It was a gloomy, overcast day, today. There was rain in the forecast, but it didn't actually rain until evening. Then, we had a good shower of rain.
Daughter and I woke up at 8:00 a.m. to give Dancer his pain medication - it is a two person undertaking, with both of us holding him and forcing his mouth open while daughter squirts the medicine into his cheek pouch and Dancer doing his best to avoid it! Afterwards, we gave him half a can of soft food and he was very happy!
Then, I went to feed the outside cats and that's when I discovered that we had forgotten to hide the bag of hairball formula dry cat food. Dancer doesn't much care for it, but he had knocked it over sometime in the night, and since it was open, some food had fallen out. I don't know if he ate any of it or not! The only reason they said to give him soft food was to allow his gums to heal; I am hoping he didn't eat much of the hard food. He isn't showing any signs of distress, so I am going to assume everything is OK. I have since locked away that bag of food, too!
The vet's office called to check up on him, which I thought was nice of them to do. They said to call them if I had any concerns. One question they asked was if he had used the litter box as normal. I know he used it once, late last night, but I haven't heard him use it since. So, now, I am worried about that! Hopefully, he'll resume using it, tomorrow, and all will be well. Otherwise, I might have to take him back to the vet!
My daughter tried to go back to sleep after she gave him the medicine and couldn't; she was not happy about that! I tried to stay up and couldn't! LOL! I fell asleep on the sofa and slept till noon! I only woke up because I was feeling hungry! I got up and made some milk rice, which daughter and I both ate for lunch. Dancer had another quarter of a can of food for lunch.
In the afternoon, I altered the dress and skirt. The dress, which I changed from a short sleeved dress to a sleeveless dress now fits me better than it did before, so I have reclaimed it! LOL. Daughter is content with the skirt, which I re-hemmed for her.
Later in the evening, after dinner (leftovers), I did a load of dishes and handwashed a few items. I really didn't feel like doing today's exercises, but my daughter coaxed me to doing them; she did 100 crunches, I managed 70. Tomorrow's set is kneeling on one knee with the other leg stretched out to the side, but the foot pointing to the front, and at the beginner level (which is what I do), you hold your arms out to the side and bend to the side to touch the floor by your bent knee (daughter, doing it at an advanced level, will reach to the side with both arms); 50 on each side! Wish me luck!
Today, I am grateful for:
- Dancer seems to be recovering well
- The vet's office calling to check on him
- Daughter being home to help with giving him medicine
- The rain we received
- A working dishwasher
Sunday's To Do List:
- Paperwork
- Start taking down and putting away the Christmas decorations
Saturday, January 5, 2019
Friday, January 4, 2019
Dancer's Tooth Extraction
Hi, my name is Dancer and I had a tooth extracted, today! I didn't like it, at all!
First of all, in order to be ready for something called anesthesia, the vet told my mummy not to give me anything to eat or drink after midnight, last night! So, Mummy gave me some tuna just before midnight, which was very nice and I really enjoyed all that yummy tuna. But, then, she took away my bowl of dry food and locked up all the bags of dry food, too, so I couldn't scratch at and tear any of the bags to help myself to any of it! I didn't appreciate that, at all, because I am used to having my bowl of dry food accessible for me to snack on whenever I want it!
I had to be at the vet's place between 7:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. Mummy said she and Little Bless would have to wake up early in order to do that and so, they tried to go to bed early. But, both Mummy and Little Bless were worried about me and neither of them could fall asleep! Mummy didn't fall asleep until past 3:00 a.m. and, even then, she kept waking up. Little Bless was up until 4:30 a.m., and slept right through her alarms! I wish Mummy had slept through her alarms, too, but she woke up at 6:15 a.m.
Usually, when Mummy wakes up, she gives me a treat of some tuna, but today, she didn't do that! I was so unhappy! I meowed and meowed at her, but she said, she's sorry, but she couldn't give me tuna this morning!
And then, they put me back in that prison called a carrier and I didn't like it, either! I knew at once, when they put me in it, that it meant a car ride and I don't like car rides. Seems to me that every single time we've gone somewhere in the car, it has been to the vet's where I get poked and jabbed and have things done to me that I don't like by people whom I don't know! I don't like strangers!
So, early in the morning, around 6:50 a.m., Mummy drove us to the vet's! I meowed all the way, even though Little Bless sat in the back seat with me and petted me and told me that I was a big, brave kitty, that I had nothing to worry about, that I was OK, and I was a good kitty. Ha! That's what she said yesterday, too, and look where it got me!
Then, once at the vet's, they left me with a stranger and went away! No! I meowed, "Mummy, don't go! Little Bless stay with me! Don't let them take Dancer away!" But, they said they will come back later for me and they went away! They abandoned me! At least, that's how I felt. I was taken to the back room, where they pricked me to take blood and put a drip line into my paw, and put me to sleep. Then, while I was asleep, they took x-rays of my teeth, pulled out the tooth that had been bothering me a bit, sewed my gum close, cleaned the rest of my teeth, and gave me medicines.
In the meantime, Mummy and Little Bless had gone home and slept a little.
Later, around 11:30 a.m., the vet called Mummy to say that the extraction was done, that all my other teeth were healthy, and I was recovering. The vet told Mummy to come for me any time after 3:00 p.m.
In the afternoon, Mummy and Little Bless did some errands - they went to the post office they said, to mail a package to Little Bless's friend in a place called Hawaii, and then, they went to the bank, to the pharmacy to pick up Mummy's medicines, and to the grocery store to buy some cans of soft food for me! They also bought some bananas for themselves, but, that's OK, too. Then, they looked around a new clothing store, but they didn't buy anything.
After that, they came to the vet's to pick me up! Oh, I was so happy to see them, even though I was feeling a bit sleepy. I wasn't happy that they had left me there, but, at least they came back for me! When you are a cat and your family leaves you with strangers in a strange place, everything is scary and you don't understand why they leave you and if you'll ever see them again!
Mummy paid the bill (it came to $945.10, which she said was a very big amount; she said she could have bought a lot of cans of tuna for that amount!) and they gave her some syringes of pain medicines to give me and a sheet of instructions. I didn't pay much attention to what they told her, but apparently, she couldn't give me anything to eat until 8:00 p.m. and I was to be given one of the syringes of the nasty pain medicine at the same time, tonight, and every 12 hours after that, until all six syringes were given! The vet wants to see me in two weeks' time and Mummy made the appointment right then and there because, she said she didn't want to procrastinate! She said that not procrastinating is one of her New Year's resolutions! I wish she would procrastinate about something like taking me back for another visit to the vet's, again, so soon! Little Bless won't be here to help her take me and I am going to meow and meow in the car all the way to the vet's and back, then!
I complained all the way home, too, because I didn't like the fact that they had taken me to the vet's and had left me there, and all the things that had been done to me, etc. I wanted them to know that I was not a happy kitty!
I felt better, once I came home, and Little Bless removed the pressure bandage that they had put on my paw (where they had put in the tube to give me fluids, etc.) But I was not happy that I wasn't given anything to eat or drink until 8:00 p.m., and, even then, they gave me only one quarter of the can of soft food! I am a big, 16 lb. kitty cat, and one quarter of a 5 oz. can of food is not enough! I pawed my empty bowl and meowed and meowed until Mummy felt sorry for me and told Little Bless to give me another quarter of the can. I ate all that and still feel hungry. I have been lying next to my empty bowl and moving it around, all evening, to see if Mummy will give me a little more food! She said she'll give me a little more, around midnight, if I didn't throw up. I haven't thrown up and it is now 11:15 p.m., so that's close enough to midnight, isn't it? I think I need to move this empty dish a little more to let her know that Dancer kitty is a hungry kitty!
Poor Mummy didn't feel too well, this afternoon, she said. She said she felt nauseated. I think it was because she was worried about me! Because she felt much better after she brought me home and saw that I was doing well. She drank a little lemon-lime soda and took a nap on the sofa, and felt better.
Mummy's gardener friend M came over to do the garden and he told me that he was sorry I had to go to the vet's. I usually hide when M comes over, but, today, I went to the sliding glass door to show him what a brave kitty I was. Later, Mummy and M planted some winter vegetable seeds in the garden - Mummy said they were old seeds and didn't know if they would germinate, but, if they do, there will be lettuce, spinach, peas, beets, and radishes! I like lettuce and spinach, so I hope they grow!
Much later in the evening, Mummy did something called "wiggles" which were a type of side to side crunches! Little Bless had done 100 of them, but Mummy could do only 80 and I heard her say that even then, some of them weren't done properly, because she couldn't lift her shoulders up enough. But, I wasn't very interested in what she was doing because I was waiting by my empty food dish.
Little Bless went out in the evening with some of her friends to have boba Thai ice tea. Mummy's friend R called and chatted with Mummy and Mummy told her all about me getting my tooth extracted.
Mummy said that, today, she's grateful for:
- Vet care for me
- My procedure went off well
- I am recovering nicely
- She was able to pay the vet's bill
- She's feeling better
This was Mummy's Friday To Do List:
- Drop Dancer off at the vet's - DONE
- Buy soft cat food - DONE
- Go to the bank - DONE
- Go to the post office - DONE
- Pick up Dancer - DONE
- Have friend M make a planting bed for winter vegetables - DONE
- Alter the dress and skirt for daughter.
She didn't do any sewing today. She says she'll do it tomorrow, instead! Um, excuse me, but isn't that procrastinating? How come she can procrastinate on that but not on scheduling my next vet appointment? Isn't that a bit unfair?
Here's Mummy's Saturday To Do List:
- Fuss over Dancer
- Give Dancer LOTS of food to eat
- Alter the dress and skirt
- Give Dancer MORE food to eat
First of all, in order to be ready for something called anesthesia, the vet told my mummy not to give me anything to eat or drink after midnight, last night! So, Mummy gave me some tuna just before midnight, which was very nice and I really enjoyed all that yummy tuna. But, then, she took away my bowl of dry food and locked up all the bags of dry food, too, so I couldn't scratch at and tear any of the bags to help myself to any of it! I didn't appreciate that, at all, because I am used to having my bowl of dry food accessible for me to snack on whenever I want it!
I had to be at the vet's place between 7:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. Mummy said she and Little Bless would have to wake up early in order to do that and so, they tried to go to bed early. But, both Mummy and Little Bless were worried about me and neither of them could fall asleep! Mummy didn't fall asleep until past 3:00 a.m. and, even then, she kept waking up. Little Bless was up until 4:30 a.m., and slept right through her alarms! I wish Mummy had slept through her alarms, too, but she woke up at 6:15 a.m.
Usually, when Mummy wakes up, she gives me a treat of some tuna, but today, she didn't do that! I was so unhappy! I meowed and meowed at her, but she said, she's sorry, but she couldn't give me tuna this morning!
And then, they put me back in that prison called a carrier and I didn't like it, either! I knew at once, when they put me in it, that it meant a car ride and I don't like car rides. Seems to me that every single time we've gone somewhere in the car, it has been to the vet's where I get poked and jabbed and have things done to me that I don't like by people whom I don't know! I don't like strangers!
So, early in the morning, around 6:50 a.m., Mummy drove us to the vet's! I meowed all the way, even though Little Bless sat in the back seat with me and petted me and told me that I was a big, brave kitty, that I had nothing to worry about, that I was OK, and I was a good kitty. Ha! That's what she said yesterday, too, and look where it got me!
Then, once at the vet's, they left me with a stranger and went away! No! I meowed, "Mummy, don't go! Little Bless stay with me! Don't let them take Dancer away!" But, they said they will come back later for me and they went away! They abandoned me! At least, that's how I felt. I was taken to the back room, where they pricked me to take blood and put a drip line into my paw, and put me to sleep. Then, while I was asleep, they took x-rays of my teeth, pulled out the tooth that had been bothering me a bit, sewed my gum close, cleaned the rest of my teeth, and gave me medicines.
In the meantime, Mummy and Little Bless had gone home and slept a little.
Later, around 11:30 a.m., the vet called Mummy to say that the extraction was done, that all my other teeth were healthy, and I was recovering. The vet told Mummy to come for me any time after 3:00 p.m.
In the afternoon, Mummy and Little Bless did some errands - they went to the post office they said, to mail a package to Little Bless's friend in a place called Hawaii, and then, they went to the bank, to the pharmacy to pick up Mummy's medicines, and to the grocery store to buy some cans of soft food for me! They also bought some bananas for themselves, but, that's OK, too. Then, they looked around a new clothing store, but they didn't buy anything.
After that, they came to the vet's to pick me up! Oh, I was so happy to see them, even though I was feeling a bit sleepy. I wasn't happy that they had left me there, but, at least they came back for me! When you are a cat and your family leaves you with strangers in a strange place, everything is scary and you don't understand why they leave you and if you'll ever see them again!
Mummy paid the bill (it came to $945.10, which she said was a very big amount; she said she could have bought a lot of cans of tuna for that amount!) and they gave her some syringes of pain medicines to give me and a sheet of instructions. I didn't pay much attention to what they told her, but apparently, she couldn't give me anything to eat until 8:00 p.m. and I was to be given one of the syringes of the nasty pain medicine at the same time, tonight, and every 12 hours after that, until all six syringes were given! The vet wants to see me in two weeks' time and Mummy made the appointment right then and there because, she said she didn't want to procrastinate! She said that not procrastinating is one of her New Year's resolutions! I wish she would procrastinate about something like taking me back for another visit to the vet's, again, so soon! Little Bless won't be here to help her take me and I am going to meow and meow in the car all the way to the vet's and back, then!
I complained all the way home, too, because I didn't like the fact that they had taken me to the vet's and had left me there, and all the things that had been done to me, etc. I wanted them to know that I was not a happy kitty!
I felt better, once I came home, and Little Bless removed the pressure bandage that they had put on my paw (where they had put in the tube to give me fluids, etc.) But I was not happy that I wasn't given anything to eat or drink until 8:00 p.m., and, even then, they gave me only one quarter of the can of soft food! I am a big, 16 lb. kitty cat, and one quarter of a 5 oz. can of food is not enough! I pawed my empty bowl and meowed and meowed until Mummy felt sorry for me and told Little Bless to give me another quarter of the can. I ate all that and still feel hungry. I have been lying next to my empty bowl and moving it around, all evening, to see if Mummy will give me a little more food! She said she'll give me a little more, around midnight, if I didn't throw up. I haven't thrown up and it is now 11:15 p.m., so that's close enough to midnight, isn't it? I think I need to move this empty dish a little more to let her know that Dancer kitty is a hungry kitty!
Poor Mummy didn't feel too well, this afternoon, she said. She said she felt nauseated. I think it was because she was worried about me! Because she felt much better after she brought me home and saw that I was doing well. She drank a little lemon-lime soda and took a nap on the sofa, and felt better.
Mummy's gardener friend M came over to do the garden and he told me that he was sorry I had to go to the vet's. I usually hide when M comes over, but, today, I went to the sliding glass door to show him what a brave kitty I was. Later, Mummy and M planted some winter vegetable seeds in the garden - Mummy said they were old seeds and didn't know if they would germinate, but, if they do, there will be lettuce, spinach, peas, beets, and radishes! I like lettuce and spinach, so I hope they grow!
Much later in the evening, Mummy did something called "wiggles" which were a type of side to side crunches! Little Bless had done 100 of them, but Mummy could do only 80 and I heard her say that even then, some of them weren't done properly, because she couldn't lift her shoulders up enough. But, I wasn't very interested in what she was doing because I was waiting by my empty food dish.
Little Bless went out in the evening with some of her friends to have boba Thai ice tea. Mummy's friend R called and chatted with Mummy and Mummy told her all about me getting my tooth extracted.
Mummy said that, today, she's grateful for:
- Vet care for me
- My procedure went off well
- I am recovering nicely
- She was able to pay the vet's bill
- She's feeling better
This was Mummy's Friday To Do List:
- Drop Dancer off at the vet's - DONE
- Buy soft cat food - DONE
- Go to the bank - DONE
- Go to the post office - DONE
- Pick up Dancer - DONE
- Have friend M make a planting bed for winter vegetables - DONE
- Alter the dress and skirt for daughter.
She didn't do any sewing today. She says she'll do it tomorrow, instead! Um, excuse me, but isn't that procrastinating? How come she can procrastinate on that but not on scheduling my next vet appointment? Isn't that a bit unfair?
Here's Mummy's Saturday To Do List:
- Fuss over Dancer
- Give Dancer LOTS of food to eat
- Alter the dress and skirt
- Give Dancer MORE food to eat
 |
| "I'm waiting for more food, Mummy" |
Thursday, January 3, 2019
A Visit to the Vet's on Thursday
Both my daughter and I slept in, this morning. I actually got more than 8 hours of sleep! Unfortunately, I woke up with a dull headache! More of a sinus pressure headache than anything else, but it stayed with me until later in the evening.
Today's abs exercises required 100 double leg lifts! I did 10! That's all I could manage to do! LOL! Then, I did 40 crunches and 10 of the arm/upper abs exercises that were done on the 1st day. My daughter did the 100 double leg lifts, but she had to push herself to complete them. The double leg lifts are something I'll have to work on!
I called the car dealers, this afternoon, and made an appointment to have my car serviced, next week (Tuesday afternoon).
Then, it was time to take Dancer to the vet's for his check up and a vaccination that was due.
Oh, but he was not a happy kitty, as he hates car rides, strange places, and strangers:
He was weighed (16.3 lbs. - he actually lost half a pound since his last visit), checked over, pronounced to be in general good health, and given his vaccination. He does have a cavity in one of his teeth, which requires an extraction! I decided to go ahead and schedule it for tomorrow, while my daughter is still home to help with taking him in and caring for him afterwards. We have to be at the vet's to drop him off between 7:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m.! Ack! So early! He is not allowed any food or water after midnight, tonight, and then, soft food only for two weeks, after which, he'll need another check up! So, plans for tomorrow include dropping him off, buying several cans of soft cat food, and picking him up in the evening (between 5:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.). Poor kitty!
Today's vet visit cost $98 for the office visit and vaccination. I have an estimation for tomorrow's procedure, too, and it is not exactly inexpensive, either!
After we came home from the vet's, we had tea. Then, I changed my bed sheets and did a load of laundry.
Neighbor T called and we had a nice chat.
Today, I am grateful for:
- Dancer is in general good health
- There is treatment available for his tooth
- The vet's office had an opening available for him, tomorrow, while daughter is home to help
- A sunny day
- Sleeping in
Thursday's To Do List:
- Alter the dress and skirt for daughter - STARTED
- Change my bed sheets - DONE
- 1 load of laundry (bed sheets) - DONE
- Take Dancer to the vet's - DONE
- Get packages ready for mailing - DID ONE
Friday's To Do List:
- Drop Dancer off at the vet's
- Buy soft cat food
- Go to the bank
- Go to the post office
- Pick up Dancer
- Have friend M make a planting bed for winter vegetables
- Alter the dress and skirt for daughter.
How was your day? What are your plans for tomorrow?
Today's abs exercises required 100 double leg lifts! I did 10! That's all I could manage to do! LOL! Then, I did 40 crunches and 10 of the arm/upper abs exercises that were done on the 1st day. My daughter did the 100 double leg lifts, but she had to push herself to complete them. The double leg lifts are something I'll have to work on!
I called the car dealers, this afternoon, and made an appointment to have my car serviced, next week (Tuesday afternoon).
Then, it was time to take Dancer to the vet's for his check up and a vaccination that was due.
 |
| "I don't like it! It's a scary place!" |
He was weighed (16.3 lbs. - he actually lost half a pound since his last visit), checked over, pronounced to be in general good health, and given his vaccination. He does have a cavity in one of his teeth, which requires an extraction! I decided to go ahead and schedule it for tomorrow, while my daughter is still home to help with taking him in and caring for him afterwards. We have to be at the vet's to drop him off between 7:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m.! Ack! So early! He is not allowed any food or water after midnight, tonight, and then, soft food only for two weeks, after which, he'll need another check up! So, plans for tomorrow include dropping him off, buying several cans of soft cat food, and picking him up in the evening (between 5:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.). Poor kitty!
Today's vet visit cost $98 for the office visit and vaccination. I have an estimation for tomorrow's procedure, too, and it is not exactly inexpensive, either!
After we came home from the vet's, we had tea. Then, I changed my bed sheets and did a load of laundry.
Neighbor T called and we had a nice chat.
Today, I am grateful for:
- Dancer is in general good health
- There is treatment available for his tooth
- The vet's office had an opening available for him, tomorrow, while daughter is home to help
- A sunny day
- Sleeping in
Thursday's To Do List:
- Alter the dress and skirt for daughter - STARTED
- Change my bed sheets - DONE
- 1 load of laundry (bed sheets) - DONE
- Take Dancer to the vet's - DONE
- Get packages ready for mailing - DID ONE
Friday's To Do List:
- Drop Dancer off at the vet's
- Buy soft cat food
- Go to the bank
- Go to the post office
- Pick up Dancer
- Have friend M make a planting bed for winter vegetables
- Alter the dress and skirt for daughter.
How was your day? What are your plans for tomorrow?
Mile Long To Do List - 2019
January is a good time to post a new Mile Long To Do List for the New Year! Some items on the list have been carried over from last year, even though the urgency to do them is gone. I am keeping them on the list, as I don't want to forget them!
This is the list for 2019. I am well aware of the fact that it is not going to be all done in January. I don't expect it to be done anytime soon! The important thing, at this time, is to get started on the list. To that end, I already called and scheduled two appointments (one for Dancer, for this afternoon, and one for the car to be serviced, next week). I would like to see at least 15 items crossed off the list, by the end of January, however.
Mile Long To Do List:
This is the list for 2019. I am well aware of the fact that it is not going to be all done in January. I don't expect it to be done anytime soon! The important thing, at this time, is to get started on the list. To that end, I already called and scheduled two appointments (one for Dancer, for this afternoon, and one for the car to be serviced, next week). I would like to see at least 15 items crossed off the list, by the end of January, however.
Mile Long To Do List:
- Schedule Dancer's check up - DONE; scheduled for 1/3
- Primary care doctor's appointment (1/11)
- Gastroenterologist's appointment (1/14)
- Radiation oncologist appointment (1/17)
- Call dentist's office to reschedule appointment
- Mail packages
- Dig out spare room/The Dump
- Paperwork/File/Shred
- Pay monthly bills
- Take down the Christmas decorations and tree
- Call and schedule a car service - DONE; scheduled for 1/8
- Attend monthly rosary gathering (1/26)
- Call to have the outside cats spayed/neutered
- Make a list of house repairs needed
- Call for estimates on house repairs (various)
- Replace toilet flush valve in bathroom #1
- Check shower hot water flow in bathroom #1
- Replace ceiling heater unit in bathroom #1
- Fix under sink cabinet door in bathroom #2
- Get a plumber to fix drainage in bathtub (bathroom #2)
- Replace garage door opener system
- Replace the side garage door
- Clean out the garage!
- Clean out the shed
- Plant a winter garden
- Polish brassware
- Polish silverware
- Buy paint for the front door
- Paint front door
- Declutter
- Clean chandelier in dining room
- Clean light fixtures (2) in family room
- Sew new bedroom curtains
- Sew quilts
- Clean vertical blinds - family room sliding glass door
- Clean sliding glass door, including tracks
- Buy new sofa slip covers - IKEA
Anyone else has a mile long list of things she'd like to accomplish?
On the Second Day of the New Year
Today was a productive day!
I had just woken up and fed the cats, this morning, when Aunt C called for a chat. Later in the morning, I did a load of laundry. Then, I joined my daughter in doing an abs routine. She is doing a 30-days abs routine, this month, and yesterday was the first day. I joined her, then, too. She did her routine at a higher level, while I did it at the beginner level. Today's routine was 100 cross body crunches; I managed to do 60. I am proud of that!
In the afternoon, daughter helped me to go through and declutter my closet! She did most of the physical work of pulling everything out, asking me if it fitted, if I liked it, if I wanted to keep it, etc., and either putting the item back in the closet or putting into a big trash bag for donating. I tried on a few items that I was not sure of and she helped me decide whether to keep them or donate. She took 11 of the items for herself - 2 purses, 1 dress, 3 blouses, 3 skirts, the wig I wore when I had no hair (she will use it for one of her cosplay or Halloween costumes), and 1 knitted hat. I need to alter the dress and one skirt for her; I'll do that tomorrow. I had her put back the rest of the items with the hangers turned the other way. As I wear each item, wash it, and return it to the closet, I will put them back with the hangers turned the regular way. Some time in July or August, I will check the closet again and see if any hangers are still left, facing the other way. If so, that will mean that those items were not worn since January, and I will probably donate them. I didn't count the number of items she put into the bag to donate, yet, but, at last count, there were about 35 empty clothes hangers on the bed to be put away!
Later in the afternoon, I brought the trash cans in from the curb and put water to the front garden. I also picked the last pomegranate that was left on the tree and removed the pips to share with my daughter:
Maybe a candidate photo for the winter photographic scavenger hunt, No. 9 Peel/Peeling? I have another candidate photo for the same prompt, which was taken earlier today:
Later in the evening, I washed the dishes and made fish rolls for dinner:
A bit like sausage rolls, but filled with a fish filling. I made 32 of the rolls and froze half for my daughter to take back, with her.
After dinner, I called cousin N to check on her, because her mother had mentioned that cousin had sprained her foot over the weekend. Cousin had been to the doctor's and has a boot to wear and some anti-inflammatory medication to take for the swelling. We agreed to postpone our New Year's visit until she is feeling better.
Later, I oiled my daughter's hair and braided it, and she returned the favor.
I also called the vet's office, today, and made an appointment to take Dancer in for his various vaccinations and a check up:
Today, I am grateful for:
- Daughter helping me with decluttering my closet!
- Phone calls with aunt and cousin
- Fresh pomegranates from my tree
- Frozen puff pastry dough
- What I was able to accomplish today.
Thursday's To Do List:
- Alter the dress and skirt for daughter
- Change my bed sheets
- 1 load of laundry (bed sheets)
- Take Dancer to the vet's
- Get packages ready for mailing
How was your day, today? How often do you go through and declutter your closet? How do you decide what to keep and what to donate? What are your plans for tomorrow?
I had just woken up and fed the cats, this morning, when Aunt C called for a chat. Later in the morning, I did a load of laundry. Then, I joined my daughter in doing an abs routine. She is doing a 30-days abs routine, this month, and yesterday was the first day. I joined her, then, too. She did her routine at a higher level, while I did it at the beginner level. Today's routine was 100 cross body crunches; I managed to do 60. I am proud of that!
In the afternoon, daughter helped me to go through and declutter my closet! She did most of the physical work of pulling everything out, asking me if it fitted, if I liked it, if I wanted to keep it, etc., and either putting the item back in the closet or putting into a big trash bag for donating. I tried on a few items that I was not sure of and she helped me decide whether to keep them or donate. She took 11 of the items for herself - 2 purses, 1 dress, 3 blouses, 3 skirts, the wig I wore when I had no hair (she will use it for one of her cosplay or Halloween costumes), and 1 knitted hat. I need to alter the dress and one skirt for her; I'll do that tomorrow. I had her put back the rest of the items with the hangers turned the other way. As I wear each item, wash it, and return it to the closet, I will put them back with the hangers turned the regular way. Some time in July or August, I will check the closet again and see if any hangers are still left, facing the other way. If so, that will mean that those items were not worn since January, and I will probably donate them. I didn't count the number of items she put into the bag to donate, yet, but, at last count, there were about 35 empty clothes hangers on the bed to be put away!
Later in the afternoon, I brought the trash cans in from the curb and put water to the front garden. I also picked the last pomegranate that was left on the tree and removed the pips to share with my daughter:
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| Pomegranate Peel |
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| Tangerine Peels |
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| Fish Rolls |
After dinner, I called cousin N to check on her, because her mother had mentioned that cousin had sprained her foot over the weekend. Cousin had been to the doctor's and has a boot to wear and some anti-inflammatory medication to take for the swelling. We agreed to postpone our New Year's visit until she is feeling better.
Later, I oiled my daughter's hair and braided it, and she returned the favor.
I also called the vet's office, today, and made an appointment to take Dancer in for his various vaccinations and a check up:
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| "Oh, no! Not the vet's! I'll hide - they'll never find me here!" |
- Daughter helping me with decluttering my closet!
- Phone calls with aunt and cousin
- Fresh pomegranates from my tree
- Frozen puff pastry dough
- What I was able to accomplish today.
Thursday's To Do List:
- Alter the dress and skirt for daughter
- Change my bed sheets
- 1 load of laundry (bed sheets)
- Take Dancer to the vet's
- Get packages ready for mailing
How was your day, today? How often do you go through and declutter your closet? How do you decide what to keep and what to donate? What are your plans for tomorrow?
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
2019 New Year's Resolutions and Balanced Life Goals for January
My 2019 New Year resolutions will be the same as my 2018 resolutions: pursue good health, better time management, being organized, being positive, and living a balanced life.
Resolution 1: Continue to pursue good health by keeping all medical appointments, taking my prescribed medications, eating a healthy diet (more vegetables, less refined sugar and carbs), drinking enough water and staying hydrated, increasing my activity levels to build up stamina and strength, and getting more sleep and rest.
Resolution 2: Better time management by procrastinating less and attending to things right away and getting them done.
Resolution 3: Be more organized by decluttering, having a place for everything and making a habit of having everything in its place.
Resolution 4: Be more positive by focusing on accomplishments.
Resolution 5: Maintain a balanced life, by paying attention to all the different areas of my life.
I plan to continue to incorporate them into my Monthly Balanced Life Goals to make sure they are worked on throughout the year. The monthly balanced life goals are how I plan to implement my annual resolutions.
So, here are my Monthly Balanced Life goals for January:
Resolution 1: Continue to pursue good health by keeping all medical appointments, taking my prescribed medications, eating a healthy diet (more vegetables, less refined sugar and carbs), drinking enough water and staying hydrated, increasing my activity levels to build up stamina and strength, and getting more sleep and rest.
Resolution 2: Better time management by procrastinating less and attending to things right away and getting them done.
Resolution 3: Be more organized by decluttering, having a place for everything and making a habit of having everything in its place.
Resolution 4: Be more positive by focusing on accomplishments.
Resolution 5: Maintain a balanced life, by paying attention to all the different areas of my life.
I plan to continue to incorporate them into my Monthly Balanced Life Goals to make sure they are worked on throughout the year. The monthly balanced life goals are how I plan to implement my annual resolutions.
So, here are my Monthly Balanced Life goals for January:
Spiritual: (10) The goal is to live a spiritually meaningful life
- Continue with daily prayers and gratitude; focus on being positive
- Take time for meditation - spend 5 minutes meditating at night
- Cultivate non-attachment - focus on letting go of attachment to material possessions - declutter 31 items
- Attend the monthly rosary prayer gathering
House (9): The goal is a clean, tidy, uncluttered house:
- Take down Christmas decorations and put away
- Focus on deep cleaning and maintaining cleaned areas
- Declutter 31 items
- Continue to sort out the 3rd bedroom, a.k.a. The Dump!
- Make a master list of repairs and renovations that need to be done over the year
Garden (7):
- Maintain (water 2x per week; weed)- Declutter 31 items
- Continue to sort out the 3rd bedroom, a.k.a. The Dump!
- Make a master list of repairs and renovations that need to be done over the year
Garden (7):
- Buy and plant bare root fruit trees - at least 1 peach and maybe another orange
- Plant some winter vegetables
- Plant some winter vegetables
- Paint the front security door - buy paint
Daughter (10): The goal is to continue to have a close relationship with her
- Enjoy the rest of her visit home for the holidays
- Daily texts, phone calls, and video chatting, etc., once she goes back
Family & Friends (10): The goal is to keep in touch with various family members and friends.
- Regular phone calls and emails
- Attend aunt's New Year's Day luncheon - DONE!
- Call and wish Aunt T for her birthday
- Attend aunt's New Year's Day luncheon - DONE!
- Call and wish Aunt T for her birthday
- Will be seeing several members of the family and friends at this month's prayer gathering
Community (7): The goal is to become more involved in my community.
- Continue to participate in the blogging community
- Mail the hats to the American Heart Association
- Visit neighbor S
- Weekly phone calls with neighbor T
- Weekly phone calls with neighbor T
Finances (9): The goal is financial security.
- Continue budgeting and spending mindfully, with purpose
- Keep track of spending
- Review budget and adjust as needed
Health & Well Being (6): The goal is good health.
- Attend the appointments with my various medical doctors
- Continue to work on the following life style changes:
- better diet - eat more vegetables, less carbs
- better hydration - drink 8 x 8oz glasses of water, daily
- better sleep habits - get at least 7 hours of sleep/try to go to sleep before 4:00 a.m.!
- more exercise - walk 30 minutes 5 days/week
Time Management (8): The goal is to find a good balance between what I have to do and what I want to do.
- Be mindful of my time and how I spend it
- Plan my days/balance the "leisure" with "productivity"
- Implement the schedule my daughter and I came up with
- Procrastinate less!
Leisure/Crafts/Hobbies/Me-Time (8): The goal is to relax doing something I enjoy doing for the pleasure of it.
- Mail the red hats I knitted for heart association (first week in January)
- Continue to participate in the winter photo scavenger hunt
- Read the 2 library books I borrowed
- Read the 2 library books I borrowed
- Finish embroidering the 2 T-shirts
- Work on one of my many "works in progress" knitting projects
Anyone else making New Year's Resolutions? If so, how do you implement your resolutions?
- Work on one of my many "works in progress" knitting projects
Anyone else making New Year's Resolutions? If so, how do you implement your resolutions?
Happy New Year!
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| Happy New Year 2019 |
Wishing all my blog friends a very happy New Year! May 2019 be a year of good health, happiness, and many blessings!
The Merry Christmas and Happy New Year blocks are on the top of my piano:
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| Holiday Greetings |
On New Year's Eve, I had friends over to dinner: friend A, her husband and two daughters, who had us over to dinner on both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Daughter cooked the chicken curry, stir-fried smoked sausages, and made the bread pudding for dessert. I thawed packages of dhal, cashew curry, and sauteed garbanzo from the freezer, cooked sauteed green beans and a fresh pot of rice, and opened a jar of my homemade tomato chutney. We enjoyed having company over, although they left at 11:00 p.m., because they wanted to greet the New Year in their own home.
Daughter and I greeted the New Year with sparkling apple cider and we watched the ball drop at Times Square on TV.
This morning, I called and wished family and friends for the New Year. Then, made another bread pudding to take to New Year's lunch at an aunt's house. I started writing this post while I was waiting for cousin P and her daughter to pick us up as we are riding with them, but they came to pick us up, around 1:00 p.m., before I could finish it.
We were at aunt's home until about 4:30 p.m. After we came home, we had tea and then, I called friend R and chatted with her for a bit (she hadn't been home when I called her in the morning, so I left a message and she had called while I was out and left me a message).
Now, daughter and I are relaxing and taking it easy.
Today, I am grateful for:
- Being alive to see 2019 dawn
- Being able to celebrate the New Year with my daughter
- Having friends over to dinner on New Year's Eve
- Being with family and friends over New Year's Day
- Cousin and her daughter giving us a ride to aunt's house and back
How was your New Year's Eve? How was your New Year's Day?
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