Parade And Garden Of Daisies #2

We went to the St Paddy's warm-up parade yesterday to watch these talented kids:

The Irish dance school that my daughter danced with for many years.

The big St Pat's parade will be downtown tomorrow, but I'll be at work

As you know, I love Irish music and dance

and have taken a few ceili classes myself,  because it's so fun! 

A few weeks ago I gave you reason number one (of three) 

for naming my blog "Garden Of Daisies".

Well, here is reason number two: It's the name of a favorite traditional Irish set dance.

I'm including a video of that dance, found online.
Be sure to wear green tomorrow and enjoy watching Garden Of Daisies.

(You can watch them all, or just skip ahead to 7:55 for Garden of Daisies)

Haymakers Jig

Earlier this week I took a Ceili dance class.  

We learned three dances:

Siege of Ennis, Bonfire Dance and the Haymakers Jig.

Goodness knows I am way too old and out of shape for this sort of dancing.

My ankles were not happy with me the following day.

But still, it was soooo much fun!

We had good natured teachers who kept smiling even when we made lots of mistakes;
the young ladies of  Ceili At The Crossroads.

(Many of these girls are my daughter's friends, from her Irish dancing days.)

(I did not take this picture.  It is from their web site.)

I could not get any pictures or video from our Ceili class.
I was too busy trying to figure out where to put my feet!

But I did find a couple of youtube videos online
that show other people dancing the Haymakers Jig and the Siege of Ennis.

Just image it with regular clothes, many mistakes and loads of laughter

and you'll have a pretty good idea of how our class went.

An Afghan and A Sandwich

The pink baby afghan  (a giant granny) that I started a few weeks ago is now finished.

And ready to be sent to my grand niece.

I used Baby Bee - Sweet Delight yarn in 8 colors:

Boo Pink, Little Princess, Pink-A-Boo, Bashful, 

Sugar Plum, Mint Charm, Teal Too and Angel.

I crocheted 45 rounds with a size G/6/4.25 hook

and then added a scalloped border.

My pinks were done in double rows and the other colors in single.

I ran out of Boo Pink yarn 11 scallops away from the finish 

and had to go buy another skein.   

That sounds like Murphy's Law to me, so that makes this an Irish afghan!  ;-)

* * *

Make sure you're enjoying your share of corned beef and cabbage this week!

A reuben sandwich from one of our local Irish joints:  O'Neills.

Anybody know how to say "Yummylicious" in Gaelic?

Pot of Gold

Yes, the Irish "pot of gold" really does exist.
It's here at my house.

A whole (pyrex) bowl full of gold.
And silver.
And bronze.

These are the medals my daughter earned 

during the nine years that she competed in Irish dance.

Chicago, Minneapolis, Colorado Springs, Seattle, Little Rock, St Louis...

You name it, we traveled there to dance.

She had so much fun and made wonderful friends.

(For the record,  I was not a crazy dance mom like the ones on tv.)

And here are pictures of the lucky little Leprechaun that brought home all that gold. 

  Very first competition. (upper left) 

The last competition. (lower right)

And a couple more photos from the in-between years.

(Photos of family may not be borrowed or pinned.)

 I'm joining Kathleen,

for her 5th annual St Patrick's Day Blog Crawl.

Heres a video I've borrowed of one of our favorite little Irish dancers: 

a young friend from my daughter's former dance school.

 Isn't she great?  Even when the music is way too fast!

Irish Cailini

 (Holly Hughes - available in her etsy shop)

If you:

1. can dance a jig,

2. know all the verses to Danny Boy,

3. eat corned beef and cabbage,

4. march in a parade every March 17th, 

5. admit to kissing the Blarney Stone, 

6. love Liam Neeson films,

  7. can read this post with an Irish accent,

or 

8. have eyes that smile,

then you will appreciate these Irish cailini. 

(Vivian "Viv" Trillow Smith,  Hallmark 1948)

I'm looking forward to St. Patrick's Day!  

Are you?

(PS- Cailini is just Gaelic for little girls.)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

At the parade!

The O'Riada-McCarty-Manning Academy of Irish Dance.

Some of the OMM dancers on the morning news:

Irish Soda Bread

I made Soda Bread to go with  my Irish Breakfast Tea this morning.  It's a very basic, dense, biscuit-like bread.  I've seen a few other recipes, with slightly different ingredients,  but this one is a super easy favorite.


Irish Soda Bread:

2 cups flour
1/4 cup steel-cut oats
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 t. sugar
1 cup (1/2 pint) buttermilk

Mix dry ingredients together and then pour buttermilk in.  Stir until just barely moistened.  Form into a lump and place on floured baking sheet.  With a knife, slice an X into the top of the bread.  Bake in 475 oven for 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 and bake for another 20 minutes.
Let cool for about 10 minutes, then pull apart, slather with butter and/or jam and eat.
*Makes 4 huge, thick, heavy biscuits. This is not dainty bread.  This is "fill-me-up-with-something-warm-I've-been-working-hard-cutting-peat-in-the soggy-wet-bog-all-day" bread.
*You may add your favorite chopped herbs (rosemary or caraway, etc...) if you want to use for dinner.
*And some people add dried fruit (raisins, etc...) if they want a sweeter bread at tea time.

And here is a fun Irish song for you, from our local Irish Band.... The Elders!!   So hit the play button, then get up and dance!

I'm joining Kathleen in her 

4th Annual St Patrick's Day Blog Crawl

Warm-Up Parade

At the Warm-Up Parade.

(Always held the Saturday before St. Patrick's day)

Joining Kathleen at her
4th Annual St Patrick's Day Blog Crawl

Wearin' O' The Green

,

Sweet Colleens (Cailini) in green. 

What will you wear on St Patrick's day?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Had to pop in this week to wish everyone a 

very happy St Patrick's day!!

 Belleek shamrock pieces scattered about the house.

And a little Irish nutcracker dancing the reel.


And here are some reel steps for you to watch.
(the reel in soft shoes and the treble-reel in hard shoes.)




Joining Kathleen's 3rd Annual St. Patrick's Day Blog Crawl

Dancing At The Irish Festival

The O'Riada Academy Of Irish Dance.

The dancers were fantastic today at the Irish Festival!!   I hope you had a chance to watch them!

Really amazing kids!  They practice for hours to put this show on.

Irish Dance Solo Dresses

 (Family photos may not be borrowed or pinned.)

Here is daughter and one of her best friends at an Irish Dance competition at Gaelic Park in Chicago a few years ago.   They met in an Irish dance class when they were about 9 or 10 years old and have been friends ever  since.  

I wanted to show you some of the fantastic dresses Irish dancers wear when they compete on stage.  These are "solo dresses".  Each one is different.  Some are designed by the girls themselves.  These dresses have to be earned.  Girls have to advance to a certain level in competition before they are allowed to wear a solo dress.  Each girl will also have a school costume, which they wear for their first few years of dancing (before they qualify for a solo dress), and later for team dances when uniformity in look is important.

These pictures represent various styles of solo dresses from the past 10 years of Irish dance.  Note the different fabrics and styles as fads came and went in the competition world.

   

Have you picked out a favorite? Or two? Or three?

(Only two of the dresses above belonged to my daughter.   The others were owned by other dancers.  I found most of these pictures at the websites that sell new or used solo dresses.)

I am linking to Mary's Mosaic Monday.    And Cuisine Kathleen's St Patrick's Blog Crawl.  

  

Irish Blessings

"May your home always be too small to hold all your friends."

"May you have warm words on a cold evening, 

a full moon on a dark night, 

and a smooth road all the way to your door."

"May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow.  

And trouble avoid you wherever you go."

"May the saddest day of your future 

be no worse than the happiest day of your past."

"May those that love us, love us.

                                   And those that don’t love us,

May God turn their hearts.

And if he doesn't turn their hearts,

May he turn their ankles,

So we'll know them by their limping."

On Tuesday, March 16, Kathleen is hosting the St. Patrick's Day blog crawl.  I hope you can join in.

H is For Hoolie!

H is for Hoolie!  That's Gaelic for party.  It's all about good company, good music and good fun!
If you are from around here, the Hoolie is held the weekend before St. Patrick's day and includes a little bit of this:

(The O'Riada Academy Of Irish Dance Performing Group.  I did not take these pictures.  I think one of the other  parents did.)

And a little bit of this:   The Elders!!




It's Alphabe-Thursday, so head over to Jenny Matlock's to read all the other H posts.

Don't forget to enter your name into the drawing for my little giveaway.  Let me know if you want to enter and if you are interested in  #1, #2 or both.  Last chance to sign up is Friday.  I will draw names on Saturday morning.   Good luck to everyone!

Afternoon Tea For One

Gathering up everything I need to make a simple pot of afternoon tea for one.  The kettle will be whistling soon.   Since St Patrick's day is coming up and it's only me, I'm using my shamrock 'Herself'  mug.

Twinings Earl Grey is one of my favorite teas.   And I really love my speckled green/brown 'Denby Greystone' teapot.  It has a delightful round shape!  

Do you use a teapot or do you make tea right in the mug?  I use a teapot to brew my tea.   Do you use loose tea or a teabag?  I use both.   Do you use milk? Sugar? Lemon?  I only use lemon in mine, but bring out the milk and sugar when friends are over.  

I sliced up the lemon and put it in a little green 'Block Optic' depression glass dish.

Ummm.   The tea is such a perfect golden honey color after you add a squeeze of lemon.  And it tastes great!  Such a wonderful way to relax for a few minutes each day.

I have a little giveaway going on at my blog this week.  Come on over and enter your name.  You do NOT have to be a follower (unless you want to)  and I WILL ship internationally.

Be sure you stop by Rhondi's to see all the pretty tables set for tea at  Tea Party Tuesday,  and
Katherine's for Tea Time Tuesday.

Fish And Chips And Irish Stew

We had a yummy dinner at a local Irish restaurant.   Mr. Garden had fish and chips.

I had Irish stew.  Delicious!

The restaurant's cozy booths, dark wood wainscoting, sports team jersey's and posters created a fun and welcoming feel.    

 Anyone going  to an Irish breakfast or to the parade on St Patrick's Day?