Dick and I had a lovely evening. The Friends of Mead Public Library, as I mentioned last night, I believe, had a fundraiser dinner in the Quiet Reading Room at Mead. As we walked in, we were offered glasses of wine and members of the board walked around with trays of delicious hors d'oeuvres - specialties of the board members such as marinated mushrooms, crackers with chese and homemade chutney and flavered cream cheese wraps cut into pinwheels. The meal was prepared by Berni Markovich. He had a wonderful salad with greens, apple, dried cranberries and nuts, followed by a plate of veggies and potatoes, accompanied by a pork chop and applesauce. We also had apple pecan pie.

We then walked over to the Weill Center for the Symphony. It was also a treat ending with a dynamic presentation of Bolero. This was the second of the conductors in the running for the job, and we liked him. I am really sorry that we couldn't see the first one. The ticket holders WILL have a small say in the selection of the new one, along with the members of the orchestra and the board.

Anyway, I am now very tired so will close this up and go to bed. I got some of my packing for Branson done today. I also got the last of my hanging pots into the garage. It is supposed to snow while we are gone and the ground could freeze. In that case, I would never get the pots emptied so decided to do it while I could. It was actually very pleasant today, in the mid 50s, though we did have a BIT of rain this evening.

Love.

Mary

I got the sharpshooter trophy for pistol league at Rhine tonight. Since I was the only one in my class, I would not feel that this was a great accomplishment, except that my average improved immensely since the last league. Bobbie and Jim each got trophies also. Bobbie got the Expert trophy. Jim will be pleased because that means that he beat Frank, his main competition.

We had really great food for the bust up dinner. Sara Behr made chicken soup with some frozen chicken legs and thighs that we had in the freezer and german potato salad. Gary Hefter made beef and gravy for sandwiches and cooked up some brats that we had frozen with some sauekraut. Bill Olson brought his "famous peach cobbler" which is always a treat. I am literally stuffed.

Next league starts on January 6. Jim and I will continue to go out on Sunday afternoons as often as we can to practice and I will practice trap unless it is too cold. I don't like to get too cold.

I believe that all my errands that had to be done before the trip are finished. Tomorrow, I just have to pick up a pan of stuffing to bake for the turkey dinner on Sunday. Then in the evening the Friends of Mead Public Library are hosting a fundraiser dinner in the quiet reading room at Mead. Bernie Markovich is cooking the dinner which begins with wine and hors d'oeuvres at 5:30PM. We have been promised these plus a delicious dinner and dessert, all to be done in time to get us to the Stephanie Weill Center down the street for the evening's Symphony Orchestra performance. This concert will present the second of the four finalists for the new conductor of the Sheboygan Symphony. We missed the first one as we were in Washington D. C. Bill and Bobbie said that he was very. Good. Dick and I will have to decide between the three that we see. Sheboygan will miss Guy Bordo, the conductor for the past many years. But things do nothing if they do not occasionally change and I am sure a new conductor will bring new ideas and many new things to the community.

I bought a new fanny pack for the trip. On the Washington Trip, a pen leaked all over the old one which was such a wonderful size and shape. I hope I picked another that I like as well. I really never know until it is broken in.

If all the world was apple pie
And all the seas were ink
And all the trees were bread and cheese
What would we have to drink.

That just popped in to my head. It was a beautiful day. I hope it holds out through the weekend but my understanding is that the weather is going to turn.

Love

Mary

Today, I spent from 10 to 2 reading poems, essays and short stories written by middle schoolers for a contest the Sheboygan County Writer's Club sponsored with the Sheboygan Press. The Press has been VERY helpful with this project. They printed the ads totally free and have agreed to print the winning compositions and the names of ALL the participants. We received entries from most of the middle schools in the city mostly from the private schools. Most of the entries were pretty indifferent but there were glimmers of wit and talent and some of them were quite good. We found the poetry winners and narrowed down the essay and story entries to a managable number. The other four judges will meet on Monday to finalize those.

The five of us who judged the entries then went to lunch at the Mucky Duck. I had a tuna melt. Love them.

Jane, one of the fellow writer friends, has a Welch Corgi who has back trouble. The dog's name is Daisy and she is a sweet thing. Jane says she is usually a goofy playful thing and it is just heartbreaking to see her so subdued and uncomfortable. The vet she is seeing has not been able to help and she is going to try a second opinion. I remember when Chelsea had a bit of back trouble but that was when she would grab on to her rag and we would swing her around a bit and she would wiggle and fuss. We don't do that any more and fortunatly that has not reoccurred. It is so hard to have pets in pain. They keep looking at you expecting you to fix it.

We discussed pets. Jane said that when she taught she had all kinds of animals in her classroom including snakes. Ann Pirrung said that she hates snakes and it reminded me of an event that Aunt Velma told me. Joan, her daughter, was just a little and sitting in a high chair. A garden snake crawled into the kitchen as Velma was feeding her. Velma panicked and ran screaming out of the kitchen AND the house, leaving poor little Joanie sitting in the high chair. That is fear.

Tomorrow is quite a full day AGAIN. I am just about caught up so that I can leave this town for Branson with a clear conscience and nothing hanging over my head.

Here is a poem for you, I don't know the author but I like the poem.

"He stumbled home from clifton Fair
With drunken song and cheeks aglow.
Yet there was something in his air
That told of kingship long ago.
I turned and in me burned with grief,
The one so high should fall so low.

Bur the plucked a flower and sniffed its scent
An waved it toward the sunset sky.
Some old sweet rapture through him went
And kindled in his blood shot eye.
I sighed and in my cried for joy
That one so low would rise so high."

Have a nice Friday.

Mary

It was a blustery day. Even more blustery than I think Winnie the Pooh experienced. We had cold bursts and long winds all day. I went out. I really did not want to but we were about out of milk and I needed to get stamps for the Gun Club. So I went. I got gas while I was out and was almost literally blown away. I started dispensing the gas and a big wind came out of the west and I had to grab on to the truck to keep myself on this earth. There is the old Irish saying. "An Irishman is never drunk as long as he can hang on to one blade of grass and not fall off of the face of the earth." I had not had a drop and there was not a blade of grass on that pavement but I managed to hang on anyway.

Mother is going to celebrate her 90th birthday on January 21 of 2005. I have gotten messages from George and Nora wondering what we are doing. I had been under the impression that Eileen was working on planning something but when I called her tonight she said that she had just been asking Mother what she wanted to do.

SO - I called Mother and just asked her what she wanted. She wants a family dinner followed by a reception with cake and perhaps snack for friends following the dinner.
So - I can let George and Nora know what is up. Her birthday is on a Saturday, so that will work quite well. She seemed amenable to the Villager and I am sure they will go a little bit special for MOM. Now I will let Eileen know and e-mail George and Nora so that they can make their plans.

Tomorrow I will be joining three other gals from the Sheboygan County Writers Club to judge the entries that we have received for the writing contest that we sponsered with the Sheboygan Press for middle school students in the Sheboygan School District, public, private and home schools. We have about 30 entries and Jane said that Ann (who finds poetry beyond her grasp) does not want to judge the poetry. We also have essays so there will be plenty for the four of us to do and we will take a break for lunch. I am looking forward to spending three hours or so with these ladies. I will miss the meeting this month because we will be in Branson so I need my "push" to do something. It is really easy to put writing or quilting on the back burner when I don't get a push once in a while.

Enjoy your Thursday. It is downhill all the way to Saturday now.

Love

Mary

I got to stay home ALL day. It was really a lovely day too though there is thunder and rain outside now and Chelsea is a trembly little puppy. This was not a great day for her. I gave her a bath this morning too. She looks beautiful, of course, but she would just as soon stay dirty and a bit smelly. She is not a really doggy smelling creature actually.

I wasn't bored today, I will tell you. I got the Senior Saints program to explain Medicare D all set up and pretty much finished the flyer that will go out to our mailing list. Tomorrow, I will write a couple of notices for the Sheboygan Falls News and for the Sheboygan Press. I really need to have that done BEFORE Dick and I leave next week. The 20th is really too late to send notices out.

I am still in 15th out of 18th place in the Fantasy Football League. I just can't seem to get above that. Well, I can keep plunging along. I will actually have to do two weeks picks this weekend and just have to refine the second when we get back from the trip.

The Hmoung man who killed the six hunters over in the western part of the state was sentenced to 6 consecutive life sentances so he will never get out of prison. I am glad that we do not have the death penalty. I do not believe in a life for a life. God can take care of that and will in His own time. I wonder now, how Mr. Vang will fare in prison. There are some crimes that criminals don't like and they seem to deal out their own form of punishment.

Have a nice Wednesday. I am sure glad we are not in France right now. (or any other time frankly) But now with all their riots, it must be just awful. So much unrest in the world. It would be so nice if we could all just try to be kind to each other.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE TO DIE FOR

6 oz. Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
3 eggs-Separated
3 Tbsp. water
1 Tsp. Instant Coffee
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Tsp. Vanilla
1 Tbsp. Blackberry Brandy

Stir instant coffee powder into boiling water in small heavy saucepan until completely dissolved. Add chocolate, place over low heat, stirring, just until chocolate is melted.

Remove from heat.

Whisk egg yolks into chocolate mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in brandy and vanilla. Beat egg whites in a medium sized bowl until foamy, gradually beat in sugar - a tablespoon at a time - until meringue forms soft peaks. Fold into chocolate mixture until no streaks of white remain. Spoon into parfait glasses. Refrigerate at least one hour.

Garnish with whipped cream. Add a candied rosebud and mint leaf if you wish.

Recipe says 8 servings, I always make it 5. You COULD use any brandy but the flavored add such a great taste.

By by



Mary

Today was a VERY busy day. But tomorrow and the next day are totally free. I shouldn't have to leave the house at all (unless we run out of milk.)

The day started out with Bible Study. I also took down the candles, book of names and risers of the display of the deceased from the altar. I got home just in time to fix lunch. Shortly after lunch, Bobbie and I went out to the Kettles to scope out our spots for deer hunting season. I think I mentioned that Dick and I will be still on the road coming back from Branson on opening day, SO I am planning on going out on Monday and Tuesday to see if I can harvest anything. Bobbie is planning on going with me and maybe Shane or one of the Carpenter boys will join us.

It was a truly lovely day to be out in the woods and we found a few hickory nuts too. Bobbie has quite a bag full of them already and is planning on making a hickory nut pie for Thanksgiving. She did this once before and it is even better than pecan pie which is heavenly. I don't make tree nut desserts as a rule because of Jim's allergy.

Tonight we had our Rhine Plymouth Conservation Club meeting so I just got home a bit ago. It is 9:20PM now. The Indy/New England game is about at the half and Indy is ahead. Thank heavens. I need the points. This was not one of my better weeks. Stupid Minneapolis was SUPPOSED to lose for one thing.

I was remembering Grandpa Deeley tonight. He smoked a pipe. That is probably why my Dad smoked a pipe when he smoked. Grandpa was famous for giving his grandsons a corncob pipe when they were WAY to young to be thinking of smoking. He really liked smoking a corncob. My cousin Patty told me one time that he was known for getting such a hot fire stoking in the bowl that he would burn out the bottom of the pipe. As I said, Dad smoked a pipe. He used half and half tobacco and to this day the smell of that tobacco gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. There aren't many pipe smokers around these days though. Cigar smoking seems to be on the upswing however much to my dismay.

Have a nice tomorrow. I intend to.

Mary

Were you all fans of Everybody Loves Raymond? If you watched it at all, you know that Debra, Raymond's wife, is a terrible cook. Marie, Raymond's mother, is an excellent cook and very proud of herself. She is one who loves to feed also.

Anyway, a few years into the series, Debra found a recipe that she called Bracioli. It is a Beef Roll cooked in a tomato sauce.

I found it on the net and tried it tonight using venison steaks. It was marvelous so I will keep the recipe and share it (with my modifications) with you.

1 lb Venison steaks (should be 4)
Salt and Pepper to taste
4 thin slices prosciutto
2 oz provolone cheese divided into 4 pieces
2 Tablespoons currants
1 large clove garlic, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped. (I used part red because I had some sliced
in the fridge.
1 cup dry red wine
4 large rip tomatoes, seeded and chopped

Place the meat slices between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet until they are 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lay a slice of prosciutto and a peice of cheese on each one. Sprinkle with the currants and garlic.
Roll up the slices, tucking in the ends. Tie with kitchen string.

In a large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Brown the venison rolls on all sides. Should take about 15 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 more minutes. Add the wine and cook til hot, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and comve and simmer until the meat is tender. Should be about 2 hours. If the sauce becomes dry, add a little water. Makes 4 servings.

I got to stay home most of the day. Jim and I did go out to Rhine to shoot. I was not spectacular at all. The pistol was kind of low, but I did get better each time. I only got a 14 in trap, but it was windy and I lost a couple of birds that way. Also, one of the guys was letting his young son shoot for the first time and he couldn't get the shell chambered which threw the timing off. I realize now how important it is to maintain a rhythm. It is amazing how much of the accuracy is dependant on concentration.

I got a LOT of paperwork done this weekend. Good thing because a week from tomorrow, we leave for Branson and I need to have several projects operating on their own. Mainly a Senior Saint function. I am working on getting a speaker to explain Medicare D to the members of the parish that do not go to the Senior center or know where to find out the information. I thought I would do it along with a short prayer service and a little Christmas refreshment in late November or early December.

I also am preparing a mailing to the official members of our Environment committee so they come to help at the end of November to prepare for Advent. That is one of the Biggies along with Christmas and Easter.

Have a GOOD week.

A wonderful quote from Timothy Joyce. "Of curse, there can always be a case of too much spirits in a pub, but you can also have too much religion in a church."

A point to ponder.

Mary