The Weekend Update

Tapenade-like Spread

With Tabouleh

Neighbor S is making sure that daughter and I are well fed!  On Friday, she brought over some lettuce, boiled corn on the cob, a plate of tabouleh she had made, several cheese filled pastries, some cake, and a fruit salad she had made with dried fruits, nuts, and whipped cream!  I gave her several freshly picked tomatoes in return.  This morning (Sunday), she brought over a jar of a spread she and her mother had made with olives, onions, tomato paste, and parsley.  My daughter had some on a piece of garlic bread, with some of the tabouleh.  I know I've said this before, but, I'll say it again: I'm blessed to have such lovely neighbors!  

On Saturday, daughter cleared the dining table and tidied the family room.  I helped by dusting the tables.  Then, I did two loads of laundry.  Later, we cleaned the produce bins in the fridge.  I washed them (and the bottom of the fridge, under the bins) and lined them with fresh paper towels.  We tossed out one zucchini which had started to spoil (I tossed it out in the garden with the intention of adding it to the compost, later, but, before I could, Bun Bun found it and feasted on it!)   Later, I picked up the groceries and daughter put them away.  In the evening, I cleaned the microwave, wiped down the kitchen counters, put the dishes in the dishwasher to be run later, cleaned the stove top, and shined the sink.  Still need to mop the kitchen floor, but, I didn't have the energy to do that, on Saturday.

Today (Sunday), after lunch, daughter went to visit her friend A.  Apparently, friend A will be going away for the weekend, next week, and she has asked daughter to check on her cat and feed it.  Today's visit was for daughter to see where the cat food was kept and so forth.  

I cut up and froze all the tomatoes I had picked, earlier.  Another four quart sized bags of tomatoes have been added to the freezer.  Then, I picked another colander full of tomatoes this evening, after I put water to the back garden!

I crocheted two cords to be used as ties for daughter's bolster pillow covers and inserted them into the two pillowcases I had sewn for her.  Then, I unpicked the waist of my black skirt to replace the elastic which had stretched out.  They had sewn the elastic to the waistband, so I had to unpick the the whole waistband.  I have now pinned the new elastic in place and will sew it on in the sewing machine, tomorrow.  

In between, I chatted with neighbor T and friend R.

I cooked the ground beef patties and we had hamburgers for dinner, tonight.  Afterwards, I ran the dishwasher.

Today, I am grateful for:

- Neighbor S's generosity and caring
- Daughter helping with the housework
- The garden bounty
- Water for the garden
- Working appliances

Today's joyful activity was watching a small flock of small finch-like birds enjoying the spray from the garden hose!  I held it up high for them and about 8 or 9 birds flitted in and out and hopped about the calamondin tree and the pineapple guava tree enjoying the water spray!

Plans for tomorrow (Monday) include sewing my skirt waistband and mopping the kitchen floor.

***********************************

August Decluttering Challenge: 

8/1 - 1 pair gardening gloves

8/2 - non-working heating pad

8/3 - old purse/handbag

8/4 - 1 computer CD containing a report

8/5 - 1 plastic lid that cracked and broke in two

8/6 - 1 hooded sweatshirt (received a new one to replace it)

8/7 - old make-up I no longer use

8/8 - 6 plastic laundry detergent scoops (I use powdered laundry detergent; each new box comes with its own scoop; I don't need to keep the old ones, but, it seems such a waste to toss them in the recycling bin)

8/9 - 1 sponge paint brush (unused, but, so old, the sponge is no longer spongey!)
         1 plastic food container

8/10 - 1 blouse (given to daughter); will be donated as she decided it didn't fit her properly

8/11 - 1 broken clothes hanger
          3 bras

8/12 - 2 Zucchini!  LOL!  Eileen informed me that the zucchini don't count!

8/13 - Daughter's old artwork:

2008 Beijing Olympics Poster

During the 2008 Olympics, daughter's gymnastics instructor held a poster competition for the students in her class, with the focus being on gymnastics, of course.  The posters were displayed on a wall in the studio, identified only by a number, and a first, second, and third place winners were selected by a vote by the teachers at the studio.  This was my daughter's entry; she incorporated the studio's logo on the gymnast's leotard.  Yes, her entry won first place.  Since then, the poster had hung in the family room, along with some of her other artwork.  She has been telling me for the past several years that it should go, but, I hung on to it.  On Friday, I took the poster down and put it in the recycling bin (after taking this photo).

8/14 - Daughter's old artwork:

Daughter's Old Artwork

When my daughter was in 2nd or 3rd grade, she was learning about various artists and art styles and had to do paintings after the style of the artist being studied.  This painting was done after learning about Amedeo Modigliani.  She hated it.  She said she had the hardest time getting the face right and getting the background painted the way she wanted it.  In the end, she just painted it to finish it, more than anything else.  She didn't want it.  I thought it was beautiful.  I had it pinned up on the wall in my office cubicle and someone from our graphics section saw it and mounted it on hardboard for me.  Later, I hung it on the family room wall and it stayed there until my daughter took it down, the other day, to put up her new paintings she did, a few weeks ago.  It has now been decluttered and tossed in the recycling bin.   She would like me to get rid of the other painting she did in 1st grade, but she placed among the 10 finalists in an art competition that her class teacher had entered all her students in for that painting;  there was a big dinner that we were invited to where she received an award for it.  I am not getting rid of that painting!  I need to find a place to hang it in the spare room, since she took it down from the family room wall!

8/15 - 1 long dress (given to daughter) - she had urged me to buy it for myself one year for all of $1, but, I didn't wear it.  She, on the other hand, loves it!  It looks much better on her than on me!  

How was your weekend?  How is your decluttering coming along?