Friday, March 9

Up at 8 a.m., and after breakfast, I helped Mother take a shower, and then I threw a load of laundry in the washer.

Back home, I did a treadmill session and resistance exercises. Once I was ready for the day and did a few things around the house, it was nearly noon.

After lunch, I accompanied Mother to our house, where she worked on her jigsaw puzzle, while I did this and that around the house, and Hubbie watched a basketball game.

Around 2 p.m., Hubbie and I ran errands...first to the art gallery, where I picked up a couple of blank glass ornaments (the director has asked that I etch letters onto the ornaments, which she plans to give to a couple of arts supporters).

While I was at the gallery, the director mentioned that one of our committee members is in the hospital, having had surgery to remove part of her colon, following a serious infection. I'd always envied this woman who, in her mid-seventies, has (like Hubbie) enjoyed extreme good health, including never having to be on a medication regimen. Now, though, she has had a couple of setbacks. Late last year, she had brain surgery.

We also discussed a woman who had been active for many years in both the community theater and as an artist-in-education. For the past several years, she has declined mentally, either from dementia or Alzheimer's disease, and now she is fading fast. It is so sad when someone like her must lose the one thing that defined them...their creative mind.

Before I left the gallery, the director asked if I'd like to join a group from the arts council in a trip to a newly renovated dinner theater about an hour away. I am definitely interested, so she is setting aside a ticket for two (Hubbie is also invited) for Saturday, March 24. Sis has agreed to stay with Mother, while we are away.

From the gallery, we stopped by second-hand shop, run on behalf a sheltered workshop, to drop off several pairs of nearly new shoes (that seemed okay when I tried them on, but proved later to be uncomfortable), and a bag of audiobooks bought at a local public library fundraiser several years ago. Our last stop was at the Literacy Council off to drop off several audiobooks suited to literacy students (I'd rated these "PG").

Back home, Mother helped me make a recipe of salmon chowder. She diced the onions, and then read the recipe to me as I prepared it. Then we made a batch of biscuits to use up some sour milk. Mother enjoys patting out dough and cutting biscuits.

The chowder and biscuits were a very satisfying Lenten supper. Mother commented on how good the biscuits were, saying it has been a long time since we'd had homemade ones. In fact, it has been only a couple of weeks. She'd completely forgotten she'd helped make the other batch, and couldn't recall it even when we talked about it.

After supper, I accompanied Mother to her house. She was pleased today to receive a newsy note and photos from Daughter-in-Law. The photos showed progress being made in restoring a mobile home for Grandson and his family. Mother also received two late birthday cards from our friends that we visit and go to lunch with every few months. So she's had a very good birthday week.

Again tonight, we didn't turn off the TV for an hour, because Hubbie was in the middle of watching a tournament basketball game, and I needed to complete a monthly tutoring report for the Literacy Council.

Later, we watched one-hour programs until bedtime.