Grand Canyon

I'm having a hard time readjusting to life in MN after the trip!!


I am so glad we got to go to the Grand Canyon but will be honest that I'm disappointed we didn't have much time there. I feel like I need a good week there to explore and sit and think and look. But it was good.

The Tuesday before we left, I went with my 8 year old on his field trip to the MN Science Museum. We watched an IMAX movie about the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. Very cool and glad we got to see such an interesting view point on it right before we went.
I found a trailer:):


Photos never seem to be able to do the Grand Canyon justice. The thing that struck me the most was how QUIET it was. No birds or animals, and where we stopped, we were the only humans there. It was beautiful and amazing.

Five Years Time

Noah and the Whale's 'Five Years Time'

I love this song. It's got a ukelele, it's cute and quirky and happy, and makes me want to watch 'The Royal Tannebaums'.

We have also been discussing where we want to be in our lives in 5 years. I've never really done this, because I'm fairly spontaneous and hate planning things. But goals and vision certainly do need to have things done to get to them. I still want to go back to school within that time, work in an educational/creative way.

What about you???

Your Special Message is...

Joy...

For a quarter, this beautiful sculpture will spin and he will point out a word for you. This is in between the Conservatory and Zoo portions of the Como Zoo. He makes me happy.

Irish in St Paul

I'm glad I started my St Patrick's posts before the day, because I'm very very behind!!

St Paul, MN was originally founded by 3 Irishmen. Lake Phalen and Phalen Park bears the name of one of them. There was a lot of drama involved with these three men, more drama for one post! Many Irish came to the Midwest and were able to start new lives. St Paul especially, has many visible signs.

Irish dancers at the Irish Fair in downtown St Paul. (Normally, we are not around so many dancers! This year has been a bit interesting that way!)


Celtic Cross headstone in Calvary Cemetery. I went exploring right before we got hit with a winter storm. The sky was very dark and it was pleasantly spooky! I was looking for certain graves, which I did not find, but I did find F Scott Fitzgerald's grandparents.



F Scott Fitzgerald's grandparents, Philip and Louisa MacQuillan. There were three children listed on the side as well, died very young, all about a year or two. I ended up taking the kids to see this after the Como Zoo, since my youngest is named after this branch of my family.



St Patrick's Church of St Paul. I love the staff on the church sign.

Gorilla in the Sun, a True Sign of Spring!

It warmed up out here, so the boys and I went to the Como Zoo in Roseville last weekend. I think this guy had the right idea: find the sunniest spot and take a nap! The second photo is just to show how much snow was still on the ground. I had the boys in their winter coats and sneakers, but I should have had them in their boots and short sleeves. All those puddles + boys = an irresistible combo!

Castle Dunluce, Ireland

My paternal grandfather's family lived in this castle over 400 years ago. Lots of drama involved with this gorgeous ruin, on Giant's Causeway. I love all the lore, I have spent hours researching the family histories, rivalries, tragedies and supernatural things involved. EatCrayons mentioned in my last post that she wants to move there and I would love to as well. There is something about the green land and the graying stone that move me.Realistically, I will be very happy if we can visit at some point and this will be the other place that I think I could feasibly spend weeks!

More photos my dad took when he was there:



A fun video with a song called Dunluce Castle by the Irish Rovers.

Armagh, Ireland

March 17 is always one of my favorite days. Not only is it a chance to embrace being of Irish heritage, but it was also my Irish grandmother's birthday. She came to America in 1925 on the Canopic, a sister ship of the Titanic, when she was just two years old. In researching some genealogy, I found some paperwork on my grandmother and her parents, and that they were from Armagh. Of course, I had to research Armagh! It's a beautiful city, and where St Patrick founded his cathedral in 457.

We still have quite a bit of family out there and my dad and stepmom were able to go and visit with them a few years back. These are some of the photos that dad took of St Patrick's church.





There is also an Observatory there. I've been watching some videos on Armagh and I could probably spend weeks there, just in the Observatory and orrery, not to mention the churches.