9-11

We displayed the American flag today in remembrance of the eighth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on America at the World Trade Center and at the Pentagon in Washington. My stomach still knots up when I think about that terrible day.



My very ordinary life proceeded as usual this morning, though, starting with a water aerobics session, where the dressing room was like a deep freeze. I wonder if the college is keeping rooms cool to discourage bacteria and viruses from thriving?



Back home after the session, Mother came over once I was ready for the day and asked to go shopping at the WDCS. It is rare that she wants to go to that store, but occasionally she needs to shop for personal stuff. So after lunch, we were off to the store.



At the store, we were able to secure a handicapped parking spot near the front door, and a wheelchair with a basket once we were inside. So Mother was comfortable doing her shopping. She decided not to pick up a couple of the items that were on her list...a bag of cat food (because it was too large for the small wheelchair basket), and canning jars and lids, because she had a 75 cent coupon for two boxes of Ball lids, and all the store had were Kerr. Well, when we got home, she discovered the coupon was good for either Ball or Kerr.



We were back home around 2 p.m. Shortly after, Hubbie and I ran errands...to a grocery store to get cottage cheese (we eat a lot of that stuff with sandwiches so as not to eat salty chips); to the veterinary clinic for a bottle of vitamins for Shih Tzu, and to the WDCS again. Besides a few other items, we picked up the cat food, and looked for canning jar lids again. All that was available were wide mouth ones, and Mother wanted regular.



So off we went to a grocery store on the other side of town to get the lids. Fortunately, there were exactly two boxes of them there in regular size. Yipee!



While we were at the WDCS, though, we noticed a couple of tables of reduced price food items. So we picked up several boxes of cereal at 99 cents each, several cans of fruit at 75 cents each, a couple of canisters of coffee at $3.99 each , and a couple of $1 boxes of wheat pasta. From these, we let Mother choose the items she wanted for her pantry.



We spent the rest of the afternoon reading our novels and the daily newspaper. For supper, we had pancakes (that had been cooked and frozen a few weeks earlier), with sugar free syrup, along wtih scrambled egg substitute for Mother and me, and regular eggs for Hubbie. For dessert, we had slices of a sweet and juicy locally grown cantaloupe.



Later, Hubbie and I went downtown for Second Friday events. I contributed a plate of Girl Scout cookies to the refreshment table at the art gallery, and then Hubbie and I walked the two blocks to the bookstore for a poetry reading at 6:30.

Tonight, an African-American artist performed his published poetry, which we enjoyed very much. He touched on several topics, including his feelings about his race, his sexuality, his spirituality, and the human condition in general (which everyone can relate to). About fifteen of us were in attendance at this free event in the rather warm upstairs room, where shelves all around the room and down the center were packed with mostly used paperbacks.

Musical events were going on downtown tonight, too, at the pocket park, at a new music theater, at a restaurant, and at an open mic session at the coffeehouse. A crafts vendor had set up a table outside a restaurant, and a flea market and cafe were open for business. The historic movie theater, which charges only $2 admission, was showing an animated feature. So there were plenty of free to inexpensive entertainment choices for folks. And it was a lovely evening for an outing.



Re: Mother: this morning, the nurse from the doctor's office called to say that all of Mother's tests have come back normal, except her blood pressure...her diastolic is abnormal, though her systolic is normal, and she has mild mitral regurgitation (abnormal leaking of blood through the mitral valve)...none of which require anything other than increasing one of her BP meds. And none of which explains her fatigue, the doctor said. But she has run all the required tests, so Mother's malady is still a mystery.