Salads on Tuesday

Yogurt

I checked on the dish of yogurt before I went to bed, early this morning, to see if I needed to reheat the oven, and found that it had already set!  There were a few cracks where the whey can be seen, forming yellowish streaks.  I put the dish in the fridge before I went to sleep.

I went to bed a little after 4:00 a.m., this morning.  I woke up, once, at 7:15 a.m., and debated whether to get up, but decided to sleep in.  Joyful activity of the day: sleeping in!  LOL!  I woke up at 10:30 a.m., instead, had a cup of tea, and spent the rest of the morning relaxing, reading and replying to blog comments, and trying to decide what I wanted to have for brunch!

Scrambled eggs would have been easy, and I even pulled out the saute pan, but I'd want a piece of bread or a fried potato with it!  A bowl of leftover soup would have been filling, but it was not quite what I wanted.  A cold cuts sandwich, perhaps?  But I had that for dinner, last night.  What I really wanted was pancakes with fish curry gravy; that would be delicious (in my opinion; I know pancakes and fish curry is not everyone's idea of a delicious meal, LOL!).  But that would have been indulgent (all those carbs; I wouldn't be able to have just one pancake).  Maybe milk rice with fish curry.  But, that would be carbs, too.  A salad would be healthier!   Yes, I know I am blessed to have such a wide range of choices for a meal.  Eventually, I had a salad (butter lettuce, grated carrot, cucumber slices), with canned tuna and salad dressing.  Dancer approved of my choice as he got both a piece of lettuce leaf and a teaspoon of tuna!  His tummy satisfied, he went off to have an afternoon nap!  Brunch was eaten at 2:30 p.m.

I called my half-sister in the afternoon and wished her for her birthday. 

Later, I strolled around the garden, looking at the plants.  Most of the osteospermum have fuller petals, but, this one plant seems to have narrow petals.  I don't know if there is something wrong with the plant or if this is a new cultivar!

Narrow Petals

Occasionally, friend M brings some seeds or bulbs and plants them in my garden to share with me.  Some Sparaxis tricolor (also known as Harlequin Flowers) he planted has flowered - colorful red flowers with brown and yellow centers :

Sparaxis tricolor or Harlequin Flowers (red with yellow centers)

I hope they multiply and establish themselves.  I might have to plant them in another spot, though, so they don't get overwhelmed by the osterospermum!

In the meantime, the osteospermum has self-seeded itself in the middle of what should have been the lawn:

Colonizing the Lawn

I have asked M to leave it to grow there - maybe it will take over the lawn!

Around 4:00 p.m., neighbor S from across the street called me and asked if she could bring me some Armenian salad, made from bulgur wheat, sauted with onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, parsley, etc.   It is called "eech" (sometimes spelled as "itch").  Of course, I said yes, so she brought some over, along with a cookie her mother had made and some ginger candy:

Armenian Bulgur Wheat Salad, Cookie, and Ginger Candy

I had some of this salad with my evening cup of tea.  It was very flavorful!  The cookie was delicious, too - not very sweet, but with a coconut flavor.

In the evening, I vacuumed the house.  I decided to wait until tomorrow to do the laundry and mop the kitchen. 

For dinner, I had red rice, green beans, and fish curry.  Afterwards, I had some of the yogurt I made, for dessert.

Aunt C called to say she enjoyed the fish curry I sent home with cousin N.  A bit later, cousin P called to ask how my doctor's appointment went and friend R called, too.  Later, I video chatted with my daughter.


Today, I am grateful for:
- My half-sister and the relationship we have
- The blessing of having a choice when it comes to meals
- Neighbor S bringing me food
- Phone calls from family and friends
- A sunny, warm day

How was your Tuesday?  Have you eaten bulgar wheat salad? 

Clear Eyed on Monday

Petersen Automotive Museum

My eye doctor's appointment on Monday went very well.  Cousin N got to my house by 11:00 a.m. and we left soon after that. We went in my car, with me driving us to the clinic and cousin N driving us home, afterwards.  My appointment wasn't until 12:40 p.m., but I had been asked to arrive 10 minutes before that, and I wasn't sure how congested the freeways (I had to take two freeways) and the surface roads might be, so thought it best to leave early.  We got there shortly after 12 noon, much earlier than I had anticipated.  I thought we might have to wait, but the technician was very pleased that I was early, because it gave her plenty of time to perform the peripheral field vision test and other preliminary tests in good time before the actual doctor's appointment.  Everything was pronounced to be fine - good eye pressure, no retinal damage due to diabetes, the cataracts are negligible, and the peripheral vision was good!  Yay!  I am to return in 1 year and we made the appointment before I left.  My copay was $20 and parking cost $14 (higher parking rates at this clinic because it was located in Beverly Hills).

As my cousin drove us home, we passed by the Petersen Automotive Museum with its distinctive appearance, and I was able to take a couple of photos to share.

Close up 

We got home shortly after 2:00 p.m.  I offered N some lunch, but she declined.  She also didn't want to take her birthday card, because, her mother, Aunt C, had told her not to accept anything until they can both come with their Christmas gifts (no, we haven't exchanged our Christmas gifts, yet!).  I told cousin N that it was just her belated birthday card, not a Christmas gift, but she called Aunt C and was told to leave it until they could both visit!  So, I just gave her the fish curry I had cooked and two jars of jam (a jar of strawberry jam and a jar of apple/cranberry jam).  She asked Aunt C about them, too, and was told that it was OK to bring the food!  LOL!   Apparently they will come to visit and exchange gifts, next week!  I am to prepare a nice meal, I was told, by my aunt!  LOL!  She is so funny!

Cousin N looked around the house, when she was here, today, and told me that the house is looking  nice!  It made me feel very happy.  Not that she would have said anything if it had been messy!  In fact, she has seen it messy, many times, and when I was undergoing chemo and didn't have the energy to clean, she used to sweep the house for me.  But, it made me happy that she noticed my recent efforts at keeping it maintained.     

I had my lunch (red rice, fish curry, green beans curry) after cousin N left and then, took a nap on the family room sofa, since I needed to rest my eyes (it was darker in the family room).  Later, I took the trash cans out to the curb, helped neighbor T with her trash, and handed her the emergency contact information she had requested from me.  Then, I did dishes and made a batch of yogurt - at least, I boiled the milk, added the last bit of yogurt from the container I bought, as the starter, and put it in the prewarmed oven to set, overnight.  I might warm up the oven, once more, before I go to sleep, to make sure the yogurt has a warm enough place in which to set. 

I called cousin R, in the evening, to check on her mother, Aunt T.  Aunt T fell on the Sunday after cousin P's surprise party and had to be hospitalized for a few days.  She is now recovering in a nursing home.  I plan to visit her one day, this week; I'll ask cousin P if she'd like to go with me.

Today, I am grateful for:
- Good results from the eye examination
- Cousin N making herself available to drive me back
- Cousin saying the house looked nice
- Another afternoon nap
- Daughter helping me with paying a bill online

Today's joyful activities included spending time with cousin and playing the piano in the evening.  I even croaked out a song or two as I played!  LOL!

Monday's To Do List:
- Eye doctor's appointment - DONE
- Take the trash cans to the curb - DONE
- Change my bed sheets - DONE
- Do a load of laundry
- Mail sister's card - DONE
- Make nephew's card
- Vacuum - SWEPT as needed

Tuesday's To Do List:
- Do a load of laundry
- Bring the trash cans in
- Call and wish sister
- Make and mail nephew's card
- Vacuum
- Clean the kitchen/mop

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

Sunny Sunday

Birthday Cards

Friday and Saturday were cloudy and overcast.  Today, however, was truly a sun day.  I had a relaxed morning, drinking my tea, replying to blog comments, chatting on the phone with my daughter who called to wish me a good morning and with neighbor T who called for our usual Sunday morning chat.

I finished making the birthday cards; they are variations of the basic design I've been using for a majority of my cards, recently.  I think I need to find another design I like because this one design is getting a bit stale!  I still need to make the card for my niece's son, as I didn't  make it, today.

I had planned to do some vacuuming, today, in the afternoon; instead, I took a nap!  The living room sofa, with the late afternoon shining through the lace curtains, is my favorite place for a nap!  Dancer's grumbles about his dinner getting late is what woke me up!  LOL!  I gave him his soft food (he has plenty of dry food in his bowl, available to him at all times, so, it's not like he doesn't have food, but he looks forward to his soft food in the morning and evening).  Then, I had a cup of tea, myself.

I cooked a fish curry, today, with onions and tomatoes in it, and I had that for my dinner with leftover rice and leftover cashew curry.  I set some of the fish curry aside to send home with cousin N, tomorrow.  That way, she will have one less thing to cook for dinner, herself, after spending most of the day taking me to the eye doctor's and back.  I took out a piece of chicken breast to thaw for tomorrow night's dinner.  I might make a stir-fry with it. 

Today, I am grateful for:
- A sunny, warm, relaxed day
- Afternoon naps on the sofa
- Having fun making cards
- Being able to pick more fresh oranges from the tree
- Emails and phone calls

Today's joyful activities included card making and a nap!


Sunday's To Do List:
- Finish cousin N's birthday card - DONE
- Make or buy a 16th birthday card for niece's son
- Get driving directions to go to eye doctor on Monday - DONE
- Vacuum

Monday's To Do List:
- Eye doctor's appointment
- Take the trash cans to the curb
- Change my bed sheets
- Do a load of laundry
- Mail sister's card
- Make nephew's card
- Vacuum

How was your Sunday?  What have you planned for Monday and the week ahead?

Friday and Saturday: Groceries, Flowers, and More!

Jasmine Flowers

Friday morning, I called the pharmacy to ask about my refill; I was told that it would be ready in the evening.  Evening came and, of course, it wasn't ready!  In the meantime, I did a load of laundry (the sofa dust sheets), watched news, knitted (finished the front of the black sweater and started on the sleeves), and spent some time chatting with friend M when he came to tend to the garden.  I really didn't feel very motivated to do anything much on Friday.

Saturday morning, I called the pharmacy again, and the medication still wasn't ready!  I made a bit of a fuss and the pharmacist asked me to give them one more hour and the medication will be ready.  This was around 11:15 a.m.  I called cousin P and told her I will be going to the pharmacy around 12:30 p.m., if she still wanted to go with me, and she said she'll be ready.

On the way, she asked me if I could drop her off at the bank (it's in the same shopping mall) and she'll meet me at the pharmacy.  I had wanted to go to the bank, myself, so, I went in with her.  I had expected there to be a long line at the bank, it being Saturday, but there were only two people in the line ahead of us.  I was surprised as this bank has been crowded on previous occasions when I've gone on weekdays.

Afterwards, we went to the pharmacy and my prescription was ready!  Finally!

3/23 Groceries

I needed to pick up a few groceries, too, so cousin and I went to the grocery store that is located in the same shopping center.  I bought:

1 loaf whole wheat bread = $1.99
1/2 gallon milk = $2.19
red grapes @ $.99/lb = $1.52
Total = $5.70

The price of milk had gone up by $.20 since I last bought some, but the grapes were on sale (the green grapes were priced $1.99).

March grocery shopping budget = $75
Spent to date = $1.79 + $7.74 + $5 + $23.29 + $4.07 + $5.70 =   $47.59
Amount left in the March grocery budget = $75 - $47.59 = $27.41

I also bought a gift card for cousin N, partly as a belated birthday present and partly as a thank you for accompanying me to the eye doctor, next Monday.

Cousin P, too, bought a few groceries.

In the morning, before I went to the pharmacy, I had dusted the living room, dining area, and the family room.  After I came home, I washed the dishes - some in the dishwasher and some by hand. 

I also picked some flowers from the garden.  I arranged some in a vase for the altar and tried to do another Ikebana-inspired arrangement:

Spring Flower Arrangement

I am not sure if you can see it, but I inserted a sprig of the orange blossoms, too:

Sprig of Orange Blossoms

I have been watching a few videos and learning more about the principles of Japanese flower arranging.  There are certain guidelines to follow, when it comes to the height of the materials used and the angles of placements, etc.  I am sure I am not doing it correctly, but I  am having fun playing with flowers and, I think, this arrangement is a little better than my previous attempt.  What do you think?

Later in the evening, I made a couple of birthday cards.  One for my half-sister, which I finished making, the other for cousin N, which I didn't finish, yet. 

Today, I am grateful for:
- I was able to pick up my medication, finally!
- My cousin's company as we ran some errands together
- Garden flowers
- What I was able to accomplish, today
- Conversations with my daughter

My daughter thinks I should challenge myself to do a daily joyful activity and things like drinking tea from a favorite cup, etc., don't count!  She thinks it should be something more in the line of a fun activity or project, something that I wake up looking forward to doing.  It doesn't have to take a lot of time, she assures me; it can be something that takes five or ten minutes.  Hm.  I shall have to think more about it.  But, today's joyful activities were spending some time with cousin P, flower arranging, and card making! 

Aeonium Flower Cluster

 

Sunday's To Do List:
- Finish cousin N's birthday card
- Make or buy a 16th birthday card for niece's son
- Get driving directions to go to eye doctor on Monday
- Vacuum

How is your weekend coming along, so far?  What have you planned for Sunday?

Spring Joy List

Spring.  Warmer, longer days and all the joys of this season of renewal and growth!

At the end of my Winter Joy List Update, I asked if anyone will be doing a Spring Joy List of their own.  Angela, at Tracing Rainbows, has, and has taken it up a notch, too, by posting an acrostic Spring Joy List!   I love it and the picture and quote, too. 


I already do several things on a daily basis that bring me joy.  They include:
- Prayer and contemplation
- Drinking my tea in my favorite cups
- Chats with my daughter
- Exchanging emails with a good friend
- Blogging

The spring joy list consists of additional joyful activities that I hope to engage in, during the period of March 21 to June 20.  I don't want to make this another "to do" list, as such, but, rather, ways in which to enjoy each day more fully. 

1.  Open windows to let in the fresh, warmer air
2.  Garden flowers and greenery in the house
3.  Time spent outside, in the garden
4.  Playing with fabric
5.  Evening walks
6.  Oranges fresh from the tree
7.  Reading (and, perhaps, napping!)
8. Taking the time for craft projects

What brings you joy?

Rainy Start to Spring

Orange Blossoms

It rained during the morning and part of the afternoon, today.  I guess our wet winter is turning into a wet spring!  The garden is loving it.

The podiatrist's office called me at 9:15 a.m., to let me know that there were morning appointments available, today, if I preferred that.  Well, no, I didn't want a morning appointment, but, I was happy to move my 3:00 p.m. appointment up to 2:00 p.m.  I got to the clinic around 1:45 p.m. and the podiatrist's office was closed for lunch!  So, I went to the oncologist's office (down the hallway) and picked up a copy of my lab report, as I had forgotten to do that when I was there on Monday.

The podiatry appointment went well.  Apparently, the podiatrist I've been seeing will be relocating to San Diego and a new podiatrist will be taking over his patients at the end of the month.  I will be seeing this new podiatrist on my next visit in two months' time.

I had kept the last two ground beef and grated zucchini burgers I had made, earlier, to thaw for my dinner, but I didn't feel like eating them as they were; I was wanting soup. So, for dinner, I made "hamburger" soup:

Hamburger Soup

No, it wasn't the version where you brown ground beef and add freshly chopped vegetables and homemade broth.  This was the "quick and easy" version!  I made some broth with water and chicken bouillon powder, added a can of mixed vegetables, and the ground beef and zucchini burgers, cut up in small pieces.  It wasn't the best "homemade" soup I've had, but it was not too bad, considering I really didn't feel like cutting fresh vegetables and cooking.  There's more left for tomorrow's lunch or dinner - maybe I'll doctor it up a bit more, tomorrow.  I had a fresh orange, that I picked earlier, for dessert.

Their scent is so wonderful!

The orange tree is covered with buds that are just starting to bloom.  I wish I could capture their perfume!  The whole garden smells wonderful, with three lemon trees, the orange tree, and the calamondin tree all starting to bloom! 

In the evening, I watched news and knitted.  Cousin P called, aunt C called, too, and I called friend R to check on her, and texted cousin N to confirm that she is still able to drive me back from my eye examination on Monday (my eyes will be dilated for the examination and I am not supposed to drive myself home, afterwards). 

And, I lit some candles:

Candles

Today, I am grateful for:
- More rain for the garden
- A safe drive (in the rain) to the clinic and back
- A good appointment with the podiatrist
- Orange blossoms
- Keeping in touch with family and friends

Tomorrow, I need to call or go to the pharmacy to find out what happened to the rest of my medication refill!  When I was at the pharmacy, earlier this week, they said they didn't have enough in stock to give me a 30 days supply and gave me enough for three days, saying they'll text me when they fill the rest of the order.  Well, the three days are up and I need more medications!  Cousin P said to let her know if I am going to the pharmacy as she'd like to go, too. 

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

Winter Joy List - Update

I made this Winter Joy List shortly after Christmas.  I picked 15 joyful things to do to enjoy the winter days in January and February, until Spring arrives in March.  Since Spring has now officially arrived, I thought it was time to post the update.

Winter Joy List:

1. Greet the New Year with my daughter (and maybe some friends) - Had friends over to dinner on New Year's Eve; they left before midnight, but I greeted the New Year with my daughter.  Later, on New Year's Day, daughter and I went over to an aunt's house to her annual New Year's Day luncheon/open house, for what turned out to be the last time, as aunt died just three weeks later.

2. Hot chocolate - with whipped cream! - Couldn't do that due to dietary changes!

3. A warm house - Oh, yes!  And don't I have the heating bills to prove it!  LOL!

4. Cozy knitted blankets and throws - I had them all out on various couches, within easy reach!

5. Winter decorations - The Christmas decorations stayed up well into January!  After that, I had some winter flower arrangements with pine branches and paperwhites (and the occasional rose).

6. Homemade soup - Several pots of homemade soup - chicken and vegetable, beef and vegetable, tomato, etc.

7. Candle light in the evenings - For one reason or another, I didn't light any candles in the evenings.  I don't know why, because I like seeing lit candles. 

8. Continue to enjoy the rest of daughter's holiday visit - She was home for two weeks and I enjoyed every moment of it; she also came home for the weekend in early March for her birthday weekend!.

9. After-Christmas sales! - Didn't really do a lot of after Christmas shopping.

10. The Winter Photo Scavenger Hunt - Participated to the extent possible

11. Reading - Borrowed a few books and magazines from the library; received a book from a blog friend, which I am currently reading

12. Afternoon naps - Not as many as I would have liked, but spent many afternoons relaxing on the sofa, reading.

13. Relaxed days after the holiday rush - Um, perhaps a bit too relaxed!  Feel like I didn't accomplish much!

14. Afternoon walks - Not as many as I should have taken!

15. Winter gardening - Planted a new peach tree; put down some vegetable seeds, some of which sprouted!  And the front garden is simply delightful with all the flowers blooming:

Flowers in the Front Garden

Did anyone else do a Winter Joy list?  Will you be doing a Spring Joy List?  Will I do a Spring Joy List?