Diary Day
November 14, 2024
I awoke at 7:30, which is a time I like to wake up, but it doesn’t always happen. I don’t like to set an alarm just because it’s such a nice break not to, after all the years of working. I had a dental appointment at 9:30, so I had some time to get cleaned up and start the day slowly which I liked. I’ve been getting over a cold, so it took some time for my head to clear. I had taken 2 Covid tests, so I knew I wasn’t sick with that.
When I got to the dental appointment, I told the assistant that I had had a lingering cold for almost 2 weeks and if she wanted me to reschedule, I understood, but she said it wasn’t necessary. It was time for me to get x-rays of my teeth, so I did that and then she cleaned my teeth. The dentist followed up and looked at my teeth and gums and he said everything was healthy. That report is always a relief! I had not been experiencing trouble, but it’s always good news to get a clear report!
After that, I probably shouldn’t have gone to a restaurant to get something to eat, but I did. I ordered eggs, bacon and toast. This meal served as my breakfast and lunch. My clean teeth didn’t last long, but I was hungry.
The weather started out with a drizzly rain but after breakfast, it started to clear up. It was sunny, with some clouds but windy for the rest of the day.
I did a few errands. One was to go to Dollar Tree and buy greeting cards. I feel they have become expensive in the drugstores. They tend to cost between $4-7 dollars each. At Dollar Tree, they are a dollar and sometimes 2 for $1. I have a little system where I have post it notes with a person’s name and birthday on them. I buy cards for the year and file them in chronological order. It really makes remembering and sending greetings easy. I usually replenish my supply of cards around the first of the new year, so I was a little ahead of myself this year.
At 1:00, I attended a Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) meeting at Carnegie Library. We meet monthly from September to May. This month, I arranged the meeting to have the Veterans Affairs Officer from Ball State, and a student Veteran come to talk to us. Veterans Day was earlier in the week, so they described their activities and plans for the school year. She had a PowerPoint show which included slides from Veterans Day. They have been trying for years to get a dedicated space on campus for the veterans to serve as a lounge/resource room. Many, many universities have such a place but Ball State hasn’t fulfilled this request yet. There are several good reasons such as most veterans are commuters. They don’t identify easily with the younger, more immature college students so this would give them a place to go to be with others like them. Also, sometimes they need a safe, comfortable place to decompress and be with other veterans. Many schools have added tutoring or resource people to be in the “Veterans Resource Centers.” I hope someone pays attention to their request.
Following the meeting, I returned home, and my husband and I discussed our days. We had spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. Our evenings are routine, but pleasant. While I clean up the kitchen, he takes a short neighborhood walk. We watch TV until about 9:00, then we go to bed. We like to watch British mystery shows. Lately, we have been watching old Columbo shows. We have enjoyed them a lot and have found the plots of each episode quite different from one another. I usually read or do some hand sewing before I go to bed.
One thing we have not been doing much lately is watching or following the news. We are distressed by the election and the government appointments. We have discussed evaluating our lives and identifying the things we are thankful for and just trying to “keep on keeping on” knowing we don’t have control over the bigger picture. We are intentionally trying to not let the news of the day spoil our lives. We just don’t know how this is all going to play out. In the meantime, we are looking for ways to improve our community and appreciate our lives.