It was a real Friday. Chelsea and I went for another brisk chilly walk. I wore sweatshirt and was still not very warm. She likes it though.

Then I cleaned the kitchen and watched Regis and Kelly. I had heard that this was Regis's 20th anniversary show and that Kathy Lee was coming back and I was interested in that. It was a nice show. They showed all their kids then and now which was really kind of fun.

I left early for lunch with the bank people and did some errands. I stopped at 52 Stafford and made reservations for a table on October 17 for our next Celtic Women Club meeting. Had a nice visit with Ann there. They still remember me from when I would always take off St. Patrick's Day and then Dick and I would go to the Stafford on March 16th. Blarney always comes to play on March 16. We would spend the night and be there to attend Mass in the Inn (which is not done anymore) and walk in the Irishman's Walk, which still is occurring every March 17th.

I picked up some fabric to finish the baby quilts at The Sewing Basket, picked up the corn from Capelle's and got gas. I had a half tank which is usually really enough but I am driving to Wauwatosa to meet Gail Mc Aleese and hitch a ride with her, Rosemary Bauman, and Sheila Isaacson and Eileen Niehouse to Chicago for the CWI annual meeting. We are just going for the meeting and lunch so I will be back that evening, probably not too late.

This afternoon was a nap, and getting Dick's legs ready for his shower and then doctored afterwards. We can't neglect them. I hope Dr. Siddique has good news when we see him on Wednesday.

At lunch we were talking about misbehaving appliances and I remembered the first dryer I ever had. We bought it for $20 from Steve Hansen, a really good friend. He even hooked it up for me and all. Believe it or not this was in California and I had it out on the patio outside the garage. It worked just fine, but lint did gather underneath and one had to keep checking it. One day Bret came running in the house, he was about 4 and I thought he said "A spider! A spider!" So I told him to step on it. He repeated and I again told him to step on it. Finally he just glared at me and said "The dryer is burning." Sure enough the dryer lint had gotten too hot and was smoldering.

For some reason or other this reminded me of California. I experienced a couple of earthquakes when I lived out there. The most impressive, of course, was the Sylmar Quake. But there is a rather funny story that a friend had to tell. Earthquakes cause the ground to move in several different patterns. One is a rolling and one is a jerking and one is an actual fissure. The rolling quake causes water to seiche. This means that it starts moving back and forth, each movement causing the water to rise higher than the last until the movement stops or the water overflows its container.

This friend was in his kitchen enjoying an early morning cup of coffee looking out over his back yard and swimming pool when the quake hit. As he watched the water in the pool started seicheing. Back and forth it went getting higher and higher until it rose up over the edge of the pool and flowed right over the deck and into his kitchen as he stood there totally helpless.

I have to get up REALLY early tomorrow. But it will be worth it. I have a day away, for me. We will have a meeting at 10:30AM and then lunch at Grace O'Malley's, then home.

A funny from the Reader's Digest


My husband, and auto mechanic, was on the kidney transplant list, and as you can imagine, it was a tense time for our family. But one day, the phone rang and our teenage son answered. It was the hospital with good news. "Dad," he yelled excitedly. "Your parts are in!" Bette Larsen.

Have a great weekend.

Mary

I almost got to stay home all day. Dick had two errands but they did not take long.

I finished cleaning the garage and did a bit of garden work today. Time to trim things and to remove some of the plants that are about dead before the frost comes and one can't get them out of the ground. I made some shelves to stack the planters on in the garage. I am going to try to keep some of the herbs through the winter. Last year I almost made it with the rosemary.

I sewed a bunch of squares together for the quilt and we filtered the Chokecherry wine, so it was a busy day.

It has been cool and crisp in the mornings when Chelsea and I go out for our walk. Her coat is all grown back now, so she is ready whenever the really cold weather comes. And we know that it will. Mom and I were lamenting the small signs of change and then realized that it is, after all, almost mid September.

I roasted veggies on the grill along with Italian Sausage patties to serve with mashed potatoes. I will roast veggies more often. They were really good. I soaked peppers, green, red and jalpeno, onions and fresh pineapple in olive oil, pineapple juice and fresh rosemary. Num Num.

I read a quote in the Catholic Herald that I think is worth repeating. No credit was given but it was in quotes so I will present it that way also. "When walking through hell, keep walking!" Good advice.

Take care

Love

Mary

I thought that Dick would NEVER wake up this morning. He WAS up when I woke up at 6:15 but went back to bed when I started out on my walk with Chelsea. He was sound asleep when we got back. The air was cool and dry this morning. Perfect for a nice brisk walk.

So, when we got back, I did all my computer stuff and took my shower and checked the plants and worked a bit on the football pool and started getting REALLY hungry. He finally woke up at about 9AM and we headed straight to the Family Restaurant for breakfast. I was starting to get cranky. I DO get kind of cranky if I am left unfed too long. After we ate, we grocery shopped at the Pig.

The rest of the day was all at home. Yea!!!

I sewed some squares together to begin the baby quilts, harvested marigold seeds and cleaned half of the garage. I figure I can do the other half tomorrow and figure out how I will store the planters and especially the herbs that might survive the winter. I have great hopes for the lavender, the thyme and the rosemary.

This morning when I went out on the deck to begin harvesting the marigold seeds, imagine my surprise when, for the second time, the planter with the marigolds in it was on the ground below. The rain gauge was also toppled and I am beginning to believe that some critter, probably a squirrel is messing around on the deck and getting on just the right spot to dump the thing. Anyway, I just moved it to the front of the garage for the remainder of the season. I think perhaps next year I will weight it down with rocks or something.

I had mentioned that my friend Donna gave me that Pangissin from my Dad's Freshman year. This is a double treasure, because the year my Dad graduated was in the middle of the depression and they did not have a Pangissin that year, only a book with the pictures of the graduates with a cover sheet of their song, motto etc. There are TWO pictures of my Dad in the Freshman book so we are truly blest.

A touch of humor

Fifty-one years ago, Herman James, a North Carolina mountain man, was drafted by the Army. On his first day in basic training, the Army! issued him a comb. That afternoon the Army barber sheared off all his hair. On his second day, the Army issued Herman a toothbrush. That afternoon the Army dentist yanked seven of his teeth.
On the third day, the Army issued him a jock strap. The Army has been looking for Herman for 51 years.

Have a nice Thursday. Hope you get to be home too.

Love
Mary

We had a mildly busy day. Dick had an appointment with Dr. Hodous for the callouses. The two on the right foot are looking pretty good but that left one does not seem to be healing. We have to just keep working on it and remember that as Dr. Siddique said they will not heal completely until he gets to the vein work.

We also went to Plymouth Glass and paid for the skylight for Hunters Glen Drive, so everything there is paid. The only loose end is a refund from Wisconsin Public Service. Then we will be DONE.

We stopped at Applebees for lunch and had soup and sandwich.

I did some cooking today. I made split pea and ham soup which we had for supper. It was really good. I also made a cole slaw which will be ready tomorrow. It has to "cure" for best taste. While I was out in the kitchen, I chopped and froze some green bell peppers and some jalapeno peppers for the winter. My plants on the deck are still producing quite well. I will probably get a few more form them before we get a frost.

Tomorrow we will go grocery shopping in the morning then we can stay home for the whole day. I am going to sew some squares for baby quilts. I will do that tomorrow AND the next day. I need to get one done before Becky's baby is born.

My friend Kate Herman's husband Ron is in the hospital and very sick. Please pray for him. I am spreading the word.

I remember when my cousin Patty got married. She had an aunt who lived in Milwaukee and was quite wealthy. This aunt was a lovely woman but rather big and rather overbearing. She came to the wedding wearing a fur wrap which somehow seemed to make her even bigger. She was fascinated by all of us children and when she saw my brother George, who couldn't have been over 3 or 4 and was just precious, she just swarmed (if one person can swarm) on him. He literally lost all color and tried to escape. She kept trying to hug him as he squirmed away to Mother.

Have a good Wednesday.

Mary

I thought you might enjoy seeing Ernie Ruffell who played the pipes at our Celtic Mass. He was wonderful, even playing as everybody left the church to move on to the Faire or go home.

It was neat.

Mary

Monday! Monday!

It rained most of the day. Chelsea and I walked in the rain, but it was so gentle that early that we did not get wet at all (except for Chelsea rolling in the grass.)

Bible study today after a week off for the Labor Day Monday. The three readings today all kind of went together. Sometimes they seem disjointed. Today the common theme seemed to be forgiveness and the fact ignorance IS and excuse no matter what that old saying says. One of the stories is Prodigal son. And oldie but goodie. People have a tendency to feel really sorry for the "good" son. Understandable as everybody does like to be acknowledged for what they do. But the story reminds us that we really need to do what is right whether we get a fatted calf or not. We all decided that we COULD understand the joy that Father had on the return and repentance of that wayward son no matter what he had done.

Spent the rest of the day cleaning and sorting out my desk. Caught up on phone calls too. We had Celtic Faire food for supper so my day was quite easy.

Rhine Plymouth meeting was tonight. It too was quite uneventful so now I am home again and ready to settle in for the night. Chelsea just came over to me and told me that she really wants to go outside and then to bed.

Love

Mary

This was Celtic Faire Sunday. Everything went very well at least we thought so. The Mass went flawlessly though as Jeff said, the dancers were missed. I told him that the dancers that did the liturgical dance are out of high school and away at college now. Perhaps next year we can pursue some other options.

The music and musicians were great. We had Martin doing the guitar. A gentleman from Manitowoc who played the bagpipes and was really good and a violin and bodhrun. The Kinderkor sang too. They are a nice group of school children.

I set up a vendor table and featured my book, the tiles I have been painting and Fr. Mike Shea's ladies goods. Didn't sell much but did sell some things and saw lots of people.

I had corned beef and cabbage for lunch and brought a dinner home for Dick. Then just before closing they were selling off sandwiches for $1.00 each so I got two hamburgers and two brats. That will take care of tomorrow's supper too.

The Packers won today too. By the skin of their chinny chin chins but they won. My first week's picks in the football league are pretty bad. I will have to study harder I guess.

Bobbie made tiramisu today and she and Bill brought it over for us all, Jim and Michelle too, to have dessert together tonight. Nice thought, nice visit and great tiramisu. Now Jim has to make his again. (He makes a great one too.) I believe a taste off was mentioned sometime during the evening.

Dick is afraid that he had developed a bladder infection after all. Tomorrow we contact Dr. Sharon again for some meds. He will be sure by then anyway.

Tomorrow is bible study and the Rhine Plymouth meeting. Not exactly a quiet day. But not too busy either.

I thought that perhaps I would publish the little cover story that I wrote for the worship folder for mass for those of you that could not attend the mass. I am a bit proud of it.


Mary

The Hearth Fire.

Homes in Ireland were designed, no matter how small, to provide room to gather around the hearth for food and social activities. The hearth symbolizes Irish hospitality towards strangers while the turf fire symbolizes family continuity. The fire was never allowed to die out as it was believed that if it did, the soul of the family would also die.

Evening was a time for storytelling and songs. Wandering balladeers or fiddlers, even professional storytellers along with the bacach, or beggerman, joined the family for tea and Irish soda bread and were welcome to spend the night on a bench by the fire. Interesting guests would bring the neighbors to join in the fun

The Irish, though poor always welcomed the stranger.

This kindness towards strangers mirrors ancient Jewish culture. Stranger and travelers were always welcome to the table and were provided shelter before they continuing on their way.

And if there were interesting guests at a home, the neighbors, uninvited would come and join the festivities, listening to the goings on by standing inside the walls so that they could hear and join in if invited. Reading the Gospels gives us a picture of this practice.

The homeless and wanderers are still in our midst. Too bad, the welcoming concept is gone. Some of that is just common sense, but it has taken a whole culture of the poor out of a cycle that DID provide food, shelter and a kind of social structure. How sad to be unwelcome and shunned in one's own community.

Dick and I had a wonderful day. Praise the Lord, he did feel well enough to go to see Thoroughly Modern Millie at the Fireside.

We left at about 8:30AM and got home about 6:3oPM as I mentioned yesterday. Chelsea made a beeline for the grass as soon as I opened the door when we got home. Boy did she have to go, but she made it. I wouldn't do that to her often. That is for sure.

When we got back to the car we had a "parking ticket" on the car window. We have been instructed to send $50 to 727 Tallgrass Lane. Somebody we know is being goofy today.

The meal at the Fireside is always delicious and today was no exception. We had a ramekin of shrimp and scallops in a creamy sauce for an appetizer (Those who know Dick understand that this was NOT a joy for him. Fortunately, he was able to substitute a salad. There was a woman named Jean who was with us on the New England trip with her husband Maurice. Dick and Maurice were not fish lovers and by the the third bowl of clam chowder were getting pretty bitchy. Finally they sat at the table and said something like "No clam chowder again" with folded arms and scowly faces. They ended up with chicken soup and Jean and I both remembered this. After dinner she came over and told Dick that she noticed that there was no ramekin in front of him at the beginning of the meal. )
The rest of the meal was a pork chop stuffed with stuffing flavored with sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and gravy and fresh yellow and green squash. Dessert was cheesecake with pineapple in rum sauce. Of course, we were treated to fresh Fireside bread too. I bought two loaves and some muffins to bring home with us.

We had never seen this play and I do not remember seeing the movie either. The first act was really rather unexceptional. Not the acting, singing and dancing which was superb, but the play itself was totally nondescript. Then the second act started and really took off. It ended rather strangely also but as I said the acting, singing and dancing and the vital second act made it Very worthwhile.

I sent an email of the picture of me with the huge puffball to the Press for their picture of the week thingy and they published it. At least on the computer. I hope they put it in the paper too. Mother loves stuff like that.

Well tomorrow is Celtic Mass and Faire. The weather is predicted to be just perfect. I hope it continues so. It is also the same time as the first Packer game, but I understand that they are going to be showing the game on a big TV. I am going to have quite a vender's table with my book and my tiles and Fr. Mike's stuff. Should be fun.

On Tuesday, September 11, 2007 everyone in the USA who
will be driving a motor vehicle is asked to drive with their headlights
on during daylight hours. Though no explanation is needed as to why we
are commemorating� September 11, we hope more importantly to pay
respect to the victims of that day, show our nation's solidarity and
show support for our men and women of the Armed Forces.
You can help by sending this e-mail on to others!

REMEMBER!

LIGHTS ON.....9/11

I think this would be good for our troops. They need us. Don't forget we all know someone who is in danger and they are there for us not matter what we feel about anything else.

Mary

It did rain during the night and for part of the morning. Fortunately when Chelsea and I went out for our walk, it was between storms and we actually had a pretty good one. With the warm humid air, there were mosquitoes buzzing around my ears. So we stayed out of the woods and just went through the park and back around into the condo complex.

Then I spent the morning cleaning the kitchen and on the phone.

At noon, I drove to Dairy Queen via Pick and Save to have lunch with the Wells Fargo retirees. I picked up some corn for supper on my way home.

I talked to Bret tonight. He sounded really good. He had a nice 40th(would you believe that one of my BABIES is 40.) Someone cooked steak and artichokes for him over the weekend to celebrate.

I also got a call from my niece, Vikki, from that life today. She is a dear girl and had called and met up with Bret on his birthday too. They had not seen each other for almost 8 years. She said that this should not be. They both need FAMILY and are so separated from them. They are now not too far apart, at least when Bret is at the River so will have to make a point of seeing each other more.

Tomorrow we are supposed to go to the Fireside in Ft. Atkinson to see Thoroughly Modern Millie. I sure hope Dick feels good enough. I hate going alone. I will have to find my Cathedral Window squares that are my "travel quilt" and will bring my Sr. Fidelma mystery to read. We leave at 8:30AM and are back at 6:30PM so it is OK for Chelsea. Since we live in Plymouth now the trip takes a whole hour less than when we lived in Sheboygan. Good thing. That girl is getting old. I am sure that she sleeps almost the whole time we are gone. I know that when I leave her home with Dick, she seldom even bothers with HIM while I am away.

Have a good weekend. I will tell you about the play tomorrow night.

Mary

The Wedding picture of Genevieve Bowser and Willie Lindsay who are seated. In back are Matt Bowser and Claire Bowser, Aunt Gee's brother and sister. I assume that they were the witnesses.

I told you the story of this wedding in an earlier blog. If some of you don't know, e mail me and I will repeat it.

They are so beautiful and handsome.

Hot muggy day. I almost felt like Chelsea and I were walking through liquid when we walked this morning. We have been promised rain tonight. But it is almost 9PM as I write this and there are still stars in the skies.

When we walked this morning the only birds I heard were those raucous crows. Everybody else was feeling the mugginess as much as I was I guess.

Dick and I stayed home ALL day. Thank heavens. He is still recovering from yesterday. Actually he feels pretty good but does get very tired. He slept from about 8PM to midnight last night then couldn't sleep until this morning sometime. Then he got another five hours or so. That man has more trouble with sleep than anyone I have ever known.

Bobbie had brought us a jar of fresh canned peaches on Sunday. We had some this noon with a sandwich. Boy are they ever good. Such a treat.

I went to Sheboygan Falls to Blessed Trinity for choir practice. The last one before Celtic Mass on Sunday. We sounded pretty good and had a couple of more people there too. It is a nice big choir for a while. Now is some of them will stay past the Celtic Weekend, Beth has a chance.

Beth and Andy asked me to write the words for the Psalm on Sunday. That will be fun. I will let you know. I did one for The Reunion a couple of weeks ago. That will provide a few ideas.

I stopped at Mom's before practice. I took her a picture that Beth Dipple sent to me. It is of my great aunt Genevieve on the occasion of her wedding to Willie Lindsey. I will place it on the site. I recognized Aunt Gee (Genevieve) even though I only knew her when she was very old. What a treasure. My friend Donna Plageman gave me an old Pangissin, a yearbook from Sheboygan Falls High school in the year that my Dad was a freshman. What a treasure. It is falling apart but the pages are in good shape. I can hardly wait to show Mom that one.

Tomorrow is kitchen cleaning day and in the evening the pistol league starts at Rhine. Should be a quiet healing day for Dick. We are hoping that he can go to see Thoroughly Modern Millie at the Fireside.

If it doesn't rain tonight, I need to water plants like crazy tomorrow morning before it gets too hot.

Later.

Mary

It is 7:45PM and we are safely installed at home again. It was a long long day, especially for Dick. We got up at 5AM. I walked Chelsea and showered. Then we hied it on over to Sheboygan Memorial and checked Dick in for the "procedure".

They took him down at about 7:45AM. I got to ride down on the elevator with him though I continued to the Ground floor to have breakfast. The procedure takes about two hours. SO I ate slowly, read a bit of my book then worked my way back up to the third floor via the chapel. I don't recall ever being in the chapel at Memorial. It is very pretty and very restful. I mentioned all my cares and woes and thanksgivings to Him and then went up the rest of the way.

I parked myself in the waiting room where I had a view of the hall that he would be wheeled back in and sure enough at about 10:00AM there he was. The next few hours were very long. Dick does not do well on his back and on his back he had to be. He was not to move his left leg because that was the side on which Dr. Siddique had entered the artery. He was NOT a happy camper. They gave him Valium twice and Tylenol once and shifted him several times. I went down and picked up some lunch at about the time his arrived which distracted him a bit but he was out and out uncomfortable. Occasionally he did doze which provided a little relief.

I had to leave at 2PM for a bit to take Chelsea out and to run a couple of other errands. Actually, I headed directly to Mom's to take her medicine to her, then home to walk Chelsea, then to the bank, the gas station, Market Day pickup and the Pig. (I decided to pick up some Cranberry juice for Dick to drink for the next few days, hopefully to help in avoiding another bladder infection.)

Arriving back at the hospital at about 5PM, I went to the cafeteria to pick up a meal to eat with Dick when his arrived. That was nice. He was by then feeling MUCH better because he had been allowed to sit up at about 3:30PM and the back pain was gone.

Everything from then on went smoothly. We were able to leave at about 6:45PM. As I said, a long day. Chelsea is very glad we are home. I am sure it is very puzzling to her when we leave for long periods of time.

Dick is now dozing in his chair. I hope he has his feet up.

I wrote a haiku that I kind of liked yesterday. I will share then sign off
for the night. Thanks for your prayers. Keep them up and also pray for a family that may be losing their father/grandfather tonight. I saw a lot of sadness and told them I would pray.


The spirits gather
In the early morning mist
Rising from the earth

Love

Mary

This is a picture of Beth Hoegger, Kate Herman and Me at Irishfest this year. We sure had a good time. I was glad that someone could go with me.

Seemed kind of like Monday all day. Monday holidays do seem to throw the week off. Then to top it off, we did our grocery shopping today because Dick will have his second "procedure" tomorrow, which has thrown things off even more. Usually Wednesday is our shopping day.

So we stopped at Mc Donald's for breakfast then hopped on over to the Pig to shop. We were home by about 9:30 and Dick took a short nap. Then we met Jim and Michelle at Wells to close out the joint checking account that we had for the Hunters Glen expenses. Just another detail out of the way. Since Jim and Michelle were off work, we went to the Exchange Bank for lunch. Then I took Dick to Aurora Plymouth for his blood test. Now, he just has to remember not to eat or drink anything after 2AM. We wrote a big NO! on the board on the Fridge. Hope it is enough.

I didn't write too much last night, but we had dinner with Jim and Michelle and played cards to take advantage of the holiday. I prepared Chicken on a Throne (Chicken on the grill with a can of beer up its behind) Boy was it good. I always use half the can of beer to make fresh beer bread to go with it and Michelle made an Oreo/Manderin Orange salad to go with it so we ate like royalty.

Well, pray for Dick tomorrow that the procedure goes well and that there is no infection this time. We have to be at the hospital at 6:30AM so I will be going to bed soon.

Sleep tight yourself.

Mary

Chelsea and I had a very early walk. Dick kind of read the clock wrong and sent her in to get me up at 20 to 6 thinking that it was already 6:42AM. Kind of a bummer, but stuff happens. Chelsea decided to take the path that cuts into the woods before we got to the second half of the park and I saw puffballs. That was interesting and all.


Then I noticed THIS one. As you can see it is HUGE. So I brought it home to show everybody. It wasn't easy to carry it either as I had to manage Chelsea too and she will not walk over the bridge. The slats are just too odd and her little paws get stuck. I have to carry her. So at one point I was carrying her and this big old puffball.

Mary

Today was a lovely day. I got to sleep until almost 6:15AM because Dick had Chelsea shut up in the office. It was in the mid 50s which is wonderful for walking. We only ran into one other walker, and older lady (Yes. even OLDER than me) who we meet quite often. The is the sister in law of one of our Tall Grass Neighbors which is nice. I like ties.

I went over to Jim and Michelle's at about 7:30AM and stayed for about 1/2 hour with Boots. I fed him, checked his litter box and filled his water dish too. He doesn't play with me or cuddle me. He just looks at me kind of bemused and seems to be puzzling as to where his owners are. It is after 9PM now and Jim and Michelle have not called to say that they are home. I am sure Boots will be OK until morning. I will check then.

Bobbie and Bill picked me up at 9Am to go to the Sheboygan County Fair. It was fun. We looked at all the exhibits, ate a grilled brick cheese on rye sandwich, looked at all the animals. (As Bill says, all the cows butts.) I especially enjoyed the chickens and horses. There are more breeds of chicken than one can imagine. I did not see any of the Araconda or the Polish Crested, that I used to have though. I guess they are not the "IN" chickens anymore. Bill noticed a little matchbox type tractor and asked if I wanted to add it to my car collection. I told him that I didn't need a tractor as I had found one when walking one day with Zero. When we got home he looked and found the red tractor that is on the shelf. I often find interesting things on my walks.

Bret and Bart and I used to go to the Orange County Fair quite often. I remember that they always had a theme. One year it was the Purple Pig. Sure enough we found purple footprints all over the grounds that if followed, led to the pig barn where they had purple pigs. That was a busy fairgrounds. In off season on most weekends, it hosted a big giant swap meet. You could go there and pay a small admission to go in and find almost anything from actual junk, to mass produced t shirts , to tools, to food. It was amazing. The fairgrounds must have done quite well too. They got the parking/admission from the buyers and charged the vendors a fee for the space. Sweet deal.

That is where I picked up my framed print of the lady leaning on a Rolls sipping a glass of champagne that reads "Poverty Sucks". It was such a great statement. After I hung it, Bret's friend Mike came over one day. He looked at it and commented on the print. I told him it was a picture of me. He looked at it and he looked at me and he looked again and said. "It is not." I almost had him because the woman is about the same coloring as I am and at that time my hair was longer. At this moment that print is over the fireplace.

I still like the thought and imagine that the hungry people of this world would agree with me.

Love

Mary



Bret and Bre

Dick and I decided to go out for breakfast this morning. We had not been to the Point in Sheboygan Falls in a couple of years so decided to give it a whirl. It was OK. Their eggs are really good but Dick was not too thrilled with the hash browns. I don't think anything has changed in that restaurant for 20 or more years.

We went out because we had some banking to do. So we stopped and did that on the way home. Then Dick went down for a nap and I sprayed the lilacs for powdery mildew. I don't know whether I did it right or not but one can only hope so. I moved the day lilies that have been hidden behind the lilac bushes up to the front garden kind of surrounding my crane sculpture. There was quite a large bare area and I hope this will fill it up next year.

Then this afternoon I went over to the Pig and picked up a beautiful bright floral arrangement in a nice bright cheerful pot and took it to Mother. Tomorrow would have been her and Dad's 68th wedding anniversary. Every year since he passed, Dick and I have given flowers to Mom to commemorate the day. The first year when I took the flowers, I told her that it was too special a day to go unrecognized. The look on her face was worth the everything. So I have continued the tradition every year. And every year, Mom shares memories with me. We both feel good and a bit lonely too. But memories keep him with us.

I took it today because I will be at the fair with Bobbie and Bill tomorrow. I decided that since I was going to a Saturday Mass, I might as well go in Falls and walk over with Mother. I saw a lot of friends.

I had put a pork tenderloin in the slow cooker so all I had to do was fix rice and a salad for supper.

An imponderable: If one synchronized swimmer drowns, to the rest drown too?"

Enjoy the rest of your Labor Day weekend.

Mary

It was an absolutely beautiful day. Not to hot and the sun was shining. Chelsea and I had a fine invigorating walk. It was only 54 at that time of morning which is really nice walking weather.

Then I cleaned the kitchen before heading to the Blood Center for my regular donation. I am now going every eight weeks. I will, however, adjust my schedule to participate with Peggy Feider's special drive in memory of her son Joe. He must smile broadly when this occurs because it helps so many people. That donation day is busy from the time they open until they close. They really get a lot.

I had lunch with Barb and Betty and Ceil today at Dairy Queen. I found out that Betty is afraid of chickens. She lives next to her son Scott and his family. They are raising some cattle. She said if they every get chickens she will get the message and move.

Did a bit of shopping while I was out. I picked up a solution that I can spray the lilacs with. They have "powdery mildew" and I need to get rid of that. I may move the day lilies from in back of the lilacs at the same time. I want to move them up to the top of the hill so we can see them from the office. They are useless behind the lilacs. Flowers have only one voice, their beauty. Some of them also have a lovely scent, but hidden, they cannot be enjoyed.

I baked chocolate zucchini bread today. That is really good. It calls for cinnamon which does wonders when combined with chocolate.

I am reading a Sister Fidelma Mystery, The Valley of the Shadow. There is a quote that really struck me and I want to share it with you. It decries violence and imposition of one's own beliefs in the name of God.

"If we have to spread our teachings and Faith at the point of a sword then those teachings and our Faith must surely not be worth the hearing." Peter Tremayne

Have a great Labor Day weekend. I even remembered to put up the flag.


Love

Mary

We took the Santa Fe to the dealer for an oil change and tire rotation. We have now used up ALL the coupons in our maintenance package. We decided along with the service people that it must be time to either buy a new car or another coupon book.

I spent most of the day recapping last night's meeting for the attendees and for those who are interested. Most have emails which makes it really easy, but I did have five that I had to prepare a snail mail package for.

There was a choir practice for Celtic Mass at Blessed Trinity tonight. Only one more before the Mass on the 9th. I hope you can all come. It should be quite nice. We have some beautiful music scheduled. Our tin whistle player can't come, but we will have bagpipes, a bodhrun and a fiddle as well as Beth on the piano and organ. And don't forget that after Mass we have a Celtic Faire until 3:00PM. There is excellent food, Corned beef and cabbage, brats and hamburgers and chicken, with bars for dessert and we always have the best scones for those who need to break their fast and want a good Irish bread.

There will also be a band playing and singing Irish music and a storyteller. We have a few vendors around the place too. I will be selling my books, my new painted tiles and some of Fr. Mike's items from Thailand for his cause. (That way I have a seat and a good view of all the action.)

I remember a time when I was very young, Mom and Dad decided to take us all to a lake so we could picnic and go swimming. That is where the trouble began. Mother would mention a lake and Dad would say. " We can't go there, someone drowned in that lake last year." So she would name another one and Dad would say. "Well, someone drowned in that lake too." This went on for a while until she got exasperated and they just picked on and watched us real close.

Now, I ask you, isn't that one of the sweetest ways for a father to say he loves his children? He couldn't even imagine exposing us to a place that had claimed a life.

Love

Mary

Such a full day.

Chelsea and I had a wonderful walk. I let her take a couple of short cuts. She tried to cut through the playground in the park but I make her stay on the path. Otherwise she gets sand in her hair and it is really messy. Since she had a bath yesterday, we want to keep the bloom on the rose as long as possible.

We went to the Family Restaurant for breakfast and then shopping. I spent the rest of the day kind of cleaning and baking cookies and setting things up for the Celtic Women Meeting tonight.

I know you are all waiting with baited breath to know how that went. Now you all stop rolling your eyes.

It did go well. I had told Dick that there would be any where from two to 12 people here. There were eight. Was I good, or what? We had a nice sharing meeting and are an official group. We have decided not to have officers. We will meet once a month, usually. The next meeting is scheduled for October 18 at 52 Stafford. We will meet for dinner at 6:3oPM and then move on to the session that Sean hosts in the lounge area. Sounds like a fun day. Peggy Feider my friend from bible study at Blessed Trinity brought her daughter Amy with her. Amy took tin whistle lessons at the Willie Clancy school in Dublin (I think< class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Sheboygan Chapter of CWI and 7 others who called to tell me that they could not come to this one but to keep them on the list and informed.

Yippee.

Jacquie, my ex sister in law, called while we were in the meeting so I called her back. We had a nice visit. I would like to see her again. She is a lovely lady. She said that her husband, George, is doing quite well. I sent him my love. He is an ornery old man, but he is himself and there is something to be said for that. What you see is what you get. He was a sword fisherman off of Newport Harbor in California. A picture of George is a picture of what you would expect a fisherman to look like.

Please say some prayers for my nephew Todd, Jacquie's son. He is having a colonoscopy and is afraid. He is a year younger than my Bart. My mother in law, his grandmother, had colon cancer and so did someone on his Dad's side, so he is nervous. He is one of the really sweet people in this world. Always has been. I love him. So pray for him for me.

I read in the computer news that someone paid $7400 for a bunch of NFL Michael Vick cards that were shredded by a bunch of dogs and that the money was going to the Humane Society. I also read that Leona Helmsley left $12,000,000.00 to her dog. Perhaps someone ought to tell that dog to donate a LOT of money to his or her fellow four legged companions. I guess companions isn't quite the word but you know what I mean.

P. S. I hope that Michael Vick is TRULY sorry for what he did. If he is, his future actions will show this and he can do a lot of good in this world. Cruelty to animals is a sign of deep troubles. I hope for him and his family's sake that he has turned a corner.

It is time to go to bed now, so I will sign off. Take care and have a good Thursday.

Love

Mary

I wish I could sing on this blog. There is a lot to sing about today. I spent the morning paying off the mortgage on this condo. We are very excited. Actually, the payoff will take place tomorrow sometime. I sent a cashier's check express mail this morning and was assured that it will arrive in Des Moines before noon tomorrow. Yippee!!!!!!!!! We just have a few little loose ends and then will be totally free and clear.

Jim and Michelle came over this evening and we gave them a couple of checks for their share of things. They are a happy little couple too.

I spent the rest of the day vacuuming, watering plants and generally finishing the cleaning so the living room is all sparkly for the Celtic Women meeting tomorrow night. All I have left to do is bake the cookies. I am making Lavender cookies to go with the tea and coffee. Seems kind of Irishy to me.

I made a couple of portabello mushrooms stuffed with kale and artichokes and cheeses for my supper. Of course, Dick won't eat that but there was pasta with smoked sausage left from last night for him. The mushrooms are delicious. I will be making them again.

I harvested some green peppers and jalapeno peppers from the deck today too. I am amazed that the pepper plants did so well. I planted them in these narrow, shallow planters and they did better than the tomatoes that were in a much bigger environment. Go figure.

When there are races at the fairgrounds we can hear the engines loud and clear. This added to Michael Perry talking about the Monster truck races he wrote about made me think of my one instance as a race driver.

When Perry wrote about the Monster trucks, he started it by using the following repetition: yellow/green yellow/green yellow/green. This is a reference to the bank of lights that racers use at the starting gate.

You have to think of yellowgreen almost as one word and one action. When the light turns green you have to immediately blast off the start line - At the instant of change but not a nanosecond sooner. Otherwise, you have a false start. I drove in a drag race once with the jeep out in the desert. I think it was at the Glamas Dunes. I was all pumped and ready to go. I still remember that my heart was pounding and I was actually breathless. Then the light turned and I gunned it. BUT - for an instant I thought that I had jumped the start. I backed off for just a fraction of a breath, just enough to lose me the race. I actually almost caught the other guy but my hesitation cost me. I never got the opportunity to try it again. Sure would have liked to. I bet I could have been good.

Love

Mary

Chelsea woke me up at 5:38AM. I know because I looked. Dick was sleeping, which is rather unusual, so I got up and we went for our walk. It was very pleasant. Kind of cool but pleasant. Today we saw one other walker, a man we had not seen before. Chelsea barked. I did not let her take the shortcut today. Then we went ALL the way around the park and my feet were like wearing buckets of water when we finally got home.

Today was bible study. We had a nice crowd again. The gospel is the one about not going up to the head of the table when you get to a party but wait for the host to move you up further. WE wonder if one really did this would the host would notice these days. It was all involving humility. And we DID determine that humility is honesty.

I stopped to visit Mother on the way home as always. She is just fine. She had her hair done last week and it really looked cute. She told me that Randy's Erin made Special Honors in the Sheboygan Press for her last semester at college. She is my goddaughter so that makes me proud too.

I took Mom a bowl of the Zuppa Tuscana for her lunch. We had it for lunch today too. She would like the recipe, perhaps you would too. It is a knock off of the Olive Garden sausage soup and is really good. I used my own homemade venison brats with a few other spices to make them more hot and Italiany. I will put it WAY at the end because it copied funny.

I wrote a poem for writer's club last week about the waning days of summer. I took the thoughts from my early morning walks with my furry friend, Chelsea. It is a pantoum, you will notice the repeating lines. Maybe you could help with a title.

• The sweet smell of ripening grasses
• Mixes with eager bird songs.
• They fill the air together
• During this fruitful time of the year.
• 
  
• Mixing with eager bird songs
• They happily feed on the plenty
• During this fruitful time of year
• Just before the harvest
• 
  
• They happily feed on the plenty.
• Seeding plants burst forth
• Just before the harvest.
• No one goes hungry now.
• 
  
• Seeding plants burst forth.
• They fill the air together
• No one goes hungry now.
• The sweet smell of ripening grasses.

THEN - here is the RECIPE. Enjoy.

Zuppa Toscana Soup like Olive Garden's® Spicy sausage and bacon, russet potatoes and greens in a creamy broth. A low-carbohydrate alternative is also suggested. Submitted By: Jessica Dudley Serves: 10 Prep. Time: 0:35 1 lb. spicy Italian sausage - crumbled 1/2 lb. smoked bacon - chopped 1 qt. water (2) 14.5 oz. cans (about 3 2/3 cups) chicken broth 2 lg. russet potatoes - scrubbed clean, cubed 2 garlic cloves - peeled, crushed 1 med. onion - peeled, chopped 2 cups chopped kale OR Swiss chard 1 cup heavy whipping cream salt and pepper - to taste

-In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown sausage, breaking into small pieces as you fry it; drain, set aside. -In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown bacon; drain, set aside. -Place water, broth, potatoes, garlic, and onion in a pot; simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender. -Add sausage and bacon to pot; simmer for 10 minutes. -Add kale and cream to pot; season with salt and pepper; heat through. Love Mary

Chelsea and I saw two blue herons flying overhead this morning as we were coming through the park towards home. They are quite a sight.

Fr. Van Beeck was talking about that narrow gate that St. Luke mentions in this week's reading. I talked about it on Monday. He told a rather amusing story. He said that invariably at a party, someone will approach him and say something like, "Well, Father. I don't always make church on Sunday and I don't know if there REALLY is a God, but if there is I think He loves us and will just let everybody in at the end." Father said that this reading should make us all think. God is a loving God but also just. We all have to find our own way to him but if we are making excuses for our lives perhaps we are on the wrong path.

Bobbie and I worked at Rhine today. It was rather quiet but we did send out 7 squads and two squads of doubles. Bobbie is now counting the days til she retires. Go!!! Bobbie!!!

Bobbie and Bill are going to the Sheboygan County Fair next Sunday and said that I can go with them. I will use the gate pass that I got it for giving blood at the Blood Center. Such a nice gift. Actually, I will be giving blood again this coming Friday.

On Saturday, Michael Perry was talking about a free lance article that he did about the Monster Trucks. Those are the BIG trucks with the huge wheels that crush cars and stuff. It reminded me of when I used to go jeeping.

Out on the sand it is best to have special tires. They should be wide and soft and grooved just so. The art of the tires is quite specialized. When we first started going we got stuck a lot more than later because of learning that. There was a man, I forget his name, but he eventually began supplying tires for duning. (Duning was a word in that previous life.) The first time that I remember him, he came out driving a dune buggy with huge tires that he had carved so that as he drove the tires printed out "the Monster" " the Monster" in the sand.

If I remember correctly, he is the same man who got married out in the dunes. Jeeps and dune buggies formed an aisle for the bride, dressed in white with veil and everything, to walk down to an archway set up in the sand. A minister performed the ceremony out in the middle of the dunes under the desert sun. It was quite beautiful.

Michelle baked lemon zucchini bread today and they shared. It is really good. Thank you Michelle.

Love

Mary

Today was really a play day.

Chelsea and I went for a nice long walk this morning. It was quiet. We did not see one other soul walking. That is rather unusual. It was cool but not cold, perfect weather for walking and things were dry enough that her little body did not get too wet.

Then I left at about 9AM to pick up Kate Herman for our Writers Workshop Presentation by Michael Perry at the James Tellen Woodland Sculpture Garden in Black River. I told you about the Sculpture Garden before. That is where we went for part of the class with Ellen Kort last spring. This was an event cosponsored with Mead Library and was quite well attended. Michael Perry is an accomplished freelance author. He wrote Population 485 about his experiences as a paramedic/firefighter in New Auburn WI on the volunteer fire department. If you have not read it, I have the book and would be glad to lend it to you. I heard him speak twice before and always pick up SOMETHING from his talk. Today I learned that he is a "compulsive" rewriter. He said that if his editors and/or agents wouldn't at some point say "alright already" he probably wouldn't finish anything. He told us a wonderful quote (I don't know from whom) "A poem is never finished. It is abandoned in despair." How heart wrenching is that. There was a reception at Mead tonight also, but I am pretty tired and had to help Dick with his legs and all. His voice did not sound strong today either so I felt much better staying home with him.

On the way to the event, we stopped at my cousin Brian Ayers to pick up my wedding rings. My knuckles seem to be growing as I age and I could hardly get them off lately, so he enlarged them for me. They always look SO nice when he is done cleaning and checking them anyway. Just like new.

SO, Kate and I stopped and had lunch at the Family Restaurant on South Business Drive. We had a delicious Portabello and Veggie sandwich on Foccocia bread. Wow, was that ever good.

Then I took a nap for a bit. The rest of the afternoon, I just cut out the rest of the denim squares I need for a quilt AND made Zuppa Tuscana for supper.

Today, on the news headlines was the story of a cat who stowed away in a moving van and ended up across country. It was found and shipped back to Green Bay. It reminded me of an incident years ago when I had a beautiful black cat named Samantha (Sam for short) She was jet black and had the most emerald of green eyes that I have ever seen. One day, I headed to the store with the truck and camper to pick up some groceries. When I opened up the door to the camper at the store, Sam erupted from the camper and took off like a shot. I could not catch her. We were only about 10 blocks from home, so all I could do was hope she would find her way home. As a matter of fact, as close as we were, I just assumed she would probably even beat me home.

However, she did not beat me home and for almost two weeks she was gone. My neighbor, John Talmadge, who lived across the street was terribly upset with me and I and my ex husband were devastated. She was a nice cat. Then one day I heard a faint "mew" at the kitchen door. Out of habit, I opened it and there she was. She walked in and I was so glad to see her. She was so thing and then she turned her left side towards me. To my shock there was a slash down her entire side , the full length of her body and almost an inch in width. It was actually a big scar. I called the vet and rushed her over for a checkup. At first he must have thought that I had done something to her but when he heard what had happened, we came to the conclusion that she had gotten hurt, perhaps by a fan in a car, and then crawled off to die, but instead healed enough to make her way home. He gave me a salve to put on her scar and it healed up with no sign of it after a time. She was a wonderful cat.

Have a nice Sunday. I will be working at Rhine.

Mary

Here is a picture of Fr. Michael Shea saying mass at St. Michael's Church in Parnell. That was quite a day. Next year EVERYBODY should come.

Only one more week left in August. Where HAS the summer gone? Today I received a gate pass for one adult for the Sheboygan County Fair from the Blood Center. I was surprised and very pleased. Now if I can find someone to go with me, maybe I will go this year. I am sure Dick would go , IF he could walk decently. However, the fair by its nature is a walking thing and he can't do that. Maybe next year if the next couple weeks go well.

We usually have corn and tomatoes for supper on Fridays but had so much potato salad left that we decided to eat that instead with smoked sausage. Mighty good. We had eaten Jeff's corn early this week anyway. I will only be getting four ears from now on. I have more than enough frozen and we only eat two ears each.

I have been cutting denim squares for two days now in my spare time. I only need about 20 more. Then I need to cut the flannel that will back them. It will make a nice warm comforter when I am done. When talking to Barbara, I found out that she is working on a similar project. I will have plenty of denim left. I wonder if she or anyone else needs it.

I also grated a zucchini today and froze it in two cup sizes. This can go in soups and breads later. I thought I would try that since zucchini is either pouring in or not around at all.

I almost finished the Celtic Women vest today. Just a bit of finishing and hand work. At least I can have it to wear on Wednesday to the meeting that will organize the Sheboygan Branch. I wonder if Chelsea heard me say that she will need a bath before this meeting. She is quite a dirty girl.

The other day, I saw a bunch of high school kids running and remembered Bart. This is the time of year that kids start warming up for high school sports. Bart, when he started high school, was somewhat overweight and not into sports at all. He at some point, rather suddenly to us at least, decided that he was going to get in shape and joined the basketball team at high school. I picked him up after the first practice. He was gray. They had run back and forth on the court for almost the entire practice. We started home and he suddenly said that I should pull over, because he thought he was going to throw up. He didn't and we made it home where he showered and collapsed in bed.

Bless his heart. He went back. This was a beginning for him. He stayed on the team. He started running several miles a day and really got in shape. As a matter of fact, at one point, I was worried that he was too thin. This is my Bart. Once he makes up his mind to something, he is like a bull dog and does not take his eyes off his goal until it is achieved. The back injury and other problems have slowed him up on this but he is improving and I know his stubbornness will come back. I am so proud of him.

Love

Mary

Have a great weekend.

It was raining when Dick and I went to Sheboygan for his blood test. His count is now back to normal so Sue is going to have us wait a month now. Until a week or two after the next procedure on his legs.

Then we had breakfast at the Parkview in Sheboygan Falls. Except for a trip to Walgreens a bit later in the day to pick up Dick's prescriptions and some vitamins we stayed home the rest of the day.

I fixed a great lunch. We had my leftover salmon mixed with peppers, green and pickled, sweet pickles, onion and salad dressing on a bed of greens. Yum Yum.

Never leave salmon at the restaurant if it is too much for you to eat. Make a salad.

Didn't hear from a single soul today. Tomorrow should be fairly quiet also but the weekend is busy with a Writer's event at the James Tellen Sculpture garden in Black River on Saturday and Bobbie and I work at Rhine on Sunday. If it is quiet, I will shoot.

I had time to do some sewing on my CWI vest. Also, I cut out MANY squares of denim for a quilt I intend to make with them. It might have been years before I had enough squares but my friend Donna Plageman from Blessed Trinity, made it her mission to find denim for me. After I finish cutting out the most recent bunch she gave me, I may have enough.

Til Tomorrow

Mary

"Life may not be the party we hoped for . . . but while we are here, we might as well dance."

Hot and muggy was the order of the day. I woke up a bit after six. Dick and I went to Mc Donalds for breakfast and then the bank and then grocery shopping before 9:30. I had to be at the club (Rhine Plymouth) by 10:30 with the desserts.

We had a good turnout for the bust up party. Great meal too. 5 Foot sub from Subway, beans, potato salad, chips and lots of dessert cookies and cupcakes. I still have cupcakes, cookies and Rice Krispy Bars left, but the majority was eaten . I ended up bringing home a little bit of potato salad and the condiments.

I had ordered some Irish breakfast sausages and they arrived today too. So I spent about 45 minutes after I got home getting things packaged and in the fridge and freezer. I am looking forward to the weekend so I will be able to cook some of those sausages for breakfast. I got two packages of Irish Bacon too. Yum Yum Irish Bacon, tomato and lettuce sandwiches.

Tonight Bill Cain took us to 52 Stafford for dinner to celebrate the big sale. We had a really nice time. Good meal and good company.

This afternoon I started sewing my Celtic Women Vest together. I would like to have it together to wear to our organization meeting next Wednesday. The vest would be the best way to display the tartan. The Celtic Women Tartan is the only one that is registered to a woman's group in the world and is really pretty.

I know the following is an old one, but it IS funny. Enjoy.

Larry La Prise, the man who invented "The Hokey Pokey" died peacefully today at the age of 93.

The most traumatic part for his family was getting him in to the coffin. They put his left foot in. And then the trouble started.

Mary

It did not rain today. However we are supposed to be on storm watch this evening from what I hear this morning. Chelsea and I enjoyed a nice walk too. She is still quite bouncy when we are out. When she sleeps however, she is dead to the world. Today, the door bell rang, she did not hear it. I answered the door with her sleeping IN THE KITCHEN HALL, talked to Jim Bordeau, who was delivering the Tall Grass newsletter and she never knew he was there. Poor baby.

I baked myself silly today. Tomorrow is the bust up party for the Rhine Plymouth Morning Trap league and I am helping John with the food. I am bringing desserts. I baked cupcakes, cookies and made some rice krispie bars. Whatever is left will be just fine for us. John is picking up Subs and Auntie Em's Potato Salad from the Pig and his wife is making beans. Should be a really good bust up lunch.

Tomorrow night Bill Cain and Jennifer his assistant, are taking Jim, Michelle, Dick and me out to 52 Stafford for dinner. Since we will have breakfast out because we shop tomorrow, I will be eating out all three meals. Such a deal. I think I deserve it.

I had a dentist appointment today. Just for cleaning. Glad that is over for another couple of months. My gums were in better shape again. So I am doing something right.

The rest of the day was rather quiet. Dick and I cleaned out our bedroom closets and have two bags of clothes ready to take to St. Vinnies.

A joke from Reader's Digest by Mary Roberge: "A warning called out by a bus driver at Disney World: Don't forget your kids. If we find them, we drop them off at the "It's a Small World ride, where they'll learn the song in 30 languages and sing it to you over and over."

A true story about that. My friend Joyce Nusser was telling another friend how much she enjoyed It's a Small World. He said. "Don't even say Small World to me!. " He and his family had gone to Disneyland. They went on Small World and the ride broke down.. For 45 minutes. Learning and listening to that song in 30 languages may not be such a bad thing. They were hearing the same phrase over and over and over again. He was just about ready to climb out of the tram and make his way out of that trap through the dolls and the singing when it started up again. Needless to say he did not like the song OR the cute little figures.

Love

Mary

An fun day for me. First there was Bible Study. We had a nice group. We had 10 of us there. We are now 13 strong if everybody can make it. Not bad.

There were interesting discussions this morning. The Gospel for Sunday is from Luke. He talks about the narrow gate and says that if you are too late, the gate will be closed and you will not get through. I have this picture conjured up of a line like is waiting to go on the Matterhorn in Disneyland and when the ride is full they close the gate. Hope it is not first come, first served. I really know that Jesus would not have promised us the kingdom if there was a chance of a door being slammed in our face. Right?

Then I went over to Mom's. She is all rested up from the wedding and was getting ready to go play canasta with her friends, so I waited until Evelyn Sippel came to pick her up so I could help her and her walker get into the car. Those ladies are pretty old and any help they get is a good thing. I gave her the Clifford Family Crest pin that I had picked up at Irish Fest. She is wearing it proudly.

This afternoon I went to the Cream City Writers Club. The Plymouth Club. We had a nice meeting too. Everybody had something to read and we shared a few tips on writing. Bev and Kate and I agreed to go to see Maya Angelou in April at the JMCAC. That will be special.

Tonight I made the Sour Milk Cheese. We had corn and chicken and salad for supper.

One of our writing buddies is a recovering alcoholic. He told us so it is not secret. Anyway the reason I mention it is because of a statement that a recovering alcoholic told a group of AlAnon people that I belonged to. He said. "You can pray til Hell freezes over. And you can pray on the ice. But unless you get up off your ass you will never get goosed by the Holy Ghost."

Another thing I remember, I heard at an AA meeting. A man was giving his testamony. He and his wife had been really seriously addicted. They kept trying to stop and going to meetings Then one day, he came home and found that his wife had changed. She told him that the desire to drink was gone. She had had a spiritual awakening. He looked into her eyes and she was different. She was serene and never drank again. Well, this gave him the courage to plug along day by day and stay sober but it was always a struggle. So one day he asked his sponsor when he was going to have his spiritual awakening. His sponsor said. "Are you sober?" He answered yes. "Are you happy?" He again answered yes and his sponsor said. "That's it. That's your awakening." Sobriety and happiness were enough and perhaps the struggle was part of the reward.

Hope you have a good week.

I intend to. tomorrow is dentist day for me.

Love

Mary

Today was the wedding. John Michels married his Holly at John Michael Kohler Art Center. It was intended to be an outdoor wedding but due to rain it was brought inside the center. It was a lovely ceremony. John and Holly had a four piece string quartet playing and a trumpet for then entrance song. Dick was able to come to the ceremony. We decided that he should opt out of the dinner and reception because it would have been too much for him. As it was he was getting a little, as he said, wobbly at the Art Center.

The reception was at Blue Harbor. The food was very good. A nice salad, crunchy bread, chicken, rice and wedding cake. John looked very handsome and Holly, of course, was beautiful. I wish them joy and love forever.

I sat at a table with George and Betsy, Randy and Donna and Jeff and Kathy. That was especially fun. We were talking about babies. Donna and I. I told her of Randy's baptism. Aunt Lois was Randy's godmother and I was her proxy at the ceremony because Aunt Lois lived in California. I was in the convent at the time but was allowed to come home for a visit for the baptism.

Our cousin, Michael Deeley, Jack's son, who committed suicide several years ago, was his godfather. I don't think that Mickey, who was the youngest of two children, had ever seen a new baby before in his life. To us, who had seen babies come in every couple of years, the bloom was off the rose. But to Mickey this was a major miracle. He looked at his little hands and his little toes and his tiny face and marveled that all the parts were there and complete. He couldn't believe that this small person was as complete as a full grown person. That is a very special memory. Randy was a beautiful baby.

A haiku



The cat in the beam
Of sun, stretches languidly
Soaking up the warmth.

Mary

This will be VERY short. It is 1:15AM and I am about ready to go to bed after spending a wonderful afternoon and evening with my friends Beth and Kate at Irishfest. I am hoarse, but not as hoarse as I have been known to get. We had such a good time and I was able to introduce two of my favorite people to each other and Beth is interested in joining our Celtic Group. Don't forget, you can all come to or just let me know that you are interested if you are busy on Wednesday August 29 at 7PM.

We shopped and ate and heard the Celtic Tenors, the tribute to Tommy Makem, a performance at the harp tent and Gaelic Storm. We also saw bits and pieces of several other performers. I introduced my friends to Irish Coffee and scones at the Tipperary Tea Room and Meade. Altogether a successful and satisfying day.

To top it off, the news that you all have been waiting to hear. The house closed almost as planned. The amount that Sue had told us was a bit off because the closing agent had "forgotten" to include the transfer tax, BUT it did not matter, they redid things had closed it anyway and everything is DONE. We only own one house and have only one mortgage and we are happy campers. Thank you for all your prayers.

Now I have a problem. I couldn't find St. Joseph. Do you think it will be OK if I buy another statue of St. Joseph to put on my mantle or my display shelves? Perhaps it will be. That way he can be a protector for the new owners of the house.

Love
Mary

Aren't they lovely. Dick LOVES bright colors like this. Thanks Dick and Brenda

I was not happy at all with the deaf old lady, Chelsea, this morning. For some reason or other she started bugging me at 4:30AM. I took her out just for good measure but then I could not get back to sleep after that so I finally took her for her walk at 5:30 just to get it over with.

Spent the morning cleaning the kitchen, showering and working on the computer until it was time to take Dick to Sheboygan for his two appointments at Sheboygan Clinic. Dr. Hodous trimmed his callouses. We are going back again after the nest artery procedure. Then we went down to the coagulation clinic to have his blood tested. The count was low today so he has to adjust his meds and then we have to go back next week to retest. We are a bit concerned today because his legs and feet are swollen again. I am hoping that is is because we were not massaging for about a week. I started again today and hope that this will bring it down again.

We went right from the clinic to Ninos for an anniversary lunch. Yes, as most of you know, it is our 21st anniversary today. We received several cards and the most beautiful vase of flowers from Dick and Brenda. We will enjoy them. I will post a picture. It is fun to be able to share so easily now.

On the way home, we stopped at the house to double check which keys on the rings belong to Hunters Glen and to check the keypad code. Then over to REMAX to sign our final papers and drop off the keys, garage door opener and a deposit slip for the proceeds. Whew. That is really a busy day. Isn't it?

We ate lightly tonight because our lunch was so big, then I zipped off to Blessed Trinity to practice for Celtic Mass. That was fun. Only two more practices before the big day.

Tomorrow. I will be going to Irish Fest with Beth Hoegger, from Blessed Trinity, and Kate Hermann, my Plymouth friend. We will have a great time I know. They are both fun.

I guess that is about all. I want to share the following because it made both Dick and me laugh out loud.

I walked into a hair salon with my husband and three
kids in tow
and asked loudly,
"How much do you charge for a shampoo and a blow job?"

I turned around and walked back out and never went
back
My husband didn't say a word...
he knew better.


Mary

It was a rather cool misty day today. Chelsea and I went out for our walk at about 5:45AM. It was very pleasant. But she took every shortcut she could and we did not have a very LONG walk. I was really too tired to care.

Then I got showered and Dick and I went to Mc Donald's for breakfast, the bank and then grocery shopping. We were home by 9:30AM. At about 10:30 I went to Rhine to check with John N. as to what we finally decided to do for the bust up party next week. He is going to pick up subs, beans and potato salad and I will bake something and bring jalapeno Peppers for Doc. He says you can't have subs with out jalapenos. I was also looking for Tom to give him his gun case. I still want to practice with the gun he is having me try, but he loves his gun case and I don't want him to get nervous.

I went directly from there to the Family Restaurant in Plymouth where I spoke to the Rotary. Kate Hermann, my Irish friend, wanted me to talk to them about the Writers Club and about our proposed Celtic club. I think it went very well and I also had a good lunch. Then home for the rest of the day.

Sue from ReMax called and then emailed us a copy of the HUD statement. I checked everything our and it looked fine to me. The closing is scheduled for 11AM on Friday. Sue said that she would deposit the check into our bank account on her way back to the office. Then on Friday or Monday, whenever it clears, we can disperse the funds to the Kunerts and the Kunerts and close the joint accounts that have served me, Dick and Jim for 8 years. They will no longer be needed.

Tomorrow Dick sees Dr. Hodous for his callouses and Sue for a blood test. On our way home we will check the house for the last time, then drop the keys and the garage door opener off at ReMAX and sign the last paper and leave a deposit slip for the deposit. Whew. This has been a long haul.

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine,
that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even
more of
the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!

Have a good Thursday

Mary

Isn't he the prettiest dragonfly you ever did see? He has a pretty red tail.

Another full day. Chelsea and I had a good walk after the storm. It was quite pleasant at 6:30this morning. At 6:30 we always run into more of "her" kind. We saw five other doggies out there on the trail.

Then I spent much of the morning on paperwork. Times they are a changin' and that means that lots of things have to be done to accommodate those changes. I took a picture of a dragonfly today. I like dragonflies. When we, Bret, Bart and Me in our previous life, used to go to the Colorado River for a weekend, most bugs bit. There were mosquitoes, horseflies and "no-see-ums". And they all bit. But the dear dragonflies just floated around all iridescent and everything and did not bite.

Today I took Chelsea to the Vet. We have noticed that for the past several weeks, even months, she does not respond to the garage door opening. Even more recently, I can walk in the house, walk right by her several time and even talk and she will not wake up if she is sleeping. We decided that she needed a checkup to be sure that there is no medical problem with her ears. Dr. Quilling confirmed our fears. She is deaf. He said that the hearing probably has been failing for some time but as long as there was ANY she was using it. Apparently the last is gone now. She is very confused. She keeps looking at me when I talk and is becoming very verbal herself. We are trying to be very comforting to her and trying to figure out some hand signals that might help her understand. Poor Baby. She lost a pound since November too but the vet was not concerned about that. He said older dogs often lose weight.

We went over to the house today. Actually, we went to the neighbors to pay Patrick for the mowing he did this summer. I took Terry and Sherri a bottle of wine and a copy of my book to say thanks for all that they have done. I hope we left them with good neighbors. They certainly deserve good ones.

Got my hair cut today too so I am all ready for the big wedding this weekend.

Dick seems to be feeling a bit better today. Antibiotics often start working quickly and these have. Whew!

Love


ON COWS:
Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that our government
can track a cow born in Canada almost three years ago, right to the
stall where she sleeps in the state of Washington? And, they tracked
her calves to their stalls. But they are unable to locate 11 million
illegal aliens wandering around our country. Maybe we should give them
all a cow.


Mary

A long Monday.

Bible study was lively. The readings were about accepting the truth. As it mentions we must pray for the humility to be accepting of criticism. Not an easy task sometimes. Anyway were a gabby group and learned a lot.

Then I stopped at Mothers and dropped off her papers. Helen Murphy picked her up just about 11:00 to go to lunch and play cards. Mom and I had a nice talk about yesterday's picnic. We were talking about the King (a family name, not a royal person) connection to the Bowser family. Back in 1860, the Lady Elgin, a ship traveling from Milwaukee to Chicago, sunk in Lake Michigan. It is estimated that up to 400 people lost their lives. We don't know how the following happened. Philip King's parents were lost on the Lady Elgin. (We aren't even sure if their last name was King. The King descendants cannot find a King listed on the list of passengers.) BUT apparently word reached the families in town Mitchell that there were children orphaned by the disaster. Michael and Magdalena offered to help and took in Philip King who they raised along with their own children. When her grew, he fell in love with and married Charlotte Bowser, Michael and Magdalena's daughter and the line goes on from there. Pretty interesting. The Kings are trying to find out more about the Kings. We have a little more information but I don't think it will do too much good.

Mom also had a cute story for Mary Hoff, a King descendant. It seems that Harold or Philip King were fishing illegally and the ranger came by and questioned him. Philip pushed him into the lake and ran to the nearby school where a meeting was going on in the basement. He sat down amid the meeting attendees. The ranger came in and asked if anyone had just just come in. The people at the meeting said no that everyone had been there all the time. Mary Loved the Story.

Anyway. The rest of the day would have been quiet but Dick has been having trouble urinating since the "procedure". I mentioned that yesterday. So we got in to see Dr. Sharon today and found out that he indeed does have an infection so for the next seven days he will be taking CIPROFLOXACIN twice a day. He wanted me to tell you because it is such a silly name.

Now I am very tired. Even more tired than Chelsea. When I got home this morning she did not wake up until I was all settled at my desk. I parked the care, walked in the house and right by her and she did not stir. Then this afternoon, she was sound asleep on the bed when we went to the doctor and I don't even think she knew we were gone.

Another thing to worry about.

Love

Mary

I forgot to mention something really exciting. I told you that Jim and Michelle came to St. Michaels today. They picked up Mother so she wouldn't have to get there TOO early and get to tired.

The EXCITING news. Michelle won one of the door prizes. A nice wooden Irish wall hanging. We were jazzed.

Love

Mary

Here is a picture of the Michael and Magdalena Bowser monument in the cemetery at St. Michael's church. The inscription on the back reads as follows:

Their toil is past
Their work is done
And they are fully blest
They fought the fight
The victory won
And enter into rest.

Pretty cool.