Happy Birthday, Mia!

Dear Hearts,

May 21st is the birthday of Mia Rose Sullivan: daughter of Mike and Shelly; sister of Jake, Seamus, Augustine, Sofia, Penelope and Max; granddaughter of Bob and Darlene and Don and Judy; niece, cousin and friends to scores more lucky folks.

Mia is enjoying her junior year of high school and continues to show the world she is an intelligent, happy and kind young woman. She was a member of the Homecoming Court in the fall, attended prom in the spring and is little Nellie's confirmation sponsor in between.

She is a loving sister and daughter, a loyal friend and a real pleasure to be around.

Happy Birthday, sweet Mia, and may you have 108 more healthy ones, by the Aunt Joannie Sullivan Law of Longevity Aspiration of 2008.

God bless us and save us and keep us from harm.

Love, Patty

Happy Birthday, Maggie!

Dear Hearts,

May 21st is the birthday of Margaret Frances Sullivan: daughter of John and Nancy; sister of Michael and Matthew; mama of Brandon; auntie of Evangeline and Violet; niece, cousin and friends of dozens more. 

Maggie is a wonderful mama to little Brandon, finding fun and creative ways to experience life--whether it's preparing and coaxing him to eat healthy food or patiently walking through the neighborhood as he discovers new things. 

She remains sweet and humble, as well as a perfect blend of her mom and dad. Maggie's humor brings light to every conversation, and her creativity fascinates the mind. All this wrapped up in such a beautiful young woman with a kind and loving heart.

Happy birthday, Maggie, and may you have 87 more healthy ones, by the Aunt Joannie Sullivan Law of Longevity Aspiration of 2008.

God bless us and save us and keep us from harm.

Love, Patty

Prayer Request

Dear Hearts,

Please take a few minutes to offer up a prayer for a classmate, infantryman and dear friend of Jim's (Seamus the older).

Skip Clarkson needs our support. He truly believes--and is very grateful for--our prayers helped his son, Douglas, who has recovered and is doing well after a life-threatening health crisis.

In the coming weeks, Skip will undergo surgery at the Cleveland Clinic to treat colon cancer. His family is in full support mode and we have a chance to join in carrying Skip through these tough times.

Let's raise him up in prayer to help bear the burden and ease the pain of our Dear Heart. I offer this prayer through the intercession of St. Peregrine, the Patron Saint of People with Cancer:

St. Peregrine Prayer for People with Cancer

O great St. Peregrine, you have been called "The Mighty" and "The Wonder-Worker," because of the numerous miracles which you have obtained from God for those who have had recourse to you.
For so many years you bore in your own flesh this cancerous disease that destroys the very fiber of our being, and who had recourse to the source of all grace when the power of man could do no more.
You were favored with the vision of Jesus coming down from His Cross to heal your affliction. Ask of God and Our Lady, the cure of the sick whom we entrust to you.
(Pause here and silently recall Skip Clarkson)
Aided in this way by your powerful intercession, we shall sing to God, now and for all eternity, a song of gratitude for His great goodness and mercy. Amen.

Thank you all.

God bless us and save us and keep us from harm.

Love, Patty

Happy Birthday, Candace!

Dear Hearts,

May 18th is the birthday of Candace Gattuso Lore: wife of Joseph Lore; mother of two beautiful girls; and dear friend of Sarah Cassaro Sullivan.

She was born in New Orleans, the sixth of 10 children and met Sarah while working together at the Chicago eatery Smokedaddy in 2007--and Miles through Sarah. Today, Candace works as an operations coordinator at Ochsner Health System.

Candace brings a down-home vibe to all her personal interactions--as do so many who come from big families. She absolutely creates a sense of comfort and makes anyone with her glad to be in her company.

Happy Birthday, Candace, and may you have 84 more healthy ones by the Aunt Joannie Sullivan Law of Longevity Aspiration of 2008.

God bless us and save us and keep us from harm.

Love,
Patty

Happy Birthday, Claire!

Dear Hearts,

May 16th is the birthday of Claire Elizabeth Clevenger: daughter of Hal and Mercy Clevenger; sister of Molly; granddaughter of Helen and John Whalen; great-granddaughter of Boom Boom and Boompa; niece, cousin and friend to scores of lucky folks. She's recently added the title of Auntie, with the recent birth of Molly's baby, Josey.

Claire lives in Big Sky, Montana and is a living, breathing legacy of so many who came before her. Her creativity, adventurous pursuits, wonderful humor and strong independence remind us all of her sister, mom, aunts and grandmothers. 

Claire loves travel and adventure and has racked up quite a list of adventures. Working in the restaurant industry, I'm hoping she is ramping up service as the restrictions of Covid-19 ease. Claire is a talented bartender and server who creates amazing dishes at home too.

Happy Birthday, Claire, and may you have 90 more healthy ones, by the Aunt Joannie Sullivan Law of Longevity Aspiration of 2008.

God bless us and save us and keep us from harm.

Love, Patty

Happy Birthday, Mary Ella!

Dear Hearts,

Ella, second from left, with her Sully cousins
at UD last winter.

May 14th is the birthday of Mary Ella Lewis: daughter of Paul and Margaret; sister of PJ, Robert, William and Timothy; niece, cousin and friend to many more. She is one of four of our women with Ella in her name. This group includes her Auntie Ella (who is Darlene Ella); her first cousin Ella Marie (Bobby’s daughter); her second cousin Frances Ella (Jim's daughter); and herself.

This Ella is the proverbial Irish beauty--as lovely as her mama, and as good as her daddy. She has grown up to be a strong yet quiet young woman who shows great humor and grace in everyday life. If my internet research is accurate, Ella is studying at the University of Dallas and made the Dean's List in the fall with a GPA higher than 3.5. That's a particularly impressive stat when you add the fact that she has the ever-present joy/distraction of seven cousins at the same school!

Happy Birthday, Mary Ella, and may you have 106 more healthy ones by the Aunt Joannie Sullivan Law of Longevity Aspiration of 2008.

God bless us and save us and keep us from harm.

Love, Patty

God Bless June

Dear Hearts,

May 10th is the 98th anniversary of June Doe Cusick's birth. She was born in Illinois on May 10, 1924, and died at age 41 in 1965. She was the wife of Edgar Allen "Bud" Cusick, and mother of Kathy, Linda, Debbie and Brian, and most importantly to us, Elizabeth Ann "Bitsy" Cusick Sullivan, who looks just like her.

June was famously witty and vivacious, she was crazy about Bud, and was drop-dead gorgeous. Bitsy misses her all the time. I wish I had known her.

June succumbed to cancer when Bitsy was 19. So Bitsy went a long time without a mother, and then had Mom for 17 years, and she and Mom were good friends. I can't help but think that Mom and June would have also been good friends.

June lives in the memory and the faces of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Thank you, June, for Bitsy, and please watch over us all.

God bless us and save us and keep us from harm.

Love, Patty

Happy Birthday, Kathleen!

Dear Hearts,

May 9th is the birthday of Kathleen Lawrence: wife of Jim's West Point classmate and brother, Kerry Lawrence, Esq.

Kat is more than just a classmate's wife. She has served the Academy and the Nation for over a decade as a mentor at the class-sponsored National Conference on Ethics in America at West Point every year. She is a clinical psychotherapist who provides business consulting, coaching, mediation services, couple, child and family therapy and parent coaching through her private practice in Washington.

Jim offers this:

"Kat helps suffering humanity every day and is one of the most compassionate and empathetic and gentle souls I have ever met. She loves my classmate Kerry, who is as big a knucklehead as all the Brothers, despite his many accomplishments (he is our class's James Madison, having single-handedly written the class constitution), with all her big heart. Though hit with a debilitating condition in her youth, she fights it and succeeds on a day-to-day basis with remarkable courage and composure."

Jim discovered something astonishing about our familial connection with Kat:

"Anne and Kat and Bitsy are great friends, and when I see them together, I am struck by how much they are so like the groups of Irish women we grew up with--their speech and mannerisms and laughter. Then I noticed that Kat reminds me startlingly of Boom Boom and when I asked questions, it turns out she is from Clare! And her mother and female relatives are Moloneys, Fitzgeralds, Sheehans and McNamaras! Boom Boom was a Sheehan, and her mother was a Moloney, and her mother was a Fitzgerald, and her mother was a MacNamara! And they are all from Clare! Got to be the same gene pool."

So Happy Birthday, Kathleen, dear and long-time friend, and may you have 56 more healthy ones by the Aunt Joannie Sullivan Law of Longevity Aspiration of 2008.

God bless us and save us and keep us from harm.

Love, Patty & Jim

Happy Birthday, Will!

Dear Hearts,

May 7th is the birthday of William Patrick Babbington: son of Sean and Elizabeth; step son of Dick Harlan; brother of Steve, Chris and Tucker; husband of Kate Merwin; father of Mia and Emma; step dad of Ava and Henry; nephew, uncle, cousin and friend to many more folks.

Professionally, Will is an architect and a structural engineer at Studio NYL in Denver. The initials behind his name, however, indicate he's so much more! He's been working in that world since 1998 and e calls himself an Individual Facade Geek.

Personally, Will is cultured, kind, loving and generous. He's as comfortable snowboarding and skiing as he is contemplating a metropolitan art exhibit. And his personal time is always about family. Will and Kate always arrange time for each other and keep their children as top priority. And they do this while living some of the time in two separate states! 

Happy Birthday, Will, and may you have 78 more healthy ones, by the Aunt Joannie Sullivan Law of Longevity Aspiration of 2008.

God bless us and save us and keep us from harm.

Love, Patty

God Bless Mom

Dear Hearts,

May 6th, 2011 Mary Claire Rita Wiley Sullivan is the day our Mom passed into the arms of God. She was the daughter of Fran and Irwin V. Wiley (Boom Boom and Boompa); sister of Helen; wife of Jim, sister-in-law of John, Bob, Darlene, Sr. Anna Rita and Sr. Margaret; mother of Jim, Mary Fran, John, Mike, Matt, Anne, Jerry, Margy and Patty; mother-in-law, grandmother; great-grandmother; aunt; cousin and friend of hundreds more.

She was a woman of terrific wit, faith, humor, intelligence and love. Her great gift was always to love and to be loved. Indeed, one of her favorite songs was "Love Makes the World Go 'Round." Mom's legacy--her children, grandchildren and greats--continue to share her gifts in this world: creating beautiful gardens, cooking delicious food, making people laugh, caring for others, teaching and entertaining children.

Born in Chicago on August 4, 1926, Mary Claire danced on the Irish radio show in Chicago as a young girl, and could do the "shtep" and the Blackbird until her little frame wouldn't support her. Men loved to dance with her.

She was a pre-med student at Marquette in 1946 when she met Dad. He was head over heels in love with her and she with him. Now she rests with him at the National Cemetery in Riverside, CA.

We miss you and love you, Mom. Please continue to watch over all of us down here.

God bless us and save us and keep us from harm.

Love, Patty

Happy Birthday, Mickey!

Dear Hearts,

May 4th is the birthday of Donald Nicholas "Mick" Sullivan: son of Jim and Nancy; stepson of Bitsy; brother of Jim III, Amos, Miles, and Franny; husband of Mary; father of Oscar, Beatrice and Lucille; uncle, nephew, cousin and friend of many more. My favorite memory of Mickey is his tiny scratchy voice when he was a toddler.

Mick practices at Decatur Orthopedic Center, specializing in joint replacement procedures, trauma/fractures and general orthopedics. A simple web search reveals that there doesn't seem to be a part of the skeleton he can't fix.

He is a proud husband and father and delights in his family. To hear him speak of his children is so nice--he is continually amazed and enamored of their creativity and work ethic.

Happy Birthday, Mick, and may you have 75 more healthy ones by the Aunt Joannie Sullivan Law of Longevity Aspiration of 2008.

God bless us and save us and keep us from harm.

Love, Patty

Happy Birthday, Amanda!

Dear Hearts,

Amanda was happy to see Georgia
during the holidays!

April 3rd is the birthday of Amanda Leann Glick: daughter of Jerry and Diana; sister of Kevin; wife of Daniel; daughter-in-law of Brian and Margaret; niece, auntie, cousin and friend to scores more. 

Amanda is a sweet women, loving wife and terrific mama to little Holden. She is also very strong and determined, enduring health challenges with intelligence and grace and conducting her own research on whatever topic presents itself in her life--nutrition, physical conditioning, child development, cooking, and more. 

She has owned and operated her own pilates studio, she is an expert horsewoman, terrific cook and loyal friend. And her sense of humor is excellent--creeping up on you in a delightful way. As the wife of a firefighter, she is self sufficient and beautifully supportive of Daniel. As a mother, she is happy, nurturing and patient. As a result, Holden is a happy and content little guy.

Happy birthday, Amanda, and may you have 92 more healthy ones by the Aunt Joannie Sullivan Law of Longevity Aspiration of 2008.

God bless us and save us and keep us from harm.

Love, Patty

Happy Birthday, Jeremiah!

Dear Hearts,

May 2nd is the birthday of Jeremiah Mitchel Sullivan: husband of Clare; son of Bobby and Nicole; brother of Ella, Thomas and Patrick; nephew, cousin and friend to many, many more. Jeremiah carries the name of our ancestor, Jeremiah O'Sullivan (Lefty's dad), who was the first of our Y-chromosome to reach these shores in about 1868.

Jeremiah is studying at the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, with plans to graduate with a Juris Doctorate degree in 2023. He is also working part time as a research assistant to a professor of constitutional law and is on staff at the "Masthead," the school's student-run law review. Jeremiah married Clare Kuzma in 2020 and the two have set up their beautiful new life in Maryland.

Happy birthday, Miah, and may you have 99 more healthy ones by the Aunt Joannie Sullivan Law of Longevity Aspiration of 2008.

God bless us and save us and keep us from harm.

Love, Patty