Let’s All Be Cut Up’s!

Posted on Sunday, October 29, 2023 by Paul

Truer words have never been spoken!

It was 6:43 a.m., and I was making coffee for the lady of the house when suddenly the power went out.  This was not good, especially since we were hosting a party.  After some research using our iPhones, we discovered that Edison had turned off the power due to high winds.  According to their website, the power would remain off until 3:00 p.m. on October 31st.

You can see all the pictures at our website.

Well, we never give up, so Mary went and made her famous vegetable man, which everyone enjoys.  I went to Subway and Ralphs.  We ordered from Subway on Saturday, so the rather large order was ready to go.

At Ralphs Market, I got regular ice and dry ice.

Veggie Man has returned!

Pete and Lisa dug right in and thought the selection was good!  We had vegetarian, steak,  turkey, and chicken and ordered a Super Duper, which had everything on it.   We even got cookies and bags of chips!  We were ready to feed an army!

Subway sandwiches instead of pizza this year!

After completing the Veggie Man, Mary turned her talents to making the eyeball punch she is famous for creating!   After the ingredients were added, I carefully dropped in a block of dry-ice.

The dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide.  A block of dry ice has a surface temperature of -109.3 degrees Fahrenheit (-78.5 degrees C).  When it hits the punch, it boils and makes weird sounds!

The head witch creates a brew.

It looked horrible but delicious; there was not much remaining at the end of the afternoon.  Lemon-lime soda, blueberry juice, lemon juice, and blueberries were used.  The eyeballs were made with litchies and blueberries.

Dry ice helps!

Meanwhile, outside, the pumpkins were being prepared for carving.  The tops were removed, and Mary’s mixer blades were attached to Makita power drills.  With ease, the pumpkin flesh was removed, leaving thin walls, making it easier to carve.   We discovered this method several years back!

They are hollowing out the pumpkins using electric drills!

We had no power in the house, but the Makita cordless equipment worked well!    I slipped on a pumpkin.  It caught me off-gourd.

Go, Bob, Go!

Drew and Linda popped over and joined in all the cavorting.  We heard about their travels and shared our upcoming plans for travel.   Before they departed, we gave them four pumpkins.

We asked Zack and Joe to join us, but Zack was going to the dessert, and Joe’s boys had games all weekend.  We missed them.  Irene was too tired after last night and Brenda was still under the weather.

We had visitors!

The pumpkins were starting to take shape!  With candles, they look amazing.

Did You Know? The original Jack-o’-lanterns were made with turnips and potatoes by the Irish. In England, they used large beets and lit them with embers to ward off evil spirits. Irish immigrants brought their customs to America but found that pumpkins were much easier to carve.

The carving is done!

They were lined up and carefully examined, but we couldn’t figure out who did which one.  Eventually, we gave up and asked the artists to stand behind their creations.

Who did which one?

Now we know!  There was some pretty creative decorating/carving going on!

Now we know!  Which is the person, and which is the pumpkin?

The power was out, so I requested assistance from some kids and grandkids to help me set up extension cords to connect the 8KW generator I keep in the garage.  Within a few minutes, we restored power to the refrigerators and freezers.

If these power outages keep going, we will see a Generac 24KW generator in the future.

Our neighbor came by and asked for help opening their garage door.  I tried using the pull cord release, but it wouldn’t budge.  Then it occurred to me to try using electricity to power the door opener.  So, we ran a 100-foot line from the generator to their garage, and with the power on, the garage door opened within two minutes.

Everyone departed about 5:00 p.m., so Mary and I decided to have a glass of wine and recant the day.  Poof, ten minutes later, there was power again.  I did not pull the extension cords as the power may go off again if the wind picks up.

We crashed early!

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Time To Dance With Poison Ivy And The Gang!

Posted on Saturday, October 28, 2023 by Paul

We woke up early this morning before the sun had even risen.  We practiced our dance for this evening’s shenanigans at the Lodge!

Of course, Scout had to be brushed, and you can tell he enjoys all the attention!

“Just a little farther to the right, Mommy, please!”

He is getting ready for Sunday’s visitors, and he wants to be picture-perfect so everyone will want to pet him.  Scout told us a new joke, “Why was the Dalmatian bad at hide and seek? He was always spotted”. 

We harvested the red scarlet runner beans since they were at the end of their season.  Mary pruned the roses while I watered the newly planted grass in the southmost field.  We stopped from a quick brunch before going back to work in the garden.

Brunch after working in the garden all morning!

We spent most of the day at home and got into our costumes around 4:00 p.m. Robin came over to do our makeup, which was hilarious.

You can see more pictures on our website.

She poked me and painted me and did all sorts of horrible things to my face!

I told everyone that Mary beat me up; elder abuse!

Hell, I scared myself!

Bob did his makeup, and he did a fantastic job!  Mary had the camera and caught us all in various stages of readiness.

The Joker rides again!

We left for The Elks at 5:45 p.m. and arrived at 6:15 p.m., which was perfect timing.  Irene was there, but unfortunately, Brenda and the Z’s couldn’t make it as they were sick.  We decided to give our tickets to some latecomers.

We were in Batman-related costumes at Nick’s request; next year, he gets to pick again!

She parked her Harley right by the front door!  What’s the most dangerous part of a motorcycle?  The nut that connects the seat to the handlebar.

Motorcycle club member of 1960s hippy?

Kyla and Nick made a cute couple.  We kept telling her to “bop him if he gets out of line!”

What was the question?

Robin kept putting spells on everything that moved!

I love that shade of purple!

Robin kept passing spells on anything and everything!

We taught her everything she knows; we did NOT teach her everything WE know!

Both Bob and Paul got selected to be in the costume contest.   We did not win (there were some fantastic costumes this evening), but it was nice to be chosen!

What was the prize?

We attempted to win by making gestures when we were called out, but alas, the better costumes got the nod!

The meal was a Mexican buffet, and it was pretty good.  After dinner, Batman and Cat Lady dropped by for a visit.

We all promised to behave this evening!

Our friends from Starlighters were in the next room and having a good time.

I love the Ninja outfit!

As the evening progressed, we danced energetically to the fast music, wiggling and jumping like the other partygoers.

She should try out for the movies!

We left around 9:30 p.m. and stopped at Aces Bar & Grill to have a glass of wine with our friends before we went home.

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Getting Ready For A Wild Weekend!

Posted on Friday, October 27, 2023 by Paul

So very true!!

After dropping Mary off at the gym, I headed towards Ralph’s Market next door to buy pumpkins for our Sunday afternoon get-together.  As I walked out the door, I heard the instructor saying something, followed by a loud mix of strange sounds.

To select pumpkins, I carefully chose those with a flat side that would be easy to carve.  Remember, the larger the pumpkin, the harder the Fall.

What is a pumpkin’s favorite sport?  “Squash.”

His tummy was full; I had to make two trips!

Ronnie was DJing that evening, so we made plans to go to the Elks and dance for a while.  We left the house around 5:15 p.m. and stopped by Dianne’s place to get a long-handled umbrella to complete my Penguin costume.  Then, we took the side street to the lodge, about an eleven-minute ride.

We shared a Filet Mignon and had one of the lodge’s fantastic salads.  Bill Capps reserved two large tables for the gang; we had the Capps, Iris and Will, and Linda with her son Josua and his fiancee Desiree.

I dressed for the occasion!

Mary and Bill sat next to us and bantered with us all evening.

We danced a lot because the music was perfect.  Ronnie played more danceable music than usual.

Two young lovers were planning to get married at the lodge and had come to hear Ronnie.  During the event, I had the pleasure of dancing with Desiree multiple times; she had a great sense of rhythm.  I taught her how to dance the swing and waltz in no time.  Mary asked Joshua for a dance, but unfortunately, it didn’t go as well as expected.  However, they have plenty of time to improve.

Line dancing is always a load of fun!

Ronnie was having a ball this evening playing everything, including a Paul-requested Hokey Pokey!

Did You Know?  The Hokey Cokey, also known as Hokey Pokey in the United States, is a campfire song and participation dance with a distinctive accompanying tune and lyric structure.  It is well-known in English-speaking countries.  It originates in a British folk dance, with variants attested as early as 1826.  The song and accompanying dance peaked in popularity as a music hall song and novelty dance in the mid-1940s in the UK.

Put your left arm in, your left arm out

Put your left arm in and shake it all about
You do the hokey pokey, and you turn around
That’s what it’s all about…

No wonder he is the Good Will Ambassador of the Lodge!

They were delightful to be with and joined in and talked to the old folks just as if they had been with us before.

Desiree works for a loan agency, while Joshua works at a high-end restaurant in Newport Beach.

We danced until it became late o’clock, probably around 9:30 p.m., and we needed rest!

Coordinating colors is our trademark!

Ready for some candy korn?

  • Why do ghosts go on diets?  So they can keep their ghoulish figures.
  • Where does a ghost go on vacation?  Mali-boo.
  • Why did the ghost go into the bar?  For the boos.
  • What is in a ghost’s nose?  Boo-gers.
  • Why did the policeman ticket the ghost on Halloween?  It didn’t have a haunting license.

While driving home in the Silver Ghost, Mary suggested stopping at Aces.  We exited at Chapman and found Aces roaring with activity.  We popped in, had a single glass of wine, and set the jukebox to play real music!

We both have jukebox apps on our phones; tonight was my turn!

We live just a mile from Aces, so it took us about two minutes or so to go from the noisy bar to the sweet silence of our home.

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Elks Lodge, Here We Come!

Posted on Thursday, October 26, 2023 by Paul

Amen!

We visited the garden, but there wasn’t much happening. We are a few weeks away from seriously trimming the berries, removing the last of the beans, transplanting the huge basil plants, and beginning to plant the winter garden!

The southwest garden adjacent to the wall (rear wall ) was thriving, and the Mexican Brush Sage was attracting neighborhood bees, which was great!  We have a lof of bulbs planted next to the concrete and are anxious for them to pop out starting January!

Blooming strong; the bees love this plant!

The Hummingbirds love this plant!

We spotted several harmless garden spiders in the neighbor’s trees when we returned to the house along the western wall.  They help rid us of pesky flies.

The lime tree has gone wild again!

We received a call from our plastic surgeon requesting us to come in early.  In a hurry, we rushed to Long Beach and reached there at 10:30 a.m.  We quickly stopped to drop off Mr. Scout at his beauty parlor as he wanted to look great for the Pumpkin Carving party on Sunday.  Upon our arrival in Long Beach, the doctor promptly took us in for the appointment.

I got some squamous cell cancer removed from my chest.  It was a small spot, but he took some large borders to ensure it did not spread!

Getting ready to be cut open!

The doctor promptly ushered us into the procedure room, and we were finished by 11:30 a.m.

Slice and dice and sew it up twice!

We have another appointment scheduled in two weeks to remove the stitches and to deliver “purple gin” to Miss Ginger, who is responsible for the doctor’s schedule and is our primary point of contact.

Mary makes the following appointment.

After that, we went to Girl’s Night in Santa Ana, though we were twenty minutes late.  Despite being late, we had a great time and enjoyed the banter until 1:00 p.m. when we left to pick up “doggy-poo” from the hairdresser.

There were eleven of us there today!  It was a good time, and we all got to plan our social events for the next thirty days!

The Junior Mr. Capps, Bob C, George, and Bob Z are digging in!

Today was Will’s birthday!  Mary and I ordered him a cake and ice cream and led a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday.”  We surprised him; he had not told anyone!

Iris and Will are a fun couple.

Iris is my fearless leader, 97 years young and going strong.  It must be from living a good life!

Always a smile!

We left at 1:30 p.m. because we had work to do.  Our first stop was at Subway, where we ordered foot-long sandwiches for our Sunday get-together instead of pizza.  We ordered a bunch of sandwiches and will provide a sharp knife so Mary can enjoy the company without working in the kitchen the entire time.

After placing the order, we went to Ralph’s Market next door to get goodies for the party.  Mary recommended her vegetable man, and we got the ingredients to make the floating eyeballs!

Every year, it is slightly different; this is just an example!

As we hurried to the beauty parlor, we found Scout waiting for us, eager to show off his new hairstyle.  When he came out of the parlor, he walked with confidence and style, looking like a movie star on the red carpet.  I couldn’t help but notice that he even swished his tail, adding to his charming demeanor.

We unloaded the car, and I napped due to my persistent cough.  The next thing I heard was talking in the kitchen, and then I realized Robin was spending the night.  If you put Robin and Mary in the same room, they could converse for hours!

On Saturday, I am supposed to be a Penguin, an archenemy of Batman.

Did You Know? The Penguin (Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot) is a Gotham City supervillain and an enemy of Batman. He was introduced by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, he first appeared in Detective Comics #58 (December 1941). One of Batman’s oldest foes, the Penguin is often presented as a gentleman of crime, often developing elaborate schemes whilst presenting himself as innocent of many of his activities. An eccentric criminal mastermind, he is well-known for his love of ornithology and use of technology-fitted umbrellas. More modern depictions have shown him as the manager of the Iceberg Lounge, a popular nightclub which serves as a front for his illegal financial stature.

An icon since the Golden Age, the Penguin was a mainstay of Batman’s rogues gallery, often paired alongside villains like The Joker and Catwoman. The character was also popularized during the 1960s Batman series, where he was portrayed by Burgess Meredith. Elements of the show’s depiction would also influence future versions of the character, including more explicit bird-like features and personality quirks. The Penguin is amongst the most well-known Batman villains, appearing or being mentioned in almost every known version of Batman media.

So, tonight, we did a “makeup run.”  What in the blue blazes am I getting into?

“What is all that stuff?”

The Penguin is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman.  The character first appeared in Detective Comics #58 (December 1941).

Robin took out 72 pounds of makeup as Mary giggled from her seat next to my chair, fitted with seatbelts to prevent my escape.

She sang the whole time…”Put a little dab here; put a little dab there; put a dab everywhere!”

I am currently transforming, and I hope that the results are so good that nobody at the Elks Club will be able to recognize me.  I don’t want to be served raw, fresh fish at the Elks Club for the rest of my life.

If anyone asks, I will tell them Mary punched me in the eyes!

Geez, this was a lot of work!

Danny DiVito makes a good Penguin!

Eyeliner!  I will never live this down!

Careful there!

I am outfitted with a top hat, an umbrella, and the consummate cigarette holder.  I shall waddle as best I can!

Do Penguines have mustaches?

Last night, during my usual pre-bedtime walk with Scout at 10:00 p.m., I had a terrifying experience. While we were out, Scout suddenly looked up and began barking ferociously, which startled me. Before I knew it, Scout had bitten me on my right leg, put a layer of tartar sauce on the open wound, and had his knife and fork at the ready.  He thought, “Wow, a fish dinner!”

It was difficult for me to walk back home, and I must have looked like a penguin waddling.

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Rain Rain Stay Right Here!

Posted on Wednesday, October 25, 2023 by Paul

Duh!!!!!

The Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine allows me to sleep longer without waking up, and I am perfectly used to it. I asked Mary to make a slight adjustment in the setting, and she turned my pressure up but then decided to be funny and let a Viagra dissolve in my humidifier tank, and all I got was a stiff neck.

At around 4:00 am, after receiving a “midnight call”, I went to the family room to find Mr. Spidey sitting on top of the table lamp, trying to keep himself warm.

SPIDY! Go away!

I sat at the computer briefly and finished our visit to Roger’s Gardens on the main website.

After returning to bed, I started to think about the events of the day and suddenly remembered that it was my mother’s birthday. She would have turned 114 years old today. My mother was an exceptional individual and a wonderful mother. I am certain that she and Dr. Mary would have become inseparable friends if she were still alive.

Happy Birthday, Mom; 114 today!

We woke up at 6:00 AM and went for a walk in our garden. We were happy to see that our front and back yards looked presentable for any visitors. The new ground cover appeared to be doing well, and the front yard looked beautiful. After that, I drove Mary to the gym and returned home to complete some chores.

I accomplished a task by attaching a 1″ by 20″ by 6″ board to the counter behind the microwave oven. This simple solution prevented the microwave from slipping and sliding around, which was really impressive.

While listening to the radio, I was amazed to learn that the state of Oregon is going to continue its policy of not testing high school seniors, as those who do not perform well are believed to become emotionally upset. It made me realize that our government is incompetent and lacks the ability to make reasonable decisions.

Our leaders are pitiful and, like diapers, need to be changed!!

At 9:30 a.m., I picked up Mary from the gym. When we returned, we took a closer look at the front yard. Despite the cold weather, the flowers were thriving.

I swear I couldn’t love you more than I do right now, and yet I know I will tomorrow.

The vibrant colors set against the lush green background create a striking contrast. Let me know if there’s anything else I can assist you with.

The flowers are doing well!

I finished the microwave job before we went to Mary’s dermatologist. She forgot that Dr. Dao moved back to their old private practice office building.

While driving back, we had a close call with a motorcycle that had a passenger. It was a bit surprising to see them come so close to our car. To make matters worse, the passenger on the motorcycle was incredibly thin. In fact, they were so skinny that they looked like just a bunch of bones!

He has a friend.

We dropped off peppers at Dianne’s and went to CVS for medication.

For a long time, I was told to weigh myself naked as it’s the most accurate way to measure my weight. Despite doing so, I don’t understand why I was kicked out of the pharmacy again.

Upon our return, we retrieved the mail and prepared dinner while enjoying some movies. We were too exhausted to stay up and retired at 9:30 p.m. It was a hectic day.

Tomorrow we have to go to Long Beach to have a small cancerous growth removed and then head to the Elks Lodge for Girls’ Night Out.

“Thinking of you keeps me awake. Dreaming of you keeps me asleep. Being with you keeps me alive.”

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OMG; A Day Off. We Just Worked Around The House!

Posted on Tuesday, October 24, 2023 by Paul

Scout has to go on a serious diet!

Coffee justifies the existence of the word ‘aroma’.

Before heading out, Mary and I decided to try on our Halloween costumes. I must say, I felt like I needed a stiff drink before wearing my ridiculous penguin costume in front of our friends. Mary, on the other hand, looked absolutely stunning in her Poison Ivy outfit. It’s hard to describe, but believe me, it was a sight to behold. In fact, I couldn’t help but feel a bit envious of how good she looked. It was almost as if her costume was making me itch with jealousy!

Mary and I got down to work and accomplished quite a lot. We tackled the front yard and filled up another 90-gallon container with Mexican Bush Sage and lots of deadheaded roses. Mary planted six new carnations, while I took on the task of washing the bird droppings off our white fence (I guess I got the better job). Once my task was complete, I installed two new Govee spotlights to take care of the blank spot on the side of the garage. Now, the entire front patio is bathed in a beautiful purple hue!

Purple for Halloween (Picture taken at midnight)

After cutting back the Mexican Bush Sage, we had enough space on the ground for the new carnations, but it required knee pads, an electric drill with an auger, and half a flat of plants.

Carnations are also known as grenadines, or “clove pinks” due to their pink hue and clove-like scent.

Digging in the dirt!

After a quick brunch, we returned to the yard for a few more hours of exercise. I had gruel and turkey bacon, which is my favorite breakfast. The gruel was made even better with sliced bananas. I felt it could have used some raisins, but I had to watch my figure.

Did You Know? Gruel is a food consisting of some cereal—such as ground oats, wheat, rye, or rice—heated or boiled in water or milk. It is a thinner version of porridge that may be more often drunk rather than eaten. Historically, gruel has been a staple of the Western diet, especially for peasants.

“What shall we do dext?”

Mary and I find gardening therapeutic and rewarding despite the hard work in the backyard.

The truth be spoken!

Mary loves frogs so I could not resist posting this cartoon!  We may have to add some frogs to the backyard!

Mary loves frogs, especially fast ones!

We trimmed some lower tree branches to ensure new ground cover has enough light at the rear of the vegetable garden.into Paul’s Two Wheeler.  After the trim job, the sun was filtering through much better.

I trimmed and loaded the four wheeler.

I started with three and a half flats remaining and managed to plant them in the ground and water them within an hour. Now, all we need to do is wait for the groundcover to grow and spread out. Once they are properly established, we will be able to walk behind the raised beds without stepping into mud.

The planting is finished; let’s hope there is enough light.  Every time I find a rock, I move it to the ring around the lemon-limey tree!

Meanwhile, Mary planted some new additions to her garden. Pansies were perfect for the vertical garden because they are both beautiful and edible.

New pansies for the vertical garden.

The final berries of this season are about to ripen! We need to prune the bush severely in January to prepare for next year’s growth.

Last if this seasons berries.

The Scarlet Runner Beans are still drying. Every time we visit the garden, we pick, open, and shell more. We’ll have a jar full in a couple of weeks.

The beans are drying.

Yesterday, we harvested the last of our Bell Peppers.  Mary prepared a delicious stuffing with them which we planned to have for dinner. However, we ran out of time and ended up storing the stuffing in the refrigerator. We have decided to stuff and cook it tomorrow instead. By the way, I couldn’t resist and had several bites of the stuffing to keep myself satisfied before heading out to the show!

We made supper but missed eating it as we had to go to the show.

It is now 6:30 p.m. and we are off to the theater at Segerstrom to see Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations.

My amazing bride and I decided to grab a quick drink and a small salad at Leatherby’s before the show. It was a lovely evening with a beautiful lady. We finished just in time to walk to our seats, which were located in the fifth row of the orchestra section on the left-hand side. Mary enjoyed the theater so much that I plan to renew my membership for next year.

It is the electrifying, new smash-hit Broadway musical that follows The Temptations’ extraordinary journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. With their signature dance moves and silky-smooth harmonies, they rose to the top of the charts, creating an unforgettable 42 Top Ten hits, with 14 reaching number one.

Did You Know? The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s to early 1970s. The group’s work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top 10 hit single “Cloud Nine” in October 1968, pioneered psychedelic soul, and was significant in the evolution of R&B and soul music. The band members are known for their choreography, distinct harmonies, and dress style. Having sold tens of millions of albums, the Temptations are among the most successful groups in popular music.

The show ended at 10:45 p.m. and we were exhausted. Scout and I stepped outside to look at the moon, while Mary prepared for bed. It had been a long but wonderful day! I made one last pass at the Daily Diary making sure to correct any spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.

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Here Goes Another Week; Eleven Weeks To Christmas

Posted on Monday, October 23, 2023 by Paul

Memories: Aerials In The Sky! As you know, I was a ham radion operator since 1957 so when I moved into my first home in La Mirada, I must have an anternna farm! The picture below is me and my Colleege roomate, Joe Tracy, mounting a four element yagi for 10-15-20 meters on the top of craanked down 88 foot tower.

Scanner

With this setup, I was able to communicate with over 150 different countries around the world. One unique feature of the tower was that I used the tow wire from a large glider that the previous owner left in the yard after he sold the house to me. It was high-strength stainless steel with an armored spiral wrapping. Even in the highest winds, that tower was as steady as a rock.

Now I get dizzy getting out of bed; how times change!

We took a quick stroll in the garden and noticed that the fog had lifted this morning, allowing us to see the hill behind us. The weatherman predicts that we might experience some light rain.

The mountains are back

We hit the road at 7:30 a.m. but in opposite directions. I went to Los Alamitos to get a chest x-ray while Mary was headed to Newport Beach to meet an old friend who used to be her student. After getting the x-ray, I went to Dr. Rucker’s office for a blood test I needed for my next visit to Dr. Cobb’s office.

As I am going to meet the high school engineering students in another four weeks, I spent a considerable amount of time while driving on the freeway contemplating what I should convey to them about “Aerospace Engineering”. Finally, I decided to explain the design and construction process of the Space Shuttle, as well as the various engineering specialties that were required for its success.

We used every engineering skill known to man to create this amazing vehicle.

Just before we departed we checked in with our ace house-watcher and elephant chaser; he just wanted us to being him back a burger!

Watching his yard.

Look into those eyes and you will see a heart of gold!  He is an amazing little guy for fourteen years of age!  His hobby is watching work, he can do it all day long,

Eagle eyes.

After returning home and having breakfast, we took a ride in the Silver Fox to Roger’s Gardens to check it out since we missed it yesterday. As soon as we arrived, we were greeted by the Christmas Trains! Mary was so excited that she wanted to chase the trains around and around and kept screaming “Stop Choo Choo, Stop!”

We made it to the train on time.

We walked by the veggies and there it was, the entrance to the Bat Cave.   We clasped our hands together and tipppy-toed in with extreme care.

Every year the setup changes.  We came too late this year as the selection of goodies was quite small and in fact Christmas was beginning to take over the display rooms!

Enter if you dare.

Mary seemed to have enjoyed the experience, but we plan to go earlier next year. During our price comparison, we discovered that the same lampshade scraps that I purchased from Amazon for $6.99 were being sold for $32.99 at Roger’s. This highlights the importance of keeping an eye on pricing.

It was interesting to explore the shop!

While looking around, we came across an antique stove and it immediately reminded us of David and Dianne. Unfortunately, I couldn’t determine the exact model, but I suspected it was manufactured in the late 1950s or 1960s.

We thought of Dianne and David

We heard some whispering and after looking around, we saw these fellows moving their lips trying to entice potential buyers but at $100 each, we decided to let them rest a while longer.

We were late as the selection of merchandise was the lowest I had ever seen.

After we picked out some flowers we need for our verticle garden, we went to the Farmhouse to grab a bite to eat. We shared a delicious beet salad, some soup, and a cheese plate. We also ordered a glass of wine and Becky’s favorite drink, which was expertly prepared by her favorite bartender.

“Hello Becky”, I fixed your favorite drink called a “Becky’s Good Hair Day”

This selection of food eliminated the need to fix dinner tonight and also made a dip in the swim spa a good idea.

We finished off some soup and a cheese board beforre returing to the gardens.

We departed the gardens with six carnation plants and some dill which we plan to plant tomorrow morning.

Spooky things everywhere.

We ended up watching only half of a Hallmark movie and then got to bed at 7:00 p.m. I was taking some medication to get rid of my cough and Mary was exhausted from her strenuous exercise class.

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Sunday Be Here And We Worked All Day!

Posted on Sunday, October 22, 2023 by Paul

Mary needed help with her computer, so we called the grandkids!

We each woke up at 6:30 a.m. with a cup of hot coffee in one hand and clippers and nippers in the other.  The sounds of slurping coffee and whizzing steel jaws were enough to awake the roosters.

Our Mexican Bush Sage was getting out of control!

Before

Within minutes, we filled a 90-gallon trash container to the top.  These are Mexican Bush Sage, a hardy plant that will re-bloom abundantly in about 60 days!

The bees were unhappy about us trimming their food source, but other food sources are available around the property.

I was worried about my dimming lamp and thought I might have to throw it away.  However, I took it apart and found that the lens came clean after soaking it in the sink with dishwasher detergent.

Inside the black removable top was a tiny circuit containing a single LED that controlled the on/off based on the available sunlight.  I also found a compartment with a 1.2-volt rechargeable battery, which I replaced with a new one.  After that, the lamp was back to its original brightness.  I have another ten to go!

Shine, little guy, you have a two-year life extension!

I heard a blaring, blatant, blinding, booming, brassy, bold scream and realized Mary’s “Spidy Detector” had gone into overdrive!

I observed a giant spider hovering above where Mary was trimming the roses.  Quickly, I used my iPhone to take a photo of the spider and positioned it against the background of a rose so that it could be easily seen.

This garden spider produces venom to paralyze prey, but it’s harmless to humans.  I used a broom to capture the insect and relocated it to the yard, allowing Mary to continue trimming the roses.

Why did the man return his new pair of spider silk trousers?  They looked great, but the fly kept getting stuck.

Mr Spidy had a large web across from the vertical garden, just above the white roses.

What do you call it when you have too many spiders in your house?  A no-fly zone

As I was tidying up, I noticed a giant praying mantis.

Did You Know?  Mantises are an order of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 460 genera in 33 families.  The most prominent family is the Mantidae.  Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats.  They have triangular heads with bulging eyes supported on flexible necks.

Praying mantises possess stereo vision, and thanks to the placement of their eyes, they also have a wide field of vision.  Each of their eyes has a fovea—a concentrated area of photoreceptor cells that lets them focus and track with acuity.
They eat a lot of bugs and are considered generally suitable for the garden!

I allowed him to wander, and he vanished into the garden within minutes.

We discovered a group of tomatoes at the top of the vertical planter, with one ripe and the rest to follow later this week.

The vertical gardens hold a lot of surprises.

I water my plants twice a week and use Miracle-Gro on them.  The planter is overflowing with strawberries, eggplant, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, and herbs.

Trimming done, we cleaned up for an outing.

Mary and I got ready and went to the Elks Lodge, where a holiday boutique took place.  We weren’t sure how it would turn out, but it was a huge success.  Mary found several treasures, mostly little Christmas gifts for our loved ones.

Neat garden decoration ideas!

Everyone praised Mary’s costume at the Halloween party, and some even noticed mine.

She loves our little hats!

During the holidays, many women want their partners to dress up.  Mary mentioned she dresses me for the holidays and that I have more Halloween items than she does.  This needs to be fixed.

She was dressed to kill!

We planned to go to Roger’s Gardens in Costa Mesa.  So, we headed south for a twelve-minute trip to reach there.  Unfortunately, the place was overcrowded, with cars lined up for a block to get into the parking lot.  After voting, we decided not to visit them on the weekend, and we will go there on Monday instead.  Our next destination was Home Depot, as we needed some edible flowers and ground cover for the south forty.

After our brave gardener leveled the area, I attempted to plant Irish Moss using a spade, knife, and trowel.  However, it proved more difficult than expected, and I could only manage to plant one-third of one of the four flats of cover.  Irish Moss is a resilient but slow-growing plant that takes several months to fill out in a garden.  Nevertheless, once established, it has many practical applications.

I must trim the surrounding trees to allow more light to hit this garden area.

We still have three and a half flats to go!  Carlos will get the job after all when he returns on Friday!

The flats were heavy, being about four inches thick with soil!

While cleaning out the two raised beds in the back, I found some cucumbers we will be dining on this week.

I like gardening.  It’s where I find myself when I need to lose myself.

They were found inside the grape vines, and their colors hid them well!!

Mary was planting flowers on the patio while I helped by digging holes and sweeping.

We come from the earth; we return to the earth and garden in between.

After planting the ground cover, I sat and watched Mary work.  This statue reminded me of our future.

Ah, we hope to grow old together and still work in the garden for a long time.

Scout, of course, was lying on his bed watching all the activities.  I asked him, “What’s the easiest way to stop a dog from digging in the garden?” He barked the obvious answer, “Take away his shovel!”

Mary looks great even when she’s dressed casually.

It is getting dark; the day is done!

We went inside at 5:00 p.m. and called Colleen and Robin to check on them.  All is well with Robin as he recovers from another round of COVID.

We had a great chicken stirfry and a vino glass while watching TV!  By 9:00 p.m., we were ready to crash!

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The Weekend Is Finally Here!

Posted on Saturday, October 21, 2023 by Paul

Yes indeed!!!

Today,  mother went to school while I had planned to be productive.  Unfortunately, my diddler broke, and I couldn’t get much work done.  I did minor paint touch-ups, laundry, filing, and software updates, but that was about it.  I was even lazier than my dog, Scout!

I felt ashamed!

Mary called to say she was meeting some former students.

She taught him at UCI!

MAry said is was great to see them after all these years and find out they have been successful in their work.

At 3:00 p.m., I showered and started doing some productive tasks.  Firstly, I moved the trash cans to their proper locations, replaced the batteries of the outdoor solar lights, and also got the Govee outdoor floor lights working and partially placed them.  I filled Scout’s food bowl to the brim and unpacked his foodies from the delivery box.  I also managed to locate the cable box, which we have been paying for, even though it’s NOT connected for two years.  Moreover, I watered Mary’s cactus garden and updated the laptop software to the latest version of Adobe software.  All these tasks made me feel accomplished and content.

The cacti were not too dry, although I heard them coughing just before they were flooded!  I told them, “Cactus makes perfect.”

What did the porcupine say to the cactus? “Is that you, Dad?”

I could hear them gulping down the water.

Although there are no termites, evidence of past infestation was discovered by placing a security camera near the wood.  After the repairs, the entire board is solid.

It looks brand new; plastic wood is a miracle worker.  I even found the matching paint!

I called Diane Porter to check on the welfare of the new grandmother and received good news.  Lisa, Hanna, and their spouses are all doing well; the newborn has already reached twelve pounds.  We also discussed our travel plans and decided to take a trip to Northern California in February before embarking on our global travels for the rest of the year.

I took a short break and scrolled through Facebook, where I found an interesting recipe that we should try!

Today, I received my recent purchase delivered by Santa Claus, AKA the UPS Man.  Honestly, I have a hard time keeping track of my belongings.  I have bought six shoe horns in the past two years, but now I have only one left, and that one Mary keeps hidden from me.  She brings it to me only when I have to wear shoes, and then she carefully hides it again.

So, I bought three more shoe horns and devised a plan to prevent them from being stolen.  I will label each one with a date and attach a reward for returning it in case it’s stolen.  Hopefully, this will deter the thief, and I’ll be able to recover any stolen shoe horns.  Once I find the missing ones, I plan to set up a shoe horn stand in my front yard.

It is NOT funny!

I received a phone call that said, “Don’t pay the ransom; I’ve escaped.” At 5:15 p.m., she finished her work and headed home.  I dressed up and waited for her to arrive.  At 5:45 p.m., I heard the sound of her powerful hot rod approaching up the street.

After much exertion, I could pry open the car door and wedge myself into the tiny space.  I secured myself by buckling the five-point seatbelt and put on my anti-matter glasses to shield my eyes from the effects of the warp speed.  Finally, I asked Jeeves to start driving.

We arrived at Ranata’s at 6:03 p.m. to find Donna and Bob waiting for us.

We received information about their vacation.

Last night, we had a fantastic evening with Z’s.  The girls ordered Veal Piccata, a delicious dish of veal sautéed in wine, lemon, and caper sauce.  Us boys chose the Penne Sinistra Special, which comes in a blush sauce with chicken, spinach, and mushrooms.  The best part was that the owner recognized us and knew exactly what we were having!

We laughed, giggled, and planned our next few outings!  We departed at 8:30 p.m.

Just us

We did stop at Ace’s for a drink, as it was pretty noisy.  Luckily, we encountered our two favorite bartenders, and one of them even welcomed us with a Chardonnay in hand as soon as she saw us at the door.  I suppose we have become regulars there!

Mary was exhausted from sitting in school all day, and I was also tired from work.  We were so tired that we didn’t even turn on the TV.  After planning the next day, we went to bed early, around 9:30 p.m.  In the morning, we will work in the garden and visit the Elks to see their Holiday Boutique.  After that, we plan to visit Roger’s to see their Halloween display.  You can check out the photos on our website.

Posted in Dining Out, Friends, Just Us | Comments Off on The Weekend Is Finally Here!

Mary Got Smarter And I Diddled Around The House All Day!

Posted on Friday, October 20, 2023 by Paul

Indeed!

It looks like it’s another day; the sun has made a complete revolution around the Earth. It’s time to wake up and start the day fresh! I made us a cup of coffee and headed to the south forty to assess the situation and plan for the upcoming tasks this weekend.

Mary dead-headed all the roses in the backyard while I de-pooped the yard because our gardener is coming about 10:00 a.m., and Scout has been busy! Scout is a good boy and is loved by our neighbors, the Sheep.

Scout told them he was a Border Collie and it worked!

So, you might ask what “diddled” is; well, today, “diddle” meant 1) rehanging the living room picture, 2) finding the picture hanging kit, 3) finding the TV cable box we do not use but have paid for the past two years, 4) moved all the stationary supplies to Robin’s Nest, 5) collect all the games and puzzles and move then upstairs to the ball/game room, 6) pay the bills, 7) do the filing which was out of date, 8) do all the remaining wash, 9) cook an Indian lunch of Lamb Vindaloo, and finally 10) straightening up the office!  That was a lot of diddling!

When Mary got home from “school” we immediately departed for the Elks Lodge to listen to a new musical group and get a bite to eat.

The group was very good and we got some dancing in!

After getting home we crashed as tomorrow will be a busy day; Mary is away at school and I have a detailed plan to do some serious diddling around the house.

As soon as she arrives home tomorrow we are going to Renada’s at the Orange Circle for dinner with the Z’s so we can hear about their vacation.

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