Turned out to be an eventful day. I got a call from Mary Yurk, who is the neighbor across the street, called just before noon and offered me an "opportunity". She is the Queen Mother of a Red Hat group here in Sheboygan and some of them were joining an Elkhart Lake group for a bus trip to De Pere to Frank's Dinner Theater for a comedy musical production. One of the ladies was unable to go because a root canal had infected and she was VERY ill. So I got to go free. We left at about 3:15 and got back home a bit after midnight. The show is a musical and a comedy. This production was a Christmas program with a lot of traditional music and based VERY loosely on the Christmas Carol. I had Red Snapper for dinner.

Tomorrow we are going to see the Rockettes in Chicago so this is turning out to be quite a week.

In the museum under the Arch in St. Louis there is a plaque that has this inscription. I liked it and just recently found the picture that I took of it.

"I was first a bogtrotter (in Ireland), din a cobbler, din an immigrant, din a weary (Private Soldier), din a corpril, din a sargint, and now I'm a commissioned officer and captain fur life... and gintlemin, by act of Congress." Captain Gerald Russell.

Isn't that great?

Later

Mary

This was the best that my ankle has felt since Thanksgiving - However, tonight my hips just ache. I probably overdid because I did feel better.

Went to Bible Study this morning. We always have a good discussion. I like the idea we have now of discussing the passages that will be read the following Sunday.

The Sheboygan County Writer's Club had their annual Christmas Party. We go to lunch, this year to Arabella's, and then exchange the $5 gift and read anything that we have. I am really tired so will cut and paste the little short blurb that I wrote to read at the lunch.

My Mother shared a memory with me this year. She asked me if St. Nicholas had come to our house this year. December 5 is St. Nicholas Day, you know.

St. Nicholas used to come to us when I was a child. St. Nick always brought a piece of fruit and a little bit of candy to good boys and girls. He was a reminder that Christmas was coming and that we had to be good. Bad boys and girls got coal. One year, my brother Jeff got a lump of coal.

Her memory is this:

Grandma and Grandpa Bowser were living in Lomira. Only Mother, about 4 years old and her younger brother Noel were born at that time. One of the neighbor men dressed up in a long fur coat, like those used to ride in horse drawn carriages years ago with a hood. He carried a long staff and wore a beard. Then he traveled around to all the homes where little children lived.

At that time hired hands were quite common. They would work on the farms and live and eat with the family. Grandma and Grandpa had one.

“St. Nick” proceeded to ask Mother and Noel if they were good little children and if they said their prayers faithfully every day. They assured him that they did.

Then he asked the hired hand if he was good and if he said his prayers. The hired hand laughed and said that he never said prayers and never would. At that, St. Nick rose up and began to “beat” at the hired hand with his long staff and drove him out of the house.

This whole thing really terrified Mother. She said that she really said her prayers after that. Actually – she still does.

By the way – St. Nicholas did not come to our house this year. He did not come to Mother either.


I also wrote a poem for a Christmas Card. Here it is.

Tiny Baby, Son of God
The Angels sang the story
Shepherds, Wisemen came to see
This Child of endless glory.

The message of this virgin birth
Through the ages we still tell
I proudly shout his name to all
Jesus - Our Emmanuel

Good Night.


Mary

I went to the 8:00AM mass this morning. The roads were quite clear in spite of the wet snow that we had last night. It was chilly - in the 20s all day but partly cloudy and quite pleasant.

I visited with Mother after Mass. She is fine. We always have such nice visits. Her tree is up and in the process of being decorated. She will spend this week doing that. She is also baking stollens and cookies for gifts and to eat. I am glad that she is making Lizzies as I didn't this year. Jim can't eat them because of the nuts so I decided not to bother.

I tried out the new crock pot today. I made a recipe called butter beef. Cubed chuck steak with dried onion soup, butter and a splash of white wine. Then I added fresh mushroom for the last hour. We had it over noodles with peas and salad. The crock pot works just fine. Good thing. I am making Mac and Cheese in it for Christmas dinner.

Jim and I went out shooting today. He did pretty well. I have been worse but have also been a lot better. Practice. Practice. Practice. That is what they say.

Tomorrow I have Bible Study and then Writer's Club Christmas Party. I still don't know what I am going to bring for my $5 gift for the gift exchange. Well, something will come to me. $5.00 is an "impossible" amount. But we all seem to come up with something every year. The idea is that it is a token gift.

When Bart was a little boy, he was quite a worrier. He even worried about who he was going to marry when he grew up. I remember that his babysitters always found him quite funny because he would propose to them. He was only about 4 when this was going on. I think I told you that he did not want to come to Wisconsin for a visit because he worried about the "red tomatoes" (tornados) because I mentioned that a tornado had gone through Sheboygan County and killed a baby many years ago. He hasn't changed much. Some people just are very serious about thing.

I got my Christmas e-cards sent today. Now, I have the BIG job of those that I have to mail.

If it's true that we are here to help others, then what exactly are the others here for?

Have a good Monday.

Love

Mary

Mother, Dick and I just enjoyed a truly special presentation of the Messiah by the Sheboygan Chorus and the Lakeland College Chorus accompanied by the Sheboygan Symphany Orchestra and directed by Richare Bjella, associate professor, director of Choral Studies at Lawrence University in Appleton. I was really impressed with him and kind of wish he was in the running for the permanent director of the Symphany Orchestra.

It was a productive day otherwise also. We got the packages mailed. BOY has shipping gone up. It cost a fortune. We may resort to gift cards in the future. But anyway, the boxes are on their way and now I don't have deadlines to meet. I suppose that I need to get the cards on their way this week but there still is time.

We had lunch at the Funky Bean in the shopping center built on Hwy 42 where the old Flamingo was. The food was good but the service was slow as could be. We will try again in a few months when they have shaken out the bugs. The shipping place was slow too so Dick was pretty antsy by the time we left there.

I decided that I don't like this business of "Happy Holiday" INSTEAD of Merry Christmas. I don't have a problem with Happy Holiday itself as several holidays do occur in this time period. But Christmas is Chrismas and I DO celebrate it and so do the majority of people in our country. Therefore I have decided to put stickers on all my Christmas Cards that say. "Rejoice - The Savior is born!"

Joy and peace to you tomorrow and have a good week.

Mary

WELL!!!!! My brothers Jeff and Randy and my brother in law Kenny helped me (actually I helped them) load the ABF truck with the things that Bart and Barb could not take with them when they had been left here two years ago. I am so grateful for family because there was no way that I could have done it myself. Now the kids will have all their stuff. As Mother said when she looked at it one day, there were things there that mean a lot to Barb and she should have them.

Tonight I am going to finish the tree skirt and look through pictures for Randy. He is putting together a collage of picture of Mother, Dad and the kids and grandkids for the big birthday party. Yea! I saw the pictures that Jeff brought today and they were so nice. I don't know how many I will have as I was in California for SO long.

Tomorrow, Dick and I will take the packages to be mailed. Then I can relax and just get everything else done at my leisure. I have not even begun Christmas cards but can send them out just a week or less before. Such is life. I suggested that we mail the packages at the new mailing center and then go to lunch. We like to go out and seldom go for lunch. There is a new coffee shop in the same mall as the new mailihng center. It is where the old Flamingo Restaurant used to be if you remember.

I had a rough time with my leg last night. I am hoping that tonight will be better. Sometimes it just aches and I cannot get it into any position that relieves it. If I get up and move around it helps a bit but I never really get back to a sound sleep. This is very annoying.


Isn't making a smoking section in a restaurant like making a peeing section in a swimming pool? (My sentiments exactly)

Until tomorrow

Mary

It was much warmer today. It is amazing how wonderful 17 degrees can feel when one has been living with 5 and below. It snowed this afternoon. We were supposed to get only a dusting but have about 2 inches it seems.

Dick and I went grocery shopping this morning and I spent the afternoon with Mother waiting for the truck to be dropped off in front of her house. Tomorrow morning we will load Bart and Barb's stuff into it and then I will call to get it picked up. Next week they will have it all. Jim helped me load the stuff that is in OUR garage into the Santa Fe.

While I was at Mom's, Aunt Kathleen and Uncle Bob dropped by to say goodbye. They are leaving for the south (they are snowbirds) on Saturday and will not return until April. Aunt Kathleen said that she would just as soon be staying home or at least not going for so long. However, they do like it down there and Uncle Bob has a barbershop quartet group that he sings with all winter and it is really really fun for him.

December 5 was St. Nicholas Day. When we were kids, it was always somewhat of a precurser of Christmas - a reminder to be good little girls and boys. St. Nick alway brought a piece of fruit and a bit of candy to good little girls and boys. But naughty ones got a piece of coal. One year, my brother Jeff got a piece of coal. It sure impressed the little ones.

Mother remembers an incident from her childhood about St. Nick. They were living in Lomira. Probably just she and Noel were born as she thinks that she was about 4 years old. One of the neighbor men dressed up like St. Nicholas - he wore a fake beard, a big old fur hat and one of those long fur coats that men wore when they rode in open carriages and so on. He came in and talked to the children and asked them if they were good little girls and boys. They assured him that they were. At that time, Grandpa had a hired hand. "St. Nick" asked the hired hand if he was good and if he said his prayers. The hired hand said he never prayed and wasn't about to. St. Nick proceeded to "beat" the man with his wooden staff. The hired hand ran off into the night. Mother said she was scared to death. She is still saying her prayers regularly.

Have a nice Friday. I will be packing a truck.

Mary

Last night was miserable. I woke up shortly after midnight with my whole left leg aching and could NOT get comfortable. Dick fixed me a cup of tea and I took a pain pill and did get some sleep but I kept waking up even with all that. Then Chelsea woke me up at 5:30AM. I tried to go back to sleep but twenty minutes later she was at me again so I gave up.

Today, I went to church and Marcy Eppers and I got the Blessed Mother Statue out of the closet and put it on the altar for the feast of the Immaculate Conception which is tomorrow. We put a BIG rosary on that statue and on the big statue in the back of the church. The I did a bit of shopping and came home for a nap.

Dick, Mother and I went to the Villager for dinner tonight and then to the Sheboygan Theatre. They had a nice feel good program. Three short Christmas skits followed by the feature, The Best Christmas Pagaent Ever. Ralph did a great job. He had one of his biggest casts ever and LOTS of kids. They were very talented as was the lead adult in the feature. We really enjoyed it a lot.

Now I am tired and sore. I just soaked in the tub and am icing my ankle then will go to bed. Pray that I sleep tonight.

"The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size bucket." (from an e-mail)

Love

Mary

Another COLD day. It was 1 degree on our thermometer when we looked the first time. It makes me feel less guilty about not being able to walk Chelsea because we would not be walking in this cold anyway.

Dick and I took Mother to Gibbsville Cheese Factory to buy Christmas Cheese packages (and a bit for ourself). Then we went out for lunch at the Parkview in Falls. It was a nice outing. I am almost ready to seal all the packages that have to go out to the far away kids. I need to pick up a couple of things tomorrow, which I will do when I go to church to put Mary on the altar for the feast of Immaculate Conception. I will stop at the store on the way home and FINISH. Then we can post everything by the weekend, with any luck at all.




Well, I finally got around to it. Here is a picture of me with Daniel O'Donnell in Branson. We sure did have a good time on that trip.

Have a nice Wednesday.

Mary

It was cold cold cold AGAIN. My poor little Chelsea goes out and eagerly rolls in the snow. Then she surveys her domain. Then she gets down to business. By then her poor little pads get cold and she ends up finishing her business on three feet. Well, that's her problem.

Went to Bible Study this morning. The Advent readings are really nice. Full of promise. We especially liked the 2nd reading for next Sunday. Paul 1 Thes. 5:16-24.
"Rejoice always! Pray without ceasing!" Those are the first two lines.

I took care of lots of phone business today. I spent time trying to get Medicare D plans for Dick, Mother AND me. I have Dick and Mother almost figured out and am waiting to hear from my insurance company to see if I want to go that way. I think that the same idiot who designed a couple of freeway sections that I know of was assigned the Medicare D program. Some things are put together strictly to confuse the consumer.

We had hamburgers, beans and apple pie for supper. Num Num.

Have a nice day and pray for a warmup.

Mary

Tonight, Bobbie and I went to Rhine Plymouth for the club meeting. It was handled quite well this time and we were home by 8:30PM.

I DID get to stay home all day today. It was very very cold and quite lovely with blue skies and the sun glinting off fresh snow.

Dick and I bottled the Gewertziminer wine this afternoon and I also wrapped the remaining Christmas presents.

The Packers lost so we are depressed. This was a BAD week for my fantasy football picks. I really struggled and made some pretty poor choices apparantly. At this point I am clear at the bottom only outscoring one of our members who did not get his picks in. I might be able to pull out of the basement but things are not looking good.

Barbara called today. She has been working LOTS of overtime and is stretched for time but has been healthy lately. Bart, however, has a sinus infection that is bothering him. All else is well. She is, amid taking care of Bart and working, trying to plan a 50th wedding anniversary party for her parents.

Students in an advanced Biology class were taking their mid-term exam. The last question was, "Name seven advantages of Mothers Milk," worth 70 points or none at all.

A funny email that I received the other day. I am tired and can't think of anything clever myself.

One student was hard put to think of seven advantages. He wrote:
1. It is perfect formula for the child.
2. It provides immunity against several diseases.
3. It is always at the right temperature.
4. It is inexpensive.
5. It bonds the child to mother, and vice versa.
6. It is always available as needed.
And then, the student was stuck. Finally, in desperation, just before the bell indicating the end of the test rang, he wrote.................................
7. It comes in such cute containers.
He got an "A"

Love

Mary

I am very tired. BUT a lot was accomplished today also. It was cold and started snowing this afternoon. We have about two inches already I think. Chelsea, of course, is in hog heaven.

This morning, Dick and I went out very early to Walmart and bought a new microwave (our current one has had a door that jams for a couple of years now and I think it is dangerous.) a new crock pot (the base on my current one broke and it is silly to prop up your crock pot when you are using it.) a new water pick and some Christmas cards. Then we stopped at Hardee's for breakfast.

I did get the buckeyes dipped in the chocolate, so everybody can relax. Then at two o'clock I drove to Falls to join the choir for caroling on Pine Street for Main Street Memories. We really had a lot of fun. I found out my friend, Fran, had never gone caroling before. We sang outside Fasse's for a bit, took the horse drawn wagon and sang the whole trip it took around town, walked through Fasse's and over to Richardson's Furniture, where we joined a pianist who was entertaining there. Finally, we walked over to to Evans and strolled through the store while we were singing.

Then we sang at the 5:00PM Mass. That means that I don't have to go to church tomorrow and can stay home ALL day.

I think I told you about the time Mother, Nora and I all tried to get a snowsuit on Bart. My Ex, Bret and Bart were visiting Wisconsin one Christmas and went to spend the day with Nora and Leif. Nora offered a snowmobile suit that Stenn had outgrown for Bart to play in. He took one look at it and said. "People will laugh at me." He was three but apparantly his self image did not include a snowsuit and the three of us were unable to shove those flaying arms and legs into the thing. We gave up. He wore the old snow pants and jacket that Mother had found at the house.

Have a happy Sunday.

Mary

Dick and I had quite a busy day. It was very cold, in the teens, but sunny and very pretty outside. We went over to Mom's and Randy helped me box up the two deer hides to take to WB Tanning in Hartford. That is an interesting experience. You get a slip that you tape or tie to the hides that you brought in. Then you just leave and two or three months later, when you have forgotten ALL about it a notice comes that the hides are ready. You send a check and they mail the hides to you. It is quite efficient. Did you know that tanned hides are not natually that pretty brown tan color but a kind of bluish gray color. When I get enough hides tanned, I will have a jacket made. I asked and I need between 4 and 10 depending on the size and style I choose. So I have a ways to go. With these two, I have three.

On the way home, we stopped at a George Webb Restuarant to eat lunch. Neither of us had ever eated at one before. They are, we found, very 50s cafe. Small. The service was pleasant but SLOW. We loved the french fries. Anyway, there were four women in the booth next to us. One of them was quite old and the others were reassuring her that her current situation was indeed best for her. We assumed that she had recently been forced to go into either assisted living or a nursing home. I felt for her - and for them. I remember that Aunt Kathleen said that Grandma Bowser was in tears when she had to go to Pine Haven. She had to move SO many times in their early marriage and when they bought the house in Falls, she wanted to die there. I think it broke her heart. I hope Mother never has to make that decision. So far so good. She is getting excited about her birthday party in January. 90 is pretty special.

This afternoon, I mixed and rolled the buckeyes. Tomorrow, I can dip them in chocolate and have them ready for shipping. Christmas is trying to creep up on us.

Love

Mary

I read an article in Good Housekeeping today about a mother who's son, while in Junior High School, began to hang out with black kids. This was a bit disconcerting for her as they were white and though many blacks tried to act white, white boys don't usually try to act black. These friends were good kids, fortunately. They were, some of them, underpriviledged, and lived in some really poor project type neighborhoods. But they were good kids. As she got to know them and their parents, she came to see them as just kids in a difficult environment. It surprised her to find that their parents were as nervious about their kids being in an all white neighborhood as she was with the reverse.

It reminds me of a time that Bart and I were watching the Jessie Owens Story on TV. There is a scene in this movie in which the coach tells the Jewish members of the
U. S. Olympic Team that they cannot participated in the games in Nazi Germany. The lone protester to this action was Jessie Owens. He was promptly told to "Sit down, Boy!" and he did so. My Bart, who in Huntington Beach California, went to a pretty ethnically diverse school, he even had a black principal for a few years, asked my why Jessie just sat down and did not protest further. I had to explain to him how much courage it had taken for that man to say ANYTHING. Bart did not understand prejudice. Isn't that wonderful? Would that it could have stayed that way. I think he is pretty open to everybody, but he is certainly aware of prejudices now.

Tomorrow, I am going to take the two deer hides that the Carpenter boys gave me down to Hartland to be tanned. When I have enough, I will have a jacket made of them.

Today, we went grocery shopping and Dick got his blood tested. He has been within the boundries for 10 months now. Sue says he is getting boring.

We had the best dinner tonight. I had leftover pork tenderloin. I sliced it and warmed it, then put it on a hard roll with a slice of cheddar and mayonese (flavored if possible). Then I grilled it and served it with a dollop of cranberry relish on top of the pork. Wow was it good.


Have a nice Friday.

Mary

We took Chelsea to the Vet today as scheduled. Dr. Zechlinsky must be either expanding or planning on retiring because he has a new associate in the office who looked at our girl. She is basically in pretty good shape, but the new doctor did discover a slight heart murmur. We decided to just do nothing for it at this time. The New Vet (I will get her name in my head on our next visit) assured us that unless Chelsea shows signs of tiring easily or developes a severe coughing problem or faints a lot that we don't need to worry too much. The occasional little fainting episodes that she does have COULD be associated with the murmur. If more symptoms appear there are medications that can help her so we will just see what happens.

I spent the rest of the day, trying to get stuff put away. Since out trip, I am way behind. The sprained ankle hasn't helped. By the way, it is starting to itch. I know that scars itch when they are healing but had no idea that sprains did. The foot is all sorts of different shades of red and purple.

Today I finally did get the deer hunting stuff cleaned and stowed and I put the Thanksgiving decorations away. Good thing, it is really time to start doing Christmas.

Love

Mary

Today was a success. I, as the Senior Saint contact person, had arranged for a morning prayer service followed by a presentation by Pat Hefferman, an expert from the Department on Aging at Sheboygan County, who told us in detail about the new Medicare D program. She was wonderful. There had been only one other presentation in Sheboygan Falls so, as a faith community, we had invited anyone interested through ads in the papers. We had more than 50 attendees who were full of questions. This was great because we learned a lot and now hopefully can wade through the information. Deacon Bill Jens presented a lovely prayer service touching on Advent and the coming of the Lord which was well received. I told him that I would call on him again when I do the next program for the Seniors.

We are watching a show about the Mamas and the Papas on PBS tonight. Dick just commented that back then this group and the really great groups just stood and sang. They did not nor do they now need special effects of gyrations or weird lighting. They just SANG. What a head and ear treat.

Tomorrow, Chelsea goes for her annual physical. She will be delighted with her ride. Then when we get to Dr. Z's office she runs in all enthused then turns right around and heads for the door. Poor Zero became afraid of riding in his older years because the only place he ever went was to the Vet. Chelsea loves to go for rides because she gets to go to Bobbie and Bill's or Mother's houses sometimes and once in a while, just for a ride.

An Old Farmer's Advice. Some of the items that were sent by a friend.
* Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway.
* Don't interfere with somethin' that ain't botherin' you none.
* Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in.


Enjoy Wednesday. We are going to filter some wine.

Always fun to "wine" a bit.

Mary

I have a very affectionate Kitty named Roxie on my lap as I post this Blog. It rained most of the day today and the temps were quite warm. All the way up into the low 50s. Wow. Sounds cold to the South but for Wisconsin in late November it is like spring.

Did I tell you that Bobbie and I had venison liver, bacon and fried onions for supper last night and was it EVER good. We had enough left for each of us to have a sandwich this noon too. And it was also so tasty. They guys weren't allowed to have liver. (Can you hear the sarcasm.) They ate ham and the rest of our side dishes, brussel sprouts, raw fried potatoes and cole slaw. Jim was not aware that there were raw fried potatoes. I know that he has eaten them. He thinks that it is more trouble to cook the potatoes and then fry them. It is actually just the method of cooking. And there is a difference is taste.

Today was full. I had bible study in the morning. As it is early Advent, we are into the "waiting" scriptures and are reading a lot of Isiah. He wrote a lot about the waiting for the savior. There was also a nice section of 2 Peter telling people not to get to impatient waiting for the second coming. As he points out A thousand years is like a day and a day as a thousand years to the Lord. Time means nothing to him (or her.)

Tomorrow, Pat Hefernan from the County Division on Aging is coming to Blessed Trinity at my request to speak to the seniors about Medicare D. I am interested in hearing the presentation, so that we can decide what we are going to do. I also have Deacon Bill Jens doing a prayer service before the presentation so it will hopefully be a full and interesting day for the seniors. (Including me.)

I have to pick up cookies, punch and tea on my way to church. We always have TONS of coffee so I never have to worry about that. People keep donating that.

We were talking about the homeless at bible study. Many of them don't want to come in, usually those with dependency problems because they have to remain clean while they are in shelters. Usually they will only come in during the worst of the weather. God bless them and help them. I hurt for the children who are sleeping out or in cars because Moms and Dads cannot find an enclosed shelter. I hope their guardian angels keep them from fear.

I understand that they are still gathering pets up from the hurricane ravaged areas. Wish I knew what to do to help.

Hope your week goes well. So far so good for me. My foot gets a bit better every day, but I still cannot see my bones and it is still black and blue.

Love

Mary

It was warm and rainy and foggy all day. The temperatures were in the mid 40's. Sure a change from Thanksgiving when it was 10 degrees at noon.

Bobbie and I worked a Rhine. We left at about two o'clock. There were about 10 people there but the traps had not even been set up because of the fog and there were plenty of people capable of handing out and collection for beer as these people watched the football games. Besides, my foot was getting uncomfortable.

I went to the 8AM mass this morning and visited with Mother until she was ready to to to the 10:30AM mass. I begged off of being Eucharistic Minister because it is too hard to stand for any length of time. There are plenty of "whole" people to do that.

On the way home I heard this quote on the radio. Bobbie already heard it but she will just have to read it again. I can't remember the source but it is a quote. "Men think of shopping as a response to an unseen emergency - such as Christmas."

We are now celebrating Advent, so Chistmas is looming. The time of preparation is upon us.

Love

Mary

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

We are HOME!!!! I am exhausted so I am afraid that you will not hear much about the trip tonight.

We saw Danny O'Donnell, Shoji Tabuchi, Yakov Smirnoff, Andy Williams, The Hughes Brothers, Bobby Vinton and The Baldnobbers. We also saw two Christmas Light Displays and ate for five days.

I have my picture with Danny O'Donnell and Bobby Vinton. It was an exciting trip. The most exciting was that Bart and Barb were able to join us on Wednesday and half of Thursday. We had such a good visit and they both look great. Bart did very well. Crowds do bother him a LOT but he did will at the two shows we went to together. I am glad we didn't push for more though. It was obvious that two were his limit. Barb looks GREAT. She has lost over 60 pounds. I am so glad we had that time.

Tomorrow I will tell you more, when I am more alert

Mary

Wow, what a day.

Chelsea let me sleep until 6:45AM. I could not believe it when she jumped up on the bed and whimpered at me. We went right out for our walk. The wind was AWFUL. At several points I was facing into it and was barely able to move forward. Doesn't bother the girl at all. She is just too low to the ground to be affected.

Then, I put in the pan of stuffing that I had picked up from church to cook for the turkey dinner. I took that with me when I went to the 10:30 mass. After Mass, I went down and sold tickets for the raffle of the print, the sewing machine, the afghan and my twin sized quilt until 1:00AM when my replacement came. I got the dinners for us and came home so that Jim and I could go shooting. It was TOO windy to do trap, but we like to keep our hand in on the pistol shooting. We each shot three. My first two were none too good, though the second was better than the first. However, my third was not bad. I got a 65.

When I got home, I got a call from Kitty Klitch at church. I won the limited edition print that she had donated. It is of her Main Street Memories collection and is of the Villager. It is beautiful and I am really jazzed. It has a value of about $250. I love decorating our house with works from people that I know.

Tomorrow, morning Dick and I leave for BRANSON. So - this is my last posting until next Saturday evening. We get to Branson at about noon on Tuesday. We will be going to see Daniel O'Donnell that afternoon before checking into our hotel. Then we will spend the evening at Shoji Tabuchi's theatre. Bart and Barb will be atht Grand Country Resort that evening, So we will be able to have supper with them before going out. The next day we will spend most of the day with them. I am excited to see them and Barb and I are looking forward to sharing our quilting projects.

I will miss posting but will enjoy the trip a LOT more than I will miss the computer.

Someone named Austin O'Malley said "A hole is nothing at all, but you can break your neck in it." I thought it was clever. Have a good week.

Love you

Mary

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

Rain tonight. Even thunder and lightning. Poor little Chelsea. She is behaving differently during thunder storms than she used to. Instead of sticking her head under our bed when there is thunder, she stays near us but turns her back on us. We are wondering if she thinks we provide some kind of protection or if she thinks that we are bigger and that the evil stuff will get us first.

It was dry most of the day. Chelsea and I had a lovely walk this morning and I was able to clean out the pots on the deck and bring in the garden decorations. I didn't tell you this, but last night when Bobbie and I came back from Rhine there standing in the middle of the driveway were my garden gnome and my metal bee. Later I saw a gang of kids running around, so they must have been pulling a few pranks. As long as they don't break and destroy, I don't care. Actually it was rather funny.

The choir sang at the 5:00AM mass tonight. I picked up some fresh eggs from the farm at Range Line and Hwy O. I have been seeing their Eggs For Sale sign for a couple of years and finally stopped last week. I do like fresh eggs and I know that the chickens are healthier and that they eat better than the chickens that lay the eggs for the supermarkets. These eggs are all shades of brown and she said that they even have a few Aracondas, but I imagine that they keep the green eggs for themselves. I really liked having chickens when I lived in Huntington Beach. Kind of wish I could have them again. Once you get their housing set, they really aren't much trouble. Their clucking is quite comforting too.

Had bean soup made with the hunk of sugar cured ham that I brought back from Kentuky. BOY is that good soup. I fixed Marie Calendar muffins to go with the beans. Num Num.

There is a new Harry Potter movie coming out in two weeks or less. As soon as the crowds thin, Dick and I will HAVE to go.

Saddam Hussein was sitting in his office wondering whom to
invade next when his telephone rang.

"Hallo, Mr. Hussein!", a heavily accented voice said. "This is
Paddy down at the Harp Pub in County Sligo, Ireland. I am ringing to
inform you that we are officially declaring war on you!"

"Well, Paddy," Saddam replied, "This is indeed important
news! How big is your army?"

"Right now," said Paddy, after a moment's calculation,
"there is myself, my cousin Sean, my next door neighbor Seamus, and the
entire dart team from the pub. That makes eight!"

Saddam paused. "I must tell you, Paddy, that I have one
million men in my army waiting to move on my command."

"Begorra!", said Paddy. "I'll have to ring you back!"

Sure enough, the next day, Paddy called again. "Mr.
Hussein,t he war is still on! We have managed to acquire some infantry
equipment!"

"And what equipment would that be, Paddy?" Saddam asked.

"Well, we have two combines, a bulldozer, and Murphy's farm
tractor." Paddy replied.

Saddam sighed. "I must tell you, Paddy, that I have 16,000
tanks and 14,000 armored personnel carriers. Also, I've increased my
army to 1-1/2 million since we last spoke."

"Saints preserve us!" said Paddy. "I'll have to get back to you."

Sure enough, Paddy rang again the next day. "Mr. Hussein,
the war is still on! We have managed to get ourselves airborne! We've
modified Harrigan's ultra-light with a couple of shotguns in the
cockpit, and four boys from the Shamrock Pub have joined us as
well!"

Saddam was silent for a minute and then cleared his throat.
"I must tell you, Paddy, that I have 10,000 bombers and 20,000 fighter
planes. My military complex is surrounded by laser-guided, surface-to-air
missile sites. And since we last spoke, I've increased my army to TWO
MILLION!"

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!", said Paddy, "I'll have to ring
you back."

Sure enough, Paddy called again the next day. "Top o' the
mornin', Mr. Hussein! I am sorry to tell you that we have had to
call off the war."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Saddam. "Why the sudden
change of heart?"

"Well," said Paddy, "we've all had a long chat over a bunch
of pints, and decided there's no way we can feed two million prisoners."

God Bless the Irish!

The story in italics is an old email that I received and thought you might enjoy.

Mary

Bobbie and I worked at Rhine tonight. It is the last night for league shooting and almost EVERYONE was through so it was very slow. The guys let us go home after about an hour. The last team had two more rounds and then a couple of guys came in for open shoot. I'll bet that the shooting will be over by 7:30 and then they will just sit around and drink beer and smoke cigars for a couple hours. Those guys!


Bobbie and I finished OUR pistol league shooting too. Neither of us really shone but we were not awful either. Now if Jim feels well enough, (he is home with a flu or cold) we can just go out Sunday to play. Next Friday will be the bust up. We will find out Monday at the monthly meeting what we are going to have to eat.

The Famous Kunert Spinach, Noodle and Egg Casserole was delicious. It is such a good meal, the recipe is one of the many benefits I got when I married Dick. I have shared it with many people. Some people foolishly use cheeses other than Velveeta to prepare it - But - to really get the full wonderful flavor one needs to use Velveeta. Just like there is nothing better (or more truely American) than grilled cheese made with Velveeta.

When I was a kid, we had a sandwich griddle. That griddle was black with the burned grease on it. Why we didn't all die of the fat, I'll never know. We practically lived on grilled cheese sandwiches. We would take two slices of bread, put Velveeta between the slices, butter them LIBERALLY and then smash the sandwich in that hot griddle until the cheese was all melty and nummy. MMM MMM

We also grilled peanut butter and summer sausage sandwiches. Also a culinary delight.

Have a nice Saturday.

Mary

The weather was springlike today, all the way up into the 60s. WOW. But it is chilly tonight. Tomorrow, much the same.

We went grocery shopping today after Dick got his blood checked. He is right where he should be again. Sue said that she is very proud of him. If he stays good til February he will have gone a WHOLE year without needing any adjustment on his meds.

I worked on the Christmas Tree Skirt again today. The top is assembled so I need to cut the backing and fill and pin it for the next step. That made me remember that I needed to pick up the fabric that Mother got for the backing for quilt top that she has finished. It needs to be sewn together and I had promised that I would do that for her. I picked it up tonight when I went to choir. I will take it back to her on Saturday and then we can decide when she wants to "make the sandwich" so that she can do the quilting.

I have decided - The Senior Saints at Blessed Trinity are going to have a program in late November or early December. I am getting a speaker to explain Medicare D (I need that information myself) and we will have a Christmas Tea. I will get some nice cakes and cookies and have coffee, tea and punch for refreshments. Doesn't that sound like fun.

It is time to start organizing for the Branson Trip. We will be leaving on November 14 and returning on the 19th. Branson is always fun and Bart and Barb will be joining us for one day. The day we will be seeing Yakav Smirnoff and Andy Williams. They will not go to the evening show, the Hughes Brothers, because we feel that the day will be quite long enough for Bart as it is. The following day they will leave for home. We have that morning free, so hopefully we will be able to have some visiting time then.

The dishwasher is not draining properly again. I have Sears Repair coming tomorrow. It is really annoying that one has to schedule the WHOLE day. They don't even tell you if they are coming in the morning or the afternoon, so you have to figure that you had better be there every moment. If you miss their call you have to reschedule. So I have to be sure that if I take Chelsea out, Dick answers the phone.



The above is a picture of the burning bush that is in our front yard. The burning bushes this year are spectacular. Leaves are falling so fast now that it will not be long before all the trees are but skeletons.

Have a great Friday. I am making spinach, noodle casserole if you want to come over for dinner.

Mary

I had to get my mammogram today. I just hate that. Don't you wonder why? Now I have to wait for the doctor to look at the x rays. The last two that I had required an ultrasound also. Dr. Wenberg said that I am in good health otherwise.

I finished the decorating on the tree skirt that I am making. Now I just have to assemble the pieces and then layer the backing and batting and quilt it. I hope I can get it done for Christmas. The old one is a felt one that I found at Grandma Bowser's after she died. It is rather small and very worn and faded. We really deserve a new one.

I think I will take the pieces I was working on during the Mystery tour when we go to Branson. I should be able to get the sashing between the squares. It will be a little tricky because the sashing is narrow.

Dick and I racked the Concord Grape wine today. It has a pleasant taste. The recipe says that if it is not sweet enough for your taste you can add a sugar syrup to sweeten it. I will test it in about three months when it is ready to be bottled. I had to suck the tube to get it to rack and it certainly does taste like Concord grapes.

Tomorrow, Dick gets his blood tested and then we will go grocery shopping.

The reading for today in the Cadfael Book of Days today was very good. It read:

"It is only that the step from perfectly ordinary things into the miraculous seems to me so small, almost accidental, that I wonder why it astonishes you at all, or why you trouble to reason about it. If it were reasonable it could not be miraculous, could it?" Ellis Peters

I do believe in miracles and even ordinary things.

Love

Mary

It was a nice crisp morning for Chelsea and I again. We really enjoy these Fall mornings. It was quiet. We only saw one other doggie and one walker.

The rest of the day was rather uneventful. I saw Dr. Casey today. He checked my knee and reviewed the exercizes that I need to do to strengthen the muscles. Then I had church tonight. It is All Saints Day. A holy day of obligation. Most people don't consider these days so important any more. It used to be announced on the prior Sunday and we were threatened with the Mortal Sin card if we missed it for any than earthshaking reasons. Now it is noted that it is a Holy Day on the calendar that we get from the funeral home each year but is not even listed as such in the bulletin. I am confused but I am not the priest and as we have been informed - the church is not a democracy, it is a hierarchy and the priest and the diocese have the final say (and responsibility for communicating the rules as far as I can see.)

Dick and I did also bottle the Riesling. It tastes OK but needs to mature for a month or so.

Tomorrow, I have to go for my yearly physical and mammagram. I am not happy about that. Let us hope that all is OK this time - I hate going back for these "further checks".

I got the following from a friend in my e-mail. I had mine, did you get yours?

A True Lover


I shall seek and find you

I shall take you to bed and have my way with you

I will make you ache, shake and sweat until you moan and groan

I will make you beg for mercy, beg me to stop.

I will exhaust you to the point that you will be relieved when I finish with you.

You will be weak for days.

All My Love


The FLU

Now get your mind out of the gutter and go get your flue shot



Go out and enjoy tomorrow.

Mary

A nice Autumn Day for Halloween. The "goblins" were out in all their glory. We had over 100 kids come by between 4 and 7PM, the witching hour. I gave them all a candy and a copy of the English blessing.

"From Ghoulies and Ghosties
And long leggety beasties
And things that go bump in the night
Good Lord Deliver us.''

I firgued that they needed a little extra protection on this "night of the ghosts and goblins." We all commented at our bible study that guardian angels were going to be awfully busy tonight and I believe they were because there were a lot of munchkins and gnomes out there on the street begging for their candy.

Be safe and I will post again tomorrow.

Mary

This was a cool day. Jim and I went shooting this afternoon and I was not unhappy with my results. I got an 18 in trap. I might have done better had I not gotten a little shook at the beginning, because one of my ear plugs was missing (I found it on the livingroom floor when we got home) and I had to delay everybody while I went back into the clubhouse to get a new pair. But 18 is about my personal best.

Pistol was not QUITE as successful. I only got a 39 on the first, a puny 30 on the second, BUT the third was a 66. Nice day as I say.

The animals are properly confused by the change to standard time. Chelsea DID sleep until 5:30AM which was 6:30AM by her little tummy. I hope to ease her into 6:00AM again. They were all very irritated with us by 5:00Standard Time. I am sure they think we are really mean humans.

Mother and I were discussing Halloweens of years gone by. Sheboygan Falls used to have Halloween parades and prizes were given for the best costumes. One year Nora and I went in the parade with Jeff firmly ensconced between us. The older kids ALWAYS had to take care of the younger kids in our family and it was expected that we take them with us on occasions like this. Jeff was adorable, dressed like a little old man. Part of his costume slipped over his face and he still remembers Nora and I hauling him through that whole parade, him not seeing a thing. He did get a first prize in some catagory or other so I guess it was worth it. We had some really great costumes that had been passed down to us by Grandma Bowser. I remember a gypsy, an Indian, Batman. They were great as she was quite a seamstress.

Here is a little quote for slowing down and relaxing in this life. Slow down and see some of it as it passes you by.

"Happiness is a butterfly, which, when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you." Nathaniel Hawthorne.


Love

Mary

I am posting very early tonight because I want to watch The Sixth Sense on TV tonight. If you haven't seen this movie. DO! It is wonderful. I am constantly amazed at Bruce Willis. He keeps playing these super hero guys but does things like Sixth Sense which show how versital and what a really good actor he really is.

I took a LONG nap today. Dick says I need more but I hate to waste the days sleeping. This morning I went to the Legion of Mary Mass and luncheon. Blessed Trinity has 90 member in its Legion of Mary Auxiliary, which is me. I say a rosary and the accompanying prayers every day. The active members have to put in a much bigger time commitment than I am able to give at this point in my life. I can however say a rosary each day. I usually say it while Chelsea and I are on our morning walk.

A Fr. Mike Dineen gave our talk at the brunch. He gave a suggestion that we go home and suggest to our husbands that we say the rosary together. He suggested that at the beginning or end of each decade we hold hands and give each other a kiss and tell each other we love each other. I told Dick the idea. He said that he doesn't have to pray for kisses and love, he just has to get over his cold. It was a sweet suggestion though.

Mother is also a member of the auxiliary so I got to have brunch and some time with her.

Hope your Saturday was as pleasant. Dick and I filtered the Riesling wine today too.

Love

Mary

Chelsea and I walked again in 32 degree temps with no wind and nice sunshine. It warmed up to a comfortable mid 50s today which we really enjoyed.

I had lunch at Dairy Queen in Plymouth again today with the Wells people. Barb had her grandaughter with her. Anna is no 18 months old. She had a very shaky start as she has Down's Syndrome and has experienced most of the physical problems that these little people have. She is adorable and is learning sign language to express her needs. We were all SO glad to finally meet Anna.

This evening, the Environment Committee added the mums and the book listing the deceased from the past year to the altar in Church. It looks very nice. I think the relatives will be very pleased with the results. We put the book that I made on the altar with 22 candles to represent the 22 members that have passed on this year. So far God has listened to me prayer and not added anyone else. I do have room for possibly two more in the book if I have to.

Tomorrow is the Legion of Mary gathering and lunch. Mother is a member now too so I will walk her over to church and back. It is fine this time of year but I think that it is a good idea for her to have and escort whenever possible. I must remember to give her the money from the chekc that I cashed for her.

Two weeks from Monday, we will leave on our final vacation of the year. We are going to Branson. Bart and Barb are going to be able to come up and spend a day with us. I am looking forward to the trip AND seeing them. Barbara is so very proud. She has lost over 50 pounds this year and is excercizing and really getting in shape. I hope the two day trip will be good for both of them.

Til tomorrow.

Mary

Our last two nights in Kentucky were spent in Louisville or Lou-a-vul as it is properly pronounced. You kind of slur it all together too. We stayed at the historic Galt Hotel which has been and is still being refurbished and remodeled but is a very nice hotel. We were up on the 10th floor overlooking the street and the twin building of the Galt. They are connected by a bridge on the third floor. It is the biggest hotel and convention center in the state. From our window, we could also see the Ohio River and one of the bridges crossing over into Indiana and the boat that we traveled on in the rain. I will add a picture from the window here. I do love taking pictures from hotel windows. I did that a LOT in Ireland.



"Louavul" also had decorated statues of horses scattered all over the city. Much like the cows that Chicago had several years ago. I got a picture of the one that was in front of the Galt.




Today was clear but chilly. It was supposedly 32 degrees when I went out with Chelsea, though our thermometer said that it was 37. Big deal. We had a nice walk however BECAUSE it was dry and there was no wind. Chelsea is so darned happy it is funny. She REALLY misses our walks when I am gone or it is raining.

I went out with several other ladies to play bingo with the residents of Rocky Knoll. This is a group of mentally and/or physically challenged people. We bring quarters for their prizes and they love it. I was asked to be the caller today which was a kick. I like helping the residents find their numbers too. Part of our service is to sit with those who have a bit of trouble either reading the numbers of closing their boxes. They all understand quarters though. There are vending machines around you see.


The last of the questions that really need answers is:
17. Does pushing the elevator button more than once make it arrive faster?

Dick and I are both MUCH better today. We went grocery shopping this morning and out for breakfast as is our usual Thursday morning.

No other excitement. Have a nice Friday.

Mary

I finished printing the names of our deceased on the "book pages" Now I have to wait to assemble it until I am sure that I don't have to add any more. I think it will look nice. The only time I had to go out today was to pick up some more poster paper to finish the project. Roxie was a pest while I was working at it. She kept mewing at me to pick her up. Then - when I put her on my lap she would move around back of me on the chair and paw at me. What a strange little kitty she is.



The above is a picture of Cumberland Falls. We saw this just prior to our show at Renfro Valley. Isn't it beautiful. Cumberland Falls is second in size only to Niagra Falls in the United States. I go several pictures that turned out quite well. I love the digital camera. The following is a picture that Dick took of me playing the washboard at The Old Stable Restuarant. Sure was fun.




A few more questions that really need answers:
13. Why do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the
same tune?
14. Stop singing and read on..........
15. Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup?
16. Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad at
you, but when you take him on a car ride, he sticks his head out the
window?

We are recovering from our colds. I am MUCH better and Dick is a day or two behind me but definately much improved from yesterday. Jim stayed home sick today too. WHAT IS HAPPENING?

Have a HEALTHY Thursday.

Mary

It was a rather uneventful day. It rained off and on ALL day. Chelsea still has not had a "proper" walk since we left on our trip. Jim just runs her outside the door and she knows that, but she expects much better from me. I don't mind walking on a chilly day, but walking in the rain with a cold seems foolish so we have only been doing what is necessary.

Dick went to see the podiatrist today. His callouses are now trimmed down and he should be much more comfortable. The trip was really uncomfortable for his poor feet.

I am working of the "book" that we will put up on the altar for All Souls day, listing the members of the parish that were buried from Blessed Trinity since last year. I hope no more die before Tuesday, I am really close to being out of room on the plan that I put together. It is sad when someone dies anyway, I think God could hold off for me for a week, don't you?

I don't think that I told you about the train ride. We went to Stearns, KY and boarded the Big South Fork Scenic Railway which took us to the Blue Heron Mine up in the hills. It was an iron mine. We got, as a part of our tour, a miner's lunch. The lunch was a sandwich, containers of pudding, coleslaw, applesauce and lettuce and chips wrapped in a cool red neckerchief emblazened with the South Ford Scenic Railway info. The trip was lovely, we had a couple of guys AND the lady Forest Ranger singing and picking for us both before the trip and at the mine. I bought a tape of one of the singers. An altogether nice day.

Tomorrow, I will get enough energy to start adding a picture or two.

Have a lovely evening. Here are a few more questions that need answers

9. If Wile E. Coyote had enough money to buy all that Acme crap, why didn't
he just buy dinner?
10! . If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests?
11. If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from
vegetables, then what is baby oil made from?
12. If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?


Mary

Bible Study today. We have finished the Letters of Paul that we were studying and have decided that for a while at least we are going to study the readings for the next Sunday. It is a bit confusing at first but I believe we will become very familiar with the books of the bible this way AND we all have different translations which makes for some interesting insights.

I finally have all the clothes put away and have sorted through my mail. I have a few piles of stuff on the desk that I should be able to get through by the end of the week.

The third night of the trip, we went to Renfro Valley,apparantly condidered the bluegrass captital fo the world. At least a BIG bluegrass festival is held there every year. We went to the Barndance Show in the Renfro Vally Entertainment Center. This place has shops and restuarants and two ( at least ) theatres. We saw Jeff Watson (who does a mean Conway Twitty as well as his own sound), Glenn Thompson (a guitarist who owns a shop nearby), Pete Stamper (a humorist),Susan Tomes Laws (a truly lovely female singer), Pam Perry (another woman) and Wayne Combs (who actually ran into us as we stopped the bus at a Walmart to get cold medicine for one of our fellow tourists.) He was coming out of Walmart with his kids in a cart and saw the bus. So good PR man that he is, he came up to the bus and told Patty that they should bring the tour to the show in Renfro Valley where he played and sang. Patty almost had a bird as she kind of shooed him out of the bus, whispering to him that this was a mystery tour and that we would indeed be seeing him there. He mentioned the encounter at the start of the show. Talk about weird.

They sure kept us busy every day. We left the hotels at 8 to 8:30 and did not get back until 9 to 10:30 depending on the night. I slept like the dead. It is easy when one is that tired.

More questions that need answers

5. Can a hearse carrying a corpse drive in the carpool lane?
6. Why do people point to their wrist when asking for the time, but don't
point to their crotch when they ask where the bathroom is?
7. Why does your OB-GYN leave the room when you get undressed if they are
going to look up there anyway?
8. Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They're
both dogs


My cold is moving along as usual. Dick has one now too.


Later

Mary

Today was a yucky day weatherwise. It was damp and rainy and rather chilly. The only saving grace was that there was very little wind so the chill was not "to the bone."

I went to the 8:00AM Mass and sold raffle tickets after Mass. We sold a few this time. I hope the raffle does well. We really have EXCELLENT raffle items. A twin sized quilt that I made, a patriotic throw, a Janome Sewing Machine donated by The Sewing Machine Shop in Sheboygan Falls and a framed print of the Villager. The artist is our own Kitty Klitch who is also the chair of the Turkey Dinner. It is a beautiful print and she had it framed exquisitly.

Then I zipped over to Mother's for just a few minutes and then home. I had to be home by 10:00AM to receive Stenn - the Commissioner's call that it was OK for me to go in and post my selections for the Fantasy Football League. You can imagine my horror on Saturday morning, when I realized that they had moved the Miami game to Friday night because of fear of Hurricane Wilma. Stenn made it possible to post my picks except for the Miami game, of course. I stuck up for the Packers again today and they blew it. Against those mean awful Vikings too.

Brenda and Dick came to take us out for lunch at about 11:00AM. We went to Antoinette's in Plymouth. I knew that they had a rather nice selection fo vegetarian dishes. A cold and a hot sandwich, at least three pizzas and at leat two pasta dishes.

Dick was rather sick after we got home. Nothing major but he is really laying low for the next day or two. My cold is no better. I am glad that the next three days are quiet. I need to heal. As we speak, I am steeping some Respiratory Tea to help me relax and sleep tonight.

I wanted to tell you a bit more about our trip. The second day, Tuesday, we went to Keene's Depot, a store that deals in hunting and fishing gear and clothing AND food. They sugar cure their own hams. They explained the process and I bought a hunk to make some bean soup with later this week. They said it absolutely needs NO refrigeration.

We then went to Heaven Hill. Heaven Hill is a bourbon distillery in Bardstown. We were treated to a wonderful tour of the distillery museum and the warehouses where the bourbon is aged in charred new oak barrels. The three things necessary for good bourbon are - water that comes from limestone sources, good corn, wheat, rye, and new white oak barrels that are charred on the inside. It is the charred staves that give the bourbon its color and the distinctive carmelly taste. We got to go to the tasting room, (a room in the shape of a half barrel with a circular bar. We were treated to a lesson on inspecting bourbon. The master distiller seldom drinks the bourbon to test it. He relies on color, odor and the way the bourbon swirls around the glass. We all were given two samples (about a tablespoon each). One of a 7 year and one of a 12 year old bourbon. We tasted them with and without a touch of water. I liked the 7 year with water the best.

The guide told us that in 1998 lightening struck one of the 7 story rick houses (the proper name, I believe for a liquor warehouse) and it started on fire. As it burned the whole building, story by story began to collapse, barrels breaking open and bursting into flames as they fell. This warehouse was on top of the hill and the bourbon started down the hill and set six other warehouses on fire on the way to the creek. It flowed, still burning under the bridge over the creek and buckled the blacktop. It continued out into the river. Traffic on the main highway was stopped because flames were up over the bridge. They said that the flames were as high as a 35 story building at their peak. All they could do was let it burn out as it went very fast and there was no way to contain it. They have recovered beautifully and he did say that all the warehouses have different ages of bourbon in them so that there was never a year without a certain aged brew.

I recommend that you visit Heaven Hill if you get the chance. A nicely put together tour and you do not have to taste the bourbon but you do get samples if you want to.





Questions that really need answers...
1. Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, "I think I'll squeeze
these dangly things here, And drink whatever comes out?"
2. Who was the first person to say, "See that chicken there? I'm gonna eat
the next thing that comes outta it's butt."
3. Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer?
4. If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a song about him?

Til Tomorrow

Mary