Luck 'o the Scotch-Irish?

Ever since I was a child, I have loved St. Patrick's Day. I can't put my finger on why that is as I'm not technically Irish enough to authentically claim it as a holiday which celebrates my heritage. We're some of those Scots who moved to Ireland prior to coming to America and are now branded as "Scotch-Irish". Once you throw in a good dose of our English ancestors (including a great-great grandmother from Lands End) and add a pinch of Cherokee to the family tree - well, we're basically good ol' American mutts from the great Melting Pot. Perhaps it helps explain why I'm an opinionated, quick-tempered, fair-skinned (i.e. I never tan, I only burn), brown-haired, blue-eyed Scot with a Cherokee nickname.

This picture was taken back in 2009 - no pinching here!

So yes, I'm a hopeless sap for St. Patrick's Day, but not in a green-beer-drinking, Irish-stew-eating, soda-bread-making sort-of way. I grew up with a mom who would dye the food green on St. Patrick's Day and made sure that we were wearing green so we didn't get pinched.

I'm carrying on the green-food tradition, thanks to the bread machine and some green food coloring

I love the way we have created our own traditions to celebrate the holiday, including a yearly showing of Darby O'Gill and the Little People - how can you beat listening to Sean Connery sing?!

And I love quoting lines from The Quiet Man:

"He'll regret it to his dying day, if ever he lives that long." 

"Sir, sir...here's a nice stick to beat the lovely lady!"

So from this Scotch-Irish/English/Cherokee lass to you...

Top o'the Mornin' and

Happy St. Patrick's Day!