{"id":97829,"date":"2026-07-12T23:25:39","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T06:25:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/?p=97829"},"modified":"2026-07-14T08:10:47","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T15:10:47","slug":"97829","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/?p=97829","title":{"rendered":"Another FULL Day Of Activities!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Today was like any other day, except we were on the go from the time we woke up until midnight.<\/p>\n

Robin and Bob gave me their planned Father’s Day gift, which was NOT available until this week.\u00a0 A Disneyland Rose is a colorful floribunda rose variety named in honor of Disneyland.<\/p>\n

It’s known for its bright, changing colors\u2014usually a blend of orange, pink, apricot, and coral, often with yellow tones.\u00a0 The flowers grow in clusters and have a mild to moderate fragrance.<\/p>\n

Key traits:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Type: Floribunda rose
\n\u2022 Colors: Orange, pink, apricot, coral, yellow blends
\n\u2022 Blooming: Repeat bloomer through the growing season
\n\u2022 Size: Usually about 3\u20134 feet tall
\n\u2022 Use: Garden beds, borders, containers, and landscape planting
\n\u2022 Named for: Disneyland Resort<\/p>\n

It’s popular because it has a cheerful, “sunset-like” look that fits the Disney theme well.<\/p>\n

The rose comes with one stipulation: you must purchase it well ahead of time, AND you must pick it up at Roger’s Gardens in Corona del Mar, a twenty-minute ride from our home straight down the 55\/73 freeway.<\/span><\/p>\n

That means we’re dining at The Farmhouse, so we made reservations about two months ago.\u00a0 The kids came by our house at 10:30 am, met the new addition, and then we were off.<\/p>\n

\"\"

We had a five-minute wait!<\/p><\/div>\n

While we were waiting, the kids had a little drinkie-poo before being seated at the table, and here is the result!<\/p>\n

\"\"

Kids will be kids!<\/p><\/div>\n

We had the perfect table overlooking the surrounding gardens \u2014 very elegant, very scenic, very “please don’t let me spill anything.”<\/p>\n

Dinner was an eclectic culinary adventure: Bob bravely tackled the pizza, I made the bold and completely dinner-appropriate decision to order French Toast, Robin went healthy with a salad and their special white bean soup, and Mary went mysterious with the special of the day \u2014 because apparently she enjoys living on the edge.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Perfect spot to begin a perfect day!<\/p><\/div>\n

Each of the centerpieces on every table came right from the garden, and today they featured the hummingbird favorites.\u00a0 We could not guess what they were, but they were fragrant and pretty.<\/p>\n

\"\"

The display did make a lot of noise; we must tell Charlotte about this event at Roger’s.<\/p><\/div>\n

When I ordered French Toast, I pictured the usual: two humble slices of bread taking a quick egg bath and hitting the frying pan.<\/p>\n

Little did I know I was about to receive French Toast: The Broadway Musical.<\/p>\n

Out came four stacked cinnamon rolls, absolutely drenched in a rich, sweet sauce, dressed up with peaches, strawberries, and sliced almonds like they were headed to a gala.\u00a0 Then, as if that wasn’t dramatic enough, freshly made whipped cream was placed on top like the crown jewel.<\/p>\n

Wow.\u00a0 This wasn’t breakfast \u2014 it was dessert wearing a breakfast disguise.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Mary shared her selection with me, and I begrudgingly shared my French Toast with her.<\/p><\/div>\n

Tummies full, we walked the gardens before picking up the rose.\u00a0 Both Robin and Mary stuffed our cart with “must-haves”.\u00a0 We spotted several butterflies as we traversed the garden.<\/p>\n

Here are some fun monarch butterfly trivia facts:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Monarchs migrate thousands of miles \u2014 some travel up to 3,000 miles from Canada and the U.S. to central Mexico.<\/p>\n

\u2022 They use the Sun as a compass and can adjust for time of day using an internal biological clock.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Only one generation makes the full migration south in fall; their descendants make the return trip north in stages.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Monarch caterpillars eat only milkweed, which makes them toxic to many predators.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Their bright orange-and-black wings are a warning sign that they taste bad or may be poisonous.<\/p>\n

\u2022 A monarch’s wings flap about 5 to 12 times per second.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Most adult monarchs live only 2 to 6 weeks, but the migratory generation can live up to 8 months.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Monarchs cluster together in huge groups on trees in Mexico to stay warm during winter.<\/p>\n

\u2022 They can fly as high as 10,000 feet in the air.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The scientific name for the monarch butterfly is Danaus plexippus.<\/p>\n

The gardens are loaded with bright colors, making for a delightful stroll.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Can you imagine seeing one of these pass by your window on your next airplane flight?<\/p><\/div>\n

Bright reds were everywhere.<\/p>\n

\"\"

A painter’s palette!<\/p><\/div>\n

On the other end of the spectrum, the blues are amazing.\u00a0 The hydrangeas were putting on a show.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Most hydrangeas prefer morning Sun and afternoon shade.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Bob wanted one but needs to study his yard for this plant.<\/p><\/div>\n

Finally, we get to the reason for our visit: the Disneyland Rose.\u00a0 The kids got three, one for me, one for Bob’s Mom, and one for themselves.<\/p>\n

\"\"

It looked happy, just like Disneyland.<\/p><\/div>\n

We headed for home and rolled in around 3:00 pm\u2014just enough time to squeeze in a one-hour “power nap,” also known at our age as a critical system reboot before the next mission.<\/p>\n

And what was this next activity, you might ask?\u00a0 Were we training for a marathon?\u00a0 Taking up skydiving?\u00a0 Joining a secret society?<\/p>\n

Nope.\u00a0 Even better.<\/p>\n

Dinner, followed by a trip to the Pacific Amphitheater\u2014capacity 8,500 people\u2014to see the one and only Willie Nelson. Willie, here we come! Please start on time; some of us already used our nap window.<\/p>\n

We met up with Vicky and Jim at a fantastic Italian restaurant called Filomena’s, right next to the OC Fairgrounds.\u00a0 The food was amazing\u2014so good that for a brief moment, we considered skipping the concert and just asking Willie to sing to us at the table over dessert.<\/p>\n

\"\"

“OK, I am ready for this evening!”<\/p><\/div>\n

Vicky casually mentioned that she made it from La Mirada to the OC Fair in under 15 minutes.<\/p>\n

Naturally, I did the math \u2014 and suddenly Jim’s ghost-white face and death grip on his chair made perfect sense.<\/p>\n

According to my calculations, Vicky \u2014 also known as Vicky Vroom, Bella Burnout, and Penny Pitstop \u2014 averaged approximately 93.23 miles per hour.<\/p>\n

Jim then said that on the way to the restaurant, he remembered seeing many brown picket fences fly by.<\/p>\n

That’s when I gently reminded him:<\/p>\n

“Jim\u2026 those weren’t picket fences.\u00a0 Those were telephone poles.”<\/p>\n

And that’s when he started shaking all over again.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Oh My!!<\/p><\/div>\n

Mary, being a bit of a leadfoot, also offered to ride shotgun with Vicky on our next adventure.\u00a0 Jim and I will “follow them” in a small airplane!<\/p>\n

\"\"

Mary has her country music listening juice ready!<\/p><\/div>\n

We got to the show at 8:15 pm.\u00a0 Jim and Vicky rode with us since we knew parking would be a mess.\u00a0 The Pacific Amphitheater at the OC Fair & Event Center seats about 8,500 people.<\/p>\n

In general, the show was excellent, and it was truly special to see Willie perform at 94.\u00a0 It reminded me a bit of seeing Frank Sinatra late in his career at the Santa Monica Auditorium, when he needed some help from a teleprompter and his voice wasn’t quite as strong as it once had been.<\/p>\n

Willie seemed to get out of breath at times, and the backup singer helped support the performance, but that’s completely understandable given his age.\u00a0 Honestly, I would have been just as happy to hear recordings of his songs while he shared the stories and memories behind them.\u00a0 Overall, it was a meaningful experience, and he did remarkably well for being 94.<\/p>\n

\"\"

We had great seats!<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

On the way out after the performance, I suddenly wasn’t feeling so great.\u00a0 I was hot, sweaty, a little queasy, and dizzy\u2014which is usually my body’s way of saying, “We are no longer accepting new adventures at this time.”<\/p>\n

I’m pretty sure I was having a reaction to all the “weed” being smoked around us.\u00a0 Apparently, I can’t even attend a Willie Nelson concert without accidentally becoming part of the experience.<\/p>\n

A medical person spotted me struggling and came over, which was both comforting and slightly embarrassing.\u00a0 After a bit of fussing\u2014and my dramatic attempt to look brave while clearly not looking brave\u2014I agreed to a wheelchair ride to the car.<\/p>\n

Twenty minutes in the air conditioning and I was back to normal.\u00a0 So, in the end, I didn’t get high\u2026 but I did get chauffeured to the car.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

We drove Vicky and Jim to their car and then headed home, arriving a little after 11:00 pm!\u00a0 This was a long day.\u00a0 We were still rocking out to Willie when we hit the sack!<\/p>\n

\"\"

Grace wondered where we had been; she probably smelled the weed!<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today was like any other day, except we were on the go from the time we woke up until midnight. Robin and Bob gave me their planned Father’s Day gift, which was NOT available until this week.\u00a0 A Disneyland Rose … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[227,5,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-97829","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dining-out","category-family","category-fun"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97829","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=97829"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97829\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97886,"href":"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97829\/revisions\/97886"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=97829"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=97829"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=97829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}