Wednesday

September Rose

It was cooler, today, with a daytime high in the low 80s.  At least one of the rose bushes is starting to flower, again.

Poor Dancer was still recovering, this morning, from yesterday's trauma and the sedatives he received.  He used the litter box this morning, but, left a mess on the bathroom floor for me to clean up and then, he got on the bed to nudge me awake and yes, I had to wash my bed sheets for the second time this week!  (I had washed them on Monday.)  Then, I washed the sofa dust sheets and the towel I keep on the back of the sofa where he likes to perch, and the bath mats, and mopped the bathroom floor.  Sigh.  He spent the majority of the day sleeping under the bed, coming out only to ask for food.  

M was here to tend to the garden this morning and we chatted for a bit.  After he left, I picked up my groceries.

Later, I remade the bed with the washed and dried sheets and put a cover sheet on top.  Someone could hardly wait until I had finished making the bed to jump up on it (sorry for the blurry photos - my cell phone is not very fast at taking pictures):

"What?  I thought you made the bed for me!"

"I'm going to vaporize you with my laser beam eyes!"

"Then I'm going to ROBLOL"

"That stands for Roll On Bed, Laughing Out Loud!"

I guess someone is feeling better?

Today, I am grateful for:

- Dancer seems to be recovering nicely
- M tending to the garden
- Being able to order groceries online and pick up from the parking lot
- Receiving all the items I ordered
- Working appliances (washing machines)

Today's joyful activity was being in the garden, enjoying seeing the flowers

Lantana Bushes in the Front

Hibiscus in the Back

Plans for tomorrow include doing some of the paperwork I didn't do today!

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

September Grocery Shopping - Part 1

I put in an order for groceries, earlier this afternoon, and picked up the items, later in the afternoon.  I mostly wanted more cans of tuna to share with Dancer, who ate almost all the cans I had bought for myself because he didn't want his canned cat food!  But, there is only a 19 cents (14 cents, with coupon) difference in price between his 3 oz. can of cat food ($1) and a 5 oz. can of store brand tuna ($1.19/$1.14 with coupon) and, at this point in time, I'm happy to buy him whatever he will eat!  In addition to the tuna for him, I got a few items for myself, too.  Ricky brought the items to the car and loaded up everything; I was assured that everything I ordered was there, even before I could ask, and that there were no substitutions.  LOL.

I bought:

2 lb. bag frozen breaded butterflied shrimp, reg. price $15.99, on sale with digital coupon = $7.59

2 lb. bag whole carrots = $1.89

1 container vanilla ice cream, 48 fl. oz., on sale with digital coupon = $2.99

2 bananas (0.81 lbs. @ $0.65/lb.) = $0.53

1 loaf sandwich bread = $1.79

2 lb. brown sugar = $2.49

Bag fee = $0.10

Total for groceries for me = $17.38

Plus 12 cans (5 oz. @) tuna in water, reg. price $1.19, $1.14 @ with $.50 coupon* = $13.78

* coupon was for $.50 off the purchase of 3 cans of tuna

In addition to the groceries for me and tuna for Dancer, I bought two fly swatters (twin pack) because my old fly swatter broke = $2.99 plus $0.29 tax.  

My September grocery budget (for food for me, only; does not include Dancer's food or household items) is $100 + $36.12 carried over from August = $136.12.

Spent so far in September = $17.38

Balance left in the September grocery budget = $136.12 - $17.38 = $118.74

The frozen breaded shrimp was a special treat as it works out to under $4/lb. for the shrimp.  After I came home, I fried some of the shrimp and enjoyed them for a late lunch, with some of my tomato chutney as a dipping sauce.  It was delicious!

***************

Dancer is better, today, but, still recovering from the sedation.  I'll do a separate post about him and our day, today.

Dancer's Awful, Terrible, Horrible, Stressful Visit to the Vet Clinic

Dancer During an Earlier Visit to the Vet

Yesterday (Monday), I called the vet clinic and made an appointment for Dancer to get his monthly injection for his arthritis.  The appointment was for today (Tuesday). at 1:45 p.m.  Dancer hates being in his carrier and he hates car rides even more.  He meows loudly, desperate, anxious meows, and he starts panting and hyperventilating.  I'm not sure if cats can have panic attacks, but, that is the only way to describe how he was, today.  By the time we got to the vet clinic, he had worked himself up to such a frenzy that he was drooling as well as  panting loudly and meowing  

The technician took him inside and then, came out almost immediately to ask whether he drooled like that at home, too.  I said no, he just doesn't like being in his carrier and car rides and finds it stressful.  When my daughter was home, she would sit in the backseat with him held on her lap and he would still meow loudly. but, when I am driving on my own, he has to be in the carrier at all times.  

A short time later, the technician came back out again and said the vet had checked him out and she had detected a murmur in his heart and they were concerned.  He is, after all, 15 years old.  They wanted to give him some sedatives to calm him down, give him oxygen to help with his breathing, and they wanted to take an x-ray of his chest; would I authorize the services and here's the estimated cost!  I couldn't say no, so, I said yes.  There would be a bit of a wait, I was told, and I said it was fine; I sat and read my library book, after I texted my daughter to let her know what was going on.

Some time later, the vet came out and we went into a side room and she said everything checked out well, he was not going into cardiac arrest as she had feared, and she will give me a sedative to administer to him, one to two hours prior to future car rides, to help him with his anxiety.  She also said that she did see a spot on one of his lungs in the x-ray and was going to send it to a radiologist and she will call me with the results once she gets the report.  Oh, and they did give him his arthritis medication, too!

Dancer was still meowing when they brought him out and the technician had a trash bag in her hand, as well.  Apparently, he had pooped in the towel I put at the bottom of the carrier, so they put the towel in the trash bag and put a disposable liner on the bottom of his carrier.  

Then, I paid the bill.  What was supposed to have been a routine injection turned out to be an emergency exam, with x-ray charges and sedatives added to the cost of the arthritis injection.  It was an expensive vet visit!  

Dancer meowed a few times in the car ride back and hyperventilated, but, to a lesser degree than before.  He has been hiding under my bed most of the evening, but, he did eat some tuna and I think he drank some water, too.  I don't think he has used the litter box, yet.  He has been avoiding me, but, he did come up on to the sofa at one point to look out the window:

Checking that all is well outside

And then, he turned around and glared at me:

"It's all your fault, Mummy, for taking me to the vet's!"

Hopefully, the sedatives I have to give him before taking him the next time will help!  If not, we might need to reconsider the need for monthly arthritis injections!  They seem to have helped him, but, I don't know if they are worth the stress of the trip to the vet clinic and back! 

Today, I am grateful for:
- Dancer survived his awful visit to the vet!
- I survived his awful visit to the vet!

- Being able to pay vet bills!  
- A safe drive to the clinic and back
- Chocolate!

Today's joyful activity was a phone chat with my friend E to wish her for her birthday.

September Meal Plans - Week 1 Review; Week 2 Plan

This was the meal plan for the first week in September:

Brunches: Milkrice and beef smore (Monday)✔, scrambled egg and toast✔(for dinner), French peanut butter toast✔, egg salad or tuna salad✔, leftovers✔ 

Dinners: Roti and mackerel curry✔, bread and beef smore,  smoked sausage stir fry and rice✔, soup (?), leftovers✔ 

Snacks: Yogurt✔, apples, crackers with cheese or peanut butter✔, granola bars✔, canned fruit, maybe something baked (although the forecast says that temperatures will be going back up to the upper 90s by the end of the week)

And here's how it worked out:

Monday:
Brunch: Milkrice and beef smore
Dinner: Chicken Sandwich Roll from the freezer
Snacks: Cheese and crackers

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Yogurt with peach jam and half a granola bar crumbled into it
Lunch: Milkrice and beef smore
Dinner: Breakfast for Dinner - Scrambled eggs, bacon, toast
Snacks: Cereal (dry, no milk), yogurt, Asian pears, homemade potato chips from homegrown potatoes

Wednesday:
Brunch - Tuna salad sandwich
Dinner - Coconut roti with the last of the beef smore I kept in the fridge (there's more in the freezer)
Snacks: Cereal (dry, no milk), yogurt, homemade potato chips

Thursday:
Brunch: Coconut roti and mackerel curry
Tea: Bread and butter
Dinner: Leftover ground turkey keema curry
Snacks - Asian pears, ice cream, cereal

Friday:
Brunch - Tuna salad sandwiches
Dinner - Leftover ground turkey keema curry, fries
Snacks - Asian pears, ice cream, cereal

Saturday:
Breakfast - Scrambled egg and toast
Lunch - Tuna salad sandwich
Dinner - Smoked sausage stirfry (with carrots, broccoli, snowpea pods) and rice 
Snacks - Yogurt, crackers with peanut butter

Sunday:
Brunch - Peanut butter and toast (I had planned to make French toast, but, I couldn't be bothered!)
Dinner - Leftover smoked sausage stirfry and rice
Snacks - Yogurt, cereal, crackers, chocolate

I think it worked out well enough, although, there seems to be a sad lack of vegetables!

Time to make a meal plan for this week!

Brunches: Pancakes and mackerel curry (Monday), leftover pancakes and mackerel curry, French toast, scrambled egg and toast,  salads

Dinners: Smoked sausage stir fry and rice (Monday), chicken curry with rice, spicy potatoes, and eggplant, hamburgers and salad, leftovers 

Snacks: Yogurt, cereal, apples, crackers with cheese or peanut butter, granola bars, canned fruit, maybe muffins if I bake some

That is the plan, at least.  My meal plans are subject to change. though, depending on what I feel like cooking!  

How about you?  Are you making a meal plan this week?

A Warm September Sunday

Pear Syrup Drink

It is important to keep cool and stay hydrated when the temperatures soar.  Water is probably the best liquid to drink to keep hydrated, but, occasionally, a fruit flavored sweetened syrup diluted with water makes a nice drink, too.  I had some sugar syrup leftover after I canned the Asian pears.  I had cooked the pears in the syrup, which contained lemon juice and some crystalized ginger.  I diluted the leftover syrup with iced water and it made a nice cool drink, with a hint of pears, lemon, and ginger.  I'm glad I found a way to use the leftover canning syrup without wasting it.

It was another hot day, today, and it was quite humid, too.  I had to have the ceiling fan on.  I took it relatively easy today and spent most of the day watching TV programs commemorating the events of 9/11.  It's one of those days when one remembers exactly where one was and what one was doing.  I was at the office and back then, I used to give a ride to my cousin P, who worked down town in another building.  Her office had their headquarters in New York and their head office closed down and notified the branch office in Los Angeles to close, too.  My cousin called to let me know that she was getting a ride home with one of her coworkers and I didn't have to give her a ride home in the evening as usual.  A short time later, our office closed, too, and we were told to go home, as there was concern that some of the buildings in downtown Los Angeles might be attacked, too.  I remember coming home and turning on the news on the TV to see what was going on.  The towers had already come down by the time I got home.  One of my cousins worked in one of the towers as an engineer for the Port Authority, but he managed to escape from the building before it collapsed.  

In between watching TV, I swept and mopped the kitchen.  I accidentally knocked a glass off the counter and it broke.  So, I had to sweep up the shards of glass and I thought I might as well mop the floor.

I also made a birthday card for one of my long time friends:

Birthday Card

I painted the flower on a piece of hand crafted paper I made out of old utility bills (I tore up and blended the scraps of paper with water - it was a fun activity I did one summer).  I met E the second day I arrived in the US to attend university.  I guess she had met with the Dean of Students earlier in the day and had mentioned feeling homesick for her family who were in a different city and he had mentioned me and that I might be feeling homesick, too, and had suggested she introduced herself to me.  We both lived in the same student apartment building; E lived in an apartment downstairs and I lived upstairs.  So, on my second evening at the apartment, there was a knock on the door and when I opened the door, E introduced herself and I invited her in.  We apparently found much to talk about because it was past midnight when we finally stopped chatting!  We've been friends ever since!

Dancer had been off his food, yesterday, and spent most of the day sleeping under my bed.  Today, however, he seems to be feeling better and has been eating.  Maybe it was too hot for him, yesterday.

Today, I am grateful for:

- My cousin managed to walk out of the first tower on 9/11
- Long time friends
- Ceiling fans and refrigerators and the electricity to run them
- Daughter had a fun weekend, socializing with work friends (on Saturday) and personal friends (on Sunday)
- Dancer is feeling better

My joyful activity on Sunday was making the birthday card for my friend.

Plans for Monday include a long list of things to do!  Perhaps too long a list!  There are bills to pay, paperwork to fill out, phone calls and appointments to make, and a trip to the library to pick up a book that is on hold for me!  I felt rather overwhelmed after I wrote out the list, but, there is no reason why I shouldn't be able to accomplish most of it!  

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

Warm Weekend

Female Zucchini Flower Bud

We have a female flower bud forming on one of the squash plants and it looks very much like it is a zucchini!  You will notice the slight swelling on the stem, just below the flower bud and that is how I know that this is a female flower.  The smaller flower bud just below it is on a slender stem and is a male flower.  So far, Eenie seems to be a butternut squash and Meenie is a zucchini!  No idea what Minie might be, but, I suspect it will be another zucchini!  Moe is completely lost between Meenie and Minie!  

Friday was a lovely sunny and warm (a high of 96F/35C) and I loved it!  The house was quite cool in the morning, although it warmed up in the late afternoon.  But, I was comfortable and didn't even need the ceiling fan on!  I know, I'm a hot house flower!  Which is why I freeze when it is 70F/21C!  It's 94F, right now on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.; the high will be 96F again, according to the forecast.

I took it easy on Friday, because I didn't know if I had done too much the day before, processing the Asian pears, etc.  

Gardener friend M arrived earlier than usual to tend to the garden, on Friday, and he started to prune the bottlebrush tree in the backyard.  It had grown quite tall and I was worried that branches might break and fall if we have another wind storm.  Also, the tree itself is leaning a little bit towards the house and if the tree fall, it might fall on the back of the house!  So, I've asked M to prune some of the tall branches.  This photo was taken on Saturday, after M started the process of pruning:

Bottlebrush Tree

M has to climb up on a ladder and use a type of saw at the end of an extension pole to cut the branches, so, the plan is to do a few branches at a time, over the next few weeks.  

Some of the Cut Branches

I might ask him to save some of the longer lengths of the branches to use as poles to build a trellis or to prop up the branches of the peach tree, later.  But, the smaller bits might have to be disposed of in the yard waste collection bin; not sure if my compost pile can handle it all!  We shall see.

I gave him a jar of the preserved Asian pears and he tried a few pieces right away!  He could tell that there was another flavor, but, couldn't quite identify what he was tasting, until I told him it was ginger.  He took the rest of the jar home and said he'll return the jar next week.  

Today, Saturday, I stripped my bed and washed the bed sheets, etc.  They are hanging up to dry and I will remake the bed once they've dried.

I'm planning to have another relaxed day, today.  Maybe do some reading and watch some videos.  The library emailed me saying that one of the books I had requested has come in.  I think I'll go in on Monday to pick it up - that gives me enough time to finish the book I'm currently reading and I can return that when I pick up the other!

Today, I am grateful for:

- M's help with the garden
- The sunny, warm days
- Working appliances
- Garden plants
- Relaxed days

Joyful activities include reading and relaxing!  

How is your weekend coming along?

 

Preserving the Asian Pears on Thursday

Canned Asian Pears in Ginger Syrup

Back in August, just before tropical storm Hilary was expected to pass over my area, I picked all the Asian pears on my tree:

Asian Pear Harvest

They are pictured above with the branch that had already broken off due to the weight of the fruit.  The individual fruits were very small, barely two inches in diameter, and not very ripe, either.  Next year, I will thin out the fruit and hopefully, there will be fewer, but, larger, fruit.  The tree has four different varieties of Asian pears grafted on to it, which is why some of the fruit look brown while the others are green (and there are some that are yellowish in the colander, as well).  

That was nearly three weeks ago!  I had planned to do something with the fruit, but, kept postponing it.  Today (Thursday), I decided that it couldn't be postponed anymore as the fruit was starting to get shriveled!  I didn't want the fruit to go to waste!  I usually eat Asian pears raw and have not had them any other way.  But, I thought they would be good canned in syrup.  

I cut up the pears without peeling them, partly because they were so small to begin with that I was afraid there wouldn't be anything to preserve if I peeled them!  I watched some TV (a National Geographic program) while I cut the fruit.  I added some lemon juice to the cut up fruit to minimize discoloration.  Once it was all cut up, I made a sugar syrup with four cups of water and three cups of sugar, which would be considered a medium syrup, I suppose.  I decided to cook the pears in the sugar syrup for a few minutes and I added some finely chopped crystallized/candied ginger to the pears to flavor the syrup.

While that was cooking, I sterilized some canning jars and then, ladled the fruit and syrup into the jars.  These are half-pint (8 oz.) jars, which would be two servings of fruit per jar.  Then, I canned them in a water bath for 10 minutes.  I made 10 half pint jars and the leftover fruit and syrup was poured into a slightly larger jar, which I will keep in the fridge.

Canned Asian Pears in Syrup

I had some of the stewed pears with a little ice cream for dessert and it tasted good.  I could have put more of the crystalized ginger as there was only a hint of the ginger taste, but, I didn't want to overpower the taste of the pears, either.  Next time (if there is a next time), I will add more ginger.

All the jars sealed and I am happy about that.  Tomorrow, I will label them and store them to share with my daughter when she comes home for the holidays.  

I took it easy most of the day and, although I felt tired after I had canned the pears, I don't think I overdid things.  I just didn't want the year's harvest of Asian pears to go to waste!  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Asian pears from the garden
- Being able to preserve them
- Stocking up on canning jars when I did!
- Interesting programs to watch on TV and online
- A warm and sunny day

Today's joyful activity was preserving the Asian pears to be enjoyed later.

How was your day?  Have you tried preserving Asian pears?