Didn't wake up until 8 a.m. this morning. Hubbie was already downstairs, having risen a few minutes earlier. After breakfast, I did a treadmill session and resistance exercises. Mother came over while I was doing that and worked on her jigsaw puzzle.
As I was exercising, the cable TV guy came and reset the cable box. Hubbie asked about exchanging it for a DVR unit, but the cost per month was more than he wanted to pay, so for now we'll stick with the old unit.
After I was ready for the day, I did this and that around the house, including doing a few computer tasks upstairs and printing a copy of some materials for one of our scrapbook club members.
At 11 a.m., Hubbie went to the local restaurant to pick up yeast rolls for our New Years Day lunch tomorrow. Other than that, he spent most of his day reading one of the western novels I gave him for Christmas.
After lunch, I made another double batch of fruit salad, but I didn't notice until I'd mixed the sour cream into the fruit that Hubbie had gotten regular rather than light sour cream yesterday...even though I'd specifically reminded him to get the light variety. So unless Niece and her family eat a lot of it tomorrow, Hubbie will have plenty of the stuff to eat in the coming days, because Mother and I won't indulge.
Mother went on working on her jigsaw puzzle this afternoon, and I continued doing this and that, including washing and drying a couple of loads of laundry. The excitement never ends.
Around 4 p.m., Mother put sweet potatoes in the oven to bake, and carrots on stove to boil, while Hubbie and I went to the WDCS to get a deli chicken and a container of light sour cream. Back home, I seasoned the cooked carrots with margarine, honey, and ginger. They were good with the chicken and sweet potatoes, but the meal sure was orange. I didn't plan very well when I decided to have both sweet potatoes and carrots for supper!
After supper, I put together a single batch of fruit salad for Mother and me. The recipe calls for two cups of sour cream, but I dumped the whole carton into the fruit before discovering it was a 24 oz. container. So to correct my mistake, I added half the amount of the other ingredients. If we have nothing else to eat this coming week, we certainly won't run out of fruit salad.
Later, I cleared away the jigsaw puzzle so we could play a few games of Skibo, before Mother went home around 8:30 p.m. We played four games, with Hubbie and I each winning two. We were hoping Mother would win at least one, but it didn't happen. She didn't care.
She was a bit tired and wobbly tonight, so I walked her home. She'll no doubt hit the sack early and skip the ball dropping at midnight in Times Square. I don't know if we'll see it either, since we'll probably be in bed by that time. Last year, I stayed awake long enough to see the New Year in, but Hubbie was snoring. We'll see what happens this year. The excitement never ends.
On the walk to Mother's house, we noticed the "Blue Moon," which of course is a second full moon for the month. The term "Once in a Blue Moon" just means something that happens only once in a while. One website says that in every century, there are an average of 41 Blue Moons.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Wednesday, December 30
We were up at 6:30 this morning, so I could get ready to take Mother to her ophthalmologist appointment at 8 a.m.
Weather predictions last night were for possible light snow or sleet this morning, but fortunately nothing much happened. At the clinic, a decorated Christmas tree stood in front of a picture window, and shortly after Mother and I were seated in the waiting room, we looked out the window and saw snowflakes drifting down...very "Christmasy" on this fifth day after the big day.
A few minutes after 8 a.m., all the patients who'd had surgery yesterday were marched to exam rooms in the back. Mother's exam went smoothly, and we were out of the clinic around 8:30.
It spit slush on the way home...something between snow and sleet that turned into rain. Otherwise, the weather was winter-nippy, but not too bad, since there was no wind.
Mother went to work on a new jigsaw puzzle when we got home, and Hubbie and I ran errands...to a grocery store to get on-sale grapefruit (yuk, I don't like this fruit, but Hubbie and Mother do), potatoes, and sour cream to make more fruit salad. From there, we went to the bank, to the appliance store to pick up our upstairs TV, to the cable TV office to order another DVR for upstairs, and to the WDCS.
At the cable TV office, we were told that we would either have to take the DVR home and install it ourselves, or pay an installation fee to have someone come do it. Well, we protested, since the old cable box isn't working. It began giving us problems a couple of weeks ago, and then today, when we hooked the TV up, we found the cable box doesn't work at all anymore. It's our understanding that the cable company is responsible for maintaining or replacing non-working boxes, sans charge. So we'll see what happens.
It's been one thing after another with the upstairs TV...first it was thought that the problem with the unit was the remote control, and it took forever to get a new one, and then when that didn't help, the tech decided it was the TV's sensor. Today, after waiting forever for the new sensor to come in, he repaired the TV. And now it's the cable box.
We're glad, though, that the TV is still under warranty, because otherwise it would have cost us $147.99 in repair charges! Or else we would have ditched it for a new one.
We went to the WDCS to pick up a few groceries for when Niece and her family visit on Friday. Great-Niece emailed yesterday to see if we would be home for New Years, and of course, we will. We don't know if they will be here in time for lunch, or won't be here until after lunch to join us for dessert. And we don't know if they can stay for supper. So now we are prepared for however much time they can spend with us.
Back home, Hubbie and I made another batch of fruited popcorn, because he wanted a batch that tasted less like molasses and more like caramel. Then he popped two more batches of popcorn to bake in the oven for 15 minutes. He claims that baking popcorn crisps it, while simply air popping it makes some of the kernels taste like cardboard. I hadn't noticed that, but I'll take his word for it.
Later, he heated the popcorn again before we settled in to watch our favorite college basketball team play to a loss. Phooey. With the popcorn, we had glasses of fresh squeezed orange juice with pulp. This afternoon, I'd juiced a bag of oranges, because we found them too tough, membranous, and stringy to peel and eat in sections. The pulpy juice was sweet and good, though. Mother took the orange peel halves home to scrape for making zest.
For supper tonight, Mother boiled wheat rotini pasta to add to leftover chili. The chili, stored in the freezer, was leftover from last week. It came in handy tonight, when we didn't feel like cooking from scratch. We had the chili-mac with slaw and cottage cheese.
Weather predictions last night were for possible light snow or sleet this morning, but fortunately nothing much happened. At the clinic, a decorated Christmas tree stood in front of a picture window, and shortly after Mother and I were seated in the waiting room, we looked out the window and saw snowflakes drifting down...very "Christmasy" on this fifth day after the big day.
A few minutes after 8 a.m., all the patients who'd had surgery yesterday were marched to exam rooms in the back. Mother's exam went smoothly, and we were out of the clinic around 8:30.
It spit slush on the way home...something between snow and sleet that turned into rain. Otherwise, the weather was winter-nippy, but not too bad, since there was no wind.
Mother went to work on a new jigsaw puzzle when we got home, and Hubbie and I ran errands...to a grocery store to get on-sale grapefruit (yuk, I don't like this fruit, but Hubbie and Mother do), potatoes, and sour cream to make more fruit salad. From there, we went to the bank, to the appliance store to pick up our upstairs TV, to the cable TV office to order another DVR for upstairs, and to the WDCS.
At the cable TV office, we were told that we would either have to take the DVR home and install it ourselves, or pay an installation fee to have someone come do it. Well, we protested, since the old cable box isn't working. It began giving us problems a couple of weeks ago, and then today, when we hooked the TV up, we found the cable box doesn't work at all anymore. It's our understanding that the cable company is responsible for maintaining or replacing non-working boxes, sans charge. So we'll see what happens.
It's been one thing after another with the upstairs TV...first it was thought that the problem with the unit was the remote control, and it took forever to get a new one, and then when that didn't help, the tech decided it was the TV's sensor. Today, after waiting forever for the new sensor to come in, he repaired the TV. And now it's the cable box.
We're glad, though, that the TV is still under warranty, because otherwise it would have cost us $147.99 in repair charges! Or else we would have ditched it for a new one.
We went to the WDCS to pick up a few groceries for when Niece and her family visit on Friday. Great-Niece emailed yesterday to see if we would be home for New Years, and of course, we will. We don't know if they will be here in time for lunch, or won't be here until after lunch to join us for dessert. And we don't know if they can stay for supper. So now we are prepared for however much time they can spend with us.
Back home, Hubbie and I made another batch of fruited popcorn, because he wanted a batch that tasted less like molasses and more like caramel. Then he popped two more batches of popcorn to bake in the oven for 15 minutes. He claims that baking popcorn crisps it, while simply air popping it makes some of the kernels taste like cardboard. I hadn't noticed that, but I'll take his word for it.
Later, he heated the popcorn again before we settled in to watch our favorite college basketball team play to a loss. Phooey. With the popcorn, we had glasses of fresh squeezed orange juice with pulp. This afternoon, I'd juiced a bag of oranges, because we found them too tough, membranous, and stringy to peel and eat in sections. The pulpy juice was sweet and good, though. Mother took the orange peel halves home to scrape for making zest.
For supper tonight, Mother boiled wheat rotini pasta to add to leftover chili. The chili, stored in the freezer, was leftover from last week. It came in handy tonight, when we didn't feel like cooking from scratch. We had the chili-mac with slaw and cottage cheese.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Tuesday, December 29
5:30 a.m. rolled around pretty fast this morning, but I hopped right out of bed when the alarm went off, so I could get ready to take Mother to the ophthalmologist's clinic for her second cataract surgery.
We arrived a few minutes before the appointed 6:50 a.m. hour, and the receptionist took Mother right back for preps.
The waiting room was frigid, as it was for her first surgery earlier this month. The nurses and receptionist shivered, despite commenting that they were wearing thermal underwear and several layers of clothing. The patients stay in their coats during surgery, and are provided with blankets for further warmth. I guess this is a clinic bent on keeping the environment cold enough to inhibit the growth of bacteria.
By 8 a.m., Mother was out of surgery. She was a bit more wobbly this time, and seemed not to feel as well. On the way home, she said her stomach had become queasy after taking her BP meds this morning. And the evil-tasting med she was given to relax her during surgery wasn't as effective today. So although she was in no pain during the procedure, she was more alertly aware of pressure in her eye as the doctor worked.
Back home, she was ready to have something to eat, and more than ready for her morning coffee. She had three pieces of toast, with margarine and pumpkin butter, and several cups of coffee. After that, she lay on the couch and napped for a few hours.
When she awoke around 2 p.m., I fixed her a bowl of Ramen noodle soup, with lots of crackers and cheese, and more coffee. She felt much better after that, and was ready to walk around the house a little.
Even though she ate a late lunch, she was still ready for supper at 5 p.m. We had leftover chicken noodle soup, with yeast rolls, and fruit salad for dessert. After that, Mother was ready to work on her jigsaw puzzle again. Together, we finished that puzzle by 7 p.m., and she chose another one to begin tomorrow.
She was alert and ready to go home by then, so I walked her to her house and made sure she was settled in, before coming back to my house.
I didn't accomplish anything much other than taking care of Mother's needs today, which is all I meant to do. While she slept, though, I did write a letter to my high school friend who sent me a Christmas card (I haven't seen this friend since we graduated). I also sent a note of congratulations to my widowed sister-in-law, who recently remarried. And I put away my Christmas movies and music CDs, as first step to getting my house back in order after the holidays. Most of this chore will be done after New Year's Day.
After supper, Hubbie and I watched the movie, "Eight Men Out," a 1988 PG movie starring John Cusack, Michael Lerner, Charlie Sheen, Christopher Lloyd, and others. This film is based on the 1919 sports scandal, when the Chicago White Sox threw the World Series. We got this movie DVD free with cereal box proofs. It's a good movie.
We arrived a few minutes before the appointed 6:50 a.m. hour, and the receptionist took Mother right back for preps.
The waiting room was frigid, as it was for her first surgery earlier this month. The nurses and receptionist shivered, despite commenting that they were wearing thermal underwear and several layers of clothing. The patients stay in their coats during surgery, and are provided with blankets for further warmth. I guess this is a clinic bent on keeping the environment cold enough to inhibit the growth of bacteria.
By 8 a.m., Mother was out of surgery. She was a bit more wobbly this time, and seemed not to feel as well. On the way home, she said her stomach had become queasy after taking her BP meds this morning. And the evil-tasting med she was given to relax her during surgery wasn't as effective today. So although she was in no pain during the procedure, she was more alertly aware of pressure in her eye as the doctor worked.
Back home, she was ready to have something to eat, and more than ready for her morning coffee. She had three pieces of toast, with margarine and pumpkin butter, and several cups of coffee. After that, she lay on the couch and napped for a few hours.
When she awoke around 2 p.m., I fixed her a bowl of Ramen noodle soup, with lots of crackers and cheese, and more coffee. She felt much better after that, and was ready to walk around the house a little.
Even though she ate a late lunch, she was still ready for supper at 5 p.m. We had leftover chicken noodle soup, with yeast rolls, and fruit salad for dessert. After that, Mother was ready to work on her jigsaw puzzle again. Together, we finished that puzzle by 7 p.m., and she chose another one to begin tomorrow.
She was alert and ready to go home by then, so I walked her to her house and made sure she was settled in, before coming back to my house.
I didn't accomplish anything much other than taking care of Mother's needs today, which is all I meant to do. While she slept, though, I did write a letter to my high school friend who sent me a Christmas card (I haven't seen this friend since we graduated). I also sent a note of congratulations to my widowed sister-in-law, who recently remarried. And I put away my Christmas movies and music CDs, as first step to getting my house back in order after the holidays. Most of this chore will be done after New Year's Day.
After supper, Hubbie and I watched the movie, "Eight Men Out," a 1988 PG movie starring John Cusack, Michael Lerner, Charlie Sheen, Christopher Lloyd, and others. This film is based on the 1919 sports scandal, when the Chicago White Sox threw the World Series. We got this movie DVD free with cereal box proofs. It's a good movie.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Monday, December 28
Got up late this morning, and then did a treadmill session and weights exercises after breakfast. Mother came over and worked on her jigsaw puzzle while I got ready for the day. Didn't accomplish much before lunch.
After lunch, Hubbie and I ran errands...to a grocery store to get cottage cheese, to the Post Office, to the greeting card store (needed to buy a couple of cards to satisfy my points accumulation for the year, so that I can get special discounts in 2010), and then to the doctor's office, so Hubbie could be examined for a hernia he has developed over the past several weeks.
As we suspected, Hubbie will need to see a surgeon, who will schedule a time for hernia surgery. Hubbie's doctor said that the surgeon is over-scheduled right now, because another surgeon left town to work somewhere else, and his replacement is seriously ill. So the surgeon's office is to call with an appointment date as soon as possible, but it could be a while.
From the doctor's office, we went to the cable TV office to pick up a couple of channel listings, to the health store for 8-grain cereal and multi vitamins, and to the WDCS for groceries and incidentals.
It was about 3:30 before we got back home. We didn't do much else for the rest of the afternoon. Supper was leftover veggies, rice, and gravy. Mother went home after supper, and Hubbie and I relaxed for the evening.
I will need to get up early tomorrow morning, since Mother is scheduled for her second cataract surgery at 6:50 a.m. She's very ready to get the surgery over with, so she can get a new pair of eyeglasses.
Tonight, Hubbie and I watched a movie..."The Caller," rated PG-13. This 2008 movie stars Frank Langella and Elliot Gould. An energy company whistleblower sends an anonymous email with a video-clip attachment of a burial ground at the firm's factory in South America. The corporation in New York begins hunting the whistleblower. Fearing for his life, the whistleblower disguises his voice and hires a private detective to follow and find out all he can about an unnamed man, who turns out to be himself. The plot is a little hard to follow, since the movie starts with scenes from 1940's France, before moving to modern-day New York, and then does not reveal the connection until the end of the movie.
After lunch, Hubbie and I ran errands...to a grocery store to get cottage cheese, to the Post Office, to the greeting card store (needed to buy a couple of cards to satisfy my points accumulation for the year, so that I can get special discounts in 2010), and then to the doctor's office, so Hubbie could be examined for a hernia he has developed over the past several weeks.
As we suspected, Hubbie will need to see a surgeon, who will schedule a time for hernia surgery. Hubbie's doctor said that the surgeon is over-scheduled right now, because another surgeon left town to work somewhere else, and his replacement is seriously ill. So the surgeon's office is to call with an appointment date as soon as possible, but it could be a while.
From the doctor's office, we went to the cable TV office to pick up a couple of channel listings, to the health store for 8-grain cereal and multi vitamins, and to the WDCS for groceries and incidentals.
It was about 3:30 before we got back home. We didn't do much else for the rest of the afternoon. Supper was leftover veggies, rice, and gravy. Mother went home after supper, and Hubbie and I relaxed for the evening.
I will need to get up early tomorrow morning, since Mother is scheduled for her second cataract surgery at 6:50 a.m. She's very ready to get the surgery over with, so she can get a new pair of eyeglasses.
Tonight, Hubbie and I watched a movie..."The Caller," rated PG-13. This 2008 movie stars Frank Langella and Elliot Gould. An energy company whistleblower sends an anonymous email with a video-clip attachment of a burial ground at the firm's factory in South America. The corporation in New York begins hunting the whistleblower. Fearing for his life, the whistleblower disguises his voice and hires a private detective to follow and find out all he can about an unnamed man, who turns out to be himself. The plot is a little hard to follow, since the movie starts with scenes from 1940's France, before moving to modern-day New York, and then does not reveal the connection until the end of the movie.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Sunday, December 27
Got up late this morning, but still did a treadmill session and resistance exercises after breakfast. After that, it was a usual Sunday of programming the DVR for movies and shows this week, and reading the Sunday newspaper.
Mother came over mid-morning to work on her jigsaw puzzle. For lunch, we had leftover beef roast with various veggies and fruit salad. After that, we relaxed and just watched TV, read, and worked the jigsaw puzzle. I did my usual part with the puzzle...put in the sky and trees.
Supper was leftover potato soup, with restaurant yeast rolls. After supper, Mother and I continued with the jigsaw puzzle, while Hubbie watched football.
Mother went home around 8 p.m., and Hubbie and I watched the movie "Transsiberian," starring Woody Harrelson and Ben Kingsley. In this R-rated movie, a couple on a trip from China to Russia meet a strange couple and become involved in deception and murder. It's a pretty good thriller.
Mother came over mid-morning to work on her jigsaw puzzle. For lunch, we had leftover beef roast with various veggies and fruit salad. After that, we relaxed and just watched TV, read, and worked the jigsaw puzzle. I did my usual part with the puzzle...put in the sky and trees.
Supper was leftover potato soup, with restaurant yeast rolls. After supper, Mother and I continued with the jigsaw puzzle, while Hubbie watched football.
Mother went home around 8 p.m., and Hubbie and I watched the movie "Transsiberian," starring Woody Harrelson and Ben Kingsley. In this R-rated movie, a couple on a trip from China to Russia meet a strange couple and become involved in deception and murder. It's a pretty good thriller.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Saturday, December 26
We were up by 6:30 a.m. this morning, but I skipped my exercises so we could do last-minute household chores and food preparations for when family visited.
The first group arrived around 10:30, and by noon everyone was here. Thirteen of Hubbie's family came, including Daughter and her husband, Grandson and his wife and three daughters, Sister and her two sons and two granddaughters, plus Nephew's girlfriend.
They came with healthy appetites on this cold, windy day, and enjoyed the three choices of hot soup (11-bean with ham and Rotel, potato, and chicken noodle), plus barbecued pork on hamburger buns, and cole slaw. There was also a choice of dips and cheese balls with crackers. Daughter brought several kinds of homemade candies to add to the desserts we set out...fruit salad, various homemade cookies, rum cake and rum-soaked fruit cake. Drinks included wine, tea, soft drinks, and coffee.
Following lunch, Nephew and I adjourned to my office upstairs, where Nephew downloaded a program to use in transferring cassette audio books to CDs. He also showed me how to use the program, and then spent time cleaning my computer. In order to use the new program, I needed a special jack to hook my tape recorder/player to the computer. So Nephew and Hubbie went to the WDCS to buy one. Now I can begin getting books recorded on CD, and play them in the van when we travel. Yippee.
Nephew has also volunteered to clear my old word program out and download an updated version, as well as add memory to my computer. He needs to order something or other to do this, so as soon as he has what he needs, we'll take the computer to his town and let him work on it. He's very enthusiastic to help me, because he's a natural at technology and a born teacher.
Around 3 p.m., after Nephew had finished working on my computer, the family was ready to go home. Grandson and his family had left shortly after lunch to go visit with his wife's family in another town.
A few minutes after the family left, I got a call from a high school classmate. She was contacting class members to see how many of us might be able to attend a 50th class reunion at the end of May. That time-frame would be perfect for me, since we usually camp in the area on that weekend, anyway. So I hope the reunion committee nails it for that time.
We had a small class...only about 30 of us...and sadly, five of us are gone. So of the 25 of us remaining, there will probably be only 20 or so, plus spouses, to get together (some live too far away to attend). We will probably have the reunion at one of the classmate's homes, like we did ten years ago.
Mother, who slept only a couple of hours last night, was pooped by the time family left this afternoon, so she was plenty ready to go home and crash. Hubbie and I are feeling the effects of a busy holiday season, too, and are glad to just sit and veg for the evening.
After an eggs and toast supper, with cottage cheese, and fresh oranges and prunes for dessert, we watched the movie "August," that I'd recorded on DVR. Two brothers try to keep their start-up dot.com business alive after the 9/11 attacks. The movie is rated "R" for language.
The second movie we saw was "Spinning into Butter," an R-rated (for language) movie starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Beau Bridges. A black student is the object of hate crimes that turn a small, ethnically diverse, New England college into a tailspin, as racism is examined on campus.
The first group arrived around 10:30, and by noon everyone was here. Thirteen of Hubbie's family came, including Daughter and her husband, Grandson and his wife and three daughters, Sister and her two sons and two granddaughters, plus Nephew's girlfriend.
They came with healthy appetites on this cold, windy day, and enjoyed the three choices of hot soup (11-bean with ham and Rotel, potato, and chicken noodle), plus barbecued pork on hamburger buns, and cole slaw. There was also a choice of dips and cheese balls with crackers. Daughter brought several kinds of homemade candies to add to the desserts we set out...fruit salad, various homemade cookies, rum cake and rum-soaked fruit cake. Drinks included wine, tea, soft drinks, and coffee.
Following lunch, Nephew and I adjourned to my office upstairs, where Nephew downloaded a program to use in transferring cassette audio books to CDs. He also showed me how to use the program, and then spent time cleaning my computer. In order to use the new program, I needed a special jack to hook my tape recorder/player to the computer. So Nephew and Hubbie went to the WDCS to buy one. Now I can begin getting books recorded on CD, and play them in the van when we travel. Yippee.
Nephew has also volunteered to clear my old word program out and download an updated version, as well as add memory to my computer. He needs to order something or other to do this, so as soon as he has what he needs, we'll take the computer to his town and let him work on it. He's very enthusiastic to help me, because he's a natural at technology and a born teacher.
Around 3 p.m., after Nephew had finished working on my computer, the family was ready to go home. Grandson and his family had left shortly after lunch to go visit with his wife's family in another town.
A few minutes after the family left, I got a call from a high school classmate. She was contacting class members to see how many of us might be able to attend a 50th class reunion at the end of May. That time-frame would be perfect for me, since we usually camp in the area on that weekend, anyway. So I hope the reunion committee nails it for that time.
We had a small class...only about 30 of us...and sadly, five of us are gone. So of the 25 of us remaining, there will probably be only 20 or so, plus spouses, to get together (some live too far away to attend). We will probably have the reunion at one of the classmate's homes, like we did ten years ago.
Mother, who slept only a couple of hours last night, was pooped by the time family left this afternoon, so she was plenty ready to go home and crash. Hubbie and I are feeling the effects of a busy holiday season, too, and are glad to just sit and veg for the evening.
After an eggs and toast supper, with cottage cheese, and fresh oranges and prunes for dessert, we watched the movie "August," that I'd recorded on DVR. Two brothers try to keep their start-up dot.com business alive after the 9/11 attacks. The movie is rated "R" for language.
The second movie we saw was "Spinning into Butter," an R-rated (for language) movie starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Beau Bridges. A black student is the object of hate crimes that turn a small, ethnically diverse, New England college into a tailspin, as racism is examined on campus.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Christmas Day
Got up around 8 a.m. to a smattering of snow that dusted the roof of the house and the van. Not exactly a white Christmas. After breakfast, I did a treadmill session and weights exercises. Mother came over while I was getting ready for the day and put a beef roast and veggies in the slow cooker.
Then Hubbie decided to scratch off his lottery tickets. He won $30, a $10 gain on the $20 I'd paid for the tickets. Of course, it was a $30 gain for him. When I bought the tickets at the grocery store this week, the clerk said lots of folks were buying them to use as stocking stuffers.
While the beef was cooking, we spruced the house for company. The beef, with carrots and onions, was delicious served with mashed potatoes (Hubbie peeled the potatoes, and I mashed them after they were cooked), gravy, canned asparagus, and fruit salad that I'd made yesterday. We also had mouthwatering yeast rolls that we'd bought from a local restaurant.
After lunch, we set the tables with alternating poinsettia patterned and plain green place mats, and alternating white and green dinner plates, alternating white and green bowls, and clear stemmed goblets, for the soup and sandwich lunch tomorrow, when Hubbie's family comes. We expect thirteen to come, so there will be sixteen of us for lunch.
After that, we watched a couple of Christmas programs....the Disney World Christmas Parade, the St. Olaf Christmas concert, and the animated features, "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," and "The Little Drummer Boy."
Then Hubbie and I went upstairs to straighten the office, since tomorrow, Nephew plans to load a program into my computer for transferring audio tapes to CDs, and then teach me how to use it. Nephew is a technology teacher.
Mother went home later in the afternoon, and Hubbie and I relaxed for the evening.
Then Hubbie decided to scratch off his lottery tickets. He won $30, a $10 gain on the $20 I'd paid for the tickets. Of course, it was a $30 gain for him. When I bought the tickets at the grocery store this week, the clerk said lots of folks were buying them to use as stocking stuffers.
While the beef was cooking, we spruced the house for company. The beef, with carrots and onions, was delicious served with mashed potatoes (Hubbie peeled the potatoes, and I mashed them after they were cooked), gravy, canned asparagus, and fruit salad that I'd made yesterday. We also had mouthwatering yeast rolls that we'd bought from a local restaurant.
After lunch, we set the tables with alternating poinsettia patterned and plain green place mats, and alternating white and green dinner plates, alternating white and green bowls, and clear stemmed goblets, for the soup and sandwich lunch tomorrow, when Hubbie's family comes. We expect thirteen to come, so there will be sixteen of us for lunch.
After that, we watched a couple of Christmas programs....the Disney World Christmas Parade, the St. Olaf Christmas concert, and the animated features, "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," and "The Little Drummer Boy."
Then Hubbie and I went upstairs to straighten the office, since tomorrow, Nephew plans to load a program into my computer for transferring audio tapes to CDs, and then teach me how to use it. Nephew is a technology teacher.
Mother went home later in the afternoon, and Hubbie and I relaxed for the evening.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Christmas Eve
We were up by 8 a.m., and after breakfast, I did a treadmill session and resistance exercises. Mother came over while I was on the treadmill and started some chicken stewing for chicken noodle soup Saturday. Hubbie went to town while I was exercising. I didn't even know he'd left the house until I was done with my session. I guess he sneaked off to do some last-minute Christmas shopping.
While I was cooling down, the door bell rang. I really didn't want to answer the door in my exercise clothes (a t-shirt and shorts), but I did. One of our neighbor teenage boys was there. He handed me a couple of small gift bags, one holding sugar cookies, and one holding fudge. I was glad I had a gift box ready for him to take to his family. I think he and his family were on their way to visit relatives, so maybe the goodies in the gift box I gave him will become part of their refreshment table.
After I was ready for the day, I did a few things related to getting ready for company Saturday. After lunch, we watched "Scrooge," starring Alastair Sim. This is my very most favorite version of the Scrooge movies, and I look forward to seeing it every year.
Then Hubbie and I worked together to make a batch of fruited popcorn. It didn't turn out as usual, though, because this morning, Hubbie had brought home a bag of dark brown sugar instead of light brown. So the popcorn had a molasses taste instead of a caramel taste, according to Hubbie. I never eat this popcorn, which has real butter, candied cherries, and pecans in it.
We decided to run to the grocery store and get a bag of light brown sugar. On the way, we noticed that after the hard rains of last night and today, the creeks were swollen, and low-lying fields looked like lakes. Before going to the store, we went down to the river, and found that it was flooding out of its banks. The deluge makes this the wettest year in our state's weather-recording history, surpassing the last most rainy year of 1882.
Back home, we made another batch of fruited popcorn, which turned out just right. We'll save this batch to give to Hubbie's daughter Saturday. She loves it as much as Hubbie does, so we make a batch for her every year.
Later, we had boiled chicken, with rice and gravy, and mixed vegetables for supper. Shortly after supper, my brother from Florida called, and we talked for quite a while. This brother, who is ten years older than me, doesn't have a computer, so phone calls and snail mail are the only ways we can communicate.
Around 7 p.m., we adjourned to the living room to open Christmas gifts. It is our tradition to open gifts on Christmas Eve, instead of Christmas morning. We will be busy tomorrow, anyway, getting ready for company Saturday.
We each got nice gifts. Besides a 12th day of Christmas present this morning of a scented reed diffuser and refill bottle, Mother got several puzzle books, a humorous gardening book, a Magic Chef cookbook, a jar of peach preserves from the Wildseed Farms in Texas, jersey bed sheets, a photo mug with her cat's picture on it (her favorite gift), and an original painting of a Japanese woman that I'd gotten at the art gallery silent auction last summer.
Hubbie got an electric toothbrush and an electric razor, as well as a shoe box full of western novels, a wine-colored sweater shirt, a big bag of peanut brittle, and some scratch-off lottery tickets.
I got several gift cards, and a beautiful heart-shaped pendant necklace from Hubbie. I'd already gotten several gifts before Christmas, including a new pair of brown leather gloves, a pair of gold colored Swarovski crystal earrings, a book about the wildflowers of our state, and a food blender.
As usual, Hubbie was clever in wrapping the gift cards. One was taped to the bottom of a small box of Whitman's dark chocolates (I'll sample those later), one was on the back of a cake of bird suet, and the other one was taped to a box of mini candy canes.
After we opened gifts, we enjoyed glasses of the Riesling wine that Granddaughter from Michigan gave us for Christmas, along with slices of the fruit cake that we brought back from Corsicana, Texas last spring. I'd stored the cake in the freezer, and then got it out after Thanksgiving. wrapped it in a rum-soaked cloth, and refrigerated it after a few days. Mother had a glass of sparkling grape juice with hers.
Then we played two games of Skipbo, with Mother winning one game, and Hubbie winning the other. Mother went home after that, and Hubbie and I watched an episode of "The Good Wife," before retiring.
While I was cooling down, the door bell rang. I really didn't want to answer the door in my exercise clothes (a t-shirt and shorts), but I did. One of our neighbor teenage boys was there. He handed me a couple of small gift bags, one holding sugar cookies, and one holding fudge. I was glad I had a gift box ready for him to take to his family. I think he and his family were on their way to visit relatives, so maybe the goodies in the gift box I gave him will become part of their refreshment table.
After I was ready for the day, I did a few things related to getting ready for company Saturday. After lunch, we watched "Scrooge," starring Alastair Sim. This is my very most favorite version of the Scrooge movies, and I look forward to seeing it every year.
Then Hubbie and I worked together to make a batch of fruited popcorn. It didn't turn out as usual, though, because this morning, Hubbie had brought home a bag of dark brown sugar instead of light brown. So the popcorn had a molasses taste instead of a caramel taste, according to Hubbie. I never eat this popcorn, which has real butter, candied cherries, and pecans in it.
We decided to run to the grocery store and get a bag of light brown sugar. On the way, we noticed that after the hard rains of last night and today, the creeks were swollen, and low-lying fields looked like lakes. Before going to the store, we went down to the river, and found that it was flooding out of its banks. The deluge makes this the wettest year in our state's weather-recording history, surpassing the last most rainy year of 1882.
Back home, we made another batch of fruited popcorn, which turned out just right. We'll save this batch to give to Hubbie's daughter Saturday. She loves it as much as Hubbie does, so we make a batch for her every year.
Later, we had boiled chicken, with rice and gravy, and mixed vegetables for supper. Shortly after supper, my brother from Florida called, and we talked for quite a while. This brother, who is ten years older than me, doesn't have a computer, so phone calls and snail mail are the only ways we can communicate.
Around 7 p.m., we adjourned to the living room to open Christmas gifts. It is our tradition to open gifts on Christmas Eve, instead of Christmas morning. We will be busy tomorrow, anyway, getting ready for company Saturday.
We each got nice gifts. Besides a 12th day of Christmas present this morning of a scented reed diffuser and refill bottle, Mother got several puzzle books, a humorous gardening book, a Magic Chef cookbook, a jar of peach preserves from the Wildseed Farms in Texas, jersey bed sheets, a photo mug with her cat's picture on it (her favorite gift), and an original painting of a Japanese woman that I'd gotten at the art gallery silent auction last summer.
Hubbie got an electric toothbrush and an electric razor, as well as a shoe box full of western novels, a wine-colored sweater shirt, a big bag of peanut brittle, and some scratch-off lottery tickets.
I got several gift cards, and a beautiful heart-shaped pendant necklace from Hubbie. I'd already gotten several gifts before Christmas, including a new pair of brown leather gloves, a pair of gold colored Swarovski crystal earrings, a book about the wildflowers of our state, and a food blender.
As usual, Hubbie was clever in wrapping the gift cards. One was taped to the bottom of a small box of Whitman's dark chocolates (I'll sample those later), one was on the back of a cake of bird suet, and the other one was taped to a box of mini candy canes.
After we opened gifts, we enjoyed glasses of the Riesling wine that Granddaughter from Michigan gave us for Christmas, along with slices of the fruit cake that we brought back from Corsicana, Texas last spring. I'd stored the cake in the freezer, and then got it out after Thanksgiving. wrapped it in a rum-soaked cloth, and refrigerated it after a few days. Mother had a glass of sparkling grape juice with hers.
Then we played two games of Skipbo, with Mother winning one game, and Hubbie winning the other. Mother went home after that, and Hubbie and I watched an episode of "The Good Wife," before retiring.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Wednesday, December 23
Another special day...Grandson's 24th birthday. Happy Birthday, Grandson.
We were up by around 8 a.m. this morning, and I did a treadmill session and weights exercises right after breakfast. Mother came over about 9 a.m. and worked on her jigsaw puzzle. Before she got started, I gave her an 11th day of Christmas gift...a can of tuile cookies (see description below), and a key chain flashlght, so she can locate the keyhole on the door of her house at night when we return home from trips like the one we made Monday.
While I was getting ready for the day, Hubbie went to a local restaurant to pick up the dozen yeast rolls that I ordered yesterday, and then ran some other errands that he kept secret.
After lunch, we both went to the WDCS for more last-minute items for Christmas weekend. We also stopped by a local food and clothing store for the disadvantaged, because I wanted to leave a small donation. But they were closed, so I'll have to drop it by there next week. The store is in constant need of donations, so the money will be just as welcome next week.
From there, we went to the farm supply store to pick up several cakes of suet for the birds.
While we were gone, Mother put together an 11-bean soup with ham and Rotel to serve Saturday, when Hubbie's family will be here.
Back home, I put together a food gift pack for our neighbors. The young husband of the family is very good at helping Hubbie with heavy-duty yard chores, for which he refuses payment. In the food pack, I included a tin of tuile cookies (thin rolled cookies shaped like cigarettes), a Ziplock bag of assorted homemade cookies, and individual packets of hot chocolate and apple cider mixes. Hubbie will take this pack to the neighbors tomorrow, when it will hopefully be too late for them to reciprocate.
Later, Mother enjoyed catching up on e-mails, blogs, and online Christmas cards on my laptop. When she finished, she went back to her puzzle, and I gathered ingredients for making whole wheat pancakes for supper.
After I made the pancake batter, Hubbie stepped in to take care of the cooking chores, while I heated dinner plates and pancake syrup in the microwave. The pancakes were very good. Mother especially finds them to be a treat, since she doesn't fix them for herself when she's at home.
Mother went home after supper, and Hubbie and I watched a Hallmark movie that I'd recorded on DVR..."The Three Gifts," starring Dean Cain. An orphanage needs someone to host three trouble making boys (about 10 years old) for the holidays. A couple who cannot have children of their own agree to take them in. Life lessons are learned.
Then we watched a movie called, "The Wool Cap," starring William H. Macy. A woman leaves her young daughter with the mute superintendent of her building and never returns. The man doesn't want to be responsible for the child, but as times passes, he becomes attached and tries to adopt her. Problems ensue.
We were up by around 8 a.m. this morning, and I did a treadmill session and weights exercises right after breakfast. Mother came over about 9 a.m. and worked on her jigsaw puzzle. Before she got started, I gave her an 11th day of Christmas gift...a can of tuile cookies (see description below), and a key chain flashlght, so she can locate the keyhole on the door of her house at night when we return home from trips like the one we made Monday.
While I was getting ready for the day, Hubbie went to a local restaurant to pick up the dozen yeast rolls that I ordered yesterday, and then ran some other errands that he kept secret.
After lunch, we both went to the WDCS for more last-minute items for Christmas weekend. We also stopped by a local food and clothing store for the disadvantaged, because I wanted to leave a small donation. But they were closed, so I'll have to drop it by there next week. The store is in constant need of donations, so the money will be just as welcome next week.
From there, we went to the farm supply store to pick up several cakes of suet for the birds.
While we were gone, Mother put together an 11-bean soup with ham and Rotel to serve Saturday, when Hubbie's family will be here.
Back home, I put together a food gift pack for our neighbors. The young husband of the family is very good at helping Hubbie with heavy-duty yard chores, for which he refuses payment. In the food pack, I included a tin of tuile cookies (thin rolled cookies shaped like cigarettes), a Ziplock bag of assorted homemade cookies, and individual packets of hot chocolate and apple cider mixes. Hubbie will take this pack to the neighbors tomorrow, when it will hopefully be too late for them to reciprocate.
Later, Mother enjoyed catching up on e-mails, blogs, and online Christmas cards on my laptop. When she finished, she went back to her puzzle, and I gathered ingredients for making whole wheat pancakes for supper.
After I made the pancake batter, Hubbie stepped in to take care of the cooking chores, while I heated dinner plates and pancake syrup in the microwave. The pancakes were very good. Mother especially finds them to be a treat, since she doesn't fix them for herself when she's at home.
Mother went home after supper, and Hubbie and I watched a Hallmark movie that I'd recorded on DVR..."The Three Gifts," starring Dean Cain. An orphanage needs someone to host three trouble making boys (about 10 years old) for the holidays. A couple who cannot have children of their own agree to take them in. Life lessons are learned.
Then we watched a movie called, "The Wool Cap," starring William H. Macy. A woman leaves her young daughter with the mute superintendent of her building and never returns. The man doesn't want to be responsible for the child, but as times passes, he becomes attached and tries to adopt her. Problems ensue.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Tuesday, December 22
Slept late this morning, and then did a treadmill session and resistance exercises. After being away from the treadmill for several days, I had to slow my pace just slightly. It doesn't take long to lose strength. But then, exercising regularly also means I can get back up to speed in a day or so.
Mother came over mid-morning, and we made a list of groceries we'll need for Christmas weekend. Hubbie called our favorite barbecue restaurant to order pulled pork to have with soups on Saturday, when Hubbie's family will be here. He ordered it for 11:30 a.m., and then went to pick it up around that time. He also picked up a package of hamburger buns, so that we could sample the barbecue for lunch. We put the rest of it in the freezer until Friday.
Before I went upstairs to get ready for the day, I called another local restaurant to order a dozen of their mouthwatering yeast rolls to have with Christmas and New Year's dinners. We'll pick those up tomorrow.
While we were doing those things, Mother chose another jigsaw puzzle to work on. Before she got started on the puzzle, I gave her a tenth day of Christmas gift...two word search books and some intimate apparel in a style that she likes and that are hard to find. She was excited by these.
After lunch, Hubbie and I ran errands...to the pharmacy to pick prescriptions for both Mother and me and to the Caring Hands Hospice office to pick up a pewter dove for Hubbie's sister. From there, we went to the WDCS.
When we got back home, I turned right around and went to town again, because I had some last-minute Christmas shopping to do. Things went very well, and I was able to quickly find what I wanted, as well do Mother's Christmas shopping for Hubbie, and get back home within an hour. I was even able to apply a $10 discount coupon to the purchase, which helped both Mother and me.
While I was shopping, Mother put together a pot of chili to simmer for supper. I returned home around 3 p.m. and sat down to catch up on reading newspapers from Sunday, yesterday, and today.
Around 5 p.m., we had bowls of chili, and afterward, we went on a tour of Christmas lights around town. We usually do this tour on Christmas Eve, but predictions are for stormy weather that night, so we decided to do it tonight.
We were impressed with how our town has outdone itself decorating for Christmas. Both the downtown district, and the park at the river are ablaze in Christmas lights...very enchanting. I think the reason for the extraordinary display is that we are listed this year in the tourism department's trail of lights brochure, so our town's powers-that-be wanted to make sure we are well represented.
It rained a little while we were out and about, but the temperature was moderate, so it was still pleasant. When we got back home, we had cups of hot chocolate with slices of chocolate date nut bread. Yum.
Mother went home after that, and Hubbie and I watched our favorite college basketball team play to another nail-biter win, after the game went into overtime. I had recorded the game on DVR.
Note: I got a very special Christmas card today from a high school classmate, who was one of my best friends, but that I haven't had contact with since graduation. I learned that she lives in a town about five hours away, near Hubbie's daughter's home. So I hope to be able to see her some time when we go to that area to visit Daughter. Tomorrow, I'll send her a New Year's card and letter.
Mother came over mid-morning, and we made a list of groceries we'll need for Christmas weekend. Hubbie called our favorite barbecue restaurant to order pulled pork to have with soups on Saturday, when Hubbie's family will be here. He ordered it for 11:30 a.m., and then went to pick it up around that time. He also picked up a package of hamburger buns, so that we could sample the barbecue for lunch. We put the rest of it in the freezer until Friday.
Before I went upstairs to get ready for the day, I called another local restaurant to order a dozen of their mouthwatering yeast rolls to have with Christmas and New Year's dinners. We'll pick those up tomorrow.
While we were doing those things, Mother chose another jigsaw puzzle to work on. Before she got started on the puzzle, I gave her a tenth day of Christmas gift...two word search books and some intimate apparel in a style that she likes and that are hard to find. She was excited by these.
After lunch, Hubbie and I ran errands...to the pharmacy to pick prescriptions for both Mother and me and to the Caring Hands Hospice office to pick up a pewter dove for Hubbie's sister. From there, we went to the WDCS.
When we got back home, I turned right around and went to town again, because I had some last-minute Christmas shopping to do. Things went very well, and I was able to quickly find what I wanted, as well do Mother's Christmas shopping for Hubbie, and get back home within an hour. I was even able to apply a $10 discount coupon to the purchase, which helped both Mother and me.
While I was shopping, Mother put together a pot of chili to simmer for supper. I returned home around 3 p.m. and sat down to catch up on reading newspapers from Sunday, yesterday, and today.
Around 5 p.m., we had bowls of chili, and afterward, we went on a tour of Christmas lights around town. We usually do this tour on Christmas Eve, but predictions are for stormy weather that night, so we decided to do it tonight.
We were impressed with how our town has outdone itself decorating for Christmas. Both the downtown district, and the park at the river are ablaze in Christmas lights...very enchanting. I think the reason for the extraordinary display is that we are listed this year in the tourism department's trail of lights brochure, so our town's powers-that-be wanted to make sure we are well represented.
It rained a little while we were out and about, but the temperature was moderate, so it was still pleasant. When we got back home, we had cups of hot chocolate with slices of chocolate date nut bread. Yum.
Mother went home after that, and Hubbie and I watched our favorite college basketball team play to another nail-biter win, after the game went into overtime. I had recorded the game on DVR.
Note: I got a very special Christmas card today from a high school classmate, who was one of my best friends, but that I haven't had contact with since graduation. I learned that she lives in a town about five hours away, near Hubbie's daughter's home. So I hope to be able to see her some time when we go to that area to visit Daughter. Tomorrow, I'll send her a New Year's card and letter.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Monday, December 21
It has been a very long day. We got up at 6:30 so we could get ready to go to another town to be with Hubbie's family. Of course, I skipped my exercises again. Before we left town, Hubbie and I delivered a box of cookies to Caring Hands Hospice to be used in making gift boxes for hospice families. I also left a tin of cookies as a gift to the office staff.
We got on the road to the other town around 9:30 a.m. We arrived at the church where the family gathered for a "cousins party" around 11:00. Here, all the ladies set to work getting food ready for lunch. We provided a tray of deli meats and cheeses, along with flat bread for wraps, and various cheese balls and crackers. Others brought fruit and veggie trays and a ton of desserts. Pizzas were planned for the kids and whoever else wanted one, so some of the ladies prepared meats, sauces, veggies, etc., so that each individual could make their own.
Many of the adults, including Mother and I, preferred sandwiches, though, so I was glad we'd brought the makings for them.
After lunch, there were games and crafts. Daughter led the kids in a game about the Nativity. An aunt helped the kids make beaded Christmas ornaments. And we led them in constructing graham cracker cookie Christmas houses. Then a nephew involved everyone, kids and adults alike, in a game in which we all sat close together in chairs in a circle, while he read a story about Mr. and Mrs. Wright and all the Wright children, who did things going in right or left directions. As the story was read, we were to move to the chairs on our right or left. It was a fast game of moving right and left and sitting and standing, so some folks were out of breath at the end of it. This was one time I was glad that I exercise regularly.
Nephew provided a couple of other games, too...a "guess the name of the Christmas carol" paper and pencil game, and another in which teams blew up balloons and stuffed them into the legs of pantyhose. The leader at each table then put the pantyhose on his or her head, ran to a chair and sang "Jingle Bells." Folks wearing balloon stuffed pantyhose while singing "Jingle Bells" look pretty hilarious.
It was clean-up time after that, and by about 2:30 p.m., we had the church fellowship hall looking spruced. From the church, we went to Daughter's house, where we visited until time for the gift exchange. Hubbie's daughters an son gave him a new Bunn coffee maker to replace the one that quit working in the camper. He also received a pocket knife from his granddaughter. Mother got hand cream and Christmas themed dish towel and pot holder. I got a new makeup case (which was really for my birthday rather than Christmas) and a colorful tote from Granddaughter.
At 6 p.m., we had a supper of turkey and dressing, a choice of baked sweet or white potatoes, green bean casserole, corn-on-the-cob, raw veggies and dip, canned cranberry sauce, and homemade crescent rolls, plus an array of desserts.
Finally, around 7:30, we headed home. Shih Tzu, who had stayed in the van all those hours (because she can no longer tolerate crowds of people) was plenty ready to be home. Hubbie had tended to her frequently while we were at Daughter's house, feeding her and walking her and seeing that she had plenty of water, but she finally grew bored with being confined. I don't blame her.
At home, we watched a movie, "Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus," an R-rated film starring Nicole Kidman. The movie is about the real-life famous photographer, Diane Arbus, but as the title implies, this is a fictional account that supposes Arbus falls in love with a man with werewolf syndrome, a condition that causes excessive body hair. Arbus is noted for her photographs of "members of society's fringe." The movie starts with a brief scene featuring not-your-model-type fully nude folks.
We got on the road to the other town around 9:30 a.m. We arrived at the church where the family gathered for a "cousins party" around 11:00. Here, all the ladies set to work getting food ready for lunch. We provided a tray of deli meats and cheeses, along with flat bread for wraps, and various cheese balls and crackers. Others brought fruit and veggie trays and a ton of desserts. Pizzas were planned for the kids and whoever else wanted one, so some of the ladies prepared meats, sauces, veggies, etc., so that each individual could make their own.
Many of the adults, including Mother and I, preferred sandwiches, though, so I was glad we'd brought the makings for them.
After lunch, there were games and crafts. Daughter led the kids in a game about the Nativity. An aunt helped the kids make beaded Christmas ornaments. And we led them in constructing graham cracker cookie Christmas houses. Then a nephew involved everyone, kids and adults alike, in a game in which we all sat close together in chairs in a circle, while he read a story about Mr. and Mrs. Wright and all the Wright children, who did things going in right or left directions. As the story was read, we were to move to the chairs on our right or left. It was a fast game of moving right and left and sitting and standing, so some folks were out of breath at the end of it. This was one time I was glad that I exercise regularly.
Nephew provided a couple of other games, too...a "guess the name of the Christmas carol" paper and pencil game, and another in which teams blew up balloons and stuffed them into the legs of pantyhose. The leader at each table then put the pantyhose on his or her head, ran to a chair and sang "Jingle Bells." Folks wearing balloon stuffed pantyhose while singing "Jingle Bells" look pretty hilarious.
It was clean-up time after that, and by about 2:30 p.m., we had the church fellowship hall looking spruced. From the church, we went to Daughter's house, where we visited until time for the gift exchange. Hubbie's daughters an son gave him a new Bunn coffee maker to replace the one that quit working in the camper. He also received a pocket knife from his granddaughter. Mother got hand cream and Christmas themed dish towel and pot holder. I got a new makeup case (which was really for my birthday rather than Christmas) and a colorful tote from Granddaughter.
At 6 p.m., we had a supper of turkey and dressing, a choice of baked sweet or white potatoes, green bean casserole, corn-on-the-cob, raw veggies and dip, canned cranberry sauce, and homemade crescent rolls, plus an array of desserts.
Finally, around 7:30, we headed home. Shih Tzu, who had stayed in the van all those hours (because she can no longer tolerate crowds of people) was plenty ready to be home. Hubbie had tended to her frequently while we were at Daughter's house, feeding her and walking her and seeing that she had plenty of water, but she finally grew bored with being confined. I don't blame her.
At home, we watched a movie, "Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus," an R-rated film starring Nicole Kidman. The movie is about the real-life famous photographer, Diane Arbus, but as the title implies, this is a fictional account that supposes Arbus falls in love with a man with werewolf syndrome, a condition that causes excessive body hair. Arbus is noted for her photographs of "members of society's fringe." The movie starts with a brief scene featuring not-your-model-type fully nude folks.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Sunday, December 20
A special day today...Son's birthday. Happy Birthday, Son.
We were up by 6:30 a.m. this morning, and I skipped my exercises again in order to get ready for a visit from Daughter and family. Since they planned to be here at lunch time, Hubbie and I ran to the WDCS for sandwich makings and other groceries.
Daughter arrived around 10:30, along with Granddaughter and her husband, and two great-grandsons. We had a good visit. Daughter brought gifts for Mother and me...acrylic nativity scene Christmas tree ornaments. Daughter also brought Hubbie and me a gift...a bottle of Riesling wine...from Granddaughter and her husband, who lives in Michigan.
Daughter and Granddaughter enjoyed helping Mother work on the jigsaw puzzle before lunch. For lunch, we served deli turkey, ham, and cheeses, along with herb and garlic flat bread for wraps. With these, we had a choice of tortilla chips or pretzels, and cottage cheese, as well as crackers and a variety of dips and an Italian cream cheese ball. Dessert was rum cake and several types of homemade cookies.
Daughter and group left about 2 p.m., and we spent the rest of the afternoon being lazy. I helped Mother finish the jigsaw puzzle, and Hubbie read the Sunday newspaper. Later, we had a supper of braised pork chops, baked sweet potatoes, and canned vegetables.
Just as I was sitting down to supper, my friend from Springfield called, and we chatted for a while. My supper had cooled by the time I got back to the table, but it was still okay.
Mother went home shortly after supper, and Hubbie and I watched a movie..."The Color of Freedom," an R-rated film about Nelson Madella's personal prison guard, who shifts his alliance from racism to Mandella's fight to end racial segregation in south Africa.
We were up by 6:30 a.m. this morning, and I skipped my exercises again in order to get ready for a visit from Daughter and family. Since they planned to be here at lunch time, Hubbie and I ran to the WDCS for sandwich makings and other groceries.
Daughter arrived around 10:30, along with Granddaughter and her husband, and two great-grandsons. We had a good visit. Daughter brought gifts for Mother and me...acrylic nativity scene Christmas tree ornaments. Daughter also brought Hubbie and me a gift...a bottle of Riesling wine...from Granddaughter and her husband, who lives in Michigan.
Daughter and Granddaughter enjoyed helping Mother work on the jigsaw puzzle before lunch. For lunch, we served deli turkey, ham, and cheeses, along with herb and garlic flat bread for wraps. With these, we had a choice of tortilla chips or pretzels, and cottage cheese, as well as crackers and a variety of dips and an Italian cream cheese ball. Dessert was rum cake and several types of homemade cookies.
Daughter and group left about 2 p.m., and we spent the rest of the afternoon being lazy. I helped Mother finish the jigsaw puzzle, and Hubbie read the Sunday newspaper. Later, we had a supper of braised pork chops, baked sweet potatoes, and canned vegetables.
Just as I was sitting down to supper, my friend from Springfield called, and we chatted for a while. My supper had cooled by the time I got back to the table, but it was still okay.
Mother went home shortly after supper, and Hubbie and I watched a movie..."The Color of Freedom," an R-rated film about Nelson Madella's personal prison guard, who shifts his alliance from racism to Mandella's fight to end racial segregation in south Africa.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Saturday, December 19
I woke up really late this morning, around 8:30, so I skipped my exercises in order to get ready after breakfast to go to the funeral of our friend's husband.
There were several glitches at the service, not the least of which was that the cell phone of the water aerobics leader rang during a prayer. She was sitting right next to me. Also, the program announced our friend's husband's birth year as 2009. Then after the opening prayer, there was a very long, silent pause, as folks fidgeted uncomfortably. Finally, someone stepped into the room (the service was held at the funeral home) and announced that staff couldn't get the music CD to work, and the minister should just go on with the service. And then later, we learned that the plan to allow folks to offer testimonials during the service was inadvertently overlooked, and instead, promptly at the conclusion of the minister's sermon, ushers urged attendees to immediately begin filing up front to offer condolences to the family.
After the service, we came home for lunch. Mother had baked three sweet potatoes and heated three biscuits for us. We topped the biscuits with pumpkin butter. The jar of pumpkin butter, along with a jar of peach butter, were Mother's seventh day of Christmas gift. I got the butters at the Amish shop, when we were in Branson in October.
Around 1 p.m., we went to our friend's house for a while. I took a small bag of homemade cookies for the children of the family, since I was told that others were providing ample food for the reception. We had not planned to go to the reception, but our friend seemed to really want us there, so we accepted her invitation.
We only stayed for a short time, long enough to visit with our friend and join her in having dessert. I really didn't need to indulge in sweets, but to be polite, I took a small slice of fresh apple cake that I knew had been baked by another water aerobics friend. It was delicious.
Mother stayed at our house today and worked on her jigsaw puzzle. After we got home from the reception, Hubbie bathed Shih Tzu, and then we both worked to spruce the house, because his daughter and family are coming for a visit in the morning.
Later, we had hamburgers/turkey burgers, with sauteed potatoes for supper, which we ate in the den so Hubbie and I could watch our favorite college basketball team win a nail-biter game that I'd recorded on DVR.
Mother spent some time after supper continuing to work on the jigsaw puzzle, and then went home around 6 p.m. Hubbie and I watched TV for the rest of the evening, including a movie called "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3." This 2009 R-rated (for strong language and violence) film stars Denzel Washington and John Travolta. It's about a man (Travolta) who hijacks a subway train and holds the passengers hostage while demanding ten million dollars from the city. This is a pay-per-view movie that I downloaded to our DVR as a complimentary gift from our cable company, because when they changed out our DVR recently, we naturally lost all the movies and programs I'd recorded on the old unit.
There were several glitches at the service, not the least of which was that the cell phone of the water aerobics leader rang during a prayer. She was sitting right next to me. Also, the program announced our friend's husband's birth year as 2009. Then after the opening prayer, there was a very long, silent pause, as folks fidgeted uncomfortably. Finally, someone stepped into the room (the service was held at the funeral home) and announced that staff couldn't get the music CD to work, and the minister should just go on with the service. And then later, we learned that the plan to allow folks to offer testimonials during the service was inadvertently overlooked, and instead, promptly at the conclusion of the minister's sermon, ushers urged attendees to immediately begin filing up front to offer condolences to the family.
After the service, we came home for lunch. Mother had baked three sweet potatoes and heated three biscuits for us. We topped the biscuits with pumpkin butter. The jar of pumpkin butter, along with a jar of peach butter, were Mother's seventh day of Christmas gift. I got the butters at the Amish shop, when we were in Branson in October.
Around 1 p.m., we went to our friend's house for a while. I took a small bag of homemade cookies for the children of the family, since I was told that others were providing ample food for the reception. We had not planned to go to the reception, but our friend seemed to really want us there, so we accepted her invitation.
We only stayed for a short time, long enough to visit with our friend and join her in having dessert. I really didn't need to indulge in sweets, but to be polite, I took a small slice of fresh apple cake that I knew had been baked by another water aerobics friend. It was delicious.
Mother stayed at our house today and worked on her jigsaw puzzle. After we got home from the reception, Hubbie bathed Shih Tzu, and then we both worked to spruce the house, because his daughter and family are coming for a visit in the morning.
Later, we had hamburgers/turkey burgers, with sauteed potatoes for supper, which we ate in the den so Hubbie and I could watch our favorite college basketball team win a nail-biter game that I'd recorded on DVR.
Mother spent some time after supper continuing to work on the jigsaw puzzle, and then went home around 6 p.m. Hubbie and I watched TV for the rest of the evening, including a movie called "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3." This 2009 R-rated (for strong language and violence) film stars Denzel Washington and John Travolta. It's about a man (Travolta) who hijacks a subway train and holds the passengers hostage while demanding ten million dollars from the city. This is a pay-per-view movie that I downloaded to our DVR as a complimentary gift from our cable company, because when they changed out our DVR recently, we naturally lost all the movies and programs I'd recorded on the old unit.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Friday, December 18, continued
We were up about 7:30 this morning, and as usual, I got on the treadmill after breakfast and then did weights exercises. Mother came over after my exercises, and chose a jigsaw puzzle to begin working on. Before she began the puzzle, she opened her sixth day of Christmas gift, which was two word search puzzle books.
Not much else happened for the rest of the morning. After lunch, we went on an excursion to see a large gingerbread house at the women's center of our local hospital (see photo below). I took several shots of the house, by itself, and with Mother standing beside it.
After that, we toured the art exhibit in the main hallway. We know several of the artists and photographers, a couple of whom serve on the visual arts committee with me.
From there, we went to the library of the college that is just down the road from our house to see an exhibit of small works on paper, which is on tour from our state's arts council.
We came home after that, and Mother resumed working on her puzzle, while I watched a ballet version of Scrooge, and Hubbie cleaned the van for our trip to see his family on Monday.
Supper tonight was baked salmon, with baked potatoes and English peas. After supper, Mother went home, and Hubbie and I dressed to go to the visitation for our friend's husband. Lots of folks showed up at the funeral home, including several ladies from water aerobics.
We stayed about a half an hour at the visitation. Back home, we half-heartedly watched a few one-hour shows on TV.
Not much else happened for the rest of the morning. After lunch, we went on an excursion to see a large gingerbread house at the women's center of our local hospital (see photo below). I took several shots of the house, by itself, and with Mother standing beside it.
After that, we toured the art exhibit in the main hallway. We know several of the artists and photographers, a couple of whom serve on the visual arts committee with me.
From there, we went to the library of the college that is just down the road from our house to see an exhibit of small works on paper, which is on tour from our state's arts council.
We came home after that, and Mother resumed working on her puzzle, while I watched a ballet version of Scrooge, and Hubbie cleaned the van for our trip to see his family on Monday.
Supper tonight was baked salmon, with baked potatoes and English peas. After supper, Mother went home, and Hubbie and I dressed to go to the visitation for our friend's husband. Lots of folks showed up at the funeral home, including several ladies from water aerobics.
We stayed about a half an hour at the visitation. Back home, we half-heartedly watched a few one-hour shows on TV.
Friday, December 18
This afternoon, we went to see this gingerbread house, which stands on the floor near a Christmas tree at the women's center of our local hospital. It was made by hospital staff and stands over four feet tall. In fact, it stands over 4' 9", which is Mother's height. On a plywood base, graham crackers have been attached to the walls and roof. The chimney features hundreds of peppermint disks as well as several inverted ice cream cones. Candy canes serve as icicles hanging from the roof. Details were added with piped icing. Chocolate drops, gumdrops, orange slice gels, Lifesavers, and Skittles add further interest to the house.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Thursday, December, 17
We were up about 8 a.m., and I did a treadmill session and resistance exercises after breakfast. While I was getting ready for the day, Hubbie cut up and cleaned a pumpkin to be baked. We'd used the pumpkin in the outdoor fall display. We got nearly eight quarts of the pumpkin for the freezer, which we put in Ziplock bags. There were two pumpkins in the display, but one went south before we could get it cooked. We also baked several acorn squash for the freezer that we'd gotten on sale a few weeks ago.
While the pumpkins were baking, we watched a Scrooge movie musical, starring Kelsey Grammer. After lunch, while the squash baked, we watched "A Miracle on 34th Street." As we were watching this movie, a friend returned a phone call I'd made to her this morning. I wanted to know if she was going to be at work this afternoon, so I could drop a food gift by. She said she would be there, so we made a batch of spinach dip, which I put with snack crackers, and then Hubbie and I delivered the gift on our way to the WDCS (I guess we're destined to go there every day until Christmas).
When we got back home, we found that Mother had already gone to her own house, taking her fifth day of Christmas gift with her. Today's gift was a pair of lint rollers, which delighted her, because she uses a lot of these to remove cat hair.
Yesterday, we gave her a large can of beauty salon hair spray, which we'd picked up at a silent auction. She was excited by that gift, too, because she had just run out of her usual brand and was about to ask me to go get another can for her.
On Tuesday, we gave her a box of chocolate covered coffee beans. On Monday, her gift was a jigsaw puzzle, and on Sunday, it was a 2010 calendar featuring photos of exotic animals.
Later, I fixed a breakfast-for-supper meal of potato pancakes, eggs, biscuits and gravy. After that it was TV, as usual. Tonight, we watched the movie, "The Stone Angel," starring Ellen Burstyn. The family of a nearly 90-year-old woman wants to put her in a nursing home, but she refuses. She runs away from home to return to the town where she lived as a youth and young adult. Here she traces her unconventional life and her relationships as she moves in and out of lucidity. The movie is rated "R" for intimate scenes (though there's no full nudity), and mild language. Good movie.
While the pumpkins were baking, we watched a Scrooge movie musical, starring Kelsey Grammer. After lunch, while the squash baked, we watched "A Miracle on 34th Street." As we were watching this movie, a friend returned a phone call I'd made to her this morning. I wanted to know if she was going to be at work this afternoon, so I could drop a food gift by. She said she would be there, so we made a batch of spinach dip, which I put with snack crackers, and then Hubbie and I delivered the gift on our way to the WDCS (I guess we're destined to go there every day until Christmas).
When we got back home, we found that Mother had already gone to her own house, taking her fifth day of Christmas gift with her. Today's gift was a pair of lint rollers, which delighted her, because she uses a lot of these to remove cat hair.
Yesterday, we gave her a large can of beauty salon hair spray, which we'd picked up at a silent auction. She was excited by that gift, too, because she had just run out of her usual brand and was about to ask me to go get another can for her.
On Tuesday, we gave her a box of chocolate covered coffee beans. On Monday, her gift was a jigsaw puzzle, and on Sunday, it was a 2010 calendar featuring photos of exotic animals.
Later, I fixed a breakfast-for-supper meal of potato pancakes, eggs, biscuits and gravy. After that it was TV, as usual. Tonight, we watched the movie, "The Stone Angel," starring Ellen Burstyn. The family of a nearly 90-year-old woman wants to put her in a nursing home, but she refuses. She runs away from home to return to the town where she lived as a youth and young adult. Here she traces her unconventional life and her relationships as she moves in and out of lucidity. The movie is rated "R" for intimate scenes (though there's no full nudity), and mild language. Good movie.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Wednesday, December 16
We were up at 7:30 this morning, and I got on the treadmill and did weights exercises right after breakfast. While I was getting ready for the day, Hubbie sliced dates and chopped pecans for a recipe of chocolate date nut bread. Mother came over while he was doing that and gathered the rest of the ingredients for the bread.
When I came downstairs, Hubbie was sitting in the living room, and he beckoned for me to come sit with him. Then he told me that he'd gotten a call from one of the Master Gardeners that the husband of another MG had been killed in an automobile accident yesterday evening around 5:30 p.m.
We'd just seen this man last Thursday at the MG Christmas potluck. So today I immediately visualized him opening a gift during the Dirty Santa game. We all laughed when he held up a quilted apron and some kitchen tools. Someone stole that gift from him, and the next gift he opened was a sparkly little Christmas tree. It's hard to believe that such lighthearted moments can be followed by such tragedy in the space of a week.
The man's twelve-year-old granddaughter was in the car with him but, thank God, she survived. It is speculated that the man became distracted by fiddling with the dials on the dash of his new car while traveling on a curve, left the road, and then overcorrected and went off and embankment on the other side of the road, flipping the car several times.
His wife, the Master Gardener member, is also a member of my water aerobics group. We are just sick at heart for her. We don't know yet when the visitation and funeral will be scheduled.
Keeping our friend in our thoughts and prayers all day, we went on about our business. I mixed the ingredients for the chocolate date nut bread and got the loaf into the oven. While it was baking, Mother and I watched "The Polar Express," on DVD, which took us up to lunch.
After lunch, I made a batch of jalapeno dip and used it, along with snack crackers, to make a gift plate for the ladies at our beauty shop. Hubbie and I dropped the gift off at the shop before we went to the WDCS. At the store, we picked up ingredients like cream cheese and sour cream for making dips and cheese balls. We also bought a new blender, because the plastic top to my old one practically crumbled when I tried to use it today to blend the ingredients for homemade tomato soup.
Back home, Mother and I watched "The Nutcracker," with Mikael Baryshnikov, and an old video recording of the Boston Pops, which features a really cute reading of "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas."
For supper, we had the homemade tomato soup (yummy) and cold meatloaf sandwiches, plus slices of the chocolate date nut bread.
Later, Hubbie and I watched as our favorite basketball team played to a wide-margin win.
Funny: got a message from Sis thanking me for the Christmas card I sent her, but saying that if it had not been for the return address on the envelope, she wouldn't have known who it was from. Apparently, I forgot to sign the card. I wonder how many others got no-signature cards?
When I came downstairs, Hubbie was sitting in the living room, and he beckoned for me to come sit with him. Then he told me that he'd gotten a call from one of the Master Gardeners that the husband of another MG had been killed in an automobile accident yesterday evening around 5:30 p.m.
We'd just seen this man last Thursday at the MG Christmas potluck. So today I immediately visualized him opening a gift during the Dirty Santa game. We all laughed when he held up a quilted apron and some kitchen tools. Someone stole that gift from him, and the next gift he opened was a sparkly little Christmas tree. It's hard to believe that such lighthearted moments can be followed by such tragedy in the space of a week.
The man's twelve-year-old granddaughter was in the car with him but, thank God, she survived. It is speculated that the man became distracted by fiddling with the dials on the dash of his new car while traveling on a curve, left the road, and then overcorrected and went off and embankment on the other side of the road, flipping the car several times.
His wife, the Master Gardener member, is also a member of my water aerobics group. We are just sick at heart for her. We don't know yet when the visitation and funeral will be scheduled.
Keeping our friend in our thoughts and prayers all day, we went on about our business. I mixed the ingredients for the chocolate date nut bread and got the loaf into the oven. While it was baking, Mother and I watched "The Polar Express," on DVD, which took us up to lunch.
After lunch, I made a batch of jalapeno dip and used it, along with snack crackers, to make a gift plate for the ladies at our beauty shop. Hubbie and I dropped the gift off at the shop before we went to the WDCS. At the store, we picked up ingredients like cream cheese and sour cream for making dips and cheese balls. We also bought a new blender, because the plastic top to my old one practically crumbled when I tried to use it today to blend the ingredients for homemade tomato soup.
Back home, Mother and I watched "The Nutcracker," with Mikael Baryshnikov, and an old video recording of the Boston Pops, which features a really cute reading of "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas."
For supper, we had the homemade tomato soup (yummy) and cold meatloaf sandwiches, plus slices of the chocolate date nut bread.
Later, Hubbie and I watched as our favorite basketball team played to a wide-margin win.
Funny: got a message from Sis thanking me for the Christmas card I sent her, but saying that if it had not been for the return address on the envelope, she wouldn't have known who it was from. Apparently, I forgot to sign the card. I wonder how many others got no-signature cards?
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Tuesday, December 15
Got up late this morning, and hopped on the treadmill, and then did weights exercises after breakfast. I didn't accomplish much after that except typing a recipe for sugar cookies and printing it to add to a cookie gift for Caring Hands Hospice. I also called a friend to see if she could join us for lunch downtown sometime this week, but she is busy all week. We agreed to try to get together shortly after Christmas.
Last week, our mutual friend from another town had come for a visit, and Mother and I were invited to join them for lunch. But that was the same day when Mother went to an Extension Homemakers luncheon, and I joined Hubbie for a Master Gardener potluck, and then Mother and I went to the "Cup of Cheer," party at the home of one of the water aerobics members, so we had to decline the invitation.
For lunch today, Hubbie did the honors of making grilled cheese sandwiches. Mother came over and joined us for those and dishes of fruit. After lunch, Hubbie and I ran errands. Just as we were ready to leave the driveway, one of the scrapbook club members pulled up. She had dropped by on her way to town to get her Christmas rubber stamps. I was glad she came by so I could give her a basket containing jars of hand cream, scrub, and bath salts from last month's Crafts Extravaganza in another town. I also gave her a couple of beaded projects, and a stack of instructions from that event.
After the lady left, Hubbie and I went to the art gallery, which was closed, even though it was 1 p.m. by this time. From there, we went to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription for me; to the WDCS for several grocery items; and then back to the gallery. This time it was open. We learned that the director had been at the restaurant across the street when we stopped by the first time.
The reason I needed to go to the gallery was to deliver a copy of the regional paper with the article about the graham cracker cookie Christmas house workshop, plus leave a Christmas card for the arts council director.
And because we don't have time to make another one, I also wanted to pick up one of the screen door Christmas cards that Mother and I made to sell at the gallery. We'll add the card to a gift of homemade cookies for the Caring Hands Hospice office staff. Since making greeting cards is one of the projects we do for Caring Hands, we felt it only appropriate that we add a handmade card to the gift of cookies.
We came back home after that. Mother was already in the process of making sugar cookies (I thought she was going to wait until I got back to start them), so I got busy and helped with the project. This sugar cookie recipe yielded several dozen, so there were plenty to fill a tin for Caring Hands Hospice staff, as well as for donating a couple of dozen for volunteers to add to baskets of cookies for fourteen patients. The Christmas cards we made last month will be added to the baskets.
We won't be able to help put the baskets together next Monday, because we're scheduled to go to another town for a gathering of Hubbie's family, where we'll be doing a Christmas house workshop with ten or more kids.
While the cookies cooled, we sat down to watch the 1970s musical, "Scrooge," starring Albert Finney. Later, for supper, we had stir-fry over rice. Mother went home after that, and Hubbie and I relaxed in front of TV. We started with a movie, "All Roads Lead Home," starring Peter Coyote. This family film is about a girl who loses her mother in an automobile accident and then becomes difficult. Her father sends her to live with her grandfather, who owns a horse ranch. The story then centers on the girl's relationship with the animals on the ranch, particularly the dogs.
During the movie, my friend from Texas called, and we talked for a long time, catching up on each other's lives. I'd sent her a screen door card for her birthday in November, along with a long letter, and her call was in reponse to that. It was a nice Christmas gift.
Last week, our mutual friend from another town had come for a visit, and Mother and I were invited to join them for lunch. But that was the same day when Mother went to an Extension Homemakers luncheon, and I joined Hubbie for a Master Gardener potluck, and then Mother and I went to the "Cup of Cheer," party at the home of one of the water aerobics members, so we had to decline the invitation.
For lunch today, Hubbie did the honors of making grilled cheese sandwiches. Mother came over and joined us for those and dishes of fruit. After lunch, Hubbie and I ran errands. Just as we were ready to leave the driveway, one of the scrapbook club members pulled up. She had dropped by on her way to town to get her Christmas rubber stamps. I was glad she came by so I could give her a basket containing jars of hand cream, scrub, and bath salts from last month's Crafts Extravaganza in another town. I also gave her a couple of beaded projects, and a stack of instructions from that event.
After the lady left, Hubbie and I went to the art gallery, which was closed, even though it was 1 p.m. by this time. From there, we went to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription for me; to the WDCS for several grocery items; and then back to the gallery. This time it was open. We learned that the director had been at the restaurant across the street when we stopped by the first time.
The reason I needed to go to the gallery was to deliver a copy of the regional paper with the article about the graham cracker cookie Christmas house workshop, plus leave a Christmas card for the arts council director.
And because we don't have time to make another one, I also wanted to pick up one of the screen door Christmas cards that Mother and I made to sell at the gallery. We'll add the card to a gift of homemade cookies for the Caring Hands Hospice office staff. Since making greeting cards is one of the projects we do for Caring Hands, we felt it only appropriate that we add a handmade card to the gift of cookies.
We came back home after that. Mother was already in the process of making sugar cookies (I thought she was going to wait until I got back to start them), so I got busy and helped with the project. This sugar cookie recipe yielded several dozen, so there were plenty to fill a tin for Caring Hands Hospice staff, as well as for donating a couple of dozen for volunteers to add to baskets of cookies for fourteen patients. The Christmas cards we made last month will be added to the baskets.
We won't be able to help put the baskets together next Monday, because we're scheduled to go to another town for a gathering of Hubbie's family, where we'll be doing a Christmas house workshop with ten or more kids.
While the cookies cooled, we sat down to watch the 1970s musical, "Scrooge," starring Albert Finney. Later, for supper, we had stir-fry over rice. Mother went home after that, and Hubbie and I relaxed in front of TV. We started with a movie, "All Roads Lead Home," starring Peter Coyote. This family film is about a girl who loses her mother in an automobile accident and then becomes difficult. Her father sends her to live with her grandfather, who owns a horse ranch. The story then centers on the girl's relationship with the animals on the ranch, particularly the dogs.
During the movie, my friend from Texas called, and we talked for a long time, catching up on each other's lives. I'd sent her a screen door card for her birthday in November, along with a long letter, and her call was in reponse to that. It was a nice Christmas gift.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Monday, December 14
We were up by 7:30 a.m. again this morning, and after breakfast, I did a treadmill and weights exercises session. After getting ready for the day, I baked a rum cake for Hubbie. He'll enjoy the cake by himself through the season, but because it's made with a yellow cake mix and instant vanilla pudding, both of which contain yellow dye, I can't eat it. Mother doesn't care for rum, so she won't eat it, either.
While I was making the cake, Hubbie ran a couple of errands...to the bank, and to the post office to mail a stack of Christmas cards for me.
Mother came over around lunch time and had turkey wrap sandwiches with us. After lunch, Hubbie and I ran errands...to the Revenue Office so that I could renew my driver's license (egad, what a photo); to the greeting card shop to take advantage of a 20% off coupon (my birthday gift from the store); to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription for Mother; to the cable TV office; and to the WDCS.
At the greeting card shop, Hubbie chose a birthday card for me, and we each selected anniversary cards. My birthday and our anniversary are in January. Since we had purchased three cards, I was also able to get the newest edition in the Hallmark Christmas storybook series for $2.95. I now have a collection of five of these cute books.
Funny: a clerk we know at the card shop asked how long we've been married. As I opened my mouth to respond, Hubbie jumped in with, "We're coming up on our 27th anniversary."
I didn't contradict him, but in the car I asked him what 1981 subtracted from 2010 is. "Twenty-nine," he said. "Well," I said, "then by that calculation, we will be married 29 years next month, not 27."
"It doesn't seem that long," he said, looking at me and grinning. "Though it obviously seems longer to you."
Back home, Mother and I watched a couple of Christmas shows that I'd recorded on DVR. For supper, we had meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, and the remaining yeast rolls we'd brought home from the Master Gardener Christmas potluck.
Later, Hubbie and I watched a movie..."Santa Baby 2: Christmas Maybe," rated PG. This family movie presumes that Santa has a daughter named Mary, who moves to the big city to pursue a career. Santa puts an ambitious someone else in the job of managing the elves, while he relaxes and enjoys recreational activities. Things go awry, and Mary has to return to the North Pole to straighten things out.
After that, we watched a new animated Christmas feature, "The Flight Before Christmas." A young reindeer leaves home to find his father, whom he has never met, but believes to be one of Santa's "Special Forces" reindeer. Wolves pursue.
While I was making the cake, Hubbie ran a couple of errands...to the bank, and to the post office to mail a stack of Christmas cards for me.
Mother came over around lunch time and had turkey wrap sandwiches with us. After lunch, Hubbie and I ran errands...to the Revenue Office so that I could renew my driver's license (egad, what a photo); to the greeting card shop to take advantage of a 20% off coupon (my birthday gift from the store); to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription for Mother; to the cable TV office; and to the WDCS.
At the greeting card shop, Hubbie chose a birthday card for me, and we each selected anniversary cards. My birthday and our anniversary are in January. Since we had purchased three cards, I was also able to get the newest edition in the Hallmark Christmas storybook series for $2.95. I now have a collection of five of these cute books.
Funny: a clerk we know at the card shop asked how long we've been married. As I opened my mouth to respond, Hubbie jumped in with, "We're coming up on our 27th anniversary."
I didn't contradict him, but in the car I asked him what 1981 subtracted from 2010 is. "Twenty-nine," he said. "Well," I said, "then by that calculation, we will be married 29 years next month, not 27."
"It doesn't seem that long," he said, looking at me and grinning. "Though it obviously seems longer to you."
Back home, Mother and I watched a couple of Christmas shows that I'd recorded on DVR. For supper, we had meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, and the remaining yeast rolls we'd brought home from the Master Gardener Christmas potluck.
Later, Hubbie and I watched a movie..."Santa Baby 2: Christmas Maybe," rated PG. This family movie presumes that Santa has a daughter named Mary, who moves to the big city to pursue a career. Santa puts an ambitious someone else in the job of managing the elves, while he relaxes and enjoys recreational activities. Things go awry, and Mary has to return to the North Pole to straighten things out.
After that, we watched a new animated Christmas feature, "The Flight Before Christmas." A young reindeer leaves home to find his father, whom he has never met, but believes to be one of Santa's "Special Forces" reindeer. Wolves pursue.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Sunday, December 13
Slept until 7:30 this morning, and then after breakfast, I did a treadmill session and resistance exercises, since I'd skipped my exercises yesterday.
After that, it was business as usual for a Sunday morning. For lunch, we settled for leftovers...potatoes that we'd taken to the Master Gardener potluck, canned beans and corn on the cob from a few days ago, along with yeast rolls, also from the MG potluck.
We occupied the whole afternoon watching Christmas shows and movies..."The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" animated feature, several Charlie Brown Christmas shows, and the movie, "A Christmas Story."
Mother went home afterward, and later Hubbie and I had PB&J sandwiches and fresh fruit for supper. Then I got busy and addressed Christmas cards, which took a couple of hours by the time I hand wrote notes in some of them and printed copies of my boring Christmas letter to include in others.
While I was doing this, we watched a Hallmark movie, "Christmas in Canaan," starring Billy Ray Cyrus. The plot revolves around a widowed father in the 1960s who is determined to teach his young son not to be a bigot. In the process, the son and an African-American boy become inseparable friends, and stay that way into adulthood. They experience lots of troubles and tribulations along the way.
After that, it was business as usual for a Sunday morning. For lunch, we settled for leftovers...potatoes that we'd taken to the Master Gardener potluck, canned beans and corn on the cob from a few days ago, along with yeast rolls, also from the MG potluck.
We occupied the whole afternoon watching Christmas shows and movies..."The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" animated feature, several Charlie Brown Christmas shows, and the movie, "A Christmas Story."
Mother went home afterward, and later Hubbie and I had PB&J sandwiches and fresh fruit for supper. Then I got busy and addressed Christmas cards, which took a couple of hours by the time I hand wrote notes in some of them and printed copies of my boring Christmas letter to include in others.
While I was doing this, we watched a Hallmark movie, "Christmas in Canaan," starring Billy Ray Cyrus. The plot revolves around a widowed father in the 1960s who is determined to teach his young son not to be a bigot. In the process, the son and an African-American boy become inseparable friends, and stay that way into adulthood. They experience lots of troubles and tribulations along the way.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Saturday, December 12
Got up early this morning, but skipped my exercises so I could be dressed and ready when Daughter and Great-Granddaughter came to go with us to the museum for an old fashioned days event.
When Daughter arrived in town, though, she called to say Great-Granddaughter was ill and upchucking, and she herself didn't feel well. So when she got to our house, she didn't come in, but only came to the door to say hi and bye before she headed back home, about an hour and half away.
Since the museum event was centered mostly on children's activities, Hubbie, Mother, and I decided to stay home for the day and watch Christmas shows. We started with the animated feature, "Prep and Landing," that I'd recorded on DVR. Then we watched two musical shows..."Celtic Woman Christmas," and one featuring Andrea Bocelli. We ended with the animated feature, "The Incredibles." Hubbie and Mother snoozed through most of that one.
Later, we changed clothes to go to a local school for a "Madrigal Feaste." After being announced at the door as Lordes and Ladyes, we were seated at 6:30 in the "South Castle, which was decorated in medieval decor. The "castle" was lit only with red candles....lots and lots of them, on the tables, in sconces, in candelabra, etc.
The tables were dressed in red table clothes and set with glassware goblets and plates. Junior high and high school kids were dressed in 1675 fashions, with some acting as wait staff, and some as the royal court (who were also the choir).
Dinner began with the appetizers of cubed white and yellow cheeses, fresh fruits (apples and grapes) and small loaves of hot yeast bread with pats of butter. Then came French onion potage (soup) and wassail. The main course was beef tenderloin au jus, twice baked potato, and green bean bundles, followed by a flaming dessert (carrot cake).
During dinner, various folks stood up and made rhyming toasts, and a jester spouted poems and went from table to table jesting with folks, a wizard performed magic tricks, and there was a "Punch and Judy" show.
Following the meal, the royal court processed to the head table, and the boar's head was carried in. Members of the royal court also danced, and then prevailed up guests to dance with them. Then they sang several Christmas carols as they processed around the "castle." They ended with Mother's and my very most favorite song..."In the Bleak Mid Winter."
We were glad that the arts council director was able to join us at our table, but we were anxious for her when, during a sober moment of the program, her cell phone rang. She fumbled to shut it off. It rang again, and she fumbled to shut it off. But it rang a third time before she finally managed to disable it.
The event ended about 8 p.m. Back home, I found that Daughter had e-mailed me to tell me that she'd fallen asleep at the wheel while driving home this morning and woke up in the wrong lane, with a car headed toward her. My heart went into my throat when I read this!
Thank God she and Great-Granddaughter are okay.
When Daughter arrived in town, though, she called to say Great-Granddaughter was ill and upchucking, and she herself didn't feel well. So when she got to our house, she didn't come in, but only came to the door to say hi and bye before she headed back home, about an hour and half away.
Since the museum event was centered mostly on children's activities, Hubbie, Mother, and I decided to stay home for the day and watch Christmas shows. We started with the animated feature, "Prep and Landing," that I'd recorded on DVR. Then we watched two musical shows..."Celtic Woman Christmas," and one featuring Andrea Bocelli. We ended with the animated feature, "The Incredibles." Hubbie and Mother snoozed through most of that one.
Later, we changed clothes to go to a local school for a "Madrigal Feaste." After being announced at the door as Lordes and Ladyes, we were seated at 6:30 in the "South Castle, which was decorated in medieval decor. The "castle" was lit only with red candles....lots and lots of them, on the tables, in sconces, in candelabra, etc.
The tables were dressed in red table clothes and set with glassware goblets and plates. Junior high and high school kids were dressed in 1675 fashions, with some acting as wait staff, and some as the royal court (who were also the choir).
Dinner began with the appetizers of cubed white and yellow cheeses, fresh fruits (apples and grapes) and small loaves of hot yeast bread with pats of butter. Then came French onion potage (soup) and wassail. The main course was beef tenderloin au jus, twice baked potato, and green bean bundles, followed by a flaming dessert (carrot cake).
During dinner, various folks stood up and made rhyming toasts, and a jester spouted poems and went from table to table jesting with folks, a wizard performed magic tricks, and there was a "Punch and Judy" show.
Following the meal, the royal court processed to the head table, and the boar's head was carried in. Members of the royal court also danced, and then prevailed up guests to dance with them. Then they sang several Christmas carols as they processed around the "castle." They ended with Mother's and my very most favorite song..."In the Bleak Mid Winter."
We were glad that the arts council director was able to join us at our table, but we were anxious for her when, during a sober moment of the program, her cell phone rang. She fumbled to shut it off. It rang again, and she fumbled to shut it off. But it rang a third time before she finally managed to disable it.
The event ended about 8 p.m. Back home, I found that Daughter had e-mailed me to tell me that she'd fallen asleep at the wheel while driving home this morning and woke up in the wrong lane, with a car headed toward her. My heart went into my throat when I read this!
Thank God she and Great-Granddaughter are okay.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Friday, December 11
This is a special day...my daughter's birthday. Happy Birthday, Daughter!
Got up early this cold morning to go to water aerobics. Only eight of us showed up on this last day before winter break. The water in the pool was very pleasant, but we decided to cut the session short, since we wanted more time to get ready to go to the "Water Babes" luncheon at 11 a.m.
Mother went with me to the luncheon, held at a local Italian restaurant. More ladies showed up for the luncheon than were at aerobics. My gift basket was the first thing chosen in the Dirty Santa game, and then it was stolen by the second person up. After that the gift was frozen and no one else could get it, though all of them wanted it. The gift I got was a bottle of hand soap and a bottle of body lotion in a stainless steel carrier, which is very pretty.
Mother and I both had lasagna for our meal, along with a side of mixed fruit. By the time we'd eaten garlic bread with marinara sauce before lunch was served, though, we were only able to eat half of our lasagna, and none of the fruit. So we brought our leftovers home.
As we left, each of us chose Christmas ornaments from a box full that our aerobics leader provided. For Mother and me, I chose silver and blue sparkly stars that are suitable for the white Christmas tree.
We were back home about 12:30 p.m. At 3 p.m., we went to a reception at an investment office downtown, where a table was laden with foods like thin slices of hot beef, along with rolls and spiced mustard for sandwiches, cubed cheese, dips, and various cookies, brownies, and chocolate pretzels.
For the secretary at the office, I put together a gift pack in small gold-colored metal bucket that I'd gotten at a yard sale. I included a can of chocolate straws, a few homemade fruited chocolate cookies, and packets of apple cider mix and hot chocolate mix. I put the bucket in a cellophane bag decorated with gold stars, and tied it with silver ribbon.
Back home, Mother went to her house, and Hubbie and I changed clothes to go to a hunting lodge for the home medical services Christmas party at 6:30 p.m. Before we left, a staff member called to ask Hubbie to offer the prayer before the meal, and he agreed.
Instead of a full meal, as we have been served in the past, tonight's fare was heavy hors 'd orderves, consisting of barbecued buffalo wings, roast pork and rolls for sandwiches, country style fried potatoes, little deli meat sandwiches, raw veggies and dip, hot artichoke dip and crackers, along with brownies and chocolate dipped strawberries.
After we'd eaten, staff members made presentations, including presenting me with a gift basket containing jars of muscadine and peach jellies, peanut brittle, slabs of chocolate with peanuts, a package of roasted pecans, and small white chocolate fancy candies.
We left the party shortly after that, and got back home about 8 p.m. While we were at the party, I took snapshots of staff members enjoying themselves. If there are any decent shots when I upload them, I'll send them to the regional paper for possible publication.
Later, we watched a movie called, "Ace of Hearts," a PG movie about a K-9 dog who is accused of attacking a man without provocation, and is sentenced to be euthanized. The dog escapes and is eventually cleared of the charge. Good family movie.
Sad: the lady who runs the hunting lodge and cooks for all the parties, told us tonight that she lost her nephew a couple of days ago. He was killed in an automobile accident. He had just returned from a tour in Iraq, and he was only 23 years old. The funeral is tomorrow. Our hearts go out to this lady, who, despite her grief, worked all day today to put together the wonderful dishes for tonight's party.
Got up early this cold morning to go to water aerobics. Only eight of us showed up on this last day before winter break. The water in the pool was very pleasant, but we decided to cut the session short, since we wanted more time to get ready to go to the "Water Babes" luncheon at 11 a.m.
Mother went with me to the luncheon, held at a local Italian restaurant. More ladies showed up for the luncheon than were at aerobics. My gift basket was the first thing chosen in the Dirty Santa game, and then it was stolen by the second person up. After that the gift was frozen and no one else could get it, though all of them wanted it. The gift I got was a bottle of hand soap and a bottle of body lotion in a stainless steel carrier, which is very pretty.
Mother and I both had lasagna for our meal, along with a side of mixed fruit. By the time we'd eaten garlic bread with marinara sauce before lunch was served, though, we were only able to eat half of our lasagna, and none of the fruit. So we brought our leftovers home.
As we left, each of us chose Christmas ornaments from a box full that our aerobics leader provided. For Mother and me, I chose silver and blue sparkly stars that are suitable for the white Christmas tree.
We were back home about 12:30 p.m. At 3 p.m., we went to a reception at an investment office downtown, where a table was laden with foods like thin slices of hot beef, along with rolls and spiced mustard for sandwiches, cubed cheese, dips, and various cookies, brownies, and chocolate pretzels.
For the secretary at the office, I put together a gift pack in small gold-colored metal bucket that I'd gotten at a yard sale. I included a can of chocolate straws, a few homemade fruited chocolate cookies, and packets of apple cider mix and hot chocolate mix. I put the bucket in a cellophane bag decorated with gold stars, and tied it with silver ribbon.
Back home, Mother went to her house, and Hubbie and I changed clothes to go to a hunting lodge for the home medical services Christmas party at 6:30 p.m. Before we left, a staff member called to ask Hubbie to offer the prayer before the meal, and he agreed.
Instead of a full meal, as we have been served in the past, tonight's fare was heavy hors 'd orderves, consisting of barbecued buffalo wings, roast pork and rolls for sandwiches, country style fried potatoes, little deli meat sandwiches, raw veggies and dip, hot artichoke dip and crackers, along with brownies and chocolate dipped strawberries.
After we'd eaten, staff members made presentations, including presenting me with a gift basket containing jars of muscadine and peach jellies, peanut brittle, slabs of chocolate with peanuts, a package of roasted pecans, and small white chocolate fancy candies.
We left the party shortly after that, and got back home about 8 p.m. While we were at the party, I took snapshots of staff members enjoying themselves. If there are any decent shots when I upload them, I'll send them to the regional paper for possible publication.
Later, we watched a movie called, "Ace of Hearts," a PG movie about a K-9 dog who is accused of attacking a man without provocation, and is sentenced to be euthanized. The dog escapes and is eventually cleared of the charge. Good family movie.
Sad: the lady who runs the hunting lodge and cooks for all the parties, told us tonight that she lost her nephew a couple of days ago. He was killed in an automobile accident. He had just returned from a tour in Iraq, and he was only 23 years old. The funeral is tomorrow. Our hearts go out to this lady, who, despite her grief, worked all day today to put together the wonderful dishes for tonight's party.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Thursday, December 10
Well, we've had a large day. I woke up about 5:15 a.m. for some reason, and then couldn't get back to sleep. At 6:15, we got up. I skipped my exercises this morning, since I needed to fix a dish for the Master Gardener potluck Christmas party and Dirty Santa gift exchange, and take Mother to and Extension Homemakers Christmas party at 9:30.
I decided to fix a favorite potato dish from Niece's recipe, so Hubbie peeled potatoes and I diced them and put them in water until I was ready to put the dish together for the oven. I also sliced onions, and gathered seasonings and oil for the dish.
Then I got ready for the day and drove Mother to a local restaurant for her Christmas party. While there, one of the ladies complimented us on our photo in the newspaper. I thanked her and commented that I had not yet seen the paper.
Back home, I put the potato dish together and got it in the oven to cook for an hour (I'd made a double recipe, so it needed to cook a little longer). Around 10:30, Hubbie decided we needed to run a couple of errands before going to the Christmas party...to the bank, and to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription.
At 11 a.m., we arrived at the party, potato dish and exchange gift in hand. The decorating committee did an outstanding job this year, making the room very pleasant and inviting. The potluck dishes were exceptionally good, too. I chose carefully, selecting a slice of turkey, along with veggie dishes (including my own potato dish, which is diet friendly) and fruit dishes. I did have a yeast roll with my meal...these rolls are made at a local restaurant and are absolutely delicious.
One of the Master Gardener ladies brought me a copy of the newspaper that featured a story about the graham cracker cookie Christmas houses. It is a full page long and includes a nice photo of Mother and me, plus a story and the recipes I submitted to the writer.
At 12:30, I called Mother, and she was ready to leave her party. So I went and picked her up, and brought her back to the Master Gardener party, where she enjoyed watching the Dirty Santa game. Hubbie ended up with a very pretty brass and glass bird feeder and sack of bird seed.
After the event, everyone was encouraged to take leftovers home, so we brought home about a dozen of the yeast rolls, and a few slices of ham, plus a turkey leg for Shih Tzu.
Back home about 1:30, Mother gave me a gift that one of the EH ladies had sent...two tubes of hand cream (she is a salesperson for this brand). She also brought home a $100 grant check for our scrapbook club to use in making greeting cards and scrapbook pages for Caring Hands Hospice.
Around 2 p.m., I went to the everything's a dollar store (Hubbie went, too) to get a Christmas mug, which I filled with a couple of packets of apple cider mix, and a few gingersnap cookies. I put the mug in a cellophane bag, and tied it with a ribbon. This became a small hostess gift for the lady who held an annual drop-in "Cup of Cheer" gathering at her home this afternoon.
The event was scheduled for 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Mother and I went about 4 p.m. We stayed and visited about 30 minutes. Mother had a cup of coffee and some fruitcake cookies, but I was still full from the potluck lunch, so I didn't eat anything while I was there. But I did bring home a couple of homemade marshmallows on sticks, and some homemade chocolate bon-bons to enjoy later this evening or tomorrow.
Mother went home after that, and Hubbie and I relaxed and watched nothing special on TV. We still weren't overly hungry by 7 p.m., so we settled for bowls of cereal and slices of yeast bread, with cups of hot tea.
I decided to fix a favorite potato dish from Niece's recipe, so Hubbie peeled potatoes and I diced them and put them in water until I was ready to put the dish together for the oven. I also sliced onions, and gathered seasonings and oil for the dish.
Then I got ready for the day and drove Mother to a local restaurant for her Christmas party. While there, one of the ladies complimented us on our photo in the newspaper. I thanked her and commented that I had not yet seen the paper.
Back home, I put the potato dish together and got it in the oven to cook for an hour (I'd made a double recipe, so it needed to cook a little longer). Around 10:30, Hubbie decided we needed to run a couple of errands before going to the Christmas party...to the bank, and to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription.
At 11 a.m., we arrived at the party, potato dish and exchange gift in hand. The decorating committee did an outstanding job this year, making the room very pleasant and inviting. The potluck dishes were exceptionally good, too. I chose carefully, selecting a slice of turkey, along with veggie dishes (including my own potato dish, which is diet friendly) and fruit dishes. I did have a yeast roll with my meal...these rolls are made at a local restaurant and are absolutely delicious.
One of the Master Gardener ladies brought me a copy of the newspaper that featured a story about the graham cracker cookie Christmas houses. It is a full page long and includes a nice photo of Mother and me, plus a story and the recipes I submitted to the writer.
At 12:30, I called Mother, and she was ready to leave her party. So I went and picked her up, and brought her back to the Master Gardener party, where she enjoyed watching the Dirty Santa game. Hubbie ended up with a very pretty brass and glass bird feeder and sack of bird seed.
After the event, everyone was encouraged to take leftovers home, so we brought home about a dozen of the yeast rolls, and a few slices of ham, plus a turkey leg for Shih Tzu.
Back home about 1:30, Mother gave me a gift that one of the EH ladies had sent...two tubes of hand cream (she is a salesperson for this brand). She also brought home a $100 grant check for our scrapbook club to use in making greeting cards and scrapbook pages for Caring Hands Hospice.
Around 2 p.m., I went to the everything's a dollar store (Hubbie went, too) to get a Christmas mug, which I filled with a couple of packets of apple cider mix, and a few gingersnap cookies. I put the mug in a cellophane bag, and tied it with a ribbon. This became a small hostess gift for the lady who held an annual drop-in "Cup of Cheer" gathering at her home this afternoon.
The event was scheduled for 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Mother and I went about 4 p.m. We stayed and visited about 30 minutes. Mother had a cup of coffee and some fruitcake cookies, but I was still full from the potluck lunch, so I didn't eat anything while I was there. But I did bring home a couple of homemade marshmallows on sticks, and some homemade chocolate bon-bons to enjoy later this evening or tomorrow.
Mother went home after that, and Hubbie and I relaxed and watched nothing special on TV. We still weren't overly hungry by 7 p.m., so we settled for bowls of cereal and slices of yeast bread, with cups of hot tea.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Wednesday, December 9
We were up early this morning, so I could go to water aerobics on this winter-blustery day. A coat, hat, scarf, and gloves felt good today, though I was still shivery when I got to the dressing room at the gym. Thank goodness the water in the pool was pleasantly warm.
Only eleven of us showed up for this next to the last day of water aerobics until January 18, and that number dwindled to just six before the session was over. I wonder how many will show up Friday?
When I got home, Hubbie and Mother were gone to her 9 a.m. ophthalmologist appointment. All is well with her eye, so she'll be ready for the second surgery Dec. 29.
Once I was ready for the day, and Hubbie and Mother had returned, Mother and I put together a gift basket for the "Water Babes" Christmas party Friday. I filled a red and green basket that I'd gotten at a yard sale with excelsior on top of wadded up plastic grocery bags. On this bed I nestled a cup (that I'd gotten at the everything's a dollar store) containing four apple cider packets, a jar of cherry jelly (ordered from the Amish store at Branson), and a loaf of bread (that Mother baked from a frozen loaf). I added a silk poinsettia flower for interest, and an embossed gift card that I made, and then put the basket in a red and green Christmas patterned plastic cookie tray bag (from the everything's a dollar store), and tied it with green ribbon. The basket meets the required exchange-gifts-under-ten-dollars agreed upon by the water aerobics members.
Then we tied raffia bows to several other jars of the cherry jelly, adding little Christmas tree ornaments to each bow. These will be our token exchange gifts for Hubbie's family when we visit at daughter's house in another town on December 21.
After lunch, Hubbie and I ran errands...first to the art gallery, where I picked up a pair of Swarovski crystal Christmas tree earrings in a gold color to match a necklace given to me by Hubbie's daughters. The woman who makes these earrings is conducting a jewelry making workshop on Friday night during the Second Friday events downtown, but Hubbie and I will be attending a home medical services Christmas party at that time, so I can't do the jewelry workshop.
Then we went to the Post Office to return a CD I'd ordered by mistake. I actually meant to order the DVD, so I was surprised when the movie music CD arrived instead. I don't know how I managed to do that.
From the PO, we went to the WDCS for several items before returning home. By this time, it was around 4 p.m. The day had flown by.
Supper tonight was baked sweet potatoes, canned white beans, boiled cabbage, and corn on the cob, with slices of yeast bread (Mother baked an extra loaf for us...yay!).
After that Mother went home, and Hubbie and I watched a movie I'd recorded from the Lifetime Network..."The 12 Men of Christmas," a romantic comedy, of course.
Sad news today: at water aerobics, I learned that one of the ladies lost her sister to cancer two or three days ago. And then this afternoon, I got an email telling me that a friend I used to work with in our capital city fell in her bathtub, cracked her head and broke her neck. She isn't paralyzed so far, but to prevent that, she is in a neck brace and must not move her head at all. If she does, and her vertebrae separate, she'll need surgery to add a halo device to her head, if she does not become paralyzed. This widowed lady, who never had children and has few close relatives, is approaching 80 years old. She has already had a massive heart attack and other ailments. Now this. She'll have a miserable holiday season. My heart goes out to her.
Only eleven of us showed up for this next to the last day of water aerobics until January 18, and that number dwindled to just six before the session was over. I wonder how many will show up Friday?
When I got home, Hubbie and Mother were gone to her 9 a.m. ophthalmologist appointment. All is well with her eye, so she'll be ready for the second surgery Dec. 29.
Once I was ready for the day, and Hubbie and Mother had returned, Mother and I put together a gift basket for the "Water Babes" Christmas party Friday. I filled a red and green basket that I'd gotten at a yard sale with excelsior on top of wadded up plastic grocery bags. On this bed I nestled a cup (that I'd gotten at the everything's a dollar store) containing four apple cider packets, a jar of cherry jelly (ordered from the Amish store at Branson), and a loaf of bread (that Mother baked from a frozen loaf). I added a silk poinsettia flower for interest, and an embossed gift card that I made, and then put the basket in a red and green Christmas patterned plastic cookie tray bag (from the everything's a dollar store), and tied it with green ribbon. The basket meets the required exchange-gifts-under-ten-dollars agreed upon by the water aerobics members.
Then we tied raffia bows to several other jars of the cherry jelly, adding little Christmas tree ornaments to each bow. These will be our token exchange gifts for Hubbie's family when we visit at daughter's house in another town on December 21.
After lunch, Hubbie and I ran errands...first to the art gallery, where I picked up a pair of Swarovski crystal Christmas tree earrings in a gold color to match a necklace given to me by Hubbie's daughters. The woman who makes these earrings is conducting a jewelry making workshop on Friday night during the Second Friday events downtown, but Hubbie and I will be attending a home medical services Christmas party at that time, so I can't do the jewelry workshop.
Then we went to the Post Office to return a CD I'd ordered by mistake. I actually meant to order the DVD, so I was surprised when the movie music CD arrived instead. I don't know how I managed to do that.
From the PO, we went to the WDCS for several items before returning home. By this time, it was around 4 p.m. The day had flown by.
Supper tonight was baked sweet potatoes, canned white beans, boiled cabbage, and corn on the cob, with slices of yeast bread (Mother baked an extra loaf for us...yay!).
After that Mother went home, and Hubbie and I watched a movie I'd recorded from the Lifetime Network..."The 12 Men of Christmas," a romantic comedy, of course.
Sad news today: at water aerobics, I learned that one of the ladies lost her sister to cancer two or three days ago. And then this afternoon, I got an email telling me that a friend I used to work with in our capital city fell in her bathtub, cracked her head and broke her neck. She isn't paralyzed so far, but to prevent that, she is in a neck brace and must not move her head at all. If she does, and her vertebrae separate, she'll need surgery to add a halo device to her head, if she does not become paralyzed. This widowed lady, who never had children and has few close relatives, is approaching 80 years old. She has already had a massive heart attack and other ailments. Now this. She'll have a miserable holiday season. My heart goes out to her.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Tuesday, December 8
Slept late this morning, and then did a treadmill and weights exercises session. Mother came over after I was ready for the day, and we did this and that for the rest of the morning.
After lunch, Mother and I went to get haircuts. It poured rain this afternoon, making for an uncomfortable trip to the beauty shop, especially since my umbrella decided to quit working.
Back home, I spent time at my computer, doing an expense report on the graham cracker cookie Christmas house workshop, and putting workshop snapshots on a CD for the gallery director. I also loaded a bunch of photos into Mother's digital frame.
After that, Mother and I sat down to watch a couple of episodes of "Dr. Oz" that I recorded on DVR. At the conclusion of the shows, I left to go to a 5 p.m. visual arts committee meeting downtown, which dragged on until 6:30.
Afterward, we had a supper of chicken and rice casserole (using some of the chicken that we failed to put in the chicken noodle soup Saturday) and English peas. Mother went home after that, and Hubbie and I did the usual...watched TV. Pretty uninspired day.
After lunch, Mother and I went to get haircuts. It poured rain this afternoon, making for an uncomfortable trip to the beauty shop, especially since my umbrella decided to quit working.
Back home, I spent time at my computer, doing an expense report on the graham cracker cookie Christmas house workshop, and putting workshop snapshots on a CD for the gallery director. I also loaded a bunch of photos into Mother's digital frame.
After that, Mother and I sat down to watch a couple of episodes of "Dr. Oz" that I recorded on DVR. At the conclusion of the shows, I left to go to a 5 p.m. visual arts committee meeting downtown, which dragged on until 6:30.
Afterward, we had a supper of chicken and rice casserole (using some of the chicken that we failed to put in the chicken noodle soup Saturday) and English peas. Mother went home after that, and Hubbie and I did the usual...watched TV. Pretty uninspired day.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Pearl Harbor Day
In remembrance of Pearl Harbor Day, we hung the flag on the well house today. The attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, occurred about a month before I was born.
The first thing we noticed when I opened the front door to go to water aerobics was that one of the cats had left us a gift of a dead mouse on the front porch. This isn't the first gift we've received. Recently, one of the cats brought us a snake. Yikes!
It was a very foggy, cold morning for traveling to the college pool. And again, the pool was chilly, too. But about 14 of us showed up, anyway. Usually, once I'm in the water, I get used to the temp. But today, before the session was over, I began getting chilled. Maybe it was a reaction to the H1N1 flu shot. Whatever the cause, I was glad to get out of the pool, dry off, and climb into my snugly fleece outfit.
Back home, I stood in a hot shower for a long time to warm up before getting ready for the day. This morning, I spent a lot of time at my office computer. But this afternoon, Hubbie and I did run a couple of errands...to the everything's a dollar store to buy a Christmas mug to add to a gift basket for the "Water Babes" luncheon and Dirty Santa gift exchange on Friday, and to a gas station to fill up the van.
When we got back, I continued on my office computer. One thing I did was upload snapshots to my blog of our excursion to another town last Friday to see the Christmas lights and go through the Living Nativity (see previous blogs).
I also wrote my annual Christmas letter. I don't bore everyone on my Christmas card list with this lengthy letter, but only send it to certain friends and family (particularly those who do not have computers for reading my daily blogs or receiving frequent e-mails) that I know will enjoy an update of our lives.
Later, Mother and I prepared Ziplock bag omelets, potato pancakes, and toasted bagels for supper. Afterwards, we all went to Mother's house to see her Christmas decorations. She no longer puts up a tree, but she has a couple of nativity scenes and some Christmas village pieces that she sets up here and there.
At home, Hubbie and I listened to the radio as our favorite basketball team played to a win. Yay!
After that, we watched a 2009 Hallmark Channel Christmas movie, "Mrs. Miracle," starring Doris Roberts and James Van Der Beek. An older woman (Roberts) with special abilities comes to a widower's (played by Van Der Beek) home to take care of unruly twin boys. She sees to it that the widower crosses paths with a nice young woman, and you can guess where the plot goes from there.
The first thing we noticed when I opened the front door to go to water aerobics was that one of the cats had left us a gift of a dead mouse on the front porch. This isn't the first gift we've received. Recently, one of the cats brought us a snake. Yikes!
It was a very foggy, cold morning for traveling to the college pool. And again, the pool was chilly, too. But about 14 of us showed up, anyway. Usually, once I'm in the water, I get used to the temp. But today, before the session was over, I began getting chilled. Maybe it was a reaction to the H1N1 flu shot. Whatever the cause, I was glad to get out of the pool, dry off, and climb into my snugly fleece outfit.
Back home, I stood in a hot shower for a long time to warm up before getting ready for the day. This morning, I spent a lot of time at my office computer. But this afternoon, Hubbie and I did run a couple of errands...to the everything's a dollar store to buy a Christmas mug to add to a gift basket for the "Water Babes" luncheon and Dirty Santa gift exchange on Friday, and to a gas station to fill up the van.
When we got back, I continued on my office computer. One thing I did was upload snapshots to my blog of our excursion to another town last Friday to see the Christmas lights and go through the Living Nativity (see previous blogs).
I also wrote my annual Christmas letter. I don't bore everyone on my Christmas card list with this lengthy letter, but only send it to certain friends and family (particularly those who do not have computers for reading my daily blogs or receiving frequent e-mails) that I know will enjoy an update of our lives.
Later, Mother and I prepared Ziplock bag omelets, potato pancakes, and toasted bagels for supper. Afterwards, we all went to Mother's house to see her Christmas decorations. She no longer puts up a tree, but she has a couple of nativity scenes and some Christmas village pieces that she sets up here and there.
At home, Hubbie and I listened to the radio as our favorite basketball team played to a win. Yay!
After that, we watched a 2009 Hallmark Channel Christmas movie, "Mrs. Miracle," starring Doris Roberts and James Van Der Beek. An older woman (Roberts) with special abilities comes to a widower's (played by Van Der Beek) home to take care of unruly twin boys. She sees to it that the widower crosses paths with a nice young woman, and you can guess where the plot goes from there.
Living Nativity
These snapshots are of the Living Nativity at a church in the other town that we visited last Friday night. This is a drive-through event, so it is not easy to capture snapshots from a moving vehicle, but these illustrate what a tremendous job the congregants have done in building a realistic looking Bethlehem. Costumed people, and live animals like camels, donkeys, horses, goats, sheep, etc., lend authenticity to the scenes.
Christmas Lights
These are some shots of Christmas lights in another town that we visited last Friday night. The top one is of a light display at the city park, and the other two are of strings of blue lights suspended from trees on a college campus. We were disappointed that the courthouse on the town square was not yet lit when we visited.Sunday, December 6, 2009
Sunday, December 6
Slept late this morning and then did a treadmill session and resistance exercises. It was a usual Sunday after that... programming the DVR, doing laundry, reading the Sunday newspaper, and talking on the phone to Granddaughter, who said it was not until she, Daughter, and Great-grandkids were on their way home yesterday that she realized there was no chicken in the chicken noodle soup. We had a good laugh over it.
Before having a lunch of leftovers, we watched the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular that I had recorded from the PBS channel. After that, Mother went home for a while, and I, at the request of the reporter who interviewed me, selected closeup snapshots of graham cracker cookie Christmas houses to send to the editor of the regional insert of the state newspaper.
Then I decided on something to wear to the "Festival of Lessons and Carols," at 4 p.m. at a local church. I can't seem to win for losing, though, because when I saw the ad in our local newspaper about the church service, I thought it was being held at the same place as it has been every year. But when we arrived, we were puzzled to see that no one was there.
So we checked at another church that we thought would be the next logical place for the service, and were disappointed to find that it wasn't being held there, either.
We decided to come back home and check the newspaper to see where it was being held, and found out it was at the Episcopal Church. So we hurried there and arrived just as the service began. We weren't sure if Mother would be able to handle the two flights of steps up to the church doors, but she managed fine.
The service we are used to attending is a community event, with folks from several faiths participating in the readings and carols. The community flute choir usually performs, too. But at the church this afternoon, the service was conducted only by the church members. But it was still very nice. The choir sang several carols that are our favorites, like "In the Bleak Mid Winter," "Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming," "I Wander as I Wonder," "What Child is This," and "Ding Dong! Merrily on High." We felt quite at home in the church, since we knew several members of the choir, a few of the readers, and lots of folks in the congregation.
Back home about 5:30 p.m., we had a supper of the leftover chicken noodle soup (this time, we actually put some chicken in it), and cinnamon rolls for dessert.
Mother went home after that, and Hubbie and I sat down to watch "The Express," a 2008 PG true story movie about college football player Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy.
Before having a lunch of leftovers, we watched the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular that I had recorded from the PBS channel. After that, Mother went home for a while, and I, at the request of the reporter who interviewed me, selected closeup snapshots of graham cracker cookie Christmas houses to send to the editor of the regional insert of the state newspaper.
Then I decided on something to wear to the "Festival of Lessons and Carols," at 4 p.m. at a local church. I can't seem to win for losing, though, because when I saw the ad in our local newspaper about the church service, I thought it was being held at the same place as it has been every year. But when we arrived, we were puzzled to see that no one was there.
So we checked at another church that we thought would be the next logical place for the service, and were disappointed to find that it wasn't being held there, either.
We decided to come back home and check the newspaper to see where it was being held, and found out it was at the Episcopal Church. So we hurried there and arrived just as the service began. We weren't sure if Mother would be able to handle the two flights of steps up to the church doors, but she managed fine.
The service we are used to attending is a community event, with folks from several faiths participating in the readings and carols. The community flute choir usually performs, too. But at the church this afternoon, the service was conducted only by the church members. But it was still very nice. The choir sang several carols that are our favorites, like "In the Bleak Mid Winter," "Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming," "I Wander as I Wonder," "What Child is This," and "Ding Dong! Merrily on High." We felt quite at home in the church, since we knew several members of the choir, a few of the readers, and lots of folks in the congregation.
Back home about 5:30 p.m., we had a supper of the leftover chicken noodle soup (this time, we actually put some chicken in it), and cinnamon rolls for dessert.
Mother went home after that, and Hubbie and I sat down to watch "The Express," a 2008 PG true story movie about college football player Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Saturday, December 5
We were up early this morning, but I skipped my exercises so we could get ready to go to the art gallery to conduct two sessions of the graham cracker cookie Christmas house workshop. We did one in the morning from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30, and one from 1 p.m. to 2:30.
I actually thought the morning workshop began at 9 a.m., so we were at the gallery by 8:45. Daughter, Granddaughter, and Great-grandchildren were already there, waiting in their vehicle. We had no key to open the gallery, so we sat and waited for the director to arrive. She got there at nine.
We got things organized before the morning group arrived at 9:30. Seven kids made Christmas houses in record time, and were finished in about an hour. One of the children belonged to a photographer who was there to get snapshots of the event for the regional edition to the state newspaper, which meant that I didn't have to do the job after all. She also snapped pictures of Mother and me to accompany the article about the Christmas houses that will appear in the Thursday edition of the paper. Too bad that I woke up this morning with bed head and didn't have time to wash and fix my hair. Oh well, most of the weird crimp was on the back of my head, which shouldn't show in the snapshot.
When the kids had completed their projects, Daughter, Granddaughter, and Great-grandkids, along with Mother came home, so Mother could get the chicken noodle soup and sandwich makings ready for lunch.
The art gallery director and I cleaned up after the first group, and organized for the second group. In the meantime, Hubbie ran a few errands for me, including going to a craft fair to pick up a dozen yeast cinnamon buns. We look forward to these light, fluffy, perfectly seasoned treats every year. He also went to a grocery store that had boxes of cereal on sale.
He picked me up about 11 a.m. and we returned home for lunch. We had the soup with deli turkey and cheese sandwiches on flat bread, and cinnamon rolls for dessert, of course. After that, Daughter and crew opened grab bag gifts and Christmas gifts.
Daughter opted to stay home with the great-grandchildren this afternoon, while Hubbie, Mother, Granddaughter, and I went to the art gallery for the second session. Nine kids showed up for this session. These were older children, who took more time to carefully design their houses, so it was 2:30 before this session ended. This morning, Granddaughter spent her time helping her 18-month-old baby create a house, but this afternoon, she enjoyed helping the older kids with their projects.
While we were gone, Daughter and Great-granddaughter watched "Polar Express," and an animated feature, while baby Great-grandson snoozed. We got back home around 3:30, after cleaning up the gallery and visited for about an hour, and then had an early supper of lunch repeated.
Daughter and crew went home after that, and we got ready to go to the 6 p.m. Christmas parade downtown. We had taken the truck to the courthouse parking lot and parked it facing the parade route on our way downtown to the art gallery this morning. So this evening, we drove the van to the back of the courthouse and walked to the truck, taking afghans with us. Hubbie went to the truck first and started the heater before we got in it. So while folks standing along the sidewalk shivered and hopped up and down in an attempt to keep warm, we were comfy watching the parade from inside the truck.
The parade this year had a Dr. Seuss theme that inspired no fewer than nine Grinch floats, plus a couple of Cat in the Hat ones. One of the Grinch floats included the character barreling in his sled down Mount Crumpit toward the center of Whoville, where "Who" children sat around a Christmas tree. This was our choice for the winning float.
Back home a little after 7 p.m., we fixed ourselves cups of hot chocolate, and sat down to watch TV for a while.
Funny: on the way home from the parade, Mother suddenly realized that she hadn't remembered to put the boiled chicken into the noodle soup at lunch. If anybody noticed there was no meat in the soup, they didn't say so. I didn't notice it. But now we have a container of several chicken breasts that we'll need to work into another meal this week.
Funny: in my previous blog I mentioned that yesterday I didn't feel the needle going in when the nurse gave me an H1N1 flu shot. Well, last night when I was getting ready for bed, I decided to remove the adhesive bandage that had been applied to the shot area, but noticed that while there was a tiny red spot where I'd gotten the shot, the bandage that was supposed to cover it was about an inch below it. Apparently, even the nurse couldn't tell where she'd "shot" me.
Scary: during the Christmas house workshop, the art gallery director tripped over a cord she''d strung between her cubbyhole office and the CD player and fell to her hands and knees, knocking over a stack of CDs and startling everyone present. The director declared that she was all right, but I think she must have hit one of her knees pretty hard, because when she got up, she was limping. I hope she isn't too stiff and sore tomorrow.
I actually thought the morning workshop began at 9 a.m., so we were at the gallery by 8:45. Daughter, Granddaughter, and Great-grandchildren were already there, waiting in their vehicle. We had no key to open the gallery, so we sat and waited for the director to arrive. She got there at nine.
We got things organized before the morning group arrived at 9:30. Seven kids made Christmas houses in record time, and were finished in about an hour. One of the children belonged to a photographer who was there to get snapshots of the event for the regional edition to the state newspaper, which meant that I didn't have to do the job after all. She also snapped pictures of Mother and me to accompany the article about the Christmas houses that will appear in the Thursday edition of the paper. Too bad that I woke up this morning with bed head and didn't have time to wash and fix my hair. Oh well, most of the weird crimp was on the back of my head, which shouldn't show in the snapshot.
When the kids had completed their projects, Daughter, Granddaughter, and Great-grandkids, along with Mother came home, so Mother could get the chicken noodle soup and sandwich makings ready for lunch.
The art gallery director and I cleaned up after the first group, and organized for the second group. In the meantime, Hubbie ran a few errands for me, including going to a craft fair to pick up a dozen yeast cinnamon buns. We look forward to these light, fluffy, perfectly seasoned treats every year. He also went to a grocery store that had boxes of cereal on sale.
He picked me up about 11 a.m. and we returned home for lunch. We had the soup with deli turkey and cheese sandwiches on flat bread, and cinnamon rolls for dessert, of course. After that, Daughter and crew opened grab bag gifts and Christmas gifts.
Daughter opted to stay home with the great-grandchildren this afternoon, while Hubbie, Mother, Granddaughter, and I went to the art gallery for the second session. Nine kids showed up for this session. These were older children, who took more time to carefully design their houses, so it was 2:30 before this session ended. This morning, Granddaughter spent her time helping her 18-month-old baby create a house, but this afternoon, she enjoyed helping the older kids with their projects.
While we were gone, Daughter and Great-granddaughter watched "Polar Express," and an animated feature, while baby Great-grandson snoozed. We got back home around 3:30, after cleaning up the gallery and visited for about an hour, and then had an early supper of lunch repeated.
Daughter and crew went home after that, and we got ready to go to the 6 p.m. Christmas parade downtown. We had taken the truck to the courthouse parking lot and parked it facing the parade route on our way downtown to the art gallery this morning. So this evening, we drove the van to the back of the courthouse and walked to the truck, taking afghans with us. Hubbie went to the truck first and started the heater before we got in it. So while folks standing along the sidewalk shivered and hopped up and down in an attempt to keep warm, we were comfy watching the parade from inside the truck.
The parade this year had a Dr. Seuss theme that inspired no fewer than nine Grinch floats, plus a couple of Cat in the Hat ones. One of the Grinch floats included the character barreling in his sled down Mount Crumpit toward the center of Whoville, where "Who" children sat around a Christmas tree. This was our choice for the winning float.
Back home a little after 7 p.m., we fixed ourselves cups of hot chocolate, and sat down to watch TV for a while.
Funny: on the way home from the parade, Mother suddenly realized that she hadn't remembered to put the boiled chicken into the noodle soup at lunch. If anybody noticed there was no meat in the soup, they didn't say so. I didn't notice it. But now we have a container of several chicken breasts that we'll need to work into another meal this week.
Funny: in my previous blog I mentioned that yesterday I didn't feel the needle going in when the nurse gave me an H1N1 flu shot. Well, last night when I was getting ready for bed, I decided to remove the adhesive bandage that had been applied to the shot area, but noticed that while there was a tiny red spot where I'd gotten the shot, the bandage that was supposed to cover it was about an inch below it. Apparently, even the nurse couldn't tell where she'd "shot" me.
Scary: during the Christmas house workshop, the art gallery director tripped over a cord she''d strung between her cubbyhole office and the CD player and fell to her hands and knees, knocking over a stack of CDs and startling everyone present. The director declared that she was all right, but I think she must have hit one of her knees pretty hard, because when she got up, she was limping. I hope she isn't too stiff and sore tomorrow.
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