Monday, Jan. 6

Up around 8 a.m., but skipped my exercises after breakfast, since we expected the guy to arrive around 10 a.m. to finish the bathroom. We also expected the plumber, but he called to say his children (he's a single father) are sick, so he would need to stay home with them. However, he expects to be here tomorrow.

I went ahead and got dressed, and then went to my office to write a letter to another friend to enclose in a New Year's card. This older friend doesn't have a computer and has vowed never to get one. She loves receiving mail...preferably handwritten. But my handwriting is so awful that if I have very much to say to her, I insist on typing it.

The worker arrived while I was in the office, right behind Hubbie, who brought Mother over. I was very surprised that Mother decided to come over considering that this is the coldest temperature we've experienced in many years. But I guess she got cabin fever and needed a change of scene. I think she was anxious to get back to her jigsaw puzzle, too.

When I finished the letter, I came downstairs to prepare lunch. I wasn't sure if the worker would join us or not, but I made sure that there was plenty of soup and sandwich makings available, and I set the table for four.

However, the worker had errands to run around lunchtime, so he did not join us. After lunch, Mother returned to her puzzle, Hubbie ran a couple of errands, the worker resumed painting tasks in the bathroom, and I spent my time with paperwork related to Extension Homemakers, getting the letters and cards to friends ready to mail, sorting coupons to send to Granddaughter, working this week's word search puzzle contest, and catching up on reading state and local newspapers.

The worker left around 3:30, and at 4 p.m., I put leftovers in the oven to heat for supper. Tonight, we had beans and ham, with fried potatoes, spaghetti and sauce, and a choice of cornbread or French bread. Hubbie added a piece of corn-on-the-cob and a dab of coleslaw to his plate.

Mother was ready to go home afterward, so Hubbie accompanied her. I sent a small helping of peach cobbler with her. Then he and I watched TV, including a Lifetime channel movie, followed by the BCS National Championship football game, between Florida State and Auburn. We cheered for Auburn, but they lost it in the last few seconds.