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.