Today's Random Pic...

From the coast of Brittany, France:

Slowing Down...

There is a strange time after Christmas... a time where everything seems to slow down or shut down. Clubs and classes are stopped... shops are not open... and people go away to visit family. This time of year is usually a hard time for us... a time where we are missing family and going a bit crazy with cabin fever. This year we have gone to see some old friends who live on the continent. I'll be posting more over the next few days... so stay tuned...


A picture from our first day here... This area is known for the lighthouses...

Tradition!

It is that time of year again... I renewed my membership in the polar bear club by taking a quick dip in the ocean today. This little tradition all over Ireland is alive and strong in our area. People all over town postponed present opening and Christmas dinner long enough to meet up at the beach... strip down to swimsuits... and jump into the freezing north Atlantic. It was a blast. The best thing about it was the camaraderie on the beach after the swim and goofing off with some good friends. The temp on the sand was a warm 40 degrees F... I don't know about the temp of the water... but I know beyond any doubt that it was colder than on the land!

Nollaig Shona!

Dee and I wanted to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas. We are having a great Christmas season. We are so thankful for our local friends and this time that we get to spend with them! Our Christmas Eve started with a coffee with friends and then a quick shoving match... I mean shopping trip for some last minute food needs. We are planning on spending the day baking, listening to Christmas music, and visiting with friends. I truly am grateful for this time... and for our community.

Children here are getting ready for Santa.... and the big guy has even made some appearances around town over the last few weeks. Living here has taught me a lot about the big man from the North Pole. He goes by many different names. Here he is referred to as 'Father Christmas' or 'Santi'. He looks a lot like he did when I last saw him in America, but he seems much older and thinner here. He even walks with a walking stick. The coolest thing is that he can even speak Irish Gaelic ( a feat that he does with amazing fluency). Children don't give him long lists of presents, but usually ask for a modest gift and a surprise. The most interesting thing is that Santi has not always been the patron saint of children. At one time St. Nicholas was the patron saint of sailors. This fact is still evident in most of the old port cities of Ireland. It is very common for the ancient churches of these seafaring towns to be dedicated to St. Nick. I was reminded of this fact only last week while Christmas shopping. I was walking around a Christmas market set up in the shadow of an ancient church named, "St. Nicholas". There above one of the doors is a twelfth century mermaid... a reminder of Santi's nautical history...

Oh, Happy Day...!

Today..... yes.... today.... is the happiest of days. I have been looking forward to this day for several weeks now. It is the winter equinox... mid-winter's day.... the shortest day of the year. Back home in the states this would not have been a big deal to me. Here it is so crucial to my mental health. I'm sure you know by now that we are far enough north that the winter's days are incredibly short.... Today is the turning point. Today is as short as it is going to get.... From here on out each day will get a bit longer and a bit closer to the long days of summer.


Taken at noon.... just kidding... it isn't that dark here!


It is funny.... I never would have thought that the short days would bother me... but they do. Don't get me wrong. It isn't depression... just simply a tiredness that seems to hang on every person. I find myself ready to call it a night and go to bed at 5pm each night. Strange. On the other hand, the long summer days have the opposite effect on me. I am up until midnight completely unaware of tiredness. It won't be long now.....!

Today's Random Pic...

Christmas lights in our kitchen...

Shopping Joy!

I am the first to admit that I am not a good shopper. I just don't have the patience to walk around and look... and I usually don't have the patience for lines and people. Shopping in Ireland, however, is always a different experience. Dee and I braved the city center on Saturday... and I'm glad that we did. I did all my shopping the first two hours that we were there, and then walked around taking pictures for the next two hours. I thought that you might like to see Ireland at Christmas time... hope you enjoy!


This first pic is of the main shopping area in the city. I love that in the midst of the crowd you have a street performer playing the harp. It doesn't get more Irish than that!






These lads had a crowd of people watching. One guy played the guitar... one played the tin whistle... and one juggled fire...

Relief and Retreat (part 3)...

Another pic from my mountain loch...

Relief and Retreat (part 2)...

Well supplied with all that I would need for the day I sat in the car trying to figure out where I wanted to go. The decision was not hard. I wanted to go to my favorite spot in all of Ireland... a small loch in the heart of the mountains. It is one of those out of the way places that most tourists never see.... hidden far off the main tour route. Discovering this place has been a bit of a process. We first went up the road a bit last Christmas when R & B came to visit... but we got distracted by sheep dogs working on the mountain side and didn't drive far enough to discover the loch. We drove a bit of the road this summer with Dena & T but stopped short again... Then this summer we went all the way to the loch with my parents. I am so glad that we did. The quiet beach, with its coffee colored sands, sits nestled between mountains in much the same way Loch Ness does in Scotland. That summer's day picnic with my parents is one that I will never forget. A quiet moment in time where we walked the shore... laid in the sun... and laughed... a moment that I will always be able to replay in my mind and heart. The loch and beach were quiet on Monday afternoon. The winter's sun (even at mid-day) was not high enough to peek over the mountains and warm the sands.... there were not any kids playing in the water... no sounds of passing cars.... only the occasional sheep call... and me sitting on the wet grass in my good jeans with my journal and an apple. It was the perfect place to feel completely alone... to be able to sing without anyone hearing... to be able to pray in a way (and place) that the ancient Celtic Christians once did.... to stand in amazement of the creation and the power of the Creator...................................... I don't know how long I stayed there..... but it was refreshing... and humbling........



(Stayed tuned.... for the rest of the story...)




You can see the sun peeking over the mountain in this pic. I took it right at 1pm.

Relief and Retreat...

Yesterday was amazing. It was a welcomed day of relief. In the midst of weeks of darkness and storms we had a spring day. This in and of its self would be amazing... but thankfully my schedule cleared itself and I found myself free from any work... classes... or commitments. Needless to say... I pounced! I grabbed a few good books... my journal... two coats... and (most importantly) a couple of cameras... and headed out for a personal retreat. I left the house without a plan. All I knew was that I needed to be outside and that I needed to find a quiet place to think, read, write, and pray. So... I started driving... I drove... and I drove... until I saw mountains... and then I drove some more. My music blared (thanks for the cd's Dena), my windows were down, and the car's heat was on. As I drove I became very aware that I had not eaten breakfast and I that I did not have any food in the car. I found a small petrol station and went in looking for a feast. Unfortunately, this was the petrol station that time (and the delivery man) had forgotten. There was a wall of shelves which contained basic household cleaning items and a wall that contained basic food items. I picked up a loaf of bread but put back the lunch meat when I saw the 'best by' date. I grabbed some Pringles, a Snickers bar, two apples, and a banana. I stood there with my goods and bread wondering if this was a well balanced meal.... the only other choice would have been an assortment of green peas that I would have had to drink from the can... I thought about it for a minute... and then I decided that my selection was balanced enough and left the canned peas for someone else to drink(sorry Josh).

(Stay tuned for the rest of the story....)

This pic was taken at my first stop of the day. I love the horses that live in this area. They live in an area free of walls and fences... and live a mostly free and wild life.

A Break...

This week has been nothing by winter storms. Wind gusts reached 70mph... lighting hit several houses on our street.... it has rained every day.... We lost power and heat for two days... The sun is setting around 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Having said all of that... Dee and I are doing well and keeping busy. The weather gave us a welcomed break this afternoon and hopefully the storms are gone for a while! In honor of this little break I am posting a pic of some of our wintertime flowers. Hope you enjoy!

'Tis the Season...

It is official... Christmas shopping time is here. Dee and I are finishing up our shopping and starting to ship things back to the states!

In and out of it...

I lay in bed for what seemed like hours............. drifting in and out of consciousness....... thinking.......... praying........ making 'to do lists'........ listening to Dee breathe........ thinking in Irish....... thinking about my hurting leg......... wondering why I can't sleep........ and then listening to the silence of the room.......... it was then that I heard an all too familiar sound........ the downstairs kitchen door squeak......... but then sounds of hard shoes on the tile floor................... .................. my heart raced............ Someone has broken into our house!................ I instantly began to sweat................ and without thinking I jumped from the bed, ran out of the bedroom and into the hall........... as I reached the top of the stairs I began screaming out at the top of my voice, "HEY!........ HEY!!!! ...................... ........................... at that exact moment I heard Dee's tired voice quietly say, "Wallace.... it is ok.... you are dreaming... it is ok ...........". At the same time that she said this I became very aware of the fact that sleet and hail were pelting the bedroom window.... and that I was laying in the exact position I had been in when I heard the sounds downstairs............ Dee told me that I had been yelling, "HURRY.....HURRY....". I laid there in the bed.... pulse racing... for a long time........ listening to the rain and hail....... Thinking about the fact that I had fixed the squeaky kitchen door almost two years ago........... wondering if I had really been dreaming........... and waiting to hear footsteps again..................... Thankfully, i never did............