Kiss Me I'm Irish???
What's a Puerto Rican American girl doing with a blatantly IRISH blog background?
Well, growing up, I spent a lot of time visiting with my mom's sister who loves everything Irish as does my mother, even though they were both born and lived in Puerto Rico the first few years of their lives. This all came from the fact that when they were in grade school, their father put them in a children's home run by Irish Catholic nuns in New York. You can't get any more Irish than that.
The Irish people have certainly known their share of hardship and trials from the Potato Famine of the 1840s which lead to many leaving their homeland in the late 19th Century to come to the United States of America only for many of them to find opportunities here to be not much better. Even until recent times there has been civil unrest between the Nationalists and the Unionists in Northern Ireland. Yet, my mother and her sister love the Irish.
Maybe it's the hardships they, too, endured like losing their mother at a very early age or living for most of grade school in what amounted to be an orphanage. Maybe it was my mother being sent to a posh private school on scholarship without means to fit in such as nice clothes or jewelery or all the other things teenagers find important even in the 1950s. Maybe it was her sister not being allowed to go to the posh school because the nuns didn't like her wild ways and refused to send her, leaving her to get a job in a cleaners picking lint out of people's pockets for a living. The list goes on and on...
Regardless, these two lovely ladies love everything about St. Patrick's Day - from the wearing of the green (even though we are now Protestant) to Corned Beef and Cabbage for dinner (not my favorite fare for sure.) My aunt, who decorates her house for EVERY holiday will hang green "jello-like" shamrock stickies on the front window and make centerpieces out of leprechauns and more shamrocks. When we have our traditional supper, the plates will be green, the napkins will be green, and I bet even the beverages will be green.
My aunt is currently recovering from hip surgery in a rehabilitation center, so this year we may have to bring St. Patrick's Day to her. Knowing her strong constitution, however, that crazy lady will be home in no time and serving up the corned beef and cabbage for all of us.
Éirinn go brách!!
Well, growing up, I spent a lot of time visiting with my mom's sister who loves everything Irish as does my mother, even though they were both born and lived in Puerto Rico the first few years of their lives. This all came from the fact that when they were in grade school, their father put them in a children's home run by Irish Catholic nuns in New York. You can't get any more Irish than that.
The Irish people have certainly known their share of hardship and trials from the Potato Famine of the 1840s which lead to many leaving their homeland in the late 19th Century to come to the United States of America only for many of them to find opportunities here to be not much better. Even until recent times there has been civil unrest between the Nationalists and the Unionists in Northern Ireland. Yet, my mother and her sister love the Irish.
Maybe it's the hardships they, too, endured like losing their mother at a very early age or living for most of grade school in what amounted to be an orphanage. Maybe it was my mother being sent to a posh private school on scholarship without means to fit in such as nice clothes or jewelery or all the other things teenagers find important even in the 1950s. Maybe it was her sister not being allowed to go to the posh school because the nuns didn't like her wild ways and refused to send her, leaving her to get a job in a cleaners picking lint out of people's pockets for a living. The list goes on and on...Regardless, these two lovely ladies love everything about St. Patrick's Day - from the wearing of the green (even though we are now Protestant) to Corned Beef and Cabbage for dinner (not my favorite fare for sure.) My aunt, who decorates her house for EVERY holiday will hang green "jello-like" shamrock stickies on the front window and make centerpieces out of leprechauns and more shamrocks. When we have our traditional supper, the plates will be green, the napkins will be green, and I bet even the beverages will be green.
My aunt is currently recovering from hip surgery in a rehabilitation center, so this year we may have to bring St. Patrick's Day to her. Knowing her strong constitution, however, that crazy lady will be home in no time and serving up the corned beef and cabbage for all of us.
Éirinn go brách!!
Comments
Thats what I love about blogging....the storytelling part with the photos...great keepsake.
I love corned beef, but cabbage I can take or leave.
I didn't realise your Aunt was recovering from hip surgery. My father had 2 hip operations and both were very successful.
I wonder if they made the Chicago River green for the St. Patrick's Day celebration like they did in previous years.
Hope you have a fun day....my St Paddy's day is now offically over.
Cheers
Peg
PS I like your new profile pic...very glamorous
PSS Ireland Forever!
Love the photo, love the way they celebrate a culture that brought them comfort--so sweet.
Blessings!
I want to go back there again. When Paul and I were there in 1993 we were the happiest we had ever been.
The pubs, the people, the country, the music....oh my.
Peggy
Amazing story and beautiful layout!!
Hugs
XXXX
Chimene
Roban
Your artistic talents are certainly flowing at the moment.
Peg