Midweek on Wednesday

This week is turning out to be a busy week!  

On Monday, I did the lab test, spoke on the phone with family and friends, and did a few household tasks.

Yesterday (Tuesday), I did a few more household tasks (brought in the trash cans, dusted the living room, etc.) and checked on the garden.  While I was in the front yard, I saw one of my neighbors across the street sitting in her front yard and I offered her some zucchini; she said she'd love to have some so I gave her several zucchini!  Later, neighbor S called to ask if she could borrow my green yard waste bin because they had cut down an orange tree and had a lot of yard waste to get rid of.  I said yes, of course, and she came over to collect the bin.

S brought us a couple of pastries her daughter had made - one with a spinach and cheese filling and the other with a ham and cheese filling.  I was just about to make my curry puffs, but, daughter was hungry and she ate half of each pastry for a snack.

Which turned out to be a good thing.  Because, a few minutes later, around 7:30 p.m., I got a phone call from a tearful Aunt C:  "Bless, can you come over, our cat has died; N asked me to call you".  I could hear cousin N sobbing in the background.  Their cat was like N's child; she called him her son.  He had been ill and she had spent the entire day on Monday at the vet's clinic with him.  The vet had said she couldn't do anything more for him, but, neither N nor Aunt C wanted to put him to sleep.  Of course, I said I'll come!  Daughter cancelled her piano lesson that was scheduled to start at 8:00 p.m., I put the curry puff makings in the fridge, and we left within 15 minutes of getting the phone call.  I drove there (the farthest distance I have driven since the sciatica pain) and daughter drove us back.

When we got there (about a 30 minutes drive), Cousin's husband had taken her and the cat to a place where they will cremate him and return the remains in an urn to them.  Daughter and I stayed with aunt and her son who had also come to be with her (the cat had originally been his) until N and her husband came back.  We stayed for some time, trying to console N, but, she was inconsolable.  Eventually, we left so she could rest a little.  On the way home, we bought some hamburgers and fries for a very late dinner - it was nearly midnight when we got home.  I called Aunt C, today, to check on her and N; aunt said they are both devastated, but, she is trying to be strong for N.  

Today, I called friend R in the morning because I couldn't call her last night.  Then, I made another appointment for another blood test for next week (I've a follow up appointment with the primary care doctor on July 23).  I didn't want to ask if they would do both blood tests during the same visit, when I was there this Monday, because I didn't want to confuse the technician and 

Then, I finally made the curry puffs!  Third time lucky!  LOL.  I ran short of the ground beef and grated zucchini filling for the last two pieces of puff pastry, so, I made two mini peach tarts with them!   

Later in the morning, M watered the garden.  He found only one zucchini to pick, today!  We also picked a second Asian pear that the birds had started pecking and I shared it with him and daughter, after cutting off the part that the birds had pecked.  I also shared some of the curry puffs with M.  

M had a solution to the birds pecking the Asian pears:

Bird Deterrent

He asked if I had any parchment paper and a stapler.  Yes, to both.  He then made little covers for the ripening fruits:

Parchment Cover Close Up

This is the first year for this little tree and we were not expecting any fruit, this year, but it is having 8 fruits!  It is a 4-in-1 tree, with four different varieties grafted onto the root stock, partly because Asian pears need cross-pollination in order to bear fruit.  This year, we are able to cover the fruits individually; next year, depending on how the tree does, we might have to try something different!     

There is a watermelon vine and some cosmos seedlings growing at the base of the Asian pear tree.  Not sure if we'll get any watermelon, but, we shall see!

In the afternoon, I tidied the living room a bit more, dusted the dining area, and cleaned one of the bathrooms.  

In the evening, "A", the piano tuner arrived to tend to the piano.  The last time the piano was tuned was in January of 2020.  I was to have it tuned in January of this year, but, with Covid raging and us not being vaccinated at the time, everything was put on hold, wasn't it?  As a result, the tuning was over due and it took him one and a half hours to tune it!  Even so, he only charged me his regular fee (I was fully expecting him to charge me more).  But, he has been tuning this piano since we bought it, 23 years ago and I've referred him to several others, as well; I guess I received a repeat customer discount!  Also, not only has the piano been tuned, another four zucchini have left the house!  LOL.  A told me he can't say no to the offer of homegrown produce!  

Later in the evening, I called my friend A to see how she is doing as she had to have a procedure done, yesterday.  She is home now, and recovering, she said.  

I also ran the dishwasher and washed the pans by hand.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- I was able to be there for Aunt C and cousin N, yesterday
- M watering the garden and making covers for the Asian pears
- Being able to have the piano tuned
- Being able to do a few more household tasks, drive to aunt's etc.
- Friend A is recovering well

Today's joyful activities included baking the curry puffs and the peach tarts.  My daughter really enjoyed the peach tarts.

Plans for tomorrow include tidying the kitchen and putting gas to the car.

How is your week coming along?