Glued to the TV on Wednesday

I spent the majority of the day glued to the TV!  I had turned it on at 10:00 a.m., hoping to watch the coverage of the certification of the electoral college vote and watched what unfolded, in the hours that followed, until it was time to go to my dental appointment in the evening.

I was fitted with my partial denture, today, and told to wear it for a week and come back if there are any sore spots to be filed down.  I don't feel any sore spots, yet, but, it will take a little getting used to, I think, and right now, I am having some trouble pronouncing some words!  I had a cup of noodle soup for dinner, because I didn't want to try chewing on anything, right away.

I started the process of taking down the Christmas decorations, this evening.  Somehow, it usually takes me twice as long to take down and put away than it does to put up the decorations!  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Access to TV coverage of the news

- Being an eyewitness to history in the making

- Dental insurance

- The car started without any problems

- My new partial denture

Today's joyful activity was knitting (picked up stitches and started on the neckband of my sweater).

  

Plans for tomorrow include going for my repeat mammogram.  

How was your day?

Quiet Days

 

Another Set of Three - Candle Holders

I took this photo as part of the WPSH, for prompt #1 A Set of Three, but, chose the trio of elephants for that, instead.

On Saturday, I felt a bit under the weather, as, towards the evening, I began to get my sinuses blocked and the back of my throat feeling a bit scratchy.  In pre-Covid days, I would have thought it was a cold and not thought twice about it.  But, these days, my first thought was to wonder if I had been exposed to the dreaded Corona virus!  But, I had not gone out and come into close contact with anyone who was not masked, etc., so, through a process of elimination, we concluded that it was allergies.  Probably from all the dust with daughter cleaning her bedroom and me going through all the dusty piles of magazines and papers she was decluttering, tearing them up for recycling, etc.  Or, maybe it was the lovely, but, potent, perfume from the rose scented candle as I am not used to it!  

On Sunday, I couldn't get warm!  I was bundled up in wool sweaters and scarf, sitting in front of the heater, and still feeling cold deep inside me!  But, at least, the sinuses were clear and I didn't have a scratchy throat!

I had put mung beans to soak on Saturday night, which I boiled for our breakfast on Sunday.  Often, we eat boiled mung beans with grated coconut or katta sambol or lunu miris (which is another spicy mixture of raw onions and dried chilies, ground together) for breakfast, but, on Sunday, I chose to eat it plain and my daughter had hers sprinkled with sugar!

Afterwards, I took the kitchen scraps to the garden to be composted, tore up more papers to recycle (removing name and address labels, etc.), and did a couple of loads of laundry, including the dust sheets on one of the family room sofas.  Daughter finished cleaning her bedroom and set up her desk with her work files and work computer, in readiness for work on Monday.  Then, she vacuumed the family room for me and took a virtual "couch parkour" class, which uses the sofa or couch as the obstacle course!  I watched her doing her routine, including kick overs, back limbers, and shoulder rolls from the living room.  It gives jumping on the sofa a whole new meaning!  LOL! 

Daughter had leftover rice and curries for dinner; I felt sort of bloated all day and didn't feel like eating much, so had a scrambled egg and an orange.  

Yesterday, Monday, I felt much better.  Whatever it was that was affecting me over the weekend seemed to have worked its way out of my system, thank goodness!  I got up just before daughter woke up, made my tea and put her coffee to brew.  Later, we had leftover boiled mung beans for brunch.  I did more laundry, filled the recycling bin to the brim, took the trash bin and recycling bin to the curb for pick up in the morning, flattened some cardboard boxes to put down in the side yard as a weed barrier, sewed the seams of the sweater I've been knitting and picked up the stitches around the neck to knit the neck band.  By then, it was 5:00 p.m. and daughter had finished her work for the day.  We had parathas with chicken curry with our evening tea and watched some news.  We both took a short nap on the sofa, while watching news!  Afterwards, I watched the rest of the news while daughter cooked teriyaki chicken and steamed broccoli and snap peas for our dinner.  Later, I practiced the piano, chatted on the phone with friend R, and cleaned the litter box.  

Today, I made us waffles for brunch.  I brought in the empty trash bin and recycling bin.  I have more papers to be put into the recycling bin!  It is now just after 1:30 p.m. and daughter is working.  There are leftovers from last night's teriyaki chicken and vegetables that she made and we will have that for dinner.  Plans for today include going through the rest of the papers for recycling and watering the houseplants and the garden. 

Today, I am grateful for:

- Feeling better

- Daughter being able to work from home

- Daughter sharing the cooking

- Sunny, warm weather 

- Fresh oranges from the tree in my garden

Today's joyful activity will be knitting.

How is your week coming along?

January Joys

For me, the biggest joy in January is having daughter home.  But, in addition to that, January Joys will include:

1.  A warm and welcoming home

2.  Winter gardening
3.  The Winter Photo Scavenger Hunt

4.  January Monthly Photo Mini Challenge

5.  Baking (pie, bread, scones, cake)
6.  Enjoying some candle light in the evenings

7.  Crafting

8.  Music (playing, listening, singing)

What are some of your January Joys?

Start of the New Year

 

Jar Candle

Isn't this one of the prettiest jar candles you've ever seen?   The rose tinted glass has a lovely, floral design and the candle inside is rose scented and has a wood wick!  I look forward to lighting this candle and will be saving the container to reuse!  The candle was a gift from neighbor S (who is also my piano teacher).   Yesterday, S, her mother L, and daughter N brought over gifts for my daughter and me, including the candle, cookies, lebkuchen (which is a favorite), a really pretty looking pumpkin (after asking me if I'd like to have a pumpkin), plus a dish of baba ganoush and grilled salmon steaks, which we had for our dinner!

Cookies, Lebkuchen, Pumpkin, Baba Ganoush, and Grilled Salmon 

 

Have I mentioned that I am blessed with some lovely friends and neighbors? 

Today, my daughter has spent the day cleaning her room, going through all her bookshelves and closet.  I've been helping to tear up the bags of paper she's recycling (making sure her name and address have been removed from old mail, the magazines she used to receive, etc.)  We have bags of items to donate plus a stack of old text books from her undergraduate days.  

I did a load of laundry and will do Dancer's litter box, a little later.

Today, I am grateful for:

- My friends and neighbors

- Yummy treats

- Working appliances

- A warm house

- Phone calls from family and friends

Daughter and I had leftover milk rice with various curries for brunch.  I will cook some rice for dinner to be eaten with some of the leftovers.

How is your weekend coming along?

2021 New Year's Resolutions and January Balanced Life Monthly Goals

My 2021 New Year resolutions will be the same as my resolutions in previous years:

Resolution 1:  Continue to pursue good health by keeping all medical appointments, taking my prescribed medications, eating a healthier diet (more vegetables and complex carbohydrates, less refined sugar), drinking enough water and staying hydrated, increasing my activity levels to build up stamina and strength,  and getting sufficient sleep.

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 keeping/putting back 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 my New Year's resolutions 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.  Resolution 1 (good health) is incorporated in the Health and Well Being segment; Resolution 2 (time management) is incorporated in the Time Management segment; Resolution 3 (being more organized) is incorporated in the House segment; Resolution 4 (being more positive) is incorporated in the Spiritual segment, and Resolution 5 (a more balanced life) is incorporated into the entire wheel of the monthly goals for a 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 and the end of the month ratings being shown in blue.

January Balanced Life Goals:

Spiritual: (10):   The goal is to live a spiritually meaningful life:
- Continue with daily prayers, meditation, being grateful, positive, and joyful

- Continue to attend Temple prayer/blessing services online
- Continue to cultivate non-attachment by being generous and giving to the extent I am able

House (9):  The goal is a home that is pleasant, comfortable, and welcoming:
- Clean - Deep clean the house as the Christmas decorations are taken down 
- Organize - Continue to find a place for everything and keep everything in its place
- Well maintained - Keep "erasing the evidence"; implement daily and weekly cleaning schedules
- Decluttered - Continue with the decluttering process; call for a donations pick up by the end of the month

Garden (9):  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
- Discuss spring planting plans with M

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

- Enjoy her being home!

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

- Regular phone calls and emails to check on them

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

- Continue to participate in the various community groups to the extent possible in the following ways:

  - Participate in the blogging community

  - Participate in the online organizing group

  - Weekly phone calls with neighbor T
  - Participate in temple events

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 medical/dental appointments (2) and lab tests (1) 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 - continue with a walking schedule 

- Continue to strive for a healthier weight 

Time Management (8): The goal is to spend my time in a mindful manner:
- Spend time purposefully, mindfully

- Continue to focus on making my schedule work for me

- 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

Those are my 2021 resolutions and goals for a more balanced life in January.

Are you making any resolutions in 2021 or goals for a more balanced life in January?

December Joys - Review

Time to review the list of Joys for December: some were activities that were joyful and some were simply things that brought me joy:

1.  A warm house - The house as been kept warm!  This is my one extravagance!  

2.  Cozy knitted blankets and throws - The blankets are very much in evidence, including the "Christmas" one that I crocheted.
3.  Homemade soup - Soup was made and shared with friends and neighbors.

4.  December Monthly Photo Mini Challenge - I participated in the December photo challenge and enjoyed doing so.

5.  Winter decorations - Most of the winter decorations were put up, this year, and enjoyed.
6.  Look forward to my daughter's planned visit home for the holidays - My daughter was able to come home for the holidays and her being able to do so has brought us both much joy!

7.  Make/send some holiday greeting cards - I made and sent some holiday greeting cards, some in time for Christmas and others in time for the New Year.
8.  The Winter Photo Scavenger Hunt - I participated in the Winter Photo Scavenger Hunt for December.
9.   Knitting - I knitted myself another sweater (although I didn't finish sewing it together).
10. Hot cocoa - Didn't have any.
11. Bake a pie - Didn't bake a pie.
12. Make a special cake with daughter when she comes down for the holidays - We plan to do this in January.
13. Winter gardening - Planted some cool weather vegetable seeds and they are growing!
14. Enjoy some candle light in the evenings - I enjoyed lighting a scented candle, several evenings, this month.
15. Make a list (of holiday gifts to give); check it twice! - I made my holiday gift list and checked it more than twice!
16. Make holiday gifts to give - I made the majority of the gifts I gave, this year; they included jars of jam and chutney and knitted items such as scarves and socks.
17. Drop off gifts (since we will not be visiting in person) - Gifts were dropped off and while I didn't have the pleasure of seeing them being opened, I had the pleasure of knowing they were appreciated, as people called or texted me their thanks and sent photos of them wearing the socks I knitted, etc.  
18. Bake cookies - Daughter and I baked some spritz cookies; some were included in the gifts we gave others and the rest are being eaten by us (me, mostly!)
19. Watch holiday specials on TV - Enjoyed watching several holiday specials on TV.
20. Listen to holiday music - Listened to holiday music and sang along, as well!

21. Play the piano (carols) - Learned to play several carols on the piano.
22. Sing some carols - Sang several carols, both by myself and with my daughter.
23. Play a board game - I tried to play a game by myself (UpWords), but, wasn't really in the mood for it and didn't enjoy it as much.
24. Watch Midnight Mass from the Vatican - I watched the broadcast of Midnight Mass from the Vatican
25. Spend Christmas with my daughter - I spent a lovely Christmas with my daughter; we dropped off gifts to family and friends and enjoyed the Christmas dinner that was brought to us by a friend.

26. Winter flower arrangement - I enjoyed several flower arrangements made with flowers from the garden.

27. Make some candies - Didn't make any candy as we received plenty as gifts!

28. Bake some bread - Something to look forward to in January.

29. Learn to bake scones - Again, something to look forward to in January.

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) - Donations were mailed to the Temple.

31. Celebrate New Year's Eve - New Year's Eve was celebrated in the company of my daughter!  We toasted the New Year with non-alcoholic sparkling apple cider, I boiled a bot of milk until it overflowed for good luck, and made milk rice which we ate before we went to sleep!

I didn't do all the joyful activities I had listed, but, I did a fair number of them and December turned out to be a very joyful month.  January's list of joys will include some of the baking I didn't do in December!

Did you make a list of joyful activities to do in December?  If so, were you able to do some (if not all) of them?  Will you be making a joyful list for January?

Happy New Year!

New Year's Day Breakfast, Compliments of Friend S and Family

Happy New Year, everyone!  May 2021 be filled with good health, joy, and prosperity!  

My daughter and I greeted the New Year at midnight, listening to the fireworks going off all around us (they are illegal in my city due to the risk of fire, but, people tend to ignore that!), watching the countdown on TV, and toasting it with glasses of non-alcoholic sparkling apple cider.  Then, after wishing each other a happy new year, I boiled milk on the stove until it overflowed (for good luck) and made milk rice and seeni sambol.  We had that, wished family and friends on the phone, and went to bed around 2:00 a.m.  

This morning, friend S called to wish us for the new year and said her husband and daughter were on their way to deliver breakfast!  The platter she sent is pictured above.  She sent us two pieces of milk rice (at the top of the platter), with katta sambol (onions and chili mixed together) and ambul thiyal (a type of fish curry, cooked with a dried fruit called goraka, which preserves the fish) in the center; surrounded by various sweets, most of them traditional Sri Lankan sweets that are New Year specialties - clockwise: homemade marshmallows, aluwa, and handi kavum; halapa, mung kavum, and milk toffee; cubes of kalu dodol, konde kavum, kokis, and chocolates!  Daughter and I enjoyed them for our brunch!

Afterwards, I joined the Temple's New Year blessing service that was online.  

Daughter is going through her dresser drawers and sorting out clothes and accessories.  She has set aside a pile of items to donate.  I am relaxing.  I will post my New Year's Resolutions and goals in a separate post.  Tonight's dinner will be leftovers from the fridge.

Today, I am grateful for:

- A brand new year!

- Being able to celebrate the New Year with my daughter

- Online Temple services

- Friends and family

- Friend S providing us with a breakfast of Sri Lankan treats

I wish you all a very happy New Year; may 2021 be a year filled with blessings!