Sunday we went to 10:30 mass and Father gave one of his outstanding homilies.  He has a wonderful knack for finding a personal life story which he then ties to his message.  This time the story was about his nieces and their friends at a recent gathering.  Seems like the family sheepdog scared a pet hamster that was being held by one of the young ladies.  The hamster scared by the dog left a present in the girls hands and as she screeched she dropped the poor thing.  Father continued with subsequent events and was so humorous that the lady sitting next to me, herself a parent, was roaring with laughter.  It loses something in the retelling, you had to be there. We also had a pair of wonderful cantors who were unfamiliar to many of us.  We later found that they are two young men home from college and will bless us with their wonderful voices all summer. About 12:30 pm I ventured out to get a picture of the guys in the parade.  After working my way around town I ended up at the immediate care center where I was able to get a picture of the Legion color guard as they passed.   Later in the afternoon I ventured over to the Orland Days grounds and joined the Post Commander at our information booth.
  Monday AM I headed for the Veterans Center and our Monday coffee.  I got there early to meet a friend and lend him a book on Fake Warriors, those who walk around blowing their horns about military service and awards which they never earned.  Some have never even been in the service.  Their actions steal the honor earned by TRUE heroes. (More on fake warriors later). Monday PM I made my daily visit to the Sportsplex for a little walking.  The track at the Sportsplex (an apparently rubberized product is easier on the legs and ankles then the sidewalk, On the way home I stopped at Subway for a foot long sandwich and some chips.  This has become a favorite dinner in font of the TV and saves Mary cooking and long clean-up times and provides a casual environment in front of the TV. I can't imagine what our parents would think of that. Our parents insisted that the TV be ff doing dinner,  I finished the evening by watching the Cubs win their (holy cow) 8th in a row.
     Tuesday dawned gray cloudy and foggy.  We had retired Monday night with the expectation that the Thunderstorms (forecasted for the last two days would erupt overnight.  It did not happen and we were left with clouds, gray and fog.  It seemed to get darker gray as the morning progressed, however although we did get some drizzle, by afternoon it had cleared somewhat before clouding up yet again. The talk most of the day centered around the rant at Sen. Obama's former (he finally quit over the weekend) church.  This time the speaker was a so called Catholic priest, Father Michael Pfleger, pastor of St, Sabina's on the south side of Chicago. The incident apparently happened a week ago Sunday and surfaced last week on You Tube. On Friday, the Cardinal had issued a statement criticizing Pflgers' behavior as inappropriate.  On Sunday in his own parish, Pfleger "apologized" for the incident saying that was not what was in his mind and heart. Yeah right!!!  The only thing he was sorry about was obviously that someone, perhaps with a cell phone, had gotten the footage and put it on You Tube. Perhaps the Cardinal was not impressed since on Tuesday he released a statement that he had asked Pfleger to take some time off (away from St Sabina) to reflect.  Since the Cardinal had ordered him completely out of the parish it was reported that he was seeking to rent an apartment. Perhaps Rev. Wright will rent him space in his new house at the Odeyssey. I finished the afternoon with a trip to the Sportsplex and the evening by watching the Cubs win number 9,  HOLY COW!!
      I was amazed to wake up Wed AM listening to discussion of the incident on local talk radio.  Amazingly a few people supported his actions (some were parishioners).  One lady hit it right on the head with her comments.  She had been brought up Catholic and made the observation that Pfleger was not a catholic and he should be allowed to leave and establish his own church.  I stopped on the way to the Sportsplex to set up the first service appointment on my new Santa Fe.  I bought it in October with mileage on it (it had been a demo) and there is not much more than there was then since while we were spending the winter in Florida, it spent the winter in our driveway.  However, it needs to get ready for its' first round trip to Florida at the end of the month. When I arrived home I found the St. Terrence bulletin waiting to be uploaded.  St. Terrence is an area parish where Rich Miska St Julie Business Manager and once our deacon is now a deacon at St. Terrence.  When he moved, I offered to provide a Web Ministry, not unlike St. Julie but no where     near as sophisticated.  As my friend Don does with St. Julie I provide w                                                             eb site hosting and registration costs as a stewardship gift.  In addition to the bulletin, I received an email from the coordinator of the St. Terrence Men's Club golf league with current scores attached.  These also were added to the web site.  Putting the scores on the parish site eliminates the cost of the site which the Men's Club had used in the past, freeing that money for other activities. Tonight I listened to one of my favorites Web Site Wednesday.  It is part of the Steve and Johnny overnight show on WGN radio.  Listening I discovered a new free anti virus software called Avast recommended by one of the computer gurus on the show.  It can replace Avg7.5 also recommended some time ago by the same person, however it is soon to lose its support from the company.  Both are ideal replacements for the Norton Suite which uses far too many resources.  I went to sleep listening to the rumble of thunder and the Weather Service updates on the station.  A little bit nervous I slept surprisingly well.
       I awoke Thursday AM and found the same thing as the night before.  While last nights updates of Tornado watches and warnings dealt with areas to the South (large hail and high winds with a few Tornado possibilities) this morning everything was to the North.  By lunchtime things had settled down and the day became very warm and humid.  A visit to the Dermatologist produced a clean bill of health with a November return.  A trip to the Sportsplex followed by a stop at Subway produced another relaxing gourmet dinner (we even got our vegetables in because the sandwiches are topped with the equivalent of a small salad.  After a bite I went on to the monthly Family Support Group Meeting.  The group is unique in the area and provides some fellowship and sharing among parents of young people that are deployed or soon to be.  A few of us veterans attend to support them and offer thanks to our new young heroes.
       We awoke Friday concerned about the dire weather predictions of the previous 24 hours.  Having escaped the storms of  Wednesday and Thursday (one to the South the other to the North) we were told that Chicago was to be the bulls eye for Friday afternoon storms.  I left at 11:30 for the Dentist amidst a few drops of rain which had subsided by the time I reached the office.  Of course we all kept one eye on the sky but the worst that happened was some wind.  A look at the weather map upon arriving home showed that once again the storm passed South and East of our immediate area.  As a matter of fact, as I look out this evening the sun is shining brightly as it prepares to set.
As I write these thoughts, one eye is on the new planet green.  The old Discovery Home became Planet Green this week and contains shows detailing how to use green building techniques to conserve resources while also making homes more energy efficient.  While not a subscriber to the Chicken Little the Sky is falling view called Global Warming I certainly am in favor of using our resources wisely at the same time saving energy which of course saves money.