Well, Chelsea does not have crystals in her bladder, the x rays were OK. We have her on more antibitotics. Hopefully this will clear her up. She was sure a relieved girl when we picked her up at 3:00PM. We had left her there at 9:00AM, so who knows what her poor little heart thought. She is being quite affectionate tonight but is Very tired.

Cadfael, Book of Days was really good today.

"Cadfael was not of the opinion that a man's main business in this world was to save his own soul. There are other ailing souls, as there are ailing bodies, in need of a hoist towards health." Ellis Peters

Kind of lets us know that we are all in this together and need to look out for each other.

Tomorrow, we will go to Discovery World annual little party. They always highlight the tours and serve coffee punch and cookies or donuts. We usually have already decided on our trips but go for the treats.

Til tomorrow

Mary

Today, Dick and I had to chase Chelsea around with a pan to catch her urine. I wish you could see her face when we try to do that. Dick says she probably thinks we are perverts.

We were successful. Unfortunately, Dr. John has found white blood cells and crystals in her urine so we need to take her in tomorrow morning for x-rays on her bladder. Hope he can fix her. I know she really feels that she has to go BUT she is exhausting me. I'll keep you informed.

Had bible study this morning and Rhine Plymouth club meeting tonight. So this has been a busy day.

Dick found another recipe that he wants me to try. Since the Castillian Chocolate and Churros, he feels a little more confidant. The new one is Chorizo Noodle Casserole. It looks quite "warm" but good. I am sure the Noodle is what caught his eye. You know the Kunerts and their pasta.

Desmond Tutu says "Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world."

I have always opperated on the premise that you might as well
"bloom where you are planted." You are where you are and if you don't like it - change it.

Love

Mary

The Castillian Chocolate recipe was excellant expecially with the Curros. I will post the recipe that Dick found on the worldwideschool.org site.

"Castillian Hot Chocolate
Thick, Rich Spanish Hot Chocolate

I first tasted this wonderful beverage while touring in northern Spain with a choir. It's not like any hot chocolate I've had anywhere else, and I was delighted to find a recipe in The Vegetarian Epicure Book Two. It is the best hot chocolate in the world (at least to me.)
Serves 6

1/2 cup
(55 g) unsweetened powdered cocoa
1 cup
(200 g) sugar
7 tsp
(25 g) cornstarch (cornflour)
1/2 cup
(120 ml) water
4 cups
(1 l) milk

1 Mix the cocoa and sugar together.
2 Dissolve the cornstarch (cornflour) in the water and combine with the cocoa-sugar mixture in a medium-sized saucepan. Stir this until it is a smooth paste.
3 Begin heating this mixture, continuously stirring it with a whisk. Gradually pour in the milk. Continue stirring as you bring it to a simmer.
4 Simmer, stirring often, for about 10 minutes. The cocoa is ready when it thickens and is glossy and smooth.

The consistency of the finished product should resemble chocolate pudding that didn't quite set. If you halve this recipe, you'll get just the right amount for two large mug-fulls. This cocoa is especially fantastic when you dip churros into it (a churro is a sugary, deep-fried, doughnut-like stick, and if anyone wants to send out a recipe, I'd be most grateful).
RATING
Difficulty: easy."

I put quotes around the recipe which was put on the worldwideschool.org site by a Tovah Hollandar.

The venison burritos were great. I will do that again too.

The next two weeks are going to be quite busy so I will have lots of news.

Have a nice week. It was nice and warm again today. I understand that the weather is going to turn again after rain tonight.


Bye Bye

Mary

It was in the upper 40s today. I fried out today, brats and venison steaks and was able to do it wearing a denim jacket instead of the old bulky winter coat. Of course, there is still snow all over the ground and supposedly more coming. Doesn't matter - today we had a hint of spring.

It is less than two weeks to St. Patrick's Day. I have not heard from Bob MacEwen and the ad for Richards does not indicate live music or a Celtic poet, that being me. So I guess I have to find my own entertainment. I do plan on going to Plymouth, walking in the Irishman's Walk, eating and just having a good time with my friends. Perhaps I will put a couple of poems in my pocket and see if I can read there. Usually, there is some kind of music in the afternoon. We can't go the night before to see Blarney because it is our night at the Sheboygan Theatre and Dick and I will be taking Mother out to dinner and to see "The Sting". It will be a nice evening and we are taking her to one of the new Thai restuarants in town. She has not been to one and I know she will like it.

A friend sent me this before we invaded Iraq but it is still funny. As we are nearing the great day for the Irish, I will try to have something "green" for you each day.

"Saddam Hussein was sitting in his office wondering whom to
invade next when his telephone rang.

"Hallo, Mr. Hussein!", a heavily accented voice said. "This is
Paddy down at the Harp Pub in County Sligo, Ireland. I am ringing to
inform you that we are officially declaring war on you!"

"Well, Paddy," Saddam replied, "This is indeed important
news! How big is your army?"

"Right now," said Paddy, after a moment's calculation,
"there is myself, my cousin Sean, my next door neighbor Seamus, and the
entire dart team from the pub. That makes eight!"

Saddam paused. "I must tell you, Paddy, that I have one
million men in my army waiting to move on my command."

"Begorra!", said Paddy. "I'll have to ring you back!"

Sure enough, the next day, Paddy called again. "Mr.
Hussein,t he war is still on! We have managed to acquire some infantry
equipment!"

"And what equipment would that be, Paddy?" Saddam asked.

"Well, we have two combines, a bulldozer, and Murphy's farm
tractor." Paddy replied.

Saddam sighed. "I must tell you, Paddy, that I have 16,000
tanks and 14,000 armored personnel carriers. Also, I've increased my
army to 1-1/2 million since we last spoke."

"Saints preserve us!" said Paddy. "I'll have to get back to you."

Sure enough, Paddy rang again the next day. "Mr. Hussein,
the war is still on! We have managed to get ourselves airborne! We've
modified Harrigan's ultra-light with a couple of shotguns in the
cockpit, and four boys from the Shamrock Pub have joined us as
well!"

Saddam was silent for a minute and then cleared his throat.
"I must tell you, Paddy, that I have 10,000 bombers and 20,000 fighter
planes. My military complex is surrounded by laser-guided, surface-to-air
missile sites. And since we last spoke, I've increased my army to TWO
MILLION!"

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!", said Paddy, "I'll have to ring
you back."

Sure enough, Paddy called again the next day. "Top o' the
mornin', Mr. Hussein! I am sorry to tell you that we have had to
call off the war."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Saddam. "Why the sudden
change of heart?"

"Well," said Paddy, "we've all had a long chat over a bunch
of pints, and decided there's no way we can feed two million prisoners."

God Bless the Irish! "




Bobbie and Bill are coming for dinner tomorrow. I am fixing Mexican because Dick wants to try Spanish Hot Chocolate and Churros and would like the meal to reflect the theme. Sounds like fun.


Mary



Til Tomorrow

Mary

A puzzle for you. Randy Walter from the Rhine Plymouth club posed it to me and I have no answer.

There are 365 days in each year.
There are 52 weeks in each year.
There are 7 days in each week.
7 times 52 = 364 days.
Where is the other day?

I am going to fry out brats tomorrow to go with the good calico beans that I fixed earlier in the week. I can fry out earlier in the afternoon and just reheat after the five o'clock mass. The choir is singing, and the bells are playing at the 10:30AM on Sunday. So I will be VERY holy again this weekend.

Enjoy your weekend and keep in touch.

Mary

Uncle Fred Michaels sent his annual summary of the Wild Game Dinner and Beer Tasting Contest. He always writes a little poem. Here it is


"We were all at Kurt and Joey's
Drinking beer, not many sodys
Kurt must have felt fine,
Cause he picked out nine!!

It's back to back chamionships for out expert Kurt.

24 beers- most ever
9 correct -also the most ever!"

The favorite beer this year was Busch and the Boobie prize was a tie between Point Special and Burghoff Lager.


I liked it at Kurt's house, because he and Jody do not allow smoking in the house. Things get pretty thick otherwise. Next year will be year #29. Quite a tradition.


I liked Cadfael's quote for March 3rd so will share with you. (I am using EVERYONE else's words today, but they are wiser and more amusing than mine.)

"All Welsh are kin, even if they slit one another's throats now and then, and manure their sparse and stony fields with fratricidal dead in tribal wars."

Think of the Welch as Mankind, or citizens of the U. S. We ARE all kin, even if!!!!



Love

Mary

I have been working on a mini biography of my Grandfather Mike Deeley to submit to a Woman's Day contest. The prize is a consultation with a geneology expert and be featured in Woman's Day. I am getting there. In the process, I reread some notes my Dad made many years ago of his memories of my Grandfather.

Here is one of the paragraphs from my Dad.

"Occasionally Dad and I would stop for a drink, I for a beer and he for a whiskey and beer. Unlike others he'd drink the beer first then the whiskey. Wen asked why, he'd say if you did it the other say, you couldn't taste the whiskey."

Grandpa was not a heavy drinker, but he did like his whiskey. I remember going to church with Grandma on weekdays. After Mass, I would go over to their house which was just down the street and have breakfast with Grandma. Usually Grandpa would come down while we were eating breakfast. The first thing he would do is kiss my Grandma on her neck and cheek. She would giggle like a schoolgirl and say "Not in front of Mary Helen". (Not too convincing to me.) Then he would go and have a shot of whiskey before his breakfast. Just one. And he did not drink any more during the day or evening that I was aware of. I think it was good for his heart. He did live to be 93.

Happy mid week

Mary

March came in windy. Does that count as coming in like a lion? I hope so because going out like a lamb sounds mighty good to me.

I got a call at quarter to 7 from the bell choir director. We are playing on Sunday at 10:30 and they decided to have another practice. Oops. Noone told me. I had to leave very early because of the council meeting. I was in the middle of putting an at risk baby quilt together and decided that I wasn't able to rush out that quickly.

Picked up Market Day today. Dick is kind of interested in the mini omelets I found. I checked and they are made of egg whites so should be very low in cholesterol and are very low cal and low fat too.

We are still on Paul First Letter to the Corinthians. We keep reading things that make him sound like such a woman hater and such a jerk. However, we have decided that we are glad that we are into this one and have the study guide that we do. We are finding out that, surprisingly, Paul was quite liberal - for his time. He does say that women should not come to meetings with uncovered heads or with short hair.

But in his time- uncovered heads and short hair were the badge of prostitutes and lesbians. Also, we have to realize the custom of the day called for covering of a woman's head. That custom is the one that carried over until not all that many years ago, of a woman having to cover her head to enter church. I remember veils, hats and in a pinch, kleenix or a handkerchief being used.Men, on the other hand - were not to cover their heads and were to keep their hair short. Custom again.

However, he speaks of both men and women equally with the gifts of prophesy, teaching and all other ministries. Something unheard of in the Jewish custom but often found in the pagan religions.

So he is still a mystery. But I like him better than I used to. I will have to let my friend, Sue Lacke, from the Wednesday Morning bible study, that I am seeing Paul to be more human and a bit less bigoted than he first appears to us.

Dick Jr. called tonight to talk about their trip to San Jose. They got to go to the Winchester Mansion. Somewhere I always wanted to go.

Have a nice night.

Mary

Today was a real Monday. We are shopping tomorrow and I have to go to the dentist. This is my six month checkup.

I am working on the baby quilts for the At Risk Babies. I ran out of white thread, of all things, so had to stop this evening. I will pick some thread up tomorrow on my way back from the dentist.

I finished up three poems to send to the Milwaukee Art Museum. They are having a poetry contest. They asked for poems to match any piece of art displayed in the museum. I picked out three pieces that were pictured and described online and managed to get some thing done. I seem to do best with deadlines. I still want to create a sonnet. The results will be released in June. Then I will print one on this blog. Here is a snippet of one that I wrote while out deerhunting one year.

WIND

Stillness followed by sound
Of wind gathering speed and strength
Circling then gone
Until it comes around again
To Roar above me
In the pines and the oaks and the birch.

We are supposed to be getting snow tonight.

Have a good Tuesday.

Mary

Hunting was a real pleasure today. The weather was predicting sleet/snow but later in the day and thankfully, they were right. It was in the lower 30s and sunny. We tromped through snow pine lanes and a swamp and saw a lot of tracks. We got there at about 9:00AM and finally our friend Dennis Behr's dog, Copper, got the scent and chased it right to Don, Dennis's brother. So it was a successful hunt.

It seems rather odd to be tramping through the snow and ended up actually getting a little too warm.

Dennis 's little Copper has had a sore knee but the swelling seemed down this morning, and you would never have GUESSED that he had a problem while he was on that rabbit. But, when he knew the rabbit was caught, he sat down and lifted up his paw and it was all swollen. Poor baby, Dennis carried him out of the woods because he was in obvious distress. I will find out on Friday if they have found out what is wrong with him. He is a sweet dog and has a good nose. It is just thrilling to hear a dog on a scent.

I made an apple raspberry pie yesterday. I had one can of prepared apple pie filling and a 9 inch pie requires two cans, so I spread a package of frozen raspberries over the filling, topped it with the second crust and baked it. It is really good.

The weekend if over, we will cap it off by watching the Oscars. We only saw one of the movies nominated for best picture but we always enjoy the glitz.

Tomorrow is the last day of the month already too.

Hope March comes in like a lion, so it goes out like a lamb. (I believe that is the way it goes.)

Love

Mary

Saturday, and a productive day. I got my Eucharistic Minister "chores" done. I have the volunteers for holy week and have contacted the new people. Yea. There is always something.

What am I? I walked into church, took a swing by to see if they needed any communion ministers and got waylayed by dear Deacon Jens and Maynard Turany. The lector didn't show up. I don't know who was scheduled. It doesn't really matter. I told them that I have not lectored before, and they said what does that matter. So ---- I lectored. I only made three mistakes and they were not any that the congregation would notice (except for Mary Bainbridge - "tongue in cheek" who said that she watched every move.) So it was OK. I spent all those years talking to people and groups of people at work. Talking in front of people really does not bother me much. Especially since it is God's word that I am reading.

Hunting tomorrow. I found out that Shane, my brother Jeff's son, is here from Florida with his girlfriend, Roxie, for a high school sports event. Roxie is so excited - she is a southern girl and has never REALLY been in snow. She wants to go for walks and make snowballs. Roxie seems like a person who blooms where she is planted. I like that in a person.

Love

Mary

I went out to shoot tonight and - egad - my first one was AWFUL. I got a 12. Thinking back, I think I wasshooting with the left eye instead of my right eye. What a stupid thing to do. The second two were 30 something and 40 something, still not too good but at least somewhat acceptable. Well, it is only a game, and I am learning each time.

Had lunch at the Dairy Queen with Marlene, Mary and Ceil from Wells Fargo. We enjoy that and it is a nice break in the week. The Dairy Queen in Plymouth has Sheboygan County Fair Grilled Cheese sandwiches so I can easily keep my Fridays in Lent meat free. I fixed pasta with spaghetti sauce and veggies for supper.

Bart and Barb got us NetFlix for Christmas. I signed up on Monday and we have our first three dvds. Tonight I am watching the new Stepford Wives. I had really wanted to see that when it came out but we just didn't get there. I figure that I can catch up on the films thatI missed during the year.

Today is our grandaughter Sara's 18th birthday. It does not seem possible that it has been 18 years since I went to the hospital to see Leslie and Sara and got to go right into the room at ANY time, because I was the Grandma. She has grown up so fast and we miss her and her sister, all the way down south in Bossier City LA.

Have a good evening.

Mary

I also picked Shrek 2 and The Mists of Avalon for my first three discs.

Sunday is Rabbit Hunting. Last year I got my first shot off at a rabbit. Perhaps this year I might even get one. It is supposed to be a bit rainy, I hope not too much and not soo much snow mixed in. Every year, the guys who hunt also have a sausage taste off at the bar when we are done. It is really fun.

Have a good evening.

We shopped this morning. We were done and home by 9:30AM. Good thing, because I was busy filling out the census, cleaning the bathrooms, checking out the ammo for the rabbit hunting trip on Sunday and just clearing out the email on the computer. Tonight I went to bell practice for about 20 minutes and then on to the council meeting.

Tomorrow, I will have lunch with the Plymouth people and clean the kitchen.

Council was difficult tonight again. It seems that Christian communities and Christian people and Christian ministers are not always very Christian. I must remember that as it says on the framed print that Barbara, my dear daughter in law, gave me of Jesus saying. " I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it." This is the last year of my term and I really need a break.

Be healthy and happy

Mary

Tonight, Bobbie and I had to attend a board meeting of Rhine Plymouth to discuss the fact that some members don't show up for their work hours. Typical of all clubs but we do need to try to alleviate the problem if for no other reason than to stop the bitching.

Dennis Behr reminded me that we are going rabbit hunting on Sunday. Jeff, Randy, Kenny and me and Dennis and his brother, Donald and Leroy, a friend of Jeff and Randy and Vic. Vic is different. Dennis tells me that Vic was a heavyweight wrestler at one time. He also coached for about 20 years. He looks like a wrestler actually, though Dennis tells me that he has gone into weightlifting and looks better now than when he wrestled because he does not have a pot belly any longer. Anyway, tomorrow, I had better check my ammo, gun and other gear.

I made a pretty good turkey chili for lunch today. It is simple.

Turkey Chili

1/2 Lb. Ground Turkey
1 Cup onion chopped
2 cup peeled chopped plum tomatoes
1/2 cup lima beans
1/2 cup red beans
1/2 cup corn
1 Tblsp. Chili powder
Pepper
1/2 cup salsa

Brown turkey with onion, add remaining ingredients and simmer for about an hour.

Serve in a cup with a dollop of sour cream and about a tablespoon of salsa on top.

Really good and look how healthy.

Love

Mary

We went grocery shopping this morning. We didn't need too much but we were almost out of milk and, even worse, out of lettuce. Lettuce, as I am sure that you know is the treat of choice for our Chelsea. Being as she is a sick little girl, we don't want to run out of her treats. She actually does not seem particularly ill unless you realize that she is going potty and inordinate number of times and unless you see the drops of blood in the snow. She also sleeps very deeply and a lot. Well, by the day after tomorrow, the infection should be under control.

The ladies of Blessed Trinity are going to make a quilt for raffle at the Celtic Faire in September. I already have 6 of us that are willing to make the squares so we have a good beginning. We will purchase base fabic to give to every participant and they can make any square they want, adding whatever other fabrics they want. A true group quilt.

I have a desk full of kitties again. Between them and the computer, I had to go out into the dining room to the table to be able to spread out the information I needed to decide what kind of supplement I will need to Medicare. On May 1, I will be on Medicare. It starts the first day of your birth month and I will be 65 in May. I remember, when I was a little girl. I would think - I will be 60 in the year 2000 and it seemed SO far away. And here I am, already 5 years beyond that. Wow.

Figuring out those supplements is a real challenge. But I think I have it.

I will share a winter poem I wrote a while ago. I might have sent it to a contest, but am sure you won't tell.

WINTER CHILL




If today I see the sun should shine
God is in the warming rays.
And fills the center of my mind
With comfort through the day.
Sun on snow creates a glare
That hurts the eyes at times
But if a choice of cloud or glare
I'll take the sun that shines.
Rambling o'er the winter crust
Wandering through the snow
My breath like fog with little puffs
Accentuates the way I go.
Ice and snow on everything
Deny the future warmer spring.

Have a good Wednesday.

Mary




























































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































-

We're baCK! I was totally relaxed when we arrived home this morning at about 10:30AM. Then I took Chelsea for a nice walk and the sun was shining and she and I really enjoyed it. I know that Jim takes her out but no walks are on his agenda.

Later, she asked to go out again (much too quickly I felt) and lo and behold there was some blood in her urine. So - called Dr. Zechlinski. He saw her this afternoon at 2:15. (Did you ever try to collect urine from a female small dog in the snow? --- I had to. I wasn't too successful, but we got enough when I got to the vets.) She has a little bladder infection and is on anti biotics. Isn't that a kick. Dick says she seems to have the same symptoms he has had with bladder infections and the same type of medicine.

The Rochester Inn is a really nice B& B. The rooms are special. We stayed the first night in a 2 room suite on the first floor right off the kitchen. It is much less expensive than the others because it does not have a whirlpool tub. The we moved to the Waldo Brian Donlevy suite, which is their best. It is on the second floor. It has a large sitting room with a wet bar and refrigerator and TV. The bedroom is up another flight and the bathroom with a double whirlpool is off the bedroom. I whirlpooled four times and my hips are feeling 100 % better. The rooms are decorated beautifully. We had a full breakfast each morning. Cheese and crackers or cookies two evenings and there were soft drinks and water in the refrigerator. Coffee, tea and hot chocolate were also in the room.

Sunday, the only time we left was to walk over to Richards for dinner. We holed up and watched the plows go by once in a while. I read and sewed and rested.

I guess I'm glad to be home. I do miss the critters when we are gone.


Til tomorrow

Happy Presidents Day

Mary

Dick and I are off for the weekend. We are going, as I said to the Rochester Inn and just indulging in hot tub soaks, meals out and reading and relaxing. I have SO ready.

Anyway - I will not post on Saturday or Sunday. I hope you miss me.

Just a thought from the Cadfael Book of Days.

For those of you unfamiliar with this book, it is a daily thought book combiled by Robin Whiteman from the Cadfael Series about a fictional Welsh monk who lived in Medieval times, having entered the Shrewsbery Monestary after living a wild young life, even fighting in the crusades. Nora found the book and gave it to Mother and later to me as I expressed an interest. It is nice thinking of Mother, Nora and I reading the daily meditation. A little tie that brings us closer in thought and love. It is surprising how often the quotes relate to the world as we are expriencing it on the day of the item. Anyway. This is just a nice one.

Meet every man as you find him, for we're all make the same under habit or robe or rags. Some better made than others , and some better cared for, but on the same pattern all.

Have a special weekend. I WILL be back on Monday, Good Lord willing and the creek don't rise.

Mary

The dishwasher is FINALLY draining perfectly and they replaced the rinse dispenser so it is not leaking at the end of they cyle and leaving suds all over the dishes.
It has ONLY taken a year. Sure glad we got that service contract good til 2007.

Choir was fun tonight and our first complete song (Amazing Grace) on the bells. I play three bells. I only play a total of only a dozen or so notes but it is teaching me timing and is fun.

Several years ago, St. Mary's asked that people donate money for the bells and I gave some money from Aunt Helen's estate to purchase one of the bells and have her name engraved on it. I like to think of a bell sounding to the Lord for her. I know she hears it. We also used part of her donation to the church to fix the Angelus Bells that had not worked for years. She had expressed a desire to have them ring again because she lived right accross the church and missed the noon Angelus.

I remember in the old church that I grew up in, we had to manually play the Angelus at Noon. I had the chore for a little while. I felt very talented and powerful.

Have a nice day.

Love

Mary

Here we are at Wednesday. The day after tomorrow, Dick and I are going to "far away Sheboygan Falls" to the Rochester Inn for a holiday. I really want to get away and have nothing to do for a couple of days and it is not the best time of the year for lot of travel. We also decided to do this at the last minute and not many places have vacancies. The Rochester Inn can be accessed at rochesterinn.com.

I am looking forward to reading, sewing, writing and soaking in the whirlpool bath.

MMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!

I took Mother grocery shopping today. We were going to take her with us tomorrow, but she was out of fruit and milk and heaven knows what else, so today was better. I also finished the taxes and got them sent off. This evening I transcribed the Rhine Plymouth minutes, so the day was fruitful and satisfying.

We had a little problem yesterday. The garage door opener broke. The good news is that we were able to get someone out here early this morning and he replaced the motor. After 15 years, it had just plain worn out. The shaft, originally about 3/4 inch in diameter had worn to the diameter of a matchstick before it broke.

I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through a belief in the threeness, Through a confession of the oneness Of the Creator of Creation.”
From the Lorica (Morning Prayer) of St. Patrick.

If you checked yesterday, I apologize. I totally forgot. I have excuses. I was rather busy.

First, bible study was a 9:30AM. There were 6 of us there and we had an animated discussion on Paul's admonition about being a good example. We have lots of opinion and lots of gun in these discussions.

Then, at 1:00 I went to Writer's Club. That was fun too. I read my Summer Evening Music poem. Dick liked it. I sent it into Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets contest, so will print it here when I know that it has no chance of winning or that it has won. Here is a little poem that needs more developing but is a kind of little core.

Don’t let go of my hand!
The sky has no ceiling
The sea has no floor
The world has no walls
I might float away.

I sent my nephew John the recipe for Slim Veggie Soup. Perhaps you'd like it - it is all bouillon and veggies.

Slim Veggie Soup

3 Cups Water
6 Beef or Chicken Bouillon Cubes
2 cans diced or stewed tomatoes
½ cup chopped onion
2 cups chopped celery (use the greens too)
2 cups shredded cabbage
2 TBSP. chopped parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste

Put water, bouillon and tomatoes in a kettle. Bring to boil. Add rest
of vegetables and bring to a boil again. Cover and reduce the heat.
Simmer until vegetables are done. Makes about 6 single cup servings.

Hope this makes up for yesterday.

Mary

The concert at Ebebezer United Church of Christ went very well. There were three chruches involved an a program of sacred music presented by the Sheboygan Music Club. We were the Choir of Ebenezer United, St. Luck United Methodist and Blessed Trinity. It is always fun to sing with a bigger choir. The choirs sang several songs together and each choir sang two pieces on their own. Blessed Trinity sang Christ Has No Body Now But Yours and On That Holy Mountain. Each choir presented a song or two for all the choirs to sing together. It is special to share the experience. The crowd was not too big but there were a few friends there, including my cousing Doug and his wife Caroline.

It is raining outside and rather chilly and damp. It is supposed to be colder this coming week.

Dick and I have decided to go to Door County next week for a holiday. I am ready to be gone and not to have to do anything for a few days. We will leave on Friday about noon, probably right after lunch and come back on Monday.

I found a nice Irish proverb.

The lake is not encumbered by the swan; nor the steed by the bridle; nor the sheep by the wool; nor the man by the soul that is in him.

Have a good Monday

Mary

Another successful Deeley Annual Wild Game and Beer Tasting Festival.

For the second year in a row, Kurt Thuemmler was the triumphant winner of the beer tasting event. There were 24 beers this year and 17 participants. We were actually pulling for Kathy Deeley, who has been valiently trying to win for 28 years now and for Stenn Salvesen, who could have gotten us all to go to Texas next year if he had won.

Kurt and Jody have a lovely house and it works very well for such an occasion. I like it even more that they do not allow smoking in the house. If people do, I don't say anything but really do prefer not to have to breath it and smell of the smoke.

The food again was delicious and we had WAY to much. Jeff and Dolores and I agree that we should tell everybody to bring one half of what they think they should.

It was Nora and Leif's 39th wedding anniversary and it is TODAY. So Eileen brought a cake and I brought a bottle of champagne and we celebrated. They too are enjoying their retirement together. They took a tour to Italy and like us DO enjoy tours and the good treatment one gets on them.

Mother had a good time as always but looked exhausted when Nora and Leif took her home. She is such a trooper and I know this was an exceptionally long event for her.

Nephew John Michels was such fun to talk to. He is teaching in the Chicago area and would you believe he gives lectures that last over an hour with him just talking? He is a sweetheart. He likes soups and I told him I would send some of my recipes. He said he liked my stew.

Til tomorrow. I am very tired and plan on hitting the sheets soon. I had to slip away from the party for a bit to speak at Mass about Fr. Mike's Sarnelli House. It went well. I have to speak at both masses tomorrow and then we are singing at a Music Fest in the afternoon.

Love

Mary

I spent this morning cooking for the Wild Game Dinner. The stew smells wonderful and we had some of the macaroni and cheese for supper. It is Lent, you know. Dick did have a hot dog with his dinner, but I just had the mac and cheese, peas and salad. I prepared a dessert for the weekend. Since Dick and I are dieting starting Monday, I decided that we would splurge with chocolate. I made a lava cake that has just enough for the three of us for three nights. Should work well.

It looks like I will be extremely "holy" again this weekend. I have to talk about Mike Shea and Sarnelli House at all three of the masses. I figure I will go to the 5PM tomorrow and the 8AM on Sunday, then just stay at Mom's until 10:30 and leave right after the talk. I should be able to get home, grab a snack and be on time for a concert at Emmanual Lutheran. Our choir is joining two others for a concert. We are singing On that Holy Mountain and Christ Has No Body Now But Yours on our own and several others with the combined choirs. Since Sheboygan Falls no longer has Choirs Aglow, this will be a treat.

Have a good weekend. I will tell you about the Wild Game Dinner tomorrow.

A friend sent me a list of quotations from children. Here is a special one for the weekend.

Dear God, I didn't think orange went with purple until I saw the
sunset you made on Tuesday night. That was really cool. Thomas

Love

Mary

By the time the Sears guy got here, I discovered that the dishwasher seems to be draining. Oops. But maybe not. He ran it a bit and soap suds appeared on the bottom of it. I told him that I only use 1/8 teaspoon of soap and he has come to the conclusion that the rinse dispenser is leaking a bit and causing the suds. He is going to order a replacement for that part. I think we are finally getting somewhere.

I have finished the initial run through on the Federal Taxes. Should be able to be done by the end of next week. We are getting something back. Now we have to see about the State. We usually have to pay them something.

Dick got his finger pricked today and is finally back in the range. We discussed a diet because Dick said he is really ready. I am putting him on the Deal a Meal. Followed properly, a person gets a well balanced diet and I think that is important. However he will have to have his blood checked in about two weeks to make sure that the food changes don't throw the blood count off.

Tomorrow is a cooking day. I will call Jody tomorrow to tell her what I am bringing. She is anxious, I think, her first Wild Game Dinner. Kurt won the beer tasting last year and I think I have told you that the winner always hosts the following year. We are all rooting for Kathy to win, she has been valiantly trying for all of the 28 years of the event.


Happy Happy Joy Joy to you all

Mary

Had a nice Ash Wednesday service tonight. The choir sang and we sounded good, I believe. It is always such a pleasure.

Tomorrow the Sears people are coming again. The D & M people say there is nothing wrong with the installation. but there is still water left in the well after it is supposed to be drained. All I want is for the diswasher to WORK.

Dick gets his blood checked again tomorrow too. And we are shopping and I have choir in the evening, so again. A busy day. I hope to finish figuring the Federal taxes tomorrow too.

I fasted today. I forgot how difficult it is not to snack. I don't do a lot of snacking, but I do like to have a piece of fruit in mid morning. and maybe a cracker with a piece of cheese just before dinner. Probably a bad habit anyway.

Well, we are into Lent now and me and the boys will not be eating meat on Fridays until after Easter. They don't seem to dare much. This week we will be having Over the Rainbow Mac and Cheese and I will bring some to the wild game dinner so everybody can taste it. It will also be an extra main dish for the vegetarians. I am not going to give anything up. I am going to try to do nice things instead. I have two lists of 40 suggestions. Perhaps I can try them. One says to pray for ---- by name --- people that you don't like and that don't like you. Wow.

Happy Thursday.

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday. We will be home ALL day. Today, we shopped, I got a haircut, and we went to Discovery World and signed up for a couple of their tours. It was good to see Jerilynn.

The Sears Repair Team came today and decided that the dishwasher was just not installed properly. So they are having D & M Plumbing, who installed it in the first place come in to reinstall it. They say that the drain pipe has about three extra pieces that are not put together correctly and that are slowing the drain. Anyway, at 7AM hopefully D & M can fix it. After Sears Repair Team left, I turned it on and it leaked all over the floor.

Things have been rather uneventful so I will spice the blog up today by printing my recipe for Chocolate Mousse. I always dislike it when chocolate pudding is passed off as chocolate mousse. They are NOT the same thing. I found this recipe years ago and it is REALLY REALLY good. Enjoy.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE TO DIE FOR

6 oz. Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
3 eggs-Separated
3 Tbsp. water
1 Tsp. Instant Coffee
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Tsp. Vanilla
1 Tbsp. Blackberry Brandy

Stir instant coffee powder into boiling water in small heavy saucepan until completely dissolved. Add chocolate, place over low heat, stirring, just until chocolate is melted.

Remove from heat.

Whisk egg yolks into chocolate mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in brandy and vanilla. Beat egg whites in a medium sized bowl until foamy, gradually beat in sugar - a tablespoon at a time - until meringue forms soft peaks. Fold into chocolate mixture until no streaks of white remain. Spoon into parfait glasses. Refrigerate at least one hour.

Garnish with whipped cream. Add a candied rosebud and mint leaf if you wish.

Recipe says 8 servings, I always make it five. It just calls for brandy but the blackberry flavored is so so good.


Be good and sleep well

Mary

This was a strange day. I felt a little squeemish part of the day but it is gone now. Tonight was Rhine Plymouth meeting. It seemed to to on forever. But we did get a lot done. Bobbie and I have to refine the membership list. Hope everyone has paid.

Tomorrow is grocery shopping, haircut and the Sears repairperson is coming AGAIN. Sure glad we got the maintenance on that dishwasher through 2007. Best investment we ever made.

I won a buck from Dick today. We are making a batch of Chablis and racked it today. He thought this was our first try at Chablis but I was sure we had made it before. We bet and I was right. We call it Nottooshabby.

I am going to sip a cup of tea and then go to bed.

til tomorrow

Mary

The second half of Superbowl XXX1X is about ready to start. It is strange watching a game in which I don't care one way or the other who wins. A person can really enjoy ALL the good plays and laugh at all the dumb ones without getting personally involved. At the half it is 7/7 so they are starting ALL over again.

All the critters are sacked out down in the den with Jim. I came up to fix a cup a tea and they didn't even notice. Usually they follow me - I feel like the Pied Piper.

Paul Mc Cartney did the half time show and it was GREAT. He had the whole stadioum singing Hey Jude with him to lots and lots of wonderful fireworks. It was spectacular and also good to have someone that is worth listening to who doesn't need synthetic and vibrating altering of the voice to make their sound. He just plain sings!! What a concept!

Several of the commercials are distinctive. Always a big part of the show.

Bobbie and I worked at Rhine this afternoon. At about 3:00 it got gotally dead, so Doc told us to go home. I imagine that everyone was getting ready for Superbowl Parties and all. We didn't argue.

I had fixed spaghetti sauce on Friday so we had spaghetti for dinner with salad and garlic bread.

We had a pretty good turnout for the 10:30 mass which is good because it is usually hard to make two in a weekend. We sounded pretty good, I thought.

Hope your week is good. Mine will be busy as usual. Tomorrow,
bible study and the meeting at Rhine Plymouth Sportsman club. I will give Bobbie some of the venison. She doesn't want much because she said Bill doesn't care musch for summer sausage or venison sausage or something. So, I'll just give her some.

Later


Mary

We went to the Symphony tonight. It was excellent. The Youth Symphony, composed of the best young people from all around the county, played Prelude from Die Meistersinger by Handel first. Then we heard Dances Op. 64 from Grieg. The second half, the Symphony was joined by a pianist named, Michael Chertock who is really gifted. He generously played his two Concertos, then gave us two encores.


Wow.

I went to the 5:00PM Mass to sing. and we are singing tomorrow at the 10:30AM also. Mother says I am "very holy". Wait til next week. I have to speak at all three masses and am still trying to figure out how to get to the 5:00 on Saturday because that is also the Wild Game Dinner. I am planning on going to give my talk and coming back. Don't tell Dick. He will say that it will make me too tired. But I don't care.

I am making venison stew and I believe will add Over the Rainbow Mac and Cheese for the vegetarians. Since Friday is the first Friday in Lent and I won't be eating meat on Fridays, I can make it for our Dinner and just make two small instead of one big casserole.

A group called Lyra from Russia is coming to do a concert for us on April 21. They are doing to do the concert for their rooms, breakfast and for the free will offering at the concert which will be in church. Such a deal. I have heard them on their website and they are wonderful. They will be singing religious and Russion Folk music. I must talk to Beth. We can perhaps either cook or take them out for dinner that night.


Lots to plan

Happy Sunday.

Mary

What a gorgeous day. The temperatures got up into the 40s. It is supposed to be even warmer tomorrow. Nice because a friend of mine has to go to a wedding. February weddings can be very iffy but these people picked a great weekend.

I went and had lunch at the Dairy Queen in Plymouth with friends. There were only four of us but we had a good visit. Two of the regulars had gone to the Fireside for a show.

Did I tell you that I got a call early yesterday morning from Barbara, my daughter-in-law? I am a great grandma. Her son Adam's wife Lexi, had a baby girl on Wednesday night. She is a nice baby, 7lb. 6oz. and her name is either Adria or Adriana Nichole.

Can you believe that Bart is a grandpa. He has a birthday himself next month on St. Joseph's Day, March 19. He will be 34. I cannot believe that MY baby will be 34. I still remember his sweet little scrunched up face. He was so intense, even as a baby. My neighbor, Joyce Nusser, called him Mr. Magoo. Actually, that nickname stuck in the family for quite a few years. At least I called him Magoo until, as children do, he asked me not to.

I've been thinking of my babies lately, maybe because of little Adria or perhaps that little Baby 81 in Indonesia who has all those parents claiming him. That baby needs to find his parents. He will surely never lack for love. I miss my babies. Actually, I wouldn't want to raise a baby at may age - for sure. But I still miss my babies, and the sweet smell of them.

I hope your weekend will be as warm or warmer than ours. I have to work at Rhine on Sunday.


Joy to you

Mary

Choir tonight. We sang A LOT, as we are getting ready for Ash Wednesday, our normal Sundays and a concert at Emmanual Lutheran Church that we are joining the weekend after next.

Next Wednesday IS Ash Wednesday already. It is early this year so Easter will be in March.

I can do my taxes next week. The last document arrived today. Yippee. I want to get that over with as soon as possible. With any luck we will get back what we paid in, or part of it and maybe we can squeeze in another trip.

The Catholic Herald had forty suggestions for things to do during the 40 days of Lent. I will have to keept them and see how many of them I can work into the season. It would be a lot better than giving something up. Remember, all you Catholics, giving up candy for Lent. I found out the other day that Sundays were supposed to be free days. Nobody told me that - I gave it up for the whole forty days. What a waste of Sundays.

I am now old enough that I don't have to fast anymore, but will anyway. It is not so hard on just two days. I just have to remember to only have one FULL meal and not eat meat on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Of course, during Lent the family will have meatless Fridays. They don't care anyway. I fix good fish, vegetable and pasta dishes anyway.

A week from Saturday is the Wild Game Dinner. I am fixing venison stew and I believe I will make either Over the Rainbow Macaroni or Chili Rellano Casserole for the vegetarians. We have two now - Nora and Erin.

Til Tomorrow

Mary

Children of a Lesser God as presented by the Sheboygan Theatre Co. was very good. It is a "message" play and a little out of the ordinary. Ralph Maffongelli, our director for over 20 years does like to present at least one unique play each season. The acting was excellent, so we were pleased.

Dinner was good too. We went to the Villager. Mother and I had their "Create your Own Pasta", Dick had the haddock.

The next play will be The Sting. Ralph is very good with farces and this has that feel to it so we are looking forward to it.

I am only missing one form and I will be able to do the taxes. That is always an adventure.

We came home to find that we are "big" winners in Powerball. We got the Powerball plus one other number. $4.00 WOW. Better than nothing anyway.

10 Reasons why some Men prefer Guns over Women

#10. You can trade an old 44 for a new 22.
#9. You can keep one handgun at home and have another for when you're on
the road.
#8. If you admire a friend's handgun and tell him so, he will probably let
you try it out a few times.
#7. Your primary handgun doesn't mind if you keep another handgun for a
backup.
#6. Your handgun will stay with you even if you run out of ammo.
#5. A handgun doesn't take up a lot of closet space.
#4. Handguns function normally every day of the month.
#3. A handgun doesn't ask , "Do these new grips make me look fat?"
#2. A handgun doesn't mind if you go to sleep after you use it.
And the number one reason a handgun is favored over a woman
#1. YOU CAN BUY A SILENCER FOR A HANDGUN.



Got the above from a friend who knows I shoot. She also reads this site so thank you, Janet. I always like to share funny things.

Til tomorrow

Mary

Busy day as usual. It was rather gloomy but rather mild today. We went grocery shopping and then went to Office Max to pick up a couple of cartridges for the printer.

I cleaned my spice cabinet today. Sometimes one just has to face that job. I found out that I have two extra cans of black pepper. I guess I keep forgetting that I have one.

This afternoon, I got gas and the car washed, picked up Market Day and went to the bank. Whew.

Sears repair came today about the dishwasher AGAIN (as I mentioned yesterday) They are going to replace stuff again next week. I am sure glad that I have a service contract until 2007.

The reading for February 1 in my Cadfael Book of Days compiled by Robin
Whiteman was again so appropriate for the time we are living in NOW.
It came from Deadman's Ransom by Ellis Peters

"Those who go forth to the battle never return without holes in their ranks, like gaping wounds. Pity of all pities that those who lead never learn, and the few wise men among those who follow never avail to teach. But faith given and allegiance pledged are stronger than fear, and that, perhaps is virtue, even in the teeth of death."

We must pray that the successful election in Iraq, will speed up the return of our boys to us. There are too many holes in the ranks and too many gaping wounds in families all over our country and in our hearts.

Be Good

Mary

It was a pleasant day for a walk and Chelsea and I really enjoyed it. The temps are in the 30s. Ellis Peters who writes Cadfael had this to say about February. "There were occasional spells of frost, but none that lasted long, and such snowshowers as there were were fitful and slight, but did not lie long." Probably more descriptive of Wales and Cadfael's land, but we do know that spring WILL come.

Bible study was interesting today. We were talking about setting a good example. Paul had his hands full with those Corinthian Christians. We seem to have our hands full just trying to do our best to be Christian.

Dick and I mixed up a batch of Chablis in the primary fermentor. We are down to three gallons of from scratch wines (2 Marigold and 1 Chokecherry) that need to be racked, filtered and bottled. I am about out of bottles too. We will have to start collecting from our sources again before the chablis is ready.

The rest of the day was quiet. I even took a nap at about 2:30. The animals all join me when I do that. Very comforting. Dick calls it the Peacable Kingdom.

Tomorrow is shopping and Market Day pickup. I also have the Sears person coming to check the dischwasher AGAIN. It is not draining. AGAIN.

Have a nice Tuesday.

Mary

Well. Sunday and the 30th of January ALREADY. 2005 is speeding by. It is supposed to get warmer this week getting all the way up to 40 degrees by Friday. That means that most of the snow will be gone again. This sure has been a strange winter. Nothing is like previous years.

Just had a minor emergency. Dick was clipping his toenails and nicked himself and started bleeding. With the blood thinners he is on, we spent a while with compresses and now have it bandaged really good. Should be fine by morning. He just takes longer to clot.

Today, I went to the 8:00AM Mass. Jim had breakfast with us because he was up to go shooting with Bobbie and me at 12:30. Still holding my own, though my second target was not too good. I was shooting low.

Now I am tired so will hit the bed pretty soon. As Mother used to say. Up the wooden hill to four corners. It took me ages to realize the the wooden hill was the stairs up to the bedrooms and that four corners was the bed. I don't have to climb a wooden hill here, but four corners is just as inviting as it was when I was a child.

February is just around the corner. Sara, our oldest grandaughter will be 18 this month. That does not seem at all possible. She should still be a round faced little munchkin.

Have a nice Monday.

Mary

Chelsea and I had a nice walk this morning. We ran into her friend Pepper, the schnauser and his master Roger. I used to think that schnausers were awful dogs. Aunt Helen and Uncle George had one called Yogi who was a real icky creature. They loved Yogi and Yogi loved them, but he barked the whole time anyone was there. He was was so bad that they used to pen him in the kitchen when they had company. Helen said he was just protective but I think that he just didn't like his quiet life with them disrupted by anything. When my brother Tim got married, he and his wife Joyce stopped off to see Helen and George after the honeymoon. Tim said they went in and sat down for a visit with Yogi yapping and jumping and pulling against his leash. Then suddenly, he leaped one last yappy leap, collapsed and died. Poor Tim and Joyce just gently left - they didn't know what else to do.

Helen and George mourned that dog, as well they should have, but frankly noone else did. He was really hateful.

We bottled the Gewertziminer today and will mix up some Chablais tomorrow. We are getting a nice stock again.

Sleep tight.

Mary

Bobbie and I worked at Rhine Plymouth Gun Club tonight. It was busy, so the guys make us stay til the end. If it is quiet, they always let us go home early. They are a bunch of sweethearts.

Dick and I went to see Meet the Fockers this afternoon. It really is a FUNNY movie, well acted, well crafted and FUNNY. Great cast too.

I found a pumpernickel bread for the bread machine that turned out good. I love black bread and this is really dark and tasty. Dick is trying low carb so I will be experimenting with different breads for me. I always end up freezing some because a loaf lasts too long and dries out otherwise. Anyway, it is really good.

Tomorrow we will be home all day. That will be a change. We are going to be bottling wine and mixing up a new batch.

A Minnesotan dies and is sent to hell. He was a horrible man
throughout life and the devil really wanted to punish him, so he
puts him to work breaking up rocks with a sledgehammer. To make it
worse he cranks up the temperature and the humidity.

After a couple of days the Devil checks in on his victim to see if he
is suffering adequately. The Devil is aghast as he looks at the
Minnesotan happily swinging his hammer and whistling a happy tune.

The Devil walks up to him and says, "I don't understand this. I've
turned the heat way up, it's humid, you're crushing rocks, why are
you so happy?"

The Minnesotan, smiling looks at the Devil replying, "This is great,
it reminds me of August in Minnesota. Hot, humid a good piece of
work to do - it reminds me of home. This is fantastic!"

The Devil, perplexed, walks away to ponder this. He decides to change
things up a bit -drops the temperature, sends down driving rain and
torrential wind. Soon, hell is a wet, muddy mess. The Minnesotan is
happily slogging through the mud pushing a wheelbarrow full of
crushed rocks.

Again, the Devil asks how he can be happy in such conditions.

The Minnesotan replies, "This is great. Just like April in Minnesota.
Reminds me of working out in the fields with spring plantin'!"

The Devil is now completely baffled. In desperation, he tries one
last ditch effort. He makes the temperature plummet. Hell is
blanketed in snow and ice. Confident that this will have to do it,
the Devil checks in on the Minnesotan. He is aghast as he sees the
Minnesotan dancing, singing, and twirling his sledgehammer as he
cavorts in glee.

"How can you be so happy. It's like you're celebrating. Don't you
know its 40 below zero!?" screams the Devil.

"Hell's frozen over!" replies the Minnesotan, "The Vikings won the
Superbowl!"




With Superbowl just around the corner, I thought this old 2001 e-mail might be fun.
Love

Mary

Today was REALLY busy. Dick had his blood tested this morning, then we went grocery shopping and I signed up for a Basic Pistol Shooting class at the Recreation Department. Three gals, who are members of the Tri County Women's Club that Bobbie and I joined before we found Rhine Plymouth, are taking the course too. I am always glad to learn more about the sport and this will get down to the nitty gritty.

The rest of the day was spent sewing, and walking and bookkeeping.

Tonight I had choir and council. But home I am and home I will stay.

Dick wants to go to see a movie tomorrow. We are going to see Meet the Fockers. It is supposed to be really funny and we did enjoy the Meet the Parents.

So popcorn will be my lunch tomorrow. Bobbie and I are working at Rhine tomorrow night. Saturday is a quiet day with nowhere to go. Wow. We will probably bottle the Gewertziminer and mix up a batch of Chablis.

I hope your Friday will be as much fun as mine.

Love

Mary

I'm a rambling a bit but that is because I am tired.

Hello - Are you all keeping warm? We feel so cold here. When Chelsea and I walked today, the wind was blowing and my legs lterally got stiff. So I was really glad to get back into a warm house again.

We filtered the Gewertziminer today. On Saturday, we can bottle it. We are really getting stocked up down there.

I have asked Fr. Gene if we can use Fr. Mike Shea's Sarnelli House for one of our alms focuses during Lent and he has given permission. I am listening to the DVD now so I can know the time it takes to run it. I would like to share it with the parish and hopefully get a little mission society going. I wrote a letter to Good Morning America about Fr. Mike's mission. After watching Dianne Sawyer around the tsunami area, I thought perhaps they might find Sarnelli interesting to feature.

We will be going rabbit hunting the last Saturday in February. The season starts this Saturday, but everybody is busy all the other weekends. Sometimes I think I should just hunt right outside the garage. I know we have several out there.

We are all like crayons.
We start off fresh and bright.
We leave our mark on the world.
We break.
We get lost sometimes.
We wear out.
Some of us are used more than others.
But in the end we fill the BIG box of crayons and make beautiful pictures.




Make your pictures bright and beautiful with big splashes of color.

Love

Mary

Well, we shopped this morning. It was a good day to buy some of our vitamins. They were marked 50% off and I had a dollar coupon for each of them too. Wow, do I feel like a coupon queen.

I wrote two articles for church and printed labels for the Boozie Lady wine and took care of a LOT of bookkeeping.

It was really nice today, up into the 30s. My morning walk was really special because it was warmer with NO WIND. That seems to be the important part.

We "Roomba-proofed" our bedroom and set it loose in there today. We are getting through the house, then we can start over again. It does do a nice job of cleaning. It needs cleaning too. Jim says he thinks that Roxie thinks that it is another animal. He cleaned it out the other day, put it back in its perch and Roxie ran over and smelled it't behind.

Have a nice Wednesday.

Mary

Bible Study this morning. That was the only time that I ventured off of Hunters Glen Drive.

Chelsea and I did go for a walk at about 7:30AM. I am really glad that Dick and I decided that walking in the dark in winter is really not too wise. It is so much nicer to be able to see where we are going and to be aware of icy spots.

Aside from that, we bottled some wine today. The beaujolais. It was a five gallon batch and the initial taste is good. Beaujolais is probably my favorite red. Maybe because, unlike most reds, it can be served chilled.

Tomorrow we shop and I go to see Dr. Casey the chiropractor. That is quite enough. I want to quilt one of the baby quilts for the At Risk Babies at Children's Hospital. I have the top all done and have picked the backing and pined the two to the batting. One step at a time.

Have a nice Tuesday.

Love

Mary

When I drove to church this morning the temperature was -2. It warmed up to 21 by this afternoon however, and Chelsea and I had a very nice walk when it did. Then, right after her walk, she got really hyper. She ran around like a crazy dog and we had a heck of a time settling her down.

Went shooting. My average for the three was pretty good. My first one was the best - a 61 but the others were in the upper 40s so I am happy.

Tonight we went to a new Thai restuarant. We were very pleased, I had a chicken veggie dish with a peanut curry sauce and pork rice. I tried fried bananas and was not impressed with them, but I sure liked the rice and chicken. We WILL go back. They were very friendly and the service was good to go along with the food.

Mother sent a picture of Great Grandpa and Grandma Uelman with all their children, including, of course, Grandma Matie Bowser. What a handsome group and what a great picture. I am having Jim scan it and if it scans well, I will copy it for the brothers and sisters. Grandma sure was a beautiful woman. I can see why Grandpa John fell for her.

I talked to Barbara last night. She and Bart were worried about us because of all the snow reports and I think they secretly wanted to gloat a bit because they are out of all of this. It is "cold" there now. They are getting temperatures in the 40s. Last week, they had to go to Oklahoma City for some medicine for Bart and he went with her to a quilt show. She said that he got a little bored but was interested in the things that the embroidery machines can do and was very patient. He is doing well most days and is content. I just want my boys and girls to be happy and content.

A friend is someone who knows
the song in your heart
and can sing it back to you
when you have forgotten
the words.;

-- Unknown



Sing the song in your heart and if you are blessed, someone will hear.

Mary

When I opened the back door this morning for Chelsea to go outside, the snow was higher that her. She valiantly leaped over the drift and bounced about like Pepe Le Pew for a bit but I had to clear a little spot for her to go potty. It is pretty hard to do your duty when your buried up to your tummy in snow.

Eventually, when Jim did the snow blowing, he cleared a spot on the grass so she has a bit of a spot to roll around on and run a little bit.

Thank heaven, they cancelled that quilting class and we didn't have to itgo anywhere at all today. We had planned on going out for Thai food but are putting that off until tomorrow. Dick's made chili yesterday so we had that for supper. He really outdid himself this time. It is DELICIOUS.

Sunday the weather should be better, after it warms up from the 5 degrees that it is supposed to get down to. Bobbie, Jim and I will go shooting in the afternoon. I am kind of holding my scores in the mid forty to upper fifties so am much better than last year. Now if my wrist and elbow hold out I will be fine. I now have a Rhine Plymouth Sweatshirt and Hat so I think I will wear them tomorrow.

Haven't heard from any of the out of twon kids lately. I miss their voices and the news. I guess that all is OK and I will call them eventually.

Have a nice Sunday.

Mary

Dick and I went to see the movie Phantom of the Opera today. Mother had seen a review that stated that it was not good at all. We disagreed. The movie has been adapted for the big screen and has a slightly different slant and impact than the stage production, but the music is just as big and the singing was wonderful. We are very glad that we went.

Then we drove out to take Mother a birthday card. She is 89 today. She said her day was perfect. She stayed home and people came to her. Randy and Donna brought her a hamburger from Dairy Queen for lunch and ate with her. Mary Margaret, Eileen's daughter, stopped in for a few minutes and then Dick and I came. She got cards and calls from lots of people and beautiful pink roses from Nora. She said she might just end up with a big head from all the wonderful complements and good wishes. We told her, why not.

Dick is making chili today for the weekend. Actually, we are going to a Thai restaurant tomorrow. We want to try Thai food and Paulette, a friend at Mead Library, recommends a restaurant on Michigan Avenue. I'll let you know. It will be an adventure as none of us have had Thai food before. Paulette informed Jim that he will be able to get food as spicy hot as he wants there. We will see. He likes it so hot that his ears turn red and his eyes water. (Not me.) I just like to try new kinds of food.

George W. Bush is sworn in as our president for his second term. I hope all goes well. I hope he doesn't expand the war. I hope he is wise about Social Security.
I wish they hadn't spent so much money on the festivities.

I did notice that all the former presidents except for Ford were on the platform during the ceremony. I hope that Ford is OK. We do not hear anything about him at all.

Tomorrow was supposed to be a quilting day for me. The Quilt Guild had planned a Local Talent day and I had signed up for a couple of workshops. However, as we are supposed to be getting up to 6 inches of snow (maybe more) over night, they have cancelled. So now I have to find things to amuse myself. And I intend to do it here at home. I am thinking of possibly trying to quilt one of the baby quilts for At Risk children. We will see.

Anyway , have a nice Saturday and let me know how you are all doing.

Love

Mary

It snowed for hours this morning, I would guess at least two inches. I took my walk after it got light. Chelsea's feet bothered her so we cut the last leg off the trek but she was still a happy girl.

Then we went shopping and when we got back, I TURNED ON THE ROOMBA and it vacuumed the main part of the living room. It is really fun to watch and it does a nice job. While I was at choir, Dick did the dining area. He said it got out of the area he thought he had designated at least once but we are still working on the virtual walls and all that.

I got a prayer request from my brother that is from a serviceman in Iraq who will be delivering voting machines at the end of the month. I will post it here and will also be passing it on the any areas, such as church, and my bible study. Please share it also.



These are America's sons and daughters who are on the line during this
election. God's speed.

Sent: Friday, January 14, 2005 12:02 PM

Prayer request from Iraq

Captain Lyle Shackelford
Battalion Chaplain
HHD, 57th Transportation Battalion

As a transportation battalion, my unit will be delivering the voting
machines and the ballots to villages and cities throughout Iraq during
the upcoming elections. (January 30/31) Our convoys are prime targets
for the insurgents because they do not want the equipment to arrive at
the polling stations nor do they want the local Iraqi citizens to have
the chance to vote; timely delivery must occur so that the elections
occur. Encourage your friends and family members and those within our
churches to pray specifically for the electoral process. Historically,
the previous totalitarian regime would not allow individual citizens to
vote. Democracy will not be realized in Iraq if intelligent and
competent officials are not elected to those strategic leadership
positions within the emerging government; freedom will not have an
opportunity to ring throughout this country if the voting process fails.
Announce this prayer request to your contacts throughout your churches,
neighborhoods, and places of business. Those with leadership roles
within the local church post this message in as many newsletters and
bulletins as possible. There is unlimited potential for God's presence
in this process but if we do not pray then our enemy will prevail (See
Ephesians 6:10-17) A prayer vigil prior to the end of the month may be
an innovative opportunity for those within your sphere of influence to
pray. This is a political battle that needs spiritual intervention. A
powerful story about God's intervention in the lives of David's mighty
men is recorded in 2 Samuel 23:8-33. David and his warriors were
victorious because of God's intervention. We want to overcome those who
would stand in the way of freedom. David's mighty men triumphed over
incredible odds and stood their ground and were victorious over the
enemies of Israel. (Iraqi insurgents' vs God's praying people). They
don't stand a chance.

I will pray with my soldiers before they leave on their convoys and
move outside our installation gates here at Tallil. My soldiers are at
the nerve center of the logistic operation to deliver the voting
machines and election ballots. They will be driving to and entering the
arena of the enemy. This is not a game for them it is a historical
mission that is extremely dangerous. No voting machines or ballots. No
elections. Your prayer support and God's intervention are needed to give
democracy a chance in this war torn country. Thank you for reading this
e-mail. Please give this e-mail a wide dissemination.

Thank you for your prayer support for me and my family. Stand firm in
your battles.



All my love

Mary

Dick and I have been "wining" this week. We bottled a batch of Luna Bianca, a chardonnay type on Monday. We will never be able to dupicate this. It was a 6 gallon kit and we measured wrong, then had to top off with a purchased chardonnay. I IS really tasty and quite hearty so it really is a shame that it is one of a kind.

Today we filtered the Bougolais. It looks great and we should be able to bottle that on Saturday or Sunday.

It was in the 20s today, so Chelsea and I had our walk this morning. We waited until it was light and the plows had come through. There was a snowfall last night of one to two inches, much less than predicted. We were not unhappy about that at all.

I finished putting Christmas away today. Kind of sad, isn't it. The tree and lights are still in the livingroom until Dick can get them down. Tomorrow we are going to start the Roomba and see how it works upstairs. The den really looks great so we are expecting great things. I did tell you that the animals seem to accept the unit as another non-threatening creature that we've added to our zoo.

Tomorrow we shop and I have choir in the evening. So the day will be busy.

Have a good one yourself

Love

Mary

This morning started off at 0 degrees again. But by 2:00 it had risen to 18 so Chelsea and I went for our first walk in five days. Boy was that girl ready. She ran the whole way and sniffed and marked all the best spots.

Now it is windy as can be and snowing - we may get up to 3 inches. Dick and I do not have to go anywhere tomorrow anyway, but it is always a worry that Jim has to be driving home after midnight.

I finally got all the ornaments off the tree today. Tomorrow, I will pack everything else still Christmas that remains, dust and put out the other stuff.

The second Roomba arrived today and Jim has it charging. We will have to Roomba-proof the room and then let it loose. The one downstairs if really making a difference. No cat hair at all any more.

Another good resolution from Bob Hostetler in Women's Day.

Pray for Strangers.

Sounds good. It is easy to pray for friends and family but maybe strangers don't have anybody.

Love

Mary

Still cold today. It only got up to 4 degrees that I was aware of. However - the sun was shining and all is right with the world. Tomorrow, the temperatures are supposed to climb up in to the 20s and Chelsea and I will be able to walk again. She is so off schedule and really in need of a good trek.

We had our bible study this morning. We got half through discussing 1 Corinthian 7. We really got hung up because it is so hard to sort everything out. We are so grateful for the wonderful commentary. The thing about Paul's writings is that if you don't understand the times he lived in and the place and people he is writing about and for he sounds very harsh. From what I am learning, though he was himself very set on celebacy and all, he isn't really anti woman or marriage, as it seems if you just read the letters. It is interesting to know that in Paul's time, slavery was perfectly acceptable (slaves were told to accept their lives) and women were the property of men. Wow, sure glad we have progressed. Anyway, a lot to talk about.

The cheesecake was wonderful. You can find it on the Kraft site, but I will save you the trouble as I am sure they won't care. I cut calories by using a combination of low and no fat cream cheese and it tastes great.

TRIPLE CITRUS CHEESECAKE

1 cup HONEY MAID Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, melted
4 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. fresh orange juice
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 tsp. grated lime peel
1 tsp. grated orange peel



PREHEAT oven to 325°F if using a silver 9-inch springform pan (or to 300°F if using a dark nonstick 9-inch springform pan). Mix crumbs, brown sugar and butter; press firmly onto bottom of pan. Bake 10 minutes.
BEAT cream cheese, granulated sugar, flour and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Stir in remaining ingredients; pour over crust.
BAKE 1 hour and 5 minutes or until center is almost set. Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.




KRAFT KITCHENS TIPS


Size It Up
Sweets can add enjoyment to a balanced diet, but remember to keep tabs on portions.

How To Avoid Cracked Cheesecakes
After adding the eggs, be careful not to overbeat the batter since this can cause the baked cheesecake to crack.






NUTRITION INFORMATION



Nutrition (per serving)

Calories 340

Total fat 24g

Saturated fat 15g

Cholesterol 120mg

Sodium 310mg

Carbohydrate 25g

Dietary fiber 1g

Sugars 19g

Protein 6g

Vitamin A 15%DV

Vitamin C 2%DV

Calcium 6%DV

Iron


Yummy Yummy

Mary

The Adult Choir sang with the Kindercore (The Kids) this morning at Mass and it was powerful. We sang Go Light Your World. I can't describe the song, you have to hear it. That is the thing about music. It is for the ears ( and the heart.) Anyway we were Good!

Then I went with Bobbie and Jim to shoot pistol. Pretty good again. I had a 43 and two in the 50s. Steady anyway and I will keep working at it.

Tonight we are going to watch the Golden Globes. That is one of the more entertaining of the award shows. We can also watch the Roomba if Jim turns it on. He thinks that the cats think it is just another animal that we have brought into the house. It moves around and doesn't hurt and they have to move aside from it occasionally. They have to do that with Chelsea - so what is new?

We are still having the intense cold. It got all the way up to 7 degrees today. This is supposed to last for at least one more day and then warm up a bit. Chelsea will be happy. She doesn't understand why we are not walking. I am sure that she does not associate lack of walks with sore feet. If she is out too long, her poor little feet hurt. The rest of her is fine as she has that beautiful warm coat. I keep telling her that I don't have a fur coat so cannot stay out as long as she can.

We will be having the Triple Citrus Cheesecake in a few minutes. If it is good you will get the recipe tomorrow. It is from Kraft. Otherwise, you won't hear another word about it from me.

May the wind be at your back til we connect again.

Mary

It never got over 7 degrees today. Started out just below zero and inched its way up. I did my walking on the treadmill this morning. I just didn't want to go two days without my walk. It is not much fun down in the basement staring at the walls. Well, we have at least two more days of this bitter cold ahead of us accordint to the forecasts. Kind of makes us wish we had someplace to go during these cold months. I wouldn't mind being a snowbird.

We went to see the Classical Mystery Tour at the Weill Center tonight. I had purchased two tickets for Dick at Christmas. The "Beatles" were very authentic and sang two hours of Beatle music, backed by the Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra. One of them was a Huntington Beach native. Pretty exciting. They came back for four encores which was really special. They encouraged us to sing and sway along on the choruses. Randy and Donna were there too. (Randy is my youngest brother for those of you who might not know that.) Randy has ALWAYS been a Beatles fan.

Here is my poem about Winter. I feel this way now.

CRANKY OLD MAN



Cranky old man sucks joy out of the world.
Cold and harsh is his way.
Life pulls in to the ground, away from his fury
As Winter marches in, cold and forbidding.
Snow covers ground, trying to protect,
To shield the earth from his wrath

Some of God’s creatures sleep away his reign.
Some flee South before his rage.
Some timidly creep out to search for food.
Cold and hungry they nip at weeds and tree bark,
While struggling to survive
Then rush back to shelter among the trees.

Cranky old man stays much too long.
The earth sleeps and gains the strength.
To finally answer the call of sun and light
And dare to bring color back to the world.
Winter grows empty and weak
And falls before the strength and joy of Spring.

Tomorrow the choir sings at the 10:30AM. Then Jim, Bobbie and I are going pistol shooting at Rhine Plymouth.

Have a good Sunday yourself.

Mary

Cold! Cold! Cold! It never go above 4 degrees today. Needless to say, Chelsea and I did not walk today. She did not object but was rather confused. I let her out OFTEN.

Went to Plymouth for lunch with the gals despite the cold. Dairy Queen has a mushroom Swiss burger that is delicious. Ceil gave me a .50 coupon, so I tried it and liked it. It was a break from my usual Sheboygan County Fair Grilled Cheese.

Blessed Trinity had a second collection at the weekend masses to be sent to Catholic Charities for the Tsunami victims. I have always said that the people of Blessed Trinity are really a generous bunch. Gary Henderson said that the monies collected amounted to over $6000. Give us a need and we respond.

I read something by a Bob Hostetler in the January Family Circle. He have suggestions for New Year Resolutions and this was a good one. Give something away every day (or once a week, if that's too challenging). It could be money, but it doesn't have to be. A smile, a compliment or a helping hand will do just fine.

It is really fun to give things away and we have SO much. I am snug in our warm friendly home and feel so sorry for the homeless or those without the means to keep warm.

You keep warm and try giving something every day.

I give you friendship.

Mary

I gave a very short speech at the St. Mary Home and School meeting tonight, relating my experiences at St. Mary WAY back in 1951 through 1954. The thing is that there is a proposal to extend the school gradually back to a K through 8. (Actually I started when the school was new, as a 6th grader and graduated from 8th grade. Then as years went by they dropped the last two grades.) There is also a proposal to combine classes as the classes are so small. As I am the product of combined classes, I was able to relate my experiences in this also. The parents were smiley faces as I spoke so we should be OK.

Then there was choir. So it was a busy evening. I am dabbling a bit in the bell choir too.

It is hard to believe that tomorrow will be Friday already. I have no plans beyond lunch with the Plymouth ladies at Dairy Queen. If it is as cold as they say it will be I may have soup or chili for lunch. Jim will not be home for dinner until Sunday. We had leftover chicken and stuffing today and will have Kraft Dinner with ring bologna tomorrow.

I am making a cheesecake though. I am still experimenting for the cheesecake contest they have in Sheboygan Falls every year. So far the winner is the Bunratty Poteen Upside Down Double Chocolate. But I am going to try a triple citrus this weekend. It calls for Orange, Lemon and Lime juice and zests. Sounds super refreshing.

If it is good, I will share the recipe on Sunday.

Mother and I were updating some notes that I wrote about the various places that Grandma and Grandpa lived during their marriage. She was remembering Uncle Henry, my Grandma Bowser's younger brother, who was a veteran of WWI and died at King Hospital here in Wisconsin a few years ago. He was such a courtly man and made a woman feel like a lady. He was married to my Grandpa Bowser's sister Clare. Poor Uncle Henry was surrounded by women. For some time Henry and Clare ran a B & B type of place in New Prospect where they put people up and took them on tours of the Kettles and stuff. I guess that Henry's sisters in law, Genevieve, Lenore and/or Jo were involved in it also and really drove poor Henry crazy, surrounded by all tese women.

Anyway I have a few changes to make in my notes and must remember to correct Grandma's birth place to New Prospect. We are also pretty sure that they would have been married there, as people usually marry in the bride's home church and even more so then.

An old Chilean proverb says: Why should a man without a head want a hat?


Love

Mary

We ended up going twice for Dick's doctor's appointment. We got there this morning and Dr. Schwalbach had been called to the hospital for an emergency. They were able to reschedule for this afternoon. As we said, we would hope he would come immediately if Dick needed him too. All is stable. He said we should continue as we have been and come back in six months. We have to try to get a bit more exercizing in, which is difficult as Dick's back and hips hurt with very little exertion and I can understand his reluctance to push it. Dr. Schwalbach suggested water walking. Dick said he would consider it but I wonder. We will see. I will mention it in a day or two.

The rest of the day was uneventful. I got all my computer and church stuff caught up. Tonight I can sew while I watch LOST.

Jim got a Roomba ( the robotic vacuum) and we are having fun watching it move around the den. The animals seem mildly interested but not alarmed. Actually, I don't know if Oscar has seen it yet. He seems to be staying upstairs though.

It was up in the upper 30s today and rained most of the day so the snow is melting very fast. More preciptition on the way and then the temperatures are going to drop to single digets and below zero. Think of us. I understand that my California readers are going to get a respite from all their rain. What a tragedy in that massive mudslide.

Have a nice Thursday

Love

Mary

Another busy day. I helped take down Christmas in church today. How sad. I got there at about 9:30 after I went grocery shopping and I had to leave at about 12:00 when Dick called because the Sears Repair person was coming earlier than the 1:00 to 5:00 window they had projected.

I needed to be there, because I do the dishwashing. We had a female repairperson who just loves animals. She always tries to get Chelsea to come up to her. Chelsea is not the cuddliest doggy in the world and only puts up with me after 7 years because she has come to understand that I expect it. But I don't push it either.

This woman, Jan, is delighted to see the kitties too but for some reason, Roxie doesn't like her. Both times, when Jan has pets Roxie and she meows and eventually hisses at her. I can't quite figure out why. Roxie is usually pretty friendly. On New Years Day, she walked up to Mother and introduced herself, which we thought was very nice of her.

We racked the Marigold wine today. I have to suck to tube to get the flow going, so I always get a little taste. It is still one of my favorite scratch wines. It will be ready for tasting in late July, I would guess and be REALLY ripe in January of 2006. Patience is the name of the game. If you want to try it, let me know.

A month from tomorrow is the 28th Annual Deeley Wild Game Dinner and Beer Tasting Contest. I will be bringing venison stew this year. I finally have found a good stew recipe and it is fantastic with venison as the meat. The feast will be hosted by Kurt and Jody Thuemmler, my sister Dolores's son and wife. For those of you that may not know. The winner of the beer tasting contest hosts the following year's event. A very efficient system. We are all plugging for Kathy, Jeff's wife. She has valiantly competed for lo these many years and REALLY wants her name on that trophy.

Have a good Wednesday


Mary

We regrouped for bible study today. It was good to get back. We are still studying Corinthians and are finding it challenging.

Then this afternoon, I went to Writer's Club. I read a story that I wrote. I don't often finish stories. I got good feedback. One of the other writers called it riviting. I entered it in a contest, so we will see what happens.

When I got home, I was really tired. It is hard to get revved up when you have two events during the day.

Tomorrow is not much better. I will be shopping, then going to help take the Christmas decorations down at church, then waiting for the Sears Repairman. We bought a new dishwasher last year because we were not happy with the old one. This one is worse. BUT we have a 5 year service contract, so they will be coming out here until it is right.

This morning when Chelsea and I stepped out for our walk. I found a thin vaneer of ice covering all paved surfaces. Needless to say, we walked on the edges of the road and driveway, just long enough for her to accomplish those things that good doggies do outside. She is funny when there is ice all over. She falls a lot but just bounces up and continues on her way. She does not have very far to go you know. I, on the other hand, worry about broken limbs. It got up to the mid 20s today. You in warm climates can smirk if you wish. We will get up to the forties tomorrow and the next day, I hear. Then the temps will plummett to sub zero again on Friday and Saturday.

Dave Matthews said."You lean on me and I'll lean on you and we'll be OK."

That reminds me of the first time Bret went to a movie with out me. The school had a special afternoon movie, so my neighbor and I took Bret and Chip and dropped them off at the door. They were about 7. On the way in they kind of huddled against each other for courage. When we picked them up, they had "grown up." They were "Cool." They pranced out of the theatre like big guys. Another little step towards independence.

It is funny how you remember these teeny little milestones.

Have a good Wednesday.

Love

Mary

Packers got smacked badly today by the Vikings. Ich!!! It was not a fun game and I finally did something else for the last quarter. It was just too painful.

The rest of the day was fine. The choir sang at the 10:30AM Mass. That was fun and I brought my Spiderweb stitchery to share with Mother and Mary Bainbridge. They liked it so that made me feel good.

I have spent the rest of the evening watching the People's Choice Awards and trying to find a needle in a haystack - a picture of the eigth grade graduating class of 1954 from St. Mary School in Sheboygan Falls. I am speaking to the Home and School Meeting on Thursday at St. Mary School about going there through eighth grade and also about my experiences with combined classes. These are two proposals for St. Mary for next year to help keep the school practical.

I guess that is really all for today. Going through those pictures really brings back memories. Pictures of my babies and the pets and friends and places and things that are not in any order at all. Do you have that kind of a memory pool? I found things from Aunt Helen's house that I did not even know I had. I have rememberence cards from MY great Uncle Oscar Ziegler's ordination commemorating his first Mass dated 1904 and 1919. Wow.

A quote from Ellis Peters - Cadfael

There is a right place for every soul under the sun.

Remember that you are special and have a place under the sun too.
Mary