It was one year ago today that we lost Irene, whom we called “Mom.” She was a great lady who will always be remembered!
It’s 5:30 am, and we are dressed to kill, weeds that is! We hit the garden so hard that it took two 90-gallon barrels to hold everything. As we approached the planned work area, we spotted a couple of nice, almost ripe pumpkins, just in time for Halloween.
We worked until almost noon, yanking out old plants, giving the finished tomatoes their final farewell, and evicting a few weeds that had clearly overstayed their welcome.
Then I noticed a leak. Sure enough, one of the water spigots had snapped off—most likely because the attached hose decided to test its strength and won. Once it broke, water started pouring into the beds as we’d accidentally installed a garden fountain. I had to quickly improvise a drainage solution so our gardener could fix it before we accidentally turned the vegetable patch into a rice paddy.
Twenty years ago, this would have been a quick, no-brainer repair. But these days, age has gifted me with wisdom, patience, and the firm understanding that bending over for long periods while wrestling with plumbing is now an extreme sport.
The garden looks pretty good now, with only a few hours of work remaining in the corn/melon patch, where the bed is eight feet wide and requires hands-and-knees cultivation!
While I was working, Mary noticed the Sun was hitting my head (probably due to the reflection from my baling spot). She, like a dutiful wife, went into the house to get my gardening hat. When she returned, she had something else on her mind and forgot to give me the hat! After a while, she asked me where the hat was, and I didn’t know, so she began to search. After five minutes, she came to me and gave up. It was then that we noticed she had cleverly put MY hat on top of HER hat; she was wearing two, and I was wearing zero. We had a good laugh!
As the clock ticked toward 2:00 pm and the Sun’s rays were cooking everything, we went inside and began to clean up so we could go to a doctor’s appointment, then out tonight with Vicky and Jim for dinner, and then to the Cerritos Performing Arts Center.
The doctor’s appointment was to retest my carotid arteries to make sure they stayed unblocked, and indeed, they were clear as a bell. On our way to the office on the third floor, Mary stopped at the gift shop (they always have interesting things). Mary was not disappointed! Then it occurred to us that Halloween is right around the corner!
The doctors said I was good to go, and she’ll be in about six months! We headed home to change clothes before going to Cerritos. We drove the Grey Ghost (our van) to pick up ten centerpieces for Bob’s birthday party on Sunday. Jim made amazing centerpieces out of folded paper. Since Bob’s birthday theme is “Highway 66,” Jim reproduced the oldest gas station on Highway 66.
The Ambler’s Texaco Gas Station in Dwight, Illinois, is widely cited as the longest continually operating gas station on Route 66.
It opened in 1933 and operated as a gas station until 1999 — about 66 years of continuous service.
It is also known as the Ambler-Becker Texaco Station or Becker’s Marathon, and today it serves as a restored Route 66 landmark and visitor stop.
There are other very old Route 66 stations, but Soulsby Service Station is often cited as one of the oldest surviving gas stations on Route 66.
Off to dinner!
After dinner, we transferred the centerpieces from Jim’s SUV to The Grey Ghost. Yes, we brought the van for his first freeway drive in a long time. Then it was off to the Cerritos Performing Arts Center, a mere 5 miles away!
As of 2026, it is 33 years old.
Here’s some trivia about The Miracles, the legendary Motown vocal group:
• Originally called The Matadors, they changed their name to The Miracles before signing with Motown.
• Smokey Robinson was the lead singer — The group is often associated with Smokey Robinson, whose smooth tenor voice became their signature sound.
• They were one of Motown’s first major acts — The Miracles helped put Motown Records on the map in the early 1960s.
Here’s some trivia about The Spinners, the classic soul/R&B vocal group:
• They formed in Detroit — The group started in the 1950s in Ferndale, Michigan, near Detroit.
• They were originally called The Domingoes — They later changed their name to The Spinners, reportedly inspired by car hubcaps.
• They recorded for Motown first — Before their biggest success, The Spinners were signed to Motown Records, though they didn’t get as much attention there as some other Motown acts.
• They became major stars in the 1970s — Hits like “I’ll Be Around,” “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love,” “One of a Kind Love Affair,” and “Mighty Love” made them one of the decade’s top vocal groups.
It was an excellent show, although during the 1970s I was so busy working that I do not remember their fame or their songs, but Mary was be-bopping along with everyone else.
With friends, it is even more fun!
As we sat down at half-time, Evelyn came to visit. She and her husband. Jay sat right behind us and has been our friend for many years!
We got our picture taken outside on the way home.
On the way home, the phone rang — and it was Vicky, official commander of cake logistics.
“We have a new plan!” she announced.
So here it is: Vicky and Jim will pick up the cakes at Katella Deli and transport them safely to the Elks, presumably with a police escort and zero frosting casualties.
Once Vicky departs, I’ll call Bob, and the three of us will head to the Elks to drop off everything — and, of course, conduct the very important follow-up mission: lunch.
Cakes, friends, and a solid plan involving multiple vehicles. Life is good!
Mary and I could not be happier together. Our health is holding up, we have amazing friends, and our social calendar is so packed it looks like a 2-year-old got hold of a crayon and said, “Let me handle scheduling.” We laugh, we giggle, and we come up with the same thoughts every day! It’s amazing!!!
On top of that, the holiday season is upon us! We are already making plans!
