Monthly Goals: August Review and September Goals

It's time to review my monthly goals for August and post my goals for September.  Once again, I am going to focus on those areas of my life - Health, Time Management, and House - that I feel need improvement.

Health, Self-Care & Well Being (6.75)(6.75):  The goal is good health.

August Health Goals Review:

My August health goals included taking my prescribed medications, more regular exercise, and a better diet; there was, in addition, a blood test and a follow-up visit with the oncology nurse practitioner.    To that end, 

- I have been taking my medications and the supplements my doctor recommended that I take.

- I have been walking somewhat regularly, but, not as much as I know I should, for various reasons excuses.
- I have been trying to improve my diet by keeping track of the variety of plant based foods I eat and servings of fruits and vegetables per day. 

- The blood test results were mostly good

- The medical appointment went well and my 5 lbs. weight reduction was reflected when I was weighed at the doctor's office.

-  I received my bone density booster injection and I have been scheduled for a bone density scan in September.

I'm keeping my satisfaction rating the same because I feel that I didn't walk enough to raise it. 

September Health Goals: continue to work on the above goals.  I have a bone density scan scheduled for the second week of September.  I will continue to try to improve my diet, water consumption, and movement levels.

Time Management (8.0)(8.25): The goal is to spend my time in a mindful manner.

- Spend time purposefully, mindfully

- Procrastinate less

August Goals Review:
I feel that I was better at managing my procrastination tendencies, in August.  Once again, the important things such as paying bills and scheduling appointments were accomplished in a timely manner, but, this time, I did them well ahead of time, without waiting until the last minute!  It has eliminated a lot of the constant reminders to myself to do x, y, and z.  

I have raised the rating very slightly because I feel better about my time management in August.    

September Time Management Goals: To continue to spend my time in a mindful manner and to procrastinate less.  

House (8.5)(8.75):  The goal is a home that is pleasant, comfortable, and welcoming.

August House Goals Review:

I am pleased with what I was able to do to get the house cleaned and maintained.  I have dusted and vacuumed, swept and mopped, and horizontal surfaces have been cleared and kept cleared.  I have sorted out a couple of the kitchen cabinets, too, and the junk drawer.  I've decluttered some containers and jars and things I had kept thinking they would be useful.  I had not used them in almost a year, so I was able to toss them.  

Kitchen Junk Drawer - Before

Kitchen Junk Drawer - After

There are still a couple of cords at the very back and I am not quite sure which appliances they belong to, but, I am keeping them for the time being, just in case they belong to one of the appliances I keep in the garage (my electric wok, for example). 

I've raised the rating by a little, because I am able to look around the house and feel it is not too bad!  

September House Goals: Continue to keep a pleasant, well maintained house and keep the horizontal surfaces cleared. I need to keep at it and continue to declutter.  

The rest of the areas in my life are being maintained.  They are no less important than the areas listed above, but, I'm quite satisfied with how they are progressing.

Spiritual (10)(10):   The goal is to live a spiritually meaningful life.

August Spiritual Goals Review:
I continued doing the things I consider as important to live a spiritually meaningful life with daily prayers, meditation, being kind and helpful to others, and cultivating gratitude.  I'm keeping the same rating.    

September Spiritual Goals: Continue to pray daily, meditate, cultivate gratitude, etc.

Daughter (10)(10):  The goal is to continue to have a close relationship with her.

 

August Goals Review:  

My goal was to continue to maintain a close relationship with my daughter, and I believe I did that. There is no change in the satisfaction rating.   

September Goals: Continue to have a close relationship with my daughter.

Leisure/Crafts/Hobbies (10)(10):  The goal is to relax doing something I enjoy doing for the pleasure of it.

August Goals Review:
My August goals included engaging in more fun, relaxing activities including crocheting, reading and gardening and I did all of those.  I read the maximum number of e-books I was allowed to borrow from the online library, I continued to read a book a friend sent me, I did some crewel embroidery, I played the piano a few times, I gardened, watched videos, and, crocheted.   I am keeping the rating the same.   

September Goals include more of the same. 

Garden (10)(10):  The goal is a garden that is productive, yet drought tolerant.

August Goals Review:
My August garden goals were to continue to nurture the fruit trees and vegetable plants and to maintain the garden.  I was able to do that with M's help.  I am keeping the rating the same.

September Garden Goals:  Continue to nurture the fruit trees, start cleaning up the vegetable beds and maintain the garden.  

Family/Friends/Community (10)(10):  The goal is to have a close connection with family and friends and be involved with my community.

- Regular phone calls and emails, etc., to keep in touch with family and friends
- The occasional in person visits as and when I feel comfortable with doing so

- Participate in the blogging community and the online organizing community

August Goals Review:
August was another good month for keeping in touch with family and friends.  There weren't many in person visits, but, I called and reached out to a niece I hadn't spoken to in at least a couple of years, I video chatted with my step father's sister, and there were regular phone calls, emails, messages, etc., with various other family members and friends.  I participated in the blogging community, as well, and interacted with neighbor S and her daughters.  I am keeping the rating at 10.

September Goals will continue to be the same as above.  

Finances (10.0)(10.0):  The goal is financial security.

- Continue budgeting and spending mindfully, with purpose

August Goals Review:

My August goal was to continue to budget and spend mindfully, with purpose and I believe that I have met my goals.  

September Financial Goals: Continue to budget and spend mindfully, with purpose.

I am pleased with how August turned out.  I raised the ratings by just a little bit in the Time Management and House areas.  The rest remained the same and I am content with that.  I hope that September will to be another more balanced month.

How was your August?  Did you feel that there was balance in the different areas of your life?

To Review or Not to Review

That is the question!  

Every now and then, I write a review of a book I've read.  I don't post these reviews for any reason other than I enjoy reading other bloggers' reviews of books and I hope that my readers might enjoy reading my reviews, too.  Plus, sometimes, it's good to look back and remember reading a particular book.

So, imagine my surprise when, earlier this week, I received an email from a book publicist, stating that she came across my blog through the review of the book, The East Indian and suggesting another book, a debut historical fiction novel, that takes place during the British Raj, set in India, but, from the perspective of an American missionary family based on the author's real family history.

The publicist provided some information about the book, but, what really got me all excited was an offer to send me a copy of this book for me to review on my blog!  I had never imagined something like that happening!

To say that I was interested is an understatement.  BUT, and I hate that there is a but, I was nervous about needing to give out my name and mailing address to a complete stranger.  Yes, I've taken a chance and done that, once or twice, but, with the recent news of computer hacking and data breaches, etc., I felt I needed to be cautious.  

So, I emailed her back and declined the offer, saying I will try to obtain a copy of the book from the library (provided the library gets a copy when it becomes available; I've checked the library website and they don't have this book yet) and then, read and post a review.

She replied saying she understood my reluctance to give out my address, and offered to send me a PDF copy of the book, instead.  That sounded like an acceptable alternative, but, then, downloading an attachment from an unknown person has its own risks in terms of computer viruses, doesn't it?  I had one bad experience with malware, clicking on an attachment that I thought was valid!  So, I am going to decline that offer, too.  I will, once again, say that I hate this need to be so cautious!

However, since I feel so honored to have been approached by this publicist, I am going to do something I haven't done before - I am going to post the information on a book I have not read yet!  

The following excerpt is from the email that the publicist sent me:

"Award-winning poet Joanne A. Howard is debuting her first historical fiction novel inspired by her family’s history as missionaries in India. A commentary on colonialism that has impacted Indian society for generations, packed into an engrossing read for fans of The Poisonwood Bible and The Inheritance of Loss.

Sleeping in the Sun (She Writes Press, Oct 22, 2024) follows young George Hinton and his Indian servant, Arthur, in British-ruled India, as scandalous truths unfold around a mysterious family friend who comes to live with the Hintons. Told from two different perspectives, Joanne interweaves the experiences of someone with privilege and someone without, while displaying rich descriptions of the Indian landscape. Sleeping in the Sun will transport you to another time where British influence in India only benefited one group of people.

About the book: In the last years of the British Raj, an American missionary family stayed in Midnapore, India. Though the Hintons enjoy white privileges, they have never been accepted by British society and instead run a boarding house on the outskirts of town where wayward native Indians come to find relief. Young Gene Hinton, it’s a chance to make friends with Arthur, his family’s Indian servant. When Uncle Ellis, a high-ranking British judge, suddenly arrives and announces he’ll be staying indefinitely in their humble house, life as Gene knows it is interrupted. Also skeptical is Arthur. Then an Indian woman appears on their doorstep—and, after growing close to her, Arthur learns the sinister truth about the judge. He must now decide where his loyalties lie—and the Hintons must decide if they can still call India home."

It does sound like an interesting book, doesn't it?  I do hope the library will get a copy.  If not, I might have to break my own rule about not buying any more books!

What do you think?  Do you think I am being too cautious?  Would you have accepted an offer of a book to review?  

The Back Garden in August

 

The Back Garden in August

Having seen the front garden, shall we check out the back garden?  This is the view of the back garden, seen from the back steps.  Two of the trees at the very back belong to my neighbors, but, they do draw ones eyes all the way to the back, don't they?

At the bottom of the steps, to the right, there is a pot of red stemmed lemon grass that is looking very lush at this moment.

Red Stemmed Lemon Grass

And to the left, growing in one of the pots with a blueberry plant, is a papaya seedling, that survived last winter and seems to have made it through this summer:

Papaya Seedling Growing in the Blueberry Pot

I've no idea if it will survive the coming winter, but, we shall see.  M would like to remove it from the blueberry pot, but, I'm afraid it won't transplant well.  I might have to buy a bigger pot and grow both plants together!

This is the newest addition to the back garden: a pot planted with the ginger I bought at the store on Monday:

Newly Planted Ginger Root

I purposefully selected two pieces of ginger that were showing signs of new growth starting.  I had read that store bought ginger, unless it is marked organic, is usually treated with a growth inhibiting agent, but soaking it overnight is supposed to help wash it away.  These were already starting to grow and I soaked them overnight, anyway, and planted them in this pot.  I am hopeful that they will grow.

The star of the garden, right now, is my moringa tree:

Moringa Tree

It was dormant for a long time, and I wondered if it was dead, but, in late May, I saw the first signs of new growth and it has branched out, flowered, and is now forming pods!  The leaves, flowers, and pods are all edible.

Nearby, the Asian pear tree is forming fruits:

Asian Pears

And the okra plants are still flowering and there are new pods forming:

Okra Plants

Just a few feet away, the star jasmine vine has spread over the homemade trellis quite nicely;  M pruned it, a bit, last week:

Star Jasmine Vine on the Homemade Trellis

Not too far from the star jasmine vine, the orange tree is having baby oranges forming:

Baby Orange

I water the back garden more frequently than I water the front garden, but, the avocado tree I grew from a seed is showing some heat stress:

Avocado Tree

Nearby, the plum tree is doing well, although something is eating its leaves:

Plum Tree

The nectarine tree is doing well, too:

Nectarine Tree
(And one of the loquat seedlings to the right)

Not to mention the peach tree:

Peach Tree

The Serrano chili plant growing under the peach tree is still producing chilies and I am waiting for them to turn red before I pick them:

Serrano Chili Plant

Elsewhere in the back garden, one could say that, "The bride wore white tulle and carried a bouquet of pink lilies"...

Fuyu Persimmon Tree
(and Surprise Lilies)

The Fuyu persimmons are getting burned by the sun before they can ripen, but, we draped the tulle over the tree to keep the birds from pecking at the fruit.

There aren't many flowers in the back garden, these days, but, these gazanias form a bright splash of color:

Gazania

My apple seedling is growing well; it'll be interesting to see if we get any flowers on it, next year:

Apple Seedling

Nearby, there are some tomato seedlings, which, I believe, grew from a rotten Berkeley Tie Dye tomato that I tossed:

Tomato Seedlings

I've no idea if they will survive the winter, but, M thinks we should pot them up and see what happens.  Maybe I'll have to figure out some kind of a greenhouse for them!  

Unfortunately, the pole bean vines are not doing well.  They grew well, but, then, it became too hot and the leaves got scorched.  I didn't get a good bean crop, either, and I am rather disappointed.  They were supposed to have been heat tolerant, but, obviously, it got too hot for them.  I think we will pull them out, in the next few days.

Pole Bean Vines

I was not the only one enjoying the garden, today.  This swallowtail butterfly stopped by to get a drink of water from the soil under the loquat seedling that had been watered, earlier in the day:

Swallowtail Butterfly

And this praying mantis was just hanging around (upside down) on the Asian pear tree.  I was intrigued to see how its wings resembled new leaves and how well camouflaged it is:

Praying Mantis

Thank you for visiting the back garden with me.  I hope you enjoyed it.

The Front Garden in August

 

The Front Garden in August

There's not much going on in the front garden at the end of August.  It is in its "waiting for summer to end" phase, with weekly watering to keep it maintained.

The Succulents Border from the Sidewalk

The succulents are doing well, however, and providing some interest.

Near the Stumpery

I haven't planted any new succulents near the stumpery, but, that's in the plan for the future.

The Side Yard

The row of succulents M and I planted along the sidewall, going to the side yard are growing well and the feijoa/pineapple guava tree we cut down almost to the ground is branching out, nicely.  I mentioned wanting to put some stepping stones to make a pathway in this area, but, I haven't done so, yet.

The Succulents Circle (with Jacaranda Sapling)

The mixed border is doing well, too, although nothing is flowering now:

Mixed Border

And the succulents planted at the base of the eucalyptus tree are surviving:  

Succulents at the base of the Eucalyptus tree

Finally, there are just a couple of pomegranates on the tree:

Pomegranate

And that is a quick tour of the front garden in August.  Thank you for visiting my garden.  :)

August Week 3 Meal Plan Review and Week 4 Plan

This was my meal plan for August Week 3:

Brunches: Waffles, Scrambled eggs with fried potatoes, Boiled mung beans with katta sambol, Yogurt with fruit/jam and granola; Smoothies?  

Dinners: Rice with chicken curry (from the freezer) and assorted vegetables ( choice of okra, cabbage, eggplant, green beans, dhal, tomato, whatever else I might feel like cooking); Breakfast for Dinner; Tuna salad on crackers; leftovers

Snacks/Desserts: Cheese and crackers, cereal, corn on the cob, peanut butter and crackers, apples, canned fruit

This is how it all worked out:

Monday

Brunch: Boiled mung beans, katta sambol
Dinner: Rice, chicken curry, dhal with moringa leaves (red lentils, moringa leaves, onions, garlic, curry leaves, turmeric)
Snacks/Desserts: Peaches, crackers and peanut butter

Daily Points Total: 7.25

Tuesday

Brunch:   Yogurt flat bread and chicken curry(12 spice curry powder, tomato, curry leaves, etc.)
Dinner:  Cheese filled puff pastry, meat filled puff pastry, grapes, sesame cookies
Snacks/Desserts: peanuts

Daily Points Total:  7

Wednesday

Brunch: Kiwi, grapes, sesame cookies
Dinner: Rice, chicken curry, dhal with moringa leaves
Snacks/Desserts: corn on the cob

Daily Points Total: 2

Thursday

Brunch: Grapes; yogurt with peach jam and cereal
Dinner: Sardines on toast
Snacks/Desserts: Stewed apple

Daily Points Total: 1

Friday

Brunch:  Grapes, orange juice 
Dinner:  Cold cuts sandwich (7 grain bread, mustard, lettuce)
Snacks/Desserts: Banana

Daily Points Total: 11 (if I count the 7 whole grains in the bread; 5 if I count the bread as 1 for whole grain).

Saturday

Brunch: Hamburger, fries (do the fries count as potato? Probably not!)
Dinner: Hamburger
Snacks/Desserts: Soda

Daily Points Total: 0

Sunday
Brunch: Fruit salad (Banana, grapes, dates, cashews, kiwi, lemon juice)
Dinner:  Rice, chicken curry, cucumber salad, tomato chutney; leftover fries
Snacks/Desserts: More fruit salad

Daily Points Total: 4

Fruit Salad

Daily cup of tea = 1 [point

Weekly Plant Based Food Points Total = 33.25 (if I count the 7 grains in the bread) or 27.25 if I count the bread as 1 for "whole grain"

Either way, I am pleased with this week's plant based food points, especially since there were days when I went completely off the meal plan and didn't eat as nutritiously as I should have!  But, I really struggled with meals, this week.  I didn't feel like cooking, I didn't feel like eating what I had cooked, nothing really appealed to me.

*****************

Moving on to August Week 4:

Brunches: Cold cuts "subway" sandwiches with French bread; Bread and cheese; Sardines on toast; Salad; Fruit, Milk Rice (Sunday, September 1)

Dinners: Cold cuts "subway" sandwiches, Breakfast for Dinner; Sauteed salmon with salad or rice and vegetables, Sauteed chicken and salad or rice and vegetables,  Fried breaded shrimp with fries and salad, leftovers

Snacks/Desserts: Fresh fruit, Yogurt, Crackers with cheese or peanut butter, sesame seed crackers, cookies, nuts.  

How is your meal planning (if any) coming along?

August Grocery Shopping - Part 2

 

More August Groceries

I went grocery shopping in person, today, at the Armenian grocery store.  I mostly went there because they had a sale on condensed milk which will end tomorrow (Tuesday). Of course, I bought a few other items, too!

I bought:

2 nectarines @ $0.99/lb. = $0.85
1 mango = $0/79
3 bananas @ $.59/lb. = $0.62
1 papaya @ $0.99/lb. = $2.94

3 beets @ $0.50/lb. = $0.30
2 pieces ginger @ $2.29/lb. = $0.62

1 box cookies = $2.99

1 package sesame sticks = $4.85

1 French bread = $4.29

6 cans condensed milk, $1.99@ = $11.94*

2 cans coconut milk, $1.19@ = 2.38

Total = $32.57

Receipt

My August grocery budget is $100 - $10.76 spent in July - $89.24

Spent to date = $46.22 + $32.57 = $78.79
Balance left in the August grocery budget = $89.24 - $78.79 = $10.45

I don't anticipate grocery shopping again between now and the end of the month.  So, I will probably carry this amount forward into September.

* The cans I bought today say 13.22 oz. or 375 g. and the cans of milk shown on the supermarket website says 14 oz. or 397 g., on sale for $2.59 for the same brand, while the supermarket's store brand 14 oz. cans are selling for $2.99.  I am not sure if this is "shrinkflation" or not, but, according to my calculations, the price I paid today is still cheaper, ounce for ounce.  I am now stocked up on canned condensed milk for a good long time (I use it for my tea and one can lasts me about 10 days to 2 weeks, depending on how often I drink a second cup of tea).

What do you think?  

Fifty Years and Counting

Rose (from earlier in the summer)

Has it really been fifty years since I arrived in this country?!

August 24, 1974.  I was 18 and had received a scholarship to attend a university I had never heard of until I was told to apply to it about three weeks prior and there I was, making my way from Hong Kong (where my mother was teaching), in transit through South Korea where I had to change planes, going through US Customs in Hawaii, making my way from the International Terminal to the Domestic Airlines Terminal at Los Angeles (with the help of a very kind stranger), finding my way through O'Hare Airport in Chicago, to Milwaukee. and, finally, to Green Bay, Wisconsin.  The farther I flew, the smaller the planes became!

I arrived with all my worldly possessions packed into two suitcases, one of which didn't actually arrive with me as it got waylaid in Los Angeles, and by the time I filed a missing luggage report and it was located and sent to me, it had been broken into and the most important item it contained, a portable typewriter, had been stolen!  My parents sent me a replacement typewriter and wrote a letter to the Post Office in Green Bay, asking them to make sure it was delivered to me, which resulted in a lady from the Post Office calling me to follow up; we became very good friends after that and kept in touch for years afterwards.  

Later, my stepfather, mother, and I immigrated to the US and, eventually, I became a naturalized citizen.

Fast forward fifty years and here I am!  50 years older, 50 lbs. heavier, with at least 50 times as many suitcases worth of stuff (probably more!), and a laptop instead of a portable typewriter!  LOL. 

It's been quite an interesting 50 years.  I am grateful for:

- The many blessings I've received
- The chance encounter which led to the offer of a scholarship
- The opportunity to come to this country to study and later to immigrate
- The experiences I've had and the people I've encountered
- The memories I cherish 

Today's joyful activity was reminiscing about the past.

Retirement Planning - A Look Back

I have been asked by a blog reader if I would do something like a balanced life series when it comes to retirement planning and preparations.  Here's the relevant part of her comment:  

"Hello Bless,
.... I wanted to ask if you would consider doing a series on how you prepared for retirement, financially, mentally, spiritually, etc., similar to how you've shared your monthly balanced goals. Retirement touches and engages all aspects of ourselves, similar to the balanced life goals, so I'd love to read a series on that. Thanks for considering this as I'm sure others would benefit from such a series as well!"

I must admit that I feel very flattered by the request!  But, to be quite honest, while I knew that I would eventually retire, one day, I really didn't sit down and consider all aspects of how retirement would impact me.  When it came to retirement, I focused more on the financial aspects of retiring and living on a fixed income than on anything else.

Just to give a little background on my retirement planning:

There was a time when I considered taking an early retirement (prior to accumulating the 30 years of service required to receive a pension at my work place; I was not eligible to receive Social Security)  But, I would have had to pay an "early retirement penalty" with a certain percentage of my retirement pay being deducted based on the number of service years I lacked.  I was still paying a mortgage at the time and putting my daughter through university, so, I decided that I couldn't afford to retire early.  

Then, I decided that I would retire after 30 years.  When 30 years of service rolled around, I had finished paying off my mortgage, but, my daughter was attending grad school and I was paying her tuition and her rent ($2,000/month rent for a 400 square feet studio apartment, but, it was in Berkeley and close to the campus).  So, I decided that I will work a little longer and perhaps complete 35 years of service before retiring.  Part of my thinking was that it would enable me to replenish some of my savings which I had used to fund my daughter's education.  That is how I decided when I would retire.  Once again, it was mostly a financial decision.

At the time, I had an area called "Career" in my monthly balanced life goals and my retirement planning took place concurrently with other day to day activities and monthly planning.

This is from a Monthly Balanced Life Goals post from July 31, 2015.

"Career:  Celebrate 32 years of working at my place of employment (on July 5)!  Long term goal is to retire in 3 years, with 35 years of service - Completed 32 years of service. :)"

Shortly after I wrote that, I was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer and my attention was focused on health matters.  I still thought about retiring, someday, but, didn't write anything about retirement planning until almost three years later, on March 31, 2018, in a post titled Making a Start on Friday:

"I also made a start on the retirement plans!  I registered to attend a retirement seminar!  The seminar will provide information about the process, available benefits, and so forth,  So, that's something I will be doing in the next few weeks.   There are several forms to be downloaded and filled out, too, and submitted with copies of various documents, but I don't need to do that until after I attend the retirement seminar and get more information.  Just registering for the seminar seemed like a big step, to me!  Suddenly, it seemed more real!  I need to make a list of questions I have, so that I remember to ask them if they are not covered in the seminar."

Then, after I registered to attend the retirement seminar, I started to think about my retirement budget:

"On Friday, once I made my decision to attend a retirement seminar, I calculated a couple of different estimates of what my retirement pay would be, depending on when I retire (right now, end of  summer, etc.)  I admit I have done this on previous occasions, too, just to get an idea, even when retirement was several years in the future.  Although I don't know what my deductions will be and, therefore, my net pay, yet (I have always based my budgets on net income, after deductions), I want to get an idea of what I will receive and how well will I be able to manage on a retirement income.  Financial experts often recommend trying to live on your retirement pay for a few months (preferably 6 months to a year) prior to retirement, to get an idea of how things will be. "

If you read the original post, which I have linked, you will be able to see just how much I focused on the financial aspects of retirement.

I was unable to attend the first retirement seminar I had registered for because my registration hadn't gone through and I was too late to sign up for it, when I called.  So I had to register for another retirement seminar which I attended on May 3, 2018:  

"Today, I attended the retirement seminar in the morning.  It was very helpful, but, a lot of information to process!  I had already found out some of it, but, it was helpful to have them give an overview, too.  I still need to sit down and read the information I was given and absorb it all!"

A week later, on May 10, 2018, I met with the Human Resources personnel to further discuss retirement plans and options.  During this meeting, I was made aware of the fact that I had the option of using up all my accumulated vacation time (there were almost 3 months of accumulated vacation time) before I retired or getting paid a lump sum for the unused vacation, which seemed like a very attractive option to me!  

The May 2018 Balanced Life Goals review reflected my retirement planning activities:

"Career:  The goal is to continue to work while planning for retirement.
- Continue to do my assignments in a timely manner - On-going
- Meet with supervisor to go over assignments and establish priorities - Accomplished
- Attend the retirement seminar (scheduled for 5/3) - Attended the seminar and received much information.  Scheduled the final counseling session for June (to fill out and hand in the retirement paperwork)."

My June Balanced Life Goals Update revealed that I had been busy during the month of June, gathering all the various documents I needed to submit my retirement paperwork:

"Career:  The goal is to continue to work while planning for retirement.
- Continue to do my assignments in a timely manner - - On-going
- Read up the brochures and other retirement related information - Did so; still more to information to process, though!
- Print out and fill out the required paperwork (lots of forms!) - Did most of them, but some will have to be redone, because of retirement date changes!
- Gather all the documents (birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce papers, etc.) that are being required to be submitted and make copies  - Accomplished
- Attend the retirement counseling session (scheduled for 6/20) - Accomplished"

By this time, I was giving some additional thought to retirement and what I would do once I retired.  For example, when it came to Spiritual matters, I decided to wait until I retired to continue to attend the Friday night meditation sessions at the temple:

"- Take time for meditation - continue to attend the Friday night meditation sessions at the temple - I decided to wait until I had retired, as it was a bit of a rush to get home from work around 6:30 p.m., go to pick up my friend and then, drive to the temple to be there by 7:00 p.m.  It didn't give me enough time to change out of work clothes, freshen up a bit, feed the cat, have a cup of tea, etc.  And all that rushing around in the half hour preceding wasn't very conducive to slowing down to meditate!"

I was also aware that, after I retired, I would have more opportunity to participate in temple activities, as they had something taking place almost on a weekly basis.

In July, 2018, there was much thought and weighing the pros and cons of when to actually retire,  whether to take my accumulated vacation days before I retired or accept payment in lieu and the financial consequences of doing that, in terms of having to pay additional taxes, etc.  After talking matters over with several others, including a former supervisor who shared her experiences with retirement planning, I decided that I would take my accrued vacation days before I retired.

This meant that I would officially retire in mid-October, 2018, but, my last day of work at the office would be on July 20.  In a way, I was easing into retirement.  However, as a result, I had to revise my retirement paperwork to reflect the October retirement date.  The paperwork took me a long time but, eventually, they were completed and submitted in mid-September, as I had to submit them 30 days prior to the retirement effective date.

On October 15, 2018, my retirement went into effect, officially.  By that time, I had had plenty of time to get used to being retired!  

Of course, the one question everyone else asked me was, "What are you going to do when you retire?"  Or a variation of it, such as, "How will you occupy your time?  What will you do all day?", etc. I had several replies to that question, but, that will be another post, I think.  This post is already long enough with the various links to past posts, etc.

If you are already retired, how did you prepare yourself for retirement?  If you are still working and considering retirement, how are you preparing yourself for it?

August Grocery Shopping

Today, I ordered and picked up some groceries.

I thought this was my second grocery shopping trip for August, but, actually, it was the first, because my last grocery pick up was at the end of July, on July 31.  I did dip into the August grocery budget, back then, going over my July grocery budget by $10.76.

I bought:

1 Cucumber = $0.79

3 Bananas, 0.77 lb. @$0.68/lb. = $0.53
2 Pears, 1.12 lb. @ $2.49/lb., less $0.50 coupon = $2.29

2 Orange juice, @52 fl. oz., reg. price $4.69@, on sale with multi buy $2.99@ = $5.98
2 bottle deposits = $0.20

1 frozen Salmon fillet, 1.25 lb., reg. price $15.99, on sale for $7.99, with $2 off coupon = $5.99

1 package chicken thighs, on sale for $0.99/lb. = $0.99
(The advertised special was bone-in, skin on chicken thighs for $0.99/lb., but, they substituted a package of more expensive, $3.99/lb., boneless, skinless chicken thighs, and rather than charge me $0.99/lb. for the almost 4 lbs. of chicken, just charged me $0.99 for the whole package!  I didn't see this until I started typing out the receipt and when I called the store, I was told not to worry about it.)

4 cans brand name Tuna, reg. price $1.79@, on sale $1.25@ = $5.00
3 cans store brand Tuna, reg. price $1.29@, with $0.50 coupon off purchase of 3 = $3.37

1 doz. large eggs = $3.99

1/2 gal. milk = $2.79

1 Multi grain bread, reg. price $3.49, on sale for $2,99, with $0.75 off coupon = $2.29

1 package cold cuts, 7 oz., reg. price $6.49, on sale for $4.99, with $0.70 off coupon = $4.24

1 box cereal, 10 oz. box, reg. price $5.49, on sale with mix and match/buy 5 or more items = $1.79

2 bottles Salad Dressing, 16 oz. @, reg. price $4.99@ on sale for $1.99@ with multi buy = 3.98

1 package Peppermint candy, 9 oz. = $2.00

I spent a total of:  $46.22

My August grocery budget is $100 - $10.76 spent in July = $89.24

Balance remaining in my August grocery budget = $89.24 - $46.22 = $43.02

I might do one more grocery shopping pick up towards the end of the month.  Otherwise, I will carry the balance forward to September.

How are you doing with your grocery budget?  Are you seeing a difference in your grocery prices?  Are you able to keep to your grocery budget?  

On Thursday

Golden Kiwi

One of the two golden kiwi fruit given to me by neighbor S, the other day.  

On Thursday, the two bags of dry cat food I had ordered were delivered in the morning and I brought them in.  Then, I went to the pharmacy to pick up my medication refills.  I also bought a container of moisturizing body lotion.  I briefly considered buying a subway sandwich or a burger for my brunch while I was at the mall where the pharmacy was located, but, decided not to.  Instead, I came home and ate some grapes and some yogurt with my homemade peach jam, with a bit of cereal added for crunch.  

Later, I watched news and a couple of documentaries about the historic Knights Templar and about Machu Picchu.  In between, I put together another row of crocheted squares and took a nap!  Later, I video chatted with my daughter.

Dinner was sardines on toast (well, a toasted hot dog bun, actually) and sauteed apples.  

Thursday was a rather low energy day for me, but, I took it easy and did everything I needed to do.

On Thursday, I was grateful for:

- My medications being available
- A safe drive to the pharmacy and back
- Cat food being delivered to the door
- Interesting TV programs to watch
- An afternoon nap

Thursday's joyful activities included assembling the crocheted blanket and watching TV.

Plans for Friday include ordering some groceries for pick up and tending to the garden with M.  

How was your Thursday?  What are your plans for Friday?

That's So Corny!

The Rest of the Corn Crop

Well, maybe not quite as "corny as Kansas in August", according to the Rodgers and Hammerstein song from South Pacific, but, not too shabby for a home garden in Southern California in August!  LOL.

Today, I picked the rest of the corn with M's help.  The high temperatures and dry heat were starting to dry them out and stunt their growth as the silks dried out before they were properly pollinated, even though I tried to help them along with hand pollinating them.  We picked just over a dozen ears of corn today, and I blanched and froze the majority of them.  We will enjoy them later, especially when my daughter comes home for the Thanksgiving holidays.  Altogether, I picked a little over two dozen ears of corn from my little corn patch.  I will grow more, next year, too.

I had M pull all the corn plants out and put them in the compost pile.  I'll keep the chicken wire around the planting bed and maybe plant some winter vegetables there, later on.  If I cover the soil with some cardboard, it might keep the weeds to a minimum.

It was another hot day, today, although, at 96F, it was a few degrees cooler than Tuesday's 100F.  M watered the garden and I processed the corn.  Later, I watched a few videos and started to join the crocheted squares to assemble the blanket I'm making.  

In the evening, neighbor S called to ask if her daughters could park their cars in my drive way for the rest of the evening and overnight, and I said it was fine.  S's car apparently got stuck in the driveway and is blocking the driveway so that her daughters can't park their cars.  S's husband will have a mechanic check her car tomorrow, but, in the meantime, her daughters' cars are parked in my driveway.  I am happy to be able to help them out.  

Brunch was one of the kiwis that S had given me, along with some grapes and sesame cookies.  I snacked on one of the smaller ears of corn after I had blanched and frozen the others, later.  Dinner was rice, chicken curry, and dhal with moringa leaves.  

Later in the evening, I spoke with Aunt C and, of course, video chatted with my daughter.

Today, I'm grateful for:

- The corn harvest
- M's help with the garden
- Being able to help out neighbor S's daughters with parking in my driveway
- Fans and electricity to run them
- Time to crochet

Today's joyful activity was harvesting the corn.

Plans for tomorrow include going to the pharmacy to pick up a medication refill that is ready, doing a load of laundry, and doing some cooking.

How was your Wednesday?  What are your plans for Thursday?

On Tuesday

Treats from Neighbor S

On Tuesday, it was hot with a high in the upper 90s (F).  I had the fans on and the air quality was bad enough for me to put the air purifier on, as well.  

I did a little bit of paperwork, scheduling one bill payment and doing a bit of filing.  I also checked the weekly grocery ads and I will put in a grocery order in the next couple of days.

Later in the evening, after it had cooled off a bit, I brought in the empty trash cans and neighbor S brought over some treats.  The square puff pastry had a cheese filling and the triangular one had a ground meat filling.  Both were delicious and I had them for my dinner, along with some of the grapes she brought and a few of the sesame cookies (in the sandwich bag).  I kept the two kiwi fruit for another day.  My brunch had been a yogurt flat bread and chicken curry.

I watched some videos and some TV and crocheted.  I now have all the squares I need (48 squares) for the blanket I am crocheting for my daughter.  The next step is to attach the squares and crochet a border around the blanket.

Still later, I spoke on the phone with friend R and had a nice chat with her. I also had a nice chat with one of my nieces (oldest half-brother's daughter), just catching up with her.  We are by no means close - oldest half-brother didn't have anything to do with me for over 30 years after he and the other brothers and sister fell out with my mother - but, I occasionally call my niece to touch base with her.  

On Tuesday, I was grateful for:

- Neighbor S bringing me treats
- Fans and air purifiers
- Electricity to run the appliances
- Being able to order things online (ordered more cat food)
- Phone calls with family and friends

Tuesday's joyful activity was crocheting.

Plans for Wednesday include tending to the garden with M and starting to put the blanket together.  

How was your Tuesday?  What are your plans for Wednesday?