First Week of December Blessings

Yes, it is December!  The last month of 2024.  Another opportunity to slow down (if that is possible this month) and focus on being thankful for all the blessings in my life.  Thankfulness isn't just for November; it's for every month, every week, every day of every year.  That's why I join Friday Fave Fives each week to reflect on all the blessings of those past seven days. Here are mine for this week.

1.  In a week of rather cold weather, I am thankful for warm clothes, a warm house and a car with heated seats.  A few days this week our temperatures have not risen above freezing.  I am thankful that I have clothes to layer to keep warm.

2.  Every year our town has what is called Sights and Sounds of Christmas.  Attendees walk from one church to another in the downtown area, listen to orchestras, bell choirs, chorale choirs, organs and trumpets and violins play and sing Christmas songs.  This is the second year The Professor and I have attended.  The weather was so cold and windy that we considered not going this year.  But we decided to brave the frigid temperatures and we are glad we did.  We bundled up and it was okay.  And the music was wonderful!

3.  Knitting is coming along.  Currently I have twe,three,four  five projects on my needles.  Three more Christmas mittens are finished.  I love to knit and I am so thankful that I can still create so many things.

4.  Recently, I noticed a news article about a new local coffee shop/bakery in town.  So The Professor and I decided to check it out, which of course means that we had to stop in and order coffees and a fresh cinnamon roll.  It was a plus.  So it looks like T and S will be joining us there for coffee date soon.

5.  Christmas decorating is 'almost' done.  Some things like the nativity set that our son made when he was maybe 11 is set up.  The village that surrounds the train track (yes, it runs!) is arranged on a special table next to the tree. No, the tree is not decorated yet.  But Younger Daughter wants to come over and help with decorating it.  The Advent candle for the first week (Hope) has been lit.

Happy First Week of Advent!

Off To Ireland: Part 8!

We waved goodbye to Killarney and headed to Cliffs of Moher.  It's not always easy to get from one place to another when you have to cross rivers and estuaries to navigate the coastline of Ireland.  If there's not a bridge, you take a ferry.  That's how we got across the River Shannon.

(I could live there)

Then we drove through beautiful countryside, complete with all the old cottages, churches, bridges and barns.

Can you imagine living in one the tiny coastal villages?

Finally, we arrived at Cliffs of Moher!  It was windy, rainy, foggy and cold.  But that didn't deter us from jumping out and hiking around to revel in the beauty of this place.

Finally, the weather cleared enough for us to see O'Brien's Tower from the south view point. I took so many photos from this area, but the one below is my favorite.  It gives a perspective of just how majestic the Cliffs are when you realize that the tower is built on a cliff that is 700 ft above the sea.

Then it was back on the bus with coffee and biscuits to tide us over until we could get to our next destination.

Yes, I'm leaving you with a cliff hanger here...

Thanksgiving Week Fave Fives

Friday Fave Fives.  A weekly event of thinking back over the past week and remembering the things we can be thankful for.  And it was Thanksgiving Day yesterday here in the US.  So my gratitude is doubled this week.  I try to be thankful every day, 'giving thanks always and for everything'.

1.  We had a great day on Thanksgiving.  There were a total of thirteen people sitting around our table at different times of the day.  Family and friends.  It was a wonderful fun filled day for us. I hope our guests enjoyed it as much as we did.  And I never took a single picture...

2.  A quiet day today. I won't admit to how late I slept in.  And since our weather outside is frightful and we are letting it snow (just flurries and nothing sticking on the ground), I am glad that we can relax.  Although we did make a quick grocery run, we are NOT participating in Black Friday shopping.  Today is a day to stay inside and rest.

3.  Looking back over the week, I remembered that I drove closer into the city to watch a British soccer football game with my younger daughter and her boyfriend at the Irish pub.  I took the opportunity to walk over to the mall area and was able to find a pair of black slacks and a new pair of jeans to replace some really old ones.  After the game was over (sadly, the good guys lost), I walked back to meet them by the huge Christmas tree lit up in the square, and then we popped over to TJ's to grab some groceries.  Three for one on that trip.

4.  Before we left TJ's, my daughter got a call from the boyfriend.  His car had stalled and he was waiting for the tow truck to move it to the repair shop.  I'm glad we hadn't left the area so we could give him a ride home to his place.

5.  The best fave of the week (after Thanksgiving Day) was attending a concert of Handel's Messiah.  A somewhat local (twenty-five miles away) private university performed Messiah on Sunday evening.  It was beautiful and professionally performed.  And our grandson Warrior Boy asked if he could come along.  The drive up to the campus is through mostly rural areas and the chapel where the performance was held is lovely (good acoustics, too).  And a friend was singing in the choir.  The whole time was balm for our souls as we hummed along sometimes and remembered singing those same melodies in our college choir.  It really was the best way to launch our whole holiday season.

And this Sunday is the first week of Advent!

Happy Thanksgiving!

 HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Wherever the roads take you

It may be dark and dreary,

but there is always a rainbow!

May your day be filled with food, friends and family.

This is the day which the LORD has made.  Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Friday Fave Fives, Another November Week

 Since November is Thanksgiving month in the US, people tend to mention their gratitude more.  But gratitude should be weekly, daily, moment by moment. Sometimes, I forget.  Friday Fave Fives helps remind me to 'give thanks always'.  Thanks to Susanne who has hosted us for YEARS! (follow the link to join in)

1.  I just finished a zoom meeting a few minutes ago with friends-- we call ourselves the Art Girls because we started years ago as five of us who love making art and meeting together.  Watercolor painting, weaving, knitting, sewing, spinning, acrylics.  Since then three of us have moved away from our hometown, but we still keep in constant contact.  I am so thankful for my Art Girls.

2.  Our weather has turned.  Winter has arrived.  I am thankful for a warm house, warm clothes and cuddly blankets.

3.  Earlier this week I was doing some research on aran sweater patterns (aran is cabled knit designs).  Well, that led me to flip through some old Interweave Knit magazines I own.  And that led me to a new fascinating project.  Miniature mittens.   These will adorn a wreath or garland soon.  I'm loving this!

4.  An unexpected piece of mail.  And what was in that package?  SEEDS!  Nikkipolani knows my love language!  Calendula seeds for next spring!

5.  The Christmas tree is up and glowing.  No decorations yet.  I am thankful that my son Dr. Mike carried it up from the basement and The Professor put it together.

These are just five things in this week for which I am thankful.  There were many more like our weekly meet up with T and S, encouraging discussions with friends, the beauty of transitioning seasons.

I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Off to Ireland: Part 7!

I have been a bit distracted this week by life, so Ireland posts got delayed.  But now, let's enjoy Kenmare and Ladies View on the Ring of Kerry.

Kenmare, as the sign states, is a market town, a place within a rural area where goods are sold and farmers bring their crops to sell.  

Actually, the main reason our tour stopped in Kenmare (besides the ice cream) was because Kenmare is famous for its lacemaking history.  The Poor Clare Nuns brought lace work to Kenmare in 1861 to create employment for local girls.  Their beautiful lace creations became famous.  If you want to read more about it, here is the link to Kenmare Lace.  We were able to watch a demonstration and hear more about the designs and how it is still a thriving craft in the area.  Sadly, I got no photos, mostly because I was standing in the very back of the presentation area and couldn't see much.

After our quick stop, we jumped on the bus and headed on north and east along the Ring of Kerry.  Our main stop was at Ladies View.  Why Ladies View?  This amazing vista of Lakes of Kerry astounded Queen Victoria's ladies-in-waiting during the queen's visit to Ireland in 1861.  Of course we had to take a quick hike to the best views.

Then it was back to Killarney through the national park.

And past fields full of grazing sheep.

And Irish barns.

And our day wasn't done by any means.  Great Southern Hotel provided an informal dinner meal (note the Irish brown bread!) and then we walked into the center of town to watch the Celtic Roots show.  

A quick detour to walk past St. Mary's Cathedral

Gaelic music and dancing!  It was amazing!  If you are ever in Killarney, go see them!

Not a great photo...but L and D and I with the singers, dancers and instrument players. (D's photo shared with me)

Early to bed; early to rise.  Because the next day we were off to Cliffs of Moher!