Feet

This is kinda how I feel today!!

Castle For Rent

OK I know I already did a post today but I came across this DEAL and wanted to share it with others!!

A romantic cottage for two for in Ireland can be €320 a week, or a castle that sleeps 14 for €5,000 - why not rent the castle!! (that is 6975.95 in USD or divide among 14 friends less then $500) - what a party that would be!

THERE IS no place like home when the sun shines: but sun or rain, Luckily, values has never been better.

"Customers are haggling over prices wildly and driving a hard bargain.” The result is that there is a glut of decent properties at never-before-seen value and quality in terms of what’s on offer in Ireland.

“A lot of our owners have reduced their prices this year by a minimum of 10 per cent with many offering deals of up to 50 per cent off,” says Suzanne Quinn of Holidayhomesdirect.ie.

At Selfcatering.ie the average year-on-year reduction is markedly higher – between 20 and 30 per cent less than last year’s prices, says CEO Mary Power.

The best value is in parts of the country that don’t get a lot of tourism. The hotspots are, say holiday homeowners, holding their own.

Even so, places like the white collar playground of Roundstone in Connemara 4 have been adversely affected by the downturn. Previously, trying to find accommodation in this beautiful place was like trying to find a needle in a hay stack. This year there are still cottages offering luxey extras like wi-fi and satellite TV available from connemaracottages.net. (I love Roundstone - got my first Bodhran there and was crowned Sheil-Na-gig"!! - long story *giggle*)

So you may want to think Ireland this year!!

The History of Father's Day

My health and life of been in a bit if a turmoil lately so the Blog was placed on the back burner. Today I was thinking about my dad and the upcoming father's Day weekend, and got wondering how it started, so off to investigate she did go...


The History of Father's Day
The first known celebration of Father's Day was on July 5, 1908 in Fairmont, West Virginia, where it was commemorated at William Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church South – now known as Central United Methodist Church. Grace Golden Clayton is believed to have suggested it to her pastor after a deadly explosion in nearby Monongah in December, killing 361 men

It was also during a sermon in 1909 that Sonora Smart Dodd became inspired by Mother's Day. After the death of her mother, Sonora and her siblings were raised by their father William Jackson Smart, a Civil War veteran. Sonora wanted to show how thankful she was to her father and, because William was born in June, she worked to have the first Father's Day celebrated on June 19, 1910.
In 1924, President Coolidge recommended that Father's Day become a national holiday. President Johnson designated the third Sunday of June to be Father's Day in 1966. It was not until 1972 that President Nixon instituted Father's Day as a national observance.
Did You Know – Roses are the official flower on Father's Day, red for fathers who were still living and white for those who have passed on.

Here are some famous dads you may recognize ...

I leave you with some Fathers Day Laughs!!

FATHER'S DAY LAUGHS
Little Susan was mother's helper. She helped set the table when guests were due for dinner. Presently everything was on, the guest came in, and everyone sat down. Then mother noticed something was missing.
"Susan," she said, "You didn't put a knife and fork at Mr. Smith's place."
"I thought he wouldn't need them," explained Susan. "Daddy says he always eats like a horse!"
_____________________
The little girl was sitting in her grandfather's lap as he read her a story. From time to time, she would take her eye's off the book and reach up to touch his wrinkled cheek. By and by she was alternately stroking her own cheek, then his again.
Finally she spoke, "Granddaddy, did God make you?"
"Yes, sweetheart," he answered, "God made me a long time ago."
"Oh," she said, "then Granddaddy, did God make me too?"
"Yes, indeed honey," he assured her. "God made you just a little while ago."
"Oh," she said. Feeling their respective faces again, she observed, "God's getting better at it now isn't he?"
_____________________
A father was at the beach with his children when his four-year-old son Bob ran up to him, grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore, where a seagull lay dead in the sand.
"Daddy, what happened to him?" Bob asked.
"He died and went to heaven," the dad replied.
Bob thought a moment and then said, "Did God throw him back down?" (i love this one)
_____________________
After the church service a little boy told the pastor, "When I grow up, I'm going to give you some money."
"Well, thank you," the pastor replied, "but why?"
"Because my daddy says you're one of the poorest preachers we've ever had."

Happy Birthday Regina!!!

So many wonderful moments

We spent together

So many wonderful years

Brings memories to mind

Memories that are wonderful,

Moments I will treasure

These you gave to me sincerely

That is why

My happiness is knowing that

Our friendship continues to grow

and my hopes that your long life

is filled with joy, peace, satisfation, and laughter.

I love you so dearly ...

Regina at four Months

Regina at one year old!

Regina at about 18 months.

Regina at 2 years old.

Regina at three years old.

AND

Regina on her wedding day!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY REGINA!!!
wish we could be with you!

And GOOD LUCK in the race today!!

Grandma's Window

I was looking back at some pictures I have taken in the past, and there is always one the draws me back to it time and time again.

Is it beautiful, NO. Is it bursting with color, NO. Is it one that every one will love as soon as they see it, NO. I just call it
"grand-ma's window."

It is actually my GG-grandma's window. There were but three small windows in the old stone house in Ireland.

Yet, at the tender age of 12/13, I can not help but wonder how often my g-grandma would have gazed from this very window as a young girl, with dreams of young suitors, and far away ventures!! She left her small townland of Knockballenary in the County of Tipperary, Ireland to come to America when she was only 14/15.

After g-grandma left for America, (where the streets were said to be lined with gold) along with her two older sisters, and two older brothers I wonder how many times my gg-grandma looked out this very same window and wept for her children, never to see them again.

So you may think this is just a dark old, unclear, "so what" photo....but to me it is Grand-ma's Window, and I was lucky to have looked through this same pane of glass as they did many, many years ago.

You can click on the photo to enlarge, I actually took this though the window in
front of the house, looking out to the back window.

This is a picture of my g-grandmother(seated) along with her sister Johana taken in Portsmouth 1894.

A Weekend In North Wildwood!

North Wildwood (NWW) was great ... nice to hang out on a weekend when it is not so Irish crazy ... or I should say until the sun sets~then every college kid in the world came out, I guess Memorial Day weekend is college kids gone wild days!! (go figure!)

Friday afternoon we got into town and I was sick as a dog. Joe was very good, wanted to get me chicken soup. Have no clue what hit me, but I was down and out. Sunburn scale 0.

Our Hotel ....

So Sat. morning I woke up and felt OK (?), played it safe for breakfast, then we went to Wildwood to the northeast's largest kite competition on the beach, I know you are saying kites (???) ... yes, exactly what I thought, the ole paper jobs on a string, wrapped around a stick .... NOT at all!! It was amazing!!! Went down and talked to the "kiters" who travel all over the states to do this (Joe and I want to take up "kiteing"), what a great bunch of people! (click on pictures to enlarge) The colors were amazing!

See the roller coaster on the beach behind the wind socks ...
sooo many neat kites ...

Look at the size compared to the truck

this wind sock was about 50' x75'

Love the angel fish!! And bears!

There were tons of crafters on the boardwalk (Tracy and Elaine your place to shop).

After we stopped at the Beach House for late lunch and a margarita! I think this place is a bit over rated in both price and view! The crab patty was "OK", as was Joe's meal, BUT we were on the water. That evening we hit AngleSea Pub, one of my favorites in NWW places. Bartenders are always fun, food is good, and the crowd is not college kids!! We met some great folks, and had some good laughs! We ended up planning to meet our new friends on Sat. night at a pub a wee bit outside of NWW. Sunburn scale was 7.

Sunday we slept in!! Had to with all the college ruckus in our hotel the night before!! So finding breakfast after 11:00 was a treat. After multiple stops at packed diners, and bagel shops out of bagels, we opted for a hotdog at Maui's Dog House ...

What a find ... I never knew you could make a "dog" so many ways ... and you were served in dog bowls!!

We stopped at Casey's another NWW haunt and watched a bit of the NY Yankee/Philly game, but we did not breath a word we were from NY or we may have be hung from the rafters. YES, you say, this is a NJ pub, but I am telling you Philly folks own that town!! So when the Yanks were winning we slipped out the back door to a BBQ at my friends home. My friend C had chocolate dipped and white vanilla/honey dipped strawberries on the porch (this is a gorgeous home), then a full bbq spread! Then we sat in the "pub room" in the house and watched the end of the game .... yup in the 11th inning Philly won! OK ... YEA PHILLY!!

About 5:30 we headed over to the Lighthouse Pub ... it is like the old Moores Inlet Pub, out side on the water, two huge bars, huge deck, great food, and a stage ... on which Patty's Well played from 6-10:30!! Our new friends met us and we chatted, listen to music and had a great time!! Sunburn scale 3.


Here is a picture of Patty's Well, a great Irish group!


There is nothing like a beautiful sunrise over the ocean!






Monday morning we worried about beach traffic leaving so we were on the road by 9:15! A fun weekend!

Beautiful Seaside Church

While cruisin' the coast of Maine we came across this beautiful church built in 1887 in Kennebunkport, Maine. Little did I know at the time, this tiny church held so much history in the Bush family...as I have never been a "Bush" lover ... although Babs was pretty cool! Anyway...we were heading up the coast and came across this beautiful stone seaside chapel and we were just so taken by it beauty. So I thought I would share a few pcitures. (click on photo to enlarge)



Amazing structure




wonderful stained glass windows







OK and the photos you all have been waiting for(not)Walker Point ... summer home to GWB!