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Saturday, March 16, 2024

Dancing along the Liffey

 

 With Guinness and shepherd's pie on the line, St. Paddy's Day cannot be ignored.

My gr-daughters are Irish dancers. It is possible that our photos and dance recordings of the two of them could overwhelm you.  Instead, you will  see a world record of Irish dancers performing across the bridge, with the line wrapping down along the street.  

Riverdance on the banks of the Liffey

 Here is a write-up about that day:

"Riverdance World Record Longest Line 21st July 2013" - What a fantastic day on the banks of the River Liffey. A sincere thank you to all who made it happen - .. but most especially all the 1693 record breaking dancers from 44 countries whose enthusiasm and energy made the day and broke the record! Thank you!

Lead by Jean Butler and Padraic Moyles and over 115 professional Riverdance dancers in costume which were joined by 1000 other dancers.   the Riverdance line stretched for 1km along the north and south banks of the river Liffey, Dublin. The dancers were watched by an audience of thousands cheering them on as they danced for 5 continuous minutes in an unbroken line into the record books."

  New video by Susan Kane

These are our gr-daughters in 2018 in Sequoia.  They light up every place they are.

  “Lá fhéile Pádraig sona dhuit!”

Law leh Paw-drig suna yee-uv

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Sushi: Love it or hate it. No in between.

  Makizushi rolls

My introduction to Sushi happened in early 2000s. We had moved back to California from Ireland, and sushi was a new thing for me. I liked it.

See what you think:



We have purchased sushi from different places.  Are they really different from each other?  I mean, what could go wrong with rice, fish, stuff?

 

Last time I ate sushi was when Stater Bros had a real sushi kitchen where sushi is made in front of the person who is buying it.  Okay, so far.  But, I had sushi with scallops and such.
 
Then it all went wrong.  The scallops were not fresh at all, and I developed a food poisoning reaction.  Diarrhea and throwing up reaction.  
 
Can't eat sushi now.  Sadly.  My daughter's family love sushi, my husband does not, and now I am sticking to pulled pork barbecue, also available in chicken. 
 
What do you think? Would you or do you eat sushi?  Would love to hear about your experiences. 
 
A white plate containing a Dragon Roll.

dragon roll


Saturday, March 9, 2024

Okay. Play date. Let the games begin.

 

What does eating a sandwich tell about you?
 
Anxiety vibrated in the air as Samuel’s mother knocked on a red door.  The door was opened by an equally anxious, smiling nervously mother.   Ah.  So this is the ‘play-date’.  Interesting…

Two more mothers called out, and Samuel was dragged into the tv room where three other bewildered children sat.  Legos and action figures lay scattered around them.  An offering of some sort, obviously.

“Now, let’s have lunch!”  Someone announced, and the four children were plopped down at a child’s table in their colorful chairs.  IKEA…

Plates of sandwiches and potato chips were slid in front of each, and juice boxes (straws inserted) were set down.

Silence, long and drawn out, echoed as each child sized the other up for reference.    

So much can be learned by the way one holds a juice box, how one sucks on the deadly straw.  How the sandwich is held speaks a world of information.  Blue iced cupcakes are not meant for just eating.

By lunch’s end, it was clear:  Samuel was the Alpha, Charlie the Omega.  Clarisse—sassy deceptive girl—was a she-devil.  Buddy was easily manipulated.  The game is afoot, friends.
And then....

When the front door closed amid tears and apologies after the play-date concluded, much had happened.  The leather sofa had been stabbed to death with the plastic juice box straws.  The blood red juice stained the carpet in big drops.  The dog cowered beneath the sofa, shivering in his blue icing stripes.
 
Red White and Blue Cupcakes
 
Leather Sofas & Faux Leather Couches - IKEA
 
This is from 2012 from Samuel Chronicles.