When Irish Eyes are Smiling

WHEN IRISH EYES ARE SMILING

Hello, I am Melissa O’Connor (Maiden name), and there is more Irish about me than just my name it is indeed running strongly through my veins. O’Connor is from my father, and we are predominantly Irish with a very interesting family history that takes us on a long journey from a doctor in the United States in the 1840’s to his adopted family in England, then on to our family roots in Ireland. Also, with the last name Yates on my mom’s side, this adds even more Irish to my heritage.

 

WHEN IRISH EYES ARE SMILING

When Irish Eyes are Smiling sure it’s like a morn in spring
In the lilt of Irish laughter you can hear the angels sing
when Irish hearts are happy all the world seems bright and gay
but when Irish eyes are smiling sure they’ll steal your heart away

Dan & Melissa

There’s a tear in your eye and I’m wondering why
that it ever should be there at all
with such power in your smile sure a stone you’d beguile
and there’s never a teardrop should fall
when your sweet lilting laughter’s like some fairy song
and your eyes sparkle bright as can be
Oh then laugh all the while and all other times smile
and then smile a smile for me

Chorus…
For your smile is a part of the love in your heart,
And it makes even sunshine more bright.
Like the linnet’s sweet song, crooning all the day long,
Comes your laughter and light for the springtime of life
Is the sweetest of all
There is ne’er a real care or regret; ad while springtime is ours
Throughout all of youth’s hours, let us smile each chance we get.

 

~ let us smile each chance we get!

 

Rainbow over Dublin.

~Melissa & Dan

 

All content and photographs copyright 2017 By Melissa O’Connor

June – Almanac – A Rose is Sweet

A couple of my books that I am really enjoying…
finally!

I received my book “An Island Garden” by Celia Thaxter for my birthday last summer. I also received  the “New England Butt’ry Shelf Almanac” by Mary Mason Campbell which was illustrated by Tasha Tudor, as a Christmas gift. I’m just now finding or making the time to really savor every word and drink in every illustration …… Now let me share a little with you…..

And what a wonderful collation it is.

June Flower – THE ROSE – Rosa…

Junes sweet little bird is THE HOUSE WREN.

One can express almost any sentiment through a gift of roses, depending on the color or kind, but roses generally have a connotation of love. ~ “The New England Butt’ry Shelf Almanac”

and a sweet drawing by Tasha Tudor.

“A Rose is Sweet”  ….. ~ Lucy Larcom

A rose is sweet

      No matter where it grows;

Seashore roses of Maine.

But our wild roses, flavored by the sea.

Elegant Rosebuds by the seashore of Maine

And colored by the salt winds and much sun

A Rose so sweet – and beautiful by the sea..

To healthiest intensity bloom –

We think the world has none more beautiful. ~ Lucy Larcom

Lovely Maine seashore roses.

 

Of Seaweed and Tidal Pools

The lovely colors and treasures ….. of the sea. One more look at summer. And a happy Birthday to my sister, I hope you have a lovely day at the beach!!

 

Seawall has such serene beauty ~  with the waves rolling in the high tide…….and at low tide ~ seeing what treasures the tide has left behind.

A ~ very by-the-sea look!

The dramatic look of the naturally dried  kelp and other seaweeds, laying about the rocks and shore. When kelp is fresh and wet it is a pretty deep  shade of green. I have found some stripes as tall as me ~ 5’1!!

Seaweed drying / lying about on the rocks ~ at low tide.

More of what is left behind as the tide goes out. oh, the many shapes, sizes and color of rocks and shells!!

….from the sea!

I love to watch the ~ changing of the tides!!

Low Tide leaves beauty behind ~ picture perfect

 

It’s so pretty and calming by the Sea.

Watching and listening to the Song of the Seagulls….. by the Sea.

Tidal pools … hold many treasures to discover…at beautiful Seawall Acadia National Park, Maine

I hope you have enjoyed our visit to the sea, with the seaweed, tidal pool treasures and seagulls. To see more of seaweed floating to the song of the seagull and seashore stories, please view my vimeo video:

 

You can enjoy more post about my visit to the sea here:

The Sea Shell

Summer is Waning ……..

I do see signs, that summer is indeed waning …………It has been a very beautiful season, although summer truly is not my favorite season…. the bugs, the humidity, the vacationing crowds… it still has it beauty and joys…. and here is a bit of  how my lovely summer went.

Taking in the scenic beauty of the sailboats, lobster boats and yachts off shore

 

The lovely days of summer……

 

Picking Summer Daisies…making garlands, drying petals for potpourri..

The many days spent on the seashores…..

 

Beautiful ~ lighthouses in the eerie fog ~ oh, I love the fog… it so mystic and fairy like…. a long with the drastic flow of the tides.

A lighthouse on the Canadian border of Maine. I find this quite fun…I stand in Maine and take a picture of a lighthouse in Canada 😉

 

Oh, the many lovely evening spent by a campfire…..

 

I am ready for fall as it is one of my favorite seasons. Just like depicted in Tasha Tudor’s book ~ “Around the Year” in the first photo, I look forward to the fall harvesting of vegetable and gathering of friends and family.  We are starting to see hints of fall in the air, up here in the northeast so I’m enjoying and taking in as much as I can because we will soon be heading south ( which feels like summer most of the year).

You can find the book Around the Year and many more of Tasha’s book on etsy, ebay and at Tashatudorandfamily.com

A Wild Rose ~ Tea with Anne ~

“After all, the only real roses are pink ones. They are the flowers of love and faith.” ~ Anne Shirley of Anne of Green Gables

 

 

Do you hear them calling you in ~ for a heavenly ~ sniff?

 

 

I think the lovely Wild Roses on Prince Edward Island have such a lovely aroma. As you walk near a rose-bush the romantic aroma draws you closer and closer until you have a your nose embed in one ~ you just can not resist!! And adding to their romantic beauty ~  is that you find these lovely rose bushes growing by the sea!!

“Isn’t it lovely? Don’t you think it must be glad to be a rose? Wouldn’t it be nice if roses could talk? I’m sure they could tell us such lovely things. And isn’t pink the most bewitching color in the world?” ~ Anne of Green Gables

Not only are roses lovely to look at ~ have such a heavenly scent ~ they also hold many health benefits . Do every have delicious tasting you use tea that contain some rosehips? I do I love the romantic red color they add to the tea! I It lends a lovely shade of pinkish red when infused in some honey ~ to add to your Tea or a little rose hip marmalade, for your Tea Time scones. Have you ever made your own rose-water from the beautiful petals of the wild rose? You can use the water in baking or in your home-made cosmetics.

I like to call this lighthouse ~ The Wild Rose Lighthouse ~ although I have seen many wild rose-bushes and lighthouse on P.E.I. 😉  I hope your having a Lovely Day!

Tea with Anne ~ Carrage Ride with Matthew

Welcome ~ Thank you for dropping by , on this lovely June Day. Pour a cup of tea and join me on our next stop on Prince Edward Island!
Pictured above ~ a lovely porcelain ~ Anne doll, she stands about 5 inches ~ please join our future Tea Times, because Anne may have guest stop by!! Then we have, my very pretty, bone china tea-cup, made in England. It depicts a lovely view of Green Gables. I purchased this cup, in one (yes, there is more than one), of the Green Gables museums. My cup is from the second museum, we will visit there on a future visit. I purchased my Anne Doll from the Silver Bush Green Gables Museum. The book is from the Ingleside Museum~ the museum / home of L.M. Montgomery’s father and Grandfather. We will also visit there, on a future tea time with Anne. There is a great story related to our purchase of my Anne of Green gables book~ from the 1940’s, with a special inscription!! So make sure to follow my blog ,so you do not miss any of our Tea with Anne ~ visits to P.E.I.

On our visit today, we are going to stop by the Anne Of Green Gables, Silver Bush Museum at Park Corner. All photo’s are from our visit to this beautiful museum, Anne Of Green Gables  at silver Bush, Park Corner, P.E.I. ~

http://www.annemuseum.com/museum.php

The Anne of Green Gables Museum at Silver Bush, Park Corner has a treasure around every corner. On this 110-acre property you will find a museum with beautiful flower gardens on the property, a view of the Lake of Shining Waters, Matthews Carriage Rides with some of the most beautiful scenery on Prince Edward Island.

This is Matthew and his carriage. Matthew, as we all know is a very quiet man, but very willing to answer any questions you may have about Anne and L.M.M.

 

Melissa, at the Lake at the lake of shining water. A lovely dream come true ~ standing by ‘The Lake of Shining Water’!!

Now, back in the carriage….

 

Winding through the lovely red roads, on Matthew’s carriage ride….

Matthew has taken us to the lovely red seashores of P.E.I. ……

…where we took a romantic stroll on the seashores of Green Gables!

…the smooth beauty of drift wood!

Oh, what treasures and memories, the seashore holds!!

The romantic seashores of Green Gables….

Taking in the beauty of the red cliffs, along the seashore….

 

Then back to Green Gables….. oh, what a magical ride!!

Once back in his barn, Matthew gets a little more chatty…If asked, he will tell you what he knows about the economics of the Island, the crops that are being grown that year~ this is actually, quite interesting, the whole Island works together on crop rotation. And Matthew is, naturally ~ a very good ~ caring horseman.

If you missed last Sundays Visit to P.E.I. you can view it here:

;https://elegantlyhandmade.wordpress.com/2014/06/08/a-little-sunshine-for-your-day/

Please enjoy this video, of  Matthew’s carriage ride, around ‘The Lake of shining Waters”

 

“Earth Laughs in Flowers”

“Earth Laughs Flowers”
~Ralph Waldo Emerson,

Wild Rose of the Seashore.

Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature…..

I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers. ~ Claude Monet

The Poet’s darling…..

Be violets in their secret mews
The flowers the wanton Zephyrs choose;
Proud be the rose, with rains and dews
Her head impearling;
Thou liv’st with less ambitious aim,
Yet hast not gone without thy fame;
Thou art indeed by many a claim
The Poet’s darling…..
~William Wordsworth

 

Little busy bee….

How doth the little busy bee
Improve each shining hour,
And gather honey all the day
From every shining flower! ~Lewis Caroll,

 

A Garden of One’s Own…

Beautiful –  Sunflower!

To be overcome by the fragrance of flowers is a delectable defeat!

~ Beverly Nichols

Golden Buttons!

Tis my faith that every flower
Enjoys the air it breathes!
~William Wordsworth, “Lines Written in Early Spring,”

Roses breathing fresh air……..

BLOSSOM

Give me a garden of beautiful flowers…….

“Isn’t it lovely? Don’t you think it must be glad to be a rose? Wouldn’t it be nice if roses could talk? I’m sure they could tell us such lovely things. And isn’t pink the most bewitching color in the world?” ~ Anne of Green Gables

Wild Rose of the Seashore.

Give me ordorous at sunrise a garden of beautiful flowers where I can walk undisturbed
~Walt Whitman

I wish you a day filled with lovely, fragrant blossoms !

Take Joy ~ Melissa

All photographs and content Copyright 2013 – 2107 By Melissa O’Connor

DO NOT REMOVE – DO NOT PIN!!

 

 

The Sea Shell

I do love seashells…..can one have to many seashells??

~~ Shells come in many lovely colors ~ to match your home decor needs/wants..

“Tis this dainty shell,

’tis a fragil shell

At my feet that the wild waves threw….

~ The Seashell ~ Arthur Weir

Pretty shells on the shore.

I collect shells from all of the shores we visit…. each shore has its own specialties~ in many ways…. not just shells….some have more drift wood ~ others pebbles ~ some sea glass!!

Beautiful seashell fragments.

Yes, I do create with my shell treasures and you can find some of my creations in my etsy shop.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ElegantlyHandmade?ref=si_shop

Oh, what beautiful shells may be rolling to shore in the waves….. We’ll have to go see!!

***Copyright** All content, photo’s  and videos through out this blog and Facebook are under copyright to Melissa O’Connor of/ and Elegantlyhandmade.

Moon Jellyfish

Moon Jellyfish:

Moon Jellyfish on the shore of Cape Canaveral Beach.

Aurelia aurita (also called the moon jelly, moon jellyfish, common jellyfish, or saucer jelly) is a widely studied species of the genus Aurelia.[1] All species in the genus are closely related, and it is difficult to identify Aurelia medusae without genetic sampling; most of what follows applies equally to all species of the genus.

The jellyfish is translucent, usually about 25–40 cm in diameter, and can be recognized by its four horseshoe-shaped gonads, easily seen through the top of the bell. It feeds by collecting medusae, plankton, and mollusks with its tentacles, and bringing them into its body for digestion. It is capable of only limited motion, and drifts with the current, even when swimming.

 

This is the first time I have seen this type or part of the Jellyfish on our shores!

When washed up on shore they look like a round disk-shaped pad of hardened jelly. Most of the moon jellyfish you find are about 4 or 5 inches in diameter. The disk that washes up on shore is the most durable remnant of this creature.

 

The moon Jellyfish were washing up to shore in the waves.

Moon jellyfish tend to stay close to the water surface, in large part because this is where there is the highest concentration of plankton. This behavior makes the jellyfish themselves susceptible to being eaten. Moon jellyfish are preyed upon by various large fish, turtles and even some birds. Another consequence of living close to the water surface is that the jellyfish are moved around by water currents. Moon Jellyfish can manipulate their bell shaped body to thrust water away from them and propel themselves forward.

 

At first glance the this type of Jellyfish looked like a piece of plastic or an eye!

This jellyfish is a carnivore. It eats plankton that it catches while floating in the water column. Their prey includes a wide variety of small organisms like juvenile mollusks and crustaceans, rotifers, young polychaetes, protozoans, diatoms, tunicate larvae and fish eggs. Tentacles that hang down from the underside of the animal sweep the water, entangling whatever it encounters. Stinging nematocysts are effective at killing their prey and secreted mucus helps hold onto ensnared plankton. Captured food is moved via flagellar movement towards canals along the underside of the disk, then moved by other

 

Fortunately the stingers of this species are relatively mild. Most people who come into contact with moon jellyfish have little reaction. Some may feel a bit of a stinging sensation but even this can be relatively mild compared to what can occur with more troublesome jellyfish species. Many moon jellies you find no longer have any stingers attached to them.

 

Some were quite small.

Moon jellyfish’s stinging cells are relatively benign to us. In some cases a person may experience some mild stinging sensation if stung. The discomfort is fairly localized and does not persist for a long period of time. The disks you see on the beach usually have few if any tentacles remaining attached hence there are no stinging nematocysts present.

 

I like foamy waves!

 

I hope you enjoyed today’s walk on the beach and my new discovery – Moon Jellyfish!

The Weight of the World

When the world is weighing heavy upon you ……

And the mean words are piling up…..

I walk on the beach –  taking in the beauty…letting go ……

Let them float away in the sky….

Fly away with the sea gulls!

– breathing deep of the refreshing salt air.

Let the words float away in the air

When the hurtful actions… hit hard on your feelings / self-esteem ……

Just feel them …… watch them Sail away…….

Focus on the beauty that surrounds you and do not believe the mean hurtful words and actions that others try to heave upon you.

—— even  Jellyfish have a uniquely strange beauty about them…. as we all do!

——–pretty shades of blue… watch out though , do not get distracted – they will sting you and then simple just float away….hmm

Just let it roll away in the waves!!

Find joy in the moment!
Do not let anyone ones tread marks –  sink to deep!!

 

~ Remember you and I are good and beautiful people! We are not required to  allow ourselves to be ~ used ~ or to be anyone’s verbal punching bag or emotional dumping ground!