Last Week

 

Pomegranates from the Garden

Last week was the first week of Autumn, although our temperatures were in the 80s and 90s as usual for September.  

On Monday, I had another dental appointment to have a permanent crown put in and another tooth prepared for another crown.  Daughter bought us some Thai fried rice on the way home, although I had a meal replacement drink.  Later in the evening, daughter's friend A brought us more mooncakes she had made.  

On Tuesday, the tree trimmers were here and the eucalyptus tree in the front yard was cut down and removed.  I'm counting that as the biggest item decluttered this month!  LOL.  Later, I went to the pharmacy to pick up one of my medication refills and decided to put more gas to my car since I was down to half a tank and, with gas prices rising so rapidly (the cheapest gas is over $6 per gallon), it seemed better not to wait until the end of the month to put gas.  So, I used up my October gas budget of $50 in September!  

On Wednesday, M was here to tend to the garden and he was amazed to see the difference the removal of the eucalyptus tree made in the front yard.  I did a load of laundry and caught up on a few things that needed doing around the house.  I cooked an omelette curry for dinner.

Thursday was a quiet, restful day.  I went back to sleep after I fed the chickens in the morning and did some paperwork in the afternoon and caught up on a few blogs.  I watched over the chickens while daughter cleaned out the coop and enclosure in the evening and afterwards, I cooked a meatball curry for dinner.  

On Friday, daughter had a day off from work and she made japchae, a Korean glass noodles dish for brunch.  I did a bit of housework and dusted and vacuumed the living room and dining area,  In the afternoon, daughter's friend C came over with her puppy to visit with daughter and see the chickens.  Daughter gave her some eggs to take home with her.

I moved my bed and made room for M to take down the window air conditioner in my bedroom when he arrived later in the evening.  We store it in the garage over the winter and put it up only in the summer.  He asked me if I used it at all this summer and I said I did, a total of 5 times.  LOL.  I only switch it on when the temperature inside the house goes above 95F.  

Two of daughter's friends had invited her to attend a comedy show with them on Friday evening, but, daughter needed to trap the kittens to take them to be fixed on Saturday and one of the kittens was refusing to be trapped, so, she had to decline the invitation.  Two of the kittens, Mochi and Mimi entered the traps almost right away, but, the third kitten, Tora, proved to be too clever for that!  It held off for the longest time and then, it entered the trap, but, didn't go in far enough to trigger the trap door!  Instead, it stretched out a paw and drew the plate of wet food closer and ate the food!  We opened the sliding glass door to try and push Tora further inside the trap, but, it ran away as soon as we opened the door!  Daughter was so frustrated as it meant we'll have to make another appointment with the neutering clinic and try and trap Tora, again, while making sure that the other kittens don't get trapped!

On Saturday, we were up early, to take the two trapped kittens to the neutering clinic.  We left the house by 7:00 a.m. to be there by 7:30 a.m.  We waited until the kittens were checked in and then, came home.  I did a load of laundry after we came home and mended a tear in the sari that daughter is planning to wear to her friend's wedding in October.  The sari has a beaded border and some beads had come out, so I sewed on a few beads, too.  

Then, it was time to pick up the kittens.  Around 1:00 p.m., we got a text saying they were ready and we collected them and brought them home.  They had to be kept in the traps until later in the evening, we were told, and given half a can of wet food mixed with water.  Daughter did that while I took a nap!

Later in the evening, I ordered groceries and daughter baked a pan of brownies.

On Sunday, the groceries were delivered in the morning.   I cleaned the kitchen a little bit (scrubbed the sink and dish drainer, wiped down the stove top and counters, swept and mopped the floor) and cleaned my bathroom, too.

Later in the morning, daughter's friend C stopped by to drop off some dinnerware!  Apparently, she ordered a new set of dinnerware and two of the bowls were broken when she received the set.  She had notified the store and requested two replacement bowls.  Except, the store, instead of replacing only the two broken items, had sent her a whole new set and told her to keep the previous set, as well.  C didn't want the incomplete set and had offered it to daughter; she was going to donate it if daughter didn't want it.  Daughter asked me if I'd like to have a new (incomplete) set of dinnerware and I said yes!  I know, I'm supposed to be decluttering, not getting new items, but, I couldn't resist!  I have mismatched plates for everyday use and we decided that we will replace them with the new dinnerware.  

So, C stopped by in the afternoon and brought us the incomplete set of dinnerware, still in the box.  6 plates, 6 salad plates, 6 small "fruit" bowls and 4 larger "cereal" bowls (since 2 had broken); white with fluted edges, dishwasher and microwave safe.  They can be used for everyday and any occasion, too.  I sincerely hope that C bought them on sale because I checked the regular price on the store website and they weren't inexpensive.  Daughter took them out of the packaging and I washed them in the dishwasher. 

The Set of New Dishes

Friend R had said she will stop by on Sunday afternoon to pick up some packages that had been delivered to my address, but, then, she texted to say she will come on Monday evening, instead.  So, daughter and I had a relaxed Sunday evening and she finished sewing her sari blouse.  

This past week, I was grateful for:

- Access to dental care (even if it costs an arm and a leg!)

- The availability of my prescriptions (I've been hearing that some pharmacies are having supply issues)

- The availability of gas (even at a price)

- Tree trimmers who did an excellent job of removing the eucalyptus tree
- M's help with the garden and tasks around the house such as taking down the window a/c unit
- Daughter's friend A bringing us more mooncakes she had made
- Daughter's friend C giving us the new dinnerware set
- Free cat neutering clinics and the groups who run them

- Produce from the garden
- Sunny, warm days

This week's joyful activities have included spending time in the garden with these characters:

Niwatori and Henny Penny on their Favorite Perch
(Daughter's Back)

All in all, it was a good week for me.  How was your week?

Going By The Lists

 

Neptune Roses on Monday

Monday and Tuesday were busy days for me.  I knew I had made a rather ambitious to do list for Monday and it didn't surprise me when I needed to move some of it over to Tuesday.

This was my Monday To Do List:

- Call in Dancer's medication refill - DONE
- Make his appointment at the vet clinic for his injection - DONE
- Pick up my own medication from my pharmacy 
- Go to the bank
- Meal plan - DONE
- Vacuum the living room and dining area (and kitchen and hallway) - DONE
- Take the trash cans out to the curb - DONE
- Dust the nightstand and chest of drawers (and dresser) in my bedroom (room of the week); do a quick sort through of the drawers - DONE
- Declutter 5 items - Decluttered 2 items - an empty pill container and the old rice pack/heating pad
- Laundry - DONE

I didn't go to the pharmacy or the bank because I needed to stay within easy access to a toilet on Monday!  Enough said!  

Tuesday was an errands day.  Tuesday's To Do List looked like this:

- Pick up Dancer's meds - DONE
- Pick up my meds - DONE
- Pick up the library book that was being held for me - DONE
- Go to the dollar store - DONE (Didn't buy anything!)
- Bring in the empty trash cans - DONE
- Go to the bank
- Declutter

I didn't go to the bank, after all, and I didn't do any decluttering.  I had mac and cheese with ground beef for a very late brunch and waffles with cranberry sauce for dinner.  I had some crackers for a snack.

Neptune Roses on Tuesday

It is early morning on Wednesday as I write this.  Wednesday's To Do List:

- Order groceries - DONE
- Pick up groceries
- Go to the bank
- Tend to the garden with M
- Pay bills
- Start clearing my desk
- Vacuum my bedroom

During these busy days, I am grateful for:

- Safe drives to the various places I went to and back
- The availability of medications for both myself and Dancer
- Working appliances
- Libraries
- What I was able to get done

Meanwhile, Dancer said he couldn't be bothered:

Afternoon Nap
(Yes, that's his carrier pad - he uses it as his pillow)

How is your week coming along?

Mid-Week on Wednesday

Wednesday's Craft: Beaded Ornament 

Daughter made a beaded netting for a glass bauble as her craft of the day on Wednesday.

I got into a tidying fit late last night - or, should I say, very early this morning?  From 4:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m., I folded laundry, put away most of the food items I had bought from the Sri Lankan store, cleared the family room table, cleared the little folding table I keep next to my sofa, sorted through paperwork and tossed a bunch of papers to be recycled, broke down cardboard boxes that packages had come in, etc.  I went to bed around 5:30 a.m. and fell asleep a little after 6:00 a.m.

Then, I woke up at 10:00 a.m. to be up and ready when M arrived to tend to the garden.  He brought me another type of succulent and a division from his Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos species) plant.  He also removed the cover from the kitchen light fixture and removed the old bulbs for me.  Daughter ordered new bulbs and they should be delivered on Friday.  Maybe they'll be delivered in time for M to install them when he's here on Friday evening.  

The afternoon was spent doing a few things around the house (I ran the dishwasher and wiped down the kitchen counters, etc.), reading blogs, etc.  In the evening, I watched the news and while daughter worked on her beaded ornament, I finished sewing the rows of the crocheted blanket.  Now, I need to crochet the border and finish it.  

Brunch was frozen burritos.  Dinner was a turkey and pasta casserole - egg noodles, leftover turkey cut up in small pieces, a handful of frozen green peas, and a can of cream of celery soup with some added seasonings (onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, etc.)  There are some leftovers for another meal.  

On Wednesday, I was grateful for:

- A very productive hour very early in the morning
- M's help with the garden and odd jobs around the house
- New plants for the garden
- Sunny days
- A working heater

Wednesday's joyful activity was crocheting.

Plans for Thursday include going for a follow-up lab test at noon and then, maybe ordering some groceries.  We need to buy some salad stuff, fresh fruit, and another container of half and half, etc.

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

 

A List Driven Monday

Gaura Plant

I posted a To Do list for Monday on my Sunday blog post and today, I was determined to try and get through the list.   This was my list:

Monday's To Do List:

- Pick up a medication refill from the pharmacy
- Call the other pharmacy to find out if the vet's clinic called in his medication refill
- Dust and vacuum the bedrooms
- Make an appointment for the car to be serviced
- Water the garden
- Take the trash cans to the curb for pick up on Tuesday morning
- Make a weekly meal plan 

So, how did I do?

- Pick up a medication refill from the pharmacy✔

I picked up the medication refill from my pharmacy and, although I did a quick look around the store, I didn't buy anything else.

- Call the other pharmacy to find out if the vet's clinic called in his medication refill✔

I called Dancer's pharmacy, but, they said that they didn't receive any medication refill order from the vet's clinic.  They said they will submit a refill requisition, but, I could call the vet's clinic to let them know.

So, I called the vet's clinic and told them that the pharmacy said they didn't receive the medication refill request.  Apparently, it was not sent!  The staff person I spoke with asked me if I had mentioned the need for a refill when I was there on Friday and I told her that, not only did I mention it and the person assisting me at the time had assured me that he will call in the request to the pharmacy, but, I had also let them know that a refill was required at the time I made the appointment.  Then, she claimed that I hadn't paid the bill for Friday's visit and would I like her to use the credit card information on file to pay the bill?  Except, I had paid my bill and I had them print out a paper copy of the receipt and I was looking at the receipt right then!  When I mentioned that to her, she said yes, it does show that the bill was paid and she was looking at a duplicate charge or something!  I'm glad I was not charged a second time for Friday's visit!

- Dust and vacuum the bedrooms

Unfortunately, I didn't get to this item on the to do list, so it will be carried forward to Tuesday

- Make an appointment for the car to be serviced✔

Done.  I made the appointment for Tuesday morning.  Hopefully, it won't take the rest of the day!

- Water the garden✔

I watered the back garden, because that's where most of the fruits and vegetables are growing.  It has not been that hot that the front garden needs to be watered three times a week.  I might water the pomegranate tree with some "waiting to get hot" water I have collected.

- Take the trash cans to the curb for pick up on Tuesday morning✔

Done.  I emptied all the small waste baskets I keep in the family room, living room, bedrooms, etc., and the kitchen trash, as well, and took the big trash can to the curb.  

In addition to what was on the list, I also

- Cleaned out the fridge (unfortunately, there was one dish which had started to spoil before I could finish it, so I tossed it)
- Picked blueberries and peaches
- Took peaches to neighbor S
- Cleaned the litter box and swept the bathroom
- Did the dishes

Later, I chatted with my daughter.

Brunch had been an egg salad sandwich.  Dinner was a salad with broiled chicken drumsticks.  Snacks included a peach (had to cut away a part of it as birds had started eating it) and a chocolate wafer cookie.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- The availability of medications 
- Blueberries and peaches from the garden
- Being able to share some of the peaches with neighbor S
- Water for the garden
- Working appliances

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

Tuesday's To Do List:

- Take the car in for the service
- Dust and vacuum the bedrooms and hallway
- Bring the trash cans in
- Tidy the laundry room (one of the Rooms of the Week)
- Pick more fruit

That should be a doable list even if the car service takes longer than expected.

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

Preserving the Asian Pears on Thursday

Canned Asian Pears in Ginger Syrup

Back in August, just before tropical storm Hilary was expected to pass over my area, I picked all the Asian pears on my tree:

Asian Pear Harvest

They are pictured above with the branch that had already broken off due to the weight of the fruit.  The individual fruits were very small, barely two inches in diameter, and not very ripe, either.  Next year, I will thin out the fruit and hopefully, there will be fewer, but, larger, fruit.  The tree has four different varieties of Asian pears grafted on to it, which is why some of the fruit look brown while the others are green (and there are some that are yellowish in the colander, as well).  

That was nearly three weeks ago!  I had planned to do something with the fruit, but, kept postponing it.  Today (Thursday), I decided that it couldn't be postponed anymore as the fruit was starting to get shriveled!  I didn't want the fruit to go to waste!  I usually eat Asian pears raw and have not had them any other way.  But, I thought they would be good canned in syrup.  

I cut up the pears without peeling them, partly because they were so small to begin with that I was afraid there wouldn't be anything to preserve if I peeled them!  I watched some TV (a National Geographic program) while I cut the fruit.  I added some lemon juice to the cut up fruit to minimize discoloration.  Once it was all cut up, I made a sugar syrup with four cups of water and three cups of sugar, which would be considered a medium syrup, I suppose.  I decided to cook the pears in the sugar syrup for a few minutes and I added some finely chopped crystallized/candied ginger to the pears to flavor the syrup.

While that was cooking, I sterilized some canning jars and then, ladled the fruit and syrup into the jars.  These are half-pint (8 oz.) jars, which would be two servings of fruit per jar.  Then, I canned them in a water bath for 10 minutes.  I made 10 half pint jars and the leftover fruit and syrup was poured into a slightly larger jar, which I will keep in the fridge.

Canned Asian Pears in Syrup

I had some of the stewed pears with a little ice cream for dessert and it tasted good.  I could have put more of the crystalized ginger as there was only a hint of the ginger taste, but, I didn't want to overpower the taste of the pears, either.  Next time (if there is a next time), I will add more ginger.

All the jars sealed and I am happy about that.  Tomorrow, I will label them and store them to share with my daughter when she comes home for the holidays.  

I took it easy most of the day and, although I felt tired after I had canned the pears, I don't think I overdid things.  I just didn't want the year's harvest of Asian pears to go to waste!  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Asian pears from the garden
- Being able to preserve them
- Stocking up on canning jars when I did!
- Interesting programs to watch on TV and online
- A warm and sunny day

Today's joyful activity was preserving the Asian pears to be enjoyed later.

How was your day?  Have you tried preserving Asian pears?  

 

Tomato Chutney and Salsa?

Tomato Chutney

I made a batch of tomato chutney, today, with 5 lbs. of tomatoes.  I made 7 1/2 pint jars of chutney.  I have more tomatoes, but, I need to buy more mustard seeds to make more chutney.  I might just cut up the remaining tomatoes and freeze them to make pasta sauce, later.  Or to use in cooking (I like to add tomatoes to my chicken curries, etc.)

And the salsa?  My neighbors put up their tents this morning!  Just two tents, this time around.  The music started at 5:30 p.m.  There are speakers and microphones and vocalists, but, no mariachi band.  Instead, we have salsa, with the addition of Spanish versions of Summer Time Blues, Achy Breaky Heart, and some Saturday Night Fever, complete with a disco ball.  I guess it was someone's birthday because they also sang Happy Birthday at one point.  I am writing this post at 11:00 p.m. and the music is still going on.   

At first, I closed my family room window to mute the sound, but, then, it became too hot inside the house.  My daughter suggested I put on my headphones; they are not sound blocking headphones, but, plugged into my computer with my choice of music playing in my ears, the neighbors' music fades into a faint noise in the background.  I'm glad neighbor T's realtor held the open house last evening instead of today!  LOL.

Brunch had been toast with peanut butter.  I think I need a new toaster - the bread was toasted on one side, only!  I also need more bread; maybe it's time to put in another grocery order.  Dinner was leftover pot roast with pan fried potato slices. 

Today, I am grateful for:

- The tomato harvest (I picked a few more today, too)
- Another batch of tomato chutney for the pantry cupboard (and gift giving)
- Working headphones
- Fans and electricity to run them
- Water for the garden

Today's joyful activity was video chatting with my daughter.  She said there was a thunder storm yesterday evening and later, I saw on the news a video of rain cascading down the steps in Fenway Park, due to the same rain storm.  

No special plans for tomorrow.  I'll probably do some laundry and do a bit of tidying.  How was your Saturday?  What are your plans for Sunday?

Wednesday

Passionfruit and Flowers

There are flowers on the passionfruit vine and fruit starting to form!  I'm looking forward to picking the fruit, once they are ripe.

It was a cooler day, today, with a daytime high only in the mid-70s.  But, it was sunny and quite comfortable.

The morning got off to a bit of a wobbly start because Dancer came into my room very early in the morning and threw up right next to my bed.  I registered the fact, but, went back to sleep, thinking I'll clean it up later.  Except, when I eventually woke up, I discovered that one of my pillows had fallen down from the bed, and guess where it had landed?  Yes, right on top of the yucky stuff!  Eww!  

Fortunately, I use two pillowcases on my pillows and nothing had got onto the pillow, itself.  Even so, I washed and dried the pillow, just to be on the safe side.  I dried it in the dryer, first, then, aired it a bit, and kept it in the sunshine streaming in from the front window in the afternoon to sun it a bit.  

At first, I was tempted to toss the two pillowcases.  But, I washed them with bleach, and plan to wash them a second time..  I think they will be OK to use after being washed twice.  

Dancer has been fine all day, though, eating as usual.  I did give him his flea prevention medication today and he was not very happy about that!

The rest of the day went smoothly.  I brought in the trash cans, dusted the main rooms, cleaned the bathroom, swept the kitchen, and picked two ripe tomatoes and a small handful of blueberries.  Gardener M was here today and we repotted Lois Lane Kent Mango, the only surviving mango plant!  I think I'll have to buy some more mangos this summer and try again!  Later, I cut some branches from the pomegranate tree and arranged them in a "vase" (the ice bucket I decided not to declutter some time ago) to keep on the mantelpiece in the living room: 

Pomegranate Branches

I made egg salad sandwiches for brunch, today, and dinner was leftover rice and curries.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Dancer seems to be fine after the morning's incident
- M's help in the garden
- Working appliances
- Garden produce
- Pleasant weather

Today's joyful activity was picking tomatoes and blueberries from the garden.

Plans for tomorrow include:

- Vacuuming

- Mopping the kitchen floor

- Calling the pharmacy to ask about Dancer's medication and when it might be available
- Paperwork

- Baking some blueberry muffins (M has been asking if I've made anything with the blueberries, yet!)

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

Car Service on Tuesday

More Coreopsis

Thank you, everyone, on the kind comments about the crazy socks I knitted!  I wore them to bed and they kept my feet warm and actually stayed on my feet the whole night!  

On Tuesday, I took the car in for a service.  It took about 2 1/2 hours, but, the waiting area was comfortable and I had taken my prayer book and another book to read while I waited.  

Afterwards, I drove home and made myself some tuna salad for brunch.  Then, relaxed for a bit, before canning the peaches I had picked. I had given the better quality fruit to my friends and kept the ones that had some bruising, so, I had to cut off much of the bruised bits, which meant I didn't have that much left to can.  But, I am happy with the jars of cinnamon spiced peaches that I canned.  

Later in the evening, I watered the back garden.  I was going to wait until M arrived on Wednesday to water, but, the tomato plants were wilting, so, I thought it would be good to give them, and some of the fruit trees, a drink of water!  

Dinner was leftovers from last night's dinner.  I haven't made a meal plan for this week, but, I still have leftover soup and leftover pasta sauce, so there will be soup and pasta during the week.  

On Tuesday, I was grateful for:

- Getting the car serviced without any major issues
- A safe drive to the service center and back
- The peach harvest
- Water for the garden
- Phone calls and emails from friends

Today's joyful activity was canning and preserving more of the peaches.  

Plans for Wednesday include tending to the garden with M and getting some housework done.

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

Juneteenth Monday

Odds and Ends Socks

The 19th of June is known as Juneteenth and marks the day, June 19, 1865, when the enslaved people in Galveston, Texas were officially proclaimed free, two and a half years after President Lincoln had issued the emancipation proclamation.  It is a federal holiday in the United States.  

Monday started out cloudy and overcast, but, there was sunshine in the afternoon.

In the morning, I changed the dust sheets on the family room sofas, did a load of laundry, tidied the kitchen a bit, watered some of the plants in the front garden, and scheduled a regular car maintenance service for Tuesday.  

Then, I picked peaches.  The majority of them are still not ripe enough for canning, but, the longer I leave them on the tree, the more are being pecked at by the birds!  My plan is to pick them and leave them to ripen in the house for a couple of days. 

Some of the peaches I picked had some bruised areas.  I cut off the bruised parts, sliced the good portions and stewed them with some lemon juice and sugar.  

In the meantime, I called a couple of friends and offered to bring them some fresh peaches.  Friend N told me I didn't have to bring them to her, she could pick them up on her way home from an appointment on Wednesday afternoon.  I said that was fine.  Then, she called me back almost immediately.  She had mentioned my offer of peaches to her husband and he didn't want to wait until Wednesday!  LOL!  They drove over right away (they don't live that far from me) and I gave them about a dozen peaches and some fresh blueberries.  

Friend S was working late and said she'll ask her husband if he could drive over, later, to collect the peaches.  I said I could bring them over and leave them on her doorstep.  She said her daughter was home to accept them.  I picked a bag of curry leaves, too, to take to her and drove over.  Friend S's daughter was waiting for me by the curbside; I handed her the bag of peaches and she handed me a covered foil container with dinner!  Rice and curries my friend had cooked before she went to work!  How wonderful!  What a blessing!  After I came home, I called friend S to thank her for the dinner.  She brushed it off saying it was just something she had cooked for the family, that if she had known in advance that I was coming, she would have prepared something more!  

It was past 6:00 p.m. when I got home and instead of having my usual evening cup of tea, I had an early dinner!  There was rice, fish curry, Thai eggplant curry, and sauteed water spinach.  It was all so delicious!  Friend S is a good cook and her curries are truly a taste of home.  There's more leftover for tomorrow.  Then, I had some of the stewed peaches with yogurt for dessert.

After dinner, I cleaned the litter box and took the trash cans to the curb for pick up in the morning.  And I finished knitting another pair of socks with leftover wool from previous knitting projects (the blue wool from the last sweater and the multicolored yarn from an earlier pair of socks).  

The neighbors took down their tents, today.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Peaches to share with friends
- Friend S sending dinner home with me!
- A new pair of socks
- A safe drive to friend S's and back
- Phone calls with family and friends; emails from friends

Today's joyful activity was sharing the bounty from my garden with friends.

The big plan for tomorrow is taking the car for a service.  Everything else depends on how long that takes!  

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

Chutney on Saturday

"No Waste" Peach Chutney

I made another batch of peach chutney, today, with 5 lbs. of the peaches we had picked earlier.  I had kept them in the bottom fridge drawer and they had frozen in there!  Oops!  I just cut up the frozen peaches, peels and all, and made chutney!  9 1/2 pints of "no waste" peach chutney!  That took up most of the afternoon and early part of the evening!  

In the morning, I did a load of laundry and washed some dishes that I had been too tired to do yesterday.  

Neighbor T called and we had a nice chat, although she called me thinking she was calling someone else!  Aunt C called, too, to check on Dancer.  Dancer has now started to run away from me when he sees me coming with the tube of eye ointment!  Poor kitty.  Later, I called and chatted with friend R.  I will take her some peaches, jam, and chutney, tomorrow.  

My neighbors are having another noisy party with live mariachi band and amplifiers.  They have been preparing since Thursday - taking out their RVs, power washing the driveway, setting up tents, etc.  The party started at 2:30 p.m. and it is now half past midnight, and the music has been non-stop.  I have my windows and doors closed to minimize the noise, but, the house is vibrating to their base!  I like music and it is very upbeat for the most part, but, non-stop from 2:30 p.m. is starting to get to be a bit too much!  There is no sign of it stopping any time soon, either.  Yes, there is a noise ordinance in place and they are violating it, but, no one is enforcing the noise ordinance because our law enforcement officers have more serious crimes to deal with.  Fortunately, I don't go to sleep until the early hours of the morning, anyway.  

It was a lovely sunny, warm day with a high of 78F.  Finally!  I was able to peel off my sweater!  

Brunch was toast with butter and peach jam.  Dinner was some of the lavash flat bread with the last of the mackerel curry and a bowl of turkey/vegetable soup.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- The sunny, warm day
- Peaches!
- Phone chats with family and friends
- Exchanging emails with friends
- More chutney

Today's joyful activity was making chutney.  It was tiring, too, but, it was joyful, too.  

Plans for tomorrow include preserving more peaches - I'll can them in some simple sugar syrup.  I think I have enough jam and chutney.  

How is your weekend coming along?

Gloomy Monday and a Not Really a Plan Meal Plan!

Baby Tomatoes

Another cloudy and cool Monday, with a high of 69F.  

Today, I did a load of laundry, dusted and vacuumed the living room and dining area, gave Dancer his medications and cleaned his litter box, picked more blueberries, picked some peaches (weighed them and there were 9 lbs. of peaches), did the dishes, and took the trash cans to the curb (I kept them in front of the driveway as usual, but, later, I noticed that someone had lined them up neatly along the curb!  Wonder who did that?)  I also watered the two indoor plants that I have (the third one is a rooted cutting that is growing in water, which I haven't potted up, yet).   

I also cleared the small dining table that is in the family room, although I mostly put what was on the table in the bookcase I got from neighbor T.  I am not sure if that is cheating or not!  LOL.  It was mostly files and paperwork and some of it is destined to be stored in the garage and the rest of it is meant to be filed in the new filing cabinet.  So, the bookcase is, actually, a temporary holding space for them, until I sort through them.  Not ideal, by any means, but, it did get the table cleared!  I need that table to start processing the peaches that I picked today, since I don't have a kitchen table (no room in the kitchen for one).  All the cutting and chopping and weighing and measuring get done at this table.  My plan is to make a batch of chutney with the peaches I picked today.  That is the plan for tomorrow.

Meal Planning:

I was supposed to make a meal plan for this week, but, I've decided to just finish up the leftovers before I plan anything else!  There a little rice (I'm thinking I'll make fried rice), mackerel curry gravy (will be good with leftover lavash), pasta and sauce, enough egg salad and bacon for one sandwich, lahmajoon, and burek.  Once all that is over, I will maybe make some soup and there will be leftovers from that!  

Brunch today was the cheese filled flat bread that neighbor S gave me.  The cheese filling was a bit spicy, which surprised and pleased me; I enjoyed it very much.  

Dinner was some of the leftover rice, shrimp curry, and cucumber salad.  With a fresh peach and a cream puff for dessert!  The peach was good; the cream puff was delicious!  

Today, I am grateful for:

- All the blog comments
- Fresh fruit from the garden
- Working appliances
- Dancer's eye seems to be a bit better and he's not sneezing as much
- What I was able to accomplish

Today's joyful activities included picking fresh fruit from the garden and chatting with my daughter.

Plans for tomorrow include making peach chutney and bringing in the trash cans.  I'm not sure if I'd be able to do much more than that!

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

The Weekend

Darning Socks

I've had a relatively quiet weekend.

Saturday was partly cloudy, partly sunny and the daytime high was 58F.  I felt cold, but, didn't want to put the heater on during the day, although, I eventually put it on in the evening (and turned it off before I went to bed).  I did a load of laundry in the morning and hung everything up to dry.  Later, I ran the dishwasher partly because I haven't used it in a couple of weeks.  I always turn it off once the washing cycle has completed and open the door to let the dishes air dry to save on electricity.  I cooked one of the trays of chicken (made a chicken curry) and froze most of.  There were 10 thighs and I kept one cooked piece out and froze the rest in packages of three pieces each.  In between, I cleaned the litter box, chatted on the phone with former neighbor T, called friend R to check on her, emailed a friend and video chatted with my daughter.  Brunch had been a bagel with cream cheese, dinner was leftover macaroni and cheese with chicken curry.  

Sunday was Superbowl Sunday.  I watched the game in the afternoon.  While I watched the game, I mended two of my handknitted wool socks.  I had noticed that one of my blue knitted socks had a big hole in the heel, yesterday, and started to darn it.  Unfortunately, I don't have a wooden darning egg or darning mushroom; I used a fresh lemon, instead!  I didn't have any matching wool, but, I used some leftover grey wool, instead, and it worked out well.  I actually started mending that sock on Saturday and finished it, today, using a regular darning stitch which is similar to weaving.  Then, I noticed that one of the socks I was wearing had a rather worn out heel; not torn yet, but, in need of reinforcing before it tore.  I mended it, too, using the same grey wool, but, using the duplicate stitch instead of the darning stitch.  I am happy I was able to mend my socks and extend their use a little longer.

I put the heater on in the morning to warm up the house and then, turned it off.  Later in the evening, I switched on the electric space heater.  Brunch was a toasted bagel and cream cheese; dinner was rice, green beans, chicken curry, and peach chutney.

This weekend, I am grateful for:

- Having the option of using the big gas heater to warm up the entire house or the small electric heater to warm up the area where I am sitting
- Being able to darn my socks and extend their useful life
- Working appliances
- Phone calls, video chats, emails, etc., with family and friends
- Plenty of knitted and crocheted blankets on hand to warm me up when needed

The weekend's joyful activities included mending socks and watching football.

How was your weekend?  Did you watch the Superbowl?  Do you mend socks?  

Christmas Eve

Christmas Tree 

My daughter and I have had a relaxed day, today.  It was sunny and 80F!  My kind of weather!

I made French toast for brunch and daughter and I both enjoyed it.

I spent the afternoon and early part of the evening wrapping up some of the gifts (the rest were put in gift bags), making a couple of additional cards, and writing out gift tags.  This year, I am using the fronts of old Christmas cards as my gift tags.  

My cousin had invited us to Christmas lunch at her home, tomorrow, but, I told her that I wasn't comfortable attending a large gathering (I know that none of them will be wearing masks) and she understood.  But, I'm planning to go in the morning, to drop off gifts.   My cousin's two grandsons (aged almost 4 and 6) will receive books.  Gifts for the adults include peach chutney, herbal teas, jar candles, a plaid scarf, and a table runner.  They are mostly token gifts, but, I 1 like to give at least a little something to everyone.  

Table Runner

The table runner is reversible and has a plain beige back, making it suitable for use during the rest of the year.

In the evening, we ordered pizza to be delivered - a bit of a splurge, but, it's Christmas Eve!  There's plenty of leftovers for later in the week, too.

I will be watching midnight mass from the Vatican, tonight, and then, we'll go to sleep.

Today, I am grateful for:
- Being together with my daughter on Christmas Eve
- A warm, sunny day
- Being able to give gifts to family and friends
- Delivery people
- Being able to afford the occasional splurge

Today's joyful activities included relaxing with my daughter and getting the Christmas gifts ready.

I hope you all had a peaceful Christmas Eve and may your day be filled with joy, tomorrow, whether you celebrate Christmas or not.  

  

'Tis the Season

Treats from Neighbor S

Neighbor S stopped by on Wednesday afternoon with some homemade gata (Armenian cookies, foreground, on the festive paper plate), that she had made, slices of pound cake, and slices of Armenian puri bread.  Her gata are delicious and the puri bread was very much to my liking!  I had some of the bread with chicken curry for my dinner!

I had been putting together a couple of Christmas decorations and I gave one to S in return for all the yummy goodies she's been giving me (she had brought two other pieces of cake for me on Tuesday, too - a slice of the pound cake and a piece of bird's milk cake!)

Christmas Decoration

I had the basket and the greenery, etc. in my stash.  I put together two baskets and gave one to S and the other one to neighbor T's daughter to take to neighbor T.  

Another item I made with supplies in my stash is this pair of crocheted candles, similar to the ones my mother used to make:

Crocheted Candles

They are ready to be gifted to a friend of mine, along with this item I made for her first grandchild, expected to arrive in January:

Another Pink Baby Blanket

That is the end of the pink and the white yarn I had in the stash!

I have now set up the sewing machine on the dining table!  I started on the next lot of holiday gifts which will be sewn with fabric in my stash!  I'm almost running out of time to make the gifts!  Every year, I tell myself that I will get started on the gift making early and every year, I seem to wait until the last minute!  Then, again, when it is 100F in the summer, I don't feel like making Christmas and New Year's gifts.

In between making holiday gifts, I have done laundry, cooked more chicken curry, done some essential cleaning of bathrooms and litter boxes, chatted with family and friends, and spent more time on the computer than I should have!  Also, the doctor's office called with my scan results - everything was normal, they said, which is a big relief!

Today, I am grateful for:

- Neighbor S sharing more treats with me
- The great Stash!
- Being able to crochet, sew, knit, etc.
- Hot glue sticks and glue guns!
- My recent scan results were all normal per the doctor's office.

Are you making any of your holiday gifts?  If so, have you finished making them or are you still working on them?  Do you procrastinate doing them as I tend to do?

December Days

Euryops Flower

The weekend went by too quickly for me!  On Saturday, I decided to have what I called a "Do Nothing" Day!  It was a sunny, relatively warm (a high of 70F) day and I slept in, stayed in my baggy old sweat suit, and relaxed!  Much later in the evening, however, I swept the bathroom, cleaned the litter box, and did a load of laundry.  I had leftovers for both brunch and dinner.

On Saturday, I was grateful for:

- A sunny day after Friday's rain
- Being able to have a relaxing day
- Online videos to watch
- Exchanging emails with friends
- Working appliances

My joyful activity was writing an email to wish a long time friend a happy birthday.

I made up for Saturday's indolence on Sunday!  I dusted the living room, dining area, and part of the family room; cleared the family room coffee table (there weren't a lot of stuff on it, but, I put away the few items that were on it and wiped the glass table top with a damp cloth), cleared the big dining table, too (the triangles quilt I'm repairing was piled on the table, along with my rotary cutter and some pieces of fabric; I decided the quilt didn't have to be out when I am not actively sewing on it, folded it up and put it in a basket), took care of a small pile of mail, changed the dust sheets on the family room sofas, did a load of laundry, put away a couple of loads of laundry that had been done earlier, and did the dishes.

I also rearranged my closet a bit, when I was putting away the laundry.  I normally hang my blouses arranged from sleeveless and short sleeved to long sleeved; this time, I reversed the order so that the long sleeved blouses are in the front, as I am more likely to wear them now that it is getting cold.  I didn't declutter anything, though.

I made pancakes for brunch and had them with bacon and peach topping.  Dinner was leftover macaroni and cheese with chicken curry!  Yes, I know, it sounds weird, but, it's one of my favorite combinations! 

We had a little light rain on Sunday morning and it was still drizzling a little bit when I went outside.  The plants are enjoying the rain, as you can see.

Euryops Bush in Flower

 On Sunday, I was grateful for:
- More rain for the garden
- A productive day
- Working appliances
- Peach topping providing a taste of summer's peach harvest
- Daughter had a fun day with friends

My joyful activity was crocheting (a friend's daughter is expecting her first baby and I'm making a blanket)

Which brings us to Monday!  It has been another mostly sunny day.  I put away the laundry I did yesterday, mended one garment, paid some bills including my homeowner's insurance and earthquake insurance, cleaned the bathroom and the litter box, cleaned the fridge, and took the trash cans to the end of the driveway.  I had leftover pancakes for brunch and leftover rice, chicken curry, and dhal for dinner.

On Sunday, I realized that it was 3 weeks till Christmas and I had not done anything!  I had looked over last year's gift list last week and had made this year's list, but, I haven't made or bought any gifts!  Nor have I made or bought any cards to send!  I have the card list from last year and I will probably send cards to the same people, with maybe one or two changes.   So, today, I sat down to make some cards.  But, what I made was a huge big mess on the newly cleared dining table!  

Making More of a Mess than Cards!

I can't even blame Dancer for the mess since he is no longer able to jump up onto the table!  But, I did clean it up after I stopped for the day:

Cleared Table (with cardmaking stuff piled at one end)

The orange item in the fruit basket is the persimmon M gave,
still waiting to get ripe enough to eat!

Although I made such a big mess, I only made a couple of cards!  LOL!  I did get my card to my half-brother in Sri Lanka written and addressed; it is now in the mailbox waiting to be picked up by the letter carrier - hopefully, my brother will receive the card on or around New Year's Day.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Another sunny day
- Being able to pay bills online

- Being able to make a mess without worrying too much about it
- Chatting with my daughter
- Forever stamps - I am using up my stash from years past!

Today's joyful activities included crocheting and card-making.

By the way, our Covid case numbers for Los Angeles County are going up; it was 3,270 on Saturday, 5,106 on Sunday, and Monday's was 10,089, with a testing positivity rate of 12.67%.  I guess this is the post Thanksgiving surge.  

Monday's Sunset

Plans for Tuesday:

- Bring the trash cans in
- Make a few more cards

- Meal plan/prep

How are you coming along with your holiday preparations?  Have you bought or made your cards and gifts? 

Post Thanksgiving Monday

Dancer Sleeps it Off!

Eating turkey makes you sleepy, they say - I guess they are right!  Dancer didn't even make it to his usual perch on the top of the sofa back!

I, on the other hand, couldn't sleep last night, even after eating leftover turkey for dinner.  It was past 4:00 a.m. when I finally fell asleep.  So, when I woke up at 9:00 a.m., I turned off the porch lights, fed the cats (Dancer and Mama Cat), went back to bed, and slept for another couple of hours!

After I woke up for the second time, I had my morning tea and got going with my day.  I did another load of laundry, hung everything up to dry, dusted the living room and dining area, took down and put away the fall decorations, and took the trash cans to the end of the driveway.

Later, I sewed on a few more replacement patches to the quilt.  I think I will have to cut out a lot more triangles!  

I had Thanksgiving leftovers for brunch, today, and more leftovers (salmon, mashed potatoes, cucumber salad) for dinner, along with the last piece of sweet cornbread for dessert.  I believe I'm coming to the end of the leftovers, other than a small piece of turkey and a tiny bit of cranberry sauce!  

Today, I am grateful for:
- Being able to sleep in
- Working appliances
- Hot water on tap

- Leftovers

- Keeping in touch with family and friends

Today's joyful activity was playing with fabric.

Tomorrow, I have a doctor's appointment at noon.  I'll do another load of laundry and some housekeeping in the afternoon.  

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

More Productivity on Saturday

 

November Rose

Another sunny day with an afternoon high of 73F.

It's been a good day, today.  A friend of mine called in the morning and we chatted for a bit.  Later, I called friend R and spoke with her.  

M got delayed at the dentist's office, but he eventually showed up around noon and tended to the garden.  He brought me a persimmon someone had picked from their tree and given him and he brought me a cutting of a sedum which he potted up so it could root.  We transplanted my apple seedling  and pineapple plant to bigger pots and cut back one of the oleander bushes.  I offered him a bowl of soup, but, he had another garden or two to do and was running behind schedule, so didn't want to take the time to stop for soup.  Nor did he want it sitting in his truck all afternoon until he got home in the evening.  

After M left, I did the rest of the vacuuming.  Then, I did the last bit of paperwork that I had planned to do, cleared the files from the dining table. and put my autumn leaves table cloth on the dining table.  After that, I tidied the family room and dusted it.  Tomorrow, I plan to wash the sofa dust sheets.

Then, I put together a grocery order, but, I haven't finalized it yet.  I want to discuss the order with my daughter, first, when we video chat tonight, as there might be one or two things she might want (besides half and half for her coffee!)

Brunch had been coconut roti with some of the corned beef mixture I had made; dinner was rice and the made over chicken stir-fry.  Grapes and a piece of brownie for dessert.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Another sunny day and warm afternoon
- M tending to the garden and sharing a sedum cutting with me
- Roses in November
- Phone calls and emails from friends
- What I was able to accomplish 

Today's joyful activity was gardening with M.

Plans for tomorrow include picking up the groceries, washing the sofa dust sheets, remaking my daughter's bed with fresh sheets, and tidying my bedroom, especially the desk and the top of the dresser ("Hi, my name is Bless and I can't keep horizontal surfaces cleared.")  

How was your Saturday?  What are your plans for Sunday?  How do you keep your table tops, counters, etc., free of clutter?

Productive Friday, Too

Blurry Blueberry Leaves

I was trying to get a photo of the sprig of red blueberry leaves, but, I couldn't quite focus on it (probably held the phone too close).  But, it was either a blurry photo or no photo and since I already did a photo-less post this week, I decided to go with the blurry photo!  LOL!

Today, I confirmed my appointment with the eye doctor (scheduled for Tuesday, late morning).  Then, I did a load of laundry and some vacuuming.  If I lived in a two story house with the living room, etc., downstairs and the bedrooms upstairs, I' be able to say that I vacuumed the downstairs and left the upstairs for tomorrow.  But, since I live in a one story house, I will say that I vacuumed all but the bedrooms!  I wanted to do the bedrooms, too (at least my room), but, I ran out of energy!   Probably because it was mid-afternoon by then and I hadn't eaten anything (other than a cup of tea in the morning).  So, I had a corned beef sandwich and watched some videos.

Gardener M was scheduled to come by and tend to the garden, this evening, but, he texted me saying he's running behind and could he tend to my garden tomorrow morning, instead?  I said, yes, not a problem.  Then, I locked the gate that I had unlocked earlier, anticipating his arrival.  

I spent a good portion of the evening sorting through paperwork and filing!  I have a horrible tendency to go through the mail as it comes in, pull out the bills to be paid, etc., and just toss the rest of the mail aside to be dealt with later.  Except, later can often be several weeks later!  Then, I end up with small piles of paper which become bigger piles of paper and then, I feel guilty if I start a craft project or something fun because there's paperwork to be dealt with!

Most of it is filing - notifications, statements, etc.  In the past couple of months, I've been inundated with elections-related material and with health-insurance related material (it's open enrollment period for both my health insurance through my retirement system and for Medicare) as well as the regular bank statements, etc.  I got rid of most of the elections-related items as soon as I voted on November 7 and today, I tossed most of the health-insurance related papers.  I still have a small stack of papers to deal with in a basket, but they are mostly current items - this week's grocery ads, for example, which I will toss once I order the groceries; some grocery coupons and fast food coupons which I will toss if I don't use them, the fabric store's add for Black Friday deals and coupons, etc. (not that I am likely to go shopping at the fabric store, this year, but, there was a sale on something my daughter had expressed an interest in buying, so I'll keep it for her to see; at least, that's my excuse for keeping that particular piece of paper!  LOL!)

I de-fatted the soup I had made earlier and had a bowl of soup for my dinner, followed by a brownie for dessert!  I had frozen the remaining brownies and warmed one up in the microwave for a few seconds and it was delicious!  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Another productive day
- Working appliances
- Online videos
- Chats with family and friends
- Hot water on tap

Today's joyful activity was making a dent in the paperwork! 

Plans for tomorrow include:

- M tending to the garden
- Vacuuming the bedrooms

- Ordering groceries
- Doing the last bit of paperwork/filing

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

Productive Thursday

Another sunny day with an afternoon high of 74F; I'm not complaining!  The nights are in the low to mid 40s (tonight's low will be 46F according to the forecast), but, the daytime highs are nice.

I had a productive day, today, and got several things crossed off my to do list!

I did the home lab test, filled out the required forms, and put it all in the mail box to be collected;
Called the doctor's office about the outstanding lab test and left a message (didn't get a call back)
Called and scheduled a mammogram and ultrasound:
Scheduled the next oncology blood test;
Did a load of laundry (bathroom/kitchen rugs);
Did a Random Act of Cleaning and wiped down the washing machine, under the lid, etc. (it's a top loader);
Swept & mopped the kitchen;
Cleaned the bathroom;
Started on the paperwork I've been procrastinating doing

Later in the evening, I called and chatted with friend R and video chatted with my daughter. 

Brunch had been French toast; for dinner, I "made over" the leftover Thai chicken from my birthday lunch, adding carrots and asparagus tips to it and had it with freshly cooked rice.

Today, I am grateful for:
- Sunny days and warm afternoons
- Working appliances
- A productive day
- Phone calls and video chats
- Exchanging emails with friends

Today's joyful activity was crossing off a few items from my To Do List!

Plans for tomorrow include:

- More paperwork/filing
- Continuing with the freezer inventory
- Tending to the garden with M

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

Rainy Days and Mondays and Furnace Checks

Guess Who is Sleeping in the Blueberry Planter?

It's Mama Cat, Ignoring Her Box!

It started raining, a fine drizzle, actually, very early in the morning; I only noticed that it was raining when I looked outside around 2:30 a.m., when I was getting ready for bed.  It was still drizzling when I woke up this morning and it continued to drizzle during most of the day, clearing only around 4:30 p.m.  A rather grey day and cool, with a temperature of 61F both inside and out!  

I called the gas company to confirm that I was still on the schedule for the furnace check this afternoon and scheduled an appointment for lab work to be done prior to my appointment with my primary care physician later in the month.  Then, I got started on the "to do" list I had made for myself: I did a little dusting, cleaned the fridge, cleared the kitchen counters (again), replaced the battery in the family room clock and reset the time, replaced the batteries in the TV remote control, watered the indoor plants, took the trash cans out to the front of my driveway, and did a little paperwork (a lot more paperwork to be done).  

The gas company service technician showed up around 4:00 p.m. and checked the furnace.  He needed to readjust the pilot light flame to get it to ignite and I explained about the delayed ignition problem we have had.  He said the furnace itself is a good one with several safety features built into it, but, having the pilot light flame being kept so high, there is a chance that the ignition device which detects if the pilot light is lit or not will need to be replaced sooner rather than later.  But, he said that doing the annual safety inspection will help with knowing when to replace it.  He also suggested that I got a second carbon monoxide detector, so, that's another item to add to my "to do" list.  I left the furnace on with the thermostat set at 70F and sat in the living room, near the heater, until it turned itself off once it reached 70F.  Since the heat spreads through the house through diffusion, the temperature in the family room is 68F.  At one time, I'd have said that was a bit chilly for me, but, after the past few days, 68F feels quite comfortable (I'm still bundled up, though - wool socks I hand knitted and partially felted on purpose for added warmth; sweatpants, a sweatshirt, a wool sweater, and a knitted poncho over that, and a scarf around my neck; I was wearing my fingerless mitts earlier, before the furnace was serviced, but have removed them, since.)

I had the leftover cup noodles for brunch, today, with cooked ground turkey (from the freezer) added to it and reheated in the microwave.  For dinner, I had Eetch - a type of Armenian salad (which can also be eaten as a main dish), similar to tabbouleh, but, not quite:

Eetch - Compliments of Neighbor S

It has bulgur wheat, tomatoes, onions, herbs, and I think S added some chopped cucumber pickles, as well.  It was quite delicious and I have leftovers for another couple of meals.

My daughter had to do a presentation at the conference, today, on a paper on which she is the first author and participate in a panel discussion.  She was nervous and excited about it because this was only the second time she has done a paper presentation at a conference.  She had prepared her slides and practically memorized her presentation, but, even so, she said she stumbled over a couple of words during the presentation, but, she corrected herself and continued.  Tomorrow, she will be doing a poster presentation on behalf of a colleague who is unable to be there in person.  But, she said that poster presentations are easy as all one has to do is be available to answer any questions that might be asked about the poster and its information, etc., not give a formal presentation.  She went out to dinner with her friends, again, this evening, so she's having some fun, too.

Today, I am grateful for:

- The heater passed the safety check
- A warm house
- S bringing me another delicious meal
- Daughter had a good day at the conference
- The much needed rain

Today's joyful activity was having the furnace checked and working!

More rain is in the forecast for tomorrow.  I will continue to do my paperwork and make another pot of soup, I think.  

This week's meal plan will include fried rice with ground turkey, turkey/vegetable soup, and eetch.  

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