Earthquakes and Groceries on Independence Day!

Today is the Fourth of July; American Independence Day.  We celebrated with a 6.4 earthquake!

I didn't go to sleep until 4:00 a.m., last night/this morning, but I woke up at 8:00 a.m. when my daughter's alarm went off!  It was the first day of the Anime Expo and she wanted to be downtown, at the Convention Center, at 10:00 a.m.!  It was a pleasure to drive on the freeway, this morning, as there was hardly any traffic, due to the holiday!  There were some road closures, downtown, because there is a fireworks celebration being planned at Grand Park, which is in front of City Hall.  I drove around them and dropped daughter off at the Convention Center exactly at 10:00 a.m.

Then, I drove home, stopping at the Armenian grocery store, again, to take advantage of some of their Thursday specials:

7/4 Groceries

I mostly wanted to buy the chicken leg quarters that were on sale for $.69/lb., today, only.

I bought:

Almost 5 lb. chicken leg quarters (4 pieces) @ $.69/lb = $3.44
Zucchini @ $.39/lb = $.51
Green grapes @ $.49/lb = $.91
Broccoli @ $.49/lb = $29
White Peaches @ $.49/lb = $.63
Total = $5.78

7/4 Grocery Receipt

July grocery budget = $100

Spent to date = $23.56 + $5.78 = $29.34

Amount left in the budget = $100 - $29.34 = $70.66

Sometime around 10:30 a.m., we had an earthquake, centered a few hundred miles from where I live.  Apparently, it was a 6.4 earthquake; the biggest we've had in 20 years, according to the news, and felt by many people.  But, it wasn't the Big One we all know is coming and fear, and we didn't feel it that much in the store.  People, here, tend to look at one another for a second or two, when we feel an earthquake, ask, "Did you feel that?" and then, unless things are falling off shelves, go about doing whatever it was that we were doing!  So, I finished my grocery shopping and came home.

My cousin had called shortly after the earthquake, but, before I could call her back, aunt C called to ask if I felt the earthquake, friend A called to check on me, and neighbor T called!  So sweet of everyone to call and check on me!  I am blessed with caring family and friends.  Nothing had broken in the house; just one ornament had fallen. Dancer seemed a bit edgy, but he's spooked by the noise of the fireworks, as well.  Fireworks are illegal in my city (unless they are permitted displays), but, people have been setting them off for days, now!

Of course, earthquakes like these are all reminders to be prepared with our emergency supplies, etc., just in case.  Water and food (including pet food) for several days, in case access to grocery stores and supplies are limited; a first aid kit; a full tank of gas in the car in case electricity goes off and gas pumps don't work; emergency cash because credit card machines don't work when there is no electricity; etc.  I always try to keep a well-stocked pantry, but I know I have allowed myself to get low on certain items - I need to stock up on those things.   

I had leftovers from yesterday's lunch and one of the white peaches for my brunch, today.  I will cook the chicken, later, for dinner (I will freeze some of it for daughter to take back with her).  

I changed my bed sheets, this afternoon, and am doing a load of laundry. 

I don't have anything else planned until I go to pick up daughter, later, tonight.

Today, I am grateful for:
- The earthquake wasn't bigger and it wasn't the Big One
- According to the initial news reports, it didn't cause a lot of major damage
- My own house is fine and nothing is broken
- I had a safe drive to downtown and back
- Family and friends calling to check on me

Hope you are having a wonderful day.

Fun on Wednesday

Daughter came home on Tuesday night.  She is here to attend the Anime Exposition which is held, annually, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. 

Wednesday morning, we slept in and relaxed.  Daughter worked on some of her cosplay accessories while I started to write my blog post.  Then, a little after noon, we headed out to do some shopping and have lunch.  We needed to get two birthday gifts for my friend and her daughter; we decided to get them gift cards-which would enable them to buy what they wanted.  Then, daughter did some shopping for video games for herself.

For lunch, we went to one of my favorite diner-type restaurants.  My daughter treated me as it was supposed to be my belated Mother's Day lunch (since she couldn't come down for Mother's Day).  I didn't take any photos of our lunch, but, I had broiled haddock with a whole grain/rice medley, sauteed zucchini and yellow squash, a side salad, and garlic-herb bread.  Daughter had a steak with garlic-pepper butter, fries, a side salad, and garlic-herb bread.  We debated getting a dessert, but, decided to get something from a bakery we were planning to go to, on our way home.

After lunch, we went to one of our favorite Armenian bakeries.  We bought a fresh fruit tart to take to my friend's later that evening, and two pieces of cake for my daughter and me for our dessert.

After we came home, I finished my blog post while daughter continued to work on her cosplay accessories. 

In the evening, we went to my friend's house to dinner - her daughters had organized a surprise party for her birthday.  Getting there was a bit of an adventure due to road constructions and detours, but, we made it there, safely!  We didn't leave until after midnight.  It was a very enjoyable evening.

It was a fun day, with going out to lunch and to dinner!  I didn't do any housework, at all, but that was fine.  I had done most of the housework on Tuesday and I hadn't planned on doing any cleaning on Wednesday.  My joyful activities included going out to eat with daughter, spending time with her, and, attending my friend's birthday celebration.

On Wednesday, I was grateful for:
- Daughter treating me to a belated Mother's Day lunch out
- Cakes and pastries from our favorite bakery
- Getting together with friends
- A safe drive to my friend's house and back
- Spending time with my daughter

How was your Wednesday?

Productive Tuesday

7/2 Groceries

I had a very productive day on Tuesday!  I did laundry - the bedding from daughter's bed, the dust sheets on the family room sofas, and a load of regular laundry.  I tidied the dining table, put all the fabric scraps and sewing stuff away (other than the sewing machine, which I left on the table), dusted the furniture, and swept up bits of fabric and thread that had fallen on the floor.  I tidied the family room, dusted, and swept.  I cleaned daughter's bathroom.  I also cleaned the kitchen counters and did a load of dishes.

In between the cleaning, I watched the semi-final soccer game between the US and England.

Later, I went grocery shopping and went to two stores. 

At the Armenian store (Store 1), I bought:

2 bunches kale @ $.50 = $1.00
4 Persian cucumbers @ $.79/lb = $.67
Green beans @ $.69/lb = $.83
1 lb. carrots = $.39
3 cans of condensed milk @ $1.69 = $5.07
6 apples @ $.99/lb = $1.13 + $1.13 = $2.26
3 pears @ $.99/lb  $1.09
1 smoked sausage (12 oz) = $2.19
Ice cream (1.5 quart container) @ $3.49 (not shown in photo, above; it was already melting and I put it in the freezer, right away)
Total = $16.99

Store 1 Receipt

At the regular grocery store (Store 2), I bought:

2 lb. container strawberries = $1.99
1 loaf bread = $1.99
1 regular cucumber = $.20
1 quart container half and half = $2.39
Total = $6.57

In addition, I bought three bags of cat food at $10.49 each plus tax.

Store 2 Receipt

I spent $23. 56 on groceries, on Tuesday.

My July grocery budget will be $100 because my daughter will be visiting twice.

July grocery budget = $100

Spent to date = $23.56

Amount left in the budget = $100 - $23.56 = $76.44

Cousin P called when I got home from grocery shopping and I chatted with her for a little bit.  Then, I cleaned the fridge before I put the new groceries in (had to toss some milk and some tomatoes that had started to spoil).

After that, it was time to go to the airport to pick up my daughter who is visiting over the 4th of July holiday weekend!  We picked up some dinner on the way home and had some ice cream afterwards.

Later, daughter went through the bags of clothes we had been given by my aunt and found several items that she liked and which fitted her.  She liked several other skirts, but they are too big for her.  I have to go through and try on the rest of the items, myself.  Whatever doesn't fit or suit me will be donated.

Daughter also gave Dancer his flea medicine and cleaned his litter box, for me.  

On Tuesday, I was grateful for:

- Daughter coming home for a few days

- She had a safe flight home

- All what I was able to accomplish in terms of housework

- All the appliances that helped with the housework

- I had the energy I needed to do everything!

How was your Tuesday?

Playing with Fabric

I finished sewing the last string quilt squares, yesterday.  I had stacked the squares in piles of 10 as I finished them, in order to make it easier to count.  I had 12 stacks or 120 squares.  Then, since I don't have a design wall, I spread them out on my bed:

Random Placement

At first, I placed them fairly randomly, each stack of 10 squares making one row, going across the bed.  This type of quilt is supposed to be completely random, with the only regular feature being the central strip being of a similar color tone (I chose a dark color as I had a preponderance of light colored fabric in my scrap baskets).   It is not supposed to be a more "planned" quilt

Then, I wondered how it would look if I tried to achieve a more regular look, and placed the squares so that the fabric in the central strips matched, going in diagonal lines ;

A little less randomly

Of course, I hadn't planned it to be quite that organized, so while there were enough of one color for some rows, I still ended up with a bit of "mix and match".

Less randomly - from the other side

I think I prefer the more random arrangement, although, I might tweak the squares to ensure a more even distribution of some of the colors.

The quilt top is composed of 120 squares, arranged 10 squares by 12.  It covers the top of the queen size bed; with a 4 or 6 inch border, it should be just right for a twin or full size bed (draping a bit over the sides).  I am trying to resist the urge to make more squares and make it bigger!  I am also trying to decide if this quilt is "good enough" to be given to one of the people who asked me for a quilt or, if I should make a more planned quilt for them. 

What do you think?  Which version do you prefer?

July Balanced Life Monthly Goals

The first half of this year is over and behind us!  Time to look forward to the second half!  July is a special month for me for a couple of reasons.  My cancer was detected in July 2015 - it wasn't confirmed until later, when additional tests were done, but July was when the mammogram results came back, stating an anomaly was detected and to contact my doctor, immediately.  July (2018) was also when I stopped working!  I didn't officially retire until October, but July was when I went on vacation until my retirement went into effect.  It is also the month in which my father died.

 Time to post my July goals for a more balanced life.

As I've explained before, my monthly balanced life goals are similar to the spokes of a wheel, with the length of each spoke representing my satisfaction in that area of my life, from 1 to 10, with 1 being most dissatisfied and 10 being most satisfied.  Ideally, all the spokes are of equal length and the wheel will roll along smoothly.  If the spokes are of unequal lengths, then, the resulting wheel will be lop-sided and wobbly.  My current ratings for each segment are shown within the parentheses.

July Balanced Life Goals:

Spiritual: (9.5):   The goal is to live a spiritually meaningful life:
- Continue with daily prayers and gratitude; focus on being positive and joyful
- Continue to practice meditation at home and at the temple
- Continue to cultivate non-attachment to material things
- Attend the monthly rosary prayer gathering if there is one!

House (9.5):  The goal is a home that is pleasant, comfortable, and welcoming:
- Clean - do one deep cleaning task per week
- Organize - continue to find a place for everything and keep everything in its place
- Well maintained - continue to implement the cleaning schedule

Garden (8):  The goal is a garden that is productive, yet drought tolerant:

- Maintain (water 2-3 times per week, depending on the temperature; weed)
- Plant the rest of the vegetables and flowers 

Daughter (10):  The goal is to continue to have a close relationship with her:

- Daily texts, phone calls, and video chatting, etc. 
- Enjoy her planned visits (two visits planned, in July!)

Family & Friends (10):  The goal is to have a connection with family members and friends:

- Regular phone calls and emails
- Will be seeing several members of the family and friends at this month's prayer gathering
- Celebrate friend R's birthday
- Wish friend A for her birthday

Community (10):  The goal is to be involved in my community:

- Continue to participate in the blogging community
- Participate in the Summer Photo Scavenger Hunt
- Weekly phone calls with neighbor T
- Continue to participate in the online group of which I am a member

Finances (10):  The goal is financial security:

- Continue budgeting and spending mindfully, with purpose

 Health & Well Being (8):  The goal is good health:
- Attend the doctor's appointment scheduled for 7/22
- Mammogram when it is scheduled
- 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 6-7 hours of sleep
   - more exercise - visit the gym and see what they offer 

- Lose 5 lbs  

Time Management (7.5): The goal is to spend my time in a mindful manner:
- Get back on a more regular schedule
- Procrastinate less

Leisure/Crafts/Hobbies/Me-Time (10):  The goal is to relax doing something I enjoy doing for the pleasure of it.

- Engage in daily joyful activities
- Go on at least a couple of outings - visit a museum, revisit the Japanese Garden for bonsai exhibit

Those are my goals for a more balanced life in July.  Are you making any goals for July?

June Balanced Life Monthly Goals Update

It's time to review and update my June goals for a more balanced life.  The numbers within the parentheses indicate my ratings for each segment, with the beginning of the month ratings in black and the end of the month ratings in blue.

June Balanced Life Goals:

Spiritual: (9.5)(9.5):   The goal is to live a spiritually meaningful life:
- Continue with daily prayers and gratitude; focus on being positive and joyful - Daily prayers and daily gratitudes are on-going; I have been trying to incorporate a joyful activity, each day, too; but, I've struggled with being positive from time to time, this month.  My daughter says I am being too self-critical.

- Take time for meditation - attend one of the Friday night meditation sessions - Accomplished; I attended one Friday night meditation session at the Temple and did daily meditation at home.

- Be more giving - Trying!  I have been giving of my time to others and giving a few belongings to others (the book decluttering, sending back the war medals and one or two other items to my stepfather's family, etc.), as well. 

- Attend the monthly rosary prayer gathering - Attended it and gave a ride to a cousin.  

I am leaving the rating at 9.5  

House (9.5)(9.5):  The goal is a home that is pleasant, comfortable, and welcoming:
- Clean - do one deep cleaning task per week - I have been concentrating on decluttering the file cabinet

- Organized - continue to find a place for everything and keep everything in its place - Work in progress!

- Well maintained - continue to implement the cleaning schedule - The cleaning schedule is being implemented for the most part!  I am pleasantly surprised at how well it is working.  There are weeks, however, when things don't go quite according to schedule, and then, I tend to come down on myself about it, but, I think a little flexibility isn't a bad thing. 

I am keeping the rating at 9.5

Garden (8)(8):  The goal is a garden that is productive, yet drought tolerant:

- Maintain (water 2x per week; weed) - On-going

- Plant additional seeds (vegetables and flowers) - In progress; I planted some vegetable seeds (tomatoes, mostly) and scattered more flower seeds.  We also planted some cuttings of one of the euphorbia plants.

- Landscape - develop a landscape plan for the front garden - Not done, yet

I am keeping the rating at 8.

Daughter (10)(10):  The goal is to continue to have a close relationship with her:

- Daily texts, phone calls, and video chatting, etc. - On-going.  I still tend to be overprotective of her, being the clucking mother hen that I am, but, she knows where I am coming from and merely says, "Yes, Mother".   LOL.  She'll be coming home in a couple of days and I can't wait to see her!

I am keeping the rating at a 10.

Family & Friends (10)(10):  The goal is to have a connection with family members and friends:

- Regular phone calls and emails - In addition to the regular phone calls, I spoke with a cousin in Florida, a niece in North Carolina, and an aunt in Texas! 

- Will be seeing several members of the family and friends at this month's prayer gathering - Actually, only saw the friend who was hosting it (and her husband) and the cousin who rode with me.  We think that these monthly gatherings will be coming to an end, shortly, due to a lack of attendance.  I, being Buddhist, don't actually recite the rosary; I attend these gatherings more for their social aspects.  It's an occasion to get together and meet members of the extended family and friends on a regular basis.  For that reason, I'd be sorry if they come to an end.  

- Attend former supervisor's annual chili cook off/potluck - Attended the gathering and had a really enjoyable afternoon, chatting with several former colleagues.

In addition, I visited aunt T when she came home from the assisted living care facility and met several other members of the family, as well, and received two bags of clothes she was decluttering!

I am keeping the rating at a 10.

Community (10)(10):  The goal is to be involved in my community:

- Continue to participate in the blogging community - On-going
- Participate in the Summer Photo Scavenger Hunt - In progress
- Weekly phone calls with neighbor T - On-going
- Continue to participate in the online group of which I am a member - On-going

Keeping the rating at 10.

Finances (10)(10):  The goal is financial security:

- Continue budgeting and spending mindfully, with purpose - I met with my financial planner, this month, and reviewed things with her.  I am in a good place and, hopefully, it will continue to be so.

Going to keep the rating at 10.

 Health & Well Being (8)(8):  The goal is good health:
- Call the new doctor's office to schedule an appointment - Done.  Scheduled for 7/22, which was the earliest date they had available!

- Attend this month's medical appointments (3 scheduled, so far, plus 1 lab test) - Done.  All the visits went well and the lab test results were good.

- Continue to work on the following life style changes: 

   - better diet - eat more vegetables, less carbs  - Work in progress!
   - better hydration - drink 8 x 8oz glasses of water, daily - Another work in progress!

   - better sleep habits -  get 6-7 hours of sleep - Getting my sleep even if it means sleeping till late!
   - more exercise - walk for 30 minutes, 5 days a week, no excuses! - Um...well... I plead the 5th!  I even received a free gym membership through my insurance, but I didn't follow up with it!  

- Lose 5 lbs - According to my scales (regular, analog scales), I gained instead of losing!  According to the digital scales at the radiation oncologist's office, that gain was only 4 ounces!  At the oncologist's office, just two days later, I weighed almost 2 lbs. more than I had weighed at the radiation oncologist's office!  BUT, that new weight was 4 lbs. less than on the previous visit!  The doctor didn't even say anything about my weight on this visit! 

 I debated with myself on the rating for this segment.  I wanted to reduce it because I didn't meet my exercise and weight reduction goals.  On the other hand, the lab test results were good and the doctors didn't admonish me about my weight.  I am going to keep it at 8 and go from there.

Time Management (8)(7.5): The goal is to spend my time in a mindful manner:
- Make time to do what needs to be done (exercise, sufficient sleep, housework, etc.) - Work in progress!
- Procrastinate less - Still procrastinating!

I reduced the rating because I feel there is much room for improvement, in this segment.

Leisure/Crafts/Hobbies/Me-Time (10)(10):  The goal is to relax doing something I enjoy doing for the pleasure of it.

- Engage in daily joyful activities - Oh, yes!  Plenty of joyful activities going on! 
- Finish at least one quilt in progress - No, but I started another!  LOL!

I am keeping the rating at 10.

That is my review of my goals for a more balanced life in June.  On the whole, I am pleased with the progress I made and what I was able to accomplish.

Did you make any goals for a more balanced life in June?  If so, how did you do?

June Decluttering - 30 Books in 30 Days

My goal was 30 books decluttered during June; an average of one book per day.  I didn't always declutter a book a day and, at times, I struggled with it!  But, I did manage to declutter 30 books.

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

#11

#12

#13

#14

#15

#16

#17, 18,19

#20

#21

#22

#23-30

One or two of these books have already left the house.  The others are in a box, waiting to be donated.  I admit that I am already having second thoughts about getting rid of some of these books!  I am trying to resist the urge to put some of them back on the shelves, but, I reserve the right to do so!  LOL!  However, if I do reclaim some of them, I shall substitute others for them.  Does that sound fair to you? 

I intend to repeat this exercise later in the year, in about 6 months' time.  I am giving myself time to re-read some of the other books that I think can be decluttered. 

I know some of you joined in this challenge whole heartedly and decluttered more than 30 books!  You know who you are!  Well done!