I have to start remembering to mark things when I put them into the freezer. I had a container in there that I could not remember at all. So we are having it tonight because I was open and don't want a lot of leftovers for the weekend. It is hot tamale mix so we will have them for supper. Fortunately I have hard rolls and sliced cheese so it will be good.

We will be leaving around noon tomorrow for Cashton to the Ages Past Bed and Breakfast there. I am so looking forward to being away for a bit where no one can reach us really. Jim will know where we are but will only contact us if it is REALLY serious.

Tonight is parish council. I really don't look forward to that at all. It seems such a useless thing at this point, for many reasons. I have one more year to serve and will do my best until the term is up.

I do look forward to stopping to see Mother before the meeting. I need to update her on Bart. He, by the way, is doing a bit better. Barbara believes that he understands that there is caring and a plan at the Hospital now. Keep praying, especially at this time for Barbara, who is in such need of comfort.


Love

Mary

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you. I took the day off from ALL chores. This morning I went to Bible Study at 6:30AM. Then took a short rest so I could go to Plymouth and walk in my friend Rip O'Dwanny's Irishman's Walk from Eastern and Highland Avenues to Stafford Street off of Mill Street.

There I had my shot of Irish Whisky and joined my dear friends Stan and Peg Payne for lunch and some music. Rip and Christine had a Piper to start the festivities followed by a singer who was very good. I had a bowl of Reuben Soup for lunch which was very good. I left about 1:30 so I could get home and rest again because

at 6:00 we went to Richard's in Sheboygan Falls for the Irish Festivities organized by Bob Mac Ewen. He also started the festivities with a piper and followed with a group called the Spring Valley Irish Rovers who were also VERY good. I had been asked to read poetry as I mentioned earlier in the week. It went very well. I read my Knockeen Dolman, Cats and the Kettles poems of my own and several from well known Irish authors as well as some Irish blessings etc. It went over very well. I hope he does it again next year. They even gave me a present, a bottle of Baileys Irish Creme. I feel like a real poet.

Happy St Patrick's Day. And remember that an Irishman is never drunk as long as he can hang on to one blade of grass and still hang on to the face of the earth.


Love

Mary

This morning God gave me a gift. Chelsea and I went for our walk at about 6:00AM and as we were walking, I looked up into the sky and saw a flock of birds (I have seen these birds before) flying like graceful dancers against the morning blue sky. They dipped, they glided they turned and spun. All in formation. They kept it up for several minutes until they landed in a tree for a rest. I felt like I was seeing a dance troup doing their most intricate routine. The Blue Angels must have learned from them but have never reached such perfection.

If anyone knows what species of bird this is . Please let me know. I have see them before out in the country but never so close and up front.

Have a good week.

Love

Mary

Sunday and March is almost 1/2 over already. Two days til St. Patrick's Day and only four days until St. Joseph's Day which is Bart's birthday.

It certainly doesn't seem like it was 33 years ago that I gave birth to that guy. We used to call him Mr. Magoo because a neighbor said he looked like Mr. Magoo when he scrinched up his little face. He was actually a really pretty baby. Nice shaped head and wonderfully clear unblotched skin. Sometimes I wish they were still little again but I guess I am glad I had them then when I was younger and able to keep up. (Kind of)

Anyway, this is a busy week with St. Patrick's Day, a council meeting, a visit with Bart and leaving on a trip on Friday.

May blessings surround you in the coming week.

Love

Mary

Mother and I went to a "Second Saturday" program presented by the Sheboygan County Reasearch Center in Cooperation with the Sheboygan Falls Library. They had Ellen Kort, Wisconsin's Poet Lauriette and author of "Wisconsin Quilts: Stories in Stitches" speaking. She was billed as an expert on quilts and stories. She was very good but Mother and I felt she spent more time telling about her poet successes, which was very interesting to me as and amatur poet AND quilter but for the avid quilter probably a little too much focused on the poetry. I was impressed. She is one of those people who does everything well and often. She will be remembered. I will be pleased to be able to say I heard her at our next Writers Club meeting.

"He prayed as he breathed, forming no words and making no specific requests, only holding in his heart, like broken birds in cupped hands, all those people who were in stress or grief." Ellis Peters

This seems to be so true right now. I try to remember all the prayer requests. I hope you remember mine.

Love

Mary

It was very cold today. However, I did notice that the tulips are poking their heads above the ground and the robin that hangs around my front yard was singing valiantly this afternoon. If he won't give up I won't either.

In more ways than one, I won't give up. Barbara called tonight. She had to take Bart back to the hospital tonight. He regressed during the week and Barbara felt he needed to be back where they can help him. Their first thought is that maybe his medication needs to be adjusted. I hope that helps and that they get him to commit to a program, predetermined, before he comes home again. Barbara says he needs a hobby and I believe she is right.

Please pray. That is all WE can really do.

"May those who love us, love us. And those that don't love us, may God turn their hearts. And if He cannot turn their hearts, may He turn their ankles so we'll know them by their limping." Irish Blessing (or curse depending on how you look at it.)

Countdown to St. Patrick's Day. Four more days.


Mary

I believe we are all caught up on errands. FINALLY. We had the cars serviced this morning and I havealmost finished the taxes. We will send them out a week ahead of time. AND I am all caught up on my correspondence too.

Tomorrow a new pistol league starts and if I can find two other people to shoot with me I would like to shoot trap in this spring league too. I bought a new gun on Saturday. It is a 12 gauge shot gun made in Russia that has a shorter stock than most and seems to fit me for a change. I am kind of excited to try it. If I can't get any partners, I will shoot on Sunday.

We had snow today, but very little of it stayed on the ground. It is windy and supposed to get VERY cold tonight. Then it will start warming up again, with rain in the forcast in the next couple of days. I saw some green in my day lilies and (I hope I am not imagining) I believe that my peony that I thought was dead is coming up.

Spring is such a hopeful time. We seem to be getting enough rain this year. Maybe the water table will build up and the farmers will be happy.

Love

Mary

I just returned from a Living Stations of the Cross, presented at St. Dominic's Church in Sheboygan by the combined Youth Group from St. Dominic and St. Clement Parishes.

Over 50 young people cooperated to help us pray the Stations in song and with representations of the events as put forth in the Gospels. I am impressed with the dedication, talent and devotion of the young people of Sheboygan and have faith that we do have a future.

I thank them for helping me and the other attendees on our Lenten Journey.


Mary

I have two big kitties filling up the bulk of the surface of my desk. They do like to be near and live sitting under the lamp which I am sure is very comforting to them especially during these winter months.

One week from tomorrow, as I mentioned, I will be the featured "Gaelic Poet" for St Patrick's Day in Sheboygan Falls. It is really fun to review the great poets of Irish fame such as Goldsmith, Yeats, Swift and the anonymous poems attributed to various monks, warriors and traveling seanaches who had such respect in years past in Ireland.

It never go over 36 degrees today but felt quite comfortable because the sun shone and the wind was still. It is amazing how comfortable one becomes without cold wind and how good the sun feels after the damp gray cold of winter.


Love

Mary

I fixed the best salad tonight. I found it on the Change One site. A diet site through Reader's Digest that I subscribe to. The trick is lots of greens, some onion and mandarin oranges. Then a dressing of oil, vinegars and orange juice concentrate. Nummy Nummy. We had company and the salad was a wonderful accompaniment to Cornish Pasties. I will definitely use fruit in salads and a sweet dressing too.

Went to Writers Club this afternoon. I read my Son poem and they seemed to like it. My "editor", Janice Kaat who publishes the Pike River Community News that prints my food column was there today. We are a nice group. Perhaps with the inspiration of their persistance and experience, I may do something worth leaving as a footprint to show that I really was alive on this earth.

There is a song that has a line I like that goes "And I might have done some things good enough for you to see." I feel that way a lot. It would be a shame to end 60 to 90 years of life with nothing left to remind people you were here.

Love

Mary

Wow, what a full Sunday. I started off with church at 8:00. Then came home and fixed breakfast, read the paper, cleaned up the leaked water from under the sink. (unplanned for). Then Jim and I went to Rhine and I finally shot worth a darn after three weeks of just being awful. I hope things are back on track. Then Dick and I mixed up a batch of wine. We have two big batches and the grape wine working now. Just enough with spring and summer coming. I looked at the daylillies the other day and they are starting to sprout. Another sign of spring. There is hope of a new day.

There is a very busy week ahead. I have Writer's Club tomorrow. I will read SON. I haven't heard from any of you, but Dick said he liked it so I feel comfortable sharing.

Have a wonderful week.

There is no sense in keeping a dog if you are going to do your own barking.


Mary

Only one and one half weeks until St. Patrick's Day. I must gather up and decide which poems I want to read at Richard's in Sheboygan Falls that night. I have been invited to perform as a Gaelic Poet. Probably because I won a contest a couple of years ago, which makes me very proud actually. I will get paid my dinner for this which is not bad pay for poetry these days. I wrote a couple of poems while Bart was sick and have been keeping up my articles for a friend who publishes a paper up north called the Pike River Community News. If I get enough of either (poems or cooking articles) I may try to publish a book. We will see.

It is good to have ambitions anyway. My Live Long and Love it discussion group is giving me some motivation. I lost a lot while Bart was sick.

Here is my most recent poem. I like honest criticism.

SON

Treasure of my heart
Fragment of my being
I gave you life

Pride of my heart
Mirror of my eternity
I nurtured you

Labor of my heart
Piece of my mosaic
I mentored you

Hole in my heart
Gone to YOUR horizon
I let you fly

Joy of my heart
Dream of my tomorrow
You are my legacy


Soon

Mary

I was talking to a dear friend who is suffering with diabetes related problems and she sounds so weak and sad. She is in the LONG list of people who are on my prayer list but I wish I could do more. Her first question was to ask how Bart is doing. Such a wonder. I told her of a picture that Barbara gave me of Jesus with the universe as the background. There is a statement on it that says. "I never said it would be easy... I only said it would be worth it." We need to hang on to that. And I see light now.

Did I tell you I saw my first red-winged blackbirds of the season. Actually, I heard them first. They along with the cardinals are my first signs of spring. I ALSO saw and heard a ROBIN. There is a spring and it is coming fast.

Love

Wow, have the past two days been a whirlwind. Yesterday, Dick and I were supposed to go visit Bart and on Tuesday I received a call from Barbara telling me that we could bring him HOME. I was surprised, but when one thinks about it, he has been in care for over three weeks now. They have him stabilized and his medication is working and they feel that he no longer needs to be under hospital care. We must trust the doctors, otherwise, why have him there to begin with.

He was a happy young man. We got him out of there by about 2:, stopped at Mc Donald's for a snack, (he missed lunch because of a dentist appointment.) and made it home by 4:00PM. He promptly took a nap. (No wonder after a dentist appointment, two doctor consultations and a drive to our house.) Barbara came to get him at about 6:00PM. She made really fast time from home. We treated them to dinner and sent them on their way home. They both needed to be THERE and TOGETHER. I know that Bart's critters will help him heal also.

Thank everyone for your prayers and thoughts. We are so grateful for the outpouring of love that carried us through this.

"Where there is no certainty, the mind must turn to the light and not the shadow." Ellis Peters - Cadfael.

Happy Day to you

Mary

I shared the hand made items that Fr. Mike Shea sent me from Thailand. They are hand batik painted t shirts and beautiful table clothes, wall hangings and sarongs. I need to determine a price and see if we can get some fundraising done for the Aids Moms who do the painting and their children and the orphans that are at Sarnelli.
The ladies that meet on Mondays to discuss the book Live Long and Love It were very impressed as was Fr. Gene.

We are in crisis at our parish. We have no choir director and it is the first week in Lent. We have no head of our environment committee and it is the first week in Lent. What will we do. Our music is in shambles. Fortunately SOME of our parishioners are quite content with the piano player we had last week but frankly, I don't feel he is good for the type of accompaniment we need for community singing. He doesn't keep the timing correct. At least he is learning the timing of WHEN he should play.

"May the High and Holy One
Guard us from His Heavenly Throne,
While we sing, with grateful hearts,
Hymns in ten appointed parts."

Colmcille


I have taken on the contact position for our Extraordinary Ministers and frankly find that to be quite enough along with the secretary position on the council. How long can we function? I really don't know. Dick is making noises like he is noticing that I am too busy. How does one say no when needs are so many and so important?

Love

Mary

Watching the Oscars this February 29th. I remember now that our friends the Kirby's youngest son Todd was born of February 29th probably 28 years ago.

I talked to Bart and he sounded pretty good. We are going to see him on Wednesday. He would like to go out for dinner. If it is allowed, we will take him.

I have been doing a lot of dreaming lately. It seems that I am always trying to get somewhere.

Odd isn't it.

Love

Have a good week.

Mary

This is Saturday. I have really neglected my BLOG. But I have been busy. Thursday, we got Dick's blood checked, went grocery shopping and got my new glasses. Then I got a call from Barbara. Bart really needed or at least felt he needed clean clothes and a couple of bucks for some sodas during the day. So Mom went. Barbara was going today. I have not heard from her but I am sure she was very busy as she intended to bake a batch of brownies for the ward. I am glad I went. I stopped at St. Vinnies and bought Bart a pair of sweats and a shirt. I also took him one of my Wells shirts which is an XL and looked kind of dumb on me anyway. He apparantly didn't think I would come and the look on his face and the hugs were worth the drive.

Yesterday, I cleaned and baked and cooked and had lunch with my friends and then worked at Rhine Plymouth Conservation from 5:30 to 9:30PM. My pistol shooting is still not back in there but I will keep practicing. I am 2nd on the ladies board. Did I tell you that when Dick and I went to the Sheboygan Clinic to have his blood checked we ran into Dorothy Behr, one of my shooting friends, who has not shot in this particular league. In the cold winter weather, her hand hurt too much. That makes me feel so bad, but she said she will be back in the spring.

I am going to be making Pasties. That is a two day affair for me. But they are so good. Jeff doesn't like them at all. But he is just being silly I think.

Love


Mary

I went to Bible Study this morning and then right on to church for Ash Wednesday service at 8:30AM. It was a nice way to start the day and to thank God that Bart is safe at the VA Hospital beginning treatment.

We had the strangest music at Mass. A pianist that I never heard before and a cantor that sang without a mike and never left the choir area. I hope we have some sort of a plan for a choir director and organist. I will find out at the Parish Council meeting tomorrow night.

I have two quilts that I want to start on. That is exciting. I have not been two interested in anything the past couple of weeks.

Mother and I were talking about memories this morning. She said that she really likes the smell of cigars because it reminds her of her Dad, my Grandpa Bowser and I said that I love the smell of pipe tobacco, especially half and half becaus it reminds me of Dad.

Love

Mary

Here it is Tuesday and things are showing signs of getting better. The crazy legal limbo is done with. They messed around long enough and made so many mistakes that the judge had to release him because it was over 14 days since he was brought to the hospital and his rights were being violated. This meant that Barbara and I could take him, with his consent, back down to Milwaukee to the VA Center. There they admitted him and we, the hospital and Bart are all hopeful and optimistic that he is in the right place at last. I was so pleased to see him hopeful for the first time. Thank you for your prayers - but don't stop.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.

Bart will be practicing this and I guess I should too.

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday already. Lent is beginning which means spring is on the way too. We are expecting temperatures all the way up into the high 40's on Saturday. The worst is over.

Love

Mary

Well, Bart got to Green Bay at 7:45PM or there.abouts. SIX hours. He was so upset. They had him in handcuffs the whole time and there were several other people, mainly criminals that were picked up here and there. The most upsetting parts were the handcuffs and the fact that those cruel transport people would not even let the passengers go to the bathroom. SIX hours. I am furious. At least he is angry now which is a refreshing change from the depression.

Mother said she got a "pornographic" catalog. She got one of these catalogs that has everything from towels and sheets and kitchen items to graphic videos and vibrators for pleasuring oneself or for getting a good massage. She is so funny. I found it really cute that she found the most suggestive ones to show to me.

Wednesday is our grandaughter, Sara's, birthday. She will be 17. I CANNOT believe that. It seems just a few days ago that we went to the hospital to see her and I got to go right in to the room with them because I was the Grandma.

Take Care.

Mary