The Irish in Me...

I have a bit of Irish in me...did you know?

Well, I do.

"A quarter Irish" as my mother would say...also a quarter Dutch and half German.

But for today...we will celebrate the Irish...

Last summer, when Josh and I went to a flea market, we picked up some old Bibles for only $1.00 each {as you long time followers may recall}...

When I got home and started browsing through them, I was delighted to find several four leaf clovers pressed inside one of them...

Having never even seen one in real life {and under the assumption they were just a "myth"}...it was remarkable to find so many...

I knew that I would save these just for today...to share with you here...on this St. Patrick's Day...

My Irish heritage comes from my grandmother on my mom's side...Kay...

Kathleen Phillips that is.

Before she married my wonderful grandfather and became Kay DeWind...

Her faith has always been an inspiration to me...as has her artistic talent...

I recently had the opportunity to look through many of my grandmother's beautiful things, as my grandfather shared them with my sister, mother and me.

She has many symbols of her faith throughout their home...

My grandmother no longer lives at home with my grandpa, but he visits her regularly and the love they share has never wavered.

I spent a lot of time that day soaking  in all of the history of our family and enjoying browsing through the photo albums and 'oohing and ahhing' at all of the family heirlooms {I am planning a special post dedicated just to this coming soon}...

I am proud of my heritage. The family line that I come from. I am surely blessed.

So today...I celebrate the Irish in me...and all those who came before that gave me the opportunity to be the person that I am today.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Till next time...

Comments

[Elaine]

Wow, lucky you to possess all those 4 leaf clovers. Your grandmother is beautiful!

I am 100% Irish. Tomorrow we celebrate with a St Patrick's Day brunch.

Have a wonderful day!

[Marian]

Lovely post ♥ When are you going to celebrate the Dutch in you???? (lol just kidding)

Hugs from a Dutchy, Marian

[Anja]

Wow ! It must be a nice feeling to have so many family treasures ! The 4 leaf clovers reminds me on a walk with my aunt when i was a little girl, 5 or 6 years old. I always wanted to find a 4 leaf clover. My aunt showed me a meadow and said there would grow crowds of them ! I began directly with the seach but i had no luck ! But my aunt ! She had found a whole bouquet !!! ....gggggrrrrrrr.....What can i say....in 25 years i haven`t found one ! But every time when i come to this meadow with my aunt she picks bouquets of 4 leaf clovers just like picking flowers. Meanwhile i capitulate !
Hey, and you.....normal people seaching for clovers in the nature, but you have found them in a book - this i call real luck !

So, enjoy your lucky day !
Anja

[Sheila R]

What a great find in a bible. Oh, how precious are the times spent with grandparents! May you treasure each and every moment.

Have a blessed day.

[Denise]

what a special find.......I love your photos of all the beautiful bibles with the clovers....Happy St. Patricks Day

[Julie Marie]

Hello Alice, I remember your post about the Bibles and thought that was such a wonderful find! And how lucky to have the four leaf clovers inside... when I was a little girl my sister and I would search for those, and sometimes find one! Your grandmother is so pretty and so are the treasures that belong to her... I look forward to your special post about your family history and heirlooms... Jack is Irish so today is a big day for us too... wishing you have a beautiful day... xoxo Julie Marie PS Irish kisses Renoir!

[Leah C]

The luck o' the Irish was with you...what a wonderful find! I'm a bit Irish, too, on my mother's side:) My daughter's are doubly blessed because they've got Irish heritage from both sides. Happy St. Patty's Day!

[Janet Wecker Frisch]

Wow, an awesome find in an equally awesome place! June (Laughing With Angels) steered me to your site and I'm so glad. I can relate to your post as I only recently acquired my families Bible (C late 1800s) and Also discovered two four leafed clovers pressed among my families photos. Also Irish, happy St. Pat's Day to you too!

[Rebecca]

Good morning Alice and a Happy St. Patrick's day to ya! I'm Irish too (though somewhat diluted)through my great-great grandmother ~ Jane Shay and there were some Heaths in there too. My grandparents would have celebrated their wedding anniversary today also.
I love the 4 leaf clovers ~ I even keep one and carry it with me at all times....if you stop by sometime when they're at their peak I'll even show you where you can pick some fresh! They are splendidly abundant. ;-)
Have a wonderful day ~ Rebecca

[Maureen]

Such a lovely post today. The wedding photo of your grandmother as a young bride is stunning. Her gown, that gorgeous bouquet of flowers, her veil, and especially the contented smile on her face. So very beautiful. I'm also loving her red rosary beads. Very pretty. Blessings to you and yours on this St. Patrick's Day.
Maureen

[Lynda]

Happy St. Patrick's Day, Alice! I have Irish blood mixed in too ... along with Scottish, English and just a touch of German ... and love finding out more about my family. Those four-leaf clovers were such a great find! I remember seeing one once but don't remember if I picked it or not.

[Common Ground]

Hello Alice, what a beautiful post! Your grandmother is such a lovely woman, how fortunate to have mementos of her life and faith. I'm adding you to my blog roll so I can keep up on all the beauty of your blog.
blessings,
Debra

[Allison]

Alice, we have basically the same heritage make-up :) Love the post, as always...
Allison

[Rebecca Ersfeld]

Hi Alice
What a lovely post... I am not Irish but Happy Pat's day. Love the four leaf clovers you found in the bibles. I wonder how long it took who ever put them there to find that many!
Also read your post on Alice... I saw it last night at the IMax - so it was in 3-D Hugeness :) It was much muchier! I loved it myself and will probably go again just to see the set design - costumes and Depp do the Fangdangoo@%*& dance again! I agree with you on the White queen but I didn't want the movie to end, so I guess it didn't bother me that much :)
Blessings to you
Rebecca

[June]

Hi Alice,
I am so glad to see that you honor your heritage. What a blessing it is to remember those who paved the way and made the choices that afford us to live here in this land. Even though I am sure I could have been happy living in Scotland or Ireland which is where my father's family are all from, I am thankful to be in the US.
ALice I always love to read your heart. You are so wise for one so young. A blessing to us all.
hugs

[susan]

such a sweet post. my husband is irish so my children are. i lost my last grandparent over the summer and it was so difficult. i'm glad you are enjoying their history and their company. take care, susan

[Karla Nathan]

I think you get even more good luck for finding a bookful of 4 leaf clovers! Its silly, but finding one growing in my yard is a dream of mine, I never give up. I know they are here, I sat in the grass with a friend who found about 10 at once. Some people just have an eye for seeing them in the yard.

[Debra]

Oh Alice these are neat I had never seen a four leaf clover and had wondered if they were real. As a little girl I used to look for them as I know so many other children have. I wonder if children still play like that we really did have fun doing simple things like this when I was growing up. Just think those bibles were meant for you to find them they had been there just waiting for you. Thanks for showing us the four leaf clovers.

[www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawk7_z2-vqWSy-FitF0vQesaq_C9dDIG4po]

Hi Alice,
Oh those four leaf clovers reminds me of my childhood. I used to find them all the time in my grandparents magical garden, but have never found one since.
And what beautiful heirlooms - you truly are blessed in so many ways.
Kindly,
Joan

[wendy]

It is always nice to get in touch with our Roots...and celebrate our heritage.

I love the 4 leaf clovers....and that they were stuck in that old bible. I'd sure like to know the story behind that eh.

[Janine]

This really makes me smile honey! I love mom & dad with all my heart, it hurts to see them separated after 65 years of marriage, but I know she really is thriving in the nursing home and we would not have her with us still if she hadn't gone there, therfore, i'm happy.

Grandma has always been a beautiful woman and even at 86 years old she is still stunning, your friends can see her and dad as they look now on my blog....and enjoy Irish music too! I'm leaving my irish post on my blog till the weekend!

http://momsantiquesandthings.blogspot.com/

Love this honey, brings tears to my eyes!

ohh... and I still find 4 leaf clovers.....
maybe because i'm "1/2 Irish"? hahaha

LOVE YOU
MOM

[mamaayanna]

Wow,those clovers! beautiful! LOVE dried flowers and leaves in general.

So, hope you had a good celebration. We should make a day you could celebrate the dutch in you too!! x

[Wanda Lee]

How well I remember finding a four leaf clover when I was a child; I was elated!..,

I am partly Irish as well, with some English, Scotish, German (and even some French, way back!..,

A lovely post!.., Do feel most welcome to visit 'my little corner of the blogging world' as well my dear!

Cheers from Wanda Lee @ The Plumed pen

[Koralee]

Love your post....I remember as a young girl..hunting for four leaf clovers in our backyard. Our lawn was full of clover and finding many! Happy Friday to you. xo

[Heather ~ Pretty Petals]

Wow Alice! what an absolutly BEAUTIFUL post! The clovers are such an amazing little treasure!

Your grandmother was absolutly beautiful! Hope you have a great weekend.
xoxox

[desiree]

family is so precious anf I love your Irish part but can't wait for you to show the dutch ;)

[lorraine lewis]

your Grandmother is beautiful. I love the images of the shamrocks. When I was a little girl I used to pretend I was Irish- the accent and everything- I always wanted to be an Irish girl???

[Amada Lebel]

I love the photos you shared of your family treasures - they remind me of the many precious items I have managed to hold onto that were my mothers and grandmothers. Not being wealthy, the objects are not expensive but to me they are priceless. Sometimes i will just take them out and look at them remembering my mom and grandmother and i immediately feel that connection. Thanks for sharing yours with all of us.
Hugs,
Amada