This is the Tall Ship the Dennis Sullvan, a reproduction of the schooners that were a big source of trade on Lake Michigan. It is a tall ship and a beautiful vessel indeed. We toured it last summer.




Mary

I decided that since I have fresh raspberries, I will fix Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake:

Here is the recipe:

Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

1 Keebler Ready Crust Chocolate Flavored. (Or you can make your own, but why?)
12 OZ Cream Cheese, Softened ( I use no or low fat cream cheese to cut the fat - it works fine and tastes the same here.)
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 teasp. Vanilla
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Fresh or Frozen Raspberries (well drained and thawed if frozen.)

Glaze

1 OZ unsweetened Hershey chocolate
1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 teasp. Margerine or Butter
1 teasp. dark corn syrup
1 teasp. boiling water
1/2 teasp. Vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually add sugar and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until well blended. Fold in raspberries. Place crust on baking sheet, fill with raspberry mixture. Bake for 35 minutes. Cool completely and chill. When cool make glaze.

Combine first five ingredients over low heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour over chilled cheesecake and chill again for three hours. Garnish with more raspberries.

Nummy Nummy in my tummy.

Love


Mary

Sometimes I think back to the days when I was very young. I remember that after I started working at Citizens Bank in Sheboygan Falls when I graduated from high school, we were open from 9 to 3 Monday through Friday, but on Friday we reopened at 6 for the factory workers and stayed until 9:00.

Those nights I would come home and eat a late supper in the kitchen by myself. I guess, "by myself" is silly with 10 other people in the house, but I WAS eating by myself. My brother, Matt, was about four years old at the time and on weekends could stay up later. He often would join me at the table, seeming to feel that I needed somebody to talk to. I learned many things in our evening chats. The most important thing he taught me was the following. He told me he could see Guardian Angels. He had discovered that if you gently press the corner of your eye, you see double and he had determined that the second image had to be Guardian Angels.

Makes as much sense as anything. So if you ever feel alone. Go to the mirror, press your eye and you will see your Guardian Angel. A special friend sent by God to protect you on this earth.

Love

Did I tell you about the wild grapes? I saw Dolores at Becky's bridal shower on Saturday afternoon. (By the way, Erin, Jessica and Sara did an absolutly smashing job on that shower. We enjoyed the games and it is always such fun watching the bride to be open all her presents. The food was great too.)

Dolores asked me if I would like some wild grapes. Apparantly, a bird or something planted a wild grape vine on the back of their property and it is covered in grapes. A workman, who had something to do with Kenny's HUGE workshop in the back noticed it and said it makes good wine. So Dolores will let me know when they are ripe. I will keep you informed.

The current wine is fermenting and clearing and is a beautiful color.

Later

Mary

Guess what!!!! On the way home from church, I swung by Wingert's (the farm that we usually get our corn from) and she was OPEN and they HAVE corn. So tonight we are having our first corn supper.

Aren't you jealous?

Love

Mary

After what seems like forever, we have been getting rain for the past week. Since Wednesday, we have recorded about 6 inches. The farmers, as attested to by Brian Walsh, a local farmer, are ecstatic. Dick, Jim and I are hoping that this will stimulate the corn. Some years, we have had fresh Wisconsin sweet corn in early August. During the season, we have each week a meal that consists of sweet corn and fresh sliced tomatoes. What a treat. I always buy extra and cut it off the cob and freeze for the long months of winter. Quick frozen like that it is ALMOST like a taste of summer. Usually we do that on Saturday, so come on by.

Mary

The following is from one of the Cadfael Chronicles by Ellis Peters, specifically The Heretic's Apprentice. Brother Cadfael is conversing with a man called Elave, who in the year 1143 has just returned from a long journey to the Holy Land.

" 'Along the way a man lives a day at a time, and looks no further
ahead than the next day, and no further behind than the day just
passed. Now I see it whole, and it is wonderful.'

'But not all good", said Cadfael. "That couldn't be, we couldn't
ask it. Remember the cold and the rain and the hunger at times, and
losses by thieves now and then, and a few knocks from those who pray
on travellers - oh, never tell me you met none! And the weariness
and the times when you fell ill, the bad food, the sour water, the
stones of the road. You've met all that. Every man who travels that
far across the world has met it all.'

'I do remember all that, but it is still wonderful.'

'Good! So it should be,' said Cadfael."

The Cadfael Books are wonderful mysteries and several have been made for TV with Derek Jacoby as Cadfael. I recommend both books and show.

Love

Mary

Quiet day in our house. We stayed home and got a lot of little things done. I thought I would share a picture of O Brien's Tower on the West Coast of Ireland with all of you. The view from the tower is breathtaking.



Mary

Auntie Brandl was some relative on the Ziegler side fo my family. Aunt Helen Deeley talks about her coming to visit when she was just a little girl and Aunt Helen died in 1993, so Auntie Brandle would have been coming around in the first 20 years of the 20th century. WOW. She said that Auntie Brandl was a teeny tiny lady, all bent over, probably because of osterpheroses and a very loving person.

Anyway, Auntie Brandl made a salve that was supposed to be wonderful for healing open sores, rashes, dry skin . . . .I gather just about any skin thing. Dad used to want to make it after Aunt Helen's last batch ran out. However, there were several of problems. My brother, George, a chemist and says that red lead is seriously toxic and you can't just go out and buy it. Sweet oil is pretty much a mystery and nobody we have found even knows WHAT olebaum (or olebalm) is, much less where to get it. So the magical Wonder Salve has gone the way of Lily the Pink's "Medicinal Compound" or the super elixers sold in side shows years ago.

For what it is worth, here is the recipe.


Auntie Brandl's Wonder Salve

8 Ounces Sweet Oil
4 Ounces Red Lead
3 Drams Olebaum
2 Drams Burnt Alum
2 Drams Camphor

Heat oil to boiling point. Add all ingredients except camphor.

Boil until lead turns brown.

Take from fire and immediately add camphor. Beat until cool.


Love

Mary

This past weekend, the 1958 graduating class of Sheboygan Falls High School, celebrated their 45 Anniversary. I believe I mentioned that I was on the committee with Carol Van Dixhorn Kaat, Dan Moioffer and Mark Montaba. The experience of planning such an event is something that I would recommend. It is a lot of work, but the rewards are so outweigh the effort. We had a great turnout. We sent out 77 invitations. 39 attended the event. Twenty others sent regrets for many reasons but wanted to be part of the book. Seven of our classmates have passed on. So we felt the response was wonderful.

It was a real bonding event. As Tom Theune said as part of his prayer, we were in a very special class. We were small enough that even if we weren't all "best friends", we knew each other by name. This is lost in the bigger classes in many schools and even in the larger classes here in Sheboygan Falls now.

I designed the class book and it was such a pleasure to gather the information from all the participants. We are an impressive bunch of people who have become wonderful people. I am so proud to have been part of the class.

When I get the picture, I will put it on the site. I remember when I got the last one, I took it to show Mother. We looked it over and I commented that I wondered who all these middle aged people were. I wonder what we will look like on film this time.

Have a good week

Mary

My herb garden is really looking very good. The lavender survived the winter and is growing and blooming. I am drying a bit and make a couple loaves of lavender bread already. Yes. Lavender bread. It is quite tasty and tastes especially wonderful with homemade strawberry jam.

The oregano also came back and it huge. My thyme and rosemary are not spectacular but are big enough for my use. So, I made a big pot of spaghetti which we will be eating tomorrow night. Nothing better than spaghetti with fresh herbs.

I love summer.

Mary

The Baghdad Zoo reopened last Sunday. There was an article (Believe it or not) in the Sheboygan Press about the reopening.

Apparantly there was not a big attendance because of the fear of violence on the streets but a few dozen people, including several U. S. Soldiers came to see the animals. The zoo population is still low but includes the remaining animals that originally were in the zoo plus those that survived from the various private zoos in several palaces owned by Saddam and his family.

According to the article, the zoo was a very popular place prior to the war. It was usually so crowded there was little room to stand. However, it is a beginning and the animals are now being cared for. The zoo seems to need a lot of updating, as its cages are the old concrete cells and the keepers are not all that well trained in animal nutrition and/or care. But it is a beginning and there are several wildlife, conservation and zoo organizations behind the cause of maintaining and updating the facility and further training the keepers for the citizens of Iraq.

I'll keep updating as I find news.

Mary

I spent part of the afternoon with my Mother. She is such a treasure. Years ago, I heard Liam Clancy recite a poem that I always felt was a portrait of her. After I heard it, I ran into him at Irish Fest and asked him the name of the poem and it's author and he kindly told me. I will share it with you. Everyone who knows my Mother will see her in this poem.

The Planter's Daughter by Austin Clarke

When night stirred at sea
And the fire brought a crowd in,
They say that her beauty
Was music in mouth
And few in the candlelight
Thought her too proud,
For the house of the planter
Is known by the trees.

Men that had seen her
Drank deep and were silent,
The women were speaking
Wherever she went -
As a bell that is rung
Or a wonder told shyly,
And O she was the Sunday
In every week.

Enjoy your day

Mary

Ostrich Burgers DO taste like beef.

Mary

Was I ever busy today. Last night Dick and I went to my brother, Jeff's house, to meet his houseguests and do some trap shooting. Jeff's houseguests are a Japanese family that were English students of Jeff's son Matt when he was in Japan. They became very good friends of Matt's and Jeff, Kathy, Shane and Sara also spent time with them on their trip the year before last.

Anyway, we were invited up for some trap shooting at the Ox Tail Conservation Club accross the street from Jeff's home. Believe it or not, I shot an 18, my best score ever. I was SO excited. I think things are finally coming together. Monday will tell the tale, I guess.

Then Kathy and I picked currants. She has quite a crop and doesn't have time to do anything with them right now. I spent this afternoon cleaning them and have enough to make three gallons of wine. Yahoo. That should be fun. We also racked the Nectarine Wine and bottled a batch of Chardonnay. In other words the winery is getting built up again.

Three weeks until Becky's wedding and my Bret will be here. I can hardly wait to see him.

Joy to you


Mary

I took this picture this spring when the trees were in full bloom. It turned out so well that I thought I would share it with all of you.

Love

Enjoy the beautiful.

Mary

Dick and I ate at the Palmer House in Chicago today. We had a champagne brunch before we went to the Cadillac Theatre to see The Lion King. What a wonderful fantasy that is. I would go again tomorrow if I could. The choreography was so unique and totally spectacular.

Our come down was eating supper at the Taco Bell on the way home but we are still floating from the show.

Love


Mary

Today I am presenting Oscar, or as we refer to him in our household. The Big O. He is huge.

Actually he is not the heaviest cat we ever had but he is by far the longest and takes up more room in our arms than any other cat we ever had. He is like a big bag of pudding.

Big O

Big Old Cat
Cat who purrs so loudly.
Loudly enough to wake me,
Wake me in the night.
Night when he gets lonely.
Lonely for a touch
Touch to comfort and soothe.
Soothe my big old cat.

As most of you know, we had our Waylon Cat for well over 17years and our hearts broke when he went to Kitty Heaven. Actually, knowing Waylon, he is probably in human heaven because he certainly never felt that he was less than human. He wasn't the Little Prince and Sir Wales for nothing, you know.

Here is a picture of one of our current cats. INTRODUCING ROXY. She has found no place in this house that she cannot reach. This picture shows her sitting on top of the 5 shelf bookcase in our office. I like the picture but will have to eventually get one that shows her stubby little Manx tail. I checked out Manx cats on the net and found out that there are two types. Those with a little stub tail, like Roxy, are called Bumpies and those with no tail at all are called Rumpies. Isn't that cute?

Enjoy. (Big Oscar will be next.)



Mary

I found out how to post pictures and this is my first attempt. I am sending a cute picture of our dog, Chelsea.




Mary