Up around 8 a.m., and did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around 10 a.m., and the three of us got the big Christmas tree un-decorated. Mother helped by taking hooks off the ornaments. There are hundreds of ornaments for that tree, though, so it took all three of us to do the job.
After that, Hubbie finished the task of getting strands of lights off the tree, and taking the tree apart to store in its box. While he did that, Mother worked on her jigsaw puzzle, and I got ready for the day.
By this time, it was 11:30, so I put leftover breakfast casserole, and blueberry muffins, in the oven to heat for our lunch.
Mother continued her puzzle afterward, while Hubbie ran an errand to the grocery store to take the movie back, and pick up hamburger buns for supper, and I went upstairs to begin switching summer/fall clothes for winter clothes. I'm a long time getting to that task, but the weather has been so crazy...first warm, then cold...that I wasn't inspired to do it until now.
Part of the job was to ruthlessly discard items I no longer wear, but was hanging onto "just in case." I filled three large bags with discards, and I'm not done yet. But I've made a huge dent in it, and I hope to finish up tomorrow. My closet is looking so much less crammed and jammed, now.
Later, we had a supper of cheeseburgers and chips. Actually, I'd meant to have turkey burgers, and had thawed what I thought was three of them. But I discovered that they were beef burgers, instead, and there were only two of them. I made haste to look for some more, and found two in the freezer. Now I had two thawed ones and two frozen ones, but into the pan they went, and fortunately, they cooked in just about the same time. Just another instance of "I should be banned from the kitchen," I guess.
Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house afterward, and then I turned the TV off, so we could spend an hour and a half reading. At 8 p.m., Hubbie popped us a couple of big pans of popcorn, and we settled in to watch our favorite college basketball team, as they played to a wide-margin win.
Note: in reading my high school alma mater's newsletter this month, I noticed that the students have named the science lab's skeleton "Num Skull." When I was in high school, we named the skeleton "Seymore (see more)." I'd be interested to know all the names the skeletons have had in the fifty years since I was there.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Friday, January 4, 2013
Friday, Jan. 4
Sunshine today, but still very cold, with snow clinging to roofs and shaded areas. Secondary roads remain iced over.
Up at 8 a.m. this morning, and did a treadmill session after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around 10 a.m., and she went to work on her jigsaw puzzle, while I got ready for the day.
Hubbie's and my project for the morning was to take down the "white" Christmas tree, which involved removing the hooks from the many ornaments, and wrapping the glass and other special ornaments in paper, before carefully packing everything into a plastic tote. At least this is a pre-lit tree, so we didn't have to remove and pack lights.
After a lunch of leftovers, Mother continued with her puzzle, while Hubbie and I ran a couple of errands...first to the art gallery to deliver a box of pumpkin muffins that were in Mother's freezer (the arts council director had asked us to put them in our freezer after a reception at the gallery last fall). The arts council will have a board meeting tomorrow morning, and the director thinks the muffins will be nice as a breakfast treat.
We had hoped to pick up styrofoam quart containers for the 11-bean soup I plan to make for the "Souper Saturday" fundraiser event in February. I'd gotten a letter yesterday from a woman we know at one of the banks, who is spearheading the event, asking what soup I would agree to provide, and suggesting I stop by the gallery to get the containers. But the gallery director said she'd forgotten to get the containers, and promised to have them available next week.
From the gallery, we stopped by the bank, and then the pharmacy/grocery store to pick up a prescription, and a movie. The prescription was not ready yet, though it had been called in last week. The prescription needed a doctor's order, and though the pharmacy had contacted my clinic several times, there still has not been a response. I guess I might have to contact my doctor myself next week to get things moving.
Succeeded in getting a 2012 thriller movie I wanted, though, called "Arbitrage," starring Richard Gere, and Susan Sarandan. A very wealthy financier makes a terrible mistake, and has to seek help in an unlikely place. The definition of arbitrage: the simultaneous buying and selling of the same negotiable financial instruments or commodities in different markets in order to make an immediate profit without risk.
Back home, Mother and I made a double batch of blueberry muffins, and put together a breakfast casserole. For the casserole, I used leftover potatoes au gratin, diced ham, sauteed onions (regular and green) and mushrooms, cubed Tuscan bread, egg substitute, and grated Monterey Jack cheese. We layered the potatoes and veggies, and covered them with part of the eggs, then topped the casserole with the bread, and covered it with the rest of the eggs. Topped the whole thing with the cheese, and put the dish in the oven later.
After that, Mother went back to her puzzle, and Hubbie and I read our novels until time to put the casserole in the oven. The muffins were already out and cooling.
The casserole turned out exceptionally well, and we all really enjoyed it. And of course, the muffins were delicious. Hubbie accompanied Mother home afterward. In the meantime, I turned off the TV, and we continued reading our novels until around 7:30, and then we watched the rented movie.
Up at 8 a.m. this morning, and did a treadmill session after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around 10 a.m., and she went to work on her jigsaw puzzle, while I got ready for the day.
Hubbie's and my project for the morning was to take down the "white" Christmas tree, which involved removing the hooks from the many ornaments, and wrapping the glass and other special ornaments in paper, before carefully packing everything into a plastic tote. At least this is a pre-lit tree, so we didn't have to remove and pack lights.
After a lunch of leftovers, Mother continued with her puzzle, while Hubbie and I ran a couple of errands...first to the art gallery to deliver a box of pumpkin muffins that were in Mother's freezer (the arts council director had asked us to put them in our freezer after a reception at the gallery last fall). The arts council will have a board meeting tomorrow morning, and the director thinks the muffins will be nice as a breakfast treat.
We had hoped to pick up styrofoam quart containers for the 11-bean soup I plan to make for the "Souper Saturday" fundraiser event in February. I'd gotten a letter yesterday from a woman we know at one of the banks, who is spearheading the event, asking what soup I would agree to provide, and suggesting I stop by the gallery to get the containers. But the gallery director said she'd forgotten to get the containers, and promised to have them available next week.
From the gallery, we stopped by the bank, and then the pharmacy/grocery store to pick up a prescription, and a movie. The prescription was not ready yet, though it had been called in last week. The prescription needed a doctor's order, and though the pharmacy had contacted my clinic several times, there still has not been a response. I guess I might have to contact my doctor myself next week to get things moving.
Succeeded in getting a 2012 thriller movie I wanted, though, called "Arbitrage," starring Richard Gere, and Susan Sarandan. A very wealthy financier makes a terrible mistake, and has to seek help in an unlikely place. The definition of arbitrage: the simultaneous buying and selling of the same negotiable financial instruments or commodities in different markets in order to make an immediate profit without risk.
Back home, Mother and I made a double batch of blueberry muffins, and put together a breakfast casserole. For the casserole, I used leftover potatoes au gratin, diced ham, sauteed onions (regular and green) and mushrooms, cubed Tuscan bread, egg substitute, and grated Monterey Jack cheese. We layered the potatoes and veggies, and covered them with part of the eggs, then topped the casserole with the bread, and covered it with the rest of the eggs. Topped the whole thing with the cheese, and put the dish in the oven later.
After that, Mother went back to her puzzle, and Hubbie and I read our novels until time to put the casserole in the oven. The muffins were already out and cooling.
The casserole turned out exceptionally well, and we all really enjoyed it. And of course, the muffins were delicious. Hubbie accompanied Mother home afterward. In the meantime, I turned off the TV, and we continued reading our novels until around 7:30, and then we watched the rented movie.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Thursday, Jan. 3
Sunshine today, for the first time in several days, and the temp rose into the 40s, but it still felt pretty cold, thanks to snow still on the ground.
We slept late this morning, until around 8 a.m., but I did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around 10 a.m. She was confused this morning, thinking that Sis was to arrive today. Hubbie explained that Sis wouldn't be here until later in the month, but that we were scheduled to go to another town to see the movie, "Les Miserable," which is in most theaters now, but which probably will never be in ours.
She spent the morning working on her jigsaw puzzle, while I got ready for the day, and did this and that around the house, until time to prepare lunch. For lunch, I cooked a little macaroni to add to a dab of homemade tomato soup.
Around 12:30, we headed to the other town about an hour away to go to the movie theater. We arrived in plenty of time, as did lots of other folks. But as time wore on, and several people tried the door to the theater and found it locked, it bacame apparent that despite the theater's announcement at its website and in the newspaper, there would be no matinee today.
Other folks had traveled long distances to see the movie, too, and we were all pretty ticked at the misinformation posted by the theater. We all complained among ourselves, but there was nothing to do but travel the distances back to our homes. Phooey! Drat!
On the outside chance that the theater in our town might schedule the movie in a week or so, I checked its website when we got back home. Nope. Our theater is getting "Texas Chainsaw 3-D," showing on two screens, instead.
It was about 3 p.m. by the time we got back, and since "Plan A" didn't work, and I didn't have a "Plan B," I whiled away an hour reading my novel, until time to fix supper. Hubbie read, too, and Mother returned to her jigsaw puzzle.
For supper, we had a variety of leftovers...au gratin potatoes, black eyed peas, butter beans, sweet potatoes, half a barbecued pork chop in sauce and veggies, ham, cornbread, and Tuscan bread.
While supper heated in the oven, Hubbie and I stashed the boxes of Christmas ornaments we'd gathered from various surfaces yesterday into the spare bedroom closet. Then I put fresh sheets on that room's bed. Daughter had stripped the bed before she left last Saturday.
Supper was good...better than the buffet we would have had at a favorite restaurant in the other town following the movie, if we'd gotten to see it. Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house afterward, and then I turned off the TV, and he and I resumed reading our novels until 8 p.m.
Watched TV afterward, until bedtime.
We slept late this morning, until around 8 a.m., but I did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around 10 a.m. She was confused this morning, thinking that Sis was to arrive today. Hubbie explained that Sis wouldn't be here until later in the month, but that we were scheduled to go to another town to see the movie, "Les Miserable," which is in most theaters now, but which probably will never be in ours.
She spent the morning working on her jigsaw puzzle, while I got ready for the day, and did this and that around the house, until time to prepare lunch. For lunch, I cooked a little macaroni to add to a dab of homemade tomato soup.
Around 12:30, we headed to the other town about an hour away to go to the movie theater. We arrived in plenty of time, as did lots of other folks. But as time wore on, and several people tried the door to the theater and found it locked, it bacame apparent that despite the theater's announcement at its website and in the newspaper, there would be no matinee today.
Other folks had traveled long distances to see the movie, too, and we were all pretty ticked at the misinformation posted by the theater. We all complained among ourselves, but there was nothing to do but travel the distances back to our homes. Phooey! Drat!
On the outside chance that the theater in our town might schedule the movie in a week or so, I checked its website when we got back home. Nope. Our theater is getting "Texas Chainsaw 3-D," showing on two screens, instead.
It was about 3 p.m. by the time we got back, and since "Plan A" didn't work, and I didn't have a "Plan B," I whiled away an hour reading my novel, until time to fix supper. Hubbie read, too, and Mother returned to her jigsaw puzzle.
For supper, we had a variety of leftovers...au gratin potatoes, black eyed peas, butter beans, sweet potatoes, half a barbecued pork chop in sauce and veggies, ham, cornbread, and Tuscan bread.
While supper heated in the oven, Hubbie and I stashed the boxes of Christmas ornaments we'd gathered from various surfaces yesterday into the spare bedroom closet. Then I put fresh sheets on that room's bed. Daughter had stripped the bed before she left last Saturday.
Supper was good...better than the buffet we would have had at a favorite restaurant in the other town following the movie, if we'd gotten to see it. Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house afterward, and then I turned off the TV, and he and I resumed reading our novels until 8 p.m.
Watched TV afterward, until bedtime.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Wednesday, Jan. 2
Today is the anniversary of Sis's and my brother's birthday, b. Jan. 2, 1944 - d. Sept. 30, 1965.
We were up around 7:30 this morning, and I did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house mid-morning, and she went to work on her jigsaw puzzle.
Before lunch, Hubbie ran a couple of errands, including taking the walker tray back to the pharmacy where we bought it, because it didn't work on Mother's walker. He took the walker with him, and a staff member put a tray that fits on it. The new tray allows the walker to fold, and it can be dropped down when it's not needed.
Once I was ready for the day, I did this and that around the house, including packing up Christmas stuff. There's still a lot to be done, though, including taking down the trees. I usually leave the village on the mantel through January, since it serves as a winter scene.
After lunch, Mother continued her puzzle, and Hubbie and I ran a couple of errands...to the pharmacy, to a health store to pick up fish oil gels, and to the WDCS for a few items.
Back home, Mother had finished her puzzle, so I gathered few more for her to choose from. She chose a 200-piece one featuring cats and balls of yarn. She completed that in no time at all, and was ready to begin another one. She chose another cat-themed puzzle, but only managed to get the border finished before suppertime.
I spent the rest of the afternoon reading, as did Hubbie. Supper was leftovers from yesterday's New Years Day meal. Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house afterward.
Tonight, we re-instituted the idea of turning the TV off for an hour, so we could spend the time reading. We turned it off at 6:30, and it was after 8 p.m. before we turned it back on.
We were up around 7:30 this morning, and I did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house mid-morning, and she went to work on her jigsaw puzzle.
Before lunch, Hubbie ran a couple of errands, including taking the walker tray back to the pharmacy where we bought it, because it didn't work on Mother's walker. He took the walker with him, and a staff member put a tray that fits on it. The new tray allows the walker to fold, and it can be dropped down when it's not needed.
Once I was ready for the day, I did this and that around the house, including packing up Christmas stuff. There's still a lot to be done, though, including taking down the trees. I usually leave the village on the mantel through January, since it serves as a winter scene.
After lunch, Mother continued her puzzle, and Hubbie and I ran a couple of errands...to the pharmacy, to a health store to pick up fish oil gels, and to the WDCS for a few items.
Back home, Mother had finished her puzzle, so I gathered few more for her to choose from. She chose a 200-piece one featuring cats and balls of yarn. She completed that in no time at all, and was ready to begin another one. She chose another cat-themed puzzle, but only managed to get the border finished before suppertime.
I spent the rest of the afternoon reading, as did Hubbie. Supper was leftovers from yesterday's New Years Day meal. Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house afterward.
Tonight, we re-instituted the idea of turning the TV off for an hour, so we could spend the time reading. We turned it off at 6:30, and it was after 8 p.m. before we turned it back on.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Tuesday, Jan. 1
Happy New Year! A chance to begin anew, or maybe simply adjust a little. I've made no New Year's resolutions, though there's a lot I'd like to accomplish in 2013. But I've lived long enough to know that life tends to get in the way of my best laid plans, so I think I'll just take it one day at a time, and roll with the punches.
Up around 7:30 this morning, because that's when Hubbie awoke. I would have liked to stay abed a little longer, since it was 1 a.m. before we went to bed, but Hubbie hopped out, so I did, too.
I skipped my exercises, though, and went ahead and got ready for the day. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around 9:30 a.m., and we spent time watching the Rose Parade, which was enchanting this year, as the colorful floats followed the Dr. Seuss theme of "Oh,the Places You Will Go."
Later Mother chopped onions and banana peppers, and cubed ham, to put in a pot of blackeyed peas. I set the peas to simmering with spices and chicken broth.
Mother then went to work on her jigsaw puzzle, and Hubbie and I occupied ourselves reading our novels. He finished the first novel I put on the e-reader for him, and started a new one.
I finished my novel today, too, and started a new one called, "The Friday Night Knitting Club," about a group of ladies who get together to knit, and share the stories of their lives. The novel I finished, and the one I started today, are print copies.
I still enjoy the feel of a real book in my hands occasionally, though I also like the convenience, ease, and portability of e-books. The thing I don't like about e-books is that I can't lend them to anyone.
Didn't accomplish anything for the day, but then we didn't plan to. We were content to be lazy today.
Later, around 3 p.m., Hubbie peeled potatoes and sliced them in the food processor. I gathered the rest of the ingredients for making potatoes au gratin, and Mother chopped onion, and grated Monterey Jack cheese, while I measured flour, milk, and spices, and got a baking dish ready. Mother layered the ingredients, and I put it in the oven to bake for an hour and a half.
At 4:30, I fixed cornbread, and a dish of spinach. I'm not a real fan of cornbread, so I heated tuscan bread for myself.
Why do we here in the south eat certain foods on New Years Day? There are various themes, but most agree that blackeyed peas are for good luck, though some serve them alone, and some with rice; greens (collard or turnip are preferred, but any green will do) represent folding money. Cabbage is traditional in our state.
Pork (hog jowl is tradtional in the south) represents wealth and health to some, since a hog could feed a family all winter. Others say we eat pork, because pigs can't look backward without turning around, so they are always looking forward, which is what we want to do in the new year. We don't eat chicken, because they scratch backward.
Cornbread represents gold, or wealth, to some, and to others it is simply a reminder to remain humble. Whatever the meanings of the food, everyone agrees that it's delicious and comforting.
Hubbie accompanied Mother home after supper, and then he and I spent the evening watching TV.
Two nights in a row now, we've tried to get in the hot tub. Last night, when I stuck my foot in, I discovered that the water was completely cold. Hubbie thought he'd taken care of the problem, when this afternoon the thermometer read 100 degrees. So I tried again. This time the water was warm, but just barely, at 90 degrees, and cold water was coming out of the jets. We don't know what is wrong with the tub, but hope it's not on its last legs.
Up around 7:30 this morning, because that's when Hubbie awoke. I would have liked to stay abed a little longer, since it was 1 a.m. before we went to bed, but Hubbie hopped out, so I did, too.
I skipped my exercises, though, and went ahead and got ready for the day. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around 9:30 a.m., and we spent time watching the Rose Parade, which was enchanting this year, as the colorful floats followed the Dr. Seuss theme of "Oh,the Places You Will Go."
Later Mother chopped onions and banana peppers, and cubed ham, to put in a pot of blackeyed peas. I set the peas to simmering with spices and chicken broth.
Mother then went to work on her jigsaw puzzle, and Hubbie and I occupied ourselves reading our novels. He finished the first novel I put on the e-reader for him, and started a new one.
I finished my novel today, too, and started a new one called, "The Friday Night Knitting Club," about a group of ladies who get together to knit, and share the stories of their lives. The novel I finished, and the one I started today, are print copies.
I still enjoy the feel of a real book in my hands occasionally, though I also like the convenience, ease, and portability of e-books. The thing I don't like about e-books is that I can't lend them to anyone.
Didn't accomplish anything for the day, but then we didn't plan to. We were content to be lazy today.
Later, around 3 p.m., Hubbie peeled potatoes and sliced them in the food processor. I gathered the rest of the ingredients for making potatoes au gratin, and Mother chopped onion, and grated Monterey Jack cheese, while I measured flour, milk, and spices, and got a baking dish ready. Mother layered the ingredients, and I put it in the oven to bake for an hour and a half.
At 4:30, I fixed cornbread, and a dish of spinach. I'm not a real fan of cornbread, so I heated tuscan bread for myself.
Why do we here in the south eat certain foods on New Years Day? There are various themes, but most agree that blackeyed peas are for good luck, though some serve them alone, and some with rice; greens (collard or turnip are preferred, but any green will do) represent folding money. Cabbage is traditional in our state.
Pork (hog jowl is tradtional in the south) represents wealth and health to some, since a hog could feed a family all winter. Others say we eat pork, because pigs can't look backward without turning around, so they are always looking forward, which is what we want to do in the new year. We don't eat chicken, because they scratch backward.
Cornbread represents gold, or wealth, to some, and to others it is simply a reminder to remain humble. Whatever the meanings of the food, everyone agrees that it's delicious and comforting.
Hubbie accompanied Mother home after supper, and then he and I spent the evening watching TV.
Two nights in a row now, we've tried to get in the hot tub. Last night, when I stuck my foot in, I discovered that the water was completely cold. Hubbie thought he'd taken care of the problem, when this afternoon the thermometer read 100 degrees. So I tried again. This time the water was warm, but just barely, at 90 degrees, and cold water was coming out of the jets. We don't know what is wrong with the tub, but hope it's not on its last legs.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Monday, Dec. 31
The last day of 2012. It had its ups and downs, but overall, I can't complain. Hope 2013 will be peaceful, productive, and prosperous for everyone, and that we will all be healthy and happy. That's a tall order, but we can try.
Woke up around 5 a.m. this morning, and had trouble falling asleep again, but Hubbie hopped out of bed at 7:30, so I did too.
Did a treadmill session after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around 9:30, and she started another jigsaw puzzle.
Before I got ready for the day, I put a ham in the oven to bake. Since Hubbie was already dressed, he ran errands.
It was sort of a spa day for me, so it took a little longer to get ready this morning, and by the time I got back downstairs, it was time for lunch. For Mother, I fixed a bowl of homemade tomato soup, with crackers and pimento cheese. For Hubbie and me, I fixed hoagie sandwiches...deli turkey, muenster cheese, lettuce, and onion...served with veggie chips.
Afterward, Mother continued with her puzzle, while I submitted a monthly report to the Literacy Council, and Hubbie read one of the novels I put on my e-reader for him for Christmas.
Once the ham was cooked and cooled a little, I used the electric knife to slice it for the refrigerator. In the past, Hubbie sliced meats for me, but he is having trouble with his right hand, which hurts in the palm, has some numb fingers, and has one finger that locks up on him sometimes. His doctor knows of nothing to do for it. Since he has difficulty gripping with it, I have taken over the meat slicing duties.
When I'd finished my report, I read my Jan Karon novel, "Shepherd's Abiding," until it was time to begin supper preparations. Mother, who had tired of the puzzle and had taken a short nap, helped with supper.
We had waffles, and egg substitute scrambled with ham. Hubbie did the honors of making the waffles on an electric waffle iron we've had forever, but rarely use. The waffles were light and crisp and delicious. We should do this more often.
Afterward, we played a few rounds of Skipbo, with Hubbie winning two games, and Mother one. Zilch for me tonight. Mother was ready to go home after that (around 9 p.m.), and Hubbie accompanied her.
Then he and I decided to enjoy the hot tub. But when I set foot in it, I discovered the water was cold. Guess the cats had jumped on the cord and pulled the plug out of the outlet. Phooey. I was really looking forward to warming up in the tub on this cold night.
Instead, we sort of watched Dick Clark's Rocking Eve, with Ryan Seacrest, while I played on my laptop, and Hubbie read his John Grisham novel (he's less than a fan of the current pop stars' music).
The last hour or so of the show was scheduled for after our local stations broke for news. So we saw the ball drop in Times Square at midnight our time, though it had already happened earlier in New York.
Funny: while we were playing cards, Hubbie mentioned that he was already three-quarters of the way through his book, so I commented that the reason he read it so fast was that he had spent all day at it, whereas, I can only read a few pages a day, while I'm in the "library."
He advised that if I didn't play on my laptop so much, I could read more. The main time I play on the laptop is while we are in front of TV, after my chores of the day. I find it difficult to concentrate on reading while the TV is on.
Mother joked that if I didn't spend so much time in the kitchen, I could also make time to read more. Hubbie agreed that he doesn't want me to get out of the kitchen. So I guess I'm just not organizing my time well enough!
I think we'll have to go back to turning off the TV for at least one hour each evening, and assign that time strictly to reading.
Woke up around 5 a.m. this morning, and had trouble falling asleep again, but Hubbie hopped out of bed at 7:30, so I did too.
Did a treadmill session after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around 9:30, and she started another jigsaw puzzle.
Before I got ready for the day, I put a ham in the oven to bake. Since Hubbie was already dressed, he ran errands.
It was sort of a spa day for me, so it took a little longer to get ready this morning, and by the time I got back downstairs, it was time for lunch. For Mother, I fixed a bowl of homemade tomato soup, with crackers and pimento cheese. For Hubbie and me, I fixed hoagie sandwiches...deli turkey, muenster cheese, lettuce, and onion...served with veggie chips.
Afterward, Mother continued with her puzzle, while I submitted a monthly report to the Literacy Council, and Hubbie read one of the novels I put on my e-reader for him for Christmas.
Once the ham was cooked and cooled a little, I used the electric knife to slice it for the refrigerator. In the past, Hubbie sliced meats for me, but he is having trouble with his right hand, which hurts in the palm, has some numb fingers, and has one finger that locks up on him sometimes. His doctor knows of nothing to do for it. Since he has difficulty gripping with it, I have taken over the meat slicing duties.
When I'd finished my report, I read my Jan Karon novel, "Shepherd's Abiding," until it was time to begin supper preparations. Mother, who had tired of the puzzle and had taken a short nap, helped with supper.
We had waffles, and egg substitute scrambled with ham. Hubbie did the honors of making the waffles on an electric waffle iron we've had forever, but rarely use. The waffles were light and crisp and delicious. We should do this more often.
Afterward, we played a few rounds of Skipbo, with Hubbie winning two games, and Mother one. Zilch for me tonight. Mother was ready to go home after that (around 9 p.m.), and Hubbie accompanied her.
Then he and I decided to enjoy the hot tub. But when I set foot in it, I discovered the water was cold. Guess the cats had jumped on the cord and pulled the plug out of the outlet. Phooey. I was really looking forward to warming up in the tub on this cold night.
Instead, we sort of watched Dick Clark's Rocking Eve, with Ryan Seacrest, while I played on my laptop, and Hubbie read his John Grisham novel (he's less than a fan of the current pop stars' music).
The last hour or so of the show was scheduled for after our local stations broke for news. So we saw the ball drop in Times Square at midnight our time, though it had already happened earlier in New York.
Funny: while we were playing cards, Hubbie mentioned that he was already three-quarters of the way through his book, so I commented that the reason he read it so fast was that he had spent all day at it, whereas, I can only read a few pages a day, while I'm in the "library."
He advised that if I didn't play on my laptop so much, I could read more. The main time I play on the laptop is while we are in front of TV, after my chores of the day. I find it difficult to concentrate on reading while the TV is on.
Mother joked that if I didn't spend so much time in the kitchen, I could also make time to read more. Hubbie agreed that he doesn't want me to get out of the kitchen. So I guess I'm just not organizing my time well enough!
I think we'll have to go back to turning off the TV for at least one hour each evening, and assign that time strictly to reading.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Sunday, Dec. 30
Up around 7:30 this morning, and did a treadmill session after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around 9:30, and she diced carrots, celery, and onions to be added to barbecue sauce, which she poured over pork chops. This is one of our favorite pork chop recipes...very simple to prepare, but so tasty. I put them in the oven around 11 a.m., and then went upstairs to shower and dress.
Spent the rest of the morning doing this and that, including a couple of loads of laundry. Put sweet potatoes and Lima beans/butter beans in the oven to heat, and around 12:30, I heated a loaf of bread.
The meal was very good. Afterward, Mother worked on her jigsaw puzzle, and Hubbie and I went shopping at the store from which I got a $10 certificate and a $5 certificate when I registered promotion buttons online.
I browsed the store for a while, not really seeing anything I wanted, and then decided to check the shoe department, on the off chance I might find a pair of black boots. I've been searching for a pair for several months, without success. So I was excited when I saw a pair on display that I liked, and that were actually in my size.
I was anxious to try them on, but when I lifted them, they were very heavy. I wondered if they'd wear me out walking in them. I sat down and pulled out the pieces of cardboard that help them keep their shape on display, and then reached down inside the boots to make sure there weren't any more pieces of cardboard. That's when I discovered the sand-filled packs in the heels. They were there to keep the boots standing upright on the display case, I guess.
The boots are a perfect fit, and were on sale...not cheap, since they are real leather, but considerably reduced. I decided to use my $10 certificate toward the purchase. But when the clerk tried to enter the certicate bar code, the computer declared that the certificate had already been used. It had not, because I just printed it out a few days ago, when the store sent me a message to do so.
The department manager advised the clerk to reduce the boots by $10 for me. Yay! I used a couple of gifts cards with money still on them to pay the rest of the amount, so I got a great pair of boots for nothing out-of-pocket (at least nothing out of my pocket).
Hubbie spent the $5 certificate to buy a package of three pairs of his favorite brand of socks. He was out a few bucks to make up the difference in the purchase price, but he still got a good deal.
Boy, the store was wall-to-wall people today buying goods with their certificates. Things were pretty picked over, and there were lots of empty spaces in the store, where display counters had been, but what was left was deeply discounted, and folks were standing in line waiting to pay for their selections.
One woman had three certificates that she applied to three pairs of boots/shoes. She was out about $100, but she got some good buys.
Hubbie and I were both amused when a toddler boy, about eighteen months old, found a wide aisle so inviting that he was off like a shot. His hispanic father soon gave chase, but didn't catch up with him until the toddler was at the end of the store. It's amazing how fast toddlers, on those short little legs, and trussed up in diapers and jeans, can run!
Back home, I helped Mother with the jigsaw puzzle for a while, and then played on my laptop. Mother finished the puzzle around 4:30, and was ready to go home. Hubbie accompanied her.
Later, we had PB&J sandwiches, chips, and Little Cuties for supper, and then watched TV for the evening.
Spent the rest of the morning doing this and that, including a couple of loads of laundry. Put sweet potatoes and Lima beans/butter beans in the oven to heat, and around 12:30, I heated a loaf of bread.
The meal was very good. Afterward, Mother worked on her jigsaw puzzle, and Hubbie and I went shopping at the store from which I got a $10 certificate and a $5 certificate when I registered promotion buttons online.
I browsed the store for a while, not really seeing anything I wanted, and then decided to check the shoe department, on the off chance I might find a pair of black boots. I've been searching for a pair for several months, without success. So I was excited when I saw a pair on display that I liked, and that were actually in my size.
I was anxious to try them on, but when I lifted them, they were very heavy. I wondered if they'd wear me out walking in them. I sat down and pulled out the pieces of cardboard that help them keep their shape on display, and then reached down inside the boots to make sure there weren't any more pieces of cardboard. That's when I discovered the sand-filled packs in the heels. They were there to keep the boots standing upright on the display case, I guess.
The boots are a perfect fit, and were on sale...not cheap, since they are real leather, but considerably reduced. I decided to use my $10 certificate toward the purchase. But when the clerk tried to enter the certicate bar code, the computer declared that the certificate had already been used. It had not, because I just printed it out a few days ago, when the store sent me a message to do so.
The department manager advised the clerk to reduce the boots by $10 for me. Yay! I used a couple of gifts cards with money still on them to pay the rest of the amount, so I got a great pair of boots for nothing out-of-pocket (at least nothing out of my pocket).
Hubbie spent the $5 certificate to buy a package of three pairs of his favorite brand of socks. He was out a few bucks to make up the difference in the purchase price, but he still got a good deal.
Boy, the store was wall-to-wall people today buying goods with their certificates. Things were pretty picked over, and there were lots of empty spaces in the store, where display counters had been, but what was left was deeply discounted, and folks were standing in line waiting to pay for their selections.
One woman had three certificates that she applied to three pairs of boots/shoes. She was out about $100, but she got some good buys.
Hubbie and I were both amused when a toddler boy, about eighteen months old, found a wide aisle so inviting that he was off like a shot. His hispanic father soon gave chase, but didn't catch up with him until the toddler was at the end of the store. It's amazing how fast toddlers, on those short little legs, and trussed up in diapers and jeans, can run!
Back home, I helped Mother with the jigsaw puzzle for a while, and then played on my laptop. Mother finished the puzzle around 4:30, and was ready to go home. Hubbie accompanied her.
Later, we had PB&J sandwiches, chips, and Little Cuties for supper, and then watched TV for the evening.
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