St. Patrick's Day

 

 

 

May those that love us, love us

And those that don’t love us

May God turn their hearts

And if He doesn’t turn their hearts

May He turn their ankles

So we will know them by their limping.

Nanny Smith celebrating her 90th birthday.

Often, we don’t really get it until much, much later. Usually when it’s too late. Each generation tries to instill in the next what they have learned to listen, watch, learn, absorb it all before it’s gone–but sadly most times that falls on deaf ears. St. Patrick’s Day always brings to mind my father’s mother, my Nanny. She had a long life, many friends to the end and a very loving family. I have fond memories of Irish music playing on her hi-fi stereo when we kids attended one of the many shindigs she held at her house before she moved into the senior citizen center. There was barely a gathering that Nanny was chasing someone around with the fork, usually my dad, my uncle (her sons) or her nephew. All in good fun, gatherings at her house, were characterized by lots of music, lots of laughing, food and drink. My grandmother made an awesome lamb but we all were sure to steer clear of her meatballs (which resembled golf balls).

Here are some pictures from her 90th birthday party –she threw it for herself mind you, planned the whole thing which she held in the recreation room at the senior citizen center where she lived. The party of course was only after the mass she had said by one of her favorite priests where she sat in a chair in the aisle and took it all in.  I told you the woman had spunk. Looking back, I realize that she would be very proud of her great-grandsons. The youngest, she would be especially proud of, he is traveling to Ireland this summer to take a class there and I am sure that if she were still alive, she would be filling his ears with everything and everyone that she could think of to see and do while he was there.

TJ, delivering Nanny a bouquet of birthday flowers.

Nanny and some of her great-grandkids checking out the birthday cake.

My brother and my cousin posing for a picture with her.

One of the newest great-grandkids, Tyler having some “Nanny” time.

 

And no Irish celebration (or funeral) would be complete without the bagpipes.

 

Hanging in Nanny’s kitchen for all those years was a plaque that had an Irish blessing. There were a few of them around her house. Since it’s St. Patrick’s Day and I am thinking of her, here’s a wish to all of you ~  May your home always be too small to hold all your friends ~ Happy St. Patrick’s Day!