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| Camellias from M |
Tuesday night was so cold (38F was our low) that I added yet another blanket - one I knitted - on the bed! But, I didn't put the heater on.
It was 54F inside the house when I woke up and 53F outside! It was partly sunny outside and, after my morning cup of tea and prayers, etc., I went outside to stroll around the garden, thinking it might be warmer in the sunshine than inside the house. It felt a bit warmer in the sunshine, but, there was a cold wind blowing, so I came inside. I was wearing four layers and still feeling cold, so I put the heater on. A little later, clouds moved in and the temperature outside dropped to 49F and it rained a little bit.
M showed up a little later, to tend to the garden. He brought me some camellia flowers from his garden. He grows them for showing and he said he won 1st place, a 2nd place, and a 3rd place in a flower show last weekend. He told me the names of the flowers, but, I only remember one of them - the white one with pink flecks (lower right when looking at the photo) is named Princess Masako. He said it was for my daughter who loves all things Japanese (yes, he knows she's gone back to Berkeley); I sent her a picture of it! LOL.
We chatted a bit and I served him some of the banana muffins I had baked. Then, he started to work on the garden, weed whacking some of the overgrown patches of grass. Not five minutes later, there was a clap of thunder and it rained and hailed! M took shelter under the patio and I told him to just call it a day and go home. There wasn't a lot of hail, fortunately, and I don't think it affected any of the plants.
Later in the afternoon, there was sunshine. I spent the afternoon watching some videos and sewing. I also took out a turkey carcass from the freezer and simmered it to make some stock for soup. The forecast calls for rain and colder temperatures over the next three days and I thought that soup would be good for meals, along with leftover sausages.
Brunch was leftover pancakes from yesterday; I had two of them with jarred seeni sambol and one with pancake syrup. Dinner was leftover sausages, vegetables, and mashed potatoes. That's the end of the mashed potatoes, but, there are two more sausages left. I might boil some pasta to go with them.
In the evening, I watched news, darned the heels of two more knitted socks, chatted with friend R, video chatted with my daughter, and did the dishes.
Plans for tomorrow include making the soup and doing some paperwork.
Today, I am grateful for:
- A gift of flowers
- The hail didn't damage any of the plants
- M's help with the garden
- Working heaters and other appliances
- Chats and emails with friends
Today's joyful activities included video chatting with my daughter and walking in the garden.
How was your Wednesday? What are your plans for Thursday?
I;m sure your daughter would be pleased to see the photo of the flower M brought for her, they are all lovely flowers and what a gifted man to win prizes for them. Sounds like you are having some very unusual weather and I wish it would warm up for you. It's not too cold here and we are having some sunshine and not much rain thank goodness. I need to go and get some cash today as my card didn't work at the grooming salon, probably me forgetting my pin number although she kindly said it was her machine :)
ReplyDeleteDaughter was happy to see the photo of the flower M brought for her. They have a special bond as he's known her since she was born. He is a very accomplished gardener; I'm lucky to have him tend to my garden.
DeleteIt is cold! 45F (7.2C) right now (at 1:40 p.m.) and rainy. I am all bundled up and have the heater on!
I'm glad it's not too cold there and you have some sunshine and not too much rain. Hope you are able to get the cash you want and hope the card will work the next time you use it. :)
Colder weather here too. I had a hot water bottle in bed last night. We have a dinner guest tomorrow so I expect to do lots of housework today!
ReplyDeleteI have an old hot water bottle; I must see if it leaks and use it if it doesn't. Last night, I warmed up my bed with the heating pad while I said my nightly prayers (unplugged the heating pad just before I got into bed). But, I have the heater on, today.
DeleteSounds like you have a busy day! Hope you don't get too tired, cleaning!
Do you get hail often? We had a thunderstorm the other day with tiny hail stones. That was highly unusual for the middle of winter. Yesterday we had sleet. More par for the course for this time of year. So M has prize winning flowers. He cares for so many gardens, I don't know when he has time to sleep.
ReplyDeleteWe get hail, occasionally, maybe once a year. Last year, it hailed in parts of the city in February, but, I only received some rain. But I had hail in March, 2021. I always get excited when it does hail!
DeleteM grows many prize winning plants and flowers and sometimes, he is a judge at flower shows. He has a very packed schedule and I know he has turned down some potential clients due to a lack of time. I'm lucky that he continues to tend to my garden; it'll be 30 years this March!
I am glad you had no hail damage. It can be merciless.
ReplyDeleteYes; fortunately, it didn't hail a lot and the hail stones were small. But, I dread what this cold spell might do to the plants - it's supposed to go down to 36F on Saturday night!
DeleteYour gardener's camellias are pretty! And so many varieties. I have a variety that blooms in the winter. I saw a special about the Queen of England (former) and that was her favorite plant. andrea
ReplyDeleteThey are very pretty, aren't they? This is the season for camellias over here. I had a camellia plant in my garden, but, it died during one of our droughts and I didn't replace it.
DeleteSorry that you are so cold. I wish I could send you some of our wood furnace heat! It is hard for you to heat when fuel sources are so expensive. Please congratulate M on his success at the flower show. His camellias really are lovely. Your weather sounds grim. We had a tiny amount of snow overnight and our plow guy showed up this morning. We have intermittent light snow and sleet today and are staying home.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bushlady; I decided to heat the house, today, as it is 45F this afternoon (we are supposed to go up to 52F according to the forecast, but, I doubt if we'll reach it). I think the house was 51F when I woke up; I was all bundled up and still feeling cold; it took the heater over 4 hours to reach 65F!
DeleteI will tell M that you congratulated him. He'll be happy to hear it.
Glad your plow guy showed up and cleared the driveway. Sounds like your weather is not the most pleasant, either! Good idea to stay home and be warm!
The camellia flowers are beautiful. It sounds like you have a very talented gardener in M with his successes at the flower show ... congratulations to him. It seems strange for you to be writing about cold weather and hail storms. We've been having the same weather here but it's not what I expect for where you live. I can understand your need to be wearing extra layers and do hope you are managing to keep yourself warm. Our forecast is for snow in early March which I hope is wrong as I have tickets to go to London on the 12th and don't want worries about travelling in poor conditions! xx
ReplyDeleteThe flowers are lovely, aren't they? I do have a very talented gardener and I will convey your congratulations to him. He will be pleased. :)
DeleteIt's rainy and cold (45F/7.2C), although today's high is supposed to be 52F. I gave in and heated the house to 65F this morning and turned the heater off. I might put it back on in the evening, too.
Oh, I hope you won't get snow in early March or, if you do, then, the snow will be melted by the time you go to London.
I always feel that hail is scary weather - it can be so destructive. I'm glad most of your plants were spared. M sounds really talented and someone who loves all growing things.
ReplyDeleteHand knitted blankets are, in my opinion, incredibly warm and snuggly. I hope that you keep snug and safe over the next few days.
Hail can do a lot of damage; fortunately, I didn't get a lot of hail and they were small in diameter. M is a wonderful gardener and I'm lucky to have him tend to my garden all these years (it'll be 30 in March since his late aunt, who was a neighbor, got him to mow the front lawn because it was overgrown and I was in the hospital having my daughter).
DeleteThe blankets and quilts kept me nice and warm, last night. But, the house was cold when I woke up and I had to turn the heater on! It took forever for it to reach 65F before it shut itself off! Thank you, Lyssa; I will turn the heat on when I need to. :)
That is wonderful - that you have had a relationship for all those years. It shows that you are both good people.
DeleteThank you! We've become friends over the years. :)
DeleteWe must be on the same wavelength. I just boiled some Italian noodles and had them with pot roast and beef broth. Drinking the broth is so healing, and it really does help to keep warm. My dogs are gnawing on the marrow bones from the stock. It keeps them occupied when they can't be outside.
ReplyDeleteI'm assuming you are having snow at the cabin and maybe even at your cottage? Pot roast and beef broth both sounds delicious. Glad the dogs are having the marrow bones to gnaw on. :)
DeleteGlad the hail didn't cause damage. It can be very destructive. Are you getting a blizzard? The news said southern CA and LA area! That would be amazing!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Celie. I know it is snowing quite heavily in the higher elevations and the mountain passes. I'm not sure if they are having blizzard-like conditions or not. So far, I haven't seen any snow in my area! :D It used to snow, occasionally, a few miles north of me, where my late aunt used to live!
DeleteCold here too, i am staying inside this afternoon, a rubber hot water bottle on my lap.
ReplyDeleteGood idea to stay indoors and keep warm, Jozien. I need to test my hot water bottle to see if it leaks or not!
DeleteThe camellias are really pretty. M is very talented. Congratulations to him on his success at the show and winning the ribbons.
ReplyDeleteIt was cold in LA! I am glad you turned on your heater. It is good to be watchful and try to lower the bill but you need to be warm. Balance in all things, right?
Your soup will be wonderful with the homemade stock.
They are such pretty flowers, aren't they? I will pass on your congratulations to M. :)
DeleteIt's practically freezing here! There was hail or something on the ground where the Hollywood sign is, according to the news and a blizzard warning, of all things, in some areas! LOL! It's raining, right now, and 49F ("feels like 43F with wind" according to the weather report).
Yes, I put the heater on, yesterday, too, and kept it on all night! It was nice to wake up to a warmish house (low 60s). I'm keeping the heater on at 65F today, too. Yes, balance in all things. :)
The soup turned out well. :)
The Camellias are beautiful, I'm not surprised M won prizes for them. And wasn't it thoughtful of him to remember your daughter like that.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're managing to keep warm. It's meant to turn chillier here again next week. Xx
The camellias are very pretty, aren't they? I'm glad M won prizes for them. Yes, it was very thoughtful of him to remember my daughter like that. :)
DeleteThank you, Jules; yes, I'm keeping warm (have the heater on, as I type!) Hope you keep warm when your temperatures turn chilly, again.