This and That

The first bloom ever on this Christmas cactus!

 Winter weather has arrived with cold rain followed by freezing temperatures and wind. I am definitely a fair-weather outdoor person, so the cold weather has kept me indoors for the most part. However, earlier in the week, we did have an outdoor outing of sorts. We stopped at the Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Shine in Emmitsburg, MD, on the way back from a funeral.

Statue of Elizabeth Seton at Shrine

Among other things, Elizabeth Seton established the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph and a school for girls in the early 1800s. She was made a saint in 1975 and was the first native-born American to receive Roman Catholic sainthood. We only visited the outside grounds but found them peaceful even though I was cold. Maybe we'll visit in the spring and include the indoor parts of the shrine. I am not Catholic, but I appreciate the history of the site.

Last weekend, we had another outing to a concert in Virginia. Along with the Fairfax Band, four broadway performers sang various songs. Boy, you could tell those women were stage performers because they could really belt out a tune. While the show was enjoyable, the best part was hooking up with a childhood friend of Ward's who played in the band. By serendipity, we sat in the same row as his family and had a nice visit. 

Back at home, we were a little late, but we pulled everything left in the garden this week. I've spent the last couple of days processing the produce with most of it going into the freezer. More to go, but it will have to wait until tomorrow. Today, the four of us are going to have a Thanksgiving dinner. Theo got a turkey from work and wants to try a new way of cooking it. On Thanksgiving Day, we will go to my niece's house to spend it with Ward's family.

The first of four boxes of harvest. Three down and one more to go.

Otherwise, I've started to work on some Christmas projects and spent more time than I should with a cat on my lap. :)

Until next time...