12 Oakdale

Ube update:  Well, that was mortifying. After proudly taking the ube rolls I’d made to the Windermere Garden Club and touting ube as a fun crop, I learned from a Master Gardener that the plant IS an invasive and IS NOT permitted to be planted in Florida. I’d made the rookie mistake of searching by its common name when I was reading about it. Turns out University of Florida’s Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plant’s plant directory uses “winged yam”, rather than “ube”. Had I used its scientific name, the “Not Permitted” status would have popped right up. I wrote up a mea culpa email that I hope the club will send to members since I won’t be at the next meeting to take back my cheerleading. I’ve also email the 2 members to whom I gave ube potatoes, asking them to destroy, not plant them. Today I’m digging up the one I have in the ground and the one in my big pot. If there are any potatoes, I’m making more of the ube paste since we really liked it. Everything else is being chopped up a...

 Yes, I’m in good shape, for my age, as the doctors always have to add. However, 10 pounds less makes my pants fit better. Back on the eat less, exercise more plan. January 6th: 170.0#  I’ve begun my arm exercises again and am trying a NYT’s stretching program for lower backs. Mine is fine, and I plan to keep it that way. January 13th: 172.0# Sigh, definitely not the right direction. At least I’ve started walking daily and added my shoulder exercises back to my routines.

 Welcome, 2025 Another year to pare down our belongings, either by not buying something or by moving things along. In another post, I’ll list our 1/week cleaning of drawers, shelves, or box. In: 01/03: 2 copper mule mugs. (Also 1 mini vase & 2 tea candle holders used as vases for hospice flowers, a Windermere Garden Club project.) All from Central Hope Thrift Shop. $6.66  01/06: Watercolor brush: #2 round, kolinsky sable, from Amazon. $29.82 01/07: SD card reader for trail camera, from Amazon. $10.64 01/08: Watercolor brushes: flat, mop, rigger, & filbert, from Amazon. $46.51 Out: 01/10: Handkerchiefs and sox

 Goal: clean a drawer, box, or shelf each week, shedding something in the process. Me: January 1: my underwear, wearing the old and throwing away after, not washing and returning to drawer. January 7: my sock drawer, letting go of handkerchiefs I don’t need/want anymore. House: January 5: Shelf under sink in garage. Figured out what spray bottles were. Decided to use up Pinesol before buying more clearner. Left water purifying equipment. Next time.

Resolution for 2025 - be more social. I could hardly be less, so to that end, we invited our neighbors and Steph et al for drinks and appetizers* New Year’s Eve. At 5:00 PM. I didn’t completely loose my mind and consider staying up until midnight. No, Gracie and I were happily tucked in bed at 10:30, listening to the fireworks. The theme parks started their shows, which we can hear but not see, at 6:30. Across the street, Vanessa and Ross shot off some at 9:00 for their daughters and friends. Gracie shot to the window to see what was happening. After that, she retreated to our bed, seeming unconcerned. I was surprised. The rest of the evening, especially 11:00 - 1:00, was a continuous thump from houses around the lakes. No need for the city to spend money when all the local residents will spend theirs. Grant came to bed eventually. His foot is still really sore, and it is swollen all the way of his calf. He got a by from exercising from Denny this week, which meant I got all the attent...

 A list of what I moved out of our house; stuff I let in; the things I considered, fondled, thought about, yet didn’t allow to join our household, at least so far; and items replaced. OUT: 01/5: Returned Trtl travel pillow to Amazon. Just didn’t quite fit, and why do I need something I’ll likely leave on an airplane like all the others I’ve bought? I sleep just fine without it. $51.11 back. 01/06: Christmas decorations. Although they are in cardboard boxes sitting on shelves in the garage for donation in October, I culled a whole big tote of decorations we haven’t used since we left Fort Lauderdale. 01/07: Red exercise bands left from PT that have sat, unused, on my nightstand for a year. To the trash. I’ll get new if ever needed. 01/23: Returned small messenger bag. Cute, however I couldn’t get my hand easily into the zippered opening. $89.90-$6 USPS return shipping. 01/28: Eight IKEA chairs out of our garage to Stephanie’s. New Year’s Eve tiara missing the “New”, found when we li...