Thursday, Dec. 1

Another month swiftly gone, and another very busy one coming up. We were up around 7 a.m., and after breakfast, I helped Mother take a shower. Again, I didn't do much but attend. She had already gathered her clean clothes and was in the bathroom disrobing by the time I came downstairs from getting into a swimsuit. She did everything for herself this morning, but still needed assistance standing up once she was dressed.

The first thing Hubbie announced after I was ready for the day was that our dishwasher bit the dust. This would require a trip to the appliance store, but we decided to wait until after lunch. In the meantime, we put the Christmas village on the mantel. This is a tedious job that requires careful placement on two tiers, and maneuvering cords into outlet strips.

Mother helped by folding children's cardboard brick boxes (used to tier the village), and fluffing the many artificial Christmas trees to be placed among the houses. Hubbie had put cotton batting on a wide length attached to the mantel.

It took most of the morning to complete this task. After a chicken salad sandwich lunch (the salad was particularly good today), Hubbie and I went to an appliance store to choose a new dishwasher.

We found one that we were assured is one of the stores most popular brands, because it is quiet when it runs. That information alone sold me, since Hubbie loves to run the dishwasher while we are watching TV. And since the den and the kitchen are so close together, it's annoying.

The dishwasher is black, like our current one, so it will match our other appliances. The plumber we engaged to put the washer in will pick the machine up Monday and install it.

When we got back home, we began stringing lights on the tree in the sunroom. Wouldn't you know it, half the lights on a new string that Hubbie bought a couple of days ago don't work. So it would be necessary to go to the WDCS for more lights.

We did that on a trip out to visit the college library where the soup and chili event was to be held this evening. The Friends of the Library (of which I'm one) was sponsoring a bake sale, and I wanted to pick up some goodies for this weekend.

While I was there, a friend asked me to slice a loaf of banana bread for her. The bread was frozen. She handed me a butter knife. Took some muscle power, but I managed it finally.

I bought a single iced layer of dark chocolate cake, a pound cake, a couple of slices of peach pizza, and some cookies.

From the library, we went to the WDCS to buy new Christmas lights, and then came back home.

By now, it was time to get ready to go to the library event. So I heated the vegetable soup and put it in a slow cooker, then dressed for the outing. Before we left, Hubbie heated a thermos, which I filled with hot soup. I set the small table in the kitchen, and put a slice of cornbread in the microwave for Mother.

The library event lasted from 5 p.m. to 6:30. Several slow cookers of chili and soup were available for tasting. The chili ranged from mild to what was called "Voodoo Hot." It was the winning chili, as judged by our esteemed mayor. One pot of chili was made with bear meat. Blah! Neither Hubbie nor I were interested in tasting that one. My pot of vegetable soup must have been good, because only about a cupful was left. But it didn't win the soup contest.

The event also included a live and silent auction. I picked up a few items at the silent auction, including a baby blanket, a bag of junk jewelry, and a necklace (Hubbie bid on that one, and got it for $2. It wasn't something I would have bid on, but I'll find a use for it).

Funny: at the live auction, a college staff member bid on an item, and when the auctioneer called for a higher bid, one came from the area of the room where the silent auction was held. The bidder was the staff member's wife! She'd upped her husband's bid, without realizing it. She won the bid.

The Friends of the Library is another small town organization that relies on its members to pay an annual membership fee, provide books for the annual book sale, baked goods, auction items, and/or soup and chili for the winter event, and pay $3 each for the privilege of attending. Good thing it's fun.

Back home afterward, we joined Mother in watching TV. Tonight, we watched a TNT channel mystery called, "Ricochet."