So, in 1997, what was then the three of us went to Ireland. There are many photos from that time, but the only one that’s easily located on my computer is this one:
That’s Cody, age 4, being held by Jim. That’s me wearing almost the exact same outfit I wore to work today. Behind us is the very old and very famous Hook Head Lighthouse.
Twice while we were in Ireland we ended up at Ardmore. The cliffs and the flowers and the ocean and the ruins were so very Lord of the Rings-ish. One of the places Jim’s mom wanted to visit near Ardmore was this workshop she’d heard about – a gentleman named Eamonn Terry, who’d once worked as a craftsman for the Waterford Crystal, had gone solo and was making crystal things on his own. So we went to Criostal-na-Rinne.
This tiny little town still spoke Gaelic pretty much exclusively. Mr. Terry’s workshop was really just a largeish shed at the top of a cliff; he was the nicest, most patient guy. I managed to admire some jewelry before taking Cody outside and keeping him entertained (bull in china shop = 4 year-old Cody in crystal shop). I’m not sure when on our trip he gave it to me, but at some point – probably that same day, but I’m not really sure – Jim gifted me with a piece I’d come back to more than once while I was browsing, a teardrop-shaped crystal pendant on a silver chain. It was the first jewelry he’d ever given me. I was floored. I might have even cried, a little.
It’s not on its original chain anymore, and the original setting is long gone, but I still wear this piece all the time.
