Saturday, Jan. 8

Up at 7 a.m., but skipped my exercises again, so I could finish sprucing the house, and be ready for family to arrive for a birthday gathering in honor of Sis and myself.

Son, Daughter-in-Law, and Grandson were the first to arrive, followed a little later by Daughter and Great-Granddaughter.

I requested no gifts, but Daughter and Great-Granddaughter brought little gifts that six-year-old Great-Granddaughter chose. Both Sis and I were given decorative garden stones, and balloons. My balloon features Tinker Bell, and Sis's has a birthday greeting. We each also got roses that flash when the top is pressed. Mother got one of these, too.

Son and Daughter-in-Law brought a bag full of new rubber stamps and decorative punches that had been discarded by a business. Just looking through them made me want to get out my card-making supplies and start creating.

For lunch, Sis and I fried chicken, which we had with mashed potatoes and gravy, corn-on-the-cob, and coleslaw. Hubbie peeled the potatoes, which I cooked and mashed. And then I started a pan of milk gravy, which Mother finished, while I worked with the chicken. Meals around here are usually family projects. The corn-on-the-cob was a batch that my other son had grown in his garden last summer. It was delicious.

For dessert, Mother had baked a red velvet cake for Sis, and a coconut cream pie for me. The filling for the pie was made from scratch, using egg substitute, sugar substitute, and fat-free milk. Of course, I considered the pie crust just something to hold the filling, and I didn't eat it. But it was a really delicious pie....this is my favorite kind.

After lunch, Mother, Sis, and Daughter-in-Law worked on a jigsaw puzzle, while Daughter and Great-Granddaughter watched cartoon shows on TV, and Hubbie, Son, and I played Michigan Rummy. Son won the game.

Around 4 p.m., Son, Daughter-in-Law, and Grandson headed home. Daughter and Great-Granddaughter stayed and visited a while longer, before leaving around 5 p.m.

After they left, I joined Mother and Sis in working on the jigsaw puzzle, while Hubbie watched our favorite college basketball team play to a win. I'd recorded the game on DVR earlier in the day.

We worked on the puzzle until around 8 p.m., and then Mother and Sis went to Mother's house, and Hubbie and I watched TV for a while.

It was a good day that I enjoyed very much.