On Christmas Day and Day After

 

Christmas Lunch

On Christmas day, the rain paused for a period of time.  Late friend A's younger daughter called my daughter around 9:00 a.m., asking if we could make it to Christmas lunch, after all.  Daughter asked me and I said, "Yes".  It was supposed to rain later in the afternoon, but, we were hoping we could manage to make it there and back before it resumed raining.  However, just in case it rained hard and the roads flooded, I decided we could spend the night at their house and put a change of clothes in the car ( I've decided to leave it in the car along with the sleeping bag that I've kept in the car since the January fires, in case we need to evacuate in an emergency) 

There was no rain on the way to our friends' house, but, as soon as we pulled into the parking lot, it just poured!  Hard, heavy rain, that sounded almost like hail as it fell on the car.  Two minutes later, the rain stopped!  I guess we had a cloud burst of sorts.  It rained on and off while we were at our friend's house, but, we left when it was just a ight rain and that stopped just before we reached home.

Our friends had prepared a feast for Christmas lunch: Ham and gravy, corned beef brisket, chicken curry, vegetable rice, cheesy mashed potatoes, salad, bread rolls, and Christmas cake, pumpkin pie, and ice cream for dessert.  

While we were there, my friend S called to say that her husband and daughter were on their way to my house to drop off something for me and that usually means food.  I told her that we were not at home.  But, apparently, they were making a drop off at friend R's too, so they said they'll leave my parcel with friend R, if I could pick it up from her place.  Then friend R called to tell me that friend S's daughter had called her saying I was not at home!  I confirmed that I was not at home and I will stop by to pick up my package on my way home.  Which I did and I handed over a package that had arrived for R just as we were leaving the house and which I had with me in the car.  

As I suspected friend S had sent us a dinner!  Rice, cashew curry, beef curry, eggplant moju with fried dried salted sprats, Sri Lankan mixed pickle, cutlets, slices of fresh pineapple, and homemade marshmallows for dessert.  Daughter and I were too full from our Christmas lunch to eat a full dinner, so we kept it in the fridge to enjoy on the following day and over the weekend, too.

It started to rain quite heavily in the night.  I was glad we came home before the heavy rains started again.

On Christmas day, I was grateful for:

-  Our friends inviting us to Christmas lunch
- The heavy rains let up while we were driving to our friends' home and back 
- Safe driving there and back (we avoided the flooded roads and intersections)
- Time spent in the company of friends
- Friend S sending us dinner; friend R keeping it for me

My joyful activities included enjoying Christmas day with my daughter and friends and cuddling a new puppy that one of late friend A's daughters has just adopted.

Puppy Wants Christmas Lunch, Too!

We generally don't open gifts at the end of the gathering so we left our gifts to them under their tree and they handed their gifts to us as we were leaving.  

One of the girls is an avid hiker and we got her a hiking journal and a set of pens:

Hiking Journal

The other girl has asked daughter to teach her how to crochet, so we got her a crochet instruction book and a set of crochet hooks and stitch markers, etc.

Crochet Book

Daughter also made them each two beaded bracelets.

Their father received a jar of homemade peach chutney.

I received a lovely set of kitchen towels as the girls continued their mother's tradition of giving me towels each year, as well as a gift card.

Set of Kitchen Towel

I love the colors and the fact that it is suitable for year round use and not just at Christmas.  

Daughter received a selection of reading themed gifts and a necklace.

Speaking of necklaces, my daughter made me this wrapped wire pendant as one of her Christmas gifts to me:

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Wrapped Wire, Glass Crystal Beads, and a Moonstone

Later in the evening I called my cousin N and spoke with her mother, Aunt C who is in her early 90s and recently been diagnosed with dementia.  Aunt spoke with me for a long time, rambling a bit as she spoke.  When I asked my cousin if I could come and visit her mother, she asked Aunt C if she'd like me to visit, but, I could hear Aunt C saying no.  So, I told cousin C not to worry about it, I will just drop off a gift without seeing Aunt C.  The last pair of socks I knitted are for her.  I also called friend S for thank her for the meal she sent us.

Today, the day after Christmas day, it continued to rain more or less all day, quite heavily at times.  My cousin V called and I chatted with her for awhile.  Daughter and I are having a relatively quiet, relaxed day as I've been trying to keep my blood pressure under control (it's been fluctuating a bit).  

Daughter is assembling one of the gifts she bought for me; I will post a picture once it is fully assembled.  

I hope you've had a lovely Christmas with your loved ones.

Did you take advantage of any after Christmas sales?  What are your plans for the weekend?

Christmas Eve

 

Moo:  "I don't like this wet stuff, Lady"

It rained all night on Tuesday and all day on Christmas Eve.  Some roads and freeways flooded and there were mudslides and hundreds of accidents.  It is supposed to rain all day on Christmas Day, too.

Daughter and I had been invited to join some friends of ours for Christmas dinner, but, after receiving two weather alerts and flood watch warnings, we took a "rain check" on the invitation!  Especially since we saw on the news that the freeway and the intersection under the freeway that we would need to drive through to get to our friends' house were flooded and closed to traffic.  

I hadn't planned anything for a special Christmas dinner at home, but, I can put together something and we'll plan a festive New Year's Day meal, instead.

M came to visit during a break in the weather (it was still drizzling, but, not raining hard), with a gift for us:

Yummy Pastries and Cakes

He offered to water the garden for me!  Ha, ha!  Very funny, M!

I had made waffles and sausages for brunch.  At tea time, instead of tea, I made hot cocoa with the last of the whipped cream squired on top:

Hot Cocoa

 For dinner, I made some curry puffs:

Curry Puffs

Puff pastry triangles filled with ground beef, tomato, a grated potato, and grated zucchini.  . 

On Christmas Eve, I'm grateful for:

- The rain for the garden

- The previous night's wind storm only toppled one of my blueberry bushes 
- Our friends understood our reasons for declining their invitation to Christmas dinner
- Electricity (friend R called to say her power went off for several hours due to the storm)
- A working heater

My joyful activities included walking around the garden when the rain slowed down to a light drizzle and sampling some of the delicious desserts M gave us.

I wish you all a very joyous Christmas.  May you be blessed with the love, peace, and goodwill that is so much a part of this season.

Better on Tuesday

 

Torn Cardigan Sleeve

I developed a tear in the sleeve of my favorite cardigan.  I knitted this cardigan in 2002, I believe, so I am not surprised that it is tearing in places.  It is the same cardigan I mended back in February:  That time, there was a small tear in one of the front sides and I embroidered a flower bud to disguise the mending:

Embroidery to Disguise the Mending

This time, however, I just mended the hole with some darning with a contrasting color: visible mending.

Visible Mending

I went to sleep at an early for me time on Monday.  I kept waking up every so often and I would drink some water and go back to sleep each time.  I got about 9 hours of sleep altogether and when I finally woke up, my headache was gone.  I checked my blood pressure and it was normal.  I checked my sugar, too, and that was quite normal, too (below 100).

In the afternoon, I took daughter to her clinic to get her flu shot at the walk-in clinic they had set up and then, I dropped her off at home.  Then, I decided to go an get my flu shot, too, because my area is supposed to get some heavy rain on Wednesday and Thursday and there were flood warnings.  I didn't want to be driving around in the rain as roads and intersections in my neighborhood often get flooded when it rains.

So, I went to the pharmacy as a walk-in and received my flu shot with hardly any waiting.  Afterwards, I stopped to put gas into my car; $50 worth at $4.35 per gallon for unleaded.  

I ate some garbanzo beans left over from the almsgiving for my brunch (daughter ate some chicken curry and leftovers).  For dinner, daughter treated us both to Japanese food from our nearby Japanese restaurant.  We ordered the food to go and picked it up, as we are still not eating out in a restaurant yet.  

I am planning to go to bed at a more reasonable time tonight, too.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- My headache went away
- My pressure and sugar levels were good
- The availability of flu vaccines
- The availability of gas for the car
- Daughter treating us to dinner

Today's joyful activity was enjoying some yummy food that I didn't have to cook!

Plans for tomorrow, Christmas Eve, include seeing gardener friend M before he takes a few days off over the holidays and hopefully making a batch of jam to give as holiday gifts. 

How was your Tuesday?  What are your plans for Christmas Eve?

On Monday

 

Holiday Chocolates

A friend sent us a box of holiday chocolates.  They arrived in an insulated package with cold packs to keep the chocolates fresh!

On Monday, all the excitement of the past couple of days caught up with me!  I woke up with a headache which I tried to sleep off, unsuccessfully.  I checked my blood pressure and found out that it has spiked!  My blood pressure had been so low recently, that at the beginning of the month, my doctor took me off one of my blood pressure medications.  I was fine for the next couple of weeks, but, today, my pressure had spiked.  I went back on the medication and it brought down my blood pressure back to normal.  But, the headache lingered.

I took a nap in the afternoon hoping that it would help, but it didn't/  So, I took a dose of Tylenol and that, and a cup of tea, did help.  But, as a result of the headache, I didn't go to the pharmacy to get my flu shot.

I had egg salad sandwiches for both breakfast and lunch, today.  I think I will have some of the spicy potatoes for my dinner.  And, hopefully, go to bed at a more reasonable time and maybe catch up on my sleep.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- My blood pressure monitor
- Blood pressure medications
- My pressure responded to the medication
- Afternoon naps
- Daughter taking out the trash and recycling bins to the curb for me

Today's joyful activities included being mostly inactive, resting and taking a nap!

Plans for tomorrow include:

- Getting my flu shot
- Taking daughter to get her flu shot
- Making and mailing some last minute holiday greeting cards 
- Making some Christmas/New Year gifts if I feel up to it

How was your Monday?  What are your plans for Tuesday?

After the Almsgiving

 

The Last of the Butternut Squash

Thank you to all who left such kind, considerate, and respectful comments and genuine questions on my almsgiving posts.  I truly appreciate them.  

Happy Winter Solstice and the first day of Winter!

I had thought that I would sleep in on Sunday, especially since I didn't go to sleep until past 4:00 a.m.  But, I got up at 8:00 a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep.  So, I had a cup of tea, got dressed, unloaded the dishwasher, etc.; daughter was surprised to see me already up and about when she got up around 8:30 a.m.  She woke up with a migraine-related visual aura but, couldn't go back to bed because her friends were coming over for the planned pancake/waffles breakfast at 9:00 a.m.

Her friend C, who lives out of state and was visiting family to attend a grandparent's funeral, arrived just after 9:00 a.m. and they chatted and had some one on one time before friend A arrived around 9:30 a.m.  A third friend V was not well and had let daughter know she was not attending the breakfast, out of consideration for the others.

There was a lot of laughter and chatting while daughter and her friends made scrambled eggs and pancakes (apparently, they didn't want waffles).  Friend C left around 10:30 a.m. and friend A stayed for another couple of hours.

I had retreated to my bedroom after I had greeted friend C when she first arrived, but, I sat in the family room when it was only friend A.  These are girls I've known since daughter was in middle school and it is lovely to see how they've grown over the years and stayed in touch.  

After they had their pancake breakfast, I made myself waffles for my brunch.  

I had just finished my brunch when gardener friend M showed up!  He had been unable to tend to the garden on Friday since he had an issue with his truck.  So, he was making up for it by working on his day off!  He cleared up the butternut squash vines and harvested the last of the butternut squashes!  The biggest one is just around 6 inches, the smallest one is just under 2 inches!  I think that will go in the compost heap, but the other two might yield about a cup and a half of squash to be cooked!

I served a plate of the leftover almsgiving food for M and he enjoyed it.  

Later in the afternoon, I made myself an egg salad sandwich.  

After that, daughter helped me to put away the dishes and other items that are used only for our almsgivings.  They are stored on the higher shelves in the upper kitchen cabinets that I can barely reach even when standing on the top step of a two tiered step stool.  I am definitely vertically challenged!  Daughter also cleaned the top of the refrigerator for me and I cleaned the top of the vent hood over the stove and the cabinet doors directly above.  I would like to clean the rest of the kitchen cabinet doors before the New Year.

Both daughter and I had naps in the early evening.  Afterwards, we both had leftovers for dinner.  

On Sunday, I was grateful for:

- Daughter had a good gathering with her friends
- The sound of laughter blessing the house
- M making time to tend to the garden
- The last of the butternut squashes from the garden
-  A lovely day

Sunday's joyful activity was sharing some of the almsgiving leftovers with M.

Plans for Monday include getting my flu vaccine, making a batch of blueberry jam, and maybe sewing a couple of New Year gifts.

How was your Sunday?  Did you do something special to observe Winter Solstice? What are your plans for Monday?

Almsgiving Day 2025

 

Almsgiving Day, 2025

Almsgiving 2025 went well, 

Pictured above, is the reliquary containing a relic, supposedly a tiny bone fragment of the Buddha on the taller stand between the book case and the sofa. The reliquary is brought from the temple, by the monks, and it's presence transforms the house into a temporary temple and a sacred or holy place.

The shorter table in front of the reliquary contains a tray with food offerings to the Buddha, a vase of flowers from the garden, a candle, and incense.

On the coffee table in front of the monks are two plates with salad and glasses of water.  The items covered with paper napkins are plates and bowls of the almsgiving food that is offered to the entire Community of Monks, not just the two monks who are physically present at the almsgiving.  Often, this food is sent back to the temple with the monks to be given to any needy person or for the monks to have on the following day if there is no almsgiving scheduled.  

I was up at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday and started on my almsgiving preparations, picking the flowers and tangerines from the garden, peeling and cutting the pineapple, taking out the cooked food from the fridge, etc.  Friend $ came over at 8:00 a.m. and started preparing the salads and plates of fruit.  Daughter joined us a short time later, checking her almsgiving menu and making sure that the warmed up food is served into the containers being prepared for offering to the Buddha and to the Community of Monks.  

We completed everything by 10:30 a.m. and while we waited or the monks to arrive, I went over my list showing the order of serving to friend R.  Once the monks arrived, we began the ceremony offering the prepared food to the Buddha and the Community of Monks and reciting the stanzas where we undertake to observe the five precepts that guide lay Buddhists in their daily life.

After that, the monks were served their meal.  On this visit, they did not bring their begging bowls and used the plates we had set out for them.   I took the above picture with their permission.  They know that I have a blog and that I post about my almsgivings.

After lunch, they gave a short sermon, chanted blessings, we transferred some of the merits acquired to family and loved ones who have departed, including Dancer (the monks remembered him especially), and tied blessed thread around our wrists, using the colored thread we had donated, earlier.  Then, we handed out the donations we had set aside to give to the monks and the ceremony ended.

After the monks left, we had our own meal and we gave friend R the Christmas gifts we had got for her.  She had mentioned wanting to buy two specific kitchen appliances and daughter and I bought them for her.  She was very pleased with her gifts.  Afterwards, we took her home.

Daughter took a nap after we got home and I put away the leftover food, washed the dishes, did two loads of laundry, and gave neighbor S a plate of almsgiving food.  In return she gave me some blinchick (stuffed crepes) that they had made.  Daughter and I shared that for our dinner.

After daughter woke up from her nap, I took a nap.  I was very tired and my spine was hurting from being on my feet for so long.  I put away the laundry after I woke up from my nap.

On Saturday, I was grateful for:

- All the help from friend R and daughter
- The almsgiving went well without a hitch
- We had a pleasant, sunny day for the almsgiving

-  R was pleased with her Christmas gifts

- Exchanging plates of food with neighbor S

Saturday's joyful activity was holding the almsgiving.

On Sunday, daughter is hosting a pancakes breakfast for her friends.  One friend has already called and made her excuses as she is not feeling well.  I am not required to help with cooking the breakfast so I can sleep in or just relax.

How is your weekend coming along?

Twas the Night Before the Almsgiving

Almsgiving Preparations Check List

And almost all the items on the Almsgiving Preparations List that have to be done before the actual day of the almsgiving been checked off:

The house has been vacuumed and tidied;  the living room furniture was rearranged (thank you, daughter)

The serving dishes and all the other items required for the almsgiving have been taken down from the cabinets, washed, and kept ready (again, thank you, daughter) 

Groceries were ordered and picked up (on Thursday).'

On Friday, I picked up friend R who came to help with the cooking.  All the curries on the menu have been cooked, ready to be warmed up on Saturday morning.  

Friend R will come in the morning to help with the last minute preparations.

Of course, all the planning in the world can't prevent last minute glitches.  Both my cousin and daughter's friend who had said they will come to the almsgiving called today to let us know that they will not be coming because they have come down with something.  I am sorry they are not well, but, also, very thankful that they are staying home if they are ill!  M called to say he was having some battery issues with his truck and would not be able to come today.  Of course, I said it was okay, but I had planned to ask him to sweep up the front walkway and now, it won't get done unless I find time to do it tomorrow morning.  But, worst of all, I got impatient with my daughter when she asked where something was and snapped at her, which was not very nice of me.  ("It's where it always has been"...except it wasn't!  I had moved it during the living room painting and had not put it back!)  Later, I apologized and she was quick to forgive, but, I'm very sorry that I snapped at her.  She has been so helpful, too. 

Today, I am grateful for:

- Daughter's help with getting the house tidied and the almsgiving prep
- Friend R's help with the food preparations
- Getting all the advance prep done

- Daughter being so ready to forgive me for snapping at her

- A restful evening.

Today's joyful activities was preparing for the almsgiving.

I've a long list of things to do on Saturday morning, but, friend R will be coming to help.  And daughter will help, too.

I hope you've had a lovely day.  What are your plans for Saturday?