Tonight We Shall Beware Of Ghosts And Goblins

Posted on Thursday, October 31, 2024 by Paul

Candy is stockpiled, and the door has been oiled; let them come!

Witch-ing you a Happy Halloween!

When I met Mary, it was love at first bite.

Try the sound  (Click the small arrow), but be prepared!

We are ready to greet trick-or-treaters like it’s a red carpet-event. Just us, a bucket full of sweets, and a sign that says, “Take one… or face the wrath of my candy-hungry guard dog!”
Scout swears that every year on this day, the kids from the hood come by to say hello to him and want to see him in his costume.  Tonight, he will be Agent 007 in his tuxedo, or he might wear his hot-dog costume; we never know.

We called Vicky and received a resounding thumbs-up on the air fryer. Now, we have to get her recipe!

We pranced through the garden like a couple of confused squirrels before Mary took her shower, trying to plan how we’d plant all the new arrivals. I’m convinced the plants were judging us from their boxes, thinking, “These two? They can’t even pick a spot for a picnic!”

Then we saw the sign!

We should have paid attention!

These little guys will be in the ground by Friday afternoon and will become delicious peas and cauliflower within the next 60 days!

Soon to be planted.

We thought all the tomatoes were gone, but these little hangers-on must have signed a lease! They’re like that one friend who just won’t take the hint to leave the party.  The Last of the Mohicans still provides an excellent addition to our sandwiches.

Last of the tomatoes.

We make kale chips all the time. Since they are baked, not fried, they are just as healthy as raw kale, which is rich in antioxidants and vitamins A, C, and K.

With a bit of heat, they become kale chips!

We walked past the roses, which seemed to enjoy the weather change.  They are quite fragrant and seem to be reaching to the sky!

The roses are looking good.

We departed the house at 11:00 am for CVS and Dianne (she is joining us for lunch at the Elks).  We did our business at CVS and then the phone call.  “I think our dog is wandering down the street!”  Yes, Scout escaped our gardener when he was not looking.

We put the Silver Fox into “P” for Pass and careened around many corners to get home as soon as possible. A lovely neighbor got him, put him in the car, and escorted him home! That was close. Poor Carlos, our landscaper, was dumbfounded, mortified, and otherwise embarrassed, apologizing repeatedly.

Yard Supervisor in action.  Scout The Wanderer!!

We made it to the Elks, and on the way, we picked up Dianne. Dianne had a Remember David Birthday Cake, and she brought it along. It was from Katella Deli and was terrific—so much for my diet.

Happy Birthday, David! We miss you!

Dianne and Will cut up the cake.  All of us at the table gobbled it right down!

Dianne cuts the cake.

We returned home after dropping off Dianne and readied for the onslaught!  I took out the trash, cleaned the garage, and took a short nap!  Then it was dark, and I turned on the Halloween lighting:

We closed our eyes and imagined what was going on outside!

Tricking and Treating

We were loaded for bear… Candy was everywhere!

Our neighbor drove by and honked his horn!

Darned Honkey!

This is how Dr. Mary treats her victims.  One year, her cackle made a little guy wet his britches.  Now Mary asks the parents if it is OK!  Take a listen!!

Fasten your sheet belts; it’s about to get crazy!

Too cute for words!

Mary greeted them all with her now famous witch’s cackle (she sounded like Camel-Ah); it even frightened me!

As Mary says, “If you’ve got it, haunt it!”

“Would you like a piece of candy, little person?”

While sitting, we got a picture of The Haunted Duda Castle, which looked pretty scary!

The Castle Of Count Duda

Then our new friends arrived. The mommy saved Scout this morning. We asked them to stop by, and we filled their baskets with candy! Scout came to the door and barked hello.

This family saved Scout!

Then came the scary part.  We have bugs!  The newlyweds still are having fun together; this is a good thing!

Buggy!

This entire evening, we had four groups of people for a total of sixteen kiddies. Perhaps Mary’s cackling keeps some away?

We now have to hide the candy because Scout and Mary keep sneaking into the candy dish, and I find wrappers hidden everywhere.

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Hump Day And We Are On The Move Again!

Posted on Wednesday, October 30, 2024 by Paul

We are ready for tomorrow evening!

There was no operation again today, so we headed to the garden instead!

Mary harvested some peppers for Vicky, and I replaced the tarp over the potting bench and sinks! The garden looks pretty good for winter. We cleaned up the kale and pulled all but the last two  tomatoes.

We keep thinking about installing a small greenhouse to grow tomatoes all winter.  A greenhouse is ideal for this purpose in California, especially in milder regions. However, it is essential to maintain the proper temperature and light conditions within the greenhouse, as tomatoes are sensitive to cold weather and may require supplemental lighting during shorter winters.

Mary keeps her eye out for the garden gremlins!

We visited the garden, and there was no sign of varmints.  The apples are looking good.  Yesterday’s plantings are hearty!  All is well!  Today we will select additional winter veggies from H&H Nursery!

Apple sauce is coming soon!

We decided to go to Los Alamitos and have lunch with Vicky at The Fish Company.  The Original Fish Company has been family-owned since opening day, Feb. 1, 1981. Daughter Vanessa has overseen the restaurant for more than 20 years, with insight and assistance from her mother Wendi. Many dedicated staff members have been here more than 20 years. The Original Fish Company is their only restaurant. They are not a chain by choice.

The Fish Company was decorated for Fall.

For starters, we had Oysters Rockefeller. Mary loves their Rainbow Trout, and I went off the reservation and had a Shrimp and Scallop Skewer! Vicky had an interesting sandwich, a tuna melt!!

Oysters Rockefeller is a dish consisting of oysters on the half-shell that have been topped with a rich sauce of butter, parsley and other green herbs, and bread crumbs, and then baked or broiled. Lemon wedges are the typical garnish. Many contemporary adaptations use diced oysters instead of whole

Delicious!

Vicky says, “These little fellas are an Afro-D-Z-Ack”.  I had to look that up!

Ladies!

A lovely lad from the booth beside us offered to take a few photos, and he did an excellent job!  No feet or heads cut off, yeah!

We laughed and giggled for the entire meal!

After lunch, we went to Imperial Jewelers to fix some jewelry and then to H&H Nursery to see their available winter veggies.

We have many of these now planted!

Once home, we got two photos of Vicky’s latest creation using her new air fryer.  Vicky is an excellent cook already but when alone, sometimes having a small oven is great for cooking for yourself or a guest!

Looks good!

We hope it tastes as good as it looks!  Colonel Sanders, what out!

P.S. We called Vicky early on the 31st and she confirmed the chicken was excellent. crispy, no oils and it was so good she ate three drumsticks.

Vicky! What time is dinner??

Mary was still feeling under the weather, so she went inside and watched TV while I emptied the car trunk and got the mail. I then fixed her dinner (well, I reheated Mary’s dinner from last night) —I was still stuffed from lunchtime!

We watched TV until about 10:00 pm when our eyes got pretty droopy and the series LOST got pretty goofy!  Scout went outside for his nightly pre-beddy-bye yard patrol and sure enough, there we no elephants.

Mary made her needlepoint, and we watched TV.

Posted in Dining Out, Friends, Gardening, Vegetable Garden | Comments Off on Hump Day And We Are On The Move Again!

What Have I Done?

Posted on Tuesday, October 29, 2024 by Paul

One hell of a golf cart!!

We were up and going by 7:30 am as we had big plans for today!

I took Mary to her painting class at 1:15 p.m., then went to my heart doctor’s appointment at 1:45 p.m. As soon as I was done, I returned to the Tustin Senior Citizens Center to pick up Mary, and then we went to Old Ranch Country Club in Seal Beach.

I arrived at the doctor’s office at 1:10 pm, and he took me 30 minutes early.  Bad news: the hand operation had to be canceled as the doctor wants me to undergo a treadmill test next week before I go under general anesthesia during the operation.

Mary came out of class with her new roll-around painting rig, carrying her latest work of art. We blasted off to Seal Beach like squirrels who had just spotted a hidden stash of acorns. I half expected us to leave little fire trails behind us!

The pumpkins in her painting were perfect timing!

Mary’s #3 painting is another fantastic effort.

We immediately framed the piece and called The Louvre in Paris for their assessment.  Then we called the insurance man to have it insured for millions.

Paris reacted with “Sac A Lea Blew. Fantastique, quelle œuvre d’art !”

Charlotte Sanders hosted us today. This will be my first time playing in almost seven years, and Mary hasn’t played since 1996, or 28 years!

They sound of “snap, crackle, and pop” was heard everytime we bent over to tee up a ball!

Charlotte’s Hole-In-One!  I was there!

Today was a hoot!  We got there early enough to go to the members driving range, and we had a stroke of luck!  Remember,  it takes a lot of balls to golf the way I do!

Remember: In primitive society, when native tribes beat the ground with clubs and yelled, it was called witchcraft; today, in civilized society, it is called golf.

Mary was reminded to address the ball, and then I heard under her breath, “Hello, Ball!!”  To make matters worse, she asked me if it was a Miss or a Mister!

The clubs were pristine but years out of date!

My game is so bad I had to have my ball retriever regripped!

I had a flashback to my childhood!  The Queen of Hearts is a character from the book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by the writer and mathematician Lewis Carroll. She is a foul-tempered monarch whom Carroll himself pictured as “a blind fury” and who is quick to decree death sentences at the slightest offense.

The poor flamingo!

Mighty Casey is now at bat, and we can see squirrels, ducks, aardvarks, mongooses, gooney birds, mud hens,  turtles, and other wildlife scampering away to save their lives!

Q: What do you call a wizard who can turn himself into a golf club?
A: Harry Putter.

FORE!!!

Did You Know? In golf, people yell “fore” as a warning shout to alert other players on the course that a golf ball is heading their way. “Fore” essentially means “watch out!” It’s a safety measure to prevent injuries from a wayward shot.

As we approached the #6 hole, a long par five, the local geese eyed us with great suspicion. They were ready to take flight when they saw us coming.

It was almost a traffic jam of geese because I heard them honking.

The geese were giggling at our antics.

Then the fun started; I was on the green in four shots.  One more carefully played putt, and I would have parred this puppy!

Q: Golf is the easiest game in the world.
A: It’s just really hard to play.

You will notice no sign of Mary and Charlotte; they stayed well behind the Master Slicer!

Charlotte suggested we take this snap as I manage 140 yards and put the ball onto the green; it’s just a putt away from victory!

Q: What’s the easiest shot in golf?
A: Your fourth putt.

I must talk to Joe about my driver! I was shocked that my 3-wood did so well!!

Mary looked over and said, “Your golf is improving. You’re missing the ball much closer than he used to!”

Below is my favorite shot of the day. Charlotte saved the day by retrieving and moving us forward with great aplomb!

We look pretty good after a three-mile walk!

We found some later afternoon sun for a quick photoshoot.

The sight of the clubhouse reminded us it was dinner time, so we played one more hole before declaring victory!

The clubhouse was in view as we turned the corner on #7

We had to remind Mary not to take golf suggestions too literally.

No, No, we didn’t mean that exactly!

Oh my, the ball was so embarrassed it turned red!

Mighty Mary be at bat…

She did NOT miss it; it was a practice stroke!  There was a definite “snap” as the club head broke the sound barrier.

There was a thunderous sound as the ball went from zero to 120 MPH in seconds.

We had dinner with Charlotte at the window overlooking the course.  The ladies enjoyed a Filet Mignon dinner complete with champagne and wine.  I stayed with the Old Ranch Chili and a Sea Salt Baked Potato.  We had a wonderful evening with Miss Charlotte.

BTW, Charlotte already played eighteen holes at 11:00 am this morning; she is a trooper!

The sun went down, and the course went dark!

On the way out, Charlotte captured us for posterior… oops, I meant posterity!

We had a ball!

Lampson, the Old Ranch mascot, was behind us, and he approved.

The SMOOOOOOCH is heard around the world.

We drove home and described our pleasant pains, swinging the bat for nine holes and walking three miles.

We were in the swim spa within minutes of arriving home. Who needs to take out the clubs or even remove our shoes when we have a hot tub waiting to embrace us like a long-lost relative?

We dove in so fast that I’m pretty sure we left a trail of crumpled golf clothes behind us. Who knew relaxing could lead to such Olympic-level disrobing? If only our neighbors could witness our soaking skills—they’d be asking for lessons in how to relax and say “Ahhhh” in six different languages.

We were soon sawing logs!

We dreamed of golf all night long!

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Ouch! Ache Soreness! Agony!

Posted on Monday, October 28, 2024 by Paul

Yes, we went to the gym!!

We pushed, pulled, stretched, and lifted! After 30 minutes on the bike and an hour of exercise, we lost 375 calories. Then, we went to the local bakery and enjoyed an “Energy Bar” and a “Latte,” which also contains 375 calories. We did a net zero this morning.

I thought to myself, “One martini is all right. Two are too many, and three are not enough.”

We rushed home, and our masseuse showed up at 11:00 am, and we both went through another hour of semi-torture.  He usually plays relaxing music, but I selected Spike Jones as today’s background music.

Lindley Armstrong “Spike” Jones (December 14, 1911 – May 1, 1965) was an American musician, bandleader, and conductor specializing in spoof arrangements of popular songs and classical music. Ballads receiving the Jones treatment were punctuated with gunshots, whistles, cowbells, hiccups, burps, and outlandish and comedic vocals. Jones and his band recorded under the title Spike Jones and His City Slickers from the early 1940s to the mid-1950s, and they toured the United States and Canada as “The Musical Depreciation Revue.”

As an example…

After the massage, we worked in the garden and planted some veggies. Then it was off to the Home Depot where we got a new tarp for the outside workbench in the garden, a new pool poll for sweeping leaves, and some flowers/herbs for the rotary gardens.

We have a system; I clear the mulch, hand rototills the ground, and Mary plants the babies.

After they are in hte ground, we return and replace the mulch or add mulch if needed.  These little fellas will be in salads in another 30 days!

We got two boxes (twelve) of mixed salad lettuce.

The wind was coming up and it was getting dark so we escaoed tot he patio where Mary planted six new herbs and twelve new flowers in the rotary freestanding  gardens.

Now we rest!

Mary got the mail and we got the Hammacher-Schlemer catalog!

Did You Know? Hammacher Schlemmer began printing and distributing a company catalog in 1881. In 1912, it printed its largest catalog to date, spanning 1,112 pages. A hardbound copy of the 1912 catalog is housed in the Smithsonian’s permanent collection. By 1926, the Hammacher Schlemmer had moved uptown to a larger space at the company’s present location of East 57th Street.

Hammacher Schlemmer began prominently featuring new inventions in their catalog in the 1930s, beginning with the first pop-up toaster and portable radio in 1930. Other products included outdoor grills, several different types of coffee makers and rhinestone dog collars.[5] In 1945, William F. Schlemmer died at the age of 67, leaving his wife, Else, in charge of the company. In 1948, Hammacher Schlemmer celebrated its 100-year anniversary with the introduction of the first automatic steam iron and the electric broom. Else did not have any children, and in 1952 she executed a will naming more than 100 Hammacher Schlemmer employees as beneficiaries. She died in 1955, leaving an estate worth approximately $473,000.

It is the closest thing to the old Sears Catalog we have these days!

Witch Was Is The Wine? Duh, we had a glass of vino and admired our garden.

She dressed for the occasion!

As it got dark, we went inside where Mary turned on “Lost” and I went out front and fixed Mr. Ghost who was blown over by the winds.

Mary made an eggplant casserole which was amazing.

Mary took a late-night spin around the block!

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Carve That Punkin’

Posted on Sunday, October 27, 2024 by Paul

Lookout, pumpkins, here we come!!

We were up early to get ready for everyone to join us for the annual pumpkin carving activity.  Robin reminded us that this was her 34th year of partaking in the fun!  We started back in 1987.

Visit the website to see all the pictures!

We took the easy way out this time. We called the local pizza joint, which is outstanding.  The pizzas were delivered almost too hot to handle!

Did we say lunch??

Cleaning the insides with a scoop is so 1990s. We’ve gone battery-powered, adding a kitchen mixer blade to the Makita drill, and off we go. Seeds and pumpkin guts go everywhere, and they’re cleaned out in a flash!

Paul gets the heavy-duty pumpkin cleaner out.

After opening the pumpkins and cleaning out one or two, the control is passed to the newer generation, and our son Joe takes over. He is a master pumpkin cleaner, and he might even give up his day job!

Joe takes over when Paul poops out.

We had a lot of teens with us, and they were having a good time. Watch in amazement as we perform miracles, getting teenagers to work!

Charlie’s lady friends was teased by Grandpa.  While putting food on her plate, she reached for the decorative paper napkins, and I yelled across the table at her, “No!  No! Please do not use the expensive napkins!”  She had that “deer in the headlights” look and quickly tried to put the napkin back.  Everyone knew Grandpa was teasing but her.  I did feel bad afterward, but I will do it again on some unsuspecting person!

The teens go wild.

Mary did her pumpkin in about four minutes flat; she cheated!  Mr. Froggy always returns to the scene of the crime.

No wonder she did it so fast!

The intensity of the work underway was quite impressive. Pumpkin guts and seeds flew everywhere, and decorating tools, including battery-powered saws, were whizzing away. It sounded like a freeway construction site.

The Lind contingent adds to the fun!

Robin and Pete were concentrating on their works of art.

Pete and Robin are going to town on their works of art!

It was the kids versus the adults (we do not know which is which) at the table.

aisley gets into the swing of things.

Then, as if by magic, we were done, and the artists’ masterpieces were displayed.

The artists and their work!

We visited for another hour, and by 6:00 p.m., the house was again quiet as a graveyard—no pun intended.

Mary and I said goodbye and gave everyone additional pumpkins to decorate their homes. It was a wonderful family day!

Remember to see the website to see all the pictures!

Bye Bye!

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Tonight We Change! We Can Be Anything!

Posted on Saturday, October 26, 2024 by Paul

We are off to the Elks!

We worked around the house most of the day and then got prepared for tonight’s extravaganza at the Elks Lodge! Our group is made up of 25 wild and crazy old codgers who definitely know how to have a blast! Imagine a herd of mischievous grandpas on scooters, zipping around like they’re in the Indy 500—except it’s just to get to the dessert table. We might need a referee to keep the bingo games from turning into a full-blown wrestling match! Buckle up because this evening will be more fun than a cat bathing contest!

To ensure we were all together, we visited our neighbor Jeff and got the high sign. We can now proceed to the ball!

Visiting Jeff.

You can see all the photos on our website. 

Paul went into the sleigh while Mary preferred to take other transportation.

“Up, up, and away!!”

When we arrived, our table was ready for all 25 of us!  Dianne came as  Dorothy, the main character who travels the yellow brick road with Toto.

Dianne and Mary!

We needed our resident hippies, and Mike and Linda fulfilled that need! They looked like a psychedelic explosion in a paint factory!

Oh my, the hippies are here.

When our group gets together, mysteries often occur. We called Scotland Yard, and they recommended that Sherlock Homes join us! Donna came along instead of Dr. Watson.

Does anyone need a crime solved?

Then, we went back in time to see Michele and Franklyn play Fred and Wilma well. We were worried that Franklyn’s short outfit might make him cold.

Where are Pebbles and BamBam

With Wilma around, he could survive a zombie apocalypse—she could cook a five-course meal with just a can of beans and a rubber band!

Yolie was scary, and her green face was perfect! Mary helped her learn how to cackle, but it turned out more like a honking goose audition gone wrong. Every time she tried, the neighbors would peek out to see if an avian circus was in town! At this rate, she might just scare off all the trick-or-treaters next Halloween!

Hey Yolie!!

Mary #2 should have auditioned for a part in the latest Hocus Pocus movie.  Iris and Will wore their 1984 Olympics Valet uniforms.

Frightening.

Is there a doctor in the house?  Yup, two of them!!  We were delighted to have Dr. Bill join us, and we got a kick out of him doing the Monster Mash out on the dance floor.

Dr. Bill and Dorothy were kicking up a lot of dust!!

Mary went visiting to make sure all was well with the attendees.

Dr. Bill, Dr. Mary, and Dianne.

When I went to the lobby who was out there directing traffic but Ronnie dressed in his uniform.  Ronnie’s attire is usually bright and loud and is always associated with a flashy style that is flamboyant and extravagant. It usually comprises of bold colored fabric, fur, and oversized jewelry.  He looks like a million dollars, all counterfit!

Our friend Ronnie made sure they played the Monster Mash!

Mary and Robin joined me in the lobby to see Ronnie.

Trick or Treat!

We had a great evening with family and friends.  Remember to see all the photos on our website. 

Posted in Dancing, Elks, Family, Friends | Comments Off on Tonight We Change! We Can Be Anything!

Posted on Friday, October 25, 2024 by Paul

Mama is cooking again!

Well, what a fine way to start the day! My hearing aids disappeared last night because they were not in the charger this morning. We looked everywhere for them, but alas, nothing!

We used the iPhone locator, and it told us they were in the kitchen/family room, so we looked high and low.  Everything was moved around like a game of furniture Tetris gone horribly wrong. I swear, our couch is now in a committed relationship with the fridge, and the chair is plotting a coup against the coffee table for hogging the remote!

Honestly, the dog was the only thing not on the move—he was treating the whole chaos like his personal amusement park.

He actually smiles!

We had one last place to look: the TRASH.  So, being a good troubleshooter, I placed the trash bags outside near the trash cans, approximately 150 feet and five walls away from the iPhone.  When I attempted to connect the iPhone to the hearing aids,  there was no signal, meaning they were in the trash.

Back inside came the trash, and Mary and I went through every piece.  Mary found them, but we had no idea how they got there or why I had taken them off in the kitchen instead of the bedroom near the charger!  It is a spooky mystery, for sure.

OK, time for lunch!

We went to The Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens to meet up with Becky and Dan, who were in town for a wedding.

We are at the Farmhouse.

We had a great seat overlooking the people shopping for their next backache. We then enjoyed a lovely lunch, complete with a cheese board and four glasses of wine!

Becky and Dan joined us at about 2:30 pm.

On our way out, we stopped for a photoshoot. You know, just casually pretending we aren’t totally awkward in front of the camera. Who doesn’t love capturing their best “deer in headlights” look?

We departed around 4:30 pm.

The valet asked if we wanted our picture taken together, and he did well! Notice that no feet or heads were cut off!

We had a wonderful lunch!

We chose a sunny spot, and it was bright! We told Dan to remove his shades and not squint. This is one picture out of 50 we took!

Dan and Becky depart the Farmhouse.

The valet tried again and did great, ensuring his shadow was not in the picture.

Good looking group!

When they departed, we went shopping for winter veggies.  We mainly were after lettuce for our salads and found all sorts of interesting varieties.

We went shopping.

While strolling through the garden, a lovely lady offered to take our picture; she liked our Halloween outfits.  Well done, but notice that we have no feet!!

We head home.

At home, we worked around the house.  Mary continued to watch “Lost” while I worked on repairing little odds and ends with my super glue.  The cooking bug bit her and she was off like a flash and started making hard-boiled eggs and applesauce.

Applesauce requires apples to be peeled which means we can try the dehydration function of the new air fryer.  We will see tomorrow morning how it worked.

We crashed around 10:00 pm and dreamed all night about the Elks Halloween Ball planned for tomorrow.

 

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We Are Off To The Elks!!

Posted on Thursday, October 24, 2024 by Paul

We went to the Lodge for a Girl’s Night Out session!

We worked in the office, trying to find the top of the pile of paper and paying bills—oh my! We made progress after a good cup of coffee and getting the old heart started. Mary’s stack is only 8″ high, and I did find the top of the desk along with Jimmy Hoffa!

Today, Scout The Wonder Dog gets to go to the groomers, which he enjoys because people come around and say, “Oh, what a pretty puppy!”  He knows he is fourteen, but he puts on a good front.

We arrived at the Elks Lodge at noon and double-checked our reservations for Saturday night.  We have twenty-five friends and family joining us.  We will miss Joe and Amy and the Lind family tomorrow night.  We understand their kid’s activities keep them entirely occupied, as it should be!

Sydney joined us today and she keeps everyone giggling. Will and George get to see the latest pictures.

We were pleased to have Sydney join us with her father.

We hardly ever get pictures of us as we do the picture taking but today all that changed! Bob Z snapped a couple of us smiling.  Paul is on the right, the one with the beard!

Hey, we are here!

Happy Ninety-Fifth birthday Papa!  Hal is Sydney’s father and he joins in all the time.  He and Iris know things!

We did surprise him and he blew out the candle with gusto!  This time, he kept his teeth in!

Dad is turning 95 next week so we surprised him early.

We departed the Elks around 2:00 pm as we wanted to visit with Sydney for a while.  We then headed to pick up Scout but he was NOT ready yet so we stopped at Aces Bar and Grill for some of their Jalapeno Poppers.

After thirty minutes, we went the groomers called Happy Tails.  Scout has gone to them for eight years now and they love him!  Did you ever see a dog so happy all the time!

Scout loves his groomer.

They pick him up and put him on the table as he is, like me, too old to jump!  The groomers are such nice people and we always recommend them to friends.

He actually smiles!

Dr. Mary checks him out and collects his special shampoo and meds.  He is our baby!  Now he will look pretty for the Pumpkin Carving Party on Sunday!  Scout is awaiting Halloween Eve where he gets to go to the door and be greeted by everyone who comes to see him!

Mama checks him over.

Scout said, “Whoa whoa whoa!  I am not leaving without my scarf!” The groomers always give their clients a scarf for the current holiday or season.

Scout gets is scarf for the season.

When we got home, the girls we talking about a surprise birthday party for someone.  Vicky brought us cookies from Rockwell’s, just what I need.

Vicky and Robin were at home when we got there!

We crashed as it was a long day and twice this week were were busy from morning until night. It caught up with us.

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Another Day In The Week

Posted on Wednesday, October 23, 2024 by Paul

Step right this way!

It is Wednesday because my body hurts, which means we went to the gym!  My trainer tied me to a new machine that was connected to the back of an eighteen-wheeler, or it seemed so! The steel cable got tight, my body stretched six inches, and my cries of pain were heard clear over in Santa Monica. OUCH!!  No longer do they call me Shortie!

We rushed home after ordering our pizza for Sunday’s pumpkin carving extravaganza. I mean, you need pizza to carve Pumpkins.

I am excited about a recent purchase:  Mary’s art travel bag! I took my life in my hands and ordered it without her knowing, but it seemed Mary-like: happy, smiling, cheerful, and full of energy!

Mary can wheel it into class and paint away!  I can carry it to the loft when we return home, where her creative juices will continue to flow!

Little does she know!!

On the way home from the gym, we decided to go to the club for dinner as we needed to pay our “minimum.”

Since the house cleaning crew was here, we opted to go to the club (Old Ranch Country Club)  a little early and have a glass of wine.

What a relaxing view.

As we scurried in the front door, we were met by a plethora of Halloween decorations.  The poor horsey has to endure the decorations; we were sure he was mortified, but he must greet Old Ranchers.

Poor horsey, him got decorated.

Juan was serving us, and we asked if he had seen Charlotte since her trip to Denmark.  He looked up and out the window, and sure enough, Charlotte was coming from the 18th hole.  We texted and waived, and she came in to join us.  I thought about starting a little fire in the ice bucket to get her attention, but I was suggested to cease that activity.

Our golf friends.

After a glass of wine, we headed to Vicky’s, about two and a half miles away as the car flew.  We visited with her and brought her a Christmas present, an air fryer perfect for cooking small meals for Jim and her.

Then, at 5:30 p.m., we left for the ranch to continue the cavorting. The front desk was also decorated to the hilt, and Mary could not resist!

We will take a vote!

We had a wonderful dinner and got updated on each other’s trials and tribulations.  Vicky and Paul did the fantastic chili. Conversations ranged from the light-hearted to the profoundly serious.

Vicky’s serious look!

On our way out, we stopped at the front desk and asked the greeter to take a picture—but do not cut off our heads or legs! She apparently chose legs. I swear, I am going to make a business card that says, “For $10, I will teach you to take pictures of people!”

I would teach them NOT to cut off heads or feet, how to use the portrait mode, how to avoid poles sticking out of people’s heads, and NOT to take a pictures into the sun!  You know, the basics!!

After dinner, on our way home.

Meet Bones, Scout’s new friend.  With all the skeletons surrounding him, he was having a field day.

Scout’s new friend, Bones!

We drove home on a beautiful night. Mary napped, and I listened to The Grand Ole Opry on Willie’s Roadhouse XM radio! We got home around 9:30 p.m. and visited with Scout before going to bed.

That reminds me to use my wrinkle cream!

Posted in Art, Dining Out, Friends, Gym, Working Around House | Comments Off on Another Day In The Week

Laid Back Tuesday!

Posted on Tuesday, October 22, 2024 by Paul

Dr. Mary is going to paint today!  She is in her painting costume! I hope she doesn’t blend in with the walls and accidentally get painted over!

We were up and going at 7:00 am today because the portable alarm clock (the one with four feet and fur) decided to go off.  To turn the alarm off, we have to put the alarm outside.

Mary made coffee, and we did some office work before jumping in the shower.  We waited for our insurance man, Brian Payne, to drop by.  Brian is a long-time family friend assisting me in replacing my health insurance plan, which is folding at the end of the year.

Brain gave us some sage advice.

After Brian finally escaped, we geared up to chauffeur Mary to her top-secret watercolor class at the Tustin Senior Citizens Center. I suspect they’re creating masterpieces in there that are too scandalous for the general public!

Below is some exciting and useful information about watercolors in general:

1. Watercolors are made from ground pigments and held together with a gum binder that’s water-soluble, of course. The pigments used in watercolor paint can be either natural or synthetic.

2. Watercolor dries a lot lighter than when it is applied. In other words, the color you apply to the canvas won’t be the same color you’ll get once the paint has dried out. The final dried color is about two times lighter than the original color applied to the canvas.

3. Watercolors are safe and practically non-toxic. However, you should still avoid getting it on your hands.

4. Watercolor has been used for many millennia – cave paintings done in paleolithic Europe were done in watercolor. It gained a surge of popularity during the Renaissance when it became appreciated is a proper art medium.

5. Watercolors can be transparent or opaque. Transparent watercolors let the light into the canvas and reflect it back, creating a sort of glowing effect. Opaque watercolors, on the other hand, don’t let the light in as much and instead make it bounce off the pigment, which creates a sort of dull and weathered effect.

6. Watercolor paint comes in tubes or pans. With tubes, you just squirt the paint out and go from there. Pans are square blocks of paint in a plastic or metal box. Generally speaking, tube paints are much easier to mix; they’re also cheaper and are better for creating large washes. As a result, most artists prefer to use tube paints.

7. Fugitive watercolors fade very quickly. Most of the watercolor paints available now are non-fugitive, meaning the color won’t fade as quickly and will last much longer.

8. The same watercolor by different manufacturers may not look the same. If you want to use a particular color, buy your paints from a single manufacturer to ensure consistency.

9. As it is water-based, watercolor paint can be pretty unpredictable. When painting with watercolors, you must learn how to control the paint. Of course, you could let the paint do its own thing and incorporate this into your painting.

Painting number two is pretty impressive! Mary is exceptionally talented.

“The object of art is not to reproduce reality, but to create a reality of the same intensity.” Alberto Giacometti.

While Mary was being creative, I returned home and did a load of washing, reorganized my closet, put my many shirts back into order, and got the steaks ready for dinner!

After picking her up, we went by the post office to drop off some goodies for Mary’s grandkids and then to Michaels to get a brush and picture frames.  We are searching for a place to show Mary’s artwork; perhaps upstairs in her loft?

We went to Michael’s to get the current artwork framed.

By the time we got home, we were hungry.  Mary went to the garden and picked a mess of green beans.  She then did a side dish of zoodles.  I prepared two steaks for the air fryer.

Through trial and error and changing the setting several time, I learned to make perfect air-fried steaks. This evening, I used a lean top sirloin, and I recommend making sure your steaks are at least 1 inch thick. Thinner steaks cook too fast without getting a chance to brown. I put a little oil (not WD-40 or motor oil)  on the steaks to help them brown better. Adding a dry rub to leaner steaks like this sirloin or chops helps with overall color.

After 10 minutes at 400 degrees, they were perfect!

They came out perfect.

Our timing was perfect, the zoodles and greenbeans were also ready to go!

Did I say perfect??

Some drippings were at the bottom of the air fryer, but they cleaned up quickly.

Are we having fun yet?  Yes, we are!!

We visited Jeff for a while before coming home and crashing!  It’s been a busy day!

Look out, she is cooking again!

 

Posted in Art, Cooking, Working Around House | Comments Off on Laid Back Tuesday!