Not all who wander are lost

              Tom Neilan is a spry 88 years old, with truly a twinkle in his eyes and a ready smile on a craggy farmer’s face. Wearing a worn workshirt and a cap soft with age, he seems to me as much a part of the land he owns and works as the sheep and cattle there. His farm, some 100 acres in all, surrounds the thatched-roof cottage where I have been living in quarantine since arriving in Ireland June 22. I first met Tom on the one-lane road down the way, driving his ancient, rumbling tractor that I could easily have out-walked. I soon learned … Continue Reading

Mine is the story of an everyday life that is about to take a turn toward the extraordinary. Within days, I will board an airplane from the U.S. bound for Ireland, a place I will soon call home. I know few people there. I haven’t traveled frequently to the “ould sod” like so many who know its nooks and crannies. I don’t have a lot of money and never have. I am long divorced, recently retired, fortunate to be strong, healthy and wiser than ever before. I think I know myself, and yet I know the person who has lived an everyday life. What joys … Continue Reading