Saturday, May 18, 2013

Saturday, May 18

We slept late, until 8 a.m. I skipped my exercises after breakfast, so I could get ready to go with Hubbie to an open house at a local car dealership around 10 a.m.

We browsed for a while looking at cars and trucks, though we aren't really in the market for new vehicles. I'm not crazy about the new color combinations...grey, white, and black cars sport black interiors, which seems to me would get really hot in the summertime. Trucks, too, have dark interiors.

We registered for door prizes...$200 gift cards, and then at 11 a.m., we got in line for the barbecue lunch. A local organization served the food, and we got four barbecue sandwiches, two hot dogs on buns, and a lot of baked beans and coleslaw, along with bags of chips, and drinks.

We brought the meal home, so Mother could enjoy it with us. There was enough food for us to have for supper, too.

While we were gone, Mother worked on her jigsaw puzzle, and she continued to do this after lunch. Hubbie spent his afternoon working in the yard, and I spent my time burning photos to CDs and uploading them to an online photo storage site.

I also printed some photos from one of the CDs, partly to test the office computer CD burner/reader, and partly because I wanted backgrounds for making thank-you cards. The burner works now, thank goodness.

Besides working on my laptop, about all I accomplished was washing a couple of loads of laundry, and catching up on reading newspapers.

Hubbie accompanied Mother home after supper, and then he and I watched DVD movies borrowed from the library..."Ruth Rendell Mysteries," from BBC.





Friday, May 17, 2013

Friday, May 17

Today is my brother's birthday. I'm sad that he must celebrate it in the hospital, after suffering a stroke on Monday.

We were up around 8 p.m., and after breakfast I did stair stepping, resistance bands,and weights exercises. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around 9:30.

Before I got ready for the day, I searched for a photo to use as a background for making a greeting card for my brother to let him know we thought of him on his birthday, and we are thinking about him as he recuperates.

I decided on a photo recognition picture...a shot of the three of us taken a few years ago...in hopes he will remember us. Niece said he has not recognized her since the stroke, but sometimes a stroke can damage centers for current memories, but leave past memories in tact.

I printed the photo, and typed a message, and while Mother put the card together, I got ready for the day.

By this time, it was noon. Hubbie had lunch on the table when I got back downstairs...soup for Mother, and sandwiches for us. After lunch, Mother began work on the new jigsaw puzzle I gave her for Mother's Day, and Hubbie and I went to another town for a garden tour.

I was glad it was overcast...cloudy days provide soft lighting for photographing flowers and vegetation.

The gardener who hosted the tour lives on seven acres of land, much of it covered in rocks and boulders. She has used the landscape to her advantage in gardening. She's fond of irises, and a large variety of colors of the flowers is scattered among the rocks. She also loves roses, and has bushes of them around the house. After a morning shower, raindrops decorated the roses, making for some nice shots.

In spaces cleared of rocks, she has used smaller rocks to border individual gardens, with paths leading through and around them, as well as over the flat rocks of the boulder garden.

Along one ridge, which she calls "Memorial Hill," are buried various pets and other animals. She has tried to create paths wide enough to accommodate a lawn mower, but she said she hasn't yet "trained the mower" to navigate certain narrower paths.

Besides the gardens, the front yard is adorned with an inoperable motorcycle that her husband has decorated with found objects. It is literally covered with such objects. It's interesting, though not something I'd want in my yard.

We were back home around 3 p.m. I did this and that until time to prepare supper. Tonight, we had breakfast for supper...Ziplock bag omelets, leftover Parmesan potatoes, and biscuits. Mother helped to get things ready to cook.

After supper, Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house. Then he and I watched one-hour shows on TV.

**********************************************************

Notes: last night, I talked with Great-Grandson, grandson of my daughter, who told me he has made the honor roll. We are very proud of him. Today, I sent him a congratulations card and a few bucks reward. I hope he keeps this up.

Yay! My automatic jelly/jam maker came today. When it arrived, I broke into a rendition of "The Wells Fargo Wagon is a Comin'." It'll be fun trying it out next week when Sis comes for a visit.




  

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Thursday, May 16

Up at 8 a.m. on this rainy day, and did a treadmill session after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around 9:30, and she went to her jigsaw puzzle. Once I was ready for the day, I worked burning photos to a CD until lunchtime.

After lunch, Mother went back to her jigsaw puzzle, which she finished today. Hubbie and I ran errands...to the bank, the library, the newspaper office, the greeting card shop, and a department store.

At the department store, we spent a $10 gift certificate that Hubbie received for his birthday to buy me a chunky orange necklace to wear with the teal knit tunic. I used the gift certificate because Hubbie didn't need or want anything.

From the department store, we went to a fast food restaurant to buy frosty soft serve ice creams. Headed home before the treats could melt. Mother really enjoyed hers. We all had cups of coffee with the ice cream, which is a favorite way for us to enjoy it.

After that, I went upstairs to work on getting Hubbie's social network site back online, because he couldn't access it after the computer was repaired. I had to re-register him at an e-mail site, and then give him a new user name and password. Took forever to do this, since I kept getting blocked at every turn. But I finally accomplished it.

In the middle of this adventure, my former Literacy Council student called from her new home in Florida. We talked for quite a while, and enjoyed catching up with each other's lives.

It was 4 p.m. by the time I got back downstairs. I put leftover lasagna, and a dish of whole kernel corn in the oven just as I got a call from my niece in New York. She wanted to let me know that her dad, my brother, suffered a stroke last Monday. He presented with all the symptoms we were told about at Tuesday's program on stroke...drooping face, inability to raise one arm, and inability to speak coherently.

Niece said that she's been advised that her dad should be placed in a nursing home, and she's upset about it. She feels guilty about doing it, but I assured her that it was best for him and for her, because she would be unable to do what's needed to take care of him. He is unable to sit up or walk to the bathroom. She couldn't lift him. He needs more intensive care than she can provide. Also, she works, and she couldn't afford around-the-clock care for him at home.

This is a sad situation, and my heart breaks for her and for him. I wish I could be closer to help her, but my job right now is to be here for Mother.

After supper, Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house, and then he and I watched one-hour shows on TV. While we did this, I uploaded photos to an online site. I have a lot more of this to do on the laptop, and then I need to do the same thing with the office computer.









 

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Wednesday, May 15

Up at 7:30, and did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around 9:30, and then he went out into the yard, where he worked most of the day.

Before I got ready for the day, Mother and I watched last night's elimination episode of "Dancing With the Stars." Then she went to her jigsaw puzzle, and I headed upstairs.

It was close to noon by the time I got back downstairs, so I prepared lunch...Ramen Noodle soup for Mother, and sandwiches for Hubbie and me.

Afterward, Hubbie and I drove down the road to a neighbor's yard, where a flock of turkey vultures were feasting on road kill. I used my long lens to see what the animal was, and saw that it was an armadillo.

We went in the other direction, then, to where cattle were grazing in a pasture of buttercup wildflowers. There, I got shots of appealing calves...a speckled one was resting among the flowers, and a brown one was grazing close by, surrounded by the buttercups and a few yellow irises.

Back home, Hubbie returned to the yard, and I went to the library to return movie DVDs and borrow some more. I was aggravated when I got there and realized I had failed to remove one of the DVDs from the player. The librarian was very understanding and simply let me check the DVD out for two more weeks, to avoid and overdue fine.

Mother spent the afternoon with her puzzle, and when I got back, I spent mine frustrating myself on my laptop, as I burned photos to a CD, and uploaded them to an online photo storage site.

Later, for supper, I heated leftovers from last night's meal. Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house afterward, and then he and I watched TV.





Tuesday, May 14

Had one of those nights, again. Woke up at 4:30, and tossed until 6:30. Drifted off, and woke up again at 7:30. Did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around 9:30, and then he went to another town to pick up the computer.

The tech said when the anti-virus program updated itself, it also turned off the CD burner. Took the tech a while to figure it out, and I never would have, I don't think. I'll know to look for that if the problem arises again.

After exercising, I dressed for an outing to the hospital conference room for a noon luncheon/talk. Mother was already dressed to go, and Hubbie changed into appropriate clothing after he returned with the computer.

 Today, the talk was about stroke...statistics on the incidence of it, how to recognize the symptoms, and what to do in case it happens to us or a family member. I was surprised to learn that our state is third in the nation for strokes.

Men and African-Americans are more likely to suffer strokes, but women are more at risk at older ages, and women are more likely to die of it.

The doctor who gave the program injected humor into his talk. At one point, he did an imitation of Jeff Foxworthy's "If you (etc.), you might be a redneck," except he substituted "If your face is drooping, you might be having a stroke,"  or "If you can't raise one of your arms, you might be having a stroke."

At another point, he showed an MRI of a brain with a blood clot, and described how it would be treated. Then he joked that he is a big fisherman. "I live, breathe, and eat fishing," he said. "But at one point, I had symptoms that needed to be diagnosed, and so I got an MRI. Here's what it indicated." And he showed us a slide of a brain with fish floating in it."

Later, he showed us an entertaining You Tube animated Hip-Hop video, "Stroke Ain't no Joke...Stop My Stroke."

Literature was also provided at each place at the table, including refrigerator magnets with info on how to recognize a stroke.

Lunch today was chicken breasts in gravy, mashed potatoes topped with yellow cheese, and mixed veggies, along with mixed fresh fruits. I was glad that today we didn't have to stand in line endlessly while the person in front of us picked all the strawberries out of the fruit bowl. Last month, a woman actually did that.

We were back home shortly after 1 p.m. Hubbie promptly went shopping for groceries, and after Mother and I changed into work clothes, we got a pork roast ready for the slow cooker. Then she and I watched last night's episode of "Dancing With the Stars."

Later, I went into the back yard to snap photos of a really pretty peony bush. The flowers smell so good that we cut one for a bud vase for Mother to enjoy.

The roast, cooked with carrots and onions, and mashed potatoes and gravy, along with individual cups of applesauce, was exceptionally good tonight. After supper, Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house.

Then he and I went to the movie theater to see "The Great Gatsby" in 3-D. The critics have panned the film as too long and too excessively opulent. We didn't know any better than to go ahead and enjoy it.

About 25 people were in the theater, which was more than we expected for a Tuesday night. It was after 10 p.m. when we got home. We'd spent three hours there, though an hour of that was taken up with commercials and movie previews. We arrived a little early, so we could nab the only two high-backed comfy seats in the theater.

I also took along a jacket, since the theater has always been notoriously cold. Tonight, though, it was warm almost to stuffiness. The same was true at the hospital yesterday. I was surprised that the conference room wasn't chillier. Even Mother came out of her jacket. Guess businesses and institutions are trying to save money on air conditioning.





Monday, May 13, 2013

Monday, May 13

Had trouble going to sleep last night, as I knew I would, after making the mistake of having a cup of caffeine coffee yesterday at the restaurant.  I was chilled and needed something warm to drink, but didn't have the presence of mind to ask for decaf. So I tossed and turned until around 2 a.m.

Slept a little later this morning, though, and got up at 8 a.m. Hubbie was already up and ready to go help the Master Gardeners work in a community garden at 9 a.m.

After breakfast, he accompanied Mother to our house, while I got started doing stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises. Apparently, Hubbie's son had called early to say he was traveling the two hours from his town to ours to visit with Hubbie for a while. I thought he might arrive before lunch, so I wanted to get my exercises out of the way, and get dressed.

Once I was ready for the day, I did household chores, including laundry. Hubbie returned around 11 a.m. He had stopped by a grocery store to pick up deli meat for sandwiches, in case Son arrived in time for lunch. He didn't, but it was good that we had the deli meat, because I was out of ideas for lunches.

Mother spent the morning working on her jigsaw puzzle, and after a Ramen Noodle soup lunch, she returned to it. After lunch, Hubbie went out to work in the yard, and I spent some time on my laptop. One thing I did was order an automatic jelly/jam maker.

I decided I wanted one of these, when I read a newspaper article about a local Extension Services representative demonstrating one. I talked with her at the garden tour Saturday, and she had high praise for the appliance, saying that it took the guesswork out of cooking fruit and juices with pectin and sugar, because it is perfectly timed, and the product comes out just right every time. All the user has to do is sterilize the jars, fill them with the mixture, and put them in a water bath.

The drawback to the appliance is that a recipe fills only two pint jars, or four half-pint jars. Then the appliance has to cool for 30 minutes before it can be used again. This is a minor problem, though, since it will free my hands to do other things while the mixture cooks.

I'll be anxious to receive the appliance...I hope it arrives by next week, when Sis plans to be here, so we can put it to the test. It would be a fun activity for when she's here.

Son arrived around 2 p.m., but said he wouldn't stay long enough for supper. He and Hubbie spent most of their time outdoors. He got on the road back home around 3:30.

This afternoon, too, I called the other two scrapbook club members, since our regularly scheduled meeting date is this coming Thursday. Unfortunately, once again the ladies cannot come. One is suffering from dizzy spells, and is awaiting test results, and the other has plans to attend a family wedding in another state.

The lady with the health problems (with whom I spoke at length) wondered if we need to disband the club, since we haven't met in several months, but the other member and I don't want to do this. We want to remain affiliated with the Extension Homemakers Council, in part so that we can continue to receive funding each year to help purchase materials for making greeting cards for Caring Hands, and in part so we can keep abreast of activities on the county level, some which we might want to attend.

By continuing to be members, we receive monthly newsletters. Also, we can meet at my house, if only from time-to-time, to work on greeting cards or on scrapbook pages. If we give it up, it'll become too tempting to always let other things get in the way, and not work on these activities at all.

Later, I put leftover lasagna in the oven to heat for supper. While it heated, I caught up on reading newspapers...the Saturday and Sunday editions of the state paper, and today's edition of the local paper.

At 5 p.m., we sat down to enjoy the lasagna, along with garlic French bread (which Mother had prepared for the oven), salad, and cottage cheese. Hubbie accompanied Mother home afterward, and then we watched "Prime Suspect," another DVD from the library.



Sunday, May 12, 2013

Sunday, May 12

Today is Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's in the family.

Hubbie and I wanted to sleep late this morning, but we woke up around 6:30, and weren't able to go back to sleep. So we lazed a half hour and then got up.

I headed straight for the shower and then got dressed in a "going out to eat" outfit, because we planned to go to a local restaurant for lunch. Skipped breakfast, since I knew I'd have a big noon meal. Around 9:30, Son called to wish Mother and me a happy Mother's Day.

When I asked what his plans were for Mother's Day, he said he guessed he'd grill hamburgers. So I got the idea that it might be good for us to meet for lunch in a town that is about halfway between his town and ours. He and Daughter-in-Law were agreeable to this, so we all hurried to get ready to meet at around 11:30.

I contacted Daughter and Sis, in hopes they would be able to meet us, too. It was too short notice for Sis, but Daughter agreed to come. She couldn't be there at 11:30, but she and Great-Granddaughter got there as we were having dessert. They chose their meals from the buffet and enjoyed lunch while we all visited.

Daughter brought me a beautiful Mother's Day card, and Son and Daughter-in-Law gave me the cutest mug...there is a floral design on the mug itself, and the handle is a hummingbird. I love it.

We visited for a couple of hours both inside the restaurant and outside, before we were all ready to head home. It was a wonderful gathering...one of the best Mother's Days I can remember. The weather was even perfect....started out a bit cool and windy, but warmed into the balmy low 70s later.

On the way home, we stopped at a roadside market and picked up a couple of cartons of strawberries. The season is winding down, so I was glad to find these.

At home, we completed our interesting and fun day with a 2009 DVD movie from the library..."The Mighty Macs." Based on a true story, a woman (Cathy Rush) becomes head coach of a girls' basketball team at an all-girls tiny Catholic college in the 1970s. The college has no gym and no uniforms, but Rush is undaunted as she leads the team to a national championship. This G-rated movie is definitely worth a watch.

Hubbie accompanied Mother home afterward, and then we watched a couple of episodes of "Prime Suspect," another DVD from the library.

For supper, we settled for bowls of cereal. Hubbie had a slice of raisin bread with his, and I opted for fresh strawberries. Strawberries are never better than when they are fresh-picked from the field, as these were today.