Wednesday, Dec. 22

Just before bedtime last night, we heard a crash in the dining room. My worst fear was realized, when Hubbie announced that Romeo the cat has knocked pulled the stone-like nativity characters off the table and broken both the Joseph and the Baby Jesus figures. So now, all I have left of two nativity scenes is a large Mary figure and angel from the stone-like set, and a shepherd, donkey, and cow, from the small set. After Christmas, I'll be looking for an unbreakable set.

It was nearly 8 a.m. before I got up this morning, but I did a treadmill session and resistance exercises after breakfast. Mother came over mid-morning and cut up veggies for veggie soup, which I put together for simmering after I was ready for the day.

Then we did some house cleaning in anticipation of a visit from Daughter on Friday, and Hubbie's family on Sunday.

For lunch, we sampled the veggie soup and then put the rest in the freezer. After lunch, Hubbie ran errands, while Mother and I watched my all-time favorite Christmas movie...the 1951 version of "A Christmas Carol," starring Alastair Sim. After we'd finished watching the movie, I ran it again, this time with subtitles for the deaf and narration for the blind. It's fascinating listening to a narrator describe people and scenes. We didn't watch the whole movie again, just a few scenes from it. The DVD also includes a very early animated version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."

For supper, we opted for baked potatoes and leftovers...beef stroganoff from last night, and spinach, English peas, and green beans, as well as slices of bakery bread from a loaf that was included with a handmade wooden cutting board I got at a soup/chili supper and silent auction event at a local college library.

Mother went home after supper, and Hubbie and I made another batch of fruited popcorn. We make an extra batch each year for Hubbie's daughter, who, like Hubbie, dearly loves the stuff. I never touch it.

After that, we watched the 2009 R-rated movie, "Deadline," starring the late actress Brittany Murphy. A young woman, abused by her boyfriend, moves into a large empty, apparently haunted, house, where she finds video tapes of the former residents that reveal something sinister.

Then we watched the 1994 movie, "The Santa Claus," starring Tim Allen. While we watched the movies, I recorded our favorite college team basketball game on DVR, and we began watching that around 8:30. Our team squeaked by to a win.

It was much cooler today than yesterday. It was warm enough yesterday that we turned the air conditioner on in the van as we were running errands. Unfortunately, the unit doesn't work. Glad we discovered that now instead of on the hottest day of summer. Glad, too, that the van is still under warranty. Hubbie will take it in for repairs after the holidays, at which time repairs will also need to be made to the automatic door latches, in accordance with a recall notice.