A few things I’ve been thinking about…. St. Patrick is in the same category as St. Nicholas and St. Valentine, real people who have been reduced to cartoon-like effigies in order to celebrate a secular holiday. And to a history buff, that’s a bit annoying. However, who among us would even have heard of these…
Author: Cindy Thomson
5 Things You May Not Know About St. Patrick’s Day
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!Here’s my list of things you might not know (and you just might because I have such smart blog readers!) 1. Ireland’s traditional color is blue, not green. Shocking, isn’t it? Well, I suppose that depends on how far you want to go back. I’m thinking there wasn’t an official color when…
On the Genealogy Trail
*an updated post I have long known that the Thomsons were quite the characters (and I married into the family so I should know!) But seriously many years ago my husband’s grandfather shared some genealogical information he had received from another family member. He was quite proud to say that the Thomsons were related to…
One Grave Not Forgotten
This is an older story, but one I wanted to share about a genealogy trip my husband and I took. While I don’t know the name of the man from history involved (update: I do. His name was William Patterson), he was someone who was a major contributor to a Presbyterian church where many of…
Happy St. David’s Day
St. David is the Patron Saint of Wales. He was a 6th century founder of numerous religious communities and is the only native Welsh saint from that golden age of Celtic monasticism. He ran a strict order that some might even call strict but that I believe he probably considered basic and simple. He is…
Yes, YOU Can Celebrate Imbolc
Imbolc, the ancient Celtic festival of light, marks the halfway point between the Celtic festivals of the dark and light halves of the year (Samhain and Beltane.) Spring is coming! In Ireland and the UK the appearance of the snowdrops is a sign. Because Imbolc is a pre-Christian, ancient Celtic observance, the festival has been…
Happy St. Brigid’s Day!
February 1, St. Brigid’s Day, Imbolc in the Celtic calendar, and Ground Hog’s Day (Feb. 2) in the U.S., are associated with the arrival of spring. It certainly feels like spring where I am, although that might not last. Traditionally, school children in Ireland weave a new St. Brigid’s Day cross on this day. The…
ST. Brigid: Patroness of Ireland
Why St. Brigid? Why did I choose to write about St. Brigid and why do people continue to be interested? All I can say is her legacy spoke to me and once I began to tell her story, she never left me alone. I’m not sure where the time went, but it’s been 17 years…
Food in Ireland
The Irish have such interesting names for things, don’t you think? Like mashed potatoes and sausages, for instance. If you don’t speak the lingo, at least now you know what bangors and mash is. Also, Freckle Bread is simple raisin bread; Black Pudding is made with pig’s blood but some people say it tastes amazing….
Mission of Our Lady of the Rosary for the Protection of Irish Immigrant Girls
This mission to Irish immigrant girls was the inspiration for the Ellis Island Series. I marveled over pictures of this building on the Internet and when I was able to see it in person. It was just as amazing to see that this old building was still standing among the modern skyscrapers of the Wall…
