Saturday, Sept. 14

Up at 7 a.m. to get ready to go to a local church for a visitation. The visitation was scheduled for 10 a.m., but we arrived a few minutes early in hopes of seeing our friend before the church filled.

There were only a few people there when we arrived, so we were able to talk with our friend right away. She was very glad to see us, since it has been about two years since we've visited other than through e-mail. She was bearing up well, but the strain clearly showed on her face.

She told us that in mid-July, her husband fell ill with a bowel obstruction, which required surgery. He'd had colon cancer several years before. The surgery did not go well, and he continued to decline to the point that it was necessary for him to be in a rehab facility during August. Recently, he'd been dismissed to go home, but within days, he grew so weak that he had to be hospitalized again. He was not able recover.

It has been a horrible trial for our friend, who'd been married to her husband for 58 years. Her daughter told us that her mother hadn't slept for weeks until last night. My heart goes out to her, since I know she will be a long time grieving.

Back home, we relaxed for a while, each in our own deep thoughts.

Later, for lunch, we had soup...Ramen noodle for Mother, of course, and leftover veggie, with peanut butter and crackers, for Hubbie and me.

Afterward, Mother went to her jigsaw puzzle, and Hubbie and I ran errands...to the farmer's market to buy large green tomatoes for the freezer; to the Mexican restaurant to pick up cheese dip for supper; and to the WDCS for several items.

At the WDCS checkout line was an older man in a wheelchair. A teenager, about fourteen or fifteen was paying the bill and bagging their groceries. When they'd left, I commented on how nice it was for the man's grandson to be so attentive to his grandfather.

The checker advised me that the teen was actually the man's son. "He's very mature and responsible," she said. Did his mother live with them, I wondered? No, she said, the couple was divorced and the man is raising his son alone. He's obviously doing a very good job.

At home, I washed the green tomatoes, which Mother sliced for the freezer. When Mother finished slicing the tomatoes and layering them between sheets of wax paper, I put them in the freezer. We'll bag them tomorrow. Then I gathered salad veggies for Mother to prepare.

In the meantime, Hubbie and I watched our favorite college football team play to a win. I'd recorded the game on DVR.

Around 4 p.m., I put homemade burritos in the oven. We had them with chips and cheese dip, and the salads. Mother calls this kind of meal fun food...usually the kind I serve on Saturdays.

Afterward, Mother stayed around for a while to watch TV with us.