We had a great day visiting family at Son and Daughter-in-Law's house about two hours south of us. About forty-three of us gathered to visit and celebrate February birthdays. About half of that number were children and babies. We arrived at Son's house around 10:30 a.m., and already several families were there. By 11:30, most everyone had arrived.
Sis and I heated the soups and the barbecue, while our other Daughter-in-Law prepared deli meat and cheese trays. By noon, we were ready to enjoy lunch. Today, the potato and chicken noodle soups seemed to be most popular.
For dessert, Mother had made chocolate and white cupcakes, and Sis brought a warm-from-the-oven peach cobbler. Daughter-in-Law brought three choices of ice cream.
Shortly after lunch, Son asked for our attention so he could announce that Grandson and his fiance' are joyfully expecting a child, and a wedding is being planned. Before the year is out, then, we will add three more great-grandchildren to our list, making a total of 27.
Around 3 p.m., families were ready to leave, so we gathered in the yard to snap a few pictures of our large group. Afterward, we loaded our stuff in the van and headed home.
Got back about 5 p.m. We decided we'd like to go to a local magnet school for a community international night, which began at 6 p.m. So I heated the chicken noodle soup from lunch and put it in a slow cooker to take to the event as our contribution to the potluck supper. Each family was asked to bring an international dish...obviously, ours was plain old American.
I noted on the tag that is was a low-sodium soup, so I really didn't expect many folks to want it, with all the other spicy dishes available, but at the end of meal there was nothing left of it but a few noodles on the bottom of the pot.
The three of us chose samples of dishes from other countries. Naturally there were several Mexican dishes, and a few Chinese ones, but there were also some other interesting ones, like one made of cactus, which was pretty good. There was a type of stew from Guatemala, but it looked greasy, so we didn't try it.
Folks were encouraged to dress in native attire, and several did, which made for a colorful gathering. While dinner was going on, there was a slide show of the countries represented in our very diverse community.
Once Mother and I had eaten, we toured the exhibit tables along the hall of the school. At one table, students were making block prints of oriental designs on rice paper. At another table, a woman was printing folks' names in Japanese on rice paper. Mother got a block print image and her name, and I got my name.
The Tibetan monks had an exhibit table, as did folks from Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador, and other places....all interesting.
Later, the local college Scottish bagpipers, followed by a contingent of students carrying flags of all nations, led the audience to the gym for a program. Thankfully, there was an elevator at the school to take us to the lower floor, saving Mother from having to use the stairs.
In the gym, we were seated on the front row, so Mother was able to see all the activities that included performances by the bagpipers; the Tibetan monks, who, in very elaborate costumes, performed what was called the black hat dance; a group of students from the same college as the bagpipers, who performed an interesting Japanese dance using hand clackers; a young male singer from the Dominican Republic, who was obviously popular with the large Hispanic crowd that attended, and an Ozark "flat foot" dancer (similar to clogging).
The event ended at 9 p.m. Back home, Hubbie and I watched our favorite basketball team play to a nail-biter win. I'd recorded the game on DVR while we were gone today. The game ended around 10:30.
It was a long, but very happy day.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Friday, Feb. 25
Up around 7:30 on this cool and cloudy morning, but skipped my exercises, because I had a lot of things to do to get ready for a trip to Son and Daughter-in-Law's house tomorrow for a family gathering.
Mother came over mid-morning and put together a pot of potato soup...Hubbie had peeled the potoatoes and then sliced them in the food processor before Mother arrived.
I spent the morning gathering stuff we'll need to take with us tomorrow, as well as making phone calls...to set a haircut appointment for Sis for when she visits next week, to Mother's and my friend to set a lunch date next week (she and our other friend, who will visit from a town about an hour away, want to treat Mother for her birthday), and to Hubbie's sister, who wanted to know what to get Mother for her birthday. I suggested stickers and such for making greeting cards...things that would be easy for Mother to handle.
After lunch, Hubbie and I ran errands...to the bread store for hamburger buns, to the WDCS for last-minute groceries, and to the barbecue restaurant for pulled pork and sauce, all for the gathering tomorrow.
Back home, after we put the groceries away, we decided to go back to the college to see how the Tibetan monks were progressing on the sand painting. They were working on the border, but had quite a bit of painstaking work to do yet to complete it.
At home, I posted some of the images I took at the college to my social network page. By then, it was suppertime. We enjoyed small portions of the barbecue, along with coleslaw and baked potatoes.
Mother went home afterward, and Hubbie and I watched TV, including the 2001, PG-13 movie, "The Cat's Meow," starring Kirsten Dunst, Cary Elwes, and Edward Hermann. The movie is based on the story of a murder that occurred aboard William Randolph Hearst's yacht in 1924, during a gathering of stars for a weekend outing. It's said that no satisfying account of what really happened ever reached the public.
Mother came over mid-morning and put together a pot of potato soup...Hubbie had peeled the potoatoes and then sliced them in the food processor before Mother arrived.
I spent the morning gathering stuff we'll need to take with us tomorrow, as well as making phone calls...to set a haircut appointment for Sis for when she visits next week, to Mother's and my friend to set a lunch date next week (she and our other friend, who will visit from a town about an hour away, want to treat Mother for her birthday), and to Hubbie's sister, who wanted to know what to get Mother for her birthday. I suggested stickers and such for making greeting cards...things that would be easy for Mother to handle.
After lunch, Hubbie and I ran errands...to the bread store for hamburger buns, to the WDCS for last-minute groceries, and to the barbecue restaurant for pulled pork and sauce, all for the gathering tomorrow.
Back home, after we put the groceries away, we decided to go back to the college to see how the Tibetan monks were progressing on the sand painting. They were working on the border, but had quite a bit of painstaking work to do yet to complete it.
At home, I posted some of the images I took at the college to my social network page. By then, it was suppertime. We enjoyed small portions of the barbecue, along with coleslaw and baked potatoes.
Mother went home afterward, and Hubbie and I watched TV, including the 2001, PG-13 movie, "The Cat's Meow," starring Kirsten Dunst, Cary Elwes, and Edward Hermann. The movie is based on the story of a murder that occurred aboard William Randolph Hearst's yacht in 1924, during a gathering of stars for a weekend outing. It's said that no satisfying account of what really happened ever reached the public.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Thursday, Feb. 24
I was startled awake a little after midnight by bright lightening flashes and booming thunder. The storm passed pretty quickly, but it was fierce while it lasted. When I talked to Mother this morning, she said her cat was beside herself during the storm. I don't know how our cats felt about it, since they are confined to the downstairs rooms during the night (a baby gate keeps them from roaming the upstairs rooms).
Got up around 7:30, and did a treadmill session and weights exercises after breakfast. It was a very dark and dismal day, with threats of thunderstorms, so I didn't accomplish much for the morning. Hubbie went to the post office to return the house shoes I bought for Mother. They were too small and too narrow. I ordered an exchange to a bigger size. He also went to one of the stores that has a sale every weekend and bought a pair of khaki slacks, using a $10 off a $25 purchase coupon. Mother stayed home today.
After lunch, Hubbie and I went to the college to observe and snap images of the Tibetan monks working on the sand painting. While we were there, I bought a beautiful necklace, with brown ceramic squares on which are the symbols of The Knot of Eternity, which represent the interdependent nature of all existence.
From the college, we went to a pharmacy and to a grocery store, and then headed home just as there came a downpour. Much of the state was under a tornado watch this afternoon, but we were under a thunderstorm watch only, thank goodness. The day stayed very dark and very threatening looking, but we basically dodged the bullet this time. The worst that happened is that it rained so much that ours and our neighbor's yards look like lakes. Wish I could say the same for parts of the state south of us, where there was wind damage and power outages.
For supper tonight, I made my version of fajitas, using everything I could put my hands on...small portions of black beans and green chilies that I'd put in the freezer, fresh mushrooms and onions that I sauteed, a dab of leftover sauteed potatoes from last night's supper, some leftover Cajun turkey, the last of a jar of salsa, and shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Spooned all of this onto individual flour tortillas,wrapped them in foil, and heated them in the oven. At the table, we topped these with dollops of sour cream, and added a garden salad on the side, and glasses of wine. I made eight fajitas, but we only ate one apiece, so there are enough left for two more meals over the weekend.
Spent the evening watching TV, of course, including the 2010 PG movie, "Extraordinary Measures," starring Harrison Ford and Brendan Fraser. This movie is based on the true experience of John (Fraser) and Aileen Crowley, who find a researcher (Ford), with the possible cure for the rare genetic disorder of their two children. Good movie.
Got up around 7:30, and did a treadmill session and weights exercises after breakfast. It was a very dark and dismal day, with threats of thunderstorms, so I didn't accomplish much for the morning. Hubbie went to the post office to return the house shoes I bought for Mother. They were too small and too narrow. I ordered an exchange to a bigger size. He also went to one of the stores that has a sale every weekend and bought a pair of khaki slacks, using a $10 off a $25 purchase coupon. Mother stayed home today.
After lunch, Hubbie and I went to the college to observe and snap images of the Tibetan monks working on the sand painting. While we were there, I bought a beautiful necklace, with brown ceramic squares on which are the symbols of The Knot of Eternity, which represent the interdependent nature of all existence.
From the college, we went to a pharmacy and to a grocery store, and then headed home just as there came a downpour. Much of the state was under a tornado watch this afternoon, but we were under a thunderstorm watch only, thank goodness. The day stayed very dark and very threatening looking, but we basically dodged the bullet this time. The worst that happened is that it rained so much that ours and our neighbor's yards look like lakes. Wish I could say the same for parts of the state south of us, where there was wind damage and power outages.
For supper tonight, I made my version of fajitas, using everything I could put my hands on...small portions of black beans and green chilies that I'd put in the freezer, fresh mushrooms and onions that I sauteed, a dab of leftover sauteed potatoes from last night's supper, some leftover Cajun turkey, the last of a jar of salsa, and shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Spooned all of this onto individual flour tortillas,wrapped them in foil, and heated them in the oven. At the table, we topped these with dollops of sour cream, and added a garden salad on the side, and glasses of wine. I made eight fajitas, but we only ate one apiece, so there are enough left for two more meals over the weekend.
Spent the evening watching TV, of course, including the 2010 PG movie, "Extraordinary Measures," starring Harrison Ford and Brendan Fraser. This movie is based on the true experience of John (Fraser) and Aileen Crowley, who find a researcher (Ford), with the possible cure for the rare genetic disorder of their two children. Good movie.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Wednesday, Feb. 23
Up around 7:30 on this chilly morning, and did a treadmill session and resistance exercises after breakfast. Mother came over mid-morning and relaxed while I got ready for the day.
We didn't accomplish much for the rest of the morning. Around 11 a.m., Mother ate a slice of bread with butter so she wouldn't get too hungry before we returned from an outing to one of the local colleges, where we attended the opening ceremony of a group of Tibetan monks, who are here to create a sand painting.
The ceremony occurred at exactly noon. Before we went to the college, we dropped by a grocery store, where Hubbie exchanged a block of reduced-fat white cheddar cheese for a fresh block. We bought the cheese on Monday, but discovered as soon as we got home that it was moldy, even though the expiration date was for the end of March.
We arrived at the college around 11:30 and claimed three seats right away. We weren't seated long, when a flood of people arrived, including a bus load of elementary school students from another town.
The event was held in the three-quarter round theater. I don't know what the capacity of that theater is, but its recommended upper limit was surely reached or exceeded today.
The ceremony consisted of eight Tibetan monks, clad in red robes and yellow headdresses, who conducted religious chanting and horn/bells/drum/cymbals instrument rites, as a prelude to designing a pattern for sand painting.
It was obviously a solemn occasion, which was lost on the children, who found the from-deep-in-the-chest chants amusing. I think the children would have been better served to have visited the college during the actual sand painting (or mandala), which will continue every day through Saturday.
But afterward, the kids crowded around a table of handmade items and bought bracelets, pendants and the like.
We stayed long enough to watch the monks carefully mark off a pattern on a tabletop, using chalked string. We'll return Friday to check the progress of the mandala. The design which is painstakingly and beautifully created, will be destroyed in a ceremony on Saturday, as a symbol of the impermanence of life.
We were back home around 1 p.m., when we heated homemade tomato soup for lunch. Afterward, I posted snapshots of the Tibetan monks on my social network page, and did other things on my office computer, while Mother napped, and Hubbie occupied himself with his own projects.
Since we'd eaten a late lunch, we postponed supper until 6 p.m., when we had Ziplock bag omelets, sauteed potatoes, and toasted thin bagels.
Mother went home afterward, and Hubbie and I settled in to watch the 2009, PG-13 movie, "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt," starring Michael Douglas. A high profile attorney, up for governor, has an impeccable record of consistently putting criminals behind bars, until an investigative journalist learns he has tampered with evidence to get his convictions.
Later, we watched our favorite college basketball team play to a very hard fought and much deserved win by one point in overtime.
We didn't accomplish much for the rest of the morning. Around 11 a.m., Mother ate a slice of bread with butter so she wouldn't get too hungry before we returned from an outing to one of the local colleges, where we attended the opening ceremony of a group of Tibetan monks, who are here to create a sand painting.
The ceremony occurred at exactly noon. Before we went to the college, we dropped by a grocery store, where Hubbie exchanged a block of reduced-fat white cheddar cheese for a fresh block. We bought the cheese on Monday, but discovered as soon as we got home that it was moldy, even though the expiration date was for the end of March.
We arrived at the college around 11:30 and claimed three seats right away. We weren't seated long, when a flood of people arrived, including a bus load of elementary school students from another town.
The event was held in the three-quarter round theater. I don't know what the capacity of that theater is, but its recommended upper limit was surely reached or exceeded today.
The ceremony consisted of eight Tibetan monks, clad in red robes and yellow headdresses, who conducted religious chanting and horn/bells/drum/cymbals instrument rites, as a prelude to designing a pattern for sand painting.
It was obviously a solemn occasion, which was lost on the children, who found the from-deep-in-the-chest chants amusing. I think the children would have been better served to have visited the college during the actual sand painting (or mandala), which will continue every day through Saturday.
But afterward, the kids crowded around a table of handmade items and bought bracelets, pendants and the like.
We stayed long enough to watch the monks carefully mark off a pattern on a tabletop, using chalked string. We'll return Friday to check the progress of the mandala. The design which is painstakingly and beautifully created, will be destroyed in a ceremony on Saturday, as a symbol of the impermanence of life.
We were back home around 1 p.m., when we heated homemade tomato soup for lunch. Afterward, I posted snapshots of the Tibetan monks on my social network page, and did other things on my office computer, while Mother napped, and Hubbie occupied himself with his own projects.
Since we'd eaten a late lunch, we postponed supper until 6 p.m., when we had Ziplock bag omelets, sauteed potatoes, and toasted thin bagels.
Mother went home afterward, and Hubbie and I settled in to watch the 2009, PG-13 movie, "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt," starring Michael Douglas. A high profile attorney, up for governor, has an impeccable record of consistently putting criminals behind bars, until an investigative journalist learns he has tampered with evidence to get his convictions.
Later, we watched our favorite college basketball team play to a very hard fought and much deserved win by one point in overtime.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Tuesday, Feb. 22
I was up by 7 a.m. this morning, but skipped my exercises in order to get ready to go to the doctor for a routine exam and blood work. Since the blood work was a fasting lab, I couldn't eat or drink after midnight. The only fluid I took this morning was just enough water to swallow medications.
I arrived at the clinic just before my 9 a.m. appointment time, but it was around 9:15 before I was taken back. Today, besides the usual weight check, pulse rate, and blood pressure exams, I was also measured for height (I haven't shrunk).
Once the nurse was done with her tasks, I waiting in the exam room for what seemed an endless time, with my stomach grumbling more and more with each passing minute.
After examining me and pronouncing me in excellent health, the doctor ordered a tetanus shot for me, since it'd been more than ten years since I'd had one. After what seemed another endless time, the nurse came back to give me the shot. I was then sent down the hall to produce a urine specimen and get blood work done.
I remarked that it was odd that I'd be asked not to take in any fluids after midnight, yet still be expected to produce a urine specimen. However, I managed it...a little.
The blood draw wasn't fun, because the phlebotomist didn't succeed on the first try, despite rooting around in my arm in an attempt to find a vein. But that didn't deter her. She withdrew the needle, got another one, and went at it again. Thank goodness, she succeeded this time.
Finally, and gladly, I was ready to leave the clinic at 10 a.m. I arrived home around fifteen minutes later, hungry as a bear. Breakfast tasted wonderful, though it was my usual orange juice and Cheerios with banana and milk. Today, I added a half bagel with light cream cheese, and a cup of coffee.
Because I had breakfast so late, I didn't eat lunch. So while Hubbie and Mother enjoyed theirs, I made a pot of tomato soup for supper. Mother kept an eye on the simmering soup, while Hubbie and I ran errands...to the bank, to the pharmacy, to two of the dollar stores, to the WDCS, and to the Caring Hands office, where I dropped off photos of Hubbie and me, and Mother and Dad. One of the volunteers is getting married in March, and the staff thought it would be nice to decorate the office bulletin board with snapshots of staff/volunteer weddings, or if not wedding photos, then any snapshot of them with their spouses.
Back home, Mother and I relaxed for the rest of the afternoon, while Hubbie did this and that around the house and yard.
The tomato soup, with grilled cheese sandwiches, was delicious for supper. Afterward, we went to the college about a mile down the road from our house to attend an artist's reception. One of the ladies who serves with me on the arts council visual arts committee is also an art instructor at the college, and she currently has an exhibit in the library gallery.
The artist is exhibiting 35 watercolor paintings of buildings and scenes she and three other women saw on a driving trip several years ago of the length of old Route 66 from our state to California. The paintings of desert scenery, abandoned buildings (like old diners and gas stations) and vegetation (like cactus and thistle in bloom) are very interesting. Some of the buildings shown appeared in the movie, "The Grapes of Wrath," she said.
Mother and I could relate to the scenes, since we, too, traveled the same route when I was a youngster. At that time, the businesses were thriving. Now, many of the buildings are crumbling, or if still standing strong, just look lonely and overgrown with vegetation.
Before leaving, we indulged in refreshments. Most contained yellow dye, so I stuck with a couple of chocolate chip cookies. Mother had lemon cookies, and a slice of yellow pound cake. She also brought home a slice of cake and a cookie to have as a snack tomorrow night.
Several people we know attended the reception, so we enjoyed visiting. We were home by about 6:30. Mother went home, and Hubbie and I settled in front of TV.
I arrived at the clinic just before my 9 a.m. appointment time, but it was around 9:15 before I was taken back. Today, besides the usual weight check, pulse rate, and blood pressure exams, I was also measured for height (I haven't shrunk).
Once the nurse was done with her tasks, I waiting in the exam room for what seemed an endless time, with my stomach grumbling more and more with each passing minute.
After examining me and pronouncing me in excellent health, the doctor ordered a tetanus shot for me, since it'd been more than ten years since I'd had one. After what seemed another endless time, the nurse came back to give me the shot. I was then sent down the hall to produce a urine specimen and get blood work done.
I remarked that it was odd that I'd be asked not to take in any fluids after midnight, yet still be expected to produce a urine specimen. However, I managed it...a little.
The blood draw wasn't fun, because the phlebotomist didn't succeed on the first try, despite rooting around in my arm in an attempt to find a vein. But that didn't deter her. She withdrew the needle, got another one, and went at it again. Thank goodness, she succeeded this time.
Finally, and gladly, I was ready to leave the clinic at 10 a.m. I arrived home around fifteen minutes later, hungry as a bear. Breakfast tasted wonderful, though it was my usual orange juice and Cheerios with banana and milk. Today, I added a half bagel with light cream cheese, and a cup of coffee.
Because I had breakfast so late, I didn't eat lunch. So while Hubbie and Mother enjoyed theirs, I made a pot of tomato soup for supper. Mother kept an eye on the simmering soup, while Hubbie and I ran errands...to the bank, to the pharmacy, to two of the dollar stores, to the WDCS, and to the Caring Hands office, where I dropped off photos of Hubbie and me, and Mother and Dad. One of the volunteers is getting married in March, and the staff thought it would be nice to decorate the office bulletin board with snapshots of staff/volunteer weddings, or if not wedding photos, then any snapshot of them with their spouses.
Back home, Mother and I relaxed for the rest of the afternoon, while Hubbie did this and that around the house and yard.
The tomato soup, with grilled cheese sandwiches, was delicious for supper. Afterward, we went to the college about a mile down the road from our house to attend an artist's reception. One of the ladies who serves with me on the arts council visual arts committee is also an art instructor at the college, and she currently has an exhibit in the library gallery.
The artist is exhibiting 35 watercolor paintings of buildings and scenes she and three other women saw on a driving trip several years ago of the length of old Route 66 from our state to California. The paintings of desert scenery, abandoned buildings (like old diners and gas stations) and vegetation (like cactus and thistle in bloom) are very interesting. Some of the buildings shown appeared in the movie, "The Grapes of Wrath," she said.
Mother and I could relate to the scenes, since we, too, traveled the same route when I was a youngster. At that time, the businesses were thriving. Now, many of the buildings are crumbling, or if still standing strong, just look lonely and overgrown with vegetation.
Before leaving, we indulged in refreshments. Most contained yellow dye, so I stuck with a couple of chocolate chip cookies. Mother had lemon cookies, and a slice of yellow pound cake. She also brought home a slice of cake and a cookie to have as a snack tomorrow night.
Several people we know attended the reception, so we enjoyed visiting. We were home by about 6:30. Mother went home, and Hubbie and I settled in front of TV.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Monday, Feb. 21
In honor of President's Day, Hubbie hung the flag on the wellhouse first thing this morning, but had to bring it back in shortly after lunch because of rain.
Up at 7:30, and did a treadmill session and weights exercises after breakfast. Mother came over before I got on the treadmill and relaxed until I was ready for the day.
We spent some time this morning planning this week's meals, and then Hubbie and I ran errands...to leave information with our tax preparer, to the health store for vitamins, and finally to the WDCS, where we bought a new land line phone with message machine, some health and hygiene items, and a few groceries.
Back home, I prepared a lesson plan for tonight's session with my student. However, about an hour before we were to meet, her daughter called to let me know that she is nursing a sick child and could not attend. We scheduled for next Monday.
Later, for supper, we had leftover Cajun flavored turkey roll, with carrots, potatoes, and cranberry sauce.
Mother went home afterward, and Hubbie and I did our usual thing of watching TV, including the movie, "The Crucible," a 1996, PG-13 film, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder, and Paul Scofield, about the Salem witch hunts.
Adapted from an Arthur Miller play, this version puts a new spin on the 1692 Salem witch trials, from the perspective of a teenage girl, who uses fear and superstition to her advantage as she, along with other young girls, set in motion hysteria that results in the killing of innocent victims.
On a more pleasant note: the American goldfinch birds are getting more and more yellow by the day...another sign that spring is on its way.
Up at 7:30, and did a treadmill session and weights exercises after breakfast. Mother came over before I got on the treadmill and relaxed until I was ready for the day.
We spent some time this morning planning this week's meals, and then Hubbie and I ran errands...to leave information with our tax preparer, to the health store for vitamins, and finally to the WDCS, where we bought a new land line phone with message machine, some health and hygiene items, and a few groceries.
Back home, I prepared a lesson plan for tonight's session with my student. However, about an hour before we were to meet, her daughter called to let me know that she is nursing a sick child and could not attend. We scheduled for next Monday.
Later, for supper, we had leftover Cajun flavored turkey roll, with carrots, potatoes, and cranberry sauce.
Mother went home afterward, and Hubbie and I did our usual thing of watching TV, including the movie, "The Crucible," a 1996, PG-13 film, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder, and Paul Scofield, about the Salem witch hunts.
Adapted from an Arthur Miller play, this version puts a new spin on the 1692 Salem witch trials, from the perspective of a teenage girl, who uses fear and superstition to her advantage as she, along with other young girls, set in motion hysteria that results in the killing of innocent victims.
On a more pleasant note: the American goldfinch birds are getting more and more yellow by the day...another sign that spring is on its way.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Sunday, Feb. 20
Up at 7:30, and did a treadmill session and resistance exercises after breakfast. Mother came over while I was getting ready for the day and put a Cajun flavored turkey breast in the slow cooker. She also put potatoes, onions, and carrots into the steamer.
I spent the morning as usual, programming the DVR for upcoming movies and shows, washing a couple of loads of clothes, reading the Sunday newspaper, etc.
Lunch was very tasty, with cranberry sauce added to the meat and veggies. After lunch, Mother went home to change clothes to go to a college play. We left home around 1:30. The Greek tragedy "The Trojan Women," by Euripides, began at 2 p.m. There was a nice crowd for the production, with only a few empty seats remaining at curtain time.
The set was very simple, with a large painting of the Greek god of the sea, Poseidon, on the black floor. Around the edges of the three-quarter round theater was piled the burned and broken debris of the dining hall, where a fire occurred a few months ago. Large metal objects, bricks, and even dinnerware represented the burned city of Troy. Razor wire was added for effect.
Ten students played the roles of the six women, and four men in the mythological drama. Plot: following the fall of their city to the Greeks, the Trojan women wait to learn their fates. The women include Hecuba, aging Queen of Troy; Cassandra, her daughter, a mad prophetess; Andromache, whose infant son was thrown from the walls of the city; and the beautiful temptress, Helen, wife of Melenaus, king of Sparta.
The play was 70 minutes long, so we were home by 3:30. Mother went to her house, and Hubbie and I watched the 1961 classic four-star film, "Judgement at Nuremberg," In 1948, an American court occupying Germany tries four judges for war crimes.
I guess it was a day for history and mythology.
Nice surprise: as we were leaving for the play, we noticed yellow crocus blooming in the yard. Surely spring can't be far behind!
Not so pleasant: are blackbirds taking over the world? Hundreds of them flock to our yard each day. Mostly they chatter away in the tree tops, but often, they also raid the bird feeders. They are like some sort of plague, or something out of a horror film.
I spent the morning as usual, programming the DVR for upcoming movies and shows, washing a couple of loads of clothes, reading the Sunday newspaper, etc.
Lunch was very tasty, with cranberry sauce added to the meat and veggies. After lunch, Mother went home to change clothes to go to a college play. We left home around 1:30. The Greek tragedy "The Trojan Women," by Euripides, began at 2 p.m. There was a nice crowd for the production, with only a few empty seats remaining at curtain time.
The set was very simple, with a large painting of the Greek god of the sea, Poseidon, on the black floor. Around the edges of the three-quarter round theater was piled the burned and broken debris of the dining hall, where a fire occurred a few months ago. Large metal objects, bricks, and even dinnerware represented the burned city of Troy. Razor wire was added for effect.
Ten students played the roles of the six women, and four men in the mythological drama. Plot: following the fall of their city to the Greeks, the Trojan women wait to learn their fates. The women include Hecuba, aging Queen of Troy; Cassandra, her daughter, a mad prophetess; Andromache, whose infant son was thrown from the walls of the city; and the beautiful temptress, Helen, wife of Melenaus, king of Sparta.
The play was 70 minutes long, so we were home by 3:30. Mother went to her house, and Hubbie and I watched the 1961 classic four-star film, "Judgement at Nuremberg," In 1948, an American court occupying Germany tries four judges for war crimes.
I guess it was a day for history and mythology.
Nice surprise: as we were leaving for the play, we noticed yellow crocus blooming in the yard. Surely spring can't be far behind!
Not so pleasant: are blackbirds taking over the world? Hundreds of them flock to our yard each day. Mostly they chatter away in the tree tops, but often, they also raid the bird feeders. They are like some sort of plague, or something out of a horror film.
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