Happy Saint Patrick's Day

Everybody's Irish!
Everybody sing!
We're going to mass and to watch the Quiet Man today and I might force some Irish soda bread on my children, but more likely, they'll eat hot dogs and french fries and carrots and broccoli.  

Last night I got to hear some Irish music at my kid's auction, and it takes me back to college and a rare moment, when all of my friends and I senior year, congregated in the college center and there was an Irish singer.  We spent the evening listening.  Not telling each other what we were studying or how our boyfriends or fiance's were or what we hoped, just singing along.  It was a perfect evening. 

So maybe I'll try reading a page of Joyce...and have a toast of Bailey's...because I'm a lightweight and while I like Guienness beef stew, I find the beer too much for me. 

And I'll ask you to celebrate, to help remember this day because it's not enough that Saint Patrick has to deal with the nonsense of leprechauns and people who use the feast day to drink themselves drunk. The other day two radio announcers talked about Saint Patrick not even being religious...which is a half truth, used to erode the whole truth.  

He was captured and brought to Ireland, where during his years of servitude, he grew in faith, such that when he eventually left, he was willing to return as a missionary.  His name was Succat, but his Roman name translated, was Patrick.   The radio announcers basically represented Saint Patrick as being not a person of faith, and called him by his non saintly name from that point forward.  I'll admit, the Irish in me was up.  

But Ireland was pagan and then, through Saint Patrick's outreach and teachings about Christ, was not. So completely did Saint Patrick convey Christ's message that the idea of Ireland and Catholic became synonymous.  A fact conveniently ignored by the radio people, a fact that reveals the long strength of true witnessing, even to an unbelieving world.   Surely, a saint for the trials of today.

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of the sun,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of the wind,
Depth of the sea,
Stability of the earth,
Firmness of the rock.

I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me;
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's hosts to save me
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a mulitude.
Christ shield me today
Against wounding
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through the mighty strength
Of the Lord of creation.

Go Irish.

The Truth about Obama

I've kept it secret for years.  People shun nutroots and as such, I've tried to cultivate the personality of being reasonable but the signs themselves are too obvious to ignore anymore and I must come clean. 

There have been countless theories about the President's heritage; about the place of his birth; there are truthers, people in Indonesia and Kenya and Hawaii all call him their native son, but the truth again, is stranger than fiction. 

Let me explain:

1) Barrack was the newest Kennedy brother.
2) In his first year, he held a beer summit.  Now he's brewing his own.
3) The President has a way with words that is both musical and memorable, a gift of gab if you will.
4) He keeps company with Catholics all the time and has even found time to visit Notre Dame.  I'm sure the reason he filled out a March Madness bracket is they're a top seed this year.
5) Currently, he seems to be sparring a bit with England.
6) At his last check up, the doctors told him to cut back on his drinking and quit smoking.
7) As a youth, to improve his chances of being taken seriously, he changed his name to shield his true nature.

That's right.  President O'bama is Irish. 

Good Night Everybody! 

Happy Saint Patrick's Day Everyone!

Candy Ferret

With nine children, you have some that love salty and some that feast on sweet and like Congress, you have the undecideds.  My almost three year old today, after many months of discernment, has declared. 

She went into her sister's room who for some reason, hordes her treats from any holiday and paces them out until the next holiday so that there is always a steady if slow stream of goodies from which to feast.  She found the stockpile from Saint Patrick's day.  She feasted well. 

Her sister is none too pleased.

It's a good thing Easter is only a few weeks away.