Productive Day

I slept in and then did the usual chores for a Saturday. Washing, ironing, cooking, serving. I kept busy all day and I like it that way. Not too much time on my hands.

I washed and ironed the skirt and jacket I got at the consignment store. It's 100% cotton and the jacket is reversible. The buttons on the reverse side need some sewing but it won't hurt for tomorrow. The skirt is long, to my ankles and I like long skirts. I hope I don't look like I'm dressing up in my mother's clothes! Oh, well, who cares.

Not Much Done Today

Because I shopped 'til I dropped yesterday, I didn't go to exercises class today. Actually, I was going to get at at 6:30 AM to get a shower and wash my hair, but when that time came, I decided against it! I don't remember what I did this morning. I watched the news in the afternoon and waited to fix supper. After that, more news and bird time and then we read the scriptures and put the birds to bed and went to our rooms. More TV time until time for bed. I turn off the lights at 10:00 PM and wait for the sandman to come. My keyboard is smoking just typing all the excitement I have in my life!

Shop Again

I met Trudy at Michael's today. She got some clear stamps and I had a custom print done of a document my brother got at the flea market. I didn't realize how expensive custom framing was and I had a 60% off coupon. I paid it anyway because I wanted it done and Trudy said she would want it after I'm dead and gone.

Sadie was at band camp at Meridianville and we picked her up and then went to Trudy's for lunch. Afterwards, we all went shopping (Forrest and Sadie, too). We stopped at Marshal's but Forrest couldn't find anything but Sadie did. Then, we went to the Mall and Forrest went to Aeropostle and Forrest found what he wanted. I got a large Coke Icee and I was happy!

Before going home, we stopped by the Act II consignment store and I found a two piece out fit, skirt and jacket, and Trudy got two pair of pants. I got a small necklace too. Then, we parted ways and went home. It was a good day.

July Heat

It only got up to 96.6 degrees today. August will be hot too but maybe the days of 103 degrees are behind us. I stay in the house or am in the air conditioned car or store so the heat really doesn't bother me that much.

Exercise was good today. Barbara led. I had to go to Walmart to get some fresh veggies. I hate to eat canned veggies after three months of eating fresh. That's one good thing the diet did for me. I just hope I don't get tired of cabbage and cauliflower! I need to go to the Farmer's Market or the orchard place to get more of a variety of veggies.

I have Gert on my shoulder so I don't know how long I have to type before he gets bored and starts to act up. He's whispering, "Hello Gertie" in my ear.

Tomorrow I'll meet Trudy at Michael's. We have 40% off coupons. I don't have any special thing in mind, but I bet I'll find something to buy. Forrest will be there too. It'll be good to see him.

VT

My visiting teaching partner has returned to good health after brain surgery and we went out today. We only had to see two sisters and we spent a good amount of time visiting with each. I was tired afterward and took a snooze on the couch. There was a cancer meeting tonight at 6 Pm but I didn't want to go.

Trudy called about some good bargains she got at the grocery store and I have a packet of coupons to send to Mary Kate. Her town doesn't have a newspaper and she has to go to another town to buy one so I guess I'll be sending her the Sunday coupons.

All Day Monday

It's been Monday all day but I seem to forget what day it is. Then, I remember what I did this morning and realize it is Monday. I led the exercises today. I redid my notes and put them in page protectors. We had a good crowd today and things went well.

We studied Section 121 today. The discussion round table was good. I got another dozen eggs and I now have three dozen! I'll have to think of ways to use eggs.

I picked some pears (2) to see if they are ripe. I think they will ripen off the tree, too. One was being eaten alive by June bugs. There are still plenty of blue berries. I've told the neighbors to come and pick as much as they want. I'll have to find someone to give the pears to. It's too bad I can't do something with them.

Sunday Night

It was 103.1 degrees again today. Now, that's right hot! Will August be hotter?

The day was a good day. I'm learning how to make use of the morning so it feels like Sunday even though I go to church in the PM. We had choir practice today so it was 5:30 PM when I got home. No problem, I was just hungry.

Sis Norling was giving away her food storage today and I got a case of rice. She's moving and couldn't take her food with her. I wish her well. She's an attractive lady and I hope she'll get
re-married soon.

Saturday

Saturday seems to be a day to stay home and do chores. I needed to get some veggies but I refused to go to Walmart three days in a row. I could have gone out to the orchard stand, but I didn't think about that until now. I have a few yellow squash left I can cook for tomorrow.

Washed clothes and sheets and towels. Just messed around in the kitchen and did small chores. We forgot to vacuum today.

After Trip

Ken got stuck at work yesterday and couldn't go to the temple and Karen's van had a check engine light come on, so she came over in Stacey's car that has a bad transition in it. She wanted to know if Frank would object if we went down in that car. I said that I could drive so we went to the temple in my car. I hadn't driven that fast on the freeway in the dark before but I did well. Only ran a few trucks off the highway!

I decided to sleep in today instead of going to exercise. I finally got up at 11 AM. Got dressed and had to go out because we were out of bananas. I should have gotten a cabbage and cauliflower but it wasn't on my list! If I had a brain, I would be dangerous!

Talked to Mary Kate for a short time this afternoon. She's busy with kids and camps and exercise. She got certified at Silver Sneakers and will be getting a S.S. T shirt soon. I enjoyed Silver Sneakers at the Wellness Center when I was going, but it really tired me out. I like my exercise at the Senior Center better.

Temple Thrusday

Had to take a package to the P.O. for Dad and then on to the bank. After that, I came back home and fixed lunch.

I'll have to be ready to go to Gardendale by 3:00 PM today. The Decker's have to be at the temple at 5 PM for prayer meeting. I sit and read the scriptures until it's time to begin. We'll be home a little before or after 12:00 AM. I'll still go to exercise Friday for I missed Wednesday because of the Primary party. Anyway, I need to keep busy.

I don't know if I'm having a mood swing or not but I've been feeling desperate lately. Maybe, I'm over medicated, who knows. If I don't get better, I'll go see Dr. Sharp.

Party Day

The Primary party was today and it was a success. The children made cars out of cardboard boxes and went to different rooms to get the wheels, etc. I don't know what they did in the different rooms for I was helping out with other things. There were 14 children there. After they visited my room about the temple, they got to have popcorn and a drink and then watched a movie. It was over at 12:00PM. Everyone had a good, fun time, and the mothers said that the children really had a good time making their"cars" out of the boxes (at home). I came home and took a nap! I didn't take my dress. I determined it wouldn't be necessary.

Tuesday

I didn't have to go anywhere today so I didn't put on make-up. I worked in the kitchen all morning and after Dad had his lunch, we gave the birds a bath. We needed to cut Gert's wings and it is so stressful for me to hold him in a towel while Frank cut the feathers, but we got the job done. He's blow drying Rikki now.

Tomorrow is the quarterly Primary party. I have one of the rooms and it is about temples. I thought I would take my white temple dress and shoes and a picture of our family in front of the Atlanta temple. The shelf the picture was on hadn't been dusted in a while so I had to dust the picture off. The shelf doesn't get dusted because Frank's bed is in the way plus a lot of other things, but after getting the picture down, I decided to dust the shelf. I took all the nick knacks down and dusted them and put them on another shelf (that I had to dust also!). Two day ago I dusted the china cabinet. I didn't get to the stuff on the very top and I didn't move things around, so it got half dusted. I mostly have family pictures on it. Some day, I should take everything down and give it a real dusting. (I'm not holding my breath....)

Visit

I led the exercise today and none of the other leaders were there. The music hadn't been rewound so we didn't have the music to do the chicken dance and when I asked if anyone wanted to do it, no one raised their hand! I finished at 9:15 AM and I usually get through a few minutes early, so I counted it as a good day. I stopped by the pharmacy to get Frank's Rx and then came home.

Bubba and Ruth came up and brought some produce from their garden. Ruth said she gathered produce every other day! My garden days went after I had cancer. I couldn't use my right arm therefore I couldn't plow or chop weeds or even mow the grass. I missed it at first, but I'm over it now! We went out to eat lunch and went to a new Chinese restaurant and the food was fresh and good.

After they left, I snapped some green beans and put them on the stove. I then shelled some purple hull peas and put them on the stove. The green beans turned out good but I wasn't vigilant enough with the peas and I burned them! The pot wasn't too hard to get clean so they had just started to burn. We had yellow squash, green beans and tomatoes and cucumbers for supper, YUM!

Uplifting Meetings

Church was uplifting today. This morning, I followed along with the BYU round table when they were going over Revelations, and tonight we read another chapter in Matthew. It's good reading the scriptures.

Bubba and Ruth are coming over tomorrow morning and bringing some stuff from their garden. We can pick blueberries too for the bushes are full. I've been eating the ones I picked last week. The mosquitoes are fierce out there. They must hover around the blueberry bushes, lying in wait for victims. I will wear long pants tomorrow. I'll get home from town tomorrow around 9:45 AM. I lead the exercise class and then have to stop by the pharmacy to pick up an Rx for Frank.

We may go out to eat for lunch and if we do, we'll go to the Chinese restaurant that is in the Public's shopping center. I've heard it's good.

Another No Title

Nothing has happened today to give me a title for this blog. I went to Walmart again today to get the stuff I forgot yesterday. Being a Saturday, there were more people there. I just needed to get a few things so I wasn't in there long. Came home and cooked some chicken strips. They were pretty bland since I just pan fried them. It's going to be harder to fix meals for me than I thought. It was pretty easy when I was just picking out the pre-packaged meals from the diet, and those meals were pretty spicy. They used spices instead of salt. Now on my own, I don't know how to use spices. Oh, well, I'll survive.

Vacuumed the floors this afternoon. Now Frank is doing his room. This is a good day for him.

Forrest is going to EFY this summer (Especially For Youth) in Bowlingreen, KY. We and Mary Kate are going to help pay for his trip. He went last year and enjoyed it. Trudy asked me to ride up with her and keep her company on the way back. I said I would. That will be a fun trip.

Near End of the Week

I went to exercise class and Jan lead the group. We didn't use our sticks and ball but played with the parachute instead. It's a colorful, round piece of material with handles every so often. We held the material out straight in a circle and piled a lot of the balls in the center. Then we made the material go up into the air and bounced the balls out. Then, we went under the parachute when it was up...oh, I can't really describe what all we did with it, but it was fun and something unusual to do.

I went to Walmart for food and forgot the yogurt and liquid butter. They weren't on the list! So, I get to go to town tomorrow and get those things. What a life!

When I got home from Walmart, I cooked beans and field peas and made some rotini to go with some ground beef that Mary Kate had cooked up the last time she was here. I added some spaghetti sauce to that and have a meal for tomorrow.

When I was channel flipping last night, I came across The Green Mile, and started watching it. It was 3 hrs. long and I couldn't finish it, so I'll watch it tonight. It seems really interesting.

Good Day

Got up at 7 AM but went back to bed until 9:30. After I got up and washed my hair, I helped Frank change his bed. He had cleared away lots of papers and things from off his sleeping bed so we could change the sheets and towels.

I had to cook another cabbage for I had eaten all of the other. I didn't have any more liquid butter so the veggies weren't as good. Tomorrow, after exercise, I'll go to Walmart and buy some more liquid butter. I don't spray it on, I pour it on! It taste better that way.

We played with the birds for about 30 minutes tonight and then read a chapter in the New Testament. We put the birds to bed and then went to our rooms. This is a nightly routine. I'll watch TV until 10 PM and then I'll go to sleep.

Travel Day

I got up at 5:30 AM to get Frankie up and to fix him some breakfast and get him out the door by 6:00 AM to go back to Nashville, TN for his music convention. Then I got ready to go to the temple at 7:00. The weather was great for traveling, no rain, but it was hot once we stopped and got out.

It was about 3:00 PM when we got home. We were stopped on the interstate for a while because there had been a wreck and a car had caught fire and burned up. We were almost there when this happened but we got to where we were going in time.

I called Frankie to see if he was coming again tonight since the convention lasts until Friday, but Rachel and Kayla weren't doing well, so he just went home. Rachel sees another neurologist Friday and hopefully she will find out something. It was good to see Frankie even if it was for just a few hours.

Frank had a good day today

Coming Home

Frankie is at a music convention in Nashville and is coming to Athens to spend the night with us. He called last night to tell us of his plans and we said, "Come on down!". He'll just be here for the night and tomorrow he'll go back to the convention. It'll be good to see him.

I saw Dr. Dang for the last time today. He said I could have my family Dr. check me out for lumps and bumps and Dr. Walker can read a chest X-ray so I won't have to go to H'ville and wait in the room for 55 minutes before I can see the Dr. Actually, I've been seeing his nurse once a year for a few years and was surprised to see him today. He was all smiles and was glad that I hadn't had a recurrence of the cancer. In December, it will have been 8 years since my bout with breast cancer. I got home at 4:00 PM after a 1:45 appointment. It's been a long day. It rained furiously on the drive to H'ville but the rain was over when I was through with the Dr. I came home the interstate and the traffic was bumper to bumper. I had a 40% off coupon for Michael's but I wasn't in the mood to looking after such a long appointment.

Monday

This was the second time I took my purses in the Senior Center. The first time, I was at the car when I realized I had left the purse on stage where I had been. I went back in and got it. Today I took it in and placed it near the chair so I would see it and not forget it. I led the exercise and when we were through, I gathered up my shoes, got my notes and my ball and stick and walked out of the building and drove to Karen's house. It was then that I realized I didn't have my purse! I went in and tried to find the phone number of the Center but couldn't find it, so I had to go back into town to try and get the purse. I prayed all the way. What a loss it would be to loose my purse! The Golden Age Band was on the stage so I asked the lady in the office if a purse had been turned in and it was there! I didn't even check it to see if anything was missing for I know the older people are honest. I will now go back to locking the purse in the trunk of the car like I did before. A habit is hard to change.

Blueberry Day?

I should have picked some blueberries this morning when it was only 88 degrees. Now it is up to 90 degrees. I'll wait until after supper when the sun is going down.

We have watermelon and strawberries and blueberries. Yum! I went to Walmart to get some fresh veggies and saw the strawberries and couldn't resist them. I got two cabbages a big bunch of bananas and a cauliflower. I need to keep eating fresh veggies to keep my weight down plus I love them. I had two cards with money on them from Walmart. One was for $5.00 and I didn't know how much the other card had on it. After the cards were used, I didn't owe anything, plus I think I have $15.00 left on one card! The entire order was only $13.40.

Trudy and Sadie and Forrest are at Mary Kate's. Forrest is at a Youth Conference at Troy State University. He went with his friend Ryan. I know he's having a blast! They aught to be home by Monday.

I sent a package to Frankie's kids Friday and later found three presents I should have sent along in the 1st package, so I made up another package and took it to the P.O. this morning. Maybe they will get both get there on the same day.

Friday All Day

Jan was at exercise class but she didn't feel well, so I lead the group. It went well. Maybe some day I won't need my notes. I'll be leading again Monday

I mailed a package at the P.O. and went to the court house annex and got our stickers for our car tags. I got a $5.00 refund because one of the tags is free since Frank is a veteran or a disabled veteran.

After lunch, I had a lot of time on my hands. I never can find things to do when I get this way. Things that I want to do that is.When all the house work is done, I get stymied.

We were going to pick blueberries tonight when it was cooler, but it rained a little bit and we didn't want to pick in the rain! Tomorrow will be a better day.

Watermelon Day

I was awake at 6:30 AM but I stayed in bed until 7:00. At 8 I got ready to go to town and by 9:00 I was out the door. It was going to get up to 100 degrees today but it wasn't too hot when I left the house. I had some things to get at Walmart and I wanted to be there before the crowds came. I saw a watermelon for $3.00 and I got one. Didn't know if it was seedless or not but it was! Dad got a new Dremmel tool for Father's Day and he decided to cut the watermelon with this tool! I recorded it on his camera and it is pretty funny. It was a whole lot easier then using a knife and all we had to do afterwards was to cut the flesh off into bowls. I like the seedless much better than the seed melons.

Today is trash day so all the melon rinds will go out. We collect it and get it outside and then the neighbor boys come over and take it to the road for us.

I came home and cooked a cabbage, cauliflower and some frozen broccoli for lunch. I then put a load of towels in the wash and they are in the dryer now. I washed the pots and pans as I went along so there's no mess in the kitchen. Now, what am I going to do with the rest of the time I have until bedtime? Maybe I'll ask The Shadow...

To the Pain Clinic

We had an appointment to go see Dr Gantt (he doesn't actually see the Dr, just a nurse). All of the people in the office are so nice. After that, we went to Sam's and looked at the TV's to see about one for the living room. Dad took notes and decided to come home and measure the space. I hope we can order it and have it delivered.

It hasn't rained for a long while and the ground is so dry it is cracking. Of course, the grass doesn't grow and we don't have to have it cut as much.

Trudy is headed down to Mary Kate's to get Forrest. He has been there for a week or more. He will go with his friend, Ryan, to a Youth Conference this week-end. Sadie is with her. Sadie has been feeling like a 13 year old lately. It's hard to grow up.

Nice Day

Trudy called this morning and invited me up for some jewelry making. I had nothing planned so I went. I got the beals and the lacquer to glue the paper on with and to cure the back of the piece of jewelry so I can make them at home now. We had sandwiches for lunch and then I made jewelry and she scraped some. Sadie used the sewing machine and made herself a purse. I think it was the first time she had done it and it turned out good.

Trudy had found a sale at Walmart and she got me some stamping things too. I got two punches and four or five sheets of acrylic stamps. I'll need to get back to stamping. I am flush with cards but I need to use my time better and make some more.

Monday Schedule

I woke up before 7 AM but refused to get up! It's too early to get up before 7:00 AM. I went out to pick some blueberries and they were still in the shade of the trees. Nice picking weather. I didn't get the large collender full. The berries need too stay on the bushes longer and get more sugar in them. Frank finally came out to help but I was already through. We knocked some pears off the trees so the limbs wouldn't break and then went in the house. The dew was still on the grass and we tracked grass clippings into the house. We also filled up the bird bath and saw a baby bird on the ground. It was trying to fly, but wasn't making it. When it saw us, it stayed very still and didn't move until we were gone. Maybe the mother bird was watching and coaching it how to get to safety.

I'm about to go off my diet. I still have some food left; the stuff I didn't want to eat when I had a choice. I had lost 7.6 lbs but I weighted this morning and it was back to 6 lbs. Now the challenge is to not go back to my old habits and gain the weight back. Kathy was right when she said we have to take thought about getting older (actually what she said was very insightful, but I can't quote it now...) Since I know I'll not be exercising more, I'll have to watch what and how much I eat. HOW BORING!

Beautiful Sunday

I still don't like going to church in the afternoon. It gives me all morning to wait until I get dressed and ready to go. I'll need to plan stuff to do. I thought we were going to have choir practice today, but it's been changed to the 2nd and 4th Sundays and maybe a 5th Sunday when it occurs.

It was Fast and Testimony day and the time went quickly. Bro. Decker has been out of town all week helping his daughter's family move near Salt Lake City, so it was just Karen and I. It usually is though because Bro. Decker is the Ward Clerk and has to be at church early for meetings.

This Wednesday is temple day but Frank has a Dr. appointment at 10:00 AM so we won't be able to go. We'll have to be more careful of the dates we pick for appointments. Frank has to make the appointment on a day he doesn't take prednesone so we are limited there.

Wash Day

I went to Walmart early so I could miss the 4th crowds. I had to use my card because I didn't have much grocery money left. Dad will pay me back. I placed an order with Emergency Essentials. I got 2 cook books, one for rice and beans, and one for using powdered eggs. I ordered a can of powdered eggs. It'll be good to have in storage and I needed a cookbook so I would know how to use them. The rest of the order was legumes. It's really easy to place an order, especially since I've ordered from them before.

The blueberries are getting ripe but not evenly. One large bush has mostly green berries on them. Ruth wants to come get some but I don't know if there's enough for her to travel here to get some.

Every Saturday we vacuum the floors and I sweep in between. I've got a second load of laundry in now. While I was out checking the blueberries, I walked over to check the mail and discovered a very nice shady spot among the trees and bushes. I just need a chair to sit in the shade. It's rather like a little glade. The mail hadn't come so I get to make the trek to the mail box again.

Better Day

Went to exercise class (I guess that's the way I start off every M-W-F!). Jan was sick so Barbara led again. I went home after I stopped by the P.O. to mail a package for Frank. I needed my 10:00 snack!

There wasn't anything for me to do but I was determined no to have a day like yesterday, so after lunch, I drove nearly to H'ville to the Once A Upon A Scrapbook store and bought some paper for the jewelry making. I still had that lonely feeling so it wasn't just a matter of getting out of the house and doing something. Frank is either sick or on the computer and it get lonely at times.

There was lots of traffic on the road. I stopped and got a $5.00 car wash and got to use the vacuum free. The inside of the windshield was dirty and I tried to use Windex on it but it was so hot that it just smeared. So I had smears and dirt on the windshield and the outside of the car was clean! After supper, I went out and cleaned it but I couldn't see any streaks that I might have left behind. Some day it will by streak less.

Thursday, un-busy

I stayed home today but didn't have much to do. I swept the floors but had no laundry or dishes to do. I hate days like this! I could have played the piano, but I didn't want to. Some days are just no mental energy to get things done. It's a bummer.