La 'le Phadraig Shona Dhuit

I am taking some grief for not wearing green today. It is funny because I do define myself as Boston Irish Catholic. However, the nuns always stressed that today was a holy day and not a holiday. So I will be in Stations tonight and we will be reciting the novena prayer of St. Patrick and I will skip the green beer.

A word about the dispensation granted by Cardinal-elect O'Malley. I had a conversation yesterday morning with SouthieBoy regarding eating meat on a Friday in Lent.

SB: I am having lunch on Friday with (fill in the name of an important higher-up).
Me: You'll be having fish.
SB: But the special will be corned beef and cabbage.
Me: And you'll be ordering the fish.
SB: O'Malley issued a statement granting a dispensation for St. Paddy's Day.
Me: (long, vicious diatribe about dispensations for silly purposes and O'Malley)
SB: Maggie, he's going to be Cardinal. (smiling to egg me on)
Me: (another attack, worked up to the point of my face getting red)
SB: Maggie, are you saying this because he's closing your church? I'm surprised (another nasty smile)
Me: (a calmer, more rational explanation that this is not just a "Rice Bowl Preservation Society" issue.
Me: You're having the fish. I've used up all my plenary indulgences.

Last night I took a shot at the new National Security Strategy. To absorb the small bit I read, I had to read aloud to myself. I was so tired. I popped around the blogosphere and happened onto SangerM's reading list. That did me in. Just reading the titles exhausted me and I went to sleep. That's one ambitious man!

Today begins Birthday weekend. Stations tonight. A Bostonian Society event tomorrow night. Family party Sunday. Monday SouthieBoy will sing to me (a rare event!) and my son, my son had better call from Virginia/Mars.

'La 'le Phadraig Shona Dhuit'
(Happy St. Patrick's Day, pronounced 'Law leh Faw-rig hunna guitch')