It was a gorgeous day most of the day. Up in the high 70s again. The minute it hits 80, Dick has vowed to turn the air conditioning on. Tomorrow, may be the day.

It is sprinkling a bit right now. We may get a few scattered thunderstorms between now and tomorrow afternoon.

I am going to the 8AM mass tomorrow. Then I will pick Mom up at 3
in the afternoon and bring her here for dinner. I am going to fry out - brats, venison brats burgers and hamburgers. I have decided to make the Kunert potato salad too.

I found a recipe for Impossible Cherry Pie which looks and smells delicious. It uses bisquik (which when combined with eggs and milk bakes a crust) and cherry pie filling. We will have that for dessert tomorrow.

Chelsea got a bath today. She was so dirty around her shoulders and legs that I just had to do it. She hates baths, of course. And it totally exhausts her. She has been a very sleepy girl today. She does not get nearly as upset as Zero used to. We could turn that dog into a trembling bag of bones by the mere mention of the word.

Animals are such an important part of our lives. Zero, for instance, came from California with Bart and I when we moved. He was such a faithful little companion and so patient with all the changes. When we got him from the Humane Society, I was just content that he was small and seemed gentle and (more importantly) housebroken.

He got out of the yard and wandered away ONCE during the first week. We frantically drove around looking for him. There was a park at the end of the street. Actually it had entrances off of several streets. It was an L shaped park that ran in from one major street and did a sharp turn ending on another. We drove down all the streets calling for him and finally, he heard us and came running joyously towards us. I think he got into the park and all the entrances looked alike to him. He never wandered off again. He was so funny. By the end of the weekends, he would usually get a bit cranky and grumble a lot. I finally figured out that during the week, he rested while we were gone to work and school, but on the weekends he tried to keep up with us all day long as we were home and he was just plain tired.

I still miss that littly guy.

Love

Mary

It was a beautiful day. Temps were in the upper 70s and there was a gentle breeze to smooth it down. It was nice from the beginning when Chelsea and I took our walk to the end when I was out at Rhine for the bust up party. Sara got beef tips, potatoes, corn and rolls for the bust up dinner AND Bill Olson brought his famous homemade peach cobbler and ice cream for dessert. So we ate like royalty.

There was a rather sparse crowd, probably because of it being the holiday weekend. Bobbie and I earmed trophies for the pistol league. Bobbie is an Expert and I am a Sharpshooter. Bobbie wasn't there so I brought her trophy home with me. I do improve with each league.

I got the planting done this afternoon after I came back from Plymouth and lunch with the retired bankers. That was a pleasant break. I had not seen them for several weeks.

This weekend will be quiet except for Sunday when I will pick up Mother in the afternoon. She wants me to drive through the cemetery so we can check the flower boxes. She puts out a lot of them. Dad and Matt and Mickey and Aunt Nonnie and Uncle Jack and Grandma and Grandpa Bowser. And now Courtney is with Dad. I imagine that George and Betsy will send flowers for her. It is a pretty cemetery. I already bought a plot near my folks.

I don't have much else. I am tired. Perhaps I will have a story for you tomorrow night. Tonight I will quote you from the Cadfael Book of Days.

"You are your own master, however ill you master yourself."


Love

Mary

It rained off and on all day today. Just a gentle rain with no wind and the temperature was up in the low 70s. However, I could not plant. Hopefully, tomorrow we can at least get the plants hung on the pole in the front.

I ended up grocery shopping by myself today because Dick did not feel to well after we had breakfast. I went to the Pig in Falls. We had not been there in ages, but the Pick n Save does not carry the napkins that we like any longer so we decided to check out the competition. I ran into lots of friends and really had a quite a good time. When I got home, Dick was sleeping and he felt much better by the time he woke

I sent the following to most of you, but for those who didn't receive it enjoy the following:


How to solve the U. S. problems in a nut shell.

Dig a moat the length of the Mexican border.
Take the dirt from the moat and use it raise the levees in New Orleans.
Put those man eating Florida alligators in the moat.
Now. . . , any other problems you want me to solve?

I invited Mother over for dinner on Sunday. We are planning to fry out. I will do brats, hamburgers and a couple of the brat patties that I made. It is supposed to be very warm, so we may be able to sit out on the deck. I must try to get the plants in tomorrow, so it looks neat.

Have a great Friday. Dick and I get to shop.

Love

Mary

It was rather gloomy today. There is thunder tonight. Chelsea is valiantly trying to ignore it. She seems to be trying to do that lately. Instead of immediately hiding under the bed, she tries to look away and pretend it doesn't exist.

Jim went down last night to watch Michelle play her first volleyball games of the season. Her team won two out of three and she scored lots of points.

Dick and I went plant shopping this morning. Now, if it doesn't rain tomorrow, I can get some of them in the pots. For sure, I will get Dick to help me hang the pots that we bought for the pole in front. We got three beautiful New Guinea Impatients. Red - Dick's favorite color.

Mom and I went to church this evening to watch the students of St. Mary School put on their annual Spring Sing. This was a program called Of Mice and Mozart. They do a really wonderful job. They sing well, speak well and are required to memorize their lines. I believe that all of the students are involved in the production. They all said that they really liked learning about Mozart and his music along with learning their lines and getting to perform. Jeff came to help Mom in the garden yesterday and went to the Senior Meals with her for lunch. Mom always likes it if one of us comes. Of course, it makes her have to admit that her kids are seniors which doesn't exactly thrill her. Jeff knew quite a few of the people who come to the meals so I know that he enjoyed it. He brought me two nice tomato plants. Perhaps his will be better producers for me. I never have had much luck with tomatoes.


I got the following from a friend of mine through an e-mail. Did I tell you that a letter that I wrote to the Press regarding this got published?

1. If you migrate to this county, you must speak the native language.
2. You have to be a professional or an investor. No unskilled workers allowed.
3. There will be no special bilingual programs in the schools, no special
ballots for elections, all government business will be conducted in our
language.
4. Foreigners will NOT have the right to vote no matter how long they are here.
5. Foreigners will NEVER be able to hold political office.
6. Foreigners will not be a burden to the taxpayers. No welfare, no food stamps, no health care, or other government assistance programs.
7. Foreigners can invest in this country, but it must be an amount equal to 40,000
times the daily minimum wage.
8. If foreigners do come and want to buy land that will be okay, BUT options will
be restricted. You are not allowed waterfront property. That is reserved for
citizens naturally born into this country.
9. Foreigners may not protest; no demonstrations, no waving a foreign flag, no
political organizing, no bad-mouthing our president or his policies, if you do you
will be sent home.
10. If you do come to this country illegally, you will be hunted down and sent straight
to jail.

Harsh, you say? The above laws happen to be the immigration laws of Mexico!



Tomorrow we go grocery shopping. Have a good one yourself.

Mary

It was a beautiful day from beginning to end. Chelsea and I did not see much activity on our walk this morning. One dog, Lucy, (I think that is her name.) and Alana coming home from her walk. I did a bit of seed and herb planting and trimmed around the beds that Patrick (our lawn mower) could not get close to because of the floppy tulips and all. Tomorrow, Dick and I are going shopping for the rest of the plants. I would like to have them all planted and up for Memorial Day.

I also went to Joann's and picked up some thread and fusable bond for a couple of projects that I have going.

Jim was home for just a bit on his way down to Milwaukee to watch Michelle play soccer tonight.

I fixed pork tenterloin, mashed potatoes and broccoli/cauliflower salad for supper and we finished the last of the banana chocolate cake.

For the first time in MONTHS there are three things that I want to watch on TV at the same time. I will forgo one (the earthquake disaster - which was a little too boiler plate anyway) and have Dick tape House for me. I want to watch the Stephen King movie.

"You can pray til Hell freezes over and you can pray on the ice, but unless you get up off your ass, you will never be goosed by teh Holy Ghost."

Mary

There was frost on the grass when I walked this morning. The temperature was 37 degrees. I thought it was supposed to be spring. Well, it did warm up nicely to the mid to upper 50s and is still pleasant this evening. There is no wind and the sun shone all day.

I spent a good chunk of the day at church. Bible Study, as usual, this morning. We had 8 attendees. An average group. We won't meet next week because of the holiday and then the following week, Tom and Kathy will be back. That is a big YEA!! because it means that Tom is done with the treatments for his cancer. I saw Kathy and she said that all went well so far. Now we all need to pray and cross our fingers that it is ALL gone.

This afternoon, a bunch of volunteers met to stuff the letter and raffle tickets for Celtic Faire. What a mess, everybody started just stuffing and labeling, willy nilly. Makes my business mind go on overload, so I took over making sure that they remained in alphabetical order. We put them in the vestibule at church to be picked up and Alphabetical order is a MUST. The prizes are 1. A trip to Ireland or $1000. 2. $300. 3. 18 Holes of Golf at The Bull. 4. Dinner and Overnight stay at 52 Stafford for two and 5. $100.

THEN - tonight I met a few of the Trinity Quilters to begin the hand quilting on the quilt that we are putting together to raffle, also at Celtic Faire. It is just BEAUTIFUL. I recommend that you ALL buy tickets for both the quilt and for the other raffle. They are the same price. $1 each or 6 for $5. (They are separate raffles but both well worth it. Just wait until you see the quilt. A queen size by the way.)

I learned something tonight. I pricked my finger and got some blood on the quilt. Chris Nett said that she learned that your own spit will dissolve your own blood. AND it WORKED. Hope that doesn't turn you off from buying tickets. You will never find it, I bet.

Michelle started her new job today. She was very excited.

I talked to Bret yesterday. He called for my birthday. He sounds good.

All my love

Mary

What a fun birthday. Not so great to begin with. That goofy Chelsea tried to get me up at 5:25AM. I let her go potty and then went back to bed and shut her in the hall until 6:00. Then we went for our walk.

I left for church at about 9:00AM so I could visit with Mother a bit before heading over to church to warm up for singing at the 10:30 Mass. Cindy Dorn, a choir member, started everybody singing Happy Birthday. As it happened, her husband and oldest daughter had gone to the 8AM mass. When they came home her daughter said, "Guess what, today is Mary Kunert's birthday." Cindy, mistakenly said "Did you read that in the "bible" (meaning to say "bulletin".) Her daughter said. "No, Mom, she is not THAT old."

Cindy told Fr. Gene the story. He did not tell the story to the whole congregation, but did announce to the whole crowd that I was 26 again.

A fun afternoon too. Jim, Michelle, Dick and I played Hearts. It was a lot of fun. We haven't played cards in SO long. Must do that again.

Got really nice cards to greet me when I woke up this morning. It turned out to be a special Birthday and turned out to last two days, Yesterday and today.

Hope your week is good. It is supposed to be warming up finally. I plan on planting the herbs on Tuesday and getting Dick out to choose the rest of the plants on Wednesday. (Don't tell him.)

All my love.

Mary