Archives for December 2014

The Gift Of Peacefulness In Celtic Words Of Wisdom

December 30, 2014 by Irish American Mom 14 Comments

As we prepare to say good-bye to 2014 and celebrate the start of 2015, I’m avoiding my annual pit-fall of writing a long list of resolutions. I’m only destined to break them long before the end of January.

As 2014 draws to a close, I’m simply taking time for reflection.

Instead of sharing ill-fated resolutions with you this year, I created a photo collection highlighting my favorite Celtic quotations and blessings, focusing upon the gifts of peacefulness, calm and reflection.

When I read these words uttered by Michael Collins, I feel a deep sense of sadness.

He lost his life for Ireland’s freedom, never finding the peace he so longed for.

May he rest in peace, knowing his sacrifices are appreciated by generations.

William Butler Yeats coined the most famous of all Irish words about seeking peace.

In 1888 he wrote “The Lake Isle of Innisfree”. His poignant words echo with many of us, who long for a quiet place, close to nature, to be alone, and to find our own inner peace.

However, at the end of his beautiful poem, Yeats reveals he shall only go there in his heart.

And so this New Year, I hope you too find peace in your heart.

Here are my New Year wishes for all those who read my ramblings ……

May the blessings of contentment be with you

and fill your home with happiness.

May you find time to be alone,

and at peace with your thoughts.

May you experience joy and fulfillment

in the present moment.

May your soul find peace

And strength in silence.

May the beauty of the world

draw you where you need to go.

And as you continue on life’s journey,

May you remember it is not always your destination,

but your journey that truly matters.

Whether you are lucky enough to travel to a place of solitude to find calm, or if that is not possible, you choose to travel to your quiet place in your heart, I wish you a New Year filled with peace and joy.

Athbhlian Faoi Mhaise Daoibh!

(Happy New Year)

Irish American Mom

Christmas Lights In Dublin

December 25, 2014 by Irish American Mom 10 Comments

Dublin is magical at Christmas time. Glittering lights festoon the city’s streets bringing festive cheer to all.

This year I’ll be in Ireland for Christmas, and what better way is there to celebrate than by sharing some photos of Dublin’s Fair City, adorned in all her Christmas glory.

Dublin’s Christmas light show may not be as extensive as in other cities around the world, but to my Irish eyes my hometown’s Christmas lighting extravaganza is spectacular.

Christmas lights illuminate the darkest month of the year.

The sun sets around 4.30 pm on Irish Christmas evenings, but Dublin’s Christmas lights bring cheer to these dull and dreary days.

At night Moore Street vendors’ stalls lay vacant, beneath glittering, illuminated garlands.

In the early morning hours they greet Dublin’s long time retail entrepreneurs in style.

A Christmas crib sits in all its splendor in front of the GPO on O’Connell Street. The baby Jesus will take His place of honor amongst the shepherds and Wise Kings on Christmas Eve.

It’s wonderful how Dublin City Council still recognizes the true reason for the season, and continues to include a manger scene as part of the city’s decorations.

A brilliant, glowing Christmas tree sits in the middle of O’Connell Street.

It stands in all its luminous glory between Clerys shop and the GPO, the site of the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin.

And Clery’s clock, the most famous meeting place in Dublin, looks resplendent beneath this lustrous burnished bow.

Red and gold trees perch high above pedestrians along the GPO arcade.

Once our north side light tour was complete we headed to the south side to see Grafton Street’s illuminations.

Giant flickering chandeliers shine and glow along this famous Dublin wonderland.

Bewley’s Oriental Cafe is tastefully decorated in gleaming blues.

Brown Thomas is all aglow, clad in thousands of shimmering lights.

And Dublin’s famous Georgian doors require no lighting – a simple holly wreath provides a lovely, festive feel to these amazing architectural gems.

A Christmas market has opened along St. Stephen’s Green. I love how this European tradition is now part and parcel of a Dublin Christmas.

Giant snowflakes are all aglow on a Grafton Street store.

And the St. Stephen’s Green Shopping Center looks magnificent too.

And so, I hope this little tour of Dublin’s Christmas light show will kindle happy memories of Christmas in Ireland, for those of you who find yourselves far away from home this year.

And for all my readers, I hope this post finds you celebrating the peace and joy of the Christmas season.

Nollaig Shona Daoibh

Merry Christmas

Irish American Mom

Christmas – ‘Tis The Season For Singing.

December 21, 2014 by Irish American Mom 12 Comments

Christmas time is singing time, whether you enjoy Christmas tunes on the radio or listening to carol singers. Being able to hold a tune is truly a blessing at this time of year.

Alack and alas, I was at the back of the line when tuneful vocal chords were being handed out.

Image Credit

To be honest, I sound a little like a half-strangled turkey when performing a party piece. The situation is so bad my children plead with me not to sing along to the radio. Being Irish, and not being a good singer is a little bit of a disappointment. As we all know, my countrymen love a good tune.

One day I shared my deepest wish with my husband.

“I would like to be able to sing in my next life,” I confided.

Without lifting his head from his book, he quickly replied:

“Judging by this life, your singing career is at least two lives away.”

And so, I’m a hopeless, out-of-tune mess. I don’t mind my lack of talent until Christmas comes around. Being able to sing in tune is a very handy skill at this time of year.

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1626862 — © Copyright Jonathan Billinger and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons License.

Image Credit

Tuneful renditions of lovely Christmas carols ring out on street corners. I try not to be cajoled into join in, since I know if I head for a high note, my poor voice could get stuck in the wrong key for a few hours.

I tremble when I think of my high school singing test. I inadvisedly chose Annie’s Song for my performance. I remember examining the piano on stage. For a moment I was tempted to hide behind it, rather than face my teenage audience.

Somehow I found my courage and launched into my acapella tune. Our music teacher, seemed pleasantly surprised initially. I was in tune for the first two lines, but then disaster struck. I reached for a high note, and try as I might I couldn’t switch down a register. That strangled turkey took the stage once again, and doomed me to a role of back stage helper throughout my high school years.

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Now when my little ones sweetly croon at their school nativity plays, or carol singing with their class mates I do not join in. No matter how nostalgic I may feel listening to my little shepherds and angel with her tinsel halo, I refuse to sing. Mouthing the words is a perfect way to cheat. Once I get my timing right, they think mom is singing away.

Some people, my husband included, could sing the list of ingredients for fruit cake and sound absolutely fantastic.

I thought about asking Santa or maybe even St. Jude, the patron saint of hopeless cases, for a singing voice this year. But I don’t think talents are ever on their delivery lists. Probably just as well. If I could sing, I would never stop humming and crooning away, driving my family, and maybe even the world, crazy.

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So my advice to all you singers this year. If you have been blessed with the God given talent of a tuneful voice, please share it with the world.

If your vocal chords emit sweet sounds and you don’t sound like an off-key turkey, then:

Sing with gusto;

Lead those sing-songs;

Take a bow;

For Christmas,

‘Tis the season for singing.

Wishing you all happy December days of singing.

Nollaig Shona Daoibh!

(Happy Christmas To All)

Irish American Mom

How To Light A Christmas Pudding

December 17, 2014 by Irish American Mom 15 Comments

When I was a little girl in Ireland I loved when my mom set our Christmas pudding alight. Our annual pyrotechnic show was achieved quite simply, using a candle, a metal spoon, a dollop of brandy and one piping hot plum pudding.

Lighting a plum pudding is accomplished using brandy, whiskey or rum. I like brandy best. For me, the residual cognac flavor on top of the pudding is decadent.

I know I should be using Irish whiskey – I am Irish after all. However, an old family legend claims I might be a 31st cousin of the Hennessy who left Ireland and started the famous cognac brand. The connection is through my County Limerick born granny.

And that’s my brandy loving excuse – there’s a slight possibility my affinity for cognac may be hereditary, but that’s a story for another day.

So let’s get back to lighting this pudding with my favorite spirit, brandy.

Choose a large metal spoon. Not your best spoon please. The candle may cause the bottom of the spoon to turn black. This carbonation is easily scrubbed away afterwards.

Add enough brandy to fill the spoon three-quarter ways full. Leave a small gap between the top of the brandy and the rim of the spoon.

Warning! Do not use a plastic spoon. It will melt.

Hold the spoon over a lighted candle flame. Hold it for a few minutes until the brandy heats up. If you wish to speed up this process you can pre-heat the spoon in a cup of hot water, but make sure to dry it completely before adding the brandy.

Once the brandy is hot it will start to steam and convection currents will be visible in the golden liquid.

To set it alight, you simply tip the top of the spoon into the candle flame and the booze will alight, burning with a bluish flame.

Move the flaming spoon over the pudding and pour it on top.

Now the pudding must be piping hot. This will not work with a cold pudding.

Ensure you have removed any decorative toppings from the pudding, before setting it on fire. Melted plastic or singed holly does not add anything to a plum pudding’s flavor.

Move the spoon away from the flames.

You can have a cup of water ready to quench the flaming spoon if you wish, but I just blow on it to stop it burning.

Turn out the lights and admire the bright blue flames of your Christmas light show.

The alcohol will burn off the top of the pudding, so once it stops flaming you’re ready to serve your traditional Christmas treat.

Remember you choose to light your pudding at your own risk. This technique is probably not endorsed by any fire department anywhere. So take care when working with open flames. Feel free to have a fire extinguisher at the ready, especially for any enormous puddings. 🙂 🙂

Wishing you all happy pudding lighting experiments this Christmas.

Nollaig Shona Daoibh

(Merry Christmas)

Irish American Mom

My Ireland Box Christmas Giveaway

December 16, 2014 by Irish American Mom 97 Comments

My Ireland Box curates unique Irish gifts for you or someone special to you. Each month a perfect little Irish surprise is delivered to your doorstep.

A Fabulous Irish Prize:

Today I’m delighted to announce My Ireland Box is sponsoring a wonderful Christmas giveaway for one of Irish American Mom’s readers.

The prize is a Three Month Christmas Gift Subscription for the winner or someone they choose. The lucky reader or their chosen recipient will receive an E-Card on Christmas Eve surprising them with this amazing three month gift subscription.

More details on how to enter this little giveaway are available at the end of this post, so keep reading to learn more.

What Is My Ireland Box?

My Ireland Box is a curated gift box subscription service, delivering the best of Irish crafts each month. It is a gift that keeps on giving for as long as you wish, and a perfect gift choice for those who love all things Irish.

The wonderful world of Irish made crafts and the talented artists who devote their lives to the creative process are introduced to subscribers each month.

Based in the pretty little town of Dingle in County Kerry, Katharine Keane Barrett and her husband Thomas Barrett, curate the best of Irish made craft, home wares and beauty products, delivered as a monthly surprise to your door! And best of all they ship to the USA, Canada and Europe.

This Christmas, My Ireland Box is running a special offer for those looking for the perfect Irish gift. MyIrelandBox Three Month Gift Subscriptions are available until Christmas Eve, 24th December, 2014.

This offer includes a FREE TREAT and Christmas E-Card to be sent to your recipient on Christmas Eve informing them of your gift to them!

What a perfect way to start your Festive Holiday Fun with an Irish gift that will keep on giving right up until March, to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

The Giveaway

My Ireland Box is offering one lucky reader a Three Month Christmas Gift Subscription (a value of $125).

To enter our giveaway just leave a comment on this blog post by noon on Tuesday, December 23rd, 2014. You can leave any comment you wish. What you write does not affect your chances of winning.

If you need some inspiration, why not tell us about your fondest Irish memories of vacations past, or time spent living in Ireland. If you have not yet made it across the pond to Ireland, why not tell us about your Irish dreams …..

A winning comment will be chosen randomly. Remember to leave your e-mail so the good people at My Ireland Box can surprise you for Christmas. Your e-mail won’t be published or shared, just used to contact the lucky winner.

The winner will be announced on Wednesday, December 24th, 2014 and the name shared at the end of this post.

You may check out Irish American Mom’s complete terms and conditions for sweepstake entries by clicking here.

Best of luck to all our entrants and a big thank you to My Ireland Box for once again sponsoring a fantastic prize for Irish American Mom’s readers. I really appreciate their generosity.

And a big thanks to all of you who enter and help spread the word to family and friends about this little giveaway.

December 24th, 2014 – We Have A Winner:

Congratulations to Erin, who is our lucky winner.

Thanks to everyone who joined in and enter this little giveaway. It was lovely to read everyone’s comments and learn how much you all love Ireland.

And a big thank you to Katharine from MyIrelandBox for sponsoring this wonderful prize. Wishing her every success with her business.

Nollaig Shona Daoibh

(Merry Christmas)

Irish American Mom

Disclosure: Irish American Mom does not have a business relationship with My Ireland Box. No cash payment was received for publishing this giveaway post. I love to help spread the word about small home businesses, artists and crafts people. Thank you to all who support these wonderful Irish and Irish American business enterprises.

Images published with permission of MyIrelandBox.

Archives for December 2014

May the blessings of contentment be with you

and fill your home with happiness.

May you find time to be alone,

and at peace with your thoughts.

May you experience joy and fulfillment

in the present moment.

May your soul find peace

And strength in silence.

May the beauty of the world

draw you where you need to go.

And as you continue on life’s journey,

May you remember it is not always your destination,

but your journey that truly matters.

Athbhlian Faoi Mhaise Daoibh!

(Happy New Year)

Irish American Mom

Nollaig Shona Daoibh

Merry Christmas

Irish American Mom

“I would like to be able to sing in my next life,” I confided.

“Judging by this life, your singing career is at least two lives away.”

Sing with gusto;

Lead those sing-songs;

Take a bow;

For Christmas,

‘Tis the season for singing.

Nollaig Shona Daoibh!

(Happy Christmas To All)

Irish American Mom

Warning! Do not use a plastic spoon. It will melt.

Nollaig Shona Daoibh

(Merry Christmas)

Irish American Mom

A Fabulous Irish Prize:

What Is My Ireland Box?

The Giveaway

December 24th, 2014 – We Have A Winner:

Nollaig Shona Daoibh

(Merry Christmas)

Irish American Mom

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