Monday, November 7, 2022

Fall Back Sunday

 

Passive Solar Heating In the Living Room

We put the clocks back, today, and switched from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time.  The longer winter evenings have begun, but, the day was sunny and bright.  The good thing about it having been 55F and 58F inside the house the previous couple of days was, this morning's 62F actually felt warm!  LOL!   But, it was warmer outside (71F or 72F), so, once again, I opened the windows and the front door to get some of that warmth inside and opened the drapes to let the sunshine in.  Then, I spent some time outside, walking up and down the driveway and doing a bit of gardening.  

In the afternoon, I sat on the living room sofa enjoying the warmth of the sun and responding to blog comments.  Thank you, everyone for your very kind comments, especially regarding my concerns about my daughter's late night/early morning travels to the airport and her flight to Boston.

By the way, daughter had a good day on the first day of the conference, attending several workshops, including one on wellness which included doing yoga!  She said she received a free yoga mat for participating!  There was a reception for the attendees, scheduled for the evening, but, she decided not to attend because she didn't think people will be wearing masks during the reception, as there was going to be food and drinks.  Instead, she bought herself dinner from a restaurant that did take out and ate in her hotel room.  Tentative plans to get together with her friends in the evening didn't quite work out, but, she was glad to have a relaxed evening in the hotel room.

I spent a fairly quiet evening, myself.  I closed the drapes as soon as the sun set, then, watched news, chatted with my daughter and with friend R, cleaned the litter box and put away a load of laundry I had done earlier, and took it easy.

I had a banana for breakfast, half a cup of noodles soup for lunch, leftover rice, shrimp curry, cucumber salad, and peach chutney for dinner, half an apple for dessert, and, yes, some Cheetos for a snack!  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Daughter had a good day at the conference
- Kind blog comments
- A sunny, warm day
- Chats and video chats with family and friends
- Blankets and space heaters

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

There is rain in the forecast for Monday and cooler temperatures.  The gas company tech is scheduled to be here in the afternoon to do the furnace check.  I'm hoping that he will find everything is in good working order so I can switch on the heat!  No plans for tomorrow, other than some cleaning, paperwork, and waiting for the furnace inspection.

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

24 comments:

  1. What a wonderful experience this conference is/will be for your daughter. Prince William is due to be in Boston soon for a conference, too bad they weren't the same event (col). Your spot in the living room looks cozy & inviting & isn't November sunshine absolutely delightful?!

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    1. Yes, it is a wonderful experience for her, Mary-Lou. She will be presenting a paper, on which she is the first author, at one of the sessions, this afternoon, and she is both nervous and excited about it!
      November sunshine is wonderful and I'm glad I had some of it, yesterday, because it is drizzly today and we are supposed to get more rain over the next couple of days. But, the sunshine will return later in the week. :)

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  2. Our Sunday started out slow, we eventually remembered to adjust the clocks throughout the house and then suddenly it seemed to pick up speed, as we are hurdling into a busy week. That spot on your sofa beacons to come sit and slow down, doesn't it.

    Glad your daughter enjoyed the first day of the conference.

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    1. Glad you remembered to reset the clocks that needed resetting! That is my preferred sofa for afternoon naps! LOL! The only thing I dislike is the fact that the front door opens directly into the living room; it would have been lovely if there had been a separate little entry area.

      Thank you! She's doing a presentation this afternoon and is both nervous and excited about it!

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  3. It sounds like you are doing what Dancer probably already does-find the sunbeam in the house and sit in it. :) Hope all goes well with the furnace check up and you have the option of turning on the heater when you want.

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    1. Ha, ha, maybe I was a cat in a previous life!
      Thank you; I called and confirmed that I was still scheduled to have a service call, this afternoon. Technician will arrive sometime before 5:00 p.m. I do hope that the furnace would be found to be functioning well. :)

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  4. I hope you do get some rain, but not sure about the cooler temperatures! I hope you can get the heat on. Our outdoor temperature is about the same as your house, so actually not bad as we've had it a lot colder earlier on.
    I'm having to avoid standing for long but walking around the house isn't a problem. I've been told by a doctor that it might take a few weeks for my leg to heal, so I'm putting my leg up for a while every now and then between getting around.

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    1. Thank you, Bushlady. It has been a drizzly sort of day with more rain in the forecast for tomorrow. It's 61F outside and inside, here, currently. I'm waiting for the gas tech to arrive!
      Glad you can still get around the house with breaks to rest your leg. Do try to take it a bit easy until you've healed completely.

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  5. Firstly, thank you so much for your kind reply to me, end of October :) Masks - we don't have to wear them here in New Zealand/Aotearoa, at the moment, except in health care places like doctors, hospitals. So, hardly anyone is !!! EEks! Especially as Omicron is still quietly wending it's way through the community. Your daughter was most wise

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    1. You are very welcome, Ratnamurti. :)
      Masks are not required, here, either, but, both my daughter and I are being very careful. I am considered to be in the high risk category for Covid-related complications because I've some chronic health issues so I don't want to take too many risks. :)

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  6. That is a lovely couch, Bless. I love antiques. This rain is so welcome in Los Angeles. I love not having to water the plants and fruit trees. Hope your furnace inspection went well and that you are enjoying your heater. We are sitting by the fire right now. It's very cozy.

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    1. Thank you, Stephenie. I'm so happy to have received some rain! Yes, the furnace inspection went well, it passed the safety check (there was some adjustments made to the pilot light flame) and I have the heater on to warm up the house a bit! Enjoy your cozy fire! There's something so wonderful about being able to sit by the fire. :)

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  7. Glad that your daughter's day at the conference went well. It sounds like you had a nice start to the week!

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    1. Thank you, Sharon; yes, she had a good day and I had a lovely start to the week. :)

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  8. It sounds like your daughter is enjoying the conference.
    Please keep enjoying some sunshine on my behalf :)

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    1. Thank you, Jules; yes, she is enjoying the conference. Now that she got her own presentation out of the way, she can really relax and enjoy the rest of the conference!
      No sunshine, today - we are having grey skies and drizzly rain! But, there will be sunshine later in the week and I'll enjoy that for you. :)

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  9. Glad your daughter enjoyed the conference and a freebie yoga mat is a great reward for joining in with the workshop. Fingers crossed that her own presentation goes well. You must be proud of her.

    I'm surprised Dancer permits you to rest on that sofa ... it looks like a lovely sunspot for him to relax in!

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    1. Thank you, Eileen; daughter said her presentation went well and yes, I am! :D
      Ha, ha, Dancer and I shared the sunny spot on the sofa! :D

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  10. I am glad your daughter is enjoying the conference. I see that her presentation went well - that's really great. And such an honor to be asked to present.
    I don't recall seeing your sofa uncovered before and it's lovely.
    Have you had it long? That's such a nice welcoming photo.

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    1. Thank you, Debra; yes, my daughter is enjoying the conference and it is great that she was asked to present (her supervisor really wanted her to present).
      Well, I have posted photos of the living room sofas, earlier, but, it's been more than 2 years since I did. :) Thank you; I've had the set (sofa, loveseat, side chair) for about 27 years, now. The upholstery has been clawed and shredded, but, I still like the set (a gift from my mother).

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  11. Is that a window behind the lamp? Or a mirror with a reflection?

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    1. It's the front door! I have two front doors - a metal security door on the outside and a wooden door on the inside. The wooden door (which opens into the living room) is open in the picture and the metal door (which opens outwards) is closed and locked. I can see out from it, but, it is difficult for someone to see inside.

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  12. Ohhhh ok. I see now.
    So I see the window behind your sofa facing the street. I thought the front door did too but it's offset and doesn't face it straight on?
    Don't mind me Bless, I am the person that goes to the movies to study the sets. lol
    I see the next post with a front door picture :).

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    1. Yes. the big window in the living room (behind the sofa) faces the road and the west, but, the front door is off set and faces driveway and the north. :)

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