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 |  I've maxed out. Closed this blog. |
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This is a way of making myself write something coherent and grammatically correct almost every day. I'm opinionated and need an outlet. I'm also prone to flights of fancy. Thanks for stopping by. |
| It's really okay not to observe the day. If you're not Catholic or have no Irish ancestry, you're not required to take notice of it. But most of us look for an excuse to have another festive day. And this one can be a lot of fun. Sunday is still a day of Lent. Many are observing the dark days of Lent leading up to Easter. No doubt Patrick did as well. As for old Patrick, no one knows where the legend of driving the snakes out of Ireland came from. You won't find them there. Patrick did teach peace to hostile villages and sought to end slavery. He was a proponent of literacy. He did a lot to bring civilization to Ireland and to end the old fears and superstitions. There have been many great men and women from Ireland. Nobel Prizes for literature were given to George Bernard Shaw, James Joyce, William B. Yeats, and Seamus Heaney. Many great preachers, priests and intellectuals have come from Ireland. Depicting the Irish as drunkards, fighters, and liars is prejudice, pure and simple. Even Irish Americans show a love of literature. Andrew Greeley is American, but he's Chicago Irish-American, and it shows up in all his novels, a vast collection. In fact there are still strong Irish populations in the U.S., including Boston, New York, and Chicago. I've noticed in old TV westerns, they frequently included Irish people in their story lines. So it would appear that the Irish are interwoven into most areas of our culture. That would explain why some other country's holiday is so popular here. The Irish migrated here in large numbers and blended in. They adapted to American life and now are a part of it. |
| We have to discuss leprechauns if we're talking about Irish traditions. Actually, you don't hear so much about leprechauns these days. It's because of teachers! The teachers have hurt the wee folk feelings by telling the children they're only superstitions. So the leprechauns have run off to the mountain tops and remote regions to live, where they don't suffer the disdain of modern educators. A common misconception, especially by American advertisers, is that leprechauns wear green, and their hats are Derbies. Not so. The clothing varies from county to county. In some areas, they've been seen wearing red. The hats vary, from pilgrim style hats to tall pointy ones, or even beanies. Pants are short or long. There really isn't a dress code, but one band or clan tend to dress similarly to each other. Personalities also differ greatly; they are not all of one temperament. Some are quite lively and funny, some are practical jokers, some are kindly, while some are downright mean. And they're not all stingy. They have to work for their money like everyone else, and they don't want it stolen. How can you tell if they have been around? Well, they are a wee bit clumsy. If a spark flies out of the fireplace and burns a spot on the rug, it was probably a leprechaun trying to warm up that knocked it out into the room. Or if the milk gets spilled, or a plant is knocked over, it might have been the cat or it may have been a leprechaun. If your homework isn't in your notebook when you get to the schoolhouse, maybe the leprechaun played a trick on you and took it out. If uncle trips when he comes into the house after a night of drinking at the pub, it was probably a leprechaun that tripped him and woke the whole house. Some families try to appease the practical joker leprechauns by placing out cookies or biscuits for them at night. Other families are cheap and leave out table scraps, like for a pet, and this irritates them even more. Leprechauns have their dignity, you know. The late night tippler does seem to have more tales of leprechauns and banshees than one who retires early. Now that's a mystery. |
| St. Patty's is first a religious holiday. He has been taken down from sainthood, not because he did anything wrong, but American Irish and the Irish in heart have done such un-saintly things in his name.If you're a purist, you'll say a few prayers that day, maybe mail a few greeting cards to your elderly friends in advance. Beyond that, don't plan on drinking green beer, unless you're prepared to go green in the bathroom. It's strictly an American custom and frowned upon by the Irish. The same goes for green food coloring in cookies or cakes or what-have-you. It will come out green. if it goes in green. Wear some green, eat corned beef, and drink normally, if you will. Speaking of wearing green, try not to look too daffy. A green sweater or some green socks will do. Forget the green underwear jokes. You can wear a green shamrock or green beads from Wal-Mart. It doesn't take much to show your spirit. And remember if someone else is not wearing green, it's the leprechauns who do the pinching. You don't have to help! As for food, corned beef and cabbage are good. Seafood, particularly large shrimp, will do nicely. After all, Ireland is an island with a large fishing industry. Traditional Irish soda bread is a little dry and doesn't suit American palates. There are many updated versions, however. Lamb is also commonly eaten in Ireland. Desserts are not as important in the average household. Flan, a type of custard, is very common. The larger estates and the inns that appeal to tourists, who do have a taste for sweets, do serve fancy multi-layer cakes and dishes using creams. Many American grocers now sell Irish butter, cheese, and other dairy products, as well as Guinness and other Irish beverages, if you're feeling adventurous. Not only do they not serve green beer, they serve the tan and the dark, two types in one glass. They mix as you drink them. For music, there's the well-known Celtic Women and the Irish Tenors, but don't forget the Clancy Brothers or the Makem's. In the rowdy days of my youth, I had friends who loved all Irish things. They'd have big parties, and we'd play Clancy Brothers and stomp our feet, and eat Lorna's homemade food. Michael would regale us with stories about Bloody Sunday and the Potato Famine. We'd all shout "Erin Go Braugh". One guy actually grew up in Ireland, and would do the Irish Jig for us. The next day our host and hostess would be too hungover to remember who had been there the night before. We were all Irish under their spell. I don't know where any of them are any more, but I play the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem every year this time. In my heart, I am young and foolish again. But I salute the Irish and their brave history. |
| When Grimm and Anderson went through Europe recording old folk tales, they cleaned them up for public printing. Folk lore had endured because they were remembered and told generation to generation, and spread by traveling minstrel and actors The tales of Europe had died out sooner than Ireland's because of printing, and the availability of reading materials. Ireland was later coming into the literate age, so their folk tales were still alive much after the King Arthur stories had died. The King Arthur stories were the overlap between superstition and Christianity, and Tennyson cleaned them up even more. When the Irish stories were finally collected, long after Grimm and Anderson, the stories were still alive and lurid. None of them were intended for children alone, but were for all ages. So if you pick up a volume of Irish folk tales, don't plan on reading them aloud to the kids. They are much too scary and R-rated. Finn MacCumhail (pronounced Finn McCool) is the hero of many of these tales. He's sort of a cross between King Arthur and Robin Hood. None that I have read make him out to be quite so noble or so virtuous, but he does save many people, and is always a strong leader. The stories include odd animal tales, and tales of giants crossing the Irish waters to England. The ancient tales lasted intact until almost the 20th century. |
| With St. Patrick's Day a week away, it's time to brush up our Irish. Let's start with wild banshees. I don't want to meet up with one, but I'm fascinated to hear about them. They're not really wild. They just sound that way and frighten people. Usually these spirits of dead women have attached themselves to a family or residents of their estate. For some reason, they have not been able to leave this world after their deaths, perhaps because of a tragic ending. In this lingering state, the spirits warn of an impending death. They could be called "wild" because most often they are heard by someone who's been out late drinking. The telling of it may have been affected by their physical and mental state. Some modern folks have tried to pass it off as the sound of wind, but we know better. A nice banshee makes a low, mournful sound. This is one who regrets the upcoming demise of a truly good person, or a very young person, maybe a young pregnant wife. She sounds sorrowful and heartbroken. Maybe this banshee wishes she didn't know this awful information. Her cries fill the listeners and their friends with sorrow and worry and dismay. Then there is the wicked banshee. She takes delight in knowing an upcoming demise. She shrieks and howls with laughter. Her cry is much scarier than the other kind. She strikes fear in the hearts of those who hear, which gives her even greater delight. Just or unjust, death to her is a game. I've heard of wild banshee Indians. I think that is a mistake made legendary. Perhaps an Irish cowboy, or his Irish wife, mixed the comparisons when talking about children. There were large settlements of Irish out west, like Chicago. Yes, Chicago was the wild west at one time.So don't fall for the mix of Indian and Irish lore. It just isn't so. If you don't want to hear a wild banshee for yourself, don't stay out at the pub so late at night, don't pass out drunk outdoors, and have a designated driver just to be safe. |
| Daylight Savings Time throws my schedule way off. I can't sleep, then I'm tired all day. The first day is okay, but the second day, I'm goofy and sleepy and moody. Meal times aren't lined up with hunger. Where did my quiet late afternoons go. Now that level of daylight is spent in evening chores. My mornings are freaky. I get up, but feel exhausted, and just can't get moving properly or efficiently. It's like being drugged or sick. How did I manage when I was younger? It's warm out, but there are sill big piles of ice by the mailbox, on sidewalk junctures, parking spaces and the side of the driveway. Winter is not scurrying away. But the vegetation suspects something. Early pollen is out, and some folks are sniffling and taking their allergy drugs. The gardeners have their seeds in the indoor boxes to sprout. Indoor temperatures are both cool and hot, as personalities clash, pass the blame, and lash out. Maybe the testiness is from being cooped up inside for too long. Maybe they're just nasty people. Hopefully, the warmer outside weather, and some flowers and tree buds, will have a positive effect inside, too. |
| The ice is still on the sidewalks. The icicles have been knocked off the gutters, and the pathways and roads are clear. It's freezing out, but the sun was bright during the day. In desperation, we held a beach party tonight. The youth and some old ladies did the Hawaiian theme decor. The men and boys had a contest for soup and dessert. We had some really good musicians play guitar and ukulele, and some adequate singers. We all sand Under the Boardwalk with printed words. The "Beach Boys" performed, but they played better than they sang. We got into the spirit by wearing colorful clothes, flip flops, straw hats and sunglasses. We wore leis, a few wore grass skirts. There was a hula hoop contest and a limbo contest. A 3 year old won the limbo by default. It was a pleasant break. Good food, family fun, colorful, and welcome interlude to a winter not ready to leave. Maybe some other folks who are snowbound, tired of the ice and the cold, could have their own luau or beach parties. |
| We spend a lot of time in our autos. Those autos let a lot of sunlight onto our faces and arms. The ozone layer is getting thinner, so that skin cancer and glaucoma are on the rise. Isn't it time that we buy cars with UV protection in our windows? I know it costs a lot of money. Windows with UV protection in your home have a really big up-charge and are thick. But the costs of medical care are big too. Not being able to drive because our visual fields have narrowed is also costly. I'd rather pay more up front for the extra protection in the car. I know the technology must be available. In America, we tend to have age spots more on the left side of our faces and left arms. In Europe, where the driver is on the right side, the sun spots and moles show up on the right side. If they're looking to save money, American cars would have UV protection on the driver's side and the front windshield. Upscale cars would have it all the way around. My eye doctor told me that glaucoma is showing up about 20 years too early in her patients due to the ozone layer. She said never leave home without sunglasses or a hat if staying outside. So even in this snowy, cold weather, I have on my UV glasses and my bundles of scarves and gloves, etc.This summer, I'm going to get a UV straw hat. I've wanted one for years for my skin; now I'll get one for the eyes. So what do you say auto makers? Can you make UV protection standard or at least easily available? |
| There many types of detox. According to Prevention Magazine and their publications, we are all poisoned and need detoxing. I actually found a detox recipe on Facebook, which I copied, then Googled (I know it's technically not a verb yet, but it will be when the dictionary is updated). It is supposed to be consumed daily at least once, maybe twice. The results are supposed to be spectacular. The recipe calls for 12-16 ounces of filtered water (so far so good), 2 tablespoons of organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon raw unfiltered honey, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Drink quickly, no sipping over a leisurely read in the rocking chair. Sounds cheap enough and do-able. I've read before of the good effects of vinegar in food and drinks. Honey is questionable, because of the sugar calories, glucose, etc. I've also heard that cinnamon assists insulin and has other good effects on the health. I found in my search that this is a popular recipe, and only the organic part changes in various sources. I wondered how it would interact with medications and what side effects there would be from regular use. Some people are allergic to cinnamon, but would know that in advance. There are no indications that it causes harm, unlike the grapefruit diet. However, apple cider, organic or not, has acid which erodes tooth enamel and can damage the esophagus if taken undiluted. Mixed with food or other fluids, it shouldn't cause any problem. People who want to try it, but are concerned, should brush their teeth and rinse with mouthwash immediately after drinking it. An antacid or preventative could help protect from indigestion and acid reflux. Drink lots of water after consuming such a drink. But why take it in the first place? It promises to flush your digestive system, avoid gas and bloating, reduce the build-up of bad bacteria, act like a diuretic to remove fluid from your limbs, cleanse your liver and kidneys, improve glucose levels of people who are not severe diabetics, ward off colds and minor illnesses, improve blood pressure, and give you more energy. Who wouldn't want all that? It promises everything except a better sex life for the very elderly. |
| I've been reading about all the bad things in our food for years, and it's finally beginning to sink in. So I've decided for health's sake, I'm going to give up fried foods, including hamburgers, indefinitely. I can eat baked fish, etc., but not fried. The list also includes potato chips and other junk foods and pizza. I have made a lot of progress in giving up sweets and sodas or carbonated beverages, even though I was keeping track of calories. When you do that you can have a 300 calorie doughnut, just leave out some protein or whole grain. I knew that wasn't healthy, but at least I wasn't over my calorie budget. Then I decided "no doughnuts", since my dad buys some every week. I did well on that, too, once I made that decision. But now it's time to up my game. I just read about the acids that these foods store in your cells all through your body. Supposedly, these acids interfere with your sleep, your energy, joint pain, memory, digestion, blood pressure, and metabolism. Since we're into Lent, that's my excuse for doing this, only 1 1/2 weeks late. If I actually feel better by Easter, I'll just keep doing it. I'm recording this here, even with the possibility that no one else may see it, to commit to myself not to consume unhealthy things like fried foods and packaged snack foods. This is a sacrifice in that food consumption is often influenced or controlled by other people. The boss buys your lunch, you eat what's there in small quantities. You live with someone who wants his fish fried and his beans "greasy", and you have to prepare his or her food, you give him what keeps him quiet. But Lent gives the perfect excuse to be different. It gives the excuse to fix two different dinners in your own home or not eat what you cooked. Once I have some success or a good report that will be the only excuse I need. |
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