St. Patrick's Day Parade

One of several St. Patricks that were in the parade.



Sarah's float...she's second from the left.




Sarah in full parade regalia.

Black Teeth and Wigs

Danny had a nasty fall about 3 weeks ago, and one of his front teet is quite dark as a result. Thank goodness he doesn't need a root canal or any other intervention!



Sarah got her wig today for dance, just in time for the St. Patrick's Day parade in Dublin. She is very excited! This was just a quick try-on, and it will need to be much neater for the parade and for any feis in which she participates. For those who are familiar with my hairstyling abilities, you know this will be a real challenge. Hey, at least I don't have to make all of those curls every time!

Too Much Dancing, Or Just Too Old?

So, first off, don't start Irish dance at the age of 36...maybe I could have done this at 34 or 35, but apparently, I'm just too old. We had such a good time at the Ceili, and I loved dancing with Sarah during the traditional set dances.

That said, I am now down a toenail and have a bad limp. The podiatrist asked if I had done anything "atypical," and at first, I said no, but it was definitely the dancing. My big toe was VERY swollen and angry looking. I showed Steve to get some sympathy, but all he said was, " I never knew you had such a long big toe!" Aargh! Is it that hard to know what to say? (I guess it is...)

They removed my nail at the podiatrist so that my toe could swell as much as it wanted to. That was Wednesday, and I'm still limping, but it's getting better every day. I could post a pic....but let's just leave this one to the imagination.

The Last Picture of Sarah's Baby Tooth

Sarah is VERY close to losing her first "top" tooth, and she is very excited. Undoubtedly, this is because the tooth fairy will bring her $2.00. Quite a bit more generous than the stingy fairy who brought ME money :) Just kidding, Mom!

Lessons to be Learned

Irish Dance is a very expensive activity, I'm finding. All of the one time purchases that are required the first year really add up. Since my daughter does not do much outside the home, I really would like to allow her to continue on. So, after I bought the $50 wig and $70 performance outfit, I found out that she also needs warm ups, which are nearly $90. Gulp!

Steve and I decided that we'd keep going, but she'd have to earn the warm ups doing work around the house. She has done everything without complaint, and last night, she washed the kitchen floor on her hands and knees, humming. I wish I could be that cheerful about it!

Salsa for Canning

Another way to use the tomatoes and jalapenos from the garden throughout the year...most closely resembles Chi Chi's bottled salsa. You can adjust the heat easily by reducing the jalapenos, as this version is pretty zippy. I like to leave the seeds in the jalapenos for more heat. I have fiddled quite a bit with this recipe to get to what we like, so it may take you a few tries to get to the flavor and consistency you prefer.

8 cups fresh tomato, chopped (I do a rough chop)
2.5 cups onion, chopped
1.5 cups green pepper, chopped
1 c jalapeno, fine dice
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 t cumin
2 t black pepper
1/8 cup kosher salt (scant)
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
6 oz can tomato paste
1/4 cup cilantro (add after cooking)

Cook all except cilantro for 10 minutes at a low boil. Take off heat and stir in cilantro. Process for 10 minutes.

Ceili, Ghillies and Wigs...Oh My!

Sarah is really getting into her Irish dance class, and we just attended our very first ceili. For those not well versed in Gaelic, it is social dance party, kind of like a square dance. There was a little performance by each class, but for most of the night, it was a free for all. Sarah actually had blisters on both feet from dancing so much!

The bottom line for me is that she's having so much fun, and is just really comfortable there. She may not have the steps down, but she's loving it, and that's what counts.