Wow.   What a day.    The sun shone, the sky was blue.   I had the doors open almost all day and here it is close to 7PM and they are still open.

I brought in the herbs from the garage and put them out on the porch.   It was so nice out there that I decided to take a walk.   I went on one of Chelsea and my favorite.   Down Tallgrass to Highland, Highland to Valley,   Valley to the end of Lone Oak park and through the park and over the railroad tracks home.    Sure felt good.   I do miss my little ball of white fur walking with me.   Someday, I will have another doggy.    Not right now though.

I sewed on the Kevin wallhanging this afternoon.    All I need to put on it now are the birds and the label.    I will have to go to the Sewing Basket to pick up another printable label, because I want the story of Kevin as well as my name and the completion date.

You can see from the previous blog that I figured out how "again" how to blog pictures from Picasa, the program that I place all my pictures in.  

The first one is  the statue across from the Oklahoma City disaster memorial.  It is called Jesus Wept and was put there by a church.    The second is Michelle and Jim at lunch.    The third is me holding a rattlesnake.   The fourth is Jim, Michelle, Barbara and my great granddaughters, Adria and Abigail.   (aren't they beautiful?)  Next is Bart, framed by Leo and Lily on the back of the couch.   And last is Barbara at the Memorial.

Now I have figured out how to send them with the changes in Picasa, you will get pictures more often.

Hope you are having a great weekend too.    Tomorrow I will be going to Mass at Blessed Trinity.   There is a Mass being celebrated for Dick and I want to be there.    I will also take communion to Mother.

So time to wind down for the night.  Til tomorrow.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

Oklahoma

 

 

 

 

 

 

A rainy day.    It poured most of the morning and kept raining most of the day.   It was still sprinkling when Warren and Nancy picked me up to go shooting at Rhine.  I was terrible this week.    The first two targets were a disgrace.    I don't know if it is because I am unsteady, or my arm is weak or concentration, but I will keep at it until I work my way out of it.

I spent the majority of the day making the editorial changes that Bobbie suggested to the cookbook.    I got it all done.   As I reviewed everything myself while in Oklahoma very carefully,  I just needed another fresh eye to look at things.    I am so thankful that she was willing to do that for me.

But.  It took the whole day, except for breaks to eat and catch up on email.  

So I will be going to bed at 8PM to read again.    This seems to work to get me settled and asleep by 9:30 or 10.

I still wake up a lot but it is getting better.

Bless you all and I love you all

Dia Dhuit

Mary

A very strange day.     It was supposed to be cold, in the 40s and perhaps it was, but there was no wind this morning when I left and I quickly shed my jacket.  

I had an appointment with Heather for a massage.   It was really pleasant.   She concentrated on my neck and shoulders and knees as that is where I experience the most pain.  We will see.  

Bobbie and I met at Field and Fork for lunch before going to Mead to give Dick's plaque to Mark.   They will get it hung in the new adult event room and will be arranging for an official dedication.   That is the room that I go to for Karl Elder's Poetry Corner, so I will take a picture when it is hung and post it for all to see.   Or - you can go to the Library.

I dropped the quilt that I have been mending off at Mother's on the way home.   She was so glad to see it as we are, despite the late cold getting on to summer and she uses this quilt in the summer, you know.    She doesn't like her routines messed with.

On the way home it started to rain and it poured for quite some time.    As a matter of fact we had a pretty impressive thunder storm.   Roxie was not pleased.

Bobbie has finished editing my cookbook and gave me the corrected hard copies so that I can update them on the computer and get them submitted.   

I have an interesting little story about a recipe that I have included in the cookbook.   I think that MOST of you know that there are two family chilies and also two family potato salads that Dick and I would use.   One his and one mine.   We liked one as much as the other so sometimes Dick would make his chili and sometimes I would make mine and I made whichever potato salad I was in the mood for. 

Bobbie is editing my book and asked why I don't have onion in my Kunert Potato Salad.    I told her that I got the recipe from Leslie and didn't recall onions.    So.  Bobbie checked with Leslie who said she always puts onions in hers and was sure she had put it on the recipe card.    I was puzzled as I couldn't figure out how I would have been wrong for 25 years or so.  So.  I looked and there are no onions on my recipe card.   So.  I called Leslie and asked her why she was "holding out on me."   We both had a good laugh about that and are trying to figure out how I got it past her Dad for 25 years.   I guess I was just good about cutting the potatoes really small.

So that's the story.


Dia Dhuit

Mary

I got to be home all day today and it was so beautiful outside that I left the doors open all day too.   I understand that a cold front is coming through and we will be back down to the 40s tomorrow.   So I will have to hang on to today and remember how nice the 70s are hen it is cloudy and cold.

I got a lot done today.    I finally sent a newsletter to the Sheboygan Branch of CWI.   I worked on the St. Kevin Wallhanging which I want to have done by Tuesday,  I made several phone calls and only have to redo a couple of them tomorrow.

Roxie was quite pleased to have me here all day.   Today is the first day of Bealtaine, or Beltane, celebrated halfway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice.  It is the beginning of summer in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man and was lavishly celebrated in the days of old.  Perhaps we should return  to some of these celebrations as they make us aware of the seasons and the world around us.    The "green movement" should look into this.

Tomorrow I will be out again in the middle of the day.   But Friday I can be home until at least 5PM when I am going to shoot pistol league.

So a lot was finished and a lot is left to do.  

Til tomorrow

Dia Dhuit

Mary   

Today, the thermometer that reads off of our bedroom, read 89 degrees for the top.   Wow.   The wind was blowing like crazy most of the afternoon too.    It was really too heavy and hot to open things up, so I have the doors open now to take advantage of fresh.

It was trash day.   I slept much better last night, but it took a while to get to sleep and I didn't want to get up.    I finally dragged myself out at 8:30AM.    I took out the trash and got ready for my errands.

Stopped at the bank to deposit a couple of checks, then off to the Review office to put in an add to try to sell the sit to stand and Dick's desk.   I timed it perfectly as my eye doctor appointment with Dr. Cheryl was at 10:30AM.    I was there on a great day.    A special half price frame day and once I get my new glasses, I can have new lenses put in the frames I have now for half price.     I knew I would need new glasses as I could really tell that my right eye had lost a lot.     Dr. Cheryl was a bit surprised at the difference but as she said some years are like that.

I did my grocery shopping on the way home.    Forgot cat litter but I just replaced everything yesterday so I won't have to worry about that for a while anywsy.

This afternoon, I worked on the Kevin wall hanging, straightened out things on the desk and prioritized.   I always have immediate chores after coming home from the Gathering and need to have some of them done by the end of the week for Maureen to get into the quarterly newsletter.

Anyway I need a priority list and fast because as you all know. lists help me work better and faster.

But this day is over and I am going to bed to read for a while.

Talked to Suzi, one of my Kunert nieces, today,  I am going to stay with her on the Friday of Irishfest and she and I will go to the Fest on Saturday.    I am going back on Sunday too.   Jessica said she wants to join me.    So she will have two days to choose from.   Both if she wants.  She and Suzi would have fun together.
  
Dia Dhuit

Mary  

A typical Monday made busier now because of the two hour practice at 6:30PM for the concert at Plymouth Art Center on May 16 - 17.   By the way, it is called Springtime on Broadway and features lots of really good music.   I am glad that we have three more practices.    I am not all that confident yet.

This morning there were 7 of us at Bible Study.     We had a lively discussion on Psalm 116 about why death is feared and how much trust and faith can help when someone close leaves us.  We do help each other out a lot.    I have them praying for everybody who needs it.

Then to Mother's.  We got her bills paid and had plenty of time to visit.   I told her some of the events of the weekend.   I showed her my new fox ring carved out of Amazonite and about the play.

This afternoon I worked on sorting things out for the rest of the week and paying some bills of my own.

So.   Tomorrow I will have a busy morning, but then will be able to stay home until  Thursday.   Yee Ha.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

Home from a successful, entertaining and educational Celtic Annual Meeting, or as we often refer to it as our Spring Fling.

Kate, Felisha and I left for St.  Charles at 8AM on Friday.   We figured we would get there by noon but St. Charles is a hard place to fine.   My Garmin did not even recognize the name.  Then there was the quest for the Hotel Baker.  I found that trip discouraging.    We finally arrived shortly before 1PM and were in time for the noon board meeting which had been put off to accommodate some other late comers.  

It was a busy afternoon beginning with the board meeting.  We met for a reception at the Hotel Baker and then proceeded across the street to McNally's Traditional Irish Pub for dinner.   Back at the hotel, a few of us intrepid souls gathered in Gail's room for a bit of wine, snacks and Bailey's.

Saturday morning we had our Annual meeting and installation of new Directors and Officers.    Following the meeting and a short break our member Maureen Smith gave us a lecture on Accessing Works of History,Literature and Arts Online.    With Tons of Sites to explore.   Janet said, something like oh great, now we will never get any sleep.

Lunch was at the Hotel Baker which is an historic hotel.    It is lovely but our bathroom was just plain inconvenient.

The lunch was good.   The sandwich I ordered was a Portabella mushroom sandwich.   I was surprised at two things.   1.  It was cold.   But the mushroom was delicious so that was OK.   However 2.  It was on a croissant which had been refrigerated and refrigerated crousants are really gicky.     However (again) the dessert was wonderful.    A scoop of ice cream with a lava cake.   Let me tell you this, Jim, so you can tinker with your recipe.    The "lava"  had a black cherry background, maybe cherry liquor in the filling?  It was SO good.

Our afternoon program was entitled Irish Round Towers and Today's Gardner, presented by a farme, Bill Scheffler.   I have a lot of studying to do with that.

We were on our own after that until about 7:30 when we walked across the street again, this time to the Steel Beam Theater to enjoy The Seafarer by Colon Mc Pherson.   I was up for Tony awards around 2006 and was SO good.    It was a typical kind of dark rough Irish play but as Maureen Smith said, she finally saw an Irish Play with a happy ending.    We loved it.

Today we had out Scattering Ceremony at 9AM at the Hotel, then Kate, Felicia and me went to St. Patrick Catholic Church down the street for Mass.   Lovely Mass and we talked to some people after the service.   I gave my card to a lovely young Conner girl who was at Mass with her sister and Dad.   The three of us then went downstairs as the church must have known we were coming and were serving donuts and coffee in the downstairs hall.      We sat with some of the parishioners and had a fun time with them before we headed out.    This time the Garmin worked and as there was less traffic and a much shorter area being worked on a Sunday, we made it home by 4PM.

I am exhausted but feel very good about the weekend and the experiences I had and the people I spent that time with.

I presented a short biography of St. Maughold, the patron saint of the Isle of Man at the scattering ceremony along with a piece of Brigid Cloth and the legend of Brat Bhride for them.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

Here is the story of the saint.   

ST. MAUGHOLD OF THE ISLE OF MAN

(Died c.488)

(Also known as Macaille,, Maccaldus, Machalus, Machaoi, Machella, Maghor, Mawgan, Maccul, Macc Cuill)

FEAST DAY

APRIL 27

(Formerly December 28, and sometimes listed as April 25, August 15. or November 15)

Legend says that Maughold was an Irish prince and also the captain of a band of thieves.

He was converted by St. Patrick himself. The tale goes that he tried to make a fool of St Patrick. He placed one of his crew, living of course, in a shroud than called for Patrick to bring the man back to life. Patrick came, placed a hand on the shroud and departed. When Maughold and his crew opened the shroud, the man was dead. A friend of Maughold, named Connor, rushed to Patrick and apologized. Patrick returned, baptized the assembled men and blessed the deceased who immediately arose and was himself baptized. Then Patrick read Maughold the riot act, telling him that he should be helping his men lead good lives and told him that he had to make up for his evil.

St. Patrick put him in a coracle, a small, round boat lined with skins, and set him adrift. He landed on the Isle of Man and was greeted by Conindrus and Romulus, Patrick's disciples on Man. The story adds that upon landing he was to fetter his feet and throw the key in the ocean. The two disciples found him worthy and he was eventually ordained. Shortly after his ordination the keys to his fetters were found in the belly of a fish, He was appointed bishop when the two disciples died.

He was known for his kindness to the Manx people. Many sites around the island bear his name.

Apparently, there is no special celebration of the saint on the Isle of Man or anywhere else. Perhaps because of the fact that he seems to have five possible feast days and even more names.