The snow was melting quite fast today and we did have some sunshine.

I went to Mass at St. John's for the first time as a parishioner. My friend Marlene and her husband Warren were there and Marlene introduced me to the pastor Dennis Van Beek. He does give a wonderful sermon. I do like the way he speaks before Mass to give you an idea of what to expect in the readings and how it will apply to your life. He is really good.

Each year he has a four lesson adult education series, one a month for four months. This year the first one starts on Tuesday. So I guess I joined at just the right time. Marlene is going and I will meet her there.

Jim and Michelle came over this afternoon and we played a couple of games of pool. I had only played once before in my whole life and did not do well. I did not do well this time either but I am sure that with practice I could be better. It was fun anyway and that is the most important thing.

I am going to make Pasties this week. I mixed the pastry together today. That has to chill for at least 24 hours so I figure that I can make them either tomorrow or Tuesday.

Listening to Jerry Aps on Saturday talk about his days growing up on a farm without power in their house brought back lots of memories to me. He mentioned that they would get a gallon on ice cream on Saturday and bring it back home to divide carefully into five pieces to be eaten all at once because they could not keep it in the ice box.

We did have a refrigerator, but it did not have a very impressive freezer compartment. It only held a try of ice cubes or so. So. Once a week when Mom and Dad came back from grocery shopping they would bring a gallon of neopolitan ice cream. We still can see Dad with a knife and all the plates carefully carving that ice cream up into EQUAL parts but still honoring each child's request for his or her favorite flavor. And he did it too.

That made me remember the time Mom opened the refrigerator and found a poor little kitten sitting on a shelf shivering. She started to remember other odd things that had appeared in the refrigerator and questioned Randy. Randy said that our course he had put it in there. He wanted to "save" it. Mother had used that term when whe put food away and he figured that a kitten was just as important.

Love

Mary