This is going to be a very short post as it is after 9:30PM and I have to be ready for my pick up by the limo at 6:45AM. 

I was very very busy all day but did get everything done.    I am so pleased with that.   I is always distressing when one is leaving for a couple of weeks and things are left undone.

Roxie is safely at Bobbie and Bill's house and Bobbie said she is a bit clingy but doing just fine.    I miss her actually.   The house is so empty.   

Won't be long before I am in a household with several critters.

I will have the laptop and will be able to blog sometimes, but I am not going to every day because I am on vacation.

Stay safe and pray for a safe trip for me.

Dia Dhuit


Mary

Too much happening last night to post.   Bless their souls, Richard and Brenda came yesterday morning and spent hours disassembling Dick's computer and untangling and sorting all the wires that belong to mine.     I now can print again.   With a direct wire, the problem SHOULD be solved.

The desk across from me looks empty, but when I get back from Oklahoma, the goal is to fine a new home for that desk,   and set the spare room up as an office again.   Then I will  have a real livingroom now that it doesn't have to be the two of us face to face any more.   I think it will be easier for me when it is all rearranged.     I won't be looking for him there. As I said, the nights get lonely.    I admire Mother for her strength all these years with our her Hutz.

It was such a pleasure to have people in the house to talk to and to feed.    Richard and Brenda took me and Bobbie and Bill out for dinner last night.   But I did get to prepare lunch for them yesterday and I made a nice egg strata for our breakfast this morning with orange juice and a sweet bread.

Got a call from them this evening to tell me they were home safe and that Brenda made it to a play that she was meeting friends to see.

Then Bart and Barb called.    We had a nice talk.   He will pick me up on Tuesday and they have the bedroom all set up.  Barb is even letting me use her grandmother's quilt.   I feel honored.

So now I am going to bed as tomorrow will be a VERY busy day.

Til then

Dia Dhuit

Mary

 Roxie had to go to see the vet today, for her yearly physical.   She is not a happy girl.   Dr. Connors feels that she should be on the KD formula for food, so we are trying half and half of her current and the new foods.

She was quite distressed when I put it down but finally did eat.

I finished the book today.    There are a couple of things I may add and of course it needs some editing but I am glad.   It is good to feel that one has finished a project to this point.

I went shooting tonight so I am tired.

Richard and Brenda are going to be here tomorrow to help me sort out computers.  I am so grateful.

Til tomorrow.

Dia Dhuit

Mary









 "Comedy and horror are opposite sides of the same coin. I have the heart of a child. I keep it in a jar on my shelf."  Robert Bloch - the author of Psycho

A day totally at home.   I slept until after 8AM which was a nice change. 



I was busy all day.   I am organizing things downstairs so that my clutter is not taking over the whole place when Richard and Brenda are here.    Mom's quilt will still be on the pool table but other surfaces will be clean so that they have room to spread out if they need too.



I also am gathering up what I need for packing for Oklahoma.   I am taking the St. Kevin wallhanging with me as the rest is hand work and I want it done for the Gathering that is the weekend of April 27th.   Dick and Brenda are coming this weekend and will be able to make sure that I know how to use the laptop properly, so that I can take that with me and finish the research that I want to have done for the gathering on St. Maughold, the patron saint of the Isle of Man, whose feast day is April 27th.    This is Roxie's saint also.   So I must do a good job.
'
I got a lot done on the book.   I intend to have it on disc or on my laptop so that I can do some refining and think about the layout on my vacation.



Barbara and I are going to have a quilting day together and she has invited me to a special service at her church on the last Sunday I am there.   My purpose is to get to know Lawton better and I think that will work well.  I also need time with that  Bart too.   We weren't able to be all together, Bret, Bart and me.   We will do that later.   We will also spend some time with Jim and Michelle.



I don't know how the time has sped by so fast.    Only four more days til I leave.



Tomorrow is somewhat quiet.   I have to take Roxie for her annual checkup.   She will be very upset with me.   Though she does seem to find Dr. Connors comforting.



So.  The rest of the day is to relax.



Dia Dhuit



Mary

A Whimsical Thought




The road to Tir na Nog
Is not the road to take
Unless you want to lose your way.

I got my hair cut today.  I knew it was time because I was starting to be looking through my hair.

Then I did what grocery shopping I needed to do and now have the lottery tickets through April.    So by the end of the month, I may be a rich woman.  Wouldn't that be fun.    We will all go somewhere for a grand party.

Home the rest of the day.    Same old, same old.   Except.

My sister Nora called this afternoon and we had a nice visit.    She must have felt me being lonely.   This afternoon somehow the house seemed so very empty.    Her call livened me up.

I even went for a walk this afternoon.   My ears got a bit cold but it sure felt good to get out and about.    The only thing that could have made it better was a doggie by my side.

It was good.   I ran into a few of the neighbors and had a couple of short visits with them.   So life is good.    With that fresh air in my body, I am hoping to sleep like a log tonight.  I saw and heard red winged blackbirds while on my walk so SPRING is here.

455555555555567uy

The above was written by Roxie.     Please tell me what she is saying.

Til Tomorrow

Dia Dhuit

Mary

Such a whirlwind today.     I did not have to leave the house until 9:30AM but it was trash day, so I couldn't stay in bed very late.  

I left at 9:30AM to pick up some prescriptions, for myself for a change, from Walgreens.   I also took care of some banking.   Then went to Mother's.   I have listed all of her prescriptions and which pharmacy they are now at.   I am going to consolidate them all at the Aurora on Superior so that we won't have to be going all over the place.    At one time, I was taking Mom to her appointments and getting all the meds but that has changed in the past couple of years so we need to make it easy again.

Next I drove into Sheboygan to The Spa Studio, where Heather O'Grady, gave me a nice massage.   I am feeling much better these days and am trying to do things that will continue the healing.   I picked up a sub from Cousins on the way to the Kettle Country Quilt Club meeting.   I have half of it left for tomorrow.   But boy was it good.

We had a nice meeting.   Toni Nevecosi and I shared two versions of the Cathedral window pattern.    Mine, the traditional.    Hers a modern version that would not make a quilt very easily, but would be an attractive wall hanging or ornament.    Next month, people are going to bring fabrics for whichever one they want to try.    I will just keep working on mine - often it is a year or more between my working on it.   Actually, I need to find more muslin. 

Home again, I changed and went to the funeral home to express my condolences to Alice Behrens.   Her husband, Claude, was a patient with Dick both at Plymouth Care and at Rocky Knoll so Alice and I became pretty good friends.    Claude was a dear gentle soul.  She said he lifted his head and smiled really big and then just went to heaven.    That is so comforting.   He, too, has had a really rough last five years or more.

Barb called tonight.   She has signed up for a quilting class while I am going to be there and wondered if I would like to join her.     We have fun doing things together so I hope there is still room in the class.

Tomorrow will be much quieter.    A haircut and grocery shopping.   Then home ALL the rest of the day.

Yea.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

Today was a marathon day.   I left at about quarter after 8AM for A&M Mobility.    They took the Bruno  lift seat and the Joey lift out of my van and it is now restored to just a regular van.   I finally decided that as I do like driving the van, it was most practical to do this.    I was given a refund of a portion of what I paid for the original equipment which I will put in reserve.   I have less than 5000 miles on the van and it is less than a year old so it would really be silly to trade it in unless I hated it.

Then I came home, got lunch and set out on several other errands.    I went to Walgreens and Sun Graphics and to Mother's.    I told her today that I will be going to Oklahoma next week.   We got her bills paid and had a bit of a visit.   

Home again, I rested, then did some computer work and had supper before driving over for the chorus practice for the Plymouth Art Center Show.   

Finally, it is 9PM and I am in for the night.   I am tired, my voice is worn and I am going to go be in bed as fast as I can get there.    Tomorrow is not much better.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

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