Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Posted on Tuesday, March 17, 2026 by Paul

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

St. Patrick’s Day, celebrated on March 17, began as a Christian feast honoring St. Patrick, the 5th-century missionary credited with spreading Christianity in Ireland.  Over time, it grew into a lively celebration of Irish culture worldwide—full of parades, music, dancing, and a lot of green.

The shamrock became its signature symbol (legend says Patrick used it to explain the Holy Trinity), and modern traditions range from wearing green to dyeing rivers, blending history, faith, immigration stories, and party spirit into one Day.  We plan to do it all!

But hold on—your regularly scheduled chaos is being interrupted by an “ALERT” from our dear weatherman: apparently, the atmosphere has filed a formal complaint and is now choosing violence.

So, our plan is to a) have coffee, b) verify we have enough green food coloring to handle today’s meals, c) do a quick trip to Home Depot, and d) finish whatever outside work we need to get done by noon.  Then, and only then, will we venture into the house and begin our chores:

  • Setting up the portable clothes hangar
  • Begin packing for Hawaii
  • Fixing the bidets (Paul)
  • Washing/drying
  • Emptying a wine bottle

We took a quick walk in the backyard before the Home Depot adventures began!  We spotted our first rose of the season and it looked good enough to spread on toast!

The first rose of the season!

I had to make TWO trips to Home Depot because apparently my brain refuses to store information about our plumbing setup.

Not a total loss, though—I came back with more flowers on the second trip, because nothing says “mission accomplished” like accidental landscaping.

While Mary was getting ready for her painting class, I went full handyman and installed the fountain!

Only one tiny issue: when I turn it on, it launches a jet of water about forty feet over the garden and into the neighbor’s yard.  So now I’m headed back to Home Depot to get a flow reducer… unless I engineer one myself and officially turn this into a water feature/neighborhood irrigation system.

We call him “Old Faithful.”

I just returned from HD when Mary was pulling out to leave for her class.  She was still feeling stressed about the taxes, so an afternoon of watercoloring should help relieve it!

When she returned, I was head over heels, fixing/resetting the bidet, and I think I have it working.  If not, I will bring in the high-powered water faucet  (Old Faithful) instead!

The artists did well!

They looked so real, all I fed them twice!  They seemed to enjoy corned beef!

Mary was still in tax-panic even after the painting session, so I decided we ought to go out and celebrate (read: peel her off the ceiling)

The poor computer really took a beating!

I made the mistake of asking Mary to drive, thinking it might take some of the tax burden off her mind.  It may have, but I lost my mind in the process.  She hit the accelerator, and I yelled, “Approaching Warp 2”.

The speedometer needle fell off and flew out the window!

We landed safely at our new favorite hangout.  The Tartan Room, where I guzzled a glass of wine and allowed my fists to unfold to get blood to my knuckles.  That four-mile drive was like “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride”.

I did not realize there were brown picket fences down Tustin Blvd, but then it dawned on me, I was seeing telephone poles.  Mary was approaching Mach One.

I regain my composure after seven glasses of wine!

After a glass of wine and sharing some appetizers, Mary got back to “normal” (whatever that is?).  We shared some slides, and I gave her the avocado from the shrimp-stuffed avocado.

“I’m OK now… no worries until next year!”

We met a nice couple who took our picture.  We are getting to know the regulars.

We had a great day!  We have a new water feature in the backyard; the bidet now works, but comes in second to the water faucet.  The taxes are complete, and we had our St. Patrick’s Day celebration!  (NO, I did not have seven drinks).

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Tax/Doctor Day, Oh My!

Posted on Monday, March 16, 2026 by Paul

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

We were up and running early because we were heading in completely different directions.  Mary was off to see the tax accountant (because nothing says “fun morning” like paperwork and panic), and I was taking Bob Z. to the hospital for a minor medical procedure.

Sounds simple… except first we had to play driveway Tetris with the entire fleet, relocate the van to the neighbor’s house like we’re hiding evidence, and get Precious (Mary’s car) prepped to go out—because Precious doesn’t “leave,” Precious requires a full production with wardrobe, negotiations, and a security detail.  It’s very seldom that Mary and I are apart!

Hang on, it’s going to be a rough one!

We rolled into the hospital at 9:01 for a 9:20 appointment, and—brace yourselves—those miracle workers took Bob back right on time.  I know.  I didn’t think hospitals could do that either.

Unfortunately, the head transplant ran a little longer than expected.  Lots of paperwork, I assume.  Anyway, Bob finally comes out… and I’m sad to report the doctors did everything they could, but he still looks the same.  So either the procedure was a total failure, or they accidentally put the original head back on out of habit.

Bob still came out as ugly as when he went in, so the procedure did nothing!

They call this the wireless age, bah humbug!

We met the boss at home, and she was fuming over the tax issues.  We decided on a stiff drink and some spicy Mexican food.

I ordered the 46-ounce Grande Margarita optimized for St. Patrick’s Day!   Bob could not drink today because of the procedure, Mary could not drink enough because of taxes, and I drank anything that passed under my nose.

“Race you to the bottom!”

Bob did sip the drink as the straw passed by his lips!  We all heard the “slurp, gurgle, belch, slurp, asperate, ingurgitate” and other disgusting sounds as the liquid libation transferred up the dual straws.

The drink was big enough to take a swim!

I’ve been teaching my kids, grandkids, and now great-grandkids how to “bite the tortilla” for years—basically passing down a sacred family art form.

And today I finally got to introduce Mary and Bob to tortilla-based artwork… where the canvas is carbs, the brush is your teeth, and one wrong move turns your masterpiece into “oops, I ate the evidence.”

Having sharp teeth is an advantage!

One bitten into and displayed, one has a choice!  Eat it, wear it on your head, or as a mask!

Le Petite Chapeaux on display!

After lunch, we drove home, and Bob continued to his home in his truck.  Bob had fully recovered and was feeling quite good.  We were very happy to repay Bob for the help he gave me when I was laid up in the hospital for two weeks last September.

Mary spent some time online and on the phone getting additional tax information needed for our returns, a job she truly does NOT enjoy!  I headed to the backyard and, while practicing for May 2nd’s WGND, I pounded in the sweet pea stakes, planted and watered 18 lettuce and 6 Swiss chard plants.   Mary joined me after a while and planted her sweet pea flowers, a gardening tradition.

Mary loves these flowers, and for two months, she has been bringing flowers to everyone we visit!

Did you know there are flowering and edible sweet peas?

Sweet pea (the flower: Lathyrus odoratus)

  1. Not a pea you should eat: The common sweet pea is grown for fragrance and looks; its seeds/parts are toxic if eaten in quantity.
  2. Famous for scent: Many modern varieties were bred for bigger blooms, sometimes at the cost of fragrance—older lines can smell stronger.
  3. A climber: It uses tendrils to grab supports and can grow several feet tall.
  4. Cool-weather lover: It thrives in cool spring temperatures; heat shortens flowering.
  5. Name origin: “odoratus” literally means “fragrant.”

“Sweet pea” (the edible vegetable: sugar snap/snow peas)

  1. Snow peas: flat pods, eaten pod-and-all.
  2. Sugar snap peas: plump pods, sweet crunch, also eaten pod-and-all.
  3. Peas are legumes: They help enrich soil through nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

Mary also did some last-minute planting in the front yard.  Tomorrow we will go to Home Depot for a few additional tall flowers, and I will get the pipes/fittings I need to install the drinking fountain!   Yes, we will have a drinking fountain in the garden for those hot summer days.

Since the plumbing comes from the house and it is all buried underground, the water will be cool!!

We worked until it got too hot, then went inside, made a few calls, and headed to the swim spa to relax our muscles.  The outside temperature was still in the 80s even at 8:00 pm.  We sat, talked, and just enjoyed life.  We went inside and changed into our jammies.  Mary watched a movie, and I set up the website to accept the images from our upcoming trip to Hawaii.

We crashed at 11:00 pm!

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Time To Recover & Work In The Garden

Posted on Sunday, March 15, 2026 by Paul

Feel like you are being watched?

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Mary and I were up early in the kitchen playing Dishwasher Tetris after yesterday’s party—loading, unloading, and reloading like it was an Olympic event.

Huge thanks to Robin for her amazing help.  As the party was winding down, Robin basically ran the entire kitchen like a five-star restaurant: filling the dishwasher, putting away food, rinsing cookware, and calmly supervising the cleanup like a benevolent (but highly efficient) general.  At the same time, Bob put away the table and chairs and did the heavy lifting!

Robin and Bob are absolute gems, and we love them with all our hearts.

We love our kids!

After cleaning up the kitchen, we headed to the office to finish preparing for our appointment with the “tax man,” where we get to learn how much money the government gets to take from us to waste away on frivolous things like the bullet train, the house/feeding criminal aliens, and the list goes on!  Oh well, it’s still the best place on Earth to live!

Around noon, I wandered back out to the front yard to resume my very serious “flowering activities” (read: playing in the dirt like it’s my job).  At the same time, Mary stayed inside doing the washing and heroically wrestling her tax paperwork into submission—singlehandedly keeping both our wardrobe and our freedom intact.

After a bit, Mary came out in her gardening uniform and jumped right into planting efforts.  I was NOT allowed to come outside in MY gardening costume.

Caught working!!!

We had tools, bags of amendments, fertilizers, and gardening tools all over the place.  We planted, trimmed, and dug amendments and fertilizer into the ground as we worked from left to right.

We had a big mess on our hands.

Around 4:00 pm, it started to come together!  With the trash and tools removed and after a good raking job, it looked presentable.

After raking and picking up the tools and bags, it looked pretty good.

We checked out the lighting system, making sure we did not accidentally cut the power cord; all was well!

The light is used to shine on our holiday banners.

When I stood up, I felt the orange tree on the back of my head, and when I turned around, I saw the babies.  If all the blossoms hold, we will have a gaggle of oranges later on in the summer.

Oh my!  We have oranges!!

We went on a mission to add color to the garden, and I’m happy to report we understood the assignment.  That said, we’re still on the hunt for some snapdragons and other tall flowers for the back—because every garden needs a “supporting cast” with height.  And I’m planning to plant some snake plant (aka mother-in-law’s tongue) to add a little extra drama and attitude to the area.

Pretty in purple!

Our backs were filing formal complaints, so we went VFR straight to the swim spa—45 minutes of warm water and high-pressure jets negotiating peace with every sore muscle.  And of course, the weather was flawless… around 80 degrees.

We attempted to watch TV, but alas,  our bodies signaled “No Way, José” and we crashed at 10:00 pm!  It was a good day, and things are looking up!

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Don’t Spare The Smarocks, Bring On The Corned Beef!

Posted on Saturday, March 14, 2026 by Paul

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Today we’re having friends and family over to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day early—because this year it falls on the 17th… aka a Tuesday, the official day of “We can’t celebrate on a Tuesday, we are retired and have work to do.”

At 6:30 am sharp, Alexa sounded her “get the hell out of bed ” alarm, meaning it’s time to go to the kitchen and begin preparations.  Today, we are making corned beef boiled, baked, in the slow cooker, and in the Instant Pot.

Did You Know?

  • Corned beef gets its name from the “corns” (large grains) of salt historically used to cure it, not from corn, the vegetable.
  • Traditional Irish corned beef wasn’t the everyday staple in Ireland; it became strongly associated with Irish-Americans in the U.S., who often bought brisket from Jewish butchers as an affordable substitute for Irish bacon.
  • The cut is usually brisket (or sometimes round), cured in a salty brine with “pickling spices” such as mustard seeds, coriander, peppercorns, bay leaves, and cloves.
  • The pink color in many store-bought corned beef comes from curing salt (sodium nitrite), which helps prevent spoilage and keeps the meat rosy even after cooking.
  • Historically, beef in Ireland was relatively expensive; much of the salt-cured beef was exported, especially in the 17th–19th centuries.
  • Corned beef and cabbage became a classic St. Patrick’s Day meal in America partly because cabbage was cheap and readily available alongside brisket.
  • Corned beef is cured (brined) first; pastrami is typically corned beef that’s then seasoned (often with coriander/pepper) and smoked.
  • The brisket’s two main parts are the flat (leaner, slices neatly) and the point (fattier, more flavorful).  Many packaged corned beef briskets are mostly flat.
  • If you cook corned beef too fast or too long, it can get tough.  Low—and—slow simmering or braising helps melt collagen into gelatin.
  • Leftover corned beef is the classic base for corned beef hash—and it also makes a great Reuben (or”Rachel” if you swap in turkey).

We are now on a search-and-rescue mission to find the appropriate cooking utensils, including pots and pans!  We found everything and remembered where we stashed it.

    1. A large pan for roasting
    2. The one-gallon pressure cooker
    3. The Dutch Oven for boiling, and
    4. The slow cooker

We scurried around the house getting everything ready.  We set up tables, moved chairs in from the HeShed (thank you, Robin),  set the table, and did all the other things needed for a party.  You can see the entire party right here!

Mary went “picking” in the garden and returned like a vegetable pirate—arms full of onions and carrots—then dumped the haul on Paul and said, “Congrats, you’re in charge of washing, peeling, and prepping these for whatever cooking chaos we’re attempting today.”

When Paul was done, they were perfect for tossing into the pots!

Mary took a few minutes off to relax before our friends and family arrived.  Everything is ready to go!  When the alarm bells go off, dinner will be served!

“Wake me up when it is over!!”

When Robin arrived around noon, she ran to the kitchen and began preparing the green Jello shots!

Jello shots are small, single-serving snacks made by mixing gelatin (like Jell-O) with water/juice, and alcohol (usually vodka, rum, or tequila), then letting them set in little cups.

  • How they’re made (basic idea): dissolve gelatin in hot water, mix in cold liquid + liquor, pour into cups, refrigerate until firm.
  • What they’re like: sweet, jiggly, and usually about 0.5–1 oz each.
  • Alcohol content: varies a lot; they can be surprisingly strong depending on the recipe.

Yummy!  Jello and Fireball!!!

We took a grand tour of every garden bed, like we were hosting a very low-budget nature documentary—explaining what we’d done, what we meant to do, and then giving everyone our best, totally scientific estimate of when they can come back to start harvesting.

A little Irish dancing was needed to liven things up!

Come and get it!  The clamor of people moving to the kitchen island was so loud that the neighbor’s dog began marking!  We had several first-aid kits available just in case!   We placed signs under each of the different methods used to make dinner.

Serve it up!  Remember to keep track of which method you liked!

Vicky arranged her corned beef in numerical order to make the selection and voting easier.

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: ‘What!  You too?  I thought I was the only one.”

Beef, beef, everywhere I look!

Happy people mean full tummies—and full tummies mean nobody asks what’s for dinner.

I introduced several people to my new creation, the totally clear Chocolate Martini.  It is a dangerous drink because it tastes like a chocolate bar and is about 4.5 ounces of various vodkas all mixed together!  It is guaranteed to solve the problem of not sleeping, as evidenced below!

Then, suddenly, the Chocolate Martini hit!

“Family is not an important thing.  It’s everything.”

Bob and Robin, our heroes!

Your happy hosts are simply enjoying the fact that everyone is having a good time!  We spent three hours together swapping stories, reliving adventures, and curing the world’s problems.

We didn’t want anyone to go home, but alas, they need a nap, too!

We were the last people standing; everyone else was in their cars,s sitting down!

Bye-bye, you all, see you this time next year!
May the wind be at your back, not because of the corned beef and cabbage!

You can see the entire party right here!

 

Posted in Cooking, Family, Food and Wine, Friends, Holidays | Comments Off on Don’t Spare The Smarocks, Bring On The Corned Beef!

Friday We Worked And Worked And Worked!

Posted on Friday, March 13, 2026 by Paul

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

By 8:00 am, we hit the dirt, planting everything in sight!  May did several small plantings, including the cantaloupe, while I dug ditches for the corn!  We mulched, then picked everything up, as we expect to have some garden tours tomorrow (our annual St. Patrick’s Day corned beef extravaganza).

We added four more rows of corn to these and added two rows of cantaloupe adjacent to the corn!  Then we mulch!

After three hours of working with our 12 mil latex gloves, we had to laugh.  When we sat down to rest and pulled off the gloves, our hands were spotless, but perspiration poured out of the gloves!

We figured we’d beat the lunch rush, so we rolled into Del Taco to aggressively refuel our bellies.  Then we took a casual two-hour round trip to H&H Nursery and somehow turned the back of the van into a mobile garden center—now the front yard is getting a glow-up, and the van definitely needs a nap.

The H&H Nursery is huge!

The trip is about 32 minutes on the 55/22 route and a little longer going home; the good old 91 is always slow!!

Since it was that time of year when you buy three bags of Bumper Crop and get one “free”, we came home with four bags.  We got four bags two weeks ago and turned them into the backyard planters.

Master Nursery Bumper Crop Organic Soil Builder, which I have been using for almost twenty years,  has always been known for its exceptional quality and rich biodiversity, and, as an OMRI-listed soil builder, it is trusted by gardeners across the United States.  It is a balanced blend of sphagnum peat, aged wood fiber, cured compost, aged bark, lobster meal, worm castings, kelp meal, and dehydrated poultry manure that ensures your plants receive all the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development.  Additionally, it is inoculated with endomycorrhizal fungi, which helps to improve root function and overall plant health.

We took the 55 to the 22 to the 405 to H&H, then the 9a home.

After we rolled home with our haul, Sleeping Beauty announced an emergency nap—strictly for “beauty maintenance”—before gracing the front yard with her presence.
While she was off in her royal coma, I went full yard goblin: pruning like I had beef with the shrubs, digging holes like I’d lost something expensive, and planting as the HOA had hired me.

Mary joined me after a while and did some serious gardening inside the fence, and she made the Plumeria look wonderful by adding color around the base!  She also arranged the larger flower pots on the right side of the yard so that I can start early on Sunday!

Looking good!

Mary was a total MVP and helped me with the cleanup.  We tossed all the tools and gardening goodies into the wheelbarrow and parked it by the side of the house—because apparently we’re starting a “Yard Work: The Series,” and the next episode drops on Sunday.

Around 6:00 pm, we declared victory and headed to the Swim Spa for a well-deserved soak!  Guess what?  The modern hot tub, popularized by the Jacuzzi brothers, was created to help a family member who has rheumatoid arthritis.  We both have “gardenitis” after working all day in the garden.

We enjoyed watching the sunset and seeing the sky turn different colors as the Sun makes its journey around the Earth (yeah, I know, we go around the Sun)

Take the pain away, PLEASE!  We again tried to watch “Suits” but gave up and tried a Bruise Willis movie called “Being Us”.  It was “OK” but nothing I would want to see again!

By 10:00 pm we were crashed!  Our eyelids felt like iron doors.  Tomorrow is a big day!

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Thirsty Thursday Has Arrived With 90 Degree Temperatures!

Posted on Thursday, March 12, 2026 by Paul

I love that girl even if she is a frog!!

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Yes indeed!  I rolled over, looked at the wall clock, and it said 6:30 am, but then I looked outside, and it was dark, with the time reading “it’s 0’dark-thirty”.  What to do was the question!  I flipped a coin and finally got up,p leaving her nibs sound asleep.

I crept into the office using my most stealthy move and started working on yesterday’s Daily Diary… but apparently my brain didn’t get the memo.  The older I get, the harder it is to remember what we actually did yesterday—at this point, I’m one cup of coffee away from writing, “Day: occurred.  Events: yes.” Growing old is not for the faint of heart!

While Mary was getting ready for the Elks, I went to the backyard and planted a flat of corn; sixteen went into the ground.  It took about 90 minutes to dig the trough, drill the holes, fertilize, and plant these suckers.

I had all my necessary tools with me!

The garden is about 90% planted, and if we can find spaghetti squash and some watermelons, we will declare ourselves done!

Dig baby dig!

At the Elks, I could NOT resist but to put green food coloring into Bill’s vodka!

We made plans with Bob to take him to the doctor on Monday morning—he’s having a small procedure, which apparently comes with a “no driving” rule, so we’ve been hired as his post-op chauffeur… paid entirely in gratitude and awkward small talk.

Is he having second thoughts?

On the way into the lodge, Mary spotted a “Get Well Bear” that was made by the Emblems (the ladies auxiliary of the Elks).  Mary smiled, so I knew I had to get it, and I did, surprising her after lunch!

Cuddling the new addition to our family!

We went home, and Mary took a nap while I did the glamorous work of dragging the trash cans to the front yard—because nothing says “romance” like curbside logistics.

At 3:00 pm, Alexa went off, and it was go-time.  Mary geared up for Disney Jazz at Campus Jax.  Naturally, she put on the full mouse costume, and I threw on my”Grumpy” car service shirt—because every magical evening needs one person committed to the vibes and one person committed to being mildly annoyed about it.

We were absolutely in the mood.  Magical!  Musica!  We had Robin and Bob with us, making for an amazing evening.

Watch out for the mouse!  Hide your cheese!

You can watch the show below!

They jazzed up all the Disney classics, and the sound was pretty good; we actually sang along to some of the songs!

It was nice to see musicians/performers dressed up for a change!

Bob was attempting to figure out what the drummer was doing!

“Beats me!”

The girls were having fun all evening long!

“Give me a hand!”

We rested outside after the show, allowing those in a hurry to clear the parking lot.

“Minnie would never do that!!”

One Ginnes beer and we went crazy!

Clowning around!

After the show, we waited!  Bob found the missing placard!

We watched the people exiting the lot going 60 mph; we stayed behind!

Robin and Bob headed home, and we headed to The Tartan Room in Orange to bravely “finish off the evening” the only responsible way: one glass of wine and a couple of Gillis beers.

We even met one of the entertainers—now we’ve got plans to catch his performance next Wednesday night… because apparently we’re the kind of people who make midweek nightlife commitments like we don’t have jobs, laundry, or a couch that misses us.  We are FREE!

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Mid Week Means Eek, The Gym!

Posted on Wednesday, March 11, 2026 by Paul

Race Ya!!

We got up, and it was dark out; the time change struck again!  We had our morning coffee and pamplemousse* before suiting up for the next 100 minutes of our bi-weekly agony.   From the house to the gym is a mere ten minutes of unbriadled anticipation.

* Grapefruit is called pamplemousse in French because the word originates from the Dutch pompelmoes, a combination of pompel (fat/swollen) and moes (lemon/citrus), essentially meaning “fat lemon” or “big lemon,” describing the fruit’s large size compared to a lemon.  This name reflects its history as a cross between the pomelo (the pamplemousse in French) and the sweet orange.

Through the door and into Peak Performance, we pranced for a mid-week jaw-rattling, bone-crushing vacation in the Land of Torture.  I honestly thought someone brought breakfast and was demolishing a bowl of Rice Krispies—turns out it was just my skeleton snap-crackle-popping its way between machines like it was there for band practice.

You can do it!

After the workout and applying a lot of horse liniment* to each other, we stopped by the bagel house, but they were sold out.  Instead, we made a”Colleen Approved” Dunkin’ run and left with two lattes, an egg bite, and a cream cheese–filled plain bagel.

* Horse liniments, such as Absorbine Veterinary Liniment Gel, are commonly used by humans for temporary relief of muscle pain, arthritis, and joint stiffness due to their strong, “icy-hot” sensation. While popular for being effective and inexpensive, these products are formulated for horses, are not FDA-approved for human use, and can cause allergic reactions in some users.

Then it was off to home to make sure the house was clean before the house cleaners arrived, scheduled at 11:30 am.

Just before they showed up (courtesy of our many security cameras), we dived into the car and headed to Huntington Beach for our monthly hairdo session.  We arrived early, so we wandered next door to the Black Trumpet and “killed time” the classy way: a glass of wine and two “small” plates of their finest lunchtime appetizers.  Mary went to work on the veal meatballs, while I bravely attacked a pile of shrimp drowning in a luscious Italian sauce—because heroes don’t wear capes; they bring bread for the extra sauce.  Calories be damned!  We are fearless.

Veal meatballs are typically made from ground veal (young calf), often mixed with breadcrumbs, egg, milk/ricotta, herbs, and Parmesan for tenderness.  Because veal is lean and mild, recipes often add pork or beef (or extra fat like pancetta) to keep the meatballs juicy.

Come on in!!

Since the salon was right next door, we told Tammie to text when she was ready—and of course, her message popped up the moment we finished brunch.  Mary headed next door first, and I stayed behind to enjoy one more glass of vino.  I thought that might help kill the pain when I get my haircut.

After my vico, I wandered next door to see how the magic was doing!  Like magic, I can now see her face since the bangs were shortened.

Wow!  What a beauty!

I can remember well that, thirty years ago today, our grandson #3 was born in Whittier.  It was a good day, and all the grandparents were there, celebrating.  Here we are 30 years later!

Connor lives about an hour south of us and works in real estate financing.

Connor, Aunt Colleen, and one of our recent parties!

We are lucky to have him kinda near by, so we get to see him whenever we have family get-togethers.   His mother is estranged from the family, and that is a good thing.  His brother and family live in La Habra, and we see them regularly.

A few hairs earlier!

After the haircut and trip home, we stopped by Ralph’s Market and gathered the ingredients for the Saturday St. Patrick’s Day party at our house.  Twenty pounds of corned beef later, we departed the market with the wheels on the shopping cart creaking under the strain!

I’m having daydreams about night things in the middle of the afternoon – Great name for a song!!

After stashing the groceries away, we did a garden perimeter check—basically the plant version of tucking everyone into bed—making sure everything was watered up, because we’ve got 90-degree days coming and my vegetables do not handle heat like emotionally stable adults.

At first I thought it was a green bat swooping down to raid the garden then I figured out it was Mary ion ther semi-St Patraick’s day outfit!

We were both pooped out and decided that a soak in the hot tub would be a good move, so I opened the cover, dropped in some “stinky-stuff”, and belly-floppped in from the roof of the house, making a small tsunami.

I looked up the word “tsunami” on Wikipedia.  I was surprised at the definition:  “A tsunami is a large wave normally triggered by large earthquakes that occur near or under the ocean, volcanic eruptions, submarine landslides, Paul jumping into a body of water, or onshore landslides in which large volumes of debris fall into the water.”

After the water had settled down, we did enjoy a small glass of wine!

We get plenty of time to talk and catch up.  At the same time, the warm H?O and those water jets power-wash away the lingering aches from today’s adventures—basically turning us from “brave explorers” back into “functioning humans.”

We wish this were true!!

We called Robin and Colleen and gave them the full play-by-play.  Everyone’s doing great!  Then we tried (again) to watch the last episode of Suits, but the hot swim spa hit us like a tranquilizer dart.  Next thing we knew, we’d time-traveled to 10:30 pm and had to wake up to go to bed.

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A Painting We Will Go! A Painting We Will Go!

Posted on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 by Paul

It’s Tuesday!

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

We were up before 7:00 am, with Mary already in full mission mode—fixing breakfast and getting herself ready for her trip to watercolor class (because apparently, sleep is optional when art is involved).

Meanwhile, I spent a couple of hours replanting two hibiscus plants into larger containers.  Nothing says”good morning” like wrestling roots before coffee.

I’m blessed to have a VERY smart bride who came up with the genius idea of swapping pots.  I did the heavy lifting; she thought—classic teamwork.

Bonus: the two original smaller pots are being moved to the front entrance way, so now our porch will look like we planned it all on purpose.

 

At 12; 15 pm, Mary took off like a scalded hound for the Tustin Senior Citizens Center.

While she was gone, I puttered around the house doing things like resetting all the clocks, taking clothes off the roll-around rack and putting them away, doing a load of wash, and cleaning up the front yard/patio.

The Mother-In-Law’s Tongue does not need much water, so I did not connect it to the drip line.  A few drops once a week will be just fine!

We love “The Mother-In-Law’s Tongue” plant!

Mary found this sign in Laguna and fell in love with it; I wonder why???  The plants are now trimmed back, and one pot is ready for some colorful flowers.

Mary loves her sign!

This hibiscus has been transplanted three times and somehow is still thriving—clearly it enjoys moving more than I do.  It was leaning hard in the last pot, so during today’s transplant, I finally sat it up straight.  Consider it less “repotting” and more “plant chiropractic.”

The hibiscus plants are very happy in their new homes; fresh soil and new fertilizer!

Mary pulled in at 3:10 pm with her newest artwork in hand, plus some mods to her lighthouse (boats and birds)

Watercolor is older than you think: Early watercolor-like techniques show up in ancient Egypt, and watercolor became a major European art form during the Renaissance (often for studies and maps).

The teacher was absent today, so the class worked on whatever they wanted.  Mary’s first effort was to finalize the lighthouse by adding birds.

Then Mary worked on a present for Donna!  Donna loves roosters, so she will get a colorful rooster to have around the house!

Only roosters (male chickens) crow; hens can make a lot of the same calls, but typically don’t do the full crow.

Mary returned home at 3:10 pm, and we got ready to go to the Seagerstrom Theater this evening to see “Six”.

Dru joined us at 4:30 p,m and we departed for the Silver Trumpet, bringing along all the ingredients needed for a Hershey’s Chocolate Martini!

AJ joined us for dinner.  She has been sitting next to us for a long time, and we have invited her to visit.

SIX is a pop-concert-style musical about the six wives of King Henry VIII.  Each queen takes the mic to tell her side of the story—how she lived, what happened to her, and how history has defined her—then they”compete” (in a playful, battle-of-the-band way) over who had it worst.  By the end, the show flips the premise into something more empowering: the queens reclaim their identities beyond Henry and rewrite their narratives together.

Key vibe: modern pop songs, comedy, fast-paced storytelling, contemporary language, and lots of references to today’s celebrity culture.

We crashed upon arriving home. It has been a long day!

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Gym, Eat, Work and Play Never Get Old!

Posted on Monday, March 9, 2026 by Paul

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

It has to be a nuthouse, because we’re officially going nuts.  We’re retired… yet we’re still up at 6:00 am, as if we must report for duty and somehow there’s still “just a little work” to do all day long.  Retirement is a scam if I’ve ever seen one.  Yep, we must be nuts.

We were up and running at 6:30 am or 7:30 am; we were not sure because of last night’s time change!  Finally, after consulting the computer, we found out the correct time and had to get ready to go to the gym (commonly known as “the torture chamber”).

We walked into Peak Performance and were immediately herded onto the stationary bikes, where we pedaled for almost 45 minutes.  We kept thinking,” Why does this feel extra brutal today?” Then we noticed the rubber belt running from the wheel to a tiny generator.

Turns out the faster we pedaled, the brighter the gym lights seemed to get.  We may ask for a discount.  The lights were on because we were basically human hamsters paying dues to keep the building running.  We may change our last name to Edison!!

We made up an excuse to leave 10 minutes early because I had to get a blood test at 10:10 am.  I was worried because I forgot to study beforehand.

Off to the ” 800 Building” on Tuston Blvd, where I was poked and prodded until they found a vein with sufficient blood flow to fill the two-gallon jug.  After the blood letting, I wondered why I was so pale (or was it pale?).

The blood letting was on the first floor!

We were going to go out for breakfast, but our favorite spot was closed—rude.  So we pivoted like mature, adaptable adults… and ended up at Orange County Farmers Supply on a thrilling quest for corn, spaghetti squash, broccoli, and cabbage.

Orange County Farm Supply is a locally owned family business that supplies a wide range of products, including soil amendments, organic fertilizers, seeds, mulches, compost, potting soils, garden supplements, and a wide variety of garden tools and bedding plants.

Originally established in 1948, Orange County Farm Supply was purchased by John Roy in 1962.  Since that time, it has continuously been owned and operated by the Roy family.  When the Farm Supply began, it truly was a farm supply, selling agricultural products such as fertilizers and chemicals, farm equipment, and seed and fencing to all the local farmers.

Over the years, they have transitioned to what the local economy is interested in, and even though farmers are still shopping with them, their customers are mainly homeowners and garden enthusiasts.  Additionally, they have many commercial accounts, ranging from Disneyland and the Orange County school districts to condominium complexes and office buildings.

Nothing says “fun Monday morning” like aggressively shopping for vegetables we have to stash in the trunk of The Silver Fox.

Decisions, decisions, decisions!

After making our selection and stuffing The Silver Fox with veggies, we headed home!  Thirty-two corn plants will soon be in the ground and growing tall to produce wonderful summer corn.  This year, we are mixing yellow and white corn.

After unloading our goodies, we had breakfast.  I fixed two big steaks, and Mary prepared twice-baked potatoes and an amazing salad!  Now we have the energy to attack the yard, and this time we are after the front patio area!  We had several items on our agenda:

  • Move two Hibiscus plants next to the fence (they needed more Sun)
  • Trim the Spider Plant (it has done well)
  • Plant four bulbs along the western wall
  • Plant some of the remaining Mother-In-Law Tongues
  • Transplant the Cana from the bed to the wall
  • Fill up the five pots to the top and put in flowers
  • Replant the rotary planter
  • Adjust the drip lines accordingly.

This small set of tasks took us the entire afternoon, and we are still not done.

I disassembled the planter and turned the soil; Mary planted the missing spots.

We had plenty of extra time thanks to the time change… and still somehow ran out of energy.  So we updated our”to-do” list (aka moved everything to “tomorrow”), then headed to the swim spa to soothe our aching muscles and pretend this was the plan all along.

We added a few things to the “to-do” list as we completed this afternoon’s cleanup!

We enjoyed the hot tub/swim spa, which we keep at 96 degrees year-round (so we can jump in at a moment’s notice).  We even talked about making a small salad for dinner, but by the time we were out and into our jammies, we’d forgotten about dinner and slept through the end of “Suits” again!

We were in bed by 9:00 pm.

We sailed off into the night dreaming of today’s work and tomorrow’s plans.

Posted in Gym, Vegetable Garden, Working Around House | Comments Off on Gym, Eat, Work and Play Never Get Old!

Posted on Sunday, March 8, 2026 by Paul

It’s Sunday and

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