What’s missing?…How can we stay entertained and engaged?…

Ruins of a castle on the drive to Balleyconneely.

“Fascinating Fact of the Day About Ireland”
“Ireland is home to what could be the oldest pub in the world. It was opened in
900 AD.”

It would be unrealistic to say we find a level of contentment in every country we visit. It seems the determining factor is how well we can entertain ourselves when we feel like being considered.

Unfortunately, here in Ireland, we’re stuck indoors most days with the cool, windy, and rainy weather. Each sunny day, we can’t get out the door quickly enough to explore, take photos and reach a destination we’re curiously seeking.

Seagulls on the craggy rocks in Balleyconneely.

We’ve made a list of places we’d like to visit while here, but with only 55 days remaining until we depart for Amsterdam, time is quickly closing in, and we wonder if we’ll be able to see these points of interest while here.

I’ve been nudging Tom for us to get out and research his ancestry but with the distances to the locations in which to explore, we hesitate to go. Also, as he’s continued research on Ancestry.com, he doubts he’d be able to find anything when records weren’t diligently kept for citizens in Ireland during that era, the early 1800s, and further back.

A dad and son are looking for seashells on the beach.

Instead, he fills his days with mindless drivel while I prepare the posts, prep the meals, and do the laundry. I spend a certain part of each day dealing with the insurance issues resulting from my four surgeries between January and April. The “paperwork” never seems to end.

Don’t get me wrong…we aren’t bored. We’re rarely, if ever, bored. In the quietest of times, we can always plug in the HDMI cord to my computer and the TV and watch a movie, although we rarely do so during daylight hours.

A few years ago, we both used to read a lot of books on our phones. But, for some reason, we’ve lost interest in reading books and instead read news and general information online.  

In Ireland, many cliffs and rocky walls line the shoreline. It was great to see a few beaches, but none attracted sunbathers and swimmers in the cool weather.

Isn’t it amazing that if we so much as conceive of an idea or have a question, we can go to the Internet for an answer? Tom seems to enjoy this type of research more than I do since I try to avoid using my laptop unless I have an important reason after I’ve uploaded the day’s post.

Is something missing right now? For Tom, not much. He’s always able to entertain himself. But, for me…I have to work a little harder to find ways to entertain myself.  

With the limitations of the past almost five months since the diagnosis of heart disease at the end of January 2019 and subsequent multiple surgeries, I’ve felt a little trapped at times.

We no more tire of seeing sheep than we did warthogs and kudus.

In Marloth Park, once I was able to wander out to the veranda at the end of the bed rest period, seeing the wildlife entertained me and kept me busy most days. This was only for about a month but it made me realize how much I was dependent upon the wildlife visits to keep me engaged and excited each day.

I suppose, for me, that’s what’s missing. But, soon enough we’ll be moving along, cruising, spending shorter periods in various country locations in the UK and eventually visiting the US when our days and nights will be complete.

There are no regrets. There is no sorrow over what has transpired since the end of January. There is no grieving over the loss of seeing the animals every day and its excitement.  

Instead, there’s a powerful sense of gratefulness that supersedes all else.  Regardless of the challenges presented along the way, they are softened by taking the time to appreciate what we do have instead of what we don’t. We continue on this path.

Have a peaceful day filled with gratitude.

Photo from one year ago today, June 17, 2018:
We haven’t seen Scar Face in weeks and look forward to his return. Now, we have a particular affinity for Tusker, who’s very shy but practically swoons when I talk to him in a goofy high pitched voice…you know, the voice some of us use when talking to pets and babies. For more photos, please click here.

Comments and responses What’s missing?…How can we stay entertained and engaged?…

  1. Unknown Reply

    Please don't let the weather keep you inside….buy a sweatshirt and a raincoat and go….we've been in Ireland and Scotland as well as the Baltic countries. In any of these places the weather can be cool, rainy, windy a lot of days. We don't let it keep us inside and eat up days of a trip…..go despite the weather.

  2. Jessica Reply

    Dear Unknown, we so appreciate your comment. But, the reality for us is two-fold right now. One, I only had two surgeries on both of my legs a short time after cardiac bypass surgery, a little over two months ago and walking on uneven surfaces presents a serious risk of falling. Secondly, for us, this isn't a "trip." This is our daily lives and in our old lives, we seldom went "sightseeing." We have warm clothing and raincoats but I must heal more before we get out on slippery surfaces. This is our reality right now and we strive every day to make the best of it, in good and bad weather. Thank you kindly for your comment. It is greatly appreciated.
    Warmest regards,
    Jess & Tom

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