Saturday, May 15, 2021

Saturday

 

Green Bean Plants and Zucchini

It has been one week for today since I developed my sciatica pains!  I am feeling much better these past couple of days and haven't been feeling enough pain to take any Tylenol.  Nor am I taking the prescription strength painkiller; I've managed to go without it, although, it's good to know that I have it, if needed.  I am, however, continuing to take the prescription medications as required (I have to take them until they finish).  The dosage of one will be decreased gradually over the next several days until I come off of it; the other one I will continue to take until I see my doctor on the 25th.  I need to schedule a blood test before that, though.

Today, I walked around the house a few times (my daughter doesn't want me to go outside because there are some steps to get down from both front and back doors).  I was allowed to make my own cup of tea in the evening (she made the morning cup) and I drank it while seated in the living room instead of in my bed.  While seated in the living room, with a side table pulled in front of me, I was also allowed to chop up some tomatoes and onions to be frozen and I managed to sneak in washing my tea cup and a couple of other dishes before I got chased out of the kitchen and told to go and sit down!  LOL.  She is very over-protective of me, but, I can't blame her.  Poor thing got very stressed when she saw me in pain.  

In the early afternoon, my daughter went to the ethnic (Armenian) grocery store.  It was the first time she's been to a grocery store in person since last year March!  We decided that it would be safe enough for her to go because she is fully vaccinated.  However, although the CDC guidelines have been revised to state that fully vaccinated people don't need to wear a mask, she wore a mask, especially since there really isn't a way to tell if the other shoppers who might be without masks are doing so because they, too, have been fully vaccinated or because they don't want to wear a mask even if they are not vaccinated!  Better be safe than sorry!

I made the grocery list based on this week's ads and she added a few other items, as well, including one of her favorite herbal teas (a ginger tea).  She bought a tray of 20 jumbo eggs for $2.79, smoked paprika, a container of yogurt, a package of frozen puff pastry, and three big bags of fresh produce (bananas, cherries, blackberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, green beans, snow peas, snap peas, broccoli, red onions, lettuce, a bag of mixed spring greens, cucumber, tomatoes, a Kabocha squash, beets with leaves).  While I am very grateful that the regular supermarket offered curbside pick up of groceries, which was a life saver during the past year of the pandemic, I am also very happy that we can now make the occasional quick trip to the less expensive ethnic grocery store!

Lunch was a lovely salad with lots of lettuce, spring greens, cucumber, sliced apple, etc.

This evening, I asked daughter to take some photos of the garden to post and she took the pictures I'm posting here.  Only some of the green beans are coming up, but, the two zucchini seeds that were planted in the same bed seem to be doing well!


Peach Tree View 1


Peach Tree View 2


View 1 shows the tree as you approach it from the back of the house; View 2 shows the tree from the opposite side, looking towards the back of the house. The peach tree is full of ripening peaches!  Although this year's crop is not quite as heavy as last year's (we thinned the fruits quite severely), the tree is obviously leaning to one side as can be seen from View 1!  What's more, it's leaning in the same direction it leaned last year, before it fell over! Even though we had pruned it to have equal amounts of branches, all around!

This is the photo from last year, when it fell over:

Peach Tree Down (5/31/2020)

I will have to ask M to prop it up, again, on his next visit!  Last year, I started picking peaches in early June.  Going by that schedule, this year's peaches have another three weeks or so to ripen before being picked.

Today, I am grateful for:

- Continuing to feel better
- Phone calls from family and friends
- Daughter being able to go grocery shopping at the ethnic store
- Good grocery prices
- The garden continues to do well

Today's joyful activity was sitting up and chopping some vegetables!  Feeling a bit useful!  

No plans as such for tomorrow.  I will continue to take each day as it comes.  

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

16 comments:

  1. Look at those peaches! So many peaches for such a little tree. Between the insects and the squirrels, we were never able to get many, if any, good peaches from the tree we used to have.

    Glad you are continuing to feel better and are able to be up and do some things.

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    1. Thank you, June. Sorry you weren't able to get many good peaches from the tree you used to have. When I had my old peach tree, the birds used to peck them, but, last year, I didn't have any bird damage to the peaches. I hope it continues to be that way, this year, too!

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  2. So glad you are feeling better Bless and glad to know your daughter is taking such good care of you! Glad to know the garden is doing well. :)

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  3. It's good to read a newsy post from you - I'm taking it as an indicator of your feeling better :)
    Look at that peach tree! I cannot get over how much fruit it has for such a young tree. It must like it in your garden.
    I remember it falling over last year. Hopefully M can figure something out to straighten it up.
    How nice that your daughter was able to shop in person at the Armenian store. She got a lot of great things.
    I hope you continue to feel better.

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    1. Thank you, Debra. I am now at that "chomping at the bit" stage to get back to doing things! Of course, that mood will probably last only as long until the doctor tells me I'm well enough to do everything and then, no doubt, I will no longer want to do anything! LOL.

      In the meantime, I am doing small bits, here and there, insisting on helping my daughter with meal prep., etc. :)

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  4. So cute that you have to sneak into the kitchen and wash your teacup! You are benefiting from the garden photos just as we are if you can't go out there yet. Your daughter is smart to continue wearing a mask in the store. I intend to do the same when we get our second vaccinations, out of consideration for others who may not know I am fully vaccinated, and also because the pandemic isn't over yet and it pays to be cautious.
    We had a squirrel yesterday that either doesn't like peanuts or is just unaware that they exist. I threw several down and he even walked right past one. Now blue jays can spot them from a long way away!

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    1. She's being really overprotective of me, but, I was allowed to do a little bit more, today! :D

      Yes, better to err on the side of caution when it comes to wearing the masks. The masks are probably also good at keeping out various other germs, such as colds and coughs, too.

      Oh, too funny about the squirrel ignoring the peanut! It probably doesn't know about peanuts, yet! Just give it a few weeks. :)

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  5. I'm not sure if I've already commented so feel free to delete this is you want.

    I am glad you are feeling better and that your daughter is being strict with you! I'm looking forward to going shopping later this week and trying to get back to my old routine of keeping supplies in hand, so I can understand how you enjoyed the produce from your daughter's shopping trip. It's good to get some bargains isn't it. I was interested to hear that she like ginger tea as that's my latest favourite - Lady Ella introduced me to the Tea Pigs ginger teas and I love them.

    I hope M is able to prop up the peach tree for you. It looks like you have another good supply this year.

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    1. If you commented earlier, I didn't receive it. :)

      Thank you, Eileen; yes, I am feeling a lot better, now. My daughter likes different types of teas; I'm the "stick in the mud" with my black tea with milk and sugar! :D

      I, too, hope that M will be able to prop up the peach tree! I think I'll have as many peaches as I can handle, this year! Daughter will be home to help with the jam and chutney making. :)

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  6. This sounds very positive. Keep getting better!
    As for those peaches: wow! I can't believe how that tree was so totally bent over! Hope it won't be quite so extreme this year but staking is doubtless a good idea. How fabulous to have a supply of your own fresh peaches!

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    1. Thank you, Lady Ella. :)

      I was afraid that the peach tree would have split, but, it was very supple and did fine. My daughter says that having had homegrown peaches and oranges have spoiled her for grocery store bought ones!

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  7. I'm glad that you are feeling better and that your daughter is taking good care of you. That peach tree looks well laden with fruit and I bet they taste wonderful.

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    1. Thank you, Cherie. We don't appreciate our good health until something happens to make up realize just how important it is! I am so blessed and grateful to have my daughter home with me to take such good care of me! The peaches on this tree do taste wonderful. :)

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  8. When I saw the first photograph of the peach tree, my first thought was that I hope it doesn't fall over like it did last year :) Fingers crossed the pruning will have done the trick and I hope you get another good harvest.
    It's good to know your daughter is taking good care of you. X

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    1. The tree is still standing, so, I am hoping it will continue to do so! But, I will definitely ask M to prop it up, again, just in case!

      My daughter is being such a blessing! She is doing so much for me. I feel so grateful.

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