Happy Easter again.

It was a lovely day.    I went to 8AM Mass and was a Eucharistic Minister so felt a real part of the service.

Then home again for a quiet morning before Nancy and Warren picked me up to go out to Rhine and shoot some more pistol targets so that Jerry can divide the groups.    I am going to have to go next Friday and Sunday afternoon so I don't get too far behind while I am in Oklahoma.

My neighbors came home from their winter stay in Arizona today.   It was so good to see them.

Talked to my brother George today.   Just wanted to hear his voice.    They are pretty settled in their home in Winston-Salem.    They will be in Wisconsin some time this summer.

Also called Bart to tell him my schedule for arriving and leaving Lawton.

At about 4PM, I drover to Bobbie and Bill's for Easter dinner.   Bobbie and I did some wine tasting of her Strawberry wines and then had a nice Italian red with dinner.   Bill fried brats and steaks for our dinner and we had potato salad and a tossed salad with them.   Then for dessert a fresh pecan pie with whipped cream.       A feast for royalty.    So very very good and it was so wonderful to be with family on the Easter holiday.
\
Tomorrow will be a hopping day so I am heading to bed as soon as I can.

So Love you All

Dia Dhuit

Mary

The weather people said that it was going to get up to 52 degrees.    I am not sure that I believe this, but without the nice bright sun, it is hard to tell at this time of the year.

Roxie and I were home alone all day.   I finished a chapter in the book, baked some beer bread, cleaned and area in the closet with all the computer paper supplied.   At least three more days in there.  Heaven knows where all this stuff has come from.    There is a lot of paper and supplies still left from when I was still working. 

I also made the reservations for my visit to Oklahoma.   I will be leaving the morning of Tuesday, April 9th and returning the afternoon of April 22nd.

Happy Easter tomorrow.     I will be going to the 8AM Mass.   Then Nancy and Warren are picking me up at about 12:30PM so that we can finish the targets we need to have done by now to give Jerry a chance to compute the classes we are shooting in. 

Bobbie and Bill, as I said invited me for dinner, so I will go there in the late afternoon.

Until tomorrow then

Dia Dhuit

Mary

Another gorgeous day.    The snow is trying its best to melt.  There are streams of water all over the streets, wherever there is an incline.    Blue skies make for a happy day.

I have decided to keep the van.   I have an arrangement with A& J Mobility for them to remove the handicap equipment and restore it to the original.   They will give me a portion of the original cost for the equipment.   I still have less than 5000 miles on it, I enjoy driving it and this is just too soon to be financially practical to trade it in on a new one.   I need to get some use on it first.    I did take it over to show how the seat works to a woman whose son is disabled and could use a seat like that.  They have talked to A&J before so perhaps they could get a deal on a used seat if it will fit in their car.   Monday morning, I will go to have the equipment removed and the vehicle returned to its original status.

I stopped at Fleet Farm on the way home, planning on picking up some 22 ammo as I started pistol league at Rhine tonight.    Imagine my shock when there was not a 22 shell on the shelves.   People are buying and hoarding.    As it turns out, when I got home, I found that I had purchased what I needed for the last league which I was too sore to shoot and I still have a couple of small boxes too, so I am OK for now.   BUT I will be checking whenever I go to a store that carries ammo and stocking up a little at a time myself.

At 1PM I was in church for the Good Friday Service.    It was very beautiful and I was able to be one of the Eucharistic Ministers and gave Jesus to several of my very close friends.   I still always feel to privileged to do that.

This evening, Nancy Roehre and Warren Wieser picked me up at 5PM to go shoot league.     We will have to go out Sunday afternoon to catch up as the league is 3 weeks in and we have to do 5 by now actually, so that Jerry can set up the categories for the pistol league.  I had not shot in probably 6 months.   My hands shake now too.   I never had shaky hands before.   Hope that goes away soon.  I did progressively improve with each of my three targets.   So there is hope.

I will be leaving for Oklahoma on April 9th and will be coming back on April 21st.    Just want to spend time with Bart and Barb and will get to see Jim and Michelle too.  I am trying to get to know Lawton a bit.    I eventually will move there and like to look at real estate ads and things like that but need to know what areas are good and are close to Bart and Barb but still not too close.  We all need to be able to lead our own lives too. It would be nice withing walking distance as I intend to be walking again.   Especially after I get a doggy.



So the day has wound down. And as usual, I am very tired.

So as Mom used to say.   "Up the wooden hill to four corners."

Dia Dhuit

Mary

Today is Holy Thursday.     It was a beautiful day.    The sun shone and the sky was a gorgeous blue.

I spent a good portion of the morning working on the newsletter for the Sheboygan Celtic Women.

I also washed clothes and did a lot of things around the house.    I worked on Mom's quilt and while I was doing that I mixed up dough for Hot Cross Buns in my breadmaker.    When the dough was done, it was almost lunch time.   I brought it upstairs and cut it into 16 balls  for the buns and put them into a pan to rise again. 

After a lunch, I rested a bit and worked some more on the cookbook and made a few phone calls that had to be done.

I prepared an Irish bacon, lettuce, tomato sandwich on a hard roll for my supper.   Memories of Ireland, Right Bobbie?

Tonight I am going to the Holy Thursday services with my neighbor, Jean Steiner.  I wasn't going but she brought me her newspapers and asked if I would like to ride with her, so I decided that I might as well.

When I get back from church I will be heading right to bed so this is my little time with you all for today.

Love you

Dia Dhuit

Mary

Hi everybody.     I slept until 8AM this morning.     I still have trouble getting to sleep at night and wake up often.    But mornings bed feels really good.

It is still cold but we are expecting a warm up soon.

I did go out once today.   I decided to get a bed skirt so that I can put it on box springs and then use one of my quilts and have the bedroom look nice.    We were so long with  "convenience" and hospital beds that I just didn't really care, but I think it is time to pretty those "convenient" places up for me.    Roxie is quite unimpressed.

Home again,   I have the presentation for the Kettle Quilt club on the Cathedral window pattern almost ready to go.   Just have to make a few copied and do a little organizing.    Good thing.    I am a bit fragmented and Dick is shaking his finger at me.

I continued to work on Mom's quilt.   It is just going to take some time to be sure that the seams that are weakened or apart are all strengthened.    Then I need to find a laundramat with a BIG front loading machine so that I can clean it for her.

So tomorrow I can be home all day and intend to finish at least three things that are in the process of being produced.

Wish me luck.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

A little poem about my childhood>

THE HIDING PLACE

In the crook of the old tree

Beside the old red house

It was safe, quiet

And above all the world.

I was protected in its leafy arms.

When I looked out just before it got dark, it was starting to snow.    Ick.    WILL IT NEVER STOP!  

The rest of the day was OK.   No sun to speak of but it was not windy either.    It was trash day.   Right after I took that out, I drove over to the Clinic for my mamogram.   Yippee- NOT.   It was not too bad and unless I hear from them everything is  alright.   

As long as I was out, I did my grocery shopping.   Didn't need much, but I was all our of eggs, and (would you believe) canned cat food.     That would never have passed muster tonight and I wasn't about to give her tuna.    She gets the tuna juice when I have it but I like tuna myself and she is spoiled enough.

This morning, I did quite a bit of the repairing on Mom's spring quilt and am almost ready for the presentation for the Kettle Quilt Club of how to do Cathedral Window. 

This afternoon, I took a nap.    Also, a couple of men from the Lions Club came and picked up several pieces of the medical aids that I will not have a need for and I know that the Lions club helps people in need with these thing for no cost.    A good place.   I knew one of the guys who came from my days at Wells Fargo.

I finished one more chapter and reviewed another chapter in my cookbook.   I am down to three that need work.     Only one is not at least partially done and it is outlined.

So. a busy day.    Tomorrow and the next day, I can just be creative all day too.  

Bobbie invited me for Easter Dinner.    I am so glad.   I had been putting it out of my mind because I couldn't think of it without Dick.    Now I have a place to go and I m so happy.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

I hope you enjoyed the pictures.

I just got back from chorus practice for the Plymouth Arts Center concert.    I am ready for bed but thought I would at least wish you all a good night.

Pray for me tomorrow.   I will be having my mammogram done.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

Some pictures from my trip West

 

 

 

Top   Bret on his porch at the EBG
Next    Bret and Janet
Third  Bret standing at the window at the hotel in Laughlin
Fourth  My Tony's stone.   I put the little shell on it.   Bret glued it so it will stay.

What a lovely day.    A whole day at home with no real plans so I just did whatever I felt like all day.

I slept until 8AM.   Roxie, of course, got her breakfast at 6AM.   Then I puttered about on the computer and had some breakfast and coffee.    A little later, I went down to the den and continued repairing Mom's quilt.    I am going as fast as I can as we all know that spring cannot come until I have finished.   This coming week is really quite uneventful, so I hope to be able to finish it.   Then I have to take it to a laundrymat and wash it very gently and dry it flat on a sheet.

I started getting the sample pieces ready for the Kettle Country Quilter meeting in early April.   I promised to bring the instructions an teach them how to do a Cathedral Window.   Silly me.

Then I came upstairs and had Swedish Meatballs and baked potato for lunch.   I took a nap, then worked on designing the cover of my cook book.  

I got a call from Jim and Michelle this afternoon.    I had tried them earlier, and they were not at home.    They sound good and seem to be doing just fine.    When I go down to Lawton they will come for a visit while I am there, or we might go to Oklahoma City, who knows.    This evening I called Leslie and Bill.   They are fine too and I have a place to stay there if I want to go to Louisiana.   How cool is that.    Leslie and I want to go to New Orleans and Bill said he would take us.  Also called Bret for a bit of information that I needed.

So the day is over.


Love you all

Mary

Andrew Ferlinghetti wrote: "I have a feeling I'm falling /on rare occasions / but most of the time I have my feet on the ground / I can't help it if the ground itself is falling."

This was a quiet day.   Roxie and I were all alone.    I only left once, at 3:30PM to go to Mass.   

I worked very hard on the book today and cleaned up the kitchen.  Tomorrow I should not have to leave At all.    My plan is to work on Mom's quilt and my wall hanging downstairs for a while.   You have heard that spring can't come until I get Mom's Cathedral window bedspread ready to put on her bed.    She gets quite distressed about things like that.

I also will need to practice for the Spring Concert at the Plymouth Art Museum practice which is Monday evening.

Nothing exciting otherwise.   So I am closing early and go to bed.    Tomorrow I will download my vacation pictures to Picassa and share a few.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

The week has finally come to an end.   I had altogether too many things going on for one week.    I am after all supposed to be retired.

Today I had errands to run.    After Jody left,  I went over to the bank.    Then I drove downtosn to the trophy store and finalized the order for the plaque for Dick to be hung at Mead.    Then I stopped at the Exchange Bank and picked up a pound of coffee which I seem to have lost between there and home.   Finally home, in time for lunch.   I tried to nap but couldn't relax so I went back to work on the cookbook.

At 4PM I started getting ready for the Soup with Substance, Sacred Spaces and Places of Ireland at Silverlake College.    Nancy Roehre rode with me to the Sheboygan North Walmart where we met Joan and Dick Kramer to car pool up to Manitowoc.    It was a lovely event.     We had a soup buffet supplied by local restaurants, with rolls, dessert and coffee or water.   They had four kinds of soup.   Three were meatless for us fasters.   Though as Nancy pointed out, we are old enough that we don't have to do that any more if we don't want to.    I had two bowls of soup, minestrone and potato.   I like my minestrone better but it was quite good.    Then Julianne Stanz, a Irish Native and Director or Evangelization of the Diocese of Green Bay spoke to us about the lands of Patrick, and Kevin - the holy places of Ireland and the famine and shared spirituality with other cultures.    She was absolutely fascinating.    I introduced myself as a Celtic Women and promised to send her a picture of my wall hanging of St. Kevin when it is completed.

As we were leaving we noticed a corner wall covered with wood crosses of all types. made from the wood from areas of disaster.    There was a little poem next to it and guess who wrote the poem and prepared the display?    Our Denise's Samantha!!!   She is such a talented little thing.  

Now it is late and Mary needs to go to bed.  

You will never guess what I did to our poor Roxie.   As I was getting ready, the doorbell rang.   It was Peg Stahlman bring back my cake pan that I had prepared bars for the History meeting.    Then the phone rang and then Nancy came while I was still on the phone.    Long story short, I forgot to feed the little darling.    And it took her about 15 minutes of insisting before I remembered.   Poor little thing.  

Til tomorrow

Dia Dhuit

Mary

It is still ungodly cold here.    It did get much over 20 degrees but at least the sun was shining.   I was home most of the day.    I baked some lemon bars for the Plymouth History Meeting tonight.   

I am a member of the History Society,  did no feel up to going to the meeting but I have volunteered to bake and am always glad to help in this way.   You know me and baking so it was a pleasure.

This afternoon, Bobbie and I met at Mead to attend the Mead Board Meeting where they approved the plaque that will be hung in the new adult meeting room.    I also presented the check of the monies donated for his wishes at the funeral.   So tomorrow I will go to the trophy store and finalize the order.   I also want a couple of brass plates.   One for his flag and one for the urn. 

I cleaned both desks tonight and have projects spread all over the table again.   Two will leave tomorrow so that is a plus.    I do this at least once a week and it takes about a week to deteriorate. 
But I get a lot done while the order stays in place.    This time I empties EVERYTHING and polished too.

So.  Bedtime for Mary.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

A busy day coming to an end.

First.   I have to give you some really big news.    My sister Eileen's son John and his wife Holly gave birth to two healthy little identical twin boys.   They are names Sam and Jack.    We are all so happy and excited.    Give a prayer of thanks for them and that he bless John and Holly with lots of patience.  Love is easy but I know how hard it was with one at a time.   Go John and Holly, Go.

Today was a doctor day for me.    The CTScan showed no masses so Dr. Sohki is just changing the dose on one of the meds that I have been taking only "when needed".   

Dr. Leban seems to have allieved the pain in my shoulder and arm.   But as I told her, now I am getting headaches every day and am finding the vicadin helps.  But I don't want to become too dependant on it.   So she put some shots in the two tendans that can cause this pain and gave me a prescripion to take just for the next couple of weeks at bedtime.   Another wait and see but at lease something is looked at.

I came home to a very needy kitty.   She and I were at the desk all afternoon.    I worked on Chapter 8 of my cookbook project.

Now I am very tired and am going to finish cleaning up the kitchen and then go to bed.   By the way, I make avocado cupcakes with lemon cream cheese frosting and they are quite tasty.

So until tomorrow.   The only thing scheduled is the Mead Board meeting.   Bobbie and are are attending.

Dick and Brenda called tonight and helped me solve a couple of computer problems.   They will be over soon and help me sort out computer stuff.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

Forty two years ago today, I was in the hospital giving birth to my boy Bart.   I was determined to see him come into the world as I was unable to do so with Tony and Bret.    This made for a very exciting delivery room.    I was so excited and that transmits I guess.    I never will forget that little head emerging, followed in one big push by the rest of him.     He lay there for a moment kind of blue looking and then gasped and started crying which made him pink up immediately.    Even then he was very intense and was the most beautiful baby in the hospital.

I called him this morning but got his answering machine so I sang Happy Birthday to him.    He called ME a while ago and we had a great birthday talk.   He is having crab legs for his birthday supper so is a happy camper.

I was home all day and spent it working on my Cookbook.     I am pleased with the way it is coming to being.    Bobbie agreed to edit it for me.     I am so grateful.

I also baked some avocado cupcakes.    An experiment, but they look good.    I will frost them tomorrow and taste.    They get a lemon cream cheese frosting.    A couple of the avocado
ripened a bit fast for me.    Bobbie will get two tomorrow and I gave Mom two.   I still have more than enough.    I am having salads and sandwiches too. 

Tomorrow, I go to see Dr. Leben about my strained muscles and I will be having a CTScan on my abdominal area to rule out problems because my stomach is so sore.  The whole middle of the day.  I will be able to drop Mom's meds off to her on the way home anyway.  

Thutsday, Bobbie and I are going to attend the Mead Library Board meeting about Dick's Plaque.

So.  The week is very busy.    I am so grateful for today.   

Dia Dhuit

Mary

This was a mega busy day.

I started off by returning a call that I received from a lovely Irish Lady that I met in Dublin two years ago.    We have exchanged phone calls and letters before.   I know that I have to confirm her address with her brother so I am sure that I have it right.   

Then, I left and picked up some coke for Mother at the Pick and Save on the way to Bible Study.   Then Bible Study.    We had an interesting discussion, the five of us.    We are finally moved on from Psalm 118 after four weeks and now are discussing Psalm 103, which is quite comforting.  

Then on to Mother's.   We had quite a bit to do.   Bills and I filled the pill boxes and took two to be refilled,  I can drop them off on Wednesday on my way back from Sheboygan.

I ate lunch with Mother and then went to the Sheboygan Clinic for my appointment with Dr. Sokhi.   He has ordered a CT Scan of my midsection to be sure there is nothing wrong as I have a lot of pain in there now.    He did have me increase one of the pills that Dick and I called the "whoop pills" because I would take them IF I had acid reflux.   Now I take them three times a day.

Next, I got a blood test, which I have already heard is just fine, and headed home via Walmart and the Bank.

Home again, I rested for a bit and then fixed dinner as I had to be at Redeemer Lutheran for a practice for the Spring Concert that a local chorus does at the Plymouth Arts Center every spring.   Don't ask how I got involved.   It is all Kate's fault.

I picked up prescriptions from Walmart on my way home and now it is time to go to bed.   Tomorrow I am home all day.   Yee Haw.

I am looking forward to that.  

Hope you had a good day.

Love you all

Dia Dhuit

Mary

P. S.  It is three months today.   That is hard.  Hard to comprehend sometimes.

The Irishman's Walk is over.   I had lunch with some of the Celtic Women an came home for a nap.    I will be going to Eileen's house at about six to enjoy some more St. Patrick's Day with the family.

As I promised, I will tell about last night's festivities.   I talked to Nancy Roehre yesterday afternoon and since she was going  to 52 Stafford for the Blarney Concert.  We had such a good time.  There was a man with his family, who was giving away shamrock beads that light up to anyone who came by.    I talked to him and told him a story about my recent trip to the river where I got beads.    Janet, Bret's lovely lady, me and three of the assorted children of Bret's friends decided to go for a walk on Sunday afternoon.  Bret's park is laid out with the permanent residents, those who keep their mobile homes there all year round and have leases on their lots above on a slight ridge above the area for snowbirds and people who come for a night or two.   Janet likes to walk through the snowbird area, then towards the river and then along the river and back to the mobile home.  

As we were walking past the campers and motor homes we noticed one that had its window just packed with  souvenirs from all over the country.   There were painted gourds and M & M people and stuffed animals and so on.  As we were walking by we saw the couple who live there sitting outside with their dogs.   They had Papillons.   Such cute little dogs, so we started visiting.    They showed us, I should say the kids, how a plastic dog skeleton worked.   It walked and talked.   He gave Morgan, the little girl with us, a brand new backpack that they had found in their travels.   They let us tour their trailer to see the window closer.   Then as we were leaving, they pulled out about 10 Mardi Gras Beads in gold and green and gave them to us.      When we got back to the park, everybody was asking where we got all that stuff so we told them we had gone to Mardi Gras and to the local museum.

So I told this story to the man handing out the St. Patrick Day Beads and he gave me the beads AND a pair of light up earrings too.    I am quite the sight when I am all lite up.

Blarney were worth going to listen to as usual.    It was an altogether pleasant evening.   We left as soon as the show was over.

I baked scones yesterday.   I had to make two batches.   I forgot to put butter in the first batch and though they are edible, they are pretty dry.   The second batch turned out great.   My friend Joan Brigham came by and had tea and scones with me before we left for the Walk.   Then we went to the Stafford and took a lift up to the start site.   There were six of us Celtic Women,  not as many as I hoped, but it  hoped but it was awfully cold and I think this discouraged a few.   

I guess that I have told you enought now as it is time for me to head to Eileen's for a bit of family St. Patrick's Day festivities.


I love you all and hope that this Holy day was special for you too.

Dia Dhuit

Mary



I gues this is enougth for now as it is

I guess I will have to tell you about tonight tomorrow.   I tried, and this stupid program did its funny thing and erased the whole thing.

I went to 52 Stafford to enjoy Blarney with my friend Nancy.  It is now almost 11PM so I will have to get to bed.    I had the best time and made several new friends.  

Tomorrow will also be a busy Irish Day.

Mother would have enjoyed the music of Blarney so very much.

Sleep Tight

Dia Dhut

Mary

Today I missed Dick SO much.   I guess with all the excitement and emotion involved in the vacation, it kind of blindsided me when I was alone for the whole day.    It will be OK! Everything will be Alright!   as  Bret and I say when things get a bit hard to handle.

I was really busy today just putting things away and doing wash and settling back into the real world.

I will download pictures tomorrow and than start sharing a few.

We have a new Pope, Pope Francis.   I mention this, because of the way I found out about the election.   I was certain that it would take several days and totally surprised at the speed of it.   

Here is the story:

Bret and I were in Huntington Beach on Wednesday.   We went there for several reasons.   I wanted to go visit Tony's grave.   Bret had never been there.   I was so glad to have him with me.     I found his place right away.    I remembered exactly where he was, adjacent to Beach Blvd, along the driveway and with a statue of Jesus guarding him just a bit to his left and back.   They really keep  the cemetery well groomed and his stone looks as good as new.   I left him a shell and took several pictures, one with me and one with Bret.   It is such a little grave.

Then we drove through the old neighborhood.   Our house looks different, simply because the big olive tree in front is gone.  I met the current owner.   When we got there, I told Bret that I wanted to go across the street to see if my friend, Joyce Woerner, was home.   I knew she was still living there and had just come back from her mission for the LDS in Salt Lake City.   She was home and we had a great visit.    As I get back into Ancestry, she said that she can possibly be of help as her mission was in the genealogy department that the Mormans have.

We left there for St. Simon and Jude.  I wanted to see if the church had changed (it had - quite a bit)  As we pulled into the lot to wait for Jana Winchester Hertz, who was meeting us there so we could go to have a nice visit, the phone rang.   It was Barbara, calling to congratulate me for the election of our new pope.   We had not been listening to any news since about 8:30Am when we left my hotel room so she was the one who announced it to me - all the way from Oklahoma.     As we were talking, I was getting a message that Jeff was calling me too.     Barb and I finished our conversation and I called Jeff back.     I asked him if HE knew about the Pope.    He and Mother heard from ME.   So the news went from Oklahoma to California to Wisconsin by phone.   So much for TV coverage.   As Jeff and I were talking, the bells of St. Simon and Jude started ringing out the news.    It was truly a beautiful experience.

By the way, Barbara received her diploma in the mail on Wednesday too.    Yea Barbara.   She should be so very proud.   And now she should take a break for a bit.

That is enough for today

I talked to Nora tonight too.   I was so glad that we connected because I needed someone to talk to.

Love you all
Dia Dhuit

Mary

P. S.  Bobbie and Bill brought my Roxie home when they knew I was back in the state.    She seems very happy to see me and I am so Glad she is here.   I missed her.

Dia Dhuit

I am safely home again.    It is late and I will be going to bed as soon as I finish this note to you all.

I had a wonderful time with Bret and his friends.    His new lady is delightful.  Her name is Janet and I found her just super.     The River Friends had a pot luck on Saturday evening in my honor.   The food was do DIE for and guess what?    I had my very first Jello Shot!   I also had a Pudding Shot and will be sharing this treat at Thanksgiving.   Bed EVERYBODY will want to be  there now.

I will share my adventures more in the next few days when I am better rested and will also share pictures.    

It was so good to spend the week with Bret.   He is such a fine sweet man and I am so very proud of him.

Dia Dhuit until tomorrow.

Mary