Strange day. I had a pretty good night, actually but was so tired that I napped for over an hour this morning. Roxie was in her chair in the old office and did not even know that I was sleeping so I was alone. After I woke up I drove to the Pick and Save. They had a deal I could not refuse. If you buy a Cook's ham you get a free turkey, sausages and eggs. We have so much food in this house, but I would be buying a turkey in the next week or so anyway and we haven't had ham for quite some time. So now I have a 10 pound ham and a to pound turkey. Perhaps I should start a soup kitchen.

When I got back, we got Dick all changed and re bandaged before eating lunch. I surprised him with chili. He was sleeping off an on all day Wednesday when I made it and did not know that it was here. I do like to surprise him.

This afternoon, I went to St. John the Baptist for their annual craft fair. It is a really big fair taking up much of the school and the hall. They have everything from raffles to silent auctions to really quality vendors and lots of good food, including a bake sale. Do you know that when people bring things for the bake sale they have to give the ingredients now to be sure that people with allergies done get sick and sue?

I had a good time. I just bought a few raffle tickets and looked around. Then I waited through the drawing. I won a crocheted tote that is quite nice. Got my money back anyway. Kate was in charge of the raffle baskets again. So I got to visit with her a bit too. We are going to an Irish Genealogy class at the Historical Research Center on Monday and will have lunch on the way. This must be a special class because the Research Center is usually closed on Mondays.

I was talking to a lady about not putting off doing the things that we want to do in this life. She mentioned that she had gone parasailing and swimming with dolphins. So I shared that I had also gone para sailing and what a memory that is. Then I remembered an experience with dolphins that is precious to me.

Went to Marineland in Long Beach when Bret was just a little boy, maybe three. I believe it was the time Uncle Jim took Jeff and Kathy and me and Bret there for the day. At that time, you could purchase fish and actually hold them over the tank and feed the dolphins. Little Bret held his fish over the tank and this huge dolphin surged up out of the water. All I could see was a big gray head and rows of sharp teeth. He engulfed Bret's whole arm in his mouth. There was nothing I could do but gasp and stand there. Then that beautiful animal dropped back into the water and gently plucked that fish right out of the tips of those tiny little fingers. Bret was in awe. He said, "He kissed my fingers."

I went to the 4PM mass too. Now tomorrow I can stay home and hopefully take two naps. I want to work on dressing my Crone doll and cutting out fabric for a quilt I am working on.


Now I am ready to go to bed as soon as I can. Had a bit of a rough day but I will put my hope in tomorrow.

Did I tell you that I was unable to get pictures in Chicago because my camera has a problem. The battery cover is broken. I can only keep it on with very careful jiggling. Well, when I moved it from my purse to the suitcase, the battery cover and the batteries fell out in the car and I did not see it. So I got to Chicago with a gutless camera. I am hoping for some pictures from my friends. A couple people did take some.

Toni, took pictures of all of us Celtic Women plus Nancy at Rhine the other night. We have 5 of our members who shoot the pistol league.

Pretty impressive

Later


Mary

I had a really bad night last night. The medicine that the doctor gave me is not helping my stomach at all. So I called him back today and he has prescribed another med to hopefully settle things down. I could not get to sleep for over three hours last night because of the discomfort. Tonight is not looking too good either, but I will take the pills soon. The new one is supposed to make me sleepy. Pray God that it does.

I took two naps today so at least I was able to function. We got Dick up on his feet today. He walked for three minutes - the first time in a couple of months.

Tonight, Nancy picked me up at 5:15 or so and we went to Rhine for the shooting league bust up party. Good food, sloppy Joes, salads and desserts. I ate lightly and it all tasted good, now we will see if all goes well when I go to bed.

Today for some reason, I thought of Gypsies. Did your folks ever tell you to watch out or you could get stolen by the Gypsies? Well the gypsies actually used to come through Sheboygan Falls at least every other year or so. They came in a caravan, at some time with animals though perhaps later in vehicles. I remember their brightly colored clothing and I remember that they used to camp down in "the Flats". The Flats is an area down below and beside the Falls in Sheboygan Falls. Now it is mostly industrial. Then it was open. Dad even rented a plot of land to farm on one year. When I was in high school, it was a spot young people went to neck.

The last year I remember the Gypsies, I was working at the bank. The merchants down town were not too happy when they came. They did buy things but were known to steal also. If they ever came after that, I had moved to California and would not have known. Wonder what ever happened to them.

Love

Mary

A quiet day. I had a really good nap this afternoon. I laid down right after lunch and our Roxie approved. She curled up in the hammock I make with my legs resting on a pillow. We both hated to woke up.

I did a lot of computer work this morning, emailing CWI people and other things. Dick and I also got his hair washed and his stockings changed and wounds dressed. That easily wipes out a morning.

Joan, our cleaning person, came at 8AM so we have a vacuumed and scrubbed home again. I am so glad that we are doing that. I was able to clean a cupboard and the window in the front door today too. Somehow I have accumulated 4 packages of Chocolate chips. I must have seen sales and "stocking up." Think I am more than stocked up now. I feel like my friend Ceil felt when she moved to her new condo and when loading her canned goods found 13 small cans of mushrooms. She too kept buying them because she saw a sale and kept forgetting to check her stock.

Bobbie and Bill got her at about 4PM. Bobbie and I racked the Concord Grape wine, her Sheboygan Spice, into the secondary fermentor. It sure smells good. Between us, we, again have about 6 wines in various stages of readiness. Next week sometime we will be racking my lemon balm and my marigold.

Thanksgiving is now just three weeks away. Dick and I are hosting and I have our menu all figured out. I know that I have told you, that in my previous life, we spent Thanksgiving out on the California desert, in various places, the latest at Chiriaca Summit and actually on the Saturday, would roast a pig and a quarter of beef and share that. We baked potatoes, made beans, fresh applesauce and topped it off with homemade ice cream. The guys cooked the meat, starting in the wee hours of the morning. They put it on a big spit and ran the spit with a generator. Bret watched that pig go around for quite some time the first time he saw it. Then he asked our friend, Orrin Nordin, "Can't it oink anymore?" Orrin said. "I hope not." Boy was that a feast and what a wonderful celebration.

I would cook our Thanksgiving the week before and then bring the leftovers for a second meal on Thanksgiving itself out in the desert. I loved the desert. Some day perhaps I can visit it again.

Have a nice day

Mary

Today was shopping day. I went right after breakfast and then was able to spend the whole rest of the day at home. What a blessing.

I made a pot of chili. It can now sit and cure until Friday as we are going to be going out to dinner with Bobbie and Bill tomorrow night. We are going to Sweet Basil.

Then I called the guy, Chuck, who had called on Monday night to tell me that I won a Christmas Basket in the IBAM Raffle. Boy am I excited. He is going to ship it out to me. If I could have gotten there, I could have picked the basket I wanted but, as I told him, this will make it a real surprise. They are going to print the winners in the Irish Cultural Center newsletter and I asked if they would mention that I am president of Celtic Women International. Might as well get a bit of publicity out or it.

I called a couple of friends during the afternoon too. Notably, my friend, Bob Fleming, to tell him that two packets of his St. Patrick Cards sold at IBAM. He was delighted. I told him that someone said that they would like to see some St. Bridget cards. So now I need to look up some of the legends or sources of St. Bridget for him. That will be fun as I was wanting to do a wall hanging in her honor.

Nothing else exciting happened. I am exhausted as I seemed to be busy cleaning and/or putting things away all day. Soon Chelsea will have her last walk outside and then I can go to bed.

Til tomorrow

Mary

I have been working on putting things in their place since I returned from Chicago and still have not completely succeeded. I also had to spend part of the morning getting ready for the Quilt Club meeting at the Plymouth Library this afternoon.

I fixed chicken, potatoes and gravy, corn and salad for our lunch, then went to the meeting. Dick has been doing a lot of sleeping during the day. I know, it is really easy to tell him to just force himself to stay awake during the day, but unfortunately that does not work for him. At least he is getting sleep these days.

The meeting was quite fun. Some sharing of work, planning for the Christmas event and finishing tying a quilt for one of the members. I was surprised how many of the members I knew when I got there. One of them is a neighbor here in Tallgrass, Lorraine from just down the street. Next month I will try to have a project, a wheel chair or walker bag, done. The club takes them to nursing homes. We are also to bring a $5. gift or preferably something that we have made. That really sounds like fun.

While I was gone last night a man from the Irish Cultural Center called to tell me that I won one of the Christmas Raffle baskets. I am so excited but got home to late to call him back, then tonight I was at the last of my Herbal Remedy Classes. SO tomorrow evening, I will call him back and get it sent. I am so excited. I love winning things.

The class was good tonight. All of the 9 students were there and we discussed and learned how to make salves and oils. I love Linda's classes because they are so interesting AND because we get to bring stuff home with us. Tonight we made a fir oil for soothing and a Lavender, Rosemary, Calendula salve which will be also soothing and smells wonderful

This was the last of the Fall series but she will be doing one in the spring and I believe I will sign up for it unless something comes up. When we discussed salves, I remembered and told her about the Salve that the Deeley's used to make that was supposed to heal any wound. It was called Auntie Brandl's Wonder Salve in our family and lists ingredients that are now illegal and or we don't know what they are.

I copied the recipe from my Mastercook and am sharing it with you. Isn't it fun?

Mary





* Exported from MasterCook *

Wonder Salve

Recipe By : Auntie Brandl from Aunt Helen Deeley
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Family

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
8 ounces sweet oil
4 ounces red lead
3 drams olebaum
2 drams burnt alum
2 drams camphor

Heat oil to boiling point. Add all ingredients except camphor.

Boil until lead turns brown.

Take from fire and immediately add camphor. Beat until cool.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

NOTES : This salve was used for healing sores. Auntie Brandl send some of this salve to my Grandma Deeley when Dad had Turmaline (contracted from contact with rabbits). He had a sore that would not heal. The envelope with the recipe had a note on it to "Put on Hutz's toe" My dad, Hutz, swore by it and after it was gone tried to get Mom to make more. Some of the ingredients are no longer available and according to my brother George, who has a PHD in Water Pollution (Chemistry) are poisonous anyway. Mom has a bottle of sweet oil (which may be too old to be of any use) and a small sample of the original salve. I am not even sure from the writing if I spelled correctly and olebaum may be oledaum. If I ever find out I will correct the recipe and update this page.

Well, here I am again, finally done with today and ready to update you on the whole weekend plus today.

Started off Friday by leaving for the Amtrak Station in Milwaukee after lunch at about 12:30PM. I got there in plenty of time to get into the station and checked in before the train arrived. It is really easy to do this and I would recommend it to anyone who knows how to get around on public transportation down there. I had the fortune of a friend, Betty Gavitt picking me up at the Grandview station and driving me to wherever we had to go. She took me over to the hotel first to check in. Then we went out for dinner together. I was able to be back in my room and have a really restful sleep that night. I read and watched TV and slept.

The next morning Betty picked me up shortly after 9AM. I breakfasted at the Super 8. We went to the Irish Cultural Center to set up the CWI table and get ready to help serve the Irish Breakfast. It was an exciting day. I ate an Irish Breakfast and manned the CWI table off and on all day. We took turns going to hear various speakers and walking around to see the exhibits and all. I met and talked to Malachy and Alphie Mc Court. Both of them have new books and of course, Malachy has his first one still in print.

I was able to sit in on and meet Mary Pat Kelly who wrote Galway Bay a currently popular book about her family. She is fascinating and lots of fun. I loved her talk. She talked about the famine and the numbers that left Ireland during all those times . Then she said something that really struck me. She said. (I am almost quoting.) "People ask, whatever happened to all those people." Then she spread out her hands and said. "We happened." Isn't that great.

After her lecture, I was able to sit in on the last part of the Mc Court talk too. Malachy did most of the talking and I was glad that I got the opportunity.

One of our members, (I am embarrassed that I have forgotten her name) said, "My butt is getting sore from listening to all these people." Isn't that another great quote?

We closed up our table at about 5PM and left after watching Jeff Ward sing a couple of songs. Betty and I had to leave at 5:30PM because we met her sister and family for supper at 6:30. That was pleasant. I got a steak dinner that was wonderful. Betty's sister, brother in law and niece were good company. I was back to the motel at about 8:30PM. Plenty of time for settling down and getting a really good night's sleep again.

The next day I went to Mass at the Center and then worked for an hour dishing up breakfast to the takers. Then I did some shopping and worked the table again. We left at about 2:30 so I could catch my 3:38PM train back to Milwaukee. An uneventful easy trip. Then I loaded everything into the car and made my way home. It was fun having the GPS to reassure me that I was going the right way.

It was good to get home. I felt quite rested but of course that is wearing off quickly. I brought a couple of books home and some barm bread. I sold seven of my trivets and two books. We also sold two of my friend Bob's note cards that I had brought for the table so it was a successful as well as fun weekend.

Today I had bible study at 9:30AM followed by a lovely visit with Mother. Then home for lunch. Bobbie brought our Chelsea home shortly after one PM. She seemed glad to be here as she wanted me to immediately do something for her and actually did not seem to be upset when I picked her up for a bit.

I had a doctor appointment at 2:15PM in Sheboygan with Dr. Sojhi. He has started me on some new meds to see if we can cure my stomach pains. I am to take them for six weeks, recording on a calendar, and then call to update him on how I feel. Then I am to go back for an appointment in three months. I hope this works.

I took a nap when I got home. Then fixed dinner an tonight had to go to the Rhine Plymouth monthly meeting. Lost of excitement. Sara has apparently dropped out of the club. (Don't know what got her goat.) and Frank was his usual loud self. He always has objections but no suggestions.

So, that was the weekend pretty much. I am certainly glad that I went. I know that it was hard on Dick and am so grateful that Bobbie was able to take Chelsea and come every day. Bill came with her on Saturday and they fixed the light in my kitchen and replaced the screen in the front door with the storm door. Goofy me, I didn't notice until the second time that I took Chelsea outside. Aren't they good to me?

Til tomorrow then.

Love

Mary

Got home safe and sound last evening and was tired. I fixed dinner for Dick and my self an unpacked and then just kind of faded. I will put a newsy blog on tonight to tell you about my mini vacation.

For now, it was restful, stimulating and just plain fun all at once.

I met SO many good authors and artists and heard a couple of super lectures.

Til tonight.

Love

Mary