The Best Bowl of Soup Ever

Today I got to meet a few kind fellas that I feel were brought along my way quite intentionally in a seemingly unintentional way. I was getting a bowl of soup and writing in a delicious little cafe while my clothes dried in the launderette next door and five of the most pleasant gentlemen sat down at the table next to mine. In need of a little extra elbow room for their breakfasts, they scooted their table up to mine and what followed was the most informative and delightful conversing I feel I've done since I've arrived. It was enlightening and each of them had well wishes for my endeavors. I feel blessed they sat down at that exact time in that exact cafe, and grateful I followed the rather sudden urge to eat soup while my clothes dried! What's more, when we got back to the hotel tonight, I got dinner fixed for the kids and went down for a cider on our last night's stay here, and who should be sitting down in the hotel pub, but one of the fellas from the cafe! It was a treat to get to see what, according to me, was a familiar face sitting in the pub. We didn't chat too long as he had a meeting (with another kind chap from the café and some others) to attend and I had two children eating dinner up in my room. I would like to have stayed and hung out, but was pleased just the same. 

Of course the other exciting news of the day, both kids did wonderfully on their first day at their new school! I am a proud mama. It'll still take a little adjusting I'm sure, but they both came home happy today, and that's all I could ask for. That and the permission to remain students there. ;) They are both looking forward to tomorrow, too, so that's a huge plus!

While they were in class, I got to investigate Wicklow Main St. a bit and found a place to get a decent Americano! Yay! (Sorry, its been almost a week and the whole instant coffee schtick is getting old. Not that I have anything against a delightful pot of Irish tea, but hey, old habits die hard. It's a lovely town and I can't wait to see more of it! On to tomorrow's adventures!

cheers!

Ballygannon Wood aka Murk Wood

After enjoying our delicious breakfast buffet this morning (Yes, I accidentally put porridge on Shiloh's potatoes thinking it was sausage gravy) we made our way down to the rocks on the beach only to find that the secret cave C & S were going to explore were quite filled with water! It appears the tide had risen sufficiently enough to submerge them. Methinks the full moon is to blame. So, we each got an ice cream instead and ate it in the 39 degree weather on the windy beach and laughed the whole time. After ice creams were eaten and our bodies were shivering, we hopped in the car to go checkout where the hostel we are moving to in two days is located.

The drive was wonderful and when we somehow missed a turn, we found ourselves turning around at an entrance for the Ballygannon Woods. The logic voice in me said, "No, let's turn around and finish finding the hostel. We can always come back and hike it after." Then, luckily enough for me, my heart voice (sounding an awful lot like my seven year old daughter) piped up with, "Or we can just hike it now." So, we left our car in the carpark and went on an impromptu hike through these gorgeous woods. C & S got to have an adventure of a different kind after all! They found a river, a trail of light, and even a rugby match that we kept enough distance from so as not to be seen. And then we magically still found our way back to the car and after some help from a kind man at a playground, our way to the hostel.

The adventure of school begins for them tomorrow and seeing as I am the fire under that endeavor at the crack of dawn tomorrow morning, I think I shall retire this evening. Pictures will be added of the woods, because my words would fail its beauty. But hey, that's what I came here for. To find the words that will succeed.

cheers

The Loud Typist

I have now become well acquainted with the hallway outside our hotel room, as it offers me the perfect place to write my blog since, apparently my son can sleep through rock and roll concerts, but not the sound of keystrokes on a keyboard. So, here I sit, listening to the Amelie soundtrack (it was Debussy last night...) through headphones and am glad they actually got to bed at a normal(ish) bedtime tonight for the first night since we've been over here. This morning I meant to begin our getting up at an earlier time than one in the afternoon but circumstances beyond my control took hold and we can try again tomorrow morning.

We actually got started with a bright and early wake up call this morning at six when my daughter got sick in bed. I rushed her into the bathroom to finish up there, and she was feeling much better after it was all out. She was even singing in the shower, so I figured, as I was cleaning up the spots on the carpet and rinsing out clothes, she's fine and we just got an early morning start to be able to make it down to our one morning of breakfast buffet we're partaking in during our stay. The buffet did not start until seven-thirty, so we had a half hour to kill. We decided to read a book together and after about fifteen minutes of reading, her tummy hurt again. And I got up, thinking oh yeah, I was going to move the waste basket by her, ya know, just in case. And as I am empathetically saying, "Oh yeah? Your tummy hurts again?" she manages to get out, "Hurry!!!" It is at that point I realize I should have had the bucket there. Oh well, I got it there for most of it.

No breakfast buffet today. She kept some apple juice down, then fell back asleep. I was working on convincing myself my stomach didn't hurt and I was fine, but to make sure, I put myself back to bed, too. I'm glad I did because when we finally awoke at half past noon (oops!) my stomach was fine and she had toast and later a dinner with no repercussions. So, it may be bold of me to say, but I think tomorrow will be the day for the breakfast buffet. I'm looking forward to it and their walk on the beach to film The Adventures of C & S: Caves in the Rocks by the Ocean Episode. I'm sure they'll come up with a much snappier title. It is their last day before school starts and I want them to have a great day.

I will now quietly sneak back inside the room and silently lay down to sleep, because we are about to begin on early mornings once again. And sleep is vital. Sweet Dreams!

cheers

First things first

As I sit here at the end of our third day in this fascinating country, I am beginning to be nudged by the guilt bug. As we walked around the beach and they found hidden caves under the boulder piles and we drove to Wicklow to see their school for the first time and have some dinner, I was having great trouble in seeing how any of it had to do with the furtherance of my book and the main reason for these travels. This guilt bug is no new visitor at my side, which is a good thing. Having encountered it enough times throughout my life, I have successfully discovered powerful methods of detaching it from my side and watching it drift away, while it wonders why it has lost so much power over me.

I simply remember that I trust.

It helped me today, alone in this country, to not dwell on what I wasn't getting done. Instead it helped remind me to live in what I was doing and trust that the things that need to happen, will. I am addressing the concerns I knew I would have starting out here. Finding a home. Finding a car. Setting up a phone (check!) and I needn't be worried about what is getting done for my research quite yet. I still have my outlines and I still have my comfortable layout of the historical archaeology I aspire to unearth while I am here. I am in great shape with what I want to accomplish. The story came with me and it didn't weigh an ounce on the flight. It was more accurately the wings with which we flew over here and its fruition is a guaranteed outcome. I am blessed with the creativity and knowledge of these amazing characters and their story.

I'm sure in a couple days I'll be right back to wondering what I'm getting done "wasting my time" getting school set up for them, and driving around looking at houses. But Again, I will look at myself in the heart and remind myself that there is no room for worry when its all filled up with trust. (And a healthy dose of realism that we HAVE to have a house. Lol) These things right now are the unknown beginnings. That when they are known, pave the avenue for the superhighway of information to flow over during my time here. After visiting a historical society or museum or with a librarian, I will want to come HOME and put my newly gathered tidbits in a dedicated space. That is what I am making the time to find now. And there is not one second ever truly wasted.

So worry, be gone. For these unknown steps are taken with great certainty. Here's to the superhighway construction crew, gettin it done.

cheers

Dashin to Bray Beach

This morning we successfully made our second mad dash down to the ocean (Irish Sea to be exact) since we arrived yesterday. Each year, the town of Bray has a charity event where citizens go for a noontime dip in the ocean. We had planned to meet up at the playground pre-swim with the friends we met yesterday, but alas, the exhaustion of the trip seized hold and I did not wake until 11:45. I rubbed my eyes and squinted at my watch, hoping I was reading it wrong, but no. So, wrenching open the curtains, I gently woke up my two companions and informed them that the swim was happening in approximately twelve minutes, so if we wanted to see it, it was time to dash! These two remarkable souls, sitting up and rubbing their eyes, each took a deep breath and mobilized! I wasn't quite sure if that would happen, but it did. I helped them by finding clothes from suitcases to throw at them and getting them into their socks like some sort of dressing ninja. We had clothes on and coats and scarves on and shoes on and were out the door!

Bray New Year's Swim 2015

There were flocks of people all going to a centralized place on the beach that was practically in front of our hotel and I quickly realized we had almost gotten ourselves swept up with the parade of swimmers themselves! Some had costumes that were colorful and a few had wings. They all made it down to the crowded beach where the main throng of people stood parted by a passageway demarcated by blue rope. We made our way down towards the edge of the water and saw that there were many people who had already taken the plunge. It was a relaxed atmosphere with bouts of laughter here and there. I realized many could have been doing this as a tradition since when I was a child. Put on by the Bray Lion's Club, the event has had great success in raising money for local charities. Shiloh was not interested in going back to the room for her suit, however.

Now, our first successful mad dash was spurred the night before by a wistfully made comment of mine about wanting to be dancing on the beach shouting Happy New Year to the ocean when the time came. "So, let's do it," was the matter-of-fact reply I received to my wistful comment. It was something that seemed so out of place when I said it back in the states, a hare-brained idea that only a mad woman would suggest. Something to laugh off, like, yeah THAT'll really happen. And here I had the completely calm tenor of a seven year suggesting it like she were discussing bananas for breakfast.

Quickly we bundled into our layers over our pajamas, for of course it was fifteen til midnight when the idea was mentioned, and rushed our excited selves out the front door of the hotel, past the pub which was active with revelers and the wonderful Irish music still being played from when we were gifted its presence at the tail end of our delicious dinner earlier, and across the street, the grassy lawn, the ocean walk and the beach full of smooth large pebbles til we were standing breathless at the edge of the rushing ocean.

We were early! Seven minutes early! But I suppose when you grow up with a mother who constantly forgets things until the last minute you become very adept to throwing something on and getting out the door at the drop of a hat. My children are EXPERTS apparently. So, we had time to walk a bit on the beach and each find a smooth stone to remember our night. Then our countdown began and when we reached one, by golly if we weren't all dancing on the beach shouting Happy New Year to the ocean! They were armed with flashlights (Thanks Gramala!) and had a blast dodging the surf that never comes up to the exact same line twice in a row. It was a fantastic New Year and a perfect ending to our first night in Ireland.

Hotel Esplanade, Bray, Ireland

Our hotel, The Esplanade, looked beautiful as we made our way back in and up to our room to message New Years greetings to family, then finally curl up and go to sleep. Because you know, we had friends to meet in the morning.
(Good thing I have her number. Now to just get the phone set up.)

I hope you all had a magnificent New Year's Eve and have a magical 2015, where all the harebrained ideas you come up with that make your soul sing happen, each and every time. Much love!
cheers

First night in Ireland, literally

I now find myself in Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland. I drove on the correct side of the street, used the gear shift with my left hand successfully and deftly navigated every turnabout we came to on our way to the Hotel Esplanade after we had the kind assistance of a couple going to Galway on holiday getting our luggage in the car, It was quite a jigsaw puzzle but nothing a little bit of spacial logic didn't take care of! And it was good for a few smiles and a friendly handshake at the end. The gentleman at the airport who helped us load our luggage into the rental car shuttle on the other hand,  he got a great laugh when I straight-faced supplied the information that I thought I may have brought a little too much for a weeks' stay. 

We arrived early to the hotel and were allowed to park in back while we went and got a bite to eat until our room was ready. We found a lovely place down the way, coincidentally the only one that was open! I received my first euros there and we marveled over them for just long enough to register as "Visitors" in the pub. Glad I got some of it out of my system so I won't be taking as many blatant newbieisms down to Wicklow with me.

I have only heard splendid things about Wicklow so far, which is a smile I am glad to have. Even another mother I met at the playground just down from our hotel was quick to call it a lovely place. She and I chatted for a bit after our daughters hit it off. She told me about the grocery store we'll be going to in a bit. Plus, we now have our first playdate to meet at the playground again tomorrow while certain daring Bray citizens have a New Year's Swim in the ocean. Leave it to my children to manifest a playdate without having even been in the country for five hours! I definitely brought the right travel companions. It can sometimes be misunderstood when a random adult hangs around a playground with no kids. "But I was only trying to meet other parents!" Yeah, never would have met this kind mom.

It was chilly, misty and windy so we didn't stay too long at the playground or by the beach, but we were able to run down to the water and see some brave souls riding beautiful curling waves. I explained to the kids about wetsuits, but I don't think they were any closer to understanding exactly why there were people out there intentionally. It made me chuckle.

I finally laid down for a quick nap after being checked in to Room 404 when I was slurring thoughts together, and now the other two are conked out. I will be waking them for the live Irish music downstairs tonight, you have my word, but I'll let them rest a little longer. They were amazing through the whole trip over here and have most certainly earned it.

Usually back home for New Year's we go to see shows and performances for First Night Springfield, but this year we will be having a first night of an altogether different interpretation. First Night Ireland will be in full swing and I am absolutely expecting to be wonderfully smitten with every moment of it. I hope everyone reading this experiences the same joy on this night, the first night for all of us in the rest of our lives. Blessings, peace and an abundance of love to all! Thank you thank you thank you for the same!!!

cheers

T minus one week and counting

In approximately one week I will be boarding a plane to travel to Ireland for the first time in my life to go explore, investigate and encourage my desire to learn more about a culture one little "fictional" girl is responsible for spawning in me, I am excited, to say the least and absolutely grateful to say the most. I am still not going to feel like I am actually going until I am sitting on the Aer Lingus flight and being launched across the Atlantic, at which point I am sure I will be crying and having both my children, as they do when they see me in states like this, hover around me giving me kisses and telling me its okay, and me telling them, as I do in situations such  as these, it's okay guys, these are happy tears. The feeling that will undoubtedly be welling up inside me is one of such gratitude and thankfulness, I will feel like the entire world was wrapped up in a perfect little package and delivered to me by a smiling courier that pleasantly and genuinely tells me to "have a nice day" which I most assuredly will. Here and every day after, and every day before. All great days, all of them. And I am responsible for them , as I am responsible for each thought I think and each word I say, write and imagine. I respectfully acknowledge a gentle longing for those I know I will miss terribly while I am gone, those same people being the ones most solely responsible for my courage and initiative to go take this step into the unknown and do it boldly with strength and courage, instead of with trembling trepidation or fear. No fear, here, my dear. No fear here. And for that, I am blessed.