Friday, Jan. 27

Up at 6:30 this morning to get ready to go to water aerobics. It was chilly enough this morning that the sliding door on the van was frozen shut, though there was only moisture on the windows. Hubbie had gone out earlier and cleared the windshield and back window, but failed to wipe the side windows or the side mirrors. So at the end of the driveway, I hopped out and used my gloves to wipe the windows. Didn't discover the mirrors were wet until I was already on the road. Had to totally rely on the rear view mirror inside the van. Everything turned out fine, though.

The water in the pool was still a bit chilly, but okay once I was in it. The talk today was of men's wear and children's wear shops downtown that are closing after many years. Both are owned by the same folks. I have to say that in the 31 years I've lived in this town, I have only visited the men's shop once. I found the prices too high, so I didn't return.

Someone also said that the owner of a shoe shop downtown is looking for a buyer for her building, so she can retire. She owns not only the shoe shop, but the storefront next door that houses the arts council. Worrisome.

Back home, I enjoyed a couple of cups of hot coffee to warm me up, and then I went to Mother's house to help her take a shower. Threw a load of laundry in her washer before I came back to our house.

As usual, it was nearly noon before I was finally ready for the day. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house, and we each had a different kind of soup for lunch...Ramen noodle for Mother, 11-bean for Hubbie, and split pea for me.

After lunch, Mother and I made a batch of chicken salad for tomorrow's gathering. Mother chopped onions, celery, pickles, apples, and grapes for the salad, and I added Craisins and walnuts, salad dressing, and spices. Everything in the salad is chopped large enough that folks can remove what they don't like or want.

Then Hubbie and I went to the WDCS for grocery items for tomorrow. Back home, I made a peach cobbler. Spent the rest of the afternoon putting together token gift baskets for birthday honorees. I'm playing catch-up for those who had birthdays in October, November, and December, and anticipating those with birthdays in February.

At 4 p.m., I started supper. Mother helped by putting canned biscuits in a pan, and cutting up American cheese for Ziplock bag omelets. I sauteed onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms, which I added to egg substitute, along with the cheese and spices.

Following the omelet and biscuit supper, we had helpings of peach cobbler with ice cream. Hubbie accompanied Mother back to her house afterward.

Note: Mother said she had her last meeting with her occupational therapist on Wednesday. I didn't even notice she'd stopped by, but apparently she told Mother that was the last session allowed by Medicare. If Mother requires anything else in the future, we'll need to get a doctor's prescription. Right now, though, we're agreed that Mother is doing fine, as long as she keeps up her exercises.

I turned off the TV for an hour this evening, and we did a few things to spruce the house for company tomorrow. When I turned it back on, we watched a 2010 movie called "Animal Kingdom." This Australian crime drama begins when a 17-year-old boy loses his mother to an overdose, and then moves in with his grandmother and uncles. Immediately, one of the uncles is killed. The boy gets caught between his notorious crime family and renegade cops. The film is inspired by a real-life crime family of Melbourne, Australia. Chilling.

Got an interesting card from one of Hubbie's nieces. It's a photo of her and her husband, with an announcement that they are expecting a baby in June. What's interesting about the card is that within the zero of the enlarged year 2012 is a sonogram of the baby.