We were up bright and early and trekked to the soothing waters of the swim spa.
6:18 AM, and in we go!
We were in before the sun came up at 6:28 AM. The world was quiet, but we had our Alexa in the window of the office, so we plated appropriate music like Bubby Darin’s “Splish Splash,”
We tippy-toe around so as not to arouse the neighbors!
After our cup of coffee and feeding the baby, we get down to serious work! The rest of the day was taking down Thanksgiving and packing everything up to go to the garage attic area until next year.
I had to make a Home Depot run to get six more containers, and now we have ten Fall/Thanksgiving/Halloween containers, but they are in the same boxes and carefully labeled. While I was gone, Mary took down the Thanksgiving Tree.
Late in the afternoon, the doorbell rang, and it was a package for Mary. The shirt she ordered me on November 1st finally arrived!
I wore it all day and now have it for next year!
After the mailman did her thing, we went to the box, doing incantations to attempt to make the bills go away. We did get an INvite to the Packard International Christmas Soiree.
Paul and Richard at the Packard showing in Floral Park.
Tomorrow Juan is coming by to wah our cars and unload the garage attic with all of our combined Christmas containers, which I believe will fill p half the two-car garage.
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What would a barefoot man get if he stepped on an electric fence? A pair of shocks.
We Got up this morning to start getting ready for Thanksgiving day, and, low and behold, the light wouldn’t come on in the bedroom. So a little further investigation revealed the lights are off to 4,721 households in our local area because of the high winds.
Fortunately, I remembered I have an 8 kW generator in the heat shed… So, I drug it out, brought it to the garage, and after three long tugs, it kicked right in. Success, Mary and I could now take a warm shower and get cleaned up. The food maybe I’ll cold but it will be pretty.
Our “Guard Turkey” was on duty. Courtesy of Jan Mongel!!
I’m happy and I married well! Mary is a real trooper because instead of getting all excited, and upset, she looked at me with those beautiful eyes and said, “Paul, this will be a real adventure.” The day was an adventure. Plus, with our amazing friends, everyone took the day in stride.
It does not take any electrical power to drink even at 8:00 AM! (I am glad we do not do margaritas!)
We called everybody and put them on notice that things could be a little hectic considering we have to run off generators. We have to cook everything on microwaves or toaster oven’s and fortunately because we talked to Colleen, she suggested using the BBQ to heat the turkey and ham!
Our barbecue is doubling as a regular oven today. Finally, with the two burners turned down to 50%, I got the temperature inside the barbecue regulated at about 350°, which is just exactly what we needed for the ham and the turkey. The other turkey is over at Jan Mongell’s house, getting cooked in her charming, well-equipped, and powered kitchen.
We recalled everybody and said, “Come on over, the fun has just started!” Be prepared!
We managed to put it all together!
Sufficient food was available for an army of 1000. Friends are the family that you choose and we chose well! Everybody went home with bags of goodies and Irene got the grand prize, the turkey carcass. I see soup in her future!
Food everywhere!
Robin, always a trooper, takes a well-deserved rest! Bob and Nick, her husband and sin, worked miracles getting the generators set up and doing the heavy things I can not longer easily do! THANK YOU GUYS!!!
Robin finally takes a rest!
The kidding and frivolity went on all afternoon! A day spent with friends is always a day well spent. Joe and Amy were a delightful addition to the celebration1
Paul & Donna; two cutups!
We had a wonderful time and as usual, we worked as a team to make sure was OK even with no power! Mary and I are like a well-oiled team!
We make an excellent team!
After dinner, everyone pitched in, and clean-up was easy, thanks to Joe’s floodlights and the generators. That reminds me, my wife was so “house proud” that when I get up to sleepwalk, she had the bed made by the time I get back. The first Thanksgiving in our new home and we felt so blessed to be surrounded by lobed ones!
We cleaned up courtesy of Joe, who brought floodlights!
By 8:00 PM, everyone was gone, and we crashed! We were without electricity! It was like camping out! We let Joe’s generator run until it gave up the ghost around 6:30 AM.
I was sleeping and at 2:0 AM the entire house went bright! We have power again. All the lights were set on! We got up and wandered around the house returning things to “normal”.
Tomorrow Juan, our cr wash guys is coming about 3:00 PM and after washing our cars, we and his sidekick are going to take down our forty-plus boxes of Christmas decorations. I can’t do it anymore but he is young and for $100 he does anything! We will start decorating for Christmas on Sunday; we have a lot of combining to do!
What sound does a turkey’s phone make?” “Wing, wing, wing!
We were up early and started preparing for Thanksgiving. We did some errands first, like getting two new tables, just in case, and then to Walmart to get all the fold-up chairs they had. Then we went to Ralphs for some last-minute goodies, and we were hungry by then, so Rockwell’s came to mind!
Now it was time to visit Marie, and the lines were pretty long, but we survived and picked up three BRBs (Big Red Boxes) of Thanksgiving delights.
When we got home, we unpacked the boxes and worked to fit them in our two refrigerators and outside freezer. Everything did NOT fit, so we returned to Ralphs and got a styrofoam box. Then we remembered that we had ice chests at home, so we had four bags of ice later; we had everything put away safely for tomorrow.
Now it was time to set up the tables. We are having about twenty family and friends over, so we needed three tables. By golly, we had room. We love the big house!
I took the time to ask Mary, “When do you serve rubber turkey?” She was awaiting the answer with trepidation, but here it comes. “Pranksgiving!
Thank you, Jan, for the tabletop!
Everyone has a place, but now we had to make sure we had enough dishes, bowls, and pans! Due to us putting out things together, we had an over-abundance of serving and cookware.
We did our lay everything out to see if it fits things.
While I set the table, Mary worked in the kitchen. She settled on the table centerpieces. Her roses from Monday were still in great shape, so they were pressed into service.
Table setting and centerpieces came next!
One last walkthrough before tablecloths and place settings will be set out.
It looks like it is ready to go!
We called Colleen and talked to her for about 40 minutes! She is always a delight and brings us happiness.
Alexa is at it again!
Mary looked at what Marie did and decided she could improve on the stuffing. The stuffing was modified with onions, celery, mushroom, and walnuts. Mary was quite correct; the stuffing was now excellent.
Mary fixes Marie’s stuffing.
Then she had a moment; what do I add to the dish to really make it stand out?
“MM-m-m-m-m-m-m-m, what should I do next!”
It was about 6:00 PM, and we still had two hours of work to do, and we kept going until 8:00 PM when we crashed. Tomorrow will be an exciting day.
We poured our first wine of the day at 8:00 PM and promptly went to sleep. Good night all; tomorrow will be exciting!
Work hard and save your money and when you are old, you will be able to buy the things only the young can enjoy.
Can you believe it? The first day of retirement, and we are up at 6:00 AM heading for the hot tub! We are still planning for Thanksgiving as the people count is about twenty family and friends. The house is plenty big enough to handle twenty, and we get to test the new kitchen!
After getting out of the tub, I walked into the kitchen and started a serious conversation with my dear wife.
I got “the mommy look” in return!
My intelligence seems to be increasing at my ripe old age of 76 because I called our handyman to hang the Christmas lights on the house. Part of the reason is if I get caught on a ladder, the doctor threatened to operate! Tom is a super handyman, and we enjoy his company. We got all the light hung save for some down the side of the house, but son Joe is bringing another box on Thanksgiving.
Tom got us a new garbage disposer which is QUIET. The one that came with the house was new, but I believe it cost $19.95 at the local hardware store. When you turn it on, the windows rattle, the dog howls, and every other time I faint. I suspect the disposer was used in a movie to make scary sounds before it retired and was installed in our kitchen!
Ah-ha! We heard big a truck, and it was Moon Nursery delivering our babies. Well, our baby trees. We got a Valencia Orange, a Ries Avacado, and a golden maple. they arrived, and dirt started flying
The delivery truck has arrived!
We had our decorations up to greet the new arrivals; we wanted them to know they would have a good home!
We are decorated for Thanksgiving.
Mr. Avacado came first. The Reed Avacado s only available during the summer and fall months. It has a lighter, more subtle flavor and is about the size of a softball. As the Reed ripens, its skin remains the same green color, unlike other types.
Here comes the avocado tree.
Next was the golden maple, which we put right in the center of the front yard. It looks small, but there are two big ones down the street approaching thirty feet tall!
The Golden Maple is next.
What do we use as fertilizer, Moon Juice, of course? It is “Super Charged,” which means it is twice as expensive as other fertilizers,
Yes, it is called Moon Juice.
The Valencia Orange gets placed, so it will have plenty of space to grow into a fruit-producing powerhouse. Now we will have oranges. That made me remember when Mary and I went to the market to buy some oranges and apples, but they didn’t have any. It was a fruitless trip.
We already have two oranges.
The avocado has a place of honor planted deep in the backyard; it will provide shade and be nice to look at year-round. I remember I tried to make guacamole with an unripe avocado. It was pit-iful.
OK, sit down; you knew this was coming. Mary told me of the time she accidentally got some avocado in her eyes. She was worried she might get guac-oma. I apologize!
The avocado is already growing.
Meanwhile, in the front yard, the workers admire their planting. The tree will lose its leaves and go formant, but what is impressive, the bark will turn bright red in its dormancy.
He admires his work.
While Tom was working, Mary and I went to the market to pick up some trays for Thanksgiving. When we got home, we attempted to put them in the outside frig. Well, the trays we so big the door would not close. I gave the door a push, and we slapped duct tape on the door to keep it shut. I hope everyone is hungry on Thursday!
His tummy was so full I had to tape the door shut!
The telephone rang, and it was Gary, our mason. He is going to the Elks tonight to get reinstated based on our recommendation. He invited us to go so we accepted. We got cleaned up and headed to the Santa Ana Elks for Taco night. We sat with him and Judy, his wife, and had a good time. The tacos were super, and we chattered for almost an hour.
We decided not to go to the ceremony because the rest of the week will be busy. We departed about 7:30 PM and headed home to crash.
I love how in horror movies, the person will ask, “Is anyone there?” As if the killer would say, “Oh yeah, I’m in the kitchen. Want a sandwich?”
It’s Monday, a very special Monday, so here goes the song of the week from my old memories. I remember 1958 well. I danced to his music in the gym in high school; they called them sock-hops!
Today is a special day. Mary goes to work for the last time! It’s a little scary, primarily since she has worked since she was fourteen. Forty-three years a doctor taking care of others, now all she has is me to take care of.
I am looking forward to having her to myself every day without her departing for Huntington Beach twice a week! She is not too sure, but the fun is just about to start!!!
Look out world, here we come!!!
I remember well the day I hung up my hat, which was 5359 days ago ( 14 Years, 8 Months, and 1 Day). We celebrated this evening, and I tried to get her to sing along with Willie Nelson!
While Mary worked, I also worked around the house. I cleaned up the leaves from yesterday’s windstorm, straightened up the workbench, put away the slow-cooker meal, walked Five Miles, did some wash, and went to Home Depot. I finally got cleaned up at 4:00 PM and headed to Mary’s work for the last time.
The traffic was heavy, but I was on a mission. When I arrived, Mary had been the center of attention all day. She was wearing her Retirement Crown!
Lookin’ good Doctor Mary!
We needed to get to Patty’s Place to start celebrating. Remember, you’ll never have to ask for a day off ever again! We decided we would leave her stuff at the office, go over Friday with the van, and pick it up.
Mary was escorted in, and everybody wished her Happy Birthday because of the hat; we had a good laugh about that!
You, my subjects, may now be seated!
Everybody got there right on time with David and Dianne leading the parade of merrymakers, or should I say Mary makers?
Always a smile,
Dianne is always a pleasure to be around!
Great friends!
Becky and Mary make a chip-shot toast to Mary’s retirement. Remember: Think about retirement as being two six-month holidays per year.
Mother and daughter time! Becky enjoyed the party! Retirement isn’t the end of the road, but just a turn in the road.
It was an enjoyable evening of fun with family and friends. We missed Dan this evening, but he had an engagement he had to make, but we got Becky, and that was good.
We are there
Come a little bit vloder!
Robin came directly from work since work was a 1/2 mile away!
We found Patty’s Place, our happy place!
I had no idea what to get Dr. Mary, so I decided roses would make her happy, one for each year she practiced medicine. She will have to count them when we get home! I reminded Mary, “The trouble with retirement is that you never get a day off.”
We are going to have a lot of fun together!
We headed home and crashed; it was an exciting day. No more getting up early unless we want to, and goodbye 22 (the freeway)
OK, here it is: I ordered a chicken and an egg from Amazon. I’ll let you know.
After last night’s exhibition of fine dancing, we were tired, and our eyes didn’t open until 8:30 AM. Perhaps it was because the winds were so strong it kept waking us up? I reminded Mary of the old law of non-smokers, “The cigarette smoke always drifts in the direction of the non-smoker regardless of the direction of the breeze.”
We had to inspect the yard after the howling winds we had last night!
We checked the last of our veggies, and surprisingly enough, we still have some. The okra was doing well and will get used this week. One of the most exciting facts about okra is that its seeds can be a substitute for coffee.
You can dry, grind, and roast the seeds to make a replacement for coffee, and the taste is reportedly not that far off from traditional coffee. Unlike the ones made from actual coffee grounds, the best part is that this okra coffee is caffeine-free and won’t keep you up at night.
I see this guy being fried this week!
Mary gets creative!
Cook it with tomatoes or a little vinegar, and the slime goes away!
While walking with Mary, I noticed the green beans were dry; we just had too many to eat. So, in my head, I remembered we could harvest the seeds and cook them! Scout volunteered to watch me work harvesting the seeds.
I told Mary I knew some people that were so cheap, they ate beans to save on bubble bath.
Scout helped me harvest dried string bean seeds for tonight’s dinner.
We needed supplies! Potting soil some small plants for the empty barrels. Off we go to Home Depot with a fly-by at Jan’s to drop off some food.
Our favorite place to shop!
When we got home, I emptied the car, and Mary hit the stove again, preparing tonight’s dinner. The zucchini was delicious, and we did cauliflower while I turned on the BBQ and did a Bubba-Burger. I read in the newspaper yesterday a local restaurant was going to try snail burgers but then realized they’re not really fast food.
I can’t keep this lady out of the kitchen; she loves to cook!
I set the table and finished off the burger while Mary brought out the goodies; wow, a feast fit for a kind on a diet!
While dining, we saw several seagulls flying overhead. I of course had to ask Mary, “Why do seagulls fly over the sea?” She responded with a mommy-look and I knew I was going to be in trouble, I was close to the stairs so I could escape if the answer was not acceptable so I blurted out, ” Because if they flew over the bay they’d be bagels!”
We had dinner on the patio.
The meal was terrific, and we had a fine wine with dinner; two-bi=uck Chuck! We sat outside until a little after sunset and headed inside to clean up and watch a movie.
At the end of dinner, I asked Mary, “Please find a recipe that contains yeast and shoe polish? She questioned me on my suggestion and I had to respond with, “Every morning you will rise and shine!”
I cooked up a burger to add protein to the meal.
After dancing yesterday and working all day in the yard, I was too pooped to pop, so I crashed. I woke up about 2:00 AM, and the TV was on, so I hit the remote. We have to be up extra early tomorrow as I am taking Mary to work, racing back home to see the tree people, and then getting ready to celebrate Mary’s retirement.
TOMORROW IS HER LAST DAY OF WORK!!!!! YEAH! YIPPEE! HOO-RAY!!!
The hula dance is simple: you put some grass on one hip, some more grass on the other hip, and then you rotate the crops.
First things first, the swim spa!! We had our hot coffee and discussed the plans for the day, The water was a warm 95, and I have placed a heater right by the stairway si our robes get warm as we soak.
We got into our “grubbies” and worked in the yard. MAry planted about 15 daffodils using our auger/power drill system. Below she is trimming back some of the plants we have in containers.
We worked in the yard most of the morning.
The flowers around the patio were overgrown, and when they get tall, they tend to fall over, and the stems break. I cured the problem by cutting the plant way back. In a month, it will be whole again!
We cut back the blue flowers as they were overgrowing everything.
We planted two roses in our big tubs; one was a Mr. Lincoln, and then my favorite is the Julia Child or Butter Rose. Mary’s is blossoming and growing tall, while mine is just starting the bloom.
MAry’s favorite rose, Mr. Lincoln, is coming on strong.
The wall is almost six feet tall, so you can see Mr. Lincoln is peaking over the fence to our neighbors.
It is a vibrant red and has a magical fragrance.
My rose is doing OK but she is short not like her friend Mr. Linmcoln.
Looks like rich butter!
While trimming, I am careful of the Praying Mantis as they are voracious bug eaters. A man went to Dr. Mary complaining that he kept seeing some insect buzzing around him. Mary just told him not to worry; it was just a bug that was going around.
I told Mary, “I and going to develop an exercise routine for our friendly insects.” She did NOT look surprised but was interested enough to ask how it was going. I replied, ” It’s not going that well. Guess I have to work out the bugs.”
Mr. Mantis visits us, yeah!
Mid-afternoon, we stopped and got gussied up for the big dance with Starlighters. I had not been to a dance since July 2019. We were asked (we volunteered) to be the official greeters and check everyone in, which was a good idea. It was a good idea; we got to meet and talk to everyone. Only three couples were surprised to see us together.
Bob assisted us in getting get up for the reception activities.
The music was fantastic because Nick Pepper is also a dancer, although he will not admit it. Tonight was a formal affair, so it was nice to see the tux and gowns come out from a year or more of hiding.
We danced to the music of Nick Pepper!
Did we dance? OMG, we danced and danced all evening. I mentioned to Mary that I invented the limbo dance… I didn’t have any money and was trying to get into a pay toilet.
Not to be outdone, Mary replied, “Dancing is a wonderful training for girls; it’s the first way you learn to guess what a man is going to do before he does it.”
We tore up the dance floor!
We enjoy dancing, and some of the steps I used to do are coming back slowly. We dance everything but the tango because I do need to sit once in a while. We are going to take two-step country classes. Bother of us have done it but we don’t remember all the necessary moves.
We danced almost every dance this evening.
We departed the dance about 10:30 PM, and I suggested we stop for a drink at Aces Bar & Grill on Chapman. We wanted to see if it were quiet and we could have people stop there after a dance. Well, we were NOT surprised. The place was jumping, and it was so loud even some young folks were standing outside. A group of six “twenty-somes” commented on our get-ups and asked about dancing. They volunteered to take our picture, so here we are.
I did mention to Mary, “I once dated a wild girl. I took her to a bar. She gave the mechanical bull her phone number.”
Home Jeeves, it is time to crash!
Aces is about one and a half miles from our place, so we headed home because our ears hurt from the noise even though we chugged our wine and were there for six minutes. We took Scout for a visit to his yard, and then we came in and crashed. It was 12:15 when we turned off the lights. We dropped like flies; it was a good tired!
Now Fridays aren’t the best day of the week anymore… they all are!
Mary listened to the TV News, Channel Five KTLA, and a cement truck flipped on the 22 Fwy, so we planned an alternative route. Just before leaving, the SigAlert was lifted, and so was the truck! 8:00 AM, and Mary was ready to go to work, for the last time on Fridays!
I have a list of things to do today, so I hit the trail running! I hung several pictures, trimmed two bushes, eliminated two more boxes from the office, worked on the website, went to CVS and the bank, put up one-third of the Christmas lights, walked Five Miles, and went to lunch. By 5:00 PM, I was pooped!
MAry got home at 6:00 PM, and we talked for a while mostly about this being her last week of work after 43 years of being a doctor.
No more having to put up with new people who do NOT want to work!
We decided to watch a Hallmark Christmas Movie. By 9:00 PM, we were done and went to sleep. Summary: A Christmas Wedding Tail is the story of a pair of passionate pooches, Labrador Rusty and Poodle Cheri, who fall head-over-tails in love. The two smitten pups conspire to get their respective owners, Susan and Jake, to wed. Despite Susan’s and Jake’s compatibility, their new blended family turns out to be more than Rusty and Cheri had bargained for. Now, the calculating canines must channel their pooch powers to keep their family from ending up in the dog house.
Why don’t retirees mind being called seniors? Because the term comes with a 10% discount.
It was O-dark-thirty when Mary arose and woke me from a sound sleep. She had to be in Huntington Beach by 7:30 AM for a meeting of the PNI group at Denny’s. Wes, like a dutiful husband, I was up at 4:45 AM and turned on the heater in the bathroom for my lady! It is a job I enjoy as it makes her happy!
I told mary, “Exercise works best first thing in the morning… Before your brain figures out what you’re doing.”
Usually, I would go with her, but we are expecting! Ah ha, gotcha! We are expecting a new golden maple tree along with an orange and avocado, and they were supposed to be here in the morning.
It is called a “Silver Maple.”
Mary made it home by about 10:00 AM, and we did some chores around the house; then, we called the tree company. Oops, there would come later between 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM. Great, now we can go to the Elks for Girls Night Out.
We got to the Elks after stopping by Jan’s to do a “Meals On Wheels” delivery at about 11:30 AM.
I told Mary, “Isn’t it fun getting older? is a terrible fallacy. That’s like saying I prefer driving an old car with a flat tire.”
There was some event underway, and they had old cars on display!
Well, at 3:00 PM, we called again, and wouldn’t you know, they waved us off until Monday morning. We were only upset that they did not call and tell us; we had to keep calling them! We ordered our lunch early and still got to visit with everyone before going home and meeting the tree folks.
Mary packed up another “Meals On Wheels” package, and we visited Bill, who is in the throes of fighting cancer. He was happy to see us, and we visited him for about an hour before returning home.
We made a stop by Jan’s place on the way home and assisted her with reducing the weight of her house by two bottles of wine; we are friendly people. We visited Jan for a good hour, and then finally, we headed home to visit Mr. Scout.
Its always enjoyable to visit Jan.
It was 9:00 PM, and we crashed; ka-boom, we were out like a light.
How does Yoda get through Wednesday? By saying, “Half over the week is now!”
Mid-week, our cleaners arrive at 8:30 AM, so we have to get up early to clean the house. Mary hit the showers, and I finished off the Daily Diary from yesterday. Retirement is wonderful. It’s doing nothing without worrying about getting caught at it.
You can do it!
It is hard to believe that Mary has two days remaining to work and then retirement, and we play every day! I can hardly wait for the 23rd (her last day of work), so I can tell Mary, “What do you call someone who’s happy on Mondays? I have plans; many plans! Retired!”
The cleaning folks arrived, and we took off to the local market and post office. On the way there, I told Mary about Colleen wanting to have a Cinderella party when she was young. Being a good daddy, I invited all her friends over and made them clean the house.
Why can’t the house clean itself? It seems to get dirty by itself.
Then it was time for brunch at Rockwell’s Bakery with its footsteps from the post office and market!
We shared an omelet, and I had iced tea while Mary did coffee. The bill was a whopping $13.
After getting home, Mary decided to cook because we had several summer squashes that needed stuffing. She did the “kitchen sink” stuffing; Mary threw in everything, including chili, canned corn, and eye of neut! Me, I took an hour’s nap because, for some reason, I was dragging!
She was cooking up a storm! Squash stuffing in front and Fettuccini Alfredo in the back!
We just got some new neighbors, and Mary baked cookies for them. When we went to deliver them but found Molly was on her phone in a business meeting. She thanked us and said she would come over and meet us later.
Mary baked cookies for the new neighbors who had just moved in.
Today is Bob’s 54th birthday, so we celebrated by going to the OC Mining Company two miles from our home. Robin stopped by at 5:00 on her way home from Boeing. We had a margarita and shared until 5:45 PM, when we departed for the restaurant.
Robin had a great seat just across from the window!
Robin shared her new through about wearing masks!
Hey, it works pretty well! Hic!
The floodlights in the distance (left side) is El Molino High School. The view was superb this evening with minor atmospheric conditions.
It was a great view from the OC Mining Company!
The entire Duda Clan joined us, meaning Nick was here. He just got a promotion at his company, and we are proud of him.
Bob is sharing a new app; he always has a trick or two to share with the old folks!
The Duda’s, a force to be reckoned with!
Bob turned 54 years young today. We mentioned that Mitch would have also been 54 on Monday, but the hard-living got to him last year. Bob is such an angel?!
Bob’s birthday; what a little angel!
Mary and Robin spent twenty minutes coordinating calendars for Christmas. We are going to do a Polish dinner with Bob-made perogies on December 5th, Robin’s birthday. We, of course, are just us sharing great times with our family.
Just us.
We left the restaurant filled to the brim about8:30 PM and aimed home. Robin came with us and picked up her car. I was tired, and Mary has to be up at 5:00 AM, so we didn’t even turn on the TV. The last sound I heard was by ears hitting the pillows!
We usually have margaritas on Thursdays, but since it’s Tuesday, I’ll make an exception.
No more Tuesday Zoom meetings after this morning; it was nice to hear the accolades from the members of her group after twenty years of service. I liked listening to the conversations and learning from the various members as each week, someone in the group would talk about their area of expertise.
She was zooming away with the group!
The Zoom was done at 8:30 AM, and we decided to walk Five Miles. We asked Scout where he wanted to walk this morning, and he said, “Just a walk around the bark.”
Did You Know? The Australian Shepherd is one of a few dog breeds that commonly have two different colored eyes, called heterochromia. Aussies might have any combination of brown, blue, hazel, amber, or green eyes. Some Aussies even display more than one color within the same eye.
Now it was errand time! OMG, did we do errands? Cleaners, two banks, Home Depot, BigLots, MAty’s office. CVS, Old World, and breakfast! We drove from 9:15 until almost 2:30 OM. We took the van as it needed to get out and run a while.
We filled it with stuff!
We were looking for Polish wine to give to Bob tonight, but Polish beer was the best we could find. While we were there, we got all sorts of Polish goodies and plan to have Bob come over and make perogies, and we will do sausage and sauerkraut. Fun times are had when we let our creativity loose.
Old World in Huntington Beach; we enjoyed just browsing.
When we returned home, we put away everything and found out that we had forgotten some goodies from Old World so Mary will return there Friday. We need the sugar-bridge for our planned German celebration.
Around dinner time, we decided we wanted to roast the squash we had stored away.
Easy to cook, and the taste is fantastic!
Did You Know? Winter squash is an annual fruit representing several squash species within the genus Cucurbita. It differs from summer squash in that it is harvested and eaten in the mature stage when the seeds have matured fully and the skin has hardened into a tough rind. At this stage, most varieties of this vegetable can be stored for use during the winter. Winter squash is generally cooked before being eaten, and the skin or rind is not usually eaten as it is with summer squash.
I am in charge of cutting the little suckers, but I found an easy way using a pairing knife and scoring the skin first!
I was a real cut-up!
While I was slaving away with the squash, Mary was working her magic with the stuffing. I did not recognize what Mary was making, so I asked. She responded with, “How do you like yer possum… fallin’ off the bones tender or with a little fight left in it?”
I asked when it would be done, and Mary said, “I don’t know! I use a smoke alarm as a timer.”
Stuffing is being created and talking at the same time.
We put the beautiful roses on the table tonight. These were from a patient MAry had for many years.
Gifts from Mary’s patients.
While cooking everything, Mary called Sydney about something with the rental home. We asked Sydney if she wanted to come over and have a bite, and she said, “Yes.” The table was set for three. Mary and I are a team! I am getting pretty good at setting tables and getting everything ready.
At dinner, I asked, “Who helps young winter squash cross the road safely?” The answer, I thought, was obvious, “The crossing gourd.”
The table is set.
The table settings look good enough to eat without food!
Mary: My husband’s cooking is so bad! Sydney: How bad is it? Mary: Well, the guests usually pray after the meal.
It looked pretty good!
After dinner, we adjourned to the ballroom to put up pictures and signage with Sydney’s assistance. Sydney has an excellent eye for relationships and geometry.
The pictures are hung.
We are ready to dance!!
Out plaques/signs are also on the walls!
We walked over 10,000 steps yesterday. It felt good! We cleaned up after dinner and then crashed.
The best part about retirement is that you don’t have to worry about getting caught for doing nothing.
Age is a fantastic thing! I just got my membership card in the AAA, and it says FIFTY YEARS. I get so confused! How can that be when I am only forty years old?
Today was a little sad because it was Mitch’s birthday, we lost him a year ago and he it still missed greatly by all of us!
We walked Five Miles this morning, and he enjoyed it sniffing every single thing there was to sniff! When we returned, we washed his ears as they tend to get infected. From the dog’s point of view, we are elongated and abnormally cunning dogs.
Mary decided we should throw a ball for Scout shortly. It’s a bit extravagant, but it will be his birthday, and he looks great in a dinner suit.
Just call me “Five Miles”
Mary is making a beauty shop appointment for him on Wednesday before Thanksgiving, so he will be “pretty” and stink nice.
At 8:05 AM, I heard the familiar sound of stretching tires and smelled burnt rubber! Ah ha, Mary was heading to work in the hot rod rocket. She has Friday and Monday to go, and she is retired! Now we can play 24×7!
Mary needs another coffee cup!
After Mary got home, she decided it was Aces for lunch. She offered me a ride in the rocket, and I dug deep in my pants and gave her an E-Ticket. I don’t think she drives too fast, but the paint was hot to the touch due to air friction.
I overate with the famous Aces burger. She, of course, was well behaved and had a salad.
Aces now have an internet jukebox. I dug through my pockets, and Mary dug in her purse; we retrieved three whole dollar bills.
Mary went first, and I must stay her first choice raised some eyebrows. The name of the country song she accidentally selected I have forced myself to forget, but it was something about a woman, a dog, and a can of beer plus an old pickup truck.
The clientele begged her NOT to make another selection but then mastered the machine and out popped The Tennessee Waltz; we danced to the tune before lunch was served!
It came complete with a fried egg!
We returned home and took a thirty-minute nap; I have her in training to be retired already.
When we got up, we did some planting and did another pass through the Thanksgiving Day plans. Everyone has something to be happy about! The first thing we will do is go through the pictures from last year! This year we are having about twenty people over for the feast!
We hit the front yard digging over forty holes with the power-auger and planting tulips and daffodils! This planting was the first time I did bulbs on purpose.
Did You Know? The term “bulb” is used by most people to refer to plants with underground, fleshy storage structures. Only some of the plants commonly called bulbs actually are bulbs. The definition of a bulb is any plant that stores its complete life cycle in an underground storage structure.
The primary function of these underground storage structures is to store nutrient reserves to ensure the plants’ survival.
Bulbs or bulb-like plants are usually perennials. They have a period of growth and flowering. This is followed by a period of dormancy where they die back to ground level at the end of each growing season. For spring bulbs, the end of the growing season is in late Spring or early summer. Spring bulbs start to grow again in the fall and flower the following growing season.
The true bulb has five significant parts. It contains the basal plate (bottom of bulb from which roots grow), fleshy scales (primary storage tissue), tunic (skin-like covering that protects the fleshy scales), the shoot (consisting of developing flower and leaf buds), and lateral buds (develop into bulblets or offsets).
We needed to plant them 4″ deep, so I marked the auger, and the rest was easy! After dropping the bulb into the hole, we covered it with good potting soil and applied a slight pressure (I stepped on them).
The spacing was NOT scientific.
The tool of the day was my Makita cordless drill with the auger bit I got from Amazon. It works amazingly well! I bought two of them, one for the front yard and one for the back!
It attaches to the Makita just like a drill bit!
Dig baby dig!
Works like a champ!
Mary is placing the bulbs into the holes, and then I come back by the fill the holes with planting soil and apply pressure.
We did the whole front in an hour.
This technique beats the heck out of a shovel and digging by hand because it loosens the soil, and all the holes are the same depth.
Maybe 10 seconds per hole?
Imagine, in Spring, our yard will look like this. I did remond Mary of the old story about the moles. A family of moles awakens from hibernation. The father mole pokes his head out of the hole and says “I smell tulips it must be spring”. The mother mole pokes her head out of the hole and says ” I smell cherry blossoms it must be spring”. The baby mole is trying to squeeze between his parents but gets stuck and says “all I smell is molasses”
Mary and I love to work in the garden! Daffodils have become a National Emblem of Wales alongside the leek. They are traditionally worn on St David’s Day as this tends to be the time of year daffodils start to appear.
I also had to remind Mary that I knew where bees go to learn about pollinating tulips? Duh, Plant Parenthood.
We took the remaining fifteen bulbs to the backyard, and we will work there in the morning after our coffee. The weather is supposed to be in the low 70s, so it is perfect gardening weather.
It got too dark to do the backyard.
We called Lisa, Zack, and Robin before watching TV. We watched the rest of “The Great Race” in the living room, and Mary fixed a lite snack as the late lunch was pretty filling. I took Five Miles out to water the grass after the movie, and the moon was bright, so out came the camera.
A beautiful 55-degree evening was ahead for us.
We went to bed but managed to watch another movie before crashing at midnight! The movie was Hatari with John Wayne. Hatari! is Swahili for “danger”—and also the word for action, adventure, and broad comedy in this two-fisted Howard Hawks effort. John Wayne stars as the head of a daring Tanganyka-based group that captures wild animals on behalf of the world’s zoos. Hardy Kruger, Gérard Blain, and Red Buttons are members of Wayne’s men-only contingent, all of whom are reduced to jello when the curvaceous Elsa Martinelli enters the scene. In tried and true Howard Hawks fashion, Martinelli quickly becomes “one of the guys,” though Wayne apparently can’t say two words to her without sparking an argument.
Tomorrow Mary gets to practice being retired again! No work until Friday!
Never keep up with the Joneses. Drag them down to your level. It’s cheaper.
One eye popped open, and I turned over to look at the clock; it can’t be 7:00 AM already! It was indeed time to get up and head for the coffee machine. A day without coffee is like… Just kidding. I have no idea.
While I was sneaking to the coffee machine and letting Mary sleep, she heard me and went to the kitchen. We met there, and without a single word being said, we both turned toward the swim spa and nodded our heads!
Before we knew it, we were in hot water with hot coffee, a great way to wake up on a Sunday morning. We talked and planned and plotted as everything begins to get busy; the holiday season is upon us!
When I came into the house, I was met with a horrible situation. They apparently got into an altercation, a fight started, and Roomba won! Roomba murdered the Fall light tree.
What a mess; there were electrons all over the floor! She put up a good fight!
We showered up and got ready to go to the Elks, but first, we watched our favorite televangelist. His messages are always meaningful and often hit home. Charles Frazier Stanley (born September 25, 1932) is Pastor Emeritus of First Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, after serving as senior pastor for 51 years. He is the founder and president of In Touch Ministries, which widely broadcasts his sermons through television. He also served two one-year terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention, from 1984 to 1986.
Dr. Charles Stanley
To the Elks Lodge, we flew, meeting Bob and Donna there. Mary and I had lunch, and Bob joined us. Donna had to shop first since they had already eaten. We all walked through the Christmas boutique, and we even bought some goodies.
We returned home by 5:00 PM and decided the hot tub was again a great idea, twice in one day. We were not hungry, so we decided to watch a movie in the bedroom; we lasted about 20 minutes even while “The Great Race” played.
The TV was acting up. I don’t know what was wrong with my television last night, but I was getting C-Span and the Home Shopping Network on the same station, and I actually bought a congressman.
I did ask Mary, before I turned off the lights, “Why do they call it a TV set when you only get one?”
First, we talked to Colleen and then Robin to catch up on things. We are going to dinner with Robin and Bob for Bob’s birthday on Wednesday.
I woke up later on and was surprised it was only 11:00 PM! We must stop going to bed so early!
Posted inDining Out, Friends, Holidays|Comments Off on Sunday And Another “Christnas Activity” At The Elks!
A computer once beat me at chess. But it was no match for me at kickboxing.
The Sun showed himself at 6:24 AM this morning, and we returned the favor by taking our coffee in the swim spa. I flashed him at 6:30 AM; he got hot! We sat in the spa for a good hour as our fingers were pruning! I looked like a Shar-Pei after an hour! My wrinkles had wrinkles!
We talked a lot about the dance last night and how to “do it better” next time! Staying at the Huntington and having High Tea is a good idea.
We danced and danced and danced!
Out of the pool and on to doing the mail! It’s a terrible job, but someone has to do it! We got ready to go on the Flower Home Tour in Santa Ana, where Bob and Donna live. We stopped by their house first and saw the garden after its most recent redux by Gardner Donna.
Donna’s garden is beautiful.
The “Fairy Garden” took a lot of work which Donna does every year. Hours of labor pays off because it is magnificent.
The fairy garden is unique!
While the girls toured the backyard, the guys looked into a gas leak under the BBQ. Ed knew how to fix the gas valve, which was probably the culprit.
The guys always have a project!
We walked over to Victoria street to see the homes, do a little shopping, and visit the Packard auto display!
Did You Know? Floral Park. Located in the northern tip of Santa Ana, the Floral Park neighborhood is a community of more than 600 vintage homes, most of which were built from the 1920s through the 1950s. Recognized as one of Orange County’s most established neighborhoods, Floral Park is representative of a bygone era—one of the gracious tree-shaded streets, abundant lawns and flowers, unique and stylish homes, and, most importantly, friendly neighbors! Once blanketed by orange, avocado, and walnut groves, the neighborhood features original farmhouses, and the sweet smell of orange blossoms still fills the air.
The Floral Park Neighborhood Association actively works to preserve the character and beauty of the neighborhood and to provide a sense of community and tradition to its residents. Over 200 homes in Floral Park are on the Santa Ana Register of Historic Properties.
Mary checks out the next destination, Casa Del Sol Mexican Restaurant in Irvine, while we wait to go into the house.
They are awaiting entry into a home.
The ladies are ready to go inside and see the home!
Ladies!
We walked down the street to the Packard display and saw many amazing vehicles from the 1920s through the 1950s. Mary is a member of the Packard Club, so she knew several of the people.
Good looking group!
The homes were amazing and what’s more impressive is that the one below was built in 1928 for a total sum of $17,500. The attic was a dormitory for the owner’s five kids when they were growing up! Read here about the Russell House.
Homes from the 1920s were on review today!
The home was already decorated for the season. Santa welcomed us to the house.
It was warm in that suit on this 90-degree day!
We departed the group and went back home (a ten-minute drive), so we could make sure Scout was OK before going to Irvine and having dinner with the gang!
The band sounded pretty good at Casa Del Sol in Irvine.
Great fun when these people get together; you can never tell wants going to happen!
The gang enjoyed the meal; thank you to Vicky!
We departed the restaurant and headed home. We were both tired, and we walked about three miles in the heart of the day.
Retirement is like one big sick day without the sick pay.
After today, Mary has only three more working days until retirement kicks in! We are looking so forward to that event!
Finally, I was able to catch a picture of our Thanksgiving flag. It says, “Pumpkin Kisses and Harvest Wishes” on one side and “Happy Thanksgiving from Mary & Paul” on the other. We ordered our Christmas flag today and it is supposed to arrive before Thanksgiving.
Can you read the words?
Joe was out and about today and stopped by for a visit. He brought us shelves for the sheds so we can stack more boxes inside! We went back to work and then came back with sushi for lunch! We sat and talked for an hour or so. He was very helpful because his young eyes could put in our dimmer switches. My old eyes are fuzzy, and I was afraid I was going to fry myself.
Joe visited!
We had a formal dance tonight, and it was about 90 minutes away even though we departed at 4:00 PM! We decided that we would stay in a hotel for the next dance in two months and then go to the Huntington Library the following day.
It took 90 minutes plus to get to Altadena from Orange!
I mentioned to Mary I was a little tired, and she wondered why since I stayed home. Well, I walked three miles by 1:35 in the afternoon just doing stuff around the house; it is a big house!
I only left the house to help the neighbor with his trash can and still walked 3+ miles!
We hit the freeway and were in traffic for 90 minutes going through Brea and other cities to catch the 57-Freeway to the 210-Freeway. We were smart as I called our country club and had them make reservations for us at the destination country club. We needed a drink after 90 minutes in stop-and-go traffic.
I told Mary about the cop who spotted this blond driving on the freeway knitting! Pull Over! he yells! No! She yells back, Cardigan!
On the road again!
Mary questioned why all the traffic. I told her, “A truck full of hair restorer tonic overturned and spilled on the freeway today. Police are combing the area.”
We had an appetizer and killed off a bottle of Cakebread Chardonnay before the dance started. We enjoy talking to one another sharing memories and thoughts.
Cocktails at the club!
At the dance, we had a great table. The group was hilarious and enjoyed dancing and telling stories. Wyatt Haupt was playing, so we knew the music would be first class. We danced to waltzes, cha-chas, rhumbas, and most everything they threw our way!
We had an excellent table!
So, we are in the car heading home at 9:40 PM, and I get this great idea; let’s see Chuckie at Patty’s Place. We showed up at about 10:15 PM and sat and talked to the remaining locals until 11:30 PM and then headed home for the evening. Laurie Coates was at the bar when we showed up, so we spoke to her for quite a while. We even called Laurie Reidinger and said hello. Great fun with friends.
It is so hot the birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground.
It’s almost mid-November, and it was 93 degrees! Come on, cool weather! we got up late and just messed around going through our email and unopened snail-mail. 11:00 AM came pretty fast, and we were ready to go to”Girls Night Out” at the Elks.
We arrived right on time at the Santa Ana Elks!
We were first to arrive, and the gang showed up soon after that.
The gang showed up a about noon.
We always have a great time, and we share our meals, so we get fish and steak.
Just us!
After the Elks, we went to Moon Valley Nursery and selected three trees; a yellow maple, an avocado, and an orange. They will deliver and plant them on the 18th so that they will be in for Thanksgiving.
Mary met a dinosaur while roaming through the trees.
We went to Moon Nursery in Huntington Beach!
Someone had a big welding machine. The dinos looked scary and would be frightening at night!
Mary has a friend!
Mary named him Liz; I guess that was short for the lizard?
NO! You cannot take him home!
Time to eat again? We had two big filet mignon’s, and they were so thick I was afraid to BBQ them, so into the pan they went. They came out just right.
We cooked the steaks inside because they were so thick!
Mid-November and we are dining outside in 78-degree weather! The bug zappers were going full steam, and the breeze was perfect. We had a delightful meal talking for a good hour about family and stuff.
Dinner is served!
Scout, The Wonder Dog, sniffed the meat and looked at us with a sad face; he did not beg but gave us a guilty feeling. One bite, and he was happy.
To dream of the person you wish to be is to waste the person you are.
The battle cry was “Head To The Hot Tub,” and we did; we sat in boiling water for an hour starting at 6:30 AM. We were well done and enjoying coffee.
We were expecting David to visit today, Mary’s son. He did drop by for a few minutes, and we visited. We collected a lot of his things from years gone by and made them ready for him to pick up.,
David and Mary
We went to the Post Office and then to Rockwell’s for lunch after the short visit.
We discussed the visit and had some Cakebread Chardonnay.
Upon arriving back home, it was nap time, and we did exactly that! The cleaning folks came about 4:00 PM, and we decided to vacate the house and let them do their work. We went to Patty’s Place and visited the regulars. We enjoyed a steak sampler, and I did Jalapeno croquettes. Of course, we did have a glass of wine. We got a key lime pie for Vicky.
Leaving Patty’s and heading to Vicky’s, we decided to stop at the fish company and get a dozen oysters for Vicky. She was happy for our quick fly-by!
We were headed home, but at 8:30 PM, we had a change in direction. We went to the Tustin Senior Citizen Center and danced until 9:30 PM with friends. $7/person, you can’t beat7 that! Fantastic music and a great dance floor.
We departed at 9:30 PM and drove the seven miles home where we crashed; it was an emotional day, but it ended well!
Tuesday isn’t so bad. It’s a sign that I’ve somehow survived Monday.
The sun was peeking through the clouds, and we decided it was time to get into gear early. Mary jumped in the shower, and I worked on Monday’s Daily Diary!
It was time for Mary’s Zoom meeting, and she talked to the group for an hour while I took a shower and got ready for the day.
In another week, she will be dropping out because she is retiring.
We did chores and got ready for David’s visit. Mary has collected a lot of childhood things that she wants to offer to David; it is a win-win, he gets stuff, and we get more space!
We took the varmint for a walk; he loves his one-mile walks!
Mary fixed oatmeal for breakfast which is good for our cholesterol. We then headed out to do errands. We went to Home Depot and got flowers and two more storage containers for Fall/Halloween. We called the sewing machine/vacuum store, and our iRobot was ready for pickup! We dropped by and got him.
Trader Joe’s was a block away, so I suggested we stop and browse and also pick up a case of wine for Jan.
Fascinating items like the bird’s nest we bought for Jan!
Then it was off to Ralph’s Market for some necessary goodies, and while we were shopping, we decided to visit Jan (she is one block away).
We stopped at Jan’s at 5:00 PM and brought her all sorts of goodies to eat. We sat there and visited for a good solid hour before we had to return home and water Scout.
He headed to Jeff’s house for a glass of vino and to watch the sunset; Jeff is our new neighbor and a great guy. We talked with him for an hour before walking back home.
By 7:30 PM, we crashed; the TV did not even get turned on this evening! I worked on my new movie software; below is a first try and a test!
Your Monday morning thoughts set the tone for your whole week. See yourself as getting stronger and living a fulfilling, happier & healthier life.
Today is Monday, which means you must be subjected to some of Paul’s favorite music, generally of the 1950s. I need to admit, today’s song was released in 1948, but Patti Page made it a real hit in 1950! So, here it goes!
Did You Know? All versions of the lyrics narrate a situation in which the persona has introduced their sweetheart to a friend who then waltzes away with them. The lyrics are altered for pronoun gender based on the gender of the singer.
Did You Know? Monday is the only day of the week that is an anagram for a single word. This word is dynamo!
Mary zoomed off to work, and I finished cleaning up after last night’s excellent dinner party! It was not too bad because we did one load of dishes last night before hitting the sack! By 11:00 AM, all was done, and Scout and I could rest!
We continued doing chores around the house, and I even washed and ironed the place settings and napkins; I am getting to be quite a domestic! This specific set of placemats and napkins have got to be at least forty years old; it was nice to get them out and use them!
During the rest of the day, I just did off jobs around the house; there is always something to do!
At 4:00 PM, I did errands, dropping off Robbi the Roomba at the repair shop. His dust bin is on the fritz. She will be notified of the damages tomorrow.
Then it was off to the market as I wanted something special for dinner tonight; I just was not sure what!
While at the shopping center, I picked up my three tuxedos as the formal dance season was picking up. When I arrived home, Scout, who had his lease in his mouth, was giving me the signal, “Daddy, it is walk time.” So, I walked Five Miles (a.k.a. Scout) before starting dinner.
Dinner, you ask, tonight it was a chili-size. What is known for sure is that the chili size was developed in Los Angeles at a place named Ptomaine Tommy’s. In business from 1913 until 1958 at 2420 N. Broadway, Ptomaine Tommy’s was the most prominent and best-known chili parlor in town. Reportedly, movie stars such as Mae West and Mary Pickford were regulars devoted to Tommy de Forest’s chili.
I forgot to take a picture of mine; the only difference is I put ours on an English muffin, and I cut up red onions and sauteed them; easier on the tummy!
We watched a movie after dinner called “The Mule” by Clint Eastwood. Storyline: Clint Eastwood stars as Earl Stone, a man who is ninety years old, broke, alone, and facing foreclosure of his business when he is offered a job that requires him to drive. Easy enough, but unbeknownst to Earl, he’s just signed on as a drug courier for a Mexican cartel. He does well, so well that his cargo increases exponentially, and Earl is assigned a handler. But he isn’t the only one keeping tabs on Earl.
The mysterious new drug mule has also hit the radar of hard-charging D.E.A. Agent Colin Bates (Bradley Cooper). And even as his money problems become a thing of the past, Earl’s past mistakes start to weigh heavily on him, and it’s uncertain if he’ll have time to right those wrongs before law enforcement, or the cartel’s enforcers, catch up to him.
After the movie, we went into the swim spa and sta there for an hour just talking. MAry asked about the bright “star,” and I pulled out my iPhone with the SkyView app and determined it was Venus!
The Moon and Venus were very bright tonight.
We went inside about 9:30 PM and attempted to watch a movie, but Mary’s eyes went closed, and mine soon followed! YEAH!!! After today, Mary only has 3 1/2 days to work before retirement sets in!
The time changed last night, so we had to decide whether to fall ahead or spring back; so confusing. Thanks to all of our Alexa devices, 50% of the time, indicating mechanisms were correct. It will be a few days until I get all the timepieces changed.
It is a lot of work!
We headed for the swim spa at either 7:00 AM or 8:00 AM; we could not decide. We enjoyed our morning coffee while soaking up the heat. We headed to the Family Room, where the fireplace made the two rocking chairs nice and warm.
Tonight, we have company over for dinner and will christen our Dining Room for the first time. One reason for the house we selected is to be able to entertain; we selected well!
My job was to set the table!
We finalized the menu, and after a quick shower, I headed to the market while Mary puttered in the kitchen working on a fantastic salad. Half of the salad came from the last of our garden. I found eight great-looking steaks and brought them home, and started marinating them in my secret recipe!
I told Mary, “Once an astronomer carried a steak to the bathroom because he was looking for a meatier shower.”
Yummy!!!!!
We worked the rest of the day getting ready for our company; Iris and Will, plus Sydney, her father, and a lady friend. Hal and Jeannie come to the Elks for Girls Night Out, and therefore everyone knew each other!
I asked Hal, “How did you find your steak tonight?” He turned and said, “I looked next to my potatoes, and there it was.”
Tonight we are doing top sirloin on the BBQ, baked potatoes, fresh garden salad, string beans, and a razzleberry pie with ice cream!
Mary, Hal, and Jeannie
I did ask Will. “What do you call a 100cm long steak?” He pondered and then responded with, “A meater.” I should have known!
Iris, Sydney, and Will
I was talking about how well-behaved Scout is. I said, ” Why I could set a steak down on the coffee table and leave the room, and she would not even touch it.” Before I finished the sentence, someone suggested we go out to dinner if I am that bad a cook!
Iris was 18 in 1944 (the year I was born), which makes her 94 years young. Sharp as a tack and witty, she could do standup comedy anytime! Iris was kind enough to bring some pictures of her in years gone by.
Iris was a teen and was getting ready for modeling school.
Along came WWII, and she worked at various USOs and Canteens to entertain the servicemen. (Iris on the right)
She went on several USO tours and visited hospitals (Iris is in the center)
Stories were told. Please take a listen, they are funny! First, we have Will finding out that Iris was a little older than he thought. Iris is so funny; we all laughed and giggled along with her!
Now Sydney talks about clothes she wore in high school; she was a trendsetter! She liked exciting garments. I wanted to find out more about the “trench coats”! Only Sydney could tell this story! Please enjoy! Fact: Gasoline Alley is still open after 45+ years!
Look for trench coats!
Please listed to the short 45 second video!
Somehow the conversation got on stockings, and Iris explains what they did during WWII when they could not afford nor even get stockings! We had ideas in the 1960s, but we turned yellow and orange when we tried to get a quick tan!
We completed dinner with a razzleberry pic and bourbon vanilla-bean ice cream topped with whipped cream! It was an outstanding dinner and loaded with lots of absolutely useless information! We all had a good laugh!
Saying goodbye was challenging as we had so much fun! But, all good things must come to an end, so it is said!
Goodnight and sweet dreams; drive carefully!
The night came to an end and Mary and I attacked the dishes remembering that “the house husband” is home tomorrow so everything will be done by the time the Doctor arrives home.
This kind of entertaining is what we enjoy doing because we do it as a team!
It was a cute movie; pure Hallmark!
