Monday, Nov. 29

Up at 7:30 on this cool, rainy day, and did a treadmill session and resistance exercises after breakfast. Once I was ready for the day, I finished gathering the fall decorations for storage, and did other household chores.

Mother has been suffering from tummy problems for a few days, so she wasn't up to coming to our house today. I decided to make her some macaroni and cheese for lunch, because it's her favorite dish, and because I hoped it would help sooth her tummy.

I made enough for Hubbie and me to have with our sandwich lunch. After lunch, though it was pouring rain, we ran errands...to the pharmacy, and then to the Extension Services office. Here I left five Christmas stockings, our scrapbook club's contribution to the Extension Homemakers Christmas stocking project. The EH clubs donate according to the number of members they have, and the total, usually around 100, are donated to a local bank that fills them with fruits and candies for disadvantaged children.

From there, we stopped by a fast food restaurant to use coupons I had for soft serve ice cream. I had enough coupons for medium size cups of the ice cream for each of us.

Then we went to the card shop, where I bought a singing Christmas card for Mother. The card features Andy Williams. I also bought three other inexpensive thank you cards, so I could use a buy-three-get-one-free coupon. And I bought this year's children's Christmas storybook. I think I now have every edition but one.

Back home, Hubbie and I put the Christmas village on the mantel. This is a major undertaking, trying to get each one plugged in, creating a second level with boxes, and hiding the cords and the boxes with cotton batting. Since it's such a struggle putting it up, we leave it up through January. It's a Christmas village through December, and a snow village in January.

Later, I fixed us a supper of leftovers, using up most of the food from Thanksgiving. What dressing remained, I put into Ziplocks for the freezer. We'll welcome it later in the winter, when we need it as the basis for a quick meal.

After supper, I went to the college library to meet my student for the first time. We were to meet at 6 p.m., but by 6:15 she had not shown up. So I called the Literacy Council director, who in turn called the student. Apparently, the student had a problem with one of her children...I assumed an illness...and couldn't meet our appointment. But she promised to be there tomorrow night. The council director stressed to the student the importance of letting us know when she can't meet her class time. I'm told if she misses three times without a valid excuse, she'll be dropped from the program.

Back home, Hubbie and I watched TV, including the tear-jerking Hallmark drama, based on a true story, "November Christmas."

While we watched, I did some Cyber Monday online shopping. One thing I ordered was a polarizing filter for my digital camera. I checked the online site for my usual camera store and saw that the price was $119. But the Cyber Monday deal at the online book and video store was $37.95, a big difference.

Also ordered a couple of movie musicals and Rod Stewart's newest American Songbook CD at another book and video online store. I chose to order these at this store because we can earn bonus points there. I would have gotten the filter there, too, except they don't carry it.

At a Branson specialty shop, I ordered a dozen jars of Chai tea to be given, along with cookies, to those extra folks on our Christmas list. Last year, we gave jars of cherry preserves from the Amish shop.

Christmas conflict: got an invitation from the water aerobics leader today, saying we'll gather at the Italian restaurant on Dec. 8. That's the same day that Caring Hands Hospice has scheduled a Christmas card making session. So unless the card making session will continue in the afternoon, I guess we'll have to miss it. But we can make cards ahead of time to contribute, whereas the water aerobics party is a one-time thing.