My Week

Let's see, it's Christmas Party Week ~ Amvets Christmas dinner at American Legion Post on Wednesday, Catholic War Veterans on Thursday at the Chesapeake Seafood Restaurant.  Wednesday we had a snack day at work and one of those silly gift exchanges.

Friday I took the afternoon off to ready for a busy night.  I went to the Old State Capitol for Christmas With Santa which helped to support the troops.
Here is the publicity: Holiday Stories With Santa
I had just gotten a dress for my porcelain doll on ebay so I brought her with me to show the children and also to dress her.  She has a day dress and a wrapper complete with Chatelaine.

Here is Anna Bella in her new wrapper complete with a mini chatelaine.

I've been good.  I got away with a tug on Santa's beard.  It's OK, I didn't pull hard.  I think he liked it too by the smile on his face.

Afterward I changed in the parking garage into evening dress and went to the Committee Ball.  Here I am with a couple of coworkers, Brandon and Bob.  These late evenings seem to go so fast and the next thing you know it is realy late. 

Saturday I walked the dogs before going on my busy planned day.  I noticed that Marley had worms in her poo so I dog the bag to the vet and got pills for both Marley and Bentley.  Marley does like road kill.  However, I've let her bring home freshly killed squirrels but this past week, I noticed she'd been sticking her nose under some leaves and pulling out rotten stuff.

Then I got all dressed up in my Civil War dress and headed out to Camp Butler National Cemetery for Wreaths Across America.  It was the best ceremony yet.  I made arrangements for Philipa Porter, a Gold Start Mother from the first Gulf War, to sing the National Anthem and later she sang O Danny Boy. I wore my period dress for the six special wreaths ordered by the Sons of the Confederacy for the Confederate graves.   I suggested the 6 graves top and front.
This is a link to the news 20 broadcast reporting on Wreaths Across America at Camp Butler.
Wreaths Across America ~ Camp Butler Dec 12, 2012

 For more information on the Confederate graves, click here:
 Camp Butler cemetery home to Confederates

My son Showed up as well.  We went with her to lay a wreath on her son's grave.  Then Sean and I, along with Chaplain Steve and Gene headed over to lay a wreath on my husband's grave. I'm feeling a bit "farby" since my hair fell down from the bun.  The wind did pic up a little.

After Wreaths Across America, I helped serve refreshments with my friend, Joan, at The Elijah Iles House as part of the historical house holiday tours.  Here I am with Father Christmas.  James Cornelius, curator of the Lincoln Collection in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, was portraying Father Christmas in the 19th-century style, with a green robe and long white hair.  I wondered if he'd give me a switch with the leather because he could have been the Belsnickle.  Original Santa's were not in red.  After the refreshments, I got out of my period dress and into a skirt in the parking lot that was walled in (mostly).  I then went to dinner at Osaka with friends from the Old State Capitol.  Heck, I never know what I'm ordering there.  I just picked something with tuna in it.  It was more like sushi.  Hot meal would be a better choice.
Click here for the newspaper article on the Holiday House tour:  Historic Christmas 

Sunday morning I read the first reading at Mass which meant I had to read the petitions.  It was difficult to read the names of the dearly departed as one was our deacon's wife and another was the blind man's mother that sits in front of me every Sunday.  I told him after Mass that I gave him eye contact as I mentioned his mother's name (for what it's worth).  There were donuts afterward and I had one.  Not too many takers so there were probably a lot left.

I've been upset about the school shooting in Connecticut.  So many little ones killed and teachers by a young man needing medical attention badly. I fear the reaction politically regarding our right to bear arms.  Here in Illinois, the governor has been scaling back on prisons and mental health facilities.  So that could mean danger among us.  Illinois is last state that does not allow 'concealed carry'. Wisconsin approved it earlier this year.  Last week the feds mandated that Illinois allow concealed carry because this is a right.  Seems it's bad to defend yourself but it's good to loosen control on criminal and mental behavior that threaten us.

 
My new flat screen TV arrived this week that I got paid for on a black Friday deal at Walmart for a guarantee order before Christmas.  My son put it up in time for football.

I made a green bean casserole on Sunday which was a failure and tasteless.