So, in my Bucket List quest to read at least 80 books, this is my 5th list of 8 books that I've held onto.  As explained in my blogs previously, my lists are an eclectic mix of book types.  Hopefully you'll see something that you might read on a rainy day.   (See Blog 16 , Blog 22, Blog 32 and Blog 38 for my other book-related blogs).

We all seem to be looking back to times past at the moment while Covid-19 has laid waste to all our immediate travel and entertainment plans.  Looking at the past reminds me of what I have in the present.  With St. Patrick’s Day fast approaching and parades cancelled pretty much everywhere, it brings to mind many memories. 
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St. Patrick’s Day was always a great day in our house starting off with a Mass “as Gaeilge” (in Irish) in the morning and going to see the Parade on the Main Street in Carrick in the afternoon…with my Dad, Mickey, often playing trad music on his button accordion on the back of a float and my brother, Martin, marching smartly decked out in his Civil Defence uniform.  Martin recently found my some of my green badges at home in Carrick that Peggy had saved, which must be nearly 50 years old.

That got me thinking of a great trip I had with Peggy to New York for Paddy’s Day 1996….25 years ago!!  It was Peggy’s first time to America and we had such a laugh together.  We flew on a Thursday on a midday flight with Aer Lingus from Dublin to JFK and sat beside a lovely Mullingar man.