Sunday, October 29, 2017

Fun on Saturday

I slept till quite late this morning.  When I woke up, I thought to myself,  "Last Saturday, by this time, I had been up for several hours, had cooked a cashew curry, gone to the temple, and had come back home!"  In contrast, this morning was spent relaxing with a cup of coffee, reading blogs, and watching cooking shows on TV.

Breakfast was a tangerine.  Lunch was leftover rice and meatball curry, with cucumber slices, homemade mango chutney, and fried pappadums (lentil wafers):

Lunch

In the afternoon, I kept some of the potted plants on the dining table to get some sunlight; of course, Dancer had to come and check it out:

"Ooh, what is this?"


"If I hide behind the scarecrow, Mummy won't see me eating her plant"

"Who's eating my plant?"


"Not me!  I'm a sunbeam!"

Later, I decorated for Halloween, today, using the decorations I've had for years:

Halloween Wreath
The wreath is something I made several years ago; my mother bought the little scarecrow in the middle for my daughter, one year.

Halloween Mantel


The jack-o-lantern is what I bought for my daughter for her first Halloween, the scarecrow stuck into the plant was bought for me by my mother, the mug was a gift my daughter received from her aunt (my sister), I can't remember from where I got the jack-o-lantern wind chimes hanging down , and the plastic bucket was bought when daughter was about 5 or 6, when we were on our way to her piano teacher's house to trick-or-treat and daughter forgot to bring her jack-o-lantern with her; rather than go back home, I stopped at the grocery store and bought the bucket for $.99.  That's all the decorations I have, other than the table runner I made, a few years ago:

Halloween Table Runner
Every year, when I put away the decorations, I wonder if I can declutter anything.  I feel I have decluttered the Halloween stuff as much as I want to.  If I had to declutter further, I suppose the bucket and the wind chimes could go.  But for now, I will keep them.  All my Halloween decorations, including the wreath, fit into a large plastic bin which I store in the garage; I keep the table runner in my linen cupboard, however.

I dusted the living room and the dining room while I decorated; I probably should have vacuumed, too, but I didn't.

My aunt called in the afternoon and I invited her and my cousin over to dinner; she didn't want me to get too tired cooking, so I said we'll have leftovers from the prayer gathering.  They came over in the evening and I warmed up some of the leftovers and we enjoyed a pleasant meal.  Aunt paid me the compliment of saying my house is one of the few places where she's comfortable enough to say she's hungry.  Afterwards, we visited and talked until past 10 o'clock. 

After they left, I ran the dishwasher, cleaned the litter box, swept the bathroom floor, and video chatted with daughter until after midnight!

It was a lovely day. 

Today, I am grateful for:
- Being able to sleep in
- A sunny, warm day
- A fun day
- Leftovers
- Aunt and cousin visiting

Tomorrow, I really need to get some paperwork done that I've been procrastinating doing! 

Do you decorate for Halloween?  Do you keep your decorations from year to year?

16 comments:

  1. Your thoughts today reflect you have enjoyed a peaceful relaxing today and your aunt and cousin visiting how nice.

    No I have never decorated for Halloween. I do like your table runner.

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    1. Yes, it was a lovely day. In reality, I was procrastinating doing some paperwork I need to do, but that's besides the point! In previous years, when I was in better health, I have been known to deep clean rooms, wash walls and cabinets, etc., to avoid doing paperwork! :D

      Thank you, I loved that fabric when I saw it and bought half a yard of it; teddy bears going trick-or-treating. :)

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  2. Sneaky Dancer, he thinks he can get away with anything!

    I particularly love the cheerful wreath! I think when downsizing ornaments you just have to be sure you keep the ones that you really enjoy, and you don't seem to have too many to store.

    How nice to have an impromptu dinner with your aunt and cousin, and how lovely that she feels so at home with you. It's all that really matters, isn't it?

    I'm tired this afternoon after church in the morning. I think I shall take a nap and later get supper organized, then I will begin dismantling the super large sweater back, ready to re-knit while watching Netflix!

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    1. One has to give him credit for trying! LOL.

      I hope you have a nice nap, Bushlady, and a relaxed evening. How is your cold? Getting better?

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  3. What a lovely compliment to be told that someone feels that comfortable in your house. I was visiting my aunt recently and it's so nice that I feel comfortable enough to curl up with my feet on the sofa. I hope that peop,e feel comfortable in my home too.

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    1. It was a nice compliment, Eloise. Even my cousin was surprised! (Cousin and I are related because her father and mine were first cousins.) I'm sure your guests feel equally comfortable in your home, too.

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  4. I decorate for Halloween but like you I keep it to a minimum. I threw a few things away this year that Amy and Thomas have grown out of, like plastic spiders etc. I have a glittery pumpkin, a black cat, a couple of candles and a string of lights. Plus 2 pumpkins that have been carved.

    I really like the colours of your table runner and I think what your Aunt said is a lovely compliment as well. xx

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    Replies
    1. Your decorations sound lovely. Did Amy and Thomas carve the pumpkins? I miss the days when my daughter and I would carve pumpkins. One year, she and her friends gathered at my house to carve pumpkins and they got one for me, too, and we all carved pumpkins! Afterwards, I roasted all the seeds and we had a lot of fun. The good old days! :)

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    2. Yes, Amy and Thomas carved their own pumpkins - Thomas for the first time on his own. It's one of several things he's done recently that has made me think my little boy is growing up fast now :(

      Carving pumpkins with your daughter and her friends sounds great fun. Those are the sort of moments that are priceless. xx

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    3. Yes, sounds like he's growing up. I miss reading your blog accounts. :) I was so pleased to have been included, when the girls said they bought a pumpkin for me, too. :)

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    4. I post photos on Instagram that you can see on the blog. I only put a few words with each photo but some are of Thomas and Amy if you ever fancy a peek. xx

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    5. Thanks, Suzanne. I'll definitely take a peek. :)

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  5. Your house always looks so beautiful, neat, and clean! I like the cat hiding. ha. I watched cooking shows too...Andrea

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    Replies
    1. Andrea, you are my new best friend for saying my house looks beautiful, neat, and clean! :D Ha, ha, of course you think that only because you've only seen the "better kept" rooms, but thank you! You made my day!

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  6. Everything looks lovely and Halloweeny! I decorate but it is getting less and less each year, and yes, it is the same old stuff. I have enough without buying anything else.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Anne. A little bit goes a long way, when it comes to decorating, I think, especially when one lives alone. But I still go overboard at Christmas!

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