An absolutely quiet day today. Snow is on the ground but the temperatures did not seem so bad, because there was no wind at all to speak of.

Dick and I went out for breakfast and to get gas in the car this morning, but except for that we were home all day.

The day went much too fast. I really did not do much except try to catch up on things and put things away. It is hard when one hobbles around. George Carlin has it right. People get houses to fill with stuff, then they have to get a bigger house because they keep getting more stuff.

It is like planting seeds. You plant and they keep reproducing. Or like leaving one dirty dish in the sink and by morning finding the sink overflowing with them.

My foot feels better but is still swollen, because I cannot see the bones yet. (That will be my proof that it is better.) It is turning the most interesting colors. It is really difficult to walk with a cane, however, I am learning and have learned how to go down and up stairs with the least discomfort. By the time I get it down pat, I will be all healed. Did I tell you that the doctor at the emergency room asked if I could hear the deer laughing as I made my way out of the woods? I told him that I sure could.

Tomorrow, I have to work at Rhine. That should be interesting as I cannot stand for any length of time. Then Bobbie and Bill are coming to dinner so that Bobbie and I can eat the venison liver and listen to the guys complain about having the be in the same house where something like that is prepared.

Have a nice Sunday. We will, I know. Every day my foot feels a bit better.

Mary

A rather strange day. It started good enough. We had a very nice breakfast (Cheese and egg bisquit sandwiches) with Dick and Brenda before they headed back to Madison. They left at about 10:00, the same time that I left to pick up Bobbie and go to Mom's house. We butchered the deer. There were three of them. It took us until about three PM to finish the job. Because of my ankle, I spent most of my time sitting at the table trimming meat off of the leg quarters and cutting it in to hamburger/sausage pieces.

Tonight I went to church and we took down the harvest decorations and then put up the
Advent colors and the Advent wreath.

I am exhausted and will go to bed as soon as I finish this. Chelsea is really getting irritated with me. She cannot understand why I am not taking her for walks and why Dick is usually taking her out to go potty.

I was remembering Thanksgivings when I was in California. We belonged to a jeep club called the Orange County Four Wheelers and every Thanksgiving as a club, we would go out to Chiraca Summet to celebrate the holiday together with a big community meal on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The guy had made a big spit run by a generator and would star the meat at about 2AM. We always barbequed a whole pig and a quarter of beef. It would cook all day while they poured wine and spices on it. In the meantime, the ladies would bake potatoes and make fresh applesauce and bake beans. By two o'clock in the afternoon, we would be ready to eat our selves silly and then make homemade ice cream for everybody. Finally we would sit around the fire and sing and sip Apricot Brandy until we were ready for bed. Lots of fun, lots of memories.

Tomorrow, I will better be able to rest my leg.

The week is over. Hooray for Saturday

Mary

This has been a very eventful day.

First, I got up at 4:45AM. It was 10degrees and the wind was blowing but I headed off to the Kettles to meet Jeff, Shane, Roxie and Jason Karls for the last attempt at getting a deer. We got to our stands at about 6:45AM. Again, I didn't see a thing. At about 8:30 I saw Jeff come over to Shane's stand and then Shane worked his way around the swamp on his way over to Roxie, trying to stir something up as he worked his way over there. About then, I heard people walking and Randy and Jessica came over the hill. They were moving around a bit too, from spot to spot, the stands on the west side of the hill were much more cold than those on our east side. I was cold but surprisingly not really freezing. The wind never really blew my way and sometimes the sun was beating on me. I decided as Randy and Jessie left to go to the nice spot that I had found in a stand of pine on the way back. I started up the hill, my left foot slipped on the leaves and I went down with my ankle under my body. Fortunately, I did not break it but "man alive" did it hurt. I crawled up the hill and made my way along the ridge and over to where Jeff was sitting. I told him what had happened. He asked if I needed help out, but I figured that I was able to walk and would just go slow and steady and then head home. I was wearing my good stiff hunting boots which kept my ankle fairly steady.

When I got out to the road, Jason was waiting in his truck for the others. (The rule is that you wait till everybody is out before you leave. However, I had told Jeff that I was not waiting but would go home to put ice on the ankle. He said that was a good idea and if my truck was still there when he came out they would know that a rescue was in order.) I told Jason what was up. He suggested that I go back to my stand, take off my boot and roll up my pants to chill the ankle.

I have a lump the size of an oversized golf ball on my ankle and it is funny color. Jim eventually drove me to Emergency. They did take Xrays to be sure but it is only a sprain. Hurts just as much or more, but will heal faster.

We went over to Bobbie and Bill's for a fantastic meal. Turkey, stuffing, squash, succatash, cranberry relishes, mashed potatoes and gravy and pumpkin and hickory nut pies. Everything was SO good and I was SO hungry.

I guess that is enough for tonight. Tomorrow I will be helping butcher deer.

Hope your Thanksgiving was warm and fuzzy.

Love

Mary

A busy day but at least I got to spend most of it at home. My only outside chore was that dentist appointment. They just checked them and cleaned them and sent me home.

It was snowing and there was about an inch on the ground when I woke up. Chelsea was say too excited. She barked at nothing for about half the walk. Then she spent the rest of the walk rolling around and eating snow.

Then I made Cranberry Relish for tomorrow and cole slaw for a salad to have on hand. I cleaned my desk and the bathrooms too. Now, Dick got the Roombas clean and we are letting them vacuum the livingroom and our bedroom.

Tomorrow I will be going out with the gang for my last deer hunting try of the year. It is supposed to be windy and cold, so will be the most miserable of the three days.
We are meeting out on Highway F at 6:00AM and will be staying out until about 10:00 as everyone has to be back for Thanksgiving. Actually Bobbie is serving dinner at 5:00PM with snacks including a bribe of deviled eggs at 4:00PM so I will have plenty of time to come home, shower and take a nap before we go. Dick and Brenda will be spending Thursday night with us.

There is a cricket in our office. We cannot quite pinpoint where he is nested. He seems to be somewhere between Dick and me but it is really hard to tell. He chirps occasionally, then when one of us moves the big chicken shuts up. He probably heard Dick say that he wants to crush him.

I remember a cricket in the coat closet in my home in Huntington Beach. We managed to get EVERYTHING out of the closet and finally got the thing. We just took it outside. Boy was that thing LOUD! The one in our office is really rather quiet.

Aren't crickets supposed to bring good luck? I seem to remember some tale about that.

The Brother Cadfael's Book of Days had a great quote today. "A pity there should have to be factions, an decent men fighting one another; and all of them convinced they have the right of it." Ellis Peters.

People on both sides of a war always believe they are right and the winner becomes the "truth".

Happy Thanksgiving.

Mary

Hello again.

Bobbie and I did go out hunting today. Another empty day, we did not even see any deer. It was much colder than yesterday, but with no wind and the sun shining on us if we picked the right spots to sit, it was quit pleasant. We stopped for lunch on the way home so it was an altogether enjoyable day. According to the weather reports, we are supposed to have show tonight - up to an inch. Chelsea will have the best walk tomorrow.

This afternoon, Dick and I went grocery shopping and picked up Market Day. I have SUCH full freezer compartments. I won't have to buy meat or much else except fresh foods for quite a while. Tomorrow, the dishwasher repairman is supposed to be coming. We are waiting for our call from Sears to confirm this. The only other thing that I have going tomorrow is the dentist. I am not thrilled about that but what must be done, must be done.

I still haven't had time to look at the Branson Pictures. On Thursday, we had the whole morning free so Dick and Bart took advantage of the time to take naps and Barb and I went shopping. We finished up at a shop called Quilt and Quilts Shop. I found a few grays and blacks for the quilt that I am working on. Barb found some great fabric for a future quilt. She showed me one that she is working on of a great big bear. It is all pieced and is wonderful. She has requests for more and the fabric she found will make great background as it is all piney and looks like a mountain terrain.

They really enjoyed the Yakov Schmirnof and Andy Williams Shows that we saw together. Did you know that Yakov also writes as well as performs and he paints very beautifully? His paintings are often very patriotic as is his comedy. I have seen his show twice now and he has had us in stitches each time.

Have a nice Wednesday. Should be so as it preceeds a holiday and perhaps for most of you a long holiday weekend.

Til tomorrow

Herman Melville said " All wars are boyish, and are fought by boys."

Mary

I made it out to the Kettles this morning for my first day of deer hunting of the season. It was a lovely day. Kind of cold and overcast to begin with but no appreciable wind and eventually the sun even came out. My brother Jeff, his son Shane and Shane's girlfriend Roxie were also out today. We didn't see a darned deer but we all enjoyed the day. There is plenty of wildlife out there besides the deer. I saw a red squirrel and a gray fox squirrel, heard a Pilated Woodpecker and a huge flock of geese went overhead. We arrived just before dawn and left the woods at about 11:00AM. Then we drove into Dundee for lunch at a tavern that Jeff knows. I had a good cup of chili (Sheboygan Chili) and a great grilled cheese sandwich. I came right home after that and took a nap and a shower because

tonight I had to be at church to get out and check the condition of the decorations that go up for Advent. They put this big "Jessie Tree" that used to go over the Altar on the side wall and I do not like it but was overruled. Hopefully the wonderful Advent Candle Tapestries that Bob Fleming painted for us will make them look better. We will be gathering again on Friday to take down Harvest/Thanksgiving and put these up.

Tomorrow, Bobbie and I will go back out to the woods to try again to get our deer. Sure hope we at least see one. That always "Makes" the day.

I probably should say more about our Branson trip but the main focus was all the shows. Did I tell you about the Hughes Brothers. They are five brothers. The show involves all of their children, this numbers something like 13 or 19 kids, NINE of them are in ONE family. Their parents have just adopted four children from Russia who are learning to be in the show because they really wanted to be a part of it. The grandchildren are also extremely talented, they sing, dance and several play the violin. It is quite a show. When they did their Nativity presentation as part of the Christmas show, they just use the littlest baby (who behaved like a little angel. I don't know what they do if he decides he doesn't want to be there. I remember an incident that occurred when Bret was about three. We were at some function or another and he came up to me and said "Lets go home." I said that it would be a bit as we were busy. He leaned back a bit, looked me in the eye and said "But I want to go NOW." Those kind of statements are a mother's nightmare. In public, children have an extra ace as sometimes they get their way to avoid a big scene."

Hopefully I can look at the pictures soon and will forward a few to you.

Have a fun Tuesday in this short work week and wish Bobbie and I a good and save hunt.

Love

Mary

I have emptied my suitcase. That is always a big accomplishment when one gets home from a trip. It was a nice day. Rather chilly perhaps but I hope that tomorrow is like today. There is talk of 30% chance of rain, and I am going to be out in the woods with Jeff, Shane and Roxie trying to harvest a deer. Rain makes it unpleasent indeed.

Saturday, the opening day party did get three. None were shot by a Deeley, however. The Carpenter boys got two and Jason Karls got the other one. So we will be butchering on Friday or Saturday. With any luck there may be another one or two by the weekend. I will go out tomorrow and Tuesday with Bobbie (if she still wants to). I plan on going out on Thursday for a last shoot if I haven't filled out. That will be a very short day as they usually come out of the woods by 10 or 10:30. Actually, I will have to so I can get showered and dressed to to to Bobbie's for Thanksgiving dinner.

I haven't had a chance to look at the pictures I took of the Branson trip as of yet. I had my picture taken with Danny O'Donnell and with Bobbie Vinton.

The choir sang at the 10:30AM Mass and I picked up the venison that Jeff had gotten from his friend and a piece of liver from the Saturday harvest. Bobbie, perhaps you would like to come to dinner Sunday and have that liver with me. We have to work at Rhine, so you could get out of cooking that evening. Let me know.

Jim and I went shooting pistol today too. I am consistantly bad on the first target and then much better on the last two. I must figure out why it takes that first target to get me sited in.

Mark Twain said that "To get the full value of joy you must have somebody to divide it with." The Christmas season is a good time for that. The choir is going to go caroling in downtown Sheboygan Falls on December 3rd. That will be a fun way to kick off the season.

Have a nice week.

Mary