Today started early for me; I was up at 5:30 am, and while walking to the kitchen to retrieve my morning coffee, I realized how amazingly lucky I am to have discovered Dr. Mary at that low point in my life and how she has made me so happy. She has created a home where memories of the past are not only allowed but encouraged, family and friends are welcome with joy, and a bright, loving future exists at every turn.
Being with her as we work in the garden, prepare meals in the kitchen, toil around the house, or dance the night away is a complete pleasure! We laugh, giggle, tease, and think about each other every minute of every day. Our morning walks in the garden are special as we relive yesterday, make plans for the day, and talk about tomorrow’s adventures!
Mary created a home that is the starting place of love, hope, and dreams. The magical thing about “home” is that it feels good to leave and even better to return. Home is where love resides, memories are created, friends always belong, and laughter never ends.
We started gardening chores at 7:00 am and did not stop until mid-afternoon. Priority one was the new “flower tower” on the front porch. Each pod accommodates 5″ plants, making it easy to plant various vegetables, flowers, succulents, and herbs in the tiered planter.
While I do not mind working, it is hard to remember to get up and give Mary a new bonbon every fifteen minutes. I usually wait for the crack of the whip!
Did You Know? Throughout the Western world, bonbons are usually small candies but vary by region in their ingredients, flavors, and shape. In France, bonbons have been made with a fruit center and may contain brittle, nougat, dragée, or caramel. Other possible fillings include butterscotch, fondant, fudge, ganache, gianduja, marzipan, praline, and truffle.
The word “bonbon” arose from the reduplication of the word bon, meaning “good” in the French language. Its use originated in the seventeenth century within the French royal court and spread to other European countries by the eighteenth century. Bonbons began to be served in ornate containers by the middle of the eighteenth century, which would be given as gifts at festivals and on holidays such as New Year’s Day.
After all the planting, Mary wanted me to stand out front like a scarecrow! As a scarecrow, Mary says I’m outstanding in my field. But hay, it’s in my jeans.
Busy again!
Made of high-quality polypropylene, the planters are sturdy and resistant to fading and cracks. They make the best use of small spaces by growing our plants vertically with stand-stacking planters.
Tied into the drip system makes it easy to maintain!
Scout-A-Puss (he has many nicknames) was helping all morning, going from Mom to Dad and back, checking that we were doing everything right. He is a bit of a perfectionist!
What kind of dog did Dracula have? A bloodhound!
We are planting!
Notice the top layer of flowers are red, white, and blue? Mary picked out the color of each flower very carefully. She makes everything look so lovely. Mary says, “Someone has been adding soil to my garden. The plot thickens.”
The flowers have to be just right!
We then worked in the backyard, and Mary invented a new way to carry a spray bottle. I got a picture of the method, but we decided not to share it in the Daily Diary!
Mid-afternoon, we went to Trader Joe’s and got a case of wine for Jan. Jan indicated she might come to the Elks with us and would call us, but, alas, no call came in, so she sits alone.
I had a thought if 4 out of 5 people SUFFER from diarrhea… does that mean that one enjoys it?
We had so many people tonight that we needed to get a second table; there were fourteen of us this evening, and we danced to several waltzes and swing tunes. The DJ knows our group and made for a tremendous pre-dinner exercise.
I take limbo dancing so seriously that I’d bend backward to win a competition.
I remember some old steps as we dance, and Mary, being such a great dancer, follows my every lead. However, the bend-over double backflip was hard to do to a waltz!
The gang is all here! (The Z’s are at a graduation, so we accepted their excuse)
Mary explains something. We know not what! It is probably about The Sound Of Music, which we plan to see later this evening.
Mary explains.
We loved Ronnie’s first hour of danceable music; after that, he plays music for those who wiggle and can’t carry a tune to save their lives!
Just us1
We departed the Elks at 7:30 pm and headed home for tonight; Robin and Bob got to see “Sound Of Music,” which they had not seen before! Summary: A tuneful, heartwarming story, it is based on the real-life story of the Von Trapp Family singers, one of the world’s best-known concert groups in the era immediately preceding World War II. Julie Andrews plays the role of Maria, the tomboyish postulant at an Austrian abbey who becomes a governess in the home of a widowed naval captain with seven children and brings a new love of life and music into the home.
Movie night at Casa Valencia!
Mary sang most of the songs as the movie progressed. Scout howled, thinking someone was getting murdered; we finally put him outside.
The kids stopped at the store and bought ten different kinds of candy to make it like going to the movies. We all stuffed ourselves and will probably have pimples tomorrow.
Mary shared some pictures from when she lived in Austria while going to school. She lived within 15 minutes of where the movie was shot and knew the places in the film quite well.
The movie finally finished.
The kids departed for home in a slight drizzle around 11:30 pm. Scout and I went into the garden to check the weather, which was indeed wet. This is probably a good thing, as I used Miracle Grow on the garden this afternoon, and the rain will ensure it gets to the roots. While outside, we made sure everything was covered.
The arbors are working per plan!
It was midnight, and we were both dragging. I checked my BP, which was 135/75, so the not drinking is working well. Tomorrow we will hit the garden again, assuming it is not raining.
