March 17 , 2020 - Happy St Patrick’s Day !
What is St. Patrick’s Day all about? I’m going to take my own advice and do a little googling.
Saint Patrick is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland. He is credited with successfully spreading Christianity throughout Ireland—hence the Christian celebration of his life and name.
if you are wondering about the shamrock…
We wear a shamrock on St. Patrick’s Day because, legend says, St. Patrick used its three leaves to explain the Holy Trinity in his teachings. (The Trinity is the Father, the Son, and the Spirit as three divine persons who are one divine being [God].) The truth of the St. Patrick legend, however, is in question, as there is no direct record that the saint actually used the shamrock as a teaching tool.
How on earth did the green beer drinking rowdy parades come from this start?
The St. Patrick’s Day tradition began as a feast day held in honor of St. Patrick on the anniversary of the day he died. Christians are allowed to put aside their Lenten restrictions on food and alcohol consumption on this day, which is why excessive drinking has become so permanently linked to the celebration.
Eventually, the feast day evolved into a greater celebration including not only St. Patrick, but also Irish culture, history, and traditions. Though the feast day began in Ireland, the first St. Patrick’s Day parade began in America. The parade tradition became exceptionally popular in the 1840s, when hundreds of thousands of Irish immigrants came to America to escape the potato famine.
It makes me think a little bit about religion and spirituality and about the many different ways we all find solace when we need it. Prayer, meditation, yoga…..whatever way we find to manage human discomfort or stress. I find meditation extremely helpful in managing stress, anxiety, and fear. It helps me learn to tune into the present moment or what is real IN THIS MOMENT. Everything is ok in the current moment. When my monkey mind starts going crazy (am I going to get sick? How do I deal with my restless pre-teen? Will I be able to get groceries when I need them? ), it helps me to bring my awareness right back to NOW. In the now, everything is ok. Most people know I don’t like to fly in airplanes and most people also see my very very regular travel on airplanes. Meditation is how I manage this, and it has been extremely helpful. All I can influence in any given moment is how I show up in the present moment. I can learn to feel relaxed in the current moment, I can learn to manage the fear and uncertainty through my breath. When we move from this fearful place, it opens us to “how can we help”? “how can I lead”? “how can I reassure people who are struggling even more than I am”?
Coping mechanisms in times of trouble are extremely important. Each of us needs to find our way. FEAR makes people look within, HOPE makes people look outside of themselves. What can I DO?
I can:
breathe
choose to stay inside because it’s the right thing to do
comfort others
stay calm
stay grounded
help others
take care of my mind and my heart - recognize anxiety, but don’t let it take over
make a donation to The Giving Kitchen to help out of work restaurant workers
order takeout to support a local restaurant (Cameli’s offering “half baked” pizzas so you can cook them at home!)
I think we need to take a close look at the amount of time we spend on our news feed and our social media feed. While information is important, limiting it in times of stress is also important. CHOOSE a small window of time in which you gather information and the rest of the time focus on other things. Check in with yourself; if you are feeling overwhelmed by news, limit it. You can’t be in the NOW if you are constantly checking the news. We create our reality. While COVID 19 is real, so is the fact that in this moment we are healthy. We are safe. We are in control of our minds. Meditation can help with this. Try it - you’ve got time!
Now - if you’re looking for a fun way to entertain your kids - check out what my friend Kristin (super badass and super mom) did to entertain her boys this morning!
Or, if you need to express yourself through some baking today - here’s a recipe for Irish Oatmeal Scones in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. I’m going to try them later! (hint - if you don’t have currants, use any dried fruit) (If you don’t have buttermilk - who ever does? - you can google how to make milk into buttermilk)……..wait! I’ll do it for you…
scant cup whole or 2% milk, or heavy cream (I don’t drink milk so will likely use almond or coconut or oat milk…it will probably work)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice or distilled white vinegar
Mix together, let sit for 10 minutes…next best thing to buttermilk
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup currants
water to cover
1-1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick butter
1 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup buttermilk
melted butter
coarse-grained sugar, optional
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine currants and water in Pyrex measuring cup. Microwave to boiling point, cover, and let stand.
Combine first 5 dry ingredients in large mixing bowl or Cuisinart bowl. Cut in butter with pastry knife, or pulse in Cuisinart until it resembles coarse meal. Drain currants, then add to mixture with oatmeal. Stir in buttermilk until dough is barely moistened.
Turn dough onto floured board and knead 6 to 8 times. Roll or pat into a circle, place on ungreased baking sheet, and score into 8 wedges. Brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse-grained sugar (if using). Bake for about 15 minutes.
This recipe can be doubled and divided into 3 circles with 6 wedges each. Doubled it yields about 30 two-inch round scones.
YIELD:
8 scones
School starts today for Wilson! How he adapts to virtual learning will be interesting. My guess - he will demand we only home school moving forward. (Help!) . More updates later.
Posting this the day AFTER St. Patrick’s Day, but hope you enjoy it anyway! I get to the writing before or after the day job, so it gets posted when it gets posted. Day 5 may appear on day 7 and so on. Either way - know that I am sending out lots of love and positive energy to all of you.