Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Another Universe. I was thinking back to St. Patrick's Day 2007 up in Albany.
This was my Jeep parked in the neighbor's driveway. They were in Florida for the month of March and said I could park in their driveway to get it off the street. I had gotten up early to shovel it out from it's parking space in the street and parked it there while I went in and showered. It was Saturday and my last shift as a part time teller before moving to full time in the operations center.

This was the view from the front porch of my apartment.

This is the view from the front porch of my apartment here in St. Pete. Hmmmm? That's my Rabbit parked there. No need to shovel it out. The thermostat read 84 degrees while I was on my 5 minute drive home from work.

To celebrate St Paddy I thought I would have some Pistachio Paste on some Brick Oven Italian Toast. OK, so it's from Mazzaro's and it's Italian. It's green, isn't it?

Here's a pic I just snapped in the back of my apartment building in the alley. I wish this weather would last. You know I'll be complaining come July.

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

I had to start with a greeting of Erin Go Braugh! When I was in the sixth grade, our class put on a St. Patrick's Day play with Miss Becker's second grade class. I played McNamara and wore a plaid vest sort of like the one in the above illustration. I paraded around the auditorium/gymnasium, leading a rag tag band of second graders. (Should I add that I probably wasn't much taller than they were?) And, I got to dance the Irish jig with the washer woman!



Because of the snow storm hitting the area last night and this morning...some events were cancelled or postponed. Among them was the St. Patrick's Day parade in Albany. Of all year's, when the holiday falls on a Saturday...what a perfect time to celebrate! (Actually, for many, any time is a perfect time to celebrate St. Patrick's Day!) So now we have next Saturday (and some balmy weather) to look forward to celebrate the drink fest, er St. Patrick's Day yet again. Aretha Franklin was to play at the Palace last night and that was to be rescheduled too.



Today was also my last day at my part time position at the credit union branch. I have been there for exactly one year and one week. On Monday I start a full time position in the operation's center of the same credit union. I will be going from setting my alarm clock on one morning a week to five mornings a week. WHAT was I thinking???



I had to set my alarm clock for 6:30 am this morning to allow me enough time to clean off my car and dig it out. Luckily, this storm wasn't as bad as the Valentine's Day Massacre, er Storm. Now, the joy comes in watching it melt! My next door neighbors are in Florida for the month of March, and they told me that I could park my Jeep in their driveway if I couldn't find a spot nearby on the street. Usually I can find a spot right in front, but with the street still awaiting a good clearing, I figure I'll take them up on that!



Well, I hope you enjoy your day. I'm off to eat a big bowl of Lucky Charms!

Christmas Trimmings

On Monday I took down my tree and all the Christmas decorations. We have a tradition of leaving stuff up until Little Christmas on January 6th. But I do get to a point when I just want it all put away and for things to get back to "normal", whatever that is.

As I pack things away, it always reminds me of Christmases past, and of unpacking them with all the anticipation of the approaching holiday and then repacking them, wishing that the actual holiday itself didn't go so fast.

I remember one early January exactly 29 years ago, as I was clearing the mantle of the Christmas decorations and packing them away, thinking that the next Christmas when we unpacked them and put them up, that we would have a little baby in our home. The excitement of that thought blunted any sadness of packing that stuff away!

Christmas 2006 was a good one. In the fall, I wasn't sure if I even wanted to put up any decorations. But when Mia and Gina planned a trip up for the week before Christmas, that was the motivation that I needed. I decorated and then some. I decided it was also time to build new memories, so replaced some of the older decorations with new ones, symbolic of new life and changes. I also displayed sentimental reminders of good times past, like Santas and reindeers and snowmen that were gifts from the children. I also put out a couple of 'old' plastic decorations that my mother and father had from over 50 years ago. They are among my earliest memories of Christmas and I still love seeing them.

Although I get a little sad to move ahead to a usually bleak January, Gina's birthday adds much needed fun and excitement to the month! Plus, a new year is a new slate with no writing on it yet. There are many new adventures ahead!

And now I have another souvenir, a green fedora from New Year's Eve. As a friend suggested, I've also got a hat to wear on St. Patrick's Day!