Slept late, until nearly 8 a.m., but did a treadmill session and weights exercises after breakfast. By the time I got ready for the day, it was pretty late in the morning.
Mother had come over while I was upstairs getting ready. Shortly after 11 a.m., we went to a nearby town to attend a watermelon festival. We spent a couple of hours touring the vendor booths and registering for prizes, watching a group of young cloggers perform on the amphitheater stage, touring the car show, and eating soft serve ice cream.
Even though the temp wasn't as high today, we were still plenty hot by 1 p.m. and ready to come home. Besides, Mother was getting hungry and needed something to eat other than the ice cream.
Seeing the lemonade stands at the festival prompted me to make a big pitcher of it when we got back home.
Then I fixed low-sodium deli chicken breast sandwiches with Havarti cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and Vidalia onions for our lunch. Hubbie and I had big glasses of lemonade with our meals, but Mother wasn't interested in it. Lemonade isn't her drink of choice. I think today, though, it might have been a good idea for her to have a glass of it, because she got really woozy shortly after we got home, even though she didn't have to walk a step at the festival. She hadn't drunk any water while we were gone, and she was probably a little dehydrated. Some fluids and electrolytes would probably have made her feel better.
For dessert, we had slices of watermelon from the city that sponsored festival. The growers in that town hosted a watermelon feast at the festival during the afternoon, but we preferred to enjoy our melon in the comfort of air conditioning.
After lunch, Hubbie peeled and then sliced potatoes in the food processor, while Mother (at her insistence) chopped carrots, onions, and celery, for a pot of potato soup for supper.
Then we lazed the afternoon away watching a Syfy channel disaster movie..."Meteor Storm."
I made a batch of bran muffins to go with the soup for supper. After supper, I accompanied Mother to her house, and then Hubbie and I watched a two-part Syfy Channel disaster movie, "Category 7: End of the World."
New cat: a week or so ago, a somewhat fuzzy tabby cat with a big fluffy tail appeared on our property. Don't know how he got here...did he wander in, or did someone drop him off? He's well-fed and friendly, and he seems awfully happy to be here. We'll take care of him, of course, but we certainly weren't looking for another cat. The resident cats aren't too keen on him, but he isn't deterred by being given the cold shoulder or being hissed at. Maybe when mating season rolls around again, he'll stray.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
Friday, August 12
Up at 6 a.m. to get ready to go to water aerobics. Maintenance personnel had added water to the pool since Wednesday, so it was pretty chilly, but still nice once I got used to it.
Back home after aerobics, I didn't do much of importance for the rest of the morning. Mother stayed at her house until after lunch.
Around 1 p.m., I went to a downtown church to take pictures of kids in rehearsal at a Shakespeare workshop, conducted by artists-in-residence of Troupe D' Jour. I finished the task around 3:30. Back home, Mother had brought order out of the chaos of our card-making. Sometime this weekend, we'll try to stow the stuff away until our next project.
Later, for supper, we had a supper of French toast, scrambled eggs, and turkey bacon.
At 6:30, we went downtown to see the kids perform a condensed and tweaked scene from Hamlet, titled "Hamlet Through a Glass Dimly." The first half hour consisted of presenting the death/ghost scene in Shakespearean mode. The second half hour consisted of a hilarious parody of the same scene. The kids did remarkably well memorizing difficult lines in a matter of only a week.
Our main reason for attending this evening was that the arts council director asked that I take a group picture after the performance. Had I known that a severe thunderstorm would crop up just as the play ended, I probably would not have suggested that Mother and Hubbie attend.
But Mother seemed interested in going, just to get out of the house. And she thoroughly enjoyed the kids. Hubbie not so much, since he had difficulty understanding the actors. This despite the fact that the audience was seated three quarters around and very close to the staging area.
I had the foresight to take a step stool with me, so I could take a picture of the twenty-four kids from above. This helped the camera flash to evenly light the group. I intended for Hubbie to give me a hand in getting up the two steps, but he disappeared...probably to check on the weather. So I had to ask the nearest guy to help me.
When the weather abated (though there was still lots of streaky lightening), we hurried to the van. Once I got Mother out of her wheelchair and into the van, I hurried around to the passenger side (because Hubbie had parked in the street to be closer to the door of the church fellowship hall).
Whoa! The passenger seat was wet! How did that happen? "You forgot to shut the sliding side door when you helped your Mother out of the van," Hubbie said. Oh? It was my fault? Wasn't I busy getting Mother into the wheelchair? And didn't Hubbie have the car remote key for shutting the door and locking the van?
The seat was wet enough that I had to change out of my very damp clothes when we got home. Let that be a lesson to me. Or not.
Our TV fare this evening was a 2009 movie called, "A Serious Man," about a Jewish family man and physics professor in the 1960s, whose life starts going down the tube when his wife wants another man, his tenure is threatened, he's involved in an auto accident, his son runs up a huge bill buying records-of-the-week, etc. Just as things start looking up, the movie provides a "huh?" ending. This is billed as a black comedy, and it does have its comic moments.
Back home after aerobics, I didn't do much of importance for the rest of the morning. Mother stayed at her house until after lunch.
Around 1 p.m., I went to a downtown church to take pictures of kids in rehearsal at a Shakespeare workshop, conducted by artists-in-residence of Troupe D' Jour. I finished the task around 3:30. Back home, Mother had brought order out of the chaos of our card-making. Sometime this weekend, we'll try to stow the stuff away until our next project.
Later, for supper, we had a supper of French toast, scrambled eggs, and turkey bacon.
At 6:30, we went downtown to see the kids perform a condensed and tweaked scene from Hamlet, titled "Hamlet Through a Glass Dimly." The first half hour consisted of presenting the death/ghost scene in Shakespearean mode. The second half hour consisted of a hilarious parody of the same scene. The kids did remarkably well memorizing difficult lines in a matter of only a week.
Our main reason for attending this evening was that the arts council director asked that I take a group picture after the performance. Had I known that a severe thunderstorm would crop up just as the play ended, I probably would not have suggested that Mother and Hubbie attend.
But Mother seemed interested in going, just to get out of the house. And she thoroughly enjoyed the kids. Hubbie not so much, since he had difficulty understanding the actors. This despite the fact that the audience was seated three quarters around and very close to the staging area.
I had the foresight to take a step stool with me, so I could take a picture of the twenty-four kids from above. This helped the camera flash to evenly light the group. I intended for Hubbie to give me a hand in getting up the two steps, but he disappeared...probably to check on the weather. So I had to ask the nearest guy to help me.
When the weather abated (though there was still lots of streaky lightening), we hurried to the van. Once I got Mother out of her wheelchair and into the van, I hurried around to the passenger side (because Hubbie had parked in the street to be closer to the door of the church fellowship hall).
Whoa! The passenger seat was wet! How did that happen? "You forgot to shut the sliding side door when you helped your Mother out of the van," Hubbie said. Oh? It was my fault? Wasn't I busy getting Mother into the wheelchair? And didn't Hubbie have the car remote key for shutting the door and locking the van?
The seat was wet enough that I had to change out of my very damp clothes when we got home. Let that be a lesson to me. Or not.
Our TV fare this evening was a 2009 movie called, "A Serious Man," about a Jewish family man and physics professor in the 1960s, whose life starts going down the tube when his wife wants another man, his tenure is threatened, he's involved in an auto accident, his son runs up a huge bill buying records-of-the-week, etc. Just as things start looking up, the movie provides a "huh?" ending. This is billed as a black comedy, and it does have its comic moments.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Thursday, August 11
Slept late this morning, until around 8 a.m., and then did a treadmill session and resistance exercises after breakfast.
Hubbie left around 9:30 to go to a Master Gardener meeting, and once I was ready for the day, I did this and that until lunchtime. Mother stayed home for the morning, but came over around 1 p.m.
Just before 2 p.m., we went down to the nursing home for a card-making session. The Caring Hands Hospice coordinator arrived at about the same time and helped me get Mother's wheelchair, and our crafting supplies out of the van.
Our session was held in the nursing home dining room...way at the other end of the building...so I'm glad we had the wheelchair for Mother. She wouldn't have been able to hike to and from that room without getting exhausted.
The activities director led us to the dining room, and then promptly disappeared, leaving the three of us to handle the session. About fifteen residents attended, several in wheelchairs. It's a good thing I'd prepared card-making kits for these folks, because they are very limited in their abilities. Only a few were able to make the simple cards on their own, and of those, a few glued the designs inside the cards instead of outside. The Caring Hands coordinator and I worked with others who were completely incapable of grasping the idea of card-making, and with these folks, we had to just make the cards ourselves, while they watched.
If the Caring Hands coordinator was serious about re-stocking her card supply, this was not the ideal way to go about it, because a bunch of the cards made today are virtually unusable.
I asked how it came about that we scheduled a session at the nursing home, and the coordinator said the activities director called and asked us to do it. I guess the only job of the activities director is to recruit others to conduct sessions.
We spoke with a staff member, who assured us that if we conducted any other activities there, that the activities director or another staff member would be on hand to deal with any difficult situations. That's because today, a resident began chocking on water. We were told she wasn't supposed to be given water, but we didn't know that. It's not up to us to deny resident requests.
The staff member asked if we could conduct another session, and to deflect her from asking for card-making again, I suggested doing graham cracker cookie Christmas houses. I would be willing to help with that, if the staff member and the coordinator can get the supplies together. I also suggested that we needed more volunteers to work individually with the residents. The coordinator suggested we enlist a group of high school students. I also emphasized that I could not do it in December, so we are looking at doing it in early November.
We were back from the session about 3:30. Mother went to her house, and I relaxed for a while. I find that particular nursing home to be a very depressing place. It's more like a hospital than a home, with double residency rooms, and folks dozing in wheelchairs along the corridors. A couple of the female residents who attended the session sat at the table clutching stuffed animals.
I remember several years ago, while I was still working, I had occasion to visit the nursing home. I was saddened by the sight of an elderly woman in an adult high chair, who was crooning to a baby doll she clutched.
It's a real downer to visit that nursing home, which contrasts 380 degrees with the independent living center where we've held sessions in the past. The independent living center is a bright, well-appointed place that is very inviting, where the residents are happy and so much more capable of handling crafting projects.
I assured Mother that under no circumstance would we ever put her in a place like that awful nursing home. And I hope I'm never faced with the prospect of going to one like it, either.
It happened that Mother knew one of the residents, who attended a dieter's club with her years ago. The resident, who is somewhat mentally challenged, used to go to meetings of the club with her mother, with whom she lived. The mother is still living, so we don't know under what circumstances the daughter is now in this nursing home.
For supper tonight, I intended to fix turkey bacon/tomato/Vidalia onion/lettuce sandwiches, with bowls of bean soup, but we don't have any turkey bacon. So instead of bacon, we had the sandwiches with Havarti cheese.
Later, we watched the 2002 movie, "Gangs of New York," starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Dey-Lewis, Liam Neeson, and others. In 1863, a boy now grown to manhood, seeks revenge against his father's killer. This is a film inspired by history. We first saw it at our local movie theater.
Hubbie left around 9:30 to go to a Master Gardener meeting, and once I was ready for the day, I did this and that until lunchtime. Mother stayed home for the morning, but came over around 1 p.m.
Just before 2 p.m., we went down to the nursing home for a card-making session. The Caring Hands Hospice coordinator arrived at about the same time and helped me get Mother's wheelchair, and our crafting supplies out of the van.
Our session was held in the nursing home dining room...way at the other end of the building...so I'm glad we had the wheelchair for Mother. She wouldn't have been able to hike to and from that room without getting exhausted.
The activities director led us to the dining room, and then promptly disappeared, leaving the three of us to handle the session. About fifteen residents attended, several in wheelchairs. It's a good thing I'd prepared card-making kits for these folks, because they are very limited in their abilities. Only a few were able to make the simple cards on their own, and of those, a few glued the designs inside the cards instead of outside. The Caring Hands coordinator and I worked with others who were completely incapable of grasping the idea of card-making, and with these folks, we had to just make the cards ourselves, while they watched.
If the Caring Hands coordinator was serious about re-stocking her card supply, this was not the ideal way to go about it, because a bunch of the cards made today are virtually unusable.
I asked how it came about that we scheduled a session at the nursing home, and the coordinator said the activities director called and asked us to do it. I guess the only job of the activities director is to recruit others to conduct sessions.
We spoke with a staff member, who assured us that if we conducted any other activities there, that the activities director or another staff member would be on hand to deal with any difficult situations. That's because today, a resident began chocking on water. We were told she wasn't supposed to be given water, but we didn't know that. It's not up to us to deny resident requests.
The staff member asked if we could conduct another session, and to deflect her from asking for card-making again, I suggested doing graham cracker cookie Christmas houses. I would be willing to help with that, if the staff member and the coordinator can get the supplies together. I also suggested that we needed more volunteers to work individually with the residents. The coordinator suggested we enlist a group of high school students. I also emphasized that I could not do it in December, so we are looking at doing it in early November.
We were back from the session about 3:30. Mother went to her house, and I relaxed for a while. I find that particular nursing home to be a very depressing place. It's more like a hospital than a home, with double residency rooms, and folks dozing in wheelchairs along the corridors. A couple of the female residents who attended the session sat at the table clutching stuffed animals.
I remember several years ago, while I was still working, I had occasion to visit the nursing home. I was saddened by the sight of an elderly woman in an adult high chair, who was crooning to a baby doll she clutched.
It's a real downer to visit that nursing home, which contrasts 380 degrees with the independent living center where we've held sessions in the past. The independent living center is a bright, well-appointed place that is very inviting, where the residents are happy and so much more capable of handling crafting projects.
I assured Mother that under no circumstance would we ever put her in a place like that awful nursing home. And I hope I'm never faced with the prospect of going to one like it, either.
It happened that Mother knew one of the residents, who attended a dieter's club with her years ago. The resident, who is somewhat mentally challenged, used to go to meetings of the club with her mother, with whom she lived. The mother is still living, so we don't know under what circumstances the daughter is now in this nursing home.
For supper tonight, I intended to fix turkey bacon/tomato/Vidalia onion/lettuce sandwiches, with bowls of bean soup, but we don't have any turkey bacon. So instead of bacon, we had the sandwiches with Havarti cheese.
Later, we watched the 2002 movie, "Gangs of New York," starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Dey-Lewis, Liam Neeson, and others. In 1863, a boy now grown to manhood, seeks revenge against his father's killer. This is a film inspired by history. We first saw it at our local movie theater.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Wednesday, August 10
Today is Niece's birthday. Happy Birthday, Niece!
Also today, a new great-granddaughter was born on Hubbie's side of the family. Congratulations to Grandson and his wife.
We were up at 6:30 this morning, so I could get ready to go to water aerobics. I debated whether I wanted to go or not, since the morning was very dark, with a threat of a thunderstorm. It was so dark that the outdoor night light came on. Hubbie convinced me I should go ahead to the pool, though.
A mile or so down the road, I began seeing lightening in the western sky. I wondered if anyone would show up for aerobics, because there were so few cars in the parking lot. There were three or four women in the dressing room, though, and we all proceeded up to the pool.
Three people were in the pool already, but those of us who had just arrived noticed that the lightening (of the streaking kind) seemed to be getting closer. The lifeguard checked the weather on his cell phone and commented that a storm was headed straight for our county.
We decided to wait a few minutes to see if the storm would blow over, but while we waited the college safety officer arrived to tell us that because of the lightening, we were not to use the pool this morning, and in fact, he was going to lock the doors to the pool area.
So we gathered our stuff and headed home. Today, there was a new young man acting as lifeguard. He is an assistant couch at the college. We wondered what happened to the youngster who had been the lifeguard before, and the new one said he just suddenly quit school, as well as his job at the pool. No one knows why.
Back home, since the weather was threatening, I decided not to get on the treadmill, but instead just dress for the day. Once the storm blew over (leaving about six drops of rain), Mother came over.
We spent the morning working on the task of getting enough greeting card kits together for tomorrow's session at the nursing home.
After lunch, Hubbie and I went to the WDCS for a few groceries, particularly a can of salmon for making salmon loaf for supper. Back home, Mother and I continued working on greeting card kids. Finally got 20 of them together, and then I cut white card stock to the size of the envelopes we have available. The ladies (and gentlemen, if there are any) can create their own designs on these if they'd prefer, instead of using pre-made kits.
Around 3 p.m., Hubbie took Mother to an appointment, and while they were gone, I gathered all the supplies we'll need for the card making session tomorrow. Hubbie and Mother were back around 3:30.
At 4:30, I went downtown to a visual arts committee meeting, which lasted until about 6:15. At home, Mother had fixed the salmon loaf, which we had with sweet potatoes, English peas, and leftover squash from last night.
I accompanied Mother home after supper, and then Hubbie and I watched a 2009 Movie Network feature, "Accused at 17." A rebellious teenage girl is accused of murdering a classmate who stole her boyfriend. She claims she was framed by her best friend, and her mother has to find the truth.
Also today, a new great-granddaughter was born on Hubbie's side of the family. Congratulations to Grandson and his wife.
We were up at 6:30 this morning, so I could get ready to go to water aerobics. I debated whether I wanted to go or not, since the morning was very dark, with a threat of a thunderstorm. It was so dark that the outdoor night light came on. Hubbie convinced me I should go ahead to the pool, though.
A mile or so down the road, I began seeing lightening in the western sky. I wondered if anyone would show up for aerobics, because there were so few cars in the parking lot. There were three or four women in the dressing room, though, and we all proceeded up to the pool.
Three people were in the pool already, but those of us who had just arrived noticed that the lightening (of the streaking kind) seemed to be getting closer. The lifeguard checked the weather on his cell phone and commented that a storm was headed straight for our county.
We decided to wait a few minutes to see if the storm would blow over, but while we waited the college safety officer arrived to tell us that because of the lightening, we were not to use the pool this morning, and in fact, he was going to lock the doors to the pool area.
So we gathered our stuff and headed home. Today, there was a new young man acting as lifeguard. He is an assistant couch at the college. We wondered what happened to the youngster who had been the lifeguard before, and the new one said he just suddenly quit school, as well as his job at the pool. No one knows why.
Back home, since the weather was threatening, I decided not to get on the treadmill, but instead just dress for the day. Once the storm blew over (leaving about six drops of rain), Mother came over.
We spent the morning working on the task of getting enough greeting card kits together for tomorrow's session at the nursing home.
After lunch, Hubbie and I went to the WDCS for a few groceries, particularly a can of salmon for making salmon loaf for supper. Back home, Mother and I continued working on greeting card kids. Finally got 20 of them together, and then I cut white card stock to the size of the envelopes we have available. The ladies (and gentlemen, if there are any) can create their own designs on these if they'd prefer, instead of using pre-made kits.
Around 3 p.m., Hubbie took Mother to an appointment, and while they were gone, I gathered all the supplies we'll need for the card making session tomorrow. Hubbie and Mother were back around 3:30.
At 4:30, I went downtown to a visual arts committee meeting, which lasted until about 6:15. At home, Mother had fixed the salmon loaf, which we had with sweet potatoes, English peas, and leftover squash from last night.
I accompanied Mother home after supper, and then Hubbie and I watched a 2009 Movie Network feature, "Accused at 17." A rebellious teenage girl is accused of murdering a classmate who stole her boyfriend. She claims she was framed by her best friend, and her mother has to find the truth.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Tuesday, August 9
Up around 7:30 this morning, and did a treadmill session and weights exercises after breakfast. I didn't immediately shower and dress afterward, as I usually do, because I got a call from the Caring Hands Hospice coordinator, who wanted to confirm that we are to meet Thursday at a local nursing home to make greeting cards.
She also wanted to make sure I would bring all the needed supplies, since she doesn't have any. I told her I would do this and asked how many residents of the home we would be working with. She didn't know and said she'd call the activities director to find out and then return a call to me.
Since Hubbie was out running errands, I felt I needed to stay close to the land line until the coordinator called back. I should have given her my cell phone number, but I didn't think of it. Anyway, while I waited, I began putting greeting card kits together for the residents. I'm not sure they are up to trying to plan cards on their own, choosing from a dizzying array of papers, stickers, etc. So I cut and folded cards, cut background papers, and added elements, insert papers, and envelopes to individual packets that folks can choose from. Each packet has everything a person will need to create a card.
Later, the Caring Hands Coordinator called back to say that we can expect anywhere from a half dozen to 20 folks at the card making session...way more than I expected.
By this time, we had eaten lunch, and I'd made several packets, but I still hadn't showered and dressed. Finally, around 2 p.m., I got ready for the day, and then continued working on card making packets.
I ran out of steam by 4 p.m., after having put together a dozen packets. Mother tires so easily that she wasn't able to contribute much to the project. With my help, she did create a card, though.
Today, I decided to cut designs from calendars that a friend gave me to use as backgrounds for the card packets. I also used wallpaper samples for backgrounds. I punched decorative edges on some cards, and used rubber stamps on others.
Maybe I'll have time after water aerobics tomorrow morning to complete a few more packets, but I don't know if I can get 20 of them put together before Thursday afternoon.
This afternoon, too, I got an e-mail from the arts council director asking me to snap photos sometime this week during a Shakespeare workshop for kids. I advised her that the only free time I have is Friday afternoon, and maybe Friday evening during a performance by the kids.
I expected this week to be a little more relaxed than the past few have been, but it's queuing up to be every bit as busy! I laughed the other day when Hubbie's daughter commented that she can't wait to get to retirement age, so she'll have more leisure time. It's true that I can now choose my activities, but sometimes I think I'm busier now than when I worked.
Around 4 p.m., Mother put potatoes in the oven to bake, and cut up patty pan and yellow squashes to saute' with green onions, celery, and spices. She likes to cut up veggies, because it's an activity she can do sitting down.
The meal plan was to have these veggies with the leftover beans. But we were seated at the table before I realized that Mother had forgotten to get the beans out to heat. It was my fault, since I hadn't written the menu down for her. Even though we'd discussed the meal menu just an hour earlier, short term memory prevented her from remembering all of it. No problem...it took me only a few minutes to whisk the beans out of the frige and heat them.
Mother went home after supper, and Hubbie and I settled in front of TV. Tonight, we watched the 2009 movie, "Call of the Wild," starring Christopher Lloyd, Timothy Bottoms, and Veronica Cartwright. In Montana, a girl from the big city goes to stay with her grandfather. While there, a wounded wolf-dog finds it way to the grandfather's Montana farm. The vet wants to put the dog down, but the girl insists on keeping it. She attracts the attention of an evil stranger, though, who insists the dog is his. To settle the argument, the local sheriff suggests a dogsled race, the winner of which will claim the dog-wolf.
This is a story within a story: as the relationship of the girl and wolf-dog unfolds, the grandfather reads the classic Jack London book, "Call of the Wild," to the girl each night at bedtime.
Funny: today, Hubbie got a short note from his daughter who'd visited last Saturday. A sticky note sheet was inside a thank you card I'd made for her a couple of years ago. Knowing that we make cards for Caring Hands, she suggested I should recycle this card. It was a thoughtful gesture, but as the card lay on the table, I happened to notice that I'd spelled "Thanks," as "Thaks." Obviously, no one, including Daughter, noticed it, because I'd used leftover sticker letters of different sizes, placed this way and that, to form the word on a tag. "Thak you, thak you, thak you," Hubbie said, and we all cracked up laughing.
I did re-use the card by peeling the tag away from the fall-colors plaid background, and replacing it with a tag that says "Just a Note." A piece of jute through the hole in the tag, and big dark buttons glued to the background makes the card suitably masculine. I try to make several masculine cards, since the ladies who gather for sessions seem to make mostly feminine ones.
She also wanted to make sure I would bring all the needed supplies, since she doesn't have any. I told her I would do this and asked how many residents of the home we would be working with. She didn't know and said she'd call the activities director to find out and then return a call to me.
Since Hubbie was out running errands, I felt I needed to stay close to the land line until the coordinator called back. I should have given her my cell phone number, but I didn't think of it. Anyway, while I waited, I began putting greeting card kits together for the residents. I'm not sure they are up to trying to plan cards on their own, choosing from a dizzying array of papers, stickers, etc. So I cut and folded cards, cut background papers, and added elements, insert papers, and envelopes to individual packets that folks can choose from. Each packet has everything a person will need to create a card.
Later, the Caring Hands Coordinator called back to say that we can expect anywhere from a half dozen to 20 folks at the card making session...way more than I expected.
By this time, we had eaten lunch, and I'd made several packets, but I still hadn't showered and dressed. Finally, around 2 p.m., I got ready for the day, and then continued working on card making packets.
I ran out of steam by 4 p.m., after having put together a dozen packets. Mother tires so easily that she wasn't able to contribute much to the project. With my help, she did create a card, though.
Today, I decided to cut designs from calendars that a friend gave me to use as backgrounds for the card packets. I also used wallpaper samples for backgrounds. I punched decorative edges on some cards, and used rubber stamps on others.
Maybe I'll have time after water aerobics tomorrow morning to complete a few more packets, but I don't know if I can get 20 of them put together before Thursday afternoon.
This afternoon, too, I got an e-mail from the arts council director asking me to snap photos sometime this week during a Shakespeare workshop for kids. I advised her that the only free time I have is Friday afternoon, and maybe Friday evening during a performance by the kids.
I expected this week to be a little more relaxed than the past few have been, but it's queuing up to be every bit as busy! I laughed the other day when Hubbie's daughter commented that she can't wait to get to retirement age, so she'll have more leisure time. It's true that I can now choose my activities, but sometimes I think I'm busier now than when I worked.
Around 4 p.m., Mother put potatoes in the oven to bake, and cut up patty pan and yellow squashes to saute' with green onions, celery, and spices. She likes to cut up veggies, because it's an activity she can do sitting down.
The meal plan was to have these veggies with the leftover beans. But we were seated at the table before I realized that Mother had forgotten to get the beans out to heat. It was my fault, since I hadn't written the menu down for her. Even though we'd discussed the meal menu just an hour earlier, short term memory prevented her from remembering all of it. No problem...it took me only a few minutes to whisk the beans out of the frige and heat them.
Mother went home after supper, and Hubbie and I settled in front of TV. Tonight, we watched the 2009 movie, "Call of the Wild," starring Christopher Lloyd, Timothy Bottoms, and Veronica Cartwright. In Montana, a girl from the big city goes to stay with her grandfather. While there, a wounded wolf-dog finds it way to the grandfather's Montana farm. The vet wants to put the dog down, but the girl insists on keeping it. She attracts the attention of an evil stranger, though, who insists the dog is his. To settle the argument, the local sheriff suggests a dogsled race, the winner of which will claim the dog-wolf.
This is a story within a story: as the relationship of the girl and wolf-dog unfolds, the grandfather reads the classic Jack London book, "Call of the Wild," to the girl each night at bedtime.
Funny: today, Hubbie got a short note from his daughter who'd visited last Saturday. A sticky note sheet was inside a thank you card I'd made for her a couple of years ago. Knowing that we make cards for Caring Hands, she suggested I should recycle this card. It was a thoughtful gesture, but as the card lay on the table, I happened to notice that I'd spelled "Thanks," as "Thaks." Obviously, no one, including Daughter, noticed it, because I'd used leftover sticker letters of different sizes, placed this way and that, to form the word on a tag. "Thak you, thak you, thak you," Hubbie said, and we all cracked up laughing.
I did re-use the card by peeling the tag away from the fall-colors plaid background, and replacing it with a tag that says "Just a Note." A piece of jute through the hole in the tag, and big dark buttons glued to the background makes the card suitably masculine. I try to make several masculine cards, since the ladies who gather for sessions seem to make mostly feminine ones.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Monday, August 8
Up at 6:30 to get ready to go to water aerobics. As usual, swimming and water aerobics set the pace for a very good day. Back home, I spent about an hour on a lesson plan for a meeting with my student this afternoon.
Mother stayed home this morning, but came over after lunch, and we made greeting cards until it was time for me to leave for the college.
Today, the lesson included reading a couple of stories and answering questions about them, as well as learning the differences in the sounds and meanings of words like "thigh," and "thy," "ether," and "either," "teeth," and "teethe," and "mouth," as a noun, and "mouth," as a verb.
We had a rather comical moment, when the student read the sentence, "He hurt his thigh," as "He hurt his thing." Once I explained what "thing" meant in the context of that sentence, we both had good laugh.
The student learned how to use "half," and "half of," as in "I'd like half a cup of coffee," and "Give me half of that apple."
She also learned to use "another one," "the other one," and "the others," in sentences like, (teacher): "I have a pen," (student): "Do you have another one?" And, (teacher): "I have two sisters." (student): "Where is the other one?" And finally, (teacher): "I have three sisters." (student): Where are the others?"
She had a problem with the surname "Smith," which she kept pronouncing as "esSmith." After practicing for quite a while, she finally got her tongue around it.
Last week, I took a carton of Reliance grapes to the student. She commented that she and her husband found them to be the best grapes they'd ever eaten, and wanted to know where to get them. I told her, but advised that the grapes are probably out of season by now, and they might have to wait until next year to make an excursion to buy them.
Today, she brought me six peaches and two pint-baggies of figs.
Funny: last week, in the midst of our session, I asked the student if she was wearing a new blouse, and she said yes, whereupon I pulled a strip of cellophane, showing the blouse size, off the side of the garment and handed it to her. We both laughed as I told her that I've been known to wear similar cellophane strips attached to the backsides of my blue jeans.
About 30 minutes before our session ended, the librarian came in to let us know that the library would close promptly at 4:30 today, and wouldn't be available again until Monday, August 22. She also asked that I provide her with a written request to reserve a library study room on Mondays during next semester, so she can add it to her calendar. I did this at the end of our session.
Back home, Mother was preparing a supper of leftover spaghetti, which we had with salad, and cottage cheese. Mother went home afterward, and Hubbie and I watched the 2007, PG-13, movie, "War Eagle, Arkansas," starring Brian Dennehy, and Mare Winningham.
This little gem of a movie is based on a true story about a coming-of-age young man who stutters, and his friend with CP, who is confined to a wheelchair. When the young man begins dating a popular girl, his friend, who first accompanies him on his dates to complete his sentences, soon becomes jealous.
Later, the stuttering young man has to decide whether or not to leave town to make something of himself. And whether he can do this without hurting his friend's feelings. The young men (Dan McCabe and Luke Grimes) are great in their roles. Viewers will be especially drawn to McCabe in his portrayal of the boy with CP. He in fact does not have CP and is not confined to a wheelchair.
When we first began watching the movie, I commented that it looked like a film festival offering. Later, in researching it online, I found that it has won more than 20 awards for Best Picture and Best Actor in film festivals around the country.
I became a little aggravated with myself today. We received a coupon for a free On Demand movie from our cable company. I know that the idea behind On Demand is to be able to watch a movie any day at any time of the day, but what I didn't know is that movies from that source can't be recorded on DVR.
We wanted to see "Black Swan," so I hit the "buy" function, and then the record function. It didn't record, drat it. I guess I just should have waited until the three of us were free to watch the movie, but this had to be done before August 25, and I figured it would be easier to put it on DVR than to try to keep up with a deadline date. Oh well, I can probably rent it at Red Box for a buck some weekend when we're free to watch it.
Mother stayed home this morning, but came over after lunch, and we made greeting cards until it was time for me to leave for the college.
Today, the lesson included reading a couple of stories and answering questions about them, as well as learning the differences in the sounds and meanings of words like "thigh," and "thy," "ether," and "either," "teeth," and "teethe," and "mouth," as a noun, and "mouth," as a verb.
We had a rather comical moment, when the student read the sentence, "He hurt his thigh," as "He hurt his thing." Once I explained what "thing" meant in the context of that sentence, we both had good laugh.
The student learned how to use "half," and "half of," as in "I'd like half a cup of coffee," and "Give me half of that apple."
She also learned to use "another one," "the other one," and "the others," in sentences like, (teacher): "I have a pen," (student): "Do you have another one?" And, (teacher): "I have two sisters." (student): "Where is the other one?" And finally, (teacher): "I have three sisters." (student): Where are the others?"
She had a problem with the surname "Smith," which she kept pronouncing as "esSmith." After practicing for quite a while, she finally got her tongue around it.
Last week, I took a carton of Reliance grapes to the student. She commented that she and her husband found them to be the best grapes they'd ever eaten, and wanted to know where to get them. I told her, but advised that the grapes are probably out of season by now, and they might have to wait until next year to make an excursion to buy them.
Today, she brought me six peaches and two pint-baggies of figs.
Funny: last week, in the midst of our session, I asked the student if she was wearing a new blouse, and she said yes, whereupon I pulled a strip of cellophane, showing the blouse size, off the side of the garment and handed it to her. We both laughed as I told her that I've been known to wear similar cellophane strips attached to the backsides of my blue jeans.
About 30 minutes before our session ended, the librarian came in to let us know that the library would close promptly at 4:30 today, and wouldn't be available again until Monday, August 22. She also asked that I provide her with a written request to reserve a library study room on Mondays during next semester, so she can add it to her calendar. I did this at the end of our session.
Back home, Mother was preparing a supper of leftover spaghetti, which we had with salad, and cottage cheese. Mother went home afterward, and Hubbie and I watched the 2007, PG-13, movie, "War Eagle, Arkansas," starring Brian Dennehy, and Mare Winningham.
This little gem of a movie is based on a true story about a coming-of-age young man who stutters, and his friend with CP, who is confined to a wheelchair. When the young man begins dating a popular girl, his friend, who first accompanies him on his dates to complete his sentences, soon becomes jealous.
Later, the stuttering young man has to decide whether or not to leave town to make something of himself. And whether he can do this without hurting his friend's feelings. The young men (Dan McCabe and Luke Grimes) are great in their roles. Viewers will be especially drawn to McCabe in his portrayal of the boy with CP. He in fact does not have CP and is not confined to a wheelchair.
When we first began watching the movie, I commented that it looked like a film festival offering. Later, in researching it online, I found that it has won more than 20 awards for Best Picture and Best Actor in film festivals around the country.
I became a little aggravated with myself today. We received a coupon for a free On Demand movie from our cable company. I know that the idea behind On Demand is to be able to watch a movie any day at any time of the day, but what I didn't know is that movies from that source can't be recorded on DVR.
We wanted to see "Black Swan," so I hit the "buy" function, and then the record function. It didn't record, drat it. I guess I just should have waited until the three of us were free to watch the movie, but this had to be done before August 25, and I figured it would be easier to put it on DVR than to try to keep up with a deadline date. Oh well, I can probably rent it at Red Box for a buck some weekend when we're free to watch it.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Sunday, August 7
Up around 7:30, and did a treadmill session and resistance exercises after breakfast. Mother came over while I was getting ready for the day.
We spent the morning making greeting cards. Then for lunch, we had the beans cooked in the slow cooker last night. I had planned to let the beans simmer overnight, but when I checked them at 10 p.m., I discovered they were done. So I put them into a soup keeper and refrigerated them.
My plan for our Sunday lunch was to have the beans with a potato dish, and a squash dish. But the beans were so juicy that they were more like soup, so we served them in bowls, with a choice of cornbread or biscuits. The soup was pretty tasty...Mother ate a generous serving, with two hunks of cornbread, and Hubbie ate two big bowls of it, with several hunks of cornbread.
I usually prefer pinto beans, but this time I used white beans, adding a can of low-sodium chicken broth, a can of low-sodium beef broth, cubed lower-sodium ham, diced carrots, onions, and banana peppers, along with no-sodium seasoning, pepper, and paprika.
Mother went home after lunch, and Hubbie and I ran a few errands...to a pharmacy store to use the $3 and the $1 coupons on hygiene products (which were also exempt from tax today), and to the WDCS for a few grocery items. While I was there, I decided to look for a pair of white tennis shoes, and found some that I liked...so I bought two pairs. I also bought an umbrella for Mother, since hers is beginning to wear out. The shoes and umbrella were tax exempt.
Back home, Hubbie decided to stay home while I went to the store that has a sale every weekend to see if there was anything I could use that would fall under the tax-free status. I found a pair of on-sale sunglasses to replace the pair I now have that are missing a nose piece. I used a gift card Hubbie gave me for Christmas to pay for the glasses, but I fully expected to have to pay tax on them. To my surprise, though, they were tax-exempt, too.
Folks were out in force today taking advantage of the tax-free weekend. The purpose for the tax exemptions was to give a break to parents and students shopping for school clothes and supplies, and to boost sales for businesses. But so many items (completely unrelated to school clothes and supplies) fell under the exemption, that almost everybody should have realized tax savings.
On the way to the store, I noticed a dark cloud to the southwest...looked like heavy rain...but it never arrived in our town. Later, at home, I learned storms had rolled through towns south of us. In the capital city, a couple of hours south, a severe storm occurred, with winds up to 77 mph, that downed power poles and trees, and caused a power outage. We desperately need rain, but not storms, thank you.
It's been another scorching day, with the temp over 100 degrees. It was horribly hot yesterday, too. So much so, that for the first time in years, we opted out of going downtown to watch the water carnival parade. The parade is usually the only event of the carnival that we participate in. Nothing else appeals to us, since we aren't interested in the canoe races, the midway rides, or the entertainment on the river.
This coming weekend, if the weather cools somewhat, we might go to a nearby town for a watermelon festival. It's a fun and different festival at the city park that includes interesting vendor booths. During the afternoon, local watermelon growers serve huge slabs of free watermelon. We're not especially interested in the watermelon, but sometimes I find a vendor selling buckets of pears or other fruits inexpensively.
Later, we watched the 2006 comedy, "White Coats," starring Dan Acroyd. A group of interns are assigned to a down and out hospital. Sex and silliness ensues.
We spent the morning making greeting cards. Then for lunch, we had the beans cooked in the slow cooker last night. I had planned to let the beans simmer overnight, but when I checked them at 10 p.m., I discovered they were done. So I put them into a soup keeper and refrigerated them.
My plan for our Sunday lunch was to have the beans with a potato dish, and a squash dish. But the beans were so juicy that they were more like soup, so we served them in bowls, with a choice of cornbread or biscuits. The soup was pretty tasty...Mother ate a generous serving, with two hunks of cornbread, and Hubbie ate two big bowls of it, with several hunks of cornbread.
I usually prefer pinto beans, but this time I used white beans, adding a can of low-sodium chicken broth, a can of low-sodium beef broth, cubed lower-sodium ham, diced carrots, onions, and banana peppers, along with no-sodium seasoning, pepper, and paprika.
Mother went home after lunch, and Hubbie and I ran a few errands...to a pharmacy store to use the $3 and the $1 coupons on hygiene products (which were also exempt from tax today), and to the WDCS for a few grocery items. While I was there, I decided to look for a pair of white tennis shoes, and found some that I liked...so I bought two pairs. I also bought an umbrella for Mother, since hers is beginning to wear out. The shoes and umbrella were tax exempt.
Back home, Hubbie decided to stay home while I went to the store that has a sale every weekend to see if there was anything I could use that would fall under the tax-free status. I found a pair of on-sale sunglasses to replace the pair I now have that are missing a nose piece. I used a gift card Hubbie gave me for Christmas to pay for the glasses, but I fully expected to have to pay tax on them. To my surprise, though, they were tax-exempt, too.
Folks were out in force today taking advantage of the tax-free weekend. The purpose for the tax exemptions was to give a break to parents and students shopping for school clothes and supplies, and to boost sales for businesses. But so many items (completely unrelated to school clothes and supplies) fell under the exemption, that almost everybody should have realized tax savings.
On the way to the store, I noticed a dark cloud to the southwest...looked like heavy rain...but it never arrived in our town. Later, at home, I learned storms had rolled through towns south of us. In the capital city, a couple of hours south, a severe storm occurred, with winds up to 77 mph, that downed power poles and trees, and caused a power outage. We desperately need rain, but not storms, thank you.
It's been another scorching day, with the temp over 100 degrees. It was horribly hot yesterday, too. So much so, that for the first time in years, we opted out of going downtown to watch the water carnival parade. The parade is usually the only event of the carnival that we participate in. Nothing else appeals to us, since we aren't interested in the canoe races, the midway rides, or the entertainment on the river.
This coming weekend, if the weather cools somewhat, we might go to a nearby town for a watermelon festival. It's a fun and different festival at the city park that includes interesting vendor booths. During the afternoon, local watermelon growers serve huge slabs of free watermelon. We're not especially interested in the watermelon, but sometimes I find a vendor selling buckets of pears or other fruits inexpensively.
Later, we watched the 2006 comedy, "White Coats," starring Dan Acroyd. A group of interns are assigned to a down and out hospital. Sex and silliness ensues.
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