Early Bird

Hello and good morning! You made it. It’s March 1, 2023, and we are three months into 2023. It’s early here and very cold. According to weather25.com just checked the weather and it indicated that it is currently 47 degrees and rain is expected. Last year at this time, it was warmer, that is for sure. Hopefully, the temperature is warmer this coming Sunday, as the Ghosts of Kelso will be playing for the Sunday Sounds.

This is a free and fun event that is hosted by the Palm Desert Library and Palm Desert Recreation and Parks.

If you, dear reader, are in the Coachella Valey and looking for things to do, come on by and shake a leg. I’m sure I will be dancing!

A few photos from that night. I would add the video I took but am running out of media space.

This past Saturday, the guys played at The Cantina, located at the El Dorado Polo Club in the city of Indio. The weather, as I mentioned, has been cold and windy. Many events that were planned for the weekend had to be rescheduled because of the weather so we were not sure if the gig would be happening. I kept checking the local news (Instagram) for any updates. A few hours before the gig was to start, I saw a post from The Cantina, advertising there rainy day special, grilled cheese and tomato soup and knew that I would be having that later and that the gig would be happening as planned. I did not take a photo of the meal I had but it was perfect on that cold night and so tasty! Just thinking about that grilled sour dour and gooey cheese is making my tummy all rumbly. Do check out the Cantina if you are looking for a cozy, neighborhood bar/restaurant.

Movie popcorn, extra butter!

Life has been quiet for us, just a few short road trips, here and there and tinkering around our place. The weather has been cold, so many of my plants have not survived. Hopefully, the basil will make a comeback as I have been craving pesto. Oh yeah, sorry, my tummy is rumbling right now, might be the antibiotics…Yesterday, I did it. I went to my dentist appointment for a root canal. To my kids, take care of your teeth! Brush, floss and get regular dental checkups. Recently, I had been complaining about my sinuses. Turns out the pain and swelling are from my infected tooth. (Sad face) Anyhow, besides that dental excitement, it has been quiet. We have been checking out local farmers markets and such around the valley. Hopefully, this week we will head out toward Borrego Springs to check out the wildflowers. A few days ago, we saw the movie Cocaine Bear and I thought it was quite funny, although it is listed as an action thriller. Several times, I laughed out loud, in that quiet theater at a few inappropriate jokes. Kudos to director Elizabeth Banks in the great comedic direction of this movie. Do check it out if you are into slapstick comedy, cause this one has plenty.

That is rainbow chard. I picked it up at the Farmers Market in Rancho Mirage. Do check out my friend Terrie’s blog Comfort du Jour as she just posted a great recipe that uses coconut milk and rainbow chard.

I had a few veggies that were almost past their shelf-life so I lightly fried all veggies with bacon, onion and garlic and baked at 300 for 30 minutes till everything was mushy. It was great over brown rice and easy to eat with my sore mouth.

This is the rainbow chard. I cooked it with bacon and then added coconut milk and spices.

Lately, I have been thinking about life, my life. I’ll be 53 and am excited about it. This means that I now qualify for a few more senior discounts!!! My kids, and now Hubby, know how I like a good deal. For years, I would eye the “Senior Menu” that most restaurants list and be a little jealous. You see, some restaurants make special items that are lower in calorie and portions on those age-limited menus, or they make you ask for the discount, knowing that many people (women) will be too embarrassed to request it. Then there is me, and I have no shame and proudly exclaim that I am now considered a Senior as not many people get this life stage badge.

Me and my shadow, Tacobelle.

The one thing I have noticed about me as I get older, is that I am better at going with the flow. When I was younger, everything was a fight, or so I thought. Yes, I did have a hard life, but it was as hard as I made it. My Dad used to repeat this Dadism “I was sad because I had no shoes, until I met a man with no feet.” He used to repeat it anytime I would complain about any given situation like I wanted Nikes like the cool kids, or I couldn’t go out with my friends and such. It took years for me to understand it and how it related to me whenever he mentioned it. Once I realized that I am responsible for my happiness, sadness, luck and yadda yadda, I started to view the world and people differently and no longer see birthdays as getting older, I see them as a celebration of the life that I lived that year or years. I can only hope that I get many more as there are still a few things I would like to do and see.

This was taken by Hubby a few weeks ago.

Time to get on with our day. Rain has been falling for a few hours and Jenny needs her morning walk. Oh, one last thing to share. It has been a while since I have had any luck with plants. This past summer, not many plants survived, not even the sunflowers that I had planted. Anyhow, I have a compost bucket in the back and there are signs of life.

I see potatoes, celery and potatoes. I also dropped some wildflower seeds into the bucket so not sure what is bond to sprout in this planter.

My son gave me this heirloom tomato plant last year. Hope these tomatoes mature.

This container was part of a Coca-Cola display that was falling apart. Fingers crossed that the flowers bloom.

I love Converse and could not bear to throw my old, worn out shoes away. These shoes have walked many miles and have done some pretty cool stuff.

Oh yeah, one last update. I mentioned that I have been watching the Jackie and Shadow YouTube channel. Actually, it is the Friends of Big Bear Valley channel and is currently down at the moment as Big Bear is experiencing blizzard like conditions. The news mentioned that the mountain has been snowed in and no one can get in or get out. Anyhow, I just read several news reports that indicate that the eggs that we have all been patiently watching will most definitely not hatch. This is sad, but it is part of nature. Thank you so much FOBBV people for all the enjoyment and education we have gained from watching this wonderful channel. The view alone is priceless. If you have not checked it out, I say DO. However, at this moment, as I mentioned, the cam is down but I am sure it will be up and running later if the weather gets better.

Thank you, dear reader, for visiting. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope you smile and laugh today. Be safe and may you get to wherever you are going safely. Hugs!