Erin go Bragh

 For St. Patrick's Day...from an area with a few Irish descendants, in western North Carolina.

Have a happy St. Paddy's Day all! Raise a glass of green beer to cheer everyone for a good new year ahead. May all experience peace, abundance, good health, love and joy!

Slàinte ! To your health!

And for the non-alcoholic among us, the same wishes apply!

A shamrock blooms in my window on my desk, but it's a ruddy version, so doesn't remind one of the Isle of Green! 

My roots include the Scotch-Irish, which means some ancestors were born in Ireland, though their parents had been immigrants from Scotland. 

One ancestor is:

John Francis Beattie II, (1718-1790) b. 1718 Killishandra, Cavan County, Ireland, d. 18 Aug 1790 Emory, Washington County, Virginia

Another descendant attached this coat of arms to his page in Ancestry. (yes a tiny file and there're no details about it.)

And the more I look into his life story on Ancestry, the more confused I got. A will written by one John Beattie says his wife is Margared, and he had 8 children which are named. He died in Virginia.

Another John Beattie lived in New York.

And there were 3 different wives names given, Ellen or Eleanor, Martha, and Margaret/Margared.

My ancestress, Margaret Beattie (1762-1861) married a man named Rev. Thomas "Junior" Hansford (1758-1841). They were both born in Virginia and married there in 1788. There are 13 children listed, but some duplicate names with different birth dates...so they may actually be the same persons.

Right after their marriage they moved to the frontier of Kentucky, where they raised all their children and are the Hansford parents buried in Crab Orchard KY. 

So whatever the connection to Ireland may be, these are some American documented ancestors. I can sometime go through all the siblings of my direct line and sort out who was duplicated, but that's for another day.

Today (Wednesday March 14 while I'm writing this) is warm again and I'm going to enjoy some of the green shoots that are finally showing after the greys of winter.

Happy St. Patrick's Day if you celebrate, with or without any Irish roots.

Many large cities have a parade!

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Today's good news:

Fat Cat Elon and the Musk Rats played musical sounds in front of 10 foot tall puppets of Putin, Trump and Musk...standing at rally in front of the NC Legislative Assembly on 3/16/25.

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And happy saint's day to:

 Saint Gertrude of Nivelles Day is celebrated on March 17, honoring the life of Saint Gertrude, who was an abbess and is known as the patron saint of travelers, gardeners, and cats. She founded the Abbey of Nivelles in Belgium and was canonized in 1677 by Pope Clement XII.

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Today's Family Album: 

A green (?) flower in Russ's ear, and I'm in orange (being protestant of course for St. Patrick's Day) while younger son Tai spreads his arms  behind serious looking cousin Zachery Miller - Houston TX around 1985 or so.

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Today's Quote:

Observe the wonders as they occur around you. Don’t claim them. Feel the artistry moving through and be silent.

JALALUDDIN RUMI

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Today's Art:

Nippon Coraline - Handled Vase, circa 1909, with beaded glass decoration of Iris on a mottled green.