They said we might have rain today but I did not see any.     It was quite warm but I understand that the next three or four days are going to make up for it.    One night it will drop to the minus degrees.    Of course, I remember, years ago, my ex husband and the boys and I came to Wisconsin and it was below zero, as much as -16 almost every day we were here.

I am always thanking God for the nice warm homes that we have and for the warm clothes and safety. Wasn't always so easy.

I drover to John Michael Kohler Art Museum today for their Family Festival China.   I met Bob Fleming, my artist friend there and ran into my friends Richard and Joan Kramer.     We all kind of interacted together until we all had to leave at different times.    I was a nice festival.    I made a Chinese Lantern, a Dragon Mask and did some Calligraphy.    The food provided was really good.   AND I got to sit through an explanation of a Tea Ceremony.    This is very interesting to me as I did participate in a High Tea in Ireland.   Veru different, of course, but still fascinating that such ceremony surrounds tea in different parts of the world.

I barely got home when I got a call from them telling me that I won a ticket to Shen Yun 2013 at the Milwaukee Theatre for February 19.   Of course, I had to buy an adjacent ticket and now will have to see who can come with me.  This show features 5000 of Chinese dance in one night.   I am excited.

Home again, I took a nap, then drove to Mass.  

Hone again, I have been just picking up pieces and getting things organized for tomorrow.     Tomorrow will be nice, I am meeting the rabbit hunters at the Whirl Wind for a sausage tasting.   Will be good to see the guys.  It is going to be COLD so I don't imagine they will be out too long.


Dia Dhuit

Mary

Such a full day.    Mixed feelings.    Suddenly I realized that today it is a month since he is gone.   Why do these milestone days make it more real?   I kept really busy today and that helped.   But the missing is in me.

Jody came at 8AM and got the house vacuumed and scrubbed for me.

Today I finished the binding on the wall hanging that I am making out of the four crazy quilt squares that Mom finished just before she decided that her sight just makes it to difficult for her to sew.  I am pleased.   Just need a label and an embellishment to complete it.     I hope to do that this weekend.  It is really coming together.

Then I went to Dairy Queen to lunch with the bank ladies.   That was fun.   We always have so much to talk about.  Having known each other for so long, it is a nice break in the week.   After lunch, I had several errands.    I took all the Dick's meds and expired stuff over to the Plymouth Police station for disposal.    Yesterday, I cleaned out the first aid supplies and gave extra pads and lotions to someone that I knew could use them.  I now have a reasonable first aid supply.   VNA also stopped by and picked up excess books and brochures and a couple of medical kits that I can't use but are still sealed. The frugal person in me just won't let me throw everything away.

Then I stopped in at the Sewing Basket for a couple of photo fabric pieces and finally went to the trophy shop to kind of firm up what we want on the plaque.   By next Friday, they will email me a mock up of what we think will work best.    Then I can forward it to the kids and we can either say Yea! or fine tune.

Home again,  I finished a lot of straightening up.   I don't have a real plan, but have been finishing any project that I start so it is kind of like a puzzle coming together.  

After supper, I drove over to Rhine for a visit with friends.   That was fun.  One of my friends gave me four packages of venison steak.   I am set now.   I only had a couple of packages and these will get me through the year because they have to be three pounds each or so.   I am so grateful.

Speaking of which.   Only two weeks til the Wild Game Dinner.     The shower too.  I have presents for the twins, just need to wrap them.   I know that the shower is at 11:00AM but still am not sure what time the Wild Game Dinner starts.

So, today was busy and it made me feel better.   Starting to be creative is helping too.  It took a while to want to.  

Love you all and thank you for being there

Dia Dhuit

Mary

I was home all day today.  

I ended up spending most of it sorting my 2012 receipts and gathering for tax season.    I hadn't really planned on doing it all, but once I got started it mushroomed.   I also now have my left had desk drawer all cleaned and my various projects and things that need to be finished all in manageable groupings.

So it wasn't too exciting a day.   I have things ready for a couple of errands tomorrow and someone from VNA is coming to pick up some things that I have and hate to throw away.    I am such a "green" person.   

Heard from Nora and Leif and from my friends Sheila, Rosemary and Gail with encouraging cards.    So I had a smiley time when I came in with the mail.

Glad that chore is over with.   I love having things organized.

Dia Dhuit

Happy Friday

Mary

Hello Again.

Quite a day.    I spent the morning with phone calls.   Talked to my friend Bob Fleming for one.   He sent  the lovliest sympathy card with a poem he wrote  for Dick and me.    Bob and I had a good talk.

I left at about noon to pick up a prescription for Mother and then get to Sheboygan Falls to Blessed Trinity for Mass.   Joseph and Felicia Reindl, my bible study/Celtic friends had ordered a Mass for Dick.   I was pleased to see that the Mass was also for Fr. John Theisen.   He was pastor at Blessed Trinity while I was a member of the parish.   He was so helpful to Dad.   Fr. John was at Rocky Knoll while Dick was there this last time.   I had walked down to the lunchroom to get a cup of coffee and saw him at dinner so went to talk to him.    He was a dear man.   I am sure Dick and he have found each other.

Stopped to say Hi to Mom.   Then did a bit of grocery shopping and picked up Mom's birthday present.   Her birthday is Monday and I bought her a really good bottle of Madeira wine for her present.   She always said that this is her favorite wine.

This afternoon I did some sewing and then called Jacquie because I had not talked to her in so long.    She sounds good.   I hope to go to visit her in the future.   Doris, my other sister in law lives with her too.

That was the day.   Tomorrow I will be home all day and have lots of projects I want to get to.   One day at a time.

Dia Dhuit
Mary

Cold again today.    I got up at about 7:30AM because it is trash day an I wanted to be sure it was out.  This week, and from now on, I put it in the back of the car so I don't have to carry heavy bags all the way down to the corner.   Trying to heal the arm you know.

I spent the morning paying bills.  I feel good about everything.    Then at about 11AM, I took Kate's trees back.   I also gave her the ornaments that I culled from my still immensely big Christmas collection. She builds baskets for St. John the Baptist's winter Craft fair.   A lot of money is made at this event.   There is a silent auction, tons of vendors, a bake sale, food and a raffle of super baskets.   Kate puts together many of these baskets and I know that she will put the ornaments to good use  and money will be earned for the church.

Then I went to the Trophy shop to get my initial information on preparing a plaque for Dick to be hung at Mead Library.    Now I have direction and have sent the information to the kids so that they can input.

A last stop was at the bank where I cleaned up one more loose end.   Will they ever end?

Then I came home, lunched and took a nap.

This afternoon, I sewed on the Crazy Quilt wall hanging and washed and folded some clothes.    Too bad these mundane jobs keep interrupting creativity. :)

( I hope that is a smile,   not too good at the symbols.)

So it is wind down time.    I feel good about today.    Tomorrow is a special day.   I will go to Mass in Sheboygan Falls at 1PM.   My friends Joseph and Felicia have dedicated tomorrow's Mass there to Dick.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

I am back to marathon Mondays.   Started out OK.   I left the house a bit after 9AM for Bible Study at Blessed Trinity.   We had a nice group of 6.  Our little lady, Jan, was back.   Joseph was able to pick her up.   We ladies were hesitant to bring her in the winter as she is so frail and we worried about being able to help her if she had trouble.  

We are discussing Psalm 73.  The discussion was the criteria that we use to determine self worth now as compared to what determined our self worth as children.   Think about it.

I went right to Mother's and we got her bills paid, her pills laid out and had time for a bit of a visit before it was time for her Meals on Wheels.   I left from there and went on to Sheboygan for a Sheboygan County Writers meeting.  I have not been able to go to one of them for probably four years (except for the parties).  This year because of circumstances, I missed the Christmas party too.   There were not too many familiar faces but enough that I felt at home.    I read the Tree and the Christmas poems and got good response.    Good to get back to real creativity.

Home again, I am still able to keep quite busy with general cleaning and all of the things necessary to bring my life to that of a single person and get the finances squared away.

Ann Pirrung,  a dear friend, was there.  She was a page at Mead at the age of 16 and remembers "Mr. Kunert" with great fear and trepidation.    I know that Dick used to wander through the library occasionally just to "Make His Presence Known."   I can imagine what a 16 year old would think of that.

So life goes on.   I can hear Dick saying to lay back and take it easy.   They mentioned that they need a secretary for the Sheboygan Writers and I "heard" him telling me to just shut up.  So I did.  He would be so proud of me.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

What a nice Sunday.    I slept until 8AM.   I slept much better than I have for quite some time.   I hope that this will continue tonight.   I used to go to bed and sleep until morning.   

Lately I have trouble getting to sleep and then I wake often.

I did some mending and general cleaning before Rosemary Mugan picked me up at 11:30AM to go to Lincoln.    The world of Plymouth was encased in a thin layer of ice but she made it and the main roads were pretty well melted or salted by then.  The movie was fantastic, so now I can cheer for it whenever it receives a Golden Globe or Oscar.

Home again, I have just been being really lazy and flitting from one little thing to another.   Since my lunch was popcorn and soda, I fixed a small casserole of hot dog, broccoli, noodles and cheese for supper with a salad on the side.

Tomorrow will be busy until about 3PM.     I will leave it all for a surprise for you tomorrow.

Roxie is sprawled out on the desk, not under her lamp as she was accustomed to, but right smack in front of me on whatever papers that I am working on.  She probably missed our nap today.    Not that she didn't have HER nap which is usually most of the day.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

Haiku by me

Sunny sky so blue
The naked trees sillouettes
Like pencil sketches.