Random Thoughts on a Saturday Morning

It was 3:44 a.m. when I last looked at the clock, last night/early this morning, before I fell asleep.  I woke up shortly after 8:30 a.m. (helped by a certain cat who came to see if I was up and ready to give him breakfast).  Stayed in bed until 9:00 a.m.  Then got up and fed the cat and had a cup of tea.  I've been off coffee since I started chemo! 

We are having what is called "June Gloom" weather.  It's when the low clouds form over the oceans overnight and move inland bringing fog and overcast cloudy skies, cooler weather, etc.  Usually, the fog burns off and the clouds clear by mid-afternoon.  But it was cold enough for me to turn on the heater when I woke up this morning!

I have now lived in Southern California for 38 years!  My mother, stepfather, and I moved here in early June, 1978.  That's the longest I've lived anywhere!  More than twice as long as I've lived in my country of birth (I left when I was 17).  I traveled around Southeast Asia for a year after I left my country of birth with my parents (mother and stepfather), then, I came to the U.S. to attend university, in Green Bay, Wisconsin!  People often ask me why Green Bay, Wisconsin.  The answer is simple: they gave me a tuition-waiver scholarship!  It was also the only university I applied to!  LOL.  My parents were in the process of emigrating and  I never intended to come to the States on my own!

My parents emigrated to the US while I was at university.  They lived in Wisconsin for a year, found it too cold, and moved to Florida.  I lived in Wisconsin for a total of 6 years, doing both my undergrad and grad studies.  At the end of my undergrad studies, my parents drove up, we packed the car with my belongings, and moved down to Florida. I lived in Florida for 1 year.  Then, we packed the car with whatever belongings would fit, and drove cross-country to California!  It was the ultimate road trip!  It took us 3 days and 2 nights!  And Southern California is where I've stayed since then (except for when I went back to Wisconsin to do my Master's degree), and put down roots.  Why So. Cal.?  We had family and friends living here, they said to come, the weather was good and there were jobs.  So, why not?

Our first apartment in So. Cal. was a studio apartment (under $200/month rent!), furnished with other people's cast offs.  It was a step up from our first apartment in Florida where we had practically no furniture (we slept on the floor on quilts and covered reinforced cardboard boxes with fabric and table cloths to make tables; our landlady felt sorry for us and gave us her extra patio table and chairs which we used as a dining table!)  I still have a small wooden side table I picked up off the sidewalk when I was in the studio apartment.  It was varnished brown, I refinished it once, and then, painted it white several years ago.  I keep it in the hallway and use it as my telephone/answering machine table. 

Picked Up Side Table - another item to declutter!

We stayed in the studio apartment until I finished my grad. studies, came back, and got a job.  Then we were able to afford to upgrade to a two bedroom apartment!  $400/mo. rent!  We stayed in that apartment for over 12 years!  Until I bought my house.

It's the first house I looked at! I only looked at it because it was 2 doors down across the street from my cousin's house, it was for sale, they were having an open house, I was visiting my cousin, and she suggested we went and took a look (she loves going to open houses!)  Then, she sort of jokingly said, "You should buy it" and I said, "OK"!  And that was that!  LOL.

The real estate agent did take me to look at a few other houses in the neighborhood, but I was set on this house.  I bought it at the end of December, 1991 and I moved in at the end of the 1st week in January, 92.  I've lived here since then, and my cousin is still across the street.  It's the only home my daughter knew until she went away to grad. school and got her own studio apartment.  I'm still less than 20 miles from the studio apartment where we lived in when we first moved to So. Cal.!

It was a 1,040 square feet, 3 bedroom/1 bathroom house with a detached garage when I bought it.    Later, I added a 2nd bathroom, and a family room with a laundry closet (prior to that, the laundry facilities were in the garage) and remodeled the kitchen.  It is now just around 1,400 square feet.  Just the right size to fill up with all my clutter, um, belongings!  :D

I am making milkrice for brunch, today.  It is rice cooked with milk - a bit like rice pudding, but it isn't sweet.  We eat it with curries or a spicy onion relish or with juggery (palm sugar).  My daughter likes it with regular sugar. 

Later...well, I made the milkrice, but when I went to eat it, it wasn't to my taste.  :(     So I ate a piece of bread with some of the meat curry, and daughter ate the milkrice I had served for myself.  I froze the rest of the milkrice and curry for her to take back with her. 


I've had a nice chat with one of my aunts who called in response to my text to her daughter to inquire after her health. 

It is 1:45 p.m. now and the June Gloom hasn't cleared yet.  The temperature is in the low 70s and both daughter and I are wearing cardigans/sweatshirts.

I am off to spend the afternoon knitting.  I'll be back, later in the evening, to post about my declutterings, gratitude, etc.

Hope you are all having a lovely Saturday.