First -- (((HUGS))) to Rose and LadyM for the continuing worries with your dhusbands. (Changing clocks.) I can't imagine how hard this is for you both at times -- and (((Cathy))) with similar concerns. I had to watch my dh decline physically, but I think what y'all are facing might be even more difficult. I admire you all so much because you do so well and handle your difficult days with such patience and understanding. You are all in my prayers.
How did I spend my extra hour? I guess by coloring my hair. I almost NEVER do that late at night, but I'll explain why in a moment.
The past day has been sorta the good/the bad/the ugly.
First -- the ugly. I was playing baseball in the backyard with dgs. Telling myself "it won't be like this for long" you know... he'll outgrow wanting to play ball with Nana, plus it got us both out in the fresh air and off our screens... and then dgs hit a line drive that hit me RIGHT IN THE EYE! Now, we were playing with a hard plastic ball, not a real baseball, but Oh. My. Goodness. It hurt!!! I grabbed my eye and he came running to me, holding me by the shoulder, truly concerned. It hurt so bad that I had a sick feeling in my stomach for a few minutes... but I went and sat down and finally took my hand down. I said, "I'm going to have a black eye, aren't I?"
DGS: "Hmmm... you already do... no, wait a minute, that's just bags under your eyes. The other one looks the same."
As if THAT wasn't humbling enough, he then says: "How long has it been since you colored your hair?"
I told him it had been a while and I needed to do that.
He said, "Well, I think it would probably look good if you let it go gray, but it looks good brown, too. It just doesn't look good partly gray and partly brown."
Sigh. Out of the mouths of babes. DDIL has been telling me I should just let it go gray, but I'm just not ready to do that yet. And, from dgs' commentary, you can see, I probably need to have it professionally streaked/highlighted (?) to blend in the gray as it grows out. So last night I decided to go ahead and take care of that.
* I do not have a black eye, but I do have a slight bruise on my right eyebrow.
Well, then today was the good, in lots of ways...
Church voted to join the Global Methodist Conference. This is a newly formed alliance of churches that left the United Methodist Conference. DS was VERY much in favor of this, but wasn't at church to vote. He has met several pastors at Global churches where he has played music and is convinced this is the best step for us -- it provides something of the structure we're familiar with, but has none of the down sides. For example, we will be paying them less than half the monthly "apportionment" that we paid the UMC, and we will retain full ownership of our property. (We are currently having to pay a hefty price to buy back our property from the UMC.) The church membership voted to join the Global Conference by 60%, so it wasn't a major problem at all.
After church, on impulse, dgs and I went to visit my uncle in assisted living. He was doing pretty well -- went off on one story that obviously showed his dementia, but for the most part, he was able to take part in our conversation pretty well. He told dgs a riddle and was very pleased that dgs had to think for a minute before he caught on. One of my boy cousins and his wife were there, and that helped so much to keep the conversation going!
* I am trying to act on my good impulses before talking myself out of them. I could have easily come home and napped all afternoon, but with the extra hour, I thought it was a good day to stay busy.
While we were driving over there, I called ddil to let her know where we were, and she shared with me the bad (?) (good? ugly?) news from College Town. Our coach was fired today. Not surprising, but I really wanted him to do well. He was my pick when we hired him, and I really thought he would be the one we needed. It has been a very disappointing season so far, with three games left, and two of those are pretty much guaranteed losses. Fans (mostly from the student section) were heard on the radio booing and shouting "Fire Hugh." That was kinda embarrassing, I think. Of course, I sympathize with coaches for the most part, and I especially have a soft spot for this one; he is battling prostate cancer in the midst of all this chaos. And of course, that might have something to do with his focus on football at the moment. But I just think it's sad. Much like our basketball coach (Twins knows what I'm talking about) -- we were a second chance for him to get back into a major college. He had some trouble at another SEC school, was fired, went to Liberty University in VA, and then came to us. I think he is a good man who made a big mistake, but I always felt if his wife and daughters could forgive him, and one of the most prominent Baptist schools in the nation could give him a second chance, we certainly could -- and we did. It just didn't translate to success on the field.
OTOH -- basketball season starts tomorrow, and although we are sad that Bruce Pearl has retired, I am glad his son will be taking over. Maybe things will at least continue to go well in that department!
I would certainly love to be able to hear dh's take on all this.
Oh also the bad/ugly -- I also went to one store during our Tiny Town's Christmas Open House today after dgs and I got home.
This is a sort of boutique store and I really like the lady who runs it. Everyone who is Anyone in Tiny Town shops there, but Oh. My. Goodness. I knew these ladies had more money than me, but I didn't realize how much. I don't think there was a single item in that store for less than $60 (except maybe the $10 fuzzy socks.) I'm sorry, y'all, but I am not paying $60 for a SWEATSHIRT. A lot of the tops were $90!!! And I mean, there was nothing really "fancy" looking about any of this stuff. Everything was 30% off, but I didn't see anything I really liked well enough to pay even the sale price. Maybe I'm cheap... and maybe I'm just poor but there's a lot of stuff I can live without.Anyway -- tomorrow looks to be busy.
[ ] call dentist -- gum still shows sign of infection and tomorrow is last day on the z-pack. Also, the other side of my mouth seems to be bothering me but I think that is sinus-related.
[ ] call the govt office that pays me to have trees on a certain portion of my pasture land. I know that sounds insane. But I have grown accustomed to the yearly check, and I should have received it mid-October, but it has not been deposited. Part of the government shutdown? I don't know, but I'm going to try to find out.
[ ] go to the bank with ds -- some savings bonds come due and he has to sign for them
[ ] maybe get the oil changed in the car
[ ] laundry and general Monday tasks
* Maybe I can make that a 5x5 for the day.
It's almost time for Daniel Boone on the Inspiration channel. Better say good night! Hope y'all have a great day Monday!
and from 3 sites I've ordered cards, address labels, stamps and separate, color envelopes that make me happier. Everything arrives before mid-month. As usual, I have a love-hate relationship with the Current Catalog. They have things that really do match my tastes, but the ordering is not intuitive at all and the time frame to receive items hasn't changed in decades - out-of-step with the rest of the world's pace these days. Good prices, yes, yet I'm pretty sure I paid more than I was supposed to in shipping.