Keep your eye on the moments...

May you have warm words on a cold evening,
a full moon on a dark night,
and the road downhill all the way to your door.
-an Irish blessing

{irish pub, Belfast, via jackeeadio on flickr}

{Blarney Castle via tripadvisor}

{Irish road signs via finfacts}

{ireland via trip advisor}

It's of a fearless highwayman a story now I'll tell:
His name was Willie Brennan, and in Ireland he did dwell;
'Twas on the Limerick mountains he commenced his wild career,
Where many a wealthy gentleman before him shook with fear.

Brennan on the moor, Brennan on the moor,
Bold and yet undaunted stood young Brennan on the moor.

{see the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem via youtube}

This used to be the favorite song of my son, dancing around the house when he was two. I can still see him now, his hair wavy and blonde bouncing around as he danced wildly to the Clancy Brothers. A face with an expression of a delibrate wild boy on a mission. Over and over he mad me play it. Until he caught on to the latin beats of Ricky Martin and went shirtless around the house with a bandana on his head, sometimes on rollerblades. Where did the time go?

May joy and peace surround you,
Contentment latch your door,
And happiness be with you now,
And bless you evermore.
-Irish blessing

Ireland on my mind...

With St. Patrick's Day soon approaching, there has been a bit of Irish music being played in my house. I have been thinking about a few different and unrelated Irish things...the trip my parents have yet to take. 911 took their trip away. It was planned for a few weeks after and Mom just did not want to fly after. She will get there someday...I will see to it. Some very Irish childhood friends from elementary school shared a trip to Ireland a few years ago to celebrate their 40th birthdays. Lastly, my favorite story of all...

To the best of my memory...Two friends, Kathleen and Matthew snuck away to Ireland for a little vacation. Kath did not know what Matthew had in store for her. They met at college, Williams College in western Massachusetts. He from upstate NY and she from Worcester. The two love birds found themselves in a pub one afternoon, soon after Matthew popped the question to his love.

In celebratory spirit, they shared Guinness (after Guinness) and noticed a man in the corner with a "Maine" sweatshirt on. The two introduced themselves as they were neighbors, essentially. So they drank and shared stories and the two shared their news with the new friend. They talked and celebrated the afternoon and into the night with their new friend. There was a dilemma on their minds as they thought about the wedding day. Where were they to have the ceremony? They decided to meet the families in the middle...at Williams where they met. But who at Williams would they have perform the ceremony? They new no one and wanted it to be someone they both knew. As they talked, the new friend said that he would do it, as he lived right in North Adams, Massachusetts! He turned out to be a priest as well. So Kath and Matt wrote down their contact information on a Guinness coaster and gave it to him. He married the two.