Ireland on my mind...

With St. Patrick's Day soon approaching, there has been a bit of Irish music being played in my house. I have been thinking about a few different and unrelated Irish things...the trip my parents have yet to take. 911 took their trip away. It was planned for a few weeks after and Mom just did not want to fly after. She will get there someday...I will see to it. Some very Irish childhood friends from elementary school shared a trip to Ireland a few years ago to celebrate their 40th birthdays. Lastly, my favorite story of all...

To the best of my memory...Two friends, Kathleen and Matthew snuck away to Ireland for a little vacation. Kath did not know what Matthew had in store for her. They met at college, Williams College in western Massachusetts. He from upstate NY and she from Worcester. The two love birds found themselves in a pub one afternoon, soon after Matthew popped the question to his love.

In celebratory spirit, they shared Guinness (after Guinness) and noticed a man in the corner with a "Maine" sweatshirt on. The two introduced themselves as they were neighbors, essentially. So they drank and shared stories and the two shared their news with the new friend. They talked and celebrated the afternoon and into the night with their new friend. There was a dilemma on their minds as they thought about the wedding day. Where were they to have the ceremony? They decided to meet the families in the middle...at Williams where they met. But who at Williams would they have perform the ceremony? They new no one and wanted it to be someone they both knew. As they talked, the new friend said that he would do it, as he lived right in North Adams, Massachusetts! He turned out to be a priest as well. So Kath and Matt wrote down their contact information on a Guinness coaster and gave it to him. He married the two.