Monday, March 17, 2014

Happy St Patricks Day - Back on Track

March 17, 2014
It is the luck of the Irish today, hopefully it will bring us some lucky weather.
I went to the gym over the weekend and did some cardio, it felt great to be back at the gym, it was to busy most of the week to make it there with my grand daughter visiting and she took advantage of being able to sleep in most days, sometimes 12 hours a night.
I took her home on Thursday afternoon as she had hockey this weekend, haven't heard how they made out.
I got to spend some time with my Mom and set my sister up on her new tablet. 
I dropped in to see an old work colleague Friday morning and she was pleasantly surprised to see me. She is one of the few people I truly miss seeing, we worked together for many years and have walked many a mile together. Irene you are always in my heart. 
I headed to the gym this morning and did 30 minutes on the elliptical machine and then did my weight routine. I was having a bit of nausea again this morning so I didn't push it to much and will do a few more things this afternoon after I have a NAET treatment today.
I thought I would get with the Irish and do my blog in green today and give you a bit of history about the day,,
St. Patrick's Day celebrations have been held for more than 1,000 years. The day celebrates Saint Patrick.
WHO IS SAINT PATRICK?
Saint Patrick is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland. St Patrick is credited with bringing christianity to Ireland. Most of what is known about him comes from his two works; the Confessio, a spiritual autobiography, and his Epistola, a denunciation of British mistreatment of Irish christians. Saint Patrick described himself as a “most humble-minded man, pouring forth a continuous paean of thanks to his Maker for having chosen him as the instrument whereby multitudes who had worshipped idols and unclean things had become the people of God.”
Many folk ask the question ‘Why is the Shamrock the National Flower of Ireland ?’ The reason is that St. Patrick used it to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagans. Saint Patrick is believed to have been born in the late fourth century, and is often confused with Palladius, a bishop who was sent by Pope Celestine in 431 to be the first bishop to the Irish believers in Christ.

Saint Patrick is most known for driving the snakes from Ireland. It is true there are no snakes in Ireland, but there probably never have been – the island was separated from the rest of the continent at the end of the Ice Age. As in many old pagan religions, serpent symbols were common and often worshipped. Driving the snakes from Ireland was probably symbolic of putting an end to that pagan practice. While not the first to bring christianity to Ireland, it is Patrick who is said to have encountered the Druids at Tara and abolished their pagan rites. The story holds that he converted the warrior chiefs and princes, baptizing them and thousands of their subjects in the “Holy Wells” that still bear this name.
There are several accounts of Saint Patrick’s death. One says that Patrick died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, on March 17, 460 A.D. His jawbone was preserved in a silver shrine and was often requested in times of childbirth, epileptic fits, and as a preservative against the “evil eye.” Another account says that St. Patrick ended his days at Glastonbury, England and was buried there. The Chapel of St. Patrick still exists as part of Glastonbury Abbey. Today, many Catholic places of worship all around the world are named after St. Patrick, including cathedrals in New York and Dublin city.
So, why is it celebrated on March 17th? One theory is that that is the day that St. Patrick died. Since the holiday began in Ireland, it is believed that as the Irish spread out around the world, they took with them their history and celebrations. The biggest observance of all is, of course, in Ireland. With the exception of restaurants and pubs, almost all businesses close on March 17th. Being a religious holiday as well, many Irish attend mass, where March 17th is the traditional day for offering prayers for missionaries worldwide before the serious celebrating begins.
In American cities with a large Irish population, St. Patrick’s Day is a very big deal. Big cities and small towns alike celebrate with parades, “wearing of the green,” music and songs, Irish food and drink, and activities for kids such as crafts, coloring and games. Some communities even go so far as to dye rivers or streams green!
Today's Quote:




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