Monday, May 27

Today is Memorial Day. Hope everyone had a safe and happy one, and that we all remembered what the day is really all about.

We started the day by hanging the flag on the well house, as we've done for the past three days in honor of Memorial Day.

We slept late this morning, until after 8 a.m., but after breakfast I did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises. I was ready for the day by around 10 a.m.

Hubbie had accompanied Mother to our house by that time, and I found a couple of jigsaw puzzles for her to work on.

While she did that, I made a congratulations greeting card for a great-grandson who graduated from kindergarten last week.

Later, for lunch, Mother had her usual Ramen noodle soup, and Hubbie and I had leftover burritos, with helpings of macaroni salad.

Mother went back to her puzzle after that, and Hubbie and I watched the 2013 Memorial Day Concert on PBS channel. This was a very moving concert that included a segment on twin brothers who served in Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Upon return from service, one marries and has two kids, while the other does another tour, where he is severely injured. The story is hugely moving, and has a sad ending.

It also includes a segment narrated by the late Charles Durning, recorded last year, in which he relates his experiences serving during World War II. He was highly decorated, though he never mentioned that, of course. But the hosts of the show, Joe Montegna, and Gary Sinese (who narrated the story of the twins), noted that he received a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, and three Purple Hearts.

The program also featured Katherine Jenkins, Alfie Boe (from "Les Miserable"), and Chris Mann, whose beautiful voices were so stirring they brought tears.

Afterward, Hubbie went to the pharmacy to pick up prescriptions, and I read both the Sunday and Monday editions of the state newspaper. When Hubbie returned, he brought with him three cups of frosty ice cream. It was delicious, but after I'd eaten mine, I was chilled to the bone and shivering. A hot cup of coffee, and a long-sleeve shirt warmed me up.

Later, Mother helped me put country ribs in an oven bag, which I put in the oven around 3:30. The ribs had marinated overnight in a mixture made with a cup of crushed pineapple, a third cup of soy sauce, a third cup of honey, a quarter cup of vinegar, two teaspoons of jar garlic, a teaspoon of ground ginger , and a quarter teaspoon of ground cloves.

We removed the ribs from the marinade, put them in the oven bag, and added barbecue sauce. They cooked at 350 degrees for about two hours, until they were tender.They were very good, served with macaroni salad, and corn-on-the-cob leftover from yesterday's lunch.

Afterward, Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house, and then we watched mystery movies on DVD's borrowed from the library.