Getting Out

I’ve been starting to get out again, taking short circle drives into Connemara. Monday afternoon I drove from Galway to Moycullen to Knockferry to Carrowmoreknock and beyond, to Barna and finally back home. It was a great trip!

Last week I went to two movies. The first was Money Monster with George Clooney and Julia Roberts. It was pretty good. But the movie that really touched me this past week was Me Before You. I was moved by a few of the life lessons contained within the plot, particularly at the end. If you like poignant romantic movies, you’ll likely enjoy this one. I certainly did! Spoiler alert: it’s likely to make you cry.

Yesterday I spent a fun afternoon with Yvonne talking about a passion of hers (and a growing interest of mine): jewelry and gemstones. Her husband Eric cut the grass (Thank you so much!). Strange men were beginning to knock on my door asking if I wanted them to mow the yard. Then I had a quick Viber chat with Tim before leaving around 7:30pm for another circle drive into Connemara. This time I drove almost to Oughterard before turning north on Glann Road and following it to Carraduff Middle and well beyond.

I had packed a picnic dinner (sandwich, fruit, etc.) and I found a little wide spot in the road overlooking Lough Corrib, where I parked the Fiesta and enjoyed my car picnic in the golden light of my favorite time of day. I should mention that it stays light now until nearly 10:30pm, and so the evening light that I adore is available much longer!

I continued driving…with the windows down, a soft fragrant breeze flowing through the car, and beautiful music playing on the radio. The golden light and long shadows combined with the purple flowers blooming along the roadside hedges added to what felt like a near-perfect experience (video). I couldn’t stop grinning! Almost every little driveway off the road was tree/hedge-lined and completely charming. You know those magical early summer evenings where everything seems right in the world and life is stunningly gorgeous? That’s what it felt like to me.

On my way back to Galway I took a short detour by the Oughterard Golf Club to drive to the Aughnanure Castle. It was closed when I arrived, but the views enticed me to walk the 1/4 mile or so to the castle door. Along the way I took a few photos, a video of my walk to the castle door, and a video of my walk back from the castle. I don’t think they fully capture the magic of that evening, but I hope you enjoy them anyway!

Today (Sunday) was a sleep day. I have been staying up until 5 or 6am most nights over the past few days…unable to sleep. I guess it caught up with me today.

This week I will be really pouring a lot of effort into the strategic plan for Mary’s, with the hope that the bulk of it can be roughed out and then details hammered out with the leadership. I am expecting more houseguests this month, with my Mom arriving on Saturday for a 2-week stay, a potential 2-3 day revisit from my cousin in France during that same time, followed by some friends from Tennessee for 3-4 nights at the end of the month. I intend to kayak Lough Hyne at night this month as well, or perhaps in early July, and I’m looking forward to doing some more sightseeing while my Mom is here.