Thanksgiving Thankful

What a wonderful community Thanksgiving meal we had.  Almost 50 meals were served, several as home delivered meals.  And the food we consumed was, well, a considerable amount.  Will we do it again?  Yes, we will.  And, sorry, no photos. Was way too busy eating and having a good time. Thanks to everyone who volunteered, everyone who ate all that wonderful food, and everyone who donated to the meal.  Well done!

Just Ducky

Whilst living on the eastern shores of Wisconsin I enjoyed the yearly May performances of Heart-a-Rama. Pure fun, and good jokes mostly at the expense of various "locals."

The Ola Players of Ola, SD recently presented "Just Ducky" at the Ola Hall in Ola, SD, population 106.  A wonderful three-part farce replete with local jokes and innuendo.

A couple of my favorites.  A young actress is bemoaning her "too common of a name. " by repeating many, many times that she would stand out in the crowd if her last name was something like "Konechne" (ka-nich-knee). That statement brings the house down, folks are hooting and hollering and clapping.  I look at the couple sitting next to me. They say "Her maiden name is Konechne."  Now I get it:  She's really poking fun of her huge extended family, some of whom are in attendance.  Koneche is sort of the SD version of have a surname like: Smith.  If one is not a Konechne by birth, they are related by marriage to a Konechne. 

An even bigger laugh was garnered by Aunt Mary, a crotchety old lady played by Pam.  In the play Aunt Mary's (never seen) husband is Ted, as is her real-life husband, who is in attendance.  In one scene Aunt Mary is going on and on and on to her niece that "Ted won't like this. Ted won't put up with this. Ted is going to do something about this. Just wait till I tell Ted. Ted is going to do something about this."  Out of the darkness in the very back row comes a voice "NO HE WONT!"

We all recognized that voice as belonging to the real-life Ted shouting out to his wife.  That brought the house down, stopped the play, got a standing ovation and made us laugh so hard we cried and the actors needed a prompt to continue.

Remembering

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 Sadly remembering that 47 years ago I was in eighth grade English class when a student crazed by the shock of it all ran through the halls screaming at the top of his lungs, "The President is dead! The President is dead!"  Just minutes before he had secured a hall pass to use the bathroom and was in there listening to his transistor radio - a contraband item in our school. I remember going home and knitting while I watched the TV.

Is this some kinda' sign or something?

I've lived in the country for a good part of my life. I am quite attuned to avoiding wild life whilst driving.  In all my years of Wisconsin living, I've hit only one deer - she ran into me.  Put a nose-sized dent in the front passenger side quarter panel.  Layed stunned along side my car for 20 minutes or so while I awaited assistance from the "authorities."  And then suddenly got up, shook her head and slung deer snot all over the trunk of the car, and ran off.

Since moving to South Dakota last year, I've had my share of near misses and vehicle-bird contacts with pheasants. I tell you, those birds just run under the tires, and fly into my windshield.  I always feel bad when I feel and hear that t.h.u.m.p that lets you know another pheasant has just been dispatched.

So, anyway. Earlier this week, while driving on a dirt road early in the morning, a rooster pheasant came running up out of the ditch like his life depended on escaping that ditch.  Only problem is, he ran right under the tire. Smashed. Smashed bad I'm thinkin'.

And he stuck there.  Thump.......thump......thump.  While glancing to my right to see if I can pull over at all so I can scrape what is left of the pheasant off the tire, I see a buck - as in male deer - headed my way.  On a direct collision course with me.  I can tell I can not avoid this collision.  I know he is going to cream the side of my van.

"Oh, please, No.  Not today.  No. No. No." The deer jumps the fence. And in slow motion I see the deer take a header into the deep, deep ditch. And just lay there. Not moving at all. 

I don't know what to say or think. I manage to stop the vehicle, get out in time to see the pheasant tumble from atop the tire and check on the deer. Dead.

I don't know. What can I say...

U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree

The 2010 Capitol Christmas Tree is on its way from Bridger - Teton National Forest in Wyoming to the front lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.

The tree will be at Chamberlain Elementary School on the evening of Friday, November 19.  Folks stopping by to see the tree can sign the banner accompanying the tree on it's trek to Washington.

Track the Tree here. Click the candy canes on the map to read fun facts and see images from celebrations.  Track the Tree is also on Facebook and Twitter.

At 5 p.m. tonight it was near Laramie, WY.  I'll bet my Laramie relatives where there to greet it.

Margaret of Scotland

November 16: Today is the feast day of St. Margaret of Scotland, patron saint of St. Margaret Catholic Church in Kimball.

St. Margaret, born in exile in Hungary, married  Malcolm III, King of Scots.While queen consort of Scotland, Margaret bore eight children and devoted her life to encouraging her husband and teaching her children to be just and kind to the people of Scotland.

Margaret is known for her works of charity. She frequently visited and cared for the sick. She built hostels for housing the poor. During Advent and Lent she held feasts at the royal castle for as many as 300 commoners.

Much loved by her subjects, Margaret died at the age of 47, her body no longer able to sustain her rigorous schedule of prayer and charity work.  She died on November 16, 1093.

Community Thanksgiving Dinner

Community Thanksgiving Dinner
Serving 2 - 4 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day at Kimball Protestant Parish

Details to follow.  Watch for posters around town and information online.