Yes . . . I’m back from Ireland! Everyone asks: “So what was your favorite thing?” I’ve been thinking and feeling about it and have to say: It was the time with my cousin, Elaine. We haven’t played together since we were small children. Now we’re two feisty, independent, Irish women and we got along perfectly! Through adventure, ecstasy, and fear we were there for each other.

       The fear, of course, was learning to drive a stick shift car, seated on the wrong side of the car . . . driving on the wrong side of the road! We took turns driving or navigating and, in doing it together, WE GOT IT DOWN.

     And what was my favorite Irish thing? I’d have to say: THE PEOPLE . . . with their playful, big-hearted spirit. We felt safe and cared about whether we were in a beautiful BnB in the country, or wending our way through the  streets of Dublin on “Hop On Hop Off” buses ,

or in a pub singing and Irish “Jigging” with the excited, happy crowd there, or taking a horse and buggy or bike riding around the Aran Islands, or trying not to look down at the crashing ocean hundreds of feet below us at

Carrick-a-Rede, a rope suspension bridge between islands,

or lying in the thick, green grass on top of Giants Causeway with birds called Gannets flying all around us. Yes, always there were Irish people around checking on us to make sure we were safe and didn’t need anything, and were having a gay time.

       

The beauty of this country is stunning with the sweet faces of sheep everywhere, watching from the “Hedgerows”.

“.

     We went there looking for our Greenfield ancestors and, in Northern Ireland, we found . . . the GREENFIELD COAT OF ARMS with a mention of our great, great, great grandfather; Samuel Greenfield. We learned there was a small town in the north named after him, but we didn’t have time to go there and, maybe, find some live ancestors, so we vowed to return to Ireland in a year or so, and, MAYBE BRING MORE FAMILY MEMBERS! WANNA GO?? So, IT WAS A PERFECT TRIP . . . to be continued.  

 

      Now I get to tell you about a wonderful event coming up SUNDAY, JUNE 30, 2019, HERE IN MANITOU SPRINGS, COLORADO.

      We have an amazing and famous artist who has spent his life and career in Manitou; Charles Rockey. (Everyone just calls him Rockey) With his inspiring work and open heart, he has drawn so many artists to this community and helped them to “live their dreams”. The community has built itself a

round him and he is known and loved by all.

      Two years ago, owners of the Sunwater Spa in town, Kat Tudor and Don Goede, helped me sponsor and old friend and musician, Shawn Gallaway, to do a concert here. Shawn and Rockey met, admired each other’s work with the common theme of “Love”, and Shawn wrote a beautiful song about Rockey, which I have since put on a CD.

     Then last year, Shawn came to do another popular concert and, this time many of us joined him in singing “Rockey’s Song”.

     Now, this June, Shawn is coming back, again sponsored by Don and Kat, in a concert called “THE ROCKEY ROAD CONCERT”! Don has also written a song and it will be a huge celebration for our beloved Rockey, who now, at 87 years old, is getting very weak and we don’t know how much longer we’ll have him. Our mayor, Ken, has a special surprise planned, the Chamber of Commerce is “blasting” Facebook and everything online.

 

 

      So stay tuned. All advertising is going out this week and we expect to be distributing flyers by Friday. Oh, I’m excited.

 

     I get a bit tired sometimes, but then I always have a soft and safe place to land with my dear fiancée, Robert. We’re just quietly moving ahead on our marriage plans. We have reservations on two cabins for family to stay in while you’re all here, and . . . we bought a KING SIZED BED this week for us! We’ll keep you all posted as October gets closer.

 

      So Gia Gooch (Gallic for God Bless You) and you’re supposed to say: Gia Mira Gooch (God and Mary bless you). It’s so fun being Irish.

 

                                Warmly yours,