I got to stay home all day. The temperatures were quite pleasant. It is really quite comfortable in the house tonight. Yesterday it was kind of muggy.

I packed five boxes today. Dick said he would carry four of them (books) out into the garage for me.

Jim and Michelle and Dick and I played cards tonight. Jim and Michelle were the winners again. We old people are really falling down on the job lately.

I cannot get the sewing machine to accomodate the iron on applique. So I guess I will just start hand sewing the banner tomorrow and any time that I watch TV. It will make the time pass nicely.

I finished the draft of the worship folder today. I sent the rough draft off to Jim and Beth and will take it in to Sandy at the church office on Monday. I have to work on the cover and the publicity next.

Tomorrow, except for church, we don't have to go anywhere again. That is two days in a row. But next week will make up for it.

My father in law had an expression that I really liked. He used to tell the grandaughters when they were sensitive that their "Tears were too close to their eyeballs."


Have a nice Sunday.

Mary

Fresh corn and tomatoes from Wingert's for supper along with fresh blueberry pie with REAL whipped cream for dessert.

As my brother in law George would say. "Wonder what the rich people are eating tonight."

Bobbie and Bill joined us and Jim and Michelle were home too so we had a lovely dinner with good conversation.

Had lunch with Betty, Marlene and Ceil in Plymouth today. They are happy that we are moving to Plymouth. I feel that I have a belonging there already. As I worked so long there I will be running into friends in stores and church and so on. It is hard to go to a place alone. I've done that enough in my life.

I got three more boxes packed and stacked in the garage today and cleaned the kitchen.

Fr. Mike Shea called this evening. He is in the states, but is leaving Wednesday for Thailand. He was only here for two weeks, and had run out of time, so we will have to plan on getting together next year when he is hoping to be here longer. I told him that Beth Dipple and I will let him know AS SOON as the date is set for the Irish reunion at St. Michael's Church near Parnell and he can hopefully say Mass for us AND we can make it a big fundraiser for Sarnelli House. He called Mother this morning and was very pleased to visit with her. He is so impressed with her independence and I told him how proud we are of her. We both agreed that it does not pay to get into an argument with her. She reads constantly and knows her facts before she speaks.

Tomorrow, I am going to spend the day working on the banner for Celtic Mass. I have not had the time or inclination for weeks and there are only about five weeks left. If I can just get the edging around the fused applique the rest will go VERY fast.

I have finished the introduction for the Celtic Mass Worship Folder. Dick always helps me by editing. I do like to present a different view of Celtic Spirituality each year.

This year I am presenting the idea of the feasts that the Celts celebrated and how they can relate to today quite easily. The season of the Harvest, or Lughasadh begins August 1 and continues til November 1st. Very easy to feature.

Love

Mary

Dick and I went grocery shopping early this morning. We were home before 9:AM which is unusual. We stopped for breakfast at Hardee's for a change. I do like their bisquits. So I had an egg and cheese bisquit.

When we got home, I put the groceries away and called Dolores to find out how the new baby and her parents are doing. All is well. Stacy's c-section only took about 20 minutes. Doesn't that seem impossible? She is just fine but will have to remember to be very careful for a few weeks so she heals up right. Todd is such a happy Daddy.

I called Eileen too. She has been a sick lady. A reaction to a very strong antibiotic. Now she is on ANOTHER one that is easier on the system and will help counteract the problems caused by the first one. What a mess, right.

Dick and I went over to Menards and bought a hex driver so that I could try to replace the broiler element in the stove. However, when I took it out, the wire was broken. I am not capable of repairing, only replacing, so we called Sears and the repairman will be here tomorrow.

I cleaned the bathrooms today too.

This evening, I wrote the rough copy of the intro for the Celtic Mass worship folder. I will have Dick edit it for me. I have decided to tell about the Celtic Season Lughnasadh, which starts on August 1 and celebrates the harvest. It is one of the two minor seasons. Beltane, celebrated on May 1, means bright fire, and marks the beginning of the "light half" or summer of the year. Samhain. the most important of the four, is celebrated on November 1. It is now associated with our All Hallows Eve (Halloween) and marks the "dark half" or winter of the year.

So it was a busy day, all day. I even got a couple of boxes packed and out into the garage.

We are getting fresh corn and tomatoes for dinner tomorrow and Bobbie and Bill will join us.

Love

Mary

It was hot again today. The cold front that was promised started to come through this evening. The temperatures have dropped from the high 80s to the high 60s this evening. We are even getting a bit of rain. Not enough but anything we get is very welcome at this point.

Chelsea and I had a nice walk this morning and ran into a couple of neighbors, Sherry from next door and Mikki from across the street, so I had to tell them what was going on. I will be somewhat difficult to leave as this is a lovely neighborhood with really good neighbors. Anyone who buys this house will be accepted and feel very comfortable.

Dick and I ran a few errands this morning then went to Falls to the Firehouse to join a bunch of my classmates and their spouses for lunch. The Firehouse is always good and we did some catching up. Dick admitted that he did enjoy himself. We sat across from Dick and Lorraine Schaap who are always good company.


Then I went to Plymouth to do the final review of my book. There was a question on one page which will be emailed for my approval when corrected, then the printing. I want it done by the 10th so I can take it to show everybody at the Ball Game. I will also have it ready for Irish Fest, the Irish reunion at St. Michaels and Celtic Faire.

This evening I did the minutes of the Rhine Board meeting and the outline for the Celtic Mass to take to Sandy on Monday. I still have to write a bit of an introduction to the Worship Folder. I like to change that every year.

So it was a productive day and now I am tired. I did get two boxes packed also. I forgot to mention that.

From Cadfael's Book of Days "Tongues wag more freely before the deaf man."

Be cool and safe. Keep us in your prayers. I am still very worried about many things. I must remember that all I have to do is do my best and keep plugging along and that God will pick up the slack for me.

Love

Mary

Well, I am home. Actually, Dick and I were able to stay in out of the horrible heat all day. It was 95 again with a heat index in the triple digets again. Tonight it is supposed to cool and tomorrow, the temps will be in the mid eighties. It has been raining this evening.

Tonight, I went to Beth Hoegger's (my choir director) house to meet with her and Jim Wilsing (the bagpiper)to plan the Celtic Mass. Dick said they must be Deeley's. We could have been done in an hour but it took us almost three because we had to to talk and visit. BUT - we got it done and it will be a beautiful service. We will have a couple of new instrumentalists joining us for some of the music, especially in the prelude. Jim promised that he will play the Old Rustic Bridge to get the program started. (One of my personal favorites). We will sing the song that I wrote the words to and Beth is writing music for the standard parts of the Mass (e.g. the Gloria and Sanctus.) Now I am getting excited.

I need to finish the banner too. With all the house stuff and confusion, it has been put on a back burner.

We got a few more boxes packed and stacked against the wall in the garage. We also pulled out books that we are donating to the library.

Mother called this evening. My nephew, Todd, and his wife Stacy are expecting a baby and she is having a long hard labor and they have decided to take the baby by a C-section. Best to do it sooner than later, but it is still a worry. Please pray along with me for the safety of little Morgan and especially her parents, who I am sure are scared beyond belief. This is their first child too.

We now have a for sale sign on our front lawn. Wonder what the neighbors are thinking.

All my love

Mary

It was HOT today. I believe it topped 98 degrees with a heat index of triple digets.

Nick Cain came over today to measure the rooms and take pictures and video for their website. I remember him as a little kid when I worked at Wells in Plymouth and he and his sister Katie would come in to see their Mom, Dawn, after school. He has grown up to be a pleasant competent young man. They can be very proud.

Bible Study this morning. We had about 8 of us. A nice number. Helen Morgan and Esther Hasler were both back after an absence so we were glad to have them to add to our discussion. They are sad that we are moving and I will probably switch parishes because we will be so close to St. John's in Plymouth. I said that I MIGHT stick to the bible study because I should come in to visit Mother at least once a week and this would make it a two for one trip.

H. Jackson Brown Jr. said "Never deprive someone of hope, it might be all they have."


Love

Mary

Sunday, Sunday. It was much cooler that they predicted but very humid. I understand that the heat tomorrow will more than make up for today. I am still having trouble sleeping. I wake up every morning at about 4AM and cannot get back to sleep. I managed to stay in bed and listen to the music that was on for about an hour, then got stiff and just got up. Chelsea is not doing too well in this humidity. She is cutting back her walk and sometimes just sits down to rest for a bit.

I went to the eight o'clock mass and had a nice visit with Mother. We got to talking about my brother Tim and his friend Gene Drossel. They were thick as thieves as kids. One time Mom and Dad and the Drossels got called to school. There was a party at school and the kids were allowed to bring a snack and something to drink. Tim, Gene and a couple of other boys decided to bring cokes, however, they got the idea to spice them up a bit with some whiskey from one of the Dad's cupboard. Somebody squealed and they got caught. Mother said that now days that would have been all over the papers. At that time, the parents were called and THEY handled it. Tim and Gene grew up JUST fine.

I got home somewhere around 10:30AM and fixed a brunch for Dick, Michelle, Jim and myself. Jim and Michelle went back to West Allis shortly after we ate.

Than, except for an hour for a nap, I worked on getting final touches on the house for the big video taking tomorrow for the house listing. Supper was easy, we had a couple of Jeff's bratwurst and some potato salad left, so we ate that at about six.

Tomorrow, I have Bible Study and a Rhine Plymouth Board meeting. I will also be taking my edited book to Sun Graphics to leave for inal publication.

Today is Nora Schwarten, our granddaughter's birthday. She is eighteen now. It hardly seems possible. We have not seen her now for several years and she never seems to be available when we call. It is sad not to be close to her any more. She is a lovely little thing and seems to be doing well from what Leslie, her mother, says. I think of her often and we have such lovely memories.


Love

Mary

I forgot to blog last night. We spent the day getting as much stuff of of flat surfaces and into boxes along the garage wall as we could.

I think Michelle is doing too much with her foot as the surgery was only Monday but only she can judge how she feels.

Dick took us all out to breakfast.

I have been waking up at 4AM and am unable to go back to sleep for the past two days. Too much on my mind but it is not helping. I am tired and dwelling on problems that I don't have solutions for. I need to keep working on letting go and letting God. I know that he will take care of things but I am so worried.

Later

Mary