“When my wife is willing to lay down her desire for control and give all of herself to me, she tells the story of the Church, the bride who sees love as more valuable than having it her way.” Joshua Rogers - Marriage advice from a preacher, a singer, and a friend - JoshuaRogers.comIt stuck out to me in that the bride has found something more important than having her way, than knowing what’s going on, than understanding it all… She sees the Love and finally knows she can trust this more, she can give up the control and bask in the love of her bridegroom, knowing that He’ll protect her, fight for her and provide for her; she just has to trust Him and return His love. This also led to the thought of when I found that I trusted someone that I was kind of surprised that I already trusted. What I realize now, is that I had seen and experienced this person placing a high Godly value on me and on who we were. At the time I didn’t really know why I trusted them but I had no question and complete peace in that. Now I look at it and know that I can trust them because they value me and I know that what they value they will protect and care for/about. In a marriage relationship, I would think that when the husband highly values his wife that he shows this by providing, protecting and caring for her. This is also him showing that he loves her. Now then when a wife highly values her husband, it would seem that some of the ways she shows him respect would be by standing alongside him, having his back, encouraging him, speaking respectfully to him and about him, caring for him. Of course, though this isn’t easy, all these things should be done whether the other gives you reason to do so or not. “Love your neighbor as yourself” and “Do onto others as you would have them do onto you”. Also God called you to your part, not only if the other holds up their end of the “deal”. Marriage isn’t what you can get out of it but what you can give into it. It is learning to sacrifice yourself for the other. It is also about what you can do together for The Lord, what He has called you to do together to make a difference, impact on the people around you and the up and coming generations. Marriage is not selfish, it is giving sacrificially, it is a picture of Christ and His bride. Christ puts such a High Value on us, that He came, lived a Sinless life (that we couldn’t), died in our place, rose again, and then takes His Righteousness and puts it over us when we ask and receive it by Faith. That way when God, The Father, looks at us, He sees not our sins but Christ’s Righteousness. This is Crazy, there should be something we can do but there isn’t, it’s a gift, free and clear, just because He Loves us that much that He wants us to be with Him for Eternity. Anything we do to try and earn this gift is WORTHLESS, it would be you trying to earn it with your righteousness and He calls our righteousness Filthy Rags. Nothing we can do can even Begin to touch what Christ has done for us. We usually, sometimes more often than not, sin within 5 minutes of being tempted. Christ lived 33 YEARS without Ever sinning once! And the Bible says that He was tempted in every way. Maybe we should look to valuing Him higher and realize the price He paid! When we can do this, we will be able to trust Him that much easier when He asks us to step out in faith or to believe for what looks humanly impossible. Faith never gets easier, each time it just makes you stronger for the next time but when you look back at where you came from you’ll be amazed and you’ll see the hand of God. Do I know if He Will do something, no, But I know that He Can do something, so I’ll continue to Believe and wait expectantly.
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Value, Trust and Faith (and how my thoughts meander)
Value, Trust and Faith (and how my thoughts meander )
Something I read today, that really stuck out.
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Fear or Blessing
Fear or Blessing
What if our greatest Blessings lie within our greatest Fears? What if, what God is asking of us will lead to our greatest Blessing? What if, what He is asking and what we Fear are one and the same? What would you do? You have no guarantee of the outcome. You have no way of knowing. Would you trust Him? Would I trust Him? Will I trust Him?
Earlier this year I was faced with this choice. He asked me, “Can you believe that I can do the impossible?, Can you Trust me to do the impossible?” The first thing I said was No, not a chance, no. The situation was over and done, I was moving on. But then I took a good look at myself, at my heart and realized I was Afraid to Trust Him with this. I didn’t believe He would, could or wanted to, so why would I Believe and Trust Him to do so. I guess in the end I didn’t believe that He Loves me like He says He does. Once I saw my response for what it was, Fear, I turned and faced off with it, determined to run it down and take it out. But I can’t take it out, I can’t take out the Fear, Only God can But I have to turn and face off with it. I have to be willing to do what He asks even if I fear to do so. Once I turn and face off with it all I’m called to do is Stand and be Still, be at Peace, for The Lord will fight the battle for me. But wait, some will say, you have to do something? Yes you’re right, Pray. If I do anything else, unless The Lord leads, I will be trying to control the situation. And with my tendency….Yeah Prayer is almost all I’m doing.
Now I have No idea what the outcome of this will be, other than hopefully a greater trust and closer relationship with my Heavenly Father. Sure I want to see the impossible happen but only if The Lord sees fit to bring it about. My purpose is to Focus on Him and not the “impossibility”.
Has it been easy, NO! Multiple times over But it has been Good. Even today was a Hard day but once I took the step He was asking, which was hard, the other side was Peaceful (not right away but it became so). The stretching rarely feels good but you know, at least afterwards, that it was a good thing.
So where does this leave me? Right where He wants me, completely dependent on Him. This is a new way for me but He is Faithful. And as a friend told me, reminded me, “God is the Lamp for my feet and a Light for my path. He’ll light my feet, which is just enough to take a step and then He’ll light my path”. You think of it, as long as I keep my eyes on Him, he is lighting my feet and my path, because looking at Him lights them up. So I don't even need to look at my feet or my path because He is leading me. Ha! Think of Waltzing! When I trust my dance partner to lead, all I have to do is look at him and he’ll take me across the floor! Ha! That’s what my Heavenly Father wants me to do, Look at him and let him dance me across the Floors of Trust, Faith, and Hope. Wow, I think that wraps it up.
So here I Stand. (I might be occasionally tossed by a wave and bounced off the sandy bottom but I plan to see this through, come what may.)
Sunday, October 23, 2016
Ireland Days 7, 8, & 9
Ireland Days 7, 8 & 9
First for those not familiar with travel package days, this was a 10 day trip. The day you leave is the first day, and more than likely you fly overnight so you arrive on day two of your trip. So technically speaking day 9 of this is actually day 10 but for consistence sake I’ll keep it at 9. :)
So Day 7, we awoke early and headed out.
First a little back story, before we left some friends recommended that we go to Bangor, Northern Ireland, to see the area where there had be a 24 hour prayer place that had gone on for like 300 years. I’m not sure of all the details but we decided we’d check it out. It so happened that the rental car company we had was the only one that allowed you to take your car to N.I. We also rented the WiFi hotspot from them too, a key to a later part of this tale. :) Also before we left we asked our prayer group to pray for us and send us out. A Christian is to shine the Light of Christ where ever they are and we wanted to have our friends praying for us, that we’d enjoy the trip but also be a bright light to the people we came across, if only in who we were. :)
So the first reason we were headed this day to N.I. was to visit Bangor but when we had visited with our new friends in Dungarvan, we were telling them about our trip and that we planned to visit N.I. Fast forward to Galway, I received an email asking if we’d be interested in meeting their son for lunch at Parliament in Belfast. Since Belfast was on our way we excepted. Due to email problems we couldn’t get timing locked in but we proceeded anyway.
That morning before we left we emailed both our new friend Tom and his son John, saying that we would stop just before crossing the border to check our email and send one last message, due to our wifi not working once we crossed the border. When we stopped we still hadn’t heard anything, so we emailed and let them know when we’d arrive in Belfast in about 2 hours and that we’d stop at a McD’s and we’d be there for 30 minutes if he was still interested in meeting. Of course we also told him what we looked like. :) We arrived right about 2 hours later and there he was waiting for us. That was cool. He then had us follow him over to where he worked. Yes he works at the Northern Ireland Parliament Building. He’s in charge of the Libarary/Historical Documents/Research. He gave us the Grand tour and also treated us to lunch at the Members only dining room. Now remember N.I. is part of the United Kingdom so there is British influence there, so lunch was Nice. When they brought us our main course they had those high dome lids on them! So much fun. We had a nice visit with him and learning a bit about Northern Ireland.
After Bangor we headed for our B&B which was just north of Dublin. Note Always have a paper map in the car with you. Thankfully we did but thankfully my ipad is smart enough to show our location without wifi and I already had the map saved to it. It took some work but we finally arrived at our destination. Next time I’m definitely doing some more traveling in N.I., to see the Giant’s Causeway and other places.
Day 8 we again got up early and took the public bus into Dublin. When we had arrived we purchased the 24 hour Visitor Leap card at the airport. This gave us a 24 hour period to use multiple types of public transportation when we arrived back to Dublin. There is SOOOOO much to see in Dublin and it can feel overwhelming. I’m not a big city person, if I know the area and how to find things then I’m good but in a new place I’m quickly overwhelmed. I recommend multiple days if you want to really see Dublin. We walked a lot, checked out a bunch of the small stores and then we headed over to the Guinness Storehouse and took the tour. It was a neat self guided tour. It wasn’t till after I returned home that I read an article about Arthur Guinness that really made it really interesting. It was neat to see this piece of history for the Dublin area. I recommend doing one of the tours and/or pick up maps to understand where things are. I think I will return to see Dublin again but it wouldn’t be my first place to see. Of Dublin and Galway, Galway felt easier to visit and see.
Day 9 and it was time to say Good-bye and head for home. It was such a Wonderful trip! Way to quick and still had a mile long list of things to see but it was good. It had been a trip over 20 years in the making/dreaming and I had finally done it. I was So glad I had my brother with me to make the memories with. When you come home you have someone to say, Remember that or this… It seems surreal that I was actually over there. It never felt that I was international, that I was in a different country. I felt like I was at home. I can understand why when our Irish ancestors came to America, why they settled where they did. It is beautiful over there and so much heritage and history. Someday I hope to return for a much longer visit.
And that folks was our trip to Ireland. I would love to hear what you thought. Has it made you interested in going or at least interested in searching out your roots? I’m glad I got to go, now hopefully I can get my dad on that plane and send him, he’s been waiting much longer than I. It’s your turn now.
We then said our good-byes and proceeded onto Bangor. Where we got to see the coast and the Bangor Abbey. A walled area on the Bangor Abbey grounds is dated to like the 1400’s or maybe older. Bangor is one of the places that Saint Patrick sent out missionaries. It was neat to see the Bangor area but we agreed that the reason we were in N.I. was to meet our new friend John.
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Ireland - Galway, Tulsk, Strokestown (Days 4, 5 & 6)
Ireland – Galway, Tulsk and Strokestown (Days 4, 5 & 6)
Alrighty not because there isn’t much to say but because I keep dragging this out and you really probably don’t need the play by play. So here is Days 4, 5 & 6.
Our first day in Galway, since we were both tried of sitting in a car, we walked about 30 minutes to the downtown shopping area. This is a quaint old section of town that during the day is pedestrian only streets. The streets are cobblestone but for the most part not unlike an old part of town in the States, except the difference in age and the Irish look and feel.
That evening my brother and I met up down by the bay to find dinner. The location we met has a Great story to it. You see, he was desperate to ride bike around and I was worn out, so we went our separate ways for a couple hours. About the time for dinner he sent me a meeting location down next to the Galway Bay. I arrived, made sure I was in the right location and then began to look around. A stone’s throw away I saw a little area that looked like an observation point of sorts, with what looked like a rather large plaque. Of course I went over to see what this was and I was so glad that I did. For wouldn’t you know it, it was a plaque with the words to the song “Galway Bay” written on it, in 4 different languages. “Galway Bay” song happens to be one of my all time favorite songs about Ireland and I was so excited that I’d get to actually see Galway Bay while I was there. This plaque made it that much more special. I might’ve teamed up a bit. The cool thing, my brother had no idea that it was there, he just picked a random spot. But you know, The Father knew and He knew that it would Bless the socks off me. I LOVED it and it was just before sunset. If you’ve never heard it before take a moment and listen here. Now remember this song here is a part of my Irish heritage, that I’ve grown up listening to and Dreaming of one day seeing. When you listen, think of that place you’ve always dreamed of seeing, that you are finally getting to see and then you may have an idea of how I felt. Seeing that plaque was one of the things that made that trip feel real.
Our second day in Galway we went out to The Burren and visited the smallest and remotest chocolate factory in the world. Hazel Mountain Chocolates, located on a 300 year old family farm. It was a quaint little place. In the back you got the grand tour of their very small chocolate factory. Each time they make a batch of chocolate, the beans are always from a single source. They don’t mix beans from one farm location to another. Another thing is that even season to season a source can change in flavor and scent but that is the uniqueness of the beans coming through. They don’t add anything to keep the flavors consistent. Of course my brother and I had to purchase some to bring home. Yes you definitely could taste the quality in the chocolate. Out front of their factory, they also had a small café with a bunch of Cocoa themed/flavored items. I no longer can remember what each had but I do remember it being yummy. I would definitely return to their place, it was a quiet, peaceful location, out in the middle of nowhere but still not that far out that it’s too long of a drive.
After the Chocolate factory we made our way into the town of Kinvara, where we would be attending a Medieval Banquet at the Dunguaire Castle. We arrived in town early so we had time to roam around and also just relax. For the most part we relaxed in the park of sorts by the boat docking area. The craziest thing about this area was the tide. We were still on the Galway Bay and I say the tide was probably right around a 20 foot difference. There was nothing but mud in the harbor area and the sailboats were sitting up on their keels.
That evening we attended the Medieval Banquet and show. It was a small location but the show was interesting. They recited poetry, sang songs, played the harp and told stories. The neatest part about the evening, there was a family there, parents and their adult children, the dad was a descendent of the O’Hynes family that built the castle back in the 1500’s. They were now from Oregon, I believe now, talk about crazy cool. He said he wasn’t sure if he wanted to come at first because his ancestor who had left Ireland was a wanted man but he was then happy that he had come and was having a wonderful time.
The next day we headed out to see our Roots! First we headed for Tulsk, Co. Roscommon, this being where our 3x Great Grandparents were buried, along with their youngest son and daughter-in-law, our 4x Great Uncle and Aunt. I knew they were buried in the Tulsk cemetery but didn’t know the location of it. Finally we arrived in town and had to turn left or right, as I turned Left my brother looked right and spotted a cemetery. Sure enough it was the right one. Our 3x Grandpa and his son had been Ropemakers and Grocers in Strokestown, Co. Roscommon. The were both Francis Kenny. The elder died in 1891 at the age of 88 and the younger died in 1926 at the age of 73. They had lived in one of the hardest hit areas during the Great Potato Famine. The elder had from what we know 16 children, all of which were born right before, during and right after the famine, many of them ended up emigrating to the States.
After visiting the cemetery, we headed onto Strokestown, Co. Roscommon. Where we took a tour of the Strokestown House. This was the manor house and it is still furnished with a lot of the original items. This house has also become a great source for famine period documentation. Most everything was destroyed or forgotten from that time period but this place has a wealth of information and now holds the National Famine Museum on it’s grounds. The interesting thing is that it just happens to be the exact town that one of my branches of Irish ancestors actually come from. We actually were able to walk on the street they had lived and worked on. I look forward to one day going back and seeing more of the town and maybe locating the building or at least the location they lived and worked.
The next day we headed out early for Northern Ireland.
Alrighty not because there isn’t much to say but because I keep dragging this out and you really probably don’t need the play by play. So here is Days 4, 5 & 6.
Our first day in Galway, since we were both tried of sitting in a car, we walked about 30 minutes to the downtown shopping area. This is a quaint old section of town that during the day is pedestrian only streets. The streets are cobblestone but for the most part not unlike an old part of town in the States, except the difference in age and the Irish look and feel.
That evening my brother and I met up down by the bay to find dinner. The location we met has a Great story to it. You see, he was desperate to ride bike around and I was worn out, so we went our separate ways for a couple hours. About the time for dinner he sent me a meeting location down next to the Galway Bay. I arrived, made sure I was in the right location and then began to look around. A stone’s throw away I saw a little area that looked like an observation point of sorts, with what looked like a rather large plaque. Of course I went over to see what this was and I was so glad that I did. For wouldn’t you know it, it was a plaque with the words to the song “Galway Bay” written on it, in 4 different languages. “Galway Bay” song happens to be one of my all time favorite songs about Ireland and I was so excited that I’d get to actually see Galway Bay while I was there. This plaque made it that much more special. I might’ve teamed up a bit. The cool thing, my brother had no idea that it was there, he just picked a random spot. But you know, The Father knew and He knew that it would Bless the socks off me. I LOVED it and it was just before sunset. If you’ve never heard it before take a moment and listen here. Now remember this song here is a part of my Irish heritage, that I’ve grown up listening to and Dreaming of one day seeing. When you listen, think of that place you’ve always dreamed of seeing, that you are finally getting to see and then you may have an idea of how I felt. Seeing that plaque was one of the things that made that trip feel real.
Our second day in Galway we went out to The Burren and visited the smallest and remotest chocolate factory in the world. Hazel Mountain Chocolates, located on a 300 year old family farm. It was a quaint little place. In the back you got the grand tour of their very small chocolate factory. Each time they make a batch of chocolate, the beans are always from a single source. They don’t mix beans from one farm location to another. Another thing is that even season to season a source can change in flavor and scent but that is the uniqueness of the beans coming through. They don’t add anything to keep the flavors consistent. Of course my brother and I had to purchase some to bring home. Yes you definitely could taste the quality in the chocolate. Out front of their factory, they also had a small café with a bunch of Cocoa themed/flavored items. I no longer can remember what each had but I do remember it being yummy. I would definitely return to their place, it was a quiet, peaceful location, out in the middle of nowhere but still not that far out that it’s too long of a drive.
After the Chocolate factory we made our way into the town of Kinvara, where we would be attending a Medieval Banquet at the Dunguaire Castle. We arrived in town early so we had time to roam around and also just relax. For the most part we relaxed in the park of sorts by the boat docking area. The craziest thing about this area was the tide. We were still on the Galway Bay and I say the tide was probably right around a 20 foot difference. There was nothing but mud in the harbor area and the sailboats were sitting up on their keels.
That evening we attended the Medieval Banquet and show. It was a small location but the show was interesting. They recited poetry, sang songs, played the harp and told stories. The neatest part about the evening, there was a family there, parents and their adult children, the dad was a descendent of the O’Hynes family that built the castle back in the 1500’s. They were now from Oregon, I believe now, talk about crazy cool. He said he wasn’t sure if he wanted to come at first because his ancestor who had left Ireland was a wanted man but he was then happy that he had come and was having a wonderful time.
The next day we headed out to see our Roots! First we headed for Tulsk, Co. Roscommon, this being where our 3x Great Grandparents were buried, along with their youngest son and daughter-in-law, our 4x Great Uncle and Aunt. I knew they were buried in the Tulsk cemetery but didn’t know the location of it. Finally we arrived in town and had to turn left or right, as I turned Left my brother looked right and spotted a cemetery. Sure enough it was the right one. Our 3x Grandpa and his son had been Ropemakers and Grocers in Strokestown, Co. Roscommon. The were both Francis Kenny. The elder died in 1891 at the age of 88 and the younger died in 1926 at the age of 73. They had lived in one of the hardest hit areas during the Great Potato Famine. The elder had from what we know 16 children, all of which were born right before, during and right after the famine, many of them ended up emigrating to the States.
After visiting the cemetery, we headed onto Strokestown, Co. Roscommon. Where we took a tour of the Strokestown House. This was the manor house and it is still furnished with a lot of the original items. This house has also become a great source for famine period documentation. Most everything was destroyed or forgotten from that time period but this place has a wealth of information and now holds the National Famine Museum on it’s grounds. The interesting thing is that it just happens to be the exact town that one of my branches of Irish ancestors actually come from. We actually were able to walk on the street they had lived and worked on. I look forward to one day going back and seeing more of the town and maybe locating the building or at least the location they lived and worked.
The next day we headed out early for Northern Ireland.
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Ireland Day 3
Wow sorry folks, this is taking me longer than I thought. Here's the next day.
Ireland Day 3
Day 3 we set out early to drive around the Dingle Peninsula. We ate breakfast first thing in the morning at our wonderful Farmhouse B&B in Ventry, Dingle Peninsula, Co. Kerry. Our hostess was kind and friendly and provided us with a delicious full Irish Breakfast. We then packed our bags and headed out. *Note, Fill up with gas on our way out of the town of Dingle. We didn’t run out but we sure came close.
First thing we headed back out to the point and hiked over a hill to see the farthest point of the Dingle Peninsula. We also got to talk with a gentleman from Northern Ireland, who was a security guard for the Star Wars Film shoot that had just wrapped up the day before. They were out there still tearing down the scaffolding and such. Not particularly a big Star Wars fan but hey getting to see a film location is pretty stinkin’ cool. The area was beautiful, the water was a gorgeous deep blue color and clear. We then continued on around the point to see what we could see.
One thing of note, the roads are Crazy, there are some places out there that if you meet another car coming from the other direction…..one of you is backing up to the last wide point and hope y’all can pass. Thankfully we didn't meet any other cars.
Next we made a stop at a local pottery studio. I didn’t purchase anything although I was definitely tempted. They had some really neat pieces and some really big pots. If I have the opportunity someday I’d like to return and possibly purchase a piece or two for my house.
The drive around the peninsula was really pretty and unusual. It was neat to see their countryside and seeing some old farmhouses and such. One thing that I had wanted to do but in the end didn’t, was Connor Pass. I saw some pictures taken from the top of the pass and saw that it was a beautiful view. Then a few days before leaving I looked at some more pictures of the drive to and from Connor Pass and became a little nervous. In the end I decided it could wait for next time. I’m sure it is pretty but I wasn’t quite sure what we’d be getting into, even though it was highly recommended by our B&B host. Oh well, I’m counting on there be a next time.
We then refueled in Dingle and headed out to Talbert. Where we caught the ferry across the Shannon River on our way to the Cliffs of Moher. The ferry ride was a very nice change from all the driving I was doing. A nice relaxing ride and they had concessions and restrooms onboard. Once we disembarked we made our way straight up to the Cliffs. Folks, pictures do not do the Cliffs justice. They are quite remarkable, beautiful and HUGE. If you walk past the visitor’s center area you are walking right on the edge, with 3 path options. The first one for the safer people, on the other side of an old stone fence about 3 feet tall with dirt now packed on top. Which that dirt packed on top is another path and then the third path option is next to that, on the edge. I preferred the middle path and my brother was quite fond of the outer path.(no surprise there, lol)
From the cliffs we headed on up to Galway to our next B&B. We went through the town of Lisdoonvarna, the town know for their Matchmaking Festival in September. Yep, Matchmaking, as in couples.(sadly we were a few months too early for that one, bummer. Lol) We also saw The Burren, a very rocky area. Mainly we saw the mountains/hills from Corkscrew Hill. I thought the Ozarks had Rocks, Nope The Burren does. Oh and I thought the Ozarks had curvy roads….Not after driving Corkscrew Hill. One person we met said that he learned to drive a military truck down that….yeah Manual shift down a steep hill with multiple TIGHT Switchbacks. As we were driving my brother was quick to spot a sign for a chocolate factory that we were able to visit a couple days later.
Thankfully the next 3 Nights we stayed in Galway. I was glad to take a break from driving.
Ireland Day 3
Day 3 we set out early to drive around the Dingle Peninsula. We ate breakfast first thing in the morning at our wonderful Farmhouse B&B in Ventry, Dingle Peninsula, Co. Kerry. Our hostess was kind and friendly and provided us with a delicious full Irish Breakfast. We then packed our bags and headed out. *Note, Fill up with gas on our way out of the town of Dingle. We didn’t run out but we sure came close.
First thing we headed back out to the point and hiked over a hill to see the farthest point of the Dingle Peninsula. We also got to talk with a gentleman from Northern Ireland, who was a security guard for the Star Wars Film shoot that had just wrapped up the day before. They were out there still tearing down the scaffolding and such. Not particularly a big Star Wars fan but hey getting to see a film location is pretty stinkin’ cool. The area was beautiful, the water was a gorgeous deep blue color and clear. We then continued on around the point to see what we could see.
One thing of note, the roads are Crazy, there are some places out there that if you meet another car coming from the other direction…..one of you is backing up to the last wide point and hope y’all can pass. Thankfully we didn't meet any other cars.
Next we made a stop at a local pottery studio. I didn’t purchase anything although I was definitely tempted. They had some really neat pieces and some really big pots. If I have the opportunity someday I’d like to return and possibly purchase a piece or two for my house.
The drive around the peninsula was really pretty and unusual. It was neat to see their countryside and seeing some old farmhouses and such. One thing that I had wanted to do but in the end didn’t, was Connor Pass. I saw some pictures taken from the top of the pass and saw that it was a beautiful view. Then a few days before leaving I looked at some more pictures of the drive to and from Connor Pass and became a little nervous. In the end I decided it could wait for next time. I’m sure it is pretty but I wasn’t quite sure what we’d be getting into, even though it was highly recommended by our B&B host. Oh well, I’m counting on there be a next time.
We then refueled in Dingle and headed out to Talbert. Where we caught the ferry across the Shannon River on our way to the Cliffs of Moher. The ferry ride was a very nice change from all the driving I was doing. A nice relaxing ride and they had concessions and restrooms onboard. Once we disembarked we made our way straight up to the Cliffs. Folks, pictures do not do the Cliffs justice. They are quite remarkable, beautiful and HUGE. If you walk past the visitor’s center area you are walking right on the edge, with 3 path options. The first one for the safer people, on the other side of an old stone fence about 3 feet tall with dirt now packed on top. Which that dirt packed on top is another path and then the third path option is next to that, on the edge. I preferred the middle path and my brother was quite fond of the outer path.(no surprise there, lol)
From the cliffs we headed on up to Galway to our next B&B. We went through the town of Lisdoonvarna, the town know for their Matchmaking Festival in September. Yep, Matchmaking, as in couples.(sadly we were a few months too early for that one, bummer. Lol) We also saw The Burren, a very rocky area. Mainly we saw the mountains/hills from Corkscrew Hill. I thought the Ozarks had Rocks, Nope The Burren does. Oh and I thought the Ozarks had curvy roads….Not after driving Corkscrew Hill. One person we met said that he learned to drive a military truck down that….yeah Manual shift down a steep hill with multiple TIGHT Switchbacks. As we were driving my brother was quick to spot a sign for a chocolate factory that we were able to visit a couple days later.
Thankfully the next 3 Nights we stayed in Galway. I was glad to take a break from driving.
Monday, August 8, 2016
Day 2 Of Ireland
Day 2 Ireland
Wow so I haven't gotten back to this like I have wanted to. Well here I am again, finally to finish my tale of my trip to Ireland. :)
So my last post was on our arrival into Ireland and the beginnings of our adventure.
Day 2 in Ireland, Wow that was probably our busiest day by far. This day our final destination was Ventry, Dingle Peninsula, Co. Kerry. This was also day when we really found out how long it can stay light in Ireland.
So after spending the night in Kilkenny, we were up and on the road early. I think I got MAYBE 5 hours of sleep.
We headed right for Waterford, Co. Waterford, to the Irish Handmade Glass Company. I recommend stopping in here, definitely have you GPS direct you. We parked in the Public parking lot along the water and walked to the building. It was a small little showroom with their working area in the next rooms where you can stand and watch them work. Very sadly we were on too tight of a schedule to stay and watch. The men that started the Irish Handmade Glass Company were originally trained and Masters at the Waterford Crystal Factory before they downsized and moved the factory outside of town. But when they started this they were so excited to be able to now add color to their work. The glass is still handmade, mouth blown and etched by hand. I picked up a small bud vase, one from their Wild Atlantic Way line.
I wish we had had more time to look around Waterford but we had to keep moving. I highly recommend having individual booklets/pamphlets for each town, so that you can quickly locate and see what you don't want to miss.
Next we were headed to Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, where we were meeting up with new friends. Dungarvan is a town/village right on the coast and the couple we visited lived right off the water in a house that was older than our country I want to say.
Our new friends, Tom and Margaret, whom I met via Ancestry.com. While researching our Irish families I was linked to his family tree. Come to find out his wife and my dad have a mutual cousin. Dad is a cousin through the paternal line and she is a cousin through the maternal side. So they aren't related but they share the same cousin. I noticed that his profile said that he lived in Belfast but while we were emailing he said that he'd send me a packet of family history info but once they were finished moving. Once I received the packet I noticed the return address said Dungarvan, Co. Waterford! So when I wrote to thank him for the packet I asked about any things to not miss on our drive through Co. Waterford. I had thought to ask about meeting for coffee but thought that might be to forward. When he replied he listed a few items and then he said that they would love for us to visit them if we had time. So that is how that all began. We had a wonderful time visiting with them and hearing a little about their family. We would never have guessed it but they were in their mid 80's. They were a real friendly and hospitable couple.
After our visit in Dugarvan we headed right to Cork City, Co. Cork and met up with our cousin. She is actually from the States too and is/was working over there for a year. It had been about 22/23 years since we had seen her. She and my brother are close in age and we saw her last when they were like 6 months old. It was so much fun getting to visit with her. It would have been so much fun to get more time but we still had a 3-4 hour drive ahead of us. Thankfully she it shouldn't be too hard to visit with her again some day. :) She showed around the English Market, the oldest continuously running markets, I want to say the world...started in like the 1600 or 1700's. There is so much to see in Cork. It and Cobh are definitely on my list of places to explore someday. Cobh being one of the main departure ports for Famine emigrants, you will usually see it listed as Queenstown from that time.
Once we said good bye we made our way out of the city and into the country headed for the Dingle Peninsula. This night was our first night to get to stay at a B&B. The one we chose was in Ventry at the Garvey's. You'll find it on Ireland's B&B website. Mrs. Garvey was really kind and friendly. She even noticed that she could adjusted the room we had when she saw that we were brother and sister which was great.
Once we were settled she Highly recommended that we continue on out to the end of the peninsula that evening and see the sunset and also because there was a film crew out there that had just finished 6 weeks of filming on the next Star Wars film. Not that we are Star Wars fans but hey that sounded cool. We ate dinner at a local seafood restaurant, which was really good and then headed down the coast.
The drive was great, the views were beautiful and the landscape was wild. First off the road was CRAZY! Once you are south of the Ventry area you are mainly driving on what LOOKS like a single lane road. Nope it's a two lane both direction road. If you meet a car coming in the opposite direction, one of you backs up till the road is wide enough to pass. Thankfully we didn't have to experience that. :) Once we were out to the end of the peninsula, my brother got me to pull down into this beautiful little cove area. The water was so clear and blue. It was also just about 10 o'clock at "night" and the sun was Just setting! That was crazy but we loved it, it came in quite handy for traveling around.
The next morning we ate our first real Irish Breakfast, eggs, bacon, sausage, scones and Toast (they like their toast over there). This is also where I started to enjoy their tea every morning, it was so light and refreshing. We then had to head out, Sadly we only booked one night there in the Dingle area. It would have been nice to have the full day to explore the town of Dingle. Oh well it's on the list for next time.
That folks ends Day 2 and starts Day 3. Yeah Day 2 was Full. Wish we would have spread that out a few days but in the end it all worked out. Just means I'll have to do it again someday and actually see more of those areas.
Wow so I haven't gotten back to this like I have wanted to. Well here I am again, finally to finish my tale of my trip to Ireland. :)
So my last post was on our arrival into Ireland and the beginnings of our adventure.
Day 2 in Ireland, Wow that was probably our busiest day by far. This day our final destination was Ventry, Dingle Peninsula, Co. Kerry. This was also day when we really found out how long it can stay light in Ireland.
So after spending the night in Kilkenny, we were up and on the road early. I think I got MAYBE 5 hours of sleep.
We headed right for Waterford, Co. Waterford, to the Irish Handmade Glass Company. I recommend stopping in here, definitely have you GPS direct you. We parked in the Public parking lot along the water and walked to the building. It was a small little showroom with their working area in the next rooms where you can stand and watch them work. Very sadly we were on too tight of a schedule to stay and watch. The men that started the Irish Handmade Glass Company were originally trained and Masters at the Waterford Crystal Factory before they downsized and moved the factory outside of town. But when they started this they were so excited to be able to now add color to their work. The glass is still handmade, mouth blown and etched by hand. I picked up a small bud vase, one from their Wild Atlantic Way line.
I wish we had had more time to look around Waterford but we had to keep moving. I highly recommend having individual booklets/pamphlets for each town, so that you can quickly locate and see what you don't want to miss.
Next we were headed to Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, where we were meeting up with new friends. Dungarvan is a town/village right on the coast and the couple we visited lived right off the water in a house that was older than our country I want to say.
Our new friends, Tom and Margaret, whom I met via Ancestry.com. While researching our Irish families I was linked to his family tree. Come to find out his wife and my dad have a mutual cousin. Dad is a cousin through the paternal line and she is a cousin through the maternal side. So they aren't related but they share the same cousin. I noticed that his profile said that he lived in Belfast but while we were emailing he said that he'd send me a packet of family history info but once they were finished moving. Once I received the packet I noticed the return address said Dungarvan, Co. Waterford! So when I wrote to thank him for the packet I asked about any things to not miss on our drive through Co. Waterford. I had thought to ask about meeting for coffee but thought that might be to forward. When he replied he listed a few items and then he said that they would love for us to visit them if we had time. So that is how that all began. We had a wonderful time visiting with them and hearing a little about their family. We would never have guessed it but they were in their mid 80's. They were a real friendly and hospitable couple.
After our visit in Dugarvan we headed right to Cork City, Co. Cork and met up with our cousin. She is actually from the States too and is/was working over there for a year. It had been about 22/23 years since we had seen her. She and my brother are close in age and we saw her last when they were like 6 months old. It was so much fun getting to visit with her. It would have been so much fun to get more time but we still had a 3-4 hour drive ahead of us. Thankfully she it shouldn't be too hard to visit with her again some day. :) She showed around the English Market, the oldest continuously running markets, I want to say the world...started in like the 1600 or 1700's. There is so much to see in Cork. It and Cobh are definitely on my list of places to explore someday. Cobh being one of the main departure ports for Famine emigrants, you will usually see it listed as Queenstown from that time.
Once we said good bye we made our way out of the city and into the country headed for the Dingle Peninsula. This night was our first night to get to stay at a B&B. The one we chose was in Ventry at the Garvey's. You'll find it on Ireland's B&B website. Mrs. Garvey was really kind and friendly. She even noticed that she could adjusted the room we had when she saw that we were brother and sister which was great.
Once we were settled she Highly recommended that we continue on out to the end of the peninsula that evening and see the sunset and also because there was a film crew out there that had just finished 6 weeks of filming on the next Star Wars film. Not that we are Star Wars fans but hey that sounded cool. We ate dinner at a local seafood restaurant, which was really good and then headed down the coast.
The drive was great, the views were beautiful and the landscape was wild. First off the road was CRAZY! Once you are south of the Ventry area you are mainly driving on what LOOKS like a single lane road. Nope it's a two lane both direction road. If you meet a car coming in the opposite direction, one of you backs up till the road is wide enough to pass. Thankfully we didn't have to experience that. :) Once we were out to the end of the peninsula, my brother got me to pull down into this beautiful little cove area. The water was so clear and blue. It was also just about 10 o'clock at "night" and the sun was Just setting! That was crazy but we loved it, it came in quite handy for traveling around.
The next morning we ate our first real Irish Breakfast, eggs, bacon, sausage, scones and Toast (they like their toast over there). This is also where I started to enjoy their tea every morning, it was so light and refreshing. We then had to head out, Sadly we only booked one night there in the Dingle area. It would have been nice to have the full day to explore the town of Dingle. Oh well it's on the list for next time.
That folks ends Day 2 and starts Day 3. Yeah Day 2 was Full. Wish we would have spread that out a few days but in the end it all worked out. Just means I'll have to do it again someday and actually see more of those areas.
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Ireland Vacation pt1
It has been 1 month since I stepped on the airplane and flew to that Fair Land across the seas. I can't believe that much time has already passed. It was a great trip and my list has grown by leaps and bounds of what I want to see next time. Yeah it didn't get shorter.
So this is the first in a series of posts about my trip to Ireland.
Flights first, ugh, overnight flights are NOT fun. I got one hour of sleep, yes 1 hour. We arrived in Dublin at 8:45am their time. (Home was at 2:45am) We navigated the Dublin airport, exchanged money, picked up our Visitor Leap cards (Public transportation card for our final day), found our rental car and promptly went to McD's. Yep, McD's, I was the driver, so add overwhelmed to already tired, yeah easy was best.
Once we got our bearings and the gps working we headed out! Driving on the other side didn't take much to get use to, other than the roundabout and their extra small roads. Yeah, now that was crazy, some places you're "flying" down a road that can't barely fit another car beside you (well it felt like it). Thankfully I got use to it pretty quickly.
That first day we drove through some of the Wicklow Mountains and also saw Glendalough. The mountains were really pretty. They have this wild bush over there that was dark in color with bright yellow flowers, actually quite pretty. Glendalough was also neat. A small village with one of the oldest round towers. To walk through the ruins of a chapel and a cemetery that was hundreds of years old is just crazy. It makes the history that much more real.
After we left there we drove across country roads to the Cushendale Woolen Mills.
The mill has been in existence since 1204. We were able to visit their small shop, situated in the old town of Graig-na-managh, Co. Kilkenny.
At this point we headed for the hotel, the only one on our trip. We spent the night in Kilkenny. We were exhausted, so dinner was a quick trip across the parking lot to KFC. Yeah, don't worry we did better after this.
I think the next time, I'll fly during the daytime over, take shuttle to a hotel and then the next morning pick up my car and head out. That or take something to help me sleep on the flight. Also do what you set out to do and don't pack the schedule. Just wait till I tell you about the next day. It was busy but So worth it.
So this is the first in a series of posts about my trip to Ireland.
Flights first, ugh, overnight flights are NOT fun. I got one hour of sleep, yes 1 hour. We arrived in Dublin at 8:45am their time. (Home was at 2:45am) We navigated the Dublin airport, exchanged money, picked up our Visitor Leap cards (Public transportation card for our final day), found our rental car and promptly went to McD's. Yep, McD's, I was the driver, so add overwhelmed to already tired, yeah easy was best.
Once we got our bearings and the gps working we headed out! Driving on the other side didn't take much to get use to, other than the roundabout and their extra small roads. Yeah, now that was crazy, some places you're "flying" down a road that can't barely fit another car beside you (well it felt like it). Thankfully I got use to it pretty quickly.
That first day we drove through some of the Wicklow Mountains and also saw Glendalough. The mountains were really pretty. They have this wild bush over there that was dark in color with bright yellow flowers, actually quite pretty. Glendalough was also neat. A small village with one of the oldest round towers. To walk through the ruins of a chapel and a cemetery that was hundreds of years old is just crazy. It makes the history that much more real.
After we left there we drove across country roads to the Cushendale Woolen Mills.
The mill has been in existence since 1204. We were able to visit their small shop, situated in the old town of Graig-na-managh, Co. Kilkenny.
At this point we headed for the hotel, the only one on our trip. We spent the night in Kilkenny. We were exhausted, so dinner was a quick trip across the parking lot to KFC. Yeah, don't worry we did better after this.
I think the next time, I'll fly during the daytime over, take shuttle to a hotel and then the next morning pick up my car and head out. That or take something to help me sleep on the flight. Also do what you set out to do and don't pack the schedule. Just wait till I tell you about the next day. It was busy but So worth it.
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