This winemaking has become a fun and exciting hobby for Dick and me.

We are mixing a Chardonnay Wine Kit into the primary fermentor today. We have Merlot and Beaujolais in the carboys settling out and several varieties of "from scratch" almost ready to sample. I believe that the Grapefruit from last year and Paulette's Mountain Ash are almost ready.

My Dad made wine years ago. I remember sampling many varieties when visiting. I have a particularly fond memory of Mountain Ash. I hope it lives up to the memory. Especially after spending an afternoon picking all those darned berries - standing on a ladder. Then I had to wash and pick them over before processing. I had enough left over for some jelly and that was quite good.

A few years ago, I assembled the wine recipes that Dad had written in a spiral notebook in to a little book (my first publishing attempt) for everybody to enjoy. Dad had comments on most of the wines. They ranged from "Not so Good" to "Very Good". His solution to any problems was always. "Let age." Perhaps that is good advice for most things. Time and aging.

Have a good weekend

Mary

A story my daughter Leslie sent me reminded me of a story I read in Familiy Circle about prayer.


"A Hindu teacher was asked the best way to pray. He answered
with this story.

Once there was a dog who was attacked by a pack of wild dogs. He
fought his way free, limped home bleeding and presented himself at
this owner's feet. And what did the owner do? He carried the dog
indoors, washed and bandaged his wounds and set his broken bones.
Every day he gave his dog food, water, a soft bed. And soon the dog
got well. The dog did not ask for anything. The dog merely presented
himself. "That is how you pray." my teacher said. "For is you ask
for a shirt, you will get a shirt, and if you ask for trousers, you
will get trousers. But if you simply present yourself, every blessing
will be yours." (Sophy Burnham)

Leslie's story was this:

A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, "Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what
lies on the other side.

Very quietly, the doctor said, "I don't know."

"You don't know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?"

The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side of which came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the
door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness.

Turning to the patient, the doctor said, "Did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside.
He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the
other side of death, but I do know one thing...I know my Master is there and that is enough."

Have a great day

Mary

Do you have a favorite meatloaf recipe? I have a really neat meatBALL recipe using my favorite meatloaf mixture. Years ago, there was a bar called Fitz's in Sheboygan Falls, the little town that I grew up in. Sheboygan Falls is a charming place. They are a blue ribbon example of what Wisconsin's Main Street Program to revitalize small towns can do. Mother says that the town NEVER looked as good as it does now with all the restored and well maintained storefronts.

Anyway, Fitz;s was owned by a friend of my Dad's, named of all things Mr. Fitzpatrick. (I can't remember his first name, but will ask Mother the next time I talk to her. In my childhood all adults were Mr. or Mrs. and half the time we didn't know they had a first name.) Fitz's served chicken dinners and parboiled the chicken to speed the cooking. Mrs. Fitzpatrick asked Dad if he had a use for some buckets of chicken broth from the parboiling. So Dad would occasionally bring a bucket home and my Mother became very inventive. This is one of our favorites. We named it Schilizhagen. Schlitz because the broth came from a bar and hagen because it sounded German. Why was sounding German important? I don't know, I was only a kid.

If you don't have a favorite meatloaf recipe, e-mail me either direct of by clicking on Tell Me under Contact to the left and I will tell you mine.

SCHLITZHAGEN

3 lbs of your favorite meatloaf mixture.
1 quart of chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste.
Flour to roll the meatballs in.

Start warming the chicken broth in a dutch oven.

Form the meatloaf into balls and roll in flour.

Brown the meatballs in a frying pan ( I find enough fat comes out of the burger but if you must add a little oil or spray with cooking spray.) Drop the meatballs into the hot chicken broth and cook for about 30 to 40 minutes until cooked through.

Serve over mashed potatoes or noodles. (The Kunert's love noodles but I love the gravy that forms on mashed potatoes.)

Hope you like

Mary

Memorial Day. A day to be so grateful to our servicemen and to their families, those serving now and also those who have served in all branches of the armed forces.

I am so grateful to be married to a Korean War veteran and to have three brothers who served our country, one in Vietnam.

I am, in my Mother's heart so proud of my Bart for having served in the Army for 10 years. He retired on a disability two years ago after working his way through the ranks and school to become an officer in the Army. He retired as a Lieutenant. Quite an accomplishment. What a guy.

God keep them all safe and America safe. Keep us always eager and idealistic. Let us keep striving for peace in this world. Let us all, all over the world stive to be sure that no child ever goes to bed or wakes us afraid or hungry.

Love and Slainte!

Mary

The graduation was absolutely beautiful. The weather was perfect. I actually got a little sunburned around the neck while we sat through the two and one half hour ceremony. Yes, two and one half hours. There were over 600 graduates so that is not surprising. I got some really good picture of Barb and of general scenes of the ceremony. Even the wonderful piper who led the graduates and all the dignitaries in playing all the time. He was young and quite good looking to go along with his talent. There is nothing as impressive as a good piper.

Barb looked wonderful and we were all so glad to be there for her. Her parents, Don and Marlies Burdine, her son Timothy, her brother Fred and Dick and myself. She has worked very hard and can be so proud of her accomplishment.

"God made the grass, the air and the rain: and the grass, the air and the rain made the Irish: and the Irish turned the grass, the air and the rain back into God."
Sean O'Faolain

Enjoy the coming week.

Mary