Some festivities and parades may be cancelled, but that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate virtually. Here’s a link to the virtual St. Patrick’s Festival, with lots of music, history, and shows to fill your need for everything Irish. You can also see other festivals around Ireland and the world on this site.

…and enjoy these pics from around Ireland!

Raise a glass and say Sláinte (pronounced “slawn-che”)

Have a great & green St. Patrick’s Day!!

You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!

May the dreams you hold dearest be those that come true.
And the kindness you spread keep returning to you!!

…and let’s revisit my friend, Gina’s, tip to keep the holiday authentic and Irish!

• “If you want to be truly Irish about St Patrick’s Day: It’s NEVER called Patty’s Day for short here in Ireland. Patty is a woman’s name. It’s called Paddy’s Day!(no ‘St’ used) Or we say, colloquially, just one word: ‘Paddy’s’ …eg – “we’re off school for Paddy’s” “What are your plans for Paddy’s?” “I’ll be in ?? on Paddy’s” (the word night is implied there, & some venue / house)
•  And NOBODY but NOBODY eats corned beef here on St Patrick’s Day. We barely eat it at any other time of the year either!! Ham or bacon is traditional. Beef was expensive, and the landlords would have had that. Not the rest of us!

You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!

I was recently with some friends and chatting about our “post Covid” life wishes and I mentioned that I’ve always wanted to host on Eatwith.com (I recommend it to everyone if it’s available where you live or where you’re traveling). I’ve posted about this before but I think when this is over I will come up with a few recipes, submit to be a host and then hopefully be approved to host some Eatwith dinners on my cute front porch.

I bring this up because when I was telling my friends about this, one of them said, “how do you even find out about these random things? You have more random information about things to do than I’ve ever heard.” I thought about it and just said, “I don’t know, I guess every time I hear, or read, about something that seems fun that might interest me, I delve deeper.”  …and that was something that made me realize that not everyone is curious enough to delve deeper into the things that might interest them. Hmmmm. 
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that most people are interested (maybe even have a passion?) for certain subjects…whether it’s business, the arts, whatever…but not everyone acts on those passions.
 
My passion when my kids were growing up was “my kids” but when they went off to college I had the opportunity to see what else was out there. The internet wasn’t prevalent at the time, so travel was my means to learn more about our world, plan adventures and just experience other places & cultures. It was enlightening, educational and awesome!
….and then the internet exploded and I’ve had access to so many things that I never knew were out there! So, how do I know so much about random things to do? I click on every link that I’m interested in, take notes (literally writing things down) and make experiences happen. 

Then the pandemic hit us all! I didn’t want to stop learning and I certainly didn’t want to stop traveling, but what were my options?? I may not be able to travel, but I can still click, learn and have experiences just sitting at my kitchen table. Since the pandemic started I really wanted to connect with my Irish roots (I was hoping to go back this past summer 🙁 ) so I did a google search and found the fantastic Irish Times Women’s Podcast. I’ve loved listening to everything that’s happening in Ireland, how women are dealing with the pandemic, books to read and hearing the beautiful Irish lilt that I miss. One thing that was mentioned on the podcast that I thought was cool was “Big Night In” on zoom…Saturday nights just hanging out with some speaker and hearing some great content & conversation. I loved experiencing it back in October thru December, so I signed up for the coming season (which started this past Saturday). Here’s the link to sign up. It’s only an hour, takes place from 11-12 PST (7pm in Ireland, so some of them are drinking….FUN!). This past weekend I so enjoyed listening to former President Mary McAleese and her views on so many interesting subjects facing Ireland today … as well as a great story where she put Pope John Paul in his place went they met. I also loved going on a Zoom walking tour of Dublin architecture with a professor from Trinity. Lastly, until I get back to Ireland, I’ve really enjoyed following @patrickdextercello, @cairde_76, and @sign_andstep_withpadraig on Instagram … and thanks to my cousin, Padraig, and my friend, Gina, who keep me up to date on things happening on the other side of the pond.

I guess this is a long way of saying, “Go ahead and click on those things that might interest you and maybe you’ll find something fun to do, or listen to!” Delve deeper and you’ll have fun experiences that can whisk you away to new places! It’s sure helped me weather the pandemic and keep my mind busy.

If Italy is someplace you love, or would like to go, I’d highly recommend Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy on CNN … great show with beautiful scenery and fabulous food!

The world is your oyster!

You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!

May your troubles be less and your blessings be more,
and nothing but happiness come through your door. … Irish Proverb

I’m dedicating March to my Irish heritage.

You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!

The world is a book, and those who do not travel
read only one page. … St. Augustine

If you are more fortunate than others, build a longer table
… not a taller fence.

You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!