I am home safe and sound. The conference ended at about 9:30 and after a slight turn delay getting out of town because the directions I got off the internet did not know that Wisconsin Avenue was blocked off before I got to 6th Street which is where I was instructed to turn to find Hwy 43. I just worked my way east and north until I found 6th Street and Wa -La there was a sign for Hwy 43. So it was pretty easy in the long run and I was home at about 10:30.

It was a good conference. I met a several new people, connected with several people that I knew from before. I traded four of my books for other author's books and sold three others. It was cool.

One of the speakers was from the Aran Islands and had a great quote. Padraig said that when whe came to the islands after college, one of the ladies on the island said. "You mean to say that you wnt to four years of college and did not learn how to knit?"

Perspective. Anyway, I will tell you more as the days go on.

Love

Mary

Just a reminder that I will be gone until late Saturday. Hope your next few days are fine.

The sun is shining but it is COLD and WINDY>

John O'Donohue writes "I am always amazed that poems are willing to lie down and sleep inside the flat closed pages of books."

Mary

Well - this will be the last you hear from me UNTIL Saturday night. Don't give up on me. Hopefully, I will be full of exciting things and stories to tell after the conference.

It was a blustery day. The wind blew and a cold rain fell most of the day. We got the antenna for our indoor outdoor thermometer all set up today. Now, I can just glance at the thermometer to see WHAT jacket to put on when Chelsea and I go for our morning walk.

We hung the pictures in the hall next to the guest bath this afternoon. We put the picture of Christ that Barb did for us right next to our bedroom and the Meerkat poster from the Smithsonian on the other side of the door.

I cut out the pieces to assemble the quilt top that Donna wants to give to our friends Ken and Helen for their grandchild. Donna does do beautiful cross stitch. I am still actually trying to figure out how I ended up assembling it. Donna is, as I said, a good soul and it is OK. She knows that I am still really involved and won't be able to REALLY rush it.

We had chili tonight. Boy was it good. Now Dick will have plenty to eat that is easy to fix while I am gone. There will only be three nights and there is soup in the cupboard and there are hot dogs in the fridge for variety.

I will be leaving at about 2:00 tomorrow afternoon and will be back LATE on Saturday evening. The conference lasts two full days and they are full days. I registered last spring, the registration includes ALL meals and all speakers and entertainment, everything but the room which I will be sharing with Maureen and Mary from Chicago.

At other conferences, a storyteller, named Beth Vaughan was always in attendance, entertaining us as Biddy O'Byrne. She also gave mini classes in storytelling, very proud of the craft that she exemplified so well. She was scheduled to be here again this year, but Jean Bills sent out an email a couple of weeks ago that Beth had died. She will be missed. I have one of her tapes. She was just precious and joy shone from her eyes. She must be a welcome ray of light on the streets of heaven.

Mary

Dick saw Dr. Phelan this afternoon. His back is just fine. The bruizing is healing nicely and the slight discomfort he is still experiencing will pass.

The swelling in his legs is another matter. Dr. Phelan prescribed a mild antibiotic because of the sores so that infection does not get a chance to settle in. He also has wrapped the legs again. He has to go back to have them rewrapped either Thursday or Friday and then have his blood checked on Tuesday so that there is no thinning. It is kind of like a roller coaster.

I sewed the label on the church banner while watching Dancing With the Stars. It was really good tonight. It was a rough decision, but I voted for Emmit. He is so amazingly smooth for such a big man. It always amazes me.

Love

Mary

This morning we had a nice discussion at the Bible Study. The first reading is in the Book of Wisdom. We find it interesting that Wisdom is portrayed as a woman. This in a society that considered women the possessions of the men - first the father, then the husband. Yet Wisdom was the portrait of understanding, and knowledge and was to be prized above all beauty, riches and fame.

I also picked up the banner from church. I will sew on the label tomorrow evening and will take it with me on Thursday to share. I actually remembered to get it.

Then Jim and Michelle took us with them to Appleton to shop at Sam's Club. Dick had never been there. I was to a Sam's Club ONCE with Bart and Barb. We bought a few things, of most interest, a package of instant potatoes with 10 packages of four different kinds. Yukon Gold, Red, Twice Baked and Sweet Potato. They all sound interesting and fun.

Jim and Michelle stocked up on lots of food and drinks for their wedding.

Tonight I met a friend, Donna, who wants me to assemble a baby quilt top for her. She embroidered five squares for a baby quilt for a mutual friend's grandson and does not quilt. Donna is a little different but a good soul and I decided to help her. We picked out sale fabric at Evans which she can afford and she still has enough for the batting if I don't have any in my stock.

Talked to Barb tonight. She sounds much better though she is dreading returning to work tomorrow after her four days off. Bart is much calmer and Dr. Davies has reintroduced his meds to him and has instructed him to go daily to the YMCA to exercize. He wants him busy with a purpose.

I have been thinking of the value of a human being. I remember when I was in my late teens or early 20s talking to my cousin, Jerome Ziegler, who was at that time a Catholic Priest, feeling down and inferior. He told me to always remember that I was as good as anyone and better than most. He told me that I should never forget that. I still hold those words in my heart and know it is true. It was clear to me and I hope it settles in your heart too, that God "don't make no junk." We are more precious than the angels.

Have a good Tuesday. Dick has a checkup tomorrow and Jim starts a job.

Love

Mary

The art is all hung up in the living room. We are pleased with the placement. Tomorrow, I hope to fine tune everything. There are rough edges but it looks nice.

Tomorrow, I have bible study in the morning and will pick up the banner to take with me to the Celtic Conference and share. Then Dick and I are going to join Jim and Michelle on a trip to Sam's Club. I have only been to a Sam's Club once and don't really know if Dick has ever been to one. It will be an adventure.

I pick up Market Day at 4:30PM up the hill at St. John the Baptist School. That will be my first financial association with St. John the Baptist Church. I have decided that November 5th will be may last official Sunday at Blessed Trinity. That is the Turkey Dinner weekend and I will pick up four turkey dinners for Dick and Me and Michelle and Jim. The 7th will be the Senior Mass and program. If noone has stepped forward I have done the best I can making sure that what is available is listed and known.

At 6:30PM I will attend the wrap up meeting for the Celtic Faire. Sure glad I have a meal kind of ready to go in the fridge.

Barb is still trying to get Bart admitted to the hospital that he should be in. There seems to be a shortage of beds. Pray that all goes well. He is calmer and wanting to get help, this is no time for delay.

It was quite warm today. We tried to enjoy it as the temperatures are dropping again tomorrow. I swept leaves off the deck and had quite a nice walk with Chelsea this morning.

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

Every American citizen needs to read the above.

MARY