Bret called today, before I had a chance to call him. SO - I got to wish him a happy birthday and hear his voice. He is out at his place on the Colorado River for the weekend with friends. He got the package of PGA articles and souveniers I sent and was very pleased with it. I like to send things to him because he has fun with them.

While talking to him about the PGA - he mentioned that he would really like to see that course. I told him that when he comes again, we will have to REALLY dig deep and see if he can play it or at least tour it. I mentioned that there used to be a military training base out in that area of Haven. I remember as a young child that it was still open on when we would go to movies or shopping in Sheboygan on weekends there would be soldiers on leave all over Sheboygan. Flash Backs.

I was getting a bit worried, I couldn't find some of you old pictures of Grandpa Deeley, but they showed up tonight. I am doing a bit of a history of him for the Research Center's booth at the Celtic Faire. I even found an article that appeared in the Press's Do You Remember column in 1975 indicated that he was in charge of the St. Patrick's Day banquet in 1925.

Wow.

Have a nice day.

Mary

I don't know if anybody missed me yesterday. It was just too busy and I didn't even get to bed until 11:00PM. We shopped in the morning, then I had two appointments in Plymouth at 2:00 and 2:30. One was for an interview and pictures in the Book Work, a store in Plymouth that is going to sponser a new writers club starting next month. The second was over at the Sheboygan Falls Review to give them information for the Celtic Faire that Blessed Trinity is sponsoring next weekend. When I got home, it was time to fix dinner, then I had choir practice. After practice, Beth, the choir director, and I reviewed the worship folder for the Celtic Mass. I wish that you could all be there, It is shaping up to be quite a nice, full event.

Today was no quieter, but I am doing this before the Packer Game, which starts in 5 minutes. I hope they look better tonight. This is the last practice game and so far, I am not really impressed.

This morning, Dick and I took Jim to the hospital to have his foot surgery. He is feeling fine and is bored already. Of course, the food is still numb from the local shot that they gave him. I don't think he will feel quite so perky when it wears off.

This afternoon, I got final approval for the worship folder.

Now I have three days with no appointments or anything. I intend to enjoy the Labor Day weekend by no laboring.

Tomorrow is my Bret's birthday.

Have a nice evening.

Mary

The Sacred Three
My fortress be
Encircling me
Come and be round
My hearth and my home.

A day at home. I was so delighted. Dick and I mixed up a batch of Riesling in the primary fermentor. I also worked on the elderberries that Bobbie brought over on Sunday. I cleaned and destemmed them. There was 6 lbs of cleaned fruit. That is enough for two gallons of wine which I also got into a primary fermentor.

This was a good year for berry type fruit because of all the rain. Both the chokecherries and the elderberries were lush and juicy.

I actually picked two tomatoes off of the plants in the pots on the deck. They tasted good but were just a bit larger than cherry tomatoes and are actually supposed to be regular sized tomatoes. Well, the corn looked dismal in the middle of summer but we are getting it every week now and I have several packages in the freezer.

I will be interviewing with a reporter from the Sheboygan Falls Review tomorrow to get a story in about the Celtic Mass and Faire. Sure hope they have the ability to download pictures off of a disc.

It is time for bed, I am suddenly very weary. And tomorrow will be a VERY busy day.

Love

Mary

Grandpas are on my mind as I am looking for pictures for the Research Center and memories are popping into my head. Did you know that both of my Grandfathers were Christmas Babies. Every Christmas, after Mass, Grandpa and Grandma Bowser would stop at Grandpa and Grandma Deeley's house (which was just a couple of houses from church) so that the Grandpas could have a drink together to celebrate their common natal day.

Bye

Bret has a birthday this weekend. He was born on Labor Day, September 4, 1967. I remember going to the hospital early in the morning. When I got there, I came up on the same elevator with another person, also in labor. We joined about 3 other women who were also about ready to deliver. I remember the head nurse saying (and I quote) "Just because it is Labor Day did not mean that you all had to come in at once."

My sister-in-law, Jacquie along with Aunt Ruth and Cousin Linda drove me to the hospital because Bret's father was out in the desert on a jeep run. This may sound cold but it really WAS OK. Dr. Roper had assured us that I was showing no signs of going into labor and the jeep club we belonged to was hosting a rally. He went out to help with my permission. Such is life. Those days, fathers did not come into the delivery room anyway, so what good would he have been.

I find it hard to believe that 37 years have passed since that day. He has grown to be a nice young man and I am very proud of him. His brother Bart gave him a complement several years ago. He said, "My brother is a happy man." and he is.

Love

Mary

On September 8, 1860, the Lady Elgin, a steamer, carrying 400 Milwaukee travelers who had gone to Chicago to hear Steven Douglas speak, was struck by a lumber schooner, the Augusta, just off the cost of Winetka, Illinois.

She was in sight of shore and valient efforts were make by those on shore, including Northwestern University students to save the passengers, but the lake was being lashed by a storm and it was useless. Over 300 passengers were lost, most of them Irish. Each year at St. John's Cathedras, a Mass is said for the victims.

Phillip King, was orphaned by this shipwreck. He was taken in by the Michael Bowser Family, Michael Bowser is my great grandfather. Later her married my Mother's great aunt Charlotte. There is still a King who owns a sheep farm out in the kettles, not far from the original Bowser homestead.

There were lots of ballads written about the Lady Elgin at the time. The following is the lyrics for one of them.

"Up from the poor man's cottage,
Forth from the mansion's door,
Reaching across the waters,
Echoing on the shore,
Caught in the morining breezes,
Borne on the evening gale,
Cometh a voice of mourning -
A sad and solemn wail.
Lost on the Lady Elgin,
Sleeping to wake no more,
Numbered in death three hundred
Who failed to reach the shore."

Quite a story.

Mary

Some trees are starting to show color already. I guess that isn't so unusual, but we have not had a real summer to speak of, so it does not seem fair to us. It was 49 degrees when Chelsea and I went for our walk this morning. However, it got up to the low 70s and was sunny and clear this afternoon while I was working at Rhine Plymouth Field and Stream. I even scored a couple of rounds of trap today. A good thing since I should keep up on it. Today was a bit slow so it was pleasant.

From Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. Just a whimisical verse from The Walrus and the Carpenter. He was SO descriptive.

The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright-
(And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.)

Have a nice Monday.

Mary