Lá Fhéile Pádraig

We're doing family dinner tonight to celebrate! I'm of 3/4-and-a-bit Irish origin (I have a great grandfather and his ancestors from Yorkshire in England - hence my very English surname - and set of great great grandparents from Newfoundland, so that 'waters me down' a bit). My family was also Catholic, so during my childhood we always celebrated St Paddy's Day bigtime!

The celebrations abruptly stopped when I married my first husband who was of Chinese origin. My celt origins were ignored totally because Chinese seemed so much more 'exotic'. To be fair, I think this partly also because I prefer Chinese cooking to potatoes and sausages. I loathe sausages of any sort and no experimental cooking is ever going to change this fact! Potatoes are more my thing than rice.

The MOTH, like my first husband, ignores that he's probably as much Irish as I am, yet celebrates that he has two ancestors of Welsh origin on his father's side (hence his Welsh surname). Too bad! The 82,425 people of Welsh origin in Australia are of probably of the same origins as St Patrick, anyway.

It's time to start celebrating the Celt in us, again! Tonight's about the Reid, the Duffy, the Hodgkinson, the Collidge and the Griffin in us! I've tried out a few recipes and settled on Guiness stew, stuffed mushrooms, fresh beans and mashed potato and a long walk after it (LOL). The Living Doll is doing her version of something Irish for dessert (which will be interesting considering she works in a British pub). The crown princess and her half English consort (his father was born in England) are looking after the drinks for the evening.

May you never lie, steal, cheat or drink.
But if you must lie, lie in each other's arms.
If you must steal, steal kisses.
If you must cheat, cheat death.
And if you must drink, drink with us, your friends.

Felicity