St. Paddy's Day Celebration

I wanted to post this on St. Patrick's Day, but, alas, I'm late. We have had something scheduled just about every single day for the past week. I've hardly had time to comment on everyone's blogs, let alone post on my own!

Here are photos from the St. Patrick's Day Parade here in the park.

These are the Drillettes, the female marching team. Their usual costume is black pants, white shirt, red hat, but they were feeling a bit Irish that day!

Here they are doing one of their routines.

Our Val Vista line dancers were in rare form! Classes meet twice a week; one for beginners and one for advanced.

The Kitchen Band is one of the crowd favorites. It's made up of only a few REAL instruments; the rest are made from kitchen utensils and odds and ends.

The pot of gold

These are a couple of our "Rangers"; volunteers who escort new people to their sites. Love the doggies!

The pickleball team was lead by a couple of "cowboys"!

In case you've never seen a pickleball paddle or ball.....

Of course, the ball was tied to the paddle just for the parade!

Love this little leprechaun!

No matter what, this tortoise,

and this 43 year-old horse,

show up in every parade.

I think I can say without bragging, that the crowd's ALL TIME FAVORITE of the parade is the Lawn Chair Drill Team. Jim, again, was a part of it.

Marching

open chair (pink arrow is Jim)

throw chair over the shoulder and set behind self

"hike 'em up (pants)"

drop chair behind self

catch chair midway

Sit down!

march away

Here is the video from last year in case you missed it.



Some guys relaxing after the parade. The drill team was lucky; a guy ran out and gave them each a can of beer along the parade route!

The park sponsored a hamburger fry after the parade. For $5 you got a big hamburger, beans, bag of chips, pop or beer (1), and ice cream.

Chairs were set up in the ball room where a band called "Sixteen Tons" was playing. They were really good.

Or you could opt to eat outside and enjoy the warm weather.

But as you could see, the music was so good, even the food servers were dancing!

I couldn't resist this photo! It isn't everyday that you see a bunch of clowns sitting together!

This old guy was a cutie, too!

I've got to admit, I hang around with fun people!

Carol and Sandy

The cutest little leprechaun of them all! He is the grandson of a friend of mine.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

May those who love us love us

And those who don't love us

May God turn their hearts,

And if He doesn't turn their hearts,

May He turn their ankles,

So we'll know them by their limping.

- Irish Prayer

Happy St. Patrick's Day Everyone! I don't know what it is about this day, but everyone seems to have a little bit of Irish in them. It just makes me smile to see the number of people who will wear green today. I always wear green in remembrance and honor of my Irish mother, Margaret. I always dressed my kids in green when they were growing up. In fact, I still call them the night before St. Patrick's Day and remind them to wear green for Grandma.

Do you eat corn beef on this day? I be sure to do so either by cooking it or eating it in a restaurant. When my mom was still alive, I'd bring her a corn beef dinner. She sure enjoyed it!

Tonight we're getting together with a few friends and eating together. Three of us women all bought corn beef so we're sharing our dinner before going to the St. Patrick's Day Dance.

Last Saturday was the St. Patrick's Day Parade in the park. The usuals were there like this old, old horse.




The turtles belong to the kids on the horse and walking the horse.



The Kitchen Band is a crowd favorite.



I call this woman the "Green Queen". I have no idea who she is and what she is supposed to be, but she sure was interesting looking.



Even more interesting was the "Drag Queen" (riding) and his lady friend (walking).



Next up were the cowboys. The whole "getup" was cute, from the tall, ten-gallon hats to the "horses" that they rode.



They were followed by the stagecoach filled with C. Alice Riders. (Cialis - get it?)



The "Pick-Up" girl followed the "horses" and picked up their "poop". See the two blocks off to the side?



Then came the covered wagon.



But the best part of the parade, in MY OPINION, was when my studmuffin marched by with the Val Vista Lawn Chair Drill Team.

Left, right, left!



Attention!



Hand on Chair!



Present the chair.



Raise the chair.



Over your head.



Sit down.



Click the video below and watch what a bunch of old men can do with lawn chairs.






Two Irishmen, Patrick Murphy and Shawn O'Brian grew up together and were lifelong friends. But alas, Patrick developed cancer, and was dying. While on his deathbed,Patrick called to his buddy, Shawn, "O'Brian, come 'ere. I 'ave a request for ye." Shawn walked to his friend's bedside and kneels.

"Shawny ole boy, we've been friends all our lives, and now I'm leaving 'ere. I 'ave one last request fir ye to do."

O'Brian burst into tears, "Anything Patrick, anything ye wish. It's done."

"Well, under me bed is a box containing a bottle of the finest whiskey in all of Ireland. Bottled the year I was born it was. After I die, and they plant me in the ground, I want you to pour that fine whiskey over me grave so it might soak into me bones and I'll be able to enjoy it for all eternity."

O'Brian was overcome by the beauty and in the true Irish spirit of his friend's request, he asked, "Aye, tis a fine thing you ask of me, and I will pour the whiskey. But, might I strain it through me kidneys first?"