Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day. It is celebrated differently in the U.S. than in Ireland. We wear green, eat corned beef and cabbage with potatoes, watch or march in a parade and generally kick up our heels and celebrate. It's the one day a year when the Irish American gets in touch with her Irish heritage. I'm proud to be Irish for many reasons. I admire what the Irish have done in history, I enjoy their wit and humor, I envy the ease with which they seem to take up the pen and turn out beautiful literature, poetry and music. I visited the Emerald Isle in the late 70's and saw many of the sights, even kissed the Blarney Stone. I visited Co. Cork where some of my ancestors were from and saw the town of Macroom where the Luceys came from. In the mid-80's I visited the North. Belfast was a war zone at that time. British troops were all over. Since 22 years have passed since I've been to Ireland, I'd like to go again. I found out through a cousin where my great grandfather was from and that his home is still standing. He was from Roscommon. His home is now in the county of Westmeath. I guess the county lines were redrawn? I'm not sure. I'd like to get to see where he lived. Although I love Ireland and enjoyed my visits, I'm glad that my great grandfather on my father's side and my great grandmother on my mother's side settled in the US. They definetly had a spirit of adventure. I wish I had had the good fortune to have known them when I was a child. Alas, they didn't live as long in those days. Here's to the Irish! Happy St. Patrick's Day!