My Week

Week of Christmas Parties

Veterans Center, AmVets, Catholic War Veterans and American Legion

Tuesday morning I took Amber to a later class at our club.  Our class was divided up with some more beginners earlier and some that had Lisa's classes in the past which were a bit repetitive for us.  Dr Lisa gave me these ribbons which surprised me.  They were participation 1st place since I still beat the other entry even without a qualifying score. I felt if we could cut n paste the two runs just right we could have had a qualifying score.  It was not meant to be.

I went to Pawsitive Zone training and had poo on my shoes from the park.  This a real distraction for Amber.  I felt bad and had to clean my shoes in the bathroom before we began.  Our instructor reassured me that there was no worries. I was proud to demonstrate two of Amber's more confident tricks to the rest: dead dog and carry a basket.  She thinks that next week's class  we should have all the dogs play piano for a Christmas concert.

Wednesday evening I went to our AmVets Christmas dinner at Char's.

Thursday afternoon I took Sophie to the nursing home and Santa was visiting some of the residents.  I tried to keep it to a reasonable time so I could ready myself for another Christmas party.
In the evening I had Christmas Dinner with the Catholic War Veterans at Chesapeake Seafood House.  I choose something suitable for a visit to the nursing home, a Christmas dinner, and agility class all back to back.   My shirt says "Santa I can explain"  Skirt is a girls large from Walmart with netting over a Christmas light bulb print.

Our Sergeant at arms said grace
 


 Commander Noel with ......

After that I quickly got Amber for her agility class at 7:30. 

Amber and Pixie completed Agility B - 102 Introduction to Obstacles.  Here she is wit a mortar board loaned from Pixie.   She is on top of the A-frame. Amber doesn't seem to like this and it was a difficult photo.

Friday I went to the botanical gardens in Washington Park.  The holiday season greenery had a Wizard of Oz theme.

 Twister tree

 the hot air balloon

 Emerald City

 Yellow bricks

 I think we're not in Kansas anymore

 Lolipop tree.

 Witch tree

After I got back from Washington Park, I took Amber at 6PM for a photo with her evaluator and the certificates that came in the mail on Wednesday.  Kim and I  did a mock presentation of the ribbons using the 10 second timer on my phone.  It took about 4 takes to get Amber to sit still.  I sent this photo to Rose Hutches, editor, of the Capitol Canine Newsletter for our club.  Rose likes to give credit to the photographer and replied asking for the name of the photographer.  I answered it was me and my timer.  I guess she's not used to technology.  I had used a timer for the selfie in Champaign and gave credit to a fellow club member who had left before that picture was taken.  Ha!

Saturday was equally as busy.  It was the nationwide Wreaths Across America day and I had to place sponsored wreaths for some former members of our Women's Overseas Service League:

Name	Section	Site
Ruth Hemp	Z	228
Bertha Roy	E	1558
Jean Goretski	M	912
Ida Collebrusco	M	1590
Violet Newcome	CREM-A	124
Elise Hines	C	463
Audrey DeWees	K	670
Hazel Frick	H	865

 Media was present.

 Chaplain Steve Holden

 Interveterans Burial Detail.

After that I went to the holiday open house at the ILES house. Dr James Corneleus was the door greeter.

 The day before I found this cape at Goodwill for Linda Garvert.  She really needed it because the house was really cold.

In the evening I went to the American Legion Christmas Party.  I had to do a double take at the inflatable reindeer with holly berries between the legs.

 There was a photo booth for taking a party picture with our American Legion logo at the bottom.

 Commander is making announcements from the microphone

 Servers were members of the board of directors.

 See the photo booth back there between the 2 Christmas trees.  Nice turn out for the party.  I was given the pointsettia table decoration to bring home. 

 Sunday morning I went to Mass and had the additional duty as a Eucharistic Minister.   After that I changed and took Amber to the nursing home to perform some tricks.  I fixed lunch for my son and myself and the snow gradually started after 3pm. By Monday morning we had 4 and half inches of snow.  I walked the dogs in the plowed streets then got out the electric snowblower.  I went to my exercise class and only 5 showed up.  Roads were clear enough to take Sophie on a visit and my mammogram appointment.

My Week

This has been a busy week.  Tuesday I helped Chaplain Steve with our Wreaths Across America statehouse wreath in conjunction with the capitol Nativity dedication.

 

A few of us that walked the wreath over from the podium to the flags after the ceremony.

Tuesday evening I took Amber to her Trick Dog Class at Pawsitive Zone.  So far she has the following titles.  AKC is familiar but DMWYD stands for "Do More With Your Dog" title.

Wednesday I got a new coat at the Goodwill since I left mine in Metamora the previous week.  It may be a long time before I see that coat.  Perhaps I'll get it back in May when I see the museum curator, Alex, at the Morton reenactment.

Friday I took Amber to Delavan for NADAC jumpers to see how she'd do at her first agility trial.  She had two beginner agility runs. There were no Qualifying scores because we she missed a few jumps but many compliments on her jumps.  The other dog that was also a first timer like me, didn't do as well as Amber so for that I am grateful.  On the first run, Amber ran to the back of the area but she did come back to join me.  The other dog that was on a first agility run did this too but did not get back under control. 

If you look close, there's a missed jump. I need to ask my instructor on Tuesday how to handle that.  In other words, is it OK to back track to make the run over or is that considered "off course" error.

On the second run she didn't run out to the back stretch but still took the inside of a jump.  This little girl does have potential.  I think Amber enjoyed it more than I did. Either way, she did NOT QUALIFY so if I had a curly tail, it would be tucked between my legs.

If you cut out the bad parts and put them together I could have an excellent run. but separately the were a non-qualify. Amber had more fun than I did stress-wise. on the way back from Delavan, she slept on the front seat like a peaceful little baby.

Saturday was busy.  First I took the girls to see Santa at the Laketown Animal Clinic at 10AM.

 

I think they asked Santa for treats, toys and a nice walk.  I think they liked the jolly old Elf.

 Then I went to the Pearl Harbor Remembrance ceremony at the Elks Lodge on Lake Springfield.  The director of IL Veterans Affairs, called out a young man whom she met before the ceremony. 
Story of Pearl Harbor shared across the generations with a WW2 veteran. 

Here are the members of our Women's Overseas Service League that attended.

Amvets Members present at the Remembrance: Jerry, Grace and myself.

 After the wreaths were tossed into the lake, there was a rifle volley.  That noise startled the nearby birds and even an eagle took off to the right.  I don't think everyone noticed the eagle because it flew away from our focal point at the pier. 

After the ceremony I had just enough time to get to the annual Vietnam Christmas Remembrance with heart ornaments of the fallen. Since the dogs were in the car and the weather was nice, they got to attend the ceremony. 

A woman places a heart on the fir tree with a name of one of the Illinois fallen Vietnam veterans.  The hearts were smaller last year but the name on the smaller hearts was easier to read.

 still had the dogs with me.  The girls were in the car for the car for the Pearl Harbor ceremony.

I came home and got a few thing caught up with the 2 hour break before Christmas at the Front at the Illinois State Military Museum.  Our Soldiers Aid Society talked about a soldiers Christmas box request.  

After Mass was "doughnut Sunday".  I showed the Conley's Amber's first agility video since his poodle used to do agility.  We had a nice conversation about dogs.  Then I took Amber to the the nursing home to perform a few tricks.  When my son came over for his laundry day, he helped to assemble the coat rack for my "transition area" that I got from Wayfair on a black Friday special.  I had seen a similar inspiration over the summer at the place we stayed at during our sisters get-together.  I just waited till I found the right one at the right price and didn't want to order it before I went on my trip.

 Amber likes it.  As you can see, I can't block that air duct so this is perfect for my needs.

This will really be handy when I walk the dogs and have to throw my coat on the floor to tend to unleashing them or running to the bathroom.  Then the coat never gets picked up.Later I went to the Chiara Center's Nativity Festival.
Here I am in my Nativity shirt next to my loaned Nativity refrigerator magnets.

 This was an interesting Nativity made from PVC pipes covered in fabric

 Lego Nativity

Here's a 3D Printer Nativity.

Well things are going to be busy with one less weekend between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Gotta go....

My week

I just realized that this year there is one less weekend between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Tuesday evening I came back from trick dog class with 2 documents for novice and advance to mail off.  These certifications are through "Do More With Your Dog".

I watched Dolly Parton's 50 years.  I brought sentimental emotions.  I married a West Virginia hillbilly. His music influenced a city girl

Wednesday was a high wind day.  My car would say "there's a high wind warning in your vicinity".  I think I will name my car "First Lady".   I helped out at the Old State Capitol.  It wasn't very busy because of the weather but there were a few out-of-towners checking things out while visiting for Thanksgiving.   In between visitors, I would help punch holes for upcoming holiday children's crafts.  I was there from 11AM - 4PM.  This is how I'd describe the weather:

Thursday morning I went to Thanksgiving Mass.  I usually bring an item for our meal to be blessed (wine) and then a gift for the food pantry.  When I got back, Alan was already home.  He helped me paint some trim from the new windows.  Sean helped me put studs on my dog training bucket.  I like my bucket to look different from all the others in the class and paint really doesn't stick well to rubber.  Alan also helped put a screw into my rain gutter extension that keeps coming off.  Together we shared a turkey breast, with cauliflower mash, succotash, and all the trimmings.  We walked the dogs and then went to see a movie ~ "Midway" 

I attended 2 dances on Friday and Sunday.   Friday I did some painting on the window trim and participated in the Yule Walk in Peoria.  Our Central IL dance group alternated dance time and choir in the GAR Hall. 

 Marcia wore a St Nicholas broach that was very fitting for the Yule Walk.

 This is the German Choir that we alternated the show with.

 My selfie when I wasn't dancing,

Now the rain.
Saturday night there was a house with a chimney fire a block away.

 Boy there's not much to these fireplaces.  Wood and an inner metal core.

Sunday I went to Mass with the Catholic War Veterans at St Jude Church in Rochester.  
We had breakfast together at the Lighthouse restaurant and then I went to Metamora Courthouse for their Christmas celebration.  When we danced in the past, we were able to make more room by removing the railings.  That was not possible with visitors wandering around.  We had to make do with smaller space.  Well, they held dances like this in homes that had small rooms.
Here is Marcia and Bud by the tree.  They are our dancers to emulate. You can see here St Nicholas broach that I mentioned earlier. 

 Here is our group photo

 The refreshments at the bottom of the steps.  The sign says "Mr Lincoln, Lower your head!"  That doesn't apply to me.

 This bust of Lincoln made a perfect hat stand.

My selfie

A little Audience participation.

Since I changed from my church clothes to period attire in the office, I left with my cloak and had left my green jacket in Metamora.  😒
I got an order coming from Three Sisters Millinery on sale for $59.

 Monday morning I woke to some snow on the ground.  I took Sophie on  a visit and when I returned, there was a box from Chewy waiting for me.