Church was very pleasant this morning. I distributed communion and Joan, my friend who is having hip surgery on Tuesday, asked that I carry the empty cups and all down from the altar after communion. It is a BIG tray. Fr. Gene carried a bowl and followed me down. When I got there ( it is rather awkward) I whispered to Fr. Gene that Dick would never have believed that they let me do that. I am not the most graceful person in the world and would have never made it as a waitress.

Dick, Jim, Michelle and I had our last breakfast in THIS house together before they left for West Allis. We had pancakes, hot sausages and eggs. Before they left, I gave them a St. Brigid's Cross, blessed by Fr. Gene to hang in their house when they sign on Thursday. I had won one of them at the Irish Reunion and I bought another one at Irish Fest so we can both have one. Jim had expressed concern that if we had one in our house, it would drive all the evil to their side. This way evil will have to skip the entire building.

Then I trimmed the bushes out front and Dick and I spent a bit of time down in the basement emptying the metal shelves that Jim and Michelle will pick up on Thursday.

I even took a nap for about an hour. I am still tired though and I am still worrying about my kitties.

Talked to Bret and Bart and Barb today. All is well, except that Barbara is being worked much too hard in too many directions. She needs to relax a bit but HOW.

I received the following from my friend Harold Diedrich who belongs to Rhine Plymouth Field and Stream. I liked it so I will share. Tomorrow, I will put some pictures on again.

His name is Bill. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans, and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of college.

He is brilliant. Kind of profound and very, very bright. He became a Christian while attending college.

Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative church. They want to develop a ministry to the students but are not sure how to go about it.

One day Bill decides to go there. He walks in with jeans, his T-shirt, no shoes, and wild hair. The service has already started and so Bill starts down the aisle looking for a seat.

The church is completely packed and he can't find a seat. By now, people are really looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything.

Bill gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit, and when he realizes there are no seats, he just squats down right on the carpet.

By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick.

About this time, the minister realizes that from way at the back of the church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Bill.

Now the deacon is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, and a three-piece suit. A godly man, very elegant, very dignified, very courtly. He walks with a cane and, as he starts walking toward this boy, everyone is saying to themselves that you can't blame him for what he's going to do.

How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some college kid on the floor?

It takes a long time for the man to reach the boy.

The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of the man's cane. All eyes are focused on him. You can't even hear anyone breathing The minister can't even preach the sermon until the deacon does what he has to do.

And now they see this elderly man drop his cane on the floor. With great difficulty, he lowers himself and sits down next to Bill and worships with him so he won't be alone.

Everyone chokes up with emotion. When the minister gains control, he says, "What I'm about to preach, you will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget."

"Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some people will ever read!"

Just be kind to everyone. My Dad taught me that. Mother always remembers how gentle and caring he was to all of those workers at Gilson when he was their union representative. And she said that sometimes these men or women were so stupid. But he was unendingly patient and made them feel that they were important. Because he really believed that they were.

Love

Mary