"Debra Johnson said that she likes shopping at the Dollar Palace because it is convenient and casual.
'I don't have to get all dressed up like I'm going to WalMart or something.' "

A redneck statement I received in an e-mail to day. Thought I would share because it was so funny.

When Chelsea and I went out for our walk this morning there was (and still is ) snow on the ground but the roads were plowed and not at all slippery. She liked rolling in the snow but I turned her back at the junction of Tall Grass and Highland because the sidewalk going around Lion's Park was not plowed AND I did not particularly want to walk through the snow in the park at the other end.

I met Ann Pirrung and Rosemary Eigenberger at the Parkview Restuarant in Falls before we went over to the library to listen to a talk by Jerry Aps, a historian who has written LOTS of books about rural Wisconsin and Wisconsin in general. He gives a great talk. I enjoyed it immensely. He is a friend of Irene Luedtke a published member of the Writer's Club. She came to hear him too. He spoke of the farm days in the late depression and WWII days which was very interesting to me as I had childhood memories of the latter.

Then I went to Mother's and had lunch with her and Jeff before Jeff and I went out to CountyF to check out our spots. Do you believe that next Saturday is opening day for deer hunting? Already!!! It was a lovely day to be out in the woods. We repaired his stand, mine and Shane's. Got out at about 4:30, a bit later than we planned and we had started in at 1:30 so we put in some time. It was still light when we got out so it was OK.

Somebody was supposed to be looking at the Hunter's Glen property today. We had someone on Wednesday too. The realtor that showed on Wednesday had not reported to ReMax as of yesterday. Hopefully one of the two will be interested. We keep praying and making sure that all looks good. On Tuesday we went over and I pulled out all the dead Marigolds from the front planter. Don't think I upturned St. Joseph. I will have to double check the next time we go.

All that fresh air is good for me.

Tomorrow I start officially as a member of St. John the Baptist here in Plymouth. I told Dick that none of the parishioners will even know unless I happen to run into someone that I do know. I have several acquaintances in the parish. I will have to call Lorraine Schaap and sign off of that prayer chain and get on the one at St. John's.

Guess that's all for now. Have a nice Sunday. It is supposed to warm up a bit in the next couple of days.

Love

Mary

First snowfall of the season and it came down with a vengeance. They said we would get about an inch but I am sure that there is more than that out there, at least in spots.

I did go to the bust up party at Rhine. Probably shouldn't have because I drove there during the very worst of the storm. But I did and had a good time. Sara had prepared ham with pineapple, Meatballs and gravy with mashed potatoes and corn for the meal and Bill Olson brought his "world famous" homemade peach cobbler with icecream.

This was Lil Pippings day to win. She beat me by 5 points and deserved it because of one REALLY bad target that I shot a couple of weeks ago.

This noon I met Sheila Isaacson at Bublitz in Saukville to give her the four sweatshirts that I had made into jackets trimmed with the Celtic Women International plaid. We had a wonderful visit and a good lunch. I had a portabello mushroom sandwich (to die for) and a nice hearty cup of clam chowder. That was before the storm. On the way home, I stopped at Barb Mac Ewen's place to get my Mary Kay restocked.

Jack Palance died today at 87. I was reading the newsflash on the net and came accross this quote of his. I think it is great. He is referring to the one armed push ups that he was famous for when he was in his 70s.

"That's nothing, really," he said slyly. "As far as two-handed push-ups, you can do that all night, and it doesn't make a difference whether she's there or not."

What a rake. He was fun to watch and such a good actor.

Have a great Saturday. I am going to hear Jerry Aps speak at the Sheboygan Falls Library in the morning.

Mary

I am posting a bit early today because I am going downstairs to watch a Mary Higgins Clark movie that will be on from 7 to 9 and I want to go to bed as soon as it is over.

It was a busy day. We had an appointment with Dr. Hodous to get Dick' s feet looked at then we went to Saukville to NPS to get Dick fitted for insoles for his shoes to help keep the callouses from building up.

I was barely home from my walk this morning when the phone rang. It was Michelle. I had seen them leave when Chelsea and I got back from our walk so I was surprised to get this call. They had had an accident on Bluebird Lane. A deer "attacked" them. Apparantly they were heading for 57. Michelle got a glimpse of this dope running along side them. Then it veered towards the car and smashed the passenger side doors, the rear view mirror and the window shattered all over both of them.

Thank the Lord. Neither of them were hurt. They came home and switched cars and headed back to Milwaukee. The car is at Joe Van Horn for repair and they are home safe and sound. They had just payed off the car. Now Michelle is thinking that with new doors and all it will be like having a new car all over again. We might as well look at the good in things.

Here is a little story that appeared in Reader's Digest this month.

Taped to my friend's refrigerator was a "job sheet: for her kits.

"They have to complete all these chores before I hand out theie allowances," she explained.


Does it owrk?! I asked.

"Like a charm. I haven't paid in weeks." Becquet.com

Have a great Friday.

Mary

Today was the only day this week that I was able to stay home ALL day and was it great. A lady, Sally Isely from Nicolet Welcome Service came by this morning to bring us welcome to the community gifts - similar to Welcome Wagon. We got lots of nice things, including a few meals, a fee gallon of milke and even a bible from St. John's Lutheran Church.

Then this afternoon, I went out back, because it was SO beautiful, and I cleaned the path between the house and the park out a bit. I also pulled weeds from the area that is in back of the house with a fire pit and two benches. It was pretty overgrown and I figured if I got some of it now, it would be easier in the spring and we could really use it.

I also finished two of the sweatshirts for the Celtic Women. I hope to finish the other two before Friday so I can take them with me on Friday when I go to meet Sheila in Saukville.

I got the Sheboygan Falls News today. On the cover was a story about the Falls Senior Center Halloween. I read it because I know so many people that go there, including Mother. Mother was quoted. It said

Mary Deeley had on a T-shirt with an odd-looking goat.

'This is a Puca!' Deeley said. 'A puca is and Irish ghost. They are mischievious and have the ability to become anything they want to be whatever the situation."

So I called Mother to tell her that she is a celebrity. She was pleased. She had a busy day today. She went to the beauty parlor and then shopping at Evans. Ken took her. Usually Donna does, but Donna had to go to Milwaukee because Jessica twisted her ankle and they had to get it checked. It looks like it is just a sprain but Jessie is pretty disgusted and if it is anything like mine it will take forever to heal.

That's all Folks.

I am tired and can go to bed soon.

Mary

I am done with my Senior Saints committment. Today, I picked up the food for lunch at 9:00AM. Went to Blessed Trinity and set up the food and the tables. Marcie Eppers and Kathy Rau came early to help. It wasn't that I really needed the help but more hands and company make the job SO easy. Just before 11AM I walked over to accompany Mother to church for Mass. There were the approximate 3 dozen that I expected.

After Mass, we went down to the hall for lunch and a program. Jeff Jenkins, administrator for Pine Haven talked to us about a new project called Prairie Crossing which will start with a 40 unit minimum assisted living complex for Seniors in Sheboygan Falls quite near the Pig off of Bluebird Lane. It sounds very nice. The units will range from very small one bedroom units to some larger two bedroom units. Quite nice, with community dining available plus lots of other amenities. The lunch was quite good. I ordered Turkey and ham sandwiches on hard rolls, Auntie Em's potato salad (which is very good) and cookies. Everybody seemed to be pleased.

When I got home, Dick and I went to the City Hll to vote. They say that 80 % of the eligible voters are turning out. Probably because of the referendums. I am not happy with the way they are turning out. We also went to the Hunters Glen house to run water and I needed to pull the marigolds out of the front planter. Once they dry out they really look tacky. Tomorrow someone is looking at the house and we want it to look its best. Please pray that it sells soon.

Tomorrow is quiet. I should be able to stay home all day. Someone from a place called Nicolet Welcome service is coming by to bring a welcom packet "filled with helpful civic information and gift certificates". We'll see. It is supposed to get up into the 60s tomorrow and I want to go out back and cut some of the burdocks away from my path to Lion's Park. It will be easier to guide Chelse if it have it a bit clearer.

Have a good one your self.

Love

Mary.

Well, it was MONDAY. We are having a beautiful week, weather wise, BUT it was foggy tonight and I had to go to Rhine Plymouth for the monthly meeting. It was a rather heated meeting, as we reviewed the proposed constitution and had a couple of members who are feeling rather picky and then there are a couple of others who take some things very personally. Everybody sees what they do for the club but many consider their voluntary contributions should excuse them from the assigned hours that we all have to work.

Bible study was at 9:30AM and I followed that by meeting with Kathy Rau, the custodian at Blessed Trinity, to gather the plates, napkins and so on for the Senior lunch tomorrow. Then stopped to see Mother. She is feeling better but if the discomfort doesn't completely go away by the end of the week, we will talk about seeing her doctor to explore further.

This afternoon we did our grocery shopping because of the Lunch tomorrow. Then I picked up Market Day. I got a beautiful ham, cookies and some mini omelets for Dick.

Tomorrow is the election also. Thank heavens that will be over. It will be interesting to see how the two referendums on the ballot will go. I will be voting no on both. I definately oppose the death penalty and feel that we do not need an amendment to ban gay marriage. For all intents and purposes, Wisconsin has a law already banning it and I don't approve of Amendments that take rights away from people. I won't go into my reasons but I do have a lot of opinions on these matters.

I have a cute story. Marily Taylor, the Poet Lauriete of Milwaukee, who was one of the speakers at the Writer's Festival at Lakeland College, spoke of an African Safari she went on several years ago. She said that, to her horror, they slept in little mini tents right out on the ground with no fortifications or extra security and she could hear lions roar and stuff during the night. Her apprehension was ot lessened when the guide said that "They almost never harm humans."

Have a nice Tuesday and GET OUT AND VOTE. (Even if you don't agree with me.) Voting is one of our most valuable freedoms. Do it.

Mary

We seem to be heading into Indian Summer. It was warm today and is supposed to get even warmer, perhaps up in to the low 60s by mid week. And we have had our hard frost. So that means that everything is running a bit late.

This morning when Chelsea and I were on our walk, we (I really should say "I", Chelsea is not all that observant) saw a deer in the middle of Tallgrass Lane. She watched us for a while until Chelsea barked at a dog in a house, then jumped over some bushes, decided she didn't want to be there either so she ran back into the Park. The rest of the walk was rather dull.

Went to the 10:30 Mass at Blessed Trinity. This was my last Mass as a parishioner there. I will be presenting the Senior program on Tuesday, then I will be done. Tomorrow after Bible Study, Kathy and I will be sure there are plates, cups and coffee pots set up for the lunch.

A lady from St. John's called and had taken all the raffle prozes home with her. So Dick and I went and picked it up this afternoon. I got 6 videos, quite good ones too, and several nice Christmas Tree ornaments in a very pretty basket.

The Packers lost. My Fantasy football picks turned out pretty bad this week. I looked good for the first couple , but then Chicago lost and Dallas which really messed me up.

The election is on Tuesday, thank heavens. Everybody is sick to death of all the negative campaign adds and hearing about everything. I have made up my mind and will be glad that it is over with.

Jim and Michelle fixed the door to the wine cellar and put the storm door in the front door. Dick said that it only took a few minutes each. Would have taken us all day and lots of anxiety. Sure glad they are willing to help. They got a kitten from the Humane Society yesterday. He is a real cutie. He is black with a bit of white under his chin and all four paws are white. They named him Boots. His face looks like Sylvester in the comics. And can that little guy purr. He seems like a happly little fella.

Have a good week.

I talked to Bart and Barb. Barb still has her hear infection, (the doctor says that it is a fungal infection) but Bart sounds pretty good.

Guess that is all for now.

Mary

It was a cloudy day but still and the temperatures went up as high as 48. Quite a lovely day to be out and about.

I baked the pies for the turkey dinner. I made four. One will stay here for our dinner and the others I will take to Blessed Trinity when I go to Mass at 10:30. I will be picking up the dinners after Mass.

Mom wasn't feeling too well today. Jeff was there and he called because her ribs ached and she felt kind of dizzy. I called this evening. They did talk to the doctor and he said that she can wait to make an appointment next week if she is not feeling better. She said that the dizziness was gone already and she will just see how things go.

I went over to the Craft sale at St. John the Baptist church. I won one of the silent auction items, a cooking basket. It had baking and mixing bowls and utensils, including a cast aluminum bundt pan shaped like a rose. I also won a raffle prize with movies in it. I will pick that up on Monday during school hours. Kind of a lucky day for me.

DEEP THOUGHTS FOR THOSE WHO TAKE LIFE TOO SERIOUSLY.
>
>
> 1. Save the whales. Collect the whole set.
>
> 2. A day without sunshine is like, well, night.
>
> 3. On the other hand, you have different fingers.
>
> 4. 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.
>
> 5. 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.

Goodnight

Mary

I am so cold. Bobbie and I worked out at Rhine tonight. The clubhouse was actually warm enough but I just plain got chilled on the drive home. It was not a long enough drive to warm the car and I had to stop at 1st National to drop off the deposit from the club. As if I wasn't cold enough, I had to walk accross the street to drop the deposit in the night deposit.

It was an eventful day. I dropped off a couple of entries at Lakeland for the writing contest held in conjunction with the Festival, then went to Sheboygan Falls for a couple of errands including dropping off some copies of my book at the Research Center for sale. When I got back to Plymouth I had time to stop at St. John the Baptist church office to register as a member there. I was glad to see that my friend Marlene Schueffner was manning the office today. It is hard to come to a new church. I remember when I joined St. Simon and Jude in Huntington Beach and feeling SO alone because I knew nobody. At least in Plymouth, I know several people and will find my place sooner. I told Marlene that I was going to lay back for a bit before volunteering for much. I did tell her I would like to be a Communion Minister however. That only involves participating during the Mass and I am there anyway.

I finished that last two targets for the pistol league tonight. I am sure that Lil (my friend who is my competition) beat me this time. That's OK. We have fun anyway. And each league I get a bit better.

I got the current count for the Senior Event at Blessed Trinity. That will be my last project there. I ordered the lunch from the Pig in Falls. I am pleased to say that we have 26 people signed up. I ordered enough for 3 dozen as I am sure that a few will have signed up this afternoon and one or two on Monday.

Tomorrow will be quiet. I need to bake the pies for the turkey dinner AND I want to bake some bread. I want the smell of fresh bread in the house.

>
>Andy Rooney said on "60 Minutes" a few weeks back:
>
>
>I don't think being a minority makes you a victim of anything except
>numbers. The only things I can think of that are truly discriminatory are
>things like the United Negro College Fund, Jet Magazine, Black
>Entertainment Television, and Miss Black America. Try to have things like
>the UnitedCaucasianCollege Fund, Cloud Magazine, White Entertainment
>Television, or Miss White America; and see what happens...Jesse Jackson
>will be knocking down your door.



Have a nice weekend.

Mary

This morning was very windy and cold. I went to Lakeland College for the Great Lakes Writers Festival. Jane, Ann, Sy and Sue from the Sheboygan County Writers club were also there. It was a nice time. At 11:00AM the two presenters Sebastian Matthews and Marilyn Taylor read some of their work to the entire group. Quite impressive.

Then, the writers club group all car pooled over to the Log Cabin for lunch and some visiting. At 2:00PM Sebastian and Marilyn did workshops for all who wished to attend. This is entirely free. Jane and I went to Marilyn's poetry workshop. She focused on word choice and diction. We got a nice web site for a thesaurus and did a few exercises that were fun. I like little exercises - we sometimes do them at club too. She had us write a poem using six of about 12 words that she had us list and also we "filled in the blanks" on two poems already published with some words blanked out that we got to fill in. That was fun too.

I will DO one here so you can see what we did. This was one that we had to choose words to involve the emotions. The original poem was Washing Sheets in July by a Jane Gentry. I do not have the words that SHE had in the blanks so you will have to put up with mine. I will put MY words in caps. My half of the room had to be kind of negative. The other side of the room had to be positive.

Against the white garage,
hollyhocks SPAR.
The sheets, wet, adhesive
as I hang them, smell
of SULPHER and MANURE SCENTED air.
Flags of order in the WANNING sun,
How they CONVULSE in the ANGRY breeze!
Watching them TWISTING on the line,
I STRUGGLE with and old LOST DREAM.

It is amazing how many diverse ideas can come out of a group.

Anyway, it was lots of fun.

I will also share the Cadfael Book of Days intry for today.

November 2nd. It is only that the step from perfectly ordinary things into the miraculous seems to me so small, almost accidental, that I wonder why it astonishes you at all, or why you trouble to reason about it. If it were reasonable it could not be miraculous, could it?

Ellis Peters

Have a great day tomorrow. I have tons to do.

Love

Mary

It was a holy day today and I went to church in Plymouth at St. John's. The church was packed. It was the school mass plus a lot of parishioners. Their priest DOES give a nice serman. I had always heard that. He directed it to the kids today but included the adults enough to make it interesting. He spoke of the Communion of Saints. Explaining that it is the saints in Heaven, the sould in Purgatory and all of us.

I called the harpest that Beth Dipple had given me the information on. She is available and will be here for an Irish Christmas at The Plymouth Historical Center on December 9 from 1:30 to 3:00PM. She sounds like fun. She will play the harp and regale us with stories of Irish Christmas customs. Her husband will be with her and he belongs to the Celtic American Church. I am so looking forward to talking to him. He might possible even be a good future speaker.

Every year I get ornaments for all the kids and their spouses. This afternoon, Dick was working at the dining room table so I decided it was go good time to wrap them. Don't be too impressed. These are the ONLY Christmas presents that we have so far. And I have them because they come out sometime in late August from Hallmark. BUT they are wrapped and I feel good about that.

We had tacos and tostadas for supper tonight. Hadn't had them in a long time and they really tasted good. I still have some of the banana cake which mad a great dessert.

I finished the prototype of the Celtic Women's sweatshirt jacket. It was easy and looks good.

Tomorrow I will be going to Lakeland College for a Writer's Festival. I am meeting some of the members of the Sheboygan Writers Club. We will have lunch together as well as attending the speakers talks. Should be fun.

Bobbie sent us an e-mail about our Oscar. He apparantly chased his tail around wildly for about 45 minutes one evening and had her very amused. Sure miss him. It is fun to hear about theie antics from Bobbie. I really appreciate the stories and the fact that she and Bill have them until we can get them back.

Take care.

Love

Mary

Well - Dick has finally fallen off the perfect wagon with his blood count. Sue was right. The anti biotics did goof it up. So he has to change the dosage for a bit and see her in two weeks to see if we have him back where he belongs.

Then we went grocery shopping, registered to vote and picked up his prescriptions. So it was another morning of running around.

The rest of the day we got to stay home. I checked out and make sure things in the freezer were labled and then made a cake with some bananas that I found in there.

Worked a bit on the quilt for Donna and on a sweatshirt jacket trimmed in the Celtic Women fabric. Whew. Quite a day.

Watched Dancing with the Stars and still enjoy it. I found out that I could vote for more than one so I voted for Emmit and for Joey. They were both really good tonight.

Today is the official Halloween. As I said Plymouth had their trick or treat on Sunday. We didn't have anyone come anyway. Halloween is the eve before All Saints Day and traditionally the night that the bad spirits roam the earth.

Tomorrow is a holy day and I will be going to 8:00AM at St. John's.

Mother and I were discussing All Souls Day at lunch yesterday. (We both remembered the day incorrectly. We were thinking that is was today, but it is the day AFTER All Saint's Day.) Anyway, when we were young we were told that on All Soul's Day, if one went into church and said 6 Our Fathers you saved a soul. So we used to go to church and pop in and out of church saying 6 Our Fathers each time so that we could save LOTS of souls.

I think that ranks right up there with Pagan Babies. We would save our money for the Pagan Baby drive at St. Mary School. Everytime $5 was collected we had saved a baby. We even got to pick the gender and name it. Such a deal.


Never knock on death's door........ Ring the doorbell and run. He hates that.


Til tomorrow

Mary

We had a BEAUtiful day today. The highest temperature I saw was 59 this afternoon. What a nice break. It has been unseasonably cold this fall. Tomorrow a cold front is coming in and it is going to drop back down to the 40s. But today was a treasure.

Dick got Chelsea out of the bedroom this morning and shut the door so we managed to get her out on her walk at 6:00AM STANDARD time. Much better than 5:00AM. It was even light. I LIKE walking when it is light. So does Chelsea but of course she doesn't understand that time has a lot to do with it.

Bible Study went well. We were discussing Sunday's readings which are focusing on the Great Commandment. To love God first and then to love your fellow man. Sometimes that isn't the easiest thing in the world, is it? Not everybody is easy to love. And it is not always easy to remember that God comes first. We are faced every day with issues that are bombarding us constantly.

After that I picked up Mom and we did a lot of things. We picked up a packet for Mom to use to apply for the lifeline necklace, got her blood pressure checked, (her reading was really good 168/68 so she is to stay on the medication and same dosage for the time being). Then stopped at the Mall at Mary Lee's where Eileen had two books for Mom and Mom bought a present for her bridge club gift exchange. I gave Eileen the pattern for the spider web wall hanging and picked up two Christmas ornaments.

But we weren't done yet.

After leaving Eileen, we went to Applebee's for lunch. A good lunch if I do say so. Our final stop was back at the Clinic where her Ear specialist cleaned and adjusted her hearing aids. Then home. After dropping her off, I did stop at Walgreens to pick up prescriptions for Dick. Now I find out that they were partial prescriptions and we have to stop again tomorrow. Ick.

Tonight was the Rhine Plymouth Board Meeting. I was home by 8:15 or so. Good thing because I am tired and want to be done.

I read something in a magazine today. It was in a bunch of quotes that people attributed to someone who really had an influence in their life. So here it is.

"Someone who is priceless, can't be worthless."

That is all of you.

Mary

Mom and I had the nicest visit this morning. We discussed everything from Madonna's adoption to why war is the answer to peace. She is a marvel.

I talked to Barbara and Bart today. Barbara has an ear infection but her inspection at work went OK after a battle so this week was a mixed bag for them. Bart sounds Ok.

Chelsea started waking me up at 5:13AM. I had tried to explain daylight savings to her and she swore she understood. But I think she lied. I let her out to piddle and then tried to go back to bed but OH NO. At 5:30 AM there she was again and I just gave up. I guess we will have to go through a period of retraining. She was definately unhappy with Dick and me because we waited until 5(6) to feed her tonight.

For some reason or other, I really miss my kitties this weekend. It is hard for me to know that they are out there and not with me. I am sure they are fine, because they are with Bobbie and Bill and animals are not as possessive as people. But it is hard for me to go to bed at night without my Oscar cuddling me for a while. It is sad for me to sit at my desk without them taking up TOO much of the desktop. I miss my Roxie dragging all the little things off and leaving them in the hallways. I miss them greeting me in the morning and when I come home.
So many people say that I should just get them - who would know. Dick doesn't feel that way. I wish with all my heart that he did. I feel like a total nut about this but it is really hard.

This is a rather busy week ahead. I take Mother to the ear doctor on Monday after Bible Study. Monday evening is Rhine Plymouth Board Meeting. Tuesday, Dick has a blood test and we will shop. The end of the week I will be attending part of a Writer's Festival at Lakeland. Should get me going again. These things usually do.

Pray that the house on Hunter's Glen sells. We sure could use it.

Love

Mary

We had a FUN day. This morning Dick and I went to the house on Hunters Glen and took care of our faithful lawn mower, Patrick's pay for the past couple of months. Now pray that the house sells soon so that mowing and shoveling become non relevant for us soon.

Then we went to Main Dish over on Hwy 42. They are a service that provides the ability to assemble meals and bring them home ready to pop in the oven for you. They had a special today. for $12 you could get one container with enough to feed 4 to 6 or two with each serving 2 to 3. They had a choice of Chicken Parmesean or Pork Medalians. We chose Chicken Parmesean. It was really fun and I brought home two containers with Chicken Parmesean that will provide easily a main dish from each container for two meals for Dick and Me. As I was leaving, Jim and Michelle came in. They got the Pork Medalians, so we traded two. That will give us four meals, two of each kind. What a deal. I would be willing to go back. (Of course, we have to taste them first.)

Then we stopped at Walmart and I reupped my Trak phone. for another year. Then to Walgreens for my stomach medicine and home.

We were glad to get there by then.

Jim and Michelle came over and put a swivel shelf on our dresser for the tv. The video machine fits underneath it and we are all set for now.

We shared our lunch of pasta salad and salmon/cheese and crackers then I rested for a while. The Badgers won. Yea.

I worked a bit on Donna's baby quilt. Got the batting in and put the first stitching around the edge.

We had chicken stir fry for supper. Pretty good too. I used a package of frozen brocolli, fresh mushrooms, celery, red onion and chicken.

Tonight we have to remember to turn the clocks back as daylight savings time starts in the morning. Chelsea and I will like that for a while. It will be lighter when we walk. I hope she knows that I get an extra hour sleep.

Remember: Dogs and cats are better than kids because they:
1 - Eat less
2 - Don't ask for money all the time
3 - Are easier to train
4 - Usually come when called
5 - Never drive your car
6 - Don't hang out with drug-using friends
7 - Don't smoke or drink
8 - Don't worry about having to buy the latest fashions
9 - Don't wear your clothes
10. Don't need a gazillion dollars for college, and
11. If they get pregnant, you can sell their children.

love

Mary

Today was mild and clear. I had to do several errands so was able to be out and about and enjoy it.

Jim and Michelle got back from their honeymoon early this afternoon. Just before I left for lunch with the girls at Dairy Queen. I had a nice grilled cheese lunch there then did a bit of shopping. I found the Ivory Snow that Dick needs for his sox, a rod to put in the spiderweb hanging, the meal deal and some oreo cookies at Pick and Save.

Then I met Beth Dipple from Sheboygan County Historical Research at the Plymouth Historical Building which is still under construction in the building that used to house my friend David Roehre's Barber Shop. They say they will be ready for business by November 17 as that is when they are having their open house. Beth and I are hoping to sponser and run three 9or four at the most,0 "Irish" nights in Plymouth at the Historical Center. We want to start with a Christmas event in December. The Center people are quite agreeable to the idea. We have two weekends picked and I will contact a harper from Milwaukee to see if she is available either of them. Then we will start advertising and plan the event. We figure we can feature the Historical Center, have a harp concert and serve tea, coffee, hot cider and irish cookies and breads. I'll keep you posted, perhaps you would like to join us.

Tonight I shot pistol league and had my very worst score of the year on one of the targets. Then I went to Book Heads, the local book store, to meet Mary Bergin who has written Sidetracked in Wisconsin, a Guide for Thoughtful Travelers. She was quite pleasant and I bought a book and had it autographed. I had left five of my books with theowner of Book Heads and she has them nicely displayed as a Local Writer in the poetry section.

Gee. I am in a bookstore.

Love

Mary

I sewed and wrote to day.

I pinned the kitty/doggy quilt to ghe batting and backing. Tomorrow, I will put it on the quilt rack and start quilting it. I sure wish my Roxie and Oscar were here to enjoy the wonderful hammock that this will provide.

I also sewed the front and back of Donna's quilt together and will turn it inside out and slip the batting in tomorrow. It is a tied quilt so I won't have as much quilting to do.

I cleaned my desk and also wrote a poem today.

Chelsea let me sleep until 6:30AM, mainly because Dick had shut her out of the bedroom. We had a really nice walk, then I cleaned the bathrooms.

Tomorrow will be a busy day OUT of the house. I have several stops after lunch and in the evening. We are watching one of our horror DVDs, Bedlam. Have you noticed that there is absolutely NOTHING worth seeing on TV?

I read in the Plymouth Review that Plymouth will have their children celebrate Halloween on Sunday between 3 and 5 in the afternoon. We have been informed that very few children make the rounds in Tall Grass but we are ready with two bags of snack sized peanut M & M's in case of a sudden mob. When Halloween is over, I will get out the Thanksgiving things.

I made some Rice Krispy Candy in the shape of bones that I will frost and lay on a platter of Oreo Cookie Crumb dirt. Doesn't that sound like FUN?

Got an e mail from Leslie. It sounds like she and Dick have similar leg problems. Both girls are living on their own and she is a full time homemaker now, mainly because of her health. Wonder if she and Bill will get up here one of these days. His mother and one of his sisters were very ill. Pray for them if you can. They are both showing signs of improvement. That must be a big comfort to Bill.

Take Care

Boo


Mary

Chelsea slept until 6:15AM this morning. That was quite a nice thing for her to do, but it was still very dark out there, so we just went for a very short walk. Then at about 9:00 she and I went out again and went all around the Tallgrass complex and then around Lions Park and came back through the path that I cleared from the park to the back of our unit. She was a very happy girl. It is NOW time, because of the dark to do this every day.

Dick and I went to K-Mart today too. We are looking for Ivory Snow to wash his socks in. Nobody seems to be carrying it anymore. I will try WalMart on Friday and then our only hope is Woodlake. But I did find a couple of plants for the kitchen and a turntable for the TV in our bedroom. So it was a successful trip.

This afternoon, I cut out a few denim squares for the future quilt and emptied two boxes out in the garage. Everything that is left is Dick's. HOWEVER, I cannot find three pictures and a coffee perculator. Beats me where they have gone. I am sure they will sow up eventually. I remember that when we moved Mother and Dad to the little "Grandma" house (as Bret puts it) on Summer St. in Sheboygan Falls, they could not find all of Mother's spoons. Then, one day, Dad called Mother to come down into the basement and underneath a box and some folded linens were all of the spoons, carefully wrapped and ready to hang. I have faith. The pictures are two small cards that my Uncle George hand did for Christmas two years in a row in watercolor and a painting on hard medium that my Brother Matthew did. He is the poet who died when he was only 17. I KNOW they are here somewhere.

Tomorrow is scheduled to be very quiet day. We should not have to go ANYWHERE. I intend to sew and write and clean.

Hope you have a good day too.

Love

Mary

 

A day mostly at home. It was clear crisp and cold most of the day too. We got up at 6:30AM, Celsea and me. It was just beginning to get light. After this weekend, when the time changes, I will start taking her out for quick relief and then we will take a longer walk later in the day when there is sunshine. It only takes her a few days to catch on.

We went grocery shopping after a Mc Donald's breakfast and then stayed home the whole day. I watched Dancing with the Stars while doing some sewing. I finished the quilt top for my friend Donna to give to Helen and Kenny's grandson. I think I mentioned the beautiful cross stitch that she does. Now I just need to pick up a bit of batting and assemble it. I also did more work on the kitten/doggy quilt.

We had turkey patties with bread stuffing casserole for supper along with fresh apple crisp.

Tomorrow will be another rather quiet day. We want to do a bit of shopping for some odd little things we need for the house but the rest of the day is free at home again. I intend to sew some more and Dick and I are busy sorting out and culling old cleaning products. The boxes are ALMOST all emptied and the things put away.

BREATH by ME

The freshness of the dew

In a clearing in the midst of a forest

Highlights red locust and green willow

Still flush with the hues of their youth.

Moist, damp and sweet

Like the rain forest at dawn

Gentle rain and whispy filmy ferns

Breath in and out with pulsing languid life

Under the newly budded maple

Listen to life-renewing rain

Tenderly wash reaching branches

Then fall to nourish the earth below.

Love

Mary