3.19.2024
PUZZLES
3.16.2024
SAINT PATRICK'S DAY
WEARING 'O THE GREEN
So, celebrating Christianity in Ireland became quite a fun holiday, aye? Wearing green hats and clothes, carrying good luck charms and shamrocks, drinking green beer, having parades and just plain celebrating the foremost patron saint, Saint Patrick. This is always on March 17th, the day he died.MYTHS BUSTED
St. Patrick was a real person, but some of the traditions associated with him and the holiday are actually myths. For instance, you’ll often see the four-leaf clover on St. Patrick’s Day. However, according to legend, Patrick used a three-leaf clover, or shamrock, as part of his teachings. Even though it's possible for a shamrock to grow a fourth leaf, a four-leaf clover is just considered a symbol of good luck.
Another legend says that Patrick chased all the snakes out of Ireland. The problem? These creatures never actually lived in the country. In fact many animals found throughout Europe and North America don’t live on the island of Ireland—the ocean keeps the critters away.
So, if you don't wear green you risk the chance of getting pinched! Some really do go all out for this holiday too! Like Chicago, the city that turns the Chicago river green to honor the Irish immigrants who came here and helped to settle this area.2.29.2024
EASTER BONNET
MARCH MEANS EASTER SPRING!
Easter is coming up soon! It's such a lovely time in my memories. The beautiful baskets my mom made for us, she really did go all out! With tons of candies and little gifts, the baskets were so wonderful. We made hard boiled eggs and dyed them with food coloring, what a treasure it is to remember! When I was in high school, I put food coloring drops on the eggs and then blew on them real hard so they splattered, I felt like I invented something so fantastic and new! The effect of splattered colors, wow!
The easter egg hunts were so special, so much fun anticipating who will find the most eggs! Mom and dad hid the eggs in good places too, kind of hard to find. Gosh we had so much fun! Once in a while it was warm but then it got cooler and cooler at Easter time. One time we had snow. But it was all good times and as I got older, the three youngest would search for the eggs that my older brother and I would hide.
Easter time makes me feel like dressing as in vintage days, in a time for wearing Easter hats and dresses, with gloves and frilly socks and shiny shoes. Oh, those pretty dresses with ruffles and those adorable hats with flowers that sit so pretty on my curly hair!
Back when I was a kid, I hated dressing up for Easter. Mom made me wear the most ugly lace hat, a dress and fancy socks with shiny black or white shoes. Oh, and I had a little string bag purse. I felt so silly, I remember hating it. I never did like one piece dresses either. I guess it was because most of the time I was in shorts and top and dirty all the time. I was quite the 'tomboy' and never had reason to dress up. Except on Easter. Mom made sure of it. And we went to church.
Now, I would love to dress up for Easter! I'd love to make a beautiful Easter Bonnet with all the frills upon it so I could be so envied at the Easter parade! (Did you just sing that tune too?)
I'd love to see children running about and searching for eggs and eating chocolate bunnies. An Easter dinner of ham and scalloped potatoes or augratin, the one with cheese in it! A side of peas and for dessert, a big apple pie and ice cream!
That is the only time we went to church too. We walked to a church that was a bit far away and I loved going to the children's room because we made crafts and colored. I still have the cotton fabric that I colored with crayons and made tulips on it. I had it framed it in glass ... I'll have to go look for it, my first work of art! And to think, it's now an antique!