Holden Beach Day One

Swimming in the ocean feels like being an ice cube in carbonated water.  The water fizzes and bubbles, rushing to the surface and calming down to a semi-stagnant level.  I love diving in and getting caught in the sideways undertow, surrendering my body to the wildness of nature.  The ebb and flow matches the beat of my heart, and I feel as though I was born to belong to the water.  The hours leading up to our time here at house 827, Sugar and Spice, was a blur and strictly a prerequisite to spending the week on the ocean.  We’ve never been to Holden Beach in the summer, and while the island was much busier than it is in the spring, our house is so far down the boardwalk that traffic was thin and beachgoers were sparse.  I dropped my bag, threw on my swimsuit and ran into the water.  Instantly, my brain reached for recognition of familiarity, and I felt at home.  Brendan and I wave jumped and sea shell searched with Nicole, Eric, my parents and Liam until the water and sun had us too exhausted to continue on without food.  The water temperature felt close to 80 degrees, and the outside temperature was around 100, which was not as hot as it sounds because the breeze coming off of the ocean cooled the air instantly.  For dinner we ordered Domino’s pizza, and as we were waiting for it to be delivered, Eric, my dad, Brendan and Nicole played Hillbilly Golf while I continued to play in the ocean – I just can’t get enough.  We ate our food on rocking chairs overlooking the water, watching as the pelicans nose dived for their meals.  While half of the group went to the grocery store after dinner for more food than 50 people can eat in a week, the other half of us played oh hell and took a walk along the waves.  Although Po hasn’t taken his boots off yet, he did stroll with us.  Once the groceries were put away, we took another walk to watch the sun set, and Eric and Brendan decided to take one last dip before the day was over.  We ended our first night in Holden Beach, North Carolina, with a game of oh hell and watching Miss Congeniality on TV.  So far, there haven’t been any arguments or misunderstandings, which is quite a feat when 12 people are living in one house together.  We’ll see how long that continues, but for now, we’re all content knowing we’ll wake up to the sound of the waves pounding on the surf, reminding us that nature never wavers.

Road Trip to Holden Beach, North Carolina

Without any arguments or wrong turns, our first day on the road is successfully coming to a close.  We started our trip early this morning, pulling out of the driveway at 6:50 and stopping within the first five hours only to pick up Nicole.  For the first portion of the trip, Brendan and I rode with Nanny and Po, and Eric and Nicole rode with my parents.  We switched throughout the day, playing various games in each car.  Our ‘Would You Rather’ battle with Nanny and Po ended with side splitting laughter and Nanny choosing to have no teeth because she would ‘gum it,’ along with no government because she would use her guns and freakishly small nose to scare people off.  We stopped at Wendy’s for lunch and then learned random trivia about everything from Stonehenge to the 1970s toilet paper shortage to toothpaste with my parents.  We made it to the Hampton Inn in Spartanburg, South Carolina, around 6:30 and dropped our stuff off before going to grab a burger at Fuddruckers.  Fuddruckers literally lives up to its name and has some of the world’s best burgers.  We were very impressed by their fresh ingredients and delicious buns.  The rest of Spartanburg must have agreed because the line was out the door.  After dinner we came back to the hotel and worked out and read the newspaper before going to bed.  Everyone is anxious to reach the ocean.  

Homeward Bound

I already miss the mountains – the feeling of being as small as a tack on the bulletin board of life, knowing I’m connected to the bigger whole, somehow contributing, no matter how small the contribution may be.  The rolling hills and sporadic waterfalls are engraved in my mind, pictures against a rainy backdrop that encompasses Ireland.  My heart physically hurts thinking of the second family I am leaving behind in the country that has made me feel so welcome.  For seven weeks I’ve been exploring and having adventures and discovering myself, and now, it’s time to return home – my home, which is made up of cornfields and tire swings, basketball hoops and country roads, seasons that don’t involve constant rain and family who knows me as well as I now know myself.  As soon as I board that plane, I will be entering back into familiarity, a place I understand and feel comfortable.  I no longer have to travel alone – the ring on my left hand reminds me of that.  I’m so looking forward to locking eyes with my partner and not having to explain.  I can’t wait to be the couple who steals a kiss instead of the party of one who looks on, yearning for that feeling of reassurance.  I’m different now, and I know he is, too.  How exciting that we get to relearn one another, to rediscover what made us fall in love in the first place and the new things that we get to fall in love with for the first time.  I am anticipating that flight home, the plane that will take me to my parents who are celebrating 25 years of love and friendship together.  I’m looking forward to bare feet on the kitchen floor, the nuzzle of my dog as he wakes me up in the morning, the taste of just-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies.  I want to catch up with my brother and my friends, to hear what directions their lives have been going.  I am ready to board the plane and to embrace the person who is now me in a world that remains unchanged.  I am going home.

A Reflection of my Time on Blueberry Hill Farm

Three weeks at Blueberry Hill Farm has left me with more innovative ideas than I thought possible to fit into one person’s brain.  Although I may not incorporate them all into my future, they’re definitely worth further reflection and discussion with my significant other.

-No TV

-An aloe vera plant

-No microwave

-Organic or homegrown food only

-Not getting upset – what does it change anyway?

-Salt with 84 elements (Peter Ferreira)

-Interrail Train around Europe

I also engaged in many, many firsts.

-First time hand milking (That takes a lot of hand muscle and patience)

-First time plucking a chicken (All I can say is first and last)

-First time feeding chickens out of my hand

-First time bottle feeding a lamb

-First time suckle bucket feeding a calf

-First time blacksmithing

-First time making cheese from start to finish

-First time learning how to tie sailor knots

-First time climbing a mountain in Ireland

-First time sewing something for myself (Never mind that it was just fixing the strap of my purse)

-First time having a cow come running when I call its name

-First time push mowing a big area

-First time eating rice pudding, fresh beet root, and red and black currants

-First time making homemade jam

-First time traveling completely alone

-First time drinking a pint

I couldn’t have asked for a better place to end my Irish journey, and I feel so thankful to have gained a second family.  I loved everything about my time at Blueberry Hill Farm and would encourage anyone wanting to visit Ireland to stop by and spend some time in County Kerry.  

I Love Gandhi

In honor of watching the life story of Mahatmas Gandhi in the movie Gandhi, I’ve decided to include a few of my favorite quotes of his as inspiration.

Action expresses priorities.

All compromise is based on give and take, but there can be no give and take on fundamentals. Any compromise on mere fundamentals is a surrender. For it is all give and no take. 

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

Be the change that you want to see in the world.

Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth.

Gentleness, self-sacrifice and generosity are the exclusive possession of no one race or religion. 

God, as Truth, has been for me a treasure beyond price. May He be so to every one of us. 

Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress. 

A Rainy Day at the Beach

When it’s raining out, most people cuddle up with a book in front of the fireplace.  At Blueberry Hill Farm, we drive to the beach so we can walk along the ocean.  The pictures I took were a reward for the punishment that was the wind.  Take me to the water any time.

Woodworking and the Honey Making Process

Well today came and went, but where did it go?  This morning I had to laundry so it’s dry and clean when I go home – again, how did time creep up on me like that?  Most of the time I’ve been in Ireland, I’ve laid awake at night counting the days, the hours, the minutes until I’m home again.  The nights are always the hardest.  I lay alone, the lights out, nothing left to occupy me but my thoughts.  It’s easier to not call home.  When I do, it only makes me feel homesick and reminds me of what I’m missing.  Being at this place is different, though.  I love being here.  I love the people.  I enjoy the work.  And I’m in awe of the scenery.  Everything about Blueberry Hill Farm is the perfect fit for me.  I feel challenged and love being able to have so many first experiences.  Most of the activities break down my comfort zone barrier and most of the conversations have been nothing short of philosophical.  I love being surrounded by people who think and feel differently than me when it comes to just about everything.  I love sitting around the table, sipping tea, discussing cultural differences, looking out and seeing the mountains in the distance.  Questioning and assessing one’s own beliefs is healthy and necessary when it comes to living a fulfilled life, and being here is making me realize I hold so many opinions I’ve never even thought about; they’re part of me somehow, and I’m not even sure how they got there.  Like how I use I microwave or enjoy painting my toenails or throw food away once the label tells me it’s expired.  They’re not necessarily important aspects of my personality, but combined, there are a lot of beliefs I’ve never questioned.  Today I learned how to do woodworking by nailing dowels into wood slats for the shelves that are newly hung in the farm kitchen.  I also had the chance to clean bee hives and learn about the honey making process.  Seeing Rosa and me move the supplies from one area to another would have given anyone a good laugh, as we’re not what most people would call strong, but we did manage do get everything where it needed to go.  We high fived at the end, and Rosa thinks it’s normal to make a chicken wing flap after you slap hands, so now we high five with a chicken wing flap every time we do something.  We also helped to make cheesy potatoes and cauliflower for dinner, which we got from the garden, along with a lettuce salad and a peach dessert.  After dinner we watched the movie Seven Years in Tibet and then went to bed.  And the pictures don't really correspond with the writing, but they're the only pictures I took today.

More Baby Ducklings and Blacksmithing

There is nothing as heartbreaking as seeing someone or something struggling and feeling powerless to help.   Seven of the baby ducklings hatched, but one wasn’t able to escape from its shell.  Sigi broke the outer layer open and assisted a little in the emergence of the final duckling.  After almost a whole day of pecking at its shell and attempting to meet the world, the duckling finally appeared.  Its left side didn’t work properly and it appeared to get disoriented quite easily, but nevertheless, it exceeded everyone’s expectations.  I didn’t want to write about her until after seeing her again this morning and making sure she was still alive, but as it turns out, she is quite a fighter and is even beginning to regain control of her left side.  We named her Hope, a tribute to her namesake.  I could watch her for hours.  The ducklings love to scamper around in their little box, and the funniest thing is how they like to walk through the water they drink out of.  Boundaries do not exist for them, and they are constantly crawling all over each other, despite their spacious accommodations.  Their tiny squeaking noises are reminders that they’re still alive and well, a true testament of hope for one of them.  I find being a part of the birth of animals such a great and special first experience.  Another big first for me was learning how to blacksmith.  Josh is an apprentice for Tom the blacksmith who has a forge attached to the house, and he helped me to make a leaf key ring.  Never before had I considered all that goes into the blacksmithing process, but it is much more difficult than I anticipated.  We started with a long stick of metal and set it in the fire so it would become malleable enough for us to bend the way we wanted.  We hammered the end into a point and then slowly flattened it out, taking it in and out of the fire several times.  My hammering technique was girly, to the say the least, but I was stronger than I realized and was able to accomplish more as my aim improved.  No one was hurt, and no one got burnt in the process, thank goodness, and the end result was an awesome leaf key ring that I am very proud of.  I really love how each member of the family has patiently taught me at least one of their talents.  Dominik taught me how to tie knots with rope.  Mara helped me sew my purse.  Josh helped me blacksmith.  Yvonne taught me how to bake, and Sigi taught me about beekeeping and woodworking.  After blacksmithing, we ate the peaches we canned in the morning with rice pudding for dinner, and Sigi and I had a philosophical discussion that I really enjoyed.  I told him about Eric’s brain tumor, which brought to the surface feelings I haven’t thought about in awhile.  It made me miss home.  Movie night with Rosa and Dominik helped alleviate the problem, and we stayed up until midnight watching Tristan and Isolde.  Every night I have the best intentions to go to bed earlier than I do, but it never happens; there are just too many exciting things happening around here.