Return from Dublin

It’s hard to believe I haven’t made a post since Wednesday. Yet, I know too that I have had incredibly busy days.  Also, bad news. Another death in my family, on my son-in-law’s side. So sad, so unexpected. I think I’ve had enough death and other bad things happen this past year. We are all crushed.

My programs at Ranger, Texas High School (Civil War Program) and at Dublin (Scots-Irish Program) Intermediate School were so much fun. The teachers were gracious, and the students were vibrant, funny, respectful and eager to learn. I’ll have more photos, but here is a photo of one of the teachers, Julie, and her little dog who came to class also, Presley Irish, who was also celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with us.

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Friday night, I had a book signing at Hastings Bookstore in Stephenville. It was another near sell-out. As you can see below, in the town of Stephenville, I also had my photo taken under Moola the Cow. This is big dairy country. (Stephenville is the home of Jewel and Ty Murray. Remember Jewel did a song of Stephenville).

moola

I also marched with the local SCV groups in the morning parade. I’ll post some photos of them soon. After the parade, I changed into my kilt, drove to the city park where the the festival was, and set up my table for the festival. Sales were brisk and I met so many cool people. Below are some photos: Me with the local bank’s leprechaun,  me with some of the Miss (and Little Miss) Dublin Queens. I was given their names by height. Included here (by size I think according to the list I was given) are Camry Porter, Kayla Tamez, Sydney Beck, Taylor Templeton (Miss Dublin) and Kylan Spurger.

little miss dublin

Here are the words to Jewel’s Stephenville song, which I found here: http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Stephenville-TX-lyrics-Jewel/45AC9B853E86DBEC4825713F000FEF4A

Housewives told to recapture their youth
By wearing floral print and suede
Fixing their hairdos with PC, chemical-free hairspray
Martha Stewart taught ’em to make on TV
I was raised a farm girl
Now, I’m too far from home, all alone on the road
Trying to figure out who I am now that the stardust has turned to sand
And the sand has turned to stone – I’m the star-making machine

I’m 31 years old, that ain’t the end
But sure ain’t where I began

My daddy, he wrote songs and he broke colts
And went back to school to get a degree
Now he teaches music to kids, he taught music to me
And this Alaskan girl has been living in Stephenville, Texas that is
And yes, you guessed it; I moved there ’cause I fell in love with a man
I moved his ex-old lady’s things out of the closet
The same closet I moved my things back in
No, it did not make me feel that great, as if to demonstrate
Everything is temporary if you give it enough time

I’m 31 years old that ain’t the end
Sure ain’t where I began

But hey, I’m just a kid; I got nothing to lose
I’m a singer of songs, I’m a player for crowds
Hey Ma, look, I’m an entertainer
I’m a modern day troubadour trying to find justice with six strings
Trying to make the world make sense out of me
Trying to be loved completely, trying to love honestly
Trying to find a decent high noon cup of tea
In another hotel
I’m trying to listen to the leaves speak
Trying to steal secrets from fishes in the creek
Trying to figure out who I am
A pretty mediocre cook and even worse mathematician
Maybe a mother one day
What will it be?

I’m trying to figure out who I am
But there’s no hand to hold, no Doctor Martin Luther King
Just sycophants and mindlessness on TV
We all read magazines for the latest ways to behave
So hey, why not follow me, the blond bombshell deity?
I’ll sell you neat ideas without big words
And a little bit of cleavage to wash it all down
You know everybody thought Godard was a clown
Man, that ain’t gonna be me

I’m 31 years old, that ain’t the end
Sure ain’t where I began
Guess that just makes it Stephenville, Texas
*After this trip, I realize how much I love (and miss) West Texas. I’ll have much more to post on this trip later.