{"id":98689,"date":"2026-08-13T14:45:24","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T21:45:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/?p=98689"},"modified":"2026-08-14T08:33:01","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T15:33:01","slug":"98689","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lilesnet.com\/dailydiary\/?p=98689","title":{"rendered":"Visiting The Elks Twice!!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"<\/figure><\/p>\nEstimated reading time: 7 minutes<\/p>\n

We were up early this morning after yesterday’s rest!\u00a0 \u00a0Today we visited the Elks twice, once for lunch and then again for dinner dancing.<\/p>\n

At 9:45 am, we headed to Michaels to get a watercolor picture framed for Bob’s birthday (it’s a surprise).<\/p>\n

On the way to the Elks Girls Night Out, we picked up and dropped off some dry cleaning, then went to the vampire’s office so she could draw some blood (with Mary’s help , and finally went to the Elks for lunch.<\/p>\n

Mary found her\u00a0phlebotomist costume and put it on just before we entered the office<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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25 cents??? The alcohol that comes along with my blood is worth at least $1.00<\/p><\/div>\n

We showed up to the Elks for Girls’ Night in our matching Elks shirts from Hawaii, which reminded us of our recent Hawaiian adventure and of our many times at the Elks Lodge on Waikiki.<\/p>\n

We sat on the patio, and we were warned about the waves.\u00a0 We were back from the edge just far enough to keep from getting soaked!<\/p>\n

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Look out, or you will be wet!!<\/p><\/div>\n

Sandee joined us for lunch today, and Bill was still talking about the Pageant of the Masters adventure.\u00a0 Sandee is becoming a regular, which is good!<\/p>\n

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Sandee and Bill, great friends whom we will see tonight and tomorrow night for dinner.<\/p><\/div>\n

George and Bob are always fun to be with!!<\/p>\n

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We dined, joked, and ribbed each other for 90 minutes.<\/p><\/div>\n

Will and Iris always bring the table to life!\u00a0 Iris brought along her own halo!\u00a0 For being 99 years old, she is sharper than a tack!<\/p>\n

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Iris, as normal, has a halo!!<\/p><\/div>\n

“Someone” was still tired from Tuesday, so we put her down for an hour or so before we go out and about again…\u00a0 Biting into the apple was helpful!<\/p>\n

At 4:00 pm, I bent over and kissed her, and she woke up screaming in terror!\u00a0 On the bright side, she was ready to go!\u00a0 We are like the Energizer Bunnies!<\/p>\n

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Fill in the blank: “Sleeping ____________”<\/p><\/div>\n

At lunch, we found out that Ronnie was playing this evening, so we turned around and, after dropping off a San Disk to Bob at his house, we went to the Elks again!\u00a0 We were joined by Danika and her mother Gail, along with Bill and Sandee.\u00a0 Let the party begin!<\/p>\n

The Elks always have good food, and tonight they had artichokes, Mary’s favorite.\u00a0 I went off my diet and had a hamburger, so I’ll hide the bathroom scale tonight so I cannot find it in the morning!\u00a0 Delaying the bad news is a good approach!<\/p>\n

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Mary got her artichoke!<\/p><\/div>\n

How did people figure out how to eat artichokes?\u00a0 It was probably the result of a long process of <\/span>trial, hunger, and observation<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Artichokes are domesticated thistles, related to wild cardoons, and people in the Mediterranean were eating those kinds of plants thousands of years ago. The likely path went something like this:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. People first ate the tender parts of wild thistles. <\/span>Many thistles have edible young stems, leaf ribs, and flower bases if you remove the tough or spiny parts. Early foragers would have learned which parts were usable.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  2. They noticed the flower bud had a soft center. <\/span>An artichoke is basically an unopened flower bud. If you peel away the tough outer bracts, the base of each bract has a bit of soft flesh, and the \u201cheart\u201d at the center is substantial and tasty.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Cooking made it easier and safer. <\/span>Boiling or roasting would soften the bud and make the edible parts more obvious. Many plants that seem too tough or bitter raw become useful when cooked.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Selective cultivation improved it. <\/span>Ancient Greeks and Romans knew artichoke-like plants. Over generations, farmers selected plants with larger, fleshier buds and fewer nasty spines, eventually producing the artichoke we know today.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    So the answer is: humans probably didn\u2019t \u201cfigure it out\u201d all at once. They were already experimenting with edible thistles, discovered the tender bud parts, and then bred the plant into a bigger, tastier version. Also, someone very patient must have been involved.<\/span><\/p>\n

    We knew that Sandee was coming, but Bill got his business taken care of early and came along!\u00a0 It’s always a treat to have these two join the party!<\/p>\n

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    Bill and Sandee joined us this evening.<\/p><\/div>\n

    At the Santa Ana Elks, Bill and Sandee hit the floor like champions, waltzing wildly to a run-mama tune no one could quite identify. Sandee twirled with grace; Bill twirled like a shopping cart with a bad wheel. \u201cStay vertical!\u201d he whispered as his shoes skated across the polished floor. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Ronnie, watching all this commotion, sped up\u2014or maybe Bill\u2019s panic did. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Sandee spun under his arm, and Bill saluted the Elk head for balance. Around they went, elegant, chaotic, unforgettable. <\/span><\/p>\n

    At the final note, Bill dipped Sandee, then gently collapsed into a chair. \u201cPerfect,\u201d Sandee said. \u201cAfter tonight’s demonstration, no one will ask to give them dance lessons.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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    Sandee and Bill tear up the dance floor!!<\/p><\/div>\n

    Mary never misses an opportunity to check the future using her own personal walking talking crystal ball!<\/p>\n

    Here are some facts about crystal balls:<\/span><\/p>\n