Happy St. Patricks Day!

The kids are wearing green. We're listening to Irish/Celtic type music in the form of the "Riverdance" soundtrack. I'm making mint green brownies and have plans for a fancy corned beef and cabbage family meal tonight. Shamrocks and other such greenery are hanging around the house. I like St. Patricks Day.

Not that St. Patricks Day is all that big or serious of a holiday, really. We don't even get into all the leprechaun mischief that some families do. The only thing I can figure, as to why I really enjoy this day, is because I have Irish blood in me. My ancestors on my father's paternal line came from Ireland. So I wear my "Kiss Me, I'm Irish" t-shirt with pride knowing that although everyone is dubbed honorary Irish on St. Patricks Day, I'm actually legit.

Bryan taking the invitation on my shirt directing him to "Kiss Me," seriously.

What's with the pinching, though? Where did that tradition come from? I STILL have a scar on my arm where Shauna Booth pinched me in the 6th grade. She didn't appear to be wearing any green so I pinched her. Hoping to fool people like me, she actually was wearing the tiniest bit of green in her hair in the form of a green elastic. She therefore claimed it was her right to pinch me back 10 times in retaliation. Except she did it with her nails...which were very long....and she must have really relished that pinching cause she did it very hard. Needless to say, I did not suffer through all 10 pinches before shoving her {good and HARD} away from me. Unfortunately the scar remains to this day, although it has lightened to the point that you can hardly see it...unless I point it out. Which I tend to do every year on March 17th. (I think my kids are tired of the story....)