More visits to nursing homes yesterday. Nana insisted on visiting an Assisted Living complex as well. She has it firmly etched in her mind that Grandma will not be returning to her home. After visiting the fifth and final nursing home for her immediate needs, I asked Nana to please put the living arrangements on the back burner until we find out what she is capable of. If we can, we should allow her to return to her apartment where she has friends and a routine and an enjoyable life. With her lifeline button, she has almost all of the security of the other place and we wouldn't have to uproot her. The day will come soon enough where she'll need around the clock care, but let's just wait and see what the therapy brings.

I did not get paint on the walls yesterday, as I'd hoped, but I did make the beef stew I'd been wanting to make for a while now. I had looked at the price of stew meat at the grocery and was floored by the fact that it was more expensive than the beautiful top round steaks. It didn't take a math genius to have me understanding a few minutes spent cutting steak into cubes would lend me a much more yummy stew. And yummy it was! It came out tasting somewhat like my great-grandmother's swiss steak! Only with carrots and peas and potatoes along for the ride! (I get so excited about food, don't I?) This was also my first time cooking with wine. I deglazed the pan with a nice Cabernet, per the recipe I was using as a guide. I was a little unsure at first, it smelled so alcoholic, but in the end it blended with the beef stock and tomato paste as a wonderful rich broth. I served it with garlic cheddar biscuits which I split and placed in the bottom of the bowl as a happy surprise.

I felt a little odd, putting such effort into the meal that I knew Hubband wouldn't be eating, but this was more of an effort for myself. Nana took me up on the invitation to stay and we sent a small doggie bag back to Grandma. The Little Boy didn't care for it and the Big Boy had already eaten, so there are lots of leftovers. That's okay, too, because it's one of those dishes that tastes better the day after.

With all of the exhaustion of the weekend, I don't know what to do with myself today. I feel guilty about not starting the painting yet, but the Boy would like to go out and there are other things that I had wanted to get to this weekend, that I haven't been able to do. I feel like I've been neglecting the Boy, so I think what I'll do is make a list of all the things I need to purchase and then drag him along with me. That should bore him enough that he'll leave me plenty of time later to at least slap a sample of paint on one of the walls.

In order to do that, however, I must take my leave so I can shower and dress and clean up around here a bit. (I'm actually quite proud of how we've been keeping up with the "chores". I did two loads of laundry yesterday and even managed to remember the fabric softner!)

Having him away has really brought to my appreciation the little things he does for me every day. Not just the big ticket items like laundry and yardwork, but the little things like making sure I have a full tank and toilet paper. (Don't ask.) I'll be glad when he gets home.