S L O W - D O W N

Last summer, my dad introduced me to the magic of "Sissel".  I think the two of us must have watched her performance of "Slow Down" with The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra on Temple Square over 10 times when we were together (see link below).  It moved me then, but I really hadn't experienced the true depths of those words until this week.  It's such a dreary day today, and I am being forced to  s-l-o-w  d-o-w-n.  

It's taken me a very long time to understand that I don't always have to be productive.  I know I'm not alone in this, but I struggle with loads of guilt when sit down and just 'be'?  I KNOW there is divine purpose in slowing down, and I believe part of my journey here is to learn to do just that.  I am deeply inspired by the plea of these lyrics:

https://lyricstranslate.com/en/sissel-slow-down-lyrics.html

What better reason to slow down and be still???  Slow down and "HEAR HIM"!  Slow down and "FEEL HIM"!  Slow down and "WAIT ON HIM"! Slow down and "KNOW HIM"!  I absolutely love that.  I am now learning to embrace the s-l-o-w and reject any feelings of guilt I might experience--because I think I should be 'doing'!                       

The first two weeks here was full of adventure, newness, socializing, exploring, and so much SUNSHINE.  I had heard that it rains in Ireland, but until today, I didn't believe it.  Well guess what?  It does, indeed, rain in Ireland! And I'm telling you what--you've not experienced a storm until you experience a wind storm by the sea--living in a 250 year old house.  It really lends itself to some wild imaginations!  I tried to enjoy it, but I began to hear sounds that I didn't know were possible.  It got the better of me, and I ended up in my cozy robe, hiding underneath every blanket we own.  

Now things have calmed a bit, and I'm sitting at our kitchen window,  drinking mint tea (that's a big thing here), and looking out to the sea.  It's turned a dull gray--much like the sky.  And it is hard to tell which is which.  I see these incredible whitecaps out on the Dublin Bay and it feels a little ominous.  *Note: I have Sissel playing as my background soundtrack, and...                                               SHE!  IS!  BRILLIANT!!  PERIOD!!!

To say Ireland has four seasons would not be a lie; it's just that you experience them all in one day.  We can already attest to that!  We will be sheltering ourselves from the storm one minute, and literally chasing rainbows the next. True story!

Just added this to our 'perks' of living by the sea!

Earlier in the week, while Shannon was at work, I snuck out to Blackrock Villiage by myself.  I guess I didn't really sneak, but it felt an awful lot like I was sneaking.  I can hardly breathe sometimes because of the excitement I feel at these new sights and sounds, and it helps that I quite enjoy my own company on these little excursions.  To be honest, it feels like an out-of-body experience in some ways--like I'm watching myself on the set of a movie, or reading about myself as the main character in one of my favorite Jane Austen novels.  In many ways, it feels like I've stepped back in time and I am learning to function in a whole different era.  

One example of this is the doctor's office.  I had to meet with my new doctor last week.  It was just a simple visit to get established with a local doctor.  I was told that the office was just above the little bookstore on Main Street. As I climbed the narrow, creaky staircase, and walked down the dark corridor towards the waiting room, I thought to myself, "Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore."  Again, I felt like I was walking onto a movie set. I imagine that these little rooms look exactly as they did 70+ years ago. Suffice it to say, doctor's offices here are NOT as they are in the states.  Incidentally, my doctor's name is Patrick McGillicuddy.  And to make the story even better...yes, he has red hair and a red beard that grows only UNDER his chin.  Do you have the image in your mind now?  That is about as Irish as it gets! Oh, and did I mention that he was as kind as they come!  Now THAT is as Irish as it gets!

As diverse as Ireland is, I really have fallen in-love with the true Irish men and women!  Those who have been born and raised here are truly a rare breed.  They are happy, warm, positive, friendly, welcoming, and oh so charming.  I tell everyone that the Irish taxi drivers are my best friends.  Every time I step into a cab, I can guarantee that I'm going to know the life story of each driver by the time we arrive at my destination.  And (on more than one occasion) I've been in tears because of the details of their personal sorrows. Yet, they share light and laughter and joy in our brief interaction. It is heartening to see how resilient they are, given their struggles. I absolutely love them--and I luh-huv that they all call me "love"--men and women alike.

There's an old saying here in Ireland-- "Why wood-jee wanna go on a foreign 'oliday?"  

You see, the Irish firmly believe there's no better place on earth than right here--and they're not wrong.  "The only improvement", they say, "would be reliable sun".  But for me, these kind of dreary days are the perfect opportunity to SLOW DOWN!  "Slow down, and #HearHim."

More photos found here:

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

Temple Hill House

 On Sunday morning, 1st October, I felt a sweet peace as I considered what was my last Sunday morning in the US, and at our home of 26 years, before leaving to relocate to Ireland.  I went for I visited with Mara in the quiet of the house and then went to sit with my mother and tell her goodbye for now. Adieu, as it were.  Mom is now in her 90th year and is as robust mentally as ever.  She stays active and independent and researches everything, including reading every piece of mail, it seems.  Those that do have her interest get notes in the margins and underlines through the marketing piece.

My brother, “Unca Kelly,” showed up after a while, and we said goodbye for now.  

The general conference was starting, and everyone was there to say goodbye and or watch the conference.  Jeanette drove me to the airport after stopping in for a few minutes to say goodbye to Selah and DeShaun  at their home.  Jeanette would be following me a few days later and join me in our new country and home. 

The trip over was my 17th trip to Ireland in the last 24 months.  It was sweet and uneventful.  My seatmate turned out to be an American immigration lawyer living in Easky (pop. about 200, near Sligo).  She was shocked that I loved Sligo so much and that I had been to Easky.  I went there once to see a castle by the sea, returned another time to hike Benbulbin and returned another time with Jeanette, Sumner, Riss and Noa. 

Our finance director from work (he’s actually from Limerick but you know what I mean), graciously picked me up at the airport and drove me to what is now called The Neptune House at Temple Crescent.  The Georgian manor house was known for decades as Temple Hill House, and the road immediately out front is called Templeview.  Indeed, the entrance to the property includes pillars with stone inscriptions designating the property as "Temple View."  

Pulling up out front, I was in awe.  I had seen many pictures of the house and walk-through videos, but nothing compared to seeing our new home.  The Georgian manor house was built in 1767 and includes a rich history of British Lords and troops, secret meetings to broker peace in the 80s led by the Irish political party of Sinn Fein (“shinn fain”), temporary student housing, and decades wherein unwed mothers dropped off thousands of babies for adoption, of which 572 of those are recorded to have been adopted to American families abroad beginning in the 1930s I believe.  The home has been completely restored and is magnificent with its 18-foot, ornately plastered ceilings, cornicing, and architecture. The grounds around us are landscaped with shrubs, trees, flowers, and lawns.  The chandeliered foyer past the grand portico entryway is magnificent.  The side doors lead to the upstairs and downstairs apartments, which one finds by ascending or descending with white staircases lit by temple-like chandeliers. Our home takes up the entire main floor, and we're told it is the most ornate of all the four “apartments.” Our home, and the whole building, is library quiet. It's just amazing how quiet it is.  

“Apartment 2” is fully furnished except for some odds and ends one is expected to provide themselves.  95% of rental places in Ireland are furnished to some degree.

 

    

We live in an area of South Dublin that is an intersection of Blackrock, Monkstown, and Seapoint.  Beautiful homes and neighborhoods surround us with so much Irish, English, and European architecture and vibe.  Walking at night, one readily smells the burning of wood and peat in fireplaces.  Quaint, ivy-covered window frames often reveal dimly lit rooms nestled among the constant presence homes behind stone walls; hiding homes in plain sight it seems.  

On my first Thursday evening here, I finally went for a walk and found myself at the seaside within five or six minutes!  I was shocked as to how close we are to the sea, though four of our 5'x8' windows show Dublin Bay in the Irish Sea down the hill.  It was and is as glorious to me to be near the sea as to live in this magnificent manor on Temple Hill.  I have always loved the ocean (the Irish refer to it as “the sea”) and now find myself living just a few minutes walk from Seapoint Beach.  

While passing by and marveling at people swimming at Seapoint, I stopped and interrupted a conversation between two ladies in their late 70s or early 80s who had just come out of the cold sea from a swim.  Standing in the wind in their wet swimming suits and answering questions from an inquisitive newly-relocated American stranger was an indication of their heartiness, cheeriness, and willingness to lend a hand.  "Oh, Shannon," Barbara from England called after me, "be sure to swim at high tide but come down at low tide to see where the rocks are."  That is a sound piece of advice.  

I counted maybe 15 people swimming, including a man with his little yapping dog.  He came up out of the water to calm his dog, and I wondered out loud why there was no wetsuit for his swim in the sea.  Having discovered my American-ness, Liam quipped with a wink and a smile,  "No wetsuit hair!  We're reel men."  (try the Irish accent on that one) Incidentally, walking with Jeanette at Seapoint on Sunday morning, we found maybe 50-60 swimmers there in the cold sea—groups of men, groups of women, athletes, families, solo swimmers, geriatrics, and an occasional smiling Labrador in the area where dogs are allowed.  And they all seemed exhilarated by their time at the water.

The following afternoon, Jeanette arrived in Ireland and was picked up and delivered to her new home, the Temple Hill House.  For the first time in over 40 years, she was to begin a new life, in a foreign land, with me, as empty-nesters. Our book of raising Mahaffey children has been pretty much written now as we move into the "influence and advise" stage of having adult children who are or will be married who are or will be parents.  It is a significant shift in our lives-- particularly for Jeanette, as this has been a primary focus of her life. Indeed, it is a huge shift and couldn't have begun better than arriving at Temple Hill House.  

From that moment until now, she and I have been in awe at what has happened to us, and this beautiful place and magnificent home is ours for the next year or so.  Both physically, spiritually, and mentally, we have had our jaws drop in amazement at this experience! 

The Irish Welcome— Fáilte

WE HAVE ARRIVED IN IRELAND!! 

Oh, the welcome we’ve had!  I’m not sure we could have had a better embrace!

Fáilte— a Gaelic word meaning "welcome".  

For years, we have had an Irish door knocker on our front door with the Gaelic words “Cead Mile Fáilte”*  engraved in the brass foundation. We learned that it translates to mean “A Hundred Thousand Welcomes.”  

This week, we experienced the whole meaning of Cead Mile Fáilte when we arrived here in Blackrock— a quaint seaside community south of Dublin.  We found our apartment stocked with groceries and many kitchen necessities unpacked and put away.  In addition to the details of setting up our home, the welcome committee has been overwhelmingly kind and generous to us.  

As wonderful as it is to be here and begin our settling-in process, I must admit—the homesickness is real.  It feels a bit like a bandage has been ripped off.  I’m not ashamed to admit that I might have caused a scene as the plane lifted off in St Louis.  I couldn’t stop the waterworks.  Realizing I was leaving my children, my littles, my family, and almost 30 years' worth of dear friends was more than this heart could bear.  So I let the tears flow, which may or may not have alarmed my seatmates. #sorrynotsorry

The flights were easy and non-eventful, and sleep came easy after my cleansing cry.  With a window seat,  I loved looking down at the green island I was about to call “home.”  My stomach was doing somersaults from landing to baggage claim!

A friend met me at the airport and took me to our new apartment in Blackrock. Ciara (pronounced “Kirah) drove me through the village center to orient me to the shops and libraries in town. There’s a market just a mile away (much like a farmers market).  I think we will be hitting that today. 

I had to pinch myself as we pulled down the street to our apartment.  It feels surreal to think this will be our home for the next few months.  The Neptune House, formally called The Temple Hill House, was built in the 1700s and has a rich history—which Shannon will write about in the next post.  To say it is GRAND is a huge understatement!  The craftsmanship of this place is unmatched.  

The minute I walked through the front door, I envisioned a scene from My Fair Lady — where Audrey Hepburn is trying to say her vowels. I laughed and was positively speechless as I entered the front room.  I felt like Eliza Doolittle!   I will need to learn to speak like a proper lady if I’m going to live here.  It’s so regal I’m even considering calling Shannon “Mr. Darcy.”

Love my new key ring 

Last night, we walked to the village center to eat at a small  Italian restaurant— owned by a darling young couple from China, incidentally.  It was some of the best Italian food we’ve eaten.  Outside the restaurant was a majestic Church of Ireland, which lit up the square—adding to the ambiance of the evening.

Waking up this morning felt similar to waking up on Christmas morning.  I just wanted to get out of bed and go exploring.  By 6:30 a.m., we were heading down a beautiful ivy-covered walkway to the seaside park just 5 minutes from our home.

We were surprised and delighted to find so many people, our age and older, swimming there in the Irish Sea.  We stood there a little gobsmacked.  There, we were bundled in warm jackets and hats while people around us were changing into bathing suits right there on the steps and walking right out into the frigid waters.  This is a different breed of people, yet we have vowed to join them one day… after I purchase a wetsuit!!

Jet lag is hitting hard, so I’ll close for now.  We are grateful for our hundred thousand warm Irish welcome and feel humbled to call this home for now. 

Stay tuned — future posts may feature Mr Darcy swimming in the Irish Sea 
Cheers~ J 

Following are our favorite scenic views from Ireland so far…

* Cead Mile Fáilte! (Pronounced ‘Cade Me-luh Fall-cha’)