February 3 is St. Blaise Day and this Sunday our throats were blessed in his honor. "May God at the intercession of St. Blaise preserve you from throat troubles and every other illness".  The original saying was every other evil but I suppose that is too broad a subject for today.

We knew all bout St. Blaise - Bucky told us.  He saved a boy's life that had a fishbone caught in his throat.  She told us this because Daddy was a fisherman and we often had to eat whatever fish he brought home.  Poppy too fished, so there was fish at Grandma's as well.  And there often were bones that we had to pick out.  Thus the story.  Bucky had another solution.  "Chew a piece of bread and that will get rid of the bone,"  To this day, I only buy filleted fish, no bones for me.

An interesting part of the blessing, is that two candles are crossed and thrust around your neck while the priests says the words.  The first time I took the kids to St. Blaise's Day, I said to them that I had had enough sore throats (Maria used to take a note every day to school - "Please allow Maria to chew asperin gum - she has a sore throat.").  And so I thought a blessing might help.  I explained to them that the priest would put two candles around their throat while giving the blessing.  Paul looked worried and asked "Are they lit?"  I remembered that yesterday.  It would be more dramatic if they WERE lit.