A return to our Irish home 2018 Days 1-5

Day 1 – Friday, 17^th, Travel Day

Well we pushed our limits on packing and arriving at the airport.  It turns out Lucy is like her mother in her desire to be “prepared” so now that we have two women like that, in order to not waste time with arguments (which I could clearly see as I dipped my toe in the waters of “Do you really need this?”) we just “brought it all,” checking on the four largest bags in our house and carrying on two small suitcases, as well as our personal items.  On top of this, Thomas dropped us off at the airport and then went to park the car, and the kids and I spent the next 15 or 20 min, our personal contents exposed to the world on the floor of ABIA, shifting things around between bags to try and get them below 50 lbs each.  It turns out it had been the wrong idea to spend our time doing this to try to avoid paying an extra 100 bucks, and we instead should have had one person take all the passports and check in at the self check in kiosk, because once Thomas arrived and we zipped up our bags and checked in, we found out we had missed the window for bag check in by 10 or 15 min.  A nice man put us at the front of the line where we proceeded to wait another 10 min as they helped the people in front of us with their issues, after which your man behind the counter yelled, “You can’t do that!  You can’t just cut in front of all these people!  Go to the back of the line!”  (of 20 people and their bags)  Oh great.  Not only would our bags likely not get to Dublin, but at this point we were thinking WE wouldn’t be on our way to Dublin any time soon!  My friend John Quinn from Dublin reminded me the night before to not stress and let Jesus take care of the hard stuff for me while I travelled so I just prayed and hoped and put on my best puppy dog face, and the first nice man talked to someone and managed to come to our rescue and get us all set up!  A short security line ahead of us, and the rest of the trip was smooth sailing!

Day 2 – Fri, First day in Dalkey

After a full Irish breakfast at our restaurant at the airport (The Oak), we arrived to our AirBnB, a home built in the 1700s for a sea captain, and lugged our 200 lbs of luggage up three flights of dirty stairs to our bedrooms.  The home is eccentric, eclectic, antique, interesting, bathed in lovely light upstairs in the morning through the old window panes, and washed in the deep moans of church bells which float through the open windows from Sts Alphonsus Catholic Church situated literally out the windows of the children’s rooms.  The kitchen is a traditional Irish one – a big rectangular table in the middle, the Arga stove lit and warm at all times, a split door going outside to the back deck, and the radio always on.  There is a piano which Lucy will practice upon, and snacks in the fridge.  The only thing is that there are smells – not great smells – several different odours experienced as one meanders through the house.  First the smell of old bacon grease, then a closet of chemicals, then a mildew smell, an unidentified scent, and then just, well, the smell of “Old and needs a good scrubbing.”  And the other downside, besides the wi-fi not making it up to our bedroom, is grungy floors, and I mean F-I-L-T-H-Y.  The rug running through the main hallways and the master bedroom are worn and disgusting with old stains, and the kitchen floors are sticky and covered in a coating of years of grease and grime.  The whole kitchen actually needs a good scrub down.  Usually we take our shoes off in the house so as to not track in dirt, but this time I considered having us take off our shoes to not PICK UP dirt! Haha!  Anyway, it has hot, running water, sufficiently clean bathrooms, and interesting things to look at everywhere, and green trees and ivy and mystique, and the kids seem content, so it is home for several days.

Catholic church out Sam's window

We all took a shower and took a nice 2 hour nap, and dragged ourselves out of bed after Sam barely slept from bursting with excitement.  He was pacing around waiting for us to wake up to take him to his friend, Matthews, so we all got dressed and headed over.  Their reunion was sweet and natural. They were thrilled to see each other in person, and to our surprise there was no awkwardness over actually seeing each other in the flesh vs. through Skype and online gaming.  We chatted with Jennifer, Matthews mum, and then they headed to Coliemore Harbour to jump in the sea, which Thomas and Lucy and I headed to run some errands.  One of those errands was to Benitos Italian restaurant.  Thomas worked very hard and put out feelers all over Ireland to try and get his hands on some hurling All Ireland finals tickets for Croke Park the next day.  Someone managed to score some for him from a GAA club in Clare.  The tickets had to be sent to a business address, so he had them sent over to Benitos.  We bumped into one of the managers on the street (actually standing with Saul, the dry cleaner, in his shop) and he welcomed us “home” and told Thomas they had his tickets.  In fact, the young man’s name is Tom, and when the tickets were delivered they asked his name and he replied, “Thomas,” and the postman said, Great!  These are yours.  Sign here.  So they pulled off the heist and before we knew it they were in Thomas’s red hands, and envious eyes were all over him for the next 2 days!

It was a glorious day to recover from jet lag.  One of the best days we had ever experience for sitting on the patio of the Queens pub, where we thoroughly enjoyed our first pints (and blackcurrant cordial in sparkling water) while chatting with one of our favourite friendly servers who we call Georgie Porgie.  

 Eventually a showered and dried off invigorated Sam was dropped off to meet us, full of beans and craic from jumping off that wall into Coliemore Harbour with Matthew!  I devoured my awaited-for-9-long-months fish n chips.  A quick to trip to Super Valu, and we headed back to our grimy, cosy, home away from home to settle in and watch a few minutes of Astros baseball and a film together, which was not finished before crashing out.

Thomas got a shock today.  On our way from the airport he thought about how he would ring his boss, Cormac, for a pint while we are here.  After we got to the Air BnB, he got an email from his admin.  Cormac DIED while we were travelling over!!  Turns out he had prostate cancer that had been in remission, but which came back with a vengeance.  Everyone was stunned, including Thomas.  You may remember that Thomas and Cormac, while having a friendly relationship outside of work, had a lot of tension at work.  Cormac turned mean and aggressive about a year into Thomas’s stay there, which mad Thomas’s life miserable every day.  I have been praying for him almost daily since that time, and we have felt sad about that whole thing.  So the thoughts and emotions that occurred, really by both of us, were quite confusing. I had fantasized about sending Cormac a letter telling him what I thought about the way he treated Thomas and then forgiving him and reaching out to him on a spiritual level with God’s love for him.  Although it could have turned out badly for Thomas professionally, there was a piece of me that wished I had had the guts to do that.  While I resented the way he treated my husband, I really felt sorry for him.  His father died at the same time Thomas’s died, and he was so cold about it.  He covered up feelings with laughter, contrasting with rage.  No one acts the way he did toward people without having pain inside of them.  We are praying for his soul, and I hope that now that all that he was stressed about and worked for is behind him and he is seeing ALL TRUTH, that God s mercy will flood him with LOVE. 

Day 3 – Sun, 19th, Dalkey

We tried to get up to go to the Family Mass which Lucy and Sam used to sing and act in, but we were moving in setting cement with our jetlag, so we ate breakfast and went to 1115 am.  Bumped in to a few people – several of whom were busy with church stuff (i.e. Fr. Declan racing in 2 minutes before Mass), so conversations were brief and rushed.  A couple of others afterward expressed their cynicism over the World Meeting of Families, especially in light of the latest abuse cover up disclosure.  “You see,” one of them said, “It’s been 40 years since that infamous visit by Pope John Paul II.  Now 40 years later, the only people that want to go see the Pope are those same people, but they are 40 years older, and they can’t handle the walking, etc.”  I wish I had known what I learned that evening – that this is 9^th WMoF and this one has set a record for most number of 18-34 year olds signed up to attend.  Off to Mugs for sandwiches on the patio – more sunshine and fresh air – so lucky!  

Bumped into another acquaintance who shared how she was feeling just about done with the Church over all this, and then when I reminded her that WE ARE the Church and that Jesus promised He would be with us til the end of the age and that the gates of the netherworld will not stand against it, and that SHE needs to let her light shine and BE the Church, she declared I needed to preach and she perked up in her Debbie Downer attitude.  I had felt a little disappointed by the lack of enthusiasm, but then I remembered who I had talked to, and realized that it just so happens that we bumped into several people who generally are always like that.

Penants and flags in the church car park to greet the Holy Father

Catching up on the pope frezy over a whiskey

Amy's friend's article in the Irish Catholic.

Sam and Thomas took off for the DART station to head to Croke for the All Ireland.  Lucy and I looked forward to getting ourselves organized and taking a little rest, but when we got to the house I could NOT figure out HOW to open the door!!  I was soon dying to go to the bathroom as I jiggled the old key back and forth in the large keyhole, and I was losing my patience.  I decided first things first, I need to find a restroom, so Lucy and I drover over to Elisabeth and Ross MacMahon’s house in a mad state and did the peepee dance as we awaited Elisabeth’s long climb up three flights to the front door.  A lovely, warm reception awaited us, and after using their nice new modern, clean restroom and washing up and drying with her freshly ironed hand towels, we found ourselves enjoying cups of tea over conversation which immediately turned into a history lesson by Ross, while overlooking their 180 degree view of the Dublin Bay our their kitchen window.  Never at a loss for word with them, our discussion covered such things as the Pope, the Church, the history of the Irish newspapers, the Troubles, Texas transition, Thomas’s work, death, aging and dying, learning to love, and finally…hurling….as Lucy and I watched the finals on the telly with Ross while Elisabeth ironed more tea towels behind us.  The match was quite boring for most of it – pretty much a blow out of Limerick over Galway.  But then in the penalty time, Galway made a huge run for it, scoring two goals and many unanswered points, and it got VERY exciting!  (Thomas later texted me that Sam almost had a heart attack!)  In the end, our pick, Galway (of course), was unlucky to lose by 1 measily point.  But we were thrilled for Limerick to win their first All Ireland hurling final since I was 3 months old!

Sam at Croker

Next up – more tea and oatcakes, stepping outside a few times to watch a large beautiful sailboat, a cluster of kayakers, and illegal campers over discussions of neighborhood gossip and nude bathing, and it was suddenly time to scramble to find directions for Lucy and me to meet Thomas, Sam and some friends for dinner at a restaurant in Bray.

We met my friend, Judith, and her husband, Collin and aged 6 daughter, Joy, at Pizzas and Cream.  We became closer friends with Judith and Collin literally the week before we moved when they attended our going away sing song.  I always liked Judith, and that night had given us a chance for all of us to get to know one another better.  We talked all about hurling, and caught up with lively conversation.  Collin is on the parish council at their church in Bray, so we chatted a lot about ideas for parish renewal.  He had read the book we had recommended 10 months ago, and he wanted more ideas and inspirations, as he feels like an island.  Sam and Lucy really hit it off with their spunky, talkative, mature, also homeschooled daughter and hung out a lot on the patio chasing a cat, etc.  It was really a lovely, blessed time.

 

I think they got on quite well

Day 4 -- Mon, 20^th, Dalkey

A rainy start to the day.  Sam arranged to see Matthew some more.  I arranged to meet up with one of my girls who I mentored in Alpha, Emily.  Dropped Sam off and met Emily at the Killiney Hill tea room.  She had told me she only had about 1 ½ hours, but her next plans kept not materializing, so she ended up staying with me for 3 ½ hours over tea and a walk on the hill.  She shared with me about her adventures in travel to India this summer for volunteer work and how transforming it was for her.  It was obvious the Holy Spirit is stirring in her, and He helped me help her see that, which she had not identified.  

got my long awaited run on Killiney Hill

This mysterious looking forest always inspire my imagination

Twas a very life-giving, edifying conversation.  I got a surprise to see Sam and Matthew and his brother, Andrew, walk in with their dog and walk right up to the counter to buy ice pops and sodas.  Sam pretended he didn’t see me for a bit, until I insisted he come over and be reacquainted with Emily, his former child minder.  Later on my walk with Emily we bumped into them again in the trees on the hill.  Sam seemed so grown up and light and free to be walking around town, exploring the woods, buying his own treats – without mum or da or sister around – and with someplace to GO.  There is nowhere to go to in Canyon Creek in Austin really.  It was fun to see him be a free kid.

Thomas and Lucy and I joined our good friend, Erik, at the Grapevine for a glass (or two) of wine.  I love that one of our dear friends is our parents age, and he has such an interesting story and outlook.  We all enjoy swapping thoughts and opinions, jokes, comparisons, and differing perspectives.  He has the greatest stories and little Irish blessings to share.  Sam walked in, we finished up, and then had dinner at one of our favourites, the Magpie, although some of our regular meals were no longer on the menu.

It is so good to prioritize being social for a bit.  Life is so overflowing with commitment, planning, stress, decisions.  It feels good to be spontaneous, to laugh, and be with other people who also are that way – they will always be so dear to our heart.

Day 5 – Tues, 21^st, Dalkey

We have so many people to see and so little time!  This morning we had brunch with Ruth.  Ruth was Lucy and Sam’s drama teacher at church and was in the vision group with Thomas and me.  The kids love her, and likewise she loves them and thinks highly of them and their abilities.  She is a fireball of inspiration and energy to help renew the parish there and, after much encouragement by us, she essentially took my place in the parish council.  Ruth brought her little girl who was also in their family Mass group, and Lucy kept her company playing games, etc.  Good thing Lucy was there to be with her because there was much to catch up on and ideas to explore in our lively almost three hour meal!  I am going to gain 100 lbs while here bc everyone wants to have leisurely meals, drinks, and coffees/teas….so a lot of sitting and a lot of endulging in these couple of weeks!  Fortunately not so much for the kids and Thomas – mostly me.  My next splurge was dessert and tea with another one of my “teens” (now 20), Alanna.  

She has reached out to me quite a bit since we met, and God has been good to touch her life.  We also enjoyed a couple of hours together over a cuppa in Dun Laoghaire.  Meanwhile, Thomas and the kids met Mairead, Joe, and Ruhamma at Killiney Hill.  Joe is Sam’s good friend – the one who gave Sam locks of his hair, which Sam brought back to Texas!  They got to enjoy a few hours of some gorgeous fresh air and activity with walks and hurling and games of catch (Sam was teaching Joe more about baseball).  After Alanna, I attempted to get my phone issue addressed and found out that somewhere along the lines a payment had not been made so my phone got cancelled. ☹ ☹ ☹  I am so sad that I think I have lost my number.  But enough of practical things.  Ugh….on to the fun stuff!  I took a lovely stroll along the seafront in Dun Laoghaire, bumping into a couple from church, all bubbly about going to Mass with Pope Francis, until Thomas and Lucy joined me (Thomas and Joe went to Matthews house).  We kept walking and dipped our feet in the chilly Sandy Cove where loads of young children, parents and teens were enjoying the lovely summer weather.

Finally, we ended the day with more drinks and eats at the Queens and our beloved Benitos Italian.  So good to see many familiar faces.  Sam walked down to join us, hurleys in hand.  He seemed so happy to be out with his Irish friends and have a little freedom.  He can just walk places, hang out wherever, be outside, explore.  He is a happy kid.

Side reflection within a reflection:

How have we felt about being back here in Dalkey?  I think the consensus has been the same across the board.  It just feels natural.  I personally do not find myself thinking, “Awww, would you look at that.  Remember that?  Remember when?”  Instead it just feels like we have been on holiday and are returning back.  With the exception of eating out most meals, it just feels normal – like we just slipped right back in.  Bumping into the same people, having the same good conversations.  Our life here – just crammed into a couple of weeks.  I thought that driving would be an adjustment, but it really only took about 5 minutes to adjust back.  I don’t grip the steering wheels with white knuckles or cringe when Thomas drives past a hedge on my side of the van.  It all feels right.  But Texas has felt right, too.  So now I do officially feel like I have two homes.  It doesn’t feel like an either/or but an and/both.  And I feel blessed that we have discovered this beautiful, secret little place – one of the most special places in the world.  As our friend, Erik says, “the center of civilization!”  How did we get so lucky to not only visit here, but to be an integral part of this community that is all bonded together by this special little heaven on earth?  Not perfect, but even the imperfections make Dalkey unique – and so gloriously wonderful.

Goat castle and Dalkey lamppost

Our Lovely Neighbors

Graham and Ann

We have made some special friends since we moved to Dalkey.  I think the catalyst for us meeting our next door neighbors was a ball kicked into their garden.  Thomas and Sam called on them to get the ball, and they assured us that in the future it would be perfectly fine for us to just go through their gate to their back garden to retrieve Sam’s balls.  Eventually I made it over to meet them and fell in love with this sweet couple straight away.  Grahame’s introduction, accent in tow, went a little something like this.

Grahame: Hi, Amy, I’m Graham.

Me: Grimm?  (I had not ever heard that name barring the fairy tale collection, but in Ireland many, many names are new to me!)

G: Grahame.

M:  Grimm?  Did you say Grimm?   Or Grahame?

G:  That’s right.  Grahame (still sounded like Grimm to me, so I still wasn’t sure).

M:  Nice to meet you, Gr - (grumble)

It took glancing over at a piece of mail the next time I was over to get his name for sure!  Haha!

They are about our parents’ age, and while they are definitely people I would call friends, there is a bit of a parental feeling that I have for them.  They have cared for us and reached out to us and watched out for us and our house, and even protected us.  I give two examples of this.  The doorbell rang one day and the man, in an almost incoherent voice, asked if I wanted garden work done.  When I told him we weren’t interested, he just knelt down in the flower bed and started working.  I went out there and watched and tried to figure out what to do, while he just kept pulling weeds.  I repeated that I didn’t not need him to work on that, and that he could leave now, but he just kept on digging.  I sort of felt sorry for him, but this was extremely awkward.  I decided to treat him as if he were Christ in my garden, but when I tried to reach out to him about himself, he just told me I was nosey.  So I stood there some more.  Hmmmm.....now what?  I went back inside to think and returned to ask him what he would charge.  After all, he was doing some work, and I wanted to show respect to him for the work he had done.  He told me €40.  All I had was a 50, and I was not going to pay extra.  I didn’t even want the guy there!  He was making me so uncomfortable.  I needed change, so I would go ask Grahame if he could break a 50.  He couldn’t, but I told him what was going on, and he came over to the house and totally bowed up to the guy.  HE could see why I was having so much trouble getting him to leave, but he got right in the guys face and told him he had to go.  Meanwhile, Grahame took my €50 and went across the road to the hotel (a bit of a walk) and got smaller bills for me (so I could stay home since the kids were there.)  We paid the guy, and that was that.  I felt so much better knowing Grahame was there.

Every time I have ever rung the bell, Grahame has welcomed me in.  (I usually end up calling on them in the evening, and Ann is an early bird and has headed upstairs already.)  We always chat for a little while and catch up.  It is nice to be known by your neighbors.  They look out for our house and notice if we seem to be gone or anything seems suspicious.  Ann and Grahame invited us over for lemonade (hard!) as a formal welcome one afternoon.  They had made little sandwiches and treats and had drinks for us and Lucy.  They are so good at being interested, in asking questions, in complimenting and affirming.  I found out Ann was a singer at one time and they got me to sing for them and Ann’s sister, who is a doll.  I noticed that Grahame and I have a shared interest in finding our family tree.  He had his impressive work displayed on a giant piece of paper on the wall with notes scratched ALL over it.  I told him I only hoped to have that much work done on mine some day!

Last summer a ball went in their garden, and I went over to get it, and found myself sitting at their back table sipping wine and chatting for an hour or more with them and Ann's sister, and felt so welcomed and enjoyed the gift of sitting on their patio in the sunshine on a beautiful July day (about then), surrounded by the labor of love that has blossomed into their cottage garden.

In August, Grahame and Ann came for a summer gathering we had to introduce Dad and Sue to the local people we had met. Grahame and Ann came. Ann parked herself at the table and kept all my lady friends entertained, and Grahame joined in on the ever stimulating conversation that presents whenever Dad is around.  Grahame felt a connection with Dad, and after they left, when Grahame found out Dad had been diagnosed with lung cancer, he was very concerned and compassionate and asked frequently how Dad was doing.....all the way until we got the good news.

In November, Thomas was out of the country, and we had a TERRIBLE wind storm.  So bad that it blew open our back door and bent the latch to where we could not close the door and keep it closed.  Meanwhile it broke a window latch in the study and blew it open, too, and it was freezing in the house.  It was pretty late at night, and I had no idea what to do, so I called on Grahame, who was dressed and ready for bed.  But he got some clothes on and came over and, with the wind blowing him around and his hair being blown every which way, and shivering in the cold while I watched and communicated through the glass, he tried various approaches to solving the door problem.  After a couple of trips back to his house, he ended up nailing a board across the bottom of the door to keep it shut.  Then he made sure the window would stay closed with some duct tape.  I felt SOOO grateful!

We were surprised and amazed when Grahame and Ann invited us over Christmas Day!  Despite our misunderstanding of the times and showing up late, they welcomed us in with open arms and scrambled around to make sure we were tended to properly, and sharedstories about their lives and learned more about ours.  It was nice to be remembered and included with our next door “family” since we were so far from ours. 

After Easter they invited us over for “What we call ‘late lunch’,” as Grahame put it.  Ann, as usual, looked like a proper lady, in her silk floral blouse and pearls.  They both are always so happy to see us and are ever so complimentary.  It is a good house to go to if I feel inadequate or unimportant in any way.  Also, as usual, they presented us with a menu of drinks, including special drinks for the children.  We enjoyed lovely conversation about our trip to Paris.  Lucy and Sam made me proud as they spoke eloquently about their thoughts and experiences, and Sam actually washed and combed his hair to the side to be appropriate for the occasion.  We enjoyed the sunshine coming through the windows of the “conservatory” while sipping our vodka and tonic, and lemonade, and cranberry juice, and ale.

An Irish kitchen never puts on airs.  It is full of the spoils of war that evidence the battle that is the pouring of oneself out through the food that one presents to destroy even an inkling of hunger pang that might survive in the guest’s body, fortifying it with warmth and nourishment to brave the gab set out ahead of them.  Ann presented us with big steaming bowls of carrot and coriander soup and crusty bread.  She even made tomato soup separately for Sam who had stated that as his preference in her pre-meal interview at our house the day before.  Next on the menu, stewy beef bourgeon with mushrooms and onions, carrots, and traditional colcannon made of potatoes (of course) and kale.  Again, she made a special effort to make Sam and Lucy hamburger and chips, assuming that they would not prefer what we were having.  How kind.

For dessert, homemade meringues with dark chocolate drizzle, fresh berries, and gelato ice cream from the gelato shop in Dalkey.  Ann got up at 7 am to make these for us.  We truly felt pampered and important.  There is a connection between us.  Conversation flows easily, and they are such good question-askers and find what we have to say interesting (or else they are humble and gracious enough to lead us to believe they are interested!)

After our lovely meal, we moved to the living room.  I am not sure how it started, but either I or the kids and I started to sing.  Of course there was the usual Ave Maria or the like, and then the next thing you know we were singing the Beatles.  Ann was once a famous traditional Irish singer with the Abbey Tavern singers.  After some health issues, she claims that she can’t sing anymore.  I felt so happy to see her lips move as she just couldn’t help but sing a long.  At one point she left the room, and as she entered again she was dancing around to our songs.  What surprised me was Grahame’s enthusiasm.  I don’t know what we were singing, but at one point, he stomped his foot and threw both hands in the air in exultation at the fun of it all.  I just adored the connection we had through song and how a band of their generation banded them together with our generation, and even our kids’!  It truly was a joyful moment.  One I will never forget.  And then, we convinced Ann to sing a few bars.  What a blessing to see it rise out of her.  Singing is such a balm for the soul, and I could see the love for the art that she once held bubbling, rising up again from deep in her spirit.  Grahame told her he really wishes she would sing again for herself, and she finally agreed that if she and I could do it together, she would try.  I have yet to make that happen, and sadly, it may be a little while, but I have every intention of inviting her to join me, and I hope she will teach me some Irish tunes!  I think we could really sound beautiful together.  Moments like these make me grateful for my voice.  I may not be touring the world as a big star, but the gift God has given me is used in subtle, simple ways to bless people.  To God be the glory!

I have only seen both Grahame and Ann in passing one time since.  I invited them over for a hooley (sing along, instruments, drinks, gab, and craic) I was having a couple of weeks ago (beginning of June) and Ann phoned the day of and said Grahame had not been feeling well.  She was concerned but suggested perhaps he had not fully recovered from the chest infection he had a few weeks prior.  This week, in the throes of cooking dinner, with a 10 minute lull before the oven timer was set to buzz, I felt a tug to ring Ann right then to see how things were going.  “Horrible,” she replied.  She shared with me that Grahame had been diagnosed with cancer the week prior, and the day before my phone call they had been told he only has days to weeks to live.  My heart absolutely sank.  I held back the tears while I gathered information and let Ann talk.  Being true to herself, she had to know what was going on with us, too.  This has hit us hard.  Yes, we have only known them for a year, but they have touched us.  We prayed before we moved for friends, but also specifically for good neighbors, and He has exceeded our expectation by giving us both good friends AND neighbors in Grahame and Ann.  Grahame has helped me so many times, and it has been a comfort to know that he is there.  And now I will pray intensely for them. 

He adores his sweet wife.  It was evident in the story he told me about buying Ann roses which didn’t last long enough.  He took them back.  When they asked if he wanted to exchange them, he said, “No.  You know how much I spent, and I will send my wife over to pick out the flowers that SHE wants.”   He said he loves to have the freshest flowers around for her.  He is a gentleman in every sense of the word, and has been truly a blessing from God.  I have two regrets.  One, in our busy travel/anniversary/Mothers Day/birthday/school/church spring schedule, that some time went by since we saw them, and the one time he and I spoke recently was only briefly and regarding the hedges.  Second, that I cannot find any pictures of them.  I think our relationship is just so natural and easy, and it feels like family, so I don’t think to take a picture, but we will never forget him, and as long as we are here and Ann is here, we will look after her and enjoy our time with her, and they will forever remain our beautiful Irish neighbors.

(If you are the praying type, please pray for a miracle, of course, but if not that, then healing, comfort, and peace for Grahame and Ann.  Please pray that Grahame would live long enough for family to return from a family wedding to see him, and  preferably that he would still be alive when we come back here after out trip to the States (leaving tomorrow, Sunday) so I can sing in his funeral.  Thank you!)

UPDATE:  I made a copy of this and gave it to Ann to share with Grahame.  We have since learned that our faithful friend, Grahame, passed away.  We are in Texas now and so sad thinking of him not being there when we return and because we know we can not be there right now to support Ann.  But we pray for the grace to be a source of consolation and comfort to her upon our return.

June Bloom

I am finally settled into the new year and able to look back and continue to do some blogging of the events of 2015.  As I mentioned last time, my new plan is to focus on one month at a time.  This seems like an arduous task, as so much happens every week, perhaps every day, that is noteworthy to me, while still bring true to my vision of a reflective memoire that enters into the nuances of our experience here.  So I venture into the VERY busy and eventful month of June 2015, and bring you along!

The month began with an invitation to attend an event sponsored by Dal Riada Catholic family center.  They held a sport day for families trying to live their Catholic faith and be in community with one another.  It was held on the grounds of a beautiful local international girls school and was well attended.  Well, the numbers may have been a bit skewed by the size of most of the traditional Irish Catholic families!  We met some lovely people (many who homeschool like us) and enjoyed the competition on the magnificent green lawn.  I love the lack of pretentiousness.  These people are so down to earth and genuine.  One lady, Clodagh, whom I particularly have enjoyed and gotten to know since, raced against me and some other women, and she was really dishing it out at the starting line.  She ended up falling down and rolling down a hill in her dress near the finish line, and just rolled with laughter on the ground!  Clodagh knows a lot about genealogy and is committed to retaining Irish culture.  She is fluent in the Irish language, speaking it to her children at home, and was able to pick out which counties my family line came from just based on their surnames. 

Making friends while climbing trees

On yer marks!

Father handing out the awards.

It struck me that day that priests here can be quite involved in every day life.  These are lovely Regnum Christi priests that attended our family day, and they at always so present to the Catholic community.  We have attended many of their functions, including a homeschooling parents night.  There were probably 40 people there sharing their stories and experiences with homeschooling, and we celebrated Mass and had tea and cakes.  What a treasure their family center, Dal Riada, is!

Thomas and I celebrated our 19^th anniversary across the street at the Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel.  This is the hotel we stayed in when we were house shopping, not knowing that the house we would choose was right under our nose!  It was so handy because we didn’t even need a sitter.  We had a lovely meal and drinks, while the kids enjoyed a movie across the street at our house.  The Fitzpatrick is known around these parts as Killiney Castle.  If you have no interest in history, feel free to skip the next paragraph outlining the history of the Fitpatrick Castle Hotel (Killiney Castle):

The original house, Mount Mapas was built in 1740 by Col. John Mapas, although records show that a building or buildings stood here at a much earlier date. The 150 acres around it (including the land we live on, which was part of the estate) was later converted the barren stoney soil to meadow and pasture and cut a road around the hill.  The name Robert Warren is very much associated with the Castle and it was he who in 1840 enlarged the house and called it Killiney Castle. He also restored and added monuments on Killiney Hill, the captivating focus of the area, repairing the obelisk originally erected by Col. Mapas as a famine works project in the 18th Century (still there today and seen from all around), and donated land and most of the money for the building of Killiney parish church. The land on the hill - once part of the estate - was purchased from his son, by Queen Victoria's jubilee memorial association and subsequently re-named Victoria Hill - as we still know it today.  Its subsequent owners included a Mrs Chippendale Higgan. The trees and shrubs she planted can still be seen today.  In the 20th Century, Killiney Castle was used by the Black & Tans, the IRA and the Republicans in the civil war before being burnt by Free State Troops. It was requisitioned by the Government during the 1939-45 period and used as billets for the army.  Killiney Castle exchanged hands again with the late Paddy and Eithne Fitzpatrick taking over the helm in the 1970's, transforming it into a first class hotel and re-naming it Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel.

So much history on our doorstep!

Later, with a sitter, we were able to attend Top Hat, the Musical! at the Bord Gaise theatre.

The last day of school is at the end of June here, so we ended our lessons then, as well.  We celebrated by enjoying the weekly outdoor barbecue that they have on the lawn of the Fitzpatrick.  What a treat on a sunny Friday evening.  The sun, by that time, doesn’t go down until 10:30 pm or so, so there is loads of time to enjoy the “long stretch of the evening!”  There is some verbiage that any transplant Texas must understand in order to make it through summer here:

In Texas, bbq (never barbecue) is a noun (a type of smoked meat with sauce).  A grill is a hot outdoor place where you cook up meat.  If you are cooking burgers or other meat that is not technically bbq, then you cook out, and you have your friends over for a cookout.

In Ireland, a barbecue (not bbq) is an event where people gather and eat meat cooked outdoors.  A barbecue is also the mechanism on which you cook the meat.  A grill is an indoor appliance found in an oven which cooks things from the top on high heat.  In Texas, this is called a broiler.

Sam really got into GAA, and his coaches and we were so pleasantly surprised at how he took to it and excelled.  Sam also got an earache, so we had the adventure of going to an Irish doctor for the first time.  I was surprised I was able to get him right in at the Surgery in Dalkey.  Yes, that is what they call a doctor’s office….a surgery.  It says so right on the sign.  I am picturing amputations and heart transplants, and this ancient doctor just gave Sam some oily ear drops.  I have to admit, germaphobic me was a little bit squeamish.  The waiting room was the size of my closet in Austin, so everyone was in each others’ faces.  The toilet had a COMMUNITY hand towel!!  (Oh wait, you don’t know that restrooms are called “toilets”.  I have a hard time not picturing just a porcelain throne sitting out in the open when I see or hear that label, but I digress....)  We went straight in to the doctor, no initial visit with a nurse.  He was a gentle and sweet older gentleman, quite knowledgeable.  But his office/examining room (yes, they are one and the same), looked like Louis Pasteur’s dorm room.  Bottles all over the counter, lab notes, receipts, used equipment, a briefcase on the floor, empty, dirty coffee cups and a thermos in the sink, some sort of air purifying machine and water pick, collecting dust.  A community blanket on the examining table, which had a cloth clover, not a fresh sheet of paper, and toys for the kiddies.  He took a look Sam's ears, and then decided he needed his audiology machine, which he informed me was in his car!  So while he went outside to get his equipment, I was left in the room with old fashioned files of other patients just sitting there, waiting to be explored, and a cabinet full of bottles of medication (just like Doc Baker on Little House on the Prairie).  But instead I took the opportunity to snap some photos:

Toto, we are not in Kansas anymore!  It was determined Sam was suffering from impacted earwax, so he sent us home with a sample size bottle of junk to clear out his junk.

There are benefits to the old fashioned ways here.  Like the time I went to the Fruit and Veg stand (which takes only cash) and was 40 cents short, so they told me to just bring it some other time.  Or at Mugg's coffee shop where I didn’t have ANY cash after finishing my lunch, so they said, “Ah sure look, just bring it by when you are back around.”  Or like the little library that we can walk to, that the kids can pick out books from whenever they like. 

The lovely little patio on the library named after a local auther, Maeve Binchy

Our library in Austin is a 15 min drive – without traffic (haha – no traffic – in Austin – haha!  I am rolling!) and on the way to nowhere else for me.  My daily runs might include stops at the post and the bakery before running back up the hill 1 km to our house.

In June there is a buzz in the air around Dalkey, as they approach the famous annual Dalkey Book Festival. 


It was begun by David McWilliams, economist turned entertainer, who lives around these parts, and with whom Thomas was on a speaking panel of 2 BEFORE finding out that he single handedly predicted the Irish economic crash.  The windows are painted and banners and pennants hung to welcome famous authors from around the world, as well as the thousands of visitors to the area.  This year, the book festival occurred the weekend of my birthday.  The weather was sunny and gorgeous.  The morning of my birthday I got to enjoy seeing Sam play in a GAA match, followed by a fun lunch at Eddie Rocket's 50s Diner.  After that, we enjoyed meandering around the festivities, seeing people we had met up to that point, and feeling a part of the community, and then walking on the beach that day.

My kids love me!! :)

 
The next day, Niall and Mel, Alex and Evie, came down and joined us for the festival.  The kids went to hear the author of Danger is Everywhere speak.  We rode a mini train around our gorgeous seaside village, and the girls had their faces painted while the boys had balloon animals made.  Niall also had the pleasure of wishing Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) a good day.

It has been such a cool thing having the McCabes around as ready-made good friends.  We have loads of fun together, and they are so willing and ready to do touristy things with us, and help us on our journey.  This was the day I learnt officially just how important tea is.  A side note….it It occurred to me at one point that in my American way of life, time and productivity are of utmost importance.  So when someone stops by our house to return the book they borrowed or because they were walking the dog by our house, I desire to have them in for a drink or a chat, but I think to myself that they surely are busy and have important things to do, so it would be rude to ask them to stay and then cause them to feel pressure to take time out of their already busy schedule for me, so I usually try to be respectful of their time and just allow them to freedom to do what they need to do and then be on their way when they need to be, without feeling that they must commit to a drink and a chat every time they stop by my house.  NOT SO HERE!  I learned from our friend, Kevin earlier, and this time from Mel, that you ALWAYS offer to put the kettle on.  The story that illustrated my point here was: I was finishing up getting ready.  I knew the McCabes were anxious to get down to the festival when they stopped by our house to see if we were ready to go and realized I was not.  So Thomas sent them on their way down.  About that time I came running downstairs, telling Thomas I was only a couple of minutes away from being ready, so I chased them down the street to ask if they preferred to wait and walk with us, which they did.  I THOUGHT about asking if they wanted some tea, but I second guessed myself, thinking that surely they didn’t want to take the time for that.  Within minutes, though, Niall asked if Mel have a cuppa because she didn’t have time for any when they left, and she felt bad asking.  Lesson learnt.  Ever since, no matter who stops by for whatever reason…a neighbor, the postman, a solicitor (not really), I offer a cuppa.  And, without fail, the conversation goes like this:

Me:  Shall I put the kettle on?

Friend: No, Im okay.  Thanks.

Me: Are you sure?

Friend: Well…alllllright.  If you insist.

And then they sit down and stay awhile for a chat.

tea or cider? -- Pick your poison.

Later that week, Liam rang.  Have I mentioned Liam before?  Surely I have.  He is the man that came up to me at the newsagent and got in my face, asking, “Do you know anyone who can trim hedges?”  I told him I actually did have a number for someone who did garden work, but I didn’t have the number on me, so he asked me to call him when I got home.  I did, but he was driving, so he asked me to call back in an hour.  What?  Who is this guy?  Hilarious.  Upon ringing him back, I also met his wife, and I exchanged words with the two o' dem.  Well, a few weeks went by, and then friendly, bold Liam RANG ME!

Me: Hello?

Liam: Is it Amy? (They say is IT, not is THIS.  If you say THIS, they act confused)

M: It is.

L: I am Liam.  I wanted to tell you I found someone to trim the hedges.

M: (huh?)  Wow.  That’s grand, Liam, I have been lying awake at night worried about that so I am so glad you told me!  (I laugh)

L: Yeah, I didn’t use the guy you sent me because I found someone else first, but it all got done, so I thought you would like to know.  And thank you for that.  (HE didn’t even use my guy!  Why is he thinking to call me??)

M:  Wow Liam, I am relieved to know!  Thank you for thinking to ring me!  If you are ever back in Dalkey we should have a cuppa tea or something.

L: That’s brilliant, Amy!  Im so glad to know ye!  See ye soon!  Thanks a million, Amy!

M:  God bless you, Liam.

L And God bless YOU, Amy!  Cheers, Amy!  Bye-bye. Bye, bye, bye-bye. Cheers!  Bye!

Have I mentioned Elisabeth MacMahon?  What a cool lady.  She is one of the people I ran into at the festival.  She is French, but married to an Irishman, Ross, and has lived here for 20 years.  I met her because she advertised for a piano in the window of the newsagent.  (Actually, I was taking her number down when Liam walked in.)  It was so cool to visit her to see the piano and chat forever about everything.  She3 was thrilled to sell her piano which carries with it so may memories, to a family like ours.  WE became fast friends.  This week we had the piano delivered.  What a cool thing.  I am so glad we bought that for Lucy, especially.

Also at the festival, Elisabeth introduced us to Dierdre who taught piano lessons.  So Lucy ended up taking lessons from her the rest of the summer until she moved to NYC L  She is such a sweet, charming lady!  WE had the piano delivered BEFORE I paid her, so I came by her house one night about 9 pm to drop off the cash and have a quick visit and, as I did not have a mobile phone at the time, Thomas did get a little bit worked up when I was not home till after 1 am!  Elisabeth showed me to her upstairs, 4^th floor, cozy living room loaded with artifacts and stacks of sheet music, which she rummaged through to give me, with the sound of great classical music filling the room.  Her husband Ross kept my mind stimulated all evening with chats about history, politics, America, religion, education, you name it while Elisabeth chimed in with her own opinions about things….not always sharing Ross's viewpoints!  They are both brilliant people, and a great resource.  I thoroughly enjoyed their company and knew that God was taking care of me by bringing Elisabeth into my life.  I must mention their house, as well.  Situated on a hillside overlooking the Irish Sea (every window as a view….the house goes straight up) as well as the Dart rail line, the house was once a carriage house for Strawberry Hill, the house next door.  That home has been occupied by the Steven???????? Of Def Leppard, as well as by the Ryan family, who own Ryan Airlines.  Ross always had a dram of living in a house on the sea by a train, so when he found this ehouse decades ago, though in a shambles, who grabbed it.  It is built literally into Killiney Hill, and the stairs wind around a big boulder attached to the hill.  I mean you can literally touch Killiney Hill fron their stairs.  Elisabeth showed me where the horses came in and went out and where the carrigaes were kept.  They have raised two daughters in that house with only one bathroom and 4 floors, so they decided it was finally time to remodel the house that Ross began remodeling ages ago.  Right now, as I type this, poor things, they are in leased housing until their house is finished  Cant wait to see it!

16^th of June is Bloomsday.  This is celebration of the author James Joyce, who wrote Ulysses, a classic 265,000 word vignette of an ordinary day in the life of Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus, two men in Dublin on 16 June, 1904.  One of the first scenes takes place in a school room in Dalkey and around Dalkey village.  James Joyce actually DID teach there himself, and the house where the school room was remains to this day, just down the street with us.  The kids and I enjoyed a tour of the spots from the novel in town, and then that night the whole family attended a performance of some scenes from the book and a concert at our local heritage center. 

James Joycean walk through Dalkey

St. Begnet's church that Sam eventually hid inside during the play.

The stage was up against a wall of glass looking out over St. Begnets chapel ruins (10^th Century.  St. Begnet is our local patron saint) and graveyard (13^th Century).  The play was entertaining and well done, but at a certain point in the second act, after an interlude of sugary drinks, Sam got quite antsy.  The room was warm, so they had the doors just next to us to the side wide open.  All of a sudden I realized Sam had sprung to his feet and ran outside!  Those ancient tombstones to explore and and the fresh air were calling his name!  He tried to hid in the ruins of the church, but he didn’t understand that, as it was dusk, the lights that light u pthe church and tomstones had come on, so every dingle movement he made cast a HUGE shadow on the ruins that were JUST BEHIND the actors on stage.  He ran around, shadows following him, and causing a red glow to rise upon to my face.  I didn’t want to make a scene by running out and chasing him around (him thinking I am playing) and calling his name, so I hoped he would just get still and hide, but to no avail.  I finally had to do something, so I ran out as I had pictured and firmly demanded he meet me around the back corner of the old chapel, and we sat there and hid for the rest of the performance till we heard the applause.  Then we snuck in quickly, grabbed Lucy and Thomas, and snuck out as fast as we could before anyone could comment. Sam was mortified when he heard how obvious and disruptive he had been.  He thought he was invisible during his cemetery tour.

Next weekend we found ourselves participating in one of the coolest things we have ever done.  As I mentione in my last post, Sam joined GAA (Gaelic Athletic Assoc), which included hurling and Gaelic football.  Each year there is a tournament of the best GAA teams in the country called the All Ireland.  Well, Sams GAA Cuala club has a mini-All-Ireland.  Each team gets a county name and jersey and they have a big tournament and picnic and award ceremony.  But one of the COOLEST things is that first they have a parade through town.  They shut down the streets, and the kids line up in their matching colors with official banners with their Irish county names with crest, and parade through the streets, with their families too, waving flags, and escorted by mounted cavalry, bagpipes, and traditional lrish drummers and flutes.  You really get a sense of just how important and how much a source of pride these GAA clubs are to the local communities and counties of Ireland.  GAA goes way back, and we felt a part of history.  They marched all the way to the pitch (field) which had a row of all the flags of all the counties represented, and there were games and festivities alongside the tournament.

The parade was led by mounted guards and bagpipes

The teams were divided up into counties, and Sam's team pretended to represent Co. Cavan.

Mini All Ireland Parade through Dalkey

Sam and his mate, Joe.

Sam and some GAA lads, including one of his good friends, Joe (in the middle)

This was the day Thomas and I met Kevein, Joes dad.  Joe was Sams favorite friend from GAA, and he is a unique individual!  Joe is adopted from Ethiopia, and at the time we met him he had an afro Mohawk, so in a field of pasty white, freckle face Irish kids, this spunky, happy, energetic kid stands out.  Sam loved his spirit, so we met his dad and began the process of fcestering that friendship.  Little did we know that at the same time we would foster a friendship with Joes whole family.  (more on that later.)  Also at GAA, Lucy ran around with some girls selling raffle tickets.  To top off this warm, sunny, fab day, we heard the best quote ever out of an Irish kid, regarding the goal posts, Look at the size o dem poles!  Deir bigger den me mums teeth!  (or was it teets?  We couldn’t tell! Hahaha!)

After two months of begging and groverling, and reminding, and pressuring, and sending our change of address multiple times, etc. we FINALLY squeezed out debit cards from our impossible bank!  I felt like I had been let out of jail now that I could get some money so easily and pay for things with a PIN, which is the main way things are done around here.  Money is treated so differently.  First of all, you ALWAYS carry cash.  You never know who will not accept cards.  And I don’t have checks.  Second, you ALWAYS carry coins.  Parking often accepts coins only, and every time you turn around you are paying to park.  Additionally, coins go as high as 2 Euros, with the smallest note being 5 Euro, so if you own someone  33 Euro, you have to pay part of that in coins.  There is no other option.  I think I may need to have a chiropractor on hand when we move dback to work out all the kinks form carrying around a 50 lbs purse full of coins!  Haha – not really.  But you never leave home without coins.

Fathers Day is the same day here as in America.  We celebrated Thomas by going to Powerscourt Waterfall.  What a magical place.  (Dad and Sue, it was not the best day when you went).  You can drive up really close to the base of the falls, and people picnic and camp right there, all around.  IN JUNE.  People were actually cooking out and sitting around and relaxing, soaking it all in without ONE DROP of sweat on their brow!  It was then that I realized that all those magazine pictures of picnics and camping and outdoor fun in the summer actually DO happen in the summer…just not in Texas where we are all sitting in the air conditioning in an ice bath, fanning ourselves.  We climbed the rocks and soaked it all in and hiked a bit before hading over to the infamous Johnny Foxes, the highest pub in Ireland.  THIS spot is amazing!  Its like the Dixie Chicken or Broken Spoke of Dublin.  A cozy and eclectic old pub, covered in interesting articles, full of nooks and crannies, with lists of famous visitors on the walls, and even the ashes of a pub owner in American who dreamed of visiting and neer made it.  (hmmm)  At the back is a room where they play stomping, raucous trad music, and you feel enveloped in a time warp.  From what I hear, the mussles are incredible (but I personally did not try them).

As we wrapped uour school year at the end of school, we headed over to explore Trimm Castle with the McCabes.  It was brilliant spending so much time with them in June!

Trimm Castle

A model of the inside

Sam and Alex have no trouble messin together!

Lucy's always in trouble!

Always a ball to kick around with these two!

The next day Thomas left for the Czech Rep and Frankfurt.  It is nice that when Thomas travels to mainland Europe it is NOTHING compared to his trips from the USA!  Lucy and Sam headed over for a playdate with Joe and his cute little sister, Ruhama.  By this point I had also met their mother, Mairead.  They live in the house that Mairead grew up in in Killiney, which they added on to.  No two houses are the same here, so every time I get to see another persons home it is an adventure and interesting experience!  This time what was particularly interesting about their house is that they live down such a narrow road that you can barely squeeze your vehicle in.  I made the mistake of driving right up to the house, thinking there surely was a place at the end of the road to turn around, but I was wrong!  I had to back up very slowly, narrowly missing the potted plants sitting on her neighbors front door step on one side and a wall on the other.  The other interesting thins is that their house is surrounded by donkeys!  In fact, as I write this, just the other day I called on Mairead for a quick visit, and while at the door I was startled by a loud yelling sound, which was a massive heehaw of a donkey right next to me that I didn’t notice when I walked up!  He nudged me to give him some love.  Felt like I had stepped back in time!

I already told you about the troubles in getting a debit card.  Well that was NOTHING compared to getting a mobile phone!!!

Here is the story.  Skip it if you want.  Or don’t, if you want to appreciate how easy things are in USA.

I was told the best place to go is Carphone Warehouse because they serve all mobile companies so they can figure out the best plan for me.  The kids and I, not understanding how close Dun Laoghaire is by car, decided it would be best to take the train there after we finished our lessons one day  (this was after much studying to figure out where to go and how to get there, etc.) We almost missed the train (at this point we didn’t have a card for the kids so were still purchasing tickets every single time).  In my haste I didn’t pay attention to which side of the tracks I was on, so we ended up going the wrong way.  Got off at the  next stop and turned ourselves around.  Then we couldn’t find the place and walked around everywhere in Dun Laoghaire.  Finally found it inside a mall, and when we got there, they were pulling down the shade.  The website was WRONG about their closing time.  (I have since learned to ALWAYS call, as websites are NEVER reliable!)

Next day, tried again.  Only this time I decided to drive to a different one.  You see, Thomas had fallen in love with a certain cereal that we had not been able to find anywhere but thee Dunnes store by our apartment when we first moved here.  Seeing as Fathers Day was that Sunday, I decided I could kill two birds with one stone by buying several boxes of cereal for Thomas for Fathers Day, and in the same shopping center, try out a different Car Phone Warehouse. As usual, we got dreadfully lost due to my sat nav leading me astray.  Finally, frazzled, I found it, ,and limped into the store, ready to be educated on all things Irish mobile.  And boy did I get educated.  I found myself saying, “You see, in America we....” about every second sentence as I tried to wrap my head around how things work here.  In the end I realized that the best plan for us included purchasing a phone, and a Samsung phone like I am accustomed to was extremely expensive (like Euro if I recall correctly), so I decided to downgrade to a Sony smart phone.  Trouble was that they didn’t have one in stock for my plan.  I don’t know....don’t ask me!  So I would have to wait.....and wait.....and wait.....for days....and days.....

FINALLY my phone came in and was ready for pick up.  THEN FINALLY get to the shop – now probably 10 days later with my Irish ID and bank account info, as requested, to pick up my phone.  At which time the lady discovered i needed my PASSPORT.  Of course, in true Amy fashion, I was always there at about 4:55 when they were almost closing (Yes, most shops close are ridiculously early times here.  Hello?  Irish economy?)  So I head home and the next day, scan her my passport, and I get a phone call from the lady who informed me that since the day before, the plans had CHANGED, and the price had shot up.  She said that reps jsut come in, with no warning, and change plans that day...bam!  Irritation set in, which gave rise to creativity.  So I ended up finding the old price as an “online for 2 days only” deal directly with the company online to order a SIM car through the phone company, but then purchase the phone at the store.  However, when I tried to order the SIM I HAD to give a preivous address, and the only choice they had online was to give  previous IRISH address, that had to have been lived in for a year (or something).  So after THREE HOURS on hold, I was told they would call me back.  Two MORE days and the phone rep called and told me to just put the same address we live in now.  Rules?  Policies?  Ah, sure.  Those change moment to moment.  The wait a few days for the SIM card to come in the ;mail.  So yet ANOTHER trip to the phone company on ANOTHER day and I had my “feckin” phone!!! (pardon the language, but there is no other word!)

And this is just ONE of the MANY MANY examples of the clumsy entrance we had into being initiated into Irish living.

What a wild ride!  And somehow all the those cute, charming Irish accents and all that fresh air and green and long, mild summer days gives one the impression that this is FUN! 

Speaking of FUN, we watched June pass into July at Killiney Beach on a gorgeous day.

A few other random photos from June:

Doors and gates of Dalkey village

The gate leading to the home of George Bernard Shaw, author of Pigmalian, this inspiration for My Fair Lady

Cat's Ladder from Ard Muire Rd to the famous Vico Rd.

Views from the Vico Rd.

Killiney Hill -- our front garden

I was taken at the beginning by the strange mix of items in shops.

Mowing our back garden with a hoover (vacuum)

This sign was posted around town one morning....highlighting the unintentional quirkiness of the place

No matter the weather, it is a place of mystique and beauty (a view of our church)