Today is Son's birthday. Happy Birthday, Son!
Up around 8 a.m. Hubbie was already downstairs, where he had phoned the auto repair shop to report that our van still has a problem, after noticing all the warning signs on the dashboard last night. He was told to bring the van in right away, though the tech wasn't sure when the shop could get around to it, since two of his men are out sick.
Hubbie was given a loaner car to drive while the van is being fixed. We fervently hoped it would be ready sometime today or tomorrow, but when Hubbie called to check on it later this afternoon, he was told that it would be at least Monday before they could get to it.
Hubbie returned home around 9 a.m., and we had breakfast. Then he accompanied Mother to our house, and we set to work putting two pots of 11-bean soup on to simmer. Mother diced the necessary veggies, and I did the rest.
She went to her jigsaw puzzle after that, and I did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises. By now, it was close to noon, so I put lunch on the table. It was nearly 1 p.m. before I finally went upstairs to dress.
The bean soup was done around 2 p.m. When it cooled a little, I put it in containers for the refrigerator, and then I started a couple of pots of chicken soup. Mother diced veggies for this, too.
Between making soups, I did this and that around the house, until time to prepare supper. Tonight, we had breakfast for supper....diced baked potatoes, fried with onions, egg substitute scrambled with Monterey Jack cheese, and canned biscuits, with a choice of honey, peach preserves, or homemade grape jelly.
Watched a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie . During the movie, I took a notion to bake a chocolate cake, since I didn't get around to baking Christmas goodies this year. We ate generaous hunks of it warm from the oven. It was yummy with cups of coffee.
Later, Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house.
Not looking forward to predicted rain/thunderstorms tomorrow. I hope the weather doesn't hinder Daughter or Sis from coming for a visit.
Friday, December 20, 2013
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Friday, Dec. 19
Up around 8 a.m., and did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around 9 a.m.
Before I went upstairs to get ready for the day, we decided to make a couple of batches of fruited popcorn...one for Hubbie's daughter, and one for Hubbie. Mother helped by cutting up candied cherries. Hubbie popped the popcorn, and I made sauce for it. This baked popcorn treat is popular, though it's not my favorite, so I don't eat it.
When we finished with this project, I finally showered and dressed. It was near noon by now, and when I got back downstairs, Hubbie had already prepared lunch...Ramen noodle soup for Mother and pimento cheese sandwiches for the two of us.
After lunch, Mother sorted beans for a couple of batches of 11-bean soup to take with us to a Christmas party at Hubbie's daughter's house on Sunday. Later, I washed the beans and put them in water to soak.
Mother went to her jigsaw puzzle then, Hubbie did this and that, and I read newspapers and played on my tablet until around 2 p.m., when I changed into festive clothes to attend a "Cup of Cheer" gathering at 3 p.m.
Before I left the house, I asked Hubbie to put potatoes in the oven to bake around 3:30, and then go to the WDCS to get a rotisserie chicken for our supper.
The party was held at the home of a water aerobics friend, who lives in our neighborhood. It was a come-and-go event, so I was only gone for about 45 minutes. This lady, and her sister, who live next door to each other, obviously put a lot of work into preparing for the party.
There were several tables laden with food, all of it prepared by these two ladies. I tried to limit myself to mostly veggies and fruit, with a few small items of dessert, because I didn't want to ruin my appetite for supper.
Several ladies, including myself, brought hostess gifts. My gift was a jar of my homemade crab apple jelly.
I stayed long enough to visit with the hostesses and a few other ladies, before leaving. Outside, the husbands were directing traffic. One of them asked where Hubbie was. Of course, Hubbie didn't go with me, because he thought it was a gathering for ladies only. But as it happened, several husbands were there, and the hostess's husband suggested that next year I bring Hubbie.
Hubbie was not yet home when I returned, but he arrived just after 4:30. Supper was on the table by 5 p.m. Afterward, Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house, and then at 7 p.m., we headed out to the college for a basketball game.
We didn't get far down the road, though, before the dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree. All sorts of warning lights came on, including the one that came on the other day when I had to pull of the road. We came right back home, of course, parked the van, and drove the truck to the college.
We got to the college minutes before the game started. Fortunately, there weren't many people there, since the school is out on Christmas vacation. So we were able to sit in those comfortable reserved seats.
Unfortunately, our team lost badly. We didn't expect to win against the superior opponents, but we had hoped to score a little better. Oh well, maybe they'll do better on Dec. 30.
Back home afterward, we watched our favorite state college basketball team, as they won by a large margin. I'd recorded the game on DVR.
It was pretty late by the time we headed to bed.
Before I went upstairs to get ready for the day, we decided to make a couple of batches of fruited popcorn...one for Hubbie's daughter, and one for Hubbie. Mother helped by cutting up candied cherries. Hubbie popped the popcorn, and I made sauce for it. This baked popcorn treat is popular, though it's not my favorite, so I don't eat it.
When we finished with this project, I finally showered and dressed. It was near noon by now, and when I got back downstairs, Hubbie had already prepared lunch...Ramen noodle soup for Mother and pimento cheese sandwiches for the two of us.
After lunch, Mother sorted beans for a couple of batches of 11-bean soup to take with us to a Christmas party at Hubbie's daughter's house on Sunday. Later, I washed the beans and put them in water to soak.
Mother went to her jigsaw puzzle then, Hubbie did this and that, and I read newspapers and played on my tablet until around 2 p.m., when I changed into festive clothes to attend a "Cup of Cheer" gathering at 3 p.m.
Before I left the house, I asked Hubbie to put potatoes in the oven to bake around 3:30, and then go to the WDCS to get a rotisserie chicken for our supper.
The party was held at the home of a water aerobics friend, who lives in our neighborhood. It was a come-and-go event, so I was only gone for about 45 minutes. This lady, and her sister, who live next door to each other, obviously put a lot of work into preparing for the party.
There were several tables laden with food, all of it prepared by these two ladies. I tried to limit myself to mostly veggies and fruit, with a few small items of dessert, because I didn't want to ruin my appetite for supper.
Several ladies, including myself, brought hostess gifts. My gift was a jar of my homemade crab apple jelly.
I stayed long enough to visit with the hostesses and a few other ladies, before leaving. Outside, the husbands were directing traffic. One of them asked where Hubbie was. Of course, Hubbie didn't go with me, because he thought it was a gathering for ladies only. But as it happened, several husbands were there, and the hostess's husband suggested that next year I bring Hubbie.
Hubbie was not yet home when I returned, but he arrived just after 4:30. Supper was on the table by 5 p.m. Afterward, Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house, and then at 7 p.m., we headed out to the college for a basketball game.
We didn't get far down the road, though, before the dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree. All sorts of warning lights came on, including the one that came on the other day when I had to pull of the road. We came right back home, of course, parked the van, and drove the truck to the college.
We got to the college minutes before the game started. Fortunately, there weren't many people there, since the school is out on Christmas vacation. So we were able to sit in those comfortable reserved seats.
Unfortunately, our team lost badly. We didn't expect to win against the superior opponents, but we had hoped to score a little better. Oh well, maybe they'll do better on Dec. 30.
Back home afterward, we watched our favorite state college basketball team, as they won by a large margin. I'd recorded the game on DVR.
It was pretty late by the time we headed to bed.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Wednesday, Dec. 18
Up around 7:30, and 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.
This morning's project was to make a Christmas card using one of my backyard photos of a cardinal bird during the recent ice storm.. The card was for my former sister-in-law, with whom I have remained friends. A few days ago, we received a photo Christmas postcard from her, featuring herself holding her precious shih tzu dog. But since we don't have a recent photo of the three of us, the next best thing was a handmade photo card.
Later, for lunch, we had the remainder of the soups, with crackers and pimento cheese, and slices of a cinnamon roll. One of these large, fluffy, rolls is big enough to serve all three of us. These must-have, mouth-watering delights can only be purchased at the annual Sheriff's Youth Ranch craft fair each December, and I made sure we got a half dozen.
After lunch, Mother returned to her puzzle, and I headed to town to finish my Christmas shopping. Hubbie ran errands, too, but he drove the truck, so I could have the van. We agreed to meet at the WDCS later.
My first stop was a grocery store to pick up scratch-off tickets for Hubbie for Christmas; then to the beauty shop to buy a bag of homemade peanut brittle, also for Hubbie. After that I went to a home improvement store, and a farm store, to buy gifts cards for Hubbie.
At the WDCS, I called Hubbie and learned that he was already in the store. We found each other and proceeded to shop. I was interested in finding a colorful scarf to wear to the "Cup of Cheer" event tomorrow.
I found an inexpensive green circular one that will do to accessorize a black knit turtleneck shirt. With Christmas earrings, it'll be festive enough. I don't want to wear a winter sweater, since the temperature is supposed to be close to 70 degrees tomorrow.
Other than the scarf, we bought groceries and other supplies, then stopped by the gas station before heading home.
At home, I relaxed with the newspapers before getting supper ready. Tonight, we had "the-week-in-review." After supper, Mother stayed around to watch "A Christmas Story." We watch it every year, and it never seems to grow old.
Around 9 p.m., Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house, and then we continued watching TV until bedtime.
This morning's project was to make a Christmas card using one of my backyard photos of a cardinal bird during the recent ice storm.. The card was for my former sister-in-law, with whom I have remained friends. A few days ago, we received a photo Christmas postcard from her, featuring herself holding her precious shih tzu dog. But since we don't have a recent photo of the three of us, the next best thing was a handmade photo card.
Later, for lunch, we had the remainder of the soups, with crackers and pimento cheese, and slices of a cinnamon roll. One of these large, fluffy, rolls is big enough to serve all three of us. These must-have, mouth-watering delights can only be purchased at the annual Sheriff's Youth Ranch craft fair each December, and I made sure we got a half dozen.
After lunch, Mother returned to her puzzle, and I headed to town to finish my Christmas shopping. Hubbie ran errands, too, but he drove the truck, so I could have the van. We agreed to meet at the WDCS later.
My first stop was a grocery store to pick up scratch-off tickets for Hubbie for Christmas; then to the beauty shop to buy a bag of homemade peanut brittle, also for Hubbie. After that I went to a home improvement store, and a farm store, to buy gifts cards for Hubbie.
At the WDCS, I called Hubbie and learned that he was already in the store. We found each other and proceeded to shop. I was interested in finding a colorful scarf to wear to the "Cup of Cheer" event tomorrow.
I found an inexpensive green circular one that will do to accessorize a black knit turtleneck shirt. With Christmas earrings, it'll be festive enough. I don't want to wear a winter sweater, since the temperature is supposed to be close to 70 degrees tomorrow.
Other than the scarf, we bought groceries and other supplies, then stopped by the gas station before heading home.
At home, I relaxed with the newspapers before getting supper ready. Tonight, we had "the-week-in-review." After supper, Mother stayed around to watch "A Christmas Story." We watch it every year, and it never seems to grow old.
Around 9 p.m., Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house, and then we continued watching TV until bedtime.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Tuesday, Dec. 17
Up at 7:30 with every intention of doing an exercise session after breakfast. But Hubbie discovered that we had a potty problem in the downstairs bathroom that required a plumber. He called one right away, and as luck would have it, the guy was working right down the road and could come by our house presently.
So I hurried upstairs and changed from my shorts and t-shirt into decent clothing. I also quickly spruced the upstairs bathroom, because I wanted the plumber to also take a look at the sinks up there, which were clogged. Whenever I ran water in one sink, the sink would fill up, and then as it tried to drain, it glug-glug-glugged into the other sink.
Hubbie had a 9 a.m. dental appointment, so he accompanied Mother to our house a few minutes before that, and then went on to the dentist's office.
Shortly after he left, the plumber arrived. He was still here when Hubbie came back home. The plumber got everything back in order, which included putting new sink elbows in the upstairs bathroom.
While he worked, the pest control guy came by. I could tell by his hoarse voice that he was suffering from the same virus that I had, and that Hubbie and Mother are still battling. It was obvious that he didn't feel very well and really didn't need to be on the job today. Even though we've all had that virus, I was still glad that he didn't have to come indoors (he treated both ours and Mother's houses from the perimeters). I'm not ready to risk our catching another virus right now.
Meanwhile, Mother and I worked in the kitchen. I put a baking sheet of sweet potatoes in the oven. Then Mother sliced onions and apples for making a pork chop dish. I browned the meat for the recipe, and Mother layered the onions and apples, and then brushed a mixture of honey and mustard on the pork chops. I put the dish in the refrigerator to be baked later.
Mother also diced onions and banana peppers, which I added to a package of frozen black eyed peas, along with spices and cans of beef and chicken broth. I simmered the peas for a while.
The potatoes were done around 11 a.m. I allowed them to cool on the pan until we were ready to peel them and heat a few for supper later.
About this time, the plumber finished his work. He commented on how good all the food smelled. I'll bet it piqued his appetite for lunch. I know it did ours. But for our lunch, I heated leftover soups, which we had with pimento cheese sandwiches.
After lunch, I was ready to go Christmas shopping. I needed to go alone, since I wanted to shop for Hubbie. The problem was that the van acted up. It stalled as I was backing up to turn around and head out of the driveway. And then as soon as I got on the road, it sputtered and jerked and didn't respond to the gas pedal. I quickly pulled onto the side of the road right across from our house.
I figured my planned shopping trip had been doused. Hubbie went to the van, and of course it started right up and ran smoothly for him. However, it registered a warning sign on the dashboard, so he decided it needed to go to the shop.
The shop we regularly used in the past is downtown. However, when he got there, he saw that it's no longer open, because it has been moved to the adjoining town up the hill south of the city. So he called me to say he was going there, though the van was behaving splendidly.
At that shop, a technician searched for a problem, but found none. But he did get the warning light to go off. He guessed that there was some sort of blockage that managed to dislodge itself. Whatever the problem, it seemed to be fixed now, so Hubbie returned home.
With some trepidation, I went ahead with my shopping trip. The van gave no more problems. I stopped first at a department store. There, I met a lady who is now retired from the college I attended years ago. She was in a very talkative mood, so I listened to her for about 30 minutes. I loved visiting with her, but today I really needed to get on with my shopping.
Finally, we said our goodbyes, and I headed to the men's department, where I found two knit shirts on sale for Mother to give to Hubbie for Christmas. I also looked for a pair of thermal underwear for him. He's pretty warm natured, but there are some really cold winter days,when the wind cuts through his khaki pants. I think he'll appreciate an extra layer on those days.
But the store had none in his size, of course. At the checkout stand, though, a nice young lady offered to search for some at their store online site, and I saw a suitable pair there which will be delivered to the store, so that I won't have to pay a shipping fee. Hope they arrive before Christmas.
My goodness, that store was wall-to-wall shoppers today! I guess that's because we lost a weekend to an ice storm, and today the weather was sunny and a balmy 60 degrees. So everyone was trying to catch up on Christmas shopping.
From that store, I went to a pharmacy store, on the off chance I might find a Skipbo card game. And lo and behold, there was one (and only one) on the rack! Yay!
Now it was getting late, so I headed to the WDCS to pick up some snapshots. Here I had to stand in a long line, and when I finally got to the counter, the associate couldn't find my order. He was sure he'd seen it, but it seemed to have disappeared.
I was getting annoyed not only with the fact that he couldn't find my pictures, but that he stopped looking from time-to-time to take care of other customers. Finally, when he saw I was getting very perturbed, he decided to simply print my order again. It took about 30 seconds. Why in the world didn't he just do this to begin with? Gad!
By now, it was around 3:30, so I needed to return home to finish supper preparations. At home, I put a dish of the sweet potatoes in the oven, along with the dish of pork chops.
The meal was done at 5 p.m., and it was very tasty. Afterward, Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house, and then we watched a forgettable movie on TV.
**********************************************
Note one: while Hubbie was at the dentist's office, his dentist noticed a rash on his forehead and along the sides of his face. He felt Hubbie should see a dermatologist right away. I don't know what the dentist thinks he is seeing, but Hubbie has had this rash before.
However, when he got home, he called a couple of dermatologists. The first one said he's no longer taking new patients, but the second one set an appointment for early February. Obviously, the doctor isn't too concerned about the rash.
I researched rashes, and nothing except allergy or rosacea seems to describe what Hubbie has.
Note two: Hubbie met a 3 p.m. haircut appointment at Mother's and my beauty shop. He has been at a loss as to where to get his hair cut, after his barber of 30 years died recently. When I told him that a male friend of ours, as well as our dentist, get their hair cut at this beauty shop, he decided to try it. I called for an appointment with my hairdresser, and I have to say she did a great job of styling his hair. He seemed very pleased, too.
So I hurried upstairs and changed from my shorts and t-shirt into decent clothing. I also quickly spruced the upstairs bathroom, because I wanted the plumber to also take a look at the sinks up there, which were clogged. Whenever I ran water in one sink, the sink would fill up, and then as it tried to drain, it glug-glug-glugged into the other sink.
Hubbie had a 9 a.m. dental appointment, so he accompanied Mother to our house a few minutes before that, and then went on to the dentist's office.
Shortly after he left, the plumber arrived. He was still here when Hubbie came back home. The plumber got everything back in order, which included putting new sink elbows in the upstairs bathroom.
While he worked, the pest control guy came by. I could tell by his hoarse voice that he was suffering from the same virus that I had, and that Hubbie and Mother are still battling. It was obvious that he didn't feel very well and really didn't need to be on the job today. Even though we've all had that virus, I was still glad that he didn't have to come indoors (he treated both ours and Mother's houses from the perimeters). I'm not ready to risk our catching another virus right now.
Meanwhile, Mother and I worked in the kitchen. I put a baking sheet of sweet potatoes in the oven. Then Mother sliced onions and apples for making a pork chop dish. I browned the meat for the recipe, and Mother layered the onions and apples, and then brushed a mixture of honey and mustard on the pork chops. I put the dish in the refrigerator to be baked later.
Mother also diced onions and banana peppers, which I added to a package of frozen black eyed peas, along with spices and cans of beef and chicken broth. I simmered the peas for a while.
The potatoes were done around 11 a.m. I allowed them to cool on the pan until we were ready to peel them and heat a few for supper later.
About this time, the plumber finished his work. He commented on how good all the food smelled. I'll bet it piqued his appetite for lunch. I know it did ours. But for our lunch, I heated leftover soups, which we had with pimento cheese sandwiches.
After lunch, I was ready to go Christmas shopping. I needed to go alone, since I wanted to shop for Hubbie. The problem was that the van acted up. It stalled as I was backing up to turn around and head out of the driveway. And then as soon as I got on the road, it sputtered and jerked and didn't respond to the gas pedal. I quickly pulled onto the side of the road right across from our house.
I figured my planned shopping trip had been doused. Hubbie went to the van, and of course it started right up and ran smoothly for him. However, it registered a warning sign on the dashboard, so he decided it needed to go to the shop.
The shop we regularly used in the past is downtown. However, when he got there, he saw that it's no longer open, because it has been moved to the adjoining town up the hill south of the city. So he called me to say he was going there, though the van was behaving splendidly.
At that shop, a technician searched for a problem, but found none. But he did get the warning light to go off. He guessed that there was some sort of blockage that managed to dislodge itself. Whatever the problem, it seemed to be fixed now, so Hubbie returned home.
With some trepidation, I went ahead with my shopping trip. The van gave no more problems. I stopped first at a department store. There, I met a lady who is now retired from the college I attended years ago. She was in a very talkative mood, so I listened to her for about 30 minutes. I loved visiting with her, but today I really needed to get on with my shopping.
Finally, we said our goodbyes, and I headed to the men's department, where I found two knit shirts on sale for Mother to give to Hubbie for Christmas. I also looked for a pair of thermal underwear for him. He's pretty warm natured, but there are some really cold winter days,when the wind cuts through his khaki pants. I think he'll appreciate an extra layer on those days.
But the store had none in his size, of course. At the checkout stand, though, a nice young lady offered to search for some at their store online site, and I saw a suitable pair there which will be delivered to the store, so that I won't have to pay a shipping fee. Hope they arrive before Christmas.
My goodness, that store was wall-to-wall shoppers today! I guess that's because we lost a weekend to an ice storm, and today the weather was sunny and a balmy 60 degrees. So everyone was trying to catch up on Christmas shopping.
From that store, I went to a pharmacy store, on the off chance I might find a Skipbo card game. And lo and behold, there was one (and only one) on the rack! Yay!
Now it was getting late, so I headed to the WDCS to pick up some snapshots. Here I had to stand in a long line, and when I finally got to the counter, the associate couldn't find my order. He was sure he'd seen it, but it seemed to have disappeared.
I was getting annoyed not only with the fact that he couldn't find my pictures, but that he stopped looking from time-to-time to take care of other customers. Finally, when he saw I was getting very perturbed, he decided to simply print my order again. It took about 30 seconds. Why in the world didn't he just do this to begin with? Gad!
By now, it was around 3:30, so I needed to return home to finish supper preparations. At home, I put a dish of the sweet potatoes in the oven, along with the dish of pork chops.
The meal was done at 5 p.m., and it was very tasty. Afterward, Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house, and then we watched a forgettable movie on TV.
**********************************************
Note one: while Hubbie was at the dentist's office, his dentist noticed a rash on his forehead and along the sides of his face. He felt Hubbie should see a dermatologist right away. I don't know what the dentist thinks he is seeing, but Hubbie has had this rash before.
However, when he got home, he called a couple of dermatologists. The first one said he's no longer taking new patients, but the second one set an appointment for early February. Obviously, the doctor isn't too concerned about the rash.
I researched rashes, and nothing except allergy or rosacea seems to describe what Hubbie has.
Note two: Hubbie met a 3 p.m. haircut appointment at Mother's and my beauty shop. He has been at a loss as to where to get his hair cut, after his barber of 30 years died recently. When I told him that a male friend of ours, as well as our dentist, get their hair cut at this beauty shop, he decided to try it. I called for an appointment with my hairdresser, and I have to say she did a great job of styling his hair. He seemed very pleased, too.
Monday, December 16, 2013
Monday, Dec. 16
Up around 8 a.m. this morning. Did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises after breakfast. Then, before I went upstairs to get ready for the day, I decided to put together packages of Christmas cards for family who live about two hours away.
Just as I was in the middle of that, our favorite electrician called to say he was on his way to our house. He wasn't scheduled to be here until 1 p.m. Since I was in nothing but a t-shirt and a pair of shorts, I high-tailed it upstairs.
The electrician was still here when I came back downstairs. His task was to replace a couple of outlets and fix another one. He ran into a few problems, of course, so it took longer than expected, and it was noon before he finished.
He is a man we've known for many years, and someone who was active in community theater when I was. He is a widower, whose wife died a few years ago. So I decided to give him a small jar of my homemade crab apple jelly. He was happy to get it. He said he likes to add jelly to his oatmeal for breakfast.
As soon as he left, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house. I fixed a soup and sandwich lunch for us, and afterward, Mother went to her jigsaw puzzle, and Hubbie and I ran errands.
Our errands included a trip to the post office, the bank, and the pharmacy. We also dropped by the Caring Hands Hospice office, where I bought two pewter ornaments. I'll send one to Niece in memory of my brother, who died recently. I'll put the other one on my tree.
From there, we went to the WDCS for several items, including things for Mother's Twelve Days of Christmas gifts. One thing I wanted to get for her was a new Skipbo card game, since the cards in the old one are so sticky it's hard to shuffle them. Unbelievably, though, the store didn't have this common game. I'll check at a pharmacy store, but I'm afraid I probably won't find one there, either. Ah, the joys of a small town.
Since there was still plenty of afternoon left after we got back home, Mother and I decided to watch a Christmas movie..." The Polar Express." It's one of our favorites. Hubbie...not so much. So he occupied himself in the office upstairs.
Later, for supper, I made chili-mac, using the leftover chili. Served it with cottage cheese, and slices of Tuscan bread that I bought at the WDCS and browned in the oven. It was a tasty meal.
Mother stayed around for a while and watched a Lifetime Network Christmas show with us. Then Hubbie accompanied her to her house.
****************************************************
Note: we couldn't find one of our cats last night, but figured she was hiding somewhere. This morning, Hubbie went into the utility room, and there she was, snuggled in a pile of dirty laundry. I imagine it got pretty cool in that room with the door shut, but she's fine.
Just as I was in the middle of that, our favorite electrician called to say he was on his way to our house. He wasn't scheduled to be here until 1 p.m. Since I was in nothing but a t-shirt and a pair of shorts, I high-tailed it upstairs.
The electrician was still here when I came back downstairs. His task was to replace a couple of outlets and fix another one. He ran into a few problems, of course, so it took longer than expected, and it was noon before he finished.
He is a man we've known for many years, and someone who was active in community theater when I was. He is a widower, whose wife died a few years ago. So I decided to give him a small jar of my homemade crab apple jelly. He was happy to get it. He said he likes to add jelly to his oatmeal for breakfast.
As soon as he left, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house. I fixed a soup and sandwich lunch for us, and afterward, Mother went to her jigsaw puzzle, and Hubbie and I ran errands.
Our errands included a trip to the post office, the bank, and the pharmacy. We also dropped by the Caring Hands Hospice office, where I bought two pewter ornaments. I'll send one to Niece in memory of my brother, who died recently. I'll put the other one on my tree.
From there, we went to the WDCS for several items, including things for Mother's Twelve Days of Christmas gifts. One thing I wanted to get for her was a new Skipbo card game, since the cards in the old one are so sticky it's hard to shuffle them. Unbelievably, though, the store didn't have this common game. I'll check at a pharmacy store, but I'm afraid I probably won't find one there, either. Ah, the joys of a small town.
Since there was still plenty of afternoon left after we got back home, Mother and I decided to watch a Christmas movie..." The Polar Express." It's one of our favorites. Hubbie...not so much. So he occupied himself in the office upstairs.
Later, for supper, I made chili-mac, using the leftover chili. Served it with cottage cheese, and slices of Tuscan bread that I bought at the WDCS and browned in the oven. It was a tasty meal.
Mother stayed around for a while and watched a Lifetime Network Christmas show with us. Then Hubbie accompanied her to her house.
****************************************************
Note: we couldn't find one of our cats last night, but figured she was hiding somewhere. This morning, Hubbie went into the utility room, and there she was, snuggled in a pile of dirty laundry. I imagine it got pretty cool in that room with the door shut, but she's fine.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Sunday, Dec. 15
Up at 7:30 this sunny morning to get ready for company...Daughter, two granddaughters, a grandson-in-law, and six great-grandkids, were scheduled to arrive toward noon. I skipped my exercises again, so I could spend the morning spiffing the house. Hubbie helped with this, and we were ready by 10 a.m.
Everyone was here by 11 a.m., so I started lunch preparations. Daughter heated the potato soup we made a couple of days ago. The chicken and broth were ready for noodles, so I took care of that. The soups were ready by noon. Served them with a choice of pimento cheese, or chicken salad sandwiches. Dessert was homemade sugar cookies, and ice cream.
After lunch, the kids made graham cracker Christmas houses, using milk cartons, icing, and various candies. They had a wonderful time with this project, while I had a wonderful time holding the newest addition to the family...a baby boy.
Later, we exchanged Christmas gifts, and then spent the rest of the afternoon visiting. It was a happy time.
Around 4 p.m., family was ready to head home, two hours away. Mother stayed around and worked on her jigsaw puzzle for a while, Hubbie watched TV, and I downloaded snapshots I took this afternoon to my computer, then uploaded some of them to my social network page.
For supper, around 5:30, we had more soup and sandwiches, then watched a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie.
Everyone was here by 11 a.m., so I started lunch preparations. Daughter heated the potato soup we made a couple of days ago. The chicken and broth were ready for noodles, so I took care of that. The soups were ready by noon. Served them with a choice of pimento cheese, or chicken salad sandwiches. Dessert was homemade sugar cookies, and ice cream.
After lunch, the kids made graham cracker Christmas houses, using milk cartons, icing, and various candies. They had a wonderful time with this project, while I had a wonderful time holding the newest addition to the family...a baby boy.
Later, we exchanged Christmas gifts, and then spent the rest of the afternoon visiting. It was a happy time.
Around 4 p.m., family was ready to head home, two hours away. Mother stayed around and worked on her jigsaw puzzle for a while, Hubbie watched TV, and I downloaded snapshots I took this afternoon to my computer, then uploaded some of them to my social network page.
For supper, around 5:30, we had more soup and sandwiches, then watched a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie.
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