We started off this morning with a lookout stop at the Conor Pass. It was quite blowy and brisk. We are beginning a day with hiking and peaking at the beautiful summits around Dingle

I had to leave a coat behind because this tour only allowed me to bring one carry on for three days. I believe I will need to purchase an Irish fishing sweater.

The one road we are traveling down the pass is as frightening as any ride at Worlds of Fun.

A stop to look at a waterfall which guide said, “it’s not as big as the ones how have in the US but we’re not worried about that.” As you can see, it’s a lovely spot.

The road is so narrow and our driver is a whiz.

A beach trip. Not my usual gear but here’s the Atlantic Ocean from Ireland. I learned of the death of a dear one from Aldersgate last night. I took a moment and read a scripture to remember.my friend. I guess my fellow travelers now know I’m a minister.

Today closes with a view of the Dingle Harbor with the yachts, fishing boats and lots of locals at the restaurant. The hearing situation has not improved both ears seemed to be closed up tight. So I do a lot of guessing, pointing and lip reading. It makes it harder to ease drop on the conversations around me. Probably just as well for my moral soul.

Here’s the view from my third floor B&B called the Waterfront. This morning’s challenges were a learning curve for me. I had to time the taxi and my arrival at tve pick up site for my Rabbie’s tour. Let’s just say I was 15 minutes late. No harm as we still saw everything on the itinerary for today.

Tomorrow begins with old churches and abbeys. My historical heart will be happy with these sites.

Here we go. I’m here at KCI awaiting my first of three flights today. What a whirlwind to get to this point. Here’s my “I’m ready” picture. The bag is packed and my backpack is too heavy. So much for packing light.

My suitcase is 45 pounds and my limit is 50, so I guess I’ll be only getting five pounds of souvenirs. Thank you to so many who helped me get to this point. Thanks to my sibling Terra who brought me to the airport. I’m ready…I guess.

I begin with a little bit of fear and hesitation. Off into the world alone, slightly untethered and fully medicated to see and experience new things A middle and outer ear infection adds to the drama of the day. Thanks for joining me on this journey.

Get ready for things to get busy on here. I leave in one week for a month-long trip to Ireland, Scotland, and England. I’ll be traveling with a tour group and on my own from May 12- to June 13. I’ll be sharing some of my pictures and insights from the trip here and on my Facebook page Shelly’s Great Scot Adventure.

I’ve finalized the Ireland portion of my trip. I’m mostly seeing the Dingle Penisula and a couple of days in Dublin. Then I begin my tour of Scotland with Overseas Adventure Travel for 15 days. I close out my trip with a week in England. I hope to see some early Methodism sites and some beautiful scenery.

Thanks for joining me on my Great Scot adventure.

Yesterday when Spring paid us a short visit I had the chance to take my favorite little person for a wagon ride in the neighborhood. My goal was to get some cardio in because I needed to get some step in according to my Apple Watch. He settled in, with the box of crayons that were necessary for the ride, and we took off.

This Spring Alex has discovered daffodils, or Yaffodils as he calls them. So he saw this ride as a chance to spot Yaffodills. My neighborhood has some great gardeners and he was in for a treat. We were off to a good start and he started shouting, “Yaffodils, Grammy, Yaffodils.”

I stopped and turned back to him and said, “Where are they?” He pointed and said will glee, “ Yaffodils are yellow. They are happy.” So we began again and I heard regular Yaffodils updates of, “Yaffodils, Grammy, Yaffodils.” .

I have to say the very best way to exericse on a beautiful spring day in Kansas to pull a wagon with an almost three year old who shouts out the Yaffodil report.

I have a friend who has kept a gratitude journal for over a decade. She faithfully writes five things she is grateful for every day. She discovered this ritual after her daughter was diagnosed with cancer. The enormity of this response to such a personal family crisis is remarkable to me. When I think about how I might respond to the news that my child has cancer, I will openly admit that a gratitude journal would not be my first or last response.

When terrible things have happened in my life, I have responded with anger, sadness, tears, numbing behaviors, and becoming hyper-focused on trivial matters. I asked my friend about how she started her gratitude journal practice. Her response, as paraphrased by me, was this: “We had so little control over anything happening to us amid treatment, setbacks, and hospitalizations that writing a gratitude journal was a way to find something to hang on to during this impossible situation.”

Finding a center of calmness during a personal storm is a great way to find some meaning and purpose in times of great stress. The pandemic times we are living through have certainly made me readjust my definition of success and living a meaningful life. As a pastor, I have learned that the essential part of the church’s work is creating community and support. I found that the part of the church our folks missed the most was fellowship, hugs, and the camaraderie of our friendships. Last week at our Ash Wednesday service, we shared a common loaf and cup for the first time in two years. (FYI, we used a lot of hand sanitizer, and everyone wore a mask.) I had a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes as I could call each person by name and offer the bread of life to the people of the church I serve. I needed the connection of familiarity and community more than I realized.

I have not started a gratitude journal. I think about it, but then I forget about it, so I do not think I would be very faithful to completing this ritual. I have become much more aware of the need to practice gratitude. So I try to look people in the eye and share a word of encouragement or a compliment as I live my daily life. How do you find your way through turbulent times? Share. Let’s help each other along the way.