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| 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?
I am sure your gardens & trees are most thankful for the rain. I think being mindful of others is good, but you need to look after yourself, & if that includes having a comfortable home, then IMO you should have the heat on without guilt :) Again well done your daughter for presenting - she's in the arena of life in full participation :) Those chrysanthemums have found themselves a good home.
ReplyDeleteThe garden is very thankful for the rain (and so are the weeds, as I found some already popping up in places, this morning! :D) M dug into the ground under one of the lemon trees and found the soil wet to a depth of about 2 inches from the rain. He planted the rescued chrysanthemums there, next to the lone chrysanthemum plant I already had and we will keep our fingers crossed!
DeleteThank you, Mary-Lou; I'll happily forego cooling in the summer to have heat in the winter. :)
Oh, I do like that turn of phrase, about being in the arena of life in full participation! :)
Your rain looks wonderful! The garden must be happy! It's kind of you to think of others, but I don't think you should feel guilty for using your heater. Your being cold doesn't help them. You help others in so many other ways.
ReplyDeleteThe garden got a good soaking! We need a few more soaking rains like that!
DeleteThank you, Celie. A warm house in the winter has always been the one big luxury I usually allow myself; if only I didn't feel cold quite so easily!
Look at that rain! How much did you get? Good luck with the mums. Most of the ones they sell for fall decorations are like annuals here. However, every once in a while I can get one of them to survive the winter and grow again for another year. Your milder climate may do better with them.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the weather report, we received 1.13 inches of rain, yesterday! So far, in November, we've received 1.46 inches of rain (our normal for November is 1.42, so we are just above that! Which is good because there is no more rain in the forecast for the rest of this month! Cloudy days, yes, but, no rainy days!
DeleteM planted the mums, today. I don't have much luck with getting mums to grow (but, I have one that had been a potted plant and it has been returning every year, since.)
I understand your thinking about trying to cut back your heat because you are thinking about those in the rest of the world who do not have that option. It's a struggle sometimes, thinking about the global situation.
ReplyDeleteI love hearing your "M" stories. I wish I had a person like that in my life.
Thank you, Debbie. I feel very indulgent having the heat on, but, it's not like I have it cranked up high and walking around in a T-shirt. It's 66F inside the house and I am currently wearing 3 layers of clothes on top, a scarf, sweatpants, and wool socks.
DeleteM is a wonderful person and a good friend. He is my late neighbor's nephew and has been tending to my garden for almost 30 years!
I have about 50/50 luck planting potted chrysanthemums, but I plant them every year anyway. I have four pots on the front porch right now that I need to cut back and get in the ground soon.
ReplyDeleteI don't have much luck with them, myself, but, we'll see if these will grow. If not, we tried! :D Good luck with your mums! Hope they grow for you. :)
DeleteWow, you have puddles in your garden! Did you go out and splash around in them?
ReplyDeleteI like that M is searching out plants for you. I hope the discarded chrysanthemum plants do well in your garden. Will they go in the front or back garden?
I'm glad the conference is continuing to go well for your daughter. When does she travel home again? xx
Those puddles were there for all of 30 minutes or so! No, I didn't splash around in them because, knowing me, I would have slipped and fallen! :D
DeleteM planted them in the back garden, next to the one chrysanthemum plant I already have growing there, in front of one of the lemon trees (the one we pruned back; I took a picture).
My daughter will fly back, tonight; in fact, she just boarded the plane!
Wow! Much needed indeed. I do hope you get a bit more so that reservoirs are replenished and the water table rises a bit. Come the summer you will be yearning to see the wet stuff.
ReplyDeleteFancy binning chrysanths after such a short time! I am glad M rescued them, and hope you can bring them back to life.
Thank you, Lady Ella. Apparently we got our quota of rain for the month during Monday and Tuesday! Average rainfall in my area for November is 1.42 inches and we have received 1.46 inches, so far! There is no more rain in the forecast for the rest of the month!
DeleteYes, I guess the plants were bought specifically as decorations for the party and they weren't needed afterwards. Keeps the suppliers of potted plants in business if nothing else! :)
It looks like you have had decent rain! I'm sure that your garden will thrive on it.
ReplyDeleteI hope that you can stay snug. 60F is chilly and I used to work at a place where if the temperature dropped that low in the office, we could all go home! That is in Yorkshire which has some fairly brisk weather as well. You are so caring and conscious of others, but it's okay to look after yourself. Hugs x
We received most of the month's allowance of rain over the past couple of days! LOL. Average November rainfall here is 1.42 inches and we have received a total of 1.46 inches of rain, so far! There is no more rain in the forecast for the rest of the month, so I'm glad we received all the rain we did!
DeleteThank you, Lyssa. I had read an article on the BBC News website about the choices some people have to make due to the cost of heating going up and felt really bad about wanting to switch on the heating when it is technically not all that cold, here. It's just that I feel the cold more than most other people. It was 60F inside the house, this morning (and not that much warmer outside, either; today's high is 63F) and I did turn on the heat for a bit in the morning. Glad to know that you'd consider 60F to be chilly, yourself. :)
We have rain coming, too. Tomorrow is supposed to be a temp breaking day and we are supposed to hit 70˚F. Then we slip into the 20s and stay there. Wonderful that your daughter is enjoying the conference(s).
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a wonderful rest of the week. xo Diana
Enjoy your day of warm temperatures before the cold of the winter starts! Thank you, Diana. Hope you have a wonderful week, yourself. :)
DeleteYou must have been thrilled to get so much rain, even if it was cold. I think you need to keep warm for your health, especially at times when you are sitting down to do crafts or watch something. Some of us just don't keep as warm as others. I love to put a fluffy throw over my legs when watching Britbox. I hope the chrysanthemums do well. Nice that your daughter was able to go to dinner with other conference attendees.
ReplyDeleteI was, Bushlady. I also found out on the evening news that downtown received 2 inches of rain! Which is great!
DeleteThank you, Bushlady. I have the heater on, right now! I do have several blankets out, ready to be pulled over me if I'm sitting on a sofa. I'm just cold blooded, I guess! My daughter is on her way back, this evening. I'm waiting for her call to say she's arrived safely.
Soup sounds like a lovely meal on a rainy day. The photo is very pretty - though it does look wet!
ReplyDeleteSoup is a wonderfully warming meal on a cold and wet day, isn't it? Thank you! Yes, it was still drizzling when I took the photo!
DeleteChatting with friends and family on a rainy day sounds pretty good to me. I think the house always seems more chilling when it is damp outside. We have enjoyed far too gradual a transition to fall this year, it usually seems to change overnight. I am hoping we don't pay for it with a harsh winter.
ReplyDeleteIt does feel colder when it is rainy, doesn't it? I, too, hope that the more gradual transition to fall doesn't mean a harsher winter. I hope you are having a good week, so far.
DeleteHow wonderful - you got some rain. Some real rain! That picture makes me so happy for your garden and for all the plants living in your area. And you were nice and cozy making soup in your warm house.
ReplyDeleteWe have some rain coming later this afternoon and tomorrow so I made some soup today too. lol. It just seems like the right thing to do sometimes.
You were lucky to get the chrysanthemums from M's client. He is nice to bring you plants. I hope they do well for you.
I've been bouncing back and forth between whether or not to have turkey for Thanksgiving. We do enjoy the traditional meal but promised myself last year that I wouldn't do it again because I was worn out afterwards!
I'm back to thinking about spaghetti and meatballs.
I know! Some real rain! It was great!
DeleteHa, ha, I laughed when I read that you made soup, too, because you were expecting it to rain - great minds and all that! :D
It was very kind of M to bring me the rescued plants. He was very surprised, today, to see how well they've picked up after they were planted and watered in. He said they had been in the yard waste bin for several days.
Well, if you promised yourself that you won't prepare the traditional turkey dinner, then, spaghetti and meatballs sounds good to me! Or, how about a roast chicken and just one or two sides? You could roast some potatoes (or sweet potatoes) or a tray of vegetables along side the chicken. My daughter would like to have a rotisserie chicken, she says, as we've not had one in years! Not since the pandemic, anyway! We might do that and have some mashed potatoes and salad on the side. I will want some cranberry sauce, though, and my daughter will want some cornbread and we will both want pie! LOL. You see where this is going, don't you? :D
Yes! See how that happens? lol
DeleteOne thing leads to another, doesn't it? :D
DeleteI hope you are able to save the Chrysanthemums, it's a shame they would have been thrown away like that. X
ReplyDeleteThe chrysanthemums have been planted and they've perked up after being watered. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they will do well. :)
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