This break was longer than I expected. Thank you for the nice comments and e-mails I received while I was gone. The summer has been tough, and while it was good to be at home with my family for four weeks, that time was spent in hope, a hope that ended up being crushed as soon as I got back here - I thought I was prepared, and yet it hit me so much harder than I had feared it would.
But I am trying to focus on good things: my health, my work, the house I live in and the wonderful people in my life who have made me feel so loved. And all the small-yet-big things that are part of it all: the sweet peas on my windowsill that a friend brought, one of many unexpected gifts; the beautiful end-of-summer weather we have had; the books I am reading that are teaching me so much and those I am reading in the middle of the night when I can't get back to sleep; gradually being able to run for longer and faster; Connemara in golden light; feeling more serene in the face of obstacles; making new friends...
These pictures are from my time at home. I didn't capture the best of it on camera (my family, obviously), but they were there, surrounding what can be seen here.
| The cats are part of the family, of course.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1CrjNu-Tn3UuJnNHuMaUzMlXGeDRAcdZMi3T5v7bb23IpFuPdpJcQO5iY-ULJ3y6WxMk5tYNFitIQj8lvKvm03RKdFTl_6LJpzr7QR0uSW_rLI_Qb30JUEZIW8ge2A5cSYrhyphenhyphenY4EFXps/s1600/Frida.jpg)
| An all-female outing (my mom, my sisters and I) to see this exhibition.
| Evening sky on the way to Heidelberg.![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDfQoBM8DpgaXedquDYgOgz22T6eFP5DE6Xd8IsDQ0vA7c4HxJx7E0FYiFMYqT5FOnSUHlaZ3OtTrLC1mhhT7uNzr35A6a82ROOLAZvN18tS-rb1dQaqgaStkH-WOSGXetqBJ9weEAIh8/s1600/flapper.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJacRtuNv3teWtcA_QYqecg3o-TbvRFRHP7EHKvdKhYD2SPNbFmwsaF5jg9cFrxlEGzGidDclI4QZexitwd11zyHchXO8Dq1tB_TjopzNt12dch_3HbWVLgsbfrqgGDr2JuHx3iT_UkE4/s1600/kettle.jpg)
| Colourful fruit
| Summer reading while cat-sitting. And the nice feeling of being able to wear a summer dress or bikini all day long (here in Ireland it's bath robes and scarves in the house again).
Sending love and warm thoughts to you. ~♥ It's good to have you back!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Holly xx
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