Dick and I went to the Sheboygan Symphony this evening for their season finale. They were combined with the Sheboygan Symphony Chorus for the evenings performance and what a performance it was.

The first portion was Beethoven's Fantasia in C Minor, Op.80. This was really interesting because he wrote this prior to Ode to Joy and the main melody bears a striking resemblance to that piece.

The second portion was remarkable composition by a Carl Orff. This is actually quite recent, written in 1935-36 but based on a collection of Thirteenth Century poems and songs called Carmina Burana. This was quite lively and very impressive and it was special also in that Dick had not heard it before. It is always nice for him to hear something new.

We will definitely subscribe next year again.

Have a nice Sunday

Mary

P. S. I planted Marigold seeds today. It was sunny and dry but a bit chilly.

Rain, rain, rain. Where is it all coming from? I guess we should be glad we are not in Houston or parts of Oklahoma. Did you see the pictures of that house being sucked up by the tornado? Looked just like the Wizard of Oz. We are supposed to have sunshine for the next two days.

I believe it was about 6 years ago that we had all the flooding in Sheboygan. I remember that we still lived in the condo on the south side of Sheboygan and the water came up into our backyard. I did flood some of the condos at the end of the street and washed out a bridge from the creek.

There is an old Irish saying that goes: Never take a road with grass growing down the middle.

Think about it.

Mary

This is the second blog that I prepared today. The first just disappeared when I attempted to send it. So I figure that means it was not meant to be.

I was venting my opinions on prisoner abuse, the press, Rumsfeld and the cruelty of people to people. I will restate that I find the abuse, physically or mentally , of any of God's creatures to be beyond my understanding.

Today was a nice quiet day. We shopped this morning, then I caught up on computer work and made a few phone calls mainly ending up leaving messages to get things set up for the Celtic Mass and Faire at Blessed Trinity which will take place on Sunday September 12. Mark your calendars as we have a wonderful worship service and then will follow it up with a nice musical Faire. Simple but classy with good food, good music and good fellowship.

Thunder, lightning and rain have just started. They came up very fast. I would really like a nice sunny day soon. The trees really need a little sun.

Have a nice evening.

Mary



.

The abuse of the Iraqi prisoners is reprehensible and all the headlines are condemning the action and we will probably never recover face. However, I don't remember such a to-do when four people were mutilated, tortured, killed and hung from a bridge in Iraq not too many weeks ago.

I believe we should not show any more pictures. The world knows and has seen enough and any more would be only embarrassing to the victims and their families. They now need to be helped to recover from the humiliation and abuse and steps need to be taken to see that this NEVER happens again. It seems to me that the Geneva Conference was supposed to have done that. What happened? Personally, I think that Rumsfeld should resign as he is symbolic of the problem to the world and is after all at the top of the heap. The soldiers were probably told to "soften them up". Ill trained people with instructions like that WILL behave abominably.

Well, I vented. You may not agree with me. That is your privilege. We can only pray that the damage to the prisoners, our servicemen's safety and our reputation can be repaired.

Mary

Today I drove up to De Pere to take Bart and Barb out for lunch. I helped them stow stuff away and make clear spaces because their house is on the market and the first people came to see it today. We packed their two dogs, Sheva and Beauty and cat, Kitch, into the car and drove around while the prospective buyers looked at the house.

My naughty kitties will NOT leave the flowers alone. One of them dumped them again tonight.

Hope your day was good.

Mary

Bret called tonight. He had good news and bad news.

The good news is that he had a doctor appointment today and got a clean bill of health and the doctor even took him off some of the medications he has been on.

The bad news is that he had news of the death of a friend of ours, Ronnie Heinz. Ronnie died of kidney disease apparently. I always remember one day that Bret, Bart and I were going out to the desert for a jeep run. On the road, Bart announced, "There is the guy from the jeep club." I asked him which one and he said, "The gray haired one." I asked for MORE clarification and he said. "You know, Timmy's Dad." Then I knew it was Ronnie. The funny thing is that I had known Ron for 20 years and never noticed that his hair had gone from brown to gray. Later I told Ron what Bart had said and Ronnie told me to tell Bart that his hair wasn't gray, it was blond.

Nice man, good father,husband and friend. He will be missed.

Have a good day and say a prayer for my friend.

Love

Mary

The Bible Study group we started at Blessed Trinity is studying the first half of Psalms. The members were kind of bummed out because the chapters we read this week, 6 through 10, are mainly laments and quite depressing. However, we came to the conclusion that we were really glad because chapters 9 and 10 were entitled Thanksgiving for the Overthrow of Hostile Nations. These seemed very pertinent in the world we are living in. We have come to a conclusion that nothing much has changed since David wrote his Psalms.

Celtic Faire is in full swing. We will have our Mass and Faire on September 12th. I need to see if Archbishop Dolan will come and arrange the music and entertainment.

Wednesday, I will drive up to DePere and take Bart and Barb to lunch. They have their house on the market as Barbara has been hired to go back to work at Fort Sill and will start sometime in late June. It is hard to have them so far away, but De Pere isn't next door either and they have more friends in Oklahoma as they lived there for 10 years or more.

Have a good week.

Mary

Blogger has changed. This should really be interesting. This is the second time I am trying this.

Mother's Day today and I heard from all six so I am a happy camper. Dick and Brenda left around 11:00AM after a late breakfast to continue their "Mom Hop" - a new term we thought of. They were heading north to Cleveland to see Barbara, Dick's mother, then west to Portage to have a late lunch or early dinner with Brenda's parents. We had such a nice visit.

Tomorrow is Writer's Club. I have been working on several things. I noticed that most of my poems, since Bret got sick last Fall, have been really gloomy. So I picked out a couple that are more cheerful and refined them a bit today. I will share one about spring. Now I only have to do one about Summer to finish the seasons.

REBIRTH

Red Winged Blackbirds chortle at each other
Perched on treetops and dried out cattails
The Robin - returned – sings at the top or his lungs
Outside my office window.

The Cardinal – most blessed in sound and beauty
Sings his melody in the early morning air.
The Morning Doves coo their gentle song
From rooftop to rooftop

Worms that feed the birds, crawl over the street
After rain drives them up out of the ground.
Tulips and day lilies valiantly reach for the sky
Despite frost, snow and roller coaster temperatures.

Daffodils bloom in impossible conditions
Brilliant yellow, promising sun and warmth
And the Flowering Almond bedecked in bridal blooms
Its branches bare of leaves or any other sign of life.

These are Spring and hope for warmth and summer
Rebirth and joy for days ahead.


Mary