Paddy Parties?

Saint Patrick's Day is a Catholic "Holy Obligation Day"-- a Solemnity of the Roman Catholic Church is a principal holy day in the liturgical calendar. The Catholic Code of Canon Law states:

On holy days of obligation, the faithful are obliged to participate in the Mass.

I may be of Irish ancestry, but I am not Catholic, so this day really has no particular significance to me, right?

Then how did this come to be such a goofy "Kiss Me I'm Irish" parade/party, shamrock-wearing, drinking-green-beer day? I guess the same way Easter has been co-opted by bunnies and egg hunts, or Christmas (which really is a mid-winter Pagan celebration) is more about decorating trees and gift-giving, than a religious observance.

I'm glad that most people don't know about our major Tibetan Buddhist holidays, like Losar, Saga Dawa Düchen (aka Wesak), Chokhor, or Lha Bab Düchen. Would they don some colorful Tibetan costumes and mock all the rituals? Acting foolish on Buddhist "holy" days could cause some karma, since in the Tibetan tradition all actions are amplified by TEN MILLION times on those days! GADZ ;)

So today I'll pass on the McD's shamrock shake, reflect a bit on poor Patrick, who was actually from Wales then captured and tortured by Irish raiders (suffering like our monks.) Perhaps the Catholic faithful might consider their canonical rites rather than jiggin' off to another green-faced Paddy parade.

the Playground is Gone

It all started when JJ came to town in her big rig -- a 2011 Forest River "SunSeeker." Actually, her staying in my driveway had nothing to do with the demise of the playground. It just happened while she was here. Drip... drip... I heard all night. Water? from where? OMG, my 20-yr-old waterbed had sprung a leak! I had already thought of replacing the old giant California King playground. Now, now...
before you jump to conclusions, let me explain. It had become a dog lounge, art center, library, internet cafe, TV zone and writing nook. All my papers, books, journals, notebooks, and e-gadgets were strung over half of it. Another quarter of the 6 x 7 foot surface was taken up with the 50 lb dog, leaving only a small section for me to sleep in. I won't even show you that mess. But here's the giant hole after 250 gallons of water, the baffled waterbed and container were removed. Then that big old water soaked platform was removed, leaving only my under storage. At one point the room was mostly empty with all parts of the old bed gone. Then the guys revitalized the headboard, reassembled the two sets of drawers, built a new smaller Queen size platform to accommodate my new state-of-the-art SleepHarmony hybrid latex/memory foam mattress and VOILA...
a new perfect place to sleep. Not a playground for fountain pens, crayons, laptops and dogs, but a serene sleep sanctuary. Ahhhh! Just what I need now. Good Night!! zzzzzzz!