Sunday Update

Today, too, was another good day!  I'm so grateful to have had another pain free day!

I walked a little more (still inside the house) today than I did yesterday.  Daughter did household chores and watered the fruit trees in the back garden.  I folded two loads of laundry for her (while seated on the bed) and she put them away.  I also cut some green beans and, because she was still watering the garden, added the curry powder and other seasonings plus water and kept them on the stove to cook on low heat.  I went back to the kitchen a couple of times to stir them, by which time, daughter had come in from watering and took over.  I felt like I accomplished something, helping her with the cooking!

In between, I read blogs, watched You Tube videos (quilting, gardening, decluttering), and knitted.  

I also called to check on neighbor T, who seems to have hurt her back!  She called me yesterday morning to tell me about it; I urged her to tell her daughter, so she could come and check on her (her daughter lives a short drive away) but she was reluctant to do so.  Later in the evening, yesterday, I called to check on T and asked if she would like my daughter to bring her some dinner, but, she declined.   Today, when I called her, she said she had told her daughter, this morning.  Again, I asked if she would like my daughter to bring her anything, but, she declined.  

This evening, Aunt C and cousin N stopped by to drop off a bag of clothes (mostly sweaters).  Aunt C has been decluttering her closet, again!  They didn't want to come in, but, daughter gave them a bag of her homemade cookies as a small thank you gift.  Cousin was very happy with the cookies and daughter and I are happy with the sweaters!  Aunt told us to give away any we don't want, but we will probably keep them all.  I will take one or two and daughter will take the rest.  She will find them very useful when she goes back to Berkeley, especially since her office will be moving to a new location which has an open plan with cubicles where she will not be able to use her personal space heater unlike at the former location (there had been a memo stating that no personal heaters will be allowed).  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Another good, pain free day
- New to us clothes
- Being able to help daughter a little bit with the cooking, etc.
- Working appliances
- Fun videos to watch

Today's joyful activities included knitting and watching videos!

Plans for tomorrow include more knitting and maybe, if things continue to go well, a walk in the garden?

How was your Sunday?  What are your plans for Monday and the week ahead?

Saturday

Another good day!  I am starting to feel rather hopeful!  I walked a bit more around the house, today, during the day.  The rest of the time, I stayed in bed, read blogs, watched a few YouTube videos, chatted with family and friends on the phone, and knitted.  I finished knitting one sleeve on the sweater I am knitting for my daughter and started on the second sleeve.  

Today, my daughter's friend A stopped by to pick up the peaches and zucchini we had offered her.  Since she, too, is fully vaccinated as of May, I told daughter to invite her in if A had the time and they spent the next three plus hours chatting (and enjoying some of the peach pie)!  They've been friends since 7th grade and A has asked my daughter to be her maid of honor (her wedding was postponed due to Covid).  I think A will be coming over again, next Saturday, too!  I'm glad my daughter is getting to spend some time with someone she considers one of her best friends.

Later in the evening, daughter took two more zucchini to neighbor S.  S had called to find out how I was and I asked her if she'd like more zucchini; she said she'd love some.  She said she layers zucchini slices with cooked, seasoned ground beef and bakes it - might be something to try, one day!

Daughter also took a bag of peaches and zucchini to her friend P's parents who live close to our home.  They were very happy to receive the fresh produce.  It was P who gave her a ride home last December.

That takes care of most of the zucchini we harvested this week; we cooked part of one for dinner today and there are two more left in the fridge.  I am waiting until we harvest more zucchini to call my friend S to ask if she'd like some!  

Today, I saw Bun-Bun, the neighbor's white rabbit, near the back sliding glass door, eating the cat food!  I tried to take a picture, but, Bun-Bun saw me and hopped away!

Today, I am grateful for:

- Another good day
- Daughter's friend was able to visit her
- Being able to share the garden produce with friends and neighbors
- Phone chats with family and friends
- My daughter being home

Today's joyful activity was knitting.

No firm plans for tomorrow; but, I hope to do more knitting.

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

Friday

 

More Zucchini, Anyone?

Today, I took the last dose of the antiviral medication.  Now, let's hope it does what it is supposed to do and I can feel the effects sooner rather than later!  It has been another pain-free day and, although I spent most of the day in bed, I did walk around the house a little bit!

Today's high light was the second zucchini harvest!  M was here in the early evening to tend to the garden and he picked eight more zucchini!  Plus a peach that had fallen.  He tried a piece of daughter's peach pie and said it was very good.

While I was standing by the backdoor, talking to M, we noticed that the serrano chilli plant had been nibbled on and one of the tomato plant cages had fallen over.  I also noticed the white bunny hopping away from that area when M went to raise the tomato cage - wonder if that was just a coincidence!  Hey, Bun-Bun, the chilli plant and tomato plants aren't meant for you!  I wonder if it is time for a scarecrow to make an appearance in the garden?  Would the neighbor's rabbit pay any attention to one?    

We are very pleased with the zucchini harvest, so far!  What an abundance!  Such a blessing!  Not only do we have some homegrown vegetables for ourselves, we are able to share with our friends, too!  So far, our offers of zucchini and peaches have been accepted with pleasure.

I grated some of the zucchini that was picked earlier in the week and froze them, in packages containing two cups of grated zucchini each.  It is at times like these that I wish I had a second freezer!  I've also read that you can dehydrate zucchini, and while I don't have a dehydrator, I could try dehydrating them in the oven.  

Lunch had been a cold cuts sandwich that daughter made for me before she had to attend a training workshop that lasted most of the afternoon.  Dinner was rice, chicken curry, broccoli, and sliced zucchini that had been steamed for two minutes in the microwave - it was crisp, yet tender, and I think I've discovered a new favorite way to have zucchini!  Dessert was a slice of peach pie!

Today, I am grateful for:

- Finishing the course of antiviral medication without any noticeable adverse side effects
- Another pain free day
- The garden bounty!
- M tending to the garden
- My daughter tending to me

Today's joyful activities included harvesting the zucchini and being able to offer some of the garden bounty to friends.

No firm plans for the weekend; I'm still taking it one day at a time.  But, I hope I might be able to do some knitting, tomorrow.  

How was your Friday?  What are your plans for the weekend?

Thursday's Blessings

Peach Pie Fresh Out of the Oven

Thursday was full of blessings!  It was a blessing to have another pain-free day (although I spent it in bed and didn't walk or do anything that might cause a flare up).  .

My friend R visited me in the afternoon and it was a blessing to spend a few hours in her company while my daughter was busy with work.  It was lovely to see her again and to have someone to talk with, in person.  She also cut up a bunch of peaches so that my daughter could freeze them and that was another blessing!

After work, daughter took over a bag of fresh peaches to neighbor T; she also texted one of her friends and asked if she'd like some fresh peaches and perhaps a zucchini - her friend was thrilled and said she'll stop by over the weekend to collect them.  We also offered some peaches to the parents of another of her friends - we are waiting to hear back from them.

Later in the evening, I asked daughter if she was up to making a peach pie with some of the rest of the peaches (these are still the peaches that were picked from the broken branches!).  She was happy to do so as long as I mixed the dough for the pie crust!  So, while she sat at the family room table and cut up the peaches, I sat up in bed and cut the butter into the flour:

Making the pie dough: cutting in the butter

And mixed in the water to form the dough:

Making the pie dough: adding cold water

Daughter took over from there, rolled out the pie crust and added the filling.  She had asked me if it was necessary to peel the peaches and I really didn't think it was necessary (these peaches have a very thin peel and haven't been sprayed; why waste all that natural fiber, etc.?)  So she left the peel on.

The pie filling: fresh peaches, lemon juice, 2/3 cup sugar (reduced from 1 cup called for in the recipe), a bit of flour, cinnamon, nutmeg:

Peach Pie Filling

Dotted with a few pats of butter:

Dotted with Butter

Then, she added the top crust, brushed it with a beaten egg:

Peach Pie Ready for Baking

The pie went into a pre-heated 450F oven for 10 minutes, then, the oven temperature was reduced to 350F and the pie baked for another 30 minutes.  Half way through, daughter covered the edges of the pie crust with strips of foil to prevent over browning.

We both enjoyed a slice of the freshly baked peach pie after dinner!

Freshly Baked Peach Pie

The crust came out nicely and the filling wasn't overly sweet; it was especially delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!  The peel had cooked down and it wasn't noticeable that it had been left on.  Being able to help my daughter make a pie with peaches from our tree was another blessing!

On Thursday, I was grateful for:

- Another good day
- Friend R's visit
- R cutting up peaches for me
- My laptop didn't break when I dropped it, accidentally!
- Homemade peach pie!

Thursday's joyful activities included visiting with R, helping daughter make a peach pie, and enjoying a slice of the pie! In addition, there were a couple of really lovely emails from friends which added to my joy.  As I said, a day filled with blessings!

Plans for today (Friday) include taking the last dose of the anti-viral medication and M tending to the garden later this afternoon (he calls my daughter Little Miss Baker and I told him about the peach pie; he's looking forward to a slice!)

How was your Thursday?  How is your Friday coming along?

2021 Summer Photo Scavenger Hunt List

Mary-Lou at Patio Postcards has posted the list for the Summer Photo Scavenger Hunt (SPSH).  I'm a few days late, but, I have copied and posted the list here, along with the two rules.  Maybe you'd like to join in on the hunt for the photos?

"Only two simple rules;  please use photos taken between June 1st & September 30th of 2021 & that you or a loved one have taken the photo, other than that, it's meant for fun.

As with previous years, if you would like to be connected with others participating, please leave me a comment & on the link in days, I'll post that connection list.  

2021 SPSH  List

 

1. A Breakfast of Champions
2. Favourite Time of Day
3. Something To Represent Home But Not The Building
4. Head In The Clouds; shapes or interesting patterns
5. The Art Of The Fold
6. Something That Makes You Laugh or Happy
7. What's In Bloom
8. Window Views
9. Something Older Than You
10. The Delivery Van/Truck Making The Deliveries
11. The Shape of Round/Circular
12. Something That Is Cause For Celebration
13. Your Marie Kondo Moment – Or Not
14. Inside Your Fridge Or Cupboard
15. Your Best Doodle Art (not public graffiti)
16. A Guilty Pleasure; Something That Recharges You
17. An Exit
18. Upside Down, Right Side Up
19. Steps, But Who's Counting
20. Decades Of Sharing; find something in your home that is from the 70's or80's or 90's or 00's

ALTERNATES

A: show off your  COVID safety; masks, cleaning, or other related supplies

B: a local landmark

C: the most beautiful landscape photo of the season

First check in/link up will be Wednesday June 30th."

Zucchini Harvest

Zucchini and a Peach

M was here to water the garden, this morning.  He harvested the zucchini for us, along with the one peach that had fallen.  

The zucchini at the top was the one my daughter and I had known about and daughter had been keeping an eye on to decide when to harvest; once it was harvested, we realized that a second zucchini was growing on top of it and they had fused together!

Two in One Zucchini

Never seen that, before!

(Zucchini photos courtesy of my daughter!)

The rest of the zucchini were a complete surprise!  In fact, M picked two more after these pictures were taken!  What an abundance of zucchini!  What a blessing!  

The last time I grew zucchini, I harvested all of two, and one of them was half burnt from the sun!

Daughter took a bag of peaches and two of the zucchini to neighbor S and I had part of one sliced in my lunch salad.  I prefer raw zucchini to cooked, but, my daughter prefers them cooked (lightly sauteed).  I'm pretty sure that there will be some zucchini bread before the end of the week, as well!  

M brought me two books of quotes and blessings on the subject of gardens to read, which was very thoughtful of him.  I enjoyed reading them.

In other news, my doctor didn't call me back and when I checked with the pharmacy, today, they said she hadn't called in any new medications for me.  I have had a fairly good couple of days, yesterday and today.  Although, when I tried to walk around the house this afternoon, the pain started again!  I was able to get it under control with the heating pad, but, I felt a burning sensation in my foot although I had the heating pad on the back of my thigh!  It was the first time that has happened and it went off only after daughter applied an ice pack to my foot!  My foot is still numb, by the way, but, the earlier swelling has gone down.

Today, I am grateful for:

- The zucchini harvest!
- M bringing me some books to keep me entertained while I am recovering
- Being able to share some of the garden fruits and vegetables with neighbor S
- My daughter being here for me
- Online prayer chantings

Today's joyful activity was seeing the zucchini harvest!

How is your garden growing?  Did you plant any zucchini?

Monthly Photo Challenge - May: Red

The theme for the May monthly photo challenge hosted by Eileen was "Red".  

I took the majority of these photos at the beginning of the month - in the first week.  Looking back, I am so very glad I did that!

Red flowers in my garden:

Hibiscus

Red Rose

Red Rose 2

Pomegranate 

Bottlebrush (Callistemon) Flower

Bottle Brush Flowers 

Red Stamens of the Pineapple Guava (Feijoa) Flowers

Pineapple Guava/Feijoa Flower Stamens

And a red amigurumi cephalopod my daughter crocheted, a long time ago; it was one of her first amigurumi creations:

Red Cephalopod 

She was trying to create a "tako" (octopus in Japanese) but ended up with a pentapus - it has five legs and a snout! 

The theme for June is "beginning with D" if anyone is interested in joining.  The rules are simple: the photos must be taken by you, during the month (no photos from the archives), a minimum of five (no upper limit).

Thank you for this opportunity to participate in the monthly photo challenge, Eileen.