Thediarygame for 10th February 2024: check out the cleaning, my first harvest of my pawpaw and more boy in words and pictures

Every Saturday morning, we carry out thorough cleaning at home. This is all because we have more time as a family and the kids aren't going to school and so they help out. Even though not all Saturdays are for thorough cleaning but this day, we did it.

Everyone was involved. Sorry, this diary is coming a bit late but it's all because of the challenge I am having with my device. I started writing this diary a day after but it all wiped out while my chrome was rebooting. It was very painful but all the same, I pray to get a better device to enjoy my blogging again as before. It's not funny at all.

My diary will be divided this;

👉Morning worship with the family

👉Thorough cleaning at home and environ

👉Harvesting my first pawpaw

👉Preparing palm oil rice for the family

👉Going out in service with my preaching companion

👉Getting bitter leaf ready for the next day cooking

You will surely enjoy this diary, there was no boring moment

Morning worship with the family

It is our custom to have a morning worship as a family even after we have had our individual worship. This helps to foster strong bonds within the family.

Additionally, listening to instructions together as a family helps everyone to strive to apply it in their lives. Hence, it's beneficial for families to seat together in worship of the Almighty. We did just that this very day.

The instruction for that day was taken from Romans 2:21 of the Holy scriptures where we were advised to also teach ourselves as we teach others. This means that as one who is always busy, preaching and teaching others good morals, should also be able to teach himself or herself. For instance, that particular portion continues with

The one telling others 'do not steal, do you steal?'

This is very important because teaching works in 2 ways. While teaching others, you are also teach yourself and while expecting that those that you are teaching apply the lessons, you should also be able to apply it in your own life.

It was a reflection moment and the family were encouraged to strive hard to apply what they teach others especially good morals. It really sank deed. And I am grateful that even the kids got the message.

	the text for the day gotten from JW library

Thorough cleaning at home and environ

Because we had this cleaning arranged the previous day, we decided to do it before going out. The kids were also willing to join. In fact, they already know their duties.

My daughter cleans the seating room and the lobbies, my son does the dishes, my husband chose to clean the windows while I cleaned the rooms and prepare breakfast.

Since not everywhere is tiled, it is very dusty sweeping. So my daughter first sprinkles water before sweeping.

My son on the other hand, washed all the dishes at home whether used or unused, at least the ones we brought out for regular uses. He is really improving in doing that and he is happy doing his even though he can be naughty sometimes. Sometimes he is assisted.

I quickly cleaned my area and started preparing breakfast because as soon as my kids and husband finishes theirs, there should be no story that the food isn't yet ready. Mother's and wives will understand what I mean, lols!

	my son doing the dishes
	my daughter sweeping

Harvesting my first pawpaw

While outside, trying to see if I can get some leaves for my cooking, I saw that our pawpaw has ripened. It was long anticipated. I was even wondering why it is taking much time to ripen ever since it bore fruits. My bad, I could have counted how many months it took to start ripening.

Well, it was one that showed sign of ripening. So, I was so happy that we are going to begin the day with this pawpaw and best of it all, it is the first after we moved in and planted it in the compound.

I took picture of it and plucked it. The tree is short and as such, I used my hand to remove the fruit from the tree. Someone told me that even if pawpaw tree is short, she uses stick to still pluck fruit, else it will die. But to me, it is just a superstitious believe. But I will watch and see.

Going in, I quickly showed the kids amd my husband and everyone was so excited about it. We all love pawpaw a lot. Only my daughter that doesn't like it like that but she eats anyways.

Guess the spacie of pawpaw it is? The reddish type that I love so much. I never knew until now. I then quickly washed and peeled it off. Cut into pieces and we all dipped hands to enjoy it. It was very sweet. It was still strong no doubt but that's the type we enjoy most. It is like carrot. Even though we have been eating pawpaw since we moved in, this one was really special. Hope you know why @patjewell and @event-horizon? The pictures below will speak volumes.

After eating the pawpaw, I took the seeds back to my garden for planting. I have sprayed them and watered them. I wish to have more of this spacie.
It was now time to start my cooking.

	you can see the color
	this is where i replanted the seed to germinate
	ripped pawpaw
	the tree before i plucked the ripped one

Preparing palm oil rice for the family

I chose to prepare palm oil rice. It is the rice that is prepared using palm oil instead of the conventional groundnut oil rice.

I prepared mine with just the ingredients at home. Palm oil, pepper, seasoning cubes, salt, ginger, garlic, turmeric, onions and most importantly, scent leaf and curry leaf that I have in my compound. I also added dry fish and crayfish. It was yummy especially when it was eaten hot. I love it that way. Everyone enjoys it. Hubby doesn't like eating rice alone without an additional stuff like ripped plantain, or beans or just anything else. So, he ate his with beans that was left over. The picture of the rice while still on fire is below. It was now time to prepare for the ministry

	the scent leaf and curry leaf
	the rice while still on fire

Going out in service with my preaching companion

My preaching companion was my daughter. We arranged to go out and visit the people we had arrangements with. It was almost noon. And as such, we went on what we call return visit.

We had interesting studies with 2 persons. It lasted for 4 hours and we closed for the day. We didn't plan to stay longer because we were already tired due to the cleaning we did at home and the heat from the son wasn't merciful at all. But all the same, we were happy that we went out to honor the arrangement we made already with the Bible students.

	my daughter and i in the field ministry
	my humble self

Getting bitter leaf ready for the next day cooking

I planned to prepare soup that same day. But because the process will be tedious for me, I decided to push it till the next day which was Sunday. That Sunday, our meeting time will be 11:50am because it was a special program that we will have. So, I planned to use the morning hours to prepare the soup.

But what I did was to enter my garden and pluck the leaf.

That was what I did. It gives a lot of joy to get things from your garden for food. Eating the food you grow gives a lot of happiness and you can imagine how I felt. I was able to get them ready as you can see in the picture below

	the bitter leaf

It was night already after plucking and cleaning it up and getting it ready for washing, the way it will be easier for me in the morning. Thank goodness, the rice was remaining. We ate it as our dinner and everyone retired for the day.

That was it all, hope you had fun reading? It was an interesting day for me. I still have many more diaries for other days. Hope you will keep checking them out as I will soon pen them down. Thank you all for reading through.