Saturday, May 17

Up at 7 a.m., and intended to do an exercise session, but shortly after breakfast, Hubbie's daughter called to say she would like to come by for a visit today. So I went ahead and showered and dressed, so I could spruce the house before she came after lunch.

Also, I wanted to wash strawberries, so Mother could cap and slice them. The strawberries needed to come to room temperature after being in the refrigerator overnight, so we could make jam from them in the automatic jelly maker.

Before I started on any other project, I made a trip to the greeting card store to pick up a puzzle for Mother. A store employee called yesterday to let me know that a new order of jigsaw puzzles had arrived, and I wanted to see what they had before they got picked over.

Mother received a gift card to the store for her birthday, with which I had purchased one puzzle for her a few weeks ago, but there was enough money left on the card to get another one. I found a puzzle I knew she would enjoy that cost almost exactly the amount left on the card.

There were a couple of other puzzles I thought she might like, too, so I bought those to put away for Christmas gifts.

No one knows what to wear in this kind of weather. I wore a fleece hoodie to the card shop, but while I was there, I noticed that one woman was wearing a winter coat, while a younger woman was wearing shorts and a tee-shirt. I'm beyond ready for the weather to moderate. I fear, though, that we will probably skip spring altogether, and just leap right into summer.

Back home, we had our usual lunch of Ramen noodle soup for Mother, and deli turkey sandwiches for Hubbie and me.

After lunch, I gathered all the supplies and equipment necessary for making four half pints of strawberry jam in the automatic jelly maker. Mother crushed the amount of strawberries needed, and measured the sugar and pectin. I scalded the jars, and set up the automatic jelly maker.

But, drat it, the jelly maker didn't work. It indicated that it was working, and the paddle went round and round in it. But it didn't heat. Guess the element is dead. So I'll be packing the frazzling thing up and sending it back...with my opinion of it. Because this is the second unit I've received that has been defective.

All I could do after the failure was try to cook the fruit on the stove top. I added an extra minute or so to the time, and then we ladled the jam into jars and I processed it in a water bath, as usual. Won't know until tomorrow if it worked or not. But whatever happens, we'll eat it anyway.

I was pretty frustrated afterward, but I went back to my card making and managed to complete five more.

Hubbie's daughter arrived around 3 p.m. She visited until 8 p.m. For supper, at 5 p.m., we went to a local steak house. Daughter and Mother ordered fried catfish and baked potatoes, Hubbie chose hamburger steak and baked potato, and I opted for baked tilapia, with sweet potato fries.

Mother was ready to go home as soon as we got back from the restaurant, so I accompanied her. Then, after Daughter left, Hubbie and I watched TV for a while.




   

Friday, May 16

Up around 7 a.m., so Hubbie could get ready to go to a Master Gardener committee meeting at 9 a.m. I did stair stepping, resistance band, and leg weights exercises after breakfast.

Before Hubbie headed to his meeting, he accompanied Mother to our house. Mornings have been so chilly lately that Mother has actually worn her winter coat for the walk to our house.

Mother was in the mood for a jigsaw puzzle today, so I located one for her and helped her set up. Then I got ready for the day.

Spent the rest of the morning doing this and that, including talking with a friend from water aerobics, and one of the ladies from our scrapbook club. The lady from water aerobics called to check on the state of my wonky thumb. She suggested I try using veterinary liniment gel to help loosen the tendons. Since there's nothing to lose, I'll try this home remedy.

I called the scrapbook club member to see if she wanted to retrieve a case of punches she'd given me. Yesterday, she commented that she was looking for a tree motif to use in making a masculine birthday card, and there was a tree punch in the case.

But what she was actually looking for was a rubber stamp that she owns but has misplaced. She recently reorganized her scrapbook/greeting card making supplies into a spare bedroom that she has converted into a craft room, and now the rubber stamp is missing. Well, it probably isn't missing, it's just in a new place, and she has forgotten where that place is.

Anyway, I enjoyed chatting with both these ladies. By the I got off the phone, though, it was near lunchtime. Hubbie, who had run a few errands after his meeting, had returned home, so I fixed lunch...the usual for Mother, and deli turkey sandwiches for Hubbie and me.

Spent a couple of hours this afternoon making two greeting cards...a birthday card for a great granddaughter, and a graduation congrats card.

I'm hoping to make several sympathy cards this weekend to add to the cards the scrapbook club made yesterday. We completed 40 (one member had worked ahead), but only six of those are sympathy cards. So I need to make several more to add to the stack before taking them to Caring Hands next week.

Later, Mother and I prepared supper. We made Parmesan potatoes for the oven, and Mother sliced a tomato and a Vidalia onion for making BLT's with onion.

It was a satisfying meal. Shortly afterward, Mother was ready to go home, so Hubbie accompanied her. Then he and I watched TV for the evening.

Thursday, May 15

I awakened at 6:30, so I got up and came downstairs. Skipped my exercises after breakfast, though, and just went ahead and showered and dressed, so I could spruce the house for our scrapbook club meeting this afternoon.

Before I came back downstairs, though, I searched my closet for something appropriate to wear to a President's Council Meeting at the college. My goal was to find something warm enough for this unseasonably cool weather that didn't look wintry.

I finally settled on an outfit, and then got the house in order. After that, I put supplies out on the dining room table so the ladies could walk around it and pick out what they wanted for making greeting cards.

There was time before lunch for Mother and I to begin working on cards. Mainly, I assisted Mother while she made a card. I was interested in making photo cards from the snapshots I took at a recent garden tour, so Hubbie went to the WDCS to pick up a package of photos I'd ordered online.

By now, it was time for lunch, so I fixed Mother's usual Ramen noodle soup, and Hubbie and I had deli turkey sandwiches and chips.

The other two ladies arrived around 1 p.m., and we got right down to work. One of the ladies had worked on her own at home creating backgrounds with elements and messages that she only had to apply to cards when she got here. She also made several cards while she was here.

The other lady only brought her scissors and a package of card stock, then used the blank cards and elements I supplied to create cards.

The other ladies were mainly interested in creating birthday or thinking-of-you cards, so I used my photos to make sympathy cards, because a request from Caring Hands was for more of those. They are the least pleasant ones to make, so I focus on those and let the other ladies make the happy ones.

Around 2 p.m., I served refreshments of a choice of homemade brownies or store-bought chocolate and vanilla cookies, and freshly made coffee. Not surprisingly, the choice was mainly for brownies.

We got back down to work after our snack, and I was surprised when the ladies stayed until 4 p.m., an hour past our usual quitting time. We were all just enjoying ourselves so much that time flew.

After the ladies left, and I had cleared away the supplies, I accompanied Mother to her house. I sent leftovers home with her last night, so she had plenty to heat in the microwave for her supper tonight.

Hubbie and I changed clothes to go to the President's Council Meeting at 6 p.m. We arrived early, along with a handful of other folks. This was an invitation only gathering, and I wasn't sure why we had been invited. Apparently, only a select group was included, because the meeting was held in a small room called in the student center called the President's Dining Room.

The room was appointed with about six ornate round tables and high-back chairs. The tables were each large enough to seat six people. Other chairs lined the walls on two sides of the room.

Each table featured a square of yellow linen on which two square glass vases holding either blue or green glass vase gems, into which were inserted live flowers. The vases were filled with water on which floated large, flat, white candles. I can't wait for an opportunity to simulate this idea.

Hor'dourves were served before the meeting. A bowl of jumbo shrimp on ice, and sauce, were featured on a pedestal table, and at another table, there was an artful display of wedges of white or yellow cheeses and crackers, and grapes. A server offered a choice of red or white wine.

Shortly after we were seated, waitresses dressed in black slacks and white blouses came around with niblets on trays...hot stuffed mushrooms, phyllo pastries, and Canadian bacon wrapped fruit.

About 30 people attended the meeting, which centered on laying out plans for initiating new sports at the college...football, tennis, and both men's and women's wrestling. I guess we were invited to his gathering because Hubbie's nephew is the new basketball coach.

Also, the president, in his speech, noted that in the past folks who were invited to this event were those who were donors. This time, he wanted the new demographic of those who support sports. And that's us, I guess.

Whatever the reason we had been invited, we enjoyed the evening among folks we know, including Hubbie's nephew. Niece was not with him, because the baby was fussy, and she felt she needed to stay home with her.

Before we left, the head coach urged us to choose a tee shirt with the college's new logo on it. I was glad to get one, since I'd been wanting one.

Embarrassing: while Hubbie was chatting with the English professor, the professor upended his plate of food onto the carpeted floor. I felt bad for him, but was glad it wasn't me or Hubbie who did it. Lesson learned...never try to balance your plate on top of your wine glass so that you can gesture with your right hand while talking.

We were back home around 8 p.m., ready for something substantial to eat...no matter how yummy the hor'dourves are at a gathering, it's not polite to pig out. I heated leftover macaroni and cheese, beef with peppers and onions, and half a baked potato for our supper.

Afterward, I went to Mother's house to put drops in her eyes. She was snoozing in her chair when I got there, but woke up when I spoke to her, unlike the other night, when I had to shake her several times to wake her.

Hubbie and I finished the evening watching a one-hour show on TV, and then headed to bed. It was a busy day, but productive and pleasant.



 

Wednesday, May 14

Up around 7:30, and did stair stepping, resistance band, and leg weights exercises after breakfast. Mother was ready to come over this morning, despite the cold and rain, so Hubbie accompanied her.

Before I went upstairs to get ready for the day, Hubbie helped me set up the living room for a scrapbook club meeting tomorrow. He hauled out several totes of supplies to keep me from irritating my right hand.

Then Mother and I sorted various scrap papers, rubber stamps, and stickers, and punches, to locate appropriate materials for making greeting cards for Caring Hands Hospice.

Finally, I went upstairs and dressed. By the time I came back down, it was close to noon, so we fixed a lunch of Ramen noodle soup for Mother, and PB&J sandwiches for Hubbie and me.

Afterward, we watched Monday night's episode of "Dancing With the Stars." Didn't accomplish much after that. Hubbie spent his afternoon running errands...to the vet's office to check on our cat that has been constipated, to get a haircut, and to shop for a few groceries.

As for the cat, she is being uncooperative and not eating the soft food that the vet has been giving her. That was her problem here. She only wanted the dry food the other cats eat, which is what has been causing her problem to begin with. But of course there's no reasoning with a cat. So I don't know what we're going to do with her.

Hubbie was gone until around 4:30. In the meantime, I put baking potatoes in the oven, and later heated the leftover beef with peppers and onions, and a dish of spinach, along with Sis's homemade bread. The only part of this meal that Mother wanted was a baked potato and a slice of bread.

Shortly after supper, Mother was ready to go home, so Hubbie accompanied her. Then he and I finished the evening watching one-hour shows on TV.

Tuesday, May 13

Up at 7 a.m., and did stair stepping, and leg weights after breakfast. It was a very rainy morning, but Hubbie checked with Mother to see if she wanted to come over here. She didn't.

I got ready for an outing to the hospital conference room for a luncheon/talk. Since I was dressed to go out, I didn't accomplish much before noon. But I did call the other two members of our scrapbook club to remind them of our meeting Thursday. They both said they should be able to come. Spent the rest of the morning reading a novel on my tablet.

The rain eased later, so Hubbie checked with Mother to see if she wanted to go with us to the hospital. She didn't.

Shortly after 11 a.m., Hubbie and I headed out so we could run a couple of errands before going to the hospital...to the post office to mail coupons to Granddaughter, and to a grocery pharmacy to pick up medications for Mother.

We arrived at the hospital shortly after 11:30. Lunch today was braised chicken, wild rice, and green beans, as well as a roll, and mixed fresh fruit for dessert.

We were supposed to hear a sleep disorder specialist today, but we were told that his flight from Chicago was delayed due to weather. So a hospital staff member presented a slide show quiz and information.

There was very little that I hadn't already heard that would help with my occasional bouts of sleep disturbance (either difficulty falling asleep, or waking in the wee hours and not being to go back to sleep). The one thing that the staff member suggested that I hadn't heard before, was to turn the clock around, so it can't be checked every hour on the hour when suffering a disturbance.

The program lasted about an hour, so we were back home shortly after 1 p.m. I was supposed to go for an appointment with the orthopaedic surgeon I visited a couple of weeks ago, I am just not ready to suffer a steroid shot in the joint of my thumb.

There are times when my thumb seems pretty normal, and times when it snaps at the first joint. I want to give it just a little more time to mend on its own, before giving up. So I called the surgery clinic and cancelled my appointment.

Then I went to Mother's to make sure she was well. She said she felt a little blah this morning, and had had a stomach ache for a while, but she was otherwise fine. She just didn't feel up to going out today. We visited for a while, and then I came back home. Spent some time catching up on reading newspapers, then put potatoes in the oven to bake.

Later, I cut up peppers and onions, and sliced beef, to be sauteed then simmered in broth with spices. I also fixed individual salads to go with the meal.

Mother said she only wanted a baked potato for supper, so when they were ready, Hubbie took one to her, along with sour cream, and Vidalia onions to top it. I also sent her a slice of Sis's bread, as well as a slice of angel food cake, and a container of strawberries.

After supper, Hubbie and I watched TV, including "Mr. Selfridge," and "Bletchley Circle," episodes from the PBS channel and recorded on DVR.

Monday, May 12

Up around 7:30, and did stair stepping, resistance band, and leg weights exercises after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house mid-morning.

She wasn't in the mood to work her jigsaw puzzle, so she just relaxed, while I got ready for the day, and did a couple of things, like trying on tops that Daughter brought to me. Apparently, her friend decided to reorganize her closet and discard some items that no longer fit, or that she's grown tired of. A few of the tops are in colors that suit me and will work under other shirts, but several of them aren't my style, so they will be donated to a second-hand store.

After I'd gone through the tops, I gathered laundry, and washed two loads. By now, it was nearly noon. Hubbie had come in from working in the yard, and fixed Ramen noodle soup for Mother, a chicken salad sandwich for me, and a ham sandwich for himself.

After lunch, he went to the roadside vendor to pick up another flat of strawberries. Then he went back into the yard, while I washed the berries, and helped Mother cap and slice them for the freezer. We got nine quarts. We now have enough in the freezer to make several batches of jam.

I was glad we got done with that project when we did, because it began thunder storming, and I'm not keen on working in the kitchen during storms.

Didn't accomplish much after that, but I enjoyed spending quite a while messaging with my granddaughter on my tablet.

Later, Mother and I put together a strange supper. Made a casserole, using leftover mashed potatoes, chicken, and gravy, from yesterday. Added a layer of bread crumbs and shredded cheese to the dish and baked it in the oven. Also put a dish of macaroni and cheese made from a box mix in the oven.

Since I can't eat boxed mac and cheese, I made a batch for myself by cooking macaroni in water containing diced bell pepper, and making a sauce from milk, two percent American cheese with no yellow dye in it, and spices.

Added leftover corn-on-the-cob, and slices of Sis's homemade bread to the meal. It was a tasty meal, if a little strange, and too high-carb.

Mother was ready to go home shortly after supper, so I accompanied her. Then Hubbie and I watched one-hour shows on TV. Around 8:30, I went back to Mother's house to put drops in her eyes. She was sound asleep in her chair when I got there. She didn't hear me come in the door, and I had to shake her several times to awaken her.

Finished the evening watching TV, then headed to bed.

Sunday, May 11

Today is Mother's Day. From what I saw on my social network page, all the mothers in my family had a great one. I know I did.

We were up around 7 a.m., but I skipped my exercises, and showered and dressed as soon as I got up. Mother and Sis came over early, and we began lunch preparations. Hubbie peeled potatoes to boil later, and I put chicken in the slow cooker. I washed a couple of quarts of strawberries for Mother and Sis to cap and slice. Sis prepared lettuce and salad items, and sliced a loaf of her homemade bread to be heated later. Close to the lunch hour, I mashed the potatoes, boiled corn on the cob, and made gravy to go with the meal.

It was a really good lunch, and we were ready to kick back and watch TV for the afternoon, while we digested. I should have run a movie, I guess, but instead we watched a series of one-hour shows.

Supper was chicken salad sandwiches again (PB&J for the girls), chips, and cookies for dessert. Family was ready to get on the road, then, but before they left, I asked Hubbie to take a few group pictures of us as we posed on Mother's wheelchair ramp.

Then I saw Mother safely into her house before I returned home. Finished our lazy day watching TV until bedtime. Went back to Mother's house, though, around 9 p.m. and put drops in her eyes.

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Note: got phone calls from both of my sons today, since they couldn't be here with me. Loved talking to them, and loved the special cards they and their families sent. They helped make this a special day for me.

Saturday, May 10

Up around 7:30, but skipped my exercises, and went ahead and got ready for the day right after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house mid-morning, then he and I did this and that around the house to get ready for a weekend visit from Daughter, Sis, and two great-granddaughters.

The family arrived just after we'd sat down to lunch. So they joined us. Lunch was chicken salad sandwiches and chips for the adults, and PB&J sandwiches for the girls. One of the girls has recently acquired braces on her teeth, so she has to be careful in her food choices, and in how she eats her food. Despite the braces, though, she had a healthy appetite at every meal.

After lunch, we lazed for the afternoon. The girls occupied themselves, while Mother, Sis, Daughter, and I watched the movie musical, "Mama Mia." This was the first time Daughter had seen the movie, and she loved it. The rest of us have seen the movie a few times, but we never grow tired of it.

While we were occupied with the movie, Hubbie ran errands...to the roadside vendor to pick up a couple of flats of strawberries for Sis, and to the grocery store for a few items. Then he worked in the yard.

Following this movie, we watched the very strange movie, "Dark Shadows," starring Johnny Depp and Michelle Pheiffer. I rremember watching the Dark Shadows TV series years ago, but this movie bore very little resemblance to that. The TV series was a soap opera that ran from the mid 60s to the early 70s. The movie is comical at times as the vampire returns home to a dysfunctional family.

Later, we fixed a supper of BLT/Vidalia onion sandwiches, served with both boxed macaroni and cheese (which I can't eat because of the yellow dye), and homemade macaroni and cheese, and the remainder of the beans and ham. Dessert, of course, was angel food cake, strawberries, and ice cream.

Afterward, we played several games of Skipbo. Mother won two games, and Sis and I each won one. None for Daughter and Hubbie, unfortunately.

Mother was tired by then and wanted to go home, so we all accompanied her, and I put drops in her eyes. Daughter and the girls stayed there for a while, but Hubbie and I returned home.

Watched a little TV and then headed to bed.