Our second in this house
Much different from the first
When we shared a simple meal alone
This year–
Family, food and laughter filled the house
More food than we needed
Laughter abounded
Memories to savor
Traditions from years past
Introduced with new foods and different stories
For 2021, this event is over
Yet, the memories linger
Bougainvillea plants explode with color
Petals are thin
Each bloom holds four to six petals tightly together
Two white dots fill the center of each as identifying marks for the species
Some tower to the sky growing against the house
Others fill large areas of the garden
Whichever, they fill their space with color and gaiety
Colors vary depending upon plant
The blossoms dry then flutter to the ground
They swirl in the air, ultimately landing below
Like tissue paper scattered and left after a celebration
The yard represents life
Family visited for two weeks
House filled with laughter
Children played games, ran in the garden
Shared cooking experiences
A glass of wine enjoyed in the evenings
Tomorrow’s adventures planned
Car loaded
Family departed
Time flies
Memories are left scattered around
Different shades and hews
Much like my bougainvillea tissue flowers
This whirlwind year is coming to a close.
Memories of people and places are swirling through my head like the winter wind blowing in snowflakes; looking to see where they will settle.
As the flakes blow in circles, memories of the year flash before me. Reflections of time spent with family and friends make me smile. Beauty within the world spins by in my mind’s eye.
God’s love has been obvious this year in so many aspects of my life.
The peace I’m filled with confirms the many things I have to be thankful for. Words and lists are inadequate to express all that encompasses these thoughts.
I wonder how my family, my friends, those I’ve met and interacted with this year, view 2019.
How do you regard this past year?
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to encounter a bear in the wild?
Gabriel and the Bear is now available on Amazon.
Read the story and you can experience the event through Gabriel’s eyes. At the end of the book, there’s a collection of bear facts to familiarize you with information relative to bears and living in close proximity to them.
We returned home to Colorado in early June. Since that time, we’ve been connecting with old friends and family. Anyone who has spent a large chunk of time out of the country may relate to the re-adjustment time when returning to your homeland. We’ve been living through this change process. Many of our discussions have centered about “when we will return to Ireland.”
As part of connecting with family and friends, we made a trip back to the mid-west and attended the church Tom was part of for many years. It was our first opportunity of speaking to a group about Ireland, our time there and the vision for the future. It was an excellent experience for both of us. Besides being energizing, this time identified areas where we need to clarify our vision.
We send a hearty “thanks” to the folks of New Hope for allowing us to share our experience and vision; for your interest in this work; and for reminding us that when with Christians, one is never far from family.
For more information about this mission, check out CelticMissions.org
Wow! It’s hard to believe we wrapped up week seven in Ireland. In the blink of an eye, seven weeks passed.
Thoughts whirl and twirl through my mind as I try to sort them. I suspect the sorting process will take some time.
Each of us has made contacts in County Kerry that have a place in our hearts, as do many people back in the US. I’ve read each of us only has the capacity to maintain a finite number of relationships, and that number varies little from person to person. That’s not my life experience. I find as I reach out and build a relationship with someone, my heart expands to make room for more relationships. With each relationship I build, it enriches something within my life.
My heart swells at the good thoughts of those who have touched my life; I’m grateful for the simple expressions of friendship, for the caring acts of our family, for the loving arms of God’s expanded family who know no geographical boundaries.
We’ve written about the weekly activities we each take part in, and those activities may sound simple or repetitive, but in many ways that is what life is about—simple, repetitive acts performed again and again; all the while with lives interacting and crossing one another. And so, week seven was another such week for us, full of people, interactions and activities.
We try to take one day each week and drive somewhere. The attached photo is from a seashore town, an area traveled often by tourists which is why I suspect the houses are so brightly colored. It is beautiful, and then nearby is the blue of the sea and the sky.
I completed Flynn Tales, and it’s available on Amazon. The book contains stories that Tom’s Grandmother and his Uncle Jimmy wrote in 1954 and 1935/36. Additionally, it provides an inside look at travel and culture from those times. I found the differences in attitudes of travel fascinating. The stories confirmed for me things I’ve believed in relation to “culture.” To understand a culture, one must understand the history of the people. History, over time is what creates culture. Some of my impressions of these cultures matched his grandmother’s perspective although many years lapsed between when she formed her opinions and I, mine. This book provides an insight into the life of an American businessman and his family during these years in our history.
If you’re a Flynn descendant, you may learn things concerning some of your relatives. If you’re a student of life like me, you’ll find interesting tidbits relative to how Americans traveled, how they made efforts to connect with other Americans while abroad, and how they viewed traveling and life.
Putting these writings together and editing them was a fun and interesting project. It gave me insight into people I didn’t know, but who impacted my husband’s parents and thus him. But I also found commonalities in how they traveled with stories of others who traveled during these same times.
Enjoy the story. After reading the book, I’d appreciate you leaving comments or reviews on Amazon or my blog site.
Print version of …
Stumbling upon these stories as my husband and I went through old papers provided rich insight into fascinating family history. As a writer, and a student of life I’m interested in travel and different cultures; people and relationships; natural beauty, creativity and how God works in these various aspects of life. These stories brought together so many of the things important to me and spoke to my soul. I felt I had to share them.
If you want to be notified when the book is available, please go to the “Sign Me Up” option on my blog and enter your information. The print version will be released first. I’m still pondering if this book will be available as a Kindle eBook.
Thank you for your interest!
…while memories from my childhood came flooding back.
Yesterday’s day was full. While in Glenwood Springs we went to the pedestrian bridge to view the demolition progress of the main street bridge.
Upon arriving at the site, fragrance in the air drove my memories. I detected a mixture of huge equipment exhaust and oil; broken cement; dirt and hot metal smells. It reminded me of my father. He spent his life doing road construction work. My dad smelled like this when he came home. He’d take us on weekend drives to see his work. Those sites were always close to completion, had minimal equipment there, no workers and not yet opened for public use.
So, though I could say he did road construction work, I knew little about how he spent his days, or what that work entailed. He didn’t talk about it much and when he did, it always sounded like ‘just a job’ and effortless.
After his death I learned more about what he did. He was in management for the company he worked for; they created a special position for him. Because they wanted him in management, and he wanted to still drive the big equipment the company created a new status allowing both sides to gain what they wanted.
People approached me at his visitation and spoke at length and with great respect for what they learned from him. Former co-workers remembered him as a man of his word. Men talked about some of the larger projects where they had worked with him. I saw a few pictures of him on ‘big equipment’ and he was always smiling.
Great as it was to learn those things, yesterday’s glimpse into the bridge demolition opened his world more. Amazed, I watched this huge equipment maneuver heavy pieces of demolished steel, and load it onto a semi trailer. The big claw making tiny movements, shifted the heavy load to just the right place on the truck. The obvious uncertainty of how these large pieces of mangled steel would be transported away, meant there were additional people and pieces of equipment at the ready, to ensure the work gets done.
I’m sure we’ll return to the site. History is being made in Glenwood. The old Grand Avenue Bridge is being replaced. Who knows that my thoughts will be on a subsequent visit?
Each of the seasons in the mountains offers something special.
Summer always seems to be so short. This year it finds us enjoying outside meals, some fresh veggies, explosion of color from flowers blooming and sharing some time with family.
Hope you’ll share some of your summer memories.
Journey to the Heights 