Thursday, June 12

Up at 6 a.m. so Hubbie could get ready to go to a Master Gardener in a town about 30 minutes away. He was to meet a car pool at the Extension Services office around 8 a.m., so he left home shortly after we had breakfast.

I skipped my exercises this morning, because I wanted to get ready to go shopping before predicted rain storms rolled in. Before I went to town, I accompanied Mother to our house, where she went to her jigsaw puzzle.

By 9 a.m., I was ready to head to town. I went first to the farm supply store to pick up a gift card for Mother to give Hubbie for his birthday. At this store, there was only one other customer, and one clerk at the cash register. I stood forever "in line" behind the only customer, a man, while he and the clerk ironed out some problem or other that he was having with merchandise he'd bought previously. Finally, I leaned against a display case and heavily sighed. At this point, the man suggested the clerk wait on me. I must have been invisable before.

From there, I went to the WDCS to pick up a few items, including a birthday card for Mother to give to Hubbie. While I was here, I decided to look at the purses and shoes. I needed a new summer purse, and I found one that I like. I also found a pair of green flats that match the blouse I'll wear to the Summer Celebration tomorrow night.

Then I went to a home improvement store to buy a knockout rose bush for Hubbie's birthday. He's often said he'd like one. I hope I got a nice healthy one. I met a couple of the Master Gardeners...sisters...at this store, and asked their advice on the rose bush. They said it looked good.

While we talked, I said, "You're not at the Master Gardener event?"

One of them said, "Is that today?"

"Yes," I replied.

"Well, then," she said, sarcastically , "I guess we're not there."

The other one quickly added, "We have company coming today, so we couldn't go to the program."

Apparently, these ladies are not southern born, or they would have understood that the way I posed the question did not mean that I couldn't see they hadn't gone to the event, since they were standing right there in front of me. It was my way of saying, "I'm surprised you aren't at the Master Gardener event, since it's a big deal for the organization."

By the time I left this store it was getting close to 11:30, so I came back home to get lunch for Mother and me. It was the usual Ramen noodle soup for Mother, and I had leftovers.

Afterward, Mother went back to her puzzle, and I headed to town again. This time, I went first to the library to pick up a couple of movies. I took back three movies, but two of them were checked out on Hubbie's card, so I could only check out one of the movies I had selected. But the librarian set the other one aside for us to pick up later, when Hubbie returned.

When I left the library, I decided to swing back around and go to the art gallery to see the Small Works on Paper exhibit. Navigating the new street and parking system on two blocks downtown is a bit of a challenge, though, since no one is used to it yet.

The new system has drivers one one lane (used to be two one-way lanes) in a block that now has back in parking spaces, where horizontal ones used to be, then zags to the other lane, on which there is a block of head-in parking spaces.

Street lights are now flashing red...first to arrive, first to go. At the gallery, there are head-in spaces, and when I tried to leave the gallery, there was a large truck with tinted windows parked on my left. I could not see around the back of the truck, and I couldn't see through the windows.

Since there is only one lane on that street, now, my only option was to inch backward, hoping oncoming traffic would see that I was trying to get out of that space. Fortunately, there were no cars close by, so I got out safely. But I wonder how long it will be before there's a fender bender down there.

The art exhibit was interesting. I was struck by a thought-provoking one titled "The Brothers Tsarnaev," which depicted the  bloodied terrorists standing in front of an American flag, with buzzards perched on and pecking at their heads.

A painting of a very realistic looking pink peony in a clear vase was much more pleasing.

From the gallery, I went to the card shop to buy a Father's Day card for Hubbie. Then it was on to a grocery store to get scratch-off tickets as part of Hubbie's birthday gifts.

Arrived back home just as the sky darkened, and it began thundering. The storm passed, though, without dropping much rain...the rain happened later, after Hubbie got back home.

I wasn't in the mood to do much else for the rest of the afternoon other than read newspapers, play on my tablet, watch TV, and doze.

Hubbie returned just after 3 p.m. Later, we had a supper of leftovers, after which Mother was ready to go home. Hubbie accompanied her, and later I went over and put drops in her eyes.

Then Hubbie and I watched movies borrowed from the library. The first one was titled, "Hush," starring Gweneth Paltrow, and Jessica Lange. In this 1998 thriller, a woman tries to get rid of her daughter-in-law, so she can have her son and grandson all to herself.

Then we watched a couple of episodes of the British comedy, "As Time Goes By." The series follows the relationship of a couple of former lovers after not having seen each other in 38 years.