61 in 22!

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Can you guess what the post heading means?  I'll give you a hint:  the 22 refers to the number of days from today.  :)

Today, our day time high was in the triple digits:

100F in the Shade

This was taken in the shade, near my back steps.  It was hotter (105F) in the sunshine.  Inside the house, however, it was much cooler and quite comfortable:

74F Inside the House

 

Today's to do list includes the two items I didn't do yesterday:

- Put away serving dishes in bottom of china cabinet/tidy bottom cabinet - DONE
- Take inventory of papergoods for almsgiving - DONE (I was right; needed napkins)
- Put away washed dishes - DONE
- Put away dried laundry - DONE
- Do another load of laundry - DONE
- Go to pharmacy to inquire about medication refills - DONE (One will be ready only tomorrow; need to call the doctor on the other)
- Call the doctor's office re. prescription refill - DONE
- Go to dollar store next to pharmacy for paper napkins and quart sized freezer bags - DONE
- Office work - DONE
- Wipe kitchen counters - DONE
- Sweep/mop kitchen
- Remake daughter's bed once her sheets are dry

Today, I went to the pharmacy to find out what was happening with my medications as, earlier in the week, they said they couldn't process the refill for the antibiotics on the day they received it because insurance said it was too soon and that they hadn't received the authorization from the doctor's office for the other medication.  They repeated the same thing about it being too soon to fill the prescription for the antibiotics today, too, but I questioned how it could be when the antibiotics had been 14 pills to be taken 2 per day for 7 days and the first prescription was filled on October 10th.  So, the pharmacist tried to put through the request for antibiotics today while I was there and, I guess it went through, because she said it will be ready, tomorrow.  But I was told to call the doctor's office about the other medication because they haven't received the authorization; I believe that because I know how this doctor's office works.  So, when I came home, I called the doctor's office to tell them that the pharmacy hadn't received the authorization.  I'll check with the pharmacy again, tomorrow, and won't be surprised if I need to call the doctor's office again.

While I was out and about, I stepped into the dollar store located next to the pharmacy to pick up a packet of white paper napkins (for the December almsgiving; I use cloth napkins, too, but paper napkins come in useful, as well) and two boxes of quart size freezer bags as I was out of them (my last box was used up after the prayer gathering dinner). 

I also put away the last of the serving dishes and tidied the bottom of the china cabinet where I store these serving dishes.  According to my daughter and my friend who often helps me with the prayer gathering and almsgiving, I am the only one who knows how to put things away so that everything fits in this cabinet!  LOL.

As part of my tidying the cabinet, I pulled out a set of 8 placemats that I had stored in the cabinet:

Mother's Souvenir Placemats

They had been my mother's.  She had bought them as a souvenir when she visited the Philippines as part of a cruise to Japan and back in 1959.  My parents, three of my half brothers, and myself, then aged 3+, had gone on that cruise.  There were many ports of call en route, including Singapore, Burma, South Vietnam, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Japan, of course.  My parents brought back a lot of souvenirs from that trip.  My mother got rid of most of them before we emigrated, but kept these placemats, made of pineapple leaf fibers, and brought them with her.  I don't know why she chose to keep and bring these particular items, but the fact that she did makes it hard for me to get rid of them.  I don't use them, though, and this is at least the second or third time I've pulled them out, wondering if the time was right to toss them.  I still don't know if I am ready to part with them or not.

By the way, I collected two souvenirs on that trip, all by myself!  I picked up two small stones from the garden of one of the temples in Japan and insisted on bringing them back home with me!  :D  I had them until I was 17 and decluttered my belongings before emigrating.  I remember there was a box full of papers too - brochures, ticket stubs, menus, railway time-tables, etc. - from that trip and the places we visited.  I tossed them all before I left Sri Lanka.  The only items I kept were a couple of bookmarks and some photographs, including this one of me with my mother:

Mother and I

On the back, my father (I find it hard to imagine my father inscribing the back of photographs, but it looks like his writing and it's not my mother's handwriting) had written:

Back of Photograph

   

I wonder if this was where I picked up my two souvenir stones?  I have a page in my baby book, written by my mother, describing the trip, but there is no mention of the stones.

Baby Book Description of Trip to Japan

Today, I am grateful for:
- Souvenirs
- Memories
- Old photographs
- Inscriptions on the backs of photographs
- My baby book

Today, in the evening, I video chatted with my daughter and had a phone call from one of my aunts.  My mother had mentioned, in the description she wrote about the trip to Japan, that this aunt was one of the family members who was waiting to welcome us back upon our return from the trip.  I mentioned it to my aunt when she called today and I could tell that she was quite touched by it.    

OK, so have you figured out the 61 in the title?

I shall be celebrating my 61st birthday in 22 days from today!  :D 

When I turned 59, I wanted to do 59 things that made me happy - such as having fresh flowers in the house, spending an hour crafting, etc.  They were going to be 59 gifts to myself.  Then, I found out that I had cancer and all those good intentions fell by the way side.  When I turned 60, my only focus was on recovery.  I didn't know if I would even live to see my 61st birthday.  But now, here I am, going to be 61 in 22 days!  Not sure what I want to do for the countdown, though.  Any suggestions?