Reunion and Aunt Margaret 

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I know, I am always full of questions after reading everyone,s blogs. 1. Does Kevin have a job yet? 2. Did anyone ask Mary Alice or Patti what they remember about Mary and Mikes wedding day? as that may give a clue about the possibility of a wedding photo. 3. Is Kathe's new job, as a teacher in Plainfield? When does she move? 4. Is Pat living in Chicago, now or just working in an office there? 5. Besides all the siblings, who else came to the reunion in StPaul,? How many grandchildren? great-grandchildren? etc. Peg, can you fill me in? I loved Marys blog. Love, Bonnie

Mary, thanks so much for that great summary It had bothered me all during this busy week that I did not get to get to the blog and tell exactly what you told. It was truly fun doing all this stuff together and yes we are blessed I am looking forward now to Ed and Linda and Fred and Beth coming a week from now. Ed has promises of big steaks and Fred is bringing in the red wine.....I did not book any patients on Friday...I wonder why??? Kathe will be moving into the area now...she got a new job in Plainfield. So there you go...Roseanne and Pat and Kathe and I will all be about an hour from each other and well, Julie you are going to have to learn the drive into this placenow. Grab Bev every now and again and we already have a date for Christmas shopping. LIfe is good right Mary?? It was so enjoyable being with ya'all. Love for now PS Pat held a workshop at my office tonight and we had 13 happy attendees....Way to go Pat and it is all good for business!!

Hi Everyone. I am enjoying a quiet day for the most part today after three week-ends of visiting with family and friends. My trip to Milwaukee for a day with my class at St. Francis was wonderrful. Everyone-"innies" and "outies"-really looked good. We are all hovering in the neighborhood of sevety-one. Everyone active, working at the "mission" which each of os has discerned to be God's will for us. It was a most positive experience. Then to Chicago where I visited with old classmate Pat Delaney for a few good laughs and a walk through many good memories. Also had a great visit with Peg who thought I really need an i-pod and I got to see Pat also over a dessert treat. On to Cllinton where we had the opportunity to have supper at Rastrelli's with Mary Jo, Julie, Kathe. Then on Saturday AM we got up and brought Julie home for the week. It was so hot, not much got done except work in our air conditioned house. We did make a couple shopping trips to Khols and a couple of hours at the Mall of America. Sue was in Conneticut the whole week, so I really wasn't too informed what to show Julie down here in the Cities. Anyway, we had a nice visit and Julie outdid herself helping us get ready for company on Friday, Jo and Bob arrived hhere on Thursday night; om and Mike arrived about 10:30AM on Friday. Peg, Kathe, and Roseanne arrived in the Twin Cities on Friday afternoon. WE all gathered at Cathy and Guy's place at 4:00PM for the Lennon Gathering. Phil and family, Paul, Sue, and of course Christina (from California) were also there. We had a reallly nice time visiting and making memories. On Saturday, the girls spent the day at the Mall of America, but the rest of us Lennons an d Smiths went to a Pig Roast for linch. It was a fund raiser for the local Food shelf and crisis center . We attended 5:00 AM Mass at St. Richards where Cathy and Guy received a blessing recognizing their 25 years of marriage. Then we joined the family and friends for the celebration in the church hall. Cathy and Guy did themselves good as they profoundly proclaimed how their marriage is supported by the community and how they joyfully poured out their generosity, so characteristic of their life together. We, the immediate family, gave them a hot-air balloon ride (In the future at a time of their choic e.) The Lennon sisters sang Up, Up, and Away to help Patty Fleege introduce the pinata which held the tickets. They had abit of a time breaking the pinata!!! On Sunday morning, we had a brunch at my house for everyone. The girls joined us and got to see our digs as Tom refers to our new homes (Sue's and Ours). Everyone left by about 1:30PM and Ed and I settled down for a week of pigging out on all the leftovers!!! We were just getting our excitememt levelback to normal, when Mike called on Tuesday morning to tell me Margaret Brooks had died. I knew that I wanted to go to Ottumwa for that. So off we went Friday morning to Ottumwa (instead of to the lake as planned). Jo, Bob, Ed and I all shared a motel room on Friday night. (It went well, except Bob says he didn't sleep all night for fear he would snore too loudly!). That of course is not good but..It was another walk down Memory Lane and we all told stories and had the uplifting chance to reacquaint ourselves or to meet all our cousins and theri families. Patty and Harry, Mary Alice, and Julie Lennon were alll their-with their families.It was just a wonderful time. We got to visit the cemetery and visit all those who have gone before us. And then after the funeral luncheon, Mike filled his van with we Lennons and we went to visit Ellen and Clair Fleener for about an hour. They are so alert in spite of thier age. It was a wonderful visit. Ellen is tethered to an oxygen tank and Clair is as spry as a young chicken. Then we went back up to the Hammersleys and continued visiting and meeting people. It was quite a family turnout. The family filled at least one-half of the St. Mary's Church. Mary Jo and Pat had had to return to Clinton right after the luncheon, but Peg and Julie stayed on for the afternoon with Ed and I and Jo and Bob and Mike. About 4:00, Ed and I, Julie and Peg began our trip back to Clinton. We all spent Sunday together. Kevin stopped in to visit and argue with us. He was passionate(a wonderful quality of rhe young!) and we were passionate about our opinions (and wisdon!)None of us changed anyone else's mind, but we did our Lennon heritage good! Right , Kevin!! On Monday AM, Julie had to go back to work and we drove back to St. Paul Park. Truly, the Lord has been bountiful with His goodness in all this time with family and friends.Now, we are getting back to normal. The excess fatty foods and sweets are gone, and life resumes its normal routines. Tomorrow we leave for the Lake-will stay there until the 24th or so. We will come home a few days and then go again to the Lake for over the Labor Day holiday. Hope all is well with all of you. Bonnie, those family pictures have not surfaced from where I thought I had them stowed. I have not forgotten, but it will likely be after the Lake season that I can find the time to dig deeper. Also, major question that we have: Did my parents, Mike and Mary Lennon have a wedding picture taken? I do not recall ever having seen one. Must get off here. Love Mary Carolyn.

Thanks for sharing all the info, Peg. I have not logged on for a week, so missed your message about Aunt Margaret until today, Sunday. I think I still have Carol and Rays address, so will send my memorial and sympathy on to them. Your discription of the reuntion sounded wonderful and made me even more wish I had been there to share the good times. Peg, if you ever decide to take on a different job, you could be a reporter for the Chicago Tribune or such.!!!!!!! Tell Kathe and Emily to blog on and let us know some of the hilights of their trip to Canada. And Roseanne, let us know how Christian is doing. I think of him so often when I read of the men locally who are dealing with the come back to civilian life. Its got to be tough after what they have been thru. Our Joseph is gearing up for his departure end of August to teach in the Czech-Republic. He just got back from a week long writers workshop in Nappa Valley where he was lodged by the conference at the home of one of the local vineyards families. They like to keep in touch with the creative clients of the school , I guess, so offer their homes for the writers while attending the conference. Joseph had left with promises of bringing back some of the wine from his hosts vineyard. But while sipping a glass the first night, at the hosts table, he discoved that its well over a hundred dollars a bottle, so was content to just enjoy it while there. Sarah has a new job, working for an Elder Care Law firm, so is now instructing me of all the precautions I need to take legally before I enlist Medicare etc. She was fortunate to be able to have Ginny's , Rachel down for these last two weeks, as a babysitter for Emma and Jackson, while Sarah had her first couple of weeks on the job, before school starts tomorrow, It was a good summer job for Rachel to earn some money before she heads back to school. Im back to school this weds myself, and dont know how the summer could have possibly gone so quickly. Too many projects, too little time.!!!!!! Havent seen much of Laura this summer. Shes busy with two jobs, so not much time to socialize. Hope you all will add more of your good family sharings on the blog. Love, Bonnie

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