crafting with grandma . . . Blarney Stones!

I am not Irish - I do have an ancestor who was Scottish, and who was shanghaied from Scotland, brought to American and sold as an indentured servant . . . but this is another story entirely! However, Irish or not, I have heard of the Blarney Stone! I went on-line to get the "facts" straight . . . if such a thing is possible for the story of the Blarney Stone!!! . . . and will share them with you . . . 

For many centuries, as everyone knows, English monarchs tried to impose their will on Ireland. Queen Elizabeth I, eager to extend the influence of her government, sent a deputy to Cormac MacDermot MacCarthy, who was Lord of Blarney, and demanded Cormac take the tenure of his lands from the Crown. Cormac set out to visit the Queen and plead for his traditional right to his land, but he despaired of success for he was not fluent of speech.

Shortly after starting his journey, he met an old woman who asked him why he looked so forlorn. He told her his story and she said "Cormac, when Blarney Castle was built, one stone was put into place by a man who predicted no one would ever be able to touch it again. If you can kiss that stone, the gift of eloquence will be conferred upon you." Cormac succeeded in kissing the Blarney Stone and was able to address the Queen with speech so soft and words so fair, as long as he lived he never had to renounce his right to his land.

Today kissing the stone endows the kisser with the gift of the gab. In 1446 the Blarney stone was set into a tower of the castle. The castle is a popular tourist site in Ireland, attracting visitors from all over the world to kiss the Stone and tour the castle and the gardens.

True or not, it is a fun story and as St. Patrick's Day is not quite one month away, I thought I'd share the story and a craft I found on Pinterest . . . how to make your own Blarney Stone!

It is pretty simple - you just need a stone, green paint, gold glitter and a gold glitter paint pen! Select a rock you like, paint green lips and decorate with a bit of golden glitter and a gold paint pen!

It would a be a fun and simple craft to make with your grandchildren and as they make their Blarney Stone, share the story of the first Blarney Stone with them. Be sure to talk with them about how while they do not want to use their words to speak lies, the Bible does tell them to "let your speech always be full of grace and seasoned with salt so you know how to answer everyone." (Colossians 4:6) and ask them what they think this means. Challenge them to make the choice to be people who use words which are full of grace, soft, sweet, appropriately "seasoned", and are always words which speak the truth!