I believe we are all caught up on errands. FINALLY. We had the cars serviced this morning and I havealmost finished the taxes. We will send them out a week ahead of time. AND I am all caught up on my correspondence too.

Tomorrow a new pistol league starts and if I can find two other people to shoot with me I would like to shoot trap in this spring league too. I bought a new gun on Saturday. It is a 12 gauge shot gun made in Russia that has a shorter stock than most and seems to fit me for a change. I am kind of excited to try it. If I can't get any partners, I will shoot on Sunday.

We had snow today, but very little of it stayed on the ground. It is windy and supposed to get VERY cold tonight. Then it will start warming up again, with rain in the forcast in the next couple of days. I saw some green in my day lilies and (I hope I am not imagining) I believe that my peony that I thought was dead is coming up.

Spring is such a hopeful time. We seem to be getting enough rain this year. Maybe the water table will build up and the farmers will be happy.

Love

Mary

I just returned from a Living Stations of the Cross, presented at St. Dominic's Church in Sheboygan by the combined Youth Group from St. Dominic and St. Clement Parishes.

Over 50 young people cooperated to help us pray the Stations in song and with representations of the events as put forth in the Gospels. I am impressed with the dedication, talent and devotion of the young people of Sheboygan and have faith that we do have a future.

I thank them for helping me and the other attendees on our Lenten Journey.


Mary

I have two big kitties filling up the bulk of the surface of my desk. They do like to be near and live sitting under the lamp which I am sure is very comforting to them especially during these winter months.

One week from tomorrow, as I mentioned, I will be the featured "Gaelic Poet" for St Patrick's Day in Sheboygan Falls. It is really fun to review the great poets of Irish fame such as Goldsmith, Yeats, Swift and the anonymous poems attributed to various monks, warriors and traveling seanaches who had such respect in years past in Ireland.

It never go over 36 degrees today but felt quite comfortable because the sun shone and the wind was still. It is amazing how comfortable one becomes without cold wind and how good the sun feels after the damp gray cold of winter.


Love

Mary

I fixed the best salad tonight. I found it on the Change One site. A diet site through Reader's Digest that I subscribe to. The trick is lots of greens, some onion and mandarin oranges. Then a dressing of oil, vinegars and orange juice concentrate. Nummy Nummy. We had company and the salad was a wonderful accompaniment to Cornish Pasties. I will definitely use fruit in salads and a sweet dressing too.

Went to Writers Club this afternoon. I read my Son poem and they seemed to like it. My "editor", Janice Kaat who publishes the Pike River Community News that prints my food column was there today. We are a nice group. Perhaps with the inspiration of their persistance and experience, I may do something worth leaving as a footprint to show that I really was alive on this earth.

There is a song that has a line I like that goes "And I might have done some things good enough for you to see." I feel that way a lot. It would be a shame to end 60 to 90 years of life with nothing left to remind people you were here.

Love

Mary

Wow, what a full Sunday. I started off with church at 8:00. Then came home and fixed breakfast, read the paper, cleaned up the leaked water from under the sink. (unplanned for). Then Jim and I went to Rhine and I finally shot worth a darn after three weeks of just being awful. I hope things are back on track. Then Dick and I mixed up a batch of wine. We have two big batches and the grape wine working now. Just enough with spring and summer coming. I looked at the daylillies the other day and they are starting to sprout. Another sign of spring. There is hope of a new day.

There is a very busy week ahead. I have Writer's Club tomorrow. I will read SON. I haven't heard from any of you, but Dick said he liked it so I feel comfortable sharing.

Have a wonderful week.

There is no sense in keeping a dog if you are going to do your own barking.


Mary

Only one and one half weeks until St. Patrick's Day. I must gather up and decide which poems I want to read at Richard's in Sheboygan Falls that night. I have been invited to perform as a Gaelic Poet. Probably because I won a contest a couple of years ago, which makes me very proud actually. I will get paid my dinner for this which is not bad pay for poetry these days. I wrote a couple of poems while Bart was sick and have been keeping up my articles for a friend who publishes a paper up north called the Pike River Community News. If I get enough of either (poems or cooking articles) I may try to publish a book. We will see.

It is good to have ambitions anyway. My Live Long and Love it discussion group is giving me some motivation. I lost a lot while Bart was sick.

Here is my most recent poem. I like honest criticism.

SON

Treasure of my heart
Fragment of my being
I gave you life

Pride of my heart
Mirror of my eternity
I nurtured you

Labor of my heart
Piece of my mosaic
I mentored you

Hole in my heart
Gone to YOUR horizon
I let you fly

Joy of my heart
Dream of my tomorrow
You are my legacy


Soon

Mary

I was talking to a dear friend who is suffering with diabetes related problems and she sounds so weak and sad. She is in the LONG list of people who are on my prayer list but I wish I could do more. Her first question was to ask how Bart is doing. Such a wonder. I told her of a picture that Barbara gave me of Jesus with the universe as the background. There is a statement on it that says. "I never said it would be easy... I only said it would be worth it." We need to hang on to that. And I see light now.

Did I tell you I saw my first red-winged blackbirds of the season. Actually, I heard them first. They along with the cardinals are my first signs of spring. I ALSO saw and heard a ROBIN. There is a spring and it is coming fast.

Love

Wow, have the past two days been a whirlwind. Yesterday, Dick and I were supposed to go visit Bart and on Tuesday I received a call from Barbara telling me that we could bring him HOME. I was surprised, but when one thinks about it, he has been in care for over three weeks now. They have him stabilized and his medication is working and they feel that he no longer needs to be under hospital care. We must trust the doctors, otherwise, why have him there to begin with.

He was a happy young man. We got him out of there by about 2:, stopped at Mc Donald's for a snack, (he missed lunch because of a dentist appointment.) and made it home by 4:00PM. He promptly took a nap. (No wonder after a dentist appointment, two doctor consultations and a drive to our house.) Barbara came to get him at about 6:00PM. She made really fast time from home. We treated them to dinner and sent them on their way home. They both needed to be THERE and TOGETHER. I know that Bart's critters will help him heal also.

Thank everyone for your prayers and thoughts. We are so grateful for the outpouring of love that carried us through this.

"Where there is no certainty, the mind must turn to the light and not the shadow." Ellis Peters - Cadfael.

Happy Day to you

Mary

I shared the hand made items that Fr. Mike Shea sent me from Thailand. They are hand batik painted t shirts and beautiful table clothes, wall hangings and sarongs. I need to determine a price and see if we can get some fundraising done for the Aids Moms who do the painting and their children and the orphans that are at Sarnelli.
The ladies that meet on Mondays to discuss the book Live Long and Love It were very impressed as was Fr. Gene.

We are in crisis at our parish. We have no choir director and it is the first week in Lent. We have no head of our environment committee and it is the first week in Lent. What will we do. Our music is in shambles. Fortunately SOME of our parishioners are quite content with the piano player we had last week but frankly, I don't feel he is good for the type of accompaniment we need for community singing. He doesn't keep the timing correct. At least he is learning the timing of WHEN he should play.

"May the High and Holy One
Guard us from His Heavenly Throne,
While we sing, with grateful hearts,
Hymns in ten appointed parts."

Colmcille


I have taken on the contact position for our Extraordinary Ministers and frankly find that to be quite enough along with the secretary position on the council. How long can we function? I really don't know. Dick is making noises like he is noticing that I am too busy. How does one say no when needs are so many and so important?

Love

Mary

Watching the Oscars this February 29th. I remember now that our friends the Kirby's youngest son Todd was born of February 29th probably 28 years ago.

I talked to Bart and he sounded pretty good. We are going to see him on Wednesday. He would like to go out for dinner. If it is allowed, we will take him.

I have been doing a lot of dreaming lately. It seems that I am always trying to get somewhere.

Odd isn't it.

Love

Have a good week.

Mary

This is Saturday. I have really neglected my BLOG. But I have been busy. Thursday, we got Dick's blood checked, went grocery shopping and got my new glasses. Then I got a call from Barbara. Bart really needed or at least felt he needed clean clothes and a couple of bucks for some sodas during the day. So Mom went. Barbara was going today. I have not heard from her but I am sure she was very busy as she intended to bake a batch of brownies for the ward. I am glad I went. I stopped at St. Vinnies and bought Bart a pair of sweats and a shirt. I also took him one of my Wells shirts which is an XL and looked kind of dumb on me anyway. He apparantly didn't think I would come and the look on his face and the hugs were worth the drive.

Yesterday, I cleaned and baked and cooked and had lunch with my friends and then worked at Rhine Plymouth Conservation from 5:30 to 9:30PM. My pistol shooting is still not back in there but I will keep practicing. I am 2nd on the ladies board. Did I tell you that when Dick and I went to the Sheboygan Clinic to have his blood checked we ran into Dorothy Behr, one of my shooting friends, who has not shot in this particular league. In the cold winter weather, her hand hurt too much. That makes me feel so bad, but she said she will be back in the spring.

I am going to be making Pasties. That is a two day affair for me. But they are so good. Jeff doesn't like them at all. But he is just being silly I think.

Love


Mary

I went to Bible Study this morning and then right on to church for Ash Wednesday service at 8:30AM. It was a nice way to start the day and to thank God that Bart is safe at the VA Hospital beginning treatment.

We had the strangest music at Mass. A pianist that I never heard before and a cantor that sang without a mike and never left the choir area. I hope we have some sort of a plan for a choir director and organist. I will find out at the Parish Council meeting tomorrow night.

I have two quilts that I want to start on. That is exciting. I have not been two interested in anything the past couple of weeks.

Mother and I were talking about memories this morning. She said that she really likes the smell of cigars because it reminds her of her Dad, my Grandpa Bowser and I said that I love the smell of pipe tobacco, especially half and half becaus it reminds me of Dad.

Love

Mary

Here it is Tuesday and things are showing signs of getting better. The crazy legal limbo is done with. They messed around long enough and made so many mistakes that the judge had to release him because it was over 14 days since he was brought to the hospital and his rights were being violated. This meant that Barbara and I could take him, with his consent, back down to Milwaukee to the VA Center. There they admitted him and we, the hospital and Bart are all hopeful and optimistic that he is in the right place at last. I was so pleased to see him hopeful for the first time. Thank you for your prayers - but don't stop.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.

Bart will be practicing this and I guess I should too.

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday already. Lent is beginning which means spring is on the way too. We are expecting temperatures all the way up into the high 40's on Saturday. The worst is over.

Love

Mary

Well, Bart got to Green Bay at 7:45PM or there.abouts. SIX hours. He was so upset. They had him in handcuffs the whole time and there were several other people, mainly criminals that were picked up here and there. The most upsetting parts were the handcuffs and the fact that those cruel transport people would not even let the passengers go to the bathroom. SIX hours. I am furious. At least he is angry now which is a refreshing change from the depression.

Mother said she got a "pornographic" catalog. She got one of these catalogs that has everything from towels and sheets and kitchen items to graphic videos and vibrators for pleasuring oneself or for getting a good massage. She is so funny. I found it really cute that she found the most suggestive ones to show to me.

Wednesday is our grandaughter, Sara's, birthday. She will be 17. I CANNOT believe that. It seems just a few days ago that we went to the hospital to see her and I got to go right in to the room with them because I was the Grandma.

Take Care.

Mary

Saturday, what a day. Bart has been transferred to Green Bay. This will help resolve at least the first of the legal hurdles they are facing. Now we need to pray that they will transfer him into the VA System so that a proper course of treatment can be prescribed. He needs a pain clinic and help with his depression.

We, Jim, Dick and I, took his car back up to De Pere. Then Dick took us out for dinner. I had enchiladas beans and rice. We went to Garden View. They have very good food but it is way too much. I brought my soup and two enchiladas home with me. They always have WAY too much food but it makes a good lunch the next day.

Guess what, Bart was taken from Milwaukee at 1:45Pm and it is now 6:30PM and he is still not at the Green Bay Mental Health Center and (Worse), they don't know where he is. You would think they would have an intinerary. Poor Barbara is so upset. They are taking her to the manager.


I will keep you informed.

Love

Mary

Spent a couple of hours with Bart again today. We had a nice visit. NOW, they are talking about doing something about resolving the legal limbo over the weekend (HA - HA As if any government agency does anything on the weekends.) Well, we will see. Somehow or other there must be an end to and a reason for this nightmare. Prayers are being answered very slowly these days, but I must continue to believe that they are being answered. Otherwise, my whole belief system for 63 years has been for nothing. I received an email about four candles, Peace, Love, Faith and Hope. Peace, Love and Faith were blown out by ill wind but Hope kept burning and with it Peace, Love and Faith were able to be rekindled. I am trying to hold on to Hope.

Guess what! I am listed as a "Gaelic Poet" who will be part of live entertainment at Richard's in Sheboygan Falls on St. Patrick's Day.

Love


Mary

Well, Bart is still in legal limbo but seemed to be in a fairly good mood when I talked to him today. So that is GOOD. He is asking for school books to study which means he is thinking beyond the hospital and that is good too.

We went shopping and to the Discovery Travel show today. And tonight we played Yahtzee. Something Dick and I haven't done for a long time. The first three games were fun but he beat me so badly that the last one became really a drag. So we stopped. We have fun playing board games and maybe can do more of it. We used to play Cribbage for a hundred dollars a game in years past. We figured that we could play for whatever we wanted. For a while I was doing pretty well. I probably have forgotten most of it after all this time.

Lent is fast coming upon us. Fast - I guess that is a pun. I have stocked up on fish. Dick and Jim eat what I cook for them and I have some fish that they do like. We will have Swordfish, Haddock, Salmon Patties and tuna casserole. Come for dinner on any Friday during Lent and I will feed you too.

Love

Mary

Another busy day. I drove down to the hospital to see Bart and spent most of the day. He is much better but still gets rather agitated and restless. I was a good day mostly. He is going to any therapy sessions that he can so it was a good thing I brought a book to read.

It was a beautiful day but a storm is supposed to be coming in tomorrow night.

We voted in the Wisconsin Primary yesterday. It was our first election since the new Town of Sheboygan Firehouse is complete and we voted there. It is a beautiful building adjacent to the new town park. It was the first time we were in the building and we were impressed. Enjoy the rest of the week.

Love

Mary

I quit smoking in 1978 after having smoked for 28 years. Shortly after I quit, four little league mothers and myself decided to go out on the town to a Men's Strip Show. Shocking, I know, but that is not the story. Our 12 year old sons were horrified. "You are going WHERE!!!" But that is not the story either. We went to the show and had a ball. We laughed and yelled and just had fun. We were probably only gone three hours including travel time but it was a fun night.

The next morning, I picked up my jeans, thinking that since I had only worn them for a couple of hours I could put them on again. The cigarette smoke smell just permeated the room. Needless to say, I dumped them in the machine and marvelled at the fact that for 18 years I had smelled like that every day. YEUUUU. Icky.

I talked to Bart today and he sounds a bit better and more accepting. I know he does have bad times but they are fewer. I will go to see him later this week. I would like to do it when he is settled at he VA Hospital which is taking forever.

Love

Mary

Yesterday, my niece, Denise, the winner of last year's Wild Game Feast and Beer Tasting Festival, hosted the 27th annual event. It was well attended, even more that most years, as my sister, Nora, her husband Leif and their son Stenn, and my brother George, his wife Betsy and their son Shawn with his wife Sarah, attended. All but Shawn and Sarah came all the way from Texas. Shawn and Sarah live in Chicago. Stenn informed us before the beer tasting that he fully intended to win so we would all have to come to Texas next year. He didn't (unfortunately). My nephew, Kurt won. He was so excited. He was in a taste off his first year but has not been in the running since. He says that now he feels like a full member of the family. We had 20 people participating in the contest trying to identify 21 beers.

The food was excellent. When I get Uncle Fred's summary, I will give you the complete menu. But today I will just say it was wonderful.

Today, I sang at the 10:30 AM Mass. We were all rather sad as our choir director Stevan is retiring because of health reasons. We are all so grateful for the guidance and teaching he has provided us over the past several years. We are really a good choir and I hope that we can find someone to continue with his vision. We even did a CD a few years ago and we sound GOOD. Anyway, Steve is my friend and I will not miss him. He will still be my friend. But I will miss the choir director.

Love

Mary