We got up at 6 a.m., so we could go to the Caring Hands Hospice yard sale to see if there was anything we wanted. I found three books on CD, priced very reasonably at $2 each, and a Serta counting sheep for 50 cents (this one is a baby sheep with a pacifier). Mother found a corduroy jacket for a couple of dollars, and a small rectangular box decorated with wooden farm animals for 50 cents. Hubbie bought a perfectly good brown leather jacket for $5.
Back home, we spruced the house for company tomorrow...Daughter-in-Law, Granddaughter, and two great-grandsons will come to visit. We haven't seen them for several months, so we're really looking forward to it. The year-old grandson has grown and changed a lot since I saw him last, so I'll certainly be camera-ready.
Before lunch, I made a peach/apple/pear cobbler to have after tomorrow's lunch of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, sliced tomatoes, and another as-yet-undetermined vegetable.
After lunch, Mother went home to rest, Hubbie went out to mow the yard, and I did some things on my computer, including ordering three on-sale movie musicals.
Later, we settled for leftovers for supper, including fajitas that I fashioned from leftover Mexican casserole, leftover bean dip, sauteed onions, bell pepper, and mushrooms, green chilies, salsa, and Monterey Jack cheese, folded into whole wheat tortillas. I wrapped these in foil and heated them in the oven. Since Mother doesn't care for Mexican food, she had leftover spaghetti, leftover zucchini casserole, and leftover boiled new potatoes. Hubbie and I sampled small helping of those dishes, too, though the fajitas were our main focus.
At 6:30 p.m., we went over to the college to see a performance of "Grease," by students of a local dance studio. The kids did a good job, and we enjoyed it. We were back home around 9:30.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Camper Back
We got up early, so we could get on the road to another town, about two hours away, to pick up the camper. We left about 9 a.m. and arrived at Daughter's house around 10:30. The camper was at a town about 30 minutes from there, but we wanted to drop Mother and Shih Tzu off at Daughter's and then go shopping for a while before lunch.
We stopped at the mall first, where I took advantage of a gift card for a free item at a lingerie shop. We also browsed a book store. I wanted to see if I could buy a couple of movie musicals cheaper there than I can get them online. I couldn't. We also looked around a favorite clothing store, where I found a long-sleeve sheer blouse marked 50% off that will be great for a dressy occasion. But the blouse has a small mark from an ink pen on it, so I asked the clerk if she could give me a further discount, since I will need to try to remove the stain. She took another 10% off the price.
From there, we went to a warehouse discount store to buy several bulk food items. We're careful buying at this store, since often the prices at their regular store, or at other local grocery stores are better than the warehouse prices. Today, for instance, bananas were priced higher than they are at a local grocer's.
After we finished shopping, we bought grilled chicken sandwiches for Mother and me, a hamburger for Hubbie, and containers of soft serve ice cream for all of us at a fast food store near Daughter's house, and took them to her house for lunch. Daughter was at work, and Son-in-Law was away visiting his brother, so there was only the three of us at lunch time.
Following lunch, we went to the other town to pick up the camper. While we were there, we visited Hubbie's sister, his son, and his two grandchildren. Around 2 p.m., we picked up the camper and headed home.
We arrived around 4:30, and got pancakes out of the freezer for supper. Later, Hubbie and I went downtown for Second Friday events, including an artist reception at the art gallery. I took a spinach/artichoke dip and crackers for the event. We visited folks at the gallery for a while, and then walked up and down Main Street, browsing around the shops that were open, before returning to the gallery to pick up the remainder of the dip, crackers, and my dishes.
We were home about 8:30, and watched TV for a while. It was a long day.
We stopped at the mall first, where I took advantage of a gift card for a free item at a lingerie shop. We also browsed a book store. I wanted to see if I could buy a couple of movie musicals cheaper there than I can get them online. I couldn't. We also looked around a favorite clothing store, where I found a long-sleeve sheer blouse marked 50% off that will be great for a dressy occasion. But the blouse has a small mark from an ink pen on it, so I asked the clerk if she could give me a further discount, since I will need to try to remove the stain. She took another 10% off the price.
From there, we went to a warehouse discount store to buy several bulk food items. We're careful buying at this store, since often the prices at their regular store, or at other local grocery stores are better than the warehouse prices. Today, for instance, bananas were priced higher than they are at a local grocer's.
After we finished shopping, we bought grilled chicken sandwiches for Mother and me, a hamburger for Hubbie, and containers of soft serve ice cream for all of us at a fast food store near Daughter's house, and took them to her house for lunch. Daughter was at work, and Son-in-Law was away visiting his brother, so there was only the three of us at lunch time.
Following lunch, we went to the other town to pick up the camper. While we were there, we visited Hubbie's sister, his son, and his two grandchildren. Around 2 p.m., we picked up the camper and headed home.
We arrived around 4:30, and got pancakes out of the freezer for supper. Later, Hubbie and I went downtown for Second Friday events, including an artist reception at the art gallery. I took a spinach/artichoke dip and crackers for the event. We visited folks at the gallery for a while, and then walked up and down Main Street, browsing around the shops that were open, before returning to the gallery to pick up the remainder of the dip, crackers, and my dishes.
We were home about 8:30, and watched TV for a while. It was a long day.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Thursday, August 13
We got up early, but I skipped my exercises in order to get ready to go to the Extension Services office, where the Master Gardeners' educational program for this month was a NOVA film on DVD, entitled "The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies," which traces the 2,000 mile flight of Monarch butterflies across North America to Mexico. The film follows the Monarch from caterpillar to adult, to its treaterous journey, where they must dodge threats like predators, rain, strong winds, large bodies of water, and deserts.
Despite the perils, millions of the beautiful and delicate orange and black creatures arrive at their destination...a tiny high-altitude village in Mexico, where the villagers, who believe the Monarchs are the spirits of their dead ancestors, spend weeks preparing a festival in the butterflies' honor. The festival draws hundreds of people, who spend tourist dollars that provide a boost to the economy of the village.
The Monarchs cling by the thousands to the foliage of the trees in the village (this is the only place in the world that the Monarchs migrate to), where they stay, wings folded, for five months, before migrating north.
The flight back takes place in four generations, as the first group stop and mate around Texas, and then die. The next generation continues on, stops and mates and dies, and so on, until the fourth generation reaches Canada, and the cycle starts over again. The Monarchs that migrate from Canada have never been to Mexico, but they are somehow programmed to know the route, and when to begin their flight. As they fly, other Monarchs from different starting points join the flight south, until millions are aloft.
Naturally, man is a huge threat to the Monarch, because despite laws against it, loggers are decimating the forest in Mexico where the butterflies congregate. At one point in the film, a Monarch lay dying of poison, after a crop duster flew over, spraying chemicals on the plant the Monarch was resting on.
The film lasted an hour, from 9:30 to 10:30, after which Mother and I left, while Hubbie stayed to attend the business meeting.
Back home, Mother went to her house, and I cut up lettuce and veggies for chef's salads for Hubbie's and my lunch. He got home near noon, bringing with him a small box of pears...one of the Master Gardeners who has a pear tree brought a bunch of them to give away.
After we'd eaten, we ran errands...to the store that sells my favorite brand of cottage cheese, to the bank, and to the WDCS for a few groceries, particularly bread, which we were completely out of.
While we were at the grocery store, as I waited for Hubbie to run in and get the cottage cheese, I saw a young woman in a green t-shirt walking across the parking lot. On the back of the t-shirt in huge letters was printed "UP YOURS." What an unladylike statement for a young woman to be displaying on her back, I thought. Then she turned around, and on the front of the shirt was printed "MAKE 7." A 7-Up logo was on the sleeve of the shirt. So putting it all together, the t-shirt read, "MAKE 7 UP YOURS."
Back home, Hubbie bathed Shih Tzu for our trip to pick up the camper tomorrow. Mother will also go with us, and she and Shih Tzu will stay at Daughter's house, while Hubbie and I shop for a few things at the discount warehouse, before we have lunch at Daughter's and then go on to another town to get the camper.
Later, for supper, Hubbie and I had a Mexican casserole, along with bean dip with raw veggies. Mother didn't join us, because she's not fond of Mexican food. After supper, we read for a while before we watched a movie on TV.
Tonight, we watched "Whispers and Lies," recorded from Lifetime Movie Network. Cousins visit an island, where one of the women is interested in seeing a man she's recently met. The island is inhabited by people with a strange agenda, though, and one of the cousins is killed. While the other cousin tries to unravel the mystery of her cousin's death, she discovers that her own life is in danger from the island's inhabitants who seek a cure to a flu-like illness.
Despite the perils, millions of the beautiful and delicate orange and black creatures arrive at their destination...a tiny high-altitude village in Mexico, where the villagers, who believe the Monarchs are the spirits of their dead ancestors, spend weeks preparing a festival in the butterflies' honor. The festival draws hundreds of people, who spend tourist dollars that provide a boost to the economy of the village.
The Monarchs cling by the thousands to the foliage of the trees in the village (this is the only place in the world that the Monarchs migrate to), where they stay, wings folded, for five months, before migrating north.
The flight back takes place in four generations, as the first group stop and mate around Texas, and then die. The next generation continues on, stops and mates and dies, and so on, until the fourth generation reaches Canada, and the cycle starts over again. The Monarchs that migrate from Canada have never been to Mexico, but they are somehow programmed to know the route, and when to begin their flight. As they fly, other Monarchs from different starting points join the flight south, until millions are aloft.
Naturally, man is a huge threat to the Monarch, because despite laws against it, loggers are decimating the forest in Mexico where the butterflies congregate. At one point in the film, a Monarch lay dying of poison, after a crop duster flew over, spraying chemicals on the plant the Monarch was resting on.
The film lasted an hour, from 9:30 to 10:30, after which Mother and I left, while Hubbie stayed to attend the business meeting.
Back home, Mother went to her house, and I cut up lettuce and veggies for chef's salads for Hubbie's and my lunch. He got home near noon, bringing with him a small box of pears...one of the Master Gardeners who has a pear tree brought a bunch of them to give away.
After we'd eaten, we ran errands...to the store that sells my favorite brand of cottage cheese, to the bank, and to the WDCS for a few groceries, particularly bread, which we were completely out of.
While we were at the grocery store, as I waited for Hubbie to run in and get the cottage cheese, I saw a young woman in a green t-shirt walking across the parking lot. On the back of the t-shirt in huge letters was printed "UP YOURS." What an unladylike statement for a young woman to be displaying on her back, I thought. Then she turned around, and on the front of the shirt was printed "MAKE 7." A 7-Up logo was on the sleeve of the shirt. So putting it all together, the t-shirt read, "MAKE 7 UP YOURS."
Back home, Hubbie bathed Shih Tzu for our trip to pick up the camper tomorrow. Mother will also go with us, and she and Shih Tzu will stay at Daughter's house, while Hubbie and I shop for a few things at the discount warehouse, before we have lunch at Daughter's and then go on to another town to get the camper.
Later, for supper, Hubbie and I had a Mexican casserole, along with bean dip with raw veggies. Mother didn't join us, because she's not fond of Mexican food. After supper, we read for a while before we watched a movie on TV.
Tonight, we watched "Whispers and Lies," recorded from Lifetime Movie Network. Cousins visit an island, where one of the women is interested in seeing a man she's recently met. The island is inhabited by people with a strange agenda, though, and one of the cousins is killed. While the other cousin tries to unravel the mystery of her cousin's death, she discovers that her own life is in danger from the island's inhabitants who seek a cure to a flu-like illness.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Wednesday, August 12
We slept late, and after breakfast, a treadmill session, and getting ready for the day, Hubbie and I delivered the boxes and bags of items for the yard sale to the Caring Hands Hospice office. We didn't do anything of consequence the rest of the morning.
After lunch, I transcribed the community theatre minutes notes and e-mailed them to the president of the board. He responded, saying I'd completed the minutes at the speed of lightening. I reminded him that it was necessary that I transcribe immediately or risk not being able to read my notes later.
My bad handwriting is the reason I've been dragging my feet in writing personal notes in the greeting cards Mother and I made Monday, but I finally got down to it this afternoon. I decided a safe approach would be to print the messages rather than write them, which seemed to work okay. At least the messages are legible.
After that, I read my novel, getting within four pages of finishing before suppertime, and finishing those pages right after supper. Now I can bag the "Twilight" series books to take back to Hubbie's sister... just in the nick of time, since we got a call from the RV repair shop that our camper is ready. Nothing important is on the calendar for Friday, so we'll go get it then.
Tonight's TV fare was "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day," a 2008 PG-13 movie starring Frances McDormand, Amy Adams and Lee Pace. This is a comedy about a late 1930s middle-aged governess, who, having goofed several jobs is now starving. She wangles her way into a new job as a social secretary to a gold digging would-be actress. The association lasts only one day and one night, but a lot happens to change the actress's life, as well as the governess's.
Funny (from the art gallery again): a member of the visual arts committee was manning the gallery last week when a young woman came in asking if she could tape a flyer announcing a fundraising concert event in the window of the gallery. The committee member said yes, that it would be okay.
"I'm an artist, too," the young woman commented.
"Oh?" the committee member said, interested. "What medium do you work in?"
"Tattoo," the young woman replied.
After lunch, I transcribed the community theatre minutes notes and e-mailed them to the president of the board. He responded, saying I'd completed the minutes at the speed of lightening. I reminded him that it was necessary that I transcribe immediately or risk not being able to read my notes later.
My bad handwriting is the reason I've been dragging my feet in writing personal notes in the greeting cards Mother and I made Monday, but I finally got down to it this afternoon. I decided a safe approach would be to print the messages rather than write them, which seemed to work okay. At least the messages are legible.
After that, I read my novel, getting within four pages of finishing before suppertime, and finishing those pages right after supper. Now I can bag the "Twilight" series books to take back to Hubbie's sister... just in the nick of time, since we got a call from the RV repair shop that our camper is ready. Nothing important is on the calendar for Friday, so we'll go get it then.
Tonight's TV fare was "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day," a 2008 PG-13 movie starring Frances McDormand, Amy Adams and Lee Pace. This is a comedy about a late 1930s middle-aged governess, who, having goofed several jobs is now starving. She wangles her way into a new job as a social secretary to a gold digging would-be actress. The association lasts only one day and one night, but a lot happens to change the actress's life, as well as the governess's.
Funny (from the art gallery again): a member of the visual arts committee was manning the gallery last week when a young woman came in asking if she could tape a flyer announcing a fundraising concert event in the window of the gallery. The committee member said yes, that it would be okay.
"I'm an artist, too," the young woman commented.
"Oh?" the committee member said, interested. "What medium do you work in?"
"Tattoo," the young woman replied.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Tuesday, August 11
After my usual morning routine, I began searching for things to contribute to a yard sale being sponsored by Caring Hands Hospice. Mother came over mid-morning, and we priced the items I'd gathered, plus things she'd found at her house. Among the things we found to donate are paperback books, books on tape, craft magazines, some craft kits, jigsaw puzzles, a toaster, a pair of bathroom scales (both of which work, but just aren't suited to our needs), and other miscellaneous things.
Since nothing was scheduled for the afternoon, I read my novel for an hour or so. I want to finish this last in the "Twilight" series before we go pick up the camper when it's repaired, so we can deliver the four novels back to Hubbie's sister, who lives in the same town as the RV repair shop.
At 5 p.m., I went to an art gallery committee meeting. After I got back home at 6 p.m., we had a supper of braised pork chops, baked sweet potatoes, mixed vegetables and applesauce. Then I went to a community theatre board meeting at 7 p.m. The community theatre board changed its meeting time from 7:30 to 7 p.m. last month, which suits most of the board members, but will rush me.
Earlier today, the president of the board called to ask if I'd serve as secretary this year. I told him I preferred not to, but would do it if no one else would agreed to do it. He did find someone else, but she is ill tonight and couldn't attend, so I ended up taking minutes after all. My handwriting has always been bad, but is getting worse, thanks to some arthritis in my right hand thumb, so that half the time I can't read my own notes. I'll need to transcribe within a couple of days if I hope interpret the meeting minutes.
Funny: there is an exhibit at the art gallery by a man who does very unusual and strange work, much of it painted on very dark backgrounds. Today, someone came into the gallery to view the exhibit. After a few minutes, he stopped to study what looked to him like an exhibit on the floor. Frowning, he finally asked the gallery director what the exhibit meant. It was all the director could do to keep a straight face as she explained that the black oblong tub, sitting on a black plastic bag, and containing four bottles of water, with a "$1 per bottle" sign on the front, was exactly what it seemed...a tub to hold iced bottles of water that were offered for sale at the outdoor movie Saturday night.
Since nothing was scheduled for the afternoon, I read my novel for an hour or so. I want to finish this last in the "Twilight" series before we go pick up the camper when it's repaired, so we can deliver the four novels back to Hubbie's sister, who lives in the same town as the RV repair shop.
At 5 p.m., I went to an art gallery committee meeting. After I got back home at 6 p.m., we had a supper of braised pork chops, baked sweet potatoes, mixed vegetables and applesauce. Then I went to a community theatre board meeting at 7 p.m. The community theatre board changed its meeting time from 7:30 to 7 p.m. last month, which suits most of the board members, but will rush me.
Earlier today, the president of the board called to ask if I'd serve as secretary this year. I told him I preferred not to, but would do it if no one else would agreed to do it. He did find someone else, but she is ill tonight and couldn't attend, so I ended up taking minutes after all. My handwriting has always been bad, but is getting worse, thanks to some arthritis in my right hand thumb, so that half the time I can't read my own notes. I'll need to transcribe within a couple of days if I hope interpret the meeting minutes.
Funny: there is an exhibit at the art gallery by a man who does very unusual and strange work, much of it painted on very dark backgrounds. Today, someone came into the gallery to view the exhibit. After a few minutes, he stopped to study what looked to him like an exhibit on the floor. Frowning, he finally asked the gallery director what the exhibit meant. It was all the director could do to keep a straight face as she explained that the black oblong tub, sitting on a black plastic bag, and containing four bottles of water, with a "$1 per bottle" sign on the front, was exactly what it seemed...a tub to hold iced bottles of water that were offered for sale at the outdoor movie Saturday night.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Monday, August 10
After my usual morning routine, I researched stage 4 lung cancer online, because last night Hubbie learned from a Master Gardener e-mail message that a former president of the local organization has been diagnosed with the disease.
This lady is only in her 50s, and as far as we know, she has never smoked. She's a very attractive, slender woman, who has always been active. Her family owns and loves to ride horses, and they even made a trip to Peru a couple of years ago for some sort of riding event.
But she recently began having back pains that got progressively worse, which drove her to see her doctor. From what I read online, the prognosis for stage 4 lung cancer is not good. She was scheduled for her first treatment today, after which she and her family were to travel in their motor home to Florida to stay for a few months. Florida is a place that she loves.
Mother came over this morning, and we made three greeting cards...a congratulations one for a member of our scrapbook club who won second runner up in the Senior Ms. Independence County pageant at the county fair. This is the same lady who lost both her son and her husband within weeks of each other. The senior citizens center that she attends talked her into entering the pageant...probably to help her get back to living her life. Another member of our scrapbook club (the sister-in-law to the one who won second runner up) also entered the pageant, but didn't place.
We also made a birthday card for a friend, and a get well card for another friend. We paused in our work briefly for lunch, and then finished the cards after lunch. Then Hubbie and I shopped for a few groceries at the WDCS. We didn't accomplish a lot after that.
Around 4:30 p.m., a storm cropped up...strong winds, crashing lightening and thunder, and a downpour. It was still storming as we sat down to a supper of leftover spaghetti, with leftover coleslaw, and cottage cheese.
Mother went home after supper, and Hubbie and I watched TV. Tonight's movie fare was "The Jane Austen Book Club," recorded from the Encore love channel. The 2008 PG-13 drama-comedy movie revolves around six women with relationship problems who gather to discuss Jane Austen novels. The women's problems at times mirror elements of the Austen novels.
This lady is only in her 50s, and as far as we know, she has never smoked. She's a very attractive, slender woman, who has always been active. Her family owns and loves to ride horses, and they even made a trip to Peru a couple of years ago for some sort of riding event.
But she recently began having back pains that got progressively worse, which drove her to see her doctor. From what I read online, the prognosis for stage 4 lung cancer is not good. She was scheduled for her first treatment today, after which she and her family were to travel in their motor home to Florida to stay for a few months. Florida is a place that she loves.
Mother came over this morning, and we made three greeting cards...a congratulations one for a member of our scrapbook club who won second runner up in the Senior Ms. Independence County pageant at the county fair. This is the same lady who lost both her son and her husband within weeks of each other. The senior citizens center that she attends talked her into entering the pageant...probably to help her get back to living her life. Another member of our scrapbook club (the sister-in-law to the one who won second runner up) also entered the pageant, but didn't place.
We also made a birthday card for a friend, and a get well card for another friend. We paused in our work briefly for lunch, and then finished the cards after lunch. Then Hubbie and I shopped for a few groceries at the WDCS. We didn't accomplish a lot after that.
Around 4:30 p.m., a storm cropped up...strong winds, crashing lightening and thunder, and a downpour. It was still storming as we sat down to a supper of leftover spaghetti, with leftover coleslaw, and cottage cheese.
Mother went home after supper, and Hubbie and I watched TV. Tonight's movie fare was "The Jane Austen Book Club," recorded from the Encore love channel. The 2008 PG-13 drama-comedy movie revolves around six women with relationship problems who gather to discuss Jane Austen novels. The women's problems at times mirror elements of the Austen novels.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Kittens Lost, Kittens Found
You'll remember that after we saved the kittens from near drowning in a thunderstorm a few days ago, we put them in a box in the sunroom, and brought Mama Cat in to tend to them. During the night, she clawed her way out of the sunroom through a screen in a window, so, figuring that Mama Cat was not one bit satisfied with the new digs, we moved the kittens to the garage, where Hubbie put them in an old cabinet drawer.
Then he tried to keep track of them, even whacking his eye on a yard wagon handle when he bent down in the dark to check on them. But after a couple of days, Mama Cat had moved all the kittens to an unknown location, where we were afraid we would not be able to come in contact with them to tame them and make them suitable to give away. Well, this morning, Hubbie came in from the sunroom and said, "You won't believe where the kittens are." I shrugged, indicating I didn't have a clue. "They're under the hot tub!" he laughed.
Seems Mama Cat had brought the kittens from the garage right back into the sunroom, through the hole she'd clawed in the screen. This photo shows three of them tumbling out of their hiding place to greet us.
While I was taking this picture, I noticed there were grains of mouse and rat bait under the tub, so Hubbie quickly got a hand vacuum and cleared it away. We sure wouldn't want the kittens trying to eat that when they are weaned. We've decided not to move them right now, though we will probably have to when they get a bit older.
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