A "no coincidence" day for me

After all my grumbling yesterday a.m., I was gifted with many "coincidences" during the day. I was off to the grocery store for gingerale and to Staples for ink cartridge for my home printer and was gifted with a phone call from a friend who talked me off the family care issue ledge as I stood in the aisle in the grocery store (even though I always make fun of people who do that in the store...). She got me re-centered before I headed on to my next stop. The next "coincidence" is that I had downloaded my church's bulletin in the a.m. and saw that a friend whose husband died a year ago was having a mass for him at 5 p.m. I knew better than to think I was going to make my Saturday mass, and felt sad about that - but who did I run into in the grocery store parking lot? The wife! Never have I run into her by chance since I met her when I first moved home in Feb 2006...I got to give her a hug, tell her I was thinking of her that day, and let her share with me that "life s_____s", families are dysfunctional and off we went. I got to talk to her more than I would have if I had gone to the mass with all her other friends and family around. We will get together for my shells and meatball dinner with our other friend once things settle down a bit.

Next I was off to Staples where a sales associate was very good in combining my two cartridges I had to recycle, a Staples reward card and a double pack of what I needed to equal a $12 dollars back on my $40 dollar purchase. I don't know if I could have gotten it cheaper at our school store, but I felt like I had been as economical as possible. That helped with my angst of the money I have spent of late at Panera and Starbucks keeping sister #3 in food and coffee.

Speaking of #3, she prepared a bulletin board at "the home" that says "Project Home" and she is leaving tips on that board to remind me, my father, my mother and my brother what she wants mother to be doing in her absence. She leaves today and will be back on Thursday. Keep a good thought that we all stay on task and there is no back slide while she is gone!!! Today, by the end of the day - it will be me and my brother "in charge". We will see how that goes. I told my father yesterday that I will need him to speak up as to what he needs. Sister #1 and 3 have been staying one step ahead of his needs based on their being in the house with him. I told him I will not have that view so he will need to help me.

Next I was off to Bob's and Famous Footwear. Did not buy anything, but was very encouraged by what I found. I need a pair of fall shoes. I was not in the mood to spend any more money that morning, but I know I do not have to go far to get what I need.

Then I was off to my parents' house and then on to "the home". I stayed for a bit then back to the house to rake leaves. Try to help my brother a bit because a big rain was predicted for yesterday. I am feeling it in my arms today! Then back to the home and a friend of our family (who I visited in Boston awhile back) was in CT and stopped by. Mother had said no visitors, but this worked well and I am going to call people in to help visit as sister #3 starts to wean off her coverage so that was a good test. I had planned to go to my school's soccer game and then to church, but that got knocked out of the plan when our friend showed up. Another coincidence that I did not leave before she got there.

I got an invite from sister #1, 3, niece #2, #3's partner to go out to dinner. I was anxious to get home and do nothing except do my wash. Good concept, but two minutes after my wash was done, the electricity was knocked off in our building. No dryer! I brought all my wash upstairs and put it out to dry on my back in the day clothes rack. Luckily we have emergency lights in the hallways so I could make it down to the basement to get my wash and that the cycle had ended since with these machines the door stays "locked" until the cycle finished. I had visions of having to wait until the electricity came back on and washing them all over again in order to get my wash out. But I was "lucky". I was talking to sister #4 on the phone when it went out so it took me awhile to figure out what was going on. It was Halloween night in our town last night so I thought maybe it was part of the "scary program". Then the rain started to pour down! Then I lit a bunch of candles, read an article or two in a magazine, then I went to bed - no idea what time it was. The lights went out at 7:30 p.m. and when I called the electric company, they said 3 hours as the time to fix it. I woke up at 1 a.m. and the light was on in the livingroom so I got up to turn that off and get the dirty dishes I had left in the sink into the dishwasher.

I saw that the NY Marathon is next weekend. I was in NYC this weekend last year and happened on the 5th Avenue Mile. Sorry I missed that this year. Sorry I missed a lot of things this month.

Off to work in a few minutes. Emailed our school's AD to get the keypad code for the gym. Think I will have to change my exercise routine to involve something in the a.m. while "the home" is still in play and the daylight savings time comes into play next weekend.

Work, walk, "the home", then home is my plan for the day. I made sure that mother had books to read and her playing cards (solitaire player). She is going to have less company this week and she needs to remember the things that she filled her days with before the fall.

Here I go. Have a good Sunday.