We were up at 6:30 a.m., so I could get ready to go to water aerobics. The pool was still very cool, so when the maintenance guy came by to check it, I asked what the temperature was. He said it was 82 degrees...pretty chilly for older women. We do reasonably well in 84 degrees, but 82 is pretty chilly.
Back home, once I was ready for the day, I uploaded photos to Blogger, and did other things on the computer. While I was doing that, Hubbie visited his dentist to get that cap fixed. Then he and Mother went to the farmer's cooperative store to get onion sets and lettuce for the raised bed veggie garden.
They returned home around noon. I had cooked a little more spaghetti to add to some that was leftover, plus sauce, for lunch. After lunch, we all went back to the farmer's cooperative to shop for tomato and pepper plants. We bought pepper plants, but Mother didn't like the choices of tomato plants. So we went to a farm store downtown, where Mother found tomato plants that she wanted. From there, we went to a home improvement store to shop for herb plants. While we were there, I picked up three large totes to use in storing photography paraphernalia.
We dropped Mother off at home, and then Hubbie and I went to the school where I'll be teaching photography, to meet with my contact there, check out the maintenance closet that will be converted to a darkroom, and tour the playground that we'll use for photo safaris. The maintenance closet is small, but adequate for setting up a darkroom, and there is a sink in it, as well as an electrical outlet.
The classrooms are down the hall from the closet...a bit distant, but not unmanageable. I met all the teachers, who are young and very pleasant. They are enthusiastic about the session, which fits perfectly with their study units on light.
On the way back from the school, we saw three or four deer in a field where we frequently see them.
At home, Mother had prepared a supper of egg gravy and toast, with hash browns. She went home after that, and Hubbie and I went to the WDCS to shop for groceries. On the way home, we looked for the deer in the field. They weren't there. Instead, there were several wild turkeys. Neat.
We were back home about 7:30, finally ready to relax and watch TV.
Friday, April 9, 2010
More Garden Tour Photos
Here are three more snapshots from yesterday's garden tour. The top photo invites guests. The middle photo shows colorful trees along a pathway. And the bottom photo is a view of the owner's house from the backyard, with azalea bushes in the foreground.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Thursday, April 8
We were up at 7:30 a.m., so Hubbie could get ready to go to a 10 a.m. Master Gardener meeting. I did a treadmill session and resistance exercises after breakfast, and then dressed to go join Hubbie and the other Master Gardeners at a local resident's beautiful tiered garden.
I arrived at 10:30, as suggested by Hubbie, but sat there for 30 minutes, because the MG meeting ran overtime. Except for a cool wind, it was a lovely day for a garden tour. The man who designed and created the garden has spent over 20 years developing it. It's on several levels, with paths and stone steps winding down to the bottom level.
Each level features colorful trees, shrubs, flowers, and shade plants. The bottom level features a bridge, a gazebo, several water features, including little falls of water that cascade over rocks, a pond of goldfish with a waterfall, and a pond filled with Japanese koi fish in front of a centerpiece tea house.
We spent about an hour in this large garden, and got home just after noon. After a sandwich lunch, we took Mother to the garden. Because it is on a steep hillside, Mother could not climb the steps, but we entered it from the back side, which allowed her to see the bottom level. Then we drove up and around to the front of the house, so she could see the backyard that overlooks the wooded area and paths leading to the bottom level.
While Hubbie and I toured the garden this morning, Mother stayed home so someone would be available when the pest control guy came to treat the house.
In between garden tours, I touched base with both the arts council director and my contact at the school where I'll do a photo residency, to iron out details of the session. I made arrangements with the school contact to visit the school tomorrow to see the supply closet that I'm to use as a darkroom. Then we went to a local pharmacy to buy more one-time-use cameras, since I've learned that I'll be dealing with close to a hundred students.
Back home, Mother and I individually bagged little items for students to use in making sunprints. Then I made a lesson plan. It was difficult this time, because I'll be dealing with two classes of third-graders in 40-minute sessions, and two classes of fifth-graders in 80-minute sessions (or blocks, as they now call them).
Mother went home after that, and Hubbie and I had leftovers for supper. Afterward, I uploaded the garden photos. While I was doing this, Hubbie came up to my office and showed me that one of the temporary caps on his front teeth fell off. Yikes! He absolutely has to get that repaired before Saturday, when we are scheduled to meet his daughter and great-granddaughter in another town to see the play, "The Sound of Music," at a dinner theater.
So Hubbie called his dentist at home, since his office is closed on Fridays. His dentist will call in the morning to let Hubbie know when to visit the clinic to fix the cap.
We spent the rest of the evening watching TV, as usual.
I arrived at 10:30, as suggested by Hubbie, but sat there for 30 minutes, because the MG meeting ran overtime. Except for a cool wind, it was a lovely day for a garden tour. The man who designed and created the garden has spent over 20 years developing it. It's on several levels, with paths and stone steps winding down to the bottom level.
Each level features colorful trees, shrubs, flowers, and shade plants. The bottom level features a bridge, a gazebo, several water features, including little falls of water that cascade over rocks, a pond of goldfish with a waterfall, and a pond filled with Japanese koi fish in front of a centerpiece tea house.
We spent about an hour in this large garden, and got home just after noon. After a sandwich lunch, we took Mother to the garden. Because it is on a steep hillside, Mother could not climb the steps, but we entered it from the back side, which allowed her to see the bottom level. Then we drove up and around to the front of the house, so she could see the backyard that overlooks the wooded area and paths leading to the bottom level.
While Hubbie and I toured the garden this morning, Mother stayed home so someone would be available when the pest control guy came to treat the house.
In between garden tours, I touched base with both the arts council director and my contact at the school where I'll do a photo residency, to iron out details of the session. I made arrangements with the school contact to visit the school tomorrow to see the supply closet that I'm to use as a darkroom. Then we went to a local pharmacy to buy more one-time-use cameras, since I've learned that I'll be dealing with close to a hundred students.
Back home, Mother and I individually bagged little items for students to use in making sunprints. Then I made a lesson plan. It was difficult this time, because I'll be dealing with two classes of third-graders in 40-minute sessions, and two classes of fifth-graders in 80-minute sessions (or blocks, as they now call them).
Mother went home after that, and Hubbie and I had leftovers for supper. Afterward, I uploaded the garden photos. While I was doing this, Hubbie came up to my office and showed me that one of the temporary caps on his front teeth fell off. Yikes! He absolutely has to get that repaired before Saturday, when we are scheduled to meet his daughter and great-granddaughter in another town to see the play, "The Sound of Music," at a dinner theater.
So Hubbie called his dentist at home, since his office is closed on Fridays. His dentist will call in the morning to let Hubbie know when to visit the clinic to fix the cap.
We spent the rest of the evening watching TV, as usual.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Wednesday, April 7
Slept well last night, finally, and was up at 6:30 to get ready to go to water aerobics. The water in the pool is still cool, but was pleasant once I got used to it. Twenty of us showed up this morning, more than have attended in a long time. I guess the warmer weather is bringing them out.
Back home, I dressed to go to a luncheon meeting at a popular downtown restaurant. Six of us, members of the visual arts committee of the area arts council, gathered to discuss updating the art gallery. One of the members had gone to a resort town about three hours from us to tour the galleries and talk to the owners. She brought back several ideas that we can use to give the gallery a face lift without spending a lot of money.
Following the meeting, I ran a few errands, while Hubbie worked in the garden. Afterward, Mother and I repaired the lids on oatmeal box pinhole cameras. I learned this morning that I will be working with 97 kids at the school. There are 26 kids in one of the four classes, so that is the maximum number of pinhole and 35 mm cameras I'll need. I'll be spending a lot of time over this week and next getting everything ready for the sessions.
For supper we had hamburgers/turkey burgers, potato salad, made from leftover mashed potatoes, and corn-on-the-cob. Mother went home afterward.
Later, Hubbie and I went to a program at the college about how birds achieve certain brilliant colorations through eating specific foods in order to attract females. The speaker, a biologist, experimented mainly with American goldfinches, and house finches, introducing substances into their food to change their color. When he produced orange or red American goldfinches, the females rejected them in favor of their bright yellow counterparts. He talked about other experiments, too, but the coloration changes were the most interesting to me.
After the program, we ran by the gas station to fill the van. Then, on the way home, we were slowed by an accident at the crossroad leading to our house. A cattle truck had turned too sharply to the right and dragged his trailer into the ditch. It was tilted at a warped angle, and cattle were loudly bawling inside it. From the tilt of the trailer, I figure the cattle were piled on top of each other. Several police cars, lights flashing, and a couple of large tow trucks were at the scene. Guys were peering under the trailer, trying to figure out the best way to handle the grim situation. Guess we'll learn more about the accident in the local newspaper tomorrow.
At home, we watched a one-hour show and the 10 p.m. news before heading to bed.
Today was a sneezy day, thanks to yellow pollen thick enough to cut with a machete. Our vehicles are coated with the stuff. There was a threat of thunderstorms today, which would have settled the pollen a little. But though the sky darkened, and thunder rumbled a bit, there was only a sprinkle of rain...just enough to muddy the pollen on the van's windshield.
Back home, I dressed to go to a luncheon meeting at a popular downtown restaurant. Six of us, members of the visual arts committee of the area arts council, gathered to discuss updating the art gallery. One of the members had gone to a resort town about three hours from us to tour the galleries and talk to the owners. She brought back several ideas that we can use to give the gallery a face lift without spending a lot of money.
Following the meeting, I ran a few errands, while Hubbie worked in the garden. Afterward, Mother and I repaired the lids on oatmeal box pinhole cameras. I learned this morning that I will be working with 97 kids at the school. There are 26 kids in one of the four classes, so that is the maximum number of pinhole and 35 mm cameras I'll need. I'll be spending a lot of time over this week and next getting everything ready for the sessions.
For supper we had hamburgers/turkey burgers, potato salad, made from leftover mashed potatoes, and corn-on-the-cob. Mother went home afterward.
Later, Hubbie and I went to a program at the college about how birds achieve certain brilliant colorations through eating specific foods in order to attract females. The speaker, a biologist, experimented mainly with American goldfinches, and house finches, introducing substances into their food to change their color. When he produced orange or red American goldfinches, the females rejected them in favor of their bright yellow counterparts. He talked about other experiments, too, but the coloration changes were the most interesting to me.
After the program, we ran by the gas station to fill the van. Then, on the way home, we were slowed by an accident at the crossroad leading to our house. A cattle truck had turned too sharply to the right and dragged his trailer into the ditch. It was tilted at a warped angle, and cattle were loudly bawling inside it. From the tilt of the trailer, I figure the cattle were piled on top of each other. Several police cars, lights flashing, and a couple of large tow trucks were at the scene. Guys were peering under the trailer, trying to figure out the best way to handle the grim situation. Guess we'll learn more about the accident in the local newspaper tomorrow.
At home, we watched a one-hour show and the 10 p.m. news before heading to bed.
Today was a sneezy day, thanks to yellow pollen thick enough to cut with a machete. Our vehicles are coated with the stuff. There was a threat of thunderstorms today, which would have settled the pollen a little. But though the sky darkened, and thunder rumbled a bit, there was only a sprinkle of rain...just enough to muddy the pollen on the van's windshield.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Tuesday, April 6
Today is Great-Granddaughter's birthday. Happy Birthday, Great-Granddaughter!
Had trouble going to sleep last night, and when I did, I had trouble staying asleep. We were up at 6:30, so Hubbie could get ready to meet an 8:30 appointment with his dentist. Seems several of his front teeth were so thin, they were in danger of breaking, so he has to have crowns. Today, he was fitted with temporary ones.
I was so wiped out this morning that I skipped my exercises. Mother came over around 9:30 to create a greeting card. I printed a pattern and instructions from the Internet for making a Christmas tree pop-up card, and she worked on it while I got ready for the day.
Before lunch, I gathered some things related to a photography residency I'm scheduled to conduct at a local school the week after next. I'm having trouble, though, getting my contact at the school to respond to my requests about adequate space at the school to set up a darkroom, and about how many students I'll have in each session, and how long each session will be. I've been told I'll have third or fourth graders for 40 minutes each session, and fifth or sixth graders for eighty minutes each session. But I have no idea what hours of the day the sessions are scheduled, or how many will be in each class.
Hubble got home around noon. We had a lunch of leftovers, and then Hubbie and I ran a few errands...to the dry cleaners, to the post office, to a home improvement store, and to the WDCS to pick up items I'll need for the photography residency. At the home improvement store we bought a junior hacksaw for cutting the thick cardboard of heavy shoe boxes...I use the boxes as "tripods" to hold oatmeal box pinhole cameras.
It was close to suppertime when we got back home. Supper was spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread. Yum. Mother went home afterward. Before Hubbie and I settled in to watch TV, we went out to the yard to cut a bouquet of lilacs for the dining room table. They smell so nice...a natural air freshener for the house.
Tonight's TV fare was a couple of one-hour shows, followed by episodes of "Dancing with the Stars," and "Lost."
Had trouble going to sleep last night, and when I did, I had trouble staying asleep. We were up at 6:30, so Hubbie could get ready to meet an 8:30 appointment with his dentist. Seems several of his front teeth were so thin, they were in danger of breaking, so he has to have crowns. Today, he was fitted with temporary ones.
I was so wiped out this morning that I skipped my exercises. Mother came over around 9:30 to create a greeting card. I printed a pattern and instructions from the Internet for making a Christmas tree pop-up card, and she worked on it while I got ready for the day.
Before lunch, I gathered some things related to a photography residency I'm scheduled to conduct at a local school the week after next. I'm having trouble, though, getting my contact at the school to respond to my requests about adequate space at the school to set up a darkroom, and about how many students I'll have in each session, and how long each session will be. I've been told I'll have third or fourth graders for 40 minutes each session, and fifth or sixth graders for eighty minutes each session. But I have no idea what hours of the day the sessions are scheduled, or how many will be in each class.
Hubble got home around noon. We had a lunch of leftovers, and then Hubbie and I ran a few errands...to the dry cleaners, to the post office, to a home improvement store, and to the WDCS to pick up items I'll need for the photography residency. At the home improvement store we bought a junior hacksaw for cutting the thick cardboard of heavy shoe boxes...I use the boxes as "tripods" to hold oatmeal box pinhole cameras.
It was close to suppertime when we got back home. Supper was spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread. Yum. Mother went home afterward. Before Hubbie and I settled in to watch TV, we went out to the yard to cut a bouquet of lilacs for the dining room table. They smell so nice...a natural air freshener for the house.
Tonight's TV fare was a couple of one-hour shows, followed by episodes of "Dancing with the Stars," and "Lost."
Monday, April 5, 2010
Monday, April 5
We were up at 6:30, so I could get ready to go to water aerobics. The pool was cool, but nice once I got used to it. I always feel invigorated after a workout in the pool.
Back home, after I was ready for the day, Mother and Sis came over, and we visited until lunchtime. Since Sis had to leave shortly after lunch, we decided to heat Easter dinner leftovers. It was all delicious again.
Sis left for home around 1 p.m. Afterward, Mother and I planned the menu for the week. While we did that, Hubbie went to the vet clinic and picked up the cat that had his jaw wired. The vet did a wonderful job. We can barely tell where the injury was.
Later, we ran errands...to a health store, a grocery store, a farm store, and the WDCS. It was about 4:30 by the time we got back. Mother, who said she only wanted cereal for supper, went home. Hubbie and I watched TV until we got hungry, around 6:30, when I made omelets for our supper.
We resumed watching TV after that...a couple of one-hour shows, until time to see the championship NCAA game, starting at 8 p.m.
Back home, after I was ready for the day, Mother and Sis came over, and we visited until lunchtime. Since Sis had to leave shortly after lunch, we decided to heat Easter dinner leftovers. It was all delicious again.
Sis left for home around 1 p.m. Afterward, Mother and I planned the menu for the week. While we did that, Hubbie went to the vet clinic and picked up the cat that had his jaw wired. The vet did a wonderful job. We can barely tell where the injury was.
Later, we ran errands...to a health store, a grocery store, a farm store, and the WDCS. It was about 4:30 by the time we got back. Mother, who said she only wanted cereal for supper, went home. Hubbie and I watched TV until we got hungry, around 6:30, when I made omelets for our supper.
We resumed watching TV after that...a couple of one-hour shows, until time to see the championship NCAA game, starting at 8 p.m.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Easter Sunday
Hope everyone had a wonderful and blessed Easter.
We were up around 7:30 this morning to finish doing things for Easter lunch. Mother came over shortly after we were up, and with Hubbie's help, put together a dish of scalloped potatoes. Hubbie peeled and then sliced the potatoes in the food processor, and Mother seasoned them for the oven.
Later, I prepared side dishes...deviled eggs, sliced tomatoes, asparagus...and did other preps. Then we relaxed in the living room and visited until time to eat. The ham and scalloped potatoes, carrot salad, and all the rest were delicious.
After lunch, we set up a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle, which occupied us all afternoon. Sis took time out around 3 p.m. to go to Mother's for a nap. She returned a couple of hours later, refreshed and ready for a sandwich supper of ham, sliced tomatoes, and sliced onions on toast, and a choice of chips, cottage cheese, and carrot salad. We followed that with helpings of angel food cake and strawberries with whipped topping for dessert.
We finished the puzzle after that, and about 8 p.m., Sis and Mother went to Mother's house. Hubbie watched women's basketball on TV, and I played on my laptop until time for bed.
It was a perfectly beautiful day that started a little cool, but warmed up by later in the afternoon. It wasn't as busy or exciting a day as other family members had, but it was quiet and relaxing, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
We were up around 7:30 this morning to finish doing things for Easter lunch. Mother came over shortly after we were up, and with Hubbie's help, put together a dish of scalloped potatoes. Hubbie peeled and then sliced the potatoes in the food processor, and Mother seasoned them for the oven.
Later, I prepared side dishes...deviled eggs, sliced tomatoes, asparagus...and did other preps. Then we relaxed in the living room and visited until time to eat. The ham and scalloped potatoes, carrot salad, and all the rest were delicious.
After lunch, we set up a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle, which occupied us all afternoon. Sis took time out around 3 p.m. to go to Mother's for a nap. She returned a couple of hours later, refreshed and ready for a sandwich supper of ham, sliced tomatoes, and sliced onions on toast, and a choice of chips, cottage cheese, and carrot salad. We followed that with helpings of angel food cake and strawberries with whipped topping for dessert.
We finished the puzzle after that, and about 8 p.m., Sis and Mother went to Mother's house. Hubbie watched women's basketball on TV, and I played on my laptop until time for bed.
It was a perfectly beautiful day that started a little cool, but warmed up by later in the afternoon. It wasn't as busy or exciting a day as other family members had, but it was quiet and relaxing, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
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