Thriving in August

Daughter Moves In!

In my quest to thrive each month, here's my much delayed review of August: 

Spiritual:

In August, I continued to focus on my spirituality as I continued to pray about my daughter's employment situation.  Which has now been resolved and I am very thankful for that!  I consider this part of my life to be thriving.

Daughter:

On August 1st, my daughter moved back home.  It feels good to have her home, again, and she says she's happy to be home.  The actual move was rather rushed because the timing was brought forward, but, the decision to move was made several months ago, at the beginning of the year, when she decided not to renew her lease when the early renewal option opened.    

We brought all of her moving boxes home during the first five days of August and she spent the rest of the month unpacking everything and trying to find homes for her items.  It has been quite a process as she decluttered her room and rearranged things.  We are still in the process of merging our household items.  

I can honestly say that my relationship with my daughter is thriving.

Health & Well Being:

In August, I had two medical appointments and a visit with a new dentist.  The lab test results for the doctors' appointments were mostly good and the appointments went well.  At the first appointment, the doctor put in a request for a referral to a dermatologist for me, which was approved (I had the appointment with the dermatologist in September).  At the second appointment, I received my bone density booster injection.  The appointment with the new dentist went well, too, but he had to refer me to a specialist and that appointment has been scheduled for September.  In addition, I had lost some weight in the months leading to August and that was confirmed at one of my weigh-ins at the doctor's.

I feel that I made good progress where my health was concerned, in August.

Family, Friends, & Community:

I had quite a few social interactions in August. too, with phone calls, emails, and texts, as usual.  I spoke with a friend I haven't spoken with in a long time, I called K (late neighbor T's daughter), and spoke with my aunt and cousins and friend R.  

In addition, daughter and I visited neighbor S and her daughters and we also went to the library.

I'm pleased with the amount of interaction with my family, friends, and community, in August.

Finances:

I was able to keep my finances maintained in August.  I increased my grocery budget since daughter is home now and I was able to keep to that new budget as far as grocery shopping was concerned.  Going forwards, expenses will increase; I've already received a notification from the utilities company stating that they are raising the solid waste collection fees by a certain dollar amount; they didn't give the rate of increase, but, I worked it out and it comes to just over 50%.  

Even so, I think I am managing well where finances are concerned.  

Time Management:

I continued to make progress with my time management in August, although I still procrastinated a bit. I am using my planner more, although some items get carried over to other days.  Daughter says I list too many tasks per day, but, they are all things that need doing.  It takes me longer to do those things too, than they used to.  Time management is still a work in progress and I can't say that I'm thriving; I'd say I'm plodding along!

Leisure/Hobbies/Crafting:

In August, leisure/hobbies/crafting activities consisted of blogging, reading, gardening, watching videos online, doing one craft project with daughter (didn't finish my piece, yet) and participating in August's monthly photo challenge.  I feel that I thrived in this area of my life.

House:

In August, as daughter unpacked her boxes, we began the process of merging our household belongings.  I am very glad that I had decluttered my belongings to the point that I had decluttered before daughter's things were added to the mix!  We soon realized that we needed more storage, so, we bought a shelving unit and containers for crafts supplies and a sideboard to store some of my dishes and glassware to make room in the kitchen cabinets for daughter's dishes.  They were ordered in August and received and assembled in September.  

Even so, more decluttering needs to take place because some of the kitchen appliances that daughter brought home are still sitting out on the dining table until room is found for them.  Daughter has promised to sort out the kitchen as soon as she has finished organizing her bedroom and the spare bedroom. In the meantime, I've been decluttering some of the duplicates as I come across them.

I think I'm making good progress in this area of my life.

Garden:

The garden continued to thrive in August, too.  I picked Asian pears and blue squash, as well as lemons,  from the garden.  M continues to tend to the garden, as he has done for over 30 years.  

Over all, August was a good month.  There a few small challenges to be faced, but, I stayed focused on the positives, made the best of things, and thrived to the extent that I could.

It is mid-September as I post this, but, better late than never!  So far, September is turning out to be a good month, too.  

Thriving in June

Mirabilis/Four O'Clocks

 

I am continuing with my quest to thrive each month and here's my review of June, which has turned out to be a bit of a mid-year review, as well:

Spiritual:

In June, I kept my spiritual side thriving with daily prayers, meditation, and doing my best to live my life according to the teachings of my religion.  Overall, I am happy with the spiritual side of my life and there is very little I want to change.  

Daughter:

My daughter visited twice in June, spending five days down here on each visit.  The first visit was for the baptism of her goddaughter and the second visit was for the 1st birthday of the little girl.  As always, Dancer and I enjoyed having her home again.  Her injured foot continues to improve and she has received new physical therapy exercises to help with the recovery.  When she is away, we continue to keep in touch through daily phone calls, texts, and video chats.  I am happy to say that our relationship is thriving.  

Health & Well Being:

June continued to see a lot happening where my health and well being were concerned. I had an ultrasound done in the first week of June and a visit with the specialist in the second week of June.  I have two additional scans/tests to be done in July and a blood test.  From a mid-year perspective, some of the medical issues could/should have been addressed earlier in the year, when the first requests for referral authorizations were submitted, but, the people submitting the requests sent them to the wrong people because they apparently didn't read the information on my insurance cards properly.  However, it has now been corrected, hopefully, and future appointments should go more smoothly.  

Family, Friends, & Community:

I had quite a few social interactions in June, too.  There were phone calls, emails, and texts, as usual.

In addition, I attended my daughter's goddaughter's baptism, visited cousin V twice, had a visit from my long-time friend E whom I hadn't seen in about 20 years, and attended my daughter's goddaughter's 1st birthday celebration.

Neighbor S brought over some cake from her birthday celebration and I took over some homegrown peaches for neighbor E, who arranged for my living room and dining area to be painted, and his family.

I'm pleased with the amount of interaction with my family, friends, and community, in June, and I feel that this area of my life is thriving.  I feel that there has been quite a few social interactions during the first half of this year, and I am looking forward to possibly more in the second half of this year, too.

Finances:

I was able to keep my finances maintained in June.  Once again, I increased my grocery budget by $50 for the month to $150 because my daughter was coming down twice for a total of 10 days, and I was planning to send some food up with her.  I went over budget by almost $40 and tapped into my July grocery budget.  I am thankful that I was able to both increase my grocery budget and borrow from the July budget.  Overall, I think I am thriving on my retirement income and have lived beneath my means for the first half of this year.  Going forwards, expenses will increase, partly because my daughter will come home to live with me.  But, I anticipate being able to live within my means.

Time Management:

I feel that I am getting better with my time management.  I think I made some improvement in the first six months of this year. There is room for improvement, however, and I shall focus on that in the second half of this year.

Leisure/Hobbies/Crafting:

June's leisure/hobbies/crafting activities included sewing (a sari blouse and a baby quilt), blogging, reading, gardening, watching videos online, and participating in June's monthly photo challenge.  I feel that I thrived in this area of my life. I believe I made time for leisure activities, hobbies, and crafting during the first half of this year and plan to continue to do so during the second half of the year, too.

House:

In June, I was able to accomplish another long awaited project with my neighbor E's help and have my living room and dining area painted.  Yet another project that had been on my Mile Long To Do List for years.  I took the opportunity to wash and rehang the drapes, wash the windows and the front door, and do a bit of decluttering.  It felt really good to have that crossed off the list.  I feel that I have been able to thrive in this area of my life during the first half of this year.  I still have more home maintenance projects to accomplish during the second half of the year and more decluttering, too; I think I'm making good progress in this area of my life.

Garden:

The garden continued to thrive in June, too.  I picked peaches, tomatoes, plums, lemons, wax beans, chilies, etc.  We planted corn and squash.  M and I have been watering the garden on a regular schedule since the weather has turned warm.  That is the downside to growing a garden in our semiarid environment.  There is no rain in the summer so everything must be watered.  However, I look forward to having a thriving garden in July, too.       

Over all, June has been a good month and conducive to thriving.  I am happy with how the first six months of the year turned out.  I am hoping that the rest of the year will go well, too.  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 June?   Were you able to attain some of the goals you had made for the month?  

The Mirabilis are Thriving, Too

Thriving in May

I am continuing with my quest to thrive each month and here's my review of May:

Spiritual:

May is a significant month for Buddhists as we observe the birth, Enlightenment, and death of the Buddha.  There were various ceremonies to mark the occasion at the temples, and, although I was invited to attend, I chose not to for various reasons.  Instead, I kept my spiritual side thriving with daily prayers, meditation, and doing my best to live my life according to the teachings of my religion.  

Daughter:

My daughter returned for a short visit in May, to attend a friend's graduation.  Dancer and I enjoyed having her home again and we celebrated a delayed Mother's Day while she was here.  Her foot continues to improve, which is good.  We continue to keep in touch through daily phone calls, texts, and video chats.  I am happy to say that our relationship is thriving.  

Health & Well Being:

May saw a lot happening where my health and well being were concerned.  I had two lab tests and two follow up doctors' appointments.  The lab test results were mostly good, but, there were some areas of concern that need to be addressed.  The doctors' visits went well and the scales confirmed that I've lost a little weight since my previous visits, which is good.

After many phone calls and emails, back and forth, the authorizations for the referrals were finally approved in May and I was able to make two additional medical appointments for June - a scan/ultrasound in the first week of June and a visit with the specialist in the second week of June.  I am not willing to speculate at this time, but, I should know more after the scan and the appointment with the specialist and, hopefully, whatever it is can be treated.

In the meantime, I am rejoicing in the fact that this May marks 10 years since I had the mammogram which detected my breast cancer.  They are 10 years that I didn't even dare to dream of at the time.  Looking back, I feel that I might have squandered some of that gift of time, but, looking forward, I am determined to make the most of the rest of my days and thrive.     

Family, Friends, & Community:

I had quite a few social interactions in May.  As usual, I kept in touch with family and friends by phone (mostly), emails, texts, etc.

In addition, I visited cousin V who is recovering from knee surgery and I attended my late friend A's daughter's graduation and accompanied her and her family to dinner, afterwards.  There was a visit from friend R, too, who came to collect some packages that were delivered to my address and had lunch with me.

Neighbor S brought over some dinner on the Saturday before Mother's Day and I took over some blueberries and peaches to her, later in the month.  I had a visit from neighbor E who arranged for my kitchen ceiling to be repaired and I took over some peaches for him and his family, later in the month.  

I participated in the blogging community, too, and spoke with the monks at the temple.

In addition, there were the more casual interactions at the vet's clinic when I took Dancer for his arthritis injection and at the clinics when I went for my own medical appointments.

I'm pleased with the amount of interaction with my family, friends, and community, in May, and I feel that this area of my life is thriving.

Finances:

I was able to keep my finances maintained in May.  I did increase my grocery budget by $50 in May (partly because my daughter was spending a few days with me and I was planning to send some food up with her) and managed to stay under budget (with all of $0.23 to spare!  LOL.)  I am thankful that I was able to increase my grocery budget.  Overall, I think I am thriving on my retirement income, minding my pennies (which, apparently, are not being minted, anymore).

Time Management:

I feel that I am getting better with my time management.  I even got caught up on my backlog of paperwork, although I've a bit more to do with the filing (partly because I need to clean out the files before I can fit in another piece of paper in them and that's slow going).  However, I kept all my appointments and didn't miss any real deadlines (not my self-imposed ones).  There is room for improvement, however, as I often feel that I am not making full use of my time.  Or, maybe I'm spending too much time on the computer.

Leisure/Hobbies/Crafting:

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

House:

The biggest achievement in this area was the kitchen ceiling repairs.  It was something that had been on my Mile Long To Do List for years and just kept getting delayed for one reason or another.  But, finally, the ceiling was repaired and painted, the water damage to the hallway wall was also repaired, and another crack in the ceiling in the living room was patched, all thanks to neighbor E and his crew.  In addition, the house was maintained with regular cleaning. 

However, I fell short of my decluttering goals for this month and most of what I decluttered were papers and statements from the file cabinet, which were shredded and recycled.  I am of the opinion that every little bit counts and I will continue to declutter in June, too.  

I am thankful to have a home that is comfortable and pleasant.  Home maintenance will continue in June, too, with the painting of the living room ceiling scheduled for the first week in June.

Garden:

The garden continued to thrive in May.  The oranges have all been picked, the blueberries are coming to an end, and the peaches are ripening (and being eaten by the birds before I can get to them!).  Vegetable seeds have been planted and tomatoes are ripening.  I have more seeds to plant in June, as soon as M can prepare the planting beds.  I'm looking forward to having a thriving garden in June, too.       

Over all, the month of May has been good and conducive to thriving.  Obviously, with some on-going health issues and home repairs, 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 May?   Were you able to attain some of the goals you had made for the month?  

Thriving in April

New Neptune Rose

I am continuing with my quest to thrive each month and here's my review of April:

Spiritual:

I ended March with a visit to the temple and I am counting that as part of my spiritual thriving in April, as well.  In addition, I spoke with the monks at the temple several times during the month, listened to chantings of blessings online, and kept my spiritual side thriving with daily prayers, meditation, and doing my best to live my life according to the teachings of my religion.  

Daughter:

My daughter, who had been with me from the 1st of November, left at the beginning of April.  I missed her when she left, but, I was happy that she was able to stay with me for as long as she did. We continue to keep in touch through daily phone calls, texts, and video chats.  I am happy to say that our relationship is thriving.  

Health & Well Being:

April was a relatively uneventful month where my health was concerned.  I didn't hear anything more about getting authorization for the referral to a specialist as these things seem to take a long time, these days (I'm planning to do a follow-up phone call in mid-May).  In the meantime, I scheduled two lab tests for upcoming doctors' appointments (which are scheduled later in May).  I didn't lose any weight in April, but, I maintained the weight loss from earlier, which makes me happy.   

Family, Friends, & Community:

I kept in touch with family and friends by phone (mostly), emails, texts, etc.  But, there were a few in-person visits, too, and lots of sharing of food.  One of my friends, who gave daughter a ride to the airport at the beginning of the month, brought me a Vietnamese banh mi sandwich when she came to pick up my daughter.  I had been invited to Easter lunch by my late friend A's family, but, I declined because there were other guests who had also been invited and I didn't feel comfortable about being without my mask among so many people.  Friend S  visited  on Easter Sunday and brought me a lovely dinner of Sri Lankan rice and curries.  Friend R visited me on Easter Monday and, later in the evening on Easter Monday, my late friend A's daughter visited and brought me a plate of food.  I participated in the blogging community, too, and interacted with some of my neighbors.  I'm pleased with the amount of interaction with my family, friends, and community, in April, and I feel that this area of my life is thriving.

Finances:

I was able to keep my finances maintained, more or less, in April.  I went over my grocery budget, mostly due to stocking up when deals were available.  However, I had unspent funds in the car gas budget to transfer and cover the additional grocery spending, so it all evened out in the end.  As one of my friends emailed me, "New month, New budget!"

Time Management:

I feel I did a little better with my time management in April, although I have procrastinated on paperwork, especially filing!  But, the things that needed to be done on time were done on time and I am counting that as a win.  There is room for improvement, however.  

Leisure/Hobbies/Crafting:

April's leisure/hobbies/crafting activities included reading, knitting, gardening, watching videos online, and participating in a monthly photo challenge.  I feel that I thrived in this area of my life. 

House:

I focused on spring cleaning in April and I am happy to say that I made a lot of progress on that front.  The house has been made presentable and that continues into May because I am finally having some much needed repairs done! I am thankful to have a home that is comfortable and pleasant and home maintenance will continue in May, too.

Garden:

The garden continued to thrive in April.  The flowers bloomed, the fruit trees started to set fruit, the first blueberries were picked, new seeds were planted, and I've posted garden updates all month!       

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

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

Thriving in March

California Poppy

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

Spiritual:

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

Daughter:

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

Health & Well Being:

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

Family, Friends, & Community:

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

Finances:

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

Time Management:

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

Leisure/Hobbies/Crafting:

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

House:

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

Garden:

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

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

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

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

Thriving in February

Flower Stalk Starting to Emerge on a Succulent Plant

I liked reviewing January with thriving in all aspects of my life as my goal; so I am continuing with it for February, too.

Spiritual:

As usual, I started off February with making the traditional milkrice for breakfast on the first of the month and making an offering of some of the milkrice and fresh flowers at the altar.  Throughout the month, I kept my spiritual side thriving with daily prayers, meditation, and doing my best to live my life according to the teachings of my religion.  

Daughter:

My daughter spent February with me and I have loved having her home.  I am happy to say that our relationship is thriving.  

Health & Well Being:

As always, there is much room for improvement in this area of my life.  I had a follow up appointment with the oncology nurse practitioner in February, which went well.  There are some additional tests to be done, but, I am focusing on the positives and doing what I can to thrive.   

Family, Friends, & Community:

I kept in touch with family and friends by phone (mostly), emails, texts, etc.  I wished family members on their birthdays, remembered my mother on the anniversary of her death, received gifts of food from neighbor S, kept in contact with late neighbor T's daughter, and participated in the blogging community.  I'm pleased with the amount of interaction with my family, friends, and community, in February, too, and feel that this area of my life is thriving.

Finances:

I went over the grocery budget I had set for myself in February, but, that was compensated for by shifting funds around in the budget.  Not ideal, but, it worked out.  There was also a larger than expected car maintenance bill at the end of February, but, I had funds set aside for such expenses, so that was covered.  For the most part, I feel that I have done well managing my finances, in February.  

Time Management:

Yet another area in my life with room for improvement!  I do tend to procrastinate doing various things and on those rare occasions when I try to be proactive, I make mistakes like scheduling Dancer's vet appointments too early!  But, other important things such as paying bills were done on time.

Leisure/Hobbies/Crafting:

I did take the time to enjoy some leisure time this month.  I borrowed a book from the library and started reading it, I did some fun mending, and I played with fabric, doing some scrap piecing.  I feel that I thrived in this area of my life, in February. 

House:

I am committed to making my home a place where my daughter and I can thrive.  To that end, I've kept the house maintained on a fairly regular basis, although there are several piles to be whittled down and, no doubt, a few dust bunnies frolicking under furniture.  I'll be focusing on spring cleaning in March.

Garden:

The garden has done well in February.  We had a few days of rain and the plants responded with new growth.  The peach tree flowered and even set some fruit; the blueberry bushes did the same.  The lemon trees and the orange tree are full of fruit, too.  The garden is thriving.

All in all, the month of February went well, I think, and I succeeded in thriving in small ways.  I hope to thrive more in March.

How was your February?

Thriving in January

Peach Blossom

My word of the year is "Thrive" and that's what I have been trying to do, although January was a difficult month for me, especially with the gale force winds and the wildfires.  We weren't in immediate danger, but, at least one friend lost their home and, at my daughter's insistence, we prepared to evacuate at a moment's notice if needed.  Fortunately, we didn't have to evacuate and the fires have all been contained now.  However, it was an anxious time. In addition, there were other happenings, which were beyond my control, but, which still impacted me and which caused some consternation.  Through it all, I was determined to be positive and to thrive.  Did you know that the past tense of thrive can be either throve or thrived?  

Since I didn't do a review of my monthly balanced life goals at the end of December or do any monthly goals for January, I thought I'd review January with thriving as my goal. 

Spiritual:

Throughout January, especially during the first week or two, I continued to feel buoyed by the almsgiving which was held at the end of December.  I kept my spiritual side thriving with daily prayers, meditation, and doing my best to live my life according to the teachings of my religion.  

Daughter:

I have loved having my daughter home all of January.  It is a joy and our relationship is thriving.  

Health & Well Being:

While there is much room for improvement in this area of my life, my follow-up  lab test results have been good.  As a result, I feel quite positive about this area of my life.  

Family, Friends, & Community:

I have kept in touch with family by phone, video chats, texts, etc., speaking with my sister, cousins, and aunts.  I've spoken on the phone and exchanged texts and emails with some friends and other friends have visited, bringing me gifts of food.  I did receive the sad news that my former neighbor and friend T had passed away on New Year's Day.  I also visited my neighbor S and her daughters in January and participated in the blogging community.  I'm pleased with the amount of interaction with my family, friends, and community, in January.  I think this area of my life is thriving.

Finances:

For the most part, I have done well managing my finances, in January.  I did go over the grocery budget, by a little over $15.  Nevertheless, this is another area in which I feel I've thrived.

Time Management:

As usual, another area with room for improvement!  I am afraid that I did not thrive in this area of my life!  I've procrastinated on many fronts and I need to really get a grip on myself and manage my time better.

Leisure/Hobbies/Crafting:

I have enjoyed lots of leisure time this month.  I finished crocheting a blanket and I've read a few e-books I borrowed from the library.  I did want to do more crafting in January, but, somehow, I didn't.  So, there's room for improvement in this area of my life.

House:

I am deeply grateful that my house was undamaged during the winds and the fires.  I am very thankful that I still have my house.  I was ready to ;eave everything behind and evacuate it if needed and the fact that I didn't need to means a lot to me.  It might not be the biggest house or the most beautifully decorated and maintained residence, but, it is my home.  I am determined to make my home a place where my daughter and I can thrive.  

Garden:

The garden in January is thriving in its own way.  Most of the fruit trees are dormant, right now, but,  I'm picking lemons and oranges almost daily and enjoying fresh lemonade and fresh oranges.  We've had one day of rain which was very welcome and there's another shower of rain in the forecast, so, the garden is thriving.

All in all, the month of January was challenging and I admit to struggling a bit.  However, I tried to thrive in small ways.

How was your January?

Almsgiving 2024

 

Reliquary and Offerings

I held my almsgiving on Saturday, December 28.  The photograph above shows the reliquary (covered with a gold cloth and placed on a lotus shaped cushion) that the monks brought with them from the Temple for the occasion.  On the table in front of it, is a tray of offerings of the meal that was prepared, a candle, an incense stick, and a vase of flowers.

I woke up early on Saturday morning and after having a cup of tea, started on the To Do List I shared in the previous post, going down the items on the list, one by one.  Friend R arrived shortly after 9:00 a.m. and she covered the sofa where the monks will be seated with the white sheets I had kept out for the purpose.  White is the color of purity and it is non-distracting.  Then, she made the salad for me while I put the rice to boil and warmed up the curries.  We had finished all the preparations well before 10:00 a.m., which gave us a little time to relax and for me to change out from the sweatpants and sweatshirt I was wearing to the white long skirt and the cream colored sweater I had set aside to wear for the almsgiving.  Again, white is the color of purity and not only does it not distract ones attention as colors and patterns would, it also minimizes any obvious social distinctions in dress.  

The monks arrived a little before 11:00 a.m. and the ceremony began with offering the tray of food and flowers to the Buddha, lighting the candle and incense stick and chanting blessings.  Followed by the offering of food to the monks.  

Almsgiving 2024

The monks brought their traditional begging bowls; the food is served into the bowl and afterwards, the bowls are washed and returned to the monks to take back to the temple with them.

After they had finished lunch and the coffee table was cleared, they delivered a short sermon about the three kinds of almsgivings - one is giving physical items such as food, robes, medicines, etc., one is giving another being the ability to live safely, without fearing for its life. and the third is the giving of knowledge and wisdom.

Then, there were more chanting, including the recitation of the Ratana (Gems/Jewels) Sutta (a discourse about the three jewels which are the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha) and transferring of merits to those relatives and loved ones who have departed.

The ceremony concluded about 1:00 p.m. and I sent a plate of food to the temple to be given to anyone who might come to the temple needing some food.

Then, we had our lunch and friend R helped me to put away the leftovers and do the dishes (I loaded the dishwasher with some of the dishes, but, there were others that needed to be washed by hand).  

I was just about to take R back to her place, when former neighbor T's daughter K called and asked if we'd be home because she wanted to drop off something and give me an update on her mom.  So, we waited for her and exchanged gifts with her.  The update on T was not that good (she's receiving hospice care) and that made me feel very sad.  

After K left, daughter and I drove R home. 

Then, I did two loads of laundry, did a little ironing, ran the dishwasher, wrapped more gifts to be exchanged tomorrow, and tidied up the place a bit.

Daughter's get together with friends that was scheduled for Sunday has been postponed to a weekend in January because one of them is ill and she didn't want to expose me to anything.  However, late friend A's daughters might come over to use the washer and dryer as their own washing machine has broken.  So, there will still be some visitors on Sunday, just a different set of girls.

On Saturday, I was grateful for:

- The almsgiving went very well
- Friend R's help 
- Daughter being able to participate
- The weather being sunny and mild
- T's daughter visiting and giving me an update on T

Saturday's joyful activity was holding the almsgiving.  I am so happy that I was able to do everything.  I am feeling physically tired, but, the tiredness is mitigated by a feeling of joy.

Thank you, everyone, for your participation in the almsgiving by being interested in the ceremony and your kind comments about the proceedings.  

Balanced Life Monthly Goals: November Review and December Goals

November is over and December has started; time to review how balanced my life was and what I plan to do to make it more balanced, moving forward.

Health, Self-Care & Well Being (7.0)(7.0):  The goal is good health.

November Health Goals Review:

My November health goal was to improve my health.  More specifically,
- taking my medications daily

- consistently walk for 20 minutes a minimum of 4 times a week

- increase the daily servings of vegetables to 3 
- decrease the consumption of added sugar
- maintaining my weight loss
- doing another blood test towards the middle of the month
- attending two doctors appointments

To that end, 

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

- I have been walking for 20 minutes 4 times a week
- I realized that November, with my birthday and Thanksgiving, is not the month to attempt decreasing my sugar intake!  Too many tempting goodies!   The vegetable consumption has been so-so, better on some days than on others

- Nevertheless, I maintained my weight  

- I did my blood test on November 15 and the results were mostly good, but, there needs to be a follow up

- Both doctors' appointments went well

I'm keeping my satisfaction rating the same at 7.0  

December Health Goals: continue to work on improving my overall health by:
- taking my medications daily

- walking for 20 minutes a minimum of 4 times a week

- increasing the daily servings of vegetables to 3 
- decreasing the consumption of added sugar
- maintaining my weight loss
- doing another blood test (scheduled for the first week)

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

- Spend time purposefully, mindfully

- Procrastinate less

November Time Management Goals Review:
I think I did well enough when it came to time management in November. As always, the important things were accomplished in a timely manner.

I have kept the same satisfaction level at 8.0  

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

December is always a busy month with preparations for both the upcoming holidays and for my annual end of the year almsgiving.  I really need to make myself a time schedule to get things done without feeling stressed and pressed for time.

House (9.0)(9.0):  The goal is a home that is pleasant, comfortable, and welcoming.

November House Goals Review:

My November House goals were to keep a pleasant, well maintained house, keep the horizontal surfaces cleared, and continue to declutter at a slower pace.  

I am happy to say that I have kept the house relatively well maintained with some deep cleaning done towards the end of the month.

I continued with  the decluttering, although at a slower pace.  My decluttering goal was an item a day for a total of 30 items decluttered.  The items I decluttered included 3 old remote controls to TVs and other audio-visual equipment I no longer have, 2 unopened packets of "Sweet 16" paper napkins bought for daughter's 16th birthday, some dried out pens, 1 VHS tape, 1 refillable water bottle, 1 electric space heater which quit working (replacement was ordered, though), 1 humidifier which developed a leak (will be replaced), and several food storage containers that were filled with Thanksgiving leftovers and sent home with my guests.

On the other hand, 6 new soup mugs found their way in, when neighbor S brought them over, partly due to a miscommunication.  My fault, entirely.  I thought she was offering to bring me soup in a mug and I accepted the offer.  After I found out that she was offering to bring me soup mugs, I felt it would be rude to refuse them.  They are oversized mugs, two with vented lids.  I might find a use for them as planters for succulents.  

 

I am keeping the satisfaction rating the same at 9.0.  

December House Goals: Continue to keep a pleasant, well maintained house, decorate for the holidays, and continue to declutter.  I want to keep the house maintained so that there won't be a need to deep clean before the almsgiving.

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

November Spiritual Goals Review:
I continued doing the things I consider as important to live a spiritually meaningful life with daily prayers, meditation, being kind and helpful to others, and cultivating gratitude.  I was able to donate the colored thread the temple needed for a special ceremony and I have booked the date for an end of the year almsgiving.  I'm keeping the same rating.    

December Spiritual Goals: Continue to pray daily, meditate, cultivate gratitude, etc.  Prepare for the year end almsgiving that is scheduled for December 28 (plan the menu, order supplies, prepare the donations, etc.)

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

 

November Goals Review:  

My goal was to continue to maintain a close relationship with my daughter and I did that. She has been staying with me throughout the month of November, so, lots of together time and taking care of her while she is still hobbling around on crutches.  There is no change in the satisfaction rating.   

December Goals: Continue to have a close relationship with my daughter.  She is still on crutches and will be staying with me during the month of December, as well.  

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

November Goals Review:
My November goals included engaging in more fun, relaxing activities including crocheting, reading and gardening and I did all of those.  I also did a crafts project with my daughter, with both of us crocheting.  I am keeping the rating the same.   

December Goals include more of the same, including doing some craft projects with my daughter while she's visiting. 

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

November Goals Review:
My November garden goals were to continue to clean up and maintain the garden, to start planting cool weather vegetables and to put in a new pathway of stepping stones to lead from the back steps to the garage side entrance.  To that end, M has pruned most of the stone fruit trees and put in the stepping stones.  So far, we have not planted any winter vegetables.  But, M has brought me a lot of succulents to plant.  I am keeping the rating the same.

December Garden Goals:  Continue to clean up and maintain the garden.  Start planting cool weather vegetables   

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

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

- Participate in the blogging community and the online organizing community

November Goals Review:
I kept in touch with family and friends through phone calls, texts, and emails.  I participated in the blogging community, as well, and interacted with neighbors.  I felt comfortable enough to have friends over on Thanksgiving day without wearing masks.  In addition, I participated in the larger community by voting in the general elections.  I am keeping the rating at 10.

December Goals will continue to be the same as above.  

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

- Continue budgeting and spending mindfully, with purpose

November Goals Review:

My November goal was to continue to budget and spend mindfully, with purpose.  I also had an appointment with my financial planner to go over my finances,  I believe I have met my goals and I am keeping the same rating.  

December Financial Goals: Continue to budget and spend mindfully, with purpose.  I have set a budget for holiday gifts and for the almsgiving and, with daughter home for another month, I will increase the grocery budget, as well.

November was another good month.  I kept my satisfaction ratings the same.  I feel quite pleased about it.  I hope that December, too, will be another good month.

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

Balanced Life Monthly Goals - October Review and November Goals

Once again, I'm late with reviewing and posting my monthly goals!  Talk about time management and procrastinating!  LOL.

Health, Self-Care & Well Being (6.75)(7.0):  The goal is good health.

October Health Goals Review:

My October health goal was to improve my health.  More specifically,

- consistently walk for 20 minutes daily

- increase the daily servings of vegetables to 3 and maintain that consistently
- decrease the consumption of added sugar
- reduce my weight by an additional 5 lbs. by the end of the month 
- Do another blood test at the end of the month

To that end, 

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

- I have been walking for 20 minutes, consistently, but, not quite daily. 
- I am still struggling to decrease my consumption of added sugar  and to have three servings of vegetables, consistently. 

- Nevertheless, I lost another 5 lbs. by the end of the month!  

- I did my blood test at the end of the month (on October 31)

I'm raising my satisfaction rating just a little bit to 7.0  

November Health Goals: continue to work on improving my overall health by:
- taking my medications daily

- walking for 20 minutes a minimum of 4 times a week

- increasing the daily servings of vegetables to 3 
- decreasing the consumption of added sugar
- maintaining my weight loss
- doing another blood test towards the middle of the month
- attending two doctors appointments

Time Management (8.00)(8.00): The goal is to spend my time in a mindful manner.

- Spend time purposefully, mindfully

- Procrastinate less

October Goals Review:
I tried to curb my procrastination tendencies, in October, and I think I didn't do too badly (although this review is overdue!)  Somethings that I didn't want to do did get pushed back, but, the important things were accomplished in a timely manner.

I have kept the same satisfaction level.  

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

House (8.75)(9.0):  The goal is a home that is pleasant, comfortable, and welcoming.

October House Goals Review:

My October goals were to keep a pleasant, well maintained house, keep the horizontal surfaces cleared, and declutter 10 items a day for a total of 310 items for the month.

I started out the month well, especially with the decluttering, but, I ran out of steam halfway through the month.  I didn't meet my goal of 310 items decluttered, but, I did declutter a little over half that amount and I am pleased with the dent I made.  The house was dusted, swept, and vacuumed, and while not "company ready" according to my usual standards, when unexpected company did arrive, I felt comfortable enough about the house not to feel I needed to apologize for the state in which it was. 

 

I have increased the satisfaction rating, based on the amount of decluttering and tidying up that I did.  

November House Goals: Continue to keep a pleasant, well maintained house, keep the horizontal surfaces cleared, and continue to declutter, albeit at a slower pace.  

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

October Spiritual Goals Review:
I continued doing the things I consider as important to live a spiritually meaningful life with daily prayers, meditation, being kind and helpful to others, and cultivating gratitude.  Towards the end of the month, the monks at the temple provided me with an opportunity to help them out with a donation of thread in specific colors for an upcoming blessing event and I was very happy and thankful to be able to do that. I'm keeping the same rating.    

November Spiritual Goals: Continue to pray daily, meditate, cultivate gratitude, etc.  I have also booked the date for the year end almsgiving and that's something to look forward to in December.

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

 

October Goals Review:  

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

November Goals: Continue to have a close relationship with my daughter.  My daughter came home for a visit on the first of November.  Initially, it was for a 12 day visit, but, because she is still unable to walk without crutches, she has received her supervisor's approval to continue to work from home and so, she will most probably stay with me for the month of November, returning to the Bay Area after Thanksgiving.  Lots of together time to look forward to.

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

October Goals Review:
My October goals included engaging in more fun, relaxing activities including crocheting, reading and gardening and I did all of those.   I also watched videos and listened to CDs (before decluttering them).  I am keeping the rating the same.   

November Goals include more of the same plus maybe doing a craft project with my daughter while she's visiting. 

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

October Goals Review:
My October garden goals were to continue to nurture the fruit trees and vegetable plants, to clean up and maintain the garden, and to start thinking about planting cool weather plants.  Unfortunately, the September heatwave caused the persimmon tree to die, so we had to pull that up.  We will probably plant the tangerine tree in that spot, probably in the spring.  I am keeping the rating the same.

November Garden Goals:  Continue to clean up and maintain the garden.  Start planting cool weather vegetables and put in a new pathway of stepping stones to lead from the garage side entrance to the back steps.    

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

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

- Participate in the blogging community and the online organizing community

October Goals Review:
I kept in touch with family and friends through phone calls, texts, and emails.  I participated in the blogging community, as well, and interacted with neighbors, especially new neighbor E who fixed my overhead garage door opener free of charge!  I am keeping the rating at 10.

November Goals will continue to be the same as above.  

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

- Continue budgeting and spending mindfully, with purpose

October Goals Review:

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

November Financial Goals: Continue to budget and spend mindfully, with purpose; I have also set up an appointment with my financial planner to go over my finances.

October was another good month.  I raised my satisfaction rating in two areas (Health and House), which was great and all of the other areas remained the same.  I feel very pleased about it.  I hope that November will be another good month.

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

Balanced Life Monthly Goals - September Review and October Goals

October has already started, so it's high time to review my monthly goals for September and post my goals for October.

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

September Health Goals Review:

My September health goals included taking my prescribed medications, more regular exercise, and a better diet; there was, in addition, a bone density scan.    To that end, 

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

- I have been walking more or less regularly (but, not as often or for as long as I should). 
- I have been trying to improve my diet by keeping track of the variety of plant based foods I eat and servings of fruits and vegetables per day (although I sort of stopped doing that towards the end of the month). 

- I had my bone density scan; the results would have been sent to my doctor and I will find out when I see her next.
- I have maintained the weight loss of 5 lbs. I accomplished in July, although there have been some weekly fluctuations of a couple of pounds gained or lost!  

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

October Health Goals: continue to work on the above goals.  More specifically,

- consistently walk for 20 minutes daily

- increase the daily servings of vegetables to 3 and maintain that consistently
- decrease the consumption of added sugar
- reduce my weight by an additional 5 lbs. by the end of the month 
- Do another blood test at the end of the month

Apart from all that, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and I am a survivor of 9 years as I had my lumpectomy on October 2, 2015.  Such a blessing!

Time Management (8.25)(8.00): The goal is to spend my time in a mindful manner.

- Spend time purposefully, mindfully

- Procrastinate less

September Goals Review:
I had a hard time with my procrastination tendencies, in September! My favorite excuse to put off doing things was that it was too hot!  Too hot to walk, too hot to do housework, too hot to cook, "too hot to trot"!  LOL.  However, the important things, such as medical appointments and bill paying, were still accomplished in a timely manner.  Even so, I made a small reduction in the satisfaction level because I did procrastinate.

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

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

September House Goals Review:

My biggest accomplishment in this area was the amount of decluttering I did!  I have posted regular weekly decluttering posts, so I am not going to  write much more about it.  However, I have made a dent in The Dump, which is what I've been calling the spare bedroom! 

I have been cleaning in a minimal fashion, dusting and wiping things down as I decluttered; it really has been too hot to do any real deep cleaning!  That's my excuse and I am sticking to it!  LOL.  However, I was able to get a couple areas set up the way I wanted, including this corner in the hallway where I used to keep the home telephone and answering machine:

The Old Telephone Table

I'm keeping the same rating, despite the amount of decluttering I did.  Partly because quite a bit of the decluttered items had been stored in drawers and cabinets, in closed storage.  Only the books and VHS tapes had been stored on shelves and visible.  There is still quite a bit of what I consider as visual clutter.  

October House Goals: Continue to keep a pleasant, well maintained house, keep the horizontal surfaces cleared, and continue to declutter.  I've a goal of decluttering 10 items a day for a total of 310 items for the month.

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

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

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

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

 

September Goals Review:  

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

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

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

September Goals Review:
My September goals included engaging in more fun, relaxing activities including crocheting, reading and gardening and I did all of those.  Once again, I read the maximum number of e-books I was allowed to borrow from the online library, gardened, listened to music, watched videos, and crocheted.   I am keeping the rating the same.   

October Goals include more of the same. 

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

September Goals Review:
My September garden goals were to continue to nurture the fruit trees and vegetable plants and to maintain the garden.  The September heatwave we had was brutal, but, with M's help, I've been able to keep the garden productive.  I am keeping the rating the same.

October Garden Goals:  Continue to nurture the fruit trees (give them their last application of fertilizer, prune as needed), continue to clean up and maintain the garden.  Start thinking about planting cool weather plants.  

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

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

- Participate in the blogging community and the online organizing community

September Goals Review:
In September, I kept in touch with family and friends through phone calls, texts, and emails.  There weren't many in person visits, but, I did have a curbside visit with friend R when I dropped off some packages.  I participated in the blogging community, as well, and interacted with neighbor S and her daughters.  I am keeping the rating at 10.

October Goals will continue to be the same as above.  

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

- Continue budgeting and spending mindfully, with purpose

September Goals Review:

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

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

September was another good month.  Only one area (Time Management) had the satisfaction rating lowered by a little bit.  The other areas remained the same, although there's room for improvement, especially in the Health area. I hope that October will to be another good month.

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