Feast for St. Patrick's

(Kay corrected me and gave me a more complete description of our holiday tradition:)
When our children were young, we feasted on baked potatoes, green Jell-O, peas, and sugar cookies with green frosting.  For table decorations, raw potatoes held tall green candles, and a small pot held brass "gold coins".  I imagine for the kids, lighting the candles and watching them burn was the best part of the dinner celebration. And of course we loved to wear green; (our "baby" daughter reminded her mom yesterday).

What is your family tradition on Saint Patrick’s Day?
Corned beef and cabbage ... or Irish stew?

"St. Patrick of Ireland ... was born in Roman Britain, and when he was fourteen or so, he was captured by Irish pirates during a raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave to herd and tend sheep. At the time, Ireland was a land of Druids and pagans, but Patrick turned to God and wrote his memoir, The Confession.  ..."  – catholic.org/saints

"St. Patrick’s Day occurs annually on March 17 in observance of the death of St. Patrick [March 17, 461], the patron saint of Ireland. What began as a religious feast day in the 17th century has evolved into a variety of festivals across the globe celebrating Irish culture with parades, special foods, music, dancing, and a whole lot of green."  – history.com

P.S.: Searching our old PC & Notepad for Patrick, I found a trivial note I wrote to myself one year ago (as if I needed a reminder to eat 
a treat): "7:33 AM 3/17/2016 Thurs.  St. Patrick's Day; eat leftover green cookies in fridge."

His choice to have fun wearing green on St. Patrick's Day

and playing the old Cannon piano with young Grandma

Gratitude Noted

Some of my favorite Notepad (txt) files are of gratitude – helpful reminders of how my life has been blessed.  For example (simply dated by the F5 key):

3:45 PM 1/1/2009 Thurs. cc252; Happy New Year!

I expressed gratitude for Kay's handling all the details of two beautiful weddings in 2008. 

And said I was also thankful for good music which uplifts, teaches, and inspires me. 

My daily gratitude is to my Father in Heaven.

4:53 PM 1/6/2013 Sunday  …  Thankful always for family, and hope they've been touched by the Spirit this Christmas, with love.

  

11:15 AM 9/13/2016  I finished reading the Book of Mormon on Kindle again.  I'm grateful for that true work of scripture.  [I have been blessed since my youth to know that it is the word of God and another witness of Jesus Christ.]

Tonight as I write this “fast” post, I am especially thankful for my Darling Kay, an amazing daughter of God.

Our young Cannon Family on Antelope Island, 

"largest of 10 islands located within the Great Salt Lake, Utah"

"Sign off on" – I Get It!

Is anyone else annoyed?  “The board would have to sign off on any deal.”  – Wall Street Journal

Yes, "off on" has bugged me, off and on for years, as it did a Grammarphobia reader who asked for explanation.  But it's OK.  Now I get it, thanks to a writer smarter than I (am).

"... there is no contradiction.  ...  [adverb "off" like "pay off", preposition "on" meaning "concerning"]

There are many examples [just what I needed] ...  A speaker may go 'off on' a tangent, a ballplayer go 'out in' a blaze of glory, and a soggy person come 'in out' of the rain.  ...  The phrase 'sign off on' originated in the US in the first half of the 20th century, according to the Oxford English Dictionary."  – grammarphobia.com/blog/2012/09

No more irritation – that’s imperative (commanding myself).  That settled, I will relax soon by walking out in the sun.

Cousins connected in SLC sun at Ensign Peak, 14 September 2013