Friday

Boiled Mung Beans and Katta Sambol for Brunch

I remembered to put the mung beans to soak last night and boiled them, this morning.  Katta sambol is a mixture of onions, dried red chili flakes, pieces of Maldive fish (a type of tuna that has been dry cured), salt and lime juice.  I didn't make it this time, though, and used a bottled version I bought from the Sri Lankan store.

The house felt cold when I woke up, so, after I got dressed and said my morning prayers, I went outside to check on the garden and to walk for a few minutes.  It wasn't that warm outside, but, it was warmer than inside.  Later, I did a little tidying and housework, but, mostly, I read.

In the evening, M tended to the garden and we discussed buying a few more chrysanthemums to plant in the garden.  They'll provide a nice touch of color in the garden at this time of the year.  

Later in the evening, I switched on the electric space heater for a few hours.  I also video chatted with my daughter.  She has fully recovered from her Covid booster side effects and is feeling well.  She will be self-isolating all of next week in preparation for coming down for Thanksgiving because she doesn't want to expose me to anything.

Today, I am grateful for:

- M's help with the garden
- The electric space heater and electricity
- A mostly sunny day
- Library books
- Being able to video chat with my daughter

Today's joyful activity was reading.

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

Thursday

Remembering Summer Roses

I didn't take any photos today, so I'm posting a photo from the archives of a summer rose.  

It was another sunny day with the daytime high in the upper 70s.  My kind of fall weather!  LOL/

I had a library book that was due, so, after I spent the morning attending to a few things such as scheduling another blood test for an upcoming doctor's appointment, updating my holiday gift list for this year, commenting on blogs, etc., I went to the library in the early afternoon.  I had not received an email notification that any of the books I had requested had come in, but, I checked the holding shelves, anyway, and as luck would have it, one of the books I had requested was waiting on the shelves!  So I was able to check it out, today.  

After I came home, I sorted through and tidied one of my dresser drawers.  I'd like to say I decluttered a few items from that drawer, but, I'm afraid I didn't.  Instead, I decluttered a small frying pan from the kitchen when I did the dishes!  Then I tried to sort through some books, but, I put them all back on the shelf, so that was not successful.  I'll try again, tomorrow!

Today, I am grateful for:

- Library services and feeling more comfortable about making a quick trip inside (masked, of course) to return or pick up a book
- A safe drive to the library and back
- Another sunny and warm day
- Emails from friends
- Being able to schedule appointments online

Today's joyful activity was reading.  

Plans for tomorrow (Friday) include doing a load of laundry, some housekeeping, and tending to the garden with M in the evening.

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

Wednesday

Blue Skies

On Wednesday, the Santa Ana winds blew again and blew all the clouds away, so, I had clear blue skies.

M was here earlier than usual, today; I had forgotten that he starts on his rounds earlier in the day during this time of the year to "race the sun" as he says and finish the gardens before it gets too dark.  He brought me more gardenias from his garden!  I didn't "arrange" them, this time, just put them in a vase (an ice bucket that I had decided not to declutter) with some water.  

Gardenias from M's Garden

He also brought me a cutting from a holiday cactus plant:

Holiday Cactus Cutting
(Schlumbergera truncata)

There are three kinds of holiday cactus plants.  There is the very popular Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera x buckleyi) which usually flowers in December, the Crab or Claw cactus (Schlumbergera truncata), which is also known as Thanksgiving cactus in the US because it flowers in November close our Thanksviging and Christmas cactus in Canada, because their Thanksgiving (in October) has already passed by the time the plant blooms, and the Spring or Easter cactus (Rhipsalidopsis).  In addition, there is also Schlumbergera bridgesii, which used to be called the Christmas cactus, years ago.

The best way to identify these different holiday cactus plants is by looking at the shape of their "leaves" which are actually the stems and called phylloclades and the flowers when they bloom. The Christmas cactus and the Spring or Easter cactus both have smooth, round, scalloped edges and the Thanksgiving cactus have pointy, serrated edges.  Going by my observation of the stems of my plant cutting (and the fact that the buds are forming in November), I am going to identify it as Schlumbergera truncata or Thanksgiving/Crab/Claw cactus.  If and when it blooms, I will be able to better identify it (basically, Schlumbergera x buckleyi or Christmas cactus flowers have pink to brown anthers; the Schlumbergera truncata or Thanksgiving cactus flowers have yellow anthers. 

According to what I've read, the best time to take a cutting is after the plant has bloomed and not when it is setting buds as this cutting is doing, but, we shall see if it roots and grows.  And here ends the botany lesson!  LOL.

In the afternoon, I picked a few green beans (all from one plant) and four cherry tomatoes:

Wednesday' Garden Harvest

I spent most of the afternoon and evening reading my library book that is due tomorrow:

Library Book: On the Curry Trail

The author writes about how, curry, which originated in India, spread to other parts of the world and how it changed according to the available ingredients and tastes of the people who made it.  The book was divided into four sections which looked at a different parts of the world where curry is made (Asia, Africa and the Middle East, Europe and Oceania, and the Americas) and featured a recipe from the countries in that area.  Before each recipe, there was a little history about how curry and the ingredients that went into making a curry, the spices that create the special blends known collectively as curry, reached that area, though trade, through the spread of religion, especially as Buddhism spread from India to other parts of Asia, through colonizers (especially the Portuguese, Dutch, British, and French) introducing various ingredients from other parts of their colonies, through colonizers such as the British bringing indentured workers from India to work on various plantations in other parts of their colonies once slavery was abolished in their home countries, through immigration (I know I brought a jar of curry powder with me when I came here!), and the similarities and the differences.  I enjoyed reading those parts even more than I enjoyed looking at the recipes.  The recipes were interesting, too, and the directions were well written.  I do wish that the recipes were accompanied by actual photographs of the finished dish rather than the colored drawings.  There wasn't a single photograph in the book.  Maybe the author didn't want to cook and photograph each dish or maybe it was a cost cutting measure.  I don't know; but, I do know that I would have enjoyed seeing an actual photograph of the different dishes.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- The Santa Ana winds didn't do any harm to my garden or property
- M tending to the garden and bringing me flowers and a plant cutting
- Daughter felt well enough to go to work
- I haven't felt any side effects from the booster 
- Library books

Today's joyful activity was reading.

Plans for tomorrow include a trip to the library to return the book.

How was your Wednesday?  What are your plans for Thursday?  Do you like seeing photographs of the dishes in a recipe book or don't you mind if there are only drawings?  

Clouds on Tuesday

 

Clouds Moving In

I see a side view of a peacock in the larger picture on the upper left corner; do you?

Yesterday (Monday) the skies were clear blue.  Today, the clouds moved in and, by evening, there was a heavy cloud cover.  I thought it might rain, but, it didn't.  It was a bit windy, though, and more winds are in the forecast.  Once again, one of the power companies is planning to cut off electricity to some of their customers during the high winds to reduce the chances of wild fires from downed live power lines.  The daytime high was 67F which is cooler than it has been, recently.

I didn't feel any side effects from the booster vaccine, last night, and I haven't felt anything today, either.  I am very thankful for that.  Even so, I took it easy, today.  I brought in the trash cans, cleaned up a bit after Dancer, cleaned the litter box, replied to blog comments, watched a couple of videos online, etc.  I think the most productive thing I did today was schedule my mammogram.  

Brunch was a bowl of my turkey soup and a slice of buttered toast.  Dinner will be sausages and sauteed vegetables.  Snacks have been almonds and apple slices.

Today, I am grateful for:

- Not having any side effects from the booster
- Weekly trash collection services
- Being able to schedule my mammogram/access to medical services
- My electricity is still on
- A relaxed day

Today's joyful activity was relaxing and taking it easy.

Plans for tomorrow include M's visit to tend to the garden and finishing up the filing.

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

November Meal Plans: Week 1

This was last week's meal plan and since I posted it so late in the week, much of it was retroactive and I went off the meal plan for the last few days, replacing the turkey keema curry with turkey and vegetable soup!  LOL!

Brunches: Leftover pancakes (from the weekend) with seeni sambol from a jar (Monday), Salmon sandwich (Tuesday), Milkrice with homemade seeni sambol (Wednesday, Nov. 1), leftover milkrice and seeni sambol (Thursday & Friday), scrambled egg (Saturday), leftover pancake and seeni sambol (Sunday), peanut butter toast, French toast

Dinners:
Monday: Leftover salmon, rice, and green peas with tomato chutney
Tuesday: Macaroni and cheese, hamburger patty, cucumber salad
Wednesday: Macaroni and cheese, hamburger patty, cucumber salad
Thursday: Macaroni and cheese with ham and green peas
Friday:  Leftovers (Macaroni and cheese, again!)
Saturday: Ground turkey keema curry and rice Turkey and vegetable soup
Sunday:  Leftovers (Turkey soup, buttered toast)

On to this week's meal plan!  I'm calling it November Week 1

Brunches: Scrambled eggs (Monday), salad, boiled mung beans (haven't had that in a long time), waffles, leftovers

Dinners: Turkey soup and salad (Monday); sausages with sauteed vegetables; mackerel curry with dhal, moringa curry, chutney, and rice; leftovers

Snacks: Fruit (apples, pomegranate, dates, canned peaches), popcorn, cheese and crackers, roasted peanuts

That is the plan.  Let's see how it works out!

Another Vaccine on Monday

I had my Covid booster vaccine, today.  My appointment was at 2:00 p.m. and I wanted to get a few things done in the morning, before I left for the appointment, just in case I didn't feel too good, afterwards.  The first thing I did was change my bed sheets; I put flannel sheets since the nights are getting cooler.  Then, I did a load of laundry (the old sheets) and hung everything up to dry.  I also put away two previous loads of laundry.  In between, I fed the cats, said my prayers, and spoke with my daughter, who is still experiencing some side effects (lingering headache and fatigue) and took a day off from work.  

Then, I went to the pharmacy to get my vaccine.  There were no delays or any problems with getting the vaccine.  I was not required to wait for 15 minutes afterwards, either.  For the first time since I started getting Covid vaccines, I didn't have my usual side effect of wanting to shop!  Before I received the vaccine, I had thought that I might go to the dollar store, next door, to buy some fruits and a calendar, but, I didn't feel like shopping, today!  Besides, I was feeling hungry, so, I just came home directly afterwards!  

After I came home, I had scrambled eggs for brunch.  

Then, since I was still feeling okay, I decided to pay some bills that were coming due, including my property taxes, and do some paperwork,  With it being Medicare open enrollment period, I am being inundated with brochures and letters from various healthcare plans.  I've been collecting them in a basket for the past couple of weeks and the basket was getting rather full, so, I went through all the literature and put the majority of it in the recycling bin!  I did some filing, but, I have another file folder of statements to be filed, maybe tomorrow.

Then, I called my ophthalmologist's office to confirm an upcoming appointment.  I knew I had an appointment during the week of Thanksgiving, but, I had misplaced the appointment card (I have a suspicion that it got "decluttered" when I was cleaning out my desk, earlier!) and didn't know the exact date and time.  The date and time have been confirmed and the location, too (they have at least three locations and I have been to all of them, so I wanted to be sure which location I was supposed to go to for this appointment).

Then, I took the trash cans to the curb and saw neighbor S, back from her vacation.  I waved to her and we chatted across the street for a few minutes.  She said she had a lovely vacation and she has some small treats from her travels that she will bring me another day.  I offered her some soup and she declined.

By that time, the sun was setting and I closed the drapes, watched the news, replied to blog comments, visited a few other blogs, had a cup of tea, and requested another book through the library.  I also called friend R and chatted with her for a bit.

It is night time, now, and I am still feeling okay.  I am feeling cold, but, that's not unusual; I often feel cold in the evenings.  I'm wearing layers, but, not feeling cold enough to put on the electric space heater.

Today, I am grateful for:

- Being able to receive the latest Covid booster vaccine
- Having healthcare insurance that covers vaccines, etc.
- Not experiencing any discomfort from the vaccine, so far
- A safe drive to the pharmacy and back
- What I was able to accomplish

My joyful activity for the day was crossing off several items from my To Do List!

Plans for tomorrow (Tuesday) will depend on how I feel.  If I am having any side effects, I plan to take it easy and do only the basics (bring in the emptied trash cans, feed the cats, give Dancer his medicines, clean Dancer's litter box, etc.)  If I feel okay, then, I might do the rest of the filing, call and make an appointment for the car service (I received a reminder that it was time for another routine service), book my next blood test appointment, etc.

I will post my meal plan as a separate post.

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

Sunday

Butternut Squash

Looks like the tomato plant is hugging the butternut squash, doesn't it?  The squash is now a uniform yellow-beige color and I wondered if it was time to pick it.  But, when I did a search on when to harvest them, I found out that the skin needs to be quite hard so that a thumbnail will not make a dent.  Well, my thumbnail went right through the skin, so, I guess it is not quite ready to be harvested!  Once it is harvested, it apparently needs to cure for about a week before it can be cooked!  Once it has cured, it will keep for a long time, apparently.  I'm hoping it will be ready to be picked and cured before Thanksgiving, but, if it isn't, then, I'll keep it for Christmas.  

We turned our clocks back, last night/early this morning.  I still haven't changed the time on the big clock in the family room.  I need to do that, tomorrow.

I must have been really tired, yesterday, because I slept for almost 12 hours, which meant I woke up after noon, today!  Then, it was really hard for me to get going, but, eventually, I changed the dust sheets on the sofas, did a load of laundry, set the washing machine to go through a cleaning cycle (the indicator light had come on), did my daily walk, and spoke on the phone with former neighbor T.  I also scheduled my Covid booster shot for tomorrow afternoon.  

Breakfast was a bowl of grapes.  Lunch was a leftover pancake with seeni sambol.  Dinner was a bowl of turkey soup with two slices of buttered toast.  There's plenty of soup for tomorrow, too.  I offered some of the soup to my friend R, yesterday, but she doesn't like turkey, she said.  I'm not sure if neighbor S is back from her vacation; I haven't seen her and she hasn't called me to let me know if she's back.  Otherwise, I would have offered some soup to her, too.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- Daughter is feeling better
- Getting an extended night of sleep!
- Being able to schedule my booster shot
- A sunny day
- Working appliances

Today's joyful activity was chatting with T.

Plans for Monday include getting my Covid booster, maybe stepping into the dollar store afterwards for more fruits and a calendar, if they have them, doing another load of laundry (bed sheets), making a meal plan, paying some bills, and taking the trash cans to the curb.  

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