My Week

Tuesday evening I went to the 2013 Lincoln Legacy Lectures: Lincoln & the Gettysburg Address at the University.  It was interesting and scholarly.

Thursday evening I went to the ABATE meeting. I knew that the episode of Illinois Stories about the New Berlin Veterans memorial will air that evening so I asked the bartender to put that on for me.  Keep in mind, I don't have TV reception.    I brought Marley along for the ride. Frankie the boxer that was at the ABATE Halloween party was there so after the meeting I brought Marley in to see him again. When I got home, Bentley didn't greet me at the door because he was stuck in a trap that you may recall from the last blog, was set to catch a raccoon.

Friday I met with friends from the Old State Capitol for dinner at the American Legion.  I had fish of course.

Saturday I cleaned up the house and moved furniture.  I  got down the Advent Wreath and stockings for St Nicholas on Dec 6.  I did my Thanksgiving dinner shopping at Aldi and got a 3lb turkey breast, stuffing and a holiday stolen like dad used to get.   I got wine and beer.

I watched a movie called "A Woman In Berlin" with subtitles based on the best-selling diaries of an anonymous German woman who survived the Soviet invasion of Berlin at the end of World War II.  Then I started watching the BBC episode 1 of the Buckaneers.

Sunday I was the first reader at Mass.  My voice is scratchy with a sore throat but made it.  Sean put up a digital antenna and now I have about 9 channels.   I got it clamped in the attic and coax coming through my air vent to the TV.  No bill from the cable company and for less than $100 in hardware.  I've been without TV for about 9 months.

Monday morning, on my way to work, I saw a doe and a buck on Woodside Rd crossing the harvested corn fields.  You see, hunting season started.  I had to get gas after work knowing that there be a slight price drop soon and there was the next day.  However, the light was warning me to fill up.

We did the dreaded lunges in exercise class.  Sore again.

I got an email from my adopted soldier, Sgt H,  through Soldiers Angels.  I shared his (modified) email with other angels in the forum.

Here's to all of my fellow SAs who have silent soldiers. I got a nice email: "I would like to say thank you very much for the box you sent me it was very nice and made my day. I never had those cookies before and my soldiers loved them as well. I have been doing ok over here it is my first deployment an it's stressful at times but I'll make it. I am married and have been for 3yrs now and it's my first time away from my family but I do get to video chat with them alot. I read about you annd I admire what you did and still continue to do. I wrote a letter but then remembered I had your email so thought this would be faster for you being that mail takes awhile. I will keep my adoption paper forever it means alot I don't get mail so it felt good to hear I had a box. Again thank you and I look forward to hearing from you. SGT. H"