May there always be work for your hands to do May your purse always hold a coin or two May the sun always shine on your windowpane May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain May the hand of a friend be always near you May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you

  It’s St. Patrick’s Day and shamrocks, leprechauns, Guinness, Irish mysticism, charm and landscapes, saturated in green, are the focus of the day. I love green in almost all its shades, except for the loudest, brightest and most artificial-looking. It feels timeless, relaxing, natural.  “Green is restful to the eye. Studies show that a green environment can reduce fatigue (Wikipedia).” Athough I’ve spent little time in ‘the great outdoors’, as long as it is reasonably mosquito-less, I enjoy being among nature’s greens: a reminder that life is a journey and hope, gratitude, calm can offset and uplift even when we travel our most difficult paths.