“St. Patrick’s Day is an enchanted time – a day to begin transforming winter’s dreams into summer’s magic.”
My parents sometimes had a party to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, and the house would be filled with friends and relatives. The smoky kitchen was always standing room only and it was where all the music happened, all the singing of Irish songs. My dad comes to mind, and I can see him standing by the sink, cigarette in one hand, drink in the other as he sang along. My uncle fancied himself a Bing Crosby sound-alike and knew the words to every song. My mother’s friend always sat on the bench along the window, and I never saw her move from there until it was time to go home. She sometimes asked me to make her a drink. She called me Kathleen. My family had great parties.
My mother always made corned beef and cabbage. One year the potatoes, my dad’s favorite, disappeared. They sort of melted away. My dad couldn’t believe there were no potatoes and went looking in the pot himself. He didn’t find any either.
My dog Shauna, another Boxer, and I were at my parents’ house for St. Patrick’s Day, Shauna’s first. My dad adored that dog and she adored my dad and followed him everywhere, about a step behind. To celebrate that first St. Patrick’s Day my dad made Shauna a plate with corned beef, carrots and potatoes. She ate every morsel.
Today I’ll wear green. Tonight I’ll celebrate with my friends. We are, of course, having corned beef and cabbage.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
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keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
March 17, 2014 at 1:15 pm
Hi Kat,
I am somewhat chagrined to note that I am wearing tangerine orange today. It was clean and it was on top of the clothes pile and I had a dental appointment.
I no longer own any green things anyway. My mother decided that since we had an Irish name I would have to wear green so she bought me a lot of green clothing. Green is not my color but tangerine looks darn good on me. 🙂
It all got covered in cracked corn dust anyway because when I went out the door I saw the turkeys down back. I got the cracked corn out of the jeep and went down to feed them. They all came running like yard hens except for the one guy that was in the neighbor’s dog pen and couldn’t figure out how to get out. He kept running along the fence line looking worried. He was 6 feet from the open gate and, of course, he could fly over the fence but it took a while for that thought to occur to him. It was kind of neat having all those so-called wild turkeys all around my feet.
The corned beef is awaiting my best efforts. I have fingerling potatoes, small boiling onions, brussel sprouts and red corned beef. No turnips. Couldn’t find any.
Some friends and I are slinging lines from Irish tunes back and forth at each other on Facebook.
Happy St Patrick’s Day to you.
March 17, 2014 at 1:26 pm
Hi Caryn,
I have my green sweatshirt with Ryan and the family crest on the front. I’ll wear it proudly.
I haven’t seen our flock of wild turkeys in a while. I figure they’ll be around more in the warmer weather. They can’t get the seed in the yard because of the fence so that might be one reason. I’ll have to keep some seed for in the front, their usual route.
Tangerine? Pale orange?
I just have to be a good guest. We’ll have grey corned beef but probably not turnips which I really live. No sprouts either!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you too!!
March 17, 2014 at 1:17 pm
No St. Patrick’s Day celebrations over here as far as I know. It’s sheer coincidence that we’ll probably have cabbage today, savoy cabbage disguised as Westphalian pearl barley soup.
Last night I checked some links and found a nice “Kathleen” song:
http://www.hearthmusic.com/blog/hearthpr-new-zealands-twisted-folk-duo-tattletale-saints.html
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Have fun, you’re never too old to party 🙂
March 17, 2014 at 1:29 pm
Birgit,
This is a great Kathleen song! Thanks!!
St. Patrick’s Day is big here with all sorts of parades and celebrations and restaurants serving corned beef and cabbage. The wearing of the green is everywhere. The Cape even has a parade but it is earlier than the actual day.
I’ll enjoy the day-thanks!
March 17, 2014 at 2:50 pm
No St. Patricks day over here either and no corned beef or cabbage even if I love both.
The parties my family had is no parties we want to remember 🙂 🙂 🙂
Have a great St. Patricks day!
Christer.
March 17, 2014 at 3:16 pm
Christer,
Big day for the Irish and those who want to be Irish! Corned beef and cabbage is a plenty. I’m wearing my green right now!
I miss those great parties when my parents and all my aunts and uncles were young. I have many cousins and one does have a party each year, but it just isn’t the same.
You have a great evening!
March 17, 2014 at 3:31 pm
You have just described my entire family. Most are dead now, but I think of them fondly. Have a great day!
March 17, 2014 at 4:29 pm
Coleen,
Most of mine are dead too but I have the greatest memories of those parties and the aunts and uncles and especially my parents.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
March 17, 2014 at 4:38 pm
I guess with the large Irish population in this country we would have to invent St. Patrick day if it didn’t exist. After all the Itialian Americans were so jealous that they declared Colombus day their heritage holiday. Columbus wasn’t even Italian. Everyone needs an excuse for a parade and good food with spirits. You don’t have to celebrate anything for an Irishman to have a pint and a party. Who cares if St. Patrick chased away the snakes or not it’s a fun occasion. I didn’t wear anything green because I don’t own anything green since I dislike green cloths. I do like a nice plate of corned beef and cabbage with potatoes and spicy mustard. I never thought that pickled brisket and boiled cabbage are an Irish tradition. Somehow I would have thought Mutton stew would be an Irish dish. Regardless, it’s a great tasting meal and it goes well with beer.
It’s hard for me to believe that my dad passed away 12 years ago today and he wasn’t Irish. But he liked to eat drink and party when he was younger and it’s easy to remember the anniversary of his passing.
Happy St. Patrick Day Kat!
March 17, 2014 at 5:08 pm
Hi Bob,
St. Patrick wasn’t even Irish but was born in England and kidnapped to Ireland where he was 16 and he was a slave there for 6 years before he escaped.
In Ireland today is a religious holiday which started being celebrated in the 17th century. Here, of course, it isn’t religious at all but, as you said, it’s a great reason for parades, a pint or two and a great dinner. A good Irish stew will have lamb, not mutton.
My Dad was buried 21 years ago today. He passed away on the 14th. My mother put a green carnation on his jacket. He would have been pleased.
Happy St. Pat’s Day to you too, Bob
Enjoy a pint!
March 17, 2014 at 5:25 pm
I didn’t know that St. Patrick was not Irish. I guess the Italians were not that far off celebrating Colombus day. My mistake, I thought of lamb stew but I thought mutton might have been the choice of the poorer folk, those who emigrated here during the great potatoe famine.
March 17, 2014 at 9:40 pm
Bob,
I always see lamb as the meat. They could have also eaten mutton, but I never saw it in a recipe.