Daily Update, November 25, 2023

    Auntie Barbara came over around noon. She visited with Mom, and we sang a bunch of songs - the nurse said eight of them. That's one of her best visits recently. {SMILE}

   Then we went out, and joined Michelle, who waited in the car as usual. We caught up on the way down to Wailoa Park, particularly learning about Michelle's Saturday job that she finished early enough to come to the picnic today. We found an empty small, one-table pavilion. I took salad and water, which were both good, since Auntie Barbara's only salad was sweet potato salad, and no one else brought drinks to share. Teh food was very good, and mostly traditional: turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce... Sweet potato salad was as close as we got to regular potatoes, I think. There was a coconut and sweet potato dish that was a traditional Pacific basin dish, but not particularly associated with Thanksgiving. It was very good, though. {Smile}

   After lunch we took a walk up with park until Auntie Barbara was ready to turn around. Then we went back to the car, and drove over to Liliu'okalani Gardens, and the "ice cream parlor" where Auntie Barbara and I got popsicles, and Michelle got ice cream. I almost got blueberry cream, but then I spotted liliko'i (passion fruit) cream and got that instead. They've added tables and chairs and moved the popsicle freezers into a room that had been storage only, and added a counter, a table, and stools. That is doing amazingly well for a business that was brand new in the pandemic. Mind you, it's still not fancy, but it's looking good. We ate int eh car, then they took me home. {Smile}

   After I got home, I got a surprise call from my cousin Nancy, who lives on Oahu. It's been too long since we've talked; we both agree. Maybe we'll get more going, at least for holidays or something. {Smile}

   I ate breakfast and dinner with Mom and read to her before dinner. Her eyes were open, but she was quiet again. I started with scripture and thoughts about it. Next, I moved on to more from her niece's long family Christmas letter from 2020. Then I finished _Classic Fashion: 40s 50s Memories_. After that, I read a slightly longer story from_365 Bedtime Stories and Rhymes_. I finished with the 25th of November's story from _366 Stories for Bedtime_, "Cleo's Hat." Cleo was a timid young marmot. When gentlemen marmots spoke to her, she was too shy to answer, so they went away. Her friends said she'd never marry. There was going to be a ball, where ladies sometimes wore hats. Cleo said she didn't have a hat, so she couldn't go, but she really didn't want to. The morning of the ball, her friends brought her a beautifully decorated straw hat covered with flowers, leaves, and berries, which they'd made specially for her, so she had to go. On the way to the ball, the hat blew off her head and was spoiled. Cleo cried, because it had been a beautiful hat. A handsome marmot told her to dry her eyes, for she looked pretty without a hat. Then he offered his arm. She lost her hat, but she found a husband. {Smile}

   I did my walking exercises after teaming for the evening finished. My arm felt enough better, I didn't\' avoid using the arm that has been giving me trouble to brace myself during the walking exercises, and I did fine. No trouble. If that continues, I'll try bracing myself while I do my leg exercises, too.  Then I did my salsa dancing warmup set. After a break, I did my less structured salsa dancing set. After a slightly shorter break, I did my head exercises. {Smile}

   I read articles in the morning, and a little after the picnic. Then Nancy's phone call came in. After the phone call, I hopped into City of Heroes: Homecoming. I think I was too late for either early event, but Pierogies and Kitten were both on, so we teamed up, choosing warshades to work on next. We started the next warshade arc, doing the first few missions, with a pause to talk in there, too. We stopped when it was time to read to Mom. {Smile}

   After dinner, I caught the late-night short, large-group event. Then I started writing this. Next, I read a couple of short comics, and hopped over to the chat server, where Kitten and Paradox both said they'd join me in City of Heroes: Homecoming. So, I went in there, and noticed a low-level trial I knew a character needed. I almost got the wrong character, but checked, realized my mistake, and switched in time. After that, I teamed up with Kitten, Paradox, Ulty, and a fellow who hung around after the trial. We ran the rest of a story arc I had. I also chatted a bit with Radio's boyfriend, who's name is Hayden, and Nox on the chat server. Then the team broke up, with Ulty and the new fellow heading to bed, Paradox heading out to wind down for the evening, and even Kitten going offline for a fair while. It was late enough that I got a bunch of paperwork done instead of joining something new. Then Kitten came back in time for an individual mission or two and a hunt before I started my exercises. I chatted with them on the chat server for a while after that, until they left. Then I watched videos, read several more comics, and talked with Kitten a little more when they woke up and said hi.