Susan Dayley's Happy Saint Paddy's Day

Everybody has a bit of Irish in them so the Irish are always claiming. With a name like mine, Colleen Margaid O'Grady, one can see there is Irish in me! But I am only half Irish, the other half is British! Daddy was of Irish stock, Mummy was a Wakefieldian opf Yorkshire. That's why they split for the orange and the green don't mix see! It has taken my good Irish friend Aileen many years to get me to lay claim to being Irish, remember Saint Patrick's Day and love all things Irish! There's a warniong in my ears to remember to wear something green to Church tomorrow! Yes, Aileen. But I love all things British also, and American and Canadian and New Zealand and...well, I guess you get my drift. I'm doing my best Aileen but really, when it all boils down, I'm a true blue Aussie. Thanks Susan for posting this on your blog so that I could share it and think of my Irish ancestry


I’m a bit of a European mutt. But some parts of my family history are worth laying claim to. For example, I like the Irish in me. It balances the fierce and proud Scottish parts with a good-natured approach to life.
And I guess I look the part. One lady looked at me and asked if I were Irish. I didn’t understand at the time, because I have dark hair, and every Celtic dancer I’ve ever seen has red. However, did you know that among the Irish 43% have dark hair, 35% have medium brown hair, 10% have red and reddish-brown hair? I do have the skin of a red-head—freckles all up my arms—just not the glory of red tresses.
Sigh
I also don’t drink Guinness.
But I like the blessings.
“May all who love the Lord, love you, and those who don’t love you, may the Lord give them a limp so you can see them coming.”
St. Patrick’s day dinner is a bit of dilemma. I’ve had corn beef and cabbage. The owners of a mom and pop store where we worked during the college years invited us to dinner one day. They loved my hubby and I was part of the package. They served us corn beef and boiled cabbage. So yes, I’ve had it. Once.
I asked my DH if he’d like a special dinner this Sunday: Irish stew, soda bread, root-beer. He said a green menu was fine with him. He suggested kale and spinache. (serious!)(Do the Irish even eat vegetables other than potatoes?) The thing is, DH is more Irish than I am. Our surname is Irish. His brother and sister who had red hair had bright red hair (she still does); whereas mine had auburn (he’s now bald).
St. Patrick’s day is a good day to celebrate now that spring is finally here and the coming of all things green is certain. Besides, I like the story of the saint driving the snakes from Ireland (symbolically of course, when he brought Christianity to them). I’ve never been a fan of snakes. To me, the best snakes are the ones that live far, far away.
Anyway, as per DH’s request, we’ll have green drinks for breakfast (like most days) and raw pea soup for lunch (and maybe some soda bread with pistachios). I might even do something with potatoes (red ones—just don’t tell my Idaho kin). I’ll spread the green tablecloth and find other ways to overload the green. However, there will be no funny hats or t-shirts that say, “Kiss me, I’m Irish.” (Besides, my DH won’t need the prompt.)
And no green food coloring (as in green eggs and ham). I just don’t want to have a green tongue (or worse)–my Scottish side may object.
This Sunday, when the whole world is Irish, may your troubles be less and your blessings be more, and nothing but happiness come through your door. And remember what they say, “When Irish eyes are shining—they’re usually up to something.”
Also, don’t tell my DH, but if he goes first, I just may just replace him with a red-head..
“May you live to be a hundred years, with one extra year to repent,” and the familiar, but good one, “May you be an hour in heaven before the Devil knows you’re dead.”

The Last Days

Cyclone Rusty before it crossed the Pilbara coast near Port Hedland

Helicopter drops a load of water on the fire in Ellenbrook, Perth

Its the truth. We have been told time and time again and the Scriptures are replete with warnings of the events of the last days before the Saviour comes and The Millenium is ushered in! So I write these happenings on my blog, and where I can, post pictures. Earthquakes of one kind or another everywhere in the USA including Alabama which is outside the earthquake zone. Do they have to re-zone Alabama? Britain suffers severe blackouts with many millions under threat of more because of the freezing weather and devastating power cuts. Oh My! We've had fires in Perth, the Pilbara got drowned with Cyclone Rusty, most beneficial though, and once again the eastern states is being washed out to New Zealand with floods and heavy rain. Perth gets a three-day heatwave, the temperature drops for a couple of days, then up it goes again. Newspapers diligently report all events and blame it all on Mother Nature, God not mentioned anywhere! And those beasterly easterlies almost drive me to distraction with that blasted iron gate that is difficult to open, suddenly swings back and socks me one, or hurtles forward and whangs me in the back and out onto the roadway! Danger zone. I searched my Blog for a poem I had written about these monstrous winds, but hadn't included it here, so will do so now among all the other stuff! Well, the Prophets have said prepare. Storehouse is looking healthy, water supply unhealthy, 72 hour a goer, spare finances slowly growing...and along with prayers, repenting and trying to overcome my sins and service am doing my best! Are you? But bless Susan Dayley in her Blog Looking out my Backdoor who found a way to combat the freezing, prolonged, icy conditions of where she lives in the USA to make things more cheerful - planting bulbs indoors! I am  going to try that one for my sunny windowsills.

EASTERLIES

Blast and blast! The east winds are devilish,

Dancing the dance of a demented dervish

The old iron gate, released of its bolt,

Swung back viciously, giving me a jolt.

The washing on the line swung like things frantic,

The pegs went flying at such an antic.
The wind was so cold, it felt like ice
And the sun glimmering down was not nice.
Dust was whipped up in dizzy swirls,
Sand blasts along in vicious curls.
My coat flopped around like a mad disgrace
And a flying cord slapped my face.
Furious and temper and damming and beasterlies
I sallied forth fighting the blasted easterlies.

3/1/2013 — Western US earthquakes at multiple volcanic sites by sincedutch

Over the past 3 days (up to March 1, 2013) we have seen multiple earthquakes occur in the western United States.

As it turns out, if you look up the earthquake epicenters on Google Earth -- you can clearly see each noticeable quake is very close to a known Volcanoes.

It appears we're seeing an uptick in earthquake activity near dormant and active volcanoes in the western US, cause as yet unconfirmed/unknown --- I'm personally leaning towards crustal displacement (global) happening due to the events along the Indo-Australian plate .

The plate breakup is causing unrest globally.

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3/1/2013 — Alabama 2.7M Earthquake — Fracking / Pumping induced — flank of a HUGE operation by sincedutch Today, March 1, 2013 , a 2.7M earthquake struck Alabama, not normally an earthquake prone area. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usc000fey3.php Earthquake Details This event has been reviewed by a seismologist. Magnitude 2.7 Date-Time Friday, March 01, 2013 at 16:53:27 UTC Friday, March 01, 2013 at 10:53:27 AM at epicenter Time of Earthquake

Location	33.717°N, 87.296°W
Depth	4.9 km (3.0 miles)
Region	ALABAMA
Distances	11 km (6 miles) WSW of Cordova, Alabama 12 km (7 miles) S of Jasper, Alabama 39 km (24 miles) NW of Pleasant Grove, Alabama 40 km (24 miles) WNW of Forestdale, Alabama

 

Notice the depth. 3.0 miles deep. If you're a viewer of mine or have been following earthquakes in the USA for a while, you know what this means!

If you go to google earth, and look up the epicenter coordinates listed by the USGS , you'll see one of the largest drilling / pumping / fracking / injecting operations in one single area... Add in the dozens of large quarries, and multiple steam plants directly in the area as well...
Or: Defying Reality with Paper-Whites
It has been an unusually cold winter for my town (and to the towns and cities that stretch along the length of mountains that partially define our lives). Clouds rush against those mountains, and the snows dump on the settlements below. The spring storms found themselves falling upon the accumulated snow that fell first in December. It’s the first of March and my north-facing deck is still beneath a three foot drift that defeats the heart of my Sherlock.
Temperatures rose once or twice last month to nip at the heels of the normal range for this time of year, but mostly stayed in the bone chilling zone. But I rarely accept situations that are less than ideal. I’m a doer. A naïve, reckless, enthusiastic one—who sometimes forgets to count the cost– but a doer nonetheless. With the aid of my daughter-in-law, I have taken circumstances that deceptively seem beyond my control, and changed them.
At the family nursery that she manages they had a close-out on paper-white bulbs. When I expressed an interest, she grabbed a bag and filled it. Then she gifted it to me with instructions. When I asked about potting soil, rather than repeat her instructions, that I had clearly not comprehended, she took me to a greenhouse to show me first-hand a large clear vase with paper whites blooming boldly above it. Then I understood.
So between her gift and about an hour of “planting” I brought spring into my home, despite the evidence to the contrary beyond my backdoor.
Each bulb was set inside a container that had a couple inches of pea gravel in the bottom. I had some decorative pebbles that served the first four containers. Then I slipped on my DH’s heavy boots and tramped out to my garden to scoop up pea gravel from around the boxes where the snow had receded. After the bulbs were set, I filled each with water to about ¼ up the bulb. You can also add the rocks up around the bulbs–but I liked the layered look. Within a week there were roots and green shoots. Within two weeks I had flowers.
Be sure to rotate them as (admirably so) they like to grow toward the sun.
I placed this one beside a mirror–because the other name for this flower is Narcissus–from the handsome Greek God that fell in love with his own reflection. Wisely, this flower prefered the light.
With these happy, tender flowers around me, spring arrived. (So there, bitter-cold winds.)
Because of the abundance my daughter gave me, I ended up filling several containers including tea cups and miscellaneous bowls. 7 bulbs were placed into a large glass bowl. Then I set them into a room with a southern window, rotating them from the top of a chest to a place in the sun to be distributed when their full bloom arrived.

They have tied me over through the single digit temps. This week there is to be a warming spike (finally) and the 40’s are predicted! The snow may actually melt from my patio and maybe Sherlock will find a sunny spot.