Up around 7:00, so Hubbie could get ready to go to a Master Gardener committee meeting at 9 a.m. I postponed my exercises until after lunch today. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house shortly after breakfast, and we went to the kitchen to prepare food for tomorrow.
Mother diced the potatoes and eggs that I cooked yesterday, and then diced onions, bell pepper, celery, and dill pickles. Meantime, I put a ham in the oven, and boiled macaroni for salad.
By the time we had finished making the salads, it was 11 a.m. The ham was done, too, so I removed it from the oven to cool for slicing. The ham is for Sunday dinner.
After lunch...the regular soup for Mother, and cold meatloaf sandwiches for Hubbie and me, I washed four quarts of strawberries to be sliced and sugared for tomorrow. While Mother and Hubbie worked with the berries, I finally got around to exercising and getting dressed.
This afternoon, Hubbie and I ran a few errands...to the bank, to a grocery store to pick this week's free item (another carton of Greek yogurt, to be given to Nephew); and to the WDCS for last-minute grocery items.
Back home, I sliced the ham, and then relaxed until time to fix supper, which tonight was leftover sauteed potatoes, with fried eggs, ham, toast and jelly, coffee, and fresh orange and prunes for dessert.
Mother was ready to go home shortly afterward, so Hubbie accompanied her. Then he and I watched one-hour shows I'd recorded on DVR. Around 8:30, I went to Mother's house and forcibly put drops in her eyes.
Friday, May 2, 2014
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Thursday, May 1
We are all glad to see the end of April, a month that ended horribly. Today was a chilly start to what should be balmy days. Predictions are for milder weather in the coming days, though.
Up at 7 a.m. to get ready to go to an orthopaedic doctor appointment. Skipped my exercises this morning.
The appointment was for 10 a.m., so we left the house around 9:30. I wore a long-sleeve blouse and a sweater, as well as a padded jacket. It doesn't take long to get to the clinic, but I knew I would be required to fill out paperwork, since I am a new patient of this doctor.
I was required to download and complete a new patient packet on my computer, which I did yesterday, but today the receptionist required my health insurance info and my driver's license. Hubbie thought the best thing to do was to make a copy of all this information yesterday, so that I wouldn't have to present my cards.
No dice, I was still required to present the actual cards. Well, drat it, I'd failed to take the cards out of the copier yesterday, so I didn't have them with me. I felt pretty stupid. But the receptionist said I could bring them on my next appointment (two weeks from now).
I didn't have to wait long to be called to an office, where an employee interviewed me about my health background. I went back to the waiting room after that. The wall decorations in this room feature antique wooden crutches, and a wooden peg leg. Strange.
A few minutes later I was escorted to an exam room to have my blood pressure checked (it's good), and be asked more health questions.
Then I was escorted by a nurse to the x-ray room, where there is a long metal table. "Go to the end of the table," she instructed, as she dragged a chair there. Putting one foot on the chair, I started to hop on the table. "No," she said, "sit in the chair, and put you hand on the table." We both had a good laugh over that, and she assured me I wasn't the first one to do that.
For these x-rays, I had turn the upper part of my hand toward my chest, lay my thumb on the table, and hold back my fingers. Awkward. But she got good clear x-rays on the first try, and then escorted me back to the exam room.
Shortly, the doctor arrived. He looks about 14 years old. He gave me three choices for helping my thumb...take a course of oral steroids for six days, and then return in two weeks; or receive the steroids by needle directly into the joint. Yikes! I hope it doesn't come to that since he was pretty direct in saying it'd hurt like hell. The third option, of course, is surgery, which he assures me would also be very painful. I chose the oral steroids. I pray that'll take care of the problem!!
Back home, it was lunchtime. Mother had her usual lunch, and Hubbie and I had PB&J sandwiches. Afterward, I gathered baked potatoes and an onion for Mother to peel and dice. Then I washed two quarts of strawberries for her to cap and slice for the freezer.
While she was busy with this, Hubbie and I ran errands...to the roadside market to get another flat of strawberries; to the newspaper office to drop off this week's word search puzzle contest; to the post office to mail coupons to Granddaughter; to a pharmacy to pick up the steroid prescription; to the greeting card shop to get a Mother's Day card; to another pharmacy to use a coupon to get two cartons of hair color; and the WDCS for a couple of makeup items and a few groceries.
Back home, Mother was ready for another project, so I washed strawberries for her to slice. Hubbie helped with this project, since my thumb is back in a splint again. I set eggs on to boil for making potato salad. After a while, Hubbie peeled potatoes to boil for the salad.
Later, I sauteed the baked potatoes and onions, and sliced meatloaf for sandwiches. It was a good meal, followed by whole strawberries dipped in powdered sugar (thanks to Sis leaving the sugar here...I'll replace it for her).
I began my course of steroids today, after calling the pharmacy to make sure I understood how to use them. The tablets come in a blister pack, with arrows pointing everywhere instructing how many to take before breakfast, after lunch, after supper, before bedtime.
I thought I'd need to start the course tomorrow morning, but I decided to read the extremely small print stamped in black on the silver foil. I had to use my glasses and a magnifying glass to read it. It stated that I was to take today's dose.. all six tablets...today, no matter what time I had seen my doctor.
The pharmacist informed me that this was right...take all six tablets, either all at one time, or by spreading them out over the rest of the day. So I took the first two after lunch, and second to after supper, and the remaining two at bedtime.
I was warned that the steroids might cause weight gain and sleeplessness...ain't it grand.
Mother was ready to go home after supper, so Hubbie accompanied her. Then he and I watched TV for the evening. I meant to go put drops in Mother's eyes around 8:30, but I forgot until it was nearly 11 p.m. I figured she would be in bed by that time, but her lights were still on, so I hurried over there and took care of it. Too many things to remember around here.
Up at 7 a.m. to get ready to go to an orthopaedic doctor appointment. Skipped my exercises this morning.
The appointment was for 10 a.m., so we left the house around 9:30. I wore a long-sleeve blouse and a sweater, as well as a padded jacket. It doesn't take long to get to the clinic, but I knew I would be required to fill out paperwork, since I am a new patient of this doctor.
I was required to download and complete a new patient packet on my computer, which I did yesterday, but today the receptionist required my health insurance info and my driver's license. Hubbie thought the best thing to do was to make a copy of all this information yesterday, so that I wouldn't have to present my cards.
No dice, I was still required to present the actual cards. Well, drat it, I'd failed to take the cards out of the copier yesterday, so I didn't have them with me. I felt pretty stupid. But the receptionist said I could bring them on my next appointment (two weeks from now).
I didn't have to wait long to be called to an office, where an employee interviewed me about my health background. I went back to the waiting room after that. The wall decorations in this room feature antique wooden crutches, and a wooden peg leg. Strange.
A few minutes later I was escorted to an exam room to have my blood pressure checked (it's good), and be asked more health questions.
Then I was escorted by a nurse to the x-ray room, where there is a long metal table. "Go to the end of the table," she instructed, as she dragged a chair there. Putting one foot on the chair, I started to hop on the table. "No," she said, "sit in the chair, and put you hand on the table." We both had a good laugh over that, and she assured me I wasn't the first one to do that.
For these x-rays, I had turn the upper part of my hand toward my chest, lay my thumb on the table, and hold back my fingers. Awkward. But she got good clear x-rays on the first try, and then escorted me back to the exam room.
Shortly, the doctor arrived. He looks about 14 years old. He gave me three choices for helping my thumb...take a course of oral steroids for six days, and then return in two weeks; or receive the steroids by needle directly into the joint. Yikes! I hope it doesn't come to that since he was pretty direct in saying it'd hurt like hell. The third option, of course, is surgery, which he assures me would also be very painful. I chose the oral steroids. I pray that'll take care of the problem!!
Back home, it was lunchtime. Mother had her usual lunch, and Hubbie and I had PB&J sandwiches. Afterward, I gathered baked potatoes and an onion for Mother to peel and dice. Then I washed two quarts of strawberries for her to cap and slice for the freezer.
While she was busy with this, Hubbie and I ran errands...to the roadside market to get another flat of strawberries; to the newspaper office to drop off this week's word search puzzle contest; to the post office to mail coupons to Granddaughter; to a pharmacy to pick up the steroid prescription; to the greeting card shop to get a Mother's Day card; to another pharmacy to use a coupon to get two cartons of hair color; and the WDCS for a couple of makeup items and a few groceries.
Back home, Mother was ready for another project, so I washed strawberries for her to slice. Hubbie helped with this project, since my thumb is back in a splint again. I set eggs on to boil for making potato salad. After a while, Hubbie peeled potatoes to boil for the salad.
Later, I sauteed the baked potatoes and onions, and sliced meatloaf for sandwiches. It was a good meal, followed by whole strawberries dipped in powdered sugar (thanks to Sis leaving the sugar here...I'll replace it for her).
I began my course of steroids today, after calling the pharmacy to make sure I understood how to use them. The tablets come in a blister pack, with arrows pointing everywhere instructing how many to take before breakfast, after lunch, after supper, before bedtime.
I thought I'd need to start the course tomorrow morning, but I decided to read the extremely small print stamped in black on the silver foil. I had to use my glasses and a magnifying glass to read it. It stated that I was to take today's dose.. all six tablets...today, no matter what time I had seen my doctor.
The pharmacist informed me that this was right...take all six tablets, either all at one time, or by spreading them out over the rest of the day. So I took the first two after lunch, and second to after supper, and the remaining two at bedtime.
I was warned that the steroids might cause weight gain and sleeplessness...ain't it grand.
Mother was ready to go home after supper, so Hubbie accompanied her. Then he and I watched TV for the evening. I meant to go put drops in Mother's eyes around 8:30, but I forgot until it was nearly 11 p.m. I figured she would be in bed by that time, but her lights were still on, so I hurried over there and took care of it. Too many things to remember around here.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Wednesday, April 30
Up at 7:30. I did stair stepping exercises after breakfast, but skipped the resistance and weights. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house around 9:30. Then he put color in my hair in anticipation of a haircut appointment this afternoon.
While the color worked, I washed six quarts of strawberries, which Hubbie and Mother capped and sliced for the freezer. While they were doing this. I went upstairs and got ready for the day.
Didn't do much else after that until lunch time. For lunch, Mother had her usual Ramen noodle soup, and Hubbie and I had scrambled egg substitute, with toast and jelly.
Mother's and my haircut appointments were at 2:15, so we left the house around 1:45. Br-r-r, it was chilly outside. I would have welcomed warmer clothes, but felt silly dressing as though for winter. I did layer shirts, though, and wore a fleece jacket.
We were back home around 3 p.m., and Mother and I put together a meatloaf. Hubbie washed potatoes for baking. At 4 p.m., I put the meal in the oven, and put a couple of quarts of green beans from the freezer into a pan to heat.
The meal was very good. I baked enough potatoes to saute' a few tomorrow to have with meatloaf sandwiches.
Mother was ready to go home afterward, and Hubbie accompanied her. Later, I went to her house to put drops in her eyes. Then Hubbie and I watched the last of season five of "Bones." The DVDs will be ready to go back to the library tomorrow. Hopefully, the next couple of seasons will be available to check out.
We also watched episodes of "Mr. Selfridge," recorded on DVR from the public channel. This series is a period drama about an American man who establishes a department store in London, and the goings-on of his staff. Harry Gordon Selfridge was the actual retail king who established the store, though I'm sure some of the story lines are fiction.
While the color worked, I washed six quarts of strawberries, which Hubbie and Mother capped and sliced for the freezer. While they were doing this. I went upstairs and got ready for the day.
Didn't do much else after that until lunch time. For lunch, Mother had her usual Ramen noodle soup, and Hubbie and I had scrambled egg substitute, with toast and jelly.
Mother's and my haircut appointments were at 2:15, so we left the house around 1:45. Br-r-r, it was chilly outside. I would have welcomed warmer clothes, but felt silly dressing as though for winter. I did layer shirts, though, and wore a fleece jacket.
We were back home around 3 p.m., and Mother and I put together a meatloaf. Hubbie washed potatoes for baking. At 4 p.m., I put the meal in the oven, and put a couple of quarts of green beans from the freezer into a pan to heat.
The meal was very good. I baked enough potatoes to saute' a few tomorrow to have with meatloaf sandwiches.
Mother was ready to go home afterward, and Hubbie accompanied her. Later, I went to her house to put drops in her eyes. Then Hubbie and I watched the last of season five of "Bones." The DVDs will be ready to go back to the library tomorrow. Hopefully, the next couple of seasons will be available to check out.
We also watched episodes of "Mr. Selfridge," recorded on DVR from the public channel. This series is a period drama about an American man who establishes a department store in London, and the goings-on of his staff. Harry Gordon Selfridge was the actual retail king who established the store, though I'm sure some of the story lines are fiction.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Tuesday, April 29
Up around 7:30 this morning, and did stair stepping exercises after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house mid-morning. Before I went upstairs to get ready for the day, Mother and I watched last night's episode of "Dancing With the Stars."
It was around 11:30 a.m. by the time the show ended, so I pulled out lunch stuff...Ramen noodle soup for Mother, leftover chicken noodle soup for me, and pepper jack grilled cheese for Hubbie.
After that, I finally showered and dressed. Didn't do much after that, since I was dressed to go to a retirement reception at 3 p.m. I did catch up on reading newspapers, and I completed the word search puzzle contest.
At 3 p.m., we left home to go to the Extension Service office for the retirement celebration. The ladies did a good job decorating for the event. They also provided a well-laden nibbles table that included finger sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches, veggies and dip, fruit and dip, ham roll-ups, chocolate covered strawberries, and clever red velvet cupcakes with chocolate or white icing that were topped with white or chocolate chess pieces. The chess pieces stood straight up on the cupcakes.
In fact, the table clothes used on the tables featured large black and white checks, representing a chess board. The chess theme was in recognition of the honoree's love of playing chess, and teaching it to children. One of the children he taught went on to win a state championship for junior players.
We left the reception after 4 p.m. and headed to a town about an hour away to have supper and then pick up Mother's eyeglasses at the movie theater. Before we left town, we stopped at a roadside market to pick up a flat of strawberries.
Tonight, Hubbie decided he wanted to eat at a Western Sizzlin' restaurant instead of our usual choice of buffet restaurants. It was a mistake, because the food at this restaurant was far inferior.
Mother wasn't very hungry after eating at the reception, so she only ate potato soup. What she didn't eat, a man weighing close to 500 pounds made up for by filling three plates sky high. He was so heavy that by the time he reached his table, he was gasping for breath. I feared he'd keel over right then and there, but presently he began gorging himself on the food. A friend came with him and loaded a couple of plates from which he ate a normal amount and then passed the plates to his morbidly obese friend.
We were ready to leave around 6:15...and it wasn't too soon for me. Dropped by the theater after that, and Hubbie went in to retrieve Mother's eyeglasses. Headed home then, and arrived around 7:30. Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house.
We watched episodes of "Bones" after that. Tonight, I forgot to administer the eye drops for Mother. By the time I remembered, it was 10:30, and the lights were out at her house. Hope it doesn't make a difference.
It was around 11:30 a.m. by the time the show ended, so I pulled out lunch stuff...Ramen noodle soup for Mother, leftover chicken noodle soup for me, and pepper jack grilled cheese for Hubbie.
After that, I finally showered and dressed. Didn't do much after that, since I was dressed to go to a retirement reception at 3 p.m. I did catch up on reading newspapers, and I completed the word search puzzle contest.
At 3 p.m., we left home to go to the Extension Service office for the retirement celebration. The ladies did a good job decorating for the event. They also provided a well-laden nibbles table that included finger sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches, veggies and dip, fruit and dip, ham roll-ups, chocolate covered strawberries, and clever red velvet cupcakes with chocolate or white icing that were topped with white or chocolate chess pieces. The chess pieces stood straight up on the cupcakes.
In fact, the table clothes used on the tables featured large black and white checks, representing a chess board. The chess theme was in recognition of the honoree's love of playing chess, and teaching it to children. One of the children he taught went on to win a state championship for junior players.
We left the reception after 4 p.m. and headed to a town about an hour away to have supper and then pick up Mother's eyeglasses at the movie theater. Before we left town, we stopped at a roadside market to pick up a flat of strawberries.
Tonight, Hubbie decided he wanted to eat at a Western Sizzlin' restaurant instead of our usual choice of buffet restaurants. It was a mistake, because the food at this restaurant was far inferior.
Mother wasn't very hungry after eating at the reception, so she only ate potato soup. What she didn't eat, a man weighing close to 500 pounds made up for by filling three plates sky high. He was so heavy that by the time he reached his table, he was gasping for breath. I feared he'd keel over right then and there, but presently he began gorging himself on the food. A friend came with him and loaded a couple of plates from which he ate a normal amount and then passed the plates to his morbidly obese friend.
We were ready to leave around 6:15...and it wasn't too soon for me. Dropped by the theater after that, and Hubbie went in to retrieve Mother's eyeglasses. Headed home then, and arrived around 7:30. Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house.
We watched episodes of "Bones" after that. Tonight, I forgot to administer the eye drops for Mother. By the time I remembered, it was 10:30, and the lights were out at her house. Hope it doesn't make a difference.
Monday, April 28
Up around 8:30 this morning. Did stair stepping exercises after breakfast, but skipped resistance bands and weights, because of my thumb. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house mid-morning.
Spent most of the day communicating with family online and reading newspaper stories about the disaster. The magnitude of the destruction and loss of life is difficult to process. It's unimaginable. Today, there was constant reporting on TV about the event. Already, folks in the area are trying to recover, and lots of folks from nearby communities are trying to help. Help is also coming from other states.
Our town was spared from a tornado, but not from torrential rain. It is reported that we received a record number of inches of rain...over seven inches...which is the most since 1918. Flooding caused damage around town, including washing out train tracks, causing a mud slide, tearing up road paving, causing the river to rise, etc. Several people had to be rescued from their cars and homes. Our yard was deep in water, but no other harm came to our property.
Later, we had a supper of leftover chicken noodle soup, with biscuits and honey or jelly. Hubbie accompanied Mother home afterward. Then around 7 p.m., he and I went to the college to attend the sports awards event. This was not something I was particularly interested in, but Hubbie wanted to go in support of his niece, whose husband is the basketball coach.
We arrived at the same time as Niece, Nephew, and Great-Niece, and sat with them at the same table. The president of the college also joined us. The event included desserts and drinks. There was an array of desserts to choose from. I chose cheesecake topped with cherries, and a small portion of a lady fingers dessert with a filling that tasted of chocolate and coffee. It was good, but rich.
Young women's clothing styles are pretty daring these days. Most of the co-eds wore dresses that barely fell below their buttocks. And they wore extremely high heels with the dresses. They had to carefully lower themselves into chairs to keep from exposing themselves. It was more amusing than sexy.
The event dragged on until after 9 p.m., while coaches for men's and women's golf, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's basketball, and baseball talked on and on about their athletes. My eyes glazed over, but I applauded each honoree.
We were ready to go to bed shortly after we returned home. It was an exhausting day.
Spent most of the day communicating with family online and reading newspaper stories about the disaster. The magnitude of the destruction and loss of life is difficult to process. It's unimaginable. Today, there was constant reporting on TV about the event. Already, folks in the area are trying to recover, and lots of folks from nearby communities are trying to help. Help is also coming from other states.
Our town was spared from a tornado, but not from torrential rain. It is reported that we received a record number of inches of rain...over seven inches...which is the most since 1918. Flooding caused damage around town, including washing out train tracks, causing a mud slide, tearing up road paving, causing the river to rise, etc. Several people had to be rescued from their cars and homes. Our yard was deep in water, but no other harm came to our property.
Later, we had a supper of leftover chicken noodle soup, with biscuits and honey or jelly. Hubbie accompanied Mother home afterward. Then around 7 p.m., he and I went to the college to attend the sports awards event. This was not something I was particularly interested in, but Hubbie wanted to go in support of his niece, whose husband is the basketball coach.
We arrived at the same time as Niece, Nephew, and Great-Niece, and sat with them at the same table. The president of the college also joined us. The event included desserts and drinks. There was an array of desserts to choose from. I chose cheesecake topped with cherries, and a small portion of a lady fingers dessert with a filling that tasted of chocolate and coffee. It was good, but rich.
Young women's clothing styles are pretty daring these days. Most of the co-eds wore dresses that barely fell below their buttocks. And they wore extremely high heels with the dresses. They had to carefully lower themselves into chairs to keep from exposing themselves. It was more amusing than sexy.
The event dragged on until after 9 p.m., while coaches for men's and women's golf, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's basketball, and baseball talked on and on about their athletes. My eyes glazed over, but I applauded each honoree.
We were ready to go to bed shortly after we returned home. It was an exhausting day.
Sunday, April 27
We woke this morning to a dark and gloomy day that threatened storms later. Skipped my exercises after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house mid-morning.
Other than washing a couple of loads of clothes, programming the DVR for this week's shows, reading the Sunday newspaper, and making chicken noodle soup for lunch (Mother helped with this), I didn't accomplish much.
One thing we did was search for Mother's eyeglasses. She missed them this morning and couldn't find them in her purse or anywhere in her house. We couldn't find them here or in the van either. I finally decided that she might have lost them at the theater yesterday.
Tried to call the theater, but got an automatic message listing all the movies and the show times, but no live person. So I sent an email through their website. A few hours later, I got a call from the theater manager. He had found the eyeglasses, thank goodness. He agreed to keep them at the theater until we could go down there and get them.
After lunch, we watched TV. The threat of severe weather made us anxious and not in a mood to do anything but keep checking weather reports.
Later in the afternoon, it began thundering and getting darker. Around 5 p.m., Mother insisted on going to her house, even though I felt she should stay here until the weather cleared. Hubbie accompanied her.
Around 7 p.m., TV meteorologists began reporting a tornado touchdown. The massive quarter-mile wide funnel traveled about 80 miles, destroying everything in its path, and killing fifteen people. For a long while, I didn't know if my family was safe. I knew the path of the storm included a town where several of my family live.
After what seemed like forever, I finally learned that all my family was safe, but my granddaughter's nearly completed new house was destroyed. She and her family were inconsolable, of course.
Later, we learned that among the fifteen victims of the storm were two little boys, one of whom was a classmate of my great-granddaughter (her family's home was the new one destroyed).
The tornado cut a path almost exactly through the same place as the one that hit three years ago. The path included the residential area where my son and family live. Since the last storm, he had a storm shelter built. They were there during the tornado.
Just before the tornado hit, one of my granddaughter's went to Son's shelter. Son at first thought the banging on the door was debris hitting the shelter, but then determined it was a person knocking. Granddaughter and her four children joined Son and family, so that there ended up being fourteen in the shelter...a tight squeeze, but adequate to survive the tornado.
Fortunately, the brunt of the storm hit a couple of blocks from Son's house, so his house still stands. But Granddaughter's new house was in its path. That granddaughter and her family were safely sheltered at the school's safe room. This safe room was built after the last tornado. It is intended to protect not only school children, but anyone in the community who needs it.
The town where family live, though, is nearly completely destroyed. It has been reported that 95% of the businesses in the town are gone. One heartbreaking loss of the town was a new school building.
Another small town near this town was also decimated, and there were deaths there, too. Daughter-in-Law works at the school in that town, though that school and the one where family live are closed for now.
I spent all evening monitoring my social network page for news of the storms and family. Around 9 p.m., I went to Mother's house to administer her eye drops. At that time, a meteorologist reported that our area was under a tornado warning. So we insisted that Mother come back to our house, so we could shelter in the pantry, which is the room that is in the very center of our house, and is protected by a staircase.
Mother and I stayed in the pantry until the warning passed, but Hubbie refused to get in there. He just watched the weather and said that if the wind came up, he'd get in the pantry.
Hubbie accompanied Mother home, again, and then we headed to bed. We were so keyed up, though, that we couldn't sleep. It began thundering again, so I turned on the TV. We got a deluge of rain, but no other severe weather. A tornado warning was in effect for east of us, though, in communities where Hubbie's relatives live. So we watched the reports until we were sure the storms had passed that area.
By now it was after 2 a.m. I'm not sure what time we finally fell asleep.
Other than washing a couple of loads of clothes, programming the DVR for this week's shows, reading the Sunday newspaper, and making chicken noodle soup for lunch (Mother helped with this), I didn't accomplish much.
One thing we did was search for Mother's eyeglasses. She missed them this morning and couldn't find them in her purse or anywhere in her house. We couldn't find them here or in the van either. I finally decided that she might have lost them at the theater yesterday.
Tried to call the theater, but got an automatic message listing all the movies and the show times, but no live person. So I sent an email through their website. A few hours later, I got a call from the theater manager. He had found the eyeglasses, thank goodness. He agreed to keep them at the theater until we could go down there and get them.
After lunch, we watched TV. The threat of severe weather made us anxious and not in a mood to do anything but keep checking weather reports.
Later in the afternoon, it began thundering and getting darker. Around 5 p.m., Mother insisted on going to her house, even though I felt she should stay here until the weather cleared. Hubbie accompanied her.
Around 7 p.m., TV meteorologists began reporting a tornado touchdown. The massive quarter-mile wide funnel traveled about 80 miles, destroying everything in its path, and killing fifteen people. For a long while, I didn't know if my family was safe. I knew the path of the storm included a town where several of my family live.
After what seemed like forever, I finally learned that all my family was safe, but my granddaughter's nearly completed new house was destroyed. She and her family were inconsolable, of course.
Later, we learned that among the fifteen victims of the storm were two little boys, one of whom was a classmate of my great-granddaughter (her family's home was the new one destroyed).
The tornado cut a path almost exactly through the same place as the one that hit three years ago. The path included the residential area where my son and family live. Since the last storm, he had a storm shelter built. They were there during the tornado.
Just before the tornado hit, one of my granddaughter's went to Son's shelter. Son at first thought the banging on the door was debris hitting the shelter, but then determined it was a person knocking. Granddaughter and her four children joined Son and family, so that there ended up being fourteen in the shelter...a tight squeeze, but adequate to survive the tornado.
Fortunately, the brunt of the storm hit a couple of blocks from Son's house, so his house still stands. But Granddaughter's new house was in its path. That granddaughter and her family were safely sheltered at the school's safe room. This safe room was built after the last tornado. It is intended to protect not only school children, but anyone in the community who needs it.
The town where family live, though, is nearly completely destroyed. It has been reported that 95% of the businesses in the town are gone. One heartbreaking loss of the town was a new school building.
Another small town near this town was also decimated, and there were deaths there, too. Daughter-in-Law works at the school in that town, though that school and the one where family live are closed for now.
I spent all evening monitoring my social network page for news of the storms and family. Around 9 p.m., I went to Mother's house to administer her eye drops. At that time, a meteorologist reported that our area was under a tornado warning. So we insisted that Mother come back to our house, so we could shelter in the pantry, which is the room that is in the very center of our house, and is protected by a staircase.
Mother and I stayed in the pantry until the warning passed, but Hubbie refused to get in there. He just watched the weather and said that if the wind came up, he'd get in the pantry.
Hubbie accompanied Mother home, again, and then we headed to bed. We were so keyed up, though, that we couldn't sleep. It began thundering again, so I turned on the TV. We got a deluge of rain, but no other severe weather. A tornado warning was in effect for east of us, though, in communities where Hubbie's relatives live. So we watched the reports until we were sure the storms had passed that area.
By now it was after 2 a.m. I'm not sure what time we finally fell asleep.
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