For Thursday, March 17th, 2011

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

March 17TH, 2011

If you can't see the bright side of life, polish the dull side

It's WEDNESDAY!

Today is St. Patrick's Day!

Saint Patrick's day is in honor of the Patron Saint of Ireland, who brought christianity to the Emerald Isles, as Ireland is known. It is truly a day of celebrating Irish history, ancestry, traditions and customs.

The saying goes that everyone is a little Irish on St. Patrick's Day!

When Irish eyes are smiling,

'Tis like a morn in spring.

With a lilt of Irish laughter

You can hear the angels sing.

Author Unknown

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day can help remind everyone that when we search for the end of the rainbow, we often find the pot of gold right in our own backyard.

THINKING

Wishing you a rainbow

For sunlight after showers—

Miles and miles of Irish smiles

For golden happy hours—

Shamrocks at your doorway

For luck and laughter too,

And a host of friends that never ends

Each day your whole life through!

Today: Paint the town green, it's St. Patrick's Day, honoring the patron saint of Ireland who introduced Christianity to Ireland. I'll be wearing my green today!

NEW IN THE KITCHEN

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated with distinctive food and drink: corned beef and cabbage, soda bread, Irish stew, green beer, Irish coffee and more! So don your Kiss Me, I'm Irish apron and prepare something Irish today

Irish Soda Bread

4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins
3/4 cup currents
3/4 cup craisins
1/2 cup dried apple -cut up
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup sour cream

Heat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 inch round cast iron skillet. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, fruit and caraway seeds in a large bowl. Blend eggs, buttermilk and sour cream in small bowl. Add to flour mixture until flour is moistened. Dough is very sticky. Put in the skillet. Sprinkle a little flour on top.

Bake at 350° F. for 65 - 75 minutes or until wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool in skillet about 10 minutes, remove and cool on wire rack.

PRAYERS

This Irish prayer is attributed to Saint Patrick and often referred to as the breastplate of St. Patrick--words that shield.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,

Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger

Amen

Please pray for God's protection of

our troops and HIS wisdom for their

commanders.

Lord, hold our troops in

your loving hands.

Protect them as they protect us.

Bless them and their families for the

selfless acts they perform for us

in our time of need. I ask this in the

name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

AND bless our Police Officers, Firefighters

and Paramedics and EMT's

GOD BLESS YOU!

AROUND HOME

Never iron a four-leaf clover, because you don't want to press your luck

Author Unknown

Have you heard about the Super Moon coming this weekend?

The March full moon will be the closest to the Earth and largest full moon of 2011. Why? It comes down to the fact that the Moon's orbit around the Earth is not a perfect circle, it's an ellipse in fact.

One side of the Moon's orbit is actually roughly 31,000 miles closer to Earth than the other side of its orbit.

When the Moon's orbit takes it the farthest away from Earth, the Moon is at its apogee. When it makes its closest approach, the Moon is at its perigee.

So not only will we have a full Moon on March 19 but the Moon will also be at its perigee. This means that the Moon will appear big in the night sky and it will be very bright; a sight to see for sure!

According to NASA and NOAA, a perigee Moon brings with it extra-high perigean tides but this is nothing to worry about. In most places, lunar gravity at perigee pulls tide waters only a few centimeters (an inch or so) higher than usual. Local geography can amplify the effect to about six inches.

So don't believe the disaster hype that you might come across on the internet and in the twitterverse but do grab your camera or cell phone and snap a picture of the big bright orb.

I found this info on the weather channel if you want to check it out.

The March full moon is known as the Full Worm Moon. At the time of this spring Moon, the ground begins to soften and earthworm casts reappear, inviting the return of robins. This is also known as the Sap Moon, as it marks the time when maple sap begins to flow and the annual tapping of maple trees begins.

It seems I'm late again with sharing the memory verse for the 15th of the month so here it is.

My goal is that their hearts, having been knit together in love, may be encouraged, and that they may have all the riches of understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2:2-3

It's a long one. I'm keeping a list of all the verses I've gathered so far this year and there will be many more coming. Even if I don't succeed in memorizing all of them it is good just to sit and read them over and over again.

I hope your St. Patrick's Day is a great one. It's to be sunny and warmer here and that is a blessing for sure!

COUNTING THE DAYS

For each petal on the shamrock
This brings a wish your way -
Good health, good luck, and happiness
For today and every day.

Irish Blessing

3 DAYS UNTIL SPRING

32 DAYS UNTIL CAMPING SEASON BEGINS

Keep looking ON THE BRIGHT SIDE of things.

A little smile, a word of cheer,
A bit of love from someone near…

Love,

ma