Saturday, September 1, 2012

Saturday, Sept. 1

Another month gone, already. Can't say we'll miss the hot weather and the drought. At least it exited leaving behind it some wet weather, which has helped break the seemingly never-ending dry spell.

We are grateful for the rain, and that tropical depression Isaac didn't also bring flooding and a power outage. We were prepared for the worst, but happy to get the best. Our thoughts and prayers are with our neigbors to the south, though, since Isaac ripped through their communities as a hurricane, causing flooding, massive power outages, and evacuations.

We were up around 7:30, and after breakfast, I did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house while I was doing this.

We didn't accomplish anything for the morning. After lunch, we watched two episodes of a six-part series from the BBC..."Mansfield Park," by Jane Austen. This series was filmed in 1986, so it doesn't translate sharply to wide screen TV, but the story is good, so we want to continue with it.

Afterward, Mother headed to the couch for a nap. Hubbie and I did this and that for the afternoon. Around 3:30, Mother finished her nap, and helped to prepare supper by making slaw dressing for coleslaw, and making garlic bread.

Supper tonight was a buffet of leftovers...the remainder of the beans and ham, a potato dish, spaghetti and sauce, coleslaw, and a choice of cornbread and garlic bread. Mother sampled some of all of it, so she was comfortably full.

Accompanied Mother to her house afterward, and waited until she showered before coming back home.

Tonight Hubbie and I set up the boom box reaio and listened to our favorite college football team in their first game of the season. This game was offered on pay-per-view, but we were satisfied to listen ot it on radio. And we were glad that our team won, if not by as wide a margin as we expected.





Friday, August 31, 2012

Friday, August 31

Power must have gone off at least temporarily last night, because when I woke up the cable box clock was stuck at 12:00. Got up to check a watch, and found it was nearly 5 a.m.

The nightstand clock is on Hubbie's side of the bed, and he didn't feel like setting it, so he just set a timer to go off in an hour. I keep the timer in the bathroom to for when I get my hair colored. It did go off, and I heard it, but Hubbie did not.

Since it was only drizzling rain this morning, I decided to go on to water aerobics. I was among the few who decided to brave the day to go to the pool, though...only eleven of us showed up.

It was a muggy morning, with low-slung gray clouds, and a little wind, but otherwise perfectly fine to get out and about. If there had been lightning or drenching rain, I probably would have wimped out, too.

I enjoy smaller crowds at the pool, anyway, because fewer people means more space in the deep end to swim. But I know that the more people who sign up and pay for aerobics sessions the more likely the college is to continue letting us use the pool.

The water in the pool is still pleasantly warm, though I noticed it is lower, so I fully expect maintenance will fill it over the weekend, and it'll be chilly Monday. Speaking of Monday, the college will be open, and our leader and the lifeguard will be available, so those of us who want to can attend aerobics. I have nothing scheduled, so I'm sure I'll want to be there.

One topic of conversation at the pool today was tonight's blue moon. A few of the ladies thought that the term was literal, and meant that the moon will actually be blue in color, so one of the ladies asked me if this is true. I told her that a blue moon just means August will see two full moons...one occurred August 1, the other will occur tonight. It's a relatively rare phenomenon, with the next one occurring in three years...hence the term, "once in a blue moon."

Back home, Hubbie had already accompanied Mother to our house. As usual, by the time I was ready for the day, it was near lunchtime. While I was getting ready, I heard the doorbell ring, and then heard the UPS truck leave. My new saute' skillets had arrived. They are very nice, heavy skillets, which Hubbie had already washed by the time I got downstairs.

After lunch, we watched one of the movies we'd picked up at the library..."Back When We Were Grownups," a 2004 Hallmark movie starring Blythe Danner, Faye Dunaway, Peter Fonda, and Jack Palance.

We'd seen this movie before, but we didn't remember the plot, so we enjoyed seeing it again. Danner plays a widowed grandmother, who runs the family party-planner business. She has a mid-life crisis, and wonders if she has taken the right road. She is the center and the rock of a very diverse family. Naturally, she ultimately comes to the conclusion that she has a wonderful life.

After the movie, Mother headed to the couch for a nap, and Hubbie and I ran errands. First we stopped by the art gallery, so I could see an unusual photography exhibit. The photographer uses some sort of photo fading process, and then she water colors the image to simulate a painting. It's interesting.

From there, we went to the WDCS for a few items, including batteries for the boom box, cleaning supplies, etc. At the checkout, the associate commented that it had been a very busy day at the store...because it's Friday (payday for many), Social Security check time for others, rainy weather (need that bread and milk), the first college football game scheduled for tomorrow night (need game day goodies), and a holiday weekend (Labor Day on Monday).

It was around 3:30 when we got back home. Mother finished her nap, and relaxed until suppertime. Supper was more potato soup and bran muffins. Accompanied Mother to her house afterward, and then Hubbie and I watched TV, as usual.

We watched two shows: a documentary about a socialite woman in Hawaii in the 1930s, who claimed to have been raped by four local Hawaiian men. The socialite, though married, was a wild child. When justice was not served to the satisfaction of the woman's mother (a relative of Alexander Graham Bell), she and her cohorts kidnap one of the young men, take him to her home, and murder him. But since this is an era of racial prejudice, she is never broght to justice for the crime.

Hubbie chose this documentary (which he thought was a movie) from the library. Hubbie is not a real fan of documentaries.

He did enjoy a mystery movie I chose, though. This one, called "A Suitable Vengeance," is a British movie from PBS. A local shopkeeper is killed, and Detective Lynley fears his druggie brother might have done it. The detective must not only deal with the murder, but he must also deal with his dysfunctional upper-crust family that includes his mother, who 20 years earlier he found in dalliance with the family doctor as his father lay dying of cancer in the adjoining bedroom.

As we were watching TV, a thunderstorm cropped up, bringing with it a drenching rain. I guess it was the last swipe of tropical depression Isaac, before the system exited the state.


Thursday, August 30, 2012

Thursday, August 30

Slept late, until around 8 a.m. Did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house mid-morning. I didn't accomplish much before noon after I'd gotten ready for the day.

Hubbie spent the morning "battening down the hatches" as it were, in anticipation of stormy weather later today and tomorrow. He filled several one-gallon containers with water, as well as a five-gallon container, and the reservoir in the camper, because if the power goes out, our well pump will not work.

Turned the camper refrigerator on, because if the power goes out, the fridge will automatically switch to propane, and we'd have a place to store some of the food from the indoor fridge.

Hubbie also checked the propane tanks on the camper, not only for the fridge, but in case we need to cook out there (our inside kitchen has an electric stove). He also created run-off ditches near the front porch, and in front of the garage, in case of heavy rain.

We charged our cell phones, the laptop, and the e-reader. Gathered flashlights and other light sources. All this is probably overkill, but at least we're as prepared as we can be for whatever arises.

After lunch, Mother headed to the couch for a nap. Hubbie and I ran errands. Before we could leave, Hubbie had to get a hose and wash the van off, because it was covered in a thin layer of fine dirt, the result of his mowing the parched yard yesterday.

We've only had about a couple of inches of rain in the last few months, but it was enough for the grass to sprout a little. It doesn't have to grow much for Hubbie to get the urge to mow. I accused him yesterday of mowing the dirt, and by the look of the van today, it seems as if that's just what he did.

Our errands took us first to the farmer's market for sweet potatoes and a watermelon; then to the library to check out movies for the weekend (even if there is no power outage, there might be a lot of "stay-indoors" rain); and to the WDCS for groceries, including bread and milk, because we were completely out of both (and not, Sis, because we might get a hankering for milk sandwiches).

At the library, I registered for access to e-books. This is a recent capability of the library, so in a few days, I'll be able to preview their selections.

Drat...on the way home from errands, Hubbie's foot got heavy, and we were pulled over by a state policeman. Seems Hubbie was traveling 58 mph in a 45 mph zone. Fortunately, he was only given a warning ticket this time. But I'll bet the embarrassment of the incident will slow him down, at least for a while. I constantly caution him about speeding. But I'm his wife, and he's not about to pay attention to me. Better that a policeman should caution him.

From the library: we checked out four movies..."Mansfield Park," based on a Jane Austen novel; "Back When We Were Grownups," a Hallmark movie; "The Massie Affair," a murder mystery; and "A Suitable Vengeance," a British movie mystery.

At home, Mother finished her nap around 3 p.m., and wanted to help me make bran muffins. Once those were in the oven, she shredded the white American cheese and mixed a batch of pimento cheese. This satisfied her urge to work in the kitchen.

Later, we enjoyed our supper of potato soup, with bran muffins. Afterward, I accompanied Mother to her house, and waited until she had taken a shower before I returned home. Though it got cloudy and a little windy at this hour, nothing adverse happened.

Hubbie and I spent the rest of the evening watching TV.

It remains to be seen if the weather will prevent my attending water aerobics in the morning.







Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Wednesday, August 29

Up at 6:30 to get ready to go to water aerobics. The pool was nice and warm again, and about 22 of us showed up for the session.

News from the pool: two of the ladies, including our leader have recently been diagnosed with Graves Disease, of which hyperthyroidism is a symptom. Coincidentally, both are scheduled to see the same specialist in the capital city next month, on the same day, within an hour of each other's appointment times. At that time, a course of treatment will be determined.

One of the ladies, who has been absent for several months following joint replacements to both knees and both hips, finally returned today. Another lady returned after rotary cuff replacement in one shoulder.

Lots of the ladies have experienced dibilitating joint problems that have eventually resulted in surgery. I feel very fortunate that so far I have had no such problems, and really don't expect to develop any.

Lots of conversation about lots of things today, none of which was about the Republican Convention, since we studiously avoid talk of politics.

Back home, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house, and once I was ready for the day, the three of us worked to make a big pot of potato soup. Hubbie peeled and sliced the potatoes, Mother chopped onions, celery, and carrots, and I put the recipe together.

Started by cooking the potatoes, carrots, and celery in two quarts of water until tender; drained the veggies (saving the water), and sauteed the onions in six tablespoons of margarine, along with pepper, no-salt seasoning, and paparika, until tender; added six tablespoons of flour, and slowly added a cup and a half of milk; when the mixture thickened, I added the veggies and potato water; when it came to a boil, added a cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese.

Let the soup cool a little, then put it in a soup keeper for the refrigerator. The soup will be comforting during the next couple of days if Hurricane Isaac moves up through the middle of the country, bringing storms and drenching rain to our area.

After lunch, around 12:30, Mother and I went to the beauty salon for haircuts. Our appointments were for 1 p.m., but even though we were early, the stylists were not busy, so they were ready for us.

I hadn't washed my hair this morning after water aerobics, and I apologized for how unruly it looked. The stylist laughed and commented that my hair was clean, going on to comment that some of her older costumers, who get their hair "set" don't bother to wash their hair between appointments...anywhere from a week to three weeks.

The stylist is particularly bothered by customers who have been hospitalized for quite a while, but still don't wash their hair before visiting the beauty shop. "Sick hair" is very smelly, she said, and she hastens to use a highly scented shampoo on them to quickly get rid of the odor.

All the stylists in this shop are very nice, though, and wouldn't dream of turning away these elderly ladies, no matter how off-putting their hair might be.

The owner of this shop has recently decided to open a new shop in the storefront next door...this one will feature costume jewelry, handbags, some clothing, a cosmetic studio, etc., and today she asked customers to suggest names for the store. My suggestion was Unique Chic, which she really loves. So I'll be interested to hear what name she ultimately decides upon.

Note: while Mother's stylist was cutting her hair, she asked me to come over to the chair for a minute. She found a raised red spot on top of Mother's head, and advised me to keep track of it for a week or so.

If it doesn't disappear, I'll have her doctor take a look at it. The last spot the stylist pointed out to me went away of its own accord in a couple of weeks. It's good, though, that the stylists pay attention to things like this.

Back home, Mother headed to the couch for a nap, while Hubbie went out to mow the yard, and I did this and that.

Later, Hubbie peeled and diced potatoes, and once Mother finished her nap, she put together a recipe for the oven...the potatoes, with chopped onion, seasoned with no-salt seasoning and pepper, and drizzled with olive oil. I baked the potatoes in the oven, and then later added a dish of beans and ham, and a dish of whole kernel corn to the oven. Once the meal was cooked, I baked a batch of cornbread to go with it.

Accompanied Mother home after supper, and then Hubbie and I watched TV as usual, including a Lifetime Movie Network 2010 film, called "Patricia Cornwell's The Front." A female district attorney (Andie McDowell) assigns a murder cold case to a detective, but his life is endangered in the process.

Made a batch of instant chocolate pudding for a snack, and took a dish of it to Mother. Finished the evening with a one-hour murder mystery show.








Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Tuesday, August 28

Up at 6:30 again this morning, so I could get ready to take Mother to the medical clinic for a fasting lab blood test, and a visit with her doctor. Of course, I skipped my exercises this morning, since Mother's appointment was scheduled for 8:45 a.m.

Before I left the house, I checked my laptop to see if it was working. Last night, it suddenly just shut down...no power to it. The plug seemed to be firmly in the outlet, but no juice was arriving at the computer. This morning, though, everything seemed okay again. So I figured it was an adapter problem. If it happens again, I guess I'll be the market for a new adapter.

Around 8:15, I accompanied Mother to the van. Hubbie had put her wheelchair in the van earlier. It's always easier when someone is with me to help wrangle the wheelchair out of the back of the van, but I managed it on my own, anyway, today.

The times they are a'changing: at the clinic, Mother was not asked to sign a hard copy release of information this time...instead, she was asked to sign a small digital screen.

Her appointment reminder came both by e-mail, and by automated phone call yesterday. Today, I noticed posted fliers urging patients to register online to get test results and to make new appointments.

A recent article in our local newspaper related how doctors can now "visit" patients in some nursing homes via TV...blood pressure and other vitals are monitored by in-house nurses, and this information is relayed via TV to a doctor, and after interviewing the patient, the doctor can then prescribe medications.

Before proceeding to the exam room, Mother stepped on the scales...she's a mere 104 lbs. now, thanks to the miniscule amount she eats these days. In the exam room, the nurse found that her blood pressure was high at 176 over something (we weren't told what). I asked Mother if she'd taken her BP meds this morning, as I advised her to do last night. She said she had.

Otherwise, everything seems in order. The doctor did chide Mother for not exercising regularly, and she suggested several exercises she should do to keep her legs, pelvis, and hip areas strong. She warned that breaking a bone in a fall could spell disaster. Mother has heard this speech from me often enough, but it seems to fall on deaf ears.

Before we left the clinic, another nurse drew blood, the results of which should come in a few days, but I expect it to be normal.

Back home, while I prepared a toast and jelly breakfast for Mother, I asked Hubbie to go fetch her medications. I discovered that she had taken her thyroid pill this morning, but none of her blood pressure meds. No wonder her BP was so high.

The problem is that she's accustomed to taking the thyroid med at least 30 minutes before eating, and then the BP meds after breakfast. But I told her last night that even though she should not eat breakfast this morning, she should be sure and take her BP meds. I guess she forgot. Next time, I'll have to follow up and make SURE she takes the meds!

Any sort of outing exhausts Mother, so it wasn't long after she'd had breakfast, around 10:30 a.m., that her head was drooping, so I encouraged her to go to the couch early for a nap. I don't know how much sleep she got last night, since anticipation of a doctor visit always unnerves her.

She slept until around 2:30, but still acted kind of draggy after she got up, and kept nodding off. But she ate well later, when we had a supper of leftover spaghetti, with salad tomatoes topped with cottage cheese, and slices of garlic butter French bread.

Afterward, I accompanied Mother to her house, and then Hubbie and I watched TV, including a Lifetime Movie Network 2006 film called "Past Tense." A young girl has nightmares about being murdered. Her mother tries to convince her the dreams aren't real, but later they discover she has actually been murdered in a former life. They are forced to find the killer. Shocking secrets are revealed.



















Monday, August 27

Up at 6:30 a.m. to get ready to go to water aerobics. This was the first day at the pool in about a month, following summer break. We were supposed to go back last Wednesday, but there was a problem with the boiler and water PH balance, so our start date was postponed indefinitely. Thank goodness "indefinitely" didn't last as long as we feared.

I thought since fall semester has begun the parking lot I use at the college would be full, but very few cars were there. When I got back to the parking lot after aerobics, however, there were no spaces available anymore. Guess I was smart to arrive as early as I did.

A whopping 24 of us showed up this morning. The number will dwindle, of course, as the weeks roll on. The water was wonderfully warm. That won't last either, since one warm water day is usually followed by cool water days thereafter.

I thorougly enjoyed my swim and the aerobics session. Back home afterward, once I was ready for the day, it was already close to lunchtime. Hubbie had accompanied Mother to our house while I was at water aerobics. She had her regular Ramen Noodle lunch, and Hubbie and I had leftover fried potatoes, and scambled egg substitute with diced ham, along with toast.

Then Mother headed to the couch for a nap, Hubbie read his novel, and I reviewed today's ESL lesson.

Met my student at the usual 2:30 p.m. hour. First, I checked with the librarian to confirm that the college will be closed Monday for Labor Day, and it will be.

As part of the lesson, I took along today's local newspaper edition, which features the first in a series of articles about county workers. Today's feature is about the sanitation department and its workers.

Last week, the regular lesson touched on various workers, including sanitation workers, so I thought the newspaper article was very fitting. The student read the article aloud, and I helped her with any unfamiliar words. We were both amazed by the information that local sanitation workers pick up between 7 and 8 tons of waste each day. It was also interesting to note that when people accidently toss valuables, like dental appliances, purses, jewelry, etc., they expect the sanitation workers to comb through trash to retrieve them...and the workers oblige as far as they can.

The student commented that she feels we do not fully appreciate these workers, and I agree. She said that in Venezuela, everyone is expected at Christmas time to give the sanitation workers a card with money enclosed. It doesn't have to be a lot of money, but each person is expected to contribute whatever they can afford. I think this is a good idea.

Today's regular lesson included the past participles of irregular verbs: "Ed broke a glass yesterday." "He has broken many glasses." "Gail chose pink paint." "Gail has chosen many paints."

Then she learned how to construct sentences using the active and passive voices: "Someone broke the lock (active)." "The lock was broken (passive)."

She also learned to use the passive voice with "get." "They get paid at the end of the month." "She gets worried when Lee is late."

Then she learned the use of "can" and "could." "I can speak Italian now." "I could speak Italian when I was a child."

She followed that with the use of "could" and "couldn't." "Could you speak English when you were a child?" "No, I couldn't."

We ended the session with "if" clauses. "I can't tell if he is right." "I can't tell if anyone is in the room."

Back home, Hubbie had put potatoes in the oven to bake, and ham and beans in the microwave to heat, and had set a pan of corn-on-the-cob boiling on the stove. Everything was ready shortly after 5 p.m.

I accompanied Mother home afterward, and waited until she had showered before I came back home. Hubbie and I spent the rest of the evening in front of the TV as usual.

Because the DVR was empty, and there was nothing of intersst on TV, I played a DVD I'd bought a long time ago. It was nine 30-minute episodes of an old 1993 TV series..."White Fang," loosely based on the Jack London novel.

The series is set in the Rocky Mountains, and it's about a wolf-husky mix dog, with amazing skills for saving the day. The dog, formerly a sled dog, is rescued from a mean man, who forces him into dog fights. The family who rescues him consists of a teenage boy, and his veterinarian mother and judge father.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Sunday, August 26

Up around 8 a.m. this morning, but skipped my exercises after breakfast, as I usually do on Sunday. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house before 9 a.m., so she could chop onions, carrots, and banana peppers to add to a pot of pinto beans and ham. I set the pot to simmering, after adding pepper, no-salt seasoning, and paprika.

After that, Hubbie put color in my hair, in anticipation of a haircut appointment on Wednesday.

By the time I was dressed and ready for the day, it was 11:45. So I started a pan of potatoes frying in olive oil (Hubbie had peeled and sliced the potatoes in the food processor earlier). I also sauteed okra to go with the meal.

Mother peeled and sliced a Vidalia onion to top our beans at the table, and Hubbie fixed a box of cornbread mix for the oven.

We were ready to sit down to the meal shortly after noon. We love this comforting, old-fashioned, southern food, though we don't have it very often.

Afterward, Mother headed to the couch for a nap, and Hubbie and I ran errands...to a pharmacy store, and to the WDCS for a few groceries.

Back home, we did nothing of importance for the afternoon...read the Sunday paper, and watched TV, including a Lifetime Movie Network film called, "Gone." The ex-husband of a hospital nurse suffering PTSD from an earlier attack, thinks their young daughter would be better off living with him. But before he can take the child, she is kidnapped, and the nurse must rescue her.

Accompanied Mother home afterward, and then Hubbie and I resumed evening TV. Watched another LMN movie...this one called "Kiss at Pine Lake." A lakside summer campground is threatened, when developers want to buy it and build a resort. An employee of the developer company is charged with sealing the deal with the owner of the campground. She learns that she was one of the kids who attended the camp, and that the owner is a childhood sweetheart. No secret where this one goes.

Then we watched a 2009 disaster movie we've seen before. "2012" is based on the Mayan prediction of a global cataclysm on Dec. 21, 2012, and how survivors deal with it. The movie supposes that an astronomical alignment will cause the cataclysm.