What’s right in front of me is clear…
What’s over the water is less so but still beautiful…
What’s unknown over the mountain is exciting and keeps me traveling…
It’s all good, and it’s all God’s. Enjoy the journey today. Slainte, Lisa
“He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him.” (Daniel 2:22)
It’s coming. The winds that will bring change. Be it cold front or circumstances…change is inevitable. And the more I can expect it, be ready for the change, even though it’s relatively unpredictable, the better I feel when it comes. Here are a few of my favorite quotes on battening down and buttoning up for change. And sometimes when the winds come, you just need to fling your arms wide and run into the newness. May God bless you with the wind at your back and the sun shining on your fields. Slainte, Lisa
“If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t really living.” – Gail Sheehy
“When we are no longer able to change a situation – we are challenged to change ourselves.” – Viktor E. Frankl
“You must be born again. The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” – Jesus (John 3:7b-8)
The best of Ireland is seen on your feet. Hiking, walking, climbing, stepping around, through, over and under rocks and castles and field offerings and walls. I’m not the best of hikers, but when I go to Ireland, I find the best hiking boots I can find; ones that I don’t care if they get dirty. (because they will!) We drive down curvy, crazy, tiny roads, find something we like, park, and explore. The places we like best are the places with no tour guides and no crowds. The forgotten priories or crumbling castle ruins. The field of sheep who are pretending to ignore us. A wonderland of past and present collide with astounding beauty and nostalgia.
Low ceilings and curvy staircases in ancient castles
Torc Waterfall, Co. Kerry…look closely in the middle of the waterfall and you’ll see my son & husband who hiked up. 🙂
Eask Tower near Dingle, reached by ascending through a well-used field.
The stone-filled Burren
The amazing Ballycarbery Castle near Caherciveen can only be reached by going through this muddy field. Yay for mudboots! 🙂
Walking outside this morning after the long rain last night, I caught a sudden whiff of the ocean, of salty air, of fish. Yet we are hours away from the sea. One moment, one smell on the damp air, and I was there at the ocean on a rainy morning.
Hearing “Summer of ’69” by Bryan Adams instantly takes me back to my senior year of high school, when I was in my very first band with some high school mates. We practiced for weeks, had one gig at a birthday party, and then I had to get my wisdom teeth out and go to college.
Waking up in the dark for any reason instantly puts me back to my childhood vacations, when Dad would pick us up out of bed at 2 or 3 in the morning and carry us to the car where we could continue sleeping (or not :)) in the back of the station wagon till morning.
I am a forward looking person usually; I love planning and looking ahead to the adventures still in store. But these little instantaneous transports are amazing, and I look forward to the times in my future when some smell or sound or sight will take me back. Slainte, Lisa
I can’t tell you whose birthday it is today, because he/she is the subtle, don’t make a big deal about it birthday kind of person. A “birthday protection program” of sorts. So in leiu of a big giant embarrassing greeting online for everyone to see, I will post a picture of them in darkened silhouette, to protect their privacy. 🙂
Since I’m not wishing them a happy birthday in public, I will choose to share this quote from J.R.R. Tolkien instead. “Still round the corner there may wait, a new road, or a secret gate.” May your day be full of adventure, your year be full of joy, and your life be full of love, dear anonymous one. Blessings and Love, Lisa
Think About These Things 