The Emerald Isle: All I dreamed of

This week I returned from my amazing visit to Ireland. I saw so many things, met my future in-laws, and spent valuable time with my fiancé Paul.

In light of my recent plane sickness episodes I met with my physician and he prescribed a motion sickness patch for behind my ear. It worked magically and I was especially grateful during the bumpy ride on a tin can with wings from Washington D.C. to Newark. The plane ride from Newark to Belfast, Northern Ireland was on a big comfy plane and turned out just fine. I took my evening medicines and drifted off to la-la land for the majority of the ride. It was lovely to come off of the plane, collect my luggage, and walk into my honey's arms. Sappy to say, I know, but absolutely true. We had been apart for exactly 8 months to the day!

Paul drove me to his sister's home in Coleraine and I crashed for several hours. Paul's sister Patricia was my hostess in Northern Ireland. I stayed in the guestroom at her lovely home. We went to the grocery store Tescos for snacks and food. While in Tescos I found a brand of cookies (they call them biscuits) called Maryland cookies. I never thought to go to Northern Ireland to find Maryland cookies. I even brought them back with me for everyone to try. Yep, they tasted like regular chocolate chip cookies.

That afternoon and evening Paul took me to Port Stewart Strand to enjoy the Irish wind and a dramatic sunset. There were many other photographers there taking advantage of this natural work of art. Port Stewart Strand is a sandy beach in Port Stewart, Northern Ireland and is situated on the northern coast of the island of Ireland. It consists of two miles of magnificent sandy beach facing the Atlantic Ocean. It was quite windy and chilly, but it was wonderful to be there with Paul.

Sunday morning we attended church at Paul's ward (congregation) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Everyone was so kind and I enjoyed my time with them. It is one of our most important commonalities - our shared religion. And it is reassuring and amazing to note that the things that we did and learned every Sunday in Westminster, Maryland USA were happening in exactly the same in Colraine, Northern Ireland. We relaxed most of the rest of the day Sunday.

Paul took me to a park and gardens with the Phoenix Peace Fountain. It is a gift from the communities of the United States to the communities of Northern Ireland. The public display of The Phoenix Peace Fountain is a lasting reminder to the people of Northern Ireland of America's support in the Northern Ireland peace process. Metal from thousands of American firearms that had been court-ordered for meltdown was used in the recreation of the monument. This international gift from the communities of the United States to the 26 communities of Northern Ireland is permanently displayed in Coleraine that were a gift to Northern Ireland from the United Stated of America in honor of the peace accord ending what Irish call "The Troubles". The Troubles consisted of about thirty years of recurring acts of intense violence between elements of Northern Ireland's Nationalist community (principally Roman Catholic) and Unionist community (principally Protestant). The conflict was caused by the disputed status of Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom and the domination of the minority Nationalist community, and discrimination against them, by the Unionist majority. The United States and President Bill Clinton played a roll in the peace process that my fiancé Paul has stated made a difference. An excellent article that I found is at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/1065913.stm .

Monday we made our way to 'Southern Ireland'. Patricia's boyfriend Davie obtained a holiday home for us to enjoy for the week in the quaint town of Gweedore. The home was in a wonderful location practically on the coast. Gweedore (official name: Gaoth Dobhair) is an Irish-speaking district located on the Atlantic coast of County Donegal, Ireland. Gweedore is also the home of the northwest regional studios of the Irish language radio service Raidió na Gaeltachta, and it is officially the largest Irish-speaking parish in Ireland with a population of around 4,065. It sits in the shade of Donegal's tallest peak Mount Errigal.

Gweedore is renowned for its distinct physical features. Probably the most recognizable is Errigal, the tallest mountain in County Donegal, which overshadows the picturesque Dunlewey Lough. It is surrounded by the deep glens and misty lakes of the Poisoned Glen, and further on, Glenveagh national park and castle, the largest national park in Ireland. Another landmark is 'Bád Eddie' (Eddie's Boat), a shipwreck which has been situated on Magherclogher beach since the early 70s where it had run ashore due to rough seas. The Gweedore coastline consists of long sandy beaches and rugged cliffs. Also, off the Gweedore coastlines are many beautiful islands. There are a series of spectacular mountains, glens and bogs combined with the bracing weather to keep this part of the world relatively secluded.

As the photographs will illustrate - Paul and I enjoyed seeing all of this! It was a busy week! Each day we ventured out to see something magical. All of the things that my imagination had sewn together to create an idea of Ireland. Reading the street signs and hearing people speak in the Gaelic tongue (which the inhabitants of Ireland call the Irish language) was enlightening. At one point we thought we were a little lost and Paul in a panic asked what the next sign said. I replied, "Uhhh, bla-bla-gul-gul? I have no clue! It is all in Irish!"

We toured the nooks and crannies of the Bloody Foreland. It gets its name from the reddish tinge which the rocky coast takes on at sunset. The sea is then bathed in the same hue, and Tory Island, lying a few miles offshore, becomes a glowing dream island in the dusk. We happened upon Magheroarty (or Machaire Rabhartaigh) a village with a small port for fishing vessels and the Tory island ferry operates from the local pier. I took several photos of the clean blue waters. We also found Bunbeg (or An Bun Beag which means The Small River Mouth). It has a small port with one of Ireland's newest coast guard stations.

Every night we visited Teac Jack pub, restaurant, and hotel just down the street from our little holiday bungalow for our evening meal. They have a special called "Roast of the Day" which is characterized as traditional dishes. It included one of the home cooked meats like roast beef, chicken, or ham accompanied by some of the loveliest potatoes and vegetables the Irish can make. It was a generous amount of food for a very reasonable price. We had the same waitress each evening. The Northern Irish refer to excellent food as 'gorgeous'. Amazingly they have a website - http://www.teacjack.com. After dinner would go back to our place and watch DVDs. It is another of those important things that we have in common - a distinct love of the movies.

On our last sunny afternoon on Donegal's coast we were heading south and passed an intriguing sign for Leo's Tavern (or Tábhairne Leo) . This tavern is owned by Leo Brennan, the patriarch of Ireland's most successful musical family. The band Clannad was formed in 1972, and has since gone on to sell over 15 million records. Also there is the musician Enya, Enya Brennan (or Eithne Ní Bhraonáin). Enya first appeared on stage in Amharclann Ghaoth Dobhair as a member of Clannad, before going on to become one of the world's biggest-selling artists, with sales exceeding 70 million. To learn more and hear some of this great Irish music check out these two websites - http://www.clannad.ie/ and http://www.enya.com/ .

The drive back to Northern Ireland took us through the city of Letterkenny where Paul and I did some shopping using the last of our Euros. Letterkenny (Irish: Leitir Ceanainn) is the largest town in County Donegal. It has been said that the town's Main Street is one of the longest in Ireland. It takes its name from the Irish "Leitirceanainn" – meaning the "Hillside of the O'Cannons". Once back in Northern Ireland we rested for the remainder of the day.

My last day of sight-seeing was around the Coleraine area including a visit to Dunluce Castle and the Giant's Causeway. These two sights are just minutes from Paul's home. Dunluce Castle is one of the most extensive ruins of a medieval castle in Northern Ireland. It is located on the edge of basalt outcropping in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and is accessible via a bridge connecting it to the mainland. The castle is dramatically surrounded by terrifyingly steep drops on either side. It is in the townland of Dunluce, in the Coleraine Borough Council area. At one point, part of the kitchen next to the cliff face collapsed into the sea, after which the wife of the owner refused to live in the castle any longer. According to a legend, when the kitchen fell into the sea only a kitchen boy survived as he was sitting in the corner of the kitchen which did not collapse. Dunluce Castle served as the seat for the Earl of Antrim until the impoverishment of the MacDonnells in 1690, following the Battle of the Boyne. Since that time, the castle has deteriorated and parts were scavenged to serve as materials for nearby buildings.

After visiting Dunluce we went to the town of Bushmills for traditional Fish and Chips. One of the most interesting things about the variances between the U.S. and Ireland is the use of the English language. In Ireland 'chips' are a variation of french fries that Marylanders refer to often as steak fries. Not the long skinny kind, but the larger softer version. In Ireland crisps are the American equivalent of Potato Chips - they love Pringles. The town of Bushmills is known world over for its famous Irish whiskey distillery. After our dinner we made our way to the Giant's Causeway.

The Giant's Causeway (or Irish: Clochán na bhFómharach) is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. It is located on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland, about two miles north of the town of Bushmills. In a 2005 poll the Giant's Causeway was named as the fourth greatest natural wonder in the United Kingdom. The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea. Most of the columns are hexagonal, although there are also some with four, five, seven and eight sides. The tallest are about 36 ft high, and the solidified lava in the cliffs is 92 ft thick in places. It is the most popular tourist attraction in Northern Ireland.

When the news of the "discovery" of an amazing natural phenomenon broke on an unsuspecting world in 1693 it was by the presentation of a paper to the Royal Society from Sir Richard Bulkeley, a fellow of Trinity College, Dublin. The news caused quite a stir in 'the polite society' of the time and in 1697 a draughtsman was sent to make drawings of the Natural Curiosity on the North East tip of the island of Ireland.

What seems remarkable to us now, in the 21st century, is that there was much argument as to whether the Causeway had been created by men with picks and chisels, by nature, or by the efforts of a giant. In the 17th century nothing like it had been seen before. It was not until 1771 it was announced the origin of the causeway to be the result of volcanic action.

The dramatic cliff like edge of the plateau forms the Causeway coastline. The larger fissures, through which the lava flowed, can be clearly seen as bands of dark rock which cut down the cliff faces and jut out to sea. It is the middle basalts rocks which forms the columns of the Giants Causeway. The rapidly cooling lava contracted and variations in the cooling rate resulted in the world famous columnar structure. The columns are mainly hexagonal though there are some with up to eight sides. Weathering of the top of the lower basalts formed the Inter Basaltic Bed - the band of reddish rock which is a feature of the area.

The legend (as there always is in magical places) says that in Ireland, lived a gentle giant called Finn MacCool. At fifty two feet six inches, he was a relatively small giant, but across the sea in Scotland there was a rival giant called Benandonner. The two Giants hollered across the sea of Moyle, each demanding a trial of strength. This was agreed, and hospitable Finn offered to make the contest possible by building a rocky causeway between the two countries. Finn built a path across the sea from County Antrim to Benandonner's lair - Fingal's cave on the island of Staffa, but the work was so laborious that Finn fell asleep with exhaustion. Oonagh was Finn's wife, a giantess, she woke up early the next morning to find Finn sound asleep. Then she heard the sound of thunderous footsteps and saw the mighty Benandonner approaching. He was truly gigantic. Finn would be no match against this Scottish giant. Quick thinking Oonagh covered the sleeping Finn with a nightgown and bonnet. "Where's Finn?" bellowed Benandonner, "Where is the coward hiding?" He peered at the sleeping Finn. "Be quiet," Oonagh warned Benandonner, "or you'll waken the bairn!" Benandonner panicked. If the child was this big, how much bigger might Finn be? He did not stay to find out. He hastily retreated across the causeway, destroying it in his wake The "causeway" legend corresponds with geological history inasmuch as there are similar basalt formations (a part of the same ancient lava flow) at the site of Fingal's Cave on the isle of Staffa in Scotland.

We stayed for hours and watched the sun set there. To access the causeway one has to walk a ways down the cliff side. What goes down, must come up and the pain of the visit was making it back to the car. Towards the end Paul was practically dragging me up the cliff side, but it was worth the trip. We stopped back in Port Stewart to enjoy one of the famous local food places - the famous Morelli's ice-cream parlor. We enjoyed triple scoop waffle cones of true creamy, delicious, Italian ice cream.

We went to church again and then I spent the day getting to know his family. I had dinner with Paul's family and we sat and talked for hours. His family is wonderful and I got along with them wonderfully. In the end I took almost 500 photographs with both my Mom's digital and my own film cameras.

It was a teary good-bye at Belfast airport. I was trussed by security twice and then they accidentally put me in First Class. I never dreamed that the 'other half' flies in such luxury. A five course meal, a generous leather seat that practically turns into a bed with a real pillow and blankets, and a personal television screen with gratis movies, tv shows, music, and games. It was a nice way to end the trip.

My 2 web albums are at: http://picasaweb.google.com/shauna.bere/Ireland2008Trip and http://picasaweb.google.com/shauna.bere/UniquePhotosIreland2008

Countdown to Ireland

I am very excited that I am in the countdown to Ireland. Two weeks from today -come hell or high water as my grandmother used to say- I am going to Northern Ireland for ten days. I leave Friday, April 18, 2008 at 5 PM. Then I have a 3 hour lay-over in New York. I arrive in Belfast Saturday, April 19, 2008 at 9 AM. Both Paul and I are very excited to see one another. We have not seen one another in eight long months. A stressful eight months as he was so terribly sick that he almost died. He is still trying to adapt after being sick for so very long, but he is doing well considering everything.

I have left the plans of what is best to see up to Paul and surprise. I know that he is going to take me to see the Giant's Causeway. Paul lives on the northeast coast of Ireland. There are several lovely beaches he is excited to show to me. Not beaches where one would relax in the warm, blue water, but beaches to walk along holding hands, trying not to get your feet wet because it is so cold. It looks lovely in the photos that I have seen though. Excellent photo ops.

I will most certainly return and report my varied travels and experiences. I hope maybe to send out a blog from my trip too. I have included a preview photo here of Dunluce Castle in Northern Ireland so that everyone can be sufficiently envious.

Paul Home From Hospital

Paul returned home from the hospital unexpectedly yesterday!!

When I made my planned call to him expecting that he would still be in the hospital - he excitedly told me that he had just arrived home!! After the images from his MRI came back the doctor reported to him that his most worrisome and frightening condition had cleared up and that "some things just can't be explained." That condition could have affected the rest of our lives permanently. It would have adversely affected his quality of life. After the results of the MRI came back they removed some of the tubing and his body began working on its own. The relief of this is almost unexplainable. This illness and helping Paul cope with it was weighing on me heavily. He was completely overwhelmed. In shock almost.

He sounded like a man who got his new lease on life. He was so excited I could feel it through the phone line!

We believe in miracles. We believe in the ability to bring on healing by Priesthood blessing if that outcome is the will of God. We believe in answers to prayers. This serves to strengthen our beliefs. We offer a debt of gratitude to anyone who offered a prayer on his behalf. Thank you for that selfless service. We will remember you in our prayers with gratitude and ask that you are blessed for your care and kindness. It is a view into your personal divinity.

THANK YOU!

Amazing Recovery

Why do "bad" things happen?

I feel very strongly that there are four distinct reasons why "bad" things happen. Some are natural and some are divine. Some are a little of both.

1. We make "bad" choices and have to live with the consequences. For example: A person drinks and drives and crashes their car into a telephone pole. They become paralyzed from the waist down and total the car. The accident is a consequence of your personal choice to drink and drive. There are natural laws about objects moving and meeting other objects with force etc...that this choice puts into motion and usually these natural laws cannot be broken.

2. Other people make "bad" choices and it affects our lives. For example: A person drinks and drives and crashes their car into your car. You become paralyzed from the waist down and it totals your car. The accident is a consequence of someone else's personal choice to drink and drive. There are natural laws about objects moving and meeting other objects with force etc...that this choice puts into motion and usually cannot these natural laws cannot be broken.

3. We live in a "fallen" world. A world where our bodies age, acquire illness, and die. It is a natural law. Human bodies are subject to natural laws. Our cells die and do not replace themselves. Our cells mutate and create cancer.

4. There are certain divine lessons to learn from this trial.

I don't think to act as God and determine which is which. A person may learn during their life the purpose of such things. People come to terms with things in their own reasons and in their own times. But this is something particularly important as I cope with my long term illness of bipolar. I believe my illness to be a mixture of genetics (natural law), environment during my formative years (psychological behavior), and for me to learn a small handful of divine lessons. Maybe God took the opportunity to teach me something knowing that this was part of my inevitability and part of the natural laws that would affect me. I don't believe that natural laws and divinity are separate and must be divorced from one another. I believe that God is the author of the natural laws. That they have a synergy. A human being is not just physicial and not just spiritual. What is physical is affected by the spiritual and what is spiritual is affected by the physical. That is why finding the balance is such a journey.

I am trying to remember these things as I cope with Paul's illness and its possible ramifications.

Ireland Postponed

Although I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year I have spent the holidays a little bummed out. My long awaited trip to Ireland has been postponed until early Spring, I fear. My fiance Paul has been getting increasingly sick until he was admitted to the hospital in Coleraine on December 26th. So many infections it is amazing he was alive. Infections in his lungs, kidneys, bladder, and prostate. The infection in his lungs and kidneys has cleared up well, but the rest is still being worked on as we speak. He is still in the hospital. There may be long term ramifications of all of this. We don't know all of it yet. He will need to get home from the hospital and start the rehabilitation process before we consider when I will actually go to Ireland. If you are so inclined, please offer some prayers for my honey. We need them in respect to his remaining illnesses.

On a positive note, the United States government approved our application for his Fiance Visa. Now he has to get well so that he can go for an interview and pick up the Visa. He will be free to come over here to get married. I don't know the time frame restrictions on the Visa, but I am certain that I will learn. As of right now we are looking at a late fall/early winter wedding.

I hope that you all had wonderful holidays and enjoyed time with your family and friends.

Too Warm This Year - "Fall Canceled?"

Happy December all! Our unseasonable non-fall weather has ended. It only took until December. It is cold and raining and we in Maryland need it dramatically. There is a river that is gone. It is a brook or less; a dribble. It is startling. Anyone who follows our current presidency and their take on "global warming" is a moron. When I can see 95% of a riverbed that is more often 20-40 feet deep I am concerned.

It was almost 70 degrees on Thanksgiving in Washington D.C., well above normal. There is a great article in The Onion, the satirical newspaper, that ran the other day. For all of their satire I think that they may be frighteningly correct. “Fall Canceled after 3 Billion Seasons”: Fall, the long-running series of shorter days and cooler nights, was canceled earlier this week after nearly 3 billion seasons on Earth, sources reported Tuesday.

The classic period of the year, which once occupied a coveted slot between summer and winter, will be replaced by new, stifling humidity levels, near-constant sunshine and almost no precipitation for months.

'As much as we’d like to see it stay, fall will not be returning for another season,’ National Weather Service president John Hayes announced during a muggy press conference Nov. 6. ‘Fall had a great run, but sadly, times have changed.’ ... The cancellation was not without its share of warning signs. In recent years, fall had been reduced from three months to a meager two-week stint, and its scheduled start time had been pushed back later and later each year.”

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble

Happy Thanksgiving to all. I am grateful for many things. My family. A warm home to live in. A good job. Actually, two good jobs. Kind and wonderful friends. A faith that gives me so much inside including peace, a sense of wholeness, and the room to grow. A handsome, fun, and amazing man who I love and who loves me. A new passport. A plane ticket to Ireland on December 25th.

I recently was asked to teach the 11 year old kids Sunday School. We are going through the New Testament. I recently taught the young single adults and the situation is so different. I have 5 boys and 2 girls. The girls act like little adults and the boys like little boys. I taught my first class on the Stephen who became a martyr. It went a ton better than I thought.

I hope that all is good where you are.
Don't forget to keep in touch with me.