Monday Has Arrived And We Are Off Like A Shot!

Posted on Monday, December 11, 2023 by Paul

That’s me on the left!

Ready?  What happened to the man who stole an Advent Calendar?  He got 25 days!

Zoom, zot, zap!  A loud noise awakened us; my shoe horn was knocked off the table as Mr. Swishy Tail, aka Scout,  came over and wanted to go outside.

Mary saw the time and quickly got out into the shower and, was dressed by 7:30 am and headed to the gym.

I had some spare time and decided to hang up the clothes.  We have been swamped lately, and I used Robin’s Nest  (one of the guest bedrooms) as a temporary storage space.  However, when the pants and shorts started to pile up and touch the ceiling, I realized it was time to hang them up.  After doing so, the room looks much more organized and spacious.

While Mary was away, I finished the last two Christmas event web pages so we don’t fall behind.  You can keep up with our Christmas activities on our website.

Mary is off to the races!

When she returned, we walked through the garden, which is doing quite well.  We need one day to trim the berries and grapes and another to plant half of the large garden where we usually grow corn and melons.

The plants are doing well after a week of being transplanted.

Colleen texted us their “Christmas Photo,” we plan to enlarge it and put it in “The Family Way” hallway with other family photos.

Mark and Colleen sent us a photo.

We left at noon to go to Newport and meet with my current ophthalmologist, Dr. Dan Kline.  He was doing a follow-up on my eye operation and decided that a minor laser adjustment would bring my left eye to 20/20.

Getting my pressure checked!

The operation was scheduled for 2:00 pm, and we had to wait about an hour for a follow-up test.  He said that the issue would be fixed by morning.  At 3:30 am, my eye was perfect!

We got a bite to eat at the coffee shop adjacent to this office and took it with us when we departed.  We arrived home and enjoyed our avocado toast (Mary) and Caesar salad with chicken (Paul).

We decided to finish decorating the Christmas tree and other decorations after watching a cute Christmas movie at 6:00 pm.

We had a large move-around flatscreen TV upstairs, so we watched another Christmas movie.  Journey Back To Christmas has Candace Cameron Bure as a 1945 war widow who gets caught in a garage, knocked out in December 1945, and then wakes up in 2016, some 10 days before Christmas in her small town.

We removed the ornaments that remained since the last holiday and brought out our box of hearts.

It’s not about the look or the theme of your tree.  It’s about making memories together.

I asked Mary, “What is green, covered in Christmas lights and Christmas bulbs, and goes ribbit?”  While she pondered the question, I blurted out the answer, “A mistle-toad.”

Before

My fantastic wife is now adding our heart collection, which I have been collecting for years.  Mary pointed out that if we leave the hearts on the tree and change the lights to red, we will have our Valentine’s Day tree ready.  I love the way she thinks!

It’s not a Christmas tree; it’s a beacon for Santa.

How do Christmas trees get their email?  They log-on.

After

We added Uncle Claude Parchman’s hand-made manger, which dates back to the 1950s.  He made it in his shop and even added a light in the back. We have all the original animals and people that were in the manger, although some have come unglued over the years.  We keep it in a special heavy-duty plastic box labeled “Handle With Care”.

However, we can’t plug it in just yet because the rubber insulation on the power cord is falling apart (After all, it is almost 70 years old!)  and needs to be changed.

I remember this display at my aunt and uncle’s house, and my Aunt Edith gave it to me many years ago as she knew how much I always admired it.  I will always cherish this work of art and remember the Christmas’s of yesteryear surrounded by loving aunts and uncles and family!

Uncle Claude’s manager is seventy years old this year.

We straightened things up and headed for bed at 10 pm.  We have another busy day tomorrow.

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Out And About

Posted on Sunday, December 10, 2023 by Paul

We woke up early and started getting ready for Christmas with Santa at the Elks Lodge.  Things were going well until Donna texted us that Bob wasn’t feeling well that morning.  Despite this, we decided to go ahead with our plans and ended up having a great time, enjoying a delicious breakfast.

Why don’t you ever see Santa in hospital? Because he has private elf care!

The Lodge Ballroom was arranged with tables of ten, and the dance floor was equipped with tables for kids to play games and do artwork.  There was a backdrop for Santa to sit in front of, where children could tell him what they wanted for Christmas.  Overall, everything looked quite nice.

Who hides in the bakery at Christmas? A mince spy!

They expected a full house this morning.

We didn’t make any reservations, so we were directed to sit in the members’ lounge, which was a godsend.  We had a view into the ballroom through the double doors, but it was also far enough away from the screaming kids that their noise wasn’t a problem.  All in all, it was an ideal spot to relax.

A breakfast buffet was set up, and the food was perfect for brunch!  We had the famous Elks salad, and the hot eggs, bacon, and ham were quite good.

We enjoyed tomato juice to drink!

Mary was decked out in her Christmas best, and I wore another of my “Amazon Special Christmas Coats.”

Always with a smile!

The lounge was about 60% full, which made it relatively quiet.

Yes, we were close to the bar, but at 10 am, we did not do much business with them!

We came home and watched a Christmas movie called “Switched.”  Summary: Jess and Bill Walker are doing their best to keep their family connected as their children grow older, more independent, and more distant.  When a chance encounter with an astrological reader causes the family to wake up to a full body switch on the morning of the most important day of each of their lives, can the Walkers unite to land a promotion, college interview, record deal, and soccer tryout?  Jennifer Garner, Ed Helms, Emma Myers, and Brady Noon star in this family comedy directed by McG and based on the book “Bedtime For Mommy” by Amy Krouse-Rosenthal.

At 2:10 pm, we quickly hopped into the Silver Streak and drove to Brea to experience German entertainment at the new Phoenix Club.  While the entertainment was OK, the facility was a monumental setback from the original Phoenix Club in Anaheim.  There was not even a front door and no bar or dance floor.  The facility was smaller than the downstairs of our home.

Santa spoke in German.  Weihnachtsmann is a generic German term for Father Christmas, St. Nicholas, or Santa Claus.

After half an hour of arrival, we left the place, as the noise of 150 people crammed into such a small space became unbearable.  Then I had an idea: why not go for an early dinner at Renata’s Restaurant in Orange, a favorite local spot for us?  We invited Bob and Donna to join us, but Bob was still lying down, unable to get up from this morning’s fatigue.

In business for 29 years!

We began our meal with an order of bruschetta, followed by various salads.  We then shared a delectable meat lasagne and enjoyed a glass of wine.  As we neared the end of our dinner, we decided to call Jeff, our neighbor, to see if he would like to join us for a meal.  He ordered a lasagne for himself as well.

One order was plenty since we had bruschetta and a salad also!

As it was being prepared, we walked over to the Orange Elks Lodge four doors down.  We went up to the lounge on the third floor, where we met the ER named Roslyn Peggins and some locals.  We all had a glass of chardonnay together.

One block away from the Orange Circle.

The room was cozy and full of activity.

The lounge is lovely, and the barkeep was terrific; folks were friendly.

We found out they have lunch every day!  The menu looks interesting, so we will stop by and visit when we are out and about.

After dropping off the lasagne at Jeff’s, we headed home, which was only 200 feet away.  As we pulled into the driveway, we noticed someone was approaching our front door.  It turned out to be one of our neighbors who informed us that our garage door was open.  We thanked her; we have lovely neighbors.

We didn’t say that we have an app installed on our phone that senses when we are approaching our house within a range of 200 feet.  The app automatically opens the garage door so that the door is already opened when we arrive at our driveway.  Since we were at Jeff’s place, dropping off the lasagne, the app activated and opened the garage door.

We crashed; it had been a long day.

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To The Garden And Then To The Gardens!

Posted on Saturday, December 9, 2023 by Paul

I told Mary that I would be up and in the garden by 7:00 am, and I kept my word. However, she slept for another 45 minutes. Later, when I went to the front yard to get our amendments and veggies from the van, I saw that Carlos and his companion were in their truck, so I decided to make them some coffee before they started to work.

Today, Carlos did an excellent job trimming our trees. They were almost bald, but they will grow back quickly.

Amazing what a sharp machete can do!

They collected everything and transported it to a green waste recycling facility located about three blocks away from us.

The trees filled up his pickup truck!

I asked Carlos to bring back three bales of straw from the feed store for mulching activities. He agreed to help, which was very kind of him because I don’t like loading them into the van myself!

We wore our grubbies and not our Christmas outfits!

Mary prepared a small snack as we are having an early dinner tonight, and we don’t want to spoil the meal at Rothchild’s!

Scout was quite interested in the tamales!

“The garden looks great at the moment, with two and a half beds fully planted.”

The overhead wires will be varying several types of peas this winter.

We moved the flowers to protect the veggies from bugs and welcomed a praying mantis we discovered in the garden.

This is our second winter garden, and it promises to be better than the first!

We have various types of lettuce. This year, Mary planted spinach. I had no success with spinach in Los Alamitos. Was it because we were too close to the beach?

We checked out all the sprinkler systems and tuned them up.

Working in the garden was made easier by the raised beds, which prevented us from feeling completely exhausted after over five hours of work on a beautiful day.

Every sprinkler head is in the proper position.

The crew, led by Carlos, did an excellent job cleaning up the eastern yard and neighboring area.

We love work; we could sit and watch it all day!

Upon entering the house, I noticed the breakfast meal sitting out, ready to be taken.

Larger than a softball, I am sure it will be terrific.

Did You Know? Grapefruits are packed with vitamin C and fiber. One-half of a grapefruit contains 6 grams of fiber and the total daily amount of vitamin C your body needs. Grapefruit was originally called “the forbidden fruit.” • Jamaicans coined the term “grapefruit” because the fruit grew in bunches like grapes.

Robin, Bob, and Nick came to my house at 4:00 pm, and we went to Rothchild’s for dinner with Bob, Donna, Vicky, and Jim.

Join us on the website for the entire evening. 

We dined at Rothchild’s on PCH and had a load of fun!

Checking the list once and checking it twice. Forget it; we know who is naughty and nice!

Jim and Vicky were having a load of fun this evening.

Santa and Vicky!

We had a great time with family and friends. I ordered the cioppino, which was the best I’ve ever had! Mary opted for soup and salad.

Enjoying time together.

We walked two blocks to Sherman Gardens.

A romantic hideaway just two blocks from Sherman Gardens.

The theme was Candy Land.  You can see more pictures on our website.

We stopped for a rest and a chance to study the lighted gardens.

Candy everywhere!  We gained four pounds just walking around.

Live is wonderful.

The Duda family joined us in the walk of 1000 lights; great fun!

Bob even has a candy cane for Robin!

Bob and Donna are awaiting the dance music to start!

We will see them tomorrow also at the Santa Breakfast!

We had a marvelous evening.

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Out And About!

Posted on Friday, December 8, 2023 by Paul

“I hate it when 6 am comes at 6:00 am!  Mary had a gym appointment early in the morning, and I promised to drive her.  It’s dark and cold outside at 5:45 am.  And let’s say it’s not exactly warm enough to be called a tropical paradise!”

I arrived home after driving 1.1 miles from the gym and then went to work in my office.  At 8:15 am, I got a call from Mary asking me to pick her up.  We stopped by the Grove Coffee Shop to grab a latte instead of going to Dunkin’ Donuts, as we wanted to support local small businesses.

The locals still go to the Grove even though Dunkin is next door.

Upon arriving home, Mary quickly freshened up, and we proceeded to Los Alamitos to visit Doctor Rucker.  Before seeing Doctor Rucker, we stopped at Imperial Jewelers to request an appraisal of some of Mary’s jewelry.  This was to ensure that our insurance paperwork was up-to-date.

I got a prescription for additional cough medicine in case my cough returns.  My PSA result was zero, and my blood pressure was 130/75.  I’m feeling great except for the weight I gained during the holidays.

We were getting hungry, and Mary suggested we go to the club since we have a monthly minimum to pay anyway.  It was an excellent idea.

The horse was decorated for Christmas.

We called Vicky to see if she wanted to join us, but she was busy working on her house.  We sent the OR menu and told her to make a selection as we were coming over after lunch to inspect her progress.

We brought her and Jim both the Clubhouse Sandwich, which they appreciated.

There were plenty of choices!

It was a beautiful day, and we sat at the huge window overlooking the course.  We will start playing golf again right after the first of the year.  We need the exercise.

A perfect California Day!

Jerry knows us now, so he and Mary always chat a bit before we head out to the next stop!

Jerry is very friendly.

We stopped at the Old Ranch Christmas tree for a snapshot of us in our errands-duds!

We have one more stop to make!

We traveled north on the 605 after leaving Old Ranch.  Then we took the 91 West and stopped at H&H Nursery, our favorite nursery.  They had plenty of winter vegetables available, so we took the opportunity to pick some.  We bought amendment, peat moss, and six flats of veggies, which filled up the van.  It looks like we’ll be busy over the next few days.

You know what they say, “Give a man a fish he eats for a day.  Teach a woman to garden, and the whole neighborhood gets zucchini.”

Will Rogers said back in the 1930s, “What this country needs is dirtier fingernails and cleaner minds.”

We left everything in the van as we were in a hurry to depart for the Elks.  Chuck Osly is entertaining this evening, so we have a lot of Christmas music and a fair amount of dancing.

Chuck and his musicians make for a beautiful musical evening.

The car goes on automatic when we say “Elks.”

We ate too late, so we just had the dinner salad, which, at the Elks, is enormous.  We had some wine and visited with Bob & Donna, Iris & Wil, and Marsha & Leon.

I sat next to this beautiful lady, and we talked for hours!

She is a fantastic person!

At the end of the night, Edgar, the restaurant manager, took photos of us in our Christmas outfits!  The balloons were at the entrance to the ballroom, which had an event underway!

I resisted the urge to pop one of the balloons.

Mary thought my jacket was a little subdued.  I might have to consider putting light in the coat to make it more visible.  Santa asked me to ride on the back of Dasher this year just in case Rudolph could not make the team.

I did get a lot of comments about the coat!!

We stopped at Aces on the way home and met some new locals while having a nightcap.  We made it home by 10:00 pm and were asleep at 10:15 pm.

Another fantastic day we were together going through life!

 

Posted in Dancing, Dining Out, Elks, Friends, Holidays | Comments Off on Out And About!

Thursday Has Arrived! We Planted A Small Part Of The Winter Garden

Posted on Thursday, December 7, 2023 by Paul

Oh, dear!!

We started the day with a great cup of coffee!

“We waited until 8:00 am to start working in the garden.  We have some bags of raised bed amendment and peat moss to add to one of the beds.  After that, we must turn the soil by hand to ensure the amendments mix well with the ground.”

We added amendments and dug them in.

Mary begins the proceeds while I keep digging and transplanting certain vegetables.

We are planting the garden.

We asked Scout to come out and assist us, but he had other plans!

The dirt looks great with the new amendments and peat moss mixed in.  Some of the straw mulch from last year remains, but it will soon decompose.

The first to be planted.

Bed number one is 95% complete; we await the final tomatoes to ripen at the north end of the bed.  Watered with care, they will be growing and on our table in sixty days.

We have cabbage, cheddar cheese cabbage, brussel sprouts, beets, onions, kale lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower… so far.  More to come.

Almost full.

You can almost hear them grow already!

We still have summer tomatoes growing (at the end of the bed).

Mary and I attended the Girls’ Night Out event at the Elks and enjoyed a delicious lunch.  We both ordered salads, but Mary tried their soup special while I opted for a bowl of chili.  We also brought a bowl of chili home to share with our neighbor, Jeff.  Bob Z., George, Bill C., and Will T. attended this afternoon.

I had to share a funny cartoon!

Definitely “Bait and Switch”

We discovered that “DJ OZ” is our dear friend Ronnie.  Knowing this, we decided to sign up for the event, as we knew he’d play excellent ballroom dance music for two hours.  Bob Z, Vicky, Jim, and I have reserved a table near the dance floor.  Other friends may also join us.

Yeah, a place to be on New Year’s Eve!

In the past, cities would adorn their main streets with overhead decorations.  These decorations are no longer typical as they require a lot of effort to install and remove.  Based on the newest car in the picture, it was taken in 1959.

Remember when?

We decided to skip the nursery and take it easy instead, as we had a busy evening planned.

We got gussied up and departed for Andrei’s Restaurant at 5:30 pm for Mary’s Orange County Ophthalmology Meeting.  Carefully sourced American fare comes in a chic, modern space with loungelike seating & a hip vibe.  It is at the corner of Main and  Jamboree!

Mary stayed downstairs in the conference room, and I wandered upstairs to the bar and dining area.  I found a seat at the end of the bar and spent my time drinking, eating, and scanning Quora for the latest on the wars underway.

Outstanding food and vibe!

The speaker this evening was Mongel, the son of Jan Mongel, our dear friend.

They were pleasantly surprised to see each other.

We went home after the meeting and slept.  Mary has a 6:30 am gym appointment, while I have a doctor’s appointment in Los Alamitos at 10:30 am.

 

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Sharing With Kids!

Posted on Wednesday, December 6, 2023 by Paul

Great, just simply great!

“Today is extraordinary for me as I finally get to share my experience.  Two months ago, Mary visited El Modena High School and talked to several groups of kids about what it takes to become a doctor.  Inspired by her work, I decided to do the same thing.  I prepared some PowerPoint charts and presented them to the kids, explaining what it takes to pursue a career in aerospace engineering.  I also left them with an encouraging thought that if they work hard, they could be part of the colonization of Mars.”

The more I briefed, the more memories gushed forward.

Steve and several others teach “pathways” classes to high schoolers, providing knowledge on specific fields of endeavor, with guest speakers sharing their experiences.

Steve was the teacher who invited me to speak to his engineering classes.

We had lunch on campus between the second and third classes.  We had enough time to go home, a five-minute trip, and check on Scout, the wonder dog.

After our class ended, we went to Ralph’s Market to get the items we needed for tonight’s Starlighters Board Meeting, which takes place at our house every other month!

I dropped Mary off at the gym next to Ralph’s and went home to put away the groceries and write a check for the cleaning folks!

Mary showed me her pictures.  Poor Santa, he was attempting to do pushups!  The decoration was animated, and he moved up and down.

Santa does pushups.

When I start going there, I will look like this!

I am getting in shape before the big flight.

We arrived home at 6:00 p.m., just as our friend and leader, Bob Z, arrived.  Mary and I finished preparing the house for everyone.

The meeting was underway right on time at 6:30 p.m.  Everyone was here except Marilyn Bailey.  Betty wasn’t with us as she is recovering from an accident where she hurt her back.

Let the meeting begin!

The meeting took about 90 minutes because of wet t-shirts (more to come).  We have next year’s dates and half of the band selected.

We object!

Vicky is the explosive force that keeps us getting better every dance.  Her creativity and energy keep everyone on their toes.  They say, “She is a force to be reckoned with!”

Vicky keeps the ball rolling!

We crashed soon after they departed around 8:30 p.m.  We had a long day.

Love you, Mary!!

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Happy Birthday Robin!

Posted on Tuesday, December 5, 2023 by Paul

Check Our Website For More Birthday Details!

We woke up to temperatures in the 50s, and our dog Scout hesitated to go outside.  However, he eventually braved the chilly weather.  We spent the morning working in the office, and finally, it’s starting to look more presentable.

I hate it when people act all intellectual and talk about Mozart when they’ve never even seen one of his paintings.

We got cleaned up and headed to the dentist.  I got pulled over by a friendly police officer and got a ticket*.  The conversation went like this:

Me: “What am I supposed to do with this speeding ticket?”
Officer, “Keep it.  When you collect four of them, you get a bicycle”.

* I made it up; there was no officer and no ticket!

After receiving a new crown, we drove along Pacific Coast Highway to Patty’s Place in Seal Beach.  Traffic was light, so we made it there in just 21 minutes.  The sun was going down and the ocean was beautiful.

Best steaks in town!

We got table #9 in the back under the large aquarium where they keep their freshest fish.  Remember, if you want to see the fish all evening, do NOT order a #7 on the menu!

While everyone was on their way here, I played with the new iPhone.  I need more time as the controls differ from my old iPhone 2!  No crank, there are buttons instead of switches, and the images are in color!

We await everybody to arrive.

Ah haw!  Our old friend wine has arrived.  We popped the cork, and the armona of this fine wine filled the room.  You can’t hardly find that in a $1.89/gallon bottle of wine anymore.   We both took a whiff of the aroma! Mary was a fountain of information.  All I smelled was dirty socks!

The party can now start.

When Robin arrived, we passed her a large bag; her present was challenging to wrap!  What could it be?  I bet it was a small water buffalo!

“What’s in the bag?”

Yes indeed!

The boys looked excited to see what it might be.  Perhaps a toy train or a basketball?

Bob and Nick are enjoying all the fun!

No, it was a handmade thingamabob.  Mary invented it for leisurely movie-watching.  The colors are Robin’s favorite.

Wow, it’s a……

Table #9 is the large one in the back room,  under the fish tank, so we had plenty of room.  (This is the restaurant where we got married three years ago!) The six of us had a wonderful time sharing stories and catching up on everything.

We giggled and laughed all evening long.

Pam likes her wine and prefers red.  We had some Welch’s red grape juice in the back and added some vodka; she didn’t know the difference (until she tasted it).   I think the expression was “Pa-Tooey!”

Pam and Robin catch up on things!

It is because your hearing is also going!

We indeed giggled and laughed the whole evening.  It was an excellent way to celebrate this great lady’s 60th birthday!

“Paul, did you really say that?”

After dinner, we headed home but stopped at Aces Bar & Grille to spread some holiday cheer.  We took control of the jukebox and played Christmas music for an hour. 

We went to Aces to wind down.

We arrived home at about 10:00 p.m. and crashed.  Tomorrow, I have to brief three classes of potential engineers at the local high school about the wonders of Engineering.

I love my Mrs. Claus!

Posted in Dining Out, Family, Fun, Holidays | Comments Off on Happy Birthday Robin!

Week #48 Begins! Christmas Is NOT Far Away!

Posted on Monday, December 4, 2023 by Paul
Memories: The Train Station – I had a large American Flyer train setup in the backyard of my house. It covered an area of almost 400 square feet. My mom and I created the mountains using window screen wire and plaster of Paris. We had two trains running simultaneously.

During Christmas time, we used to celebrate at Dad’s boss’s house even though he was Jewish and his employees were not. This year, I found a big box under the tree with my name on it.   Of course I opened it up and was I surprised!  I was ten and of course gifts are always great My dad’s boss, Ralph David Leibowitx, was a generous and amazing man.  I got my middle name from Ralph’s middle name.  BTW, his daughter got her name, Paula, from my dad;s first name, Paul!   They were pretty close friends.

It was a talking American Flyer S-gauge train station!  It had a 4″ record that ran at 78 rpm and it announced trains departing and arriving at the station!  The building also lit up

I took it home at at 10 pm I was outside in the train room assembling the gift and placing it on the train layout.  I must had played the announcement 100 times that evening.

Looking back I was blessed with the most wonderful parents and amazing grown up friends.

This ought to work just fine!  His deliveries will be done by the first of February!

The phone woke me up at 5:45 am this morning.  As I am a little older, I am fortunate to have someone call and check on me daily.  The person who called me is from India and seems to be very concerned about my car warranty.

Mary woke up at 6:00 am, and we spent the morning in the office, completing our paperwork.  It was amazing; there was a wooden table beneath the paper!

After picking up Mary from the gym, we decided to go to Orange County Farm to purchase new soil mixtures and vegetables.

She was busy today

I can’t believe I forgot to go to the gym today.  That’s seven years in a row now.

During our journey, we took a break at Renada’s for lunch and enjoyed the view of people and cars passing by.  We were particularly impressed by a beautifully restored red vehicle.

It was quite an automobile.

The angel hair pasta and seafood looked beautiful, and I enjoyed it.  Mary did the Veal Piccata, and it was also excellent.

We talked to the kids today.  They said they wanted a cat for Christmas. We usually serve turkey, but, hey, if it will make them happy.

Lunch was amazing.

The soup contents were interesting.

Yummy… Creepie crawlies!

We drove down Chapman to the nursery and asked the owner what was the best amendment to add to our raised garden.  We bought eight bags for one and a half of our garden planters.  We will need about 24 more to complete the process.

Mary selected some veggies, and we were off and running.

We did a flyby at CVS, but the prescription was not ready.

We brought all the items to the backyard using our fleet of wheelbarrows and trucks.

Each bag was 100 pounds!

We loaded the bags onto the bricks at the top of the raised bed. Tomorrow, we will slice them open and fill the beds with 2-3 inches of soil amendment mix. Then we can plant new vegetables!

We got everything moved, and tomorrow we start!

During our visit to Candy Cane Lane, we participated in an auction and successfully bid on a basket of chocolates. We decided to give them to David, who can taste chocolate after his chemo treatments.

We drove to their place, which was about ten minutes away, and spent around thirty minutes visiting before returning home.

What do you call Chewbacca when he has chocolate stuck in his hair?  Duh, a Chocolate Chip Wookiee.

Off to David and Dianne’s!

I found a pry bar at home and used it to retrieve the mail from the mailbox. When we forget to check the mailbox for a day, it fills up quickly!

I went back to the office for a couple of hours and then watched a Christmas movie.

Good night all!

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We Are Off And Running!

Posted on Sunday, December 3, 2023 by Paul

Our 27th Year!

We woke up early to ensure that everything was perfect for the arrival of Diane and Megan, Mary’s daughter-in-law and granddaughter.  It’s our 27th year, and we want to make every visit unique and memorable.

Did You Know?  In 1827 and 1828, the 15-year-old Dickens found work as a junior clerk at the law office of Ellis and Blackmore—but instead of brushing up on legal work to eventually become a lawyer, he voraciously studied the shorthand method of writing developed by Thomas Gurney.  The skill allowed him to begin working as a reporter in the 1830s, covering Parliament and British elections for outlets like the Morning Chronicle.

Vicky beat us there!

Dru and Dr. Bill were the next to show up!  This is Doctor Bill’s second time coming to join us.

Did You Know?  Charles Dickens was a prodigious wordsmith.
Not to be outdone by the likes of William Shakespeare, Dickens was the other British writer known to create words and phrases of his own.  Thank Dickens for words and phrases like butter-fingers, flummox, the creeps, dustbin, ugsome, slangular, and more.

We all gathered outside.

We had seats in Row K, providing a clear view of the entire stage.

In the theater, we were ready to begin!

Ah, girls will be girls!  Nana Mary was happy as a clam to see her granddaughter Megan and spend time with her.   Daughter-in-law Diane is also a joy to be around and fits right in!

Did You Know?  A Christmas Carol was just one of several Christmas-themed stories written by Charles Dickens.  The novella’s full title is A Christmas Carol.  In Prose.  Being a Ghost Story of Christmas.

Grandma and granddaughter.

Amy, Alex, Charlie, and Joe sat beside Franklyn, Theo and Michele.  We had the entire row.

Joe and family.

The play had some quirks this year, and it was enjoyable to figure them out.  Even the boys noticed the differences.  I noticed that Bob Cratchett dropped the coal into the bucket when caught by Scrooge instead of presenting them for inventory or dusting them off.

It was a large cast.

Many of the actors were the same as last year.

Did You Know?  Like many of Dickens’ other works, A Christmas Carol was written as a work of social commentary.  Dickens had a lifelong devotion to helping the underserved due to his own family’s experiences with debtors prison, which forced him to drop out of school as a boy and work at a factory.  As Dickens’ biographer Michael Slater described, the author thought of A Christmas Carol as a way to “help open the hearts of the prosperous and powerful towards the poor and powerless….”

Almost as many of them as there were of us!

We gathered together for a photoshoot.

It is like rounding up cats!

We gathered together under the banner for the traditional group picture.

Quite a gaggle of humanity!

The Duda’s joined us for lunch at Darya.  A fine Persian Cuisine restaurant located at South Coast Plaza Village.  714.557.6600. Repertory.  Segerstrom Center for the Arts.  714.708.5555 ·

Darya has offered Orange County residents and business professionals authentic Persian gourmet dining at reasonable prices for over two decades.

It starts with an elegant and private mezzanine room.  As you walk up the beautiful formal stairway, you’ll be mesmerized by the room’s beauty.  Your eyes will likely first notice the gorgeously lit chandeliers that bring perfect lighting to set the mood for any occasion.

Eloquent wall-to-wall French doors open to a beautiful balcony overlooking the fine dining area and grand piano.  And there is just enough natural light for that fresh, open-air, cozy feeling.

Did You Know?  The word shiska-bob was first mentioned in a Turkish script of Kyssa-i Yusuf in 1377, which is the oldest known source where this food is mentioned as a food.  It is considered to have originated in Turkey when soldiers used to grill chunks of freshly hunted animals skewed on swords on open-field fires.

What is a shish kebab stick called?  A Skewer!  A skewer is a thin metal or wood stick that holds pieces of food together.  The word may sometimes be used as a metonym to refer to the food served on a skewer, as in “chicken skewers.” Skewers are used while grilling or roasting meats and fish and in other culinary applications.

The Shiskabob was outstanding.

The service was outstanding!

Dining after the show!

Mom gives Megan some pointers about the meal, like “Don’t worry too much if it moves on its own; it was well cooked”.  The Persian appetizers disappear almost instantly.  We had pickled tomatoes and other veggies.  The Persian flatbread and butter was a big hit.

The Shiskabob was outstanding.

Diane got the shishkabob, and it was too much to eat; she will have lunch tomorrow for sure!  The onions and bell peppers were done perfectly.

Amazing Persian soups!

Dessert was gone in a flash!  The Persians have amazing desserts!

Berry dessert!

Hey, it was magic, we were there!

Just us lit up as usual.

It was lovely to have Mary’s family over this afternoon, and they even got to meet Robin, Bob, and Nick!

The family.

Diane picked a bag of greens for her chickens and rabbits.

The rabbit will be fed well this afternoon!

After they left, we had a conversation with Colleen, and she found it funny that her son showed up for dinner as a goat herder! Jon was the one who made it happen, and he did a great job! Just to clarify, the facial hair he was sporting was not real, but it looked very convincing!

Grandson Jon and Sarah go out to dinner.

We went to bed early that evening as it was a busy day!

Posted in Family, Holidays, Theater | Comments Off on We Are Off And Running!

Candy Cane Lane!

Posted on Saturday, December 2, 2023 by Paul

“We kicked off the day at 7:00 am and got ourselves ready for a shopping spree.  Mary is getting me a birthday present, which is a new iPhone.  I am still using my old one, but using it in public is embarrassing as the batteries are completely dead, and I have to keep jump-starting it.”

We went to the mall and arrived early as they are not taking appointments this time of year!

I understand it has new cameras!  The case can be personalized, too!

We arrived at the mall 30 minutes before the Apple Store opened, eager to be the first customers.  The large decorations were in place, and the toy trains circled around.  y!

The mall was all decorated for Christmas!

The staff was briefed on the plan of action for the day.  Mary was very kind and considerate as she knew that the pull cord on my old iPhone was about to break, so she surprised me by gifting me a new iPhone and an iWatch.  It was my birthday gift!  They are both beautiful, and we even received $450 for my iPhone 12, which was in excellent condition.

The Apple Store was just about to open!

We went around the corner to MEZZET, A  Mediterranean restaurant, and had lunch and a glass of wine to celebrate.  Named for the vast array of Middle Eastern small plates—mezze—beloved for the fresh, vibrant flavors of Mediterranean cuisine—these tempting dishes, generous salads, savory kebobs, and more are prepared in a bustling exhibition kitchen.  Guests enjoy an airy coastal vibe complemented by an engaging bar and cozy pocket patio for dining or lounging.

We ate lunch in the mall.

We returned home and took a short nap, as we will be up late this evening at the Candy Cane Lane event.

The trees to be bid on were on display.  Bill and Mary Capps sponsored this delightful tree.

The Bill and Mary Capps Tree

The proceeds go to people in need.  We wanted to win this one since it was all Disney.  We planned to regift it to Robin, but someone else got to it before us!

Christmas Tree Lane

Mary and I saw many old friends this evening, which made me think!

We all had salmon for dinner, and it was pretty good.  Iris and Will join Donna, Bob, and us this evening.

Dinner with friends.

Bob tried out the new iPhone camera.

The photo was taken at the wrong angle, but it is us!

Line dance time means Bob and I can talk!

Line dance time.

The beautiful lady is our dear friend Iris, who will celebrate #97 on New Year’s Eve!

Iris will be 97 in a couple of weeks!

We finally departed around 10 pm.

Good night, guys!

We hurried home and hit the sack, as tomorrow is another full day!

Posted in Dancing, Elks, Friends | Comments Off on Candy Cane Lane!