We have been busy little people today. Chelsea and I went for our walk at 6:00AM as usual. It was very comfortable. By the time we left for our breakfast and errands it was already getting warm and muggy. Actually, it only hit 86 or 87 and we are supposed to be in the 90s by Saturday but it was quite hot enough, thank you.

We had our breakfast at Zana's, then went on to the Clinic for Dick's blood test. He was perfest AGAIN. That makes 19 months in a row.

Grocery shopping was next on the agenda.

When we got home, I cleaned bathrooms and started the currant wine. Tomorrow, I will strain the juice out of the pulp, add the sugar and additives. Then Saturday, the yeast goes in and we wait.

This afternoon, Dick and I met with Tom Cain and made an offer on a condo in the Tallgrass Condo's. It is the one that is REALLY too big but if we can get the price we asked, it will be OK. We love the view off the deck. I think we made a good offer, so now we have to WAIT. I hate the waiting.

Later

Mary

Well, Today started out rather cool and got very hot and muggy before it was over.

The bust up party for the Morning Trap League was today. We had fun. John Nevicosi brought the food. We had pulled pork in barbeque sauce on rolls, John's special calico beans made with venison sausate and boar bacon, fresh veggies and fruit and a nummy chocolate cake. There was enough, so I brought home enough for sandwiches for Dick and I for tomorrow. It was SO much that I fixed chef's salad for supper tonight. That is always refreshing on a hot day anyway.

We met with Tom and looked at the houses available in Tall Grass. We have decided to make an offer on one as soon as Tom calls us back with one bit of information. The decidinf factors were: the pool table stays and there is a deep laundry tub in the basement. Wow. Now if she will only accept our offer. We are offering the most that we can stretch out. The house is really bigger than we need, but the view is lovely and we love the floor plan.

Wish us luck. Love

Mary

 
JUST FOR FUN. THE WILD GAME DINNER GANG IN 2004 

We had a lovely day. It rained actually for most of the afternoon. But it was comfortable and we needed the rain badly. I had actually done some watering early this morning but that won't hurt either.

Dick and I drove over to Jeff and Kathy's house to pick up the currants for this year's currant wine. They had picked them because the birds were really going to town and they were afraid there would not be enough left. There are still some inside the bushes that are not quite ripe that they will pick tomorrow or the next day for making muffins and jelly. Currant wine is SO good. We did discover that it definately needs to age for a year to get the full flavor. Patience is SO necessary with wines, especially the wines made from scratch.

We took Jeff and Kathy out for lunch. They took us to a pizza place in Hilbert that has excellent food. We ordered a combo veggie and pepperoni pizza for our lunch. The veggies were fresh and very tasty. What a treat, I had really been hungry for pizza. Downtown Hilbert is in the process of a revitalization and this restuarant has been redecorated too. Very attractive to go with the good food. We will have to go back soon so I can go to an art store that is also on the main street. Jeff and Kathy said that 6 artists using different media own and run this store. Sounds like a fun place to go.

I helped Kathy lay out patches for a quilt and gave her some basic instructions on how to prepare and assemble it. Then we had a piece of delicious ice cream/strawberry cake that Kathy made and came home.

Critters were glad we came home. We often wonder if they worry when we are all gone, or if they just assume we will be back.

Tomorrow is the bust up party for the morning league at Rhine and then Dick and I are going to look at a couple of condos in the Tall Grass Condos. A new one is on the market and we will revisit two others that are still for sale.

I am watching a movie I recorded a few days ago. When it is over I will clean the currants for tomorrow's wine making, then to bed to bed.

Have a good day. Wish us luck on our house hunting.


Mary

Three meetings today. Whew!

I had Bible Study this morning. We had a new member of the parish, a gentleman named Joe, join us today. That was nice and good for Tom Keyes, who has been our only regular man in the group. It is really useful to have a nice diverse group. We had a lively discussion about free will and predestination. It is easy to see why predestination would be accepted by some people because God, after all, DOES know everything. However, I believe that we still have free will and can turn Him down if we choose to. And I do not believe that we end up "saved" - I believe it is a work in process. We need to trust God to give us what we need, and I have never been disappointed, but he also expects us to use the talents that he gave us, to get up off our butts and do what is practical and necessary for our good and the good of others in our life.

Then I stopped at Mother's and visited for a bit with her and George. George and Betsy will be heading back to Houston in a few days. They will be spending more time with Shawn and Sara in Chicago before they head back.

Home again to fix lunch for Dick and me. Then on to Writer's Club. I read my poem about the Red Winged Blackbird and shared the picture that I took. They suggested that perhaps I should send it to Birds and Blooms the magazine.

Home again. We had steak, leftovers and corn with peppers and onion for supper along with the last of the apple pie.

At 6:30 Bobbie came by and picked me up for Rhine Plymouth Field and Stream meeting. It was quite uneventful and we were able to get out and on our way home by 8:15PM A minor miracle. John, our acting president, is good about keeping people on the subject and not letting them ramble on. Bobbie and I are insisting that there be a new Secretary and Treasurer for next year and a nomination committee will be established. Three years is quite enough.

Cadfael's Book of Days today says. "Rest easy, for God is awake." Isn't that comforting.

Mary

Today was WAY too busy but what a fun time.

I started off early with a walk with Chelsea. We kept it short as she did not seem too enthused and I had to be at Maywood by 7:00 to help put blinders on the baby pheasants. It seems like a strange thing to do, but the pheasant often become very cannabelistic if unblinded. So the blinding is for their protection. When time for release comes we cut the blinders. Therefore, the birds go into the wild unblinded and able to see to protect themselves. The only thing they lack is experience and, of course, they have a certain lack of fear of humans. It was noted that the birds raised like this do have a tendancy to gravitate to buildings which mean food to them.

Anyway, I was able to spend an hour. Then I went home, showered, fixed breakfast and headed for Mom's house. I delivered her prescription, meat and potatoes and the newspapers that we share. After we visited for a while, we went to church. I walked her home after church and rushed to Rhine Plymouth, where Bobbie and I were working the 100 bird Lewis shoot. I got there just in time to help Harold Diedrich with the registering of the participants. We had 19 squads. Usually we do good with 13 so this was quite a coup. I learned how to do a lot of the registering and recording of the scores. We were a bit later than I expected so I called Dick to tell him and he offered to take me out for dinner. I accepted. We went to Xana's. I had a Reuben and Dick had a Grilled Cheese. Such a sweet thing to do. I LOVE that guy.
We had a quick thunderstorm sweep through the area. No much rain but thunder and lightening.

Tomorrow will also be very busy. Bible study, Writer's Club and Rhine Plymouth. Why does everything come at once. Dick has the Dentist, his Blood Test AND a doctor Appointment all this week.

Will Rogers said.
"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."

So get up off your butt and do something. Just be sure it is what you want to do. Even if it is NOTHING.


Love

Mary

What a day. It was HOT. 88 or more I guess. I am watering the front yard this evening. I have to remember to turn it off. We got to stay home today EXCEPT for a drive to Walgreen's to pick up prescriptions for Dick and Mother.

Chelsea and I went for our usual walk at 6AM. I started the soaker hose in the herb garden and watered the plants on the pole. We mixed the White Zinfindal this afternoon.

I called Bart tonight. He and Barb are doing fine, but the heat is really hard on them and Barb is being really stressed at work because the other two people in her department are out for surgery and they have provided her with NO help at all. He parents are doing better. Her Mom finally got some surgery she needed so will be able to better take care of herself and Don.

Sad news though, Bart and Barb's dog, Beauty died. She was almost 16 years old but that makes it even harder. Their other dog, Sheva is really depressed. I remember how depressed Waylon got when we had the cats put down. He cried, literally. It is so hard to lose a pet, but perhaps that is one of the reasons we are on this earth. To take care of the creatures that would be lost without us.

We had colcannon for supper tonight along with pork tenderloin and cole slaw. Boy was it good. Michelle likes Colcannon. This was the first time she had ever had it. In case you don't know, Colcannon is mashed potatoes combined with cabbage and green onions softened in milk with butter liberally applied to all.

We will have apple pie when the kids get back from the Moose Lodge. Michelle is a member and wants to transfer to Sheboygan. She is thinking of using the lodge for their reception.

Have a nice Sunday.

Mary

Apparantly today is considered the birthday of the bikini. The bikini was quite a scandle when it first came out. By today's standards the original was quite modest. The scandel of it then was the fact that the belly button was exposed for all the world to see.

I remember coming home for a visit (I lived in California at the time) and bringing a two piece bathing suit. It was not even considered a bikini in those days, but Mother was quite embarressed that I would wear it on the sands of Lake Michigan.

I started thinking of the changes over the years and remembered Grandma Bowser. She was a very outspoken person. Back about 40 years ago, pregnant women started wearing shorts during hot weather. Grandma said that she could not help thinking, when she saw them, of an orange with toothpicks stuck in it. I could never wear shorts while I was pregnant because that image STUCK in my mind. I think I mentioned to you that Grandma Marie (Matie) Bowser was a lady and my image and picture of a lady was the way she behaved and expected us to behave.

I gave blood today. It was even more easy than the first time, because I don't seem to be bruising this time. Of course, I didn't get a t shirt. They only do that for the first time. I went right from there to Plymouth for lunch with the girls, and ran into Kathy Fields, the director of our bell choir at Blessed Trinity. She had a knee replacement and spent a couple of weeks at Progressive Health Care a nursing home, that sounds like a hell hole. Finally, a friend of hers just plain got her out of there. She has a long way to go but is planning on directing the bell choir in September, even if she has to do it from a chair. So she is fighting.

We had a cheesy tuna casserole with a salad and peaches on a merengue shell for supper. Quite good.

I am very tired tonight. Perhaps giving blood does that.

Til tomorrow

Love

Mary

We did our grocery shopping this morning. The store was cold. I guess it seemed colder because it was so pleasant outside. We got gas this morning. Can not believe spending $42 for a tank of gas. It is obscene.

I spent part of the afternoon, e-mailing and calling different sources to try to find dancers for the Celtic Faire. I will know next Monday or Tuesday, but talked to a man called Reuel Zielke who coordinates the Caledonian Scottish Dancers. He was encouraging. He will be meeting with the dancers and the piper this weekend and will get back to me. The Faire is held during their natural hiatus (after Irish Fest and before they need to get practicing for holidays) but he was hopeful.

Next I have to call Beth Hoegger, choir director, and Jim Wilsing, our local piper, to plan the Mass for this year.

I think I will do the inserting of my words into the music of "For Ireland, I Won't Say Her Name." tonight. It is good to be getting all these little crummy chores caught up and out of the way. Next week, I want to get back to sewing on the banner and the quilts for quilt show.

I fixed merengue shells last night and we had them tonight with fresh sliced peaches and cool whip. Really refreshing. I made two and they were so big, I split one for tonight and we will have the other tomorrow night. I love the Allrecipes site. You can cut a recipe down by just reducing the number of servings. This will become more useful as time goes along.

Tomorrow, I will be going to Plymouth for lunch, the bank and a stop for a consult at Sun Graphics. The book is getting close and I need to be sure that I have things in a manner that they can work with.

Have a nice Friday


Mary

Today was the last day of shooting in the Morning League at Rhine. I did not do well at all, though, at lease, I did get over half. I finished with a 13. Ich. Next Wednesday is the Bust Up Party.

Dick and I were REALLY busy with wine today. We bottled the Riesling. Twenty Six bottles with the Roxie's Riesling label on them are now ready to put on the shelf. We also added the last ingredients to the Luna Bianca. That will be ready in about a month. Later this weekend we can filter the Wild Grape and the Marigold. Then they will be ready to bottle too. It is a good thing too, because Kathy said that she noticed that the currants are ripening out in Hilbert and I will have to go harvest them in the next week or so.

I got the book I want to publish all put together. There is quite a bit of editing still needed but I think it is really coming together. I would like to have it published before the Irish Reunion out at Mitchell which is August 13.

I was looking at Charles M. Schultz book Happiness Is A Warm Puppy and will share a couple with you.

"Happinessis some black, orange, yellow, white and pink jelly beans, but no green ones."

"Happiness is three friends in the sandbox ..... with no fighting." (The world could sure use a bit more of that!)


Mary

Happy 4th of July! Our country's birthday. We are 230 years old now. It seems like a long time but we still need to realize that compared to many nations we are only a youngster. We are a melting pot, a nation of "mongrels" (that was a great description from a Bill Murray movie called Stripes). We are a mish mosh of ethnic diversity that is always struggling to be fair to everybody.

Fairness, however, does not mean that Everybody can Never be offended. Sometimes we all have to accept that each citizen in our hodge podge of a nation has a RIGHT to believe (or not believe) differently. That if someone chooses to thank or praise God in a public place, it is not necessarily an affront to someone else who does not believe in God. I say "necessarily" because there are always flaunters in our world as well as those who are offended by everything.

We also, as a nation, need to accept the fact that, just as the popular axiom goes,"I wish I was still 16 and knew all the answers." We are a teenager amoung nations and do NOT have the ability to mold the world to our way of thinking. We can only, as the richest nation in the world, try to be generous and as helpful in diplomatic ways and in any other way we can. We are a generous, loving and joyful people. Let us share THESE things.

We went to Randy and Donna's for a fry. What good food and what good company. Michelle got to meet LOTS of the Deeleys. She was a big hit. Everybody is excited about the wedding on October 21. She will meet most of the rest at the Ball Game in August. That is really going to be a busy week.

Donna made a really great flag cake. White chocolate with strawberry stripes and blueberry stars. I fixed calico beans but used chorizo instead of hamburger and were they ever good. We still have a meal or two left.

Did I tell you that I made dill bread? I had made some yogurt cheese (again) I still have not mastered a real good taste mixture, but in the process, I checked for uses for the whey that drains off of the yogurt and found a bread that called for the yogurt cheese AND the whey. It also has fresh chopped onions and dill in it and is VERY good.

At 9:30 I plan on going out on the deck to watch some fireworks for a bit. Poor Chelsea. Well, this will be the worst of it though I am sure there will be some straggling fireworks for at least a week.

Tomorrow, we hope to hear from Bill Cain with some condo info and I am going out to Rhine to shoot my last round for the Summer Morning League.

Have a good rest of the week. If you are working, I am sure the short week is welcomed. At least the weather was beyond beautiful today for United States of America's big birthday bash.

Love

Mary

  

Well, don't ask what happened to me the past two days. I can't even tell you why I didn't post. I think the days just got away from me.

Saturday we were really busy. Dick and Jim and Michelle and I went out for breakfast and then drove to the Ponds (a Sheboygan Falls Condo area) to just see what they look like. We couldn't get in, of course but did find that there are some that are one story, four in a building that might work. However, today, I think I found them on the MLS and they are more than we can spend so that will eliminate them right off the bat. We also drove to Howards Grove and looked at two new units in one building. They are not of the quality of the condos at Tallgrass, so we have eliminated them too. Then Dick and I went to an open house at Tallgrass in the afternoon, but it was not a floor plan or position in the tract that we liked. Anyway, today, (Monday) I called and left a message for Bill to call us. The four of us have decided that if a unit in the Tallgrass can be found that suits Dick and me, we will make and offer and Jim and Michelle will offer on the one they liked.

Saturday night we had quite a storm. Thunder and wind and rain. To top it off, kids are shooting off fireworks and poor Chelsea is a real basket case. We have to force her out to relieve herself and then she is a trembling little bundle.

Sunday night we did not have the storm, but the fireworks were worse. So far tonight, it is pretty quiet on all counts. But we are under a thunderstorm watch for the next couple of hours.

We had enchaladas and tostadas last night. Pretty good. Tonight I fixed leftover vegetable stuffing with Chicken Italian Sausages and fresh leaf lettuce for a salad.

George and Betsy are in the state. They spent the weekend with Shawn and Sara in Chicago and will go back there later in the week. Today, they chose a headstone for Courtney and picked me up so we could go to the Humane Society to see Courtney's window. It is wonderful. One of the big ones on a cage that holds two cats. I was able to put a picture on the blog. George and Betsy were very pleased. I had trouble leaving a big old kitty who kept bumping his head on the glass to ask for some lovin". But two kitties is more than enough. I always was so glad to be able to tell Courtney that when we got pets, we always rescued them from the shelter.

Tomorrow, the Deeley's will congregate at Randy and Donna's for a pot luck fry. I made Calico Beans to take along. I used chorizo instead of hamburger and they are REALLY tasty.

All else is well. Aunt Kathleen called this afternoon, her daughter Christine and her husband Ron, who is a winemaker also, were there and I wanted to share a bottle of Marigold with him. That is our really nice signature scratch wine. They all liked it. Ron gave me a bottle of his daughter's commemorative wedding Chardonnay. We are instructed to let it age for a year. We are very patient. As some of our wines are still trying to age up. Some never will. I also shared Dad's wine book the Wines of the Southwest which is a real little treasure.

Guess that's all. From Cadfael "Aim at making everybody happy, and if that's wighing reach, why stir up ay kind os unpleasantness?"

Mary

An eventful day. Chelsea and I started off with a lovely walk around the tract. My red winged blackbird did not appear. I even called him and waited a bit. Dick has the practical explanation that perhaps his nest is now empty and the need to sound alarm is gone. I perfer to think that he was just busy. We will see if he shows up tomorrow.

I cleaned the kitchen before I took my shower. Then I headed to Plymouth a bit early for my lunch with the bank girls. I had to go to the Sewing Basket for some help on the Celtic Banner. The thread keeps breaking. They had several suggestions: Ironing the appliques to make the needle flow easier, a different needle and a hint to pull the thread through before sewing so the tension is correct.

Then I zipped accross the street to REMAX to talk to Tom. I had been trying to call with some questions but the phones between Chilton and Plymouth were all goofed up because of a severed fiber optic cable.

Anyway, I wanted to ask the question about the number of pets allowed in the TallGrass condos. The declarations say 1 cat or 1 dog less than 35 lbs. Tom said that her knows the at least one or two owners have more than one pet and that there had even been one exception for a bigger dog that was old. He said he would be sure to confirm it but that if we decide to purchase there we could ask that the three be permitted as Oscar and Roxie never leave the house and Chelsea is never off the leash.

So that was reassuring. The unit we are interested in is all but sold but Tom said that he knows of another that is coming up soon. Tomorrow, Jim and Michelle are going with us to drive by the Ponds in Sheboygan Falls and some condos in Howards Grove. If they look interesting, we will ask Tom or Bill to get a showing set up.

Jim and Michelle have set the date for their WEDDING. Oct 21st. It is right between their birthdays. Mark your calendars. They want to be married in Veterans Park in Port Washington. Jim ordered his TUX. Things are coming together.

They ran into Kurt Thuemmler, my nephew, Dolores and Ken's son, at Summerfest. Now Michelle will know SOMEONE at Donna's when we are there on the 4th.

Tomorrow will be a fun day.

Love
|
Mary

We grocery shopped today. We did pretty good. Didn't need too much which is always welcome.

Blueberry Scones

Scone Dough:

2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour

1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar

2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons (85 grams) chilled, unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 cup (150 grams) fresh blueberries

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon (5 grams) pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup (120 ml) milk or cream

Brushing tops of scones:

Milk or Cream

Streusel Topping:

1/4 cup (55 grams) brown sugar

1/4 cup (35 grams) all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons (30 grams) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces


Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) and place rack in middle of oven. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. To prevent the bottom of the scones from over browning, place the prepared cookie sheet inside another cookie sheet.

For the Scones: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Gently fold in the blueberries. In a small measuring cup combine the cream, beaten egg and vanilla. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix the dough or the scones will be tough.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough gently four or five times and then pat the dough into a circle that is about 7 inches (18 cm) round and about 11/2 inches (4 cm) thick. Cut this circle in half, then cut each half into four pie-shaped wedges (triangles). Place the scones on the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with a little cream or milk.

For the Streusel Topping: In a small bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the butter until crumbly. Top each scone with a teaspoon or two of the streusel mixture. Cover and refrigerate any leftover streusel mixture.

Bake the scones until nicely browned, about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a scone comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. These are best eaten the day they are made.

Makes 8 scones

They are REALLY good scones.

Love


Mary

Did we ever have a storm this morning. Just after Chelsea and I took our walk, I took my shower. By the time I got out of the shower, the skies were black and the thunder was rolling accross the land. As the song says "All dark and movin'". Then the water started to fall. Chelsea was terrified and headed for the bed to hid her little head under it.

By 10:00AM it was all over and I was able to go out shooting. Probably not the best idea, I only got a 13. I have an excuse this time. On station 5, my voice was not triggering the bird and it threw my timing all off. It took me two stations to get back in the groove. This was my score. Station 1 - 3, Station 2 - 5, Station 1 - 1, Station 2 - 1 and Station 3 - 3. Well, next week I will shoot my last 25 shots and hopefully will improve on that. My average (until this week) was 15.

Then, I picked up Mother and we went to lunch at the Villager. We had soup and a half sandwich. We both had mushroom sandwiches (which were messy, but wonderful). I had corn/chicken chowder and Mother had baked French onion soup. If you want to see one of my brother Matt's paintings, Bob Eigenberger has one hung in the entry of the Villager. It is the one in oranges and blacks, closest to the street on your right. Matt, who died in 1972 was an artist as well as a poet.

We went next to her eye doctor appointment. Good news. She doesn't have to go back for a whole year unless she notices a change. Up this now she has had to go every 6 months. We are excited because we figure that he thinks that her eyes are stablized for the time being.

Home again after getting gas and picking up some Sudafed for Dick. The rest of the afternoon was quiet. We had leftover spaghetti and brushetta for supper.

An artist friend of mine, Cincy Matyi, has a painting in an art festival. They are having an online vote for favorite piece. If you want to help her, go to www.adcfineart.com and vote for #185 Cynthia Matyi. I bought a copy of the piece if you want to see a bigger piece, I have not had time to get it framed yet. Cindy would really appreciate your vote. The following is a description of the painting.

“Pilgrimage” by Cynthia R. Matyi

The ancient practice of pilgrimage, or sacred journey, is as
relevant today as it was in medieval times. It is symbolic of the
journey of the soul, transforming, awakening and healing the pilgrim
who travels through unfamiliar lands. This image depicts many who have
made journeys in search of enlightenment or meaning -- from the Irish
St. Brendan the Navigator whose quote is seen in the upper left, to the
5th century Spanish nun, Egeria, to the Holy Roman Emperor,
Charlemagne. English noblewoman Margery Kempe with her children, St.
Francis of Assisi, Chinese pilgrims Fa-hsien and Hsuan-tsang, Gerald of
Wales, Helena, the mother of Constantine, Muhammad, founder of Islam
and Columbanus, the great Irish missionary are also seen in this
panorama of pilgrims.

Tomorrow we shop in the morning and I go to a Senior picnic with Mom in the afternoon.

Hope your day is fun.

Mary

  

As I write, a thunderstorm is rolling accross the land. It shook the house pretty good a little bit ago. Enough for poor Chelsea to retreat to the bedroom and hide her little head. The cats show very little interest. I think they were even mildly annoyed when we shut the deck door. At least we had good weather most of they day and we even were able to sit out on the deck for a while before dinner. It was really very lovely.

Leslie called tonight. What a pleasant surprise. She is home ALL alone tonight. Nora is at a friend's home, Bill is in California (his mother is very ill) and last week (sit down for this), Sara flew to Florida to join a friend. His name is Vincent Spader and they met online. He did spend 10 days with the Smiths and Leslie and Bill do like him. But, wow, that is still quite a leap of faith on their and Sara's part. Prayers are needed again.

We found out that the covenants at Tall Grass Condos only allow for one pet in a unit. That pretty well rules them out unless an exception can be filed as we will not give up the critters. We take our responsibilities to them pretty seriously and we love them. We will just have to keep looking. No hurry, fortunately.

We stayed home all day. I got some more sewing done and worked more on my desk.

We ate Michelle's Mexican Lasagna again (still EXCELLENT) accompanied by a fresh leaf lettuce salad prepared with lettuce from Mom's garden. Num Num. Soon we will have fresh produce all over. Some of my plants already have a few buds on them. I will have to drive past Wingert's to see how the sweet corn is doing. It is usually late July when we start getting the local stuff.

I figured out how to post a picture from a picture source on my computer. I just don't know how to merge it with the text yet. SO you have two postings tonight. These rambling paragraphs and a picture of the storm that we had on Father's day.

Enjoy.

Mary

Bible study this fine Monday morning. I left the quilt for the quilting bee in St. Francis Chapel then spent this afternoon making sure that SOMEONE had a key so they could get in to DO the sewing. I finally heard from Joan Schueffner who has a key and we had a backup. We are half way done now. We won't get together next Monday, but someone will take home the quilt to work on it. It is truly lovely and whoever wins it is getting a work of art.

The rest of the afternoon, I kind of puttered. I worked on the sewing machine. I figured out that there is nothing wrong with my free form sewing. The thread keeps breaking but I believe that I need to change my thread and/or just be patient because going through the iron appliques is causing some trouble too. I also decided to simply quilt the patchwork forest quilt onto a big flannel backing that I have and make it a simple cuddler. It will be quite pretty, pleasantly, but not too, warm and washable.

Tonight we met Jim and Michelle and my friend Tom Cain from RE Universal. (Tom is Bill's brother and a part of Bill's "empire".) We looked at three condos in the Tallgrass Condo complex. One is a two bedroom 1 bath with an unfinished basement overlooking a lovely forest area that will never be developed further because it borders on a city park. It has an unfinished basement that could easily be developed if wanted or otherwise provide tons of storage room.

The second, right next to it is really great but way too big for us and much more that the kids want also (at least I think it is, I can't decide anything for them for sure. It is hard enough to make plans for us.) This third, Dick and I liked a lot. The deck fronts on Hwy E but that is not to badly a traveled road (Dick and I know this because we took ALL the side roads when I was working in Plymouth) and the berm has new trees and bushes that will in time provide a really good buffer. It faces west and will be very pleasant in the evenings. I might want a partial cover for shade but we would see how it is if this turns out to be "the one". It has three bedrooms, (one AND an office/sewing room downstairs). The upstairs bath has a whirlpool and is oversized. There is a 3/4 bath downstairs too. It has a pantry and several tucked away storage areas. Tom said that there is an offer on the property but he doesn't know how serious it is because he recalls a contingency which he will call us with. Anyway, we need to now think about it for a bit.

As we were leaving I ran into a friend who used to be on the environment committee at Blessed Trinity (when it was still St. Mary's) Scott Dedlow. He borrowed some stands from us for the Easter Decorating at St. John's in Plymouth. He sheepishly admitted he still has the stands so I had to confess that I hadn't noticed that they weren't back. He lives in Tallgrass and was walking around to see how the current home in progress was coming along.

So. It was a busy day.

Tomorrow I get to stay home ALL day.

Love

Mary

Church this morning. I really like our bible study now. As I said, we study the readings from the upcoming Sunday. It is so much more meaningful when we hear them and Fr. Gene usually gives even more insight. The Old Testament reading was from Job. He sure had a rough time but his trust in God is the whole story.

I fixed blueberry scones for breakfast this morning. Also Irish sausages and bacon and eggs. I am afraid that I am the most enthused about the Irish sausages but they were almost all gone anyway. They are an acquired taste for the American pallate, especially for those of us in the Midwest who grew up on spicy sausages like bratwurst and who are used to the grind that we have which is totally different than the European sausages.

I finished another square on the church quilt today. We are now half done. Should be able to finish by the end of July easily. I have to remember to leave it at St. Francis Chapel tomorrow for the group quilt. I don't imagine we will be meeting next week as it will be July 3. I want to spend this week working on the banner for Celtic Faire.

We finished the last of the meatloaf for supper. We had Michelle's dessert too. Jim and Michell left us WAY too much of that. However, we see them tomorrow, as we are going to look at a couple of condos that are on the market and I will share what is left with them. It is SO good, but we will have to finish it in the next couple days or it will be too old.

As I said, tomorrow we are going to look at some condos so we will be able to determine what is out there. A couple that are currently listed, look quite good.



A picture of the evening sky on my way home from Sheboygan Falls last week. We get Such colors with all the moisture in the air when the sun reflects off the clouds.

Breathtaking.

Mary