Sunday, Oct. 9

Up at 7 a.m., so I could take a dose of antibiotic, which I'm to take every eight hours in anticipation of a dental procedure Tuesday.

After breakfast, Hubbie and I went bike riding. It was another glorious morning to be outdoors. The sky, clear and blue, seemed particularly expansive this morning. It was still early enough that dew sparkled like diamonds on lawns. There was only the slightest breeze, upon which wafted the scent of cattle and pasture grass.

As we topped the first hill on the road, a little female beagle ran out to greet us. She didn't bark, but only trotted along with us for a while, before turning back to her home. Farther down the road, a pair of terrier type dogs, white with brown spots (that I've come to call "The Twins"), dashed to the end of their owner's driveway, yapping in unison. At the end of the driveway, they both stopped yapping at exactly the same time, as if they were under the direction of a choirmaster.

Birds resting on power lines lifted off and away at the sight of us...unlike the movie, "The Birds," in which birds attacked and even killed people.

At the point in the road where we turn around to come home, I noticed chickens cackling at some nearby house. This is the first time I've heard chickens, so I wonder if they are a recent acquisition to the folks who own them.

Before we went bike riding, I accompanied Mother to our house. While we were gone, she started a pot of spaghetti sauce simmering. Once I was ready for the day, I did the usual Sunday things of programming the DVR and doing some laundry.

Before lunch, we watched the movie musical, "Phantom of the Opera." It was nearly 1 p.m. before it was over, and past time for lunch. The spaghetti, served with a side of French style green beans, was very good. Afterward, we wasted the afternoon watching a DVD I bought at a yard sale yesterday..."Category 7: the End of the World." This was a two-part movie that had originally been featured on TV.

It was after 4 p.m. by this time, and Mother was ready to go back to her house, so I accompanied her. After that, Hubbie went out into the yard, and I played on my laptop, and read the Sunday newspaper.

Later, we continued wasting time in front of TV until bedtime.

Note: today Hubbie received a call from his younger daughter telling him that his older daughter, who recently suffered a broken ankle, is back in the hospital. Her leg had begun swelling and become very painful. At the hospital, it was discovered that she had another blood clot.

His daughter further reported that the older daughter, who underwent a test in the capital city to determine if she needs a procedure to patch a hole in her heart, learned that she has apparently suffered multiple cerebrovascular accidents (mini strokes) over an undetermined period of time. The last one was the only one recognizable as a stroke, as manifested by slurred speech and facial numbness.