IRISH SPRING / CLARE BUDS (FRIDAY)

 

Irish Spring

First Day of Spring -- tomorrow!
And aren't we all waiting,
with open arms welcoming?
Equinox means equal, and "the vernal equinox is considered the first day of Spring; finally, the day and night are of equal length". 

The accompanying photo rightly depicts some country roads on the Emerald Isle.  And like our Spring, the Irish have a little bit of rain almost everyday. And every day they DO have a rainbow.  
Rainbows are so treasured here, and
as common as clouds there.

On our own little hill in Clare,
we have bushy growths of day lillies,
little nubs of crocus and tulips,
sprouting blades of hyacinths, 
promising green stalks of surprise lillies,
and an abundance of daffodil buds.

The hyacinths have the best smell, I would love a whole bed of them.  The surprise lillies came from my own father as he was demolishing a building where they would be destroyed.  He was their savior and them I continually savor; especially since they surprise us with beauteous pink blooms in August. 

I'm sentimental about the daffodils, too, they were given to me twice by my mother-in-law.  I will forever think of her with tendre affection in the spring when up shoots new life from her gifts. 

As noted in Monday's blog, this week is always momentous -- Ides of March, and grandpa's birthday
--St. Patrick's Day, and Mitch's transcendence
--and finally, the first day of Spring.

Happy Spring!


"If you do not sow in the spring,
you will not reap in the fall." -- Irish Proverb

CÉAD MILE FÁILTE, A HUNDRED THOUSAND WELCOMES (THURSDAY)

 

Céad Mile Fáilte!
A Hundred Thousand Welcomes

To Ireland! It was November of 2000 and we went to Ireland.  

And I have the books to prove it.

First, we had to get those little blue books, PASSPORTS, but Calvin's would only be good for a few years as he was a minor, an 8th grader.  We were welcomed on Aer Lingus by the green suited, red haired flight attendants and again at the gates to Dublin/Shannon airpot before we went on to Limerick.  

A nice MAGAZINE titled Cara was in the pockets on the seat backs of Aer Lingus which also contained the mandatory air masks, and excrement bags.  Cara contained a Welcome (one hundred thousand), a map, articles about the peoples like Gay Byrne and Marian Keyes, and destination guides.

On the trip home, again via Aer Lingus, an airline CATALOG called SkyShop was in the seat back.  It was a book of all things you could purchase "In-flight, Duty and Tax Free."  I was tempted but wasn't confident so the offer of souvenir ink pens, toy airplanes, traditional Ireland cap, and Waterford crystal remained unpurchased.

Smyths had a CATALOG which came home with us.  One evening, Calvin and I walked from sis' apartment to the shops and browsed Smyths.  We took the catalog for fun-perusing later, we wanted to shop the store shelves now.  Much like here they offered the trendy Pokemon cards, lunch boxes, and battle figures.  I bought a Barbie doll dressed like an Irish lass.  You couldn't purchase an Irish VHS (the most trendy techno item at the time) because they wouldn't play in the U.S.  I wonder, if I take the coupon from the catalog for 2Ł off a Symphony Gym would they honor it, LOL.

WE KISSED THE BLARNEY STONE!  

We have the PACKET to prove it.

Blarney Castle's image is printed on the envelope, their crest is stamped on the certificate, and it's signed by Sir Richard La Touche Colthurst, County Cork.  Calvin was promised the double gift of gab 'cause he kissed the stone twice, once for a friend.

All this was written down in my red book, I kept a JOURNAL as I traveled.  It's one I've referred to several times over the years. So many details get lost in the memory banks, such as

 like the Irish's love of tea and how they offer it up with the phrase, 

"It'll all come out in the wash".

Back to our native land, days later, Sis very kindly gave us each a SCRAPBOOK.  It's green, appropriately, and contains post cards of St. John's castle, our luggage tags, confirmation of my "international incident", and photographs of Calvin participating in ceili dancing, sis petting a sheep, and many, many other things.

From the Garda, to the rental clerk, to the store keeper, to the man who's truck I hit, 

from the owner of the fish and chip shop, and the landlord of the bed and breakfast,

we were given "A Hundred Thousand Welcomes".

I have a stack of books that says it all.

"Tis glad I am

and glad I'll be

that you like knowin'

the likes of me!"

WELCOME! IT'S ST. PATRICK'S DAY (WEDNESDAY)

 

Welcome!  It's St. Patrick's Day!

A day it is!  A day to celebrate heritage, having some Irish ancestry, and all those fun things connected with it:  the lucky charm, the four-leaf clover, the devilish leprechauns, and the hope and goal of following the rainbow to find that pot o'gold.

The early settlers thought they were going to get their pot of gold when they traveled across the seas from the United Kingdom.  Dad spent years and hours researching our ancestry, before internet, and traced our roots to pre-Scot-Irish era.  Our lineage goes back to Lamon Mor, a very old family of Celtic origin.  

Closer to the birth of our nation John Leman, who accompanied George Olgethorpe back and forth across the seas, became captain of his own ship.  Leman was a forefather on Dad's side of the family.  In a duel, Ensign Leman, took a bullet to the leg, and eventually 

replaced that leg with a wooden leg.  Now, isn't that fun trivia!

We don't sport red hair, but we do have the dark ring around the iris of our eyes, and our genes lend us towards some birth defects that don't affect everyone.   

Our second son had Spina Bifida. We were told it's more common amongst those of Irish descent.  Knowing he wouldn't have a long life, there was poignant significance that he died on a St. Patrick's Day.

And a leprechaun he could've been!  Fine boned, brown eyes, and a sense of humor.  He laughed, putting his little hand to his mouth when Calvin pushed a toy car.  He read books with Rusty laying on their bellies on the carpet.  He stunned his therapist by saying the two syllable word grandma as "Ga ma."  And he insisted his dad drive the truck to Uncle Andy's house, indicated by a fisted letter A in sign language.

What a lad!

Celebrate the day.  

Play the harp, enjoy some golf, recite a limerick, and be proud of your Irish.

You're strong, you're witty, and you're blessed.

May the sunbeams light your way

and the moonbeams guard your night

and until your days are finished

may the stars shine ever bright.

"GET YOUR IRISH ON!" (TUESDAY)

 

"Get Your Irish On!

      "Get Your Irish On" I wondered about that phrase and went internet searching.  I found everything from Gaelic printed t-shirts to purchase, to Guiness drinking at O'Malley's, to Patrick's Day inspired baby names.  What a variety!

     If you're of school age, you'd best "Get Your Irish On" wearing something green and visible, long before stepping in and off the bus.  Ever lie and say, "My underwear's green" just so that devilish mate wouldn't pinch you?  Of course you did!  Sport a shamrock, or wear garments of green; that should bring you luck.

     Once, when I was barely a teen, my young uncle who was a teen found a four-leaf clover.  The family was just standing around talking, saying our good byes after a day of play, when he looked down, bent down, stood back up, and proudly presented it between two fingers.  He was just that quick without any studied searching, "Check it out, it's a four-leaf clover."  Dad assured him he'd have the luck of the Irish.

    He is quite successful.  He's a home owner, a family man, and well-to-do with a good sense of humor.  Another time we were all together at my maternal grandmother's in Kentucky.   Her little beagle was just a bouncy, happy tail-wagging, and slurping bundle of brown and white fur.  The Beagle was giving uncle's younger brother all kinds of giggling attention, "Hey, look at this.  He likes me."  My uncle laughed, "That's because you're a messy eater."

     Coming home from Ireland after a two week visit, I didn't think to even look for a shamrock, but I did bring home a pair of black owls made from peat and a clutch of smooth green rocks from the Ring of Kerry.

     With 32 million American's claiming Irish ancestry, according to 2019 census, tomorrow 10% of the population will be getting their "Irish On".  

"Wherever you go, 

whatever you do, 

may the luck of the Irish

be there with you!

TOP O' THE MORN' TO YA! (MONDAY)

"Top o' the morn' to ya!"

For years I thought that was a good Irish greeting.  Then Calvin and I went to Ireland to visit my sister who was there for her job.  We never saw a leprechaun (until Calvin stuck his head in a cardboard cutout of clicking heels, and a feathered hat) and we were never hailed with "Top o' the morn' to ya!"  Since then, I've learned it's most likely a product of American greeting cards.  Interesting.

 The leprechaun no-face cutout was happy and lifesized but oddly just standing there along side the road on the Ring of Kerry.  Not much traffic on Ireland's country roads.  Rocks, fences, the occasional sheep, and short tough green grass made the scenic background.  Behind the jig dancing cutout were exposed places of black peat.  Calvin's teenage face grinned mischievously through to the camera.

Anyway, this week, for me, will be all about St. Patrick's Day, and the Irish.

Like today, it's the day John's father was born.  He was a moral man who expected the same from his sons.    He wasn't afraid of hard work.  Actually, he got very little sleep; instead worked at the local factory by day, ran a dirt machine and big equipment in the evening, and spent hours in the barn at night.

He had a good sense of humor 'cause when I dared drop an ice cube down the back of his shirt that freezing touch to the base of his skull made him jump right out of his recliner.  I'd never seen the big muscular man move so fast before, so I laughingly shrieked, hot-footed it out of the living room, through the kitchen to the garage, and hearing him still coming behind me, I ran around the pool table.  Never did I get near enough for him to exact his own revenge.  It was a cat an mouse game for days and days.

As for the rest of the week there'll be St. Patrick's Day, the day Mitch passed away, and quite soon the first day of Spring!   It's a grand week, a momentous week.

"Until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of his hand,

Slán."

 

Two Jeweled Stars

(NOTE:  The idea for this came after participating in some online writing prompts.  You've probably seen a couple earlier that were a little out of the ordinary, and will probably see more this summer.)

TWO JEWELED STARS

It was an explosion!  Little pieces of embers and sparks spit fired on the earth's surface. 

Many of them rose from the earth, breaking through the atmospheric barrier to become stars on the black suede of night.  They sparkled and shimmered and glowed with happiness -- blink here, flicker there, twinkle everwhere. 

Two jeweled stars, one amber with kite shaped facets, and the other blue jade with teardrop cuts, gravitated slowly downward and towards each other.  Amber, drifting alongside gave blue jade a gentle kiss.  They stayed paired as gravitation pulled them through the atmosphere to earth.  There they bounced, barely glancing off the surface.  From the bounce came little explosions, bits and pieces that hovered near with winks, and little bursts and blitz of brilliant light. 

Blue Jade and Amber looked on, attentive.

They once again rose, side by side, floating higher and higher breaking through earth's protecting arc.  As they rose beyond the stars they were gathered into an ethereal arm where they were nestled -- comforted and loved.  From there, in contentment, they watched the embers and sparks bounce and scintillate on earth below, their little jewels of diamonds, rhinestones, and gems, soon to become stars, too!

Caped Lilly, Power, and Proclamations

Lilly's an absorbing sponge.  Whatever she's encountered in the past week, whether it's new television programs, or activities with her ma maw, or educational work with her mother, her current interest shows up on Sundays when she's here.

I'm just walking around in my church clothes, doing my Sunday thing, hanging up my coat and purse, checking for snacks for the grandkids, getting hubby a drink, when unexpectedly, I feel a little push in my behind.  "What?"  I turn sharply as I hear a giggle, spy tendrils of blonde hair, and catch a glimpse of brown broom handle.  Brown broom handle???

 

4 y.o. Lilly says, "I will poke you!"

 

Intrigued I asked, "YOU will poke me?"

She's never physically teased me before, this is new!

 

More giggles as I try to outmaneuver her, avoiding hitting my hip on the edge of the counter, going around the kitchen table, and staying a broom's length away.

 

She says, "To get the power out of your body."

 

Chuckle, what has she been watching now!  Around and around the table we go.  These kids think chase-me games are the best fun.  "Run, GrammyPam.  RUN!"

 

********************

 

Son and wife went on a Valentine date.  I babysat Jacob, and Miss Lilly who was all over the place.   Not only was she acting like a witch on a broom, hopping like a frog, slithering like a snake, bunching up like an inch worm, she was also acting like Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon.  Let's include coloring pages, snuggling with Ty babies, watching Bluey, and using the cloth road map as a cape!

 

Caped Lilly rushed down the hall, feet flying, circled one of the bedrooms, came back, with giggles reverberating, and cape a'swirling -- right over baby brother Jacob!  

 

With arms outstretched, clutching the cape edges, she covered him.  He was nabbed!

 

*********************

Grandpa John boiled the spaghetti.  GrammyPam made the meatballs.  Jessica dropped off the grandkids.  

Master Jacob was bumbo secured.   Miss Lilly was studying her bowl.

Suddenly, with alacrity, Lilly rises, stands up in the middle of her chair, stretches both arms to the sky, tilts her chin up, and proclaims,  "This is the best restaurant!  Noodles AND MEATBALLS!"