Wednesday, Nov. 30

Up at 7 a.m. on this last day of November. I'm still coughing a little and my voice is raspy yet, but I think the worst of my malady is over.

Once I was ready for the day, I did odds and ends of household stuff until time to get ready to go to a luncheon in honor of Caring Hands Hospice volunteers at 11:30. Before Hubbie and I left, I prepared Mother a lunch of chicken salad and a small slice of mince meat pie and put it in the fridge. Mother was able to retrieve the meal on her own.

The luncheon was very pleasant. The former volunteer coordinator and one of the volunteers who owns a party store put together very attractive decorations and a nice lunch. The luncheon theme was a sidewalk cafe' in Paris. At the entrance were two black lamp posts with white globes. The tables were dressed in black tableclothes, black and white floral design napkins, clear plates, glasses, and cups and saucers, and tall bud vases containing single red roses Each table also featured paper-constructed Eiffel Towers. On the walls were prints of Paris outdoor cafes.

The buffet tables were covered in black tableclothes, with vases filled with red roses on each end. The soup and sandwich, fruit and pastries, food was beautifully served in baskets and on various silver pieces.

In keeping with the theme, the meal consisted of choices of deli ham, turkey, and beef, and both white and yellow cheeses, with croissant rolls, hot mini-quiches, French onion soup, chocolate bon bons, and white iced sugar cookies with a black Fleur d lis design.

Following the lunch, the new volunteer coordinator awarded little brass extensions engraved with number of volunteer hours that are to be added to pins that were issued to us a couple of years ago.

Later, as were talking to the owner of the home medical services, of which Caring Hands is a part, told us that his wife recently suffered a broken leg. Seems she was walking their large dog, and the dog suddenly bolted after a squirrel. Instead of turning the leash loose, his wife tried to control the dog and subsequently fell, breaking her leg.

Back home, Mother said the therapist visited this morning while we were gone, and she managed her lunch just fine.

Hubbie and I both changed clothes, and Hubbie worked the rest of the afternoon cleaning the sunroom, while Mother and I made recipes of Chai tea. We made one batch using decaf tea and sugar substitute, and two regular batches. I soon ran out of some ingredients, and knew I'd need to go to the store after supper before I could finish the tea project.

Around 4 p.m., I put leftover turkey casserole in the oven, heated beans and ham from last night, and served the meal with the remainder of the cranberry sauce, plus a choice of cornbread or yeast roll for supper at 5 p.m.

Afterward, Hubbie and I ran errands to the everything's a dollar store for three more of the mesh back rests and six cans of cookie straws, and to the WDCS for ingredients for Chai tea.

At home, I finished making the tea, and then we relaxed and watched a TNT channel movie...Scott Turrow's "Innocent." Following the movie, Mother headed to bed, and Hubbie and I watched our favorite college basketball team play to a wide-margin win. I'd recorded the game on DVR.