I actually slept until 6:30AM this morning. At least I knew that it was Monday when I woke up. Chelsea and I had a perfectly lovely walk. We ran into more people than we usually do. The air was cool but not nearly as cold as yesterday. Nice walking weather.

Bible Study was lively this morning. The reading were basically on social justice and the obligation to be fair and not exploit the poor. It seemed especially aimed at those who are in power and maybe at us for our responsibility to inform those in power that justice has to be dispensed to all, not just those who "look good" or can be "of use". The reflection we pick up on the internet ended with the challenge. "Where would you like to begin?" It will be interesting to see what the priests have to say on these readings on Sunday. Read Amos 8:4-7 if you are curious.

After the study, I stopped at Mom's, of course. I brought her some of the pea soup and some cole slaw. She was hosting her canasta group this afternoon. It is very simple. She only has to provide something to drink. No snacks. All of them are elderly. One of the ladies is really slow so it does take most of the afternoon to finish the game. Then, sometimes, they go out for dinner.

As we visited, we remembered a card party that she has when she and Dad were still at the old house, well before his first heart attack. It was an afternoon game too and Dad was out in the backyard. She looked out occasionally to see how he was doing and eventually he was sitting in a lawn chair. When he saw her he would wave. At least she thought he was waving. After a bit she noticed that it was starting to shower, so she went out and told him to come in out of the rain. He said that he had been trying to but when he sat down, he couldn't get up again. (His poor legs were so unpredictable.) His waves had been a call for help. They both got a good laugh out of that. One thing that could always be depended upon was my Dad's sense of humor, even at his own expense.

Then I proceeded to Firehouse Pizza for a lunch gathering with several of the ladies that I graduated from high school with. We try to get together when someone from out of the area is in town and Barbara Wells Boedecker was here for her husband, Bob's high school reunion. There were 10 of us. Pretty good, I think. We had so much catching up to do. Everybody looks great. Our 50th reunion will be next summer. I cannot believe that it has been so long. Someone took a picture, I hope they forward it to all of us. We laughed at the fact that everybody in Sheboygan Falls seems to be "related in some way." In our group of 10 Nancy Gallagher Roehre is married to Kathy Roehre Burich's brother. Nancy's sister is married to Lorraine Schmitt Schaap's brother. Lorraine and I are cousins as Lorraine's Grandmother and mind were sisters. And on and on. We are, I think, one of the special classes that graduated from Sheboygan Falls. We all like each other. We may not see each other as often as we want but we like each other and really care. It is like we are still back in high school. Maybe better because we have more to share.

The weather this morning predicted "a slight chance of rain". Well, we had rain alright, with thunder that my poor deaf Chelsea either could hear of feel and hail. Suddenly, I heard really loud drumming on the roof and looked out to see hail, some as big as marbles just pounding onto the driveway. Haven't seen that for a long time. It wasn't hard enough to destroy my deck plants anyway.

Then I want downstairs and did a bit of sewing before dinner. It is a quiet night, I found Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds on TV so am watching that before I head for bed. He really is the master of terror.

Tomorrow we will start going over to Bobbie and Bill's to feed my kitties. They are on vacation in Maine. I will have my heart broken every day. They run from me you know. I think they know that I left them and I just feel so bad when I can't have them here. Betsy sayes that I should just get them but I can't upset Dick now with all he is going through so, I just have to bear it. But if I could only have them on my desk again.

Guess that is all. Take care of yourself. You are pretty special you know.

Love

Mary