Friday

Dandelion

Friday was a more productive day than Thursday.  I put away the laundry from yesterday and did another load which is hanging up to dry.  I picked a few more snow pea pods from the garden and, when M was here to tend to the garden in the evening, we planted a few more green beans that had sprouted and a jacaranda seedling that had been growing in a pot (M grew it from a seed).  I also cleaned the bathroom, which is on my weekly cleaning schedule for Fridays.  In between, I sewed a few more patches on the quilt I am repairing.  And, in the evening, I walked for 20 minutes.  I wasn't experiencing any discomfort, but, I didn't want to try and push for 25 minutes.    

Brunch was more sardines on toast and dinner was chicken curry and lavash bread.  I had some cereal, grapes, and strawberries as snacks.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Feeling more energetic
- What I was able to accomplish
- M helping with the garden
- TV shows to watch
- Working appliances.  

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

Plans for tomorrow include a little more housework and sewing.

What are your plans for the weekend?
 

Another Day, Another Quilt to Repair

Log Cabin Quilt

This is the second quilt I ever made (the first one was a hexagon quilt using the English paper piecing method; I no longer have that quilt).  This quilt was sewn in 1977.  The top is hand pieced with strips of fabric that are one inch in width when finished and varying lengths; the smallest pieces in the center of each block are one inch square.  I mostly used fabric I had on hand including some of my blouses and two of my step-father's shirts!  The flowered fabric that appears grey was originally black; it was the only piece of fabric I bought specifically for this quilt - a blouse purchased for a dollar or two from a thrift shop.  We were in Florida at the time and money was very tight.

Some of the red patterned fabric has torn through much use:

Torn Pieces

I decided that I wanted to repair the quilt.  I started to cut out 1 1/2" by 3 1/2" strips to replace the torn pieces.  I will hand stitch them in place, on top of the torn pieces.  

**********************

M was here, today (Wednesday) and we planted some green beans under the plum tree and surrounded it with wire mesh to keep the cats away and to hopefully discourage the mourning doves from eating the bean sprouts.  M also planted some succulents cuttings he brought me (from his garden) and watered the garden for me.  

Speaking of birds, I haven't seen Chicken Little in a couple of weeks!  I wonder what happened!

In the afternoon, I cut out some strips of fabric for the log cabin quilt and started sewing them in place.

In the evening, I went for my walk.  This time, my hip hurt after about 10 minutes, but, I decided to continue to walk slowly and did my 25 minutes.  

Yesterday (Tuesday), after I posted, I cleaned the living room and dining area (dusted, vacuumed, brushed down cobwebs, etc.) and swept the kitchen.  Today, I started on the family room, but, didn't finish.  I cleaned the litter box and swept the bathroom, however.  This week is the "All House" branch of my 8-week cleaning schedule.  I want to finish the family room, tomorrow, and mop the kitchen floor.

Breakfast was sardines on toast again (it was a big can of sardines; I think I'll be having sardines on toast for several days, this week!)  Lunch was spaghetti with meat sauce.  Neighbor S provided me with dinner, last night, and I had some of it last night and finished the rest, today:

Dinner Compliments of Neighbor S

Rice pilaf, grilled meat, broccoli and green beans cooked together, and a couple of stems of fresh basil, plus watermelon for dessert.  I put the basil in a jar of water to see if they will root!   

Today, I am grateful for:

- A sunny and warm day (80F; my kind of weather!)
- M helping with the garden
- S providing me with dinner
- Being able to video chat with my daughter
- Being able to order medications online to be delivered to the house

Today's joyful activity was repairing my Log Cabin quilt.

Plans for tomorrow include more housework, quilt repairs, and starting the car!  

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

Starting April

Jasmine Flowers

The jasmine vine is flowering!  I have written about this plant before, but, it is an offshoot of a plant my mother planted in the front garden, which had to be relocated to the back yard when I had to replace the main water pipe bringing water to the house from the mains.  My mother wasn't happy about having to move the plant to the back, but, it did well there until it died during one of the multi-year droughts we've had (fortunately, it happened after my mother had died).  I was sad that the plant died, but, with the on-going drought, I didn't want to replace it.  However, a couple of years later, after a very wet winter like the one we've just had, I found a small jasmine vine growing near where the old plant had been growing in the back yard and M potted it up for me and we eventually planted it in the front and trained it to grow up one of the trellises. Since then, every time it flowers, it makes me feel happy!  

Yesterday (Saturday) was the first of April.  We have completed the first quarter of this year and have started on the second quarter!  Can you believe it?  As usual, I prepared milkrice for the first meal of the month (along with mackerel curry; I didn't make any seeni sambol because there was some purchased seeni sambol in a jar that needed to be finished).  I also picked three bunches of jasmine flowers to place at the altars and on the mantlepiece.  The house is pleasantly scented by their fragrance.  Later in the night, I tidied and cleaned the house.

Today (Sunday), my daughter's friend A (who made the cinnamon rolls, earlier) brought me some cornbread that she had made:

Cornbread from Daughter's Friend A

She was returning the container in which I had given her chicken curry (when she brought the cinnamon rolls) and collecting the baking dish the cinnamon rolls came in.  I served her a container of milkrice and a small bag of snow peas to take back with her.  My daughter is very amused that I am now exchanging food with one of her friends.  I had a piece of cornbread for my brunch.

In the afternoon, I changed the dust sheets on the family room sofas and did a load of laundry.  The washing machine's light came on indicating that it needed cleaning, so I ran the cleaning cycle.  I will do do another load of laundry tomorrow.  I also did a little cleaning in the kitchen, scrubbing under the stove burners, etc. 

This weekend, I'm grateful for:
- Sunny days
- The jasmine vine is flowering
- Receiving cornbread from daughter's friend A
- Working appliances
- Chatting with friends and family

Joyful activities have included watching videos, harvesting pea pods and lettuce from the garden, and video chatting with my daughter.

Lettuce from the Garden
(the edges of the leaves are bronze colored)

Plans for tomorrow include doing another load of laundry and tidying the family room.

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

Rainy Days and Mondays

The Rain Water Buckets are Full!

It rained on and off today.  The sky stayed uniformly grey all day.  The temperature never went above 48F, which is cold for us.  I stayed huddled close to the heater for the most part!

However, I managed to get a few things accomplished, today.  I washed the dishes that had accumulated in the sink, wiped the stove top, mopped the kitchen and the bathroom floors, cleaned the litter box, did a load of laundry (bath mats, kitchen rug, Dancer's rug, etc.), took the kitchen compost to the compost heap, and took the trash cans to the end of the driveway to be picked up, tomorrow morning.  

I also noticed that I hadn't quite escaped any storm damage - some of the end tiles on the garage roof had become loose and a couple had come off.  I will have to get that attended to as soon as possible, before it becomes a big problem.

Lemon Blossoms

Brunch was a banana muffin (yes, one, because after a few days, the banana flavor intensifies and then, I don't like them as much).

For dinner, I made over the turkey I had pulled from the carcass when I made the stock for the soup.  I didn't put all of it in the soup because there was a lot of turkey still left on that carcass.  I thought I had about a cup of shredded turkey, but, I had about two cups of it.  I wasn't quite sure what I was going to make with it .  It would have been good added to some pasta, either in a pasta bake or mixed in with some macaroni and cheese, but, I've already had quite a few pasta meals last week.  I could use to make fried rice, but, I didn't have any leftover rice and fried rice is best made with leftover rice.  Eventually, I decided that I wanted something spicy; either a filling for patties or a keema curry.  I sauteed some sliced onion, added the shredded turkey, some green peas, curry powder and chili powder.  Then, I took the last serving of the turkey soup that I had; I knew I was getting tired of the turkey soup, but, of course, I didn't want to waste it.  I strained the soup and added the last bits of potato and other vegetables from the soup to the sauteed turkey in the pan.  By which time, I was too tired and a bit too hungry to make the pastry for patties and bake them, etc.  Instead, I decided to cook a pot of rice and I used the broth from the strained soup to cook the rice!

Sauteed Shredded Turkey Mixture

I sliced some of the cucumber I still had in the fridge and dinner was ready:

Monday Night Dinner: Rice, Turkey Mixture, Cucumber Slices

Although I had been getting a bit tired of the turkey soup, the rice cooked in it was very tasty.  

I could make some patties, tomorrow, and use the turkey mixture as the filling, or, I could have it with the leftover rice over the next couple of days.  Options!

Today, I am grateful for:

- More rain for the garden
- The damage to the garage roof doesn't look too bad
- A working heater
- Chats with daughter and friend R
- What I was able to accomplish today

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

There is more rain in the forecast for tomorrow.  Plans for tomorrow include a doctor's appointment in the afternoon.

How was your Monday?  What would you have done with the shredded turkey?  What are your plans for Tuesday?

Rainy Days and Mondays

Rain Drops on Blurry Peach Blossoms

It rained quite a bit, last night, but, this morning was sunny.  Then, by the afternoon, the clouds moved in and it rained again!

I called the doctor's office first thing in the morning and asked them to call in a new prescription to the pharmacy, explaining that I had just enough medication for today's dose.  I don't usually wait until the last minute like this, but, things got put off just before Christmas when I was worried about my daughter getting Covid, etc. and I got behind with my regular tasks.

Then, I did a load of laundry thanks to Dancer who had left a present for me on my bathmat even though his litter box was only a foot or so away.  And I dusted (living room, dining area, family room), swept (kitchen and bathroom), and watered the houseplants.  

I waited till one o'clock and called the pharmacy to see if they received the new prescription order from the doctor's office.  Yes, they received it, but, they claimed that it was too early to refill, that I was not due for a refill yet, and I should still have some pills left!  I assured them that I didn't have any more pills, just the one pill for today.  So, the pharmacy staff member said she will try to put it through again and apparently, this time, it worked!  She said it will be ready for pick up in two hours.

In the meantime, I started cleaning the fridge.  Halfway through that, the doctor's office called to say that the prescription was ready at the pharmacy (I guess the pharmacy notified the doctor's office?  I didn't know that they did that!)  Then, I received the text notification that the medication was ready for pick up.  I stopped cleaning the fridge and went to the pharmacy to pick up the medication.  I've been having them mail me the medications, but, this time, I didn't want to wait the two or three days that takes.  I wore my mask and although most of the people shopping at the pharmacy weren't wearing masks, the pharmacy staff were masked.  I didn't do any additional shopping at the pharmacy; just picked up my medication and came home!  

It started to rain just as I was leaving the house and it was raining quite steadily when I came home!  But, the rain ceased after I got home!  LOL.  

I finished cleaning the main part of the fridge after I came home - the shelves and the drawers.  But, I didn't get to the shelves on the door - I was going to do them after I watched the evening news, but, I didn't.  So, that will be done tomorrow.

I had a couple of items to toss from the fridge - one was half a jar of apple sauce that had been in the fridge for a long time and the other was a piece of cheese that had got moldy.  There were also some old lemons and one mandarin that had started to spoil - they went to the compost heap.  

Later, I took the trash cans and the recycling bin to the end of the driveway for pickup tomorrow.

What I didn't do was the freezer inventory; that, too, will be on tomorrow's to do list.

Still later, I chatted with friend R and video chatted with my daughter.  

Brunch had been some gyoza/pot stickers from the freezer; dinner was leftover salmon, leftover half a baked potato, and some green peas from the freezer.  I topped the baked potato with some of the leftover green relish that came as a dipping sauce with the samosas.  Mandarins for dessert.

Today, I am grateful for:

- The doctor's office called in the refill to the pharmacy promptly
- The pharmacy was able to fill the prescription (after the initial confusion that it was too soon to refill)
- The availability of medications
- Insurance to help pay for the medications
-A safe drive to the pharmacy and back

Today's joyful activity was collecting my medication!

Tuesday's To Do List:

- Clean the fridge door shelves
- Freezer inventory
- Dust and tidy my bedroom

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

Rain on the Car Windshield

Sunny Days

Patties

We call these meat or fish filled pastries "patties" and they are traditionally deep fried although I baked this batch.  They are, I suppose, a little like empanadas.  I used the last bit of leftover ground turkey keema curry as the filling, adding some mashed boiled potatoes to the leftover keema curry to extend it (and to make the filling stick together).   I brushed the tops with a little milk to glaze them a bit before baking them.  They made a nice tea time snack and I ate some for my dinner, as well!

Yesterday (Monday) was sunny, but, windy!  The daytime high was supposed to have been 65F, but, it felt much colder than that.  The loose roofing panels in the patio were being rattled by the wind gusts, but, the bags of mulch held them down!  I was very thankful for that!  I had a productive day; I dusted the living room and dining room, changed the bed sheets and did a load of laundry, made my meal plan for the week, cleaned the fridge, took the trash cans to the end of the drive way for pick up in the morning, watered the front garden (mostly to encourage the seedlings to grow), cooked dinner (sauteed salmon with onions and tomatoes, steamed broccoli, and a packet of flavored rice mix), did the dishes, and cleaned the litter box. I also called friend R to check on her.

Today (Tuesday) was sunny and still; it felt warmer without the wind.  I brought the emptied trash cans back, made French toast for brunch, dusted the family room and my bedroom.  During daughter's lunch break, we walked outside in the garden for a few minutes to check on the plants and get some sunshine and fresh air.  Later, I made the patties and I cooked a chicken curry.  I took some pictures of the process because I was asked if I had a recipe for it, but, I'll do a separate post.  I thought I had done a post on how I make chicken curry, earlier, but, a search didn't bring it up, so, I might have only imagined that I did an earlier post!  For dinner, daughter had chicken curry with leftover rice and broccoli from yesterday; I ate more patties and the leftover cucumber salad from Friday.  

I called neighbor S to offer to bring her some of the patties, but, she explained that she was taking care of a family member who was having a cough and sore throat and she didn't want to risk infecting me.  I thanked her for being so considerate and said I'll bring some patties over the next time I make them.  

I am grateful for:

- Sunny days
- Monday's winds didn't do any damage to the house or garden
- Weekly trash collection
- Working appliances
- Productive days

Joyful activities have included gardening and baking.

Plans for Wednesday include vacuuming, tending to the garden with M, and clean the bathroom shelving unit.

How was your start to the week?  What are your plans for Wednesday?

The Best Laid Schemes of Bless and Water Barrels

Oops!

So, I had set up the old trash bin (bought 30+ years ago, when I first bought this house, because, at the time, there were no city issued trash bins), in the side yard the other day, to collect whatever rain water it could.  When I checked it, yesterday (Monday), I noticed that it had a few inches of water in the bottom and felt quite pleased.  Then, I dragged it from there to the cemented area under the patio overhang to fill it up with the water I had collected in the buckets.  I dumped in the water that I had collected in the big blue and white vase with the chipped top, first.  And then I noticed that there was water flowing down the cemented area.  At first, I thought that maybe I spilled some water when I was pouring it in, and pulled the bin away a bit, but, no, the water was still dribbling out from the bottom of the trash can! 

Well, that didn't work, did it?

 All together now:

"There's a hole in the bucket trash bin, dear Liza Bless, dear Liza Bless
  There's a hole in the bucket trash bin, dear Liza Bless, a hole!"

I don't know if the hole was already there (if so, I didn't notice it) or if the bottom of the bin scraped against a stone or something when I dragged it over and that wore a hole in it.  This morning, I looked inside and there's a fine layer of dried up sediment at the bottom of the bin and no visible hole.  But, obviously, I can't use this bin to collect any rainwater!  

I covered three of the buckets that were full and found another bucket I had stored in the garage and emptied out some water from each of the other buckets into it, so that they are all partially filled with water.  This way, if it rains on Thursday according to the forecast, then, the partially filled buckets can get topped up with more rain water and I will cover them to keep mosquitoes from laying eggs in the water.  At least, that's the plan and we all know how plans go, don't we?  LOL!

Yesterday was mostly dry (there was a little drizzle in the early morning, friend R told me, but, I guess I was still asleep when that happened) but very cloudy and grey.  Around 4:00 p.m., however, the clouds parted and there was some sunshine.  

My daughter had the day off from work, so I was able to vacuum the family room and my bedroom without worrying about disturbing her.  Later in the evening, after dinner, I ran the dishwasher.  That was all the housework I did, though.

We had leftovers for brunch (I had the last coconut roti and some pork curry; daughter had some of the leftover ham and pasta casserole).  Dinner was chicken curry (from the freezer), leftover rice, cucumber salad, and peach chutney.  Snacks included almonds (me), potato chips (me), cereal (daughter), apple (both of us).

Today (Tuesday), has been a sunny day!  A bit windy and a high of 57F.  I brought in the emptied trash cans, took the kitchen composting out to the yard, checked on the plants, emptied the dishwasher, dusted my bedroom, and handwashed one of my wool sweaters (it is now laid out flat on a towel near the heater to dry). 

This week's cleaning area is the dining room, which, in my house, is an extension of the living room and leads to the family room.  I usually dust and vacuum it when I do the living room, so, the only cleaning that needs to be done in this area this time around is the shelving unit where I store some of the table linen in the lower cupboard and some decorative items on the upper shelves, along with my cookbooks. More recently, I've been using the upper shelves to hold pantry items, which is fine, but I didn't remove the decorative items first, so everything is mixed together.  I need to tidy it (and decide if I want to continue to store the pantry items mixed in with the decorative items or make it one or the other).

The box of file folders I ordered was delivered today, as well as a bag of Epsom salt for the garden and one of the boxes of kitty litter; the second box of kitty litter was damaged in shipment, apparently, and was returned to the manufacturer and the money will be refunded.  I will need to reorder a second box of the litter, later.  I think the boxes being damaged in shipping was one of the reasons we switched to the buckets!

For brunch, today, I ate a scrambled egg and a slice of toast.  Much later, daughter ate bread sandwiched with the last of the pork curry and the rest of the cucumber salad.  For dinner, I cooked dhal (lentils), green beans curry, and a fresh pot of rice, and we ate them with leftover chicken curry and peach chutney.  Daughter was very happy and thanked me for "a home cooked yummy Sri Lankan meal"; she loves her rice and curries!

Today, I am grateful for:

- A sunny day
- Being able to order items online and having them delivered to the house
- Daughter being here to help with carrying in the heavy box of litter
- Dancer seems to have perked up, again
- Daughter truly enjoying the meal I prepared

Today's joyful activity was enjoying the garden on a sunny day.

Plans for tomorrow include tending to the garden with M in the morning.  

Daughter has several back to back meetings, tomorrow, so I will do some quiet work - maybe tidy my desk!  

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

Mid-Month, Already?

Paperwhites

It was a cloudy day. today, with a break in the rain for a good part of the day.  It started raining in the evening.

My rain water buckets are full!  I pulled out the old trash cans and set one up to collect more rain water.  The second trash can had a crack at the very bottom, so, I left it where it was, turned upside down.  I should have emptied the smaller buckets of water into the big trash can, but, the buckets were too heavy for me to lift and I was too lazy to dip out the water with a small bowl or container.  Maybe I can do that, tomorrow.  

Today, was a productive day!

I finished tidying and dusting the family room (and didn't drop or break anything!)  I was going to vacuum the family room, but, my daughter was on a zoom call with two of her friends and although she said it wouldn't disturb her, I didn't want to be making a big noise in the background, and I didn't feel like vacuuming after she got off the call!  Instead, I cleaned my bathroom (and then, Dancer, who seems to be a bit off, had an accident, and I had to clean the floor, again!)

I also reorganized the three drawers of the sideboard where the gift wrap, gift bags, etc., are stored; it had got a bit messy when I was pulling out tissue paper, gift bags, etc., during the holidays.  I had a big, rather battered looking gift box in which I had stored several rolls of Christmas ribbons, bought on sale for $0.10 per roll, back in the 1990s, when Woolworths was going out of business!  I believe I bought 20 rolls for $2,00!  I've been using those ribbons ever since!  The box had been from a department store that is no longer in business and there was a small label on the box in my mother's handwriting, identifying it as containing Christmas ribbons (Mother died in 2006).  Today, I managed to fit all the ribbons into a much smaller box, and it fits nicely in the drawer with the Christmas gift bags, etc.  I recycled the old, big gift box the ribbons had been stored in.

I also decluttered a shoe box sized plastic storage box that had held odds and ends in the garage.  The box was cracked, so I tossed it.

I had been flattening and recycling several cardboard boxes that arrived during the holidays, either with gifts I ordered online or with gifts others had sent to me.  They had been stacked in the family room instead of being recycled right away because I have a thing about holding onto cardboard boxes (I always think I can reuse them for storage, etc.)  Today, I decluttered another small cardboard box.

I also went through two file folders of old telephone/cell phone and TV/internet bill statements, each holding three years worth of statements (2020, 2021, and 2022), and shredded them!  My shredder got a good work out!  I gathered four brown grocery sacks of shredded paper and spread them all on some of the planting beds in the back yard.  They will act as mulch and, hopefully, keep down at least some of the weeds that will surely pop up after the rains!  In addition, I recycled several brochures and one magazine.  My recycling bin is quite full!  

Daughter and I had leftover pizza for brunch.  For dinner, I made a ham and egg noodles casserole:

Ham and Egg Noodles Casserole

I boiled about half of a bag of egg noodles, mixed them with a can of cream of celery soup (and about half a can of water), some leftover ham from New Year's Day dinner, diced, and a handful of frozen green peas (whatever was left in the bag).  I put it all into an 8 x 8 glass baking dish, sprinkled some garlic salt, onion powder, paprika, a few red chili flakes, ground black pepper, and two of the individual packets of grated Romano cheese that came with our dinner from the Italian restaurant, earlier this month.  I baked it, covered with foil, in a 350F oven for about 30 minutes and then, uncovered for another 10 minutes, just to brown the top a little bit.  Daughter and I enjoyed some of it for our dinner and there's more than half the pan leftover for another day.

Today, I am grateful for:

- All the rain water I've managed to collect in my buckets!
- Phone calls with family (cousin P and her daughter) and friends (R); emails with other friends
- My paper shredder
- Shredded paper mulch for the garden
- All the cleaning, decluttering, and organizing I accomplished

Today's joyful activity was spending time in the garden, just checking on the plants and taking some badly out of focus photos!  LOL.  Reorganizing the sideboard drawers was also a joyful activity!  

Tomorrow is a holiday for my daughter (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day).  We don't have any special plans for the day, but, I hope to vacuum the family room and maybe my bedroom, too.  Earlier forecasts said it will rain tomorrow, but, now the forecast is for a partly cloudy day.

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

Friday the Thirteenth!

Dancer Says "Hello"

It's Friday the thirteenth and it has been a dry, but, mostly cloudy day.

I slept in this morning.  I had been up till 5:00 a.m. so when I got up at 9:00 a.m. to feed Dancer and Mama Cat, I went back to bed and slept till noon!  Even after I woke up for the second time, I stayed in bed for a bit because it was one of those days when my bones were aching (one of the side effects of one of my medications).    

In the afternoon, I finished deep cleaning the living room by going around the edges of the ceiling with a long handled duster to remove any cobwebs.  

Later, I did a little more tidying up in the family room.  I had ordered three bags of charcoal briquets to have on hand as an alternate fuel source for cooking in case of an emergency; if the power goes off or if there is no natural gas, then, I can try to use the briquets to light a fire in my grill outside to cook (assuming it is safe to do so).  I already have two bags of briquets stored in the garage, but, they are smaller bags and I wanted to have a few extra bags on hand.  But, they arrived during one of the rainy days and so, I had stacked them in the family room, temporarily, as I didn't want them getting wet when being carried to the garage and there they sat for a couple of weeks!  Today, I finally took two of the bags to the garage.  The third bag is ripped and I need help carrying it to the garage without spilling the contents.  So, that bag is still in the family room!  Maybe I'll empty the briquets into one of the empty litter buckets and take it to the garage, tomorrow.

I also started the car and let the engine run for a bit while I checked on the garden.  I had three potatoes left in the old bag of potatoes and they were starting to sprout, so I planted them in the garden to see if they will grow.  I also set up a low tech rain water collection system to see if I can collect some of the rain water, using empty cat litter containers.  Pre-Covid, I bought two refillable buckets of kitty litter from the pet supplies store and I would refill the buckets as needed.  But, when Covid struck, I started ordering the kitty litter online and they come in new buckets.  I've been saving those buckets and today, I set them out in a row to collect any rainwater that might drip down from the patio roof, when it rains this weekend.  I forgot to take a picture; maybe I'll take one, tomorrow.

M brought me a six pack of mixed lettuce seedlings and a mint plant as thank you gifts for mending a couple of his garments.  We planted the lettuce with the snow pea seedlings within the wire mesh enclosure to try and protect them from Chicken Little, who seems to be spending the major part of its day in my yard!  I don't know if it will eat the mint plant, too - if so, I'll have to figure out a mesh enclosure for it, too!  Fort Watermelon/Bunny Fort is being replaced by Fort Chicken Little!  

Later in the evening, I mended a tear in one of daughter's cardigans.  

Brunch had been leftover coconut roti (daughter) and a cheese sandwich (me).  Dinner was gyoza/pot stickers as an appetizer followed by pizza.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Another day to dry out before the next band of rain arrives
- The car started without any problems
- New plants for the garden
- Chats with family and friends
- What I was able to accomplish

Today's joyful activity was gardening.

Plans for tomorrow include a little more tidying in the family room and mending the triangles quilt.

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

 

Rainy Monday and a Tentative Meal Plan

Osteospermum

It started raining around midnight, last night and it drizzled practically all day.  In the evening, however, around 5:00 p.m., it started raining in earnest, with lightning and thunder!  I was watching the evening news and it was interrupted with a flood watch alert.  Fortunately, not in my area, although I am expecting some rain to get into the garage, as the side door has got warped from the rain and will not close properly!  

Daughter's office sent out an email notification to all saying that the office building is closed for the day due to a power outage.  Her apartment building still has power, though, which is good because she has food in her fridge and freezer.  But, of course, she was working remotely, from home, down here and we had power,

Yesterday, I had dusted most of the living room after I took down the Christmas decorations.  Today, I dusted the one piece of living room furniture I didn't dust yesterday, the bookcase.  Then, I dusted the windowsills and washed the windows from the inside.  The rain was washing them from the outside!  I also washed the inside of the front door.  Then I polished two brass wall decorations.  Finally, I vacuumed the living room, dining area, kitchen, and the hallway.  I also did a load of laundry (bathroom rugs, kitchen rug, Dancer's rug, etc.).  The living room cleaning is mostly completed; I just have to polish one more brass decorative item and then put them all back in place.

Later, I emptied all the waste baskets inside the house and took the trash can to the end of the driveway for pick up in the morning.  

Brunch had been the last croissant, sandwiched with a slice of ham and lettuce (me) and a toasted bagel with butter (daughter).  Dinner was rice, leftover salmon, freshly made cucumber salad, and peach chutney.  Cut up fresh mango for dessert, followed by a piece of love cake.  

After dinner, I chatted with friend R and neighbor T and swept the bathroom.  It was a productive day and I'm happy with what I was able to accomplish today.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Daughter is able to work from home
- Rain for the garden
- Raincoats (mine's rather old, bought back in late 1990s, but, it's still effective)
- A good roof that keeps the rain out
- A productive day

Today's joyful activity was cleaning the living room - it really brought me joy to be able to get the room dusted and vacuumed and the windows and door washed.  

Tentative meal plan for this week's dinners:

Monday: Leftover salmon with freshly cooked rice, cucumber salad, and peach chutney; mango and love cake for dessert

Tuesday: Teriyaki chicken drumsticks with rice, snow peas and carrots stir fry; mandarins for dessert

Wednesday: Rice with curried chick peas/garbanzo beans, spicy sauteed potatoes, and green beans; cucumber salad; mango and love cake for dessert

Thursday: Leftovers (if any); boxed mac & cheese with tuna, if not; mandarins for dessert (there will probably be cake, too).

Friday: Pot stickers/gyoza; maybe ramen noodles; fruit salad for dessert

Saturday: Ham or turkey tetrazzini with green peas; home canned peaches for dessert

Sunday: Beef stew or beef pot pies if I feel ambitious enough to make pastry; or maybe top with mashed potatoes, instead.  Ice cream for dessert.

Whether I follow the plan will depend on how energetic I feel when it comes to cooking.  But, the chicken drumsticks have been taken out to thaw, so tomorrow's dinner will probably go according to the plan!  LOL.

How was your Monday?  What's on your meal plan for the week?

The Weekend

"No, don't put away Christmas!"

I've had a productive weekend.  

On Saturday, I picked up the groceries and later in the afternoon, I took down the wreaths and put them away in the bin in the garage, along with a few other decorations.

Brunch had been croissants, sandwiched with ham.  For dinner, I cooked Italian sausages with bell peppers, a side dish of green beans with garlic, and a side dish of fried potatoes.  Afterwards, I ran the dishwasher.  

Sunday got off to a late start.  I had not been able to sleep, Saturday night, until past 6:30 a.m. Sunday morning!  I was having acid reflux and it took some time for the antacid tablets to work.  I woke up once around 11:00 a.m., fed the cats, etc., but, went back to bed and slept for another three hours!  It was 2:00 p.m. when I woke up!  

But, once I was up, I was productive.  I took the Winter Village down and packed it up in its bin.  Daughter took the bin with the Winter Village and the bin with the tree decorations to the garage for me.  Then, I began to pack away the holiday cushion covers, table linen, crocheted blanket, etc., which I store in a suitcase in my closet.  As you can see, Dancer was not very happy about it!  Usually, I am reluctant to take the decorations down as it makes me feel sad.  But, this year, I was very ready to take them down and tidy up the place!  Afterwards, I dusted the living room and put back the photographs and other items that I display on the mantel piece.  

In between, I chatted with neighbor T and with friend R.  I also called neighbor S to offer her some of the love cake we had made, but, she declined the offer saying she's trying to cut back on the sweets after indulging at Christmas.  It's probably what I should do, too! 

Daughter had croissant sandwiches for brunch and I had the last serving of the soup I had bought from the Italian restaurant.  For dinner, I cooked some of the frozen salmon I had bought back in July, 2022.  This was the first time I cooked it and my daughter and I thought it was quite good.  I sauteed the salmon fillets with onions and some canned diced tomatoes.  I made a cucumber salad to go with the salmon and we had it with leftover rice and peach chutney.  There are two more pieces of the salmon leftover for tomorrow.  

After dinner, I washed the dishes, cleared the kitchen counters, and did the litter box.  

This weekend, I was grateful for:
- Being able to order groceries online and pick up curbside
- Phone calls with family and friends
- A chance to dry out before the next band of rain arrives on Monday
- Daughter helping with taking the Christmas decorations bins to the garage
- Having a productive weekend

This weekend's joyful activities included chatting with cousin P and her daughter, and spending a little extra time with daughter as she didn't have to fly back up, on Sunday.

Plans for Monday include doing some paperwork, tidying the family room, and vacuuming.

By the way, if anyone is interested, Monday is the start of another 8-week cleaning cycle, where we take one room or area each week until the whole house is done.  Here is the 8-week cleaning cycle I am following:

Week 1 - Entryway and Living Room
Week 2 - Dining Room and Laundry Room
Week 3 - Bathrooms and Front Porch
Week 4 - Kitchen and Back Porch
Week 5 - Children's/Guest Rooms and Closets
Week 6 - Family Room and Room of Choice
Week 7 - Master Bedroom and Closet

Week 8 - All House Clean 

Since I don't have an entryway, I will concentrate on the living room.  

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

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? 

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 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?

Ending October

Prompt: Farm
("Halloween Farm")

First of all, I did not get my Covid booster, today!  I called the pharmacy to double check they were still doing the walk-in Covid boosters and I was told yes, but, could I please come in on Wednesday, instead.  Apparently, they were short staffed, today, and were very busy.  I decided I will go in on Wednesday.  

Which gave me a free day to...clean!  I was in a cleaning mood!  I dusted the main rooms and started cleaning the kitchen.  I did the stove top and under the burners, the outside of the oven door (the inside requires some serious cleaning, but that's for another day!), the top of the vent hood, the counters, the lower cabinet doors and drawer fronts, and the sink.  I did it in stages because I didn't want my hands cramping up on me, but, my hands were fine and didn't cramp.  I also cleaned the litter box and swept my bathroom, and took two of the trash bins (the black garbage bin and the green yard waste bin; the blue recycling bin only had a few items in it and didn't need to be emptied)  to the end of the driveway.

I spoke with neighbor T in the early afternoon; she said she's feeling well, but, she'll be at the assisted living facility a little longer than she initially thought.  Later, in the evening, I called friend R to check on her.  

Brunch had been leftover waffles with seeni sambol (spicy onion relish).  Dinner was leftover rice and ground turkey keema curry with peach chutney.  Which reminds me, I need to do a meal plan for this week, don't I?  

It was a warm (high of 80F) day, today, but, partly cloudy.  The house remained somewhat cool, but, I didn't have to go outside to warm myself up!  Every time I started feeling cold, I did some cleaning, and that kept me warm!  LOL!  

Today, I am grateful for:
- Being able to get some cleaning done!
- My hands didn't cramp!
- Chatting with friends and neighbors
- What I was able to accomplish
- Ending the month on a positive note

Today's joyful activity was...cleaning!  Yes!  Really!  

Plans for tomorrow - there is a ballot that needs to be filled out!

Productive Thursday

Prompt: Snacks
("Panda Cookies and Donuts")

I set my alarm for 9:00 a.m., today, although the plumber was not scheduled to arrive until after 12:00 noon.  I stayed in bed for another 30 minutes or so after the alarm went off, then got up and got going.  After my morning cup of tea and prayers, etc., I did the vacuuming I had been planning to do all week!  Then, tidied up the family room.  I didn't put everything away, but, sorted the paperwork and tidied up the sewing supplies.  Then, I scrubbed my toilet (a task I usually do on Fridays, but, I wanted the bathrooms clean before the plumber arrived!)  I cleaned Dancer's litter box, too, and mopped the bathroom floor (I knew the plumber would probably mess it up, but, I wanted it to be clean when he arrived and he cleaned up after himself before he left!)  

I took a short break and then, tidied the kitchen a bit (Thursday's task) and emptied the dishwasher.  I had cut the thumb on my right hand on a can that I was rinsing out before putting it in the recycling bin, yesterday; it wasn't a very deep cut, but it was about half an inch long.  I had put a plaster/bandaid on it and it was healing, but it hampered me a bit as I did my housework.  However, I got most of the housekeeping tasks I had set for myself for this week done!  I had to tell myself that it didn't have to be done perfectly!  

The plumbing company called me around 12:30 p.m. to say that the plumber was on his way.  He was here a few minutes later.  I wore my N95 mask; he wasn't wearing a mask.  I didn't insist that he wore a mask because I knew that it is hard to do jobs like plumbing with a mask on.  But, I had opened the windows and the front door (the metal security door was closed because I didn't want Dancer to run out, but, it has open mesh which allows air flow) and I felt there was enough ventilation in the house.  The plumber who was here, last year, wore a mask, but, we were still under a mask mandate then.  This is one of the main reasons why I am dragging my feet on having workmen in the house, unless I absolutely have to!

Anyway, he was a pleasant young man named George.  He cleared the clog in the bathtub (showed me the clump of hair he pulled out), replaced the flapper in my toilet so it wouldn't leak anymore, changed the faucets in both bathtubs (they both have overhead showers) because both faucets were leaking when the shower was turned on, and fixed the broken knob/handle in the sink in daughter's bathroom.  He also mentioned that I might need to replace the knob/handle in the tub/shower in her bathroom sometime in the future, but, not right now.  When it was time to pay, I told him to give me a discount since I was a repeat customer and he said he'll mention it to the company, but, it was not up to him.  I paid $225.75 for parts and labor, which I thought was reasonable.  I'm glad that I managed to get the plumbing maintenance projects crossed off my list.

After he left, I boiled more pasta and had it with some of the sausage mixture for my brunch.  Then, I went outside to walk a bit.  I only walked for a few minutes because I was feeling a bit tired, but, I sat on the low stone wall between my driveway and T's front yard and enjoyed the warmth of the sun for about 10-15 minutes.  I was inspecting the plants in the front yard a few minutes later, when the letter carrier delivered the mail.  I thanked him and he said they were all ads, but, I said as long as they are not bills it's fine with me and he laughed.  Then, I took the mail and went inside; he was right, they were all political ads for the upcoming mid-term elections.  

I took it easy in the evening.  I started the car, watched the news, had a cup of tea, reheated a frozen burrito for dinner, had a piece of mango for dessert, did today's dishes, chatted with friend R, and video chatted with my daughter.  She had gone into the office, today, and then, gone out to lunch.     

Today, I'm grateful for:
- Plumbers!
- Getting the plumbing issues taken care of 
- Sunny, warm afternoon
- Daily mail deliveries (except on Sundays)
- Accomplishing most of my housekeeping tasks

Today's joyful activity was getting the plumbing tasks crossed off my to do list!

Plans for tomorrow include the regular check up with the oncology nurse practitioner in the early afternoon and tending to the garden in the evening with M.  

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

Wednesday

Definitely Sweater Weather!

It was almost 61F in the family room at 11:00 a.m., this morning!  Yes, I was wearing a sweater over a blouse, and I went outside, where it was 73F, and walked for 10 minutes to warm up!  Today's afternoon high was 75F and I sat outside for a few minutes as it was warmer outside than in!  Eventually, the house warmed up to 68F!

Dancer had a good night and I didn't find any throw up when I woke up and he hasn't had any issues during the day, today, either.  He spends a lot of his time sleeping, but, that's normal for cats, isn't it?

Today, in the morning, I payed my gas bill and scheduled a safety check for the furnace/heater.  The earliest they had available for such a non-emergency/routine service was on Monday, November 7th, which is reasonable, I think.  

M was here to tend to the garden, today.  As usual, we spent a few minutes just chatting before he started on the garden and I mentioned that I am having the plumber come out, tomorrow, to tend to the bathroom sink faucet, to see why the water flow suddenly stopped.  He asked me if the faucet had an aerator and if I had checked it for debris.  Yes, it has an aerator and I had wondered if it was blocked, but, I couldn't turn in although I had tried.  He asked if he could take a look at it, opened it with the help of a pair of pliers and yes, the mesh inside the aerator was clogged!  He cleaned it and put it back and we have flowing water, again!  Woo hoo!  Nothing was wrong with the faucet, itself!  I'll still have the plumber come out because there are the other issues with the slow draining tub and the faulty diverter in the shower, etc.  They are inconveniences I have been putting up with and tolerating and if you were to look around my house, you'd see that I am very good at tolerating inconveniences! 

In the afternoon, I cleaned my daughter's bathroom (the slow draining tub is in there).  Since my daughter is not at home right now, no one is using this bathroom and I haven't been cleaning it weekly.  Well, the bathmats I had in there had a rubber backing and during the hot summer, the rubber backing had melted and glued itself to the ceramic tiles on the floor!  When I pulled the mats up to wash them, parts of the rubber backing remained stuck to the floor.  I tried to vacuum it up, but, it didn't do anything.  I tried to mop it, but, it didn't do much, either.  I took a brush and scrubbed at it and that helped a bit.  Finally, I took a big kitchen knife and scraped the stuff off and used a piece of melamine foam ("Magic Eraser") as well!  All that scrubbing and scraping warmed me up and I even removed the sweater I had been wearing!  LOL.  It also tired me out!  I was too tired to do the vacuuming I was planning to do!

I rested after that and watched the evening news.  Then, I had to put my sweater back on because once I had stopped scrubbing, I got cold, again!  And I had a mug of hot cocoa instead of my usual evening cup of tea.

Later, I ran the dishwasher and washed a few items that can't go in the dishwasher by hand.  There weren't a lot of dishes to put in the dishwasher, but, I haven't run it for at least a couple of weeks and I had been told I should run it at least once a week to keep the hoses flexible!  I thought I'd better run it tonight; that way, if there was a problem, the plumber will be here tomorrow, anyway!  LOL! Fortunately, the dishwasher worked well!  

Brunch had been the leftover slice of pizza from yesterday and apple slices.  Dinner was leftover pasta from last night and a piece of the moon cake for dessert.  I will probably have something for a snack before I go to sleep, though.  

Today, I am grateful for:
- M fixing the faucet for me as well as tending to the garden
- I was able to schedule a safety check for the furnace within a reasonable waiting period
- Warm wool sweaters!
- Sunny days (according to the weather forecast, November will be mostly cloudy and cool)
- Video chatting with my daughter

Today's joyful activity was chatting with M and sitting outside to enjoy the warmer temperature!

Wednesday's Prompt: Ego
("An egotistic pose.  Not based on any particular anime character.")

Plans for tomorrow include the plumber's visit, vacuuming, and doing some tidying around the house.

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