This post is a little thinner than others to date: that might mean I spent a lot of time planning.
Monday, April 20, 2015
In the morning, after dropping Rachael’s older son off at preschool, she drops me off at the train station in Maynooth. From there I take the train to Dublin. From Dublin I take a bus north towards Belfast. About 35 minutes south of Belfast, I depart the bus in Banbridge. There waiting for me is George. From there we drive 20 minutes west to Tandragee.
I know George from my first time in Ireland in 2005. When I came then, I was here for eight weeks with three other university students. We were here to be leaders at youth camps, of which we participated in five. George’s oldest daughter, Christine, was the leader of one of the camps. Their family visited Seattle in 2006 for the wedding of one of the other team members, Brian, that I had traveled with. I have been back to Ireland to visit in 2007 and 2009, making this my fourth time here.
In the afternoon, we head to Christine’s home. She has had two boys since I was here last in 2009, so this is my first time meeting them!
For dinner, George and I go out with Heather, his youngest daughter, and her husband, Graham.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
George is a Presbyterian minister and tonight there is a presbytery meeting, covering an area that includes 27 churches. The topic: women in ministry. I have never been to a presbytery meeting before, anywhere, but I tend to do what my friends are doing when I am visiting them. The meeting was interesting. You are probably curious to know my position on the topic, and fair enough so I think I should share it. I don’t see any reason why women wouldn’t be in ministry, being ordained and leaders in positions equal to men. I actually do have convictions and reasons for that stance, so if you stand on either side of the subject and are interested in more on the topic, feel free to send me a message.
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
In the morning, I have tea, toast, and watch the television show Top Gear. This would sort of be one of my favorite things to do here, and then take a shower in the afternoon after having watched episodes all morning. Top Gear is one of my favorite shows, but I don’t regularly watch it at home. I had many days of this when I visited here in 2009, on a detour on the way home to Seattle after my time living in Zambia.
For lunch, my friend Caroline picks me up and we go to a restaurant about 20 minutes away. I met Caroline at a conference that was at the end of the summer in 2005. We have stayed in touch over the years. She is no longer living in Northern Ireland, but coincidentally came home to visit while I was here.
Thursday, April 23, 2015
George’s wife, Judith, passed away in November 2011 after a battle with cancer lasting 20 months. I haven’t been back here since then. Several weeks before her passing, I called on the phone. Due to a stroke that she also had near the end of her battle, she was not able to respond but George knew it meant a lot to her. I will definitely miss Judith's hospitality. She was my mom away from home whenever I was here. Today I buy flowers and go and visit her in the graveyard in Tandragee.
In the afternoon, George and I go and visit the school where Judith was a teacher. After she passed away, there was a memorial built inside near the building’s entry. It is a tree made of metal and has a leaf on it for Judith. The tree is now also used to remember other people as well.
A leaf for Judith on the memorial tree.
For dinner, we go to Susan’s home. She is the middle daughter of the three. Here and her husband, Stephen, have one boy now.
Friday, April 24, 2015
For lunch, George and I go to small café in town that is in a building that was originally a bank. The front still has the double security doors and the vault remains in place, which you can dine in.
In the evening, I head to a local pub. They don’t serve food, so I go and buy fish n chips to go and take it back to the pub.
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Just after noon, George drops me off in the parking lot at the trailhead for Slieve Donard in the Mourne Mountains, about one hour southeast of Tandragee. The recommended time for a roundtrip hike was five hours, but George was going to be back to pick me up in four. He suggests that I go up for two hours and then turn around. I have never hiked anything by that approach, and wasn’t really looking to start now. I am forced to jog it to ensure I reach the top.
Heading up Slieve Donard.
Once I make it up to a saddle between the peak of Slieve Donard and another peak, it is quite windy. Between the peaks, running all the way down across the saddle, is a stone wall. Because of the wind, this was very nice to have since it sheltered me from the high wind and the chill that it brought with it. I surprise myself when I make it to the top in 1 hour 37 minutes. I would not consider myself to actually be in shape for having just done that, so I know I will surely be sore.
It is very windy at the top and there are some areas of snow that still remain. It is clear skies in all directions so incredible views including looking out over the Irish Sea. I make it back to the parking lot with time to spare.
View from the top of Slieve Donard.
For dinner, we head to Christine’s home and everyone in their family was able to make it so it was quite nice. After dinner we play a card game called Saboteur where two players are basically trying to sabotage the progress of all the others, but no one knows who they are unless they figure it out. I quite liked it, and some liked sabotaging even when it wasn’t their role to do so!
Sunday, April 26, 2015
In the morning, I go to Tandragee Presbyterian Church where George is the minister.
For tea (lunch) we go to a nice restaurant with George’s sister Margaret, her friend Liz, and George’s friend Warren. On every other day of the week, 'tea' refers to an evening meal (dinner) and 'supper' refers to a later meal, such as a snack before bed. On Sundays, 'tea' is the midday meal and is larger than usual. You better eat a lot as there is no evening meal on Sundays until the regularly scheduled supper.
Upon returning back to George’s after lunch, there is a parade with bagpipes that is just starting in Tandragee. The parade is the Orange Men, from the Orange Order. The Orange Order is a protestant organization founded in County Armagh, Northern Ireland in 1795. I follow the parade for a while before heading back.
Video of the Orange Order Parade:
In the evening, George and I go to his friend Warren's home for supper.
Monday, April 27, 2015
In the morning, George and I go and have breakfast with his friend Seamus and then we are on the road.
“Some day, in years to come, you will be wrestling with the great temptation, or trembling under the great sorrow of your life. But the real struggle is here, now, in these quiet weeks. Now it is being decided whether, in the day or your supreme sorrow or temptation, you shall miserably fail or gloriously conquer. Character cannot be made except by a steady, long continued process.” – Phillips Brooks
Bishop of Massachusetts, Lyricist of "O Little Town of Bethlehem" (December 13, 1835 – January 23, 1893)