Today, the thermometer that reads off of our bedroom, read 89 degrees for the top.   Wow.   The wind was blowing like crazy most of the afternoon too.    It was really too heavy and hot to open things up, so I have the doors open now to take advantage of fresh.

It was trash day.   I slept much better last night, but it took a while to get to sleep and I didn't want to get up.    I finally dragged myself out at 8:30AM.    I took out the trash and got ready for my errands.

Stopped at the bank to deposit a couple of checks, then off to the Review office to put in an add to try to sell the sit to stand and Dick's desk.   I timed it perfectly as my eye doctor appointment with Dr. Cheryl was at 10:30AM.    I was there on a great day.    A special half price frame day and once I get my new glasses, I can have new lenses put in the frames I have now for half price.     I knew I would need new glasses as I could really tell that my right eye had lost a lot.     Dr. Cheryl was a bit surprised at the difference but as she said some years are like that.

I did my grocery shopping on the way home.    Forgot cat litter but I just replaced everything yesterday so I won't have to worry about that for a while anywsy.

This afternoon, I worked on the Kevin wall hanging, straightened out things on the desk and prioritized.   I always have immediate chores after coming home from the Gathering and need to have some of them done by the end of the week for Maureen to get into the quarterly newsletter.

Anyway I need a priority list and fast because as you all know. lists help me work better and faster.

But this day is over and I am going to bed to read for a while.

Talked to Suzi, one of my Kunert nieces, today,  I am going to stay with her on the Friday of Irishfest and she and I will go to the Fest on Saturday.    I am going back on Sunday too.   Jessica said she wants to join me.    So she will have two days to choose from.   Both if she wants.  She and Suzi would have fun together.
  
Dia Dhuit

Mary  

A typical Monday made busier now because of the two hour practice at 6:30PM for the concert at Plymouth Art Center on May 16 - 17.   By the way, it is called Springtime on Broadway and features lots of really good music.   I am glad that we have three more practices.    I am not all that confident yet.

This morning there were 7 of us at Bible Study.     We had a lively discussion on Psalm 116 about why death is feared and how much trust and faith can help when someone close leaves us.  We do help each other out a lot.    I have them praying for everybody who needs it.

Then to Mother's.  We got her bills paid and had plenty of time to visit.   I told her some of the events of the weekend.   I showed her my new fox ring carved out of Amazonite and about the play.

This afternoon I worked on sorting things out for the rest of the week and paying some bills of my own.

So.   Tomorrow I will have a busy morning, but then will be able to stay home until  Thursday.   Yee Ha.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

Home from a successful, entertaining and educational Celtic Annual Meeting, or as we often refer to it as our Spring Fling.

Kate, Felisha and I left for St.  Charles at 8AM on Friday.   We figured we would get there by noon but St. Charles is a hard place to fine.   My Garmin did not even recognize the name.  Then there was the quest for the Hotel Baker.  I found that trip discouraging.    We finally arrived shortly before 1PM and were in time for the noon board meeting which had been put off to accommodate some other late comers.  

It was a busy afternoon beginning with the board meeting.  We met for a reception at the Hotel Baker and then proceeded across the street to McNally's Traditional Irish Pub for dinner.   Back at the hotel, a few of us intrepid souls gathered in Gail's room for a bit of wine, snacks and Bailey's.

Saturday morning we had our Annual meeting and installation of new Directors and Officers.    Following the meeting and a short break our member Maureen Smith gave us a lecture on Accessing Works of History,Literature and Arts Online.    With Tons of Sites to explore.   Janet said, something like oh great, now we will never get any sleep.

Lunch was at the Hotel Baker which is an historic hotel.    It is lovely but our bathroom was just plain inconvenient.

The lunch was good.   The sandwich I ordered was a Portabella mushroom sandwich.   I was surprised at two things.   1.  It was cold.   But the mushroom was delicious so that was OK.   However 2.  It was on a croissant which had been refrigerated and refrigerated crousants are really gicky.     However (again) the dessert was wonderful.    A scoop of ice cream with a lava cake.   Let me tell you this, Jim, so you can tinker with your recipe.    The "lava"  had a black cherry background, maybe cherry liquor in the filling?  It was SO good.

Our afternoon program was entitled Irish Round Towers and Today's Gardner, presented by a farme, Bill Scheffler.   I have a lot of studying to do with that.

We were on our own after that until about 7:30 when we walked across the street again, this time to the Steel Beam Theater to enjoy The Seafarer by Colon Mc Pherson.   I was up for Tony awards around 2006 and was SO good.    It was a typical kind of dark rough Irish play but as Maureen Smith said, she finally saw an Irish Play with a happy ending.    We loved it.

Today we had out Scattering Ceremony at 9AM at the Hotel, then Kate, Felicia and me went to St. Patrick Catholic Church down the street for Mass.   Lovely Mass and we talked to some people after the service.   I gave my card to a lovely young Conner girl who was at Mass with her sister and Dad.   The three of us then went downstairs as the church must have known we were coming and were serving donuts and coffee in the downstairs hall.      We sat with some of the parishioners and had a fun time with them before we headed out.    This time the Garmin worked and as there was less traffic and a much shorter area being worked on a Sunday, we made it home by 4PM.

I am exhausted but feel very good about the weekend and the experiences I had and the people I spent that time with.

I presented a short biography of St. Maughold, the patron saint of the Isle of Man at the scattering ceremony along with a piece of Brigid Cloth and the legend of Brat Bhride for them.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

Here is the story of the saint.   

ST. MAUGHOLD OF THE ISLE OF MAN

(Died c.488)

(Also known as Macaille,, Maccaldus, Machalus, Machaoi, Machella, Maghor, Mawgan, Maccul, Macc Cuill)

FEAST DAY

APRIL 27

(Formerly December 28, and sometimes listed as April 25, August 15. or November 15)

Legend says that Maughold was an Irish prince and also the captain of a band of thieves.

He was converted by St. Patrick himself. The tale goes that he tried to make a fool of St Patrick. He placed one of his crew, living of course, in a shroud than called for Patrick to bring the man back to life. Patrick came, placed a hand on the shroud and departed. When Maughold and his crew opened the shroud, the man was dead. A friend of Maughold, named Connor, rushed to Patrick and apologized. Patrick returned, baptized the assembled men and blessed the deceased who immediately arose and was himself baptized. Then Patrick read Maughold the riot act, telling him that he should be helping his men lead good lives and told him that he had to make up for his evil.

St. Patrick put him in a coracle, a small, round boat lined with skins, and set him adrift. He landed on the Isle of Man and was greeted by Conindrus and Romulus, Patrick's disciples on Man. The story adds that upon landing he was to fetter his feet and throw the key in the ocean. The two disciples found him worthy and he was eventually ordained. Shortly after his ordination the keys to his fetters were found in the belly of a fish, He was appointed bishop when the two disciples died.

He was known for his kindness to the Manx people. Many sites around the island bear his name.

Apparently, there is no special celebration of the saint on the Isle of Man or anywhere else. Perhaps because of the fact that he seems to have five possible feast days and even more names.

Well, another busy day,  mainly at home.

I did go out at about 10AM.   I picked up flowers to place on our Courtney's grave as tomorrow would be her birthday.   I forgot my camera but it is a love bouquet of cut flowers.     A beautiful variety of spring colors including a yellow tulip and a pink rose.    It is beautiful.

I stopped at Mother's for just a minute so that I could get her praying for Bart and for his mother in law Marlise.  AND.  I talked to Loraine Schaap today and found out that Gerald Ziegler, a cousin, passed away last Saturday.    Mother and I were just talking about him a couple of weeks ago, wondering how he was doing.  So I wanted to let her know.

I spent the rest of the day packing and coordinating things for a short presentation that I will be giving and also working on the book and the St. Kevin wall hanging.

I took a short nap this afternoon but I want to get to be early as we will be leaving here at about 8AM so that Kate and Felicia and I can be in St. Charles by noon for the board meeting.

Roxie, of course, will not be happy, but Jan and Don, my neighbors are delighted to feed her for me and their grandsons will help on Friday night.    They love Roxie and she will enjoy the company.

So early to bed, early to rise.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

Special requests for prayer

First:   Good news but it will involve over a month of various surgeries for Bart.    They are finally doing something about the stimulator that he has implanted in his back for pain that has not been working properly.    May 1st, they will remove the whole unit.    On or about May 14, they will be testing and evaluating the best way to proceed.    On May 24th they will implant the trial unit and in early June, he will have the permanent unit implanted.    This is the new Cadillac of stimulators and we are all feeling that this will provide much relief from Bart's constant pain.

Second:   Bad news.   Marlise Burdine, Barbara's mother, had a lump and has been diagnosed with a malignancy.    Please pray for good results.    She is very frightened.   And so are we.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

I spent most of the day at home but am still so far behind and I leave on Friday morning for St. Charles.

Whew.    Tomorrow I have to pack and find a couple of things that are coming with me.
I picked up Dick's plaque for the library today.    It is just perfect.    I will be so happy when we can present it.

I downloaded the Oklahoma pictures to the computer today and will forward a couple tomorrow.   Right now, I am going to go to bed.

Dia Dhuit

Mary





“God is always for us, he never grows tired. "   Pope Francis

A Busy Day.    I took Roxie to the vet for her dentistry work at 7AM.   Then I came home and sorted mail and papers until it was time to to to Mother's house at 10AM.

Jeff came today also.   A John Swart came to talk to Mother, Jeff and me about the "incident" in 1958 when the United States Air Force bombed us.   John got interested when a cousin of his told him that he had two casings from the incident that John's uncle had found in the cow yard the day after the shooting.   He had kept them all these years and then called John as the cousin had no one to pass them on to.   John has decided to donate them to local museums but needed to document the events to go along with the items.    Mother Jeff and I are thinking that it would be a good idea to donate the model plane and model shell that the Air Force gave to Dad too.

I wrote up my memories of the day and sent them to John for his writeup.  He gave us copies of the newspaper articles etc that he has.   Quite a day.

Here is my writeup.

March 17, 1958

It was March 17^th 1958. The evening of my Grandfather's funeral. I had actually forgotten that those events were connected. We lived at 127 Pinehurst Court, in Sheboygan Falls WI.

We were all home, Mom and Dad, Nora, Tim, Jeff, Dolores, Eileen, George, Matthew, and Randy and me. Also there was a guest. My current boyfriend, James (Jumbo) Martin, who was by the way a Golden Globes champion had joined us for dinner.

We had finished the meal Everybody was just kind of milling around as we always did, Visiting with Jumbo was pleasant and the younger children were playing in small groups downstairs. Usually at that time some of the younger children would go upstairs to play with their toys but with Jumbo there and because of the funeral, they were all hanging around downstairs.

At some point, Tim went upstairs. He wasn't up there long when we heard a huge crash. Mother's first thought was that he had knocked down some huge wardrobe or something. We ran upstairs and there was Tim at the end of the hall staring open mouthed into the bedroom on the left as plaster dust and debris came pouring out of the door.

We all joined him at the door talking like crazy, of course. Tim, totally innocent, was as confused as we were. As the dust settled, we realized that there was a hole in the ceiling of the bedroom and gradually we could see a gouge in the linoleum that was the flooring in the bedroom. Somebody, kind of followed the path and found under one of the beds was a HUGE BULLET.

At this point, Mom and Dad called the police. They arrived quickly, and were as confused as we all were. Dad handed the shell to the policeman and he handled it as nonchalantly as we had been, took a report and left with the shell.

By the next morning, we were informed and heard that at least one more home, I don't remember if there were more, were hit. Recently, I found that two more homes were hit and shells were found in several places. One of the shells did explode, in a closet. Most didn't. My memory is that one shell landed next to a crib where a two year old baby was sleeping.

Later we found out that some of the shells were armed and it was a blessing that they didn't explode and cause more damage and/or human casualties or injury Also there was no explanation as to why none of the planes who had been out over Lake Michigan reported anything unusual or why the shells did not explode on contact. And then we remembered the handling of the loaded shell by the police AND Dad.

One day, when , a limousine with several high ranking officers from the the Air Force came to the house to personally apologize for the incident. They asked for an estimate of the damage and when that was presented, they sent a check to Mom and Dad. Later, the liaison from Milwaukee presented a model of the plane that did the firing and a dud of the bullet for us.

There was a picture in the paper of people pointing to the hole in the bedroom ceiling.

I know that Mom and Dad were paid for the estimate to repair the hole in the roof. The shell came through the roof, penetrated and went through a beam in the ceiling and landed on the bedroom floor skipping almost like skipping stones gauging the linoleum as it hit and landed under one of the beds. Dad had a friend repair the damage and bought a new television with the check.

Memories of that night by Mary Deeley Kunert, eldest daughter of Francis and Mary Deeley .

4/23/2013

After he left the three of us ate lunch.  Kathy sent the greatest sandwiches, salad and pumpkin pie for us.

I picked up Rosie after lunch and came home.   Have been finishing getting caught up, washing, and sewing and now am really ready for bed.    Tomorrow should be pretty quiet.   I need to get ready for the weekend.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

I AM home.   The flight was uneventful.  I walked into the house between 3:30PM and 4PM.

Bobbie had brought Roxie home to greet me.   We just hung out together as I checked messages and did a bit of unpacking.     I know she wants to go to bed now and as I have made it home from the Plymouth Art Center Chorus practice, I AM really ready

Tomorrow, Roxie is getting her teeth cleaned.   I have to have her at the vet by 7:30AM and will pick her up at about 2PM.   Jeff and I will be meeting with Mother and someone who is interested in hearing about the time the Air Force bombed our house in 1957 or 58 when I was young.    I have written down my memories to compare with Mother's and Jeff's.
Should work out fine.

Then I get to stay home til Friday when I will be heading for St. Charles for the CWI Annual Meeting.

Sleep tight everybody.

DiaDhuit

Mary

This is my last night in Oklahoma.    Tomorrow will be a travel day ending with coming home to my Roxie and then going for a two hour practice for the Art Center concert.     I figure I will not tell you much about the trip tomorrow.   But will let you know that I am home.

As Robbie says in his song.    Glad to be returning but sad to have to go.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dia Dhuit

Mary

This was a mega busy day.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I am looking forward to that.  

Hope you had a good day.

Love you all

Dia Dhuit

Mary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

Dia Dhuit

Mary



I gues this is enougth for now as it is

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

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

Tomorrow will also be a busy Irish Day.

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

Sleep Tight

Dia Dhut

Mary

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

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

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

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

Here is the story:

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

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

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

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

That is enough for today

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

Love you all
Dia Dhuit

Mary

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

Dia Dhuit

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

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

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

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

Dia Dhuit until tomorrow.

Mary

As I went to bed very early last night because I had to get up at 3AM to get ready for my trip, I did not blog then.

I am all ready and have enough time now, so here you are.

A lot of good going to bed early did me.  I didn't sleep very well.   I found out that I do know how to set the alarm on the new alarm clock.    Turning it off was another thing, I hit the snooze and then when I was in the shower, there it went again.  

It was a mainly quiet day, especially after Bobbie came to pick up Roxie this morning.   I had been explaining to her that she was going on vacation too.   As Bobbie said to Kitty Camp.    She, of course, was quite upset when she was put into her carrier and taken for a ride,  but Bobbie emailed that she was settling in just fine and was trying to tell Bobbie that it was time to take a nap shortly after noon.

My first trip in such a long time.  

If I get to a computer, I'll blog but otherwise, have a nice week.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

I was almost asleep last night when I remembered that I had forgotten to blog.    Dick would be very proud of me for not jumping up to do it.    He always wanted me to relax.

I just was too busy all day,   I am getting everything ready for the trip and don't want any of my projects to be neglected while I am gone.

My neighbor, Jean, brought me the Sunday paper just about 5ish.   I invited her to share a glass of wine with me and she graciously accepted.   That was nice.     A glass of wine with a friend is always a pleasant way to spend an hour or two.

Today was a typical Monday.   I went to bible study.   We had 7 of us there and couldn't quite get past Psalm 118, which we have been on for three weeks.   However we started off with a discussion of the first episode of the mini series, the Bible.   It is always difficult to understand why Abraham allowed Hagar and Ishmael to be sent out into the desert after Sara had her Isaac and was jealous of Ishmael.   But God came to the rescue in the end.

The I went to Mother's and we paid her bills and made sure that she will not run out of things while I am gone.   If we missed anything, I am so blessed to have brothers and sisters who will just pick up the slack and take care of it. 

Tonight I drove over to Redeemer Church to practice for the Spring Concert for the Plymouth Arts Center that Kate talked me in to.   We are singing grand pieces from older musicals, like Chorus Line and Porgy and Bess and songs like I Got Rhythm.   It is fun.  But I am really tired now.   As Kate said, it is past my bed time so I am just going to go there.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

It is after 10PM.   I just got home from having dinner with my friend Rosemary Mugan and then enjoying a concert by Theiss and O Connor at the Plymouth Arts Center with her and a whole slew of other friends that also came to enjoy the show.

Anyway, I am tired and going to go right to bed.    Hope you sleep tight and hope I do too.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

Happy St. David's Day.    The daffodils I bought to celebrate the day.   Daffodils are blooming in Wales and are a big part of the celebrations.

It was a quiet day.    I was home almost all day.   I did go and have lunch at Dairy Queen with the Bank Ladies.   There were only three of us.    But it was a nice break in the day.   Always good to have someone one likes to talk to.

Same old, same old at home.     I just keep plugging away at things.   And eventually will be through everything.   Still can't bring myself to do Dick's clothes, but I was chilly the other day and got one of his flannel shirts out and I love it.    It makes me feel warm and fuzzy.

Til tomorrow.   I am going to see Theiss and O'Connor tomorrow evening with my friend Rosemary.   They are a great local Irish trio. 

Dia Dhuit

Mary

I stepped outside of the house twice today.   The first time to put a letter in the mailbox and the second to pick up the mail. 

Not a bad day.   The snow has stopped falling and the wind seems to have died down.   Not especially cold but not warm enough to reduce the very high snow banks around the greenspace in front of the condo.

I had a maintenance on my water heater.    The gentleman who came said that he was a block over at one of my neighbors.   They also have windows out under a deck and there was a big deer resting there.   He startled it a bit, but not enough to make it run away.    With all the snow AND with so much of their habitat was stripped for the impending railroad that I recon they are looking for sheltered safe spaces.    We do have at least three, I thought I saw four, that run back and forth behind us.

I believe that I have finished mending the top of Mom's Cathedral Window quilt.    I say believe, because those little loose tabs can hide, I have discovered.    I turned it over and now will check all the bottom seams, many of them are loose also.

I worked on the Cookbook today too.   So it was a full day.

Tomorrow will be a day at home also, unless something comes up.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

A winter Haiku by me

Gloomy Cloudy day
Made a hole for the sun and
Broke into a smile.

I am too tired to spend much time here tonight.   You all know that I am a 9 O'Clock Wonder and it is almost 10PM.

The Celtic Gathering we planned occurred at 52 Stafford was just great.   There were six of us, despite the storm.   I was able to tell those attending about Sts.  David and Piran and to share the Welsh Cakes with the members attending AND the customers around the bar.

The music was  the icing on the cake.

Now I am tired.  I love you all.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

The predicted storm started a couple of hours ago.   The previously clear driveways are now all white again.    The storm started with a strong wind, I could hear it when I napped.

I got a LOT of trash out today, I have been shredding.   I am a couple of years behind so next week will be another heavy load for the trash guys.  

Then I went to do a couple of errands.  I did a bit of grocery shopping, I don't need much but did wander the store and got some cat food and trash bags.  Then I filled up my tank  in the van as I was below a half a tank.    Then I decided to go to Cain's Floral to see if they had a Daffodil plant.   I wanted one for tomorrow for the CWI Meeting.   We are celebrating St. David and St. Piran and the daffodil is featured at all of the celebrations for both feast days.    Daffodils must be blooming in the British Isles now.

The rest of the day was spent here at home.   There is never a lack of things to do.    I never get bored.   If I am tired of doing something, I just go to something else.

Today, I baked some cupcakes.    I had a lot of corn left from dinner (I had some with two meals from the same package already) so I searched and make a batch of corn/bacon cupcakes with a maple frosting.   They are OK.   I like them but they are not at all like the decadent  cupcakes that I made a couple of months ago.

Tomorrow will be quiet until evening when I will be going to 52 Stafford for the CWI meeting and the Craic.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

Just another frantic Monday,

I had to have the car at Van Horn for its oil change at 8AM.  So I brought a book along to read while I wait.    I had Heaven is For Real.    It is SOOO good.  

From there I drove to Sheboygan Falls for Bible Study.   Several people are on vacation, but we had a group of five and lots to say.    The smaller groups sometimes are very intimate. 

Mother was fine today.   We did the pills and bills and had good time leftover to visit.   She really feels pretty will.   She will see the eye doctor on Thursday,  her sight is bad and it is distressing her.   I can't blame her.

I left for Sheboygan from there, picked up some supplies from Office Max and then went to Mark Miller's to get my taxes.   He got done much sooner that I thought he would, it always depends on how busy he is and if he needs more information.    He agreed with me that there is no way to figure out this year at all.   I will file single and probably only have standard deductions.   So we will wing it this year and next year be able to adjust.   

Home again, I took a great nap.    I must have been much more tired than I thought as I intended just to rest for a bit and fell sound asleep.

Tonight I went over to Redeemer Church for a practice for a musical program that will be at the Plymouth Arts Center in May.   My friend Kate has been trying to get me to come for years.   I finally went.   I hope it isn't too much.   I love singing and had a great time but am still trying to pace myself.   We are singing pieces from several Broadway musicals, so at least I am familiar with the music.

So that is the day.   I am now very tired and it is past my bedtime  So rest well tonight and be ready for the day.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

It would have been a whole day at home, BUT my printer ran out of black ink (darn) so I had to go OUT!

I went to Walgreens where I could pick up  some cartridges and refill a prescription that I would have had to do tomorrow.   So - Tomorrow is a very busy day and this will be one stop that I don't have to make.

A neighbor came over late this morning for a visit.   Alison Smith, the condo board president, you remember her, Jim and Michelle, a really lovely lady.    She is such nice gal and has a really big heart.   I think she was worried about me, just because.   We had a very pleasant visit.   I will check in with her when I get back from my trip to visit again.


Then I spent the rest of the day getting things ready for Monday, which has turned into a marathon.  The rest of the week is pretty lazy, thank God, but Monday will test my mettle.   I start at 8AM at Van Horn for a service on the Van.

Must to early to actually BE somewhere.   I didn't used to feel that way.   Must be gettin' old.

Til Tomorrow

Dia Dhuit

Mary

A snowy day.   I woke up to an unplowed Tallgrass Lane.   Jody got here at exactly 8AM despite the weather, so I figured that it would be alright.   I had an appointment with Dr. Leben, the Physiatrist, this morning.   

She checked me over and decided to give me some steroid injections in the various muscles to see if this will bring some relief from the pain.   I am to call her next week to let her know how this went.

Then I went to see Heather at the Spa Studio for a massage.   That was very relaxing, but with all those treatments, I still hurt.   A day or two should tell the tale.

I decided to spend the rest of the day just puttering around,.   I did a little research on the Saints Davis and Piran, and did a little more trip planning and talked to a couple of people.

My taxes are done, so I will pick them up on Monday.

I talked to the out of state and city kids tonight, except for Jim and Michelle,   I got their answering service so will call them later in the weekend.   It just seemed a good night to do that.    I sure felt good hearing those voices.

Time to get ready for bed now.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

"If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague."

A whole day at home and the only time I stepped out of the house was to get the mail.    It was wonderful.

An unexciting day to report though I was pleasantly busy with writing and sewing and with CWI projects.

You can absolutely see that this is the kind of day that Roxie really expects from her person.   Unfortunately her person can't do that every day and would probably be in a booby hatch if she did.

Tomorrow, a doctor visit and a massage.   I hope that both bring some relief to the pain.   I am sick of being so tired every night.

So.   Cross your fingers. 

Dia Dhuit

Mary






 "In times of joy, all of us wished we possessed a tail we could wag."W. H. Audin

These have been two very eventful days.

Yesterday, the snow came.   Apparently the worst was from Plymouth north, but it made me very anxious because yesterday was the day that Bobbie and I were going to Milwaukee for the Shen Yun performance at the Milwaukee Theatre.    I kind of tested the streets shortly before noon by going to vote, stopping at the Pig and filling the gas tank.   It wasn't TOO bad.

So I took a nap after lunch and left at 5PM to pick Bobbie up.  Between Plymouth and Sheboygan, the traffic was just crawling suddenly.   Soon I found out why.    There was a rollover in the medien.   So Bobbie and I decided to go because of the rumors that it was not bad to the south and we were very glad that we did.    There was low to moderate traffic and the roads were just fine.

The performance was really indescribable.   The costuming, the dancing the visual effects, the singing.   It was well worth the drive.   My arm and neck really started hurting.  Bobbie was willing to leave at the intermission as a kindness to her old sore stepmother but I told her that I would be OK.
And it was.   I would have hated to miss the last half of such a dynamic show.    We had not seen anything like it before and it opens up LOTS of questions.

I got home just before midnight and went right to bed with a heating pad on my aches.

This morning was much quieter but I had a haircut appointment at 9AM so had to leave my poor sad Roxie again.   But I was only gone a couple of hours.   Since I was out, I went to Walmart to exchange my Soda Stream aeriator and I picked up a couple of other things while I was there.

I took a nap again.   I really like naps.   Then I worked on Mother's quilt and then almost finished some articles that I need to send to Maureen for the CWI newsletter.

So I have been busy but pleasantly so and tomorrow I will be home ALL day.   Yea.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

Mondays are way too busy.    And I am way too tired tonight.

Started off with Bible Study.    We had a nice turnout today.    Better weather and no ice.   Even our little Jan, who is so frail, was able to come today.    She is such a joy.   And we had a new friend.  Denice, who knows both Joseph and me.   I hope she comes back.    We are such a support.   Another friend, who I met while Dick was at the Plymouth Care Center and who joined the Writers Group, may be coming too.  Peggy is a great gal and would be a good prayer partner.

Then I went to Mother's and got her bills and pills taken care of.   Randy stopped in while I was there so I got to visit with him for a bit.   He and Donna were in Vegas over the weekend and he took today off for good measure.

Next I picked up my sewing machine that was in for service.   I brought that home and headed to the Cream City Writer's meeting.   It was really good.   Lots of nice work this month.

I came home and took a nap.  

Tonight was the conference board meeting for CWI, so I am very very tired and will be extremely happy to be in bed tonight.    My shoulder and arm are really getting sore.

Take care, tomorrow Bobbie and I are going to Milwaukee in the evening to see the show Shen Yun 2013 at the Milwaukee Theatre.   I am excited, but don't expect to hear from me tomorrow.  The show starts at 7:30PM and I will just pile into bed when I get home.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

Such a great day.   It was REALLY cold.   At least I thought so.

I spent the morning doing several things.   I worked on Mom's quilt.   I am about a third of the way through with the repairs.   I worked on the cookbook.    Really feel that I have things on track.   I intend to have it done by the end of March.

Then at 1:00PM is was at Becky's house for a Wildtree Freezer Bag workshop.    It was fun.   Jessie and Becky's mother in law were there so I knew two of the other attendees.   The others are friends and coworkers of Becky and are lovely young women.     We had been instructed to purchase 10 different "bags" of meet and some vegetables and bring them in gallon freezer bags to the party.   Then the cost of the party included spices and oils by this Wildtree company which we all flavored our meat with and sealed up to bring home and freeze.    I brought half the quantities of meat she suggested because it is after all only me.   Then I divided most of the packages again so I have reasonable amounts for one - some of these will end up being two meals anyway but that is good.   I now have 20 or more meals ready to pull out of the freezer, all spiced and ready to thaw, and cook.   With the instruction.

So a good day.  

I am making plans for a vacation.    I am going to visit Bret for a week.   I will go on a Thursday and we can go to his river property.   I will get to see his place,  meet his friends,   go spend a day with Jacquie and just relax with one of my boys.    I am planning at this point on leaving on March 7th.

Am I excited?   Yes!!!!!


Dia Dhuit

Mary

I liked today.    The sun was shining.   It was cold but with little wind and the sun, the snow that fell last night was all gone by noon.

Jody came at 8AM to clean. I spent the morning working on my book, researching for the Celtic Saints, St. David and St. Piran.   They both have their feast days in early March and the Sheboygan Celtic women are going to meet on February 27th, a Wednesday, for the music.    We are meeting a bit early for dinner and a meeting and I will give them a talk on the two saints so that we can celebrate their feast days too.   It is really SO fun to learn about all our Celtic sisters roots.

I also spent some time sewing on Mom's Quilt.   I am getting there.  It will take a couple of weeks though as it is very finicky work sewing all those little points that have loosened back together.   I can only sew for a short time before my shoulder hurts, for one thing.

Went to the Dairy Queen for lunch with the Bank Ladies.    The Dairy Queen still has the grilled cheese sandwich.   I think it was better under the old management.   But it is still a grilled cheese and OK.  It is Lent and I do abstain from meat on Friday's.     The day that Jeff and I took Mother for her doctor appointment on Tuesday, we talked about the fact that the next day was Ash Wednesday, already.    Mother mentioned that she is so old that she no longer is required to fast or abstain.   Jeff and I laughed and reminded her that we don't have to either.  Same reason.

This afternoon, I prepared all my bags of meats and veggies for Becky's Wildtree Freezer Bag workshop that is tomorrow afternoon.   That will be a fun way to spend and afternoon.  As if I don't have enough food already.

So enjoy your evening or morning depending on when you are reading this and I will check in tomorrow

Dia Dhuit

Mary

 

 

 " If you could see the journey whole - you might never undertake it; might never dare the first step that

propels you from the place you have known

toward the place you know not."

                                                                J. L. R.

What a day.    I stayed in bed until almost 8AM.  Sometimes I sleep the best towards morning.   Last night was difficult because my arm hurt so much that I had trouble getting to sleep.   I used the heating pad and it did seem to help.   I have been using cold during the day.

Who knows.

I worked on one of the books that I started to write quite some time ago and have brought our of the drawer to finish.   It is fun reviewing it.  I read the forward to the Sheboygan Writers and they seem to think it has promise.   It will be a cookbook with stories to go with the recipes.

I also worked on Mom's quilt a bit this afternoon.  That plus one more set of drawers cleaned kept me busy all day. 

I saw that it was snowing some this afternoon.   I really don't know how much there will be on the ground but tomorrow is a day in town anyway.    I really only plan on going out once to lunch with the bank ladies.  

Roxie has been very pleased with me today. 

Today was St. Valentines Day.   Several people wished me a happy day.    I missed Dick even though we usually just shared E Cards on this day.

Jim and Michelle called tonight.    Was good to hear their voices.   Jim is recovering quite well from the tooth that was pulled but has a procedure to replace a filling and cap the tooth next to it tomorrow so keep praying that all goes well.    They sounded good otherwise.

So that was the day.    Busy but not exciting.  So I will put a little poem to start you thinking about St. Patrick's day.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

Flirty Guys
With flirty eyes
I love the Irish Men.
They charm we gals
As we do them
With mutual admiration.

by me