The spring break is over and I'm going back to work tomorrow. I can't believe how fast the week passed by.
Several library books were due on Friday, so I went to the library to drop them off. I knew I wouldn't have time to read more books (I'm still reading The Other Einstein), but once I'm at a library I always tend to borrow a stack of books. This time I borrowed two embroidery books and two decorating books. When I was a teenager I did hand embroidery on handkerchiefs, pillow cases and nightgowns. I remember learning about different stitches when I was in grade 5. After reading the two library books, now I want to do some embroidery. The thing is, I have too many things I'd like to do, and too little time. Sigh....
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| Embroidery books. I love these hand sewn napkins & the tablecloth. |
The last two days were not really productive. I've been suffering with itchy eyes & nose, and at first I thought it was due to dust or pollen because I had been working outside. I am very sensitive to dust and pollen. Now I think I'm getting a cold. I'm not sure. 😔 Just in case, I made a pot of mom's home remedy, coriander and ginger tea.
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| Coriander & ginger tea. |
I started learning crochet. I'm learning the chain stitch. I need a lot of practice because I can't properly hold the yarn with my left hand yet. I think I will keep doing chain stitch until I can make chains with even tension, and then move to the next stitch. If you look closely you can see that the first few stitches are too tight.
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| Making chain stitches. |
The other day I picked several green beans. It's not much, but I can use them in a mixed vegetable curry. I also have a huge can of green beans. I bought before the hurricane season and should use it up before the expiration date. I'm not a fan of canned green beans because I find them too soft. May be it's the way I cook it.
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| Homegrown green beans. |
Overall it was not a bad week. It could have been more productive, but I took time to rest, read, and watch several shows on Netflix.
Results of this week's to-do list:
2)
3)
4)
5) Do yoga. - I must find another way to exercise. Doing yoga has been hit or miss.
7) Sleep 7 hours. - I've been sleeping ~ 6 1/2 hours or so. I have to get back to 7 hours.
Next week's to-do list:
1) Practice chain stitch.
2) Weeding.
3) Sow Chinese cucumber seeds.
4) Exercise.
5) Sleep 7 hours.
Do you use canned green beans? How do you make it?
XX
Nil
P.S. I changed the settings to allow comments by anyone. Previously it was set only for Google users. If you find any problems when commenting, please let me know via 'Contact' form. 😊
Hope the week revived your soul. Spring has bloomed (achoo) and it is gorgeous now. It is still a little to early for me to plant bedding plants, but I can at least get the beds ready. By my late Grandmother's rules, I have to plant my green beans on Good Friday.
ReplyDeleteAh, I didn't know about that rule, Anne. :) I planted green beans sometime in last fall. Maybe that's why they are not doing well.
DeleteWell have a good end of spring break day! Books are so nice...sometimes nicer than actually doing the patterns, etc. I can single-crochet and that is all! I am thinking I don' t have the patience for knitting and crocheting. I have books on both, and keep saying maybe when I get real old I will have time to do them. Andrea
ReplyDeleteHehee Andrea, I keep saying to myself I'll have time to do all these things once I retire. :)
DeleteThose vacation days really seem to go by fast, don't they? But, I think you had a nice mixture of accomplishing things and relaxing, as that's important, too. Good idea to make the coriander tea; I hope it helps to ward off the cold.
ReplyDeleteWell done with teaching yourself to crochet. I like that book giving instructions for both left handed and right handed people.
I, too, don't like canned green beans all that much. But, when I do use them. I make a sauteed green beans (bonchi thel dala); minimal cooking time - saute the onions, first, then, add the green beans and spices and just cook only until the beans are heated through. They don't need a lot of cooking because they are already cooked.
Thank you Bless. I will try your green bean recipe. :)
DeleteI don't like canned green beans either and I don't think there IS a good way to fix them. lol
ReplyDeleteGood for you for teaching yourself to crochet. That's impressive...one craft I have never done. You are like me-lots to do and not enough hours in the day.
I tried to send you an email but it bounced back to me. Do you have an email you would share with me? I promise not to give it to any spammers. lol You can send it to dianakos1@gmail.com (if you feel comfortable doing that).
Have a great week- Hugs- Diana
I wonder why your email bounced back, Diana. I received several emails recently. Could you please try again the contact form? I want to fix it if there's any problem with the link.
DeleteCongrats on starting that syllabus, sometimes the starting is the hardest step. Spring break never seems to last long enough, but it sounds like you had a good one. I definitely understand the dilemma of having more interests than time, but I guess the good part is there's never a worry of not having something to do. I'm not a huge fan of canned green beans either, seems they are soft straight out of the can.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jules. :) I was actually planing to do the syllabus and one chapter. I was too ambitious. :)
DeleteThere is so much to enjoy in embroidery! I loved it until my hands couldn't do it anymore!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you can't do embroidery anymore, earthmotherwithin.
DeleteVery nice blog you have. Tomorrow, my daughter and I are going to set up a no dig garden.
ReplyDeleteThank you Akashasjourney. No dig garden very sounds interesting. :)
DeleteEnjoy the crochet, Nil. It is much faster than knitting although I am not an expert at either craft. Enjoy being back at work.
ReplyDeleteThanks Chel.
DeleteMy mom also said once I have enough practice crocheting would be faster. At the moment I'm slower than a snail. :)
Back to work already? Gosh that week flew by! I think you accomplished a lot and had a nice balance in what you did. I love to do embroidery, it's a relaxing pasttime, so I hope you give it a go. That rooster looks very cheery, and would be easy to do.....just an outline.
ReplyDeleteYes, Nanette. I think time flies faster when we have too much fun. :)
DeleteHi Nil, You are going to be so happy in retirement, because you have so many hobbies. I hope you feel better. That tea looks very healthy. I am sensitive to pollen, too. I think I also need to dust my furniture.
ReplyDeleteThank you Stephenie. Whenever I have itchy eyes and start sneezing, the first thing I do is to change AC filter. I'm very sensitive to dust. Do you wear a mask when dusting? I do, and it helps a lot.
Deletemaybe you can replace your yoga bij Qicong exercise. on you tube there are exercises bij Lee Holden...morning and evening routines...10 or 20 minutes...worth a look i think. greetings from amsterdam, the Netherlands.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I will look it up. :)
Deletehope you're feeling okay now. it's so good to have a list isn'it it? i love to write them then cross off what i've done. so satisfying. cheers sherry
ReplyDeleteYes, Sherry. I'm a list person. It's so satisfying to cross things off, one at a time.
DeleteThe first few chain stitches always seem to come out too tight. Actually, a chain stitch to start a project needs to be a little loose in general because the next row is always fatter (so the piece will curl if the chain is too tight).
ReplyDeleteI hope it's just allergies and that you're not catching a cold.:-(
Have a great first day back at work!
I think it's allergies. :( I'm a bit better now.
DeleteThank you for the tip, Priscilla. Yes, it did curl because at first I did it too tight.
Good for you for trying to learn crochet. It was part of the Home Ec course in 7th grade, but I haven't tried it since. It is on my list of things to learn someday. I am not a fan of canned vegetables in general with the exception of canned spinach sprinkled with red wine vinegar. Here's to your next break over the summer!
ReplyDeleteHmmm I've never tried canned spinach with red wine vinegar. That sounds very interesting. I normally don't buy canned spinach, but will try this one of these days.
DeleteAhhh the summer break! Only 2 months away. :)
Embroidery is something you can pick up and put down. Not necessary to keep at it, until finished. Or so it seems to me.
ReplyDeleteHope it is spring allergies!!! It issss spring! :-)
Spring break is not a time to be productive! ,-) It's a time to enjoy, and let your batteries recharge, for the next season. And I think you did. Excellent!!!
Keep thinking, it's dust/allergies!!!!!!!!! :-)))))
Yes, I think it's allergies. Both pollen & dust. I have a very sensitive nose. :)
DeleteThe tea sounds nice, I shall be making more homemade herbal teas this year.
ReplyDeleteJust to let you know its Marlene previously from living simply living well.
Hi Marlene. :) I checked 'A Simple Life' blog, but couldn't recognize you. I thought the bird looked familiar. Following you again. :)
DeleteRather than use canned green beans, Nil, I use frozen ones. Nice to see that you already have some fresh ones, even if only a handful right now. Like yourself, I have also been trying for a minimum of 7 hours of sleep nightly and falling short, sometimes by only 15 minutes. I have a Fitbit which tracks sleep and it can be so annoying because it subtracts the time awake and so when you thought you were getting 7+ hours you find it was only 6-1/2 to 6-3/4. I decided to stop wearing it and am hopint to be asleep by 10:30-11 pm and awake by 7 am. I hope the tea makes you feel better as it would not be fun to have to return to work feeling badly.
ReplyDeleteThank you Beatrice. I feel a bit better now.
DeleteI too prefer frozen green beans to canned ones, but I got this can for the hurricane season. Once I lost power for a couple of days after a hurricane and had to throw away all frozen food. So now I buy canned food for emergencies. :)
I too have similar sleeping hours, from 10.30-11 pm to 6.45-7 am. I'm trying not to read in the bed, because it keeps me up late.