Monday, June 4

Two great-grandsons have birthdays today. Happy Birthday to my "twin" Great-Grandsons!

Dicey night last night...we were awakened twice because of very loud thunder-boomers, with accompanying wind and rain. This morning, Hubbie found there were several small limbs and lots of leaves in the yard, and we'd gotten an inch of rain. But other than a short power brown-out, nothing else happened.

However, others in the county weren't so lucky. Photos in today's local newspaper show downed trees, and reports that there were downed power lines. Forty or fifty homes remained without power as of around 10 a.m. this morning.

We were up around 6:30, so I could get ready to go to water aerobics. It was such a mild morning that I was able to wear shorts and t-shirt to the gym. The water in the pool was comfortable enough, but only eleven of us showed up. One woman said that the storm last night downed a tree in her yard that fell across the propane tank, causing a leak. But everyone else seemed to be okay.

I reported to the group that I'd seen one of the members at the WDCS on Friday, and she wanted me to tell everyone that she planned to return to water aerobics in a couple of weeks, after having been away for several months, due to having two hip replacements.

Various members have tried to reach her by phone, without luck. Seems she has been a victim of several robbries lately, in which she's lost lots of big-ticket items, as well as a couple of cell phones. She lives alone in an isolated house a few miles out of town. She's now interested in going back to a land line. This lady is in her 70s, but she continues living an unusual lifestyle that includes caring for several head of cattle on her own. We've urged her to get help, or engage a companion, but she's unwilling to do so.

Back home, once I was ready for the day, I got the idea that we should travel to a town about forty-five minutes south, so that Hubbie could visit a home improvement store to spend several gift cards he'd gotten for his birthday last year, since his birthday is coming up again this month.

Right after lunch, I made a blackberry cobbler, and then around 2 p.m., we headed out. It was a mildly warm afternoon, but mostly overcast, so Mother was comfortable in the van while Hubbie and I shopped at the home improvement store. We weren't gone long, since Hubbie was able to find what he wanted pretty quickly.

From there, we went to a discount store. Here, Mother rode in her wheelchair while we shopped. We weren't looking for anything special...just killing time...but we found some stickers to use in greeting card making, some absorbent kitchen towels, and an inexpensive 1949 classic movie musical DVD starring Frank Sinatra: "On the Town." Three sailors on leave in New York City look for romance. I've never seen this movie, but since I'm a dedicated fan of movie musicals, I'm sure I'll enjoy it.

Around 5 p.m., we went to a favorite buffet restaurant. Mother enjoyed a large meal (for her) of macaroni and cheese, baked fish, glazed carrots, coleslaw, fried okra, and a roll, followed by samples of banana pudding and chocolate pudding. Hubbie went for the Mexican food, and I had baked chicken, veggies, and salad. We both had ice cream for dessert.

Back home, around 7 p.m., I accompanied Mother to her house, and then Hubbie and I watched TV for the evening, including an LMN movie: "Crisis Point." A female hostage negotiator convinces a young man to give himself up, but when he walks out of the building, he's killed. She quits her job, but is called back to service when her sister is held hostage, and the assailants insist she do the negotiating.

In the local news: eleven months ago, a pizza business went up in flames, taking with it a pharmacy store, and a dentist's office in the same building. At that time, it was thought that the fire might have been caused by an oven in the pizza store, but since then, an investigation led to the owner of the store being suspected of arson. He hightailed it to New Mexico, but U.S. Marshalls nabbed him Friday, and he has now been charged with felony arson.