Ireland...
it's the one place on earth that heaven has kissed
with melody, mirth, and meadow and mist.
Happy St. Patrick's Day, my friends!
Today in our home is a day of simple, but fun celebrations...
we're going to be enjoying a delightful tea party this evening,
and oh, I can't wait to try some new teatime recipes.
{{I will most certainly be sharing all about it later this week!}}
For me, it's also a day to reminisce on my family's time in Ireland over the past three years.
We have had the pleasure of visiting the Emerald Isle twice...
with hopes, dreams and wishes to return...
Our hearts and minds are filled with fond memories,
and my camera is overflowing with thousands of photos which always
transport me back to the lush green fields of Ireland each time I look at them.
I have gathered up a small handful of favorites to share with you today...
so, pour yourself a cuppa, make yourself at home...
I've got some toe-tapping, hand-clapping Irish tunes playing in the background...
and settle in to savour a bit of Irish beauty and blessings.
One of my most favorite places in all of Ireland is Howth Head in County Dublin...pictured above.
We walked down a long pathway and ended up at a cute lighthouse which had the most charming red door...pictured below.
It's a lovely, quaint spot on the Irish Sea, and it's away from Dublin city centre, which is right up my alley. When you go there, you can hear the water crashing against the large rocks, and birds fly overhead and may even follow you as you walk along the path.
It's a beautiful place. Full of life.
Everywhere I look, I see God.
There are songs that take me immediately back to the land of green,
certain scents or random things that bring me back to such a magical place and time...
and there are things that I don't want to forget.
I never want to forget the way the sky looked as the sun set on the way back from Tipperary that night....it looked as if the sky were on fire. I don't want to forget the scent of turf fires lingering in the air as we drove through Wicklow one misty, grey morning. The pure magic of seeing three rainbows is beyond words! I want to always remember the way the morning air felt and smelled so fresh and new. The way the clouds looked and how the sun shined so brightly. I don't want the image of a young boy and his grandfather playing their violins outside a Bed and Breakfast in Kerry to leave my memory. Nor do I want to allow the sound of that Irish melody to escape my mind. I don't want the feeling of seeing the Irish scenery for the first time to ever leave me. It's a feeling that there are no words for, and a moment that causes you to stop in your tracks for a minute and be still. You are actually here. The exciting surprise of hearing a familiar song as soon as we stepped on the plane both to and from Dublin that is only popular in Ireland. If we had been travelling anywhere else we wouldn't have heard it...that was a sure sign that we were going to the place we'd dreamt of for so long.
Don't miss all the beautiful colors of the rainbow
looking for that pot of gold.
-An Irish Saying
In Ireland, many of the narrow, winding, ribbon roads have these tree arches. It was one of my favorite things as it was such simple beauty. You felt as if you were driving into an enchanting fairy tale. It is also a country almost entirely covered in flowers it seems. The summers boast of colorful flowers nearly everywhere you look, and many of the homes have the most charming window boxes. So swoon-worthy! Even in the wintertime, Ireland has flowers, which I am quite jealous of...and it's still vibrantly green!
How green are your valleys, how blue your great skies,
Your mountains stand tall in their glory:
Your rivers run free- the bright stars are your eyes,
Your beauty is endless before me.
May your joys be as deep as the oceans,
Your troubles as light as its foam,
And may you find sweet peace of mind
Wherever you may roam.
This is Ireland-
it's rough, it's wild and it's holy.
Our second trip was in the wintertime, and unbeknownst to us, it was lambing season.
That meant that we were able to gush over all the cute baby lambs all over the country.
There were even babies being born in the barn on the same land as the farmhouse we stayed at.
To say it was adorable is a complete understatement!
They would scamper and frolick through the fields,
and the babies would stay so very close to their mamas.
There is nothing you're searching for that can't be found in Ireland.
God, good music, beautiful landscapes, wonderful food,
maybe even yourself- you just have to be brave enough.
Castles, old abbeys and other ruins are scattered all throughout Ireland.
The above photo was taken at Kylemore Abbey, and it is located
in Connemara near mountains and water...
and it makes you wonder if you're still on earth whilst you're there.
It looks divinely designed and created...but, then, it is.
God shows off a lot in Ireland; it's a spectacularly beautiful place!
How can a place like this really exist?
May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours.
-An Old Irish Blessing
May your day be filled with magical fun, beautiful music,
good food and drink, and oodles of merriment!
Happy St. Paddy's Day, friends!
♥