We bottled the Gewurztraminer today. We now have 25 bottles down in the "wine celler" aging. It is a kit and tastes OK right away but does definitely improve with age.

Bobbie brought over a BIG batch of elderberries, so I will start a batch of that next week. I must check the recipe before I dive in. I name the elderberry - Roberta Red - for Bobbie, who contributes the berries. I will have to look for a picture of Bobbie for the label this time. It is a absolutely beautiful red color.

Tomorrow I work at Rhine Plymouth Field and Stream. It should be a fairly quiet day at the club. Maybe I'll bring my pistol and shotgun. If it is quiet, I can shoot a round or two of one or the other.

Celtic Mass and Faire is coming fast upon us. The Mass is going to be beautiful and the committe and I are pleased with the entertainment and food being served afterwards at the Faire. We are having a big raffle. The first prize is a trip to Ireland for two. If anyone wants tickets, let me know. They are $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00.

May the wind be always at your back.

Love

Mary

While Jeff and I were moving Bart and Barb's things out of storage, I tried to find spaces in boxes to put loose things. In one of the boxes, I saw something that really made me feel good. Bart must have hung on to it because of memories too.

It is a white felt circle about 9 inches in diameter, glued onto a larger purple circle. Bart's name is cut out of purple felt in capital letters and glued onto the circle along with a yarn sea urchin looking thing with eyes. This dates back to his soccer days when he belonged to a team called the Purple People Eaters. At the beginning of each season, the teams were given uniforms and then could choose thir own names. That year they got purple.

This was also the year that the Denver Football team had been really hot and earned the name Orange Crush. We, the Moms, thought that Purple Crush would be a really intimidating name for the team and one of the Moms gave a real pep talk. She ended with a statement that went something like this. "Would you rather be called PURPLE CRUSH!!! or purple people eaters." And the kids yelled "PURPLE PEOPLE EATERS!!!!" so Purple People Eaters they were.

Have a good Saturday.

Mary

Well, Jeff and I got the storage unit emptied and unloaded. Most of the stuff is in Jeff's garage but I did bring some here as he was really running out of room. Found out from Barbara tonight that one of the BIG drawer units was supposed to have stayed with the house. Too bad now. It is at Jeff's. I will ask Jeff is he can possibly use it otherwise they MAY take to or perhaps we can find a nice home for it elswhere. It went smoothly, though we did have to make two trips with the pickup. I was pleased to spend most of a day with Jeff. We never get to do that. He showed me all the pictures that he took in Hawaii. That new little grandson, Coleton, is a perfect little specimin of a boy.

Got home about 5:00PM. Because I had a council meeting at 7:30PM we had macaroni and cheese with hot dogs in it. This is one of Dick's favorite dinners and SO easy to fix. Anyway, it has been a LONG day but a productive one.

Tomorrow we will grocery shop and I must sew on the quilt. I am making pretty good time on it. I think I MIGHT be able to get it done for the show on the 18th.

I should lean not to make such goals for myself.

Have a good Friday.

Love

Mary

I shared one of my Irish Blessings with the bible study on Monday. I am sure you have heard this one, but surprisingly they had not. Here it is

"May those who love us, love us. And may those who don't love us may He turn their hearts. And if He doesn't turn their hearts, may He turn their ankles. So we'll know them by their limping."

Have a good Thursday. Tomorrow, we'll be emptying Bart and Barb's storage shed.
Wish me luck.

Mary

Thursday, my brother Jeff and I are going to De Pere to pick up the property that Bart and Barb could not fit into the truck when they went to Oklahoma. Jeff is going to find room at his place until they come up here in November when my step grandson graduates from the Great Lakes Naval Academy. Jeff and I both have to be back early enough to go to evening meetings.

Today, while I was walking, Ithe song called The Traveling People went through my head. It is a song about the Tinkers in Ireland. There are still Tinkers in Ireland, though I believe they live in nicer mobile homes and such. My friend Alice says that they are pretty wealthy and not entirely trustworthy.

Anyway, I remembered that, up until the time I was 18 or 19, there was a band of Gypsies that would occasionally show up in Sheboygan Falls. They dressed just as colorfully as in the movies and would camp down in, what we called, the Flats. The Flats in Sheboygan Falls is now an industrial area next to the Sheboygan River. It was also one of the areaa that young people used to go to neck.

But I do remember the Gypsies coming. I wonder if there are such colorful bands of traveling gypsies anymore. They would have trouble just parking somewhere. You have to pay to camp almost anywhere and also need reservations. I would imagine that that life is pretty much a thing of the past.

Maybe I'll check on the net.

Have a great day.

Mary

Tonight is the bust up party for my summer trap league. I will be leaving soon as it starts around 5:00. I will meet my partner Rosalie then as she is done with work about then. That is always fun. A chance to eat and visit and see who wins the big prizes. I did better than I ever have but I still have a LONG way to go. I will persist. Someday I will be good at something that requires dexterity.

I told you that I would publish, on this site, the poem I wrote about my Grandpa Deeley. I wanted to wait until after Irish Fest because I did have it in the contest and I am a stickler for honesty. I had told them that it had not been published and wanted to be true. Obviously I did not win the prize so so here it is.

GRANDPA'S WALLET


An Irishman who never set foot on Irish soil.
He was born - in London - on Christmas Day,
To emigrating parents – the oldest boy.
They came to America when he was eleven months old.

He was born - in London - on Christmas Day.
No one EVER dared call him British more than once.
They came to America when he was eleven months old.
His father worked the mills throughout New England.

No one EVER dared call him British more than once.
He started work when he was only eleven.
His father worked the mills throughout New England.
He was boss carder at age 16.

He started to work when he was only eleven.
He came to Wisconsin in 1889 to work.
He was boss carder at age 16.
I think leprechauns look like my Grandpa Deeley.

He came to Wisconsin in 1889 to work.
My Dad looked like Grandpa.
I think leprechauns look like my Grandpa Deeley.
He married twice and had six children.

My Dad looked like Grandpa.
I took Grandpa's wallet to Ireland.
He married twice and had six children.
He was an Irishman who never set foot on Irish soil.



HOPE YOU ENJOY IT.

Love Mary