Slept late, until just after 8 a.m., but did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises after breakfast. Daughter slept until around 9:30, then had a light breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around this time.
We didn't do anything productive for the rest of the morning...just watched TV. After lunch, Mother and I started a pan of chicken simmering...Mother diced the veggies for it. Then Daughter helped Mother work on the jigsaw puzzle for a while. Around 2:30 p.m., Daughter decided she needed to head home.
But she'll return tomorrow, along with Granddaughter, and two great-grandchildren, to have lunch with us and then go to a community theater production of the musical, "Oliver!" tomorrow afternoon. Daughter plans to babysit with Great-Grandson, who is rambunctious, and wouldn't be able to sit still through the performance. As it happens, I own a DVD of the musical, so I loaned it to Daughter to take home and watch.
Hubbie spent most of his day in the yard, mainly cleaning the outside of the camper. I accomplished very little.
For supper, we had chicken noodle soup, and then I wrapped a few pieces of chicken for the refrigerator to be used tomorrow to make chicken spaghetti.
After supper, Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house. Before I settled in for more TV, I made an angel food/pineapple cake for tomorrow's dessert. Goofed off playing on my laptop after that, while Hubbie finished up a few outside chores.
Watched movies after that. A pretty ordinary, unexciting day, which was fine.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Friday, July 5, 2013
Saturday, July 5
Up around 8 a.m. this morning, and did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises after breakfast. Daughter got up later. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house mid-morning.
Instead of going right up and getting ready for the day after my exercises, I decided to play a July 4th program I'd recorded on DVR last night, while we went to the fireworks display. The first program we watched was "A Capitol Fourth," from the PBS channel.
In the middle of the program, the doorbell rang. Drat! Here I was in my exercise clothes, and Hubbie was running an errand to the grocery store. It was the mailman delivering my automatic jelly maker replacement and a handful of mail.
When the program ended, it was time for lunch. Mother opted for her usual Ramen noodle soup, with a side of pimento cheese and crackers, while Hubbie had a deli turkey sandwich, and I had a pimento and cheese sandwich.
After lunch, Hubbie went out into the yard to cut up that large tree branch, and then re-surface the top of the RV. Mother, Daughter, and I watched another July 4th show on DVR...this one was "Macy's 4th of July Fireworks."
When that ended, Mother went to her jigsaw puzzle, and Daughter helped her. I relaxed and read today's newspapers, and played on my e-tablet.
For supper, I heated leftover ham and beans, fried potatoes, and corn-on-the-cob. I also heated the leftover cornbread, and baked a pan of biscuits.
After supper, Daughter accompanied Mother to her house, and then later, around 7 p.m., Hubbie, Daughter, and I went to the movie theater to see "The Lone Ranger." Ordinarily, this would not be the sort of movie I'd choose to see at the theater, but since Daughter is here, and there's nothing on TV, I thought it would be entertaining.
And it was. This action film is hilarious, thanks to Johnny Depp. It's violent, too, but not in the blood and gore sort of way....just lots of shoot-em-ups, explosions, and the like, leaving a trail of bodies. But if you choose to see it, be prepared to really, really, suspend your disbelief, since the stunts are that fantastic.
The movie played to a full crowd tonight, which is unusual. Most of the time, there are no more than a dozen in the theater. Tonight, we almost didn't get there in time to get our favorite high-backed seats, even though Daughter and I went ahead into the theater while Hubbie stood in line for tickets.
There was a couple of older ladies who hotfooted it to the same screening room that we were headed to, but they went through the opposite door to where those seats are. In a few seconds, though, they realized their mistake, and here they came rushing out and practically trotted to the door we were headed to.
We all arrived at about the same time, even nudging shoulders in our race for those seats, but while they were stumbling over Daughter, I sprinted down to the coveted seats and claimed them. So the othere ladies had to content themselves with seats in the center of the row.
Instead of going right up and getting ready for the day after my exercises, I decided to play a July 4th program I'd recorded on DVR last night, while we went to the fireworks display. The first program we watched was "A Capitol Fourth," from the PBS channel.
In the middle of the program, the doorbell rang. Drat! Here I was in my exercise clothes, and Hubbie was running an errand to the grocery store. It was the mailman delivering my automatic jelly maker replacement and a handful of mail.
When the program ended, it was time for lunch. Mother opted for her usual Ramen noodle soup, with a side of pimento cheese and crackers, while Hubbie had a deli turkey sandwich, and I had a pimento and cheese sandwich.
After lunch, Hubbie went out into the yard to cut up that large tree branch, and then re-surface the top of the RV. Mother, Daughter, and I watched another July 4th show on DVR...this one was "Macy's 4th of July Fireworks."
When that ended, Mother went to her jigsaw puzzle, and Daughter helped her. I relaxed and read today's newspapers, and played on my e-tablet.
For supper, I heated leftover ham and beans, fried potatoes, and corn-on-the-cob. I also heated the leftover cornbread, and baked a pan of biscuits.
After supper, Daughter accompanied Mother to her house, and then later, around 7 p.m., Hubbie, Daughter, and I went to the movie theater to see "The Lone Ranger." Ordinarily, this would not be the sort of movie I'd choose to see at the theater, but since Daughter is here, and there's nothing on TV, I thought it would be entertaining.
And it was. This action film is hilarious, thanks to Johnny Depp. It's violent, too, but not in the blood and gore sort of way....just lots of shoot-em-ups, explosions, and the like, leaving a trail of bodies. But if you choose to see it, be prepared to really, really, suspend your disbelief, since the stunts are that fantastic.
The movie played to a full crowd tonight, which is unusual. Most of the time, there are no more than a dozen in the theater. Tonight, we almost didn't get there in time to get our favorite high-backed seats, even though Daughter and I went ahead into the theater while Hubbie stood in line for tickets.
There was a couple of older ladies who hotfooted it to the same screening room that we were headed to, but they went through the opposite door to where those seats are. In a few seconds, though, they realized their mistake, and here they came rushing out and practically trotted to the door we were headed to.
We all arrived at about the same time, even nudging shoulders in our race for those seats, but while they were stumbling over Daughter, I sprinted down to the coveted seats and claimed them. So the othere ladies had to content themselves with seats in the center of the row.
Thursday, July 4
Happy Independence Day! Our flag, and Mother's, are flying, as they have been for the past several days. Happy 237th Birthday, America!
We were up around 8 a.m. this morning, and after breakfast, I did an abbreviated exercise routine. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house mid-morning, and Daughter arrived just after I got ready for the day. She will spend a few days with us.
When she arrived, we were in the backyard, where the owner of the hound was trying to figure out how to get the dog into the back of his truck. Every time he moved her, she wailed in pain. I thought maybe he and Hubbie could maneuver the dog onto a big metal sign, sort of like a stretcher, but she was having none of it.
Finally, he just grabbed her around the chest and hoisted her into the truck, where she stood while he drove across our lawn, out onto the highway, and down the road. I wonder if she ever did lie down before she got to the vet's office.
In talking to the owner, I asked if he was the same person who sold honey at the health store where I buy it. He said he is, and I complimented him on how good the honey is. So he offered to bring us a jar of it. That's a nice gesture, though I wasn't expecting it. He'd earlier asked how much he owed us for our trouble over the dog, and of course there was no charge. We were just happy the dog is going home.
It was a laid-back rest of the day. I had nothing planned, so we just relaxed and visited, had a lunch of pimento cheese sandwiches and chips, and grilled t-bone steaks for supper later.
During the afternoon, I made a peach cobbler to enjoy during the evening. Hubbie made a trip to the grocery store to pick up a couple of items. Mother and Daughter worked on a jigsaw puzzle.
Later, Hubbie did the honors of grilling the steaks, and putting potatoes in the oven, while Mother and I prepared salads. I took care of all the other meal preparations.
After supper, we watched TV until around 8:30, when we enjoyed peach cobbler topped with ice cream. Then we went to the river, where a fireworks show was scheduled for around 9:15.
We arrived just a few minutes before the fireworks began. We parked in our usual spot alongside the road, but this year, a Bradford pear tree had grown so tall that we couldn't see the lower level fireworks. So Hubbie found us another spot with a better view.
At first the fireworks blasts were so small, they seemed no more significant than backyard ones. Finally, though, there were bigger ones, and the finale was pretty spectacular, with a gorgeous waterfall feature.
Mother was disappointed that it didn't last longer. She thought it was only about five minutes long, but it was actually more like 20 minutes. Still pretty short, but it was okay.
Not a very exciting day, but Daughter was satisfied, since she came up to enjoy peace and quiet, and we were able to provide plenty of that.
We were up around 8 a.m. this morning, and after breakfast, I did an abbreviated exercise routine. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house mid-morning, and Daughter arrived just after I got ready for the day. She will spend a few days with us.
When she arrived, we were in the backyard, where the owner of the hound was trying to figure out how to get the dog into the back of his truck. Every time he moved her, she wailed in pain. I thought maybe he and Hubbie could maneuver the dog onto a big metal sign, sort of like a stretcher, but she was having none of it.
Finally, he just grabbed her around the chest and hoisted her into the truck, where she stood while he drove across our lawn, out onto the highway, and down the road. I wonder if she ever did lie down before she got to the vet's office.
In talking to the owner, I asked if he was the same person who sold honey at the health store where I buy it. He said he is, and I complimented him on how good the honey is. So he offered to bring us a jar of it. That's a nice gesture, though I wasn't expecting it. He'd earlier asked how much he owed us for our trouble over the dog, and of course there was no charge. We were just happy the dog is going home.
It was a laid-back rest of the day. I had nothing planned, so we just relaxed and visited, had a lunch of pimento cheese sandwiches and chips, and grilled t-bone steaks for supper later.
During the afternoon, I made a peach cobbler to enjoy during the evening. Hubbie made a trip to the grocery store to pick up a couple of items. Mother and Daughter worked on a jigsaw puzzle.
Later, Hubbie did the honors of grilling the steaks, and putting potatoes in the oven, while Mother and I prepared salads. I took care of all the other meal preparations.
After supper, we watched TV until around 8:30, when we enjoyed peach cobbler topped with ice cream. Then we went to the river, where a fireworks show was scheduled for around 9:15.
We arrived just a few minutes before the fireworks began. We parked in our usual spot alongside the road, but this year, a Bradford pear tree had grown so tall that we couldn't see the lower level fireworks. So Hubbie found us another spot with a better view.
At first the fireworks blasts were so small, they seemed no more significant than backyard ones. Finally, though, there were bigger ones, and the finale was pretty spectacular, with a gorgeous waterfall feature.
Mother was disappointed that it didn't last longer. She thought it was only about five minutes long, but it was actually more like 20 minutes. Still pretty short, but it was okay.
Not a very exciting day, but Daughter was satisfied, since she came up to enjoy peace and quiet, and we were able to provide plenty of that.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Wednesday, July 3
Up at 6 a.m. on this glorious morning to get ready to go to water aerobics. It was actually a bit chilly walking to the gym in my shorts and t-shirt, but by the time the session was over, the temperature had risen enough to make for a very pleasant walk back to the parking lot.
In the dressing room, I snapped a picture with my cell phone of our aerobics leader. She was clad in a dark blue swimsuit, and a tall red, white, and blue hat that looked like something out of a children's story. Later, I posted the pic to my social network page.
The pool was a bit cooler today than it was Monday. We learned that the heat to it had been shut off yesterday...getting a head start on saving energy for the July 4th college break, I guess. The pool will be closed Friday, so we will resume aerobics next Monday.
Fifteen of us attended the session. Today, the substitute leader brought barbell type water noodles. They were fashioned by her husband, using recycled noodles strung onto PVC plastic pipes, with plastic knobs on the ends. The noodle parts can be separated on the pipe, so it can be held by the pipe, or the noodles can be slid together for a larger handhold.
We worked out with these new devices today, which exercised different muscles than the regular water noodles. It was a good session.
I was back home around 9:15. After a couple of cups of coffee, I headed upstairs to get ready for the day. In the meantime, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house, and then he ran errands...mainly to pick up weekend groceries.
While I was upstairs, the land line rang four times. I let voice mail take messages, and learned later that one call was from Hubbie, who wanted to complain that the WDCS no longer carries white American cheese, because, they say, there is not enough call for it. I call for it quite a lot, but since that store no longer carries it, Hubbie went to a grocery store that does.
He also wanted to complain that he was forced to use the self checkouts at the WDCS, because there wasn't anyone at the fast checkout lanes. He hates using self-checkout, and today, the register he used charged him about $12 too much, so he had to get the assistant to cancel the tab and re-do the purchase. Naturally, there was only one assistant for the whole bank of self-checkouts, so he had to wait. Why would the store choose the day before a busy holiday to "train" customers to use those dratted things?
Another call was from a lady who this year is in charge of the women's building at the county fair. She wanted to know if I'd agree to judge children's art at the fair. I declined, but gave her suggestions for folks she could call. The women's building is like an oven in July, and the fair board has never seen fit to install air conditioning, so no, I don't want to be involved in activities there. I spent a lot of years sweltering in that building during county fairs, and I don't propose doing it again anytime soon.
Daughter was one of the other callers, and I returned a call to her. We only chatted for a few minutes, because I needed to leave to meet a noon dental appointment. Daughter plans to spend the July 4th weekend with us.
I didn't have to wait long beyond my appointment time, though I was in the dental chair for nearly an hour. The first thing the hygienist did was X-ray my teeth. Then she wanted to recline me for the cleaning.
But the chair wouldn't cooperate. When she tried to lower it, it raised itself. When she tried to raise it, it lowered itself. After several tries, she discovered something was lodged in the mechanism that was causing the problem. She fixed it, and we were on go...until she pulled the light over to shine on my face, and the handle came off in her hand.
She said one of the dentists had fixed that handle (after it dropped into a patient's lap), and he'd assured her there was no way it would come off again. Obviously, he was wrong.
The whole episode seemed like something out of a TV comedy, and we couldn't help laughing. But finally we got underway. It didn't take long to clean my teeth, but it took forever for the dentist to come and conduct an exam.
When he came into the room, he was red-faced and sweating. I asked if he was okay, and he said he was, but both he and his patient were exhausted from his trying to extract deeply buried, slanted, thoroughly uncooperative wisdom teeth.
However, he was delighted at how healthy my mouth is. Since my teeth are in good shape, the hygienist decided that we can set six-month exams, instead of the four-month ones I've been keeping for the past yay-many years.
Today, I complimented the hygienist on her very flattering new hairdo, and learned it was a wig. She has been undergoing chemo for breast cancer for the past several months since I saw her last. I was glad to hear that she has been responding well to treatments, and the tumor has shrunk to the point that her doctor can no longer see it.
Back home around 1:15, I was plenty hungry and ready for lunch. Hubbie had already fixed lunch for Mother and himself, so I had a deli turkey sandwich, chips, and a couple of small plums.
Afterward, Mother and I put a pot of pinto beans on to simmer. She diced onions, carrots, and banana peppers, plus ham, and I put the recipe together with garlic, paprika, no-sodium seasoning, and pepper.
In the meantime, Hubbie ran more errands. While he was gone, I heard a dog whine in the backyard. When I looked, I saw a type of bloodhound limping...her back leg was obviously injured, probably from being hit by a car.
When Hubbie returned, he gave the dog water and food, and tied her up. Then he called the vet and was told to go around the neighborhood to see if he could find the owners. Failing that, he should call the Humane Society. If he had no luck there, then he could take the dog to the vet at 8:30 tomorrow morning.
Of course, he couldn't find the owner, though a neighbor agreed to help canvas the neighborhood. He tried to call the Humane Society, with no luck. So I guess we'll have to try to get the dog to the vet. That's going to be a trick, since it is extremely heavy, and Hubbie can't lift her by himself. I have a bad back, so I wasn't sure if I could help.
As luck would have it, the neighbor, a young woman, dropped by around 8:30 p.m. to say she couldn't locate the dog's owner, but she offered to come by in the morning with her husband to help load the dog into the van.
Later, Hubbie peeled potatoes, which I fried with onions, and we had them with the beans and ham, corn-on-the-cob, and cornbread. After supper, Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house, and then we settled in to watch TV.
Around 9 p.m., the neighbors dropped by again to say they found out who owns the hound...the son of the local sheriff, who live a mile or more from our house. It seems the hound had been earmarked as a tracking dog, but when the sheriff's department decided they had enough dogs, this one went to the sheriff's son.
So now, the neighbors will come by tomorrow to take the dog to its owner. They tried to lift it tonight, but it cried in pain so much that they decided to wait until morning.
What a day.
In the dressing room, I snapped a picture with my cell phone of our aerobics leader. She was clad in a dark blue swimsuit, and a tall red, white, and blue hat that looked like something out of a children's story. Later, I posted the pic to my social network page.
The pool was a bit cooler today than it was Monday. We learned that the heat to it had been shut off yesterday...getting a head start on saving energy for the July 4th college break, I guess. The pool will be closed Friday, so we will resume aerobics next Monday.
Fifteen of us attended the session. Today, the substitute leader brought barbell type water noodles. They were fashioned by her husband, using recycled noodles strung onto PVC plastic pipes, with plastic knobs on the ends. The noodle parts can be separated on the pipe, so it can be held by the pipe, or the noodles can be slid together for a larger handhold.
We worked out with these new devices today, which exercised different muscles than the regular water noodles. It was a good session.
I was back home around 9:15. After a couple of cups of coffee, I headed upstairs to get ready for the day. In the meantime, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house, and then he ran errands...mainly to pick up weekend groceries.
While I was upstairs, the land line rang four times. I let voice mail take messages, and learned later that one call was from Hubbie, who wanted to complain that the WDCS no longer carries white American cheese, because, they say, there is not enough call for it. I call for it quite a lot, but since that store no longer carries it, Hubbie went to a grocery store that does.
He also wanted to complain that he was forced to use the self checkouts at the WDCS, because there wasn't anyone at the fast checkout lanes. He hates using self-checkout, and today, the register he used charged him about $12 too much, so he had to get the assistant to cancel the tab and re-do the purchase. Naturally, there was only one assistant for the whole bank of self-checkouts, so he had to wait. Why would the store choose the day before a busy holiday to "train" customers to use those dratted things?
Another call was from a lady who this year is in charge of the women's building at the county fair. She wanted to know if I'd agree to judge children's art at the fair. I declined, but gave her suggestions for folks she could call. The women's building is like an oven in July, and the fair board has never seen fit to install air conditioning, so no, I don't want to be involved in activities there. I spent a lot of years sweltering in that building during county fairs, and I don't propose doing it again anytime soon.
Daughter was one of the other callers, and I returned a call to her. We only chatted for a few minutes, because I needed to leave to meet a noon dental appointment. Daughter plans to spend the July 4th weekend with us.
I didn't have to wait long beyond my appointment time, though I was in the dental chair for nearly an hour. The first thing the hygienist did was X-ray my teeth. Then she wanted to recline me for the cleaning.
But the chair wouldn't cooperate. When she tried to lower it, it raised itself. When she tried to raise it, it lowered itself. After several tries, she discovered something was lodged in the mechanism that was causing the problem. She fixed it, and we were on go...until she pulled the light over to shine on my face, and the handle came off in her hand.
She said one of the dentists had fixed that handle (after it dropped into a patient's lap), and he'd assured her there was no way it would come off again. Obviously, he was wrong.
The whole episode seemed like something out of a TV comedy, and we couldn't help laughing. But finally we got underway. It didn't take long to clean my teeth, but it took forever for the dentist to come and conduct an exam.
When he came into the room, he was red-faced and sweating. I asked if he was okay, and he said he was, but both he and his patient were exhausted from his trying to extract deeply buried, slanted, thoroughly uncooperative wisdom teeth.
However, he was delighted at how healthy my mouth is. Since my teeth are in good shape, the hygienist decided that we can set six-month exams, instead of the four-month ones I've been keeping for the past yay-many years.
Today, I complimented the hygienist on her very flattering new hairdo, and learned it was a wig. She has been undergoing chemo for breast cancer for the past several months since I saw her last. I was glad to hear that she has been responding well to treatments, and the tumor has shrunk to the point that her doctor can no longer see it.
Back home around 1:15, I was plenty hungry and ready for lunch. Hubbie had already fixed lunch for Mother and himself, so I had a deli turkey sandwich, chips, and a couple of small plums.
Afterward, Mother and I put a pot of pinto beans on to simmer. She diced onions, carrots, and banana peppers, plus ham, and I put the recipe together with garlic, paprika, no-sodium seasoning, and pepper.
In the meantime, Hubbie ran more errands. While he was gone, I heard a dog whine in the backyard. When I looked, I saw a type of bloodhound limping...her back leg was obviously injured, probably from being hit by a car.
When Hubbie returned, he gave the dog water and food, and tied her up. Then he called the vet and was told to go around the neighborhood to see if he could find the owners. Failing that, he should call the Humane Society. If he had no luck there, then he could take the dog to the vet at 8:30 tomorrow morning.
Of course, he couldn't find the owner, though a neighbor agreed to help canvas the neighborhood. He tried to call the Humane Society, with no luck. So I guess we'll have to try to get the dog to the vet. That's going to be a trick, since it is extremely heavy, and Hubbie can't lift her by himself. I have a bad back, so I wasn't sure if I could help.
As luck would have it, the neighbor, a young woman, dropped by around 8:30 p.m. to say she couldn't locate the dog's owner, but she offered to come by in the morning with her husband to help load the dog into the van.
Later, Hubbie peeled potatoes, which I fried with onions, and we had them with the beans and ham, corn-on-the-cob, and cornbread. After supper, Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house, and then we settled in to watch TV.
Around 9 p.m., the neighbors dropped by again to say they found out who owns the hound...the son of the local sheriff, who live a mile or more from our house. It seems the hound had been earmarked as a tracking dog, but when the sheriff's department decided they had enough dogs, this one went to the sheriff's son.
So now, the neighbors will come by tomorrow to take the dog to its owner. They tried to lift it tonight, but it cried in pain so much that they decided to wait until morning.
What a day.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Tuesday, July 2
Today is Great-Grandson's birthday. Happy Birthday, Great-Grandson!
We were up around 7:30 this morning, and I did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house mid-morning, and she worked on her jigsaw puzzle, while I got ready for the day.
Before lunch, Hubbie informed me that a large limb had fallen out of a tree and landed near Mother's house. A smaller limb also fell, and this pierced a portion of the roof and gutter. So I went out to take a look at it and snap a few photos.
Hubbie called our insurance agency, and as soon as one is available, an adjuster is to visit to assess the damage. Then we will need to employ a carpenter to repair the roof...again.
He also called a plumber to get advice on why there is rust in the water going to the washing machine, which is ruining light colored cotton clothing. The plumber thinks the problem may be originating from the pump, and suggests a filter system there. I hope it works, because I can't afford to replace my clothes every time I wash.
He won't be able to install the filter system until next week. In the meantime, I'm going to wash my personal clothes in Mother's machine, since she doesn't seem to be experiencing the problem.
After a catch-all lunch of a hot dog and part of a baked sweet potato for Mother, barbecue for Hubbie, and leftover lasagna, sweet potato, and a couple of slices of French bread for me, Mother went to her jigsaw puzzle, Hubbie went out to the yard, and I began the job of hemming two pairs of jeans for Mother.
Sis had measured the jeans hems while she was here, which took the guesswork out of the job for me. Still, I'm always apprehensive about taking scissors to clothes, but I girded my loin and went after the jeans.
Once I trimmed off the old hems, I went upstairs and pressed the jean legs at the point where Sis had turned them up. Then I turned the jeans wrong side out, took the pins out, and turned the hems back up at the pressed crease and re-pinned them. Next, I turned the rough edge of the hems under, measuring as I went, and pinned them all around. I pressed the hems again, and brought the jeans back downstairs to stitch.
I don't have a lot of thread colors, but I did find one that was close to the color of the jeans. During the hemming procedure, the doorbell rang...it was the plumber, so I called Hubbie down from the office to deal with him; Hubbie got a call on the land line from someone downtown, so I had to call his cell phone to relay the message; and Daughter messaged me on my social network page. Altogether, it took about an hour and a half to complete the hemming project.
Later, I heated leftovers veggies from our Sunday pork roast dinner in the oven. Meanwhile, I mixed dressing in coleslaw, and Mother sliced Sis's homemade bread, as well as cold pork roast. When the veggies were hot, I heated the leftover gravy. Individual cups of applesauce completed the meal.
After supper Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house, and then we watched TV for the evening.
We were up around 7:30 this morning, and I did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house mid-morning, and she worked on her jigsaw puzzle, while I got ready for the day.
Before lunch, Hubbie informed me that a large limb had fallen out of a tree and landed near Mother's house. A smaller limb also fell, and this pierced a portion of the roof and gutter. So I went out to take a look at it and snap a few photos.
Hubbie called our insurance agency, and as soon as one is available, an adjuster is to visit to assess the damage. Then we will need to employ a carpenter to repair the roof...again.
He also called a plumber to get advice on why there is rust in the water going to the washing machine, which is ruining light colored cotton clothing. The plumber thinks the problem may be originating from the pump, and suggests a filter system there. I hope it works, because I can't afford to replace my clothes every time I wash.
He won't be able to install the filter system until next week. In the meantime, I'm going to wash my personal clothes in Mother's machine, since she doesn't seem to be experiencing the problem.
After a catch-all lunch of a hot dog and part of a baked sweet potato for Mother, barbecue for Hubbie, and leftover lasagna, sweet potato, and a couple of slices of French bread for me, Mother went to her jigsaw puzzle, Hubbie went out to the yard, and I began the job of hemming two pairs of jeans for Mother.
Sis had measured the jeans hems while she was here, which took the guesswork out of the job for me. Still, I'm always apprehensive about taking scissors to clothes, but I girded my loin and went after the jeans.
Once I trimmed off the old hems, I went upstairs and pressed the jean legs at the point where Sis had turned them up. Then I turned the jeans wrong side out, took the pins out, and turned the hems back up at the pressed crease and re-pinned them. Next, I turned the rough edge of the hems under, measuring as I went, and pinned them all around. I pressed the hems again, and brought the jeans back downstairs to stitch.
I don't have a lot of thread colors, but I did find one that was close to the color of the jeans. During the hemming procedure, the doorbell rang...it was the plumber, so I called Hubbie down from the office to deal with him; Hubbie got a call on the land line from someone downtown, so I had to call his cell phone to relay the message; and Daughter messaged me on my social network page. Altogether, it took about an hour and a half to complete the hemming project.
Later, I heated leftovers veggies from our Sunday pork roast dinner in the oven. Meanwhile, I mixed dressing in coleslaw, and Mother sliced Sis's homemade bread, as well as cold pork roast. When the veggies were hot, I heated the leftover gravy. Individual cups of applesauce completed the meal.
After supper Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house, and then we watched TV for the evening.
Monday, July 1, 2013
Monday, July 1
July 1 already. Where did June go? The months are going by at the speed of lightning.
We were up at 6 a.m. this morning, so I could get ready to go to water aerobics. What a gorgeous, cool, day for the walk to the gym. The pool was adequately warm, too. It felt good to be in it, after being out for a week and a half.
Fifteen of us attended today. Our leader announced that we will have aerobics Wednesday, but the pool will be closed Friday...I guess for the July 4 holiday. But after that, we should be back on a regular schedule.
Time off is difficult for most of the ladies, who don't have home exercise routines. So the first after we return, they suffer sore muscles. I exercise most days of the week, so it's no problem for me to get right back into the aerobics routine. I prefer the pool, of course, because it is so much easier to exercise in water than on land.
Back home, I had a couple of cups of coffee, and then got ready for the day. Before I went upstairs, I located another jigsaw puzzle for Mother to begin working on. Hubbie had accompanied her to our house around 9:30.
Just as I finished dressing, a member of our scrapbook club called. She is the one who has not been able to attend the past few months, because of a dizziness problem. Today, she wanted to tell me that last Wednesday she suffered a hairline fracture to a rib when she tripped over her dog as she tried to get up from her recliner chair, lost her balance, and came down hard on the arm of a love seat. So obviously, she will be out of commission for a while.
During our conversation, she mentioned that her small community, which is about ten miles from our house, was pretty seriously hit by the thunderstorm that blew through here last Thursday afternoon. We got a little wind and thunder, but not even a drop of rain. But in her community, among other damage, a large tree in the town park was uprooted and tossed across the street, and there was a two-day power outage.
It was noon by the time I got back downstairs. Hubbie had already gotten lunch together...Ramen noodle soup for Mother, and chicken salad sandwiches for Hubbie and me. Afterward, Mother went back to her puzzle, and Hubbie and I ran errands...to the post office, to the bank, to a grocery store to pick up prescriptions and a free jar of salsa, and to the WDCS for groceries and incidentals for ourselves and Mother.
Back home, I relaxed until time to heat leftover lasagna and French bread for supper. Mother made salads for the meal.
Hubbie accompanied Mother home afterward supper, and then he and I watched TV, including a 2006 movie about Truman Capote, called "Infamous," in which viewers are taken along on his journey to interview townspeople, as well as the two killers who murdered a family in a small town in Kansas. The resulting interviews led to Capote's bestselling book, "In Cold Blood."
We were up at 6 a.m. this morning, so I could get ready to go to water aerobics. What a gorgeous, cool, day for the walk to the gym. The pool was adequately warm, too. It felt good to be in it, after being out for a week and a half.
Fifteen of us attended today. Our leader announced that we will have aerobics Wednesday, but the pool will be closed Friday...I guess for the July 4 holiday. But after that, we should be back on a regular schedule.
Time off is difficult for most of the ladies, who don't have home exercise routines. So the first after we return, they suffer sore muscles. I exercise most days of the week, so it's no problem for me to get right back into the aerobics routine. I prefer the pool, of course, because it is so much easier to exercise in water than on land.
Back home, I had a couple of cups of coffee, and then got ready for the day. Before I went upstairs, I located another jigsaw puzzle for Mother to begin working on. Hubbie had accompanied her to our house around 9:30.
Just as I finished dressing, a member of our scrapbook club called. She is the one who has not been able to attend the past few months, because of a dizziness problem. Today, she wanted to tell me that last Wednesday she suffered a hairline fracture to a rib when she tripped over her dog as she tried to get up from her recliner chair, lost her balance, and came down hard on the arm of a love seat. So obviously, she will be out of commission for a while.
During our conversation, she mentioned that her small community, which is about ten miles from our house, was pretty seriously hit by the thunderstorm that blew through here last Thursday afternoon. We got a little wind and thunder, but not even a drop of rain. But in her community, among other damage, a large tree in the town park was uprooted and tossed across the street, and there was a two-day power outage.
It was noon by the time I got back downstairs. Hubbie had already gotten lunch together...Ramen noodle soup for Mother, and chicken salad sandwiches for Hubbie and me. Afterward, Mother went back to her puzzle, and Hubbie and I ran errands...to the post office, to the bank, to a grocery store to pick up prescriptions and a free jar of salsa, and to the WDCS for groceries and incidentals for ourselves and Mother.
Back home, I relaxed until time to heat leftover lasagna and French bread for supper. Mother made salads for the meal.
Hubbie accompanied Mother home afterward supper, and then he and I watched TV, including a 2006 movie about Truman Capote, called "Infamous," in which viewers are taken along on his journey to interview townspeople, as well as the two killers who murdered a family in a small town in Kansas. The resulting interviews led to Capote's bestselling book, "In Cold Blood."
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Sunday, June 30
Slept well last night, and got up around 7:30. Skipped my exercises, since it's Sunday, and went ahead and got ready for the day.
Mother and Sis came over around 9 a.m., and we put a pork loin and veggies in the slow cooker for today's lunch. While it cooked, we watched the movie musical, "1776." This 1972 film version of the Broadway musical comedy is delightful, and perfect fare for the upcoming July 4 holiday. It's about two and half hours long, so it was lunchtime by the time it was over.
We enjoyed our meal of the pork, with carrots, onions, and potatoes, and a side of individual cups of applesauce, and slices of Sis's homemade bread.
Afterward, Sis visited for a short time and then headed home. Mother continued to stay at our house for a while, and we watched the scifi movie, "Deep Impact." Hubbie and I had seen this movie before, but Mother didn't seem to recognize it (what she saw of it between catnaps).
Following the movie, Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house, and then we continued watching TV...mainly one-hour shows I'd recorded on DVR.
Mother and Sis came over around 9 a.m., and we put a pork loin and veggies in the slow cooker for today's lunch. While it cooked, we watched the movie musical, "1776." This 1972 film version of the Broadway musical comedy is delightful, and perfect fare for the upcoming July 4 holiday. It's about two and half hours long, so it was lunchtime by the time it was over.
We enjoyed our meal of the pork, with carrots, onions, and potatoes, and a side of individual cups of applesauce, and slices of Sis's homemade bread.
Afterward, Sis visited for a short time and then headed home. Mother continued to stay at our house for a while, and we watched the scifi movie, "Deep Impact." Hubbie and I had seen this movie before, but Mother didn't seem to recognize it (what she saw of it between catnaps).
Following the movie, Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house, and then we continued watching TV...mainly one-hour shows I'd recorded on DVR.
Saturday, June 29
I woke up at 4:30 this morning, and then couldn't go back to sleep. Got up around 8 a.m., and did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises after breakfast.
Sis and Mother came to our house mid-morning, after Sis pinned up the hems of two pairs of new jeans for Mother. I will hem these sometime this week.
At our house, they worked on finishing a jigsaw puzzle Mother started a few days ago, and then began another one.
Before I went upstairs to get ready for the day, I put together a basket containing a quart jar of honey, and three half-pint jars of homemade jelly, to give to Hubbie's niece as a housewarming gift.
It was 11 a.m. by the time I was dressed, so I prepared a lunch of leftover potato soup, chicken salad, veggies with dip, veggie chips, and spice cake.
At 2 p.m., Hubbie and I went to Hubbie's niece's house to attend the second birthday of his great-niece. It was not a thing we were gung-ho to do, but it would have been awkward not to go, since they now live in our town.
Twenty-one family members attended. Niece and her sister spent several days preparing the beach- themed party in bright yellow and aqua colors. Niece and her husband had even built a lemonade stand, painted yellow and white, that they placed in the corner of the deck.
The table in the kitchen nook featured a yellow tablecloth, and above it were hung yellow and aqua Japanese lanterns. On the table was a big jar of lemonade, tiered dishes of cupcakes iced in yellow and aqua, plus a fruit tray and a veggie tray. Niece had painted her kitchen and nook walls lemon yellow, so it was all very bright and inviting.
Bunches of yellow and aqua balloons floated in corners of the living room and on the deck. There were also a couple of wading pools on the deck for the younger set.
A plastic tote contained hats, over-sized sunglasses, and other paraphernalia for folks to don at picture taking time.
The birthday girl opened lots and lots of gifts...so many that she was confused as to which to play with first. Cameras were everywhere to record the event. Hubbie's Sis asked me to bring my camera along, too, though I didn't see much need of it. Nevertheless, I took a lot of shots.
There was a lot of food, but I'd eaten enough at lunch that I wasn't a bit hungry at the party. But Hubbie indulged in a cheeseburger and potato salad, along with nibbles.
Around 3:30, after the birthday girl had destroyed her cake at her high chair, she let her arm dangle down, and the family's dachshund dog reached up for a taste of the icing and inadvertently slightly bit the baby, too.
Her hand was barely scraped, but she screamed in pain and anger, which effectively ended the party. So we headed home.
While we were gone, Sis had put sweet potatoes in the oven to bake, so I added a dish of barbecue and sauce. Supper was ready at 5 p.m.
Afterward, we watched movies borrowed from the library. "Carrie's War," about children of WWII, who are evacuated to the England countryside to be spared from the bombing. They live with and eventually learn to love strangers who take them in. A neighbor tells them stories of a haunted forest and a screaming skull.
A second movie was called, "Gone." A woman's sister goes missing, and she's convinced her own kidnapper has come back. But, of course, no one believes her, so she has to search for her on her own. Suspense, with a few jump-out-of-your-seat scenes.
Sis and Mother came to our house mid-morning, after Sis pinned up the hems of two pairs of new jeans for Mother. I will hem these sometime this week.
At our house, they worked on finishing a jigsaw puzzle Mother started a few days ago, and then began another one.
Before I went upstairs to get ready for the day, I put together a basket containing a quart jar of honey, and three half-pint jars of homemade jelly, to give to Hubbie's niece as a housewarming gift.
It was 11 a.m. by the time I was dressed, so I prepared a lunch of leftover potato soup, chicken salad, veggies with dip, veggie chips, and spice cake.
At 2 p.m., Hubbie and I went to Hubbie's niece's house to attend the second birthday of his great-niece. It was not a thing we were gung-ho to do, but it would have been awkward not to go, since they now live in our town.
Twenty-one family members attended. Niece and her sister spent several days preparing the beach- themed party in bright yellow and aqua colors. Niece and her husband had even built a lemonade stand, painted yellow and white, that they placed in the corner of the deck.
The table in the kitchen nook featured a yellow tablecloth, and above it were hung yellow and aqua Japanese lanterns. On the table was a big jar of lemonade, tiered dishes of cupcakes iced in yellow and aqua, plus a fruit tray and a veggie tray. Niece had painted her kitchen and nook walls lemon yellow, so it was all very bright and inviting.
Bunches of yellow and aqua balloons floated in corners of the living room and on the deck. There were also a couple of wading pools on the deck for the younger set.
A plastic tote contained hats, over-sized sunglasses, and other paraphernalia for folks to don at picture taking time.
The birthday girl opened lots and lots of gifts...so many that she was confused as to which to play with first. Cameras were everywhere to record the event. Hubbie's Sis asked me to bring my camera along, too, though I didn't see much need of it. Nevertheless, I took a lot of shots.
There was a lot of food, but I'd eaten enough at lunch that I wasn't a bit hungry at the party. But Hubbie indulged in a cheeseburger and potato salad, along with nibbles.
Around 3:30, after the birthday girl had destroyed her cake at her high chair, she let her arm dangle down, and the family's dachshund dog reached up for a taste of the icing and inadvertently slightly bit the baby, too.
Her hand was barely scraped, but she screamed in pain and anger, which effectively ended the party. So we headed home.
While we were gone, Sis had put sweet potatoes in the oven to bake, so I added a dish of barbecue and sauce. Supper was ready at 5 p.m.
Afterward, we watched movies borrowed from the library. "Carrie's War," about children of WWII, who are evacuated to the England countryside to be spared from the bombing. They live with and eventually learn to love strangers who take them in. A neighbor tells them stories of a haunted forest and a screaming skull.
A second movie was called, "Gone." A woman's sister goes missing, and she's convinced her own kidnapper has come back. But, of course, no one believes her, so she has to search for her on her own. Suspense, with a few jump-out-of-your-seat scenes.
Friday, June 28
We were up around 7 a.m. to get ready to go to the Capital City to tour a Rembrandt exhibit. The exhibit is on tour in four cities in America, and the museum in the Capital City is the last stop before the paintings go back to London.
We packed individual lunches to take with us. We packed them individually, so that in case we could not find a picnic area, or if it was too hot, or stormy, to eat outdoors, we could enjoy our lunches in the van. We also took along an ice chest of water and cold drinks, as well as pump pots of coffee. The lunch consisted of chicken salad sandwiches on bread rounds, veggie chips, and slices of spice cake with whipped topping.
We arrived at the museum around 10:30, and spent two hours viewing the 48 works by not only Rembrandt, but if Van Dyck and Gainsborough. This exhibit included an audio feature that could be accessed by a cell phone number that asked for the viewer's phone number. I tried this several times, but simply could not access the audio, because it kept asking me for a staff number, which of course I didn't have.
So I asked a docent about it, and he was as baffled as I was. He said he would bring this glitch to the attention of staff. However, the audio could also be accessed by scanning a QR code. Naturally, I didn't have the app for that, but the docent, a very young man, downloaded the app on my phone, and then I was off and running.
The audio enhanced enjoyment of the exhibit, since it gave extra interesting tidbits about the paintings above the narratives posted on the walls near the works. I played the audio on speaker so Mother and Sis could also hear it. Hubbie, in typical fashion, had dashed off ahead to make his way through the exhibit as soon as possible, so he could sit and relax, while we leisurely enjoyed the paintings.
These masterpieces showcase life in the 1600s, 1700s, and 1800s, mainly among the aristocracy, though a few feature rural life, going to market, and animal husbandry. Most aspects of human life are depicted...childhood, adolescence, young love, and aging, as well as fashions of the day, work, leisure, and cultural pursuits.
Many of the works were painted not only for beauty, but also as social, religious, and political commentary. The commentary, unless interpreted, is generally lost on today's viewer...just political cartoons of today, without interpretation, would be meaningless to future generations.
But once the viewer reads the accompanying narratives, and listens to the audio comments, the paintings become more relevant and fascinating to study, because they the tell stories of past ages.
Following the tour, we hoped to find a picnic table at which to enjoy our lunch, but there was only one under a shade tree, and another family already occupied it. So we ate in the air conditioned van, and watched ducks go about their business, including one male that waddled close to a female. At one point, he asserted his claim on the female by attacking and chasing away another male. During this tiff, the female flew off to another areas. But the male soon located her and continued waddling right behind her.
It was around 1:30 when we finished lunch, and we headed home. Got back a couple of hours later, and around 4 p.m. I put leftover lasagna in the oven to heat for supper. We had that with salad, cottage cheese, and buttered French bread.
After supper, we played Skipbo. Sis won two games, and Hubbie and Mother each won one. Nada for me.
Good day.
We packed individual lunches to take with us. We packed them individually, so that in case we could not find a picnic area, or if it was too hot, or stormy, to eat outdoors, we could enjoy our lunches in the van. We also took along an ice chest of water and cold drinks, as well as pump pots of coffee. The lunch consisted of chicken salad sandwiches on bread rounds, veggie chips, and slices of spice cake with whipped topping.
We arrived at the museum around 10:30, and spent two hours viewing the 48 works by not only Rembrandt, but if Van Dyck and Gainsborough. This exhibit included an audio feature that could be accessed by a cell phone number that asked for the viewer's phone number. I tried this several times, but simply could not access the audio, because it kept asking me for a staff number, which of course I didn't have.
So I asked a docent about it, and he was as baffled as I was. He said he would bring this glitch to the attention of staff. However, the audio could also be accessed by scanning a QR code. Naturally, I didn't have the app for that, but the docent, a very young man, downloaded the app on my phone, and then I was off and running.
The audio enhanced enjoyment of the exhibit, since it gave extra interesting tidbits about the paintings above the narratives posted on the walls near the works. I played the audio on speaker so Mother and Sis could also hear it. Hubbie, in typical fashion, had dashed off ahead to make his way through the exhibit as soon as possible, so he could sit and relax, while we leisurely enjoyed the paintings.
These masterpieces showcase life in the 1600s, 1700s, and 1800s, mainly among the aristocracy, though a few feature rural life, going to market, and animal husbandry. Most aspects of human life are depicted...childhood, adolescence, young love, and aging, as well as fashions of the day, work, leisure, and cultural pursuits.
Many of the works were painted not only for beauty, but also as social, religious, and political commentary. The commentary, unless interpreted, is generally lost on today's viewer...just political cartoons of today, without interpretation, would be meaningless to future generations.
But once the viewer reads the accompanying narratives, and listens to the audio comments, the paintings become more relevant and fascinating to study, because they the tell stories of past ages.
Following the tour, we hoped to find a picnic table at which to enjoy our lunch, but there was only one under a shade tree, and another family already occupied it. So we ate in the air conditioned van, and watched ducks go about their business, including one male that waddled close to a female. At one point, he asserted his claim on the female by attacking and chasing away another male. During this tiff, the female flew off to another areas. But the male soon located her and continued waddling right behind her.
It was around 1:30 when we finished lunch, and we headed home. Got back a couple of hours later, and around 4 p.m. I put leftover lasagna in the oven to heat for supper. We had that with salad, cottage cheese, and buttered French bread.
After supper, we played Skipbo. Sis won two games, and Hubbie and Mother each won one. Nada for me.
Good day.
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