One Week!

 

The Blue Squash Harvest

It's been one week since daughter came home and we can't quite believe that it's been a week, already!

Today, Friday, was another warm day with the temperature going up to 96F.  Not too bad, but, I put the a/c on in the bedroom around 5:30 p.m., and both daughter and I stayed in the cool room for a couple of hours.  I even took a nap!  It seems to me that, this year, I am feeling the heat more than I did in previous years.

Today, I paid some bills that were coming due, did a couple of loads of laundry, watered the back garden, and picked these squashes that M had planted.  He said they were blue squash.  They are not very big, each about the size of a small acorn squash, but, the vines had died due to the heat and so, it was time to pick them.  I have not cooked or eaten them before, so it'll be a new experience.  

I made egg salad sandwiches for brunch and we had ramen noodles for dinner.  Snacks have included the last of the bananas, nectarines, chocolate wafers (me), and cereal (daughter).

Today, I am grateful for:

- Daughter being home
- The a/c unit in my bedroom
- Working appliances
- Squash from the garden
- Water for the garden

Today's joyful activity was taking a nap in the cool bedroom.

We don't have any special plans for the weekend.  I would like to sort through my sewing supplies and consolidate them (and hopefully find my rotary cutter!), and maybe we will unpack one or two of daughter's boxes?

How was your Friday?  What are your plans for the weekend?

August Grocery Shopping: Part 2

 

August 6th Grocery Receipt

I did a quick run to the grocery store on Wednesday, as daughter wanted more half & half and we both wanted more bananas  I went in person, this time, because I didn't want to order enough items to qualify for a free pick up.  While at the store, I decided to pick up a cucumber ($0.99) as well and a new-to-us can of cat food ($0.90) to see if Dancer would like it (he loved it and we ordered a 24 can case of it!)

I also decided to check the meat aisle to see if there were any reduced to clear items.  Apparently, 11:30 a.m. on a Wednesday morning was a good time to shop for meat because the butcher was checking the packages for items nearing the "sell by date" and marking them down!  I found a package of chicken drumsticks, originally priced at $7.46, marked down to $4.19 and several packages of 8 count/30 oz. total weight hamburger patties, original price $12, marked down to $5.42; I bought the package of chicken and one of the packages of hamburger patties.  

This time I bought a quart of half & half for $3.69.  

My total came to $16.23, which includes Dancer's can of cat food and tax on it and $15.24 without Dancer's food.

So far, in August, I have spent $38.17 + 15.24 = $53.41

I cooked the package of hamburger patties on Thursday for dinner, with corn on the cob (from the freezer - last year's homegrown corn) and a cucumber salad.  I had not thought to buy any hamburger buns, so I ate my hamburger patty by itself and daughter had it with bread.  

In other news, we went up to the mid-90s, on Wednesday and I asked M to put the window a/c unit up in my bedroom to use if needed.  M is off on his summer break for the next two weeks, so, I wanted the a/c unit in place before he took his time off.  We went up to 100F ("feels like 108F", per the online weather report) on Thursday and I did turn the a/c on for a few hours in the afternoon. 

I am grateful for:

- Being able to find some discounts and bargains at the grocery store
- Finding a type of cat food that Dancer seems to like
- Having a working a/c unit
- M's help with setting up the a/c unit
- M's help with the garden

Joyful activities have included spending a warm afternoon in a cool room.

Thriving in July

Surprise Lilies

I am continuing with my quest to thrive each month and here's my review of July.  July was a bit of a challenging month, but, that only made me even more determined to thrive.  After all, thriving when things are going smoothly is easy, but, the real test is to thrive when things are not quite as smooth, isn't it?

Spiritual:

In July, I prayed...a lot!  Much more than I usually do.   I am a firm believer in the power of prayer.  Not only did I pray, others - family and friends, including blog friends - also prayed on my behalf, which was a blessing in and of itself.  At least two of the issues I prayed for were answered in a favorable manner for which I am very grateful.  I am still praying for a third issue, which relates to my daughter's employment.  I think the challenges I faced this month emphasized how seeking refuge in spirituality helps.  I posted about counting my blessing about 10 days into the month and I think I thrived in the spiritual aspects of my life in July, both with praying and having those prayers answered.

Daughter:

July was a challenging month for my daughter, too.  At the beginning of the month, she found out that the grant funding 70% of her job was eliminated as a result of federal budget cuts, effective the end of August.  Working 30% of her time would make her ineligible to receive employer paid benefits such as health insurance.  While she can pay and get her own insurance, it would be an added cost.  

Fortunately, she had already decided to return home at the end of August and had not renewed her apartment lease, giving the apartment management a 60-day notice (she was required to give only a 30-day notice, but, the apartment management kept asking her if she was going to renew her lease and offered her a discount on the July rent if she let them know earlier).  But, she planned her move to take effect at the end of August.  Then, the apartment management asked her if she could leave on August 1st or by the end of the first week of August (in which case, she'd have to pay a week of rent and get renter's insurance for that week).  She agreed to leave on August 1st and brought forward her date of vacating her apartment.  She had to pack her stuff, dispose of all her furniture, and arrange for friends to help her move her boxes to the moving container as she has no car and her foot is not healed enough for her to drive a rental car.

Even so, she was able to rise to the challenge and get her belongings packed up and transported to the moving container with the help of her friends and work colleagues.  

In the meantime, I was able to provide her with virtual support from my end, being a sounding board for her plans and offering helpful suggestions.  I think our relationship thrived during the month of challenge.  Daughter is home now, we unloaded the boxes from the moving container and brought everything home during the first five days of August.  There's a mountain of 45 boxes and at least 10 miscellaneous items piled up in the living room.  Our next challenge will be to unpack those boxes and find homes for her belongings.  There will be some decluttering happening, too. 

Health & Well Being:

July continued to be a challenging month where my health and well being were concerned. I had a cystoscopy done on the first of the month, followed by a blood test the following week and a CT Scan the next week.  That was followed by an appointment with the Urologist to go over the scan results and I was so thankful and relieved to hear that everything was clear and the reason I have microscopic blood in my urine is probably due to the aspirin I take as a blood thinner.  The clear scan report was an answer to one of the prayers mentioned in the spiritual section above and I feel that, as a result, I thrived where my health was concerned.  .  

Family, Friends, & Community:

I had quite a few social interactions in July. too, with phone calls, emails, and texts, as usual.

In addition, neighbor S brought over some gifts and treats and, of course, I was provided with the opportunity to serve my community by being called for Jury Duty, even though I didn't have to actually report in person (even after being told to report in person, initially).

I'm pleased with the amount of interaction with my family, friends, and community, in July and I feel that this area of my life is thriving.  I've already returned neighbor S's visit in August, and had a long telephone chat with a friend I haven't seen or spoken to in a long time, so, August promises to be a thriving month, as well.

Finances:

I was able to keep my finances maintained in July.  I kept to my July grocery budget and was able to cover some extra medical expenses for Dancer.  I think I was able to thrive where my finances were concerned in July, keeping to my budget in most categories.  Going forwards, expenses will increase, partly because my daughter is now living at home.  I am fully prepared for that.

Time Management:

I continued to make progress with my time management in July.  I still procrastinated, however, but, things got done.  I think I did well enough and I'll settle for that; not sure if I can say that I thrived in this area, though, as there's room to improve.  

Leisure/Hobbies/Crafting:

In July, leisure/hobbies/crafting activities consisted of blogging, reading, gardening, watching videos online, and participating in July's monthly photo challenge.  I feel that I thrived in this area of my life.

House:

In July, I was in maintenance mode as I maintained the progress I had made, earlier.  My biggest accomplishment was tidying my bedroom, which led to smaller tidying projects in other areas of the house, as well, as I tried to find homes for some of the items I had stored in my bedroom.  I think I'm making good progress in this area of my life.

Garden:

The garden continued to thrive in July, too.  I continued to pick tomatoes, lemons, chilies, etc.  I went over my Tier 1 (lowest rate) water allotment during the June-July billing period, but, that's the price to pay for gardening in our arid climate.  The garden will wind down in August.       

Over all, July  was a challenging month, but, I think I managed to meet and overcome those challenges to thrive and live well.  I am hoping that August will be a better month.  As I've stated earlier, everything is not quite how I would like it to be, but, I am staying focused on the positives, making the best of things, and thriving to the extent that I can.

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

Meal Planning: July Week 5 Review and August Week 1

July Week 5 meal plan options were planned with the knowledge that daughter was coming home on Friday night (August 1) and I had planned to order some groceries earlier that day to have half and half, etc., on hand for her morning coffee.  I also bought some chicken when I put in that grocery order and, as mentioned in my previous post, I had received additional free groceries when the store gave me another customer's groceries in addition to mine!

Thesewere my meal plan options for July Week 5:    

Brunches: Bolillo roll sandwiches - fillings of tuna salad, egg salad or scrambled eggs, or canned corned beef; milkrice on Friday (August 1), leftover milkrice, cereal and milk

Dinners: Rice and salmon with tomato chutney, broccoli or sauteed beans; rice and chicken curry with dhal and beets; beef pepper steak with vegetables and rice; Breakfast for dinner (?), ramen noodles soup; leftovers; maybe patties if I feel up to making them, or something different!

Snacks/Desserts: Fruit, bread pudding, cereal, crackers and peanut butter, granola bars, cake, yogurt

Here's how that turned out:

Monday:
Brunch: Cereal and milk
Dinner: Salmon and half a bread roll
Snacks/Desserts: Spicy sauteed potatoes; cream cheese coffee cake; lemonade

Tuesday:

Brunch: Cereal and milk
Dinner: Ramen noodles with beef pepper steak
Snack/Desserts: Spicy sauteed potatoes; Cherries

Ramen Noodles

Wednesday:

Breakfast: Cereal & milk

Lunch: Burrito
Dinner: Ramen soup with pepper steak

Snacks/Desserts: Strawberries, cherries 

Thursday:

Brunch: Doughnut!  (Picked up Dancer's meds from the pharmacy and the only available parking spot, after going around the parking lot twice, was right in front of the doughnut shop next door to the pharmacy and I felt obliged to buy a doughnut from them; I didn't need to have my arm twisted for that, though!  LOL.)
Dinner: Scrambled eggs, sliced bolillo roll toast
Snacks/Desserts: Hot cheetos, glass of chocolate milk which I froze partially to make a slushie/frozen milk

Friday: (August 1)
Brunch: Milkrice with lunu miris (sambol) and salmon
Dinner: Rice, salmon, broccoli (some of the free broccoli I received)
Snacks/Desserts: Chocolate, banana

Saturday:
Brunch: Leftover milkrice with lunu miris; toasted bagel with butter
Dinner: Chicken curry, rice, cucumber salad
Snacks/Desserts: Banana, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds

Sunday:

Breakfast: Bananas, half a toasted bagel, each, with butter
Late Lunch: (after 3 runs to the moving container to bring back boxes): Hamburgers (I had half a hamburger), fries, milkshakes
Dinner: Chicken curry sandwich and the other half of my hamburger (daughter); saltine crackers (me - my tummy complained about the milkshake) 

Snacks/Desserts: I had a peppermint candy; not sure what daughter had, if any

Obviously, I didn't keep to the meal, but, it worked out well enough.

On to August Week 1 Meal Plan Options:

Brunches: Toasted bagels with butter (Monday); Scrambled eggs and toast (Tuesday); French toast, Tuna salad sandwiches; Burritos; Waffles with bacon and blueberry compote; Cereal and milk; leftovers

Dinners:  Rice, leftover salmon, and broccoli (Monday); Rice, chicken curry, dhal, broccoli; Rice, beef pepper steak, sauteed vegetables;  Macaroni & cheese with tuna; Fried rice; Salads; Leftovers.

Snacks/Desserts:  Fruit (fresh/dried), Nuts, Bread pudding, Smoothies; Iced coffee; Cereal

Of course, we might go off plan, too!  

As always, I am grateful to have access to a variety and abundance of food, with the question being "What are we having for dinner?" as opposed to, "Are we having dinner?".  Not everyone is as blessed.

Are you making a meal plan this week?

August Grocery Shopping - Part 1

I did the month's first grocery shopping on August 1st, choosing to do an order and pick up.  I selected a pick up slot of 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., but, I received a text around 6:00 p.m. that my order was filled, followed shortly by a phone call from Rose at the pick up department letting me know that their department was closing at 7:00 p.m. that evening and they wanted to make sure I had plenty of time to pick up my groceries before they closed.  

So, I quickly closed up the house and left to pick up the groceries before my allotted time.  They brought my groceries to the car and put everything in the trunk as usual, except for the bag with the milk and half-and-half, which I requested to be placed in the passenger seat (I had the a/c on in the car as it was a warm day).  I thought that the person placing the items in the car placed more bags that I would have expected given the size of my order, but, sometimes they pack the items separately and I just assumed that that's what they did.  

My phone rang again, while I was on my way home and I let it go to voicemail.  Once I got home, I checked the message and it was Rose at the grocery store, calling to let me know that they had placed some extra items in my car, but, I was not required to return them to the store and I could either keep them or toss them and if I had any questions, to call the store.  So, I called the store and spoke with Rose and she basically told me the same thing.  They had placed someone else's items in my car, but, she was not going to make me drive back; I could keep the items or toss them.  I verified that I would not be charged for the additional items if I decided to keep them.  I had no idea what they were, though, because I had just pulled into my garage and not unpacked anything.  

By then, M had arrived to tend to the garden, so I related what had just taken place to him and took my groceries inside.

I bought:

Order Summary

Original Item Total$53.71

Item Coupons/Sales-$16.04

Fulfillment Fee+$0.00

Other Fees+$0.50

Sales Tax$0.00

Order Total$38.17

---

Item Details

21 Items

Bauducco® Chocolate Wafer Cookies, 5 oz$2.00

2 x $1.00 $1.59 each

Blue Diamond® Lightly Salted Almonds, 6 oz$1.99

1 x $1.99 $4.79 each

Chicken of the Sea Chunk Light Tuna In Water, 5 oz$5.00

4 x $1.25 $1.69 each

Cucumber, 1 ct$0.99

1 x $0.99 each

Foster Farms Fresh & Natural Chicken Thighs, 1 pk$5.32

3.57 lbs x $1.49 $2.99 each (approx.)

Fresh Bunch of Bananas – 5-7 Bananas, 1 bunch$1.92

2.78 lbs x $0.69 each (approx.)

Kroger® Half and Half Pint, 1 pt$2.69

1 x $2.69 each

Kroger® Plain Bagels, 6 ct / 18 oz$2.79

1 x $2.79 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

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

1 x $2.99 each

Seedless Mandarin Clementine Oranges in 3lb Bag, 3 lb$3.49

1 x $3.49 $5.99 each

StarKist Chunk Light Tuna in Water Can, 5 oz$5.00

5 x $1.00 $1.49 each

---

Other Fees

$0.50

Bag Fee$0.50

5 x $0.10 each

I spent:  $38.17.

In addition, I received:

- 3 x 2 lb. bags of broccoli florets (@ $6.00)
- 3 x 12 oz. packages of bacon (@$5.99)
- 2 x 12 oz. bags of dried cranberries (@$4.79)
- 1x 11 oz. container mayonnaise (@$4.49)
- 1x 10 oz. container of natural sunflower seed kernels (@$3.49)
-1 "jumbo" red onion (@$1.49/lb. and the one I received was huge; I assume it would have come to about $1) 

From the items, I am assuming that someone was planning to make a big broccoli salad!  I hope they received their order once the store realized that they had given the items to me!  I went on the store website, later, to see how much these additional items came to and it came to about $55 depending how much the onion might have weighed  

I gave one bag of broccoli florets to M and offered one to my neighbor S (she wasn't home when I called so I'll give it to her later today).  I froze the bacon and we will enjoy them, along with the other items over the upcoming weeks.  What a blessing to receive free groceries!  

With my daughter being home, I am going to increase my grocery budget to $250 per month, or $125 per person.  Primarily because, despite campaign promises to the contrary, grocery prices have increased and I expect them to continue to increase.  I am able to increase my grocery budget by reducing what I put into savings.  

I am grateful for:

- Being blessed with free groceries at the expense of the store's mistake
- Being able to share some of that with friends and neighbors
- The availability of groceries
- Being able to increase my grocery budget
- The blessing of having enough food to eat

She's Home!

 

Box Mountain

Daughter is home!  She arrived on Friday, August 1st.

She had rented a moving container which she packed with her belongings, as it was cheaper than hiring movers.  The estimated date for her boxes to be shipped to the company's warehouse/depot closest to us was August 7th (having the container delivered to the house and picked up later would have cost more).  Daughter had arranged for her friends to help her unload the container and bring her boxes home on Saturday, August 9th.

But, she received notification that her moving container had arrived on Saturday, August 2nd.  So, we decided that we would start moving her boxes on Sunday, August 3, by ourselves.   We made three trips to the depot and back, this afternoon.  The fact that it was 93F didn't bother us.  

Daughter lifted and carried most of the boxes, giving me only the very lightest boxes and a few other light miscellaneous items.  We brought home 28 boxes and several miscellaneous items including a rug, two framed pictures, a stack of plastic drawers, a stack of metal drawers, and a two tier wooden step stool.  Everything is stacked in the living room!  

There are still several more boxes left in the moving container.  We plan to make one trip on Monday evening, after daughter has finished her work and before the warehouse/depot closes at 7:00 p.m., and another trip on Tuesday evening.  We should have the moving container emptied by Tuesday; if not, we will make another trip on Wednesday evening.  

I am grateful for:

- Daughter had a safe flight home
- All her friends who helped her to move her boxes to the moving container at that end
- The moving container was delivered to the warehouse/depot safely and ahead of schedule
- Daughter's foot has recovered enough to allow her to lift and carry the boxes
- We are able to bring the boxes home, a few at a time, in the car

My joyful activities these past few days have been getting ready for daughter to come home and having her home, again. 

Thank you to everyone who wished my daughter a safe move back home. 

Monthly Photo Challenge - July: Numbers

The theme for July's Monthly Photo Challenge, hosted by Eileen at A Bracelet of Days was Number(s).  In addition to the usual rules of a minimum of five photos, taken during the month (no archival photos), etc., she had also added a challenge that the photos of numbers had to be from different sources, although the same number could be repeated (provided they were from different sources).  As always, I looked forward to the challenge.  There were numbers just about everywhere I looked, here are the few that I photographed:

1.  Checklist at the Post Office

2.  Speed Limit Posted in a Parking Lot

3.  Temperature in Celsius and Fahrenheit

4.  Dates on a Calendar

5.  Touch Pad on the Microwave

6.  Level 3 Piano Book

7.  Roman Numerals on a Clock

Numbers are interesting, aren't they?  I would have liked to have photographed some Chinese or Korean numerals, but, I didn't remember to do so when I was in the parts of the city where I would have seen them.  Ancient Sri Lanka had its own written Sinhala numerals, but, these days Arabic numerals are used and the old Sinhala numerals are known only to scholars.  I think the last official document to include the old Sinhala numerals is the treaty signed between the chieftains of the kingdom of Kandy ceding the country to the British in 1815, although a version is still used in traditional astrological documents.  

As always, thank you Eileen for hosting the monthly photo challenges.  Hoping there will be on in August and looking forward to it.

No Jury Duty on Wednesday

 

The Mirror is Back Over the Fireplace

On Tuesday, when I called in to find out if I needed to report for jury duty, I was told to report to the court house in person at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday.  So, Tuesday night, I went to bed "early" for me, around 1:30 a.m., although I didn't fall asleep right away.

But, I woke up at 9:00 a.m., had a cup of tea, said my morning prayers, and took a shower.  I heard my cell phone ping shortly after I got out of the shower and got dressed.  I thought my daughter was messaging me, so I checked the phone and the automated jury service had sent both a voicemail and a text thanking me for my jury service and telling me that I didn't need to report to the courthouse on July 30, 2025 and that I will not be called for jury service for another 12 months!

I wasn't quite sure if that was accurate or not, so, I called the jury service number and of course, I got the automated messaging system.  I put in my information and was told I had fulfilled my jury service.  There was no number to press to speak to a live person, so, I accepted the fact that I didn't have to report in person.  In any case, I will save the voicemail and text messages, which were sent just after 10:30 a.m.  I'm glad they messaged me then because I had been planning to leave the house at 11:00 a.m. and if they had called me while I was driving, I would not have answered!  

So, I was home when M came to tend to the garden.  He brought me a cutting of a lemon verbena plant to try and grow it.  I put it in water to see if it will root.  

I also asked him to rehang the mirror in the living room.  It was taken down when the walls were painted and the painters forgot to hang it back up and I forgot to tell them to do so.  Then, I wondered if I wanted the mirror up and stayed without putting it up for almost two months.  But, I decided that the mirror sort of completes the fireplace and I wanted it back up.  So, M put in two new nails and hung the mirror up for me.  I'm too short to see myself in the mirror when I stand in front of it, but, I like having the mirror there.

I did more paperwork, on Wednesday, sorting through and filing some and shredding others.  I now have three grocery bags full of shredded paper to be used as mulch in the back garden planting beds.  

On Wednesday, I was grateful for:

- Not needing to go in person to report for jury duty
- M for helping me with the garden and hanging the mirror for me
- Water for the garden
- Phone calls, texts, and emails
- Getting some much needed paperwork done

Wednesday's joyful activity was being told I have fulfilled my jury duty service!  LOL.

Plans for Thursday include catching up on a few blogs (I am behind with my blog reading), dusting and vacuuming the main areas of the house, cleaning the kitchen, and doing a load of laundry.

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

On Tuesday

 

The Plumbago Shrub

The plumbago shrub is trying to take over the back garden!  I had asked M to trim it back at the end of last year and here's how it looked in January 2025, when it was starting to leaf out again:

Plumbago Shrub in January 2025

It has grown at least three feet forward since then.  There is a lantana plant buried somewhere in there, as well!  LOL.  I am sure we will be cutting it back again, this fall.

I finished cleaning my bedroom, on Tuesday.  I dusted and tidied the dressing table and the bookshelves and cleaned the window and the windowsill.  I would like to tidy the closet a bit, too, but, that's a task for another day.

I also brought in the emptied trash bins, took out the kitchen compost (didn't fall!), and did a small load of laundry.

I have to report for jury duty in person, tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon.  At least I won't have to wake up super early and fight the morning traffic.  But, I am not planning to do much either before or after jury duty.  Such things tire me out these days.

I had cereal and milk for brunch, snacked on the leftover spicy potatoes, and had ramen noodles for dinner.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- What I was able to accomplish
- Weekly trash collections
- Working appliances
- Daughter has some helpful friends and co-workers helping her with the move
- An opportunity to do my civic duty.

Today's joyful activity was spending time in the garden.  

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

Starting the Last Week in July

 

Butternut Squash Vines

Can you believe that we are in the last week of July?  The month is going very fast, I feel.

Butternut Squash 

On Sunday, I decided to make a start on tidying my bedroom.  I started with the smallest, least cluttered piece of furniture, my bedside table/nightstand.  It has two drawers which are fairly organized that I didn't need to sort through.  The top drawer has my medications, my phone charger, and some extra medicated creams/pain relievers, etc.  The bottom drawer holds my blood pressure monitor, my blood sugar monitor, a heating pad, etc.  So, I only needed to dust and tidy the top.  Which I did, including wiping down the shade and bulb on the table lamp.  

There were two pieces of paper that I needed to recycle.  But, brown grocery bag I use to hold papers for recycling was rather full.  It needed to be emptied into the big recycling bin that is outside. The bag of recycling  kitchen items (cans, bottles, etc.) was also full and I decided to take the kitchen trash out, too.  So, I collected all three bags, and the bag of litter box cleanings that I had placed outside the sliding glass door and made a trip to the trash and recycling bins.  

On the way there, I noticed that the garden cats' water bowl needed refilling.   So, on the way back, I refilled the water bowl and, since I had the garden hose in my hand, I went ahead and watered the blueberry bushes that were right there, and the tomato plant, and the newly planted corn and, before I knew it, I had watered the entire back garden, all the while holding on to the now emptied brown grocery bag I use to hold papers for recycling!  LOL.  45 minutes later, I went back into the house to continue with my bedroom tidying.  And this is why I don't make a lot of progress when I tidy and organize.  

My next task in the bedroom was finding homes for the stack of yarn and fabric and other craft supplies that were kept in boxes near my bed.  I had found storage for some of the yarn, earlier, but, there was more yarn and all that fabric we bought on sale when the fabric store was going out of business.  The dresser drawers in the spare bedroom, where I store fabric, were already full and the yarn bin was full, too.  I sorted the yarn and the fabric into two boxes, but, before I could store them in the spare bedroom, I had to shift things and make room in the spare bedroom!  

As I told one of my friends, it was like playing a game of Tetris!  But, eventually, I made room for the box of yarn and the box of fabric.  While I did that, the robot vacuum cleaned my bedroom floor.  I also wiped the top of the chest of drawers where I have set up a small altar.  There was nothing to declutter there; I just took everything off, dusted, and put everything back in place.

On Monday, I didn't have to go for jury duty in person. So, I continued with tidying my bedroom.  I decided to focus on my desk.  The top of the desk is a real magnet for clutter.  Any time the rest of the house has to be cleared very quickly, such as when company comes, I gather everything and dump it on top of the desk in my bedroom.  And there the items stay and multiply!  I removed all the piles of paper and sorted them into piles by category. They have not been filed, yet, but, they are now separated into file folders and the files are contained in a bin.  The top of the desk was dusted and there's even some empty desk surface to be seen.  There are three baskets of sewing supplies, too, that are sitting on the desk, but that is to be sorted another day.

I also collected at least a dozen cardboard boxes of assorted sizes and broke them all up and filled the recycling bin with them.  The trash can and the recycling bin have been taken out to the curb to be collected on Tuesday morning.  

In between sorting out the papers, I had a long chat with Aunt C and a shorter chat with friend R and video chatted with my daughter.  I cooked some spicy sauteed potatoes with the last of the potatoes because I had been wanting some spicy potatoes and I had some of that as a snack.  Brunch had been cereal and milk; dinner was half a bread roll with salmon.  Snacks included cream cheese coffee cake and the spicy potatoes.  I also made myself a glass of fresh lemonade.  

In the evening, I called to check if I need to report for jury duty on Tuesday and was told I didn't have to.  But, I have to call again, on Tuesday evening to see if I need to go in on Wednesday.

Plans for Tuesday include continuing to clean my bedroom (need to finish tidying the desk and dust the dressing table).  

On Monday, I am grateful for:

- Progress being made in tidying the bedroom
- Phone chats and exchanging emails with family and friends
- Garden produce
- Working appliances
- Pleasant weather

Joyful activities have included spending time in the garden.

Another Butternut Squash

July Week 4 Meal Plan Options Review and July Week 5 Meal Plan Options

These were the meal plan options for July Week 4:  

Brunches: Egg salad sandwiches; tuna salad on crackers or toast; uppuma (again; I enjoyed it when I made it earlier); burritos (from the freezer); waffles or pancakes; leftovers

Dinners: Rice and curries (salmon curry, dhal, moringa curry, tomato chutney); fried rice; hamburger patty with salad and corn; ramen noodles/soup; leftovers.

Snacks/Desserts: Fruit, crackers with peanut butter, yogurt and granola, dry cereal, chocolate cake

And here's how that worked out:

Monday:
Brunch: Tuna sandwich
Dinner : Rice and the last of the jalapeno chicken
Snacks/Desserts: Strawberries, cereal (dry), chocolate

Tuesday:
Brunch: Uppuma
Dinner: Egg salad sandwich
Snacks/Desserts: Cherries, toast and butter, cereal(dry)

Wednesday:
Brunch: Uppuma
Dinner: Egg salad on toast
Snacks/Desserts: Strawberries, peanut butter and crackers

Thursday:
Brunch: Bread, butter, and banana
Dinner: Beef steak and bread
Snacks/Desserts:  Chocolate milk, cream cheese coffee cake

Friday:
Brunch: Bread and beef steak sandwich
Dinner: Bread and butter
Snacks/Desserts: Cream cheese coffee cake

Saturday:
Brunch: Bread and butter, banana
Dinner: Pork fried rice
Snacks/Desserts: Cream cheese coffee cake

Sunday:

Brunch: Cream cheese coffee cake
Dinner: Rice, salmon, tomato chutney
Snacks: Nectarine/chocolate

I went completely off the meal plan after I went grocery shopping on Thursday!  But, that's okay.  

Moving on to the last week of July - daughter comes home on Friday night and I plan to order some groceries earlier that day to have half and half, etc., on hand for her morning coffee.  I have salmon already cooked and frozen for Friday night's dinner and there will be leftovers for at least one other meal.  I will also need to buy more chicken and meat, depending on the grocery ads and what's on sale.

These are my meal plan options:.  

Brunches: Bolillo roll sandwiches - fillings of tuna salad, egg salad or scrambled eggs, or canned corned beef; milkrice on Friday (August 1), leftover milkrice, cereal and milk

Dinners: Rice and salmon with tomato chutney, broccoli or sauteed beans; rice and chicken curry with dhal and beets; beef pepper steak with vegetables and rice; Breakfast for dinner (?), ramen noodles soup; leftovers; maybe patties if I feel up to making them, or something different!

Snacks/Desserts: Fruit, bread pudding, cereal, crackers and peanut butter, granola bars, cake, yogurt

As always, I am grateful for:

- Having enough and plenty to eat
- Having a variety of food to eat
- Having a choice of what to eat
- Refrigerators and freezers to help preserve the food

How about you?  Will you be making a meal plan this week?

On Saturday

 

Fried Rice for Dinner

On Saturday, I went to the pharmacy to pick up one of my medication refills that was ready.  Afterwards. I went next door to the dollar store to get a box of quart sized zippered food storage bags as I had finished the box I had been using.   

After that, I spent a relatively relaxed day.  I spent some time tidying up the family room and cleaning the kitchen.  The room I really need to tidy is my bedroom, but, I've been procrastinating on that!  I also did a bit of reading and watched some online videos.  

Brunch was bread and butter with a banana.  For dinner, I made some fried rice, using the last few pieces of the barbecue pork from my Chinese take out.  

Daughter is busy packing up her boxes and moving them, with the help of some friends, to the moving box/container which is located at a warehouse in a neighboring city (you have the option of having the container delivered to your residence, but, there is no where for it to be parked in front of daughter's apartment building and they will not deliver to the underground parking garage).  

On Saturday, I was grateful for:

- My medication refills being available
- A safe drive to the pharmacy and back
- Daughter is making progress with her packing
- Her friends are helping her to move the boxes to the moving box/container
- A fairly relaxed day

Saturday's joyful activities included reading and tending to my indoor plants.

No big plans for Sunday, but, I would really like to get my bedroom organized!

How is your weekend coming along?  Any special plans for Sunday?

Towards the End of the Week

 

Pomegranate Forming

On Wednesday, the vet called with Dancer's blood test results.  Everything seems to be under control, she said, and she will keep his medications at the same dosage.  She asked how his appetite was because he is still losing weight.  I said he is being a bit picky and I've been coaxing him to eat.  She suggested trying an appetite stimulant, an ointment to be applied to the inside of his ear.  

On Thursday, the vet's office called to let me know that the appetite stimulant ointment was ready for pick up.  So, in the afternoon, I went to the vet's clinic and picked up the ointment.  

Then, on the way home, I stopped at the supermarket to pick up bread and milk.  This time, they had the half gallons of whole milk ($2.99), but, only one very sad looking loaf of store brand sandwich bread!  I bought whole wheat bolillo bread rolls, instead; a bag of 6 rolls for $3.00; if I have to report to jury duty next week, the rolls can be sandwiched with a filling and be taken for my lunches.  I also bought a "baked in-store" loaf of French bread which looked (and tasted) delicious for $2.99.  In addition, I bought two bananas ($0.65/lb.) and a cream cheese coffee cake for a treat (a bit of a splurge at $6.00); that's the problem with grocery shopping in person - I get tempted by treats at the bakery!  But, the good thing about shopping in person is one gets to find marked down bargains.  In the meat department, I checked the marked down meats and found a package of two thinly sliced beef shoulder steaks, just under half a pound in weight, regular price with a store loyalty card at $7.74, marked down to $3.74 for a quick sale.  I thought that was a good bargain and bought it.  I spent a total of $18.85 at the grocery store.  I now have just under $3 ($2.91 to be exact) left in my July grocery budget!

I kept the beef to marinate with some salt, pepper, garlic powder, ground ginger, and Worcestershire sauce and cooked it with onions and home-grown tomatoes.  I froze one steak, ate a piece of the second steak with some French bread for my dinner, and kept the rest of the piece in the fridge.  I seem to have gone off my meal plan, this week, but, I'm not going to worry too much about that!

In addition, I did a load of laundry and remade my bed with freshly washed sheets.  Dancer helped, as usual.  And then, he took a nap on the bed to try out the fresh sheets!  LOL.

On Friday, the pharmacy called to let me know that Dancer's thyroid medication was ready for pick up.  So, I went to the pharmacy to collect it and came home directly.  Gardener friend M was here in the evening to tend to the garden.  We picked more tomatoes and lemons, he watered the garden for me, and he also nailed the part of the gutter that was coming down along the side of the house.  It might be a temporary fix; we shall see how well it holds up when it rains, later in the year.  

I am grateful for:

- Dancer's blood test results were good
- His medications are available
- Bargains at the grocery store
- M's help with the garden and other things around the house
- Tomatoes and lemons from the garden  

Joyful activities have included spending time in the garden, video chatting with my daughter, and reading.

Plans for the weekend include some cleaning and tidying.  

How was your day?  What are your plans for the weekend?

Grocery Ads

 

Grocery Ad for June 25-July 1, 2025

The weekly grocery ads usually get delivered to my mailbox or email box (for the big supermarket) on Tuesdays as the prices go into effect from Wednesday through Tuesday.  I love to look at the grocery ads, as I try to shop the weekly specials and stock up when there's a good deal.  I shop first and then, meal plan based on what I buy.

Above  is a photo of the grocery ad from one of the ethnic stores I like to shop at, showing the week's specials for the week of June 25 through July 1, 2025 (Wednesday to Tuesday).  Check the price of salmon fillets, on sale (or on offer, if you prefer) for $7.99/lb.  I bought some salmon at that price that week, as a special treat, because my daughter was home on a visit.  

Below is a photo of the grocery ad from the same store for this week (July 23 through July 29, 2025:

Grocery Ad for July 23-28, 2025

Ignore the top picture of the beef tomahawk steak.  Focus on the salmon fillets shown in the middle row.  The same picture as the one shown in last month's ad, just a bit smaller, but, notice the price!  It has increased from $7.99/lb. to $8.99/lb., or $1.00 more.

That is one whole dollar more per pound in just one month!  Now, I'll be the first to admit that math is not my strong point and I might be mistaken (and please correct me if I am wrong), but, I think that comes out to be a 12.5% increase in price!  In one month!  

In comparison, the big chain supermarket is having salmon fillets on sale (or, on offer) for $9.99/lb. this week.  So, it's still less expensive at the ethnic store.

This is not a rant.  At least, I don't intend it to be a rant, if only because I don't usually rant.  But, still, I am trying to come to terms with the price increase.  How can one keep up with such steep price increases?  A price book doesn't help much when prices increase so much in a very short period of time.

We are told to eat fish at least three times a week because it is good for us and salmon is considered one of the best fish in terms of omega fats and such.  But, it is difficult when the recommended as "good for you" items are priced so high that people almost can't afford it, at least not on a regular basis.  It becomes a luxury, then, an occasional treat.  Food that is supposed to be good for you should not be something that can be had only as an occasional treat.  It needs to be priced so that people can afford to buy it on a regular basis. 

Frozen salmon is an alternative and the price at the supermarket varies from $14.99 for a 2 lb. package (or $7.50/lb.) for store brand wild caught pink salmon to $9.99 for a 1.25 lb. package of a branded salmon, to $22.99 for a 2 lb. package (or $11.50/lb.) for store brand farm-raised Atlantic salmon. The ethnic store doesn't carry frozen fish.

I buy salmon as an occasional treat and I tend to buy the fresh salmon because my daughter prefers it (she says she can taste the difference between fresh and previously frozen; my palate isn't quite as discerning).  She doesn't mind salmon I've cooked and then frozen.  

I bought salmon steaks, which cost less per pound than fillets, when it was on sale at $5.99/lb., over the weekend, so I am not planning to buy salmon fillets, this week.  And the price of salmon steaks stayed the same at $5.99 as when they were on sale at the beginning of June.  So, it does help to pay attention to sale prices and recognize a bargain.  I bet, though, that the next time salmon steaks go on sale, the price per pound will increase! 

At least the price of eggs have come down to $4.49/doz. at the supermarket (from a high of $9.99/doz.)  Be thankful for small mercies, Bless.

I had thought I'd go to the supermarket to buy bread and milk, today (Wednesday), but, the store website shows that they are out of whole milk, which I prefer.  So, I'll wait another day or two. Incidentally, there were a few empty bins and shelves at the ethnic store when I went on Sunday - they were out of cauliflower and a couple of other vegetables, and most kinds of bread. The empty bread shelves reminded me of the last time I grocery shopped before the first Covid lockdown.

I am grateful for:

- The availability of groceries
- Having enough to eat
- The price of salmon steaks didn't increase 
- Still being able to manage my grocery budget to include the occasional treat of a "good for you" item! 
- Home grown tomatoes (picked one ripe Berkeley tie dye tomato, today)

Do you buy salmon?  If so, what price do you pay?  Have you seen a price increase since the last time you purchased any?  Do you think I succeeded in not ranting? 

Starting a New Week

 

Nectarine

On Monday, I picked this nectarine from the tree.  It looks perfect, doesn't it?  But, looks can be deceiving:

Not Quite Perfect

It looks like some insect tried to bore into it.  Oh, well, this is what happens when you grow things organically, without spraying your fruit.  At least the birds didn't eat it before I picked it.  

Last year, we had about 9 or 10 nectarines.  This year, the nectarine tree didn't set many fruits.  Only this one and possibly one other that is still forming.  Needless to say, I am disappointed.  

On Monday, I did some paperwork in the morning and then, took Dancer to the vet clinic for his arthritis injection, thyroid panel (the vet wanted to check if the new dosage of medication was helping), and have his claws trimmed.  The last time I got a professional manicure done was back in July 2018!  

Dancer was very good on this trip to the vet clinic.  He had been sleeping when I picked him up to give him his sedative and in his sleepy state, I was able to give him the full dose before he realized what was happening.  I also made sure to give him the medication one full hour before we left the house, and not one hour prior to his appointment time.  Those extra 20 minutes or so really helped.  He protested a bit when he realized that he was in his carrier and when he was first put into the car, but, he settled down soon after that.  And he didn't hyperventilate or drool or throw up or mess up on the way there and back.  He was a very good boy!

Once we arrived home, I waited a few minutes to make sure he was okay.

Then, I went to the post office to mail something and went to the library to return two books.  One book was due on the day and the other one wasn't, but, I wanted to return them both and have one less thing to remember to do.   Besides, I'll be busy this week and I might have to report for jury duty next week; I have to call on Sunday evening to find out if I need to report in person on Monday.

Later in the evening, I watered the back garden (which was when I picked the nectarine), cleaned out the fridge, and took the trash cans to the curb.

Today, (Tuesday), I brought in the emptied trash cans, checked the new grocery ads, did a load of laundry, watered the indoor plants, and received an e-book that I had put a hold on through the library.  There had been 7 people waiting for this book (on decluttering) before me, so, I didn't anticipate I'd receive it as soon as I did (within a week of requesting it).  I've already started to read it.  This person has decluttering videos posted online and I've watched them, so I thought I'd read her book, as well.  

Later in the afternoon, I went out to the backyard to take the kitchen compost to the compost heap, tripped on something, and fell!  I had just been thinking that I haven't fallen recently!  It knocked the wind out of me, but, I was okay.  Not hurt.  I did lie there for a minute before I sat up and then tried to get up.  I had seen a video where you are encouraged to get up on one knee, bend the other leg and rest your foot on the ground with that knee raised. put your weight on the raised knee to lever yourself up.  Well, I tried that, but the leg I was kneeling on wouldn't move!  Eventually, I just put both hands on the ground and levered myself up like that.  I did have my cell phone with me and if all else failed, I would have called M as he has a key to my gate and sat there in the garden until he could come and help me up.  I might have had to wait a long time, though.  Thank goodness I didn't hurt myself, although I might have a bruise or two, tomorrow.

I am grateful for:

- I didn't hurt myself when I fell
- I was able to get up on my own
- Dancer had a good trip to the vet clinic and back on Monday
- Libraries and being able to borrow books and other material through them
- Working appliances
- Water for the garden
- Nectarines from the garden

Joyful activities have included reading, watching online videos, and relaxing.

Plans for Wednesday include maybe another load of laundry, booking the car for a routine service, more paperwork, tending to the garden with M, and maybe going to the grocery store for bread and milk.  I finished the last of the bread tonight, when I had an egg salad sandwich for my dinner.

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