Tuesday, Aug. 20

Up at 7:30, and did stair stepping exercises after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around 9:30.

Before I went upstairs to get ready for the day, we decided to make a batch of strawberry jam, so I gathered all the utensils and ingredients, and we set to work. Made two pints and two half pints. All of them sealed following a water bath but one. So we opened it, poured it into another clean jar, put a new lid and ring on it, and put it in the water bath again. It sealed that time. In checking the first lid, we found that it had a little chink in it, just enough to keep it from sitting correctly on the jar rim.

Once the jam was cooling, I went upstairs. By the time I was dressed, it was near noon, so I fixed lunch...Ramen noodle soup for Mother, mushroom soup for me, and PB&J for Hubbie.

Afterward, Mother worked on a jigsaw puzzle, Hubbie went out to mow the yard, and I went shopping.

Stopped first at a department store, where I hoped to use a couple of $10 coupons. I browsed the store for quite a while, and tried on a couple of blouses, neither of which worked...one with vertical stripes in a variety of pastel colors that hung on me like an awning, and a form-fitting rust colored three-quarter-length-sleeve shirt that poofed out in an unflattering way around my shoulder blades. I don't know if the problem with styles these days is my goofy shape, or the goofy cut of the clothing.

Finally, I found a brown knit long-sleeve shirt, with animal print cuffs and collar that cost $7 after the coupon. I would have used the other coupon to buy a purse for Mother, but of course, it was an exclusion item. So Hubbie can go to the store and see if he can find something he can use.

From there, I went to a music/book/movie store to browse. I have a couple of gift cards for that store. Didn't see anything I wanted, so I'll just save the gift cards until something occurs to me. I like buying movies, particularly musicals that I can watch over and over again.

Next I went to the greeting card shop, where I looked for a jigsaw puzzle for Mother, but I didn't like any of the ones they have. However, I was told there are new ones on order, so I will check back there later. I have a $5 coupon for that store, so I'm hoping to use it to buy a puzzle for Mother for Christmas.

Finally, I stopped at another department store, where I looked for sheets for the master bedroom. I found some microfiber ones in queen size on sale for $20 a set.  But the matching pillowcases were priced at $29. What's up with that? I don't think I want to pay more for pillowcases than for sheets.

So I headed back home. By the time I got here, it was around 3 p.m. I relaxed with the newspapers, and then around 4 p.m. started supper. Mother helped by slicing tomatoes and Vidalia onions for BLT's (with onion). I put a dish of macaroni and cheese in the oven, and heated water for corn-on-the-cob.

The supper was very good. Afterward, Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house, and then we watched TV, including several more episodes of "One Tree Hill."