St. Patrick's Day

In 2018 I was lucky enough to be invited by family to participate in the Irish-Italian Parade in Metairie, LA.  If you know anything about NOLA, you know they have a parade for everything.  This parade included throwing cabbages, carrots, potatoes and ramen noodles along with the customary beads and stuffed animals.  Not only did we have a great time but we decided to make it an annual event and this year two more family members are joining the group.  This year we are on a float in the St. Patrick's Day parade which will take a different, and more sentimental route.  The parade will go down Severn Street in Metairie which is where my aunt's mother, Dolores, affectionately known as "My Darlin'"  lived for many years. 

My Aunt Cindy married into my family when I was first born.  My mother and her were best friends as teenagers and she ended up marrying my mom's little brother.  From that point forward I gained a whole new family which consisted of her brothers and sisters (8 in all) along with her aunts and uncles.  I fell into the habit of calling them family and it wasn't until I was a teenager that I realized that my "aunts" uncles" and "cousins" from her family were not actually blood related to me.  The bond is even stronger this many years later though. 

I am thankful for this extended "family" which truly embodies the many sayings about families not always being blood.  I look forward to every new adventure I have with this group....and the group keeps growing.  My Darlin' would be so proud.