Concours d' Elegance 2012

Concours d' Elegance

St Regis Monarch Beach

1948 Chrysler T&C

Town and Country Woody Convertible

Last production car with wooden structure.

to see earlier pictures 

CLICK on this link...

Great people and dog watching!

Below is my attempt at woody art from

the photograph above.

Tigre, my faithful companion!

If I'm in the office, she's either sitting on the printer that allows her to see out the window, or she's content to sleep in one of the office chairs.

Click to see larger image.

House Landing

Part of my motivation for painting the front door black is so I can include a red patio umbrella in this setting to the left of the door.

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This is the best the hydrangea has looked since

 I planted it about 5 years ago.

Red Front Door

The door has been white, yellow and now red, I'm considering painting it black for a change, still not sure!
I can put this off forever and just might, but I thought seeing the colors side by side would help me to decide. I filled in the black color just to see what it might look like.
The flags were added to the wreath on the red door for Memorial Day, hope they last thru July 4th, then I'll leave them until they fade and need to be replaced.

Click image to see it larger.

Beautiful Bella

Bella, Bella, what have they done, a beauty like you should have a straw hat and a cosmopolitan!

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.....Strawberry Pie anyone?

This recipe is from a good friend in Colorado, very easy and light,

I'll be making it for the 4th.

Strawberry Pie Recipe from Dolores

• 9 inch graham cracker pie crust
• 1 1/2 cups of water
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 4 pkgs. sugar substitute (I use Splenda)
• 1 small box strawberry jello (sugar free)
• 4 cups sliced strawberries

Cool Whip Optional

In medium sauce pan, mix water and cornstarch until it comes to a boil.

(I mix cornstarch in the water before I put it on the stove to boil.)

Cook over medium heat until bubbles form, stirring constantly.

Then remove from heat and sprinkle with sugar substitute and dry jello mix, stir and let cool.

When cool, stir in sliced strawberries and pour into crust.

Refrigerate for an hour or until the jello is set.

Poison Dirt.....

I have successfully planted all of this large canyon lot over the last 30 years.....well, all but this one stinkin' raised planter.
 I've never been able to get even the easiest of shrubs to grow in it. I've amended the soil year after year with no success. One year I had about 4 ft. of the poison dirt removed and replaced with good soil, *##%#\; nothing, nada, I gave up!


Along comes the handyman husband, looking for a new challenge! You can see it coming, I just know it!
He planted three favorite things, tomatoes, zucchini and pole beans, and everything is thriving. I have been bad mouthing that patch of dirt all over the neighborhood for all these years, but, as the kids say today...go figure! We've had a few zucchini, but will need to wait a while for the tomatoes and beans.
Here 's a pix I took this morning.

Click on the image to see larger picture.

Anyone who's grown zucchini knows
how prolific they are, I'm running out of ways to fix it.
My favorite way is just steamed with a
 little butter, salt and pepper.
The beans are being picked for our dinner every
 other day, I don't think I'll ever get tired of them.

Made Zucchini Bread today, haven't made it in years!

 So good, 
taking some to my neighbor Mary Anne tomorrow.

.....fresh from the garden

Flag Day 2012

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Our little beach town drew a big crowd

for our military, showing support and appreciation.

Tha handyman husband was part of the parade 

with his Chrysler Town and Country Convertible Woody
 and honored guests!

"Puttin' on the Ritz" ... in Moscow

What a crazy, delightful ever changing world! Who could have thought that in 2012 young people in Moscow would put on a "flash mob" happening, dancing to an "83 year old American song" written by a Russian born, American-Jew (Irving Berlin) whose last name is the capital of Germany.

Martha Stewart wannabe.....

Handyman husband snuck up and
took a picture of me as I was doing my best

Martha impersonation,  cleaning old
clay pots to get them ready for planting.