Tuesday, Jan. 31

The last day of January, already. The month passed quickly, although, after all that happened, I can't say I'm sorry to bid it goodbye.

Slept late this morning, until around 8:30. After breakfast, I went to Mother's house to help her take a shower, and throw a load of laundry in the washer.

Back home, Hubbie and I went for a walk around the neighborhood. I thought it would be a mild day for a walk, but because it was overcast and windy, it was pretty chilly.

As usual, a variety of dogs came barking out to greet us, though they were not a threat at all. They followed us for a way down the road, grew bored, and returned to their homes.

At home, again, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house while I was getting ready for the day.

Later, after a soup and sandwich lunch, we ran errands. Mother went with us this time, so she could shop for Valentines at the greeting card shop. From there, we went to the post office, to the newspaper office to drop off the word search puzzle contest, to the bank, and to a grocery store/pharmacy, where we picked up prescriptions, and a few food items. Mother stayed in the van while we shopped.

Funny: on the parking lot of the grocery store, a shopping cart escaped the cart wrangler and went careening down the sloping pavement, gathering speed in the wind as it went. Several of us stood there watching, mouths agape, fully expecting to see the cart slam into a car. But, just as it arrived at the cart corral, it turned, and as if guided by an invisible hand, neatly nestled itself into another cart.

Our last stop was the WDCS. Again, Mother waited in the van while we shopped. We only needed a few items, so she didn't have to wait long for our return.

At home, we relaxed. Mother snoozed, and I went outdoors to snap a photo of crocus in bloom, which I posted to my social network page. Because we are having an uncommonly warm winter, the crocus and jonquils are blooming early. Forsythia is beginning to bloom, too. Hope the weather doesn't take a downturn to freezing that kills these first signs of spring.

Later, I heated the leftovers from yesterday's pork roast dinner. I prefer roast and veggies fresh from the pot, but it's pretty good the second day, too.

Hubbie accompanied Mother home afterward. Then, we turned off the TV, and spent an hour in our own activities: Hubbie finished a novel he'd been reading, and I measured, pinned, and hemmed a pair of pants from a fleece wear set.

Back to TV, we watched the 1995 movie, "First Knight," from the Encore Channel. Starring Richard Gere and Sean Connery, this movie is about King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.

Then we watched our favorite college basketball team as they played to a win. I'd recorded the game on DVR.

We missed our local newspaper this evening. Our paper carrier put a note in the paper last night telling his customers that he was to have a surgical procedure today and would not be able to make his delivery rounds. So we can expect to get both today's and tomorrow's editions tomorrow.