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.