Being the dutiful husband, I was up by 7:00 am, in the kitchen, making a cup of joe for m’lady and bringing it to her.
It is now 7:45 am, and I am beginning to shake with the thought that in 45 minutes I must get into the car and travel 1.1 miles to the dreaded gym. At this location,d for 90 minutes,s I will be subjected to acrobatics, calisthenics, gymnastics, isometrics, physical jerks, stretching, tumbling, workouts, and various forms of yoga. In the end, I will have recovered, having lost 0.001 pounds and gained acknowledgment of seventeen more muscles than I ever knew I had! Oh my!
Mary was feeling down, perhaps with the start of a cold, so she suggested some new Penicillin for breakfast from Benjies! Bravo, great ideas. Off we went to 17th Street and the 55 Freeway.
Mary had her penicillin but augmented it with some Irish Coffee. We were quite surprised when the coffee came with a bunny!
I swear I heard it hiccup!
Now, I have two bunnies at the table!
Surrounded by bunnies!
Upon arriving at home, Mary took a nap, and I headed to the yard for additional work. Amazon delivered a starting capacitor I needed for my “busted” air compressor, and after a 10-minute install and wiring, it was off and running, just like new. Now I have compressed air in the back yard for my tools.
The rest of the afternoon, I puttered around in the HeShe’d, trying to get it better organized, and I also planted some flower seeds and worked a bit on our step-exercise machine. It is out of date and has no replacement parts, but I am going to try to get it going again before we move it upstairs.
Mary found some pizza in the fridge, and I took over from there and prepared a gourmet dinner of pizza, grapes, sliced pizza, and wine.
After dinner, we tried to watch a Bruce Willis movie, but it was so full of foul language that I went back to the exercise room and tried again to fix the control panel.
Before plunging into the exercise machine innerds, I walked outside to see the progress on the front of the house. When I looked up, there it was, a magnificent contrail left from a missile launch at Venenbury Space Base.
This is the first Easter Weekend that we did not have a party at the house because “everyone” was gone. Michele and Franklin were out of town; Robin and Bob were on a cruise; Bob and Donna were in Palm Springs; and our dear friend Irene is no longer with us. So, we worked in the garden instead.
BUT on Sunday morning, we walked through the garden and got ready to go to the Elks to celebrate! The garden is going gangbusters, and every day brings another inch or so of growth on the tomato vines.
To the Elks at 11:00 am, we arrived about 18 minutes later. We were the first of our table to arrive.
We had entertainment during the brunch, and it was quite good!
He played some really cool Easter music!!
The harp is one of the world’s oldest instruments, dating back over 5,000 years to ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, likely originating from a hunter’s bow. Modern concert harps stand roughly six feet tall, feature 47 strings, and use seven pedals to alter pitches. The strings are traditionally plucked with only the first four fingers of each hand, as pinkies are too short.
We got so busy talking and sharing that I forgot to take many pictures, but I did get a snap of my favorite ceviche.
Ceviche is not originally Mexican; it is widely believed to have originated in Peru over 2,000 years ago. However, it is a staple dish throughout Latin America, and Mexico has developed its own distinct, popular style of ceviche characterized by the addition of tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and cucumber. Peruvian ceviche is generally simpler, often just fish, lime, onion, and chili, served immediately. Mexican ceviche usually marinates longer and often features chopped tomatoes, cucumber, and Serrano or Jalapeño peppers.
The bowl emptied very fast!
Mary and I sat down first, although we expected to see Jim and Vicky there first.
We have so much fun together, always a laugh and a giggle!
We always say, “If you don’t have wrinkles, you haven’t laughed enough.”
Iris and Will are doing just fine, and in about eight months, Iris will be 100 years old.
“Let’s eat! Over the teeth and through the gums, look out tonsils, here it comes!!”
Yolie joined us, and we enjoyed her description of her FIRST airplane flight from OC to Sacramento…and back! She is now officially fearless and ready to take on the world!
“When do we take to the air next?”
Dianne and Fast Eddie joined us today, and we enjoyed his stories. Dianne always makes events very pleasant.
Laughing and giggling our way through brunch.
Of course, the masterminds behind today’s get-together are Vicky and Jim. Vicky has been my friend for close to 40 years, which is hard to understand, since she keeps celebrating her 39th birthday!
Enjoying life!
“Gee, Paul, your wine sure looks good!!”
Standby, big-time drinker about to guzzle her drink in one sip!
History is being made! Vicky takes a drink!
When either of us does something “bad,” we always say, “I’m going to tell!” The problem is, we have no one to tell!
“I’m telling!!”
Just Us!
After brunch, we headed to Ralph’s Market for some necessities of life: coffee, milk, Greek yogurt, and bananas. There were other things on the list, but we saved them for another day.
When we got home, we decided to take a short Easter nap. Mary lasted an hour, and we did not wake up until 5:30 pm. We then headed for the swim spa to finish off the evening. That reminded me of the old saying, “The best contraceptive for old people is nudity.”
On a serious note, the 45 minutes we have together in the hot water are always special. Wee plot, plan, discuss, dream, and share without any interruption! The cell phone stays in the house; there is NO TV, and Alexa is behind glass. It’s just us! It’s a good time to realize how much we love each other!
OK, back to normal. I was thinking that one of my traits is that I never give up. I am currently in my 14th year of a 10-day beauty plan.
We made some phone calls to Joe, Colleen, and Becky before watching TV.
We watched “The Iron Mask”. Summary: Jackie Chan and Arnold Schwarzenegger star together in the 2019/2020 fantasy-adventure film The Iron Mask (also known as Viy 2: Journey to China or Dragon Master). They face off in a featured fight scene within the movie, which follows an 18th-century English traveler encountering mystical adventures.
Not the greatest movie but quite funny and entertaning.
We hit the sack at 10:00 p,m and I was asleep before my head hit the pillow! I was afraid of having a nightmare because tomorrow is “G-Day”. Yep, another visit to the dreaded gym. I know I am old because my walker has an airbag.
As soon as I got up, I called the Finchs (Brian and Jan), who live in London, eight hours ahead of us, and told them they were about to have guests. Robin and Bob plan to visit with them during their current vacation. Jan and Brian are doing well, just getting old like us.
At 8:30 am, I was outside working on the patio. We have a Bay Bush, and it was producing more bay leaves than we could use, so we harvested some and dried them in the air fryer. We will likely give them away to friends who cook.
The true bay leaf (Laurus nobilis) is commonly known as bay laurel, sweet bay, true laurel, or laurel leaves. Bay leaves are aromatic Mediterranean leaves known for enhancing soups and stews. They symbolize victory, historically crowning poets and athletes, and contain compounds like eugenol that offer anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, while also acting as natural insect repellents.
Then I trimmed our “Root Beer Tree,” known as the sassafras tree (Sassafras albidum). Historically, its roots were used to flavor root beer. Native to eastern North America, it is easily identified by its aromatic bark, three distinct leaf shapes (mitten, oval, and three-lobed) on one branch, and fragrant, rootbeer-scented foliage.
We bought the tree and did not realize that in 1960, the FDA banned sassafras in food/drinks because its natural compound, safrole, was found to cause cancer in rats. Modern root beer uses artificial flavoring.
Today the temperature was in the high 90s, and working on the patio was hot, so I changed into my gardening costume and continued stuffing the rotary-upright planters with strawberries.
When it is so hot, I take breaks and sit in the shade, and I ran across some interesting tidbits which, for the most part, I already follow!
After a short rest, I headed to the vegetable garden and applied Thompson’s Water Sealer to two of the vegetable beds (I ran out). The water sealant is effective, working well on bricks and clay pots. The product is easy to apply, keeps water out, and repels water almost instantly after drying. I have been using this sealer for many years, and it restores the wall caps’ bright red color.
Take a look at the before-and-after in the pictures below. Now the water beads up instantly when we water the beds.
Before: Dry and porous!
After: Shiny and sealed!
Toward the end of the day, I was beginning to fade. I took one last walk through the garden. The corn and artichokes are doing quite well, and the cucumbers are beginning to climb the trellis!
The corn is coming, and the cucumbers are growing fast!
The Swiss chard is quite pretty.
What is a fun fact about Swiss chard?
Despite the common “Swiss” reference, chard is not Swiss in origin. In fact, it is a native of the Mediterranean. It is believed that the name “chard” is derived from the French word for “cardoon,” carde, which further confuses matters because a cardoon is a thistle and hardly a leafy green.
Who needs spinach when we have Swiss chard?
Very berry berry!
I found the recent book that we share with people who ask about our garden!
I put together this 50-page book from the photos taken before, during, and after the garden was constructed. It sure brings back memories.
Mary stayed inside and worked in the kitchen, drying the bay leaves and making a wonderful salad for dinner. She also made some fresh blueberry muffins, which we took over to Pam and Marc (Jeff’s kids) while they were going through the house, cleaning it out before it goes on the market.
We sat and talked to them for half an hour, remembering the good times we had with their Dad before his passing. Marc gave me a box of ham radio technical books, which I will review over the next few weeks. I offered to buy his ham radio equipment, but had NO idea what it was worth, so I suggested Greg get some numbers at the local radio store, and I would match them. This probably means I will go back and renew my ham radio license. Maybe I can get my old call sign back, K6CXI!
We got a message from Bob and Robin as they sailed out of Florida toward London on their seven-day cruise. They are looking good!
Sailing sailing over the bounding main!
Then another message popped up from Bob Z; they arrived in Palm Springs for the next week. We will be missing them tomorrow at the Elks Easter celebration.
It was in the high 90s there, so I am sure they are inside dancing away!
Mary and I had dinner and then proceeded to the TV room, where we watched the boob-tube until about 10:00 pm. I had decided 10:00 pm is my new bedtime.
Before crashing, I took pictures of the front of the house decorated for Easter; we love our Govee lights!
The lights change color and run around the front of the house.
The fence always displays the current holiday banner with the appropriate lighting.
The day started with scraping and pounding on the walls. Our painters have been working for five days doing prep. The walls look great now, and next week they get a paint job! The painter will start with the front of the house first since it will be bright white (we want the Govee lights to reflect better).
We stayed inside doing our computer things until Carlos, our trusted gardener, showed up, and then we put him to work. He did the following for us (as we are getting too old).
Planted two climbing roses in the front yard
Planted our new boysenberry and blueberry plants
Fixed front sprinkler head
I then began finishing off my Birthday/Christmas present to myself; my very own bidet! Yeah! Mary saw me curled up like a sow bug with one leg in the bathtub and began giggling uncontrollably. Of course,e she got the camera and took a picture of me doing my latest yoga moves.
It’s a lot more difficult than it was 40 years ago!!!
The painters were hard at work preparing the house for painting. They have spent five days so far just getting ready to paint. I am excited about testing the new paint on the front of the house!
The preparation work takes four times as long as painting the house!
After the gift installation and painting status walk was complete, we headed to the garden and provided directions to our wonderful gardener.
Climbing roses are not true climbers; they lack tendrils and must be manually tied to structures, often growing 8–20 feet high. Known as “madmen” for their rapid growth, they can bloom multiple times a season. For maximum flowers, canes should be trained horizontally, which encourages vertical, blooming side-shoots.
This is a climbing rose, and we expect it to crawl up the front gate by next Monday (or we want our money back!)
I caught a glimpse of the wabbit who was visiting the garden again!
Tomorrow I will set a trap for this pesky wabbit!
A Day of Garden Chaos (Mostly) began right after our fancy lunch made from the garden—basically, we ate our future. Then we went right back out to destroy— I mean, improve—the rest of it. Today consisted of four phases of activity:
The Great Hydrangea Relocation of 2026: I had hydrangeas to transplant, which is fancy-speak for “dig up these plants and move them three feet over because apparently they had an opinion about their current location.” Hydrangeas are dramatic. They’ll either thrive or stage a slow, leafy protest. No in-between.
The Rose’s Witness Protection Program: Then there was the rose that had been living in the shade like some gothic Victorian novel. “I’m too delicate for this sunlight!” it probably cried. Well, NOT ANYMORE, ROSE. Time to get a tan and deal with it.
Mary: The Flower Assassin: Mary, meanwhile, went full Edward Scissorhands on the patio flowers and roses. Snip Snip. SNIP. Dead blossoms are gone. Overgrown petals? Obliterated. She was basically a tiny, focused tornado with pruning shears.
The Grand Finale: And why, because Easter is coming, and by God, THIS garden will look SPECTACULAR… even if it’s just us three admiring it like we’re posing for a home and garden magazine shoot.
We checked the soaker hoses, and they are operating as expected; everything is getting the necessary water.
Below are twelve melons and six watermelons. Watermelons are botanically fruits (they’re the ripened ovary of a flowering plant), but they’re not vegetables in the culinary sense.
We have almost 75 feet of soaker hose in the corn/melon garden.
We love our blueberries! Blueberries are one of the few truly blue foods, native to North America and historically called “star berries” by Indigenous peoples due to the five-pointed star shape on their blossom end. Packed with antioxidants, they are considered a superfood and were even brought to space by NASA.
The roses are doing quite well, and Mother Nature (Mary) keeps them deadheaded, pruned, and deweeded.
What is the difference between deadheading and pruning?
Deadheading and pruning are often confused, but they serve different purposes in the garden. Deadheading flowers is the simple act of removing faded flowers to encourage more bloom. It’s a quick task you can do with pruning snips as you walk through your garden. Pruning, on the other hand, involves more extensive trimming to shape the plant and promote overall health.
I ran across a picture from 1954 with Judy, Claudia (my cousin), and yours truly.
We are going somewhere, but for the life og me, I have no idea…. It was, after all, 70+ years ago!
So, I ran it through one of my many AI photoprocessors, and it looks pretty good!
The turning point for home color photos was the 1930s-1950s, with the advent of Kodachrome (1935), a game-changer—better quality and more affordable —and then Ektachrome (1946), which made color even more accessible. Color home photography was pricey, with color film costing 3-4x more than black & white.
Most casual family photos were still black & white through the 1950s-60s. By the 1970s, color was common but not universal. By the 1980s, color was standard.
The 1990s brought digital photography, and in the 2020s, AI could turn black-and-white photos into color! We lived in an amazing time.
Judy is out of the picture these days, but I still talk to Claudia every few weeks!
Today is Jonathan’s 37th birthday! He and his bride are celebrating this evening. Mary and I called and sang happy birthday to him!
Jon and Sarah are somewhere in the Caribbean!
I also found a picture of Jon, Colleen, and me from a recent Caribbean trip. We had a lot of fun on the two-week cruise.
We love our grandson!!
At 6:00 pm, Robin and Bob dropped by on their way to Europe for a three-week vacation! We walked them through the garden, shared a bottle of champagne, and sent them off in a limo to LAX. We will really miss them!
Be safe and take a lot of pictures!!
We watched some TV and crashed around 10:30 pm. It’s been a long day!
I was a bit embarassed last night. There was a man at the bar, drunk. I picked him up off the floor and offered to take him home. On the way to my car, he fell three times. When I get to his house, I help him out of the car, and on the way to the front door, he falls four more times. I rang the bell and said, “Here’s your husband!” The man’s wife says, “Where’s his wheelchair?” I must be more careful next time!
The Sun is up and so are we! 7:30 am should be banned! Today, I have some serious chores that must get done.
Replace the garbage disposal wall switch, and
Install my Christmas and Birthday present to myself (guess what it is?)
I got to thinking about “time” and what “pm “and “am” really mean. In Latin, “a.m.” stands for ante meridiem. Translated, this means “before midday.” The counterpart, “p.m.,” stands for post meridiem, which, naturally, translates to “after midday.” In establishing the timekeeping standards, midday was set to be 12 noon.
To further clarify, it was decided that 00:00, the start of the new day, would be known as 12 midnight. And 12, high noon, would be the transition to the p.m. hours. (Technically, there is no 12 pm because it is not “post,” but there is a 12:01 pm) .
To avoid confusion, many say “midnight” or “noon” instead of the 12 o’clock times. While context (setting doctors’ appointments, requesting work meetings) usually clarifies whether someone is referring to 3 am or 3 pm, it’s always helpful to add a quick “in the morning” if the time is a bit more ambiguous.
For example, a night owl may have no problem showing up for 10 pm plans, but their friends will be sitting at 10 am brunch, wondering why they got stood up.
Perhaps I should NOT think so hard!
Duh!!
Last night, Mary tried to fire up the garbage disposal and got… absolutely nothing. I assumed the cleaning crew just flipped the”noisy kitchen thing” switch off at the wall. Alas, no—turns out the wall switch has officially retired.
Plan of attack: a) Kill power at the breaker (because I enjoy living), b) Swap the dead switch for a new one (aka a romantic trip to Home Depot), c) Restore power and see if we’ve resurrected the disposal—or if it demands a larger offering.
It would have curled my hair IF I had any!!
Then a miracle occurred! After removing the switch from the wall and finding out it was OK after all, it seems that the connection to the wire just needed to be redone. Within a few minutes, all was well in the kitchen!
At 10:00 am, we headed to the Elks via the dry cleaners. Then off to the Elks for a celebration of something, anything!
I’ve tried Buddhism, Scientology, Numerology, Transcendental Meditation, Qabbala, t’ai chi, feng shui, and Deepak Chopra, but I find straight gin works best.
We had a great time, and Bob Carlson was there to celebrate his 90th birthday!!! Mary attacked Ronnie and “slap-coined” him!
Ronnie promised us a drink on Friday night!
We headed for home around 1:30 pm and immediately took a nap; we were both tired. I did not wake up until 5:30 pm, and alas, no Mary present. Where could she be, I wondered. I heard a strange sound in the garden and went outside to investigate.
To my surprise, there was Mary in her easter Bunny costume, practicing hiding eggs in our garden! When I was a little boy, the Easter Bunny did NOT look like that!!!
I may join her in hiding eggs this weekend!
We worked on the garden for about an hour before going inside and watching some TV. Before going to bed, we arranged some of the storage in the garage and walked the front yard.
We watched a goofy movie about people stranded on an island with dinosaurs; it was so silly we didn’t even show the trailer.
Hydrocortisone is a corticosteroid medication used to reduce inflammation, itching, and swelling, or to replace the natural cortisol produced by the adrenal glands in adrenal gland conditions. It is available as creams, ointments, tablets, and injections, and treats conditions such as eczema, allergies, arthritis, and skin irritation.
It’s Wednesday, and that means another day of early morning punishment at the gym. My back is still sore from the fall two weeks ago, so I am taking it easy.
After the gym, we hit the testing center so Mary could donate a vial of courage (and blood). Since we were practically next door to the Orange Circle, we figured we’d reward ourselves with the Elks’ legendary turkey sandwich… only to remember the Elks doesn’t open until noon. So we basically went: fitness, blood, and then got rejected by a sandwich.
NOTE TO SELF: The Elks in Orange opens for lunch at noon!
We wondered why we were there by ourselves!
The Lodge is relatively small but quite nice, and the people are very friendly!
Since Renata’s was next door, we just went two more doors and had a great Italian lunch with Mary doing the veal piccata while I enjoyed the Penne Sinatra special.
Veal piccata is a classic Italian dish consisting of thin, tender veal cutlets (scallopini) dredged in flour, pan-seared, and served in a bright, tangy sauce made from lemon juice, white wine, butter, and capers. Often prepared in under 30 minutes, it balances delicate meat with a savory, acidic, and buttery pan sauce.
Mary’s favorite.
Returning home, Mary cleaned the house since the house cleaners were coming at 3:00 pm. I headed outside to finish off the drip lines for the veggies we planted yesterday. This required a trip to Home Depot to get three 25′ long soaker hoses and a few other necessities of life. I finished off the garden watering system around 6:00 pm.
Mary came out to help and entertain me.
Mary assisted me in installing the Happy Easter banner on our front fence. With the spotlights on, it really looks pretty sharp!
We get a lot of comments about our home and its decorations.
We finally sat down and watched the last 45 minutes of Avatar while nibbling on yesterday’s leftovers. We also had a bunch of our own strawberries directly from the yard.
One more move called “Watch The Skies”. Summary: Set in Sweden in the 1990s, the film follows Denise, a rebellious teenager who’s never stopped believing her missing father didn’t just abandon her—he may have been taken in connection with a UFO incident. When she crosses paths with a small, ridiculed UFO association called UFO Sweden, she convinces them to help investigate her father’s disappearance.
As they dig into old sightings and strange evidence, their amateur investigation escalates into something much bigger: a real, ongoing phenomenon that powerful people want kept quiet. Denise and the group race to uncover the truth, facing surveillance, danger, and mounting proof that what’s in the sky may be connected to what happened to her father.
At 9:15 pm, we crashed with Mary going off to sleep immediately. I stayed up a while as I got a few bug bites out in the garden, which was driving me crazy (an admittedly short drive). I applied various treatments and finally got the itching under control around midnight,
We kicked things off at the doctor’s office to return the sleep machine—because nothing says “adulting” like dropping off a piece of equipment that looks like it belongs on a submarine. We found out the machine failed to record anything, so we had to get it replaced. Here goes another night of trying to turn over with a wire protruding from ALMOST every orifice.
Then we doubled back to scoop up Dianne and headed to H&H Nursery in Long Beach.
On the way, we figured we’d outsmart the lunch rush by eating early at The Fish Company—sidestepping the 12:00–1:30 psychiatric hospital like tactical geniuses. We called Vicky, and she joined us for a really delightful lunch.
The four of us ate with purpose and dedication until we were officially, unmistakably full.
I teased the waiter, Eddie, and asked for a glass of wine with a straw!
Sometimes you get what you ask for!!
On our way out, the lunchtime crew had filtered in, and the kitchen was going great guns! The poor chef was cooking up a batch of seafood and some steaks as we departed.
Burn baby burn!
We landed at H&H Nursery and proceeded to separate. The girls “went for the roses,” leaving me to ramble through the veggies, where I found our watermelons, cantaloupe, and spaghetti squash, and I added some beets, strawberries, and a few new goodies.
And at long last: mission accomplished. Dianne finally got her Christmas present from us—rose bushes! Only a few months late, which means it’s not late… It’s “extended holiday enjoyment.”
The back of the van was empty after taking Dianne and her new rose collection home.
We hauled everything to the backyard and began digging like a couple of gophers, planting everything by 6:30 pm.
We know this to be a fact: she married me!
On my hands and knees, I planted six spaghetti squash, four acorn squash, and six watermelons—then crawled around spreading straw mulch like I was auditioning for “Gardening: The Musical.”
While I was at it, I dumped two more bags of compost into the bed and hand-dug it in about six inches deep… because apparently I’ve decided rototillers are for people who enjoy comfort and free time.
Guess whose back is really sore tonight?
We were so pooped that we bypassed the spa and went right to the TV room, where Mary got to see her beloved Avatar: Wind and Air and Dirt and Stuff. That ovie lasted three hours, and thanks to Mother Nature and my tiredness, I lasted 20 minutes. I woke up with 40 minutes left in this three-hour-long movie and decided to finish the daily diary and rest my ears.
We again attached the sleep machine to me and will try again tonight. We hope this works.
We both woke up dreaming about Hawaii, but then reality hit!
First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY LISA! My niece is now officially thirty years young and happily married with a beautiful son! Wow, how time flies!!
Lisa, I remember when!!!
We had to sprint out the door to the gym for our twice-a-week appointment with the Stretch Council—aka the place where flexibility is optional, but suffering is mandatory.
As we passed the front door, our chair, normally empty, was groaning under the weight of last week’s mail and Amazon deliveries.
HELP HELP HELP!!! I am being suffocated!!!
So off we went to get professionally bent out of shape—and they did not disappoint. I had no idea the human body even had that many muscles, let alone that they could all file pain complaints simultaneously.
Mary crushed her workout like a responsible adult. I, meanwhile, took the “floor model” approach while my trainer rearranged my back into something that might survive yard work later—basically a pit stop for my spine.
That dumbbell really got a workout today!
After the gym, we ran by home to meet with the painters before going to the “sleep doctor” to pick up my sleep testing kit.
Seeing as how we were both tired and wanted to get to doing garden work without delay, I suggested to the boss that we stop at Roberto’s for a good Mexican meal. She agreed, and we did!
The greeter was in rare form today!
No margaritas before lunch, says no one!!
I had one of their excellent burritos, and it was so good I took half home!
“Burrito” translates to “little donkey” in Spanish, likely referring to the donkey-carried bedrolls they resemble or the heavy loads of food they hold. Originating in Mexico in the 1910s, they became popular in the US during the 1930s. The San Francisco “Mission-style” (1960s) gave rise to the giant, rice-filled, foil-wrapped version popular today.
Yummy!
Being a good girl, Mary ordered the salad. It was so good she made it a two-parter: half for dinner today, half for” look how responsible I am” tonight.
Rofrigo’s on Katella is an excellent place to dine!
Eating Mexican and giving us the Hawaiian sign confused me, so I decided to have a margarita anyway! BTW, the name “margarita” is Spanish for “daisy”—and the drink is closely related to the Daisy cocktail family (spirit + citrus + sweetener).
That salad is not long for this world.
When we got home, the painters were power-washing the house, and paint chips were flying everywhere. I am anxious to see the “new house”. We are having the front side painted bright white so the Govee lights will reflect the color better.
We hit the garden for a full veggie checkup—leaf inspections, stem audits, and a very serious “How are we feeling today?” assessment. Tomorrow we’re going to H&H to pick up watermelons and spaghetti squash… because nothing says “we have our life together” like impulse-buying produce the size of a small toddler.
Almost as high as an elephant’s eye.
The lyric “The corn is as high as an elephant’s eye” came to mind as I saw something moving in the corn!
This was worrying, so I took a second look!
I began whistling “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'” from the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical Oklahoma! (1943) and before I knew it, the object raised its head.
Nope! It was not an elephant; it was my AW (auto weeder) in action. I nicknamed it Mary-Digger. It removes weeds by simply pouring wine into it, attaching a hand spade, and a bucket to the arm-like extremities. It is very efficient, water-cooled, and makes little noise (unless you ask it a question). It does not rust and operates rain or shine. It runs for hours, only stopping when the moans grow loud and last several seconds. Thank you, Amazon, best tool I have in the shed!
I found out the hard way that if confronted, it roars!
Mary did the weeds, and I trimmed the grapes back as they were going crazy. Now they are nicely trimmed and attached to their wires. With the extra growth trimmed back, the grapes will get fuller since the energy will be directed into them.
Trimmed, tied up, and ready to provide a lot of grapes this summer!
We are going to put tree fertilizer on the various fruit trees around the property tomorrow. The plum tree is going wild, with hundreds of blossoms already. We noticed the apple tree already has 30 apples on it.
Loaded for bear!
After working for almost five hours straight, we headed to the hot tub for some serious soaking. We watched the movie “Logan’s War” starring Chuck Norris.
Mary folded some clothes, and we finally crashed.
We attempted to watch TV, and by 10:30 pm, we were not ready for bed, one more than the other!!
We were up bright and early, and Mary whipped up the official Wake-Up Juice (FDA approval still pending). After a final round of” Did we pack this?” we finished loading up, then grabbed an Uber to the airport—because nothing says “ready for travel” like trusting a stranger with your life before breakfast.
I looked out the window, and sure enough, Diamond Head was still there.
It was a beautiful Hawaiian morning.
Packing expert at your service. I helped by removing the coffee pot, the two towel racks, and the wall mirror.
Last-minute packing.
We Ubered to the airport in a brand-new Chevy Super Van that still had paper plates. I was amazed that it was getting 18.5 MPG in the city!
Arriving at our gate, it read “FINAL CALL” for our flight! We panicked, but then a nice lady next to us said that the column applied to gate E7, not our flight. We were relieved.
We panicked.
We had a hamburger before the flight, talked about our lives together, and agreed with this little duck below.
Then we relaxed.
With a thunderclap that sounded like Zeus clearing his throat, our mighty airplane bounced down the runway and launched into the sky. ff in the distance, Diamond Head appeared—calm, majestic, and clearly judging our takeoff technique.
First Class has its advantages. We were in row 2, so close to the action I felt morally responsible for the landing. The bartender arrived instantly, like he’d been waiting for our order his whole life.
“Wine for the lady,” I said smoothly, “and a sarsaparilla for the gentleman.”
Then I leaned in and whispered, with the seriousness of a top-secret mission: “Bourbon and Seven”.
Bye Bye Hawaii!
Five hours and several drinks later (plus an excellent mid-afternoon dinner), we arrived in LA.
Hello, Los Angeles.
Bob Z. picked us up, and we wondered why we were so tired. Duh, we already walked two miles today, plus the five from yesterday!
The airport gates are far apart.
Bob dropped us off at home, we unpacked the necessities of life, and went to bed, happy to be back home! Except for the effort of getting on and off the airplane, it was a relaxing journey.
We hit the sack almost immediately after Bob Z. dropped us off.
NOTE: Mary thought that by going here, we would get some culture, but alas, nothing changed. She asked for her money back.
We were up and ready for today’s adventure. Megan met us in the room at 9;45 am, giving us 15 minutes to get to the departure point. We walked to the Ross Store, our pickup point, and after about 8 minutes, the bus showed up. I went to the ABC Store for supplies (water, cookies, macadamia chocolates, etc.).
We entered from the side (where the buses meet)
We love the flowers! Hawaii is home to more than only animals and plants found nowhere else on the planet: it also has seven unique hibiscus species, though most visitors and residents see Chinese hibiscus and hybrids. On the other hand, the vibrant, jazzy flower, which comes in a variety of colors ranging from bright pink to white, has come to characterize Hawaii, with the yellow hibiscus, also known as pua alo alo, acting as an emblem of the state. Hibiscus flowers bloom every day on the islands, but their petals fade almost as quickly—most hibiscus don’t live much past dusk.
We grow these at home.
Being hungry and from SoCal, we headed to the Hawaiian Tacos Stand. The food was pretty good, although $65 for two tacos, a casadea, and a small burrito seemed a bit pricy!
We filled up and are ready to roam the South Pacific.
A serious study of the map was needed. Megan checks our coordinates on the iPhone, which Captain Mary revisits her mapping skills from the army!
P-s-s-s-s-s-t. Mary, the map is upside down.
The statue was enjoying being photographed. Polynesian statues are primarily known as Moai (or mo?ai) when referring to the massive, monolithic stone figures on Easter Island (Rapa Nui), which represent deified ancestors. Generally, across Polynesian culture, carved humanoid figures made of wood or stone are referred to as Tiki, representing gods or the divine.
Don’t make Mr. Tiki mad!!
OK, girls, time to visit the islands.
The Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) is a family-centered cultural tourist attraction and living museum in Laie on the northern shore of Oahu, Hawaii. The PCC is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), was dedicated on October 12, 1963, and occupies 42 acres (17 hectares) of land belonging to nearby Brigham Young University–Hawaii (BYU-Hawaii).
The PCC encompasses eight simulated tropical villages where performers demonstrate various arts and crafts from throughout Polynesia. Visitors may also take a free shuttle tour of the university and see the LDS Church’s Laie, Hawaii, Temple and its associated visitors’ center.
Seventy percent of the PCC’s approximately 1,300 employees are students at BYU-Hawaii. Since opening, the PCC has provided financial assistance to more than 12,000 BYU-Hawaii students. Students may work up to 20 hours per week during school terms and up to 40 hours per week during breaks. As a non-profit organization, PCC uses its revenue for daily operations and to support education.
Get ready, get set, GO!
Tiki culture, popularizing a romanticized Polynesian aesthetic, was founded by Donn Beach in 1934 and boomed in the 1940s-50s as a postwar escapist trend. It is defined by rum cocktails, exotic decor, and iconic statues representing gods or ancestors. Key figures include Donn Beach and Trader Vic, creators of classics like the Mai Tai
Exploring, we will go!
There are maps all over the facility
We did not know that New Zealand is part of Polynesia!
New Zealand (Aotearoa) is considered part of Polynesia. The indigenousM?orii people are Polynesians who migrated from East Polynesia in waka (canoes) between approximately 1280 and 1350 CE. New Zealand forms the southwestern corner of the “Polynesian Triangle,” with Hawaii and Easter Island being the other two corners.
We walked through all the islands and put 2.8 miles on our shoes!
Vicky and Jim came to mind when we saw the Ukulele Experience store. The ukulele originated in Hawaii in the late 19th century, adapted from Portuguese instruments (the braguinha or machete) brought by settlers. It means “jumping flea,” likely referring to a player’s fast finger movements, or “the gift that came here,” as termed by QueenLili’okalanii.
They have a few items for sale!!! In 2012, over 4,750 people gathered to form the world’s largest ukulele ensemble. Was Jim there?
Perhaps we should give Vicky a thousand pounds of clay so she can sculpt Jim in action??
They have live demonstrations of the various cultures. The Tonga group was cooking up a storm, and the instructor is actually a student at the university. He was VERY funny!!
I needed a costume like the one he is wearing.
We had to get a fresh coconut! Coconuts are actually drupes (stone fruits), not nuts, and are renowned as the “Tree of Life” because every part—from water to husks—is used for food, fuel, and shelter. They are highly buoyant, capable of traveling across oceans to grow, and can even be used as an emergency blood plasma substitute.
It was quite refreshing.
Here are the key reasons and trivia behind Polynesian longhouses:
Communal Living & Social Structure: Polynesian society was based on large, extended family units (ramages) that lived together. A single, large house allowed multiple generations to live under one roof, strengthening kinship ties, sharing resources, and providing collective child-rearing.
Adaptation to Climate (Open Walls): Rather than solid, permanent walls, many traditional Polynesian homes used retractable mats that could be rolled down for privacy or protection from storms and rolled up to let in cool breezes, helping them deal with tropical heat and humidity.
Symbol of Authority: Large, elaborate longhouses were often occupied by chiefs (ali?i) and served as community gathering places or guest houses (fale talimalo), showcasing the family’s prestige.
Coastal Defense & Location: Villages were frequently built along the coast, and longhouses could be positioned to watch the ocean while protected by surrounding palm groves or palisades.
Construction Techniques: The homes typically featured strong, central, notched wooden pillars and steep, thatched, beehive-shaped roofs, well-suited to high rainfall and wind resistance.
We saw many different kinds of dancing, and we took notes.
My back ached just watching them move.
We are heading to a Hawaiian wedding now.
Mary and I renewed our vows; Megan giggled.
The question was asked, “Will you ever leave her?” When I answered, “No, unless there is a bar nearby!” I was reminded who the boss is.
We have been walking for several hours; it’s time to sit and eat again!
The buffet was HUGE! Casual restaurant featuring a large selection of all-you-can-eat comfort food, plus live entertainment.
We received our daily security system summary and called Robin, who was staying at the house.
After dinner, we walked around and shopped some more.
We look pretty good after walking three miles!
We thought of Donna when we saw the roosters on display.
Chickens are everywhere on the islands.
We waited outside the Pacific Theater. The symbolic story of Mana and his beloved Lani, punctuated by Polynesian dance, music, and blazing fireknives, is told in “H?: Breath of Life,” in the stunning evening show featuring Pacific Islanders, special effects, animation, and surround sound. It is a Pacific isle saga of birth and death, love and family, tragedy and triumph.
It looked small from the outside.
The interior was spectacular, an open-air theater complete with waterfalls, mountains, and a large stage. There were over 60 performers in the play.
We were worn out, so the bus ride home provided well-needed rest. As the lights of Honolulu came into view, we were ready to go to the hotel and pack. Tomorrow we are leaving for home.
