The Week Started Without Us!

Posted on Monday, August 12, 2024 by Paul

So very true!!!

Guess where we were early this morning? Yup! We went VFR (via the coffee pot) to the garden and worked for two hours. The garden looks great, and we have two beds almost ready for fall planting. All we need is another month or two before we start.

I need to invest in a sun hat soon. With all the time I’ve been spending in the shade, I’m sure the plants are starting to think I’m one of them. I spent some quality time with the berries and the weeds in the grape area today. I managed to uproot two more tomato plants—those guys can’t seem to take a hint!

Staying in the shade is essential for us fair-skinned folks!

So, we had this jungle forming in our garden, and the tomatoes were like, “Hey, we’re in here too, you know!” I gave Mary a boost, and she went all ninja on those weeds. The garden didn’t know what hit it!

Once we passed through the garden, we each grabbed a hose and watered the pathways down. After its bath, the garden looked very nice.

We make an excellent team!

We have about 50 onions that are going through a mid-life crisis (the leaves are drying out). We plan to bring in another group of onion friends in a month to have a never-ending onion party all winter. Who knew onions could be so popular?

Do we have onions? Oh my!!

After 45 minutes of battling it out with the weeds, I emerged victorious like a weed-whispering warrior! Those pesky little devils didn’t stand a chance against my ninja gardening skills.

The grapes are doing nicely; We had a big bunch for lunch!

The tools are put up, the garden is watered, and it is time to swim. We checked the water temperature, and it was 90 degrees. So, basically, the water was ready to brew some perfect tea or give us a pleasant soaking experience. We spent an hour paddling around.

It was 10:30 am and beginning to get hot, so we went into the pool!

Mary wanted to swim, so I went to her old goggles, but they were out of date; time to visit Amazon! She looked like a PT boat making waves so big they splashed the neighbor’s yard two doors down. I clocked her at 67 knots, and the flip-turns at the end were spectacular. Scout ran inside the house and hid!

Off she goes!

I went in the pool with my birthday suit.  A few minutes later, a brick flew over the fence with a note tied to it.  All it said was, “IT’S NOT YOUR BIRTHDAY!!”

Mary fixed a wonderful lunch, and we dined and watched the last of “Fire Station.”  After lunch, Mary got involved with the needlepoint again, and I banished myself to the garage in search of the elusive workbench!   After two hours, I was making progress.

I found a razzleberry pie courtesy of Marie Calendar, so I decided to bake it up and share it with Jeff at our 6:30 pm porch meeting at his house. Razzleberry is a pairing of ripe, red raspberries and sweet, juicy blackberries baked in an extra-flaky pastry crust.  I looked at the box, and it said 300 calories; wow, just what I need.

I looked a little closer, and it said 300 calories per slice based on nine slices per pie.  Oh, my,  2700 calories in that sucker! Furthermore, it said, “best sliced after three hours after baking!”.  Jeff will get his pie in the morning!

We stayed with Jeff for about 90 minutes before returning home and going swimming!

Porch time begins!

The pool was 90 degrees, the moon was out, and the fire was roaring; what a great evening.

After a fun hour at the pool, we headed to bed feeling refreshed!

But first, marshmallows were a requirement!

Yummy!

We ended up talking for an hour while downing three marshmallows each!  Scout came by to visit on his way to bed!  We always circle the yard, making sure no elephants are hidden in the bushes!

It was still in the high 70s as we munched on the goodies.

Mary has the roasting down to a science!

Did You Know? The word “marshmallow” comes from the mallow plant species (Althaea officinalis), an herb native to parts of Europe, North Africa, and Asia that grows in marshes and other damp areas. The plant’s stem and leaves are fleshy, and its white flower has five petals. It is not known exactly when marshmallows were invented, but their history goes back as early as 2000 BCE. Ancient Egyptians were said to be the first to make and use the root of the plant to soothe coughs and sore throats and to heal wounds. The first marshmallows were prepared by boiling pieces of root pulp with honey until thick. Once thickened, the mixture was strained, cooled, then used as intended.
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Stay At Home And Relax!

Posted on Sunday, August 11, 2024 by Paul

We are experiencing immense joy! Starting the day early to tend to the garden, diligently disposing of waste, and contemplating our choices for the next planting phase.  The garden is getting ready for the fall plantings.

  • Broccoli
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Cabbage
  • Kale
  • Carrots
  • Turnips.
  • Spinach
  • Potatoes
  • Lettuce
  • Bok Choy
  • Swiss chard

The squash is looking excellent.  We have about six new squash on the vine right now and will be cooking them up this week.

Stuffed squash blossoms are on the menu this week!

The Shashito Peppers are excellent when they are roasted.

Bob Duda knows how to roast these shishito peppers.

Use a little olive oil and a hot pan; they cook up in minutes!

Double yummy!!!

Our grapes are coming along just fine. We picked a mess of sweet, seedless Red Flame grapes. The Flame Grape was developed by the USDA in Fresno, California. It is a cross between the Thompson Seedless and Cardinal varieties. Flame Grapes are the second most popular grape grown and sold in the U.S. today.

We picked some red flame grapes this morning!

We picked a few red tomatoes this morning, and they were perfect!

They do NOT get redder than this!

As we walked around the garden, the yard longs said, “Pick me”!

Some of these Japanese Yard Long beans are nearly 37 inches.

I worked on the berries and grapes and brought the clippings to the barrel!

Thanks to the security camera, I was caught doing my top-secret undercover work as an international berry and grape trimmer!

We filled another 100 gallons of trash in about an hour.

We worked until it got hot!

Now it was pool time!  We got into the pool for an hour.  It was 90 degrees and perfect.  We floated around on the “noodles” until 11:00 am.  It was getting hot, and it was time to cool off inside.

We spent the day inside with Mary, attempting to do needlepoint. Meanwhile, I was trying to fish up the Caribbean website from our vacation, hoping it hadn’t disappeared into the Bermuda Triangle of the internet.

Her unyielding focus on her needlepoint amazed me, and I treated her to a culinary masterpiece—borscht, applesauce, salad, and chocolate cake for dessert. It’s good she didn’t accidentally sew herself to the needlepoint when laughing at my culinary escapades.

We popped into the pool at 10:00 p.m. and floated underneath the moonlight for an hour. No one had to rock us to sleep this evening!

Mooning the Moon is a delightful way to say goodnight!

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Lou Oh? No, Luau! I’m So Cornfused!

Posted on Saturday, August 10, 2024 by Paul

Ain’t it the truth!!

Happy Birthday, Rita (my mother-in-law and best friend).  Had you not gone to heaven too early, you would be 97 years old today!  I miss you!

It is now Saturday morning; we checked the calendar, and it is empty until 5:30 pm!  That seldom happens.  We went to the garden and continued reducing vegetation until about 10:00 am.

I drove Mary to the hospital where David was staying. Because of my lingering cough, I returned home via the dry cleaners and awaited Mary’s call to come get her.

She called about 1:00 p.m. and notified me that Dianne would bring her home, so I dashed around, ensuring everything was ready for a guest. That was easy!

Dianne visited for a while, and we went to the garden to harvest. David is not doing all that well, as the cancer seems to have spread and is causing complications. Dianne departed around 2:30 p.m. to go home and get ready to return to the hospital for David’s dinnertime.

At 4:30, Robin showed up, and we talked, visited with Colleen, and got ready for the Luau at the Elks!

There will be twelve of us this evening.

We arrived at 5:30 pm, and Vicky & Jim, Betty & Ed were at the table.  “Robin rode with us, and poor Bob had to meet her at the Elks because he had band practice in Garden Grove. It’s a modern-day comedy of errors but with more guitars and fewer mistaken identities!”

We wore the matching outfits we got from Hawaii in January!

Bob was already inside (he is an Elk) and awaited our arrival.  Everybody was dressed in festive attire.

They are looking good!

Mary and I sneaked out into the entrance to take some good pictures, thanks to Bob and his photography skills!

Mary played me a love song on the Ukulele (I think it was named Hound Dog)

Back inside, the entertainment was underway.  We visited all of Polynesia and saw the islands’ dances.  I wanted to join them, but Mary said my grass skirt was too short.

I had never seen hips move so fast…not even in a dance-off between a cheetah and a hummingbird!

Robin and Bob looked great with their straw hats and musical instruments this evening.

Whoa! White pants, Bob??? You are daring!

The music started, and Donna and Mary began gyrating fiercely. Bob and I might have to dump some water on them to slow them down!

Their dancing made the Hoochy-Coochy look pretty tame!

“Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together.” — Woodrow Wilson.

Our good friend Ronnie passed by to get his daily insult from yours truly!  He was going to be the DJ this evening, but plans changed.  Without Ronnie playing, we headed out early!

Good friends are meant to be!

“A day without a friend is like a pot without a single drop of honey left inside.” — Winnie the Pooh.

Iris and Will took off early, but we got together for a group shot!  I would lie down like Bob, but it would have taken three people to get me back standing up!

Fantastic fun with great friends!

“Remember that life’s most valuable antiques are dear old friends.” — H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Before driving home, Bob & Robin followed us to Aces Bar & Grille for a glass of wine.   We stopped at Del Taco, and they stopped at McDonald’s.  We all met up, played some Johnny Cash, had a drink, and headed home!  It was a good day!

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The Weekend Is Here, Now What Do We Do?

Posted on Friday, August 9, 2024 by Paul

You know it will be an exciting day when you’re out there at the crack of dawn, trying to fit 200 gallons of garden waste into your neighbor’s trash can before the garbage truck arrives. It’s all fun and games until your neighbor catches you.

We spent quality time in the front yard trying to cover up the patio furniture. We were weeding like we were training for the wedding Olympics, and then there was Paul in the garage, on a quest to find the elusive top of the workbench! It was a comedy of errors, but we eventually sorted everything out and laughed about it.

After an hour, I found the workbench!

We emptied another wheelbarrow full of rose clippings and other items into the trash receptacle.

I repaired several clogged drip lines, and we also put up our new American flag. Because we get so much wind, a flag lasts only about three months before it turns to tatters.

We are going to Campus Jax tonight with Vicky and Jim, so I told Mary I needed to shower before we go.   She is so cooperative!

I never get mad; I get even!!

Our grandson Zack called today to do a health and welfare check on the old folks.  We invited his family to join us in the pool, which is 90 degrees and delightful, especially in the evening.

It is 5:30 p.m., and it is time to leave for Campus Jax and Bruno Mars Tribute Band. We arrived at about 6:40 p.m. and met up with Jim and Vicky. A load of food later, the entertainment began, and it was pretty good.

Good vocal, but a tad on the loud side!

We stuck around for the first half, but even with our hearing aids turned off and removed, the sound level still made our heads spin! It was like a rock concert had suddenly turned into a headache convention!  We high-tailed it for home!

OUCH!

We were ready to call it a night, but then someone said, ‘Aces and wine,’ and suddenly, we had a new destination! Ah, the mysterious powers of Ace and wine.  We stopped for about twenty minutes, talked to some locals and then headed home to visit Scout, The Wonder Dog.

Even though we did not stay the while time, we had an excellent visit with Jim and Vicky and we now know the themes for the next six Starlighters Dances.  Fun is in the future!

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It’s Thursday And That Means…

Posted on Thursday, August 8, 2024 by Paul

We decided to take it easy today, so we worked in the garden for an hour, filling up the last of the 100-gallon trash cans. Then, it was time to zip into the shower and get ready to get our hair done. We drove to Huntington Beach, where Mary gets a two-hour treatment, and I dropped my hair off at the dry cleaners next door.

Dang!

We went VFR (Very Fast Run) from the hair salon to the Elks Lodge for Girls’ Night Out. We had a rousing lunch, complete with a glass of wine, and swapped the latest gossip with the gang. George, Bob, Will, Iris, Mary, and I were teasing each other unmercifully. If there were an award for the most creative gossip, our group would win it every time!

I got this timeless masterpiece via my iPhone three years ago when Mary was still ruling the office. Bob, Colleen, Robin, and I embarked on a sacred quest for wine in Temecula, and lo and behold, we were caught red-handed goofing off! Classic Bob and me, always ready for a good time.

Notice our wine shirts!!

While Mary was catching up on her beauty sleep in the car, I heroically set out to tackle the crucial mission of restocking our wine supply at Trader Joe’s. I bravely fought my way through the aisles, dodging the hordes of other Two Buck Chuck enthusiasts, and emerged victorious with our precious cargo.

But the adventure didn’t end there – I valiantly rushed to Ralph’s to rescue us from the horror of running out of coffee. I emerged triumphantly, with our caffeine supply secured and our household crisis averted. It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it!

Upon arriving home, Mary decided it was time for apple sauce as we had a bag of apples from George’s tree and a bag of Granny Smiths we bought last week!  We watched TV, and I peeled the apples while Mary removed the beans from the dried string beans!

Yummy!!!

Upon seeing those beautiful apple peels, I decided to make something from them! Mary made a cinnamon/sugar mixture in a bowl, and we dropped and dragged the peels through the mixture onto a baking sheet, then went with great fanfare. Three hours after baking in a 225-degree oven, we had delicious apple peel crisps!

Crisp and delicious!

While they were cooking, I cooked that last of the filet mignon from the party while Mary prepared some borscht and sour cream; we had a great meal made better by the smell of homemade applesauce cooking on the stove.

Being at home with my special someone, cooking together in the kitchen, and watching a classic movie is the most beautiful feeling. We enjoy each other’s company, sharing laughter, teasing, and creating beautiful memories together. Life is truly a blessing!

The movie was “The Queen Bees” and it was terrific. Temporarily forced to stay in a retirement community, a headstrong woman navigates mean cliques, high-stakes bridge games, and new relationships.

We stayed up until 11:00 pm because the calendar revealed we had nothing going on until Friday night!

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A Lovely Day In The Neighborhood

Posted on Wednesday, August 7, 2024 by Paul

Where are we going, and what time are we leaving?

We were in our birthday suits, busily trimming the tomatoes for almost two hours, when that pesky cooking bug bit Mary again!  When she uncovered an aggregation of squash blossoms, you could hear her heart begin to race.  She burst out with “Stuffed squash blossoms for breakfast!”  Four rabbits and a squirrel had heart attacks!

Well, that is all it took for us to gather the harvest: eight blossoms, seven boys, and a girl (can you tell the difference?).

We washed them, cut out their private parts, and stuffed them with cream cheese and softened feta.  Feta late than never!Stuffing each with a spoon and a half of cheese was time-consuming but worth the effort.  The blossoms are placed on parchment paper with a light coating of olive oil and a pinch of salt!

The girl is in the top right-hand corner, and she is with a child!

Fresh out of the oven, baked to perfection!  We do NOT fry them.

Oh my, we have died and gone to heaven!!

We had a delightful first course, followed by a big serving of borscht. We enjoy eating healthy, and my bride takes great care of me. I have learned that if I even look at the candy bowl, my hand gets slapped!

We just worked around the house all day doing small chores and finishing off “The Good Doctor” series.

Domilita and crew came at 3:15 to clean house, and we departed for Long Beach to have dinner with Maria and Irene at our favorite Greek restaurant.

We had an excellent time and decided to stop at Patty’s quickly. We chatted with the locals for a while, and the bartender told us they had my Empress 1908 gin in stock again. Little did we know Empress has two additional flavors now!

Yummy

We departed Patty’s at 4:30 pm, which was good because, being retired, we had forgotten about this thing called traffic.   We made it to the restaurant ten minutes early and chatted with the manager.

George’s Greek Restaurant in Long Beach is no longer part of the family, as the son sold the restaurant and the name to others. Apparently, they are experimenting with other foods, and it is not going well!

We ordered saganaki and asked that it be served as soon as Irene arrived. The booze was excellent this evening as flames shot out the front door and stopped traffic. Saganaki is hard cheese set afire with an alcoholic beverage.

Traditionally, Saganaki is not commonly served flambé in Greece, except in some restaurants in tourist hotspots. However, flaming Saganaki is a Greek American tradition that began in Chicago’s Greektown. And I must admit it’s a delightful sight!

So, if you choose to flambé the Saganaki, pour a bit of Metaxa (Greek brandy) or ouzo, ignite with a lighter, and squeeze a wedge of lemon over the cheese. OPA!

Oh my! We could make a meal of this!

Then it came to me! The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook!  George’s stuffed steak is simply out of this world good!

The manager has things well in hand! Cell phone set to 9-1-1

We shared a boggle of wine and had a fantastic Greek meal, sharing the past few days’ events.  Irene is still loving her party and seeing friends from Wisconsin!  We started with Tzanziki  which is Greek Yogurt, EVOO, Garlic, Mint, and Cucumber.

I got Maria to order the stuffed flank steak; like me, we thought it was terrific.

The opened steak was stuffed with the most delectable feta/spinach combination!  The veggies were cooked to perfection and the lemon flavored rice was picked to the lst kernel!

I gained a pound just looking at the meal!

The manager brought out a special dessert for Irene.  We could not get the Fire Department’s approval for candles so we used just one!

We tried to set it on fire, but it could not be set on fire.

We headed home at dusk and made our evening call to Jeff, offering him some of Mary’s cooking results from yesterday. We visited for an hour and talked to many neighbors walking by with their babies on lease.

We love dogs and our neighborhood is loaded with adorable babies!

We met three adorable baby Beagles. Mary took her life in her hands by holding one of the babies; wait until we got home and Scout got a sniff of Beagles; he will order Lox and bite his mommy!

The afternoon/evening porch event goes on several days a week!

After skipping home, we crashed maybe 300 feet away! Oh my, we didn’t even go into the pool!

Today was a great day!

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Quiet Again!

Posted on Tuesday, August 6, 2024 by Paul

Paul was up at 4:30 am, ready to drive Chuck and Lisa to the John Wayne Airport.  We made it there and back in less than 46 minutes; thank goodness for minimal morning traffic.

Outta my way!

By 5:30 am, I was back in bed, dreaming of a world where mornings start at noon. Finally, we got up at 7:30 am, but I made sure to get my two hours of additional rest – a necessity for all people like us who work hard all day!

By 8:00 am, we were both in the garden working our collective fannies off, and we filled a 100-gallon trash can with three tomato plants.  We picked a box of tomatoes, and we are going to make tomato pie.

After two hours of work, we had three tomato plants removed.

We had gigantic beets, so we carefully selected two and will turn them into beet soup later today! Who knew vegetables could be so intimidating? I can’t wait to see how this turns out since they have been in the ground for months!

It was getting hot by 10:30 am, so we ceased our activities in the garden, moved the umbrella over the 91-degree pool, and vegetated for an hour.  Talk about relaxing; I was like old Wet Noodle Nelson” from the advertisements of years gone by!

I was sailing along with the breeze.

The day was beautiful, with an expected high of 90 degrees and little humidity.

It was a magnificent day!

Around noon, the cooking bug bit Mary in the tuche, and off we went careening down the kitchen with knives sharp and recipes flying.

The beets felt fabulous after their spa day – all dolled up and ready for their close-up before taking the ultimate plunge into the beet grinder.

Afterwards, they are naked!

Mary had a “SaladMaster” machine from years ago, and we brought it out of retirement and put it into service. It made grinding the beets into child’s play! The machine was first provided to the public five years before Mary was born, and it is still sold today. Heavy-duty stainless steel makes the machine indestructible!

We could grind up bricks with this puppy!

The beets didn’t stand a chance – they were transformed into pieces faster than you can say “beet blast” in just 30 seconds!

Mary started part of the Borscht. Borscht is a sour soup made with meat stock, vegetables, and seasonings, typical in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. In English, the word borscht is most often associated with the soup’s variant of Ukrainian origin, made with red beetroots as one of the main ingredients, which give the dish its distinctive red color.

Chop, slice, dice and cook!

Everyone in the water; cook and simmer away for about two hours! The flavors were unique, and everything was fresh out of the garden.

We had one slight issue: the eye of newts was missing, so we substituted bats wings.

Beet soup (Borsch)

The Sous Chef at work was slicing, dicing, and cleaning up!  I practiced up on my kitchen talk.  I can now say “Yes, Mam” in four languages!

Chief prep-cookin action.

Working the magic with the prepared items and into the spice cabinet, she looked for a fresh eye of newt.

Mary provides adult supervision.

We boiled all the tomatoes so the skin would come off quickly, and I prepared about three tons of basil.

Ready for tomato pie filling?

A layer of tomatoes followed by a layer of onions and basil, repeat and repeat.   Add cheese on top and bake for 30 minutes with aluminum foil on top.  Remove the foil and bake until the cheese is golden brown; TOMATO PIE!

Did You Know? The Southern tomato pie is a tomato dish from the Southern United States. It consists of a pie shell with a filling of tomatoes (sometimes with basil or other herbs), covered with a topping of grated cheese mixed with either mayonnaise or a white sauce. It is considered a summer dish when tomatoes are in season.

A sweet version called green tomato pie uses buttered and sugared green tomatoes, with a recipe dating at least as far back as 1877. The taste has been compared to that of green apple pie. The sweet version is less standard than the savory Southern tomato pie.

Layer-by-layer magic: Who has time for one-layer magic anyway?

The onions are fresh and have been drying in the HeShed for a few weeks; they are perfect!

Proper placement is a must!

Oh my, it is excellent served hot or cold!

Right out of the oven.

Once Mary’s cooking light is on, it will take the fire department to put it out. She found some kale from the party, broke it up, tossed it with olive oil and parmesan cheese, and into the oven it went.

Kale chips for dessert!

It was 10:00 PM, and we embarked on a mission to the pool for a late-night soak, armed with a large glass of vino! We went to the fire pit after an hour of unwinding in the warm water. The marshmallows were spared from a fiery fate thanks to our overindulgence in kale chips!

Mary crashed, and I decided to surprise her. I stayed up, cleaned the kitchen, did the dishes, and put away everything!  She will be tickled in the morning.

12:30 has arrived, and Scout and I headed to bed!

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Out With Friends

Posted on Monday, August 5, 2024 by Paul

Today, we are back amongst the living! We were up bright and early and headed to the backyard before it got hot.  We must recover all the patio furniture and get ready for the equipmemt folks picking up the party supplies; tables, chairs, dance floor, chaffing dishes, etc.

We put away the party supplies and transferred them from our breakfast table into the garage.   It was approaching 11:00 am and time to get cleaned up for our visit to the doctor and then Laguna Beach.

The hand doctor, Dr. Rose, said it would be good to reschedule Paul’s surgery because a) the stitches on the hand were too close to where he had to operate, and b) the cough was too bad to go under anesthesia; we have a date in October to do the surgery.

From there, we went down the coast for a peaceful drive to Laguna for the Pageant of the Masters.  One of the most unique productions in the world, the Pageant of the Masters, re-creates famous works of art. The 2024 theme is “À La Mode: The Art of Fashion.

The Theme is “Fashion” this year.

We got to Laguna about 2:00 pm, several hours too early, so we had lunch at the Lumberyard and then strolled the eclectic shops located in the village.  The collectibles are always interesting.  The 1955 Cadillac was exactly as I remembered from childhood.   We could never afford something like that, but it was fun to look at!

The yellow vehicle was a VW Bus.

Old goodies are our favorite.

Every Other storefront was an exciting restaurant. We almost passed up the bug, but Mary had to stop and practice talking in “Bug”, one of her many languages.  Usually, when she does bug, it sounds like a loud scream, but this afternoon, it was a low mumble, and they had quite a conversation.

The Gold Bug (Mary is on the right).

We ran into Vicky and the gang, and Vicky had forgotten her hard candy, a tradition for the past twenty years. We told Vicky not to worry; we would find something on our walk, and we did.

The store was called “The Candy Baron.” This store reminded me of my childhood. Candy was sold by weight, and there was a large selection of hard-to-find candies.

Oh my, a dentist’s delight!

We made several selections and returned the entire bag to Vicky so no one would know of her forepaw!

We stopped at an old-fashioned candy store.

These candy bars were known for their dental acuity; one bite, one chew, and a filling was sure to pop out!

Abba-Zabba, the filling remover!

Did You Know? According to the Candy Wrapper Museum, the first Abba Zaba bars were manufactured in 1922 by Colby and McDermott. Before Annabelle Candy Co. started manufacturing Abba-Zaba, the packaging featured racist imagery; Annabelle Candy Co. will only say that the wrapper has been the same for as long as they have manufactured the candy. The Cardinet Candy Co. later manufactured the bar along with the U-No Bar. Annabelle Candy purchased the Cardinet Candy Co. in 1978. Annabelle now manufactures both candy bars in addition to others.

Racist? Someone is a little over sensitive! – Early Abba-Zaba wrappers from Colby & McDermott depict what appear to be African tribesmen in a jungle, sitting beside a taffy tree. And while this racially taboo packaging would never fly today, it didn’t do the brand any damage when the candy first came out.

We passed by the City Hall, and we did a recall to “The Birds.” Mary scared them off!  Remember: Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) meets Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor) in a San Francisco pet store and decides to follow him home. She brings with her the gift of two love birds and they strike up a romance. One day birds start attacking children at Mitch’s sisters party. A huge assault starts on the town by attacking birds.

Attack of the birds.

We met everyone inside the theater grounds and walked around to look at the strange artwork. Some were quite interesting, but others needed to be more specific about why anyone would want to buy them.

We were in the sixth row of the theater in a perfect location.  Vicky has had these seats for years, and they improve yearly.

Let the show go on!

There were thirteen of us this evening.

Donna took the picture.

At the show’s end, we decided to wait until traffic died down before facing the traffic jam.

11:00 pm, time to go.

We visited with Nancy and Yolie for a while as people wandered out of the theater and to their cars.

Nancy & Yopie joined in this evening.

Irene visited this evening, and she is almost over her Saturday night party and the “Could Of Beens”!

Irene came along to see the show.

We had a perfect parking spot and whizzed right out onto Highway 133, which leads to the 5, the 55, and home. We made it in twenty-one minutes without speeding.

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We Is Pooped Out!

Posted on Sunday, August 4, 2024 by Paul

Today we planned zip, nada, zero!  We are going to relax.  We went to lunch with Chuck and Lisa at the Orange Circle and then headed home for a well deserved nap!

We discussed the party and decided it was a total success and it was good so see everyone again!

At 8:00 pm we went into the swimming pool and soaked for an hour before having a glass of wine and a couple of marshmallows around the campfire.

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Happy Birthday Irene!!!

Posted on Saturday, August 3, 2024 by Paul

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The day began with “Oh No!  I left the sprinklers on!!!”  Lying in bed, I heard water and looked outside; the table and chairs were getting a bath.  It’s 5:00 am, so I figured out everyone would be asleep. Who in their right mind is awake at that ungodly hour? Oh, wait… me!  My birthday suit and I scooted through the house with my iPhone in hand to shut off the water.

In the final analysis, I turned off the sprinklers for August 2nd, not the 3rd, so the system worked flawlessly; we had an operator error!

We got to work early, first by drying off the dance floor!

Oops!

We followed that by setting up various furniture and awaiting the arrival of the Armstrong Entertainment Group; that’s when everything got busy!

Ready Set Go!

Chuck was ready to go.  The BBQ was smokin’ hot, and potatoes were prepared for the potato bar.  Chuck prepared about fifteen pounds of filet mignon as an appetizer for the guests!  Delicious!

T-3 hours!

The lady of the hour has arrived, looking like royalty in her full purple regalia! She even has a crown and sash to complete the look. We were warned not to have too much fun, but I don’t think anyone can resist when she’s dressed like that!

Iren arrives!

“The best is yet to be.” – Robert Browning

History was on display with a wide collection of photos that Maria had collected.

Picture date back 90 years!

Meanwhile, upstairs, they’re attempting to train the untrainable for the skit. We can’t wait to see how that turns out!

It does not look good.

We danced when Steve showed up as we were going to be busy all afternoon and evening doing host/hostess chores.  There is nothing like a hot cha cha on a 90 degree afternoon!

We love to waltz.

Dinner was served, and the food disappeared as if by magic—300 pounds of filet mignon gone in a flash!  We had something new to us, a “potato bar” which was mashed potatoes and a choice of three toppings; broccoli & cheese, chicken pot pie, or pot roast!

Fifty-plus folks are celebrating today!

It’s time for some serious entertainment!!  Irene is asking herself, “What am I doing here???”

“The wrinkles on our faces are the roadmap of our lives.” – Anonymous

In the seat of honor!

The entertainment leaves the building (they probably should have stayed inside!)

Here goes nothing!

Whoever says “Ready Set” gets fired! Remember, we are grownups with an average age of eighty years who watch cheerleaders with great interest!  We marched out quietly so Irene would not see us and that was hard to do since some of us are pretty clumsy, not mentioning any names!

We are happy we put a seatbelt on Irene because she almost fell out of the chair laughing at our wicked ways!  We thought about wearing thongs underneath but alas, we had some childrens in the audience so it would not have been appropriate!

“Who brought the coin cups for the collections?”

The party went on well into the wee hours.

We are having fun with family!

We wrapped things up around 10:00 pm and began the cleanup process but with the Armstrong Gang, the cleanup was easy and quick.  The place looked better after the party was over.

Oh my! Should we warn the neighbors?

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