Today, I slept in a little longer and didn't get up until 9:30 a.m. Daughter informed me that her 11:00 a.m. conference call had been moved forward to 10:00 a.m., so, I took my cup of coffee and laptop to the living room, and left her alone in the family room to do the conference call. Her call lasted about one hour and, afterwards, I made us Indian-style cream of wheat (uppuma) for breakfast.
Lunch was a salad with some of the rotisserie chicken breast. I had one of the walnut rolls for dessert.
In the afternoon, I moved to the bedroom (the living room window faces west and gets hot in the afternoon; nice in the winter, but not so nice in the summer), read for a bit, and took a nap!
I had a cup of tea afterwards and then, daughter and I went shopping! First, we went back to the discount clothing store so she could exchange two items. After that, we went to the dollar store and I bought a card and some bananas ($.49/lb = $.73). Then, we went to the grocery store adjoining the dollar store and bought an Amazon gift card (to give as a wedding gift), a bottle of shampoo, and a loaf of sandwich bread ($1.29).
After we came home, we prepared dinner. We tried the box of frozen sesame chicken for dinner and the consensus is, we preferred the General Tso's chicken to the sesame chicken. After dinner, I ran the dishwasher and did a few items by hand. I also tidied away the fabric leftover from sewing the sari blouse. There's enough of the gold lame fabric to sew another blouse, so I might make one for daughter, at a later date.
Today, I am grateful for:
- Being able to sleep in
- Afternoon naps
- The convenience of gift cards
- The convenience of frozen foods
- Daughter's company
I am not making a to do list for tomorrow, but, I would like to go to the Armenian grocery store to buy some fresh produce. They are having broccoli for $.49/lb., again, spinach for 3 bunches for $1.00, zucchini for $.39/lb, and peaches for $.59/lb. I could then send some of it back with daughter when she leaves on Sunday.
How was your Thursday? What are your plans for Friday?
Friday, July 27, 2018
Thursday, July 26, 2018
Improvised Butter Dish and Step-Grandmother's Tea Sets
One of my friends asked, in her comment on yesterday's post, if I had bought a replacement butter dish (since I broke my previous butter dish a couple of weeks ago). The answer is, no, not yet! I looked in the dollar store when I was there, last, but didn't see any butter dishes, either glass or plastic. My friend had sent me a link, earlier, to a break-resistant butter dish, but I hadn't purchased one, yet. Instead, what I've done is improvised a butter dish, using a saucer and a glass dish I already had:
On the underside, there is a crown with "Hand Painted" written below:
At one time, there used to be a set of six, but now, I am down to just two cups. Both cups and their saucers sit on my kitchen counter, as I use them for my evening tea, along with cups from my Royal Albert Old Country Roses set. The cups are eggshell thin and have gold rims, so I wash them by hand. The saucers have gold rims, too, but they are mostly washed off!
The cups hold a secret, inside, as there is a raised design of a geisha in the bottom:
But that is not the real secret! The real secret is revealed when you hold the cup up to the light, for that is when the painting of the geisha is revealed!
The remainder of the set is stored and displayed in the china cabinet - the tea pot, sugar bowl (minus its lid, which broke), creamer, six side plates (we used to refer to them as "cheese plates", but that's not a term I've heard used here) and three saucers since I am using the other three for my tea cups and butter dish!
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| Improvised Butter Dish |
The saucer is one from a tea set that had belonged to my step-father's mother, the glass dish is from a set of dessert bowls that was a gift from an aunt, one Christmas.
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| Butter Dish |
The saucer has a Japanese scene, with Mount Fuji towards the upper center:
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| Painted Saucer |
On the underside, there is a crown with "Hand Painted" written below:
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| I haven't been able to identify this mark |
At one time, there used to be a set of six, but now, I am down to just two cups. Both cups and their saucers sit on my kitchen counter, as I use them for my evening tea, along with cups from my Royal Albert Old Country Roses set. The cups are eggshell thin and have gold rims, so I wash them by hand. The saucers have gold rims, too, but they are mostly washed off!
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| Cup and Saucer from the Set |
The cups hold a secret, inside, as there is a raised design of a geisha in the bottom:
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| Raised Design of Geisha |
But that is not the real secret! The real secret is revealed when you hold the cup up to the light, for that is when the painting of the geisha is revealed!
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| Painting of Geisha |
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| The Rest of the Set |
This tea set is one of two that I have which belonged to my step-father's mother. The other set is a little more complete in that there are seven teacups (originally, it had been a set of 12):
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| The other tea set |
I use the saucers and side plates from this set for my almsgivings, to serve the cut fruits and candies, etc. They, too, are very delicate with gold trim and need to be washed by hand.
We kept these tea sets with relatives when we left Sri Lanka and brought them back with us on a later visit. I carried them in my hand luggage, and I swear, that bag got heavier and heavier as I walked the corridors of Heathrow airport with them! LOL. And I got to do it twice, too, because we stayed overnight at a hotel, en route. So, carried them once through the airport to the hotel and again, from the hotel back to the airport!
I suppose I will eventually buy another butter dish. In the meantime, I am quite happy with my improvised butter dish, mainly because I am using what I have, without spending money to buy something else. I've plenty of extra saucers and glass bowls if these break. The glass bowl is small enough for me to lift it without a knob from which to hold it. But, I could glue a knob to the top of the glass bowl, it I come across one.
What do you think of my improvised butter dish? Yes, it isn't shaped like a regular butter dish, but it works (the bowl is large enough not to touch the sides of the stick of butter). How likely are you to improvise something using what you have instead of running out to buy a replacement?
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
Wednesday:Midway through the First Week
I am loving being able to stay up as long as I like without the worry of having to wake up at 7:00 a.m. to go to the office! It was past 3:30 a.m., when I went to bed, last night/early this morning, and then, I stayed up reading for another half an hour or so! Then, I woke up at 9:00 a.m., without any alarms being set, so that seems to be my natural waking up time.
I opened those windows I could open (some of the windows have screens that are torn, or don't have any screens at all, so I don't open them in order to prevent flies and other insects from coming in and a certain Dancer from going out!) and the front door (there is a metal security door, so keeping the wooden door open is OK) to air and cool off the house. Then, I had a cup of coffee, responded to blog comments, and checked my work emails, just in case, and cleared my in-box; I'll be doing that every couple of days until I retire and my work email account will be closed.
Cousin P called and came over to visit and she brought me the two extra pieces of boxed wedding cake cousin V had sent through her. We chatted for a bit and, as she was leaving, she asked me to let her know if I plan to go to the Sri Lankan store, as she'd like to go with me. I will need to go one of these days to buy more of my favorite tea from them. I opened one box of 100 tea bags, recently, and there are 2 more boxes in the pantry; I usually drink one cup of tea each evening, and, when daughter is home, she will have a cup of tea with me, so a 100-count box will last me a good three months. But, this tea is not always in stock, so I like to stock up on them, when I can.
After she left, I changed the sheets on my bed, swept the living room, dining area, kitchen, hallway, and my bathroom (didn't want to vacuum and disturb my daughter), and set up the big brass lamp in its usual spot between the fireplace and the bookcase in the living room.
Then, it was time to go for a shower, to cool off! Later, I did a load of laundry and had the last of the Thai fried rice leftovers for brunch.
Daughter had a video conference call in the afternoon, and I retreated to the bedroom to keep out of her way. I read a bit and was just settling down for a nap when she came in and turned on the room air conditioner for me, ignoring my protests that I was fine without it! But, I must admit, I had a good nap in the cool bedroom.
After my nap, I warmed up the last two waffles from yesterday's brunch and shared them with daughter for tea. Then, I washed the blanket from my bed. This blanket has seen better days, but it'll do for now. However, I might turn it into the batting for an everyday/utility quilt, using fabric I have in the stash.
Later in the evening, daughter and I went shopping. We went to our favorite discount clothing store and daughter, who is looking for Fall clothes, purchased 11 items - tops, skirts, leggings, sweatshirts, and a couple of dresses, all for a total of $48.50. After we came home, she tried them on and we will go back to exchange two of them, tomorrow. I looked to see if there was a white, short sleeved blouse for me, but I didn't find anything I liked. I will keep looking.
Today, I am grateful for:
- The window a/c unit in my bedroom
- Afternoon naps
- Discount clothes shopping
- Getting a few things done while it is still cool in the morning
- A nice visit with cousin
How was your day? Did you accomplish what you wanted to do, today?
I opened those windows I could open (some of the windows have screens that are torn, or don't have any screens at all, so I don't open them in order to prevent flies and other insects from coming in and a certain Dancer from going out!) and the front door (there is a metal security door, so keeping the wooden door open is OK) to air and cool off the house. Then, I had a cup of coffee, responded to blog comments, and checked my work emails, just in case, and cleared my in-box; I'll be doing that every couple of days until I retire and my work email account will be closed.
Cousin P called and came over to visit and she brought me the two extra pieces of boxed wedding cake cousin V had sent through her. We chatted for a bit and, as she was leaving, she asked me to let her know if I plan to go to the Sri Lankan store, as she'd like to go with me. I will need to go one of these days to buy more of my favorite tea from them. I opened one box of 100 tea bags, recently, and there are 2 more boxes in the pantry; I usually drink one cup of tea each evening, and, when daughter is home, she will have a cup of tea with me, so a 100-count box will last me a good three months. But, this tea is not always in stock, so I like to stock up on them, when I can.
After she left, I changed the sheets on my bed, swept the living room, dining area, kitchen, hallway, and my bathroom (didn't want to vacuum and disturb my daughter), and set up the big brass lamp in its usual spot between the fireplace and the bookcase in the living room.
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| The oil lamp at the wedding, just before being lit by the bride and groom |
Daughter had a video conference call in the afternoon, and I retreated to the bedroom to keep out of her way. I read a bit and was just settling down for a nap when she came in and turned on the room air conditioner for me, ignoring my protests that I was fine without it! But, I must admit, I had a good nap in the cool bedroom.
After my nap, I warmed up the last two waffles from yesterday's brunch and shared them with daughter for tea. Then, I washed the blanket from my bed. This blanket has seen better days, but it'll do for now. However, I might turn it into the batting for an everyday/utility quilt, using fabric I have in the stash.
Later in the evening, daughter and I went shopping. We went to our favorite discount clothing store and daughter, who is looking for Fall clothes, purchased 11 items - tops, skirts, leggings, sweatshirts, and a couple of dresses, all for a total of $48.50. After we came home, she tried them on and we will go back to exchange two of them, tomorrow. I looked to see if there was a white, short sleeved blouse for me, but I didn't find anything I liked. I will keep looking.
Today, I am grateful for:
- The window a/c unit in my bedroom
- Afternoon naps
- Discount clothes shopping
- Getting a few things done while it is still cool in the morning
- A nice visit with cousin
How was your day? Did you accomplish what you wanted to do, today?
Tuesday, July 24, 2018
On the Second Day (Tuesday)
I took it easy! Woke up at 9:00 a.m. (after going to sleep at 3:00 a.m.), without an alarm. Had a cup of coffee, opened the windows and front door to get some cooler morning air into the house, replied to blog comments, etc. Then, at 10:00 a.m., dressed and went out to bring in the trash cans and water the front garden. In the future, if I decide to water the front garden in the morning, I must remember to do it before 9:00 a.m., because, by 10:00 a.m., just about the entire garden was in the full sun and it was too hot! Or, at the very least, I must wear my big sun hat!
I made waffles for brunch. For dinner, I cooked fresh rice and sauteed another zucchini and daughter prepared one of the boxes of frozen chicken we had bought, yesterday, the General Tso's chicken, which was very good! The other one is a sesame chicken, but we haven't tried it, yet.
Today, I did two loads of laundry and hung them up to dry. The first load was put away, the second load is still drying. I handwashed our sari blouses; daughter's blouse, especially, is heavily embroidered with beads, which might have got damaged if it had been washed in the washing machine.
I called my cousin V and told her that her son's wedding had gone off very well and her attention to details really showed. She said her husband's family had been displeased with the seating arrangements (apparently, they felt they weren't seated close enough to the main table)! Oops! This is why I tell my daughter to elope whenever she gets married! LOL!
In the afternoon, when it was too hot to do anything, I read a book and took a nap! Later, I was having tea when my neighbor T called to ask if I was satisfied with the tree trimmers. We chatted for a bit and then, I called both cousin P and friend R to check on them. I also replied to my friend's email.
This week, I am giving myself permission to just relax and be on vacation mode. The deep cleaning and organizing, etc., that I want to do can wait until next week. Besides, it is just too hot to do anything! Tomorrow, I might turn on the air conditioner in my bedroom (the window unit was put in place on Friday, but, so far, I haven't turned it on) and try to do some cleaning, in there.
Today, I am grateful for:
- A relaxed day
- Being able to water the front garden in the morning
- Afternoon naps
- Daughter helping to prepare the dinner
- Phone calls with family and friends
How was your Tuesday? Is it hot where you are? If so, how are you coping with the heat?
I made waffles for brunch. For dinner, I cooked fresh rice and sauteed another zucchini and daughter prepared one of the boxes of frozen chicken we had bought, yesterday, the General Tso's chicken, which was very good! The other one is a sesame chicken, but we haven't tried it, yet.
Today, I did two loads of laundry and hung them up to dry. The first load was put away, the second load is still drying. I handwashed our sari blouses; daughter's blouse, especially, is heavily embroidered with beads, which might have got damaged if it had been washed in the washing machine.
I called my cousin V and told her that her son's wedding had gone off very well and her attention to details really showed. She said her husband's family had been displeased with the seating arrangements (apparently, they felt they weren't seated close enough to the main table)! Oops! This is why I tell my daughter to elope whenever she gets married! LOL!
In the afternoon, when it was too hot to do anything, I read a book and took a nap! Later, I was having tea when my neighbor T called to ask if I was satisfied with the tree trimmers. We chatted for a bit and then, I called both cousin P and friend R to check on them. I also replied to my friend's email.
This week, I am giving myself permission to just relax and be on vacation mode. The deep cleaning and organizing, etc., that I want to do can wait until next week. Besides, it is just too hot to do anything! Tomorrow, I might turn on the air conditioner in my bedroom (the window unit was put in place on Friday, but, so far, I haven't turned it on) and try to do some cleaning, in there.
Today, I am grateful for:
- A relaxed day
- Being able to water the front garden in the morning
- Afternoon naps
- Daughter helping to prepare the dinner
- Phone calls with family and friends
How was your Tuesday? Is it hot where you are? If so, how are you coping with the heat?
July Grocery Shopping: Week 4
Yesterday, daughter and I went grocery shopping in the evening. We went to a store that advertises itself as having "warehouse prices without membership fees". I used to shop there before I got my Costco membership and I've been shopping there after I allowed my Costco membership to lapse and decided not to renew it, as I felt I didn't buy enough items at Costco to make it worth my membership fee of $55/year.
Since my daughter put away the groceries for me, I don't have a picture of the items to share. But, I bought:
1 jar instant coffee, 16 oz (supposed to make 240 cups of coffee) = $8.99
1 bottle salad dressing = $1.50
1 box frozen sesame chicken = $4.99
1 box frozen barbecue chicken = $4.99
1 box (5 count) frozen beef tamales = $4.49
1 box walnut roll pastries = $5.19
1 chuck steak @$3.99/lb = $3.19
1 gal. milk = $2.89
1 rotisserie chicken = $6.99
Total = $43.22
In addition, I bought:
1 hair conditioner = $.89
12 ct. bar soap = $8.49
1 bag (14 lb) cat food = $8.99
Sales tax on non-food items = $2.41
Total = $20.78
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| 7/23 Receipt |
With the non-food items added, I spent a total of $64.00 at the store. But, these non-food items are not part of my grocery budget.
July Grocery Budget = $100 - $3.78 over-spent in June = $96.22
Spent to date = $27.21 + $6.49 + $3.42 + $43.22 = $80.34
Balance left in July grocery budget = $96.22 - $80.34 = $15.88
I might do a Week 4 - Part 2 shopping trip for fresh produce, either today or later in the week, with the remaining $15.88.
For last night's dinner, I made a box of macaroni and cheese and sauteed a zucchini and we had that with some of the rotisserie chicken. My daughter, who claimed she didn't like zucchini, liked the way I cooked it (just barely cooked, so it wasn't too soft and soggy), and asked if she could finish the rest of it after I had served some for myself! LOL.
We still have most of the chicken left, so we'll have that with a salad or the rest of the mac and cheese, etc., during the week, (I've more zucchini I could saute) and I might freeze some of it to send back with her.
I will slice the beef steak thinly and cook it with onions and celery and chili powder to make a "devilled beef" to be served with rice for dinner, one night.
There is also at least one serving remaining of the smoked sausage stir-fry I made and various other leftovers that daughter brought home, including a green papaya salad. Plus all those various frozen items we bought!
Well, that might not be a proper meal plan, as such, but it is good enough for me! I just need to know the options and, in any case, with daughter home this week, it's more like a week of vacation, so, there's always an option of indulging in a bit of going out to eat (or, more likely, getting some take out to eat at home!)
How is your July grocery shopping spending coming along? Are you able to keep to your budget? Did you make a meal plan for this week?
Monday, July 23, 2018
Monday: Tree Trimming On the First Day of Pre-Retirement Vacation
Last night/early this morning, true to our night owl nature, daughter and I went to bed at 4:30 a.m.! LOL!
The sound of the tree trimmers using their chainsaws on my neighbor's tree woke me just before 7:30 a.m. Not a problem since I had been expecting them. Daughter said she just turned over and went back to sleep! I, however, got up, brushed my teeth, washed my face, and got dressed! Then, I went outside to talk to the tree trimmers. They were from the same tree trimming service my gardener friend M had recommended (they trim his trees, as well). It's a family owned business, according to M. The two men who were out were the workers; I spoke to the boss and asked for an estimate, and after speaking to his workers, he quoted $500 to trim my eucalyptus tree:
I had expected it to be around $700, at least (which was based on an earlier quote I received from someone else, several years ago). Neighbor T had told me she had received three estimates and these people were the cheapest. I decided to go with them, partly because they did a good job on my neighbor's tree, they came recommended by friend M, their equipment was already here, and the workers could start right away, as soon as they had finished trimming neighbor T's tree.
I also knew that if I postponed it to get another estimate, I might take another 6 months to get to it! How long have I been talking about getting this tree trimmed? Seemed to me that all the stars were aligned and it was a good time to take action!
It was team work: one guy did the trimming; the other guy pulled the branches to the shredder:
I offered them bottles of water before they started their work and, again, about half way through; they were very grateful for the water.
I'm glad I'm getting it done now, before I planted any new plants that might have got damaged when branches came down:
They trimmed my neighbor's tree in about one hour. They took about one and a half hours to trim my tree. Afterwards, they fed all the branches through the shredder, raked, very briefly watered the front garden to control the dust, and used a leaf blower to remove the last of the debris. By 10:30 a.m., they were done!
That's one big task crossed off my long-term do to list! Now I won't have to peer anxiously out the front window every time there is a big wind storm! At least, not for another couple of years, I hope!
Later in the morning, I did a load of dishes in the dishwasher and washed a few additional items by hand. Then, I had a slice of toast with a scrambled egg for brunch. Cousin P called and we chatted a bit. She said she had gone to visit cousin V (the mother of the groom), last night, and cousin V had sent another couple of pieces of boxed wedding cake for me (she had ordered extra cake). Cousin P said she'll come over later to give me the cake.
In the afternoon, I felt sleepy and took a long nap! From about 1:30 p.m. till 5:30 p.m. I slept longer during my nap than I did during the night! Daughter and I had tea after I woke up and then, I took a shower to cool off.
My cousin in Florida had called and left a message on Saturday, so I called him back and chatted with him for a bit. This cousin had been an engineer with the New York Port Authority and was working in the World Trade Center Tower 1 when it was attacked on 9/11; there was a picture of him in one of the newspapers, covered in ash as he made his way out of the devastation, that day. I promised to come and see him and his wife one of these days, since I am now retired and have time to travel.
Afterwards, daughter and I went grocery shopping (we needed milk, instant coffee, bar soap, shampoo and conditioner) and we treated ourselves to a rotisserie chicken for dinner. Daughter put away the groceries for me while I took the trash cans to the curb, collected today's mail from the mail box, and turned the sprinklers on at the back. I will do a separate grocery post, although I don't have any pictures; I need to go through the receipt to separate out the grocery items (milk, beef, salad dressing, frozen tamales, frozen prepared chicken, the rotisserie chicken, instant coffee, and walnut pastries) from the non-grocery items (cat food, conditioner, bar soap; they didn't have the shampoo). Altogether, I spent $64 at the store!
I cooked a box of macaroni and cheese and sauteed a zucchini to accompany the rotisserie chicken for dinner. After dinner, I emptied the dishwasher and hand washed the day's dishes and the pans. This time, I remembered to put on a pair of rubber gloves while doing the dishes, to preserve my manicure! In the morning, when I was pre-rinsing the dishes prior to putting them in the dishwasher, I forgot to wear rubber gloves!
Today, I am grateful for:
- Being able to get the eucalyptus tree trimmed, finally!
- A productive first day of vacation
- Afternoon naps
- Daughter's company
- Cousins who call
Plans for tomorrow include:
- watering the front garden
- bringing the trash cans in
- doing a little more grocery shopping
- buying a card for Saturday's wedding
- getting a gift for Saturday's wedding
- unpacking from the weekend's trip
- laundry
- vacuuming the spot where the oil lamp sits
- setting up the oil lamp (it was taken apart for transporting to the wedding venue and back)
How was your Monday? Have you had tree trimmers trim your trees?
The sound of the tree trimmers using their chainsaws on my neighbor's tree woke me just before 7:30 a.m. Not a problem since I had been expecting them. Daughter said she just turned over and went back to sleep! I, however, got up, brushed my teeth, washed my face, and got dressed! Then, I went outside to talk to the tree trimmers. They were from the same tree trimming service my gardener friend M had recommended (they trim his trees, as well). It's a family owned business, according to M. The two men who were out were the workers; I spoke to the boss and asked for an estimate, and after speaking to his workers, he quoted $500 to trim my eucalyptus tree:
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| Prior to Trimming |
I had expected it to be around $700, at least (which was based on an earlier quote I received from someone else, several years ago). Neighbor T had told me she had received three estimates and these people were the cheapest. I decided to go with them, partly because they did a good job on my neighbor's tree, they came recommended by friend M, their equipment was already here, and the workers could start right away, as soon as they had finished trimming neighbor T's tree.
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| Another look from the other side |
I also knew that if I postponed it to get another estimate, I might take another 6 months to get to it! How long have I been talking about getting this tree trimmed? Seemed to me that all the stars were aligned and it was a good time to take action!
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| Trimming in Progress at 9:00 a.m. |
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| Branches waiting to be shredded |
I offered them bottles of water before they started their work and, again, about half way through; they were very grateful for the water.
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| It was already quite hot, outside |
I'm glad I'm getting it done now, before I planted any new plants that might have got damaged when branches came down:
 |
| More felled branches |
They trimmed my neighbor's tree in about one hour. They took about one and a half hours to trim my tree. Afterwards, they fed all the branches through the shredder, raked, very briefly watered the front garden to control the dust, and used a leaf blower to remove the last of the debris. By 10:30 a.m., they were done!
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| After the Trimming, taken at 10:15 a.m. |
That's one big task crossed off my long-term do to list! Now I won't have to peer anxiously out the front window every time there is a big wind storm! At least, not for another couple of years, I hope!
Later in the morning, I did a load of dishes in the dishwasher and washed a few additional items by hand. Then, I had a slice of toast with a scrambled egg for brunch. Cousin P called and we chatted a bit. She said she had gone to visit cousin V (the mother of the groom), last night, and cousin V had sent another couple of pieces of boxed wedding cake for me (she had ordered extra cake). Cousin P said she'll come over later to give me the cake.
In the afternoon, I felt sleepy and took a long nap! From about 1:30 p.m. till 5:30 p.m. I slept longer during my nap than I did during the night! Daughter and I had tea after I woke up and then, I took a shower to cool off.
My cousin in Florida had called and left a message on Saturday, so I called him back and chatted with him for a bit. This cousin had been an engineer with the New York Port Authority and was working in the World Trade Center Tower 1 when it was attacked on 9/11; there was a picture of him in one of the newspapers, covered in ash as he made his way out of the devastation, that day. I promised to come and see him and his wife one of these days, since I am now retired and have time to travel.
Afterwards, daughter and I went grocery shopping (we needed milk, instant coffee, bar soap, shampoo and conditioner) and we treated ourselves to a rotisserie chicken for dinner. Daughter put away the groceries for me while I took the trash cans to the curb, collected today's mail from the mail box, and turned the sprinklers on at the back. I will do a separate grocery post, although I don't have any pictures; I need to go through the receipt to separate out the grocery items (milk, beef, salad dressing, frozen tamales, frozen prepared chicken, the rotisserie chicken, instant coffee, and walnut pastries) from the non-grocery items (cat food, conditioner, bar soap; they didn't have the shampoo). Altogether, I spent $64 at the store!
I cooked a box of macaroni and cheese and sauteed a zucchini to accompany the rotisserie chicken for dinner. After dinner, I emptied the dishwasher and hand washed the day's dishes and the pans. This time, I remembered to put on a pair of rubber gloves while doing the dishes, to preserve my manicure! In the morning, when I was pre-rinsing the dishes prior to putting them in the dishwasher, I forgot to wear rubber gloves!
Today, I am grateful for:
- Being able to get the eucalyptus tree trimmed, finally!
- A productive first day of vacation
- Afternoon naps
- Daughter's company
- Cousins who call
Plans for tomorrow include:
- watering the front garden
- bringing the trash cans in
- doing a little more grocery shopping
- buying a card for Saturday's wedding
- getting a gift for Saturday's wedding
- unpacking from the weekend's trip
- laundry
- vacuuming the spot where the oil lamp sits
- setting up the oil lamp (it was taken apart for transporting to the wedding venue and back)
How was your Monday? Have you had tree trimmers trim your trees?
Weekend in Review
Saturday morning, daughter and I woke up at 9:30 a.m. (I had gone to sleep at 4:15 a.m.). We had our morning coffee and then, cousin P called and came over for a few minutes. Shortly after that, daughter and I ran a few errands. We went to the Mall, first, because, even with all the other preparations for my cousin's son's wedding, I had put off getting a wedding gift! In the back of my mind, I had the thought of giving them a check, but at the last minute, I decided to check the wedding gift registry. There were several items still left on the registry, but I couldn't decide among them and so, I chose to get a gift card from the store. That way, the young couple can choose which gift they really wanted.
After that, we indulged in a bit of pampering! Daughter had her eyebrows threaded ($7) and we both had manicures ($15 each, with the tip). It was daughter's first professional manicure:
I don't normally paint my nails and, to my frugal way of thinking, getting my nails done professionally is a waste of money. I believe my last professional manicure was done back when I was going through my divorce; it was a very stressful period and I indulged in a bit of pampering with a facial and a manicure, one day. That was 24 years ago!
But, on Saturday, I excused the expense as a "retirement celebration"! However, getting my nails done took longer than getting daughter's nails done and it delayed us. So, we left the mall a bit later than I had intended and I still had a few things to do!
After the manicures, we put gas to the car, went to the dollar store to buy a card (I had originally planned to make a card, but I didn't make one), and got some hamburgers and fries for lunch.
Earlier in the week, my cousin had mentioned she and her daughter were considering booking a hotel room for the night so that they wouldn't need to drive home after the wedding, after having drinks and so forth. She asked if I'd like to go with them and we can share the room (and the cost). I could have driven us back, since I don't drink, but I knew I'd be tired and I am becoming aware that night driving is a bit of a strain on my eyes (I am developing cataracts in both eyes). So, I had agreed to go with them and share the room.
My cousin had said we'd leave around 2:00 p.m., check into the hotel, get dressed there, and then, go to the wedding venue (wedding was scheduled to start at 5:00 p.m.) I had wondered if 2:00 p.m. was early enough, as the drive to the hotel would take about 1 1/2 hours, which meant we'd get to the hotel around 3:30 p.m. and we'd have to leave at 4:30 p.m. to get to the wedding. But, one hour to get dressed, including draping my daughter's sari for her, was sufficient time for me, so I figured it would be fine.
Daughter and I were still in the drive-through line at the hamburger place, when cousin's daughter called asking if we were ready to leave! It was around 1:30 p.m. and I was nowhere ready!
We rushed home with our hamburgers, and daughter quickly made her list of items to pack while I was driving home, but I was totally unprepared! Then, my cousin called to ask if I had a pair of earrings her daughter could borrow, so that one one additional item to look for and pack! Daughter and I had less than 15 minutes to pack our overnight bags and the one thing I hate happening, keeping someone waiting, happened! It was my turn to keep my cousin and her daughter waiting! I did tell cousin that they could go ahead and I'll drive there in my car and meet them at the hotel, but cousin said they'll wait for us. In hindsight, I should have done a lot of things the night before or earlier in the morning, but, as they say, hindsight is 20/20.
The drive took us 1 1/2 hours and we were at the hotel around 3:45 p.m. I took a quick shower while the others did their faces and got into their underskirts and sari blouses. Then, I began to put on my sari blouse and that's when I realized that I had forgotten to pack the bra that I was going to wear with the blouse! All I had was the old, stretched out comfy bra I had been wearing, and not the one I wore when I fitted on my blouse! As a result, the darts weren't in the right place and the blouse appeared too big! Oops!
My cousin and her daughter had got their saris pre-draped and sewn up, so that it resembled a wrap-around skirt and they only had to wrap the piece that goes over the shoulder. My cousin had told me she might need my help with the piece that goes over the shoulder, but, actually, she needed a lot more help with her sari than just that! This cousin doesn't wear saris and says this is only the 2nd time she's worn one. Even with the sari sewn up to resemble a skirt, she couldn't fasten the skirt by herself; I fastened the skirt for her and draped the rest of the sari for her. Then, her daughter needed help, as the sari blouse she had got sewn for her had a zipper closure in the front and the zipper broke! There was no way to fix the zipper. Fortunately, even in my rush to get packed and forgetting my bra, I had remembered to grab the box of safety pins, just in case! I managed to pin the blouse closed and draped the rest of the sari on cousin's daughter. After that, I dressed my daughter, and, finally, myself! By which time, I was already tired! Especially after rushing around earlier!
Needless to say, the 45 minutes we had allocated for dressing ourselves just wasn't enough! I could have dressed my daughter and myself in that time. But I couldn't dress ourselves and dress two others and repair a sari blouse in that period of time! I think it was already 5:00 p.m., when we finally left to go to the wedding! We joked about Sri Lankan time and hoped that the wedding would start at 5:30 p.m., even though the invitation said 5:00 p.m.
As it was, we got there just in time to follow the bride as she walked up the aisle! Well, at least we were in time for the ceremony to start! LOL.
After the ceremony, we gathered in the lobby of the reception hall and feasted on appetizers until the reception hall doors were opened at 7:00 p.m. and we could all go in. The bridal couple were led into the hall by two traditional drummers and a troupe of traditional dancers and then, they and their parents lit the oil lamp I had lent them. I asked my daughter to take pictures, but they all show faces of people and I don't think it would be appropriate for me to post them. There were a few speeches and a buffet dinner with dancing, afterwards. We were served slices of the wedding cake that the bridal couple cut and there were the traditional marzipan topped rich fruit cake in boxes placed at each place setting at the tables where we all sat. The reception went on till midnight and we stayed behind to help with the clean up. It was about 1:00 a.m. when we left the reception.
We were all tired when we got to the hotel. The hotel room had a king sized bed and a sofa bed which was a single bed. Cousin, my daughter, and I shared the big bed; cousin's daughter slept on the sofa bed. But first, we all climbed into the big bed in our night clothes and daughter took a selfie of us and I sang, "There were four in the bed and the little one said, roll over, roll over" and we all laughed! We were being silly, of course, but it was a fun ending to a day that was a bit fraught at times!
On Saturday, I was grateful for:
- Making it to the wedding just in time!
- Safe drive to the wedding
- Pampering and manicures
- My box of safety pins!
- A family bonding experience.
Sunday morning, we got up around 9:00 a.m. Cousin, her daughter, and my daughter went to the coffee shop in the lobby of the hotel to buy their morning coffee; I brewed the coffee that was in the hotel room. We checked out of the room at 11:30 a.m., and drove back home. Cousin's daughter suggested stopping for breakfast or lunch on the way home, but I declined. I was anxious to come home and check on Dancer.
But, everyone was saying that we should do this again - go somewhere together and stay the night in a hotel, and just spend some family bonding time together. My daughter and cousin's daughter played together when they were younger (there's a 3 year age difference), but they have very different personalities and don't have much in common, anymore. Daughter said they spent more time talking to each other yesterday, than they have in a long time. Maybe a few more trips together might be a good thing.
After we got home, I made some egg salad and daughter and I had egg salad sandwiches for lunch. I also did a load of laundry and hung it up to dry. Then, I returned my neighbor T's Sunday morning phone call - she told me that tree trimmers will come over tomorrow morning, at 7:00 a.m., to trim the bottle brush tree in her front yard which leans over my driveway and is near my daughter's and my bedroom windows! T's daughter had called and left a message on Friday, informing me and apologizing in advance for any inconvenience. She said I could part in T's drive way on Sunday night, should I need to drive anywhere on Monday, before the tree trimmers leave, but I told T that I don't need to go anywhere that early on Monday morning. But, of course, it would mean that I won't be able to sleep in, on my first day of vacation! Oh, well, I can ask them for an estimate to trim my eucalyptus tree! That was one of the items on my to do list!
My cousin in Florida had also called and left a message; I need to call him back.
In the afternoon, I took a nap and slept for about 2 hours. Then, I made tea for us and we relaxed. Later, daughter and I picked up some Thai food to have for dinner.
My sister called and we chatted for a bit. I told her that I was on vacation prior to retirement and we agreed to get together for lunch one of these days. There will be lot more time for getting together to lunch, etc., now.
Today, I am grateful for:
- A safe drive back home
- Dancer was fine
- Afternoon naps
- Phone calls from family and friends
- More family bonding time!
Plans for tomorrow include getting an estimate from the tree trimmers, getting Italian food for lunch, more laundry, doing the dishes, and taking the trash cans to the curb.
How was your weekend? Have you ever thought you had plenty of time and then, found yourself rushing around because you were seriously pressed for time?
After that, we indulged in a bit of pampering! Daughter had her eyebrows threaded ($7) and we both had manicures ($15 each, with the tip). It was daughter's first professional manicure:
 |
| Blue to match her sari |
I don't normally paint my nails and, to my frugal way of thinking, getting my nails done professionally is a waste of money. I believe my last professional manicure was done back when I was going through my divorce; it was a very stressful period and I indulged in a bit of pampering with a facial and a manicure, one day. That was 24 years ago!
 |
| I chose red |
But, on Saturday, I excused the expense as a "retirement celebration"! However, getting my nails done took longer than getting daughter's nails done and it delayed us. So, we left the mall a bit later than I had intended and I still had a few things to do!
After the manicures, we put gas to the car, went to the dollar store to buy a card (I had originally planned to make a card, but I didn't make one), and got some hamburgers and fries for lunch.
Earlier in the week, my cousin had mentioned she and her daughter were considering booking a hotel room for the night so that they wouldn't need to drive home after the wedding, after having drinks and so forth. She asked if I'd like to go with them and we can share the room (and the cost). I could have driven us back, since I don't drink, but I knew I'd be tired and I am becoming aware that night driving is a bit of a strain on my eyes (I am developing cataracts in both eyes). So, I had agreed to go with them and share the room.
My cousin had said we'd leave around 2:00 p.m., check into the hotel, get dressed there, and then, go to the wedding venue (wedding was scheduled to start at 5:00 p.m.) I had wondered if 2:00 p.m. was early enough, as the drive to the hotel would take about 1 1/2 hours, which meant we'd get to the hotel around 3:30 p.m. and we'd have to leave at 4:30 p.m. to get to the wedding. But, one hour to get dressed, including draping my daughter's sari for her, was sufficient time for me, so I figured it would be fine.
Daughter and I were still in the drive-through line at the hamburger place, when cousin's daughter called asking if we were ready to leave! It was around 1:30 p.m. and I was nowhere ready!
We rushed home with our hamburgers, and daughter quickly made her list of items to pack while I was driving home, but I was totally unprepared! Then, my cousin called to ask if I had a pair of earrings her daughter could borrow, so that one one additional item to look for and pack! Daughter and I had less than 15 minutes to pack our overnight bags and the one thing I hate happening, keeping someone waiting, happened! It was my turn to keep my cousin and her daughter waiting! I did tell cousin that they could go ahead and I'll drive there in my car and meet them at the hotel, but cousin said they'll wait for us. In hindsight, I should have done a lot of things the night before or earlier in the morning, but, as they say, hindsight is 20/20.
The drive took us 1 1/2 hours and we were at the hotel around 3:45 p.m. I took a quick shower while the others did their faces and got into their underskirts and sari blouses. Then, I began to put on my sari blouse and that's when I realized that I had forgotten to pack the bra that I was going to wear with the blouse! All I had was the old, stretched out comfy bra I had been wearing, and not the one I wore when I fitted on my blouse! As a result, the darts weren't in the right place and the blouse appeared too big! Oops!
My cousin and her daughter had got their saris pre-draped and sewn up, so that it resembled a wrap-around skirt and they only had to wrap the piece that goes over the shoulder. My cousin had told me she might need my help with the piece that goes over the shoulder, but, actually, she needed a lot more help with her sari than just that! This cousin doesn't wear saris and says this is only the 2nd time she's worn one. Even with the sari sewn up to resemble a skirt, she couldn't fasten the skirt by herself; I fastened the skirt for her and draped the rest of the sari for her. Then, her daughter needed help, as the sari blouse she had got sewn for her had a zipper closure in the front and the zipper broke! There was no way to fix the zipper. Fortunately, even in my rush to get packed and forgetting my bra, I had remembered to grab the box of safety pins, just in case! I managed to pin the blouse closed and draped the rest of the sari on cousin's daughter. After that, I dressed my daughter, and, finally, myself! By which time, I was already tired! Especially after rushing around earlier!
Needless to say, the 45 minutes we had allocated for dressing ourselves just wasn't enough! I could have dressed my daughter and myself in that time. But I couldn't dress ourselves and dress two others and repair a sari blouse in that period of time! I think it was already 5:00 p.m., when we finally left to go to the wedding! We joked about Sri Lankan time and hoped that the wedding would start at 5:30 p.m., even though the invitation said 5:00 p.m.
As it was, we got there just in time to follow the bride as she walked up the aisle! Well, at least we were in time for the ceremony to start! LOL.
 |
| Daughter and I |
After the ceremony, we gathered in the lobby of the reception hall and feasted on appetizers until the reception hall doors were opened at 7:00 p.m. and we could all go in. The bridal couple were led into the hall by two traditional drummers and a troupe of traditional dancers and then, they and their parents lit the oil lamp I had lent them. I asked my daughter to take pictures, but they all show faces of people and I don't think it would be appropriate for me to post them. There were a few speeches and a buffet dinner with dancing, afterwards. We were served slices of the wedding cake that the bridal couple cut and there were the traditional marzipan topped rich fruit cake in boxes placed at each place setting at the tables where we all sat. The reception went on till midnight and we stayed behind to help with the clean up. It was about 1:00 a.m. when we left the reception.
We were all tired when we got to the hotel. The hotel room had a king sized bed and a sofa bed which was a single bed. Cousin, my daughter, and I shared the big bed; cousin's daughter slept on the sofa bed. But first, we all climbed into the big bed in our night clothes and daughter took a selfie of us and I sang, "There were four in the bed and the little one said, roll over, roll over" and we all laughed! We were being silly, of course, but it was a fun ending to a day that was a bit fraught at times!
On Saturday, I was grateful for:
- Making it to the wedding just in time!
- Safe drive to the wedding
- Pampering and manicures
- My box of safety pins!
- A family bonding experience.
Sunday morning, we got up around 9:00 a.m. Cousin, her daughter, and my daughter went to the coffee shop in the lobby of the hotel to buy their morning coffee; I brewed the coffee that was in the hotel room. We checked out of the room at 11:30 a.m., and drove back home. Cousin's daughter suggested stopping for breakfast or lunch on the way home, but I declined. I was anxious to come home and check on Dancer.
But, everyone was saying that we should do this again - go somewhere together and stay the night in a hotel, and just spend some family bonding time together. My daughter and cousin's daughter played together when they were younger (there's a 3 year age difference), but they have very different personalities and don't have much in common, anymore. Daughter said they spent more time talking to each other yesterday, than they have in a long time. Maybe a few more trips together might be a good thing.
After we got home, I made some egg salad and daughter and I had egg salad sandwiches for lunch. I also did a load of laundry and hung it up to dry. Then, I returned my neighbor T's Sunday morning phone call - she told me that tree trimmers will come over tomorrow morning, at 7:00 a.m., to trim the bottle brush tree in her front yard which leans over my driveway and is near my daughter's and my bedroom windows! T's daughter had called and left a message on Friday, informing me and apologizing in advance for any inconvenience. She said I could part in T's drive way on Sunday night, should I need to drive anywhere on Monday, before the tree trimmers leave, but I told T that I don't need to go anywhere that early on Monday morning. But, of course, it would mean that I won't be able to sleep in, on my first day of vacation! Oh, well, I can ask them for an estimate to trim my eucalyptus tree! That was one of the items on my to do list!
My cousin in Florida had also called and left a message; I need to call him back.
In the afternoon, I took a nap and slept for about 2 hours. Then, I made tea for us and we relaxed. Later, daughter and I picked up some Thai food to have for dinner.
My sister called and we chatted for a bit. I told her that I was on vacation prior to retirement and we agreed to get together for lunch one of these days. There will be lot more time for getting together to lunch, etc., now.
Today, I am grateful for:
- A safe drive back home
- Dancer was fine
- Afternoon naps
- Phone calls from family and friends
- More family bonding time!
Plans for tomorrow include getting an estimate from the tree trimmers, getting Italian food for lunch, more laundry, doing the dishes, and taking the trash cans to the curb.
How was your weekend? Have you ever thought you had plenty of time and then, found yourself rushing around because you were seriously pressed for time?
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