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.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)