"Top O' the Morning to Ya!"

"And the rest of the day to yourself!"

Of all things Irish, I especially love...

Irish sayings! (They're different from blessings, I swear!) Here's some examples...

"That's a fine doorful of a woman."

What you would say of a tall, large woman (like Madame Maxime from Harry Potter, perhaps)

"She has a tongue that could clip a hedge"

What you would say of a gossiper (Why's it always got to be a woman- men gossip too!)

"Aw, that's the tune the old cow died of"

What you would say of very bad music (At least it's not saying "That's what it sounded like when the old cow died.")

"That man would talk the teeth out of a saw"

What you would say of a talkative person (That's right, I definitely know some long-winded men.)

"If that man went to a wedding, he'd stay for the christening"

What you would say of someone who overstays their welcome

And then there is always the infamous Murphy's Law, which is, of course...

"Nothing is as easy as it looks.

Everything takes longer than you expect.

And if anything can go wrong,

It will, at the worst possible moment"

Now, I've paraphrased Murphy once or twice in my life, but it is too pessimistic of a way to start the day! I will leave you with one more Irish saying to brighten your smile...

"There are only three kinds of Irish men who can't understand

women— young men, old men, and men of middle age."

Couldn't this be said of all nationalities?!?!? =)

11 DAYS TILL ST. PATTY'S DAY!

Country Road

Of all things Irish, I especially love...

The countryside! Not to forget the meandering roads on which one drives on the opposite side of the road, often hanging on to the asphalt as the earth drops off to the sea below. Or clipping some tall grasses as you lean into the curves that the road offers through fields and pastures from a quieter time. The Irish countryside is quintessentially green and vibrant and full of adventure in a car.

Lexi and I discovered this having hired a car to drive from Northern Ireland to the East Coast of Ireland. For a week we took to the roads with freedom to explore. We stopped to admire things like the Carrick-a-Rede bridge, the Burren, the Cliffs of Moher. But what was in between those attractions was just as magnificant. Grassy hills, grazing sheep, little cottages, warped fences, ancient cemetaries. It was storybook to me.

Country Road, take me home to the place where I belong... IRELAND!!

12 DAYS TILL ST. PATTY'S DAY!

Want Not

Of all things Irish, I especially love...

Irish blessings! Two come immediately to mind. The standard, St. Patty's card Irish blessing,

"May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind always be at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

and rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand."

My other favorite is this one,

"May you live as long as you want and never want as long as you live."

I find this second one a good reminder to our society in this day and age where materialism runs rampant. I am not pushing the life of an ascetic, but simply calling attention to being aware of the difference between a want and a need. In essence, we all have everything we need. Wanting can be very consuming, leading to greed or obsession. The noble wants like, "I want to help others," "I want to be a better person," those can be transformed from wants to actions. "I will help others," "I will be a better person." Sounds much better as an affirmation, doesn't it?

Perhaps you take this blessing to heart and you become conscious of how many things you "want" or how many times you use the word. It may help you to realize how blessed your life already is, and that you need nothing else to be content. I know it helps me!

13 DAYS TILL ST. PATTY'S DAY!

A Smile in 'Me Eye

Of all things Irish, I especially love...

The song, "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling." This song, in particular (in addition to "Oh Danny Boy") reminds me of my Nanny. She used to sing this song often, and I remember chiming in to the words I knew. Which, incidentally, I just checked and I definitely was not singing them right. For sure Nellie McCaffery had them correct though. Here they are...

When Irish eyes are smiling,

Sure, 'tis like the morn in Spring.

In the lilt of Irish laughter

You can hear the angels sing.

When Irish hearts are happy,

All the world seems bright and gay.

And when Irish eyes are smiling,

Sure, they steal your heart away

I can still hear her voice, carrying this melody, though now it is one of the angelic voices that the song speaks of. And sure enough, it makes 'me Irish heart happy and keeps 'me Irish eyes smiling! Love you, Nanny!

14 DAYS TILL ST. PATTY'S!

Slainte!

Toasting a round of pints at the pub? Be they Guiness or Harp? Then you want to say, "Slainte!" Pronounced, "slan-cha" this is the Gaelic way to say Cheers!

Of all things Irish, I especially love...

BEER! To me, the concept of beer and Ireland go hand in hand, but not just because they make a pretty darn good brew (Harp would be my fav). In Ireland beer is more than a drink. It is a conduit for comraderie. If you need to laugh, to cry, to rant, to unload, to meddle, to share, to listen, to unwind, to celebrate, to mourn- head to the pub and you will always find good company. The pub is part of the culture in Ireland, it is a sense of community. It's a part of Irish tradition to grow up a bar patron. The word stranger doesn't exist within the walls of a pub, once you walk in, you're part of the family. And we all know that beer always tastes better when shared among friends. Anyone else getting thirsty?

Slainte! 15 DAYS TILL ST. PATTY'S!