Water Aerobics and Friendship Cakes

It was a sunny, calm, crisp autumn morning for traveling to the college pool. Parking was at a premium today, and I had to walk down a hill to the gym. I don't mind walking down the hill and back up again after water aerobics, though, since it gives my heart a little extra workout.



In the locker room this morning, I met a new water aerobics member, who, when I introduced myself, exclaimed, "I saw your picture in the newspaper Wednesday! I've seen you a lot around town, but didn't know your name!" Another member piped up, "I don't doubt you've seen her around town. She's everywhere." Wow. I didn't know I was that conspicuous. Maybe I should stay home more. But, wait...if these folks are seeing me everywhere, doesn't that mean that they are everywhere, too?



Following water aerobics today, Mother and I joined the "Water Babies" at a local Italian restaurant for lunch. This outing gave me a chance to wear my new pumpkin colored sweater over black pants and black turtleneck. It also gave me a chance to wear a beautiful necklace of multi-colored beads in autumn tones given to me by my two thoughtful stepdaughters for my birthday last January.




It's difficult for me to choose a menu item that I feel is healthy, but I settled for a hot smoked turkey sandwich with melted Swiss cheese, topped with lettuce and tomato, on a wheat roll, served with a side of roasted potatoes, all of which tasted pretty salty to me. I ate half of it and brought the other half home for Hubbie to have as part of his lunch tomorrow. I also sinned by eating garlic bread dipped in Marinara sauce. Mother had spinach quiche and fruit bowl.



A subject of conversation at our table was the weather, of course. We agreed today is beautiful, especially since there is no wind. One lady, commenting that she's from Chicago, said, "I miss the wind." Another lady asked her how long she's been away from The Windy City. "Forty years," she said. That's a long time to miss wind! I don't mind summer breezes, but I think I'd miss winter winds like I'd miss an abscessed tooth.



Back home, I jumped into jeans and a knit shirt, so I could begin baking friendship cakes. For several weeks, I've periodically added fruit to starter, stirring it each day until it was ready to be added to cake mixes. There's enough fruit to make three cakes, one of which will become part of Younger Son's birthday in February. He always looks forward to getting one of these cakes, which his family is eager to share.



Usually, I have friendship cake starter liquid in the freezer, but I found that after several years of fermenting fruit and saving the starter, it had finally become exhausted, and I had to make starter from scratch this year, using yeast as a beginner. So it was 44 days from the day I first made the starter until today, when the fruited mixture was finally ready to be used in cakes.



As usual, Mother is helping with this project by insisting on taking the ingredients for two of the cakes home with her to bake this afternoon and tonight.



All three cakes will be in the freezer before the day is out. We wanted to be sure and have them done before the hectic holiday season begins...which for us begins next week, when we go to Branson. After that, it's time to plan the Thanksgiving feast, which this year means taking into account the various diet restrictions of several family members.



Between cakes, Hubbie and I ran errands, including to a grocery store to pick up mineral oil to put in Shih Tzu's food. She's been terrible about licking her feet lately and then coughing and coughing. A vet suggested the mineral oil could help her get rid of hair she might be swallowing.



Then we went to a filling station to top the truck tank with diesel. Too bad we didn't need more, because today was customer appreciation day at the station, and fuel was being sold at a 20-cents-a-gallon discount. Folks were at each of the pumps handing out prize registration tickets, too. A lot of nice prizes, including free gasoline, are being given away. We hope we win one.



We wondered what was going on at the station when we arrived and found a policeman directing traffic. There were long lines at each of the pumps, of course, requiring several guys in orange vests to keep the cars and trucks moving in an orderly manner.