Starting April

The Neptune Rose 

Happy April, everyone!  I opened the drapes this morning to be greeted by the sight of my Neptune rose in bloom!  On March 31, it was still a bud and just a day later, it was in bloom!  It does look more mauve than pink, now!  It has a very light spicy fragrance, but, my sense of smell isn't the best; I wouldn't be surprised if the fragrance is stronger than I can detect.  This rose plant was a gift from my gardener friend M to me for my birthday, last year. 

March ended on a very happy note for me as I was able to pay a visit to the temple with my daughter.  I had called the monks, earlier in the afternoon, to ask if the monks would be available if we visited around 6:00 p.m. and was assured that they would be.  We were the only ones at the temple and the monks held a small service for us and chanted blessings.  Afterwards, they tied the blessed thread that was made from the different colored threads we had donated, last year.  I took the opportunity to donate a book on Buddhism that my mother had bought for me to the temple as it is an English translation of an important Buddhist text and I thought it might be useful for the monks.  I also made a monetary donation in memory of my late father, whose birthday was at the end of March.  It has been a while since I last went to the temple, so, I felt very happy that I was able to do so.

Today, April 1, I made my usual milkrice for brunch and picked fresh flowers from the garden to offer at the altar.  Then, I brought in a package that had arrived for my friend R, brought in the emptied trash cans, and, replied to blog comments. 

In the afternoon, I took my daughter to her appointment with the physical therapist.  We almost met with an accident as I made the left turn into the parking lot!  I had to cross three lanes of traffic to turn into the parking lot, mid-block, and here was a lot of traffic waiting for the light to change.  Two lanes of cars gave me space to turn, but, another vehicle came up at a speed on the third lane and didn't slow down.  It would have crashed into my car had I not been extremely cautious when crossing that third lane.  I was just starting to go into the third lane and was able to brake very quickly!  This is why I always say a prayer when I get into the car to drive anywhere! 

Daughter's appointment went very well.  The PT is pleased with her progress and has given her advanced exercises to do.  Daughter had taken some time off from work to attend the PT appointment and after we got back, she went back to work.  

Later, we had a cup of tea and watched the news and a video.  

Today, on the first day of April, I am grateful for:

- The start of a new month; it always feels like a new beginning to me
- A lovely, sunny day after several cloudy, overcast days
- The Neptune rose flowering for the first time
- Daughter's PT appointment went well and her foot is improving
- We had a safe drive to the clinic and back

Today's joyful activities included admiring the new rose, chatting on the phone with friend R, and spending time with my daughter.

Plans for tomorrow include tending to the garden with M.  I sent him a picture of the rose, but, he'll be able to see it in person tomorrow. 

How was your first day of April?  Did you do an April Fool's Day prank on anyone?

The Back Garden in March

 

The Back Garden in March

The back garden at the end of March is showing some changes as we start Spring.  

The Sparaxis or Harlequin flowers are coming to the end of their flowering season:

The Sparaxis flowers are coming to an end

But, the citrus trees are coming into flower:

Orange Flower Buds

Lemon Flowers

Some of the other fruit trees are flowering, too:

Plum Tree

Nectarine Tree

Asian Pear Tree

Meanwhile, the apple seedling (grown from an apple seed) has not flowered, yet, but, it is starting to leaf out:

Apple Seedling

I've no idea if it will ever flower and bear fruit, but, I am letting it grow to see what happens.

Other plants that are flowering include:

Crocosmia

One of the Succulents

Close Up of the Succulent Flowers

Which went from looking like this in early March :

In Early March (March 2)

To this by the end of March:

Close Up of the Succulent Flowers (3/31)

California Poppies

In case you are thinking I've a lot of orange colored flowers in the garden, we have:

Neptune Rose Bud

The flower is supposed to be mauve when it fully opens, but the bud looks like dark pink to me!

And there are the yellow flowers on the Early Girl Tomato plant:

Early Girl Tomato Plant

Currently, the Early Girl tomato plant is the only vegetable I've planted in the garden, this year.  The self-sown Berkeley Tie Dye tomato plant is still alive, too, and has some flowers, but, I didn't photograph it.

Here is the curry leaf tree that I had M prune all the way back, in January:

Curry Leaf Tree

It doesn't look very promising, does it?  But, if you look very closely at one of the branches, you might see the very beginnings of new growth:

New Growth on the Curry Leaf Tree

The peach tree has finished flowering and has set fruit:

The Peach Tree in March

M has already thinned out at least one third of the baby peaches:

Baby Peaches

The blueberry bushes have also finished flowering and have started to develop berries:

Blueberry Bushes

And finally, the "rockery" which seems to be changing from week to week:

The Rockery - View 1

The Rockery - View 2

The nasturtium plant's leaves have all withered, but, it is still flowering!  The round basin-like planter has a chive plant growing in it.  The rooted cabbage stem has produced two cabbages (although they haven't actually formed a head of cabbage).  Obviously, I have not harvested them, partly because I think they make very attractive plants.  There are sparaxis flowers growing here, too, and this little white flowered plant:

White Flowered Plant

It's a bulb that M planted, but, he doesn't know the name of the plant.  The flowers remind me of miniature agapanthus (Lily of the Nile) but, the leaves of the plant aren't as broad as agapanthus leaves.  I wonder if it is a type of scilla, but, I don't know.  Whatever it is, I really like the little white flowers.

Next to the white flowers and one of the sparaxis/Harlequin flowers, we have the pink flowers of the kangaroo paws (Anigozanthos) plant:

Pink Kangaroo Paws (Anigozanthos) Plant

I hope you enjoyed your visit to the back garden in March.  I love strolling around the garden, almost daily, and checking on the plants and seeing what is growing and observing the small changes.  

As always, I am grateful for:

- Having a garden
- M's help with the garden
- Water for the garden
- Being able to garden year round
- Pollinators

What are your spring gardening plans?

Thriving in March

California Poppy

I am continuing with my new way of seeing how I thrived in my life for March, too.

Spiritual:

As usual, I started off March with milkrice for breakfast on the first of the month and making an offering at the altar.  I am reading a book on spiritual wisdom gathered from five world religions and I have just finished a chapter where the author discusses the differences between religion and spirituality.  I found that to be very interesting.  I'm including my reading of this book as part of my spiritual enrichment.  In addition, I spoke with the monks at the temple and, throughout the month, I kept my spiritual side thriving with daily prayers, meditation, and doing my best to live my life according to the teachings of my religion.  

Daughter:

My daughter was home with me all of March, too.  We celebrated her birthday at the beginning of the month with a lovely meal and some very delicious desserts; I feel blessed that I have been able to watch her grow to be the young woman she has become.  Her foot is improving and now, she is able to walk for several minutes at a time, wearing an ankle brace instead of her walking boot.  We have been going for short walks up and down the driveway, together.  I am happy to say that our relationship is thriving.  

Health & Well Being:

As always, there is much room for improvement in this area of my life.  I had some problems with getting authorization for the referral to a specialist that I am still waiting to be resolved and there was another issue with billing for my mammogram from last year, but, I am hoping that the issues with insurance will be resolved in the next few weeks.  In the meantime, I am focusing on the positives and doing what I can to thrive, including taking my medications, keeping hydrated, getting enough sleep, some exercise, better diet, etc.  I did lose a little weight in March, so, I am pleased about that. 

Family, Friends, & Community:

I kept in touch with family and friends by phone (mostly), emails, texts, etc.  The month started off with a visit from K (late neighbor T's daughter) who brought me a copy of the order of service from T's Celebration of Life, along with flowers and some candy.  Before she left, she asked me to keep in touch, so, I made it a point to call her later in the month and we had a long chat.  There were several family birthdays, besides daughter's, this month, so there were several phone calls with family members as well as with friends and neighbors.  And I participated in the blogging community.  I'm pleased with the amount of interaction with my family, friends, and community, in March.  I am aware that this area of my life could do with more in person social interaction, but, for now,  feel that this area of my life is thriving.

Finances:

Financial management in March included filing my taxes and doing some transactions with my credit union.  Bills were paid as usual and I allowed myself to splurge a bit when it came to celebrating daughter's birthday and buying some craft supplies and fabric.  I was able to stay within my grocery budget in March, which was very nice.  On reviewing my March grocery spending, however, I realized that I was able to keep to the budget I had set only because I went over budget in January and February when I stocked up on meat.  I will definitely have to rethink my grocery budget in the future.  For the most part, however, I feel that I have done well managing my finances in March.  

Time Management:

Yet another area in my life with room for improvement!  I do tend to procrastinate doing various things!  But, important things such as filing taxes, paying bills, keeping appointments, etc., were done on time.

Leisure/Hobbies/Crafting:

This month's leisure/hobbies/crafting activities included reading (I've borrowed two books from the library), knitting a pair of socks for myself (and mending several others), sewing (including the skirt I sewed for my daughter), gardening, water color painting and making a birthday card, watching numeral videos online, and fabric shopping.  I feel that I thrived in this area of my life. 

House:

I am committed to making my home a place where my daughter and I can thrive.  I meant to focus on spring cleaning in March, but, I am afraid I might have procrastinated doing that!  However, I am thankful to have a home that is comfortable and pleasant.  Deep cleaning will be something to look forward to in April!  

Garden:

The garden has done well in March and is definitely showing signs that spring has arrived.  The first rose and the first California poppy have flowered, the fruit trees are flowering, too, and I've planted the first tomato plant.  I bought a few packets of seeds, too, for the garden, but, we are waiting until it warms up a little more to plant them.  

All in all, the month of March has been good and conducive to thriving.  Everything is not quite how I would like it to be, but, I am focused on the positives, making the best of things, and thriving to the extent that I can.

There's another day left in this month, but, I am going to go ahead and post this today as I want to do the back garden post, tomorrow. 

How was your March?   Were you able to attain some of the goals you had made for the month?

March Grocery Shopping Part 5

Today (Saturday), I ordered and picked up groceries; the last grocery shopping trip for March. 

I didn't take a picture of the items I bought, but, here's the receipt:

Order Summary

Original Item Total$45.04

Item Coupons/Sales-$11.24

Fulfillment Fee+$0.00

Sales Tax$0.00

Order Total$33.80

---

Item Details

17 Items

Freschetta Pepperoni Naturally Rising Crust Frozen Pizza, 27.35 oz$3.99

1 x $3.99 $7.99 each

Item Coupon/Sale: -$3.00

Item Coupon/Sale: -$1.00

Fresh Banana - Single, 1 ea (4 bananas)$0.78

1.13 lbs x $0.69 each (approx.)

Fresh Large Bartlett Pear - Each, large/ 1 count (2 pears)$3.38

1.13 lbs x $2.99 each (approx.)

Jimmy Dean Hickory Smoked Premium Bacon, 12 oz$3.99

1 x $3.99 $7.99 each

Item Coupon/Sale: -$3.00

Item Coupon/Sale: -$1.00

Kroger® Half & Half, 1 pt$2.69

1 x $2.69 each

Kroger® Traditional Favorites Frozen Peas Green, 12 oz$1.50

1 x $1.50 each

Kroger® White Sandwich Bread, 20 oz$1.99

1 x $1.99 each

Kroger® Wild Caught Chunk Light Tuna in Water, 5 oz$6.00

6 x $1.00 $1.29 each

Large Mangos, 1 ct$3.00

2 x $1.50 $2.00 each

Item Coupon/Sale: -$0.50

Item Coupon/Sale: -$0.50

Nesquik® Chocolate Powder Drink Mix Canister, 14.1 oz$3.49

1 x $3.49 $3.99 each

Item Coupon/Sale: -$0.50

Ralphs® Vitamin D Whole Milk Half Gallon, 1/2 gal$2.99

1 x $2.99 each

My total came to $33.80

I had $42.34 left in my March grocery budget and I made sure that I spent under that amount when ordering today's groceries because I didn't want to go over budget this month!

March Grocery budget = $200

Spent to date =  $51.70 + $47.92 + $31.71 + $18.34 + $7.99 + $33.80 = $191.46

Balance left in the March Grocery Budget = $200 - $191.46 = $8.54

I don't see myself buying anymore groceries in the next couple of days, so that $8.54 will be carried over to April.  I am feeling pleased with myself for staying under budget, this month.

I baked the pizza after I came home and we had that for a late lunch, followed by one of the mangos.  

How are you coming along with your grocery spending this month?  Were you able to stay within budget?  

The Front Garden in March

 

The Front Garden in March

There is still a lot of bare ground where there used to be grass, but, the front garden is showing some signs of life after the rain.

Lantana

Euryops

Azure Bush Germander

Osteospermum

The Succulents Border

Bulbine

The Stumpery

One of the logs I had placed on the side seems to have partially decomposed.  I might rearrange one of the other logs over it.

And last, but, not least:

The First Rose of Spring

Thank you for visiting the front garden in March.  I hope you enjoyed your visit.  What's growing in your garden so far this spring?

Mid-Week Update

 

"You wash your left paw first"

I kept Dancer's new pad on the sofa to see if he'll give it his seal of approval and he did so in his own inimitable way:

"You wash your right paw next"

The washing of the paws is a required preliminary step to the ultimate seal of approval - the plop down!

"Then you plop yourself down on your brand new pad and
that's what it's all about!"

Obviously, the new pad has received Dancer's seal of approval!  

We had a day of summer on Monday when the temperature reached a high of 91F!  I took daughter to her follow-up appointment with the podiatrist and he prescribed a supportive ankle brace for her to wear with her walking shoes as he thinks she's ready to stop wearing the walking boot.  So, we went to the Orthopedics department where she was fitted with the brace.  After we came home, I watered the garden, both front and back, as it was so hot.  Later, there were the usual Monday routines of taking the trash cans to the curb, etc.  Brunch was peanut butter toast, dinner was leftover rice, meatball curry, cashew curry, and cucumber salad with ice cream for dessert.

Spring returned on Tuesday, with a daytime high of 76F.  I sewed the cover for Dancer's new pad, brought the emptied trash cans back, picked more lemons from the garden, and made some phone calls to set up medical appointments pending authorization by medical provider and insurance.  Brunch was peanut butter toast, again.  Dinner was boxed macaroni and cheese with tuna and broccoli.

Winter returned on Wednesday with morning drizzle, overcast, cloudy skies the rest of the day, and a daytime high that barely reached 60F.  M was able to tend to the garden around noon, weeding, thinning out the peaches, and fertilizing some of the fruit trees.  In the evening, I made several phone calls and spoke with my sister, with aunt C, with friend R, and with K (former neighbor T's daughter).  We had scrambled eggs, bacon, and hash browns for brunch and leftover macaroni and cheese for dinner.

This week's gratitudes have included:

- A lovely warm day bringing a foretaste of the summer days to come
- Daughter's appointment with the podiatrist went well and her foot continues to heal
- Water and rain for the garden
- The fabric stash
- Being able to mend and reuse worn out items
- M helping with the garden
- Phone calls with family and friends
- Being able to borrow books from the library

Joyful activities have included sewing, reading, making a birthday card, taking a stroll with my daughter (just up and down the driveway, but, it was good to feel the sunshine on our faces and be together), and chatting with family and friends.

Plans for Thursday include doing some housework, laundry, and more reading.

What are your plans for Thursday?

Waste Not!

Newly Mended Towel

Back in August, 2021, I mended a small hand towel that had frayed, by sewing a binding around it.

Towel Mending: August 2021

Fast forward to 2025 and the same towel was starting to tear, again, this time, where the binding had been sewn:

The Towel Frays, Again

The towel is a little more worn out now, getting a bit thin in places, but, it is still useful for mopping up some spilled water, for wiping out the bathroom sink, for drying my feet after I wash them, etc.  I didn't want to toss it in the trash, yet, as it still had some useful life in it, in my opinion.  So, I decided to mend it, yet again.  I cut off the earlier binding, trimmed the edges of the towel, cut some bias binding from a piece of fabric I had in my fabric stash, and sewed a new binding.  The result is a mended towel that can be used a few more times.

Torn Bed Sheet

Then, there is this floral patterned flannel bed sheet that tore in the wash, last week.   It is a sheet that I had bought for my mother and after her death in 2006, my daughter started to use it.  Tt was worn out beyond being patched and mended:

Quite Worn Out

What to do with it?  Should I toss it?  Could I reuse it?  It was beyond being mended, but, could I do something else with it?  If so, what?  Cut it up and make cleaning cloths with it?  Maybe I could use it to put on the bottom of Dancer's carrier - I usually put a folded towel to cushion him and to absorb anything he might throw up, etc.  Maybe I could make a little carrier pad for him.

I folded it in such a way that the torn parts of the sheet were inside and sewed the edges:

Padded Mat for Dancer's Carrier

It looked like a little pillow.  But, I wasn't sure how well it would survive being washed.  My friend suggested covering it with another fabric and that's what I did!  I had some leftover flannel from sewing a nightdress several years ago (in March, 2015).  I needed to "piece out the fabric" as they say, sewing several pieces together to make the fabric wide enough, but, Dancer now has a new pillow/padded mat for his carrier:

Dancer's New Padded Mat

The whole thing can be washed in the machine and it wouldn't matter if the sheet inside shreds even more because the outer cover will keep everything in place.  Another household item that could have been tossed, but, was recycled and reused.  I am very pleased with my efforts to reduce waste. Plus, I had fun sewing.  

What do you think?

March Grocery Shopping - Part 4

Grocery Receipt 3/19/25
I like how they separate items by category

On March 19, I did a mid-week grocery shopping trip, in person, after getting my taxes done.  There is a Hispanic supermarket located in the same outdoor mall as the tax accountant's office and I wanted to get some half and half for my daughter's coffee, another loaf of sandwich bread, and some produce.  I knew that I had approximately $60 left in my grocery budget and I wanted to spend about $20.00 total on this mid-week shopping trip, since there were still another 12 days left in the month.  I was determined to stay under budget this month!

I bought:

1 pint half and half = $2.69

1 loaf sandwich bread = $2.99

4 bolillo rolls @ $0.50@ = $2.00

1 piece cappuccino tres leches cake = $3.99

1 lb. strawberries = $3.99

0.49 lb. broccoli crown @ $0.99/lb. = $0.49

2 cucumbers @ 2/$1 = $1.00

1 bunch kale = $1.19

Total = $18.34

The bolillo rolls were delicious and daughter and I enjoyed them with chicken curry and/or sandwiched with part of a pork chop.  

March Grocery budget = $200

Spent to date = $51.70 + $47.92 + $31.71 + $18.34 = $149.67

In addition, I bought a quart of ice cream on Saturday from an ice cream shop offering 31 flavors; we had gone in to get a treat, but, a single scoop was $3.49 at the shop and we decided we'd get more value for our money with the bigger container.

So, spent to date = $149.67 + $7.99 = $157.66

Balance left in the March Grocery Budget = $200 - $157.66 = $42.34

It is March 25 as I write this and there are six days left in the month.  I know I will need to pick up more half and half, later this week, and some milk and fruit plus probably more bread (or bagels).  I've already taken a look at this week's grocery ads (effective date 3/26) and will make a grocery list based on that, to be picked up this weekend, probably.

By the way, a dozen large eggs are priced at $6.99!  Woo hoo! 

How is your March grocery shopping coming along?

March Week 3 Meal Plan Update and Week 4 Meal Plan

Friday Fried Rice

I had been operating without a meal plan for the first few days of Week 3 and then, I posted a "Mid-Week" meal plan for the rest of the week::

Brunches/Lunches: 

Scrambled eggs and bacon with fried potatoes or toast
Salads
Pancakes
Leftovers from dinners

Dinners:
Leftover pork chops with rice and green beans
Leftover chicken and rice with broccoli
Smoked sausage and vegetables stir fry with rice
Mealball curry and rice with lentils and green beans
Leftovers

Snacks: Fruit, granola bars, cereal, crackers with tuna salad or peanut butter, hot Cheetos

However, I've decided to post an update on the entire week, just to make it easier for myself to see what last week's meals were.  The first three days of meals were copied and pasted from the previous meal planning post.

Monday:
Lunch Tuna salad sandwiches
Dinner: Leftover salmon, boxed wild rice mix, sauteed green beans, corn on the cob (homegrown corn from the freezer)

Tuesday:
Lunch:  Leftover rice and chicken curry with the last of the sauteed cabbage and tomato chutney
Dinner: Pork chops, rice, green peas, cucumber salad

Wednesday:
Breakfast: French toast
Lunch: Cold cuts sandwiches
Dinner: Jamaican style beef patties from the freezer; cucumber salad per daughter's request   Chicken curry and bolillos*; strawberries

* I did a mid-week grocery shopping trip on Wednesday evening, after my appointment with the tax accountant.  Their new office is located in an outdoor mall with several stores including a Hispanic grocery store.  I bought 2 cucumbers at 2/$1 and a type of bread rolls called bolillo that were also priced at 2/$1.  In addition, I bought some broccoli, a bunch of kale, a loaf of sandwich bread, a pint of half and half, a container of strawberries and piece of cappuccino tres leches cake as a treat.  My total came to under $20.00

Thursday:
Breakfast: Jamaican hand pie (me; daughter didn't want breakfast)
Lunch: Chicken curry and bolillo, strawberries
Dinner: Leftover chicken curry and bolillo (me); pork chop and bolillo (daughter)

Friday:
Brunch: French toast (there was batter leftover from Wednesday)
Dinner: Pork fried rice (leftover pork chop half, leftover rice, lettuce, green peas, scrambled egg, peanuts)

Saturday:
Brunch:  Scrambled eggs and bacon on toast; half a bottle of a green smoothie drink, each
Dinner:  Sardines on toast, ice cream for dessert

Sunday:
Brunch: Frozen burrito
Dinner: Meatball curry, cashew curry from the freezer (leftover from the almsgiving), and rice; the last piece of tres leches cake for dessert

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

Which brings us to this week, which I am considering as the 4th (and last) week in March.  

Here's what this week's meal plan looks like:

Brunches/Lunches: 

Peanut butter on toast (or bread)
Waffles/Pancakes
Tuna salad sandwiches
Salads
Leftovers from dinners

Dinners:
Leftover meatball curry with rice, cashew curry, and green beans
Smoked sausage and vegetables stir fry with rice
Boxed mac & cheese with tuna/tuna "casserole"
Sauteed chicken with potato wedges and broccoli
Leftovers

Snacks: Fresh fruit, granola bars, cereal, crackers, etc.

That is the plan.  We shall see how it turns out.  

Are you making a meal plan this week?

To Bee or Not to Bee

 

Swarming Bees

On Wednesday, when M was here, tending to the garden, he noticed quite a few bees buzzing around at the back of the garden and called out to me.  I had been in the garden, earlier in the morning, picking oranges, but, I hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary.  But, when M showed me the bees flying about, I realized that it was a swarm of migrating bees and noticed the cluster of them in one of the Euphorbia tirucalli trees.  It didn't take them long to form the cluster around their queen.  Then, everything was fairly quiet with just a few bees flying around.  The swarm would stay in place and rest while scouter bees look for a new hive.

This is the third time since I've been in this house that I've had a swarm of migrating bees form a cluster like this.  The very first time, I was watering the tree on which they had swarmed and they left, immediately.  The second time, we called the county vector control and they sent someone to collect the bees.  But, this time, when I looked up the county vector control website, they say they do not remove bees.  So, I looked up the county beekeepers association and there were several beekeepers listed.  They will collect bees for a fee.  

But, I know that swarming bees will move once they've found a suitable site for their permanent hive.  So, I decided to give them some time to move on.  They were still in place on Friday evening when M came to tend to the garden.  I thought I'd give them a little more time.  As I told one of my friends, if they were still here on Monday, then, I will contact a beekeeper.

But, when I checked on Saturday afternoon, the swarm had moved on.  I checked the other trees in the garden, but, I didn't see another bee cluster.  I hope they found a good place to build their hive.  I am just hoping that it is not in my attic space!  I don't have a finished attic as such, but, there is a space between the ceiling and the roof with ventilation openings!  I didn't notice any bees flying in and out of any of the vents, though.  But, if my ceiling starts to drip with honey, then, I will know where they went!  And then, I'll really need to call a beekeeper!

In the meantime, I am grateful for:

- Bees, who pollinate our flowers and enable them to form fruits and seeds, who bless my garden with their presence, and who have, hopefully, moved on to a better place to build their hive!

Have you had a cluster of swarming bees in your garden?