Thanksgiving 2021

 Thursday, November 25, 2021

Jay and Laura's house smelled like Easter, instead of Thanksgiving; it was the bacon wrapped turkey that I smelled.  Brad and Janice arrived with a big assortment of appetizers that we noshed with beer/wine while waiting for dinner.  The table setting was lovely and the dinner was excellent.

The turkey was deliciously moist and flavorful accompanied with mashed potatoes with chives, green beans, dressing, gravy, broccoli salad and a cranberry ice.

Laughter helped us digest this repast with Brad the butt of the humor. That was followed by chocolate pecan torte with a candle to celebrate Colin's 28th Birthday.

Claude took me home so that he could check the connection on my VCR.  He was having the same trouble that I had.  He just happened to have a co-ax cable that he traded with mine and he got it to work.

I spent the rest of the evening watching "You've Got Mail".

Creative Monday

 Monday, November 22, 2021

I worked on Thanksgiving place card boxes.  I used photos instead of names and they turned out really nice.

I'll fill them with trail mix.

The SRS bus was out of commission so Cookie offered to drive Lanore and me to the Jewish Museum.  The featured exhibit was Scrap Yard.

There were displays and videos of how scrap was collected and processed; copper being the most valuable metal.

The rest of the museum was on the settlement of Milwaukee, a timeline of events and notable people in our community; I spotted a photo of  Dr. Weil, my psychology professor.  It was a worthwhile visit.

Cookie mentioned the origami wreaths she was teaching.  I said I'd love to learn how, but I'm in Hales Corners playing sheepshead when she was teaching it.  She offered to show me how.  I met her in the Trattoria at 3:00 p.m. with my origami papers and we went to it.  The folding isn't too complicated, but assembling takes more time and skill.  I managed to complete one.

Then I made another with smaller paper.  It kept falling apart, but I managed to hold it together.

It might look nice with a little sparkles.

Dinner Is Served

 Sunday, November 21, 2021

Brad and Janice came early afternoon laden with food for our dinner. We watched the Packers lose to the Vikings while munching on tortilla chips and guacamole.  We watched more football until Janice began preparing our feast that was all premade, just to assemble.  The main dish was pierogi.  She made them very small and delicate, but the taste and consistency was just like I make.  Because Janice is vegan, she modified some ingredients, but none of the taste was sacrificed.  She also had a mushroom dish and broccoli salad.  We had pumpkin pudding for dessert.

We had such a pleasant afternoon: visiting, relaxing and enjoying a wonderful meal.  I have left-overs for tomorrow when meals are not served at SRS.

I am so grateful prior to Thanksgiving Day.  Every day is Thanksgiving.

Festival Symphony

 Saturday, November 20, 202

My concern for parking at the Bradley Symphony Center is resolved.  Parking is at the rear of the building, with a walk through an alley, not a problem at all.

Peter and I joined the Vagabonds for our first experience at this fabulous new venue for great music.  The music was moving with a beautiful flute performance of Mozart's Flute Concerto no.1 in G, K313 by Emma Koi.  Also on the program were Five Variants of "Dives and Lazarus" by Ralph Vaughan Williams and a rousing Symphony no. 3 in A minor "Scottish" by Felix Mendelssohn.

Walters on North finished the afternoon with a hamburger and beer for Peter, a liver sausage sandwich with fresh onions and catsup and two beers for me while watching the Badgers beat Nebraska 31- 28.

Peter took my Roku TV and will have to work on his Spectrum password before he can use it.

How Vulnerable We Are

November 20, 2021

I arrived at SRS on May 24, 2021

My  Roosevelt across the hall died, I never met him.

Jackie had surgery and is recovering.

Judy Engle fell multiple times; taken to East Castle, then St. Mary's.  Might be coming back to Assisted Living.

Connie Haas fell at our Wednesday Bar Hop

Susan Cantrell fell and broke her femur while shopping.  Is in the hospital.

Tony is in the hospital with a foot infection; efforts are being made to save is remaining leg.

Connie came back from the hospital this week after suffering tightness in her chest.

Patti was taken to the hospital this morning with tightness in her chest.

Small World

 Thursday, November 18, 2021

At Happy Hour today Rosemarie made some reference to the Rudolph Cheese Factory.  I said I know where that is; my family went there on one of our December family trips.  Rosemarie said she grew up in Junction City.  I started naming people I knew and she knew them all.  LaNore was her best friend, she knew Peggy, she worked at the grocery store and knew all the places on the main street. She lived on O past the cemetery and knew Tom Knietch.  It was such fun recalling old acquaintances and places.  I sent her a photo of our class reunion.

Steel Magnolias

 Sunday, November 14, 2021

We were super early for the Rep in Depth, lucky to find parking relatively close.  The St. Kate Arts Hotel had a wonderful art exhibit, "Visual Sirens: Collections of Final Warnings", co-curated by Samantha Timm, curator at Saint Kate, and Milwaukee-based artist David Najib Kasir, the exhibition features paintings, sculptures and installation works that consider positive cultural innovations alongside their historical and contemporary cultural destruction. Guests viewing the exhibition are inspired and challenged with different perspectives as they take in every piece.

We needed to show our vaccination card, which Peter did not have.  A man helped us get the Wisconsin Vaccination center on my phone, filled out Peter's information and it appeared.  So now I have it on my phone and Peter's.

The theater had a few people not wearing masks, despite the announcement to keep masks on; but there were extremely few.

"Steel Magnolias" was funny with some sadness.  We both enjoyed the performance.

Afterward we sat at the bar of St. Kate and had a pizza with wine, two reds for me.

Veterans Day 2021

 Thursday, November 11, 2021

I made a Chex Mix for the Happy Hour today.

We had a special luncheon to honor all veterans at noon.  Baked potatoes with various fillings, chili, cookies and a patriotic cake.  At 1:00 p.m. each veteran was introduced and told about their branch of service.  A prayer was offered and each branch stood when their respective music was played.  It was a very memorable and well planned event.

Jane, Chuck, Jack and I played dominoes until Happy Hour.

My Chex Mix was appreciated.

I skipped dinner because I had enough to eat at lunch.  It was Asian buffet.

The Harveys Visit

 Wednesday, November 10, 2021

I had better luck at sheepshead today in Hales Corners.  Not as much fun without Tim at our table, but it was still nice.

After our games I invited Bob and Terry to SRS for dinner and to see my apartment.  The dining room room was empty with the exception of Table 10's usual group.  Most of the people were watching a documentary movie.  The group welcomed Bob and Terry at the table.  We enjoyed our meals: Bob, cod; Terry, tuna casserole; I had salmon; we all had a tossed salad.

Terry really liked my apartment.  We had a very pleasant visit, with Hello Dolly begging for attention.

Wrong Date

 Sunday, November 7, 2021

Peter picked me up at about 12:30 p.m. to go to the Rep for "Steel Magnolias".  We went early to try to get closer parking.  We never parked so close, right next the entrance.  We waited until it was time to go the the mezzanine; surprised that there weren't more people.  No wonder...I had the wrong date!  It's next week!  This isn't the first time I made mistakes with dates, or times.

So we had a day to explore.  It was sunny and in the 60s as we drove to Peter's house through State Street, past sidewalk diners at many establishments.  Peter wanted to pick up a brochure with directions to a caring horse farm in Dousman.  The trees along the route were spectacular up on the hill with the sun at the best direction. He worked with the couple at B&S who operated this farm.  I put the address in my phone but it was impossible to find.  We got the message, "You've arrived" more than once, but the site looked nothing like a horse farm.  Peter kept asking me if I put in the right directions, also to get an Apple because we were not getting any results.  A biker couldn't help us, but another man put the address in his phone and pointed us in the right direction; the same way we passed more than once.  When we got, "You've arrived" and it still didn't look like a stable, we drove into a driveway and Peter talked to a couple who said that they knew the people we were looking for, but they moved fifteen years ago.  That's how long Peter keeps stuff.

It was time to think about going for something to eat and the Delevan Brewhouse seemed like a good destination.  Peter turned into the wrong ramp, then overshot it the second time.  This was really not our day to find where we were going.  We each had salads while watching the Packers lose to the Chiefs.  Because Arron Rodgers was out with COVID, Love took his place.  Final score 13-7.

Fantasy House

 Friday, November 5, 2021

I met Terry at the Outpost on Mooreland Rd. then drove to Good Eats Café in Pewaukee before visiting the Ronald McDonald Fantasy House on a bright sunny day.  A van was waiting to take us to the site of this $1m+ house, plus lot.  Masks were required throughout, including the van.

Decorations galore filled each spacious room.

 

The house was lovely, but not as ritzy as others we've been to.  The kitchen was enormous.  Anyone that can afford this priced home should have installed an elevator.  The stairs were impossible.  The laundry was on the first floor, but I can't imagine carrying clothing and bedding to the upper floor.

Other homes we visited in the past had a gigantic tree where Terry and I would have our picture taken, but not this one.  This tree was in an insignificant room that I don't really know what it would be used for.

It was great being able to resume activities that we enjoyed doing in the past, especially the Fantasy House.

Assembly Required

Sunday, October 31, 2021 

I call my apartment "functional", but it could do with some better organization.  I have many plastic bins of varying sizes holding odds and ends on my shelves in my bedroom. It really looks cluttered.

After considering other storage containers, I thought some drawers would look neater.  I ordered 3 two-drawer units from Wayfair.  They arrived yesterday (Saturday).  I had a pretty full day, so when I opened the carton later in the day I was overwhelmed with all the parts and the directions.  I invited Peter to give me a hand, which he willingly agreed to.

After mass on Sunday I felt more alert and tried again looking at the directions and I was able to assemble one drawer.  Peter arrived at about 2:00 p.m. with a set of tools and went right to work.  I guided him at first, since I had one drawer completed.  I assembled the cabinet and had to redo it, because I had one unfinished edge facing forward.  Then when I tried putting the drawer in, it would not go in all the way.  I think I took the cabinet apart two times, and thought I was going crazy turning the boards around countless ways.  Peter came to the rescue by noticing that I tightened the drawer stops too tightly and it was hitting the runner.  Once I loosened it somewhat, it worked just fine.  Once we knew what we were doing, the third unit went together with ease.  We finished about 4:40 p.m. just in time to get to Jay and Laura's for dinner.

We munched on cheese, crackers, nuts, etc. and wine until we sat down to a delicious dinner of pork tenderloin and mushrooms in Marsala wine with mashed potatoes and green beans.  We had ginger snaps for dessert.

Continued:

Monday, November 15, 2021

Why didn't I buy another set to complete the bottom shelf?  I did just that and I was able to assemble the drawers and cabinet in one hour!  I think my shelves look much better.

Cards and Reunion

 Thursday, November 4, 2021

My project for today was making cards for SRS birthdays.  I had two sheets of white card stock, but when I put them in the printer the Austrian Club Membership list got printed on them.  Then I cut the colored card stock wrong, but the smaller version worked better without matting the pictures, but I had to rearrange the text boxes to have everything placed right.  I printed four sheets of vellum and three sheets got smeared with ink because vellum takes longer to dry.  I finally made eight cards, but it took me the entire morning.

Chuck, Jane and I played dominoes until Happy Hour.

As we were visiting during Happy Hour, Connie mentioned more than once that her friend is joining her for dinner tonight.  Her friend's name is Marilyn, then she specified that her friend's name is Marilyn Schroeder.  I said I know Marilyn, she lives on Frederick Ave.  That's the one.  Connie was so thrilled that Marilyn would meet another friend.  And Marilyn was really surprised to see me when she walked in.  As we were in line for dinner (buffet on Thursdays; Mexican today) my across the hall neighbor Alan was in conversation with Marilyn.  They knew each other from years back and have kept in touch through the years.  I arranged two tables together in the dining room for Connie, Patti, Marilyn, Alan and myself.  There was non-stop talking, picking up where everyone left off.  Many memories and stories were shared.  Marilyn lives not too far away; I'm sure that she'll be returning.