Abby and Mark want the freedom to explore their new relationship away from the watchful eyes of family and neighbors. He is fascinated by lighthouses and she is drawn to ancient Celtic stone circles. They embark on a road trip around the coast of Southwest Ireland that takes them into mystical and magical experiences far beyond their planned itinerary.
Read MoreEnjoy an excerpt from Snapshots of Ireland Volume 4: Travels in Galway. Snapshots of Ireland is the overarching title for this series of travel books that offers the reader an up-close and personal glimpse of the Emerald Isle, along the Wild Atlantic Way.
Read MoreEnjoy an excerpt from Snapshots of Ireland Volume 3: Travels in Clare and Limerick. Snapshots of Ireland is the overarching title for this series of travel books that offers the reader an up-close and personal glimpse of the Emerald Isle, along the Wild Atlantic Way.
Read MoreEnjoy an excerpt from Snapshots of Ireland Volume 2: Travels in Kerry. Snapshots of Ireland is the overarching title for this series of travel books that offers the reader an up-close and personal glimpse of the Emerald Isle, along the Wild Atlantic Way.
Read MoreIf I were forced to choose only one county in Ireland to visit, I would choose Cork with its breathtaking mountain passes looking down to the sea.
Read MoreParades and flags are part of summer. I thought it might be fun to visit the flags of the Celtic nations. Some are well-known; others may surprise you.
Read MoreSomeday, I would like to explore why so many countries have their independence day celebrations in early July. For today though I would like to feature Tynwald Day, The Isle of Man celebration.
Read MoreI found myself in the middle of Bloomsday quite by accident; and what a lovely accident it was. I had an extra day in Dublin, was staying at Trinity College summer lodgings and came across a number of folks, young and old alike, dressed in Edwardian costumes. As I walked down Grafton Street, I realized that this was a city-wide celebration of some sort, not just collegiate and people were having a great time pub crawling literary row in their summer finery.
Read MorePausing in silence and connecting to our memories through the four elements, especially stones and water is an age- old tradition. When we are still and let the voices of the stones carry us into stories, into our stories and the stories of our family, we are gifted with teachable moments and a sense of ancestral/familial support that is rich and meaningful. By extension, walking through the oldest section of a cemetery or strolling up to a park monument, gives us an opportunity to imagine the lives led by people whose names are carved in their stones- a humbling and moving experience.
Read MoreI came upon this intriguing statue strolling through a park one day in May a few years ago. I had to ask a local who the man was that was represented sprawled across a rocky crag---in color no less.
Do YOU know who he is?
Read MoreI am usually in Ireland the month of May. So you can bet that when I saw a t-shirt on Facebook with the banner NOTRIPPHOBIA (the fear of not having any trips booked), I took a long look. Then I thought about the power of words and how negative statements can attract or reinforce negative outcomes while positive statements lead to positive results.
Read MoreI had never seen a bonfire built so elaborately. The huge mound of were for wooden doors, one in each direction, each with a beautifully painted animal representing that direction. While the fire was awesome, as soon as the painted creatures caught flame, there was a gasp from the crowd and a tear came to my eye- a tear not of sadness but of appreciation, appreciation for the seasons of our lives.
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