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Wednesday, March 16, 2011

ST. PATRICK’S DAY

WELCOME THROUGH MY RED DOOR!

This St. Patrick’s Day holiday table is being combined with my youngest child and second son’s birthday celebration this month.  You might have met him here.  His name is… PATRICK!   Imagine that!

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                                                         A little story!

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               I am of Irish-Italian heritage.  My mother’s family is the Irish side.

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My husband’s family is mostly Irish too, so our kids are almost 3 quarters Irish decent and one quarter Italian.  (However we’re all proud to say we are 100% American!) 

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Anyway, when I found out that Patrick’s due date was March 18th, I was convinced he was going to be born one day early on St. Patrick’s day.

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So how could we not name him after Ireland’s great saint.  For that reason, and that ‘Patrick’ flowed so well with our new baby boy’s future middle name…Basil…after his Italian grandfather,  he is named Patrick!

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But, alas, our little, well not so little, Patrick was not born on March 17th, or the 18th.  He was in no hurry to enter the world and kept me waiting, anxiously until March 23rd!

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Okay, not a real long time, but even though he was so laid back about arriving, he was a very active bouncing baby boy!  I think he was practicing his soccer moves on me for his future team!  And I was more than ready for him to present himself and stop the hat tricks!

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So the name stuck, as his older siblings, ages 4 and two and a half, already knew him  as Patrick Basil.

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If by chance that sonogram was wrong and he was a she, then they would have had to have gotten used to a different name.

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I didn’t find out until years later, that my great, great grandfather Patrick was the first of his 14 siblings to come to America from County Mayo, Ireland in the early 1850’s, so I can’t say we named our Patrick after him! 

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Anyway, Patrick turns 20 this year and leaves us teenagerless.   But that doesn’t mean I don’t  call on St. Patrick anymore.  Our Patrick is in college and still needs all the help (and luck) he can get!!

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              I like to think St. Patrick hangs around to keep an eye on his namesake. 

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        Happy Birthday and St. Patrick’s Day Patrick Basil.  And many, many more to ya!

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          A ‘Luck of the Irish’ toast to all of you and a very Happy St. Patrick’s Day too!

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Oh, just a side note:  These very old monogramed napkins belonged to my Irish grandmother, Mary Helen O’Halloran (maiden name).  Her family was from County Cork.

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I love these napkins for obvious reasons, but because they can also stand for my Italian maiden name which starts with an ‘O’ too!  The same aunt who gave me the beautiful silver in this setting, gave the napkins to me, I’m sure because she knew I’d love to have something of my grandmother’s, and how much I love old things and it was my initial!

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                                  So isn’t everyone Irish on St. Patrick’s Day?

                         Thank you for stopping by.  I can’t wait to visit all of you.

                                                    tablescapethursday

        I’m skipping over with my pot of gold to Tablescape Thursday.  Come join me!

14 comments:

  1. Yay! Glad to see you post a table. You've been missed. Your St. Patrick's Day Patrick Basil table is wonderful. Your shamrock plant looks great. Mine is a little droopy. Love those wonderful napkins that belonged to your grandmother.

    Happy *early* birthday to your son!

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  2. What a wonderful table! Happy Birthday to your Patrick! My daughter's birthday is the 14th and it's always a St. Patrick's celebration too.

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  3. What a wonderfully festive table. Love it!!
    so pretty, and I have some Irish blood too, from my dads side!!
    Happy St. patricks day to you
    and Happy birthday to your Patrick!!
    blessings, Nellie

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  4. Beautiful table. I love those green glasses and the monogram napkins. Happy Saint Patrick's Day.

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  5. What a fun post and I just love your table. Happy Birthday to your son on the 23rd.

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  6. Your table is all "party"..and all Irish, too. You are the "real deal"......and I am so happy to meet a true Irish lady. The story about your Patrick is so dear....love how he waited to make his appearance at birth. Happy Birthday to you, Patrick. (if the sonogram had been wrong, you could borrow my daughter's name, Patrice.....probaby French, but sort of a feminine name for Patrick).

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  7. What a wonderful table and story. Thanks for sharing with us.Those napkins are so beautiful. I have a weakness for vintage linens. Happy Bday to your son. Two of ours are no longer teens either, wow, where does the time go? Thanks for stopping by my blog. I think you did a wonderful job with the coins! I wish I could have found some gold ones.

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  8. What a fun, celebratory table! Happy St. Patrick's Day:@)

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  9. Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

    Thank you so much for your recent visit to my blog and for leaving such a sweet comment!
    I am your newest follower :)

    Your tablescape is so very lovely, I love your flatware!

    Have a wonderful weekend and God Bless

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  10. Sheila, I've been looking forward to your table all week! So many fun things today...

    The obvious, of course, is Happy almost-Birthday to Patrick! (My first daughter made me wait 5 days -- then little sister decided to outdo her and make me wait 10!

    Also, congratulations on no longer having a teenager! (You may feel differently, but quite honestly, I was glad to move on to a different stage!)

    I loved learning about your ancestry -- and seeing your monogrammed napkins was a real treat for this vintage linen lover! What a treasure you have! Someday I'd love to see the entire design on the damask. Do you happen to know if your grandmother made them?

    OK... I'm also trying not to covet your fabulous green glasses. They are the perfect addition to your festive St. Patty's Day tablescape. Nicely done -- and I look forward to more when you have time in the future!

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  11. This is such a beautiful table - such a delightful story you shared on your son Patrick - I am part Irish and my father has instilled in me a love for it. My nephew was born on St. Patrick's day - his middle name is Patrick - he was named after my mother Patricia. God gave us a gift that year - my sister struggled to have children and then was able to have her son - two months later my mother passed away from lung cancer. She not only got to see her daughter become a mother, but was also able to hold that grandbaby.
    God is so good,
    Kathy

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  12. I looooove your table! We have the same glasses -- mine were my Granny's whose father was Irish. Your stories are great, and you have some really pretty things well put together here. Maybe by next year I'll find my doodads.

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  13. Beautiful festive table...your linens are exquisite.

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  14. What a wonderful reason to celebrate St. Patrick's Day (even though your son's birthday was a LITTLE later). Your table is lovely...and I love the candles and centerpiece. Those napkins are beautiful...monogrammed linens are so special!

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