What We're Reading: A Swiftly Tilting Planet (Erin)

The big kitchen of the Murray's house was bright and warm, curtains drawn against the dark outside, against the rain driving past the house from the northeast.  Meg Murray O'Keefe had made an arrangement of chrysanthemums for the dining table, and the yellow, bronze, and pale-gold blossoms seemed to add light to the room. A delectable smell of roasting turkey came from the oven, and her mother stood by the stove, stirring the giblet gravy.

It was good to be home for Thanksgiving, she thought, to be reunited with family, catching up on what each one had been doing.

So begins A Swiftly Tilting Planet, the third installment in Madeleine L'Engle's Time Quintet. In this timely book, a grown-up Meg and teenage Charles Wallace are living in an America suffering from an increasingly unstable political climate and the threat of rogue dictators. At Thanksgiving dinner, they receive a phone call and realize they have 24 hours to avert nuclear disaster. Meg and Charles Wallace will have to draw on their inner strength in order to recognize "Etchthroi," or the powers of evil, and change "might-have-beens," the turning points in history.

Each chapter of the book is titled after a line in an Irish rune which becomes central to the story as the plot progresses. As the powers of darkness in the present grow more and more threatening, Charles Wallace must use his goodness to influence past events.

In this fateful hour
All Heaven with its power
The sun with its brightness
The snow with its whiteness
The fire with all the strength it hath
The lightning with its rapid wrath
The winds with their swiftness
The sea with its deepness
The rocks with their steepness
The earth with its starkness
All these I place
By God's almighty help and grace, 
Between myself and the powers of darkness.  

Through Charles Wallace and other characters, we are reminded that we each may be living "in this fateful hour," and even a seemingly small decision may have enormous consequences. Their choices are good reminders of how important it is that we choose on the side of good whenever possible. Will anyone be willing to make the ultimate choice and put themselves between civilization and the powers of darkness?

Attributions:
https://pixabay.com/en/photos/?hp=&image_type=&cat=&min_width=&min_height=&q=+chrysanthemum+bouquets&order=popular
https://pixabay.com/en/celebration-christmas-cuisine-315079/ 
https://pixabay.com/en/coast-rock-cliff-cliffs-clouds-1502688/
 

Top Three Memorable Moments of Our Irish Vacation (Erin)

Well, you may remember I was headed out to Ireland in one of my last posts. We spent three amazing weeks sightseeing and visiting family in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and England, and I have some stories for you.

1.  We spent a few days in Dublin and then flew over to England and spent three amazing days in

London. We toured the Tower of London (the site of many beheadings), the Imperial War Museum, and saw Les Miserables at the Queen's Theater. On the way back from the theater, though, Chad thought we really should take the Emirates Gondola ride over the Thames. Now, you have to understand, I don't like heights under normal circumstances, but a gondola? Over water? Now that all my children are old enough to have grown braver than me, I didn't have an excuse to sit out. One of my children snapped a picture when I was feeling terrified, but at least I wasn't hyperventilating or shaking uncontrollably. I actually kept my eyes open the whole time!

2. One of our favorite cities was Galway, where we listened to buskers (street musicians) and poked around in iconic Irish gift shops.

However, the walk-up apartment I had booked us in, while beautiful and spacious on the inside, may have been located on the sketchier side of Galway. In retrospect, I probably should have been covering my husband's and son's eyes as we navigated through combination-locked gates and alleys, only to traipse past stores and lounges devoted to "lovely ladies." We finally fell asleep, only to be awakened the next morning by a blaring alarm and red lights flashing in our living room. I stumbled out of bed and realized my husband was nowhere to be found. After searching in all the rooms, I gave up and convinced my children to put their shoes on. However, I had forgotten, in Europe, you lock the door with a key from the inside. So, the alarm was still screeching, the red light was still pulsing, and I was becoming more frantic as I tried to open the locked door. Eventually, I located my husband's wallet and keys, and we let ourselves out into the courtyard. We waited, while a group of rougher-looking men peered down at us from the balcony where they were smoking and chatting. After a few minutes, the alarms were shut down and we shuffled back into the apartment where my son found a note his dad had left perched on the bathroom sink. He was out for a run.

3. Fantasy fans, close your eyes for a minute and envision the "Cliffs of Insanity." The ones Fezzik, in The Princess Bride, scaled, carrying three people on his back. These are Ireland's Cliffs of Moher. Wesley scaled them solo shortly after. Now, close your eyes again and imagine your three beloved children, or dogs, or best friends scampering at the top of those cliffs! Needless to say, I had sweaty armpits and a shaky voice as I tried to keep my kiddos close to me. Thankfully, my husband didn't let them climb around over the fence, so no one met a rocky death, or fell into the ocean. And despite some mud and mist, no one crashed into the electric fence meant to keep the cows off the other side of the path, either.

Although each of these stories made my heart race at the time, they are fun to look back on. "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7).

When is the last time you felt fear about doing something exciting? Was your fear worth the experience?

Personal Notes: Erin on Travel to the Emerald Isle

As you read this, we are just days away from boarding an airplane and heading out across the Atlantic. We are headed to visit my namesake country, where my sister and her family have lived for over a decade. Our destination is Ireland, a land steeped in mystery, myth and history. Whether you are talking about fairies, druids, or selkies, Ireland has a wealth of rich myths to draw on.

I am most excited to visit family, of course. I have adorable nieces and nephew and my children can't wait to see their cousins. However, there are some sites I am looking forward to seeing, as well.

 The Giants' Causeway

Doesn't this just sound like a fairy tale title? This is one of my nieces' favorite places to play and bring visitors, so naturally we are enthusiastic about spending time here. I hope I have time to sit with my journal (in between chasing children) and dream a little about the giants who may have walked these paths.



The Cliffs of Moher (Also known as the Cliffs of Insanity from The Princess Bride)

This looks breathtaking in all the photos. I am hoping for a clear day and auspicious circumstances, but I hope my fear of heights doesn't kick in. Also, my other sister tried to visit these cliffs on her last visit, but was sick on the day they had booked their tour. My goal for this trip is to relax and roll with events, but I would love to have no anxiety, good weather and a healthy family on the day we are planning to tackle the cliffs. Thankfully, I don't have to scale them hauling three people up a rope! 



The Wild Atlantic Way

A 2,500 kilometer tour along the western coast of Ireland, this route encompasses six different regions of Ireland, each highlighting a different landscape. While we will only get to drive a little bit on these roads, the steep crags and salt water bays are alluring and mysterious. Whether we stop at ancient portal tombs like the Dolmen Center or scramble around castle ruins, there is more than enough food for the imagination here.

I am hoping to come home with a journal full of images, ideas and word sketches that hopefully will show up in my writing at some point.

Do you keep a journal when you travel? Do places you've been show up in your work? Leave a comment and let us know!


Attributions:
https://pixabay.com/en/giant-s-causeway-northern-ireland-539869/
https://pixabay.com/en/cliffs-of-moher-ireland-nature-sea-1569692/
https://www.google.com/search?q=dolmen+center+ireland+images&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwju4O2x4afUAhWLjFQKHSqFATEQ7AkIPg&biw=1300&bih=641#imgrc=s8Ef3Z-gd0VF-M: