St. Patrick Day Memories..

http://voices.yahoo.com/st-patrick-day-memories-7807028.html?cat=43



St. Patrick Day Memories...




St. Patrick's Day, it is one of our family's favorite Holiday's. However, since my oldest son's death we've not really done a lot of anything to celebrate.



I do however; have many good memories of St. Patrick's Day. Like the time my youngest got into the cake, and my oldest brought him to me. My youngest was about two years old. He was trying to wipe the cake off his face, and hands on to his pants. (This was not working) My oldest was demanding me to look at what his youngest brother had done.



Now this wasn't just any regular cake, this cake was green, really green, because I had put extra food coloring in it so it would be very green. So picture a two year old, trying to wipe green cake off his face. He had not used a knife or anything of the sort to get himself a piece of cake; he had used both hands and dug right into the middle of it. So the cake was spoilt.



Well, time moves on, and my two year old grew up, my oldest was killed, and lots of time lies between the years.


Memories of St. Patrick's Day are bittersweet, now. I remember when my aunt and uncle came over with their two children for St. Patrick's Day. We had the fixings common to our family. That being, corned beef brisket, cooked with cabbage, red potatoes, carrots, and onions. Then we'd made hot chocolate for everyone with cool whip icing sprinkled with green shamrock candies.



I say it is bitter sweet memories because my aunt died suddenly last year, and she will not be able to come over for St. Patrick's Day, nor will I be able to go to my uncle's house due to distance. But maybe one day.



I have many memories associated with St. Patrick's Day, because my family is Irish. I am the third generation from Ireland. I also lived in a predominately Irish neighborhood for a time.



Yes, I have drunk Irish coffee, however now a days, if I make it, it's modified so it's not quite the same, having no whiskey. At one time however this was a common part of St. Patrick's Day.


 
 I remember when I was younger living up north watching the St. Patrick's Day parade's, and afterwards having company until late at night. Everyone would come over we could play chess, drink tea, the adults would drink a little more than tea. Sometimes we would make cookies, and the older people would talk, and talk, and tell many tales of places and people I'll never know.



As I said earlier we've not really done anything special for St. Patrick's Day since our son's death. However, this year if possible we are going to at least try to do something.



I want to be able to at least fix the corn beef brisket, and make the hot chocolate, and add the green shamrock sprinkles.



St. Patrick's Day, is still one of my favorite holidays, and it has always been a favorite of my children's. So this year, instead of doing absolutely nothing I want us to do something, and remember the good days, maybe we'll sit around play chess, watch a movie or two, or maybe not, maybe just chat the night away, with tales of people and places my children will never know.



Because you know the Irish are famous for the gift of gab, the gift of storytelling, and the gift of hospitality. Never a stranger is there to be found passing by the home of a true Irishman, because everyone's just a friend we haven't quite got acquainted with yet, or perhaps a friend we've misplaced somewhere along the way, as we were out chasing rainbows, searching for the pot of gold that's said to lie at the end --