The Bridget shrine and light in the home of the Brigidine Sisters in Kildare.

The flame outside the information center in downtown Kildare.

A comparatively quiet day.   I went to Mass at 4PM.  On the way, I got gas in the car and picked up a loaf of bread.

A bit more about the Brigidine nuns and I will post pictures of the Outdoor flame that was for a while lit by gas but is now  lit by LED lighting during the night and the sun during the day.    The flame, actually lit during preChristian times was kept lit by the Brigidine Sisters until the 16th century.     It was relit by Sr. Mary Teresa Cullen, then leader of the Brigidines, at the opening of a 1993 Peace and Justice conference in Kildare.
Srs. Rita and Phil have a small shrine with the original flame in their home.    We were invited to their home and were allowed to light a candle from the flame to take the message of peace and justice home with us.    I have that cancle and will light the flame for my bible study and for the Celtic Women when we meet.  So the flame has been burning again for 18 years and the nuns are trying to raise money for a proper shrine to house the flame.   I purchased a book called Rekindling the Flame by Sr. Rita.


Tomorrow I will be able to be home ALL day again.   That will be nice.  I believe that I can transcribe all of my notes by the end of tomorrow.    Oh Dear.   There will be no football game.

Have a lovely sleep and God love you

Mary

Such an exciting day.   I met Jeff and Kathy and Mother and the therapist from Meadow View, Linda at Mother's house.  Linda was there to check the house for safety and convenience for Mother.   It looks like she will be coming home for sure.   She is definitely much stronger and more alert than she was even two weeks ago when I saw her before going to Ireland.

There are a few things that we will have to do in the house such as a light switch on the door side of her bedroom and moving. rearranging or eliminating some pieces of furniture so she has more room. 

The therapists are going to work with her on stairs.   She really does not have to use stairs in her house but the back door, which would be an emergency exit DOES have stairs and we are tentatively going to bring her home on either the 18th or the 19th.   We are now putting the wheels in place to get all of her help, medicines and services back in place.   A week is more than enough time.

So Thank you all for the prayers.  We are still a bit worried about her being alone some times but will be adding help in the late afternoon or evening so there are more check ups on her  and she looked so very content to be in her very own chair in her very own living room.

Thank you all again

God love you

Mary

Steven the Jockey and my friend from the Trad

Kieran with another member of the session players and the Cello.

A whole day at home.   It was very peaceful in this cold cold weather.   I stepped out the door just twice, once to put some mail in the mailbox and once to pick up the mail.

I made a stew in the crockpot for our supper.  Jody came today to do the cleaning.  She is still having car trouble and was able to get a ride today.  She walked in the door and smelled the stew immediately.   I also made brown bread as I have gotten used to having it every day and could not go cold turkey.

So with working on transcribing my notes from the trip and cooking and washing, it was a very busy day.



The following are a couple of paragraphs from my notes from the third day of the trip.   I will have a couple of pictures too.

Tuesday, February 1, a goodly number of us headed back to Kildare at 9PM for the TRAD (a tradtional music session)  at the Cove in Kildare. The place was JAMMED. When we got there a group were playing in the second alcove of the place. They were finishing up so that the regular guys could come in between 9 and 10. I slithered over to the end of the bar to get a pint of cider and got into a conversation with a lovely gal named Collette. She plays bodhran in the session and sings.  I was looking for Kieran who helped us make the Bridget Crosses this afternoon.  I reintroduced myself and he asked if I would sing. I told him I knew Whiskey on a Sunday and he liked that. I found a good seat between Collette and another drum player. What a rush to get that beat coming in both ears. Before the music started I got to talking to a darling young man who actually flirted with me. He is a jockey and his name is Steven. I will put a picture of him and of Kieran on the blog. Steven's mother was there for the music too. I told her I would like to take him home in my pocket. She grinned from ear to ear but said that I could not have him.

Sr. Phil and Sr. Rita, the Brigidine nuns were there for the Trad too. We were supposed to be out at the bus at 11PM. At quarter to, Debbie pointed at her watch and we started to gather up people. I went to Kieran and told him that I had to leave as everybody else was piling out the door. He said that I had not sung yet so I told him if we could do it right away it would work. I sat on Collette's chair and sang Whiskey on a Sunday in the Cove in Kildare. What a thrill. Then I bolted to the door. Sweet Kieran was indicating “Call me” in sign. What a nice flirt. I stepped out the door to find Mick, our bus driver, coming in to get me. The others sent him. I was in disgrace. Ha Ha. What a night.

So everybody have a nice night.   I will post pictures of Kieran and Steven from the Trad.

God love you

Mary

Christchurch Cathedral from my hotel window.

Almost all of the Celtic Women. (I see that two are missing.) Those here are Felicia, Betty, Bee, Maureen, Cindy, Rosemary, Debbie, Rosemary (in back of me), Me, Joan, Patsy, Sheila, Gail, Sharon and Jan.

Life if almost back to normal.   I am still exhausted but figure by the weekend will be back on Central Time.

Today I did my grocery shopping in the morning and got my hair cut.   It is COLD.  It was sub zero during the night and got all the way up to 10 degrees this afternoon.  The wash is almost caught up.

I had intended to be meeting Mother, Jeff and a therapist from Meadow View at Mother's house this morning, but because of the cold, Jeff put the visit off until Friday when it will be warmer.  It is not wise to take Mother out into that bitter cold.  She will be able to go home soon and we want to be sure that the house is ready for her.  Then we will have to reactivate her morning help, the cleaning and the TV service and whatever else she should need.


Now for a bit of a continuation of the tour.  Sunday night we were all finally gathered and in the evening had a wine and cheese plus reception in the hotel.   I will attach a picture of the whole gang (of the women anyway, the men chose to stay out of that picture) and also a picture of Christchurch from the hotel room.

We went to bed from that as the next morning, we were picked up at about 10AM by Mick Mulcahy, the driver for Donohgue of Galway.   I recommended that company as I had traveled on it for two tours.  Joe, the first driver that Bobbie and I had, is now the owner and manager of the company.   Mick was a marvelous driver providing commentary as appropriate for the whole 7 days telling us the highlights of the countryside, the traditions and lots of stories.  That first day, we drove to the Kaedeen Hotel in Newgrove which is near Kildare.   We stopped at the home of Sr.Rita   and Sr. Phil.   the Brigitine nuns who relit the Bridgit flame in 1992 at a peace conference in Kildare and have tended it ever since.   I purchased Sr. Rita's book  Rekindling the Flame that tells the tale of the meaning of the flame.

Tomorrow a bit more about that. 

I am going to close up now and get ready for bed.

May God and Mary keep you safe

Mary

The actors doing a skit on the Dublin Literary Pub Crawl

Walking back to the hotel. At the statue of Molly Malone or as she is known in Dubling, The Tart and the Cart.

Micheal O Doibhilin at the Kilmainham Goal.

Mareen Smith and me at the Westbury Hotle Afternoon Tea looking out to a Dublin Street.



Love

Mary

I'm home safe and sound from the Island of Green Grass and poetry and spirituality.   It was a wonderful trip.   I can't say enough about the experiences and will try to relate an incident or two for the next few days (or weeks) however it happens.

I was dropped off by Joseph and Felicia at about 9PM last night.   We had an uneventful but interesting flight from Dublin to Chicago.   It was raining a bit in Dublin, but Aer Lingus has settled their strike so we were on an Aer Lingus plane.   The transportation there was a bit more dicey.

The group that left on Thursday got to the airport to find that the strike was on and that they were "renting?" a plane from another airline.   It was 11PM when they left almost 4 hours late and the plane was an American Airline plane which was not as nice.    We left on time but had an AirBerlin plane which we heard is much better than American Airlines but still, as we ALL found out yesterday Aer Lingus is Much nicer.   Better seats and other amenities.

We arrived in Chicago in a storm.   Fortunately, once our transportation to Milwaukee arrived, we drove north out of the storm.    We were all tired but still talking like a bunch of crazy people about the wonderful week we had just shared and the Packers.   Yeah Packers.   I won the Guessathon Fantasy Football league that I belong to with family and friends.   I was tied in points with Mike Gustafson, Mary Margaret's husband, but I won on the number of total correct picks.   I also won a quarter in the league we did as a CWI tour group so I feel very rich and lucky.

The tour was wonderful and exciting.   I will review it as the week goes on.   We spent our first two days, Saturday and Sunday in Dublin.   We went on a pub crawl, which was every bit as fun as I remembered when Bobbie and I were in Ireland many years ago.    I will enclose a couple of pictures of the crawl.   At the end, they again had a quiz.   Last time, I won a poster.  This time I was neck in neck with a gal from England.   She won the t shirt but I got a little bottle of Bushmills so don't feel that I did so badly after all.

The next day, we went to Kilmainham Goal for the tour.   It was truly moving and informative.   Our leader was a man named Micheal O Doibhliin who has authored a book called Anne Devlin , one of the true female heroes of the 1916 uprising.  I purchased his book and have his email.

We also went to the Westbury Hotel for an Afternoon Tea.   That was very special.   Such good finger sandwiches, a lovely selection of tea served beautifully in tea cups, good scones and breads and special sweet desserts.   I have nice pictures of that also.

That is enough tonight as I am really ready for bed.   I am almost caught up on wash and have the house almost put back together after my diving back in and unloading.

So until tomorrow.   The pictures will foloow.

Love

Mary