More Yeats...

On the other side of the cemetery.

He wishes for the Cloths of Heaven

Had I the heavens'embroidered cloths,

Enwrought with golden and silver light,

The blue and the dim and the dark cloths

Of night and light and the half-light,

I would spread the cloths under your feet:

But I, being poor, have only my dreams;

I have spread my dreams under your feet;

Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

W.B. Yeats

Under Ben Bulben...

Will have to do a few W.B. Yeats posts for my brother, though I'm not even sure if he reads my  blog?

"Under bare Ben Bulben's head

In Drumcliff churchyard Yeats is laid,

An ancestor was rector there

Long years ago;  a church stands near,

By the road an ancient Cross.

No marble, no conventional phrase,

On limestone quarried near the spot

By his command these words are cut:  

Cast a cold eye

On life, on death.

Horseman pass by!"

Legend of Diarmuid and Grainne

Back in the days of arranged marriages, the High King Cormac Mac Airt, betrothed his lovely young daughter Grainne, (Gra-nay), to the much older warrior and leader Fionn Mac Cumhaill, (Finn MacCool).

Alas, Grainne's heart yearned for a younger warrior, Diarmuid, (Dermot).  Diarmuid returned her love, so they eloped.  Fionn pursued them for many years, but as I was told he eventually moved on to other things.

Grainne and Diarmuid were living in a cave in the mighty Ben Bulben, when Diarmuid, (who loved to hunt), heard of a mighty chase of a great black boar.  Diarmuid could not resist, though Grainne begged him not to join in on the hunt.  He was mortally wounded in the fight with the boar on the slopes of the mountain.

Grainne begged Fionn (who had great powers) to heal Diarmuid, but he refused. Diarmuid died, and Grainne shortly after, of a broken heart.  The lovers are said to be buried in the cave where they last resided...

This is the cave on the back side of Ben Bulben, (the little white dots are domestic sheep).

Toodle-loo!

This is finally the day!  We leave this afternoon...  I'm excited, and anxious in a nervous way all at the same time.  This is going waaay out of my comfort zone, but so looking forward to seeing this dream realized and lived to the fullest!

Hope to have some photos to share next time you "hear" from me.  :)

Coyote should be howling in Gaelic soon!  ;)

Cyclops

My daughter got a web-cam yesterday...  As I'm sitting here blurry-eyed, early in the morning, I feel as if the computer is staring back with one eye aimed directly at me.  I'm wearing a ball cap to cover my bed-head, but still feel self-conscious wondering if any of you will be able to see how much crappier I look at this hour?

The Ireland trip draws nearer, the excitement is palpable.  I have myriads of lists of things to do/pack floating around in my head...still this eye is staring at me!

Had fun at the farmers market yesterday with Mom.  All I was going to get was wheat bread from the Amish girl who is always so sweet...but ooh, local honey!  Right beside one of my favorite winemakers with a new batch of red raspberry...YUM!  :)  Then over to the Plaid Peacock for a couple of small gifts for our future tour guides!

This is homecoming week, so hit several stores with my daughter in preparation for the few days during the school year when full uniforms aren't required.  I really don't care much for shopping, (especially on the weekend), but we managed to have fun in spite of the chaos.  She finally decided on who to portray for character day, and a series of mini-miracles helped us find just the right items to pull off the look she's going for...don't think that I'm allowed to tell yet...  :(

Cyclones beat the Hawkeyes, 2 years in a row!  My Panthers stomped whoever they were playing!  Jr. and Tony are in the chase!  Life is good, in spite of the eye of Sauron ever watchful!

Like Pip, I blunder forward with my day to day routines, noticing that Fox, (guardian of the family, especially in travels), is popping up everywhere I turn.  So I believe that in spite of my curiosity and nose for finding trouble, this "fool of a Took" will escape the ever watchful eye, by following hobbit logic... "The closer we are to danger, the farther we are from harm."  Soon I'll be sipping a Guinness across the pond..."It comes in pints?!!!"  ;)

My apologies to any of you who aren't Tolkien-nerds, and therefore probably do not comprehend large chunks of this post.  My best advice to you would be to get The Lord of the Rings movies, books, or BOTH and catch up on the fun already!!!

Countdown begins! :D

September is here!!!

In less than 3 weeks Mom and I will be on our way to Ireland!!!

I don't think it will feel real until we meet our tour guides at the Dublin airport.  I'm hoping to get some photos to share with those of you who actually look in on my little blog from time to time.  :)

Erin go bragh!

Rain! :)

Woke up to a blissfully cool and rainy morning!

Got some of the dust off of my wellies!  :)

Flowers even got a little taste of rain, not just "city-water".

After the drought we've been having here this summer I will try very hard to refrain from ever singing "rain, rain go away" ever again!  This year we are grateful for every drop we get!  :)