by Mary McKSchmidt | Apr 13, 2026 | 2026, Blog Post
Usually, I walk alone. Clipped to my jacket is a satellite tracker with an SOS button. I have found a cellphone, while valuable as a camera, is worthless for communicating on remote paths. In my hand is a walking stick to keep me from sinking into the...
by Mary McKSchmidt | Apr 6, 2026 | 2026, Blog Post
Droopy-looking three-leaved plants were heaped carefully in a basket at the foot of the altar. It was St. Patrick’s Day, an Irish holiday featuring parades, fireworks and the annual blessing of the shamrocks. The plant is said to have been used as a metaphor for the...
by Mary McKSchmidt | Mar 30, 2026 | 2026, Blog Post
Walking a never-ending ascent to a bluff overlooking the Bandon River outside Kinsale, Ireland, I see a gate painted fire-engine red, adorned with daffodils. On the gate is a plaque framed in gold with bold letters, We Will Never Forget. Stunned, I...
by Mary McKSchmidt | Mar 16, 2026 | Blog Post, 2026
Our decision to remain in the same place for a week or so at a time as we explore Ireland was just what I needed. I do not feel like a tourist, more like one discovering the secrets of a new home. Every journey by foot. Every trip out the red door of this historic...
by Mary McKSchmidt | Dec 15, 2025 | Blog Post, 2025
I cannot think of a better gift this season than to provide you a link to the 2025 Poetry of Landscapes Holiday Reading facilitated by Jack Ridl and made possible through the technical genius of Julie Ridl.These gifted poets with whom I meet every month make me laugh....
by Mary McKSchmidt | Nov 24, 2025 | Blog Post, 2025
Mother told me goodbye the morning of December 5th, 2024. She died seven months and 15 days later. I suspect her deep faith, love of family and delight in the everyday experiences of life kept her with us longer than either of us would have predicted that chilly...
