Winter Interrupted

Our winter has been interrupted by summer-like days, with temperatures in the mid 80s (F)!  Yesterday's day time high was 86F; today's is 87F!  Tomorrow is supposed to be in the 80s, too.  My kind of weather!  Especially welcome in mid-January!

On Thursday, we had the first warm day with a high of 85F.  Aunt C and cousin N dropped off our Christmas/New Year gifts and I was able to give them their gifts.  I put away part of the Christmas decorations in the big bin in the garage.  I have too many Christmas decorations, but, I enjoy decorating the house with them, so I keep them all!  I did declutter four small decorations and daughter contributed a set of 5 holiday magnets that had been a gift to her when she was a child.  I cooked a chicken curry in the night and we had rice and curry for dinner.

On Friday, I put away the wreaths and the small Christmas trees, etc. in their bin.  Then, I took down the Winter Village and packed it all away for another year.  Gardener friend M took down the big Christmas tree and boxed it up for me and he put away the bin of tree decorations and the bin with the Winter Village.  There is a third bin with a bunch of other things - mostly Christmas craft supplies that I want to sort through before putting it away, so that's still in the family room waiting for my attention.

M pruned the rose bushes and we reminisced about the time when I had almost 100 rose bushes and it would take him practically all month (he tends to the garden once a week) to prune them all!  Now, there are only a handful of rose bushes and it just takes him less than one hour.  Afterwards, I made us a cup of tea and we chatted for a bit while we had our tea and he sampled my daughter's Chinese chicken dish that she made the other day.  He liked it well enough to ask her for the recipe.  

I had a tortilla with some of my chicken curry for brunch, yesterday,  Later, I picked two more radishes and daughter made us a salad with the last of the mixed salad greens, sliced radishes, carrots, cucumber, some fresh corn kernels,  and a tangerine.  I sauteed the radish greens to be eaten with rice and curry at another meal.  For dinner, last night, I cooked some hamburger patties I had in the freezer and daughter made the oven baked potato wedges to go with it and freshly pickled jalapeno peppers (she sliced them thinly and added enough fresh lemon juice to cover them - she didn't de-seed them because she likes the heat; they tasted very good).  Pictured is daughter's hamburger - I didn't put quite as many jalapeno slices on mine!

Friday Night Dinner

Today, I slept in and then, made Sri Lankan style pancakes at my daughter's request - they are thin pancakes, similar to crepes, sprinkled with sugar and lemon juice and rolled up.  Daughter enjoyed at least a couple of them with Nutella and banana slices, as well!  

Saturday Brunch

Then, taking advantage of the fact that it is a sunny, warm day and the living room mantel was bare, I did a bit of spring cleaning!  I washed the front door, both inside and out, and the insides of the living room windows and window sills.  Then, I washed and polished the mirror over the mantel and all the shelves on either side of the mantel and polished two brass decorative items that go on the wall on either side of the mirror.  Afterwards, I vacuumed (the living room, dining area, and kitchen).

I still need to dust the rest of the room and put back the items I usually display on the mantel and shelves.  But, first, I need to have a cup of tea!

Bare Shelves!

The shelves won't remain empty for long, however, as I return things to their places.  But, it does give me a glimpse of how things could look if I declutter some more!

I am very pleased with what I was able to accomplish, today.  I had been wanting to do a little deep cleaning in the living room for a long time! 

Today, I am grateful for:

- Summer-like weather!

- Getting started on the spring cleaning!

- Fresh lemons and oranges from the garden

- Having plenty of leftovers in the fridge for dinner

- What I was able to accomplish today

Today's joyful activity was making pancakes for brunch!

How is your weekend coming along?  

Wednesday

 


Another quiet day.  Lately, my energy levels have been low, so, I've been taking it easy.  Today, I watched the news, started knitting another hat (with yarn from daughter's stash), practiced the piano, did a load of dishes, and roasted the piece of beef I bought on Monday.  Aunt C had planned to drop off gifts, today, but, she called me mid-morning to say her daughter was not free to make the drive and they will stop by tomorrow, instead.  Later, I chatted with friend R for a bit.

Breakfast was a banana.  Lunch was a burrito.  At tea time, I had a croissant sandwiched with tuna salad and lettuce.  

Moo Goo Gai Pan (Chicken Stir Fry)

Daughter prepared Moo Goo Gai Pan, which is a stir fry with chicken, mushrooms, and vegetables (in this instance, onions, Savoy cabbage, and green beans) for our dinner.  It tasted delicious!  The girl can cook!  We had strawberries for dessert.  There might have been a little ice cream and a chocolate, as well!  LOL.

Today, I am grateful for:

- Quiet, relaxed days

- Daughter sharing her yarn stash with me

- Working appliances

- Daughter making us a delicious dinner

- Fresh strawberries in winter

Today's joyful activity was knitting.

Plans for tomorrow include watering the back garden.

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

Tuesday

Today was a relatively quiet day.  I spent the morning on the computer, then, practiced the piano, brought in the empty trash bins, walked up and down the driveway for 15 minutes, and put away the load of laundry I did, yesterday.  I watched a cooking show or two on TV in the afternoon, finished knitting the hat I was making, and watered the front garden.

Later in the evening, I had my first piano lesson for this year.  It's hard to believe that I have been taking piano lessons for one year, now!  I received three new songs to learn so that will keep me busy! 

Afterwards, I spoke with family and friends on the phone, did the dishes, cleaned the stove,  and packaged some of the chicken thighs I had bought and froze them.    

I still haven't made a meal plan for this week, but, daughter asked me to keep one tray of chicken out for her to cook and there is a piece of beef that I want to roast, tomorrow.  Yesterday (Monday), I made the sauteed salmon for dinner and we had that with rice and a side salad, with strawberries for dessert.  Today, breakfast had been a banana, lunch was rice with turkey meatball curry, sauteed cabbage, and lentil curry; I had a croissant with some peach jam with a cup of tea at 5:30 p.m., and dinner was the last kufta with blueberries for dessert.  Daughter ate rice and leftover salmon for her dinner.

Today, I am grateful for:

- A quiet day without any drama

- Piano lessons

- Phone calls with family and friends

- The garden in which to walk

- A warm house

Today's joyful activity was playing the piano.

Plans for tomorrow include a possible gift exchange with one of my aunts and cousins (they have said they will drop off gifts at my front door) and some housework.

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

The Lone Okra and Other Online Grocery Shopping Adventures

 

The Lone Okra

On Sunday, my daughter and I ordered some groceries.  On Monday afternoon, I picked up my groceries.  The store was still somewhat busy, but, I didn't have to wait that long to collect my groceries, this time around.

We had kept a list of grocery items we wanted, writing down things on the list (posted on the refrigerator door) as we thought of needed items.  Daughter went down the list as we put in the order and the items included meat, chicken, fish, eggs, half and half for her coffee, fresh fruits and vegetables, pasta, bread, some treats and snacks (tortilla chips, hot Cheetos, ice cream!), a few toiletry items (toothpaste, mouthwash) and household items (facial tissues, masking tape, duct tape) as well as a couple of items friend R had wanted.

We authorized substitutions to be made, and the store did what they could, but, we didn't get all what we had ordered.  They were out of both tortilla chips and hot Cheetos, they didn't have the boxes of facial tissues (but, daughter put in another order for them to be shipped from another supplier), and they didn't have the flavor of ice cream we had wanted, but, they substituted a different flavor (which we don't like as much, but, perhaps that's a good thing, because now we are not quite as tempted to eat it!)

After I picked up the groceries, I drove directly to R's and dropped off the items she had wanted.  Then, I came home and daughter took a break from her work to help disinfect and put away the groceries. 

That's when we discovered the lone okra!  When we were ordering the groceries, we saw okra pictured in a container with a price of $2.99/lb.  We weren't sure if they were selling them by the pound (but, then, why show them in a container?) or if they were selling them by the container (like mushrooms, for example) and then, pricing the container by weight at the rate of $2.99/lb.   But, we ordered the okra, typing "1" where it asked for quantity, thinking we were ordering either 1 lb. or 1 container.  Well, guess what I received?  1 single okra!  LOL.  I can just imagine the look on the face of the person who was putting my order together!  Okra - 1.  I wonder if he or she scratched his/her head over the quantity ordered and then, shrugged his/her shoulders and bagged up one single okra! No phone call or text to clarify the order, just one lone okra in a bag!  They even weighed it and charged me $0.06 for the single okra!  I think it is hilarious!

One of the items I bought today was salmon fillet.  I cooked the salmon with sliced onions and fresh tomatoes, seasoned with salt, pepper, teriyaki sauce, and lemon juice for our dinner, tonight.  Towards the very end of cooking, I ceremoniously sliced up the lone okra and added it to the salmon dish!  Daughter doesn't like okra, so I had the whole okra for myself!   

Next time we order okra, we will know to specify 1 lb!  

Later in the evening, I watered the back garden, took the trash cans to the curb, did two loads of laundry, practiced the piano, and spoke on the phone with friend R, aunt C, and one of the monks at the Temple.  

Today (Monday) I am grateful for:

- Being able to order groceries online

- Curbside pick up of groceries

- The lone okra!

- Being able to get fresh produce in the middle of winter

- Daughter helping with disinfecting and putting away the groceries

Today's joyful activity was having phone conversations with family and friends.

Have you gone grocery shopping yet in January?  Have you had a similar experience with ordering groceries online where you assumed something was being sold by the weight or container and received a single item?

Word of the Year: Upeksha/Equanimity

Last year (2020) was the first year I chose to select a word of the year and the word I chose was "Organized", although I didn't do a blog post about it (instead, I posted it on the online organizing group in which I participate).  I like to think that I was at least somewhat organized in 2020, although, perhaps not to the extent I would have liked!  But, being organized, for me at least, is a moving goal!  It will continue to be something I will strive towards, in this year, too.  

But, 2021 deserves its own word of the year!  I considered several, including "mindful", "purposeful", "faith", and "intentional", before I decided on my word, today:  "Upeksha".

Upeksha is a Sanskrit word.  In English, it is translated as "Equanimity" or "even minded".  It means having a stable, balanced mind that is not shaken by what one experiences, it means being composed, it means living a balanced life, it means being dispassionate, but, it does not mean being indifferent. 

I suppose I could have just gone with Equanimity as my word of the year.  But, I chose Upeksha, instead, because it has a religious significance to me.  In Buddhism, upeksha is one of the four states of sublime attitudes to be cultivated, along with maitri (generally translated as "loving kindness"), karuna (kindness, although, often translated as compassion, as well), and mudita (joy).  

I chose this word because I have a feeling that this sort of equanimity is something I will need this year.  It looks like it will be another year of many ups and downs, with much of what is happening being beyond my control.  Under such circumstances, when I haven't control over what is happening, then, I need to focus on what I can control, which is how I react and respond.  In which case, I would like to respond with equanimity or upeksha, in a composed, balanced manner.  That is the goal, at least.  How well I manage to achieve it is yet to be seen!  Wish me well, please!

Do you usually choose a word of the year?  Have you chosen your word for this year?

Saturday

Daughter and I slept in on Saturday.  I spent the rest of the morning replying to blog comments, reading and commenting on some other blogs, checking emails, and playing sudoku online.  I had a piece of toast and the last of the seeni sambol (spicy onion relish) for brunch, followed by a pear.  

In the afternoon, daughter and I drove over to see friend R.  Daughter had decluttered eight purses/handbags that she no longer wanted which we gave to friend R to pass along to her daughters and granddaughter and friend R gave us the rest of our Holiday gifts that hadn't arrived in time.  Daughter and I stayed in the car and R took the bag of purses from the trunk and put the bag of gifts in the trunk - it's our version of contactless pick up and delivery!  

After we came home, I practiced the piano and then, walked in my driveway for 15 minutes.  It was a sunny day with a daytime high of 73F and daughter came to sit outside in the garden while I walked.  While we were outside neighbor S's daughter N called out to us from across the street and brought over some food she, her mother, and grandmother had made:

LAUSD Coffee Cake, Kufta, and Blinchik

The coffee cake is made according to the recipe used by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to make the coffee cake that is served in their school cafeterias.  According to my daughter (who attended LAUSD schools from kindergarten till she graduated from high school), it was a favorite snack and brought back childhood memories!  The kufta is a type of meatball and the blinchik are crepes filled with cheese or meat (there were a couple of them with a mixture of feta and mozzarella for me because they know that my daughter doesn't like cheese and the rest had a meat filling).  I sauteed them in a little oil and we had them with a cup of tea (me) and coffee (daughter): 

Blinchik, after being sauteed

They were delicious!  Then, we each had a piece of the coffee cake, too!

A few minutes later, N texted my daughter - a friend of hers had just delivered a box of doughnuts and would we like to have some?  Well, of course we would!  LOL.  She brought over two glazed doughnuts which daughter and I ate in lieu of dinner!*  They were the first doughnuts we've eaten since the pandemic started!  Afterwards, we shared a pomegranate and some carrots as a snack!

* Update: I ate some turkey meatball curry and bread, much later, for a late night snack dinner!  

In the evening, I started undecorating the Christmas tree with daughter's help.  I didn't finish taking down all the decorations, however, because I got tired.  Undecorating will continue, tomorrow!  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Being able to visit friend R

- Being blessed with more delicious food by my neighbors

- Doughnuts!

- A sunny, warm winter day

- Daughter's help with undecorating the tree

Today's joyful activities included visiting friend R and enjoying the food my neighbors provided.

Plans for tomorrow include more undecorating and perhaps doing a load of laundry.

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

Friday: Sweaters, Radishes, and Meals Unplanned

New Sweater

Today, I wove in the ends of yarn on the new sweater.  I tried it on, last night, and it fitted well (the mock cable rib up the center of the front provides some needed elasticity!).  Below is a picture which shows the mock cable rib a little better, but the shade of the wool is more purple in this picture (the actual color is better seen in the picture above).

Another Look

My daughter has spent the day in meetings, emerging from her room just once to have some lunch.  She warmed up leftover rice, teriyaki chicken, and steamed vegetables for her lunch.  I took the opportunity to practice the piano.

Today, when M came to tend to the garden, we harvested two of the radishes - I had been waiting until he came to see how well the radishes, at least, were growing:

Radishes in my Mini Vegetable Plot!

First Harvest!

We are going to leave the rest in the ground to grow a little bigger.  There are about 6 more radish plants left!  My daughter will probably eat the radishes as they are, in a salad or something.  I washed the leaves well, chopped them up, and sauteed them:

Sauteed Radish Leaves

They wilted down to almost nothing, but, there is enough for my daughter and I to have with our dinner.

Speaking of dinner,  I am afraid that I haven't made or followed any kind of meal plan, this week!  Here's a quick recap of what we've had:

Thursday (12/31):  On New Year's Eve, daughter made some Korean food, which we had for several meals and I baked some American style biscuits (not cookies) using refrigerated dough and we had them with our meals. 

Friday (1/1/21):  On New Year's Day, I made milk rice for breakfast, friend S sent us a tray of special treats on New Year's Day, as well, and neighbor S and family brought baba ganoush and salmon for dinner, which provided us with some leftovers that we enjoyed over a couple of days.

Saturday: we had leftovers for our meals.

Sunday: I boiled mung beans for our brunch, daughter had leftover rice and curries for her dinner and I had a scrambled egg on toast.

Monday: We had leftover mung beans for brunch, parathas and chicken curry for tea, and daughter cooked teriyaki chicken, steamed broccoli and snap peas, and rice for dinner.

Tuesday: I made waffles for brunch, and we had leftovers from Monday night's teriyaki chicken and vegetables for dinner.

Wednesday: I had leftover waffles for brunch, I think my daughter had a frozen burrito; I had a cup of noodles soup for dinner and daughter had leftovers from previous meals.

Thursday: Daughter had the last of the leftover fish cutlets for breakfast and I had some toast and cheese.  Later, I cooked rice, smoked sausage, and warmed up some previously cooked and frozen sauteed green beans for lunch and we had the leftovers for dinner.

Which brings us to today!  Daughter had leftovers for her lunch.  I had a slice of toast with leftover seeni sambol.   Later, I made some turkey meat balls and made a curry with them, sauteed some shredded cabbage, made a dhal (lentils) curry, the sauteed radish leaves, and cooked a fresh pot of rice.  We had the rice and curries for dinner.  I also cooked four homemade hamburger patties, as well, for an alternative dish.  I am hoping that what I cooked today will take us through the weekend and I can make a meal plan to follow next week!  I am also planning to order some groceries this weekend and pick it up on Monday.

I watched a couple of programs on TV in the evening and chatted with friend R.  I didn't go by to see her, today, but, hope to do so, tomorrow.

Today, I am grateful for:

- My new, wool sweater

- Radishes from the garden

- M watering the front garden for me

- Listening to daughter play the piano

- Working appliances

Today's joyful activity was harvesting the radishes!  LOL!

Plans for tomorrow include taking down the Christmas decorations and visiting friend R.

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