Another week over.    Can you believe it?

This morning, I got up between 6:30AM and 7AM to be ready to go to pick up SHARE at 9AM.   Dick and I had scrambled eggs for breakfast.   Dick couldn't eat anything crunchy because of the antibiotics in his tooth. 

I also had to get the corned beef in before I left because it needed to cook for at least three hours.  

Got a good selection of food from SHARE.  Chicken, ham for sandwiches, frozen pasta, fish, potatoes, red onions, oranges, apples, and grapefruit.

Then Bobbie and Bill came to see us shortly before lunch for the corned beef dinner which was really really good.   As I think I said, I will never buy a prepared brisket myself again.   It is so easy to prepare your own and it is so much better.

Bill changed the light bulbs in the kitchen.   They were all kind of lit but were fading and flickering.  So now I can see in the kitchen again.   Yippee.

I went to Mass at 4PM and was Eucharistic Minister.   I love that job.   It is so good to be able to present the sacrament to the other members of the community.

Tonight we were watching a show on El Toro Marine Base in Irvine California.   That base was still open when my boys were little and we got to tour it a couple of times.    Did you know that they had hangers on that base that were so big that under the right circumstances it would actually rain inside of them?

How does one dismantle something like that?

God love you.  Until tomorrow

Mary

Another Friday and another beginning of a Trap and Pistol League at Rhine Plymouth.   I had to work tonight.   We were very busy.    We signed up nine 3-man trap teams this first week of the trap league and already have 14 in the pistol league.   I didn't shoot until the end of the shift as I was expecting Nancy to come.   Then when I got home, there was a call from her saying that she could not come because she got bogged down in tomorrow's plans to go see her granddaughter.  So I am a bit ahead of her but we will do just fine.

It was an active day.    Jody came to do the cleaning this morning then  we had to get ready for Dick's dentist appointment at 10:40AM.  Bobbie arrived at about 10:15AM to help us get him there.    He was fine except for a pocket in his gum that they had to treat with antibiotics.  He said it is not painful and does not have to go again until his usual 6 month checkup.

We stopped and picked up Chinese food on the way home.   The three of us all like Chinese and Bill is not too thrilled with it so it makes a nice treat.

Then Bobbie and I went down to the "winery" and did a lot of work there.   We racked both of Bobbie's Beet wines and racked, filtered and bottled, the parsley, persimmon and lemon balm wines.   Roxie was quite irritated with us.   I finally figured out that I am sure that she really wanted for me to take a nap so she could rest.

Bobbie and Bill are coming tomorrow so that 'Bill can change the bulb in the kitchen ceiling light.  I told her they might as well come for lunch as I am going to make corned beef and cabbage with my own corned beef which is now ready to cook.

Now it is after 10:30PM and you know that I am a 9 o'clock wonder so it is WAY past my bedtime.

So I am winding down and going there.   Tomorrow is another day.

God love you

Mary

Happy St. Patrick's Day.   And a wonderful day it was.    

I slept until almost 7aM because I spent last night at 52 Stafford until almost 9PM.   I met Jeff and Kathy there a bit before 7PM so that I could enjoy a night of music by Blarney.   I don't know how much you know about Blarney but they are a musical group that we have enjoyed for more years than I can count.   Last year one of their members, Chuck Ward, died of cancer but the remaining two are still performing and doing a very commendable job.  I purchased their most recent CD.  As I told them, I do have and old 33.  They laughed and said they had found a whole bunch of them down in one of their basements.  Ran into a lot of friends there.   Nancy Roehre and her friend Warren were there.   I also met Joan Brighan's sister who I found out is married to a Wieser and Wiesers are relatives of Zieglers an therefore relatives of ME.    I have to gather up the information that I have on them for Joan's sister.  Her son Louie was there and I told him that he had better find a bride outside of Sheboygan County as everybody here is related.

This morning I left close to 9:30AM to meet the Celtic Women at the Exchange Bank.    I had a cup of tea and their last scone.   It was quite good and kept me going during the parade.   We had a meeting at the Exchange Bank then walked or carpooled up to the Family Video for the Irishman's Walk back to 52 Stafford.   I wore my Connemara Shawl and carried the spear that Sy "found" in his workshop.   What a lovely day again.  This is the third year that the weather has been good for us.    With the winter we had I think we should be very grateful.

I am too tired tonight but will check my pictures to see if I have one of me in my shawl and with my spear.   My friend Jan came from Milwaukee and walked with us and joined us for lunch.   (I had a lovely corned beef sandwich with mashed potatoes.)  She brought the pictures of me in Dublin with the corn snakes that we were introduced to by a resident of Dublin and his sons.   I definitely will share them with you.

So a day done and a nice St. Patricks day indeed.  Hope yours was as much fun.

God love you

Mary

St. Patrick's Eve has arrived.    I believe that I am ready for the meeting and then the Irishman's Walk and then the fun after the walk.

Today was a grocery shopping day.  I always go at about 8AM when there are fewer people in the store.    Didn't need a lot but I did get a couple of bargains and stocked up on them.  Then a trip to the drug store and home for the day.

Jeff called this morning to tell me that Mom's visit to Dr. Nytes, the ear doctor, went well.   She was able to tweak the hearing aids and give Mom some tips as to how to best use them.    Jeff and I have a couple of ideas too.   We MUST all practice talking a bit more slowly and when there are swarms of us to speak one at a time so that she can hear everything.

Jeff and Kathy are going to be at 52 Stafford tonight to listen to Blarney and Nancy and Warren will be there too.  So I am going over there at about 7PM and will enjoy a couple of hours of the music.  

I decided that the wise thing to do would be to write the Blog this afternoon so I don't forget or find that I am too tired when I get home.

So - here it is.


Here is a Haiku I wrote on a misty day in Ireland.   No name but discriptive.

A soft liquid day
We run between the raindrops
Faces to the sky

God love you and wake up happy on St. Patrick's Day

Mary

It is still a bit chilly but the sun shone today and all was good with the world.   Dick is having trouble staying awake the past two days.   Of course, he is still up for hours during the night.    His body is just not cooperating.

I was home all day.    Got caught up on the wash.  I am so glad that I got Gary to fix that washroom closet door.  It is such a pleasure to be able to slide it open and close it without slamming it into the side to make it move.   It is a wonder that I did not destroy it.

I am really starting to get excited about St. Patrick's Day and out CWI presence in the Irishman's Walk here in Plymouth.  We should have a pretty good group and will spend the afternoon at 52 Stafford for lunch and the festivities.    We will be gathering for shuttle service at the Exchange Bank.   We will be meeting between 9:30 and 10AM and will have a short meeting before the walk.    The Exchange Bank is at the corner of Mill Street and Stafford Street.     The parade starts at 11AM at the corner of Highland Ave and Eastern Ave,  kaddy corner from the High School (In case you cannot make it for the gathering at 9:30AM)  

I hope that Shawn has gone back to real corned beef and red potatoes for his corned beef and cabbage.   I have been corning a beef roast for the past two weeks and will cook it of Dick and me on Sunday.   I HAVE small red potatoes.   Dick likes my corned beef better than the commercial product one buys.

I disposed of a lot of miscellaneous trash today.  It is amazing how much STUFF one keeps that one things is important at the time.    I also got things ready for the Writers Club on Monday.   I do have a lot to share with the group what with the literary items I gathered in Ireland and the Writer's Conference in Kewaskum.


I am starting to receive St. Patrick Day cards.   I have not sent any out this year.   I decided not to add anything else to my super busy schedule.   So my Blog and St. Patrick's day will be one big St. Patrick's day greeting.

Love and God Love you

Mary

Today has been a blessed day.  The trouble is that  I am telling you about the day after two glasses of wine.

Are you ready.

Bible Study was really very special.   We discussed Psalm 145, fascinated by the concept of God as both male and female and then into John 1 - 18 which I had not realized was probably a hymn from the time of Christ.  I need to think about that. I always feel that a hymn is best received if it is sung.

I left from there to Mother's house.   We took care of all of her bills and things that needed to be done.  We still had a bit of time to visit.   I hate to be restricted as to time with my Mom but life deals the cards and I had to stop at Walgreens and went to Sy Regan's house to pick up a spear that he made for me.

I got an email from Sy about a week ago telling me that he had discovered Queen Maeve's spear in the corner of his workshop.   We decided that I really needed it before the Irishman's Walk on March 17.    He was gone to the dentist today, but left the spear for me  on his front porch.   I cannot begin to tell you the beauty of that spear and what it means to me.    I will be carrying it in the Irishman's walk and will have a picture for you.   I will also be wearing a Connamara Shawl which should convey a message of the history of the Irish.  

This spear touches me.  Sy really went all out for me and for my story.   Thank you Sy.   You are a special person.  My prayers will include you for your understanding.


God love  you

Mary

A Sunday and a whole day at home.   I liked that.   I am almost done changing all the clocks in the house.   I still have to hit the lower level.   Do you know that we have 9 separate clocks JUST upstairs.   Thank heavens some of them correct themselves.    That still amazes me.

We had pork chops with apples and boxty for our lunch.    The boxty was my first attempt and was rather non-discript.  I will try again.

Nothing else exciting, but I did send a little story that I wrote about Chelsea to a librarian at Kewaskum who was at the writers conference.

I will share it with you. So this won't be too boring a blog

Love

Mary

Chelsea & the Little People by Mary Kunert

Chelsea, my dog, was terrified of my Mother's kitchen floor.

The first time I took her with me to visit Mother, she zipped into the house, greeted Mother enthusiastically, ran around the living room and came to a screeching halt right at the doorway to the kitchen. But she would not set one foot on that kitchen floor no matter how we coaxed her, or chided her or begged her. She was trembling in fear.

One Sunday, my husband and I were going to be gone much too long for a little doggie to be shut up in a house without a potty break. Mother said she would watch her for us. They got along just fine, but Chelsea spent the entire day in the living room. Mother put her water just inside the kitchen door so that Chelsea didn't have to go in there to drink and she was able to be taken out to potty through the front door.

It is pitiful to see an animal so distressed. However it is also very funny. Mother and I decided that the Little People must be inhabiting the kitchen. What else would cause that poor dog to be in such a state of panic.

Irish Little People are generally leprechauns. Leprechauns, tradidionally shoemakers, live very solitary lives. They don't like to be distracted from their shoe making even for the tailoring of their own clothing. And they are not especially fond of dogs, you know.

Then, one spring, my son Bart, his wife Barbara and I went on a driving tour of Ireland. We drove around the country in a rented car. That was an experience in iteslf. Bart refused to drive as I had gotten a stick shift and he has a back injury. Barbara left it up to me. Driving on the “wribg sude if tge riad” is terrifying, especially when the roads are narrow, bordered by stone walls and populated by big wide trucks, all going the other direction. We had a memorable trip, traveling from Dublin to Athlone to Cork to Avoca and back to Dublin.

As Barbara and I were strolling down a cobbled Street in Cashel, stretching our legs and enjoying the city, we spotted a tiny little jacket on the ground. By tiny, I mean Barbie size. But it was a man's jacket. Barbara and I decided that this jacket must belong to the Little People and scooped it up to take home with us. Our Barbara is German, but Germans have their Little People too. The Irish have their leprechauns and the Germans have their gnomes. Everybody seems to have fairies.

Upon arriving home from Ireland, I took the little Jacket to Mother's house. She and I carefully placed it in a convenient place in the kitchen as a gift for the Little People. This may seem odd to you.

I am not going to tell you that that little jacKet disappeared, but the next time took Chelsea to visit Mother, she ran right into the kitchen and started exploring. You believe as you choose, but we decided that the gift of the jacket left the Little People feeling friendlier, even towards the dog.

BE GOOD TO THE LITTLE PEOPLE AND THEY WILL NOT DO WICKED THINGS OR TERRIFY YOUR ANIMALS.