A Picturesque Hodgepodge

Joyce asks the questions, and we provide the answers. See how others answered at From This Side of the Pond.

1. It's a big week in the US of A as we celebrate Independence Day. Do you have any special plans? How will you mark the day? BBQ? pool-lake-beach time? fireworks? homemade ice cream? If you're not an American you can tell us what's happening in your corner of the world on Thursday. 

I've got nothing planned at all. When the boys were small, we made sure they got their fireworks somewhere. That kind of fizzled out after we spent the holiday in DC. Once you see fireworks on the National Mall, you're ruined.

2. What's your favorite 'All-American' dessert? 

Ice Cream Sundae.

3. Does that patriotic feeling come easily to you, or are you having to work for it more these days? What's something that makes you proud to be a citizen of your country?  

It used to come really easy, but with everything that's going on, I'm feeling a little hopeless. Traveling the country and seeing how beautiful it is makes me proud to be an American. 

I felt pretty patriotic last year as we left Yellowstone and entered Grand Tetons National Park. I looked up and saw this:

4. Your favorite 'patriotic' movie? Favorite patriotic song? 

Independence Day is the first one that popped into my head. I'm sure I'll be slapping my forehead when I read everyone's answer to this question!  

America the Beautiful gets my eyes watering and my skin tingling. Especially this version (which I've played many times):

Carmen Dragon is the arranger. 1 of my brothers said Carmen is the father of "the Captain" of Captain & Tenille.

5. One simple pleasure on your July 'bucket list'? 

Visiting Holland, Michigan for the day. I know the tulips will be gone, but I've wanted to visit for a long time. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Last year on the 4th, CH & I embarked on what was to be our last adventure. I'm feeling a little melancholy; I really thought we'd have more adventures with Maeve Anne, but what memories CH gave me! I tried to get him to come home after we got to my sister's house in Missouri, but he insisted that we continue. I think he knew that would be our last trip together.

I think we took more selfies and had other people take our pictures on this trip than any other. And I'm so glad we did.

Cody, Wyoming

Devil's Tower, Wyoming

Yellowstone, Wyoming

Little Grand Canyon, Utah

Arches National Park, Utah

Montrose, Colorado

Turquoise Lake, Colorado

2024 Ireland Adventure-Great Southern Tour Part 1

We started the day with a full Irish breakfast, buffet style. Seriously, y'all...if you aren't a breakfast eater, make sure you're one when you're in Ireland! In my previous 2 visits, I didn't try Blood Pudding but after one of my sisters tried it, I decided to try it as well. I really missed out the previous visits by not trying it! It sounds gross, but it's very good. It looks somewhat like a sausage patty, but don't expect it to taste like sausage. The taste is a little hard to describe; just go for it! My breakfasts typically consisted of porridge, fruit, and yogurt. One of my sisters went crazy for the breakfast sausages. If you're going to skip a meal, breakfast is definitely not the one to miss.

We gathered around the Vagabond group in the lobby of the hotel and were very quickly pleasantly surprised when we were told there were only 6 in our group: the 4 of us and 2 ladies who were solo-traveling. One was from Australia and the other lives in North Carolina (but she was born in England). We also had a "bonus" guide: Angela hung out with us since she had never been a guide for this section of Ireland. Denise was our "Vagaguide" and she was just awesome. So, we had an all-women small group, which meant we could ask for potty-breaks at any time. 

Rock of Cashel

Our first stop was the Rock of Cashel. On the way, Denise talked about the history of what we were about to see. This wasn't my first visit here. The last time I didn't know about St. Patrick's Cross. Even though I knew about it this time and actively sought it out, I think it was behind locked doors. Where I think it should have been (the Vicar's Hall) only had 2 rooms open. We did see the replica; however, the site The Standing Stone indicates that the real one is definitely inaccessible.

View of the Rock of Cashel as we approached it.

The group (minus two: one was taking the picture and the other was in the bathroom)

St. Patrick's Cross Replica

Our first sheep sighting

The Rock of Cashel, built as the seat of the kings of Munster, is said to have been visited by St. Patrick when he converted one of the kings. Brian Boru was crowned as High King here. The only remaining Romanesque frescos in Ireland are housed here. We were able to see one of them; however, the others were in a locked part. I was a little disappointed my sisters didn't get to see them. 

Blarney Castle

I said I'd never do it. No way would I ever kiss that nasty stone when I know what teenagers do to it at night. Except when I got up there and realized that it is cleaned after each visitor, I thought, what the heck. I laid on my back, leaned waaaay back and still didn't reach it. So I gave up. I kissed my hand and touched the stone, and that was that. 

Here's a picture from the bottom of the castle that tells you where the stone is:

This is how far up it is

There were a TON of steps to go up, and then down. Blarney Castle is a Tower House that was built between the 15th & 17th centuries. We did the obligatory Blarney Stone and then walked around the gardens. The first point of interest was the Poison Garden.

Even though we were a little early for a lot of the flowers to be in full bloom, the grounds were still very pretty.

Kinsale

Kinsale is a charming fishing town in County Cork. As you walk up the hill, you're treated to very narrow streets and colorful buildings. We didn't have very much time here, just long enough to walk around, find something to eat, and slip into a pub (or 2).

View from the hotel room

One of the streets in Kinsale

The Grey Hound is one of the oldest pubs in Ireland. 1690 is the year of its license with the building being older than that. 

Sláinte 

Chris the barman lit a fire to help us take off the chill

We ate dinner at Fishy Fishy. The service was excellent, although the hostess looked down her nose at us when we told her we didn't have a reservation. We didn't have to wait for a table so I'm not sure what the problem was.

Kinsale is definitely someplace I'd like to go back to and explore. There are a couple of forts there that I'd love to visit, as well as a museum and a mead company. 

If I keep going, this post is going to be rather lengthy, so I'll just stop here. Can you believe this was just Day 1? It was a long day with a lot of information and beautiful sights. 

Prioritizing the Hodgepodge

Joyce asks the questions, and we provide the answers. See how others answered at From This Side of the Pond.

1. What do you think has remained the same about you your whole life? How has your perception of yourself changed over time? 

I think I've remained caring and empathetic. I am much more confident in myself and I am a stronger person than I was early in my marriage.

2. What was the first thing you learned how to cook? Do you prefer to cook or bake? 

I'm not sure, but it was probably spaghetti out of a jar! I much prefer to bake.

3. What are some of your current priorities in this season of life? Elaborate. 

Taking care of myself, for sure. It's easy to get into the habit of not eating or exercising. Having a dog that has to be walked daily helps with the exercise. Also, taking care of myself spiritually is huge. Surrounding myself with people who share my faith is important.

4. How much time do you spend on your hair each day or, put another way, what's your hair care routine? Do you get it cut regularly or just whenever the mood strikes? Do you go to the same stylist every time? Do you tell your stylist everything? Any other beauty treatments you indulge in throughout the year? 

I'm a "wash, gel, and go" kind of gal. I don't spend a lot of time on my hair; it's going to do whatever it wants to, so why fight it? I get it cut every 3 weeks; if I wait 4 weeks I can really tell it. It's hard for me to find a stylist who cuts my hair the right way, so I tend to stick with her. I tried going to someone else for a while but that person kept trying to style it (even though I told her it wouldn't work) and tried to make my hair do something it just didn't want to do. I crawled back to my hairstylist and begged forgiveness! 

5. What is the most awe-inspiring place you've visited? 

Oh, man. I haven't visited that many places, but I've seen some amazing things. Last year, CH & I spent a month out west. The Little Grand Canyon was amazing, as was The Badlands. But, so was Turquoise Lake in Colorado. I've seen amazing places in Ireland, as well as Germany. I can't just pick one!

The Badlands

Little Grand Canyon

Turquoise Lake, Colorado

Benbulben, Ireland (Photo Credit: Tomas)

View from our campsite at Mile High Campground on the Blue Ridge Parkway

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I finished the book "I Hope There's a Kettle in My Room" by Paula Rooney. At the time of the writing of the book, she was 55 and solo-traveled through Europe. The book read as if reading her diary, and at times was a little choppy and painful to get through, but it was interesting and gave me hope that I could do something similar, although, since she is British, she is more familiar with train travel and timetables. Maybe not backpack on the Interrail, but I got a couple of ideas of where I would like to go. I saved this quote:

"This has been a very selfish trip. It’s been exactly what I wanted it to be, and I have done exactly what I wanted to do, and it’s been a revelation. No one has suffered because I was selfish. It doesn’t have to be a choice between my happiness or someone else’s. We can all be happy. I need to be a bit more selfish from now on. Not so that it hurts others, but do a bit more of what makes me happy. It is my life, after all. I dedicated myself to my children as they were growing and took the job as mum very responsibly. Despite its many challenges, I thoroughly enjoyed it and enjoyed seeing my three grow into wonderful adults and see Jamie thrive as well. It’s been very rewarding, but now it’s time to learn to be more selfish. To put me first if I want to. I am not sure that I can break the habit, or change the way that I live my life, but I am going to try."

Definitely words to live by!

Splurging on the Hodgepodge

Joyce asks the questions, and we provide the answers. See how others answered at From This Side of the Pond. 

1. It's National Splurge Day...what's something you might splurge on today? What have you splurged on recently? 

Define "recently". Amazon deliveries have been a regular occurrence at my house, but I'm slowing down now. I've been splurging too much on tv lately, my most recent series I'm watching is "What We Do In the Shadows". Quirky, funny, at times a bit disgusting but I'm hooked. 

2. Do you have a beach bag? What's in it? Is a trip to the beach on your summer bucket list? Do you have a summer bucket list? 

I don't have a beach bag and I prefer to go to the beach in the winter when it's not crowded or hot. The only thing on my summer bucket list is to paint my bedroom and hang some curtains. 

3. What's a song that makes you think of a summer past? What comes to mind when you hear it? What memories does it stir up for you? 

"Brandy" is one that comes to mind right away. "Summer Breeze" is another one. They remind me of summers past when my days were filled with the swimming pool. Seeing beach towels and blankets spread out in the grass, hearing the spring of the diving boards, and the smell of suntan lotion. Those were the days!

4. Sushi-yay or nay? Have you actually tried it? If you love it what's your go-to order? 

I'm definitely NOT a fan of sushi. My boys like it, but I give it a definite pass. I tried it but didn't like it. 

5. I own a ridiculous amount of ____________________________________. 

Books. I'm trying to do better but I have at least half of a bookcase filled with books I need to read.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Oh my. I'm so far behind with my Ireland posts! I managed to get another post out on Flyin' the Coop but I'm only halfway through the first tour I was on. The information here will be slightly different so make sure you check out both of them.

Friday Fotos 2024 #8

Friday Fotos is a post where I can dump some photos from the previous week. The goal is to make me more aware of the beauty and fun in my everyday life. 

This little Magnolia Tree was a Memorial Gift from some of my cousins. It survived the winter and now has its first bloom!

This is a sample that MS & I have been eating for lunch a few times each week. 

After living in this house for 20 years, this is the first time I remember seeing a mama robin making a nest in this spot.

Look at that sweet face! This is one of my grand-dogs; she has the most loving eyes.

Until next time...

A Simple Hodgepodge

Joyce asks the questions, and we provide the answers. See how others answered at From This Side of the Pond.

1. June 12 is National Simplicity Day. In what way is your life simple? What's one way that it's not? 

I've cut out so much of the "noise" that I used to have, mainly social media. I'll get on from time to time but nothing like I used to. I'm content to sit on my back porch and read or play some word games on my tablet. 

Having to take care of all of the household things by myself (although the boys are being a big help when I ask them) is definitely not making my life simple. But I'm learning and getting through it.

2. Something you remember from a 'simpler time'? 

Oh, so many things! Playing outside, spending time at the swimming pool, riding my bike come to mind immediately. Also, listening to the radio for hours just to hear that 1 song.

3. Do you like squash? If so what's your favorite variety? What's a favorite way to prepare squash? 

Squash is one of those few vegetables that I'll eat cooked; either yellow or zucchini. I'll also eat them raw. I don't have a preference as to how they're prepared and I don't make it that often. It's usually incorporated into a recipe.

4. Do you shop the warehouse stores (such as Costco, Sam's B.J's, etc)? If so how often do you go, and what's something you always buy in this type of store? 

I don't. When the boys were little we would go to Sams and get things in bulk, but now that it's just me (for the most part), I don't think there's any need to go. Plus, there isn't one of any of those stores in my county although we are getting a BJ's. 

5. Father's Day is this coming Sunday. Any plans to make the day special? Tell us something about your own father, or something about your hubs as a father, or about someone who stepped into your life and acted as a father if yours was not a part of your life. 

No plans at all since my father passed away several years ago and CH passed away in November. 

My dad wasn't big on words but when he talked, we listened. I wasn't close to him growing up but after my mother passed away I quickly became a Daddy's girl. I value all of the advice he ever gave me and I miss his very awkward hugs.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I've been able to get quite a bit of stuff done around the house over the past few days. Mainly, cleaning. Now I can relax a little bit and get back into a routine for a while...at least until the end of July.

Packing My Bags for the Hodgepodge

Joyce asks the questions, and we provide the answers. See how others answered at From This Side of the Pond.

1. It's National Cheese Day (June 4)...does anyone not like cheese? What's your favorite? Last thing you ate or made with cheese? 

Dubliner Cheese. MS & I had a couple of lunches with baguettes, cheese, pesto, and tomato. I'm not sure if this counts as cheese, but I had a grilled "cheese" made with gouda tofu. It wasn't bad!

2. Last time you were instructed to 'say cheese!'? How do you feel about having your picture taken? 

I shy away from a camera...I'm not photogenic at all. I don't remember the last time someone told me to say "cheese". It very well could have been the weekend of my MIL's Celebration of Life.

3. What's your travel packing strategy? Are you typically a light packer or do you throw in everything but the ktichen sink? When flying do you check a bag or aim for carry on only? 

I'm typically a light packer. On a recent trip, I used packing cubes that compress. I was able to fit everything in a carry-on although I did decide to go ahead and check it. 

4. What is it about people's cell phone habits that you find most annoying? 

I'll try really hard not to write a book on this! I think the number one thing is people insisting on putting their phone on speaker. It absolutely drives me bonkers! 

5. What will be your summer mantra/slogan? 

I don't have one. Between a couple of trips planned, I plan on doing things around the house and hopefully relaxing.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I spent last week with my brother in Boston. It was my first trip there and it was marvelous! We hit the ground running as soon as I got there Sunday morning and didn't slow down until Saturday. They showed me so many things in and around Boston, so watch for a couple of posts (at least) summarizing!

Boston from the top of the Prudential Building

2024 Ireland Adventure: Introduction

 How the trip came into being

If my memory serves correctly (and events around that time are admittedly a little fuzzy), just before Robert's passing I was texting with a couple of my sisters when we concocted the idea of going somewhere. One of my sisters mentioned Hawaii and I said, "What about Ireland?" And there we were. My Cooper SIL had a tour reserved with Vagabond and Driftwood Tours of Ireland in 2023 but had to cancel so she had credit she needed to use before August 2024. I suggested Driftwood to my sisters, we picked a date and started planning. I decided to stay another week after our 6-day Great Southern Tour so my SIL made plans to meet me and go on another tour with me. 

Decisions, Decisions

We had decisions to make, the first one being which Driftwood Tour to take. The one we wanted was full for the date we wanted so we chose the Great Southern Tour. Robert & I visited some of the places but I was definitely okay with revisiting, and there were plenty of places we didn't see.

I've said that if you go to Ireland, you shouldn't take a tour, but...Y'ALL! This was definitely the way to go! They only do small group tours and go places "off the beaten path". There were a couple of places I didn't think I could have found or would have known anything about. Plus the convenience of just showing up at the front of the hotel with our suitcase at the designated time was incredible. We didn't have to worry about anything. 

Back to decisions...

I went with 2 of my sisters' airline preferences...Delta. I wasn't thrilled about it, but it turned out to be great. Since 1 sister doesn't live where we do, we met up at the Atlanta airport. 

The 3 of them were in the middle row, I was right next to them...with an empty seat between me and the window seat person. Plenty of room to not worry if my blanket or pillow (or anything else) was getting in someone's way. 

Once in Dublin, we easily found Border Control. (Following other people helps a bunch) I think our plane was the only one in line so it was amazingly quick. Then we found the taxi queue and we were off to the hotel. Our taxi driver was wonderful. He talked about things we were seeing and told us they have a special name for dandelions: Pee the Beds. (although he didn't say "pee"!) They were told as children that if they picked a dandelion they would pee the bed that night. A quick Google search tells me that the French word for dandelion is pissenlit, which means (you guessed it)...pee the bed.

Dublin

Only 1 of us slept on the plane and it wasn't me. I felt so bad after a couple of hours in Dublin, but I didn't feel "tired", just "bad". Our first stop was the Long Hall Pub but I forgot to take pictures (again). It was around lunch time and they didn't serve food so the barman sent us to The Hairy Lemon. This was the place that had the horrendous Irish Coffee last trip. It was interesting to be there again; I knew it as soon as I spotted it and remembered exactly where we sat and where the restrooms were. The last time, it was evening and was crowded so we didn't look around the place. I was amazed at how much space was in that building. I still wasn't impressed with the food, but maybe because I just wasn't hungry. Nah, their french fries weren't good at all. 

We walked over to Trinity College, which was close by. It took us forever to figure out how to get in. There's a lot of construction going on and my thought was that they had entrances blocked off to keep people from cutting through the grounds. So, we walked around a bit and found the opening. 1 of my sisters ended up going into the Book of Kells; I really wanted my sisters to see the Long Hall Library but you couldn't do 1 without the other and it was pretty pricy to get in. The sister that went in said that they are getting ready to close the library for 2 years for major renovations and most of the books had already been taken out. So, I was glad we didn't fork out the money to be disappointed.

At that point, we decided to go back to the hotel. 1 of my sisters & I crashed for a couple of hours and I think the other 2 went to the bar. We enjoyed watching Leinster play Leicester in Rugby on the tv. The hotel is on the same road as the stadium so there were a lot of fans stopping in for food and drink on their way to the match. We got to experience "flirty Irishmen" right off the bat: there was a man selling Leinster hats & scarves and he cozied up to one of my sisters.

Dinner at the hotel was amazing: Guiness Beef Stew with Pints. 1 of my sisters commented on how good the Guiness was, but I told her to just wait...that wasn't the best one she'd have!

The Ireland Adventure was off to a "grand" start! Check back for more posts, and check out Flyin' the Coop for more detailed, travel-related posts on this trip.