Ice Cream Trough for Lotsa Kids! (and Happy Birthday to my Boys!)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my wonderful little men! My two sons are turning 15 and 13 this week.
There are so many gifts I want to give my boys, such as courage and confidence, and for them to understand their uniqueness. If I could, I’d wrap these up with a huge ribbon on top. I hope that they would know that with teenage challenges come lessons that they will learn for life. And that from those lessons comes wisdom.

As my sons open their gifts, I am reminded of the gifts that were handed to me 15 and 13 years ago when they were born. They are beautiful gifts, and I will not take them for granted.

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We decided that since life is busy with school and soccer, we wouldn’t have birthday parties this year, though we celebrated as a family.

But last year we had a blast! I kept the theme going throughout the year for my 3 kids’ birthdays and made “Ice-Cream Troughs” for each of their parties. It’s a brilliant idea, easy, and a big hit with a large group of kids. It’s also a great dessert that you can make up in advance and put in the freezer!

Here’s what you do:
Buy a garden trough or something large that you can layer the cake, ice cream, bananas, etc. in. I used a plastic planter box (usually used in window boxes), 24 inches long.
Bake a cake or brownies in advance and buy:
½ gallon ice cream
Spray whipped cream
Syrups
Bananas
Cherries
Any other topping (candy bars, etc.)

This is how you put it together:
· Put ice cubes on the bottom
· Place plastic wrap on top of the ice cubes
· Cut your cake into cubes, or layer it on top of the plastic wrap
· Scoop or slice the ice cream on top of the cake
· Place plastic wrap over the whole trough and FREEZE until you are ready to use.

Right before serving, pull out of the freezer and fill the rest of the container with whipped cream, sliced bananas on the side, cherries on top, or any other toppings.

You can serve it two ways: place it on a big table with a bunch of spoons and let the kids go to town, OR scoop out into individual dishes. We’ve done it both ways.

Put the candles on top and start SINGING to your kids! Hold them close, shut your eyes and make your wish (or prayer!) because before you know it, next year will be here and you’ll be celebrating once again!

(Thank you, Auntie Ellen, for this wonderful idea a few years back!)

Flying Lamb

Friday night we had lamb for dinner, thanks to my friend Barb.

I met Barb through email-land a year-and-a-half ago when she heard Dr. Laura reviewing my husband’s book, No More Christian Nice Guy (which Dr. Laura wrote the forward to).

Through that radio broadcast, Barb bought the book, read it, was overwhelmingly impressed, and contacted us through email. Little did we know we’d become hard, fast friends, living miles apart.

She introduced herself to me by sending us a special box in the mail. The box was overnighted to us and filled with lamb. Barb and her family raise lamb and she was gracious enough to mail us some.

We love lamb! And the tradition has continued as we just received another box in the mail a couple of weeks ago.

Thank you Barb, not only for your awesome friendship, but also for showing us your gift of hospitality via the mail and your farm! Thanks for coming out to Oregon to see us and for hosting us in Wisconsin while Paul spoke in Madison.

For meeting us in Chicago for a quick fun weekend and for all the MANY boxes we have received in the mail.

What fun!
(photo: Tom & Barb and Paul and I in Chicago last Fall)

This spring Barb has 25 new babies bouncing through her pasture. I love the picture of the twins at the very top. She says one thinks she is his Mommy and the other his step-Mom!

Do you enjoy lamb?

Here is one of my favorite recipes, the one I cooked Friday night (above photo):

Lamb with mustard glaze and garlic

INGREDIENTS:
1 leg of lamb, about 6 to 7 pounds (I cooked 2 lamb roasts)
1/3 cup prepared mustard
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 large clove garlic, crushed and minced
1 teaspoon thyme, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

PREPARATION:
Place leg of lamb on rack in roasting pan. Roast uncovered at 325° for 1 hour. Combine mustard, soy sauce, garlic, thyme, and ginger; spread mixture over leg of lamb. Roast leg of lamb for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours longer, or until done.
Baste leg of lamb with drippings a few times during baking. Roast leg of lamb serves 6 to 8.
Another crowd pleaser (and kid pleaser) when serving baked sweet potatoes: mix brown sugar and cinnamon together; serve with butter.

YUM!

PS: Besides getting what we consider a REAL TREAT, lamb, my next favorite gift from Barb has been a handmade quilt stuffed with lambs’ wool. She is not only hospitable, witty and smart, she is crafty, she gardens, writes beautifully, is married to her handsome and charming hubby and co-owner of Sonsie Farm. They raise sheep and have raised 4 kids, one soon to marry. She is the essence of hospitality and I am blessed to know her! Barb has recently been published in Hobby Farms, Farm and Ranch Living, Country, and Country EXTRA.

PSS: This summer another Happy Coughlin Box will be given away. Stay tuned, post a comment and WIN!

Balcony Girls!

It’s interesting how hospitality can come in all different shapes and sizes. Today it became evident in my home as I met with 8 ten-year-old girls, ending their Faithgirlz season.

These girls are now moving up. Next year they will come back as 5th graders with a new name and mission for the group: to become Balcony Girls!

Our new focus for 5th grade will be: to build one another up and not tear down. To learn the value of friendships, to learn that words can go deep into the marrow of a girl’s soul and impact her for the rest of her life. To learn how applauding one another impacts their every day life.
For girls this age, their search for intimacy right now could set the pattern for the rest of their lives.
(End of year gift for the girls: photo in $1 frame from Dollar Store)

Girls so often identify themselves by how they connect with others. They have a passion and purpose that goes far beyond relationships, but relationships are where it all starts. Their identity has already begun to blossom.

Many people have asked me about my group, so here is the history. (By the way, there is a Faithgirlz website which I do not use, but is easy to access. I chose to write my own lessons by watching the dynamics of my own girls.)

I started this group when my daughter was in 3rd grade. Third grade is the perfect age to start a girls group, as they are just getting into the thick of relationships.

For two years now, I have brought these girls home with me after school, twice a month, for an hour-and a half, to discuss friendships and what God says about them. Each girl has awesome parents who reinforce what we talk about.

The girls keep a journal. I take digital pictures of our activities each week; then I print them out and paste them in order in each girl’s journal!

To keep it simple, I send a sheet home with them each time we meet, so they can review what we talked about with their parents. I shorten this lesson and paste the pertinent information into their journal to save time. Each sheet sent home includes our discussion for the day, an appropriate Bible verse to memorize if they want to, and a faith tip. For example: “Put yourself in someone else’s shoes and treat them the way you want to be treated.”

Overall, these girls do treat each other with respect. When I hear about different situations that come up at school, I will then bring it up in our group, so we can work it out by role-playing with different scenarios.

After we talk, have a snack, and discussion, we then do an activity or a craft.

I’m often asking myself if I am being a balcony person or a basement person when relating to others. Am I an encouraging friend? Am I in their corner? Am I applauding them? Or is jealousy creeping in?

These are lessons for life not only for my girls, but also for me.

I want to be a Balcony Girl!


Today’s discussion was based on our NEW 5th grade mission statement.

We made Father’s Day cards and decorated envelopes, and the girls will be giving their Daddy a personalized hankie from Hankicards, that says Happy Father’s Day!

The girls always beg me to make this snack!

Sandy’s Mini Pizzas
Line up soda crackers on a plate
Dot each cracker with a dropping of ketchup
Sprinkle with grated cheese
Barely sprinkle Oregano on top
Microwave until cheese is melted.

Contact me by email if you would like more information on starting a Balcony Girls group.

Are You in Sync With Your Man?

MYTH: My husband does not want to entertain. He’s not crazy about socializing.
SOLUTION: Learn how to be a better conversationalist.

I used to pile my plate high with chores and things I wanted to get done before guests arrived for dinner. You see Paul, my husband, was never crazy about entertaining and I absolutely loved it!

I’d shut my eyes tight, or secretly cross my fingers behind my back while I asked my husband, “Can we have the Smiths over Saturday night for dinner?” Then the dreaded answer came. “No,” he would say.

Not again! I loved to entertain. I grew up with very hospitable parents and I was newly married and ready to practice what I had learned.

Paul’s uncertainty often centered on his having to converse with our guests. After all, I usually knew the people that we were inviting over far better than he did. It took a few years, but Paul finally came on board and we started entertaining, and enjoying it, as a couple.

I asked Paul some questions, as to why he was so reluctant to entertain.

Why did you usually say no?
I was fearful of keeping the conversation going. Even though I really cared for others, it was hard to express it.

What made you come on board and get into the entertaining aspect of hospitality?
I did it for you! (Oh, what a sweet man!)

Because I saw how much you cared about people and loved to cook and show hospitality and that was my only reason at first.

Then I realized that conversational skills are really essential to successful living. And that they don’t necessarily come naturally, though conversing does get easier with practice.
(ABOVE: Paul and I having fun in the kitchen!)

What advice do you have for the reluctant entertainer?
Learn how to be a better conversationalist. Learn how to ask questions and really listen to people. Talk about shared experiences and find out what others are interested in. Maybe try to be a little bit more animated than normal.

(Paul chopping parsley in the kitchen. He loves to cook with spices and herbs. NOTE: the espresso nearby!)

Here are some tips to becoming a better conversationalist: The first step is to change your perception that others aren't interesting. Everyone has a story. What brings that story out is genuine interest on the part of the person asking questions. Interest cannot be faked. You need to make up your mind that you want to be interested -- then you will be.

Remember that our only true gifts are our time and attention. Whenever we give someone our attention, they open up and blossom like flowers. And when that happens, our own self-confidence soars.

What the mind can conceive, the person can achieve.





You can become a better conversationalist!

Do you have a reluctant entertainer in your household?

(Top photo: Paul conversing with some friends. Bottom: Abby tasting the first strawberry for the year, from our strawberry bed!)

Sisterly Fun & Entertaining Extended Family

In the cookies of life, sisters are the chocolate chips. ~Author Unknown

We had 20 family and extended family members over for dinner last night. It had been a long time since we had all gotten together and we had some birthdays to celebrate. Life gets so crazy with everyone’s traveling schedules and busyness with kids. We planned far in advance to get this date on the calendar.

Delegation is my secret weapon for larger group parties. And delegate I did! I made 2 kinds of salmon, my yummy mandarin orange green salad, and my favorite crowd-pleasing Creamy Potato Gratin from one of Nigella Lawson’s cookbooks. You can make this up a day or two early as it heats up quite well. The longer it sits, the longer the garlic flavor comes out (RECIPE BELOW).

The rest of the meal was delegated out to the guests and it flowed beautifully.

A sister is a forever friend. ~Author Unknown

My sisters and I always have fun and share a lot of laughter when we are together.

You can tell by these silly pictures that my hubby snatched of us! We are each so different, but we share that common bond of being family. I always wonder how people make it through life without a sister?



Sisters are different flowers from the same garden. ~Author Unknown

Di and Linda are terrific hostesses and excellent cooks, as well. We learned well from our Mom.

During the meal we celebrated Paul’s new book that just arrived by UPS, right before our guests arrived! It’s called, No More Jellyfish, Chickens or Wimps (raising secure, assertive kids in a tough world) and it is officially in bookstores on June 1st!

Two birthday cakes, one for my 2 teen boys (stay tuned for the ICE CREAM TROUGH post coming up!) and my sister, Di, who is turning, well ... let’s say next year is the big year for her!

Abby played Concerto No.2 and No. 5 (3rd and 1st movement - by F. Seitz) for us on her violin and our brother in law, Steve, serenaded us on the piano for much of the evening with his awesome talent.

The kids swam for hours as one-year old Gavin entertained us with his cuteness, and our conversation was lively and fun.

Sharing meals and meaningful times with extended family was really a pleasure last night.

I wish we did it more often!

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CREAMY POTATO GRATIN
4 ½ pounds all-purpose potatoes
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
2 onions, peeled & sliced (I use sweet)
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 T salt
¼ cup butter

Pre-heat oven to 500.
Peel potatoes and cut them in ½ inch slices. Put in a large pan with milk, cream, onion, minced garlic and salt. Bring to a boil and cook at a robust simmer or gentle boil until verging on tender, but not dissolving into mush.
Use some of the butter to grease a large roasting pan (15x12) and then pour the almost sludgy milk and potato mixture into it. Dot with remaining butter and cook in the oven for 15 minutes or until the potato is bubbly and browned on top. Remove and let stand for 10-20 min.

I actually make the night before and cook the next day, uncovered at 350 for 1 hour.

ENJOY!

Decline or Commit

Myth: It isn’t necessary to respond to invitations.

Solution: Always respond when you receive an invitation! When you invite others, pick up the phone and call those you don’t receive a response from.

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The answer to, “Do I really have to RSVP when I get an invitation?” is an overwhelming, “YES!”

To RSVP means (in french) "répondez s'il vous plait," or please reply.

What has happened to our culture regarding the common courtesy of RSVPing?

I believe that people are sometimes thoughtless, or careless. They focus on themselves and if they decide not to accept an invitation, they don’t think to be courteous enough to let the hostess know.

It could also be that our culture is not used to “hostessing” in general. Neighbors seem to keep to themselves most of the time; they don’t drop in unannounced like they did in the pioneer days, when you were then expected to serve them. We’re all very scheduled now and most of us don’t even know our neighbors. If we do, most of us just talk to them over the fence or at our kids’ games, and never think to have them into our more intimate home setting.

This reminds me of my friend Rhoda, over at Southern Hospitality. Rhoda branched out and planned a brunch for all of her neighbors. Here is what she wrote about the outcome. Or you can check out her post here!

The invitation said, "Come & Meet Your Neighbors". Our goal was to get several of our neighbors together to at least meet & get familiar with others who live nearby on our street. I can't say it was a smashing success, since we invited 16 families & 4 came out. Only one called to say they couldn't make it, but thought it was a great idea. The other 11 didn't respond at all. I think times have changed & people are just not as neighborly anymore. I remember when folks used to take time to get to know their neighbors & be friendly, but it seems that today, most just don't have the time or inclination to do that. And, it's OK...I'm glad we made the effort anyway. We have 2 great neighbors on either side of us who came over & we enjoyed visiting with them. They are both good friends with each other anyway & their kids are in school together. A sweet older couple in their 80's came from down the street. One other guy came over from across the street with his 2 young sons, but his wife was exhausted from giving a birthday party, so didn't make it. I'm glad we tried it, although I may not be that ambitious again in hosting another one. Maybe something smaller next time, with those who seem to be interested in doing that?

Rhoda had told me that she was planning this event. I was so excited for her, and actually it motivated me to think about doing the same in my neighborhood, because there are several neighbors that I would like to meet! But after reading that 11 people didn’t respond, I got a little skittish myself.

My solution is to pick up the phone and call the people whom I have not heard back from. I feel like a sleuth when I do this, but in this day in age I don’t see any way around it. Because the way I plan my parties, dinner parties in particular, I like to know exactly who is coming and what they are bringing.

If you receive an invitation, respond immediately. Don’t teeter-totter, because it’s insulting to your hostess. How do you expect someone to plan a menu when they don’t know how many guests they are cooking for?

Commit or send your regrets!

I wonder how many people shy away from planning a party or a dinner because of being “burnt” in the past by people not RSVPing.

How can we change this trend?

PS: Some people write on an invitation, “Regrets Only,” which means you only call the hostess if you cannot come. So, read your invitation carefully! You may not have to call at all.

(Top photo: taken by Paul Coughlin. Dinner photo: dinner party at Stan and Kristi's. We're glad we RSVP'd to this delicious meal!)

My Day

Along with Mother’s Day came this special note, written for me by my family:

Keeper of kitchens and schedules.
Thank you for keeping us organized, animated and nurtured.
We would be smaller, less loved, less happy and less fortunate without you.
You strengthen us in ways we don’t fully know or appreciate.
Savor these while you indulge in one of your greatest joys.

Um… that last part would mean “chocolate.” Besides chocolate, hand, foot and back massages, and a promise for a new clothesline for my backyard - my greatest gift starts with a

capital “M.”

Mothering

I loved attending church with my kids, my sons’ soccer games and my daughter’s beautiful Rogue Valley Children’s Choir concert at the Ginger Roger’s Craterian Theater on Saturday night.

I happened to capture this picture of Abby and her friend, Alyse, as they were heading off to their special night.

We decided not to eat out last night, so I whipped up yummy lasagna.

My 2 secrets to great lasagna are fresh basil and my frozen roasted tomatoes (get recipe here).

An extra touch on top was the Parmesan cheese, finely grated, that we brought back from London.

Sometimes the un-ordinary things, such as lasagna, become the extra-ordinary.

Especially when sharing it with those you love.

My heart couldn’t have been any fuller on this Mother's Day!

(Top photo: Our clematis is now in full bloom!)

Mother's Day 2007: My Mom, Millie!

My son, Elliot, asked me this morning how it feels to be called “Mom." That question pierced my heart as I looked into his blue eyes and answered him. I love his teenage sensibility and questions that go deep into his mind. I love the way he puts his arms around me and gives me a kiss on the cheek. (Photo above: me and Mom on my wedding day 1991. I still remember that kiss!)

The past few days my thoughts seem to be turning toward the memory of my Mom, Millie. I think about her almost daily.

Mom, as I called her, had such a gentle spirit. On her birthday every year, friends came out of the woodwork, as she would get a slew of cards in the mail and come home from work with a trunk-load of gifts.

I always tell my daughter and her friends: Friends are like a bouquet of flowers. The more you have, the more beautiful your life will be. That is the life my Mom lived.

Even though Mom was very serious at times, deep down inside she had a great sense of humor and loved to be teased.

My earliest memories of her are that she was always there. (Photo to left: my family in1969, I am the youngest.) I especially noticed when I would come home from school in the afternoon. The house was rarely empty. She fixed us breakfast in the morning (we use to tease her about her coffee breath), and sent us girls out to get on the school bus. (Mom would wrap her beehive hair-do with toilet paper each night to protect it from getting messed up. It looked the same for about a week!)

She loved life: God, Dad, her family, her garden and friends, children, her church and showing hospitality. (Photo to right: Dad and Mom early 90s.)

It is from this woman that I got my talent for cooking, canning, freezing and how to put a meal on the table. She had such a way of timing her dinners just right, where all the dishes would be placed on the table at the same time. She’d throw a roast in the oven on a Sunday morning and invite people over after church. The meal did not have to be perfect, and what really mattered to Mom was to have not only the popular people over, but also sometimes the people who “didn’t have a place to go.” That was a true lesson of hospitality for her 3 daughters. Mom showed us how to play hostess!

She cared. She cared deeply about people and she prayed for them. She was one of those people who could enter a room and never make a sound, but when she left the room, her absence was noticeable. She really was the catalyst in our family. (Photo below: Dad's birthday January 1997, the year Mom passed away.)

Mom was special, but she was not perfect. I know that underneath her quiet calmness there were feelings in her heart that she didn’t share with people. She was very private. And in her last couple of years of life when cancer was calling her name, she made it very clear to God and her family that she did not want to leave this world. She was torn. She loved so deeply, that it was a very confusing time for her.

Mom’s impact lives on in my life. I want to think that if she were here today she would be such a good friend. I always tell my kids “if Grandma were here, she would be so crazy about you!” (Photo to left: me and Mom at one of my bridal showers 1991.)

Mom was a planter of Godly seeds, but she died before she saw the complete harvest. The desire was always in my heart to make her proud of me. I believe she would have been. Without a lot of fanfare, she taught me how to care about my family first of all, to believe that Mothering was the most important role I’d ever have, a real life’s calling. She never told me these words; she just lived it in a way that revealed the truth about it.

Mom would be overjoyed today to know that her daughters love God with a passion. Through her love and teaching of hospitality, we have taken those gifts a step further. And now her grandchildren are cultivating those gifts to pass down to their children. (Photo to right: Millie's great-grandson, Gavin)

I recently read that, “Grief changes shape, but it never ends.” I believe that. The intensity of my loss has decreased over time, but the loss is still there. I don’t always understand it but I have grown through it. (Above photo: Mom and her only 2 granddaughters, Kayla & Abby, 4 months before she died.)

Thank you Mom, for a life well lived.

Mom went to heaven 10 years ago this year. Several women have been tremendous role models to me the last 10 years, loving me as a daughter and impacting my life. Aunt Ellen, Jeannie, Dee, Faye, Ginny and Hoppi: my family is blessed because of you.

(See one more photo of "Millie" in her apron, by clicking here.)

Happy Mother's Day!

Fish on the Grill

Myth: It’s hard to cook fish just right!
Solution: No searing and no over-cooking!

Last night was our first BBQ of the year. We have determined that hospitality just for our family of “5” is a must! We don’t always have to include others to be hospitable!

We had a great dinner of barbequed salmon, onions and Caesar salad. We threw in a few small new potatoes from our garden, and mixed in fresh mint with the onions.

My memory of fish growing up was of it always being overcooked and the house smelling fishy!

It seems to me that a lot of people are RELUCTANT to cook salmon, or fish in general! My friend Anne eased my mind years ago, along with my husband, Paul, who has always loved to BBQ fish. The secret is no searing and to not overcook it!

Here is one of my favorite salmon recipes for the grill:

Lay out 2 long pieces of foil
Put your fillet of salmon on top and fold the sides up around it
Melt ¼ cup of butter and pour on top
Season with Kosher salt or Sea salt
Squeeze juice of 1-2 lemons on top
Sprinkle with fresh chopped dill (or dried)
Salt one more time

We use a charcoal grill & mesquite. The trick for any fish is to cook it on low. Heat up the coals, and then drop the grate down as low as you can. Make sure the thickest part of the fish stays on the hottest part of the grill. No need to flip the fish when cooking it this way.

Keep the temp down to 200-250.

You can tell the fish is done when the white juices come to the surface, or you can take the back of spatula and press on the fish. You want it to be firm, not spongy.

What was your first barbequed meal for the season?

(Photos: Kids first swim for the season! Middle son enjoying backyard, kitty Hobbes and new flying helicopter)

Feeding Teachers

Today a group of us moms will take lunch to school to feed the wonderful support staff and teachers at our kids’ school. I’m bringing a salad.

The Moms In Touch group organizes this, and it’s a real treat for the teachers!

I love sharing and showing hospitality this way, as my husband and I so appreciate the teachers at this school and the effort and time that they put into our kids.

It’s our little way of saying “thank you.” Our sons are in 9th and 7th grade, so there are a lot of teachers who look after and teach our young lads:)

I seem to get stuck for a few months on one tasty salad, making it whenever I’m asked to bring a salad.
I tape the dressing recipe up inside my kitchen cabinet and I keep the ingredients on hand at all times.


Right now my salad for the season is a mandarin orange green salad. But what makes it so delicious is the poppy seed salad dressing that I’ve had in my recipe book for over 15 years. It came from my cousin, Anni. So I pulled it out of the archives and it’s a BIG HIT! Try it and see what you think!

Poppy Seed Dressing
2/3 c oil
2/3 c sugar
¼ c cider vinegar
¼ c lemon juice
3 T poppy seeds
1 tsp salt
¼ c onions, chopped
Mix, shake well before using.
(Salad: greens, mandarin oranges, toasted nuts, green onion, feta cheese)
You can also add chicken!

Do you do anything special for your kid’s teachers?

(Top photo: Look what we came home to last week? Beautiful peony in our backyard! Salad bowl: 16 incher for 10 cents at a garage sale.)

Northern Wales and England

The last part of our trip was filled with even more hospitality experiences as we toured through Northern Wales and England. Most of you know that my husband is the author of No More Christian Nice Guy, and was invited to speak throughout England.

We stayed in Colwyn Bay for much of the time, traveling down to Gloucester, London, Sheffield and Liverpool. A highlight for Paul was attending the Liverpool soccer game. Being a high-school boys Varsity soccer coach, he was like a little kid himself!

We also take pride in the fact that we only took one taxi on the whole trip, and that was in London!

We walked most of the time, or took the train or tube or bus (unless being driven in a car by friends).

I loved the new Broadway show in London, Wicked, playing at the Apollo Theatre, right around the corner from where we stayed in the Victoria area.

A funny story about that night was when my husband disappeared during intermission to run (literally) to the nearest pub to watch the Manchester United soccer game. He watched the end of it, then ran back to see the ending performance of Wicked. Only my husband, so very passionate about soccer, would do something like that! We’re still laughing about it.

My new friends from Gloucester, Sue and Ally, took me on a great walk through Painswick, a fascinating step back to the flamboyant English Rococo period.

These magical gardens in this small town, which were laid out in the 18th century, had a beautiful view of the surrounding countryside. We found our way up the hill to a small pub, where I had to duck to get in the door! Those English girls were a kick in the pants! True sisters, indeed!

We stayed at an old castle, Hatton Court that was quite magnificent.
We drove through the country side of England where every city had its own unique charm.
And we took the train down to London and visited Premier Radio/TV station where we did a live radio show, and where Paul also taped a TV show (whew! I got out of that one!)

The love and openness that we saw from these people made us feel like family. The generosity was enormous, as when Mel and Simon invited us to their home one Sunday in Colwyn Bay for a Moroccan meal.
We thought we had died and gone to heaven as we savored every bite. Those two gelled in the kitchen as Simon did the cooking and Mel helped along side her husband. It was a succulent meal, right down to the dessert, when they served lemon sorbet with Lemoncella on top (second most popular cordial in Italy). Heavenly.
Paul and I got to sit out on their deck and relax and enjoy the view and the bay. It was very cool how they gave us our time just to “hang out,” by ourselves.
On our last night we walked into the village of Dyserth, to The New Inn pub, and had another fantastic meal.
This would be our favorite night as our conversation fell, once more, to all the wonderful memories of the past two weeks. Folks over there really went all out to make us feel welcome and at home. They, beyond a doubt, succeeded.

Interestingly, the responses I’ve received from many friends who have been to Europe are all similar. They’ve agreed with our take on European hospitality and how fresh it is. As one of my friends mentioned, Europeans don’t seem to have the spoiled mentality and expectations that we Americans have. They are free to be who they are and just be raw, warm and hospitable, with no pretensions.

Another friend told me today that European priorities regarding family and time, in general, are so much healthier than ours. They are not frantic and rushing all the time. They spend more family time, as a whole, and are more relaxed.
They have such a sense of community!

As I mentioned in my Irish Hospitality post here, what are we teaching our children? Are they learning the importance of prioritizing what is important when it comes to relationships in general?

We are a little convicted by the running around that we do, with 3 very active kids.

It has definitely given my husband and I something to think about.

More Ireland ...

More photos from Glendalough ...



Dinner after hiking through the Wicklow mountains.

One of Uncle Gabriel's work of art!

Irish living room!

Uncles who feel the rhythm of the city!


What use to be Uncle Gabe's art gallery downtown.

More downtown, Grafton Street.

Irish Market.


Where Paul's Mom grew up, 46 MountJoy Square.


And the fence around the playground where she played as a child.

House where Paul's Dad was born and raised. We found this house off of an old 1954 receipt.

Another picture of Benny, Paul's Dad's childhood friend who still lives in the same house and rides his bike every day.

Ireland was good to us. We can't wait to go back!