By the Sea, By the Sea,By the Beautiful Blue Green Sea

I don't think that I've mentioned that I love the beach! Well, I do! I love the feeling of sand between my toes, the sound of the waves crashing on the shoreline, the distinctly good smell of the sea, the taste of fresh seafood, and the wonderful sights seen only at the beach... of waves, water, shells, shore, and friends who live so far away, but are delightfully close by only when we vacation together at the beach. It makes me as "happy as a sea gull with a french fry!" A quote that made me giggle at the thought... because I know how much the gulls love fries! I've been going to the beach for most of my life, and I always find myself refreshed and renewed from a journey to the seashore. From the enormousness of the ocean itself to the finest grain of salt, I see the beauty of God's creation. How beautiful it all is to see and discover, and know that it was created for us to enjoy. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to see and experience this part of the world. If you haven't been to the shore, you should give it a try! If you've experienced a blissful day at the beach, feel blessed because you are!

God bless America... Land that I love...

This is a belated celebratory note about Independence Day! I love our annual summer celebrations! Hot dogs, Hamburgers, potato chips, and ice cold pop make the celebration yummy. Family and friends from near and far make it fun! I'm glad that America is the great melting pot! Hope you had a fun celebration!

When Irish Eyes are Smiling!

My family went on holiday to Ireland in June. It was a wonderful adventure to explore a new land together! We saw beautiful fields, shorelines, cliffs, islands, and lovely little towns. It was fun to see a place that you have imagined for always... and to discover that it is more than you ever imagined. My ancestors came from the Emerald Isle centuries ago, and yet our family has never forgotten that we are Irish as well as American. I arrived at the Irish customs desk to hear the words... "Welcome Home!" The places we visited were amazing, and it's hard to imagine that my family chose to leave the beautiful isle to go on a long hard journey across the sea to America. We went with a more recent Irish imigrant who shared that "No one ever wants to leave his homeland." It's an interesting comment made even more memorable when you know that he can come and go back and forth easily across the sea in an airplane, but the reality is that my ancestors left that beautiful land to never return. Their descendants have only recently been able to see the land that they left, but have always remembered the love that they had for their homeland. I'm glad that I went across the sea, and even more glad that I could return home again so easily!