Up at 7:30, and did stair stepping after breakfast, but skipped my weights exercises, because I needed to get in the kitchen and start a soup for later.
Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house, and she chopped veggies for the soup. While we worked in the kitchen, Hubbie vacuumed and did other household things in anticipation of his daughter visiting tomorrow afternoon.
I discovered that before I could start the soup, I needed no-salt diced tomatoes. Seems the last ones Hubbie bought were the full salt kind. Since I also needed pork chops for tomorrow's dinner, Hubbie made a trip to the grocery store. I started the soup as soon as he got back.
At this point, I was still in my exercise clothes, and now it was close to noon. So I fixed lunch...Ramen noodle soup for Mother, and leftover steak, ribs, and chicken from last night's meal at the restaurant for Hubbie and me. Hubbie had the steak and ribs, and I had the chicken. I added chicken and dumplings to the lunch.
Just as we were finishing our meal, we heard a loud boom, like an explosion. Hubbie hurried to the window and saw that there had been an automobile accident. A white car, with air bags deployed, was in the ditch across the road from Mother's house. Hubbie rushed out to see if anyone was injured.
I called 911, but was told that several others had already reported the accident. I went upstairs and changed out of my exercise clothes, grabbed a coat and my camera, and went outside. I saw that there was another car down the road in the ditch. A lot of people were gathered around it, and an ambulance had already arrived.
Someone nearby commented that the driver of that car sustained a lacerated leg, and possibly glass in an eye. We don't know who was at fault in the accident, but it appeared that one of the drivers crossed the center line, and the cars collided on the driver's sides.
Accidents frequently happen because of a curve in the road near our house. It mystifies us why the highway department does not place caution signs and rumble strips at that location.
Back inside after I took several shots of the accident, Mother and I made a double batch of bran muffins to go with the soup.
While the muffins cooled, I finally showered and dressed. Mother was ready to go home around 2:30, since she knew that Hubbie and I planned to go to a basketball game at the college today. Hubbie accompanied her to her house. She took the leftover salmon and sweet potatoes, plus a yeast roll, with her for her supper. She also took a cupcake from the "Red Hot" event to have as a snack later.
Hubbie and I headed to the college around 3 p.m., and arrived a few minutes before the women's game ended. Our women won. The men, however, did not fare as well, and they lost by about 20 points.
Back home afterward, I heated some of the veggie soup and muffins for our supper. It was so comforting on this cold evening. Since it was an hour past our regular supper time, we had healthy appetites.
While we enjoyed our supper, we watched our favorite state college basketball team as they played to a win. I'd recorded the game on DVR, but the last four minutes did not record, drat it. We had to watch the evening news (also recorded) to learn the final score.
After the game, we watched episodes of "Friday Night Lights."
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Friday, February 14, 2014
Friday, Feb. 14
This is Valentine's Day. Happy Valentine's Day to everyone.
Up at 6 a.m. Hubbie and I exchanged Valentines during breakfast, then after breakfast, I got ready for water aerobics. It was cloudy and pretty cool this morning for the trip to the college. I noticed that in the neighborhood near the college, snow/ice lingers on the lawns of houses facing north, while the yards across the street are clear, except for patches of the white stuff that persists on the north side of trees.
The pool was pleasant today, though a bit cooler than it was on Wednesday. Fourteen of us showed up...fourteen on Feb. 14. We were amused when one of the ladies suggested we should form ourselves into the shape of a heart in the pool. We did not do this.
I noticed when I went up to the pool area that another of those concrete tiles had fallen and smashed to the floor. No one left their swim bags on the bench below those tiles, so I didn't either, even though I still think this is a knee-jerk response to the situation. No tiles fell during the aerobics session.
I talked with the lady who is deathly afraid of falling tiles. We discussed our plans for Valentine's Day. She wasn't sure where she and her husband would want to go to dinner. I suggested that the local steak house serves really good talapia. She's not up for talapia, it seems, ever since she learned what it contains (?). Another good reason for her to be afraid, I guess.
Back home after aerobics, I enjoyed a cup of coffee, and relaxed a while. In the meantime, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house, and then he ran a couple of errands. I gave Mother her Valentine, along with a small package of Jelly Belly jelly beans. She gave Hubbie and me a homemade Valentine, which I'll prize because it has her handwriting on it.
Then I showered and dressed to go to the "Red Hot" luncheon. As luck would have it, it started raining just as I was ready to leave the house, so Hubbie drove me to the college where the event was held and dropped me off right at the door, so I wouldn't get wet. Very sweet of him.
As usual at these annual events, it was a sea of red and white decorations, and 300 red-clad women. When I arrived, I was escorted to a table by a man in a tuxedo (several men, called "heart throbs," acted as escorts).
There seemed to be confusion as to which table I was to be seated at, even after I told the ladies who were taking tickets the name of the lady who had reserved our table. They found her name on their list, but thought that at least five ladies had already been seated at the table. Oh, well, the escort should take me to that table anyway and see if it was the correct one.
No, it wasn't...I didn't recognize anyone at that table. But one of the ladies who was supposed to be at our table came and rescued me and led me to the table where she and others were seated. No sooner did we arrive at that table than we were told we were at the wrong table, and we were moved to yet another one. I hadn't been at the event for five minutes, and already I'd been shuttled to three different tables.
They were pretty tables though, covered in white table clothes, with centerpiece vases of carnations, surrounded by cute red and white cupcake boxes. The napkins were red, and the chairs backs were covered, alternately, in red or white.
Each chair held a red tote, containing a photo calendar, an issue of the county's slick magazine (which I already have), a big metal red heart key chain (pretty), a plastic teaspoon/tablespoon wet measure, a pen and notepad, a large plastic heart bag clip, and discount coupons.
In the center of the room, tables were arranged in a t-shape, upon which was a tall vase of red roses. This is where the silent auction items were displayed. I checked out all the items, but even if I'd been of a mind to bid on any of them, I'd forgotten to bring a checkbook or cash. I guess I inadvertently saved myself, because I really didn't need anything I saw in the auction anyway.
Lunch was salad, big fluffy yeast rolls, and a main course of baked peppered chicken breast, with a side of veggie medley...cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots. The meal was served on attractive white square plates. The only beverage was water, but it was served in pretty goblets.
Our servers were teen girls from the two nearby high schools. They were all slim and cute, and clad in fancy short dresses, and high heels. Some shoes and dresses were sparkly. Their youth and good looks provided a contrast to the ladies they were serving, most of whom were old enough to be their grandmothers. But they were very sweet to us, and were eager to please.
The only drawback to the lunch was that no coffee was available. Several ladies asked for it and were disappointed when they learned there was none. If I attend again next year, I'll be tempted to take a pump pot of coffee for our table.
I enjoyed the speaker, a reknown heart specialist, though I was surprised that she didn't address heart issues at all, but rather spoke about things that help keep a heart healthy, like love, passion, and faith. She told an amusing story of a woman who contacted her about intense pain she was experiencing. The doctor reserved a hospital room for her and told her to come right in.
Well, the lady said, she couldn't come right away, because her bowling team was playing in a tournament, and her teammates were depending on her. But she'd come in as soon as the tournament ended. This was an extreme example of passion, and love. Turned out the lady's pain wasn't caused by anything that required hospitalization after all.
Entertainment for the event was a woman who sang two love songs. She is really talented, and we enjoyed her a lot.
The luncheon ended around 1:30, and I called Hubbie to come get me. I first tried his cell phone, but he didn't answer, so I called the landline, and he arrived about ten minutes later.
On the way home, Son called to ask if I'd called him. No, I hadn't. Well, he had a message that I'd called a few minutes ago. Phooey, I must have hit his name instead of Hubbie's on my contact list. Son said he was at the doctor's office, and if I had nothing important to discuss, he needed to hang up. I got the feeling he was a bit irritated with me, but when I contacted Daughter-in-Law, she assured me he wasn't irritated with me...he's just stressed about having to miss work for doctor appointments. Still, I need to be more careful when I'm trying to call someone.
I brought an extra goodie bag home for Mother, as well as three of the boxed cupcakes, since there were extra ones at an unoccupied table. Other ladies at our table did the same thing. Mother loved the goodie bag and cupcake. It was a small compensation for her not feeling up to attending the event. She felt more comfortable staying home and working her jigsaw puzzle.
I didn't accomplish anything for the rest of the afternoon, especially since I stayed in my "Red Hot" outfit...black jeans, black turtleneck shirt, black ankle boots, red jacket, my new heart earrings, two heart pendants on gold chains, and a sparkly bracelet...because we planned to go out for dinner.
Spent the afternoon playing on my tablet and visiting with Mother. We listened and watched the videos of artists who are competing in a contest to find a theme song for our state's tourism council. We chose the one we wanted to vote for, and if I can remember, I'll vote each day until the contest deadline.
Later, we went to the local steak house for supper. We left the house around 4:15, so we could stop by the library and pick up a DVD that was on hold, before we went to the restaurant. Gad, it was windy, which made it bone-chilling cold. I'm so glad it wasn't windy yesterday for the graveside service.
We were at the restaurant by 4:30, and even that early, there were a lot of cars on the parking lot. Fortunately, there was no line inside, and we were seated immediately. Mother ordered baked salmon and baked sweet potato; Hubbie had the steak and shrimp combo; and I opted for mesquite chicken breast and barbecued ribs combo. Salad and rolls came with the meal.
Hubbie and I exchanged foods...shrimp for me, and ribs for Hubbie. There was so much food that none of us could finish it. I especially couldn't eat a lot, since I'd had a big lunch. We brought two take-out boxes of leftovers home with us, which will be our lunch tomorrow.
When we left the restaurant, the foyer was full of folks waiting for tables, and a line of people extended all the way to the sidewalk outside, where they shivered in the wind. This is what comes of having only a few sit-down restaurants in our small town.
Mother was ready to go home as soon as we got back, so Hubbie accompanied her. Then we relaxed in front of TV and watched episodes of "Friday Night Lights."
Up at 6 a.m. Hubbie and I exchanged Valentines during breakfast, then after breakfast, I got ready for water aerobics. It was cloudy and pretty cool this morning for the trip to the college. I noticed that in the neighborhood near the college, snow/ice lingers on the lawns of houses facing north, while the yards across the street are clear, except for patches of the white stuff that persists on the north side of trees.
The pool was pleasant today, though a bit cooler than it was on Wednesday. Fourteen of us showed up...fourteen on Feb. 14. We were amused when one of the ladies suggested we should form ourselves into the shape of a heart in the pool. We did not do this.
I noticed when I went up to the pool area that another of those concrete tiles had fallen and smashed to the floor. No one left their swim bags on the bench below those tiles, so I didn't either, even though I still think this is a knee-jerk response to the situation. No tiles fell during the aerobics session.
I talked with the lady who is deathly afraid of falling tiles. We discussed our plans for Valentine's Day. She wasn't sure where she and her husband would want to go to dinner. I suggested that the local steak house serves really good talapia. She's not up for talapia, it seems, ever since she learned what it contains (?). Another good reason for her to be afraid, I guess.
Back home after aerobics, I enjoyed a cup of coffee, and relaxed a while. In the meantime, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house, and then he ran a couple of errands. I gave Mother her Valentine, along with a small package of Jelly Belly jelly beans. She gave Hubbie and me a homemade Valentine, which I'll prize because it has her handwriting on it.
Then I showered and dressed to go to the "Red Hot" luncheon. As luck would have it, it started raining just as I was ready to leave the house, so Hubbie drove me to the college where the event was held and dropped me off right at the door, so I wouldn't get wet. Very sweet of him.
As usual at these annual events, it was a sea of red and white decorations, and 300 red-clad women. When I arrived, I was escorted to a table by a man in a tuxedo (several men, called "heart throbs," acted as escorts).
There seemed to be confusion as to which table I was to be seated at, even after I told the ladies who were taking tickets the name of the lady who had reserved our table. They found her name on their list, but thought that at least five ladies had already been seated at the table. Oh, well, the escort should take me to that table anyway and see if it was the correct one.
No, it wasn't...I didn't recognize anyone at that table. But one of the ladies who was supposed to be at our table came and rescued me and led me to the table where she and others were seated. No sooner did we arrive at that table than we were told we were at the wrong table, and we were moved to yet another one. I hadn't been at the event for five minutes, and already I'd been shuttled to three different tables.
They were pretty tables though, covered in white table clothes, with centerpiece vases of carnations, surrounded by cute red and white cupcake boxes. The napkins were red, and the chairs backs were covered, alternately, in red or white.
Each chair held a red tote, containing a photo calendar, an issue of the county's slick magazine (which I already have), a big metal red heart key chain (pretty), a plastic teaspoon/tablespoon wet measure, a pen and notepad, a large plastic heart bag clip, and discount coupons.
In the center of the room, tables were arranged in a t-shape, upon which was a tall vase of red roses. This is where the silent auction items were displayed. I checked out all the items, but even if I'd been of a mind to bid on any of them, I'd forgotten to bring a checkbook or cash. I guess I inadvertently saved myself, because I really didn't need anything I saw in the auction anyway.
Lunch was salad, big fluffy yeast rolls, and a main course of baked peppered chicken breast, with a side of veggie medley...cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots. The meal was served on attractive white square plates. The only beverage was water, but it was served in pretty goblets.
Our servers were teen girls from the two nearby high schools. They were all slim and cute, and clad in fancy short dresses, and high heels. Some shoes and dresses were sparkly. Their youth and good looks provided a contrast to the ladies they were serving, most of whom were old enough to be their grandmothers. But they were very sweet to us, and were eager to please.
The only drawback to the lunch was that no coffee was available. Several ladies asked for it and were disappointed when they learned there was none. If I attend again next year, I'll be tempted to take a pump pot of coffee for our table.
I enjoyed the speaker, a reknown heart specialist, though I was surprised that she didn't address heart issues at all, but rather spoke about things that help keep a heart healthy, like love, passion, and faith. She told an amusing story of a woman who contacted her about intense pain she was experiencing. The doctor reserved a hospital room for her and told her to come right in.
Well, the lady said, she couldn't come right away, because her bowling team was playing in a tournament, and her teammates were depending on her. But she'd come in as soon as the tournament ended. This was an extreme example of passion, and love. Turned out the lady's pain wasn't caused by anything that required hospitalization after all.
Entertainment for the event was a woman who sang two love songs. She is really talented, and we enjoyed her a lot.
The luncheon ended around 1:30, and I called Hubbie to come get me. I first tried his cell phone, but he didn't answer, so I called the landline, and he arrived about ten minutes later.
On the way home, Son called to ask if I'd called him. No, I hadn't. Well, he had a message that I'd called a few minutes ago. Phooey, I must have hit his name instead of Hubbie's on my contact list. Son said he was at the doctor's office, and if I had nothing important to discuss, he needed to hang up. I got the feeling he was a bit irritated with me, but when I contacted Daughter-in-Law, she assured me he wasn't irritated with me...he's just stressed about having to miss work for doctor appointments. Still, I need to be more careful when I'm trying to call someone.
I brought an extra goodie bag home for Mother, as well as three of the boxed cupcakes, since there were extra ones at an unoccupied table. Other ladies at our table did the same thing. Mother loved the goodie bag and cupcake. It was a small compensation for her not feeling up to attending the event. She felt more comfortable staying home and working her jigsaw puzzle.
I didn't accomplish anything for the rest of the afternoon, especially since I stayed in my "Red Hot" outfit...black jeans, black turtleneck shirt, black ankle boots, red jacket, my new heart earrings, two heart pendants on gold chains, and a sparkly bracelet...because we planned to go out for dinner.
Spent the afternoon playing on my tablet and visiting with Mother. We listened and watched the videos of artists who are competing in a contest to find a theme song for our state's tourism council. We chose the one we wanted to vote for, and if I can remember, I'll vote each day until the contest deadline.
Later, we went to the local steak house for supper. We left the house around 4:15, so we could stop by the library and pick up a DVD that was on hold, before we went to the restaurant. Gad, it was windy, which made it bone-chilling cold. I'm so glad it wasn't windy yesterday for the graveside service.
We were at the restaurant by 4:30, and even that early, there were a lot of cars on the parking lot. Fortunately, there was no line inside, and we were seated immediately. Mother ordered baked salmon and baked sweet potato; Hubbie had the steak and shrimp combo; and I opted for mesquite chicken breast and barbecued ribs combo. Salad and rolls came with the meal.
Hubbie and I exchanged foods...shrimp for me, and ribs for Hubbie. There was so much food that none of us could finish it. I especially couldn't eat a lot, since I'd had a big lunch. We brought two take-out boxes of leftovers home with us, which will be our lunch tomorrow.
When we left the restaurant, the foyer was full of folks waiting for tables, and a line of people extended all the way to the sidewalk outside, where they shivered in the wind. This is what comes of having only a few sit-down restaurants in our small town.
Mother was ready to go home as soon as we got back, so Hubbie accompanied her. Then we relaxed in front of TV and watched episodes of "Friday Night Lights."
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Thursday, Feb. 13
Today is Grandson's 17th birthday. Happy Birthday, Grandson!
Up at 7 a.m. this morning, but skipped my exercises so I could get ready to go with Hubbie to another town about 30 minutes away to attend the graveside services for Grandson's father.
Before we left around 8:45, we made sure Mother had Ramen noodle soup on hand to heat in the microwave for her lunch.
It was a beautiful day for an outing, though the purpose of the trip was sad. The sun was shining, and the temperature continued to rise. Snow/ice was still very much in evidence in fields, and around homes. But we are hoping most of it will be gone as temps rise in the 50s and 60s this weekend.
We arrived at the cemetery about 9:30 for the 10 a.m. service. Soon other family and friends arrived, and folks visited before the service began. Today, Grandson's three-year-old daughter was in attendance. She is a very energetic child, who ran and played in the cemetery throughout the service. Before the service started. she managed to run up to the casket and push a button that lowered the casket slightly, whereupon someone scrambled to remove her from the tent. She wasn't always quiet during the service, either, but everyone was tolerant. The service was fairly short, and after visiting for a while afterward, we headed home.
We noticed as we passed by the lake at the city park that a flock of small birds seemed to be either walking on water, or on a thin layer of ice on the lake. I'm curious about what species of bird they are, but I'd need to take a close-up photo of them to do research.
On the road, driving past icy fields near the coal-fired power plant, hundreds of snow geese flew overhead, looking for a place to roost in overnight, I suppose. I'd like to go back to the fields to photograph them.
I didn't have a lunch plan for home, so we decided to go to the local Italian restaurant, where we had spinach quiche, and fruit salad, along with bread sticks and marinara sauce.
At home, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house, where she worked on her jigsaw puzzle, while Hubbie and I ran errands.
Went first to the library to return movies and borrow three more; to the newspaper office to drop off this week's word search puzzle contest; to a grocery store to pick up a few food items; and to a department store, where Hubbie took advantage of a 20% off offer to buy me a pair of heart earrings for Valentine's Day. I'll wear the earrings, along with a couple of heart pendants, to the luncheon event tomorrow at the college down the road.
Back home again, we were ready to relax for a while. Later, I heated leftover chicken and dumplings, and mashed potatoes, to which I added a dish of English peas, for supper.
Mother was ready to go home immediately afterward, so Hubbie accompanied her. Then we watched the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. We followed that with trying to watch our favorite college basketball team, but the cable kept cutting out. When it finally did return and stay on, I discovered that unbeknownst to me the game had been switched from ESPN2 to ESPN. So it wasn't recorded on the DVR after all. Rats.
So we decided to watch one of the DVDs we borrowed from the library...the first season of "Saturday Night Lights." Hubbie wanted to try this series to see if we'd like it. It revolves around a small Texas town and its high school football team.
Up at 7 a.m. this morning, but skipped my exercises so I could get ready to go with Hubbie to another town about 30 minutes away to attend the graveside services for Grandson's father.
Before we left around 8:45, we made sure Mother had Ramen noodle soup on hand to heat in the microwave for her lunch.
It was a beautiful day for an outing, though the purpose of the trip was sad. The sun was shining, and the temperature continued to rise. Snow/ice was still very much in evidence in fields, and around homes. But we are hoping most of it will be gone as temps rise in the 50s and 60s this weekend.
We arrived at the cemetery about 9:30 for the 10 a.m. service. Soon other family and friends arrived, and folks visited before the service began. Today, Grandson's three-year-old daughter was in attendance. She is a very energetic child, who ran and played in the cemetery throughout the service. Before the service started. she managed to run up to the casket and push a button that lowered the casket slightly, whereupon someone scrambled to remove her from the tent. She wasn't always quiet during the service, either, but everyone was tolerant. The service was fairly short, and after visiting for a while afterward, we headed home.
We noticed as we passed by the lake at the city park that a flock of small birds seemed to be either walking on water, or on a thin layer of ice on the lake. I'm curious about what species of bird they are, but I'd need to take a close-up photo of them to do research.
On the road, driving past icy fields near the coal-fired power plant, hundreds of snow geese flew overhead, looking for a place to roost in overnight, I suppose. I'd like to go back to the fields to photograph them.
I didn't have a lunch plan for home, so we decided to go to the local Italian restaurant, where we had spinach quiche, and fruit salad, along with bread sticks and marinara sauce.
At home, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house, where she worked on her jigsaw puzzle, while Hubbie and I ran errands.
Went first to the library to return movies and borrow three more; to the newspaper office to drop off this week's word search puzzle contest; to a grocery store to pick up a few food items; and to a department store, where Hubbie took advantage of a 20% off offer to buy me a pair of heart earrings for Valentine's Day. I'll wear the earrings, along with a couple of heart pendants, to the luncheon event tomorrow at the college down the road.
Back home again, we were ready to relax for a while. Later, I heated leftover chicken and dumplings, and mashed potatoes, to which I added a dish of English peas, for supper.
Mother was ready to go home immediately afterward, so Hubbie accompanied her. Then we watched the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. We followed that with trying to watch our favorite college basketball team, but the cable kept cutting out. When it finally did return and stay on, I discovered that unbeknownst to me the game had been switched from ESPN2 to ESPN. So it wasn't recorded on the DVR after all. Rats.
So we decided to watch one of the DVDs we borrowed from the library...the first season of "Saturday Night Lights." Hubbie wanted to try this series to see if we'd like it. It revolves around a small Texas town and its high school football team.
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Wednesday, Feb. 12
Up at 6 a.m. this morning, so I could get ready to go to water aerobics. Br-r-r...chilly morning for the walk to the gym, but the water in the pool was deliciously warm. Fifteen of us showed up today. The pool was equally warm on Monday, but only six showed up that day. Guess others were like me...couldn't face getting out in the cold and then facing a possibly cold pool.
Something strange happened during aerobics...one of the foot square blocks that decorate the walls suddenly fell within inches of the lifeguard. Startled the heck out us ladies, though the lifeguard didn't even flinch, maybe because he was wearing ear buds.
One of the ladies, who seems to be afraid of absolutely everything, has decided to never again leave her swim bag on the bench below those concrete blocks, but will move to a bench with no wall of blocks. She couldn't get over how that block dropped, and talked about it endlessly during aerobics.
This is a lady who professes to be strong in her religious faith, but I don't see how that squares with unreasonable fear. Despite this quirk of her personality, I like the lady, and we enjoy visiting during pool time. And we keep each other posted about aerobics when one of us has to be away.
Back home after aerobics, I warmed up with a cup of coffee, and then headed to the shower. I like to loll around for a while before I get ready for the day, but today I needed to hem a pair of black jeans I bought recently.
It takes longer to accomplish a hemming job when there is no one available to pin up the hem. Mother used to do that, but she's no longer able to. The last time I needed help, Sis was here. But today, I was on my own.
I started by measuring the inseam of a pair of jeans that were already hemmed, then used that measurement as a starting point in turning up the hems of the new pair. I thought I'd need to trim a lot more off the jeans legs, but after washing them, and letting them hang to dry and shrink, there was only about three inches to deal with. I measured, tried on, then measured and tried on again, and finally arrived at the correct length. In about an hour, the jeans were hemmed.
It was near noon by now, so Hubbie heated Ramen noodle soup and took it to Mother, then made grilled cheese sandwiches for our lunch.
We relaxed for the afternoon, read novels on our e-readers, and caught up on reading newspapers. Around 4:30, I went to visit with Mother for a few minutes, and then Hubbie and I headed to another town about an hour and half away to attend a visitation for Hubbie's ex-son-in-law.
It was cold today, though the sun was out. So snow melting has begun. Along the route to the other town, the fields are still frozen. The sun positively glared off some of them. Other fields, plowed into rows, looked strange with snow topping only the row ridges. Along the ditches, large dollops of snow looked like meringue. Toward dusk, glazed fields seemed to meld seamlessly with a horizon of blue/gray sky.
At the church, about 50 people attended the visitation, mostly from Hubbie's side of the family. The deceased had very little family...only a wife, two children, and a couple of stepchildren. A few of his friends, as well as folks from the church, attended. Grandson is taking his father's death very hard, naturally, and my heart goes out to him.
The visitation included a meal in the fellowship hall. Ladies from the church provided a buffet of barbecue on buns, assorted chips, baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad, and cheesy potato dish, as well as desserts...two kinds of cake ...lemon and orange....brownies, chocolate chip cookies, and a wonderful, hot, peach cobbler. Coffee, soft drinks, and water were the available beverages.
We stayed at the visitation for a couple of hours. After we viewed the slide show in the chapel, we were ready to head back home. This had been an opportunity for Hubbie to visit with family, even though it was a sad occasion. Tomorrow, we will attend graveside services, which will occur in a town about 30 miles away.
On the way home, I called Mother to make sure she was okay. She was fine, and remarked that she'd enjoyed her supper of chicken and dumplings, mashed potatoes, and veggies, which she heated in the microwave.
We spent the rest of the evening watching a couple of one-hour shows on TV, then headed to bed.
Something strange happened during aerobics...one of the foot square blocks that decorate the walls suddenly fell within inches of the lifeguard. Startled the heck out us ladies, though the lifeguard didn't even flinch, maybe because he was wearing ear buds.
One of the ladies, who seems to be afraid of absolutely everything, has decided to never again leave her swim bag on the bench below those concrete blocks, but will move to a bench with no wall of blocks. She couldn't get over how that block dropped, and talked about it endlessly during aerobics.
This is a lady who professes to be strong in her religious faith, but I don't see how that squares with unreasonable fear. Despite this quirk of her personality, I like the lady, and we enjoy visiting during pool time. And we keep each other posted about aerobics when one of us has to be away.
Back home after aerobics, I warmed up with a cup of coffee, and then headed to the shower. I like to loll around for a while before I get ready for the day, but today I needed to hem a pair of black jeans I bought recently.
It takes longer to accomplish a hemming job when there is no one available to pin up the hem. Mother used to do that, but she's no longer able to. The last time I needed help, Sis was here. But today, I was on my own.
I started by measuring the inseam of a pair of jeans that were already hemmed, then used that measurement as a starting point in turning up the hems of the new pair. I thought I'd need to trim a lot more off the jeans legs, but after washing them, and letting them hang to dry and shrink, there was only about three inches to deal with. I measured, tried on, then measured and tried on again, and finally arrived at the correct length. In about an hour, the jeans were hemmed.
It was near noon by now, so Hubbie heated Ramen noodle soup and took it to Mother, then made grilled cheese sandwiches for our lunch.
We relaxed for the afternoon, read novels on our e-readers, and caught up on reading newspapers. Around 4:30, I went to visit with Mother for a few minutes, and then Hubbie and I headed to another town about an hour and half away to attend a visitation for Hubbie's ex-son-in-law.
It was cold today, though the sun was out. So snow melting has begun. Along the route to the other town, the fields are still frozen. The sun positively glared off some of them. Other fields, plowed into rows, looked strange with snow topping only the row ridges. Along the ditches, large dollops of snow looked like meringue. Toward dusk, glazed fields seemed to meld seamlessly with a horizon of blue/gray sky.
At the church, about 50 people attended the visitation, mostly from Hubbie's side of the family. The deceased had very little family...only a wife, two children, and a couple of stepchildren. A few of his friends, as well as folks from the church, attended. Grandson is taking his father's death very hard, naturally, and my heart goes out to him.
The visitation included a meal in the fellowship hall. Ladies from the church provided a buffet of barbecue on buns, assorted chips, baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad, and cheesy potato dish, as well as desserts...two kinds of cake ...lemon and orange....brownies, chocolate chip cookies, and a wonderful, hot, peach cobbler. Coffee, soft drinks, and water were the available beverages.
We stayed at the visitation for a couple of hours. After we viewed the slide show in the chapel, we were ready to head back home. This had been an opportunity for Hubbie to visit with family, even though it was a sad occasion. Tomorrow, we will attend graveside services, which will occur in a town about 30 miles away.
On the way home, I called Mother to make sure she was okay. She was fine, and remarked that she'd enjoyed her supper of chicken and dumplings, mashed potatoes, and veggies, which she heated in the microwave.
We spent the rest of the evening watching a couple of one-hour shows on TV, then headed to bed.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Tuesday, Feb. 11
Up at 7:30, and did stair stepping, resistance band, and weights exercises after breakfast. Once I was ready for the day, I didn't accomplish much before noon, except washing the two new pairs of jeans I bought recently. I want to make sure they shrink all they are going to before I hem them. They're several inches too long. I would have bought the jeans in short, but naturally the store here didn't have any.
Hubbie checked on Mother about 9:30. She opted not to come over today, since the path between our houses is a combination of snow/ice and mud.
The snow/ice began melting today, when the sun finally came out, but it still has a long way to go. I decided to take a few snapshots of the snow to upload to my social network page, since the counties south of us, where family live, seem to be clear of snow now.
Weather predictions last night were for a band of snow across the central counties this morning, but it did not materialize. Adults in the family were pleased, but the kids were very unhappy, since they thought they would have another day out of school.
We saw that Mother had lunch...the remainder of the salmon chowder. Hubbie and I had the rest of the leftover spaghetti. Afterward, he diced veggies...carrots, celery, and onions....that I added to chicken broth, along with the leftover rotisserie chicken.
Later, I made a double batch of dumplings that I cooked in the broth. Hubbie peeled potatoes, and I cooked and mashed those. When the meal was done, we took it over to Mother's house. We had the chicken and dumplings and mashed potatoes with black eyed peas and whole kernel corn that Hubbie had taken over to Mother's house earlier and put in the oven to heat.
After supper, I left helpings of the meal in Mother's refrigerator, which she can heat in the microwave while we are gone to a visitation for Hubbie's former son-in-law, who died a few days ago. We have arranged for a neighbor to check on her if for some reason we can't reach her by phone while we're gone.
This evening, we watched the romantic comedy, "Crazy, Stupid, Love," starring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, and Julianne Moore. We borrowed this PG-13 movie from the library. It's a so-so bit of movie romance fluff, with some laugh-out-loud parts.
Hubbie checked on Mother about 9:30. She opted not to come over today, since the path between our houses is a combination of snow/ice and mud.
The snow/ice began melting today, when the sun finally came out, but it still has a long way to go. I decided to take a few snapshots of the snow to upload to my social network page, since the counties south of us, where family live, seem to be clear of snow now.
Weather predictions last night were for a band of snow across the central counties this morning, but it did not materialize. Adults in the family were pleased, but the kids were very unhappy, since they thought they would have another day out of school.
We saw that Mother had lunch...the remainder of the salmon chowder. Hubbie and I had the rest of the leftover spaghetti. Afterward, he diced veggies...carrots, celery, and onions....that I added to chicken broth, along with the leftover rotisserie chicken.
Later, I made a double batch of dumplings that I cooked in the broth. Hubbie peeled potatoes, and I cooked and mashed those. When the meal was done, we took it over to Mother's house. We had the chicken and dumplings and mashed potatoes with black eyed peas and whole kernel corn that Hubbie had taken over to Mother's house earlier and put in the oven to heat.
After supper, I left helpings of the meal in Mother's refrigerator, which she can heat in the microwave while we are gone to a visitation for Hubbie's former son-in-law, who died a few days ago. We have arranged for a neighbor to check on her if for some reason we can't reach her by phone while we're gone.
This evening, we watched the romantic comedy, "Crazy, Stupid, Love," starring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, and Julianne Moore. We borrowed this PG-13 movie from the library. It's a so-so bit of movie romance fluff, with some laugh-out-loud parts.
Monday, February 10, 2014
Monday, Feb. 10
Today is Great-Grandson's fourth birthday. Happy Birthday, Great-Grandson!
Also, today, Daughter-in-Law underwent a liver biopsy, and came through it just fine. We are anxious to learn the results in a few days.
We were up at 6 a.m. this morning, so I could get ready to go to water aerobics. But around the time I needed to leave the house, I decided I didn't want to go after all. The ground is still covered in snow, the temperature has not moderated, and I dreaded that the pool would be cold. Couldn't face it, so I stayed home and did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises after breakfast.
Hubbie checked on Mother, and I was surprised when he returned and Mother was with him. I guess she was determined to come over and work on her jigsaw puzzle.
Once I was ready for the day, I did this and that around the house, while Hubbie ran errands. For lunch, we ate most of the rest of the salmon chowder...there's enough left for Mother's lunch tomorrow.
After lunch, Mother returned to her puzzle, and I made a couple of birthday cards. You'd think I could make two cards in a short time, but it took the better part of the afternoon to dream up designs, gather the necessary supplies, and then make the cards. I didn't have anything important planned for today, anyway, and the project was fun.
When I finished the cards, I cleared away all the stuff for scrapbooking and card making, which has been scattered in the living room for a couple of weeks. It sure would be nice to have a special space for this hobby, so I wouldn't have to drag everything out for projects, and then have put it all away afterward.
Later for supper, we had leftover spaghetti, black eyed peas, cottage cheese, and individual salads. Mother was ready to go home afterward, so Hubbie accompanied her.
We spent the rest of the evening watching TV, including the DVD movie, "The Impossible," borrowed from the library. This tense film is about the 2004 tsunami in Thailand. It follows the true story of a family of five on vacation, who become separated when an enormous wave washes over the resort where they are staying, and their search to find one another in the aftermath.
We followed that with an episode of "Downton Abbey." News and bed after that. Fortunate for us in this part of the state, it looks like predictions for snow are for the central and south counties this time, though there might be a smattering up here.
******************************************
Bad news: Hubbie got a call from his daughter tonight reporting that his grandson's father (ex-husband of his other daughter) was found dead today. We don't know any other details right now, but our hearts are with Grandson.
Also, today, Daughter-in-Law underwent a liver biopsy, and came through it just fine. We are anxious to learn the results in a few days.
We were up at 6 a.m. this morning, so I could get ready to go to water aerobics. But around the time I needed to leave the house, I decided I didn't want to go after all. The ground is still covered in snow, the temperature has not moderated, and I dreaded that the pool would be cold. Couldn't face it, so I stayed home and did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises after breakfast.
Hubbie checked on Mother, and I was surprised when he returned and Mother was with him. I guess she was determined to come over and work on her jigsaw puzzle.
Once I was ready for the day, I did this and that around the house, while Hubbie ran errands. For lunch, we ate most of the rest of the salmon chowder...there's enough left for Mother's lunch tomorrow.
After lunch, Mother returned to her puzzle, and I made a couple of birthday cards. You'd think I could make two cards in a short time, but it took the better part of the afternoon to dream up designs, gather the necessary supplies, and then make the cards. I didn't have anything important planned for today, anyway, and the project was fun.
When I finished the cards, I cleared away all the stuff for scrapbooking and card making, which has been scattered in the living room for a couple of weeks. It sure would be nice to have a special space for this hobby, so I wouldn't have to drag everything out for projects, and then have put it all away afterward.
Later for supper, we had leftover spaghetti, black eyed peas, cottage cheese, and individual salads. Mother was ready to go home afterward, so Hubbie accompanied her.
We spent the rest of the evening watching TV, including the DVD movie, "The Impossible," borrowed from the library. This tense film is about the 2004 tsunami in Thailand. It follows the true story of a family of five on vacation, who become separated when an enormous wave washes over the resort where they are staying, and their search to find one another in the aftermath.
We followed that with an episode of "Downton Abbey." News and bed after that. Fortunate for us in this part of the state, it looks like predictions for snow are for the central and south counties this time, though there might be a smattering up here.
******************************************
Bad news: Hubbie got a call from his daughter tonight reporting that his grandson's father (ex-husband of his other daughter) was found dead today. We don't know any other details right now, but our hearts are with Grandson.
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Sunday, Feb. 9
Up at 7:30, but skipped my exercises, as usual on Sunday. Still cold this morning, but temps rose as the day went on, so melting has begun...probably just in time for another round of wintry weather.
After breakfast, Hubbie checked on Mother, and she opted to come over to our house for the day. We didn't do anything special...watched TV mostly, including the last episode of "The Wind at my Back," on a DVD borrowed from the library, followed by another episode of "When Calls the Heart," from the Hallmark Channel. Finished by watching last night's episode of the Winter Olympics, featuring snowboarding, and figure skating.
In between watching TV, we had a lunch of rotisserie chicken that Hubbie fetched from the WDCS, with baked potatoes, black eyed peas, and Sis's homemade bread. The potatoes baked, and the black eyed peas simmered while we watched the movie from the library. We watched the other shows after lunch.
While we lazed in front of TV, I threw a couple of loads of laundry in the machine, and Mother clipped coupons for Granddaughter.
Around 4 p.m., Mother was ready to head back to her house, so Hubbie accompanied her. It'll depend on how soon predicted wintry weather arrives tomorrow whether she will be able to come over again tomorrow or not.
If the roads remain clear in the morning, I might venture out to water aerobics.
After breakfast, Hubbie checked on Mother, and she opted to come over to our house for the day. We didn't do anything special...watched TV mostly, including the last episode of "The Wind at my Back," on a DVD borrowed from the library, followed by another episode of "When Calls the Heart," from the Hallmark Channel. Finished by watching last night's episode of the Winter Olympics, featuring snowboarding, and figure skating.
In between watching TV, we had a lunch of rotisserie chicken that Hubbie fetched from the WDCS, with baked potatoes, black eyed peas, and Sis's homemade bread. The potatoes baked, and the black eyed peas simmered while we watched the movie from the library. We watched the other shows after lunch.
While we lazed in front of TV, I threw a couple of loads of laundry in the machine, and Mother clipped coupons for Granddaughter.
Around 4 p.m., Mother was ready to head back to her house, so Hubbie accompanied her. It'll depend on how soon predicted wintry weather arrives tomorrow whether she will be able to come over again tomorrow or not.
If the roads remain clear in the morning, I might venture out to water aerobics.
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