Slept til nearly 8 a.m. this morning, then did a treadmill session and weights exercises after breakfast.
Once I was ready for the day, I sorted through the photography paraphernalia to make sure I had everything I need. Discovered that I needed three more cameras, and three more shoebox "tripods." I also discovered that the pharmacy where I purchased cameras a couple of weeks ago failed to give me a teacher's discount on them. So I put the sales receipt in my purse to take with me to the store later this afternoon. Hubbie figured they wouldn't honor the discount now, but I thought it was worth a try.
After lunch, we ran errands...to a pharmacy to pick up prescriptions, and to the other pharmacy to pick up more cameras. I asked about getting a discount on the ones I purchased earlier, and they agreed to it. With the number of cameras I've purchased, the discounts have amounted to a considerable sum. Our last stop was at the WDCS to shop for a few groceries for us and Mother.
Back home, Mother and I made tomato soup...this is a very easy recipe that calls for food processing a package of frozen onions and peppers, a can of diced tomatoes, a half a can of white beans, a can of chicken broth, and spices and garlic, with olive oil added at the end of simmering. We made a double recipe, so we'd have some left for a lunch this week.
After that, Hubbie and I gathered the photo stuff into plastic totes. For better or worse, we're ready to deal with 97 third and fifth graders all next week. Sure hope we get sunshine on the days we most need it.
We relaxed for the rest of the afternoon. Supper tonight was cold meatloaf sandwiches, with steaming bowls of the tomato soup. Yum. It was the perfect meal on this cooler, overcast day.
We haven't gotten the predicted possible rain today, but the temp sure has dropped. I might have to re-think what I planned to wear next week, since the temp is supposed to continue much cooler for several more days.
Some of the tomato plants, in the ground for only a few days, have keeled. We don't know why. But Hubbie bought some more this afternoon to replace the dead ones. Gardening is always a dicey undertaking. If it's not too much rain, then it's too little. It's too hot, or it's too cold. There's too much shade. There's too much sun. The soil isn't rich enough. On and on. It's amazing that we get any veggies at all! But most years we do, if not always a bumper crop.
Spent the evening in front of TV, as usual, watching one-hour shows. Mostly, I was on a social networking website chatting with Daughter. So I didn't pay much attention to the TV.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
Friday, April 16
We were up at 6:30 on this water aerobics day. The pool is still cold, but 20 of us completed the session. Sure do wish they'd raise the water temp a little, though.
Saw the strangest sight on the way back to my van after the swim session...a couple of pine trees suddenly poofed large clouds of pollen. Sis has said she's seen this phenomenon before, but it was a first for me.
Back home, once I was ready for the day, I checked my e-mail and social website. At the social website, my niece who lives in a northern state instant messaged me, and we spent a while in conversation.
Mother came over around 11 a.m. For lunch, we prepared BLT's, which we had with fresh tomatoes and cottage cheese, and grapes and strawberries for dessert.
After lunch, Mother went out to gather dogwood blossoms and leaves to press, and Hubbie took pots of plants to another Master Gardener, who has agreed to take them to the fairgrounds on Friday for a plant sale on Saturday. Hubbie will not be able to help with the plant sale setup Friday, because he'll be assisting me at the photography residency at a local school.
My afternoon project was to switch winter and summer clothes, storing the winter things in a large plastic trash can with tight lid (purchased for this purpose) in the laundry room. Before I hung up the summer clothes, I tried everything on, discarding items that don't fit well, or that I just don't like. The discarded clothes will be donated to a thrift store.
Later, I went shopping at the store that has a sale every weekend. Today, they had a "door buster" sale beginning at 3 p.m., and I wanted to see if there were swimsuits and shoes on sale that I could use. I found both...a favorite brand of swimsuit in my size (only one available), and a pair of very cushy-comfortable dark brown sandals that will work with both jeans and casual or dressy slacks
For supper, we had baked salmon fillet, with sweet potatoes, whole kernel corn, and rolls
brought home from the restaurant last night. Actually, Mother and I had the salmon, and Hubbie had the leftover barbecued ribs brought home from the restaurant.
Mother went home after that, Hubbie went back out into the yard, and I relaxed with my laptop.
Later, Hubbie and I watched the movie, "Waltzing Anna," a comedy rated PG-13. A doctor accused of swindling elderly patients is sent to work in a retirement home or risk losing his medical license. Lessons are learned. Romance happens.
Saw the strangest sight on the way back to my van after the swim session...a couple of pine trees suddenly poofed large clouds of pollen. Sis has said she's seen this phenomenon before, but it was a first for me.
Back home, once I was ready for the day, I checked my e-mail and social website. At the social website, my niece who lives in a northern state instant messaged me, and we spent a while in conversation.
Mother came over around 11 a.m. For lunch, we prepared BLT's, which we had with fresh tomatoes and cottage cheese, and grapes and strawberries for dessert.
After lunch, Mother went out to gather dogwood blossoms and leaves to press, and Hubbie took pots of plants to another Master Gardener, who has agreed to take them to the fairgrounds on Friday for a plant sale on Saturday. Hubbie will not be able to help with the plant sale setup Friday, because he'll be assisting me at the photography residency at a local school.
My afternoon project was to switch winter and summer clothes, storing the winter things in a large plastic trash can with tight lid (purchased for this purpose) in the laundry room. Before I hung up the summer clothes, I tried everything on, discarding items that don't fit well, or that I just don't like. The discarded clothes will be donated to a thrift store.
Later, I went shopping at the store that has a sale every weekend. Today, they had a "door buster" sale beginning at 3 p.m., and I wanted to see if there were swimsuits and shoes on sale that I could use. I found both...a favorite brand of swimsuit in my size (only one available), and a pair of very cushy-comfortable dark brown sandals that will work with both jeans and casual or dressy slacks
For supper, we had baked salmon fillet, with sweet potatoes, whole kernel corn, and rolls
brought home from the restaurant last night. Actually, Mother and I had the salmon, and Hubbie had the leftover barbecued ribs brought home from the restaurant.
Mother went home after that, Hubbie went back out into the yard, and I relaxed with my laptop.
Later, Hubbie and I watched the movie, "Waltzing Anna," a comedy rated PG-13. A doctor accused of swindling elderly patients is sent to work in a retirement home or risk losing his medical license. Lessons are learned. Romance happens.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Thursday, April 15
Happy Income Tax day! Hope everyone gets their forms in the mail before midnight. We filed early, so it's out of our hair, thank goodness.
The "Tea Party" groups were out in force today. Recently, on the parking lot of the college where I go for water aerobics, I noticed a bright yellow truck with shell. On the windows of one side of the shell, the truck owner painted this political view..."Gun control: hold it with both hands." On the back of the shell..."USSA: United Socialist States of America." And on the other side of the shell: "Call for an Article V Convention."
Interesting.
We slept until around 7:30 this morning, and then I did a treadmill session after breakfast. While I was doing that, Hubbie took several broken appliances, like a microwave oven, coffee pots, etc., to a recycling center.
Once I was ready for the day, I tested photographic chemicals by using a pinhole camera to expose a piece of photographic paper. I was hoping for sunshine for this exercise...last night, TV forecasters had predicted sun all day today. But during the morning news, a forecaster noted that it was sunny everywhere in the state except for one county...guess which county.
Oh well, it took a little longer, but I still got results. The chemicals work, though they are past their expiration dates. Hopefully, I can get through next week with what I have on hand without the chemicals getting completely exhausted, and then can get fresh chemicals for my next residency in July.
This afternoon, three of us...Mother, another member of our scrapbook club, and I went to the Extension Service office conference room for our meeting. The other member was about 30 minutes late arriving, but when she did, she brought a basket of rubber stamps (at my request). I spent most of my time using the stamps to make several cardstock pages of various motifs and greetings to use in making cards for Caring Hands Hospice. Mother and I also completed a few scrapbook pages, so it was a productive meeting.
We were back home around 3:30. Mother went home after that, and later Hubbie and I went to a steakhouse for supper. I had a combo platter of chicken and ribs, with sweet potato, and Hubbie had a combo plate of steak and broiled shrimp, with baked potato. I brought the ribs, half the chicken, and half the sweet potato home. We ate the rolls, but our sweet waiter brought us a take-home box of four more to go with the leftovers. So we'll have all of this tomorrow night with salmon fillet.
In an adjoining booth at the restaurant, there were a couple of young women and two children. The little boy, about two years old, kept squealing. We were grateful when they left. At the other adjoining booth, the waiter, in an act of flirtation, fashioned lots of lemon slices into a flower-like decoration, which he placed atop a pretty young woman's glass of water. I'm sure the restaurant manager would love to see this kind of waste.
Spent the rest of the evening watching TV, including "Mozart and the Whale," a 2005 PG-13 love story movie, starring Josh Hartnett and Rahda Mitchell, about two people with autism, both savants, whose dysfunctions get in the way of their romance.
The "Tea Party" groups were out in force today. Recently, on the parking lot of the college where I go for water aerobics, I noticed a bright yellow truck with shell. On the windows of one side of the shell, the truck owner painted this political view..."Gun control: hold it with both hands." On the back of the shell..."USSA: United Socialist States of America." And on the other side of the shell: "Call for an Article V Convention."
Interesting.
We slept until around 7:30 this morning, and then I did a treadmill session after breakfast. While I was doing that, Hubbie took several broken appliances, like a microwave oven, coffee pots, etc., to a recycling center.
Once I was ready for the day, I tested photographic chemicals by using a pinhole camera to expose a piece of photographic paper. I was hoping for sunshine for this exercise...last night, TV forecasters had predicted sun all day today. But during the morning news, a forecaster noted that it was sunny everywhere in the state except for one county...guess which county.
Oh well, it took a little longer, but I still got results. The chemicals work, though they are past their expiration dates. Hopefully, I can get through next week with what I have on hand without the chemicals getting completely exhausted, and then can get fresh chemicals for my next residency in July.
This afternoon, three of us...Mother, another member of our scrapbook club, and I went to the Extension Service office conference room for our meeting. The other member was about 30 minutes late arriving, but when she did, she brought a basket of rubber stamps (at my request). I spent most of my time using the stamps to make several cardstock pages of various motifs and greetings to use in making cards for Caring Hands Hospice. Mother and I also completed a few scrapbook pages, so it was a productive meeting.
We were back home around 3:30. Mother went home after that, and later Hubbie and I went to a steakhouse for supper. I had a combo platter of chicken and ribs, with sweet potato, and Hubbie had a combo plate of steak and broiled shrimp, with baked potato. I brought the ribs, half the chicken, and half the sweet potato home. We ate the rolls, but our sweet waiter brought us a take-home box of four more to go with the leftovers. So we'll have all of this tomorrow night with salmon fillet.
In an adjoining booth at the restaurant, there were a couple of young women and two children. The little boy, about two years old, kept squealing. We were grateful when they left. At the other adjoining booth, the waiter, in an act of flirtation, fashioned lots of lemon slices into a flower-like decoration, which he placed atop a pretty young woman's glass of water. I'm sure the restaurant manager would love to see this kind of waste.
Spent the rest of the evening watching TV, including "Mozart and the Whale," a 2005 PG-13 love story movie, starring Josh Hartnett and Rahda Mitchell, about two people with autism, both savants, whose dysfunctions get in the way of their romance.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Wednesday, April 14
We were up at 6:30, so I could get ready to go to water aerobics. I thought I never would get out of my driveway....traffic was extremely heavy this morning on the road in front of our house. There is road construction going on along a main artery in town, so folks are avoiding that area in favor of our road for their morning commute to work. There was also a long line at the four-way stop about two miles from our house. So I was later than usual getting to the pool this morning.
Back home, I noticed Mother and Hubbie were working in the veggie garden. They planted tomatoes, bell peppers, and banana peppers. Then this afternoon, Mother planted yellow and zucchini squash. She also planted several herbs in individual pots yesterday.
Once I was ready for the day, I grabbed my camera and went outdoors to snap pictures of dogwood blossoms, blooming azalea bushes, and hostas (see previous blogs) which I then uploaded to my computer.
After lunch, Hubbie and I ran errands...to the college to drop off books for their fundraising sale, to the hydroponic garden store for tomatoes, to the health food store for vitamins, and to the WDCS.
Back home, I called the camera store in the capital city to see if they located the chemicals I need. They did not. They have only one item that I need, which they are sending to me. The clerk was to have called me yesterday, but she apologized, saying she'd lost my name and number.
So I went into the darkroom (downstairs bathroom) and tested the developing chemical I mixed a couple of days ago. It doesn't work as quickly as it should, and I'm afraid it'll exhaust before I get my projects done next week. Tomorrow, I'll do a couple of pinhole camera images to further test the chemical. This will tell me if I have to order chemicals online and pay extra to get them shipped right away. If the school had gotten on the ball weeks ago to nail this session down, I'd have had more time to deal with getting chemicals sooner.
Later, we had a supper of Spanish rice, fresh tomatoes, cottage cheese, and leftover veggies. Afterward, Hubbie and I went back to town to pick up one-time-use cameras on order at a major pharmacy store. Gratefully, we were given a 20% discount on them, since they are being used as teaching tools.
We also stopped by two grocery stores...bought strawberries at one (will be glad when local berries are ready), and another to get cottage cheese and a 20 lb. bag of on-sale red potatoes.
At home, Hubbie spruced the van. One of the scrapbook club members will drop by here to go with Mother and me to the meeting tomorrow...in a nice clean vehicle. Thank you, Hubbie.
Watched one-hour shows on TV for the rest of the evening.
Back home, I noticed Mother and Hubbie were working in the veggie garden. They planted tomatoes, bell peppers, and banana peppers. Then this afternoon, Mother planted yellow and zucchini squash. She also planted several herbs in individual pots yesterday.
Once I was ready for the day, I grabbed my camera and went outdoors to snap pictures of dogwood blossoms, blooming azalea bushes, and hostas (see previous blogs) which I then uploaded to my computer.
After lunch, Hubbie and I ran errands...to the college to drop off books for their fundraising sale, to the hydroponic garden store for tomatoes, to the health food store for vitamins, and to the WDCS.
Back home, I called the camera store in the capital city to see if they located the chemicals I need. They did not. They have only one item that I need, which they are sending to me. The clerk was to have called me yesterday, but she apologized, saying she'd lost my name and number.
So I went into the darkroom (downstairs bathroom) and tested the developing chemical I mixed a couple of days ago. It doesn't work as quickly as it should, and I'm afraid it'll exhaust before I get my projects done next week. Tomorrow, I'll do a couple of pinhole camera images to further test the chemical. This will tell me if I have to order chemicals online and pay extra to get them shipped right away. If the school had gotten on the ball weeks ago to nail this session down, I'd have had more time to deal with getting chemicals sooner.
Later, we had a supper of Spanish rice, fresh tomatoes, cottage cheese, and leftover veggies. Afterward, Hubbie and I went back to town to pick up one-time-use cameras on order at a major pharmacy store. Gratefully, we were given a 20% discount on them, since they are being used as teaching tools.
We also stopped by two grocery stores...bought strawberries at one (will be glad when local berries are ready), and another to get cottage cheese and a 20 lb. bag of on-sale red potatoes.
At home, Hubbie spruced the van. One of the scrapbook club members will drop by here to go with Mother and me to the meeting tomorrow...in a nice clean vehicle. Thank you, Hubbie.
Watched one-hour shows on TV for the rest of the evening.
Spring Flowers and Plants
The hosta plants in the shade garden are particularly beautiful this year, as are the azalea bushes on the west side of the house.
Dogwood Blossoms
The dogwood tree in our front yard is in bloom, but will not be that way for long...leaves are sprouting fast. I decided to try these images in both black and white and in color. I like them both ways.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Tuesday, April 13
We were up at 7 a.m., but I skipped my exercises so I could get ready to take Mother for a routine checkup with her doctor at 9:30. She was to have a blood workup, so she couldn't have anything to eat or drink after midnight.
Fortunately, we weren't kept waiting long after we arrived at the clinic, and were out by 10:30. Mother was pretty hungry when we got home, so she went to her house to have breakfast, and especially to drink a few cups of coffee. She doesn't function well without her morning coffee.
I spent the rest of the morning mixing photography chemicals. After lunch, Hubbie set up a darkroom in the downstairs bathroom, and then I helped Mother make a couple of sunprints to test the chemicals. The chemicals are out of date, and they are not as strong as they should be. So I called a camera shop in the capital city to order more. Neither store had any on hand. A store clerk is calling their other stores in the state to try to turn some up. Hopefully, I'll hear tomorrow that they've found what I need. If not, I'll just have to wing it with what I have.
Since we couldn't do more in the darkroom, Mother and I gathered materials we'll need at a scrapbook meeting Thursday. We can probably occupy ourselves for the two hours of the meeting finishing pages we started last month.
Just before 5 p.m., I went downtown to attend a visual arts committee meeting. Thanks to accidentally locking herself out of her house, where her car keys were, one member was 30 minutes late arriving at the meeting. We had to wait for her, because she was responsible for an important item.
At 6.m., the group was still discussing our upcoming Summer Solstice art auction event, but I needed to leave, come home and have supper, and then head to a community theater board meeting at 7 p.m.
I was there long enough to learn the schedule of the summer outdoor movies, which include several animated features like "Shrek," "Madagascar," and "Finding Nemo," as well as "Second Hand Lions," and "Fly Away Home." Also featured will be "Wallace and Gromit," an animated British film consisting of characters made from molded plasticine modeling clay. I haven't seen this one, but I'm told it is very funny.
The community theater board meeting was short. Only five of us showed up, and we were able to take care of business between 7 p.m. and 7:48, so I was back home by 8 p.m. Hubbie was watching a weird movie that featured a talking dog. He was plenty willing to abandon it in favor of an episode of "CSI Miami," followed by the second night of "Dancing with the Stars."
Fortunately, we weren't kept waiting long after we arrived at the clinic, and were out by 10:30. Mother was pretty hungry when we got home, so she went to her house to have breakfast, and especially to drink a few cups of coffee. She doesn't function well without her morning coffee.
I spent the rest of the morning mixing photography chemicals. After lunch, Hubbie set up a darkroom in the downstairs bathroom, and then I helped Mother make a couple of sunprints to test the chemicals. The chemicals are out of date, and they are not as strong as they should be. So I called a camera shop in the capital city to order more. Neither store had any on hand. A store clerk is calling their other stores in the state to try to turn some up. Hopefully, I'll hear tomorrow that they've found what I need. If not, I'll just have to wing it with what I have.
Since we couldn't do more in the darkroom, Mother and I gathered materials we'll need at a scrapbook meeting Thursday. We can probably occupy ourselves for the two hours of the meeting finishing pages we started last month.
Just before 5 p.m., I went downtown to attend a visual arts committee meeting. Thanks to accidentally locking herself out of her house, where her car keys were, one member was 30 minutes late arriving at the meeting. We had to wait for her, because she was responsible for an important item.
At 6.m., the group was still discussing our upcoming Summer Solstice art auction event, but I needed to leave, come home and have supper, and then head to a community theater board meeting at 7 p.m.
I was there long enough to learn the schedule of the summer outdoor movies, which include several animated features like "Shrek," "Madagascar," and "Finding Nemo," as well as "Second Hand Lions," and "Fly Away Home." Also featured will be "Wallace and Gromit," an animated British film consisting of characters made from molded plasticine modeling clay. I haven't seen this one, but I'm told it is very funny.
The community theater board meeting was short. Only five of us showed up, and we were able to take care of business between 7 p.m. and 7:48, so I was back home by 8 p.m. Hubbie was watching a weird movie that featured a talking dog. He was plenty willing to abandon it in favor of an episode of "CSI Miami," followed by the second night of "Dancing with the Stars."
Monday, April 12, 2010
Monday, April 12
Today is Granddaughter's 21st birthday. Happy Birthday, Granddaughter.
Up at 6:30 to get ready to go to water aerobics. Br-r-r, the water was really chilly, but 22 of us braved it. Sure wish they'd raise the temp a little, though. It was 82 degrees last Friday. I don't know how cold it was today.
Back home, once I was ready for the day, Mother came over, and we prepared some small oatmeal boxes to use as pinhole cameras, and cut photo paper to use as film in the cameras. Then I mixed chemicals, and prepared visuals for the class.
Other than that, I didn't do much during the afternoon except call the other two members of the scrapbook club to remind them of our Thursday meeting. One of the ladies loves to chat, so I was on the phone with her for quite a while. The other one wasn't home, and I had to leave a message.
Hubbie spent the day in the yard. I meant to go out and do snapshots of the beautiful azaleas, but forgot about it. Maybe there will be time to do it tomorrow, after I take Mother to the doctor in the morning for a routine checkup.
For supper, we brought leftover beans and ham out of the freezer, which we heated to have with boiled cabbage, and baked potatoes.
After supper, I made fruited Jell-o. In typical fashion, I had to goof first before I accomplished the task. You wouldn't think anyone could goof making Jell-o, but I managed it. I put the dry Jell-o into the dish, then, thanks to being distracted by something Hubbie was asking me, I poured cold water into the Jell-o, instead of boiling the water first. So I dumped that and started over. Got it right the second time, thank goodness.
Later, Hubbie and I went ran errands...to the two pharmacies, one to pick up a prescription, and the other to look for low-dose aspirin that doesn't contain yellow dye. For some reason, I've had trouble finding it. The grocery store where I've gotten it in the past has quit carrying it, as has the WDCS. At the second pharmacy, I finally located it in the store brand, though there was only one bottle of it left. I was assured the store will order more. From there, we shopped for groceries and incidentals at the WDCS.
On the way back home, we saw six deer in the field near our house. And along the shoulders of the road, I noticed that red clover is in bloom. Everywhere, too, wisteria festoons trees. Wisteria, with its drooping violet colored flowers, is pretty if kept under control, but most of the time it gets away from folks and becomes as invasive a parasite as kudzu, honeysuckle, and poison ivy.
Back home, we settled in to watch two of our favorite shows..."Dancing with the Stars," followed by "Castle."
Up at 6:30 to get ready to go to water aerobics. Br-r-r, the water was really chilly, but 22 of us braved it. Sure wish they'd raise the temp a little, though. It was 82 degrees last Friday. I don't know how cold it was today.
Back home, once I was ready for the day, Mother came over, and we prepared some small oatmeal boxes to use as pinhole cameras, and cut photo paper to use as film in the cameras. Then I mixed chemicals, and prepared visuals for the class.
Other than that, I didn't do much during the afternoon except call the other two members of the scrapbook club to remind them of our Thursday meeting. One of the ladies loves to chat, so I was on the phone with her for quite a while. The other one wasn't home, and I had to leave a message.
Hubbie spent the day in the yard. I meant to go out and do snapshots of the beautiful azaleas, but forgot about it. Maybe there will be time to do it tomorrow, after I take Mother to the doctor in the morning for a routine checkup.
For supper, we brought leftover beans and ham out of the freezer, which we heated to have with boiled cabbage, and baked potatoes.
After supper, I made fruited Jell-o. In typical fashion, I had to goof first before I accomplished the task. You wouldn't think anyone could goof making Jell-o, but I managed it. I put the dry Jell-o into the dish, then, thanks to being distracted by something Hubbie was asking me, I poured cold water into the Jell-o, instead of boiling the water first. So I dumped that and started over. Got it right the second time, thank goodness.
Later, Hubbie and I went ran errands...to the two pharmacies, one to pick up a prescription, and the other to look for low-dose aspirin that doesn't contain yellow dye. For some reason, I've had trouble finding it. The grocery store where I've gotten it in the past has quit carrying it, as has the WDCS. At the second pharmacy, I finally located it in the store brand, though there was only one bottle of it left. I was assured the store will order more. From there, we shopped for groceries and incidentals at the WDCS.
On the way back home, we saw six deer in the field near our house. And along the shoulders of the road, I noticed that red clover is in bloom. Everywhere, too, wisteria festoons trees. Wisteria, with its drooping violet colored flowers, is pretty if kept under control, but most of the time it gets away from folks and becomes as invasive a parasite as kudzu, honeysuckle, and poison ivy.
Back home, we settled in to watch two of our favorite shows..."Dancing with the Stars," followed by "Castle."
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Sunday, April 11
I would have like to sleep longer today, but Hubbie popped up at 7:30, so I dragged myself out of bed, too. I skipped my exercises, though.
Hubbie went outdoors soon after breakfast, and I did my usual Sunday activities of throwing a couple of loads of laundry in the washer, programming the DVR for the week's shows and reading the Sunday newspaper.
A little after 11 a.m., I went to the WDCS to fetch a rotisserie chicken for lunch. We had that with Parmesan potatoes, and asparagus.
After lunch, Mother went outdoors to plant herbs, and Hubbie continued his yard projects. I spent a while on my office computer, and then gathered books for a sale being sponsored by the college where I go for water aerobics. The book sale will be part of their activities during a Scottish festival. I gathered over fifty textbooks and novels to donate, which barely made a dent in the collection in my office.
I went outdoors then to tour the yard, where the azalea bushes are in brilliant bloom. I hope I can find time this week to take some pictures of them.
Later, for supper, we had whole wheat pancakes, with prunes and fresh oranges on the side, and cups of coffee. Afterward, we watched TV, including the movie, "At Risk." The movie is based on a suspense novel by Patricia Cornwell, and stars Andie McDowell as a district attorney looking to become governor of her state, and Annabeth Gish, a detective investigating a 20-year-old cold case.
Hubbie went outdoors soon after breakfast, and I did my usual Sunday activities of throwing a couple of loads of laundry in the washer, programming the DVR for the week's shows and reading the Sunday newspaper.
A little after 11 a.m., I went to the WDCS to fetch a rotisserie chicken for lunch. We had that with Parmesan potatoes, and asparagus.
After lunch, Mother went outdoors to plant herbs, and Hubbie continued his yard projects. I spent a while on my office computer, and then gathered books for a sale being sponsored by the college where I go for water aerobics. The book sale will be part of their activities during a Scottish festival. I gathered over fifty textbooks and novels to donate, which barely made a dent in the collection in my office.
I went outdoors then to tour the yard, where the azalea bushes are in brilliant bloom. I hope I can find time this week to take some pictures of them.
Later, for supper, we had whole wheat pancakes, with prunes and fresh oranges on the side, and cups of coffee. Afterward, we watched TV, including the movie, "At Risk." The movie is based on a suspense novel by Patricia Cornwell, and stars Andie McDowell as a district attorney looking to become governor of her state, and Annabeth Gish, a detective investigating a 20-year-old cold case.
Saturday, April 11
We were up at 7:30, and I did a treadmill session and weights exercises after breakfast. After that, I did a couple of things related to the upcoming photography residency, while Hubbie and Mother worked in the garden planting onions and lettuce.
We didn't do a lot after lunch, since we planned to leave mid-afternoon to go to a dinner-theater in another town about an hour and a half northeast of us. About 3:30, we left, and arrived around 5 p.m.
We were to meet Hubbie's daughter and great-granddaughter at the theater at 6 p.m., and since we were early, we toured the town while listening to an audiobook, and then stopped at a garden nursery to look around. While we were there, Hubbie fed and walked Shih Tzu, so she would be comfortable in the van while we were in the theater.
We arrived at the theater at almost the same time as Daughter and Great-Granddaughter, who had traveled about 50 miles from their town. We were seated right away, and a waitress, around fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in a Swiss Miss costume, took our drink orders. Poor girl couldn't seem to get things straight and had to return to the kitchen several times before she finally supplied us with the glasses of water and tea, and cups of regular or decaf coffee, and creamer.
Then a group of four theatergoers were seated at a small table near ours. Our waitress obviously knew these older folks, and spent an inordinate amount of time visiting them and seeing to their needs ahead of us, who were seated first. She finally got around to serving our salads, but we thought we'd never get the entree.
At last, we did, though, and then had only to wait and wait for our turn at the desserts. Of course, she first stopped at the table with the four people with a tray containing choices of apple strudel or German chocolate cake. At our table, we wished for four orders of cake, and one of apple strudel. Unfortunately, by the time she got to us, she had only three plates of cake and two of strudel. Rather than send the girl to the kitchen again, Hubbie agreed to take the strudel.
The meal consisted of (besides a bed of lettuce, dolloped with the "house dressing," that served as the salad), a round piece of meat that, when Mother and I removed the breading, discovered was chicken, placed atop a bed of buttered noodles. The veggie was green beans, and there were two slices of canned peaches alongside. A roll completed the meal. The noodles, strudel, and German chocolate cake, were a nod to "The Sound of Music" setting in Austria ("cream colored ponies, and hot apple strudels, doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles....these are a few of my favorite things").
At each table, there was a card for rating the show and the service. I noted that the show was excellent, but pointed out that the waitress was slow to serve us. The waitresses work for tips, and we left one, but she needs to know that she should be more diligent. We were not the only table she ignored.
It was chilly in the theater, but Mother and I had dressed warmly enough. We've learned that theaters, doctors offices, restaurants, etc., are freezing, so we go prepared. But Daughter and Great-Granddaughter were not prepared, and soon grew chilled. Fortunately, Mother and I had brought along a couple of extra fleece jackets, just in case, so Hubbie retrieved them from the van before the show started.
The show was wonderful...very professionally done, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Unfortunately, there was a technical difficulty in the beginning, when the CD player failed to play the music for the opening number, but the woman cast as Maria sang beautifully, anyway, without accompaniment.
Later, the man who played the character of Max Detweiler hurried onstage, apologizing for being so late, but, he explained, he has had to go to (discount store in town) to buy a new CD player. It took a moment for this to sink in, but then the audience burst into laughter and applause...obviously, the character would not have visited a store that did not yet exist in the late 1930s to buy a CD player that had not yet been invented!
In the final scene, just before the children sing in honor of Hitler's birthday, and then one-by-one, or two at a time, leave the stage to make their escape from Nazi guards, three long red banners with swastikas were unfurled. The audience became completely quiet. The sight of those banners, and the swastika armbands on the Nazi soldiers raised goose bumps of revulsion, felt, I'm sure by every audience member.
It was around 10:30 by the time we left the theater, and around midnight before we got home. By then we were plenty ready for bed, and fell asleep as soon as our heads hit our pillows.
It was a long day, but a good one.
We didn't do a lot after lunch, since we planned to leave mid-afternoon to go to a dinner-theater in another town about an hour and a half northeast of us. About 3:30, we left, and arrived around 5 p.m.
We were to meet Hubbie's daughter and great-granddaughter at the theater at 6 p.m., and since we were early, we toured the town while listening to an audiobook, and then stopped at a garden nursery to look around. While we were there, Hubbie fed and walked Shih Tzu, so she would be comfortable in the van while we were in the theater.
We arrived at the theater at almost the same time as Daughter and Great-Granddaughter, who had traveled about 50 miles from their town. We were seated right away, and a waitress, around fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in a Swiss Miss costume, took our drink orders. Poor girl couldn't seem to get things straight and had to return to the kitchen several times before she finally supplied us with the glasses of water and tea, and cups of regular or decaf coffee, and creamer.
Then a group of four theatergoers were seated at a small table near ours. Our waitress obviously knew these older folks, and spent an inordinate amount of time visiting them and seeing to their needs ahead of us, who were seated first. She finally got around to serving our salads, but we thought we'd never get the entree.
At last, we did, though, and then had only to wait and wait for our turn at the desserts. Of course, she first stopped at the table with the four people with a tray containing choices of apple strudel or German chocolate cake. At our table, we wished for four orders of cake, and one of apple strudel. Unfortunately, by the time she got to us, she had only three plates of cake and two of strudel. Rather than send the girl to the kitchen again, Hubbie agreed to take the strudel.
The meal consisted of (besides a bed of lettuce, dolloped with the "house dressing," that served as the salad), a round piece of meat that, when Mother and I removed the breading, discovered was chicken, placed atop a bed of buttered noodles. The veggie was green beans, and there were two slices of canned peaches alongside. A roll completed the meal. The noodles, strudel, and German chocolate cake, were a nod to "The Sound of Music" setting in Austria ("cream colored ponies, and hot apple strudels, doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles....these are a few of my favorite things").
At each table, there was a card for rating the show and the service. I noted that the show was excellent, but pointed out that the waitress was slow to serve us. The waitresses work for tips, and we left one, but she needs to know that she should be more diligent. We were not the only table she ignored.
It was chilly in the theater, but Mother and I had dressed warmly enough. We've learned that theaters, doctors offices, restaurants, etc., are freezing, so we go prepared. But Daughter and Great-Granddaughter were not prepared, and soon grew chilled. Fortunately, Mother and I had brought along a couple of extra fleece jackets, just in case, so Hubbie retrieved them from the van before the show started.
The show was wonderful...very professionally done, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Unfortunately, there was a technical difficulty in the beginning, when the CD player failed to play the music for the opening number, but the woman cast as Maria sang beautifully, anyway, without accompaniment.
Later, the man who played the character of Max Detweiler hurried onstage, apologizing for being so late, but, he explained, he has had to go to (discount store in town) to buy a new CD player. It took a moment for this to sink in, but then the audience burst into laughter and applause...obviously, the character would not have visited a store that did not yet exist in the late 1930s to buy a CD player that had not yet been invented!
In the final scene, just before the children sing in honor of Hitler's birthday, and then one-by-one, or two at a time, leave the stage to make their escape from Nazi guards, three long red banners with swastikas were unfurled. The audience became completely quiet. The sight of those banners, and the swastika armbands on the Nazi soldiers raised goose bumps of revulsion, felt, I'm sure by every audience member.
It was around 10:30 by the time we left the theater, and around midnight before we got home. By then we were plenty ready for bed, and fell asleep as soon as our heads hit our pillows.
It was a long day, but a good one.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)