Manchester United Champions Again

So my favorite football (soccer) team won the championship again this year.  They fell just short last year in a thrilling end to the season, but this year they ran away from the rest of the league. 

Love Without End

A dog whose owner died a few months ago, still visits the church where her funeral was held every day in the hope she will return.  Ciccio, a 12-year-old German Shepherd, attends Mass at the church of Santa Maria Assunta in San Donaci, Puglia, every day.

The grieving hound mourns daily for Maria Lochi, his former owner who was known in the area for her love of animals.  As a sign of gratitude, Ciccio goes to church every morning, sitting beneath the altar, near the priest.  His hope to see his beloved Maria, the person he accompanied everywhere, even in church, moves the faithful." 

The parish priest "does not dare" to chase him away. 
 
Father Donato Panna said, ''He's there every time I celebrate Mass and is very well behaved - he doesn't make a sound, I've not heard one bark from him in all the time he has been coming in.  He used to come to Mass with Maria and he was obviously devoted to her.  I let him stay inside as he was always so well behaved and none of the other parishoners ever complained to me." 

We're All Boston This Week

Class act last night by the New York Yankee fans singing "Sweet Caroline" in tribute to the Boston tradition at Red Sox games. 

Spring Is Coming

We're finally beginning to make the leap from Winter into Spring. 

A Spring Sunday in Kilkenny

Deep Woods

See any Leprechauns? lol

Thoughts On Love

“Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. 

You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. When something wonderful happens, you can’t wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. 

Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. 

You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are. The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever. 

Memories of your childhood come back and are so clear and vivid it’s like being young again. Colours seem brighter and more brilliant. Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn’t exist at all. 

A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long day’s work and always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, but you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby. 

Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. 

You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that’s so real it scares you. 

You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life.” 

― Bob Marley

Catching A Breeze On The Water

In the summer, at the beginning of July, there is a tall ships race in Waterford that brings back the golden days of sail.  Every time I'm on one of these ships I get transported back in time and have a feeling of being at home.  There is just something majestic when out on the open waters the order is given to make sail and the beauty of the sails as they are unfurled and catch a breeze. 


A Sailors Poem

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

A Morning Rescue

The male swimmer who was reported missing in Dublin Bay has been recovered from the waters near Dalkey Island  by members of the Garda Water Unit.  He was transferred to the Coast Guard helicopter and air-lifted to Tallaght Hospital.

His condition is not yet known.  The alarm was raised at around shortly after 11am by the man’s friend who was with him at the time.  A spokeswoman for Tallaght Hospital said the swimmer was currently receiving treatment and was being assessed by medical staff.

One Year Old Today

Watching Him Sleep

I woke up in the middle of the night, can't sleep.  I sat up next to Gareth for awhile watching him sleep and thinking.  Life just seems to be going by so fast these days.  When I was a child and my thoughts were only filled of playing games with friends and counting down the days until summer vacation, time seemed to move very slow.  

I've found myself thinking a lot of my childhood these last few days.  My sister sent me a text and photo of an empty field to inform me the house we grew up in until I was thirteen was torn down to make way for new development.  I would drive by everytime I made it home to spend a moment making sure it still stood and to conjure up some memories of my childhood and reminice of the alleys and streets where we used to play with childhood friends and the big field nearby where we had our own gang of bumbling Peanuts type characters playing baseball.  Its sad to think that it no longer stands as a testament to all who lived within its walls and called it home.

This is also the anniversary weekend that my mother passed away. So for the last couple days my thoughts have been drifting off to a time when life seemed innocent and I had my whole life ahead of me.  As I mentioned several times before in my writings, I never dreamed I would have the life I do today.  When my parents died, the person I was then is not the person I am today.  I often wondered if they would be happy for me and if they would have been proud to see the man I have become?  I think they would be although they would be upset at me being so far from home.  

There are many times when something good or bad happens in my life and my mother or father come into my mind and I wish I could share the moment with them.  It was a big adjustment to not have them in my life as it was for Gareth when he lost his parents.  Fortunately, we've found each other and along with our four little cats we've built a family life and I honestly don't know what I would do without him.  If I lost him, I really don't know if I could go on.  He is everything to me.  

There were nights when he was in South Africa and I would wake up and reach for him to realize he wasn't there.  I would lay my hand on the spot where he slept and close my eyes and think of him.  So on nights like tonight when I can't sleep I'll lay next to him and watch him breath and memorize the curvature of his nose, the features of his hands, the softness of his lips, and just take in the stillness of the night knowing how lucky I am to have this moment. 

I'm going to go back to bed now, crawl in next to him and wrap my arm around his waist and fall asleep being happy not only for the childhood I had with loving parents, but also for the life I am living today. 

Hot and Hairy

One of the young ladies I work with has this guy on her phone background. She said taking a peak at him helps her get through a rough day. Thought some of you may enjoy taking a break in your day to have a bit of a day dream.