Wednesday, May 7

Up around 7 a.m. and did stair stepping, resistance band, and leg weights exercises after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around 9:30, and then he went to the roadside vendor to pick up a flat of strawberries.

When he returned, I washed the berries, and Mother capped and sliced them for the freezer. While she worked on the berries, I got ready for the day. Back downstairs, I bagged the sliced berries...got five quarts for the freezer, and one for us to eat right away.

It was after 11 a.m. by the time we finished with the berries, so I fixed a package of Ramen noodle soup for Mother's lunch. Hubbie had a ham sandwich, and I opted for a slice of angel food cake, and strawberries dipped in powdered sugar.

Then Mother went to her jigsaw puzzle, and I went outdoors to snap photos of the pretty flowers in the yard. Hubbie spent his morning and part of the afternoon planting the veggie garden.

Later, he changed clothes, and we ran errands. Stopped up the road first, to pick up a bucket of tomatoes from a roadside vendor, then went to the library to pick up a "Bones" DVD that was on hold. Our next stop was a department store, where I shopped while Hubbie went to a grocery pharmacy to pick up a prescription.

At the department store, I bought "buy-one-get-one-free" intimate apparel, and a pair of on-sale white crop pants I spied on a rack in the middle of the aisle. Used a $10 discount certificate I'd gotten in the mail, an online preferred customer $10 award, and a $10 gift card we received for listening to an insurance spiel toward the purchase. Used a gift card received as a Christmas present to complete the purchase.

From there, we went to a dollar store to pick up inexpensive birthday cards for kids. These are mainly for Hubbie to give to stepchildren we seldom see, but have to "gift" for the sake of family peace.

Then it was on to the WDCS for several things, including new lamp shades for the den (which turned out to be too small, so I'll have to return them for a larger size).

Our last stop was the Social Security office to pick up an application for a new Medicare card for Mother, since she has somehow misplaced or lost hers. But, alas, the office was closed. We arrived around 2:30, but a sign on the door states it is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday until 3 p.m., and closes at noon on Wednesday...of course.

Back home, we sat down to watch the President of the United States as he visited the town a recent tornado destroyed...a town where several of our family live. Later, some of the children in the family excitedly posted having seen the President at their school, or having seen him arrive or depart on a helicopter. Other family saw the helicopter fly overhead, too. It's agreed that no matter our politics, a visit from the President is a rare and exciting event.

Supper tonight was leftover beans and ham, sauteed potatoes from last night's baked potatoes, coleslaw, sliced tomatoes, and leftover cornbread and biscuits.

Mother was ready to go home shortly afterward, so Hubbie accompanied her. Then he and I watched "Bones" episodes.