September 17 Update

September 17, was Scone Baking day at Mary Kunert's house.   There were 10 of us here with 5 different scone recipes.

In attendance were: Janet Bieschke, Joan Kramer, Rosemary Mugan, Barb Fishbaugher, Kathy Paul, Felicia Reindl, Peg Payne, Peggy Feider, Joan Schwalbe and, of course, Mary.

Barb brought cinnamon scones.   Joan K made Cream Scones, I made Cranberry Orange and Lemon scones and Janet made pumpkin parmesan scones.    All were totally scrumptious and we all received a booklet of the recipes that I was able to obtain ahead of time.   I will add new recipes each year so that our collection  can grow. 


It was hard to really have a meeting as we were having SO much fun visiting, catching up and eating those scrumptious scones, but we managed.  We covered the meetings scheduled through January, and they are really looking good.

Our next event is the third annual  Samhain Dinner, Sunday, October 30 at 4PM.   Thank you, Dorothy, for again arranging for us to use your church,  the First Congregational UCC, 1405 State Highway 67, Plymouth WI 53073.

The following two paragraphs are from Wikipedia for those who just need a quick update on what Samhain is.
Samhain ( /ˈsɑːwɪn/, /ˈsaʊ.ɪn/, or /ˈsaʊn/)^[1] was a Gaelic harvest festival held on October 31–November 1. It was linked to festivals held around the same time in other Celtic cultures, and was popularized as the "Celtic New Year" from the late 19th century, following John Rhys and James Frazer.^[2] The date of Samhain was associated with the Catholic All Saints' Day (and later All Souls' Day) from at least the 8th century, and both the secular Gaelic and the Catholic liturgical festival have influenced the secular customs now connected with Halloween.^[3]
The medieval Irish festival of Samhain marked the end of the harvest, the end of the "lighter half" of the year and beginning of the "darker half". It was celebrated over the course of several days and had some elements of a Festival of the Dead. Bonfires played a large part in the festivities. People and their livestock would often walk between two bonfires as a cleansing ritual, and the bones of slaughtered livestock were cast into its flames.<sup>[4]

We celebrate the event by sharing a potluck using food from the harvest.   We honor our dead by inviting them to the event (bring placemats with their names on them and a place setting for them).   This is an opportunity to enjoy the fruits of the harvest season and the light before we head into the dark season.   We invite all spouses, friends and companions to the event.  The food is wonderful.    I am planning on again bringing Colcannon (a mashed potato and cabbage dish).      

Please bring a dish to pass, your own place settings and a gift for a drawing.

I can be reached at 920-893-5139 or 920-912-5345 as well as mary.kunert@gmail.com.

The semi-annual meeting of our fledgling  Book Club will be at Kate Herman's home on Thursday,  November 17.   I will send the time, in a later newsletter.   We had decided on reading Morgan Llewelyn's 1916.   Don't worry if you have not read it as you could come and find out if you want to read it.  We are still in the beginning stages, and it is also the best way to find out what others have read that is good.

Our final get together this year will be the annual Christmas Tea on December 3 at 2:00PM.   We are privileged to be able to again co-host this event with the Plymouth History Museum, who provide the place, and a wonderful setting it is,  and also with the Sheboygan County Historical Research Center.    Beth Dippel, the director of SCHRC, has again booked Theiss and O'Connor for our entertainment and will provide the publicity.   We, as CWI, will bring the baked goods for the tea part of the event.   I well again bring brown bread and barmbrack also.     There is a snow date of December 10.

I am not planning a meeting in January.   If someone else wants to do so, that is fine with me.   The reason is that I am working with the John Michael Kohler Art Center on an Irish Family Heritage Day which will be in January.   They have done German and Korean Family Heritage Days before this and I am delighted that they want me to help with the Irish event.   Joan Kramer and Beth Dippel are also involved.      If you would like to be a part of this we would be truly delighted.     If you knit, crochet or weave or know someone who does, perhaps you or they could do demonstrations of this craft.    I may ask you to bake again, scones, Irish soda breads and  breads.    I intend to tell them that if we do the baking, we would like to sell them ourselves for our treasury.   There will be children's areas, history areas, story tellers, music, poetry, food.   The idea is to instill as much Irish History into the day and the area as possible.    Anyone who is interested in being a part of the event, please let me know.

That is all we have for now. 

Jesus, Mary and Bridget be with you</sup>

Mary

September Update

Hello Everybody!!!!

September 3rd was a great day for Celtic Women International.     Several of us,  Debbie O'Grady and myself, from the Sheboygan County branch included, manned a table at the annual Wisconsin Highland Games in Waukesha.     We were welcomed with open arms and assured that we could do all three days if we wish to.    This is something to consider for next year.

    Debbie and I got there at 8:30AM and set up the table with a purple table cloth and our banner.    Patsy Tierney brought brochures and applications.    We all took turns manning the booth.   Veronica Ceszynski, Sheila Isakson, Patsy Tierney, Debbie and me.     I know that Gail McAleese, Rosemary Baumann and Betty Powers took the afternoon.   

    I enjoyed wandering round the grounds, watching the demonstrations, listening to the bagpipes and did a bit of shopping.  I would have been glad to be there for the whole day,   perhaps next year.
I brought some tea that we can share at our meeting on September 17 at my house.

You remember that, of course, I told you to mark your calendars for Saturday September 17 at 2PM.    We will meet at my home, 725 Tallgrass Lane, Plymouth WI.      The advantage here is that there are two ovens for the baking of the scones.   Yea!   I would like to know:

    1.   If you are coming (please, please do.)

    2.   If you are going to be sharing your favorite scone recipe (bring the ingredients if you do)   AND FINALLY

    3.  Send your recipes by email or whatever early next week and I will prepare a little booklet of them for all attendees.   Don't worry if you don't have a favorite - this is the event to find a favorite.  
         Just come to help prepare and eat.

The next scheduled event will be SAMHAIN.

Samhain will be late afternoon and early evening on Sunday October 30.   Dorothy Rose is reserving the First Congregational UCC church here in Plymouth for us.   . 

For those of you not familiar with Samhain,   this is an annual potluck to celebrate the seasonal change to the dark time of the year.    Many Halloween traditions come from the Irish Samhain.
Spouses are ALWAYS welcome at any of our events, but this event we encourage you to bring your significant other for the meal and the fun.     We also encourage you to invite your ancestors.   It is customary to bring a placemat and set a place for them.  The meal is a potluck celebrating the harvest, so we bring food prepared from the rich harvest of our area.    I myself bring Colcannon.     We can talk more on September 17th and I will be sending our another newsletter before then.    But be sure to mark your calendar.

The Semi-Annual meeting of the Book Club will be at Kate Herman's home on November 17th.    We are currently reading Morgan Llewelyn's 1916.   If you need the book, I have one.

To top off the year, we will host, with the Plymouth History Museum and the Sheboygan County Research Center, our annual Christmas Tea.  The scheduled date is Saturday, December 3, with December 10 as a snow date.

That should cover it.    Happy Autumn to you all all.

May Jesus, Mary and Bridget bless you.

Mary