“O, Ireland, isn’t it grand you look
Like a bride in her rich adornin’
And with all the pent-up love of my heart
I bid you the top of the mornin’”
– By John Locke

I loved reliving our trip to Ireland. It was so memorable. Hubby loved that he could read a book outside at 10:30 p.m. I loved that the people were so friendly. We were trying to find the home of relatives and never did find it. So many people invited us into their homes, even though we were not related.

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Outside our own home, Mother Nature has been busy. We now have about 15 daffodils peeking through the ground. At first glance, I thought they were tulips. Hubby spotted three purple crocuses on the side of the house. We have finally seen the fence between our neighbor Paul’s home and ours. The two whiskey barrels in the back yard have emerged from the snow. Our rose trellis in the front of the house is broken from all of the snow. The clematis trellis on the side of the house is leaning away from the house. It is probably broken off at ground level. Our spreading yews are still under snow. They are probably all misshapen. The snow has done a great deal of damage this winter.
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Back to our dear friend Helen Bradley: Hubby, daughter Sue, and I, accompanied by Sr. Elizabeth and Maureen Senuta, drove to the Hamel, Wickens, and Troupe Funeral Home in Quincy. As we entered the beautiful home, Helen’s daughters Joan and Micki and son Hank motioned to us to come in through the exit door. Looking around, we saw so many of Helen’s relatives there. We located her granddaughter Maureen, who frequently came to Mass at St. Christopher’s to be with her grandmother Mimi (Helen) and grandfather George. We also located her granddaughter Helen, whom we had recently seen at the Super Bowl party at the Quincy Elks.

Helen was such a special person. I learned that she had 14 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren, and 12 great-great-grandchildren. After George passed away in 1999, Helen invited me up to her home. She was a collector and showed me her Christmas items. On special days, we would often see Helen with one of her children at a weekday Mass at St. Christopher’s. Three years ago, we were fortunate to be invited to Helen’s 95th birthday celebration. Where would it be held but in the lower level of St. Christopher’s Church! It was probably the hottest day of the summer, but we enjoyed ourselves so much with Helen and her family. Hubby did a grand job taking photos of Helen, her family, and the other guests. We still have some of the photos from that party. There is a great one of Helen, alone, sitting at her table. I gave the photos to Rose, son Hank’s wife, after the funeral.

We attended Helen’s funeral Mass at Sacred Heart Church in North Quincy. Fr. Louis Palmieri, from that parish, presided at the Mass. Fr. George Carrigg, from St. Christopher’s Parish, gave the homily, since he knew Helen so well. The other participants in the Mass were several of Helen’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They all did a grand job.

I must comment on the beautiful booklet that was given to those who attended the funeral Mass. On the front cover was a great photo of Helen, looking lovely in a dark dress with a gorgeous pearl necklace. On the back cover was a smaller photo of Helen and George, both with big smiles. This is how I will always remember them.

After the interment in St. Joseph’s Cemetery in West Roxbury, we joined the family at Phillips Old Colony House. Quite a few of the family members were already there. We sat with Fr. George, Sr. Elizabeth, and our friend from church, Joan Hill. The food was wonderful.

Just before we left for home, I found Lou Pasquale. I had spoken with Lou at the wake the previous day, so I knew that he would be working at the restaurant that day. He asked how the food was. I raved about the tuna fish. It was scrumptious and perfect for a Lenten Friday. While Lou and I were chatting, Helen’s granddaughter Maureen came up to us and told Lou how tasty the tuna was. “I told you, Lou,” said I. We returned to the main room and thanked the Bradleys for inviting us. Daughter Sue gave Fr. George and Sr. Elizabeth a ride back to church. Hubby gave Joan a ride to Dudley Station, where she could catch a train to her home in Cambridge.

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By the way, this past Friday, Lou Pasquale was on “Chronicle” on Channel 5. The theme of the program was helping veterans. Lou led off the program with his work in raising funds for vans for veterans. Lou also spoke about keeping kids out of trouble and setting them on the right path. Lou’s wife Terry was also featured on the program. She said that Lou is the most selfless person she knows. He promised God during a frightening battle during WWII that if he survived the battle, he would help someone each day of his life. He is still keeping that promise. Lou’s segment on “Chronicle” almost made me cry.

On to a happier time: Last Wednesday evening, Hubby, daughter Sue, and I went to the St. Patrick’s Dinner at the Leahy/Holloran Community Center. When we arrived, Eileen Collins invited us to sit with her, Marilyn Ferrara, and Marie Schalmo. Our table was already set with paper placemats containing a St. Patrick’s Day word search and a maze that led a leprechaun to his pot of gold.

Peachy Galvin (Craig’s Mom) greeted us as she does each year. She handed each of us three tickets for the raffle, which was to be drawn after the dinner was finished. Our pals Eileen Burke, Carolyn O’Connor, and Bob and Mary Jepsen sat at the table next to ours. The gals in charge of the dinner, Jill LaMonica and Lisa Zinck, were checking on everything to make sure the dinner would go well. Gerard came in with the food, a delicious corned beef and cabbage dinner with all of the fixings. Then the young volunteers came around with plates filled with food for each of us: slices of corned beef, potatoes, beets, carrots, and turnip, along with Irish bread and dinner rolls. The wonderful youngsters, who served the dinners, also brought around bottles of mustard. (Daughter Sue, though, had brought her own bottle of honey mustard.) The “wait staff” even distributed cans of soda and half-filled cups of coffee (so the kids wouldn’t burn themselves.) For dessert, each of us received an ice cream sandwich, which was delicious.

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If you want to listen to Irish music, turn to Channel 541 on Comcast TV. I heard Dennis Day the other day. Also, if you can catch The Best of Celtic Woman on either Channel 2 or Channel 16, it is a wonderful program.

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Last Saturday, Hubby and I were in church waiting for Mass to begin. Daughter Sue came in and whispered in my ear, “Come outside.” I flew with her to the side door of the church, figuring someone had fallen with the snow and ice. Then she told me to be silent. She opened the door very gingerly, and there, sitting among the bushes, off to the side of the walkway, was a gorgeous, large, brown rabbit. He was beautiful as he chewed on the branches of a bush. After Mass, Sr. Elizabeth told us that she has seen him several times. I hope we see him again closer to Easter.

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Many years ago, when son Paul was little, he used to watch the original episodes of “Star Trek” with Hubby and me. We loved the show and became fans of the show, who were known as “Trekkers,” not “Trekkies.” We were among the protestors when there was a threat that the show would be cancelled after the first season. Thank goodness, the show returned. Repeats of the show can now be seen on the ME-TV Network (Ch. 292 on Boston Cable) from 4 to 5 p.m. each weekday evening. Our dinners last week were a little late because we were watching “Star Trek.” We called Paul to tell him about the program and he is watching it also.

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Last Friday I did a dumb thing. I walked a few steps in the house without putting on shoes or slippers. I then had a too-close encounter with the leg of my step stool. I knew that I had broken the little toe on my left foot. It turned purple within a few hours. As I left church on Saturday, I told Fr. George that I was “under the weather.” Being concerned, he asked me what was wrong. I told him that I had broken my baby toe and pointed to my left foot. He smiled and then said, “Not only will I bless your broken toe but I will bless all of you.” He then proceeded to make the sign of the cross over me. We all laughed. I do think that my toe felt better that evening.

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Here is a great thought by Judy Dreitz: “The smallest good deed is better than the greatest intention.”