Today is Daughter-in-Law's birthday. Happy Birthday, Daughter-in-Law!
Awoke around 7:30 a.m. to a couple of inches of snow on the ground, but the sun came out pretty early and the temperature rose, so it started melting. By around 2 p.m., there wasn't much of it left. I decided not to bother going out to snap pictures this time. Did a treadmill session and weights exercises after breakfast, instead.
Before I got on the treadmill, I called Mother on the intercom. I was sure she'd probably want to stay home today, since it had snowed, but instead she said, "Why would I want to stay home?" Huh? Who is this woman...in the past, a single snowflake would have kept her indoors! So Hubbie accompanied her to our house, where she set up a jigsaw puzzle to work on.
Other than playing on my office computer, and doing some laundry and other household chores, we didn't accomplish much today. Mother and I started a couple of pots of 11-bean soup with ham and Rotel simmering, which we'll put in the freezer later. The soups are for a birthday gathering at Son and Daughter-in-Law's at the end of the month.
Vegged for the afternoon, and then made bran muffins to go with chicken noodle soup for supper. Mother went home afterward, and Hubbie and I vegged some more in front of TV. We watched our favorite college basketball team play to another discouraging loss.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Friday, Feb. 4
10 p.m. weather report last night assured that there would be snow in the southern part of the state...rain probably in the north. First thing I heard on the news this morning, then, was that there was already two to four inches south, with the system creeping up to the central part of the state, and a revised report for a snow advisory in our part of the state. Sure enough, around 3 p.m., the snow arrived here. By suppertime, though, we'd gotten only a dusting.
I got up around 7:30 this morning, and did a treadmill session and resistance exercises after breakfast. After that, I wasted time on my office computer, and then got ready for the day. Mother came over and started a pot of chicken simmering.
Before the snow started, Hubbie ran to the store to get a few grocery items (yes, bread, but no milk...we've already got plenty of that). We were out of celery, which was needed for the chicken soup, plus we wanted lasagna noodles and other things to satisfy our menu plans for the next few days.
It was kind of a lazy day after that. Mother caught up on reading e-mails, blog posts, and social network posts, but we didn't do much else. Around 3 p.m., it started snowing, Hubbie took the Styrofoam containers of 11-bean soup downtown to a local church kitchen, where several ladies from the arts council board were getting things ready for Souper Saturday tomorrow.
For supper, we had leftover spaghetti, with coleslaw, and cottage cheese with grape tomatoes. Mother went home afterward, and Hubbie and I wasted time in front of TV.
We saw the 2002, R-rated movie, "Changing Lanes," starring Ben Affleck, and Samuel L. Jackson. A white attorney (Affleck), and an African American salesman have a fender bender on the freeway, and what should have been a minor inconvenience turns into rage, as each tries to ruin the other's life.
I got up around 7:30 this morning, and did a treadmill session and resistance exercises after breakfast. After that, I wasted time on my office computer, and then got ready for the day. Mother came over and started a pot of chicken simmering.
Before the snow started, Hubbie ran to the store to get a few grocery items (yes, bread, but no milk...we've already got plenty of that). We were out of celery, which was needed for the chicken soup, plus we wanted lasagna noodles and other things to satisfy our menu plans for the next few days.
It was kind of a lazy day after that. Mother caught up on reading e-mails, blog posts, and social network posts, but we didn't do much else. Around 3 p.m., it started snowing, Hubbie took the Styrofoam containers of 11-bean soup downtown to a local church kitchen, where several ladies from the arts council board were getting things ready for Souper Saturday tomorrow.
For supper, we had leftover spaghetti, with coleslaw, and cottage cheese with grape tomatoes. Mother went home afterward, and Hubbie and I wasted time in front of TV.
We saw the 2002, R-rated movie, "Changing Lanes," starring Ben Affleck, and Samuel L. Jackson. A white attorney (Affleck), and an African American salesman have a fender bender on the freeway, and what should have been a minor inconvenience turns into rage, as each tries to ruin the other's life.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Thursday, Feb. 3
Got to bed late last night, around 12:30 a.m., because we stayed up to watch out favorite college basketball team play from 10 p.m. to midnight. I thought the game was late because the opposing team had trouble getting to our state, due to a blizzard in their state, and because even the roads in the northwest part of our state were icy. Later I realized that the game had actually been played from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., and what we watched was the repeat of it.
So I was none too eager to get up this morning at 7:30 on this frigid, snow-flurry-while-the-sun-shines day. But I felt I needed to do a treadmill session and weights exercises after breakfast, since I missed a session yesterday morning. I wanted to have plenty of time to exercise and get ready for the day before an 11 a.m. appointment at the dentist's office.
Everything is fine with my teeth right now, and all I needed was a cleaning. But I learned that an assistant who has worked with my dentist for 30 years is having eye problems. Seems she has a hole in her retina that is quite large. Today, her doctor did some sort of steroid treatment on it, but said that the hole cannot be repaired. Now they are watching to make sure the hole doesn't turn into a tear that could cause her to lose her vision.
My dental hygienist commented that the assistant's experience should alert us all to keep our routine eye exam appointments. The assistant missed her two-year appointment, and the ophthalmologist commented that if she had seen him even six months earlier, he could have helped her better.
I was thinking to myself that here is a dental assistant who ignores her eye appointment, and I'll bet some staff in ophthalmologist's offices ignore their dentist's appointments. All medical caregivers, though, are adamant that we none-medical folks keep our appointments!
Reminds me of the story Son told me off seeing his physician, who cautioned him that he needed to lose some weight. "You're a fat bastard," the doctor commented. "I'm a fat bastard, too, but I'm supposed to tell you what to do." Some of the most obese people I know work at the hospital or in the medical offices. Not the greatest example to set.
All the way around, it's sort of a "doctor heal thyself" syndrome. Or, "don't do as I do, do as I say. "
Got back home just before lunch, and found that the mail had brought two tickets I'd ordered for this year's Go Red Luncheon, set for Feb. 18. Mother and I will go.
Hubbie and I had leftover stew for lunch, with mini-muffins I found in the freezer...they were some I'd bought at the soup/chili supper and silent auction at the college library a couple of months ago.
Neither of us did anything important after that. He'd run errands, including to the grocery store, this morning while I was at my dentist's appointment, so we had nowhere to go this afternoon.
For supper, we had Mexican casserole from the freezer. It's a dish I made a few months ago. I served coleslaw and grape tomatoes with it. Mother stayed home today, so she didn't join us for supper.
Later, we went to a local college for a chamber concert performed by a string quartet from our capital city. Tonight's program included the compositions of ever-popular Mozart and Beethoven, but it also included the lesser-known American composer, Charles Ives (1874-1959). He was the son of George Ives, who was a bandleader for the U.S. Army in the American Civil War.
We were told that Ives' main occupation was as an insurance agent, rather than as a composer. His compositions were largely ignored in his lifetime, but since then his reputation has increased. His String Quartet No. 1, performed tonight, is based on hymns..."Missionary hymn," "Beulah Land," "Nettleton," and "Stand up for Jesus," though one has to recognize those hymns to recognize them within the work. His music is different, but I still prefer the old standbys.
Mother opted to stay home tonight, and I can't blame her...it's cold out there! Hubbie and I were plenty ready for snacks of graham crackers and peanut butter, with cups of hot chocolate, following this two-hour concert.
So I was none too eager to get up this morning at 7:30 on this frigid, snow-flurry-while-the-sun-shines day. But I felt I needed to do a treadmill session and weights exercises after breakfast, since I missed a session yesterday morning. I wanted to have plenty of time to exercise and get ready for the day before an 11 a.m. appointment at the dentist's office.
Everything is fine with my teeth right now, and all I needed was a cleaning. But I learned that an assistant who has worked with my dentist for 30 years is having eye problems. Seems she has a hole in her retina that is quite large. Today, her doctor did some sort of steroid treatment on it, but said that the hole cannot be repaired. Now they are watching to make sure the hole doesn't turn into a tear that could cause her to lose her vision.
My dental hygienist commented that the assistant's experience should alert us all to keep our routine eye exam appointments. The assistant missed her two-year appointment, and the ophthalmologist commented that if she had seen him even six months earlier, he could have helped her better.
I was thinking to myself that here is a dental assistant who ignores her eye appointment, and I'll bet some staff in ophthalmologist's offices ignore their dentist's appointments. All medical caregivers, though, are adamant that we none-medical folks keep our appointments!
Reminds me of the story Son told me off seeing his physician, who cautioned him that he needed to lose some weight. "You're a fat bastard," the doctor commented. "I'm a fat bastard, too, but I'm supposed to tell you what to do." Some of the most obese people I know work at the hospital or in the medical offices. Not the greatest example to set.
All the way around, it's sort of a "doctor heal thyself" syndrome. Or, "don't do as I do, do as I say. "
Got back home just before lunch, and found that the mail had brought two tickets I'd ordered for this year's Go Red Luncheon, set for Feb. 18. Mother and I will go.
Hubbie and I had leftover stew for lunch, with mini-muffins I found in the freezer...they were some I'd bought at the soup/chili supper and silent auction at the college library a couple of months ago.
Neither of us did anything important after that. He'd run errands, including to the grocery store, this morning while I was at my dentist's appointment, so we had nowhere to go this afternoon.
For supper, we had Mexican casserole from the freezer. It's a dish I made a few months ago. I served coleslaw and grape tomatoes with it. Mother stayed home today, so she didn't join us for supper.
Later, we went to a local college for a chamber concert performed by a string quartet from our capital city. Tonight's program included the compositions of ever-popular Mozart and Beethoven, but it also included the lesser-known American composer, Charles Ives (1874-1959). He was the son of George Ives, who was a bandleader for the U.S. Army in the American Civil War.
We were told that Ives' main occupation was as an insurance agent, rather than as a composer. His compositions were largely ignored in his lifetime, but since then his reputation has increased. His String Quartet No. 1, performed tonight, is based on hymns..."Missionary hymn," "Beulah Land," "Nettleton," and "Stand up for Jesus," though one has to recognize those hymns to recognize them within the work. His music is different, but I still prefer the old standbys.
Mother opted to stay home tonight, and I can't blame her...it's cold out there! Hubbie and I were plenty ready for snacks of graham crackers and peanut butter, with cups of hot chocolate, following this two-hour concert.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Wednesday, Feb. 2
Up at 7 a.m. this morning, but skipped my exercises so I could get ready to go to an independent living center to make valentine cards with other Caring Hands volunteers and residents of the center.
Around 9:30, Mother and I headed out on this bitterly cold day, marveling at the fact that there was a snow flurry even as the sun was shining. It was cold enough for me to wear my Nanook of the North coat. Usually, I only wear it two or three times each winter, but this winter, it has gotten a workout.
The day obviously caused brain freeze, because I missed my turn from the divided boulevard onto the street where the center is located. So I swung back around...and darned if I didn't do exactly the same thing again! Managed it on the third run, though, and arrived around 10 a.m., only to learn that the meeting was scheduled for 10:30.
The center's activity director invited us to relax in the sitting area until time to work. Once I got Mother comfortably seated, I decided to go fetch our supplies before I took my coat off, and as I got to the van, the Caring Hands volunteer coordinator drove up.
Inside the center, we found that the activity director had finished leading an exercise session with the residents, so we were able to go ahead and begin card-making early. We worked until noon, and with the stack of cards Mother and I had made prior to the meeting, plus the several made by us and the other ladies today, there are enough to distribute to the 26 patients currently in hospice care in three counties.
Back home, Hubbie did the honors of making us grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch, and afterward, we sat down to watch the final two episodes of "Downton Abbey." The whole thing came full circle, leaving the family still looking for an heir to the abbey.
The middle daughter made sure society learned of the eldest daughter's indescretion with the Turk who died in her bed. The eldest daughter returned the favor by telling the middle daughter's beau that another young man was going to pop the question. So the beau headed for the hills.
The third cousin twice removed proposed to the eldest daughter, but she put him on hold for a while. In the meantime, her mother became pregnant, raising hopes for a son to become heir. But the lady's maid caused the mother to slip on a bar of soap and miscarry. Now all hope once again hung on the second cousin twice removed, but he changed his mind, because eldest daughter had dragged her feet too long.
In the meantime, the maid who learned to type got a job as a secretary. The cook who became too blind to perform her duties got cataract surgery. The trouble-maker footman went into the military. Staff romances worked out. England entered war with Germany. The abbey acquired a new invention...a telephone. New episodes of "Downton Abbey" are currently in production. Looks like we're in for an Edwardian era soap opera.
Supper tonight was the beef stew we made yesterday, with biscuits and honey. Mother went home afterward, and Hubbie and I continued watching TV.
Around 9:30, Mother and I headed out on this bitterly cold day, marveling at the fact that there was a snow flurry even as the sun was shining. It was cold enough for me to wear my Nanook of the North coat. Usually, I only wear it two or three times each winter, but this winter, it has gotten a workout.
The day obviously caused brain freeze, because I missed my turn from the divided boulevard onto the street where the center is located. So I swung back around...and darned if I didn't do exactly the same thing again! Managed it on the third run, though, and arrived around 10 a.m., only to learn that the meeting was scheduled for 10:30.
The center's activity director invited us to relax in the sitting area until time to work. Once I got Mother comfortably seated, I decided to go fetch our supplies before I took my coat off, and as I got to the van, the Caring Hands volunteer coordinator drove up.
Inside the center, we found that the activity director had finished leading an exercise session with the residents, so we were able to go ahead and begin card-making early. We worked until noon, and with the stack of cards Mother and I had made prior to the meeting, plus the several made by us and the other ladies today, there are enough to distribute to the 26 patients currently in hospice care in three counties.
Back home, Hubbie did the honors of making us grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch, and afterward, we sat down to watch the final two episodes of "Downton Abbey." The whole thing came full circle, leaving the family still looking for an heir to the abbey.
The middle daughter made sure society learned of the eldest daughter's indescretion with the Turk who died in her bed. The eldest daughter returned the favor by telling the middle daughter's beau that another young man was going to pop the question. So the beau headed for the hills.
The third cousin twice removed proposed to the eldest daughter, but she put him on hold for a while. In the meantime, her mother became pregnant, raising hopes for a son to become heir. But the lady's maid caused the mother to slip on a bar of soap and miscarry. Now all hope once again hung on the second cousin twice removed, but he changed his mind, because eldest daughter had dragged her feet too long.
In the meantime, the maid who learned to type got a job as a secretary. The cook who became too blind to perform her duties got cataract surgery. The trouble-maker footman went into the military. Staff romances worked out. England entered war with Germany. The abbey acquired a new invention...a telephone. New episodes of "Downton Abbey" are currently in production. Looks like we're in for an Edwardian era soap opera.
Supper tonight was the beef stew we made yesterday, with biscuits and honey. Mother went home afterward, and Hubbie and I continued watching TV.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Tuesday, Feb. 1
What a way to start February...with an arctic blast. Well, I'm grateful it's not worse...our corner of the world got only cold rain and bone-chilling wind, while the mid-section of the nation was buried in snow and ice, causing power outages in many places.
Slept until 8 a.m. this morning, and then did a treadmill session and resistance exercises after breakfast. I didn't accomplish much the rest of the morning, except gather some materials for making valentines this afternoon (see examples of cards in the previous post).
Mother waited until after lunch to come over to make sure we weren't going to get any frozen precipitation. But because it had rained very hard, making her porch and yard slippery, Hubbie helped her walk to our house.
She started a pot of spaghetti sauce simmering, while Hubbie and I ran a few errands...to the bank to get a document notarized, and to a grocery store to pick up more no-sodium-added canned goods...name brands for only 49 cents a can. From there, we went to the post office, and then came home.
At home, Mother had cut up veggies for beef stew, which I put together in a slow cooker, with leftover beef roast from the freezer, spices, and canned beef and chicken broths. I wanted to get the stew done today so we wouldn't have to do it tomorrow, since Mother and I will be busy. Besides, stew is usually better when the flavors are given time to meld.
The spaghetti and sauce, with coleslaw and cottage cheese over grape tomatoes, was very good. Mother went home afterward, and Hubbie and I watched the 2009, unrated movie, "Eden Lake." A British couple go on a romantic get-away to a remote wooded lake, and are terrorized by aggressive teens.
Slept until 8 a.m. this morning, and then did a treadmill session and resistance exercises after breakfast. I didn't accomplish much the rest of the morning, except gather some materials for making valentines this afternoon (see examples of cards in the previous post).
Mother waited until after lunch to come over to make sure we weren't going to get any frozen precipitation. But because it had rained very hard, making her porch and yard slippery, Hubbie helped her walk to our house.
She started a pot of spaghetti sauce simmering, while Hubbie and I ran a few errands...to the bank to get a document notarized, and to a grocery store to pick up more no-sodium-added canned goods...name brands for only 49 cents a can. From there, we went to the post office, and then came home.
At home, Mother had cut up veggies for beef stew, which I put together in a slow cooker, with leftover beef roast from the freezer, spices, and canned beef and chicken broths. I wanted to get the stew done today so we wouldn't have to do it tomorrow, since Mother and I will be busy. Besides, stew is usually better when the flavors are given time to meld.
The spaghetti and sauce, with coleslaw and cottage cheese over grape tomatoes, was very good. Mother went home afterward, and Hubbie and I watched the 2009, unrated movie, "Eden Lake." A British couple go on a romantic get-away to a remote wooded lake, and are terrorized by aggressive teens.
Handmade Valentines
These are some of the valentine greeting cards that Mother and I made yesterday and today for Caring Hands Hospice. In the top photo, the upper left hand card features a combination of hearts made from handmade paper, and rubber stamping; the upper right hand card features a rubber stamped "XOXO," with hearts created with a punch and a template..."hugs" and "kisses" are hand printed on them; and the bottom photo features one of my photos with punched hearts declaring "Hugs for you." In the second photo, the pink card features a wallpaper sample background, pink hearts, a ribbon, and the saying "It's the smallest things that fill your heart." The two cards beside that one also feature wallpaper sample backgrounds, with punched hearts, and sticker letters spelling out "Love." All three of the cards in the third photo feature wallpaper backgrounds, with two featuring punched hearts, and the other featuring one of my photos of a pair of trumpeter swans. The fourth photo shows use of two punches...one for the hearts, and one for the border design, plus the same saying as before; the card beside it shows a card stock background and another of my photos of a trumpeter swan. Most of the cards are my designs, but Mother glued the wallpaper samples to the cards and helped glue element details to them. Her creative juices don't seem to be flowing right now, but maybe she'll get in the mood when we meet with the other Caring Hands volunteers and the ladies who are residents of the independent living center where we'll meet tomorrow morning.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Monday, Jan. 31
Last day of the month. January gone already (but can't say I'm sorry). I was up around 8 a.m. this morning, and did a treadmill session and weights exercises after breakfast.
Mother came over mid-morning and relaxed while I got ready for the day. Before lunch, Hubbie and I ran a few errands, and then after lunch, Mother and I made a few valentine cards for Caring Hands Hospice (look for photos tomorrow).
We didn't accomplish anything else today. For supper we had leftover meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans, with colesaw.
Mother went home afterward, and I went to the college library to meet my student. Tonight, we worked on changing statement sentences to questions: I am a student. Am I a student? They are students. Are they students? We also worked on being able to answer questions: What are you holding in your hands? I'm holding my English book in my hands. We ran into a little problem with: What are you doing? I'm reading my book. And...I'm studying English. Reading and studying are very difficult words for her to pronounce.
We also repeated rhyming words: bill, gill, ghost, coast, etc., just so she could get her tongue around them. It's not necessary for her to know the meanings of the words, only to learn to pronounce them, since the "b," "g," "c," etc. sounds will occur in upcoming lesson words. Tonight, too, she began working in her workbook, where she learned to read and then fill in the blanks: The woman is in the river. The man is in the tent, The tent is in the valley, etc.
Because we are now doing two-hour sessions once a week, and because we are able to communicate effectively enough, the student no longer brings her daughter with her.
It was misting on the drive home, the forerunner to iffy weather coming in. Our part of the state could possibly see one or two inches of snow, according to TV weather forecasters. But maybe they're wrong and it'll only rain. Whichever way it goes, the temperature is supposed to plummet, and I'm not looking forward to that.
When I got home, Hubbie was watching a western movie that I'd recorded on DVR. Afterward, we watched the 2009, unrated movie, "Fatal Secrets," starring Dina Meyer and Vincent Spano. A woman (Meyer) is raped by a man (Spano) with a secret background, and enlists the help of two female friends to confront him. Matters go awry.
Mother came over mid-morning and relaxed while I got ready for the day. Before lunch, Hubbie and I ran a few errands, and then after lunch, Mother and I made a few valentine cards for Caring Hands Hospice (look for photos tomorrow).
We didn't accomplish anything else today. For supper we had leftover meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans, with colesaw.
Mother went home afterward, and I went to the college library to meet my student. Tonight, we worked on changing statement sentences to questions: I am a student. Am I a student? They are students. Are they students? We also worked on being able to answer questions: What are you holding in your hands? I'm holding my English book in my hands. We ran into a little problem with: What are you doing? I'm reading my book. And...I'm studying English. Reading and studying are very difficult words for her to pronounce.
We also repeated rhyming words: bill, gill, ghost, coast, etc., just so she could get her tongue around them. It's not necessary for her to know the meanings of the words, only to learn to pronounce them, since the "b," "g," "c," etc. sounds will occur in upcoming lesson words. Tonight, too, she began working in her workbook, where she learned to read and then fill in the blanks: The woman is in the river. The man is in the tent, The tent is in the valley, etc.
Because we are now doing two-hour sessions once a week, and because we are able to communicate effectively enough, the student no longer brings her daughter with her.
It was misting on the drive home, the forerunner to iffy weather coming in. Our part of the state could possibly see one or two inches of snow, according to TV weather forecasters. But maybe they're wrong and it'll only rain. Whichever way it goes, the temperature is supposed to plummet, and I'm not looking forward to that.
When I got home, Hubbie was watching a western movie that I'd recorded on DVR. Afterward, we watched the 2009, unrated movie, "Fatal Secrets," starring Dina Meyer and Vincent Spano. A woman (Meyer) is raped by a man (Spano) with a secret background, and enlists the help of two female friends to confront him. Matters go awry.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Sunday, Jan. 30
Up around 8 a.m., but skipped my exercises, as I usually do on Sundays. I did my usual Sunday activities of programming the DVD for shows and programs, doing some laundry, and reading the newspaper.
Mother came over around 9 a.m. and put together a meatloaf. Later, Hubbie peeled potatoes, which I mashed when they were cooked. Green beans completed the meal.
While the meatloaf baked, we watched the second episode of "Downton Abbey." This time, a dashing young man arrives with a potential match for the eldest daughter. Naturally, the daughter falls for the dashing young man. The young man bribes one of the staff into showing him her room late at night, where he intends to compromise her. We don't know if he manages what he intends or not, but he suddenly dies in her bed. She is forced to tell her maid, who then tells the mother. Together, they get the man (his body) back to his assigned bedroom. Of course, they are seen doing this by another staff member.
Lots of side stories are going, too, like the maid who has learned to use a new invention...the typewriter...and is taking a correspondence course to become a secretary. And the mother of the second cousin once removed, who stands to inherit the family home and wealth, is a nurse from a large city, who has shown the local doctor how to save a man's life with a new medical technique.
Mother went home after lunch, and Hubbie and I got ready to go to the museum to hear a woman (the director of the fine art gallery at a university where Daughter works) talk about children's books illustrators. There is currently a national traveling exhibit of original drawings representing 130 years of children's book illustrations on display at the museum.
The talk and the exhibit were very interesting. The speaker brought along stacks of children's books to illustrate the points of her talk...the charming drawings of Beatrix Potter, the sophisticated illustrations of the "Polar Express," by Chris Van Allburg, "Shrek!" by William Steig (looks very different from the movie version), and the pictures that accompany Dr. Seuss books. She pointed out that some illustrations are cartoon-like, while others are fine art. She also noted that while children's books have been made into movies, some movies, like "Toy Story," are now being translated into books.
Some highly recognizable drawings in the exhibit include Raggedy Ann and Andy, the crooked man from "There was a Crooked Man," and Mother Goose. The exhibit is being so well guarded that it is absolutely chilly in the gallery rooms, because the temperature must kept at a certain level. And the lighting is also low so as not to fade the drawings. Of course, we were not allowed to take our refreshments into the galleries.
Speaking of refreshments, peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies were offered, with coffee or lemonade. I brought a couple of cookies home for Mother, since she wasn't up to going to the museum today. For some reason, she has gotten the idea that a couple of women were talking about her the last time she went.
I told her I doubted that they were focused on her, but she insisted that one of them looked right at her and spoke in a low voice to the other one. If anything, one of them was probably just asking who she was. But then she said the other one was seated beside her, but turned her back on her. I asked if she was a very large woman. She said yes. I explained that since the chairs were close together, that maybe the woman had to turn toward the aisle to keep from bumping her knees on the chair in front of her. She seemed satisfied with that answer, but I suggested she probably had something else she'd rather do at home today, and she agreed.
I took the cookies to her when we got back, and found that she'd baked a batch of cupcakes and seemed in good spirits. The other day, she mentioned that she forgot how to use her VCR, so I spent some time showing her how to do it. I think she just might have tried to use the wrong remote. I offered to tape IDs to her three remotes so she wouldn't confuse them, and even to tape instructions to the back of the VCR remote so she wouldn't have trouble with it again, but she said she thought she had it straight in her head again.
Later, Hubbie and I watched the 2008, R-rated movie, "Two Lovers," starring Gweneth Paltrow and Joaquin Phoenix. A young man (Phoenix) moves back in with his mother and is distraught after a break-up. He tries to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge into a river. That night, he meets a young, sweet woman (Vanessa Shaw) who'd like to take are of him, but then later he meets another drug-addled and promiscuous woman (Paltrow) and is torn. With the one, he is the strong one, with the other he's in danger of being led into her lifestyle.
Mother came over around 9 a.m. and put together a meatloaf. Later, Hubbie peeled potatoes, which I mashed when they were cooked. Green beans completed the meal.
While the meatloaf baked, we watched the second episode of "Downton Abbey." This time, a dashing young man arrives with a potential match for the eldest daughter. Naturally, the daughter falls for the dashing young man. The young man bribes one of the staff into showing him her room late at night, where he intends to compromise her. We don't know if he manages what he intends or not, but he suddenly dies in her bed. She is forced to tell her maid, who then tells the mother. Together, they get the man (his body) back to his assigned bedroom. Of course, they are seen doing this by another staff member.
Lots of side stories are going, too, like the maid who has learned to use a new invention...the typewriter...and is taking a correspondence course to become a secretary. And the mother of the second cousin once removed, who stands to inherit the family home and wealth, is a nurse from a large city, who has shown the local doctor how to save a man's life with a new medical technique.
Mother went home after lunch, and Hubbie and I got ready to go to the museum to hear a woman (the director of the fine art gallery at a university where Daughter works) talk about children's books illustrators. There is currently a national traveling exhibit of original drawings representing 130 years of children's book illustrations on display at the museum.
The talk and the exhibit were very interesting. The speaker brought along stacks of children's books to illustrate the points of her talk...the charming drawings of Beatrix Potter, the sophisticated illustrations of the "Polar Express," by Chris Van Allburg, "Shrek!" by William Steig (looks very different from the movie version), and the pictures that accompany Dr. Seuss books. She pointed out that some illustrations are cartoon-like, while others are fine art. She also noted that while children's books have been made into movies, some movies, like "Toy Story," are now being translated into books.
Some highly recognizable drawings in the exhibit include Raggedy Ann and Andy, the crooked man from "There was a Crooked Man," and Mother Goose. The exhibit is being so well guarded that it is absolutely chilly in the gallery rooms, because the temperature must kept at a certain level. And the lighting is also low so as not to fade the drawings. Of course, we were not allowed to take our refreshments into the galleries.
Speaking of refreshments, peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies were offered, with coffee or lemonade. I brought a couple of cookies home for Mother, since she wasn't up to going to the museum today. For some reason, she has gotten the idea that a couple of women were talking about her the last time she went.
I told her I doubted that they were focused on her, but she insisted that one of them looked right at her and spoke in a low voice to the other one. If anything, one of them was probably just asking who she was. But then she said the other one was seated beside her, but turned her back on her. I asked if she was a very large woman. She said yes. I explained that since the chairs were close together, that maybe the woman had to turn toward the aisle to keep from bumping her knees on the chair in front of her. She seemed satisfied with that answer, but I suggested she probably had something else she'd rather do at home today, and she agreed.
I took the cookies to her when we got back, and found that she'd baked a batch of cupcakes and seemed in good spirits. The other day, she mentioned that she forgot how to use her VCR, so I spent some time showing her how to do it. I think she just might have tried to use the wrong remote. I offered to tape IDs to her three remotes so she wouldn't confuse them, and even to tape instructions to the back of the VCR remote so she wouldn't have trouble with it again, but she said she thought she had it straight in her head again.
Later, Hubbie and I watched the 2008, R-rated movie, "Two Lovers," starring Gweneth Paltrow and Joaquin Phoenix. A young man (Phoenix) moves back in with his mother and is distraught after a break-up. He tries to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge into a river. That night, he meets a young, sweet woman (Vanessa Shaw) who'd like to take are of him, but then later he meets another drug-addled and promiscuous woman (Paltrow) and is torn. With the one, he is the strong one, with the other he's in danger of being led into her lifestyle.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)