It was a bit cooler today. After the amazing 82 degrees of yesterday, Chelsea and I walked this morning in 40 degrees. It got up to the mid 60s and was clear and rather still anyway. We opened up the deck door and windows to let the fresh air in. The cats sure like that.

I was on a cooking frenzy today, getting ready for Easter as I have church at 10:30 and will be shooting with Jim and Michelle and maybe Bobbie at 2:30 out at Rhine.

I mixed the stuffing, made the cake for the dessert and sliced the strawberries. The Easter Bunny filled the baskets today too and left them in my care to put out for everyone in the morning. Dick and Jim will be so pleased that he remembered us again.

I don't think that I shared this recipe with you before. If I did , it bears repeating anyway.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE TO DIE FOR

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

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

Remove from heat.

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

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


Happy Easter.

Don't let anybody eat the ears off of your chocolate bunies.

Mary

I am done with Environment for a while now. We had a WONDERFUL crew of about 20 people who worked very efficiently from 6 to about 8:00 and got everything done. It is beautiful. All gold and white with green plants around and the Celtic scrolls that Bob Fleming did for the church while he was in the parish. When I get pictures, I will post them on the blog so that you can see.

After we finished four of us went to Parkview Restuarant for a lake perch dinner. It was pretty good. I have had better, but I have difinately had worse and would bo back there for another one if the occasion arose. By then I was very hungry and it was a welcome repast.

The choir sang at the Good Friday Service this afternoon too, so I spent a LOT of time in church today.

I also got the kitchen cleaned this morning and boiled the eggs for Easter dinner and the baskets. Tomorrow, I only have to leave the house to walk the dog. I intend to be a real hermit.

I have not heard for ANY of my out of state kids for several weeks now. I guess it it time that I call to see if they are all still functioning. My weekends have been so busy that I have been thinking of calling much too late.

Below is my attempt at a prose poem. A prose poem is one that does not rhyme or have lined. Its only claim to being poetry is that it is supposed to flow and seems to me is an excuse to write ideas in a form other than a essay but that do not quite become another form of poem. Let me know what you think. A prime example of a good one is the poem Get Drunk, which I think I did put on the blog at one time.

Memories of a Strikers Daughter


Fear and fervor lived in our house. A STRIKE was being called for by the workers. The workplace was not safe. Everybody knew that the Company built the hospital for the victims of dreaded silicosis, the scourge of the plant. And Dad was a UNION MAN. United we stand! He believed. Then he walked the picket line. I remember. His friend John crossed the picket line. SCAB! They were friends no more. Ever. Some names are burned in memory - Dad spat out those names. These were the enemy. Mom made homemade donuts for the guys on the picket line. Dad joined the Union Chorus. They sang “When the Union's inspiration through the workers blood shall run” . The chorus traveled to Georgia to sing at convention. They went to other exotic places too. We kids loved THE SOUP KITCHEN! They were open 24 hours and they served dry Bologna Sandwiches wrapped in waxed paper with all the soda we could drink. Unbelievable luxury.
One day, Uncle Jack put Kohler fixtures in his new addition. Why Dad checked, we don't know but he saw and left without a word. Dad didn't speak to his own brother for years.

The Brothers made up. Praise God!

Many Never Have.




Mary

Another warm day with a bit of sprinkles thrown in mid afternoon. Just enough moisture to give everything a bit of a drink and a gently rinse.

We went to see Sue, the technician who checks Dick's blood every month. He was perfect again. Sue said it had been 16 months and she is amazed. She wishes he could bottle what he does because it is just unheard of to be within the perameters for that long a time. Proud - Proud - Proud.

We then went grocery shopping and home. This afternoon, I had to go BACK to church to finish the environment (decorating - it's decorating. Churches don't like to say they decorate, but they do.) for Holy Thursday (tonight). Marcie, Donna, Fran and I finished at about 4:45 and I had to spin back home to fix and eat dinner and change to go BACK to church for the Holy Thursday service, as the choir sang.

It was an interesting service. It is the one that involves the symbolic washing of the feet. That went well. Following that we had the petitions and the Eucharistic Service. THEN they processed the sacrament to the temporary tabernacle that we had set up outside the body of the church (which is the normal Holy Thursday thing to do.) In the back of my mind, I was thinking, "When do they strip the altar." When the sacrament was ensconsed, Fr. Gene said that people could pray in silence and then leave. So most people started to get up and leave. Then Deacon Sy Regan went up to the front and said. "Silence should be maintained. We aren't done yet." (I am paraphrasing) Then he and Deacon Bill proceeded to take the cloths off of the altar as those who remained in church kind of whispered and milled around in confusion. In the background we could hear Fr. Gene laughing in conversation with someone in the vestibule. It was all very odd. Why Fr. Gene or the Deacons did not announce, or better yet, they did not mention in the Worship folder that the altar would be stripped after the interment and that everyone should wait in silence until that was accomplished, I will never know. But I certainly do not know more than these Old Men do. Ha Ha

Maybe Good Friday will be smoother.

Love

Mary

What a day. It has been in the upper 60s and we have had the window in the office and the deck door open all afternoon. It is 8:30PM and they are STILL open and it feels great. It rained all morning or we would probably have opened them then. The rain was welcome too. I will have to walk around the house and see if it encouraged a couple more of my herbs. Two of the lavender, one thyme, the oregano, chives and parsley are coming up. The rhubarb and the peony on the far side of the house are coming up too.

I am waiting for the tulips to bloom. I thought I saw one out there today. Daffodils are showing color on my walk so life is good.

Jim just got back from having dinner with Michelle at Applebees in Bayshore Mall. We are looking forward to meeting her on Sunday. Jim, Michelle and I are going shooting at about 2:30 that day. We hope Bobbie will join us too. Michelle told Jim that she really hasn't shot pistol but has hunted and shot trap or skeet, maybe both. That will be a fun thing to do together.

I am going to fix a Blitz Torte for Sunday's dessert. I will fill it with custard and fresh strawberries. That seems very Eastery to me.

My friend Janet sent me the following - Enjoy.


Apples and Wine

Women are like apples on trees. The best ones are at the top of
the tree. Most men don't want to reach for the good ones
because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. Instead,
they sometimes take the apples from the ground that aren't as
good, but easy. The apples at the top think something is wrong
with them, when in reality, they're amazing. They just have to
wait for the right man to come along, the one who is brave
enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree. Share this
with women who are good apples, even those who have already
been picked!

Now Men.... Men are like a fine wine. They begin as grapes, and
it's up to women to stomp the crap out of them until they turn
into something acceptable to have dinner with.



Have a nice Thursday.

I did get to stay home all day today. AND the weather was wonderful. It was in the mid 60s. I washed throw rugs and hung them over the railing on the deck to dry. Chelsea and I had a lovely walk this morning AND we walked around the house and put a couple of things out in the garden too.

Dick an I filtered the 2nd time around concord grape wine today. We will bottle it tomorrow. Then I have an empty jug and can start the last of the wild grapes that I gathered last fall.

We are having Bobbie and Bill and Jim's friend Michelle over on Easter for dinner. I love to feed people. This will be fun. I spent part of the day planning the meal. Jim would like to take Michelle trap shooting, so we will probably meet at the club in the afternoon. That way I can shoot again too. It is getting towards spring.

I really should check, as a matter of fact, as Sheboygan Falls Conservation has a two man league and I should probably call my friend Rosalee and see if she wants to shoot this year. Last year, I found out that she knew my brother Jeff at one time. She knew him as a rascal and was quite surprised to hear that he retired as a teacher and was not such a rascal in these last 30 years or so.

I am getting ready to watch the remake of the Ten Commandments so I am posting a bit early.

The only other exciting thing that happened to day was that I argued with my pastor over the ugly red cloth on the altar. We both settled down before the end of the conversation but it got pretty angry for a while, which I was. I ended by reminding him that I had a notice in the bulletin that the Environment Committe had nothing to do with the ugly red cloth and he said that he respected that.

So that is over. We still don't agree. I WILL be showing him the guidelines that we used for not putting red directly on the altar for Palm Sunday.

I am a stubborn Irish Catholic Girl, Aren't I?

Mary

Whew - what a busy day. I am so glad that it is over and tomorrow, I get to stay home ALL day. Chelsea is getting her Easter Bath in the morning. I hope that SHE doesn't read the blog tonight. I would hate to have her fretting all night long.

Started out this morning with Bible Study at 9:30AM. I was totally surprised. My fellow Bible Study participants chipped together and bought me a lovely crystal crucifix as a thank you for starting and leading the group. They are such a great group of loyal interested people and we are all learning SO much. This morning, we started out with a general discussion of the "new" Judas Gospel. It is pretty well proven that it does date back far enough but it does not put forth the same message (even discounting the fact that it says that Judas was following Jesus request by betraying him) that the other gospels do. It is totally different even than the other Gnostic gospels which were not included in the New Testament.

Then I went to take pictures of the Palm Sunday decorations in church that the Environment committee worked hard on and found the our Deacon and Priest had taken off the altar cloth we had left on and replaced it with a wrinkled red raggy piece of cloth because the Deacon decided that the altar cloth should be red and they couldn't find an altar cloth. What a joke. I am still trying to get some satisfaction on that. Deacon Sy and I disagree completely on the instructions for Palm Sunday decorations. I will be discussing this with Father. I don't have to this.

Writers Club this afternoon and two more meetings at church tonight have left me really beat. I shared my poem with them and they liked it. I will share it with you here and you can let me know what you think. I would like to send it somewhere but am not quite certain where it fits.


Luminescence

They become translucent
In the twilight of their days.
Like fragile delicate china
The light from within and beyond
Shines through
With a warm golden glow.

Once brazen yellow, like a dandelion
Sprung up on the lawn.
Now a fragile tuft of spun silver
Waiting to be whispered away gently
By God's own breath
To eternity and home.

Today at Bible Study, Helen Maurer mentioned that my Mother had taught her daughter at St. Mary School many years ago. Mom taught at the school for two years during the strike. She was a teacher, you know. She got her teachers certificate at the Sheboygan Falls Normal School which later became Lightfoot School, for special needs children and now has been torn down. The land is being used to put up condominiums. But I digress. Mom was teaching the year that John Kennedy was assasinated and Helen's daughter still remembers Mother talking to the children about it and crying along with them at the sadness of it all.

Have a nice Tuesday. It is supposed to be warm

Mary

What a satisfying day.

It was quite pleasant. Mid 50's after a brisk walk this morning in 31 degree temps. But the sun shone and there was no wind. I went out to shoot this afternoon. I shot three league targets.

After the first one, I wondered if I made a big mistake. I had either four or five non scoring shots. My mind has blanked it out. But the next two, I adjusted and they were much better. That really bad one will bring my average way down, but hopefully I can bring it up again.

Tonight, Dick and I went to the Kohler Memorial Theater in their high school and saw, Hal Holbrook as Mark Twain. I cannot tell you how enjoyable it was. He is a master. The delight in seeing him perform and on top of that performing a a role that he has been doing and refining since 1954 was enjoyed by the whole audience. Even the program was amusing. As and example, this was in the program listings. "MUSIC: A trombone player was engaged, but is unreliable and should not be expected." Dick says that they have narrowed the seats in that auditorium, so we will not go back there, BUT it was well worth finding that out with such a great show. It took the discomfort ALMOST out of the sitting.

He told a story about Limburger Cheese, a mix up with a box of rifles and a body and a very hot railroad car. Limburger Cheese reminded me of two incidents in my own life.

My Grandma Deeley (along with Mother) introduced me to the wonders of cheese. I used to go to join Grandma for morning Mass during the summers and then go home with her for breakfast. We always had cheese and bread. Homemade of course. She introduced me to many different and exotic varieties of cheese. Once she mentioned giving me some Limburger and I still remember Aunt Helen absolutely forbidding it.

The other story involves, my ex husband's dear Aunts, Ruth and Lib (short for Elizabeth.) They used to get together occasionally JUST to eat Limburger. They always said that the trick was to hold your breath and your nose until you managed to get the first bite down. Then you could enjoy it. Sounds like a lot of trouble to me. There are plently of cheeses that don't involve tricking your brain and taste buds.

My Uncle George always sent a cheese box with lots of different cheese varieties in it. My boys learned to love cheese from me and to experiment from those boxes. When Bart and I moved to Minnesota, the thing I missed most until I could get my kitchen set up was having a piece of cheese and a cracker while I was preparing dinner. Bart too.


Have a wonderful week. It is supposed to get up into the 60s for us.

Love

Mary

Worked all morning at church. We had to cut the ends off the palms because they had been left in their boxes - in the sealed plastic - for several days AND got moldy. What a mess, there are hundreds of the darn things. We did our embellishments to jazz things up for the Palm Sunday Celebration tonight and tomorrow.

Then we checked out the altar cloths and hangings that we will need for Holy Thursday and Easter.

Tonight I went to Mass at 5:00 because the choir had to practice for Easter Week AFTER mass. Didn't get home until about 7:15 so we had a very late supper and I am very tired. But Now I do not have to get up early tomorrow. I guess that Jim and I will shoot tomorrow and in the evening, Dick and I will go to see Hal Holbrook as Mark Twain at the Kohler Theatre. I am really looking forward to that, Hal is one of my favorites.

I sent for the Rosalyn Russell version of My Sister Eileen. Dick and I remember it very fondly from our youth. It is very amusing but it is also amazing how humor has changed and we are not finding it as hysterically funny as we remembered it from back then. It kind of reminds me of Dad. He used to rave about the OLD westerns. Lash Larue etc etc. So finally we got him a tape or something of an old movie and he grudgingly ended up admitting that he was really disappointed. It was not at all what he remembered.

Have a good Sunday. I hope this wasn't too rambling. Jennifer Garner said. "I know enough to know that when you're in a pickle...Call Mom." I still remember laying in the hospital in labor with my first baby and wishing that my Mom was there.

Later

Mary

It snowed today. The forecast was possible flurries, but it was really heavy for almost two hours. I was driving from Sheboygan Falls to Plymouth when it was at its peak and I was kind of wondering what the heck I was doing out there. Fortunatly, it stopped BEFORE I was leaving Dairy Queen and the drive home was safe and sound. So - on the way home I stopped and got two dozen eggs from the egg farm. (Now I just have to dye some white eggs with tumeric as I will have on green and several shades of brown dyed by nature for the baskets. Yes! the Easter Bunny DOES come to our house.) I also stopped at Woodlake and cashed in a couple of coupons. Woodlake will often have items before the major chain groceries.

Tonight we went to Bill's retirement party that was put on by the Friends. (There were nine other retirees honored but of course the most important one was BILL.) We ran into Pete, Jim's old supervisor. I asked him if he had tried the pepper jelly that I gave him (I knew he hadn't) He is afraid of it, I think. I tried to convince him that it is really good. It is you know. We are all out and I have to make another batch. If he tastes it he may ask for more (Ha Ha)

This morning I met with Beth Dipple at the Research Center. She is the Director of the organization. She is also my brother in law Ken's cousin. AND Pat O'Reilly, who sings with Blarney, (a favorite Irish Band) whenever they come to Sheboygan County is Ken and Beth's Uncle. He is the one who had a heart attack in the middle of his song about 6 years ago and was saved because:

1. There were two emergency room nurses in the audience
2. One of the band member is an EMT.
3. They were on him before he hit the floor.

When they got him stabalized and were reeling him out on the gurney he was struggling to get up. He kept telling the EMTS that he had to finish his song. The next year he was back and DID finish his song. He is still singing for us too.

Anyway, I took a biography and a copy of my brother's book to her. Now he will be remembered forever.

We are going to work together to try to bring Irish events to Sheboygan County three or four times a year. We hope to start sometime this summer.

I was thinkin today of all I learned in Al Anon and AA. I don't know why. But I do remember going to my first meeting and crying during the whole thing. A dear little man wearing a hand made tie slide with Jesus Loves You printed on it kept patting me on the arm and saying. "You are in the right place."

And a lady, who I knew had a rougher road than I, would say. "I can fix my day at the beginning of it. I can change "Good God Morning" to Good Morning God."
Have a Good Morning God kind of day!

The Elantra is all fixed. While Dick took Jim to work this morning, I dropped it off at the body shop. Then Dick picked me up and we went for breakfast and grocery shopping. We had to pick Jim up when the car was ready as well. Then in the early afternoon, we got a prescription for Dick from Walgreens, so I felt like we were traveling most of the day.

I also transplanted the pitiful plant that the cats have been chewing on into three smaller pots today and cut off the top of the big corn plant which was hitting the ceiling. I stuck the top piece in the same pot next to the original. Now the trick will be to keep the cats from killing it. They are extremely persistant. I may look for some repellant tomorrow.

The weather was beautiful, sunny and in the mid 50s all day.

Tomorrow night we will go the the Friends of Mead Public Library, retirement party for the eight long term employees who took early retirement. This time we have it right. As you remember, a couple of weeks ago, Dick and I were all ready. Good thing Jim figured it out and told us we had the wrong date.

I am taking my brother Matt's book of poems and mini biography to the Sheb. County Historical Research Center to donate. Beth and I have a couple of other things to discuss also.

The Cadfael Book of Days for yesterday was very special. I may bring it to Bible Study on Monday. "Death falls upon children who never did harm to any, upon old men, who in their lives have done good to many, and yet are brutally and senselessly slain. Never let it shake your faith that there is a balance hereafter. What you see is only a broken piece from a perfect whole."

Isn't that special?

Have fun tomorrow. The second last Friday in Lent.

Mary

It was a beautiful day. Up in the 50s. Dick said that this is supposed to be the warmest day of the week. That is a disappointment but we need to take them when we get them. This morning when Chelsea and I started on our walk, we heard a Phoebe singing his heart out right from the tree next to the walk. Such a big noise from such a small creature.

I had lunch with a friend today. Suzi lost her husband six months ago. I went to see Sam a couple of times when he was dying. He wanted company and I am good at that. I waited a few months before calling Suzi because it seems to me that everybody is always there and wanting to visit right after yhou lose someone but after a while they go on with their lives and forget. That is when you need someone. So we had a good visit. I will call her again in a month or so.

Tomorrow, we have to take Jim to work and the Elantra to the body shop to have the bumper fixed. I did tell you that Jim had a little fender bender on the way home one evening last week, didn't I? Noone was hurt at all but of course we have to get the car fixed. They say that it will not be over a day and a half. Hopefully it will be done tomorrow. We are grocery shopping tomorrow too. I still have to get my list together.

Theodore Roosevelt's ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907.
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."
Theodore Roosevelt 1907

I thought that the above is as pertinant today as it was 100 years ago.

Mid week and on to the weekend.

Love

Mary

It was a gorgeous day today. The sun was shining and despite the slightly more than needed breeze it felt much warmer that the high of the forties. Chelsea let me sleep until 6:30 AM.

She had to go for her heartworm test today. She does not like going to the Vet at all. She is starting to object to even going into the office. We always put a muzzle on her because we just don't know if she will snap or not. This time she got scared and started crying while Dr. Kris was drawing the blood. She was totally pitiful. But all is well and she will start taking her pills in June. Dr. Kris is Dr. Zechlinski's new partner. When I told her Chelsea likes lettuce she was delighted because her favorite patient at her previous practice also loved lettuce.

Then Dick and I voted and went over to D & M Plumbing to look at counter tops. We didn't get as much information as we had hoped for. Dick expected that they would send someone over to measure and make some recommendations. Apparantly they want us to measure and draw a floor plan and so on. So, we need to reconsider how we are going to proceed.

An e-mail from a friend. We all get heavier as we get older because there's a lot more information in our heads. So I'm not fat, I'm just really intelligent and my head couldn't hold any more so it started filling up the rest of me! That's my story and I'm sticking to it


I thought you would enjoy it as much as I did

Mary

What a strange weather day this was. I woke up to rain, really strong winds and even some snow flurries for a bit. Chelsea was bracing her little four feet to keep upright in the wind and did not even object to not heading out for a walk. Then this afternoon, the sun came out and by 5 or so it was almost warm though the wind is still a bit gusty.

We did get our walk this afternoon. The wind was still strong enough at 2 that I was bracing myself one direction and scooting along pretty fast the other. The old Irish Saying. "May the wind be always at your back" makes lots of sense.

Tomorrow, she gets her heartworm test. She thinks that the pills she takes once a monthe to prevent them are treats. She will like the ride, but it is really funny to see her march into the office and then try to head immediately back to the car.

We must remember to vote tomorrow too. Dick says that he is going to vote against Bush.

Bobbie and I had the Rhine Plymouth regular meeting tonight. It went quite well despite the officer changes that we have had when our president resigned. Things had been quite disrupted lately, not because of our previous leader, but the change certainly has given us a chance to change direction a bit and perhaps stop some of the bickering.

How closely tragedy and comedy are intwined. Mother and I were laughing Sunday about an incident that happened to her several years ago. She belongs to a bridge club that has been in existance for probably close to 70 years. There are still three of the original members in it. They play when they all feel well and when the weather is with them.

A few years ago, Mother, Loraine Le Mehieu and Bea Visser went to pick up Florence Herring to meet the others in Sheboygan. They got to her house and she didn't come out for her ride. So they went to the door and knocked. When they didn't get an answer, they called her son. When he arrived he went in and found out that dear Florence had passed peacefully away. By then they were late to meet the other s for lunch but they valiantly got in the car and went to the restuarant where they were going to eat before playing cards. They joined their friends and Bea said to those gathered. "Florence is gone." Doris Moies, a little miffed because they were late said. " Well, Where did she go.?"

They all still laugh about this incident to this day. They are so close but so practical and so accepting of life - and death - as part of the whole picture.

Have a lovely Tuesday. Don't forget to vote if you have an election in your area


Love

Mary

It has been raining off and on all afternoon. Now it seems a bit foggy. We need the rain. The little bit that we had last week made the tulips and day lilies really shoot up.

Jim and I went to practice pistol shooting again today. I am holding. The exercising is really helping. Would you believe that I got a 72 today!!!! And my average for the day was only four below Jim's. I am EXCITED. When we came back upstairs, we found Uncle Ken, my brother-in-law, sitting on a stool so we visited a bit with him.

I wrote a biography of my brother Matthew to take along with his poetry book to the Sheboygan County Historical Research Center when I meet with Beth Dippel on Wednesday morning. I had Dick read it and he says it is OK. I reviewed the things that I wanted to say with Mother. I believe that I will embellish it with my personal memories and things that, maybe, don't belong in the Research Center. If I change my mind, I can always replace it.

Here is one of his poems.

THINGS I'D LIKE TO SEE
by
Matt Deeley

there are many people i'd like to know
too many for my short years
many ways i'd like to grow
many many things i'd like to hear

a few more hearts i'd like to touch
some words i might believe
you know i just can't see too much
before i take my leave
a few more friends i'd like to make
a little love i'd like to take

before i'm tired and have to rest
i'd like to try my very best
to see everything there is to see
before weariness falls on me

a few more years i'd like to live
a little trust i'd like to give
and maybe i can help someone
to know himself and understand
that day is never really done
the sun shines always on the land.

there are many things i'd like to see
before my eyes can look no more
many different places i'd like to be
before i'm too old to open doors.


Tomorrow is a busy day. Bible Study AND Rhine Plymouth Meeting.

It will probably rain and maybe a few flurries. That doesn't seem quite fair but after all it is only April. May the sun shine on you.

Mary

A whole day at home. I finished a rough copy of a brocure that I want to mail to our Blessed Trinity Senior Saints. (I'm one of them too, even if Mother says that I am just a kid.) I have to laugh at her. She said that most of the people that go to the Senior meals are in their 70s. And many are in worse shape than she is. She is an amazing woman.

I also cleaned my desk and cleared up several things that have been just hanging around. Then I made some blueberry muffins and a blueberry cheesecake. I had a bag of blueberries in the freezer and soon there will be fresh blueberries in the store that are reasonable. Don't want things hanging around in the freezer TOO long.

It was a little bit chilly today. I don't think it got over 47 and it was cloudy, so it was a bit gloomy. A good day to hole up at home. Kitties were quite pleased with that. They like it when I work at my desk. Actually they like it when I sew downstairs too. They just all move down there to sleep. Sometimes I feel like the Pied Piper. Of course, they are not rats or children.

Tonight we have to remember to change the clocks. Spring Forward. Nine becomes ten. I always have to go through the whole idea before it sinks in. That ought to really confuse the animals. Don't you think?

Later.

Mary

Woke up this morning to wet streets. It did not start raining again until this afternoon and has been misting ever since.

I went to Plymouth for lunch. There were just three of us today. Marlene was babysitting and Betty is off galavanting in the Carribean again. This time with her daughter on a rather small boat. I had a cup of Tomato Florentine soup. It was very very good. Then I bought three small blizzards for our dessert tonight. I couldn't resist when the server gave me a .50 coupon and they have Banana Cream Pie and Coconut Cream Pie flavors. Boy are they every GOOD!

I have a story for you tonight. Years ago, my Dad had a hip replacement. He was the first or second person in the county to get this new procedure which was a plastic joint. He had had a stainless steel one year before but it had gotten closed by calcium buildup. Calcium would not build up on the plastic joint.

Anyway, he had to go into the hospital a couple of days ahead of time as they had to scrub and totally disinfect and sanatize his skin and the area of the operation. Probably because they would be opening the bone marrow area. Grandma Bowser found that a good reason to tease Dad. She told him that she remembered hearing about the Man from Town Mosel who was admitted to the hospital and it took them seven days of baths before they got him clean.


Have a nice weekend. If the rain keeps up, we will have worms all over the street. This is another sign of spring and good harvest for the robins.

Mary

What a beautiful day. We opened the window in the office for a good part of the day, which made Oscar and Roxie, especially Oscar, very happy.

We went out grocery shopping this morning with our usual Thursday morning breakfast at Zana's. When we got home I raked the last of the leaves that were piled up against the house. Now if we get some rain, and continue to have warm days, I will be able to figure out what I will have to replace or supplement. The tulips, peonys, day lilies, parsley, thyme, chives and rhubarb are showing signs of life.

I was watching an old Married with Children today about Marcie and Peg going to a men's strip show. It reminded me of the time that I went to one. A bunch of Little League moms, including myself decided to go to one on a lark. So we gathered. Have you ever tried to tell a bunch of eleven year old boys that their mothers are going to a men's trip show. They, almost in unison, said "You are going WHERE?" with total disbelief on their faces. We had a great time. All of the strippers were way to young to be too erotic and I came home reeking of cigarette smoke but it was a fun night.

Friday already tomorrow. AND the last day or March. Maybe thunderstorms. We could use rain.

Mary

The crab tree in our side yard from Spring of 2003.


Enjoy this taste of spring. Every morning when Chelsea and I take our walk there are more and more signs. Of course, we don't have these beautiful trees yet. But they will be coming soon. I love the busy bird choir that we hear as we walk around the tract.

We went to Nino's with Mother for dinner before going to the play. It was Lend Me a Tenor. I did remember correctly. The Theatre Company did this play in 1993. It is a very funny farce. All three of us found it very amusing.

I spent the morning squishing juice out of wild grapes and combining the juice with the juice extracted from the raisin/banana mixture that I had put together earlier. This is a new recipe as the first wild grape wine I made was a disappointment. Very non descript and a bit harsh. Age did not mellow it very much either. I figure the raisins and banana should mellow it a bit. Only time will tell and the scratch wines do require patience.


Have a nice Thursday.

Mary

The only things I had to go out of the yard for today were to walk Chelsea this morning and to pick up Market Day this afternoon. It was SO good not to be running around for a day.

The weather was beautiful today. This afternoon, I went out in the yard and cleared the old dead Marigolds out of the planter and swept the leaves up from around the front. Chelsea was delighted as this was her first time to hang out in the yard since last fall.

This was a double special day because I took her along when I picked up Market Day. A ride always is special and I like to take her when I can and it is not the vet. Otherwise, eventually, she won't want to go. She really likes going to Mom's or as a special treat to Bobbie and Bill's house, much better than today.

I spent the rest of the day catching up on computer stuff, especially the board minutes, and roster for Rhine Plymouth.

Tomorrow I get to stay home all day until the evening when Dick and I will be going to dinner and the play with Mom. I want to do a bit more yard work as it is supposed to get all the way up in to the middle 50s tomorrow. Chelsea will be a happy little camper if she gets to go out two days in a row. That is almost warm enough to open up the windows and let in the fresh air. Kitties would love that.


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

-- Unknown

Mary

Today was the busiest day that I will have this week.

Bible Study started at 9:30AM. We had a lively discussion on Jeremiah. This was the chapter on the New Covenant where God tells his people that the laws will no longer be written in stone but in the hearts of his people. I especially like the quote from the latter half of 31:33 "I will be their god and they will be my people." and the last of verse 34. " for I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more." Both very comforting.

After the study, I called Donna, one of the Environment Committee members, to help me clean and sweep the attic. We piled a bunch of carpeting against the wall so that Donna can get to the ladders to the scaffolding behind the altar to hang the stuff. Hopefully, Kathy, our maintenance person, can get rid of more of the carpet scraps, those that we don't think we use anymore.

Saw Dr. Casey today again about my shoulder. I still have some pain though it is getting stronger. He gave me a new exercise that he says should help. He called it the beer can exercise, which will help me remember how to do it.

Tonigh Bobbie and I had a board meeting at Rhine. Our president resigned and quit, I think I told you that, so the VP. John Nevicosi, wanted a board meeting to determine how to proceed and to establish an agenda for the meeting next week. That took a while but hopefully it will set up some ground rules as to how to deal with the difficult members who keep complaining about petty things.

The rest of the week is much quieter. The only other night event is to go to the Sheboygan Theatre with Mother on Wednesday to see Lend Me a Tenor.

Well, it is about time to go to bed now. Mother used to say "Up the wooden hill to four corners." It was probably a little more clear when bedrooms were ALWAYS upstairs.

Love

Mary