Friday, March 14, 2014

Here's to the Irish!

Thought for the day Never borrow money from a leprechaun. They're always a little short.

[Wikipedia]
Yep, it seems like everybody wants to be Irish on St. Patrick's Day, doesn't it? Doesn't matter a shillelagh what your actual lineage is, either, for 'tis a grand day for dusting off that "Kiss me; I'm Irish" button, and pinning it to your shirt.

Know what's kinda funny about that? (shhhh) St. Patrick... wasn't Irish!








[Wikipedia]


Aye, and that's the truth, it is. St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, wasn't born in Ireland at all... and neither were his ancestors. However, he is credited with introducing Christianity to the Emerald Isle, where he evangelized for thirty years.



[Wikipedia]










He used the shamrock... the three-leaf clover... as a visual prop to teach the concept of the Trinity. We talk about the luck o' the Irish, and associate the shamrock with the Irish, but it's the four-leaf clover that's considered the lucky pick, simply because of its rarity.

[seniorark]


Even though many people use St. Patrick's Day as an excuse to guzzle even more beer than usual these days, from 1903 until 1970, it was a religious holiday in Ireland, and thus...a dry day. No booze. It converted to a national holiday in 1970, and the taps have been flowing freely ever since. (Obviously, the guy in that picture is a purist... his beer isn't green.)

[Wikipedia]


St. Patrick's Day, as celebrated worldwide, is marked with parades, festivals, shamrocks, wearing o' the green, drinking Irish whiskey and green beer, and sometimes... eating corned beef and cabbage. Many buildings of the world use decorative green lighting, and rivers, lakes, and ponds galore are dyed green. Even the fountain in front of the White House glistens emerald.

[Wikipedia]

Heck, what am I saying? The celebration of St. Patrick's Day is even outta this world. Dare ye to doubt me? Check out this picture of astronaut Chris Hadfield in the International Space Station, wearing his spiffy green bow tie while orbiting the planet last St. Patrick's Day. (Kinda looks like he's doing an Irish dance, too, doesn't it?)


Talking about Irish dances, have you seen this video?


                                                      See? Even the chimps wanta be Irish.

[one of my favorite pins]

* Think there's any truth to the theory that the Irish dance was born because there weren't enough urinals in the pub? (Think about it...)

* Know why you should never iron a four-leaf clover? It's never a good idea to press your luck.

*  Know how to tell if an Irishman is having a good time? Easy. He's Dublin over with laughter.


Okay, I'll stop.


Since St. Patrick's Day is coming up on Monday, it's too late to try this corned beef  recipe this time around, but you might want to give it a whirl next year. It isn't that much work, and I guarantee you, it'll be the best corned beef you ever ate. There are no nitrites in it, so the meat doesn't turn that unnatural red color, but it is gooooooooood.


For the salt and spice mix, you'll need 1 1/3 cups of Kosher (or coarse) salt, 3 T sugar, 1 T cracked peppercorns, 2 t allspice, 2 t thyme, 1 t sage, 1 t paprika, 1 large bay leaf, and 2 large cloves of garlic, minced.
Cut of meat - brisket, chuck, eye round roast, or bottom round, about 4-5 pounds

To Cure- Trim excess fat. Blend salt and spices, and rub the mixture into the meat. Liberally. Place meat into a large plastic bag and toss in the remaining salt/spice mixture. If you'd like, you can add a sliced onion and sliced carrot, too. Squeeze out as much air as you can, and then seal the bag. Put it into a a large bowl, cover it with a plate or pan, and weigh it down. (Put something on top of it that's heavy enough to keep the plate firmly pressed against the meat.) Place in the bottom of your fridge. Turn and knead the bag at least once a day until the curing process is completed. You should cure for at least two weeks, and up to a full month.

After curing: Wash the meat in cold water, and then soak it in a large bowl of cold water for about 24 hours to get rid of excess salt. If you'd like, you can tie it with butcher's twine, but it isn't necessary.

To Cook: Put meat in a large pot, and cover with water. Add an onion stuck with four cloves, a large carrot, and two celery stalks. Bring to a simmer, and skim off the scum for several minutes. (And I mean "scum" in the nicest way ...) Cover, leaving lid askew to allow for circulation, and simmer for 3- 3 1/2 hours, or until the meat is deliciously fork tender. Enjoy!
****************

I won't be responding to comments or visiting blogs for a few days. Gonna be enjoying some of our  O'Swiderski grandchildren. Just thinking about it makes me want to dance a jig! (If a chimp can do it, surely this chump can, too...)  Oops, change in plans. A couple of the kiddies are sick, so we'll be postponing the sharing of our germs for another week. 

 Until next time, bless your little Irish heart, and every other Irish part.

May your glass be ever full. May the roof over your head always be strong. And may you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows you're dead.

93 comments:

  1. May I say that I don't really want to be Irish on the 17th or any other day. Being English (even though I live in France) is probably one of life's greatest privileges, and I wouldn't swap it for anything. So there!!!

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    1. Good for you! I'm a melting pot of ethnic backgrounds, and I wouldn't have it any other way, either.

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  2. I need to remember to wear green on Monday. I've also wanted to try a green milkshake.

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    1. A green milkshake, huh? Sounds good, if it's minty. Not sure I'd like a kale or spinach-based shake, though...

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    2. Lime milkshake; they were a favourite of mine for a whole summer when I was ten.

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    3. Hmmm, that sounds interesting. While my hubby and I were out earlier today, we stopped for lunch at a place that was featuring... green milkshakes! Mint-flavored with chocolate swirl. Sounded kinda good, but I stuck with my usual iced tea.

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  3. My mum's favourite saying!!
    May you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows you're dead.
    "dublin over with laughter" had me laughing too. I love Irish jokes.
    My brother was almost born on St Patrick's day, but he took a little longer than mum wanted and arrived the next day instead. a big 10 and a half pounds!

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    1. Ten and a half pounds! What a whopper. Our kids were big, too. They all but came out with a hamburger in one hand and a shake in the other.

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  4. No urge to be Irish here either. Though I wouldn't mind finding a leprechaun.
    Have a wonderful time with the grandbabies - which I know you will.

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    1. Aye, a leprechaun would be fun... especially if he cleans house and gardens...

      Thanks. I know we'll have a wonderful time with the kids after they're all feeling better.

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  5. Respond or not, still love ya Susan. Gonna be playing Irish jigs and reels the entire weekend with my friends The Walker Family Band. Can't wait.

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    1. Thank ye, Mr. C. Looks like we'll be doing our jigs without the grandchildren. Oh well. They don't think much of corned beef and cabbage, anyhow...

      Have a blast with the band!

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  6. Enjoy your grandchildren, and have a very happy St. Patrick's Day!

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    1. Thanks, and a very happy St. Patrick's Day to you, too!

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  7. So you're saying saint me
    Wasn't Irish at his sea?
    Geez, humans can mess things up big time
    I'll still say it's saint me day with my chime

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    1. Aye, 'tis true, 'tis true;
      Not a drop of green blood
      Can be found in St. You.

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  8. I used to remember always getting pinched if you weren't wearing green! And wow, I had no idea that St. Patrick wasn't Irish.

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    1. Yeah, we all associate St. Patrick so closely with Ireland, most of us assume he was Irish.

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  9. Lots of fun Irish info. I wish I had one of those green smiley face pins to wear on Monday.

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    1. I've had that pin for many years, but if I had two... I'd surely send one to you.

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  10. My grandfather was Irish, and my grandmother Scottish. I liked reading this piece, very informative. I'll be celebrating with a few beers. Have a lovely weekend.

    Thank you. Love love, Andrew. Bye.

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    1. Irish and Scottish ... now there's a fine mix. Bobby Burns, bagpipes, highland flings, the Blarney stone, leprechauns, and Irish jigs. No wonder you're such a fine poet!

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  11. I've never seen a real four leaf clover.
    Funny that was a dry day in Ireland for so long.
    Green beer though? No thanks.

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    1. Wow! Really? You've never seen a 4-leaf clover? I've seen... and found... a lot of them, and my mother-in-law used to have an uncanny ability to spot them.

      No green beer for me, either. (Or any other color.)

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  12. Chimps clogging. Now, I have seen everything. Wow.

    When you drop back in on blogland, stop over and check the HERE'S TO YOU post. I left something for you...

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    1. HA! Those chimps can dance better than I can. (I'm pretty sure that video was doctored a bit... but it didn't get nearly as much doctoring as I'd need if I ever tried to do a jig!)

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  13. We (and by "we" I mean hubs) always celebrate St. Patrick's Day with corned beef & cabbage, plus a few pints of Guinness. Yum!

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    1. We (and by "we" I mean hubs) always celebrates with the beer, but I'm happy with the corned beef, cabbage, red-skinned potatoes and some gooooood rye bread.

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  14. SUSAN ~
    The dancing chimps made me Guffaw Out Loud!

    I am most Irish, but then you already knew that by how much I like to drink and fight.

    For the record, I want to say that "real" Irishmen do NOT drink green beer! If you see a person drinking green beer on St. Patrick's Day, you can be sure that rookie is not really Irish.

    I will leave you with my all-time favorite quote about Irishmen:

    Irishmen have a keen sense of tragedy
    to sustain them in times of joy.

    ~ Seamus O'Nonymous

    Alright, I'm off to watch my 'The Quiet Man' DVD again.

    ~ D-FensDogg
    'Loyal American Underground'

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    1. I LOVE that quote about Irishmen. And "The Quiet Man"? One of my favorite movies... that one and "McClintock". What's semi-puzzling about the fact that I like them so much is the fact that John Wayne whacks Maureen O'Hara in both of them. I'm most definitely not pro-wife-beating, but it never fails to crack me up when the old lady says, "Here's a nice stick to beat the lady." Hmmm, must be something wrong with me...

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  15. I love corned beef and cabbage, but sadly none of my kids do. :(
    But I will have a Guinness.

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    1. Let your kids eat something ELSE! You know that beer would taste a lot better with a plate of corned beef & cabbage.

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  16. Happy St. Patty's day to you, too. I've just been assigned to go to the store to buy some beer for the weekend - Guinness, it is.

    Love your toast at the end.

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    1. Ah, it's a tough job, but somebody had to do it. Cheers!

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    2. Tomorrow's the day. I must remember to wear green!

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  17. Not even ONE Guinness or Kilkenny - why did I ever agree to join the family in Lent??

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    1. HA! Well, it'll just taste all that much better to you after Easter.

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  18. Happy St. Patrick's Day! I had my first Guiness about a month ago, and I am a convert! Would have been fun to corn my own beef...maybe next year! Have fun when the grandkiddies do come!

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    1. I must admit, I've never tasted a Guinness, but I'm not a fan of beer in general. Coming from a long line of beer-drinkers, that's akin to blasphemy, but that's okay. Leaves more for everybody else to drink.

      I hope you do corn some beef next year. (Or heck... next week! Why wait?) It really is tasty.

      Thanks. We will!

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  19. I will be making some store bought corned beef but I would love to try your recipe.
    Happy Happy St. Patrick's Day to you.

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. Yes, try it sometime! You'll LOVE it!

      And a very happy St. Patrick's Day to you, too.

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  20. Sending you the Luck o' the Irish! Love this info on corning the cut of been! I must save this one!

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  21. St. Patrick's Day is my dad's birthday. His name was Lyle, but when he was growing up, everyone called him Pat. He said most people didn't even know his name wasn't Pat. Six-foot-two dark complexioned Lyle Goltz was about as far from Irish as it gets.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. It sounds to me like everybody liked your dad, and Pat was a name of endearment. Okay, so with his appearance and name, there's also the slightest possibility that the nickname might have also carried a teensy bit of humor.

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  22. I've got a quarter Irish in me. My mother had red hair, and "Danny Boy" can bring tears to the eyes. Happy St.Pat's to you. I'll be wearing green on Monday, and get to pinch my clueless husband. Cheer!

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    1. No, no, no... the REST of the year, you're 1/4 Irish. I'm pretty sure the percentage automatically increases for St. Patrick's Day.

      Cheers!

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  23. That corned beef sounds ridiculously delicious. Must try.

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  24. St. Patrick wasn't Irish??? And they say you don't learn anything on the internets!

    Since several people mentioned Guinness, I remembered this:

    There's a big conference of beer producers. At the end of the day, the presidents of all beer companies decide to have a drink in a bar.

    The president of 'Budweiser' orders a Bud, the president of 'Miller' orders a Miller Lite, Adolph Coors orders a Coors, and the list goes on. Then the waitress asks Arthur Guinness what he wants to drink, and much to everybody's amazement, Mr. Guinness orders a Coke!

    "Why don't you order a Guinness?" his colleagues ask.

    "Naah. If you guys won't drink beer, then neither will I."

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  25. I have always love St Patrick's day for how happy people are and talking as if they are Irish... I never got into the drinking aspect of it :)

    Enjoy time with your family, that is the best time to unplug:)

    Have fun :)

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    1. Me, too. Although my Scottish grandmother wasn't impressed when she saw me wearing an "erin go braugh" pin. (I think she would have liked my smiley faced one, though.)

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  26. Dancing chimps? Seriously? Ah well, in the name of St. Patrick even if he wasn't Irish I suppose all things are possible.

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    1. Nah, I don't think there was a darned thing serious about those chimps. Aye, all it takes is a bit of green fairy dust. (Or maybe that should be leprechaun dust...)

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  27. Hi Susan - all is green this year, last year we were white in snow. I am thinking of going to London on Monday, maybe I'll go on Tuesday! Everywhere will be green, green beer, green people too?!

    Cheers and I do hope kids et al get better soon .. cheers Hilary

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    1. I'm glad you're seeing lots of green this year. We are, too, but an awful lot of the country is still covered in snow, with more expected tomorrow.

      Cheers and beers, Hilary!

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  28. Beautiful, beautiful post. Here's to my Irish brothers and sisters! :-)

    Those dancing chimps? Good craic!

    Greetings from London.

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    1. And here's wishing the luck o' the Irish back at ye!

      Those chimps aren't nearly as graceful and beautiful as the dancer you pictured mid-leap on your blog, but they are worth a good chuckle or two.

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  29. Corned beef is one of my favorites, and it doesn't need to be St. Paddy's day. I've never cured my own, though, and often the packaged stuff is way too salty—which is saying a lot because I love my salt. I look forward to trying out the recipe. Thank you!

    Wishing you and your a wonderful St. Pats!

    As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point in the wrong direction.

    VR Barkowski

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    1. I'm with you. We eat corned beef year-round. Not only can you control the amount of salt in it by curing it yourself, but you can choose a cut of meat that isn't half-fat.

      HA! Back atcha. We can all do without those pesky splinters.

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  30. I didn't realize the White House dyed the water in their fountain green! Or are you joking about that? :)

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    1. Nope! No joke. It was Michelle Obama's idea. (I guess she was homesick for Chicago, where they dye the river green.) Anyhow, the fountain at the White House has been dyed every year since 2009.

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    2. Hmm. Even more interesting that it's such a recent development.

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  31. I love Ireland, St. Patrick's Day, and Guinness! Best to all my Irish friends, and there are many, here and in the old country.

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    1. Sometimes, I think there might be more Irish people in the states than there are in Ireland. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

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  32. One of my cardiologists is named Pádraig. I consider him a saint and often drink Guinness Extra Stout in his honor.

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    1. Anybody who helped mend your ticker is a saint, dude. Happy St. Padraig's Day!

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  33. I hadn't heard that St. Patrick's Day began as a dry, religious holiday in Ireland, and didn't become a national holiday until 1970. Green beer never appealed to me, but I am a fan of Shamrock shakes! Sorry that some of your grandchildren are sick. Hope they feel better soon. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

    Julie

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    1. PS - I forgot to say how much I loved your toast, Susan!

      Julie

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    2. I've never heard of a Shamrock shake before, but I like the sound of it. Maybe I should celebrate with an Irish coffee. Haven't had one of them in ages. Better make it decaf, though. Without the whipped cream. (sigh)

      Thanks.

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  34. St. Patrick's Day is just a great excuse for drinking beer! I love your last blessing!

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    1. Aye, and so it is! (Too bad I don't like the stuff...)

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  35. Lol. Any reason for a great party. Who would not want to join. Love the dancing chimps.

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    1. Absolutely. I think that's the prevailing sentiment, and there's probably a lot more partying going on in the states than there is in Ireland.

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  36. Ha, interesting - I never thought of how corned beef was made. As far as I knew it just came in cans :) That green fountain is something else!

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    1. That's too funny. (I've always gotta do things the "hard way"... especially when it comes to cooking.)

      Yeah, lots of water... and beer... is flowing green today.

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  37. Greetings human, Susan,

    Ah be, the luck of the "Oirish". What's the craic? Tis such a foin article you share. And a timely reminder that the human next door to us is from Dublin. We got plenty of reminders on St. Patrick's Day. Actually, every day.

    Hope your St. Patrick's Day was a foin one. For shore....

    Penny the Paddy dog :)

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    1. Penny the Paddy and your sweet human "Daddy",

      Aye, and to be sure, I hope you and your little people had a foin St. Patrick's Day, as well. And may the luck o' the Irish linger with you for many years.

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  38. Hope your St. Paddy's was a great one!

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  39. Hi Susan!

    Hope you had a great St Patricks day!

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  40. Fun and interesting post, Susan. I learned a few things. Hope you are having a good week. :)

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    1. Thanks. I'm glad you liked it, and I hope you're having a super duper week, too.

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  41. Hah! Love the dancing chimps, and oh my, can we get any punnier? Susan, thanks for a fun, lighthearted post. I suppose I should have eaten green cheese on Monday, eh?

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    1. Ooooh, never ask me if I can get any punnier...! (Trust me, I can!)

      Um, I think it's always best to trash the green cheese.

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  42. You are so right about lineage. For example, Henry Louis Gates Jr., who is dark brown skinned is half Irish! But looking at him you would have never guess that. And, so am I. Never judge a book by its cover. Great post. Cheers!!

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    1. Yep, ya never can tell. Unfortunately, that doesn't stop people from making assumptions based on what they see, though.

      Glad ya liked it. Cheers back atcha!

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  43. Since I'm neither Irish nor a beer drinker, I feel a little left out on St. Patrick's Day. But I do love to see my beloved Boston Red Sox don their green uniforms for the day.

    And I loved your groaners.

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    1. Of COURSE you loved the groaners! You're a queen of groaners, too.

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  44. Happy to go through ur blog U sound so Interesting and full of verve... ur blessings catches the attention..SMILES Susan:)

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    1. Thanks! It's nice to meet you, Adhi. Thank you so much for stopping by and leaving a comment. I do appreciate it, and will be happy to return the favor. Thanks for signing on as a follower, too. Welcome aboard!

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