October 29 CWI Sheboygan Branch

Samhain has come and gone:)   Not really, Samhain is actually October 31, Halloween.    Halloween (Samhain) is also the Christian All Souls Day followed the next morning by All Saints Day.   All Saints Day is the day set aside by the Catholic Church for all the saints in heaven that are not canonized and do not have a feast day.   These would be our parents, our grand parents and friends and relatives that we KNOW are in heaven but have not been officially named a saint.

So we gathered for a harvest potluck.   We thought of and set places for our ancestors.  We shared stories of them.   We ate a spectacular meal.   It consisted of Sausage Corn Chowder, Potato Soup, Sweet Potato and Apple Soup, Colcannon, Bubbles and Squeak, Vegetable Medley, Chicken Rice Stew, Cranberry Apple Sauce, Irish Sausage Rolls and Pumpkin Custard Torte with Pecans.    Those who could not come missed a great meal and super companionship. 

After we ate, I shared my knowledge of the Celtic Perpetual Calendar the our CWI members, Cindy Matyi and Dolores Whelan, created.   It is as I said a perpetual calendar and in our society is not useful for scheduling appointments.   This makes it hard to understand.  It is intended as a tool to help direct your spiritual life and take advantage of the four seasons with the four solstices in between them to  set your soul in peace.  There were 16  attendees.   How special is that!

November 15, mark your calendars.   We have had an enthusiastic group of readers (We even have one member who does not read much but loves to come to hear about the books we have read.)  Joan Kramer is unable to be here that weekend so she and I decided that you can all come to my home that Saturday at 1PM.   The book selected at the last discussion is 1916 by Morgan Llywelyn.    Please - come if you can, even if you have not read the book.   After the discussion you may want to read it and by coming you can help choose the next book -or books.   Perhaps we could do a series?   or perhaps have a couple of books.    Anyway,  come to my home that Saturday.  Bring a treat if you like.    I will have Brown Bread baked fresh that morning. (Hear that, Joan S.) 

December  6, 2014 - AGAIN mark your Calendars for our annual Celtic Women, Sheboygan County Historical Research Center Irish Christmas Tea.   The place and who will be our music will be forwarded in the next couple of weeks.   Thank LuAnn Cleary Benninghaus and Beth Dippel for their planning of this event.

Dia Dhuit

Mary Kunert
920-912-5345
920-893-5139

--
Michael Kelly " In a land where there are no musicians; in a land where there are no storytellers; teachers and poets; in a land where there are no men and women of vision and leadership; in a land where there are no legends, saints, and champions; in a land where there are no dreamers, the people will most certainly perish."

October 17 CWI

October 17, 2014

CWI Sheboygan Branch Update

We are all set for our annual Samhain Dinner.    The dinner will take place at the First Congregational Church of Christ, 1405 S. Highway 67, Plymouth WI on Sunday, October 26 at 4PM.  Please come and bring a dish to pass that relates to our Celtic roots and/or the Harvest Season that is coming to an end  leads into the dark season where humans and the earth rest and prepare for the world to revive in the spring, Imbolc.  Learn more at this site:  http://www.newgrange.com/samhain.htm

Please come, bring your significant other, bring friends if you want and invite those who have gone before.   We are not celebrating exactly on All Soul's Eve (Halloween) but I bet none of those we love who have gone ahead will hesitate to come if we invite them.

Bring your dish to share (I will bring a super colcannon),  your table service (a setting for your ancestors if you wish) and stories.   This is the time to share tales of the year that is coming to an end and stories of our ancestors.  I am getting excited - we had such a super time last year.  Please come as we can do some planning too.

LITERARY EXCHANGE
Our bi-annual Literary Exchange is November 15th at 1PM. - at my home (725 Tallgrass Lane, Plymouth)  We had selected Morgan Llywelyn's 1916.   Even if you have not had a chance to read the book, please come. I understand from a couple people that this has been a difficult read.   So we can regroup.    Joan has to be with her mom, but she and I decided to keep the date anyway.     Those of us who just got back from IBAM (Irish Books Art Music) have so much to share and can recommend SO many authors that we had the honor to meet there and suggestions for discussion.   (I lent my copy of 1916 to someone?  I can't remember who.) Come with ideas and ready to hear about IBAM.    I can also tell you a bit about Morgan Llywelyn.  She is historically accurate but not always an easy read.

Anyway, please come.    I will have treats and if you are very very good will make Irish coffee with Jamison for any takers:)

Dia Dhuit

Mary

Michael Kelly " In a land where there are no musicians; in a land where there are no storytellers; teachers and poets; in a land where there are no men and women of vision and leadership; in a land where there are no legends, saints, and champions; in a land where there are no dreamers, the people will most certainly perish."

SAMHAIN - 10/26/2014

Yea.   We are almost there.   Sunday, be there with your dish to pass, your ancestors, your stories about your ancestors, dishes and your significant other or any other friend who would enjoy our little gathering.

I have all my ingredients for the colcannon and will bring some Candy Corn M&Ms that are SOOOO good.

I will bring Cindy and Dolores' perpetual calendar and explain how it works to you all, if you would like.

We will be meeting at First Congregational UCC, 1405 S.  Hwy 67, Plymouth at 4PM.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

920-893-5139
920-912-5345
-- Michael Kelly " In a land where there are no musicians; in a land where there are no storytellers; teachers and poets; in a land where there are no men and women of vision and leadership; in a land where there are no legends, saints, and champions; in a land where there are no dreamers, the people will most certainly perish."

October 9, 2014

I hope you all DID mark your calendars for Sunday October 26 from 4PM to 7PM for the 5th annual Samhain Harvest Dinner of the Sheboygan County branch of Celtic Women International.  We are set.   The First Congregational Church of Christ,1405 State Rd 67 in Plymouth are willing to open their doors to us.   I will go tomorrow to leave the application and the space rental.   We are so grateful that they will do this.  

SAMHAIN

So,  Sunday 10/26 at 4PMish, arrive.   Bring yourself, friends, significant others and a dish to pass.   It is lovely if it relates to the harvest but not essential.   I will, as always, bring colcannon.  Bring your own table service and a setting for your ancestors if you choose.   They are also invited to this feast as it coincides with the entry into the dark season of the year.    Halloween comes from the feast of Samhain which originates in Ireland.    It is harvest time, time to bring the livestock in from the hills.   It is said that it is on this night (Actually Oct 31) the ancestors come back to visit their homes and those they love.  Thus the All Souls Day and All Saints Day in modern Christianity.  We honor those who have gone ahead.

LITERARY EXCHANGE

Joan Kramer will be leading our bi annual Literary Exchange is November 15th at 1PM. - Place to be announced.  We had selected Morgan Llywelyn's 1916.   Even if you have not had a chance to read the book, please come.   Those of us who just got back from IBAM (Irish Books Art Music) have so much to share and can recommend SO many authors that we had the honor to meet there and suggestions for discussion.   (I lent my 1916 to someone?  I can't remember who.) 

CHRISTMAS TEA

Our final meeting for 2014 will be our annual Irish Christmas Tea.   Details on this will also follow, but please mark your calendar for Saturday December 6th from 1PM to 4PM.  A lovely musical warm way to start the Christmas season.   I promise to bring fresh Irish Brown Bread baked that morning with real butter to spread on it. 

That is our schedule for the year.   Please participate in whatever you can.   We love to see your face as the Irish say.

Call with any suggestions or questions.

Dia Dhuit

Mary Kunert

920-893-5139
920-912-5345
580-215-8484

Michael Kelly " In a land where there are no musicians; in a land where there are no storytellers; teachers and poets; in a land where there are no men and women of vision and leadership; in a land where there are no legends, saints, and champions; in a land where there are no dreamers, the people will most certainly perish."

2014 Events Sheboygan CWI

The Scotland travelers are back home as I told you last Friday.  We now have to look forward to and plan our next get togethers, at least through the end of 2014.   It is hard to believe that there are less than three months left of the year.

Our next event will be our annual, Samhain (Halloween-Harvest) Pot luck dinner.  We will be meeting on Sunday afternoon at 4PM on October 26th.   The question is where.   Our usual meeting place is not available this year so I could REALLY use help to locate and book a place.    We need a kitchen area (a place to plug in lots of electric food appliances), a counter to lay out the buffet and tables and chairs.  All are welcome.   We bring friends and significant others.   We also invite our deceased relatives and friends to join us and set a table for them too.    Some of us have place mats with their names on them.   I will bring paper place mats and writing implements if someone wishes to create one there.  Bring stories.

FYI - SAMHAIN

Samhain was one of the four main festivals of the Gaelic calendar, marking the end of the harvest and beginning of winter. Traditionally, Samhain was a time to take stock of the herds and food supplies. Cattle were brought down to the winter pastures after six months in the higher summer pastures. (From Wikipedia)

Samhain is also celebrated to this day as Halloween.   It is the time of the year when the veil between the spirit world and the world we live in is considered the thinnest.   A time to begin the Dark Season, a time to reflect, regroup and prepare for the new season that comes in the spring when life is reborn.

The last event scheduled for 2014 will be our annual Christmas Tea.   The date is December 6, Saturday Afternoon.  Details will follow.

Please help with a place for Samhain. 

We will be doing a Scotland presentation early in the year and perhaps also at the Gathering.    I will be going to Cornwall next year.

Dia Dhuit