Today was really a play day.

Chelsea and I went for a nice long walk this morning. It was quiet. We did not see one other soul walking. That is rather unusual. It was cool but not cold, perfect weather for walking and things were dry enough that her little body did not get too wet.

Then I left at about 9AM to pick up Kate Herman for our Writers Workshop Presentation by Michael Perry at the James Tellen Woodland Sculpture Garden in Black River. I told you about the Sculpture Garden before. That is where we went for part of the class with Ellen Kort last spring. This was an event cosponsored with Mead Library and was quite well attended. Michael Perry is an accomplished freelance author. He wrote Population 485 about his experiences as a paramedic/firefighter in New Auburn WI on the volunteer fire department. If you have not read it, I have the book and would be glad to lend it to you. I heard him speak twice before and always pick up SOMETHING from his talk. Today I learned that he is a "compulsive" rewriter. He said that if his editors and/or agents wouldn't at some point say "alright already" he probably wouldn't finish anything. He told us a wonderful quote (I don't know from whom) "A poem is never finished. It is abandoned in despair." How heart wrenching is that. There was a reception at Mead tonight also, but I am pretty tired and had to help Dick with his legs and all. His voice did not sound strong today either so I felt much better staying home with him.

On the way to the event, we stopped at my cousin Brian Ayers to pick up my wedding rings. My knuckles seem to be growing as I age and I could hardly get them off lately, so he enlarged them for me. They always look SO nice when he is done cleaning and checking them anyway. Just like new.

SO, Kate and I stopped and had lunch at the Family Restaurant on South Business Drive. We had a delicious Portabello and Veggie sandwich on Foccocia bread. Wow, was that ever good.

Then I took a nap for a bit. The rest of the afternoon, I just cut out the rest of the denim squares I need for a quilt AND made Zuppa Tuscana for supper.

Today, on the news headlines was the story of a cat who stowed away in a moving van and ended up across country. It was found and shipped back to Green Bay. It reminded me of an incident years ago when I had a beautiful black cat named Samantha (Sam for short) She was jet black and had the most emerald of green eyes that I have ever seen. One day, I headed to the store with the truck and camper to pick up some groceries. When I opened up the door to the camper at the store, Sam erupted from the camper and took off like a shot. I could not catch her. We were only about 10 blocks from home, so all I could do was hope she would find her way home. As a matter of fact, as close as we were, I just assumed she would probably even beat me home.

However, she did not beat me home and for almost two weeks she was gone. My neighbor, John Talmadge, who lived across the street was terribly upset with me and I and my ex husband were devastated. She was a nice cat. Then one day I heard a faint "mew" at the kitchen door. Out of habit, I opened it and there she was. She walked in and I was so glad to see her. She was so thing and then she turned her left side towards me. To my shock there was a slash down her entire side , the full length of her body and almost an inch in width. It was actually a big scar. I called the vet and rushed her over for a checkup. At first he must have thought that I had done something to her but when he heard what had happened, we came to the conclusion that she had gotten hurt, perhaps by a fan in a car, and then crawled off to die, but instead healed enough to make her way home. He gave me a salve to put on her scar and it healed up with no sign of it after a time. She was a wonderful cat.

Have a nice Sunday. I will be working at Rhine.

Mary

Here is a picture of Fr. Michael Shea saying mass at St. Michael's Church in Parnell. That was quite a day. Next year EVERYBODY should come.

Only one more week left in August. Where HAS the summer gone? Today I received a gate pass for one adult for the Sheboygan County Fair from the Blood Center. I was surprised and very pleased. Now if I can find someone to go with me, maybe I will go this year. I am sure Dick would go , IF he could walk decently. However, the fair by its nature is a walking thing and he can't do that. Maybe next year if the next couple weeks go well.

We usually have corn and tomatoes for supper on Fridays but had so much potato salad left that we decided to eat that instead with smoked sausage. Mighty good. We had eaten Jeff's corn early this week anyway. I will only be getting four ears from now on. I have more than enough frozen and we only eat two ears each.

I have been cutting denim squares for two days now in my spare time. I only need about 20 more. Then I need to cut the flannel that will back them. It will make a nice warm comforter when I am done. When talking to Barbara, I found out that she is working on a similar project. I will have plenty of denim left. I wonder if she or anyone else needs it.

I also grated a zucchini today and froze it in two cup sizes. This can go in soups and breads later. I thought I would try that since zucchini is either pouring in or not around at all.

I almost finished the Celtic Women vest today. Just a bit of finishing and hand work. At least I can have it to wear on Wednesday to the meeting that will organize the Sheboygan Branch. I wonder if Chelsea heard me say that she will need a bath before this meeting. She is quite a dirty girl.

The other day, I saw a bunch of high school kids running and remembered Bart. This is the time of year that kids start warming up for high school sports. Bart, when he started high school, was somewhat overweight and not into sports at all. He at some point, rather suddenly to us at least, decided that he was going to get in shape and joined the basketball team at high school. I picked him up after the first practice. He was gray. They had run back and forth on the court for almost the entire practice. We started home and he suddenly said that I should pull over, because he thought he was going to throw up. He didn't and we made it home where he showered and collapsed in bed.

Bless his heart. He went back. This was a beginning for him. He stayed on the team. He started running several miles a day and really got in shape. As a matter of fact, at one point, I was worried that he was too thin. This is my Bart. Once he makes up his mind to something, he is like a bull dog and does not take his eyes off his goal until it is achieved. The back injury and other problems have slowed him up on this but he is improving and I know his stubbornness will come back. I am so proud of him.

Love

Mary

Have a great weekend.

It was raining when Dick and I went to Sheboygan for his blood test. His count is now back to normal so Sue is going to have us wait a month now. Until a week or two after the next procedure on his legs.

Then we had breakfast at the Parkview in Sheboygan Falls. Except for a trip to Walgreens a bit later in the day to pick up Dick's prescriptions and some vitamins we stayed home the rest of the day.

I fixed a great lunch. We had my leftover salmon mixed with peppers, green and pickled, sweet pickles, onion and salad dressing on a bed of greens. Yum Yum.

Never leave salmon at the restaurant if it is too much for you to eat. Make a salad.

Didn't hear from a single soul today. Tomorrow should be fairly quiet also but the weekend is busy with a Writer's event at the James Tellen Sculpture garden in Black River on Saturday and Bobbie and I work at Rhine on Sunday. If it is quiet, I will shoot.

I had time to do some sewing on my CWI vest. Also, I cut out MANY squares of denim for a quilt I intend to make with them. It might have been years before I had enough squares but my friend Donna Plageman from Blessed Trinity, made it her mission to find denim for me. After I finish cutting out the most recent bunch she gave me, I may have enough.

Til Tomorrow

Mary

"Life may not be the party we hoped for . . . but while we are here, we might as well dance."

Hot and muggy was the order of the day. I woke up a bit after six. Dick and I went to Mc Donalds for breakfast and then the bank and then grocery shopping before 9:30. I had to be at the club (Rhine Plymouth) by 10:30 with the desserts.

We had a good turnout for the bust up party. Great meal too. 5 Foot sub from Subway, beans, potato salad, chips and lots of dessert cookies and cupcakes. I still have cupcakes, cookies and Rice Krispy Bars left, but the majority was eaten . I ended up bringing home a little bit of potato salad and the condiments.

I had ordered some Irish breakfast sausages and they arrived today too. So I spent about 45 minutes after I got home getting things packaged and in the fridge and freezer. I am looking forward to the weekend so I will be able to cook some of those sausages for breakfast. I got two packages of Irish Bacon too. Yum Yum Irish Bacon, tomato and lettuce sandwiches.

Tonight Bill Cain took us to 52 Stafford for dinner to celebrate the big sale. We had a really nice time. Good meal and good company.

This afternoon I started sewing my Celtic Women Vest together. I would like to have it together to wear to our organization meeting next Wednesday. The vest would be the best way to display the tartan. The Celtic Women Tartan is the only one that is registered to a woman's group in the world and is really pretty.

I know the following is an old one, but it IS funny. Enjoy.

Larry La Prise, the man who invented "The Hokey Pokey" died peacefully today at the age of 93.

The most traumatic part for his family was getting him in to the coffin. They put his left foot in. And then the trouble started.

Mary

It did not rain today. However we are supposed to be on storm watch this evening from what I hear this morning. Chelsea and I enjoyed a nice walk too. She is still quite bouncy when we are out. When she sleeps however, she is dead to the world. Today, the door bell rang, she did not hear it. I answered the door with her sleeping IN THE KITCHEN HALL, talked to Jim Bordeau, who was delivering the Tall Grass newsletter and she never knew he was there. Poor baby.

I baked myself silly today. Tomorrow is the bust up party for the Rhine Plymouth Morning Trap league and I am helping John with the food. I am bringing desserts. I baked cupcakes, cookies and made some rice krispie bars. Whatever is left will be just fine for us. John is picking up Subs and Auntie Em's Potato Salad from the Pig and his wife is making beans. Should be a really good bust up lunch.

Tomorrow night Bill Cain and Jennifer his assistant, are taking Jim, Michelle, Dick and me out to 52 Stafford for dinner. Since we will have breakfast out because we shop tomorrow, I will be eating out all three meals. Such a deal. I think I deserve it.

I had a dentist appointment today. Just for cleaning. Glad that is over for another couple of months. My gums were in better shape again. So I am doing something right.

The rest of the day was rather quiet. Dick and I cleaned out our bedroom closets and have two bags of clothes ready to take to St. Vinnies.

A joke from Reader's Digest by Mary Roberge: "A warning called out by a bus driver at Disney World: Don't forget your kids. If we find them, we drop them off at the "It's a Small World ride, where they'll learn the song in 30 languages and sing it to you over and over."

A true story about that. My friend Joyce Nusser was telling another friend how much she enjoyed It's a Small World. He said. "Don't even say Small World to me!. " He and his family had gone to Disneyland. They went on Small World and the ride broke down.. For 45 minutes. Learning and listening to that song in 30 languages may not be such a bad thing. They were hearing the same phrase over and over and over again. He was just about ready to climb out of the tram and make his way out of that trap through the dolls and the singing when it started up again. Needless to say he did not like the song OR the cute little figures.

Love

Mary

An fun day for me. First there was Bible Study. We had a nice group. We had 10 of us there. We are now 13 strong if everybody can make it. Not bad.

There were interesting discussions this morning. The Gospel for Sunday is from Luke. He talks about the narrow gate and says that if you are too late, the gate will be closed and you will not get through. I have this picture conjured up of a line like is waiting to go on the Matterhorn in Disneyland and when the ride is full they close the gate. Hope it is not first come, first served. I really know that Jesus would not have promised us the kingdom if there was a chance of a door being slammed in our face. Right?

Then I went over to Mom's. She is all rested up from the wedding and was getting ready to go play canasta with her friends, so I waited until Evelyn Sippel came to pick her up so I could help her and her walker get into the car. Those ladies are pretty old and any help they get is a good thing. I gave her the Clifford Family Crest pin that I had picked up at Irish Fest. She is wearing it proudly.

This afternoon I went to the Cream City Writers Club. The Plymouth Club. We had a nice meeting too. Everybody had something to read and we shared a few tips on writing. Bev and Kate and I agreed to go to see Maya Angelou in April at the JMCAC. That will be special.

Tonight I made the Sour Milk Cheese. We had corn and chicken and salad for supper.

One of our writing buddies is a recovering alcoholic. He told us so it is not secret. Anyway the reason I mention it is because of a statement that a recovering alcoholic told a group of AlAnon people that I belonged to. He said. "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 get goosed by the Holy Ghost."

Another thing I remember, I heard at an AA meeting. A man was giving his testamony. He and his wife had been really seriously addicted. They kept trying to stop and going to meetings Then one day, he came home and found that his wife had changed. She told him that the desire to drink was gone. She had had a spiritual awakening. He looked into her eyes and she was different. She was serene and never drank again. Well, this gave him the courage to plug along day by day and stay sober but it was always a struggle. So one day he asked his sponsor when he was going to have his spiritual awakening. His sponsor said. "Are you sober?" He answered yes. "Are you happy?" He again answered yes and his sponsor said. "That's it. That's your awakening." Sobriety and happiness were enough and perhaps the struggle was part of the reward.

Hope you have a good week.

I intend to. tomorrow is dentist day for me.

Love

Mary