patrickjegan

Respect your ancestors, for you are the result of a thousand loves….

July 29, 2023

Fifty-Six Years of Darkness

[Sinead O’Connor. Unknown date. Photo: Google Search.] This is probably the shortest blog I have or will ever post… I was propped up in bed on a warm afternoon. It was July 26, 2023. My iPhone was in my left hand and I making a stab at the New York Times crossword. It was a…
July 23, 2023

Heart of Glass

Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass. ~~Anton Chekhov [Our glass horse from Murano, Italy. Photo is mine.] Sometime in the ancient distant foggy and shadowy history of human existence, someone discovered how to make glass. This is thought to have occurred around 4,000 years ago.…
July 13, 2023

My AI Birthday Wish to My Son

Sometimes when I need a miracle, I look into my son’s eyes, and realize I’ve already created one. –Anon What follows is an AI generated birthday wish for my son, Brian. I fed suggestions into ChatGBT that included Ireland and his future projects. I have edited it slightly to eliminate places in Ireland he has…
June 26, 2023

Last Thoughts From The Cathedral Crypt

[One of the many small chapels in the crypt of Canterbury Cathedral. Photo is mine] I’m sitting with Mariam in a small chapel in the crypt of this amazing Cathedral. There are several reasons why I’m sitting here on a small very hard wooden chair. One is that the temperature is probably close to 65º…
June 24, 2023

It’s The End, But It’s Far From Over

I wish, I wish, I wish in vain I wish, I wish I was a youth again But a youth again I can never be Till apples grow on an ivy tree. ~~”Love Is Pleasing” The Dubliners [The Bridge of Sighs, Venice. Photo is mine] I didn’t think I could do it. I worried that…
June 19, 2023

Rigorous Days and Restful Nights on the Kennet & Avon Canal

[Sunset on the Kennet & Avon Canal. Photo is mine] Part 1 ~~ Starting Out And Mooring After arriving at Devizes we had little trouble finding the Foxhangers Canal Boat Rental building. Our boat wasn’t quite ready so we strolled down to the canal and found a lock. I (having watched three YouTube videos on…
June 9, 2023

A Field Guide To English Hand Signals Whilst Encountering Oncoming Vehicles On Country Lanes

[A typical country lane in Dorset, England. Note the lay-by on the right. Photo is mine] THE ROADWAYS OF ENGLAND The very first thing you need to know about British driving is that they drive on the left side of the road.! This knowledge can help to keep a casual road trip through Devonshire from…
June 9, 2023

Seeing Sally Again: Part One

Due to issues with my blog provider the last post about Sally was incomplete. Some text was missing. It was several paragraphs about how I came to be in England and how I met Sally and her friend. More importantly perhaps is that a photo was also missing. Below I will publish two photos: one…
June 7, 2023

Seeing Sally Again

[Sally and me at The White Hart Inn, Wimborne, Dorset. Date: June 7, 2023. Photo is mine] This afternoon, Sally took time out of her life to make the trip to Wimborne and meet with me and Mariam. We talked of that year (Mostly I talked). And I finally had a chance to thank her…
June 1, 2023

An Admission of Omission

[Detail of a map of Montparnasse Cemetery, Paris. Taken from the Michelin PARIS Street Map which is part of The Green Guide.] My last post did well among some of my readers. I would have liked to see a gazillion “LIKES” but it was not to be. That’s the life of a blogger. You write.…