Up at 7:30, and did stair stepping, resistance band, and leg weights after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house mid-morning, and we headed to the kitchen to make a batch of pineapple jam.
The reason we wanted to make the jam was because we had an oversupply of pineapple after buying a couple of them at 99 cents each. Usually, we can quickly eat this much of the fruit, but since strawberry season is in full swing, we have been enjoying those.
I found a recipe online at the Sure Jell site that calls for four and a half cups of pineapple, cut into small pieces, and five and a half cups of sugar, along with the pectin, and half a teaspoon of butter. Mother cut up the pineapple and measured the sugar, while I gathered everything we needed for jelly making. Then I cooked the jam, Mother ladled it into jars, and I sealed the jars and processed them. We got five half pints of product.
After that, Mother headed to her jigsaw puzzle, and I went upstairs to shower and dress. While I did this, Hubbie took the van to the auto shop to have freon put in the air conditioner. The air conditioner was operating, but not at full capacity. In the south, we need all the cooling power in our cars that we can get.
When he returned, we had a lunch of leftover chili-mac, with cottage cheese, and bread and butter. Mother went back to her puzzle, and Hubbie and I ran errands...first to the auto shop so Hubbie could get an air tank filled.
Then we went to the library to return two seasons of "Bones," and pick up season 8. But that DVD was out, so we put a hold on it. That will end the series that will be available at the library, since season 9 has not been released yet. However, a library staff member suggested I go to On Demand on my TV, because it is available there.
From the library we went to the WDCS for a few items, and to take back the lamp shades we bought a couple of days ago, because they were too small for our den lamps. Hubbie had misplaced the receipt, but we had no trouble returning them for a larger size.
As it happened there were only two shades on the shelf in a size we could use, and when we got them back home and put them on the lamps, we discovered one of them was damaged on the inside...a thing that only showed when the light was on. So we will have to take that one back. I guess I'll just keep the old one on the end table lamp, since it doesn't show wear like the floor lamp one did.
Stopped by a cafe' after that to pick up a quart of chicken salad for the weekend, and then headed home.
Relaxed for a while, and then Mother and I put together a breakfast casserole for supper. She diced onions, bell pepper, and mushrooms, which I sauteed. Then we layered leftover sauteed potatoes, ham, the sauteed veggies, egg substitute, crumbled biscuits, and shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Served the dish with more biscuits and jelly, and fresh orange and prunes on the side. Cups of hot coffee finished the meal.
Shortly after supper, Daughter called to ask if it was okay if she brings a couple of my great-granddaughter with her for the weekend. Of course, I don't. But I'm glad she alerted me, so I could make a quick run to the store again to get a few more things for meals.
Hubbie and I went together to the WDCS, but before we went, Hubbie accompanied Mother to her house, and then called our neighbors, who live in the house behind us. He needed to alert the neighbor that there is a dead armadillo in his backyard.
It has been there a couple of days and is getting really ripe. I don't see how the neighbor could not have known this, but apparently he did not. Anyway, he said he will go out and bury it in the morning. Fortunately, the odor has not yet invaded our house, but it sure does stink outside.
When we returned from our errand, we watched TV for a while, until it was time for me to go put drops in Mother's eyes, around 9 p.m. Finished the evening with more TV.
Friday, May 9, 2014
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Thursday, May 8
Up at 7 a.m., but skipped my exercises after breakfast, since I knew I'd be hiking up and down a hill during a tour of a local resident's yard.
While I got ready for the day, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house. She was dressed to get in the kitchen and help make jelly, but when I told her that plans had changed, and I would be going on a garden tour, she went to her jigsaw puzzle.
Hubbie attended a 10 a.m. Master Gardener meeting this morning, so he drove the truck, so I could have the van.
I left the house around 10:45 to go to the host's home. I arrived first, but before long other's began arriving. When Hubbie got there, he said he'd tried to call me three times. I told him I hadn't heard my cell phone ring. I felt foolish when later, at lunch, I remembered that I hadn't even thought to bring my cell phone with me. It was still in my purse at home. No wonder I didn't hear it ring.
He'd called to let me know he'd invited Niece and Great-Niece to join us on the tour. When she arrived, we began the tour. I didn't stay with the group, since they lagged behind discussing the various plants. I wanted to snap photographs unhampered by a mash of people.
Following the tour, Niece joined us in having lunch at a local Italian restaurant. Hubbie and I opted for spinach quiche for our meal, but Niece ordered spaghetti and meatballs, since she knew Great-Niece would love it. And she did. She ate heartily for a two-year-old.
After lunch, we all came back to our house, so Niece and baby could tour our yard. Soon, though, the baby began getting tired and ready for a nap, so Niece went home.
Hubbie spent a while in the yard, planting zinnias before the rain began. While he did that, I went to the Social Security office to see about an application for a new Medicare card for Mother.
Just inside the door of the SS office, a security guard is stationed. He directed me to a computer to sign in and receive a number. Got my number (90) and sat down to wait. Five numbers were ahead of me...a couple registering their child for a Social Security number, a man beginning the process for getting disability payments (he was a roofer, who had obviously sustained an injury), a teenager registering for a Social Security card, and someone get their card replaced.
While I waited my turn, a couple of young men came in. The security guard hopped up and approached one of them about a "weapon" he was carrying...looked like a sheathed knife to me, but it could have been some sort of tool he worked with. The young man was super apologetic and hastened out to take the implement to his vehicle.
Once it was my turn at the window, it only took a minute to get the info I needed. I wanted to know if I needed to pick up an application, or what, for getting a new card for Mother. The lady at the window said that if I'd had her Social Security number with me, she could have just looked it up and sent a card. But since I didn't, she said to just call the office after I got home, and the matter could be easily handled.
Back home, Mother gave me her number, and I tried to call the SS office. But the phone book near the land line is out of date, so when I tried the number listed there, I was told it was no longer in service. So I went up to the office to look in a new book.
That number worked, but I had to listen for five minutes to a menu of messages about what I could access by phone by simply pressing the correct number. Finally, one of the menu items included a live person, and he was very helpful. So Mother's card should arrive in about two or three weeks. Phew. Nothing is every simple.
Later, I made chili-mac for supper, using a jar of already made spaghetti sauce from the freezer to which I added some ham and beans, and a little chili powder. Served the pasta with tomatoes and Vidalia onions topped with cottage cheese.
Mother was ready to go home shortly afterward, so Hubbie accompanied her. Then he and I continued watching "Bones" episodes.
Tonight, I remembered to go put drops in Mother's eyes before 10:30 p.m. Last night, I was even upstairs ready for bed before I remembered. But, thankfully, Mother was still up. Sometimes, I think Hubbie and I together don't have the brain of a gnat. I finally decided I was more likely to remember her medication if I put the container on top of my daily pill containers. That way, when I take my evening meds, I will see Mother's eye drops. It worked tonight.
While I got ready for the day, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house. She was dressed to get in the kitchen and help make jelly, but when I told her that plans had changed, and I would be going on a garden tour, she went to her jigsaw puzzle.
Hubbie attended a 10 a.m. Master Gardener meeting this morning, so he drove the truck, so I could have the van.
I left the house around 10:45 to go to the host's home. I arrived first, but before long other's began arriving. When Hubbie got there, he said he'd tried to call me three times. I told him I hadn't heard my cell phone ring. I felt foolish when later, at lunch, I remembered that I hadn't even thought to bring my cell phone with me. It was still in my purse at home. No wonder I didn't hear it ring.
He'd called to let me know he'd invited Niece and Great-Niece to join us on the tour. When she arrived, we began the tour. I didn't stay with the group, since they lagged behind discussing the various plants. I wanted to snap photographs unhampered by a mash of people.
Following the tour, Niece joined us in having lunch at a local Italian restaurant. Hubbie and I opted for spinach quiche for our meal, but Niece ordered spaghetti and meatballs, since she knew Great-Niece would love it. And she did. She ate heartily for a two-year-old.
After lunch, we all came back to our house, so Niece and baby could tour our yard. Soon, though, the baby began getting tired and ready for a nap, so Niece went home.
Hubbie spent a while in the yard, planting zinnias before the rain began. While he did that, I went to the Social Security office to see about an application for a new Medicare card for Mother.
Just inside the door of the SS office, a security guard is stationed. He directed me to a computer to sign in and receive a number. Got my number (90) and sat down to wait. Five numbers were ahead of me...a couple registering their child for a Social Security number, a man beginning the process for getting disability payments (he was a roofer, who had obviously sustained an injury), a teenager registering for a Social Security card, and someone get their card replaced.
While I waited my turn, a couple of young men came in. The security guard hopped up and approached one of them about a "weapon" he was carrying...looked like a sheathed knife to me, but it could have been some sort of tool he worked with. The young man was super apologetic and hastened out to take the implement to his vehicle.
Once it was my turn at the window, it only took a minute to get the info I needed. I wanted to know if I needed to pick up an application, or what, for getting a new card for Mother. The lady at the window said that if I'd had her Social Security number with me, she could have just looked it up and sent a card. But since I didn't, she said to just call the office after I got home, and the matter could be easily handled.
Back home, Mother gave me her number, and I tried to call the SS office. But the phone book near the land line is out of date, so when I tried the number listed there, I was told it was no longer in service. So I went up to the office to look in a new book.
That number worked, but I had to listen for five minutes to a menu of messages about what I could access by phone by simply pressing the correct number. Finally, one of the menu items included a live person, and he was very helpful. So Mother's card should arrive in about two or three weeks. Phew. Nothing is every simple.
Later, I made chili-mac for supper, using a jar of already made spaghetti sauce from the freezer to which I added some ham and beans, and a little chili powder. Served the pasta with tomatoes and Vidalia onions topped with cottage cheese.
Mother was ready to go home shortly afterward, so Hubbie accompanied her. Then he and I continued watching "Bones" episodes.
Tonight, I remembered to go put drops in Mother's eyes before 10:30 p.m. Last night, I was even upstairs ready for bed before I remembered. But, thankfully, Mother was still up. Sometimes, I think Hubbie and I together don't have the brain of a gnat. I finally decided I was more likely to remember her medication if I put the container on top of my daily pill containers. That way, when I take my evening meds, I will see Mother's eye drops. It worked tonight.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Tuesday, May 6
Slept well last night, though I dreamed a lot. We were up around 7 a.m. I delayed exercising until after Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house, and we got a pot of beans started. Mother helped by dicing onions, carrots, banana peppers, and ham. I seasoned the beans with a can of beef and a can of chicken broth, and added paprika, pepper, and no salt seasoning.
After that, I did stair stepping, resistance bands, and leg weights exercises. Skipped the hand weights again, because of my thumb.
Once I was ready for the day, it was nearly lunchtime, so I heated leftovers for Mother and me, and Hubbie had a ham sandwich.
Caught up on reading newspapers for the afternoon until time to meet an appointment to have a bone density scan.
The appointment was for 3 p.m., and I arrived a few minutes beforehand. For this, I was required to fill out a form. One of the questions asked my height and weight. So what was the first thing the tech did when she took me back? Weighed and measured me, of course. Confirmed...I weigh and measure exactly what I stated on the form.
I took only a few minutes to complete the scan, which involved lying on a table, with my knees over a cushioned box, while the scan moved over the top of me, scanning my spine. Then, I lay with legs outstretched, one of them strapped to a metal thing, while the machine scanned my left hip. For some reason, scanning is done on the non-dominant side.
The whole process was over in about fifteen minutes. I looked at the scan, and it seemed okay to me...I couldn't spot anything that looked like holes or pockets. Hope that means there's no osteoporosis. I'll get the results in about a week.
I was back home before 3:30. Put large baking potatoes in the oven for supper. Then, caught up on family news on my social network page. A lot is going on in the family, particularly illnesses among the children...two woke up with flu this morning, one has a blistering sunburn, and one (an infant) has been diagnosed with mildly displaced hips.
At 4:30, I went to the college where I go for water aerobics to attend a 5 p.m. Friends of the Library executive board meeting. This meeting was to wind up business for the school year. We learned that our recent book sale netted over $2800 for the treasury. We consider the event a success, as was the chili/soup/silent auction event last fall. There's enough in the treasury to provide new laptop computers for the library.
The head librarian recognized the efforts of the Literacy Council director and myself for our work in organizing the book sale; and mentioned that four of us on the board provided award-winning soups or chilies at the fall event, for which we received cookbooks.The meeting only lasted about 45 minutes. We will not meet again until sometime in September.
I was back home by 6 p.m. I'd left instructions with Hubbie for completing and serving tonight's supper around 5 p.m. I didn't want Mother to have to wait for me before having her meal. So he and Mother put a recipe of cornbread in the oven, and fixed another batch of coleslaw. Hubbie sliced Vidalia onions.
Hubbie put a can of biscuits in the oven just before 6 p.m., so as soon as I heated beans, and a baked potato in the microwave, I was ready to sit down to my supper. I ate mine in the den, where Mother and Hubbie were enjoying TV.
Mother was ready to go home soon after, so Hubbie accompanied her. Then he and I watched episodes of "Bones."
After that, I did stair stepping, resistance bands, and leg weights exercises. Skipped the hand weights again, because of my thumb.
Once I was ready for the day, it was nearly lunchtime, so I heated leftovers for Mother and me, and Hubbie had a ham sandwich.
Caught up on reading newspapers for the afternoon until time to meet an appointment to have a bone density scan.
The appointment was for 3 p.m., and I arrived a few minutes beforehand. For this, I was required to fill out a form. One of the questions asked my height and weight. So what was the first thing the tech did when she took me back? Weighed and measured me, of course. Confirmed...I weigh and measure exactly what I stated on the form.
I took only a few minutes to complete the scan, which involved lying on a table, with my knees over a cushioned box, while the scan moved over the top of me, scanning my spine. Then, I lay with legs outstretched, one of them strapped to a metal thing, while the machine scanned my left hip. For some reason, scanning is done on the non-dominant side.
The whole process was over in about fifteen minutes. I looked at the scan, and it seemed okay to me...I couldn't spot anything that looked like holes or pockets. Hope that means there's no osteoporosis. I'll get the results in about a week.
I was back home before 3:30. Put large baking potatoes in the oven for supper. Then, caught up on family news on my social network page. A lot is going on in the family, particularly illnesses among the children...two woke up with flu this morning, one has a blistering sunburn, and one (an infant) has been diagnosed with mildly displaced hips.
At 4:30, I went to the college where I go for water aerobics to attend a 5 p.m. Friends of the Library executive board meeting. This meeting was to wind up business for the school year. We learned that our recent book sale netted over $2800 for the treasury. We consider the event a success, as was the chili/soup/silent auction event last fall. There's enough in the treasury to provide new laptop computers for the library.
The head librarian recognized the efforts of the Literacy Council director and myself for our work in organizing the book sale; and mentioned that four of us on the board provided award-winning soups or chilies at the fall event, for which we received cookbooks.The meeting only lasted about 45 minutes. We will not meet again until sometime in September.
I was back home by 6 p.m. I'd left instructions with Hubbie for completing and serving tonight's supper around 5 p.m. I didn't want Mother to have to wait for me before having her meal. So he and Mother put a recipe of cornbread in the oven, and fixed another batch of coleslaw. Hubbie sliced Vidalia onions.
Hubbie put a can of biscuits in the oven just before 6 p.m., so as soon as I heated beans, and a baked potato in the microwave, I was ready to sit down to my supper. I ate mine in the den, where Mother and Hubbie were enjoying TV.
Mother was ready to go home soon after, so Hubbie accompanied her. Then he and I watched episodes of "Bones."
Monday, May 5, 2014
Monday, May 5
Happy Cinco De Mayo! According to Wikipedia, the date "commemorates the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War, and today the date is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride."
This was one of those mornings when I woke up at 3 a.m. for a nature call and couldn't go back to sleep. Blah. I lay there reviewing last week, recalling images of last week's tornado destruction...images like American flags pinned to the broken walls of residences, or flyng from makeshift poles; like the steel foundation of a mobile home, bent like a hairpin around a tree; like viewing from the top of a hill the destructive path the mile-wide tornado took, flattening everything as it went, leaving the land appearing as barren and abandoned as a scene out of a sci-fi movie.
If it's difficult for me to keep from thinking about these scenes, and ones on the news and at social network pages, how much more difficult must it be for the people who lived through it?
If I'd been smart, I would have just gotten up and done something constructive. Hubbie finally woke up at the usual 7:30 hour, a time I thought would never arrive.
After breakfast, I did stair stepping, resistance band, and leg weights exercises, but skipped the barbells, because of my thumb. It felt good to get a session in after not exercising for a few days.
Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house mid-morning, and she sorted pinto beans, to be washed and soaked overnight. While she did this, I got ready for the day, then did this and that around the house, including throwing a couple of loads of laundry in the machine.
For lunch, Mother had her usual, and I made chef's salads for Hubbie and me. Afterward, Mother went to her jigsaw puzzle, and Hubbie and I ran errands...first to the library to pick up a DVD of "Bone" episodes that was on hold for us. While there, we saw that the library was holding a small book sale. Hardbounds were only 25 cents apiece. Hubbie found a John Grisham novel that he hasn't read yet, and I found two large Stephen King volumes.
From there, we went to the greeting card shop to pick up cards Mother wanted for Mother's Day. Then we went to a grocery store to pick up a few items, like sodium-free canned goods that the WDCS doesn't seem to carry anymore, and fat-free ice cream that they also don't offer now. I had hoped to get a couple of bags of slaw mix, so I wouldn't have to go to the WDCS, but the grocer was out of it.
So we had to swing by the WDCS, after all. While we were there, we picked up a rotisserie chicken for supper. Finished our shopping there, and came back home. Hubbie changed clothes and went out to the yard, and I did a few more things around the house.
I noticed this afternoon that our black cat that was hit by a car, damaging her hip, was again constipated. She is supposed to eat soft cat food to avoid this, but she insists on eating the dry food with the other cats.
Today, though, she did eat a can of food. The only thing is, she soon upchucked it in the den. Then she went around trying to relieve herself in every room. But nothing happened. She's just too impacted.
She was miserable, and I couldn't stand watching her, so I went outside and insisted that Hubbie crate her and take her to the vet's office. He did, and she's to remain there until the vet can get her bowels to move again.
We would like to give this cat away to someone who would give her the attention she needs...someone who doesn't have other cats, so she can be fed only canned food. She can be a sweet cat, but she's not a good fit with our other cats, because she wants all the attention and is willing to battle for it. So there are often spats among them.
Later, I fixed a cheese sauce with bell peppers to add to a can of hominy given to us Saturday by Daughter-in-Law. This was a side dish, along with leftover sweet potatoes, and coleslaw, to accompany the rotisserie chicken at supper. It was very good. Mother and I really like hominy. Hubbie will eat it, though it's not his favorite.
Mother was ready to go home after supper, so Hubbie accompanied her. Then we watched episodes of "Bones," until time for me to go put drops in Mother's eyes. Tonight, I chose to make strawberry milkshakes. There weren 't enough berries for three servings, but there was enough for shakes.
.
This was one of those mornings when I woke up at 3 a.m. for a nature call and couldn't go back to sleep. Blah. I lay there reviewing last week, recalling images of last week's tornado destruction...images like American flags pinned to the broken walls of residences, or flyng from makeshift poles; like the steel foundation of a mobile home, bent like a hairpin around a tree; like viewing from the top of a hill the destructive path the mile-wide tornado took, flattening everything as it went, leaving the land appearing as barren and abandoned as a scene out of a sci-fi movie.
If it's difficult for me to keep from thinking about these scenes, and ones on the news and at social network pages, how much more difficult must it be for the people who lived through it?
If I'd been smart, I would have just gotten up and done something constructive. Hubbie finally woke up at the usual 7:30 hour, a time I thought would never arrive.
After breakfast, I did stair stepping, resistance band, and leg weights exercises, but skipped the barbells, because of my thumb. It felt good to get a session in after not exercising for a few days.
Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house mid-morning, and she sorted pinto beans, to be washed and soaked overnight. While she did this, I got ready for the day, then did this and that around the house, including throwing a couple of loads of laundry in the machine.
For lunch, Mother had her usual, and I made chef's salads for Hubbie and me. Afterward, Mother went to her jigsaw puzzle, and Hubbie and I ran errands...first to the library to pick up a DVD of "Bone" episodes that was on hold for us. While there, we saw that the library was holding a small book sale. Hardbounds were only 25 cents apiece. Hubbie found a John Grisham novel that he hasn't read yet, and I found two large Stephen King volumes.
From there, we went to the greeting card shop to pick up cards Mother wanted for Mother's Day. Then we went to a grocery store to pick up a few items, like sodium-free canned goods that the WDCS doesn't seem to carry anymore, and fat-free ice cream that they also don't offer now. I had hoped to get a couple of bags of slaw mix, so I wouldn't have to go to the WDCS, but the grocer was out of it.
So we had to swing by the WDCS, after all. While we were there, we picked up a rotisserie chicken for supper. Finished our shopping there, and came back home. Hubbie changed clothes and went out to the yard, and I did a few more things around the house.
I noticed this afternoon that our black cat that was hit by a car, damaging her hip, was again constipated. She is supposed to eat soft cat food to avoid this, but she insists on eating the dry food with the other cats.
Today, though, she did eat a can of food. The only thing is, she soon upchucked it in the den. Then she went around trying to relieve herself in every room. But nothing happened. She's just too impacted.
She was miserable, and I couldn't stand watching her, so I went outside and insisted that Hubbie crate her and take her to the vet's office. He did, and she's to remain there until the vet can get her bowels to move again.
We would like to give this cat away to someone who would give her the attention she needs...someone who doesn't have other cats, so she can be fed only canned food. She can be a sweet cat, but she's not a good fit with our other cats, because she wants all the attention and is willing to battle for it. So there are often spats among them.
Later, I fixed a cheese sauce with bell peppers to add to a can of hominy given to us Saturday by Daughter-in-Law. This was a side dish, along with leftover sweet potatoes, and coleslaw, to accompany the rotisserie chicken at supper. It was very good. Mother and I really like hominy. Hubbie will eat it, though it's not his favorite.
Mother was ready to go home after supper, so Hubbie accompanied her. Then we watched episodes of "Bones," until time for me to go put drops in Mother's eyes. Tonight, I chose to make strawberry milkshakes. There weren 't enough berries for three servings, but there was enough for shakes.
.
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Sunday, May 4
May the Fourth Be With You, as the saying now goes, in recognition of the movie "Star Wars."
Up around 7:30, but skipped my exercises again. I need to get back on track again, beginning tomorrow morning.
Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house mid-morning, and we engaged in our usual Sunday morning routine, while Hubbie went out to put tomato and pepper plants in the raised bed.
Whew! The temperature rose to 90 degrees today. But it was tolerable heat, since the humidity was low. It just seems that our very cool spring suddenly turned into a furnace overnight.
Later, I put a pan of sweet potatoes in the oven to have with ham, leftover sauteed potatoes, and leftover green beans for lunch.
When Hubbie finished in the garden, he went to a grocery store to pick up a few very necessary items, like milk and bread, which both we and Mother were out of. It was time for lunch when he returned.
We didn't accomplish much after lunch, beyond reading the Sunday newspaper, and watching TV. We needed this down day after an emotional roller coaster week.
Mother stayed around for the afternoon and watched TV with us. She was ready to go home around 4 p.m. I sent supper along with her.
We had our usual evening of television. Around 8:30, I remembered to go put drops in Mother's eyes.
Up around 7:30, but skipped my exercises again. I need to get back on track again, beginning tomorrow morning.
Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house mid-morning, and we engaged in our usual Sunday morning routine, while Hubbie went out to put tomato and pepper plants in the raised bed.
Whew! The temperature rose to 90 degrees today. But it was tolerable heat, since the humidity was low. It just seems that our very cool spring suddenly turned into a furnace overnight.
Later, I put a pan of sweet potatoes in the oven to have with ham, leftover sauteed potatoes, and leftover green beans for lunch.
When Hubbie finished in the garden, he went to a grocery store to pick up a few very necessary items, like milk and bread, which both we and Mother were out of. It was time for lunch when he returned.
We didn't accomplish much after lunch, beyond reading the Sunday newspaper, and watching TV. We needed this down day after an emotional roller coaster week.
Mother stayed around for the afternoon and watched TV with us. She was ready to go home around 4 p.m. I sent supper along with her.
We had our usual evening of television. Around 8:30, I remembered to go put drops in Mother's eyes.
Saturday, May 3
Up at 7 a.m. to get ready to go to one of the towns so devastated by the April tornado. We gathered the food we had prepared over the course of two days, plus all the supplies we would need to provide a meal to whatever family showed up.
Left home around 9 a.m. in hopes of arriving around a 11 a.m. or shortly thereafter. What a calm, blue-sky, balmy spring day for a trip following the horror of the dark day last Sunday, when a massive one-mile-wide tornado tore a 40-mile path through two towns and several communities, flattening hundreds of homes and businesses, and claiming the lives of fifteen people, including two children.
I spent a harrowing evening glued to the TV, as the storm formed and then began touching down. My heart was in my throat afterward until I heard from every member of my family who live in that part of the state. Thank God, they all survived, thanks to sheltering in storm cellars and safe rooms. Most family were untouched by the tornado. The exception was Granddaughter and her family, whose newly built house was destroyed. Fortunately, later they were able to retrieve many family photographs, which are the only irreplaceable material items in a house loss.
The drive down to the other town, by contrast today, was lovely, with red clover, wild sunflowers, and primrose growing along the shoulders of the highway, and fields spread with yellow wildflowers being grazed by placid animals...cattle, horses and goats. There was even an emu along the way, hunkered down, resting and watching the traffic.
But as we approached the other town, we saw and smelled the toxic smoke of the tornado cleanup. Off in the distance, we saw a few buildings...ruins of the town's business district, which was 85% destroyed.
A digital sign at the entrance of the road leading to the town warned that the business district was closed to traffic. This is a step that authorities had to take, because there was a gridlock of traffic that extended for miles, consisting mainly of curiosity seekers.
We, of course, took the bypass around the town to the residential area where Son and Daughter-in-Law, who hosted the family get-together, live. At the road where we turned to go to their home, we met two 18-wheeler semi salvage trucks loaded with cars mangled in the tornado.
Along the way, we saw many concrete foundations completely cleared of the homes that once stood there. Trees, like something out of an apocalyptic movie, stood broken in half, trunks and spindly limbs stripped of bark.
Weirdly, on a small hill, stood a safe room with its door missing. All along the way, emergency vehicles were parked, and a large staging area was set up, standing ready to provide whatever the volunteers needed as they labored to help with the cleanup.
Near the end of the road is Son's house, which miraculously remained untouched by the tornado. Three years ago, when a tornado ripped though the very same residential area, his home and property suffered some damage, but not like the homes that were swept away in that storm. Some folks in the area have now lost homes twice in three years to massive tornadoes.
We spent several hours today at Son and Daughter-in-Law's home. Over the course of those hours, a lot of family (around 30) joined us for a picnic style meal of deli turkey and ham, with cheese, sandwiches, potato salad, macaroni salad, chips, strawberries over angel food cake, with whipped topping, and assorted drinks. Daughter brought a tub of ice cream and a variety of cones and toppings for the kids. This was a big hit.
Part of the fun of the afternoon, was cuddling the newest members of the family, two great-grandsons, born in the past two or three months. And it's always fun seeing all the other greats, too. This was a comforting visit for the main purpose of reconnecting with family after the terrible events of last Sunday.
Around 4 p.m., it was time to head home. We agreed to take Sis home, since her vehicle acted up on the way to Son's house, so that Nephew thought it best to take it straight back home. Sis lives about 30 or 35 miles from Son's house, and after leaving her off, we took the back road home, through a resort town and down the winding road that overlooks the scenic valley in which our town is nestled.
We arrived home 7 p.m. Mother was ready to go home right away, so I accompanied her. As soon as possible I took a plate of ham and potato salad, along with veggie chips, and a slice of angel food cake for her supper. She was plenty ready to eat, since it was a couple of hours past her usual dinner hour.
Once Hubbie and I had unloaded the van, we sat down to eat, too. Then we watched TV for the evening. But phooey, it was very nearly 11 p.m. before I remembered I needed to go to Mother's house to administer her eye drops. Fortunately, she was still awake at that hour.
Left home around 9 a.m. in hopes of arriving around a 11 a.m. or shortly thereafter. What a calm, blue-sky, balmy spring day for a trip following the horror of the dark day last Sunday, when a massive one-mile-wide tornado tore a 40-mile path through two towns and several communities, flattening hundreds of homes and businesses, and claiming the lives of fifteen people, including two children.
I spent a harrowing evening glued to the TV, as the storm formed and then began touching down. My heart was in my throat afterward until I heard from every member of my family who live in that part of the state. Thank God, they all survived, thanks to sheltering in storm cellars and safe rooms. Most family were untouched by the tornado. The exception was Granddaughter and her family, whose newly built house was destroyed. Fortunately, later they were able to retrieve many family photographs, which are the only irreplaceable material items in a house loss.
The drive down to the other town, by contrast today, was lovely, with red clover, wild sunflowers, and primrose growing along the shoulders of the highway, and fields spread with yellow wildflowers being grazed by placid animals...cattle, horses and goats. There was even an emu along the way, hunkered down, resting and watching the traffic.
But as we approached the other town, we saw and smelled the toxic smoke of the tornado cleanup. Off in the distance, we saw a few buildings...ruins of the town's business district, which was 85% destroyed.
A digital sign at the entrance of the road leading to the town warned that the business district was closed to traffic. This is a step that authorities had to take, because there was a gridlock of traffic that extended for miles, consisting mainly of curiosity seekers.
We, of course, took the bypass around the town to the residential area where Son and Daughter-in-Law, who hosted the family get-together, live. At the road where we turned to go to their home, we met two 18-wheeler semi salvage trucks loaded with cars mangled in the tornado.
Along the way, we saw many concrete foundations completely cleared of the homes that once stood there. Trees, like something out of an apocalyptic movie, stood broken in half, trunks and spindly limbs stripped of bark.
Weirdly, on a small hill, stood a safe room with its door missing. All along the way, emergency vehicles were parked, and a large staging area was set up, standing ready to provide whatever the volunteers needed as they labored to help with the cleanup.
Near the end of the road is Son's house, which miraculously remained untouched by the tornado. Three years ago, when a tornado ripped though the very same residential area, his home and property suffered some damage, but not like the homes that were swept away in that storm. Some folks in the area have now lost homes twice in three years to massive tornadoes.
We spent several hours today at Son and Daughter-in-Law's home. Over the course of those hours, a lot of family (around 30) joined us for a picnic style meal of deli turkey and ham, with cheese, sandwiches, potato salad, macaroni salad, chips, strawberries over angel food cake, with whipped topping, and assorted drinks. Daughter brought a tub of ice cream and a variety of cones and toppings for the kids. This was a big hit.
Part of the fun of the afternoon, was cuddling the newest members of the family, two great-grandsons, born in the past two or three months. And it's always fun seeing all the other greats, too. This was a comforting visit for the main purpose of reconnecting with family after the terrible events of last Sunday.
Around 4 p.m., it was time to head home. We agreed to take Sis home, since her vehicle acted up on the way to Son's house, so that Nephew thought it best to take it straight back home. Sis lives about 30 or 35 miles from Son's house, and after leaving her off, we took the back road home, through a resort town and down the winding road that overlooks the scenic valley in which our town is nestled.
We arrived home 7 p.m. Mother was ready to go home right away, so I accompanied her. As soon as possible I took a plate of ham and potato salad, along with veggie chips, and a slice of angel food cake for her supper. She was plenty ready to eat, since it was a couple of hours past her usual dinner hour.
Once Hubbie and I had unloaded the van, we sat down to eat, too. Then we watched TV for the evening. But phooey, it was very nearly 11 p.m. before I remembered I needed to go to Mother's house to administer her eye drops. Fortunately, she was still awake at that hour.
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