​Memorial Day behind us,
The Fourth of July ahead,
Two days so vastly different …
One somber,
One joyous …
Yet, of each it can be said,
These days celebrate the best of us:
With tears for the fallen,
The brave who have died,
And cheers for the fireworks
That light the night sky.
Two holidays to honor
The joy and the pain,
To win freedom, so precious …
A cost with every gain.
 
And now we pause between the two,
The month of June is here.
Spring turns to summer,
Shimmer to shine …
Surprise,
We’re half-way
Through the year! 
 
 
Dear Heavenly Father,
Day upon day upon day … and time goes slowly by until something is over … and then how quickly it passed … the hours, the days, the weeks, the months … the long years … all go by in haste. Nothing makes that clearer than history itself, so soon accomplished both in individual lives and nationally in a country’s historic sweep. We thank you for the founding of our great nation, America, for every sacrifice in lives and hardship to right wrongs and secure freedom … our never-ending story. Thank you for every month and year that passes, may we never take life for granted. Bless and keep us today, ever in your care.
In Your Holy Name.
Amen.
 
Invocation Poem and Prayer   
Henderson County Genealogical and Historical Society
Hendersonville, North Carolina
June 2, 2018

Think of St. Patrick, of course, and Ireland.  Erin is its ancient name, a poetic version made famous in Erin go Bragh, Gaelic for “Ireland forever,” literally “Ireland for eternity.”

St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, so deemed for his zeal and success in converting the country to Christianity following his years of training in a monastery in France and his appointment as a bishop to Ireland. This Scottish born lad knew Ireland and its people well from the years he spent as a teen in captivity there, working as a shepherd. He escaped only to come back years later in March, 433, as a missionary. He died on March 17, 461, around 76 years old.

Wear a touch of emerald.  Though any green will do, we think of this rich green in honor of the “Emerald Isle,” as poet William Drennan (1754-1820) first called beautiful lush, green Ireland in his poem When Erin First Rose.

Sing When Irish Eyes are Smiling.  This is one of Ireland’s most beloved songs, written in 1912 by Americans Chauncey Olcott, whose mother emigrated from Ireland, George Graff, and Ernest Ball. Several years later, John McCormack, considered one of the greatest Irish tenors of all time, made the song forever famous.

Buy a Shamrock Plant (Oxalis).  Its three leaves are similar to the shamrock used by St. Patrick to illustrate the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The shamrock is viewed by most as the white clover (Trifolium repens), a common plant. When a mutation occurs and four leaves form, we consider ourselves “lucky” to find one, and since the odds are against us 1:10,000, we are lucky, indeed. The four-leaf clover, however, is never considered a shamrock.

Decorate with touches of Ireland and spring, the start of the season only a few days away.  Gather up those cherished, personal treasures that are tucked away and decorate for each season and holiday. Being able to take in hand, once more, the little gifts and family heirlooms that either represent decades of living or are brand new is an opportunity not to be missed. The value of the old is that it has survived a very long time … the who, what, when, and where of its history fascinating to contemplate.

In my photograph is a delicate Belleek creamer from Ireland that belonged to my mother, its 3rd period registry mark dating it from 1926-1946. It graces an authentic shamrock-embroidered doily from my friend, Karin, a gift from her trip to Ireland several years ago. The book is another treasure. Spring Is A New Beginning by Joan Walsh Anglund was published in 1963 and is one of her many books, her whimsical drawings and sayings extremely popular in the 1960s. I have four of Anglund’s titles. This book is extra special because it was a gift in October 1967 from Ginny, still one of my dearest friends, our friendship dating back to the second grade.

Bless others today with a traditional Gaelic blessing from Ireland.

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back. 
May the sun shine warm upon your face; 
the rains fall soft upon your fields 
and until we meet again, 
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

References:
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=89
http://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/history-of-st-patrick.html
http://www.sheknows.com/baby-names/name/erin
http://www.irishcentral.com/roots/top-ten-old-irish-phrases-and-their-meanings-eirinn-go-brach-137123193-237785321
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erin_go_bragh
https://www.reference.com/geography/ireland-called-emerald-island-bf45498cae8a7e2f  
http://www.shmoop.com/when-irish-eyes-are-smiling/meaning.html
http://www.finegardening.com/history-shamrock    
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/care-potted-shamrocks-96741.html
https://www.houseplant411.com/plant-care/shamrock-plants-for-st-patricks-day
http://goodlucksymbols.com/four-leaf-clover/
http://www.lords-prayer-words.com/famous_prayers/may_the_road_rise_up_to_meet_you.html
​

​William E. Gladstone was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, elected to Parliament four different times from 1868-1894. One of his enduring observations concerns the benefits of tea:
If you are cold, tea will warm you;
If you are too heated, it will cool you;
If you are depressed, it will cheer you;
If you are excited, it will calm you.”
 
There is simply something about a cup of hot tea. While I’m devoted to my coffee first thing in the morning, tea is my choice mid-afternoon when energy begins to lag. Expounding on one of winter’s most delightful joys, I have written:
“And taking time for a respite on a chilly afternoon can be sublime with a luxuriously soft blanket and a fire’s warmth close by, a fine book and a mug of hot, fragrant tea in hand. With a teaspoon of local honey from the hives of friends, if one is fortunate, and a touch of organic cream to turn it milky white, the tea is especially satisfying. Yes, indeed, life can be very good in the wintertime.”
 
One of my favorite tea brands is Salada, the company originally founded by Peter C. Larkin in Montreal, Canada, in 1892 and named for an ancient tea garden in Ceylon. They were the first company to put tea in foil packets to keep it fresh. I’ve had three of their blends and have loved the uniqueness of each one:  Citrus Medley, Peach Mango, and Pomegranate Acai. It’s difficult to name a favorite, and it depends on the moment, but Peach Mango is … amazing.
 
Today, Salada USA is a division of Redco Foods in Little Falls, New York. Redco Foods is owned by Teekanne GmbH of Dusseldorf, Germany, in the tea trade business since 1882. They are the inventors of the flow-through tea bag and were also the first to sell their tea in tins. “Teekanne” means Tea Pot … one of the more perfect names for a tea company!  A final thought:
 
“I wish we could sit down together,
And have a cup of tea.
But since we can’t
When you have this one,
I hope you’ll think of me.”
~ Author Unknown
 
For more information about Salada and Teekanne  go to:
http://www.salada.ca/en/salada_tea/history_of_a_classic.aspx
http://greentea.com/company/
http://www.teekanne.com/about-us/

​Fire up the griddle, warm up the syrup, mix up the batter, tomorrow, 28 February 2017, is Pancake Day, a.k.a. Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras. In the church liturgical calendar, tomorrow marks the end of the season of Epiphany, which began on Three Kings Day, or the 12th day of Christmas, which was on January 6 this year.Tradition states that after following the star to Bethlehem, the Three Wise Men found the baby Jesus on this day.
 
Shrove Tuesday, 47 days before Easter, is derived from “shrive” meaning confession of sins and absolution. It is the final day of partying, celebration and indulgence before the self-sacrifice of the 40-day Lenten Season (the six Sundays are not counted). Lent begins the following day on Ash Wednesday. The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:27 is credited with this example of personal self-denial, as part of his testimony of faith in Jesus Christ.
 
Originating in Europe during the Middle Ages, Shrove Tuesday was the final opportunity to cook with the eggs, fats, and milk that would be restricted during Lent. Preparing meals with these ingredients would keep them from going to waste. France designated the day "Fat Tuesday," or Mardi Gras, and England, and other countries, began the tradition of serving pancakes as the perfect way to clean out the refrigerator, so to speak, and thus the name … “Pancake Day.” 
 
Make them from scratch, make them from a box mix, but do make them (or have them out).
I plan to.
Enjoy!!

For more information, go to:
http://www.sharefaith.com/guide/Christian-Holidays/origins_of_shrove_tuesday.html
or to:
http://www.myolddutch.com/History/Pancake-Day.aspx