March right in

 

I love March! March means that April, May, and even June, are right around the corner...and winter is really almost over. It also means that we celebrate all things Irish...and I LOVE me some Irish. The hills here have their green on like crazy and it makes my heart sing!

It also means that it's time for St. Paddy's day....one of my favorite holidays.
Here are the best ways to get your Irish on:

1. wear green! As I said before...Green makes everything feel alive, so first thing is to put on something green..."No Mattie...it doesn't count if your underwear is green"...(cricket sound)....just kiddin...(more cricket sound)..moving on.

2. watch Irish movies
The Quiet Man is one of my all time favorites! John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara are the best....and who can resist Tom and Nicole in Far and Away....this was when Nicole was not ruined by plastic surgery. Love this movie....especially when Nicole's mom says: "This is no longer the Ireland of my Barth"....Huh...I love that.

Or how about a little Darby O'Gill...do you remember Sean Connery being in this? Who knew....and of course... Brigadoon. (sigh)...I love it that the guys go hunting in business suits...

Or how about a little Darby O'Gill...do you remember Sean Connery being in this? Who knew....and of course... Brigadoon. (sigh)...I love it that the guys go hunting in business suits...

3. hang out with redheads
Here are a few of MY favorites:

4. wear plaid:
and who doesn't like a guy in a skirt?....

5. Talk with an accent. Kindle is really good at this....on the other hand...I suck at this. It just comes out like an english/mexican something....that's why I thought of number 6.

6. If you can't do #5 then say everything with an "O" or a "Mc" in front of it.
Like this: "Please pass the O'pepper and the McSalt."
(Oh yaa...we're havin fun now...)

And finallly and most importantly...eat "Carned" Beef and Cabbage. Every year we would make a huge crockpot full of corned beef cooked in beer with cabbage and roasted potatoes. It is SOOOO good. I'm tellin ya.... it is addictive. You'll want to start your own tradition with this one.

I wish you all a wee bit o' luck and let me know how you get your Irish on!

 

 

 

 

 

Profound words

Levi called early this morning to say goodbye. He is leaving today for Iraq. I had planned that I would say something really profound....you know...words that when he was far away from home, and things were bad, that he would think of those profound words, and it would change everything. That all of a sudden the universe would open and it would all make sense. That whatever he was going through, would somehow seem small and simple.

I had planned to say something like, "Be Brave Son...and Remember who you are"....or "You are a strong Man...You can do this!"....or "Return home with Honor"...

Cliche...right? I mean if someone gets to the point that they don't remember who they are, they are really in big trouble.

I ended up without enough words to say anything important.
All I could say was, "I'm scared"
He said, "me too...but don't worry, Mom, I think it will be a big adventure."

Very profound.
I love you, boy.

The Minuet

I sat at my desk daydreaming about the upcoming school program that was going to happen on Presidents day. Four 3rd graders were going to be chosen to do the Minuet in front of the whole school and all of our parents. They were going to get to wear there hair up and wear a beautiful old fashioned gown in...ummm...minuet style(whatever that is) and it was going to be just beautiful, I just knew it.
"I bet they pick that one girl over there because she has the longest hair and it's blonde and I bet they will pick her....but I have the next longest hair, so I bet they will choose me...maybe I will tell Mrs. Moore that I have long hair and that they should choose me for the dance.......What? Tracy Loyd got an A on her paper and now she gets to be in the minuet?! Tracy Loyd? She doesn't' have long hair and she is not pretty and she picks her nose...and now they won't pick me because that other girl has the longest hair...."(sobbing commences)

Sometimes....if you cry hard enough....you DO get your way (even if your hair isn't the longest.)

Happy Presidents Day!

Read on...

I just finished this book:

I just LOOOOVED IT! Seriously! The thing is...is that I have loved everything that Barbara Kingsolver has ever written, so far...and this is one of my favorites! Mostly because I am into the whole "healthy food" thing anyway, but also because she has such a way of story-telling that really captures you and her descriptions are wonderful.
Barbara and her family spent a whole year being "locavores"...eating only things that they grew or raised themselves, or that were locally grown. I am dying to have a garden right now! I wish I had place to get going! At least here the farmers market will be opening soon and then we can get everything super fresh and local. Way excited for that!
I hope you will all run out and buy this book so we can talk about it! Also...you can check out my side bar...I put a new page up explaining my crazy story with health and food....a never ending journey for me. Kindle has also started a co-op of sorts for people near her wanting to buy local and organic meat...you'll have to check out her blog (I will tell her to put up a link)
Also you simply MUST watch the movie "Food Inc." .... really life changing!

Ok...so a little too pushy?.....you'll thank me later....

The best munchkin ever!

OH BOY!!! Could it possibly have been 2 years ago that this bundle of energy rocked my world? It's kinda like Dorothy opening the door to a world of COLOR! Everything is better with Sweet "E" boy.

E...it's been a ball!

I love you, and Happy Birthday!
from,
Gramma