Thursday, Sept. 9

Up at around 7:30 so Hubbie could get ready to go to a 10 a.m. master gardener meeting. He left around 9:30, while I was on the treadmill, because he wanted to stop by a drug store to pick up a couple of three-pound cans of on-sale coffee. He'd gotten a couple of cans yesterday, as well, and would have gotten more if the limit hadn't been two. The reason we're stocking up is because we've heard that the price of coffee is going to increase sharply.

I spent the morning doing various things, including purchasing tickets to the play, "Evita," to be performed in the capital city in October. Today was the last day to get discounted tickets before the opening performance tomorrow. We decided to reserve seats in the second mezzanine section (the cheap seats), because that's where Mother can be seated on a front row near an aisle, so she won't feel claustrophobic.

Then I called our scrapbook members about a "walkability" event in October. The event, sponsored by Extension Services, is to "survey our town for convenience, barriers, and other features that make walking easy or risky and difficult." Those of us who volunteer, and I am one of them, will photograph and note observations of residential and commercial areas and access to schools and parks. Other sponsors of the event include a medical center, a health education center, our local AARP chapter, and our local city council.

Hubbie returned around noon, bringing a daylily plant that he won as a door prize. After lunch, I decided to put a pot of green split peas on to simmer for tomorrow night's supper, but discovered I didn't have any dried beans. That meant a trip to the grocery store. Mother came over after we got back from the store and cut up onions, carrots, and celery for the soup.

We let the soup simmer until 4 p.m., when we went to the college down the road from us for a community picnic. It was pouring rain at the time, so the college had set up tables with white tablecloths and red or red check runners. in the dining hall. The area is large, so staff also inflated a large jump castle for the kids. In one corner, a snow cone machine was set up for the kids, but it was so cold in the room, I don't know how the kids could stand to eat it.

A popular local guitarist entertained, while folks enjoyed hamburgers and hot dogs and bags of potato chips, plus a choice of cherry cream cheese dessert and cookies, as well as choices of soft drinks and bottled water. I passed up the hot dogs and chips, but I did indulge in the cherry dessert.

It was still raining hard when we left around 5 p.m. Dropped Hubbie off at home, then Mother and I went to a greeting card making session at Caring Hands Hospice. The session lasted until around 7 p.m. Mother and I made ten birthday cards for the cause.

By the time we got ready to leave the session, it had finally stopped raining, but it sure was muggy-warm.

At home, Hubbie and I watched a couple of one-hour shows. Hubbie was dozy, since he has developed a head cold. I truly hope Mother doesn't catch it.