Monday, April 4, 2016

First Weekend in April

Saturday started off with a phone call from one of my friends.  She was making some special food for lunch and asked if daughter could come to pick up the portion she had set aside for us!  I sent daughter with a bag of lemons and a bag of curry leaves to give to my friend in return.  As usual, my friend sent enough food for several meals, so there's plenty of leftovers.

I also gave daughter a grocery list and she did the grocery shopping for me - chicken breasts ($1.49/lb. = $8.21) and thighs ($.99/lb = $5.93), smoked sausage ($2.50), ham cold cuts ($3.59/8 oz), lettuce ($.99), cucumber ($.50), apples ($.99/lb = $1.42), strawberries ($1.50/lb), bananas ($.69/lb = $1.23), a can of condensed milk ($1.79), half and half ($2.59), loaf of bread ($1.29), 4 bakery bagels (@$.79 = $3.16), bottle of salad dressing ($3.99); grocery total came to $38.68.  No picture because daughter was too efficient and put away the groceries before I could say anything!

Saturday was a warm day and the roses in the front garden were drooping.  So, in the evening, I watered the front garden and then, went for a short walk around the block.  Evening walks are nice because I meet some of my neighbors.  Later, I cooked the chicken breasts (froze most of it) and some Spanish rice for dinner.

Daughter had planned to go hiking with a friend on Sunday morning.  However, late Saturday night,  she had an asthma attack.  She was OK after taking her rescue inhaler, but we decided it would be better if she didn't go hiking in the morning.

So we had a leisurely morning on Sunday.  I had put mung beans to soak on Saturday night and I boiled them for breakfast.  It's one of daughter's favorite breakfasts.  Later in the morning, one of my neighbors called to check on me and we had a chat. 

Daughter settled down to do some homework in the afternoon (she had to do an outline for a paper), and I pottered around.  A friend had given me some magazines some time ago and didn't want them back, so I looked through them one last time and recycled them.  Then I gave myself a mini pedicure and knitted a bit.
 
Another friend called in the afternoon and we had a nice chat.  Later in the evening, one of my cousins called and asked if it would be OK to drop by for a visit.  I said yes, of course, and she came over for a cup of tea, which daughter made for us.

After cousin left, I cooked a curry with the chicken thighs that daughter had bought and froze it for daughter to take back to Berkeley with her.  Some home cooking for her to eat during the week when she's busy with classes, etc.  She used to grocery shop on Saturdays and cook for the week on Sundays.  However, since she's been coming down every weekend, she doesn't have much time to grocery shop and cook when she's there.  When she goes back tomorrow (or rather, later today as I am writing this at 1:30 a.m. on Monday!), for example, she won't get to her apartment until after 7:30 p.m.  Then, she has classes and work on Tuesdays from 9:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.  She has a little time on Wednesday evenings, because she finishes classes at 5:00 p.m.  And then, on Thursday, she has classes and work again, until 6:00 p.m. and after that, she goes directly to the airport to come down to accompany me to chemo on Friday mornings.  So, as you can see, very little time in which to shop and cook when she's up there.  It's a hectic schedule for her and I've told her she doesn't have to come down every weekend, but she doesn't want me to go for chemo by myself.  So I will continue to send frozen food back with her to tide her over during the week.

After I cooked, I did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen.  Daughter is still working on her homework assignment, but I am about ready to say my nightly prayers and get ready for bed.  

This weekend, I am grateful for:

- My daughter for being there for me.
- My friends who cook for me, call to check on me, send emails, etc.
- A visit from my cousin.
- Very little side effects from the latest chemo session.
- Feeling well enough to cook and clean a bit.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend.

12 comments:

  1. I'm sorry your daughter didn't get to go on her hike, but it's a good thing she had her attack when she was home and not while hiking, eh? I've been thinking that she must be earning a lot of frequent flyer miles with all those flights. How wonderful that she can and wants to come spend the weekends with you and that you can afford the cost. She's giving back to you all that you did for her when she was growing up, I want to say "it's natural" but nowadays I don't know that many kids actually would be so solicitous! I'm thinking about my oldest boys right now, in particular. But it's obvious that your daughter and you are very very close and it's quite lovely, actually. And see? you still take care of her as you send her home with food so she doesn't starve. She graduates very soon, doesn't she? Hopefully her life will be a little less hectic after that. I know that you said she had already been offered a job. Will she work in Berkeley and keep on coming down to see you? Or is she thinking about looking for a job closer to home?

    I was trying to figure out how you eat boiled mung beans for breakfast... so you sprout them and then boil them? Do you put anything on them? It's the first time that I hear about this dish. It's so interesting to learn about other people's cultures and customs. I love it!

    Have a great evening, Bless. I hope you keep feeling well enough to do some of the activities that you enjoy.

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    1. Yes, it was good that she had the asthma attack when she was at home and not on a hike, although she carries her rescue inhaler at all times. She has already been able to redeem some of her frequent flyer miles for a couple of free flights home! She is scheduled to graduate this May and the job she's been offered is in Berkeley. I should be finished with my treatment by then, so she won't need to come down quite as often.

      For boiled mung beans, I soak them overnight (they become plumped and a bit softer, but don't actually sprout) and then, drain the soaking water and rinse the soaked mung beans in a couple of changes of fresh water. Then, cover with more fresh, salted water and boil for about 20 minutes until the mung beans are soft. We often eat it with freshly grated coconut and a spicy onion "sambol" (sliced onions mixed with chili powder, salt, lime juice), but I ate it just plainly boiled, the other day, and my daughter likes to eat hers sprinkled with sugar.

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  2. You do have some wonderful friends and family. Your daughter definitely is a busy girl, but she sounds like a wonderful caring daughter.

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    1. Thank you, Jess. It's such a blessing to have caring family and friends.

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  4. It's so wonderful that your daughter is able to be home with you each week ... And glad she was home when her asthma flared up. Just curious ... When you send prepared food with her on her flight, do you have to freeze it? That's such a wonderful option ... For her to take your homecooking back with her. There's nothing better than comfort food!! :)

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    1. Carolyn, yes, the prepared food has to be frozen, as she takes it in her carry-on luggage and there can be no liquid.

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  5. So proud your doing well.. and Daughter is able to come and be with you on Fridays for your chemo. She is such a help to you, and I know you are enjoying her being home on the weekends. So nice of you to fix some frozen home cooked food for her to take back with her..
    Hope you have a wonderful week.
    All is good here. Really busy.. our house is in the process of selling..Doing paper work, etc. So many small details to deal with.. And we are doing some more fix it ups on the house we are moving too. Whew......... will be proud when our lives settle.lol

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    1. Judy, I'm so glad for you that your house is in the process of being sold! Hope all goes well and the sale proceeds smoothly. Lots of work between selling one house and getting the other ready for move in, I'm sure! Wishing you the best with everything!

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  6. I love the relationship that you an your daughter have.

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    1. Thank you, Joy. We do have a close relationship with each other, don't we? It's a blessing, I think. :)

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