Wednesday, Sept. 21

A new great-granddaughter has joined the family...born around 3 p.m. today. Welcome to the world and to the family, little one!

Up at 6:30 this morning to get ready to go to water aerobics. There was a heavy fog again on the drive to the college. I turned my headlights on, of course, but many that passed me did not. Some who did not were within feet of my van before I could see them. I had no trouble seeing dark cars and white cars, but those mid-toned ones...gray, silver, gold...were invisible, since they were so close to the color of the fog.

Yay! The water in the pool was pleasant this morning. I don't know what the temperature was, but it was so much better than it has been that we all rejoiced. A dozen of us showed up today, and we were told to spread the word to any members we see.

Back home after the session, I got a phone call from Daughter-in-Law letting me know that Granddaughter-in-Law was in the hospital about to have her baby. Getting a new great-grandbaby was the highlight of our day, of course. We now have a total of 27 great-grandchildren.

Mother and Sis came over later in the morning, and for lunch we had leftovers from last night's chicken dinner. Afterward, I ran errands to a
grocery store and to the WDCS, while Sis and Mother prepared meat and vegetables for a stew for supper. Hubbie spent his afternoon in the yard repotting plants to bring inside before cold weather.

At the WDCS, I picked up a couple of bunches of decorative Mexican corn to add to a basket. The clerk commented that I must be doing some fall decorating. I agreed, saying I usually do fall arrangements that include items for both Halloween and Thanksgiving. The clerk expressed her distaste for the evil aspects of Halloween. I think it's meant to be fun, and I'm not bothered by witches, Jack O'lanterns, bats, black cats, and such, and I said so.

Back home from my errands, I made a peach cobbler. The kitchen smelled very good with the stew simmering and the cobbler baking.

Later, I gathered paints, brushes, etc., for Sis to use in creating an image of a raven against a moon and the word "nevermore" on a pumpkin. She created one of these for me last year, and I liked it so much that I wanted another one this year. The pumpkin will be added to my outdoor fall arrangement.

While Sis worked on the pumpkin, I finished supper preparations. The stew...called Autumn Stew, with cubed pork roast, onions, carrots, apples, tomatoes, and chicken broth, with added spices...was delicious served over noodles. A choice of corn muffins of applesauce muffins completed the meal.

After supper, Mother and Sis worked on a jigsaw puzzle, and I played on my laptop computer, while Hubbie and I watched a 2009 Australian movie, "In the Rain." A fifteen-year-old girl goes missing. The movie is based on the true story of Rachel Barber, a fifteen-year-old girl who goes missing in 1999. When she doesn't return home after school, her parents know immediately that something is wrong, since it's out of character for their daughter to leave without informing them. Very disturbing movie showing extreme self-loathing in a neighbor woman, who despises the girl. Rated "R" for nudity, violence, and language.

When Mother and Sis had finished the jigsaw puzzle, we enjoyed a dessert of peach cobbler and ice cream. Part of the reason for my errands this afternoon was to find low-fat, sugar-free ice cream for Mother and me, and a lactose-free variety for Sis. Hubbie has no dietary restrictions, so he eats regular ice cream.

After dessert, Mother and Sis joined Hubbie and me in watching the movie, followed by a couple of one-hour show premieres.