This morning I helped set up for the quilt show. I picked up a "quilt" Sy Regan carved. I will add the little blurb that I printed to put with the items that he carved. He is really quite talented and has self published an instruction book for the beginning wood carver. Here is the short piece I wrote.

Sylvester (Salty) Regan is a local woodcarver and author. He is also a retired Catholic deacon. He has self published a book for the beginning woodcarver and recently a poem of his was accepted in the 2005 Wisconsin Poets' Calendar.

He got the idea to carve a quilt using the Trinity as the theme.. The result is this “quilt” composed of various Celtic triangular knots.

He enjoyed “quilting”. Thus the two additional “quilt” squares - one approximately 11” X 11” and the other about 3 ½” x 3 ½“.

Have a good Saturday.

Love

Mary

I finished the quilt that is going in the Sheboygan County Quilt Guild Show. I put the label and the sleeve this afternoon at about 4:00PM. Boy, talk about getting down to the wire. Tomorrow is the set up day.

I took the quilt and the Crane wall hanging, with me to choir practice so Mother could see them. I would like to take her but we decided that there would be too much walking and she would get too tired.

After this weekend, things will settle down a bit and then we will be going on a vacation. Sunday, we are releasing the pheasants. I will be able to go over on Sunday for a couple of hours to help round them up and remove the blinders. I can stay until 8:30AM then will have to get home, shower and get to church at 9:45 to warm up for the Mass. Then delicious - NOTHING else.

Have a good Friday.

Mary

It rained this evening just as Dick and I headed off to Bobbie's house to pick up her mail. The paper finally has stopped coming. She sent them a note cancelling the Sheboygan Press a while ago, but the paper was still being delivered as of yesterday. Today there was no paper, so she has apparantly gotten through to them. Every year, Dick and I debate whether we will renew and so far the vote has been to continue. However, maybe next time will be the end.

We do like to keep track of the obituaries and I like the crossword puzzle. But we can get the obits on the net and I have crossword puzzles on the net too.

The quote from Cadfael's Book of Days today said. "Beauty is a very healing thing."

Seems an interesting thought, as I am sure we all have been soothed by beauty in one form or another. A sunset, a song, a person.

Love

Mary

We had so much rain in the spring and most of the early summer that we really felt that we would never need any more. But - the lawn is dry and becoming brown. So I have started watering. I am also trying to remember to keep the birdbath full as I am sure our little feathered friends will be appreciative of an easy drink. There are berries on several of my bushes so they will also be well fed - they should last through the winter. It really is a great year for berries.

Bobbie and Bill are on vacation so Dick and I are taking in the mail and papers and watering plants. Our reward is to be able to pick the produce that ripens while they are gone. I already have tomatoes. The little teeny weeny cherry tomatoes are especially sweet and good this year. We call them one of natures candies along with raisins and figs. We will eat tomatoes til we can't eat more and then I will freeze the rest.

Have a nice Wednesday.

Mary

Yippee - i - a The Packers won. It is very late and I have been at meetings ALL day. Bible study at 9:30AM Writers Club at 1:00PM and Rhine Plymouth Field and Stream at 7:00PM. It is definately time to GO TO BED.

In case you haven't read it. Here is the poem that is in the Wisconsin Poets' 2005 Calendar. I promised.

CALL OF THE KETTLES


The graveyards are filled with the Irish.
They farmed the hard land formed by the glacier
Building their fences of rocks from the fields.

I hunt and hike now public lands
And find a tumbled down old rock fence
That my great great grandfather built.

My grandfather used to say that the Irish came,
Up from the fertile fields below,
To the glacier’s rocky eskers, drumlins and kettles
Because they figured that no one
Would come and take the land away.

I think the Irish came,
Up from the flat fertile fields below,
To the glacier’s rocky eskers, drumlins and kettles
Because it looked like home
And made them feel that they were there.




Enjoy your nice week.

Mary

I didn't cook today. We ate brats and hamburgers and scones from the Celtic Faire. The Celtic Mass and Faire went very well. The Mass was beautiful and everybody seemed to enjoy the Faire. We sold all the food, lots of beer, enjoyed the music and the weather was spectacular.

Yesterday, I went to Menasha to the Aestival Festival Writer's Conference. I went with Jane Kocmoud and Ann Pirrung, the co presidents of the Sheboygan Writers Club. On the way to Cleveland (Wisconsin that is) with Jane she congradulated me for getting on the inside cover of the Poet's Calendar. I said something like "What?" and she proceeded to tell me that my poem the Call of the Kettles was accepted for publication in the 2005 Wisconsin Poets' Calendar. I was totally delighted. It is quite an honor to be selected. Our local club had six member's work published this year so we are really proud and planning on letting the Sheboygan Press know. I know I am in good company as the above mentioned Jane Kocmoud, who has made it 5 times, and Ellen Kort, the recently retired Wisconsin Poet Laureate. are also included in this year's book. Wow- I have something else to list on my accomplishments.

The featured speaker was Michael Perry who wrote Population 485. I recommend it. It is a book of his experiences as a volunteer fireman in his community of New Auburn, (population 485). I recommend him as a speaker also. We have been trying to get him to come to Sheboygan in partnership with Mead Public Library. So far we have not been able to get him to commit.

This week will be much easier. I need to finish a quilt by Thursday night.

Hope you have a good Monday. I will post tomorrow night. Would you like to read the Call of the Kettles?

Mary