The Rest of the Week

 

Pom Pom Chrysanthemums
at the Japanese Garden

Thank you, everyone, for your very kind comments about my visit to the botanical gardens.  Visiting a public garden had been on my Fall/Autumn Joyful Activities List and I am so happy that I was able to do so on my birthday, thanks to my gardener friend M who gifted me with the tickets.  He had been very keen for me to visit the Descanso Botanical Gardens for years, but, I wasn't ready to go until now.  It was a very big deal for me, especially since I generally tend to stay home.  

I needed to take it easy for the rest of the week because I was quite tired after that outing!  First, my left knee complained about the walking (the fact that I had dropped a large glass jar on my left foot a day or two prior to the trip and bruised my second toe didn't help).  Then, my hips protested for a couple of days.  

On Wednesday, M came to tend to the garden and I was able to show him some of the pictures I took at the Gardens and thanked him again for the tickets.  He brought several bags of potting soil I had requested him to buy for me and we planted some herbs and cool weather vegetables such as celery, kale, and carrots.  Later on Wednesday, I had a chat with my friend from university days. and, afterwards, I went to the pharmacy to pick up some medication refills.  We had leftover egg salad sandwiches for brunch and leftover Thai food for dinner.  We applied the vet prescribed flea treatment to Dancer and he seemed to tolerate it.  

On Thursday, I had a follow up appointment with the dermatologist.  It rained just a little bit on my way to the dermatologist's and it rained again on my way back.  I stopped for gas on my way home; gas has gone up, again ($4.69/gal. at the cheapest station in my neighborhood).  Later in the night, it started to rain in earnest - mostly light showers in my area, but, it rained throughout the night.  I was happy we were getting some rain because the garden really needed it.

On Friday, it rained all day and all night!  Once again, mostly light rain in my area, but, every now and then, it rained more heavily.  The garden received a good watering.  I didn't expect M to tend to the garden on Friday, but, he still showed up, moved some of the potted plants out from under the awning in the back and set them out to get watered by the rain, checked on the garden, and left early because I told him to go home.  I didn't want him working in the rain. 

Saturday was another rainy day!  Daughter vacuumed most of the house and I vacuumed my bedroom.  Then, I started on the laundry - my daughter's bed sheets and quilts,  the sofa dust sheets, and our clothes, etc.  There's extra laundry getting done because Dancer is still battling the fleas.  I've been flea combing him, daily, too, and sometimes, twice daily.  I think we are making some progress, but, it's an on-going battle.

The rain paused for the day on Sunday.  Daughter helped me order some groceries and I picked up the items in the early evening (I will do a separate post about the groceries).  Afterwards, I drove over to friend R's apartment to hand over a package she had ordered (she gets them delivered to my address because I'm home to receive them).  

Daughter tried a new recipe and baked some scones made with olive oil instead of butter and we both enjoyed the scones with butter and jam or cream cheese and jam.  

We are supposed to get more rain on Monday.  We need all the rain we can get, but, there have been floods and mudslides in certain areas.

As this week ends and another one begins, I am grateful for:

- Living to be 70
- M's gift of tickets to the botanical garden
- A lovely day at the botanical garden

- Access to medical appointments and prescriptions
- The rain we've received

My joyful activities have included a visit to the botanical gardens, planting cool weather plants in my own garden, knitting, and spending time with my daughter.

How was your week and weekend?  What are your plans for Monday?