My boy, Bret, called tonight. He is in the hospital, having experienced a mild heart attack. It isn't right, you know. My children should not be experiencing adult illnesses or problems and he, at 36, is much too young anyway.

Anyone who reads this, please, pray for Bret. Tomorrow, he will have the results of the tests and they will know the extent of any damage and what he needs to do to heal. Bart happens to be in California for a week. That is a comfort. At least, Bret has some family and I am grateful for all his good friends. And he does have many.

Please pray for health.

Thank you

Mary

What a night. Bobbie and I went shooting for our regular pistol league. I am doing SO much better with the new Buckmark than I did with the Colt Trooper. The Buckmark is a single action and so much easier to handle. I will keep practicing with the Trooper until I get it but not for league.

Doc, one of the Rhine Plymouth members, the one who nominated me for secretary, had purchased one of the decks of playing cards with all the "wanted" people from Iraq. When Bobbie and I were going down, he gave us each one to "practice" on. We pasted them on our non league target and both did very well. I had the 6 of hearts, Mohammad Mahdi Al-Sahib the Minister of Trade. I got him right in the middle of the forehead. Will Jim ever be impressed. All the guys at the club were.

Love

Mary

My Aunt Mary Ann Bowser shared this soup with me when Dick and I made our trip to Texas several years ago. I has turned out to be a keeper. My grandaughters call it Pizza Soup.

Zucchini Soup

1 ½ lb. Mild Italian Sausage (no reason you can't use hot if you like it better)
1 Cup Onion Chopped
1 Cup Green Pepper Chopped
1 Cup Celery Chopped

Saute and drain the above ingredients.

Add
1 16 oz can of Italian tomatoes
1 28 oz can of stewed tomatoes
1 quart tomato juice
2 cans chicken broth
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp basil
½ tsp sugar
8 oz carton fresh mushrooms, slices
1 lbs Zucchini sliced


Simmer for one hour. FANTASTIC. This soup also Freezes well which you may have to do because it is a really LARGE recipe.

It will be in the cookbook I am writing.

Love

Mary

Dick and I sang Happy Birthday to Jim when he woke up this morning and he ran away and hid. But he liked his pasta dinner and chocolate birthday cake this evening.

I have finished the items that I am donating to Festival of Trees. The SWAK Advent Calendar looks pretty good. The envelopes will hold little jungle figurines and have a candy cane hanging from the envelope. Sandy from the Festival Committee came over tonight to look at it and really liked it so I feel more confidant.

Barb and I will go to the Festival and to Kristkindlmart in Elkhart. We LOVE those things.

Mary

Tomorrow is Jim's birthday. He is taking tomorrow and Thursday off, so he and Dick are going to go gambling tomorrow. I will bake a cake for him while they are gone and I am fixing a rather nice Italian Pasta dinner too. While they are gone (I love it when they go gambling because then I am sure that Dick will not ask me to go. He doesn't often but he does enjoy it and I do not.) I am going to do a bit of shopping and drop some things off at St. Vinnies.

Tomorrow I go to Bible Study and I actually finally got the chapter from Mark read and the notes read too so feel rather prepared. We are on the 12th chapter which ends with Jesus telling the apostles that the poor widow's two coins were worth so much more than the large contributions of the rich people. I want to share a line with the group from my friend Sy Regan who wrote a poem he shared with Blessed Trinity Parish in his deacon's message. It is as follows: "And so we pray in churches, While Christ is on the mountain we avoid."


Mary

I am working on a cookbook and am rediscovering lots of recipes and cooking tips that I have gathered over the years. I used to be able to put a meal on the table in less than a half an hour. Now, though I still can provide the quick stuff, I love to spend time and care in preparing meals. I do love to cook.

I am working on the soup chapter and found a vegetable soup I used when I was really dieting. It was filling and provided two veggie servings in one bowl so was really good. I will share it with you here.

It is called

SLIM Veggie Soup

3 sups water
6 beef or chicken bouillon cubes
2 cups canned tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 cups chopped celery
2 cupps shredded cabbage
Salt and Pepper

Put water, bouillon and tomatoes in a kettle. Bring to a boil and add the vegetables. Bring back to boil, cover and reduce to simmer. Simmer till vegetables are done. Makes 6 one cup servings at 66 calories each.

Nummy Nummy in my tummy.


Mary

Dick and Brenda were in town for the weekend and took us out for lunch today. We went to the Horse and Plow and mercifully missed the Packer Game. They lost again. This time to St. Louis. Such a disappointment - glad we were doing something more fun. We also went to the Kohler Design Center as Dick and Brenda are planning on doing some bathroom remodeling and wanted Ideas. If you have never been to the Design Center it is a MUST. Totally free and just a marvelous experience. Who would have thougth that bathrooms and plumbing fixtures would be fun.

I liked my little reading from the Cadfael Book of Days. it was from The Hermit of Eyton Forest Chapter 6 and read.

"A pity, a great pity there should be so much hurrying on of death, when it's bound toreach every man in its own good time."

Have a good week and live for joy.


Mary