Diary Day
October 20, 2025
I woke up a little late, around 8:15, and was immediately grateful for being retired and not having to jump to my feet and panicking thinking, “Oh, I’m already late! I’ll never catch up all day!” I enjoy thinking that when I’m still lying in bed trying to get my eyes open.
I got ready for the day and enjoyed a cup of coffee with extra protein powder in it. Adding protein to our diets seems to be the latest diet fad and I’m in it. On Mondays, I’ve been tutoring a woman from Afghanistan. She has been here a few years and is serious now about speaking and reading English. She has 6 children and a husband, so I hope they encourage her and help her practice. She now knows the alphabet and is learning the sounds of the letters. However, she is having a difficult time writing her name and address so I’m really trying to drill this critical information. I work with her for an hour.
At lunchtime I decided to eat out rather than at home so I went to the Riverside Café. I hadn’t been there in several years and had half a sandwich and a salad. The portions were generous. On the way home, I parked on campus at Ball State and walked around the campus. I like to walk through Christy Woods and it was beautiful! For the day, I walked over 7,000 steps which is a goal of mine. I haven’t been very consistent lately.
When I got home, I was torn between trying to complete a quilt top and practicing the piano for my lesson which is at 5:00 on Mondays. So, I alternated both activities. I’ve made this quilt twice in the past. It is quite simple but gives a nice final effect. I was also trying to utilize several pieces of fabric that I had without buying anything new. My supply of fabric exceeds my time on this earth, I’m afraid. There’s always some little glitch that needs to be corrected and slows things down, even though the pattern is straightforward. My piano lesson is always a bit stressful. My dad was a pianist so my early piano lessons with him as a teacher were not fun. My current teacher is very patient and kind. I have Dad’s Steinway so I am fortunate to be able to have this instrument and a good teacher to support my efforts at this point in my life.
Throughout the day, I thought about the Resist Protest I participated in on Saturday. My friend and I were very glad we were there along with about 1500 other Muncie citizens. One sign read, “This is not a left or right matter; it’s a right or wrong matter.” Another one was, “I did not want to tell my grandchildren I stayed silent.” The photos from across the country were impressive. Supposedly, it was the largest protest in the history of our country.
I took a short neighborhood walk after dinner around the block prior to my husband and I watching TV. We enjoy recording the PBS Sunday night programs and then watching them throughout the week. We put the cat in his “apartment” at 9:15 and go to bed following that. I am in 3 book clubs. Only one club reads an entire book a month. The other two just read a chapter or two at a time. I always read a bit before I go to sleep. Most days are similar to this in that they are busy. I have many friends and activities. I am a fortunate person.