Happy Halloween

The pumpkins are sitting on the porch, the candy is in the basket, Becky is pumped for trick or treating - - -It's Halloween! Halloween is pretty low-key at our house, much to Becky's dismay. Some people go all out in decorating. Lights, life-size figures, music, cobwebs (the fake kind. The real kind I have) One family around here actually has a huge display in their bay window of their living room, complete with black lights, strobes and music. They take out their front door and stand there, costumed, waiting for children. It's kind of scary. Another family has a "cemetery" in their yard with fake tombstones, monsters, bats and lots of cobwebs. I do enjoy the displays but would never go that far. We do have one screaming tombstone on our porch that I got on sale years ago at Krogers for $3.00. That's pretty much all we do. Mostly I'm lazy. I like putting stuff out, but it also means finding a place to store the stuff that was there in the first place and eventually putting all of the new stuff away and taking the old stuff out. Not my idea of fun. So I don't do it. I do decorate quite a bit for Christmas, but even then I really don't like the undecorating. Luckily the girls always do the tree. At least they put it up. What will I do when they no longer want to do that for us? Buy a table top tree and be a grandma, I suppose. It's getting hard to drag our huge tree up from under the basement stairs where it lives for 11 months out of the year. It's a lovely tree and it takes up a lot of space when it is up. I wanted big and I got it. However, I am now old and have a bad back and bad knees. It's hard to move that thing! Oh well, I guess I won't think too far ahead. Ah well.

Anyway, Happy Halloween. Read "Little Orphant Annie" by James Whitcomb Riley, listen to Night on Bald Mountain and Toccata and Fugue in D Minor and eat some popcorn by candlelight.

Weekend roundup

It was an interesting weekend. Emily came home for fall break late on Wednesday night. She is holding up pretty well, but she would get very quiet and have a faraway look in her eyes every now and then. Jim spent quite a bit of time talking with her about the break-up and probably life in general. I went to bed. I worked on Thursday and Charles was a good big brother. He took Emily out to lunch and kept her busy during the day. After work, we took a quick shopping trip to get Em some stuff that she needed and then I fixed dinner for Becky and me. (Jim was taking tickets for a volleyball tourney) Then Becky and I went to her basketball game and Charles took Emily bowling with Kim and her brother Chris. Then they all went out to dinner. Kathy and Jon came late Thursday night. They were in town for a wedding, so it was good to see them. We all sat around late Thursday night and talked. On Friday, I worked again and Kathy took Emily with her, shopping and whatever. Melissa came home Friday evening and the five of us (Jim, Becky, Em and Melissa and I) all ate dinner together again. Kathy came over later and Melissa and Emily went out with their friends. On Saturday, Kathy and Jon went to their friend's wedding. I baked some butterscotch brownies for the reception after the Living Rosary and got an egg casserole ready for Sunday's breakfast. Then I took Melissa and Becky shopping before I had to go set-up for the Living Rosary. After set-up, I rushed home to make dinner, but missed having it ready in time for Jim, who was taking tickets at the football play-off game. Emily, Becky and I ate and then Becky and I went to the Living Rosary, which didn't turn out as expected, probably due to the football game and some Halloween stuff that was going on. Melissa was out with her friends and Emily ended up at the game with Charles and Kim. After the Rosary and the game, we all chatted (about Irish food!!) for a long time. Sunday, I stuck the egg casserole in the oven as we went out the door to Mass. Melissa went later, but Emily came with us. We ate as soon as we got home as all of the Benedictine kids were meeting at our house so that they could go back to school What a great group of kids! Emily left about 11:00. Jim had to write a test, so he went to school and Melissa went to Mass at the Newman Center with Lizzy. After Melissa came home, Kathy came over to say goodbye. Melissa was picked up by her friend to head back to school and Kathy and Jon left for Michigan too. It was suddenly very quiet around the house. I went to Adoration for Jim, who was still writing his test and some lesson plans for Tuesday, when he will be gone at a Science teacher's meeting. Becky finished her homework and Jim was home by the time I got back. We all just ate dinner whenever we wanted to and I had to go to my Light Weigh meeting. I was feeling pretty emotional by bedtime. I don't know if I am PMSing or what, but I was miserable. I don't usually feel so down, but I was last night. I hope today is a better day.

Today is Kim's birthday and I have my CT scan of my head and neck shortly. I fell asleep again this morning and slept deeply. I guess I have to reduce my dosage of requip or I'll sleep my life away. And yes, I fell asleep in Adoration again yesterday. : \ I've got to do something.

Emily is meeting with HIM today at 6:00. HE doesn't know it yet, but she wants some answers to questions that she has about their break-up since it came out of the blue. She doesn't expect to get back together again (although that would be nice!) but she just wants to know what is going on. Pray for her.

I guess this has gone on long enough. I had better go start a load of laudry.

Just got back

I just got home from the dr. Since all of my blood tests were normal, we are going to assume it is the increase in dosage of my Requip. I am supposed to take it earlier in the night and see if that helps. If not, we'll decrease the dose and hope that it still controls my restless legs.

Look What I Found!

I found a blog that my neighbor has. Here is a link to a posting about our Toilet Papering.

Why Am I So Tired All The Time?

I'd really like to know why I am so tired all the time. For instance, I went to bed a little after 9:00 last night and woke up with the alarm at my usual 5:40 am. I didn't want to get up, but I did. I took my shower, got ready and got Jim and Becky ready for school. By a little after 9:00, I was so tired that I could hardly keep my eyes open. I took a nap and slept soundly for about 2 hours when the phone rang. I was having dreams and everything. I made myself get up then because I can't sleep the entire day away, but here it is 1:30 and I need another nap! I just don't get it. I admit that I wake up several times during the night, but I usually go back to sleep pretty quickly. I thought about Emily as soon as I woke up last night and prayed for her. (Her boyfriend broke up with her and she is miserable) I hold my rosary in my hands while I sleep that that reminds me to pray when I wake up. I just fall asleep all the time. I fall asleep in Adoration. I fall asleep at work. I very nearly fell asleep while driving to Champaign one night. This fatigue is getting in the way of my life and I don't like it. I have a dr's appt tomorrow morning and I am going to tell her how bad this is getting. I don't want to live this way. I think I'm going to go lay down again. : \

WoooHooooo!

This morning I won a contest on the radio and now Jim and I are going to see Chicago in concert on Dec 5! I am so excited! I have been wanting to see this concert since it was announced, but couldn't afford tickets. I saw them in concert back in the '70's, but it was in a fieldhouse at ISU and the acoustics stunk. Now it will be in a beautiful new venue. Of course many of the old timers are no longer with Chicago(that's ok, I wasn't a big Peter Cetera fan anyway. All of those schlotky love songs!), but I've seen new videos on YouTube and they sound really good Check this out.

I really love brass music. I can't wait.

BIrthday Book

My son gave me this book(and one other, which I am still reading) for my birthday. This is an interesting series. My Mom and Dad gave me the book about Bloomington/Normal Postcards last Christmas. Since I am an architecture/history fan, these are great books for me. I have learned a lot and I really, really want to go back to Chicago with my camera again. Maybe one of these days I will. I've just been too busy lately.

After Mass this morning, I made brunch for us and then went to my parents house to pick up the mail and their papers. They are in Iowa, visiting my Grandmother. Then I came home and mowed the lawn while Jim went to school to enter grades into the computer. Report cards are coming out and now all of the grades are computerized. It is a new program, so they are running into some bugs with it. After that I went to Adoration for Jim (and I stayed awake!!!!!!!!) I am now reading 1 Kings. There sure was a lot of intrigue and politics back in King David's time. Things haven't changed too much. I replaced the candles in the Adoration Chapel as they had burned out. Becky is hooked on the old Horatio Hornblower series that was on A&E years ago. She has been in front of the tv all weekend. I don't usually approve of that, but it is eductional, sort of. Besides Horatio is pretty cute. LOL! I need to make dinner soon for Becky - just left-overs from last night (bbq ribs, mashed potatoes and brocciflower) I have my LightWeigh meeting tonight and then I am going to bed! I am off tomorrow, so I will dedicate the whole day to cleaning and laundry. I can't wait.

Yesterday

Yesterday was my birthday. I guess I need to change my profile and update my age. I really don't mind getting older, it's just that getting used to that new number is sometimes hard. I started out my day in Adoration, which I do every Thursday at 8:00am. I guess I am still tired because I am embarrassed to say that I fell asleep in Adoration. I am still reading the Bible there and I am in 2 Samuel, so I am past all of the boring stuff, but I still just zonked out. Perhaps it is just a sign of age! LOL! Shortly after I got home, my dad came over to help me touch up some paint. That only took a few minutes. Then I ran some errands and got some party supplies for my parent's 50th anniversary next month. It was good timing because the party store had all of the colored plates/napkins etc on sale for 50% off. By the time I got home, it was time to go to lunch with my Mom and Dad. They took me out to Olive Garden for my birthday. Then I went to their house and had ice cream and we talked. Then I headed back home because Becky was due home from school. I worked with her on her homework and then took her to basketball practice. After practice we ate dinner (left-over beef stew from yesterday) and we were planning to head to Carl's for ice cream, but Charles and Kim came over. They gave me a present and we talked for a long time. Then it was time for Becky to go to bed. I call that girl the Queen of Stall because it takes her forever to get to bed. (and to get out of bed too, for that matter). There is always something else that she just HAS to tell you about that didn't get said in the previous 12 or so hours that she was with you. I think I need a cattle prod! ; ) Anyway, I also got a wall post from dd#3 on my Facebook and my niece sent me a "cake" on Facebook too. All in all it was a good day. One strange thing - dd #3 called me while I was at my parents to say that she had gotten emails from her university saying that there was an armed man on campus and not to approach him. Melissa was done with classes and told me that she was safe in her room and not to worry. Right. Several hours later, the man was apprehended. My impression is that he was suicidal and not necessarily a threat to anyone else. But he is safe now and so are the students at her school.

Today Becky has only a 1/2 day of school, so I think I will get the oil changed on the van this morning and do the recycling. When she is home, we will go to the mall and try and find something for her to wear for picture day on Tuesday. Jim takes tickets tonight at the CCHS football game and Becky has a basketball game, so that pretty well shoots the day.

How I Spent My Day

This is where I spent my day. Just to the right of this picture is where I stood for several hours today. In one of several interesting twists to the day, the clinic was CLOSED today for remodeling. Wouldn't ya know? Anyway, it turns out that Amy, the woman who was going to go with us, had a sick child, so it was just our deacon and me making the trip to Chicago. I learned a lot about Chinese food on the way up as he and his wife are Chinese. For instance, did you know that they do not eat sweet and sour pork or chicken in China? Now you do! We got to the clinic about 10:30 and there was one woman standing in front with her rosary. She was very happy to see us. It turns out that she has come every morning to pray before she heads into her office, which is the Illinois Right to Life. We prayed a rosary with her and then she went to work. Then Michael and I stood there and prayed silently, wondering why no one was coming into or leaving the clinic. Then Michael saw the sign on the door announcing the closure today. We joked that we must have scared them off. During the few hours that we were there, about 10 different people tried the door and were frustrated that they couldn't get in. They said nothing to us and we just prayed for them. One lady who was walking down the street chewed us out for "not caring for the starving, abused and neglected children that we already have." She was just a hit and run, not wanting to engage in conversation with us, so we just prayed for her. She thanked us by giving us the finger as she crossed the street. Just minutes later however, a young man came up behind me and asked me what bead I was on. I explained that I wasn't praying a rosary at the moment, just praying for a passer-by. He said that he had come around the corner and had seen us and had seen "a glow of grace" surrounding us. He then asked if he could pray a rosary with us. So we prayed with him and he left the same way he came, telling us not to be afraid. Both Michael and I thanked God for sending us that young man. I think God sent us a 6 foot tall good looking angel to encourage us. One more interesting thing - there was a poster in the window of the clinic, showing a thermometer with increments marked off. Apparently they are raising money for the clinic by having people sponsor them with so much money per "anti-choice" protester out front! They must have protesters and pray-ers quite often. Even so, they had only raised $400.00 dollars and the red ink that they used was faded from the sun.

Even though the clinic was closed, it was an interesting day and I would be more than willing to do it again. I know we reached at least two people today. One was angry and ugly and the other was prayful and wonderful.

I've Never Done This Before

I firmly believe you have to walk the walk if you're going to talk the talk, so tomorrow I am joining one of our deacons and the head of our Sanctity of Life committee in Chicago. We are going to pray in front of an abortion clinic there. I have been pro-life for years and our kids have protested with us every year in the LifeChain. (The above picture is of some friends of ours at this year's LifeChain) Last year I started a Living Rosary at our church to be prayed for respect for human life (it's October 27th this year, if anyone wants to join us). I am on the committee for the For Those We Love dinner dance at our parish that raises money for ethical stem cell research. I volunteer at our Birthright during their baby bottle fundraiser and I am a member of the Sanctity of Life Committee. But I've never even seen an abortion clinic in person. We don't have one (thankfully) in Bloomington/Normal. When Amy called me and asked if I'd be interested in going, part of me didn't want to. I fought that back because I do believe that you have to do more than just say you are pro-life. So tomorrow I'll be in Chicago. I'll post again either tomorrow night or Wednesday morning to tell you of my experience. Say a prayer for us, please.

Getting In The Mood

It's October and it's time for ghost stories! I have always loved ghost stories. I like the shivery feeling in the middle of my back. I like thinking that maybe someone is behind me. I like being not quite sure that I am alone. I like all of these things because I like to believe that ghost stories are just stories. As I get older, I'm really not so sure that they are just stories or that the stories are benign, but anyway . . . the picture above is a picture I took of the Muchnic Art Gallery in Atchison, Kansas. It is supposed to be haunted. In fact, Atchison is known as the most haunted town in Kansas.

Last year Emily told me a few stories from Benedictine, which is also supposed to be haunted. Her dorm is "haunted" and she and her roommate heard some odd sounds one night in the hallway. No one was there. There is also a graveyard in "Abbeyland" where many of the monks were buried in the past. The students were warned away from the cemetary by the monks. They were told that there was serious "spiritual warfare" going on there and they were not to visit. The new cemetary is fine. The link above outlines many of the haunted houses in Atchison. Atchison plays it up with a haunted trolley that tours the sites every October. You can buy t-shirts with "The Most Haunted Town in Kansas" on them. They have fun with it.

Normal has it's own ghost. Ange V. Milner was the first librarian at Illinois State Normal University. She apparently took her job very seriously. She was librarian from 1890 to 1928 and is still on the job. She "works" in the old library in the stored books. She puts the books away once someone has taken them out. She keeps track of all of the books in storage.

I grew up not too far from here. I remember hearing stories about it when I was a kid. Now there is a group that is working to clean up Bachelor's Grove and that is probably what needed to be done decades ago. If the cemetary were cleaned up and maintained, my guess is that it wouldn't be as popular a site for whatever weird groups want to use it for their "rites".

My Dad insists that we lived in a haunted house when we lived in Country Club Hills. We built the house, so it wasn't old. Dad called our "ghost" Mary. She was sweet and helpful, but sad. One Saturday when I was in high school, my Mom was out getting groceries and Dad was putting around in the kitchen. I was in my room, in front of the mirror, curling my hair and my brother was also upstairs in his room. Both of us had music on and were in our own little worlds. My Dad was doing something in the kitchen when he heard me crying. He called my name, but I didn't answer. So he came around the corner from the kitchen into the living room. Our big recliner was rocking as if someone has just gotten up from it. Worried about me, Dad ran upstairs to my room and opened the door. There I was, sitting on my bed, looking in the mirror with the curling iron in my hair. He was so sure it was me crying that he just couldn't get over the fact that I was fine. He came to the conclusion that it was Mary. Who knows? The stories are fun, but I firmly believe that there are somethings that are best left alone. There is too much we just don't know about the supernatural. Are ghosts real or are they just stories? Are there evil spirits out to trick us? Probably, that's why the stories are fun around the campfire, but never, ever try to contact a spirit. Keep your distance.

Blah

I'm not sure why, but I have been so tired and listless this week. Wednesday I took Becky to school and went back to bed. I slept for 4 hours and then I made myself get up. I could have slept all day. I have been going through the day like a zombie. If I sit down, I fall asleep. I was at work yesterday and I sat down in the uniform room and kept waking up when my head hit my chest. It's awful. I am sleeping well at night and I just don't get it. I am going to take a nap now and hopefully I will stay awake at Becky's basketball game tonight.

Books

I've been keeping up on my reading. This weekend I finished a cute book called Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind by Ann B. Ross. It is about a newly widowed woman who ends up with her deceased husband's illegitimate son on her doorstep. Miss Julia is spunky and very much concerned with appearances. It was enjoyable. In looking it up on the internet, I found that it is the first in a series of Miss Julia books.

I am just about finished with a book called While I Was Gone by Sue Miller. I am not sure I like it. I have a hard time relating to the main character as she is just about the antithesis of me. It was an Oprah book club pick, which wouldn't recommend it to me either. Anyway, Jo our main character is married to a minister (I figure he's got to be a minister in the Unitarian Church by his beliefs or lack there of! LOL!) She has a wild past, living as a hippie back in the 60's in a commune. While there, she discovers the murdered body of one of her housemates. This event catapults Jo back into a more regular life. Twenty five years later, she meets another of her housemates in a professional capacity and suddenly the past is in front of her again and she must deal with it. Interesting, but not my cup of tea.

The next book on my list is The Power in Praise by Merlin R. Carothers. I think it is time I read some spiritual books and this one was given to me , so I think that God thinks I should read it too. We have a lovely customer who every month buys 21 copies of the Magnificat to give away. She also buys several copies of books and gives those away. I was the recipient of this book from her. Her name is Carrie also, so even before I start the book, I'd like to give thanks to God for Carrie C. She is a good woman and an inspiration.

Also on my list for this fall is the new book on Mother Teresa, Come Be My Light. I am looking forward to reading that.

Such a busy Saturday

We had our Altar and Rosary meeting bright and early Saturday morning. I got there at 6:45am to set up tables and chairs and start the coffee. We had a long meeting and we discussed lots of stuff and got organized for our production of Put The Nuns in Charge Sat. evening. After the meeting, I walked home, grabbed Becky and headed back to the school for her first home basketball game. In a nice surprise, Kim, my future daughter-in-law joined me in the stands. She is such a sweet girl. After the game, (we won 12-10), Kim offered to take Becky home as the Altar and Rosary ladies needed to set up for the play. We worked hard in 90 degree heat (this is OCTOBER, for crying out loud!) and rolled the tarp out onto the floor and set up 200 chairs and the tables for refeshments and sister's set. We got the coffee pots ready and the cheesecakes out of the freezer. Then I went back home and cleaned the living room and made dinner. After dinner, Jim and Becky and I went back to the Lyceum (the jr high gym) and set out the desserts and got the beer and water on ice and opened the wine. We sold refreshments before the play and during intermission and even after the play. The play itself was hilarious! Sister was great and the audience really enjoyed it. The picture above is a group of our Altar and Rosary ladies and "Sister". I am second from the left. We had a blast and it was such fun. If we ended up making any money at all, I think we should try and book one of the other plays for next year. Funny, funny stuff! It was an interactive play with a lot of audience participation. Father G raised his hand to answer one of the questions and he really got picked on! Very funny and Father was a good sport. Father thanked me today for putting it on and I told him that it was the brainchild of one of the other ladies and she did most of the work, but I'd pass it on to her. After the play, we had to take down all of the chairs, the set and food,etc. We ended up buying some of the beer that hadn't sold for wholesale prices, so that was a bargain. If this hot weather keeps up, it will be very nice to have!

Fantabulous Friday

Friday was a busy day. I started out with a fasting blood test then went from there down to Edwardsville to pick up Melissa for the weekend. We got home about 3:00. Becky came home from school and we ate something for dinner. Then we headed to CCHS for the Homecoming Football game. Jim was given an award for his years of service to the school - that's what the picture about. He got a nice plaque and some applause. It is nice that he was recognized for all of that work over the years. Melissa, Charles, Kim and my Mom and Dad were there, so we had fun.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter

I just finished reading The Memory Keeper's Daughter. I wasn't sure that I wanted to read it. I found the beginning especially painful. In this book, in 1964, a young idealistic doctor has to deliver his own baby in the midst of a blizzard. His wife is in and out of consciousness due to anesthesia. The first baby is born - a perfect boy. Then a surprise - a second baby, this one a girl with Down's Syndrome. The doctor has to make a split-second decision - he hands the little girl to his nurse with instructions for her to take the baby to an institution. His wife will never know that the baby was born handicapped. When his wife comes to, he tells her that she has a little boy - and that there was a second baby, a girl, who died at birth. She is not allowed to see her baby's "body". Her husband has had her "buried". In the meantime, the nurse cannot bring herself to leave the baby at the horrifying institution, so she decides to leave town and raise the baby on her own. The rest of the book chronicles how each of the characters deal with Phoebe's "death"and her life. The doctor and his wife grow farther apart, the son grows up knowing that his family is not a happy one and he tries in his own way to deal with that. In another part of the country, the nurse struggles to raise Phoebe and has to fight to get her daughter educated and cared for properly. The end of the book ties together the characters once more and there is a bittersweet ending. Although the book made me uncomfortable (I can't imagine giving up a child just because she isn't perfect - the special ed major in me was aghast!), I ended up really liking it. It is certainly a change from the cozy world of Mitford!

In the Light of Day

Here is what our house looked like early this morning. An hour later, Becky and I had picked up everything off the ground and all that we could reach in the trees. There is still quite a bit in the trees up high, but OH what a difference we made! Luckily Homecoming only comes once a year.

Homecoming Week 2007, CCHS Style

It's Homecoming Week at CCHS. For those who live around here, you know what that means - TOILET PAPER. (No wonder I couldn't find much in the store when I got groceries today - the senior class had bought it all!) Yes, it is a CCHS tradition to TP the teachers' houses during Homecoming Week. The kids have it all planned out - who goes where on what day and who rides with who, etc. It usually takes all week to get everyone covered. Tonight was our night. I think the entire senior class was here. I literally couldn't count the kids in our yard. Some of them have very good arms, as we have rolls of toilet paper on our roof, hanging down in front of our second story windows. We have a huge pin oak in our front yard. It is taller than our house and there is toilet paper at the top. As you can see, someone got creative with our porch too. In the background of the picture is our second, smaller pin oak and it is pretty well covered too. This will be a mess to clean up, but we'll leave it for now. After all, I need to get pictures in daylight!