Wednesday, Nov. 12

Well, the rain that was predicted for yesterday arrived today. I could hear it pattering on the roof in the wee hours of the morning. I heard it because I slept fitfully last night, dozing off from time-to-time and then snapping awake to toss and turn, watching the clock until time to get up.

Not as many showed up for water aerobics this morning. Some of the ladies feel insecure walking on wet pavement. Others just don't want to leave the comfort of their beds on inclement days. But although it was rainy the temp was moderate, making the walk from the car to the gym under an umbrella comfortable enough.

In the dressing room, I was told the potty stalls had no toilet tissue. On Monday our leader said the maintenance folks were upset with us because the school was losing too many rolls of paper from being soaked by dripping swimsuits or from being dropped on the wet floor. So was the lack of tissue today our punishment?

I don't know, but I spent a while checking the bathroom out in the hall for tissue (none there, either), and going from office to office trying to find someone who could provide paper to us. No dice. Today we all just drip dried. From now on I'll be carrying my own plastic baggie of tissue.

Because I am the youngest old lady in the group, it fell to me to try to scout around for tissue, which meant I didn't get into the pool in time for a warm-up swim before aerobics started.

Just before I left for water aerobics, Hubbie got a call announcing the birth of our 21st great-grandchild...another little boy. Daughter, who had two daughters of her own, was so hoping for a granddaughter. But she is blessed with four grandsons instead. This newest baby boy, as yet unnamed, weighed 6 lb., 7 oz., and is 19.5 inches long. He was born last night at 10:22 p.m., so the nurse commented that he was born on 11-11 at 22:22 (military time). He was born on the same date as his two-year-old cousin.

So now, Hubbie's two daughters have the same birthday (born two years apart), as do the two great-grandsons mentioned above, plus a four-year-old great-granddaughter and a one-year-old great-grandson, and two great-grandsons (who were born on the same day last June).

After I got back from aerobics I made a cracker crumb pie from some stale saltines. Hubbie bought the saltines in a bulk box at a warehouse discount store, but since he is the only one who eats them, he wasn't able to consume them before they went stale. The other day he complained that they aren't fresh, which reminded me that years ago I used to make "mock apple pie" from stale crackers. Mother found a recipe similar to the one I used to use in one of our cookbooks, which I tried today. The recipe is crustless and turns out more cookie-like than pie-like but Hubbie liked it just the same. Here's the recipe:

Cracker Crumb Pie

1 cup chopped pecans
16 saltine crackers, crumbled
3 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup sugar (I used sugar substitute)
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Beat egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat until the whites are stiff. Fold in the rest of the ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Serve hot, with whipped topping.

After lunch Hubbie and I ran errands...to the greeting card store, the bank, the veterinary clinic, the other discount store, and the WDCS. Our main goal at the WDCS was to get a picture hanging kit. Last night at the art gallery meeting one of the members asked for six works of art to hang at the hospital. I volunteered a hand tinted photograph (not for sale, just for display). We were asked to deliver the works to the gallery by tomorrow. Others are contributing paintings and stained glass art.