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| Pomegranate Greenery |
Another night of staying up till the wee hours; 3:45 when I went to bed. Don't ask me what I do until so late. It's not that I can't fall asleep. It's just that I don't want to go to sleep and choose to stay up reading, watching TV, playing games on the computer, video chatting with daughter (last night, she was making microwaved peanut butter chocolate chip brownies in a mug as we chatted and I was debating whether to bake a cake as it was finally getting cool enough at night to turn on the oven), etc., instead! I felt tired and sleepy around 2:00 a.m., said goodnight to daughter, said my nightly prayers, etc., and then, got my second wind and wasn't tired, after all! I managed to fall asleep around 4:00 a.m. and slept until 9:30 a.m.
Once I got up, I fed the cats (Dancer and the strays outside), had a cup of coffee, and watched some cooking shows on TV while I caught up on some blogs. It was a cloudy, overcast day and I felt unmotivated to do anything.
My neighbor T called for our weekly Sunday morning chat, around 11:00 a.m. I told her I might go grocery shopping, today, and asked her if she needed me to pick up anything for her or run any errands for her (she doesn't drive), but she said her daughter was coming over today to take her grocery shopping, etc. She thanked me for asking, though.
Daughter called to say good morning and we chatted for a bit. She's postponing doing laundry because her dryer doesn't work and maintenance haven't been to fix it, yet. She doesn't want to hang things up to air dry because she's worried about the humidity,; she doesn't want to have to deal with anymore mold problems after her earlier bout with it, when she first moved in (although she has a dehumidifier, now). In fact, her lease has a clause against air drying clothes inside the apartment!
After that, I had my leftovers from yesterday's lunch for brunch: rice, chicken curry, coconut sambol, green beans, and sauted potatoes. Avocado for dessert.
I had thought of going grocery shopping in the afternoon, but felt too lazy to do so, today! I still have plenty of food, including vegetables and fruit; the only groceries I am out of is bread and fresh milk, but I can manage without bread for a day or two and I have coffee creamer and condensed milk on hand (and yogurt and cheese). So, I decided to stay home, today, and grocery shop tomorrow.
Because I was feeling so unmotivated to do anything, I thought I will do a load of dishes in the dishwasher, partly to run the dishwasher (which hasn't been run in a couple of weeks, as I tend to wash my few dishes by hand), and partly to feel I was productive and did something! There weren't a lot of dishes and I didn't want to run a half-full dishwasher, so, I decided to clean the top of the stove, including under the burners, so I could put the burner liners in the dishwasher to wash them, too. Then, I swept and mopped the kitchen floor. The kitchen counters need clearing and wiping, but that's for another day.
Later, I watered the back garden and picked a few sprigs from the pomegranate tree to arrange in a vase. There aren't many flowers in the garden to pick.
I had a cup of coffee in the evening and decided to finish dusting my bedroom and vacuum it. And since I had the vacuum cleaner out and plugged in, I did my daughter's room, one bathroom, and the hallway.
I want to clean the family room, this week. It really needs a deep cleaning, including painting (it hasn't been painted since it was built, some 20 years ago!) I tried to touch it up a bit, several years ago, when I was painting the other rooms, but it needs to be repainted properly. Unfortunately, I am not quite up to doing it, myself. I love to paint and would have done so if my health was a bit better. That led me to think about all the things I still can't do for one reason or another (mainly due to my health) and began to feel a bit down about it. Then, I told myself to focus on what I CAN do, rather than what I can't do. Focus on the blessings - I'm alive, I am getting stronger, I am able to do more as my health improves, I don't have to do everything by myself, I can ask for help.
So, I called a friend's husband and asked him if he knows of someone who can paint my family room for me, between now and mid-October, as I would like to have the room painted before I host the prayer gathering in October. He said he will find someone. It's a first step, but at least, I did something more positive than fret that the room needs painting and I can't do it. I will declutter the room as much as I can between now and then. That is something else I can do!
Dinner was from the freezer: some of the frozen ulundu vadai (made from lentil flour with onions, green chilies, etc., and deep fried) with green coconut sambol (grated coconut, mixed with green chilies and ground together).
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| Ulundu Vadai with Green Coconut Sambol |
I had some guavas for dessert. Tomorrow, I will take some of the guavas to my friend R; I phoned her today and asked if she'd like some. I offered to bring them over this evening, but she said she could wait until tomorrow.
Aunt called to check on me; she's concerned how I will manage to go to my eye doctor's appointment since her daughter is not well enough to drive me back. I told her not to worry, I will manage, and that I am going to try and reschedule the appointment and will take it from there.
Later, daughter and I video chatted. She had made a Japanese style curry, using some curry paste I had bought for her. She likes to prepare a couple of dishes on the weekend in order to have enough for lunches and dinners throughout the week.
Today, I am grateful for:
- The things I can do
- Baby steps
- Phone calls with family and friends
- The cooler temperatures
- Getting most of my to do list done
Sunday's To Do List:
- Put away laundry - DONE
- Finish dusting the bedroom - DONE
- Vacuum the bedroom - DONE
- Do the dishes/run the dishwasher - DONE
- Put away washed dishes - DONE
- Clean the stove top/scrub under burners/wash the burner liners - DONE
- Sweep & mop kitchen - DONE
- Grocery shop
- Water the back garden - DONE
- Call friends (2) - DONE
Monday's To Do List:
- Call the clinic to reschedule appointment
- Grocery shop
- Take guavas to friend
- Load of laundry
- Vacuum living room, dining area, family room
- Paperwork/bills
- Take trash cans to the curb
How was your Sunday? Do you sometimes find yourself focusing on what you can't do rather than on what you can do? If so, how do you handle it? What do you do?
Every time there's a new ache or pain, I spend a bit of time lamenting how my body has changed over time. But then, I try to move on and count my blessings. From someone who needs a regular sleep schedule, it's hard for me to understand how you function with such irregular and little sleep you get. But then again, my son has not had a regular sleep schedule ever since his was born. He never grew out of it no matter how hard I tried to regulate it. I guess we're all different.
ReplyDeleteI need to get myself back on a more reasonable sleep schedule! I don't plan my evenings well, that's my problem. I leave too many things until later and then, it's hard to get to bed by 11:30 p.m.
DeleteBLess, you accomplished a lot today. I understand your feeling down because you can't do the things you use too.. I do that too. I get frustrated when I think.."I will do this or that" and then it dawns on me... No you can't for this reason or that? I love your thought pattern.. Be thankful of the things you can do, and allow others to help you.
ReplyDeleteSO happy that you have some one working to find you a painter. The room will be so pretty..[painting the extra bedroom in my house, really motivated me to get some other stuff done. ha]
Praying for you and pray you get the rest you need and continue to heal. Take care of yourself, and don't expect too much from your self. smile
Judy, thank you. Yes, I guess I am expecting too much from myself. I feel I should be doing so much more and get impatient with myself for getting tired or having an asthma attack, etc.
DeleteIt's been awhile since my house was last painted. I did the bedrooms and living room/dining area myself, several years ago. The bedrooms could do with a new coat of paint, but the family room is the one that is most in need of it. Of course, then, I will want new window treatments, because they will look twice as shabby! It's never ending, is it?
I always have a time around eight or so when I'm really tired and feel like I can go to bed and then by the time it is bedtime I am wide awake. I do usually make myself go to sleep, but I always find I am more productive at night.
ReplyDeleteLike you said, it's better to focus on what you can do rather than what you can't. Think of how far you've come too!
Hope you have a great Monday. Sounds like you're going to be busy!
Yes, I am usually ready for a nap when I come home from work! I try not to because then, I think, that it will make it harder to sleep at night. But, even so, I still stay up too late at night, so, maybe I should go ahead and take that nap?
DeleteHope you are adjusting to being back. Have you recovered from your jet lag?
Never heard of or seen guavas at the store - might be considered exotic here. I'd be willing to try one.
ReplyDeleteI think you actually got quite a bit done on Sunda. I love that vase, so pretty.
I know you are a night person but while you are still working I believe it would be better for your health to go to bed at a more reasonable time. It is hard and as you know I am a poor sleeper but I do try to go to bed around the same time 7 days a week. When I wake up I go back to bed and miost of the time go back to sleep!
Oh yes focusing on what you can't do is such an easy path to go down. Been there done that. I give myself a bit of a talking to, thank God for what I can do and ask for acceptance and realize many are so much worse off. Bless your blog has personally helped me so "thank you"
Sandy, thank you, what a lovely and kind thing to say. I'm so glad to know that my blog has helped you. :)
DeleteIf you have an ethnic store - Asian, Hispanic, etc., - in your area, they might have guavas. I don't see them for sale in any of the chain supermarkets, here. They have an aroma that many people don't like.
I am going to work on an earlier, more regular bed time. I know, how many times have I said that before? Ha, ha. But I'll keep trying. :)
Yes, keep counting our blessings. It's easy to focus on what we can't do, or don't have, and feel sorry for ourselves. But, the one thing my mother wouldn't tolerate was self-pity and so, when I catch myself thinking, "Poor me", I remember that my mother wouldn't like it and try to snap out of it. :)
I love how you are focusing on what can be done rather than what you can't do now. It is a bitter pill to swallow, but there are things I could do easily when I was younger that I just can't do anymore. It's a bummer but like you there are still lots I can do. Now if I will get up and do it!
ReplyDeleteHa, ha, that getting up and doing it is a whole other story, isn't it? :D If only I could do things by just thinking about them! I'd accomplish so much! :D
DeleteSince my heart attack there is a fair bit I can't do anymore and decorating is one of those things. It's not always easy to look on the bright side but like you I try to focus on the positives and one of those is that at least I'm alive and kicking and able to ring a decorator lol.
ReplyDeleteI suppose we just have to accept some things will never quite be how they used to be although it always sounds as though you are busy doing something or other :) xx
Yes, it's hard to accept our limitations, but, we must! I need to find a good handyman-type person and hand him my list of things I want done. Lots of small repairs and replacements of worn out items.
DeleteLove the look of, and sound of, the ulundu vadai.
ReplyDeleteEloise, if you have any Indian stores or restaurants in your area, you might find them in the frozen foods section or on the menu.
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