Saturday, July 20

Slept late, until 8 a.m. Did an abbreviated exercise session...just stair stepping today...after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house, and she worked on her jigsaw puzzle, while I got ready for the day. Hubbie went out to mow, since there is a chance of rain tomorrow.

Didn't do much for the remainder of the morning. For lunch, I made chef's salads for Hubbie and myself...a bed of lettuce topped with grape tomatoes, banana peppers, and yellow squash (from our garden), Vidalia onion, cucumbers, diced apples and cantaloupe, Craisins, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds, along with deli ham and cheese, and topped with cottage cheese. Mother had her usual Ramen noodle soup.

After lunch, Mother went back to her puzzle, and Hubbie and I ran errands...to the fairgrounds to pick up a state flag that we won in a drawing. The flag was prize given at the fair by the American Legion. It's very nice, and we were glad to learn it was made in our state, rather in some foreign country. Now to get a pole for it.

From the fairgrounds we went to the farmer's market, where we picked up tomatoes (I'll be glad when our own garden produces), and a big bag of green beans. Hubbie bought a couple of patty pan squash, too, since they were only fifty cents apiece.

Went to the WDCS next to pick up a few groceries, and to the gas station. Then stopped by a pharmacy to use a $5 coupon to get buy-one-get-one-half-off boxes of my brand of hair color. Our last stop was a grocery store to get a free bottle of shampoo, three cartons of fat-free ice cream (the brand that the WDCS quit carrying), a block of white American cheese for making pimento cheese (another item the WDCS quit carrying), and blocks of Monterey Jack cheese (no longer available at the WDCS).

At home, Mother finished her puzzle and was ready for another project, so I washed the green beans, and we snapped them to be cooked tomorrow or Monday for the freezer. We watched, "Wind at My Back," while we worked.

Later, we had a supper of pancakes. I made the batter, and Hubbie cooked them. Served a choice of apple-peach jelly, or failed three berry jelly combined with sugar-free syrup as toppings. Afterward, we continued watching the "Wind at My Back" series.

Around 9:30, Mother was ready to head to her house. Hubbie and I finished the evening with a one-hour show.

Friday, July 19

Up at 6 a.m. to get ready for water aerobics. It was relatively cool this morning, but foggy. The early morning sun shining through the fog on the college campus created a pleasing ethereal glow, casting the trees and buildings into silhouette.

The pool was warmer today, though only about ten of us showed up for aerobics. We had a good workout, and I was back home just after 9 a.m.

I wasted no time in getting ready for the day, so that we could go to the fairgrounds for Senior Day. We arrived around 10:30 and proceeded to tour the commercial building, where we registered for prizes at the various business booths.

Then Mother and I went through the women's building to browse the crafts. Wow, crafts entries are really down this year, as are exhibits in all areas. Whole sections of the vegetable and plant exhibit area were bare. The animal barns fared pretty well, since the exhibits are entered by 4-H members.

There was a nice gathering of senior citizens for a sandwich lunch, sponsored by the local Area Agency on Aging, but not as many attended as usual. I'm not sure why, since admittance to the event was free, and lunch was only $2. Besides that, the weather was pleasant. The number of nice door prizes was about the same, and we managed to win an oil change.

The local newspaper reported that attendance at the fair has been down by about a thousand per day. Can't blame it on the weather, since it has been reasonably mild for July, unlike last year, which was a real scorcher. From what I'm reading online, declining county fair numbers seems to be a trend in many states. I'm not sure what the cause is...maybe folks are just watching their money. Or maybe with the variety of  other entertainments available, county fairs just don't excite folks anymore.

Lunch this time was chicken salad sandwiches, slaw, baked potato chips, and half an orange. Beverages were bottled water and little cartons of punch. The meal was fine, except that the chips were cheddar cheese flavored, colored with yellow dyes number 5 and 6.

Back home, we relaxed for a while and watched a couple of episodes of  "Wind at My Back." Later, Mother helped me make an egg casserole. I sauteed Vidalia onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms that Mother diced, and then we layered those with leftover sauteed potatoes, a few strips of bacon left from last night, and a few slices of tomatoes.

Poured egg substitute over that, and added bread crumbs and American cheese, and popped the dish in the oven for a while.  Made a batch of white gravy, and baked a can of biscuits. Served the meal with cantaloupe, and cups of steaming coffee.

After supper, we watched a few more episodes of "Wind at My Back," until 9:30, when Mother was finally ready to go home. Tonight, she kept nodding off during the shows, but insisted she wanted to keep watching them.

Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house, and then we watched a one-hour show, which took us up to the 10 p.m. news. Headed to bed after that.

Thursday, July 18

Woke up at 6 a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep, drat it, but stayed in bed until Hubbie woke up at 7:30. Skipped my exercises so I could spruce the house some more, in anticipation of at least one of the scrapbook club members coming this afternoon.

Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house, and she went right to work trimming the Christmas greeting cards. While she did that, I boiled a pan of macaroni and made cheese sauce. I refrigerated the mac and cheese until later, when I baked it in the oven.

The other member arrived right at 1 p.m., and we worked for a couple of hours cutting greetings and designs from the cards to be re-purposed in making new cards. After a harrowing week of water problems at her house (a toilet overrunning and flooding her bathroom, and a hose bursting on her washing machine, flooding her utility room), she was ready to relax with "busy work."

We had a good visit while we worked, and around 2 p.m., I served refreshments of coffee and oatmeal/chocolate chip/nut cookies. At 3 p.m., we ended the session, and the other member left. I assured her she didn't need to rush off, but she said she needed to go get ingredients for making refreshments of cucumber sandwiches for a 6 p.m. game-night gathering of ladies this evening. She and two friends gather once a month to play Rummikub.

Once we cleared away the trash from our session, we began supper preparations. Mother sliced tomatoes and Vidalia onions, and cut up cucumbers, yellow squash, and banana peppers. I put the dish of mac and cheese in oven, and then closer to meal time, I toasted bread, and we made BLT's.

It was a tasty summertime meal, and afterward, we watched a few more episodes of "Wind at My Back." Mother opted to go home a little earlier this evening, since she wanted to decide what to wear tomorrow morning when we go to Senior Day at the fair.

Hubbie and I continued watching TV until bedtime.

Tuesday, July 16

For whatever reason, blogger deleted my Tuesday post. So here is a reconstruction:

Slept until 8 a.m., but did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around 9:30, and she worked on her jigsaw puzzle.

I didn't do much for the rest of the morning after getting ready for the day. After lunch, I met a beauty shop appointment.

The talk at the shop was about a friend whose son and daughter-in-law are expecting triplets. I was surprised that so many ladies knew about it, since this friend took me aside at the arts council event last month and swore me to secrecy about the triplets, because her daughter-in-law was not ready to announce it yet.

So my lips were sealed. But it seems the friend told everyone she knows, swearing each of them to secrecy, too. Recently, the daughter-in-law told her it was okay now to announce the news, so we were all released from our vow to keep it secret. We all had a good laugh about it today, though.

Back home, I relaxed with the newspapers until time to prepare supper. Mother helped by dicing leftover steamed potatoes, which I sauteed with onions. Served them with leftover stuffed bell peppers, and green beans, along with biscuits and cornbread.

Afterwards, we watched several episodes of "Wind at My Back." At 9:30, Mother was ready to go home. I'm really surprised that she hangs in there so long, but she's loving this series.

Wednesday, July 17

Up at 6 a.m. to get ready for water aerobics. The pool was about the same, a little cool but okay once I got used to it. About a dozen of us showed up for the session. There are a few regulars who have not been coming lately. One is the older lady who always stood beside me. I think I'll call her to see if she's okay.

Back home, after a couple of cups of coffee, I got ready for the day. In the meantime, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house. She busied herself putting away her jigsaw puzzle, so she could start cutting greetings and designs from Christmas cards that one of the scrapbook club members brought to the last meeting. She brought two grocery bags full of the cards, which are samples from a local printing company.

Getting these cards trimmed down will be the scrapbook club project for tomorrow, even if there is no one here but Mother and me, because I need to get those two big bags of cards down something manageable that can be stored in a small tote.

After lunch, Mother began work on the cards, while Hubbie and I ran errands...to the library, to the bank, to the newspaper office, to the  greeting card shop, and to the WDCS.

At the library, we borrowed season three of  "Wind at My Back," and I asked that the other two seasons be put on hold for me when they are returned. There are only five seasons of the series.

At the greeting card shop, I got a baby shower card, and then, hoping to pick up a couple of inexpensive cards so I could earn an extra 300 bonus points, discovered that 99-cent cards are now $1.99...another incentive for me to make my own cards.

At the WDCS, though, there was finally a supply of the yogurt ice cream bars that we like, but still no fat-free carton ice cream.

Back home, Mother was still busily, and happily, occupied working on those Christmas cards. While she did that, I began sprucing the house for company tomorrow. Later, I put dishes of leftovers in the oven for supper. Tonight, we had sauteed potatoes, steamed squashes, and green beans, with a variety of leftover breads...cornbread, biscuits, and garlic bread.

After supper, we watched several more episodes of "Wind at My Back." Once again, Mother stuck around until 9:30. She's really enjoying this series.







 

Monday, July 15

Up at 6 a.m. to get ready for water aerobics. It was a bit humid this morning, but the walk to the pool was still pleasant. The pool was a bit cool, as usual, but fine once I got used to it.  A dozen of us showed up for the session today.

The talk today was about damages around town from the thunderstorm that roared through here yesterday...trees falling on building and cemetery headstones, hail, flooding, and power outages. There was no real damage at the college, other than some sizable limbs falling from trees. Thank goodness, all that occurred at home was thunder, rain, and the lights flickering a couple of times.

Back home, I started sipping a cup of coffee, but noticed Hubbie sitting on the edge of his seat. He was anxious for me to get ready for him to put color in my hair so he could meet a 10 a.m. appointment downtown.

So we got on with it, and then I finished my coffee while I waited for the color to work. Before Hubbie left, he accompanied Mother to our house, where she tried to work on a jigsaw puzzle she started yesterday. But it proved to be a bit difficult, so she wasn't enjoying it. I rounded up another one for her to begin, and then went upstairs to get ready for the day.

Back downstairs, I called both of the other scrapbook club members. The first one chatted for quite a while, telling me of her household woes. Seems that the toilet in her bathroom overflowed while she was away from home, flooding the room and ruining the floor. So she's busy engaging a plumber, and a carpenter.

Also, a hose to her washing machine burst, flooding her utility room, and spraying everything in sight. This happened at night, so she had to go find a flashlight and go outside to turn off the water. She spent most of the rest of the night mopping up as much of  the water as possible.

Her son and son-in-law came to the rescue, replacing the hose, and shopping for new indoor-outdoor carpet for the floor. Since everything had to be taken out of the room, this lady is now sorting things, throwing out what has been ruined, and getting the room back in order.

As if that weren't enough, sometime between June 20 and July 4, someone stole valuable equipment and tools out of her shed.

In a long phone conversation with the other member of the club, I learned that she is feeling better, but doesn't know if she'll feel confident enough to drive to our house for the meeting. The news from her house is that her shih tzu dog ran out when she opened the door one day, and went barking after her son-in-law's truck and trailer, narrowly avoiding being run over. This lady said her heart was in her throat, and I can certainly understand.  However, she said that for some strange reason, she felt great afterward...as if the incident somehow helped straighten out her hair-fractured rib.

So I don't know if anyone will show up for our regularly scheduled monthly meeting on Thursday or not. But I'll spruce the house just in case.

Hubbie returned around noon, and after a PB&J sandwich lunch, we all hopped in the van and went to a town about fifteen minutes away and bought a watermelon at one roadside stand, and cantaloupes, cucumbers, and green beans at another.

Back home, Hubbie occupied himself, while I washed the beans and Mother and I snapped them. I started them simmering, seasoned with a can of beef broth and a can of chicken broth, plus onion and banana peppers that Mother diced, and spices.

Then I washed yellow and zucchini squash, which Mother cut up, along with another onion and more banana peppers, and Hubbie washed new potatoes. I set these vegetables to steaming, and while everything cooked, Hubbie and I went to the WDCS for a few grocery items.

I get so aggravated with that store. They never seem to consistently carry items I prefer. Today, I searched for a particular brand of fat-free ice cream, but there was none to be had. I went to that brand when they ceased carrying another brand I routinely bought. Today, I would have switched to yet another brand, if there had been any that was fat-free. But of course there was not.

Then I looked for yogurt ice cream bars that Mother and I both like. I started buying these after I'd tried a sample at the store. Oddly, on the day I tried them, there were none in the freezer case. And since then, I've had trouble finding them, since the store seems to only stock a half dozen boxes at a time. Today, the space where they should be was empty.

Back home, we relaxed for a while until time to finish supper preparations, which only amounted to making a batch of cornbread, and putting a can of biscuits in the oven. The meal was really good...nothing is so yummy as a meal of fresh-from-the-garden summer veggies.

Afterward, Mother opted to stick around so we could watch a few more episodes of "Wind at My Back." At 8:30, she decided she was ready to go home, so Hubbie accompanied her.

Then he and I finished the evening watching one-hour shows.

Sunday, July 14

Slept late, until around 8 a.m. Skipped my exercises, as usual on Sunday. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around 9:30, and we began lunch preparations at 10:30.

Today's lunch plan was stuffed bell peppers, so I began by boiling the six peppers we bought at a roadside veggie stand. Mother diced onions, and I sauteed those with hamburger, added canned diced tomatoes, water, spices, and long grain brown rice.

The recipe stated that the rice should cook in about fifteen minutes. But it didn't. In fact, it took closer to 45 minutes to cook it. If I use this recipe again, I'll be wise enough to pre-boil the rice for a while, and then add it to the recipe.

Once the rice was tender, I added shredded Monterey Jack cheese to the mixture, and Mother spooned it into the bell peppers. Baked the peppers for about 30 minutes. We had them with Parmesan potatoes left over from last night, and sliced garden tomatoes and Vidalia onions, topped with cottage cheese. The peppers were especially delicious, and there are enough left for another meal.

After lunch, we watched "Wind at My Back," a 1996-2001 TV series, borrowed from the library, about a Canadian family during the Depression. The series begins with a young woman and her husband losing their home and grocery store to the bank, forcing them to move back home to his mother's house.

The mother lets them have a summer home, but on the first day they arrive there, the husband is stung by hornets and dies. The mother-in-law, who never liked her son's wife, insists on keeping her two young grandsons, and sending the granddaughter, a baby, to live with another family, because the young mother can't take care of them.

The young woman protests, but finally agrees, because she doesn't have a job and can't take care of the children.

Around 6 p.m., I scrounged up a supper of leftover turkey burgers left over from last night, and served them with veggie chips, and fresh cherries for dessert.

We watched most of the first season of this series, until around 8 p.m., when Mother was ready to go home. Hubbie accompanied her, and we watched another movie.

We'll continue the series as we have time this week, and next weekend. I borrowed seasons one and two, and I hope we can get season three when we've finished these, because we've become engrossed in the story.

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Around 4:30, while we were watching the TV series, a thunderstorm cropped up. Got some rain out of it, but later during the 5 p.m. news (which I had recorded on DVR), there was a report that our town got hail and enough wind to knock a power pole over, but not all the way down. We'll have to wait for tomorrow's local paper for any more news of the storm.