Friday, Nov. 4

Today is Granddaughter's 30th birthday. Happy Birthday, Granddaughter!

Because of all that's been going on around here with Mother, I failed to note in my blogs the birthdays of a dear Daughter-in-Law, whose birthday was Oct. 26, and two precious great-grandchildren who had birthdays on Oct. 29...a Great-Granddaughter, and a Great-Grandson.

We were up around 7:30 this morning. I'd entertained the idea last night of getting up early enough to go to water aerobics, but since I overslept, I decided that if Mother is doing well on Monday, I'll try to go then. Mother had awakened at 5:30 a.m., but didn't ask to go to the bathroom until I woke up.

But after breakfast, I did do a treadmill session and weights exercises. I showered afterward, applied makeup, etc., but didn't dress (except for a robe), because I knew I'd need to get into my swimsuit and help Mother bathe right after lunch.

I called the home medical services office, though, and started arrangements for getting a physical therapist for Mother. I think she's ready now to have help in exercising to get her legs stronger.

I was advised to contact the doctor's office to arrange for a prescription for a therapist, which I did. Later this afternoon, someone called from the clinic to say an order had been written, though we probably won't hear from the therapist until Monday.

Funny: Mother received a get-well card this morning from the ladies at Caring Hands Hospice (a part of the home medical services)...it is one that I made as part of a stack we donated to them. It reminded me, though, that I have another stack to give them...the ones the other scrapbook club member and I made at our last meeting, and which I'd forgotten about following Mother's emergency.

After lunch, and after I'd helped Mother bathe and go back to bed for an afternoon nap, Hubbie and I ran a few errands (I knew Mother would be comfortably sleeping for a few hours).

We first went to the museum to deliver an old record book, dating back to 1938, listing the names of a local musical arts club. and noting the dues and expenses of the club. A friend of ours (the one who has been cleaning closets and giving us crafting materials) asked me to drop it off at the museum some day when I was there. We found it this morning, when we cleaned the spare bedroom where Mother is staying, and stored stacks of totes in the camper temporarily, in anticipation of visits from the physical therapist. Obviously, I can't be trusted to deliver anything anywhere...at least not right away.

From there, we went to the greeting card shop, where I spent a $2 coupon to buy a birthday card. The coupon was only good through November 6. Managed to get a frazzling paper cut while I was there, which was annoying, but refreshments of chocolate candy samples, chocolate chip cookies, and hot wassail, made up for it.

Went to the post office next, and then to the college to view an art exhibit that I understood was to be there through November 4. It had already been taken down, drat it. But it was worth the trip to the college just to see the trees in spectacular fall colors.

Our next stop was a health store for buy-one-get-one-half-off bottles of fish oil tablets. Our last stop was the WDCS to pick up a few incidentals and grocery items. As we were walking back to our van, I noticed an older gentleman had not quite gotten a shopping cart into the corral, and the thing rolled to and bumped the car parked right next to the corral, then veered toward our van. I managed to catch it before it reached its destination, though, and secured it into the corral.

Back home around 3 p.m., I checked on Mother, who was still sleeping peacefully. She finally awoke at 4:30. Later, she thoroughly enjoyed and ate every bite of her supper of potatoes fried with onions, and biscuits and gravy.

A little while later, she was ready to visit the bathroom, where she finally had a normal BM. She was ready for bed shortly afterward, though, at 6:30. She was up this morning (or at least awake) from 5:30 a.m. until around 2 p.m., and then from 4:30 until 6:30 p.m., so that was quite a few hours for her.

Hubbie and I spent the evening watching TV, including the 2010 movie, "The Black Swan," starring Natalie Portman. A ballerina is cast as the white swan in "Swan Lake," then starts having mental problems when she becomes more and more like the evil black swan (whom she also portrays).

Well, at least we started watching the movie. Early on, even though I was enjoying it, Hubbie nodded off, a sure sign of his boredom. So I stopped the movie (which I'll watch another time, when Hubbie is otherwise occupied), and started a DVD movie, a 1990 crime drama starring Kevin Costner, the late Anthony Quinn, and Madeleine Stowe. It's a movie I bought for a dollar at a yard sale. A newly retired Navy aviator accepts and invitation to visit a wealthy friend at his hacienda in Mexico. His friend is a ruthless crime boss, but he dares to fool around with his host's beautiful young wife, anyway, which leads to all sorts of problems for both of the lovers.