Substitution Saturday

Woody walked four miles this morning. Later in the morning he did our Saturday grocery shopping. This morning he went to both WalMart and Kroger. He was looking for an ingredient in a salad that I was going to make for a friend whose mother passed away this week. He was unsuccessful so substituted something else. I happened to have the ingredients to go with his substitution so in the end that worked out! In the afternoon we went to attempt to deliver the salad and then made a stop at JoAnn's for three things that I needed to continue to sew for Joy. I ended up having to substitute something else for what I was really looking for, but that substitution worked out okay too. This morning while I was getting things ready to sew, Joseph came over and spent some time with me. He wanted to play with his beloved farm animals and wild animals. He plays so well by himself. In the end he decided to look at books. He had two books that he found that had pictures of a farm lined up in the upstairs hall and was looking at all the details. So cute! I even sewed for a while when he was here. So I can say that I am actively working on Joy's birthday present once again. After our trip to JoAnn's I worked on it some more. Woody made balsamic mushrooms for part of our supper. I ate a few...mushrooms aren't recommended on a diet to rid one of or prevent gout. But I took my chances and ate a few. They just smelled so good while cooking that I couldn't resist. They were very good. After supper I sat down to figure out the next step in my sewing and then was going to put the finishing touches on my Sunday School lesson for tomorrow and...oops I just woke up a little while ago. Guess I am still trying to make up for lost sleep. Woody has been watching football on TV off and on this afternoon. He was watching one game, when I walked through, that was being played in the rain of Matthew. Those players were really sloshing around. I told Woody that baseball players are smarter than football players because in baseball there would have been a rain delay. And, Woody noted that in baseball a tarp would have been rolled out to try to keep the field dry. We had a bit of wind today...not sure if it was due to Matthew or from a front that brought in cooler temps but no rain. I did notice when I was out and about today that the leaves are beginning to change. Hooray!

Friday Summary

This has pretty much been a "do nothing" Friday for me. I haven't been sleeping the greatest partially due to my gout and today I just wanted to sleep most of the day...and I did take several naps. I did manage to get a couple of loads of clothes done and started getting things for me to get back to my sewing. I have done some of the preparation to teach my class on Sunday. I can say that finally today I no longer have any gout pain in my foot...so it took a little more than a week this time for all symptoms to go away. Woody included in his walk of the day a stop at our pharmacy and at the library. He has also done some more work out in the yard and helped clean up the kitchen. The neighbor grandchildren have been in and out several times. One time Esther, Isaac and Joseph headed into the school room to enjoy some of the school equipment on a non-Grammy-school-day. We are both settled in for a quiet Friday evening. I took tonight's photo of a great blue heron several years ago on one of our trips to Vanderbilt. He just happened to be in the right spot when Woody stopped on the one-way bridge. I have posted this one before, but this time I photoshopped the fog out of the picture so he is more visible...a beautiful bird! Our weather is supposed to be more fall-like once again...but still no rain in sight and we really need rain!

Keeping an Eye on the Storm

We don't expect to even get a drop of rain from Hurricane Matthew, but we do have family members on a cruise in the western Caribbean...when we last heard from them they weren't being affected by Matthew...but what we heard a little while ago might cause them a problem...all cruise ports in FL have been closed. They aren't due to get back to port in Miami until Sunday...so I guess time will tell if they get to get off their ship or continue cruising around! We have more family members who are supposed to be heading FL way on Sunday or Monday. They are supposed to be going on a mission trip with the church...again...time will tell if that trip happens! Woody walked six miles this morning while I was having school. He also did some work in the yard today. We had a usual Thursday school day...though Grammy had a bit of a problem keeping her eyes open as she awakened this morning around 4 so was ready for a nap by the middle of the school morning! Poor Esther found out about "frog stitching" today = "rib-it, rib-it" = "rip-it, rip-it." She turned her cross stitch fabric and took off in the wrong direction. She was very patient while I attempted to "undo what she did." I didn't make her try to undo it this time as it was hard enough for me to figure out the path that she had taken! I did attempt to take a nap this afternoon, but never fell asleep before it was time to put our supper in the oven. Supper dishes are in the dishwasher and my recliner is looking mighty good! Woody is downstairs watching TV with a book in his hands. Doesn't it sound like another exciting evening in our household!?! It has been quite a hot day. We have returned to summer!

I'm In the Mood for Fall Color

I'm ready for some "fall color." But leaves aren't changing much around here so I decided to go into my photo archives and resurface one from another fall. We were having some fall-like weather for a few days, but the temps are heading back up to summer type temps...upper 80's over the next few days...and...no rain in sight. Woody went for a four-mile walk this morning. I had a usual Wednesday of school this morning. Woody did our Krogering while I was having school. He also planted a bit more garlic. What he had planted previously was using garlic from our last harvest. Today he decided to buy some at the store and plant some big cloves...the cloves in our garlic tend to be rather small...or at least the ones that I haven't already cooked with yet. After lunch, I headed off to work in the church library for a couple of hours. I sat down for a little while after getting home and then headed downstairs to get our supper started--Ratatouille...a good veggie meal...pretty tasty. While our supper was still simmering, Woody went next door to take care of Joseph while the rest went to Wednesday activities at church. Joseph still isn't feeling well. Woody is back and settled into his recliner watching a library dvd. I am heading to my chair to prop my feet up as soon as I click on publish for tonight's blog.

Tiring Tuesday!

It has been a busy day. I had my long time with Isaac even though his mommy and siblings were next door (no Bible study because it is city school's Fall Break). Joseph came over at the end of Isaac's time and stayed till Isaac's time was over. Because Joy missed her time yesterday, she came over after Isaac and had her long time. She is making a plaid shirt for her doll because she (Joy) is really into plaid shirts at the moment. We attempted to cut out the pieces so they will match...time will tell if we were successful. Plaids are not my choice to work with as it does take so much time to match them. Joy thought when I said match the plaid that I was meaning that they would "go with/match" what the doll would wear the shirt with...Joy's comment was "anything matches jeans!" Wrong match...but now she knows that there is more than one kind of matching when it comes to clothes! After lunch Abigail had her reading time and then Joy had hers. By that time I was ready to put my feet up! Mentioning feet brings to mind "my gout." It is much better today. I can almost walk normally again. Woody finished planting his garlic bed today and did some other work out in the yard. Late afternoon he started his walk to church for his time in the prayer room. He left a bit early so he could stop at the Post Office to mail a package for me. After supper, I headed next door as all but Joseph were going to the Tuesday evening service. He isn't feeling the greatest. I was over there till Woody came home from the prayer room and he spelled me so I could come home and do a couple of things. I am about to go back so Woody can come home to watch the debate.

Must Be Monday...Again!

I had an abreviated time of school this morning as Nathan, Katny and family had a gig at our local community college. Joseph, Isaac, and Elijah had their time this morning. Then Elijah came back over after they got back this afternoon to have his long time. We continued our "study" on pulleys...today he made a sailboat with K'nex and the line for the sail included compound pulleys...a combination of fixed and movable pulleys. See...even Grammy is learning something! Joy will make up her long time tomorrow. Joseph spent some time with Goosey (Woody) after his school time with me. When he was ready, Woody took him home and then proceded to go on his four-mile walk of the day. After lunch Woody went to The Life Care Center to have Bible study with Jeff and to visit with some of the residents. This evening after supper, he headed off to church for the Monday night prayer meeting. Most of the time when I wasn't doing school I was sitting in my chair resting my foot. I am having another bout with gout. I seem to have what I call "traveling gout" as I never know where it will hit...finger joint, elbow, foot (toes or heel or instep or ankle), knee, etc. Did you realize that gout is a form of arthritis? I didn't until I did some research on it a while back. I did do a little cooking today...one item I "cooked" was our iron skillet. It needed to be reseasoned. I am not sure that I am happy with the results, but it is better than it was. And, for us to eat, I fried some okra for part of our lunch. Woody is home from the prayer meeting settling in for the evening in front of the TV with a book in his hands. And, I am planning on hobbling back to my chair as soon as I blog...though I do need to do a few things to get ready for Joy's sewing time tomorrow.

Welcome, October! Farewell, Fall Ball!

I thought that I was going to have quite a few children come in this morning...Nathan had taken the boys and Esther camping in their RV to "free up" the house for Abigail's slumber party. Nathan's group was supposed to come over here once they got back and stay till Abigail's friends went home later in the morning. I only ended up with one who ate breakfast with us--Elijah. Joseph did bring a plate with his pancakes from home and ate with us for a while. Isaac came in to see us. As did Graham. But all went home pretty quickly. The girls didn't sleep in as long as expected as one had to leave early...so all slumberers were up and about so what is five more to join in the frolics! Graham was going to do some school work over here, but decided to go back home and hole up in his room. I just saw Abigail at the ball game and it sounded like she had a good time at her party. Woody headed off a little after nine to go to the library and make a quick stop at WalMart to see if they had an over-the-counter med that I needed that they were out of yesterday. Woody spent a lot of time out in the yard today. He said that he got about half his garlic bed planted. I spent a lot of time in my chair today icing my foot...I think that I might have a touch of gout...again. I also worked on some more old black and white photos. I found some the other day of a trip that I made with a friend to Payson, AZ back in 1960. I decided to scan the pictures and send them by email to her. So I am still fiddling with old photos, but still don't have my negative scanner working...so am just scanning the original photos...not sure which gives the better picture. We headed out to Elijah's last ball game a little after five this evening. It was another good game for their team. Tonight's photos show Elijah up to bat, then hitting the ball (the ball he hit is in the picture), and then on first and finally crossing home plate. His team won 14-2. Way to go Blue Raiders...Elijah and all the team! It's been a good month of Fall Ball...getting to watch Joy, Esther, and Elijah play.