We left St. Louis for a roundabout way to Virginia. First we saw the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, as previously documented; next we went to Cahokia Mounds, and we arrived the day that the visitor center reopened after being closed for 2 years. It was wonderful and I took a picture of my mom on top of the one mound we were allowed to access. Next was a stop in Casey, IL for ice cream and the world's largest collection of largest things, like this largest mailbox with my son waving.
*November starts with a bang, celebrating all those in heaven on the 1st and all those who have died on the 2nd. We celebrate the first and want to imitate them; we do what we can to support those in the second category who are (hopefully) on their journey toward heaven.
Picture 1: A spire dedicated for the New Millenium that represents our prayers going up to heaven.
Picture 2: The outdoor ampitheatre for Mass with several beautiful chapels underneath and a stylized M on top for Mary.
*Friday will be Pasta with Roasted Vegetables (pepper and broccoli). I'm hopeful it will be tasty.
*Today will be Miner's Steak. This is one of the husband's favorite recipes, and I'll serve it with rice.
*Yesterday the Husband made macaroni and cheese while I went to a concert in Lenexa.
*Tuesday the Son made crock pot chili from Betty Crocker. It turned out wonderful!
*Monday we ended up doing a pizza and leftovers. We had accumulated quite an array, and we're really working this week on working them down.
Below are the cookies we made this week for Christmas: Chocolate Almond. They are delicious.
*The Husband took PTO Monday through Wednesday this week, so after getting back from Dallas/OKC, he's been shimming doors, changing furnace filters, filling car tires with air, getting grocery money for the month, helping me figure out an e-check, etc., etc.
*I still hope to work on a desk and phone this week.
*Today I'm taking a nephew to therapy and then taking a niece with me to Lenexa to hear my previous choirs in their first concert of the year.
*Today's photos are from the Shrine of Our Lady of Snows in Belleville, IL, just over the border from St. Louis. The first pictures is the one that inspired the priest to minister to those in isolated communities, and the second is from the Father's Garden on the grounds.
We saw the arch, toured the museum underneath, visited the gift shop, and then took an hour riverboat cruise down and back on the Mississippi. The cruise was pretty disappointing, partly because there's not much to see on that stretch of the Mississippi other than bridges.
