Today was SHARE day.   I picked up my order and put in the order for January.

This month we got Chicken Thighs, Imitation Crab, Meat Balls, A frozen Chicken dinner and Pork Chops plus cabbage, potatoes, apples, grapefruit and tangerines.   This is all for $17.00 including shipping.   Not bad.  I hope that if we ever move this program is available.   My friend Bob's Dad, Jim Fleming, ran the Share in Sheboygan Falls.   He always said that it is a program for the needy and the greedy.   All that is required is that you show up but they ask that you do good to your neighbor, either one on one or by volunteering for more public things..

 I mixed up the dough for Mom's Christmas Stolen.   I will be baking it tomorrow.   As I was finishing my nap, I got a call from my niece, Jessie.  She and her sister Becky and Sara, Jeff's daughter had baked a double batch of stolen and wondered if I wanted any.   As I will end up with three and share that, I declined.   Too bad, but I must not gather more than we can use.

I did some reading, some Christmas Cards and some other Christmas chores.   I am going to fill and hang the stockings tonight.  That will be a nice surprise for Dick.

I went to Mass at 4PM.  I was Eucharistic Minister, which is always an honor for me.   The adult choir sang tonight so Kate and her sister were singing as well as my friend Ceil.  Fr. Van Beck gave a lovely sermon about family and the importance of knowing how to wait and to be ready for the special guest that will be arriving on December 25th.   He used the story of the white apron to illustrate.   I had not thought how out of fashion the "apron" has become.   Probably many children are not even familiar with the concept.    I use them, but in this day of disposable clothing along with everything else, people don't work as hard to preserve their clothes from dirt and wear.  The white apron refers to the fancy apron that women would wear when company came that made them look like they never had to work hard at all.

God love you

Mary

We are in a strange weather cycle.  Not warm enough to completely clear the roads but not cold enough to leave them frozen and impassable either.  

Jody came to clean today and will be here next Friday so I won't have to worry about the vacuuming and the floors with the holiday being celebrated here the next day.   Then I can concentrate on the meal.

I had lunch with my bank friends at the Dairy Queen.   Did I tell you that they reserve a table for us on Fridays?   We will not be meeting until next year now.   The Fridays are just too close to the actual holiday and we don't want to bother.

I had several errands to do before coming home but was here by 2:30PM.  We had leftover lasagna for our supper and now are trying to get the new desk lamps that Dick ordered assembled and on our desks.   The lamps we have are really not very efficient.    Perhaps someone at St. Vinnie's will find them useful.

At lunch today we ladies were talking about children and how amusing and/or embarrassing they can be.I remember two incidents that you might find amusing.  

My brother, Matt, was rather short and kind of slight as a kid starting kindergarten.   He came home the first day with his stories and told us that there as a boy in his class who reached from "all the way up here" (and he reached way above his head) "all the way to the floor." 

Then for embarrassing.   My ex and I and Bret were on the way to a camping trip.   We stopped at a restaurant and I had to take Bret, about three years old, into the rest room.    I let him go in alone, as I thought he was capable.   He did his business and then called me to help him in very graphic language.  When I told him the door was locked, he said  "OH. Shit!!"   I think he was listening much to close to his Dad and friends.   He spewed out damns and shits and hells like they were nothing.  There was a lady in the bathroom with us and she started laughing so hard that she had to leave.   I am sure the expression on my face spoke volumes.   He never did that again.   I think he was trying to be "one of the guys".

Have a great weekend.  

God love you

Mary

Hello All.

Dick's appointment at the anti coagulation clinic was a success.   He is right where he should be and does not have to go back for a whole month.  That will be next year.

It was cold but did quickly move up into the middle teens so did not stay in single digits too long. 

Bobbie was here as she helps us get Dick up and down the ramp.  My ribs are still sore, though they are much improved.  We had Lasagna Soup for our lunch.  By tomorrow it will be just plain Lasagna, though it tastes the same.    I took a helping over to our neighbor, Dick, too.

Bobbie and I racked three gallons of our wine today.   We have five gallons working down there.  One of mine and the rest of them Bobbie's

So we are finishing our evening watching Larry King's last show after 25 years.   It is very interesting and full of very diverse and fascinating people.

Later and God loves you

Mary

Today was a very busy day.     I started off a bit early for the grocery store because I wanted to fill up the gas tank before we went into Sheboygan later today.

Dick was concerned about going out in the cold.   Can't say as I blame him as he cannot move too far on his own and it was below zero when he woke up in the night.   It was already 5 above when I got up and did achieve 16 degrees by afternoon.

Anyway, I was back from grocery shopping, the bank and filling the tank by 9:30AM so we had plenty of time to get Dick's leggings changed and everything we needed for our traveling to Wisconsin Prosthesis in Sheboygan so that Tim can do work on Dick's shoe and his prosthesis itself.    While in Sheboygan, Bobbie and I drove over to Ella's Dela for lunch.   We got an egg salad on rye for Bobbie, a tuna salad on rye for Dick and me and cookies for all of us, including Tim and his assistant.

I also picked up some tube a grip pieces for Dick's leg from Dr. Moreno's nurse, Dorothy.   She hardly recognized me without Dick.

Tim got Dick's shoe fixed except for the insert -he took the mold for that and will call when it is manufactured.   He did some filling on the prosthesis itself.  We are hoping to help his foot stop from twisting under.

By the time we got home, at almost 2PM, I was exhausted so I took a nap.   I must have really needed it because I slept quite soundly for a while.

We had leftovers for supper and I am working a bit on Christmas Cards.  For some reason, I am having trouble getting them done this year.

Hope it is warmer tomorrow.   We do have to take Dick for his anticoagulation test in the morning.    Then Bobbie and I will work on the wine.

I put a lasagna together for our lunch.

Take care and enjoy this special season.

God bless you

Mary

It is still cold today.   Cold enough that the roads, plowed but still with a nice hard icy  hard packed snow cover are not safe to be on.

I found that out when I drove to Sheboygan Falls to see Mother.   As I couldn't go yesterday, I felt I should today.  I knew she had some bills to be paid and some cards to be mailed and figured it would be OK to drive. 
It was but I was not thrilled with it.

I took her one of the pasties and some Dirty Rice for meals.   We had a nice visit and got everything done so I know she is not behind on anything.    Fred dropped in with some things that Eileen had sent so I got to see him for a minute.

I cleaned my desk and worked a bit on Christmas Cards this afternoon.   There are lots of little cleaning jobs around the house that I am getting to also.

Tomorrow Bobbie and I will take Dick to Wisconsin Prosthesis to see Tim and get his shoe fixed up a bit.   It is showing wear and needs some adjusting.

So. That was the day.   I am again very tired and am going to bed early tonight.

Love
  and God love you

Mary

This was a really quiet Monday.   Because of the sub zero wind chills we decided to not have Bible Study.   The roads were also treacherous so it seemed silly for anyone to take chances on getting into trouble out there.  School openings were delayed for two hours so we decided to stay in our warm cozy homes until later in the day - AT LEAST.

I spent the morning then, mixing up another batch of dough for the pasties as I realized that Kate and I had gathered twice as
much meat as we needed and figured we might as well at least have somewhat enough dough.

I also started my Christmas Cards and studied a bit on the Bridget trip.

After a light lunch, I gathered up the pasty ingredients and went over to Kate's house.   We got to work,  Kate and Patty and me.   Kate and I cut and mixed and rolled out and cooked.   Patty did the chopping of a lot of the veggies for us.   This batch has venison, pork, potatoes, carrots, onion, cabbage and rutabaga in it.  We baked most of them for 30 minutes and froze them for future use.  BUT we kept 5 out for the five of us to have a meal tonight and BOY are they good.   I intend to have the pasties and mushroom pie for our main dishes at Christmas.   The pasties will not disappoint.  I'll bet you can hardly wait.  Richard and Brenda, we will also have a mushroom pie that is to DIE for.   If anyone else wants to join us please let me know so I have enough dessert.

You are all welcome.

Tomorrow will be just as uneventful.   I will be going to see Mother sometime in the morning.   As I didn't get there today we have a few bills to take care of and I want to take a Pasty to her.

Only 12 days until Christmas.

I have all of my nativities up now.   They all are special.

The tree is festive and full of memories

God love you

Mary

A whole day at home.    It was a blizzard, they say.   The condo plowers were here before I woke up.  The snow was mild the rest of the day, at least in Tallgrass, but cold is heading for us fast and furious.

I finished the tree.   It is lovely.   I have decided not to put EVERYTHING on this year as the tree is so very full anyway.  All of the Nativity sets are in place too.

The Packers lost.   Sob! Sob!.   The only good thing is that everybody in my football pool had picked them to win.   Aaron Rogers got hurt.   This may or may not have made the difference.   Oh Well.

I forgot to tell you a story about Rosemary.   As it just happened yesterday it is really appropriate.

Her daughter, in the eulogy, mentioned that whenever a child or grandchild said anything funny or unique, it ended up on the refrigerator or in a poem.

As I was talking to Steve, one of the sons, just before I left this happened.    I had been running around the church trying to find Warren, Rosemary;s husband, and my cousin.   I did find him and was able to tell him that I was praying, Mother was praying and that I had been talking to Rosemary since I heard that she was terminal.

So Steve asked me if I had found his Dad before they put him into the "envelope".  He obviously meant the "elevator.".  This sent us into peels of laughter which I am sure delighted Rosemary.   I told Steve that surely that misspeak would have ended up on the fridge.

So.   Remember to enjoy the fun things that come to us even in the times that seem sad.  

Love, life and fun go on forever.

God love you

Mary