Wednesday, Jan. 23

Up at 6:30 this morning to get ready for water aerobics. Pretty chilly this morning. In fact, our county has been one of the coolest ones in the state for the past few days. It was cold enough this morning that smatterings of last week's snow persist on the shady hill leading to the college.

Eight of us showed up for aerobics. The pool is still quite cool, so we opted to keep moving in an aerobic mode this morning, rather than doing 30 minutes of aerobics and 15 minutes of cool-down.

I was surprised this morning when one of the members said she'd gotten a flu shot a couple of days ago. She has been insisting that she didn't want one, because after the last one she had several years ago, she came down with the worst case of flu she'd ever experienced.

No one could convince her that it was not possible to get flu from a killed virus vaccination. But her son is a doctor, and he pressured her and her husband to get the shot, because of the near epidemic of flu this year. Of course, it takes two to three weeks for the vaccine to become effective, so if she gets the flu before then, she definitely will never get a shot again. Her son did warn her that the vaccine is not 100% effective, but it's the best tool available right now.

Back home, I was glad to get a couple of cups of hot coffee into me, since I was pretty chilled. While I relaxed, Hubbie ran errands. Before he went to town, he accompanied Mother to our house.

Our aim was to start a slow cooker of New England stew simmering, but we needed a few items for it...like onions and celery...before we could start it. But in the meantime, Mother cut up the onions we had on hand, and cubed the beef, while I got ready for the day.

When Hubbie got back, we finished preparing the meat and veggies, and Hubbie peeled and quartered potatoes, and cut the cabbage into chunks. Once the stew was started, I fixed lunch for us, since it was nearly noon by now.

After lunch, Mother worked on a jigsaw puzzle, and Hubbie and I ran a few errands. First, we attended a business expo at the college down the road. Most of the event today was aimed at business people, but it was opened to the public at 1 p.m.

I wasn't expecting much, but it turned out to be a really nice affair. There was lots of food available, but since we'd already had lunch, we passed on it. But we did accept hot wrapped hamburgers, which we brought home to use for supper tomorrow night.

We were given a nice tote at one booth, which we took around to the exhibits and filled with various goodies. We also registered for all the prizes. We picked up enough stuff to share with Mother...wrapped snack cakes, mini chocolate bars, notepads, pencils, and pens, etc.

We also got a sample bottle of carpet spot cleaner, a miniature sewing kit, a couple of foam train engine toys, stickers, and recipe card holders that rock but won't fall down (like Weebles).

We visited with lots of folks while we were there, including the coordinator of the Caring Hands Hospice volunteers. I was sad to learn from her that her nephew was murdered in Florida early in December. She said he had been stabbed to death by his girlfriend. He had no defensive wounds, so it is speculated that she attacked him in his sleep. He was 32 years old.

His mother, the coordinator's sister, lives in our town. So the coordinator has been trying to help her cope. The sister works as a housekeeper, and doesn't have insurance, so she can't afford regular medical services. Fortunately, though one of the local churches sponsors a weekly clinic that she can attend. And the coordinator has seen that she enrolled in a support group for parents who have lost children.

As if this were not enough, the coordinator's husband ended up in the hospital right after New Year's for an obstructed bowl. Sometimes, I wonder how people bear up under all that is thrown at them.

Hubbie ran into a young woman he'd known as a child when he lived in another small town years ago. And I visited with a young woman who was one of the therapists when I attended cardiac rehab. I also visited with the Literacy Council director, and some folks from the library.

All-in-all, we enjoyed the whole thing. Promptly at 2 p.m., though, even as we were getting ready to leave, the exhibitors began tearing down their booths, and packing up to vacate. I guess the college has some sort of policy about this sort of thing. And of course, since the exhibitors had been there all day, they were ready to be done with it, I'm sure.

From there, we went to a grocery store to exchange three blocks of cheese that Hubbie bought this morning. I wanted Monterey Jack, but he got Colby Jack, instead, which has yellow cheese in it. He insisted that this was the only kind he could find. But I was sure there was the regular kind, and when we looked hard enough, we found it.

Then we went to the WDCS to pick up a couple of bags of veggie chips, because Hubbie brought home a bag of apple cinnamon, which are not my favorite, but which he said were the only ones on the shelf. I guess the shelves were restocked since he'd been there yesterday, because I found the ones I wanted.

I also bought a new water resistant wristwatch to replace the one that died recently. These little watches, which used to be pretty cheap are three times the price now. To be expected, I guess.

Back home, Mother was napping on the couch, but she awakened when we came in, so she got up. I gave her a little bag, and she chose the things she wanted from the loot we brought home.

Later, we made a batch of biscuits to have with the stew. The meal was very comforting for a cool day. Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house afterward, and then he and I watched TV, including an unremarkable 2011 movie called, "Harley's Hill," about a horse that, because his owner is cruel, escapes his stall and runs wild for a while, before happening onto a ranch, where a young girl falls in love with him and wants to keep him. Of course, the owner comes to claim the horse. But things turn out well. Not an award winner, but it's fit for family viewing.

Then we watched our favorite college basketball team as they played to a wide-margin win.