Shamrocks, soda bread, and two dates for mom and dad (7 Quick Takes)

~1~

When I was growing up, we listened to Irish music for the whole month of March. My parents always had Irish decorations too and hanging on the door was a gangly cardboard leprechaun with moveable arms and legs.

St. Patrick’s Day is still very important to me, but we’ve never leaned into it the way my parents do. Still, this year I decided we should at least have something Irish for our door.

I asked my husband if he would stop by Hobby Lobby to pick something out for us, and when I went online to show him what I had in mind, I found the perfect wooden shamrock door hanging. So, I ordered it, and it arrived in time for the Feast of St. Patrick.

Erin go bragh!

~2~

Baking Irish soda bread always reminds me of our next-door neighbors, John and Loretta, who passed away more than a year ago. They loved soda bread. I always make two loaves, and I would take one over to them. Whenever I would see them in the weeks afterward, they would ask about the soda bread. I remember Loretta asked for the recipe, but I don’t know whether she ever made it herself.

The soda bread also always makes me think of my mother-in-law, whose birthday was St. Patrick’s Day. She loved Ireland, and she really liked my soda bread. The soda bread recipe is here.

Isn’t it wonderful how food can remind us of people who have been important to us?

~3~

I also made corned beef and cabbage for dinner in the crockpot, and everyone ate at least some of the corned beef.

But within an hour of dinner, I was in line at the McDonald’s drive-through picking up second-dinner for people who were still hungry.

Maybe it’s the cabbage that fills people up, and I should try to be more persuasive with my younger diners.

~4~

John and I haven’t had a child-free meal outside the house together since well before the pandemic. We liked the idea of going during the week when the children were in school, but we haven’t been able to find a day when we were both free to go.

We planned out one day well in advance and had to cancel. This week, I suddenly realized we might be able to pull it off.

“What’s your workday look like tomorrow?” I asked my husband. A little calendar shuffling, an online reservation, and the next day we were sitting together eating lovely bowls of soup at Petit Louis.

It was such a treat.

~5~

Then inexplicably we went out yet again the next evening, just the two of us. For weeks, we have been counting down to a lecture by author Jeff VanderMeer at the Humanities Symposium at Loyola, where I work. John started reading Jeff VanderMeer at the start of the pandemic. While I was reading comforting, light chick-lit, he was reading weird fiction.

We have always had very different tastes in books.

Anyway, John was excited about the lecture—and I was happy to be able to take him to an event on our campus. We left the children at home, happily fed and watching TV, and went to a lecture. It felt very cultured and special and a little crazy that we were out together, just us, for the second time in 24 hours.

Now we probably won’t go on another date until June. June 2026, that is. But I’m not complaining.

~6~

For months, our younger son has been telling me he wanted to have his friend over. But he didn’t know his friend’s last name, and I didn’t know how to reach his friend’s parents. Finally, I handwrote a note, addressed it to “Jimmy’s Mom,” and gave it to him to give to his friend.

That evening, my phone buzzed, and it was a text from “Jimmy’s mom,” introducing herself. I was thrilled. We picked a date and time for a play date—except it’s not a play date because they’re mature sixth graders.

Anyway, “Jimmy” came Friday afternoon, and the boys had a fantastic time. When his mom was dropping him off, I asked whether he had any food restrictions, and she said no. I said, “We won’t be eating meat today since it’s Friday, and we’re Catholic.” She was so pleased because they are Catholic too, which I already knew from my son.

I liked thinking of sixth-graders chatting about being Catholic. I wonder what that conversation was like.

~7~

Some days I turn around and see a household scene that makes me smile.

At one point, when my son’s friend was visiting, our boy explained that we have what he called “a more casual life” here.

It seemed a good way of saying, some days we eat ramen and drink orange soda while lounging on the couch.

Which is true.

Happy St. Joseph Day! St. Joseph is an incredible, loving friend in heaven. He is an amazing intercessor for fathers of all kinds.

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