Winterskol – Remembering Ireland
“I don’t feel well Mommy,” Tucker announced yesterday morning.
“Nice try Tuck Tuck. That one doesn’t work with Mommy. I try it all the time,” Brevitt responded.
And boy was he right. After a week of being home with sick children, if one of my boys was going to complain of a new sickness he was going to have to prove it to me big time. Any sign of effervescence was going to be taken as an, “I’m okay”.
It all began with the day that Tucker and Axel went back for their H1N1 second vaccination and the next day they went down hard. Honestly, I don’t believe that it was related to the shot as they had been exposed to a similar illness a few days prior, but who knows? I do know that it will be difficult for me to convince them to get the vaccination next year.
Thankfully, everybody recovered by the time we went up to Aspen to enjoy ourselves over Winterskol and we had a thoroughly enjoyable time. What I enjoyed the most was listening to the bagpipes that brought memories forth of a trip that I took with Michele to Ireland when we were in our early twenties. We hitchhiked our way around the country and fell in love with the people. “Are you Irish?” they would ask us and we hesitated to tell them the truth, that we actually had a British mother. When they found out, it was never an issue, “What does it matter anyway?” they would say. “We’ll adopt you as our own, regardless.”
One day we were happily sitting on the side of a road in the middle of nowhere with pristine blue skies above and brilliant green fields surrounding us. We were waiting for any car to come by and take us to our next adventure. Looking down the long stretch of road I saw a vision and had to wipe my eyes to make sure that it wasn’t just an illusion. Clip clopping down the road was an old, white donkey. His hoofs had not been clipped in ages and were curled over giving him the appearance that he was wearing clogs. He came right up to us for some affection and probably for a treat. I thought of the Carlos Castaneda books and I looked over at Michele and laughed. Could it be that this donkey was our spiritual animal?
Eventually, a big white van stopped for us. We most certainly should not have gotten in but when the door slid open there were a dozen musicians playing and singing inside. Who were we to refuse this opportunity and so we got in and ended up at a music festival in Lisdoonvarna.
It was by far one of our most spectacular moments in time as we met the wonderful musicians who had traveled far and wide to join the others and play the beautiful music from their country.
We made many friends that evening and were invited to listen to the music into the wee hours of the morning inside the homes of the locals. To this day, Irish music will bring tears of emotion to my eyes and I will always remember those wonderful days of travel when life was all about the next adventure.
After Lisdoonvarna we visited the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher and Michele and I felt as though we had found heaven.
Anyway, I didn’t expect to take a trip down memory land but since my mind is on travel these days, I couldn’t help myself.
Enjoy my photos of Winterskol:
January 21st, 2010 at 11:47 am
Bag Pipe music always makes me cry!
I remember one time when you and Michele were travelling in Greece (where was I??? probably holed up with some bad boy friend!) You both called home together when Mommy, Daddy and i were in nantucket. You told Daddy that you were about to get on a boat with some sailors…you know Daddy…take a free opportunity when it comes your way…he was all happy and telling you to go and have a good time……after you hung up, from calling from a pay phone…and he could not call you back…he realized what he had told you to do…to get on a boat in Greece with strange men!!!!! That was a very long weekend for him…until you called…safe and happy!
As for the Donkey……
Love you
Melanie
January 21st, 2010 at 12:38 pm
WOW! Your story makes me wish I was there! And yes I am laughing at your boys trying to be sick after already being sick. LOL I can’t even imagine all boys. One of my good friends has 4 girls and I swear I don’t see how she does it…..dresses and nail polish and hair bows everywhere. LOL
January 21st, 2010 at 5:21 pm
Well, I know why I feel so connected to you. As a former hitchhiker and reader of everything Castenda, I can relate.
I’ve been writing a book with an Irish woman, yet I’ve never been there. Hopefully, Deirdre and I will take a trip there one day.
Glad the boys are feeling better.
January 22nd, 2010 at 2:59 pm
Hello Darrelyn,
So good to hear from you! Yes, Ireland…I wish I could bring my boys there!! Perhaps one day.
January 22nd, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Mouse, GTFOOH! I think that was Michele who went off on a boat with sailors, but I would have if I could have.
January 23rd, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Hi Jillian: You just brought back such good memories for me; I lived and worked in London for a year and traveled all over Europe during that time. I plan to retire in Italy because I just fell in love with it. Thanks for putting a smile on my face!
Swati
Swati Bharteey´s last blog ..Are You Ready to Date?
January 26th, 2010 at 8:30 am
Thank you for your comment. I loved reading this post…what a beautiful experience of Ireland! Re: the donkey..that makes me sad, there is actually a donkey sanctuary that takes in donkeys because there are so many strays..the hooves that look like that could kill them =(. I am off to read more of your posts now!! xoxo
Imen McDonnell´s last blog ..Sex And The Country
January 26th, 2010 at 5:45 pm
Jillian
So loved hearing about your shenanigans in Ireland. Lisdoonvarna is a special place alright and the music can be heard from mornin’ til night. It is, as we say in Ireland the ‘craic’!!!
Your photo of the cliffs of Moher brought back some fab memories for me, thanks. What a magical place. I so loved standing on the naked cliff edge looking out into the vast Atlantic Ocean. Beautiful. And the pint of Guinness in the pub at Lahinch afterwards went down very well too.
So wonderful that you remember Ireland with such love, I do too, Everyday I think of home. Thanks for sharing this today.
Slainte!
Ann-Marie
Ann-Marie´s last blog ..Learning to observe my Little Voice, my ego.