{"id":94705,"date":"2026-03-17T08:07:25","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T15:07:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/?p=94705"},"modified":"2026-03-18T10:34:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T17:34:04","slug":"happy-st-patricks-day-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/?p=94705","title":{"rendered":"Happy St. Patrick&#8217;s Day!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-94706\" src=\"http:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-001.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1536\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-001.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-001-650x975.jpg 650w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-001-100x150.jpg 100w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-001-768x1152.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><div id=\"greeting-message\"><\/div>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n\tdocument.addEventListener( 'DOMContentLoaded', function () {\r\n\t\tconst morningGreeting = 'Good Morning, what are you doing up so early?';\r\n\t\tconst afternoonGreeting = 'Good Afternoon, do you realize it is 5:00 pm somewhere?!';\r\n\t\tconst eveningGreeting = 'Good Evening!';\r\n\r\n\t\tconst date = new Date();\r\n\t\tconst hour = date.getHours();\r\n\t\tlet greeting;\r\n\r\n\t\tif ( hour >= 5 && hour < 12 ) {\r\n\t\t\tgreeting = morningGreeting;\r\n\t\t} else if ( hour >= 12 && hour < 18 ) {\r\n\t\t\tgreeting = afternoonGreeting;\r\n\t\t} else {\r\n\t\t\tgreeting = eveningGreeting;\r\n\t\t}\r\n\r\n\t\tdocument.getElementById( 'greeting-message' ).textContent = greeting;\r\n\t} );\r\n<\/script><p>Estimated reading time: 4 minutes<\/p>St. Patrick&#8217;s Day, celebrated on March 17, began as a Christian feast honoring St. Patrick, the 5th-century missionary credited with spreading Christianity in Ireland.\u00a0 Over time, it grew into a lively celebration of Irish culture worldwide\u2014full of parades, music, dancing, and a lot of green.<\/p>\n<p>The shamrock became its signature symbol (legend says Patrick used it to explain the Holy Trinity), and modern traditions range from wearing green to dyeing rivers, blending history, faith, immigration stories, and party spirit into one Day.\u00a0 We plan to do it all!<\/p>\n<p>But hold on\u2014your regularly scheduled chaos is being interrupted by an \u201cALERT\u201d from our dear weatherman: apparently, the atmosphere has filed a formal complaint and is now choosing violence.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-frame aligncenter wp-image-94709 \" src=\"http:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/pix-1963.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"532\" height=\"367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/pix-1963.jpg 831w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/pix-1963-650x448.jpg 650w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/pix-1963-150x103.jpg 150w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/pix-1963-768x530.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/pix-1963-100x69.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 532px) 100vw, 532px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>So, our plan is to a) have coffee, b) <span style=\"color: #339966;\">verify we have enough green food coloring to handle today&#8217;s meals,<\/span> c) do a quick trip to Home Depot, and d) finish whatever outside work we need to get done by noon.\u00a0 Then, and only then, will we venture into the house and begin our chores:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<ul>\n<li>Setting up the portable clothes hangar<\/li>\n<li>Begin packing for Hawaii<\/li>\n<li>Fixing the bidets (Paul)<\/li>\n<li>Washing\/drying<\/li>\n<li>Emptying a wine bottle<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>We took a quick walk in the backyard before the Home Depot adventures began!\u00a0 We spotted our first rose of the season and it looked good enough to spread on toast!<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_94751\" style=\"width: 2570px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-94751\" class=\"wp-image-94751 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-002-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1919\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-002-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-002-650x487.jpg 650w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-002-150x112.jpg 150w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-002-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-002-100x75.jpg 100w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-002-1536x1151.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-002-2048x1535.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-94751\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The first rose of the season!<\/p><\/div>\n<p>I had to make TWO trips to Home Depot because apparently my brain refuses to store information about our plumbing setup.<\/p>\n<p>Not a total loss, though\u2014I came back with more flowers on the second trip, because nothing says &#8220;mission accomplished&#8221; like accidental landscaping.<\/p>\n<p>While Mary was getting ready for her painting class, I went full handyman and installed the fountain!<\/p>\n<p>Only one tiny issue: when I turn it on, it launches a jet of water about forty feet over the garden and into the neighbor&#8217;s yard.\u00a0 So now I&#8217;m headed back to Home Depot to get a flow reducer\u2026 unless I engineer one myself and officially turn this into a water feature\/neighborhood irrigation system.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_94753\" style=\"width: 910px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-94753\" class=\"size-full wp-image-94753\" src=\"http:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-004-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"900\" height=\"1199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-004-1.jpg 900w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-004-1-650x866.jpg 650w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-004-1-113x150.jpg 113w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-004-1-768x1023.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-004-1-100x133.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-94753\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">We call him &#8220;Old Faithful.&#8221;<\/p><\/div>\n<p>I just returned from HD when Mary was pulling out to leave for her class.\u00a0 She was still feeling stressed about the taxes, so an afternoon of watercoloring should help relieve it!<\/p>\n<p>When she returned, I was head over heels, fixing\/resetting the bidet, and I think I have it working.\u00a0 If not, I will bring in the high-powered water faucet\u00a0 (Old Faithful) instead!<\/p>\n<p>The artists did well!<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_94754\" style=\"width: 910px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-94754\" class=\"size-full wp-image-94754\" src=\"http:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-005_framed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"900\" height=\"739\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-005_framed.jpg 900w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-005_framed-650x534.jpg 650w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-005_framed-150x123.jpg 150w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-005_framed-768x631.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-005_framed-100x82.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-94754\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">They looked so real, all I fed them twice!\u00a0 They seemed to enjoy corned beef!<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Mary was still in tax-panic even after the painting session, so I decided we ought to go out and celebrate (read: peel her off the ceiling)<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_94735\" style=\"width: 910px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-94735\" class=\"size-full wp-image-94735\" src=\"http:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-003a-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"900\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-003a-1.jpg 900w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-003a-1-650x650.jpg 650w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-003a-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-003a-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-003a-1-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-94735\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The poor computer really took a beating!<\/p><\/div>\n<p>I made the mistake of asking Mary to drive, thinking it might take some of the tax burden off her mind.\u00a0 It may have, but I lost my mind in the process.\u00a0 She hit the accelerator, and I yelled, &#8220;Approaching Warp 2&#8221;.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_94727\" style=\"width: 910px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-94727\" class=\"wp-image-94727 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-005.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"900\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-005.jpg 900w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-005-650x650.jpg 650w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-005-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-005-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-005-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-94727\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The speedometer needle fell off and flew out the window!<\/p><\/div>\n<p>We landed safely at our new favorite hangout.\u00a0 The Tartan Room, where I guzzled a glass of wine and allowed my fists to unfold to get blood to my knuckles.\u00a0 That four-mile drive was like &#8220;Mr. Toad&#8217;s Wild Ride&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>I did not realize there were brown picket fences down Tustin Blvd, but then it dawned on me, I was seeing telephone poles.\u00a0 Mary was approaching Mach One.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_94724\" style=\"width: 910px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-94724\" class=\"wp-image-94724 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-004a.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"900\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-004a.jpg 900w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-004a-650x867.jpg 650w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-004a-113x150.jpg 113w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-004a-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-004a-100x133.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-94724\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">I regain my composure after seven glasses of wine!<\/p><\/div>\n<p>After a glass of wine and sharing some appetizers, Mary got back to &#8220;normal&#8221; (whatever that is?).\u00a0 We shared some slides, and I gave her the avocado from the shrimp-stuffed avocado.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_94756\" style=\"width: 910px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-94756\" class=\"wp-image-94756 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-006.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"900\" height=\"1199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-006.jpg 900w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-006-650x866.jpg 650w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-006-113x150.jpg 113w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-006-768x1023.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-006-100x133.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-94756\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">&#8220;I&#8217;m OK now&#8230; no worries until next year!&#8221;<\/p><\/div>\n<p>We met a nice couple who took our picture.\u00a0 We are getting to know the regulars.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-94757\" src=\"http:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-007.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"900\" height=\"696\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-007.jpg 900w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-007-650x503.jpg 650w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-007-150x116.jpg 150w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-007-768x594.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-007-100x77.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We had a great day!\u00a0 We have a new water feature in the backyard; the bidet now works, but comes in second to the water faucet.\u00a0 The taxes are complete, and we had our St. Patrick&#8217;s Day celebration!\u00a0 (NO, I did not have seven drinks).<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-94714\" src=\"http:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-010.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-010.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-010-650x650.jpg 650w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-010-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-010-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17-010-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>St. Patrick&#8217;s Day, celebrated on March 17, began as a Christian feast honoring St. Patrick, the 5th-century missionary credited with spreading Christianity in Ireland.\u00a0 Over time, it grew into a lively celebration of Irish culture worldwide\u2014full of parades, music, dancing, &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/?p=94705\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[184,233,230],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-94705","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-just-us","category-vegetable-garden","category-working-around-house"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94705","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=94705"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94705\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":94761,"href":"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94705\/revisions\/94761"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=94705"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=94705"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=94705"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}