Three Beautiful Things

1. Waking up to the quiet in the country.

2. Sharing an old-time summer supper -fried chicken, corn on the cob, a platter of red luscious slices of locally grown tomatoes, black-eyed pea salad and hot biscuits - with a good friend. Ann
arrived bearing peach dumplings and ice cream for dessert. We have not seen Ann since we visited her in Paducah last October when I was telling stories at the Grand Rivers Storytelling Festival. We had LOTS to talk about.


3. A bit of time traveling.
All the pictures on my Mac are several years old because I don't upload new ones to this computer . For some reason I have trouble working with the photo files on my Mac - so this morning I decided to brave that frustrating wilderness again. Opened up in IPhoto and found lots of memories waiting for me.
We saw these singing seals on a Central California
beach near Hearst Castle two years ago when we were out for Christmas. Those were sweet days. And we are looking forward to being there again this coming December - when Jimmy and his family will be there also. A full family holiday at Avila Beach. That's 121 days from now - but who is counting?

When I mentioned Sally, someone Ann and I know, she was reminded of a time when Sally and her husband lived in Ireland. Which brought up stories of her trip to Ireland. Which led to Jim and I telling a few bits about our trip to Ireland. You know how those games of conversation go. So this morning I had fresh memories when I came upon this picture of Jim and me at Dublin Castle.
I had a particular reason for wanting to see Dublin Castle.
I have a handwritten note from my Daddy's grndfather, John Walter Cobb saying: "my mother Catherine Lonergan Cobb was born in Dublin Castle." Everyone I asked about it when we were in Ireland shook their heads doubtfully. "maybe her mother lived below-stairs" I suggested. Even that was doubted. And I did not have enough information or time to research further. That's how it goes with family history. Checking you sometimes lose the myth - but maybe digging would give me an even better story. At least now I am in the story.