Shrimp Kabobs on Tuesday

 Tuesday, July 1, 2025

All of my slides are in the trash.  I had not viewed my slides in twenty years, and I don't anticipate renting a projector and screen to view them in the future; I doubt my heirs would have any use for them.  

I went to a bee program for young children, when I missed the morning program.  Char "Bee" gave such a clear description of the life of bees, better than a textbook.

I was about to do the Petitions at mass when I noticed that the Petitions were the same as the Psalms that Dwight Morgan would be reading.  I called Father Tim's attention to it, and after checking it out, he said that he would do the Petitions.

My balcony planters need more color; the impatiens begin to get droopy when just a little dry.  Maybe I should buy a couple of other plants to replace the impatiens.  What was I thinking?  I have plants to replace the impatiens - my beautiful petunias.  I took out the impatiens and put in the petunias.

I picked up Annika for our Tuesday dinner with Jay and Laura.  Laura announced this is her 100th day of no alcohol!   

Laura served shrimp kabobs on the grill, and a noodle salad garnished with fresh cucumbers.  Annika's friend Chris joined us.

Laura's garden is getting more beautiful every time I see it.  I especially like a plant that she has in her front garden, Ptilotus Exultatis Joey (from Australia).

 

Gary Mullarkey

 Monday, June 30, 2025

I made Friendship cookies today for Gary Mullarkey's memorial.  It was great finding cream of tartar in my newly organized spice drawer.  

The recipe made a huge batch that can be shared at the July 4th pot luck.

              

Gary's daughter Michelle and her husband Todd, her two daughters Rylie and Caitlyn and Gary's grandson Adam, who had faithfully taken him to mass, attended the memorial in the library of B Tower together with a nice representation of residents and two caregivers.

The comments by family and residents were touching, especially Adam's, that I was Gary's favorite reader at mass: loud and clear.  Jackie Haessley and I gave shawls to Michelle and Adam and pocket squares to Kaitlyn and Rylie.

There were peanut butter cookies besides my friendship cookies, plus cranberry juice.

Bike Race

 Friday, June 27, 2025

Janice did not come with lunch today because she was in Seattle meeting her Australian pen pal.

I took the opportunity to go with SRS to the Kinship Cafe for lunch.  The seat cushions that I ordered with my UHC plan arrived yesterday and Enrichment Director Betsy Rollbottom put them in the bus.  I could not believe how comfortable the ride to Kinship was, even over bumpy roads.  I might be taking more trips on the bus if the cushions provide a better ride.

 I've eaten at Kinship before, and looked foreword to their chicken breast sandwich, which I ordered.  We put tables together so that our large group could sit together.  But the orders were slow in coming.  Someone would call out our names, which most of us couldn't hear.  Finally, Fr. Gene Pocernich brought two orders and said one was mine.  My sandwich was not a chicken breast, but something rather mushy.  But Gene said he was really enjoying his sandwich; naturally, it was solid, and a chicken breast.

Some of the group wanted a Kopps' custard, and stayed behind for the second group to leave.  Betsy took me and others not wanting custard back to SRS.

Peter and I left for Jay and Laura's bike race party at 5:15 p.m. and had to find a round-about way to get to the neighbor's driveway to avoid blocked streets.  

I did not give Peter very good directions; he figured it out better by going through Estebrook Park on Capitol and ending up on Hampton.  We got there eventually and had ideal parking in the driveway across Laura's alley.

The table was set near the road with plenty of appetizers where we sat, also Annika and her four friends.

We helped ourselves to pulled pork sandwiches, potato salad and cole slaw on the porch.

We cheered as the bikers passed us.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMOKbVie3arbOLj2b5mDb2WLmg5mjQYezbZ6YMY

Festa

Sunday, June 1, 2025

Peter and I took the Uber to Festa on a clear, cool, comfortable day.  Claude joined us in time for the 1:00 p.m. mass, Father Tim as the celebrant.  His theme centered around his summer painting job at Allen Bradley: scraping, priming and painting.

After mass, we joined the procession of the Blessed Sacrament around the grounds to the lakefront.

We did not find any entertainment that was in session, but I was in search of an Italian sausage sandwich.  As we thought about it, we were not really hungry, and it was mid-afternoon.  The beer garden at Estabrook Park seemed like a great alternative.

Claude drove Peter and me to SRS and we met at the beer garden.

We had beers with brats for the guys, a hot dog for me.  A man asked if I waltzed.  When I told him the I did, he asked Peter if it was OK; his name was Mike.  We had a nice slow waltz, but I would not have been able to last much longer, with the pain in my hip.

When we got back to SRS, I ordered a cable for Peter's shaver.

Window Washing and More

 Friday, May 16, 2025

I soaked my shower curtains overnight with one cup of white vinegar to the full wash load to remove unsightly mold and stains.  They came out spotlessly clean.  I hung the liner to dry so that Janice could hang it and the curtain when they came later.

Brad and Janice came prepared to wash windows with their equipment.  Janice took care of the shower curtains while Brad wiped down the balcony screens and woodwork.  Janice finished the job by washing the windows.  Brad vacuumed my carpets, all before lunch.

Janice used jackfruit over rice and roasted broccoli with a lovely sauce and roasted cashews.  We had tea and 'Easter Eggs' for dessert, (chick peas and peanut butter covered with thick chocolate.

Rain was forecast for the evening, but Colin said the game was on.  I had on and off rain as I drove to Hart Park.  When I parked, it was pouring and a bolt of lightening cracked across the playing field.  The team packed up and left.

Janice and Brad were on their way and met Colin at the sponsor's bar.

knitting, Ripping, Peter is Back

 Sunday, May 18, 2025    

I[m working on a two-tone purple and lilac cap and the purple is worse than black.  I twisted the stitches, purled instead of knit and must have ripped three times.  I'm on the lilac which seems to go better.

Peter arrived at 6:38 p.m. after spending three weeks in Germany.  I cruised around before picking him up just minutes after he called me.  We usually ate at a Mexican restaurant after trips and Jocelyn liked Botanos II on East 14th and Howard.  We had margaritas and generous steak fajitas with an extra order of tortillas; I had another margarita.  Peter had a lot to tell about his trip and we lingered until they were pulling up the chairs.

I drove Peter home and got to SRS at about 9:30 p.m. 

Memorial Day 2025

 Monday, May 26, 2025

Eleanor Harris, Cookie Anderson and I planted zinnias and Mexican feather grass in the piazza planters.  Eleanor had some feather grass seedlings from last year that I hope will survive.

I made Rice Krispie treats for the pot luck

I discovered a mistake in the navy hat I'm knitting, so I'm back tracking.

Peter came for the pot luck, which was varied and plentiful with a lot of chicken that Dwight Morgan grilled.

Peter stayed for a while and told me more about his trip.  He wanted a water kettle ordered and I had a name tag/documents holder that he could use.