My Week

Lots of pictures this week. 
Tuesday I attended the Land of Lincoln Honor Flight homecoming with friends.  My usual selfie buddy was on the flight so here I am with Mrs Selfie and Liz and Chris:

Govenor Rauner has attended many of these homecomings and had many pictures taken with him but this was the first time I got in a picture.  He's very tall and my lips are saying "tippy toes".

I took Sophie on a TDI visit with her new pumpkin carrying coat costume.

This was at Reflections in Chatham.  Yeah Yeah, I tried it on for size when I got it and test walked to the stop sign and back but when it was the big day to show it off, Sophie gave me that "look".  She's such a trooper and eager to please me (oh, and tease me too with the toy toss stunt).  I may want to put a personal touch on the doll at the tail end sometime. 

Thursday evening I picked Sean up and we went to Peoria to celebrate Alan's birthday.  His birthday was the day before but he had his first induction meeting with the Sons of the American Revolution.  He got a plaque.  We had dinner at Obed and Isaacs which was a remodeled Presbyterian Church.

 The bar was in the center so I took a picture.  For appetizers we had Loaded Pierogies and Goat cheese stuffed dates wrapped in bacon.

I had Cajun Shrimp and Andouille.  Yum.  Sean had a lamb burger.

Friday I attended the Patriot Guard Riders escort for Sgt Douglas Riney who was a KIA from Afghanistan. The plane arrived at the Peoria National Guard. I cried when I saw his widow and children move to the casket before loading into the hearse.  Very emotional. RIP Sgt Riney and prayers for his family
The hearse looked futuristic with the curved door.  Most of the hearses around Springfield have a magnet on the side door for the branch of service but this was plain, sleek and simple.

I copied the collage below from facebook of the Central Illinois Fire Society because my Nissan is in the lower right.

I see my Nissan at 4:30 in this video but what it doesn't show is the supporters on the road side holding flags and signs including 2 nursing homes with residents on the road waiting in wheel chairs and blankets.

 On the way back I took a different route.  I stopped at Dicksen Mounds State Park.  This is where the early 1200AD Mississippian Indians lived.  At the orientation video, it said the climate was cool and some glacial ice was still present. The video and displays showed Indians in just their loin cloth.  Darn  I drove to the funeral rather than rode my motorcycle because I was cold.  The man at the desk insisted they were more acclimatized than we are.  Somehow I'm not buying that.
Not to make the day in total sadness, I shook it off at Rocky Horror the play version.  I passed out some sour cherries in the lobby at the Hoogland Center for the Arts just before the Rocky Horror Show.

Among the changes, I liked the new Egyptian sarcophagus used for the creature's table and the sheet cover for the table that held the sarcophagus which was later used as a shadow screen for the the sex scene silhouette.  Last year they didn't use a screen and it was too raunchy.
I didn't like the new costumes for the usherettes and transylvanians.  Previous year's outfits that were tux-like were better.  This year they wore a white shirt and a long tie with stretch pants.  I guess that was so that the extras would be uniform and accommodate the chubby one.

Saturday evening I went to the shadow cast, Theatre of Ted, at the Normal Theatre.  I made a real quick stop at the Halloween party at the nursing home where the residents invited the kiddies.  Every one knows that kids and pets brighten their day.
I found their party photos on facebook.

After the show with a cast member, Chris, who is the son of a lady in our Soldiers Aid Society playing Rocky.  Yep, I'm standing on the seat to equal the height out.

 Sunday morning I was the first reader at Mass.  Here's the audio.
http://usccb.org/bible/readings-audio.cfm
Sunday evening I went to the VFW and got some pictures for our facebook page of the children's Halloween Party.  I just had to record the kids learning some line dance:

Monday we had our senior balance class at Powerworks and we were to wear a costume for Halloween.  I knew that later in the day I had 2 Therapy Dog appointments and that we'd go in costume so we went as Little Red Riding Hood and her grandma on a visit.  I wore my Sketchers rather than my granny shoes. 

I got a courtesy card for a free 15 minute massage (Powerworks is co-owned with Chatham Chiropractic adjacently located).  If that's what I need, I may want more.  My neck has been sore for over a week despite the neck exercise.  I understand it's $35 for a half hour massage.

I got a call that my sun room work begins on Wednesday so I guess I better move things around and dig up the hostas.  I need to dig up the canas before the frost to accommodate the upcoming work.  No matter.  The humming bird season has passed and only butterflies come to the red flowers.  So I'm thinking of things that need to be done.  I had my oil changed at One Stop in Chatham and got a veterans discount.

One final thought:  Everyone wants to be special.  Yes we are.  But does that "specialty" mean a non-Christian burial?  As a genealogist (well in a way I am a researcher), I regret throwing away ashes like they are waste material.  Sure, some say that the deceased would have wanted it in that special, affectionate place where the ashes were scattered but the ashes are not on consecrated grounds.  Nor will the burial be listed on findagrave.com. I scream "cheap next-of-kin".  Part of the problem is that WE need to plan for the ultimate end wish.  That is not a Christian burial practice either as this article states:
https://www.ncronline.org/news/vatican/final-resting-place-vatican-releases-instruction-burial-cremation