A thrill of hope
The weary world rejoices
The weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks
A new and glorious morn
A new and glorious morn
What a way to start the new blog idea . . .One of my favorite hymns for the Christmas season and, since I swore to be honest, all year around.
I discovered the group The Priests one day on CNN.com when they were profiled in conjunction with their album release. It is a group of three Irish priests who make some of the most beautiful harmonies I have heard. They are the kind of priests that you can relate to . . . I am not Catholic but I would cheerfully sit through one of their masses. What amused me the most about them was that, even with the recording deals and notoriety, they are always and ever devoted to their parishioners and their primary calling. Plus, did I mention they are Irish? That, for me, is a muy mucho mondo bonus.
I love Ireland. I loved it even before I was able to travel there. Ireland is one of those places where I can literally feel the history around me. The country as a whole is rich in culture and steeped in traditions that are older than our nation. Plus, there is a wonderful, mystical quality to the Irish countryside . . .must be all those Celtic myths that have seeped into the soil.
Dave and I were blessed to have 4 precious days in Ireland as part of a cruise/land tour package. Now, aside from the fact that I fell asleep constantly on the bus portions of the trip, those four days were pure magic. I cannot stay awake in a car I am not driving . . .It is like a drug when you put me in the passenger seat. I go out faster than the lights on the Griswold's street at Christmas.
I can remember the first day, being up at 5 a.m. and exploring the area around our hotel, only to come across the ruins of a church and an old cemetery with stones that predated the founding of America. How freaking cool is that . . .to find a piece of history on a morning walk. For the remainder of the trip, we made our way along the west coast of Ireland, stopping at the Cliffs of Moher, Blarney Castle, the Shannon River and various points along the Ring of Kerry.
I bought so much in those four days that I got a reputation as a shopper (not one that I am shy about either). I can remember the men of the tour group asking Dave how he can let me shop so much . . . bless his heart, he just smiled. It was as close to heaven on Earth as I can imagine.
So when I want to relive those four days in Ireland, I plug in the Priests, and for a while I am in the land of faeries and the little people.
I discovered the group The Priests one day on CNN.com when they were profiled in conjunction with their album release. It is a group of three Irish priests who make some of the most beautiful harmonies I have heard. They are the kind of priests that you can relate to . . . I am not Catholic but I would cheerfully sit through one of their masses. What amused me the most about them was that, even with the recording deals and notoriety, they are always and ever devoted to their parishioners and their primary calling. Plus, did I mention they are Irish? That, for me, is a muy mucho mondo bonus.
I love Ireland. I loved it even before I was able to travel there. Ireland is one of those places where I can literally feel the history around me. The country as a whole is rich in culture and steeped in traditions that are older than our nation. Plus, there is a wonderful, mystical quality to the Irish countryside . . .must be all those Celtic myths that have seeped into the soil.
Dave and I were blessed to have 4 precious days in Ireland as part of a cruise/land tour package. Now, aside from the fact that I fell asleep constantly on the bus portions of the trip, those four days were pure magic. I cannot stay awake in a car I am not driving . . .It is like a drug when you put me in the passenger seat. I go out faster than the lights on the Griswold's street at Christmas.
I can remember the first day, being up at 5 a.m. and exploring the area around our hotel, only to come across the ruins of a church and an old cemetery with stones that predated the founding of America. How freaking cool is that . . .to find a piece of history on a morning walk. For the remainder of the trip, we made our way along the west coast of Ireland, stopping at the Cliffs of Moher, Blarney Castle, the Shannon River and various points along the Ring of Kerry.
I bought so much in those four days that I got a reputation as a shopper (not one that I am shy about either). I can remember the men of the tour group asking Dave how he can let me shop so much . . . bless his heart, he just smiled. It was as close to heaven on Earth as I can imagine.
So when I want to relive those four days in Ireland, I plug in the Priests, and for a while I am in the land of faeries and the little people.
You know you are making me want to go there even more! :)
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