Category: Family (Page 14 of 15)

A Dream of Italy

February 8, 2012 / eric / 0 Comments

How long should a blog post be? Is there a maximum length? A minimum? I just don’t know, really.

And what should they be about … I post sermons here; I post pieces about my glass collection here. What else?

How about dreams? I had a dream last night. I was driving with my wife and daughter through Italy. (I have no idea where my son or any other family member might have been; it was just the three of us.) Actually, my wife was driving. I was in the passenger seat and our daughter was in the back seat.

We drove through Umbrian vineyards.

We drove through fields of Tuscan sunflowers.

We drove past towns that were unlike anything I ever saw in Italy – these towns had Whole Foods Supermarkets and Starbuck’s coffee shops and other such businesses from the American commercial landscape, not from the Italian vista.

Why we were on this drive I have no idea. Where were we driving from? Where were we driving too? No clue.

But that’s the nature of dreams.

I’ve been thinking about this dream all day. I don’t think it has any deep significance. It just stuck with me. I thought to myself, “I could write a long blog post analyzing this dream.” And then I thought, “No. I’ll just share it.” I don’t know how long a blog post should be. How long should a blog post be?

Glass Mug Collecting: Introductory Post

January 27, 2012 / eric / 7 Comments

I decided that I would start chronicling my hobby of glass collecting on this blog. (These posts will be intermingled with sermons and whatever other random thoughts I may have….) So, to be specific, I collect early American pattern glass mugs.

Five Medallion mugs, three large (black, clear, amber), one medium (white), one small (clear)

Set of five Atterbury & Co. Medallion mugs

Since this is a first post, let me dissect those terms.

Early

“Early” refers to the first era of pressed glass production in America, from about 1830 up to 1910 (roughly, some of my mugs are from later years). Glassware historians divide this into three periods: the Lacy Period, 1830-40; the Flint Period, 1840 to about 1860; and the Non-Flint Period, 1860-1910. What primarily distinguishes the periods are the stabilizers used in the glass and production methods used in the making of the glassware, and the retail price and availability of the products. In the earliest periods of human history, glass was something only for the wealthy; this continued to be true until the late 19th Century.

Clear Goblet in Bryce's Derby or "Pleat & Panel" Pattern

Although a glass is a substance that is non-crystalline, it is almost completely undeformable and thus brittle. Glass tableware is made of silica (silicon oxide); such glass, without the addition of other elements, is extremely brittle. Therefore stabilizers are used to give the finished product particular characteristics. Calcium carbonate can be added as a stabilizer that will make the resulting glass insoluble in water. Lead oxide added as a stabilizer gives the glass extreme transparency, brightness, and a high refractive index (the measure of glass’s ability to bend light); it also makes glass easier to cut. The glassware known as “lead crystal” uses lead oxide (up to 33%) as the stabilizer. Zinc oxide can be added to glass to make it more resistant to changes in temperature as well as to increase its refractive index. Aluminum oxide can also be added as a stabilizer to increase the physical strength of the glass.

The earliest American glass makers added flint or lead to stabilize glassware. However, the military need for lead during the American civil war lead to the search for alternatives. In 1862, William Leighton, Jr., devised a formula using soda lime. This produced a less brilliant, less resonant, but also much less expensive type of glass. Together with advances in molding techniques brought on by the industrial revolution, and by the advent of natural gas to fire furnaces in the 1880s, the changed formula reduced the price of glassware and made mass manufacturing and mass marketing possible. Glassware became available to the larger market of the growing American middle class.

American

Well… that ought to be self-explanatory. On the other hand, I should acknowledge that not all of my mugs are American! I have a couple that are definitely English and one that is definitely German, and a couple I’m not at all sure about. Also, “American” glass includes products of some Canadian manufacturers. (So perhaps it should be “North American”?)

Pattern

Amber Mother Goose lunch set (1930s era copy)

What is the difference between “molded” glass, “pressed” glass, and “pattern” glass? Not much. Nearly all pattern glass is pressed, but not vice-versa. All pressed glass is molded, but not vice-versa.

Some molded glass is blown into the the mold; pressed glass is, obviously, pressed into the mold. Nearly all pattern glass is pressed glass with this characteristic: that several different items (or “forms” as collectors call them) share the design pressed into the glass. Darryl Reilly and Bill Jenks in their book Early American Pattern Glass: Collector’s Identification & Price Guide (2nd Ed.: Krause Publications, Iola, WI: 2002) define “pattern glass” as “only those designs produced in forms large enough to constitute a basic 4-piece table setting.” (Page 7) Others defined “pattern glass” as pressed glass tableware, and some related novelty glass items, made only during the Victorian period (1850-1910), only in America, and in “sets” such that all of the pieces in the set matched in design, without setting a minimum on the number of forms. And some make no distinction at all between “pressed” glass and “pattern” glass.

How many patterns are there? One expert has suggested that there may have been up to 5,000 patterns produced by American glassware manufacturers during the Victorian era! See Bob Batty, A Complete Guide to Pressed Glass, page 7 (Pelican Publishing Co.: Gretna, LA, 1998).

Three-handled spooner of unknown pattern

Glass

Here’s a technical definition: “Glass is often referred to as an amorphous solid. An amorphous solid has a definite shape without the geometric regularity of crystalline solids. Glass can be molded into any shape. If glass is shattered, the resulting pieces are irregularly shaped. A crystalline solid would exhibit regular geometrical shapes when shattered.” Good enough? Good enough – I think we all know what “glass” means.

Mugs

Clear Medallion mug (2" x 2"); Ceres variant

Mug: “A drinking container with a handle” is about the simplest definition one can give, but it begs the question. John B. Mordock and Walter L. Adams in the introduction to their book Pattern Glass Mugs (The Glass Press, Inc.: Marieta, OH, 1995) note that there are all sorts of particularly shaped mugs: lemonades, whiskey tasters, steins, and so forth. As they say, “It is difficult to determine what should be included as a mug. Items that are on the borderline are custard cups, cup and saucer sets, punch cups and some mustard containers.” Toothpick holders and children’s toys are on the borderline, as well. My definition: if it’s a handled drinking vessel, not obviously a tea cup or a punch cup, and I like it – it’s a mug!

So that’s what my collecting hobby is all about. In future posts, I’ll post pictures of my mugs and give as much detail about them as I can find. As I get more information on a piece, I’ll edit the posts. I hope those who read them and look at the pictures of my mugs will enjoy these little works of art as much as I do.

An Open Letter to Someone About to Be Ordained

December 20, 2011 / eric / 0 Comments

Our son, Patrick, will be ordained to the priesthood on January 7, 2011, at Grace Cathedral in Topeka, Kansas. Since being ordained a deacon last June, Patrick has been serving as chaplain at the Seabury Academy, a private Episcopal middle- and high-school in Lawrence, Kansas. On Sundays, he has ministered in a variety of congregations in northeastern Kansas and will continue to do so once ordained a priest.

As I look forward to the New Year, it is Patrick’s new ministry that is foremost in my mind and so I share with you an open letter to him:

Dear Patrick,

The mix of emotions I am experiencing as we get close to your priestly ordination is beyond description: joy, pride, fear, apprehension, love, and many other feelings. You have already started on the great, often exciting, frequently troubling, occasionally maddening journey of ordained ministry: I am praying for God’s guidance as you continue the journey. I hope you don’t mind if I publicly share with you a few words of advice. I have made many mistakes in ministry, so I hope my experience can be useful to you.

First, preach the word honestly and genuinely; preach it as you understand it. Writing to the young bishop Timothy, St. Paul asserted that all Scripture is inspired by God, and thus he admonished Timothy to proclaim the gospel whether it was popular or not, and whether it was convenient or not. There will be many words that you can preach and teach, but never stray from the gospel as you know it.

Second, love the people committed to your care. I’m talking about agape, Patrick, not mushy sentimentality. Respect them, guard their dignity; if you disagree with them, try to do so without being disagreeable; be genuine with and to them. I have spent many hours with several clergy, both Episcopalians and those of other traditions. Many of these good men and women are hurting. They are cynical about ministry and the local church. They have been criticized and hurt by church members many times. I often find myself sharing their cynicism, their hurt, and their anger. When you feel this way, take some time for yourself; talk to a friend; seek the advice of a colleague; rely on your bishop. Try as hard as you can to not reflect your hurt back to the people you serve.

Patrick, ministry is tough; it’s demanding and it’s often painful. If you haven’t already, you soon will find out that you can’t please everyone. But you must struggle to not become cynical. You must love the people you have been called to serve – no matter what. You must try to love unconditionally as Christ loved me and you. Jesus didn’t give up on us. He loves us even when we aren’t loveable. Try to reflect that in your ministry.

A friend of mine once characterized priestly ministry as “being required to be with people in their worst nightmares, but being privileged to also share their greatest joys.” Let the nightmares go and hang on for dear life to the joys, my son.

Third, stay connected to your colleagues in ministry. Be a part of a clergy discussion group; work with a spiritual director. Ordained ministry can be and often is a lonely calling and, certainly, there are times when one needs solitude. But there will be more times when you will need the support of those who share this calling.

Fourth, make your family a priority. You and Michael are still newlyweds, and she needs and deserves your attention. The work of ordained ministry is never done, so don’t think that 80 hours a week at the school or the church is necessary to stay caught up. Accept the reality that you will never catch up fully. God willing, you will soon be a father yourself (very soon if this would-be grandfather had his choice). They will need their father, and Michael needs her husband.

One of the most heartbreaking aspects of my ministry is that I know that I failed to heed this advice myself. I spent too much time trying to be the perfect rector, trying to grow our parish in Kansas, and too little time with you and your sister as you grew up. (Truth be told, I still do that – I still spend too much time trying to be the perfect rector and I still fail at it. It’s hard to break old habits.) I’m very proud of the way you have both turned out, but I can take very little credit for that.

Patrick, you have many great days ahead of you. The church is an imperfect but wonderful gift from God. You have so much to offer, but keep your priorities in order and don’t squander your gifts. Spend time with God. Spend time with colleagues. Especially spend time with your family. Tell others the Good News of Jesus. Preach the Word. And love your students and, when you move into parish ministry, your church members with joy and acceptance.

Patrick, I am here if you ever need me. But even if you can’t call me for advice and conversation, our heavenly Father is always there for you. Remember what Paul wrote to the Church in Rome: “I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

I love you, my son.

Dad

My New Year’s Resolution is try to follow my own advice. I trust that the members of my parish will remind me when I fail to do so; they always do.

Last Full Day in Scotland (29 September 2011)

September 29, 2011 / eric / 0 Comments

Today was our last full day in Scotland and also my birthday. Evie and I spent it enjoying a bus tour of a small section of the Scottish Borders. We went first to Scott’s View, a place where Sir Walter Scott is said to have spent a lot of time in contemplation seeking inspiration for this novels. We then traveled on to Melrose Abbey (which I had visited once before), making an unscheduled stop along the way in the village of Stow where we saw the “bridge to heaven”. After Melrose Abbey we went to a “garden center” called Dobbie’s for lunch – I know that sounds weird, but I’ll have more to write about that (and a lot of other things) later on. After lunch we went to Rosslyn Chapel which was made famous (or infamous) by Dan Browne in The DaVinci Code. And then it was back to Edinburgh. It was a Grey Line Tour and our bus driver and guide was Allen Fee (not sure about the spelling of his names) – if you have a chance to take the tour with Allen, he’s great!

It’s been a good day. I’ll have photos and a lot of comments about our Scottish adventure in future blog entries.

When next I write, it will be from the States!

Running Behind!

September 25, 2011 / eric / 3 Comments

I am running behind with blogging about this trip – one of the things we’ve discovered about the west of Scotland (out in the Islands and the Highlands) is “iffy” internet … either the B&B doesn’t even provide it (or some do at an unreasonable cost) or the connection is sporadic. So it has meant not much opportunity to upload photos and blog postings.

Here’s what we’ve done:

We stayed in Oban and visited the Isle of Mull and the Holy Island of Iona. We went from there through Fort William to Portree on the Isle of Skye, with a stop at Eilean Donan Castle. On Skye we visited the Faerie Glen, the village of Uig and a pottery there, then Dunvegan Castle, and finally the Talisker Whisky Distillery.

From Skye we drove to Inverness along the shore of Loch Ness with a stop at Urquhart Castle. We have really enjoyed Inverness. We took a quite bus tour of this small city, then visited Inverness Castle (only the outside because it is a functioning government building closed on Saturdays), St. Andrew’s Episcopal Cathedral (where we will go to church this morning), and the House of Fraser Kilt Makers (Evie won’t let me buy a kilt), where we learned how kilts are made. We also walked along the River Ness and crossed it on “the bouncy bridge”. In the afternoon, we drove to Culloden Moor where the Jacobite Rebellion ended in the last battle fought on British soil and to Cawdor Castle where some sort of food festival was in progress so we didn’t stop and go in.

Today, after church, we will drive through the Cairngorms, visit a couple of castles along the way as well as the Glenfiddich distillery making our way to Aberdeen where we will be for two nights.

There is a lot to write about … but just as when I was driving around Ireland with Caitlin & Jeff and Patrick & Michael, I’m finding very little opportunity to sit down and do the work of writing (to say nothing of the tasks of reviewing, editing and up-loading photographs). So bear with me … the travelog may get written after we return to Ohio, but it will get written.

Scotland: Sweetheart Abbey, New Abbey Corn Mill & Castle Kennedy

September 19, 2011 / eric / 0 Comments

On 17 September, Evie and I arose and enjoyed breakfast in our B&B, the Torbay Lodge Guest House in Dumfries, Scotland.

Torbay Lodge Guest House, Dumfries, Scotland

We walked across the street and visited St. John’s Scottish Episcopal Church – a lovely old building (with a brand new pipe organ).

St. John's Scottish Episcopal Church, Dumfries

We then hit the road and went to the village of New Abbey, about six miles south of Dumfries. It is the location of Sweetheart Abbey.

Sweetheart Abbey, New Abbey, Scotland

Sweetheart Abbey is a Cistercian monastery, founded in 1275 by Lady Dervorguilla Balliol of Galloway in memory of her husband John de Balliol. Dervorguilla and John founded Balliol College, Oxford. When John died, Devorguilla had his embalmed heart placed in an ivory shrine. This shrine was placed before her at meals, and she would give it’s share of every dish to the poor. She died in Buittle Castle on January 28, 1290, and was buried in front of the altar in the Abbey church with the casket containing John’s heart in her arms. The monks at the Abbey then renamed the Abbey in tribute to her devotion to her husband. Their son, also John, became King of Scotland but his reign was brief and tragic. The Master and Fellows of Balliol College some years ago had a special grave marker installed at the place believed to be her grave.

Marker at Devorguilla Balliol's Grave, Sweetheart Abbey

Here are a couple other photos of the abbey ruins:

Sweetheart Abbey, New Abbey, Scotland

After the abbey, we walked through the small and very charming town of New Abbey to the Corn Mill, the last functioning medieval grain mill in Scotland.

Main Street of New Abbey, Scotland

The New Abbey Corn Mill

Next, after deciding that (unfortunately) we didn’t have time to visit Whithorn, the site of the earliest Christian mission in Scotland. It was there that St. Ninian founded his settlement called “Candida Casa” or White House. Instead, we stayed on the main road toward Glasgow and stopped at Castle Kennedy Gardens.

The Ruins of Castle Kennedy

Castle Kennedy Gardens

My Facebook albums of photographs taken in these locations can be found here:

Dumfries

Sweetheart Abbey

New Abbey Corn Mill

Castle Kennedy Gardens

We then drove on to Glasgow where we spent two nights; that will be the subject of another blog post.

Beginning a Tour of Scotland

September 17, 2011 / eric / 3 Comments

Yesterday, I flew from Dublin, Ireland, to Edinburgh, Scotland, and spent the night at an airport hotel. This morning, Evie flew in from the States and we began our tour of Scotland by first having a “full Scottish breakfast” (pretty much like a full Irish or a full English) at the hotel and then hitting the road for Dumfries by way of Lanark. We went to Lanark because it is a place with which a parishioner, Sue, has a connection. It’s a very nice town – we visited the tourist information office, had a cup of coffe, walked the High Street, passed by a couple of churches, took a couple of photos, and then went a short way out of the downtown area to visit “New Lanark”, historic cotton mill.

High Street, Lanark, Scotland (St. Nicholas Parish Church at the "bottom")

The cream-colored structure in the above photograph is St. Nicholas Parish Church of the Church of Scotland. According to the website Sacred Scotland, it was built by John Reid of Nemphlar in 1774, and described as a “large two-storey classical box with a square tower and steeple.” Prominent on the facade is an 8-foot statue of William Wallace sculpted by Robert Forrest. The church exterior was restored 2008-09. Unfortunately, other than on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings it is open by appointment only.

Statue of William Wallace on St. Nicholas Parish Church, Lanark, Scotland

William Wallace, by the way, is the fellow whose life and military campaign was fictionalized by Mel Gibson in the movie Braveheart.

Other churches we passed were Greyfriars Church, apparently also a parish of the Church of Scotland like St. Nicholas, and Christ Church, a parish of the Scottish Episcopal Church. We liked the signage and the planting of the front walk of Christ Church. This signage is much more informative and inviting than what one sees on parishes of the Church of Ireland, which is one of the problems the Church of Ireland has, in my opinion. (The Church of Ireland needs to do a LOT of work in the area of evangelism, invitation, welcoming and incorporation … not unlike the American Episcopal Church.) Unfortunately, Christ Church like St. Nicholas was locked up, so we couldn’t get a look inside.

Sign, Christ Church, Lanark

Evie at the Doorway of Christ Church, Scottish Episcopal Church, Lanark

In addition to the parish’s own sign, there is a sign we saw elsewhere as we drove to Lanark: “The Scottish Episcopal Church Welcomes You”

The Scottish Episcopal Church Welcomes You

After our brief walk through the center of Lanark, we drove about a mile out of the town to the New Lanark World Heritage Site. This is a nicely restored 18th century cotton mill village established in 1785 and nestled in beautiful valley along the River Clyde. New Lanark was a Utopian experiment set up by social reformer Robert Owen who, with partners, purchased the mill in 1810 and began to run it and take care of the workers in accordance with his social principles. (I didn’t know much about Robert Owen before visiting the site, but plan to learn more about him as time allows.)

Part of the tour of the site involves a pretty glitzy ride through “The Annie McLeod Experience”, which reminded us of a low-key Disney-theme-park sort of ride. I don’t think their presentation of cotton milling is as good as I saw at Quarry Bank Mill in Wilmslow (see my blog entry on 17 July 2011), but the restoration is very impressive. The walk-through showing what life was like in the workers’ “apartments” is very interesting, and a there is a roof-top garden with several sculptures of animals. Below are a few pictures of the sculptures and the buildings:

Owl Sculpture, Rooftop Garden, New Lanark, Scotland

Ducks Sculpture, Rooftop Garden, New Lanark, Scotland

Raven Sculpture, Rooftop Garden, New Lanark, Scotland

Frog Sculpture, Rooftop Garden, New Lanark, Scotland

Otter Sculpture, Rooftop Garden, New Lanark, Scotland

Some Buildings of New Lanark World Heritage Site

For more information about New Lanark, visit its website here.

Experiment with Facebook Photos

August 24, 2011 / eric / 3 Comments

Just as an experiment…

Facebook’s photo album application says that one can share photos “with anyone” by sending them a link by email….

So I thought maybe I could include that same link would work on the blog.

On the first day my daughter Caitlin and her friend Jeff were here, we had breakfast at Bewley’s Tea Room in Dublin. On leaving, we found a hammered dulcimer player just outside on Grafton Street. Then we went to the Guinness Storehouse for the “Guinness Experience” and finally we went to Black Church Print Makers, a cooperative of artists who work in the same media that Caitlin prefers.

Here are photos from that first day: Dublin with Caitlin and Jeff.

So Much To Write About (Part 2)

August 22, 2011 / eric / 0 Comments

After our visits to Kildare and Cork (see last post), we went north. On August 19, we drove into the UK visiting County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland. Our first stop there was at Belleek to visit the china manufacturer and take the tour, one of the best “industrial” tours I’ve ever taken.

The Belleek Factory Tour

We then drove around Lower Loch Erne to Enniskillen, stopping along the way on Boa Island to see the Janus Stone (a strange little two-faced statue in a small, ancient-but-still-in-use graveyard on an insignificant island in the middle of nowhere – a picture of the kids with the stone is in Caitlin’s camera). After that we stopped in Kesh for a cup of coffee and a scone in an odd little café (we had to get them to go because the place was packed and there was no seating). We chatted with a couple of workmen from Enniskillen, one of whom knows the Funstons of Kesh whom Evie and I met on our visit there six years ago.

Caitlin Stepping over Stones at Caldragh Cemetery, Boa Island

In Enniskillen we discovered a horrible traffic crunch and simply drove slowly through the High Street past the Anglican cathedral and left it at that. We also discovered that my Garmin GPS is programmed rather oddly – one cannot find Florence Court (a manor house maintained by the UK National Trust) or the Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark (a European Union geographical heritage site also maintained by the National Trust) listed as “attractions” or “points of interest”. I finally found Florence Court listed as “Florencecourt” and designated as a city. The “city” is a cluster of maybe seven buildings (six homes and a small store) about 2 km from the manor house itself. We did not visit the house, but did go to the caves. (Looking at my pictures of that, I discover one more thing … I’m not a subterranean nature photographer!)

Jeff and Catlin at Marble Arch Cave Global Geopark

We ended August 19 returning to Banagher by way of Roscrea, stopping there for dinner at a very nice restaurant in a local hotel. The next day we took a late morning (most of our mornings we rose very early to make the long drive to our day’s destination) and went to Galway for the day. There we walked through Eyre Square, trolled down Shop Street, walked along the River Corrib, visited the city museum, the Roman Catholic Cathedral, the campus of NUI Galway, and the National Aquarium in Salthill.

Jeff & Caitlin at the River Corrib in Galway, Éire

On the way back to Banagher we stopped at Clonmacnoise and visited the ruins of a Celtic monastery founded by St. Ciáran.

Clonmacnoise

At the end of the day, we went to dinner at Flynn’s Pub and Restaurant in Banagher, the same place the kids had had their first dinner in Ireland. Our evening was spent getting their things (and some of mine that they are taking back to the States) packed up and going to bed early for our departure for Dublin early the next morning.

In Dublin, we had a bit of difficulty getting into the car park at the Jurys Inn Christ Church (where they had reserved a room for the night), but eventually we got there, used the restrooms in the hotel, and walked to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells. Unfortunately, you can’t take pictures inside the exhibit or in the Long Room of the Trinity Library, so no photos. After seeing the Book of Kells, we walked to Grafton Street; along the way, Caitlin stopped to meet her predecessor in the fishmongering business, Molly Malone:

Caitlin with Molly Malone, Grafton Street, Dublin, Éire

We had breakfast at Bewley’s on Grafton Street, and walked through St. Stephen’s Green on our way to the National Print Museum which Caitlin wanted to see.

National Famine Memorial Monument in St. Stephen's Green

Caitlin and Jeff at the Irish National Print Museum, Dublin

Before leaving for Dublin, I took their picture in front of the cottage. I have really enjoyed having them with me for the week; Caitlin and I both got teary eyed saying goodbye in the Jurys Inn car park. (I’m tearing up right now!) I love my daughter and to spend this week with her, introducing her to a country I’ve grown to love, was a real treat! And it was good to have Jeff along; he’s a good man, laid back and relaxed.

Jeff & Caitlin at the McDonalds' Chestnut Cottage in Banagher, Co. Offaly, Éire

As I close this post, Continental Airlines reports that they are en route, have been in the air for 2 hours, 15 minutes, and will arrive in Newark in a little under 5 hours. Slán abhaile, kids!

So Much To Write About!

August 22, 2011 / eric / 0 Comments

I have so much to write about! Since I brought you up to date on what Caitlin, Jeff, and I had done during their first three days, these are the things we have done:

On August 17, we visited the Irish National Stud, a government-owned horse breeding facility.

Caitlin and Jeff at the Tour of the National Stud

Next, we visited two gardens on the grounds of the Stud, St. Fiacre’s Garden and the Japanese Garden.

Caitliin & Jeff at the Japanese Garden

We tried to see St. Brigid’s Cathedral in Kildare, but it was closed when we got there. So we went on our way to Emo Court outside of Portlaoise. This is a manor house built in the 1790s and restored in the 1970s-1990s. For part of its life it was used as a Jesuit Seminary. Originally the demesne was 16,000 acres, but most of that was distributed to local farmers during land reforms. Now the house is surrounded by a nearly 300-acre public park.

Jeff and Caitlin at Emo Court

The next day, August 18, we went to County Cork. First, we went into the city of Cork where Caitlin wanted to visit the cooperative Cork Print Makers. After a brief stop at St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral where I chatted briefly with the dean before he began a service of Morning Prayer. From there, we found our way to the print makers and then to the English Market where we enjoyed lunch in the cafe.

Caitlin and Jeff at Cork Print Makers Coop

After Cork city, we went to Blarney and visited the castle. There were busloads of tourists and a wait of more than an hour standing in line to “kiss the Blarney Stone” so we skipped that. We walked the grounds, visiting the Poison Garden and the Fern Garden.

Caitlin and Jeff at Blarney Castle

Our visit to the south of Ireland ended this day at the Jameson’s Distillery in Midleton. This picture shows us at the start of the tour. All three of us got to be “official whiskey tasters” at the end; the picture of that is in Caitlin’s camera.

The Three of Us at the Jameson's Distillery

I’ll end this post here and start another about our next few days when we concentrated on the middle and northern parts of the country.

Category: Family (Page 14 of 15)

A Dream of Italy

Glass Mug Collecting: Introductory Post

An Open Letter to Someone About to Be Ordained

Last Full Day in Scotland (29 September 2011)

Running Behind!

Scotland: Sweetheart Abbey, New Abbey Corn Mill & Castle Kennedy

Beginning a Tour of Scotland

Experiment with Facebook Photos

So Much To Write About (Part 2)

So Much To Write About!

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