged with the "Jennaaaay" quote. Anyway I am (as always) digressing.....so....why the Glam Reaper? Well it was actually an Irish Tabloid paper that nicknamed me this name some months ago and it stuck - Amongst friends, family, acquaintances, clients and more. The more I thought about it, the more ME it seemed.

Farewell Funeral Planners - the original name is a fabulous name (if I do say so myself) but it described what we were and NOT who we are now and where we are going. I am NOT a funeral planner. I am not as soft spoken as the name suggests either. The Glam Reaper might seem crass to some but meet me, hear me, read me, listen to me and you will know I am anything but crass. I started this business because I care greatly about people. I have loved and will continue to love hearing the fabulous and often heartbreaking stories from people I have worked with on funerals, on their businesses and through my book and my jewellery.

I looooove what I do but the Farewell Funeral Planners box was just too tight for what I have grown into - I have written a book - Say Farewell Your Way, I have created a line of Irish glass cremation jewellery for Humans and for Pets. I do marketing for Funeral Homes and a variety of other non funeral related products and services in the UK, USA and Ireland. I am making a documentary on the funeral business.  I write for publications all over the world, I chat with real live humans about the stories they have, the lives they have lived and the action they have seen. I want something that represents ALL of that and not one facet of it.

Summary - I like to write, think and talk about things most people don't!

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Kevin Costners eulogy to Whitney Houston

Top 10 Irish Foods

1. Irish Stew

Beef or lamb, although typically made with beef these days, carrots, onions and spuds - oh and a delicious gravy like sauce that its all stewed in - hence the name!

2. Soda Bread and Brown Bread

Soda and Brown Breads are very versatile recipes which have stood the test of time as Irish classics because of their simplicity. No-knead, no-fuss styles of bread which are delicious on their own (with lashings of REAL Irish Butter!!), toasted (also with butter!) or served with a warm bowl of soup.

3. Roast Lamb

Personally I can't stand Lamb BUT I believe it needs very little work to get stunning natural meat flavours. A staple on Irish dinner tables for years, this continues to be a firm favorite. Roasted with rosemary and garlic is the way to go and with these flavours I might actually be tempted!

4. Fish!

NOT a massive fish person but I couldn't neglect this - Simple, versatile, and we're an Island so there's plenty of it! Regarded as a delicacy in other countries, salmon is one of the most common fish eaten in Ireland. Typical preparation is poached in fish stock, or another very popular method is Smoked Salmon. The flavor of wild salmon tends to be tastier but also more expensive.

Seafood Chowder is also a HUGE hit with tourists and Irish natives in equal measure - it warms the heart and when fresh like in Howth it tastes like Ireland.

Oysters are regarded worldwide as an aphrodisiac and a wealthy person's meal but in Ireland, on the island, they frequented the dinner table as the norm. Typically served on ice with a lemon to garnish.

Mussels are big in Ireland these days and although I don't eat them or therefore prepare them - here is a tip from Tv Chef Donal Skehan "Mussels have a reputation for being difficult to cook, but this is just not true. The hardest part in reality is the washing. Place them in cold water (they should close, if they don’t you should throw them away). Scrub any dirt off the surface of the mussels and remove the beard with a small knife. If you can get this down you will have no trouble and they take minutes to cook, so they’re the perfect little starter. I love serving the pot straight to the table from the stove and clunking large spoonfuls of the cooked steaming mussels onto guest’s plates. Make sure to serve with some chunky bread to mop up the juices!"

5. Coddle

Apparently this is (or was maybe!) a common dish for Dubliners on a Saturday night before they headed on a night out but as a 32 year old Dub - I have certainly never experienced this! It is a good basic Irish dish that consists of chopped sausages and bacon cooked together with onions and the potatoes in beef stock. Tasty as F@##!

6. A Full Irish Breakfast

Wow what to say here - it's delish! And a MUST HAVE after a night boozin! For me, it has to be superquinn sausages, clonakilty black and white pudding and rashers and 2 eggs whichever way you like 'em! YUM YUM!

7. Colcannon Mash

Colcannon is as traditional, as traditional Irish food gets, mashed spuds with gently cooked and thinly sliced cabbage with lots and lots of real Irish butter! Nowadays scallions and/or mustard are added to the mix to give it a different flavour. Personally I adore it with scallions and a fried egg on top!

8. Apple Crumble Cake

Apple crumble is one of my most favourite winter desserts of all time, I remember making some for my mom as a surprise when I was a kid and when I took it out of the oven, I put it on the stove which was still too hot and the dish exploded Apple Crumble all over the kitchen walls! Not a great welcome home gift but Apple Crumble never fails to warm down to the toes.

9. Bacon (Ham) and Cabbage

Here is how to do it right: Slow boil the ham/bacon loin, then boil the cabbage in the salty water the bacon has cooked in. Bake the ham until crisp on the outside, you can add honey and mustard to the outer layers too if you like. Serve with the cabbage and some mashes spuds with oodles of real Irish butter (there's a trend emerging....).

10.  Soup and Sambos

I couldn't write a blog about the top ten Irish foods without a special shout out for something you will find practically anywhere! Any house, pub, restaurant, shop, petrol station - anywhere!! There is always a hot soup going and accompanying it is a sandwich - ham and cheese, chicken salad, egg, tuna, chicken tikka, BLT - the choice is endless!

Stick a packet of Tayto Crisps and a bar of Cadbury's Dairy Milk onto the end of ANY of the above meals and you have yourself a TRUE Irish meal!