My Week

What an emotional roller coaster ride this week has been.
My thighs have been sore for 3 days as a result of Monday's exercises.  We had to do something like a reverse plank on our back and thrusting our hips up.  Then we did the same with 10 each holding one leg up at a time.    In addition to that, we learned dead bug exercise.

Wednesday's thrift store finds:

2 wool blankets for .99 cents ea.  Both say "Illinois" but one has small letters.

wood box.

Wig case.

wire candle holder

child size crutch for the orphan.

I was offered a small position presenting Distant Memories this summer on Tuesday nights.  I am excited about doing this but concerned about stepping on toes for those who have done this before me not to mention the short notice.  Martha has done it in the past.  I had recorded her in the past.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIUY_Xso6kM

I went the porch to get my mop and Sophie went too. I closed the door and the next thing I knew I heard a bonk. She thought the door was still open and didn't use the doggie door flap.

After my exercise class, I went to the county Market and was amazed by this "Ice Cold Watermelon" display with melons and soda cases.

Thursday I received some photos in the mail from my sister.  Among them was a photo I'd never seen taken at my retirement from the Air Force receiving the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal.  No family was present since they had already moved on to Illinois to secure a house and get into school at the beginning of a school year. 

 The back side is marked as an official photo. The Air Force sent this to my parents.

Friday at exercise with Lindy leading, I had to mention how sore I was from Lexi's class on Monday.  Lindy called Lexi into our class.  I didn't know how to react so I put on a stone face.  Afterward I helped out at the Old State Capitol for the Education Day from 10am-3:30.

I wore my new dress to this from Eve Of Bumperville.

Alan's house needed a new air conditioner.  Sean got a B in his statistics class.  Four more to go and he graduates.

I updated a memorial for Frank's brother, Dan, inspired by his son's facebook post.  Seems his brother had a post on findagrave but, Dan Connolly did not.  So I made it happen with my login.   I have been updating findagrave with photos from obits as I go along and update a facebook page for Camp Butler's remembrance of the day similar to a site for Arlington NC.

Saturday I went to Oak Ridge Cemetery (AKA Lincoln Tomb) for the Lincoln Monument Association.  I got to meet with fellow reenactors, Kylee and her mom Amy, from Bartonville.  During the band, I sat on the ground and had ice cream as I listened to historic band music.  The next day I had chigger bites on my butt.

I watched a movie on EWTN:  St Rita
I cried at the end.

Neighbor across the street has a van with "Just Married" for their daughter (who already has a son and daughter).  They are watching their grand-kids and Chihuahua dog Charles while the newlyweds are on their honeymoon.

It doesn't look like my solar lite is working. I can't put my flag out overnight till that will work.

Sunday we had a new priest of Indian decent, Fr Mariadas Chatla, so we will have to get used to the accent.  He understands and speaks slow and distinctly to help.   Our pastor has suddenly collapsed a few weeks ago and his condition is bleak.  I received his prayer card:

Fr Dennis Kolross passed away on Memorial Day. 

After church I dressed and went to the Peoria Riverfront Museum to dance with the Metamorah Courthouse Dancers. Here is the group photo taken after the dance.  What a handsome bunch.  I really like the clock in the background.

 Here I am with Larry and Shirley Hackman....the dance couple of everywhere!

 There is a special temporary display of WW2 vehicles in honor of the upcoming D-Day.

I was especially happy to have my son who lives in Peoria watch us dance.  I know our interests are far apart (him and his sports and I with the history stuff) so it was nice to have him there.  He wouldn't join us though for the open dance, the Patty Cake Polka.  We were given free admission to the museum and one young lady asked to have her daughter's picture with me.  I let the little girl hold my fan in the photo. I doubt that I saw the whole museum.  Seemed like a lot of lecture/discussion rooms.  I enjoyed the planetarium.  I always was told that the big dipper pointed to the North star but this illustrated it in a way I understood.  Some things in our sky are static and others move with the season.

Memorial Day started windy so I didn't put up my flags on my lawn.  I was proud to stand with the color guard at 10AM holding the American Legion Flag. 

 Iris Malcolm sang the National Anthem. 
After the ceremony there was a balloon launch for a donation.  The white balloon (active) was for my adopted soldiers through Soldiers Angels and the red (Vietnam) was for Frank. That wind really took them away fast.

I came home and gave Sophie a much needed bath since the weather was nice for drying.  Then I changed more casually than color guard but still patriotic for the 2PM ceremony at Camp Butler.  I rode my motorcycle there. Afterward I stopped by the capitol to see the heroes wall in which I submitted my husband's memorial.  It looked like a work in progress still because the deadline had been extended.  There was a slide show of the Illinois fallen but the slide show was on a slow rate.  Since the story board was not ready, I only stayed a short time.  This is the slide show for Gary Harper of nearby Virden...the first memorial that was protested by the WBC in IL. 

I wasn't sure how much gas I had in my Honda since the trip meter was reset when I got a new battery.  Later I filled the tank with 2.7 gal for a 3 gal tank (with a half gallon for reserve).
 
Latter that evening, I paired up Patti Rios-Smith of the IL Gold Star mothers with a little known GS mother of Nicholas Hopper.  He's not well known because he passed 2 years after his injury in Iraq and his mother is not on the internet.  click here for official release of KIA notification of Nicholas Hopper.  I feel blessed to be an instrument to share between us marine moms.  I also told her what I saw on Memorial Day (near my husband's grave).  She said Nick's brother, Chris, was there Saturday and had a few beers.  She scolded him for driving back to Montrose like that.

I also met a retired Staff Sergeant who just got out of the Army.  I pointed out the 114th was about to fire black powder salutes for the Confederate and Union soldiers.  We talked Civil War history and since he is African American I explained there's a colored reenactment unit but that the 114th tries to be true to history.  He is going to school for HVAC event though that's what he did in the Army he still needs the credentials.  He was impressed with me and my motorcycle.  I'm glad that he came to our Memorial Day service having separated so recently.  There are many stories there and I wish I got more.  Here's one cute story that was on the news:
http://www.illinoishomepage.net/story/d/story/pair-of-friends-honor-veterans/98374/YvZ8tt4jrES3x6-rlS1L5Q

It amazing to me that some people think they posted a condolence to the family on facebook rather than on the funeral home's website where the family will see it.  Even as a member of the Patriot Guard Riders, I know that the family will see your condolence on the funeral's site rather than PGR forum or Facebook.