<p>And the O’Garland household is celebrating with Guinness in the glasses; Black 47, Dropkick Murphy’s and the Pogues on the CD player, and, um, spinach pasta on our plates (well, it’s green…)</p>
<p>Actually, I’m saving the corned beef and cabbage and soda bread for tomorrow, when both kids, and various friends in tow, will be here to enjoy it with us (they’re out on the city tonight, um, pub crawling…thank God for over 21’s, and public transportation!)</p>
<p>garland - and happy St. Paddy’s day to you and yours! Sounds like you’ve got a great celebration lined up. Just squirt a little Guinness (or a lot of Guinness) through the internet for us !</p>
<p>HAPPY ST. PADDY’S DAY backatcha!!!</p>
<p>Hope your evening tonight (sans kids) and your day tomorrow (with kids) are enjoyable! :)</p>
<p>This arrived in my inbox yesterday, no clue if it’s historically accurate or not -</p>
<p>His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog.</p>
<p>There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death. </p>
<p>The next day, a fancy ca rriage pulled up to the Scotsman’s sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved. </p>
<p>“I want to repay you,” said the nobleman. “You saved my son’s life.” </p>
<p>“No, I ca n’t accept payment for what I did,” the Scottish farmer replied waving off the offer At that moment, the farmer’s own son came to the door of the family hovel. </p>
<p>“Is that your son?” the nobleman asked. </p>
<p>“Yes,” the farmer replied proudly. </p>
<p>“I’ll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my own son will enjoy If the lad is anything like his father, he’ll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of.” And that he did. </p>
<p>Farmer Fleming’s son attended the very best schools and in time, graduated from St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin. </p>
<p>Years afterward, the same nobleman’s son who was saved from the bog was stricken with pneumonia. What saved his life this time? Penicillin. </p>
<p>The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill … His son’s name? </p>
<p>Sir Winston Churchill. </p>
<p>Someone once said: What goes around comes around. </p>
<p>Work like you don’t need the money. </p>
<p>Love like you’ve never been hurt. </p>
<p>Dance like nobody’s watching. </p>
<p>Sing like nobody’s listening. </p>
<p>Live like it’s Heaven on Earth. </p>
<p>May there always be work for your hands to do; </p>
<p>May your purse always hold a coin or two; </p>
<p>May the sun always shine on your windowpane; </p>
<p>May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain; </p>
<p>May the hand of a friend always be near you; </p>
<p>May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.snopes.com/glurge/fleming.asp[/url]”>http://www.snopes.com/glurge/fleming.asp</a></p>
<p>Not historically accurate. If you don’t mind my saying, it reads more like a right wing wish fulfillment dream.</p>
<p>On another note, in New Orleans, we more or less celebrate St. Paddy’s and St. Joseph’s Day together with one big Irish/Italian parade. (Cabbage, carrots and potatoes are thrown). </p>
<p>But there are also some traditions that are unique to St. Joseph’s (which is tomorrow):</p>
<p>The St. Joseph’s Day altars.
<a href=“http://www.houstonculture.org/laproject/stjo.html[/url]”>http://www.houstonculture.org/laproject/stjo.html</a> </p>
<p>St. Joseph’s night (a high holiday for the Mardi Gras Indian tribes):</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.nola.com/mardigras/about/index.ssf?/mardigras/about/content/stories/supersunday_04.html[/url]”>http://www.nola.com/mardigras/about/index.ssf?/mardigras/about/content/stories/supersunday_04.html</a></p>
<p>How important is St. Joseph’s in New Orleans? When my grandmother was born in her parent’s home in the French Quarter on St. Joseph’s Day, 1890, all other names were dismissed; there was no option but Josephine.</p>
<p>My St. Joseph’s lilies should be blooming right now, but from the looks of things, they’re about two weeks away.</p>
<p>
Though I’m certain we all appreciate being disabused of this rather touching, though apparently innacurate, tale, I think that it’s possible you misinterpreted LTS’s motivation in posting it. I didn’t read it as a subversive political statement, but rather as a sweet anecdote addressing the ideas of “paying it forward” and “karma.” Maybe the difference in interpretation is due to the fact that I avoid the CC political threads like the plague. They can be quite toxic and can promote excessive cynicism. ;)</p>
<p>~berurah</p>
<p>I am not saying anything about her motives in posting it. It’s pretty clear that the fish don’t talk about the water. But the political subtext in it is pretty heavy–and it’s hardly subversive…rather the opposite.</p>
<p>
When my cousin, due on March 17, was expected, the planned name was Patrick - a beloved name in my father’s Irish Catholic family. He arrived on March 19. Joseph Patrick it is. Happy birthday, cousin Jodie.</p>
<p>Berurah, would it make you feel any better about my “cynicism” to find out that this fable, with all its heavy overtones about class relations, seems to have been invented for an American McCarthy-era right-wing religious text for children? </p>
<p>Wouldn’t the cynic be the person (not LTS) who misappropriated credit for Fleming’s discovery to further his/her own ends, rather than the person who sets the record straight?</p>
<p>Conyat, the sender then must be as clueless as me - he’s a African American career DEA agent, preparing for retirement, has complained bitterly to me about the Bush adminstration, is appalled at the situation in Iraq, and would love to see Hillary in office. He dispises Condoleeza Rice and isn’t overly impressed with Obama. We have many, many long late-night conversations about politics and we agree on almost NOTHING, yet we are very close friends and have been for many years. I am sure politics, class and religion didn’t even occur to him when he sent the copy out - to his entire address book. I’m certain it simply struck him the way it did me - as a cute, sweet - if inaccurate - story that perhaps others might enjoy (and it probably didn’t even occur to him to care about the accuracy).</p>
<p>Well, it was pretty ironic that this got sent to you on St. Paddy’s day, all things considered. :)</p>
<p>
conyat~</p>
<p>I had no intention of belaboring this. In fact, until you addressed me by name in the above quote, I had dropped it completely, and in all honesty, with my son’s leaving today, it hadn’t crossed my mind again. Guess I was too immersed in my real life sadness over his departure. :(</p>
<p>I truly think you overshot on this one. This thread, IMHO, should have been devoid of the politics that pervade so many threads here in the Parent Cafe. It was never intended to be a political thread or polarizing in any way. This is a perfect example of why I always try to examine INTENTION before I respond to anything. In fact, in your above post, you acknowledged this:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>If you did not think this was LTS’s motive, was your response really necessary? 
</p>
<p>And as I said, I would not have responded further to this except that you addressed me by name. My southern manners dictate that I should respond to personal references, at least to the extent that I am aware of them. :)</p>
<p>Really, seriously, no hard feelings. peace, ~berurah</p>
<p>Conyat, as further explanation, the gentleman has two daughters in college. One was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in her freshman year, and it has been a four-year long very intense, extraordinarily expensive and heartwrenching battle for him, and for his wife and their other daughter. More than once over the past few years they were certain the battle was lost. He grabs hold of happiness wherever he can find it, and absolutely does not stop to consider potential politics, irony, accuracy or anything else when he sends email like this - he just sees something that strikes him as happy, positive and light, and he hits the forward and then the send button, and doesn’t give it another thought. </p>
<p>Not everyone has an alternative agenda - sometimes people just see something fun or sweet or cute, and they want to share it on the off chance someone else might enjoy it too.</p>