My week

Tuesday it was time to get a new retiree card at Camp Lincoln since mine had expired the end of August.  Now that I'm on TRICARE for Life, the card says INDEFINITE.  I stopped by to see St Joesph's home, a nursing care facility.  I was thinking of taking Sophie on TDI visits there since I haven't been contacted by St John's Hospital.  What a nice place.  I followed along with a lady and a yorkie named Molly.  He father-in-law lives there but she showed me around.  I was impressed.  The cleanliness was of the standard you'd expect from nuns.  The ratio of RNs was much higher than other nursing homes.  I just need a good orientation to get started there.  In the evening I went to our meeting of the Capital Canine Training Club.  I joined in May but they consider me a prospective member for the first 6 months and I must participate with some quota.  Most of the summer I've been busy with the reenacting events.  Now I'm enrolled in a leash training class with Amber on Tuesday evenings and assisting with a trainer on Monday nights with a beginner class.

I was walking my dogs early Wednesday and apparently alerted  a man's dog to wake him.  I asked if he needed those old paint buckets since I was looking for one for my re-bar that I use as stakes for my flags.  He gave them to me .  He was a carpenter and happened to be free looking for work and I needed that service so my day's plans changed to show him what I needed done.  He said the pillar was not there to hold the roof up since it was hollow.  But I needed something to hold the downspout to.  We went to Lowes and got a plastic pillar that will be maintenance free.

 The wood under the pedestal was so rotted.

He found a wasp nest in one of the pillars.  Eww!  Now I have one thing left to do on my home inspection to do ~ electrical upgrade  ~ which is awaiting scheduling.

Sunday's readings have had a parishioner's reflections.  This week was my stab at reflection on the readings.  It's published here:
http://files.constantcontact.com/5bc37fbe201/1c903f59-2c8c-4c2a-a81c-92be2ede6e1e.pdf

Well well well. Today's white board comic coincides with my birthday. "Diet Myth 173: eating the candles on your birthday cake helps you burn calories" 

 After Yoga I had breakfast with Kelly and she spoiled me.  Not just breakfast and a card, but flowers, Spree candy (probably because I ate most of hers when I was at her house) and a saddle stool like hers.

The afternoon was my usual dog visit at the nursing home.  In the evening I went to dinner at Bella Milano with my sons.  Alan came in the evening and brought Hank and the dogs played in the yard.  Sean gave me a 10 pc GreenPan ceramic cookware set.  I had requested one pan like the copper pans and only expected one pan because they are expensive.  He knew from work that this other set was much better and cheaper buying the complete set than just one pan.  Alan gave me wine  (I also got wine from a friend so I'm well stocked), and a unique doggie poop scoop (he ordered for himself and got a double order) and paid for dinner.  I was so full.

The best gift must have been from Amber ~ no poo in the house for 2 days prior my birthday!  Not being angry at her on my birthday is a good thing.  It could ruin the day with all that training effort.

I had  over 170 birthday greetings on facebook not counting those greetings that posted as a sub-comment on the greetings of others. 

Rose's Birthday Fundraiser for Working dogs for vets raised $220

Friday I helped at the Lincoln Tomb but pretty much just stayed an hour and half.  I wasn't feeling too well.  Probably ate too much on my birthday.

Saturday I went to Shelbyville for a bicentennial event there.  I left at 7AM and got home at 10PM and there was no poo in the house despite refusal to go for a walk in the rain before I left.  Here are some of the rain totals.

I was concerned about the flash flooding on the way there but didn't encounter anything like that.  Just a steady rain left over from Hurricane Gordon.
The sanitary fair recreation was set up at the Shelbyville Senior Center on Friday but Laura told me she had plenty of help to set things up.  So I went on Saturday. The exhibit was huge but had very few visitors.

 I sat with Stephanie and read up on literature of the time.  She seemed so interested in the short stories she asked to borrow the book to continue reading it.

 This was the biggest group that came to see the display in the 7 hours scheduled.  These visitors also came to the the evening ball. Little did I know that their costumes would be impeccable. 

 The lady in blue shirt is Brenda who was the chairman of the event.

 

Lisa's netting talent is an envy of mine and I tried it and got frustrated.

 Mary makes hand sewn quilts.  A hospital bed size quilt is pictured to her left.

 I'm getting caught up on my reading of history.  I have so many backlogged books.

 Stephanie showing off our millinery table.

Our goal of educating the public for this effort was a failure due to lack of visitors and weather. Since there was a 2 hour gap between the sanitary fair that ended at 4PM and the Civil War ball that started at 6PM, I helped to tear down the display but seems that everything I did was wrong.  "No this goes there" "don't touch that", "I'll do it".   I failed at being pro-active.  I tried to help carry the collapsed divider barriers to her car and Laura shouted no because there's a special way to load them.  She did email a thank you to all the participants.  Being "black balled" for trying to help is rampant in this hobby.  I provide the following as evidence of the attitude in this hobby (not from our Springfield Soldiers Aid Society).  The comment under this comic implies we don't want you. It's by one of the moderators in the Civilian Civil War Closet on Facebook, a very progressive group.  So I'm reminded to focus on Joshua 24:15 and that is to "serve the Lord" in all you do. 

The ball was much more fun.  Here I am with president Lincoln (he's not a member of the Association of Lincoln presenters and hails from Jacksonville)

I was impressed with the turnout and decor.

 Here is our chairman, Brenda, later in the day ~ again wearing blue.

There's a video of the dance here.

Sunday I was with our CWV Memorial Mass at a small parish ~ St Patrick's church. Although I didn't go to Mass this Sunday at my own parish I wrote this as part of our weekly reflection on the readings.

Faith First Weekly Reflection

Rosemary Connolly - Reflection

I ended my evenings this week with what we used to say as kids:  "God Bless mommy, daddy, Kathy, Kenny, Rosemary, Gloria, Patty, Ginny and Bobby ~Amen"