Worked all morning at church. We had to cut the ends off the palms because they had been left in their boxes - in the sealed plastic - for several days AND got moldy. What a mess, there are hundreds of the darn things. We did our embellishments to jazz things up for the Palm Sunday Celebration tonight and tomorrow.

Then we checked out the altar cloths and hangings that we will need for Holy Thursday and Easter.

Tonight I went to Mass at 5:00 because the choir had to practice for Easter Week AFTER mass. Didn't get home until about 7:15 so we had a very late supper and I am very tired. But Now I do not have to get up early tomorrow. I guess that Jim and I will shoot tomorrow and in the evening, Dick and I will go to see Hal Holbrook as Mark Twain at the Kohler Theatre. I am really looking forward to that, Hal is one of my favorites.

I sent for the Rosalyn Russell version of My Sister Eileen. Dick and I remember it very fondly from our youth. It is very amusing but it is also amazing how humor has changed and we are not finding it as hysterically funny as we remembered it from back then. It kind of reminds me of Dad. He used to rave about the OLD westerns. Lash Larue etc etc. So finally we got him a tape or something of an old movie and he grudgingly ended up admitting that he was really disappointed. It was not at all what he remembered.

Have a good Sunday. I hope this wasn't too rambling. Jennifer Garner said. "I know enough to know that when you're in a pickle...Call Mom." I still remember laying in the hospital in labor with my first baby and wishing that my Mom was there.

Later

Mary

It snowed today. The forecast was possible flurries, but it was really heavy for almost two hours. I was driving from Sheboygan Falls to Plymouth when it was at its peak and I was kind of wondering what the heck I was doing out there. Fortunatly, it stopped BEFORE I was leaving Dairy Queen and the drive home was safe and sound. So - on the way home I stopped and got two dozen eggs from the egg farm. (Now I just have to dye some white eggs with tumeric as I will have on green and several shades of brown dyed by nature for the baskets. Yes! the Easter Bunny DOES come to our house.) I also stopped at Woodlake and cashed in a couple of coupons. Woodlake will often have items before the major chain groceries.

Tonight we went to Bill's retirement party that was put on by the Friends. (There were nine other retirees honored but of course the most important one was BILL.) We ran into Pete, Jim's old supervisor. I asked him if he had tried the pepper jelly that I gave him (I knew he hadn't) He is afraid of it, I think. I tried to convince him that it is really good. It is you know. We are all out and I have to make another batch. If he tastes it he may ask for more (Ha Ha)

This morning I met with Beth Dipple at the Research Center. She is the Director of the organization. She is also my brother in law Ken's cousin. AND Pat O'Reilly, who sings with Blarney, (a favorite Irish Band) whenever they come to Sheboygan County is Ken and Beth's Uncle. He is the one who had a heart attack in the middle of his song about 6 years ago and was saved because:

1. There were two emergency room nurses in the audience
2. One of the band member is an EMT.
3. They were on him before he hit the floor.

When they got him stabalized and were reeling him out on the gurney he was struggling to get up. He kept telling the EMTS that he had to finish his song. The next year he was back and DID finish his song. He is still singing for us too.

Anyway, I took a biography and a copy of my brother's book to her. Now he will be remembered forever.

We are going to work together to try to bring Irish events to Sheboygan County three or four times a year. We hope to start sometime this summer.

I was thinkin today of all I learned in Al Anon and AA. I don't know why. But I do remember going to my first meeting and crying during the whole thing. A dear little man wearing a hand made tie slide with Jesus Loves You printed on it kept patting me on the arm and saying. "You are in the right place."

And a lady, who I knew had a rougher road than I, would say. "I can fix my day at the beginning of it. I can change "Good God Morning" to Good Morning God."
Have a Good Morning God kind of day!

The Elantra is all fixed. While Dick took Jim to work this morning, I dropped it off at the body shop. Then Dick picked me up and we went for breakfast and grocery shopping. We had to pick Jim up when the car was ready as well. Then in the early afternoon, we got a prescription for Dick from Walgreens, so I felt like we were traveling most of the day.

I also transplanted the pitiful plant that the cats have been chewing on into three smaller pots today and cut off the top of the big corn plant which was hitting the ceiling. I stuck the top piece in the same pot next to the original. Now the trick will be to keep the cats from killing it. They are extremely persistant. I may look for some repellant tomorrow.

The weather was beautiful, sunny and in the mid 50s all day.

Tomorrow night we will go the the Friends of Mead Public Library, retirement party for the eight long term employees who took early retirement. This time we have it right. As you remember, a couple of weeks ago, Dick and I were all ready. Good thing Jim figured it out and told us we had the wrong date.

I am taking my brother Matt's book of poems and mini biography to the Sheb. County Historical Research Center to donate. Beth and I have a couple of other things to discuss also.

The Cadfael Book of Days for yesterday was very special. I may bring it to Bible Study on Monday. "Death falls upon children who never did harm to any, upon old men, who in their lives have done good to many, and yet are brutally and senselessly slain. Never let it shake your faith that there is a balance hereafter. What you see is only a broken piece from a perfect whole."

Isn't that special?

Have fun tomorrow. The second last Friday in Lent.

Mary

It was a beautiful day. Up in the 50s. Dick said that this is supposed to be the warmest day of the week. That is a disappointment but we need to take them when we get them. This morning when Chelsea and I started on our walk, we heard a Phoebe singing his heart out right from the tree next to the walk. Such a big noise from such a small creature.

I had lunch with a friend today. Suzi lost her husband six months ago. I went to see Sam a couple of times when he was dying. He wanted company and I am good at that. I waited a few months before calling Suzi because it seems to me that everybody is always there and wanting to visit right after yhou lose someone but after a while they go on with their lives and forget. That is when you need someone. So we had a good visit. I will call her again in a month or so.

Tomorrow, we have to take Jim to work and the Elantra to the body shop to have the bumper fixed. I did tell you that Jim had a little fender bender on the way home one evening last week, didn't I? Noone was hurt at all but of course we have to get the car fixed. They say that it will not be over a day and a half. Hopefully it will be done tomorrow. We are grocery shopping tomorrow too. I still have to get my list together.

Theodore Roosevelt's ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907.
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."
Theodore Roosevelt 1907

I thought that the above is as pertinant today as it was 100 years ago.

Mid week and on to the weekend.

Love

Mary

It was a gorgeous day today. The sun was shining and despite the slightly more than needed breeze it felt much warmer that the high of the forties. Chelsea let me sleep until 6:30 AM.

She had to go for her heartworm test today. She does not like going to the Vet at all. She is starting to object to even going into the office. We always put a muzzle on her because we just don't know if she will snap or not. This time she got scared and started crying while Dr. Kris was drawing the blood. She was totally pitiful. But all is well and she will start taking her pills in June. Dr. Kris is Dr. Zechlinski's new partner. When I told her Chelsea likes lettuce she was delighted because her favorite patient at her previous practice also loved lettuce.

Then Dick and I voted and went over to D & M Plumbing to look at counter tops. We didn't get as much information as we had hoped for. Dick expected that they would send someone over to measure and make some recommendations. Apparantly they want us to measure and draw a floor plan and so on. So, we need to reconsider how we are going to proceed.

An e-mail from a friend. We all get heavier as we get older because there's a lot more information in our heads. So I'm not fat, I'm just really intelligent and my head couldn't hold any more so it started filling up the rest of me! That's my story and I'm sticking to it


I thought you would enjoy it as much as I did

Mary

What a strange weather day this was. I woke up to rain, really strong winds and even some snow flurries for a bit. Chelsea was bracing her little four feet to keep upright in the wind and did not even object to not heading out for a walk. Then this afternoon, the sun came out and by 5 or so it was almost warm though the wind is still a bit gusty.

We did get our walk this afternoon. The wind was still strong enough at 2 that I was bracing myself one direction and scooting along pretty fast the other. The old Irish Saying. "May the wind be always at your back" makes lots of sense.

Tomorrow, she gets her heartworm test. She thinks that the pills she takes once a monthe to prevent them are treats. She will like the ride, but it is really funny to see her march into the office and then try to head immediately back to the car.

We must remember to vote tomorrow too. Dick says that he is going to vote against Bush.

Bobbie and I had the Rhine Plymouth regular meeting tonight. It went quite well despite the officer changes that we have had when our president resigned. Things had been quite disrupted lately, not because of our previous leader, but the change certainly has given us a chance to change direction a bit and perhaps stop some of the bickering.

How closely tragedy and comedy are intwined. Mother and I were laughing Sunday about an incident that happened to her several years ago. She belongs to a bridge club that has been in existance for probably close to 70 years. There are still three of the original members in it. They play when they all feel well and when the weather is with them.

A few years ago, Mother, Loraine Le Mehieu and Bea Visser went to pick up Florence Herring to meet the others in Sheboygan. They got to her house and she didn't come out for her ride. So they went to the door and knocked. When they didn't get an answer, they called her son. When he arrived he went in and found out that dear Florence had passed peacefully away. By then they were late to meet the other s for lunch but they valiantly got in the car and went to the restuarant where they were going to eat before playing cards. They joined their friends and Bea said to those gathered. "Florence is gone." Doris Moies, a little miffed because they were late said. " Well, Where did she go.?"

They all still laugh about this incident to this day. They are so close but so practical and so accepting of life - and death - as part of the whole picture.

Have a lovely Tuesday. Don't forget to vote if you have an election in your area


Love

Mary

It has been raining off and on all afternoon. Now it seems a bit foggy. We need the rain. The little bit that we had last week made the tulips and day lilies really shoot up.

Jim and I went to practice pistol shooting again today. I am holding. The exercising is really helping. Would you believe that I got a 72 today!!!! And my average for the day was only four below Jim's. I am EXCITED. When we came back upstairs, we found Uncle Ken, my brother-in-law, sitting on a stool so we visited a bit with him.

I wrote a biography of my brother Matthew to take along with his poetry book to the Sheboygan County Historical Research Center when I meet with Beth Dippel on Wednesday morning. I had Dick read it and he says it is OK. I reviewed the things that I wanted to say with Mother. I believe that I will embellish it with my personal memories and things that, maybe, don't belong in the Research Center. If I change my mind, I can always replace it.

Here is one of his poems.

THINGS I'D LIKE TO SEE
by
Matt Deeley

there are many people i'd like to know
too many for my short years
many ways i'd like to grow
many many things i'd like to hear

a few more hearts i'd like to touch
some words i might believe
you know i just can't see too much
before i take my leave
a few more friends i'd like to make
a little love i'd like to take

before i'm tired and have to rest
i'd like to try my very best
to see everything there is to see
before weariness falls on me

a few more years i'd like to live
a little trust i'd like to give
and maybe i can help someone
to know himself and understand
that day is never really done
the sun shines always on the land.

there are many things i'd like to see
before my eyes can look no more
many different places i'd like to be
before i'm too old to open doors.


Tomorrow is a busy day. Bible Study AND Rhine Plymouth Meeting.

It will probably rain and maybe a few flurries. That doesn't seem quite fair but after all it is only April. May the sun shine on you.

Mary