Wanderboomer

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

BY Nancy Mueller 2 Comments ON April 10, 2013

I is for Ireland

IrelandIvanWalshflickr (450 x 338)

Photo courtesy of Ivan Walsh – flickr

Ireland had never been high on my list of must-see world sites. Why make a trip to the Emerald Isle when I already live in the Emerald City? Could Ireland possibly claim a greener landscape from its year-round misty rains than the Evergreen State?

But reading my mother’s  initial journal entry after her own heritage trip – her first and only trip abroad near the end of her life – gave me pause: “The beginning of the first day of my life . . .” Hmm . . . Maybe she was on to something.

IrishBeachSharonMollerusflickr (450 x 300)

Photo courtesy of Sharon Mollerus – flickr

Through a family priest in Upstate New York, she had managed to connect with distant relatives of my great-grandmother who had emigrated from Carlingford. Before long, she was speed dialing her Irish family with one hand while packing her bags with the other.

Skimming through the pages of  my mother’s journal now, I’m tempted to do the same: “Everyone here is so friendly, interested, and affectionate . . .”  “The Irish have something very precious – the art of making and keeping family, friends and neighbors . . . ” “The scenery here is so beautiful . . .” “We had a great laugh over that . . . “ shows up on almost every page.

IrishLandscapeobbinoflickr (450 x 321)

Photo courtesy of obbino – flickr

Now why wouldn’t I want to take my own heritage trip to Ireland in the not-so-distant future?

What about you, wanderboomers? Have you made a heritage trip to trace your ancestral roots? Please share your experience with us here.

 

Filed Under: Activities, Baby Boomers and Travel, By Land, By Ship & By Sea, Destinations, Ireland Tagged With: ancestral roots, family, green, heritage, heritage trip, Ireland, Irish landscape, journal, roots, the Emerald City, the Emerald Isle

BY Nancy Mueller 8 Comments ON March 15, 2012

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!

My mother received her love of All Things Irish from my great-grandmother who had emigrated to the U.S. from Ireland before settling in Upstate New York. With Mom in charge of family holidays, we started celebrating St. Patrick’s Day as soon as February rolled into March which culminated in a traditional Irish-American meal on the 17th. After that, we needed the rest of the month to recuperate! Mom never let us forget our Irish roots.

Sadly, neither my great-grandmother nor my mother passed along any cherished family recipes to mark the occasion. But that hasn’t stopped me from serving at least a few of these comforting foods and spirits on St. Paddy’s Day in memory of my mother and in honor of my Irish heritage:

  • Irish Soda Bread (best made with buttermilk, with caraway seed, dried currants and golden raisins mixed in for good measure)
  • Lamb or Beef Irish Stew, served with colcannon (a blend of russet potatoes, cabbage, milk, green onions and butter) or
  • Corned Beef and Cabbage, served with boiled red potatoes, carrots and other root vegetables
  • Shortbread Cookies, Chocolate Mousse, or Chocolate Cupcakes – or all three! – for dessert

Now it wouldn’t be a true Irish celebration without one of these  favorites on hand, would it?

  • Irish Whiskey or Irish coffee (Add 1 to 1- 1/2  ounces of whiskey and a teaspoon of sugar to 6 ounces of strong black coffee. Top with whipped cream.)
  • Guinness or Harp

Ah, it’s great to be Irish!

What about you, Wanderboomers? Tell us how you plan to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and/or share the foods that remind you of your family heritage and childhood.

Filed Under: Activities, Food & Dining, Holidays Tagged With: boiled red potatoes, Celtic Crossroads, chocolate cupcakes, chocolate mousse, colcannon, corned beef and cabbage, cupcakes, Enya, Guinness, Harp, heritage, Ireland, Ireland in Poetry, Irish, Irish beef stew, Irish coffee, Irish lamb stew, Irish music, Irish soda bread, Irish whiskey, Irish-American, march 17th, potatoes, russet potatoes, shortbread cookies, St. Paddy's Day, St. Patrick's Day, The Chieftains, Upstate New York, whipped cream

Hello fellow wanderboomers! I’m a Seattle-based travel journalist, specializing in fun travel adventures for the young at heart. My articles have been featured in Hemispheres, AAA Highroads Magazine and Northwest Travel & Life Magazine where I'm a frequent contributor. When this Wanderboomer isn’t traveling, I help global executives polish their personal and professional brand for long-term results.
For travel tips, news & inspiration in our Wanderboomer newsletter, subscribe here.

Destination:

  • North America
  • South America
  • Europe
  • Asia
  • Australia
  • Africa

Categories:

  • Business
  • Family
  • Purpose
  • Writing

© 2023 · Wanderboomer. Terms and Conditons | Sitemap | Contact · Site by Wordpress Barista