Happy St. Patrick's Day. It's a beautiful, crisp clear day in New York City. I'm sitting in my office just off 5th Avenue and can hear the faint bleating of the bagpipes as the parade makes its way uptown. Love it.
I'm Irish American. My grandmother came to the United States when she was just 13 years old. Some family members say I resemble her – which is a compliment in itself but I'd be happy to have just an ounce of her courage – or her recipe for Irish soda bread.
Last night I attempted to make one (a soda bread, that is.) Something went wrong (as it always does when I turn on an oven) and when it came time to take it out it was the size of a New York City manhole cover. I brought a hunk of it into the office and my co-workers politely ate it and then ran away fast. I can only imagine why.
So, no good soda bread from me but a great appreciation of all things Irish: my grandmother and her courage, the wail of a bagpipe, and, oh yes…a man named Falmouth Kearney. He lived in County Offaly (where my relatives reside today) and emigrated to America, arriving in New York in 1850 on a ship called Marmion. Oh, yes – he is also the great great great grandfather of Barack Obama (well, actually that should be O'Bama.) Love it.
If you're itching for some a good book on Ireland, check out At the Edge of Ireland. Author David Yeadon and his wife Anne found their own “little lost world”on the Beara Peninsula of Southwest Ireland. Far removed from the touristic hullaballoo of Dublin, Killarney and The Ring of Kerry, they discovered an enticing Brigadoon of soaring mountain ranges, spectacular coastal scenery, and roads narrow and winding enough to keep the package-tour coaches out. Here they found all those intrinsic elements of “The Old Ireland,” in a wild-times craic of music seisuns, hooley dances, seanachai storytellers, and colorful ceili concerts plus a handful of “searchers,” healers, artists, writers, and poets to give the place a patina of contemporary significance.
Do check it out. You'll be charmed…and motivated to travel to one of the most beautiful countries in the world: Ireland.
– Virginia
If you attended Book Expo America last week, I'm sure your schedule was just like ours…jam-packed! While we were extremely busy and productive, we did manage to have some fun along the way. One of my biggest challenges to date has been mastering the art of tying a bow-tie. I love them, however tying one can be a bit of a problem. 
