Summer is running, already running away It just arrived…
We spent a day at the county fair, what a day it was
On a whim we entered the Butterfly Farm exhibit Enclosed environment filled with beautiful fragil graceful free curios butterflies
And people All captivated or standing in awe
Numerous varieties of butterflies each with their own colors and markings, different species were drawn to various colors
They were emboldened and landed on whatever drew their attention. The people moved among these winged creatures. Enchanted by their movement, their color, their beauty.
We left the butterflies Enjoyed other exhibits Went out to dinner with friends Returned home, contented
Reflection afterwards brought the realization most were smiling in this butterfly environment. Leaving one wondering when and where was the last time so many people were visibly happy? why does it not happen more frequently?
Yes, we left the butterflies yet a part of their spirit remains within me. I say, Bring on the butterflies!
Happy Spring! Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section.
Between Life and Death
Spring 2020 by Linda L. Flynn
I cut my first bunch of daffodils before Easter.
It snowed during the night. The blooms left for later bent under the weight. Buds not yet open succumbed to the morning snow.
My bunch of daffodils in the living room brought sunshine and the promise of spring to come. I’ve enjoyed this bundle of blooms. I’ve watched the petals on these beautiful blooms first become paper thin. Still beautiful, but the truth of their fragility is now evident.
A few more days and the edges of those paper blooms are dry and wrinkled, some have turned a darker color, others just became more fragile.
How like us. We bud and bloom, bringing sunshine and promise to those around us. Our lives bring beauty to some. Like these blossoms, we don’t even recognize the gradual process of becoming more fragile. Our bones are more brittle, muscle strength steadily disappears, our skin becomes more translucent, and our hair thins.
Like my daffodils, we often fail to recognize these changes until something happens.
Last night brought one of those happenings. I feel like I should howl and be in dissent. Today, I’m weary and wonder, what is this time all about?
In the process of final edits, so this children’s story will be available soon.
If you want to be notified when the book is released, go the Sign Me Up page on my site and fill out the form. This book will only be available in a print copy.
I admit, I don’t know what I’m doing. Everything about my current environment differs from anything else I’ve known. The learning curve has been steep.
The first photo is of a dragon fruit bloom. Our first year here, I watched the blooms, waited and then, nothing…
I learned they often require hand pollination. So this second season, I began hand pollinating the blooms. And nothing. Nothing, that is, until late in the season. The fruit set.
You can imagine my initial surprise when the fruit starts gained in size, instead of just withering on the plant. This surprise was surpassed when I saw the fruit turning red and eventually appear ripe.
Are you looking for a book your kiddos might read?
Look no further.
Gabriel and the Bear may be the answer.
Story of a young boy’s first encounter with a bear
This story provides a peak into a fun outing where a young boy sees his first bear in the wild, and it also offers insight into how to enjoy wildlife and remain safe.
I grew up in the Midwest, in a small town. My exposure to wildlife was limited to the few small critters we’d spot in our yard or visiting a zoo. Books for children painted pictures of animals being our friends, or were stories of cute interactions between children and animals. My eight years of living in the mountains in western Colorado taught me the realities of sharing the land with wild animals. I learned a healthy respect for these creatures. I knew women whose homes had been invaded by bears; whose cars had been demolished by a bear who got inside the vehicle. I witnessed how enormous bears are. There are foolish, unsafe behaviors of tourists seeking selfies of themselves or their children with wildlife that I read about.
Gabriel and the Bear may provide the subtle encouragement to keep your eyes peeled when driving through the countryside. You may spot something and be able to watch a creature of the wild in their natural habitat. The book also has a section dedicated to bear facts. Are you aware of how fast the slow, lumbering black bear can run, or of all the different colors a black bear can be? Learn those truths and others in the book.
Carol Gault, who is an amazing wildlife photographer, has provided the art within the story.
Soup Warms the SoulBlowing in the StormCrazy Wild Wind
As mentioned last week, we had been invited by JP, the pastor at Listowel Christian Fellowship, to come Saturday and spend the night and have dinner together. This in itself is such a testament to the work God is doing in establishing us here. On the way, we stopped in Tralee to pick up some fresh flowers for their home. I ducked into a grocery store and Linda informed me she was going to get something at the drugstore across the way. I picked up a bouquet and walked over to the drugstore to find Linda. I couldn’t find her, so I returned to the car to wait. About ten minutes later Linda returned. I told her about not being able to find her. She fessed up and told me that she had walked past the drug store and had found herself about a block past when she realized she had missed the entry to the drug store. We had a good laugh.
We arrived at JP and Fidelma’s home and continued our mutual discovery of each other’s history and mission. JP had kitchen duty and prepared a wonderful roast with all of the fixins’.
Our weekend in Listowel ended on the sweet note of sharing in worship and teaching at Listowel Christian Fellowship. This group is transitioning from Zoom only to meeting in person again. The fellowship is lively and enjoys a weekly opportunity for testimony.
Promise of SpringEnjoying the sun
Driving back to Dingle, we decided to take advantage of the nice weather and explore a new area for us, Brandon Point. The sun highlighted some of the spring flowers popping up around the county. We find the activity in the sky fascinating. Cloud formations are different around the world. We drove home over Connor Pass. As the passenger, Linda was able to enjoy lovely views of the seashore, catch glimpses of sheep traversing rocky steep fields and enjoy the beauty of God’s creation. Tom got to navigate the long, twisting, narrow pass. At the top, where the road widens, there is a rest stop perched high enough above the shore that one is able to see the sea on both sides of the peninsula.
We lunched with Michael and Ninfa at one of the hotels in Killarney renown for hosting weddings. Much laughter ensued as we talked about some of Michael’s culinary surprises when he visited the United States. Though we all speak English, there is such surprise in learning how each culture uses some of the same words. He was encouraged to try biscuits and gravy for breakfast. He did, but could not imagine being served cookies with gravy for breakfast. They shared some of their dreams for their church. We felt honored to be part of their conversation.
The Tuesday fellowship group continued their gathering, moving onto “anointing” this week. There were good questions, conversation and encouragement.
Sometime in the night, rain moved into the area. There were a few breaks during the day. Laughter and great conversations filled the air of the alcove where the writers met at the Meadowlands Hotel and pub. The heat from the free standing stove kept everyone cozy on a dreary day. National news advised of worse weather coming late Thursday, and continuing onto Friday. A Red Alert was issued. Many events were cancelled.
Thursday, Linda met with the writers via Zoom. Maire Holmes is back as Writer in Residence again. What a treat for the group!
The wind howled and raged through Thursday night. We’d awaken to rain pelting the windows and doors. Brief reprieves offered calm moments. From the safety of our cottage the sound made me think we were in the middle of a brutal winter snowstorm. But no, it was an Irish winter storm. We enjoyed the safety of our cottage. The weather continued. Slightly abating on Saturday when we took a short drive. The wind and rain returned. Another storm on the heels of the first continued through the weekend.
Windand More Rain
This was the week Covid caught up with Tom. Seems to be a mild case, doing a lot of reading and taking naps. Perhaps a good week for the weather to be so bad it too limited our activities. Linda has continued to test negative. We’ll have to wait and see how Covid affects the rest of our trip. We appreciate your prayers.
Journey to the Heights 