Sunday, April 24, 2022

The Weekend Update

 

Blue Wool Worsted

The rest of my order of yarns was delivered on Saturday!  I was starting to wonder when I might receive it!  Blue ("Softened Pansy") wool worsted yarn.  I bought five 3.5 oz. balls of the yarn to make myself a sweater.  I have another sweater made from a similar colored blue ("Denim") wool, but, this yarn was on sale for $3.48 each (plus tax, of course) while the other colors (same brand, same weight) were selling for $8.99 each (this blue is now also priced $8.99 on the company website).  I am happy to have two sweaters in the same color for that price difference!  I'll just change the pattern or add a design with the ball of grey wool that I have leftover in the stash!  

On Saturday, I enjoyed a video chat with one of my friends who lives in Europe.  I tried to show her front garden, taking the laptop outside to do so, but, the internet connection wasn't very good and all she could see were indistinct blobs of color, so that didn't work!  

After the video chat, I had leftover pizza for brunch, took photos of the front garden (thank you, everyone for all the kind comments on the garden post!), did a little bit of house cleaning, texted with one of my cousins (we made plans to visit friend A on Thursday afternoon, pending how A is feeling on the day), spoke with friend R, watched some videos, and video chatted with my daughter.

As I've mentioned earlier, my daughter has resumed her in person acrobatics classes.  Yesterday (Saturday), she took an acro-yoga class.  There were just four people in the class, including the instructor, which was held in a large room with the wall of doors open and everyone wearing masks.

Afterwards, she did laundry and started sorting through her closet.  At her previous office location, everyone was very casually dressed unless they had to attend conferences, etc.  Her new office location is in the same building as the head offices and the dress code is business casual, with a lot of people dressed in suits, etc.  Not a big problem because my daughter has some nice clothes, quite suitable for office wear, but, like many of us, she, too, gained weight during the pandemic and her jackets, etc., are too tight!  She is trying to put together a "business casual" capsule wardrobe with what she has that still fits her, but, she might need to shop for a few trousers/slacks and jackets/blazers.  She said almost all the office friends with whom she went out to lunch that first day back (Thursday) had said they'll have to go shopping for suitable clothes and shoes!  

Dinner, last night, was leftover rice, the last of the shrimp curry, and the last of the stir fried vegetables.  I went off my meal plan over the weekend because I had leftover pizza and other leftovers that I wanted to finish.

Today, Sunday, has been a sunny and warm (afternoon high of 85F) day.  My kind of weather!  Neighbor T called in the morning and we chatted for a bit.  She wanted to know how my first week without my daughter went and I told her it went by quite quickly.

In the afternoon, I sat outside in the patio area since it was warmer outside (84F) than inside the house (72F) and replied to blog comments.

Later, after having a cup of tea and watching the evening news, I watered the back garden, per M's instructions!  LOL.  He didn't water on Friday because it had rained the night before, but, he was worried that the plants (fruit trees, in particular) would not be able to go until next Wednesday when he'll be here, again, without being watered.

Afterwards, I treated myself to a little bit of pampering by soaking my feet in some warm water, brushing my toenails and heels with a soft nailbrush, and putting some lotion on them.  I really need to remember to do this on a weekly basis!

My daughter went to San Francisco, this afternoon, and she and some of her friends had lunch out and did an escape room.  She is spending the rest of the evening cooking and meal prepping for the week!  I had planned to cook spaghetti for tonight's dinner, instead had some of my leftover ham and split pea soup!

This weekend, I am grateful for:
- Video chatting with my friend and with my daughter 
- The technology that enables us to do that
- The rest of my yarn order being delivered
- A replenished yarn stash!
- Sunny, warm days
- Water for the garden
- My daughter has enjoyed her first week back in the Bay Area
- We both got through the first week of being apart quite well!

My joyful activities this weekend included video chatting with my friend, playing with yarn, and gardening.

Plans for the week ahead include:
Monday - Car service in the morning
Wednesday - M to tend to the garden - late morning
Thursday - Visit friend A with cousin V in the afternoon
Friday - M to tend to the garden in the evening

How was your weekend?  What are your plans for the week ahead?

18 comments:

  1. That was all Mum's home cooking! Maybe resuming her aerobic classes will help your daughter shed the extra weight quickly and she won't need too many new clothes.

    The temperature has fallen over here and I've had to put the heating back on. This morning it was only 16°C in my living room but I couldn't follow your example and sit outside as it was just as cold out there! Roll on the summer!

    I hope A is well enough for you to be able to visit her this week.

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    1. He he; yes, Mum's cooking is partly to blame! She gained some of her weight during the first 9 months of the pandemic when she was in her apartment, stressing about the virus. Then, she came home and gained some more!
      16C (60F) is cold enough to have the heating on! I hope it warms up, again, soon.
      Yes; I'll probably call and check with A before I go. :)

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  2. I'm looking forward to seeing your new sweater! And I really need to have a look at the US map. I had no idea San Francisco was in spitting distance (at least for her). Such ignorance!
    Must be lovely.

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    1. Thank you, Lady Ella; I'll post pictures when I make the sweater. SF is just across the bay from Berkeley; about 13 miles away. Takes about 25 minutes to get there by subway; if you are driving, the time depends on traffic.

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  3. Your wool is a lovely colour and that seems a good idea to vary the pattern so you don't have two identical sweaters. Your daughter has settled back well into home and work life. Many people put on weight during the pandemic and it's so hard to lose those pounds afterwards. Such a shame clothes don't fit and the need to replenish the wardrobe, good for the economy I suppose :)

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    1. Thank you, Eileen; the wool will not go to waste. :) My daughter has, in deed, settled in well to her life up there. :) It is easier to gain weight than to lose it, isn't it? Hopefully, she'll be able to lose the weight now that she is being more active. She will buy the minimum needed and shop the sales as much as possible. There will be Mother's Day sales (2nd Sunday in May in the US) and Memorial Day sales (at the end of May).

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  4. That blue is gorgeous! I wouldn't care how many sweaters I had in that colour. And it's also a great buy. It must be strange for your daughter getting back into the office. It's odd getting back into the swing of things. I hope she can get something nice for work.

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    1. Thank you, Lyssa. :) My daughter is excited in some ways to go into the office, but, it is a bit of an adjustment. She's put together a couple of outfits for the first week (she only goes in twice a week, right now) with what she has on hand. All the blouses that my cousin gave her will also come in useful. :)

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  5. Very pretty wool. It's good to hear that your daughter is adjusting well back into the office routine. Dress codes for most offices here are having to either re-write the standards or throw out the rules all together. Me, I like dress up time of the office life :) I had a look at your previous post with pictures of your front garden - what a beautiful spot you have created, lots of drought tolerant plants that bring such colour.

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    1. Thank you, Mary-Lou. My daughter is adjusting well to going back to the office; she just needs to find a couple of pairs of slacks and a blazer that will fit her! Yes, the front garden is mostly drought tolerant plants; lots of succulents. :)

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  6. I like the color of your new yarn and wouldn't mind having a sweater that color. Do you knit cardigans? I think you have shown us mostly pull-over sweaters.

    So happy that you and your daughter are adjusting well to her move back.

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    1. Thank you, June. Yes, I do knit cardigans and have two or three that I've knitted. I prefer to knit pullovers because they are easier! No reverse shaped front halves, and evenly spaced button holes, etc. :)

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  7. I used to have a sweater I knitted in that colour. It stood up well to decades of winter wearing and was finally donated, still in good condition. I sympathize with your daughter and her colleagues over needing to fit into business attire. A jacket can pull together an outfit and make it look classy, but it has to fit. I've had to donate a couple of jackets but they were always a little borderline. The others fit, but they are only wearable in temperate weather and we seem to go from freezing to frying every year, with only a day or two in between that is suitable for a light jacket! Also, in a rural area, dressy clothes don't go downtown for the milk!

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    1. I'm sure someone found a lovely sweater when she found the one you donated, Bushlady. Yes, my daughter needs a few items of back to work clothing! The work clothes not fitting her is something we didn't anticipate! I almost wish I had kept a few of my own suit jackets as they might have fitted her now, but, I donated all but one or two which are too big for her. Maybe you should start a new trend and dress up when you go for the milk! :D

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  8. I love the color of your yarn and your garden looks lovely. We have a busy week so I am having to write the details of each thing we need so as not to forget.
    Moondustwriter

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    1. Thank you; writing down things so you don't forget is a good idea. I am a list maker, myself. :)

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  9. I'm glad your yarn arrived - it's a great color :) And you got a good price - and timely too since it's already gone back up to $8.99.

    That's great that your daughter is getting back into fun activities with her friends.

    That's nice you gave yourself a little foot pampering. :)

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    1. Thank you, Debra. I am happy with that color and the price was right! :D Especially since I am no longer shopping in person to see yarn in their clearance bin!
      My daughter seems to have slipped back into her Berkeley life without much difficulty and I am glad for her. I think we've both got used to her being back up in the Bay Area quite quickly!
      It felt very indulgent to pamper my feet! :D They do carry a load, every day, you know! :D

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