Tuesday, Feb. 18

Up at 7:30 on this sunny day. Did stair stepping exercises after breakfast, but skipped the resistance bands and weights exercises, since my left shoulder sort had twinges yesterday, and I thought it would be good to rest that arm for a day rather than risk a rotator cuff injury.

Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around 9:30, while I got ready for the day. Back downstairs afterward, Mother and I made preparations for a supper meal, since we planned to be gone most of the afternoon.

Mother diced onions, bell pepper, and mushrooms, as well as cubing leftover baked potatoes. She also grated Monterey Jack cheese. I sauteed the veggies and potatoes, and the put them in the fridge. I planned to use the veggies in making omelets for supper.

Later for lunch, I heated the remainder of the veggie soup for Mother, and Hubbie and I settled for PB&J sandwiches and chips.

Shortly after 12:30, the two other ladies of our scrapbook club arrived, and we all headed to a neighboring town to shop flea markets. We decided on this outing in place of a scrapbook meeting this week. We try to go on outings a couple of times a year just for fun, and to search for scrapbook or card making materials.

I was the driver for the excursion. The first place we visited was a relatively new flea market, the main attraction of which is a live monkey. The monkey is housed in a very large cage that accommodates a couple of small hammocks suspended from the top, and a swinging ladder, as well as riding toys, and other toys. The monkey wears a something resembling a diaper, and the cage is extremely clean.

In fact, the whole building is clean and neat, and well lighted, with organized booths. One booth featured 50% off merchandise, and I found six nice place mats priced at only $3. They have a fruit patttern in colors that are perfect for our dining room.

The other two ladies didn't buy anything at this market. From here, we went to another flea market. I didn't find anything I wanted at this one, but the other two ladies did. One found a tin lunch box...apparently, she collects them. The other found a hanging plaque that features a frog, which she plans to use as a secret pal gift for a lady who collects frogs.

After visiting this flea market, we headed back to town. I suggested we stop somewhere in our town for refreshments, and the ladies agreed. Rather than going to a fast food restaurant, I decided we might enjoy the new hospital cafeteria. The gift shop is near the cafeteria, which I thought the ladies might like to visit.

There were no handicap parking spots in the row closest to the hospital, so I let the ladies out, and got Mother into her wheelchair, and then went in search of a parking place. As luck would have it, I found a handicap one in the row just across from the one near the hospital.

Mother and I opted for chocolate scones and coffee, one of the other ladies chose a muffin with a peanut butter cup in the middle, and the other chose a small pizza. We had to wait ten minutes for the pizza, and when the lady went to pick it up, she learned that a doctor who was in line ahead of her had paid for the pizza. She said she'd heard that he did that once in a while, and today she was the beneficiary of his generosity. Good for her! That was an $8 pizza. Of course, I'd meant to pay for our outing...gas and refreshments...from our treasury, anyway, but it saves the treasury $8.

Headed home after that, and arrived in our yard around 3:30. It was a really fun outing, on a perfect, relatively balmy day. I think we all needed this after several weeks of freezing weather, with snow and ice that kept us indoors. It became a bit windy toward the end of the trip, but not so much that it chilled us.

At 4 p.m., Mother helped me put together the omelets, for which we used Sis's fresh eggs. Supper was ready by 5 p.m. We had the omelets with the sauteed potatoes, and the remainder of the bran muffins.

Mother was pretty tired afterward, even though she rode in her wheelchair all day. Just the effort of traveling and getting in and out of the van wearies her, even though she's always excited to go on an outing. Hubbie accompanied her home around 6 p.m.

Surprisingly, I wasn't at all weary after doing the driving, hefting the wheelchair in and out of the van several times, and doing quite a bit of walking. I didn't experience any twinges in that rotator cuff, either, when lifting the wheelchair.

Funny: I had quite a time keeping up with the automatic doors on the van. Either I'd forget to open the side doors for the ladies, or forget to close them after they were seated, or I'd forget to lower the hatch after putting the wheelchair in (a lady at one of the flea markets had to frantically wave at me to alert me the hatch was open).

Back home, I made sure to stop the van close to the other lady's car, so she and the the lady who rode with her would not have to walk all the way down the driveway, but I had to be  reminded to open the doors for them. They just laughed at me, since they're used to my loopiness.

Hubbie and I spent the evening watching TV, including the final episode of the first season of "Friday Night Lights," and episodes of the first season of "Bones."