Up around 7:30, but once again, I skipped my exercises. Looks like it'll be Monday, before I get back on track again.
After breakfast, I got ready for the day, and went to the kitchen. My intention was to bake a cherry pie, but I discovered I had only one can of cherries, when I needed two. So off Hubbie went to get another can.
In the meantime, I gathered veggies for making potato soup. When Hubbie returned, he accompanied Mother to our house, and then peeled and sliced potatoes. Mother diced carrots, onions, and celery.
Potato soup seems to be the bane to my existence...particularly the onions, which are supposed to be sauteed in margarine, before adding the other veggies. The last time I made the soup, I cooked the onions with the potatoes, carrots and onions, forgetting to set aside the onions to cook later.
This time, I remembered to set them aside, but then I forgot to saute' them in margarine, before adding the flour, milk, and the other veggies. So I had to saute' them separately and then add them to the other veggies.
As for the cherry pie, I over-baked it, so the crust is more than golden brown. Maybe I should be banned from the kitchen.
Before leaving the kitchen, Mother made two recipes of Italian Cream Cheese balls, and then she adjoured to the den.
I spent the rest of the morning sprucing the house for company tomorrow. For lunch, we all chose something different. Mother had Ramen Noodle soup, I had a bowl of the freshly made potato soup, and Hubbie opted for a ham sandwich.
Afterward, Mother went to the couch for a nap, and Hubbie ran errands...to pick up barbecue and chicken salad for tomorrow. He succeeded in getting the barbecue, but he found that the little cafe' where we get chicken salad was closed. So I called a restaurant downtown to see if they were open and carried the salad. They do, so Hubbie went there to pick up a quart of it. I know how to make chicken salad, but sometimes, I run out of time to do everything.
Mother didn't nap long, and was up again around 2 p.m. I asked if she was ready to work on a jigsaw puzzle, and she was. She spent the rest of the afternoon happily engaged in that activity, while Hubbie and I did more household chores in preparation for company.
For supper, we had leftovers from the Master Gardener potluck last Thursday, with fresh baked potatoes. Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house afterward, and then we spent the evening watching TV, including a 2006 disaster movie called "Solar Attack." A coronal mass ejection from the sun threatens earth. What can be done to stop it?
Then, we watched our favorite college basketball team, as they played to a wide-margin win.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Friday, December 14, 2012
Friday, Dec. 14
It was a busy day, but difficult to enjoy, after the news of the horrendous mass killings at an elementary school in Connecticut. So many children lost, killed by a deranged gunmen. I can't stop thinking about those innocent babies, and I keep wanting to cry. I can only imagine the grief the parents of the victims are going through. Losing a child is a parent's worst nightmare, but to lose one by such a senseless act...how will those parents cope?
We were up around 7 a.m., thanks to one of the cats, who yowls us awake around that time every morning, even if we refuse to get up.
My back feels better, but I decided to give it another day before exercising. So after breakfast, I went ahead and showered and donned a housecoat for kitchen work. While I did this, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house.
We spent the morning making two pots of stewed chicken. Mother diced the veggies, which I added to the chicken, with broth and spices. Both pots will be made into Chinese Chicken Soup, one for Hubbie's family, who will visit Sunday, and one for the ladies at the beauty shop (I put that one in the freezer, and will finish the soup next Tuesday).
After that, Mother made a recipe of chive and onion dip. Since we'd done all we could in the kitchen for this morning, I went upstairs to get ready to go to the hospital cafeteria to have lunch with our friends. We met at the hospital, because one of the friends is a volunteer at the gift shop, and her lunch hour is from noon to 1 p.m.
Mother and I arrived a little early, because I had hoped to find a handicap parking space. No dice. In fact, spaces were at a premium, so I had to park way down at the end of the lot, wrestle Mother's wheelchair out of the back of the van, and wheel her uphill to the cafeteria.
The hospital corridor decorations are nice...a big tree with oversized ornaments, and a big Santa and snowman in the pleasant front porch area that features white rocking chairs.
Had a nice visit with the ladies, with whom we exchanged gifts. Mother and I were given Christmas dish towels, packed in a gift bag, with a pretty ornament on the handles. The ornament is perfect for the white tree.
In exchange, we gave the ladies jars of our homemade candy apple jelly.
For lunch, Mother and I had chicken and dumplings, mashed potatoes, and beans for me, and mixed veggies for Mother. The ladies opted for fried catfish and salad.
This attractive cafeteria offers tasty meals at very reasonable prices. But the layout is sort of strange. Our friend who volunteers at the hospital had to direct us to the napkins, the condiments, the drinks, the plastic ware, and the area for disposing of plates, cups, etc. Nothing was obvious. We decided that it had to be a man who designed the area.
When it was time for our friend to return to work at the gift shop, we accompanied her, so we could stroll through it. This is a very inviting shop, with wide enough aisles to accommodate a wheelchair. Some things were reasonably priced, while others were a bit pricey. I didn't see much that I wanted, but I did buy a pair of cute snowman earrings, which were discounted ten percent.
Our other friend was ready to head home then, but she waited outside until I brought the van around, so I wouldn't have to push Mother way down the parking lot again. This lady, though several years younger than me, has bad knees, so she couldn't help me hoist the wheelchair into the back of the van. And today, I had trouble with it, because I couldn't seem to lift it high enough to get past the lip of the cargo area. The first time I tried, I got the chair in, but it opened partly and wouldn't fit the space. So I had to hoist it back out, close it up again, and heave ho it back into the van. Whew!
Back home, Mother headed to the couch for a nap, and Hubbie and I relaxed for a while, before time to head out at 4:30 to go to an open house at a business downtown, where there was enough food to make a supper on...hot beef brisket on steamed buns, an assortment of dips, with crackers, chips, and veggies, and all sorts of desserts, along with coffee, and hot apple-cinnamon punch. Brought home slices of pumpkin roll, and cookies, to have later.
Mother was ready to go home as soon as we were back from the open house, so I accompanied her.
Around 6:30, Hubbie returned to the business to pick up a table and folding chairs to use on Sunday. When he got back, he popped popcorn, and I made a carmel sauce for it. The popcorn also has pecan and candied cherries in it. Hubbie had quartered the cherries, and broken the nuts this morning, so we didn't have to do that tonight. Made two recipes of the fruited popcorn...one for Hubbie, and one for his daughter, who dearly loves it. It's not my favorite, so I don't eat it, though everyone else thinks its the most wonderful stuff in the world.
Finally, around 8 p.m., we were ready to relax and watch TV for a while.
We were up around 7 a.m., thanks to one of the cats, who yowls us awake around that time every morning, even if we refuse to get up.
My back feels better, but I decided to give it another day before exercising. So after breakfast, I went ahead and showered and donned a housecoat for kitchen work. While I did this, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house.
We spent the morning making two pots of stewed chicken. Mother diced the veggies, which I added to the chicken, with broth and spices. Both pots will be made into Chinese Chicken Soup, one for Hubbie's family, who will visit Sunday, and one for the ladies at the beauty shop (I put that one in the freezer, and will finish the soup next Tuesday).
After that, Mother made a recipe of chive and onion dip. Since we'd done all we could in the kitchen for this morning, I went upstairs to get ready to go to the hospital cafeteria to have lunch with our friends. We met at the hospital, because one of the friends is a volunteer at the gift shop, and her lunch hour is from noon to 1 p.m.
Mother and I arrived a little early, because I had hoped to find a handicap parking space. No dice. In fact, spaces were at a premium, so I had to park way down at the end of the lot, wrestle Mother's wheelchair out of the back of the van, and wheel her uphill to the cafeteria.
The hospital corridor decorations are nice...a big tree with oversized ornaments, and a big Santa and snowman in the pleasant front porch area that features white rocking chairs.
Had a nice visit with the ladies, with whom we exchanged gifts. Mother and I were given Christmas dish towels, packed in a gift bag, with a pretty ornament on the handles. The ornament is perfect for the white tree.
In exchange, we gave the ladies jars of our homemade candy apple jelly.
For lunch, Mother and I had chicken and dumplings, mashed potatoes, and beans for me, and mixed veggies for Mother. The ladies opted for fried catfish and salad.
This attractive cafeteria offers tasty meals at very reasonable prices. But the layout is sort of strange. Our friend who volunteers at the hospital had to direct us to the napkins, the condiments, the drinks, the plastic ware, and the area for disposing of plates, cups, etc. Nothing was obvious. We decided that it had to be a man who designed the area.
When it was time for our friend to return to work at the gift shop, we accompanied her, so we could stroll through it. This is a very inviting shop, with wide enough aisles to accommodate a wheelchair. Some things were reasonably priced, while others were a bit pricey. I didn't see much that I wanted, but I did buy a pair of cute snowman earrings, which were discounted ten percent.
Our other friend was ready to head home then, but she waited outside until I brought the van around, so I wouldn't have to push Mother way down the parking lot again. This lady, though several years younger than me, has bad knees, so she couldn't help me hoist the wheelchair into the back of the van. And today, I had trouble with it, because I couldn't seem to lift it high enough to get past the lip of the cargo area. The first time I tried, I got the chair in, but it opened partly and wouldn't fit the space. So I had to hoist it back out, close it up again, and heave ho it back into the van. Whew!
Back home, Mother headed to the couch for a nap, and Hubbie and I relaxed for a while, before time to head out at 4:30 to go to an open house at a business downtown, where there was enough food to make a supper on...hot beef brisket on steamed buns, an assortment of dips, with crackers, chips, and veggies, and all sorts of desserts, along with coffee, and hot apple-cinnamon punch. Brought home slices of pumpkin roll, and cookies, to have later.
Mother was ready to go home as soon as we were back from the open house, so I accompanied her.
Around 6:30, Hubbie returned to the business to pick up a table and folding chairs to use on Sunday. When he got back, he popped popcorn, and I made a carmel sauce for it. The popcorn also has pecan and candied cherries in it. Hubbie had quartered the cherries, and broken the nuts this morning, so we didn't have to do that tonight. Made two recipes of the fruited popcorn...one for Hubbie, and one for his daughter, who dearly loves it. It's not my favorite, so I don't eat it, though everyone else thinks its the most wonderful stuff in the world.
Finally, around 8 p.m., we were ready to relax and watch TV for a while.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Thursday, Dec. 13
Up around 8 a.m., but skipped my exercises, because my back is bothering me. Lately, I've had occasion to have to sit in hard wooden chairs, or folding chairs, which seem to compress my spine and cause pain.
So I just went ahead and hit the shower (hot water felt good on my back), and got dressed in holiday array for the Master Gardener potluck lunch and Dirty Santa gift exchange.
Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house while I was upstairs. We spent the morning relaxing, and then headed to the party around 11 a.m.
A nice group showed up for the event, but not as many as were ezpected, so there was enough food to feed an army...turkey and ham, dressing, gravy, and rolls, all from a popular restaurant, and side dishes provided by the members. There was a choice of slaws, cranberry, and fruit salads, and sweet potato dishes galore. Desserts included lots of pies, three of which were sweet potato, a few that were pumpkin, and an assortment of others...peanut butter, lemon buttermilk, cherry-o-cream cheese...and a couple kinds of cakes, as well as cookies.
Since I don't eat cornbread dressing, and the gravy was very yellow, I ended up with turkey and a variety of sweet side dishes. Once I had dessert, I'd had enough sweet stuff to get a sugar high.
There was so much food, that everyone loaded up styrofoam containers to take home. I brought home enough food for a couple of days, while Hubbie and the others played Dirty Santa.
Hubbie drew the number one for that game, and got a red watering can, but that was stolen, so he chose another gift. This one was a gift pack of cheese, salami, and crackers. At the end of the game, the leader said that since he hadn't had an opportunity to steal a gift, he could choose anything he wanted in exchange for his gift pack. Or keep the gift pack, if he wished. He didn't, and I'm glad, since we wouldn't have eaten it.
This was a rule I'd never heard of before. And it didn't make sense, since actually, he had a chance to steal something after someone stole the watering can from him. But instead of stealing from someone at that point, he chose another gift from the table. At any rate, he slowly looked at all the gifts, and then stunned me with what he chose...the gift he'd brought for exchange, the cute birdfeeder, with a bag of bird seed!
It was a nice party, but, except for a secretary from the Extension Services office playing a couple of Christmas tunes on a baby grand piano, there was no entertainment, like there usually is. But that was fine with me, because even with cushions we brought with us for the chairs, my back was complaining by the end of the Dirty Santa exchange.
I think this year, everyone was tired, and didn't want the party to drag on too long. As someone commented, every year the season seems longer, with more and more activities competing for our attention, which leaves less and less time to relax and enjoy. This year, Christmas activities began in November for us. Before we know it, Christmas will start in October. Well, it sort of has, since seasonal decorations and trees were already in the stores by then.
We were back home around 2 p.m., and Mother lost no time heading to the couch. While she slept, we went to a town about 20 minutes away to buy a new power backup/surge protector for the upstairs computer.
While we were there, Hubbie asked a staff member why my android cell phone battery runs down so quickly. She said it was probably the blue tooth app, and she tried to find it to shut it off, but she couldn't. So while we traveled back to town, I explored the phone, and finally found it, and turned it off.
In town, we stopped by the bank, and then went to the WDCS for a few food items. Back home around 4:30, Mother was ready to go home, so I gathered food from lunch for her to have for supper, and then Hubbie accompanied her to her house.
After that, Hubbie and I went to the preschool for a graham cracker cookie Christmas house workshop. We arrived before 6 p.m., the appointed hour, and had to park at the back of the school, because so many had arrived already.
Inside (once we found an open door), we saw a room full of kids and their parents already at work on their projects. Seems they'd arrived at 5 p.m. Guess they wanted to make sure they got to do it, in case supples were limited. We didn't stay long, but at 6:15, parents and kids were still streaming in, and volunteers were rushing to set up more tables and chairs. I don't know what the final count was, but it was way more than expected, I'm sure.
We left the model house that Mother had built, in case anyone needed an example. One lady said the reason it was so neat was that it had been done by a professional. Hubbie hastened to tell her that a 90-year-old woman did it. Mother will be happy to hear she has been called a professional.
At home again, Hubbie and I each had something different for supper. I had fried eggs and toast, with a Little Cutie for dessert, and Hubbie had a slice of sweet potato pie, and a cup of chai tea.
Spent the rest of the evening watching TV.
So I just went ahead and hit the shower (hot water felt good on my back), and got dressed in holiday array for the Master Gardener potluck lunch and Dirty Santa gift exchange.
Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house while I was upstairs. We spent the morning relaxing, and then headed to the party around 11 a.m.
A nice group showed up for the event, but not as many as were ezpected, so there was enough food to feed an army...turkey and ham, dressing, gravy, and rolls, all from a popular restaurant, and side dishes provided by the members. There was a choice of slaws, cranberry, and fruit salads, and sweet potato dishes galore. Desserts included lots of pies, three of which were sweet potato, a few that were pumpkin, and an assortment of others...peanut butter, lemon buttermilk, cherry-o-cream cheese...and a couple kinds of cakes, as well as cookies.
Since I don't eat cornbread dressing, and the gravy was very yellow, I ended up with turkey and a variety of sweet side dishes. Once I had dessert, I'd had enough sweet stuff to get a sugar high.
There was so much food, that everyone loaded up styrofoam containers to take home. I brought home enough food for a couple of days, while Hubbie and the others played Dirty Santa.
Hubbie drew the number one for that game, and got a red watering can, but that was stolen, so he chose another gift. This one was a gift pack of cheese, salami, and crackers. At the end of the game, the leader said that since he hadn't had an opportunity to steal a gift, he could choose anything he wanted in exchange for his gift pack. Or keep the gift pack, if he wished. He didn't, and I'm glad, since we wouldn't have eaten it.
This was a rule I'd never heard of before. And it didn't make sense, since actually, he had a chance to steal something after someone stole the watering can from him. But instead of stealing from someone at that point, he chose another gift from the table. At any rate, he slowly looked at all the gifts, and then stunned me with what he chose...the gift he'd brought for exchange, the cute birdfeeder, with a bag of bird seed!
It was a nice party, but, except for a secretary from the Extension Services office playing a couple of Christmas tunes on a baby grand piano, there was no entertainment, like there usually is. But that was fine with me, because even with cushions we brought with us for the chairs, my back was complaining by the end of the Dirty Santa exchange.
I think this year, everyone was tired, and didn't want the party to drag on too long. As someone commented, every year the season seems longer, with more and more activities competing for our attention, which leaves less and less time to relax and enjoy. This year, Christmas activities began in November for us. Before we know it, Christmas will start in October. Well, it sort of has, since seasonal decorations and trees were already in the stores by then.
We were back home around 2 p.m., and Mother lost no time heading to the couch. While she slept, we went to a town about 20 minutes away to buy a new power backup/surge protector for the upstairs computer.
While we were there, Hubbie asked a staff member why my android cell phone battery runs down so quickly. She said it was probably the blue tooth app, and she tried to find it to shut it off, but she couldn't. So while we traveled back to town, I explored the phone, and finally found it, and turned it off.
In town, we stopped by the bank, and then went to the WDCS for a few food items. Back home around 4:30, Mother was ready to go home, so I gathered food from lunch for her to have for supper, and then Hubbie accompanied her to her house.
After that, Hubbie and I went to the preschool for a graham cracker cookie Christmas house workshop. We arrived before 6 p.m., the appointed hour, and had to park at the back of the school, because so many had arrived already.
Inside (once we found an open door), we saw a room full of kids and their parents already at work on their projects. Seems they'd arrived at 5 p.m. Guess they wanted to make sure they got to do it, in case supples were limited. We didn't stay long, but at 6:15, parents and kids were still streaming in, and volunteers were rushing to set up more tables and chairs. I don't know what the final count was, but it was way more than expected, I'm sure.
We left the model house that Mother had built, in case anyone needed an example. One lady said the reason it was so neat was that it had been done by a professional. Hubbie hastened to tell her that a 90-year-old woman did it. Mother will be happy to hear she has been called a professional.
At home again, Hubbie and I each had something different for supper. I had fried eggs and toast, with a Little Cutie for dessert, and Hubbie had a slice of sweet potato pie, and a cup of chai tea.
Spent the rest of the evening watching TV.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Wednesday, Dec. 12
12-12-12...supposedly a lucky day for getting married, having a baby, etc. Around here, it was pretty much just another ordinary day, which in itself is pretty lucky, I'd say.
Slept late this morning, until around 8 a.m. Dressed in my exercise clothes, but didn't do a session after breakfast. Instead, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house, where I presented her with the first of her twelve days of Christmas gifts. Today's gift was a bag of her favorite holiday fruit...Little Cuties mandarin oranges.
After that, she went to the kitchen to dice veggies and ham for eleven-bean soup. When she finished, I started the pot of soup, with spices, simmering. This is one of three soups we'll serve to Hubbie's family on Sunday.
Then Mother mixed egg substitute and milk into a can of sweet potato pie filling. The mixture made enough to fill a deep dish in which Mother had put a prepared pie crust. Pie crusts have shrunk (just like five-pound bags of sugar, which are now four pounds), so there was just enough to fit the dish. The pie is our contribution to the Master Gardner potluck Christmas party tomorrow.
Once the pie had baked, it was lunchtime. After lunch, Mother headed to the couch for a nap, and I finally did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises. While I did this, and then got ready for the day (what was left of it), Hubbie ran errands...to a vet's office to take advantage of an offer to buy two containers of flea treatment and get a third free; to the newspaper office to drop off this week's word search puzzle contest; to the art gallery to leave an itemized list of supplies for the graham cracker cookie Christmas house workshop for reimbursement, and to pick up a bag full of milk cartons for a cookie house workshop at the preschool tomorrow night, and finally to City Hall to drop the milk cartons off to the Literacy Council director.
We spent the afternoon doing this and that...Hubbie cleaned the sunroom a little, so it won't be so chaotic when his family visits, and I got various gifts ready for the next couple day's events...a birdfeeder and a bag of birdseed for the Dirty Santa gift exchange at the Master Gardener Christmas party tomorrow; and three jars of candy apple jelly...one each for our friends, whom we'll meet for lunch on Friday, and one for the secretary of a business we deal with.
Did other household things until Mother finished her nap. She got up about 3:30, and we watched several animated Christmas features on DVD, until suppertime. For supper, we had the hallacas venezolanas, which are much like tamales, given to us by my ESL student.
I used my steamer to heat the hallacas, as instructed by my student. There were three of them, wrapped in corn husks, and tied with string. One had a small red ribbon attached to indicate it was the hottest, another had a pink ribbon, to indicate mild, and one had only string, to indicate it had no peppers in it. This one was for Mother.
The process for making these Venezuelan Christmas delicacies takes about four hours, so they were a very special gift, and they were delicious. Served them with a choice of tortilla or vegetable chips, and dishes of canned peaches for dessert.
Afterward, Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house, and then he and I watched TV for the rest of the evening.
Slept late this morning, until around 8 a.m. Dressed in my exercise clothes, but didn't do a session after breakfast. Instead, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house, where I presented her with the first of her twelve days of Christmas gifts. Today's gift was a bag of her favorite holiday fruit...Little Cuties mandarin oranges.
After that, she went to the kitchen to dice veggies and ham for eleven-bean soup. When she finished, I started the pot of soup, with spices, simmering. This is one of three soups we'll serve to Hubbie's family on Sunday.
Then Mother mixed egg substitute and milk into a can of sweet potato pie filling. The mixture made enough to fill a deep dish in which Mother had put a prepared pie crust. Pie crusts have shrunk (just like five-pound bags of sugar, which are now four pounds), so there was just enough to fit the dish. The pie is our contribution to the Master Gardner potluck Christmas party tomorrow.
Once the pie had baked, it was lunchtime. After lunch, Mother headed to the couch for a nap, and I finally did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises. While I did this, and then got ready for the day (what was left of it), Hubbie ran errands...to a vet's office to take advantage of an offer to buy two containers of flea treatment and get a third free; to the newspaper office to drop off this week's word search puzzle contest; to the art gallery to leave an itemized list of supplies for the graham cracker cookie Christmas house workshop for reimbursement, and to pick up a bag full of milk cartons for a cookie house workshop at the preschool tomorrow night, and finally to City Hall to drop the milk cartons off to the Literacy Council director.
We spent the afternoon doing this and that...Hubbie cleaned the sunroom a little, so it won't be so chaotic when his family visits, and I got various gifts ready for the next couple day's events...a birdfeeder and a bag of birdseed for the Dirty Santa gift exchange at the Master Gardener Christmas party tomorrow; and three jars of candy apple jelly...one each for our friends, whom we'll meet for lunch on Friday, and one for the secretary of a business we deal with.
Did other household things until Mother finished her nap. She got up about 3:30, and we watched several animated Christmas features on DVD, until suppertime. For supper, we had the hallacas venezolanas, which are much like tamales, given to us by my ESL student.
I used my steamer to heat the hallacas, as instructed by my student. There were three of them, wrapped in corn husks, and tied with string. One had a small red ribbon attached to indicate it was the hottest, another had a pink ribbon, to indicate mild, and one had only string, to indicate it had no peppers in it. This one was for Mother.
The process for making these Venezuelan Christmas delicacies takes about four hours, so they were a very special gift, and they were delicious. Served them with a choice of tortilla or vegetable chips, and dishes of canned peaches for dessert.
Afterward, Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house, and then he and I watched TV for the rest of the evening.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Monday, Dec. 10
Slept late on this cold morning, until around 8 a.m. Did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises after breakfast. While I was doing this, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house.
Once I was ready for the day, I returned a call to a friend, who invited Mother and me to join her and our other friend from a town about two hours away to lunch on Thursday. Had to decline, since we are scheduled to attend the Master Gardener potluck and Dirty Santa Christmas party that day. The friend asked that I call after the party to see if we can meet for coffee or something that afternoon.
Did this and that around the house for the rest of the morning. After lunch, Mother headed to the couch for a nap, and I reviewed the lesson plan for today's meeting with my student.
One of the things I did, or attempted to do, since rarely does anything go smoothly, was copy two stories from the ESL reader...one about Helen Keller, and one about Martin Luther King Jr. I tried to print two pages at once, by laying the small book down on the screen, but when I started to cut them apart and staple them, I discovered that part of the narrative was cut off.
So I had to go back and copy each page individually. Then, when I tried to staple the pages together, I found the stapler was empty...no big deal, except there were no staples in the office to fill it with. There's another stapler downstairs, so Hubbie stapled the materials, and then went upstairs to fill the other one.
These are minor things in the scheme of life, except when they are added to other things that seem to go wrong, like the jam-making episode yesterday, the washer quiting at a most inconvenient time, and now today, the computer battery backup unit fizzling.
Found out about the backup unit, when Hubbie complained that the office computer wouldn't boot. He insisted that the backup unit was fine, but I wasn't convinced. I went upstairs and tried to turn the monitor on. It didn't come on, so I plugged it into another outlet. It came on. I tried the computer in another outlet, and hit the reset button, and the on button. It worked.
What a week! One stumbling block after another on our way to getting ready for compnay this weekend, when Hubbie's family will visit on Sunday.
Shortly after lunch, a plumber came to replace a corroded facet unit in the laundry room. While he was here, Hubbie prevailed upon him and his assistant to carry the washer out into the yard. Now the laundry room is empty and ready for paint, which means I'll need to choose a color this week.
Everything that was in the laundry room is now in the sunroom. I didn't know we had so much stuff in there. Not an attractive sight, so I guess we' ll close the blinds to that room, and caution Hubbie's family to stay out of there!
Later, I met my student at the college. Today, the student brought me three hallacas, a traditional food that she makes at Christmas time. It's a complicated recipe of meats, spices, vegetables, fruits, etc., wrapped in corn husks and tied with string. she suggested that I steam them for about ten minutes. We'll try them tomorrow, maybe. I hope they aren't too spicy, since none of us can tolerate hot pepper foods.
Today's lesson included reading the story of Martin Luther King Jr. The student was already familiar with this hero of American history, but she still enjoyed the narrative about him.
Other than the story, the student learned vocabulary about handicaps, wild and tame, the use of "nearly," and "trust," and words related to the five senses.
We spent quite a bit of time in conversation. She talked about some of the history of her country. When she was four years old, the last dictator of her country was ousted by a bloodless coup, which ushered in democratic rule. Later, (the way I understand it)in the 1960s, her military uncle was part of a guerilla movement against the election of a non-democratic president. Most of the military laid down their arms, so her uncle's position forced him to flee.
He holed up at her grandparent's house for about a week. She and all the other children were cautioned not to tell anyone he was there. One day, a couple of men (the equivalent of the CIA, she said) drove up and began talking to the younger children. She rushed out and told the men that her uncle didn't live there, and that his home was on the opposite side of Venezuela. Once the men left, her uncle lost no time in leaving. She was twelve years old at this time, so the incident left her shaken with fear. Her uncle was eventually captured, and spent eight years in a military prison, where he was treated well, and was even allowed to bear arms.
In further conversation, she related that after she was married to her pediatrician husband, she came home one day to find thieves in her house. Naturally, she didn't challenge them as they stole suitcases full of stuff, including thousands of dollars worth of jewelry she'd collected over the years, some of which was treasured items fr.
Once I was ready for the day, I returned a call to a friend, who invited Mother and me to join her and our other friend from a town about two hours away to lunch on Thursday. Had to decline, since we are scheduled to attend the Master Gardener potluck and Dirty Santa Christmas party that day. The friend asked that I call after the party to see if we can meet for coffee or something that afternoon.
Did this and that around the house for the rest of the morning. After lunch, Mother headed to the couch for a nap, and I reviewed the lesson plan for today's meeting with my student.
One of the things I did, or attempted to do, since rarely does anything go smoothly, was copy two stories from the ESL reader...one about Helen Keller, and one about Martin Luther King Jr. I tried to print two pages at once, by laying the small book down on the screen, but when I started to cut them apart and staple them, I discovered that part of the narrative was cut off.
So I had to go back and copy each page individually. Then, when I tried to staple the pages together, I found the stapler was empty...no big deal, except there were no staples in the office to fill it with. There's another stapler downstairs, so Hubbie stapled the materials, and then went upstairs to fill the other one.
These are minor things in the scheme of life, except when they are added to other things that seem to go wrong, like the jam-making episode yesterday, the washer quiting at a most inconvenient time, and now today, the computer battery backup unit fizzling.
Found out about the backup unit, when Hubbie complained that the office computer wouldn't boot. He insisted that the backup unit was fine, but I wasn't convinced. I went upstairs and tried to turn the monitor on. It didn't come on, so I plugged it into another outlet. It came on. I tried the computer in another outlet, and hit the reset button, and the on button. It worked.
What a week! One stumbling block after another on our way to getting ready for compnay this weekend, when Hubbie's family will visit on Sunday.
Shortly after lunch, a plumber came to replace a corroded facet unit in the laundry room. While he was here, Hubbie prevailed upon him and his assistant to carry the washer out into the yard. Now the laundry room is empty and ready for paint, which means I'll need to choose a color this week.
Everything that was in the laundry room is now in the sunroom. I didn't know we had so much stuff in there. Not an attractive sight, so I guess we' ll close the blinds to that room, and caution Hubbie's family to stay out of there!
Later, I met my student at the college. Today, the student brought me three hallacas, a traditional food that she makes at Christmas time. It's a complicated recipe of meats, spices, vegetables, fruits, etc., wrapped in corn husks and tied with string. she suggested that I steam them for about ten minutes. We'll try them tomorrow, maybe. I hope they aren't too spicy, since none of us can tolerate hot pepper foods.
Today's lesson included reading the story of Martin Luther King Jr. The student was already familiar with this hero of American history, but she still enjoyed the narrative about him.
Other than the story, the student learned vocabulary about handicaps, wild and tame, the use of "nearly," and "trust," and words related to the five senses.
We spent quite a bit of time in conversation. She talked about some of the history of her country. When she was four years old, the last dictator of her country was ousted by a bloodless coup, which ushered in democratic rule. Later, (the way I understand it)in the 1960s, her military uncle was part of a guerilla movement against the election of a non-democratic president. Most of the military laid down their arms, so her uncle's position forced him to flee.
He holed up at her grandparent's house for about a week. She and all the other children were cautioned not to tell anyone he was there. One day, a couple of men (the equivalent of the CIA, she said) drove up and began talking to the younger children. She rushed out and told the men that her uncle didn't live there, and that his home was on the opposite side of Venezuela. Once the men left, her uncle lost no time in leaving. She was twelve years old at this time, so the incident left her shaken with fear. Her uncle was eventually captured, and spent eight years in a military prison, where he was treated well, and was even allowed to bear arms.
In further conversation, she related that after she was married to her pediatrician husband, she came home one day to find thieves in her house. Naturally, she didn't challenge them as they stole suitcases full of stuff, including thousands of dollars worth of jewelry she'd collected over the years, some of which was treasured items fr.
Tuesday, Dec. 11
Today is Daughter's birthday. Happy Birthday, Daughter!
Slept late again, until around 8 a.m. Shortly after breakfast, Daughter called. She was up unusually early, because she went to the college where she works for a free breakfast. She said that later, employees were also invited to the president's house for lunch. This is a very nice affair, so I know she was looking forward to it.
She wanted to present the president and his wife with a unique Christmas card. So she cleverly used one that Mother and I made for her last year, which featured a screen door front, snow, and a snowman. She tore the insert out, and replaced it with a card depicting Santa seated in front of a fireplace, which shows through the screen door.
We talked for quite a while. Afterward, I did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises, and then Hubbie put color in my hair, in anticipation of a haircut appointment this afternoon.
Once I was finally showered and dressed, it was time for lunch. Afterward, Mother and I went to the beauty shop for our 1 p.m. appointments. Br-r-r, it was really cool out there today.
Seems everyone has tales of woe. Today, my hairdresser talked about not being a bit ready for Christmas...hasn't even decorated yet...because her daughter and fiance' are in the throes of buying a house before they are married, so she was helping out with that. Also her daughter was honored with a bridal shower on Dec. 1.
In the midst of all this, her college-age son suffered from a carbuncle-type thing on his behind. He said nothing about it until it got so bad he was forced to see a doctor. A week's stay in the hospital followed, with the golf ball sized growth being surgically removed.
The hairdresser said this is a rare form of the growth, and is genetic...both his father and grandfather suffered from the same thing.
Back home, Mother headed to the couch for a nap, and Hubbie and I went to the WDCS to buy paint for the laundry room. I got what I thought was a light beige, but turned out to be a very pale yellow called vanilla custard (who can tell by a sample under fluorescent lighting?).
Back home again, Hubbie got started painting the room, and I did this and that...ironing tableclothes for the weeked, clearing counters, etc.
Supper was once again leftovers from Sunday's meal. I accompanied Mother to her house afterward, while Hubbie finished painting the room. The color is fine, if not exactly what I had in mind. It's clean, at least.
We finished the evening watching TV.
Slept late again, until around 8 a.m. Shortly after breakfast, Daughter called. She was up unusually early, because she went to the college where she works for a free breakfast. She said that later, employees were also invited to the president's house for lunch. This is a very nice affair, so I know she was looking forward to it.
She wanted to present the president and his wife with a unique Christmas card. So she cleverly used one that Mother and I made for her last year, which featured a screen door front, snow, and a snowman. She tore the insert out, and replaced it with a card depicting Santa seated in front of a fireplace, which shows through the screen door.
We talked for quite a while. Afterward, I did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises, and then Hubbie put color in my hair, in anticipation of a haircut appointment this afternoon.
Once I was finally showered and dressed, it was time for lunch. Afterward, Mother and I went to the beauty shop for our 1 p.m. appointments. Br-r-r, it was really cool out there today.
Seems everyone has tales of woe. Today, my hairdresser talked about not being a bit ready for Christmas...hasn't even decorated yet...because her daughter and fiance' are in the throes of buying a house before they are married, so she was helping out with that. Also her daughter was honored with a bridal shower on Dec. 1.
In the midst of all this, her college-age son suffered from a carbuncle-type thing on his behind. He said nothing about it until it got so bad he was forced to see a doctor. A week's stay in the hospital followed, with the golf ball sized growth being surgically removed.
The hairdresser said this is a rare form of the growth, and is genetic...both his father and grandfather suffered from the same thing.
Back home, Mother headed to the couch for a nap, and Hubbie and I went to the WDCS to buy paint for the laundry room. I got what I thought was a light beige, but turned out to be a very pale yellow called vanilla custard (who can tell by a sample under fluorescent lighting?).
Back home again, Hubbie got started painting the room, and I did this and that...ironing tableclothes for the weeked, clearing counters, etc.
Supper was once again leftovers from Sunday's meal. I accompanied Mother to her house afterward, while Hubbie finished painting the room. The color is fine, if not exactly what I had in mind. It's clean, at least.
We finished the evening watching TV.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Sunday, Dec. 9
Today, both of Hubbie's daughters are celebrating birthdays (born two years apart). Happy Birthday Daughters!
Stormy night last night. At midnight, there was a thunderstorm, with driving rain and hail. When Mother came over later, she said the storm woke her up, too, so she went to the living room to turn on the TV to check for storm warnings. It was hailing so hard that she feared it would break her kitchen window out.
We slept late, until 8 a.m., and I skipped my exercises again, since it's Sunday. Once I was ready for the day, and Mother came over, we started a pork roast cooking in the slow cooker. Mother peeled and quartered onions, Hubbie peeled potatoes, and I did the rest.
While lunch cooked, Hubbie began the task of cleaning out the laundry room. I helped him move the dryer onto the back porch, but he'll need to get another guy to help him get the washing machine out. We didn't want to wait until the guys who deliver the new appliances come on the 18th to get the machines out of there, because we'd like to paint that room before the new appliances arrive.
The pork roast, with carrots, onions, and potatoes, a recipe of gravy, and individual cups of applesauce, was very good.
After lunch, Mother and I attempted to make a batch of strawberry jam, but it seemed like everything that could go wrong did. First off, I discovered the only Sure Jell I had was the liquid kind...a bargain that Hubbie ran into recently. I wanted the dry kind. So off to the store he went to get what I wanted.
Then, in the process of measuring strawberries and sugar, Mother put the sugar right into the batch of strawberries, instead of measuring it into a separate bowl. So, I decided to bag those berries for the freezer, and start over again.
Mother began scooping berries into freezer bags, but in the process, one of the bags slipped out of her hand and spilled into her lap. She had a dish towel on her lap, but the juice still leaked through to her jeans.
I quickly grabbed the towel full of berries off her lap and threw it into the sink, then went upstairs to find a pair of fleece pants for her to change into. After she changed, I immediately treated her jeans, so the strawberry juice wouldn't stain them.
Hubbie located two more bags of strawberries in Mother's freezer, and I opened them into a bowl and used an ice pick to break them up. While they thawed, I took loads of laundry to Mother's house to wash, since our washer is broken.
Before I dealt with the laundry, though, I urged Mother to go to the couch for a nap. She was frustrated with herself, even though I assured her that the strawberry incident wasn't entirely her fault. I should have made sure they were on the stove, out of her way, before she started measuring the sugar. I know she gets confused, so I need to be more vigilant.
Fortunately, we didn't have anything else planned for the day, so as soon as the strawberries thawed enough, I measured them and the sugar, and started the cooking process.
Mother finished her nap as I was doing this, and was ready to help by skimming the strawberries, and ladling them into the jars, wiping the rims, and putting lids and rings on them. I processed them, of course.
There was a thunderstorm warning and tornado watch this afternoon, so I was glad to get the strawberry jam project out of the way before bad weather rolled in. As it happened, nothing came of the storm warnings but a little thunder in the distance and light rain.
Between tasks today, Mother and I watched "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas," and "Charlie Brown Christmas." Hubbie occupied himself with other projects.
For supper, Mother opted for Ramen Noodle soup, with crackers and Italian Cream Cheese ball; I had the remainder of the leftover spaghetti, with cottage cheese; and Hubbie had the remaining turkey cheeseburger from last night, with crackers and Italian Cream Cheese.
Afterward, Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house, and then he and I watched TV, including old Hallmark movies on DVD.
Stormy night last night. At midnight, there was a thunderstorm, with driving rain and hail. When Mother came over later, she said the storm woke her up, too, so she went to the living room to turn on the TV to check for storm warnings. It was hailing so hard that she feared it would break her kitchen window out.
We slept late, until 8 a.m., and I skipped my exercises again, since it's Sunday. Once I was ready for the day, and Mother came over, we started a pork roast cooking in the slow cooker. Mother peeled and quartered onions, Hubbie peeled potatoes, and I did the rest.
While lunch cooked, Hubbie began the task of cleaning out the laundry room. I helped him move the dryer onto the back porch, but he'll need to get another guy to help him get the washing machine out. We didn't want to wait until the guys who deliver the new appliances come on the 18th to get the machines out of there, because we'd like to paint that room before the new appliances arrive.
The pork roast, with carrots, onions, and potatoes, a recipe of gravy, and individual cups of applesauce, was very good.
After lunch, Mother and I attempted to make a batch of strawberry jam, but it seemed like everything that could go wrong did. First off, I discovered the only Sure Jell I had was the liquid kind...a bargain that Hubbie ran into recently. I wanted the dry kind. So off to the store he went to get what I wanted.
Then, in the process of measuring strawberries and sugar, Mother put the sugar right into the batch of strawberries, instead of measuring it into a separate bowl. So, I decided to bag those berries for the freezer, and start over again.
Mother began scooping berries into freezer bags, but in the process, one of the bags slipped out of her hand and spilled into her lap. She had a dish towel on her lap, but the juice still leaked through to her jeans.
I quickly grabbed the towel full of berries off her lap and threw it into the sink, then went upstairs to find a pair of fleece pants for her to change into. After she changed, I immediately treated her jeans, so the strawberry juice wouldn't stain them.
Hubbie located two more bags of strawberries in Mother's freezer, and I opened them into a bowl and used an ice pick to break them up. While they thawed, I took loads of laundry to Mother's house to wash, since our washer is broken.
Before I dealt with the laundry, though, I urged Mother to go to the couch for a nap. She was frustrated with herself, even though I assured her that the strawberry incident wasn't entirely her fault. I should have made sure they were on the stove, out of her way, before she started measuring the sugar. I know she gets confused, so I need to be more vigilant.
Fortunately, we didn't have anything else planned for the day, so as soon as the strawberries thawed enough, I measured them and the sugar, and started the cooking process.
Mother finished her nap as I was doing this, and was ready to help by skimming the strawberries, and ladling them into the jars, wiping the rims, and putting lids and rings on them. I processed them, of course.
There was a thunderstorm warning and tornado watch this afternoon, so I was glad to get the strawberry jam project out of the way before bad weather rolled in. As it happened, nothing came of the storm warnings but a little thunder in the distance and light rain.
Between tasks today, Mother and I watched "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas," and "Charlie Brown Christmas." Hubbie occupied himself with other projects.
For supper, Mother opted for Ramen Noodle soup, with crackers and Italian Cream Cheese ball; I had the remainder of the leftover spaghetti, with cottage cheese; and Hubbie had the remaining turkey cheeseburger from last night, with crackers and Italian Cream Cheese.
Afterward, Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house, and then he and I watched TV, including old Hallmark movies on DVD.
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