3/17/06
 
Well, the Luck-of-the-Irish was with me today.  My boss, Margaret called me and told me that I could leave at 3PM to attend the festivities of St. Patrick’s Day! YEAAAAA!
 
  I was so EXCITED!  Geralyn was going to take me into town with her daughter Laura.  Laura was going to NOT be at the clock tower dancing, she was now going to be in the parade with her school doing the salsa or something like that.  (See I told you that plans change around here all the time!)  I was to go to Geralyns to get a ride.  I showed up in my usual gray coat and black and brown scarf only to find a BEAUTIFUL green scarf on the steps banister!  It is Wonderful and crazy and sweet Geralyn stayed up till 2AM to finish it for me for St. Patty’s day! Isn’t she a love?  I really really love it and it is BOLD!  It made my day and when she told me it was mine I heard Laura in the background singing, “Geralyn loves Kym, Geralyn loves Kym…” and it was really funny, but I felt it too!  It was a wonderful validation to me that my new cousin did like me.  Even though she goes out of her way for me very often (rides to and from work), it was very personal and her effort was NOT lost on me.
 
And being in true form for Geralyn she had to show me different ways of wearing it.  But on this day, being that I WAS going to the parade, I took both of the scarfs with me – it was sure to be a cold TWO-scarf day!
 
Geralyn and Teresa were still planning on meeting me at the shop at 3PM to get a good spot for the parade.  I arrived at work very happy and excited-, which was easy to tell since I had the biggest stupidest smile on my face!  And to boot, I was dressed in all black with the BRIGHTEST green scarf around my neck!  I loved my scarf and I LOVED that it was green!
 
As we drove into town I was like a little kid with my face pushed against the rear seat window.  I was looking for the tell tale signs that it WAS St. Patty’s day- GREEN!  We drove in past St. Mary’s Catholic Church and one of the many mass’s that day was letting out and all I saw was muted green in the form of live shamrock pins. (These are a big deal in Ireland. They are live shamrocks with the roots attached – yet hidden by a cardboard circle backing.)  They are sold in a little plastic bag and it is called “ready for posting- shamrocks” Which means that they are designed to be purchased in Ireland and sent else where.  And I was sure to oblige them, for I purchased about 10 of them and sent them to different people in America.  Which is NOT a touristy thing to do, this is a “local” thing around here.  And they “locals” even purchase them for themselves-, which was seen on their lapels as they left church. But there was a sprinkle of brighter green here and there, I was a bit disappointed, as on this day in America the green JUMPS out at you- but here green was downplayed.
 
But not even this was to extinguish my excitement as we rounded the corner to my little shop; I was so excited to start my day!  I even jumped out of the car before Geralyn could come to a full stop and she yelled at me to be “careful!” like a mommy dropping off her kindergartener for her first day at school!

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3-17-06
 

   Today I find myself up at 7:30AM with the feeling like Christmas’s of the past.  I’m anxious and excited about the events of the day!
 
  Today is my FIRST St. Patty’s Day to be celebrated in Ireland.  Even though everyone says that St. Patty’s day in Ireland is really a holy holiday and is NOT anything like St. Patrick’s Day in America- from what I have been seeing, that is not completely true.
 
  I have seen and felt a HUGE energy shift in this wonderful little town of Westport.  All the colorful slices of shops that devour the 3 or 4 streets of Westport have window displays that are dominated by the “green”.  In windows are green balloons, and shamrocks, cardboard cut outs of leprechaun’s and dolls dressed in shamrock finest.
 
 Added in, the array of silly things that are sure fire hits with the tourists that can’t wait to buy useless items just because it has the Westport name and photo’s on them, like, huge pencils, shot glass’s, coasters, linen hanging things, walking sticks, dolls, pipes, coffee mugs and anything else some company makes to take the expendable income of tourists- you find it in the stores of Westport.
 
  I witnessed the “changing of the postcards” which are in EVERY store.  For the last 2 months I have see the rained on, the wind blown, the bent corners of the postcards on the ¾ empty racks that are a staple in the shops and hanging on the doors.  But in the last week they have been replaced with fresh ones with wonderful color but are photos that have been taken in the last decade – but never get old to the tourists that flood this magical place.
 
I saw the installation of the colorful flowers that are planted in the ground around the Octagon and the Clock tower that welcome the hordes of tourist that have begun the decent on Westport for the “downing of the Shamrock” – which is what the locals refer to on this most holy day.
 
  The shops in the town close down on this “bank holiday”.  The only places that are open are the restaurants and the pubs and OF COURSE the newsagents of whom I work for!!?!?!?! 
 
I, Kym McBride who has never worked or gone to school on St. Patties day – HAS TO WORK ON ST. PATTY’S DAY IN IRELAND!!!!  Do you too see the ironicness of this?  It is NOT lost on me.

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