The green, green fields of Ireland

Peggy and I just returned form a wonderful trip to Ireland. We ate, drank, toured, met new friends and had a great time. Speaking of time- it is something that is so precious.

Peggy danced with some Irish Dancers (her maiden name was Peggy Shane) and made it look easy.

She also found her "happy place" in some Irish Thrift Shops. She totally amazed our waitress at the castle one night. The woman couldn't believe that Peggy had Purchased an Irish Knit Sweater for about 6 dollars. See the picture with her examining the label.

The Buce

The buce is how our bus driver pronounced the word, bus. His name was Mickey Nolan and what a colorful character he was. We disliked him at first but soon found him to be a wealth of knowledge, a great storyteller, a humorist, and most important, a good organizer and leader.

He would give instructions at the end of each day: "Now listen up- breakfie at sex terdy-ya hare- sex terdy, sex terdy, sex terdy. Buce leaves one orr later-if yer late-I'll ave yer ass".

Driving the large buce on those narrow, winding roads was no easy task. Mickey was quite skilled and very accommodating, stopping frequently for photo opps.

One interesting part of the bus was the location of the toilet-it was located below seat level. Not only was it difficult to access, but it was extremely small. Needless to say it was used infrequently.

Irish Pubs

Who could go to Ireland with the Quinns and not visit the pubs-a lot of them. The Quinns are great travelling companions and we had a super time. Guiness is the "drink of the land". It is on tap in every pub-and tastes considerably better than the Guiness served in the states. Peggy orders "Guiness with black". The bartender adds a little bit of blackberry liqueur- it softens and slightly sweetens the taste. It's good but I prefer mine "straight".

Everytime we travel, we try to stay awy from places where tourists frequent. In Kilarney we found a neat, off the beaten path pub called Husseys. The locals were super friendly-it was so crowded, two Irish Ladies asked us to share their table.

Food and Lodging

Before we left for Ireland, my neighbor in Quakertown was kidding me about how terrible the food would be- beans and crackers for breakfast, mutton, etc. Hw was WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!

Carol Kasper, our friend and travel agent really set us up with a perfect trip-and one exceptional value. The hotels were wonderful-one of them was a castle built in the 1700's. The one picture shows the castle stable converted to guest rooms.

Getting Sconed

We visited an Irish Farm-it was like the Amish Farms in Lancaster-where tourists experience farm life plus sample the food.

We had freshly made scones, whipped butter and a blend of fruit jams-Excellent!

The farmer gave a great talk about farming in Ireland. One fact amazed me-it costs more to shear a sheep than the wool is worth. He said that the wool is poor quality and they import wool for their sweaters. Lamb is the big profit maker.

Bogs of Ireland

A large portion of the land we visited had extensive areas of bog,or peat , or turf as the Irish call it. The depth of the bogs varies from a few feet to 20 or more. A large number of Irish artifacts have been found in them-jewelry, tools, and even completely clother bodies-having been well preserved. Our guide said the bogs "grow" at the rate of three feet per 1000 years. The mosses and grass die, decompose and the bog "grows".

The pictures show a man cutting peat (turf) by hand. He then places it in rows, turning it every three weeks until it dries completely. It is stored in a dry area to be used as fuel. At one time it was even used as insulation in the houses.

A Noble Cause

Andrea Thrush 's Team In Training Page
Thriving, Resilient, Inspiring (TRI).....

My TEAM hero, Brad!
These are 3 words that come to mind when I think of Bradley Davco and all others who have battled a blood related cancer. Welcome to my Team In Training home page. Thank you for visiting!!
I am training to participate in an endurance event, the Philadelphia Insurance TRIathlon, as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training (TNT). While preparing for this event, I will hold in my heart many individuals who are or have battled a blood cancer, especially one young man I have come to know and admire over the past 5 1/2 years. Bradley Davco, my personal TEAM hero, is a 10 year old boy who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in July of 2005, at the young age of 9. He is presently undergoing treatment at Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania (CHOP), receiving nightly doses of oral, monthly infusions of intravenous, and quarterly spinal tap injections of multiple chemotherapy and other maintenance medications. I am happy to say he is beating his illness with strength and determination as a thriving 5th grader..... and will be completing his treatment in September of 2008!!! I will support Brad and his loved ones in my heart to and beyond this milestone!!!
In exchange for the training I receive through TNT, I will raise money, with a goal of $2500, for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. So, I now ask for your support in not only helping me cross the finish line (and not drown in the Schukyll River!), but most importantly, in recognizing the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's invaluable influence on searching for a cure!!! Your generous tax-deductible donation will directly support the Society's mission.....to advance research, to find a cure, and to support patients and their families battling these devastating disorders!!! Donations can be accepted through this website with a credit card, or with a check (made payable to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society) or cash given to me personally or sent to my home at 2285 Warner School Road, East Greenville, PA 18041. Thank you so much!!!!
I hope you'll visit my web site often to see my progress. I wholeheartedly thank you for your generous support! With much gratitude, Andrea

Please check out the website:

www.active.com/donate/tntepa/tntepaAThrush