Today was a thinking day. Hubby stayed home in the morning to drive me to my therapist and pick me up because of all the snow and ice on the roads. When we got out to the main roads, they were wet but clear. Silly me! Neighborhood roads are still packed with snow and ice but it is slowly melting. He was so sweet to do this for me!
The subject that has been plaguing me as of late is mortality. Both for my parents and for me. Now my parents are in great health, exercise and try to eat right. They stay active and have outside interests, no stay at home and do nothing retirees! But my father is 70 and my mother is 69 and they have outlived their parents, I believe. So I worry about them, how much more time we have together. I have tried to be conscious about this and I have thought about what haven't I done or said that if my parents were to pass away, what would I regret? I would regret not making the most of having my parents live in town, just 15 minutes away and not visiting them as much as possible and not calling and speaking to my mom and sometimes my dad. So I try to talk to my parents every day, every other day at the most. I listen to my parents' stories and jokes and enjoy listening to them prattle. If they were to die tonight, I wouldn't feel any regrets. But the idea that someday they won't be here is still hard for me and I have dewelled on it. When talking to Steve about this, it finally came out that I didn't want to be left alone. Abandoned. He explained that since our parents are part of us, I will never truly be alone. I listened to his advice and agreed to think about it.
I did take Steve's advice to go on doing what I have been doing and make the most of having my parents around and called them when I got home and invited them out to lunch. The only catch? They would have to drive and pick me up. So they agreed and they picked me up at 1230. I asked them where they wanted to go and we went to one of their favorite restaurants, The Train. Mom and Dad know the history of the place and quite a few people in there. Mom got a philly cheesesteak with fries, Dad got The Sloppy which is a hamburger smothered in red chilli. I ordered the large chef salad and I swear they used a whole head of lettuce! Meat was piled high and the cheese was processed but still good. I ate some of it but them brought the rest home. When the waitress brought out my salad dressing, I did ask for it on the side, she bought out a bowl of it! My parents and a couple they are best friends with eat there often and the man of the couple eats salad dressing on everything, including his cottage cheese (YUCK!) so they are used to bringing out a bowl of salad dressing for him. So when I ordered the salad, they just did the same for me. Don't worry, I took all that salad dressing home with me for the leftover salad! And in Weight Watchers, they teach you to dip your empty fork in the salad dressing first, then pick up food. That way you get the taste of the dressing without drowning your food in it!
After we finished lunch, we went to do our favorite thing, shop at the thrift store! Mom and I each found good bread makers for only $10 each! And I found some sweaters for myself, hubby and Cassie. I found a cute pig statue with wings I got for Cassie too, as she really wants to buy a teacup pig but can't at the moment. I think she will like this. I also got 2 cooking books and a Robin Cook mystery.
After that, mom and dad dropped me off at home with my stuff and I stayed downstairs until 6pm, when hubby called. I had just taken off my boots and was sitting on the bed contemplating a nap when hubby said he wanted to take me out to dinner. I told him no, I have already taken off my shoes and I was still full from lunch. So I sent him to the store to see if they had their whole chickens back in stock for 88 cents a pound with the orders if they did, buy 10 of them. But no, they had gotten some in but they were sold out again so we got a rain check. Hubby came home and we spent a nice evening, after he ate a spinach souffle and a chicken kiev, watching Apprentice UK on YouTube. I really love this guy!
I also was reminded by my friend that Groupon has some really good deals so I went and signed up for their emails. I took a couple of minutes and went through some of their current offerings and found online guitar lessons for 3 years for only $35! So I bought it! I have always wanted to learn the guitar. So that is a new skill I have decided to learn.
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