Iconic Ireland

True confession: there’s always been a part of me who wishes I had been born in Ireland. I’m not sure where that pie in the sky dream came from, but it stayed with me. Since I’m so mesmerized by the Irish, this month’s newsletter will focus on that country. A little trivia here: The color representing Ireland used to be blue, throughout history, but in 1798, green would be deemed the proper color to celebrate Irish heritage.

Shamrocks and four-leaf clovers are symbols of luck in Ireland and represent luck, hope, prosperity, and good fortune. As a kid in Minnesota, I remember rummaging through the grass, hoping to find a four-leaf clover. While I never did find one, visiting Ireland was added to my ‘bucket list’ over the years, and in 2017, Jim planned a wonderful surprise for me.

A Christmas Surprise

But let’s back up here for a second. Jim likes to put a good deal of effort into the Christmas gifts he purchases. In 2016 on Christmas Day, I began opening five packages Jim had wrapped for me. My daughter, Megan, watched as I continued unwrapping the gifts. Truthfully, I think she was in on the surprise.

Gift #1: a tiny book of Irish Blessings; Gift #2: several Celtic Woman CDs; Gift #3: a Celtic calendar; Gift #4: A DVD of ‘The Quiet Man’ starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara.

The last gift was a huge box, and as I unwrapped it, there was an old wristwatch that no longer worked (Jim rarely throws things away) and lots of newspapers strewn about. There were several old metal items that looked to be worthless. As I shook my head in disbelief, Megan stared at me, shaking her head. She quickly got to the point. “Mom, think about this. I think there’s a theme going here.” Sure enough, indeed, there was a theme. When I pulled some papers out and tossed them aside, Jim intervened. “Gay, don’t throw that away. Read it!”

Well, gift #5 was an itinerary for a trip to Ireland in May of 2017. Looking back, it’s impossible to belief I didn’t put the pieces of Jim’s very complicated puzzle together and figure it out. But eventually, my dream to visit Ireland came true.

A Stroke of Luck for the Kisers

Before writing more about Ireland, while Jim and I haven’t managed to find any four-leaf clovers, we did have some good news following his bone marrow transplant. Jim is doing okay, although his energy is taking a while to return. The good news is that his bone marrow is now free of cancer. That’s an awfully good start for us. We appreciate all your prayers and good wishes. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

An Irish Blessing

Sligo is a lovely little countryside town in Ireland and one of our fondest memories is watching Marty’s awesome Atlantic Sheep Dogs herd sheep into their pens. The dogs Marty trains can actually tell the dog how many sheep he wants in the pens at any given time, and that very smart sheep dog will obey his commands 100% of the time. You can follow Marty and his dogs on ‘Atlantic Sheep Dogs’ on Facebook. Go ahead and check it out. It’s tons of fun! Here’s a picture of the beautiful countryside, along with an Irish Blessing that I adore.

Walls for the wind and a roof for the rain,

And drinks by the fire.

Laughter to cheer you and those you love near you,

And all that your heart may desire!

I love everything about Ireland; from their small, gas efficient cars and winding roads to their obsession with keeping their country free of litter and pollution. If you walk about the streets, you will see businessmen and businesswomen with coffee mugs in their hands—not the disposable types, but the ones you continue refilling. While the hotel we stayed at (the Dooley) did provide plastic water containers if you specifically asked for them, most of the vendors and stores did not carry the plastic containers that people toss carelessly about. Here’s a lovely café I wish I’d taken the time to visit. Isn’t it charming?

‘If Wishes were Horses, then Beggars Would Ride . . .’

In closing, I’m wondering if some of you have visited a country that inspired you; a country you’re thinking you would enjoy living in. That’s the thing about traveling. It can make you aware of how similar people are, no matter where you come from. I hope some of you will respond to what I just wrote and send me your favorite picture taken in a country that you adored. I’d love to feature them in my April newsletter. Thanks so much for taking the time to read this and feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends.

  May the Luck of the Irish Be With You,

Gay Ann Kiser