Slept late, until around 8 a.m. I intended to do an exercise session, but didn't get around to it. Since Hubbie's niece, her husband, and Hubbie's sister were at Niece's new house, where a moving van was unloading their belongings, Hubbie felt he needed to go there and assist.
In the meantime, his daughter called to ask if we would be here today, because she wanted to drop by for a visit, and then have Hubbie show her where Niece's house was. I had thought that she wasn't scheduled to visit until Monday, so it threw me into a bit of a dither that the house was not prepared for company.
I hurried to get dressed, and while I was upstairs, Sis rushed around and spruced the house. By the time I got back downstairs, everything looked presentable.
Daughter arrived right at noon, and joined us for a chicken salad sandwich lunch. Before I sat down to eat, I prepared a boxed chocolate cake mix for the oven. It baked while we ate, and in a few minutes, we had helpings of it warm and without icing.
Afterward, Hubbie and I rode with Daughter to Niece's house, where Hubbie's sister toured us. It's a really nice house, with three bedrooms, two and a half baths (the master bath has two big clothes closets, and a Jacuzzi bathtub, plus a shower), a large living room, kitchen, and dining room, an office, and an upstairs exercise room, plus a very large deck outside. It sits on about seven acres of land, but there are no trees.
We got back home around 4 p.m., in time to start supper preparations. Mother and Sis helped. They put together burritos, which I put in the oven with leftover cheesy rice, and potatoes leftover from last night's supper.
Afterward, Hubbie took a container of tea, a chest of ice, and helpings of the chocolate cake to Niece's house. Then he went to the grocery store to pick up items for making dinner tomorrow...we invited Niece and her family, Hubbie's sister, and his nephew.
I've planned slow cooker chicken, oven potatoes, corn-on-the-cob, and coleslaw for the meal, which should be fairly easy to put together. As soon as Hubbie got back, I baked another pineapple/angel food cake for tomorrow's dessert.
While Hubbie was gone, Mother, Sis, and I watched two Lifetime Movie Network features...one a murder mystery, and the other a movie based on the true story of a woman who stabbed bed-bound husband nearly 200 times, and then buried him in the backyard. At her trial, she insisted she did it because her husband was abusive and she was afraid of him. The jury didn't buy it.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Friday, May 24, 2013
Friday, May 24
Today, Great-Grandson graduated from kindergarten. Congratulations, Great-Grandson!
Slept late again, until around 8 a.m., and did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises right after breakfast. Sis accompanied Mother to our house, and they went to work on another jigsaw puzzle, while I got ready for the day.
Once I was dressed, I gathered ingredients and supplies we would need for making a batch of blueberry jelly, using the new automatic jelly maker I recently purchased.
Hubbie ran errands this morning, and as soon as he returned at noon, we had a sandwich lunch. Hubbie changed clothes and went into the yard to work, and Mother, Sis, and I made the jelly.
We were not convinced the appliance was working correctly, as we watched the paddle slowly turn the juice, pectin, and sugar. Even the half teaspoon of margarine didn't melt for the longest time, and the liquid never came to a full rolling boil, as we are accustomed to when we prepare jellies on the stove.
It cooked for 25 minutes, though, and eventually the margarine did melt, and the liquid gently bubbled. When it was done, Mother ladled it into the jars, and I put them in the water-bath canner and timed it for ten minutes, plus five minutes after the canner is removed from the heat.
At the end of this process, the foam that Mother had skimmed from the jelly and put in a bowl was jelled. So we knew the jelly maker had worked properly.
Note: I very nearly dropped one of the hot jars onto the floor while trying to remove it from the water bath. But somehow, I managed to awkwardly fumble it onto the table, where it rolled around until Sis caught it and set it upright. She and Mother both feared I might have scalded myself in the process, but thankfully, I did not. The dish towel I held under the jar prevented it. This was just another incidence of my klutz mode in action. I really would have hated to smash that jar on the floor and have to try to get staining blueberry jelly off that white kitchen floor!
Once the jelly was made, we cleared away the mess from that project, and began supper preparations. I started by crumbing dried hamburger buns in the blender. Then Mother seasoned the crumbs with Parmesan cheese, parsley, oregano, basil, pepper, and paprika, and dredged talapia fish in the mixture. She put the fish in a Pam-sprayed dish, which I put in the refrigerator until later.
Then Hubbie peeled potatoes, which Mother diced. Mother also sliced an onion, and Sis put together a dish using the potatoes, and various seasonings, including dill. We set the dish aside until later.
Lastly, Mother mixed a slaw dressing, using salad dressing and sugar substitute. Then she and Sis went to their jigsaw puzzle, which they soon finished. It was only a 300-piece puzzle, so they had time to begin another one.
Later, I put the potatoes and fish in the oven. At 5 p.m., we were ready to sit down to the meal, which included the slaw, and slices of homemade bread that Sis brought with her.
Around 6:30, we all went to the movie theater to see "Star Trek" in 3-D. Mother was enthusiastic about going, but that didn't keep her from sleeping through most of it.
Outside the theater, I teased her by commenting that there would be a test on it. Sis joked that it had better be on the part she was awake for. Mother laughed and said she could have slept better if the movie hadn't been so loud.
The rest of us enjoyed it. The main characters are played by different actors from the ones we were familiar with in the old TV series, naturally, but it's still basic Star Trek stuff, though a little more exciting in 3-D (more exciting for everyone but Mother, of course).
Back home, Sis accompanied Mother to her house, and then she came to our house to get servings of the pineapple/angel food cake, and some whipped topping, for Mother and herself to have for a snack. Hubbie and I enjoyed helpings of it, too, which finished that cake off. Tomorrow, I'll bake a chocolate cake.
It was a good day, and an excellent beginning to the Memorial Day weekend.
Slept late again, until around 8 a.m., and did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises right after breakfast. Sis accompanied Mother to our house, and they went to work on another jigsaw puzzle, while I got ready for the day.
Once I was dressed, I gathered ingredients and supplies we would need for making a batch of blueberry jelly, using the new automatic jelly maker I recently purchased.
Hubbie ran errands this morning, and as soon as he returned at noon, we had a sandwich lunch. Hubbie changed clothes and went into the yard to work, and Mother, Sis, and I made the jelly.
We were not convinced the appliance was working correctly, as we watched the paddle slowly turn the juice, pectin, and sugar. Even the half teaspoon of margarine didn't melt for the longest time, and the liquid never came to a full rolling boil, as we are accustomed to when we prepare jellies on the stove.
It cooked for 25 minutes, though, and eventually the margarine did melt, and the liquid gently bubbled. When it was done, Mother ladled it into the jars, and I put them in the water-bath canner and timed it for ten minutes, plus five minutes after the canner is removed from the heat.
At the end of this process, the foam that Mother had skimmed from the jelly and put in a bowl was jelled. So we knew the jelly maker had worked properly.
Note: I very nearly dropped one of the hot jars onto the floor while trying to remove it from the water bath. But somehow, I managed to awkwardly fumble it onto the table, where it rolled around until Sis caught it and set it upright. She and Mother both feared I might have scalded myself in the process, but thankfully, I did not. The dish towel I held under the jar prevented it. This was just another incidence of my klutz mode in action. I really would have hated to smash that jar on the floor and have to try to get staining blueberry jelly off that white kitchen floor!
Once the jelly was made, we cleared away the mess from that project, and began supper preparations. I started by crumbing dried hamburger buns in the blender. Then Mother seasoned the crumbs with Parmesan cheese, parsley, oregano, basil, pepper, and paprika, and dredged talapia fish in the mixture. She put the fish in a Pam-sprayed dish, which I put in the refrigerator until later.
Then Hubbie peeled potatoes, which Mother diced. Mother also sliced an onion, and Sis put together a dish using the potatoes, and various seasonings, including dill. We set the dish aside until later.
Lastly, Mother mixed a slaw dressing, using salad dressing and sugar substitute. Then she and Sis went to their jigsaw puzzle, which they soon finished. It was only a 300-piece puzzle, so they had time to begin another one.
Later, I put the potatoes and fish in the oven. At 5 p.m., we were ready to sit down to the meal, which included the slaw, and slices of homemade bread that Sis brought with her.
Around 6:30, we all went to the movie theater to see "Star Trek" in 3-D. Mother was enthusiastic about going, but that didn't keep her from sleeping through most of it.
Outside the theater, I teased her by commenting that there would be a test on it. Sis joked that it had better be on the part she was awake for. Mother laughed and said she could have slept better if the movie hadn't been so loud.
The rest of us enjoyed it. The main characters are played by different actors from the ones we were familiar with in the old TV series, naturally, but it's still basic Star Trek stuff, though a little more exciting in 3-D (more exciting for everyone but Mother, of course).
Back home, Sis accompanied Mother to her house, and then she came to our house to get servings of the pineapple/angel food cake, and some whipped topping, for Mother and herself to have for a snack. Hubbie and I enjoyed helpings of it, too, which finished that cake off. Tomorrow, I'll bake a chocolate cake.
It was a good day, and an excellent beginning to the Memorial Day weekend.
Thursday, May 23
Slept late again, until around 8 a.m., but since there were a lot of things I wanted to get done today, I skipped my exercises, and got ready for the day right away, while I waited for my medication to take effect.
After breakfast, Hubbie and I went to pick up the van. Before we went to the shop, we stopped by a cafe' to pick up a quart of chicken salad, and then drove to the newspaper office to drop off this week's word search puzzle contest.
From there, we went to the auto repair shop. I was wrong in thinking the bill for fixing a wire to the electronic system would be inexpensive. It didn't cost an arm and a leg like the wheel bearing repair to the truck, but it did cost an arm.
We returned home after that to put the chicken salad in the refrigerator, and then we went to the WDCS for groceries.
As soon as I got home, I made a pineapple/angel food cake, using a very simple recipe a family member posted on a social network site. The calls for mixing a can of crushed pineapple into an angel food cake mix, and baking for 25 minutes. I used Sis's visit as an excuse to taste test the cake to see if it's something I'll want to serve to other guests, and take to potluck events. Later, we enjoyed servings of this light, fruity cake, with whipped topping. It was delicious.
It was close to noon by the time the cake came out of the oven, so I put lunch on the table. Afterward, Hubbie went to the yard, and Mother finished her jigsaw puzzle (Hubbie had accompanied her to our house at the usual time this morning).
I spent the afternoon making a couple of birthday cards, and finishing thank you cards I made earlier in the week. I wanted to get all these cards in the mail tomorrow, since there will be no mail delivery Monday due to the Memorial Day holiday. I wanted to be sure the birthday cards to my granddaughters next week. Seems to take the mail a little longer to get where it's going these days, and holidays particularly delay it.
Later, I put leftovers in the oven to heat, and we had supper at 5 p.m. Sis, who is to spend a few days with us, hadn't arrived by this time, but she did get here before 6 p.m., and the meal was still warm enough.
After supper, we watched TV...a Lifetime Movie Network mystery feature, and the two-hour season finale of "Criminal Minds." At snack time, we indulged in more of the yummy pineapple/angel food cake. Sis accompanied Mother home after movie time, and Hubbie and I headed to bed.
After breakfast, Hubbie and I went to pick up the van. Before we went to the shop, we stopped by a cafe' to pick up a quart of chicken salad, and then drove to the newspaper office to drop off this week's word search puzzle contest.
From there, we went to the auto repair shop. I was wrong in thinking the bill for fixing a wire to the electronic system would be inexpensive. It didn't cost an arm and a leg like the wheel bearing repair to the truck, but it did cost an arm.
We returned home after that to put the chicken salad in the refrigerator, and then we went to the WDCS for groceries.
As soon as I got home, I made a pineapple/angel food cake, using a very simple recipe a family member posted on a social network site. The calls for mixing a can of crushed pineapple into an angel food cake mix, and baking for 25 minutes. I used Sis's visit as an excuse to taste test the cake to see if it's something I'll want to serve to other guests, and take to potluck events. Later, we enjoyed servings of this light, fruity cake, with whipped topping. It was delicious.
It was close to noon by the time the cake came out of the oven, so I put lunch on the table. Afterward, Hubbie went to the yard, and Mother finished her jigsaw puzzle (Hubbie had accompanied her to our house at the usual time this morning).
I spent the afternoon making a couple of birthday cards, and finishing thank you cards I made earlier in the week. I wanted to get all these cards in the mail tomorrow, since there will be no mail delivery Monday due to the Memorial Day holiday. I wanted to be sure the birthday cards to my granddaughters next week. Seems to take the mail a little longer to get where it's going these days, and holidays particularly delay it.
Later, I put leftovers in the oven to heat, and we had supper at 5 p.m. Sis, who is to spend a few days with us, hadn't arrived by this time, but she did get here before 6 p.m., and the meal was still warm enough.
After supper, we watched TV...a Lifetime Movie Network mystery feature, and the two-hour season finale of "Criminal Minds." At snack time, we indulged in more of the yummy pineapple/angel food cake. Sis accompanied Mother home after movie time, and Hubbie and I headed to bed.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Wednesday, May 22
Today, a niece and a nephew have birthdays. Happy Birthday to both!
Slept late, until around 8 a.m. Sat around for a while after we came downstairs, until Hubbie asked if I'd taken a medication I'm supposed to have before I eat. I assured him I had taken it earlier in the morning when I got up to visit the bathroom. At least I thought I did...or maybe I just dreamed I did. I should go check. No, I had not taken it.
So breakfast was delayed 30 minutes. Since we had to wait anyway, I decided to go ahead and do stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises. After breakfast, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house, and we watched last night's finale of "Dancing With the Stars." Hubbie and I made sure not to turn the TV on for the morning shows this morning, so we didn't know who won the competition ahead of time. We were glad when our choice of contestants took the trophy.
This was a two-hour show...a little less when I fast-forwarded through commercials...so it was lunchtime when it was over. After lunch, Mother went to her jigsaw puzzle, and Hubbie and I ran errands.
Or at least we set out to run errands. Not far down the road, all the dashboard indicator lights flashed on, and the windshield wipers mysteriously and eerily engaged. We headed immediately to the auto repair shop, where a mechanic inspected the van.
He pronounced that he thought the alternator might not be functioning, so that the system was operating solely on the battery and was shutting down various functions. To continue driving it would risk the system completely failing at a dangerous time. Naturally, we had no intention of continuing driving it.
The shop had a staff member drive us home in the business's very colorful billboard van. Earlier, as we were headed to town, the van passed us, and Hubbie joked that I might like run around town in a vehicle like that. Premonition, I guess, since we were destined shortly to ride in it, if not to own it.
A young woman, on break from my Alma Mater college, drove us home. In chatting with her, I learned that she is a math major, and hopes to teach. I told her that my niece is a math teacher, but that math and I are not friends. She laughed and said her sister is not math inclined, either, preferring English instead. We both wondered why most folks tend lean either to math or English, but seldom are adept at both (though we are perfectly capable of learning enough of both subjects to get by).
I told her I'm a graduate of the same college, majoring in media arts. Years ago, the college dropped that track, and today, the young woman said next year theater arts will also be dropped. The professor of that track retired this year, and maybe that's why. The young woman said theater appreciation will still be taught, but there will be no more play productions at the college. What a shame.
Anyway, at home, Hubbie and I hopped in the truck to continue our errand-running, but since it was nearly 3 p.m. by this time, we went only to a couple of places and then returned home, because I needed to get supper started.
My menu plan was beef stroganoff over noodles. So Mother sliced the beef and onions. I seasoned the beef with no-salt seasoning, pepper, and paprika, then rolled it in flour and browned it. Add onions, mushrooms, and garlic, plus beef broth, and let it simmer for about an hour.
In the meantime, I made a sauce from melted butter, flour, a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste, and beef broth. Boiled a pan of noodles, and opened cans of spinach and green beans for the oven, and then added the sauce to the meat. Added sour cream to the mixture, and lastly the cooked noodles.
As supper was cooking, Hubbie got a call from the auto repair shop. The mechanic said he found the problem with the van...seems a wire had become disconnected. We were glad to hear we won't be paying an arm and leg to get it fixed. We already paid an arm and a leg for the wheel bearing repair to the truck. There are only so many arms and legs to go around.
Supper was ready by 5 p.m., and it was particularly yummy. Mother even ate two helpings. Afterward, Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house, and then we watched TV....a couple of Lifetime Movie Network mysteries.
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I'm becoming more of a klutz all the time. Yesterday, as I was trying to take a vitamin tablet at the kitchen counter, it slipped out my hand. I tried to catch it, but it bounced up off my palm and went down the front of my shirt. In my fumbling, I knocked over a full glass of water. I grabbed a paper towel to mop up the water, and this motion dislodged the vitamin, which fell to the floor.
This evening, I hooked up my laptop, and then in trying to open it, I ended up shoving it forward and off the new laptop cooler. It sailed top down onto the floor. Fortunately, the floor is carpeted, so no harm was done, but I held my breath when I booted it, and was relieved when it worked just fine.
A plus of bouncing it on the floor is that it dislodged a lot of flotsam from between the keys that clung to the screen. Used a microfiber cloth to clean it. I don't advise bouncing a laptop on the floor as being the best way to clean computer keys, though. I'm personally going to try not to do that again.
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Note: twice this week, I saw groundhogs scoot across the road. I nearly hit one on my trip to town the other day, and today the young woman who drove us home nearly hit one. I wish those little guys would stay off the road, but I guess it's mating season, and they are compelled to seek out the ladies.
Slept late, until around 8 a.m. Sat around for a while after we came downstairs, until Hubbie asked if I'd taken a medication I'm supposed to have before I eat. I assured him I had taken it earlier in the morning when I got up to visit the bathroom. At least I thought I did...or maybe I just dreamed I did. I should go check. No, I had not taken it.
So breakfast was delayed 30 minutes. Since we had to wait anyway, I decided to go ahead and do stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises. After breakfast, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house, and we watched last night's finale of "Dancing With the Stars." Hubbie and I made sure not to turn the TV on for the morning shows this morning, so we didn't know who won the competition ahead of time. We were glad when our choice of contestants took the trophy.
This was a two-hour show...a little less when I fast-forwarded through commercials...so it was lunchtime when it was over. After lunch, Mother went to her jigsaw puzzle, and Hubbie and I ran errands.
Or at least we set out to run errands. Not far down the road, all the dashboard indicator lights flashed on, and the windshield wipers mysteriously and eerily engaged. We headed immediately to the auto repair shop, where a mechanic inspected the van.
He pronounced that he thought the alternator might not be functioning, so that the system was operating solely on the battery and was shutting down various functions. To continue driving it would risk the system completely failing at a dangerous time. Naturally, we had no intention of continuing driving it.
The shop had a staff member drive us home in the business's very colorful billboard van. Earlier, as we were headed to town, the van passed us, and Hubbie joked that I might like run around town in a vehicle like that. Premonition, I guess, since we were destined shortly to ride in it, if not to own it.
A young woman, on break from my Alma Mater college, drove us home. In chatting with her, I learned that she is a math major, and hopes to teach. I told her that my niece is a math teacher, but that math and I are not friends. She laughed and said her sister is not math inclined, either, preferring English instead. We both wondered why most folks tend lean either to math or English, but seldom are adept at both (though we are perfectly capable of learning enough of both subjects to get by).
I told her I'm a graduate of the same college, majoring in media arts. Years ago, the college dropped that track, and today, the young woman said next year theater arts will also be dropped. The professor of that track retired this year, and maybe that's why. The young woman said theater appreciation will still be taught, but there will be no more play productions at the college. What a shame.
Anyway, at home, Hubbie and I hopped in the truck to continue our errand-running, but since it was nearly 3 p.m. by this time, we went only to a couple of places and then returned home, because I needed to get supper started.
My menu plan was beef stroganoff over noodles. So Mother sliced the beef and onions. I seasoned the beef with no-salt seasoning, pepper, and paprika, then rolled it in flour and browned it. Add onions, mushrooms, and garlic, plus beef broth, and let it simmer for about an hour.
In the meantime, I made a sauce from melted butter, flour, a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste, and beef broth. Boiled a pan of noodles, and opened cans of spinach and green beans for the oven, and then added the sauce to the meat. Added sour cream to the mixture, and lastly the cooked noodles.
As supper was cooking, Hubbie got a call from the auto repair shop. The mechanic said he found the problem with the van...seems a wire had become disconnected. We were glad to hear we won't be paying an arm and leg to get it fixed. We already paid an arm and a leg for the wheel bearing repair to the truck. There are only so many arms and legs to go around.
Supper was ready by 5 p.m., and it was particularly yummy. Mother even ate two helpings. Afterward, Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house, and then we watched TV....a couple of Lifetime Movie Network mysteries.
*************************************************
I'm becoming more of a klutz all the time. Yesterday, as I was trying to take a vitamin tablet at the kitchen counter, it slipped out my hand. I tried to catch it, but it bounced up off my palm and went down the front of my shirt. In my fumbling, I knocked over a full glass of water. I grabbed a paper towel to mop up the water, and this motion dislodged the vitamin, which fell to the floor.
This evening, I hooked up my laptop, and then in trying to open it, I ended up shoving it forward and off the new laptop cooler. It sailed top down onto the floor. Fortunately, the floor is carpeted, so no harm was done, but I held my breath when I booted it, and was relieved when it worked just fine.
A plus of bouncing it on the floor is that it dislodged a lot of flotsam from between the keys that clung to the screen. Used a microfiber cloth to clean it. I don't advise bouncing a laptop on the floor as being the best way to clean computer keys, though. I'm personally going to try not to do that again.
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Note: twice this week, I saw groundhogs scoot across the road. I nearly hit one on my trip to town the other day, and today the young woman who drove us home nearly hit one. I wish those little guys would stay off the road, but I guess it's mating season, and they are compelled to seek out the ladies.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Tuesday, May 21
Today is Great-Granddaughter's birthday. Happy Birthday, Great-Granddaughter!
We were awakened twice last night by crashing thunder. I turned the TV on both times to check the weather to be sure there were no tornado warnings. There were not, and we were able to go right back to sleep both times.
Woke up again around 8 a.m., and did stair stepping and resistance bands exercises after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around 9:30, and we watched last night's episode of "Dancing With the Stars."
Tonight is the finale, and I'm recording it, so I don't want to watch the morning shows tomorrow. Mother and I don't want to know who wins until we see the episode. So I'll record the morning shows to watch later.
When the episode was over, I got ready for the day. By then it was lunchtime. I wasn't very hungry, so I settled for a slice of toast with jelly, and part of an apple. Mother had her usual soup lunch, and Hubbie had a ham sandwich.
Afterward, Hubbie decided we needed to go to the auto repair shop to pick up the truck. It was really dark outside, threatening a storm, but Hubbie thought that we could get back before it started. I didn't think so, and I was right. By the time we got to the shop, the sky had opened up, and a storm raged.
Hubbie said it would probably stop by the time I got back home. It did not, so I sat in the van until it eased. Entertained myself by snapping pictures through the windshield with my cell phone camera, and then uploading them to my social network page.
When the rain slacked, I dashed inside. Spent the rest of the afternoon making thank you greeting cards, using my photos as backgrounds. The cards are for the folks who hosted garden tours at their homes, and for the Extension Homemakers Council, to thank the organization for awarding money to our club to help buy supplies for making cards for Caring Hands Hospice.
Later, I heated leftover yellow and zucchini squash and potatoes for supper. Baked a can of biscuits to go with the meal. Hubbie accompanied Mother home afterward, and then he and I watched TV. As I watched, I uploaded photos to an online storage site.
We were awakened twice last night by crashing thunder. I turned the TV on both times to check the weather to be sure there were no tornado warnings. There were not, and we were able to go right back to sleep both times.
Woke up again around 8 a.m., and did stair stepping and resistance bands exercises after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around 9:30, and we watched last night's episode of "Dancing With the Stars."
Tonight is the finale, and I'm recording it, so I don't want to watch the morning shows tomorrow. Mother and I don't want to know who wins until we see the episode. So I'll record the morning shows to watch later.
When the episode was over, I got ready for the day. By then it was lunchtime. I wasn't very hungry, so I settled for a slice of toast with jelly, and part of an apple. Mother had her usual soup lunch, and Hubbie had a ham sandwich.
Afterward, Hubbie decided we needed to go to the auto repair shop to pick up the truck. It was really dark outside, threatening a storm, but Hubbie thought that we could get back before it started. I didn't think so, and I was right. By the time we got to the shop, the sky had opened up, and a storm raged.
Hubbie said it would probably stop by the time I got back home. It did not, so I sat in the van until it eased. Entertained myself by snapping pictures through the windshield with my cell phone camera, and then uploading them to my social network page.
When the rain slacked, I dashed inside. Spent the rest of the afternoon making thank you greeting cards, using my photos as backgrounds. The cards are for the folks who hosted garden tours at their homes, and for the Extension Homemakers Council, to thank the organization for awarding money to our club to help buy supplies for making cards for Caring Hands Hospice.
Later, I heated leftover yellow and zucchini squash and potatoes for supper. Baked a can of biscuits to go with the meal. Hubbie accompanied Mother home afterward, and then he and I watched TV. As I watched, I uploaded photos to an online storage site.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Monday, April 20
Slept late, until 8 a.m. Did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around 9:30. She went to her jigsaw puzzle, while I got ready for the day.
I didn't accomplish much this morning. After lunch, Hubbie and I ran errands...first to deliver the truck to the shop (I followed Hubbie in the van). Seems there is a problem with the bearings in one wheel, and replacement is going to be a costly procedure, drat it.
From there, we went to the post office, and then we dropped by a friend's house to pick up three bags of silk flowers. Every time this lady cleans a closet, she gives me crafts and other supplies. If I cannot use them, I pass them on to the community theater, which is what I might do with the flowers.
After that, we went to the WDCS to shop for groceries, and a new laptop cooler. The new cooler is much more comfortable resting on my lap, because it is padded. The old one had little things on the bottom for sitting on a surface, and they were positioned so that they rested right on top of my legs, which was irritating.
From the WDCS, we retraced our steps back to town, because Hubbie had forgotten that he had business at the bank. He was aggravated at having to go back to town, which it seems was my fault, because if I hadn't decided to go to town with him, he would have remembered to add the bank to the errand list. Really? Well, if I hadn't gone to town, then who would have picked him up after he delivered the truck to the shop? He finally had to admit that he simply forgot to add the bank errand to the list.
After stopping at the gas station, we returned home. By now it was around 3 p.m., so Mother and I went to the kitchen to begin supper preparations. Mother diced veggies...mushrooms, onions, bell pepper...and cubed leftover pork roast, and then shredded Monterey Jack cheese. In the meantime, I cooked a batch of rice, and made a cheese sauce for it.
When the veggies were ready, I seasoned and sauteed them, and then added them to the meat, along with rinsed black beans, green chilies, and salsa. Mother spooned the mixture onto flour tortillas, topped them with cheese, and wrapped them in foil. At the table, we spooned sour cream and/or salsa onto the them.
I put everything into the oven shortly after 4 p.m., and by 5 p.m., we were ready to eat. Mother is not a fan of Mexican type foods, but she liked these, since they were not very spicy.
Hubbie accompanied Mother home afterward, and then he and I watched TV, including season finales of "Call the Midwife," and "Mr. Selfridge." While I watched these shows, I also uploaded photos to an online photo storage site.
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What a horrible weather day for our neighboring state.....a massive tornado wiped out 30 square miles of homes, and killed at least 51 so far. I am heart sick. It is said to be the most destructive tornado of all time. Several other states, including ours, are in the path of this storm, though weather forecasters say it should weaken considerably by the time it gets to us. We are expecting severe thunderstorms, with the possibility of tornadoes. Still, we are very anxious, of course.
I didn't accomplish much this morning. After lunch, Hubbie and I ran errands...first to deliver the truck to the shop (I followed Hubbie in the van). Seems there is a problem with the bearings in one wheel, and replacement is going to be a costly procedure, drat it.
From there, we went to the post office, and then we dropped by a friend's house to pick up three bags of silk flowers. Every time this lady cleans a closet, she gives me crafts and other supplies. If I cannot use them, I pass them on to the community theater, which is what I might do with the flowers.
After that, we went to the WDCS to shop for groceries, and a new laptop cooler. The new cooler is much more comfortable resting on my lap, because it is padded. The old one had little things on the bottom for sitting on a surface, and they were positioned so that they rested right on top of my legs, which was irritating.
From the WDCS, we retraced our steps back to town, because Hubbie had forgotten that he had business at the bank. He was aggravated at having to go back to town, which it seems was my fault, because if I hadn't decided to go to town with him, he would have remembered to add the bank to the errand list. Really? Well, if I hadn't gone to town, then who would have picked him up after he delivered the truck to the shop? He finally had to admit that he simply forgot to add the bank errand to the list.
After stopping at the gas station, we returned home. By now it was around 3 p.m., so Mother and I went to the kitchen to begin supper preparations. Mother diced veggies...mushrooms, onions, bell pepper...and cubed leftover pork roast, and then shredded Monterey Jack cheese. In the meantime, I cooked a batch of rice, and made a cheese sauce for it.
When the veggies were ready, I seasoned and sauteed them, and then added them to the meat, along with rinsed black beans, green chilies, and salsa. Mother spooned the mixture onto flour tortillas, topped them with cheese, and wrapped them in foil. At the table, we spooned sour cream and/or salsa onto the them.
I put everything into the oven shortly after 4 p.m., and by 5 p.m., we were ready to eat. Mother is not a fan of Mexican type foods, but she liked these, since they were not very spicy.
Hubbie accompanied Mother home afterward, and then he and I watched TV, including season finales of "Call the Midwife," and "Mr. Selfridge." While I watched these shows, I also uploaded photos to an online photo storage site.
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What a horrible weather day for our neighboring state.....a massive tornado wiped out 30 square miles of homes, and killed at least 51 so far. I am heart sick. It is said to be the most destructive tornado of all time. Several other states, including ours, are in the path of this storm, though weather forecasters say it should weaken considerably by the time it gets to us. We are expecting severe thunderstorms, with the possibility of tornadoes. Still, we are very anxious, of course.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Sunday, May 19
Slept late, until 8 a.m. Skipped my exercises after breakfast, since it's Sunday, and went ahead and got dressed in work clothes. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around 9:30.
We did our usual Sunday things, and then at 10:30 a.m., we prepared vegetables for the steamer....yellow and zucchini squashes, and red potatoes. I originally planned to use new potatoes, but Hubbie forgot to pick them up when he shopped the other day.
Started the veggies steaming at 11 a.m. Mother went to her jigsaw puzzle then, and I read the Sunday newspaper. I had hoped the veggies would be cooked by noon, but they were not, so we pushed our lunch hour to 1 p.m.
In the meantime, I heated a cup of coffee for Mother, which she had with part of a chocolate chip scone, so she wouldn't get too hungry before lunch.
When the veggies were done, I made a recipe of cornbread, and a pan of canned biscuits. It was shortly after 1 p.m. by the time we sat down to the meal.
Afterward, Mother went back to her jigsaw puzzle, and Hubbie and I changed clothes to go to the museum for a program on ancient American Indian artifacts. A local attorney has been collecting them and studying their origins for the past forty years.
He spoke for about an hour and a half, and presented a slide show of pictures of artifacts he and others have collected. The slides began with the Paleo era, and proceeded to the Archaic, the Eastern Woodlands, and the Mississippian culture, and included images of arrows, pottery, gorgets (decorative ceremonial stone disks) pipes, and large flat stone disks used in a game called "Tchung-kee (chunky)," in which the disks were rolled, and young competitors threw spears to try to come closest to the disk when it fell.
I was interested to learn that our state has the greatest wealth of Indian artifacts, and that the oldest known cemetery in the western hemisphere is located about an hour from our town.
The speaker emphasized that most of the burial artifacts were unearthed at a time prior to a law enacted that now protects Indian burial sites...a law spurred by grave looters, with only a commercial interest in the artifacts.
It was 4 p.m. before we got back home. By that time, Mother was ready to go home, and Hubbie accompanied her. Then he and I went to a home improvement store, where he bought packages of summer squash and bean seeds. Back home, he changed clothes and went to the veggie garden to plant the seeds.
While he did that, I uploaded more photos to an online storage site. I managed to get three large files uploaded.
Later, Hubbie and I had a supper of raisin bran cereal, toast with blueberry preserves, fresh oranges, and coffee. Then we settled in to watch TV, including a 2002 Lifetime Movie Network film called "Murder in Greenwich," based on the true story of the murder of fifteen-year-old Martha Moxley, and the former LAPD detective who solved the crime after 25 years, which resulted in the arrest and conviction of Kennedy nephew, Michael Skakel.
Then we watched another Ruth Rendell mystery movie on a DVD borrowed from the library.
We did our usual Sunday things, and then at 10:30 a.m., we prepared vegetables for the steamer....yellow and zucchini squashes, and red potatoes. I originally planned to use new potatoes, but Hubbie forgot to pick them up when he shopped the other day.
Started the veggies steaming at 11 a.m. Mother went to her jigsaw puzzle then, and I read the Sunday newspaper. I had hoped the veggies would be cooked by noon, but they were not, so we pushed our lunch hour to 1 p.m.
In the meantime, I heated a cup of coffee for Mother, which she had with part of a chocolate chip scone, so she wouldn't get too hungry before lunch.
When the veggies were done, I made a recipe of cornbread, and a pan of canned biscuits. It was shortly after 1 p.m. by the time we sat down to the meal.
Afterward, Mother went back to her jigsaw puzzle, and Hubbie and I changed clothes to go to the museum for a program on ancient American Indian artifacts. A local attorney has been collecting them and studying their origins for the past forty years.
He spoke for about an hour and a half, and presented a slide show of pictures of artifacts he and others have collected. The slides began with the Paleo era, and proceeded to the Archaic, the Eastern Woodlands, and the Mississippian culture, and included images of arrows, pottery, gorgets (decorative ceremonial stone disks) pipes, and large flat stone disks used in a game called "Tchung-kee (chunky)," in which the disks were rolled, and young competitors threw spears to try to come closest to the disk when it fell.
I was interested to learn that our state has the greatest wealth of Indian artifacts, and that the oldest known cemetery in the western hemisphere is located about an hour from our town.
The speaker emphasized that most of the burial artifacts were unearthed at a time prior to a law enacted that now protects Indian burial sites...a law spurred by grave looters, with only a commercial interest in the artifacts.
It was 4 p.m. before we got back home. By that time, Mother was ready to go home, and Hubbie accompanied her. Then he and I went to a home improvement store, where he bought packages of summer squash and bean seeds. Back home, he changed clothes and went to the veggie garden to plant the seeds.
While he did that, I uploaded more photos to an online storage site. I managed to get three large files uploaded.
Later, Hubbie and I had a supper of raisin bran cereal, toast with blueberry preserves, fresh oranges, and coffee. Then we settled in to watch TV, including a 2002 Lifetime Movie Network film called "Murder in Greenwich," based on the true story of the murder of fifteen-year-old Martha Moxley, and the former LAPD detective who solved the crime after 25 years, which resulted in the arrest and conviction of Kennedy nephew, Michael Skakel.
Then we watched another Ruth Rendell mystery movie on a DVD borrowed from the library.
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