We went to the Symphony tonight. It was excellent. The Youth Symphony, composed of the best young people from all around the county, played Prelude from Die Meistersinger by Handel first. Then we heard Dances Op. 64 from Grieg. The second half, the Symphony was joined by a pianist named, Michael Chertock who is really gifted. He generously played his two Concertos, then gave us two encores.


Wow.

I went to the 5:00PM Mass to sing. and we are singing tomorrow at the 10:30AM also. Mother says I am "very holy". Wait til next week. I have to speak at all three masses and am still trying to figure out how to get to the 5:00 on Saturday because that is also the Wild Game Dinner. I am planning on going to give my talk and coming back. Don't tell Dick. He will say that it will make me too tired. But I don't care.

I am making venison stew and I believe will add Over the Rainbow Mac and Cheese for the vegetarians. Since Friday is the first Friday in Lent and I won't be eating meat on Fridays, I can make it for our Dinner and just make two small instead of one big casserole.

A group called Lyra from Russia is coming to do a concert for us on April 21. They are doing to do the concert for their rooms, breakfast and for the free will offering at the concert which will be in church. Such a deal. I have heard them on their website and they are wonderful. They will be singing religious and Russion Folk music. I must talk to Beth. We can perhaps either cook or take them out for dinner that night.


Lots to plan

Happy Sunday.

Mary

What a gorgeous day. The temperatures got up into the 40s. It is supposed to be even warmer tomorrow. Nice because a friend of mine has to go to a wedding. February weddings can be very iffy but these people picked a great weekend.

I went and had lunch at the Dairy Queen in Plymouth with friends. There were only four of us but we had a good visit. Two of the regulars had gone to the Fireside for a show.

Did I tell you that I got a call early yesterday morning from Barbara, my daughter-in-law? I am a great grandma. Her son Adam's wife Lexi, had a baby girl on Wednesday night. She is a nice baby, 7lb. 6oz. and her name is either Adria or Adriana Nichole.

Can you believe that Bart is a grandpa. He has a birthday himself next month on St. Joseph's Day, March 19. He will be 34. I cannot believe that MY baby will be 34. I still remember his sweet little scrunched up face. He was so intense, even as a baby. My neighbor, Joyce Nusser, called him Mr. Magoo. Actually, that nickname stuck in the family for quite a few years. At least I called him Magoo until, as children do, he asked me not to.

I've been thinking of my babies lately, maybe because of little Adria or perhaps that little Baby 81 in Indonesia who has all those parents claiming him. That baby needs to find his parents. He will surely never lack for love. I miss my babies. Actually, I wouldn't want to raise a baby at may age - for sure. But I still miss my babies, and the sweet smell of them.

I hope your weekend will be as warm or warmer than ours. I have to work at Rhine on Sunday.


Joy to you

Mary

Choir tonight. We sang A LOT, as we are getting ready for Ash Wednesday, our normal Sundays and a concert at Emmanual Lutheran Church that we are joining the weekend after next.

Next Wednesday IS Ash Wednesday already. It is early this year so Easter will be in March.

I can do my taxes next week. The last document arrived today. Yippee. I want to get that over with as soon as possible. With any luck we will get back what we paid in, or part of it and maybe we can squeeze in another trip.

The Catholic Herald had forty suggestions for things to do during the 40 days of Lent. I will have to keept them and see how many of them I can work into the season. It would be a lot better than giving something up. Remember, all you Catholics, giving up candy for Lent. I found out the other day that Sundays were supposed to be free days. Nobody told me that - I gave it up for the whole forty days. What a waste of Sundays.

I am now old enough that I don't have to fast anymore, but will anyway. It is not so hard on just two days. I just have to remember to only have one FULL meal and not eat meat on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Of course, during Lent the family will have meatless Fridays. They don't care anyway. I fix good fish, vegetable and pasta dishes anyway.

A week from Saturday is the Wild Game Dinner. I am fixing venison stew and I believe I will make either Over the Rainbow Macaroni or Chili Rellano Casserole for the vegetarians. We have two now - Nora and Erin.

Til Tomorrow

Mary

Children of a Lesser God as presented by the Sheboygan Theatre Co. was very good. It is a "message" play and a little out of the ordinary. Ralph Maffongelli, our director for over 20 years does like to present at least one unique play each season. The acting was excellent, so we were pleased.

Dinner was good too. We went to the Villager. Mother and I had their "Create your Own Pasta", Dick had the haddock.

The next play will be The Sting. Ralph is very good with farces and this has that feel to it so we are looking forward to it.

I am only missing one form and I will be able to do the taxes. That is always an adventure.

We came home to find that we are "big" winners in Powerball. We got the Powerball plus one other number. $4.00 WOW. Better than nothing anyway.

10 Reasons why some Men prefer Guns over Women

#10. You can trade an old 44 for a new 22.
#9. You can keep one handgun at home and have another for when you're on
the road.
#8. If you admire a friend's handgun and tell him so, he will probably let
you try it out a few times.
#7. Your primary handgun doesn't mind if you keep another handgun for a
backup.
#6. Your handgun will stay with you even if you run out of ammo.
#5. A handgun doesn't take up a lot of closet space.
#4. Handguns function normally every day of the month.
#3. A handgun doesn't ask , "Do these new grips make me look fat?"
#2. A handgun doesn't mind if you go to sleep after you use it.
And the number one reason a handgun is favored over a woman
#1. YOU CAN BUY A SILENCER FOR A HANDGUN.



Got the above from a friend who knows I shoot. She also reads this site so thank you, Janet. I always like to share funny things.

Til tomorrow

Mary

Busy day as usual. It was rather gloomy but rather mild today. We went grocery shopping and then went to Office Max to pick up a couple of cartridges for the printer.

I cleaned my spice cabinet today. Sometimes one just has to face that job. I found out that I have two extra cans of black pepper. I guess I keep forgetting that I have one.

This afternoon, I got gas and the car washed, picked up Market Day and went to the bank. Whew.

Sears repair came today about the dishwasher AGAIN (as I mentioned yesterday) They are going to replace stuff again next week. I am sure glad that I have a service contract until 2007.

The reading for February 1 in my Cadfael Book of Days compiled by Robin
Whiteman was again so appropriate for the time we are living in NOW.
It came from Deadman's Ransom by Ellis Peters

"Those who go forth to the battle never return without holes in their ranks, like gaping wounds. Pity of all pities that those who lead never learn, and the few wise men among those who follow never avail to teach. But faith given and allegiance pledged are stronger than fear, and that, perhaps is virtue, even in the teeth of death."

We must pray that the successful election in Iraq, will speed up the return of our boys to us. There are too many holes in the ranks and too many gaping wounds in families all over our country and in our hearts.

Be Good

Mary

It was a pleasant day for a walk and Chelsea and I really enjoyed it. The temps are in the 30s. Ellis Peters who writes Cadfael had this to say about February. "There were occasional spells of frost, but none that lasted long, and such snowshowers as there were were fitful and slight, but did not lie long." Probably more descriptive of Wales and Cadfael's land, but we do know that spring WILL come.

Bible study was interesting today. We were talking about setting a good example. Paul had his hands full with those Corinthian Christians. We seem to have our hands full just trying to do our best to be Christian.

Dick and I mixed up a batch of Chablis in the primary fermentor. We are down to three gallons of from scratch wines (2 Marigold and 1 Chokecherry) that need to be racked, filtered and bottled. I am about out of bottles too. We will have to start collecting from our sources again before the chablis is ready.

The rest of the day was quiet. I even took a nap at about 2:30. The animals all join me when I do that. Very comforting. Dick calls it the Peacable Kingdom.

Tomorrow is shopping and Market Day pickup. I also have the Sears person coming to check the dischwasher AGAIN. It is not draining. AGAIN.

Have a nice Tuesday.

Mary

Well. Sunday and the 30th of January ALREADY. 2005 is speeding by. It is supposed to get warmer this week getting all the way up to 40 degrees by Friday. That means that most of the snow will be gone again. This sure has been a strange winter. Nothing is like previous years.

Just had a minor emergency. Dick was clipping his toenails and nicked himself and started bleeding. With the blood thinners he is on, we spent a while with compresses and now have it bandaged really good. Should be fine by morning. He just takes longer to clot.

Today, I went to the 8:00AM Mass. Jim had breakfast with us because he was up to go shooting with Bobbie and me at 12:30. Still holding my own, though my second target was not too good. I was shooting low.

Now I am tired so will hit the bed pretty soon. As Mother used to say. Up the wooden hill to four corners. It took me ages to realize the the wooden hill was the stairs up to the bedrooms and that four corners was the bed. I don't have to climb a wooden hill here, but four corners is just as inviting as it was when I was a child.

February is just around the corner. Sara, our oldest grandaughter will be 18 this month. That does not seem at all possible. She should still be a round faced little munchkin.

Have a nice Monday.

Mary