INR 2.6

Leander, Texas 7:08 AM Mostly Cloudy
64° F, Feels Like: 66°, Hi 79° | Lo 64°

GRANDIES

We had a pleasant surprise today, Bill and Karen Kennedy came to Grandies. We haven’t seen them at Grandies, I believe, since sometime in 2020. Also in attendance were Anne Slager, Sandy Wentworth, Ella and I.  After the meeting and a game of canasta we went to a new Italian restaurant in Liberty Hill called Bella Sera. The food was good and, by ordering from the Lunch Special menu, reasonably priced. We were home by two o’clock.

DAY 79°Mostly cloudy with a 30%  chance of showers and thunderstorms this morning then partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. Highs in the mid 80s. East winds 5 to 10 mph.
NIGHT 65° Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 60s. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph.

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
Colossians 2:6‭-‬7 NRSV

https://bible.com/bible/2016/col.2.6-7.NRSV

©2023 Thomas E Williams

Total sleep time 07H12 M
From 10:54 PM to 06:55 AM
90% of 8 H goal
Deep 02 H 48 M
REM 0 M
Light 04 H 24 M
Awake 00 H 49 M

MORNING COFFEE

THE great Coffee Group Civil War is under way. Today there were four of us at a table in the community room, as usual. However, some of the regular coffee group were sitting in chairs in the lobby area. Don’t ask me. I don’t know. I don’t want to know. I don’t like the negative tension that is going around.

I COULDN’T stay long anyway ’cause I had an appointment with a vampire to have blood extracted. I have an appointment with the urologist next week where I will learn the results of the test and what it means for the future.

I AM curious but not concerned. My past is forgiven and my future secure.

DAY 85°Partly cloudy. A 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. Highs in the upper 80s. South winds 5 to 10 mph.
NIGHT 64° Partly cloudy with a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Some thunderstorms may be severe in the evening. Lows in the upper 60s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph.

Total sleep time 08H 18 M
From 11:53 PM to 8:30 AM
REM 0 M
Deep 02 H 25 M
Light 05 H 53 M
100% of 8 H goal
Awake 00 H 19 M

MEXICAN TRAIN

Sandy, Ritha, Kay, Fran, MiLei, Tom, Ella, Sandy, ?, ?, ?, Dora. I left before the end of play. There were still four more rounds to go but I was tired and my back hurt. Also, I’d won four rounds and it was somebody else’s tooth

Homemade Vanilla Pudding
Cook Time: 20 mins
Additional Time: 40 mins
Total Time: 1 hrs
Ingredients
2 cups milk
½ cup white sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter
1 egg optional
Directions
Step 1
Heat milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until bubbles form at the edges.
Step 2
Mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a small bowl.
Step 3
Add sugar, cornstarch, and salt mixture to hot milk, a little at a time, stirring until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.
Step 4
Remove saucepan from heat, and stir in vanilla and butter (at this point I also quickly add a well beaten egg)
Step 5
Spoon pudding evenly into 5 serving dishes; chill in the refrigerator before serving or eat while still warm.

©2023 Thomas E Williams

Goodnight and God bless.

DAY 81°. Partly cloudy. Not as cool with highs in the mid 80s. East wind around 5 mph. NIGHT 65°. Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly clear. Low in the mid 60s. Southeast wind around 5:00 mph.

MORNING COFFEE

SANDY, Linda, Ella and I, Shirley(?), At one table with Ann sitting at a separate table. Apparently she really doesn’t like Shirley(? I don’t know if that’s her name.

SHORTLY after ten o’clock Ella and I drove to the Community Cupboard for a loaf of bread. We also received bananas, and four small (bigger than a golf ball, smaller than a tennis ball) potatoes. We were back home before our Walmart grocery delivery arrived at eleven ten. It was while putting the groceries away that I realized that I failed to add butter to the order. We’ve only a half of a stick left.

THE only thing on today’s agenda is at 5:00 this evening when we play board games. Tomorrow we may attend coffee at 9:00. I have a Urology appointment for fasting lab work at 10:20. Then in the evening at 5:00 there’s Mexican train.

WE did take our Fast Track game to the community room for Game Night. At one point there were five of us playing.

©2023 Thomas E Williams

65° Haze at 6AM.  High: 75° Low: 59° rain: 60%.

SUNDAY school from nine to nine-fifty we are basing our study on the book of Hebrews. The author is addressing a situation with the Jews who had become followers of Christ but, when things got tough, went back to Judaism.

PASTOR Michele’s sermon, “Moments that Changed the World: The Moment They Became Leaders”

 DAY 72° Cloudy with a 20 percent chance of showers. Highs in the mid 70s. North winds 5 to 10 mph.
NIGHT 60° Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 60s. North winds around 5 mph.

FOLLOWING church we went to Adam’s and Leigha’s for lunch and conversation.

LAST Sunday Ella was ill and didn’t go with me to church. I stopped on the way home and bought a strawberry cheesecake Blizzard for her. She ate it and threw it back up. Today, after leaving the kids house, we stopped at Dairy Queen and bought her another.

ONCE we were home I slept for an hour or so. I really needed it. The remainder of the day remained restful.

TOTAL sleep time 04 H 06 M
From 01:40 AM to 05:55 AM
51% of 8 hour goal
REM 0 M
Deep 01 H 36 M
Light 02 H 30 M
Awake 00 H 09 M

© 2023 Thomas E Williams

64° at daybreak under a cloudy sky the temperature topped out at 80°

MORNING COFFEE

LATE this afternoon I was tasked with writing a “presented to” in some of books that will be given to graduates at Cross Tracks Church by our Grandies for Christ group. Only, as I opened the last book, I discovered that it was a used book with a dedication already in the book. We had to drive to a Book and Bible store and purchase an additional book.

SINCE we were out and about and it was approaching suppertime, we stopped at Wendy’s for a couple of combo meals. Ella had chicken nuggets and I had the ghost pepper chicken sandwich.

Once we were home I finished writing in the final gift book

IT was just a short time after completing the books that it was time to go to the Commons Room for karaoke.

I SANG a couple of times. For some reason I felt short of air while singing. Also, the songs that appeared on the screen had slightly different lyrics than I was familiar with.

©2023 Thomas E Williams

Tom and Ella Journal

Our Life’s Journey™

AGENDA FRI May 19 No events scheduled

69°F at 5:59 AM Partly Cloudy
DAY 87° Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 90s. South winds 5 to 10 mph.
NIGHT 67° Partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening then mostly cloudy with a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms after midnight. Some thunderstorms may be severe. Lows in the upper 60s. South winds around 10 mph becoming northwest after midnight.

MORNING COFFEE

I LOST track of how many were in attendance for morning coffee. The group was in flux today.

ELLA did laundry today so we both have clean duds for the coming week.

THIS morning I removed some pre cooked pork patties from the freezer. I mixed together some homemade breakfast sausage spices and sprinkled it over a couple of patties before browning them for breakfast with today and eggs.

LUNCH seemed to come very closely behind breakfast. I’ve been hankering for some chicken and homemade noodles. So I mixed some eggs, flour, and salt. I rolled it thin and sliced it thin. I had some canned chicken breast that I added to a pot of water seasoned with salt and spices. After it came to a boil I added the noodles and cooked until done. I paired the noodles with mashed potatoes and peas.

THIS afternoon we drove to cedar park in search of a dentist. We pulled up in front of the building and started to get out of the car when I noticed the office hours for today. They closed at one o’clock. Ella called the number on the window and managed to use the automated system to make an appointment for Tuesday afternoon.

WE were a little low on gas so I started to go to had at Walmart. Then I realized that I’d left my phone at home. Without my phone I can’t get the ten cent a gallon discount. I went ahead to the station and purchased enough gas to get us through until Wednesday which is the beginning of the next fiscal month.

©2023 Thomas E Williams

TOTAL SLEEP TIME
03 H 52 M, 48% of 8 H goal
From 12:25 AM to 04:23 AM
REM 0 M
Deep 01 H 04 M
Light 02 H 48 M
Awake 00 H 06 M

AGENDA May 18
7:00 a INR Check and call
10:00 a Over The Hill Gang 3:00 p
12:00 p Cosan Care Alert: 4:00 p
2:00 p “coffee”3:00 p
6:00 p Bingo (Great Room) 7:00 p

DAY 86° Sunny. Highs in the upper 80s.
Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph.

NIGHT 67° Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 60s. South winds 5 to 10 mph.

MORNING COFFEE GROUP

THERE weren’t many at coffee this morning. Most of the table talk was about the “Tea Party” yesterday. It was overwhelming positive approval of the job that management did putting on the event. There was hope among the participants that it will be repeated.

HISTORY OF LIBERTY HILL

Gary Spivey, local historian and treasure trove of arcane knowledge, continued informing the Over The Hill Gang members with history and little known facts about Liberty Hill Texas. Today we learned of the last two Indian attacks on settlers to the area. Both occurred on the edges of current day Liberty Hill.

OVER THE HILL GANG

BY my count, there were at least thirty-five people for lunch today. There were some new folks today. I had a nice visit with Mark and Alice that assured me that they would be back. Another gentleman that I think is named Stephen, I don’t not get to speak to other than direct him to the restroom.

LUNCH was tacos, pinto beans, peaches, grapes, and an assortment of desserts. Most people stayed after lunch to play games. Ella played bingo while I played 5 Crowns.

©2023 Thomas E Williams

12:10 AM to 06:47 AM
Total sleep time 06H 21M
79% of the 8H goal
REM 0M
Deep 01 H 21 M
Light 05 H 00 M
Awake 00 H 16 M

► AGENDA May 17
✓ B-day Beket Williams’s birthday (Turned 15)
✓ 10:00 a Grandies 1:00 p
✓ 6:30 p Prayer Meeting (Chapel) 7:30 p

66° 7AM mostly cloudy very light wind. Going for a high of 83°

DAY 83° Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 80s. North winds around 5 mph becoming northeast around 5 mph this afternoon.
NIGHT 64° Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 60s. Southeast winds around 5 mph.

I AWOKE about 6:00 and lay abed reading emails, sending birthday greetings to grandson, Beket. checking messages and Facebook. I check the day’s agenda to make sure there wasn’t a doctor’s appointment or other matter I’d forgotten. I checked the weather forecast. My smartwatch informed me that I’d slept 5 hours 16 minutes from 12:35p to 5:59a. and only indicate waking once during the night.

I BEGAN breakfast preparation: made coffee and mint tea for Ella, cooked bacon, and placed bread into the toaster – but did not start it yet. My bride will not be up for a few hours just yet. The toast and eggs can wait until her feet are on the floor.

I DID some online banking and balanced the checkbook.

SHE did rise and shine and I finished preparing breakfast.

SHORTLY after breakfast we headed toward Grandies in Liberty Hill St Cross Tracks Church.

BEFORE going on to Grandies we made a stop at Hill Country Community Ministries Food Pantry to drop off some large empty boxes. They can always make use of those. Ella also picked up soon donuts at their Community Cupboard.

FOUR for Grandies today; Anne, Ella, Sandra, and I.

ELLA attended a Tea Party hosted by the apartment managers today.  What you can’t see in the photo that they took of her is the band of red tulle on her white bonnet. It made it quite festive.

SHE got all dolled in her long tree gown and accessories. She said it was well attended and we’ll received. She was upset with some of the women who attended. Some of them kept the “cute little spoons” used at the party.

©2023 Thomas E Williams

2023 May 16 Tuesday Leander TX
68° 30% Chance of storms high 76°

MORNING COFFEE Joe, Dan, Ann, Saudi, Andrea, Dora, Ella, and 1. More may have arrived after we left at 10:15. The topics of the day included barking dogs, smoking on the property. vacation trips, donuts (lock thereof)

I HAVE been trying to trim photos from my WordPress gallery. My daily posts have nearly always used a lot of photos and images. I didn’t realize until recently that every time I REUSE a photo / image it saves ANOTHER copy to the file. the file is now at 99.9% full and will not let me save any new images untill delete to make space,

WE had a more or less busy day. By busy I mean a lot of waiting in lines. We waited in line for a half hour or so at our first appointment for free food: bread, eggs, and assorted fresh veggies. We brought them home and put them away except for the onions which we passed on to someone else.

WE then waited around forty-five minutes before driving to the next appointment. Once there were pulled our car into line and waited the better part of an hour for more free food: instant oat meal, eggs, more fresh veggies, pasta, peanut butter, dry beans, biscuit mix, frozen meat, and a couple of canned goods. We brought all of those home and put them away except the peanut butter, avocados, pasta, dry beans, etcetera which we put in the in-house food pantry at the apartments.

WE now had about an hour to rest before going to Adam and Leigha’s new home for supper. While there both of them attempted to help me with an application with Health and Human Services. In the end they also were as frustrated as I’ve been with trying to get clarification of what is needed.

ON the positive side, we got a tour of their new home. We got to visit with them and saw the grandkids for minutes at a time. Also Truck the dog was really excited to see me.

BEFORE we left to go to the kids, I gathered the trash and set it out in the hallway for the concierge trash pickup. We returned home about quarter to nine and the trash was still there. It was around ten when Ella check and discovered the trash was gone. She brought the trash receptacle back into the apartment and declared that it was time for bed.

©2023 Thomas E Williams

DAY 80° Patchy fog this morning. Partly cloudy with a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms this morning then mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. Highs in the mid 80s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph.
NIGHT 65° Mostly cloudy. A 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening. Lows in the mid 60s. West winds 5 to 10 mph.

MORNING COFFEE

I TRIED to get hold of Texas Health and Human Services Commission today about a letter and form I received on Friday. I called 211 Friday and got the automatic “Help Desk” which advised me to call during normal work days and hours. I called this morning and eventually spoke to someone who gave me another phone number to call. I sat on hold for two hours listening to them say my call is very important to them. I finally hung up.

THE stomach bug that Ella had on Sunday got to me today. I never strayed far from the bathroom until late in the afternoon. We both went to game night in the community room. We found two others to play Fast Track with. Playing partners they beat us three out of three games.

©2023 Thomas E Williams