Book signing

Another gorgeous day.  It was in the low 80s but there was a lovely breeze and it was not at all humid.  I spent from 9AM until 3PM in front of the Book Heads store with three other writers for our book signing.    I sold a few books, of course not as many as I wanted to but each one is a start.   It was a fun day anyway.    Sue had tables set up for us under shelters from the sun so we did just fine.    I saw a LOT of people I know and some purchased the book and some just visited.   Just what I expected.   

I left at 3 to go to the EbcoArtspace.    As it turned out I left the wall hanging poems and my picture  there, as Mary Eckhardt wanted the resident artists to get a chance to see them.    She promised that she would bring them to me next weekend.

So I was home in time to feed Roxie at her proper dinner hour.   My whole body aches.   I took a hot bath and am now applying cold to the sorest muscles.   Then I am going to bed and read.   It is way too early but I seldom fall asleep right away any more and I am just too sore to stay up any more.

I am pleased with the day.   At least I have a reason to be tired.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

Cooler by the Lake

Today was very lovely.   The world, at least the world around here, is sunny, warm but not muggy and green splotched with lots of color and happy birds singing all over the place.

I spent the morning researching and writing on my new book.   I went to Dairy Queen to lunch with my ban friends at 12:30PM..

Did I tell you, I can't believe it but don't think I did.   I am a great grandmother times two again.   Leslie's Courtney gave birth to her twins, fraternal twins, yesterday.    They are Toby in at 5 pounds 13 ounces and Troy a bit bigger at 6 pounds 1 ounce.   I am so pleased and will look forward to pictures and progress notes.

Must get out shopping.   I still owe a certain Thomas Francis a gift from his great aunt too.

MUCH LATER

It is now 9:45PM.   I just got home from the EBCO Artspace Cooler by the Lake poetry event.   It was highly  successful in every way.   We had a pretty good turnout, I would say.    All the poets represented, including me read their poems.   People seemed to like them.   And I sold one each of my poetry books.    Yea.

I am exhausted now and will be heading right to bed.    I took pictures and then Mary Eckhardt used my camera to take more.   I will share a few later.    Tomorrow after spending most of the day at the Mill Street Festival hawing my book, I will go back to the art center to pick up my printed poems, my picture and the leftover food if there is any.    There was a big dent in the food so I was glad I baked as much as I had.   Tomorrow may be very quiet, but one likes to be prepared.

So.  To bed this sleepy head.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

What a glorious day.   It was beautiful outside, even if I did not spend a LOT of time out there.   I spent most of the day baking.   You know how I love that.

Tomorrow,  Friday, June12. from 5 to 9PM. with a poetry reading at 7PM by the poets, is the Cooler By The Lake exhibition at ECBO ARTs in Sheboygan.  We have gotten a bit of publicity, notably in the Sheboygan Weekend section of the Press.   (My name is even in there. Ya Hu.)   I spent a chunk of the day baking cookies and Barm Brack for noshing on by our visitors.   I love baking, you know, and made much too much.   But I will bring what is left to my book signing in front of Book Heads, 216 E. Mill Street, Plymouth on Saturday July 1, from 9AM to 3PM.    This is quite a weekend for me.   I am so delighted.   I feel that my sweetheart is smiling on me.

I read an interesting column today on the popular names for babies at this time.  I was delighted to hear that two of the top ten boys names are Finn and Declan.   Two very Irish names.   I wish I could have two more baby boys.

I have been noticing a lot of headbands and scarfs over the heads of people all over the crowds that appear at GMA and beyond.  It reminds me of a Grandma thing.   Nora was with us for a while one summer and we took her down to the Mill Street Days celebration.   Lots of kerchiefs were being sold as this was a "look" and our Nora spent a lot of time picking out just the right kerchiefs to tie around her head.   I told her that in my day we called the bubushkas.  She was stunned and delighted.   The name made her laugh which is one of my special memories of my special granddaughter.   I am blessed with three special granddaughters.   How lucky am I!!!!!!!!

Dia Dhuit

Mary

It was so gorgeous today.   The temperature got up to 80 but the dew point was way low so I had the doors wide open almost all the time I was here.   I will leave some windows open tonight.

I had a very busy morning.  I left the house at about 9AM.   First, I had yard waste to drop off at the city yard, then I went to Walmart to purchase the ink cartridges for me and for the Condo Board members.     Continuing, I swung by the Post Office and checked the Condo PO Box and picked up stamps for Mother.

My haircut was scheduled for 10AM.   Teri will be open on Saturday too and will try to get down to Book Heads to buy my book.   He daughter is home and working in her shop.   She is a massage therapist and suggested that I ask my doctor if massage therapy would enhance the epidural that I am having on Thursday.    Sometimes the fluid just pools and therapy can help that.

I will ask.

I stopped at Book Heads and talked to Sue about Saturday.  We are excited.  I can park in back of her place.   It is close, so I can have extra books in the car and will be able to escape at 3PM when I have to go to EBCOArts to pick up my poems and books from there at 4PM.   Whew.

I picked up a couple of things at the Pig on the way home and got home just before noon.   I had lunch and then napped for a bit.   I have spent the rest of the day just preparing for the weekend.   Tomorrow I will be baking for Ebco.    If there is some left, I will probably take it to the Mill Street Festival.

All is good.  I do not feel rushed at all.   Please remember to pray fro Marlise, Bart's mother in law, who had her breast surgery today.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

"If you can't believe in God the chances are that your God is too small."   J. B. Phillips

Tuesday, July 8.    A day at home and I am spending it gathering all the threads of future projects into segments that I can handle.

A little bit here, a little bit there.   Nothing really interesting to write about so I will have to think of something to keep you interested.

I believe that I told you that Beth Dippel is organizing the Gathering of the Clans at St. Michaels in Parnell again.   All with ties to the Holy Land are welcome (even those related to those tied, or friends of those tied) to join the festivities and tradition.   When the invitation went out, there was no mass scheduled BUT Fr. Michael Shea of Armstrong, who is located in Nongkhai, Thailand, is in the States for a while and will be able to be there to officiate.   So if you have the invitation, add Mass at 11AM,  If you need more information.   Get in touch with me.   I talked to Michael today and he will be in touch with my Uncle Pat and we will be arranging for him and his sister Bridget to come to Falls to visit with Mother too.     She is so fond of him and so proud of him.    He told me that she is reminding him of HIS grandma,  my great Aunt Mae.    She looks so much like Grandma Bowser but we know that we get genes from both sides of the family.    I don't remember Aunt Mae really.   Must try to get pictures and get them on Ancestry.

There,  I hope that was interesting.  I scheduled the epidural on my neck for Wednesday the 17th at 9:30AM.   Hope it helps.  I am sick of medicating three times a day.

Dia Dhuit

Mary



A couple of quotes from Leigh Ann Lasheway's book  I'm Not Getting Older (I'm Getting Better at Denial)  regarding dogs opinions:

 "Even if you've never caught a squirrel in an entire lifetime of trying, as long as you believe you might, you'll have a reason to get up every morning."

"It's always much nicer to snuggle up to a soft, squishy body than one that is rock hard."

What a Monday.    When I got up it was raining and it kept raining, quite heavily at times, until after 10:00AM.  Then the pavement dried up but it was hot and humid the rest of the day.

It was just drizzling when I was walking into Bible Study, but I took my umbrella just in case.   So of course, it had stopped while we were in there.   It was a good hour.  

Then I went to Mother's.   We did not have a lot of bills to do so had time to visit.    She is weak and obviously distressed with the fact that her eyes are getting so weak too.  But she is happy and cheerful.   She enjoyed visits from Kathleen and Pat and Joan in the past couple of days. 

Home again, I gobbled my lunch and then went to Sheboygan, via picking up my friend, Sy Regan, for the Sheboygan Writers Club.   I shared my book.    Nobody bought one but I did trade with one of the members,  Stan Bieda, who just published his memoirs through Authorhouse.   It is called Stella's Barn.    I am looking forward to reading it as the first couple paragraphs are really cool.

We were about even on price so it was a win win for both of us.

Home again, I have been gathering addresses for Bobbie to give to Mead to send invitations for the dedication of Dick's plaque, balancing Mom's Checkbook and trying to get a CWI problem sorted out in my head.

Tomorrow I get to be home all day.   It is trash day so I will have to get my lazy self up at a decent hour and can do a LOT.  

So wish me well.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

My "Renters"

My new clutch of robins have flown the nest,  I miss them, even Mom yelling at me.  This is a picture I took of the last batch.

It was a great day.   Bobbie and Bill were here for lunch.   I love having them here and someone to cook for.    We tried Johnsonville's new Grillers.   They are seasoned pork patties with different things in them.   I got the Swiss Cheese Mushroom.   They were really good.   We ate them with the colcannon, jello salad and corn with peppers and onions and Rhubarb/Applesauce cake with Marscapone Cheese Frosting.

I got a call last night that Mary Eckhart wanted to retake my picture for the Cooler by the Lake, the Poets of Mead.
She came about 11:30AM which was fine.   I knew that Bobbie and Bill would be here and that food would be cooking but never thought that it would take almost 45 minutes.
OH.  Well.   Mary is fun and Bill and Bobbie enjoyed her banter too.   And I think we ahve a picture that will be good.   She took the last ones in the house.   These we took out by the Big Hickory Nut tree.   Much better.   It is a magnificant tree.

I got a call from a friend, Barbara Litersky Sadler last night.  She lives in Minneapolis and is coming to the 55 year graduation party.   She did not actually graduate from Sheboygan Falls High, but we invite everybody that was in school with us from Kindergarden on.   I told her she can just stay with me.   That will be fun.

So until tomorrow

Dia Dhuit

Mary