Meghan Long, Mary Kunert, Libby Tournour and Kelsey Long. They were wonderful.

I slept until 7 AM.   Quite a change.   I might have stayed a bit longer, but I had to go and get Share at 9AM and did not want to be rushing.

So that was my first errand of the day.   It was raining pretty good when I went to pick up SHARE.   We got a pork tenderloin,  chicken drumsticks, chicken strips, salmon and beef for sandwiches.    Plus apples, tangerines, lettuce, onions and potatoes. 

Home again, I fixed dinner. took care of Dick's wounds, (yes he does have wounds again), and gathered things up for the CWI program this afternoon.

After lunch, I drove to the Sheboygan Falls Memorial Library for the Sheboygan County Celtic Women's meeting and presentation of Irish Dancing.   Bridget Long, a friend of a friend of Debbie O' Grady, brought her two daughters and a niece who attend the Cashel Dennehy School of Irish Dance in Wauwatosa.   Megan and Kelsey are her daughters and Libby Tournour is her niece.   They have been dancing for more than 6 years and were so patient with us,   They started by explaining how they got interested in Irish Dancing and then walked us through the basic steps and into the now.    I have pictures.   Tonight I will just send one of them and me.   Because I was so pleased to be there.

Tonight I  went to Mass for the Palm Sunday Celebration.   This is long mass because it involves the reading of the whole Passion of the Christ by one of the Evangelists - tonight, John.   And we also have the blessing of the palms for the next year.    I was s delighted.   As I was leaving, one of the ladies in a pew in back of me, handed me a palm that she had woven into a cross.   I am so delighted.  What a lovely gift.   It will be in back of the crusifix in the living room.   Please look for it.

So now it is time for bed, almost.   I am going to download the pictures I took today and will post one or two.

God love you

Mary

Boy was I every busy today and I did not leave the house until 12:30 for lunch at the Dairy Queen.  We had a pretty full table again.   Karen Ruh, who used to work with us, was there for lunch and joined us for a while.   She is going to try to come sometimes as she is still working, somewhere else, but has lunch at about that time. 
Dairy Queen has a new item.   It is a chicken OR vegetable quesidilla.   As it is Friday in Lent, I got the veggie one and it was delicious.

Jody, the house cleaner was late today, her son's truck broke down on the way here.    That family is having MORE trouble with vehicles lately,  But she got here at 9AM.   So I baked the brown bread for tomorrow before she got here.

I did some updating on Ancestry.   Kurt Thuemmler has accepted my invitation to get into the file.   I think he will enjoy it as he seems to have a strong interest in genealogy and is passing it on to Brandon, his son.   And I also have a lot of "leaves" to check out.

I worked at Rhine tonight.   It rained quite heavily so I got home a bit before 8PM and will try to go to bed early.  My nap got interrupted because Dick woke up from his nap just as I was getting settled.   It was a very strange day.  My friend, Nancy Coenen, is back from her trip to Israel.   She brought me a small stone from beside the Sea of Galilee and is going to share some water from the River Jordan.  Boy am I delighted about that.

At least Roxie seems to be all back to her normal self and a happy girl again.   She really had us worried.   Dr. Pat loved Jim's description of the.   "She ends too soon."

Have a great weekend

God love you

Mary

Yesterday was totally beautiful.  Warm and Sunny.   We woke up to a wet deck and temperatures in the 30s.   Of course, this is the day that Dick had to go out.   He had an appointment with Dr. Cheryl, the eye doctor.   Bobbie helped us get him there and back.    Dr. Cheryl was very pleased with his eyes.   That errant lash was again poking its way into the world, so she plucked that and we will go back in three months to check it again unless he gets uncomfortable if and probably when that lash grows again.

We picked up steak sandwiches from Chester's.   I had forgotten how GOOD they are.  In case some of you don't know,  Chester's is a drive in restaurant here in Plymouth.  It is open from March to November.   It used to be an A & W but changed during the past years and is unique and famous around the county.   They have the BEST steak sandwiches in the world.   So that is what we had for our lunch.  

We were quite concerned this morning as Roxie is still quite subdued and as the day wore on, we found that she is uncomfortable and/or in pain somewhere on her little body.   I had a call into the veterinarian regarding a supplement that we are supposed to be giving her anyway, so I asked if they thought she should come back in.  They told me that often when a cat gets two shots it can take up to 48 hours for them to recover.  So we have decided that if she is still mopey and sore in the morning, I will call Dr. Pat.   

This afternoon, when I lay down for my lap, I decided not to call her.   A couple of minutes later, I heard "mew,  mew, mew."  And here she came. So I lifted her up onto my legs and we both slept and/or rested for two hours.   She does seem much better and ate her supper but I am being careful not to pick her up until tomorrow.

I went for a walk in the cold and saw two geese who watched me with kind of a bored demeanor as I walked by them and a squirrel that had enough sense to be afraid of me.  It was chilly but I am sticking to my vow to walk at least three times a week.   Now I have this week, so if it rains as they predict, I won't have to walk in the rain.

I went downstairs and finished the Strawberry Basket Square and laid out my Brigid wall hanging.   I only have three weeks to get that done and a couple of days are already shot as I will be getting my colonoscopy on Tuesday.  

I read a poem today that a man wrote about walking with his father and it reminded me of walking with my Dad.    When I was very young, we did not have a car and often, I would join Dad walking to church, or downtown or to my grandparents.  I remember that we would often take a short cut through a woods that was between the Old Red House and Park Street.  It is all developed now.   Dad would point out bits of trees and nature to me as we walked.  One day, he stopped and said quietly, to look at the rabbit.   I could not see it until he actually flushed it out.   He had a great eye and loved the land and its inhabitants.

God love you

Mary

I took Roxie for her annual physical today at 8AM.   She has gained about 7 ounces which I am concerned about, of course.   Dick and I have a plan of action. - We are no longer giving her any people treats and cat treats will be doled out very carefully.   I think I will cut back just a bit on her two meals also.

Her teeth were not full of plaque, but it looks like she has a cavity and will have to have that tooth pulled.  Darn it.   So on the 26th, she will have that tooth removed and they will take care of any plaque that is there,,  At least that should put off any more dental work for three years or so. 

Poor Baby, she was just a bag of mush all the time she was there.   Not a sound and she acted like a stuffed animal.   We decided that she figured if she was really quiet, we would not see her and if we did at least we wouldn't kill her.

Home again, I fixed Dick's breakfast and then headed out to the bank, the Sewing Basket and grocery shopping.   By the time I got home, at last, it was eleven AM.  I put the groceries away and then fixed us a lunch of bratwurst, beans and cole slaw. 

By then I was exhausted so NAP TIME.   

When I woke up, it was SO beautiful outside, that I went out in the back yard and racked and weeded the garden and moved the bird bath back in place.   When they cut part of the tree down last fall, they had moved it and never moved it back.  The rhubarb, the lemon balm, the thyme and the oregano are coming up.  So spring is indeed arriving.   I must look at the boxes that I brought into the garage last fall.  Then I will know what I need to replace.

I have the quilt top assembled and ready for the borders and have one more seam to sew on a Strawberry Basket block.   Next I want to assemble a Brigid wall hanging that I have in my head and want to take to the Gathering in three weeks.   When I finish it , I will share a picture.

I went to church tonight for Benediction and the Stations of the Cross.   I have not been to Stations in more years than I care to think about.   It was really special.   Fr. Van Beck said that we should all try to go just once during Lent and I am glad I did.

So April 13 is over .   Why has the IRS given people until Monday to get their taxes in, when Friday is the 15th?  A puzzle.

God love you

Mary

Trash day.    I got up close to 7AM.   Roxie was very hungry.   Dick fell asleep at his desk and didn't get her fed.   We are still trying to figure out why she was not raising a real ruckus.  She is not exactly known for her patience.

Dick decided to take a morning nap, so I went to the den and did some sewing on the quilt and a square that was half done.    I had to stop because my iron stopped heating.    I thought it was broken and decided to go as far with the sewing as I could without ironing and go find a new iron tomorrow.    I also cut out another two squares for this years Kettle Quilters projects. 

Then, after my nap, it dawned on me that I should probably try another plug.   By golly, it worked.   So apparently the upper part of that outlet is for some reason broken.   How can one recipticle in an outlet break?

When I finished downstairs, I took a walk.   Perfect day for one.   I visited with a couple of neighbors on the way and got back to find that Barb Mac Ewen, my friend and Mary Kay dealer, is back from her winter stay in Florida and had my product.   She felt sorry for me because I was desperately out of most everything so she dropped it off this afternoon.   Roxie liked her.

We had soup for our dinner and then I went to church for a Penance service and for confession.   It was a very nice communal service.   It took quite a while to get to see the priest for the private confession, however, even when Fr. Van Beck actually got four other priests to help.   Good thing everybody doesn't do the private confessions or I'd probably still be there.

Now we are watching the results show of Dancing with the Stars.  Then bedtime as tomorrow morning well be very busy.   Poor little Roxie has her annual checkup.   She was so afraid last year when I took her.    She is not used to going anywhere.   Dick says she probably figures that I took Oscar away and he didn't come back.   Then we took Chelsea and she didn't come back.  So she doesn't trust us.

Be good and take care of yourself.   Dick's son, Lee called this evening.   He will be here on Friday and wanted to be sure that I knew when the service was and when he would be here.

Pray for that family.

Mary

A much cooler temperature to start.   And it did not get up to 80 again, but the sun shone most of the day and after the windy night it was pleasant.    We got none of the really dangerous weather they predicted and we got no rain either.

Another goofy day.  I got in the car to go to Bible study and it was DEAD with capital letters.  I called the dealer service and he suggested that perhaps the steering wheel had locked.  So I tried to get it to release but it would not work.  Then he said to call the roadside service which I did.  They sent someone out within the hour with equipment to check things AND to tow if necessary. However,  as it turned out the battery was just totally dead.   So he told me to run it for at least 20 minutes and perhaps have Motorville check it out.   I had already canceled bible study which was over by so I drove to Falls to visit Mom and bring her the pills and hearing aid batteries that I had for her.  I will get an appointment with Motorville to have it checked within the next week.

Mom and I  had a great visit, as usual.  She had a couple of bills to write checks for and I will cash a check so that she has cash at home.   Then we tried to solve the problems in the government, both state and federal, during our visit.    Now if they will just ask for help we can do something about it.

I got home and Dick was still napping so I let him sleep as we had lots of easy food for lunch and I could offer him choices when he woke up.   Then Kurt from Mike's Appliance called.   The part for the dishwasher was in and he came right out and installed it.   So that is ANOTHER thing out of the way.

I did remember to take the newspaper clippings that I had scanned into Ancestry back so I could transcribe the stories.   Old clippings are just kind of faded and do not scan too well.  

Thursday, June 1, 1943

STATE COLONEL NOT UNFORGETFUL OF SECURITY TALKS, PYLE FINDS

by Ernie Pyle

SOMEWHERE IN ENGLAND - The commander of the tank destroyer battalion I have been visiting is Lieut. Col. Joseph Deeley of Sheboygan Falls, Wis.   He used to run a wool carding mill there.  I like his attitude toward things.   When I first showed up he was perfectly courteous but he made plenty sure that I had proper credentials and what not.   As he said, they have had plenty of security preached into them back home and this indeed is a critical period and he isn't taking any chances.

But one he had assured himself I was all right he called in his sergeants and told them to go around and tell their men they were perfectly free to show me any and all equipment they had and talk to me as freely as they wanted to.

As I told him later, I don't think he need have bothered.  for these boys, approaching war for the first time , pumped my so thoroughly on what war is like that I hardly got a chance to ask any questions of them.   Maybe I;'ll have to write some security regulations of my own just out self-protection.   Who the devil is reporting this war, anyway.



In the lower right hand corner of the story about Uncle Jack was this - part of an article about Ireland - strange.

"ELECTION IN IRELAND
WON BY  de VALERA

Dublin Ireland - (AP)- Prime Minister Eamon de Valera won a clear cut victory in Eirie's general Election Tuesday with the incomplete count of returns Thursday showing his Fianna Fail party with 68 seats in the dial (parliament) only three"

Interesting)

You might enjoy one of the family transcriptions too so here it is:

THEY ARE SERVING IN THE U.S. AND OVERSEAS

Sheboygan Falls Couple Has Three Sons In Service

Three sons in the army, two of them overseas- those are the contributions of Mr. and Mrs. John Bowser, 404 Washington Street, Sheboygan Falls, toward the nation's greater war effort.

Their two youngest sons have been in the longest, both leaving with the national guards in October, 1940.  Roman, now 21, and George, 23, left at that time together but their paths have since separated.   Roman decided after more than a year of regular military training that his real interest lay in flying, and so in March he transferred to the air corps beginning training as an aviation cadet.   He is nearing the end of that schooling now, and by January he expects to have his wings.

In the basic flying school at Bainbridge, Ga. he is classed as a pilot and all of his letters home express the utmost enthusiasm about flying before he entered service, Roman was employed by the Pure Oil Company.

George, who decided to remain on the ground, has gone into the infantry and is now stationed in Australia.   His letters home indicate a liking for the down-under continent and he has the utmost in praise for the many fine people he has been meeting there.   He has been writing regularly and the letters come through without difficulty.   In Sheboygan Falls he had been employed at the Bemis Manufacturing Company.

Their oldest son, Noel, who is 25, is a technical sergeant in the army and is doing radio communications work with the field artillery at some Atlantic overseas point.   In service since August, 1941, he had been stationed in New York, when in August of this year he left for his unknown destination.   It is believed that he went to Africa but he can't reveal his whereabouts.  He emphasizes, however, that he is keeping plenty busy with his communications duties, and since leaving this country he has attained his present rank of technical sergeant.  At the time of his entry into the army, he was employed in Milwaukee at the Stolper Steel Company.

All three of the Bowser boys are graduates of Sheboygan Falls High School.

I remember when I was about 5 and the uncles were all in town fresh from the war and most of them were not married and I was probably their sweet little niece.   We would be at the church festival and if I ran out of money to play the games, all I had to do was go see one of them and look cute and they would give me coins to play more.

Great memories and they were all SO handsome.

God love you
Mary

It got all the way up to 81 degrees today and we opened up the doors.    Roxie found that to be amusing for a while.   She does like smelling the air and the creatures outside.  She will be going to Kettle Moraine for her annual checkup on Wednesday.   Last year she was a very frightened little kitty when I took her.   I think it was the first time that she had EVER gone anywhere without Oscar.

I spent about an hour and a half in the den while Dick napped sewing on my quilting projects.  I think I can finish assembling the quilt that I am making for my bed, except for the border on Tuesday.

This noon, I prepared the Leek and Broccoli Tart from Lynne's Blog.   It turned out so good.   I will be sharing it with Mother tomorrow.   Dick really liked it.   The whole wheat crust with herbs is really tasty.

I did get a nap this afternoon.   Then with the threat of a storm this evening, I decided to go for an afternoon walk.   This is the fourth walk that I have had since I started again.   My goal is to get out three times a week minimum and more if possible.   I still miss my little white motivator.  I did meet up with some of the other residents who asked about Dick.   I was glad that I could tell them that he was a peace.  He was a good neighbor and a good friend and will be missed.

Dick and Brenda called tonight.   They are doing well, kind of getting their spring chores done after a birthday trip to Milwaukee last weekend.   They went to the Milwaukee Art Museum.   That is a great museum.   Britt used to work there.  The Gees Bend exhibit was there when Britt was there and I took Mother.   The three of us had such a nice day.

So today was a good day.   I am much settled down and grateful the quiet.

God love you

Mary