We are packing and getting ready to go! But first, the garden needs some TLC. We walked into the garden for a few minutes and then headed to the gym to get our muscles pulled, pinched, poked, constricted, contracted, pressed, squeezed, strangled, strangulated, and otherwise molested! We walk into the gym feeling 50% and exit between -50% and -80%.
We ran into Marilyn Bailey at the gym, and she’s been a regular there for over twenty years. We complimented her on her excellent recommendation for Indian food and promised to go for dinner together when we returned from vacation.
After getting beaten up by our personal trainers, we hit Home Depot for some much-needed veggies to cover up the mess we made, trying to yank out the worn-out plants. Then we hightailed it back home.
With all the hauling we do, I mentioned to Mary we might need to get a small truck. We then saw a sign and almost stopped.
We need more parts, like a turbocharger and a giant spoiler for extra speed. Oh, and a cup holder for those all-important refreshment breaks. Let’s pimp our new ride!
When we returned home, Scout was watching the house from his vantage point at the junction of all the hallways. From this select spot, he could see all entrances to the house, which meant we had to step over him no matter where we needed to go!
He is getting his beauty sleep!
We worked in the garden until 3:00 p.m. when it got too hot! We planted everything and put up two more rabbit fences. We thought the wascally wabbits were gone, but they got after our new cantaloupes!
After dinner, we decided to be fancy and checked the pool temperature. To our surprise, it was a toasty 90 degrees, courtesy of ol’ Saul.
Our new wubber duck confirmed the temperature; it’s a go!
We hunted around, found two plastic glasses (classy, I know), and filled them with “Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay White Wine,” Robin’s absolute fave. We took a sip, looked at each other, and both went, “Pa-tooey!” We’re more suited to Charles Schwab, a.k.a. “Two Buck Chuck!” Who needs fancy when you’ve got flavor, right?
It was so inviting!
We were in the water for so long that we turned into human raisins! We decided to call Dianne and Robin using Alexa video on the iPhone. We made sure to keep the camera angle high to spare them from the sight of our “raisin” transformation. After all, we didn’t want to scare away our friends with our new wrinkly look!?
Mary is a “cheap date”. Put her in the pool with a plastic skimmer net, and she will stay occupied for hours.
Mary also does tricks because I looked at her and yelled, “Prepare the boat for diving… dive… dive!” Sure enough:
What can I say??
The temperature outside was still in the 80s, so we lit up the firepit, which is now an easy job! We turned the valve and lit the match; whoooooof! Flames shot into the air thirty feet, singing the behinds of birds passing overhead! Mary pointed and yelled, “Take that, you crispy critter!”
Within a few minutes, we were toasty! We thought about marshmallows, but with the cruise just days away, we’re channeling our inner mermaids and shunning any excess calories. Make room for the cruise ship’s tropical drinks and endless buffets!
Toasty toes!
I couldn’t resist taking a snapshot of my very own mermaid. She looks stunning when soaked – don’t ask her if she wants a snack, or she might order some sardines.
“This is the life!!”
We have been in the house for three years now, and Mary has transformed it into a beautiful home with unforgettable memories and many future activities.
The sun rose, and so did we. We stumbled into the kitchen for our coffee and convinced ourselves that a five-hour workout was a good idea. The poor little cart named after Mary got more exercise today than we did, as we filled it up and dumped it several times. After all that heavy lifting, the cart might need a massage and a spa day!
The two-wheeled cart delivered bags of mulch and potting soil to the various sites around the yard.
We started early.
When Joe, Amy, and the gang invaded our pool, we had to scramble to hide the inflatable flamingo and the giant rubber ducky. The water was a toasty 84 degrees, courtesy of Mother Nature’s relentless heatwave. Apollo, the water-crazy grand dog, made quite the splash alongside Scout. They zoomed around the yard until Scout threw in the towel and dashed back indoors to the sweet embrace of the air conditioning.
Apollo loves the water!
Dang, it was 4:00 pm, and they had to go home. Mary fixed some bruschetta and pigs in a blanket for snacks, and we loaded the portable ice chest full of drinks and lemonade for Joe. Poor Joe, always needing his lemonade fix!
Darn, time to go home?
They exited the yard via the side yard as they were still wet after spending more than two hours in the pool!
We had a wonderful visit!
After they departed, we took a twenty-minute power nap and then got ready to join our next-door neighbors, Jim and Dorris, for dinner at Dynasty Chinese Restaurant in Orange.
We learned that dining in Chinese style means everyone orders an entree, which is placed in the center of the table, and you eat whatever you like. That way, everyone can try their own plus something new!
We enjoyed their company and got to know them after being neighbors for three years.
I ordered the beef, Mary did the Bok Choy with Mushrooms, Jime got the fried rice, and they got everything else. It was a feast!
Yummy!!!
We texted Jeff to see what he would like, as his mobility is limited. He got BBQ-style pork fried rice, which Jim delivered to him on the porch.
When we got home, we brought our evening glass of wine to Jeff’s front porch and talked to him until the Sun went down. We enjoy his company!
Mary loves people and she can talk to anyone about most anything plus she is funny and engaging. Not a day goes by that I thank the Good Lord that we found each other and are having so much fun living our our days together.
Am I a lucky man or what??
I have six months and this will be my modus operandi!
Posted inDining Out, Family, Friends, Fun|Comments Off on It Was Saturday Yesterday So Today Must Be Sunday!
We had a laid-back day! We got up and walked in the garden before cleaning up and departing for the Tustin B of A, Orange County Nursery, doubling back to CVS for a few goodies.
So get this: I waltz into the Bank of America like I own the place, ready to set up a money transfer between my accounts. But oh no, apparently, I can only do that online. Around that time, they handed me a “magic” phone number that promised to connect me with a “wizard.” I called the number, half-expecting Gandalf to pick up, but instead, I got this fantastic “wizard” who guided me through the online process like a mystical money-moving maestro. Banking magic, I tell you!
The next stop was OC Nursery and Farm Supply, where we got an instant class in Bidenomics. Two years ago, I bought a bale of straw for $9! We needed additional mulching in the garden, so I was prepared to buy another one! My heart skipped a beat when I saw this:
I checked my watch and looked for today’s date, and it WAS NOT April 1st!
The price of straw, the leftovers after wheat is harvested, has almost risen 400%. We decided to wait and hope to find it reasonably priced or go to a farm and buy it used!
After the shock, we collected some seedlings to bring home.
Mary has the shopping cart!
From there, we went to Staples, and Mary looked for her 2025 pocket calendar. We also found the prices very high; they needed what we were after! We returned home empty-handed.
We were supposed to go to Temecula with Robin and Michele but we fell behind in getting ready for the trip so we started packing, organizing our paperwork, getting the steamer trucks from storage so Mary can pack, and I ironed my little gunny sack for my clothes!
Daughters Robin and Michele went wild in Temecula! Bob and Franklyn were around for adult supervision.
We spent the rest of the day watching The Good Doctor. At 7:00 p.m., we took a large tray of Pigs In A Blanket and Bruschetta over to Jeff’s and joined him for a drink on his porch. Jim, our next-door neighbor, visited until about 9:00 p.m.
We were tired, and by 9:30 pm, we were sound to sleep!
We were up early as we are having company this afternoon and want to be ready!
The garden is ready for a series of shopping sprees.
Everyone began showing up at noon and the fun began!
Daughter Robin and cohort in crime, Mary!
When this group gets together, you never know what might happen. This was a quick course in “photobombing”!
How do I explain this? Ah… They were Bob’ed!
The Dudas were our heroes today. Bob attempted to cook but set off the fire alarm, Robin managed to burn water, and Nick tried to fix the sink but ended up flooding the kitchen!
They come in threes!
Meanwhile, outside, Bob tirelessly tends to the open fire while Nick and I are proudly appointed the official supervisors of the kibitzing operation!
The three cab-e-arrows!
Turn up the heat, Scotty; we need Waarp five flames!
The BBQ was hot enough to heat the pool five degrees!
Greg let the group, all holding hands, in saying grace. We are fortunate to have such amazing friends and family!
Greg did not even slip up!
Oh my, Mary rang the dinner bell, and everyone came alive all at once. It was just this side of a food fight.
“Make way, Jim has got to eat!!”
We played patriotic music all afternoon, but when it got to be danceable, Mary and I were off and running! I mean, who can resist an excellent old patriotic dance-off? USA, USA!
A penny for my thoughts is NOT enough!
Robin shows off her creation which does not last very long; like magic, it disappears.
Yummy with a capital YUM!
At 4:30 p.m., people began to depart to prepare for tonight’s fireworks displays in their area of town.
While the rocket engines warm up in Vicky’s jet-mobile, they say goodbye.
Tradition: We go to Joe’s for fireworks after dinner!
The countdown is underway!
We had a 90-minute display of explosive artistry orchestrated by the one and only Maestro of Fireworks, J E Liles! It was like the Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve. We got together and said, “Let’s party!”
Burn Baby Burn!
We were heading home at 10:00 p.m., and Mary got to watch all the fireworks explode all over the city while I kept my beady little eye on the road, watching for partygoers who definitely should NOT be driving. I felt like a hawk, ready to pounce on any car that swerved like a drunken sailor!
The day got underway with a quick walk through the garden. As I was turning the corner, I heard a p-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-t p-s-s-s-s-s-s-t. I looked around and saw Lizzy sitting on the fence. Lizzy is like our very own superhero lizard, using her magnificent appetite to keep those pesky bugs under control!
“Hey, put down the camera! I am sunbathing!”
Today’s stroll revealed that our grapes are ripening just in time for our vacation. Now, we just need to train the housesitters to be grape pickers before the grapes turn into raisins on the vine!
I tried one, and they are delicious!
As tomatoes grow, the leaves begin to wilt, and it is essential to pick the dead diseased material as bugs like dead leaves and stems. Once cleaned out, one can see all the tomatoes on the vines. We are loaded this year! These are hanging six feet in the air.
Pick the harvest!
After our leisurely walk, we bravely decided to grace the gym with our presence. The enthusiastic trainers ensured that every little muscle in our bodies received loads of attention, ensuring that we felt the burn for days to come.
Barely making it out of the gym alive, we went three doors down to the Ralphs market and shopped for the 4th (again). We filled the car with goodies.
We stopped by Jan’s and brought her some pinwheels and Cape Cod chips. She agreed to come over and join the party tomorrow, so I will pick her up at 11:45 am so she can visit with old friends.
The Silver Fox has a full tummy!
We put away the cold/frozen items and then gathered up Scout, the Wonder Dog, and headed to the groomer; he wanted to be pretty for the party!!
Since most of the groceries were stashed away before we left, we opted for lunch at the Orange City Elks Lodge at the traffic circle. We are associate members, which means we have a door key and are considered members.
The entrance is quite lovely. The Orange Elks Lodge #1475 was established on November 26, 1923, and has occupied its current building since 1935. The building was initially constructed in 1925 for the International Order of Odd Fellows.
Welcome!
Their lunch is delicious. I had a Chili Size, and it was terrific. It was loaded with onions, and the fries were perfectly done. Mary did a half-sandwich and salad which was also excellent.
Yummy!
We sat with several very interesting people who we had just met. We talked about the lodge, weather, and other topics of interest!
We were still dressed for the gym!
Mary was about to open the door when I wanted to show the other side of the entranceway! She could easily get the greeters job at the lodge!
“Come on, Paul. We must put away the groceries and prepare the patio for the party!”
I suggested she wear her beach outfit. She could explain what the Elks are all about!
Eek! I had to make an executive decision; I would fix the sprinkler system if Mary stored the groceries. Our gardener accidentally damaged the lawn mower’s sprinkler head and control mechanism.
We could feed an army!!
I went outside and got the BBQ Grille ready to go after several months in storage. I had to turn it on making the heat even more and then scrub the grille with a steel brush!
It was 88 degrees outside already, so I decided to wear my birthday suit!
I was minding my own business when Dr. Sneaky captured me cleaning the grill. Oh dear! I need to get a rear view mirror to keep and eye on her.
BBS and TLB: You have to ask Mary!
The Rain Bird had two adjustments for the pattern and spray distance.
I read it repeatedly, and they had the arrows going in the wrong direction.
It took me about fifteen minutes to figure it out, mainly because I had to bend way over our wall that divides the yard and ready the instructions upside down. Finally, I got the darned thing to work, and suddenly, I was ambushed. Shot in the rear with cold water by The Masked Doctor.
Can you imagine what I thought after baking in the sun for fifteen minutes, bent over and trying hard to return to the vertical position, and then, WAM, hit by a stream of ice water where normally the sun does not shine?
I screamed a few select words, got vertical, and whirled around to see what was happening. I was held at gunpoint! She should have worn a mask and demanded my money, but seeing my gardening uniform, she just giggled and ran back into the house!
CAUGHT IN THE ACT! She thought it was quite funny!
The patio is now 80% ready to go!
The BBQ was fired up, and the grill was cleaned and greased.
Feeling sorry for how she got me with her pistol, Mary made some of her delicious fruit salad. We had that for dinner, along with a PB&J toasted sandwich.
We called Jeff to see if he wanted company, and he said, “Come on over and sit on the porch. There is a Vandenberg launch in a few minutes!” We grabbed a glass of wine and headed across the street (I changed from my gardening outfit).
After visiting for a few minutes, the sky lit up, and the rocket launched. Vandenberg is 3 hr 14 min (196.1 mi) away via US-101 N from our location.
Firefly launched eight CubeSats selected through NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI), which provides satellite developers at U.S. educational institutions and nonprofits with low-cost access to conduct scientific research and technology demonstrations in space. The complement of CSLI CubeSats on a given flight is referred to as an Educational Launch of Nanosatellites or ELaNa. The Alpha FLTA005 Noise of Summer mission will carry NASA ELaNa 43 payloads.
Get ready, set set, go!
The first stage was brilliant.
Look carefully; you will see the first stage drop off and the second stage fire up. It was helped along by Jeff making various rocket sounds in the background. At the start of the second stage, there was a distinct Taco Bell sound.
We have separation!
Alpha FLTA005, a mission called Noise of Summer, supports Firefly’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demo 2 contract with NASA to validate the capabilities of launch vehicles that support a new launch class and provide more access to space for small satellites and spacecraft. Firefly will conduct Alpha FLTA005 as another responsive space operation, which includes transporting the payload fairing to the launch pad and mating it to Firefly’s Alpha rocket within hours of the scheduled liftoff, compared to weeks in a typical operation.
The flight path is explained!
It was spectacular.
Have a safe journey!
Returning home, Mary made potato salad, and I puttered around before bed at midnight.
Today’s weather is as indecisive as a teenager in heat! It’s supposed to be in the mid-80s, so I’ll be sporting my ‘Gardening Costume,’ complete with a sunhat and flip-flops. Let’s hope I don’t scare the neighbors!
I put on my flip-flops and sunhat and headed to the garden at 8:00 am. Meanwhile, Mary showed up wearing her nightgown, two bathrobes, and a burka. She definitely couldn’t understand why she was feeling so warm!
After a quick trip around the garden, we headed for the local nursery, and I remembered I was desiring Mexican food. Bahia was on the way!
What do you call cheese that isn’t yours? Nacho cheese!
Wow!
Ostioneria Bahia Mexican & Seafood has been serving authentic Mexican dishes since 1991.
It was on the way to the nursery!
Breakfast/brunch was terrific!
We needed to go to the nursery after breakfast as we were attempting to replace our vining veggies. We decided the Laguna Nursery on Tustin would be a good starting point.
We filled the trunk up with goodies and headed directly home.
As expected, they had everything!
We emptied the trunk and began planting as soon as we got home. Mary took the front yard while I took the backyard. In the back, I did some severe trimming of the dead leaves. We have five spaghetti squash remaining, and they are easy to spot when the dead leaves and vines are removed.
Everyone loves these little beauties.
I spent a few minutes replacing some leaking hose bibs and then organizing the planting bench. The moveable trash cans sure come in handy when working, and making the space between the planters wide enough was a stroke of genius (if I don’t say so myself).
These 90-gallon beauties roll up and down the beds with ease.
By mid-afternoon, the heat was getting to me, and I was afraid my gardening outfit might give me a sunburn where. I did not want a sunburn, so I came inside until around 5:00 pm. Mary remarked I am getting freckles on my tuchas. Oh, dear!!
The patio flowers are going wild!
I popped over to Home Depot around 7:00 pm after having an excellent dinner courtesy of Chef Mary. She stayed home and made stuffed eggs since we are going to Joe’s on the 4th, and the boys enjoy her eggs so much.
My basket was filled with goodies to water the lawn and garden, including a new rotary sprinkler and a two-port hose timer for the cactus garden.
We talked to Colleen, and she was not happy, as she had to put Dakota down. He was a magnificent dog—a 150-pound St. Bernard—but he had lived thirteen years and just ran out of gas. We know how she must feel, as Scout is not fourteen and is slowing down significantly.
We decided to give the grass sprinkler a full spa day to ensure every blade of grass gets pampered. After all, keeping our lawn looking fabulous is essential, especially during this heat wave. We expect the grass to come out looking like it just returned from a luxury vacation!
The yard is lit up pretty well at night.
We watched an action movie in which everyone gets shot, but in the end, the guys in the black hats eat dust while the folks in the white hats take a bow. I think they saved the world from a nuclear disaster or something like that!
July is here, and we are halfway to Christmas! Time is flying. At my age, I have many fewer years to look forward to than the years that have gone by, but I plan to make the best use of my allowed time!
After strolling through the garden, we tortured ourselves at the gym for a solid hour. By the end, we were so done that we had to crawl to the car, plop ourselves in, and wait for the air conditioning to revive us. The workout was good for us, but placing us on the 55 freeway and asking us to chase cars seems a little much!
Being “old,” we had to do our Monday social activity: visiting the pharmacies. We went to Walgreens and then CVS, trying to keep everyone in business. That was so much fun we decided to go home and fill our pill boxes. We did two weeks at a time, and you would swear that it was hailing on a tin roof as we tossed pills into our containers.
It was 88 degrees outside so Mary decided to stay in and do some chores. I, on the other hand, was sent out into the blazing heat to repair the drip watering system. Sweltering in the intense sunshine, I managed to get half of the line fixed, and then disaster struck!
So, picture this: I’m holding a butane hand torch in one hand and a 1/4 plastic drip tubing in the other. I decide to turn on the torch, but guess what? It’s pointed right at the palm of my hand! Next thing I know, I’m not just burning plastic; I’m also roasting my hand inadvertently. Being your own barbecue is less fun than it sounds!
OUCH!!!!!
I raced into the house and put butter on it! Then I yelled for my doctor, but I got no answer! I tried again, but I got no answer! Then I saw her head out in the garden, so I screamed for her help! She came running and properly took care of the problem. After she doctored it, I felt no pain!
We went harvesting tomatoes, onions, basil, and garlic because Mary wanted to make the first bruschetta of the season. I sliced and diced while Mary took care of the bread. She chopped up an entire baguette, and with the exception of two pieces, which we took to our neighbor Jeff, we ate the whole thing!
It was so good, it tasted like Summer!
It was delicious!
While at Ralphs, I approached the very beautiful woman in the large supermarket and asked, “You know, I’ve lost my wife here in the supermarket. Can you talk to me for a couple of minutes?” “Why?” “Because every time I talk to a beautiful woman, my wife appears out of nowhere.”
After stuffing our faces at dinner, we plopped to watch more of “The Good Doctor” and were tucked into bed by 8:30 pm. Between our super intense weekend activities and the heat, we were as exhausted as a sloth in a marathon!
Tomorrow, we are getting ready for the party on the 4th so that we will be running around like chickens with our heads cut off.
We were up early and had our coffee to kick our hearts into gear!
A quick trip to the garden revealed that one of our hose bibs malfunctioned, water was squirting ten feet in the air and the planter was full of water. We were happy that the emergency drain which we put in inches deep in the ground was working. The water excess drained into the flood control channel behind our home.
Mary observed that she has an electric blender, toaster, and bread maker. She said, “There are too many gadgets and no place to sit down!” So I bought her an electric chair.
We will brunch with Vicky and Jim at the Elks Lodge at 10:00 am. Yolie and Irene will also be joining us! We look forward to catching up with everyone over delicious food and great music.
Did You Know? Modern Mariachi music has adopted other genres, such as ranchera songs, the bolero ranchero, and even the cumbia from Colombia. The lyrics of Mariachi songs portray the love of the earth, hometown, native land, religion, nature, fellow countrywomen, and the strength of the country.
According to a popular legend in the town of Cocula, mariachi music as we know it today originated in the Mexican state of Jalisco in the 19th century. The mariachi was the distinctive version of the Spanish theatrical orchestra of violins, harps, and guitars that developed in and around Jalisco.
These six folks were very talented.
We were dressed for the occasion. Next time we are in Mexico we will need to buy red, white, and blue sombreros.
Eye Yii Yii Yii!
I asked Mary if we were being followed. I had this feeling that a photobomb was going to occur!
We had our TV antennas tuned to channel five, KTLA.
Vicky and Jim were having a lot of fun, so we had to tease them a little. We all admired Jim’s shirt!
I bet you wish you had a microphone nearby to capture all the drama!
We are attending a patriotic musical in a few hours, so I was prepared beforehand. I did forget my patriotic hat.
Just me, red, white, and bruised!
Irene and Yolie joined the fun this morning. They are add fun to any activity.
With them, we have appropriate adult supervision.
It’s time for a bullfight. I was worried! It reminded me of a story:
A young man stopped at a local restaurant after a day of roaming around in Mexico.
While sipping his tequila, he noticed a sizzling, scrumptious-looking platter being served at the next table.
It looked good.
It smelled good.
He asked the waiter, “What is that you just served?”
The waiter replied, “Ah señor, you have excellent taste! Those are bull’s testicles from the bull fight this morning. A delicacy!”
The visitor, though momentarily daunted, said, “What the heck, I’m on holiday down here! Bring me an order!”
The waiter replied, “I am so sorry señor. There is only one serving daily because there is only one bullfight each morning. If you come early tomorrow and place your order, we will be sure to save you this delicacy!”
The next morning, the man returned, placed his order, and that evening, he was served the one and only special delicacy of the day.
After a few bites and inspecting the contents of his platter, he called to the waiter and said, “These are delicious, but they are much, much smaller than the ones I saw you serve yesterday!”
The waiter shrugged his shoulders and replied, “Si, señor. Sometimes, the bull wins.”
Oh My!!!
We had dancers demonstrating some Mexican folk dances. We stayed put for fear we might get run over.
They are whirling and twirling!
They were eyeing the tookies!
Mary got up close for a picture (I think she was after a cookie for dessert!)
Just before 1:00 p.m., we jumped in our car and headed to La Mirada to hear some patriotic music! It was a 40-minute trip, including us stopping to get gassed up!
Tap along with patriotic pride to Mr. Broadway’s flag-waving classics “Yankee Doodle Dandy” & “You’re a Grand Old Flag” – plus “Give My Regards to Broadway” and many more. Theatrical world premieres of unheard Cohan songs, pre-and post-show concerts, and a free CD included!
George Michael Cohan was an American entertainer, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer and theatrical producer. Cohan began his career as a child, performing with his parents and sister in a vaudeville act known as “The Four Cohans”.
When we arrived, it was 94 degrees—oh my! We had a few minutes, so we called Joe and Zack to see if they wanted to join us for dinner at the Beer Stuben Restaurant, which is part of the new Phoenix Club in Brea.
Poor Silver Fox, he does NOT like the heat!
I can’t believe this theater used to be a Fox Movie Theater in the 1960s and 1970s. I lived three blocks away from it for almost 15 years, and Joe still lives within three blocks of it. It’s like the theater is their unofficial neighbor!
They did a fantastic conversion!
They produce Broadway shows and many other performances during the year. This show was performed twice and sold out both times.
The Paragon Vintage Orchestra performed the music!
Listen to the real thing!
The Paragon Ragtime Orchestra is the world’s only year-round, professional ensemble re-creating “America’s Original Music” – the syncopated sounds of early musical theater, silent cinema, and vintage dance. The PRO came into being due to Rick Benjamin’s 1985 discovery of thousands of turn-of-the-century orchestra scores once belonging to Victrola recording star Arthur Pryor. In 1988, the Orchestra made its formal debut at Alice Tully Hall – the first concert ever presented at Lincoln Center by such an ensemble.
We all came from the Elks, and there was quite a change in the music!
Mary was the photographer.
They performed for two hours with a twenty-minute break and received a standing ovation at the end of the performance.
There was not a dry eye on the house!! We also did a couple of sing-a-longs!
At 4:15 p.m., we headed to Brea for dinner with family. There were ten of us. Our son Joe was there with Amy, Alex, and Charlie. Our Grandson Zack was there with Rebecca, Remy, and Lilly. We had a good time and got to visit.
Mary went for the German food.
Remy was bashful today until he moved down to his cousins; things returned to normal.
Becca is a doll!
Speaking of dolls, Amy has a magical feature. I can’t sneak a picture of her. I get “The Amy Look” as soon as I move the camera.
As we headed home about 6:00 p.m., the sun was low in the sky, but it was still 94 degrees! If I wanted to feel that hot, I would’ve just hugged a toaster. The trip home took a grueling 19 minutes, and the temperature was a pleasant 82 as we pulled into the driveway. It was like stepping into a nicely air-conditioned oven!
We tried to be productive and watch two episodes of The Good Doctor, but by 9:00 am, our eyes staged a revolt, and we crashed harder than a computer running Windows 95.
I dozed off twice and once I was awaken by a beautiful dream!
Mary tried on her swimsuit for the upcoming trip to the Caribbean!
We talked to our social director, Miss Vicky, and set up our schedule for Cerritos! We are going with her and Jim to five shows between December and February! The shows are always excellent!
Today we started with collecting goodies for Michele from our garden. Michele, my middle daughter, loves to cook. She is a vegetarian, which in ancient Indian means “poor hunter!”
Mary and Robin go shopping for Michele in the garden!
Michaels is at Katella and Tustin, just two miles from our home. They have almost anything you need, whether you are an artist or a home decorator.
Eat your heart out, Colleen!!
If you squint hard, you might notice that one of Mary’s prized red flowers bravely escaped her shoe and went into hiding. So, we embarked on a quest to find a willing replacement, and once we returned home, it was time for a dramatic sewing showdown. We considered the simple glue route, but with Mary’s fancy footwork, I decided a needle and thread ensemble would be the better fit.
We needed some goodies!
Robin came by at 1:30 p.m., and we got into the Silver Fox and zoomed to Michele’s house in Huntington Beach. She was celebrating her birthday, but her age will remain forever a secret!
Michele escaped the kitchen.
We lounged in the shade in the backyard and mingled with some new pals. The man in the blue shirt hails from India but has been living in the US for a whole 40 years. At 78, he’s a riot to chat with – it turns out age is just a number, and so is the number of jokes he’s got up his sleeve!
We met some charming people.
Meanwhile, the guests share stories inside, and Michele is the perfect hostess, ensuring everyone’s wine glasses never go empty.
Co-workers of Franklyn
We stuck around until 4:30 pm, chatting with the entire crew. Time flew by faster than a cat chased by a cucumber! We needed to get home as Robin had to meet with her friends and discuss the upcoming trip to South America.
Saying goodbye is always difficult.
Lisa texted us and said sorry they could not make it today, but she was suffering from the aftermath of a severe cold and decided to keep the germs in San Diego. Pete and his stepdaughter granddaughter are doing some gardening while Lisa rests.
Pete and Lisa could not make it.
On the way home, we quickly stopped at Chico’s so Mary could get some jeans shorts for working in the garden! We then zoomed down the 22 to the 55 and home, where a short trip to the garden was made so Robin could go shopping.
Back in the garden again!
Robin departed, having to meet with Maggie at 6:00 pm. She got a shot of us before hitting the freeway!
Just us.
Our home is decorated for the event, and the decorations will stay until we return from the Caribbean on July 28th unless my grandson, the caretaker living in the house while we are gone, removes them.
We love our home, Casa Valencia!
After Robin departed, we visited Jeff for a while. Coming back home, I could hear the flag flapping in the breeze. United We Stand, indeed!
The afternoon breeze makes the flags stand on end!
It was nearly 8:30 pm, and we were platitudinous. It was time for bed! We did not even turn on the TV; just crashed! Tomorrow will be another busy day in our lives!
Good night!
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Coffee and Computers are the way to start the day!
Guess what? This morning, Mary beat me to getting up! I was still half asleep when Scout started wagging his tail. Mary was already gone when I finally opened my eyes! So, I stumbled to the backyard with Scout, and he looked at me like, “What took you so long, buddy?” Clearly, I need to up my game!
Returning inside, I met Mary, who was busy at her computer, making arrangements to visit Baa Haaba, Maine, for her CME class. We will revisit Colleen in September and spend several days seeing the three grandkids and four great-grandkids! Last year was fun, and I suspect this year will not be different!
We spent a few minutes checking out what the pundits were saying about the presidential “debate” and as expected, Biden was a disaster.
We visited the garden for a bit and did some severe rose pruning. We emptied Mary’s wheelbarrow twice with all the clippings from the front and back yard.
The roses and apples are having a party.
The large tomatoes are coming on strong. The green beauty will be red in about two weeks without the use of chemicals!! Green tomatoes are edible, so when they look like this, slice them up and fry them! Because they have a lower water content, green tomatoes are perfectly suitable for sauteing and frying.
Oh my! You are a beauty!!
We checked the red, white, and blue flowers since the 4th is coming soon!
OK, white, blue and red!
In the front yard I put a wire just anove the fence on the left side of the yard; no birdies can sit on the fence and so what birdies to best!
While Mary continued pruning, I connected the mini-tower to the automated watering system.
We worked for several hours and finally sat down after trimming the backyard east-wall roses and putting an entire bag of redwood bark mulch in the movable planters.
Yay, the roses have been mulched! Now they can relax and work on their summer tan.
We talked to Robin, and in the background, we kept hearing an “alarm.” They thought there might be a fire in the wall. Bob tried everything to get the chirping to stop. It was the carbon monoxide alarm. The detector battery turned out to be “dead,” but the alarm said, “Replace my battery!” We think Robin just wanted to visit the hunks!
Did Nick miss the fire engine?
It was dinner time, and Mary fixed a great meal using the steak from last night plus fresh goodies from the garden,
After dinner, I opened the swim spa cover, and we sat in the hot water for 45 minutes. After coming inside, we continued binge-watching The Good Doctor. We are at season four, episode 15, now.
Time to get the giant soup bowl (swim spa) ready for a relaxing dip after dinner!
We finally decided to hit the hay around 11:00 p.m. Tomorrow afternoon, we are going to celebrate Michele’s birthday at her home.
