Let's have a Parade!

It's funny how you think of yourself in terms of "heritage", especially as Americans. DH and I wen to the Tenement Museum in NYC a couple years ago. (It was very cool, and I highly recommend it to anyone that is interested in a different type of museum.) At the Tenement Museum you walk through a tenement house and learn the history of the building and of real people who lived there as immigrants from the 1850's until the 1930's when the building was closed. Each floor was stripped back to reveal a different era, the top floor being the most recent. It is an amazing piece of first hand connection with history. At the end of the tour we were asked to participate in a discussion of heritage. we went around the table and introduced ourselves, and stated where we were from and our heritage. Interestingly, all the Americans said something along the lines of, "Hi, I'm Costumechick. I live in Connecticut, am originally from Pennsylvania, and am of German background." The European people just said, "I'm Pierre. I'm from France." It came out in the discussion the Europeans find it really odd that Americans still identify themselves by where their families emigrated from. This got me thinking. Why do I do that? My family has been in the US since the 1600's. I have no right to call myself anything but American.

That being said, DH is big into genealogy. He didn't know much of anything about his family, and about 4 years ago really started to research it. He'd always thought his heritage was Scottish. Nope. He's English - mostly. I thought I was all German. Well, mostly, but I could be 1/2 French too - depending on the source you look at. I also found out I was 1/64 Irish. I had no idea. But do I say "I'm 1/64th Irish" when people ask? No - except for on St. Patrick's Day!!! Like millions of other Americans, I'm not any one thing, but for a few days a year, I'll be Irish through and through!

At the Parade I was!

Like I said, I only drank to Guinnesses...Guinness'....Guinnessi(?) at the parade. It was too cold. In hindsight, Irish coffee would have been a markedly better choice.

Heres the group I was with. Theatre people will brave any temperature to act like idiots and drink.

This is Mark. He is a carpenter. I call him Loud Mark, or Loud carpenter. He is loud. Always.

This year he had on a kilt made of polar fleece, and a beer hat made from a hard hat. He hugged everyone dressed even remotely as a mascot.

I took a picture of DH's favorite part... the marching storm troopers.

Finally, if you have ever seen the sight http://www.fuh2.com/ you will know what I am about to talk about. If not, go have a look. then come back. we'll wait.....

ok. Ready? Alice and I spent the parade watching for H2's and giving them the H2 salute. Here is an excerpt.

By the third one others in the crowd were helping.

Then I went home and thawed out.

On Monday I plan on honoring my 1/64th by having some corned beef. yum. I might even cast on something green to work on.