New Year Ahead 12-31-23

Just reminiscing about New Years past.  I have never been to the Rose Parade in Pasadena, although Floyd and I drove up several times after the big day to look at the fabulous floats parked along a street.  The crowd control was excellent, so everyone stayed happy and  friendly.  There were rows of porta-pottys to make everyone comfortable. 

The closest I came to actually attend the parade was about 1959 or 1960.   I was living with my paternal grandmother in Arcadia and went to an all night party with some friends - dancing, eating, snuggling, "carrying on".   My date dropped me off to change into warmer clothes while he went home to do the same.  It wasn't light yet and very cold.  I took off my party dress and, shivering every minute, started to layer on warm clothes. I looked  at my nice warm bed, yawned a few times, looked again at the clock, and called my date to say I  just  couldn't make  it.  He wasn't terribly disappointed and didn't go himself. As it turned out we were not the only chickens, about half the group actually went to watch the dawn and the parade.  By the time the next year rolled around I was living in Long Beach and had to work on holidays.  I was never tempted to go to the parade again.  I guess I am too much  of night owl.  Not very many sunrises in my life!  

In another hour it will be a new year.  I am very apprehensive what will happen to our country politically.  And also about the wars around the world.  I hope  you all stay safe and keep well.  Have a great 2024.   Love, Del and KoKo

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It is a KoKo day 12-30-23

 

KoKo's "This is serious" face.

Sacked out in his computer room bed.

Froggy is trapped in the recliner again.  The white lump by KoKo's eye is Froggy's foot.

Sometimes he will get out another toy, this one is Snake.

I am trying to repair Froggy, he needs major surgery, including a new back. 

  

But KoKo won't let go of Froggy! Guess he will spend tomorrow in the bathroom while I work. 

Asleep with a protective arm around his best friend. KoKo's head is on lower right with his left arm over Froggy. 

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Friday Food 12-29-23

 Fuyu season is almost over and I haven''t had nearly enough!

This trees slightly hangs over a wall along our usual walking path.  Before I could ask if I could pick some  they harvested every one!

This shows the difference between the Hatchiya on the left and the  Fuyu on the right.

The Hatchiya is soft and gelatinous when ripe. The Fuyu is hard like an apple.

The Fuyu cut crosswise makes a sun with rays some have flat black seeds. Other than eating them like an apple or cutting them up in fruit salad, the only other way I have heard them used is sliced and dried as a snack.    This year when I saw them at the market they were selling for $1.00 to $1.50, each.  As I drove around the area I looked for some loaded trees and stopped to ask to cut a few.  The man at the first house said no, they were a large family and needed them all.   There were probably 70 - 80 on the tree, maybe they planned to dry them.  At another house there was nobody home and it appeared that they had been gone for awhile, maybe traveling for Xmas.  So, I cut four off their well fruited tree and said Thank You.  I am a Fuyu thief! 

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Wordless Wednesday 12-27-23

 

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Christmas Day that was 12-26-23

As it turned out I had two Christmas dinners.   Several weeks ago there was a post on Next Door with the offer of a free Xmas dinner, all one needed to do was make a "reservation" and pick it up on Xmas Day, no charge!   I  ordered two dinners thinking I would ask my neighbor if he would like one.  But with my procrastinating ways I never asked him.   However, on Friday my friend Tina told me one of her family had Covid and another had flu like symptoms.  She is my age and doesn't want any germs, so I told her about the extra dinner I had ordered.  At 2pm on Monday I drove over to Villa Park, a verrrry fancy town about 15 minutes away to pick  up the dinners. It is a high price area with enormous houses; this one must be at least twice as big as mine, maybe 5 or 6 bedrooms.  Sort of French provincial.  A lady on the curb asked "how many?" and I said two, she passed that onto a teenage boy who had come out.  Soon he returned with two to-go boxes, I said "Thank You" and passed  him a small bag with a  hank You card and a waxed amaryllis bulb. I drove to Tina's who had the table set and we enjoyed our dinner while KoKo drooled at our feet. Eventually he just crawled in  his bed and went to sleep.   We had a good serving of ham, carrot rounds, potato casserole with cornflakes (new to me), red Jello, a bread roll, and rice crispy treat for dessert (I will offer them to the boys).

Blow up Santa in the front yard. 

KoKo and I came home and had a nap.  

About 7pm  Anna, who is sometimes my studio assistant, called to say she would like to bring me dinner from her family's Xmas meal.   Although I told her we had already eaten, she insisted.  They had an unusual meal, but when I ate it for  lunch today it  was very tasty and  there is enough for lunch tomorrow.

Lasagna, chicken alfredo, the best corn corn casserole, mashed potatoes, a bread roll, a fresh pear, a square of homemade fudge, and a large serving of apple pan dowdy. 

I will always think of this Xmas as the double  dinner  \Xmas!

 

I haven't put up lights since a few years after Floyd died, but this arrangement  on a one storied  house tempts me to copy it next year using green lights  so it looks like a row of  trees.

A  full moon rising when we took our evening walk about 6pm.

A little hazy, but no rain predicted.  

KoKo is past ready for bed tonight.   He had extra treats  yesterday and  I suppose he wonders why not today!    He still weighs 12 pounds.   

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To all a Good Night! 12-25-23

I hope you had the Christmas you longed for, with your favorite foods to eat, shared  with the people you wanted to be with. 

I had a perfectly quiet, calm Christmas Day, but I am too tired tonight to write about it.  Tomorrow!

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Christmas Eve 12-24-23

 No PetCo  Santa in 2023!!

At PetCo 2021

At  PetCo 2020

At PetCo 2019

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T'was the Night Before the Night Before.... 12-23-23

We had to do some  errands today and, so it seems, did most of the people in Orange County. The traffic was heavy and the hotshots were in a tizzy - saw two near accidents when cars  ran obvious red lights and about  half a dozen sailing through yellows.  It was a  bit of a mad house.  But PetCo had a 25% off sale and KoKo's canister is almost empty. I'd used up my gas driving to Oceanside on Thursday. And I needed some cash. So, we braved the Road Wars.  KoKo was happy to go to PetCo and get some attention from dog lovers. There are always customers who are attracted to his good looks and friendly manner.  He is hard to resist.   Kisses all around and a treat at checkout.

Here I am in  my seasonal attire. Beth took this picture when we had lunch in Oceanside on Thursday.  

The boys gave KoKo a long, skinny elephant toy with squeaker and he abandoned Froggy for the rest of the day.  Time for bed? He curls up with Froggy!

The  neighbors on the next street have again left their giant skeleton up, switching his clothes from Halloween to Thanksgiving to Christmas. 

Last year I slipped a hat on the cold bald head of the little guy and this year I found a glitzy necktie for his cold bare chest.   

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Friday Food 12-22-23

Neighbors very generously treat me and Pam, another neighbor widow, to dinner almost every month. And in December they chose Summit House which is probably the fanciest and, therefore, the  most expensive local restaurant.  It is incredibly well  decorated and there is a group of four carolers who stroll and sing.  Unfortunately, the place was so full and so noisy I couldn't hear much of anything.  But it was very festive, interesting to see the different people and what they were wearing (dressed up or not),  and the food is always excellent.  I chose the John Dory, one of their  specialties, and it was perfectly cooked and presented. Unfortunately, in my photo it looks a little like oatmeal with some green strings on it, so we will skip that.  

                           

After going through the lobby one is greeted  with this view of the open kitchen behind a display of the desserts on offer.  

Then along to the right is the about twelve foot heavily decorated Xmas tree. 

Leslie took this picture of her husband, Charles, and the two widows: Pam and Del.  

Here are hostess and host: Lesley and Charles Lipton.  

The desserts are mostly too much after the full plates we had for dinner.   This  offering  is  nice if everyone is willing to have just a couple bites of their choice, but Chuck likes  the trifle, and the ladies are inclined to share.  

So, we had the profiteroles - on individual plates.  So good and just enough.  Of course we ate every bite since the inside is vanilla ice cream so no dessert doggie bag.

It such a great treat!!!

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Wordless Wednesday 12-20-23

 

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Fabric Addiction 12-19-23

I grew up in a sewing family, so there was always fabric around.  My maternal Grandmother Marie lived through WWI, the flu epidemic, The Great Depression, WWII, five children, early widowhood, and a lifelong lack of money. She lived by "Use  it up, wear it out, make it do, or  do without." Her quilts were made from scraps and recycled fabric, even un-faded underside of pockets on aprons and skirts.  We saved every tiny scrap when sewing our clothing  and eventually they would go into a quilt.   Eventually we had enough money to go to Teeny's  Variety Store or even a department store, to buy yardage for clothing.  And for the scraps.  Anyway, I have always loved printed cottons  and cannot resist buying them, although I have a house full of fabric.   I try to avoid online fabric, but I enjoy eQuilter's owner Luana Rubin's posts about her quilting travels and excellent photos of quilt shows around the world.   And then I have to look at the sale fabric and try to just look.  Alas, I frequently breakdown and buy a few yards when they  are less than $10 yard.   Here are  some recent purchases.

Oranges for the orange quilt I will make someday.  Since I have collected orange prints for several decades I have enough to make about 20 orange quilts!  When I  need an orange fabric I try to cut very carefully lest I use up something I will need desperately later.

There are four fabrics here that I bought to make quilts or pillowcases for our Philanthropy group kids projects. The bottom two rows are  the same fabric which has horizontal rows depicting Noah's Ark. Above that is a barnyard of animals.  Then a spooky sort of lion print.  And at the top several yards of a bright print to use as the backs.  Whatever I make I will try to machine quilt myself as members who are willing to do the quilting are few and far between.    Long-armers are trying to make a  business with their work, they can't use their time for free very often.   

 

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A week before Xmas 12-18-23

Not much to say.  Went on our  two walks and took a stroll around the backyard.  Didn't cross anything off the "To-Do" list and tomorrow is a  busy day.  Boys to school, Surfside Quilters Guild  Board Meeting, KoKo has teeth cleaned, pick up boys, and a special Xmas dinner out at Summit  House with much decoration and strolling carolers.   Hope my energy holds up.  

Poor Froggy.  Caught in the recliner again.  I heard KoKo growling, very unusual inside the house, and went to see what the problem was. Once Froggy was freed KoKo lost interest!  For the time being, of course.

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