Wednesday, April 23

Up around 7:30. Skipped going to water aerobics, since my thumb is still really bothering me and I didn't want to try getting into my swimsuit. Instead, I did stair stepping and skipped my resistance band and weights.

Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around 9:30, and we put together a casserole using leftover scalloped potatoes, slow cooker chicken, a can of whole kernel corn, Monterey Jack cheese, and a recipe of freshly made gravy from chicken broth. Topped the casserole with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Then I put the casserole in the fridge to be baked later for supper.

Called the doctor to make an appointment before I got ready for the day. I decided my thumb needed to be checked again, since wearing the splint and taking daily pain meds for inflammation did absolutely nothing to alleviate the problem. My appointment was scheduled for 3 p.m.

Spent the rest of the morning doing this and that until lunchtime. Couldn't think of anything to have for lunch, so Hubbie and I had PB&J sandwiches, while Mother had her usual Ramen noodle soup.

After lunch, Mother went to her jigsaw puzzle, Hubbie went out to work in the yard, and I read magazines and newspapers. Hubbie came in later with the mail, which contained an envelope for Mother and me. It was a black and white photo of the two of us taken at the museum a couple of weeks ago.

We visited the museum to attend a program about a couple that traveled the river between towns in our area taking photographs in the early 1900s. They lived on a houseboat that featured not only living space, but a photo studio and a darkroom.

There is a fascinating exhibit of the couples' photographs on exhibit at the museum. There is also a corner that simulates the photo studio on the houseboat. The original background and a wicker chair are there, and on the day of the program, a photographer was snapping shots of anyone who wanted to pose there.

Mother and I took advantage of it. However, the intention was for folks to view there snapshots on the digital camera screen, but no print copies of the photos were offered. But the museum director spotted our photo at the website of the folks who mounted the exhibit. She liked it and decided to print it and send it to us.

I'm glad, because it is a pleasing photo that I plan to use in a scrapbook page. I shared the snapshot on my social network page.

Around 2:30, I headed to the doctor's office. Across town on a side street, traffic was stopped while a swarm of police rushed into a house, brought out a young man, handcuffed, and put him in a police car (there were five police cars there).

I was sort of surprised that no police directed traffic during this incident. So after a few minutes, we began to cautiously direct ourselves around the police cars. In cases like this, folks don't know if the police want them to stay put, or try to move on. We just took our chances and moved on, taking turns in the one open lane.

At the clinic, the doctor examined my thumb and declared I needed to be referred to an orthopedic surgeon. An appointment has been scheduled for May 1. I'm not looking forward to it. The doctor also decided I need a bone screening, since I haven't had one in seven years.

I suppose my thumb problem sent up a red flag that I could have osteoporosis, especially since Mother has it, I'm Caucasian, and I'm an older woman. So that test is scheduled for May 6.

I'm falling apart at the seams.

Before I left for my appointment, I asked Hubbie to put the casserole in the oven, which he did. It was baking when I returned home around 4 p.m.

The casserole was pretty tasty for supper. I didn't serve anything with it but slices of rye bread. But it was hearty enough to suffice for a full meal.

As soon as we cleared away the dishes, we headed to a local church fellowship hall downtown to attend a charity bingo event for the Literacy Council.

The event was from 6 to 8 p.m. There were fifteen games... including six regular ones, four postage stamp ones (fill in four numbers in any of the four corners), two picture frame ones (fill in all the numbers around the edge of the card), two letter "L" (all the numbers down the "B", and across the bottom of the card, representing the word "Literacy"), and one cover-all.

Hubbie won one of the "L" games, and received a prize of $25, a free car wash, and a bunch of candy in a gift bag. Mother and I got within one number of winning a couple of time, but in two games, I got absolutely no numbers. I jokingly asked the Literacy Council director if there was a booby prize for someone who got no numbers. Nope, no prize.

It was a fun evening. Afterward, we stopped by a local ice cream/fast food restaurant that was offering free soft serve ice cream cones in celebration of a re-grand opening following renovations. I chose chocolate ice cream dipped in hot chocolate sauce for both Mother and me, and Hubbie chose plain vanilla. I can't remember the last time I had a dipped cone, and it was really delicious.

At home, I accompanied Mother to her house and pried her eyes open for drops. Back at our house, Hubbie and I watched episodes of "Bones."

The weather was glorious again today, and except for the doctor appointment, it was a very good day.