About Me

This blog was started on 13th May 2013 in order to explore some of my more creative skills that were just waiting to leap out. The format would hopefully provide constructive feedback, positive and negative.

The blog predominantly features photography and, to a lesser extent, writing. Photographs on this site are available for purchase in a high definition format and I would ask that you use the contact form on my Copyright Page for enquiries.

I am based in Cork and love to travel within Ireland and further afield. Being based in Europe I am privileged to able to take a 2-3 hour flight and explore different cultures, tastes, architecture and landscapes. However, if we stop to look all around us, there is plenty of beauty to see in everyday life. I would hope that this blog can underline this through both images and the written word.

With holidays I like to find hidden gems and prefer to take this route and get it wrong on occasions than to ‘play safe’. Once we stayed in an old farmhouse where the walls were so thick it could have been a fortress and the lady running it (who spoke no English) apologised as while all the jams, honey, butter, cured ham etc at breakfast were homemade, the cheese was not – it came from the farm down the road (or perhaps I should say track).

So that’s me in a rather large nutshell (think coconut), plenty going on and all rather exciting. I will endeavour to respond to all comments and thank all those that deem my blog worthy of a follow.

Many thanks for getting this far and have a great life.

John Grant

Note: Unless specified, the photographs and posts on this blog are the work of John Grant, working under the name of Meticulous Mick and JRCR Grant. 

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266 thoughts on “About Me”

  2. Pingback: Blog of the year Award | aristonorganic

  3. thanks for stopping by, in return when I visited your site, I was a long time admiring the photos and reading your thoughts and musings, never really gave much thought to Ireland before, your pictures make it looks like a place one should see for one’s SELF =^_^=

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    1. Dymoon, I have hardly touched the surface so hopefully I can show you some more. Thank you so much for the follow and welcome aboard, it’s great to have you around and please feel free to leave comments / queries. Have a great week, MM 🍀

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    1. Thank you so much Kathryn for such positive words. This page will be updated soon, so watch out for that. I have deliberately not updated the Careers Crossroads for a while until I am fully committed to this particular new path. Almost there now! Exciting stuff. MM 🍀

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    1. Thank you so much for thinking of me when nominating bloggers for this award. Really appreciated, especially coming from a blogger such as yourself. I therefore accept gladly and wish you a most wonderful week. MM 🍀

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    1. I am so, so glad you like the photographs. Most times I go out I don’t have a clue what will catch my eye so it can make for a bit of a haphazard journey. Hope you enjoy the ride, Please feel free to ‘critique’. MM 🍀

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  11. Thanks for the visit and follow. You have a great blog here. I haven’t seen as much of Ireland as I should have given its proximity, so I’m looking forward to seeing more through your blog. Debbie

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  12. Thank you for visiting my blog and for following.
    I’ve had a look on your photos and I like them very much. I’m looking forward to see more of your beautiful pictures.

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  15. You have a wonderful blog! I have had many new beginnings in the past few years and although they were scary at first, they turned out to be wonderful life changing experiences. Quite empowering actually. I wish you all the best and I look forward to reading your blog. 🙂

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  16. Hi! Thanks so much for taking the time to visit my blog. Your photos look great! Looking forward to seeing more of your stuff. Best, annierose.

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  20. Hi Mick, great to read through your About Me post and also the lovely comments following it 🙂 Good luck with the job hunt my friend and make sure this choice is as much for you as it is the company you decide to join 🙂

    Cheers

    Mark

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  21. Thanks for your visit to my blog! I wanted to drop by and invite you to join in Project O which is a look into how opinions are formed around the world. If this interests you and if you have a social issue you might want to share with people, please consider joining! The post can be found at the top of my blog under Project O – The Original Project Idea and the template is the post next to it. Thanks again for taking the time to visit my blog! –OM

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  22. Hi Mick. It’s lovely to meet you. Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my site and to comment. I have just been wandering around your fascinating articles. My heart is warmed. We have so much in common and I look forward to furthering our friendship. Blessings from Isabella [Izzy] Rose [North Wales]

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    1. Barbara, that is an unbelievably big compliment to make from just going through my blog and one of the best things you could say. I truly thank you for taking the time to come and browse the blog and follow. Sorry for delay in responding, just back from holiday. Will catch up on other comments soon as well as visit your own site. MM 🌞

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  24. HEy Mick, great photos and thanks for stopping by my blog … you really seem to have a charismatic approach to blogging, a man after my own heart ! But we all need a break from time to time, so hope you’re enjoying yours … TC Don Charisma

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  25. Nice to learn a bit about you! I am now following your blog and look forward to learning more -both about you and your family as well as about beautiful Ireland! 🙂

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      1. Yes I do have a bit of Irish heritage. Two great grandmothers on my Mom’s side of the family were born in Galway. The rest of my heritage is English and I Wonder about maybe have some Welsh far back in our family because my mother’s maiden name sounds more Welsh than English to me, though her grandfather was from Cornwall

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      3. Having Scots background, I guess you probably like one of my favorite movies—Braveheart. I enjoyed that movie and also enjoyed reading about the history of Scotland at that time and William Wallace.

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  27. American Beauty is in my top ten list of all time great films. The scene where they watched his film of the floating plastic bag was indeed profound. 🙂

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  28. Sounds as if you will have lots of interests to write on! If you are interested in incredible India, visit my blog…talesalongtheway.com again anytime! Namaste. . . .Anne

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  29. Hi! Thank you for visiting my little site!
    Sydney always has nothing much to say, but he will put you in the special list for a long term friendship!
    Have a nice weekend! 🙂

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  30. All the best Mick, I was made redundant a year ago after 24 Years with the one company. I also looked at it as a new beginning, and could not be happier. It had me thinking why i did not do this years ago, I love my new job very different form the first so as they say life goes on.
    Mike

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  31. Nice to Meet You..I love seeing your Photography..I hope to see more of such beautiful Picture….Keep Moving and Keep Clicking… 🙂
    Thanks for Visiting my Blog.. 🙂

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  32. Nice reading about you Meticulousmick

    Thanks for visiting my blog. Be in touch. Browse through the category sections, I feel you may find something of your interest.

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  33. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I’m glad you love food like me and travel and photography. How similar! Enjoy the rest of the week. Best wishes!

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  34. I wish I had your patience in the garden….. Really love your writing and pictures and it’s great to see you enjoying life while trying to figure out what to do….

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  35. An inspiring “About’ page that reminds us the many adventures in life that we need to make, of discovering hidden places, meeting people, following once dreams and happiness. Wishing you many exciting roads and experiences ahead.

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  36. its brilliant that you are taking that pause and rethinking your career after 20 years at a job… all the best. hope you find what you are looking for…

    great blog and love the photographs.

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    1. Thanks bhavani, I just see it as a great opportunity and hopefully I can do something I really enjoy. Hopefully the like of the blog will result in a follow. 😉 Now to check out your own blog. MM 👀

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  37. Thanks I do appreciate it WildSherkin. Not really too sure what happened there but when I went in it was not shown so I just repressed the ‘publish’ button. Appears to be working now. Strange but thanks, MM 😟

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  40. Hi Mich – now I understand why you resonated with my blog – we have a lot in common:-)
    BTW, I will be visiting Scotland this summer, your ancestral place. I feel an inevitable pull towards it; it’s my first time going there. Wonder what revelations it will bring…

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    1. My wife also feels a pull towards bonnie Scotland and she is Irish through and through. Look forward to some great pictures from there and hopefully you are not overcome by either the midges or the rain. Enjoy, look forward to following your trail. MM ☔

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  41. Hi. Great photos from Ireland there. I hear from my Irish co-teachers that in Ireland it rains a lot but your photos tell otherwise. Thanks for bringing me to your beautiful country through your stunning pictures. I enjoy looking at them especially the buttercup meadow. Well-done! Looking forward for more and thanks for visiting my blog.

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    1. It does rain a lot, and that is why it is so green. This year, however, has been very kind to us so far. May it continue. Thanks for taking the time and trouble to make a comment as it really is appreciated. MM ☔🍀

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    1. Many thanks Gather and Graze, just back from the allotment and hope to have a snap of the flycatcher and her brood but yet to check them out. Now to pop over to study your own blog. Many thanks for the words and the follow. MM🐌

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  43. I’ve made tirimisu just the once – about 20 years ago – it was devine, but can’t remember the alteration I made to the original recipe in my Italian cookbook. I DO remember it was easy to make though.

    You’re right about good tasting food. I vaguely remember an absolutely delicious meal in a tiny cafe on stilts overlooking the sea in Greece back in….uhmmm…….1976. Couldn’t read a word on the menu and no one spoke English in this out-of-the-way coastal area, but the seafood was obviously caught fresh that day, and the wine (local?) was perfect with the meal too. What a shame I can’t afford to travel nowadays (or even cook much at home).

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    1. One of my best meals was in Portugal, like yours at a cafe on stilts over the sea / beach. We stayed around 4 hours and when it came to desserts I asked if she had strawberries (in portuguese, she did not understand english), to which she replied she didn’t have any left. I was really looking forward to a bowl as they were nicely in season and so refreshing. I must have looked crestfallen as she asked me to wait just there and she’d check again. We were waiting ages and then we see her running back down the road and puffing and panting. When she arrived at our table she proudly declared “Ha Morangos” (we have strawberries). I want to stick a few of these places on my blog, just need a bit of time….As for your memories, at least you have wonderful memories and now of course the internet is opening up so much more for you. Keep blogging. 👍

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  44. Good luck with the new life Mick, a change of direction and career can be very liberating. When I packed in after 40 years of IT my wife gave me a quotation from Goethe – “whatever you dream you can do begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.”

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    1. Thanks for the kind words and the follow Northumbrianlight. I am just enjoying a bit of time out and taking advantage of the opportunity to do just that – the puppy was the first thing to be acquired. Always wanted one. Hope you are enjoying “post-IT” life. If you care to give feedback on my blog that would be really appreciated. MM

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  45. Being quite new to all of this, I hope I am following the right protocol. It seemed as though this was the right place to start in an “official” sense.

    You recently nominated me for a blogging award which I whole heartedly and gratefully accept. I must admit that while it is certainly quite flattering, it is also genuinely touching, particularly considering I’m so new to blogging. It is really quite encouraging, in a deep seated sense, for it is remarkable that so much warmth and appreciation can be so freely shared amongst people from such diverse backgrounds, far flung locations, and who have never actually met!

    It is my understanding that there are actually three awards; Best Moment, Seed of Light (this one really speaks to me), and Versatile Blogger – (as if one wasn’t flattering enough… three is almost overwhelming).
    I believe that now, (please correct me if I am confused about anything here), after formally accepting, my task is to post these awards in my blog (as a post rather than a page) along with acknowledgment and a link to your site. In that post, I formally announce my nomination and nominate 10 other bloggers that I feel deserving (that will not be an easy task!) Then I am to answer a set of 10 questions which you have listed and answered in your blog posting.

    It’s not clear if there are any time limitations, (choosing ten other bloggers may take me a number of days as there are so many deserving of additional recognition and exposure), or if there are any other requirements needing my attention.
    I have confidence that you will let me know if I am mistaken or neglectful of any details.
    Once again, thank you for your warm kindness and encouraging support.
    I am genuinely grateful for the nomination which I humbly accept.
    Many Blessings
    DN

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    1. I am not aware of any time limits. You are right in not having to set an awards page, that is optional. However, I think that the protocol would be to have images of the awards on your sidebar using an image widget if you choose not to do this. Again this is my first award(s) so it is like the “blind leading the blind”. All other bits spot on I think. Am open to other bloggers correcting me on this. MM

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  47. Thank you very much for visiting my blog, following me, and especially for your comment. I went through your blog and I love your pictures. They have a sense of peace and freedom attached to them. I am sure that this is what you carried within yourself when you took the pictures.

    “After over 20 years working for the same firm in a number of geographies I find myself redundant. Rather than leaving me deflated, this has made me think “what do I really want to do?” I will need to earn money, but for now I want to just take a look at what makes me tick and explore some more exciting avenues.”

    This is very interesting because this is exactly what happened to me recently and what I am going through. I also worked for 20 years (for 2 companies though) and my company moved me around, too, only to find myself being made redundant a couple of months ago. I am also left with the question “what do I really want to do now?”.

    I wish you all the best of luck on your journey. Enjoy every step you take.

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    1. Thanks Sea Blue, I wish you well too and hope that you have a similar opportunity rather than just being forced to find another job asap. Grasp hold of the opportunity and I look forward to hearing about your progress. 🍀 (if interested I have a section called Career Crossroads where my progress is given)

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  48. Tiramisu has always been my favorite desert.
    Every Christmas Eve in California we always had it after our buffet dinner, with the coffee of the same name to enjoy while our children opened their presents.
    Siting of front of a warm fire and all of that, such sweet memories~

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    1. My ancestors are actually from Scotland and the ancestor’s photo is from Lochgoilhead where one worked as a schoolmaster. It’s fascinating stuff I have to say.

      As for West Cork, there are lots of lovely places but for me I think my favourite area in Ireland is the Dingle peninsula in Kerry. Simply stunning. Hopefully I might be able to pass on some tips!

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