Mid-Week Already?… Oh My!

Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2025 by Paul

9:00 am and we are off and running!  This time to the DMV for a 10:40 am appointment to get Mary’s driver’s license renewed.  We departed at 9:00 am, arriving an hour early, thinking MAYBE we might get through early.  That didn’t happen, and after making 3,457 circles around the parking lot, I went to the local Del Taco and had a taco and Diet Coke.  Mary did not get out of there until 11:15 am.

We had to be home before 1:00 p.m., as our door expert was coming by to make some adjustments. We made it by noon and went to work in the front yard, weeding and planting spring flowers. Mary planted many new flowers and did some serious weeding/trimming.

Scout was providing adult supervision!

The door folks showed up along with Domilita and the crew, so the house is clean, and the sliding back glass door is back to normal. We love the bi-fold door, as it is 15 feet wide and opens up the entire family room to the outside—perfect for a day like today!!!

The great out-of-doors!  When the doors are open, it’s like being outside!

We worked in the patio garden, digging out last year’s rambling herbs and replacing them with lettuce, basil, and several other herbs.

We also removed the dead or dying plants from the vertical gardens and replaced them with new dirt and new flowers, vegetables, and herbs.

The towers are now populated with strawberries and herbs!

We noticed that our multi-fruit tree was coming on strong.  It is a plum, apricot, peach, and nectarine tree all in one!

The fruit tree is blossoming and smelling good!

We did not work in the big garden today, we will save that for the upcoming warm weekend!

Garden, did someone say garden??

Since Easter is coming, we redid the internal lights to be Easter-like and set the timers to go on at sunset and off at 2:00 am.

We changed our lighting inside to be Easter-like!

We did the same for the front of the house.  The house is much brighter than the movie shows, and we may rethink the lighting before Easter arrives.

After going to the swim spa for three cycles, we dried off and made several calls on the bat phone talking to family and friends.  By the time it was 9:00 pm, we were destined for a long night’s sleep!

Posted in Gardening, Vegetable Garden, Working Around House | Comments Off on Mid-Week Already?… Oh My!

The Day After!

Posted on Tuesday, March 18, 2025 by Paul

We did our morning walk remotely today!  We ran out of time to walk, so I ran upstairs and took a snap from the kitchen window.  What a sensational day!

From the Loft, the yard looks pretty good!

I snapped another shot from the kitchen/family room door, looking out over the patio!  If it were not 60 degrees, I would jump in the pool and go swimming!

The birds were flying backward to see where they had been!

What a day!  Go here, go there, go back!  We began the day rushing to a 9:30 am doctor’s appointment for Mary’s eyes, but alas, when she arrived at the office right on time, the receptionist said, “Your appointment is at 10:30 am, dear!”  Great!  We had a choice now, so we flipped a coin and went to Benjis for breakfast, just a few blocks away!

OK, all is under control. Our meal was served, and Mary’s phone rang! Mary answered the phone, and after listening for a few seconds, she put down the phone and said, “It’s a wrap; everything to go; the doctor moved your appointment back!”

Super, we shove our meal either into a to-go bag or into our mouths and run out the door, leaving a trail of napkins and silverware behind us!

Five minutes later, Mary is in the doctor’s office, and I am sitting in the car, catching my breath. Mary is in and out in about ten minutes, so we are back on the road home. We quickly stopped at Ralphs Market, and then we got home, asking ourselves, “What just happened?”

We took down St. Patrick’s Day decorations until noon, when Mary had to attend the painting class.

Off she went in Precious, as she wanted to maintain her driving skills—a good idea. She returned at about 3:30 p.m., and I had St. Patrick’s Day upstairs and Easter spread over the tables awaiting her to decorate.

From the Loft, the yard looks pretty good!

St. Patrick’s Day fits into two large containers, which are placed upstairs.

While Mary was gone, I packed it away and brought out Easter!

We Mary departed, I thought I would surprise her by having Easter up.   One look at Easter, and I knew it was above my pay grade. We let it sit until tomorrow!

May came home around 3:30 pm and we loaded her painting goodies upstairs.  Her painting today was a style called “negative”.

It is called a “negative” technique!

In watercolor art, “negative painting” involves painting around the subject to define it, rather than painting directly on the subject, using the white paper as a highlight. This technique creates depth and dimension, emphasizing areas and guiding the viewer’s eye.

At 5:00 p.m., Dru came over, and we took her to her installation meeting at the Elks. Bill Capps joined us for dinner, and it was taco night.

The Lodge was brought to order at 7:00 p.m., and the candidates entered the meeting, where they went through the standard initiation ritual.

The meeting/initiation lasted about 90 minutes!

We drove home, and by the time we got in the house, it was time for bed! We had to get rested for tomorrow’s adventure into the DMV world!

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on The Day After!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Posted on Monday, March 17, 2025 by Paul


I should have worn my green fur today!!

We were up and going pretty early today as we have the gym class at 9:00 am, and we have to ride the stationary bikes from Orange to San Diego before they begin twisting and shouting at us!

We hit the floor running!

The gym was not too bad today except for me attempting to get down on the floor on the mat.  I look like a 150-year-old man and am ready for a nap once I get down!   It sounded like a bowl of Rice Krispies as I moved closer and closer to the mat!   We were poked and prodded by the best of their trainers, and we survived!

We went to Ralph’s Market next door to the gym and got some last-minute supplies for tonight’s soireé. We also got another four-pound flat-cut corned beef, as we are having four guests over for the celebration!

As soon as we got home, the cooking began! The kitchen turned into a scene straight out of a cooking show—if that show was called “Disaster Chefs.” Flour was flying, pots were boiling over, and I’m sure I almost set my hair on fire while trying to sauté the cabbage!

We whipped up eight pounds of corned beef—four pounds in the crockpot and four pounds boiled/simmered! The onions and some of the potatoes came from our garden. The crockpot is getting ready to be covered.

In six hours, magic will have occurred!!

We decided to use our new molcajete, a traditional Mexican mortar and pestle, to grind, mix, and release flavorful oils from vegetables and spices. This authentic grinding bowl is the best for making classic Mexican favorites like salsa, guacamole, queso, mole, and more!

We first made salsa, which was delicious—as evidenced by its disappearance—and then guacamole, which was also gone in a flash! It is a lot of work, but it is fun!

We baked the vegetables for 20 minutes at 350 degrees to soften them and bring out their flavors. After letting them cool, I sliced them and threw them into the mortar before applying 250 pounds of pressure.

When I hit the serrano pepper, I knew it as the fumes came out, and my eyes began watering.

They were not too hot today!

Can’t handle the heat? Stay out of the salsa.

The guacamole was made from local avocados, two doors down, and courtesy of Fred, our neighbor.

Vicky taught us how to say “molcajete.”

Mary checked the beef to make sure it was tender, and indeed, it was after six hours in the crockpot.

Crockpots are truly magical devices, and we use them all the time!

Lookout, here comes the gang!!!  We had food everywhere and still more on the stove.

Mexican appetizers and Irish dinners are indeed international affairs.

Dinner is served!  Vicky brought the Irish Soda Bread, which she had never heard of before.  She was going to get some tortillas and a can of Coca-Cola!  (…soda bread).   She went to Katella Deli to retrieve the bread, and it was delicious!

Irene, Robi, and Dianne: 3/5ths of my harem this evening.

Mary makes sure the ól man gets his Dijon mustard. We went through four pounds of corned beef and cabbage between the five of us!

My bride is a fantastic hostess who makes everyone feel at home!

Did I say dessert?  Dianne is responsible for my last three-pound weight gain!  The homemade chocolate cake, complete with chocolate bits and amazing frosting, begged to be devoured!  I also did some severe damage to the ice cream carton!

The word “Yummy” comes to mind!!

Dianne got a great picture of us.  We wanted Scout to take the picture, but he feared it might include him, and the camera would take his soul!  Besides, his fur would have covered the lens, so Dianne did the honors!

“OK, I will try to take your picture!!”

We sat and talked and told stories for hours!!!

Wonderful friends are joining us again at St. Patrick’s Day!!

We said goodbye to everyone. By 8:00 p.m., everyone’s stomachs were full, and the ladies sufficiently spoiled Scout!

Even Froggy was tired! The rain was gone, so everything was OK!

While we were dining, it rained hard, but by the time dinner was over, the sky was clear, and the water was gone. It will be safe to drive home.

We said goodbye to everyone, and let me tell you, it was like trying to leave a party where everyone is still dancing—hugs lasted longer than a Netflix binge! I’m pretty sure I invented a new sport: “Goodbye Tug-of-War.”

We got a nice note and some pictures from Vicky!

Thank you for inviting me and Irene last night. It was nice what I think is happening to your house is what happened to your house here on Kensington. It became the hub of life, and people felt so comfortable that it was like a second home because they felt so welcome. You’ve made your nest with your sweetheart, and you thoughtfully and graciously open it for others to enjoy, not only YOUR company but the company of other friends. Thank you.

I am blessed to have Dr. Mary in my life because she shares the love of family and friends and enjoys bringing people together.  We make a good team and share the workload making the visits with family and friends enjoyable!

Posted in Cooking, Friends, Gym | Comments Off on Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Sunday And We Worked And Played!

Posted on Sunday, March 16, 2025 by Paul

We got up, dressed in our cleanest dirty work clothes, and hit the yard running, as we had oodles of veggies to plant today! Our neighbor was worried about his fruit trees not having oranges, so I texted him this photo of his hyperactive orange tree since he was out of town!

We will have oranges in a few months.

We can already smell the blossoms when there’s a gentle breeze—though I’m beginning to think the flowers have a more advanced olfactory system than I do. They keep throwing their scents around like they’re trying to impress a bee or something! If only I could catch a whiff of that same confidence at the perfume counter…

Mid-summer and the tree will be loaded!

We heard the loud flapping of wings as we worked, and the local Lemonbird called whenever she spotted a suitable nest.  She dropped in and left one of her eggs!  We shall use it carefully!

The lemon bird used our straw for her nest!

We did NOT get to this area today, but by midweek, we will have it also planted.  This planter is reserved for pumpkins, watermelons, cantaloupe, corn, and blueberries.

Transplanting is necessary!

We washed down the concrete between the gardens after we swept everything up.

Cleanup underway

There are only a few more things to plant, and we may try Monday once we get the corned beef cooking@

Done with planting for today!

We are almost out of straw, which we used as mulch!  We have a third of a bale remaining.

Wait to see this in about 90 days!

Boys will be boys!!  Hey, after five hours of hard work, I needed a break!!

M-m-m-m-m-m-m

This garden needs attention!  We must weed it and then drop in about six bags of acid dirt.  Weeding is difficult because most of these babies are horny (oops, I mean, they have thorns).

The berries are starting to bloom already.

We got ourselves ready for the Starlighters St. Patrick’s Day soireé.  Now, we’re back to wearing green!

Mary asked me to stop looking for me Lucky Charms and the Pot o’ Gold!

We danced and danced and shut the place down.  Only four people remained out of the 90 who were here this evening.   We had a table for ten, met two new couples, and revisited with four old friends!  It was a delightful evening.

We sat next to Dale and Marsha (who will be 90 years young in two weeks!)

On our way home, we stopped by Aces Bar & Grill to bring some Irish life to the place. We met “D” for the first time, and he bought our drinks—which we did not know until we departed!

Good Night All!!

Posted in Dancing, Elks, Friends, Gardening, Vegetable Garden | Comments Off on Sunday And We Worked And Played!

Celebration Time!

Posted on Saturday, March 15, 2025 by Paul

Dancing at the Elks tonight!!

We were up early because we needed to go to H&H Nursery, our favorite place to shop for veggies.  They had a super selection, and the plants were less expensive than those at Roger’s Gardens.

Mary found some peppers we use all the time, so they went directly into the cart.

Being picky!

It took us a while to go through all the shelves of veggies they had on display.  We stumbled upon some that we didn’t even know existed! They were like the hidden treasures of the veggie world—who knew potato-flavored mint was a thing?

Decisions decisions!

We had to stop shopping because the cart was packed to the brim, and Mary had to carry the last three items, which were red, white, and blue petunias, by hand.

We are done; the cart is full!

Petunias, originating in South America, are known for their vibrant flowers and are part of the same family as tomatoes, potatoes, and tobacco. Their name comes from the Tupi-Guarani word “petun,” meaning “tobacco” but more accurately “a kind of tobacco that doesn’t make a good smoke.”

Petunia blooms are edible, provided they’re not sprayed with pesticides.
They are sometimes used in salads and cocktails, with a supposedly sweet and slightly spicy taste.

In the past, gifting petunias was considered an insult, carrying the message “I don’t like you”. However, this meaning is now forgotten, and petunias are happily gifted.

Petunias are among the most popular flowering annuals for a good reason. Petunias are bright and lively, bloom from spring until frost, and scent the air with a lovely fragrance. Best of all, petunias are amazingly easy to grow in the garden and in containers. There are hundreds of named petunia varieties.

We also bought three bags (and got one free) of potting soil to backfill where we lost soil from picking the veggies.

The Silver Fox is becoming a pickup truck.

We took everything back in two loads, but this was done with a two-wheeled wheelbarrow! A two-wheeled wheelbarrow is sometimes referred to as a “garden cart” or a “utility cart.”

Load #2 is ready to go!

It was a fantastic day for gardening.  The sun was warm, and the breeze kept us cool!  Why do we garden instead of just going to the market you ask?  Here are some reasons!

  • “Plant a seed, nurture a dream, harvest a bounty.”
  • “From soil to table, the joy of homegrown goodness.”
  • “Gardening: where patience is a virtue and the harvest a reward.”
  • “Get your hands dirty and your heart full of fresh vegetables.”
  • “The garden is a canvas, and vegetables are the colors of a healthy life.”
  • “In every seed, a promise of a delicious future.”
  • “Don’t just grow vegetables; cultivate happiness.”
  • “The best salad starts with a garden.”
  • “A garden is a place where nature and nourishment meet.”
  • “Gardening: where hard work yields the sweetest rewards.”

Now for the long walk to the garden!

While I was outside, Mary worked inside and came out to pick veggies.  Cabbage and onions will be ready for Monday’s soireé.

Picking veggies for Monday night’s corned beef dinner.

The grapes are a little ahead of schedule because it will be Spring in four days (March 20th), and they have already started blooming. In another 70 days, we will be picking grapes.

The grapes are starting to come out of hibernation!

Because of the darned wabbits, I planted onions around all the new plants. Wabbits and other critters do not like onions! Onions, due to their strong scent, naturally repel pests like aphids, cabbage loopers, carrot flies, Colorado potato beetles, and rabbits, making them useful companion plants in the garden.

Onions keep the pests away!

Well, I was not yet done, but my back was totally done! At 2:00 p.m., I headed inside, and we got ready for this evening’s Irish Soireé at the Santa Ana Elks! We wished Colleen was here to join us so we could have all three daughters!

Everyone was dressed in green, looking like a parade of leprechauns who had lost a bet!

Inside, everyone was also dressed in green, looking like a walking salad bar. I half-expected someone to start tossing croutons!

Hello ladies!

We were dressed to the 9s!  Many people complimented me on the coat!

Fun at the Elks!

The music was indeed Irish and we danced until we dropped!  Bob was putting on the brakes so he would not hit the table!

Bob put on the brakes!

Gail (a longtime friend)  and her daughter, Danika, joined us this evening.  She has not had a partner since Bob passed several years ago, so Mary sent me off to do the honors!

Gail and Paul danced a jig!

It was time to go home. We were slightly toasted after all the celebrating, so Bob went to get the Silver Fox so he could drive us home. We had three glasses of wine, so not driving was a proper decision!

Toasted? Yes indeed!

Posted in Dancing, Elks, Family, Gardening, Vegetable Garden | Comments Off on Celebration Time!

Finally, We Get Rain!

Posted on Friday, March 14, 2025 by Paul

We were prepared for our morning waddle through the garden!

At 4:00 am, the clouds opened, and the rain came down!  It is supposed to rain until 1:00 pm so we will be in the water on our way to Girls’ Night Out.  That’s OK because the Silver Fox needs a bath anyway!

We did not crawl out of bed until 9:00 am this morning and the Bark-a-Puss was still sawing logs! Now that I think of it, I like to sleep more now that I have officially reached “old age”!

We had to be in Huntington Beach at noon for our hair-doo session.   We want to look good for this weekend’s St. Patrick’s Day parties!

Mary went first, and she decided to ride her motorcycle!

Her motorcycle helmet looks excellent!

We went to the Himalayan Grill for lunch with Kyle, but he had some problems at work, so we decided to go to the club for lunch. Charlotte joined us, making for a delightful afternoon!

We were all decked out in our St. Patrick’s Day garb, looking like a leprechaun’s daydream! We even got several compliments from the members—though I think half of them were trying to figure out if we were celebrating or if we had lost a bet.

Looking good!

We departed the club and headed home deciding to stay in this evening.  We both layed down for a short nap when the phone rang and it was Lee (my High School girlfriend).  She was in Santa Ana and wanted to know if we wanted to get together!  Duh, we have not seen her in a year!

We got dressed up again and headed out the door in the rain, arriving at about 5:30 p.m. We had a few snacks, traded stories, and updated each other on the latest news and fashions!

We were happy that Lee had called!

She works in Santa Ana twice a month doing the books (she is an accountant) for her son so we decided we would do this again!

Mary, Paul, and Lee; together again!

After departing the Elks around 8:00 pm, we went CFR home and crashed!  We were busy for a day that had only a hair parlor visit in it!planned!

Posted in Elks, Friends | Comments Off on Finally, We Get Rain!

The Week Has Been Exhausted; We Made It Through Safely

Posted on Friday, March 14, 2025 by Paul

Next time I will send Mary to get the car fixed!

7 am and Scout has already bugged us to go outside!  It was 45 degrees outside and chance of rain on and off!   We are going out for Indian Food after our hair appointments but iother than that, all is quiet today!!

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on The Week Has Been Exhausted; We Made It Through Safely

Decide Already! Is It Going To Be Rain Or Shine??

Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2025 by Paul

We sloshed through the rain to visit the garden!

The damn rabbits are out again, we saw evidence on the walkway!  Time to get the gun out, sit by the fire, and await the garden security light to flash on!  Then, out comes the gun and bye-bye rabbits.  Hare today, gone tomorrow!

We were up and moving at 9:00 am and then had to get ready to go to Girls’ Night Out!  We had to pry Scout off the bed this morning; he was still sleeping at 10:00 am!  He must have had a lot of elephants to chase yesterday!

The baby did not get up and move until 10:00 am!

It was raining pretty hard in the late morning.  I had to take this picture because our door was malfunctioning, and the repair people wanted to see what type of door it was.

It was raining hard, finally.

We went to the bank on our way to the Elks for Girls’ Night Out, and we were dressed appropriately.  I even had my Irish Flay or Newsboy Cap, which was great because it kept the bead warm!!

We were matching at the Elks!

We cleared off the table, and Will took our picture.  Today, Mary went for the Corn Chowder and an Egg Sandwich, and I had the Corn Chowder and a Corned Beef Sandwich with French fries.  We ignored our diet today!

It was so big that I swear they made it from Godzilla!!

We were with Bob Z, George, Bill Capps, Iris, and Will! This group just laughed and giggled the entire time!

Dang, she is cute!

On our way out, we verified that we had a table for eight for Saturday night.  Once again, the Southland’s most acclaimed Irish band, THE FENIANS, are coming to the Santa Ana Elks Lodge to help celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Doors open at 5:30 pm, and the buffet begins at 6:00 pm with up country salad, Irish soda bread, corned beef and cabbage, boiled potatoes, Jameson chicken, shepherd’s pie, fried fish, and cookies and brownies for dessert. Also offered will be a selection of Irish beers: Guinness Stout, Harp Lager, and Smithwick’s Red Ale, plus Shillelagh shooters, Irish whiskeys, and delicious ciders. Then, the Fenians take the stage for an evening of Irish shenanigans and dancing. This event is SOLD OUT.

Mary got me a green sequin dinner jacket so that I will be dressed to the 9s!

Here comes Paul….

Mary will also be dressed in right green!

The Elks entranceway is decorated for the holiday! We will be with our oldest daughter Robin, our middle daughter Michele, their hubbies, and Gail Peterson and her daughter. Fun will be had.

Remember:

  • If it ain’t brogue, don’t fix it.
  • When the dance is over, the jig is up.
  • How do Irish chefs keep track of all their cooking tools? They have a whisk-key.
  • Irish you a whole pot of gold!
  • That’s a bunch of ba-larney.
  • Irish puns are the most O’ffensive.
  • What is a huge Irish spider called? A paddy long legs.
  • It’s time to paddy like the Irish do!
  • How do Irish musicians show off on St. Patrick’s Day? They play their brag-pipes.

Reminder: We are going to the Elks on Saturday night with Robin and Michele!!

Our first stop on the way home was our local furrier, who just announced his retirement—apparently, he found out there’s more to life than sewing fur coats. Now his inventory is being eliminated, which is great news for bargain hunters and terrible news for animal fashion week! I mean, can you imagine all those coats just hanging there, feeling abandoned? I half-expected them to start a support group for neglected furs. We might have even left with a complete collection if I hadn’t pointed out that wearing a raccoon coat to the grocery store could raise some serious eyebrows!   Mary went shopping but did not find any “must-haves”.

Instead of going directly home, we stopped by Aces Bar and Grill on Chapman, had a glass of wine, shared some jalapeno poppers, and livened the place up with a selection of Irish music.

We stopped at Aces on the way home!

On the way home, we had an idea to tease Joe. He and Bob fixed our roof this weekend, so we emptied several bowls, filled them with water, and put them where it leaked last time. He called us precisely six seconds after I pressed the “send button.”

At first, he was worried, but Mary and I could not keep from giggling and laughing. We also sent a picture of Niagara Falls. Joe said he would get even!  Now we are worried!

We sent this to Joe, and he called within 15 seconds!!!

The wind came up and dried everything out.  Play the video and watch the whirligigs go crazy!

We watched two movies since we did not have dinner and the house was clean from yesterday!  We just relaxed and hit the sack around 10:45 pm.

Posted in Dining Out, Elks, Friends, Movies, Working Around House | Comments Off on Decide Already! Is It Going To Be Rain Or Shine??

Another Dry Rainy Day!

Posted on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 by Paul

Another bright and sunny “rainy day”.  The rain started and stopped several times but there was always a blue spot in the sky!

We went to the gym and subjected ourselves to flagellation.   We got a dose of everything this morning including beating, belting, buffeting, caning, clubbing, cold purgatorial fires, corporal punishment, cowhiding, cudgeling, drubbing, eremitism, fasting, flailing, flogging, fustigation, horsewhipping, lacing, lashing, lustration, maceration, mendicantism, monachism, monasticism, mortification, penance, penitence, penitential act, penitential exercise, pistol-whipping, purgation, purgatory, puritanism, rawhiding,  and repentance…and that was just for starters!!

We escaped at 10:00 am and headed for home!  Home Sweet Home!

Arriving home, we walked the front yard and to our surprise our little avocado tree is doing just great at hiding its fruit.  We have about six so far this season but there are probably 50 buds forming on the stems right now!

Our avocados are doing well.

The forecast again was for rain but we got about 0.1 inches today.  We did get a lot of wind… I mean, at this rate, my hair is about to file for a job as a kite!.

The wind was blowing but the rain really never came.

Mary’s bulbs are finally starting to bloom!  Botanically, bulbs are actually modified stems surrounded by fleshy leaves. Therefore, what most of us refer to collectively as bulbs may be true bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes, or tuberous roots.

The bulbs are beginning to come up!

Looking carefully, we did find some oranges on our tree.  It will be another 5-10 years and the tree ought to be doing fantastic but for tight now, we will accept ten oranges per season.

We have oranges in the front yard!

Mary finally finished off her taxes and I cleaned out most of the bookshelves in the office.  Domilita and her staff came in about 3:00 pm and as they started their work, we slipped out the door and did some errands.

The name “Domitila” is a girl’s name of Latin origin, meaning “tamed” or “docile,” and is a variant of the name Domitilla, which was borne by Flavia Domitilla, the wife of Roman emperor Vespasian.

We went to Staples and then we decided to go to an early dinner at Benjies.  We sat in the bar and I always order their special drinks which thye keep on the chalkboard!

I had a St. Patrick-Rita!

A Kosher Quesadilla, what else???

Chicken wings, one of our favorites

Yes we do!

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Another Dry Rainy Day!

We Will Wet Ourselves Today, No Doubt!

Posted on Tuesday, March 11, 2025 by Paul

One look at the forecast reveals that we could go outside at 7:00 p.m. this evening if we did not want to get wet. But, as we all know, Mary has her watercolor class this afternoon at 1:00 p.m.  Water Color, m-m-m-m-m.

No way José

We got up late since we had nothing on the calendar except for Mary to finish her tax returns and me to make yesterday’s planned dessert.

Remember: “Income tax returns are the most imaginative fiction being written today.” — Author Herman Wouk

Remember: “What is the difference between taxidermists and tax collectors? The taxidermist takes only your skin.” — Author Mark Twain.

We checked on the garden since it was supposed to rain all day, and Scout supervised from his perch on the patio!  He managed to move his eyes and that was about all!

Fourteen years old and still feisty!

I drove Mary to her painting class in Tustin since it was supposed to rain hard this afternoon!  I didn’t want her watercolor to get water on it!  We stopped by the UPS store as we sent a Care Package to Becky.

There were fifty-seven drops falling from the sky as I swooped in to pick up mylady prompty at 3:00 pm, that’s when school was out!

It’s easy to find Mary, she is the one waiving her artwork yelling, “Ooky ooky what I did!”

Going inside, I carried the painting bag, painting board complete with latest work,and her pallette to the car.

This painting made me want to cook up a storm since sugar is always neeed!

After getting home and brewing some tea, we dove into the kitchen like culinary superheroes. I whipped up some banana rolls using puff pastry, trying to channel my inner gourmet chef, but I think I just ended up with a pastry that looked more like a banana on vacation than anything edible. Meanwhile, Mary was making meatloaf and peas from our backyard—because who doesn’t want to add a side of dirt to their dinner? We laughed so hard our dishes almost burned! Just another evening of cooking disasters and moments we’ll never forget!

I chopped four bananas and put them into a puff pastry sheet, then rolled them up! The roll was sliced and drizzled with milk, sugar, and cinnamon!

Fun must be had all the time!

The effort took longer than I thought, but it was well worth it!!

I lined them up, squirted the bananas with lemon juice, and rolled them up for the oven!

Into the fire they went for 30 minutes at 375 degrees!

We could smell them as they approached 30 minutes in the fire!

We took some dinner over to Jeff and visited him for a while before returning home.

The sun was setting, and the rain clouds were threatening again!

We made it home without getting wet!!

It was 7:30 pm, and we had zero rain!  The weatherman failed massively!

It is now 9:00 pm, and there has been zero rain all day!!!!!!!!!

Posted in Cooking, Friends | Comments Off on We Will Wet Ourselves Today, No Doubt!