Standing in one of Kenmare’s two book stores (so it isn’t exactly a bustling town) I am leafing through a book of Irish surnames. I am not intending to buy the book but I am intending to learn what exactly ‘Higgins’ means.

Higgins, or O'Higgins (O meaning ownership of, belonging to, in the old days it would have been Of the Higgins clan, belonging to Higgins) comes from Hugins (included in some Gaelic swipes and spaces I can't write) meaning VIKING. VIKING! I can't help smiling in the book store. I knew I came from sometime heroic, something strong! Noble! Pillaging! Vikings. S W E E T...!

Besides spending my free time looking at books but not buying them (ha ha), I have also managed to do a few other things, which is lovely for my time off. I hiked a big part of a day trip of the Kerry Way coming out of our backyard (Kerry way is a 215 km loop that hikers and walkers do over 7-10 days), cycled, swam, lifted, slept, and gave my boys some leader love (see sign below... Scott and Spencer had a walking trip that on day four passes by our backyard... so I made a little show for them!) and have tried to catch up on a back log of things from, well, my life.

Photos below include:
(at bottom) - Kerry Way, my hike from Kenmare to Killarney
(middle) our little house and the view out the front of our house, my leader love for the boys
(top)- favorite watering holes in Kenmare: Crowley's and The Square Pint

And now, I am off to do some work with Scotty (insert loud, aggressive viking roar here!)

My love from Ireland. xo