Pie, Coffee and Paying Attention

 Hello Friends!
Long time no blog (again).
My last post was September 27th.  Whoops!

(Letters cut from a portion of a cardboard box I found on the ground.)

I hope you enjoyed a nice, long weekend of thanks-giving.
It's very hard for me to believe that today is actually the first day of December.

My breakfast this morning was (vegan) butternut squash pie topped with coconut cream and cinnamon.  Since I couldn't find pumpkin at the grocery store, I decided to use leftover roasted squash from Thursday and it tastes just as yummy.

Walks are becoming more frequent since the weather is much better at this time of year (70's during the day and 50's at night).

I'm still PLALKING (picking up litter while walking) and today there was a really lucky find.

I saw purple from a distance and thought it was a chip bag but turned out to be 5-KD which is the equivalent of about $15.00.

I'd say it definitely pays to pay attention.  :)

Hope this finds you all well.

Happy December!

Meandering Mishref

 Yesterday we had a sandstorm so it was a stay inside kinda day, but today there were blue skies and a breeze so I headed out to one of my favorite areas for walking.

I usually start out on the walking path, but then on the way back meander through the neighborhood to get a different view.

I like how the homeowner here trained the bushes to shade the drinking fountain.

It's always fun to see how people decorate their yards.

And I always love seeing a utility building painted with artwork and made pretty. 

Hope that you are all doing well.

Sending love your way.

Happy Monday!

Morning Walk

Mornings are a great way to enjoy the world.

You see it as it should be -

peaceful, quiet and the birds are singing.

Happy Thursday!

Balcony Gardening

September is still hot in my corner of the world with tomorrow's high expected to be 117 F.

The cantaloupe vines (planted from seed at the end of June) have survived and continue to flower but unfortunately there's no pollinators around just yet.

Male flower on the left, female flower on the right.

I love how the tendrils reach out and wrap themselves around whatever they can to find support.

I've not yet planted any other types of seeds, but did plant some potato eyes that have started to leaf out.

I'm also making compost in a plastic storage container on the balcony.  With the extreme heat, the process of food scraps breaking down happens pretty quickly.  I dumped dirt and sand from old plant pots to get it started and just add kitchen scraps and leaves, plus water to keep it moist.  It already smells like fresh earth and the soil is so dark and rich compared to what it looked like when I started months ago.

It was such a pleasure to sink one's hands into

the warm earth, to feel at one's fingertips the

possibilities of the new season.
(Kate Morton, The Forgotten Garden)

Wishing you a happy Monday!

Out to Lunch

 A bit of car crochet while my husband went to check on some things at his warehouse.  He had two containers to unload early this morning and said it was like a sauna inside the truck.

Friday is the only day he doesn't work (unless there's a shipment that needs unloading like today), so it's the one day that we go out to eat if we can.

After more than a year we were back at our favorite Thai restaurant.  I get the vege tom yum and it is absolutely delicious.  The cabbage and cucumber are to cool your mouth off if things get a little too spicy.  I just avoid too many red peppers at one time and it's all good.  :)  

No walks today as the humidity is absolutely stifling.

Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Let the true colors of your heart illuminate the world.

Have a fab Friday!

Seaside Saunter & Heart Habits

Today's walk was along the corniche where it was just under 100 degrees at 8:22 a.m.

I was accompanied by some of the kitties that live along this stretch of the seafront.  They are cared for by volunteers, fed daily, and many of them have been spade/neutered.

The humidity thankfully isn't as bad in the morning as it is late afternoon.

Part of the reason I really want to get back to walking as much as I can is because there's been way too much staying home and sitting since the pandemic began.  I got my second dose of Oxford on Tuesday so am glad to finally be done with that.

The other reason is that on August 18th, I started having a very strange feeling in my chest which took me by surprise.  With heart disease on my dad's side of the family, I've always hoped my lifestyle changes have kept me from having the same heart issues as him and my aunts and uncles  The arrhythmia was very unsettling so my husband contacted his childhood friend who is a doctor and he suggested an ECG and blood test to check my thyroid function.  After results from one of the government hospitals didn't show anything out of the ordinary, I was referred to a cardiologist who requested more specific blood tests, another ECG, a 24-hour holter monitor and a stress test.

Ultimately, it was determined that I should manage my stress (in my case, that means not watching the news) and limit my caffeine (I gave up coffee for 10 days and now have switched to decaf).  He also said no smoking but that's easy since I don't smoke.  :)  

The doctor said I should not think about it.  He feels that the erratic heartbeats will stop with time.  I have noticed some improvement since they first started, but the irregular pounding is still there.

I'm trying not to think about it.

Slow down and enjoy the simple things in life.

Take time to be still and breathe.

(Zane Baker)

Have a good Thursday!

Quick Hello

 I'm constantly trying to hit reset on my routines and my life.  September is a time of transition weather-wise, and this first day of the month seems like a good time to hit refresh once again.

Although it's still hot, and the humidity has been stifling lately, I'm determined to start my daily morning walks again.

I also intend to make blogging a part of my daily routine but am getting a really late start on that today as it is just about bedtime, so will keep this short and sweet.

Thinking about everyone in Louisiana as they deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. 

I hope you are all well and safe.

Summer Flowering

 Hello Friends!

Long time no blog. Hope this finds you doing well.

At the end of June, I planted saved cantaloupe seeds from store-bought melons.  Last year I did the same and was really pleased when they grew and flowered throughout our harsh summer weather.  By January of this year, we had two of the cutest little melons which turned out to be snack-sized, but super sweet.

Last year I only planted them in one pot, but this year I've spread seeds throughout five different pots, three on one balcony and two on the other.

In the past week, the first flowers have appeared and each one sparks a bit of joy. 

We only need to open our eyes to see the gifts

that abound all around us.

These are the simple joys in life.

Genevieve

May your day be filled with many blessings.

Traditional Embroidery

 Over the past week, while listening and learning, I was stitching and meditating.

The designs I stitched on this sampler bookmark are from the Palestinian Embroidery book by Widad Kawar and Tania Nasier that documents the embroidery indicative to 5 different regions in Palestine. 

The word fallah means farmer and fallaha is the farm woman so this type of embroidery is called fallahi because it was traditionally made by village women.

I chose to work on designs from Gaza.

I am supposing, or perhaps only hoping, that our future may be found in the past's fugitive moments of compassion rather than in its solid centuries of warfare.

(Howard Zinn)

Have a good Monday.

Love and Care

 I feel the capacity to care is the thing which gives life its deepest significance.

(Pablo Casals)

Spreading love.

Caring for kitties.

And picking up trash.

A part of my every day, most days.

Sunday blessings.