Paul & Sue's Daily Diary

Gardening And A Dinner Dance At Old Ranch

Go out in the world and work like money doesn’t matter, Sing as if no one is listening, Love as if you have never been hurt, and Dance as if no one is watching – Victor Hugo

We worked around the house and in the garden most of the day.  At 3:00 we decided it was time to rest and get cleeaned up for this evenings dinner-dance at Old Ranch!

It was Ghislaine’s birthday!

The sunset was spectacular

Reds, blues, and pinks lit up the horizon

We sand happy birthday to Ghisleane

The polka is always a necessity

We left right at 8:30 to go home and geat ready for the doctors tomorrow.  We watched the end of the movie “Trouble With Tess” before crashing!

Putting In The Summer Garden & Fun With Friends

My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant’s point of view.  ~H. Fred Dale

We spent most of the early part of the day in the garden beginning at 6:30am!  The blueberries are moved, the side yard is 80% planted, and we are ready for serious roto-tilling of the back yard garden!  At 12:30 we quit and got cleaned up so we could head to Cerritos to see West Side Story.  It was a great production.  We went with James and Linda, Tom and Bunny,  Kathy and Ed, and Vicky and Del.  We had dinner afterwords and then headed to Garden Grove and joined Leon and Marcia to dance to Jusstuss until about 10:30!

West Side Story is an American musical with a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and conception and choreography by Jerome Robbins. It was inspired by William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet.

Golf, Geese, And Dancing

One swallow does not make a summer, but one skein of geese, cleaving the murk of March thaw, is the Spring. – Aldo Leopold

Sue’s geese recognize her and run right up for some special snacks

When they see her from across the lake, the paddle like made and jump up on the bank to be fed

The trust Sue as the male gets to eat and not “stand guard”

After some happy hour we headed for Santa Ana Elks to dance to Sam Conte!  The music was fantastic and we danced until almost 11:00.  We were with the Zaitz and Roberts as the Kuhns and BRanders were in Palm Springs this evening

They had cookies ta the bar so we all had to try them!

Work! Dancing!

Q: How do you fix a sliced tomato? A: Use tomato paste.

We worked around the house and then headed to Rogers’ Gardens to visit Tomato- Mania!  The Rogers folks have a private company come by with 150 different types of tomatoes.  We only got twenty-six this trip as that will take a few days to plant.   We stopped by Panda Palace and had a drink or two before going home and two hours of roto-tilling!   That means we have to go to the dance tonight to loosen up!

Making her selections

150 different kinds of tomatoes

It’s Tomatomania time!

After getting home, we headed to Thursday Evening dancing! The Zaitz, Roberts, Kuhns, Lebovitz’s, and others joined us for the evening!

Al and Margie kicking up their heals!

We headed for home about 11:00 just in time to cras and get ready for tomorrow!

Q. How do you get rid of unproductive tomatoes?
A. Can them.

Q: Does Santa like to grow tomatoes?
A: YES — he gets to hoe, hoe, hoe!

Q: What is red and goes up and down?
A: A tomato in an elevator.

Animals Everywhere

Animals are reliable, many full of love, true in their affections, predictable in their actions, grateful and loyal. Difficult standards for people to live up to. – Alfred A. Montapert

We played golf with Miss Charlotte and the day was quite amazing.  We were surrounded by animals including a surprise visit by a turtle and pelicans.  Join the fun!

Fun to play… Fun to watch

After golf and happy hour, we headed for home to watch movies while Sue does the treadmill!  Tomorrow is a gardening day! Must rest!

Relaxation: Golf, Happy Hour, Movies

The only time my prayers are never answered is on the golf course. – Billy Graham

We did eighteen holes with James and Bunnaford and Charlotte joined us on the back nine.  We had a great time  attempting to hit the little white ball!  We ended the afternoon with Happy Hour!

We played in less than four hours! Half the time with a five-some!

“James! You are standing on my lunch!”

We know all sorts of folks at Old Ranch. Big and Allison are teasing each other!

We headed for home and watched a movie and caught back with NCIS!

Friends and Fun! It Was A Great Day!

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. – Marcel Proust

We have been dancing with Al and Margie for years but usually we only get to visit at the dance… and they can be noisy! We decided to go to Cafe Santorini in Old Town Pasadena and share and afternoon! The food and ambiance was outstanding!  Please join the fun!

Great fun! Great friends! Great food!

When we got home, Flower wanted to know where the “To Go Bag” was?  We had to break the news that we ate everything!  We made her a little snack to make up for it!

Flower the Wonder Dog always keeps an eye on the house when we are gone

We decided go to the Boathouse and have some wine and listen so some music before settling in for the evening!  The sunset was amazing!  We thought at first the sunset would be grey but all of a sudden the oranges and reds burst forth and lit up the inside of the restaurant!

Fantastic sunset!

The sunset changed every 30 seconds!

We had our own one-man band! We danced to his great music!

After getting home, Sue hit the treadmill and Paul operated the remote control!  We are now almost caught up with our various series!  Tomorrow if golf!  Yeah!

Wine Tasting Sunday & Old Ranch

Wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy. – Benjamin Franklin

We had a great day starting out with wine tasting at the Garden Grove Elks. Join the fun!

OMG… It Is March

And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow. – Gilbert K. Chesterton

The rain was off and on today so we decided to do some chores around the house, catch some more earthworms and then take care of business. Sue had her hair cut and then we headed to our favorite restaurant… The Himalayan Grill at Peter’s Landing.  We tried some new dishes plus our regular ones and brough three more meals home in a bag.  Great food.

Great food! We could eat this every day!

After lunch, we did a few more chores before hitting the treadmill and then going out to dance at Garden Grove with Jerry Benton!  Wonderful music… We danced until we were pooped out… We headed home at 10:30.  This evening we were by ourselves.  The Roberts and Kuhns stayed home, the Zaitz went to a movie, the Branders are fighting a cold, and Iris & Will were no place to be seen!

After we got home we finished off this afternoon movie before hitting the sack!

The Year Is Moving Quickly… It’s Almost March

Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest. – Mark Twain

For us today was a day of rest!  The rain would come and go so we stayed home until heading out for the evenings activities.

Most of the morning was filled with doing the invitations and newsletters for the Starlighters and Topper’s dance clubs.  Print, stuff, label, stamp, fold, and seal about 120 letters.

Paul went to the curb and caught several hundred earth worms that were about to go down the drain.  They got transferred to you garden!  Yeah!  Sue did the treadmill and we watched two movies.

Our first stop today was at Old Ranch to meet some new members.  We stayed there for a while before going to our bartender’s birthday party at the Phoenix Club.  We stayed there an hour and met up with Jim and Jan Mongell.

The Mongells gots the giggles!

We then decided to go to Garden Grove Elks and we danced until about 11:00 to the sounds of Street Corner Symphony.  Music was good but the sound was way too loud.  Several of our friends left the lodge as it was hurting their ears.

The Course Was “Cart Path Only” So We Visited The Aquarium

The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain. – Dolly Parton

We headed to the Aquarium of the Pacific and enjoyed a super afternoon!  Golf was an option but “cart paths only” is a pain!   We did the “behind the scenes” tour of the aquarium and that was quite amazing. We then had a drink at Bubba Gumps before going on a 45  minute tour of the Long Beach Harbor which was interesting.  Join the fun!

A fun afternoon

After the cruise, we went to Joe’s Crab Shack for a drink  before heading for home and then out again to the Phoenix Club.

Amazing… We Played Golf In Great Weather

Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. – John Ruskin

We did lunch with James, Zack, and Robin today and it was cold and grey… Looked like rain! Zack and Robin discussed schooling using on-line techniques. We went to play and it was almost like God said, “Oh… OK” because the clouds went away, the temperature went up, and the day was great. No windbreaker until the 16th hole!

We thought we were rained out during breakfast

Someone flipped on the “Golf Switch” and the skies turned blue

Bunnaford joined us for a full eighteen today.  We played in three hours and forty minutes.

James brought three coats

Sue’s goose was not allowing other geese near her… Head down

Hi babies… Ready for foodies?

They were ready and put on quite a show for us!  Honk Honk!

We hit the pit for some libation

The wine ambulance saved us… We then went to the grocery store before coming home to catch up on all of our recorded NCIS and other series.  Tomorrow is suppoed to be a rainy day!

A Sad Day

Dying is easy, it’s living that scares me to death. – Annie Lennox

We stayed at home and did some “pre-storm preparedness” before going to Old Ranch for a Celebration Of Life for Clara Cathey.  James was also an only child and we understand when he said he felt alone after his mother’s passing.  The celebration was quite nice and we did a little happy hour afterwords with James and his family plus the Burns.

To The Top Of The World

Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean. – John Muir

It’s time for our annual snow trip but alas, no snow this year.  We celebrated Carr’s and Greg’s birthday and took Hans and Kerstin along.  It was a day of laughing and giggling!  Join the fun!

On top of the world!

We visited Monica at the local casino before going home to do some treadmill and watch a movie.

A Day In The Gardens

When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. – Henri Nouwen

We celebrated Greg’s birthday with Irene at the Huntington Library & Botanical Gardens.  Loads of giggling and fun all day!  Join the fun!

Laughs and giggles all day!

We brought Irene home and then went to Old Ranch for a cocktail with Greg before heading for home and the treadmill!   It was a special day with special people… This is what makes the world go around!

Gardening & Dancing Is An Excellent Match

I grow plants for many reasons: to please my eye or to please my soul, to challenge the elements or to challenge my patience, for novelty or for nostalgia, but mostly for the joy in seeing them grow. – David Hobson

We worked around the house most of the day doing some planting and rototilling.  The broccoli is doing well along with the peas and beets.

They are looking great… Nothing better than FRESH broccoli

In the afternoon Sue did her treadmill and Paul watched a couple of “chick-flicks” with her.  When the sun set it was beautiful over the neighbors rooftops.

Magnificent sunset

We went to the Garden Grove Elks to dance for a few hours and Al and Margie were there so we got to visit.  The Branders, Roberts and Zaitz also joined the party making it a fun evening! We headed for home around 11:00 and crashed after visiting with Princess Flower!

Docs & Dancing… That’s OK

Doctors are just the same as lawyers; the only difference is that lawyers merely rob you, whereas doctors rob you and kill you too. – Anton Chekhov

We did chores and went to the back doctors… Good news is no problem with hardware… Bad news is a bone bruise which takes months to get better.

We went to Happy Hour before going to the Toppers Dinner Dance.  Join us!

Golf & Dancing… Life Is Good

A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous. – Ingrid Bergman

We had breakfast at ORCC this morning so we could get an early tee time…  There was a tournament planned at our normal start time.  James was busy attending to his mother’s affairs and we really miss him!  Tomorrow is Friday and gardening/doctors day and we wanted to play today for sure!  We got 10:22 and it worked out fine… We played in about three and a half hours today!

On the course trying to hit that danged little ball!

On the fifth hole the fence between Old Ranch and the market was lit up like a Christmas tree.  When you walked by the smells from the blossoms were almost over whelming!  Beautiful Mother Nature!

Is it Spring yet? The flowers think so and the smells are fantastic

We did the requisite Happy Hour… Two glasses of the vino and we were ready to go to work at home!

Golf is over, wine is gone… We are on our way to get duck food

We went to the feed store and got 100 pounds of “Ultra Deluxe Duck Food”… Vitamin fortified scratch with full corn kernels!  Our babies love the food!

We then went to the H&H Nursery and got strawberries, potatoes, basil, peas, tomatoes, and several other plants to put into the garden tomorrow.  Our broccoli is ready to be harvested already!

The ducks and geese in the feed store are so funny… Love to watch them

While waiting for the bags of food a line of ducks came into the store and walked around quacking up a storm!   So very funny to see these little guys waddle and quack and look up as if to say “You are a funny looking duck!”.  They stopped to grab a snack before heading back out the door and we grabbed the camera.

We headed for home, did some gardening and other chores and then off to the Thursday evening dance!

Dancing at the Phoenix Club until 11:00 with friends… New and old

We danced with the Zaitz, Nancy and Vince, Marianne and Craig and several other friends.  We only had 65 here tonight so we must get busy getting folks to show up.  About ten of the regulars were in Palm Springs.

We headed for home, watched one short show and then crashed for the evening.  Tomorrow is a big gardening and work around the house day!

It Warmed Up A Bit Today

Golf is a game in which you yell ‘fore,’ shoot six, and write down five. – Paul Harvey

We did eighteen with James today and afterwords we had an extended Happy Hour with Zachary visiting us for awhile and then we joined Ernie’s table.  The goosers were out twice today but we ran out of foodies for them on 18.

The game was pretty good…. Paul shot a 94 (first time he’s kept score in two years).

Zack delivered our new shotguns and ammo today.  Sue has her 20 gauge and Paul has a 10 and 12 gauge Remington pump-action!

The gooses saw Sue and came a running to visit her

Sue feeds the babies and talk to her for a while

We got new sand and it is not easy to get the ball out anymore

After Happy Hour we headed for home and watched some TV before hitting the sack!

Great Day But Cool

Golf is so popular simply because it is the best game in the world at which to be bad. ~A.A. Milne

We played eighteen with James today and it got a little cool towards 3:30 so we decided “The Pit” was not in the cards today.

We were visited by Sue’s Goosers on the 18th hole

The fireplace felt wonderful this afternoon… It was 59 degrees outside

We came home and watched a movie and some of our series on TV before crashing.

A Fairly Relaxed Day For Us

I told my dentist my teeth are going yellow. He told me to wear a brown tie. – Rodney Dangerfield

We began the day at home doing some chores before heading to the dentist at 10:30. We decided to stop at Panda  Palace (a place we have been going for 30 years) and have some goodies and wine!  It was soooooo very good!  We came home with another two meals!

We tried the mushrooms and baby bock-choy! Excellent

So very good… And so very much

We are so much alike… We giggled when we both got the same fortune!

Wine required at all meals

The guard puppy was hard at work when we returned home!

We worked in the garden and changed dog beds and did some cooking and it was time to go out on our Monday Happy Hour… We went to The Boathouse (used to be called McKenna’s On The Bay) and had some wine….  The one man band showed up, HUGO, and we were worried about too loud.  Wow! He played 1950′s and 1960′s music and very danceable!  We are going to recommend himt o several of our venues!

At “The Boathouse” they had excellent music. Hugo played danceable music and we danced!

We watched two “chick-flix” movies and another of our series before hitting the sack at midnight.  Tomorrow is another day!

…And More Valentines Celebrations (Sort Of)

 Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent. – Victor Hugo

We worked around the house before going to South Coast Repatory to see “Light In The Piazza”.    Filled with sunshine, light as a summer breeze, this exhilarating musical follows the Italian travels of Margaret Johnson and her stunningly beautiful daughter, Clara. When a dashing young Italian captures Clara’s heart, Margaret is compelled to reveal the secret about her daughter. Even as she struggles with concern about Clara’s future, she must decide whether or not to release her hold—and bravely give the young lovers her blessing. Join the fun!

After the play we scooted to the Santa Ana Elks to join in on the Jam Session!

More Valentines Celebrations

I don’t understand why Cupid was chosen to represent Valentine’s Day.  When I think about romance, the last thing on my mind is a short, chubby toddler coming at me with a weapon.  ~Author Unknown 

We went to Seasons 52 for lunch and then went to the OC Performing Arts Center to see “The Wizard Of Oz”… A new musical that we have never seen before. Join the fun!

After the play, we scooted home, changed again and headed to the Garden Grove Elks for another Valentines Day dance!

We danced until we dropped!

What A Great Day!

“Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.” – Peter T. Mcintyre

No golf… It’s Valentines Day!  We stayed around the house until lunch and then went to our favorite restaurant… The Himalayian Grill in Sunset Beach!  Please join the fun!

Great food and fantastic way to start the day

  We then headed for Disneyland to enjoy the day and we asked Lisa and Fiona to join us for a while before going to Catal for hors d’oeurves and a drink!  The ladies had dinner!

Happiest Place On Earth

The girls went back to Disneyland and we headed home to visit with the baby, get changed and go to the Santa Ana Elks for their annual Valentines Day dance!  A full day indeed!

Just us!

Golf And The Start Of Valentines ‘Day’ Weekend!

A heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others. – Frank Morgan

We played eighteen today before heading out to the Phoenix Club for their Valentines Day Dance. Join the fun!

How true

Great fun with friends!

We Played Golf After Our Lesson And Then TV

“The storm starts, when the drops start dropping  When the drops stop dropping then the storm starts stopping.” -  Dr. Seuss

We went to our golf lesson and then to Old Ranch for lunch… Without James…. Something new!  James lost his mother on Sunday and is taking care of business.  Being an only child and loosing ones last parent is tough. Paul understands.

At the golf lesson, I (Paul)  had ham and eggs while Sue warmed up and then ate again at noon.  I was stuffed all afternoon!

We played at 12:30 and Charlotte joined us for the first nine holes.

Charlotte, Sue, and Paul!

We had a good Happy Hour and then headed to home for some movies and the treadmill before crashing!  Tommor starts the Valentines Day celebrations… It lasts about four days!

We thought of Bunny and Tom

Golf And A Movie Or Two

“There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven’t yet met.” – William Butler Yeats

We played golf with James and it was a good day!  We did some Happy Hour before heading for home and watching two Hulu movies.  Yeah Apple TV!

DID YOU KNOW? – Hulu is a website and over-the-top (OTT) subscription service offering ad-supported on-demand streaming video of TV shows, movies, webisodes and other new media, trailers, clips, and behind-the-scenes footage from NBC, Fox, ABC, TBS, and many other networks and studios. Hulu videos are currently offered only to users in the United States, its overseas territories and Japan. Hulu Japan has a .jp website and log in and payment access is separate from U.S. access.

We have brand new sand in the bunkers and they are difficult to hit out of!

We did some Happy Hour and waited for the sunset! Jsu beautiful

Off To Temecula To Celebrate An Anniversary

There is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage. – Martin Luther

We went with the Zaitz, O’Briens, and Duda’s and visited five wineries.  We did lunch at Falkner’s Pinnacle restaurant which is always outstanding!   Our daughter (Robin) and Bob are getting into the wine tasting activities.  This is a good thing!  Join the fun!

Sunday Was A Relaxing Day Until Five PM

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. – Lao Tzu

It was Donna and Bob’s anniversary so we decided to celebrate it at Old Ranch during the monthly dinner-dance!  Join the fun!

Work And Dancing

I have a tip that can take five strokes off anyone’s golf game: it’s called an eraser. ~Arnold Palmer

We worked around the house all day and then headed for the LAX Marriott to dine and dance with friends at the Nightlighters!  Join the fun!

A Soggy Day But We Played Anyway… Then To Santa Ana

It’s easy to see golf not as a game at all but as some whey-faced, nineteenth-century Presbyterian minister’s fever dream of exorcism achieved through ritual and self-mortification.  ~Bruce McCall

What does the day have in store for us?  Breakfast with Little-Lisa and James at 9:00am before going into the blizzard conditions and playing golf at 10:52.  A high of 59 degrees… E Gad, what are we doing?

Mad dogs and Englishmen comes to mind!

We had breakfast with James and Little-Lisa this morning at Old Ranch… Got to visit and catch up on the Porter side of the family! Golf was excellent and the rain made the little mushrooms (or toad stools) pop-up all over. Very pretty but probably not good for you!

The terms “mushroom” and “toadstool” go back centuries and were never precisely defined, nor was there consensus on application. The term “toadstool” was often, but not exclusively, applied to poisonous mushrooms or to those that have the classic umbrella-like cap-and-stem form. Between 1400 and 1600 AD, the terms tadstoles, frogstooles, frogge stoles, tadstooles, tode stoles, toodys hatte, paddockstool, puddockstool, paddocstol, toadstoole, and paddockstooles sometimes were used synonymously with mushrom, mushrum, muscheron, mousheroms, mussheron, or musserouns.

Mushroon soup anyone???

Really looked pretty but we are NOT going to try it

The goosers were on the lake and when they saw Sue they paddled like mad to get to her so they could have their snacks!

The goosers come for a snack

Old Ranch has bird island… OK, it’s a high spot on one of the lakes

After eighteen holes, we headed for the patio to have some Happy Hour and we waited for a potential social member to drop by and visit with us.

Wayne and Charlotte at Happy Hour (It’s Wayne’s birthday)

Off to Santa Ana and a dance with Larry Fresch and as an added attraction, we got Bill Maloof on guitar. We had Will and Iris, the Zaitz, Mongells and the Branders at our table.

We went to Santa Ana and danced until 11 PM

Chance Of Rain So We Stayed Home… Sort Of!

Conversation about the weather is the last refuge of the unimaginative. – Oscar Wilde

We decided that it was time to go to the Farmers Market in Los Angeles for a French Lunch at Monsieur Marcels.

Dining in the open

Wine? What wine??

Dining out

We went to the Phoenix Club and danced until 11:00!

We met up with Annie & Elliot plus Annie’s mom Linda and Frank!

Golf And A Board Meeting

People who enjoy meetings should not be in charge of anything. – Thomas Sowell

We played eighteen with James and all went fairly well!  The weather was nippy but enjoyable.  The game was pretty good!

The day was “cool” but pretty… In the 60′s

The “Goosers” were back and they knew Sue… Ran right up to her!

B-r-r-r-r-r

We went to the Starlighters Board Meeting in Newport Beach and then went to the Elks fort a drink!

After the board meeting we stopped at the Elks and had a drink!

It’s Tuesday…. Time For Golf

The only time my prayers are never answered is on the golf course. – Billy Graham

We played with James and it was a but cool.

A mighty swing it was

These geese recognized Sue and ran over to her for a little snack!

The sunset on the course was beautiful

We decided after Happy Hour to try the Boathouse (which replaced McKenn’s On The Bay).  It was almost exactly alike and we enjoyed a drink and some sushi,  The sunset was amazing.

On our way to The Boathouse, the sunset was amazing

The blue was not photoshopped… It is as it was

A view from the Boathouse parking lot

As we walked into the Boathouse the sky was on fire

We Did Chores! Icky!

What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have never been discovered. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

It was off to the doctor this morning for a checkup before returning home and working around the house!  Sue cooked, did the bills, and changed the babies beds while Paul hit the garden!  We went to H&H nursery and got strawberries, additional peas, cauliflower, and carrots!  The planting was finished by 5pm so we took off to Joe’s Crab Shack for a cocktail!

The moon was grinning at us!

Crab and a beer… Good groceries

Super Bowl Sunday

“Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” ? Lou Holtz

Off to Old Ranch we go with forty of our friends and family! Join the fun!

The weather was interesting

Forty friends and family members

Celebration And A Play Plus Dancing!

I think, at a child’s birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift should be curiosity. – Eleanor Roosevelt

We went to Seasons 52 with Bob, Donna, and Cyndy to celebrate Cyndy’s birthday!  We all went across the street to the Performing Arts Center to see Chicago.

We enjoy our wine!

Chomp Giggle Chomp Giggle

Just us!

After the play we returned home and went to Garden Grove Elks to dance to the sounds of Jerry Benton, a one man band!

Great dance music!!!

Always a smile!

January Is Gone… But Not Forgotten

“And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand, They danced by the light of the moon.” – Edward Lear, The Owl and the Pussycat

We went to Old Ranch for breakfast with James.  We also made final reservations for Super Bowl Sunday.  We have 38 folks joining us for the day!  Yeah!  It will be a party!  Golf was a little cold but it’s being outside and exercising that counts!!

Shorts today… Yes Warm sweater and windbreaker… YES!

Sue’s babies coming to her

The weather was blustery

After some Happy Hour with James and Charlotte we headed to the Garden Grove Elks for the Footnotes!  Great dancing with friends!

Great music

Making music come alive!

Donna tells a story

We went home abbut 11:00 and hit the sack.  The power was off when we got home so I started the generator… Then the power came back on… Go figure

No Golf Today… It’s Museum And Dance Time

“Real museums are places where Time is transformed into Space.” – Orhan Pamuk

We messed around the house before going to the Bower’s Museum and having lunch at Tangata which is inside the museum. The Bowers Museum is located in Santa Ana, California, USA in Orange County. The museum offers exhibitions, lectures, art classes, travel programs, children’s art and music education programs, and other community events. The museum’s philosophy is to help people learn about other cultures through their arts, and offer a greater understanding of themselves and an appreciation of the world.

Before we left, Paul made a strawberry tart from one of the receipts he saw on the Cooking Channel… We took half of it next door to Vicky and Del.

A great little museum in Santa Ana!

We saw some cakes on display… We thought of Javier!

Lunch at Tangata was, as expected, great!  We then went into the galleries and walked for an hour or so seeing the new displays.  Some of the Art Deco jewelry was quite amazing!

We headed for home to change and freshen up before going to the Phoenix Club for an evening of dancing with friends.  Sue did the treadmill and we watched a good movie about bears and kids.  We then watched a cooking show!

We also celebrated Craig Goll’s retirement by bring cake for 70+ folks!  Yeah to Marianne and Craig!

Craig seemed to like his cake!

Marianne makes the surprise announcement

Great music this evening at the Phoenix Club

We landed home about 11:00 and took the baby to bed!

Golf Day… Oh, Happy Hour Also!

If you drink, don’t drive.  Don’t even putt.  ~Dean Martin

We had lunch with Robin and James today at Old Ranch after our golf lesson!  Great lunch… Lot’s of laughing and giggling!  Golf was good and happy hour even better!

Paul almost got over the water today!

James heeded a sand pail and a little plastic shovel

Bunnaford displays the $1,000,000 smile!

After Happy Hour we headed for home to try the Hulu out… Found another great movie we have never seen before… This is great!  Thanks Apple TV!

Great Day In The Out Of Doors!

If it weren’t for Philo T. Farnsworth, inventor of television, we’d still be eating frozen radio dinners. – Johnny Carson

Sue made breakfast using some habenaro pepper pasta so we got the day off to a hot start!  We then took the car in to get smogged… What a racket!  We headed to Old Ranch and played eighteen holes with James before doing a little Happy Hour.

We now have Apple TV so we tried out Hulu and Netflix and are enjoying them.  On the way home we were treated to a great sunset so we stopped the car in our neighborhood and snapped a few shots.

Almost magical!

Laid Back And Enjoying It…

“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.” – Henry Ford

We vegged out today!  We had lunch with Irene before going to the dentist.  We then headed for home, installed the new Apple TV and went to Joe’s Crab Shack in Seal Beach before coming homew to watch TV.  An easy day!

An Easy Day

“Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.”- Leonardo da Vinci

We are both fighting off colds so we just did chores around the house before heading tot Cerritos Performing Arts Center to see a tribute to Glenn Miller.

Hans and Kerstin, Bob and Donna, Leon and Marsha joined us for the performance and dinner!

We enjoyed the most popular music of the Swing era in this Tribute to Glenn Miller & The Vocal Groups, featuring the Tex Beneke Orchestra (In the Mood and Little Brown Jug) and Vocal Group Hall of Fame band Four Aces (Love Is a Many Splendored Thing and Stranger in Paradise). Also performing were The Ink Spots Generations (If I Didn’t Care and The Gypsy), Vocal Group Hall of Famer The Modernaires (Chatanooga Choo Choo), and The Pied Pipers (I’ll Never Smile Again and Dream).

We had dinner afterwords and it was a blast!

Fun was had by all!

We returned home to do the treadmill and watch a movie on TV.  Tomorrow… Another big day!

Slow Down…..

“The world is moving so fast these days that the one who says it can’t be done is generally interrupted by someone doing it.” –Harry Emerson Fosdick

We began the day by tasting wine in Laguna with Donna, Hans, Kerstin, Ed, and Kathy!  The Laguna Canyon Winery is excellent and we got some great information about how they do it from the co-owner.  We then headed to the Pacific Coast Highway  and the Mare  Culinary Lounge… a fantastic place to dine!  Join the fun!

We were ready to taste

After a fantastic meal, we headed for home to change into suit and dress to go to Montobello and celebrate Javier and Evelia’s 50th anniversary!  We had a load of fun and met some new people.   Javier and Paul are the same age… within six days of each other!  We had lunch with them this past Monday!

Friends for many years! Happy 50th anniversary!

When the party got going we departed as the music was a bit loud.  We headed to Garden Grove and met up with the Branders and enjoyed an evening of dancing.  By 10:30 we were slowing down and decided to head for home!  Tomorrow is another big day!

Golf And Dancing Makes For A Great Day!

I finally figured out the only reason to be alive is to enjoy it. – Rita Mae Brown.

We enjoyed a nice breakfast at Old Ranch and then met up with Kevin and Zack who were there to size up the job of doing Old Ranch’s  audio/visual plan for Super Bown Sunday.  It was good to see Kevin again!

We played eighteen holes and excellent golf and had fun!  Sue got to feed here babies on six and ten so she was happy.

“Hey Grandma… Good groceries!!”

They know her by sight and by her voice!

We did some Happy Hour afterwords and then headed to home to change and get ready to go to Santa Ana Elks to dance to Wayne Pulcini!  Wayne was sick so we had to “suffer” with a stand in… Gene DeValle.  Gene’s group tonight was just out of this world… The music was fantastic and we danced so much that we didn’t even take pictures.  Bob was sick so no Zaitz tonight but we were with the Branders and Will & Iris plus two single ladies!  Life is good!

Flower was on guard duty when we got home

Golf And Dancing.. A Great Combination!

“Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you.” ? Walt Whitman

We played eighteen by ourselves!  James had chores he had to get done!  It was a great day!  We did some Happy Hour before going home to do some of our own chores.

The Duckers get their daily meal on the 6th hole

We skipped Khoury’s this evening, Sue did the treadmill, and we watched some cooking channel programs.  We then headed for the Phoenix Club so we could celebrate Sam’s 44th birthday!

The Yachtsmen were playing this evening… Great music

Sam and Brenda… We have known them for years now!

B-r-r-r-r-r And A Play

Golf is a game that is played on a five-inch course – the distance between your ears.  ~Bobby Jones

We played eighteen with James today and it started out beautifully!  By the time we reached the 16th hole, we could see the fog coming in and by the time we reached the 18th hole Sue had already departed for the clubhouse… It was in the low 60′s!

Hole 16 and off to the south was a fog bank rolling in!

The babies got their lunch thanks to Grandma Sue

The course only a few minutes later… We were on 19 and by the fire!

We headed for home after some Happy Hour with James, Bunny, Rocky and Bullwinkle (Wayne) so we could change and get ready to go to the play at SCR entitled “Trudy and Max In Love “. Greg joined us for a pre-play drink at the Westin before walking over to SCR. On rare occasions, you meet someone and everything clicks. But is love a choice? Or does it just happen? Trudy writes young adult fiction; Max is a novelist of celebrity status. And their attraction is anything but convenient. This very funny take on an unconventional romance is the latest from the multi-talented Zoe Kazan.

An interesting play with contemporary view of the world

Just Golf…

Golf is so popular simply because it is the best game in the world at which to be bad.  ~A.A. Milne

We played eighteen with James and did fairly well.  A little happy hour afterwords and then some TV before hitting the sack!

Playing with Sue is a little frustrating!

Lunch And Dinner With Friends… We Be Stuffed

A rumor without a leg to stand on will get around some other way. -  John Tudor

We had lunch with our friends of many years.  Javier  and Evella Gonzales met us the Olive Garden in Whittier.   We had a great time and Javier and Paul did the “hot sauce thing”!

Fun with friends

We reutnrd home and did chores and worked in the garden until 5:15 at which time we hit the car fro a short drive to Kobe Steak House and had dinner with Sue’s Junior High School friend Laurie.  We laughed and giggled for hours!

Work And Play… That’s OK!

Television – a medium. So called because it is neither rare nor well done. – Ernie Kovacs

We went to breakfast at Old Ranch with Diane and Lisa before heading back to the yard and getting the winter garden in shape.

We then headed to the Santa Ana Elks for the Jam Session and the 70th birthday celebration for Ed Roberts!  Fun for all!

Too many candles to set off at one time inside the building

“It’s my birthday!”

“I am this many!!”

A Really Fun Day!

Silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way. – Jane Austen (1775 – 1817)

We began by heading to Seasons 52 and having a wonderful meal and then going across the street to the OC Performing Arts Center to see “Beauty and the Beast”.  What a fantastic production. Simply great!

Fantastic performance!!

It was a beautiful day!

75 degrees with a slight breeze

We then headed for home to change and go to the Phoenix Club for the Starlighters Winter Casual Dance. Loads of fun!  Join the fun!

Loads of fun with friends

Golf And Dancing… Yeah!!

The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter. – Winston Churchill

We had breakfast at Old Ranch and then played 18 holes…. Nine with Charlotte and nine with Shaun!  Great fun!

Ready to go!

On 17 and ready to come in!

Some of the “Pit People”

We then headed for home so we could get ready for Toppers. Join the fun!

Fire, Golf, Dancing!

“The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is that one often comes from a strong will, and the other from a strong won’t.” – Henry Ward Beecher

We woke up to the news reporting a large fire about 30 miles from our house.  They were right!

A view from our neighborhood… They skies were gray with smoke

A few times during play the sun would get behind the smoke and everything turned a yellow color.

From Old Ranch one could see the fire area and give thanks for the westerly breeze

We got done early and did some serious Happy Hour before heading for home to change.

We went to Khourys before going to the Phoenix Club

It was 77 degrees at 7:00pm!

Great music all night!

The band was in rare form tonight!  We met Linda and her friend this evening as they were taking dance lessons!

Albert and Bob… Brothers indeed

The expressions and mannerisms of these two were uncanny!  Easy to determine they were related.

Leaving the Phoenix Club revealed the wind had significantly picked up!

Sue checked the thermometer and it was 78 degrees at 10:30!

Golf And Back To Downtown Disney

If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn’t be called research, would it? ~ Albert Einstein

What a beautiful day! The temperature peaked at 89 around 3:00 so we were indeed warm.  We did some happy hour and then went back to Downtown Disney to pick to a gift certificate from Catal.  It’s tough when memories are short!

Broken Wing comes to get a free lunch

Grandma Sue feeds “Broken Wing”

On our way back to Disneyland… The picture was supposed to be of the moon but the car was bumping along Katella

Golf And Birthday!

It is easy to sit up and take notice, What is difficult is getting up and taking action. – Honore de Balzac

We played eighteen holes with James but it was a tough day!  After working in the garden, Paul’s back would not rotate very well so the balls did not go very straight.  The bright side is he got visit the many animals who live in the bushes.   We survived however and had a drink afterwords with James before leaving Old Ranch.

The sun was setting as we drove home… Looked like the town was on fire

We headed for home to do a fast cleanup before doing a “surprise” birthday celebration with Alex, Charlie, Amy, and Joe at Catal.  The surprise worked well! Amy looked surprised when we saw her at the top of the stairs!

As we headed to Disneyland, the moon was rising

Joe had to use the iPhone flashlight… So did we!

Alex and Charlie were so very happy… They are quite the gentlemen!

Amy got a singing birthday card!

We had a delightful evening with a fantastic couple

Mac and Cheese saved the day!  We gots the giggles!

Work! And Some Play!

“What an astonishing thing a book is. It’s a flat object made from a tree with flexible parts on which are imprinted lots of funny dark squiggles. But one glance at it and you’re inside the mind of another person, maybe somebody dead for thousands of years. Across the millennia, an author is speaking clearly and silently inside your head, directly to you. Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of distant epochs. Books break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic.” – Carl Sagan

We stayed home and worked in the garden and cooked.  We brought in carrots, beets, and onions and Sue turned them into magic.  The winter garden now exists in the back yard… We just have a front and side yard to go!

Success… We will be harvesting in two months!

The black paper is a test to see if the paper mulch works!  The straw is the actual mulch we use in the garden and this was left overs from the summer garden!

At the end of the day, we decided to celebrate (plus we were too tired to cook) so we went to Joe’s Crab Shack in Seal Beach and had a drink plus tried an appetizer.  It was fun and kinda romantic just to go out by ourselves!

We could not figure out the clocks!

Winter in Los Angeles is great… A balmy 65 degrees and clear!

Upon coming home, Sue hit the treadmill and Paul pushed the remote buttons.  We watch two movies before crashing!

Sunday Was For Rest? Nope!

Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in. — Robert Frost

We decided to get the garden in shape.  We hit the garden at 7:0 am after completing the Rondeliers Dance Club website. Sue cooked and pickled beets and Paul weeded  and planted part of the winter garden.  We picked and disposed of almost 150 gallons of weeds. It’s back breaking work but someone has to do it!  The garden did not get tended this Christmas season since we were so busy! We planted cauliflower, beets, two kinds of peas, Swiss chard, onions, broccoli, strawberries, and many herbs! Lots of work but it will pay off!

When the garden was pretty well cleared, we headed to the nursery

We got cleaned up around 3:30 so we could head to Old Ranch by 5:00 for our  monthly dinner dance.  There was 24 of us tonight!  Great music, great friends, great time!

Paul likes pink…. It’s OK!

Donna and Bob visit with Bob

Did someone say polka??

After the dance, we visited some Old Ranchers and then got a text from Terri Ward saying…. Come on over.  She and Shaun are on the way so we joined Bunnaford in a short by always pleasant visit.

Bunnaford shares a secret with Cody

Cody gets the big hugs!

When we got home, we crashed… Standing up cooking and planting/digging is tough on “old” people!

A “Full Day”… Nothing New

Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school. – Albert Einstein

We worked in the garden for a little bit before going to lunch.  It was daunting to see how much work laid ahead of us!  As the saying goes, “The way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time”.

Obviously the garden suffered since Thanksgiving!

Lunch time means Preveza and enjoying our favorite,,, Saganaki!

We went to lunch at Preveza and had saganaki (flaming cheese with brandy!)

We then headed to Cerritos to meet up with Ellen & Bill and Irene to see Man Of La Mancha. Man of La Mancha is a musical with a book by Dale Wasserman, lyrics by Joe Darion and music by Mitch Leigh. It is adapted from Wasserman’s non-musical 1959 teleplay I, Don Quixote, which was in turn inspired by Miguel de Cervantes’s seventeenth century masterpiece Don Quixote. It tells the story of the “mad” knight, Don Quixote, as a play within a play, performed by Cervantes and his fellow prisoners as he awaits a hearing with the Spanish Inquisition.

The original 1965 Broadway production ran for 2,328 performances and won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The musical has been revived four times on Broadway, becoming one of the most enduring works of musical theatre.

Laughs and tears….

After the play we had a drink with Irene and her friend Vi before heading home to check on Flower and then off to the Garden Grove Elks to dance to Jusstuss!

After the play we went to have a drink with Irene

Golf And The Black & White Ball

You can lead a man to Congress, but you can’t make him think. – Milton Berle

We had breakfast with Vicky and Del at Old Ranch before playing eighteen holes.  James was still having contractor issues so we missed him!  Maryjo and Ron Mizer joined us so we had a great time!  We did some Happy Hour on the 19th hole before heading home to get cleaned up.

Randy was a little tough on Maryjo!

The traffic was nil this evening… Our usual hour and fifteen minute trip was forty-five minutes!  We do not mind going to Altadena on days like this!  We were going to the Rondeliers Dance Club for the “Back & White On A Frost-Kissed Night” January dance!  Join the fun!

It was a delightful evening!

Thursday Means Golf And Dancing

Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better. – Albert Camus

We played alone today as James was still taking care of Mom and some contractors around the house.  The course was wide open and we played in three and a half hours.  Even though it was a bit chilly (you know… 64 is down right freezing!) we had a great round!

On the tenth hole, Sue yells “Where are my duckers” and they race across the lake!

We did a happy hour before going home to change and head for Khourys and then the Phoenix Club!  The DJ was pretty good tonight at Khourys.  We were surprised that the Khoury’s waitress, Vicky, left a gift basket for us!  Wow, what nice friends!  At the Phoenix Club, we had Nine Karat Gold so the dancing was super!  Great evening!