Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
After swimming last night, Mary’s eyes didn’t open until 8:00 am, and then they were at half-mast. I only beat her by thirty minutes. Then I remembered, “The average person needs five more minutes of sleep.”
We headed to the Elks at 11:00 am because we needed to stop at Ralph’s and pick up “the cake.” Ralph’s Market did a magnificent job, and they also found some antlers in their “junk drawer”. I am sure the altlers were from a Christmas decoration.
We carefully laid it in the truck of The Silver Fox!
We had a gaggle of friends here today. It has been five years since we began this lunchtime ritual on Thursdays at noon. The ritual began when Bob Z. pryed me out of the house, making me “move on” after Sue’s passing. If it had not been for Bob, I would probably still be wasting away.
Top Row, L to R: Bob Z, Sydney, Vicky, Jim, George, Bill, Sandee, Karen, and Linda.
Bottom Row, L to Right: Mike Ash, Dianne, Mary, Paul, and Iris.
We took several views to capture everything! We broke two lenses during the process.
Iris will be 99 this New Year’s Eve; she always sits to my left.
I did some speechifying, reminding everyone how it all got started. Special thanks to Bob Zaitz, who was the real mastermind of the operation.
After a half hour of talking, I sat down, and Bob Z spoke about his memories of the initial event. After being hit with three tomatoes and a whipped cream pie, he was forced to step back, sit down, and stop talking. I thought Bob was quite eloquent. His sing-song palaver was halfway between rabble-rousing and rapping. Next time, we will suggest telepathy.
Karen also chimed in, mentioning what a lovely group we were. It only cost us ten dollars to get her to say those words, but I noticed behind her, her fingers were crossed!!
I did happen to mention that after the first luncheon five years ago, I got enough courage to place a call to Dr. Côté for the first time (a suggestion from Jan Mongel). We had our first “date” on July 28th, just a few days later!
After Mary asked me out to dinner several times, I finally agreed to go. (It DID NOT happen that way, I begged, implored, pleaded; it was not pretty, but it worked, she said yes!!)
He won the blue ribbon for that afternoon’s speechifying!
Sandee and Bill showed up; we are pleased to see them out and about after being married just four weeks. They always stand out in a group. I remember telling Bill that I thought marriage is like a walk in the park…Jurassic Park. I also mentioned that marriage is a relationship where one person is always right, and the other is the husband.
They brighten up the room.
We all had a great lunch and shared stories from years gone by, some of which were actually true!
Sydney was keeping the far end of the table busy!
Iris, Will, and Sandee enjoyed the chatter among group members. We did miss Mike Andersen, but he was taking care of Bridgette, and that takes priority!
Will was here, but he was missed in the group photo!
At the business end of the table, Bob, Mike, Dianne, and Mary told the GOOD tales of lore.
Tales of Lore generally refer to stories that delve into the mythology, history, or backstory of a fictional world, character, or concept. These stories can be found in various forms of media, including books, podcasts, video games, Elks Lodge luncheons, and other digital platforms. It often explores the origins, legends, and cultural narratives associated with a particular setting or entity.
They were awaiting cake!
Vicky volunteered to cut the cake, and Dianne and Mary served everyone. The cake was outstanding. I was planning to save a piece for Jeff, our neighbor. I examined the scene of the crime where the 1/4 sheet cake had disappeared, vanished, became extinct, dematerialized, dissolved, or otherwise melted away, leaving only the box it came in and a few finger marks in the remaining icing.
Types of Buttercream:
- American Buttercream: Simple, sweet, and easy to make, using butter, sugar, and sometimes milk or cream.
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream: Made with cooked egg whites (meringue) and butter, resulting in a silky, stable texture.
- Italian Meringue Buttercream: Similar to Swiss meringue but with a slightly different preparation method, often resulting in a glossy finish.
- French Buttercream: Made with egg yolks and butter, resulting in a rich, decadent, and sometimes airy texture.
- German Buttercream: Also known as pastry cream buttercream, it uses a cooked custard base thickened with starch.
Vicky opened the post-luncheon meeting of the “Girls Club of East Longeles”, a fundraiser for wayward men. Ask Vicky about the club, as she has been the president for almost 55 years since its inception.
Vicky tells a story!
We departed the Lodge around 2:30 pm, and Sydney followed us home so she could go grocery shopping in the Casa Valencia Gardens, where magic happens!
Welcome one and all!
After Sydney departed, we both took naps. We’re not lazy, we’re just in energy-saving mode. A nap is a mini-vacation for the mind.
I did better than Mary, as Mary had to wake me up at 5:30 pm. When my eyes opened, I thought it was Friday morning; I was perplexed! I napped for three hours. I must have been tired after all the festivities!
My grandmother was a very tough woman. She buried three husbands and two of them were just napping.
We had a small dinner and then went to visit Jeff for a while. We crashed soon after returning home.
Love you Paul & Mary…
5 YEARS! My how time flies-
Flow & Flourish ???? g