Author Archive

Irish Cheer at Home: Cocktails, Comfort Food, and Classic Cinema

By From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Mar 18th, 2025 • Category: Blog Entries.Local

As I continue to recover from back surgery, the days have started blending together. But the Feast of St. Patrick provided a welcome break from the routine. Even the simple act of getting a ride to the barbershop in the morning felt like a treat! Howev…



Sláinte to St. Patrick (and No, It’s Not ‘St. Patty’)

By From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Mar 17th, 2025 • Category: Blog Entries.Local

Lá fhéile Pádraig sona dhaoibh!

It’s that time of the year when a Saint revered by many, especially in the Irish-Catholic community, is embraced by people of all backgrounds. As a Catholic of Irish decent, I can find little fault with people bettering…



Raise a Glass: Study Finds Alcohol May Boost Good Cholesterol

By From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Mar 13th, 2025 • Category: Blog Entries.Local

These days, we could all use some uplifting news. A recently published study by Harvard University researchers suggests that alcohol consumption may have a beneficial effect on cholesterol levels.The study tracked a cohort of 57,691 individuals undergo…



The Spirited Origins of Instagram

By From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Mar 7th, 2025 • Category: Blog Entries.Local

I ran across this fun tidbit recently — Instagram’s roots are soaked in whiskey!Back in 2010, Kevin Systrom, a Stanford University graduate and self-proclaimed whiskey lover, launched an iPhone app called Burbn. The app was designed to let users check …



Post-Surgery Reflections: Pain, Progress, and Gratitude

By From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Mar 5th, 2025 • Category: Blog Entries.Local

It’s now been a week since my back surgery, so I figured it was time for another update — part catharsis, part progress report. The best news of all, by every measure, the surgery was a success. I’m still dealing with plenty of post-surgical pain, and …



Cigar Hiatus — But My Humidor Still Needs Love

By From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Mar 3rd, 2025 • Category: Blog Entries.Local

I may be on a brief hiatus from enjoying cigars while I heal from surgery, but there’s still work to be done. A few weeks ago, I noticed the Boveda humidity packs in my humidor were starting to feel grainy. When they start to feel like there’s sand ins…



Stay Updated: Get Musings Over a Barrel Delivered to Your Inbox

By From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Mar 1st, 2025 • Category: Blog Entries.Local

In the early days of blogging, RSS feeds were a popular way to stay updated on blogs and news sites. I still rely on RSS to follow most of the blogs I read. Even if a site doesn’t advertise it, most publish an RSS feed that can be accessed through a ne…



The Patron of Handgunners: St. Gabriel Possenti’s Remarkable Story

By From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Feb 27th, 2025 • Category: Blog Entries.Local

Today, February 27, is the Feast Day of St. Gabriel Possenti, also known as St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows.Gabriel Possenti was a Catholic seminarian in Isola del Gran Sasso, Italy. According to tradition, in 1860, Gabriel used his marksmanship to …



Fire & Flavor: A Chilly Evening with Bourbon and a Fine Cigar

By From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Feb 23rd, 2025 • Category: Blog Entries.Local

This weekend, I’m trying to squeeze in a couple more bourbon and cigar pairings before my post-surgery break, which means embracing the cold.After an early dinner on Friday, with the sun still lingering above the horizon for another hour or so, I poure…



The Road to Relief: A Journey Through Pain, Surgery, and Recovery

By From http://www.musingsoverabarrel.com/ • Feb 21st, 2025 • Category: Blog Entries.Local

The past year — more precisely, the last 14 months — has been a relentless rollercoaster of pain and the ongoing search for relief. The chronic pain in my back and lower extremities has been constant, sometimes debilitating. Throughout this ordeal, I h…