Monday, September 29, 2014

Ireland - Murrisk & Westport Discoveries

Upon my return from Ireland, I gathered my photos and travel experiences, creating an album while all my memories were fresh.  I share with you several discoveries that I made in beautiful County Mayo, home to the towns of Murrisk and Westport.

The village of Murrisk lies between the shores of Clew Bay and the iconic pilgrimage mountain of Croagh Patrick.  Positioned between structures of recent and ancient past history, you also discover a few Irish horses grazing on pasture ground, including a frisky colt  showing off for the on-looking tourists.  




 A sobering sight in Murrisk is a reflective monument known as the National Famine Memorial.   The haunting bronze sculpture by artist John Behan, depicts a coffin ship with rigging of human skeletons and bones. During the years 1845-1850 between 500,000 and 1 million people died from hunger and epidemics due to the potatoe famine and politics of the day.   Many more escaped their country and emigrated mainly to the United States and Canada.  They crossed the Atlantic in overloaded ships.  The conditions were so hard that many people died during the trip, thus the name "coffin ships".  It is estimated that tens of thousands of Irish rest on the bottom of the world's oceans, their lives extinguished because of filthy and congested conditions on the ships with inadequate clean water and food, causing fever and disease.


The monument was commissioned "To honor the memory of all who died, suffered and emigrated due to the Great Famine of 1845-1850 and the victims of all famines".

In traveling from Murrisk to Westport, our tour bus passed this country scene where a herder was working his dogs in gathering a band of sheep.  It was fascinating to watch these dogs who efficiently followed the signals of the herder and grouped them according to direction given them.  It is said that one good sheep dog is better than 10 men trying to do the same job.  A dog with the right directive, can move in sync with the herder and using instinct and skill can gather a scattered flock into a collective band of sheep.

One of my favorite villages was the charming town of Westport with its flowers, colors, lights and fun atmosphere.  One of the town's outstanding features is the elegant tree-lined boulevard, known as the Mall.  Westport was overall winner of 2001, 2006 and 2008 "National Tidy Towns Award'.   In 2012, award-winning Westport was crowned "The Best Place to Live in Ireland, Ireland's Tidiest Large Town, Ireland's Best Kept Large Town and the Retail Excellence Best Town in Ireland".


Matt Molloy's in Westport was a great pub experience that is uniquely Ireland.  The music was toe-tapping and wonderfully executed by young musicians playing to the crowd. Nimble hands and fingers played stringed instruments in a blur of synchronized energy.  Pub life and music starts at 9:00 p.m. and lasts through 2:00 a.m in Ireland as it is all over Europe.  It was worth the late hour to enjoy this part of Irish culture.



Join me at The Turn-Up Patch for another adventure in two more weeks - Monday, October 13.  Until then, here is an Irish blessing for you....
May there always be work for your hands to do.
May your purse always carry a shilling or two.
May the sun always play on your windowpane.
May a rainbow chase after each spot of rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
May God fill your heart with gladness and cheer you.






Monday, September 15, 2014

A Jewel

A jewel is defined as a precious or semiprecious stone, a gem.  It is also defined as a person or thing resembling a jewel in preciousness, brilliance, of being indispensable. I love the faceted sparkle of a jewel when it is caught in the light, diffusing transparent beauty of color.   Aspects of God's creation, caught in His Light diffuses wonder in color and form around us to enjoy.  Among a multitude of the Creator's jewels is a glorious sunset, a rainbow cutting its color across the sky and hilly mountains jutting out from a valley floor. Nature calls out the majesty of God from a petaled rose, exquisite in fastened shape, to the commanding presence in the noble horse.
 




So many wonders on this Earth
Great works of beauty, joy, and mirth
Living treasures of endless worth
From etched trees to us before birth

Creation forms one big picture
Painted with a colored mixture
Made by God of unknown stature
Sole designer of all nature - See more at: http://www.christart.com/poetry/poem6584.htm#sthash.pcsbkSQI.dpuf

  It is impossible to account for the creation of the universe without
the agency of a Supreme Being - George Washington
So many wonders on this Earth
Great works of beauty, joy, and mirth
Living treasures of endless worth
From etched trees to us before birth

Creation forms one big picture
Painted with a colored mixture
Made by God of unknown stature
Sole designer of all nature - See more at: http://www.christart.com/poetry/poem6584.htm#sthash.pcsbkSQI.dpuf

So many wonders on this Earth
Great works of beauty, joy, and mirth
Living treasures of endless worth
From etched trees to us before birth

Creation forms one big picture
Painted with a colored mixture
Made by God of unknown stature
Sole designer of all nature - See more at: http://www.christart.com/poetry/poem6584.htm#sthash.pcsbkSQI.dpuf
So many wonders on this Earth
Great works of beauty, joy, and mirth
Living treasures of endless worth
From etched trees to us before birth

Creation forms one big picture
Painted with a colored mixture
Made by God of unknown stature
Sole designer of all nature - See more at: http://www.christart.com/poetry/poem6584.htm#sthash.pcsbkSQI.dpuf
As we admire the jeweled handiwork of our timeless God in His creation, our Creator also looks upon His own as 'His jewels'.  Malachi 3:16-17 states 'I make them My jewels'  and in Zechariah 9:16... 'they shall be like the jewels of a crown'.  This jewel in the crown is described as the most valuable, esteemed or successful person or thing of a number.  It is a masterpiece classic - a treasure, a wonder, a prize, a darling, a pearl, a gem, a paragon, a pride and joy.  As we are described as living stones in this earthly realm, we are also described as jewels set in His Eternal Crown.


The image above can never depict the infinite glory of such a radiant crown.  However, it helps as a visual regarding eternal destiny and gives encouragement to our days.  As the saying goes, we are a work in progress in our life's journey, but God has the final vision of what we are becoming - His jewels.

Let's meet again at The Turn-Up Patch on Monday, September 29th....

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So many wonders on this Earth
Great works of beauty, joy, and mirth
Living treasures of endless worth
From etched trees to us before birth

Creation forms one big picture
Painted with a colored mixture
Made by God of unknown stature
Sole designer of all nature - See more at: http://www.christart.com/poetry/poem6584.htm#sthash.pcsbkSQI.dpuf

Update  on Josiah, Daniel and Derek....  Yay!  The eagles have landed - in Yorktown, Virginia with Old Glory intact.  The trio arrived at their completed destination on Day 67, which was September 9th.  Thanks to Josiah who faithfully entertained us with his wit, humor and photos in daily writings of their adventure on their blog http://transamerica2014.squarespace.com/   They truly lived and shall continue to live their motto... 'Life is Good!  Go Big or Go Home'.


Thanks guys for spreading awareness from coast to coast regarding your cause for the family unit as the foundation of our society.   Check out the link at:  http://www.decicco.cccministry.org/pages/Ride+for+the+Family
 

 

 

Monday, September 1, 2014

As Summer Wanes...

Change is in the air!  You can sense the last days of summer melting into the season of fall.  The leaves on the trees have lost the vibrant newness of spring and now look tired from many hot summer days.  Black birds have appeared in abundance, shouting (in bird style) their last hurrah to summer.  Geese, becoming restless in the fields, prepare for their eventual journey to warmer climates as the weather grows colder.  Daylight becomes less.  Our children return to school and by-by to summer vacations.  We move into the glorious season of fall, where the landscape turns from dull green into gold, orange and red.  But for now, we enjoy the few days left of summer....
Nearing the end of haying season - 'hurray"
I was in Bend recently and saw a flock of geese that had decided to make a stop at a parking lot at one of the local stores.  I grabbed my camera and made my approach at this unlikely place for geese to settle, even temporarily.  Obviously, the birds were used to humans as they did not get agitated or fly away as I walked up to them.  They seemed unconcerned and ready for their photo shoot.
Getting comfortable on cement!
Geese are my favorite birds.  I devoted a post to them entitled "Life Lessons from Geese".  Check it out at: http://www.turn-uppatch.blogspot.com/2013/12/life-lessons-from-geese.html
We learn much from these feathered friends.  The below picture represents such freedom, grace and power in winged strength that these birds possess.  Also traffic congestion as they arrange themselves in flight.


From geese with speed in the sky to horses with speed on the ground.  Both, a beauty to watch in motion.  From the top of a hill, I was able to view the pastured horses below putting on their own exhibition of freedom, grace and strength.  It was in the early evening hour, when the sunset glow casts its own color across the landscape....


Diversity reigns in the universe and in the world.  We cannot begin to count the stars, let alone number the galaxies in existence.  On our earth, diversity ranges in seasons, in nature, in humanity and in God's creatures - big and small.  What a tapestry in creation!  I leave you with this quote to ponder on diversity which bursts forth out of combinations of five....

"There are not more than five musical notes, yet the combinations of these five give rise to more melodies than can ever be heard.
There are not more than five primary colors, yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever been seen.
There are not more than five cardinal tastes, yet combinations of them yield more flavors than can ever be tasted." - Sun Tzu


We'll meet again at The Turn-Up Patch on Monday, September 15.  See you in a few weeks.... 

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Update  on Derek, Daniel and Josiah - the three cyclists that passed through our area on Day 11 of  their cross country bike ride.  Two weeks ago they were in Kansas and since then, have traveled through Missouri and are nearing the end of Kentucky.  The trio are presently on Day 58 and will soon be in Virginia - only 560 miles to go until they reach their destination in Yorktown.  Derek continues to fly "Old Glory" as illustrated by their amazing photo that they have posted on their blog...   http://transamerica2014.squarespace.com
Many thanks to Josiah for his daily posts and photography and for permission to use the below photo that is on their blog.  It is great fun 'traveling' with you and also makes us aware of the hazards that bicyclists face on the road - some injuries sustained but nothing that God can't heal.  Not to be deterred, Josiah and Daniel bike on with Derek and "Old Glory".   What an adventure!

Continue cheering them on and for their cause....  http://decicco.cccministry.org/pages/Ride+for+the+Family