Monday, March 17, 2014

Happy St. Patrick's Day



Happy St. Patrick's Day!

When you grow up attending parochial school as I did, March 17th was a big, big day. Various shades of green appeared on blue uniforms, grey blazers...and black habits...it was a day of celebration for the nuns who taught me! I have no doubt that their evening meal was a "boiled dinner" complete with a mug of green beer. Yes, the good sisters imbibed...I've seen it with my own eyes!

I have wonderful memories of those days spent with these good women. Much maligned, the nuns I encountered were fun, and kind, and excellent educators. They ran tight ships. The elementary school I attended in Northern Virginia had an enrollment of twenty two hundred...that's a lot of kids to keep in line! Maybe someday I'll share with you my stories from my boarding school days. I "lived" with seven wonderful nuns and forty nine other girls, in a beautiful old mansion turned school, in the lovely old city of Lynchburg, Virginia. It was magic!


Beanie O'Greenie is a St. Paddy's Day staple at our house...he always makes an appearance.


Silly napkins are also part of our celebration.

 I sent my husband off this morning wearing a Kelly green tie with navy dots. I shamed him into it, saying his Irish mother was looking down and would be very disappointed were he not to show his heritage this fine morning. He smiled and complied. As with any holiday, Annie is excited and in the festive mode...she's all about the green today!


However you choose to celebrate...have a wonderful day!

Enjoy the day,
Robyn




13 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for sharing! I would love to hear those stories :) I'm hoping hat the Chicago River might still be slightly green when I arrive at work today.
    Blessings, Patti

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  2. Morning Robyn, enjoyed your post, happy you shared with us. Love the shamrock cookie cutter, really neat one, Irish Blessings Francine.

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  3. Hi Robyn,
    Our heritage and stories are so very important to us and make us who we are, so it is so special to celebrate them! I always love to read your posts so will look forward to those special stories! I also lived in Lynchburg, from 1983-89 and it was one of my FAVORITE places to live! My daughter Janelle was born at Virginia Baptist Hospital and i have many wonderful memories of that time we lived there!
    Have a wonderful day celebrating!
    Warm Hugs~
    Julie

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  4. Happy St. Patrick's Day to you! I have no Irish blood in me, but I'm sure my DH does. :D We are both wearing green today!

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  5. Happy St. Patrick's Day!
    Irish on both my husband's and my side, so we've always done up St. Patty's Day pretty big, too! Had our corned beef and cabbage yesterday, however, as that's when all my girls and their families were available, but everyone is wearing their green today (as well as yesterday!)
    Fun to celebrate all the holidays!

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  6. Hi Robyn, I would love to hear some of your stories, Happy St. Patrick's Day!

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  7. HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY ROBYN!

    Audrey

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  8. May your day be wonderful too. What would I do without bloggers reminding me of certain holidays. Oh, my Irish Grandmother is probably looking down and shaking her head...I better put on orange;-)
    Years ago my sister and I came out dressed in green before school, (I was in high school, she jr. high), and my very quiet, sweet, loves everybody Grandma about had a heart attack. It seems we were wearing the wrong color, which had my sister and I convinced grandma was off her rocker. That was the day we received a lesson on the Catholic Irish and Protestant Irish. As neither my sister nor I had any orange, we went to school wearing pink...what I day that was. Grandma was kind enough to take a photo that reminds me of that day every time I see it.
    blessings, jill

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  9. Happy St Patrick's day to you and Annie. I love your post. That napkin is hilarious.
    I would LOVE to read stories fro your school days with the nuns.
    I had Catholic nuns for teachers when I went to school.
    Take care and have a wonderful day.
    Hugs,
    JB

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  10. O' Robyn,
    I'd love to hear stories from your boarding school. I went to Catholic school for 8 years and the nuns were VERY stern. I can only imagine one or two ever having had a green beer...lol!
    Hugs to O'Annie, too.
    O'Lauren

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  11. Going to a parochial school myself I loved this day because we could wear green and not have to wear our plaid uniforms. Hope you had a wonderful day! Janice

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  12. I too cherish my parochial school education, so much so, I sent my children to parochial school too. I found the nuns to be hard working and fair. My classes averaged over 40 and they ran a tight ship. I learned discipline and how to work hard and both lessons have served me well.

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  13. Wonderful memories and st. Patrick's Day celebrations!

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