"Terra-catta" Pots and Other Happenings on the Weekend

Lantana Flowers in the Front Garden

Lantana Flowers

Friday evening, when I took pictures of the pomegranate leaves for the "something yellow" WPSH prompt, I took a couple of other pictures, too.  These lantana flowers are in the front garden, growing along the border of the walkway in front of the house.  But, just because I post pictures of flowers still blooming in the garden, don't be fooled into thinking I have a lush garden!  Our "rainy" season starts in October, but, so far, we have had only 0.1 inches of measurable rain since May!  And, although I do water the garden on alternate days, about three times a week, this is what the south and west facing front garden looks like, these days:

Front Garden

It's a sad excuse of a garden, isn't it?  I removed all the spent osteospermum that were growing in that planting bed in the foreground and little seedlings are coming up:

Osteospermum Seedlings

Friday evening, friend M came by to tend to the garden.  He weeded the back garden, sprayed the peach tree again because there was evidence of borers damaging the poor tree, and watered the garden for me.  Afterwards, I made us some tea and we chatted for a bit while we enjoyed our socially distanced tea and ate the last of the candied yam muffins.

He brought me a tea light lantern that someone was getting rid of, telling me that I was under no obligation to accept it, but, I think it is very pretty:

Tea Light Lantern

He had included several tea light candles and a box of matches, as well!  It was a bit dusty when he brought it, but, I gave it a quick wash and I think it will make a nice decoration.  The candle is protected by glass panes, right around.  

On Friday night, I cooked a stir fry with smoked sausage, broccoli, carrots, canned pineapple chunks, and a handful of cashews.  

Smoked Sausage Stir Fry

I cooked a pot of rice to go with the stir fry. 

Later on Friday night, I video chatted with my daughter; she was feeling the passing of our aunt more than she expected.  I stayed online and chatted with her while she made something we call fish cutlets, which are made of canned fish, mashed potatoes, onions, and spices, mixed together and made into balls which are dipped in beaten egg, breaded, and fried; she sent me a picture:

Fish Cutlets

Saturday was a quiet, restful day.  I practiced the piano, watered the front garden, watched news and a couple of programs on TV, and knitted.

Today (Sunday), I made more stuffing waffles with the last of the stuffing leftover from Thanksgiving.  I ate one for brunch and another one with my afternoon tea.  There's one more left for tomorrow's brunch.  

On Friday, M planted a few more vegetable seeds in a planter for me.  I asked him to leave it on a small table I keep near the back door steps, because I didn't want the garden cats to dig in it.  This afternoon, I looked out through the sliding glass door and I saw this (taken through the glass):

Kitten!

 

"What?"

Then, I opened the door and it woke up.  Aw, look at that face!  I sent the pictures to M and said the seeds he planted sprouted a kitty!  He replied, "Terra-catta pots"!  LOL.  I told him it's going to be my blog post title!  Then, I activated the Kitten Defense System:

Kitten Defense System

I picked some dried twigs and stuck them into the soil to try and discourage the planter being used as a cat bed.  It's not very effective, however, because, later on, I spied the kitty trying to remove them!  It had already managed to knock a couple of them off!  

In the meantime, M posted pictures of his pea plants that were eaten by birds and the individual chicken wire enclosures he had to make for each plant!  I forgot to ask his permission to publish them here, but, I will ask him, tomorrow, and publish them if he says it's OK to do so!   

This weekend, I am grateful for:

- Garden flowers

- Seedlings 

- Video chatting with my daughter

- Cute kitties!

- Restful days

It has been a good weekend, although it was bookended with news of my aunt's death on Friday and news of a friend's mother's death, late on Sunday night. 

The weekend ended with us going into another 3 week long lockdown, in Los Angeles county, due to high new Covid cases (over 10,500 new cases on Sunday) and our available ICU beds capacity going down to below (12%).  

How was your weekend?

Something Yellow (WPSH)

One of the prompts for the Winter Photo Scavenger Hunt is Something Yellow (No. 19).  Suddenly, it seems like all I see around me are things that are yellow!  

From the flowers in the garden:

Chrysanthemums

Gazania

And the the cover of the book on the table near my chair:

100 Years of National Geographic Society

And the gloves I wear when washing dishes:

Latex Gloves

And the hard hat I keep near my pillows in case of an earthquake at night: 

Hard Hat

And the amigurumi "Pudding Chan" (a caramel pudding with a cherry on the top) my daughter crocheted for me:

Amigurumi Pudding Chan

To the pomegranate leaves  and lemons in the garden:

Pomegranate Leaves

Lemon

Even the ripening oranges look more yellow than orange, right now:

Ripening Orange

No wonder I find myself humming "Mellow Yellow" by Donovan!  

Of course, I will have to pick one photo for the WPSH; which one would you pick?

Friday

Narcissus/Paperwhites

Hard to believe that we are already in December!  This past week I've been busy posting my end of the  month updates, etc., and planning ahead for December. 

I have been busy learning new Christmas carols on the piano and making jam to give as gifts:

Apple and Feijoa Jam with Cloves

I didn't have a big crop of feijoa (pineapple guava) this year, in comparison to last year, but, I had enough to get 3 lbs. of fruit, after peeling.  I added another 1 lb. of peeled and chopped apples to it and made 12 half-pint (8 oz.) jars of jam (a note to my British readers - the U.S. pint is 16 oz., not 20; so, our half pint is 8 oz.).  It took me a lot longer than I had anticipated to make the jam, this time, but, they make good gifts.

In the meantime, my daughter has been busy transforming her apartment into a snowy pine forest! 

Painted Cardboard Pine Forest

She cut out the trees from some of the cardboard boxes and painted them.  When she ran out of green paint, she mixed up some blue and yellow paint to make more green paint, she said.  She plans to decorate the biggest tree, over the next few days.

This morning, I received a call from my cousin V.  Her mother, my aunt T, passed away early this morning.  She had been in declining physical health since a fall and fracture, early last year.  She was 92 and would have turned 93 in January, had she lived.  She was the widow of my mother's younger brother and the last of my mother's siblings-in-law.  The last time I spoke with her was on Thanksgiving Day.  Rest in peace, Aunty Thelma.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Cousin V calling me to notify me

- Being able to speak with cousin R (aunt T's younger daughter) to condole with her

- Memories  

- My daughter's concern for my well being

- Garden fruit for making jam

Today's joyful activity has been reminiscing about my aunt.

Hope everyone has a blessed day.

Winter Photo Scavenger Hunt

Guess what?  It's time for the Winter Photo Scavenger Hunt!   Eileen has posted the list of prompts (and three alternatives) which I have copied and posted, below.  It runs from December 1 to March 31, with the first link up in the first week of January.  Everyone is welcome to join in, she says, and the only requirements are that the photos must be our own work and taken between the specified dates (December 1 to March 31).  The most important thing is to have fun, she says!

List of prompts:  

1. A set of three
2. Round and round
3. Peek inside
4. Glass
5. A treasured item
6. Horizontal
7. An opening
8. A sign of the times
9. Weather conditions
10. Work in progress
11. Measures
12. In the distance
13. Something beginning with C
14. One of many
15. Something with legs
16. A face
17. Comfort food
18. Something you do every day
19. Something yellow
20. Marking time

Alt A. In pieces

Alt B. Textured

Alt C. Black and white

December Joys

Time to post a list of Joys for December - some of them are activities, but, a few are also simply things that bring joy to me:

1.  A warm house

2.  Cozy knitted blankets and throws
3.  Homemade soup

4.  December Monthly Photo Mini Challenge

5.  Winter decorations
6.  Look forward to my daughter's planned visit home for the holidays
7.  Make/send some holiday greeting cards
8.  The Winter Photo Scavenger Hunt
9.   Knitting
10. Hot cocoa
11. Bake a pie
12. Make a special cake with daughter when she comes down for the holidays
13. Winter gardening
14. Enjoy some candle light in the evenings
15. Make a list (of holiday gifts to give); check it twice!
16. Make holiday gifts to give
17. Drop off gifts (since we will not be visiting in person)
18. Bake cookies
19. Watch holiday specials on TV
20. Listen to holiday music  
21. Play the piano (carols) 
22. Sing some carols
23. Play a board game
24. Watch Midnight Mass from the Vatican
25. Spend Christmas with my daughter

26. Winter flower arrangement

27. Make some candies

28. Bake some bread

29. Learn to bake scones

30. Annual year end almsgiving (done a little differently, this year, since donations will be sent to the Temple in lieu of holding it at home)

31. Celebrate New Year's Eve

I am listing 31 joys for the month.  Not sure if I'll do them all, but, I am looking for a joyful December!

How about you?  Will you be joining me in engaging in joyful activities this month?  

December Meal Plans - Week 1

I have decided that I will continue to post meal plan options in December, too.  If only to make sure that I remember to put things out to thaw in a timely manner!   I plan to do a grocery order, sometime this month, but, probably closer to Christmas.  This week's meal plan  options are based on what I have on hand, in the fridge and freezer.

December Week 1 Meal Plan Options:

Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch:  Milk rice and seeni sambol, fruit, scrambled egg and toast, French toast, pancakes, waffles, sandwiches

Dinner:  Chicken "pie", smoked sausage stir fry, cheese burgers, leftovers.

Snacks/Desserts: Fruit, candied yam muffins, nuts  

Since I'm posting this after the week has already started, here's how it is turning out to be:

Monday (November 30): 

Brunch:  Stuffing waffle

Dinner: Chicken "pot pie", made with the last of the roast chicken, gravy, cream of celery soup, vegetables, and mashed potato topping 

Chicken "Pie"

Snacks/Dessert:  Tangerine, candied yam muffins

The chicken pie makes four servings for me; unless I decide to freeze some of it, I will be having it for several meals, this week!

Tuesday (December 1)

Brunch:  Milk rice and seeni sambol, pomegranate

Dinner: Chicken pie leftovers

Snacks/Dessert - Tangerine, candied yam muffins, cashews

Wednesday: 

Brunch: Milk rice and seeni sambol leftovers (there's enough leftover for one more serving!)  

Dinner: Chicken pie leftovers or smoked sausage stir-fry!

Snacks/Dessert:  

Thursday: 

Brunch:  

Dinner: 

Snacks/Dessert: 

Friday: 

Brunch:  

Dinner: 

Snacks/Dessert: 

Saturday: 

Brunch:  

Dinner: 

Snacks/Dessert: 

Sunday: 

Brunch: 

Dinner: 

Snacks/Dessert: 

 

What are you planning to have for meals, this week?

Monthly Photo Challenge: November - Tools

Time to post my photos for the monthly photo challenge that Eileen has been organizing.  The theme for November was Tools. These are some of the tools I use for my hobbies and cooking:

Flower Arranging - especially for Japanese-style arrangements:

Kenzan, Shears, Floral Tape, and Container

Knitting and Crochet:

Knitting Needls, Crochet Hooks, and Stitch Holders

Knitting Tools in Use

Sewing Tools: Including my mother's tracing wheel.

Sewing Tools

Kitchen/Cooking Tools - Just a few of the specialized tools found in my kitchen:

String Hopper Mold and Trays

String Hopper Mold and Trays

Once the dough is made, it is put into the hollow mold and pressed down with the top of the mold and pushed out in long strands or "strings" through the openings in the bottom of the mold onto the woven trays and steamed.  Once steamed, the resulting mound of dough strings are removed from the trays onto a plate.

String Hopper Mold

Coconut Scraper:

Coconut Scraper - Table Top/Rotary Version

Coconut Scraper, Ready for Use

One holds half of the opened coconut against the round head and the teeth will scrape the coconut when the handle is turned.  When I was a child, the coconut scraper we had in our kitchen was a bench model - a low bench with a stationary, flat metal circle with teeth attached to one end; you sat on the bench and scraped the coconut by moving it against the teeth of the metal circle with your hands.  Since we used fresh coconuts and coconut milk was used in all our curries, scraping the coconuts was one of the first tasks of the day and one of the first sounds one heard after waking up!

And finally, a specialized, grooved bowl for washing rice, that we call "nambiliya" (I don't think there is an English name for it):

Nambiliya

In my childhood home, we had an earthenware version of it, but this is a metal one that we brought with us.  The raw rice to be cooked is placed in the bowl with water, swirled around with ones hand, and then, the water is poured out, using a rocking motion, into another container, along with the top layer of rice.  More water is added to the bowl and one repeats the swirling and draining the water and rice, as many times as needed to remove all the rice from the bowl into the other container.  The whole purpose of the exercise is to remove any small stones and grains of sand that might be in the rice - back in the days when rice was threshed on the ground, one always found some tiny stones and grains of sand in the rice and, if the rice had not been properly washed before being cooked, one would bite into the stones when eating the cooked rice!  The swirling of the rice helped to cause the stones to fall down to the bottom of the bowl and the grooves helped to catch the stones while the top layers of rice would be washed into the other container.  One usually had to wash the rice three times before all the stones could be removed.  In addition to rice, lentils (especially the small red lentils), used to be washed in this same manner to remove any stones.  These days, however, all the rice and lentils I buy seem to be clean enough not to need being washed in a nambiliya.  Even so, I keep my nambiliya, just in case!

Those are my photos for Tools!  Thank you, Eileen, for posting this monthly challenge.

In December, the Winter Photo Scavenger Hunt begins.  Eileen has posted the list of prompts - there are 20 prompts and 3 alternatives.