Thursday's Recap

On Thursday, it rained in the morning, but the rest of the day was sunny and clear.  I went to the office and spent a productive morning and early afternoon.  In addition to sending portions of my project for review, I started cleaning my storage cabinets at the office, in preparations for the anticipated move.  I tossed a few items, including an old day planner/appointment book, which I wrote about, earlier.  Thank you, everyone, for all your comments on that post! 

In the afternoon, I had my appointment with the podiatrist, which was scheduled for 3:00 p.m.  When I left the office, I informed my supervisor that I will not be returning to the office after my appointment, because, by the time I drove back and forth, it would be time to leave, again!  My appointment went well, everything was fine, and I was given an appointment to return in June for another check up.

On my drive home, I gave into temptation and visited the fish and chips restaurant!  Their décor includes old maps of the UK on the walls and a route map of the London Underground running along the counter.  But they make good fish and chips and other items such as breaded/fried shrimp.  I don't indulge too often, but I had been craving it for a few days.  I managed to not give in to temptation last week, when I was returning from the surgeon's after my suture removal, but this week, I gave in!  I couldn't decide between the fried shrimp or the more traditional fish and chips, and, while they had various combinations, they didn't have the particular combination I would have liked: fish, mini shrimp, and chips.  Although, I suppose I could have ordered it as side orders.  Eventually, I decided to go with the mini fried shrimp - 21 mini shrimp for $6.95; with tax, it came to $7.54 or something.  I know I am going over my budget for eating out, this month, but I've given myself permission to do so!  The cashier who took my order was new, I think, and seemed a bit flustered - he bagged up my order with another customer's order and then, ran out of the store, behind her, to the parking lot and got it back from her!  Then, he put it back down on the counter and continued on as if nothing had happened!  LOL.  I was just happy I didn't have to wait until another batch of shrimp got fried!  I was hungry!  I ate half of it when I got home and the rest, later in the evening, for dinner. 

After I came home, I took some pictures of plants growing in the garden.  Things are coming up, nicely, after the rain!  I was very happy to see that my cherry guava tree, which had practically died, last year, and which I had friend M cut down practically to the ground, had sent out a little shoot of new growth!  It will not grow enough to produce fruit, this year, (at least, I don't think so), but, if it survives the summer heat, it might continue to grow and produce fruit, next year!  As my friend M said, when he saw the picture I texted him, "Mother Nature and Father Time!"

New Cherry Guava Shoot

My avocado seedling is growing, too!  It grew to be about two feet inside the house, last year, and then, the house got too hot and it dried up!  Again, I cut it down, almost all the way and set it out in the garden to see if it might regrow, and it is doing just that!  I doubt very much if I will ever get any avocados from it, but, it will be another fun thing to grow.

Avocado Seedling

It had been a sunny day with clear blue skies, but, by evening, things were changing and the clouds were moving in:

Looking East - the clouds were moving in from the west

Looking West - rain clouds

I found a windfall of five oranges under the orange tree as a result of the previous night's rain and the wind!  One or two were rather small, but the others were average size.  Later, in the evening, I baked a cake, using a boxed mix I had in the cupboard, and I added some grated orange rind to the cake batter for added flavor.

Yellow Cake with Orange Zest

I didn't have any powdered sugar, otherwise, I might have made a glaze with powdered sugar and orange juice to drizzle on the top.  Need to put powdered sugar on my shopping list!

As I mentioned to one of my friends, my oranges are organically grown, without any pesticides being sprayed, and I hate to see the rinds go to waste.  I've bags of frozen zest in the freezer to be added to baked goods, etc., but I don't use them as much as I should.  Maybe I should make some orange marmalade!  Just not sure if I am up to it, yet. 

I spent a relaxed evening, reading blogs and commenting, etc.  I called my cousin and wished her for her birthday.  Later, I video chatted with my daughter.  Some of her friends from elementary and middle school days are up there, visiting, and she's been going out with them in the evenings, having dinner, visiting places (on Thursday, they went to a place called the Ice Cream Museum - not a real museum, but rather, an indoor playground where they had rooms with different themes - a 50's diner/ice cream parlor with a juke box, a room decorated with cherries on the walls and clouds of "whipped cream with a cherry on the top" hung from the ceiling, an animal cracker carousel, etc., and got to taste different flavors of ice cream and freshly made cotton candy!  I told her I wanted to go there!)

On Thursday, I was grateful for:
- The trip down memory lane brought about by the old planners
- Fresh oranges from the tree
- The cherry guava plant is regrowing
- The avocado seedling is growing, too
- Daughter is having fun with her friends

It rained on Thursday night, so those clouds did bring rain!

How was your Thursday?  Did you have a good day?