Flunking St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!! I just love this festive holiday. It’s a theme oriented gal’s dream, and it is one holiday this year that I do not intend to dye orange. Instead, I’m sticking to tradition. I read recently, by the way, that orange is “technically” acceptable on St. Patrick’s Day. Who knew?

Apparently, the color represents the Irish Protestants. According to this fellow,

 "Protestant Irish have been known as “orange” ever since 1690 when William of Orange (William III), the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland, defeated King James II, a Roman Catholic, in the Battle of the Boyne near Dublin…. Although the “Orange” in William’s name actually referred to a province in southern France, the color reference stuck. This is why orange now appears in the Irish flag – to symbolize the Protestant minority in Ireland."

So I considered (for about 5 seconds) going oddball orange this year. After all, I’m protestant… But then I decided to leave that wee bit of defiance to the protestants who are actually Irish. This German~ Italian~ Polish~ Baptist from south Georgia just needs to behave and wear the green like everybody else.

Because it’s fun.

It’s fun to watch elementary children head off to school all decked out, pinchers on stand- by for any nongreen offenders. It’s fun pretending to be Irish and imagining up new ways to color the world in various shades of emerald.

The Duchess turns utterly green and spends the day speaking like a leprechaun, saying things like “wee” and “saints preserve us” and “top ‘o the mornin’ to ya!” And she will tell the same Irish joke that she has told for the past 40 years, one that ends with the line, “….and me with a hole in me bloomers!” And we always laugh, not so much at the joke as at the Italian leprechaun trying to tell it.

So I'm all decked out in green and ready to celebrate the day. But I have to admit that I came precariously close to flunking St. Patrick’s Day this year.

When I'm working even part time, I can let things sneak up on me. Yesterday, for example, I let Miss Whimsy waltz off to school wearing her only green collared shirt. A more with it mom would have redirected her to save it for the Wearing ‘O the Green, but I goofed. Oh sure, she has other green shirts, but no other one obedient to the dress code. (another post… another day…) The best that she had to offer this morning was the notorious green hoodie of manic morning fame. It didn’t appear to bother her one bit. I, however, felt that I had scored and F in the Irish costume category.

I scored a “D” at best for the St. Patty’s Day breakfast too. I remembered too late last night about the glazed doughnuts with shamrock sprinkles. Instead, Miss Whimsy got a mundane muffin and some grapes. The grapes were green, hence the D instead of the F. To top it off, Super Dad is home. Mr. Helpful packed up the breakfast basket and whooshed it off to the car before I had a chance to make sure that at least the  napkin was green.

Men…

Besides the grapes, the only thing that kept me from utter failure was the purchase of a wee bit ‘o Irish for her coffee this morning.

 I stand firm that I indeed get a point for this even though it is knock off creamer of questionable great value. Had the store offered the real shebang, I would have purchased it. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

I also purchased some key lime yogurt for Super Dad to take to The Practical One today. Yes, I realize that key lime is not actually green… but limes are green so I’m going with it. I shall make it up to her by sending along some of that green stuff that college students really enjoy. The green of the spendable sort.

As for me, I am redeeming day by dubbing St. Patrick’s Day the official opening of green smoothie season. Since the man is home today, I made us green smoothies for breakfast. Opening Day Smoothies were made with kale and pineapple and banana. Now, I’m feeling festive AND wee bit healthier, too!

What about you? How are you dying your world green this festive day? Don't make me reach in there and pinch you...