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| Pomegranate Flower |
The pomegranate tree is flowering; I hope we will get some fruit, this year:
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| Pomegranate Flowers |
Last year, too, it flowered well, but, we didn't get any fruit!
My laptop fan is making a high-pitched whirring noise, so, I'm going to keep off the computer for longer periods of time, now. I've been doing this post in short periods of time, turning the computer off for a few minutes in between. I will catch up on my blog reading in small periods of time. Hopefully, the fan will adjust itself, if not, I might have to take the laptop in to have it checked.
Yesterday (Wednesday) went well. The pharmacy called in the morning to let me know that Dancer's prescription refill was ready for pick up and I said I'll be there in the afternoon. Then, I went for my blood test and that went fairly well. But, the lab tech told me that the lab results might not be available in time for Friday's appointment with the doctor. So, after I came home, I called the cancer clinic and rescheduled my appointment for next week, Friday.
M was still tending to the garden when I came home from the lab and I was able to chat with him for a bit and reimburse him for the packet of pole bean seeds he bought for me. The packet of green beans cost $2.99 (and I gave him a little extra for his time and trouble). One pound of green beans cost $2.99 to buy from the grocery store; I'd better be able to harvest at least two lbs. of green beans to make it worth my while to plant beans and water them! Last year's bean harvest was pitiful!
I had been fasting for my blood test, so, I ate the last of the ground turkey filled patties for brunch. Then, I went to pick up Dancer's medication. I decided not to treat myself to a doughnut and told myself that I will bake a cake, instead!
I had a long chat on the phone with Aunt C and with former neighbor T in the afternoon, and an even longer chat with my daughter after she came home from work.
But, the best news of the day was an email from Dancer's vet, stating that his blood test results showed that his thyroid levels were finally within normal range! It took nearly one year! He will continue to take the dermal medication at the current dose and, I suppose, they will recheck him again, later. That is such a relief to know that he's doing better!
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| Such a Good Boy, Dancer! |
Dinner was leftover fried fish (I warmed it up in the toaster oven and the batter crisped up, nicely), with oven "fried" potato wedges, and cucumber salad:
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| Dinner: Fish and Chips |
Then, I baked that cake I had promised myself! I used a boxed pound cake mix that I had received free from the grocery store some time ago, but, instead of a loaf pan, I used the bundt cake pan:
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| A Slice of Pound Cake |
I added a little grated lemon peel to it, but, I should have used more, I think. I couldn't get any taste of the lemon!
Yesterday, I was grateful for:
- Being able to get my lab work done
- Being able to reschedule my oncology appointment
- Pleasant lab technicians and doctor's office assistants
- Being able to reschedule my oncology appointment
- Pleasant lab technicians and doctor's office assistants
- M tending to the garden and getting the packets of vegetable seeds for me
- Dancer's good news!
- Dancer's good news!
My joyful activity was chatting with my daughter.
Today, Thursday, is a sunny day with a high of 73F. I walked for 20 minutes and enjoyed the sunshine and the birdsong.
Plans for today include some paperwork, mending, and maybe doing a load of laundry.
Tuna salad sandwich for brunch and dinner will be leftover rice, shrimp curry, dhal, and broccoli (have to cook the broccoli)
Today, I am grateful for:
- A sunny and warm day
- Flowers in the garden
- A working computer (even if it is singing to me!)
- Being able to walk for 20 mins. without pain (remember when I couldn't walk for more than 8 mins. max?)
- Flowers in the garden
- A working computer (even if it is singing to me!)
- Being able to walk for 20 mins. without pain (remember when I couldn't walk for more than 8 mins. max?)
- Birdsong (even if the birds have already eaten some of my ripening plums!)
Today's joyful activity is spending the day at home without having to go to any appointments or run any errands! LOL
Hooray for Dancer! He's a tough little kitty.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bushlady; that he is! :)
DeleteI love the flowers. Very pretty.
ReplyDeleteGlad you managed to get the blood test done. Hope the results are good.
I use a cooling pad for my laptop. I find that it gets quite hot as the weather warms up and it sometimes has trouble keeping up. Hope you get it sorted soon!
Thank you, Sharon.
DeleteI must look for a cooling pad; the noise seems to have stopped now - in the morning, it kept coming on every time I turned it on! I was planning on taking it in, tomorrow, to have it checked, but, maybe I'll wait until after the weekend, if the noise continues/comes back again.
Good news about Dancer; it's been a long road!
ReplyDeleteI love the pomegranate flowers. Hope you get fruit, but if not the tree is still worth its keep for ornamental purposes.
I too have a sweet tooth at the moment and have made two cakes lately. It's bad news as I feel my clothes beginning to tighten... I have loads of flour to use up, and that's my excuse!
Ella
Thank you, Ella. Yes, it took some time to get Dancer back to better health, but, I hope that's all in the past, now!
DeleteThe pomegranate tree will continue to have a place in the garden whether it bears fruit or not. As you say, the flowers are pretty and it is supposed to be good luck to have one by the front door (at least, that's what the monks said when they gifted the plant as a housewarming gift!) I have also read that the leaves are edible, although I haven't tried eating them! Might be something to look into!
Ha, ha, I read your newest post and that you had made a ginger cake. It sounded delicious! Having lots of flour to use up is a very valid excuse for making cakes! :D
According to the recipe, the ginger cake is supposed to be best after three days ... I doubt it lasted even two! The stupid thing is that both cakes I have made lately have called for plain flour, so I finished one bag but had to open a new one ... but at least in the ginger cake I used some oldish black treacle and in the apple cake finished some ailing apples. Meanwhile I have two half-bags of self-raising flour in the cupboard, one slightly out of date and one slightly more out of date! I'm sure both are still fine but they can't stay there forever. (It's all because sister keeps giving me her leftovers - I even donated one unused bag I had bought to the food bank, as it had a couple of months left on it and I thought it best that someone else benefit.) And before you say, I did think of trying the cakes with SR flour instead of plain, but both require salt, bicarbonate of soda and warm butter, and I wasn't in the mood for experimenting with those adjustments, and ending up with a failure. Maybe one day, I will, meanwhile, I'll just have to keep baking - with other recipes!
DeleteIt's a good excuse to keep baking! LOL. I usually buy only all purpose flour and add the baking powder, etc., as needed.
DeleteI wasn't going to reply to this thread again, but sod's law ... a few days later Mum gave me yet another bag of flour, this time plain, unopened but out of date!! My heart sank, but I also thought of you of course! It seemed fine so I have made another ginger cake and a chocolate version of the same recipe, both of which were perfectly good and have been v well received. I told D it was because I was trying to use up the flour and he said "You could try harder"!! So I will bake again this week. The black treacle is now all gone but there is still loads of golden syrup to use up, as well as the bicarb, which Laurie left behind last year and which needs to be finished. Believe it or not (snore), I have several more packs which are out of date ... but that can be used for cleaning.
Delete(As to your point about the flour, obviously there is nothing wrong with your policy but I don't know anyone who does that. When out of SR flour, I have on occasion used plain and added my own baking powder but for some reason it just isn't "normal" here. Even at school, our recipe books as a rule specify either SR flour or plain, and if plain the required raising agents are stipulated. But SR flour is very widely used - it costs the same as plain and is so easy/convenient.)
PS If you are wondering (no Ella, we weren't) the two half-bags of old SR flour are still in the cupboard, along with two half-bags of strong flour: one out of date, one in date and a new, full, bag in date. It's all a bit overwhelming - I had to bin two bags that were too old to use, and I really don't approve of waste!
Over and out.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
LOL, I do enjoy reading your comments, so don't worry about commenting again on this post or any other!
DeleteI have seen SR flour in the stores, here, but, most American recipes are written for all purpose flour and give the amount of baking powder and/or baking soda to add. Sometimes I am in the mood to bake, but, then, don't want to be measuring half a teaspoon of this and a quarter teaspoon of that and so, decide not to bake (which is probably better for my blood sugar and weight, anyway). Well, it sounds like you'll be needing to try harder and do a bit more baking to use up that old flour! Your efforts will be well received by the family, I'm sure. :)
Wonderful news that Dancer is doing well. Your pomegranate flowers are lovely, I do hope you get some fruit this year. Hopefully the trouble with your laptop is nothing to worry about maybe it's because the weather is getting warmer.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Eileen; yes, very good news about Dancer! I, too, hope that I'll get some pomegranates, this year.
DeleteI was considering taking the laptop to the shop, on Friday, to have it checked, but, now, it has stopped making that whirring noise, so, I will hold off on taking it in. Maybe it needed to rest for a bit!
Wonderful news about Dancer. He will be so relieved to know that trips in the car will be less. I don't think I have even seen a Pomegranate flower in person - such a pretty flower. Oh dear about your laptop fan. I had something similar & Mr Man was able to give it a good clean - cat hair - all was fine afterwards. :)
ReplyDeleteYes, it's wonderful news about Dancer, isn't it? He will still have to take a monthly trip to the vet clinic for his arthritis injection, though.
DeleteThe pomegranate flowers are pretty, aren't they? I am seeing quite a few of them on my tree and my neighbors' trees.
I was planning to take the laptop in for a check up, today (Friday), but, that whirring fan noise stopped, late yesterday, and it hasn't returned, yet, so far, today. So, I'll wait and take it in if and when it makes a noise, again. I, too, think it might be dust and cat fur, but, I wouldn't know the first thing about cleaning it! You are lucky that Mr. Man was able to clean your laptop. :)
The pomegranate flowers are glorious!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that Dancer is doing okay. He's such a handsome gentleman. Please pass on gentle scritches from me.
The food looks amazing, and I'm confident that it will include pole beans in no time. The cake looks pretty awesome.
Good luck with the laptop.
Thank you, Lyssa; you have Gladys and her gorgeous flowers! I have my pomegranate! LOL.
DeleteDancer says thank you for the compliment! He waited, rather impatiently, I might add, until I put new sheets on my bed and now he's taking his afternoon nap on the fresh sheets!
I do hope I'll get some pole beans to add to my meals! I love green beans. The cake turned out well, if a bit dry. I might make a blueberry compote to go with it!
The laptop is behaving, so far, today! :)
That's fantastic news about Dancer. And a huge relief for you. Xx
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jules. Yes, a big relief! Hopefully, he'll continue to do well.
DeleteGorgeous flowers. And such wonderful news about Dancer! He's enjoying the chin rub! I hope you sort out the laptop trouble quickly. The root canal went smoothly without any trouble. Glad that is over, though. It's nice when you can just spend the day at home relaxing. I finished grading today. A few odds and ends to wrap up before I retire!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Celie; yes, wonderful news about Dancer! I am so relieved!
DeleteThe laptop seems to have resolved its issues and has been working well; apparently, threatening to take it in to the shop prompted it to work without a fuss!
So glad that the root canal went well; I hope you have minimal pain as you recover. I usually have swelling and pain for days!
Are you getting excited about the approaching retirement date? Are you looking forward to it?
Good to hear that Dancer's numbers are better. His weight gain suggested that. When i first had thyroid problems, it took me a year to get the medicine regulated, also.
ReplyDeleteThank you, June; yes, I guess these things take time. They started him off at the lowest dose and steadily increased it. I hope he will be OK from now on. Hope you are doing well, too. :)
DeleteI'm so happy to read the news of Dancer's test results. He has been looking much better in his photos of late - his good health is showing through :)
ReplyDeleteI hope you are able to get your computer problem figured out.
If the fan is a problem maybe it's heating up too much and that is why you're getting kicked off the internet? But what do I know? lol
You were smart to reschedule your doctor's appt. so they will have your blood test results to discuss with you.
Thank you, Debra; it is good news about Dancer, isn't it?
DeleteThe computer kicks me off the internet even when the fan is not working - today, I had to restart it twice within 5 mins of turning it on! You probably know more about computers than I do! Daughter got me a new laptop as a mother's day gift; hopefully, it will work better (just got delivered this morning; but, I haven't set it up, yet)
Thank you; hopefully, the blood test results will be good!