Kathleen Grattan Dukate took time out from arranging a new home for the Saints Peter & Paul School mosaic to help her father, Bob Grattan, celebrate his birthday in Fairmont.

As Kathleen put it, “Celebrating Dad’s birthday with delicious food, great company and lots of laughs.”

In other words, a familiar fabulous family mosaic.

I look forward to my own 86^th birthday celebration with my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren at the Brunswick home of my daughter, Monnie Ann.

I'm 86 and have played 125 rounds of golf so far this year. Life doesn’t get much better than that.

Kathleen is a clinical care coordinator at WVU Medicine in Morgantown and lives in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania.

As for the mosaic, which once graced the school where Sister Agnes whacked me with one-hole and two-hole paddles, depending on whether I committed a venial or mortal sin, and taught me a love for grammar and writing that led to my 43-year career as a newspaper editor, Kathleen reports:

“To complete the next phases of the project, we especially need people who have experience in some of the following areas: writing, research, finance/ accounting, contract law, construction.

“We also need a truck and/or trailer and strong men to help move the mosaic. There is plenty to do locally as well as remotely. So, if you’d like to help, we’d love to have you.”

Contact Kathleen on her Facebook page.

The Peter & Paul mosaic monument will be an eternal show of appreciation for what the nuns did for the children of Monongah’s coal miners, including me and my sister, Jackie Olesky Straight, Class of 1955, who lives in Rivesville.