Half Way Through the Month

 

Chrysanthemums

A couple of weeks ago, gardener friend M gave me this chrysanthemum plant as a thank you gift for some jams and preserves I had given him.  Isn't it gorgeous?  It came in a small pot and we transplanted it into this bigger pot.  I hope it continues to grow well.

Sunday was Father's Day and I remembered and said a prayer for my father who died when I was 7 and my stepfather who died 39 years ago almost to the date (June 16).  

We went up to 93F on Sunday and I loved it.  To be honest, the house stayed cool for most of the day, so I was quite comfortable.

I spent a rather relaxed day, shifting a few decorative items around, sorting through some paperwork, and sewing.  I placed the two large blue and white vases and the Sri Lankan earthenware water container in front of the fireplace, along with the wooden elephant that had belonged to my father, to see how it looked:

Fireplace with Vases and Elephant

I like the vases, but, I am not sentimental about them.  The wooden elephant, on the other hand, is a definite keeper.  It's battered and bruised with one tusk missing, a broken tail, and the lacquer paint chipping off, but, I am sentimentally attached to it.  I didn't like this arrangement, however, but I left it as it was for several hours to see if it grew on me.  It didn't so, I played around a little bit with it:

New Arrangement

Sorry for the lighting - taken late at night.  I moved the water container and the elephant to other areas of the room for now.  I like this arrangement better.  I guess I like things to be evenly balanced.

I'm sure everyone is heartily sick of looking at my fireplace by now!  So, here's something else to look at:

Helper Kitty Sleeping on the Job!

I was sorting some papers for filing,  He came to help and plopped himself down on the papers for a cat nap!  And that was the end of my filing!  LOL.

Well, half the month is over and I think it went quite well.  Hope the rest of the month will go equally well.

On this Father's Day Sunday, I am grateful for:

- My father
- My stepfather

- A lovely potted plant from M
- A warm and sunny day
- My helper kitty 

Sunday's joyful activity was sewing (and eating fresh peaches).

To Do List for Monday:

- More sewing
- Clear the dining table

- Tidy the family room

- Water the garden

- Clean out the fridge

- Take the trash cans to the curb

- Meal plan for the week

How was your Father's Day Sunday?  What are your plans for Monday?

On Thursday

 

Another Rose

On Thursday, we had a lovely warm day with the afternoon high going up to 84F.  I loved it!  According to the forecast, we will have another couple of warm days and then, the temperatures will go down to the 60s by next week.

I completed a few more tasks on my To Do list on Thursday, including cleaning the bathroom, doing a small load of laundry, and making some yogurt.  

I also spoke with neighbor E about painting the living room and dining area.  He was ready to start on Friday, but, I needed more time to empty out the shelves so they can be moved, etc., and next week will be busy.  So, we might start on the painting the following week.  I'm looking forward to getting that job crossed off my list.

Brunch was a banana and a peanut butter sandwich.  Dinner was rice and curries.  Snacks included a freshly picked orange and apple slices.

On Thursday, I was grateful for:

- A lovely, sunny, warm day!
- Neighbor E's help
- Fresh oranges from the garden
- Garden flowers
- What I was able to accomplish 

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

Plans for Friday include:

- Paperwork/filing
- Vacuuming my bedroom
- Gardening with M
- Cleaning the kitchen

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

  

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?

Weekend Review

 

Rain Drops on Pomegranate Leaves

Saturday started out dry, but typical "May Gray" weather - cool (a high of 62F) and cloudy.  By early evening, it was raining; a light rain, more of a drizzle, but, it got the ground wet.

I slept in, then called my cousin V to see how she was feeling after knee surgery.  Gardener friend M texted to say that he had left three of his garden tools in my backyard, so, I checked and collected the items and kept them in one place so he could stop by on his way home to pick them up.  Then, I dusted and polished the furniture in the living room, dining area, and family room.  I had meant to vacuum, but, I didn't have the energy to do so.

Sunday was another gloomy day and chilly.  I gave in and put the wall heater on.  After my morning cup of tea and prayers, I put away the laundry, texted cousin V to check on her, vacuumed the family room, and sorted through the two cabinets and three drawers in the sideboard (the family room was the room of the week, this past week).

The sideboard cabinets were fine, but, the drawers where I store gift wrap were a bit messy.  I took everything out and reorganized the drawers.  The top drawer holds canvases my daughter and I had painted, the second drawer has birthday and all occasion gift bags and gift wrap, plus several pieces of bubble wrap that I had saved.  I honestly don't know if I need to keep all the bubble wrap, but, they fit in the drawer, so I kept them.  The bottom drawer contains Christmas gift wrap, gift bags, boxes, tissue paper, ribbons, etc.  There was one small Christmas decoration that had broken, which I had put aside to hot glue together, but, I decided to toss it.  

I have decided that I shall try to declutter a bit more in May.  My goal is a minimum of 5 items a day, but, so far, I have been decluttering only one or two items per day!  I need to do better than that!

This weekend, I was grateful for:

- Rain for the garden
- A working heater
- Fresh blueberries from the garden
- Phone calls, texts, and emails from family and friends
- What I was able to accomplish in terms of cleaning and tidying

My joyful activities included a little bit of gardening and watching online documentaries and videos.

I've a bit of an ambitions To Do list for Monday:

- Call in Dancer's medication refill
- Make his appointment at the vet clinic for his injection
- Pick up my own medication from my pharmacy
- Go to the bank
- Meal plan
- Vacuum the living room and dining area
- Take the trash cans out to the curb
- Dust the nightstand and chest of drawers in my bedroom (room of the week); do a quick sort through of the drawers
- Declutter 5 items

It should be doable if I stay focused.

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

Rain Drops on Pomegranate Flower

One More Project Completed

 

Just Starting

I have an on-going "Mile Long To Do List" and, at one time, I used to post it once a month with any updates.  I stopped doing that after about a year or so because I wasn't making much progress on some of the items.  But, I kept the list going and I last updated it in 2024 when the retractable garage door opener mechanism was replaced.  I am happy to say that, on Friday, one other item that had been on that list for years was completed:

• Repair water damage to kitchen ceiling and wall - DONE May 2, 2025!

The roof had leaked one year and caused some damage to the kitchen ceiling and part of the ceiling collapsed, leaving a hole in the ceiling.  It was behind the cabinet above the refrigerator and while the hole wasn't visible, I knew it was there and there was some visible water damage to the ceiling just in front of the cabinet and to the wall behind.  I had wanted to get it repaired, but, I didn't do anything about it for one reason or another.  

Eventually, I showed it to my neighbor E (he does construction work) and asked him to give me an estimate.  He didn't get back to me for months, and I thought that he had either forgotten about it, or wasn't interested in accepting the project.  But, on Thursday evening, he knocked at my door and said he could get one of his crew to work on my kitchen ceiling the next day!  He will be here at 7:30 a.m.

So, Friday morning, I woke up at 6:45 a.m. (after going to bed at 3:00 a.m.), showered, dressed, had a cup of tea, and was ready when neighbor E and his assistant R showed up at 7:30 a.m.

I forgot to take any "before" pictures, but, I took the above picture after R removed the upper molding/trim from the cabinet.

A short time later, it looked like this:

Removing the Damaged Ceiling Area

You could see all the way up to the rafters:

Rafters 

Then, the ceiling was patched and painted (R painted the whole ceiling because the new white paint he used was a different white than the existing white on the ceiling and he said it didn't look nice).

After Patching, but, Before Painting

The wall on the other side (hallway side) where the paint was cracked and starting to peel due to the water damage, was also scraped and patched:

Hallway Wall - During

And painted with paint that I had stored in the garage:

After

The paint wasn't an exact match after being stored in the garage for over 10 years, and R wasn't very happy about it, but, I didn't mind.  One day, I will have the remnants of the wallpaper border that's up along the top of the walls in the hallway removed and repaint the hallway.  It's the only area of the house that is painted in a color other than white and I might go back to white or stay with the lilac color.

R also went ahead and painted the wall area around the wall heater which was never painted after the heater was replaced a couple of years ago:

The paint color changes with the amount of light
(You can clearly see the missing wallpaper border)

The hallway ceiling too, was repaired:

Hallway Ceiling Repair

And a crack in the ceiling between the living room and dining area was also patched up:

Dining Area Ceiling Patch

R painted over the patch, but, the new white paint he used was whiter than the rest of the ceiling and he told me I should get the whole ceiling painted (just as he did with the kitchen ceiling).  Yes, actually, I want to get the whole house painted, but, that's a project for another day.  For now, I am glad that these repairs were done. 

Before he left for the day, R also fixed new hinges to a bathroom cabinet door that had fallen off (daughter had fixed it, earlier, but, it came off, again) and the towel railing in my bathroom that had come off the wall.  What a blessing to have all those repairs done!

I am so grateful for:
- Neighbor E helping me with this project
- R for all the work he did
- Finally getting this repair project done and crossed off my list!

Now, to tackle the rest of the 101 projects on my Mile Long To Do List!  

Do you, too, have a Mile Long To Do List?

Productive Monday

 

Flower Seeds for the Garden (from the dollar store)

Monday was a sunny day, with a high of 71F.  I had made myself a To Do List with 15 things listed and was determined to get as much done as I could.  So, while I waited for the tea (for me) and coffee (for daughter) to brew,  I put away the dishes that had been air drying in the dish drainer, overnight.  

Then, I responded to the e-invitation to former neighbor T's Celebration of Life, expressing my regrets that I would not be able to attend.  Earlier, I had called and spoken with T's daughter, to make my excuses, as I have a doctor's appointment and a bone density injection scheduled for the same day and at the same time and rescheduling it was going to be difficult.  In any case, the Celebration of Life was being held at a restaurant and I am not yet ready to eat at a restaurant; I would have made my excuses even if I didn't have a doctor's appointment.

After that, I scheduled my lab test to do the blood work that is required to be done before the doctor's appointment.  

Dancer received his morning dose of thyroid medication.

In the afternoon, I went to the pharmacy to pick up one of my prescriptions that was ready for pick up.  The receipt showed that I had $2 in Rewards, so, I checked the food aisle to see if there was anything I wanted.  Several types of breakfast cereals were on sale and I picked up a box of cornflakes that was on sale for $1.99, so, free with rewards!  

Afterwards, I went to the dollar store that is next to the pharmacy.  I wanted to get a few household items (small trash can liners, an air freshener,  some quart sized storage bags; all of which were cheaper there than at the grocery store or online) and to see if they had the frozen Jamaican beef hand pies that we tried one time and liked.  The store didn't have them the last time I checked, but, this time, they had them on sale for $0.50 each, so I bought four each of the spicy and the mild.  Daughter had one for her lunch after I came home from the store.  I just had some dry toast because, on Sunday night, I had a bit of an upset tummy.  I spent $4 at the dollar store on food items/groceries.

Later in the evening, I cleaned out the fridge, took the kitchen trash and another bag of recycling to the bins and put the bins by the curb for pick up on Tuesday morning.

Daughter wanted to soak her feet before her podiatrist appointment on Tuesday, so, I got the foot bath ready for her and cleared it away, afterwards.  

Dinner was leftover pot roast, and I cooked some green beans to go with it. Daughter and I both had bread with our dinner.  I will cook rice on Tuesday, to have with leftover stir-fry for dinner.

Afterwards, I did the dishes and looked up the directions to the podiatrist's office, just to remind myself how to get there.  

I also gave Dancer his evening thyroid dose and cleaned his litter box.  

And watered the houseplants (don't have that many, just seven of them).  

The only items on my To Do List which I didn't do are a load of laundry and play with fabric.  They will be carried over to Tuesday.  Plans for Tuesday include taking daughter to her podiatrist appointment, doing a load of laundry, bringing in the trash cans, doing some paperwork, and playing with fabric.  Plus all the daily stuff like preparing meals, doing the dishes, giving Dancer his medications, cleaning his litter box, etc.  

On Monday, I am grateful for:

- My upset tummy has settled down
- My medications being available 
- A safe drive to the pharmacy and store and back
- "Free" box of cereal with store awards
- What I was able to get done 

Monday's joyful activity was watching a genealogy program on TV.

How was your Monday?  Do you make daily To Do Lists?  Do you find them helpful with being productive?  What are your plans for Tuesday?

Productive Tuesday

Alstroemeria

On Tuesday morning, Dancer's pharmacy staff called to let me know that they have received the refill request from the vet's clinic and it will be ready for pick up on Wednesday, did I have enough medication to last until then?  I said yes, I had enough.  

Alstroemeria Close Up

Then, it was time to get ready to take the car in for a service.  These services usually take about 4 to 5 hours, depending on how busy they are and what else they find they need to do, other than the basic oil change and checking fluid levels, etc.  They offer you a free ride home from the service center, but, you have to find your way back to pick up the car afterwards, so, I usually go prepared to wait in their waiting lounge.  I took my prayer books and two crochet projects to do while I waited, as well as a bottle of water and a granola bar for brunch.  

My appointment was at 11:00 a.m. with a particular service consultant, as they are called.  Usually, if you have an appointment, they take your car in at once.  However, this time, I had to wait almost 30 minutes before the person with whom I had the appointment to come and check the car in.  When he did, I complained a little bit about the delay, because at least five other cars that came in after me were taken in for servicing.  He apologized and said that they've had a new computer system installed and today was the first day they were using it and they are experiencing all kinds of delays.  However, in order to make up for the delay, he will give me a free ride both home and back.  And he noted that on the service order and went with me to the desk where they arrange for the ride services and informed them that I get both a free ride home and a free pick up, when the car was ready.

So, I got a free ride home in a Tesla!  It was the first time I had ridden in one, but, although they are supposed to be self-driving, the driver did keep his hands on the wheel for the most part (he took his hands off the wheel for a very short distance to show me how it worked).  

I was happy to wait at home, as it was more comfortable than waiting in the service center's lounge.  I replied to blog comments, watched some videos, crocheted a bit, and cleaned the laundry area.  

While I was waiting at home, the general manager at the car service center texted me to say that my car model was in high demand and they would like to purchase it, and to call or reply to the text to discuss the matter.  Well, no, I am not willing to sell my car!  It is my only car and if I sell it, I'd need to buy another car to replace it and I don't want to do that, yet.  So, I ignored the text.

The car service consultant called me around 4:30 p.m. to say that the car was ready and they will arrange for a ride service to pick me up.  I had a short wait, after I reached the service center, but, I didn't mind that.  There is a TV in the waiting lounge and while the volume was turned down low, I was able to watch part of a cooking show that I enjoyed.  While I was waiting, friend S (not neighbor S) called to ask if I was home as she wanted to stop by.  I said I was at the car service center, waiting to pay and pick up my car, but, I should be home in about half an hour.  She said she and her husband will swing by, and if I am not home, they will leave something for me on the door step.  

Soon after that, I paid the bill for the car service ($500+) and drove home.  I had just pulled into the garage when friend S and her husband pulled into the driveway!  It was S's husband's birthday and they brought me dinner!  How lovely is that?

Rice and Curries from Friend S

Ghee rice, chicken curry, green beans, sauteed eggplant, and cashew curry (in a bag so that the gravy wouldn't spill).  I gave them a bag of peaches, a bunch of curry leaves. and a few green chilies in return.  I enjoyed the dinner they brought me and there's a little leftover for Wednesday's brunch.

On Tuesday, I was grateful for:

- Being able to get the car serviced
- Getting a free ride both home and back to the service center
- Friends who bless me with dinner
- Being able to share some of the garden produce with them in return
- Phone calls with friends and video chats with daughter

Tuesday's joyful activities included visiting with friend S and her husband for a few minutes and enjoying the dinner they provided. 

 Tuesday's To Do List:

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

I didn't finish my Tuesday's to do list, but, I'm happy with what I got done.

Wednesday's To Do List:

- Tend to the garden with M
- Pick up Dancer's medication
- Dust and vacuum the bedrooms and hallway
- Do a load of laundry
- Run the dishwasher

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

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?

May Gray May Day Monday

Sunday April 30 was sunny and warm with a high of 78F.  Monday May 1 was cloudy, drizzly, and cool with a high of 61F; it is a weather phenomenon that is called May Gray (a precursor to June Gloom) by our weather forecasters.  Cooler ocean waters from Alaska flowing along the coast of California and cooling the air above the ocean, coupled with a downward air pressure which prevents the cooler air from rising causes a weather inversion which results in moisture laden cool air to spread inland in the form of clouds.  The clouds will usually disperse in the afternoon as the sun warms up the air, which is what happened, today.  Morning drizzle and clouds gave way to afternoon sunshine, with the clouds returning with sunset.  I am always amazed about how abruptly the weather changes as soon as it is May!

I had trouble staying asleep, last night.  I went to bed around 3:30 a.m., as usual, and fell asleep without any difficulty.  But, I woke up at 6:00 a.m. and couldn't fall back asleep!  I eventually gave up trying to fall asleep again and got up.  It was cold for me, so I put on the electric space heater while I had my morning tea, said my prayers, and replied to blog comments, etc.  It being the first of the month, I made milkrice for brunch and picked fresh flowers from the garden - roses and the purple Martha Washington geraniums - to place at the altar and the mantelpiece.     

I felt tired in the early afternoon and tried to take a nap, but, again, couldn't fall asleep.  I rested for about an hour and then, I got going with the rest of my day's To Do List.  I'm still using the revised weekly cleaning list from 2020, although I've been tweaking it a bit as needed.  I haven't been writing down my daily to do lists, lately, but, I'm thinking of making it a regular feature of my blog posts, again; to counteract the feeling I sometimes get that I am not doing any housework, etc.  It helps to see it written down! For example, today, I: 

- Changed the bed sheets
- Did a load of laundry (bed sheets/towels)
- Dusted and vacuumed the living room & dining area
- Did a quick clean of the fridge
- Took the trash cans to the curb for Tuesday trash pick up
- Cleaned the litter box
- Started the car
- Made a weekly meal plan
- Continued to repair the Log Cabin quilt

I also water the garden on Mondays now, instead of Tuesdays because M tends to the garden on Wednesdays and Fridays; but, I didn't have to water today because it rained a bit in the morning.

It was sunny in the afternoon and I did my walk around 3:00 p.m.  Today, I walked for 20 minutes and I needed a short break after 10 minutes.  

Brunch was milkrice and seeni sambol.  Dinner was leftover spaghetti and sauce.  Snacks included a bowl of cereal, yogurt, and grapes.

Today, I am grateful for:

- A little drizzle for the garden
- The electric space heater
- A sunny and warmer afternoon
- Working appliances
- Flowers from the garden

Today's joyful activity was greeting the new month with the traditional milkrice and fresh flowers.

How was your Monday?  Did you do something special to observe May Day?

Rain on Sunday

Sunday morning was partly sunny, but, the clouds moved in during the afternoon and evening until it started to rain around 9:00 p.m.  It is still raining at past 1:00 a.m., as I type this post.

I had a fairly quiet day.  I relaxed, watched some online videos, sorted through a few things, decluttered a few items, did a load of dishes, and cleaned the litter box.  Later, I chatted with friend R and exchanged emails with a friend.

I also chatted with daughter in the morning and again at night.  She did a bit of shopping in the afternoon, exchanging a pair of shoes she had bought online for a slightly smaller pair, buying another bottle of ibuprofen since she had forgotten to take her bottle back with her and left it down here, and buying a few groceries, especially the half and half for her coffee.  Then, she did laundry.  

Brunch had been a frozen burrito and I had a toasted cheese sandwich with my tea in the evening.  Dinner was a hamburger and fries.  I made too many fries, so I have some leftover to have with my dinner, tomorrow.  

Today, I am grateful for:
- More rain for the garden
- Daughter was able to exchange her shoes
- Working appliances
- Electricity
- Chats with daughter and friends

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

Monday's To Do List:

- Call the doctor's office to request a medication refill
- Dust the living room and dining area
- Freezer inventory
- Meal plan
- Clean the fridge
- Take the trash cans to the curb/end of the driveway

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

The Weekend

Indian Treats: Jalebi, Samosas and Sauces, and Mango Lassi

We have had a lovely, sunny weekend, with day time highs in the mid 60s (F).

On Saturday, daughter went on a hike with two of her friends (my late friend A's daughters).  On the way back from the hike, they had stopped at an Indian restaurant to pick up some items to go.  Daughter bought some samosas with the dipping sauces that come with it, a cup of mango lassi, and a container of jalebi (a type of sweet) because she knows I love it.  We shared the samosas and the mango lassi; the jalebi is all mine because my daughter finds it to be too sweet! 

I was in the garden, taking some photos on Saturday afternoon, after daughter had left to go on her hike, when the phone rang.  It was neighbor T's daughter calling from next door!  She and T were at the house to pick up a few things and would I like to come over to say hi to T; they'd love to see me!  Of course I said yes!  I put on my mask, took a few mandarins from the fridge and put them into a blue and white china bowl that I had set aside to give away, and went over to visit.  T was seated at the dining table and it was lovely to see her again.  She looked quite well but her daughter explained that they had decided that T will live at the assisted living center for the foreseeable future as she was unable to live on her own without assistance.  They had stopped by the house to pick up a few more items to take back to T's room at the assisted living center.

They are not sure yet what they will do with the house, whether to rent it or sell it.  They are also not sure what they will do with the contents of the house - T has lived there for nearly 50 years and while she probably has fewer items than I do, there's still nearly 50 years worth of belongings to sort through.  Her daughter said they will probably store the contents of the house in a storage unit while they decide what to do.  She said T will not have enough space in her room at the Center for everything (and probably will have no need for things like china, etc.) and there's no room in her own apartment for anything.  She also doubted if her brother, who lives in a different state, will want much, either.  

They did, however, admire the blue and white bowl I put the mandarins in and asked me if I wanted the bowl back.  I said I didn't want to add to their possessions they were having to dispose of, but, I really didn't want it back; they were welcome to keep it or pass it along.  They remarked on the fact that the bowl matched the vase I had given T with some flowers, earlier, and I explained how I used to collect blue and white china and how I was now trying to declutter some of my stuff, myself.  T's daughter said they would love to keep the bowl, that they could always find a use for a bowl, but, if they ever have a yard sale to dispose of some of T's household items, I was welcome to bring some of my items and participate!  I thanked her.  My cousin P (who used to live across the street from me, who has since moved to Florida) and I used to hold joint yard sales many years ago; we never made much money, but, we had fun!  

I didn't stay long, visiting T and her daughter, but, I promised to visit T at the assisted living center, one day.  I felt a little sad to think that T will no longer be able to live in her own home.  I hope if they rent or sell the house, whoever moves in will be good neighbors!

Afterwards, I finished sorting out the shelving unit in the dining area.   I had posted about these shelves earlier, too, back in February 2020.  Gradually, these shelves became easily accessible space to store items and this is how it looked earlier in the week:

Before

The decorative items got pushed aside, food items took up shelf space at the top; the lower cabinet continued to be used to store table linen, kitchen towels, place mats, hot pads, etc.

After

I found room for most of the food items in the pantry cabinets.  But the middle shelf still has jars of peach jam/sauce and a big Tupperware container holding a 5 lb. bag of lentils! I will have to reorganize several kitchen cabinets to find room for them. The other two containers stacked on top of the Tupperware container will go back with my daughter.  I sorted through the table linen and kitchen towels, etc., too, but, didn't declutter anything.

Daughter and I spent a relaxed evening.  Daughter and I had leftover hamburgers for brunch; I didn't cook the meal I had planned to make for dinner and we had samosas and leftovers, instead.

On Sunday, I changed the dust sheets on the family room sofas and did a load of laundry.  Much later in the evening, I ran the dishwasher.  I had a ham sandwich for breakfast and later, daughter and I had some soup for a late lunch.  Dinner was leftovers, again - rice, keema curry, cucumber salad, and peach chutney.  It was a low energy day for me so I took it easy.  The oncologist's office called to confirm the appointment for later in the week (it's an automated call and you press numbers to confirm you are able to keep the appointment or not).

This weekend, I was grateful for:

- Daughter was able to enjoy a hike with friends
- Indian treats to share
- An unexpected visit with neighbor T and her daughter
- Working appliances
- Phone calls and emails from friends

This weekend's joyful activities included visiting with neighbor T and her daughter.

Monday's To Do List:
- Dust the living room and dining room
- Change the bed sheets
- Load of laundry
- Clean the fridge
- Take the trash cans to the end of the driveway
- Maybe water the front garden?

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

 

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?

Sunny Sunday

Prompt: Booger
"Cubchoo - a Pokemon"

I stayed up till nearly 5:00 a.m. with Dancer, because I was worried that he might get sick in the night and I would sleep through it.  Something like that happened with a previous cat that we had and I woke up the next morning to find that she had passed away during the night.  Well, Dancer was fine and I went to bed; he woke me up at 10:00 a.m. and I discovered that he had thrown up once, earlier in the morning, but, I hadn't heard him.  He has been eating and drinking water and using the litter box and hasn't thrown up since then, so I guess he's on the mend, although he is still a bit subdued.  At least the vet's clinic is open during the week, so I can always call and take him in, if needed.

Today, something happened to my bathroom sink faucet - I opened it once when I was brushing my teeth in the morning (to wet the toothbrush) and the water flowed without any problem, then I closed it while I brushed my teeth (I don't keep the water running while I brush my teeth).  Opened it again to rinse my mouth and...no water!  Just a dribble!  There was water in the faucets in the other bathroom and the kitchen, though!  I guess something inside the faucet broke?  Or, came loose and is blocking the flow of water?  I guess I will be calling the plumber, tomorrow!  I'll also ask him to take a look at the slow draining bathtub in the other bathroom; I've poured baking soda and vinegar down it several times and even some bleach, chased with boiling water with limited success - I think it needs to be snaked, again!  

It was a sunny day, today, with a daytime high of 75F.  It was warmer outside than inside, so, I opened a couple of windows to get that warm air in!  I put away the laundry from yesterday, did another load of laundry (Dancer's rug, kitchen rug, bathroom mats, etc.), swept the kitchen and my bathroom, cleaned the litter box, called former neighbor T to check on her (she's still in the assisted living facility and she fell again, today, but, didn't hurt herself), called friend R to chat with her, and watched some online videos.  Later, I video chatted with my daughter; she is feeling fine, again.  

Brunch was a frozen burrito, warmed up in the microwave.   Dinner was chicken curry from the freezer, with some of the lavash bread that S had given me, earlier.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Daughter is feeling well
- Dancer seems to be recovering
- There are other working faucets in the house
- Working appliances
- Keeping in touch with friends and family

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

Monday's To Do List:

- Call the plumber
- Vacuum
- Clean the fridge
- Take the trash cans out (and leave in front of the driveway!)
- Paperwork
- Meal plan/meal prep

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

October Days

Lois Mango
(sharing her planter with the Pineapple plant)

Both Monday and Tuesday have been sunny warm days, with the daytime highs around 86F or 87F;  very much to my liking!  The forecast for Wednesday is 90F. 

On Monday, I spent a relatively quiet day.  I did my meal plan options for the week, walked for a bit in the driveway, took another walk around the garden checking on things and taking some photos, took the trash cans to the curb, flea combed Dancer and gave him his flea medications, chatted with friend R, video chatted with my daughter, emailed a friend, and checked my medical insurance account online (and spent the rest of the day, stressing about it because they had denied the claim!)  

I had leftover milkrice with seeni sambol and some chicken curry (from the freezer) for brunch; dinner was leftover sauteed chicken and salsa rice.

Apple Seedling

Today, Tuesday, I did some paperwork sorting in the morning; I was looking for a specific statement which I had set aside to file, but, had not actually filed, yet.  Once I found it, I called the medical insurance people and spoke to a customer service rep and she gave me some instructions as to what I need to do.  I need to contact the hospital medical billing department and ask them to send the bill to my primary care physician's office and, apparently, the doctor's office needs to submit it to the insurance people for them to process it!  I guess the hospital billed them directly and that is not how their protocol works!  

I tried calling the hospital medical billing department as soon as I got off the phone with the insurance customer service.  It was around 4:30 p.m.  But, although their letter, sent last week, stated that the billing department hours were from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., when I called, I received a recorded message that the new hours were from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  So, I will call them, tomorrow.  Then, I will need to call the doctor's office to alert them to the fact that the hospital will be sending them the bill and what they need to do!  I know the letter the hospital sent me said I don't need to do anything yet, but, the amount being billed is rather substantial and I want to be proactive and not wait until I get billed to act on it.

In between looking for the document and calling the insurance customer service, I brought in the trash cans and accepted some homemade gata (Armenian cookies) and a piece of cake from neighbor S!  The gatas went into the freezer to be kept for my daughter when she next visits me.  

Brunch was two slices of toast with peanut butter; dinner was the last of the salsa rice, some chicken curry, and cucumber slices.  I had some of the cake that S had given me for dessert.  

In the evening, I relaxed by renewing my rice-filled neck warmer:

Renewed Rice-Filled Neck Warmer

I had made it a few years ago, in May 2019, to be exact, using some fabric I had in my stash:

Original Neck Warmer

That fabric was looking a bit faded and stained, so, I re-covered it, today, using another piece of fabric I had in my stash!  I like the brighter fabric. 

I am grateful for:

- Having access to medical care
- Having medical insurance 

- Customer service assistants
- S bringing me gatas and cake
- My fabric stash

Joyful activities include checking on the garden and renewing my neck warmer.

On the To Do List for Wednesday:

- Call the medical billing department
- Call the doctor's office
- Tend to the garden with M

- Start the car

- Put in a grocery order
- Vacuum

How is your week coming along?

Productive Sunday

Work in Progress

Yesterday's music ended at 1:30 a.m., which was actually, rather early for them!  I was surprised.  Maybe the neighbor in the house behind them complained.  In any case, I was able to open a window and cool down the house before I went to bed.  

It was relatively cool this morning (below 80F) and after my morning cup of tea and prayers, I did a load of laundry, scrubbed the toilet, and vacuumed the house.  

Afterwards, I replied to blog comments and commented on a couple of other blogs.  Later in the afternoon, I sat down to sew on my quilt top.  I am using the leftover piece from the Roman Stripe quilt as my center block!  I can see pieces of fabric from three dresses my mother made for herself and at least two dresses she sewed for me!  Others are leftovers from other sewing projects.  Surrounding that center block are the 3-inch squares I cut out.  While I sewed, I watched some musical programs on TV.

I also called neighbor T in the afternoon.  She had called and left a message, yesterday, but, it was too late to call her back when I saw that I had a message and checked it.  She said she is 90% settled in and she likes the place.  She said she feels guilty asking the people there to do things for her, but, I told her not to feel guilty because she is paying for those services!  She said her daughter was coming to see her a bit later in the afternoon, so, I told her to have a good visit with her daughter and I'll talk to her, later in the week.

Later, I called friend R and chatted with her.  

I had a scrambled egg and toast for my brunch, today.  For dinner, I made the shirataki noodles, stir fried with a sausage, broccoli, chili powder, sesame seeds, and roasted peanuts:  

Shirataki Noodles Stir Fry

I drizzled the top with a little bit of hot sauce before I ate it.  There's another serving of the noodles leftover for tomorrow.

Today, I am grateful for:
- A cooler day
- Getting the housework done
- Chats with friends and neighbors
- Time to sew
- Video chatting with my daughter

Today's joyful activity was sewing.

Plans for tomorrow include a little more housework (dusting), another load of laundry (my bedsheets, etc.), watering the garden, and taking the trash cans to the curb.  Of course, there will be some sewing, too!

How was your Sunday?  What are your plans for the week?

Busy Days

Scrappy Nine-Patch Blocks

Sunday night, I couldn't fall asleep until past 6:00 a.m., then, I slept and woke up at 9:00 a.m. feeling wide awake!  I thought I might have a nap in the afternoon, but, I didn't!  I did a load of laundry and dusted the living room and parts of the dining room.  I couldn't dust the dining table because it was full of my fabric scraps!  Once the laundry and dusting was done, however, I was able to relax and spend the whole afternoon sewing!  I sewed all the 3.5 inch squares to make scrappy nine-patch blocks.  I made 24 blocks.  They are not enough for a quilt top, of course, but, I wanted to do some sewing as I was getting tired of just cutting out squares. 

Later in the evening, I cleaned the litter box, took all the trash cans to the curb for pick up in the morning, and watered the garden.  It was 8:00 p.m. by the time I finished watering and it was starting to get dark.  After I came inside, I chatted with friend R, cooked a dhal curry and warmed up a packet of frozen chicken curry to have for dinner, with rice, and zucchini.  Then, video chatted with my daughter.

I felt a little pensive on Monday, because it was one of those days that I call "anniversaries of the heart" - an anniversary of a day that is special to me for various reasons because something happened or I did something which changed the course of my life.  On those days, I tend to ponder, what would have happened if such and such an event didn't take place or if I had made different choices, etc.  Those questions don't have any answers, of course, because the said events did take place or I made the choices I made.  There is no going back from that point in time; there is only going forward.  I know that none of this makes any sense to anyone reading this, but, August is full of those life changing anniversaries of the heart for me - it was in August that I left my country of birth, back in 1973; it was in August that I arrived in the US, in 1974, it was in August that my daughter left home to do her graduate studies in 2014 and I became an "empty nester", it was in August 2015 that I had to have follow-up scans and a more focused mammogram when an earlier routine mammogram detected an abnormality, which led to the biopsy (in September) which confirmed the breast cancer, and resulted in the lumpectomy (in October) and chemo treatments (starting in December) and so on.  

I had no problems falling asleep on Monday night (well, it was Tuesday morning by the time I got to bed).  I brought the trash cans in and checked on Mama Cat in the morning, giving her more fresh water and dry cat food.  I moved the bowl closer to her hiding spot because she was not coming to eat by the front door any more and a possum was eating all her food!  I was wearing a long white skirt when I went outside and I didn't realize it at the time, but, a little unwelcomed guest had hitched a ride on my skirt!  I was seated on the sofa, when I noticed a black speck on my skirt.  I touched it thinking it was a bit of dirt, meaning to brush it off, and the black speck jumped!  Oh, no!  I pulled out the sheets I use on the sofas as dust sheets, did a load of laundry, covered the sofa with other sheets, and sprayed the sofa with flea spray!

In the afternoon, I replied to blog comments, read and commented on a few blogs, and ironed all the patchwork pieces I had sewn on Monday.  I also chatted on the phone with friend A, with Aunt C, and with neighbor T's daughter K who informed me that her mother has completed the number of days she's allowed to be in the convalescent home under Medicare and because she is not yet able to live at home on her own, she will be going to an assisted living facility, as of Wednesday.  K was mostly calling me to inform me that her brother, who lives out of state, will be visiting and staying at the house, just in case I notice his truck parked in the driveway and wondered who was living next door while T is away!  

In the evening, I checked on Mama Cat, again (she had enough water and food and didn't need any more), spent 10 minutes walking up and down the drive way, and brought in the mail.  This time, I checked my skirt before I came inside, brushed off whatever specks I could see, and immediately afterwards, took the skirt off (I was wearing a pair of shorts, under it) and rinsed it off at the bathroom sink and hung it up to drip dry in the bath tub!  M will be returning from his week of vacation on Wednesday and I will ask him to spray for fleas in the front yard, again!  

Later, I chatted with friend R and video chatted with my daughter.

Brunch was a salad (lettuce, carrots, sliced zucchini, part of an apple); dinner was rice, chicken curry, dhal, and zucchini chutney followed by the rest of the apple.  I snacked on some roasted peanuts when I had my cup of tea in the evening

I am grateful for:
- Working appliances
- Electricity to run them
- Flea spray!
- Chats with family and friends
- Having food to eat

My joyful activity was playing with fabric.  

Wednesday's To Do List:

- Have M set up the window a/c unit in my bedroom
- Have M spray the garden with flea spray
- Vacuum

Speaking of fabric, this is a photo of my scrap fabric stash from August 2015:

Scrap Stash August 2015

There's that green basket, again!  Filled to the brim!  And those stacks of small squares in the foreground when to make this quilt:

Nine Patch/Irish Chain Quilt

I wrote about it here.  The finished quilt was gifted to friend A's younger daughter.  The quality of the photo is not good because I used to take photos with my laptop as my old flip phone couldn't take pictures!  

So the question is, am I going to make another Irish chain quilt with my current nine-patch blocks?  We'll have to wait and see, won't we?

Hope you have a lovely day on Wednesday!

Edited to change the date my daughter left home to 2014, not 2914!

Sunny and Warm on Sunday!

Scrap Baskets

Some of you might recognize the green plastic basket on the left!  These two baskets held the majority of my stash of scrap fabric.  These are the smaller leftover pieces of fabric from other sewing projects.  My mother used to roll up all her remnants and tie the rolls with small strips of fabric and that is what I do, too, having learned from her!  At one time, I tried to keep the patterned fabrics in one basket and solids in the other, but, over time, things got mixed up.  

I am now on a mission to reduce this stash of scrap fabric!  To that end, I've been cutting out squares of fabric, in two standard sizes: 3.5 inch square and 3 inch square:

Fabric Squares

The taller stack on the right has the 3.5 inch squares; the shorter stack on the left has the 3 inch squares.

When I cut out the squares (using the rotary cutter, cutting mat, and ruler my daughter gave me as a birthday gift several years ago; prior to that, I would draw around a template with a pencil and cut everything out with a pair of scissors), I cut the bigger size first, then, the smaller squares.  At this time, I'm not cutting anything smaller than that.  Any remaining fabric bigger than an inch square gets stuffed into a gallon sized plastic storage bag, for a potential crumb quilt.  I've given myself permission to toss out any fabric less than an inch square.  A long, long time ago, I made a log cabin quilt using one inch squares and strips of fabric one inch wide.  And this quilt, which I repaired last year, uses 1 inch by 3 inch strips:

Repaired Roman Stripe Quilt

I actually made two such quilts!  The first one I made was given away to someone I used to work with.  This is the second one I made and I still have some extra patches leftover from when I made it, back in 1981!  I'm thinking of incorporating those extra patches in the new quilt I'm planning to make with the squares.

I started sewing some of my 3.5 inch squares together this evening.  For now, I am sewing nine squares together to make a nine-patch.  I still don't quite know how they will all be put together, but, that's to be decided later.  For now, I'm having fun playing with my fabric.

Today was another warm day with a high of 96F.  I exchanged emails with a couple of friends, replied to blog comments, read and commented on a few blogs, learned how to add blogs to my reading list because I am no longer receiving email notifications of new blog posts on those I used to follow by email (thank you, June, for telling me how to do it),  did a load of dishes simply to run the dishwasher (I've been told I need to run it at least once a week or so to keep the hoses flexible; otherwise, they get brittle and can spring leaks), called friend R to chat with her, and video chatted with my daughter.

Brunch, eaten rather late because I wasn't feeling hungry, was a burrito from the freezer, followed by a slice of mango.  I ate some of the spicy snack mix from the Sri Lankan store with my evening cup of tea.  Dinner was rice, shrimp curry from the freezer, and zucchini.  I had some chocolate wafers for dessert.  Still later, a snack of saltine crackers with peanut butter and peach jam; delicious! 

Today, I am grateful for:
- The fabric stash!
- Time to play with fabric
- Working appliances, especially fans, and the electricity to run them
- Cool evenings
- Helpful blogging friends

Today's joyful activity was sewing and playing with fabric

This week has been a very relaxed week, which has been lovely because it's been a bit on the warm side, but, I need to tend to some neglected housework, next week!

Monday's To Do List

- Load of laundry

- Dust living room & dining area

- Clean the fridge

- Take trash cans to the curb for Tuesday trash pick up
- Water the garden, front and back

- Meal plan

How was your weekend?  What have you planned for Monday and next week?