Slainte

Bluegrass is a branch of a musical tree whose roots really are across the pond. One of the things that drew me to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in the first place was the music. I could sit and listen to Irish fiddling or Irish music almost as long as I could sit and listen to bluegrass (and it's really not sitting with either one because of course it's hard to be still when you're enjoying a good barnburner).

One thing's for sure, the Irish are a pretty constant, pretty hearty people despite what's thrown at them, which has been a lot over the last 1500 or so years. So here's to them, and to us that we in our still very young country might take a little something away from the way they've toiled and sung and celebrated everything in life and in death.

Raise a glass, or a cup of coffee, to the music, to the Irish, and to yourself while you enjoy Tim O'Brien and friends playing that most popular of Tim tunes, The Crossing.