Day 309, Friday, November 5th, 2021
No photos today.
Day 310, Saturday, November 6th, 2021
No photos today.
Day 311, Sunday, November 7th, 2021
Glittering Caterpillar
Mom’s fall on Thursday was pretty dramatic and she really didn’t feel very good on Friday. I helped her wash her hair (there was still a lot of dried blood in it) and she agreed to use the walker around her house to ensure good balance. I was so worried about her that I woke up sick on Saturday (a stressed induced flare) that thankfully was mostly gone by Saturday night. She really is very brave and was dealing with the fall very well. On Sunday, Beanie and Charles arrived from PA. Beanie is mom’s sister and Charles is Beanie’s husband.
Mom called me mid-afternoon on Sunday to tell me about a giant caterpillar she had found just outside her back door. This thing was at least 3 inches long and had these unusual yellow horns just behind its head. I’m guessing it will turn into a moth based on its size. I like how the concrete glitters in the late afternoon sun and makes the caterpillar look like it’s surrounded by jewels.
Day 311, Sunday, November 7th, 2021
Communicating with a Dragonfly
I moved the caterpillar to a different section of the yard so it would be safe away from our animals then walked back toward the house. Right at the edge of the pool is a dead rose bush and this dragonfly landed here as I was walking by. I thought that it would be rare to get two good shots in 10 minutes but asked the dragonfly if I could photograph him just as I had asked the caterpillar. I pulled my camera up and he flew off. Oh well. Wait, he’s back. Actually he’s back and in a better position. I thanked the dragonfly for posing for me and got a few shots. I really do believe they understand me when I talk to them.
Day 312, Monday, November 8th, 2021
Birthday Kisses
Monday, November 8th, was Curtis’s 52nd birthday. We had a family party with me, Anna, Dominic, Jenny and Wyatt, Nana, Beanie and Charles. I started snapping photos of Curtis and he started vogue-ing. Too cute. He ended his posing with kisses for me.
Day 312, Monday, November 8th, 2021
He’s a Stinker
Curtis is such a stinker! Right before this shot, he had wadded up some wrapping paper and threw it at me… see his arm is still in motion! I like that he’s still so playful with me. It makes life fun.
Day 312, Monday, November 8th, 2021
Birthday Lasagna
Since we didn’t have a lot of physical gifts for him to open this year (everyone gave him experiences to have while we are in Vegas next month), I wanted to cook him a special dinner. He very nicely asked for lasagna, which I’ve only ever made once and that was with my MIL’s help. So I scoured Google for the highest rated meat lasagna and the highest rated cheese lasagna and got to work. Beanie and Charles helped by shredding the brick of mozzarella for me. Charles also helped by browning the sausage and beef and he chopped all of the onion, garlic, and parsley. I was so proud of our team effort because the lasagna turned out amazing… so so so delicious! Happy Birthday, Curtis!
Day 313, Tuesday, November 9th, 2021
No photos today.
Day 314, Wednesday, November 10th, 2021
Museum of Handmade Furniture
I was worn out after Curtis’s birthday and took another day off from shooting. I spent more time with Beanie and Charles on Wednesday and met them at the Museum of Handmade Furniture. One of their current passions is woodworking so they were excited to see this museum. I didn’t even know it existed and it’s right behind Life Bridges. It’s located in a whole historic area called Heritage Village. They have an annual festival called Folkfest, with live demonstrations of what it was like to be an early settler in Texas. They also have a Living History demo every second Saturday in Heritage Village. Pretty cool! Sue was a great tour guide.
Day 314, Wednesday, November 10th, 2021
Life Bridges Workout
Since we were so close to Life Bridges and it was just after 2:00, I messaged Anna’s job coach to see if I could bring Beanie and Charles over to see where Anna worked. Anna was thrilled to show B&C the facility and especially wanted to show off her treadmill and exercise equipment skills. Go Anna!
Day 315, Thursday, November 11th, 2021
Lunch at Krause’s
Thursday, Big Rick came down from Austin for a visit. Unfortunately, mom was still feeling pretty poorly so I took him, Curtis, Beanie, and Charles out to lunch to let mom rest. We decided to try Krause’s Cafe, a large German restaurant downtown. I got a salad that was sooo good, very fresh with a tart balsamic vinaigrette. I can tell I am tired though, bone tired. I missed focus on almost every shot I took at Krause’s and I had a great one of Rick smiling but it was too out of focus to use. We had a lovely visit with Beanie and Charles and it was wonderful to see Rick again too. I’m hoping to get caught up this week on chores, photos, and some household projects.
Thanks for looking!
