Woke up at 6 a.m. and found that Mother was awake, too, and ready to come to the den. Once I got her settled, though, I laid back down on the couch and drifted off to sleep again. Hubbie came down around 7 a.m., and I woke up briefly, but drifted off again and didn't wake up again until 8 a.m.
That's my usual way when there a crisis (such as Mother's illness)...I run full speed for several days in a row, then crash. After that, I'm good to go again for a while.
After breakfast, I helped Mother get seated in the kitchen, where she cut up bread to dry. The bread will be used to make dressing at Thanksgiving. While she did that, I walked on the treadmill and did weights exercises.
Afterward, Mother went back to the den, and I got ready for the day. Then I did this and that around the house until lunchtime.
After lunch, we watched a couple of one-hour shows. I made a batch of chai tea while we were doing that. Around 2 p.m., Mother was ready for a nap.
While she slept, I went to my office computer to do several things I've been putting off, including writing a letter to my friend who lives in Texas to include in a birthday card next week.
Mother slept until around 4 p.m. and then came back to the den. She is now using her walker to go back and forth from her bedroom to the bathroom and to the den, though I walk right behind her to make sure she doesn't fall.
Supper tonight was barbecue on buns, slaw, and corn-on-the-cob. Mother chose to have a hot dog on a bun instead of barbecue, but she ate servings of the slaw and corn with it.
Following supper, we watched a couple of Hallmark Channel movies..."The Christmas Visitor," and "Mistletoe over Manhattan." Mother was ready to go to bed afterward.
Once Mother was settled, Hubbie and I watched our favorite college football team play to a wide-margin win. I'd recorded the game on DVR.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
Friday, Nov. 11
Veteran's Day. The first thing Hubbie did was hang the flag on the well house in honor of veterans.
Veteran's Day this year falls on 11-11-11, which, for superstitious folks signifies good luck. I think those of us who woke on this beautiful, mild, autumn day in relative good health, with plenty to eat, a warm home, and blessed by family and friends, are extremely lucky anyway.
We were up at 6:30, so I could get Mother settled in the den, we could have breakfast, and I could get ready to go to water aerobics. Though the weather warmed to the 70s later in the day, there was frost on the van windows this morning.
The water in the pool, though, was wonderfully warm. Seventeen of us enjoyed the aerobics session.
Back home, after I had a couple of cups of coffee, I changed into a swimsuit so I could help Mother take a shower. We waited, though, until the physical therapist arrived, so she could watch our procedure for getting Mother into and out of the shower. Before we headed to the shower, though, a visiting nurse arrived to check Mother's vitals. Then the therapist interviewed Mother.
After that, we headed to the bathroom. The therapist had no suggestions for a better way to help Mother with her shower, so after Mother was dressed and back in the den again, the therapist showed her how to rise from her chair, and grasp the walker in preparation for walking. Mother had to do this three times. Then the therapist had Mother stand up and not hold onto anything, while she checked her balance by gently pushing her chest and then her shoulders. She confirmed what I'd told her, that Mother is weak and wobbly.
The therapist exercised Mother's arms and legs while Mother was seated...resistance exercises involving Mother pushing against the therapist's hands and arms. The session was short today, but she will return each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for several weeks. The visiting nurse will come twice a week for a couple of weeks, and then once a week thereafter, if all goes well.
The session ended about 11:30. So before I went upstairs to get ready for the day, I fixed Mother a lunch of Ramen noodle soup, a slice of cheese, crackers, and a small slice of streusel coffee cake.
Hubbie had gone to the local Catholic Church bake sale while the therapist and nurse visited Mother...this was at my request, because I'd heard at the pool this morning that homemade cinnamon rolls would be available. They were not...the lady who bakes them didn't show up. But Hubbie selected several other baked goods, instead, including the coffee cake, a small pineapple cake, iced brownies, and chocolate-oatmeal drop cookies.
After lunch, Mother was plenty ready for a nap. While she slept, Hubbie and I went to the WDCS for a few grocery items. While there, I decided to go ahead and pick up a turkey breast, a ham, and canned foods related to Thanksgiving dinner. I also picked up several items I'll need for a graham cracker cookie Christmas House workshop I'll be conducting the first part of December.
Back home, after we unloaded the groceries, and I checked on Mother, who was awake but not ready to get up yet, Hubbie and I went to the hydroponic farm to get tomatoes, and then to a grocery store for a few items we couldn't find at the WDCS.
At home again, I fixed a supper of white gravy with chopped boiled eggs added, which I served over toast, with a side of potatoes sauteed with green onions. Not a particularly healthy meal, but one that Mother really enjoyed.
After that, it was TV time. We watched a couple of one-hour shows, and then Mother was ready to go to bed around 8:30.
Veteran's Day this year falls on 11-11-11, which, for superstitious folks signifies good luck. I think those of us who woke on this beautiful, mild, autumn day in relative good health, with plenty to eat, a warm home, and blessed by family and friends, are extremely lucky anyway.
We were up at 6:30, so I could get Mother settled in the den, we could have breakfast, and I could get ready to go to water aerobics. Though the weather warmed to the 70s later in the day, there was frost on the van windows this morning.
The water in the pool, though, was wonderfully warm. Seventeen of us enjoyed the aerobics session.
Back home, after I had a couple of cups of coffee, I changed into a swimsuit so I could help Mother take a shower. We waited, though, until the physical therapist arrived, so she could watch our procedure for getting Mother into and out of the shower. Before we headed to the shower, though, a visiting nurse arrived to check Mother's vitals. Then the therapist interviewed Mother.
After that, we headed to the bathroom. The therapist had no suggestions for a better way to help Mother with her shower, so after Mother was dressed and back in the den again, the therapist showed her how to rise from her chair, and grasp the walker in preparation for walking. Mother had to do this three times. Then the therapist had Mother stand up and not hold onto anything, while she checked her balance by gently pushing her chest and then her shoulders. She confirmed what I'd told her, that Mother is weak and wobbly.
The therapist exercised Mother's arms and legs while Mother was seated...resistance exercises involving Mother pushing against the therapist's hands and arms. The session was short today, but she will return each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for several weeks. The visiting nurse will come twice a week for a couple of weeks, and then once a week thereafter, if all goes well.
The session ended about 11:30. So before I went upstairs to get ready for the day, I fixed Mother a lunch of Ramen noodle soup, a slice of cheese, crackers, and a small slice of streusel coffee cake.
Hubbie had gone to the local Catholic Church bake sale while the therapist and nurse visited Mother...this was at my request, because I'd heard at the pool this morning that homemade cinnamon rolls would be available. They were not...the lady who bakes them didn't show up. But Hubbie selected several other baked goods, instead, including the coffee cake, a small pineapple cake, iced brownies, and chocolate-oatmeal drop cookies.
After lunch, Mother was plenty ready for a nap. While she slept, Hubbie and I went to the WDCS for a few grocery items. While there, I decided to go ahead and pick up a turkey breast, a ham, and canned foods related to Thanksgiving dinner. I also picked up several items I'll need for a graham cracker cookie Christmas House workshop I'll be conducting the first part of December.
Back home, after we unloaded the groceries, and I checked on Mother, who was awake but not ready to get up yet, Hubbie and I went to the hydroponic farm to get tomatoes, and then to a grocery store for a few items we couldn't find at the WDCS.
At home again, I fixed a supper of white gravy with chopped boiled eggs added, which I served over toast, with a side of potatoes sauteed with green onions. Not a particularly healthy meal, but one that Mother really enjoyed.
After that, it was TV time. We watched a couple of one-hour shows, and then Mother was ready to go to bed around 8:30.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Thursday, Nov. 10
Up around 7:30 this morning, and after I got Mother settled, and we'd all had breakfast, I did a treadmill session and resistance exercises.
Mother stayed up until around 1 p.m. today, the longest since she came home from the hospital. She watched several TV shows recorded on DVR that she'd missed during evening hours, while I got ready for the day and then did chores around the house.
For lunch, I fixed Ramen noodle soup for Mother, and chicken sandwiches for Hubbie and me. A while later, Mother was ready for a nap.
While she slept, Hubbie and I ran errands...to the bank, and to the store that has a sale every weekend to look for a non-skid rug for the bathroom that Mother uses for her shower. I didn't find what I wanted in rugs, so I looked at towels and wash clothes to match Mother's bathroom at her house. She's been commented on the comfortable thickness of the towels at our house. Her own towels are lightweight.
I found dark brown towels on sale at the store, but no matching wash clothes (go figure). So we went to the WDCS, where I found a cushiony non-skid bath mat, and thick brown towels and wash clothes for essentially the same price as the ones at the other store.
I also found fleece wear for Mother...a set of slate gray, and a set of navy blue...that will also become Christmas gifts.
Back home, Mother was still sleeping, so I relaxed with my laptop until time to put leftovers in the oven for supper. Mother woke up around 4:30 p.m., ready for supper.
From the leftovers, she chose chicken in gravy over rice, and sweet potatoes. Hubbie and I had the beef strips with peppers and onions over rice, sweet potatoes, and turnips.
While supper was heating, Son called to talk with Hubbie about the materials that will be needed to build a ramp onto Mother's porch. Son and Grandson, and family, will be here the Saturday after Thanksgiving (weather permitting) to work on the project.
Later, we watched TV, including a Hallmark Channel 2011 movie called, "Love's Christmas Journey." Set in the 1800s, a young woman visits her brother in another town after losing her husband and child in a tornado. During her visit, a young man courting the mayor's daughter is accused of burning the mayor's barn. The visiting woman believes his is innocent and sets about proving it. Meanwhile her brother, who is a sheriff, is shot by a robber while on a trip. All ends well, and the young woman even finds love again. This was a three hour movie (when we fast-forwarded through commercials), but Mother stayed up for the whole thing.
Got an interesting phone call a couple of days ago. A woman was looking for a teaching photographer to do a project with children, and she'd gotten my name from the art gallery director. The project is a national initiative to teach children in the delta of our state how to use cameras, and then have them photograph people and places in their communities. The photos would then be enlarged to 8x10, framed, and exhibited (I don't know where), as a way to bring the plight of the poorest area of our state to the attention of folks. This sounds like a really interesting project, but of course I'm in no position right now to take advantage of it, so I had to decline.
Mother stayed up until around 1 p.m. today, the longest since she came home from the hospital. She watched several TV shows recorded on DVR that she'd missed during evening hours, while I got ready for the day and then did chores around the house.
For lunch, I fixed Ramen noodle soup for Mother, and chicken sandwiches for Hubbie and me. A while later, Mother was ready for a nap.
While she slept, Hubbie and I ran errands...to the bank, and to the store that has a sale every weekend to look for a non-skid rug for the bathroom that Mother uses for her shower. I didn't find what I wanted in rugs, so I looked at towels and wash clothes to match Mother's bathroom at her house. She's been commented on the comfortable thickness of the towels at our house. Her own towels are lightweight.
I found dark brown towels on sale at the store, but no matching wash clothes (go figure). So we went to the WDCS, where I found a cushiony non-skid bath mat, and thick brown towels and wash clothes for essentially the same price as the ones at the other store.
I also found fleece wear for Mother...a set of slate gray, and a set of navy blue...that will also become Christmas gifts.
Back home, Mother was still sleeping, so I relaxed with my laptop until time to put leftovers in the oven for supper. Mother woke up around 4:30 p.m., ready for supper.
From the leftovers, she chose chicken in gravy over rice, and sweet potatoes. Hubbie and I had the beef strips with peppers and onions over rice, sweet potatoes, and turnips.
While supper was heating, Son called to talk with Hubbie about the materials that will be needed to build a ramp onto Mother's porch. Son and Grandson, and family, will be here the Saturday after Thanksgiving (weather permitting) to work on the project.
Later, we watched TV, including a Hallmark Channel 2011 movie called, "Love's Christmas Journey." Set in the 1800s, a young woman visits her brother in another town after losing her husband and child in a tornado. During her visit, a young man courting the mayor's daughter is accused of burning the mayor's barn. The visiting woman believes his is innocent and sets about proving it. Meanwhile her brother, who is a sheriff, is shot by a robber while on a trip. All ends well, and the young woman even finds love again. This was a three hour movie (when we fast-forwarded through commercials), but Mother stayed up for the whole thing.
Got an interesting phone call a couple of days ago. A woman was looking for a teaching photographer to do a project with children, and she'd gotten my name from the art gallery director. The project is a national initiative to teach children in the delta of our state how to use cameras, and then have them photograph people and places in their communities. The photos would then be enlarged to 8x10, framed, and exhibited (I don't know where), as a way to bring the plight of the poorest area of our state to the attention of folks. This sounds like a really interesting project, but of course I'm in no position right now to take advantage of it, so I had to decline.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Wednesday, Nov. 9
Up at 6:30 to see to Mother's needs before I got ready to go to the pool. Only in our state is there summer-like weather one day, and wintry weather a couple of days later. Monday was very, very warm, but today, I needed a coat, hat, and gloves for going to the pool. I'm glad I wore them, too, because there was a biting cold wind.
The pool was gloriously warm, though, and I thoroughly enjoyed my swim and the aerobics session. Only ten of us showed up, I suppose because folks anticipated the pool would still be cold after last week.
I was the first to exit the pool (which is usually the case, since I like to visit the potty...of which there are only two...and dress before the rest of the ladies mob the dressing room). Today, when I opened the door to the dressing room, I discovered it was as dark as pitch. Someone had turned off all the lights, and I had no idea where the switches were.
So I had to feel my way around the walls until I found a bank of them. I switched them on, but they only turned on the lights to the shower/sink/toilet area. The dressing room remained dark, because I didn't have a clue where the other switch was. Ladies began arriving just as I finished dressing, puzzled by the darkness. I bid adieu to the ladies and headed out...and that's when I discovered the other switch near the entrance/exit door.
Wow, if it was cold walking from the far distant parking lot to the pool, it was twice as cold walking back after a swim. I was glad to get back home and pour a couple of cups of hot coffee down me to knock off the chill.
Once I was comfortable again, I changed into a dry swimsuit and helped Mother take a shower and get dressed. Mother is able to do more now to help herself dress and undress. Even though she's taking small steps to recovery, she's impatient to be back to her old self and able to return to her house. I keep having to remind her that she's making progress, and she needs to be patient a little while longer. And even when she can go back to her house, I won't feel comfortable with her staying there at night for quite some time, unless someone is staying overnight with her.
After Mother was settled in her rocking chair in the den, I boiled a half dozen small eggs from Sis's laying chickens, before I got ready for the day.
Later, I fixed Mother a sliced boiled egg, served with a warmed yeast roll and blueberry preserves for lunch. For Hubbie and me, I mashed the leftover beans and ham and mixed them with mustard. After heating the mixture, I spread it on hamburger buns and added slices of cheese, which I melted in the microwave. The beans made very good sandwich material.
After lunch, Mother was ready for a nap. Once I got her settled, I went to my office computer and downloaded snapshots of the fall colors I'd taken on Sunday, and then I uploaded some of them to my social network page. I also sent copies to my student, along with a snapshot of her that I did when we met Monday. She wants to send photos of the colorful trees in our state to her family in Venezuela, where the landscape doesn't include autumn colors.
While I was doing this, Hubbie ran errands...to the Caring Hands Hospice office to deliver a package of greeting cards that one of the other scrapbook club members and I made at our October meeting, and to a couple of grocery stores to pick up on-sale or free items.
While I was in my office, I got a call from a man who worked with Hubbie and me before our retirement. He was returning our call about building a wheelchair ramp at Mother's house. He gave me a lot of useful information, including the name of a man who could do the job. I told him I have a son and grandson who are carpenters, and if I could engage them for the job, I preferred to do that. He's willing to act in an advisory capacity, if Son agrees. I think this is mainly because he is unable to do the work himself anymore, and he misses it, and wants to just be involved somehow.
I feel sorry for this gentleman. He has had a rough year, having suffered several cancer surgeries, including melanomas and lymph nodes, a knee replacement, and cataract surgery.
Back downstairs, I put chicken in the slow cooker, and made a recipe of canned carrots cooked in margarine and brown sugar. I planned to have the chicken and carrots, along with rice and gravy, for supper. It was the sort of meal that wouldn't require me to be at the stove cooking at 5 p.m., when Mother's hairdresser was scheduled to come and cut her hair.
During the afternoon, the therapist called hoping to visit Mother around five or five-thirty, but when I told her that we expected the hairdresser at that time, she made an appointment to visit Mother at 10:15 a.m. Friday. She wants to be here when Mother showers, so she can see if we are handling that in a way that won't require her attention, or to see if she can supply anything to make the task easier. She also wants to spend time assessing Mother's other needs.
At 5 p.m., the hairdresser called to say she was on her way, so I helped Mother dampen her hair and get settled in a chair in the kitchen. It took only a few minutes for the hairdresser to cut Mother's thinning hair, but Mother looks so much better now, and she feels better, too. The hairdresser reiterated that we should call anytime Mother needs her to stop by.
After that, I finished getting supper ready. Mother finished nearly all of her portion. I'm glad her appetite seems to be coming back, and she's enjoying a wider range of foods.
Later, Mother and I watched the 1994 movie, "Little Women," starring Winona Ryder, Susan Sarandon, Christian Bale, and others. We'd seen this movie before, but it was good enough to see again. Hubbie, however, was not interested in it, so he absented himself and went to the office. Guess the movie is more of a chick flick than a guy thing.
The pool was gloriously warm, though, and I thoroughly enjoyed my swim and the aerobics session. Only ten of us showed up, I suppose because folks anticipated the pool would still be cold after last week.
I was the first to exit the pool (which is usually the case, since I like to visit the potty...of which there are only two...and dress before the rest of the ladies mob the dressing room). Today, when I opened the door to the dressing room, I discovered it was as dark as pitch. Someone had turned off all the lights, and I had no idea where the switches were.
So I had to feel my way around the walls until I found a bank of them. I switched them on, but they only turned on the lights to the shower/sink/toilet area. The dressing room remained dark, because I didn't have a clue where the other switch was. Ladies began arriving just as I finished dressing, puzzled by the darkness. I bid adieu to the ladies and headed out...and that's when I discovered the other switch near the entrance/exit door.
Wow, if it was cold walking from the far distant parking lot to the pool, it was twice as cold walking back after a swim. I was glad to get back home and pour a couple of cups of hot coffee down me to knock off the chill.
Once I was comfortable again, I changed into a dry swimsuit and helped Mother take a shower and get dressed. Mother is able to do more now to help herself dress and undress. Even though she's taking small steps to recovery, she's impatient to be back to her old self and able to return to her house. I keep having to remind her that she's making progress, and she needs to be patient a little while longer. And even when she can go back to her house, I won't feel comfortable with her staying there at night for quite some time, unless someone is staying overnight with her.
After Mother was settled in her rocking chair in the den, I boiled a half dozen small eggs from Sis's laying chickens, before I got ready for the day.
Later, I fixed Mother a sliced boiled egg, served with a warmed yeast roll and blueberry preserves for lunch. For Hubbie and me, I mashed the leftover beans and ham and mixed them with mustard. After heating the mixture, I spread it on hamburger buns and added slices of cheese, which I melted in the microwave. The beans made very good sandwich material.
After lunch, Mother was ready for a nap. Once I got her settled, I went to my office computer and downloaded snapshots of the fall colors I'd taken on Sunday, and then I uploaded some of them to my social network page. I also sent copies to my student, along with a snapshot of her that I did when we met Monday. She wants to send photos of the colorful trees in our state to her family in Venezuela, where the landscape doesn't include autumn colors.
While I was doing this, Hubbie ran errands...to the Caring Hands Hospice office to deliver a package of greeting cards that one of the other scrapbook club members and I made at our October meeting, and to a couple of grocery stores to pick up on-sale or free items.
While I was in my office, I got a call from a man who worked with Hubbie and me before our retirement. He was returning our call about building a wheelchair ramp at Mother's house. He gave me a lot of useful information, including the name of a man who could do the job. I told him I have a son and grandson who are carpenters, and if I could engage them for the job, I preferred to do that. He's willing to act in an advisory capacity, if Son agrees. I think this is mainly because he is unable to do the work himself anymore, and he misses it, and wants to just be involved somehow.
I feel sorry for this gentleman. He has had a rough year, having suffered several cancer surgeries, including melanomas and lymph nodes, a knee replacement, and cataract surgery.
Back downstairs, I put chicken in the slow cooker, and made a recipe of canned carrots cooked in margarine and brown sugar. I planned to have the chicken and carrots, along with rice and gravy, for supper. It was the sort of meal that wouldn't require me to be at the stove cooking at 5 p.m., when Mother's hairdresser was scheduled to come and cut her hair.
During the afternoon, the therapist called hoping to visit Mother around five or five-thirty, but when I told her that we expected the hairdresser at that time, she made an appointment to visit Mother at 10:15 a.m. Friday. She wants to be here when Mother showers, so she can see if we are handling that in a way that won't require her attention, or to see if she can supply anything to make the task easier. She also wants to spend time assessing Mother's other needs.
At 5 p.m., the hairdresser called to say she was on her way, so I helped Mother dampen her hair and get settled in a chair in the kitchen. It took only a few minutes for the hairdresser to cut Mother's thinning hair, but Mother looks so much better now, and she feels better, too. The hairdresser reiterated that we should call anytime Mother needs her to stop by.
After that, I finished getting supper ready. Mother finished nearly all of her portion. I'm glad her appetite seems to be coming back, and she's enjoying a wider range of foods.
Later, Mother and I watched the 1994 movie, "Little Women," starring Winona Ryder, Susan Sarandon, Christian Bale, and others. We'd seen this movie before, but it was good enough to see again. Hubbie, however, was not interested in it, so he absented himself and went to the office. Guess the movie is more of a chick flick than a guy thing.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Tuesday, Nov. 8
Up around 7:30. Once I saw to Mother's needs, and we'd all had breakfast, Hubbie and I rode bicycles around the neighborhood. The weather was just perfect for a ride. I took my camera along in case I saw something interesting to shoot.
We were back in about 30 minutes, and Hubbie put the bicycles up while I strolled the yard looking for autumn colors for my camera.
Once I'd showered and gotten ready for the day, Hubbie and I went to our local voting poll. Very slow day at the poll...we were voters number five and six, and this was around 10:30 a.m.
Today, there were a couple of new poll workers, a husband and wife team, the wife of which worked with us in rehabilitation services. She is now retired, too, but she keeps up with employees of the agency statewide, and fills us in on news of folks we know.
She relayed the sad news of a man who was Hubbie's supervisor when he worked for the agency. The man died of lung cancer in September, after having been diagnosed only a couple of weeks earlier. He was around my age. This man and I worked in the same office in the capital city many years ago. He was very kind in seeing to my safety by following me home...about 40 miles to another town...on nights that the agency had late meetings. He lived in a town just a few miles from my home, so it wasn't too far out of his way.
After voting, we went to the WDCS for a few grocery items, particularly hot dog and hamburger buns, and a package of ground turkey.
Back home, I found a voice message from a visiting nurse. I returned the call right away, and we arranged for her to visit right after lunch. Then I called the beauty shop to make an appointment for myself for next Tuesday, and make an appointment with Mother's hairdresser to come to the house tomorrow afternoon to cut her hair. This is a very nice lady, who has mentioned over and over again that she is available for home visits to her elderly shut-in customers.
After that, Hubbie and I spruced the den and kitchen for the nurse's visit. Then, I fixed a lunch of a hot dog with mustard and homemade relish, and macaroni and cheese, for Mother, a couple of hot dogs on buns for Hubbie, and a turkey burger on a bun for myself.
The visiting nurse arrived shortly after lunch. She was here for about an hour doing an in-depth interview and getting form after form signed. She left a folder of these forms with us, which I'll read at the first opportunity, even though she thoroughly explained them.
She said that a physical therapist will contact us, probably Thursday. The therapist will probably have to come and do her own assessment before a program can be designed for Mother.
Thunderstorms cropped up around 3:30 p.m., and tornado watches and warnings went into effect around the state. With the time change, it's dark by around 5 p.m., but today it was dark even earlier because of the storm.
This afternoon, we watched Monday night's episode of "Dancing with the Stars," and later, I fixed a supper of beans and ham, sweet potatoes, turnips, and choice of cornbread or yeast rolls. The beans and ham were from the freezer...leftover from another meal. The sweet potatoes were from the freezer, too, though they were some that we baked and froze a few months back to keep them from spoiling. They were the last of a big box of them we'd bought at the WDCS for ten cents a pound after Thanksgiving last year.
The meal was a very good rainy day option. Mother ate some of everything, even the turnips. But since she'd been up all afternoon, she was ready to go to bed early, and was all tucked in by 6:30 p.m.
Hubbie and I continued watching TV, including the elimination episode of "Dancing with the Stars." The contestant that we thought should be eliminated, was.
We were back in about 30 minutes, and Hubbie put the bicycles up while I strolled the yard looking for autumn colors for my camera.
Once I'd showered and gotten ready for the day, Hubbie and I went to our local voting poll. Very slow day at the poll...we were voters number five and six, and this was around 10:30 a.m.
Today, there were a couple of new poll workers, a husband and wife team, the wife of which worked with us in rehabilitation services. She is now retired, too, but she keeps up with employees of the agency statewide, and fills us in on news of folks we know.
She relayed the sad news of a man who was Hubbie's supervisor when he worked for the agency. The man died of lung cancer in September, after having been diagnosed only a couple of weeks earlier. He was around my age. This man and I worked in the same office in the capital city many years ago. He was very kind in seeing to my safety by following me home...about 40 miles to another town...on nights that the agency had late meetings. He lived in a town just a few miles from my home, so it wasn't too far out of his way.
After voting, we went to the WDCS for a few grocery items, particularly hot dog and hamburger buns, and a package of ground turkey.
Back home, I found a voice message from a visiting nurse. I returned the call right away, and we arranged for her to visit right after lunch. Then I called the beauty shop to make an appointment for myself for next Tuesday, and make an appointment with Mother's hairdresser to come to the house tomorrow afternoon to cut her hair. This is a very nice lady, who has mentioned over and over again that she is available for home visits to her elderly shut-in customers.
After that, Hubbie and I spruced the den and kitchen for the nurse's visit. Then, I fixed a lunch of a hot dog with mustard and homemade relish, and macaroni and cheese, for Mother, a couple of hot dogs on buns for Hubbie, and a turkey burger on a bun for myself.
The visiting nurse arrived shortly after lunch. She was here for about an hour doing an in-depth interview and getting form after form signed. She left a folder of these forms with us, which I'll read at the first opportunity, even though she thoroughly explained them.
She said that a physical therapist will contact us, probably Thursday. The therapist will probably have to come and do her own assessment before a program can be designed for Mother.
Thunderstorms cropped up around 3:30 p.m., and tornado watches and warnings went into effect around the state. With the time change, it's dark by around 5 p.m., but today it was dark even earlier because of the storm.
This afternoon, we watched Monday night's episode of "Dancing with the Stars," and later, I fixed a supper of beans and ham, sweet potatoes, turnips, and choice of cornbread or yeast rolls. The beans and ham were from the freezer...leftover from another meal. The sweet potatoes were from the freezer, too, though they were some that we baked and froze a few months back to keep them from spoiling. They were the last of a big box of them we'd bought at the WDCS for ten cents a pound after Thanksgiving last year.
The meal was a very good rainy day option. Mother ate some of everything, even the turnips. But since she'd been up all afternoon, she was ready to go to bed early, and was all tucked in by 6:30 p.m.
Hubbie and I continued watching TV, including the elimination episode of "Dancing with the Stars." The contestant that we thought should be eliminated, was.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Monday, Nov. 7
Up at 6:30 a.m. to get ready to go to water aerobics. Before I got ready, I saw that Mother was comfortable in the den and had breakfast. She chose to stay in the den until I got back from the aerobics session.
The water in the pool was cool, but not unbearable. I'd been told by a member last week that the water was just plain cold and most members had stayed away. But this morning, sixteen or seventeen of us showed up.
A maintenance woman explained that last week after the pool had been topped off, someone had inadvertently turned the heat up to the dressing room showers, making them scalding, while turning down the heat to the pool, making it icy cold. We were assured the problem had been corrected however. So I'm hoping the water will be pleasant on Wednesday.
Back home, Hubbie had gone to the county clerk's office to pick up an absentee ballot for Mother, so she could vote on a highway bond issue. This required several trips, since he had to get the form to request the ballot, then bring it home for Mother to fill out, then return it and get the ballot, then bring that home for Mother to cast her vote. During one of his trips, he stopped by the pharmacy to pick up prescriptions for Mother and me.
After Mother cast her ballot, I helped her shower and change clothes. By the time I got ready for the day, it was time to fix lunch. Mother opted for buttered mashed potatoes, with a side of English peas. Hubbie and I had whole wheat pancakes.
Following lunch, after I got Mother settled in for a nap, Hubbie and I ran a couple of errands...to drop the weekly word search puzzle contest off at the newspaper, take Mother's ballot back to the clerk's office, and then go to the college where the swimming pool is, so that I could take pictures of the beautiful autumn trees.
While I was doing this, a college staff member asked if I'd post some of my images at the college's website. The man seemed extremely pleased that I was shooting photos, and he wondered why more people weren't doing it, since this has been an exceptional year for colors.
Back home, I wandered around the yard shooting fall colors, before it was time to go to the college down the road to meet with my student. Since I had my camera on hand, I snapped a couple of pictures of her. She asked that I email one to her, as well as some images of the fall colors. She is enchanted with the colorful trees and wants to email pictures of them to her relatives in Venezuela, where there is nothing in the landscape to compare with them.
She also mentioned that she will not be able to meet with me next Monday, because she is going to an airport to pick up her Mother, who will spend a few weeks here on a visit. She plans to bring her mother to our next session the week after next. I'll be happy to meet her.
Today, she learned to change statements to questions, using "what." "Mr. Smith is selling his car." "What is Mr. Smith selling?" "Jill is laughing at the pup." "What is Jill laughing at?"
Then she learned to use mom and dad, rather than the more formal mother and father, and use the verbs get and got: "I get a letter from my sister every week." "I got this letter yesterday." She also leaned verbs that show affection: kisses, hugs, holds hand with, pats.
Then she learned to use indirect objects without "to." "Ann gives Jack a gift," rather than "Ann gives a gift to Jack."
Finally, she learned to use "let" in the sense of allowing or permitting something. "Mom lets Dan have two pieces of candy." "Mr. Hunt doesn't let his son drive the car."
At home, Hubbie had put potatoes in the oven for supper, and I heated the beef strips with peppers and onions, made salads, and heated the yeast rolls I'd bought at the craft fair Saturday. It was all very good, and Mother ate her entire portion (though I didn't make a salad for her...she had peas instead).
Mother stayed up for the evening and watched TV with us...a 2011 spy movie from the PBS channel called "Page Eight." The boss and best friend of an M15 intelligence officer dies suddenly and leaves him a mysterious file. He's forced to walk out of his life and identity to find the truth.
I helped Mother to her bed afterward, and then Hubbie and I watched a USA Channel movie based on a John Sanford novel...the 2011, "Certain Prey." Mark Harmon plays the lead. Minneapolis Deputy Police Chief Lucas Davenport goes after a hit woman and a murderous lawyer.
The water in the pool was cool, but not unbearable. I'd been told by a member last week that the water was just plain cold and most members had stayed away. But this morning, sixteen or seventeen of us showed up.
A maintenance woman explained that last week after the pool had been topped off, someone had inadvertently turned the heat up to the dressing room showers, making them scalding, while turning down the heat to the pool, making it icy cold. We were assured the problem had been corrected however. So I'm hoping the water will be pleasant on Wednesday.
Back home, Hubbie had gone to the county clerk's office to pick up an absentee ballot for Mother, so she could vote on a highway bond issue. This required several trips, since he had to get the form to request the ballot, then bring it home for Mother to fill out, then return it and get the ballot, then bring that home for Mother to cast her vote. During one of his trips, he stopped by the pharmacy to pick up prescriptions for Mother and me.
After Mother cast her ballot, I helped her shower and change clothes. By the time I got ready for the day, it was time to fix lunch. Mother opted for buttered mashed potatoes, with a side of English peas. Hubbie and I had whole wheat pancakes.
Following lunch, after I got Mother settled in for a nap, Hubbie and I ran a couple of errands...to drop the weekly word search puzzle contest off at the newspaper, take Mother's ballot back to the clerk's office, and then go to the college where the swimming pool is, so that I could take pictures of the beautiful autumn trees.
While I was doing this, a college staff member asked if I'd post some of my images at the college's website. The man seemed extremely pleased that I was shooting photos, and he wondered why more people weren't doing it, since this has been an exceptional year for colors.
Back home, I wandered around the yard shooting fall colors, before it was time to go to the college down the road to meet with my student. Since I had my camera on hand, I snapped a couple of pictures of her. She asked that I email one to her, as well as some images of the fall colors. She is enchanted with the colorful trees and wants to email pictures of them to her relatives in Venezuela, where there is nothing in the landscape to compare with them.
She also mentioned that she will not be able to meet with me next Monday, because she is going to an airport to pick up her Mother, who will spend a few weeks here on a visit. She plans to bring her mother to our next session the week after next. I'll be happy to meet her.
Today, she learned to change statements to questions, using "what." "Mr. Smith is selling his car." "What is Mr. Smith selling?" "Jill is laughing at the pup." "What is Jill laughing at?"
Then she learned to use mom and dad, rather than the more formal mother and father, and use the verbs get and got: "I get a letter from my sister every week." "I got this letter yesterday." She also leaned verbs that show affection: kisses, hugs, holds hand with, pats.
Then she learned to use indirect objects without "to." "Ann gives Jack a gift," rather than "Ann gives a gift to Jack."
Finally, she learned to use "let" in the sense of allowing or permitting something. "Mom lets Dan have two pieces of candy." "Mr. Hunt doesn't let his son drive the car."
At home, Hubbie had put potatoes in the oven for supper, and I heated the beef strips with peppers and onions, made salads, and heated the yeast rolls I'd bought at the craft fair Saturday. It was all very good, and Mother ate her entire portion (though I didn't make a salad for her...she had peas instead).
Mother stayed up for the evening and watched TV with us...a 2011 spy movie from the PBS channel called "Page Eight." The boss and best friend of an M15 intelligence officer dies suddenly and leaves him a mysterious file. He's forced to walk out of his life and identity to find the truth.
I helped Mother to her bed afterward, and then Hubbie and I watched a USA Channel movie based on a John Sanford novel...the 2011, "Certain Prey." Mark Harmon plays the lead. Minneapolis Deputy Police Chief Lucas Davenport goes after a hit woman and a murderous lawyer.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Sunday, Nov. 6
Changing the clocks back one hour last night meant an extra hour of sleep this morning. So it was about 8:30 before we all got up. I helped Mother into the den for breakfast, but skipped my exercises afterward, so I could start a skillet of beef strips simmering to tenderize them, and do other morning chores.
I'd added a can of beef broth to the meat, but it evaporated before I finish showering and getting ready for the day. Mother knew by the smell that the meat would scorch if liquid wasn't added, so Hubbie took care of it.
When I got back to the kitchen, I added bell pepper and onion strips to the meat and simmered them until they were tender crisp. The beef is for our Monday night supper. Since I'll be meeting my ESL student tomorrow afternoon, I knew I wouldn't have time to prepare supper before five or five-thirty p.m. This way, Hubbie can put potatoes in the oven to bake while I'm gone, and open a can of veggies for the microwave, and supper won't be late.
For lunch today, though, I fixed some leftover macaroni and cheese, and a helping of English peas, for Mother's early lunch (her request), so I could help get her settled back in bed, before Hubbie and I went to a the local church where the Literacy Council office is located for a barbecue lunch at 12:15 p.m.
The purpose of the lunch was to recognize current tutors with certificates of appreciation, and to introduce potential new tutors, as well as members of the congregation, who had also been invited to the lunch.
I was delighted that several folks I know are already tutors or are exploring the possibility of tutoring. Two are volunteers with the art gallery, two are members of the water aerobics group, one is a lap swimmer at the pool, and is someone I've been associated with in regard to making our community more exercise-friendly with walking and bike paths, and one is a past member of the community theater.
About fifty of us enjoyed barbecue sandwiches, with a choice of homemade beans and ham, baked beans, store-bought potato and macaroni salads, and fresh fruit, as well as an array of desserts, with sodas or water for drinks.
We were back home from the event around 1:30 p.m. Mother was still propped up in her bed. She'd spent her time reading the Sunday newspaper, and a couple of issues of our local paper, plus working puzzles.
Shortly after we arrived back home, she opted for a nap and slept until around 4:30 p.m. While she slept, Hubbie went to her house and spent a few hours with Mother's cat, who is missing Mother mightily. I spent the afternoon watching a 1999s PG-13, Hallmark Channel movie, "Forces of Nature," starring Ben Affleck and Sandra Bullock. A young man on his way to his wedding is delayed because his plane has trouble taking off. He meets an exciting and adventurous woman, and is soon joining her in her escapades. Romance blossoms.
Following the movie, I continued reading a novel on my Kindle, entitled, "Invisible." It was a free book, mainly intended for a Christian audience, I think. It's a murder mystery, with a LOL (self-described Little Old Lady) as the amateur detective. It's title alludes to what all we seniors know...we are invisible. The book is very humorous, while interlacing the heroine's Christian values. It gets a little preachy in places, but I'm enjoying the book because I can relate to all the daily hurtles this older woman encounters.
Later, I fixed breakfast for supper...leftover fried potatoes and white gravy, with fried eggs (from Sis's laying hens), and toast. Again, Mother cleaned her plate.
Afterward, we watched the Hallmark Channel 2010 movie, "A Family Thanksgiving." A woman lawyer hoping become a partner is suddenly zapped into a family setting, where she has a husband and two kids she doesn't know. Lessons are learned.
I'm not liking this time change...dark by 5 p.m. Makes the evening seem endless.
I'd added a can of beef broth to the meat, but it evaporated before I finish showering and getting ready for the day. Mother knew by the smell that the meat would scorch if liquid wasn't added, so Hubbie took care of it.
When I got back to the kitchen, I added bell pepper and onion strips to the meat and simmered them until they were tender crisp. The beef is for our Monday night supper. Since I'll be meeting my ESL student tomorrow afternoon, I knew I wouldn't have time to prepare supper before five or five-thirty p.m. This way, Hubbie can put potatoes in the oven to bake while I'm gone, and open a can of veggies for the microwave, and supper won't be late.
For lunch today, though, I fixed some leftover macaroni and cheese, and a helping of English peas, for Mother's early lunch (her request), so I could help get her settled back in bed, before Hubbie and I went to a the local church where the Literacy Council office is located for a barbecue lunch at 12:15 p.m.
The purpose of the lunch was to recognize current tutors with certificates of appreciation, and to introduce potential new tutors, as well as members of the congregation, who had also been invited to the lunch.
I was delighted that several folks I know are already tutors or are exploring the possibility of tutoring. Two are volunteers with the art gallery, two are members of the water aerobics group, one is a lap swimmer at the pool, and is someone I've been associated with in regard to making our community more exercise-friendly with walking and bike paths, and one is a past member of the community theater.
About fifty of us enjoyed barbecue sandwiches, with a choice of homemade beans and ham, baked beans, store-bought potato and macaroni salads, and fresh fruit, as well as an array of desserts, with sodas or water for drinks.
We were back home from the event around 1:30 p.m. Mother was still propped up in her bed. She'd spent her time reading the Sunday newspaper, and a couple of issues of our local paper, plus working puzzles.
Shortly after we arrived back home, she opted for a nap and slept until around 4:30 p.m. While she slept, Hubbie went to her house and spent a few hours with Mother's cat, who is missing Mother mightily. I spent the afternoon watching a 1999s PG-13, Hallmark Channel movie, "Forces of Nature," starring Ben Affleck and Sandra Bullock. A young man on his way to his wedding is delayed because his plane has trouble taking off. He meets an exciting and adventurous woman, and is soon joining her in her escapades. Romance blossoms.
Following the movie, I continued reading a novel on my Kindle, entitled, "Invisible." It was a free book, mainly intended for a Christian audience, I think. It's a murder mystery, with a LOL (self-described Little Old Lady) as the amateur detective. It's title alludes to what all we seniors know...we are invisible. The book is very humorous, while interlacing the heroine's Christian values. It gets a little preachy in places, but I'm enjoying the book because I can relate to all the daily hurtles this older woman encounters.
Later, I fixed breakfast for supper...leftover fried potatoes and white gravy, with fried eggs (from Sis's laying hens), and toast. Again, Mother cleaned her plate.
Afterward, we watched the Hallmark Channel 2010 movie, "A Family Thanksgiving." A woman lawyer hoping become a partner is suddenly zapped into a family setting, where she has a husband and two kids she doesn't know. Lessons are learned.
I'm not liking this time change...dark by 5 p.m. Makes the evening seem endless.
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