A Busy Saturday: The Heart Walk at Busch Stadium and Listen to Your Mother's Show at St. Luke's

This Saturday, May 10, I'll be participating in the Heart Walk at Busch Stadium, on a team to honor my sister-in-law Gerry, who will celebrate the one-year anniversary of her heart transplant in July. 

Gerry's daughter, my niece Jamie, is once again sponsoring a team through her employer, Cassidy Turley, who has donated a special prize (St. Louis Cardinals tickets) to be raffled among Jamie's team members.

Jamie and Gerry will be walking side-by-side with my brother Jim. My sister Kathleen and I will be there along with other members of the Duly and Schneider families and Jamie's Cassidy Turley family at work.  

The  Heart Walk opening ceremony starts at 8:30 with the walk beginning at 9:00. Jamie's company’s meeting spot is in Section 157 in Busch Stadium. 

Here's a link to Jamie's work team if you'd like to  join us in some heart-healthy exercise or donate for this worthy cause.

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At the signing last Saturday for the Not Your Mother's Book: On Being a Mom, I chatted with Ellie Grossman, author of of Mishegas of Motherhood.

During our conversation, Ellie reminded me about the Second Annual Mother's Day Listen to Your Mother Show St. Louis on Saturday, May 10 at St. Luke's at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The show features live readings of funny, touching, and inspiring stories about motherhood. Proceeds from ticket sales benefit the local charity, Girls in the Know.

With the heart walk being on the same day, I won't be able to make this event, which is disappointing because the brilliant and funny writer Sioux Roslawski is among the featured speakers. 

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If you're in the local area and want to have some fun while supporting a worthy cause, check out one--or both events-- if you're able!

Boston Bound to Watch the Cardinals Play the Red Sox -- and World Series Memories

I’m so happy that my niece left St. Louis early this morning bound for Boston—not that she’s leaving town, but that she will get to watch the St. Louis Cardinals play the Boston Red Sox tonight in Game 2 of the World Series at Fenway Park.

Talk about the luck of the Irish!

For baseball fans there's nothing like the thrill of being inside the stadium during a World Series game.

 

My one and only inside-the-stadium World Series experience was in 1964 when my sister Kathleen and I went to Game 7 and watched Bob Gibson and the St. Louis Cardinals defeat the New York Yankees. Our parents were huge Cardinal fans, but we still were surprised when they let us skip a day of high school to go to the game.

 

The night before, Kathleen and I bundled up in blankets, along with some of her friends, to spend the night  on Dodier Street outside Sportsman Park. On that chilly evening, we took turns running to the YMCA on Grand Avenue to warm up and use the bathroom.

 

Our efforts were rewarded when we bought $2 tickets to sit in the bleachers. In fact, we were able to buy two tickets each. We then sold our extra tickets for $5 a piece to a friend of my sister's, who undoubtedly resold those tickets for even more. But our combined $10 covered the cost of our admission with enough left over to buy snacks during the game.

 

Anyway, my niece is traveling to Massachusetts today to visit her good friend and former college roommate, who is married to a player on the New England Patriots football team, who also is from St. Louis and a Cardinal fan. I'm not sure how she scored her ticket for tonight's game, but you can bet it cost a lot more than $2.

After the Cardinals' ugly loss last night, I’m hoping she will bring along some of our family’s Irish luck while she’s cheering for the Red Birds. 

So, if you see a dark-haired, gray-eyed beauty sporting a St. Louis Cardinals cap in a sea of Boston Red Sox fans, be sure to wave.

No doubt she will return home with lots of special memories of her own after watching the Cardinals win (I hope) a World Series game.

A Day to Remember: Bastille Day, a Book Launch, and a New Heart

For many reasons, yesterday was a day to remember.

Historically, July 14 is Bastille Day, the day the French, and other countries, commemorate the conclusion of the French Revolution.

Locally, several writers celebrated the July 14 Well Versed 2013 book launch with the Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers Guild at the Unity Center in Columbia, Missouri. The Sunday afternoon event brought out writers, friends, and family members.

Lynn, Marcia, Donna, Sheree, Linda

For the drive to the launch, I carpooled with Sheree, Marcia, and Lynn, three other Well Versed contributors.

The room was crowded, and several chairs had to be added to accommodate attendees. One of Lynn's grade-school classmates showed up for the event, along with Lynn's critique group pals Sioux and Tammy. Sioux took several photos, including the one on the left.

During the celebration, editor Linda Fisher announced the names of the Judges' Picks in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. She also handed out certificates to winners and honorable mentions. Afterwards, several contributors read and signed books; conversations were friendly and snacks plentiful.

During the drive, Lynn, Sheree, Marcia, and I chatted and shared stories about our lives and how we met our husbands. I also told them about how anxious I was because of a call I received that morning.

For my family, July 14 is a day to remember because my sister-in-law has a new heart.

After months of hospital stays, setbacks, hopes, waiting and praying, yesterday morning my brother received a call to be at the hospital around 10 a.m. The transplant team believed they had a perfect match, and if all went well my sister-in-law's surgery would be late in the afternoon or early evening. I thought about going to the hospital instead of the launch, but one of my sisters convinced me we might get in the way. Coincidentally, yesterday was the day of a special Mass for our sister-in-law's heart health.

During the book launch, I discretely checked my phone for news from home. On the return trip, I received a call that surgery was a go for the evening. Late last night I received another call that, according to the surgeon, everything went "splendidly."

This morning when I spoke with my brother, we talked about how it truly was a miracle that his wife now has a strong, young heart, and how grateful we all are for the God-given talent of the surgeon and the medical team, for the generosity of the organ donor's family, but especially to God for the gifts he gives that others share.

So, yesterday will be a day I will remember -- for the book launch and for spending an afternoon with several writing friends, but most of all I will remember July 14, 2013 as the day one family's organ donation gave my sister-in-law a new heart and a second chance on life.

15 Things Garage Sales and Writing Have in Common

Last Saturday, then again on Wednesday, I was part of my family's annual garage sale at my sister’s house.

As I sweltered in the heat, I realized that having a garage sale and being a writer have several things in common.

* Both require long hours of preparation

* Both take lots of hard work

* It helps to have a plan

* It’s good to be organized

* Marketing is essential

* More than one set of eyes and ears need are needed

* What you value may not have the same value to others

* Be willing to let go of what you no longer need

* Be willing to negotiate

* But be willing to stand your ground when it matters

* Everyone loves a bargain, but sadly a few expect it for free

* Time invested doesn’t always equal payback

* Being around people you like doesn’t seem like work

* Meeting new and friendly people is fun

* Knowing there are people who love to read books is gratifying

No doubt writing and garage sales have even more in common; maybe I'll save those thoughts for another day.

The garage sale was a success. Everyone involved made money. My grandkiddos were excited with their share of the loot, and I am tickled with what I made. It’s a good feeling to de-clutter the house a bit, make a tidy sum, see smiles on faces of children and adults who are going to enjoy possessions others have enjoyed, and to be able to donate leftover items to a charitable resale shop.

While the family garage sale was a worthwhile experience, I’m glad it happens only once a year.

Easter Traditions - Kate Duly's Irish-German Potato Salad

On the major holidays my brothers and sisters and I, along with our families, get together to celebrate. This Easter we're going to my brother Tim's house. Each family brings special dishes to the feast.

I'm baking a turkey and making strawberry-angel food dessert. Bridget is bringing a baked ham and making green bean bundles. Brother Jim is making his fabulous baked beans. Nieces and nephews are providing salads, appetizers, and other goodies. But my sister Kathleen is making the dish most requested by family members: our mom's German Potato Salad.

On this Good Friday I thought I'd share a recipe that my family has enjoyed for more than 50 years. Since my family is Irish-American and not German, the title has been modified. My husband, who was born in Germany, insists that real German potato salad does not have mayonnaise and is not eaten cold, so to keep peace after I got married, the name of the recipe was modified to Irish-German Potato Salad.

My mom's name was Katherine, but one of her nicknames was Kate, so the official name of the recipe is Kate Duly's Irish-German Potato Salad.

Here is the recipe for Kate Duly's Irish-German Potato Salad, courtesy of my sister Kathleen:

5 lbs of red potatoes

1/2 lb of regular bacon (not maple cured or flavored, etc)

1 cup each white vinegar and white sugar

6 hard boiled eggs (chopped)

6 green onions (chopped)

1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper and celery seed

One and a half to two cups of real mayonnaise

Boil 5 lbs of red potatoes, peel and cut into small chunks. Cover in a bowl so they don't turn dark.

Fry 1/2 lb of regular bacon, cool and crumble, save drippings in skillet.

Add 1 cup each of white vinegar & sugar to the bacon drippings and simmer until sugar is dissolved. Pour over cut up potatoes in a large bowl, mix well and let cool.

Add chopped green onions & hard boiled eggs, salt, pepper and celery seed.

Add real mayo and blend to a smooth consistency.

Refrigerate and serve cold.

More mayo may be added later if needed to get desired consistency

This dish is so good, it makes your mouth smile. So, no matter what nationality you are, I hope you enjoy!

Happy Easter!

I'll be back next week with a few posts about a tour I recently went on--and I'll even have some photos.