An absolutely delightful day.

I had an adventure this morning to start the day. Chelsea and I went out for our first walk at 5:45AM (not my idea). It was still dark and I saw something moving at the foot of the street. It was a rabbit running frantically in tight circles. Chelsea got all excited and chased it and knocked it down and it just kept running. (Chelsea is not a bitter or vicious so she didn't hurt it.) I dragged her away from it and we finished our business and went back in. After it was light I went back out but it was gone. I hope it was just disoriented and finally found its way off the road and back into the woods.

Bobbie and I went with Discovery Tours to the Fireside to see their musical revue, The Best of the Bands. It was a perfect day for traveling and there were several people on the bus that I knew. Notably, Stan and Sue, who have traveled with us several times. Kentucky, South Dakota to mention two. They were right in back of us so we had a nice visit.

The meal at the Fireside was again excellent. We had mushroom soup, chicken piccata, a wonderful rice and sausage and fresh snap peas and carrots. Dessert was a delicious apple tart. We were stuffed and content.

Then we enjoyed the Best of the Bands. And it was the best. It was virtually the same band that played for the Fabulous Fifties last year. They are SO talented. The singers and dancers were excellent also. Just before the intermission, they featured the Latin Bands and ended the first half with a Conga Line around the stage and out the door. Guess who were two and three in the conga line. BOBBIE AND ME.

Before the show they gave everybody a form for Stumping the Band. Those who wanted to could put their name and the name of a song that they figured would stump the band. Guess who got called. I wrote Whiskey on a Sunday. The band did not know it. They made some feeble attempt at pretending. (I loved their humor) but they did not know it. So I sang the chorus for everybody and got a $10 gift certificate for my efforts.

The show featured the music of the Big Bands, Country Bands, Jazz Bands, Latin Bands, Rock bands. It was just super.

An uneventful easy trip home followed. It is good to be home. The promised storm is still a promise and has been downgraded from tons of snow to some snow and rain, which is REALLY scary. Nothing more dangerous than rain and then icy cold.

Well, tomorrow CAN be an at home day though I really want to go to church and would like to go out the Rhine to shoot in the afternoon.

I told Bobbie that I would put a copy of the poem St. Kevin and the Blackbird which is what I TRY to think of when Chelsea become the most pesty, as she is old and in need of me. It is by Seamus Heaney.

And then there was St. Kevin and the blackbird.
The saint is kneeling, arms stretched out, inside
His cell, tut the cell is narrow, so

One turned-up palm is out the window, stiff
As a crossbeam when a blackbird lands
And lays in it and settles down to nest.

Kevin feels the warm eggs, the small breast, the tucked
Neat head and claws and, finding himself liked
Into the network of eternal live,

Is moved to pity: now he must hold his had
Like a branch out in the sun and rain for weeks
Until the young are hatched and fledged and flwon.

And since the whole thing's imagined anyhow,
Imagine being Kevin. Which is he:
Self-forgetful or in agony all the time

From the neck on out down through his hurting forearms?
Are his fingers sleeping? Does he still feel his knees?
Or has the shut-eyed blank of underearth

Crept up through him? Is there distance in his head?
Alone and mirrored clear in love's deep river,
'To labour and not to seek reward.' he prays,

A prayer his body makes entirely
For he has forgotten self, forgotten bird
And on the riverbank forgotten the river's name.

Have a nice Sunday and stay warm and safe.

Mary

A long day after a long night before. It was an uncomfortable night's sleep for me on Thursday night. I ached. But usually that is a one night event and as busy as I was today I should really drift into dreamland when I get to bed and stay in dreamland until morning.

When Chelsea and I went out the first time this morning the plows were just making their way into the driveway area of the complex. The main roads were plowed and the man that comes and shovels the walks had already done his magic. This was just a bit after 6AM. By 7:30 they were all done. This IS the nice thing about living in the condo and the nicer thing of being retired and NEVER having to leave before 8AM or so. It was cold this morning, 7 degrees but warmed up to the teens before the day was over and there was a bit of sunshine which is so very welcome at this dark time of the year. I cleaned the kitchen early this morning too. With all the grime that is hauled in on boots with all this snow, I just can't let it go for a week. By the way, we believe that yesterday added about 10 inches to the accumulation. I am taking pictures of some of the "mountain range" in the empty lot in front of our condo and of some of the other extreme winter scenes. I will share next week. We have another storm supposedly to arrive on Sunday.

Dick was scheduled for 11:45AM for his first vein work. We allowed for extra drive time so were there 45 minutes early. They took him in a bit early too.

By 12:45pM we were all done and ready to come home. He said it was a cakewalk. It was in the lower right leg. There was no pain. Dr. Siddique told him that this one is the easiest one. He said there will be some discomfort with the future procedures but we won't dwell on that. The procedure was done with Dick lying on his stomach which made him VERY happy too. He is so uncomfortable on his back. We have a list of things to do but they are easy. He cannot shower for 24 hours, he needs to be sure to exercise (get up and walk around) often, he needs to keep the stocking on. Then next Wednesday he will have an ultrasound and on Friday, Dr. Siddique will go in again. He was quite excited that that sore on his left foot healed. Did I tell you that there is an infection (not a serious one) in his right foot sore but he is on antibiotics.

Anyway. We are home in our nice warm cave to heal. I am going to the Fireside tomorrow as planned. Dick was not comfortable going with us not having gone through this type of procedure, so I called Bobbie. I think I told you that yesterday. She is going with me. That is good. I don't get to visit with her anymore like we did because she no longer belongs to Rhine Plymouth. I miss our visits.

I went to St. John the Baptist tonight to pick up fish fries for our supper. BOY are they good. Makes you forget that Lent is supposed to be a time of discipline. Not to hard to give up meat when the perch tastes SO good.

Have a nice weekend.

Later

Mary

I did get to stay home until this evening. Actually, it was not a bad day. Chelsea and I go to go for a LONG walk this morning. I would not let her lead me to the park. There are several feet of snow and God knows what else out there. But we went all around Tallgrass and I think that made her happy. Then the snow got worse and it snowed steadily ALL day long.

We did go out this evening the the Wilderness which has reopened. We had heard that there were service problems but we did not have them. I got salmon and Dick got spaghetti. Both good. Again way to much food and we have plenty that we brought home but it was a nice evening. Chelsea was out of her furosimide so we stopped at the Kettle Moraine to pick up her refill. She has to see her vet on Wednesday for blood tests. We may have to up her dose as she is having occasional seizures again.

I finished the denim quilt today and got it washed and dried and everything. It looks great. Those are really warm and very heavy. I wonder if it would be big enough for our bed. I don't think so but I really like it.

The rest of the day was spent sorting out my desk. I am trying to arrange it so I have a "bucket" for each of my projects. Then I can find things easier.

Most days I am still writing my Haiku. I read back on them sometimes and some of them are OK. I wrote this one from memories of going jeeping in the Imperial Sand Dunes near Yuma. We called it Duning. It was especially beautiful at night.



Soft and rippling sand
A gentle looming ocean
We sailed on it.

Love

Mary

Today started out not too busy but turned out to be a marathon.

It looked like all we had to do was go shopping and I had made an appointment with Mark Miller to do our taxes.

SO - it mushroomed. The morning was not too bad. We went shopping and then I cleaned a couple of cupboards and vacuumed the bedroom.

My appointment with Mark ended up with a trip to the post office, the bank, Aurora Pharmacy in Sheboygan for a new pair of sox for Dick, Walgreens in Plymouth for an antibiotic AND the bank.

So much for a quiet day. It looks like tomorrow I may be able to stay home all day. I certainly hope so as the next day is the first of Dick's vein procedures. That will be a stressful day, no matter what we do.

We were supposed to go to the Fireside in Fort Atkinson on Saturday to see the Best of the Bands show. Dick doesn't think he wants to try it but wants me to go. So I called Bobbie and she will go with me. Maybe Bill to IF they can get another ticket with Discovery. Anyway, Bobbie and I will go. I am a bit nervous about leaving Dick that soon, but he said it would be OK.

I am really exhausted this evening and IF I can will go to be early.

It was not unpleasant outside today but there is ice everywhere. It is just cold enough that layers just stay there to trip you up anytime you get at all complacent or careless. Tomorrow we are possibly going to get some more snow. We have no where to put it but it is coming. At least it is projected to be only 1 to 3 inches. That is nothing at this point. I just don't want any problems on Friday.

Take care.

I love You all

Mary

Things went very well today. We had an appointment at the Sheboygan Clinic with Sue at the Anti Coagulation Clinic. Yippee. Dick's blood is now just perfect for the procedure that he will be having on Friday. We will have to be monitoring every week for the weeks that he has these done. It has to be below 2.5 but over 2. Since it was all the way up to 3.9 last week we were very pleased at the count today.

We then went to the Plymouth Clinic because Dick's "clicker", the piece that you put the needle in to prick the finger, is malfunctioning. We still don't have it resolved but are getting there.

After we got home, I watered plants and vacuumed the living room. We had good old cheeseburgers and fries for supper tonight.

Tonight was Fr. Van Beeck's last Adult Education for this year. He went through a lot of how to interpret the bible. Should you take it literally. His prime example. Jesus said that if your eye sins you should pluck it out and if your hand sins you should cut it off and throw it away. He pointed out that we sure would be a weird bunch of blind cripples if we took THAT part of the bible literally. AND it contradicts another statement that He made stating that we need to take care of our bodies because they are the temple of the Spirit. We all found the thought of hobbling blind Christians quite amusing.

My cousin Harold Ziegler, who used to own an office supply store in Plymouth. He is my second cousin as my Grandma Deeley was his Aunt Helen. Dad used to stop and see Harold when Dad worked at Gilson, now Toro, in Plymouth. Dad was the only one who kept in touch with the Zieglers. Harold brought me some pictures that his mother had of my grandmother, my uncle Jack and Aunt Helen as children and a couple that are unidentified except with Deeley on the back of the pictures. They are treasures. I am SO excited and can hardly wait to share with the rest of the family.

Now, home again, I am blogging and enjoying a glass of wine after having dipped my poor sad hands in a lavender pariffin dip. That is such a good feeling, warm, soothing and healing.

Tomorrow is shopping day AND I will be taking the taxes to Mark to get him started on them. We have LOTS of deductions this year because of the two house situation. He will be able to advise us on what to do ongoing.

A poem for you from Austin Clarke who is one of my favorites. It is short but will make you think.

Til tomorrow night.

Mary

Penal Law

Burn Ovid with the rest. Lovers will find
A hedge-school for themselves and learn by heart
All that the clergy banish from the mind,
When hands are joined and head bows in the dark.

Well, the deep freeze is still with us. I DID go to Bible Study this morning. There were five of us there this morning which, since the temps were well below zero were brutal, was pretty special. There was Ione, Peggy, Joe, Liz and myself. I had a call from Fran Woodke wondering if we were meeting. She was not plowed out yet and lives out in the country quite a ways. I told her to stay put. I try to go in whenever I can because I also have my visit with Mother to look forward too. It is good that I stop at least that once a week to be sure she is OK and to give her a chance to remember any errands that I can do for her.

She is just fine. We reviewed the Wild Game Dinner. That sure was a fun day. I fixed a hash from some of the leftover Guiness Beef. Boy was that good. We will have the rest with eggs tomorrow for breakfast.

I got home at about noon. Dick was concerned because his open callous had developed a green color last Friday. The green was gone yesterday but was kind of brown and he was worried despite our call to Dr. Hodous, so we went to see Dr. Sharon this afternoon He said it looks fine, but did take a swab so the results of that test should allay any of Dick's fears.

On Friday De Siddique will do the next procedure to fix the circulation in his legs. There are up to eight of them over a ten week period. These will be far less invasive than the artery procedures as he will only be in the hospital for about an hour versus the 8 hours for the artery work. He is relieved about that. Eight hours on his back was just about unbearable.

I clipped away on the denim quilt. I figure I should be able to finish that part of it tomorrow, then it just needs to be washed and dried a couple of time to fluff it up and it will be done. The Clifford Crest is coming along too. I must stop and pick up some interfacing for a fill layer, I decided what I will use for a backing but should have SOMETHING for a bit of body between the layers. The crest looks great on the fabric I chose and the gold binding will really set it off.

Take care and enjoy your Tuesday. We are promised more snow. Doesn't seem quite fair. I hope it isn't bac in the morning when we have to go into Sheboygan.

love

I am watching the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. I just love it.

Mary

We are in a deep freeze. The highest temperature I saw on our thermometers was -2. Isn't that unbelievable? Chelsea has been very quick out there. She has caught on as to how cold it really is. She like rolling in it but knows that her little paws start to hurt if she is out too long. I am trying to be really patient with her.

However, when she woke me up at 4:30AM. I gave her some lettuce and shut her out of the bedroom until 6AM.

I did go to Mass this morning. It was -11 when I left but the roads were good and I don't have to go far. I was Eucharistic Minister this morning and did not want to miss unless I REALLY had to. there were far less people in attendance than usually are. Understandably so.

Because it was SO cold I was sure glad that church was my only obligation. I spent the day sewing, cleaning a closet and working on the computer.

I also read a journal that my friend Kate did of her trip to Ireland. She listed a few "Just for You to Know Facts." Here is one that impressed me.

"If you get into a conversation in a bar, a certain etiquette id followed: men always buy everyon in the group a drink, taking turns to buy a round."

I remember going into Fitz's Tavern in downtown Sheboygan Falls on a trip home after I had moved to California. I was sipping my beer and a friend of Dad's bought a round. I said I was not ready but Dad whispered to me that then I should get a candy bar or something because it was not proper to turn down the round.

Love

Have a good week

Mary

Well, the 31st Annual Wild Game Dinner and Beer Tasting Contest is over. (Probably not totally over for some of the participants, but Jim, Michelle, Dick and I got home at about 7PM.) Michelle and I acting as serving wenches, Jim as combination dishwasher and photographer and Evan Thuemmler as busboy did a bang up job of supplying 22, count 'em, 22 beers to 18 participants in the annual event.

The winner with nine correct was Randy Deeley for the forth time, I think, maybe more. So we will be back on School Street next year. There were four runners up. Shawn, who is trying very hard to win so we all have to go down to Chicago for the event, Fred, Joey and Kathy, who has come in second more times that ANYBODY and deserves to win just on points. They all had 7.

The meal was super as usual. I had made Venison and Guiness, we had squirrel and rabbit, wild turkey and gravy, a curry noodle venison casserole, chili, beans , and potatoes ala Michelle that were to die for. We also had salads and bars for dessert. Altogether decadent. As Randy said we would not have done better at a five star restaurant.

Now for a story. The other day I was watching Antiques Road Show and they had a cupie doll for sale. It reminded me of Bret when he was little. My in laws, Vic and Lil had friends who lived Mexico, Mexican citizens. Ramon and Concha. They came up to the U. S. and to visit Vic and Lil one time. My ex and Bret and I went over to visit with them. They took one look at Bret with his blond hair that curled on the sides and the top of his head and his sparkling blue eyes and said. "Cupie Doll." And sure enough, that is exactly what he DID look like. I will have to find a picture of him at that age and post it for you that did not know him then.


Have a nice Sunday. We are going to be back in the deep freeze.

Mary

It is now light enough at 6:30AM that if it is not too slippery and if the snow goes down A LOT, Chelsea and I will be able to take our morning walks again.

This morning we did go around the Tallgrass cul de sac and then up the road and down Cattail. She was a very happy little girl. Between the snow the cold this is the worst winter that she and I have gone through together. Now it is supposed to drop down into single digits and below zero for the next couple of days again. EEEEWWWWW!!!!!

I cleaned the kitchen today and then went to have lunch with the girls at Dairy Queen. I am sure glad they have grilled cheese as it is lent and Fridays are meatless. They also have a fish sandwich or a dinner salad so there are choices. But since Dick and I had supper at St. John the Baptist tonight I did not want fish. I will not be able to join the ladies for several weeks as Dick will be starting his vein procedures next Friday.

I had several errands while I was out. Chelsea was almost out of one of her pills so I stopped at Kettle Moraine for that, then on to the Pig. I bought a couple of things we needed to take advantage of .99 eggs. The Pig Points are mounting. I now have .79 off on my next gasoline fillup.

We went for our supper at St. John's at about 4:30. Boy do they have a good fish fry. We will go every Friday that we can during Lent. They serve fish, potatoes or noodles, rye bread, cole slaw, applesauce and homemake desserts. It is the best fish in Plymouth. At least the best that we have found. We can get a senior plate which is two pieces of fish and MORE than enough as they are big and very meaty. It is so sweet. Groups of children take your order, lead you to your seats and then bring your your fish.

Then I drove out to Rhine and shot three targets for the league. I did not do badly at all. I got ALL 30 ON the targets. And two of the targets had all scoring shots. A long way to go but I AM improving.

I have my new schedule for next year at Rhine, at least through October. Doesn't look bad at all now that we are closed on Sundays except for the Lewis Shoots. I think that MIGHT increase our membership as people will no longer be committing such a big block of time. I am going out on Sunday to take a picture of Tom Lawonn. He laughed, but I told him that I want to name the wine made from HIS currants and put his picture on the label. He looked secretly pleased. I won't be able to shoot pistol and it is supposed to be REALLY cold so I won't want to shoot trap so it is strictly a "business" meeting.

Tomorrow is the 31st Annual Deeley Annual Wild Game and Beer Tasting Party. I think that most of you know that this event is always held at the home of the winner of the previous beer tasting contest. This year it is at Aunt Donna Deeley's (and Uncle Randy of course) house. She is PLANNING on winning again. Her daughter, Jessica, and niece, Sara, plus nephew's Shawn and John are seriously wanting to take away the crown, (actually a traveling trophy). Any of these challengers would take the trophy from the now "older" generation and put the "youngsters" in charge. Are they ready for the challenge? Only time will tell. It has been done before. I don't know what is happening to the "experienced" among us. I, myself along with my daughter in law, Michelle , being only a serving wenches, do not compete and have to rely on the expertise of my siblings and their spouses to keep these young whelps in line.


The results tomorrow.

love
Mary

Got up this morning to deep snow. The plows had been on the main road but the driveways were not plowed yet nor were the sidewalks shoveled. But before we had to leave for Dick's blood test the sidewalks were shoveled and when the guy with the plow saw that the door opened and I was taking stock of how to best get over the snowpile in the driveway he did ours first. I was SO grateful. I could have done it with the four wheel drive, but am just as glad not to have to test it.

Dick's blood test was MUCH better. It is down from 3.9 to 2.8. We have to get it to below 2.5 before the surgery next Friday. Sue will test it again on Tuesday. Then she will be able to fine tune it.

We did not go out again today. I was glad. I cleaned bathrooms and snipped on the denim quilt and worked on the desk stuff. I finally transcribed my notes from the retreat and am ready for the Cream City Writers in two weeks.

Some show on TV showed a woman who did not know how to hold little kid. She was holding him under his arms with his little legs dangling. It reminded me of a trip that I made to Wisconsin when Bret was just a baby, maybe nine months or something. Mother and I went out shopping and everybody was gone except Dolores and Jeff. So we left them in charge of Bret. He needed his diaper changed and they decided that the easiest way to do it was to have Jeff hold him up in the air while Dolores took the old one off and put the clean one on.

It worked, as I remember, because the diaper stayed on but it must have been quite an adventure for Bret. For the rest of the visit, whenever he set eyes on Dolores or Jeff he would start giggling.

Saturday is the annual Deeley Wild Game and Beer Tasting Party. I must remember to take the roast out in the morning.

Have a good Friday.

Love

Mary

Can you believe that is it Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent already. Easter is March 23. VERY early. I wonder if it is possible for it to be any earlier?

What a day. I had plans to take Mother to Church AND we were supposed to go to see The Miracle Worker in Sheboygan for our dinner/theater evening. However, since it started snowing last night shortly after dark and only stopped about an hour ago, (It is now 8PM) we went NOWHERE. I am sure glad that I decided to take her pills to her last night. Two or three days is way to long for her to be without them.

There have to be at least 10 inches out there and it is drifting. Mother laughs at the picture of me trying to get her with her walker and Dick with his cane anywhere with ice and drifting snow. I am really surprised that they did not cancel the play. They probably had two people in the audience.

We had good old Kraft Spaghetti for supper. Dick saw it in the store the last time we shopped and thought it sounded good. Since it IS the first day of Lent and I fasted and abstained from meat it was a perfect easy choice.

Tomorrow, we go to the anti coagulation clinic to have his blood thinness tested. We hope it is down between 2 and 3 again.

I finished a cancer hat today. Toni Nevicosi's Homemaker's group knit and crochet hats for patients to wear when they have lost their hair. I told her I was not joining anything else, but making hats is a good way to keep my hands busy of an evening when I am watching TV.

I am all done sewing the denim quilt together and have one side snipped.

Have a good Thursday. Pray that the snow goes away for a few days anyway.

Love

Mary

It's been a long long day.

Got up at six and walked Chelsea a little bit. I was careful with her today. Last night, after I went to bed and before Dick came in, Chelsea was on the bed with me. She woke up coughing and stood up as is her wont when she starts that. Suddenly she just kind of fainted and tumbled right off the bed. Scared me half to death. She landed on her back, I think and turned right over. By the time I got to her she was looking a little puzzled and seemed somewhat subdued. But she came alert pretty quickly after I held her for a bit. Poor Baby.

I finished the sewing on the denim quilt today. Now I have all the clipping of the seams and then a good washing to fuzz it up.

Dick had a dentist appointment today. His first with the new dentist. He decided to got to the same one I am going to and we will coordinate our visits from now on. Dick likes him because Dr. Joseph said his gums and teeth are in really good shape.

On the way out of the parking lot, I Looked both ways and then looked back to my left and backed out slowly right into Bill Cain. Should have kept my eyes to my right. Fortunately there seems to be little damage. The side of his van has a slight buckle and he is going to take it over to Burkhart to see if they can pop it out the rest of the way. There is no scratch and no break in the paint or the metal. At first we weren't sure there WAS anything, but Bill had heard it and knew there was contact. Bill hugged me and pointed out that noone was hurt and that is the important thing.

We are getting another winter storm. I do believe that this one will ruin any chance of taking Mother to the play and dinner tomorrow night. We certainly will not be able to go to church during the day. I took a run to her house this evening before the snow because she was out of her pills today and I did not want her to go any longer without them.

I also swung over to Kate's this afternoon to look at her newly painted kitchen and see what I thought about one spot of color and to take her the papers from the retreat. She really hated to miss that.

I guess that is all. It was all in all a mixed day. Some ups some downs. The trouble is that the downs were quite troubling.

Anyway. Tomorrow may be a day to stay in our cave. Take care and stay warm.

Mary

Monday, Monday. It snowed. Actually it both snowed and rained a bit and left the roads very slippery. It was just fine when I left for bible study at 9ish. But by the time I left Mother's at noon it was snowing and slippery. SO I decided to forego the Rhine Plymouth meeting tonight. Since it sleeted more this afternoon, I was afraid of icy roads.

Bible study was lively. There were eight of us. I shared a couple of things I learned at the retreat and Joe shared some poems that he had written at a retreat that he had attended in Oshkosh.

I stopped at Walgreens on the way home for prescriptions and OTC meds for Mom and Dick. Sure was glad to get home and be able to stay here.

I spent the afternoon cleaning my desk off and doing some of our accounting. I am getting things ready for Tax Preparation. I believe that we have everything now.

We had chicken enchailada stacks for supper. Boy were they good.

We are going to change our schedule a bit this week and do our grocery shopping tomorrow instead of Wednesday. Wednesday is getting rather busy with it being Ash Wednesday and the Sheboygan Theater with Mom in the evening.

Mom and I were talking about hospitality and how she never knew who would be there for supper. First Dad brought home friends or buddies then her kids did the same. Jeff had army buddies who came and stayed sometimes. I mentioned that when I was living in California in my previous marriage, I never knew who I would be feeding either. My ex worked on vehicles in the garage in back and those who were there just ate if it was dinner time. I remember one day making cookies and the first two sheets of 20 were gone before I finished baking up the batch just with people walking in and out of the house for whatever.

This is an early Irish verse welcoming the stranger that made us remember our "hospitality". I shared it with her and used it for our opening prayer at bible study this morning. I love the thought.

I saw a stranger yesterday,
I put food for him in the eating place
Drink in the drinking place,
Music in the listening place,
And in the holy name of the trinity,
He blessed me, my family and people,
And the lark said as she sang:
Often Often Often Christ comes in the form of a stranger.

I mentioned to her that Dick found that very odd that people just dropped in and stayed. We did not find it odd because it just happened. Sometimes I miss it.

Love

Mary

No weather report today. I hope you all missed me. I had a totally relaxing weekend away from EVERYTHING. I had never been to this Retreat Center and was very impressed. It is easy to get to (unless you miss the turnoff because you are not sure where your purse is). I had my own room. The food was excellent and the retreat was well planned and packed with many opportunities to learn and to pray and to meditate.

Padraigin Clancy was our leader. She lives on the Aran Islands on the west coast of Ireland. She says she is the second house nearest to the United States. She works six months for the tourist bureau and spends the other six teaching and conducting retreats ALL over the world. She joined us fresh from a sojourn in Australia where she learned a lot about the spirituality of the aboriginies. They have surprising parallels to the spirituality of the ancient Celts.

Anyway, joining the team was Dennis Doyle a harpist singer from Glendale California Who talked on Holy People and Places and Seosai Nie Rabhartaigh a poet/Irish language teacher speaker who spoke about Gaelic poetry through the early and contemporary eras. She also conducted a workshop later int he day which I naturally attended. The other workshops were the making of St. Brigit Crosses with reeds FROM Ireland and a slide show of the island of Iona where Colm Cille banished himself and established his monastery/university. It was not hard for me to choose with the chance to write and consort with a fellow poet. I figured that this was my serendiptity.

Seosai is charming and VERY knowledgeable. We had an hour session where we discussed poetry and ideas and methods of getting stuff on paper and were able to write for about half of the time. I have a very rough draft of the thoughts that were in my head this weekend that I will share with you. I will try to give you the final when I finish it.

THE TROUBLE WITH DOGS

They steal your heart
Then age so fast
That you fall behind.

When my brother died
We told my Dad
That loving has its price.
To have the joy
One must accept the pain.

Now I need to teach
This lesson to myself.
Again.

There is a labyrinth at the retreat center. It was, of course, covered in snow. However, during the hour of silence on Saturday afternoon, I bundled up and went outside and tried to walk the circles. I could see the circles but not the turn around points, so I decided to do the Celtic thing and walk seven times around the center. It may have been more than seven. I just walked until I got to the center stumps and sat down. Sue joined me as I was walking. She slipped into the circle ahead of me. Is started to catch up with her. God must have sent her to slow me down. You know me, hell bent for leather. But I paced myself to her and finished my rosary in the middle. So there is a reason and that is one of the lessons I must learn.

Take care and have a good week.

As Padraigin would say" An bhfuil Failte roimh Brid? ( Is Brigit Welcome)" You should then answer "Se Beatha, Se Beatha, a Bhrid. Bheannaithe. (It is life, it is life, O Blessed Brigit).

Mary

It was 0 degrees when I woke up this morning. The high was about 19 which was a real pleasure after these days of sub zero that we have had the past few days.

I opted not to take Chelsea for a real walk though. The roads are really quite slippery and I am not taking any chances on slipping again. I fell twice at the beginning of the winter and managed not to hurt myself. I am not pushing it.

I was a medical taxi today. This morning Dick had to to to the anti-coagulation clinic. Not good. His reading was 3.9. It is supposed to be between 2 and 3 and last time it was 2.1. We think we know why. Sue has adjusted his meds and will see him next Thursday to see if it is working. Then we have to go back the following Tuesday to be set for his surgery on the 15th.

At 10AM I picked up Mother and took HER to see Dr. Hancock for her checkup. All of her readings were good. He said she can wait four months for her next appointment unless something comes up.

Then I came home and spent the afternoon cleaning bathrooms and getting ready for tomorrow.

It is set, Maureen, her friend, Gail, Rosemary and I will meet at 5PM at The Gathering on Hillside (we liked the idea of the name Gathering, it sounds so Irish) for supper. We will check in at the Retreat Center after 6:15PM.

Hope your day was nice and warm and went Just the way you wished.
Love
Mary

It was frigid today. When Chelsea woke me up at 5AM it was -10degrees. I was not really happy with Chelsea. We zipped out and even she agreed that it was much too cold. She piddled and rushed back to the house. It took several trips throughout the day to be sure that she was not in trouble that way.

Of course, there were no walks and she did not ask either.

I worked on the denim quilt today. Two more seams, then stitching around the whole quilt and it is assembled. Then all I have to do is clip the seams and wash it a couple of times to fray it.

Dick was really tired most of the day. We did manage to go grocery shopping despite the cold. Then we were able to stay home safe in our nice warm cave away from all danger.

We watched some of the Republican debate at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. I had friends in Simi Valley. I still communicate with Steve Hansen, a dear friend, and classmate of my ex husband. They lived there when the Sylmar Quake hit and had some damage to their home. I remember his ex wife telling us the tale of th quake.

They had four children who were sound asleep in bedrooms around a two story house. Then came the quake. Jean said that the noise was incredible and the kids started hollering as they were, of course terrified. The shelves and cabinets in their bathroom were rattling and clanging and poor Steve, waked out of a sound sleep, headed into the bathroom and "saved" the bathroom cabinets. He valiantly held them on the wall until the crisis was over.

About the quake, though, Jean said that there was not one thing in their house that was in the same place that it started. Fortunately there was no major structural damage and not one of that six member family was injured.

This is the same quake that woke up me and my ex. It was the noise that woke us. First we thought it was a plane flying really low as we lived near the Orange County Airport (now the John Wayne Airport) then realized that the noise was coming from underneath us. It went on for well over a minute. I remember asking Dick, my ex, if maybe we should be standing under a door frame or something. But we just waited. And it subsided. It was loud, like a huge animal growling underneath us and everything in the house shook. Bret had crawled in bed with us and never even woke up.

Boy is this week going fast. Tomorrow I take Dick to get his blood test and then will pick up Mother and take her for her physical. Whew.


Have a nice evening and a good Thursday.

Love

Mary

It was 39 degrees when I took Chelsea out for her walk this morning. The promised cold front waited until just a bit ago to come in. Now it is blowing, snowing and Cold.

I made salmon croquettes for supper tonight and took Chelsea for what was intended to be a LONG walk before the cold set in. We got to the corner of Tall Grass and Highland and started to head around the park. A lady and her black lab were also walking. Chelsea apparently got way to excited and had a seizure on a snowbank. She just flopped down on her belly in the snow and trembled. I held her and her little heart was like a sledgehammer. So. I carried her back towards home until I could tell she was OK. Then she walked the rest of the way. This is the first seizure she has had in at least a month. I am quite distressed.

At noon, I met Kate and Toni at Antoinettes to do some planning for the Spring Fling. We have good solid ideas for gift bags and name tags. I think the board will like the ideas. We had the best turkey spinach wraps I have ever had for lunch.

I got my hair cut at 2:30PM. That was fun. There was a gal in there tuning to a blond as I watched. She has dark dark hair naturally and is really trying something new. What a blast.

I told them about the time I lightened my hair to blond - about 50 years ago. I told them that I used Light and Bright. These young chicks laughed and admitted that they had never heard of such a product. When I did that it seemed like such a good idea. After all, I was blond when I was a little girl. However, before long the roots started showing. Do you know that you have to keep taking care of the roots? I am much to lazy for that and because of that have never even thought of dying or bleaching my hair again. My friend Rita Petrie Ertl still doesn't believe that I don't touch up my hair. I am actually pretty lucky. There is some gray but not much.

Tomorrow is a quiet day. Dick and I will go grocery shopping unless the roads are too bad. We don't have far to go.

The salmon croquettes were great. We had mashed potatoes and creamed peas to go with them.

Love

Mary

Another Monday. I still have Mondays. Today was a full day.

Chelsea and I started with a nice walk. It was only degrees 19 at the time. I knew it was supposed to get up to almost 40 but figured it was just a well to get the walk over with when I knew I had the time.

Bible study was interesting. There were six of us there today. Next week's gospel is Matthew's presentation of the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes. They are a road map of how to live and a promise of wonders in eternity.

Then I stopped at Mother's and brought her a meal and some dessert. We signed her up for Equifax monitoring of her credit as it was offered free because she was one of those whose SSN was sent out on a mailing. As Mother does not use credit cards or even her debit card, which she does have, there is little chance that she will be hit, BUT we figured that if this was offered, we might as well take advantage of it. That is the dumbest system for signing up. Mother could never have done it. It is an interchange with an automatic system. Voice and keypad were offered. The machine had difficulty picking up my voice. I ended up shouting and Mother thought that was very funny. It is done anyway.

Then home again where we got Dick ready for his shower. I made some chicken salad for his lunch tomorrow, as I am going to meet Kate and Toni to discuss the April Spring Fling for CWI.

Does anybody know of a good place to eat in Oconomowoc that is easy to get to and near either Sawyer or Delafield Road.

We listened to the President's State of the Union. Lots of Hoop La. He spoke of balancing our budget and living within our means. He did not mention that his war got us to the majority of the debt that we are in right now and we are sinking deeper with each day. I am glad that some troops are not being replaced when they come home. I find the fact that no one wants to admit that SSI SHOULD be solvent and WOULD be solvent if it had not been tapped for things that it was not intended to be used for.

Anyway, now the Democrats are responding and we will see what they have to say.

Apparently there was a death in Tall Grass today. Helen and Harold said that the emergency vehicles, followed by and ambulance and then the hearse from Sushon Funeral Home blocked off the street this morning while I was still in Falls. I will know for sure in the morning. It was probably early enough to be in the Press's death announcements.

Well I have to get ready for bed now. Have a good Tuesday.

Mary

Sunday and Much warmer than it has been. Chelsea and I took a walk. A nice walk. It was about 19 degrees when we went out. As we were nearing home, she suddenly stopped and looked at me so sadly. I do worry. She is getting old and I see her aging. I am minded of the little boy who said that dogs don't live as long as we do because: God puts us on earth to learn how to be good so we can come and be with him and dogs are good to begin with so it doesn't take them so long.

Betsy is in town to stay with her mother for a week. Don't know if I will get a chance to see her. Sure hope so. But I KNOW how precious that time is when one comes from out of state and I am sure that Dorothy is in need of a lot of TLC.

Went to the 8AM Mass. It was still a bit slippery at that time. The Mass was nice. Fr. Van Beeck does do such a nice sermon. He spoke of John the Baptist saying that people were to "Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand." Then Jesus preached the same thing. The thing that was interesting is that we think of "at hand" meaning either the end of the earth or our own death. What if he just meant that God Is Here! Why not.

The rest of the day was quite lazy. I finished a sweatshirt jacket for a CWI member and finished crocheting a hat and Dick and I bottled some current wine.

Now it is after 7, we are watching the Screen Actor's Guild Awards and winding down for the evening.

My son in law Bill Smith sent the following. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Read til the end please.

Mary

SIGN IN A PHILADELPHIA STORE WINDOW

"WE WOULD RATHER

DO BUSINESS WITH

1,000 AL-QAEDA TERRORISTS

THAN WITH ONE SINGLE AMERICAN SOLDIER!"

This sign was prominently displayed in the window of a business in Philadelphia . You are probably outraged at the thought of such an inflammatory statement.

However, we are a society which holds Freedom of Speech as perhaps our greatest liberty.

And after all, it is just a sign.

You may ask what kind of business would dare post such a sign.

Answer: A Funeral Home

(Who said morticians had no sense of humor?)