Showing posts with label St Patrick's Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label St Patrick's Day. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

ST. PATRICK'S DAY-GROWING UP ON A PENNSYLVANIA FARM

 Sometimes life is bittersweet, isn't it

remembering the days when

people in our lives celebrated

special days with us?

Days like St. Patrick's Day!

I was always well aware of 
being Irish.
My grandmother was an Owen
and her family immigrated 
from Ireland.

She died long before I was born
so I never had the pleasure of
knowing her.

The family unit I knew as a child 
is all gone now.
A father, a mother and 
one younger brother.
We celebrated 17 years 
of Sundays  together 
before I left home. 
17 years out of a lifetime isn't much but
 0h! the memories created then.

My parents were not religious people
but they were believers.

I grew up right next to 
a Catholic church
but never attended there.
This was taken from 
the road in front of our house
before the road was paved..

I don't remember my father ever
going to a church service.
My mother took us kids 
sporadically over the years.

When I was a young teen, 
I started going on my own
with some cousins.
A little country church 
with a marvelous pastor,
Melvin Shultz.

His wife, Thelma, had 
the voice of an angel
and I loved
to sit as close to her 
as I could on a 
Sunday morning..

My father always 
pared the farm work down
to a bare minimum on all
Holidays and every Sunday,
doing only the chores
 that were necessary to 
get by for the day.

My Grandfather, 
dressed in his Sunday suit,
 would stand here by the
road on a Sunday morning 
to greet people
on their way home from 
the Catholic church
just up the hill.

He lived with us for about 5 years
until I was 6 or so.

I remember when my father planted
the elms on the left hand side
to give some shade to the front yard.
They were mere saplings then.
The big barns are long gone now.
The house burned to the ground 
15 years ago or so.
The shed that you see 
in the picture above
(that is hidden behind the trees)
is the only building that remains
of the original farm buildings.
I remember when my Father 
and two neighbors
built that shed for wood, 
storage and butchering.

Going the other way, down the hill,
the road makes a sharp curve 
then leads down
 to my Aunt Bessie's house.
She, too, is gone these many years.

 I spent a lot of time in the woods
that grew along the road..

Sweet, sweet memories this morning.
Memories of coffee percolating
on the kitchen counter-
Watching the sun rise 
and flood the East facing kitchen 
with light.
Bacon sizzling in the frying pan-
the sharp crack of eggs 
against the side of the pan-
Biscuits with home-churned butter 
and honey
from the bees from the hives
down past the little pond.

Sunday Memories-
Sharp-
Strong-
Stored Forever-


And----just so you don't think 
I have gone
all smarmy  and  sappy on you
here is what I plan to serve MyHero
for breakfast St. Patrick's Day
 morning if he
doesn't shape up.

It will go great with a side of
poisonberries boysenberries.
.
You can order your very own
SKULL EGG SHAPER here..

I guess I got sidetracked from a
St. Patrick's Day Post...
but that is what you get when you
visit me.  lol...
You never know what lane my
mind will go down.

ANYWAY~
I hope you have a wonderful
St. Patrick's Day &
upcoming weekend.

Make the day special and 
tell someone
you love them.

As for me--
I'll be looking for leprechauns
and I really need to visit
the Blarney Stone
before I die!

Who knows what I could talk
MyHero into after that!
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Tuesday, February 26, 2019

GRASSHOPPER CUPCAKES--SHOULD I USE REAL GRASSHOPPERS? HMMMM

It's almost March!

That means it is time to
prepare for
St. Patrick's Day.

Quite a while ago I found 
these!!!

Grasshopper Cupcakes 
by Janell Brown
from her book One Sweet Cupcake-
 you can order here.
Don't those look delicious?
I think I will make these 
GRASSHOPPER CUPCAKES  
for MyHero
and maybe the grandkids.

I'll be busy collecting 
the ingredients today.
Oh- Look!
THIS will save me some work.
These are already 
CHOCOLATE COVERED!
You can order them here

MyHero is in for a
WONDERFUL SURPRISE!

ps-this is not a sponsored ad-
just something I found for fun.
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Tuesday, March 6, 2018

PREPARING FOR ST. PATRICK'S DAY!-GET GOING!!!!

It's said that
EVERYONE IS IRISH
on St. Patrick's Day.

However,
I am Irish every day of the year.
It's in my blood-literally.
So,
I have bits and pieces of 
IRELAND
around  me all year long.

My sweet girls bought me this set
a few years ago.
I love it to the moon and back.
However, as we are preparing to move
I gifted this back to my
IRISH DAUGHTER, Mimi.
There are about 45 pieces in the set.
We spent quite a bit of time 
researching this on the internet
and couldn't really track it at all
to find the pattern.
If you know anything about it 
I would love to know!
I also LOVE this sweet compote dish
that stays in my china cabinet year round.
Also - now gone from my home.
Yeah- I know- 
crummy picture...
Here's a bit of the lid-
It's a pretty piece, isn't it?
The manufacture's mark looks like this.
Those French sure do a nice job on
IRISH CHINA!

I thought I needed a new shamrock plant
Someone  who shall remain nameless 
killed my plants while I was gone.
So~ I went to Stein's Garden & Gift.
As I was walking in I noticed a lady walking out.
She was walking out with a 
CART FULL OF SHAMROCK PLANTS.
Whoodedoo- I am excited now!
I can't wait to get a plant...
or two...or three...or....

I rushed to find some for myself.
I couldn't find any!
I asked the clerk where the 
shamrock plants were.
She didn't know.
She called someone who called someone
who called someone---you know how THAT goes.
FINALLY.......
Sales clerk who was standing there 
chewing her gum said...
Oh-Ya lookin' for those green cloverleaf plants?
Me:      Ummm....YEAH.........
Gum Chewer: Oh- some woman just came in and 
bought both flats that we had.
What? WHAT?
I don't know if I wanted to kill the 
gum-chewing cashier or the woman that
took every last plant!
The plant gal has gone home....
Guess who is left?!?!

They SAID they have more
coming in tomorrow.
I'll believe it when I see it,
if you know what I mean.

Looks like a big snow storm 
going on here today.
AND- I have 3 grandgirls 
& their mom (my daughter)
staying here until they can move
 into their new home
next week.
Oughta be a fun week....
or a crazy one---take your pick!

Have a great Tuesday--
and shake out your 
SHAMROCK SHIRT
and get your Irish on!
Y'all have a great day now,
you hear?!


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Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Happy St. Patrick's Day- Got Your Green On, Do You?

Top 'O The Morning To You!
Do you love the Irish?
You do?
Oh! Goody!
Then I am on the 
YOU ARE LOVED LIST!

I finally found some shamrock plants!
If you missed my 
Shamrocks Gone Missing Post
you can read that here.

I think these are even better than the ones 
I DIDN'T GET!
Can you see that we still have SNOW?
I got the most beautiful card
on a giveaway
from my friend, Louise.
She makes  & sells these lovely cards
@Cards By Louise.
My photo does not do it justice.
Thank you, Louise.
Hmmm..what else around here is Irish
I  have my beautiful 
Crystal Irish biscuit jar 
from my daughter, Mimi.
And a Belleek vase from my daughter, Tara,
 There are Spring flowers in the foyer
along with my
Erin Go Braugh sign.
That means 
 IRELAND FOREVER!

So----
IF you believe in LEPRECHAUNS
(and I do- Oh! I do)
Maybe you will get lucky and get visited
by a real
Irish Leprechaun.
I may or may not have ordered this little outfit for 
MyHero.
Don't you love it?
Ummmm....
There's an old saying...
If you're lucky enough to be Irish you are
LUCKY ENOUGH!

Isn't MyHero lucky to have such
a thoughtful wife?


Disclaimer:  This is NOT MyHero in that costume.
He refuses to put it on and have his picture taken.
He says he doesn't like bell-bottoms.  pffffffftttt..
What a spoil-sport!
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