Up around 7:30 this morning, though I tossed and turned until 1 a.m. Just couldn't get comfortable on this first cold night of the season, even though I was snug under sheet, quilt, and afghan, and I wore socks to bed.
We didn't try to turn the central heat on last night, but this morning when Hubbie switched the thermostat from cool to heat, it didn't come on. Rats! We didn't expect that after dutifully having a safety inspection Thursday. We wondered at the time how efficient the young man, who looked about twelve year old, might be. We should have insisted that he try the thermostat before he left.
Anyway, Hubbie set up a space heater this morning, and then called the heat and air business, which of course has a weekend answering service. He was told the repairman would call before he came out. When enough time had passed without a call, Hubbie bugged the business again.
In the meantime, I skipped my exercises in favor of getting my hair colored. Hubbie did the honors. Funny: I scared the wits out of the cats on my way to the upstairs bathroom. They stared at me, arched their backs a little, and when I spoke, they scattered to the four winds. They didn't recognize my hair, in a matted heap, with dye straying to my forehead; they didn't like the strong odor of the dye; they didn't like the ticking timer I held in my hand. Altogether, I must have looked like a Halloween monster to them.
While I waited the required twenty-five minutes for the dye to act before I went upstairs, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house. I really thought she'd choose to stay home once she learned that our heater wasn't working. But she'd garbed herself in winter undies, and dressed in several layers, so she wanted to come over.
The repairman finally called to say he'd be here soon. But when 11:30 rolled around, and he still hadn't arrived, we prepared lunch...a cold salmon loaf sandwich, with a side of hot macaroni and cheese, for Mother, split pea soup, with a peanut butter on a slice of bread for me, and pimento cheese sandwich for Hubbie.
Mother headed to the couch for a nap afterward, and Hubbie and I began watching our favorite college football team play a game I'd recorded on DVR. Around 1 p.m., the repairman called again. He was about twenty minutes away.
We stopped the game while he was here. Took him about fifteen minutes to discover the problem, which was that a bare wire had come in contact with a fuse, blowing it. Probably happened while the young man was working Thursday, and he didn't notice it. Anyway, we now have heat, thank goodness. No charge for this call, of course.
We resumed watching our game after the repairman left, and were thrilled when our team won this do-or-die contest.
Following the game, Hubbie and I went to the WDCS for a few groceries, particularly hamburger buns for tonight's supper. Gee Whiz, it was cold outside. I was glad I grabbed a jacket with a thick fleece lining that I bought at the WDCS for $6 at the end of the season last year. I noticed today that a rack of this same style jacket is now priced at $18.96.
It was after 4 p.m. by the time we got back home. Mother was still on the couch, but was awake. I started supper right away. Before 5 p.m., we sat down to a choice of hamburgers with cheese, or turkey burgers with cheese, plus leftover macaroni and cheese. Very cheesy supper, but it tasted good.
After that, we watched a couple of old episodes of "Matlock" mysteries, and then Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house. He commented when he returned that a large bird of some sort, feeding on corn that had dropped to ground from the squirrel feeder, was startled by their approach, and flew low to ground behind Mother's house, and then out across the highway. It was so dusky that Hubbie couldn't tell what sort of bird it was...looked like it might have been a duck, or a road runner.
TV fare tonight included a Lifetime channel movie..."Abduction: the Carlina White Story," based on the true case of a baby being abducted from a hospital. At twenty-three, she solved her own abduction case, but things weren't smooth-sailing after that.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Friday, October 5, 2012
Friday, Oct. 5
Slept late, until almost 8:30, since I didn't need to get up for water aerobics. In fact, Hubbie had to come and wake me, I was so sound asleep. I dressed right after breakfast, so Hubbie and I could go for a bike ride.
It was a lovely, sunny, balmy morning for a ride. The two lab dogs, belonging to our neighbors, came right out to greet and follow us. These dogs, both female, are mother and daughter. One is black, the other chocolate. The black one.. the mother of the other...was plagued this morning by a bumble bee that relentlessly dive-bombed her rear end. She kept snapping at the bee, with little result. Finally, she stopped following us to take care of the problem. I guess she won the battle eventually, because she caught up with us after a few minutes.
On our ride, we saw no grasshoppers on the road today, but we did see lots of woolly worms. Does this mean we are in for a harsh winter, as folk wisdom would have us believe?
Also saw morning glories, with their blooms open to the sun, growing on a fence at a large turnip patch.
A yard sale was in progress at one house, but we didn't take the time to stop.
At the horse riding school, a couple of young women, helmets on, were practicing maneuvers.
Along the road, a startled rabbit darted across, scooted under a barbed wire fence, and alerted the dogs to give chase. Moments later, two squirrels dashed across, under the fence, and up a tree.
Closer to home, a beagle rushed out to trot beside my bike, but he didn't bark. When Hubbie approached, though, he yapped his head off. Guess he was protecting me.
At home, while I got ready for the day, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house. Since it was nearly 11:30 by this time, Hubbie fixed Mother a lunch of Ramen Noodle soup. Later, I had split pea soup, and Hubbie chose a pimento cheese sandwich.
Mother headed to the couch after lunch, but didn't get much sleep, since a thunderstorm rolled in right away. It stormed on and off all afternoon, dumping quite a bit of rain, and dropping the temperature over twenty degress. Br-r-r, we weren't ready for this.
Around 2 p.m., Mother gave up trying to nap, and came into the den. Later, we went to the kitchen to begin supper preparations. I gathered ingredients necessary for making a salmon loaf, which Mother put together for the oven. And then I made a recipe of macaroni and cheese.
While we did this, we watched a movie from the DVR..."Oliver's Ghost," from the Hallmark Movie Channel. This PG movie is about a family who move into a house haunted by a ghost. At first, only the 11-year-old boy can see the ghost, an older man who eventually befrieds the boy, but eventually the whole family sees him. The ghost, of course, is stuck in the house because of something he left undone in his life, and the family helps him resolve his problem.
The salmon loaf and macaroni and chesse, were tasty, served with a side of asparagus. Afterward, I accompanied Mother home, and waited until she showered before returning home.
Back home, Hubbie and I watched a 2010 movie..."And Soon the Darkness," from the DVR. Two girls on a bicycle trip in Argentina, go bar hopping, after which they get into an argument. They split up, and then one goes missing. The other must find her before nightfall.
It was a lovely, sunny, balmy morning for a ride. The two lab dogs, belonging to our neighbors, came right out to greet and follow us. These dogs, both female, are mother and daughter. One is black, the other chocolate. The black one.. the mother of the other...was plagued this morning by a bumble bee that relentlessly dive-bombed her rear end. She kept snapping at the bee, with little result. Finally, she stopped following us to take care of the problem. I guess she won the battle eventually, because she caught up with us after a few minutes.
On our ride, we saw no grasshoppers on the road today, but we did see lots of woolly worms. Does this mean we are in for a harsh winter, as folk wisdom would have us believe?
Also saw morning glories, with their blooms open to the sun, growing on a fence at a large turnip patch.
A yard sale was in progress at one house, but we didn't take the time to stop.
At the horse riding school, a couple of young women, helmets on, were practicing maneuvers.
Along the road, a startled rabbit darted across, scooted under a barbed wire fence, and alerted the dogs to give chase. Moments later, two squirrels dashed across, under the fence, and up a tree.
Closer to home, a beagle rushed out to trot beside my bike, but he didn't bark. When Hubbie approached, though, he yapped his head off. Guess he was protecting me.
At home, while I got ready for the day, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house. Since it was nearly 11:30 by this time, Hubbie fixed Mother a lunch of Ramen Noodle soup. Later, I had split pea soup, and Hubbie chose a pimento cheese sandwich.
Mother headed to the couch after lunch, but didn't get much sleep, since a thunderstorm rolled in right away. It stormed on and off all afternoon, dumping quite a bit of rain, and dropping the temperature over twenty degress. Br-r-r, we weren't ready for this.
Around 2 p.m., Mother gave up trying to nap, and came into the den. Later, we went to the kitchen to begin supper preparations. I gathered ingredients necessary for making a salmon loaf, which Mother put together for the oven. And then I made a recipe of macaroni and cheese.
While we did this, we watched a movie from the DVR..."Oliver's Ghost," from the Hallmark Movie Channel. This PG movie is about a family who move into a house haunted by a ghost. At first, only the 11-year-old boy can see the ghost, an older man who eventually befrieds the boy, but eventually the whole family sees him. The ghost, of course, is stuck in the house because of something he left undone in his life, and the family helps him resolve his problem.
The salmon loaf and macaroni and chesse, were tasty, served with a side of asparagus. Afterward, I accompanied Mother home, and waited until she showered before returning home.
Back home, Hubbie and I watched a 2010 movie..."And Soon the Darkness," from the DVR. Two girls on a bicycle trip in Argentina, go bar hopping, after which they get into an argument. They split up, and then one goes missing. The other must find her before nightfall.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Thursday, Oct. 4
Slept late, until around 8 a.m. After breakfast, I did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises. Got ready for the day, and then did a few things around the house, like some more fall decorating, while Hubbie spent his morning outdoors repotting house plants.
Around 10:30, he accompanied Mother to our house, where she had her usual lunch of Ramen Noodle soup at 11:30. Later, Hubbie and I had pimento cheese sandwiches. Hubbie went back outside to continue repotting plants, while Mother and I met haircut appointments. It was a gorgeous day for an outing for Mother...sunny, with temps in the 80s.
My hairdresser was full of stories today about her daughter's wedding next June. She, her daughter, and other relatives and friends, recently went on a successful wedding dress shopping trip, finding exactly the gown suited to her daughter. Then they shopped for appropriate bridesmaids dresses. For these, they reasoned that the style of dress that looked good on the most full-figured bridesmaid would look good on the slender women, who look good in almost anything.
The other topic the hairdresser talked about was her five-month-old dog, who xomehow contracted parvo, even though he's an indoor dog. The dog was plagued with vomiting and diarrhea that made for a lot of clean-up work when the hairdresser got home in the evenings. The dog was confined to a bathroom, but still, it was pretty bad. She said she was instructed to use a water/bleach solution to kill the parvo in the bathroom.
She also had to give the dog a handful of medicine each day, which the dog resisted, of course. The dog, which lost weight until he was emaciated, is now on the upswing, and eating his favorite puppy chow...he's finicky, and only wants this one brand of puppy chow.
We were back home around 2 p.m., and Mother was ready to head to the couch for a nap. I spent some time completing a Literacy Council monthly report, and then I played on my laptop for a while, before settling in to read a John Grisham novel I started yesterday..."The Last Juror."
When Hubbie had finished his outdoor work, he changed clothes and we ran a couple of errands...to a home improvement store to buy three large pots of mums for an outdoor fall arrangement; to the bank; and to a grocery store for a gallon of milk.
At home, I got a call from Hubbie's sister, who wanted me to explain in detail what happens during a catheter procedure to implant stents. She is to undergo the procedure tomorrow, because of a bundle branch blockage. She's not sure yet if stents will be required, or if all she'll need is medication to take care of it. The catheter procedure will reveal what needs to be done.
She commented that she probably had a mild heart attack in the recent past, but it was such that she didn't know it. She was given nitroglycerin tablets, in case she experiences heart attack symptoms tonight, which is improbable. I think prescribing the nitro only served to stress her more, when she's already stressed enough about the procedure. But I guess it's a safety precaution.
Supper was leftover split pea soup from last night, served this time with PB&J sandwiches. Afterward, I accompanied Mother to her house.
Hubbie and I spent the rest of the evening watching TV, including a 2012 movie from the library..."The Woman in Black." In this British film, a young widowed lawyer in the Edwardian era travels to a remote village to take care of the affairs of a recently deceased eccentric, and finds that the ghost of a vengeful woman is terrorizing the town. Stars Daniel Radcliffe (of Harry Potter fame). A big old gothic mansion, cobwebs, strange voices in the mist, things suddenly flying out at you, all make this just the right kind of scary movie for October. Rated PG-13.
Around 10:30, he accompanied Mother to our house, where she had her usual lunch of Ramen Noodle soup at 11:30. Later, Hubbie and I had pimento cheese sandwiches. Hubbie went back outside to continue repotting plants, while Mother and I met haircut appointments. It was a gorgeous day for an outing for Mother...sunny, with temps in the 80s.
My hairdresser was full of stories today about her daughter's wedding next June. She, her daughter, and other relatives and friends, recently went on a successful wedding dress shopping trip, finding exactly the gown suited to her daughter. Then they shopped for appropriate bridesmaids dresses. For these, they reasoned that the style of dress that looked good on the most full-figured bridesmaid would look good on the slender women, who look good in almost anything.
The other topic the hairdresser talked about was her five-month-old dog, who xomehow contracted parvo, even though he's an indoor dog. The dog was plagued with vomiting and diarrhea that made for a lot of clean-up work when the hairdresser got home in the evenings. The dog was confined to a bathroom, but still, it was pretty bad. She said she was instructed to use a water/bleach solution to kill the parvo in the bathroom.
She also had to give the dog a handful of medicine each day, which the dog resisted, of course. The dog, which lost weight until he was emaciated, is now on the upswing, and eating his favorite puppy chow...he's finicky, and only wants this one brand of puppy chow.
We were back home around 2 p.m., and Mother was ready to head to the couch for a nap. I spent some time completing a Literacy Council monthly report, and then I played on my laptop for a while, before settling in to read a John Grisham novel I started yesterday..."The Last Juror."
When Hubbie had finished his outdoor work, he changed clothes and we ran a couple of errands...to a home improvement store to buy three large pots of mums for an outdoor fall arrangement; to the bank; and to a grocery store for a gallon of milk.
At home, I got a call from Hubbie's sister, who wanted me to explain in detail what happens during a catheter procedure to implant stents. She is to undergo the procedure tomorrow, because of a bundle branch blockage. She's not sure yet if stents will be required, or if all she'll need is medication to take care of it. The catheter procedure will reveal what needs to be done.
She commented that she probably had a mild heart attack in the recent past, but it was such that she didn't know it. She was given nitroglycerin tablets, in case she experiences heart attack symptoms tonight, which is improbable. I think prescribing the nitro only served to stress her more, when she's already stressed enough about the procedure. But I guess it's a safety precaution.
Supper was leftover split pea soup from last night, served this time with PB&J sandwiches. Afterward, I accompanied Mother to her house.
Hubbie and I spent the rest of the evening watching TV, including a 2012 movie from the library..."The Woman in Black." In this British film, a young widowed lawyer in the Edwardian era travels to a remote village to take care of the affairs of a recently deceased eccentric, and finds that the ghost of a vengeful woman is terrorizing the town. Stars Daniel Radcliffe (of Harry Potter fame). A big old gothic mansion, cobwebs, strange voices in the mist, things suddenly flying out at you, all make this just the right kind of scary movie for October. Rated PG-13.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Wednesday, Oct. 3
Up at 6:30 this morning to get ready for water aerobics. Cool morning, requiring fleece wear and a hoodie. The pool was warm, but not as toasty as it had been Monday.
On the way to the gym, I heard a strange noise toward the back of the van. We all heard this noise on the way home from the illusionist program last night, and Hubbie and I had heard it yesterday morning while running errands. What could it be? When I got out of the van, I decided to inspect underneath it. There, on the rear passenger side, I found a limb stuck to something and dragging the ground. It was making a broken-fan sound when the car moved. I was able to dislodge it, solving the problem. Glad it wasn't a mechanical problem with the van!
Twenty-four of us attended the session, which started a little earlier today, because our leader needed to make a trip to the capital city for a 1 p.m. appointment concerning her thyroid problem, and she wanted to arrive in the city early enough to enjoy lunch with relatives before her appointment.
Before we began aerobics, she announced that we will not have a session Friday, because our lifeguard has to be out of town on business. I hate missing my time in the pool, but a break Friday might be welcome, since weather predictions are for rain and a plummet in temperature. I think I'd prefer to exercise indoors on a day like that.
Back home, I warmed up with a couple of cups of coffee, while Hubbie ran an errand. When he returned, he accompanied Mother to our house, where she diced onions, carrot, onions, and banana peppers, as well as a ham slice, for making split pea soup. I'd gathered the veggies and meat before she arrived, and while she completed the task, I got ready for the day.
Around 10:30, I washed the peas, and started the pot of soup simmering with the veggies, low-sodium chicken broth, and a variety of spices. Then I prepared a lunch of leftovers...mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, gravy, Lima beans, a small bit of lasagna, pork chop with apples and onions, and coleslaw.
While we ate, we watched Tuesday night's elimination episode of "Dancing With the Stars." Afterward, Mother was ready to head to the couch for a nap, while Hubbie went outdoors to repot the indoor plants, and I did a few chores and then settled in the den to read the novel I downloaded from the library. I need to finish it before it is automatically removed from my e-reader on Oct. 6.
Right after lunch, the central heat/air guy arrived. Hubbie had called him this morning requesting an annual safety inspection of the unit, before we need to turn on the heat...which might be this weekend!
Mother finished her nap around 3 p.m., so I started an NCIS show from DVR for her, while I read the last couple of chapters of my book.
Later, we had the split pea soup, with crackers and pimento cheese. Had fresh grapes for dessert. Afterward, I accompanied Mother to her house, then waited until she showered before returning home.
Hubbie and I spent the evening watching a 2003 from the library..."Coyote Waits," starring several recognizable native indian actors, such as Adam Beach, Wes Studi, and Graham Greene. On a Navajo reservation, a tribal cop is killed. A plot is uncovered, involving rival tribes, an historical artifact, a lost fortune, and a mythical coyote.
The movie is based on a book by Tony Hillerman. We've enjoyed listening to several audiobook murder mystery novels by this author, the settings of which are always on a Navajo reservation.
An interesting note: a publisher once turned down one of Hillerman's manuscripts, saying, "Your stories would be a lot more interesting if you'd take out all this American Indian stuff." Foolish publisher.
Following the movie, we watched the first of the 2012 presidential debates.
On the way to the gym, I heard a strange noise toward the back of the van. We all heard this noise on the way home from the illusionist program last night, and Hubbie and I had heard it yesterday morning while running errands. What could it be? When I got out of the van, I decided to inspect underneath it. There, on the rear passenger side, I found a limb stuck to something and dragging the ground. It was making a broken-fan sound when the car moved. I was able to dislodge it, solving the problem. Glad it wasn't a mechanical problem with the van!
Twenty-four of us attended the session, which started a little earlier today, because our leader needed to make a trip to the capital city for a 1 p.m. appointment concerning her thyroid problem, and she wanted to arrive in the city early enough to enjoy lunch with relatives before her appointment.
Before we began aerobics, she announced that we will not have a session Friday, because our lifeguard has to be out of town on business. I hate missing my time in the pool, but a break Friday might be welcome, since weather predictions are for rain and a plummet in temperature. I think I'd prefer to exercise indoors on a day like that.
Back home, I warmed up with a couple of cups of coffee, while Hubbie ran an errand. When he returned, he accompanied Mother to our house, where she diced onions, carrot, onions, and banana peppers, as well as a ham slice, for making split pea soup. I'd gathered the veggies and meat before she arrived, and while she completed the task, I got ready for the day.
Around 10:30, I washed the peas, and started the pot of soup simmering with the veggies, low-sodium chicken broth, and a variety of spices. Then I prepared a lunch of leftovers...mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, gravy, Lima beans, a small bit of lasagna, pork chop with apples and onions, and coleslaw.
While we ate, we watched Tuesday night's elimination episode of "Dancing With the Stars." Afterward, Mother was ready to head to the couch for a nap, while Hubbie went outdoors to repot the indoor plants, and I did a few chores and then settled in the den to read the novel I downloaded from the library. I need to finish it before it is automatically removed from my e-reader on Oct. 6.
Right after lunch, the central heat/air guy arrived. Hubbie had called him this morning requesting an annual safety inspection of the unit, before we need to turn on the heat...which might be this weekend!
Mother finished her nap around 3 p.m., so I started an NCIS show from DVR for her, while I read the last couple of chapters of my book.
Later, we had the split pea soup, with crackers and pimento cheese. Had fresh grapes for dessert. Afterward, I accompanied Mother to her house, then waited until she showered before returning home.
Hubbie and I spent the evening watching a 2003 from the library..."Coyote Waits," starring several recognizable native indian actors, such as Adam Beach, Wes Studi, and Graham Greene. On a Navajo reservation, a tribal cop is killed. A plot is uncovered, involving rival tribes, an historical artifact, a lost fortune, and a mythical coyote.
The movie is based on a book by Tony Hillerman. We've enjoyed listening to several audiobook murder mystery novels by this author, the settings of which are always on a Navajo reservation.
An interesting note: a publisher once turned down one of Hillerman's manuscripts, saying, "Your stories would be a lot more interesting if you'd take out all this American Indian stuff." Foolish publisher.
Following the movie, we watched the first of the 2012 presidential debates.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Tuesday, Oct. 2
Up at 7:30, but skipped my exercises, so Hubbie and I could get ready to attend an open house and ribbon cutting for the new hospital tower at 10 a.m.
We arrived around 9:30, and by then a whole lot of people were already gathered, mainly hospital staff and volunteers. The volunteers provided refreshments of coffee, and a choice of donuts, or large cookies, or muffins. Hubbie chose a cookie, and I had a chocolate muffin, with peanut butter chips.
There was limited seating, but since the staff and volunteers were standing, there were plenty of chairs for guests. There were several speakers, including a state congressman, but thankfully, they kept their comments short, and got right on to the ribbon cutting.
After the ceremony, groups of twelve were taken on tours of the facility. We were shown two empty patient rooms on the fourth floor, which are very family friendly. Nurses stations are now divided into six sections in a circle, with one nurse per section. This reduces the noise level, so that patients can get more rest. As was noted in the speeches, the thrust in this new section is to make patients as comfortable as possible, thus reducing stress, and helping the patient heal sooner.
On the third floor, we saw the Meditation Garden. Featured here is a stone labyrinth, fashioned in a maze design, for walking meditation. There are teak wood benches around the garden, and raised containers of low-water, low-maintenance plants, as well as small trees. At night, an ornate lamp emits warm light.
On the first floor is the porch with white rocking chairs, and a spacious cafeteria. Here, the focal point is a suspended sculpture in the center of the glass-topped tower. The sculpture, called "Reflections of Hope and Healing," uses hundreds of shaped elements made of thin guage polished stainless steel sheet metal "wings," that reflect the light. The sculpture is 40 feet long, and each independent section spins 360 degrees to catch the light.
After the tour, Hubbie and I ran errands...to the library to choose four more movies on DVD; to the newspaper office to leave this week's word search puzzle contest; and to the pharmacy to pick up prescriptions.
Back home, I accompanied Mother to our house, where we had a lunch of leftovers. Afterward, Hubbie ran a couple of more errands, and I took Mother on an outing to a pumpkin patch at a church down the road from our house. It was a beautiful afternoon for an outing, and Mother thoroughly enjoyed it. I bought five small mini pumpkins, mainly to contribute to the church's fundraiser for youth groups.
At home, Mother headed to the couch for a nap, and I did this and that until around 3 p.m., when I began supper preparations by washing sweet potatoes, peeling and slicing apples, browning pork chops, etc. Put the potatoes in the oven at 3:30.
Mother finished her nap just before 4 p.m., and helped finish supper preparations.
While supper cooked, we watched Monday night's episode of "Dancing With the Stars."
The pork chops, baked with apples and onions, and brushed with honey and mustard, were very good, served with the yummy baked sweet potatoes, and sides of peas and butter beans, and Sis's homemade bread.
Later, at 6:30, we went down to the nearby college to attend an illusionist program. This is the first of four programs for which I purchased season tickets. Naturally, the illusionist was amazing, performing psychic-like tricks with the audience, though he insists that he is not a psychic, or magician. He has performed all over the world, and on many TV shows, and he's pretty amazing.
Back home around 9 p.m., I accompanied Mother to her house, and then Hubbie and I watched TV for a while before heading to bed.
We arrived around 9:30, and by then a whole lot of people were already gathered, mainly hospital staff and volunteers. The volunteers provided refreshments of coffee, and a choice of donuts, or large cookies, or muffins. Hubbie chose a cookie, and I had a chocolate muffin, with peanut butter chips.
There was limited seating, but since the staff and volunteers were standing, there were plenty of chairs for guests. There were several speakers, including a state congressman, but thankfully, they kept their comments short, and got right on to the ribbon cutting.
After the ceremony, groups of twelve were taken on tours of the facility. We were shown two empty patient rooms on the fourth floor, which are very family friendly. Nurses stations are now divided into six sections in a circle, with one nurse per section. This reduces the noise level, so that patients can get more rest. As was noted in the speeches, the thrust in this new section is to make patients as comfortable as possible, thus reducing stress, and helping the patient heal sooner.
On the third floor, we saw the Meditation Garden. Featured here is a stone labyrinth, fashioned in a maze design, for walking meditation. There are teak wood benches around the garden, and raised containers of low-water, low-maintenance plants, as well as small trees. At night, an ornate lamp emits warm light.
On the first floor is the porch with white rocking chairs, and a spacious cafeteria. Here, the focal point is a suspended sculpture in the center of the glass-topped tower. The sculpture, called "Reflections of Hope and Healing," uses hundreds of shaped elements made of thin guage polished stainless steel sheet metal "wings," that reflect the light. The sculpture is 40 feet long, and each independent section spins 360 degrees to catch the light.
After the tour, Hubbie and I ran errands...to the library to choose four more movies on DVD; to the newspaper office to leave this week's word search puzzle contest; and to the pharmacy to pick up prescriptions.
Back home, I accompanied Mother to our house, where we had a lunch of leftovers. Afterward, Hubbie ran a couple of more errands, and I took Mother on an outing to a pumpkin patch at a church down the road from our house. It was a beautiful afternoon for an outing, and Mother thoroughly enjoyed it. I bought five small mini pumpkins, mainly to contribute to the church's fundraiser for youth groups.
At home, Mother headed to the couch for a nap, and I did this and that until around 3 p.m., when I began supper preparations by washing sweet potatoes, peeling and slicing apples, browning pork chops, etc. Put the potatoes in the oven at 3:30.
Mother finished her nap just before 4 p.m., and helped finish supper preparations.
While supper cooked, we watched Monday night's episode of "Dancing With the Stars."
The pork chops, baked with apples and onions, and brushed with honey and mustard, were very good, served with the yummy baked sweet potatoes, and sides of peas and butter beans, and Sis's homemade bread.
Later, at 6:30, we went down to the nearby college to attend an illusionist program. This is the first of four programs for which I purchased season tickets. Naturally, the illusionist was amazing, performing psychic-like tricks with the audience, though he insists that he is not a psychic, or magician. He has performed all over the world, and on many TV shows, and he's pretty amazing.
Back home around 9 p.m., I accompanied Mother to her house, and then Hubbie and I watched TV for a while before heading to bed.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Monday, Oct. 1
First day of a new month. Hope it goes well.
Up at 6:30 to get ready to go to water aerobics. Cooler weather this morning, calling for fleece wear and a hoodie. The dressing room at the gym sure was messy today, with sticky spots here and there, and litter all over the place. Guess there was an event over the weekend involving kids.
The pool, though, was wonderfully warm. Twenty-five of us showed up. I learned today that the home of one member's family (a cousin's home) suffered fire damage during last Thursday's thunderstorm, when a lightning bolt tore through the roof and ceiling, straight down to the living room floor. Thankfully, fire fighters were able to save the home.
Back home, I warmed up with a couple of cups of coffee, before getting ready for the day. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house before I went upstairs. The plumber arrived around that time, and Hubbie went with him to Mother's house to show him the problem. Once again, tree roots had to be reamed out of the pipes. The plumber advised flushing root killer down the toilet periodically to help prevent the problem.
While Hubbie and I were busy, I started a one-hour show from the DVR for Mother to watch. There are certain shows that she likes, but she forgets to watch them at home, so I keep them on my DVR for her to watch during the day.
It was close to noon by the time I came back downstairs, and Hubbie had heated chicken noodle soup for our lunch. After lunch, Mother headed to the couch for a nap, Hubbie ran errands, and I reviewed today's ESL lesson.
I met the student at 2:30, as usual. Today's conversation involved politics. A presidential election is scheduled for October 7 in Venezuela, and the student fully expects Hugo Chavez to be voted out, after nearly fourteen years in office. Online news, though, shows that voters are divided about equally between Chavez, and his opponent, Enrique Capriles.
The lesson today involved laws of the road, weather and temperatures, and irregular verb forms. The verb forms were: blow, blew, have blown; know, knew, have known; and throw, threw, have thrown. She was familiar with the present and past forms, but became a bit stumped with "have blown," "have known," and "have thrown." We'll need to spend a little more time on this.
She had no problem with the use of "had better," though: "I had better take some medicine. I feel sick." "You had better wear a heavy coat. It's cold." "They had better not drive fast. It's against the law."
She also had no problem with "so/plus adjective/plus that: "This box is so heavy that I can't carry it." "I'm so angry that I could yell."
We finished the lesson with listening comprehension, and a reading and questions lesson from her workbook.
At home, Hubbie had heated mashed potatoes and English peas in the oven for supper. I heated the gravy, and Mother prepared coleslaw, and sliced bread, for the meal.
After supper, I accompanied Mother to her house, and waited until she had showered, before returning home.
Hubbie and I spent the rest of the evening watching TV, including the first of three episodes of "Upstairs/Downstairs," from the PBS channel. A British drama, the episodes revolve around the masters and servants in a 1936 London townhouse.
Up at 6:30 to get ready to go to water aerobics. Cooler weather this morning, calling for fleece wear and a hoodie. The dressing room at the gym sure was messy today, with sticky spots here and there, and litter all over the place. Guess there was an event over the weekend involving kids.
The pool, though, was wonderfully warm. Twenty-five of us showed up. I learned today that the home of one member's family (a cousin's home) suffered fire damage during last Thursday's thunderstorm, when a lightning bolt tore through the roof and ceiling, straight down to the living room floor. Thankfully, fire fighters were able to save the home.
Back home, I warmed up with a couple of cups of coffee, before getting ready for the day. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house before I went upstairs. The plumber arrived around that time, and Hubbie went with him to Mother's house to show him the problem. Once again, tree roots had to be reamed out of the pipes. The plumber advised flushing root killer down the toilet periodically to help prevent the problem.
While Hubbie and I were busy, I started a one-hour show from the DVR for Mother to watch. There are certain shows that she likes, but she forgets to watch them at home, so I keep them on my DVR for her to watch during the day.
It was close to noon by the time I came back downstairs, and Hubbie had heated chicken noodle soup for our lunch. After lunch, Mother headed to the couch for a nap, Hubbie ran errands, and I reviewed today's ESL lesson.
I met the student at 2:30, as usual. Today's conversation involved politics. A presidential election is scheduled for October 7 in Venezuela, and the student fully expects Hugo Chavez to be voted out, after nearly fourteen years in office. Online news, though, shows that voters are divided about equally between Chavez, and his opponent, Enrique Capriles.
The lesson today involved laws of the road, weather and temperatures, and irregular verb forms. The verb forms were: blow, blew, have blown; know, knew, have known; and throw, threw, have thrown. She was familiar with the present and past forms, but became a bit stumped with "have blown," "have known," and "have thrown." We'll need to spend a little more time on this.
She had no problem with the use of "had better," though: "I had better take some medicine. I feel sick." "You had better wear a heavy coat. It's cold." "They had better not drive fast. It's against the law."
She also had no problem with "so/plus adjective/plus that: "This box is so heavy that I can't carry it." "I'm so angry that I could yell."
We finished the lesson with listening comprehension, and a reading and questions lesson from her workbook.
At home, Hubbie had heated mashed potatoes and English peas in the oven for supper. I heated the gravy, and Mother prepared coleslaw, and sliced bread, for the meal.
After supper, I accompanied Mother to her house, and waited until she had showered, before returning home.
Hubbie and I spent the rest of the evening watching TV, including the first of three episodes of "Upstairs/Downstairs," from the PBS channel. A British drama, the episodes revolve around the masters and servants in a 1936 London townhouse.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Sunday, Sept. 30
Last day of September. Another month swiftly gone.
We slept late this morning, until around 8 a.m. Skipped my exercises, as I usually do on Sunday. Spent the morning in routine Sunday chores, including planning the week's menu. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house mid-morning.
For lunch, I heated leftover boiled chicken in the oven, along with a dish of English peas, and made gravy from the broth. Hubbie peeled potatoes, which I boiled and mashed. Served the meal with slices of Sis's homemade bread.
While we enjoyed the meal, we watched a movie on DVR..."A Dolphin's Tale." This wonderful 2011 movie, starring Harry Connick, Jr., Ashley Judd, Kris Kristofferson, Morgan Freeman, and Winter the dolphin, tells the story of a dolphin that loses her tail in a crab trap. The movie is inspired by a true story.
After lunch, Mother went to the couch for a nap. I was hoping to veg for the afternoon, but Hubbie decided we simply had to go grocery shopping at the WDCS. I hate grocery shopping, and today, I especially abhored the idea. But off we went, anyway.
About an hour after we got back, Mother finished her nap, and was ready for me to decorate the mantel...another job I wasn't looking forward to today. I immediately got stressed when we couldn't find the clay pot pilgrims. Took us forever to open every box in the corner of the spare room closet, only to find the boxes held nothing but Christmas stuff.
Finally found the box they were in, right in plain sight on the shelf. The reason we couldn't see it was that it was identified as "stands" on all sides but the top. We'd have had to be nine feet tall to see the top of the box! I remember that it was Hubbie's idea to change the box the pilgrims were in last year, but he didn't remember, so he naturally didn't recognize the box he put them in.
Once we finally found everything, I got it all on the mantel, and breathed a sigh of relief. By now it was 4 p.m., and time to think about supper. We decided on chicken salad sandwiches.
Accompanied Mother home afterward, and then it was finally time to veg and watch TV until bedtime.
We slept late this morning, until around 8 a.m. Skipped my exercises, as I usually do on Sunday. Spent the morning in routine Sunday chores, including planning the week's menu. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house mid-morning.
For lunch, I heated leftover boiled chicken in the oven, along with a dish of English peas, and made gravy from the broth. Hubbie peeled potatoes, which I boiled and mashed. Served the meal with slices of Sis's homemade bread.
While we enjoyed the meal, we watched a movie on DVR..."A Dolphin's Tale." This wonderful 2011 movie, starring Harry Connick, Jr., Ashley Judd, Kris Kristofferson, Morgan Freeman, and Winter the dolphin, tells the story of a dolphin that loses her tail in a crab trap. The movie is inspired by a true story.
After lunch, Mother went to the couch for a nap. I was hoping to veg for the afternoon, but Hubbie decided we simply had to go grocery shopping at the WDCS. I hate grocery shopping, and today, I especially abhored the idea. But off we went, anyway.
About an hour after we got back, Mother finished her nap, and was ready for me to decorate the mantel...another job I wasn't looking forward to today. I immediately got stressed when we couldn't find the clay pot pilgrims. Took us forever to open every box in the corner of the spare room closet, only to find the boxes held nothing but Christmas stuff.
Finally found the box they were in, right in plain sight on the shelf. The reason we couldn't see it was that it was identified as "stands" on all sides but the top. We'd have had to be nine feet tall to see the top of the box! I remember that it was Hubbie's idea to change the box the pilgrims were in last year, but he didn't remember, so he naturally didn't recognize the box he put them in.
Once we finally found everything, I got it all on the mantel, and breathed a sigh of relief. By now it was 4 p.m., and time to think about supper. We decided on chicken salad sandwiches.
Accompanied Mother home afterward, and then it was finally time to veg and watch TV until bedtime.
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