no pictures...just talk...

i'm currently sitting on the cozy couch of some really nice people i met a couple weeks ago. these people, the Currys, are from the states and have a cafe ministry in galway. i went to church with them this morning and they invited me back to their house along with two of the cafe employees for lunch, an extremely long and beautiful nap, and soon to have dinner. i believe kiesh (sp?) is on the menu. can't complain. i haven't really been spending too much time with these folks, though lovely they seem to be, but i surely am appreciating their generosity in many forms at the moment! the guest speaker in church today made me write in my journal, "sometimes we just need to SHUT UP!!" i walked out early. but that's another story entirely.

this little blog here will probably turn into a tireless ramble, so if you're reading this, you may want to abandon ship right now...ha...

the view from the couch i'm perching on right now is fantastic. perfect view of the bay with the the many passing clouds and the strong wind trembling the windows every once in a while...not such a bad deal. the sun just set to the west and just beyond what the bay window lets you see, but of course the clouds still reflect it. there's a fire crackling to the east...just the fireplace inside the house. quite peaceful i'd say. since in ireland, i've never seen so many clouds, fascinating clouds, and never so many rainbows in my life!! the whole leprechan and pot of gold thing is beginning to make a lot more sense now!

the mornings here are starting to get pretty chilly, especially on days that it's raining. the days warm up a good bit but when that wind is howling it gets in through every crack in every window and door and makes everything feel cold, even the lovely house i'm in right now. but despite the bitterness that cold brings, it also reminds me of the feeling of Christmas coming because it doesn't usually start the get this cold in good ole nc til it gets closer to Christmas. i woke up with a Christmas song in my head a couple mornings ago...kind of fun...

i do believe my friend Caitlin, from work, and i are planning a trip next weekend to do a two day tour of the ring of Kerry and the Dingle peninsula...these places will have no meaning to most of you but they're supposed to be fantastic coastlines. i think if i see any surf i will long for it and be really sad that i can't get in it. i dreamt about surfing the other night...it will happen before i leave ireland! i ran from galway to salthill yesterday to the mocha beans where jacob works (about a 30 minute walk). met him there to walk him home. we walked out by the bay and it was crazy windy...all this to say we saw some minimal waves in the bay that looked they might be rideable on a long board for a good 4 feet maybe. too bad i didn't bring my longboard...oh yeah...i don't have one of those.

i've been spending a good bit of my time, not stressing, but thinking of how i can remove myself from the emergency tax system which takes 40% of my paycheck from me. jerks! they do a fine job here of sending legal aliens on a wild goose chase to get to money that is due them and in the mean time making us pay them €100 (about $130!) just to keep from being arrested or charged more money. phew...needless to say i've got beef with the republic of ireland...i can't even imagine how hard it must be for kids who come to the states the work abroad! oh well. what are ya gonna do? i guess i should be eternally grateful for the opportunity to even be here, working, playing, and feeling secure. i'm reading Angela's Ashes right now...wow. it's been amazing so far. certainly brings things into perspective, although i find myself beginning to believe i'm part of the story. basically couldn't be farther from the truth, but the story is just that compelling. it's about a really poor irish family living in limerick during the early 1900s just after The Potato Famine here. so far 3 of their kids have died...talk about a downer...but not completely. i recommend it to anyone. there's a movie, but i imagine the book is probably 20 times better.

i think that's all i'm going to lay on y'all for now. hope you're not crying with boredom. if anyone actually reads this, you can leave me a comment if you wish, and i do believe i can comment you back.

and, mama...i'm sorry about standing on the edge of a cliff. i'm still alive, however, and i can say i stood on the edge of a HUGE cliff and didn't fall off. haha. i was actually sitting...not to worry.

love and best wishes to all of you who took time out of your busy day to read something probably not worth reading...

danielle