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What ‘s Next?

Each year I spend part of my New Year’s at a Korean Women’s Spa. I spend my time soaking in mineral pools, resting in heated salt and sand rooms. and eating delicious and healthy Korean stir fry. The day culminates with receiving a skin scrub to get rid of the old and a skin moisturizing massage to bless the new.

This New Year’s Eve as I lived this treasured ritual, a sadness walked with me. I tried to breathe into it, but questions kept badgering me. What’s next? What was this trip all about?

This experience was such a big surprise and huge gift, I think I expected it to lead lead to something else big. I have this inner mantra that tells me that each life experience is a stepping stone to something else, so this huge experience must lead to some huge change in me or for me and my family. But it didn’t. We came home to the same lovely home, to the same loving community, to our same good work and this haunting question, What’s next?

After my scrub and moisturizing massage at the spa, I went to the salt room and curled up on the floor, soaking in the heat, breathing in the smell of herbs, and resting in the womb like darkness of the room. I prayed. I asked God, “What’s next? What am I supposed to do with this experience? What am I missing here?” What I heard back is this:

You are missing the gift. Just breath in the experience. You do not have to do anything with it, except accept the joy of it. You did not take Sam to the Beatles experience expecting him to come home and become a rock star. You gave him the experience because you knew he would love it and that you would love watching his delight. So it is with you. You were given this experience because I knew you would love every second of it and that I would love watching your delight. That is it. That is the gift. Relax now and enjoy the memory and let it take root in you however it will.

The sadness began to lift and my weariness subsided. I got up, got dressed and went home to enjoy my life and to welcome the New Year.

We’re Home

We made it home without incident. This was a small miracle considering the snow that shut down airports all along our route. On our way to Norway, we had a layover in Amsterdam. When we were going through customs, the agent asked me, “How long have you been here?” I looked at him with confusion and said, “5 minutes.” He then told me that they had people stuck there all night. We cleared customs and there were hundreds of cots lining the walkways. Our plane left, right on time. We left Liverpool for Dublin and the very next day the major airports in England were closed because of snow and ice. Throughout our time in Ireland the Dublin airport was closed on and off because of weather. Even on Christmas Day, it was closed for a few hours. We got out just fine on the 26th. We flew through Atlanta, when all up and down the east coast, thousands were stranded at airports, and gratefully we only had an hour delay.

We had an amazing time. And there is so much to digest. We have spent much of our week sleeping and hanging out in our pj’s, slowly reconnecting with friends and family.

People ask about our time and wonder what the highlights were. Trying to come up with an answer fells a bit like having a gaggle of children and having someone ask which is your favorite. Each experience was so amazing and unique. It is hard to pick one or two and say this was my favorite. So I will say this, the highlight for me was living this experience with Niko and Sam. 22 days together, 24 hours a day, it is a wonder to me, how much we enjoyed each other and how well we traveled together. What could be better than that?

Christmas in Dublin




We arrived back in Dublin to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas day with Rhona. We set out into the cold dark night to walk to her college for Christmas Eve Mass. A small group of us gathered around the alter, leaving the main body of the Church empty. There we sang and prayed and welcomed the light into our lives. We returned home to the warmth of Rhona’s apartment and while Niko and Sam snuggled into bed, Santa went to work wrapping gifts and setting them under the Christmas decorations in the living room.

It is a simple Christmas. A few small gifts for each of us. Nothing more. No big Santa surprise gift or extravagant gifts for each other. Small gifts that fit our overstuffed luggage and that allow us a little surprise to open on this day of giving. The real gift for all of us has been spending this cold, dark season in the light of this amazing experience. No physical gift can begin to compare. So we sit by the electric fire and sip our whiskey or hot cocoa and watch the Polar Express and smell the turkey in the oven and give thanks for the sweet gifts of home here together.



Hill of Tara






From County Cavan, we drove to the Hill of Tara. I had told Niko we probably would only need to stop for a few minutes, as it is so cold outside and the day is getting late and we want to get to Dublin before Sunset. I guess I wasn’t expecting much. We found the town of Tara, parked the car and went into a small shop to finish our Christmas shopping and to ask for directions. As we left the shop, dusk was settling in. We followed the path behind the shop and up the hill and there it was, the Hill of Tara. The view was amazing. The sun was setting and the sky was pink, purple, red, yellow and orange. Sam climbed up and slid down the Hill of Hostages. We were delighted in this unexpected winter wonderland and the expanse of sky and snow and beauty. Sheep grazed nearby and Niko and Sam were silhoutted against the sky as we wandered back to the car, totally satisfied by this final tourist adventure in Ireland.

Christmas Eve Morning at Killyon B&B


Fresh pineapple, melon,grapefruit, satsumas, and bananas, fresh squeezed orange juice, Greek yogurt with a variety of cereal toppings, homemade marmalade, three kinds of homemade breads, scrambled eggs with smoke salmon, warm porridge, these were the delights that awaited us at breakfast this morning. The proprietor of our B&B is Michael. His twinkling brilliant blue eyes greeted us as we made our way to our table rich with antiques and a bountiful breakfast. As we ate, he told us his stories of living in London in the 60’s. Paul McCartney lived around the corner from him. And he met the Beatles, Jimmy Hendrix and Tom Jones. He gave up his bed for Tom Jones one night. Michael also gave us a tutorial on the antiques that surround us. The 7 paintings in our room actually came from the home of Bono! How do we stumble into these places?
Last night, we arrived in Navan after driving cross country all day in the hopes of visiting New Grange. We arrived to a closed gate and a sign that said it was closed because of inclement weather. We were half expecting what we found so our disappointment faded quickly and instead we took a few moments to just breathe in the spirit of this place. We then hopped in our car and drove further down the road to see the remains of Dowthe, which can be seen from the road.
Once we arrived in Navan, we stopped at the Loft for dinner. It was recommended in our Lonely Planet Guide Book. The food was fantastic, but even more impressive was the staff. I asked Paddy, the young man who took us to our table where he would recommend us staying for the night. He asked what kind of accommodations we were looking for and when I told him a reasonably priced B&B, he said he’d get on the phone and see what he could find for us. Twenty minutes later he comes back and tells us about Killyon B&B, just 5 minutes down the road and asks if we would like him to book it for us.
Our waitress, Rebbecca, was just as impressive and kind. When I asked about the soup of the day, she asked if I would like to try it. I expected a small sample, instead, she brought me a whole cup of the most fantastic cream of onion soup I could ever imagine. Niko, Sam and I all shared it and then ordered a large bowl. Sam ordered a pizza, Niko ordered a salad that had Chorizo, avocados and tomatoes on a bed of lettuce…yumm, and when I was trying to decide whether or not to get the meatballs, she again ran off and brought me back a sample of the sauce they were cooked in. It was a delicious meal, made more so by the kind and generous staff.
Because of Paddy, we have the great fortune of partaking of the best breakfast we have had in the past 3 weeks…possible the best breakfast ever. It is a wonderful way to start our Christmas.


Westport and Intuitive Travel

Travelling around Ireland has been such a gift. We set off each day with a plan that is easily adapted as new information or experiences are presented. Today we set off for Galway. Sam was excited to go to the Atalantaquarium in Salthill. We got there and it was closed. He was disappointed, but recovered quickly.

We decided that Galway was too large for our liking and continued up to Westport. We had heard of a bar called Matt Malloys, owned by the flutist for the Chieftan’s. We stopped in to check it out and to ask for a recommendation for housing. There were 2 men behind the bar who were more than happy to help us. The younger man got on the phone to check on a B&B for us, while the older man visited with us for a moment. When we asked his name it was none other than Matt Malloy himself!

The B&B they led us to was basically closed because of weather, but they opened it up for us and because they wouldn’t be serving us the full traditional breakfast or be around much they gave us a great deal on the price. We were elated.

We stayed 2 nights, wondering the streets, doing some Christmas shopping, seeking out more Irish music and settling in to this place. We went to Matt Malloy’s 2 nights in a row to listen to music and never saw Matt again, except for that first chance meeting on arrival.

Kinvarra


Today we drove from Ennis to Kinvarra. Our plan today changed several times. First we thought we would drive and stay in Doolin, but when we got there the town was so quiet we continued onward. Then we decided we would go to Galway or perhaps even as far Clifden. We stopped in Kinvara, a coastal town just south of Galway for something to eat. We found a nice little pub called Keough’s where a delightful bartender named Kate took great care of us. As we sat there, Niko informed us that he did not want to go any further. He had had his fill of driving for the day. Instead, he went out and explored our options for lodging and came back with keys to a room in a new hotel just across the street.

Our choice to stay in Kinvarra across the street from Keoughs was inspired. As the night fell, Niko and Sam were able to snuggle in and rest, and I was able to go over to the bar at 10 pm, to listen to traditional Irish music. The evening at Keoughs will long be cherished in my memory. Keoghs is a small pub. There is room for maybe 25 people to sit. There was a gentleman playing the flute, and penny whistle, a woman on the guitar and a woman singing. As the evening progressed, the band members would invite a favored guest in the pub to sing a song. By the end of the evening almost everyone in the pub, except me, had sang an Irish ballad. It was a perfect moment. I kept wanting to get up and run over and force Niko and Sam out of bed to join in the experience, but I was afraid I’d lose my stool in this crowded pub. So I sat where I was, and drank it in and gave thanks for this pure and perfect moment in Ireland

Cliffs of Moher



The great thing about travelling around Ireland, when the country is at a virtual standstill because of snow, is that we get to see the sights without the crowds. Today we went to the cliffs of Moher. There were only about 10 other cars in a parking lot built for hundreds. The sun was shining, the air was brisk, and the walkways were slippery. We carefully walked up the steps to take in the views of the Cliffs. The views were astounding. We kept going back to areas we had already been for just one more look. Niko and I were overwhelmed by the beauty of it all. Sam? He told us Cliffs were just not his thing. I cannot get my head around that comment. Could it be a tween thing?

Rock of Cashel and a Change of Plans





We left Kilkenny this morning and headed to the Rock of Cashel. Tradition has it that this is the site where the Kings of Munster were converted to Christianity by St. Patrick. Niko accidentally got off the highway too soon and we ended up just where I dreamed we would be…on the back country roads of Ireland. At the foot of the rock we stopped in at a sweater shop. There behind the counter stood Inga, a vivacious young woman who had not seen another person all day. She was full of information and stories for us.
Inga had a bit of bad news for us, though. The roads to Cork were very bad and the roads to the Dingle Peninsula were completely closed. There went our plans. We quickly reorganized and started to quiz Inga on our other hoped for destinations…Donegal, need 4 wheel drive, Belfast, roads not safe, the whole southwest coast, not derivable. So we decided to head to Ennis and then up along the coast of county Clare tot he Cliffs of Moher.
We arrived in Ennis and went to a holiday fair where Sam got a snake painted on his face that was unbelievable. Niko and I started to look for a place to stay. We checked out a nearby hotel, but it stunk and felt dirty, so we decided to keep looking. Niko sat down to make some calls and I went on a quick tour of the shops before they closed in 20 minutes. I got lost and for the life of me could not find my way back to the hotel where Niko and Sam were waiting for me. It was nerve wracking. I knew I was close, but I could not figure out how to get there, nor could I figure out the name to ask anyone coherently, where it was I was trying to go. After 3 at temps, someone finally understood which hotel I was looking for and set me in the right direction. Niko was none too happy to see me, having waited an hour for my return. He told me about a B&B he had found, but when we called back to say we would take it, it had been booked while he was waiting for me to return. Needless to say the tension increased. We had tried alot of B&Bs and even a hostel or 2 and many were closed because of the season. We had one more option, before we checking in to the smelly, dirty hotel. We called and a wonderful woman answered and told us she had a room and offered us a price 20 Euro cheaper than anywhere else we had tried. We arrived at the Railway View House and were greeted by Kathleen, a lovely middle aged woman in a beautiful country style home. Our room had fir floors and furniture, a fresh mug of milk for tea, and it smelled great! Kathleen greeted us warmly and then told us she was headed into town to hear a Christmas concert at the Cathedral, organized by the Franciscans. We hopped in our car and headed there ourselves. It was lovely.
After the concert, we headed to a local pub for some Irish music. The music was good, but we were all tired and didn’t last long. OK the hot whiskeys probably didn’t help increase our energy, but we hoped they would help with our oncoming colds.
In the morning, we took some time to visit with Kathleen. She is obviously a woman of deep faith and has a good heart. She told us about her daughter working in Calcutta with the poor. My experience in Calcutta forged a bond between us. As I said that she must be very proud of her daughter, her eyes filled with tears.
We left Ennis filled by Kathleen’s hearty breakfast and her gentle, kind spirit. We were off on another day of adventure, ever watchful for the next angel put in our path.