Hopped up on cold meds I did manage to get my corned beef & cabbage cooked yesterday. And I made Irish soda bread. Not the fake kind with raisins and sugar. (hello, they didn't have raisins in Ireland when they started making soda bread). And dinner was Delicious. I even had a Killian's. And kicked ass at one game of Wii bowling. Then I went back to bed.
My Dad's side of the family has always been proud of it's Irish heritage. My maiden name was Day but we found that it used to be O'Day. My parents always said if they had a boy they would name him Sean Patrick. But since I don't have any brothers, I stole the name for my son. Hildi has what people call the "Irish look". Her hair is auburn, fair skin and blue eyes. But whether that's from my dad's Irish side or my mother's scotch ancestors, who can say? But Lu definitely gets her looks from there as well.
I've been told I have the look of the "black Irish" (and no, that's not a racial slur), they have dark hair, dark eyes and fewer freckles. I don't really know whether that's true or whether my coloring come from the American Indian ancestors. At any rate, our Irish ancestry was always a source of pride. And now that Lu has found herself an Irish boy to marry, I guess it will carry on.
One day while we were in Myrtle Beach, shopping at the outlet mall, we decided to get lunch. We ordered and as the cashier was ringing us up, she asked "Are you guys Irish?" Huh?! I'd never been asked that before. I'd been asked if I was Italian. I'd been asked if I was Latino. What would have made her think 'Irish'? Maybe it was Lu's reddish hair and blue eyes? Maybe it was our wrist tattoos? (because everyone recognizes Gaelic, right?) So I said "well, yes, we are". Turns out it was our rings. I wear a claddaugh ring on my left hand instead of my wedding set sometimes. And Lu's pre-engagement ring is a claddaugh. Hildi's wedding ring is a claddaugh. The cashier said she'd done a paper on claddaugh rings for a class. They are a traditional Irish wedding ring dating back from the 17th century. For love we wear the heart, for friendship we wear the hands, and for loyalty and lasting fidelity we wear the crown. I'm even getting a new one in honor of our twentieth anniversary. I just haven't been shopping yet!
I hope that everyone enjoyed their green beer last night. Or their corned beef and cabbage. Or however it is you celebrate St. Patrick's Day. We sure showed the wearing o'the green. And well, around my house, there's plenty of blarney every single day. I hope you all had a Beannachtam na Feile Padraig!
A traditional Irish blessing for you:
♥Spot
Tha sinus thing you have is a bitch! It took me five days to throw her down the stairs, and she left me with lots of gross mucus! Hope you're better soon. I'm jealous, I've always wanted a claddaugh ring since I read some kind of a love story about one when I was in high school. Glad you got your corned beef and cabbage,even if you couldn't really taste it, at least the tradition continues.
ReplyDeleteHey? Am I your first commenter? cool! We have a lot of Irish in our heritage as well. My mom's maiden name was Harris (probably O'Harris at one point?) and I was blessed with the burn and peel fair Irish skin. Never have been able to get a good tan! And I had lots of freckles when I was little but not so much any more...
ReplyDeleteBTW your family is gorgeous and yes, your grandkids will be absolutely adorable!
I'm very Irish... my mom came over from Ireland...
ReplyDeleteMy mom had red hair (grey now), my uncle had red hair (deceased, but it was red!)... me and both of my sisters have red hair (well my was red before I shaved it)... of my neices and nephews, 5 out of 6 have red hair...
And my kids... 0 for 3. I'm still bitter.
I always figured that since St. Pat's is my mom's birthday, that makes me half irish. I've always been super good at fractions.
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping your face doesn't explode.
I feel closer to you than ever! Good luck with the sinuses. Have you reached the orange marmelade stage yet? (Ugh, I grossed myself out. Not really, nothing grosses me out.)
ReplyDeleteTheir is plenty of Irish in my birth mothers side. My uncle and my nephew both have the bright red hair and freckles. I have freckles and dark hair, dark eyes.
ReplyDeleteI love being Irish, but for some reason I never grew up celebrating it.
Get better soon! I had that and it took me 2 weeks to kill it.
Auuuugh sinus infections...you have my deepest sympathy and my assvice of two words: nasal lavage.Warm salt water snorted up your nose,it's nasty, but it works.
ReplyDeleteAnd...blue-eyed Irish descent babies...nom nom nom...delicious!
LOVE the pictures! SO, so cute! Luv you!
ReplyDeleteNice pictures.
ReplyDeleteI do not like corned beef. Tastes off to me.
Yep...right back at-cha with that Irish blessing, sweetie.
ReplyDeleteLu and pre-hubby-to-be WILL make you beautiful grandkids...she's a knock-out, that one...
And I hope you can knock the hell out of that sinus infection sooner rather than later...
Well, I hope you're feeling much better and kicked your sinuses in the butt!
ReplyDeleteI'm not Irish and never made Corned Beef till yesterday. I asked my husband if you sear the meat prior to braising it and he thought I was nuts. I hadn't a clue it was boiled in water with some spices and onion and garlic.
It was tasty once you get past the outside gray color.
Happy St. Patty's Day to you!
Hildi and Lu are gorgeous and Lu and her future hubby are going to have stinkin' cute grandkids for you!
ReplyDeleteI tried everything for my sinus invasion but at the end of a long 7 miserable days only anitbiotics and steroids seemed kicked that sucker to the curb.
Hang in there!