Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Gypsy looks more like a burlesque comic than a dignified feline in his shamrock bow-tie, but who can resist? (It does look as though if you got too close it would shoot water at you!)

I like this -- he looks like he's ready to burst with "Too ra loo ra loo rah!" or maybe more of a lively tune!

Made corned beef yesterday -- my first (why did it take so long to discover how easy it was to put a slab of meat in a pot and boil it for three and a half hours?)

And, made the great soda bread recipe my pal Shelley sent me. It was delicious and so easy!

A lovely weekend with lots of art and lots of fun. More later, with pix! A beautiful performance of Bach's St. John's Passion last night. It was our symphony orchestra with the university chorale and choral union. It was held in one of our larger churches, but the place was packed. I heard someone say, "there are spots in the basement..." I don't think they had any idea how well attended it would be. Quite beautiful. Quite long. Stunning, nonetheless. There was a spot in the program with the translation from the German where they referred to Mary (as in mother), her sister Mary and their friend Mary. For a minute I began a quiet chuckle, because all I could think of was Larry, Darryl and Darryl from the "Newhart." It was a fairly somber piece -- no Hallelujah chorus type of song at the end. (And no, I did NOT expect "Here Comes Peter Cottontail," but I do love the Hallelujah chorus so much, it just sets the bar for me; Not having a rousing finish was a little bit of a downer.) But it was a good kick off to Easter.

Speaking of which, is anyone else sort of confused or frustrated that Easter and St. Patrick's day are so close together this year? It feels jarring to me. And that it will be a long time till Memorial day. I did see a tiny bit of green (daffodills) poking their heads out of the mulch, so I know spring is really on the way.