Labor Day Weekend

 

At the Park: Waiting for the Play to Start

On Saturday, I got up at 8:00 a.m. (after going to bed around 4:00 a.m.) to feed the chickens.  I thought I'd go back to sleep for another couple of hours, but, then, I noticed that M had left behind a shovel and a rake on Friday evening, so I texted him to let him know that they were here.  He said he'll swing by to pick them up, so I didn't go back to sleep.  Instead, I stayed up so I could unlock the gate for M (he used to have a key to my gate, but, he lost the key and I haven't made another key to give him, yet).

While I waited for M, I juiced the rest of the calamondin fruit I had picked, earlier - I juice them by hand because they are too small to be juiced with the juicer.  I also put some eggs to boil to make egg salad sandwiches for later in the evening.  And I put away a load of laundry.

M arrived around 11:00 a.m. and collected his tools.  I offered him a piece of the chocolate cake I had made on Friday night and he enjoyed that before he left.

Later in the evening, I made egg salad sandwiches and calamondin-ade (like lemonade, but, made with calamondin juice) and packed a picnic meal to take with us to the park.  My late friend A's daughters had invited us to attend "Shakespeare in the Park" with them, which is something we had done when A had been alive.  A group of actors and performers team up with the City's Recreation and Parks Department, every summer, to perform Shakespeare plays at an outdoor venue in Griffith Park, which is one of the largest municipal parks in the US (4,300+ acres and includes the Griffith Observatory, the Hollywood Sign, the Los Angeles Zoo, etc.)  The performances are free of charge and people bring blankets and chairs and picnic meals to enjoy. 

My late friend A's younger daughter (also named A, whose bridal shower we attended in mid-August) gave us a ride there and back.  She dropped us off as close to the venue as she could and then, went to park the car and meet up with her sister C, who had driven herself separately.  There was a bit of a walk up hill, including three flights of stairs, to where the play was to be performed, but, I managed it.  

Saturday's performance was A Comedy of Errors and we enjoyed the performance.  C had brought a charcuterie board, popcorn, and cans of flavored sparkling water to share and we enjoyed some of that with the sandwiches and calamondinade I had brought.

We left the venue just before the play ended, in order to make it back to the car park before the rest of the audience left and the path down (and the three flights of stairs) got too crowded.  

After we came home, daughter and I relaxed while the last load of laundry dried.  I really enjoyed Saturday's outing and Shakespeare in the Park performance.

On Sunday, I woke up at 6:30 a.m. to the sound of rain!  How wonderful!  It rarely rains before October over here, but, this time, it rained practically all day!  Light rain for the most part, but, we received about one inch of rain, which is quite a lot for us; the garden got a thorough soaking!

Daughter woke up early and tended to the chickens around 7:30 a.m. and I slept in.  After I woke up, I made a bread pudding to take to my cousin's house.  Cousin V was hosting a Rosary prayer gathering in memory of our cousin P who passed away seven days ago, and a lunch.  I had asked her if she wanted me to bring anything and she asked me to bring a dessert if I could.  I know that V likes my bread pudding, so, I made one.  She was so happy when she saw that I had made a bread pudding.  She said she didn't want to ask me to make one, but, was hoping that I would!  LOL.  Cousin P's daughter S who is in Florida and Cousin R who is currently in Scotland joined us over the phone and an app during the prayers.  

Afterwards, S thanked everyone for praying for her mother and told us that, since her mother had loved to dance and we were all there together, to  dance in her memory.  So, all of us got up and did a line dance in Cousin P's honor and had a good laugh because the majority of us didn't know the right sequence of steps and at least some of us, including me, were a bit off the beat!  

Then, we had the delicious lunch that Cousin V had prepared - savory rice, beef curry, sauteed chicken, spicy shrimp, sauteed green beans, dhal, spicy sauteed potatoes, and a salad of cucumber, tomato, onions, and beets.  Others had brought desserts, too, so, in addition to the bread pudding, there was flan, jello in custard, fresh fruit, and yogurt.

Cousin V asked us to stay to dinner, saying she was going to make hoppers, but, we declined as we wanted to get home before it got too dark to tend to the chickens.  But, I told her that I'd love to have some of the hopper batter, so she poured some into a container for me to bring home.  It was still raining when we left and some of the roads and intersections were flooded, and the tire pressure light came on when I started the car, but, we made it home safely.  

Daughter let the chickens out, but, they decided that they didn't like being out in the rain and went back to their enclosure almost immediately.  I picked a few more calamondin to juice and made us some tea. 

Later, I made us hoppers for dinner.  The Sinhala word for them is Appa; the Tamil word is Appam.  They are called hoppers in English.  Hoppers are like bowl-shaped pancakes with crispy edges and a soft spongy center.  The batter is a mixture of fermented rice flour and coconut milk, which gives the hoppers a slightly sour taste.  They are made in small wok-shaped pans which give them the bowl shapes. We ate them with chicken curry and lunu miris (sambol).  

A Hopper (Appa)

We had chocolate cake for dessert.

Plans for Monday (Labor Day) include taking the car to a nearby tire place (if they are open on Labor Day, it being a holiday) to have the tire checked and repaired if there is a puncture.  We also have an appointment to pick up two cat traps to trap the kittens so we can get them fixed.  Hopefully, the tire can be fixed so I can drive to collect the traps.  If not, we'll have to reschedule that.

This Labor Day weekend, I am grateful for:

- Being able to attend a Shakespeare in the Park performance of A Comedy of Errors
- Being given a ride to the performance and back
- Being able to attend the prayer gathering in memory of Cousin P at Cousin V's
- Spending time with family and friends, sharing food and laughter
- A safe drive home in the rain with the low tire pressure light on

Joyful activities this weekend included spending time with family and friends.

How is your Labor Day weekend?  Are you planning anything special for Labor Day Monday?

The Weekend and Beyond

 

Lamb
Crocheted by Daughter

On Saturday, my daughter finished crocheting and assembling an amigurumi lamb for her friend's younger daughter and then, she crocheted a small teddy bear for the older daughter, so she wouldn't feel left out:

Teddy Bear

And made a card:

Card
(top cropped to hide name)

While she was busy, I did some sewing.  I had hoped to finish my sewing project on Saturday, but, I couldn't.  I really should have started on it, earlier, but, I was busy working on another sewing project which also took longer than I had thought:

New Sari Blouse

When I wore my sari to my late friend A's daughter's graduation, last month, I realized that, since I had lost some weight, the old sari blouse was too big!  I managed to temporarily fix it with safety pins, but, it was very obvious to me that I needed a new sari blouse.  So, I used some of the purple fabric I had recently purchased during the store closing sale and sewed myself a new sari blouse.  It involved a bit of trial and error as I needed to draft a new pattern and I couldn't get my dart points to meet, and I struggled with the sleeves, pinning them inside out and back to front, etc.  I am happy with the end result (even if the dart points are still uneven), but, it took longer than I had thought, which meant I didn't have enough time to work on the other project.  So, rather than rush and make mistakes, I decided to finish it later to be given as a birthday gift, later this month.

In addition to sewing, I did two loads of laundry, cleaned the bathtub, made fried rice for brunch, put back a couple of items in the living room (a table lamp as the room has no ceiling lights or wall lights, and a resin statue of a Bodhisattva that my sister had gifted to me many years ago), made a smoked sausage stir fry for dinner, made another "lazy" peach cobbler for dessert, called Aunt C and friend R to check on them, and ran the dishwasher.  And watched the TV coverage of the protests against ICE raids as they developed in downtown Los Angeles.  

On Saturday, I was grateful for:

- Time spent working on craft projects 
- Working appliances
- Electricity to run the appliances
- Phone calls with family and friends
- Fresh peaches

Saturday's joyful activity was sewing and spending time with my daughter.

Church Interior

On Sunday, we were up early to go to my daughter's friend's baby's baptism.  My daughter and the baby's mother have been friends since high school and my daughter was one of the bridesmaids at her friend's wedding.  Her friend had asked my daughter to be her younger daughter's godmother and my daughter felt very honored by the request.  We had been asked to be at the church by 9:15 a.m. and we got there well before 9:00 a.m. and I sat at the back of the church and listened to the choir rehearse while we waited. 

The baby wore a white dress that my daughter had crocheted for her for the occasion and the service and baptism went well.  The baby looked surprised when the water was poured over her head, but, she didn't cry.  We were invited to lunch at a restaurant, afterwards, but, we declined and came home.

I made us scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast for brunch.  Daughter took a nap, afterwards, while I read a few blogs and then, started cooking some of the things I wanted to send back with daughter (beef curry, pepper steak with beef and bell peppers; mixed vegetable stir fry) and watched the news.  For dinner, daughter had leftover sausage stir fry and rice; I had a sandwich with some of the beef I cooked.

On Sunday, I was grateful for:

- Being invited to attend the baby's baptism
- Some social activity
- A safe ride to the church and back
- Another opportunity to wear a sari (with a well-fitting blouse, this time)
- Spending time with my daughter

Sunday's joyful activity was attending the baby's baptism.

On Monday, daughter worked from home.  While she was busy, working, I did a little more cooking.  I made a mallung (cooked shredded greens) with the parsley I had bought, finely shredding the leaves and sauteing the shredded leaves with onions, grated coconut, green chilies, minced garlic, salt, and lemon juice.  Then, I made dhal with red lentils.  I froze most of it for my daughter to take back with her.  We had some of it for a late lunch, with freshly cooked rice and fresh peaches for dessert.

In the evening, after daughter finished work, I dropped her off at the airport.  On the way home, I put gas to the car.  I put just over 10 gallons and it came to $45.22.  After I came home, I did a load of laundry, ran a cleaning cycle on the washing machine, took the trash cans to the curb for pick up on Tuesday morning, and spoke with neighbor E, thanking him again for helping with the living room painting.  I also watered the indoor plants and cooked myself a bacon cheeseburger with sweet potato fries for dinner.  

Daughter reached her apartment safely and we chatted a little bit.  She will go into the office on Tuesday and maybe go to the grocery store afterwards to pick up some half and half for her coffee and a couple of other items.  

On Monday, I was grateful for:

- Daughter had a safe flight and ride back to her apartment
- I was able to send some cooked food and fresh peaches back with her
- A safe drive to the airport and back
- Gas for the car

- Fresh peaches

Monday's joyful activity was cooking food for daughter to take back with her.

Tuesday's To Do List:

- Bring in the emptied trash cans

- Pick up medication refill from the pharmacy
- Go to the bank

- Do another load of laundry, including my bed sheets

- Remake my bed

- Put away laundry

- Water the garden

- Look up driving directions to the specialist's appointment on Wednesday

- Pay bills/paperwork & filing

How was your weekend?  Did you have a good day on Monday?  What are your plans for Tuesday?

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.  

Hot on Wednesday

Cornflower

Last year's cornflowers self-seeded and there are two plants that are just starting to flower.  Except, they are growing just outside of the edge of the flower bed!  I guess we will have to make that flower bed a bit bigger, around!  

Yesterday, after I posted, I managed to get a few things crossed off my to do list.  I dusted the family room, watered the indoor plants, did the dishes/ran the dishwasher, cooked dinner (salmon, rice, and broccoli), and decluttered.  

Tuesday's Decluttering:

3 lace curtains (the  old ones from the living room window - although I replaced them, I hadn't disposed of them till now)

1 brochure

- some dried flowers/rose petals

Today, Wednesday, the temperature soared to the mid-90s (F).  Hello Summer!  It's going to remain in the mid-90s for at least the next couple of days!

M was here to tend to the garden and he watered both the front and the back gardens for me.  I showed him an ad for bags of mulch at a local home improvements/DIY center (2 cf each, 5/$10) and asked him to buy me 10 bags, if possible.  I want to use them to try and landscape the parkway in the front.  Currently, there is nothing but dirt and a few weeds growing there.  I want to put cardboard boxes down as a weed barrier and cover the cardboard with the mulch to make that area look a little more attractive.  I might even plant some succulents there to improve the appearance.  The last time I tried planting succulents there, someone/something pulled them all up and left them uprooted!  How rude!

Daughter and I had leftovers from last night's dinner for our lunch, today.

In the afternoon, I sorted through some paperwork (regular mail) and paid the water and electricity bill, which also includes solid waste removal fees and sewer charges.  Each bill covers a 2 months period.  I stayed within my allocations for both water and electricity, but, because the rates have gone up, the bill was almost $400!  Part of the electricity usage is due to my daughter working from home; we both have our computers going most of the day.  Later in the evening, I sorted through one more file folder of my mother's papers - tax documents from 1990!  One less file folder to store!

I also made a vanilla pudding with oat milk and cornstarch (plus sugar and vanilla extract) to take to my friend A in the evening.  She had called me to ask us to join her and her family in a prayer gathering this evening.  She asked us to come by 6:00 p.m. and we got there on time, even though there was some traffic congestion on one of the roads due to road construction.  I was able to take an alternate route and that worked out quite well.  We were the only non-family members present at the prayer gathering; daughter and I wore our N95 masks and the others were mostly masked, as well.  After the Rosary was said, A, who was having a fever, was persuaded to go upstairs to rest.  Daughter and I were asked to stay to dinner, but, we chose not to; instead, we were given dinner to bring home:

Dinner: Rice, chicken curry, dhal, spicy tempered potatoes, chutney, and salad

Daughter and I enjoyed the meal after we came home and there's still some leftover for lunch, tomorrow.

Wednesday's Decluttering:
4 glass jars (used to root cuttings, mostly unsuccessfully)
1 file folder full of tax papers

Today, I am grateful for:

- Being invited to attend the rosary prayer gathering at A's and being able to do so
- A safe drive there and back
- M tending to the garden
- Having water, electricity, sewer service, and weekly trash pick up, even if the costs have increased
- Being given our dinner to bring home to eat

Today's joyful activity was being able to attend the prayer gathering.

Plans for tomorrow include:
- Going for my 2nd booster shot
- Dusting my bedroom
- Vacuuming
- Decluttering/file cleaning, etc.

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

Almsgiving 2022

Reliquary

Today, Wednesday, January 5, my daughter and I held our almsgiving. 

The monks brought a new reliquary, that they had received on the first of the year from Sri Lanka with them.  They said that mine is the first house they've taken this new reliquary with them!  The presence of the reliquary transforms the house into a temple.  Reliquaries are usually kept covered with a cloth to keep out dust, etc., but the monks uncovered it to show me and I asked if I could take a picture of it (they know about my blog!)  I did not ask them about the relic that is contained within. There are probably just as many relics of the Buddha as there are pieces of the True Cross.  A person's belief and faith can transform something ordinary into something extraordinary. 

I woke up at 8:00 a.m., today and did all the tasks on my to do list.  Everything was done and ready by the time the monks arrived.

As is our custom, small amounts of all the food that was prepared for the almsgiving were served in small containers, along with water and juice (apple juice, in this instance) to be offered at the altar. 

Platter of Offerings to the Buddha

After the monks had had their lunch (they wore their masks before and after their lunch; we had our masks on the whole time) and chanted blessings, one of the monks walked through the house, at my invitation, and blessed the house by sprinkling blessed water (he poured some blessed water into a clean bowl and used a freshly picked rose from the garden to dip into the water to sprinkle around the house, from the front door steps to the back door steps.

Just before they left, I asked them if there was anyone at the Temple who might need a meal and served up a plate of food for them to take back.  There are usually three or four monks at this particular Temple although I only invited two and often, some people come to the Temple if they need a helping hand.  Daughter and I also shared some food with neighbor S and her family and I took a share over to friend R.  Almsgiving food is meant to be shared.  I was too tired in the evening to take anything over to neighbor T, but, I'll take some of the desserts over to her, tomorrow.  

Almsgiving Lunch

 

In the evening, I set about "erasing the evidence" - cleaning up evidence of the almsgiving.  All the chair covers and table linen were washed, dried, and put way, except for the few napkins and the one table cloth that have to be ironed (will do that, tomorrow, as I had put away the ironing board and iron).  Then, most of the dishes were put in the dishwasher and washed; the rest were washed by hand.  The dishwasher has been emptied, but, some items have not been put away in the cupboards, yet (requires climbing up on the stepstool to do so!)

Daughter's winter break ends today; she starts work, again, tomorrow (still working remotely from home, but, her office is planning to have them all return to the office, around the end of the month, rotating who will be in the office on any given day; apparently, they need to keep staffing levels to no more than 40% of occupancy capacity of the building due to Covid).  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Being able to have the almsgiving
- Daughter's help with all the work, before, during, and after
- The monks blessing the house as well as my daughter and me
- Being able to share some of the food with friends and neighbors
- Working appliances!

Today's joyful activity was having the almsgiving.  I feel it is a blessed start to the New Year.  

Plans for tomorrow includes more erasing the evidence - putting things back where they go until the next time, ironing the items that need ironing, and doing some paperwork.

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

Tuesday: More Almsgiving Preparations

My daughter had been unable to sleep, last night, after waking up from what turned out to be a nap!  She had gone to sleep around 10:30 p.m., but, woke up a couple of hours later and couldn't fall asleep.  So, she tidied the dining area and the family room; everything was nice and tidy when I woke up!  Later, in the afternoon, she took another nap and afterwards, she cooked the rest of the almsgiving food that could be prepared ahead of time and helped me tidy my bedroom!  She is such a help to me!  

In the meantime, I accomplished all the items that I had on my to do list for today:

- Confirm the date with the monks - DONE
- Clean the rest of the house (daughter will help) - DONE
- Take down the dishes used only for almsgivings and wash them - DONE
- Take out serving dishes, basins used for washing hands, serving spoons, etc. - DONE

- Set out items needed for the transfer of merit: teapot, cup, and basin; fill teapot with water - DONE
- Set out new bottle of water for blessing; bowl to catch drips when blessed water is poured out - DONE
- Set out items for washing hands: fresh cake of soap, hand towels, jugs & basins - DONE

I vacuumed the house (except the bed rooms), brought the trash cans in, washed the front door, the front door steps, and the walkway, and rinsed all the plates and dishes, etc. that will be used, tomorrow.  In addition to the usual soap, etc., that I keep ready for handwashing before and after the meal, I also kept out a new container of hand sanitizer, along with a stack of new disposable masks, at the entrance!  Definitely a sign of the times!  

In the evening, I called friend R to check on her.  I also texted M, since he will be coming to tend to the garden around the same time as the almsgiving will start, to let him know that I'll be occupied when he arrives; then, I wrote out the check for his payment and kept it ready to leave it for him, in the morning.

Daughter wrote out the almsgiving menu and posted it on the fridge door so we won't forget anything:

Beverages: water, fruit juice

Soup (she made a vegetable cream soup)

Rice (red rice and white rice) with assorted curries 

- Dhal (lentil) curry

- Kadala (sauteed spicy garbanzo beans)

- Bonchi thel dala (sauteed spicy green beans)

- Kale mallung (shredded kale cooked with grated coconut, turmeric, and spices)
- Sauteed purple mustard greens

- Zucchini chutney

- Cucumber/tomato/red onion salad with hard boiled eggs, halved

It's a mostly vegetarian meal, although we serve eggs.

Followed by:

- A variety of sweets (love cake, blueberry yogurt mini muffins, butter cookies, and meringue kisses - all made by daughter, and peppermint chocolates) 

- A variety of fruits (grapes, tangerines, berries - raspberries and black berries - apple slices, and pear slices)

- A compote of peaches from the garden and cranberries

- Yogurt with palm treacle

Today, I am grateful for:

- Daughter's help with the almsgiving preparations
- Sunny weather for washing the door and walkway, etc.
- Working appliances
- Getting the house cleaned and tidied
- Hand sanitizers, masks, and being vaccinated!

Today's joyful activity was preparing for the almsgiving.

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

"Sparkle and Shine" Weekend

December Rose

On Saturday, I attended the memorial for Aunt T.  I hadn't attended her funeral, one year ago, due to Covid restrictions and concerns; I decided to attend the memorial service, since I was now vaccinated and had received the booster, too.  I figured that the Church service would be safe enough to attend (I'd wear my mask the whole time).  I didn't plan to attend the reception, afterwards, as it would be indoors and being with 80 guests who would be unmasked as they ate and drank and talked was beyond my comfort level.

The invitation to the memorial service and reception stated, "Leave your tears behind.  Come sparkle and shine".  I debated what to wear to the memorial service.  If it had been a Buddhist memorial service, everyone would have been expected to dress in white, as that is our color for mourning.  But, Aunt T had been Catholic; wouldn't black be the appropriate color, then?  But, what about the "sparkle and shine" part?  Also, isn't there a rule about not wearing shiny outfits in the morning (the memorial service was at 10:30 a.m.)?  Plus, it was a cool morning (52F, which is cold for me!) and I wanted to be warmly dressed.  In the end, I chose to wear a long black skirt (I've had it for over 20 years) and a cream colored sweater which had "pearls" sewn down the front.  I wore a burgundy and gold shawl which Aunt T had given me, over the sweater; it provided the necessary "sparkle and shine".  That left me with trying to figure out what shoes to wear!  I have one pair of black shoes that I have had for years and have been worn so often that they are looking very, very shabby and it's not an exaggeration.  Those shoes are ready to be tossed!  Sandals weren't an option as it was too cold for sandals.  In the end, I wore my black ankle boots and the long skirt covered their tops.  I think I need to shop for a pair of replacement black shoes.  

30 minutes before I was planning to leave to go to the memorial service, cousin P called me.  Her daughter was not well and couldn't take P to the service; could I give her a ride?  I said yes, of course.  While I was on the phone with P, cousin V (Aunt T's older daughter) called to say that P had called her saying she didn't have a ride and would I mind giving her a ride?!  I told V that I was on the other phone with P and yes, I will give her a ride.  Apparently P's daughter was supposed to have given the reading, but, since she was unable to be there, V's daughter did the reading, instead.  Since she was Aunt T's oldest granddaughter, I think it was just how it should have been (not that anyone asked my opinion!)

There were quite a few people at the church, but, almost everyone was wearing a mask.  Afterwards, people mingled a bit in the lobby of the church and outside, greeting one another.  I said hello to several members of the extended family and family friends, many of whom I hadn't seen since before the pandemic.  Then, I made sure that cousin P had a ride to the reception with another cousin, made my excuses to cousin V even as her husband tried to persuade me to change my mind and come to the reception, and came home.

My daughter didn't attend the service because she was not feeling quite up to it.  After I came home, I warmed up some leftovers for brunch for us (daughter had pasta with sauce, I had a paratha with the last of the turkey curry - turkey week stretched out to almost two!) and we spent the rest of the day, relaxing.  Cousin P called me after she came home from the reception to thank me for giving her a ride.  Later, I chatted with friend R.  Dinner was rice, spicy potatoes, ground beef, corn, and curried green beans, with zucchini chutney.

Today, Sunday, I decided that the house could do with a bit of a sparkle and shine!  I dusted, vacuumed, tidied up a bit, put away all the groceries bought from the Sri Lankan store, and picked a fresh rose from the garden for the living room altar.   

Daughter is feeling much better, today, and needed only one nap instead of multiple naps!

Neighbor T called for our Sunday chat and we discussed our recent falls (apparently, she fell inside her house), and compared our bruises (I've a lovely purple knee and she said she has a bruise running down her fingers to her palm as she was holding a bag of groceries when she fell).  We rang off telling each other to be careful!  LOL.

I made scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast for brunch, today.  Dinner was leftovers from last night.  I need to meal plan for the week ahead - there's more ground beef leftover which can be made into something (curry puffs?) and maybe I'll make a fish curry  one day (to have with rice and vegetables) and a ham tetrazzini/casserole which will provide a couple of meals.  Well, that wasn't too difficult, was it?  

This weekend, I am grateful for:

- Being able to attend Aunt T's memorial
- Being able to give cousin P a ride
- A safe drive there and back
- Daughter is feeling much better
- December roses

This weekend's joyful activities included meeting family and friends I haven't met since the pandemic began.  

Monday's To Do List:

- Laundry

- Clean the fridge

- Take trash cans to the curb for Tuesday trash pick up
- Mop kitchen

- Make a batch of jam

- Water the vegetables in the back garden

- Start on the holiday greeting cards

- Paperwork/bills

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

Saturday

Brunch: Milk Rice (Kiri Bath) and Onion Relish (Seeni Sambol)

This morning, I participated in the Temple "kathina" ceremony online.  Every year, the Buddhist monks observe a three month long retreat during the traditional rainy season, at the end of which, there is a special ceremony during which a special robe is sewn and donated by the devotees to the society of the monks in general.  The monks of each temple then convene and gift the robe to one particular monk who resided at the temple for the duration of the retreat.  Being able to participate in this ceremony by donating something towards it is considered as a very meritorious deed.  I feel blessed to have been able to participate, if only virtually.

Afterwards, I made milk rice and onion sambol for brunch.  

Later, I watered the garden, both front and back, especially the newly transplanted moringa plants and practiced the piano.  I might have taken an afternoon nap on the sofa, too!

Later in the evening, I made some beef and vegetable soup for dinner:

Beef and Vegetable Soup

It was another "cool" (high of 71F) day.  I dressed in layers and was still cold!  I even wore my fingerless mitts for a short time!  Eventually, I caved in and switched on the electric space heater, a little while ago.  I have it set up right in front of me as I type this and I am slowly thawing out!  Friend R said she was in a short sleeved T-shirt and 3/4 length pants.  

Daughter sent me her Inktober drawing; today's prompt was "dig"

Day 24: Dig

These are Pokemon known as Digletts which burrow through the ground; usually only their heads are visible.

Today, I am grateful for:

- Being able to participate in Temple ceremonies online

- Water for the garden

- Afternoon naps

- Warm woolen sweaters

- Electric space heaters

Today's joyful activity was participating in the Temple ceremonies online.

How is your weekend coming along?

The Weekend

The weekends tend to go by quickly, it seems!

On Saturday, I slept in a little later than I had intended to! Oops!  Once I was up and had my tea, etc., I vacuumed the rest of the house, practiced the piano, made Indian style semolina for brunch, did the dishes, and watched several cooking shows on TV.  As I mentioned to one of my friends, cooking shows on TV always make me feel hungry!  LOL.  Later in the evening, I made a smoked sausage and potato soup for dinner:

Smoked Sausage and Potato Soup

I had three rather shriveled potatoes left from the bag I bought back in early July (July 3rd to be exact).  I had babied those potatoes through 100+F temperatures (didn't want to put them in the fridge as I think that changes their taste) and had only 2 of them spoil.  The last remaining potatoes were well on their way to being dehydrated!  In fact, I soaked them in a bowl of cold water for about 30 minutes before I scrubbed them and cut them up for the soup!  I used a container of my homemade chicken stock that I had in the freezer, a quarter of a 14 oz. smoked sausage, a carrot, some onions and some celery and let it cook for a bit, then, added a little milk at the end.    It made about four servings of soup, for me.  Leftovers are in the fridge to be enjoyed another time or two.

I also texted the monthly rosary prayer group, on Saturday.  I usually host the October prayer gathering, in honor of my mother's birthday, but, I said I am unable to do so, this time, because I am not sure how to arrange for an online meeting and, if anyone else would like to host it, it would be fine with me.  Actually, there haven't been any monthly prayer gatherings over the summer, but, I didn't mention that.  The lady who used to lead the prayers replied saying it was fine, not to worry about it during this time.  Someone else said she would ask her daughter if she can help to organize an online gathering.  

Daughter sent me pictures of her drawings.  On Saturday (Day 10), the prompt was "Hope".  She chose to draw Takeru (from Digimon) with Patamon on his head; the digidestined of hope.  First, she sent me the ink drawing:

Day 10: Hope

Then, she noticed a small mistake in perspective and decided to color it in to correct it.  

In Color

If you want to play "spot the difference", the clue is the width of the left sleeve!  

Here is today's drawing:

Day 11: Disgusting

Today (Sunday), I had a long phone chat with one of my cousins, made pancakes for breakfast, checked on neighbor T, practiced the piano, had a bowl of my soup for lunch, and watched some TV, including a basketball game.  I also watched the online service from the Temple, spoke with neighbor S (piano lesson, tomorrow!) and chatted with friend R.  

I was going to make a stirfry with the rest of the smoked sausage for dinner, but, changed my mind and baked two frozen fish fillets and cooked a pot of rice to go with it.  I added some frozen green peas on top of the almost cooked rice and let it steam while the rice finished cooking.  "Lazy cooking", I call it!

This weekend, I am grateful for:

- Being able to video chat with my daughter

- Phone calls and emails with family and friends

- Better air quality

- Electricity

- Online Temple services

This weekend's joyful activities included updating the September Joys list, writing out the October Joys list, and relaxing.

Today's temperature was a high of 78F; tomorrow's forecast calls for a high of 95F!  Plans for tomorrow include having my piano lesson, a little housework, and cooking.  

Monday's To Do List:

- Dust living room & dining area

- Clean the fridge

- Take trash cans to the curb for Tuesday trash pick up

- Piano lesson

- Cook the sausage stirfry

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

Tuesday

Cantaloupe Flower

I have two flowers on my cantaloupe plants!  I am so excited!  From what I could tell, they are both male flowers and the plant usually has more male flowers than female flowers to increase their chances of pollination, but, I am hoping that we might get some female flowers, too, eventually!

Second Cantaloupe Flower

I am not even sure if the plants should be flowering this early, because they are still baby plants, themselves!  But, yay!  I've cantaloupe flowers! 

Today was a hot day, so I watered the back garden in the morning.  My utilities bill came in the mail, today, and it includes charges for water, as well as electricity, sewer service, and solid waste collection.  It is for April and May usages and it came to just below $300, which is what I budget for the utilities bill!  I haven't checked the break down, how much for water, how much for electricity, etc., and our summer water rates haven't gone into effect, yet.  I know I'll get a much bigger bill, next time!  But, that is the price of trying to grow a lush garden in an arid place!

Buddleia Flower Spike

I noticed that there are a couple of other flower spikes starting to form on the buddleia plant and I am looking forward to seeing a bush covered with flowers, eventually.

In the afternoon, I chatted with cousin P, did some (very little) housekeeping, and read.  Later, I watched news and knitted.  I had started another hat, yesterday, and today, I finished it:

Red Knitted Hat (sorry, it's a bit blurry)

I looked through my yarn bin, yesterday, and discovered, to my surprise, that I didn't have quite as much leftover yarn that is suitable for these types of hats as I thought I had!  I have yarn that I had bought for specific projects and leftover wool (not suitable for these hats as they need to be machine washable and wool will felt if washed in a washing machine - ask me how I know!  LOL!).  But, my daughter said I could use any of her yarn that she had bought for her craft projects.  So, maybe I'll raid her yarn stash, next! 

In the evening, I attended this month's rosary prayer gathering, online.  It was nice to see everyone and, after the prayers were said, we stayed online and chatted a bit.  Later, I called friend R and chatted with her. 

Today, I am grateful for:
- Flowers on plants in my garden
- Water for the garden
- Being able to attend the monthly prayer gathering online
- Phone calls with family and friends
- Chatting with my daughter

Today's joyful activities included attending the monthly prayer gathering and chatting with family and friends.

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

Online Retreat

Temple Altar

On Sunday, I participated in the online retreat that the Temple had organized.  The above is a picture of the altar, taken with my cell phone, from the computer screen, so the quality is not the greatest.  But, it shows some Vesak lanterns someone had made in the background, behind the statue of the Buddha; they are all in white as appropriate for a temple.  The flags are Buddhist flags, originally designed in 1884, by a committee of Buddhists, including an American retired Army Colonel, Henry Steele Olcott, in Colombo, Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon).  The flag was first flown in May 1885, to mark the first Vesak Poya (holy) Day to be declared a public holiday by the ruling British government (Ceylon was a British Crown Colony from 1815 to 1948).  The colors (blue, yellow, red, white, and orange) are supposed to represent certain physical attributes of the Buddha with each color having a meaning.  The current flag is a modification of the original flag in size and the color of one stripe; there are variations of the flag in other Buddhist countries, but, this flag is recognized as a symbol of Buddhism throughout the world. 

Although I tried to go to sleep early on Saturday night, I didn't actually fall asleep until after 3:00 a.m.  But, I managed to wake up at 6:30 a.m. and I had my cup of tea and got dressed.  Had I actually attended the retreat at the Temple, I would have worn a white sari, but, since this was going to be held at home, I wore a long white skirt and a white blouse, which is a more casual attire.  Over which, I wore a shawl made from a white piece of fabric; the shawl is sort of a representation of the robes a monk or nun would wear and it signifies that one is an observant of the eight precept.  One wears it, cross body, going over one shoulder.

I logged on to the meeting site at 7:00 a.m., and the chief monk led us in meditation for the first half hour as we waited for more people to log in.  They had arranged for a full day of programs! 

7:00 a.m. - Log in and breathing meditation

7:30 a.m. - Morning offerings (of flowers, incense, food, etc.) to the Buddha, followed by the administration of the eight precepts.  The monks say the precepts and you repeat after them, undertaking to spend your day in accordance with these precepts.

8:00 a.m. - Breakfast.  Normally, at the Temple, breakfast (and lunch) would be served to the monks and those observing the eight precepts by other devotees (and they would also eat, afterwards).  The act of serving food to the monks and those observing the eight precepts would be considered a meritorious deed.  If one was observing the retreat at home and there were others in the household, they would be expected to serve the meals to the one observing the retreat.  However, in my case, I made my own breakfast.  I warmed up a frozen paratha (a type of Indian flat bread) and had it with onion sambol (seeni sambol). 

8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. - Sermon and discussion by a guest monk who logged in from another Temple, with questions and answers afterwards.  The Q&A session lasted a little longer than anticipated, but, that was good as it showed that people were actively participating.

10:10 a.m.- Loving-kindness (metta) meditation.  During this meditation, thoughts of loving-kindness and compassion are extended in ever widening circles, starting with yourself and going outwards to include family, friends, neighbors, community, state, country, the world, and beyond, to encompass the entire universe.  The idea is that whatever you wish for yourself (good health, well being, happiness, etc.) is also being wished for every other being, known or unknown, without any boundaries.

10:30 a.m. - Walking meditation!  The walking is supposed to be done very deliberately, being aware of each step, and each part of each step - putting the right foot down, shifting your weight to that foot, moving the left foot up off the ground, putting the left foot down, shifting your weight to that foot, lifting the right foot off the ground, putting the right foot down, and so forth.  The aim is not to walk far or fast, but to really focus on the process of walking.  I went outside for the 20 minutes of walking meditation. 

10:50 a.m. - Offering of lunch to the Buddha. 

11:00 a.m. - Lunch break.  Again, if we were at the Temple, lunch would have been prepared by other devotees and served to everyone, present.  As things stood, we each went off line and served and ate our own lunch.  I had rice with cabbage and cashew curry (I had a packet of previously cooked cashew curry in the freezer, which I had kept in the fridge, overnight, to thaw).  I wanted to keep it a vegetarian meal in observance of the day.

During this time, I listened to and watched a video of blessings being chanted. 

12:30 p.m. - The Temple program resumed with the chanting of blessings by the monks. 

1:00 p.m. - A sermon in English for the benefit of the Sunday school children (and adults, as well), with a discussion session, afterwards.

2:00 p.m. - Breathing meditation

2:15 p.m. - A short break to have a cup of tea or juice.

2:30 p.m. - Sermon and discussion, about the two main ways of showing devotion as a Buddhist - one being the participation in activities and rituals such as going to the Temple, offering alms to the monks, etc., and the other being putting the Buddha's teachings into practice by living according to the tenets of Buddhism.  One is considered good and helpful; the other is considered better and essential.  Again, the discussion went on for a little longer than anticipated, but, I found it to be very interesting.

3:45 p.m. - A short, 15 minutes "rest" break!

4:00 p.m. - Another sermon and chanting.

By this time, I had begun to get a headache.  I think it was due to a combination of insufficient sleep during the night, continuous screen time, and having to concentrate on what was being said!  Most of the sermons were delivered in Sinhalese, which is my first language.  However, it has been almost 47 years since I left Sri Lanka and I haven't had to use it as much, lately.  So, my Sinhalese is a little bit rusty.  Add in the fact that there is a more informal everyday spoken Sinhalese and a more formal oratory style used to deliver sermons, and I really needed to concentrate to truly comprehend what was being said.  Also, I might have been a little dehydrated and I was starting to get hungry!  I seem to need to eat something every 4 hours or so and it had been a little over 4 hours since lunch.  But, one of the precepts I undertook to observe was not to eat anything after 12 noon until the retreat ended.  I could have chosen to end it, then (doing so would have been easy; I just had to recite the regular five precepts I undertake on a daily basis), but, I was determined to stick it out! 

5:30 p.m. - Evening offerings and ending the retreat.  I was glad I was able to wait until the very end!

I really did enjoy this retreat and was glad I could participate, even with the headache and all!  If this opportunity was offered again, I would gladly participate - but, next time, I'll make sure I had plenty of water and juice to keep me hydrated and my blood sugar levels stable! 

The monks were holding the regular evening blessings later in the night, yesterday, starting at 8:00 p.m., but, I decided I would not participate.  It would have been just a little too much! 

Hope you find this post interesting. I've tried to explain just enough to give you an idea without going into too many details!  If you have any questions about anything I've described, please feel free to ask and I will try to answer them to the best of my abilities.  Or, I can ask the monks for further information, if I need to.  Of course, there is quite a bit of information online, as well.  And, if you have read all the way to the end of this post, give yourself a big pat on the back!   

Vesak 2020

Vesak is when many Buddhists observe the birth, attainment of Buddhahood, and the death of the Buddha.  It is usually observed on the full moon day of May, although the actual observances can take place over several days.  To us, this is one of the most important religious days of the year, if not the most important one.

When I was growing up, we attended religious services at temples, at Vesak, and observed religious retreats, we illuminated our homes with colorful paper lanterns, candles, and clay oil lamps, others built very elaborate lanterns with "baby" lanterns extending from the main lantern and tall structures known as pandals which depicted the life story of the Buddha or other Buddhist stories, that were illuminated at night.  Going to see these lanterns and structures were a big part of the celebrations, and people used to call it "going to see Vesak".

It was a very sacred day, given to contemplation and religious observances, and it was a very joyous day, as well, that celebrated the founding of this way of life that we call Buddhism.  It was a day for accruing merit by doing meritorious deeds, with emphasis on giving to others, and people used to set up stalls where free food and beverages were served to anyone who stopped by.  I can remember the times I would go to see the lanterns and the pandals with my family and being surrounded by people who were pressing parcels of food and cups of tea or fruit juice into our hands and the friendly rivalry between the people sponsoring the stalls, asking people to come to their stall as they had better food and drinks! 

Over here, we have observed Vesak on a much smaller scale, attending religious services at the temples, if possible, serving meals to those who do attend the temple services, etc. 

This year, Vesak took place on Thursday, as that was when the full moon occurred.  The temple held online services as part of the nightly services they do online.  This weekend, they will also make it possible to participate in the religious retreats, online.   I am considering joining the online retreat.  Normally, we observe five precepts that guide our daily lives (to abstain from killing, to abstain from stealing, to abstain from sexual misconduct, to abstain from harmful speech, and to abstain from intoxicants, including alcohol); during the retreat, we undertake to observe eight precepts, which includes abstaining from untimely eating, from sitting on high and luxurious seats, and from engaging in singing, dancing, playing music, or wearing make up, perfume, or other adornments.

I have participated in these eight-precept retreats on previous occasions, but, this is the first time it is being done online, as far as I know!  On previous occasions, the retreat observant will go to the temple, undertake to observe the eight precepts, and spend the day at the temple meditating, listening to sermons, and engaging in other religious activities.  The period of duration have varied from 24 hours to 12 hours or even 8 hours (when my daughter was little).  I am not sure quite what the online program will include, but, that doesn't matter.  What matters is that this opportunity will be made available. 

Not everyone has access to a temple, even in the best of times.  I have lived in places where there weren't any temples.  That didn't matter to me; being unable to attend a temple never prevented me from observing my religion.  As far as I am concerned, the world is my temple!  And now, I don't even have to go anywhere!  The temple is being brought to me!  How wonderful!  What a blessing!  If nothing else, this will be a new experience! 

It does require me to be awake by 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, but, I shall make the effort.  There is sitting meditation, breathing meditation, and walking meditation.  I wonder if there can be a sleeping meditation, too?  Maybe I can practice that for a couple of hours after I take the eight precepts? LOL. 

I am grateful for:
- The online temple services
- Happy memories from my childhood
- The opportunity to participate in the retreat from home
- Learning to embrace change
- Learning to dance in the rain!*

*One year, my daughter gave me a journal which had a saying on the cover that life was not about waiting for the rain to stop, it was about dancing in the rain! 

Have you attended any religious retreats?  Have you ever attended an online retreat? 


 

Prayer Gathering on Saturday

The Altar (taken this morning)

Yesterday's prayer gathering went off very well.  I set up the altar in the morning, cleaned the bathrooms, tidied the spare bedroom, put the table cloths on the tables, etc. and then, went to pick up friend R.

On the way home, we stopped at a nearby grocery store to pick up some flowers for the altar and a flan for dessert (R's contributions) and some last bits of groceries I wanted (bananas, a small container of milk, and a bottle of ginger ale soda).  R also bought some bread rolls from the bakery section for us for a late lunch.  My share of the groceries came to $4 and some cents. 

Then, we came out of the grocery store and I had moment of panic because I thought my car had been towed!  This is not a grocery store I go to on a regular basis, so, I was unfamiliar with the layout.  There had been a parking spot right in the front, near the entrance, and while, usually, these spots are for handicapped parking, neither R nor I could see any signs saying it was handicapped parking, only.  Usually, handicapped parking is indicated by blue signs, blue striping, etc.  Well, there wasn't anything to be seen, so, I parked there, feeling very happy that I was able to get parking so close to the entrance.

When we came out with our groceries, I went to the spot where I thought I had parked my car and my car wasn't there!  What's more, there were handicapped parking signs posted and written in big blue letters on the wall!  Well, I thought I had parked in a handicapped spot, without noticing the signs, and they had towed my car!  $250 fine for parking in a handicapped spot, illegally.  More than the fine, the inconvenience of having to go to the impound yard to get the car back, when there was a prayer gathering to be held in a few hours!

I thought, oh, my goodness, now what do I do?!  I ran into the store and spoke to a manager, saying I guess I parked in a handicapped parking spot, without realizing it, and now my car has been towed!  She said they rarely, if ever, tow the cars and came out with me to see what had happened.  She asked what kind of car and I said, a white Toyota Camry.  She looked around and pointed in the other direction  and said, "Ma'am, your car is on that side, near the other entranace!"  Oh, my!  I had gone in from one entrance and come out from another entrance and not realized it!  I hadn't parked in a handicapped spot and my car hadn't been towed!  Whew!  I was so happy, I gave the manager a hug and thanked her!  In the meantime, friend R, who had stayed outside with the cart of groceries, had realized that we had parked by the other entrance and had gone inside the store to look for me!  But, I had already come out and was looking for her!  LOL!  Eventually, she spotted me and called out to me!  My goodness!  That was a bit of excitement we could have done without, but, we laughed and said my mother must have played a practical joke on us. 

After we came home, we ate two of the rolls R had bought with the sauteed chicken I had cooked, earlier.   My neighbor T had left a message on my answering machine and I called her back and she asked me if I could come over to help her with something, so I went over and checked on her. 

Afterwards, friend R and I started on the prayer gathering preparations.  R arranged the flowers in vases and washed the grapes while I mopped the bathroom; she removed the dust sheets from the sofas while I cooked the sausages, and fried the pappadum.  The she helped me take out the serving dishes and the glass plates from the china cabinet and take down the drinks from the kitchen cabinet where I store them.  Then, we had a cup of tea and I took a shower and got dressed.  I put the rice to boil while she got dressed.  Then, I warmed up all the curries (although they had to be warmed up again, before dinner was served).  The only thing I didn't get around to doing from my To Do list was mopping the kitchen floor.  I was tired by that time and didn't want to push myself.  But, everything else was done by 6:30 p.m., as planned.

The first guests arrived at 7:00 p.m. and the others were all here shortly after that.  I was happy that my relatives from my mother's side of the family were all able to attend the prayer gathering: Aunt T (my mother's sister-in-law), her two daughters, my cousins V and R, and my other cousin P.  Cousin P had called me earlier in the evening saying she didn't think she'll be able to come, but, she managed to make it, after all.  I don't say any of the rosary prayers, myself, but, my three cousins and friends R and F, each said a decade of the rosary and we offered special prayers of good health to a little girl named Violet and two sisters named Whitney and Paige, the granddaughter and daughters of two of my blog friends. 

Afterwards, we served dinner:

Dinner: Rice, cashew churry, dhal, sausages, coconut sambol, salad, green beans,  chicken curry, beef curry, and pappadum

For dessert, I had flan, yogurt and treacle, and fresh grapes (2 kinds: green and black).

There were 12 of us at the gathering and the conversation flowed.  It was past 11:00 p.m. when people started to leave and I encouraged people to take food home with them.  Several people took me up on the offer and I was ready with the containers and paper plates, etc. 

Friend R stayed the night and helped me to put away the food and to wash up the dishes, etc.  Then, I video chatted with my daughter. 

I was too tired by then to do a blog post.  As I told one of my friends, my legs felt like they were going to fall off!  LOL.  I said my regular nightly devotions and went to bed by 1:30 a.m., which is early for me! 

I slept till 9:00 a.m. this morning.  Then, I put away most of the washed dishes and pots and pans while I waited for my tea to brew.  The pharmacy had texted saying my inhaler was ready for pick up, so, I called in at the pharmacy to pick it up, this morning, while friend R did a little shopping of her own at the same pharmacy.  Then, I dropped her off at her apartment and came home.  It has been a cloudy, overcast day, and we had a little bit of a drizzle, too.  I'm glad for the moisture because the garden needs it.

I've put away the serving dishes back in the china cabinet and started on the laundry.  I'm on my third load, now, and there is one more load to go.  I will mop the kitchen floor, a little later, tonight, or, maybe, even, tomorrow.  Today, I scrubbed the other half of the kitchen sink.  The living room, dining area, family room, kitchen, and bathrooms are looking how I like them to look - clean and tidy.  The bedrooms are another story!  LOL.

On Saturday, I was grateful for:
- My car was not towed, after all!
- Friend R's help with everything
- Family and friends all participating in the prayer gathering and bringing dishes and drinks to contribute
- Being able to send food home with them
- A clean house!

Plans for today:
- Go to the pharmacy to pick up my refill - DONE
- Drop R off at her apartment - DONE
- Put away the last of the dishes - DONE
- Laundry - In progress
- Mop kitchen floor
- Practice the piano

How was your Saturday?  Have you ever forgotten where you parked and panicked?  How is your Sunday coming along?

Productive Friday, Too!

Woke up when my alarm went off this morning and for a minute, I wondered why I set the alarm for 9:00 a.m.  Then, I remembered - I wanted to call the doctor's office about my inhaler!  So, I called while my tea was brewing and spoke with the receptionist, who said the doctor will be in later in the afternoon, today, and she will leave a message to the doctor to call me back.  Which she did, later in the evening, and assured me that she called in the prescription to the pharmacy.  Thank goodness!

I spent the rest of the morning responding to blog comments and writing the post about my mother.  Thank you, so much, for your very kind comments in response to that post.

Then, I sent a group text to the prayer group to remind them about tomorrow's prayer gathering and the time.  I asked them to arrive around 7:00 p.m.  Several people confirmed that they are coming, so, I now have a sort of head count.  I am expecting 12 people to attend, and there'll be 13 with myself to dinner!  Lucky 13?!  One of my cousins asked if I wanted her to bring anything.  So, I called her and told her what I was planning to make.  She said she will try to bring a coconut sambol, since I wasn't making one.  I think that will go well with the menu I've chosen.

Then, I practiced the piano.  I made some progress towards memorizing the first song.  It is the one from last week, so, it's the one with which I am most familiar.  Then, I played through the other new pieces a couple of times.

While I practiced the piano, I had the garbanzo beans boiling.  Then, I sauteed onions, curry leaves, mustard seeds, and dried chilies, added the boiled garbanzo beans and finished cooking it.  We call it "kadala" and it will be served as a snack, when people arrive, along with the tortilla chips.

After brunch (an egg salad sandwich and an orange), I cooked the lentils (dhal).  Then, I sat down and cut the green beans, slicing them at an angle.  I watched news while I cut them.  I had been worried that my hands might cramp, but they didn't!  I'm very grateful for that.

When friend M came to do the garden, I asked him if he could vacuum for me, instead, as I was already wheezing a little bit, by then.  He was happy to oblige as he used to help my mother with the housework when she used to prepare for prayer gatherings.  While he vacuumed I made us both a cup of tea and then, we sat and chatted a bit.  I sent him home with a container of the dhal (lentils) I had cooked and several tea bags.

Then, I cooked the green beans and cleaned the rest of the kitchen, including the microwave oven.  However, I was too tired to mop the kitchen floor, so that has been put off until tomorrow.

Dinner was another big salad with a piece of chicken breast and the other half of the baked potato from yesterday.  A slice of papaya for dessert.

Today, I am grateful for:
- The doctor called me back saying she has called in the prescription for the inhaler
- Cousin's offer to bring a coconut sambol as her contribution to the dinner
- Friend M doing the vacuuming for me
- Friend R calling to confirm she can come and help me with the preparations, tomorrow
- Being able to do the cooking and dishes, etc., without having my hands cramping

Today's joyful activity was enjoying a cup of tea and some conversation with M.

Friday's To Do List:
- Call the doctor's office re. inhaler refill - DONE
- Text reminder to prayer group re. tomorrow's gathering, time, etc. - DONE
- Cook: garbanzo beans, dhal, green beans - DONE
- Clean the bathrooms
- Vacuum - DONE (by M)
- Clean the rest of the kitchen (after the cooking is done) - DONE (except mopping the floor)
- Practice the piano - DONE

Saturday's To Do List:
- Clean the bathrooms
- Mop the kitchen floor
- Tidy the spare bedroom (friend R might stay the night)
- Pick up friend R
- Stop at the grocery store
- Make the salad
- Set up the altar
- Cook the rice
- Warm up the curries
- Take out serving dishes, plates, etc.
- Set out the drinks
- Have everything done and ready by 6:30 p.m.
- Guests to arrive around 7:00 p.m.

Saturday will be a busy day, but, it will be a good kind of busy.  The good thing about the Rosary prayer gatherings is, there is no strict time schedule, as such.  Unlike the almsgivings! 

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

A Finished Puzzle and Groceries on Monday

All the Snowmen and Gingerbread Men Cookies!

We had such a wind storm, last night!  I was afraid the eucalyptus tree would come down, but, it didn't!  It's still quite windy, today, too, and chilly (well, by our southern California standards).

I finished putting together the jigsaw puzzle, today!  At first, I thought I was missing two pieces, but, I found them hiding behind the dining room drapes, so all the pieces are accounted for!  After I took the picture, I broke up the puzzle and put all the pieces back into the box.  The two puzzles have been put away until the end of the year, to be brought out and put together, again.

One of my friends texted me, today, to ask if she can bring a beef curry to the Rosary dinner.  I was going to make a beef curry, but, I have learned that I always overestimate what I can do and underestimate my energy levels!  LOL.  So, her offer of help with the meal has been accepted with gratitude!  One of my cousins called, too, to ask if I wanted her to bring anything, but, she is down with the flu and I didn't want her to get too tired.

I have made a tentative menu for the Rosary dinner:
Rice
Chicken curry (and beef curry, if my friend is able to make it)
Smoked sausages stir fried with bell peppers (this was a crowd favorite the last time I made it)
Lentils (dhal)
Cashew curry
Cucumber salad (with tomatoes and red onions)
Green beans
Papadum (lentil wafers)

Flan or pie or cake for dessert
Fresh fruits

I planned the menu so that there will be a choice of meat (chicken and sausages) if my friend is unable to bring the beef curry for whatever reason.

I went to one of the grocery stores, later in the afternoon, to do some grocery shopping (and take advantage of their sales).  I didn't take any pictures of the groceries, but, I bought:

1 package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts @$1.99/lb = $7. 32
1 package boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders @ $1.99/lb = $6.03 (they didn't have a second package of the b/s chicken breasts)
1 (3 lb) bag of mandarins = $1.99
3 bags of tortilla chips @ $1.88 (had to buy 3 to get the sale price) = $5.64
4 smoked sausages @ $2.50 = $10.00
2 containers of mango nectar @$2.49 = $4.98
10 cans tuna in water @$.59 = $5.90
Total = $41.86

2/3 Grocery Receipt

All of the above, other than the tuna, are for the Rosary dinner.

My regular monthly grocery budget is $75 per month, but, my overall budget also includes $50 per month for almsgivings and rosary meals (although that was based on hosting one rosary per year).  There is also another $50/month budgeted for "miscellaneous", each month, so I can take some money from that category, too, to cover expenses, if needed.  So, I will increase February's grocery budget by $100, this month (almsgivings/rosary budget from January and February), for a total of $175 to spend on groceries, this month.  I also had $9.90 left in my January budget (I will round it up to $10 for ease of accounting!)

So, my February grocery budget will be $175 + $10 carried over from January = $185.00

I spent $32.71 at the Sri Lankan store on Saturday and $41.86, today.

Balance remaining in the February grocery budget: $185 - $32.71 - $41.86 =  $110.43

I need to buy more rice, lentils, and the fresh produce for the Rosary dinner.  And maybe some soda.

On the way home from the grocery store, I stopped by the library to pick up a book that had been put on hold for me.

I spent the evening relaxing and making phone calls.  I took the trash cans to the curb for pick up in the morning, but, it was too cold and windy to water the garden.  Need to do that tomorrow, instead.

Today, I am grateful for:
- My friend's offer to make the beef curry
- Phone calls with family and friends
- Libraries
- Deals at the grocery store
- Leftovers!

Today's joyful activity was finishing the jigsaw puzzle!

Plans for tomorrow include cooking the chicken curry and, maybe more grocery shopping!

How was your Monday?  Have you gone grocery shopping yet, this month?  How do you budget for parties, etc.?  Do you have a separate budget for when you entertain?