Weekend Playlist

With St. Patrick's Day coming up this weekend, I've been getting a little nostalgic about my trip to Ireland with my sister a few years ago. We went right before her wedding, just the two of us and a pair of plane tickets. We flew into Dublin and jumped on the bus and started our two week trip around the southern part of the island. We had an amazing time and I'm so glad we took the opportunity to travel together. You can read all about our trip here.

Have a great weekend and a happy St. Patties Day!

In the meantime, enjoy this playlist that has nothing to do with anything Irish, as you will soon figure out. These are some of the songs that are just staples of my musical library.

Enjoy!

Twenty.Twelve

Ireland 2008
"A little something to chew on later"

• Hearing an Irish guy talk to his mom on the phone, like any son would, and then talking to his friend like a drunken sailor.
• The man on the bus, who had "met" every president and celebrity known to man.
• Seeing the Cliffs of Moher completely by ourselves, in a hail storm.
• Seeing real Irish countryside on the road from Galway to Doolin
• Meeting "Mr. Guinness" in Killarney over store bought chicken wraps
• Discovering that something is in Irish water that makes the men stunning
• Climbing all over the Blarney Castle and kissing the stone.
• Carving our initials in the window of Blarney Castle (on the way down)
• Me drinking Ash 2 to 1, in half her time
• contemplating getting a tattoo and then deciding to save it for later
• Drinking a pint at the top of Dublin
• Talking until 1 AM the night before we headed home
• Realizing how well we compliment each other-" If we had rented a car, we would have gotten lost, safely."
• Having an awesome trip without a single bump.
• Ashley sounding like a terrorist on the plane ( a few seconds ago) "That was the bomb!"
• Sleeping in the same twin bed at Miss Annie's, fearing for our lives. Me wearing a now hat: bed bugs.
• Successfully completing a 12 day journey without sad tears or animosity.
• Growing closer as sisters and friends.

Twenty.Eleven

Day 11

On our last full day in Ireland, Ashley and I did what we (well, at least me) do best: Sleep in. It's amazing how just walking about exhausts you and that's pretty much all we've been doing. So, after we woke, we put on our tourist shoes and made our way to the Guinness Storehouse, the home of the famous "Black Stuff." The building is set up on 5 different levels, each displaying different steps of the brewing process. At the very top of the building, you finish your tour with s free piont and an amazing view of Dublin. We then left to see Saint Patrick's cathedral, the final resting place of Jonathan Swift. The church was magnificent, but touristy. The gift shop(!) was actually at the back of the church(!!) right as you enter. It was here that I realized that I prefer the Southern Fascade( inside) to the alter in most Cathedrals. The alters are usually boring or overyly ornate while the fascades always have the best stained glass or carvings. The last place we wanted to see was the library at Trinity College, where the Book of Kells is housed. This is a collection of the Gospels transcribed by monks in Latin and are the oldest books in IReland. The Long Room is teh main library with over 200,000 books. The first thing that struck both ash and I about was that none of these books were being read ro enjoyed like they were meant to. Of course, you can't let the public run rampant through the library, but I wish there were some way to use these books for their original purpose. Or at least let me be allowed to read them:)

We headed back to our hotel room with a walk through the Temple Bar area, where ther is not much to see, but it has a neat feeling to it. And of course we were met with a huge Irish rain. Just enough to soak my jeans.

Dublin is a nice city, full of history and outrageously old.~

Twenty.Ten

Day 10

Because we were in Ireland on holiday, Ashley and I did not feel bad about being normal girls today. We sot to Dublin at around 3:00 and walked around the city, picking up trinkets here and there fcor family back home and remembering the names of stores to look up online when we get back. These were some of our favorites:

• Penney's
• Lush (When I looked it up, I found out that they are putting on in Annapolis!)
• Stradivarius
• Grandma's Bottom Drawer

We then went to dinner at Flannagan's and had some delicious food. Our hotel is amazing (The Royal Dublin Best Western). I have never been happier to find little shower bottles. Thanks Mum and Da:) ~

Twenty.9

Day 9

When I go home, I am ordering 2 things from Amazon: Declan O'Rourke's debut CD and teh Irish Presbyterian hymnal. While we have not experienced a vast amount of Irish music, we have heard of a couple of things that peaked my interest. While sitting in Miss Annie's kitchen/ dining/ living /junk room, I heard a radio broadcaston one of Cork's local stations, where they played the song "galileo" by O'Rourke. The song is goosebump status. I wrote down a couple of lyrics( Because even in IReland, they never tell you the name of the song you really like) and found this guy on google. Awesome singer, awesome song.
The Irsih Presbyterian hymnal I found at Trinity Presbyterian Church right here in Cork, about a block from out hostel ( I can see the steeple from my window). The service was great and ther people were lovely. The pastor said 2 things that really struck me.
First, he laid out what it means to pray. His sermon was on missions, which rely on prayer, thus this aside:
Praise
Repent
Ask
Yield

The first 3 are obvious parts of prayer, but the last was a good reminder. I often struggle with wanting to take control of situations instead of giving it up. But when we pray, we ask God for His will to be done. We are to yield for Him and let HIm guide us. Without yielding, our prayer is pointless. As simple as this image was, it was a good thing to hear.
Second, he talked about how in missions, there are several key components, such as urgency, trust, and your relationship with God. But he also mentioned the vulnerability there is in missions. All throughout Scripture, we see images of the lamb as Christ. When evangelizing, we are to be humble of Spirit and tongue. The arrogant, smart-alec never truly wins the argument. The other thing is that when we are given the truth, as we are in Scripture, there is no reason to be heated or arrogant. I think arrogance not only comes from people who think they know it all, but also comes from people with little doubt in their position. Arrogance exposes a person, while humility exposes the truth.~

Twenty.8

Day 7

The Blarney Stone: Kiss it and never be at a loss for words. At the top of the Blarney Castle, sites the Blarney Stone, kissed by the likes of Winston Churchill, Sir Walter Scott and the Dwyer Sisters. After passing through the Castle with it's many ruined rooms and windows and the amazingly tight and steep stairway, you reach the top of the castle. To kiss the stone, You must lay on your back and lean backwards and upside down to kiss the well worn stone. It is a much greater feat than one would imagine. I got the kiss it twice because Ash forgot to take a picture. So, wither I have twice as much eloquence or the second time canceled out the first kiss. I'm leaning towards the latter.
After strolling through the grounds of the castle, we headed off to the nearby town of Kinsale, a town very reminiscent of Annapolis, sitting on a bay. Our B&B is what one would call "I won't recommend this to any I wish to remain as my friend" grade. But Ash and I are the toughest girls i know, so we made it work. And w got a TV and a hot shower to boot. And Breakfast!
The town in obviously a summer town, because all the B&B's and hostels I saw online are actually closed. As we were walking around, we went into a B&B above a bar where they offered us a room for 40 euros. As we walked out, this old man ran out to tell us he has a place for us to stay, right up the road for half the price. Thanks a million Con O'Sullivan!

Day 8

My face is burning. As well are my feet. My backpack seems to have doubled its original weight and I can only wear mud caked clothers to church in the morning.
I honestly don't care about any of that because I am on the trip of a lifetime with the only other girl who could do this with me. I think the above is the most complaining I've done this whole trip, even though we've done some pretty hard stuff, that I don't think any other two girls would have done so well. To name a few:

• Seeing the Cliffs of Moher in a hailstorm
• Creepy bus station bathrooms
• "Uni-sex" bathrooms for 3 days.
• Not shower for the same 3 days.
• Sleep at Miss Annie's on a broken bed
• Wear the same clothes for a week
• Carry the extra person on our backs
• No makeup and no razors. 'nuf said

And we have done all that and more without shedding a tear. Although we have laughed until we cried quite a few times:

• Ash falling on her back at the Cliffs
• "Ah, typing"
• Me "falling" out the window of the Blarney Castle
• Me falling down a muddy hill at Blarney Castle
• How bad I am at taking pictures of Ash
• "Deener"- Irish for dinner
• Me speaking Gaelic in my sleep
• Ash hitting her head on pretty much anything above her (Bus roof, Bunk bed, Castle wall etc.)
• "Have you ever seen a whale..."
• Hold it in, in the Dominican
• Man stance in the tulips
• Meester Geenis

Twenty.7

Day 6

Ashley and I went on a bus tour today of the Ring of Kerry, a 110 mile roadway around the Kerry peninsula. There were 3 other couples ont eh tour with us, so the pace was moving, but relaxed. We atarted off passing through teh town of Killorgling, where they have the famous Puck festival. THis is a 3 day party, started when the men of the town capture a goat from the mountains and tie is on a scaffold in town. For 3 days, pubs stay open, people awake and the goat stays fed, with his fair share of Guinness.
We then went to the Kerry Bog Village, a little replica of what a town would have looked like 150 years ago. The thatched cottages, turf piles and miniature ponies help to give the feel of a real village.
We continued on through various towns and mountains, stopping for lunch in Waterville and for shopping in Sneem. Making our way back to Killarney, we drove through the Killarney National Park. The beautiful mountains, moving lakes and overall ambiance make this place unbelievable.

It's funny how we see the Irish people just driving around not caring to look at the smashing ocean or the seemingly artificially green valleys. Back home, while there are definitely beautiful places, nothing compares to the scenery you find everywhere in Ireland. I know that if I were to live in Ireland I would appreciate the landscape more than the average Irishman because I would not be used to it. But would it ever become old hat to me? I hope that it would not. i wonder what an Irish person would think of America's landscape. Helen said that she once drove from New York to Florida and she loved the States. I don't even think they can compare! Some might say its a different kind of beauty, but I think its really the age. Ireland has basically always been inhabited and cultivated while America has only truly been cultivated for the last 500 years. Its like the feeling of a new house, with its nice white walls and carpets, clean mantle, sharp kitchen, and an old house, with its worn wooden floors, dirty fireplace, and old furniture. The old house has a completely different feel than the new one.
But one day, America will be one old worn in house for someone.~

Twenty.6

Day 5

We made our way today from Limerick to Killarney. Our hostess seemed to not
want us to leave from her B&B in Limerick. Helen ended us telling us her
life story as we were standing in her foyer getting ready to walk out the door.
She was a wonderful lady and made a killer breakfast of bacon eggs and sausage*.
We took a two hour bus ride to Killarney where we found a great hostel right
near the bus station. After we got situated, we walked around the charming
town, full of winding streets filled with stores, restaurants and pubs. We ate
a great meal at Cronin's Restaurant and then headed to a pub named Danny
Mann's. we enjoyed some Guinness, Coffee and great Irish Music. The singer was
an older man, with just a guitar, who sang traditional songs, including this
beautiful song called, "Song for Ireland."

Walking all the day
Near tall towers where falcons build their nests
Silver-winged they fly
They know the call of freedom in their breasts
Saw Black Head against the sky
Where twisted rocks they run to the sea

    Living on your western shore
    Saw summer sunsets, asked for more
    I stood by your Atlantic Sea
    And sang a song for Ireland

Drinking all the day
In old pubs where fiddlers love to play
Saw one touch the bow
He played a reel which seemed so grand and gay
Stood on Dingle Beach and cast
In wild foam we found Atlantic bass

Talking all the day
With true friends who try to make you stay
Telling jokes and news
Singing songs to pass the time away
Watched the Galway salmon run
Like silver dancing, darting in the sun

Dreaming in the night
I saw a land where no one had to fight
Waking in your dawn
I saw you crying in the morning light
Sleeping where the falcons fly
They twist and turn all in your air-blue sky

Twenty.5

Day 4

Continuing our tour about Ireland, Ashley and I stopped in Limerick City, situated near the mouth of the Shannon River. The city is pleasant, but is not a picturesque Irish town. The most standout feature to me is the River Shannon, that flows at breakneck speed under a couple of bridges, including the O'Dwyer Bridge, which we walked across. We visited King John's castle, built in the 13th century, which saw many attacks, plagues and changes of power. The castle itself gave us a beautiful view of the River and what I think were the Silvermine Mountains beyond, capped with silver snow.
We also saw the beautiful St. Mary's Cathedral, accompanied by a hauntingly gray graveyard. A Celtic Cross atop a grave gives an eerie magnificence like nothing else. The Cathedral was rather small and plain, but carried with it the rustic ambiance so often associated with Ireland. Most of the structure of the building is rough cut stone and dates back to the 12th century. The main chapel holds a Pre-Reformation High Alter, made from one solid brick of limestone, over 13 feet long. During the Cromwellian siege of Limerick, it was removed from the church, only to be replaced in the 1960's.
The rest of our day was spent touring the city of Limerick, which was surprisingly dirty. While not my favorite city, I'm glad we stopped by, if for nothing else than the great Bed and Breakfast we stayed in named Glen Eagles. A wonderful breakfast and a fabulous hostess, who has visited Maryland, really made us feel comfortable in this large city.~

Twenty.4

Twenty.3

Day 3
The Cliffs of Insanity! The Princess Bride showed us some insane cliffs, but today we witnessed something even more insane: The Cliffs of Moher. We arrive at the Cliffs at around 8:30 and were the only people there. The Cliffs are on the edge of the Atlantic and IReland happens to be a meeting place of several strong winds. THis being said, we could hardly keep ourselves on teh ground. At one point I looked over and Ashley was flat on her back, laughing histerically from falling. They have the place set up so that there are barriers about 10 feet from the edge and walkways all along the cliffs. At one end is a fortress that was used during the Napoleonic era as a lookout tower. While we were trekking about, hail started pelting us from above and water smacked us from the waves below. The wind was so strong, the water spray comes all the way up the Cliffs and shoots into the air. We found ourselves glad for the nail, because if it were rain, we would have been soaked.
Inside the visitors center was an exhibit about the cliffs, explaining how they formed 17 million years ago and have been eroding ever since. I'm no expert, but they looked pretty good for their age.
Years ago, people who lived near the CLiffs would go bird catching. We saw seagulls, but were also told that the Cliffs housed puffins. So, a group of men would go to the Cliffs' edge, sit one behind the other and lower one man down the edge by a rope, with a basket in hand. ONce he found a nest, he would slip a noose on a stick around one of the birds and snap it's neck, put it in the basket and then get some more. These people were crazy!
I don't think I have ever seen anything so majestic in my life. With all of the man-made marvels in the world, nothing rivals nature's wonders and God's art.

As the faces of the Cliffs look out to sea, I can't help but think how many storms have beaten their brows, how many invasions have scarred their cheeks and how many rainbows have passed before them, promising a new day.

Twenty.2

Day 2
March 2, 2008
It's a windy one tonight in Doolin, County Clare. Doolin sits on the Atlantic Ocean, where the water rushes up on the shore full of rock formations, bringing the wind up to the village. The village is quaint, but has Gus O'Conner's Pub, where we ate a chicken salad and Guinness. This was th ideal IRish pub, with low ceilings, dark rooms, a huge bar and a band of a guitar, accordian and a pipe.
We took a bus from Galway to Doolin this morning for 14 Euro and it was worth every cent. The drive took us along a tiny road that led through some mountains and along the seaside. The Drive took us up to The Burren, which is a region that I really don't know much about other than the name. The most stricking thing about the drive was the realization that ireland is basically one big rock. The mountains seemed to be huge hills of loose rock and all on the countryside are pastures enclosed with rock walls.
We arrived at Doolin and got a dorm room in Doolin Hostel for 16 euro. And we were the only one in our room. The owner is very nice and directed us to O'conner's. After we were settled in, we walked along the main road, out to a feryy dock, where we could see the Cliffs of Moher. The seascape was thrilling, with the 10 foot waves crashing on teh rocks and the CLiffs towering off in teh distance. While the temperature is not bad at all in IReland, the wind on the coast is quite biting. So farrr the days start sunny and end rainy. And when I say rainy, I mean puring down rain. Thankfully, we got back to our hostel just as the rain started. On our walk back we saw about 6 men on horses in traditional riding gear enter a pasture where they met up with 20 more riders far off in the distance. The hostel owner told us that they were hunters looking for fox. About once a year they come here for the weekend and hunt. The best hunters in Ireland come to Doolin for the tradition.
Today was extremely relaxing, especially with a little 3 hour nap int eh middle of it. Tomorrow we are going to go to the CLiffs of Moher and then onto Limerick. Hopefully, the wind won't keep me up tonight. Yes, it's that strong.~

Twenty

I have safely returned from one of the greatest trips I have ever taken. I think the only way to give a thorough retelling of our journey is to post my journal, which I wrote in every day(big accomplishment right there:).
But before I do that, I'll just ramble a bit:
The other of the greatest trips that I have taken was last summer, with my dad. We got in the car early in the morning and he asked me which way to drive: North, South, East or West. I chose West, who knows why. We started off to the West and drove for about 4 hours until we stopped in some little town and continued to do this until we came to Deep Creek lake and stayed in a lakeside hotel for the next two nights. We rented a boat and spent the whole day out on the water fishing, talking and relaxing. There wasn't much to it, but simplicity makes for the most cherished memories.

Day 1
March 1, 2008

He who is judged by a first impression, is judged unfairly. I make a pretty bad first impression. My closest friends are the ones who have known me basically since the beginning. It takes time for me to warm up to people.
When we reached Galway, via Dublin-departed bus, I had a bad first impression. It was raining(obviously), it was much smaller than I expected and we could only find two possible accommodations. Ashely and I were also running on about 4 hours of sleep over the past two day(ask her for a detailed explanation of why this was).
After going back and forth between two hostels, we chose Kinlay House, right off of Eyre Square, which is the city center. We paid 33 Euros each for a private room, which seemed like a splurge, but was truly worth it(especially since we wanted to go to bed early).
Once our heavy backpacks were laid aside in our room, we went out to find some dinner. While looking for a simple meal, we fell upon the rest of the city. One winding road followed another winding road filled with shops, pubs and restaurants. Especially impressive was this one lane, where there was a whole road with nothing but restaurant after restaurant. We found Rierdan's and enjoyed baked Salmon and garlic potatoes. The Salmon was probably taken right tout of the River Corrib, which runs through the city. I heard that the Salmon fishing is so good, that fisherman will reserve spots to fish in the river a year in advance!
At first glance, I felt completely intimidated by her. After just a few short hours, she seems to be a dear friend.~

My Picks
Movie: No Country for Old Men- Awesome Awesome Awesome
Music: Declan O'Rourke Since Kyabram- I heard him over there and love his sound.
TV: Haven't watched any in a really long time, so I don't know.
For the Girls: Lush We found this store in Cork and loved it.
For the Boys: "If he can say as you can Guinness is good for you How grand to be a Toucan Just think what Toucan do "

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Nineteen and three-quarters

With Jen still touring the Emerald Isle with her best friend, I, her mother, am once again attempting to not embarrass myself or my family, by filling in for her.

My note this week is about how this seemingly short, fun trip "across the pond" is changing the face of my family forever. I realized the other day, that when Jen and Ashley return from Ireland, everything is different. It has been a time of letting go, releasing my "mother hold" from my daughters, they have flown from our nest. What possible response could I have to anything they want to do? They have shown themselves to be responsible, have made good choices and survived for ten days without my constant interference. My posture is now one of looking forward to their return, their independence, their going again.

I cannot say that I am sad about this. It is but one long, delightful chapter in a book that I do not know the end of. I look forward with joyful anticipation at what lies ahead. I am also enjoying the freedom and independence I have rediscovered in myself. Have I forgotten who I was before they came? Or am I still the same person forever changed by their stamp on my life. Will they relate to me in the same way or will we see each other differently? Will they respect me in a new way, after all I have also survived these ten days without help from them!

I cannot wait for them to return. My life is too quiet, peaceful, dull, calm without them. But when they do, things will definitely have changed. They will always be my daughters, but now I see them as women, grown ups, adults. My relationship with Gregg has changed as well. He has suddenly become an only child. This will require some adjustments, as we found out just this week!

As God deemed me somehow worthy to be their mother, I realize now that only the first part has been completed. We now move into a new era. Mothers, daughters, women, sisters in Christ. How exciting is that? I imagine these chapters will overlap at times, we will go in reverse perhaps, but none the less things will never be as they were. My heart is joyful about what lies ahead. God is constantly reminding me that he is in charge, I am his vessel.

I thought I would post some picks for the week since I actually have some :)

For the girls: Robert Andrew Salon. Go ahead, treat yourself!

For the guys: Gift certificates to Robert Andrew Salon! (for the girls of course!)

For all: Banana bread. What a great treat after a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Jen returns from Ireland on Wednesday, so goodbye from the Mothership :)

Nineteen and one-half

With Jennifer off enjoying the Terrible Beauty, the responsibility to keep up the Monday blog has fallen to me, her mother. I am a little nervous but excited about this opportunity.

I recently had an event occur and I remember thinking, “I should write that down sometime.” The next day the opportunity presented itself, so here goes nothing.

I was in my bedroom (don’t get nervous, just keep on reading), folding clothes when the rush of a distant memory washed over me. It happened in an instant but so many thoughts flooded my mind, I sat down on my bed and just took the time to enjoy the recollection. As I continued to think about this moment over the next couple of days, an interesting thought occurred to me. While in my early twenties, I realized that changes occur frequently in life and there is nothing you can do about many of them. They happen, we adjust, life goes on. I have lived out that philosophy since then and enjoy taking part in God’s providence on a daily basis. When this beautiful rush of memory swam over me, I realized that while the only constant in life is change, it is also true that the more things change, the more they stay the same, as evidenced by the following:

I am sitting on my bed, folding laundry. It is a cool, winter day and the neighbor kids are riding bikes in the street. I don’t know where it came from, but I was taken back in time to when I was in my room, playing with Gregg on my bed. He is an infant, straining to laugh, arms and legs flailing, squeals, giggles, as he lays on my bed looking up at me. I hear the girls in the hallway:

(1993) “Mommy! Can we go out front!!!?” (I hear the breeze blow through opened windows, traffic in the distance, children playing across the street.)

“Why? What’s going on?”

“Nothing. We just want to go out in the front yard.”

“Okay, but wait for me.”

“You don’t have to come Mom. We can go out by ourselves. Stay in with Gregg and watch us from the window.”

2008) “Mom, can we go to Ireland?”

(I hear the blood rush in my ears, the room is spinning, I know what's coming).

“Why? What’s in Ireland?”

“Aside from the obvious, we don’t know, but we want to visit there.”

“But I can’t go with you. School you know.”

“We know. We want to go by ourselves, just Ash & Jen.”

Although it appears as if many years passed between exchanges, I actually think it was about a week. Life does go on, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Thank you God.