Quite an eventful Saturday if I do say so and I do.

We started off quietly but then went over to Sears to buy a new dishwasher. I know that Kitchenaide is supposed to be a great dishwasher, but - we bought one a few years ago and have had nothing but trouble. So we got a good tax return and have decided to replace it. We picked out a Bosch which the salesman assured us is the Cadillac of dishwashers.

We will see.

Tonight we went to the Sheboygan Symphony. They presented a night of the German masters and featured Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn and someone named Neruda who wrote a Trumpet concerto. The amazing thing is that Dick was not familiar with the Trumpet Concerto so it was a special night for him too. Hearing something new is always fun for him.

They had two guest performers, a trumpeter for the Neruda and a pianist for Beethoven. Wow, what a night. We came home and are capping it off with a bit of Bailey's and coffee.

Have a nice Sunday.

Love

Mary

Well, Monday I am going to see The Passion with a friend, Debbi. Dick doesn't want to go so when Debbi said she was looking for someone to go with I jumped at the chance. Everybody is talking about it - some raving and some not so much, so I will be able to discuss it sensibly after seeing it.

It has been really warm and we are getting some rain too. Enough rain that the earthworms are beginning to cover the street again. That is rather icky on the morning walk that Chelsea and I take but it makes for nice fat robins.

Have a good Saturday.

Mary

Dick and Jim did go to Oneida. It was not a happy time, I guess. However, it gave me a chance to spend alone in the house with noone to account to. I cooked and sewed and just kind of laid around.

Not much different than any other day but it was quiet.

Bart went home today. I probably won't hear for a couple of days how things are going and I will not call til the weekend.

We had some very interesting discussions at Bible Study this morning. Somehow we got on to the subjest of gay marriage and the church's position on gays. I cannot believe that God who is all good, made 11% of his people gay and then expects them to live celebate all their lives. Perhaps if they called it something else people wouldn't be offended by it.

Good day

Mary

Here we are at Tuesday already. I can't believe that the week is going so fast. Barbara called last night. Bart will be coming home tomorrow. I hope they know what they are doing. Barbara is pleased and I believe that she knows Bart and what is happening better than anybody. So we must trust that this is OK and I need to ask for prayers again.

Tomorrow, Dick and Jim are going gambling at Oneida. They call it donating to the Indians. They say I can come along but I DON"T WANT TO. I will have a whole day ALONE. That is something to look forward to.


Work like you don't need the money
Love like you've never been hurt
Dance like nobody's watching
Sing like nobody's listening
Live like it's heaven on earth.

Go for it.

Mary

Well, I am still somewhat rested. Met with the ladies discussion group at church. We are discussing a book called Live Long and Love It. We are on the subject of fighting back. We all decided that we have done so but found it difficult to remember or determine if we actually won when we did so.

I remembered a time when I was in my early 20s and out with my then husband and at least 5 other people and we had just come from a bar, I guess. A black man was walking down the street and one of the other men started following him and harassing him verbally. I was shocked, said so and told him to stop. We left rather quickly and I hope I was instrumental in that. I had never experienced race hate before and was so upset to see that poor man trying to maintain his calm and keep walking. If I felt bad he must have been terrified. This was in Yuma Arizona and at that time they still had some restaurants that had White's Only sections. In my lifetime. I am glad we have come as far as we have. We are a funny country and have a lot of faults but are probably the closest in the world to accepting all races as equal.

Talked to Bret yesterday, he was in Laughlin Nevada and visited his Aunt Jacquie. He sent us a box of dried fruit from Cabazon and matching sweatshirts for Dick and I. (I told him that now Dick and I can be cute, dressed alike.) Also a box of Sees Candy. That is SUCH good candy.

He is a good son.

Talked to Bart and he sounds MUCH better. He was on his way to group so we talked only for a minute.

Love

Mary

Dick and I left at 1:00PM on Friday for Cashton WI. We stayed at a lovely Bed and Breakfast called Ages Past. This is in the middle of Amish Country on the far west side of Wisconsin near La Crosse.

This B&B is quite charming. It is a Sears house. I don't know if you knew this but in the late 1800's Sears sold "prefab" houses out of their catalog and they were spectacular. There are two of them in Cashton. One, which was being operated as a B&B called Dickson Manor, was built by a doctor and the other now Ages Past was built by the doctor's cousin or brother or some thing like that according to the rumors. You can see pictures of Ages Past by going on their website www.agespast.net. We stayed in Sarah's Room. The Barbagos also operate a gourmet restaurant on the ground floor of the B&B. We ended up eating all our meals there and were very pleased. I had salmon on Friday, a mushroom appetizer and dessert for Saturday evening, a tuna melt for lunch on Saturday and excellent breakfasts both Saturday and Sunday. Carl and Barbara a great hosts and have a home full of antiques and wonderful things to see. We had a comfortable king sized bed in a very attractive setting. I came home quite rested and hope I can stay that way for at least a day or two.

There was no news from Barb or Bart so until tomorrow, I will assume that the weekend went well and call then.

"Dogs come when they are called; cats take a message and get back to you." Mary Bly

Have a good week.

Mary