Today began with a family outing to Manitowoc Coffee, a tradition Mom and Lynn have established for several years. Every Saturday at least the two of them go somewhere to have coffee and a treat, like bagels, sweet rolls, or scones. On occasion they venture to Two Rivers or even to Sheboygan for this special outing. This time, we went to Manitowoc Coffee! While I don’t drink coffee, I do like their bakery selection and today had a nice frosted sugar cookie with my Diet Coke. Yummy!
A lady parked at the curb and I recognized her right away and waved to her. It was the lady who is in the process of moving into Mom’s building, whom I had met the day she was getting the tour with the manager. Her apartment is across from the laundry room, which is when I met her. Debra told us, when she came into the shop, that she plays chess on Thursdays and Saturday at the shop. She had a cute pink bag in which she carried her portable chess mat and her pink/white chess pieces! I introduced her to my mom and sisters before she got started on her games.
I also met my young friend, Naomi, and her gentleman friend, David, when they came into the shop. They are students at Martin Luther College, off for Christmas break. I half expected to see her there. They were getting their coffee cups refilled before heading to First German for Naomi to practice before church tomorrow. David and she had been at his home church over Christmas where he played organ and she joined the church’s orchestra on the trombone. Sunday will be our turn to hear Naomi pull out all the stops on the big pipe organ at FG. She ends her postings with the Latin phrase of giving God all the glory. I love that about her!
After our nice coffee klatch, Lynn dropped us off at home with plans to come back for us in the afternoon. Jill had laundry to take care of and I made up a batch of my famous chili. I got the slow cooker so full, it nearly came over the top! The pasta would have to be made separately, later.The cooker was set on low so it cook all afternoon, or at least, until we had to leave for the concert. More about the concert later.
At noon I was meeting my cousin/friend, Yvonne, for lunch at Perkins. We had a really nice meal together and great conversation. She gave a sun catcher to attach to my river room doors---a Packer sun catcher! I was so excited to get it! She expects to see a photo of it hanging there and she can count on me to do just that!
Mom treated Lynn, Jill, me, and herself to a year-end concert at the Capital Civic Center, starring Garth Neusteder. He is a young man who has excelled on several levels, playing piano, violin, brass instruments, and sings operatically. His parents are part of the trio, with Mom on keyboards and his dad on drums and vocals. There was a ballet troupe who performed as well as Hmong dancers, and because he is a graduate of Manitowoc Lutheran High School, a singing group from there, The Lancer Singers, performed two numbers with Garth from Les Miserables. I was quite a nice show and I saw a number of people I knew there as well.
When we got home I quickly got the pasta made for the chili and got things warmed up for our dinner. Jill is not a soup eater so opted out of dinner but Mom, Lynn, and I enjoyed my chili. I had a summer sausage sandwich with mine, which is so good, too. Mom and I are vegging out tonight and bracing for the icy temps coming our way starting tomorrow. Today was “warm”, a high of 37 degrees, which allowed for the roads to be cleared of last Sundays’ snow storm, and some of the icicles to come crashing down from around her building with mighty thuds!
Sunday is Packer football again in the afternoon, a make or break game as far as the playoffs go. Justin will be watching the Jaguars as well as the Packer game tomorrow with his friend, Jesse, on his new 55” TV. Justin will be so spoiled now by that so our measly 42” non-high definition will not suit. I am fine with it, though, and that is what counts!
