On Friday

 

Osteospermum Flowers

The first osteospermum flowers of the season are starting to bloom!

It was a mostly sunny day, on Friday.  I took a walk in the garden and took some pictures of the flowers.  I was happy to see the purple osteospermum flowers starting to bloom.  

I tried on my new clothes and I was happy to see that they all fitted me.  I wore one of the tank tops under my sweater and wore the leggings, too.

Friday Brunch

For brunch, I cooked a package of breakfast sausages, fried potatoes, and scrambled eggs.  I cooked the potatoes and the eggs in some of the oil left in the pan after I fried the sausages, but, otherwise, I didn't salt them.  I gave daughter her usual serving of sausages, but, I limited myself to half of a sausage, cut up into small pieces.  It provided just enough salt for me to enjoy my brunch.

In the afternoon, during daughter's 30 minutes lunch break, we made a quick visit to the library to return our books that were due and I borrowed three magazines.  Daughter picked up a book about raising backyard chickens and we will both read it as we are wanting to try our hand at raising chickens.  

Later in the evening, M tended to the garden, watering, spraying the rest of the fruit trees, etc.

 Chicken and Vegetable Soup

For dinner, I removed all the meat I could from the chicken carcass I had boiled to make stock on Thursday, cut up some onions, carrots, and some scallions I hd in the freezer, and made a chicken and vegetable soup.  Since I made it without salt, the soup didn't taste very good to me.  I had about a third of a jar of pasta sauce in the fridge, and, in an effort to improve the taste of the soup, I added that to the soup, along with a can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed to remove any salt, and a can of drained and rinsed green beans, too, which needed to be used up.  Daughter said it just tasted like pasta sauce (she is not a fan of tomato based pasta sauce unless it is homemade), but, I found it acceptable, if not exactly tasty.  I had a bowl of it for my dinner and kept the leftovers in the fridge.  

On Friday, I was grateful for:

- A sunny day
- Flowers in the garden
- Libraries
- M's help with the garden
- A safe drive to the library and back

Friday's joyful activity was a visit to the library.

Plans for Saturday include a visit from friend R to pick up her latest package and maybe ordering groceries.

How was your Friday?  What are your plans for the weekend?

On Thursday

 

New Clothes

Friends of mine gave me a store gift card for Christmas and I had the hardest time trying to figure out what to buy with it.  I didn't actually need anything.  Eventually, however, I decided to get a few items of clothing I had been wanting to get: a new robe (purple fleece), two tank tops (one black and one reddish brown) to wear under some rather sheer blouses that one of my cousins had given me (or to be worn around the house during the hot summers), and a pair of leggings.  We ordered them online and the robe was delivered on Wednesday and the other three items were delivered today (Thursday).  They are the first new clothes I've bought in a while and will fill in some gaps in my wardrobe.  That store gift card was such a blessing.

It's been another cloudy day, today, with a high of 63F.  I did a load of laundry, watched some videos, and knitted.  I also made some stock with a chicken carcass I had frozen; I will de-fat it, tomorrow, and make some chicken and vegetable soup.

I had leftover coconut roti and pork curry for brunch; daughter ate some chicken curry.  For dinner, daughter asked for roast pork sandwiches.  I sauteed slices of roast pork with garlic powder, onion powder, and ground black pepper and made sandwiches with toasted bread.  I had some of my dump cake with yogurt for dessert and apple slices for a snack.

On Thursday, I was grateful for:

- A good blood pressure reading (it had been slightly elevated all week)
- Working appliances
- New clothes 
- E-mails from friends
- Daughter being home with me

Thursday's joyful activity was knitting.

Plans for Friday include tending to the garden with M and maybe a quick run to the library to return books.

How was your Thursday?  What are your plans for Friday?

Mid-Week on Wednesday

 

Mixed Fruit Dump Cake

It was rather cloudy on Wednesday and "cool" with a high of 65F.  But, it was a good day to garden and M repotted the blueberry bush that was drying up and losing its leaves and he transplanted the raspberry plant.  It had been growing in a planter and we planted it in the ground.  He also sprayed some copper spray on the fruit trees and we placed a "collar" of wire mesh around the trunk of the Asia pear tree as the garden cats have started to sharpen their claws on it and have damaged the bark!  

I mended one of the long sleeved T-shirts daughter had decluttered which I had taken for myself.  There was a small tear near the hem and I mended the hole and rehemmed it.  I also unpicked the large tag/label with the clothing company name that had been sewn on the back because the label felt scratchy when I wore the top.

I spent the afternoon watching some videos and knitting.  Later, I sorted through one of the pantry cabinets and one of the freezer shelves.  As part of the freezer shelf organizing, I pulled out a package of homegrown peaches, a package of homegrown blueberries, and a small package of strawberries.  I put the frozen fruit into a square glass baking pan and poured half a package of yellow cake mix on top and dotted the top with some pats of butter.  Then, I baked it at 350F for 30 minutes and made what I'm calling a mixed fruit dump cake.  I didn't add any sugar to the frozen fruit as the cake mix is sweet enough.

Mixed Fruit Dump Cake Serving

Daughter and I enjoyed some of the mixed fruit dump cake after dinner, while it was still warm.  

I had a chicken sandwich for brunch and daughter had a roast pork sandwich.  For dinner, daughter had chicken curry and I had pork roast.  

On Wednesday, I was grateful for:

- A good day for gardening
- M's help with the garden
- Working appliances and electricity and natural gas to run them

- Frozen homegrown fruit
- Being able to mend and to knit

Wednesday's joyful activities included gardening, knitting, and baking.

Plans for Thursday include more freezer organizing and knitting.

How was your Wednesday?  What are your plans for Thursday?

A Long Weekend

 

Irises

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

We've enjoyed a long weekend with Monday being a holiday to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

On Saturday afternoon, one of daughter's friends came over for a cooking lesson!  Daughter is showing her how to make Sri Lankan food.  They made a dhal curry with red lentils and a mallung with kale (a mallung is shredded greens sauteed with grated coconut, onions, green chillies, turmeric, etc.)  They had fun and, afterwards, daughter kept a portion of what they cooked for us and gave the rest to her friend to take home to share with her father and sister.  They are planning to make chicken curry, next weekend!

On Sunday, daughter and I visited my cousin V and her family.   V was recovering from surgery on her right shoulder.  I prepared a chicken curry for her and also took some cashew curry and moringa curry I had cooked and frozen earlier.  One of V's sisters-in-law had made a big pan of chicken biryani for her, so, at V's urging, daughter and I enjoyed some of it for lunch.

After we came home, I phoned Aunt C baked another batch of no salt added blueberry muffins:

Blueberry Muffins

We enjoyed some of them with our evening tea.

Dinner was chicken fried rice:

Chicken Fried Rice

On Monday, friend R visited in the afternoon.  She brought us Christmas gifts and collected several of her packages that had been delivered to my address.  At 11:00 a.m. on Monday, R texted me to notify me that another package she had been expecting to be delivered on Tuesday was being delivered on Monday, instead, and that it would require a signature.  However, a short time later, I discovered a notice on my door from a different delivery service than the one R had said were delivering her package, stating that they had tried to deliver a package but no one was at home!  Apparently, they had tried to deliver it before R had told me to expect a delivery and if they had knocked on the door, I had not heard it.  It upset me a little and I felt as if I was at fault, even though I know that it wasn't. 

Anyway, R called them and they are going to redeliver it today, but, R didn't know at what time.  I woke up at 7:00 a.m., which is early for me (especially after going to bed after 3:00 a.m.) in order to be ready to accept the delivery.  They just delivered it (at 11:00 a.m.)

On Monday evening, after R left, I cooked the pork roast that I had bought on Friday.  Daughter cut the roast in half for me and further cut one of the halves into 8 pork chops and cubed the rest.  I roasted the one half, froze the chops in two packages of four chops each, and made a curry with the cubed pieces.  

Breakfast had been a scrambled egg on toast for me (daughter made herself a sandwich with fried eggs and the last bagel).  We had blueberry muffins with tea when R visited (and we gave R some of the muffins to take home).  Dinner was rice, pork curry, dhal, the last of the kale mallung, and tomato chutney:

Monday Dinner

On Monday afternoon, before R visited, daughter and I spent a little time in the garden, watering the plants, feeding the compost bin, and just checking things out.  Later, daughter took the trash cans to the curb for me.  Later, I texted with cousin N.

Also on Monday, I finished knitting the back of daughter's sweater:

Daughter's Sweater - Back

It's the same wool I used for my sweater, but, a different color, called "Aran".  I'll start the front, today.  She wants the same design, but, just a little longer than my sweater.  

Today, Tuesday, is another sunny and warm day.  I woke up early, as mentioned above, brought the emptied trash cans in, accepted R's package, and tidied the living room a little bit.  I will knit and do some quiet activities today as daughter is having a migraine and is resting (she took a day off from work).  

Today, I am grateful for:

- A lovely long weekend with plenty of social interactions
- Pleasant weather (sunny days, warm temperatures)
- Being able to accept the delivery of a package for R
- Weekly trash collection services
- Daughter is able to take time off from work when needed

Today's joyful activity will be knitting.  

More Irises

How was your weekend?  What are your plans for today?

January Grocery Shopping - Part 2

I ordered and picked up groceries on Friday.  Since my daughter put the groceries away for me right away, I couldn't take a picture of them, but, here's a copy of the receipt:

Order Summary

Original Item Total$154.48

Item Coupons/Sales-$57.62

Fulfillment Fee+$0.00

Other Fees+$0.60

Sales Tax+$1.17

Order Total$98.63

---

Item Details

54 Items

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Value Pack, 1 lb$13.93

4.66 lbs x $2.98 $4.99 each (approx.)

Broccoli Crown, 1 ct$2.79

1.12 lbs x $2.49 each (approx.)

CA Redem Val (on the sparkling water)$0.60

12 x $0.05 each (approx.)

CA Redem Val (on the sparkling water)$0.60

12 x $0.05 each (approx.)

Cucumber, 1 ct$0.99

1 x $0.99 each

Fresh Bunch of Bananas – 5-7 Bananas, 1 bunch$0.69

1 lbs x $0.69 each

Fresh Green Beans, 1 lb$2.42

0.97 lbs x $2.49 each (approx.)

Fresh Seedless Red Grapes, 1 lb$2.29

1.15 lbs x $1.99 $3.99 each (approx.)

Kroger® Cage Free Large White Eggs, 18 ct$4.39

1 x $4.39 each

Kroger® Crunchy Butterfly Shrimp Frozen, 32 ounces$9.99

1 x $9.99 $14.99 each

Kroger® White Sandwich Bread, 20 oz$1.99

1 x $1.99 each

Kroger® Whole Vitamin D Milk 32 fl. oz. Bottle, 1 qt$2.49

1 x $2.49 each

Large Gala Apple - Each, 1 each$2.75

1.38 lbs x $1.99 each (approx.)

Mountain High Plain Yogurt Tub, 32 oz$4.49

1 x $4.49 $4.99 each

Pork Bone-In Boston Butt Shoulder Roast, 1 lb$29.45

9.85 lbs x $2.98 $5.99 each (approx.)

Sparkling Ice Zero Sugar Strawberry Lemonade Sparkling Water, 17 fl oz$12.00

12 x $1.00 $1.67 each

StarKist Reduced Sodium Chunk Light in Water Can, 5 oz$5.00

5 x $1.00 $1.59 each

---

Other Fees

$0.60

Bag Fee$0.60

6 x $0.10 each

I spent a lot on groceries this time.

But, the majority of the chicken is for a chicken curry I am making to take to my cousin who had shoulder surgery earlier this week and I thought that the boneless, skinless chicken will be easier for her to manage with her non-dominant hand.  The package held 5 chicken breast halves and I cut up and curried four of them to take to my cousin's tomorrow; the other one was sliced and sauteed with onions, lemon juice, pepper, garlic powder, etc., to be added to salads or made into sandwiches for my daughter and me for our brunches, etc.

I forgot to specify a small pork roast when I ordered the groceries and the person picking out my groceries picked a huge pork roast!  However, it will provide us with many meals as I plan to cook and freeze some of it.

The shrimp was a treat and a bit of a splurge, even on sale.  It's been a while since I last bought it because I didn't want to pay the higher sale price, but, it'll be a nice treat to look forward to.  

January grocery shopping part 1 is here.

January grocery budget = $250

Spent to date = $65.05 + $98.63 = $163.68

Balance left in the budget = $250 - $163.68 = $86.32

Meal Plan Options:

We are not really following a meal plan at this time.  Sometimes, daughter and I eat the same things (we both had tuna salad sandwiches, on Friday, after I bought the lower sodium canned tuna and we both had rice and curries today when daughter cooked dhal and kale mallung) but, often, we eat different things and at different times, especially when she's working. 

However, I like to write down meal plan options and these are the options for next week:

Brunches: Scrambled eggs with toast (and sausages for daughter); omelet with salad or sauteed greens; salad with chicken; chicken sandwiches; tuna or egg salad sandwiches; French toast; blueberry muffins; fried rice

Dinners: Rice, chicken curry, dhal, kale mallung, and tomato chutney; rice with leftover salmon, broccoli, and chutney; pasta with chicken and spaghetti sauce; chicken and vegetable soup; roast pork with potatoes, green beans, and carrots and/or pork curry with rice, cucumber salad, sauteed cabbage; leftovers/planned overs or something else not on the plan!  

How are you coming along with your grocery shopping and grocery spending so far in January?  

A Finished Project: New Sweater

Back of Sweater: Stockinette Stitch

I finished knitting the sweater I started on December 29, 2025 and finished sewing it up, today.  It was my "de-stressing/relaxing" sweater.  The back was done in stockinette stitch (knit on one side, purl on the other), which was very quick and simple.

The Front: Cables

The front started out being in stockinette stitch, too, but, then, I decided that I didn't like it so plain.  I unpicked everything down to the ribbing, and chose to do cables.  I debated between a V-neck or a round neck and decided to go with a round neck.  

I rarely block my sweaters, which is why the sweater looks the way it does in the pictures above.  I'm not slim enough to fit into a sweater that small.  But, the cabling gives the sweater a lot of elasticity.  

My New Sweater

I used four and a half balls of 100 g (3.5 oz) wool for this sweater.  I have more balls of wool in this same color for another planned project.

Today, I am grateful for:

- My new sweater
- My yarn stash

- Being taught to knit when I was a child
- Time to knit
- What I was able to accomplish

Today's joyful activity was finishing and wearing my new sweater.

My next knitting project will be a sweater for my daughter.  I'll use the same brand of yarn, but, a different color - a cream wool called "Aran" on the label.  She wants hers to be a longer length.  I'll be casting on the stitches for that after I publish this post.

Are you working on a project currently?

On Thursday

 

Aloe Flowers

The aloe plants (they are a different variety than aloe vera) are flowering.  

Close Up

The flower stalks open up very gradually from the bottom of the stalk.  The individual flowers are still not fully open.

Another Close Up

The hummingbirds wait impatiently for them to open fully so they can enjoy the nectar.

Daughter had a full day of meetings on Thursday.  I slept in and then spent the rest of the day reading, watching online videos, and knitting.  It was another sunny and warm day (high of 79F) and I took another walk in the garden to look at things such as the aloe flowers and my stumpery:

The Stumpery

It hasn't changed since the last picture I took of it, but, I love looking at it.  LOL.  

Later in the evening, I called cousin V and chatted with her for a bit.

I made milkrice for brunch and I had mine with seeni sambol (onion relish) and daughter, who had already eaten a piece of curried chicken, had hers with sugar.  For dinner, I made pancakes and ate mine with baked chicken and a little bit of chicken curry gravy (I had added a little salt to the chicken curry).  We shared an apple for dessert and I had a cookie.  

On Thursday, I was grateful for:

- Another sunny and warm day
- Garden flowers
- Time to knit and relax
- Library books
- Phone calls and emails with family and friends

Thursday's joyful activities included knitting, spending time in the garden, and watching videos.

Plans for Friday include ordering and picking up groceries and tending to the garden with M.

How was your Thursday?  What are your plans for Friday?