Saturday, Dec. 14

Got up around 7 a.m. this morning, but skipped my exercises again, so I could get ready to go downtown to the art gallery to conduct a kids' workshop on making Christmas houses, using milk cartons, graham crackers, icing, and various candies.

Hubbie and I arrived at the gallery around 9:30, and we, along with the art council director set things up for the kids, who began arriving about twenty minutes later.

A dozen kids attended, and as usual, enthusiastically threw themselves into creating gingerbread houses. Kids are so uninhibited that they naturally know there is no right or wrong way to craft, so they come up with some delightful creations.

We agreed to do only the morning session, since there were other things we wanted to do during the afternoon. I knew that once the director and her helper saw how the houses are created, they would be able to handle the afternoon session without us.

Most of the kids were done with their houses by 11 a.m., so we headed out before 11:30 to go to a Christmas craft fair at the sheriff's boys ranch. All we wanted from the fair was the wonderful, large, fluffy cinnamon rolls. We bought a half dozen of them and then came home for lunch...potato soup for Mother, and chili for Hubbie and me.

Mother had stayed home this morning, but Hubbie brought her over as soon as we returned from the gallery, so she could join us for lunch.

After lunch, she went to her jigsaw puzzle, and Hubbie and I went Christmas shopping and to a basketball game. I warned Mother that we would be gone all afternoon, and until around 6 p.m. She was okay with it, though I'm edgy about leaving her so long.

However, as luck would have it, Niece and Great-Nephew arrived shortly after we left, and they spent the entire afternoon with Mother. If I had made sure Mother had her cell phone with her, I could have touched base mid-afternoon, and then I would have learned that Niece was here, and I could have relaxed. Hindsight is always 20/20.

Anyway, Hubbie and I went to the greeting card shop first, where I used a $5 discount on $10 spent to buy several packages of Jelly Belly candy to use as a Twelve Days of Christmas gift for Mother. Then we went to a department store, where I used a $10 off $25 to buy a fleece jacket for Mother for Christmas. The jacket has a blue and beige pattern, so she can wear several colors of the mock turtleneck shirts with it that I bought for her. A gift box came with the jacket, which is something different. I don't remember the store offering free gift boxes before. But it's sure handy.

I also applied gift cards I've had for quite a while toward the purchase of a pair of brown low-top boots, like the black ones I bought last year. I wanted a pair last year when they were on sale, but they had none in my size. Today, the boots were discounted, and there was only one pair in my size, so I snapped them up.

From there, we went to the home improvement store, where I bought two door mats for Mother's porch...one is large for the top of the ramp, and the other is a small one for in front of the door. They are in the dirt brown colors that Mother favors. These will be part of her Christmas gifts.

Went to the dollar store after that to buy a soft Teddy bear for one of the cats that takes every opportunity to snatch one of my bears from a basket in our bedroom. I'm hoping that if the cat has her own bear, she'll leave mine alone, But that's probably just wishful thinking.

Our last stop was a farm store, and then we headed back to town to see if we could find cups of coffee at a fast food restaurant. The one we stopped at had no decaf, so we decided to go to a coffee shop. It was closed. Tried a coffee/sandwich shop. Nope, it was closed.

Gave up then, and went on to the college to find a parking place before the basketball game started. Lucked out and found one near the gym, despite the fact that high school playoff games were in full swing.

The game we were there to attend was the college basketball game. We were there in time to see the second half of a high school girls' game, though.

The mens' game started at 4 p.m. Before it began, Niece, Great-Niece, and Niece's father-in-law and wife arrived. Today, Hubbie and I used the stadium seats that Hubbie bought recently. They are quite comfortable.

The game lasted longer than we hoped, since it ran into overtime. Unfortunately, our team lost by one point in the last seconds of the game. I was glad there was not a second overtime, because I would have insisted on leaving to come and check on Mother, since it was now 6:30 p.m.

At home, I learned that Niece had tried to get Mother to let her fix supper for her, but Mother insisted she wasn't hungry and wanted to wait for me to return. So Niece and Great-Nephew left to go on to the capital city for supper...a thing that Great-Nephew wanted to do.

Niece and I  both felt guilty...me because I thought I'd left Mother too long and didn't get back in time to see to her supper at her usual meal time, and Niece because she felt she hadn't insisted strenuously enough about getting supper for her.

I'm just so glad Niece was here to entertain Mother for the afternoon, though.

Anyway, we had potato soup and sandwiches for supper, and then Mother was ready to go home. Hubbie accompanied her, and then he and I watched TV for the evening.

Tomorrow, we are looking forward to a visit from Daughter, two granddaughters, and several great-grandchildren, who will join us for lunch, and then will make Christmas houses. This will also be our first time to see the newest addition to the family, a baby boy. Can't wait to get my hands on him.