{"id":98623,"date":"2026-08-11T11:29:02","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T18:29:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/?p=98623"},"modified":"2026-08-12T13:35:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T20:35:29","slug":"a-busy-day-it-is","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/?p=98623","title":{"rendered":"A Busy Day It Is"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nEstimated reading time: 6 minutes<\/p>\n

It\u2019s Tuesday, and we are off like a herd of turtles\u2014slow, determined, and occasionally distracted by snacks.<\/p>\n

We spent several hours working in the office, some of which involved attending to Her Majesty, Grace, who continues to rule the household with a firm paw and absolutely no concern for our schedules. Today, Mary headed off to her painting class, while I prepared myself for tonight\u2019s grand soir\u00e9e in the fine arts\u2014because nothing says \u201ccultured\u201d like trying to stay awake after a full day of errands.<\/p>\n

Mary returned from class early, and at 2:30 pm we met up with Dianne to depart for the Sawdust Festival. The Sawdust Art Festival has long helped cement Laguna Beach\u2019s reputation as an artist colony and creative coastal community\u2014also as a place where people can turn driftwood, glass, and mysterious metal objects into things you suddenly realize you cannot live without.<\/p>\n

We wandered around, admired the displays, visited the artists, and\u2014through sheer perseverance and refined cultural instincts\u2014managed to locate a glass of wine. This, of course, elevated the entire art experience from \u201clovely afternoon\u201d to \u201cmasterpiece.\u201d
\nThe weather was in the 70s, which is basically Mother Nature saying, \u201cYou\u2019re welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n

All in all, today was a good day.<\/p>\n

See all the pictures here!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The 2026 theme for the Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach is \u201cThe Greatest of All Time\u201d\u2014or G.O.A.T., for those of us who prefer our fine art with a side of barnyard abbreviation. The show will explore history-defining art and artists through live-action \u201cliving pictures,\u201d music, and theatrical storytelling. In other words, people stand perfectly still while the rest of us sit there wondering how they don\u2019t sneeze.<\/p>\n

We arrived at the Sawdust Festival, went through security, and headed straight to the wine booth!<\/p>\n

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Come on in, but behave!<\/p><\/div>\n

The weather was outstanding!\u00a0 The sky was clear, there was a slight breeze, and the temperature was around 75 degrees!<\/p>\n

\"\"We walked around for 90 minutes!<\/p>\n

BUT… Before we walked, we drank some “Shopping Readiness Fluid,” commonly called wine!\u00a0 Mary loved my new look\u2014windblown!\u00a0 She was actually shooting the fly away, warning the little guy that if he tried to land, he might slide off and break his neck!\u00a0 Mary is so thoughtful!<\/p>\n

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Starting fluid is being applied!<\/p><\/div>\n

We heard dance music, so naturally we headed that direction and gave a demonstration on how to dance on a wooden deck with rubber tennis shoes!<\/p>\n

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Time to dance.<\/p><\/div>\n

http:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/wp-content\/dailydiary\/uploads\/2026\/08\/2026-08-12-laguna-103.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n

Mary spotted an octopus perched on top of a glittery stall sculpture at the Sawdust Festival. \u201cDianne, look! Modern art has gone marine!\u201d she whispered. Dianne froze, clutching her red wine like a life preserver. \u201cIs it real? Why is it judging me?\u201d<\/p>\n

The octopus waved one arm, accidentally flinging a paintbrush onto a nearby hat.<\/p>\n

A docent rushed over, laughing. \u201cRelax, ladies. That\u2019s Otto, our animatronic mascot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dianne exhaled, then Otto blinked and sprayed water. Dianne shrieked, Mary snorted, and the hat\u2019s owner said, \u201cHonestly, my hat looks better after the thing with eight dramatic arms modified it.\u201d<\/p>\n

See the octopus pictures here!\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Oh my!\u00a0 It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Otto!!!<\/p><\/div>\n

After strolling through the Sawdust Festival, we headed to the parking area adjacent to the festival grounds, and from there we drove to a new parking lot and waddled to the Lumber Yard for dinner with the gang!<\/p>\n

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Time To Eat!<\/p><\/div>\n

The girls got there first!\u00a0 The Lumberyard Restaurant in Laguna Beach is a downtown American bistro named for Laguna\u2019s early lumberyard history. The area around Forest Avenue once supported the town\u2019s building boom, supplying wood and materials for cottages, shops, and artist studios as Laguna grew in the early 1900s.<\/p>\n

The restaurant opened in the late 2000s in a renovated historic-style building on Forest Avenue, embracing that \u201cold Laguna\u201d lumberyard theme with warm wood interiors and a casual neighborhood feel. It became popular with locals and visitors for comfort food, cocktails, and its convenient location near the Festival of Arts, Pageant of the Masters, galleries, and downtown shops.<\/p>\n

Today, it\u2019s generally known as a relaxed gathering spot that reflects Laguna Beach\u2019s mix of art-town history, coastal tourism, and small-town dining culture.<\/p>\n

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They were ready to go as they reviewed the menu online!<\/p><\/div>\n

We found our table; it was the noisy one!<\/p>\n

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I ordered tinned fish and selected muscles.\u00a0 Note to self: never do that with Marshall around!<\/p>\n

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A lot of grunting and groaning was going on here!<\/p><\/div>\n

Now it was off to the Festival grounds.<\/p>\n

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Iness fit right into this crazy group up, and she tried tinned fish along with me!!<\/p><\/div>\n

Time to walk to the festival grounds.<\/p>\n

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The evening was perfect!!<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"The show is about to start!!<\/p>\n

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We had GREAT seats!! Thank you, Vicky!<\/p><\/div>\n

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Let the show begin!!!<\/p>\n

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Here\u2019s some fun trivia about how they set up the \u201cpictures\u201d in the Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach:<\/p>\n