A Slew of Charms & Luck Galore

Did you know the English language has words galore of Irish origin?  (Galore being one of them; so is slew.)  Besides enriching our vocabulary, Ireland has contributed immensely to our culture in America.  Here’s a few of my favorite things from the Emerald Isle:

1. Baileys Irish Cream
2. Irish coffee with Baileys
3. pubs
4. “Oh Danny Boy”
5. green, green landscapes, green that seems lit from within
6. the name Hooley
7. the word hooligan
8. irrepressible good humor
9. C. S. Lewis
10. W. B. Yeats
11. James Joyce
12. Enya
13. shamrocks
14. St. Patrick
15. Waterford crystal
16. Donegal tweed
17. fishermen’s sweaters
18. wild land/seascapes and appreciation for the wild
19. quirky proverbs
20. and beautiful blessings

On this St. Patrick’s Day, may God bless the Irish, and

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind always be at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

And rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

(An Old Irish Blessing)

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1,000 Thanks: First 155

1. Life,
2. love
3. home,
4. belonging,
5. safety,
6. joy,
7. truth,
8. The Eucharist,
9. peace,
10. justice,
11. mercy,
12. beauty,
13. music,
14. art,
15. books,
16. coffee,
17. cats,
18. good food,
19. trees,
20. flowers,
21. birds,
22. the ocean,
23. the whole earth,
24. the universe!,
25. seasons,
26. last night’s moon,
27. blue skies,
28. breathable air,
29. drinkable water,
30. hot water for showers,
31. all the ways we can make music
32. and share music,
33. all the ways we can communicate,
34. friendship,
35. laughter,
36. silence,
37. quiet,
38. tranquility,
39. prayer,
40. education,
41. travel,
42. freedom,
43. permanence
44. and change,
45. passages,
46. time
47. and eternity,
48. space
49. and transcendence,
50. being
51. and doing,
52. compatibility,
53. male
54. and female,
55. adult
56. and child,
57. dancing,
58. bees,
59. sweet things,
60. savory things,
61. all flavors,
62. plants
63. especially quirky ones life succulents,
64. roses,
65. iris,
66. lilies,
67. respect,
68. wisdom,
69. self-control,
70. help especially when needed,
71. courage,
72. pets,
73. wildlife
74. especially hawks
75. whales
76. dolphins,
77. ability to choose a good attitude,
78. health,
79. healing,
80. a good immune system,
81. my bed,
82. The Bible,
83. light,
84. warmth,
85. Mass,
86. the capacity to worship my Creator
87. and to adore my Savior-Lord,
88. fellowship with Catholics and other Christian believers,
89. the gift of faith,
90. the conviction of the sanctity of life,
91. empathy,
92. forgiveness,
93. understanding,
94. gentleness,
95. strength,
96. perseverance,
97. patience,
98. gratitude!,
99. all that is Good,
100. God’s amazing Grace
101. and ability to turn all things for Good,
102. rain
103. and rainbows,
104. storms,
105. hope,
106. far-seeing,
107. details
108. and small things,
109. grandeur,
110. paradox
111. and interesting juxtapositions,
112. pain and suffering that can be redeemed into intimacy with Christ,
113. Christ’s resurrection
114. and ours to come,
115. beginnings,
116. endings,
117. sweetly resolvable dissonance,
118. resolutions,
119. II7 chords,
120. smiles,
121. tears,
122. skin,
123. babies,
124. lovers,
125. fertility,
126. barren-ness that can yet be hospitable to The Spirit,
127. deserts,
128. mountain-tops
129. and valleys
130. and pastures
131. and meadows,
132. gardens of all kinds and sizes,
133. quilts,
134. laptops,
135. notebooks,
136. pens,
137. paper,
138. texture,
139. smells,
140. color,
141. color upon color,
142. seemingly infinite gradations of hue,
143. transparency
144. and opaqueness,
145. goldfinches,
146. purple thistle,
147. candles,
148. incense,
149. fire,
150. purpose,
151. spontaneity,
152. ritual,
153. good habits,
154. memory,
155. a stretchable heart.