About three weeks ago I found the perfect pair of boots at Farm & Fleet, but they were out of my size. 

Were there any in back? Were they getting more in? 

"We get only two shipments per winter and already got them."

But winter doesn't even begin for another three weeks!

The next day I called the Oak Creek Farm & Fleet and asked if they could shuttle the pair they had to Waukesha. I didn't ask how long it might take, but figured a week should be about right. Many phone calls and snow falls later, after being told the wait is usually a week to a week and a half, the boots finally arrived in Waukesha -- 2-1/2 weeks later.

The same day I learned the boots were in, Mom asked what I wanted for Christmas.

I know just the thing. It's definitely something I can use. They're warm, comfortable, waterproof and the perfect size. I can even tell you exactly who has them. But wait till Christmas to give them to me, please.

She dropped them off at the house the day we talked. The day before the 12" snow. Wife doesn't much care for the look, but feet like them very, very much.

We spent a lot of time together today, the boots and I. Because we didn't get our street plowed out until after 11:00, we didn't go in to work. Instead we helped push two cars stuck at the end of the street. A neighbor's snowblower broke down in the street so we helped drag that back to his house. We also walked around the block to see what else was happening.

We used the snowblower once before the snow stopped and again after. Our next door neighbor was going around the court plowing out fellow neighbors, so we helped them out by shoveling their walk. I noticed he somehow found time to rake his roof today. When we were on our own roof raking today, I discovered he'd already raked one full side of our house.

We went to St. William's today for a little driving practice for my youngest and to pick up Christmas food for two needy families. We saw the gym was set up for Christmas Clearing Council, distribution of which is tomorrow, Saturday the 20th. It always brightens my spirit to see that kind of generosity.

I was outdoors a lot today and put the boots through rigorous testing. There are no laces or buckles so putting on and taking off is a breeze. At only 7" high they manage to keep even the deepest snow out. I walked through a knee-deep drift on the roof and only got a little snow in the boot. The insoles are removable for drying. 

The boots are LaCrosse Alpha Lite Mule olive drab green hunting boots. They're made with naturally insulating neoprene with a nylon knit lining. I love them.

Thanks Santa.

"If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is 'thank you,' it will be enough." Meister Eckhart.

I thought this was an appropriate quote for the day before Thanksgiving. We have much to be thankful for.

I'm thankful to have a job, a family and a home. Thankful we live in a friendly, welcoming, lively and helpful community. Thankful gas prices have come down! Thankful we don't have to worry about where our next meal is coming from or the quality of the food.

I'm thankful for the dedicated and generous volunteers and donors who made the annual HOPE Thanksgiving Dinner and Auction fundraiser for Cooperating Congregations a success.

I'm thankful for my parish, St. William, and it's pastor, Rev. Leonard Barbian, who is retiring next year after 10 years at St. William and 44 years as a priest.

I'm thankful for all those who gave to our recent clothing and Caps for Kids drive. You filled up the truck! Also thankful to parishioners who so generously give to the St. Vincent food pantry regularly or whenever there is need.

Thankful for the great group of people we had last weekend for confirmation retreat at beautiful Camp Whitcomb-Mason in Hartland. And the weather wasn't too bad either.

Very thankful to have many friends who lift me up and hold me there.

feel free to add your own thanks giving 

I share this machine with two teenagers and a cat, so that could explain why I haven't been doing a lot of writing lately. Fortunately, Pepi just stays put where it's warm atop the monitor, or I'd still be waiting. Now that I have the time though, thought I'd talk about what I did last weekend.

Much of what I do on weekends I hear about first on WaukeshaNOW, and last week was no exception. I find that the site's community events description is a little more in depth and easier to access than the alternative.

I went to the UWW play God Willing: A Twology not because I'd heard it was good or even because I'd heard of it before. I checked it out because it promised to be different. Two avante-garde plays in one with seating on the stage for the audience. I won't try to describe it because I can't. I can't relate it to anything I've seen before. It was entertaining, serious and thought-provoking. It was intimate and dark, quiet and loud. I guess you could say it was a good play for the university because they tried something outside "normal" and it was a good experiment. 

Saturday morning I joined my confirmation group for a service project at Jeremy House, a homeless shelter for individuals with mental issues on Moreland Blvd. We prepared breakfast for the guests and learned more about the facility. It was a worthwhile experience for all of us, and fun too.

After mass last Sunday I interviewed candidates for confirmation to see if they had any thoughts, good or bad, on the whole process and to make sure they grew spiritually in this last year of preparation. Tomorrow is confirmation rehearsal.

Later Sunday I attended Waukesha Choral Union's production of Handel's Messiah while not realizing what I came to see and hear. I penciled the Carroll College event on my calendar because WaukeshaNOW made it sound good and, the best part, it was free. I arrived after the last of the programs had been handed out and, because I've never been to "Messiah" before, didn't recognize it. Bumping into a friend at intermission, I mentioned how religious all the pieces were. "Well, it is Messiah. The whole concert is related to the bible, starting with the Old Testament and ending with the New." She showed me the program and every aria, recitation and chorus was straight from a bible verse or psalm. Up to this point the one thing I knew about "Messiah" was the Hallelujah Chorus. Two and a half hours after the start of this concert I was much better informed. It's a monumental production with orchestra, pipe organ, soloists with community members joining the chorus. The concert was fully funded by donations from individuals and businesses. It was director Gregory Carpenter's last production of Messiah. His last production with the Choral Union will be in celebration of Mozart's 250th birthday: Mozart's Requiem at St. Joe's Church in Waukesha, May 4th, with orchestra and soloist. I'm going to pencil this one in too, and hope I don't forget why.  

By now Mrs. Lee is wondering if I'm seeing someone because of being gone so much last weekend. (The family is always invited, but my tastes often differ from theirs.) I later attended Vespers, or evening prayer, at St. William. It's something I've not done before and my family wouldn't have enjoyed either. It was an interesting mix of hymns, readings, reflection and incense. All the prayer without the hassle.

After Vespers I joined 80 to 90 others from my parish to learn about Judaism and Jewish traditions in a Seder meal, something I've wanted to try but never had the chance. I felt this Lent was a good time to understand the roots of my own faith and this was a wonderful way to do it. The nicest Jewish couple, Sherry and David, led us on this trip to the past. Seder, the Passover meal, is full of lessons and history, details, ancestors, special diet and ways of preparation. I'd have to say everything had meaning and relevance and the meal was history come to life. Everything was performed in order, involved the oldest to the youngest, was entertaining and lasted about 2-1/2 hours. The education we received and meeting Sherry and David was wonderful. This meal was far more involved than any other meal I've shared, and I would happily do it again.  

The theme of the weekend seemed to lean toward religion. Not a bad thing with Holy Week beginning tomorrow.

There's always something happening at St. William's, my home parish at 440 N. Moreland. Last weekend was the rummage sale. Today we hosted the St. Matthias meal for the needy and tomorrow is blessing of animals in observance of the Feast Day of St. Francis. This Sat. at 6:00 p.m. is wine and cheese and Sunday is a pancake breakfast from 7:30 to noon -- both in the Parish Hall, and both a fundraiser for Cooperating Congregations of Waukesha County's new kitchen.

I'll be helping out in the kitchen Sunday for a couple hours, but may have to miss linking with fellow parishioners for the Life Chain on Bluemound between 2:00 and 3:00.

The following Sunday, the fourteenth, should be interesting. J. Christ will be in the Parish Hall and the Packers will be in the gym! Jennifer Christ will be talking about the rosary at 10:00 a.m. and the Packer game will be shown in the gym at noon. Tickets for the game are only $5.00 at the door and include a brat or hot dog, chips, soda, etc. There's a movie and sitter for the kiddies and raffle for the big people. The game is a Home and School fundraiser for Waukesha Catholic. Meeting J. Christ is free. As it should be.

 

 

Traffic on Grandview Blvd. is moving again after a summer long utility upgrade. Life seems back to normal on the street; Water Doctors held their 25th anniversary open house this last weekend, the Eagles Club is hosting a craft fair this weekend in their newly refurbished clubhouse and police are once again watching the speeders. As much as the construction inconvenienced me, I'll miss the walks Sir Fido and I took down the middle of the closed street.

After five days at Brookfield's Civic Plaza, the moving Moving Wall is moving. The half sized Vietnam Veterans Memorial left today. Fifty-eight thousand names of American men and women, it's something everyone should try to visit at least once when it's again in the area.

I picked up a Waukesha County Cultural Passport (not to mention 7 varieties of apples and 3 gallons of cider) from Retzer Nature Center so I guess I'm moving now.

Two weeks ago my mom was moving. She gave me a bed. My in-laws moved so I gave them the bed. They had an extra washer and drier so I took the drier. The washer will be heading down to Kentucky where, along with other appliances, will help the needy of a sister parish in Beattyville. (Still looking for the use of a truck to haul the appliances, by the way.)

A family I met Saturday morning had just moved and had no furniture. I mentioned to them that there was decent furniture at the end of their drive. It was the end of the month and whoever was moving obviously couldn't take everything with them. I also mentioned that, because I was volunteering the last day of the St. William Fall Rummage, I may also be able to find them some household goods. After five hours working the rummage sale I stopped back to the family and found they had a new sectional and entertainment center from the curb. It was an amazing transformation. When I met them in the morning we were sitting on the floor, the only furniture a play pen. When I left in the evening, almost no place left to sit on the floor.

The St. William rummage, and other sales like it, provide a good community service. Low prices benefit people who don't have a lot to spend. Donating to the sale benefits people who have too much by helping clean out their basements. Some of the leftovers went to Clothes for Kids, others to the family I met through St. Vincent De Paul. But the majority of the remaining goods went to Goodwill. I just wish that when Goodwill said they'd take a truckload that they would've taken the truckload and not sent it away half full.