Happy Birthday, Maggie!

Dear Hearts,

March 31st is the birthday of Margaret Caroline Merwin Hanjani: daughter of Mary Fran and Gary; sister of Joe, Kate and Luke; wife of Kameron; mama of Francesca and Inez; niece, auntie, cousin, in-law and friend to so many more. She is one of eight Margarets in our family!

Maggie continues her work as Privacy Legal Counsel and Design Lead at Medtronic in Minnesota. In her personal time she, Kameron and the girls are enjoying adventures and family time. In fact, Maggie and Kameron just returned from a wonderful trip to Lisbon with a quick stop in Paris. 

She and Kameron have created a gorgeous and cozy home in Chaska, Minnesota and continue to enjoy every snuggle, giggle and hug from their girls.

Maggie's epic sense of humor carries everyone to a happier place! She, like Katie, helps me remember so much about Mary Fran and I am grateful--style, humor, integrity...

Happy birthday, sweet Maggie, and may you have 85 more healthy ones, by the Aunt Joannie Sullivan Law of Longevity Anticipation of 2008.

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

Love, Patty

Happy Birthday, Georgia!

Dear Hearts,

March 29th is the birthday of Georgia Lucille Sullivan: daughter of Mick and Mary; sister of Oscar and Beatrice; granddaughter of Jim, Bitsy, Nancy, George and Ellie; auntie, niece, cousin and friend to a bunch of other lucky folks. According to her daddy, Georgia is one of the most lovable, kind, intelligent people he knows.

She still has that beautiful long hair that looks gorgeous when styled in long braids. As of last cross country season, she was competing in the Girls 2-Mile and representing her junior high team beautifully.

So, happy birthday, Georgia, and may you have 113 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, Ava!

Dear Hearts,

March 29th is the birthday of Ava Noelle Hareid: daughter of Aaron and Kate; granddaughter of Mary Fran and Gary; sister of Henry, Emma and Mia; niece, cousin and friend to many more.

Ava is living her best life and growing into a lovely young woman. Currently touring universities, it's hard to believe she will be off to college in just over a year! Until then, though, she has a lot going on: her studies, French Club, learning about wellness and working out diligently at the local fitness center. She loves music, building a great vinyl collection and singing in choir. As you can tell, Ava has a fascinating variety of interests.

Happy birthday, sweet Ava, 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, Thomas!

Dear Hearts,

March 27th is the birthday of Thomas Edward Sullivan: son of Bobby and Nicole; brother of Jeremiah, Ella and Patrick; nephew, cousin, teammate and friend to many, many more. It's amazing how much Thomas looks like his dad, Bobby!

Thomas is studying economics at the University of Dallas--working hard as a student as his name consistently shows up on the Dean's List. And with six other Sullivan cousins at the same university, he is also playing hard!

Clearly he is applying his education in Economics at the University of Dallas to his work, as Thomas is working as a Client Service Analyst at Solovis, an institutional investment management technology platform. And that's all I got on this subject. 

Happy birthday, Thomas, and may you have 103 more healthy ones, by the Aunt Joannie Sullivan Law of Longevity Anticipation of 2009.

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

Love, Patty

The Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord

Dear Hearts,

"The Solemnity of the Annunciation celebrates the coming of the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary to announce to her the special mission God had chosen for her in being the mother of His only son.

We are continually reminded of the importance of this feast to our salvation in various devotional prayers. Two examples that highlight the importance of this feast are the joyous mysteries of the Rosary and the Angelus."

"The feast of the Annunciation began to be celebrated on this day during the fourth and fifth centuries, soon after the date for celebrating Christmas was universalized throughout the Church. This feast celebrates the Incarnation of the Second Person of the Trinity and the salvation of all mankind. This point of our salvation was deeply discussed by many of the Church fathers, to explain it to the faithful and to show the deep love God has for us. Some of the Church fathers who wrote on this were St. Athanasius, St. Gregory of Nyssa and St. Augustine."

--From Catholic News Agency

Happy Birthday, Patty!

Dear Hearts,

March 24th is the birthday of Patricia Helen Bornhop: daughter of Jim and Mary Claire; sister of Jim, Mary Fran, John, Mike, Matt, Anne, Jerry and Margaret; wife of Andy; mother of John, Andrew and Thomas; aunt, cousin, in-law, niece and friend to a bunch more. I gained a new title this year--Mother in Law to sweet Misty!

I am grateful to report I am healthy and very happy here in Orange, California, albeit soggy and cold. We've had more rain this season than I've experienced since moving here in 1989. We needed it badly so I'm not going to complain.

I continue to work part-time in varied capacities--as a Vote Center Supervisor at election time, and supporting a small-business woman who owns the nation's largest mobile giftwrapping company. At Nifty Package Co. I have learned virtually every aspect of running a small business, from creating custom gift baskets and wrapping gifts to working a pallet jack to unload shipments of high-end candles from Italy. It's fun and fascinating work. 

Andy and I continue to grab the opportunities to see live entertainment and recently saw the Old 97s, Flogging Molly, author Erik Larson, Honey Whiskey Trio and Roseanne Cash. I recommend them all! (If anyone wants to compare punk concerts from the 1980s to today, I have a lot to contribute!)

I look forward to the earth drying out a bit so I can do some weeding and planting. Every year I grow sweet peas, and I'm happy to see they've survived the deluge.

So, happy birthday to me, and may I have 68 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.

Written by Patty

Happy Birthday, Charlie!

Dear Hearts,

March 24th is the birthday of Charlie Armin Sullivan: son of Elizabeth and John; brother of Mickey; grandson of Mike and Joan; nephew, cousin and friend to a bunch others. If you're keeping track, Charlie joins Mr. Nau, Aunt Patty and Levi in today's celebrations!

Charlie is a curious, smart, funny and kind guy. While he's becoming a big kid, he still loves playing with his little brother and romping around with his four-legged companion, Teddy. Whether it's the park, the yard or on a beach, Charlie's is sure to be running, jumping and enjoying the outdoors.

So, happy birthday, Charlie, and may you have 116 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, Levi!

Dear Hearts,

March 24th is the birthday of Levi Sullivan Flores: son of Lizzy and Randy; brother of Amos and Maggie; grandson of Margaret and Brian and Kim and Randy; nephew, cousin and friend of many more.

Levi is in third grade now and loving school--when it's in session. Mt. Baldy School has had several snow days which has allowed Levi and his buddies to construct an impressive sledding track at Gigi and Yaya's house.

Since he was born, I've called him kinesthetic boy because he is always moving. As Levi grows physically, we can see his athletic ability develop in the way he hops from boulder to boulder at the stream, plays handball at school and jumps on just about anything with wheels.

His talents don't stop there, though. Levi is a terrific student and avid reader too. He still dotes on his little sister Maggie, and is an energetic adversary to Amos. I'm hoping he plays soccer again this spring so I can cheer him on.

Levi is a wonderful mix of his mom and dad, physically and personality wise--he naturally wakes up early, can balance perfectly on any rolling or moving object, eats a large amount of healthy fruits and veggies, has a very strong sense of justice, and will defend and care for his siblings at all costs.

So, happy birthday, Levi, and may you have 116 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 Mr. Nau

Dear Hearts,

March 24th is the birthday of Donald Nicholas "Mike" Nau, the grandfather of Jim III, Micky, Miles, Amos, Franny and 17 others; husband of Pat; father of Nancy, Patsy, Janet, Elizabeth, Nick, Felix and Peter; friend to all. I believe his nickname was "Old Scrap Iron."

Many of us recall his unmistakable white hair, black horn-rimmed glasses and broad smile, and I remember with delight the silly and hilarious game called "Ish Come Bibbly Eye," in which he would hold my outstretched arm and see how long I could stand his fingers walking up toward my armpit. I rarely could stand it passed my elbow but was always rewarded with laughter and a piece of Juicy Fruit gum, which he ALWAYS had in his pocket.

In 1960, Mr. Nau bought Hammond Machine Works and ran the business with integrity and skill. He eventually sold the company to his son, Peter, in the 1990s. Today, the third generation of the Nau family is working at Hammond Machine Works.

Mr. Nau died on March 31st, 2000 at the age of 81. God bless you, Old Scrap Iron, please continue to watch over all of us.

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

Love, Patty

Happy Birthday, Annette!

Dear Hearts,

March 18th is the birthday of Annette Keppeler Galvin: wife of the fifth Sullivan brother, Frank Galvin, Papa Sully's godson (known as Knarf), who is a successful commodities trader.

Annette is the mom of the beautiful Fiona Sofie Piper Galvin, who was lucky enough to be born on 4th of July! She is a great wife and mother and keeps the former bon vivant Frank in check and happy.

Professionally, Annette is the Director of Facilities Operations at SodexoMagic, a company that has made many of our lives more enjoyable through services and food in large community spaces. (The Magic part of the company is from the one and only Magic Johnson!)

Happy Birthday, Annette, and may you have 82 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 St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Breastplate

I arise today
through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
through belief in the Threeness,
through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

I arise today
through the strength of Christ’s birth and his baptism,
through the strength of his crucifixion and his burial,
through the strength of his resurrection and his ascension,
through the strength of his descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today
through the strength of the love of cherubim,
in the obedience of angels,
in the service of archangels,
in the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
in the prayers of patriarchs,
in the predictions of prophets,
in the preaching of apostles,
in the faith of confessors,
in the innocence of holy virgins,
in the deeds of righteous men.

I arise today, through
the strength of heaven,
the light of the sun,
the radiance of the moon,
the whiteness of snow,
the splendor of fire,
the speed of lightning,
the swiftness of wind,
the depth of the sea,
the stability of the earth,
the firmness of rock.

I arise today, through
God’s strength to pilot me,
God’s power to sustain me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s path to go before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to save me
from snares of devils,
from temptation of vices,
from allurements of nature,
from everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and near,
alone or in a crowd.

I summon today
all these powers to stand between me
and every cruel and merciless power
that may oppose my body and soul,
against incantations of false prophets,
against black laws of paganism,
against false laws of heretics,
against deceit of idolatry,
against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul;

Christ to shield me today
against poison, against burning,
against drowning, against wounding,
so that there may come to me an abundance of reward.

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today
through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
through belief in the Threeness,
through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

Salvation belongs to the Lord.
Salvation belongs to the Lord.
Christ is salvation.
May your salvation, O Lord, be with us always.

Source: St. Patrick

Happy Founder's Day!

 Dear Hearts,

March 16th in 1802, West Point began its work. Today is known as Founder's Day, West Point's 217th birthday. Thanks to Jim for a fascinating lesson in this impressive institution's history:

It's job has been first to provide the Nation with officers for the Regular Army, from the ranks of its citizens, so we would not have hereditary or purchased commands, like Europe and elsewhere. The first graduates were meant to be combat engineers and artillerists, ordinance engineers, construction engineers, surveyors and scouts. As time went on, the mission became to furnish officers primarily to the combat arms and overall to forge leaders of character for the country, during active service and then afterwards.

West Point, The Gray Rock on the Hudson, home of the Black Knights, has produced a brotherhood known as the Long Gray Line, and Whitey, Whitey's Dad, Signe's Dad, and Gus and I are glad to be part of that Line, as is the brother of Nicole Sullivan. Boompa's first cousin, Brigadier General Joseph Barzynski, was a member of the Class of 1934. George Ronan, a relative of our great-great grandmother, Mary Ronan, was in the Class of 1811, and was the first West Pointer ever killed in action. He met his fate at the Fort Dearborn Massacre in 1812, at the Chicago River bridge right on Michigan Avenue today.

Our brother John and Dr. John Ullmen, being graduates of the Air Force Academy, are younger Brothers of the Line, since the Air Force was born out of the Army Air Corps. Big Sully, an Army Aviator, would proudly wear the colors of the Air Force if he were alive today.

The first graduate, Joseph Gardner Swift, graduated on 12 October 1802, with Simon Magruder Levy. Their Cullum Numbers, in the Line, are 1 and 2. Mine is 29460 and the last graduate in 2015, is 71,447.

West Point has faithfully sent her sons, and daughters, into harm's way, in all its varieties, whenever and wherever it is. About 1250 have been killed in action. She was the first permanent installation of the U. S. Army, and was the campground for the Continental Army. The "Rabble" slept on the ground that today is the Plain. The British never took West Point, although Benedict Arnold gave them the plans of the defenses. Koscziusko built a hanging garden there, still there, next to the river, and Von Steuben and Lafayette stayed there with General Washington.

My classmate, Col. Don Blakeslee from Chicago, a surgeon called back to active duty and stationed at the Army hospital at West Point to free up a surgeon for Afghanistan, lives at the Academy now and his beautiful wife Betsy, whom I have known for 53 years, is now the custodian of Koscziusko's Garden, bringing it back to life as that Polish general and hero of our Revolution originally planted it. She has been honored by the Polish government for that labor.

West Point is our Alma Mater. She raised us in the ethic of service and her motto, "Duty, Honor, Country," rings in our hearts, next to our class's motto, "Serve with Integrity." She is ours, belonging to us all as citizens. The Corps of Cadets has always been called "The Rabble."

Below is a poem I wrote about the Rabble.

Happy Birthday, West Point. May you have as many more birthdays as does our beloved Nation. God bless us and save us and keep us from harm.

Love,
Seamus the Older
USMA '70

Happy Birthday, Sean!

Dear Hearts,

March 15th is the birthday of Sean McDougall Whalen: son of Christian and Moira; brother of Nicholas, Connor and Morgan; father of Isaac; nephew, cousin and friend to many more.

Sean currently works as a superintendent in architecture and planning for Findlay/Criss, a general contractor in Denver. With a B.F.A. in Fine Arts from the University of Montana, he has brought his artistic talents to the job in construction drawing. Indeed, Sean is as comfortable working a table saw and router as a pencil and pastels. He has also contributed to the skateboard industry in Missoula by designing and creating some beautiful skateboard decks out of maple and resin.

Happy Birthday, Sean, and may you have 81 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, Annie!

Dear Hearts,

Annie (center) enjoying an Irish adventure
with her sister, Kathleen, and a friend.

March 14th is the birthday of Annie Louise Sullivan: daughter of Seamus the Younger and Erin; sister of John, Kathleen, Thomas, Peter, Margaret, Joseph, Brigid, Seamus Benedict and Patrick; niece, cousin, auntie and friend to a whole bunch more.

Annie works at her alma mater, Christendom College in Virginia, as a Donor Engagement Coordinator. To simplify, a big part of her job is showing gratitude to the generous donors for their support, financial and otherwise. It is challenging work, but beautiful work.

In looking for an updated photo of Annie, I discovered something about this young lady--it is difficult to find a photo of her alone. Almost every single image of Annie portrays her along side at least one other person, usually cheek to cheek! Always smiling bright and hugging tight.

Happy birthday, Annie, and may you have 100 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, Thomas!

Dear Hearts,

March 14th is the birthday of Thomas Emmett Bornhop: son of Patty and Andy; brother of John and Andrew; brother-in-law to Misty, nephew, cousin and friend to lots more. He shares a birthday with Albert Einstein!

Thomas lives in Orange, sharing a 1926 house in Old Town with his cousin Patrick. He is a self-taught musician, playing acoustic and electric guitar and mandolin, as well as a little keyboard. He loves ocean swimming and has been taking to the water with several other folks he met in Huntington Beach.  Thomas is always up for an adventure with friends, family and even a stranger now and then.

His job at Mobility Exchange has him back and forth to Nevada and other locations throughout the country. In fact, he spent his birthday in South Bend, Indiana to train a staff on his products. His company in the healthcare sector provides mobile devices, applications and AI to improve engagement between patients and their providers.

So, happy birthday, T-Bone, 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, Mom

Happy Birthday, Malachy!

Dear Hearts,

Malachy gets a smooch
from Brodie,
grandchild #10

March 10th is the birthday of Malachy Patrick Daly: husband to Anne; father of Peter, Brid, Malachy Jr., Tina and Sarah; stepfather of Claire and Willis; grandfather to a crew of little ones back in Ireland; brother-in-law, uncle and friend to all of us.

Malachy was born in The Republic of Ireland where, as an adult, he worked as a police officer in The Guard in Sligo. According to The Sligo Champion, Malachy was a popular officer who could have retired five years earlier but stayed on because he loved the job so much. No surprise, then, that he was bestowed the Divisional Merit Award from the Commissioner. "Garda Daly works tirelessly in improving the quality of life of all the people that he comes in contact with in the course of his duty. Malachy is very well liked and respected by the community," his citation read.

He was glad to back over to Ireland after the pandemic, having been away from his children and grandchildren for so long. As a grandpa of ten, he has lots of love and hugs from his little ones.

Happy Birthday, Mal, and may you have 48 more healthy ones, by the Aunt Joannie Sullivan Law of Longevity Aspiration of 2008.

Love, Patty

God Bless Edward

Dear Hearts,

Edward Wlodzimierz Wilkoszewski, called "Grandpa Eddie," my great-great-grandfather, was born in Paskrzynnie, Poland on March 10th, 1824, and died in Leadville, Colorado on March 26th, 1883. Today is the 196th anniversary of his birth. He was a political organizer in Poland, leading a provincial unit of the democratic forces- an anti-royalist, a resistor of Russian occupation and influence.

Edward commanded a cavalry squadron under Garibaldi in the Battle of Rome. He came to America and learned the trade of picture-frame making, eventually opening and running his own factory near the Chicago River. It burned to the ground in the Great Fire of 1871, taking all his life's work with it. He never recovered fully, suffering from lung damage, and died young of obstructive pulmonary disease. Hence, Leadville.

He married Romualda Gorczynska, daughter of Major Anthony Gorczynski, one of Napoleon's cavalry officers, and Kate Nowierska. Eddie and Romualda had many children, reported to be 22 in number, one of whom was Alfred Wlodzimierz Wilkoszewski, also known as Snaz, who married Wanda Zinn of Gdansk, and they had Boompa.

Please keep watching over us, Edward. We pray you are in heavenly bliss with your family and Jesus, enjoying everlasting life.

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

Love, Jim & Patty

God Bless James

Dear Hearts,

March 10th is the anniversary of the birth of James Conick, my great-grandfather, born in Ireland in 1855. He descended from Irish and Scottish Highland warriors, the Scots having descended from Cornish rebels who migrated to Scotland 1000 years ago, and was a life-long cop himself, a detective sergeant on the Chicago Police force. His mother was Mary Ronan, a relative of the first West Pointer killed in action, in 1812 at Fort Dearborn, Chicago, George Ronan.

James emigrated through Canada, getting a start there, as did Jeremiah Sullivan, giving us our long tie to Canada. He married Anastasia Raftis (daughter of Edmund Raftis and Margaret Bolger), and they had Booma/Mom, Anna Mildred Conick Sullivan, wife of Lefty and our grandmother. Their other children were Alice Buckley and Eleanor Mitchell.

There are many apocryphal stories about Grandpa Conick--he went to Europe every year, always taking some grandchildren or nieces and nephews, so there were witnesses to his doings. In Venice, the old man, who went to bed at 8 pm, hung out the window as the singing gondoliers went gliding by, and yelled, "Shut up ye damned foreigners and let a man sleep."

He slept with his gun under his pillow. When Big Sully was little, he slept with Grandpa Conick and would try to get the gun, but Grandpa always woke up. Now and then he would wake up from a whiskey dream and shoot up the house, and one night there actually was a burglar in the house and Grandpa nailed him with two rounds in the butt, hamstringing him and laying him out until the cops arrived.

Grandpa had a lot, a lot, of money--as a Chicago cop. Go figure. Today is the 165th anniversary of his birth. God bless you, John. We pray you are enjoying eternity with all the ancestors and our Father.

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

Love, Jim & Patty

Happy Birthday, Ben!

Dear Hearts,

March 10th is the birthday of Benjamin Charles Sullivan: son of Pete and Melody; brother of Annie, John, Matthew, Michael, Bo and James; nephew and cousin to a few dozen; teammate and friend to many.

Ben is an inquisitive boy who is fascinated with reptiles, visiting local museums and learning all he can about them. He's also a natural athlete playing lacrosse and basketball with great skill. Around the house and neighborhood, he'll jump into whatever game is being played--in the pool, on the court or in the field.

Happy Birthday, Ben, and may you have 113 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, Morgan!

Dear Hearts,

March 10th is the birthday of Morgan Dixon Whalen: son of Christian and Moira; brother of Connor, Nicholas and Sean; nephew cousin and friends to many.

Morgan's talents range from working as a carpenter at Black Mountain with his dad, to holding the title of Executive Chef at the HF Bar Ranch in Wyoming.

Happy Birthday Morgan, 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, Debra!

Dear Hearts,

March 10th is the birthday of Debra Cusick: daughter of Budd and June; sister of Bitsy, Katherine, Linda and Brian; mother of Peter, Lizzie and Christine; partner of Patrick; friend and colleague of many.

Debra has worked in the business world and as an educator. She is a gift designer, whether it's the interior of a home, an expansive garden or various other media. She has described the home she has created with Patrick as a sanctuary of peace and creative inspiration.

 
Happy Birthday, Debra, and may you have 58 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, Amos!

Dear Hearts,

March 9th is the birthday of Amos Wiley Flores: son of Randy and Lizzy; brother of Levi and Maggie; grandson of Margaret and Brian and Randy and Kim; cousin, nephew and buddy to many more.

Amos is in first grade at Mt. Baldy School, along with his (second) cousin Grace. I think he's warmed up to school and he's growing and learning beautifully. This winter has brought lots of snow to Mt. Baldy, which in turn caused several snow days. Amos made good use of the time by taking sledding to a new level. He was flying over the snow like Clark Griswold in Christmas vacation!

While he's becoming a big kid, Amos is still one of the cutest little boys I know. His big eyes, freckled nose and red hair still melt hearts, and conversations with him are  always enlightening and entertaining. Visiting the creek and watching Amos fish with his homemade rod was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my summer.

Happy birthday Amos, and may you have 118 more healthy trips, by the Aunt Joannie Sullivan Law of Longevity Aspiration of 2008.

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

Love, Patty

Gold Bless Aunt Margaret

Dear Hearts,

March 9th is the 90th anniversary of the birth of Margaret Eileen Sullivan, Sister James Timothy, O.P. (Order of Preachers--the Dominicans).

She was born in 1932 in Chicago, daughter of Lefty and Anna Conick Sullivan and sister of Jim, Bob and Anna Rita, Sister Joanne Marie Sullivan. She died on July 31, 2002 at the Mother house at Adrian, Michigan, in the company of heroes. She is buried with her sisters, right next to Auntie Nan. Margaret and Nan spent a lot of their active lives living with the poor, in the direst of conditions sometimes, and then finally at the peace of the Mother House at their ending stretches.

She was a hero herself, braving the communist, and for that matter, government, thugs in El Salvador, where she had been laboring for the poor. She practiced the sacred injunction to "resist not evil." She also held true and operated on the basis of Jesus of Nazareth's words, "Be not afraid, I go before you always."

Aunt Margaret was mentioned on the floors of the House and Senate, by a group of Irish Catholic congressmen from the east coast, Joe Moakley, Ted Kennedy, Senator Leahy and several others, who were intent on social justice in El Salvador. They looked up to her as an exemplar of bravery. She was cited for this valor in the halls of our legislative branch.

A tall and graceful woman, she was a great athlete and played guitar beautifully. I loved it when the Aunties visited as they focused their complete attention on us children. I can still hear when Aunt Margaret and Aunt Anna Rita would burst into laughter simultaneously!

Aunt Margaret never said an unkind word that I or anyone else ever heard. We are all so grateful for the security and comfort she enjoyed in her final years at the Motherhouse. Indeed, many of us had the chance to visit Aunt Margaret there in her last year of life. Dr. Seamus the Younger at her funeral, was so right when he said, "She might have never had children, but she sure was a Mom."

Happy Birthday, Auntie. Thank you for your love and goodness. Thank you for your indomitable bravery and your blazing heart for the poor. We will try to live up to it.

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

Love Patty & Jim

Happy Birthday, Mike!

Dear Hearts,

March 6th is the birthday of Michael Shajin Sullivan: son of Bob and Darlene; husband of Shelly; father of Jake, Seamus, Mia, Augustine, Sofia, Penelope and Maximilian; brother of John, Jim, Bobby, Paul, Tim, Sister John Mary, Margaret, Ella and Peter; nephew, cousin and friend to many, many more lucky folks.

Mike continues his work at Merck as an Oncology Specialty Representative, going on 24 years with the company! He loves taking his family out for road trips and exploring new places, especially with Shelly at his side.

In true Sullivan manner manner, there is no challenge he won't take--eating weird stuff, physical contests, etc. Mike is resourceful and joyful in whatever he faces. His faith is inspirational, his kindness is constant, and his humor is hilarious.

Happy Birthday, Mike, 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 Mercy

Dear Hearts,

March 6th is the anniversary of the birth of Mercy Whalen Clevenger: daughter of John and Helen; sister of Christian, Teresa, Damian and Lisa; mother of Molly and Claire; grandmother to Josey; cousin, niece, aunt and friend to many more.

Mercy was born in Red Lodge, the youngest of five. By 1963, John and Helen had settled in Missoula, where Mercy attended grade school, high school, and college at the University of Montana. She continued her education in nursing and earned her LPN through the Missoula Vo-tech and her RN through Regents College of New York.

Mercy’s greatest joy was being a mother to Claire and Molly. She was ever present in their lives at school, sports competitions, music concerts, cheering them on always.

Having sewn nearly every single Halloween costume for the girls in their childhood, and several formal dresses as well, Mercy instilled in her girls the value of making things for yourself, as her mother had taught her well.

Mercy approached life with open arms and an open heart. Having committed over 30 years of her life to nursing, primarily in dialysis, it was her passion to care for others. She shed light on those around her, and enriched the lives of countless patients and colleagues during her career as a nurse in Missoula. She will be remembered for her vibrant energy, enthusiastic laugh, and her openness and generosity to all who crossed her path.

God bless you, sweet Mercy. We pray you are enjoying everlasting life and ask that you continue to watch over us.

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

Love, Patty