St. Patty’s Day
St Patrick’s Day is today, Thursday, March 17. Many people go out of their way to celebrate. Regardless of your heritage, you might celebrate by sporting your best bright green shirt and meeting up with friends at your favorite Irish pub. But there’s a lot more to the holiday than simply wearing green and knocking back a pint of Guinness.
Just what does St. Patrick’s Day mean? According to timeanddate.com: “St Patrick’s Day is a global celebration of Irish culture on or around March 17. It particularly remembers St. Patrick, one of Ireland’s patron saints, who ministered Christianity in Ireland during the h century.”
St. Patrick’s Irish-inspired food is corned beef, cabbage and potatoes, so on Thursday, March 17, make sure you have it. It is so delicious. Speaking of delicious, Patty O’s Cafe & Bakery has big plans to make St. Patrick’s Day an annual celebration. The o en theatrical, three Michelin star chef and his team have developed a four-course menu inspired by the cuisine of Ireland served alongside live Irish music from Rhys Jones and Cleek Schrey. There are three seatings for the four-course menu priced at $195 per person, including a complimentary cocktail.
There are other surprises: freshbaked soda bread and other holidayinspired pastries available in the bakery, the Cafe’s otherwise white exterior will be washed in green light and the Patty O’s Team will be in festive costumes.
Reservations can be made at pattyoscafe.com
I hope that everyone will wear green and that you don’t get pinched by the leprechauns.
NEW HOURS
CFC Farm & Home Center has new hours. The co-op is now open from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, Saturdays 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
NEWS FROM JUDY REIDINGER
Late of Rappahannock County and Trinity Episcopal Church, Judy Reidinger continues to make a joyful sound to the Lord. So reports her friend and fellow church musician, Wendy Aichele, Minister of Music at Washington Baptist Church. Among other news, Judy’s hymns are now being used regularly at weekly chapel services at Canterbury Court, Judy’s new home, an Episcopal-related retirement community located in the Buckhead section of Atlanta. Judy has also recently released a new CD of her compositions — “Trust My Love: Choir Music, Hymns and More,” which can be sampled by going to her website www.judysongs.com, or by googling Judy Reidinger Music. Judy’s email is rjriedinger@hotmail.com, and she
welcomes and enjoys hearing from friends in Rappahannock.
Judy lived in Kansas, India, Northern Virginia, China, and the beautiful Virginia Blue Ridge mountains before moving to Atlanta in 2018.
KITE FLYING
Hope everyone survived the snow and wind we had on Saturday. Sunday wasn’t so bad, at least the snow was melting away. That a ernoon the snow was almost gone. I was glad to see that. Maybe winter is over for us. Sure hope so.
February is behind us, which means kite ying arrives on Tuesday. One would think February was kite ying with all the wind we had. March is the month for kite ying.
A wind that’s too strong or too light is di cult to y in. A ag or windsock is handy to help you gauge the wind. Flying is most fun when the wind is moderate so you can make your kite dance across the sky by pulling in and letting out the line.
Make sure you are in an area that is open and free of trees, electrical and telephone lines, buildings, and automobile tra c. Let the wind li the kite and as it does feed out the line to the height you desire. Always walk in the direction of the wind as you feed out the line. If the kite won’t climb you can reduce the bridle angle. To land the kite, walk toward it winding the line on the reel as you walk.
I’m looking forward to ying a kite this year with my grandchildren. Kite ying is great fun and it’s easy. So grab your kite and join in the fun. The big blue sky is big enough for all of us who love to y them.
WINTER’S END
Winter ends and spring begins on March 20, and I would like to leave this thought for the day: Winter is a time to enjoy feeding the birds and squirrels and walking in the snow . . . but winter, like everything else, doesn’t last forever. If winter was forever, all the energy and potential would reach its limits and inertia would set in. And so, slowly but surely, the cycle turns; everything moves on. Everything has its own time, its own season. Remember, the end of something good means the start of . . . something else good. All you have to do is be connected and in tune with the natural ow of nature’s energies.
Enjoy the warm weather and the beauty of spring!