Feast of the Annunciation

Dear Hearts,

This year, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord falls on Tuesday, March 25, 2025.

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.

Two prayers that highlight the importance of this solemnity are the joyous mysteries of the Rosary and the Angelus.

“As early as the middle of the 6th century in the East, and the 7th century in Rome, there is evidence of this Feast celebrated on 25 March. Since this feast is connected with the Lord Jesus and to His entry into history, the revised liturgical calendar gave this feast the title of the “Annunciation of the Lord”, over the more popular Annunciation of Mary. The Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord is a Christmas feast even though it is not celebrated during the Christmas Season. Nine months before we celebrate the Lord’s birth, we celebrate His incarnation in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary.” ~Vatican News

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary,

And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you;

blessed are you among women,

and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners

now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord,

Be it done unto me according to your Word.

Hail Mary…

And the Word was made flesh,

And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary…

Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,

That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts: that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your Son was made known by the message of an Angel, may by his Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of his Resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Excerpted from Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers, revised edition © 2007 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. All rights reserved.

God Bless Mike 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

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, 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 fifth grade now and thriving in all areas of his life--school, sports, home and outdoor exploration in Mt. Baldy. He is a terrific student and avid reader too.

Outside of school and home, Levi's natural abilities make him shine on the soccer field, the playground, the ocean and the on anything with wheels (motorized or human-powered). He still dotes on his little sister Maggie, and is an energetic adversary to Amos. Watching Levi with his newest cousin, Emmett, is a truly sweet experience. He is very naturally curious, tender and loving.

So, happy birthday, Levi, and may you have 114 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, 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 remains a curious, smart, funny and kind boy. As he grows, he's developing some amazing skills, like guitar playing, singing and flying an airplane! Yes, Charlie is lucky enough to take lessons from his Uncle Paul.

So, happy birthday, Charlie, and may you have 114 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, 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; mother in law to Misty; grandma to Emmett; cousin, in-law, niece and friend to a bunch more.

I am grateful to report I am healthy and very happy here in Orange, California. Most weekdays I can be found playing and caring for our grandson Emmett, along with my tag-team babysitter Andy. Since spring has sprung, I'm enjoying weekend days digging in the garden and taking brisk walks around the neighborhood.

I continue to work very part-time in a creative and administrative role at Nifty Package Co. here in Orange. With Andy retired, I love having more time with him to poke around town, keep up our home, or travel to far-off lands. We enjoyed a two-week adventure last year to England and Ireland, which included a visit to the airfield at which my dad was stationed in WWII. Home is where I prefer to spend time, especially with family and friends, entertaining or celebrating together.

So, happy birthday to me, and may I have 66 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, 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 79 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 Feast of St. Patrick

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 Founders Day!

Dear Hearts,

March 16th in 1802, West Point began its work. Today is known as Founder's Day, West Point's 219th 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 has over two decades in the construction industry, and that doesn't count the years he spent working for his dad during high school. His skills span various disciplines, including carpentry, project engineer, superintendent and project management. At Designscapes he hopes to facilitate the growing complexity of landscape design with his construction background.

Sean has always enjoyed the outdoors, plants and gardening. In his free time you'll find him hiking, camping, skateboarding, mountain biking, and drawing.

Happy Birthday, Sean, and may you have 79 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,

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 as the Assistant Director of Student Activities at Benedictine College. Her duties include advising the Student Government Association and overseeing international students coming to the college. While she is building a beautiful life and career, faith and family are Annie's most important pursuits.

Happy birthday, Annie, and may you have 98 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; uncle of Emmett; nephew, cousin and friend to lots more. He shares a birthday with Albert Einstein!

Thomas lives in Orange and continues his career as an ocean lifeguard in Laguna Beach. Most recently he completed the first level of SCUBA certification and begins the advanced training next week. This development will make it possible to advance to the next level of lifeguard.

When he's not in the water--he swims at the gyn most days after an eight-hour shift on the beach--he is playing music (acoustic and electric guitars, mandolin and a little keyboard), travelling to see his girlfriend in Las Vegas, golfing, reading and studying for his EMT certification.

So, happy birthday, T-Bone, and may you have 97 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

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, Malachy!

Dear Hearts,

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 ventures back to Ireland often, to visit his family and check in on friends in Sligo. As a grandpa of ten, he has lots of love and hugs from his little ones. And back in Portland, he enjoys the close company of his beautiful bride and their two adorable pups, Copper and Penny.

Happy Birthday, Mal, and may you have 46 more healthy ones, by the Aunt Joannie Sullivan Law of Longevity Aspiration of 2008.

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 88 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 gifted 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 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

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--who has a real-life Mini Me with his brother Bo--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.

In the words of his mom, "Somehow every picture I have of him features a fish. He could do this all his waking hours. He also had great football and basketball seasons. He is a great big brother always ready to lead an adventure and a leader of his pack of friends. "

Happy Birthday, Ben, and may you have 111 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 Aunt Margaret

 Dear Hearts,

March 9th is the 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, 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 third grade, along with his (second) cousin Grace. He is growing strong and learning beautifully at school, at home and in the neighborhood where he pals around with a sweet gang of friends. He is of strong opinion and loyal heart and will defend what is his--home, family, toys, etc.--with a fierce and just countenance.

He's still very cute too--big eyes, freckled nose and red hair. It may take a while to warm up in conversation, but once he gets going, I could listen to his reasoning and questions for hours..

Happy birthday Amos, and may you have 116 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

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

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, and is going strong well into his third decade in the business! He certainly doesn't look like he could have worked anywhere for that long, with his youthful face and attitude. 

He is an athlete, a sports fan extraordinaire, an adventurer and a snuggler of children. 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 76 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, Simon & Jude!

Dear Hearts,

On March 2, is the birthday of Simon Robert and Jude Francis, sons of John and Mercy Sullivan; brothers of Adrian and Ivar; granddaughter of Jim and Erin; cousin and niece of a whole bunch of us.

This first set of twins to the Sullivan have grown fast in their first year, clearly inspired by their two big brothers. Looking at their sweet little faces it's easy to see the family resemblances.

Happy birthday, Simon and Jude, and may you have 124 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, Jim!

Dear Hearts,

February 29th is the birthday of Jim Clark: husband of Lisa; father of Cerece and Johanna; grandfather of four; son of James Sr. and Joy; brother, cousin and friend to many more.

Professionally, Jim is an experienced salesman in the security industry. Personally, his interests are diverse and rich--sports (a die-hard 49ers fan), cooking, golf, family, travel and enjoying the lovely home he and Lisa have created in Seattle.

Jim inherited much of his talents from his late father who taught Jim how to ride horses, compete in rodeo, work a ranch and cook, among others things. He's also added home improvement guy to his repertoire with a renovated kitchen!

Happy Birthday, Jim, and may you have 60 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, Tim!

Dear Hearts,

February 28th is the birthday of Timothy Aristotle Sullivan: son of Bob and Darlene: brother of John, Jim, Bobby, Paul, Mike, Pete, and Sister John Mary, Margaret and Ella; husband of Maureen; father of Gabriella, Brynn and Andrew; uncle, cousin and friend of scores more.

Tim continues his career with Merck working in the marketing aspect of the company. This has mellowed his business travel quite a bit and allows Tim to work from home. Living a short walk to the beach in Huntington makes this part of the arrangement particularly nice!

Faith and family are and always has been the top focus in Tim's life and he will move mountains and swim seas for those closest to him. And he will do so with amazing energy, a smile on his face and pure love in his heart. His faith--which is his top priority--is beautiful and inspirational.

Tim's actions show who he is--kind, compassionate, hard working, adventurous and hilarious. He went from taking out his elderly neighbor's trash cans to bringing him into their home and overseeing his care. And, like his dad, he's a creative force in the kitchen!

Happy birthday, Tim, and may you have 74 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, Nelly!

Dear Hearts,

February 27th is the birthday of Penelope Antoinette Sullivan: the youngest daughter of Mike and Shelly; sister of Jake, Mia, Seamus, Gus, Sophia and Max; granddaughter of Bob and Darlene and Don and Judy; cousin, niece and friend to many more.

Nelly is a happy girl with a sweet and mischievous personality. She is and always has been a very considerate person with a curious mind, and has the gift of being able to go with the flow in a big family. 

Happy birthday, sweet Nelly, 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

God Bless John Jeremiah

Dear Hearts,

February 27, 1980 is John Jeremiah's last day. He was 11 years old when he was hit by a car in Phoenix.

On that day, Aunt Darlene and Uncle Bob gathered enough courage for the entire family, miraculously. The man who accidentally struck John never really got over it, and wept in the embrace of Bob and Darlene for many years afterward.

The siblings were struck with a wound of fierce pain. The cousins have tasted it, too. One year, Bob dreamed that his first-born son John was playing on a swing-set. Bob said, "When are you coming home?" John said, "Dad, I am home."

John, who would have been 56, is buried with Uncle Bob and Booma/Mom.

There are over a dozen John's in the family, several of them John Jeremiah's: John Jeremiah I was Lefty; John Jeremiah Jr. was Lefty's son, who only lived a few months; John Jeremiah II was Bob and Darlene's son, who lived 11 years. There is another John Jeremiah, and he starts the numbers over--he is the first, and maybe someday he will be Senior, and he is Pete's and Melody's son.

The other nine John's are John Joseph Whalen, patriarch of the Whalen; John William Sheehan, Boom Boom's father; Big Sully and Mary Claire's son, John Vincent Sullivan; Big Ange and Patty's son John Sullivan Bornhop; Pete and Melody's son, John Naime Herrington; Seamus the Younger and Erin's son, John Robert Sullivan; Mike and Joan's son, John Paul Sullivan; John Davis; and Dr. John Ullmen. We've got a full complement of Johns!

So, please look after us John Jeremiah, with Lefty and Booma/Mom, the Aunties and your Dad Uncle Bob, Big Sully, Mary Claire, Mary Fran, Boom Boom and Boompa, and The Ancestors.

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

Love, Patty

Happy Birthday, Lindsay!

Dear Hearts,

February 26th is the birthday of Lindsay Smoot Sullivan: daughter of Lee and Rolfe; wife of Michael; mother of Evangeline and Violet; in-law, cousin, auntie and friend to many more.

Lindsay continues to be the patient, kind, and loving rock of the Sullivan house. She continues her work with CHEMTREC, an arm of the American Chemistry Council, where she serves as the person who fixes everything when someone else makes a mistake. She is a wonderful mother to Evan and Violet, the best wife Mike could ask for, and an excellent cook, singer, trip planner, and disc golfer.

Happy Birthday, Lindsay. May you have 76 more healthy ones by the Aunt Joannie Sullivan Law of Longevity Aspiration of 2008.

Love, Patty

God Bless Antonina

Dear Hearts,

February 26th is the anniversary of the birth of Antonina Grabska: wife of Josefa Zinn; mother of Boompa's mom, Wanda, among other children.

She was born in 1837 in the Grand Duchy of Posen, part of ancient Poland, and she died in Chicago on February 28, 1909. Boompa, her grandson, was just 4 years old. So, Antonina was my great-great-grandmother.

Thank you, Grandma Antonina, for Boompa, and for being our Ancestor. Please watch over us all from your place near God.

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

Love, Patty

Happy Birthday, Nancy!

Dear Hearts,

February 26th is the birthday of Nancy Nau Sullivan: daughter of Pat and Mike; mother of Jim, Mick, Miles, Amos and Franny; sister to Patsy, Janet, Liz, Nick, Felix and Peter; grandma, aunt, cousin and friend to dozens more.

Nancy continues her work as an author, travelling to book signings and literary events frequently. Her Blanch Murninghan Mystery Series with the recent publishing of "Mission Improbable: Vietnam," is her latest work that follows Saving Tuna Street and Trouble Down Mexico Way, as well The Boys of Alpha Block and a memoir called The Last Cadillac. Additionally, her short stories have been published in several literary magazines.

Outside Northwest Indiana, Nancy has called a few other places home, including Anna Maria Island, FL, and Mexico--locations that seem to have offered lots of inspiration for her writing. She loves spending time with her family far and near and nurture relationships in the literary community.

Happy Birthday, Nancy. May you have 45 more healthy ones by the Aunt Joannie Sullivan Law of Longevity Aspiration of 2008.

Love, Patty