About the Celticlady, Updated 2024



I am a wife of 41years, now a widow and a mother and grandmother, great grand mother I have 4 grown children and 5 grandchildren. I live in northern Wisconsin. I had been employed for 25 years at a local nursing home. I no longer work due to a disability. I started blogging in September of 2009 to have something to do. Since I love to read, I started doing reviews and I love it!! It is fun to discover new authors out there. I love to travel, even though we have not traveled for a long time I have been to California three times, New Bern NC. a few times, Florida a few times, Ireland twice and to the Dominican Republic

 Time to do an update. March 7th, 2024

A lot has happened since my last update to Celticlady's Reviews. Hubby was diagnosed cancer with liver cancer. He did all the treatment that was available, chemo and radiation. His last treatment was November 7th. After that he started going downhill. He was kind of ok when our daughter and her family came for Thanksgiving. After that it went pretty quick. He started having more pain, having hallucinations etc. Hospice was started in January. Our youngest came and stayed until the end to help me take care of him. The last week in January was pretty hard on him, he was started on morphine for the pain. I think that after I and the two sisters told him it was ok to go, it was time. I think that is what he needed to hear. On the eve of our youngest 40th birthday, Tommy passed away peacefully in his sleep. I have added the obituary instead of writing all of it that I have to say.  Our second youngest wrote the obituary and did a great job. 

   

James Thomas “Tom” Kelly III, 81, passed away peacefully on 1 February 2024 while at home with his family by his side. Despite his recent health struggles, he still managed to approach life with laughter and jokes. Ever the entertainer, he amused all of us until the very end and will continue to make us smile with our memories.


Tom is survived by his wife of 41 years, Kathleen Kelly, as well as children Bridget (Hank) Flickinger, Erin Kelly, Jen (Casey) Wolf, Erik (Emilce) Kelly, Rex (Emily Davis) Kelly, Kate (Brian) Yonker, sisters in-law Vicki (Tom) Schultz and Jackie Mosetter, grandchildren Keely Vaughan, William Fillo, Patrick Fillo, Laura Clabaugh, Tess Clabaugh, Cobi Wolf, Dylan Wolf, Ethan Yonker, Gavon Yonker, and Charlie Davis Kelly, nieces Meaghan Vils, Tara Stimpson, Courtney Kelly-Tisdale, Heather Londo, Amy Londo, Nicci Londo, and nephew Jeffrey Mosetter, and their collective children, and his constant cat companion Baby. Tom was preceded in death by his parents James Thomas Kelly Jr. & Eileen Kelly, his great aunt Ada Dehnert, infant daughter Mary Ellen, and his beloved brother Patrick Kelly.


Tommy Kelly, or JTK III, as he was affectionately known to most of us, lived a long life and there is so much to say about him and not enough space. Tom was born on 8 May 1942 and grew up in the greater Milwaukee area. He attended both Marquette High School and Marquette University. He moved to the Northwoods in the 1970’s and since then has been involved in many things: Boy Scouts, City Council, County Board, Knights of Columbus, multiple committees, and more. Tom worked as a bartender at the Al-Gen for three decades and in that time he was known for making stellar Old Fashioneds, but if you ever asked for an ice cream drink, he would cuss you out. He was noted in the New York Times as a featured bartender and was very proud of that. He thoroughly enjoyed not only serving the citizens of Rhinelander and Oneida County but all of the customers he served over the years.


Tom was a proud Irish man who was an avid reader and obsessed with everything relating to the Civil War. It was rare to see him without a pen in hand, dutifully completing the most challenging crossword puzzles to ever exist. He also knew how to fix sewing machines, a skill no one in his family could ever figure out how he learned.


If you knew Tom, you knew what it was like to laugh, smile, and either enjoy or tolerate all sorts of dad jokes. One of our family favorite jokes is the “Brown Joke”. He often bragged to people about his pride and joy and would open his wallet to people expecting to see a picture of his kids, but it was a picture of two soap bottles labeled “pride and joy”. Classic Tom Kelly.


Tom, Dad, you sure left a mark on this world through your entertaining and loving ways. You were always a stoic and prideful man, but we know how much you loved your family and friends. We were all blessed to know and love you, and we will miss you. Heaven sure got a lot funnier since you left.


Visitation for Tom will be held on Thursday, February 8th, 2024 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 12::00 pm, all at the Nativity of our Lord Catholic Church in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. Father Chris Kemp will be officiating. Tom was known to wear an eclectic assortment of ties so the family encourages attendees to wear funny, unique, or a standard tie if desired. In lieu of flowers, cards, and other gifts, the family asks that you donate supplies and/or sponsor a pet adoption at your local humane society. Dad was always a fan of animals, and he would be happy to know an animal found a loving home.


Special thanks to everyone who helped Dad with his medical care and kept his pride and dignity intact through the end; he appreciated that.


He is definitely missed by all who knew him.


As far as my reading and reviewing, I am finding it hard to concentrate on reading any books I have been given for reviews.


At some point I will get ack to it, just not right now. Thank you for understanding in the very difficult time.                                                                                                                 

Update: September 25th 2023
Things have not been the greatest, have had 3 hospital stays in June and August. An acute kidney failure has me on permanent dialysis, three times a week. 
Hubby's treatment of the first 12 rounds of chemo finished, and he was put on chemo in the pill form and it has totally wiped him out. The next step is immunotherapy. We are taking it a day at a time. 

Update: March 29th 2023
Tommy has started chemo, he was supposed to start his second round but his white blood cell count was down. So he received a shot today to help with that and will get another tomorrow. Then hopefully can start chemo next week!

Update: February 10th, 2023
I guess it is time to update again. The year went pretty smoothly, hubby did lose his job in September 2022. He worked in a supper club and there was a fire in the kitchen and the owners opted to sell instead of fixing. He is still on the County Board and the City Council which gives him something to do. The bad thing is his cancer is back, in the liver this time. He had a PET scan and they found that there is no cancer in the pancreas or tubes from the liver, which is good. Now back to the oncologist for treatment options.
The family is doing well, our youngest moved to Cape Cod, the grandchildren are growing up so fast, one is 20 so not so little anymore.
I am still reviewing books, doing quite well with that actually.

Update: 4/12/2022
Well, it has been almost a year, again a lot happened in that year. Had back surgery in September 2021, then had the booster and ended up in the hospital a second time for covid. Guess I am one of those long haulers.
As far as reading, I am back blogging again. Reading for reviews but it takes me a while to get a review done. You can contact me for reviews and I will determine on a case by case or book by book!
Hope everyone stays safe!



It has been awhile since I updated. Ever since I had COVID, there has been so many health things that have happened. 
I do not do reviews anymore, I have just started reading again, I am now reading for the fun of it, catching up on my many books. I am having eye issues so it takes awhile to read a book.
I will also be having back surgery in the near future.
I apologize for any author's books I have not read.
6/09/21

Well, it happened. Hubby and I both got Covid. He was asymptomatic and I got pretty sick. I am still weak and recovering. 
I have not been able to read and books. I am so far behind right now I fear I will never catch up. If I owe you a review, I will do the best I can to catch up. I will not be taking any books at this time. I need to feel better first. I apologize if I owe you a review. 
October 16th, 2020

Haven't updated in awhile
I had 3 hospitalizations in a month but I think that things have been straightened out. My heartrate was running at around 150ish, and that is not doing anything. I had to go into the hospital so they can monitor a medication called Sotolal to see how I handle it. It went well and I am on it now. It worked. My heartrate is in the 50's 60's. I feel pretty good right now, hope this lasts.

Hubby is doing good, passed another birthday, 78 yo now. Still doing his City Council and County Board, doing the social distancing.
This quaranteening is starting to get old, I get that we need to do it and wear masks when out and about. Our lifestyle really has not changed too much. We live in a small town so there really is not too 


Hubby had cancer over 7 years ago, went through the whole cancer thing by having the chemo treatments. He was cured now there is one small tumor back.He had a few colonoscopies and the results were that the small tumor that was there should come out and it is cancerous

Tommy sees a doctor at the Cancer clinic next week and then we go from there. He will be cured again, I am sure.
I saw my surgeon for my neck and back issues. yesterday. There will be no surgery at this time. He thinks that there is more going then the neck and back issues, like neurological muscular disorder doctor of which I will be referred to after I see me, my neurologist. I am having a lot of weird things going on like unable to walk properly, spasms, spilling and dropping things. Oh yes, I fell out of bed the other day.

Update: September 2019
Heading into another winter, well soon anyway. My health is better in some ways and in other ways not. 
I had been treated for Polymaygia Rheumatica, now the doctor says that I don't have that but the pain is from Fibromyalgia.

My balance issues have not gone away, the MRI found that I have a protruding disc in the C7-T1 area and also one in my lower back. I am looking at 2 surgeries down the road. Not too sure about that. The one in the neck would fuse my neck to the point that I could not move my neck. 

Other than that, life goes one and books get read!


Time for another update:
In the year since I had heart surgery, I have had lots of other things happen. I was hospitalized last January for an infection. Then I was diagnosed with Polymyalgia Rheumatica and put on a high dosage of Prednisone. I have been weaned off that and will be off completely by the end of February. 
Last month I ended up with a partial bicep tear just from pushing an oriental rug that was in front of the couch. Getting therapy for that.
So last week we ended up with an ice storm and got  6 inches of snow on top of that. I walk with a cane due to balance issues and I was on my way to therapy for the bicep tear and my cane went out and down I went. Ended up in urgent care and came home with an air cast on my ankle. Weird that that happened because I landed flat on my back. Now I have a severely sprained ankle and foot.
Wishing for the winter to end.

As far as my reading, I am trying to keep up, bear with me authors, I am working on my stack slowly. I will get to your book, but it will take time. 



I can also be found on Twitter as @CelticLady1953 and on Facebook as Kathleen Kelly(Celticlady1953). 

Thanks for being interested in me and what I enjoy, reading, blogging, computers, spending time with my family is, of course, the most important part of my life.

Charlie and his mom Rex 2023



 Hubby, Tom and I in Puerto Plata for our son's wedding, February 2015

My eldest daughter Jen and her husband Clarence, who is now a Captain in the USMC and he got stationed to Chicago so they have moved temporarily to Antioch, Ill.
My son Erik and his beautiful bride, Emilce..married February 21st, 2015 in Puerto Plata Dominican Republic   
My daughter Rex (on right) with her wife Emily

Rex and Emily's little fosterlings D & Q...so adorable.
Update: These boys have gone back to live with mom and doing very well!

They are missed, though!
Rex and Emily and their former foster Sky
Charlie at Kate and Brians wedding
August 3rd 2019


My daughter Kate, her new hubby Brian
(left) is my new grandson Gavon and on the (right) is his twin Ethan.
August 3rd 2019



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