My Week

From Blizzard last Sunday to tornadoes on the following Saturday ~ all in a week.  Luckily, me and my sons were not affected.  The nearest and most destructive was in Taylorville, IL about 25 miles away.  I saw the dark skies and thunder but not much wind and only some rain from it.  Here's the story:
https://weather.com/storms/tornado/news/2018-12-02-illinois-tornadoes-taylorville-1dec18

I had to called Harlan Bottles, in Le Roy, whom I was a guardian on Honor Flight back in 2009, because his city was on the weather report.  He's fine. He said the tornado hit about 2 miles north and ruined a barn and killed two cows.  He's 94 years old and still playing Blue Grass music.  He's been a member of the American Legion there for 72 years.  That post has a Christmas tree and his name is on the star on top.  Here is "Pop" playing with his group.

Tuesday I contracted with Sears for a kitchen remodel.  If I financed through Sears, the deposit would be $500 but since I'm self financing, it 30% down.  Then he wanted proof that there would be funds to pay off the job when completed.  Cash is a questionable commodity.

Although not my kitchen's layout, these are the cabinets I picked out as modeled on a computer.

Here's the kitchen now.  A lot of fiberboard that's going to sawdust.

Wreaths Across America Statehouse Wreath Nov 27, 2018

Rose Connolly and Chaplain Steve Holden of the Emergency Chaplains Corps placed the Wreaths Across America - Official Page Illinois Statehouse wreath in the capitol rotunda. The statehouse wreath is laid in advance signifying the kick off to wreath laying on Dec 15, 2018 nationwide as they load the trucks for delivery. It was part of a ceremony dedicating the capitol Nativity. Illinois was the first state to have a crèche in the rotunda and 16 states have followed. This year, the US capitol building also has a Nativity. Keeping Christ in Christmas.

I put a deposit on my kitchen remodeling through Sears.  I think it will be done in about 3 weeks.

This weekend was the Franciscan Nativity Festival.  I loaned mine to the event.  I found this one-piece Nativity at Goodwill and it was dusty and I wasn't sure if the light would work but everything is fine.  There is no electricity or battery use at the Nativity Festival.

 Here's a few of the other Nativities that were on display.

I was asked to drive a neighbor to her MRI next week.  So I stopped by her house while walking my dogs.  She came to visit me a few years ago when I was in pain and she may be going through something like it.  She asked me to drive her to her MRI on Dec 4.  I drove myself to MRI.  She may be making it bigger than it is.  My pain was down my groin and thigh. Her's is outer leg so it could be different.  Either way...I get it.

I sent my nieces a wooden Advent calendar.  I thought I could wrap it myself but I was having trouble so I went to a pack n ship.  That was $30 each.  Anyway, it arrived in time and she was pleasantly surprised.  That made me feel good.

Saturday I had to go to the Greek church for their festival especially after my recent trip.  I wore my shirt from Athens Hard Rock Cafe.  They had a Greek market with a word that I understood from my trip ~ Agora

 Greek stew and spinach pie.

 The church was beautiful

Then I helped decorate put up Christmas decorations at the Elijah Iles House on Saturday for the upcoming Candlelight tours and Open House.  The 2 trees I helped with were more modern in the lower level.

Flash back.  Although my basic training was a year later than these photos, much of training was the same.

 

I remember UTILITY (FATIGUES) UNIFORM.  There was a cap for summer but I was in a winter flight. 

I don't remember a cotton cap but but I do remember the beret.  I do remember the plastic folding rain cap. 
WAF were assigned to rooms of the 4 bays...usually 2 to a room. Our "lockers" were small built-in closets with a drawer. Every aspect of specific "order" from bed making, clothes folded & hung (left shoulder out), to underwear; toiletries displayed, were inspected every day. It's when we learned about and how to pass "white-glove" inspections. Roommates helped and checked each other! We actually crawled under the beds, on our backs, to tighten the sheets a blankets because the TIs tested them with the infamous "quarter-bounce" too! 
I also remember that when we did our laundry in the basement and on the way back to our room shouting HOT IRON when we had it in our hands.  We