Monday, Dec. 5

Up around 7 a.m., but I opted out of going to water aerobics, since it was such a cold, rainy day. I am only a couple of days past my recent illness, and didn't want to risk a relapse by getting chilled.

I meant to do a session on the treadmill, but skipped it, because we got a call that the plumber would be here to install the new dishwasher around 9:30. We also expected Mother's physical therapist before lunch.

The plumber and his assistant arrived as I was getting ready for the day (after seeing to Mother's needs). They finished the job just as the therapist arrived around 11:30.

The new dishwasher is so quiet when it runs that we have to be right next to it to hear it all...such a difference from the old one that sounded like a jet plane taking off. Hubbie loved running the old one after supper, just as we sat down to watch a movie. It was pretty annoying, since the den and the kitchen are so close together.

The therapist gave Mother a pretty good workout today, since he won't be back until next Monday. That's because Mother will undergo an outpatient procedure Wednesday to determine if her stomach ulcer is healing properly.

The therapist advised that he will not be here Friday, because it is time for the head nurse to come and assess Mother's progress. She'll put Mother through all the tests she did on the first visit, to determine if Mother needs further physical therapy. Her therapist would like to continue the program for a while longer to make sure Mother can get back and forth from our house to hers (with assistance), and be able to stay in her home alone for a few hours at a time.

When the therapist left, it was time to prepare lunch. Afterward, Mother went to the kitchen, where I gathered the necessary items for her to slice potatoes and onions and put together a dish for the oven. I peeled the potatoes, and Mother did the rest.

This morning, we discovered that Mother hadn't paid her health insurance premiums for the past several months. So Hubbie called the insurer and explained her medical difficulties and her short-term memory problems, and was able to arrange to catch up the payments with no lapse in her coverage. We'll be keeping track of this for her from now on.

Later, I reviewed the lesson for my Spanish student, who I met at 2:30 at the nearby college library. While I was gone, Hubbie put the potato dish, a dish of ham and beans, and a dish of smothered steak in the oven to cook and/or heat for supper.

Today, the student came minus makeup...she's as frazzled as I am during this very busy season. Besides her mother, she is expecting a sister and her family, a daughter, and her husband's daughter during the holidays, which will require lots of cleaning, cooking, and baking. She commented, though, that her husband has engaged a housekeeper to help out a few days a week.

Things are made more difficult for her because her mother has a broken arm and needs help bathing. And she's responsible for her elderly mother-in-law, who also needs assistance bathing. I can relate, even though I only have Mother to help.

For today's lesson, she learned the difference between active and passive sentences: "The nurse helps the girl (active)," and "The girl is helped (passive)."

She also learned to use "but" to connect two thoughts..."I like Ann, but I don't like her sister." "Ed closed the door, but he didn't close the window."

Then she learned to use the adjectives "fill," "empty," and "full as in, "The glass is empty. I fill it with water. The glass is full."

We ended the session with expressions of "be + having," as in "The men are laughing. They're having fun." "The men and women are dancing. They're having a good time."

The student is very much enjoying the cold weather. Apparently Venezuela is broiling hot, so cold weather is a wonderful change for her. Personally, I'm no fan of cold weather.

Back home, I checked on our supper in the oven and found that it was ready, thanks to Hubbie. Mother was still in bed, but she was ready to get up and have supper. It was a very good meal.

Following supper, Hubbie and I went to the WDCS for a few grocery items, particularly ingredients for making a pot of chili and a pot of potato soup tomorrow.

Spent the rest of the evening watching TV.

Two pieces of good news today: a large color photo of Great-Granddaugther, and Great-Grandson at the graham cracker cookie Christmas house workshop appeared on the front page of our local newspaper this evening.

AND, Granddaughter's boyfriend proposed marriage and presented her with an engagement ring.