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| Osteospermum |
It started raining around midnight, last night and it drizzled practically all day. In the evening, however, around 5:00 p.m., it started raining in earnest, with lightning and thunder! I was watching the evening news and it was interrupted with a flood watch alert. Fortunately, not in my area, although I am expecting some rain to get into the garage, as the side door has got warped from the rain and will not close properly!
Daughter's office sent out an email notification to all saying that the office building is closed for the day due to a power outage. Her apartment building still has power, though, which is good because she has food in her fridge and freezer. But, of course, she was working remotely, from home, down here and we had power,
Yesterday, I had dusted most of the living room after I took down the Christmas decorations. Today, I dusted the one piece of living room furniture I didn't dust yesterday, the bookcase. Then, I dusted the windowsills and washed the windows from the inside. The rain was washing them from the outside! I also washed the inside of the front door. Then I polished two brass wall decorations. Finally, I vacuumed the living room, dining area, kitchen, and the hallway. I also did a load of laundry (bathroom rugs, kitchen rug, Dancer's rug, etc.). The living room cleaning is mostly completed; I just have to polish one more brass decorative item and then put them all back in place.
Later, I emptied all the waste baskets inside the house and took the trash can to the end of the driveway for pick up in the morning.
Brunch had been the last croissant, sandwiched with a slice of ham and lettuce (me) and a toasted bagel with butter (daughter). Dinner was rice, leftover salmon, freshly made cucumber salad, and peach chutney. Cut up fresh mango for dessert, followed by a piece of love cake.
After dinner, I chatted with friend R and neighbor T and swept the bathroom. It was a productive day and I'm happy with what I was able to accomplish today.
Today, I am grateful for:
- Daughter is able to work from home
- Rain for the garden
- Raincoats (mine's rather old, bought back in late 1990s, but, it's still effective)
- A good roof that keeps the rain out
- A productive day
Today's joyful activity was cleaning the living room - it really brought me joy to be able to get the room dusted and vacuumed and the windows and door washed.
Tentative meal plan for this week's dinners:
Monday: Leftover salmon with freshly cooked rice, cucumber salad, and peach chutney; mango and love cake for dessert
Tuesday: Teriyaki chicken drumsticks with rice, snow peas and carrots stir fry; mandarins for dessert
Wednesday: Rice with curried chick peas/garbanzo beans, spicy sauteed potatoes, and green beans; cucumber salad; mango and love cake for dessert
Thursday: Leftovers (if any); boxed mac & cheese with tuna, if not; mandarins for dessert (there will probably be cake, too).
Friday: Pot stickers/gyoza; maybe ramen noodles; fruit salad for dessert
Saturday: Ham or turkey tetrazzini with green peas; home canned peaches for dessert
Sunday: Beef stew or beef pot pies if I feel ambitious enough to make pastry; or maybe top with mashed potatoes, instead. Ice cream for dessert.
Whether I follow the plan will depend on how energetic I feel when it comes to cooking. But, the chicken drumsticks have been taken out to thaw, so tomorrow's dinner will probably go according to the plan! LOL.
How was your Monday? What's on your meal plan for the week?
You certainly were busy doing all your household chores, I'm afraid I do find housework a chore but will have to start on mine today. I'm pleased your garden is getting lots of much needed rain, we are having more than our fair share. I had a grocery delivery yesterday but kept it small as still food in the freezer bought for Christmas and the New Year.
ReplyDeleteThere are times when I enjoy doing the housework and then, there are times when it is the last thing I want to do. I try to take advantage of the times when I enjoy it and get more accomplished, but, then, I tend to over do things and get too tired! I'm learning to pace myself!
DeleteThe rain is a blessing, but, when a month's worth of rain falls in a couple of days, then, it can be a problem! It poured with rain all night and this morning, but, it stopped at 11:00 a.m., almost as if someone turned off the shower! There is another band of rain in the forecast, though, for later this week.
Glad you received your grocery delivery; sometimes, all one needs is a small order to top up what you have on hand.
Hope your day is going well, Eileen, and may I say how nice it is to have you commenting on my blog, again? :)
It sounds like your daughter not going home yet was the right decision with the storms going on there. Glad that you get to spend a little more time together before she returns.
ReplyDeleteThank you, June; yes, I think it was the right decision. She would have been stuck in her apartment, anyway, and worrying about how she was to go grocery shopping, etc., if the roads are flooded.
Deleteha! maybe i do some house cleaning today, your post is very encouraging. I do not do meal plans, ehh lots of berries in the freezer, I make sure we eat them daily at least in two of the 3 meals per day i cook. As i used up all the vegetables from the harvest, i make sure i buy lots. And that is my way of cooking, always around what veggie i pull out of the fridge and which berries i pull out of the freezer
ReplyDeleteI struggle with getting my house cleaning done on a regular basis and that tends to be a problem for me. But, I'm glad that you found my post to be very encouraging. :)
DeleteSounds like your way of preparing meals based on the vegetables and berries you have on hand work well for you. :) I always have a couple of things I can prepare for a quick meal, but, I find it helpful to know in advance what I will be making so I know to take things out of the freezer in time for it to thaw or put dried beans, etc., to soak the night before and so forth. :)
You are very ambitious with your meals. Good food is such a pleasure. My Monday was very rainy. I enjoyed watching a movie on the couch. It feels cozy inside by the fire.
ReplyDeleteMaybe too ambitious? That's why I said it was a tentative plan! LOL. I think I tend to cook more when my daughter is home. Today, I made fried rice for a late lunch, using some leftover rice and a leftover sausage. :)
DeleteWe are getting quite a bit of rain, aren't we? I suppose it is snowing at your cabin?
So glad you get a little extra time with your daughter.
ReplyDeleteI do not like housework__ever. I do it because I have to, but it is never enjoyable for me. I have found if I take my iPad to a room and tune in to a movie, I can bear it a little better. Thankfully I am one of those people who can just listen, instead of having to watch the whole time.
Thank you, Anne. It's good to have my daughter home with me for a bit longer than initially planned. :)
DeleteHousework is probably the least enjoyed household task that many of us do, but, I do enjoy it from time to time. I have to be in the mood for it, though. A friend of mine listens to audio books and pod casts when she does housework, I sometimes listen to music, so your listening to a movie makes a lot of sense to me. Something to keep you entertained while you clean. :)
We are getting news reports about the severe weather in California and I am glad your daughter is with you, and that you are not in a flood area. I hope the power will stay on in her apartment. I love the pink flower. You have been so productive, you put me to shame as I have spent far too much time on a new jigsaw puzzle which is intriguing as it comes without a picture to follow! It is a murder mystery puzzle with clues in the picture. I'm justifying my slacking off because I think I am "bushed", spending too much time in the wilderness with the squirrels, and still at the tail end of this 3 week cold!
ReplyDeleteParts of the state are experiencing some terrible storms. I'm very thankful that, so far, my area is not affected! The local news showed some toppled trees in an adjoining neighborhood; I keep going to the window and peering up at my eucalyptus tree! So far, it seems OK (I had planned to have it trimmed again this year, in the summer; I might bring that date forward, a bit!)
DeletePlease don't feel bad about spending time working on your jigsaw puzzle. For one thing, you are recovering from your cold and for another, this is not a competition. If it makes you feel better, though, I didn't do any housework, today. I did some mending, instead, some cooking, and a lot of relaxing! :)
Wow - you got a lot of cleaning done - and not just the normal cleaning - and it was on your joy list which is telling. It must mean a lot to you to be able to keep your home clean if it brings you not only satisfaction but joy :)
ReplyDeleteI am glad you and your daughter are safe and dry with all of your rains. Yes, a good roof that keeps the rain out is something to be grateful for that's for sure.
Your meal plan sounds varied and delicious.
What's on my meal plan? Black Beans! lol
It really did bring me joy, Debra. The living room has always been a fairly clean and tidy place, but, it feels good to have it deep cleaned for the new year. When this area comes around again, it'll be March and time for a little spring cleaning.
DeleteWe're getting a couple of dry days before the next rain storm arrives. I'm very thankful that we've escaped the destruction the rains have brought to other areas and hope that it will continue to be so.
Thank you; the meal plan has worked out for the first couple of days! Black beans and rice, black beans with corn and tomato with cornbread...many ways to have black beans!
I like the sound of your meal plan. I would call in but the weather in your state is a bit worrying to say the least so I will give it a miss this time!
ReplyDeleteYour garden is liking the rain if the osteospermum is anything to go by. It's a pretty colour.
I'm supposed to be cleaning my house, referred to as The Big Clean, which sums up how it feels in my mind! It's slow going so far. I'm hoping to have a cleaner again before the end of the year, that's my dream anyway. xx
Thank you, Eileen. Yes, the weather is not the best, right now, for a visit, but, maybe another time...if we haven't washed away to the sea by then! :D
DeleteOh, the garden is loving the rain! My whole front garden is full of osteospermum seedlings! I'm waiting until they become a bit bigger to take a picture, but, they are popping up, everywhere! As I told M today, if just half of them grow, I'll have an osteospermum lawn!
You've already done so much cleaning and organizing! That whole dining room, for example, and the big sorting out in the garage. Give yourself a break. :)
I hope that you remembered to photograph the love cake for "L" ... or at least a piece of it (if there is any left!!) At least you have lantanas in abundance!
ReplyDeleteYes, I did! :D And I also took a photo of the lantana! :D
DeleteDusting is the most dreaded part of housecleaning for me. I'd much rather be scrubbing something.
ReplyDeleteI like dusting; scrubbing takes energy! If we lived closer to each other, we might have been able to trade off dusting and scrubbing. :D
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