Tuesday, Dec. 6

Up around 7 a.m. and, finally, did a treadmill session and resistance exercises. While I was on the treadmill, Mother's nurse came by. I didn't know she was here until I walked into the den in my lovely old t-shirt and shorts.

I'd had the foresight to print a picture of her ten-year-old daughter and friend that I'd taken at the Christmas cookie house workshop, which Mother gave to her while I was exercising. The nurse commented on how much the two girls enjoyed the workshop. Her daughter's creation graces their kitchen table, she said, and the friend has decided to eat one piece of candy off her own house each day.

The nurse said that she won't be back until Dec. 20, at which time she'll assess if Mother will need her to continue her visits or not.

Six degrees of separation: this nurse was a cousin to a young man who was killed in a car accident on the highway in front of our house several years ago. Also, she once ran out of gasoline near our house and had to borrow a can of our lawnmower fuel.

After the nurse left, and I was ready for the day, Mother, Hubbie, and I worked together to make a pot of potato soup, and a pot of chili. Hubbie peeled potatoes and sliced them in the food processor. Mother chopped onions, celery, carrots, and bell peppers. Then I completed the recipes and started both simmering.

Hubbie also washed and shredded carrots for carrot salad that I'll put together as our contribution to the Master Gardener Christmas potluck party Thursday. Each Master Gardener is assigned to a food category, and Hubbie was assigned to salads.

Got a call from the water aerobics leader, advising me that the Christmas party will be Friday at 11 a.m. I hope to go to the pool Friday morning, since beginning next week, it will be closed for several weeks for winter break.

Niece e-mailed on my social network page today that she would like to come for a visit Friday night and Saturday. She was checking to make sure we will be available then, and we will. Daughter will be here Saturday, as well.

After lunch, Mother went to her room for a nap, and Hubbie and I ran errands. First stop, the newspaper office to drop off the word search puzzle contest, and pick up a few copies of Monday's edition, which features Great-Granddaughter and Great-Grandson on the front page.

Then we stopped by the art gallery to leave a bill for the materials we bought for the cookie Christmas house workshop. From there, we went to the greeting card shop, where I bought a musical Christmas card for Mother.

The store that has a sale every weekend was our next stop, where I used a $10 coupon toward the purchase of an undershirt for Mother, which will become a 12-days-of-Christmas gift. The pharmacy/grocery store was next, to pick up prescriptions and return three cans of cake icing for a refund (we'd bought too many for the workshop).

Then we went to the Extension Services office to leave five Christmas stockings, which are the scrapbook club's contribution to the County Extension Club's project...the stockings will be donated to a local bank that will fill them for needy children. In the past, the county EH gathered up to 400 stockings from the various clubs, but there are far fewer clubs now, so I don't know what the count is anymore.

Re: home extension agent...the young woman who has served as our agent for the past few years is moving on to a position in another state. It's an advancement for her, but I will be sad to see her go. I really like her. I hope the one who replaces her will be as sweet and accommodating.

From the ES office, we went to a medical supply store to get sliders for Mother's walker, which will make it easier for Mother for move the walker across both floors and carpet.

An appliance store was next to pick up a bottle of stove top cleaner. Then we went to the WDCS for a couple of items, and stopped last at a gas station to buy a few scratch-off tickets for Mother as a 12-days-of-Christmas gift.

Back home, Mother was still in bed, but she got up as I was preparing supper. Tonight, we had baked sweet potatoes, corn-on-the-cob, and fried okra.

After supper, I baked a rum cake. While the cake cooled, we watched a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie. Once the cake cooled, I attempted to make a glaze for it, but for some reason it just turned to sugar. That's never happened before, so I wonder if it had something to do with the wet weather we've been having.

Gave up the project for tonight, and helped Mother take a shower, after which she went straight to bed. I'll try to make a glaze for the cake another better weather day.