The Mantel

 

My "Gnome" mantel

I like to decorate the mantel every month, it's fun to choose a theme and go with it. This was January's mantel. I like gnomes, they are cute and funny although some are not very nice. I also have some in my garden, both in the front and back. 

another view closer

I will put some of this month's mantel pictures soon.

Today would have been my 58th wedding Anniversary. I went outside and cut a beautiful red rose, and put it in a vase in remembrance. Lizzie and I went to have dinner at La Casa del Cocinero in La Mirada. I had chicken fajitas, ate 2 tacos, and had enough leftovers for a couple more meals. L had Tacos del Rey, one was shrimp, one steak, and one pork belly (I ate that one), and she also had a taquito. Strangely enough, the bill was $58 :)  The food was good, but the service needs some improvement.

After we ate, we walked to Ross, and I bought myself a purse.

Talking about food., I learned how to make palmiers, or elephant ears, or ulleres. It has many names. It's made with puff pastry and lots of sugar, rolled and cut and baked at 450. They are pretty tasty and I enjoy making them.  I think I'll take a picture next time I make them, but here's one from the net:

That's about all for now. 

Here's the latest PSP tag

January 2023 Recap

HAPPY NEW YEAR

January was a very rainy month. Lots of rain and snow in the mountains, and cold (for SoCal)

Jan 2 - I got my car smogged

Jan 5 We went to Target. I got a printer.

Jan 6  I made "tortell de nata", Norbert came to dig geraniums, we had to go tacos from Reventaco.

Jan 7 Take off Xmas lights and decorations.

Jan 8-15 It rained all week

Jan 16-21  I made palmiers. Lizzie went to the Ugly Mug. I had a haircut. Me and the girls talked about the Trip to Paris and Barcelona.Lulu got a bath.

Week Jan 22-31 Lizzie went to Ugly Mug, and to LM Theater (Grease) and Santa Ana for poetry. I paid a deposit for the Trip. Sonia reserved a hotel in Platja, it was a gift to us.

BOOKS I READ IN JANUARY

MOVIES I'VE WATCHED IN JANUARY

And now...on to

December Recap

 

December has been a rainy month, and California needed it!

Lizzie had 2 trips to San Diego for work, and again we went to San Diego on my birthday and to the Star of India.

Star of India

Lizzie reading her poem

Casa Guadalajara in Old Town

We celebrated Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

                                          Christmas Eve fettucini Alfredo and Caesar salad

                                                                        Me and Lulu

                                                                      Christmas Day!

                                                                       Christmas dinner

                                           Escudella i carn d'olla and breaded stuffed pork

                                                              Opening presents with Lulu

                                                          And then came New Year's Eve

BOOKS I READ IN DECEMBER

MOVIES I WATCHED IN DECEMBER

Happy New Year 2023

Salud, amor y dinero, y tiempo para disfrutarlo 

San Diego and my birthday

 

December has been a cold month for me, although it's supposed to warm up for the Holidays.  Lizzie had several trips to San Diego, and we also went there for my birthday, which was the same day that she read her poem at The Star of India. It was a very nice day.

Casa Guadalajara for birthday lunch

Chicken fajitas and mango Margarita

Singing Las Mananitas

After lunch we drove around Old Town and bought a slice of cake, then we went to our Hotel, the Windham by the Bay

View from the window

Star of India

Lizzie recited the beautiful poem

I spent some time in the cabin reading and having a snack

I have been a little remiss doing our challenge drawings, I'm very rusty! I will do some in PSP with the themes, until next year after I practice. Both girls doing great with their drawings!  :)

November Recap

 Here we are at the end of another month. The girls have done a good job writing quite often during this month, I tried but didn't post much, even though I had plenty of time to write. Just lazy. Like Lulu

The girls got back from Greece and Sandy flew back to SLC on November 1st.

Lizzie went to LM Theater, and the next day I went to my podiatrist, and we had lunch at A'Roma

November 6 was DST and I was off all week because of it, plus we got RAIN! and it was chilly. Saturday the 12th we had a very nice linner at Kentro, a Greek Restaurant. Very good.

I had avgolemono soup and souvlaki with wild rice and tzatsiki

On the 17th we went to San Juan Capistrano to see the Mission. I last went there 2 years ago with Norbert, Lizzie had never been there. It's a lovely place to walk around and learn about the history of the California Missions, San Juan Capistrano was founded by the Spanish in 1776, when St. Junípero Serra established this Mission.

The swallows go back to the Mission every March 9th

The main altar, made in Barcelona

Mission Basilica San Juan Capistrano 

         We had lunch at the lovely patio of L'Hirondelle,  right across the Mission

Saturday the 19th, was Lizzie's 51st birthday. She likes to hike, so I got her some hiking shoes and a walking stick, then we went to the Cedar Creek Restaurant for dinner

Happy Birthday Lizzie

My Monte Cristo, delicious!

L had a Dr appointment on the 22nd, and the next day we went to Marshall for our Pre Christmas shopping spree. That was fun.

 

November 24th was Thanksgiving. We don't celebrate traditional Thanksgiving very much (last year we had fish tacos) but for some reason I felt like having turkey, so we went to Black Angus. I had turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, sweet potatoes, garlic broccoli, cheesy bread and pumpkin pie.

On Saturday we went to Regional Park with Lulu for a nice walk, it was a lovely day.

I want to go see the sunset and have dinner at Huntington Beach today, but it's been cloudy and cold.

BOOKS I'VE READ THIS MONTH

MOVIES I'VE WATCHED THIS MONTH