Monday, January 23, 2023

The Weekend

Indian Treats: Jalebi, Samosas and Sauces, and Mango Lassi

We have had a lovely, sunny weekend, with day time highs in the mid 60s (F).

On Saturday, daughter went on a hike with two of her friends (my late friend A's daughters).  On the way back from the hike, they had stopped at an Indian restaurant to pick up some items to go.  Daughter bought some samosas with the dipping sauces that come with it, a cup of mango lassi, and a container of jalebi (a type of sweet) because she knows I love it.  We shared the samosas and the mango lassi; the jalebi is all mine because my daughter finds it to be too sweet! 

I was in the garden, taking some photos on Saturday afternoon, after daughter had left to go on her hike, when the phone rang.  It was neighbor T's daughter calling from next door!  She and T were at the house to pick up a few things and would I like to come over to say hi to T; they'd love to see me!  Of course I said yes!  I put on my mask, took a few mandarins from the fridge and put them into a blue and white china bowl that I had set aside to give away, and went over to visit.  T was seated at the dining table and it was lovely to see her again.  She looked quite well but her daughter explained that they had decided that T will live at the assisted living center for the foreseeable future as she was unable to live on her own without assistance.  They had stopped by the house to pick up a few more items to take back to T's room at the assisted living center.

They are not sure yet what they will do with the house, whether to rent it or sell it.  They are also not sure what they will do with the contents of the house - T has lived there for nearly 50 years and while she probably has fewer items than I do, there's still nearly 50 years worth of belongings to sort through.  Her daughter said they will probably store the contents of the house in a storage unit while they decide what to do.  She said T will not have enough space in her room at the Center for everything (and probably will have no need for things like china, etc.) and there's no room in her own apartment for anything.  She also doubted if her brother, who lives in a different state, will want much, either.  

They did, however, admire the blue and white bowl I put the mandarins in and asked me if I wanted the bowl back.  I said I didn't want to add to their possessions they were having to dispose of, but, I really didn't want it back; they were welcome to keep it or pass it along.  They remarked on the fact that the bowl matched the vase I had given T with some flowers, earlier, and I explained how I used to collect blue and white china and how I was now trying to declutter some of my stuff, myself.  T's daughter said they would love to keep the bowl, that they could always find a use for a bowl, but, if they ever have a yard sale to dispose of some of T's household items, I was welcome to bring some of my items and participate!  I thanked her.  My cousin P (who used to live across the street from me, who has since moved to Florida) and I used to hold joint yard sales many years ago; we never made much money, but, we had fun!  

I didn't stay long, visiting T and her daughter, but, I promised to visit T at the assisted living center, one day.  I felt a little sad to think that T will no longer be able to live in her own home.  I hope if they rent or sell the house, whoever moves in will be good neighbors!

Afterwards, I finished sorting out the shelving unit in the dining area.   I had posted about these shelves earlier, too, back in February 2020.  Gradually, these shelves became easily accessible space to store items and this is how it looked earlier in the week:

Before
The decorative items got pushed aside, food items took up shelf space at the top; the lower cabinet continued to be used to store table linen, kitchen towels, place mats, hot pads, etc.

After

I found room for most of the food items in the pantry cabinets.  But the middle shelf still has jars of peach jam/sauce and a big Tupperware container holding a 5 lb. bag of lentils! I will have to reorganize several kitchen cabinets to find room for them. The other two containers stacked on top of the Tupperware container will go back with my daughter.  I sorted through the table linen and kitchen towels, etc., too, but, didn't declutter anything.

Daughter and I spent a relaxed evening.  Daughter and I had leftover hamburgers for brunch; I didn't cook the meal I had planned to make for dinner and we had samosas and leftovers, instead.

On Sunday, I changed the dust sheets on the family room sofas and did a load of laundry.  Much later in the evening, I ran the dishwasher.  I had a ham sandwich for breakfast and later, daughter and I had some soup for a late lunch.  Dinner was leftovers, again - rice, keema curry, cucumber salad, and peach chutney.  It was a low energy day for me so I took it easy.  The oncologist's office called to confirm the appointment for later in the week (it's an automated call and you press numbers to confirm you are able to keep the appointment or not).

This weekend, I was grateful for:

- Daughter was able to enjoy a hike with friends
- Indian treats to share
- An unexpected visit with neighbor T and her daughter
- Working appliances
- Phone calls and emails from friends

This weekend's joyful activities included visiting with neighbor T and her daughter.

Monday's To Do List:
- Dust the living room and dining room
- Change the bed sheets
- Load of laundry
- Clean the fridge
- Take the trash cans to the end of the driveway
- Maybe water the front garden?

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





 

14 comments:

  1. How lovely that your were able to spend some time with T in her own home, though sad that she will not be returning to live there again. I do hope that you get nice neighbours in there in the future ... I think the best solution would be for T's daughter to move out of her apartment and live there herself!

    The Indian food bought by your daughter was a lovely treat. I love the samosas but would have to pass on the mango lassi (because of the milk) and the jalebi (too sweet!). I'm glad your daughter had the opportunity to spend time with her friends.

    I had personal training this morning and will spend the rest of the day pottering about at home. It was -2ºc when I left the house this morning and since then it has gradually crept up to 3ºc, so way too cold to want to be outside! xx

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    1. It was really nice to visit with T for a short time and I will make the effort to visit her at the assisted care facility. I, too, think that it would be good if T's daughter moved into the house, but, I think, from what she had told me earlier, they will need the proceeds from the sale of the house to pay for T's ongoing stay at the assisted living facility.
      The Indian food was, indeed, a lovely treat! I have to hide the jalebi from myself, but, I love it!
      Brr! That's cold! Good idea to stay inside where it is warm. :)

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  2. So happy that you got to visit with T. It's sometimes sad when there's a big change in someone's life (although sometimes happy), but I'm sure that assisted living is a good thing for T at this point in her life. Everyone will breathe a little easier knowing that she can get the help she needs and is safer in her new place.

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    1. Yes, I was happy to visit with T. I am convinced that assisted living will be a good thing for her as she is not able to do much without assistance and I don't think she is able to live alone. I will continue to phone her weekly and will try to visit her from time to time.

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  3. Your treats look delicious. Regine

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  4. I love Mango Lassi. I had Jalebi years ago when I was probably younger than your daughter, and I found them too sweet, too. I love Samosas. How nice to be able to see your neighbour T, but sad that she will have to give up her home altogether. I like your rearrangement of your shelves. It's so satisfying to do these things, isn't it?
    Today I will strip the Christmas tree and it will go outside for the squirrels to play on. I shall miss sitting and looking at the lights before I go to bed. But I have plans to move the couch when the tree is gone, so that will be interesting.

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    1. My daughter usually doesn't like mango lassi as she doesn't like yogurt, but, this time, she liked it! Jalebi is very sweet, isn't it? But, I love it! :D
      Yes, it was good to see T again; sad to know that she will have to give up her home, but, the assisted living will provide her with the level of daily assistance that she needs.
      Thank you, Bushlady; the shelving unit needed to be tidied up and I'm glad I was able to do it. I'll go through the cook books, next - there are at least two, maybe three, I can let go of, I think.
      Yes, I suppose it is time to take down the Christmas tree now that the family have been and you've had your celebration. Rearranging the furniture will give the room a new look, I'm sure. :)

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  5. That's a shame T will not be able to return to her home to live but nice that you were able to see her and her daughter. If they do sell the house I hope you get good neighbours. Your shelves look much tidier now. I hope your oncologist's appointment goes well which reminds me I have my six monthly infusion next month so need to arrange my blood test.

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    1. Yes, it is too bad that T will not be able to return to her home, but, I know that she is not able to live on her own anymore and having a live-in caregiver 24/7 will be too expensive. I do hope that I'll get good neighbors if they decide to rent or sell the house.
      The shelving unit needed tidying very badly; it's just that I didn't know where I was going to store all the food items. But, I managed to find room for them, elsewhere. :)
      Thank you, Eileen; I'll be getting my bone supplement injection at this visit, myself. I hope you are able to schedule your blood test in good time for your own upcoming appointment. :)

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  6. I hope you get nice neighbors if T decides to sell her house.

    It looks like I have new neighbors. The lady across the street died last year and the house was sold a couple of months ago. New owners are completely renovating the house. I haven't met them yet. I hope they are nice.

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    1. Thank you, Nil; let's hope that we both get good neighbors. It seems that more and more people renovate the houses they buy; I lived in my house for 5 years before I did anything simply because I didn't have any money for renovations and I didn't want to take another loan!

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  7. It's so nice you were able to visit with T in her own home again and also bittersweet that that may be the last time that happens.
    I wish her the best and you the best with whatever happens with her home. You know I'm going through the same thing with my neighbor's house - Fingers crossed for both of us.
    Your shelving unit is now all straightened up and looking good. It's a good feeling to do a task like that isn't it?
    The food your daughter brought home looks very good. I'd never heard of jalebi and had to look it up. So, it's crispy? It look kind of gooey from the pictures.

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    1. It really was nice to visit T in her house and yes, keeping my fingers crossed for both of us when it comes to new neighbors.
      It does feel good to get that shelving unit sorted, but, you know, when the new order of canned cat food arrived, I was very tempted to set them out on that shelving unit! I made room for the cat food in one of my kitchen cabinets, but, this is the problem I have! Accessible storage is at a premium in this house!
      Jalebi is both crispy and gooey! The pastry is deep fried and then, soaked in syrup. When freshly made, it is crispy on the outside; after a day or so, it becomes a bit softer as the syrup gets absorbed. It is delicious and I shouldn't eat too much of it! But, it's a favorite treat!

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