Celebrate Your Irish Side

Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

March is the month to celebrate the wee touch of Irish in all of us - and Saint Patrick's Day is the pinnacle date of that celebration. Many people celebrate with parades filled with Friendly Sons, bagpipe band and firetruck filled parades. Quite a few enjoy a good brew or spirits of a harder nature. I've been doing some of that, but I have a few other activities to help me remember my Irish roots.

My dear old grandmother was a lively Irish woman. Catherine Bridget Dalton was even born on March 17th. I still use her Irish Soda Bread recipe every year (and not only in March!). It's wonderful. Imagine my surprise when I found out her raisin and caraway seed filled treat wasn't traditional. It's her version of Irish Soda bread though, and that's good enough for me.

I'll also be taking some time to look for the signs of spring. Bulbs are starting to come up, the forsythia is getting buds on it, and the heather blooms look lovely. I'll be gathering some of them for tea and for Mela Tae Eye Bright sets.

Speaking of tea, I'll probably enjoy a nice cup of Rose Melange tea and add a dash of heather for a nice relaxing and refreshing look at the day.

For dinner we'll have some of that soda bread and probably some good home made Sheppard's Pie. Then it will be off to create some some new body butter or maybe a rose scented sugar scrub in honor of gram.

Whatever way you celebrate, take a moment to lift your glass and thank those daring Irish lads and lassies who came to America so very long ago. They've added wonderful traditions to American life, and enriched our history.

Slainte!