St Patty's Day Yesterday

Posted by Sierra

Woke up this morning dreaming there was a radio beeping low battery somewhere in the woods and I couldn't sleep or find it. Finally, actually woke and realized Jimmy's fire radio was doing that very thing- quite loudly while Perdido slept alongside it, ignoring it. The point I guess is that I did find the noise and turned it off. Always strange when the waking world enters the dream world...
Yesterday was St Patty's Day. I had been looking forward to it mostly because it was a day my brother always enjoyed and sometimes I use that to focus myself on deliberate time that I will make an effort to enjoy my life. I don't have any particular memory of us celebrating it together, but have a letter he wrote me a few years ago on that day. I woke up knowing it was a holiday and had jigs playing in my head. After days of beautiful spring rain that I also enjoyed- hiking into it with my husband and dog- enjoying the lovely soft light it cast in the house, - St Patty's day brought sunshine! Felt giddy and silly all morning, making up silly songs on the way to take Perdido to get her ears cleaned and nails trimmed. Back at the house singing made up songs to her about how much she shined after the bath we had given her. My giddiness a blessing at a time when I have been mostly too intense for this kind of silliness. Rooted through CD's to find my Irish Jigs and Reels and brought it to the car to play on the way to the indigo snake pens where we lifted Perdido into the fence and let her off the leash. We buried blue kiddie pools for the snakes to use later while Perdido ran free around us. I can't describe the joy it brought me to watch her off the leash, bounding with a joy few people ever have, her long black ears flapping behind her head like a superhero's cape as she ran! Back home, We leashed her to the picnic table and worked together in the garden- mulching, planting, starting tomatoes and pepper, eggplants and basil. Cooked peanut sesame noodle with leftover grilled chicken and curled up on the couch with Jimmy to watch a silly movie.
This morning researched what St Patty's day is all about (besides the green and clovers and leprechauns it has become). Apparently it is considered a day of spiritual renewal. St. Patrick was ironically most well known for driving the snakes out of Ireland (which by the way never had any). Interesting that we spent our day aiding the reintroduction of snakes here... But for me, it was a day of spiritual renewal. Enjoying the joy that spring brings. I look forward to the Equinox on Friday. Spring is here!