Tag Archives: beauty

Sometimes First Impressions are Incorrect…

Ireland, Things to ponder...., , , , , ,

 

We packed up and headed out of Tralee, County KP1030723erry. I’d gotten used to the “green” Ireland offers and had heard so many talk about.
We crested a hill and neither of us could believe what we saw. It did not look like the Ireland we had been introduced to. Our German friends called it a moonscape. I just thought it looked arid and barren.

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A couple days later at a local perfumery (more about the perfumery another day), I learned the area is called the Burren and it offers the most diverse vegetation of anywhere in Ireland. There are only a few Irish plants that don’t grow in this area, and there are many only found here. In fact, there is a wild Irish found nowhere but here.

We walked the Burren and I was amazed. The limestone rocks have many cracks, crannies and holes. They are home to various plant life.

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I understand why so many consider the Burren to be a very special place.

 

 

The Ultimate Green Fix

Ireland, , , , , ,
It doesn't get any greener than this
It doesn’t get any greener than this

Here in the land of “50 shades of green” we’re enjoying ourselves.

While we admired the beauty here, it’s been suggested the sun is chasing us. We just experienced one of the longest, sunniest, warmest stretches in Ireland’s recent history.

My “Green Fix”…..

Light Hearted Living..., , , , , , ,
Green Fix
Green Fix

Yesterday we were motorcycling in Alabama. Thanks to the generosity of a fellow biker, we were able to ride a Triumph through some of the hills and back roads. Few of the leaves have changed colors, so we were met with lush green most places we went. I kept thinking how much I always enjoyed the verdancy of the mid-west and southern states and realized I had been given my “green fix” on this weekend ride. It was a great day!

 

Nature and Memories

Light Hearted Living..., , ,

Sunday, we drove past a dead tree. Dead, yet the sight was amazing. On the top tree branches were small birds perched, almost like leaves on each branch. Hay fields, blue skies and the mountain were the backdrop for this scene. As we drove by, I wished I could share this vision with my grandmother. I would try to share visions of places I lived or visited in letters that passed between us. This was the sort of thing I would have written to her about. Ahhhh…the memories of all those letters filled with love, passing between my grandmother and I!

Jewelry and A Life Story…..

Things to ponder...., , , ,

My husband surprised me with a lovely bracelet made by a local artist for my birthday.  Meeting the artist was part of the surprise. She studied under her father and eventually took over his business. He established himself many years ago making jewelry. All pieces are totally handmade sporting a silver aspen leaf. Most well-known are the belt buckles. Each leaf is hand cut, engraved, and shaped. As special as the bracelet is, she said something that has not left my mind. When she creates a piece of art, it is not complete until it is worn. Each piece of jewelry tells the life story of the person wearing it. That means scratches or worn marks carry the history of the person who wore it.

How unlike my experience with other pieces of jewelry! I’ve had jewelers tell me if I bring a piece into them, they can buff any scratches out. I also frequently thought when a piece shows wear or scratches, it is no longer perfect.

I love this introduction to thinking that life is reflected in the seemingly imperfections caused by time and wear.

How true that is of us also. None of us are perfect though many spend time, effort and money to appear so. The reality is life leaves its mark on us. Some of those marks may be nothing more than laugh lines as we age. Or they may be more serious scars resulting from accidents or medical care. Some of the marks left on our life are not visible on the surface. It does not matter what they are, they are the marks of the life lived. This has left me wondering what kind of marks I’m leaving behind.

Summer in the Mountains…..

Intro to Change, , , ,
Summer in the Mountains
Summer in the Mountains

Summer has arrived! I’m loving it! The vastness of the sky, the green of the hills and the snow capped mountains are captivating. I’ve heard it does not get much greener than what we are experiencing this year. It matters not. This is my first year here and I’m appreciating every day. (The scene is the same location as my header for the blog so you can see the change from winter to summer.)