Tuesday

More Yellow Roses

I had my doctor's appointment at noon, today.  In the morning, I called to confirm the appointment and then, drove myself to the doctor's office in good time.  I had a good appointment - my blood pressure and blood oxygen levels were good, my weight was stubborn and had stayed the same (I thought the doctor might have to say something about not losing any weight, but, she merely commented on how stable my weight has been), my lab results were mostly good, and my ECG was good.  The doctor also said that the gall stones were fairly small and apparently nothing to worry about, which is a relief.  The doctor wants me to do one more screening scan so I have an appointment for that in mid-December.  Then, a follow-up visit at the end of February.  

On the way home from the doctor's office, I stopped to put gas to the car since I was closer to quarter tank of gas than to half a tank and I like to have at least half a tank of gas at all times.  I put $40 worth of gas at $4.75/gal. at the cheapest gas station in my neighborhood.  

Later in the afternoon, I did another load of laundry, texted friend A's daughter to check on A (she's still holding on, but, there is no improvement in her condition), spoke with friend R, and video chatted with my daughter.  

Brunch had been a scrambled egg with bacon and fried potatoes.  Dinner was the last of the turkey soup I had made earlier.  I haven't really meal planned for this week, but, I took out some frozen chicken to thaw.  My plan is to cook a chicken curry and, depending on how A is doing tomorrow, maybe take some rice and curry to her daughters.  I will text them, first to see if they are up to having a visitor.  I don't want to intrude on them at this time.

Today, I am grateful for:
- A good visit with the doctor
- The lab work results were mostly good
- A safe drive to the clinic and back
- The availability of gas
- Working appliances and a warm house

Today's joyful activity was video chatting with my daughter.

Plans for tomorrow include tending to the garden with M, cooking, and maybe visiting A and taking a home cooked meal to her family.

How was your Tuesday?  What have you planned for Wednesday?

Post Thanksgiving Monday

Dancer Sleeps it Off!

Eating turkey makes you sleepy, they say - I guess they are right!  Dancer didn't even make it to his usual perch on the top of the sofa back!

I, on the other hand, couldn't sleep last night, even after eating leftover turkey for dinner.  It was past 4:00 a.m. when I finally fell asleep.  So, when I woke up at 9:00 a.m., I turned off the porch lights, fed the cats (Dancer and Mama Cat), went back to bed, and slept for another couple of hours!

After I woke up for the second time, I had my morning tea and got going with my day.  I did another load of laundry, hung everything up to dry, dusted the living room and dining area, took down and put away the fall decorations, and took the trash cans to the end of the driveway.

Later, I sewed on a few more replacement patches to the quilt.  I think I will have to cut out a lot more triangles!  

I had Thanksgiving leftovers for brunch, today, and more leftovers (salmon, mashed potatoes, cucumber salad) for dinner, along with the last piece of sweet cornbread for dessert.  I believe I'm coming to the end of the leftovers, other than a small piece of turkey and a tiny bit of cranberry sauce!  

Today, I am grateful for:
- Being able to sleep in
- Working appliances
- Hot water on tap

- Leftovers

- Keeping in touch with family and friends

Today's joyful activity was playing with fabric.

Tomorrow, I have a doctor's appointment at noon.  I'll do another load of laundry and some housekeeping in the afternoon.  

How was your Monday?  What are your plans for Tuesday?

The Weekend

 

Yellow Rose

Friday morning started off with a text from my friend's daughter with a status update on her mother, saying she was more alert and asking if we will be stopping by.  I texted back that we had a few things to do as it was my daughter's last day at home (she needed to set up the new printer and to try on her bridesmaid's dress that she will be wearing to her friend's wedding early next year so I could hem it), but, we will stop by in the early evening.  My friend was much more alert than she had been earlier, which was good to see.  We made it a short visit of about half an hour as we didn't want to tire her too much.  Also, our new Covid case numbers have gone up to over 5,000 on Friday with a test positivity rate of over 7% and those numbers made me feel very uncomfortable being out and about.  Even though masks are required in the hospital, and we kept ours on even on the walk to and from the parking lot, the numbers were too high for my comfort.

On Saturday, daughter went back to Berkeley.  Initial plans had been for her friend to pick her up around 10:00 a.m., but, her friend had to attend a family event and picked her up around 4:30 p.m.  Which was fine with both my daughter and me because it gave us more time to spend together.  She reached her apartment around 11:00 p.m. and we were both thankful that she had a safe journey back.  I did a load of laundry after she left, but, otherwise, had a quiet evening.  Friend A's daughter texted an update on her parents as her dad had some chest pains (he has a heart condition) and was kept in the hospital (same hospital, different section) for observations.  He is OK; I think the pains were due to stress and anxiety. 

On Sunday, I spent a relaxed morning and played with fabric in the afternoon.  I cut out some replacement triangles to repair the triangles quilt top and started on the repairs.  I replaced three triangles, today.  I watered the garden, both front and back, this evening, and cleaned the litter box.  Spoke with neighbor T and with friend R and texted friend A's daughter to find out how A is doing (not as alert, today).

My daughter, in the meantime, went grocery shopping to buy bread, milk, and some fruits and vegetables.  She said that the dollar store that she used to go to all the time has closed (they had announced they were closing by the end of the month).  Daughter will miss all the bargains she used to get from there and the sheer convenience of being able to go across the street to buy groceries.  The nearest grocery store now is a short bus ride away and their prices are a little higher.  

This weekend, I am grateful for:

- Having had my daughter home for Thanksgiving
- Daughter had a safe trip back
- Friend A had a couple of days of being alert 
- Thanksgiving leftovers!
- An opportunity to play with fabric!

This weekend's joyful activities included spending time with my daughter.

Plans for Monday include 
- Laundry/change my bedsheets

- Dust the living room and dining area

- Put away Fall decorations (only two items, so that should be easy)

- Take the trash cans to the end of the driveway

- Meal plan

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

Triangles Quilt

"Thousand Pyramids" Quilt

This is a quilt I made back in 1980.  My mother used it and more recently, my daughter has been using it.  I repaired it once, in 2015, replacing some of the torn patches and wrote about it, here.

Well, daughter brought it back down with her on this trip.  It's due for more repairs!

Worn and Torn

I don't know if cutting out more triangles and piecing them individually on top of the torn patches will work, this time around.  There are too many sections that have been worn and torn:

At least five patches need to be replaced in just this section

My daughter doesn't mind what the quilt design is; she only wants it to be soft!  

In the meantime, I've given her another quilt to take up with her.  It's one that I made in 1990, called Texas Star Quilt. 

What would you suggest I do?  Should I make a new quilt top and attach that over the existing quilt top?  Or, should I sew triangles to cover the torn ones?  What would you do?

The Front Garden in November

Front Garden in November

I'm a little late with my monthly photos of the front garden, but, not much has changed in the front garden since I photographed it in October.  One of the euryops bushes around the eucalyptus tree has flowers:

Flowers on the Euryops Plant

The planting bed with the various asparagus ferns is doing well:

Assorted Asparagus Ferns

The plants have not filled in the bed, yet, but, at least they are growing and seem to be doing well.

Looking Up Along the Planting Bed

In addition, all the pavers are still in place in the parkway!  Yay!  M applied some weed suppressant spray to the soil a week or so ago and we will eventually buy some small pebbles to fill in the spaces between the pavers.  In the meantime, I've been picking up any small stones I find in the back yard and dumping them to get things started!  LOL.

The Pavers are Still in Place, Too!

Thank you for visiting my garden, today.  

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving

I wish all my blog friends a very happy Thanksgiving!  Even if it not an official day of celebration in your country or your Thanksgiving was observed in October, it is good to have a day set aside to give thanks for all our blessings.  

My daughter and I will celebrate this Thanksgiving day with my friend A, her husband, and their daughters as we have done so often in the past, but, in a different setting, under less than ideal circumstances.  We will, nevertheless, give thanks for being able to celebrate one more Thanksgiving together.

Midweek on Wednesday

This morning, my friend A's daughter texted me with an update on her mother's condition, saying that her mother seemed a little more alert this morning and the nurse was able to give her a few sips of water.  But, she is still unable to swallow anything (they were trying to give her some applesauce).  Then, she asked if my daughter and I could come to the hospital, today, too, even for a short time because "mom seems calm when you are with her".  Of course, I said yes, I'll come!

I left a note to my gardener M, made some sandwiches and packed them along with some mandarin oranges and a packet of cookies, and we went to the hospital.  I took my prayer book with me and said my morning prayers while seated by my friend's bedside.  She seemed pleased to see me, smiling and trying to say, "Hi".  She drifted in and out of sleep, but, they were able to remove the big oxygen mask that she was wearing (which she was trying to pull off) and replace it with a cannula (she would occasionally try to remove that, too!)

We spent the entire afternoon with her, from noon to a little after 5:00 p.m.  She was more alert, but, she was unable to drink anything more or eat anything and the doctor ruled out inserting a feeding tube because her body is unable to process any nutrients as her systems are shutting down.  Her husband and daughters are still holding out hope for an improvement in her condition, but, it truly seems like it is just a matter of time.  

After we came home, we had a cup of tea and rested a bit.  Brunch had been a sandwich; dinner was assorted leftovers - daughter had rice with the last of the Thai chicken stir-fry; I had soup and some of the baked potato wedges, warmed up.  Afterwards, I called and chatted with friend R.

Today, I am grateful for:

- The opportunity to be there for A and her family during this difficult period
- Safe drives to the hospital and back
- M tending to the garden for me
- Working appliances
- Leftovers

Today's joyful activity was being present for A and her family.

Plans for tomorrow include roasting the turkey and preparing a very simple Thanksgiving meal.  Depending on A's condition, I will take some plates of food to her husband and daughters, tomorrow afternoon.  A used to have us over celebrate Thanksgiving with her and her family for years, prior to the pandemic; it will be my turn to take a Thanksgiving meal to them, this year.  

To all of my blog friends who will celebrate Thanksgiving, tomorrow, Happy Thanksgiving!  May you enjoy the day in the company of family and friends and other loved ones.

Eye Appointments and More Visits

I had an appointment with the ophthalmologist, today.  This is an annual appointment which had originally been scheduled for October, which I had rescheduled for when my daughter would be here to drive me home, afterwards, since my eyes would be dilated.  The appointment went well.  My eye pressure was good, I have no glaucoma, no retinopathy, and the cataracts (in both eyes) are still quite small and nothing to worry about.  The doctor was quite pleased with my most recent A1c blood sugar levels (although they had gone up a little bit from the previous reading; my primary care physician won't be quite as pleased when I see her, next week!)  I am to return for a follow-up next year in November.  I made the appointment before I left the clinic and asked for, and received, a copy of my report.   Then, my daughter drove me home.

Earlier in the morning, before I went for my eye appointment, I had texted my friend's older daughter to ask for a status on her mother.  She texted back that her mother was unresponsive, the doctor had been to see her, and they are monitoring her situation.  Later, when we were in the waiting room at my eye doctor's clinic, my friend's younger daughter called my daughter (my daughter went out of the waiting room to take the call) saying her mother was receiving end-of-life care, the doctors have given her 24-48 hours; now would be a good time if we wanted to visit to say our goodbyes.  My daughter had explained that I was at the doctor's office, myself, and that she'll call back.  I told her we could go after my appointment.  

But, first, we went home so we could eat something.  Then, we went to the hospital (my daughter drove since my eyes were still feeling the effects of being dilated).  We took some food for my friend's husband and daughters so they could have something for a late lunch.  And we basically spent the rest of the afternoon and early part of the evening at the hospital.  My friend drifted in and out of consciousness.  She was mostly unresponsive, but, there was a period of time when she was alert, smiled, and tried to communicate. The doctor came in and checked on her twice while we were there.  

Eventually, we came home and had a cup of tea.  The new printer we ordered had been delivered while we were out and it was waiting for us by the front door.  My daughter was too tired to set it up, today, but, she'll do that tomorrow.

Later, I cooked the salmon fillet while my daughter made a cucumber salad, cut some potatoes into wedges and baked them for our dinner.  Then, we ran the dishwasher.

After dinner, I fell asleep on the sofa! I had an almost 2 hours long nap, waking up a little after 11:15 p.m.  Of course, I am wide awake, now, at 1:30 a.m.!  LOL.

Today, I am grateful for:
- My eye appointment went well and there's nothing wrong other than the cataracts
- My daughter being here to drive me home afterwards
- Safe drives to and from the doctor's office and the hospital
- Being able to visit my friend and be present for her family
- The new printer was delivered 

Today's joyful activity was seeing my friend being responsive for at least a brief period of time.  

Plans for tomorrow include M tending to the garden and I might ask him to do a couple of jobs for me inside the house, too (ceiling fans need to be cleaned and the smoke alarm batteries need to be replaced; M is tall while I am vertically challenged and my daughter isn't much taller than I am!)

How was your Tuesday?  What are your plans for Wednesday?

Daughter is Home!

My daughter came home, safely, on Sunday night.  Her trip down was delayed by a couple of hours because first, her friend who was giving her a ride discovered that one of the car tires had a puncture and needed to have it repaired and then, got caught in traffic on his way to pick her up as another car had overturned on the road and, although no one was badly injured, there was quite a traffic jam as a result.  She got home around 9:00 p.m.

I spent a productive day on Sunday while I waited for my daughter to come home.  I changed the sofa dust sheets and did a load of laundry in the morning, picked up the groceries at noon, and spent the afternoon tidying my bedroom (the dresser top and the top of my desk aren't completely cleared, but, they have been tidied and dusted), remaking my daughter's bed, and cooking dinner (daughter had asked for chicken curry and rice and I made sauteed asparagus to go with them).  

Monday morning was spent doing tasks on the "honey do" list I had prepared for my daughter!  I needed her help with quite a few tasks around the house and with my phone and computer.  We found out that the reason I couldn't change the ink cartridges in the printer was because the printer itself was broken!  Daughter ordered a new printer and will set it up for me before she leaves.  The reason I couldn't text a new contact I had added to my phone was because I had unintentionally clicked on the email button, so while I could call that person, I couldn't text her!  Daughter cleared that and added a few other contacts to my phone list for me.  The big screw nail that I had found under the table had fallen from the leg of one of the chairs (and not the table as I had initially thought - daughter crawled under the table and fixed the chair leg for me).  

While all that went went, there was a moment of panic when I couldn't find two documents I knew I had received and I had put aside!  They weren't in the places where I had placed them!  Did I accidentally toss them when I was sorting through my papers?  Did they fall into the bag with the recycling that I had already dumped in the recycling bin?  Had I put them somewhere else?  Eventually, we found both documents - they had fallen behind a piece of furniture!  Whew!  Those documents were dealt with and I have them both securely tucked away where they should be kept!  

Afterwards, we had leftovers for brunch.

We relaxed in the afternoon and watched a short video together, then, watched the evening news.  Daughter did the litter box and I took the trash bins to the end of the driveway to be collected in the morning and walked for 10 minutes.  

A short time later, we received a phone call from the daughter of one of my friends.  My friend was in the hospital, unresponsive, and the doctors had said that if she didn't show any improvement by morning there wasn't much they could do for her; could we come to the hospital?  Yes, of course we could.  We put on our N95 masks and daughter drove us to the hospital.  My friend was hooked up to all kinds of machines and fitted with a big oxygen mask.  She was restless, pulling at the various tubes and the oxygen mask.  When I approached the bed and spoke to her she opened her eyes but didn't say anything. I held her hand and said some prayers for her and it might have been a coincidence, but, her condition seemed to improve!  Her pressure came down, her heart rate which had been high came down and her blood oxygen levels increased to the point where she was taken off the big mask and a smaller one was placed.  Earlier, she had not been able to breathe well with the smaller mask.  A little while later, my friend smiled at me and said something which sounded a lot like, "Thank you".  Then, she fell into a natural sleep.  My daughter and I stayed at the hospital for a few hours and came home.  

I had planned to cook the salmon for dinner, but, it was past 10:00 p.m. when we left the hospital, so we stopped to get some hamburgers and fries on the way home.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- The power of prayer
- Having my daughter home
- Being able to be there for my friend and her daughter
- Finding the documents I thought I had misplaced
- A safe drive to the hospital and back

Today's joyful activity was being able to be present for my friend and her family.

Plans for tomorrow include my eye appointment at noon.  The rest of the day's activities will depend on how soon the dilation in my eyes wear off!  But, I do plan to cook the salmon, tomorrow.  

November Grocery Shopping - Part 2

I ordered groceries online, last night, and picked up my groceries, today.  

I called the store in the morning (in plenty of time to bake a pan of brownies before my scheduled pick up time) to find out if Jennifer was there today.  Her coworker, Eric, said Jennifer was off today.  So, I didn't bake the brownies.  I'll have to call and find out from Jennifer when she'll be there next and see how I can get the brownies to her.  

Eric brought the groceries to the car when I went to pick up my items and I received all the items I ordered and there were no substitutions.  

Today's groceries included one or two stock up items, but, mostly, Thanksgiving week splurges! 

I bought:

.74 lb. bananas @ $.68/lb. = $0.51
3 lb. bag mandarins = $2.99
2 bags cranberries (12 oz./bag; @ $1.49 with coupon) = $2.98
1 pineapple = $1.49
2 x 6 oz. containers raspberries, @ $1.50 = $3.00

.74 lb. broccoli @ $1.98/lb. = $1.47

10 lb. bag russet potatoes = $4.99 (5 lb. bag was $3.49)

1 bottle (64 fl. oz.) cranberry juice = $2.99

1 quart half&half = $3.49
1/2 gal. milk = $2.69
3 lb. butter @ $3.99/lb. with digital coupon = $11.97 (stock up item for baking season)

1 loaf multi-grain bread = $2.49

1.12 lb. salmon fillet @ $9.99/lb. (reg. price $13.99/lb.) = $11.20

2 cans SPAM canned meat, 12 oz. cans @ $4.29 = $8.58

1 whole turkey, frozen, 13.22 lb. @ $.79/lb. (with $25 minimum purchase) = $10.44

1 pecan pie (my daughter's favorite) = $8.99
1 pumpkin pie (my favorite) = $5.99

1 container (8 oz.) non-dairy whipped topping (with coupon) = $2.00
1 container (6.5 oz.) dairy whipped cream topping (in a spray can) = $3.50

2 brownie mixes @ $.99 with digital coupon = $1.98
2 yellow cake mixes @ $.99 with digital coupon = $1.98

Total spent (with sales, coupons, etc.) = $95.72

(Original order total was $140.38; I saved $44.66 with sales, coupons, etc.)

I bought the turkey mostly because it was cheaper, per pound, than chicken when it goes on sale (usually at $.99/lb. for me and $1.89/lb. for my daughter); I plan to roast it, then, freeze the majority of it for later.  Daughter will take some of the cooked frozen turkey back with her. 

November's monthly grocery budget = $100.00 (+ $93.75 carried over from October) = $193.75

Spent to date = $2.58 (on 2 brownie mixes at the drug store when I went for my Covid booster shot) plus $43.23 (for groceries earlier this month) plus $95.72 for today's groceries.

$2.58 + $43.23 + $95.72 = $141.53

Balance left in November's budget = $193.75 - $141.53 = $52.22

In a way, what I carried over from October paid for today's grocery shopping!  

I doubt very much if I'll need more groceries during the rest of this month.  Most probably, the balance will get carried over to December and will go towards holiday baking supplies!

As always, I am grateful that I can afford to buy the monthly groceries including a few seasonal splurges.  I feel truly blessed.

Updated to add "cranberries" to the 3rd item on the list of purchased groceries!

More Productivity on Saturday

 

November Rose

Another sunny day with an afternoon high of 73F.

It's been a good day, today.  A friend of mine called in the morning and we chatted for a bit.  Later, I called friend R and spoke with her.  

M got delayed at the dentist's office, but he eventually showed up around noon and tended to the garden.  He brought me a persimmon someone had picked from their tree and given him and he brought me a cutting of a sedum which he potted up so it could root.  We transplanted my apple seedling  and pineapple plant to bigger pots and cut back one of the oleander bushes.  I offered him a bowl of soup, but, he had another garden or two to do and was running behind schedule, so didn't want to take the time to stop for soup.  Nor did he want it sitting in his truck all afternoon until he got home in the evening.  

After M left, I did the rest of the vacuuming.  Then, I did the last bit of paperwork that I had planned to do, cleared the files from the dining table. and put my autumn leaves table cloth on the dining table.  After that, I tidied the family room and dusted it.  Tomorrow, I plan to wash the sofa dust sheets.

Then, I put together a grocery order, but, I haven't finalized it yet.  I want to discuss the order with my daughter, first, when we video chat tonight, as there might be one or two things she might want (besides half and half for her coffee!)

Brunch had been coconut roti with some of the corned beef mixture I had made; dinner was rice and the made over chicken stir-fry.  Grapes and a piece of brownie for dessert.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Another sunny day and warm afternoon
- M tending to the garden and sharing a sedum cutting with me
- Roses in November
- Phone calls and emails from friends
- What I was able to accomplish 

Today's joyful activity was gardening with M.

Plans for tomorrow include picking up the groceries, washing the sofa dust sheets, remaking my daughter's bed with fresh sheets, and tidying my bedroom, especially the desk and the top of the dresser ("Hi, my name is Bless and I can't keep horizontal surfaces cleared.")  

How was your Saturday?  What are your plans for Sunday?  How do you keep your table tops, counters, etc., free of clutter?

Productive Friday, Too

Blurry Blueberry Leaves

I was trying to get a photo of the sprig of red blueberry leaves, but, I couldn't quite focus on it (probably held the phone too close).  But, it was either a blurry photo or no photo and since I already did a photo-less post this week, I decided to go with the blurry photo!  LOL!

Today, I confirmed my appointment with the eye doctor (scheduled for Tuesday, late morning).  Then, I did a load of laundry and some vacuuming.  If I lived in a two story house with the living room, etc., downstairs and the bedrooms upstairs, I' be able to say that I vacuumed the downstairs and left the upstairs for tomorrow.  But, since I live in a one story house, I will say that I vacuumed all but the bedrooms!  I wanted to do the bedrooms, too (at least my room), but, I ran out of energy!   Probably because it was mid-afternoon by then and I hadn't eaten anything (other than a cup of tea in the morning).  So, I had a corned beef sandwich and watched some videos.

Gardener M was scheduled to come by and tend to the garden, this evening, but, he texted me saying he's running behind and could he tend to my garden tomorrow morning, instead?  I said, yes, not a problem.  Then, I locked the gate that I had unlocked earlier, anticipating his arrival.  

I spent a good portion of the evening sorting through paperwork and filing!  I have a horrible tendency to go through the mail as it comes in, pull out the bills to be paid, etc., and just toss the rest of the mail aside to be dealt with later.  Except, later can often be several weeks later!  Then, I end up with small piles of paper which become bigger piles of paper and then, I feel guilty if I start a craft project or something fun because there's paperwork to be dealt with!

Most of it is filing - notifications, statements, etc.  In the past couple of months, I've been inundated with elections-related material and with health-insurance related material (it's open enrollment period for both my health insurance through my retirement system and for Medicare) as well as the regular bank statements, etc.  I got rid of most of the elections-related items as soon as I voted on November 7 and today, I tossed most of the health-insurance related papers.  I still have a small stack of papers to deal with in a basket, but they are mostly current items - this week's grocery ads, for example, which I will toss once I order the groceries; some grocery coupons and fast food coupons which I will toss if I don't use them, the fabric store's add for Black Friday deals and coupons, etc. (not that I am likely to go shopping at the fabric store, this year, but, there was a sale on something my daughter had expressed an interest in buying, so I'll keep it for her to see; at least, that's my excuse for keeping that particular piece of paper!  LOL!)

I de-fatted the soup I had made earlier and had a bowl of soup for my dinner, followed by a brownie for dessert!  I had frozen the remaining brownies and warmed one up in the microwave for a few seconds and it was delicious!  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Another productive day
- Working appliances
- Online videos
- Chats with family and friends
- Hot water on tap

Today's joyful activity was making a dent in the paperwork! 

Plans for tomorrow include:

- M tending to the garden
- Vacuuming the bedrooms

- Ordering groceries
- Doing the last bit of paperwork/filing

How was your Friday?  What are your plans for Saturday and the weekend? 

Productive Thursday

Another sunny day with an afternoon high of 74F; I'm not complaining!  The nights are in the low to mid 40s (tonight's low will be 46F according to the forecast), but, the daytime highs are nice.

I had a productive day, today, and got several things crossed off my to do list!

I did the home lab test, filled out the required forms, and put it all in the mail box to be collected;
Called the doctor's office about the outstanding lab test and left a message (didn't get a call back)
Called and scheduled a mammogram and ultrasound:
Scheduled the next oncology blood test;
Did a load of laundry (bathroom/kitchen rugs);
Did a Random Act of Cleaning and wiped down the washing machine, under the lid, etc. (it's a top loader);
Swept & mopped the kitchen;
Cleaned the bathroom;
Started on the paperwork I've been procrastinating doing

Later in the evening, I called and chatted with friend R and video chatted with my daughter. 

Brunch had been French toast; for dinner, I "made over" the leftover Thai chicken from my birthday lunch, adding carrots and asparagus tips to it and had it with freshly cooked rice.

Today, I am grateful for:
- Sunny days and warm afternoons
- Working appliances
- A productive day
- Phone calls and video chats
- Exchanging emails with friends

Today's joyful activity was crossing off a few items from my To Do List!

Plans for tomorrow include:

- More paperwork/filing
- Continuing with the freezer inventory
- Tending to the garden with M

How was your Thursday?  What are your plans for Friday?

Wednesday

The Blueberry Bushes are Showing their Fall Colors

The day started off with a surprise phone call from a friend I haven't spoken with in a long time!  She used to be the pharmacist at the drug store located near my old office building - I used to pick up my medications from there and we became quite friendly.  I had called her quite early in the pandemic, but, hadn't spoken with her after that.  Well, today, she called to wish me a happy, if belated, birthday!  I was happy to hear from her and we brought each other up to date on what's been going on in our lives since we last spoke.  

Later in the morning M arrived to tend to the garden.  He brought me three additional chrysanthemum plants his other client had tossed more recently!  Two of them were purple and one was bronze.  He planted them with the other mums; if these plants establish themselves and grow, I should have a very colorful bed of mums under the lemon tree!  He also planted the snow peas I had soaked overnight in little 6-pack trays and small pots I had saved; we will transplant them to the beds once they've sprouted (hopefully, they will sprout!)  I think the packet had about 25 peas and we planted them all!  Assuming at least half of them germinate and grow big enough to produce pea pods, I might have the summer of snow peas!  LOL!  In addition, I have all the peas I saved for seed from the ones I grew last summer...

It was a lovely sunny day, today, with an afternoon high of 73F.  I aired the house and walked outside for 15 minutes.  I had planned to walk for 20 minutes, but, last night, I woke up a couple of times due to body pains/bone aches, (one of the side effects of the medications I take) and when I started to feel tired after walking for 15 minutes, I decided to stop and not push myself to do the final 5 minutes.  I was not in pain, but, I figured it would be better to stop then.

Today, I started updating my freezer inventory.  I don't always keep track of things when I take stuff out or put stuff in.  I have a side-by-side fridge/freezer and this is the only freezer I have.  The freezer has five plastic coated wire shelves and one pull out bin at the bottom, plus 5 shallow shelves on the door.  The only problem is accessing a particular item that is stored on one of the shelves without pulling everything out from that shelf!  Especially when the item is on the bottom of all the other items!  

While I went through the freezer, I pulled out two containers of soup ingredients I had frozen, added some carrots, celery, and tomatoes to them and made a pot of soup.  But, I will have to keep it in the fridge, overnight, to defat it.  Brunch had been a sandwich with the madeover corned beef (I cooked it with onions, curry leaves, tomatoes, and chili powder)  as the filling.  Dinner was the same corned beef mixture with coconut roti.  

Later in the evening, I did the dishes and accidentally decluttered one of my small Corningware dishes when it slipped out of my hand, fell on the floor, and shattered.  I was not happy about that, but, comforted myself with something my mother used to say, that when something shatters and breaks accidentally, it's a sign that all the bad luck went away!

Still later, I chatted on the phone with friend R and video chatted with my daughter.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- A surprise phone call from friend N
- M helping me with the garden and free plants

- A sunny, warmer day
- A working heater and a warm house
- Electricity for all the appliances that need it to run!

Today's joyful activity was video chatting with my daughter.

Plans for tomorrow include calling the doctor's office and tending to a couple of projects I've been putting off.

How was your Wednesday?  What are your plans for Thursday?

Bunnies in Canoes and Other Tuesday Happenings

Ceramic Bunny in a Broken Canoe Under the Lantana Bushes

I was walking up and down the sidewalk (pavement) in front of my house when I noticed something white under one of the lantana bushes!  What on earth?  A ceramic bunny, in a canoe!  Not sure who put it there or why (it's a long way from a river for him to have washed ashore!), but, the bottom of the canoe was broken and I tossed the figurine in the trash bin.  It's better than the half empty beer bottles, cans, and fast food containers I sometimes find tucked into these plants along the front of my garden!  M usually wants to put the beer bottles, etc. on top of the neighbor's wall, but, I just tell him to put them in the recycling or trash bins.  I have my suspicions who puts those items in my yard, but, I've no proof!

I went to bed relatively early, at 1:30 a.m., last night/this morning, but, then, I couldn't fall asleep and tossed and turned until well past 3:30 a.m.  Even when I fell asleep, it was a rather disturbed sleep and I got up a couple of times, turned off the porch lights, and fell into a deeper sleep after 8:00 a.m., only to wake up when the alarm went off at 9:00 a.m.

I had my lab work scheduled for 10:30 a.m.  I brought in the two trash cans that were emptied early in the morning (they were blocking my driveway) and moved aside the recycling bin that had not been collected yet.  Then, went to the clinic to have my lab work done.  They had put all the chairs back around the waiting room (earlier, all but six chairs had been stacked in a corner of the room).  There weren't a lot of people in the waiting room, however; but, three people were without masks, even though there are signs posted throughout the building stating masks are required as it is a medical building.  Finally, one of the lab technicians who came into the waiting room to call in one of the patients noticed that there were some people without masks and told them they needed to wear masks; she brought out a box of masks and handed one to each one without a mask.  I was glad that she made them put on masks.

The lab work proceeded smoothly, except the lab tech had a question about one of the tests the doctor had ordered.  Apparently, the computer required additional information when she entered the test code.  She tried to call the doctor's office, but, only received a recording asking the caller to leave a message and she didn't have time to wait until they called back.  So, she made a photo copy of the lab requisition and highlighted the test in question and gave the copy to me; I need to call the doctor's office for clarification and then, go back to the lab.  I also have to do one additional test at home and mail in the specimen sample directly to the lab.  Parking rates at this clinic are more reasonable at $1/20 minutes; $9 maximum for the day.  I had to pay $3 for today's parking. 

I felt a little low in energy when I came back home after the lab work.  I guess because I went fasting for the blood tests and I missed having my morning cup of tea.  I rested on the sofa for a bit and then, ate a cup noodle soup for brunch.  

In the afternoon, I walked again for 20 minutes and that's when I discovered the ceramic bunny.  Later, I called my insurance company to clarify something about my coverage.  The blue recycling bin wasn't emptied until after 4:30 p.m., today, but, I brought the bin in as soon as it was emptied and checked the mail, too.  

In the evening, I replied to blog comments, watched the evening news, had a cup of tea, and chatted with friend R.  

Later, I video chatted with my daughter.  Apparently, she received an email notification from the organizers of the conference she attended stating that some people who attended the conference had reported they had tested positive for Covid-19 post-conference.  Sigh.  Daughter had worn her mask for the vast majority of the time, but, she had gone out to eat a few times and, of course, she didn't wear a mask when she was in the hotel room which she shared with her supervisor.  We are hoping that she will not get Covid, herself.  She is isolating herself, anyway, this week, because she is planning to come home for Thanksgiving, next week and wants to minimize any risks to me.  She will test herself for a couple of days before she comes down.  We can only hope for the best. 

Dinner was rice with the last of the Thai pepper beef.  

We are having a high wind warning and I can hear the wind gusting, outside.  

Today, I am grateful for:
- Medical insurance
- Being able to receive health care
- A safe drive to the clinic and back
- Friendly staff at the clinic
- Weekly trash collections

Today's joyful activity was video chatting with my daughter.

 Plans for tomorrow include M tending to the garden in the morning.  I put the snow peas to soak as we are planning to plant them, tomorrow.  

How was your Tuesday?  What are your plans for Wednesday?

Photo-less Monday

A sunny day with an afternoon high of 71F.  But, it got chilly in the evening and I had to switch on the heater.

The day got off to a bit of a late start (didn't fall asleep until past 4:30 a.m. and didn't wake up until 11:30 a.m.), but, I did a load of laundry (the new sweatshirts and sweatpants), while I said my morning prayers (Yay!  Multi-tasking!).  By the time I finished my prayers, the laundry was ready to be hung up to dry.

In the afternoon, I dusted the living room and dining area, cleaned the fridge, walked for 20 minutes, again, took the trash cans to the end of the driveway for pick up in the morning, watered the newly planted ferns and chrysanthemums (with water I had collected in buckets while waiting for the warm water to flow from the taps) and made this week's meal plan options:

Brunches:
Leftovers (from the birthday lunch); corned beef sandwiches; frozen burritos; scrambled egg and toast, pancakes

Dinners:
- Leftover Thai garlic chicken madeover into a stir fry over rice or noodles
- Leftover corned beef madeover with onions, tomato, chili powder, etc. to be eaten with leftover roti or rice or pancakes
- Frozen gyoza/potstickers
- Soup noodles
- Leftovers from the madeovers!

I didn't cook the asparagus or do the paperwork, so they will get moved to Tuesday's To Do List!

Today, I am grateful for:

- Working appliances
- Electricity and gas to run those appliances
- Being able to walk for 20 minutes again
- Phone calls and emails with friends
- Warm knitted sweaters and socks and blankets!

Today's joyful activity was exchanging emails with one of my cousins and a friend.

Plans for tomorrow include a visit to the clinic for more blood tests and lab work.  Other items on the To Do List include bringing in the trash cans, cooking the asparagus, dusting the family room, and that paperwork I didn't do!

How was your Monday?  What are your plans for Tuesday?

Restful Sunday

The Front Door(s)

It was another sunny day, today.  The afternoon high was 71F and I opened a couple of the windows and left the front door ajar.  There is an outer metal screen door and an inner wooden door that is varnished on the outside and painted white on the inside.  With the metal door firmly closed and locked, I can leave the wooden door open to let in fresh air, without worrying about Dancer going out and flies coming in.  Between the metal door and the wooden door, on the door post, there is a mezuzah that the previous owners of the house had affixed in accordance with Jewish religious laws.  It contains a Jewish prayer, according to what I've read, and is fixed to the doorpost so that it is tilting towards the room into which the door opens.  Since it is a religious item, even if it is not of my own religion, I haven't removed it; I consider it to be a blessing on the house and, hopefully, its occupants, too, whoever they may be.  

Today, I walked outside for 20 minutes in the afternoon.  It wasn't that long ago when I would experience pain after walking for 8 minutes, so, I was happy that I was able to walk for 20 minutes without any pain, today.  

Later in the afternoon, I spoke on the phone with neighbor T, who is still in the assisted living facility.  She said the heating unit in her room stopped working and she is waiting for them to repair it.  I hope they were able to fix it!  It's too cold for her to be without any heat in her room!  

I had a very restful day, today, and took it easy.  I watched some online videos, watched the evening news, exchanged emails with a long time friend (friends since elementary school days), chatted with friend R, and video chatted with my daughter.

Brunch had been more of the fried rice and some of the Thai pepper beef leftover from my birthday lunch.  Dinner was coconut roti and and the last of the chicken curry.

Today, I am grateful for:

- Sunny, relaxed days
- Long time friends

- Being able to walk without pain
- Working appliances, especially heaters!

- Leftovers!

Today's joyful activity was watching a video my friend sent of her daughter's wedding.  

Monday's To Do List:

- Do a load of laundry
- Dust the living room and dining area
- Clean the fridge
- Weekly meal plan
- Cook the asparagus
- Take the trash cans to the curb for pick up on Tuesday
- Walk for 20 minutes
- Do some paperwork for 30 minutes

- Water the newly planted fern and chrysanthemums

How was your weekend?  What are your plans for Monday?

Sunny Saturday

"Let the Sun Beam on You!"

Saturday was sunny and Dancer and I enjoyed sharing the sun beams that were coming through the living room window!  

We had a relaxed morning and I managed  in the early afternoon, I walked outside in the driveway for 15 minutes and then, checked on the plants in the front garden.  Neighbor S came home from church while I was still out in the garden and we chatted for a little bit.  She had brought a plate of homemade baklava that someone had brought to share at the church and offered me a piece; it was delicious!

Afterwards, Dancer and I shared a sun beam and I replied to blog comments.  Thank you, everyone, for your birthday wishes!  Meanwhile, Dancer guarded claimed one of my slippers:

"This is MY Slipper!"

I gave Dancer his flea prevention medication, ran the dishwasher, emptied the dishwasher, put away the laundry that I should have put away earlier, but, didn't, watched the evening news, chatted with friend A and with friend R, video chatted with my daughter, and made coconut roti for dinner (there was plenty of food leftover from what R had sent me, even after having some of it for my lunch, today, too, but, I had kept a packet of frozen grated coconut to thaw in the fridge before I knew that R was sending me lunch on Friday and I didn't want the thawed coconut to spoil).  

Today, I am grateful for:
- My many blessings
- Working appliances
- A sunny day
- Kind, caring, friends and neighbors
- Being able to video chat with my daughter

Today's joyful activity was sharing a sun beam with Dancer!

How is your weekend coming along?

On Friday the Eleventh of November...

Statue of the Buddha Seated Under the Bodhi Tree

- I went to the Temple, for the first time since Covid-19 became part of our everyday vocabulary!

The Stupa (also known as Chaithya or Dagaba)
A repository for relics

I called the chief monk at the Temple in the afternoon and asked if it I could stop by a little later in the afternoon and I was told, "Yes, certainly".  Unlike at a Church, there are no set hours of daily services, although there is usually a daily offering of flowers and lighting of candles in the evening.  If anyone is there at the Temple in the evening, then, they participate in that and the monks chant blessings.  But I didn't want to go to the Temple when there were others as I want to minimize my risks of exposure.  I had chosen a good time to go, today, as there was no one else at the Temple.  I paid my respects at the outdoor shrine which features the statue of the Buddha seated under the bodhi tree and then, the chief monk invited me into the prayer hall which also features another statue of the Buddha and he chanted blessings for me.  I gave him the English-Sinhala dictionary that I set aside to give to the Temple and the donations I had brought with me.  This visit to the Temple was something I had been wanting to do for some time, now, and I was happy that I was able to go, today.  

- Friend R had lunch delivered to me, once again!

Lunch Plus - Compliments of Friend R
Shrimp Fried Rice, Garlic Chicken, Plain Fried Rice and Thai Pepper Beef 

I told her it was too much, but, she said to have it for dinner, too!  Not only did I have it for both lunch and dinner, I have enough leftovers for several more lunches and dinners! 

- My daughter had a package delivered to me, containing some items I really needed (and wanted), with instructions to wear them and not keep them because they are new!  LOL!  She knows me too well!

New Sweatpants (2 pairs) and Sweatshirts (3)

- Gardener friend M gifted me a different type of asparagus fern, called "Asparagus retrofractus", also known as "Ming asparagus", which is a more upright type of asparagus fern:

Asparagus retrofractus 

We planted it in the front garden, in a bare spot among the other, more sprawling asparagus ferns.  I hope it will grow as well as the other asparagus ferns are growing.

- M also brought me a pint of ice cream to try:

Buttercream Birthday Cake

It tasted just like what the label said!  Like frozen buttercream frosting!  

Birthday Cake Ice Cream!

It was almost too sweet!  But, it was delicious!  

- There were cards, both paper ones and e-cards, phone calls, and texts, each conveying well wishes from family and friends as I turned 67 years of age!    

On Friday the eleventh of November, I feel so blessed and my heart is filled with gratitude.  It has been a joyful day.

Well Camouflaged on Thursday

Do You See What I See?

When M was here on Wednesday, he mentioned that one of the branches on the peach tree was showing signs of possible borer activity (they bore into the tree and the tree oozes sap to try and repair the damage).  Later, in the afternoon, I went out to check the tree and this caught my eye.  

Grasshopper!

This grasshopper is so well camouflaged!  It was about 3 inches long and going by the size and color  I suspect it is a Gray Bird grasshopper, but, I am not sure.  

I went to check on the tree on Thursday, too, and guess who was still there?

It was still there, on Thursday, too!

It was another sunny day with an afternoon high of 68F.  I did two loads of laundry, including bed sheets, and hung everything up inside the house to dry; then, I remade the bed with different sheets as the flannel sheets take longer to dry.  I spent the afternoon doing some paperwork and bill paying, including my property taxes.  The evening was spent watching news on TV, chatting with friend R, and video chatting with my daughter.

A corned beef (from a can) sandwich for brunch, today; rice, chicken curry, cucumber salad, and peach chutney for dinner.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Working appliances 
- A sunny day
- A warm home
- Being able to pay my bills
- Phone calls and video chats

Today's joyful activity was strolling around the garden.

Sunny on Wednesday

Rescued Chrysanthemum Plants

M planted the rescued chrysanthemum plants for me, this morning.  There were six plants (two purple, two yellow, and two bronze) and he decided that they didn't need to have the flowers cut off, yet.  I chose to have them planted in the back garden, next to the one chrysanthemum plant I currently have, in front of the lemon tree we pruned back, earlier.  This planting area is by the side of the garage:

Chrysanthemum Planting Area

It was a sunny, clear day, today, with an afternoon high of 63F.  It was 60F inside the house when I woke up and not much warmer outside!  I switched the heater on with the thermostat set at 70F and once it switched itself off, I turned the heater off.  Then, I kept it off until the evening and switched it back on.

M planted the mums and tidied up the garden a little bit.  He didn't have to water the garden today, thanks to all the rain we had yesterday!  LOL.

My daughter called me in the afternoon to say she was at the airport and while she was on the phone with me, an alarm went off in the airport and they made an announcement that the fire department has been called out, but, everything seemed to be OK and they didn't need to evacuate, but, they'll let people know if anything changes.  We got off the phone, so she could better hear what they were saying.  Then, she texted me that the alarm went on and off a couple of times but had been turned off, eventually and she saw some fire fighters walking by rather casually, so it might have been a false alarm.  Anyway, she boarded her flight without any problem and has just arrived at the San Francisco airport (around 9:15 p.m., Pacific Standard Time).  She still has to get herself back to her apartment in Berkeley; she asked me if she should take public transit (subway and bus) or call for a ride and I told her to take a ride share, which she did.

I did some paperwork, today, finished mending the grey sweater (hands didn't cramp, this time!) and walked in the driveway for a few minutes.  Chatted with friend R in the evening and watched news.  Tonight's low is going to be 43F, they said, but, tomorrow's high will be 68F.  

I had leftover fried rice from yesterday for my brunch, today.  Dinner was more of the frozen potstickers/gyoza!  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Daughter had a safe flight back
- M bringing me the rescued mums and planting them
- A working heater
- Warm clothes and blankets (I'm still wearing layers, even with the heater set at 70F)
- All the rain we received and a sunny day, today

Today's joyful activity was being in the garden and supervising the planting of the new plants!

Plans for tomorrow include doing some laundry and vacuuming.  

How was your Wednesday?  What are your plans for Thursday?

 

Rainy Tuesday

Rain-Soaked Back Yard

It rained, again, today, too!   Pretty much throughout the day.  At times, it rained quite heavily, with the winds blowing it sideways.  Not the type of weather that was conducive to standing in line to vote!  I was glad that I had voted, earlier, last Friday.

I had turned the heater off, last night, before going to bed.  This morning, I switched it on again, and warmed up the house (it was 62F in the family room when I woke up).  Then, I switched it off and kept it off until around 9:30 p.m.  The house stayed relatively warm and I wore several layers and had a crocheted blanket over my legs while I watched the evening news.  When my hands got cold, around 8:00 p.m., I put on my fingerless mitts.  But, eventually, at 9:30 p.m., I switched the heater on; I checked the temperature in the family room before I did that and it was 62F.  I plan to turn the heater off before I go to bed, tonight, too.  Part of me feels guilty about having the heater on when so many others aren't able to do so due to lack of fuel or the cost of fuel, but, I'm not sure if me being cold will help anyone, either!

I brought the trash bins in during a break in the rain, did a few things around the house, chatted with Aunt C, called to check on my sister (she had eye surgery, last week, but, she's doing well), called friend R, checked in with my daughter (she did her second presentation, today, and that went well; in the evening, she attended a dinner with colleagues who were there at the conference, and afterwards, did an escape room with some of her friends who are in Boston), and have been watching coverage of the election results all evening.  

I made some soup and had that as part of my brunch, followed by some fried rice and a banana; for dinner, I cooked some of the frozen potstickers/gyoza.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- More rain!
- Being able to have the heat on
- Daughter had a good day at the conference
- Phone chats with family and friends
- The opportunity to vote and participate

Today's joyful activities included watching the rain and chatting with family.

Plans for tomorrow include M's visit - he texted me earlier, today, to say that a client of his was getting rid of some small chrysanthemum plants (she had bought them as Halloween decorations and had tossed them in the yardwaste bin, afterwards) and would I like to have them (I had been trying to buy some chrysanthemums, earlier, and he hadn't been able to find them at a reasonable price at the nursery); I said, "Yes, please, and thank you".  He said they will need to be cut back and given some TLC, but, we should be able to get them to grow.  We can at least try!

How was your Tuesday?  What are your plans for Wednesday?  

Rainy Days and Mondays and Furnace Checks

Guess Who is Sleeping in the Blueberry Planter?

It's Mama Cat, Ignoring Her Box!

It started raining, a fine drizzle, actually, very early in the morning; I only noticed that it was raining when I looked outside around 2:30 a.m., when I was getting ready for bed.  It was still drizzling when I woke up this morning and it continued to drizzle during most of the day, clearing only around 4:30 p.m.  A rather grey day and cool, with a temperature of 61F both inside and out!  

I called the gas company to confirm that I was still on the schedule for the furnace check this afternoon and scheduled an appointment for lab work to be done prior to my appointment with my primary care physician later in the month.  Then, I got started on the "to do" list I had made for myself: I did a little dusting, cleaned the fridge, cleared the kitchen counters (again), replaced the battery in the family room clock and reset the time, replaced the batteries in the TV remote control, watered the indoor plants, took the trash cans out to the front of my driveway, and did a little paperwork (a lot more paperwork to be done).  

The gas company service technician showed up around 4:00 p.m. and checked the furnace.  He needed to readjust the pilot light flame to get it to ignite and I explained about the delayed ignition problem we have had.  He said the furnace itself is a good one with several safety features built into it, but, having the pilot light flame being kept so high, there is a chance that the ignition device which detects if the pilot light is lit or not will need to be replaced sooner rather than later.  But, he said that doing the annual safety inspection will help with knowing when to replace it.  He also suggested that I got a second carbon monoxide detector, so, that's another item to add to my "to do" list.  I left the furnace on with the thermostat set at 70F and sat in the living room, near the heater, until it turned itself off once it reached 70F.  Since the heat spreads through the house through diffusion, the temperature in the family room is 68F.  At one time, I'd have said that was a bit chilly for me, but, after the past few days, 68F feels quite comfortable (I'm still bundled up, though - wool socks I hand knitted and partially felted on purpose for added warmth; sweatpants, a sweatshirt, a wool sweater, and a knitted poncho over that, and a scarf around my neck; I was wearing my fingerless mitts earlier, before the furnace was serviced, but have removed them, since.)

I had the leftover cup noodles for brunch, today, with cooked ground turkey (from the freezer) added to it and reheated in the microwave.  For dinner, I had Eetch - a type of Armenian salad (which can also be eaten as a main dish), similar to tabbouleh, but, not quite:

Eetch - Compliments of Neighbor S

It has bulgur wheat, tomatoes, onions, herbs, and I think S added some chopped cucumber pickles, as well.  It was quite delicious and I have leftovers for another couple of meals.

My daughter had to do a presentation at the conference, today, on a paper on which she is the first author and participate in a panel discussion.  She was nervous and excited about it because this was only the second time she has done a paper presentation at a conference.  She had prepared her slides and practically memorized her presentation, but, even so, she said she stumbled over a couple of words during the presentation, but, she corrected herself and continued.  Tomorrow, she will be doing a poster presentation on behalf of a colleague who is unable to be there in person.  But, she said that poster presentations are easy as all one has to do is be available to answer any questions that might be asked about the poster and its information, etc., not give a formal presentation.  She went out to dinner with her friends, again, this evening, so she's having some fun, too.

Today, I am grateful for:

- The heater passed the safety check
- A warm house
- S bringing me another delicious meal
- Daughter had a good day at the conference
- The much needed rain

Today's joyful activity was having the furnace checked and working!

More rain is in the forecast for tomorrow.  I will continue to do my paperwork and make another pot of soup, I think.  

This week's meal plan will include fried rice with ground turkey, turkey/vegetable soup, and eetch.  

How was your Monday?  What are your plans for Tuesday?