Productive Saturday

It has been a productive day.  I woke up around 9:30 a.m. and spent a quiet hour or so, having a cup of coffee and responding to blog comments.  Then, I started on my list of things to do.  The most important things got done - I did the grocery shopping and most of the cooking.  I stopped for the day around 8:00 p.m. because I was getting tired.  Although I took several breaks, my legs are hurting from being on my feet so much.

I went to the Armenian grocery store, first, to buy the fresh fruits, vegetables, yogurt, etc.  Although I had a list, I made a few changes as I shopped, buying honeydew melon instead of the papaya on my list (the papaya they had weren't ripe enough), blackberries instead of apples, etc.  Tomatoes were $2.49/lb.  Normally, I would have skipped buying them, but I need them for the salad I'll make.  Strawberries were $2.99/lb. and, again, while I wouldn't buy them at that price, regularly, the almsgiving is one of the few times when I buy what I want, no matter the price.

This store also had drinking glasses!  They weren't the small (6 or 8 oz.) glasses I was looking for, but, rather, they were 16 oz., glasses, but a set of 4 were priced at $2.99!  Even the cashier was surprised.  I bought two sets.  I will serve water in these glasses and the juice in the gold striped glasses. 

New Drinking Glasses

I spent $31.74 at the Armenian store.

Then, I went to the "no frills" Kroger affiliate store.  I went there to buy another bag of cat food, bananas (the bananas at the other store didn't look good), milk, tomatoes (I was hoping they'd be cheaper there than at the other store, but they were the same price) and juice.  While I was at the store, I decided to buy two pumpkin pies ($2.99 each) instead of making the flan as I had planned (I was already starting to get tired).  When I checked out, the pies scanned at $3.99!  Fortunately, this time, I checked the receipt while I was still at the check out stand, before I bagged the groceries and pointed it out to the cashier who refunded me the difference without any comment!   

I spent $17.79 for groceries at this store (doesn't include the price of cat food $9.99 and the tax on it).

Today's Groceries (didn't include the milk, juice, and yogurt in the picture)

I took a break after I came home and had brunch (the leftovers from the Mexican take out food from earlier in the week and grapes).  Then, I put away some dishes, washed some other dishes and the new glasses I bought.  After that, I started cooking - cooked the lentils and the cashew curry.  Hard boiled the eggs (I was going to make an omelette curry, but decided to just hard boil the eggs and add to the salad because I was too tired to make omelettes and make the curry gravy).  And baked the brownies. 

In between, I watered the front garden, put away the dried laundry, took out the chair covers and table cloths.  I covered the two coffee tables and Dancer came to help:

Dancer "helping"!

 Saturday's To Do List:
✓- Take out chair covers, table cloths, napkins, etc. - DONE
- cover chairs, tables (DO ON SUNDAY)
- Buy flowers/pick from garden (if picking from garden, do on Sunday)
✓- Grocery shop - fruits, vegetables, milk, juice, yogurt, etc. - DONE
✓- Buy a set of small drinking glasses! - DONE
✓- COOK!  Cashew curry, lentils, eggs curry, fry lentil wafers (pappadum) (decided to skip the lentil wafers - too tired)

- Clean the kitchen/clear the counters
✓- Bake brownies, cookies, make flan - DONE (decided against making cookies and flan)
✓- Take out serving dishes, basins used for washing hands, serving spoons, etc. - DONE
✓- Take out plates, bowls, etc. for guests - DONE

✓- Set out items for washing hands: fresh cake of soap, hand towels, jugs & basins - DONE
✓- Any other  undone items leftover from Friday - DONE
✓- Put away laundry - DONE
✓- Water the garden - DONE
- REST! - IN PROGRESS!

Sunday, Dec. 17 (Day of Almsgiving):
- Cover chairs and tables/Keep Dancer away!
- Take out the dishes and plates in the dishwasher
- Fry the lentil wafers if time permits
- Clean the kitchen/clear the counters
- Pick and arrange flowers in vases
- Cut up fruits and arrange in saucers; cover
- Arrange a variety of sweets (candy, cake, brownies, etc.) in saucers; cover
- Dish out yogurt into bowls; cover
- Pour palm treacle into sauce boat (to be served over yogurt)
- Cut up pie, arrange on saucers, cover
- Cook rice (2 types - white and red)
- Make salad
- Warm up curries; dish out into smaller serving dishes for serving to monks; bigger serving dishes for guests
- Serve up offerings to the Buddha and offerings for the Order of Monks
- Boil water for those monks who prefer hot water
- Pour water and juice into glasses
- Sweep my bathroom and put down new bathmats
- Remove family room sofa covers

One of my cousins called to say she and her mother will not be able to attend the almsgiving.  Hopefully, my other cousins will be able to make it. 

My friend has promised to come as early as she can in the morning to help me.  If she can't come, I will simply do what I have to do.

Today, I am grateful for:
- All what I was able to accomplish, today
- No cramps, so far!  *knock on wood*!
- No major mishaps (just dropped one of the boxes of blackberries and stepped on some of them and got sprayed with water when I started to water the garden because the spray head at the end of the hose had come loose!)
- Everything has gone smoothly, so far.
- Dancer's help!  *smile*

How was your day?  Did you have a productive day, too?