Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Me Irish blood would not be appeased without a mention of this special day. The corned beef and cabbage is simmering away in the slow cooker, and we'll have a bate of Irish tea with it for supper. (Not the soda bread --  I am not a fan of mucky cooked raisins.)
     If you're looking for a wonderful book, try Brendan O'Carroll's The Mammy, an often-funny story of a stall keeper and her seven children, and how they fare. (I just laughed and cried my way through The Chisellers, which follows the family as they grow up -- downright terrific. The Granny is next.)
    Or an Irish-themed movie might be just the ticket, if you don't have the funds to head to Galway or Dublin to celebrate. A huge list of possibilities is here -- though we'll settle down with my own favorite, The Quiet Man.

An Old Celtic Blessing

May the blessing of light be on you—
light without and light within.
May the blessed sunlight shine on you
and warm your heart
till it glows like a great peat fire.