Granny with a laminator☀️🙏🏻

‘Thou will always rejoice in the evening if thou spend the day profitably’. 

(St. Thomas A. Kempis/Imitation of Christ)

My voice has returned, what a gift from God. I shall mind it. I shall appreciate it like purest gold and above all I shall thank God with every fibre of my being all the time.

Today’s beautiful prayer-sharing encounters might never have come to pass. Yes, I would share my prayer but no joyful sharings. No laughter!! What a loss!!

The young man who told me that he will remember me as the ‘Granny with a laminator’. Teenagers who relished Holy Spirit wisdom; ‘Pray it every morning. Can’t promise you nothing will be wrong but you’ll be strong’.

Yes indeed, laryngitis has gifted me much! My life before and after is how it feels right now. New beginnings. 

Now it is Your voice, precious Lord. It is not mine.

“Live in Me. I am your principle, your fountain of life and joy, the day spring of your being. And that is why when you see Me you will be able to say ‘I recognise You, You whom I had never seen”. (Jesus to Gabrielle/He and I)

Rest and renewal☀️🙏🏻

                         ‘Each moment opens the wholeness of time’. (St. Pope John Paul 11)

Laringitis has put a stop to my mad gallop, for now. Oh how much I took my voice for granted!! Going forward not so!! Word-sparing I shall be. I shall not withhold a kind word, never, but useless unnecessary details shall remain dormant. Boding well for that fateful day when I will be asked to give an account of every word!! I shudder to think…

‘But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the Day of Judgment’. (Matthew 12:36)

Kitty, who knows suffering, gently suggests; ‘Perhaps you talk too much’. Yes indeed dear Kitty!. Couldn’t have said it better myself!!

St. Anne’s Holy Rosary placed on hold for a few weeks. I shall miss my precious folk but, God willing, when my vocal chords are rested and strong, I shall return once again to that sacred sacrosanct space of healing, light, and unutterable joy.

‘Take rest, a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop’. (Ovid)

Dear lady from South Korea received my prayer yesterday. Prayer-sharing continues, despite and maybe even because of my limited word-power, more of Jesus, less of me.

 Laminated in deepest Kerry, prayed in South Korea. Exhilarating!!

                                ‘He must increase and I must decrease’. (John 3:30)

Dropped by Church this morning on my way to Docter’s and sitting happily my two sisters. Joy!! Laughter! Prayer and gratitude to God. Our way in our humble childhood back then, our way still today. We know no other way, all glory to God.

Claude 🐈‍⬛ always wishing he could somehow squeeze his way inside. Forever hopeful Claude.

‘If you do not hope, you will not find what is beyond your hopes’. (St. Clement)

To be unbothered no matter what!☀️🙏🏻

Derm’s AI creations!! Comedic!! No, I was not thrilled to be taking leave of my wonderful family. Never!! Holy Mass every morning in their respective Churches. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament too. Time with my precious grandchildren. Scintillating sharings with their parents. Copious prayers shared. Countless enjoyable impromptu encounters. 

My holiday begins as I step outside of my own front door and not when my destination is reached. Every tiny thing is pure gift! Every journey a holiday no matter the circumstance, issue or trial.

Back home in bed now with laryngitis. No talking. No singing either. Silence is golden. We never miss the water till the well runs dry!!

Barely whispering with dear John about God’s divine gift of detachment. ‘Yes’, he replies gently; ‘To be unbothered no matter what’. True! Self preoccupation is the equivalent to misery!

Seemingly, guy one time, near here, earned himself the nick name; ‘Optician’. His conversations beginning and ending with ‘I’ every time and without fail.

‘I had a little tea party this afternoon at three. T’was very small - three guests in all, I, myself and me. Myself ate all the sandwiches, while I drank all the tea, t’was also I who ate the pie and passed the cake to me’. (Jessica Nelson North). 

Derm’s childhood school poem. Fond memory. I could only recall the first line. Kind Google!

Claude 🐈‍⬛ lives in hope! He expects me to return and I do every time. Free-range, Claude copes fine as all cats do but his delightful visits fill me with hope without measure!!

Thank you God for EVERYTHING.

Precious moments in God’s time☀️🙏🏻

Found this beauty on the beach. Reminding me of Holy Cross🙏🏻

Back home again having spent most glorious time with family, awaiting Aria Grace’s delightful arrival. Waiting was easy for me!! Holy Mass every morning, forest strolls with Derm, early to bed, fun and laughter with my lovely Luna, calming chats with Shona. 

Holy Priest beautiful in every way. When I told him that I loved his wise homily every morning (he speaks scripture like he is living every moment) and the way he offers Holy Mass no matter how many attend (sometimes only five). Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament before Holy Mass even though sometimes just Father and myself, his reply confirmed what I truly believe in my own life: ‘I show up. I do what God asks of me. That is all’. All for Jesus.

Wonderful encounter with elderly man who owns local store and Funeral Home (Mortuary). He was so funny!! He told me that he had many ‘near death experiences’, he is blessed to be still here. One time while in hospital, nurse asked if they could move him to another ward as the window beside his bed was cracked. ‘Oh begorra I don’t mind where you move me once it is not the mortuary’, was his witty reply. 

He gave me a tour of his ‘state of the art’ Funeral Home. Dubious at first, he told me: ‘No need to be afraid. It is natural’. Never before have I witnessed anyone so utterly chuffed with a Funeral Home. Theology extraordinaire!!

Two artists two different mornings on my way to Holy Mass. Two wonderful encounters. One accepted my prayer. One did not. The one who did not pointed me along a really short-cut to Church. Every action a transaction!!

Something amazing has dawned on me!! I have definitely received the gift of detachment!! All glory to God. I can feel it in my bones. Better to like all seasons than to be eternally in love with spring!! Heard that quote many years ago and now I really know what it means. 

Had Aria Grace arrived when I got there, had she not taken her time emerging, Luna and I would not have been so relaxed and happy together while parents were in the hospital. God works everything for our good all the time. We sang a song I learned sixty five years ago and now Luna sings it all the time. My children sang it and now my children’s children.;

‘When I see the sun I sing, Thankyou God for everything. The birds, the flowers, the humming bees, the ripen fruit, the tall green trees’.

Wonderful quote from Pope Benedict’s book, ‘Last Testament’, I reread on my week of bliss;  ‘Today I will pay myself a visit. I do hope that I’m at home’. (Karl Valentin)

May we always be home in our heart, doing good, showing kindness, as we go.

‘If your heart-peace is unruffled, then every thought is a mighty force for ME. Then every act is one of power’. (Jesus/He and I)

‘Whatever happens, what does it matter? Since you are Mine, since you live in my love? Since your pathway on earth leads to everlasting life, let everything take you to it’. (Jesus to Gabrielle Bossis/He and 

I)

My teenage granddaughter sent me this ‘surprise find’ photo. I love how she knows how much I love Jesus with every beat of my heart. Blessed Nan me!!

Aria Grace☀️🙏🏻

Welcome to our world Aria Grace Nolan. You are beyond welcome, beautiful baby. What joy is ours!! Thank you Holy Trinity one God from our deepest heart. 

‘No man can live without delight’ (Thomas Aquilas)

‘The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for all that He, in His goodness, sends to us day after day’. (St. Gianna Molla)

Do what you do do well☀️🙏🏻

‘Whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things and the God of peace will be with you’. (Philippians 4:8)

Fuel protests in progress. How can this be!! If I am doing something that hurts you how can I possibly have right on my side. Would my conscience not tell me so!

No, Mr/Mrs Protestor, you are not protesting in my name!!

Ordinary folk like me are not benefiting, in fact you are hurting us. Maybe not so much this little old grandmother in deepest Kerry but countless are struggling because of your misguided shenanigans. 

‘The snowflake never needs to feel sorry for the avalanche’. (Jon Ronson)

Oh yea, almost forgot! God had no country! We are all God’s family. God has no favourites.

The real Irish people are many, varied, all sizes, shapes and colour. Happy days!!

When Mother Teresa was asked one time about ‘world peace’, she replied serenely; ‘ Love the folk you live with’. Not always easy to do but superb starting-point!

‘Let them turn away from evil and do good; Let them seek peace and pursue it’. (1Peter 3:11)

‘Thou dost keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because He trusts in Thee’. (Isaiah 26:3)

Total gift☀️🙏🏻

‘A joyful heart makes for a dazzling countenance’. (Proverbs 15:13)

John calls. ‘I have your Easter egg. Come and get it before there is a tragedy’. My heart skips a beat! ‘What tragedy, John’, I ask. ‘I might eat it myself’, he replies, laughing loudly as only John does. John does pain and laughter in equal measure!

Easter Sunday, almost to his place I call John. ‘Did you eat the Easter egg John’. ‘I did. You didn’t jump fast enough’, he replies. ‘No problem John, I hope you enjoyed it’, I say. He did!!

Next morning he calls early; ‘Sorry about your Easter egg. I will get you something far better’. ‘You will not John’, I reply. ‘Our friendship is best gift of all’

Journeying with John is unutterably beautiful, heavenly, and totally undeserved. Pure gift! Ten years steadfast friends.

Again I quote Cardinal Robert Sarah; ‘Words spoil anything that surpasses them’.

They arrived in our town from a land far far away. When their baby was born, I gifted them a Frameo. Having photos of home and all else on display in their compact apartment would surely bring them joy and comfort. I love my Frameo. My family close at all times!! Yesterday they were so excited gifting me my new head-scarf. They ordered it from their own country. I love it so much!! My heart is full to overflowing. Sharing and caring is the only life worth living!! 

‘It is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness’. (Eleanor Roosevelt).