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| Purple Osteospermum |
This morning, there was a knock at the front door; I masked up and opened the door to two workers from the Water and Power Department requesting access to the power pole in the corner of my backyard. They were here to do a safety check, they said, So, I quickly unlocked the gate and watched them as they checked on the pole and nailed another tag on it, probably to say that it was inspected. They were here for no more than five minutes, but, it provided a bit of excitement to my day! I was thinking it was too bad I didn't have any zucchini to give to them! LOL.
Today, I finally undecorated and took down the Christmas tree. I put away the tree decorations in their bin and the wreaths and a few other decorations in the big bin in which I store them. I think I have too many Christmas decorations, but, I am not yet ready to declutter them! When M arrived to tend to the garden, I got him to dismantle the tree (it breaks down into three sections) and pack it away in its box. He was kind enough to take all the bins to the garage for me. After which he tended to the garden, adding fertilizer to some of the trees and watering them.
I still need to put away the Christmas cushions and table linen, etc., and put the family room sofas back in their usual L-shaped arrangement. That's on the agenda for tomorrow.
Today, I am grateful for:
- Power company workers checking on the safety of the power pole in my backyard
- M helping me to take the Christmas bins to the garage
- Emails from friends, both old and new
- Today's garden harvest of red chili peppers, more peapods, and oranges (shared some with M)
- Phone calls with friends
Today's joyful activity was reminiscing about some of the Christmas tree ornaments with my daughter. I started out buying a new ornament for her every year, but, that only lasted until her 6th Christmas, I think! I was planning to give them to her when she left home and had her own tree, but, she's been coming home for Christmas, every year, anyway.
How was your Friday? What are your plans for the weekend?
Beautiful photo! The only thing I have blooming at the moment is a tiny quince. I love it.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of chillies, I keep forgetting to say that my 4 lonely chillies all turned red eventually! I left them on the plant to take a photo and by the time I got around to it they had started to dry up and wrinkle on the plant. I finally did it last week, and threw the plant on the compost. I will post or send you the photo (fascinating!) and let you know how they taste. No doubt the best chillies known to man...
Thank you! I'm glad your chilies finally ripened and you were able to pick them. Maybe you can save the seeds from one and plant them to see if they'll grow. :)
DeleteThat's a great idea! I threw the seed packet away recently and thought I must remember to buy a new lot next year... But if I save runner beans to plant on the following season, why not chillies too? Perhaps I could even get some off mum from her stock of dried...
DeleteIt's worth a try, I think. If it doesn't work, then, you can buy a new packet of seeds. I left one moringa pod on my tree to mature and picked it, just last week, after it had dried and started to open, to save the seeds for planting! :)
DeleteIt's good that they did the check. You can feel a little more secure now. Taking the decorations down can be hard, but it's great to remember the stories that go with them.
ReplyDeleteI was glad that they checked. The pole is wood (a tall tree trunk) and it was already there when I bought the house, almost 30 years ago. Don't want it to rot and fall down, anytime soon!
DeleteI used to feel sad, taking down the decorations, but, I was fine doing so, yesterday. :)
Beautiful flower Bless. It sounds like another nice productive day. I'm glad to hear M is still coming around to help with heavy stuff and tending the garden. Have a nice weekend! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Martha. Sorry for the late response, but, this comment had gone to my spam folder and I didn't check it until today!
DeleteWell done on getting the Christmas trimming put away - I bet the rooms feel empty now! My Mum was very superstitious so considered it bad luck to leave any of the decorations on display after Twelfth Night and she was horrified when my sister starting leaving them up for an extra day to celebrate one of her children's birthday on the 7th! I don't no what form the bad luck was supposed to take but she could never settle until the decorations were packed away!
ReplyDeleteI'm having a quiet weekend. I spent some time with my neighbours this morning (Sat) agreeing the final details for the replacement fencing and chatting for ages ... it felt like things were back to normal for a while, just sitting around their dining table with hot drinks and spending time with friends. I don't have any plans to go out so will fill the time reading, playing the piano and working on the latest jigsaw puzzle.
Thank you, Eileen. Somehow, the rooms don't feel all that empty, even with the decorations down! Which is not a very good sign, is it? I need to pick up the pace of my decluttering!
DeleteGlad you were able to agree to the final details of the fence replacement with your neighbors and chat with them. A quiet weekend sounds good. Take it easy and enjoy! :)
That should say I don't 'know' what form ..... !!!! I think I need to pay more attention when proof reading.
DeleteLOL! Hey, it's your language, you get to spell it any way you like! :D
DeleteOur power/gas bills this year are heart-stopping. They are almost double what they have been in past years...and the weather is not to blame.
ReplyDeleteI took my tree down last weekend. Sometimes I leave it up longer but I just felt like it was time. xo Diana
It's the same here, too, Diana - electricity and gas are double what they used to be! Part of it is due to higher usage and part of it is due to higher rates. I wanted to take the tree down, last weekend, but, didn't get to it. It's down now and Christmas has been put away for another year!
DeleteLovely flower. Glad you and your daughter had fun taking down the tree. One day maybe she'll have her own tree and ornaments. So far my daughter is the only one who has taken her ornaments! My MIL bought each of my children one for the first five years of life. I think it was a series of bears. She kept buying other ornaments after that. So many ornaments!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sharon. I'm glad your daughter took her ornaments for her own tree. I think I've too many ornaments! I meant to sort through them, this year, but, I didn't! It might be easier to declutter when I unpack, next time around!
DeleteOne of the power poles on our road was replaced a few weeks ago. A pileated woodpecker had made a typical large oblong hole in it (what was it thinking of ? - there are no bugs in a pole). The replacement is metal - the company are taking no chances of a repeat attack by the woodpecker!
ReplyDeleteI had a reaction to the booster shot this morning, nausea, weakness and gut issues, so I stayed in bed, and took it easy in the afternoon as well. Fortunately DH only has a sore arm to put up with. I think tomorrow will be good.
Nosy parker, here, went and took a look at the power pole, today. In addition to the tag, they seem to have drilled into the pole and inserted some plastic looking things into the holes, but, I've no clue what they are or the reason they've been put in place!
DeleteOh, I'm so sorry you had a reaction to the booster shot! I guess it is a sign that your immune system is fighting the booster and forming the antibodies needed. Hope you'll have a restful night, tonight, and feel much better, tomorrow. Do continue to take it easy for another day or two. Glad your DH is doing well. :)
What a lovely flower. You're almost back to normal now the tree is down and packed away, well that's how I feel anyway. M sounds a star helping you and not just in the garden.
ReplyDeletethe majority of my osteospermum flowers are white, but, I really like the purple ones. Yes, back to normal, with the Christmas decorations put away. The house could do with a good cleaning, but, it will get done, little by little. M is definitely a star! We go back a long way and he often helps me with things around the house as well as the garden. :)
DeleteOsteospermum are so pretty. I bought some one year and saved the seeds, but I have never gotten any of them of come up. Oh, well.
ReplyDeleteWe finished putting away our Christmas stuff this week, also. It was time to move on from the holidays, but now the house seems so bare.
Osteospermum seem to have a mind of their own when it comes to germinating! I just let them self-seed and try to encourage them to grow where they will, partly because, once established, they are fairly drought tolerant. But, they do like moist soil to get started.
DeleteI've put away all the holiday decorations, but, I've too many other decorative items out, I think, because the house definitely does not look bare! Sigh...
It feels good to get all the decorations put away and the house back to normal - at least it did to me.
ReplyDeleteI have decluttered quite a few decorative Christmas items.
I am developing quite the hard heart when approaching things lately lol
Not so much to sentimental items - but to things I still like but don't use.
I don't find that I'm willing to keep as many of the "maybes" or "what ifs" as I used to.