My Week

I've updated my Christmas display to Lent display.  
My Lent display. In order of the story: Palm Sunday, Last Supper, Picture of Scourged Savior from Wieskirche, Pieta, a cross necklace hangs on the wall that has relics of the road from Via Dolorosa, Jerusalem and Resurrection statue (same statue over our alter at St. Joseph the Worker, Chatham, Illinois.) http://wieskirche.de/pilgrimage.en.html

Monday I wanted a quick snack before taking Sophie to Regency Care.  Well that turned out to be a disaster.  I burned my lunch. Got the whole house fan running, changed the filter, rolled up throw rugs, mopped everywhere with Pine cleaner, washing all linens, and now off to get a filter for the stove hood fan. I used my Orek air purifier on full power.
I used Febrez air freshener, burned candles, and  made a fresh pot of coffee to cover it up.

Thursday I went to a training session for tours at the upcoming newly remodeled executive mansion.   It was dull and covered stuff I already knew like Maslow's Hierarchy of needs and how to greet people.

I stopped by Aldi because I wanted to try the chicken stuffed with asparagus that I saw in the ad.  I also got some beer batter frozen jalapenos.  HOT!  I kept eating one to cool off the last one.


Saturday I went to a reenactor yard sale at the Illinois History Museum. 

I've always had trouble threading a needle.  Even these little wire threaders break on me.  Finally something new, the hummingbird threader.

Friday I had an appointment with my Widex hearing aids and then on the way back I had my tires rotated.

Saturday morning I loaded up my car with reenactment costumes that I wanted to get rid of at the reenactor swap meet at the Illinois Military Museum.

 As you can see, it's mostly WW2 reenactors and male items. The guy with the colonial shoes wouldn't budge on the price.

Richard and I were talking to each other and it was on the news:
http://foxillinois.com/news/local/annual-swap-meet-brings-dozens-of-re-enactors-to-exchange-gear-02-25-2018

I did lighten my load of some size 8 women's boots, hoop and bonnets.  I came home and won an eBay auction for a bonnet that will go well with the dress that's in the works.

Sunday I was saddened to learn that Fr George, a retired priest who was a member of our parish and silver sneakers group and passed away in hospice.  He left our exercise group a year ago because of his condition.
I did some more work on my up coming  presentations on "Victorian Mourning" and "Widows and Orphans" for May 26.  I watched the season finale of Victoria.  I liked the way it ended with a happy Christmas rather than her mourning the loss of Albert.  Besides, that would make for a boring story about a queen in seclusion. 

The weather should be nice this week. I suspect I'll have one more opportunity to light my fireplace this year and then I'll find a chimney sweep.  I've never had it cleaned except with those creosote logs.

 

My Week

Monday was busy.  I did go exercise but then I went to the Lincoln Tomb for the American Legion Pilgrimage  on Lincoln's Birthday.  Cold day and a bit icy but I saw deer prints in the ice on the sidewalk at the Lincoln Tomb.

Afterward I went to the Old State Capitol for the Lincoln Birthday Ball.  Here I am in my ball gown dress.

Here you can see me dancing a 12 Square Reel.  This is good when there's more women then men. It's pretty easy to learn.  The hardest part is "hey" mash around like a figure 8.

Tuesday we had a double class at Powerworks:  core and cycling.  The cycling is new and it really works up a sweat like the zumba.  I just found that the seat rubs my groin bones.

Lunch was with our Womens Overseas Service League.  Our president accepted a check from the Springfield Jaycees from money they raised from their beerfest on veterans day.

In the evening I went to the Dank club's Fasching party.  I won best original costume.  I won a bottle of wine. Here's the King and Queen with their decorative plunger. 

I haven't found the winning photo they took.  Then we played a game where us English only had to pronounce some German words off a card.  I had milk, exit and screwdriver.  That screwdriver work was longer than some of our sentences.  Needless to say, I lost that game.


Wednesday I had our senior strength followed by zumba.  Powerworks is getting too loud for me even if I take my hearing aids out.  I tried our new cycle class and the music was loud.  Even our senior zumba seems louder than before.  I take my aids out and it's loud.  Carol lost one of her aids because she took hers out and never found one of them.  I've been taking mine out and have to put them on the floor by the wall.  When nobody is looking, I turn the master volume down.  I think I'll just do yoga.  In the evening I went to our AMVETS meeting.  Small meeting at that.

Thursday morning I had an appointment with a different hearing aid company ~Widex.   I walked out with a new pair of hearing aids. These aids can be adjusted from my iPhone App.  He called me and I didn't need speaker phone. I talk at my phone but receive direct to aids so let's say I'm in a public place, others can't hear  the conversation like before.  They even have a locator like a gps if I misplace them.  In the evening I went to our Civil War Roundtable.  We had a moment of silence for the school massacre in Florida. The presentation was about the trip to Tupolo MS last year that I missed due to Spondy.

Friday started off on a wrong note.  I couldn't really get into the exercise class.  I felt in a bubble because the new hearing aid on the left side would not blue tooth.  Afterward I went to the funeral of our past VFW Commander, Don Taylor, who suffered from brain tumors.  Then I got the hearing aid problem fixed.    In the evening I helped with our American Legion Fish Fry for lent.  When the line got busy, I grabbed some tickets and took orders while people were waiting in line so that all they had to do was pay with ticket in hand.  The kitchen staff hated it because the number on were out of sequence and they wanted to prioritize on that number.  Well it was better customer service and working at the cashier end but not for the servers so I was told to stop.

I found my photo on a tourism promotion for Hilton site.

I fell in love with an original dress so I found a seamstress who can make it happen. 

It's to be made in blue silk with black dots to my size.

Saturday I went our Soldiers Aid Society meeting.  We continued our ribbon workshop and had lunch at Cafe Moxo. 

At 1PM we had our meeting.  Looks like an interesting event coming to us the beginning of August with the 4H group.  We'll be creating outfits and have a rally recreation of the "Wide Awakes".

In the evening I went to the AMVETS SEC banquet at the Crown Plaza with my son.  He was reluctant to go but I paid $70 for both meals. He canceled his guitar practice. Then, yes there's more, I went to the VFW post for the "Cabin Fever" dance supporting "buddy poppy".   I only stayed an hour but I was impressed with the crowd.

Sunday I was the first reader at Mass. 
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/18_02_18.mp3
It's the first Sunday of Lent.  Are we focusing on the fasting in the desert or Grace and gladness?

I watched St Francis on YouTube.
https://youtu.be/rG5jVcYA1aM

Well we are looking forward to a rainy week.  It's much needed since Lake Springfield is really low.   Lake Springfield is about 4 1/2 feet below its full-pool level

 

http://www.sj-r.com/news/20180202/drought-conditions-begin-to-show-in-springfield

My Week

What do dog breeders think when they raise pit bull puppies?  That there's a demand for pit bull puppies?  Take a look at the so called kill shelters.  There's no demand for these dogs.  Now I'm not saying they're all bad but just that there's no demand for the breed and they still breed them like rabbits.  Cute when they're little but they are destined to a bleak future.

Four therapy dog visits this week with winter static shock.   I make small talk with the residents and cant help but share Sophie's latest nick name that Sean gave her because she insists that I take her for a walk in the  cold:  Little Miss Fluffy Butt.  Now some seniors call her Fluffy Butt.  Thursday morning I wanted to further my horizons by observing the therapy horses from Heartland Mini Hoofs at St John's Hospital.  Oh, I was deeply moved from the trailer to the ward.

Everyone had smiles to see the Winnie, Jasper and Bailey.  Here I am with the horses as they entered but sad that this picture is a little dark. 

 This is the vest worn by Bailey, a pinto.

 Of the three miniature horses, "Whinny the Minnie" was not shaved of her winter coat.

 So many delays in the lobby before getting to the 10th floor.  I understand Jasper (on the left) is a favorite of the owner.  She's a buckskin miniature.  They live to about 40 years old so she has willed them to her daughter who got her started in the business.

 All of the resident doctors were smiling and that impressed me. 

 I told the owner my interest as therapy dog handler and wanted to know about their exam.  There are only 4 examiners nationwide for this program and she is one of them.  Unlike Sophie's exam, the exam seems to have less on the checklist but those items can be evaluated via video too because of the distance.  Here's a link to their facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/HeartlandMiniHoofs

Thursday was a busy day afterward too.  I had another TDI visit in the afternoon, a 5PM meeting of the Lincoln Monument Association and a 7PM meeting of the Catholic War  Veterans. When I got home, my garage door wouldn't open.  Earlier the light on the garage door opener went out so I think that popped a circuit breaker.  Later I got the ladder out for and fixed the bulbs.  I had some interesting bugs in the cover:  a dead dragon fly and some other biggie.

The local scarecrow was updated for Valentines Day.

I think I'm the only one focusing on Mardi Gras.

I cleaned the bottom of my refrigerator.  I'm too ashamed to take a "before photo".  I guess I avoided cleaning this because I feared breaking the glass.  It still had shipping tape on the drawer lid.  Getting it back together was difficult.

Saturday I went to the Old State Capitol New dress debut for Civil War Saturday

 The candidates for the VFW Voice of Democracy were touring the Old State Capitol after visiting the Lincoln Presidential Museum.

 The students made some valentines.

 Clipped a few of the photos that Peggy had taken and then I got a good shot of her with all that beautiful red.

 Stephanie looked great with her red sontag.

Few shots trying to rid the glare and get the smile just right.
Sunday morning I went to Mass and didn't leave any track in the snow in my driveway because it was ice.

My Week

I'm seeing more and more "GoFundMe" charities for funeral expenses.  Don't people buy burial policies?  Think about it. Life insurance is the only insurance guaranteed to eventually pay out.  My father took out burial policies on his children even in tough times.  He was raised with "depression era" ethics.  I got life insurance for my children.  Shrug!

Tuesday I went to the funeral for George Pempek.  The veterans did a walk through and then we stayed for the funeral Mass.  In the afternoon I took Sophie to Reflections after missing for a week.

Wednesday I went to Pempek's internment at Camp Butler followed by lunch with Michael.   In the evening I went to the Interveterans Council Meeting and was finagled into being a trustee as well as their webmaster.  Here we are being sworn in.  Not all posts are represented at the Nov and Jan meeting so whoever shows up is elected I guess.  I should learn.  I'm now a trustee.

Fasching: Still not satisfied with the mask: the looks or the fit. I needed a mask that would fit over my glasses so that means I needed a custom Papier-mâché job.   I'm going for this look: http://www.destination360.com/europe/germany/fasching

The rest I either had or got at a thrift store.  So the mask was the hardest.  Final dress will have gloves and a basket.

I had shrimp dinner at the VFW and watched the "Glass Virgin" by Catherine Cookson on YouTube.

Saturday I went dancing at the Peoria Riverfront museum.  It was family day so there were people to watch us.  I didn't take pictures of us dancers except a little of this bonnet envy of Kay's bonnet she got for $65 in Gettysburg.  If you think that's expensive, look around at prices.   Some are really really incorrect and they are cheap.  A good bonnet is over $100.

Sunday I went to church and a family was sitting in my pew.  There are no special reserved seats I know but we are creatures of habit. I stood there staring at all the open places. A lady invited me to sit with her.  Whew! It was the feast of St Blaise so I had my throat blessed.  Sean came for his Sunday laundry and it was taking longer than usual.  I checked the inside vent and it seemed fine then I went to the outside vent and it was not fine.  It was padded and damp.