Saturday, July 6, 2024

Still Celebrating

Friday Night Dinner

Thursday night's concert and fireworks display was exciting and that excitement meant I couldn't fall asleep until 5:30 a.m. on Friday!  As a result, I slept all morning on Friday!

In the afternoon, daughter tidied up the house and I dusted and vacuumed, as we had invited my late friend A's family to dinner.  The afternoon was quite warm with the high being 97F ("feels like 99F" according to the weather report) and I must admit that I found it tiring (in contrast, today, Saturday, the high was 87F and I've felt quite comfortable).  Yesterday reminded me why I generally don't entertain in the summer!  It's just too hot!  But, with daughter helping me, we got all the dinner preparations done.  

M was here in the evening to tend to the garden and he watered and weeded and planted the raspberry canes in a wooden box a tree had been delivered to one of his other clients.  I had made some peach lemonade and M enjoyed a glass of it before he left.  

Our friends arrived shortly after 8:00 p.m. and the house had cooled off to a fairly comfortable level, with two stand fans set up in the living room and the doors and windows open.  

I served tortilla chips and potato chips as a snack and everyone opted for the peach lemonade instead of the sparkling apple cider that was also offered.  

When it was time for dinner, one of A's daughters said a lovely prayer of thanksgiving for friendship, for gathering together, remembering those who were no longer present and times past and looking forward to continuing friendships in the future, and I said a few words of remembrance of my friend.  

For dinner, we had rice, chicken curry, cashew curry, dhal, sauteed green beans (which my daughter cooked), and homemade tomato chutney.  I had prepared a spicy sauteed potato dish, too, but, I had kept it in the fridge and we forgot all about it until after dinner was over and our friends had left!  Oops!  I don't have an automatic ice dispenser in my fridge/freezer and the tray of ice I had made was buried under bags of frozen blueberries and peaches.  So, we put several bottles of water to cool and just kept the bottles on the table.  I had stacked the plates at one end of the table and kept the flatware near the plates; the girls then placed the plates on the table and put the flatware on the plates.  We didn't pull the table out from the wall and the three girls sat in a row on one side.  Everyone enjoyed the meal and we had  two flavors of ice cream for desser. 

Afterwards, I served some of the leftovers into containers (old yogurt containers that I had saved), added a new jar of tomato chutney, and gave them to take home.  I told them that I didn't need the containers back, so, that's 5 containers decluttered!  Friend A's older daughter's birthday had been at the end of June, so, we gave her the birthday gifts we had bought and made for her.  

I was feeling tired by the end of the evening and daughter put away the leftovers for me (which was when we realized that the dish of sauteed potatoes was still in the fridge) and loaded the dishwasher.  

Today, Saturday, daughter and I relaxed in the morning.  In the afternoon, we went to pick up two new stand fans that we had ordered.  The stand fans I have been using are over 20 years old (probably more like 25 years old) and while they both work, one is broken at the base and I've duct taped it to the stand and the plastic casing around the motor has a big piece broken off.  The other fan no longer holds the angle it is set at and the part with the fan blades tilts down and the wire cage knocks against the stand and makes a racket that sounds like a helicopter taking off!  So, yesterday, we ordered two new stand fans and today, we went and picked them up at the store.  One store was all out of them and the other store had only five left, but, we were able to purchase two of them.  They were on sale for 15% off and each fan cost a little under $28, including sales tax, which I thought was reasonable, although I don't think that they will last for 25 years!.

Then, we went to the grocery store and daughter went inside to pick up another half gallon of milk ($2.79), a pint of half and half ($2.69_, and a dozen mini croissants ( $4.29; I had a $0.70 off digital coupon for them).  My total came to $9.77, bringing my July grocery spending to date up to $80.08.

We had croissant sandwiches (with salmon and lettuce as the filling) for a late afternoon brunch.  

I did a load of laundry, watered portions of the back garden, gave Dancer his flea prevention medications, and called friend R to check on her.  Later in the evening, after it had cooled down, daughter and I went for a very short walk, just up and down our driveway and along the sidewalk.  Today, I developed a slight pain in my side, so, I stopped after less than 10 minutes of walking.  Don't ask me how I managed the walk up the incline on Thursday.

The neighbors are having another birthday party, but, the music is not as loud.  They are also sending up fireworks (which are illegal within city limits).

Tonight's dinner will be leftovers from last night.

I am grateful for:

- Being able to have friend A's family over to dinner
- Daughter's help with all the preparations and cleaning up, afterwards
- M's help with the garden
- Being able to order and pick up new fans
- Getting in even a short walk

My joyful activities have including having friends to dinner and spending time with daughter.

Plans for tomorrow include going to see daughter's friend who had a baby at the end of June.  Afterwards, daughter said she will need to pack.  She will work from home on Monday and fly back to Berkeley in the evening.

How is your weekend coming along?

20 comments:

  1. Time spent with your friends and meal sound wonderful. I'm sure it was a nice tiredness you felt after all your celebrations. Your fans did well to have lasted so long and your new ones will be a welcome addition. We haven't had to use our fans yet in fact the opposite is true as we have only had a brief glimpse of summer and it feels like autumn has returned. I hope the pain in your side has gone maybe it was an after effect of your walk up the incline the evening before. Enjoy the time with your daughter's friend and a baby, that will be nice. A shame the time has almost come for your daughter to return, you've had a wonderful time with her.

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    1. Yes, it was, Eileen, and I enjoyed the evening very much. I don't think the new fans will last half as long - daughter is on her third stand fan in 10 years, at her apartment!
      I'm sorry you are having such a cool summer, so far. But, maybe August will be better.
      The pain in my side went away and today I managed to walk for a bit without any pain.
      We enjoyed the visit with my daughter's friend and her mother was there, too, which was nice. I was so happy to hold the baby!
      Yes, daughter is packing her suitcase as I type this. She will work from home, tomorrow and then, fly out after work. I'm starting to miss her, already!

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  2. Avete fatto proprio bene a fare questa festa, anche se vi siete stancati notevolmente credo che vi siate altrettanto divertiti e alla fine รจ proprio questo quello che conta

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    1. According to Google Translate, Stefania wrote:
      "You did really well to have this party, even if you got very tired I think you had just as much fun and in the end that's exactly what counts"

      Thank you, Stefania. Yes, I enjoyed having my friends over to dinner and that is exactly what counts. :)

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  3. I've had a very lazy weekend, except for cleaning the bathroom. I've lolled around, napped, watched some TV. But I do have to clean and change 5 litter trays today. Then I think I will probably loll some more. Although I do have a pile of ironing that is so tall it is nearly falling over, so perhaps I should do that. Love FD xx

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    1. Weekends are for relaxing. I complain about cleaning one litter box; I can't imagine having to clean 5! Maybe the ironing can wait another day?

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  4. When you said you were having friends for dinner, I thought it might be your friend A's family with your daughter home and being close to her daughters.
    I didn't realize you had always spent the 4th with them until your post yesterday.
    Your menu sounds delicious and the potato story is funny. I think we all have those kind of stories don't we?
    Maybe the area of your leg that gets painful (tendons? muscles?) is not affected by incline/decline walking like it is with flat surfaces. Time for Bless to go find small hills to climb and find out. yes? no?
    Yeah for new fans. Fans make things much more bearable in the heat.

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    1. You guessed correctly! We didn't always spend the 4th with them, but, did so most years.
      Yes, it's not the first time a dish was forgotten in the fridge! I should have posted a list of the dishes on the fridge door like I do for almsgivings. :)
      I went for a walk today, on flat ground and felt no pain. So, I really don't know what causes the pain.
      Daughter assembled the new fans, today; fans are definitely good things to have.

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  5. Sounds like a lovely dinner. I've forgotten things in the fridge before, but no one every went hungry when I did. It sounds like you should have a day of much earned rest today.

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    1. It's not the first time I've forgotten something in the fridge. Often, it is a salad. But, as you said, no one went hungry. Next time, I'll post the menu on the fridge door, so we can make sure everything has been taken out and warmed up!

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  6. What a wonderful dinner party! The food sounds amazing. I love the prayers and words of remembrance marking your special gathering of continuing friendship. It’s a lot of effort to entertain and I’m glad it was rewarding.
    It’s still quite warm in New York. I took a walk later in the evening, but it hadn’t cooled off.

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    1. Thank you, Taconix. Yes, it was a good gathering and a celebration of three generations of friendship. :)
      That's good that you waited until evening to walk when it is so warm.

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  7. Your dinner sounds wonderful! You and your daughter set quite a lovely table and variety of food. I've forgotten a dish in the fridge once or twice (or more!) so I understand how it can happen. Now you can rest and be gentle with yourself so the side pain doesn't return. Enjoy your evening with your daughter.

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    1. Thank you, Celie. Yes, I guess we've all forgotten a dish once or twice! :D I walked a bit, today, and there was no pain. It's just a random thing that happens from time to time.

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  8. Sounds like a fantastic day! It's great to celebrate and share food with family and friends.

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    1. Thank you, Sharon. It was a good day and yes, it was great to spend time with friends. :)

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  9. Your table looks elegant set out with the food, and peach lemonade (makes me thirsty to look at it). You did well to get 15% off the price of the fans and I hope they will last a long time, perhaps 25 years like the others!

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    1. Thank you, Bushlady. Everyone was very happy with the peach lemonade. I was happy to get the fans at that price and I hope that they will last me a long time. We shall see. :)

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  10. A lovely way to continue the celebrations. I always enjoy having friends round for dinner, as I find that it's so much more relaxed than eating out. Xx

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    1. Thank you, Jules; I, too, prefer to entertain at home than go out to eat, although there's more work involved.

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