Had one of those nights last night when I didn't drift off to sleep until around 2 a.m. So I slept late this morning, until around 8:30.
Did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises after breakfast. While I did this, Hubbie went to the barber shop. When he got back, he accompanied Mother to our house.
I spent the morning doing this and that. After lunch, Mother took a nap, while Hubbie and I ran errands and shopped for groceries. We started our rounds by going to the greeting card shop, then to the farmer's market to buy peaches.
We also decided to look for the beauty shop for which we won a gift certificate yesterday for a wash and cut, but we couldn't find it. Tried to call the shop this morning, but it wasn't open. I'll try again Monday.
Mother was up when we got back around 2:30 p.m., so she sorted beans to be soaked overnight, made colesalw dressing, and sliced tomatoes.
We watched TV after that until time for me to prepare supper, which was barbecued pork chops, baked sweet potatoes, green beans, coleslaw, and sliced tomatoes. We anticipated that Sis would be here around suppertime, but she sent a message that she was running late, and it would be later in the evening before she arrived.
It might have been providence that she didn't arrive earlier, since Hubbie saw a sizable limb drop from one of the trees and land in the driveway right in the spot where she normally parks. As luck would have it, it narrowly missed our camper, too.
Mother stayed at our house until around 7 p.m., before finally deciding to go home. I accompanied her.
Later, Hubbie and I watched TV, including a movie on DVD from my collection..."Nightjohn," starring Beau Bridges and Carl Lumbly. Based on a novel by Gary Paulson, this 1996 movie is about a 12-year-old slave who faces an awful future, until a former runaway slave arrives at the plantation and teaches her to read and write. Teaching slaves to read and write is punishable by death. Trouble brews as a result.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Friday, July 20, 2012
Friday, July 20
Up at 6:30 this morning to get ready to go to water aerobics. Hubbie had already turned on the TV, and we were met with the awful news of the shooting tragedy at a Colorado movie theater. Many dead, and many more injured. Our hearts go out to the families of the victims. It's beyond my comprehension how anyone could do this. Of course, this horrible event was the main topic of conversation at the pool.
Back home afterward, I hurried to shower and dress, so we could attend senior day at the county fair. We didn't enter anything in the fair this year, but we were still interested in touring the exhibit buildings, including the animal barns, as well as the commercial builing.
Mother especially enjoyed the animal exhibits, and I snapped a few pictures of her petting goats. She was enchanted by a miniature donkey, too. I was interested in the Belted Galloway cattle. These beautiful animals are black, with a white belt around their middles. The cattle originated in Scotland, and are especially suited to poor pasture land. The first time we saw these cattle was on a trip to Texas several years ago.
It was pretty hot at the fairgrounds, so while I pushed Mother through the animal barns, Hubbie went in search of water for me. But while he was gone, a worker in the cattle barn brought us two bottles of ice cold water. I was very grateful, because I was parched.
Later, Hubbie returned with cups of water for us. Since we already had water, he drank both cups. Then he went to the entertainment shed to pick up three tickets for lunch, which were also good for door prize drawings.
I continued pushing Mother in her wheelchair through the barns, which was no small task, since some were floored in sawdust or gravel. Got a good muscle-building workout.
We arrived at the entertainment shed around 11:30, where drawings for door prizes were already underway. Hubbie had won a certificate for two meals at a fast food chicken restaurant. And in a few minutes, he picked up another prize...a gift certificate for a cut and set at a local beauty shop.
At noon, the Area Agency on Aging provided lunch...hoagie sandwiches, with deli turkey and white cheese, topped with slices of tomato and purple onion, along with macaroni salad, and canned peaches with an oatmeal/raisin cookie, and individual cartons of 2% white milk.
Mother and I preferred cold water to the milk, so we set those aside to bring home. Neither of us is fond of oatmeal/raisin cookies, either, so we brought those home for Hubbie to enjoy later.
The one thing we missed at the fair was homemade lemonade. No one was manning the food/beverage cart this time...probably just too hot for people to work in there during the day.
There have been some heat-related illnesses at the fair this year. In fact, the daughter of one of the water aerobics members had to go to the hospital yesterday for heat stress. The member said that shortly after her daughter arrived at the hospital, three others, who had also been at the fair, were brought in.
So I was careful to keep taking in fluids while we were there, though I could get Mother to take only a sip or two of water during that couple of hours. Of course, since she was sitting the whole time, I guess she didn't get as warm or as thirsty as I did.
Shortly after we returned home, Mother went to the couch for her afternoon nap. She really enjoyed the fair, but any outing tires her, so she slept around three hours.
Hubbie snoozed quite a while, too, but I spent the afternoon reading my novel.
Later, for supper, Hubbie did the honors of fixing French toast, which we had with turkey bacon. I accompanied Mother home afterward, and then Hubbie and I watched TV, including the movie, "The Day After Tomorrow."
Of course, we've seen this one before, but there was nothing else of interest, thanks to an empty DVR. In fact, this is a new DVR, brought to us by a cable company tech this morning while I was at water aerobics, because the old one wasn't allowing caller ID to appear on screen. The landline has caller ID, too, but for some reason, Hubbie can't seem to see it, so he tends to want to pick up on every call, despite my suggesting he wait for voice mail. Most calls are junk, and I want him to be able to see that on screen.
**************************************************************************************
Notes: At the college this morning, I noticed there were lots of grasshoppers springing here and there in the grass, on the sidewalk, and on the parking lot. In researching them, I've learned that along with Blister Beetles, grasshoppers are now invading crops...both insects are the result of drought.
In our yard later, I saw what looked like a large red and black striped ant...turns out it was really a red velvet wasp, the sting of which is very painful. I'll try to keep my distance from those!
Back home afterward, I hurried to shower and dress, so we could attend senior day at the county fair. We didn't enter anything in the fair this year, but we were still interested in touring the exhibit buildings, including the animal barns, as well as the commercial builing.
Mother especially enjoyed the animal exhibits, and I snapped a few pictures of her petting goats. She was enchanted by a miniature donkey, too. I was interested in the Belted Galloway cattle. These beautiful animals are black, with a white belt around their middles. The cattle originated in Scotland, and are especially suited to poor pasture land. The first time we saw these cattle was on a trip to Texas several years ago.
It was pretty hot at the fairgrounds, so while I pushed Mother through the animal barns, Hubbie went in search of water for me. But while he was gone, a worker in the cattle barn brought us two bottles of ice cold water. I was very grateful, because I was parched.
Later, Hubbie returned with cups of water for us. Since we already had water, he drank both cups. Then he went to the entertainment shed to pick up three tickets for lunch, which were also good for door prize drawings.
I continued pushing Mother in her wheelchair through the barns, which was no small task, since some were floored in sawdust or gravel. Got a good muscle-building workout.
We arrived at the entertainment shed around 11:30, where drawings for door prizes were already underway. Hubbie had won a certificate for two meals at a fast food chicken restaurant. And in a few minutes, he picked up another prize...a gift certificate for a cut and set at a local beauty shop.
At noon, the Area Agency on Aging provided lunch...hoagie sandwiches, with deli turkey and white cheese, topped with slices of tomato and purple onion, along with macaroni salad, and canned peaches with an oatmeal/raisin cookie, and individual cartons of 2% white milk.
Mother and I preferred cold water to the milk, so we set those aside to bring home. Neither of us is fond of oatmeal/raisin cookies, either, so we brought those home for Hubbie to enjoy later.
The one thing we missed at the fair was homemade lemonade. No one was manning the food/beverage cart this time...probably just too hot for people to work in there during the day.
There have been some heat-related illnesses at the fair this year. In fact, the daughter of one of the water aerobics members had to go to the hospital yesterday for heat stress. The member said that shortly after her daughter arrived at the hospital, three others, who had also been at the fair, were brought in.
So I was careful to keep taking in fluids while we were there, though I could get Mother to take only a sip or two of water during that couple of hours. Of course, since she was sitting the whole time, I guess she didn't get as warm or as thirsty as I did.
Shortly after we returned home, Mother went to the couch for her afternoon nap. She really enjoyed the fair, but any outing tires her, so she slept around three hours.
Hubbie snoozed quite a while, too, but I spent the afternoon reading my novel.
Later, for supper, Hubbie did the honors of fixing French toast, which we had with turkey bacon. I accompanied Mother home afterward, and then Hubbie and I watched TV, including the movie, "The Day After Tomorrow."
Of course, we've seen this one before, but there was nothing else of interest, thanks to an empty DVR. In fact, this is a new DVR, brought to us by a cable company tech this morning while I was at water aerobics, because the old one wasn't allowing caller ID to appear on screen. The landline has caller ID, too, but for some reason, Hubbie can't seem to see it, so he tends to want to pick up on every call, despite my suggesting he wait for voice mail. Most calls are junk, and I want him to be able to see that on screen.
**************************************************************************************
Notes: At the college this morning, I noticed there were lots of grasshoppers springing here and there in the grass, on the sidewalk, and on the parking lot. In researching them, I've learned that along with Blister Beetles, grasshoppers are now invading crops...both insects are the result of drought.
In our yard later, I saw what looked like a large red and black striped ant...turns out it was really a red velvet wasp, the sting of which is very painful. I'll try to keep my distance from those!
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Thursday, July 19
Up around 7:30. Hubbie was gone, and I thought he was in the yard, but it turned he had gone to a store to get something to battle the blister beetles on the tomato plants. He'd left a note for me, which he laid on the back of his recliner, but I didn't see it.
After he returned, we had breakfast, and then he went out to treat the plants, while I went to Mother's house to accompany her to our house. I gathered the materials she needed to make a greeting card for a friend, who recently sent her a handmade card.
While she worked on her card, I did a treadmill session and resistance band exercises. Once I was ready for the day, I did this and that around the house until lunchtime.
After lunch, Mother retired to the couch, as usual, while Hubbie watched TV, and I read the John Grisham novel, "Calico Joe," one of the books I bought for Hubbie's birthday. He read it last week.
His daughter has asked to borrow the book when we're done, so I'm making time to finish it before we see her in a couple of weeks. I started it yesterday. It's a short book, under 200 pages, so it'll be a quick read.
Later, we had leftover spaghetti, sauce, and green beans for supper, with tomatoes from the garden, topped with cottage cheese. Afterward, I accompanied Mother to her house, and waited for her to take a shower. Threw a load of laundry in the washer before coming back home.
On the walk to Mother's, I noticed the darkening sky to the northwest. But soon a brisk wind cropped up, and blew the clouds over, without leaving a drop of rain. Phooey!
Later, though, Daughter-in-Law posted snapshots on a social network page showing the damage that a storm did in the family's backyard...blowing an apple tree over and scattering lawn chairs.
Spent the evening watching TV, as usual, including a movie..."Thorne: Scaredy Cat," a British crime drama.
After he returned, we had breakfast, and then he went out to treat the plants, while I went to Mother's house to accompany her to our house. I gathered the materials she needed to make a greeting card for a friend, who recently sent her a handmade card.
While she worked on her card, I did a treadmill session and resistance band exercises. Once I was ready for the day, I did this and that around the house until lunchtime.
After lunch, Mother retired to the couch, as usual, while Hubbie watched TV, and I read the John Grisham novel, "Calico Joe," one of the books I bought for Hubbie's birthday. He read it last week.
His daughter has asked to borrow the book when we're done, so I'm making time to finish it before we see her in a couple of weeks. I started it yesterday. It's a short book, under 200 pages, so it'll be a quick read.
Later, we had leftover spaghetti, sauce, and green beans for supper, with tomatoes from the garden, topped with cottage cheese. Afterward, I accompanied Mother to her house, and waited for her to take a shower. Threw a load of laundry in the washer before coming back home.
On the walk to Mother's, I noticed the darkening sky to the northwest. But soon a brisk wind cropped up, and blew the clouds over, without leaving a drop of rain. Phooey!
Later, though, Daughter-in-Law posted snapshots on a social network page showing the damage that a storm did in the family's backyard...blowing an apple tree over and scattering lawn chairs.
Spent the evening watching TV, as usual, including a movie..."Thorne: Scaredy Cat," a British crime drama.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Wednesday, July 18
Woke up this morning at 4 a.m., and that was it. No more sleep. My body protested having to get up at 6:30 to get ready to go to water aerobics. But I did it, anyway.
Phew! A very muggy, warm, morning for the walk to the gym. The dressing room was freezing, though...air conditioner running full force, I guess because kids are on campus for some sort of sports camp. It was like a sauna in the pool area, but the pool itself was pretty cool.
Enjoyed the water once I was used to it, but later, in my wet swimsuit, I really felt the chill of the dressing room.
When I first entered the pool, several ladies were talking about having suffered shingles in the past. Probably a dozen aerobics members, and two of our scrapbook club members, have experienced this very painful disease. I was vaccinated against shingles a few years ago, and I hope it completely suppresses the virus, or if I get it, that it will reduce the severity and duration of the disease.
Other topics of conversation: the lady I stand next to commented that blueberry bushes she was given as a Mother's Day gift from her grandson are thriving. She laughed, though, when she said it cost $100 dollars for the pots, potting soil, peat moss, etc., for planting the bushes. "You can't afford many Mother's Day gifts like this," her grandson quipped.
Fortunately, her daughter picked up the tab for the pots, potting soil and the peat moss, as a Mother's Day/birthday gift. "How many people do you know," the lady chuckled, "who get peat moss and potting soil for their birthday."
Another lady said that yesterday she was driving behind a truck with a trailer-load of tires, when two of the tires suddenly bounced out, forcing her to quickly maneuver between them. In her rearview mirror she saw one of the tires fly off into the ditch, but the other one continued rolling down the road. She didn't see where it finally landed, but only hoped no one hit it. "That incident took ten years off my life!" she declared. "And I can't afford to lose ten years."
Back home, Hubbie was gone to a Master Gardener meeting. Once I was ready for the day, I accompanied Mother to our house, where she cut up tomatoes and banana peppers to put in a pot of spaghetti sauce to simmer for a few hours.
After lunch, Mother went to the couch for lunch, while I shopped at a department store, where I used a $10 coupon to buy a periwinkle blue shirt and some lingerie.
The lady who waited on me at the register is someone I've known for years. She has had a variety of jobs over the years, and was once the editor of our local newspaper. But once she left that job, she seemed to have difficulty finding satisfying work.
The last time I saw her on-the-job was at a home improvement store. But until she got her current job, she said she'd been out of work a year and a half. Also, I was sorry to hear that she lost her brother last May. He had been diagnosed with cancer in December, but it was so far advanced that he could not survive it. He was only in his 50s.
In the van, after I'd paid for my purchases, I reviewed my receipt and discovered that she had not charged me correctly. In fact, she'd not charged enough. I did not want this to show up on her register and then be responsible for the shortfall, so I went right back in and had her correct it. It was only a little over a dollar difference, but I didn't want it to seem she is inadequate to the job. She obviously needs the work.
Back home, Mother had awakened from her nap, and was ready to watch TV for a while.
Later, when I was ready to complete supper preparations, I discovered we didn't have spaghetti. So Hubbie had to scoot off to a grocery store to buy a package. I was aggravated with myself for not thinking to check the pantry for spaghetti before we went grocery shopping yeterday.
The spaghetti and sauce were really good, though, served with green beans, and fresh tomatoes topped with cottage cheese.
Afterward, I accompanied Mother to her house, and then grabbed my camera to snap a few shots in the yard of trees stressed from the heat and drought. The veggie garden is very stressed, too, and now blister beetles are invading our tomato plants. So Hubbie will be using Sevin liquid to battle them.
Hubbie and I spent the rest of the evening watching TV, as usual.
Phew! A very muggy, warm, morning for the walk to the gym. The dressing room was freezing, though...air conditioner running full force, I guess because kids are on campus for some sort of sports camp. It was like a sauna in the pool area, but the pool itself was pretty cool.
Enjoyed the water once I was used to it, but later, in my wet swimsuit, I really felt the chill of the dressing room.
When I first entered the pool, several ladies were talking about having suffered shingles in the past. Probably a dozen aerobics members, and two of our scrapbook club members, have experienced this very painful disease. I was vaccinated against shingles a few years ago, and I hope it completely suppresses the virus, or if I get it, that it will reduce the severity and duration of the disease.
Other topics of conversation: the lady I stand next to commented that blueberry bushes she was given as a Mother's Day gift from her grandson are thriving. She laughed, though, when she said it cost $100 dollars for the pots, potting soil, peat moss, etc., for planting the bushes. "You can't afford many Mother's Day gifts like this," her grandson quipped.
Fortunately, her daughter picked up the tab for the pots, potting soil and the peat moss, as a Mother's Day/birthday gift. "How many people do you know," the lady chuckled, "who get peat moss and potting soil for their birthday."
Another lady said that yesterday she was driving behind a truck with a trailer-load of tires, when two of the tires suddenly bounced out, forcing her to quickly maneuver between them. In her rearview mirror she saw one of the tires fly off into the ditch, but the other one continued rolling down the road. She didn't see where it finally landed, but only hoped no one hit it. "That incident took ten years off my life!" she declared. "And I can't afford to lose ten years."
Back home, Hubbie was gone to a Master Gardener meeting. Once I was ready for the day, I accompanied Mother to our house, where she cut up tomatoes and banana peppers to put in a pot of spaghetti sauce to simmer for a few hours.
After lunch, Mother went to the couch for lunch, while I shopped at a department store, where I used a $10 coupon to buy a periwinkle blue shirt and some lingerie.
The lady who waited on me at the register is someone I've known for years. She has had a variety of jobs over the years, and was once the editor of our local newspaper. But once she left that job, she seemed to have difficulty finding satisfying work.
The last time I saw her on-the-job was at a home improvement store. But until she got her current job, she said she'd been out of work a year and a half. Also, I was sorry to hear that she lost her brother last May. He had been diagnosed with cancer in December, but it was so far advanced that he could not survive it. He was only in his 50s.
In the van, after I'd paid for my purchases, I reviewed my receipt and discovered that she had not charged me correctly. In fact, she'd not charged enough. I did not want this to show up on her register and then be responsible for the shortfall, so I went right back in and had her correct it. It was only a little over a dollar difference, but I didn't want it to seem she is inadequate to the job. She obviously needs the work.
Back home, Mother had awakened from her nap, and was ready to watch TV for a while.
Later, when I was ready to complete supper preparations, I discovered we didn't have spaghetti. So Hubbie had to scoot off to a grocery store to buy a package. I was aggravated with myself for not thinking to check the pantry for spaghetti before we went grocery shopping yeterday.
The spaghetti and sauce were really good, though, served with green beans, and fresh tomatoes topped with cottage cheese.
Afterward, I accompanied Mother to her house, and then grabbed my camera to snap a few shots in the yard of trees stressed from the heat and drought. The veggie garden is very stressed, too, and now blister beetles are invading our tomato plants. So Hubbie will be using Sevin liquid to battle them.
Hubbie and I spent the rest of the evening watching TV, as usual.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Tuesday, July 17
Slept late, until around 8 a.m., then did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises after breakfast. Mother opted to stay home until around 11:30, and then Hubbie accompanied her to our house.
Soon after Mother got here, a black cloud cropped up, and there was thunder. We shut down the computers and waited...nothing. Not a drop of rain, drat it.
We each had a different lunch today...Mother wanted Ramen noodle soup, Hubbie chose a tuna fish sandwich, and I heated some leftover macaroni and cheese, which I had with sliced tomatoes.
Mother retired to the couch for a nap afterward, and Hubbie and I ran errands...to the newspaper to drop off the word search puzzle contest; to the post office; to the cable company store; and to a department store. I have a $10 coupon for that store, but I didn't read it carefully enough to see that I can't use it until tomorrow. Finally, we shopped for groceries for Mother and us at the WDCS.
We were back home around 3 p.m. Mother woke up around 4 p.m., and we had a supper of cold meatloaf sandwiches, potato salad, and corn-on-the-cob, around 5 p.m. It was a satisfying summertime meal.
Afterward, I accompanied Mother to her house, and waited while she took a shower on her own. Threw a load of laundry in the washer before coming back home.
Back home, Hubbie and I watched TV until bedtime.
Soon after Mother got here, a black cloud cropped up, and there was thunder. We shut down the computers and waited...nothing. Not a drop of rain, drat it.
We each had a different lunch today...Mother wanted Ramen noodle soup, Hubbie chose a tuna fish sandwich, and I heated some leftover macaroni and cheese, which I had with sliced tomatoes.
Mother retired to the couch for a nap afterward, and Hubbie and I ran errands...to the newspaper to drop off the word search puzzle contest; to the post office; to the cable company store; and to a department store. I have a $10 coupon for that store, but I didn't read it carefully enough to see that I can't use it until tomorrow. Finally, we shopped for groceries for Mother and us at the WDCS.
We were back home around 3 p.m. Mother woke up around 4 p.m., and we had a supper of cold meatloaf sandwiches, potato salad, and corn-on-the-cob, around 5 p.m. It was a satisfying summertime meal.
Afterward, I accompanied Mother to her house, and waited while she took a shower on her own. Threw a load of laundry in the washer before coming back home.
Back home, Hubbie and I watched TV until bedtime.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Monday, July 16
July is half over, and our neck of the woods is bone dry. Sporadic rain has fallen in various places around the state, and even in our county and town, but not a drop has fallen in our yard.
I fear for our little dogwood tree, which is very stressed right now. This is my favorite tree in the yard, because it has always been so beautifully showy every spring. I'm going to hate it if this seemingly endless drought kills that little tree.
On the other hand, we have been getting a bumper crop of sweet, delicious tomatoes. The dry weather has caused the skins on them to be tough, but once peeled, they are wonderful. The other veggies succumbed to the heat and drought, however.
We were up at 6:30 this morning, so I could get ready to go to water aerobics. I enjoyed the walk to the gym, but it was considerably more muggy today, making it feel like I was pushing my way through the atmosphere.
The pool water was cool, as usual, but nice once I was in it. A record number showed up this morning...twenty-one.
No news, except one of the members commented that I'd missed a good program at the museum yesterday...a showing of a DVD featuring three men reenacting the Lincoln-Douglas debate. This was an event commemorating the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War. I'd seen this advertised in our local newspaper, but did not hop up as soon as I saw it and go write it on my calendar. So, of course, I forgot about it. Drat it! I know Hubbie and I would have enjoyed it.
Back home, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house, and then he ran errands while I got ready for the day. By this time, it was around 11:30. Fixed a lunch of soup for Mother and sandwiches for Hubbie and me, and then spent time reviewing this week's lesson for my ESL student.
Met my student at 2:30 as usual. She frequently brings gifts for me, and today it was fresh figs. I was ready for her, though, because I took her a half-pint jar of homemade strawberry jam.
Before we started the lesson, she excitedly told me that she had attended a Friday Painters session last week, and enjoyed it very much. It'll be good for her to do this, so she can practice conversational skills with other people. And it's good for her to get away from family obligations and pursue her creativity among like-minded folks.
The artist she most admires is Romero Britto, a Brazilian-American Neo-pop artist, painter, and sculpter. She was thrilled when I told her I had researched him online.
Today's lesson involved qustions with "why?" As in, "Fran runs five miles every day (statement)." "Why does Fran run five miles every day? (question)." Or, "Lee hit the tree." "Why did Lee hit the tree?" Or, "Fran has been crying." "Why has Fran been crying?"
She had no problem turning the statement "Fran has been crying" into a question, but she stumbled on "Fran runs five miles every day." So I told her to think of it this way...Fran (does run) five miles every day." That way, she could see where the "does" comes in.
The same thing stumped her with the sentence, "Jill has two part-time jobs." Until I wrote it, "Jill (does have) two part-time jobs." Then she could see that the question would be "Why does Jill have two part-time jobs?"
After that, we worked on listening comprehension. I read a couple of paragraphs, and she repeated them (or the essence of them) back to me. Today's story was about a man dying in his sleep, how his family mourned, and about the church services for him. It was a downer, but I guess ESL for adults must deal with all life events.
We finished the lesson with her reading a story from her workbook and answering the questions related to it.
Back home, Hubbie had heated the meal of leftovers I'd put in oven bowls earlier. Mother had just awakened from her nap, and was ready to eat. We had meatloaf, with macaroni and cheese, and green beans.
Afterward, I accompanied Mother home, and then Hubbie and I watched the 2003 movie, "The Snow Walker." A mavarick bush pilot agrees to take a sick Inuit woman to a hospital, but his plane goes down in the tundra. He is sorely lacking in survival skills, but the woman is adept in a wilderness that she's known as home all her life. The harsh conditions do take a toll, though. This is a really good movie, rated PG.
***********************************************************************************
We really thought we'd get rain today, when a dark cloud came up, and it started thundering. In fact, as I traveled to the college to meet my student, I could see rain in the distance. Unfortunately, it didn't arrive at our house.
I fear for our little dogwood tree, which is very stressed right now. This is my favorite tree in the yard, because it has always been so beautifully showy every spring. I'm going to hate it if this seemingly endless drought kills that little tree.
On the other hand, we have been getting a bumper crop of sweet, delicious tomatoes. The dry weather has caused the skins on them to be tough, but once peeled, they are wonderful. The other veggies succumbed to the heat and drought, however.
We were up at 6:30 this morning, so I could get ready to go to water aerobics. I enjoyed the walk to the gym, but it was considerably more muggy today, making it feel like I was pushing my way through the atmosphere.
The pool water was cool, as usual, but nice once I was in it. A record number showed up this morning...twenty-one.
No news, except one of the members commented that I'd missed a good program at the museum yesterday...a showing of a DVD featuring three men reenacting the Lincoln-Douglas debate. This was an event commemorating the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War. I'd seen this advertised in our local newspaper, but did not hop up as soon as I saw it and go write it on my calendar. So, of course, I forgot about it. Drat it! I know Hubbie and I would have enjoyed it.
Back home, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house, and then he ran errands while I got ready for the day. By this time, it was around 11:30. Fixed a lunch of soup for Mother and sandwiches for Hubbie and me, and then spent time reviewing this week's lesson for my ESL student.
Met my student at 2:30 as usual. She frequently brings gifts for me, and today it was fresh figs. I was ready for her, though, because I took her a half-pint jar of homemade strawberry jam.
Before we started the lesson, she excitedly told me that she had attended a Friday Painters session last week, and enjoyed it very much. It'll be good for her to do this, so she can practice conversational skills with other people. And it's good for her to get away from family obligations and pursue her creativity among like-minded folks.
The artist she most admires is Romero Britto, a Brazilian-American Neo-pop artist, painter, and sculpter. She was thrilled when I told her I had researched him online.
Today's lesson involved qustions with "why?" As in, "Fran runs five miles every day (statement)." "Why does Fran run five miles every day? (question)." Or, "Lee hit the tree." "Why did Lee hit the tree?" Or, "Fran has been crying." "Why has Fran been crying?"
She had no problem turning the statement "Fran has been crying" into a question, but she stumbled on "Fran runs five miles every day." So I told her to think of it this way...Fran (does run) five miles every day." That way, she could see where the "does" comes in.
The same thing stumped her with the sentence, "Jill has two part-time jobs." Until I wrote it, "Jill (does have) two part-time jobs." Then she could see that the question would be "Why does Jill have two part-time jobs?"
After that, we worked on listening comprehension. I read a couple of paragraphs, and she repeated them (or the essence of them) back to me. Today's story was about a man dying in his sleep, how his family mourned, and about the church services for him. It was a downer, but I guess ESL for adults must deal with all life events.
We finished the lesson with her reading a story from her workbook and answering the questions related to it.
Back home, Hubbie had heated the meal of leftovers I'd put in oven bowls earlier. Mother had just awakened from her nap, and was ready to eat. We had meatloaf, with macaroni and cheese, and green beans.
Afterward, I accompanied Mother home, and then Hubbie and I watched the 2003 movie, "The Snow Walker." A mavarick bush pilot agrees to take a sick Inuit woman to a hospital, but his plane goes down in the tundra. He is sorely lacking in survival skills, but the woman is adept in a wilderness that she's known as home all her life. The harsh conditions do take a toll, though. This is a really good movie, rated PG.
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We really thought we'd get rain today, when a dark cloud came up, and it started thundering. In fact, as I traveled to the college to meet my student, I could see rain in the distance. Unfortunately, it didn't arrive at our house.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Sunday, July 15
Today is National Ice Cream Day, as proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan in 1984. Did you have your scoop today?
Slept late, until around 8:30. Skipped my exercises after breakfast, as I frequently do on Sundays. Did the usual Sunday things during the morning. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around 10 a.m., and she and I put together a meatloaf for the oven, while Hubble washed baking potatoes.
We watched TV until lunchtime, including a Lifetime Movie Network feature called, "And Baby Will Fall." A couple is expecting a baby, but are soon suspected of killing a former acquaintance, also pregnant, who attended their yard sale.
Later, the meatloaf and baked potatoes were good, served with green beans, and the remainder of the sauteed squash. Afterward, we continued watching TV...this time an AMC channel year 2000 feature called, "U571." This WWII war film centers around a submariners who disguise themselves as Germans in order to capture their submarine and steal their Enigma cipher machine. The machine was a German engineer invention designed to encryt and decrypt secret messages.
Mother was ready to go home after that, so I accompanied her, and stayed at her house until she finished take a shower. I threw a load of laundry in the washer before coming back home.
Hubbie and I wasted the evening in front of TV, as usual. Watched another Lifetime movie called, "Blue-Eyed Butcher," a true crime drama about a woman who kills her husband by stabbing him 193 times, while he is tied to their bed, and then buries him in the backyard. She claims violence and abuse during their four-year marriage, while the prosecution claims she is a scheming woman, who lured her husband to his death.
We finished the evening watching, "The Help." We'd seen this at the movie theater when it first came out, but Hubbie was interested in seeing it again. It's definitely worth a re-watch, though I liked the book better.
Slept late, until around 8:30. Skipped my exercises after breakfast, as I frequently do on Sundays. Did the usual Sunday things during the morning. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around 10 a.m., and she and I put together a meatloaf for the oven, while Hubble washed baking potatoes.
We watched TV until lunchtime, including a Lifetime Movie Network feature called, "And Baby Will Fall." A couple is expecting a baby, but are soon suspected of killing a former acquaintance, also pregnant, who attended their yard sale.
Later, the meatloaf and baked potatoes were good, served with green beans, and the remainder of the sauteed squash. Afterward, we continued watching TV...this time an AMC channel year 2000 feature called, "U571." This WWII war film centers around a submariners who disguise themselves as Germans in order to capture their submarine and steal their Enigma cipher machine. The machine was a German engineer invention designed to encryt and decrypt secret messages.
Mother was ready to go home after that, so I accompanied her, and stayed at her house until she finished take a shower. I threw a load of laundry in the washer before coming back home.
Hubbie and I wasted the evening in front of TV, as usual. Watched another Lifetime movie called, "Blue-Eyed Butcher," a true crime drama about a woman who kills her husband by stabbing him 193 times, while he is tied to their bed, and then buries him in the backyard. She claims violence and abuse during their four-year marriage, while the prosecution claims she is a scheming woman, who lured her husband to his death.
We finished the evening watching, "The Help." We'd seen this at the movie theater when it first came out, but Hubbie was interested in seeing it again. It's definitely worth a re-watch, though I liked the book better.
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