Saturday, July 16, 2011

14 Days, 21 Pubs, Many Pints, Laughs and Memories

Day One - Shannon to Doolin

Car hire ( not rental ) put us in a Nissan stick shift that barely contained all our luggage. We slammed down the trunk and it would have been away we go, but someone remembered the camera in the trunk and then when we went to open it - it wouldn’t. End result - instant upgrade before we left the parking lot to a standard Mercedes.

And we were off - quite awkwardly with Jerome behind the wheel. Luckily the first road from Shannon to Gort was a 4-lane divided highway, so Jerome had a bit of practice without oncoming interruption. We stopped in Gort at the place with the placards advertising all day food - but it wasn’t open - Sunday morning. A lovely local stopped us on the street and directed us to ……. And our Irish breakfast adventure began. David and Jerome with the traditional including both white and black pudding.
We girlfriends can't believe we are finally in Ireland!

Gort made it to the itinerary because is near Coole Park, home of the famous Lady Gregory and W. B. Yeats “wild Swans at Coole” fame. Very informative film and a rainy, blustery stroll to the lake and through the gardens to see the famous autograph tree.

Entrance to Coole Park


Tree lined park

Friday, July 8, 2011

The Battle Hymn of Stonewall Nix by Baker Lawley

The Battle Hymn of Stonewall Nix by Baker Lawley is the best YA novel that you can't runout and read - yet!  Lawley sat next to me at AP grading in June.  Since he grew up in Mississippi, I started talking to him about the South and blues music and by the end of the week, he agreed to let me read his book that is targeted at young male readers - a demographic we agreed is underserved.  Protagonist Stonewall Nix is the son of a rabid Civil War demonstrator in the sleepy town of Pine Bough.  He and his best friend Clyde, an African American high school football star who also happens to play in the marching band, lazily contemplate the LCDs - lowest common denominators - of high school and the One More Reason's why life in their dying old lumber mill town sucks.  Then, just at the Board of Ed is getting ready to cut marching band from the curriculum, the new girl comes to town.  Motivated by teen lust, a share love of, of all things, marching band and American history, and Sadie's red hair, Stoney decides to join his father's  reenactors for the first time to impress the girl.  Lawley' book embraces the awkwardness of high school, reaffirms the importance of having a sense of place, and, most importantly, is a love song to the blues.