Tuesday, April 9

Slept late, until around 8 a.m. Did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around 9:30, and she worked on her puzzle for a while, until Hubbie brought some pansies, and a container of soil into the kitchen, so she could work at the small table to arrange the flowers in the pot. This made her happy because, as she said, it allowed her to get her hands into dirt.

Hubbie went outdoors, then, to work in the yard for a while. Before lunch, he decided to run a few errands, one of which was to find some impatiens for Mother to arrange in a planter. He had gone to several stores before, but could only find white ones. Today, he found some at a downtown nursery that came in a variety of colors. I guess Mother will work with those tomorrow. We'll also locate herbs soon for her to plant. This will help satisfy her need to garden.

When she'd finished planting her flowers, she returned to her puzzle, and I got ready for the day. Then I did this and that around the house before lunch. For lunch, I fixed something different for each of us...Ramen Noodle soup for Mother, of course, leftover chicken noodle soup for me, and a hot dog for Hubbie.

After lunch, Hubbie went back into the yard, and I ran errands. Went to the WDCS first to pick up some personal items and a few groceries; then went to a health food store for buy-one-get-one-half-price bottles of fish oil gels; to the card shop to get a birthday card and a Mother's Day card; and to the Literacy Council office to return ESL books, since my student has left to go live in Florida.

Note: after I left the WDCS to go to the health food store, I needed to cross a divided road of four lanes, which today had a layer of asphalt dug out both ways, causing high ridges on both sides that vehicles had to bumpity-bump across to get to the parking lot on the other side. Then by the time I left the store, that road was barricaded, and traffic was re-routed onto the highway. Naturally, I needed to turn left on that busy main artery, which would have been a breeze at the stoplight, but was considerably more difficult from the parking lot.

At the Literacy Council office, the director asked if I'd be willing to take on another student. She hastened to add that if I wanted to take some time to think about it, she'd understand. She has a student from Peru, whose tutor is moving out of state, and so will need another tutor. The student is at level 5 (my former student was at level 4). We agreed that it might be best for me to take a couple or three months off, and then decide if I'd like to take this student on. She said the student is as motivated as my previous one was. As with my previous student, this one is taking other classes at the local college, and since the college will soon close for summer vacation, it might be good for her to have a break, too, and begin tutoring sessions again later.

Came home after that, relaxed for a few minutes, and read today's newspapers. Then, while Mother diced veggies, cubed ham, and grated Monterey Jack cheese, I grabbed my camera to go out and snap pictures of the beautiful tulips. I wanted to get some snaps before a predicted storm arrives tomorrow that might flatten the flowers.

Around 4 p.m., I sauteed the veggies and ham, and put a dish of leftover potatoes in the oven. Mother filled Ziplock bags with egg substitute for her and me, and regular eggs for Hubbie, and then we added spices, the veggie-ham mixture, and the cheese. Cooked the eggs in a pan of boiling water. Just before 5 p.m., Hubbie fixed toast, and we were ready to eat.

Hubbie accompanied Mother home afterward, and then we watched TV, including a couple of one-hour shows, and the women's NCAA basketball championship game.

It was a beautiful sunny day today, though a bit windy, and a bit warm and humid for this early in spring, which forwarns coming storms.