Productive Thursday

Osteospermum: some with yellow centers and others with purple centers

Today has been another productive day!  In the morning, neighbor S (my piano teacher) called to confirm today's lesson time (we are still trying to find the best fit, but, I think we have found a good time, now).  Then, I spent about 30 minutes practicing the piano.  After that, I cut up the chicken breasts into small pieces, added the curry powder and spices to coat the pieces, and kept it covered in the fridge to marinate.  I also chopped up two large onions and kept that aside.

Once that was done, I took my shower (I didn't want to shower first and then cut chicken and onions), got dressed, wrote out checks for two bill payments (yes, I still prefer to write checks!), took the kitchen trash out, and brought in the mail while I waited until it was time to go for my piano lesson.

Today's lesson went well!  I received two stickers!  I was told I did well with last week's new pieces, but, now, she wants me to memorize them!  Ha, ha!  What a joke!  I don't even have my cell phone number memorized!  Then, she had me play several new pieces and I am supposed to memorize all but one of them, too!  Oh, my!  My memory is such that, one year, I even forgot my own daughter's birthday!  What mother forgets her only child's birthday?  I think I hear my brain cells laughing at the idea of memorizing piano pieces! 

Afterwards, I came home and had lunch.  Then, I ran some errands. 

First, I went to the post office to mail my bill payments.  Dropped them off in the collection box on the counter.  Then, I went to the bank (the post office is on my way to the bank).

Once my bank transaction was done, I went to the Armenian grocery store, located next to the bank, and bought the majority of the rest of the items I needed for the prayer gathering dinner and a few items for my own use.  I bought:

Apples (@$.49/lb)  = $1.36
1 papaya (@$.89/lb) = $1.84
2 avocados (@$.79) = $1.58
Tomatoes (regular; @$1.09/lb) = $2.96 (for the salad)
Tomatoes (Roma; @ $.79/lb) = $1.19 (for the chicken curry)
1 green bell pepper (@$.39/lb) = $.15
1 red bell pepper (@$1.29/lb) = $.25
1 yellow bell pepper (@$1.29/lb) = $.39
1 lb. bag carrots = $.50
1 cucumber = $.59
Green beans (@$1.19/lb) = $2.65
Red lentils (@$1.29/lb) = $2.28
Garbanzo (chick peas; @$.99/lb)  = $2.09
5 cans condensed milk (@$1.69) = $8.45
Total spent = $26.41

Then, I went to the pharmacy to find out about my inhaler.  I called in a refill last Friday, although I had come to the end of the refills.  Usually, that is not a problem because the pharmacy contacts the doctor's office for a new authorization.  I have now come to the end of my inhaler and have been trying to eke it out, taking one puff instead of the prescribed two and just once a day instead of twice a day.  As a result, I run out of breath, especially when I am counting out loud when I practice my piano pieces!  When I called the pharmacy to find out the status of the refill, I was told they were waiting for the doctor's office to authorize a refill.  Today, when I went in person and asked them, I found out that they had sent the refill request to my former primary care doctor, who has not been my doctor since June of last year!  This is after I gave them my new primary care doctor's information, not once, but twice!  So, now, they have sent a request to the current doctor and, hopefully, she will take care of it, tomorrow.  Maybe I will call the doctor's office and tell them that the pharmacy is supposed to contact them.  In the meantime, I do have my rescue inhaler, if needed, and I need to remember to put on a dust mask when I vacuum the house, tomorrow! 

After the pharmacy visit, I went to the dollar store, next door.  I bought two packs of paper plates (10 plates per pack), a pack of plastic spoons, a long handled dust pan to replace the one that cracked, a small plastic watering can to replace the one that started leaking, some grapes (@$1.99/lb), a bottle of lemon-lime soda.  My total came to $14.04. 

That was my last errand for the day.  I came home, put away the groceries (sorry, I didn't take any pictures), had a cup of tea, watched the evening news, made a couple of phone calls, finished tidying and dusting the family room, did a little more paperwork and filing, cooked the chicken curry, put garbanzo beans (chick peas) to soak, and made myself some dinner:

Dinner: Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing, Sauteed Chicken Breast Strips, and Half a Baked Potato

 
Today, I am grateful for:
- More stickers at my piano lesson!
- Exercise for my brain (memorizing my pieces!)
- What I was able to accomplish
- Warm wool sweaters that I knitted
- Video chatting with my daughter

Today's joyful activity was playing the piano well enough to get stickers!  LOL.

Thursday's To Do List:
- Practice the piano/Piano lesson - DONE
- Pay bills/Post office - DONE
- Bank - DONE
- Groceries - DONE
- Pharmacy - DONE
- Dollar store - DONE
- Finish tidying and dusting the family room - DONE
- Cook the chicken curry! - DONE
- Clean the rest of the kitchen

I ran out of energy to clean the rest of the kitchen, today.

Friday's To Do List:
- Call the doctor's office re. inhaler refill
- Cook: garbanzo beans, dhal, green beans
- Clean the bathrooms
- Vacuum
- Clean the rest of the kitchen (after the cooking is done)
- Practice the piano

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

The Garden in February

Would you like to take a look at the garden in February?

In the backyard, the little peach "tree" is flowering and the bees are enjoying the nectar:

Peach Tree in Bloom

Nearby, the orange tree -

Orange Tree

is trying to compete with the three lemon trees:

One of Three Lemon Trees

The old rosemary bush (grown from a sprig a friend gave me) is flowering, too, much to the delight of bees:

Rosemary Bush 

(Sorry, blurry picture; I was trying to avoid being stung by the bees!  The new rosemary plant is in the front garden and it, too, has a few flowers although it is still just a small plant.)

The crocosmia is flowering, too: 

Crocosmia

Doing its best to cover up the bare spot of ground where not even weeds will grow!

Underneath one of the lemon trees, one of the canna bulbs that M gave me is coming up, among the four-o-clocks (mirabilis).  I haven't seen any of the others coming up, yet.

Canna

In the front garden, the lone surviving lavender plant (out of the 5 or 6 that I planted a couple of years ago) is flowering:

Lavender

There was a bee buzzing around the lavender, but, it wouldn't sit still for me to take a picture.

The osteospermum (African Daisies) have sprawled over the edging and are starting to flower:

Osteospermum

This bee obliged me and sat still while I took a picture:

Obliging Bee!

If I hadn't already submitted the picture of the eucalyptus tree bark as my entry for the WPSH's Monochrome, I might have picked this osteospermum, with its dark purple center and lighter purple tinged petals:

Monochromatic Flower

I am not a photographer and my cell phone camera didn't do it justice (and maybe the afternoon sun was a bit too bright), but, the petals were definitely two toned.

The aloe plants that M gave are flowering, too:

Aloe Flowers

And the succulents border is growing nicely:

Succulents Border

While the succulents my former supervisor gave me are thriving:

Succulents

Almost ready to have some cuttings taken!

There are flowers on the jade plants, too: 

Jade Plant 

The lantana bushes being grown along the edge of the sidewalk are in flower and providing nectar for the visiting bees and butterflies:

Do you see the bee?  It has its back to us

How about the butterfly?

Here is a view of the euryops that were planted recently:

Euryops around the Eucalyptus

I probably should have bought five plants, instead of four, to make a more complete circle around the tree.  Oh, well, maybe I'll buy another one if they still have them, next week.  

As you can see from the photo, below, there is no lawn in the front.  There is no landscaping, either, or any particular garden design!  I've planted along the perimeter and now, I'm filling in the middle!  LOL.  The front yard gets both southern and western exposure, so receives the full strength of the summer sun.  I'm still waiting for the lantana bushes to grow into a hedge, but, the sun is almost too strong for it (or, I don't water it enough).  The front yard needs a lot of work, but, I hope to transform it, one day.  

A View of the Garden from the Sidewalk

Today, I am grateful for:

- Flowers in the garden

- Bees and butterflies and other pollinators

- Garden fruits

- Drought tolerant plants

- Gifts of plants from my friends

I hope you enjoyed the tour of my garden in February.  Are you starting to plan your spring garden?

Productive Tuesday

Peach Tree in Bloom

The morning, like most mornings, got off to a slow start.  By the time I got up (at 10:30 a.m., after going to sleep at 4:30 a.m.), fed the cats, had my tea, checked emails, replied to blog comments, and read/commented on a few blogs, it was already noon. 

The afternoon was quite productive, however.

First, I made some egg salad so I could have an egg salad sandwich for brunch.

Then,  I practiced the piano, tidied and dusted the living room, brought the trash cans in, and watered the garden.

Afterwards, I did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen - scrubbed the stove top and under the burners, cleaned the toaster oven, wiped down about two-thirds of the kitchen counters, scrubbed the sink, and replaced all the sponges and scrub cloths.  Then, it was time to have a cup of tea and eat some of the spicy snack mix I had bought from the Sri Lankan store.

I watched the evening news and went through some mail and this week's grocery ads while I did that.  Then, I watched the State of the Union speech and put the by now well dried sofa slip covers back on the second sofa.  This is the sofa on which Dancer tends to prefer to nap and although I cover the slip covers with an old sheet, there was still some of his fur on the slip covers, even after washing!  So, I went over the sofa and cushions with a lint roller to remove the fur and covered the sofa with two sheets!  I was just inserting the decorative cushions into their covers when my hands began to cramp.  This is the sign for me to stop!  I took my magnesium supplements and waited for the cramps to subside. 

Later, however, after dinner, I was able to clear the family room coffee table and dust it.  I still need to clear the small dining table in the family room and dust the shelves, etc.  That is on the agenda for tomorrow. 

Today, I am grateful for:
- What I was able to accomplish
- Flowers on the peach tree
- Bees buzzing around the peach flowers (and, hopefully, pollinating them!)
- A sunny afternoon
- Video chatting with my daughter

Today's joyful activity was being out in the garden, watering, and admiring the flowers.

Wednesday's To Do List:
- Practice the piano
- Finish tidying and dusting the family room
- Cook the chicken curry!
- Clean the rest of the kitchen

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

Crocosmia

A Finished Puzzle and Groceries on Monday

All the Snowmen and Gingerbread Men Cookies!

We had such a wind storm, last night!  I was afraid the eucalyptus tree would come down, but, it didn't!  It's still quite windy, today, too, and chilly (well, by our southern California standards).

I finished putting together the jigsaw puzzle, today!  At first, I thought I was missing two pieces, but, I found them hiding behind the dining room drapes, so all the pieces are accounted for!  After I took the picture, I broke up the puzzle and put all the pieces back into the box.  The two puzzles have been put away until the end of the year, to be brought out and put together, again.

One of my friends texted me, today, to ask if she can bring a beef curry to the Rosary dinner.  I was going to make a beef curry, but, I have learned that I always overestimate what I can do and underestimate my energy levels!  LOL.  So, her offer of help with the meal has been accepted with gratitude!  One of my cousins called, too, to ask if I wanted her to bring anything, but, she is down with the flu and I didn't want her to get too tired.

I have made a tentative menu for the Rosary dinner:
Rice
Chicken curry (and beef curry, if my friend is able to make it)
Smoked sausages stir fried with bell peppers (this was a crowd favorite the last time I made it)
Lentils (dhal)
Cashew curry
Cucumber salad (with tomatoes and red onions)
Green beans
Papadum (lentil wafers)

Flan or pie or cake for dessert
Fresh fruits

I planned the menu so that there will be a choice of meat (chicken and sausages) if my friend is unable to bring the beef curry for whatever reason.

I went to one of the grocery stores, later in the afternoon, to do some grocery shopping (and take advantage of their sales).  I didn't take any pictures of the groceries, but, I bought:

1 package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts @$1.99/lb = $7. 32
1 package boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders @ $1.99/lb = $6.03 (they didn't have a second package of the b/s chicken breasts)
1 (3 lb) bag of mandarins = $1.99
3 bags of tortilla chips @ $1.88 (had to buy 3 to get the sale price) = $5.64
4 smoked sausages @ $2.50 = $10.00
2 containers of mango nectar @$2.49 = $4.98
10 cans tuna in water @$.59 = $5.90
Total = $41.86

2/3 Grocery Receipt

All of the above, other than the tuna, are for the Rosary dinner.

My regular monthly grocery budget is $75 per month, but, my overall budget also includes $50 per month for almsgivings and rosary meals (although that was based on hosting one rosary per year).  There is also another $50/month budgeted for "miscellaneous", each month, so I can take some money from that category, too, to cover expenses, if needed.  So, I will increase February's grocery budget by $100, this month (almsgivings/rosary budget from January and February), for a total of $175 to spend on groceries, this month.  I also had $9.90 left in my January budget (I will round it up to $10 for ease of accounting!)

So, my February grocery budget will be $175 + $10 carried over from January = $185.00

I spent $32.71 at the Sri Lankan store on Saturday and $41.86, today.

Balance remaining in the February grocery budget: $185 - $32.71 - $41.86 =  $110.43

I need to buy more rice, lentils, and the fresh produce for the Rosary dinner.  And maybe some soda.

On the way home from the grocery store, I stopped by the library to pick up a book that had been put on hold for me.

I spent the evening relaxing and making phone calls.  I took the trash cans to the curb for pick up in the morning, but, it was too cold and windy to water the garden.  Need to do that tomorrow, instead.

Today, I am grateful for:
- My friend's offer to make the beef curry
- Phone calls with family and friends
- Libraries
- Deals at the grocery store
- Leftovers!

Today's joyful activity was finishing the jigsaw puzzle!

Plans for tomorrow include cooking the chicken curry and, maybe more grocery shopping!

How was your Monday?  Have you gone grocery shopping yet, this month?  How do you budget for parties, etc.?  Do you have a separate budget for when you entertain?

Superbowl Sunday

Dining Room Shelving Unit: Before (May, 2019)

Today, I put the washed and dried sofa slip cover back on the sofa and washed the slip covers of the second sofa in the family room (the family room seating consists of two sofas).

Then, I put away the tea and various other items I bought.  I took the opportunity to tidy the kitchen cabinets where I store the canned goods that are part of my earthquake supplies.  I made a note of the items I have plenty of and should get more of.

That done, I checked the paper goods I will need for the upcoming prayer gathering.  I will use my glass plates for the dinner, but, I usually use paper bowls and paper napkins, etc. for the snacks and desserts.  I have plenty of bowls and napkins, etc., but, I might need to buy a packet of paper plates to send food home with people.

Then, I dusted and tidied the shelves of the shelf unit in the dining room.  The three shelves hold my cookbook collection and some decorative objects.  The cabinet below the shelves holds my kitchen towels, table cloths, placemats, hot pads, and cloth napkins.  I had gone through the cabinet, earlier, and sorted through things.  Today, I rearranged the shelves on the top. 

Shelf Unit: After (February 2020)

The blue and white ginger jars and the tea pots had already been moved to other parts of the house, some to the living room and some to the family room, around October, and the shelves were used to store items I bought for the almsgiving and, later, some Christmas gifts (jars of jam, jar candles, boxes of chocolates, etc.).  In fact, I put away the last two jars of jam that were remaining in the kitchen cabinet, a couple of days ago.  I am going to enjoy this "decluttered" look for a little while, I think.

In the late afternoon, I watched some figure skating and worked on the jigsaw puzzle.  Then, I watched the first quarter of the Superbowl.  Cousin P called me a little after that and invited me over to tea.  So, I went over and had tea with her and chatted with her for a bit.  I came home and watched the fourth quarter of the Superbowl.  Later, I washed the dishes and video chatted with my daughter.

Today, I am grateful for:

- Being alive and well

- A sunny and warm day

- Cousin P inviting me to tea

- A working washing machine

- Video chatting with my daughter

Today's joyful activity was having tea with cousin P.

Monday's To Do List:

- Put the dried covers back on the sofa

- Dust and tidy the family room

- Do paperwork/pay bills
- Clean the fridge
- Take out the trash cans
- Water the garden

How was your Sunday?  Did you watch the Superbowl?  What are your plans for Monday?

Time for Tea!

Time for Tea (WPSH prompt #12)

I have my favorite tea, again!  I stocked up and bought five boxes!  Well, actually, I bought four boxes and friend R bought me one more!  I bought some fish patties (similar to empanadas), too, to go with my cup of tea!

Yesterday (Friday) morning, there was a group text from my friend who leads the monthly rosary prayers to all the participants in the group, asking who would like to host the February prayer gathering.  She hosted it in January and asked then, too, but, no one volunteered to host it in February.  Then, she asked a couple of the group members if they would like to host it, but, all they would commit to was an "I'll let you know".  So, yesterday, she sent the text giving the dates she will be available to lead the prayers and saying she could host the February prayer gathering, too, if no one else was able to host it.  I didn't think it was fair to her to have to host the gathering two months in a row.  But, being the only non-Catholic in the group, I usually tend to give others the opportunity to volunteer to host the gathering, first, because I really don't want to step on any toes.

When it looked like no one else was going to volunteer, I offered to host the February prayer gathering, if it was OK with the others.  I said I will host it on February 8, which is next Saturday.  It doesn't give me a lot of time to prepare for it, but, February 7 is the anniversary of my mother's death, so it made sense to me to host the prayer gathering the following day to commemorate her.  It will be the equivalent of an almsgiving as far as I am concerned and there was nothing my mother liked better than having people over and giving them a meal. 

Usually, I host the prayer gathering in October and I prepare for it, weeks in advance.  This time, I don't have that luxury, but, on the positive side, the house is in fairly good shape and I don't have to do a lot of cleaning. 

So, what is the first thing I did, yesterday, after I volunteered to host the prayer gathering?  Why, pull the slipcovers off one of the family room sofas and wash them, of course!  Ha!  Don't have to do a lot of cleaning?  Well, then, let's do some spring cleaning, instead, shall we?  Sigh.  I was to wash the slipcovers on the other sofa, today, but, didn't get around to it.  That is on the agenda for tomorrow.

Today, I picked up friend R and we went to the Sri Lankan store to buy a few items, including my tea, as they had finally received a new stock of tea. 

Sri Lankan Store Purchases

 
In addition to the tea (4 boxes @ $5.49), I bought a packet of coriander seeds ($1.99), a packet of mung beans ($3.98), a packet of a snack mix ($3.49), and a packet of papadam (lentil wafers; $1.29), and a small container of hair oil made from a variety of coconut known as king coconut or "thambili" ($4.49).  My total came to $37.20.  The groceries portion of it amounted to $32.71 ($37.20 - $4.49). 

Afterwards, friend R and I went to the Sri Lankan restaurant, which is located about one mile from the store.  I didn't take any photos of our lunch, but, R had the "appa" (known as "hoppers" in English) meal; hoppers look like bowl shaped pancakes with a soft, spongy middle and a thin crispy edge.  The hopper meal included one egg hopper (with a soft-set egg baked into the middle) and four plain hoppers, served with your choice of chicken, beef, or fish curry and a spicy onion mixture known as "lunu miris".  I had "indiappa" (or "stringhoppers" in English), which are a type of rice noodles; the meal included ten stringhoppers, served with your choice of chicken, beef, or fish curry, "kiri hodi" which is a mild, yellow curry made with coconut milk into which hard boiled eggs and potatoes have been added, and coconut sambol  or "pol sambol".  I couldn't finish my meal, so I brought half of it home.  In addition to our meals, R and I both ordered fish patties to bring home!

Then, I dropped R off at her apartment and came home, had a cup of tea, practiced the piano, and video chatted with my daughter. 

Today, I am grateful for:
- Being able to stock up on my tea!
- Friend R treating me to lunch
- Some of my favorite snacks
- A safe drive to the store and back (almost met with an accident while trying to make a left turn!)
- Video chatting with my daughter
 
Today's joyful activity was going to the Sri Lankan store and out to lunch with friend R.

Plans for tomorrow include washing the other sofa slip cover and watering the front garden.

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

February Balanced Life Monthly Goals

Time to post my February 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 ratings for each segment are shown within the parentheses, with the beginning of the month ratings in black.

February Balanced Life Goals:

Spiritual: (9.5):   The goal is to live a spiritually meaningful life:
- Continue with daily prayers, meditation, being grateful, positive, and joyful
- Continue to cultivate non-attachment to material things by donating/decluttering more
- Go to the Temple at least once
- Host the February rosary prayer gathering (on 2/8)

House (9.5):  The goal is a home that is pleasant, comfortable, and welcoming:
- Clean - Clean the house for the prayer gathering; do some spring (deep) cleaning, as well
- Organize - Continue to find a place for everything and keep everything in its place
- Well maintained - Keep "erasing the evidence"
- Decluttered - Declutter 30 items in February

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

- Maintain (water 1- 2 times per week, depending on how much rain we get; weed)
- Clean out the garden shed
- Start spring planting 

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

- Be encouraging and supportive of her plans
- Daily texts, phone calls, and video chatting, etc., to keep in close touch with her
- Look forward to her planned visit at the very end of the month

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

- Regular phone calls and emails
- Wish cousin V and nephew S on their birthdays
- Will be seeing some family and friends at the monthly prayer gathering
- Get together with friend R to go out to lunch
- Call/visit friend T

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

- Continue to participate in the blogging community 
- Weekly phone calls with neighbor T
- Weekly visits with neighbor S (who is teaching me piano)
- Continue to participate in the online group of which I am a member
- Participate in temple events
- Participate in library events (free movie screenings, etc.)

Finances (10):  The goal is financial security:

- Continue budgeting and spending mindfully, with purpose. 

 Health & Well Being (7.5):  The goal is good health:
- Attend the medical appointment (just one) scheduled for this month 
- Continue to work on the following life style changes: 

  - better diet - eat more vegetables and complex carbs, less refined sugar
  - better hydration - drink 8 x 8oz glasses of water, daily
  - better sleep habits -  get sufficient sleep and try to adjust the sleep schedule
  - more exercise - get back on a walking schedule 

- Get back down to a healthier weight through diet and exercise. 

Time Management (8): The goal is to spend my time in a mindful manner:
- Keep to 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

- Participate in the Winter Photo Scavenger Hunt
- Weekly piano lessons (and daily practicing!)
- Do a crafts project

Those are my goals for a more balanced life in February.

Are you making any goals for a more balanced life in February?