Up at 7 a.m., but skipped my exercises again, so I could finish sprucing the house, and be ready for family to arrive for a birthday gathering in honor of Sis and myself.
Son, Daughter-in-Law, and Grandson were the first to arrive, followed a little later by Daughter and Great-Granddaughter.
I requested no gifts, but Daughter and Great-Granddaughter brought little gifts that six-year-old Great-Granddaughter chose. Both Sis and I were given decorative garden stones, and balloons. My balloon features Tinker Bell, and Sis's has a birthday greeting. We each also got roses that flash when the top is pressed. Mother got one of these, too.
Son and Daughter-in-Law brought a bag full of new rubber stamps and decorative punches that had been discarded by a business. Just looking through them made me want to get out my card-making supplies and start creating.
For lunch, Sis and I fried chicken, which we had with mashed potatoes and gravy, corn-on-the-cob, and coleslaw. Hubbie peeled the potatoes, which I cooked and mashed. And then I started a pan of milk gravy, which Mother finished, while I worked with the chicken. Meals around here are usually family projects. The corn-on-the-cob was a batch that my other son had grown in his garden last summer. It was delicious.
For dessert, Mother had baked a red velvet cake for Sis, and a coconut cream pie for me. The filling for the pie was made from scratch, using egg substitute, sugar substitute, and fat-free milk. Of course, I considered the pie crust just something to hold the filling, and I didn't eat it. But it was a really delicious pie....this is my favorite kind.
After lunch, Mother, Sis, and Daughter-in-Law worked on a jigsaw puzzle, while Daughter and Great-Granddaughter watched cartoon shows on TV, and Hubbie, Son, and I played Michigan Rummy. Son won the game.
Around 4 p.m., Son, Daughter-in-Law, and Grandson headed home. Daughter and Great-Granddaughter stayed and visited a while longer, before leaving around 5 p.m.
After they left, I joined Mother and Sis in working on the jigsaw puzzle, while Hubbie watched our favorite college basketball team play to a win. I'd recorded the game on DVR earlier in the day.
We worked on the puzzle until around 8 p.m., and then Mother and Sis went to Mother's house, and Hubbie and I watched TV for a while.
It was a good day that I enjoyed very much.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
Friday, Jan. 7
Up around 7:30, but skipped my exercises today. Mother and Sis came over mid-morning, and Sis mentioned that she wanted a new hairstyle for her birthday. This was in response to my asking her yesterday what she'd like, because I hadn't come up with any ideas on my own.
I promptly called Mother's and my beauty shop and luckily was able to get an appointment with my hairdresser at 10:30 a.m. So off we went right away to meet the appointment. The new style is very becoming, and I took pictures of her as soon as we got back home and uploaded them to my social network site. She immediately got lots of compliments from family and friends.
After a soup lunch, we all piled in the van and traveled to another town to visit a wildlife preserve, where there is a flock of gorgeous trumpeter swans. The swans arrive at the lake around Thanksgiving, and migrate north around Valentine's Day. So for the past few years, we have taken advantage of the first sunny, relatively mild day after the holidays to go visit the swans and take pictures.
Today was beautiful and sunny, though windy and a bit nippy. But we were prepared with coats and hats. Others who stopped by minus hats and coats didn't linger, but we stayed for quite a while. Mother got chilled after a few minutes, though, and went back to sit in the van.
Back home later, I mixed a quadruple batch of whole wheat pancake batter, using what was left of a quart of soy eggnog. Around 4:30, Hubbie did the honors of cooking the pancakes, while I microwaved turkey bacon, and the heated pancake syrup and the dinner plates.
The pancakes were very good. The eggnog added a pleasant extra flavor to them. Of course, there were lots of pancakes left, which Mother placed individually between sheets of waxed paper to keep them from sticking together, and then put them in Ziplock freezer bags. There are enough pancakes for several meals.
Later, we played several games of Duo, with Hubbie winning three, Sis winning two, and Mother and I each winning one. Mother and Sis went to Mother's house after that, and Hubbie and I watched one-hour shows on TV.
I promptly called Mother's and my beauty shop and luckily was able to get an appointment with my hairdresser at 10:30 a.m. So off we went right away to meet the appointment. The new style is very becoming, and I took pictures of her as soon as we got back home and uploaded them to my social network site. She immediately got lots of compliments from family and friends.
After a soup lunch, we all piled in the van and traveled to another town to visit a wildlife preserve, where there is a flock of gorgeous trumpeter swans. The swans arrive at the lake around Thanksgiving, and migrate north around Valentine's Day. So for the past few years, we have taken advantage of the first sunny, relatively mild day after the holidays to go visit the swans and take pictures.
Today was beautiful and sunny, though windy and a bit nippy. But we were prepared with coats and hats. Others who stopped by minus hats and coats didn't linger, but we stayed for quite a while. Mother got chilled after a few minutes, though, and went back to sit in the van.
Back home later, I mixed a quadruple batch of whole wheat pancake batter, using what was left of a quart of soy eggnog. Around 4:30, Hubbie did the honors of cooking the pancakes, while I microwaved turkey bacon, and the heated pancake syrup and the dinner plates.
The pancakes were very good. The eggnog added a pleasant extra flavor to them. Of course, there were lots of pancakes left, which Mother placed individually between sheets of waxed paper to keep them from sticking together, and then put them in Ziplock freezer bags. There are enough pancakes for several meals.
Later, we played several games of Duo, with Hubbie winning three, Sis winning two, and Mother and I each winning one. Mother and Sis went to Mother's house after that, and Hubbie and I watched one-hour shows on TV.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Thursday, Jan. 6
Got up around 8 a.m., and did a treadmill session and resistance exercises after breakfast. Didn't do a lot besides check e-mail messages and help Mother work on the jigsaw puzzle before lunch.
After lunch, Mother, Hubbie, and I prepared meat and veggies for the slow cooker to make a sort of New England stew. Mother cubed beef, which I browned with herbs and garlic. I put the beef in the slow cooker with carrots, onions, and celery that Mother cut up, and potatoes that Hubbie peeled and quartered. To this, I added beef and chicken broths and more herbs and garlic. And then Hubbie quartered a head of cabbage to be placed on top on the other veggies. The stew simmered in the slow cooker for several hours.
Sis arrived this afternoon to spend a few days with us. She joined Mother in working on the jigsaw puzzle, while Hubbie and I ran errands...to the Extension Services office to pick up two-year calendars I'd ordered, and to the WDCS for groceries.
Back home, I joined Sis and Mother in working on the puzzle. Around 5 p.m., we enjoyed the stew with a choice of cornbread or biscuits. I'm not fond of cornbread, so I chose biscuits and honey.
Afterward, Mother, Sis, and I resumed working on the puzzle, which we finished around 8 p.m. Mother and Sis went to Mother's house after that, and Hubbie and I settled in front of TV.
Tonight we saw the 2009, R-rated movie, "Formosa Betrayed," starring James Van Der Beek, Leslie Hope, and John Heard. Based on true events, an FBI agent is sent toTaiwan to find the killers of a Taiwanese-American professor. He finds a conspiracy that includes the U.S. State Department and the Chinese Mafia.
After lunch, Mother, Hubbie, and I prepared meat and veggies for the slow cooker to make a sort of New England stew. Mother cubed beef, which I browned with herbs and garlic. I put the beef in the slow cooker with carrots, onions, and celery that Mother cut up, and potatoes that Hubbie peeled and quartered. To this, I added beef and chicken broths and more herbs and garlic. And then Hubbie quartered a head of cabbage to be placed on top on the other veggies. The stew simmered in the slow cooker for several hours.
Sis arrived this afternoon to spend a few days with us. She joined Mother in working on the jigsaw puzzle, while Hubbie and I ran errands...to the Extension Services office to pick up two-year calendars I'd ordered, and to the WDCS for groceries.
Back home, I joined Sis and Mother in working on the puzzle. Around 5 p.m., we enjoyed the stew with a choice of cornbread or biscuits. I'm not fond of cornbread, so I chose biscuits and honey.
Afterward, Mother, Sis, and I resumed working on the puzzle, which we finished around 8 p.m. Mother and Sis went to Mother's house after that, and Hubbie and I settled in front of TV.
Tonight we saw the 2009, R-rated movie, "Formosa Betrayed," starring James Van Der Beek, Leslie Hope, and John Heard. Based on true events, an FBI agent is sent toTaiwan to find the killers of a Taiwanese-American professor. He finds a conspiracy that includes the U.S. State Department and the Chinese Mafia.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Wednesday, Jan. 5
Got up really, really late this morning, at 9 a.m. Hubbie got up at his usual 7 a.m. hour, but let me snooze on. I guess I needed the rest after the long and exhausting holidays. But once I was up, I did a treadmill session and weights exercises after breakfast. Hubbie ran errands while I was doing this.
Once I was ready for the day, I gathered and displayed the regular household items that had been stored to make way for Christmas decorations. Didn't have time to do much else before lunchtime.
Mother had come over mid-morning, and she fixed herself Ramen noodle soup for lunch, but I wasn't very hungry and settled for just a slice of deli turkey and an orange. Hubbie had a sandwich and chips.
Afterward, I did some household chores, while Hubbie groomed and bathed Shih Tzu, and Mother relaxed with a new magazine. Then Mother and I made a double recipe of homemade tomato soup to have for supper with grilled cheese sandwiches (Hubbie did the honors of making those).
Mother went home afterward, and later Hubbie and I went to the movie theater to see "True Grit," starring Jeff Bridges.
Funny: around 4:30 this afternoon, Hubbie came downstairs after being in the office for quite a while. He looked at the clock and asked why it was showing that time.
"Because it's 4:30," I said.
"Really?" he said, surprised. "I thought it was about lunchtime."
"We already had lunch," I reminded him.
He'd forgotten because, it seems, he'd fallen asleep at the computer playing a card game and lost track of time. He was getting hungry because it was close to suppertime. Guess the holidays have caught up with him, too.
Once I was ready for the day, I gathered and displayed the regular household items that had been stored to make way for Christmas decorations. Didn't have time to do much else before lunchtime.
Mother had come over mid-morning, and she fixed herself Ramen noodle soup for lunch, but I wasn't very hungry and settled for just a slice of deli turkey and an orange. Hubbie had a sandwich and chips.
Afterward, I did some household chores, while Hubbie groomed and bathed Shih Tzu, and Mother relaxed with a new magazine. Then Mother and I made a double recipe of homemade tomato soup to have for supper with grilled cheese sandwiches (Hubbie did the honors of making those).
Mother went home afterward, and later Hubbie and I went to the movie theater to see "True Grit," starring Jeff Bridges.
Funny: around 4:30 this afternoon, Hubbie came downstairs after being in the office for quite a while. He looked at the clock and asked why it was showing that time.
"Because it's 4:30," I said.
"Really?" he said, surprised. "I thought it was about lunchtime."
"We already had lunch," I reminded him.
He'd forgotten because, it seems, he'd fallen asleep at the computer playing a card game and lost track of time. He was getting hungry because it was close to suppertime. Guess the holidays have caught up with him, too.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Tuesday, Jan. 4
Up around 8 a.m., and did a treadmill session and resistance exercises after breakfast. Once I was ready for the day, I organized my winter clothing closet, and played on my computer until nearly noon.
Mother came over before lunch, and around 12:15, she and I met our haircut appointments. After that, I took Mother to the greeting card shop, where she wanted to buy birthday cards for Sis and me, and an anniversary card for Hubbie and me.
Back home around 2 p.m., Mother napped, while I made a New Year's greeting card on my computer, using one of my winter photos, and then wrote a long letter to our friends who live in Springfield, MO.
Then I uploaded photos of Hubbie's family to his social network site...photos snapped while his family were here the day after Christmas.
Later, we had a supper of baked sweet potatoes and various vegetables leftover from other meals. Mother went home afterward, and Hubbie and I settled in to watch TV, including the Sugar Bowl college football contest, and our favorite college basketball team. Obviously, I recorded the games on DVR, so we could begin watching the football game around an hour into play, and then later watch the basketball game.
It was after midnight before both games ended, by which time our eyeballs were swimming. Unfortunately, both teams lost.
Mother came over before lunch, and around 12:15, she and I met our haircut appointments. After that, I took Mother to the greeting card shop, where she wanted to buy birthday cards for Sis and me, and an anniversary card for Hubbie and me.
Back home around 2 p.m., Mother napped, while I made a New Year's greeting card on my computer, using one of my winter photos, and then wrote a long letter to our friends who live in Springfield, MO.
Then I uploaded photos of Hubbie's family to his social network site...photos snapped while his family were here the day after Christmas.
Later, we had a supper of baked sweet potatoes and various vegetables leftover from other meals. Mother went home afterward, and Hubbie and I settled in to watch TV, including the Sugar Bowl college football contest, and our favorite college basketball team. Obviously, I recorded the games on DVR, so we could begin watching the football game around an hour into play, and then later watch the basketball game.
It was after midnight before both games ended, by which time our eyeballs were swimming. Unfortunately, both teams lost.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Monday, Jan. 3
Up late, around 8 a.m., and did a treadmill session and weights exercises after breakfast. While I was doing this, Hubbie undecorated the large Christmas tree in the sun room. He got all the ornaments off, and stored the tree in its box. Mother came over, but she was in no mood to work on her jigsaw puzzle this morning, so she just relaxed.
Once I was ready for the day, I gathered holiday shirts and sweaters to be washed and stored. I also finished taking winter sweaters and shirts out of storage, making space to store the rest of the summer wear.
After lunch, Hubbie and I ran errands...to a grocery store for cottage cheese, to the dry cleaners, to a health food store for a buy-one-get-one-half-price (plus 20% discount) containers of fish oil gels, to the WDCS, and back to the grocery store, because there were no heads of cabbage, red potatoes, or russet potatoes at the WDCS.
After we got back home, Hubbie and I took all the hooks off the Christmas tree ornaments and then stored the ornaments in a plastic tote. We estimate that we have around 300 ornaments for that tree, so its quite a job to remove the hooks. But it's worth it to keep the ornaments from tangling.
The ornaments were spread out on the top of the hot tub, so I was glad to get them stored so I could use that space to lay out holiday sweaters that I'd washed. Around here, everything has to do double duty.
Mother worked on the jigsaw puzzle a little this afternoon. It's a go-slow project for her, because this Christmas puzzle, featuring a Teddy bear in red, and lots of red and green decorations, not only has sameness of colors, but the pieces are all oddly shaped.
Around 4:30 p.m., my Literacy Council student called to cancel our sessions tonight and tomorrow night, because she and her family are out of town. We scheduled to meet on our usual nights next week.
For supper, we had leftover beef hash, with fried eggs and toast. Mother went home afterward, and Hubbie and I settled in front of TV, as usual.
The past couple of nights, I've wasted some time during programs playing a game I found at the AARP newsletter site. It's called Sumatra, and it features a gorilla climbing up or sliding down a jungle vine. The player has to quickly match three items in a row to keep the gorilla climbing up to the bunch of bananas. If the player isn't quick enough, the gorilla falls into the mouth of a tiger. So far, I've gotten to level four.
The site has lots of brain games...cards, words, strategy, reflex. I like word games best, but have been trying some of the others.
The movie we watched was the 2008, PG-13 movie, "The Other Side of the Tracks," starring Brendan Fehr, Chad Lindberg, Tania Raymonde, and Beatrice Rosen. A young man loses his high school girlfriend to a train accident and is unable to move on. Ten years later, he meets a girl who is the spitting image of his lost love. But the former love keeps showing up as a ghost, while the current girl is not interested in sticking around.
Once I was ready for the day, I gathered holiday shirts and sweaters to be washed and stored. I also finished taking winter sweaters and shirts out of storage, making space to store the rest of the summer wear.
After lunch, Hubbie and I ran errands...to a grocery store for cottage cheese, to the dry cleaners, to a health food store for a buy-one-get-one-half-price (plus 20% discount) containers of fish oil gels, to the WDCS, and back to the grocery store, because there were no heads of cabbage, red potatoes, or russet potatoes at the WDCS.
After we got back home, Hubbie and I took all the hooks off the Christmas tree ornaments and then stored the ornaments in a plastic tote. We estimate that we have around 300 ornaments for that tree, so its quite a job to remove the hooks. But it's worth it to keep the ornaments from tangling.
The ornaments were spread out on the top of the hot tub, so I was glad to get them stored so I could use that space to lay out holiday sweaters that I'd washed. Around here, everything has to do double duty.
Mother worked on the jigsaw puzzle a little this afternoon. It's a go-slow project for her, because this Christmas puzzle, featuring a Teddy bear in red, and lots of red and green decorations, not only has sameness of colors, but the pieces are all oddly shaped.
Around 4:30 p.m., my Literacy Council student called to cancel our sessions tonight and tomorrow night, because she and her family are out of town. We scheduled to meet on our usual nights next week.
For supper, we had leftover beef hash, with fried eggs and toast. Mother went home afterward, and Hubbie and I settled in front of TV, as usual.
The past couple of nights, I've wasted some time during programs playing a game I found at the AARP newsletter site. It's called Sumatra, and it features a gorilla climbing up or sliding down a jungle vine. The player has to quickly match three items in a row to keep the gorilla climbing up to the bunch of bananas. If the player isn't quick enough, the gorilla falls into the mouth of a tiger. So far, I've gotten to level four.
The site has lots of brain games...cards, words, strategy, reflex. I like word games best, but have been trying some of the others.
The movie we watched was the 2008, PG-13 movie, "The Other Side of the Tracks," starring Brendan Fehr, Chad Lindberg, Tania Raymonde, and Beatrice Rosen. A young man loses his high school girlfriend to a train accident and is unable to move on. Ten years later, he meets a girl who is the spitting image of his lost love. But the former love keeps showing up as a ghost, while the current girl is not interested in sticking around.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Sunday, Jan. 2
Today is the anniversary of my brother's birthday. He would have been 67. We lost him to an automobile accident when he was only 21 years old.
Slept late this morning, until around 8 a.m., and then did a treadmill session and resistance exercises after breakfast. Hubbie began taking the ornaments off the Christmas tree in the living room while I was exercising. Then he put color in my hair in anticipation of a haircut appointment on Tuesday. While we were doing these things, Mother worked on her jigsaw puzzle.
Once I was ready for the day, Mother and I gathered peripheral decorations...those on top of the China cabinet, and on various tables, as well as wreathes, wall hangings and the like, and boxed them to be stored.
I also did the usual Sunday things, like programming the DVR, and washing several loads of laundry, including the Christmas table clothes and dish towels.
For lunch, we had leftover pork roast, potatoes and gravy, and various week-in-review veggies. Mother and I continued boxing Christmas decorations afterward, and then Mother went home around 2 p.m.
Hubbie and I settled in to watch the 2003, R-rated movie, "The Missing," starring Tommy Lee Jones and Cate Blanchett. A woman (Blanchett) raising her two daughters in the frontier southwest wilderness loses her elder daughter to Indians intent on selling her and other captive girls to Mexicans. Her estranged father, who left her family when she was a child to go live with Indians, comes back to help her find the daughter.
Later, we watched the 2008, R-rated movie, "Betrayed," starring Christian Campbell, and Alice Krige. A woman and her child are kidnapped, and their lives are threatened unless she can provide her captors with information for transferring money belonging to a crime syndicate. She learns her husband is complicit.
Then we watched the 2009, R-rated movie, "Chicago Overcoat." An aging hit man's and a washed up detective's lives become enmeshed when the hit man agrees to one last job before retiring to a new life. This was a premium channel movie. The DVD of the movie requires a region-specific or multi region DVD player, so it is not sold on my favorite book/movie/music website.
While the movies were playing, I completed a monthly report to the Literacy Council, and reviewed the lessons I want to cover with my student tomorrow night.
Slept late this morning, until around 8 a.m., and then did a treadmill session and resistance exercises after breakfast. Hubbie began taking the ornaments off the Christmas tree in the living room while I was exercising. Then he put color in my hair in anticipation of a haircut appointment on Tuesday. While we were doing these things, Mother worked on her jigsaw puzzle.
Once I was ready for the day, Mother and I gathered peripheral decorations...those on top of the China cabinet, and on various tables, as well as wreathes, wall hangings and the like, and boxed them to be stored.
I also did the usual Sunday things, like programming the DVR, and washing several loads of laundry, including the Christmas table clothes and dish towels.
For lunch, we had leftover pork roast, potatoes and gravy, and various week-in-review veggies. Mother and I continued boxing Christmas decorations afterward, and then Mother went home around 2 p.m.
Hubbie and I settled in to watch the 2003, R-rated movie, "The Missing," starring Tommy Lee Jones and Cate Blanchett. A woman (Blanchett) raising her two daughters in the frontier southwest wilderness loses her elder daughter to Indians intent on selling her and other captive girls to Mexicans. Her estranged father, who left her family when she was a child to go live with Indians, comes back to help her find the daughter.
Later, we watched the 2008, R-rated movie, "Betrayed," starring Christian Campbell, and Alice Krige. A woman and her child are kidnapped, and their lives are threatened unless she can provide her captors with information for transferring money belonging to a crime syndicate. She learns her husband is complicit.
Then we watched the 2009, R-rated movie, "Chicago Overcoat." An aging hit man's and a washed up detective's lives become enmeshed when the hit man agrees to one last job before retiring to a new life. This was a premium channel movie. The DVD of the movie requires a region-specific or multi region DVD player, so it is not sold on my favorite book/movie/music website.
While the movies were playing, I completed a monthly report to the Literacy Council, and reviewed the lessons I want to cover with my student tomorrow night.
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