Wednesday, March 11, 2015

St. Patrick's Gifts




Do you know Michele at The Nest at Finch Rest ? She recently had a giveaway drawing for St. Patrick's tea things.  I won the drawing and the beautiful gifts arrived all safe and sound to my doorstep.  Thank you, Michele!




Isn't that the cutest card she enclosed?  Her gift was wrapped so lovely and packed so securely.






I've enjoyed getting to know so many of you since venturing into this blogging world.  I am a late bloomer.  I read and commented on some of your blogs for years before I just jumped in this year and started my own.

I'm still learning and am enjoying it very much. Thank you to everyone who has encouraged me in this endeavor.

Do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day?  I am not Catholic, but I am a Christian and have some Irish blood running through my veins.  The shamrock was used by St. Patrick to explain the Holy Trinity.  I love that.




I made this shamrock flag years ago to hang during March to remind us of St. Patrick and the Holy Trinity.



Kilbennan St. Benin's Church Window St. Patrick Detail 2010 09 16.jpg

St. Patrick depicted in stained glass window in Saint Benin's Church, Ireland.


24 comments:

  1. Michele is the best at packing boxes. It really is amazing so I grinned to read that. And I did see where you won a giveaway...very cool! Now you'll be able to enjoy some wonderful spring teas with some of your wonderful scones.

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    1. It would be lovely to have you over for some tea and scones, Vee. Have a great evening! ♥

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  2. Oh! Well done you! Such lovely things to have in the post. I am planning a small giveaway in May on my blog, so keep an eye out {I know you will}
    We don't celebrate Saint Patrick's Day in Wales, but he was a contemporary and friend of Saint David, by all accounts and may even have left for Ireland very near where I live. Of course, it depends which sources you read too, but I'd like to think they were friends, being part Irish and mostly Welsh.
    ~~~Deb in Wales

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    1. Deb, the things I have learned through knowing you! I didn't know that St. David and St. Patrick were friends! I need to read more about that.
      How interesting that the Welsh don't celebrate St. Patrick's Day. I would venture to guess that the Irish don't celebrate St. David's Day. I learn something new everyday. I so enjoyed learning more about St. David at your blog.
      It's always nice visiting with you. ♥

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    2. I was tired last night and on my way to bed ~ I will have a little nod in Saint Patrick's direction with my own vegetarian version of colcannon minus the bacon and some freshly baked Irish soda bread. Prayers will be said at the Shrine in the Cathedral where Patrick is depicted {in the modern restoration} along with David and Andrew {Scotland} I am thinking a post on this is going to usurp my planned next entry! ~~~Deb

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    3. I would love to see you write a post on St Patrick and David and Andrew.
      Oh , Deb, I forgot to mention to you that last week I was in an antique shop and I saw a hot water ceramic bottle that looked like yours! I was so surprised to see it. ♥

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  3. I don't celebrate St. Patrick's Day per se, but we do have corned beef and cabbage this time of year. That teapot will look lovely in your collection!

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    1. Our St. Patrick observance, consists mainly of wearing green and maybe making some Irish soda bread, Cathy. I'll have to say I'm not a fan of corned beef and cabbage. Maybe I've never had it made properly. ♥

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    2. I just boil mine, but I buy it at my organic market. It's not organic but it doesn't have the nitrites/nitrates that are usually used to preserve it. It has a much milder taste.

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    3. Cathy, that just may be the trick to a milder corned beef. Thank you. ♥

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  4. What a lovely giveaway! Congratulations on your win, Martha Ellen! I observe St. Patrick's day by preparing a boiled dinner of corned beef and cabbage. My husband is crazy about it. I didn't used to like corned beef, but now I love it!! xx

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    1. Rosinda, you will have to share your recipe. I know there must be a special secret to making it that I don't know. Thank you for stopping by! xoxo ♥

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  5. My husband's family (and thus, my children's) has some Irish ancestry, so we always give a nod to the day with an Irish meal...corned beef and cabbage, potatoes, Irish soda bread, and usually some sort of green dessert. We are not Catholic either, but it just seems like fun to celebrate the Irish heritage.

    Your tea things are lovely. Congratulations on your win! Isn't that fun? :)

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    1. It is fun to win...Thank you Cheryl. I'm going to have to try that corned beef and cabbage you all are making. I tried it years ago and have not forgotton how much I didn't care for it. I have a long memory about food! ♥

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  6. What a lovely gift for St. Patrick's Day, Martha Ellen! We honor our Irish heritage in small ways on St. Patrick's Day. Yesterday I bought two pots of shamrocks (Oxalis). I love to make Irish Soda Bread to share with family and friends. I am so glad that you jumped into the wonderful world of blogging, Martha Ellen! It's so nice to get to know one another in this special way! ♡

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    1. Thank you Dawn---I'm enjoying my blogging and getting to know each of you better as I share my heart with you. I love finding pots of shamrocks---so lovely and full of hope for Spring. ♥

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  7. What a lovely giveaway! Congratulations, I am happy for you. I too never liked my mother's corned beef. She liked to do what I call around the world cooking, and she has German/Swiss heritage. I do come from a long line of good cooks, but… Anyway, my husband and I have a friend who is of Irish heritage and this man can cook! Yes I said MAN. He mainly cooks pub food, but also grows his own tomatoes and cans his sauce on his 39 foot sailboat!!! So…I have been told by him and some Irish girlfriends to cook the corned beef by itself for a whole day, then add the veggies. The slow cooker works great!
    It is too bad that faith is fading, and folks don't even know how various celebrations started. Holidays are just a bunch of excuses to party. When times get hard again, then all there will be is…Hope, Faith, and Love.

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    1. Yes, Margot the greatest of these is Love. I bet your friend is a wonderful cook--in fact, some of the best cooks I know are men! ♥

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  8. Good for you, Martha! And just in time for the holiday.
    Have a lovely weekend,
    Amalia
    xo

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  9. You photographed Michelle's gifts so beautifully. And I'm glad you started blogging. You're doing a great job. My husband has some Irish blood but we've never done much for St. Pat's day, at least now that the children are gone. But he was a missionary and we like that about him!

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    1. Thank you, Dotsie. I'm enjoying learning new things. I do feel a little awkward about what to share. I'm basically treating it as a journal for the most part. Thank you for the encouragement. ♥

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  10. Hello Dear one,
    I am catching up :-)
    What a fun lovely sweet gift to win and celebrate= "my and my Mom's Birthday"!!! ( hee hee we were fortunate to have our b-days on St Pat's day) :-)
    Martha I am glad that you have started blogging, because you have lovely lovely posts!!!
    Many blessings, and warmth Linnie

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    1. A late Happy Birthday to you and your mom! I hope it was filled with love and all the things you enjoy!
      Thank you for the encouragement about blogging. I'm so enjoying it and getting to know lovely women like you! ♥

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