Sunday, June 2, 2019

June Gloom

May, and May Gray, is over.  June is here and, with it, we have...June Gloom!  Yes, that is what it is called by our weather forecasters.  More of the marine layer bringing a cloud cover to block the sun and cooler temperatures.  Yesterday's highs were only in the mid 60s.

I've been busy doing the month end updates, these past couple of days, and not posting much about my days.

But, on Friday, Aunt T was able to go back to her home from the assisted living facility.  Her older daughter, my cousin V called me in the evening and asked me to come over.  She and her sister R had gone through some of aunt's clothes and they wanted me to come and see if I would like to have some of them.  I called my cousin P to see if she'd like to go with me, and she said her daughter was home and could drive us.  So, I went with them.

There were several other family members at aunt's home, as well, and it was almost a party!  Aunt was so happy to be home where she was free to put her music on as loud as she pleased, eat her meals at more reasonable times, and go to sleep well after 6:00 p.m.!  My cousin's sister-in-law had prepared dinner and we all enjoyed the meal.  Then, we went through the decluttered clothes; cousin P's daughter picked out several items for herself and I picked out several items for myself and my daughter!  Enough to fill two bags!  I didn't try any on while I was there, however.  My cousins understand that, if any of the items I selected don't fit or look good on me or my daughter once we've tried them on, then, I will be donating them; they are fine with that.  I haven't tried on any of them, yet, but, once I do, I will need to go through my own closet to declutter some items in order to find room for these new to me clothes!

On Friday, I was grateful for:
- My washing machine (I did a load of laundry) and the electricity to run it
- Friend M helping me in the garden (he did a lot of pruning)
- Aunt T is home again
- Spending the evening with family
- Being blessed with two full bags of clothes!

On Saturday, I spent a leisurely morning and posted my June goals.  In the afternoon, I went for a drive because the car needed to be driven!  On the way home, I stopped at a different Armenian grocery store (much smaller than the one I go to on a more regular basis) so see if they had my favorite bread, but they didn't (which was probably a good thing, because I really shouldn't eat white bread!)  Instead, I bought some bananas, because that is something I need to eat while I am on the diuretic prescribed by the radiation oncologist.  The three bananas cost $.69.

6/1 Groceries - Bananas

My June grocery budget is $75 - $23.82 overspent in May = $51.18

$51.18 - $.69 = $50.49

Friend M, who came to do the garden on Friday, brought me some nectarines from his garden when he came to do neighbor T's garden on Saturday.  They were absolutely delicious as only home grown fruit, picked at the peak of ripeness, can be.  I ate some of them after my lunch of leftover rice and curries and the remaining fruit after my dinner of coconut roti (flat bread).

I also cleared out another file folder of my mother's bank statements.  It takes time because I am cutting the paper by hand, with a pair of scissors, since I don't have a shredder; snip, snip, snip.  I watched a TV program while I cut the papers.  Aunt C called while I was doing that and we chatted for a bit.

On Saturday, I was grateful for:
- My dishwasher (I did a load of dishes)
- Running water, hot and cold, on tap!
- The car started and ran without any problems
- M bringing me delicious nectarines from his tree
- Aunt C's phone call

Today is Sunday.  It was very overcast and gloomy in the morning, with June Gloom in full swing, although, in the late afternoon, around 4:00 p.m., the clouds parted enough for some sunshine.

I had a whole bunch of weird dreams, last night!  I even dreamt of my father, which is rare!  But, this time, unlike the last time I dreamt of him, he didn't come to call me away, to go with him!  That last time (several years ago), I dreamt I was in an airport terminal, in the passenger arrival area, and my father emerged from the passage way and he was going to another terminal - a departure area to maybe catch a connecting flight?  In my dream, I made eye contact with him and I knew that he wanted me to follow him.  I was still dreaming, but I half awoke from my dream; I felt I was in a suspended state.  I felt that if I followed him, I would not wake up, that I would die, and I told him, I couldn't go with him because my daughter was still little and needed me, and then, I woke up!  Last night's dream was not so intense.

It has been a day of phone calls.  Neighbor T called for our usual Sunday morning chat, then, I called my cousin in Florida (he had called earlier in the week), and I called my niece in North Carolina, because I had dreamt of her, too, last night.  We had a nice chat, catching up with each other's lives.

Brunch was leftover coconut roti from last night.  I had a cup of tea, at 4:30 p.m.  I am not sure what I'll have for dinner, as I haven't thought that far, yet!  LOL!  I'll have to cook something, as I don't have any leftovers in the fridge and I don't want anymore of my chicken and vegetable soup (had some, earlier in the week).  Maybe some sort of stir fry with rice, or, if I can't be bothered, then, a scrambled egg on toast!

Today's book decluttering:

Day 2 Decluttering
I was very intrigued by the concept, but, unfortunately, haven't done any trompe l'oeil painting in all these years of owning this book and I am not likely to do any in the near future, either!  So, I shall be releasing this book to entertain someone else.

Today, I am grateful for:
- A relaxed day
- Being able to call and keep in touch with family members in other states
- My shoulder is much better
- A cup of good tea
- The late afternoon sunshine

Plans for tomorrow include:
- Dusting the living room and dining area
- Taking the trash cans to the curb
- Watering the front garden
- Cooking!

How was your weekend?  What are your plans for Monday?



16 comments:

  1. That dream about your dad and feeling you would die if you followed him sounds scary. Did it take you a long time to put it it behind you or is it something that has stayed with you in the back of your mind?

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    1. I think it has stayed with me in the back of my mind, Eileen, and every now and then, I think about it. Was it nothing but a dream or would something have happened if I had followed him? The feeling that I would not wake up if I went with him was very real. I feel I was given a choice, that night, and I chose to stay because of my daughter (she was about 13 at the time). Years later, in one of the Harry Potter books, a similar scene was described between HP and Prof. Dumbledore, but at a train station, and I laughed. I'm glad I had my dream before I read that book, because, otherwise, I might have thought my dream was influenced by what I had read.

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  2. You are having cooler weather ? Lucky you 😊

    It’s very hot and humid here.

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    1. It's cold enough that I have heater on, right now! I don't envy you the humidity, but send me some of that heat!

      By the way, I was inspired by your pictures of your mother's breakfasts and put some mung beans to soak last night! Guess what I'll be having for brunch, today? :D

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  3. Sounds like it was almost a party! It's great that you all got together and she welcomed you into her home to sort through the clothes. I'm glad she's back home. Sometimes those places can be so depressing it seems it would be harder to get better!

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    1. It was a very happy occasion, Sharon, to have her back home. She was glad that I was taking some of her clothes, but, not too pleased that her daughters were emptying out most of her closet! Aunt can no longer climb the stairs, so they had to convert the downstairs half bath into a full bath (with a shower rather than a bathtub) and they had to take half of the under-the-stairs closet in order to do so. Apparently, that closet was crammed full of clothes and things and my cousins had to clear it all!

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  4. It sounds like your family works very well together. It must be a relief to your aunt to be back home. We all do seem to accumulate more stuff as we get older. You are so consistent with your decluttering.

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    1. We do get along fairly well in my family, for the most part. I think aunt is very happy to be back in her own home. Seems to me I've been decluttering for several years, now, and I still have stuff to get rid of!

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  5. Your Aunt must have been thrilled to return home and even more so to have many of her family there. It must have felt like quite an occasion. X

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    1. She was happy to be home and she loves nothing better than having company over! :)

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  6. I think they should come up with some different names for your weather. If you're already missing sunshine, you don't need that reinforced by gloomy names. But they do rhyme nicely so it must sound good for the weather forecasters to use them. Gives them a gimmick.

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    1. I think you are right! I was speaking with my neighbor and she was telling me how depressing this weather is and how it makes her feel like she doesn't want to do anything! I must admit that I feel more motivated to do things when it is sunny. But, yes, whoever came up with these names probably did it because they rhyme no well. :)

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  7. What a lovely welcome home for your aunt. I am looking forward to hearing more about the clothes you brought home, to see if any turned out just right for you and your daughter!

    It is hard to believe we are into June, as the weather is so cold. I was in the funeral choir today in a church which is only open for masses and so it had not been heated and I wished I had worn winter boots and thick leggings, my feet were so cold. It was raining outside, too. But I was still feeling happy to have seen a bright blue bird at our feeder when I got up this morning. It was an indigo bunting and I had never seen one so close before. This spring we are seeing the rose-breasted grosbeaks for the first time in years, and the male American goldfinches have their bright yellow feathers now.

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    1. I think aunt was very happy to be home with family around her. :) I haven't looked through the clothes yet; I'm wondering where I am going to put it all - my closet is rather full as it is! There might be a clothing declutter coming up!

      How nice to see so many different birds at your feeder! All I seem to see are mockingbirds and mourning doves, in my garden, but, I don't have a bird feeder (I don't want to tempt the poor birds in case the cats stalk them).

      I hope the temperatures warm up a bit, both for you and for me. Till then, bundle up and dress warmly!

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  8. Sorry to hear that you have experienced disturbing dreams. They can feel very unsettling. How lovely that the declutterer clothes have come your way. Cen if you only find a couple of things that are suitable, it's always a treat to get something new-to-you that hasn't cost you anything!

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    1. Thank you, Eloise. I always wonder if dreams have some deeper meaning or significance, but, I don't know for sure. That's what I was thinking too - even if I decide to keep only a couple of items, they'll still be new to me and provide some variety without any cost to me. :)

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