Green

County Galway, Ireland. My grandfather's hometown. Photo from THIS LINK.

I can't believe the parties H. and I went to today. I marvel at the way people pull it together and throw amazing bashes. The day began with H. baking my Grandma Alice's Irish soda bread for breakfast--yum. Then a drive over the steely gray George Washington Bridge to visit our handsome young, smart nephew in the Bronx. Then two St. Patrick's Day parties in Montclair. Listen to this:

• Harriet's house--she and her husband and three young kids recently moved here from Houston, TX, and Harriet has been coming to boot camp. The table was filled with tender corned beef with grainy mustard, sausages wrapped in pastry dough, and my personal favorite, hard-boiled eggs dyed kelly green and then filled with yellow deviled-egg filling. So festive.
• Lesley, Vieri and their young son, Angelo....wow. Tall glass bottles of Lesley's homemade Irish cream liqueur--incredible. Bright green Jell-O shots. Shiny grass-green baubles for us all to wear. Trays of corned beef, cabbage, salmon sandwiches, hard cheeses, mashed potatoes--and special kid food, too. Storybook-size apothecary jars filled with leaf-shaped spearmint gumdrops and mint M&Ms. Green cupcakes, Paige's Guinness cupcakes with Baileys Irish Cream frosting, Patsy's chocolate-chip cookies and chocolate-covered strawberries, Guinness beer--and a round loaf of H.'s Irish soda bread, too.

I am filled with awe and appreciation that both families are so big-hearted and welcoming. The luck of the Irish. Good night.

TCOY

1. Walked Puff around block.
2. Saw friends, chatted, had fun, listened, connected. Sipped nice white wine, homemade Irish cream over ice. Had tender corned beef and mashed potatoes. I'm grateful that my road through life is not lonely. How lucky we are.