Wow, looks like it’s been a while since I’ve posted, and how I’ve missed you! I’d love to catch you up on everything that has happened since last summer, but that would take way too long. Suffice to say, summertime saw our Irish girl come home for two weeks and then John and I flew to Ireland and visited her and HER John, whom we call JD, in Sligo for two weeks in September!

John (aka JD) and Caitlin on our walk to Benbulbin, near Sligo.

Then my younger daughter, Brenna, graduated from the University of Vermont, scoring a perfect 4.0 for her final semester! We spent the afternoon Christmas shopping on Church Street and watching the street performers, who did not seem perturbed by the cold!

Impromptu caroling on Church Street, Burlington, VT



Brenna and I, having a celebratory lunch at Luenig’s Bistro in downtown Burlington.

Finally, John and I were so happy to have Caitlin and JD join us for Christmas this year! My heart was so happy, and our Christmas couldn’t have been merrier. JD’s parents, Caroline and Gerry, joined us two days later, and our house was filled with beautiful, lilting words like grand and lovely and notions and we drank lots of tea!

Caitlin, baking gingerbread cookies.



Celebrating New Year’s Eve at Loretta Restaurant in Newburyport. L-R: Me, JD, Caitlin, Gerry, Caroline, and Brenna.

There were so many wonderful fun-filled moments that it would be impossible to capture them all. We spent two nights in Bethel, Maine, eating delicious food and playing dominos and laughing and learning Irish insults.

Some final pictures…JD badly sprained his ankle while rock-climbing, so you see him icing it here.

I was so sad to see these LOVELY people return to Ireland, but that just means I get to plan our next trip! I can’t wait to see what other wonderful things await us in 2019!