Bret called today, before I had a chance to call him. SO - I got to wish him a happy birthday and hear his voice. He is out at his place on the Colorado River for the weekend with friends. He got the package of PGA articles and souveniers I sent and was very pleased with it. I like to send things to him because he has fun with them.

While talking to him about the PGA - he mentioned that he would really like to see that course. I told him that when he comes again, we will have to REALLY dig deep and see if he can play it or at least tour it. I mentioned that there used to be a military training base out in that area of Haven. I remember as a young child that it was still open on when we would go to movies or shopping in Sheboygan on weekends there would be soldiers on leave all over Sheboygan. Flash Backs.

I was getting a bit worried, I couldn't find some of you old pictures of Grandpa Deeley, but they showed up tonight. I am doing a bit of a history of him for the Research Center's booth at the Celtic Faire. I even found an article that appeared in the Press's Do You Remember column in 1975 indicated that he was in charge of the St. Patrick's Day banquet in 1925.

Wow.

Have a nice day.

Mary

I don't know if anybody missed me yesterday. It was just too busy and I didn't even get to bed until 11:00PM. We shopped in the morning, then I had two appointments in Plymouth at 2:00 and 2:30. One was for an interview and pictures in the Book Work, a store in Plymouth that is going to sponser a new writers club starting next month. The second was over at the Sheboygan Falls Review to give them information for the Celtic Faire that Blessed Trinity is sponsoring next weekend. When I got home, it was time to fix dinner, then I had choir practice. After practice, Beth, the choir director, and I reviewed the worship folder for the Celtic Mass. I wish that you could all be there, It is shaping up to be quite a nice, full event.

Today was no quieter, but I am doing this before the Packer Game, which starts in 5 minutes. I hope they look better tonight. This is the last practice game and so far, I am not really impressed.

This morning, Dick and I took Jim to the hospital to have his foot surgery. He is feeling fine and is bored already. Of course, the food is still numb from the local shot that they gave him. I don't think he will feel quite so perky when it wears off.

This afternoon, I got final approval for the worship folder.

Now I have three days with no appointments or anything. I intend to enjoy the Labor Day weekend by no laboring.

Tomorrow is my Bret's birthday.

Have a nice evening.

Mary

The Sacred Three
My fortress be
Encircling me
Come and be round
My hearth and my home.

A day at home. I was so delighted. Dick and I mixed up a batch of Riesling in the primary fermentor. I also worked on the elderberries that Bobbie brought over on Sunday. I cleaned and destemmed them. There was 6 lbs of cleaned fruit. That is enough for two gallons of wine which I also got into a primary fermentor.

This was a good year for berry type fruit because of all the rain. Both the chokecherries and the elderberries were lush and juicy.

I actually picked two tomatoes off of the plants in the pots on the deck. They tasted good but were just a bit larger than cherry tomatoes and are actually supposed to be regular sized tomatoes. Well, the corn looked dismal in the middle of summer but we are getting it every week now and I have several packages in the freezer.

I will be interviewing with a reporter from the Sheboygan Falls Review tomorrow to get a story in about the Celtic Mass and Faire. Sure hope they have the ability to download pictures off of a disc.

It is time for bed, I am suddenly very weary. And tomorrow will be a VERY busy day.

Love

Mary

Grandpas are on my mind as I am looking for pictures for the Research Center and memories are popping into my head. Did you know that both of my Grandfathers were Christmas Babies. Every Christmas, after Mass, Grandpa and Grandma Bowser would stop at Grandpa and Grandma Deeley's house (which was just a couple of houses from church) so that the Grandpas could have a drink together to celebrate their common natal day.

Bye

Bret has a birthday this weekend. He was born on Labor Day, September 4, 1967. I remember going to the hospital early in the morning. When I got there, I came up on the same elevator with another person, also in labor. We joined about 3 other women who were also about ready to deliver. I remember the head nurse saying (and I quote) "Just because it is Labor Day did not mean that you all had to come in at once."

My sister-in-law, Jacquie along with Aunt Ruth and Cousin Linda drove me to the hospital because Bret's father was out in the desert on a jeep run. This may sound cold but it really WAS OK. Dr. Roper had assured us that I was showing no signs of going into labor and the jeep club we belonged to was hosting a rally. He went out to help with my permission. Such is life. Those days, fathers did not come into the delivery room anyway, so what good would he have been.

I find it hard to believe that 37 years have passed since that day. He has grown to be a nice young man and I am very proud of him. His brother Bart gave him a complement several years ago. He said, "My brother is a happy man." and he is.

Love

Mary

On September 8, 1860, the Lady Elgin, a steamer, carrying 400 Milwaukee travelers who had gone to Chicago to hear Steven Douglas speak, was struck by a lumber schooner, the Augusta, just off the cost of Winetka, Illinois.

She was in sight of shore and valient efforts were make by those on shore, including Northwestern University students to save the passengers, but the lake was being lashed by a storm and it was useless. Over 300 passengers were lost, most of them Irish. Each year at St. John's Cathedras, a Mass is said for the victims.

Phillip King, was orphaned by this shipwreck. He was taken in by the Michael Bowser Family, Michael Bowser is my great grandfather. Later her married my Mother's great aunt Charlotte. There is still a King who owns a sheep farm out in the kettles, not far from the original Bowser homestead.

There were lots of ballads written about the Lady Elgin at the time. The following is the lyrics for one of them.

"Up from the poor man's cottage,
Forth from the mansion's door,
Reaching across the waters,
Echoing on the shore,
Caught in the morining breezes,
Borne on the evening gale,
Cometh a voice of mourning -
A sad and solemn wail.
Lost on the Lady Elgin,
Sleeping to wake no more,
Numbered in death three hundred
Who failed to reach the shore."

Quite a story.

Mary

Some trees are starting to show color already. I guess that isn't so unusual, but we have not had a real summer to speak of, so it does not seem fair to us. It was 49 degrees when Chelsea and I went for our walk this morning. However, it got up to the low 70s and was sunny and clear this afternoon while I was working at Rhine Plymouth Field and Stream. I even scored a couple of rounds of trap today. A good thing since I should keep up on it. Today was a bit slow so it was pleasant.

From Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. Just a whimisical verse from The Walrus and the Carpenter. He was SO descriptive.

The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright-
(And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.)

Have a nice Monday.

Mary

We bottled the Gewurztraminer today. We now have 25 bottles down in the "wine celler" aging. It is a kit and tastes OK right away but does definitely improve with age.

Bobbie brought over a BIG batch of elderberries, so I will start a batch of that next week. I must check the recipe before I dive in. I name the elderberry - Roberta Red - for Bobbie, who contributes the berries. I will have to look for a picture of Bobbie for the label this time. It is a absolutely beautiful red color.

Tomorrow I work at Rhine Plymouth Field and Stream. It should be a fairly quiet day at the club. Maybe I'll bring my pistol and shotgun. If it is quiet, I can shoot a round or two of one or the other.

Celtic Mass and Faire is coming fast upon us. The Mass is going to be beautiful and the committe and I are pleased with the entertainment and food being served afterwards at the Faire. We are having a big raffle. The first prize is a trip to Ireland for two. If anyone wants tickets, let me know. They are $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00.

May the wind be always at your back.

Love

Mary

While Jeff and I were moving Bart and Barb's things out of storage, I tried to find spaces in boxes to put loose things. In one of the boxes, I saw something that really made me feel good. Bart must have hung on to it because of memories too.

It is a white felt circle about 9 inches in diameter, glued onto a larger purple circle. Bart's name is cut out of purple felt in capital letters and glued onto the circle along with a yarn sea urchin looking thing with eyes. This dates back to his soccer days when he belonged to a team called the Purple People Eaters. At the beginning of each season, the teams were given uniforms and then could choose thir own names. That year they got purple.

This was also the year that the Denver Football team had been really hot and earned the name Orange Crush. We, the Moms, thought that Purple Crush would be a really intimidating name for the team and one of the Moms gave a real pep talk. She ended with a statement that went something like this. "Would you rather be called PURPLE CRUSH!!! or purple people eaters." And the kids yelled "PURPLE PEOPLE EATERS!!!!" so Purple People Eaters they were.

Have a good Saturday.

Mary

Well, Jeff and I got the storage unit emptied and unloaded. Most of the stuff is in Jeff's garage but I did bring some here as he was really running out of room. Found out from Barbara tonight that one of the BIG drawer units was supposed to have stayed with the house. Too bad now. It is at Jeff's. I will ask Jeff is he can possibly use it otherwise they MAY take to or perhaps we can find a nice home for it elswhere. It went smoothly, though we did have to make two trips with the pickup. I was pleased to spend most of a day with Jeff. We never get to do that. He showed me all the pictures that he took in Hawaii. That new little grandson, Coleton, is a perfect little specimin of a boy.

Got home about 5:00PM. Because I had a council meeting at 7:30PM we had macaroni and cheese with hot dogs in it. This is one of Dick's favorite dinners and SO easy to fix. Anyway, it has been a LONG day but a productive one.

Tomorrow we will grocery shop and I must sew on the quilt. I am making pretty good time on it. I think I MIGHT be able to get it done for the show on the 18th.

I should lean not to make such goals for myself.

Have a good Friday.

Love

Mary

I shared one of my Irish Blessings with the bible study on Monday. I am sure you have heard this one, but surprisingly they had not. Here it is

"May those who love us, love us. And may those who don't love us may He turn their hearts. And if He doesn't turn their hearts, may He turn their ankles. So we'll know them by their limping."

Have a good Thursday. Tomorrow, we'll be emptying Bart and Barb's storage shed.
Wish me luck.

Mary

Thursday, my brother Jeff and I are going to De Pere to pick up the property that Bart and Barb could not fit into the truck when they went to Oklahoma. Jeff is going to find room at his place until they come up here in November when my step grandson graduates from the Great Lakes Naval Academy. Jeff and I both have to be back early enough to go to evening meetings.

Today, while I was walking, Ithe song called The Traveling People went through my head. It is a song about the Tinkers in Ireland. There are still Tinkers in Ireland, though I believe they live in nicer mobile homes and such. My friend Alice says that they are pretty wealthy and not entirely trustworthy.

Anyway, I remembered that, up until the time I was 18 or 19, there was a band of Gypsies that would occasionally show up in Sheboygan Falls. They dressed just as colorfully as in the movies and would camp down in, what we called, the Flats. The Flats in Sheboygan Falls is now an industrial area next to the Sheboygan River. It was also one of the areaa that young people used to go to neck.

But I do remember the Gypsies coming. I wonder if there are such colorful bands of traveling gypsies anymore. They would have trouble just parking somewhere. You have to pay to camp almost anywhere and also need reservations. I would imagine that that life is pretty much a thing of the past.

Maybe I'll check on the net.

Have a great day.

Mary

Tonight is the bust up party for my summer trap league. I will be leaving soon as it starts around 5:00. I will meet my partner Rosalie then as she is done with work about then. That is always fun. A chance to eat and visit and see who wins the big prizes. I did better than I ever have but I still have a LONG way to go. I will persist. Someday I will be good at something that requires dexterity.

I told you that I would publish, on this site, the poem I wrote about my Grandpa Deeley. I wanted to wait until after Irish Fest because I did have it in the contest and I am a stickler for honesty. I had told them that it had not been published and wanted to be true. Obviously I did not win the prize so so here it is.

GRANDPA'S WALLET


An Irishman who never set foot on Irish soil.
He was born - in London - on Christmas Day,
To emigrating parents – the oldest boy.
They came to America when he was eleven months old.

He was born - in London - on Christmas Day.
No one EVER dared call him British more than once.
They came to America when he was eleven months old.
His father worked the mills throughout New England.

No one EVER dared call him British more than once.
He started work when he was only eleven.
His father worked the mills throughout New England.
He was boss carder at age 16.

He started to work when he was only eleven.
He came to Wisconsin in 1889 to work.
He was boss carder at age 16.
I think leprechauns look like my Grandpa Deeley.

He came to Wisconsin in 1889 to work.
My Dad looked like Grandpa.
I think leprechauns look like my Grandpa Deeley.
He married twice and had six children.

My Dad looked like Grandpa.
I took Grandpa's wallet to Ireland.
He married twice and had six children.
He was an Irishman who never set foot on Irish soil.



HOPE YOU ENJOY IT.

Love Mary

I am gathering Celtic Designs. Some of our venders for the Celtic Faire would like them. Actually there are TONS of sites on the net that have lots of Celtic patterns and designs. Half the fun is the searching. One of our vendors was concerned with the possiblity that some designs might be demonic or evil. Perhaps so, but the Celtic people seem to cheerfully coexist with both spirit worlds and just throw up walls or avoid or try to placate the evil spirits as they intrude on the present.

Tomorrow, I need to make an announcement for the Celtic Faire. We are selling the leftover t-shirts and choir CDs and tapes starting right now. It would be nice to get them out of the closets and into people's hands.

Dick and I were thinking of the Walrus and the Carpenter from Through the Looking Glass by Louis Carrol.

What a wonderful poem. I escpecially like the second verse which goes as follows

The moon was shining sulkily,
Because she thought the sun
Has got no business to be there
After the day was done-
'It's very rude of him,' she said,
'To come and spoil the fun.'

What a funny concept. Imagine the moon being sulky.

Well I must go to watch the Packer Game. Sure hope they look better than last week.

Love

Mary

I just got home from Irishfest in Milwaukee. I am content. Got there at 3:30PM so I could get in free at 4:00. Good thing too because I spent a bit of money. Not friviously, of course. I got all "good stuff." Gaelic Storm has a new CD. So I bought that for Dick. And there was a nice t-shirt with Michael Collins that had The Big Fella printed on it, which is great for Jim.

I wanted to go because a couple of my friends were there. Maureen Smith from Chicago, who I met a couple of years ago at the Celtic Women Conference. We have communicated since then by email. We met at the booth of Cindy Mayti who is a wonderful artist. I took a mini course from her several years ago and have a print of hers in my livingroom. I got pictures of both of them. Cindy has great tshirts and I bought one for myself. I picked lavender.

Then I listened to Tommy Makem. Yes. Tommy is still singing at Irishfest and is still bringing down the house. He sang O Donnell Abu,acapella, accompanied only by the bodhran which is always spectacular. Of course we ALL sang Waltzes with Bears with him.

Better get the damages recorded while I still remember.

Someone asked me what color my eyes were. It made me remember when I was a kid. Nora and I used to fight terribly. I guess most sisters do. She used to tease me and say that I had army green eyes and dishwater blond hair. I would be furious.

Mary

I harvested the chokecherries today and began the winemaking process. I got to smush the berries - with my hands not my feet. It is a nice dark rich color. I am trying a slightly different recipe this time. Last year was better but I am still working with it. A gallon a year doesn't give much practice.

I will mix up the marigold next week or the week after. That one I am sure of. It makes a nice rich wine, much like a sherry.

As I said yesterday, I call the marigold, Mary's Gold. We call the chokecherry, Banshee Blood because of its deep color.

Tomorrow I am going to Irishfest. I am going to look for some nice Celtic Designs. Visit with some friends. Listen to Tommy Makem and come home.

With any luck they will be serving sausage rolls somewhere on the grounds. It is soon time for me to order more Irish sausage and bacon. I have just enough bacon for BLTs. I must fix them soon now that tomatoes are starting to ripen.

There is an old Irish proverb that says. "The mountains never meet, but people can always encounter each other."

Mountains stand next to each other forever and never exchange a word, but people, even strangers can exchange all kinds of parts of their lives and possibly never even see each other again.

Mary

It is time for making scratch wines again. The marigolds are blooming and I picked my first quart today. I will pick another quart tomorrow then will have enough to prepare two gallons of my quite popular marigold wine - known as Mary's Gold.

The chokecherries are also ripe. I will pick them on Saturday and get that batch started too. That is not as popular but Dick's son Dick does like it and I will try a couple different things this time to jazz it up.

It was in the high 60's most of the morning then shot up to 79 degrees about 2:00PM. So I closed everything up and let the air conditioning do its thing. Then it started raining this evening. However, it is supposed to be clear and pleasant from now until Monday. Good thing because I am going to Irishfest on Friday evening. I will arrive in time to go in at the opening at 4:00 and stay until Tommy Makem is done singing then head for home. I will have time to see friends and eat and check out the cultural center. All I want. I think I will buy a couple of tshirts if my artist friends have them this year. I am excited anyway.

A quote from Anam Cara for your consideration:

"One of the reasons so many people are suffering from stress is not that they are doing stressful things but that they allow so little time for silence."

We do live in a noisy world. I realized how noisy our house is one day when the power went out. Silence CAN be deafening.

Have a "silent" day.

Mary

We shopped today. We also sent a couple of packages. One to Suzi, Dick's niece, when she and Dick's sister Hazel, came for a visit she left her pillow. We all know how special ones own pillow can be.

I also sent some fabric and a pincushion - thread catcher that I made for her. They are in their home so she will be able to set up a sewing area soon. I know that will be a way down the line. First bedroom and kitchen and living room and clothes etc. need to be put in order. But soon, I hope she can relax and do something just for fun. She said that she has been invited to join a quilting group.

Last night, Rosalie and I shot our last round in the summer trap league. I got a 15 so I feel that I went out with a bang. I believe that I averaged 13 which is better than I have ever done before though I have a long way to go. I will keep at it until I get good. It is fun.

Really not a very newsy day so I will sign off now and go down to sew on my quilt.

Mary

Today is our Anniversary. Do you believe that Dick and I have been married for 18 years already. We both agree that it seems like yesterday. Isn't it nice that we both feel that way? We decided today that the relationship will probably last.

We had a nice intimate reception. Just our families had a dinner at Riverdale. Bret came from California so all of our children were there. It was the first time some of them had met. We have become a close family. I feel really blest.

I read a story about an African explorer who was moving his safari in great haste through the jungle. After three days the three Africans who were helping him carry his equipment sat down and refused to move. He tried to explain that he was under pressure to arrive at his destination by a certain date. They absolutely refused to move despite his pleas. He finally got one of them to tell him the reason. (This is a quote from Anam Cara by John O Donohue.) "We have moved too quickly to reach here; now we need to wait to give our spirits a chance to catch up with us."

Maybe we all need to do a bit more of that.

Mary

Watching the end of the PGA. We sent out for dinner and while we were there (only 20 minutes ago) some of the patrons at the Villager told us it was all over - that Vijay had won. But they are still playing and there is still only one shot separating him from the last two players. So I am confused.

As I was writing the above, the phone rang. It was my daughter in law Barbara. They are finally in their home. They will have to sign the papers on Thursday because of some problem in that the loan company did not have the blueprints or something but they are IN. She said all the animals are sighing in relief as they smell their own furniture and bedding. Say a prayer of thanks and pray that Thursday, the signing goes OK.

Vijay won the PGA. So I am no longer confused. It was a beautiful day for a change. Everybody is complaining about the lack of summer. It seems that we have gone directly from spring, such as it was, to autumn.

Did you know that Jimmy Buffet has a new album. I heard a cut from it. He sings some old country. The one I heard was Hey Good Lookin' by Hank Williams.

Did you ever hear this quote from a song he wrote? It goes "Wrinkles only go where the smiles have been." Isn't that a wonderful thought.

Love

Mary

Today has been a very special day.

First, my cousin Colleen and her husband Don are in the area for the PGA and were at Mother's home this afternoon so I got to visit with them.

Then tonight, thanks to Kohler, there was a free concert in Ravine Park in the Village of Kohler and Ronan Tynan was the vocalist. In case you are not familiar with Ronan Tynan, he is a tenor who has been a part of the Three Irish Tenors since their debut and he is WONDERFUL. The concert was outdoors in the bowl. He sang Irish, and Italian and show tunes and then concluded with his encores by singing The Parting GLass and God Bless America. Wow. And guess what, Herb Kohler, Governor Doyle and Donald Trump were all there. I never did see Trump but Herb Kohler introduced Ronan and I was Doyle.

I also ran into many friends. Nancy Gallagher Roehre, Kathy Roehre Burich, Sandy and Al Loth and Carol and Leon Kaat. A nice night altogether.

Hope your day was just as good.

Love

Mary