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.