The Weekend

 

Gifts from Neighbor S

Thank you, everyone, for your very kind comments on my previous post about my blog anniversary.  I appreciate all your comments and all the friends I've made through this blog.  It has been a pleasure to "meet" all of you.  :)

My weekend began on Friday as I decided I wanted a celebratory lunch in response to the good scan results.  I also needed to put gas to the car, so I did that, first, and put $50 worth of gas.  Then, I went across the street to a favorite Chinese fast food place in my neighborhood.  They have an eating area, but, I am not eating out, yet, so, I got a combo plate to go:

Chinese Food 

Fried rice, noodles, barbeque pork, and jalapeno chicken.  They give generous portions for a reasonable price; my meal came to $10.95 with taxes.  

On Friday evening, M came to tend to the garden.  He weeded and watered and helped to bring in a box of cat kibble that had been delivered.  

On Saturday, I changed the sofa dust sheets, did a load of laundry, put away the washed and dried laundry, and chatted for a bit with friend R.  Otherwise, it was a fairly relaxed day.

Sunday was my blog anniversary.  It was also my father's death anniversary.  He died when I was 7 years old.  I treasure the memories I have of him and the stories people have told me about him.  I called my half-sister (my father's daughter from his first marriage) and chatted with her for a bit in the afternoon.  

I dusted the living room which has stayed tidy since it was painted and cleaned, last month.  I've been keeping the dining area cleared and tidy, too.  The rest of the house, not so much!  

A little later in the afternoon, my lovely neighbor S called me and came over with some gifts!  She has recently returned from a trip to Europe and she brought me a set of kitchen towels from there as well as some fresh plums from her friend's garden, a frozen Korean seaweed wrapped rice roll (kimbap) for my daughter, some mini boxes of cereal for us to share, and a jar of tikka masala.

Still later, I went to the Armenian grocery store to get a few items.  But, that's another post!

This weekend, I was grateful for:

- Pleasant weather 
- M's help with the garden
- Gas for the car
- The reason for the celebratory lunch
- Phone chats and emails with friends and family
- A visit and gifts from neighbor S
- Memories of my father

My joyful activities have included tending to the garden with M, having a celebratory meal, chatting with my sister, and visiting with neighbor S.

Plans for Monday include taking Dancer to his vet appointment.

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

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.

Ten Years and Counting

 

Monday's Pickings

When I wrote my first blog post on July 20, 2014, stating that it would be a blog about "this and that", I really had no idea that I would still be writing about "this and that" ten years later!  Thank you to all of you who read and comment on my blog.

So, to continue with posting about "this and that", on Sunday evening, after I had posted my blog post about the warm weekend and how grateful I was for electricity to run the fans and appliances, around 9:00 p.m., the power went off!  My block was completely without power.  Fortunately, I keep a flashlight (or torch as I grew up calling them) near me and plenty of candles.  I lit several candles and there was sufficient light to see to clean the litter box and do the dishes, but, I couldn't do much else!  I didn't want to strain my eyes to try and read or sew by candlelight and while I crocheted a bit, I wasn't that interested in it.  Fortunately, it had started to cool off a bit, so, the lack of working fans didn't bother me too much.  Neighbor S called to say that her electric gate was not working and her daughters, who were coming home after having gone out earlier, couldn't find street parking.  Before she could even ask, I told her that they could park in my driveway and she thanked me.  I was glad I was able to help.  I Facetimed with my daughter because we couldn't video chat as usual.  Then, around 12:15 a.m., just as I was thinking that I might as well go to bed, the power came back on and, of course, I stayed up till past 3:00 a.m.!  LOL.

On Monday morning, I called in Dancer's medication refill to the pharmacy.  Then, I took the car in for a smog check to see if the exhaust emissions meet air quality standards; the smog check was required for renewing my car registration which is coming due.  There was no one else ahead of me, so, the mechanic was able to check my car right away.  My car passed the smog check, so now, I can go ahead and send in my renewal fees.  I relaxed during the afternoon and read.  

In the evening, when it had cooled off a bit, I took the trash cans to the curb for pick up in the morning, put water to the back garden, and picked some Meyer lemons, red Serrano chilies, a handful of okra, and a sprig of moringa leaves.  Then, I cooked dinner - rice, dhal with moringa leaves, sauteed okra, and sliced, sauteed hot dogs with onions, chili powder, and ketchup.  Brunch had been a cheese sandwich.

I also cleaned and polished a brass candle holder, a small, round brass tray, and another metal candle holder with a glass globe.  I had used both candle holders on Sunday night and they were full of melted wax which needed to be scraped out.   

On Monday, I was grateful for:

- The car passing the smog check
- The produce I was able to pick from the garden
- Water for the garden
- Being able to help neighbor S with the parking for her daughters the night before
- Power being restored

Monday's joyful activity was picking the lemons and vegetables from the garden.

On Tuesday, I  drove to the pharmacy to pick up Dancer's medication refill.  This is the pharmacy located next to the doughnut shop.  I bought an apple fritter, this time, instead of a doughnut.  It was delicious!  

In the afternoon, I made the appointment for my blood test prior to my next doctor's appointment.  It's not until mid-August, but, I wanted to make sure I booked a spot, without procrastinating like the last time.  I also checked the grocery ads for the week, although I haven't decided if I'll buy groceries this week.

In the evening, I walked for a little bit, chatted with friend R, watched some online videos, cleaned the kitchen a bit, and relaxed.  Dinner was leftovers from Monday.

Tuesday's Dinner

On Tuesday, I was grateful for:

- Dancer's medication was available without any problems
- A safe drive to the pharmacy and back
- Being able to make my blood test appointment
- Access to medical care
- Power to run the fans, etc.

Tuesday's joyful activities included enjoying an apple fritter for brunch and keeping in contact with friends through emails and phone calls.

Which brings us to Wednesday.  Plans for Wednesday include tending to the garden with M.   

What are your plans for Wednesday?

More Fun with Pumpkins

 

The Preferred Arrangement

Thank you to all who commented on Monday's post about which pumpkin arrangement you preferred!  I love it when you participate like and the interaction!  

Almost everyone who commented seemed to show a preference for the first arrangement, shown above, with the white planter, black lantern, and the orange pumpkin.  It's the arrangement my daughter preferred.  Only one person said she liked them both!  I liked them both, myself; in fact, I think I preferred the second arrangement, which my daughter said is more me!  LOL!

Not the Preferred Arrangement

Everyone seemed to like the black candle holder/lantern!

One person suggested keeping the first arrangement and placing the grey pumpkin off to the side, on the right, as it was "a bit of an "outlier":

The Outlier!

I thought the grey pumpkin looked a bit like it was left out!  Maybe I should have placed it on its own little plate!

So, I wondered if I should try to include it, too:

All Squash(ed) Together!

But, that violated one of the rules of arrangements which says one should group things together in odd numbers, in groups of three or five, and I didn't want to look for a bigger platter to include another tall candle or something.

Instead, I opted for what another person suggested; she said she thought I might have some other things in my collection to create a second display with the grey pumpkin:

New Arrangement

I made a new arrangement, starring the grey squash, for the formal dining table, using the white lantern and a blue vase holding a freshly cut squash leaf!  Once the squash leaf dies, I will replace the vase with the orange jack-o-lantern mug that I have.  It will be closer to Halloween, then, and I would be decorating for Halloween (I generally don't decorate for Halloween until closer to the date).  

I showed the two arrangements to M when he was here to tend to the garden, today, since they both feature the pumpkins and the lanterns he gave me.  He thought they were cute.  He brought me some gardenias and champak (Magnolia champaca) flowers from his garden, today:

Gardenia (front) and Champak Flowers

I placed some of the gardenias at the altar and arranged the rest of the flowers to place on the mantelpiece near my mother's picture.  It's the anniversary of her birthday, today.   

Today, I am grateful for:

- All of you who read my blog and participate by commenting
- M bringing me more fresh flowers from his garden
- Another sunny and warm (94F) day
- Water for the garden

- My mother and all what she did for me

Today's joyful activities included playing with pumpkins and arranging flowers.

So, what do you think of the new pumpkin arrangement?  

Today: September 1, 2023

Today's Harvest (9/1/23)

Today is a blessing!  Eight years ago, today, I had a diagnostic biopsy, the results of which confirmed that I had cancer.  To be alive, and relatively well, today, eight years later, is both a blessing and an answered prayer.

Today, I made my usual first of the month brunch of milkrice and when I made my usual offering at the altar, I said a prayer of thanksgiving for the blessing of today.  I also made a mackerel curry (using canned mackerel) to go with the milkrice. 

Today, the pain in my hip has subsided quite a bit.  I am able to walk without shuffling.  My daughter admonished me not to "overdo things by a mile because you are feeling better" and I promised her that I won't!  But, I was able to do a few things, including going out into the garden and harvesting what is shown above - one passionfruit, two lemons (one of which is rather shriveled), three serrano chilies, and some blueberries!  Yes, the blueberry bushes are still producing berries!

Blueberries on the Bushes

While I was in the garden, I started the car and let it run for a few minutes.  And I took a few pictures.

The squash plants - I asked M to open up the chicken wire mesh we had placed around the planting bed in order to give Eenie room to spread; I rather suspect that Eenie is a butternut squash vine!  There are two tomato plants growing, too.  And yes, that's Mama Cat in her yellow bucket in the background!

Squash Plants

The Squash Plants From the Other Side

The Newest Squash Seedling - Jack
(in case it's a pumpkin)

Nearby, the volunteer tomato plant growing in the apple seedling planter seems to be a cherry tomato plant:

Volunteer Cherry Tomato

M was supposed to tend to the garden, today, but, he called to ask if he could do it tomorrow, instead.  I was fine with that.  The weather forecast says it will rain very early tomorrow; if it does, then, M might not need to water!  I had unlocked the gate, earlier, in anticipation of M's arrival, so, after the phone call, I went back outside and locked the gate.  I noticed that there were some vehicles parked in the driveway, next door (neighbor T's former home).  They appeared to be construction workers' vehicles, so, I'm assuming they are doing some repairs or upgrading before the new owners move in.  I also noticed quite a few large plants in growers pots in the backyard, so it looks like they plan to landscape the yard.  It's going to be interesting to see what takes place, next door!

I spent the rest of the evening relaxing, watching some TV, and video chatting with my daughter.

Today, I am grateful for:

- The blessing of this day
- Answered prayers
- Being alive and relatively well
- Access to medical care
- The garden harvest

Today's joyful activity was being out in the garden, picking some homegrown produce and rejoicing.

Fifty Years

Another Squash Blossom

Another male flower on one of the squash plants.  Eileen had asked how I can tell if it is a male or female flower - the male flower has a slender stalk that looks like a regular stem.  If this had been a female flower, it would have a slight swelling at the base of the flower, shaped a bit like the fruit it would grow to become, if pollinated.  Squash plants usually get male flowers, at first, to attract pollinators, before the female flowers bloom.  The flowers are edible, but, I tend to leave them on the plant to do the job they are supposed to do.  

Today, August 30, 2023 marks the fiftieth anniversary since my mother, step-father, and I left the country of our birth, Sri Lanka.  My mother had a job waiting for her, to each English to adult students in Taiwan, but, other than that, it was very much a journey into the unknown for us. It led us to Malaysia, where we visited family and friends, to Hong Kong, where we visited more family, and to Taiwan where my mother taught and there was more family to visit.  Then, back to Hong Kong, where my mother taught for three years and I continued to journey to the United States of America to do my further studies.  Eventually, my mother and step-father joined me in the United States and we settled down in our adopted country.  We did visit Sri Lanka a few times, but the last time I visited was in mid-August 1990, over 33 years ago!

Of the three of us who left that day, back in 1973, only one of us is left to carry on with the journey. I suppose that is way, back in January, 2023, I chose "Journey" as my Word of the Year and I wrote, "Life is a journey and this year, I want to enjoy that journey to the fullest.  I shall travel in the company of Hope and Joy and it will be a journey of discovery and personal growth."  When I wrote that, I did not mean for my personal growth to be what my scales seem to have interpreted it to be!  No, definitely not that kind of personal growth! LOL!

I look on each day as a step in the journey and I try to remember to appreciate each day and live it to the fullest.  This blog is, in a way, a record of that journey.

Today, I woke up with pain in my right hip!  Maybe I slept weirdly or maybe I am dehydrated (which is quite possible and I am making sure I'm drinking plenty of water, today).  I am able to walk although I am shuffling more than walking; I was able to go down the back steps to unlock the gate for M and take a couple of photos.  I am fervently hoping that it won't blow up to be a full sciatica flare up, like that other time when I was practically bed ridden!  My daughter asked if I needed her to come down, but, I said no, not yet, anyway.  Hopefully, hopefully, the pain will go away!  Sigh.  

I'm taking it easy, today, and ignoring all the things I need to do!  I did text my cousin's daughter in Florida to check on her to see if she and the family came through the hurricane ok.  She texted back a little while ago saying they're fine; just had a lot of rain and some wind, but, that's all.  Glad to hear that.

M was here in the late morning to tend to the garden and he watered both front and back for me and tidied up the place a little bit.

Mama Cat has knocked over the one empty cat litter bucket I left out for her and has claimed it as her new shelter:

Mama Cat's New Home

She comes out to eat and then, goes back inside her bucket!

Today, I am grateful for:

- The journey so far
- Anniversaries and memories
- M's help with the garden
- Cousin and family in Florida weren't too impacted by the hurricane
- Daughter's offer to come home if needed

Today's joyful activity was remembering an event that happened fifty years ago.  

How was your Wednesday?  Are you planning to look at the super blue moon, tonight?

 

Ordinary Days and Everyday Happenings!

The First Squash Blossom!

The first squash blossom has opened up on Minie!  It is a male flower, but. it is exciting to see it!  Those squash seeds M planted for me were ten years old and we didn't think they would even germinate, much less grow into plants that are now flowering!  How wonderful is that?!

Friday was a relatively relaxed day.  I had gone to sleep on Thursday night with a painful elbow on my left arm and I had no idea why it was hurting.  Maybe I knocked it, somewhere.  Or, maybe it was all the crocheting and I had the crocheter's version of a tennis elbow!  It hurt to move my arm.  So, I took it easy on Friday, at least until the boxes of cat litter and Epsom salt were delivered!

They were delivered to the front door and since I wasn't watching out for the delivery person to ask if they could just place it on the inside of the front door (I was told they weren't allowed to bring the packages inside the house), they were left on the front steps.  I would have left them there, too, at least until M arrived in the evening, but, I thought that might be too much of a temptation to a passerby who might decide to take the packages!  So, I managed, with a painful arm, to move two 30 lb. boxes of cat litter and a box containing two 19 lb. bags of Epsom salt up the shallow steps to the inside of the house. That's a lot of Epsom salt, I know, but, it is for the garden.  M sprinkles it around the fruit trees and some of the flowering plants to enrich the soil.  

I left them inside the front door in the living room until M arrived and he moved the cat litter boxes to the bathroom and the bags of Epsom salt to the garage.  Then, we dug up the potatoes that were growing in the last container.  He had me guess how many might be there and I guessed 12, but, there were only 11 and one of them was eaten into by a bug, so, we tossed that in the compost heap.  I didn't take a photo, but, some of the potatoes were a good size.  I am pleased with my potato harvest!  

Afterwards, M watered the garden.  I asked him to use the rain water I had collected and he did, but, he also needed to use the garden hose.  We stacked the buckets upside down for the water to drain and Mama Cat was not very pleased that her water buckets were emptied!  She knocked a couple of them down before she decided to perch on one of them: 

Mama Cat

She's looking at one of the buckets she knocked down and isn't that a look of utter disdain on her face?!

And that was how I spent Friday, the 49th anniversary of my arrival in the USA!  I had a homemade cheeseburger for dinner, to celebrate!  Brunch had been one of the frozen chicken sandwich rolls neighbor S had given me.  

Today, Saturday, my arm is much better, almost back to normal.  Today, there was another delivery; I had to sign for it and it was much lighter to carry inside:

Yarn!

I wasn't kidding when I said, on Thursday, that using up the stash meant I could buy more yarn!  This time I wanted 100% wool and I knew which brand I wanted.  I went online and compared prices.  The wool yarn I wanted was selling from $6.99 to $10.31 per 100 gram skein, depending on the store, but, one store had an online special, provided one bought a pack of 10 skeins, which reduced the cost per skein to under $5, which was the best deal.  I couldn't quite decide on the color I wanted - did I want "Natural" which was sort of beige, or "Heath Heather", a different hue of brown, or "Aran", which was creamy white?  I asked my daughter for her opinion and she liked both Heath Heather and Aran!  She suggested I get both and asked me to make her a sweater, too!  LOL.  So, yes, I bought two sets of wool and there will be new sweaters for both of us this winter!  Plus leftover wool to make other things.  The yarn stash has been replenished!  LOL!

After the yarn arrived, I ordered more groceries and picked them up in the afternoon.  But, that is a different post.

Neighbor S called me before I went to pick up the groceries.  Her mother was visiting her and wanted to know if I could show her how to crochet!  Well, yes, of course I could.  So, after I picked up the groceries and put away the perishable stuff, I took some yarn from my daughter's stash (with her consent) and two crochet hooks and went over to neighbor S's.  S's mother L actually knows how to crochet; but, what she wanted to learn was how I had made a shawl I had crocheted and given her as a gift!  I had actually forgotten that I had even made that shawl for her!  So, I showed her how to get started on it (once you start it, you just repeat the pattern, increasing in the middle of each row until it is the size you want it to be).  Then, I showed her a basic granny square, as well, which is about all the crocheting I know!  LOL.  I wore my N95 mask and L wore a mask, too, which I appreciated very much.  Afterwards, we sat and chatted for a bit before I came home.  I didn't come home empty handed, either: 

Dinner Plus More!

L had cooked vegetable rice and chicken; S served me a plate and added cookies, some Russian candy, (it has a citrusy taste), and a package of crumpets!  The rice has carrots and diced bell peppers added to it and I had it for dinner.  It was delicious.  

In the evening, after it had cooled down a bit, I planted more potatoes!  I am not sure if they will grow or not, because they were the last few left in my bag of supermarket potatoes and some of them had started to spoil.  I tossed a couple of them in the compost pile and put the rest into a container to see if they will grow.  It will be great if they grow, but, if they don't, then, that's fine, too.  And I put away the rainwater buckets in the shed, but, I kept one out for Mama Cat to perch on!

Well, this turned out to be a long post!  That's what happens when I skip a day!  My days are very ordinary, filled with rather ordinary activities, but, I truly enjoy each day's happenings.

I am grateful for:

- Being able to order online and have things delivered
- For M's help with the garden and any other tasks I ask him to do
- For potatoes harvested from the garden
- Being able to show L how to make the crocheted scarf
- Dinner compliments of L and S!  

Joyful activities have included tending to the garden with M and visiting with L and S and showing L how to crochet the shawl.

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend.  Did you think I'd replenish my yarn stash so quickly? 

Mid-Week

Aloe Flowers

 The lower flowers on the stalks are opening up:

Aloe Flowers Opening Up

Hummingbirds love these flowers.

Tuesday was a sunny day, with an afternoon high of 67F.  My daughter called me early in the morning to say she was at the airport, waiting to board her plane; her friend's husband dropped her off early before he needed to leave for work.  She had a safe flight back, a bit turbulent, she said, but, smoother than the flight out.  My doctor's office called and moved my appointment forward by one day, which was fine.  I made American style pancakes for brunch, but, ate them with chicken curry gravy.  

Temple: Seated Buddha Under the Bodhi Tree

Tuesday afternoon, I went to the Temple; I gave a donation in memory of my mother and the head monk chanted blessings.  Afterwards, I went to the cemetery to visit my mother's grave.  I took her the single red rose that was blooming in the garden and several aloe flower stalks.  I said a prayer for her and sang Whispering Hope, which was her song.  There were several funerals going on in other parts of the cemetery and a lot of people, but, there was no one in the area where my mother's grave is located.  I had the whole area to myself and although I had a mask with me, I didn't need to put it on.

Afterwards, I came home and sewed a few more patches on the quilt I'm repairing.  Then, it was time to watch the State of the Union speech.  Later, I called friend R and video chatted with my daughter.

I made another hamburger for dinner and later, ate one of the leftover pancakes with syrup for a snack!

On Tuesday, I was grateful for:

- Being able to go to the Temple, once again, although I don't go when there's a crowd
- Being able to make a donation in my mother's memory and offer merit to her
- The monk chanting blessings
- Being able to visit my mother's gravesite
- Daughter had a safe flight and journey back to her apartment

Tuesday's joyful activity was being able to honor my mother's memory.

Today, Wednesday, has been another sunny day with an afternoon high of 71F.  I didn't have the heater on in the night and when I woke up in the morning, it was warmer outside than inside, so, I opened the windows to try and warm up the house.  Then, I scheduled my lab tests for the end of next week.  I had leftover pancakes with seeni sambol (from a jar, not my homemade sambol, which was over) for brunch.

Afterwards, I took the laptop and sat outside in the sunshine, because it was so much nicer outside than inside!  I was still outside when M arrived to tend to the garden, later in the morning.  He watered the back yard, pruned the moringa tree, and repotted some seedlings for me.  I think they are passionfruit seedlings from some seeds I tossed into a planter, but, I am not sure.  M thinks they are papaya seedlings because I also tossed some papaya seeds in various places!  Whatever they are, they were growing in a clump and being overshadowed by some gazania seedlings that are also growing in that same planter!  So, I had M dig up the clump and we separated the seedlings and potted them up in individual small pots.  There are a total of 26 seedlings!  I know that not all will grow and survive, but, even if only a handful do, then, it would be lovely to have passionfruit vines going up trellises in the garden!  Or, if they turn out to be papaya seedlings, then, I'll have a papaya orchard!  LOL.

After M left, I watered the front garden.

I spent the afternoon repairing the quilt top.  Later, I watched news and paid that nearly $700 gas bill.  I tried to pay the water and electric bill, but, their website was down for maintenance, so, that goes back on the to do list for tomorrow.  There was a notification in today's mail, from one of the medical clinics saying that their computers were hacked into in early December; they will provide one year of complimentary credit monitoring if we register with the company they have contracted with, so that's something else my daughter and I have to do.  

For dinner, I thawed a packet of chicken curry and had some with leftover rice and leftover green beans and peach chutney.  Chicken is on sale for $.99/lb, this week and I plan to buy some and stock up the freezer - I had been waiting for it to go on sale for that price.  

Today, I am grateful for:
- Sunny, warm afternoons
- Being able to manage without putting on the heater all day (I put the electric space heater in the evening)
- M helping with the garden
- Water for the garden
- Being able to pay my bills

Today's joyful activities included gardening and video chatting with my daughter.

Tomorrow, I have to take the car for an oil change/service.  My appointment is at 8:00 a.m.!  Guess who'll have to wake up early in the morning?  LOL.  Not sure how long it might take or if they'll find other things that need doing (I'm hoping not!), so I am not planning anything else for tomorrow.  If I am able to come back home before lunch time, then, I'll do some cleaning in the afternoon and sewing, plus paying the water/electric bill.  I'm also planning to order groceries to be picked up on Friday.  

How is your week coming along?

Starting February

Camellia

M brought me a camellia flower from his garden, today!  The above photo is my attempt at taking a close up!  I could almost hear my phone saying, "What on earth is she trying to do now?"  LOL.  

Monday was a rainy day, but, Tuesday was sunny.  I brought the trash cans in, cleaned the shelves on the fridge door and organized them a bit, and started on the freezer.

What I have is a side-by-side fridge/freezer and that is the only freezer I have. The last time I organized the freezer and took a proper freezer inventory was in July 2022.  Since then, I've taken things out and put things in and tried to keep a record, but, I was not very consistent.  So, yesterday, I took everything out, shelf by shelf, wiped down the shelves and put things back, trying to keep things organized.  I've seen some freezers with pull out drawers, but, what I have are shelves that don't pull out and one bin at the bottom which does pull out!  

I have it organized so that I have mostly dairy items (frozen milk, butter, a small container of ice cream) and some nuts on the top shelf; mostly cooked items (including two packets of chicken curry and several small packets of moringa curry) and some fruits (the last packet of frozen peaches and a bag of quartered lemons) on the second shelf; vegetables on the third shelf (I have a shoe box sized plastic storage container to hold the packets of frozen corn and peas, etc., in one place so they are easy to find); several packets of grated coconut and at least 8 bags of grated and chopped zucchini still left from the summer of zucchini on the fourth shelf (time to make another batch of chutney, I think!); some meat (small packets of ham and a few packets of turkey meat, plus a ham bone for soup) on the fifth shelf.  The bin at the bottom also contains meat - 3 packages of sausages,  a bag of chicken wings, half a packet of hamburger patties, some turkey bones for soup, a small package of bacon (4 slices); and half a package of hot dogs!    

I also cleaned out the shelves on the freezer door although they were already fairly well organized.  I actually have one empty door shelf!  

Now, I have a better idea of what I have and what I don't have in the freezer and what items I might want to buy when they go on sale (chicken and ground meat or ground turkey).  I am also thinking of eating mostly from the freezer in February.  With that in mind, I made a turkey and vegetables soup for dinner, using some of the turkey bones and freezer vegetables (with leftovers for later).  

I feel I ended January on a good note because doing a freezer inventory was on my to do list for at least a couple of weeks!

On Tuesday, I was grateful for:
- What I was able to accomplish in terms of cleaning the fridge and organizing the freezer
- The blessing of a well stocked freezer
- Working appliances
- Electricity and natural gas to run the appliances
- A sunny day

Tuesday's joyful activity was video chatting with my daughter.

The Peach Tree on February 1

Which brings us to today - Wednesday, February 1.  My maternal grandmother's birthday.  Also, the birthdays of two of my cousins!  It was a sunny day, today, and I took a couple of photos of the peach tree.  The bees have discovered the flowers!

Bees in the Peach Flowers

As is my custom on the first of the month, I made milkrice and seeni sambol for brunch.  I was careful not to make too much milkrice because I didn't want to have a lot of leftovers, but, then, when M arrived to tend to the garden, he detected the smell of the seeni sambol that I had just finished making and asked me if I was cooking something, so, of course, I offered him some milkrice and seeni sambol, which he enjoyed.  The interesting thing is, even though I cooked less and had plenty of milkrice and seeni sambol for my brunch and served a bowlful to M, there is still plenty leftover for my brunch for tomorrow!  Maybe I didn't cook that much less, after all!  LOL.

I spent a fairly relaxed day, today.  I cooked the milkrice and seeni sambol in the morning, did a bit of weeding, walked in the driveway for 15 minutes (had the timer on), did a little walking meditation as well (walking with awareness of each step being taken), did the dishes, peeled and ate some of the homegrown pomegranates I had stored in the fridge (the peels had hardened and I had to soak them to soften them enough to cut them, but, the seeds inside were still fresh and juicy), watched the news, and spoke with my daughter.  She flew out to Hawaii, today, for her friend's wedding (daughter is a bridesmaid, again).  The flight was very turbulent, she said, but, she arrived there safely.  It's her first visit to Hawaii and she'll be there for a week.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Daughter had a safe flight, even if it was turbulent
- M's help with the garden and being able to share
- Bees to pollinate the peach flowers
- Traditions and customs 
- Memories of my grandmother

Today's joyful activity was speaking with my daughter after she reached Hawaii.

Plans for tomorrow include tidying up the kitchen, a bit.

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

On Friday the Eleventh of November...

Statue of the Buddha Seated Under the Bodhi Tree

- I went to the Temple, for the first time since Covid-19 became part of our everyday vocabulary!

The Stupa (also known as Chaithya or Dagaba)
A repository for relics

I called the chief monk at the Temple in the afternoon and asked if it I could stop by a little later in the afternoon and I was told, "Yes, certainly".  Unlike at a Church, there are no set hours of daily services, although there is usually a daily offering of flowers and lighting of candles in the evening.  If anyone is there at the Temple in the evening, then, they participate in that and the monks chant blessings.  But I didn't want to go to the Temple when there were others as I want to minimize my risks of exposure.  I had chosen a good time to go, today, as there was no one else at the Temple.  I paid my respects at the outdoor shrine which features the statue of the Buddha seated under the bodhi tree and then, the chief monk invited me into the prayer hall which also features another statue of the Buddha and he chanted blessings for me.  I gave him the English-Sinhala dictionary that I set aside to give to the Temple and the donations I had brought with me.  This visit to the Temple was something I had been wanting to do for some time, now, and I was happy that I was able to go, today.  

- Friend R had lunch delivered to me, once again!

Lunch Plus - Compliments of Friend R
Shrimp Fried Rice, Garlic Chicken, Plain Fried Rice and Thai Pepper Beef 

I told her it was too much, but, she said to have it for dinner, too!  Not only did I have it for both lunch and dinner, I have enough leftovers for several more lunches and dinners! 

- My daughter had a package delivered to me, containing some items I really needed (and wanted), with instructions to wear them and not keep them because they are new!  LOL!  She knows me too well!

New Sweatpants (2 pairs) and Sweatshirts (3)

- Gardener friend M gifted me a different type of asparagus fern, called "Asparagus retrofractus", also known as "Ming asparagus", which is a more upright type of asparagus fern:

Asparagus retrofractus 

We planted it in the front garden, in a bare spot among the other, more sprawling asparagus ferns.  I hope it will grow as well as the other asparagus ferns are growing.

- M also brought me a pint of ice cream to try:

Buttercream Birthday Cake

It tasted just like what the label said!  Like frozen buttercream frosting!  

Birthday Cake Ice Cream!

It was almost too sweet!  But, it was delicious!  

- There were cards, both paper ones and e-cards, phone calls, and texts, each conveying well wishes from family and friends as I turned 67 years of age!    

On Friday the eleventh of November, I feel so blessed and my heart is filled with gratitude.  It has been a joyful day.

Tuesday

Prompt: Scrape
(A drawing from her imagination, not an anime character)

We had a sunny and warm day, today, with a high of 91F!  It felt like a summer day!  

Yesterday, I had taken the trash cans out to the curb to be collected this morning.  When I went out to bring the trash cans in, today, I found that someone had moved the green yard waste bin up, off the curb, onto the parkway (probably in order to free up room along the curb to park their vehicle).  Unfortunately for me, they had moved the bin up before the yard waste was collected and the yard waste collection truck had not emptied the bin!  I do wish people would leave my trash bins alone, at least until they have been emptied!  It seems to me that I'm the only one whose trash bins are moved up off the curb like this - all the other neighbors put their trash cans by the curb and people leave them in place!  

Today was the anniversary of my mother's birth.  There aren't many flowers in the garden, but, I knew she would prefer something from the garden to a fancy bouquet from a florist, so, I picked what I could (mostly the blue plumbago she had planted), augmented it with foliage from the garden, including several sprigs of rosemary (for remembrance) and visited her gravesite in the afternoon.  There were several people at the cemetery, but, no one in the section where my mother's grave is situated.  

I had initially thought of going to the Temple, afterwards, but, I changed my mind and came home, instead.  I will mail my donation, I think, and postpone visiting the Temple until I've had my next booster!

After I came home, I made the appointment for my blood test and chatted for a bit with Aunt C.  Then, I warmed up two slices of pizza I had in the freezer and had them for my brunch.  My mother loved pizza and that's what we had for the last birthday she lived to celebrate.  

My daughter had received her flu shot, yesterday and that had triggered a migraine headache!  She said she took the OTC medication her doctor had recommended and that helped.  She felt much better later in the night and this morning, she said she felt fine.  But, early this evening, around 4:30 p.m., she called to say that she was running a low grade fever - probably as a result of the flu vaccine.  I guess she felt better, later, because she sent me her drawing for today's Inktober prompt!  

Today, I am grateful for:

- My mother and being able to visit her gravesite
- Flowers from the garden
- At least the bin with the real trash (as opposed to yard waste) got emptied!
- A safe drive to the cemetery and back
- Access to medical care

Plans for tomorrow include M tending to the garden and some housekeeping tasks.  It is supposed to be another warm day, tomorrow, and then, there is supposed to be a more than 20 degrees cool down by the weekend!  Friend R is looking forward to that, she said!  I am not!  LOL.  

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

Post Booster Friday

I had a good night's sleep on Thursday night and woke up on Friday morning with nothing more than a slightly sore arm, which was to be expected.  I took it fairly easy, however.  Cleaned the kitchen counters and did the dishes, but, that was all housework I did.

It was my late step-father's birthday, today.  Although he passed away almost 35 years ago, I still think of him.  He taught me a lot from how to use chopsticks to how to drive a car.  I probably wouldn't have come to this country if it hadn't been for him.  I was supposed to have followed my father's footsteps and gone to England for my higher studies.  

My daughter and I ordered lunch from our favorite local Japanese restaurant, today; we drove there and I stayed in the car while daughter when inside to pick up the food and pay.    I had my usual - beef teriyaki lunch, which comes with miso soup, a salad, pickled vegetables, and rice; daughter had a sushi roll, some tempura, and an octopus appetizer.  It provided both lunch and dinner for us.

I shredded several more files of paper, today.  One item I shredded had a handwritten note from my mother to me; I almost cried when I saw that.  I have now shredded one small box of papers!  I spread two grocery bags full of the shredded paper on the back flower bed.  

M bought me the 10 bags of mulch I had asked him to buy.  He has his doubts about spreading them in the parkway (he doesn't think my "problem" neighbors to the left of me will be respectful of my attempts at landscaping) but, I feel that I need to try doing something to make that area look a little better than it currently is.

Neighbor S called and brought me a piece of cake she called a Lent cake.  It had a dense texture and I am assuming it was made without eggs and butter, etc.  I liked it, it had raisins and candied peel; my daughter, who doesn't like raisins, picked out all the raisins from her piece!  LOL!  

Later in the evening, I called friend R and we chatted a bit.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Only the mildest of side effects from the booster shot
- Memories of my step-father
- Being able to order lunch from the Japanese restaurant
- M bringing me the bags of mulch
- Neighbor S sharing Lent cake with us

Today's joyful activity was enjoying lunch from the restaurant.

Friday's Decluttering:

6 file folders of papers, covering a period of over 10 years of statements, etc.

Plans for tomorrow include bringing in more files from the garage to shred.

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

 

Rain on Monday

Rainy Monday

I woke up to rain, this morning.  It rained all morning, a good shower of rain that gave the garden a good soak.  In the afternoon, it stopped raining and the sun shone between the clouds for a little bit.  It remained quite cool, though, with the afternoon highs in the mid-50s.  Then, it started to rain again in the evening and it as been raining on and off all evening. 

I took it rather easy, today.  

Today was the anniversary of my father's birthday.  He was a doctor, he had been a widower with 5 children when he married my mother, and I was his youngest child and the only child from his second marriage.  He died when I was 7 years old so I didn't get to know him as a person, his likes and dislikes, etc.  This is one of the few pictures I have of the two of us, together.  

My Father and I

In the afternoon, when it stopped raining for a bit, I took the trash cans to the curb for pick up in the morning, picked a few oranges and some peapods, and checked on the garden shed.  Apparently, the rain had come in from gaps between the roof and the walls, because the floor was wet in areas.  Not that it matters much, but, it is good to know.

I didn't do anything in the garage, today, but, I continued to shred (cut, actually) the contents of the box of files I had brought in.  My mother's old bank statements, retirement papers, correspondence with the Social Security Administration, etc.  I had kept them just in case they were needed, but, they have not been needed and it is now time to dispose of them.  But, it makes me feel sad, too, in a way.  It's like I am erasing a bit of her history with every piece of paper I shred.  This is why decluttering is so hard for me.

Later in the evening, I called to see if I need to report for jury duty tomorrow and was told I did not have to report in person.  I will call again, tomorrow, to find out about Wednesday.

Today, I am grateful for:
- Rain for the garden
- A warm house providing shelter from the rain
- The few memories I do have of my father
- Working appliances
- Garden produce

Today's joyful activity was listening to the rain falling!

Plans for tomorrow include bringing in the trash cans, doing some laundry, and cleaning the kitchen!

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

Midweek

 

Freshly Picked Garden Greens

It's Wednesday, already!  We have been having a week of really nice, warm weather, with the daytime highs in the mid to upper 80s (F).  My kind of weather, as most of you know.  

Monday was the 16th anniversary of my mother's death.  I had dreamt of her, early that morning, and in my dream, she was asking me what there was to eat because she was hungry.  I woke up feeling very unsettled, but, later, I called the Temple and spoke with one of the monks (he's the most senior monk at that Temple, similar to a Christian abbot, I suppose, and he's also one of the monks my mother taught English to when he first arrived in the States).  He assured me that he and the other monks will say a prayer of blessing for her during that evening's puja (prayer service).  I fretted about not being able to bring some alms to the Temple due to Covid, etc., but, he reassured me that I can do so at a later date, when things are better.  

Later, at noon, I picked up my groceries; I had bought a bouquet of flowers to take to the cemetery, so, after I put away the perishables, I visited my mother's grave.

After I came home, I made some egg salad for our lunch, watered the back garden, picked more peapods, called and spoke with cousin P, and chatted with friend R.  My daughter picked a bunch of greens from the garden - purple mustard greens, purple mizuna leaves, some chard leaves, some beetroot leaves, and a few Japanese spinach leaves.  She made a salad for us, but, the purple mustard greens are a bit too peppery for me when raw.  Later, I took the rest of the leaves she picked and sauteed them to have with dinner (the cooked mustard leaves aren't that peppery).  

On Tuesday, I did two loads of laundry, watered the front garden, brought in the trash cans (I had taken them out to the curb on Monday for trash pick up on Tuesday morning), spoke with friend A, spoke with friend R, too,, boiled mung beans for brunch and cooked ground turkey and a vegetable stir-fry for dinner, did the dishes, cleaned the litter box, and swept the bathroom.  Watched some Olympics, too.  

Today, Wednesday, M came to do the garden in the late morning.  I enlisted his help to clear the garden shed.  The shed had been on my "mile long" to do list for a long time.  I had listed it with my monthly goals several times and each time, it got postponed.  I put it back on the list this month and after Eileen at A Bracelet of Days had asked me if there were any outdoors work I can get done since I can't do some of the indoors work on my to do list because of my reluctance to have workers come inside due to Covid concerns, I decided that I will focus on the shed clearing.

The garden shed has lots of empty planters, some odds and ends, and a heap of aluminum cans and glass bottles that I had been collecting to take to the recycling center!  Taking these items to the recycling center meant you got paid a certain amount per pound (rates depend on whether it is glass, aluminum, or plastic).  I used to collect several months' worth of cans and bottles and receive enough money to make it feel worth my while to do so.  But, I hadn't been able to take them to the recycling center for at a year before Covid and I have now decided that I will not be taking them to the recycling center any time soon.  So, they will be put into the blue recycling bin that the City collects, instead.  Today, M filled the blue recycling bin with some of the cans and bottles.  There are at least enough cans and bottles to fill another bin, but, I have to wait until this lot is collected, next week!  After the recycling has been removed, we will sort through what else is in the shed.  M asked me what my plans were for the shed - I think I would like to have all the garden supplies stored in it, including the bags of potting soil, etc., that are stored in the garage!  Cleaning the garage is next on the agenda!  

In the afternoon, I picked a small bunch of osteospermum flowers and took them, along with a bag of lemons and some oranges, to friend R.  It was another curbside visit, with both of us wearing our masks.  She returned some of my food containers together with a bunch of celery she had picked up for me at the Armenian store.  She wouldn't accept any money for the celery, though.

In the evening, I spoke with my half-sister and watched more Olympics coverage.

For dinner, my daughter and I had leftovers as planned - salmon, rice, green beans, sauteed greens, with some zucchini chutney.  Cherries for dessert.  I might have had some potato chips for a snack, later!  LOL.

Today, I am grateful for:

- M helping with the garden and the shed!
- Fresh garden produce
- Being able to exchange citrus for celery with friend R
- Phone calls with my half-sister
- The lovely warm weather we are having

Today's joyful activity was the curb-side visit with friend R.

Plans for tomorrow include some tidying and cleaning.

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

Deliveries on Sunday

 

The Meal Prepared by Daughter

Today, January 9, is the anniversary of my maternal grandmother's death and late Aunt T's birthday.  My morning prayers included a special prayer for them and I texted a message to Aunt T's daughters, my cousins V and R, to let them know that their mother was remembered.

In the afternoon, we packed up the food that my daughter had cooked.  Not pictured above was the container of rice I cooked to go with the curries.  And we decided that the garbanzo beans could be given in a sandwich bag and didn't need a container.  So, only 13 food containers, as opposed to the 14 I had mentioned, yesterday!  Plus, a jar of zucchini chutney.  

It was a lovely, sunny day with a daytime high in the low 70s.  A perfect day to drive over to our friends' house.  We left the bags of food and gifts on the doorstep and texted them to say that they have a delivery.  They had left their gift to us (a basket of goodies and a gift card) on the doorstep for us to collect, as well.  Then, we drove home, feeling happy about the whole thing.  Being able to help daughter prepare this meal and deliver it is truly a blessing for me!  And it has filled me with joy and gratitude!  

In the evening, I did two loads of laundry and washed more dishes!  

Crocheted Prayer Blanket

This is the prayer blanket I crocheted for my friend, with yarn I had in my stash (although I did have to buy two skeins of the black yarn to finish the project).  Three rows of five squares each, each square consisting of 10 rows (the 10th rows are in black yarn and form a border around each square). Since my friend is Catholic, I intended the 10 rows in each square to represent one decade of the Rosary, the five squares per row for the five decades of the Rosary, and three rows for the Holy Trinity.  Originally, I had thought the three rows of five squares would represent the three Mysteries of the Rosary that I had known about (the Joyful, the Sorrowful, and the Glorious), but, one of my good friends (who is also Catholic) informed me that Pope St. John Paul II had added a fourth set of Mysteries (the Luminous) that I had not been aware of.  I decided not to do a fourth row as I was trying to get the blanket finished in time for our planned visit which was to have been before Christmas, originally.  The entire blanket is bordered with additional rows of crochet in purple and edged in black.  A hadn't opened her gift yet when I spoke with her, this evening, to tell her what the blanket represented.  It is my hope that this blanket will make her feel that she is surrounded by a prayer when she wraps it around herself.

Today, I am grateful for:

- Daughter preparing a meal to take to our friends
- A safe drive to deliver the meal and back
- Being able to give the prayer blanket to my friend

- Memories of my grandmother and aunt

- Hugs from my daughter

Today's joyful activity was delivering the meal and gifts to friends.

Plans for tomorrow include taking down the Christmas tree!  Or, at least, removing the ornaments so that M can dismantle the tree on Wednesday and put the Christmas bins in the garage for another year!

How was your Sunday?  What are your plans for Monday?