Leaving Texas

The day has come. After more than two years of planning, it’s time to go. Time to leave the place of my birth and the place I’ve called home for most of my life for an ancient land, the land of my ancestors, to make a new beginning.

It took every waking moment of a month to sort through half a lifetime spent here in the wonderful home that Allen and I created and where we raised our family. Culling was a heart-wrenching task. Which sentimental items were essential and which weren’t?

For the record, I saved every single card my children, Ooma and Allen ever gave me.

Over the course of four days, five trucks showed up and were filled to the brim with our furniture, shrink-wrapped and cartoned within an inch of each piece’s life, and countless boxes packed with all of our memories and worldly possessions.

A nearly empty front hall.

A seatless sitting room.

Once a container is available, (which I hope is soon) all that stuff is ready to begin the journey down to Houston and then across the Atlantic.

Tetrising underway. 📦📦📦📦📦📦

Another consideration is Frank and Sister. They’re both flying over, too. But, on a different airline altogether. They’ve been chipped and vaccinated and are ready to fly. They’ll arrive next week and be delivered to our door! What a world.

At the Air Vet’s getting chipped and vaccinated. These two are truly the odd couple. Maybe they’ll finally become friends on this incredible journey.

He’s ready! I only wish he could be in my carryon!

A new chapter you say? No, no, no. This is too monumental. When asked, “Why on earth someone of your age would do this,” Allen replied, “I don’t want retirement to be the last chapter in my book. I want to start a new chapter in a new book!” My sentiments exactly.
So, a whole new book it is.

We will have to learn to drive on the other side of the road, from the wrong side of the car! I will have to learn kilometers instead of miles and grams instead of ounces and Celsius instead of Fahrenheit. Mostly, I’ll have to try to get used to not being boiled alive when I walk outside in the Texas summer to get in my parked car. I will not be missing that heat. 🥵

Here’s what beginning again will look like for us: we’ve bought an 1860’s Georgian manor house on 7 of the most gorgeous acres you’ve ever seen in Galway County, Ireland. We’re 25 minutes from the City Center and will be between the two villages of Rosscahill and Moycullen. Though I can’t say for sure, the woods around our new place seem ancient, virgin. As we were first driving up the lane to see it, Arden whispered, “How could you not be healthier just breathing the same air as these trees?” Having just devoured the book, The Overstory, those trees are enchanting to me.
In the 80’s, the home was turned into a 13 room, 15 bathroom hotel. We certainly don’t need 13 bedrooms, so we will reapportion those many rooms into suites and return “Ross Lake House Hotel” to its former home status, Killaguile. Which, appropriately, means “Church of the Foreigner” and/or “Wood Church.”
All of this will not be for the faint of heart but we are ready for the challenge and joy of creating a new place for our friends and family to gather.

A bit of the view on the drive up to the house, hereafter known as Killaguile.

A wee peek at the front of Ross Lake House Hotel as she is now. Photo credit: internet

I can just imagine Allen and me sitting by a crackling fire of an evening while it lashes rain outside. I am excited.

Along the way, I am going to write about it all. The process, the hurdles, the successes, end results, what we’re cooking, how Allen finds fishing in the North Atlantic, what we’re doing, discovering cuisine-wise (Galway has two Michelin-star restaurants!), as well as making art of and from our surroundings. I hope you will want to follow along and join this band of Texans in Ireland.

As we embark on this adventure, I draw tremendous inspiration from my wonderfully brave Irish and Scottish ancestors who forded the Atlantic to come to this country and begin life anew. It’s time, at last, to return. 💚

One of our many farewell to the Villa moments.