Let it Snow!

 Yeah, yeah, I know: easy for me to say. I don't like dealing with the cold and snow (and especially ice), which is why I spend the winter in Palm Springs. Well, and also to be with Mom ... anyway, we like it when there is snow on the mountains as it is today. It's not only beautiful but it also means that there will be some water in the spring. I was up believe it or not at 6:30 a.m. (musta heard the crack of dawn) and took these pictures. 

The grass was crunchy with frost and, outside of the patio, it was so thick with frost that at first glance, I thought it was snow on the ground.

I wonder if Eric and Paul's tangerines on the left are shivering in the 37 F.

#######################################################

I think I've mentioned this before -- I pile up photos, so I really don't remember what day was what. But it doesn't matter. I'm sure you're used to my rambling narrative.

A couple of days ago, I picked some fruit.

We actually walked around to another street for the tangelos. They were past their prime but they smell heavenly! 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Also, a couple of nights ago, I took the plunge and made stuffed artichoke bottoms. Carole had given us frozen artichoke bottoms and I googled a recipe. First you boil them until fork tender and then I improvised on the stuffing. I used bacon, chopped onion, diced garlic (from a jar), chopped fresh spinach, and cheese. After stuffing, I put them in the oven to melt the cheese. They were filled to overflowing before the oven. So now I know to saute them more and fill to more than overflowing. They did taste great, however.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

We have played bocce a couple of times. I didn't take any pictures. Maybe next time. 

Had a glass of wine outside on the grass with Eric and Leeanne. Eric asked to borrow some red wine that Mom had and we had to open the bottle to be sure it would be good for his stew. It was so good that we had to make sure there was enough left for his stew. 

*******************************************************

You knew that I had a plan for the lemons, didn't you?

Yup, those are lemon cheesecake bars. I was disappointed that the crust didn't want to come out of the pan. Next time I'll just form the crust in the silicone muffin cups for individual treats. The taste, by the way is divine. I increased the fresh lemon juice a lot -- I like lemony desserts!

Today the ban on outdoor dining has been lifted but nobody seems to know what restaurants will be open. It would be a treat.

We enjoyed "Unforgotten" on Amazon Prime. We are trying to keep up with Jeopardy, but I still feel as if my brain has turned to mush. Maybe I should start practicing Spanish. I can't understand most of the people here because they speak so fast. I can't listen as fast as they talk. I think it's the Americanization of Mexicans. Unless they were speaking slowly on purpose when I visited Mexico.

Have a fabulous day and be well. Cheers! 

Welcome to My Happy Place

 

Yes, that's a sunrise (above). Now that I'm on California time, I'm not seeing too many of those but I thought you might like to see it again.

On January 3rd, I went for a walk. Yeah, yeah, I konw: big deal. It was relaxing snapping pictures of the local flora.

Whenever I take this particular route around the block, I see a posted sign, "Pets seen littering will be fined $50." This gave me a mental image of a fuzzy white dog taking his wallet out of his westcott. I didn't even know dogs could read. Then a second image intruded of a few chihuahuas smoking cigarettes and one opening a pack of gum, discarding the wrapper on the grass.

[Yes, I had to look up how to spell chihuahua. !Callate, Hombre!]

Enjoy.

The roses below are Glen's. We wish him well in his recuperation.

I continue to be amazed and delighted that they use bougainvillea here for hedges (and splashes of color between greenery). This one seems to have had a visit from a more purple cousin. [I have to look up the spelling of bougainvillea every time. I wonder when I will remember it?]

I

Views walking along Palm Canyon Drive. The hazy mountain is from the winds blowing desert sands.

These little flowers cheer me up immensely. I have no idea what they are called.

And now we move on to the greenery portion of the program. 😁

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{

I began work on a baby quilt. There are at least five different fabrics in the yellow blocks. It's hard to see, so the detail is below.

The quilt is called Hey Diddle Diddle.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

We saw a roadrunner the other day. He was just walking around. I don't know why, he didn't seem to be pecking at anything.

"Speaking of food habits, the roadrunner will eat anything from insects to small mammals, as well as fruits, seeds, and prickly pear. The bird is particularly fond of lizards and snakes, including small rattlesnakes, and its method of killing them could be considered another unusual characteristic of the bird."  from Texas.gov/publications

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Bocce balls have been ordered! I put the order in on December 30th, but no sign of them yet. It said they are "soft" so I cannot imagine what the throw will be like. We shall see! No pickle ball as of yet. Someone (not me) thinks it's too cold to play but we're supposed to get to 79 F. by the end of the week. Of course, then it may be too hot for me ... 😈

********************************************************************************************************

I made blueberry muffins this morning. Mom says they get better every time I make them so I should make them a lot! 👍

Chili con carne is in our near future.  Hmmm, can you tell it's lunch time? Time for me to go chomp something.

Things are looking up and I hope you all have a wonderful time doing whatever you are doing. Life is good!

Cheers, Tina

Waiting for New Year

 

Here is half of the bouquet that Deb and Paul sent us.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Leeanne and I went in search of good shots of the mountains with new snow. Here are what we came up with. (12/29/20)

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Last Wednesday, we had a "Come eat cheesecake and be merry" gathering on Mom's patio. I made Kristie Sullivan's wonderful Carrot Cake Cheesecake. Other goodies were chocolate flourless cake with ganache, and lemon tarts. They were yummy with no sugar, just Swerve and Sukrin. We had about 15 neighbors who sat on the common grass area at least six feet apart. There were lots of lively conversations and it was fun. Some of us even had cocktails.

 Oh my. 

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

I have cleaned my sewing machine, and not that it needed it, but the ball of lint was about the size of a quarter and a half inch high. I worked a bit on my current landscape quilt. It either needs a lot of work or it's a disaster. Mom couldn't identify the subject matter so I think I am less than successful with this one. It's going to be one of those that the clue is in the title, I think. 

I have joined a FaceBook quilting group (Madame Sew) and there are so many amazing quilters who post pictures of their work. Some are amazing at making a zillion very intricate blocks. It makes me want to assemble a bunch of squares and assemble them back home. 

A couple of the quilts posted were by beginners and it showed. But what also showed was the love that went into them. Usually they were a gift for someone else such as a grandchild or adult child. One woman made many "memory bears" using (for instance) a shirt that dear departed Grandpa used to wear. She's a true craftswoman and giving bear hugs to many people.

I also have been with the Crazy Cat People FB group for a while so I thought it was time to branch out and I have joined the Doggo Group. Daily I get to see pictures of dogs and cats. Oh, yes, the Unitarian Universalist Hysterical Society on FB is always good for a laugh. Sometimes there are thought provoking threads as well.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

For quite a few laughs, if you Google "Frank the Christmas Gargoyle," you will find a very entertaining saga. It all began when a woman put a Santa hat on Frank the Gargoyle and put him on her front doorstep.

*******************************************************

I watched Midnight Sky with George Clooney on Netflix. I cannot recommend it. My first thought is, don't bother. However, I did read of someone on FB who thoroughly enjoyed it. So don't go by me. 

))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

I am thoroughly enjoying The Ranch on Netflix. Be forewarned: every other word is the F word which I don't mind. Mom has dubbed it "crap" but I find the show to be well written and funny. 

Of course, Sam Elliott is in it and I have had a crush on him forever. Ashton Kutchner is pretty good as is Debra Winger. Beau (Sam E.) is Colt's (Ashton K.) father and Beau is a very old fashioned gun toting rancher, while Colt is a facial moisturizing kind of guy trying to get along with his cranky father and learn about ranching. There's another brother -- Rooster -- and other characters, including Dale the Veterinarian. (I'm slipping; I had left out two letters of veterinarian.)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

If I don't get back to you before then, happy New Year. But otherwise, be happy now. We are blessed. Cheers!

Candy Lane

Last night, Leeanne was our esteemed chauffer and we went to see the Palm Springs Christmas tree.

The downtown street lights are festooned with shooting stars.

And then we motored on to Candy Lane. We got to be in a Grinch and Santa parade which was great so that we could see all of the wonderfully decorated houses. Here's the link to the album of pictures.

 https://photos.app.goo.gl/STDHM9aQAv2wFQGr7

[Just in case you forgot: highlight the above link. Then press control c. Go to Google and put your cursor in there. Press control v and it should paste the link in. Press enter and the album should come up.]

I wish you all a safe and healthy Christmas. Joy to the world!

Morning Has Broken

 Yes, you should be hearing Cat Stevens singing, "Morning has broken." Up at 6 a.m. again -- it's a trend. At least I get to see the glorious color changes on the mountain when the sun rises.

Ears on --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0TInLOJuUM

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

I've a few recommendations for you today:

The first one is The Half Husky Brothers on FaceBook. This is my favorite post of theirs -- trying new foods.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=search&v=708910706428591&external_log_id=264bc825-0d26-4074-b266-6a6f4c7ccf64&q=the%20half%20husky%20bros

If you can't get them on FB, the link below is on YouTube, but it's not nearly as good (in my opinion) as the FB post.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNSOy8q9wuo

                                    77777777777777

The Unitarian Universalist Hysterical Society has been consistently funny. (Also a FB group)

https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=unitarian%20universalist%20hysterical%20society

                                     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Noatmeals: I tried my first Noatmeals breakfast this morning and it's yummy. It's like oatmeal, but different with nutty overtones. I ate the cinnamon and apple flavor today. You might want to add a bit more cinnamon and possibly fresh apple. It depends on what you like. The total carbs are 6 grams but if you're a net carbs fan, it's only 2 g net.

What's in this miracle breakfast? Shelled hemp seed hearts, chia seeds, flax seed meal, dried coconut flakes, MCT oil, freeze dried apple, cinnamon, natural flavor, monk fruit extract.

                                   ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((

Hummingbirds' Night Light

Some California Color

The East Entrance to Sunrise Villas

File Footage of Lights at Living Desert

Mom's Hedges Facing Street

View on Our Walk

Oleander

Once upon a time, a long time ago, when a certain evil woman was bedeviling Princess Tina, a loving mother offered to fill a suitcase with oleander. However, Princess Tina knew that the kingdom would survive if she could just persist. The evil woman slunk away in shame after her subjects revolted, including turning their backs on her at a holiday gathering to which she was not invited. It ended happily ever after. So ends this fairytale.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

I may have bored you with this before, but I can't resist passing on the easiest quiche recipe ever. I make it crustless and if you do, be sure to spray oil on the baking dish.

one frozen crust

3 large eggs

1 cup 1/2 and 1/2

1 cup shredded cheese (I use Mexican blend)

Enough real bacon bits (I use Krumbles from Costco) to cover the               bottom of the dish*

*You can use chopped ham if you wish

Optional extras: cooked broccoli pieces, chopped spinach (well drained), asparagus, cooked sweet peppers.

Cover the bottom of the crust/baking dish with bacon. Beat eggs and 1/2 & 1/2 thoroughly. Put cheese and optional extras if using on top of bacon. Pour in egg mix. Bake ~ 45 minutes at 350 F.

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

I have pretty much run out of things to say. Have a great Saturday and an even better week! Cheers!

 

Friday Eve

 A woman on Spectrum news used Friday Eve to refer to Thursday. I thought it was cute but it doesn't have a whole lot of meaning for retired folks! Every day is special. The only day I really have to remember is "trash eve" so I remember to put my trash out. There's no way I'm going to be putting it out before 7 a.m.!

So I'm still quarantining in the lap of luxury here in Palm Springs. I'm very proud of myself today because I have made the bed and done other "chores" all before 10 a.m. At home, I never made the bed because I live alone -- and who cares? But after polling some friends, I found myself to be in the minority. I actually have been making my bed at home. However, I am careful to let it air first. I hate the thought of making a still warm bed!

View from Mom's house

The two pictures below are the definition of low hanging fruit!

Lacy tree leaves

I love barrel cactus!

Picturesque eucalyptus

Oleander

View on our walk today while overcast

Nothing much is happening. The photos are from two different walks around the neighborhood with Mom. We have a good time rubbernecking at all of the houses, seeing where there might be a For Sale sign. 

We splurged today and had Panda Express for lunch. Mom and I are practicing social distancing and wearing masks. She picked up the lunch while I got to watch a bit more of The Crown on Netflix. It's weird because the actor playing Prince Philip is the same one who played a bad guy on Outlander. (He also played a good guy on Outlander in a different century.) Sometimes it seems as if there are only five British actors -- you see them in lots of shows. The old guy in Last Tango in Halifax played Claudius in I Claudius. Gee, I wish they would re-run that series!

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

It's Friday and I'm up at 5 a.m. Thought I'd chat with you.

 There will be no bright light displays at The Living Desert this year. Bummer. Some of the neighbors have Christmas lights. Mom got a very cute little Christmas tree. I think it's about 12 inches tall. 

We will have our own display right here. These pictures are from December 19, 2018. That was the first year Elaine and I went to view the lights. (Last year her husband and son joined us.)

Christmas 2019

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

As I said, I am in the lap of luxury here and I have just 'made' more tea using the hot water tap here. It's a miracle! Instant tea-worthy hot water right from the tap on the sink. With lemon, of course, that I picked yesterday.

The sun is coming up -- soon as the rosy fingers of dawn approached * -- and I would take a picture for you but it's only 46 F. I know, I know, some of you are freezing your nose off, but I don't really want to put on layers over my jammies. Hmmm ... maybe I have a file photo. Be right back. 

Sunrise 2018, view from Mom's house.

* That's the only part of the Odyssey that I remember.

I hope you all take a day off from the news and just be in your own little bubble with your "pod." More and more I hear people using that term and it's o.k., but it really does make me feel like a whale. Four more days and I can expand my pod of one to include Mom and Friends.

Do something fun. Maybe bake something, or paint, or dance. I'm going to be snapping pictures after I eat a blueberry muffin with my tea.

Cheers!