Ending June on Tuesday

Squill Flower Stalks

Close Up

The eye doctor's office called me at 8:30 a.m. to confirm my appointment, scheduled for July 6th.  But, I told them that I have no one to drive me home after they dilate my eyes for the examination and, in any case, I was not leaving my house.  We rescheduled it for August 10th.  We shall see how things are by then.

Although I hadn't fallen asleep until after 4:00 a.m., this morning, I decided to get up after the phone call.  I had a cup of tea, checked to see if the big shoe chair was gone (it was gone!), responded to blog comments, and wrote up my monthly goals review blog post.

Today, I brought in the trash cans, did a load of laundry, watched news on TV, cleaned the fridge, practiced the piano, watered the garden (front and back), chatted with friend R, and scheduled a donations pick up!

I also cooked a curry using some of the lula kebabs neighbor S had given me.  I cut up the kebabs into pieces, sauteed some onions and curry leaves in a little oil, added some tomatoes, the kebab pieces, curry powder, chili powder, etc., and boiled it in some coconut milk.  Then, seasoned to taste with salt and lemon juice.  Since the kebabs were already cooked, the curry didn't take long to cook.   It was done by the time the rice boiled.

Breakfast was an egg salad sandwich.  Lunch was rice, with kebab curry, dhal, sauteed green beans, and pineapple curry:

Lunch: Rice and Curries

Dinner was a paratha with some of the kebab curry.  A freshly picked orange for dessert.  I also had a bowl of dry cereal for a snack.

Today, I am grateful for:
- Being able to reschedule my medical appointments
- Being able to schedule a donations pick up
- Working appliances and electricity to run them
- Water for the garden
- Phone calls and video chats

Today's joyful activity was being out in the garden, watering, checking on what is growing and flowering, and picking fresh oranges.


Tuesday's To Do List:

- Bring the trash cans in - DONE
- Dust my bedroom 

- Water the garden, front and back - DONE

- Water the house plants - DONE
- Clean the fridge - DONE
- Practice the piano - DONE
- Load of laundry - DONE

Wednesday's To Do List:

- Dust my bedroom
- Vacuum

- Paperwork/filing 

- Do one decluttering/organizing task - the desk in my bedroom

How was your Tuesday?  What are your plans for tomorrow?

Monthly Balanced Life Goals - June Update and July Goals

The first half of the year is coming to an end!  We had no idea how things would turn out when we started out this year, did we?  I have tried to take it one day, one week, one month at a time and, so far, things have been going well for the most part.  There have been some wobbles in my wheel, especially these last three months as the world around me changed and I tried to adjust.  Unlike some others, I don't miss going out, that much.  I don't normally attend the theater, eat in restaurants regularly (although I enjoy bringing food home to eat), go to the cinema, or the beach, and I don't go to get my hair and nails done.  But, I do miss going to the grocery stores and the dollar stores to do my weekly shopping.  However, I am grateful for curbside pick up and deliveries, and I am full of hope for the second half of this year.

Looking back on June and forward to July, here is the review of my June goals and the goals for July!

As mentioned before, I have chosen 10 areas of my life that I think are important to me, on which to focus.  My monthly balanced life goals are similar to the spokes of a wheel, with the length of each spoke representing my satisfaction in that area of my life, from 1 to 10, with 1 being most dissatisfied and 10 being most satisfied.  Ideally, all the spokes are of equal length and the wheel will roll along smoothly.  If the spokes are of unequal lengths, then, the resulting wheel will be lop-sided and wobbly.  My ratings for each segment are shown within the parentheses, with the beginning of the month ratings in black and the end of the month ratings in blue which then become the starting ratings for the next month.

Balanced Life Goals: June Spiritual (10)(10):
- Continue with daily prayers, meditation, being grateful, positive, and joyful
- Continue to attend Temple prayer/blessing services online
- Participate in the June prayer gathering if possible
- Continue to cultivate non-attachment by being generous and giving to the extent I am able

Once again, thanks to all the technology that is available these days, I was able to attend online blessing services at the Temple and to participate in the monthly prayer gathering as well!  I also continued with daily prayers, meditation, being grateful, and I have tried to be positive and joyful.  I haven't done a lot of decluttering or donating; however, I have received a lot from generous family and friends and have tried to reciprocate, in my turn.

I am keeping the rating at 10.

July Spiritual (10):
- Continue with daily prayers, meditation, being grateful, positive, and joyful
- Continue to attend Temple prayer/blessing services online
- Participate in the July prayer gathering if possible
- Continue to cultivate non-attachment by being generous and giving to the extent I am able 


June House (8)(9):  The goal is a home that is pleasant, comfortable, and welcoming:
- Clean - Do more deep cleaning
- Organize - Continue to find a place for everything and keep everything in its place
- Well maintained - Keep "erasing the evidence"; implement daily and weekly cleaning schedules
- Decluttered - Declutter a minimum of 15 items in June

I didn't get a new housekeeper, after all!  LOL.  However, I gave the current housekeeper (myself) a stern talking to and made a determined effort to clean and maintain towards the end of June.  I am happy to say that I am able to close out June and start July with a fairly clean and tidy house.  There are still some hot spots to tackle, but, for the most part, the rooms have been tidied and cleaned.  I also decluttered the minimum 15 items, including 2 CDs, several catalogs and brochures, and jars.  I called and scheduled a donations pick up!  The earliest they can pick up is July 15, but, at least I know the 5 or 6 bags of clothes and household items I've set aside will be gone.  

I am increasing the rating to 9.  

July House (9):
- Clean - Tackle those areas that need a deep cleaning
- Organize - Continue to find a place for everything and keep everything in its place
- Well maintained - Keep "erasing the evidence"; implement daily and weekly cleaning schedules
- Decluttered - Declutter a minimum of 15 items in July, too; donations pick up scheduled for July 15

June Garden (9)(9):  The goal is a garden that is productive, yet drought tolerant:

- Maintain (water frequently as needed, weed, fertilize)
- Clean out the garden shed
- Continue with landscaping the side yard

The garden has performed very nicely!  I had a bumper crop of peaches and I canned some, made chutney and jam and ate some fresh!  The tomato and cantaloupe seedlings have grown and I've some baby tomatoes, although no sign of any cantaloupes!  But, that is OK, I didn't even expect them to grow!  The sweet potato vine is growing, the two moringa plants were repotted in larger pots and continue to grow, an avocado seedling has been potted up, too, as well as a cabbage core I managed to root!  Cabbage is a cool weather plant, here, and M thinks it is too hot for it to grow now, but, it hasn't died, yet.  In addition, there are baby pomegranates and I see some new oranges have formed, too.  The garden shed got postponed, yet again, but, that's not a priority.

I am keeping the rating at 9.  

July Garden (9):
- Maintain(water frequently as needed, weed, fertilize)
- Clean out the garden shed
- Continue with landscaping the side yard

June Daughter (10)(10):  The goal is to continue to have a close relationship with her:

- Daily texts, phone calls, and video chatting, etc., to keep in close touch with her
- Be supportive of her and be there for her

Daughter and I continue to keep in contact daily.  She has been a blessing,  so very supportive and helpful, doing everything she possibly can, from a distance, to make sure that I can continue to stay at home and still live a comfortable life.  Our nightly online chats continue to be the highlight of my day.  Daughter was supposed to come down for a visit during the first weekend in July, but, she isn't coming down due to the virus.  I really don't know when we might be able to be together in person, but, I am grateful that we get to see each other during our nightly online chats.

I am keeping the rating at 10.

July Daughter (10):
- Daily texts, phone calls, and video chatting, etc., to keep in close touch with her
- Be supportive of her and continue to be there for her


June Family & Friends (10)(10):  The goal is to have a close connection with family members and friends:

- Regular phone calls and emails to check on family and friends

I have been interacting regularly with family and friends through phone calls, texts, drop offs of goodies, etc., and I was also able to "see" family and friends at the monthly prayer gathering as we did it online. 

I am keeping the rating at 10 because I feel that I have done my best to keep in touch under the circumstances.  

July Family and Friends (10):
- Regular phone calls and emails to check on family and friends


June Community (10)(10):  The goal is to be involved in my community:
- Continue to participate in the blogging community 

- Weekly phone calls with neighbor T
- Continue to participate in the online group
- Continue to participate in Temple online services 

I participated in the blogging community, continued to participate in the online group, exchanged weekly phone calls with neighbor T, interacted with other neighbors, and participated in temple services online. 

I am keeping the rating at 10.

July Community (10):
- Continue to participate in the blogging community
- Weekly phone calls with neighbor T
- Continue to participate in the online group
- Continue to participate in Temple online services

June Finances (10)(10):  The goal is financial security:

- Continue spending mindfully, with purpose

I spent mindfully and with purpose in June.  I am still in the process of stocking up on various items, as part of building up my emergency supplies and regular quarterly stock up routine.  Since things often seem to be unavailable when I order groceries and some household items, I try to order in bulk when I can.  On the plus side, I was able to deposit two checks that I had received as refunds on insurance premiums, which helped to mitigate the amounts spent on stocking up.  

I am keeping the rating at 10.

July Finances (10): 
- Continue spending mindfully, with purpose 

June Health & Well Being (7.5)(7.5):  The goal is good health:
- Call and reschedule this month's medical appointments and lab tests 
- Continue to work on the same life style changes as before to the extent possible 

- Continue to strive to attain a healthier weight 

I rescheduled my medical appointments due to the corona virus and advice to stay at home.  My appointments weren't urgent.  In any case, my primary care physician's office is closed due to the virus!  I tried one online exercise class, but, found it too hard, so, will continue with walking and trying out one or two videos I've found online.  I didn't lose any noticeable weight this month, but, I haven't gained any, either.  I'll leave the rating at 7.5.

July Health & Well Being (7.5):
- See if I can reschedule any or all of this month's medical appointments, too
- Continue to work on the same life style changes as before to the extent possible
- Continue to strive to attain a healthier weight (lose 5 lbs)

June Time Management (7)(7.5): The goal is to spend my time in a mindful manner:
- Keep to a more regular schedule
- Procrastinate less
- Spend time purposefully, mindfully

I did become more productive towards the end of the month and I managed to accomplish a few things.  I have raised the rating to 7.5 to reflect that end of the month productivity and time management.  

July Time Management (7.5):
- Keep to a more regular schedule
- Procrastinate less
- Spend time purposefully, mindfully

June Leisure/Crafts/Hobbies/Me-Time (10)(10):  The goal is to relax doing something I enjoy doing for the pleasure of it.
- Engage in daily joyful activities

- Daily piano practicing
- Do a crafts project (knit a few more hats, sew a few more masks, finish making one of the quilts in progress so it can be gifted in July)

I knitted another hat or two to donate and I knitted two pairs of fingerless mittens, one for myself and one for my daughter.  I sewed several fabric masks, too, but, procrastinated on the quilt!  Instead, I made a couple of batches of jam, some chutney, and tried my hand at canning peaches.  I have been engaging in daily joyful activities, too, and I participated in the June link up of the SPSH and a mini photo challenge on the theme, "Repetitions"".  The daily piano practicing became more like weekly practicing, but, it has picked up, again, because I resumed lessons at the end of June.  

I am keeping the rating at 10.  

July Leisure/Crafts/Hobbies/Me-Time (10):

- Engage in daily joyful activities

- Daily piano practicing
- Do a crafts project - finish the quilt!

That is the review of my goals for a more balanced life in June and the goals for July.    

Did you make any goals for a more balanced life in June?  If so, were you able to achieve those goals?  Will you be making any goals for July?

Resuming Piano Lessons on Monday

Big Foot Was Here!

This is what has been sitting on the parkway in front of my house since Sunday morning!  I guess Big Foot lost her slipper on her way home from the ball on Saturday night!  I have no idea who put it there, but, I suspect it was someone who lives in the house next door to me.  I am hoping that they put it there because tomorrow is trash pick up day.  But, unless they scheduled a bulky item pick up, the regular trash collectors won't pick it up!  I have no idea why they put it on the parkway in front of my house, rather than in front of their house!  The parkway is city property, but, each homeowner is responsible for maintaining it.   I know it is a bit of an eyesore, right now as I haven't been able to grow any grass on it, for the past several years, and someone uprooted all the succulents I tried to grow there, a couple of years ago.  But, I don't think an old shoe shaped chair sitting out on it does much to improve it, either!  Sigh.

Last night was one of those nights when I didn't get to bed until after 4:00 a.m. and then, couldn't fall asleep, right away.  I think I finally went to sleep around 5:00 a.m.  I woke up just before 11:00 a.m.  I had just finished having tea and replying to blog comments when neighbor S called to ask if I was free to start online piano lessons today.  We agreed that this evening would be a good time for us both.  It gave me a little time to get in some practice, in the afternoon.

But, first, I did a little housework.  I changed my bed sheets and did a load of laundry.  Then, I organized the spare bedroom a little bit and made enough room to store the bags of dry cat food that were delivered, last week.  There is more to be done in that room, but, I made a start and the boxes are out of the living room!  They are now in the family room, waiting to be broken down...

I stopped for brunch - leftover waffles with the last fresh peach.

Then, I dusted the living room and the dining table.  I also tidied the sewing supplies I had scattered about on the dining table.  I am still making fabric masks in between jam making and everything else!  In fact, today, I cut out and prepared the ties for another mask that I had started last week; it will be sewn up, tomorrow. 

The piano lesson went well, I think.  We reviewed the pieces I had learned the last time I had a class, which was on March 5th.  And then, I played a couple of pieces I had learned on my own during the intervening months.  Of course, S found places where I could improve on those pieces, but, I think she was pleased that I had taken the initiative to learn them on my own.  Now, I have several pieces to practice as my homework for next week!

After the lesson was over, I had a cup of tea, watched news. took the trash cans to the curb, did the dishes, and cleaned the kitchen, a bit.

I wasn't very hungry for dinner (the waffles filled me up, today), so I had an egg salad sandwich and I will probably snack on a handful of almonds, later.

Two pieces of mail came in, today (a couple of others were tossed in the recycling bin, right away).  They are sitting on the computer table to air and disinfect!  One is the cell phone bill and the other is a statement.  According to what I've read, the virus can live on paper from a few hours to up to 5 days, depending on the strain of virus.  So, that is how the paper piles grow, because I keep each day's mail for several days before processing them.  I did spray today's mail with disinfectant, so, perhaps they will be OK to deal with, tomorrow.

Today, I am grateful for:
- The little peach tree that gave me so many peaches, this year
- Being able to do online piano lessons
- What I was able to accomplish in terms of housework
- Being able to video chat with my daughter
- Microfiber cleaning cloths

Today's joyful activity was playing the piano.

Monday's To Do List:

- Change bed sheets - DONE

- Load of laundry (bed sheets/towels) - DONE

- Dust living room & dining area - DONE

- Clean the fridge

- Take trash cans to the curb for Tuesday trash pick up - DONE
- Tidy the spare bedroom - STARTED
- Practice the piano - DONE.  Had a piano lesson, too, online! 

Tuesday's To Do List:

- Bring the trash cans in
- Dust my bedroom

- Water the garden, front and back

- Water the house plants
- Clean the fridge
- Practice the piano

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

June Week 4 Meal Plans - Update

I continued the previous week's way of meal planning, listing meal possibilities rather than specific meals on a given day.  This worked out quite well, I think.  Here's how it all turned out:

Monday:
Breakfast - Paratha and chicken curry (I think! Didn't write it down and have forgotten by now!)

Dinner - Rice and smoked sausage stirfry

Tuesday:

Brunch - Scrambled egg with hash browns

Dinner - Rice and smoked sausage stirfry

Smoked Sausage Stirfry

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Cheese and crackers
Lunch - Tuna salad and crackers
Dinner - Rice and sausage stirfry

Thursday:
Brunch - Chicken fried rice - rice, corn, some cut up rotisserie chicken, an egg, and peanuts

Dinner - Rotisserie chicken, corn, half a baked potato; peach

Friday:
Brunch - Gyoza (chicken pot stickers), carrot sticks
Tea - Tuna salad on crackers; banana
Dinner - Leftover chicken fried rice

Saturday:
Breakfast - Half a banana and crackers
Lunch - Egg salad sandwich
Dinner - Paratha and keema curry; waffles and peaches for dessert!

Sunday:
Breakfast - Half a banana and crackers
Lunch - Rice, keema curry, dhal, pineapple curry

Rice and Curries

Dinner - Paratha and keema curry

I am still debating if I want to continue to make a meal plan for July.   But, I am pleased with how things turned out in June.  

SPSH - June Link Up

These are my selections for the SPSH June link up:

#1.  A favorite piece of jewelry:

#1 - A Favorite Piece of Jewelry: Cupcake Pendant

A polymer clay pendant in the shape of a cupcake, with frosting, sprinkles, and a cherry on the top.  It measures less than one inch.  Made by my daughter and given to me as a birthday gift, several years ago.  The only problem is, I get hungry for cupcakes every time I see it!  LOL.

#2.  Something with or in a knot:

#2: Chinese Pan Chang Knot

#2: CLose up of the knot

A wall hanging friends brought back as a gift from China; apparently, the Chinese word for knot sounds the same as their word for harmony and unity.  This particular type of knot is called a pan chang knot and is also known as the mystic knot.

#3.  Something with the colors of your country's flag:

#3: Red, White, and Blue Spray Bottle

I took several possible photos for this prompt - a red, white, and blue striped ribbon, cookbooks with red, white, and blue covers, and more.  But, I chose this spray bottle as my final selection.  It's about the only trigger you'll find me pulling!  LOL.


#5: Something you have more than one of:

#5: Knitting Needles and Crochet Hooks

My mother bought me my first pair of knitting needles (UK size 10 and 12) when I was 9 years old and learning to knit at school.  I still have them - the ones with the red tops, on the left.  Since then, I've added more needles in both UK and US sizes!  I prefer knitting to crochet, which is probably why I have more knitting needles than crochet hooks.


#11.  Something you need to throw away:

#11: Broken Inherited Tea Cup

This tea cup, one of two left from a tea set that had belonged to my step-father's mother, broke while I was washing it, the other day.  It has a lithophane geisha on the bottom of the cup:

Imprint of A Geisha on the Inside Bottom of the Cup

Hand Painted Image of Geisha

#12.  Something that holds your favorite beverage:

#12: Favorite Beverage in a Favorite Tea Cup

I am a tea drinker.  A strong sweet cup of tea with milk is my choice of beverage in the morning and in the evening.  One of my daily joys is to drink it from my favorite cup, part of a set that was a 50th birthday gift from my daughter.

#16.  Something with rough texture:

#16 - Something with Rough Texture: Tree Bark - Bottlebrush Tree

The bark on the bottlebrush tree (Callistemon) in the back yard.

#17.  Something naturally round:

#17 - Something Naturally Round: Orange Growing on the Tree

Here is the list, with the items I have photographed crossed out:

1. A favourite piece of jewelry
2. Something with or in a knot
3. Something with the colours of your country’s flag
4. A toy you play with
5. Something you have more than one of
6. Something in the shape of a triangle
   
7. Something that displays a rule(s)
8. A leaf longer than your hand
9. Something that starts with the initial of your name (first or last)
10. Something smaller than a paper clip
11. Something you need to throw away
12. Something that holds your favourite beverage
13. A rubber band/elastic in use
14. Something with wheels
15. Something inherited
16. Something with rough texture
17. Something naturally round
18. Something that can go in the water
19. A stone/rock/pebble with some colour in it
20. Something with the number 7 in it

Alt A. An animal statue

Alt B. Something heavier than your shoe

Alt C. Something with four sides

Thank you, Mary Lou (Patio Postcards) for this opportunity to participate in the SPSH.

Productive Sunday, Too

June Gloom was in full effect this morning.  It rained in some areas, but, not where I live.  However, it was cloudy and cool, although the sun shone in the afternoon.

My enthusiasm for paperwork waned, today.  While I procrastinated on paperwork, I did a load of laundry and cleaned the laundry area, wiping down the appliances and sweeping the small area of floor space, between the washer and the dryer (they face each other), as this was the week to clean the laundry area, according to my cleaning cycles.  I was able to make room for the two boxes of laundry detergent that I had received in an earlier delivery, which I had kept in the spare bedroom.  That room has been turned into a stock room for the various things I've had delivered, recently! 

Late last night, when I was video chatting with my daughter, she held my hand, virtually, and led me, step by patient step through the scary process of downloading the mobile banking option on my cell phone (I don't have a top of the line phone; I had to delete a couple of other apps that I had downloaded to free up enough space to download this app!).  Then, she guided me through the process of depositing a check that I had received from my auto insurance company, refunding a portion of the premium I had paid (for the duration of the mandatory stay at home period).  I was a nervous wreck during the process, but, apparently, I did it right!  LOL.  Welcome to the 21st century, Bless!

Today, I deposited a second check I had received.  Again, my daughter provided moral support, by being on a video chat with me while I did it and guiding me through the process, once again (although I remembered the steps, for the most part).  I am someone who has always gone to a teller at a bank for my banking needs, refusing to use an ATM, as I feel that going to a teller helps preserve jobs.  It's the same reason why I choose to go to a real cashier at stores rather than self checkout.  But, with this pandemic and our rates going up in my state, county, and city, I am reluctant to go to the bank.  I also didn't want the checks to expire!  The one I deposited today was received in February!  I just didn't have it with me when I stopped at the bank to withdraw some spending cash on the day before our stay at home mandate took effect.  I am not anticipating receiving any more paper checks to be deposited (usually, things are deposited directly into my account), but, now I know how to deposit them online, if I need to!

Breakfast had been half a banana, with a few pieces of canned pineapple added to it.  I was toying with the idea of making a fruit salad, but, decided not to.  I wanted to save the rest of the canned pineapple chunks to make a pineapple curry:

Pineapple Curry

In Sri Lanka, they make it with fresh pineapples, but, the canned pineapple was good, too.

Lunch was leftover rice with leftover ground beef curry (keema), dhal (lentils), and some pineapple curry:

Lunch: Rice, Keema Curry, Dhal, and Pineapple Curry

After lunch, I procrastinated a bit more, watched some TV, played on the computer, chatted with neighbor T, had a cup of tea, watched news, replaced the battery on the wall clock in the family room, and practiced the piano.

Then, I decided I was hungry again and had an early dinner - parathas with the rest of the keema curry.

Finally, around 7:45 p.m., I went through the basket of paper I had set aside to work on, today!   It is a rectangular plastic basket,  about 4 inches deep and it was overflowing with papers!   But, this is how it looks now:

Paperwork Basket

The only items in it are a couple of pads of blank paper, my pantry inventory (pink notebook), a pad of sticky notes, pens and pencils, the stapler, roll of tape and a pair of scissors, a.k.a. my paper shredder!  I usually just tear things by hand, but, if something contains more sensitive information, then, I cut it with the scissors.

I am by no means caught up with all my paperwork (I have a few items in a "pending action" file and I have some old files to clean out), but, I have eliminated all the piles of paper that had accumulated in the family room and in the basket (which had been in the living room)!

Today, I am grateful for:
- My daughter's help with depositing my checks!
- Getting the piles of paper under control
- Working appliances
- Sunshine in the afternoon
- My medications have been available, so far

My joyful activity today was video chatting with my daughter.

Monday's To Do List:

- Change bed sheets

- Load of laundry (bed sheets/towels)

- Dust living room & dining area

- Clean the fridge

- Take trash cans to the curb for Tuesday trash pick up
- Tidy the spare bedroom
- Practice the piano

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

Productive Saturday

At Ease on the Cleared Coffee Table

Another late night, last night, going to bed around 4:30 a.m.  But, I slept for 6 1/2 hours, so, I got enough sleep. 

After I had my cup of tea and replied to blog comments, etc., it was a little past noon and I had half a banana and a couple of crackers for breakfast.

Then, I washed a couple of my hand knitted wool sweaters and a couple of pairs of wool socks.  I lay the sweaters flat on towels to air dry.  After they've dried, I'll put them away until winter. 

Then, I took a small pile of papers from the piles that were on the table in the family room and went through them.  Most of it was put aside for recycling and I filed the few items that needed to be filed.  Then, I took the next pile and the next, until all the piles of papers on the table were processed and I cleared the rest of the items I had on the table (some empty boxes, the rest of the canning jars, etc. 

Halfway through, I took a break for lunch - an egg salad sandwich.  I can have sandwiches again because I have bread now. 

I didn't take a before picture of the table, but, this is how it looked at 3:30 p.m.: 

The Table is Cleared!

Which is how it should look at all times, but, unfortunately, it doesn't!   I wonder how long it would be before Dancer notices it is cleared!

After tea, I practiced the piano for 30 minutes. 

Then, I went through the papers on the computer table and tidied that, a bit.  The desk top computer doesn't work, but, I haven't taken it to the computer store to see if they can clear the memory or whatever needs to be done to recycle it.  I also have a couple of old, non-working laptops stacked on the desk, too, until I can figure out what to do with them!  I still need to clear out some of the things that have been dumped on the table, but, at least all the stacks of daily mail have been cleared:

Computer Table

Cleaning apparently makes me hungry!  I was hungry by 7:00 p.m. and wanted dinner!  I quickly cooked a ground beef curry (keema) and had it with parathas (Indian flat bread).  After dinner, I finished cleaning the family room and swept the floor (didn't feel like lugging the vacuum cleaner).

Then, I treated myself to dessert - waffles with fresh peaches!  Some ice cream or whipped cream would have been nice, but, I didn't have, either.  Oh, well.  Fewer calories, this way!  LOL.  I have leftover waffles and the last fresh peach for tomorrow's breakfast.

I am too tired to clean the kitchen, today.  I did do the dishes and wiped down one counter because I knocked over a glass of water and had to mop that up! 

I called friend R and chatted with her for a bit and, later, video chatted with my daughter. 


Today, I am grateful for:
- A productive day
- A tidy family room
- Garden flowers and fruits
- My daughter helping me with some online stuff
- Dancer keeping an eye on things for me!

"It's been a long hard day and the bed is softer than the coffee table"

Saturday's To Do List:

- Catch up day:
  - Paperwork/filing - DID a lot
  - Clean the family room - DONE
  - Clean the kitchen
  - Practice the piano!  (I start lessons again, next week!) - DONE

I don't normally make a to do list for Sundays, but, I still have one basket of papers to go through and I am going to try to get it all done, tomorrow.

How was your Saturday?   What are your plans for Sunday?

Friday

Friday was a better day than Thursday.  I had felt light-headed most of Thursday afternoon and in the evening, I experienced some tummy discomfort, so, I didn't accomplish much other than making the jam in the morning and watering the front garden in the evening.

I was able to sleep in on Friday morning and actually managed to get 8 hours of sleep!    Of course, it meant that I slept most of the morning, but, that was OK.

Cousin P's daughter delivered the bag of groceries I had asked her to buy me - a loaf of bread, a dozen eggs, and some bananas.  She asked me if that was all I wanted and I said yes.  It will carry me through until I put in an order for pick up, next week, or the week after that.

In the afternoon, I cleaned the bathroom.  This week, I cleaned only my bathroom as no one had used the other bathroom.  Then, I did some paperwork and cleared the top of the family room coffee table.  One stack of papers was tackled and everything was either recycled or filed and the glass top of the coffee table was washed.  Dancer showed his approval by stretching out on the cleared top and taking a nap!  LOL.

M came to tend to the garden in the evening and we pruned one of the oleander bushes to remove some dead branches.  He also potted up an avocado seedling, fertilized some of the plants, and watered the back garden for me.

Brunch had been some chicken pot stickers and carrot sticks.  I had leftover tuna salad on crackers with my tea.  Dinner was the leftover fried rice, a banana, and, later, some bread with jam!

Today, I am grateful for:
- Cousin's daughter bringing me groceries
- M tending to the garden
- Long conversations with my daughter
- Garden flowers and fruits
- What I was able to accomplish

Today's joyful activity was chatting with my daughter.

Thursday's & Friday's To Do List:

- Paperwork/filing - DID SOME
- Clean the kitchen - STARTED

- Water the garden, front (and back) - DONE

- Clean the bathroom - DONE

- Do one deep cleaning task - DONE (living room coffee table)

Saturday's To Do List:

- Catch up day:
  - Paperwork/filing
  - Clean the kitchen
  - Practice the piano!  (I start lessons again, next week!)

How was your Friday?  What are your plans for Saturday and the weekend?

More Jam on Thursday

Yesterday, when I went to give cousin P a jar of my peach jam, she mentioned that her daughter's friend had offered her daughter some apricots from her mother's tree.  Cousin said that her daughter had thought of me and had wanted to know if I'd like to have some apricots for my "jams and things".  Of course, I said, "Yes, please".  This morning, cousin's daughter called me at 9:30 a.m. to say they left a bag of apricots outside my door! What a blessing!  Of course, I was still asleep when she called (I went to bed at 4:00 a.m.), but I woke up to answer the phone and didn't go back to sleep.  Instead, I went to collect my bag of apricots! 

There were about 2 lbs. of apricots, but, quite a few of them were smashed (they had probably dropped from the tree, I think) and one or two were on the verge of being spoiled.  I tossed the really bad ones and salvaged what I could of the smashed ones.  I didn't peel the rest, but, cut them up.  I had a little less than 1 1/2 lbs. of prepared fruit to work with.  I added 2 lbs. sugar and the juice of 3 lemons from my tree and a little bit of nutmeg for flavoring and boiled it all down.  It only took about 30 minutes for it to become jam:

Apricot Jam

I was able to make 5 1/2 half-pint jars of jam.  I gave two jars to my cousin; one for her and one for her daughter to give to her friend who gave her the apricots.  I will keep the half jar for myself and keep at least one jar for my daughter.  She will like this jam as it is a little tangy; she doesn't like jam in general because it is too sweet, she says.

I had chicken fried rice for brunch, today, with some leftover rice, some of the rotisserie chicken I had kept to thaw for tonight's dinner, some leftover corn, an egg, and some peanuts.  I am glad I had put two pieces of chicken to thaw!

Neighbor S called to say that she is starting to give piano lessons, again.  I told her I am not going anywhere, yet, but, she's willing to do online lessons.  So, that might be something I can start doing, next month.   I'd better start practicing more regularly!  LOL.

I am writing this post in the afternoon, today, rather than late at night as I usually do.  At the time of this writing (3:30 p.m.), I haven't done anything on today's to do list!  I don't need to do any laundry and I will water the front garden in the evening.   I will probably clean the kitchen in the evening, too.  I did empty the dishwasher and put away the washed dishes and I washed the pan I used to make the jam.  I should do the paperwork, this afternoon, while I watch news, but, paperwork is something I dislike even more than vacuuming!   Sigh.  Maybe I will get something accomplished after I have a cup of tea.

Today, I am grateful for:
- The gift of apricots from my cousin and her daughter
- Being able to preserve them by making jam
- Being able to make enough to share
- Cousin's daughter will pick up a few groceries (eggs, bread, bananas) for me
- A relaxed afternoon

Today's joyful activity was making jam from the apricots I was given.

Thursday's To Do List:

- Paperwork/filing
- Clean the kitchen

- Water the garden, front

- Load of laundry, if needed - NOT needed

How is your Thursday coming along?

Wednesday

White Agapanthus (Lily of the Nile)

The agapanthus (Lily of the Nile) is flowering.  I no longer have the blue flowered ones that I planted in the front garden, but, the white ones I planted in the back are doing well.

Today, I struggled to be productive.  For one thing, I couldn't fall asleep until 5:00 a.m.  Then, I woke up around 6:45 a.m. - too early and not enough sleep.  I went back to sleep and slept till 9:00 a.m. - too tired to get up.  Then, I slept, again, and woke up at 10:30 a.m., after a very complicated dream which I can't quite recall, now.

After I had a cup of tea and replied to comments, I called the podiatrist's office and rescheduled tomorrow's appointment.  We put it off until the end of July.  We shall see how things stand by then.

I had cheese and crackers for breakfast, today.  I wanted waffles, but, didn't feel like taking the time to make them!

After breakfast (eaten around 11:30 a.m.), I drove over to friend R's to give her a jar of peach jam.  I had the jar of jam in the trunk; she took it from the tru and I stayed in the car and chatted with her through the car window for a few minutes. 

After I came home, I had tuna salad on crackers for lunch.

Then, I took a jar of peach jam over to neighbor S, left it on her doorstep, and called her to let her know.  After that, I called cousin P and asked her if she could come outside and took her a jar of jam, too.  I placed it on top of her garden wall and she took it from there; then, we spoke for a few minutes at a safe distance (I had my cloth mask on).  After I came home, I played on the computer and watched news because I was procrastinating doing the housework!

Finally, at 7:15 p.m., I started on the housework.  I watered the back garden, vacuumed the house, dusted my bedroom and the family room, and did the dishes.  I did not declutter or organize, though!

Dinner was rice and the last of the sausage stir fry.  I took out two pieces of rotisserie chicken to thaw to have for dinner, tomorrow. Not sure if I will eat it as it is or make it into something else!

Today, I am grateful for:
- Being able to gift some of my jars of jam to friends, neighbors, and family
- The car started without any problems
- I had a safe drive to friend R's and back
- Working appliances
- What I was able to accomplish

Today's joyful activity was visiting cousin and friend, however briefly, to give them jam.

Wednesday's To Do List:

- Vacuum - DONE
- Dust family room and my bedroom - DONE
- Drop off something for friend R, neighbor S, and cousin P - DONE

- Paperwork/filing - STARTED

- Do one decluttering/organizing task
- Water the back garden - DONE

Thursday's To Do List:

- Paperwork/filing
- Clean the kitchen

- Water the garden, front

- Load of laundry, if needed

How was your Wednesday?  What are your plans for Thursday?

The Start of a New Week

It's the start of a new week and the beginning of summer.  I should do another garden post as we transition into summer, but, I haven't taken that many photos of the garden, recently.  But, I took these the other day, when I watered the garden.  The mirabilis (four o'clock) plants thrive in the back garden, growing wherever they get some water.  I love the color variations in their flowers.  Some are yellow:

Yellow Mirabilis

Some are magenta:

Magenta Mirabilis

Some are double colored and, often, they are all found on the same plant!

Mirabilis (Four O'Clocks)

Indoors, I am trying to keep the house maintained.  Yesterday (Monday), was a productive day.  I changed my bed sheets, did a load of laundry (everything was hung inside the house to dry), dusted the living room and dining area, finally put away the jars of peaches I canned (had to do a bit of rearranging in the cabinets to make room for them), cleaned the fridge, emptied the waste baskets throughout the house, took the trash cans to the curb, and gave Dancer his flea prevention medications.

I also tried out a virtual movement class with my daughter.  She tried it out, last week, and thought it might be good for me.  It was called "Mobility for Stiff Joints" and offered online by the acrobatics studio she attends (or, rather, used to attend before the stay at home orders when into effect; currently, she takes a few of their online classes).  It was a good class, except, I couldn't do several of the movements!  One exercise required you to squat and I can't squat.  Another required you to bend over with your head hanging down and that made me feel dizzy!  It was a one hour class and I was tired after the first 30 minutes!  That shows just how out of condition I am!  I did gamely hang on for the duration of the class, but, I am not sure if I will continue to take it.  I think I need something like a gentle stretching class, first!  But, my daughter said she was proud of me for trying the class, for not refusing outright to even try it, but, rather, trying my best. 

Later in the evening, I made a stir-fry for dinner, with smoked sausage, carrots, broccoli I had frozen, earlier, bell pepper strips I had frozen, and some pineapple chunks from a can that needed to be used up (had an expiration date of November, 2019; but, it was perfectly fine).

Smoked Sausage Stir-Fry

I put a pot of rice to cook first, before I made the stir-fry, and the stir-fry was done before the rice finished cooking.  After dinner, I froze two portions of the stir-fry and kept the rest in the fridge.  I had some of it for my dinner, tonight, but, I needed to add more broccoli, as I ate almost all the broccoli I had put in, last night!  There is one more portion of the stir-fry in the fridge, for tomorrow or later in the week.  The rest of the can of pineapple chunks is also in the fridge, waiting for me to do something with it.

On Monday, I was grateful for:
- A productive day
- Being able to participate in an online movements class with my daughter
- Garden flowers
- The can of pineapple chunks was still fine
- Weekly curbside trash collections

Monday's joyful activity was trying out the online class.

Monday's To Do List:

- Change bed sheets - DONE

- Load of laundry (bed sheets/towels) - DONE

- Dust living room & dining area - DONE

- Clean the fridge - DONE

- Take trash cans to the curb for Tuesday trash pick up - DONE

- Tidy the kitchen and family room - STARTED
- Try out an online stretching class - DONE
- Put away the laundry from Sunday (hanging up to dry) - DONE
- Give Dancer his flea prevention treatment - DONE


Today, Tuesday, I was pleasantly surprised to realize that I was not feeling sore from yesterday's class!

The highlight of the day was receiving the items I had ordered to be delivered - the canning tools and three bags of cat food!  LOL.  Does anyone have any ideas about what to do with those air filled plastic bags they put in the boxes as packing material?  I know they are supposed to be recyclable, but, I was wondering if they could be reused in some way.  I am starting to have quite a bit of them from all the packages that have been delivered!

Today I made a scrambled egg and hash browns for brunch.  In the evening, I had some tea cookies with my cup of tea.  Then, rice and sausage stir-fry for dinner.  I was hungry for dinner by 7:00 p.m., so I had an early dinner.  Normally, I don't eat dinner until after 8:00 p.m.  Yesterday, for example, I didn't even start cooking till after 8:00 p.m.!

In the evening, I watered the front garden and chatted on the phone with cousin P.  The last time she called, I was busy making chutney and couldn't chat with her for long.  Later, I chatted with friend R.

Today, I am grateful for:
- Packages being delivered
- Being stocked up on cat food
- Water for the garden
- Conversations with my daughter
- All the ways we have of connecting with others - telephones, internet, etc.

Today's joyful activity was receiving packages!

Tuesday's To Do List:

- Dust family room and my bedroom 

- Water the garden, front and back - DID the front; will do the back, tomorrow

- Water the house plants - DONE
- Bring the trash cans in - DONE

I am happy with what I was able to accomplish, today.  What didn't get done will be carried forward.

Wednesday's To Do List:

- Vacuum
- Dust family room and my bedroom
- Drop off something for friend R

- Paperwork/filing 

- Do one decluttering/organizing task
- Water the back garden

How is your week coming along?  What do you do with those air filled packs?

June Meal Plans - Week 3 Update and Week 4

I started out Week 3 with meal possibilities, rather than a specific meal plan.  It worked out really well for me!

Week 3 Meal Possibilities:

Breakfasts/Brunches - scrambled eggs with potatoes (fried or hash browns); pancakes ✓ or waffles; muffins if I make some; cereal✓; tuna salad on crackers; fresh fruits (I have apples, oranges, and peaches)

Lunches - For days when I want a separate lunch - tuna salad on crackers, salad (lettuce, carrots, with apples or peaches, etc.), yogurt

Dinners -

- leftover rice and curries (Monday)

- coconut flat bread with chicken curry

- string hoppers with chicken curry, potato curry, onion sambol ✓

- rice with smoked sausage stir fry

- more paratha pizzas

- Leftovers ✓

- Or, something else, altogether!  ✓ (dinner from neighbor S)

Here is how it turned out:

Monday:
Breakfast: Dry cereal
Lunch: Paratha Pizza!

Paratha Pizza

Dinner: Leftover rice and curries provided by friend S

Tuesday:
Brunch - Pancakes with peaches:

Pancakes with Fresh Peaches

Dinner - Last of S's leftover rice and curries

Wednesday:
Brunch - Pancakes with fresh peaches
Dinner - Dinner compliments of neighbor S:

Dinner Sent by S

Thursday:
Brunch - Koththu roti, made from the lavash neighbor S provided as part of the previous night's dinner:

Koththu Roti

Dinner - Rice pilaf, chicken curry, eggplant; fresh peaches and a napoleon for dessert

Friday:
Brunch - Paratha and chicken curry
Dinner - Leftovers from neighbor S's dinner (roast pork and scalloped potatoes); cereal for a snack

Saturday:
Brunch - Stringhoppers, potato curry, chicken curry
Dinner - Kebabs with peach chutney, salad, corn; peaches for dessert

Sunday:
Brunch - Stringhoppers, potato curry, chicken curry
Dinner - A bit of this and that: Salad, homemade potato chips, the last stringhopper with chicken curry, peaches with yogurt. 

I rather like how last week's meals turned out.  I am going to continue this way of meal planning, this week, too, with a couple of exceptions.  I have decided on tonight's dinner (smoked sausage stir fry and rice) and that will provide leftovers for several additional meals.  I will freeze some of the extra portions, but will keep enough in the fridge for at least one more meal during the week.

This week's meals will be made with what I have on hand, as I am not planning to do any grocery shopping, this week. 

Week 4 Meal Possibilities:

Breakfasts/Brunches - scrambled eggs with potatoes (fried or hash browns); waffles with peaches; muffins if I make some; tuna salad or peanut butter on crackers; fresh fruits (I have apples, oranges, and peaches), parathas with onion sambol

Lunches - For days when I want a separate lunch - tuna salad on crackers, salad (lettuce, carrots, with apples or peaches, etc.), yogurt, parathas with onion sambol, leftover soup (if I make tomato soup for dinner, one day)

Dinners -

- Smoked sausage stir-fry with rice

- Gyoza (pot stickers)

- Coconut flat bread with beef curry

- Breakfast for dinner (scrambled eggs, bacon, potatoes, etc.)
- Tomato soup and crackers
- Cottage pie
- "Planned-overs"/leftovers

Anyone else making a meal plan for this week?