|
Posted on 03/01/2011 1:23:44 AM PST by JustAmy
|
What a beautiful daffodil graphic, Jaycee! Thank you! And I love the old wood, too!
Have a nice lunch, nap and visit with your niece this afternoon!! See ya later!
It hurts my heart..
I saw that early..amazing way to really display the destruction..just devastating..
It's so good to see you Dolly! I am so sorry about your 'back issues'. When your back hurts, activity becomes very limited.
I'm glad the dogs are doing well - do you just open the door and let them run, when you can't take them to the water? Hopefully it won't be long, before you will see little flowers along the side of that stream - announcing that Spring is FINALLY here!
I know what you mean about 'missing' people who you used to see posting. We laugh and cry, celebrate and rejoice with people we will probably never meet (although you have met many), and when they are gone, it is like a part of our life is missing.
I am glad you have your furry kids to keep you hoppin'. (Just don't be hoppin' too much!) LOL!
((((HUGS)))) and think SPRING!
It's a beautiful song. It's a shame that he went nuts. The disappointment is with him... people loved his music and still do.
I mentioned that he is a Muslim only because I still can't believe it! I listened to the music and enjoyed it.
I have in the past confused Cat with Ray Stevens....and they sound nothing alike.
~~A Blessed Sunday Afternoon~~
~~To Amy's Place~~
To me, there no longer is a Cat Stevens and the other person doesn't exist as well!
Thank you for sharing these amazing but very disturbing images. Prayers continue for those affected by this catastrophe. So VERY sad....
 [YouTube] |
Thank you for the link, Mayor. I had not see that one. Just can’t imagine what life must be like right now for all the survivors. So heartbreaking. Prayers continue for them.
I’m sorry I posted and ran. My son came by to help me get some boxes to the attic and I have to eat lunch now but I will be back sometime!! The other son is coming by later, also, to pick up some hot tamales I got him yesterday. Just wanted you all to know what happened to me!
That is such a beautiful song, LUVVY! I get goosebumps everytime I listen to it! Thanks!
(((((((Many Hugs to All FRiends)))))))
|
(((((((God Bless)))))))
The First St. Patrick’s Day Parade
The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place not in Ireland but in the United States. Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City on March 17, 1762. Along with their music, the parade helped the soldiers reconnect with their Irish roots, as well as fellow Irishmen serving in the English army.
Over the next 35 years, Irish patriotism among American immigrants flourished, prompting the rise of so-called “Irish Aid” societies like the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick and the Hibernian Society. Each group would hold annual parades featuring bagpipes (which actually first became popular in the Scottish and British armies) and drums.
In 1848, several New York Irish Aid societies decided to unite their parades to form one New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Today, that parade is the world ‘s oldest civilian parade and the largest in the United States, with over 150,000 participants.
Each year, nearly three million people line the 1.5-mile parade route to watch the procession, which takes more than five hours. Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia and Savannah also celebrate the day with parades involving between 10,000 and 20,000 participants.
No Irish Need Apply
Up until the mid-19th century, most Irish immigrants in America were members of the Protestant middle class. When the Great Potato Famine hit Ireland in 1845, close to a million poor and uneducated Irish Catholics began pouring into America to escape starvation. Despised for their religious beliefs and funny accents by the American Protestant majority, the immigrants had trouble finding even menial jobs. When Irish Americans in the country’s cities took to the streets on St. Patrick’s Day to celebrate their heritage, newspapers portrayed them in cartoons as drunk, violent monkeys.
However, the Irish soon began to realize that their great numbers endowed them with a political power that had yet to be exploited. They started to organize, and their voting block, known as the “green machine,” became an important swing vote for political hopefuls. Suddenly, annual St. Patrick’s Day parades became a show of strength for Irish Americans, as well as a must-attend event for a slew of political candidates. In 1948, President Truman attended New York City ‘s St. Patrick’s Day parade, a proud moment for the many Irish whose ancestors had to fight stereotypes and racial prejudice to find acceptance in America.
Wearing Green Around the World
Today, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated by people of all backgrounds in the United States, Canada and Australia. Although North America is home to the largest productions, St. Patrick’s Day has been celebrated in other locations far from Ireland, including Japan, Singapore and Russia.
In modern-day Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day has traditionally been a religious occasion. In fact, up until the 1970s, Irish laws mandated that pubs be closed on March 17. Beginning in 1995, however, the Irish government began a national campaign to use St. Patrick’s Day as an opportunity to drive tourism and showcase Ireland to the rest of the world. Last year, close to one million people took part in Ireland ‘s St. Patrick’s Festival in Dublin, a multi-day celebration featuring parades, concerts, outdoor theater productions and fireworks shows.
The Chicago River on St. Patrick’s Day
Chicago is famous for a somewhat peculiar annual event: dyeing the Chicago River green. The tradition started in 1962, when city pollution-control workers used dyes to trace illegal sewage discharges and realized that the green dye might provide a unique way to celebrate the holiday. That year, they released 100 pounds of green vegetable dye into the river—enough to keep it green for a week!
Today, in order to minimize environmental damage, only 40 pounds of dye are used, making the river green for only several hours. Although Chicago historians claim their city’s idea for a river of green was original, some Savannah natives believe the idea originated in their town. They point out that, in 1961, Savannah mayor Tom Woolley had plans for a green river. Due to rough waters on March 17, the experiment failed, and Savannah never attempted to dye its river again.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
