Thursday, June 5

Up at 7:30, and did stair stepping, resistance band, and leg weights exercises after breakfast. Showered while Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house.

Before I dressed for the day, I tried on a couple of outfits for upcoming events. One was the mint green tank top/lacy blouse over a pair of white slacks. It'll do for attending the baptism and get-together for triplets, the grandchildren of friends of ours this Saturday.

The other outfit is a tank top/sheer blouse combination in a darker green with small print flowers. It has three-quarter length sleeves with elastic, and elastic at the bottom hem for a snug fit at the hips. The gathered neckline also has elastic, and three-button detail down the front. I plan to wear this over white roll-up crop pants, for the Summer Celebration, sponsored by the arts council. This event will be a week from today.

That's the problem with living in a small town...ladies can't wear the same thing to the same event two years in a row, or wear the same outfit to two consecutive events, because the same women attend all the same events.

Men, on the other hand, can wear similar outfits to all the events...a knit shirt and khaki slacks. Lucky men.

Spent the rest of the morning doing this and that until lunchtime. Mother had her usual lunch, while Hubbie microwaved burritos. I had difficulty finding something to munch on, but finally settled on a dish of salad tomatoes topped with the remainder of some cottage cheese, and a couple of pieces of toast.

We weren't long done with our lunch when a thunderstorm rolled in. Hubbie had brought out the battery-operated camp lamp when the sky began darkening, so it was handy when the lights flickered several times and then finally went out.

I should have thought to put the lamp on the end table, though, because I had to stumble through the den to the bar to retrieve it when it became dark as night outside. The storm brought strong winds that blew some limbs down in the yard, and bent the plants in the veggie gardens eastward. Lightning and crashing thunder startled the cats, who clustered near us for protection. An inch and half of rain fell, flooding the yard. A power outage lasted a couple of hours. Other than these small inconveniences, nothing else happened at our house.

We kept the radio on during the storm, and at one point, there was an announcement that some daycare centers were closing early and parents should immediately pick up their kids, and there was an event cancellation for this evening. Later, Sis posted a photo from a news station showing that the fountain at the college where I swim had overflowed, and a tree limb was in the water. I don't know if there was other damage in town.

Towns in counties east of us, though, suffered damages, and power outages, and worse, a couple of people were killed when trees fell on a home and on a car. A four-wheeler was tossed into the upper part of a garage, where it stuck. Railroad cars were blown off the track in one town. A small airplane was tossed in the wind and crashed upside down at an airport.

While the storm raged, Mother and Hubbie nodded off. I read the newspaper, and then decided that since the power was off, I'd clean the TV screen.

The power returned shortly after 2 p.m. A few minutes later, the power company called to inform us that the power had returned, they didn't know what had caused the problem, and they regretted the inconvenience.

Later, for supper, I cooked macaroni and added leftover spaghetti sauce to it. We had this with a side of green beans and salad tomatoes, and bread and butter. Not long afterward, Mother was ready to go home, so Hubbie accompanied her.

Then he and I watched movies from the library. The first one was "What Lies Beneath." We've seen this year 2000 movie, starring Harrison Ford and Michelle Pheiffer before, but it has been a while, so we'd forgotten the plot revolving a well-to-do couple who experience a haunting and learn something about the past. Very jump-out-at-you suspenseful.

Wednesday, June 4

Had trouble falling asleep last night, so 6 a.m. rolled around too soon. But I dragged myself out of bed and got ready to go to water aerobics.

It was sunny and partly cloudy this morning...humid, too, thanks to all the rain we've had lately. Thanks to the rain, though, everything is lushly green and beautiful, and the veggie garden is thriving.

Nineteen of us showed up for aerobics today. The water was pleasant, and I enjoyed my swim and the exercise session.

Story from the pool: one of the ladies rode with another member, but when the two arrived at the gym, the lady couldn't find her house keys. The two of them searched everywhere in the dressing room, then went out to check the car and the parking lot. No keys. So the driver offered to take the lady back to her house to see if the keys were there. They were...in the door, where she'd inadvertently left them. By the time they got back to the pool, we were well into the session. I think if I'd been them, I'd have just given up on aerobics today.

Back home after aerobics, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house, while I relaxed with a cup of coffee. She began a new jigsaw puzzle this morning.

By the time I was ready for the day, it was 11 a.m., so I didn't do anything but relax until time for lunch. We each had something different today...Ramen noodle soup for Mother, of course; a leftover grilled cheese sandwich for Hubbie, and a fried egg sandwich for me, using one of the fresh eggs from Sis's hens.

After lunch, Mother went back to her puzzle, and Hubbie and I went to town. First, we visited the library, where we got four movies on DVD.  Then, we went to a department store to see if I could find a summery blouse to wear to the baptism and "meet the triplets" event on Saturday. I found a mint color tank top/lacy blouse combination that will pair nicely with white slacks. I was able to use a $10 discount, and a gift card to purchase the blouse. At the same store, Hubbie used a discount to buy a billfold as a birthday/Father's Day gift to himself.

Went to a dollar store after that, where Hubbie bought birthday cards for his son and grandson. Then, we went to another department store, where Hubbie used a $10 coupon to buy an on-sale knit shirt. I found a blouse reduced to $13, on which I was able to apply a scratch-off discount that amounted to 30% off.

Our last stop was the WDCS for groceries. Back home, Hubbie scrubbed potatoes for the oven, and later I put leftover stuffed peppers, and a dish of whole kernel corn in to heat.

Mother was ready to go home shortly after the movie, so Hubbie accompanied her. Then we watched the second movie we rented..."Wolf of Wall Street." This is certainly not a family film. It's based on the real life of a vulgar, morally corrupt wall street broker, who rises to extraordinary wealth, then falls to corruption and crime.

It holds the record for the most uses of THE word. This guy and his cohorts spent so much time romping with women (singly and in groups), that I don't know how they had time to wheel and deal. It was nominated for five Academy Awards, though I can't think why.

As much as I hated to tear myself away from the movie, I went to Mother's around 8:30 to put drops in her eyes.

I was plenty ready to head to bed when it was time.

Tuesday, June 3

Up around 7:30, and did stair stepping, resistance band, and leg weights exercises after breakfast. While I got ready for the day, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house.

Mother relaxed, while I did this and that around the house until time to go meet a haircut appointment. Our appointment was at 11:30, so we left home shortly after 11 a.m.

We didn't have to wait long before our hairdressers were ready for us. While I was in the chair, my hairdresser got a call from Hubbie asking her to tell me to go by the medical supplies pharmacy store to pick up Mother wrist brace.

By the time we finished our appointments and stopped by the medical supplies store, it was nearly 12:30. At home a few minutes later, Hubbie was ready to make grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch. Mother opted out of the sandwich, though, preferring to have her usual Ramen noodle soup. So there was a sandwich too much for lunch. I put it in the fridge for one of us to have tomorrow.

After lunch, Mother and I went to the kitchen. I washed blueberries, and we sorted them. I put two quart bags, containing two cups each for double batches of blueberry muffins, in the freezer. Then I used another two cups to make a blueberry cobbler.

Hubbie washed both sweet potatoes and baking potatoes, and I put the sweets in the oven after the cobbler came out. These were the last of the sweet potatoes that we got last fall. I decided they needed to be baked and put in the freezer before they went south.

After that, Mother and I made a recipe of stuffed bell peppers. She cleaned the peppers, while I cooked the hamburger/rice/tomato mixture.

We relaxed then until time to put the food in the oven. I put the huge baking potatoes in at 3:30, at which time I took out the sweet potatoes. Around 4 p.m., I put the stuffed peppers in. The meal was ready by 5 p.m. Served it with a side of green beans.

Mother was ready to go home shortly afterward, so Hubbie accompanied her. Earlier, he took a helping of blueberry cobbler, and a covered dish of ice cream to her house (to put in the freezer), as well as a small bowl of sugared blueberries for her breakfast.

There was nothing on TV tonight, and nothing recorded on DVR. Didn't make it to the library to look for movies today, so we rented a couple this evening...."Captain Phillips," and "Wolf of Wall Street."

Monday, June 2

Up around 6:15, because the alarm didn't go off at 6 a.m. But I had plenty of time to get ready to go to water aerobics. Had breakfast and left the house around 7:15.

There were plenty of parking spaces at the college, since only the students who are taking summer session classes are on the campus right now.

Today, I wore shorts and a tee shirt to the pool, which felt good on this pleasantly rain-cooled morning. The pool was pleasant, too...not toasty warm, but warm enough to feel good once I was in it for a few minutes. Twenty-two of us attended the session today.

One of our members is in the hospital, and has been for quite a while. We understand she is not doing well. This lady, who lives alone and raises cattle, was the strongest one among us...a swimmer, who in her youth was a contender for the Olympics, though she didn't make the team. I hope she's strong enough to fight her way back to health.

Back home, I enjoyed a cup a coffee, and then Hubbie put color in my hair in anticipation of a haircut appointment tomorrow.

Once I was ready for the day, I called the doctor's office to make an appointment for Mother this afternoon, and got one for 1 p.m.

Didn't accomplish much more after that until lunch time. Hubbie ran errands this morning, and didn't return until after noon. One of his errands was to take the boxed jelly/jam maker to be shipped back to the seller. The problem was, Hubbie took it to the wrong shipping company.

For lunch, Mother had her usual Ramen noodle soup, I had a dab of leftover spaghetti, with a side of grape tomatoes and cottage cheese, and Hubbie, once he returned, had a PB&J sandwich and chips.

After lunch, around 12:30, I took Mother to meet her appointment. The doctor ordered X-rays of Mother's left wrist and hand, where she said it was hurting. But the doctor couldn't see anything that would cause the pain at the site Mother described. She did see an injury in another spot, which she said might be the cause of the problem.

Since she wasn't sure, she wrote a prescription for a hand brace. She asked us to follow her while she got the prescription, and we tried to, but even wheeling Mother as fast as I could, we lost sight of the doctor, when she rounded a corner.

So we went to the checkout desk, and the staff member there called the nurse, who eventually brought the prescription up to us. Everybody thought it was comical that we lost sight of the doctor, and her nurse had to go in search of her.

The doctor said that Mother should wear the brace for a week. If her wrist doesn't improve in that time, she will need to return to have an X-ray done at the hospital. If the wrist does improve, the doctor will order her to wear it for 30 days. Then she'll want to check it again.

So after lunch, Hubbie took the prescription to a medical supplies pharmacy, where the pharmacist asked if the brace was for Mother's right arm or left arm. She needs the brace for her left arm, but the prescription said it was for her right arm. So naturally, the pharmacist has to call the doctor for a new prescription.

Also, the cost of the brace is about $65. Medicare will not pay for this unless Mother needs it for at least 90 days. I'm pretty sure she will need it that long, since at 92 years old, she mends very slowly, so my guess is the doctor will prescribe it for that long.

Although Hubbie couldn't get the prescription filled today, he did learn that he could leave the jam/jelly maker there so it could be picked up with the pharmacy's shipments tomorrow. Yay.

While Hubbie was gone, there came two downpours. Later, Hubbie said he had to sit in the van until the rain let up enough for him to complete his tasks.

Funny: I was amused when Mother commented that it was raining "sheets and blankets." Sheets and blankets? I've heard of it raining cats and dogs, but never sheets and blankets.

We didn't accomplish much after we returned from the doctor's office. Mother napped, and I read newspapers and played on my e-tablet until time to prepare supper.

Supper was simple tonight...heated leftovers from last night's steamed veggie meal, along with cornbread and biscuits. It was just as tasty tonight as it was last night.

Mother was ready to go home afterward, and Hubbie accompanied her. Later, I went over there and put drops in her eyes.

Hubbie and I watched TV for the evening, including the 2012 movie, "Zero Dark Thirty," the story of the decade-long hunt for al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Long movie at two hours forty five minutes.

Sunday, June 1

Slept late, until around 8 a.m. Skipped my exercises, as usual on Sunday. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house while I got ready for the day.

Mother and I spent the morning in the kitchen...I washed vegetables (yellow and zucchini squash), and she sliced them into chunks for the steamer. She also quartered an onion to steam with them. I washed gold potatoes for the steamer, as well.

While the veggies cooked, I washed  eight quarts of blueberries, which Mother and I sorted and bagged into two cup portions (enough for double recipes of blueberry muffins) for the freezer.

When the veggies were ready, we made a batch of cornbread, and a pan of canned biscuits to go with the meal. We must have been really hungry for veggies, because we each had two helpings.

After lunch, Mother went to her jigsaw puzzle, and Hubbie and I watched a two-part movie..."Rosemary's Baby"... from the On Demand channel. It was a remake movie, presented by one of the prime time channels. It seemed a bit bloody and gory for prime time, but these days anything goes on any channel at any time of the day.

Mother was ready to go home around 5 p.m., so Hubbie accompanied her. She said she wasn't hungry for supper, but I sent some of the grape tomatoes that she likes so well, topped with cottage cheese, and a hunk of strawberry cake, for when she got hungry later.

Just as Hubbie and Mother got to as far as the middle of the driveway, there came a sudden downpour. Since they were at the point of no return, they sloshed on to Mother's house. They were both soaked by the time they got inside.

Later, when I went over there to put drops in her eyes, Molther was snuggled in a fleece hoodie after having towel dried and changed clothes. I don't know why she didn't just change into pajamas and a robe.

Around 6 p.m., Hubbie and I were ready for supper, so we had sandwiches and chips, with cake for dessert. Then we watched TV for the evening.

Tonight, we watched a movie called "The Backwoods," which is very reminiscent of "Deliverance." Two couples trying to work out their personal relationships go on retreat to a remote house in Spain. The men go hunting and stumble on a house where a child is chained in a room. They rescue her, and then they and their wives are beset by the family of the girl. Violence and attempted rape ensue. The movie features both English and subtitled Spanish languages.

Saturday, May 31

The last day of the month, already. The month, with its up-and-down temps, and rain enough to delay veggie gardening and lawn mowing, flew by. Today, we got a sampling of the hot and humid days to come as summer approaches.

We were up around 8 a.m., and I did stair stepping, resistance band, and leg weights exercises after breakfast. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house mid-morning, and she worked on her jigsaw puzzle.

Once I was ready for the day, I didn't accomplish a lot before lunch. After lunch, Mother went back to her puzzle, and Hubbie and I went to town. He dropped me off at a department store, while he went to the roadside vendor to get a flat of blueberries for the freezer. The vendor called this morning to let us know the berries were in.

Wouldn't you know, I picked up a two-pound carton of blueberries at the big box store yesterday, priced quite a bit higher than the ones at the vendor. I hate when that happens.

After getting the blueberries, Hubbie went to the bank, and then came back to the department store. While he was gone, I tried on blouse after blouse. Nothing suited me, naturally. I had hoped to find something I could purchase with a scratch-off discount (up to 40% off). But Hubbie found a knit shirt he liked and decided to use the coupon on that. Only thing is, the coupon isn't effective until June 4.

From that store, we went to the WDCS for a few grocery items, and then came back home.

Other than playing on my laptop (Hubbie had my tablet occupied), and reading newspapers, I didn't accomplish much the rest of the afternoon until time to prepare supper.

Tonight, supper was leftover spaghetti and sauce, with a side of grape tomatoes topped with cottage cheese, and bread sticks we brought home from the Italian restaurant yesterday. Wow, the grape tomatoes, which we got at the big box store yesterday, are so sweet and delicious! Even Mother, who usually doesn't eat many fresh tomatoes, had a second handful of them with her supper.

Mother was ready to go home shortly after supper, so Hubbie accompanied her. Then he and I watched TV, as usual.

Tonight we watched the 2010 movie, "Winter's Bone," starring Jennifer Lawrence. A teenage girl in the Ozarks is responsible for her siblings, because her mother is mentally ill and unable to take care of the family. Her father is released from prison, and she must find him or risk losing the family's home in an eviction. This independent film launched Lawrence as a star. It's a dark and haunting story of poverty, extended family ties, and the dangerous world of meth labs.
















 

Friday, May 30

Today is Granddaughter's and Niece's birthday. Happy Birthday to both!

We were up around 7 a.m. this morning, so we could get ready to go on a shopping trip at a town about an hour and half east. We were on the road by 8:30, and arrived at Hubbie's daughter's house around 10 a.m.

Mother stayed at Daughter's house while we shopped. Our first stop was a department store, where I hoped to find something I could purchase with a gift card. Spent about an hour at the store, browsing and trying on lots of blouses, none of which suited me.

Around 11:15, Hubbie, who had been shopping at another store, found me and said that we needed to go back to his Daughter's house to get Mother and then go to a restaurant, where family would meet us for lunch.

We arrived at the restaurant before noon. Family was already there and had gotten a table big enough to accommodate the three of us, Daughter and her husband, and Great-Granddaughter, Hubbie's two sisters, and his niece and great-niece.

At the table behind us were seated a very large woman and her equally large husband. Naturally, I needed to get Mother's wheelchair in the space at our table directly behind the very large man. He apologized for being in the way, but he didn't get up and move his chair to make it easier for me to maneuver the wheelchair. But with a little "back-and-forthing", I finally got it in there.

Most of us ordered the restaurant's soup/salad/bread sticks specialty. One of Hubbie's sister and niece order pasta. A real oops happened when a waitress brought our drinks on a tray. She somehow tilted the tray and a tall glass of ice water tipped over, spilling the drink on two-year-old Great-Granddaughter's head. Naturally, the toddler screamed and cried. I would have, too. What a shock!

Once the child, her place at the table, and her chair had been mopped dry, we proceeded with lunch. We were a hungry bunch, so we ordered two more big bowls of salad, more bread sticks, and second helpings of soup, which we enjoyed while visiting for about an hour. We paid for lunch with a gift card that Son and Daughter-in-Law gave me.

After lunch, we took Mother back to Daughter's house, and then we continued shopping. We went to the mall, where I browsed another department store, where I found one blouse I can use. Bought it with another gift card.

While I was in the dressing room at the department store, it began raining really hard...I could hear it beating down on the mall roof. When I mentioned it to Hubbie, he said he hadn't heard it, because while he waited for me in a comfortable chair outside the store, he fell asleep. He roused at some point and searched out a cup of coffee, but that must have been after the rain storm.

From there, we went to the hobby store, where I used gift cards to purchase rubber stamps, glue tabs, and scrapbook paper.

Went to the big box store gas station to fill the van, then shopped the store for bulk items like toilet tissue and paper towels, as well as food. While we were there, Hubbie and I looked at at a particular brand of e-tablet that Daughter had suggested to us. It's smaller than my tablet, but seems to feature everything Hubbie would need. So he told Daughter that he likes it, and would be glad to have one for his birthday/Father's Day.

By 5 p.m., we were ready to head back to Daughter's house to pick up Mother for the trip home. She had spent a comfortable afternoon at Daughter's, where we were told she napped most of the time...despite rambunctious, talkative Great-Granddaughter. Mother said there had been a respite from her hyperactivity when the child was put down for a nap.

Back home, Mother was ready to go to her house right away, so I accompanied her. As soon as we unloaded the car, I took sandwich materials to Mother, and later in the evening, I went back to put drops in her eyes.

Hubbie and I settled for a sandwich supper, too, and then we played on the e-tablet (Hubbie) and laptop (me), while we watched TV.

It was a long day, but a good one.