Easter 2024

 It was a very rainy Easter morning. We knew we weren’t going anywhere so we were prepared for a party of two. Mike baked a ham with air fried potatoes and I made a chile relleno casserole. The rain came down and we worked on the puzzle and each of us decorated eggs. (Mike’s idea). I didn’t buy an egg dyeing kit but tried using turmeric, coffee and some food coloring. After some time I wasn’t too happy with the color from the coffee and turmeric dye. They were too pale so I started over with food coloring. Mike did his own thing with a 3 d pen he was given. It was the first time he used it and he said he needs more practice and next time not on an egg. Anyway it was fun and great to do on a rainy day. Then we FaceTimed with all the kids and got to hear all about their Easter treats and egg hunts. I hope your day was wonderful.

Dinner at La Vie

 

 As many of you know our dear family friend Helen Tanabe passed away last year at age 106. For many many years my family would celebrate Helen’s birthday by taking her out to lunch. In the most recent years before Covid we would take her lunches to her home where she lived with her daughter Jill and son in law Bobby. Up until age 104 she was mobile and everyday worked on jigsaw puzzles and watched her beloved K-drama tv shows. We celebrated her 106th birthday by her bedside. She was still very clear minded and fun loving but bed ridden. Her passing last year was peaceful. Just prior to March 2 her daughter contacted me to invite us to dinner to celebrate Helen’s 107th birthday and to thank us for all the years we spent celebrating Helen’s birthday with them. Tonight was that dinner. Jill took us to one of Helen’s favorite restaurants “La Vie” a French restaurant. We toasted Helen and had a lively time reminiscing about our wonderful memories of dear Helen. A special night for us all. Happy heavenly birthday Helen.

Julian is 9 months old

 I’m slipping! I missed my grandson Julian’s 9 month birthday on the 25th of March! He’s getting so big, standing now. Athena says his first word was “Mama”. I’m sure that made her happy! She is enjoying her sunshine boy!

Sam's Birthday Celebration

 Athena has always said she has three sons: her 1st born , Sam (the dog), Jude and Julian. Yesterday was Sam’s 5th birthday. She made him a golden retriever treat and “pup cake” both sculpted out of banana and peanut butter. They all sang happy birthday to this wonderful sweet boy!

Fruit Tart for the Bachelor Finale

I thought we should have a special dessert for the Bachelor Finale and I decided to make a fruit tart. This is pretty simple to make. I combined several recipes to make it easy. I made the crust on Saturday and melted/brushed chocolate on it. A lot of recipes say the layer of chocolate keeps the crust from getting soggy if you do this ahead. I assembled this morning so that wasn’t a concern but I added the chocolate just because I’m a fan! I made the custard yesterday and added some grand marnier as suggested in yet another recipe. This morning I assembled. Choosing the fruit topping is always fun. I wished I had kiwi which I have used in the past just for a pop of color. There’s some hidden cubes of pineapple which I added for fun. Anyway the internet has a ton of variations which I used to make this fruit tart.

The Bachelor "Joey" Finale

Sherri and I had the best night last night. It was the finale of The Bachelor. I just texted her this message:”Honestly Joey was the best bachelor. He seems so basic and grounded and nice. Refreshing. I will miss Monday nights and The best bachelor ever! Thanks for great fun times. We know how to make life fun!Grabbing the gusto and being silly trying to take an adequate selfie of us - the best laugh. I mean if you can’t laugh at yourself!!!” Ooooh Joey we are going to miss you! Sign me just a teenager in love with life!

Fish Company Celebrating Judy's Birthday

 We had a wonderful day with my Italian language friends at the Fish Company. We celebrated Judy's birthday.

Mike and Me : Scrapbook Memory

 A long time ago memory.

Sofia Gets Braces

 This is what’s happening in Dallas!

Breakfast at the El Dorado Country Club

 Mike took the day off and we went to breakfast at the local golf course. It was a coolish morning and nice to walk El Dorado park. Quiet and serene. I’m feeling grateful for this day.

Sofia and Aria: Mom and Me Date to See "Annie"

 On March 17th Sofia and her mom are having a mommy and me date at the theater to see the musical “Annie”! They also bought 7 dozen green Krispy Kreme donuts for their students today.

Bachelor "Women Tell All"

 Monday Funday Bachelor night at Sherri's. Women Tell All.

Happy St. Paddy's Day

 

Today is st. Patrick’s day and I’m thinking of my late parents Bill and Ruth Yamadera who always celebrated this day with a big Corned beef and cabbage dinner. For one day out of the year we had a big corned beef and cabbage feast ,wearing green and became the O’Yamadera’s!

Following in the family tradition we are wearing the green and feasting on the traditional Irish meal. Happy St. Paddy’s day to all my Irish friends and to those of us that are Irish for the day!

St.Paddy’s day green beer and all.

Assistance League of Long Beach "Cameo" Morrocan Nights

 Today I attended an annual Fundraiser, Fashion show and Luncheon sponsored by the Assistance League of Long Beach “Cameo”. Celebrating 38 years of mentoring excellence, Cameo helps guide high school and Community college students from Long Beach unified school district and LBCC. Cameo’s motto: “-Changing the world, one student at a time.” They provide scholarships and hands on mentoring and aiding students toward college and career aspirations. A wonderful day for an important cause. Included in this biggest fund raiser of the year for Cameo a silent and live auction, fashion show and entertainment . The theme “Moroccan Nights”.

Sofia and Rocco (Gymnastics and Cheer)

 I received these two photos of Sofia and Rocco this weekend. They are having a good childhood. That’s a huge gift. I have my airline ticket to be with them in early May when their parents go to a conference. I’m looking forward to being with them, playing with them and taking care of them.

Jude's 1st Time to a Movie Theater : Family Fun

 A very special family day for the gang down under. Jude’s first time to the movie theater!    They saw the Pixar movie Luca (they are doing Pixar reruns). He loved it! Jude said he’ll remember it for the rest of his life. (There were only two other families in the theater. )

Bachelor Night

 We're at it again!

Literary Women

 

Today I attended the Long Beach Literary Women’s Festival of Authors which began in 1982. A special and most inspiring day in which women authors speak on their writing process, their inspiration and all that has gone on in their lives before, during and after the writing of their books. I always come away feeling inspired and in awe. This is the first time I’ve attended this conference since 2019. It was food for my soul to be back listening to these creative artists. Magical.

International Women's Day

 

Happy International Women’s day !

International Women's Day is observed on March 8 every year to mark and celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women and raise awareness about women's equality and accelerate gender parity. International Women's Day was first observed in 1911.

On March 8, the fragrant Mimosa flowers are presented to women across Italy in celebration of La Festa della Donna, International Women's Day.

A Walk at Colorado Lagoon and Lunch at a Ramen Cafe

 Mike took the day off from work mid morning and suggested we take a walk before the expected rain at 1 pm. We walked around Colorado Lagoon. It was chilly and got us in the mood for a nice hot bowl of ramen. Perfect lunch choice. As we were finishing lunch the rain arrived.

Bachelor Fun Begins Monday March 4 2024

 Bachelor fun night at Sherri's

Nightowl Shopping

 

 

 "When you're in bed shopping on the phone and have to get up to get your credit card..."

Brownies for the Bachelor

 Some times in life you really do need to lighten up and be silly. My friend Sherri and I know how to do that in spades. It’s getting close to the end of the season for “The Bachelor” and our Monday fun nights are counting down. For our dessert last night I baked some brownies and I think they came out well. If you need a good recipe it’s below.  For the chocolate I had the big Trader Joe 17.6 oz imported Belgium dark chocolate bar. I broke it in half and put it in a plastic bag to pound it into small pieces. I also added walnuts to this recipe.

 

 

https://www.onceuponachef.com/.../best-brownie-recipe.html

Chicken Salad Recipe

 

 

There are many good variations on the classic chicken salad and this is one of my favorites. You can substitute roasted pecans for the almonds. I also added dried cranberries and I’d suggest adding more tarragon than the suggested 1 tablespoon. I doubled this recipe which worked well for my book club group of 11 people. Recipe follows:   I boiled the chicken one day in advance so making this salad is quick and easy the day of the event.

 

https://downshiftology.com/recipes/chicken-salad/...

 

 Ps I served with the mixed green salad with Roquefort/bleu cheese, candied pecans from Trader Joe’s, pears and avocados. Recipe    These two salads pair well.

 

https://www.allrecipes.com/.../34613/roquefort-pear-salad/

Donuts After Church

 Sofia will be 9 years in June. In May she will make her first communion. This was today after church. I spotted those donuts and now I have a craving.

On and On and On

 

 "When you're on your 8th "damn that's crazy" and they are  still telling you 

you their story!"

Bathroom Remodel Day 1

 See original post Feb. 1, 2022 for pictures.

March 26, 2012 Charlie, Abel and Fernando arrived at 10:00 a.m. They proceeded to remove everything from the bathroom, toilet, fixtures sink and cabinets. They tested the toilet and it was plugged up. They removed the top of the linoleum flooring to reveal the base boards and determined there was no damage to any of the wood below. 

 

 They left about 2:00 and then Linda and I went to Bed Bath and Beyond and also Target to get towel holders 2 sizes, toilet paper holder, waste paper baskets and hooks for the door.

Bathroom Remodel day 10

Friday April 6, 2012 the 10th day. Charlie, Bernardo and Leonardo arrived at 8:30 and left at 4:00. They primed all the walls and put in tile. They finished making the bottom hamper fit into place.

They put all the hinges on the cabinet doors for the cupboards. I bought the kitchen tile today/ordered it. It should arrive in about 10 days. I bought the paint for the 2nd bathroom. It is Behr Chocolate Froth the same as the hall only high gloss.

Charlie thinks they should be finished by next wed. or thurs. Kitchen unknown date to begin but he knows I am not available month of August.

The Troubadour

9081 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, California

"Today, the Troubadour on Santa Monica Boulevard is just one of a dozen clubs in Los Angeles presenting name pop-rock talent. But there was a time in the late '60s and early '70s when every young singer-songwriter dreamed of performing in the West Hollywood room's spotlight."-Robert Hilburn

The Troubadour is a musical landmark. It is truly one of the most legendary clubs in Los Angeles, if not the nation.
It was created in 1957 by Doug Weston as a small coffee house located 364 N. La Cienega Boulevard. It was next door to the Coronet Theater at 366 N. La Cienega. It originally was called the Troubadour Cafe-Theatre. The small club primarily presented literary readings and plays. West Hollywood nightclub by the late 1970's, having been instrumental in launching the careers of alt-country soft rockers like The Byrds, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt and The Eagles

The Troubadour is a nightclub located in West Hollywood, California, USA, at 9081 Santa Monica Boulevard just east of Doheny Drive and the border of Beverly Hills.
The club opened in 1957, named after the Troubadour Club in London, England, which was already showcasing rising folk musicians[1]. It was a major center for folk music in the 1960s, and subsequently singer-songwriters and rock.
The Troubadour played an important role in the careers of Elton John, Linda Ronstadt, Hoyt Axton, The Eagles, The Byrds, Joni Mitchell and other prominent and successful performers, who played performances there establishing their future fame. On August 25, 1970, Neil Diamond introduced Elton John, who performed his first show in the United States at the Troubadour. In 1974, John Lennon and his friend, Harry Nilsson, were ejected from the club for drunkenly heckling the Smothers Brothers. Randy Newman started out at the club and comics Cheech & Chong were discovered there. In 1975, Elton John returned to do a series of special anniversary concerts. In November 2007, James Taylor and Carole King played a series of concerts commemorating the nightclub's 50th anniversary and reuniting the two from their 1970 performance. [2]
Other alumni include Damien Rice, Lenny Bruce, Neil Diamond, Leo Kottke, James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, the Pointer Sisters, Sheryl Crow, George Carlin, Tom Waits, Pavement, Rickie Lee Jones and too many more to name. The Troubadour was also home to folk legends such as Bob Dylan, Ramblin' Jack Elliot and Arlo Guthrie.

In the late 70's and 80's it was a venue for Punk rock and heavy metal groups.

Some say there is no other club in the country that can compare to its infamous long standing Rock N Roll history.In 1998 Doug Weston died from natural causes. There was a memorial held at the Troubadour with performances and dedications from famous musicians spanning four decades of Rock N Roll as a tribute to Doug Weston for his role in the success in so many musician's careers.
Today it is well known for presenting emerging UK artists (Radiohead, Coldplay, Franz Ferdinand, Arctic Monkeys), punk/hardcore acts, such bands as Billy Talent & Rise Against, the latter filming five nights in a row for a DVD, Generation Lost. It is also still a popular venue to showcase singer-songwriters: Ray Lamontagne, Joanna Newsom, Fiona Apple.

Who I remember seeing at the Troubadour in the audience or on stage during the mid 1960's to early 1970's.

Monday nights were a showcase of aspiring singer songwriters. Jackson Brown describes these Mondays in this way: "..." Jackson Browne: "You went there on Mondays just to try and get a job. You signed on to this list at 4 p.m. and if you were lucky you might get to sing three or four songs that night. Monday nights also happened to be industry nights at the bar, so you had a lot of actors and agents and record executives and beautiful women around. It was a teeming scene, and people like Crosby were always flying in and out with girls."

This was a casual night. I'm not sure how they lined up who was going to perform. Maybe the singers drew numbers. Sometimes in between amateurs someone famous would just surprise you getting up from a table in a corner and coming on stage to perform. This was common. Also common was that famous singers and their group of friends would be sitting at tables in this small dark club. It would not be surprising at all to share a table with Neil Young who sat there listening to the music while eating a steak. It would have been extremely uncool to seem impressed by a star. We just sat there, trying to be cool, absorbing every bit of this candlelit bohemiam atmosphere and enjoying each act. This was a hang out for the popular musicians of the time. We'd be there every Monday, stood in line for the doors to open around 7:30, paid a cheap admission maybe a dollar or two and bought our two drink minimum cokes or hot spiced cider with cinnamon sticks. (They must have sold liquer but we were just teens out of high school.) If we wanted to splurge we ordered a fruit plate that came with some slices of date nut bread and cream cheese. Every table had candles...that seemed to be the only light there was except for the stage lighting. Doug Weston would always be around, tall lanky blond. I remember during sets the performers would often make remarks about the small amount of money they'd get paid. I remember a very young pig-tailed Linda Ronstadt singing barefoot on stage. Steve Martin was just a goofy kid with a banjo and black hair. He did the same act over and over again and no one laughed. It seemed like he did that for years and sometimes was the warm up act for bigger names. He wore an arrow head band on his head. The kind of joke store gimmick they sold which was supposed to look like someone shot you in the head. He'd wear that and do stupid balloon animal tricks. Somehow he was endearing and it got to where we knew all his jokes. Years later he would become famous and we would see him on t.v. or in some recorded concert doing the same banjo, routine with the same jokes only now everyone was laughing hysterically. Things like this happened...you'd see someone and then years later those people would be famous. Kenny Rogers was with a group called "The First Edition" dark black hair then. Eveyone was young in the 60's I guess. One night this small very clean cut group got up to sing. They didn't seem to fit in with the rest of the hippie looking audience. The girl had a sweet face, long brown hair, doe eyes. The guys had very short, hair. Such a clean all American look. The girls had on matching pajama like caftans. I remember bumping into one of them, the pretty one with brown hair in the bathroom. She smiled at me and looked really sweet. I kept thinking what are they going to do? They just didn't seem to fit the scene. When they got on stage everyone was talking. No one seemed to really want to hear them. Then they started to sing. The girl had a beautiful voice but what blew everyone away was the way she played the drums. She stole the show. When they finished their song everyone clapped so loud. It was as if they had earned the approval of the audience. That group a few years later became "The Carpenters" and the girl in the bathroom? Well her name was Karen Carpenter.

During the week I would try to go to the Troubadour at least one night a week, maybe more if there was someone performing that I loved. I think there were at least two sets during the week and maybe three on the weekends. Sitting upstairs in the balcony (remember this is a small club) was very cool. I remember listening to Ritchie Havens sing one stormy winter night and the rain pounded on the rooftop. With his voice, the candlelight and the sound of rain falling it was perfection. I loved a singer named Tim Buckley. We'd go there almost every night when he'd play. His voice and his presence was haunting. We loved "The Nitty Gritty DirtBand" and followed them where ever they'd play. There were a few clubs that all the singers made the rounds at and so did we. They were "The AshGrove" on Melrose and "The Golden Bear" in Huntington Beach. I'm sure there were other clubs but these were the ones we went to.

Penny Nichols, Jimmy Spheris , Jackson Browne, Steve Martin, Brewer and Shipley, Linda Ronstadt, Laura Nyro, Cheech and Chong, Arlo Guthrie, Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, Gordon Lightfoot, Rita Coolidge, Kris Kristofferson, Randy Newman, James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, Carol King, Riki Lee Jones, Buffalo Springfield, Tim Hardin. Arlo Guthrie

Dan Tana's restaurant, La Masia, Propinquity, Figaro's Cafe Melrose

Bathroom remodel day 5

Friday March 30, 2012 Charlie, Abel and Leonardo arrived 8:30 am. They reframed the wider bathroom door. Reconnected the lights and installed the bathroom medicine cabinet.

Framed the inside of the door

After coffee Charlie looks over IKEA plans and costs and suggests we take a ride to see his friends showroom in Torrance so I can just see other options. This is one I'm now considering. Solid wood.

While we are gone the two guys get all this done today:

Ceiling painted

Tile was grouted

Cabinets assembled and put into place.

Doors painted and hung

I told them yesterday i would buy lunch for everyone from Baja Sonora. They finished up around 4:30 pm. Mike gave them each lottery tickets. Charlie chatted with both Mike and I about possibilities for floor renovation and more about kitchen possilities. The end of our first week with a lot of progress.

Bathroom Remodel Day 7

Day 7, April 3, 2012 the front bathroom completed except for mirror. The handles were put on to the cabinet. Charlie, Leonardo and Bernardo arrived at 8:15 and left at 4:00.

The bathroom tiles and fixtures cleaned and the rod for the curtain put in place.

The doorstop fixed in place.

The clothes hook attached.

Faucet holes drilled and plumbing connected. Sink and counter connected and in place.

Everything was sealed floor grout and sinks.

The back bathroom was completely demolished.

Bathroom Remodel Day 7

Day 7, April 3, 2012 the front bathroom completed except for mirror. The handles were put on to the cabinet. Charlie, Leonardo and Bernardo arrived at 8:15 and left at 4:00.

The bathroom tiles and fixtures cleaned and the rod for the curtain put in place.

The doorstop fixed in place.

The clothes hook attached.

Faucet holes drilled and plumbing connected. Sink and counter connected and in place.

Everything was sealed floor grout and sinks.

The back bathroom was completely demolished.

Remodel Day 13-LAST day

Wednesday April 11, 2012 Bernardo, Leonardo and Charlie arrive promptly at 8:00 am and leave by 3:30pm. They worked hard to do all the finishing touches on the back bathroom.

The fan is installed with lighting.

All the sealers on tiles and marble installed

new window coverings in place

We went out in the a.m. and bought a safety handle that Mike had thought of last night and they installed that.

Frames painted on the mirror

Crown molding in master bedroom installed but not painted. We will do the touch up paint on walls and hall and paint the molding.

New bedroom door and all knobs and handles in place. A job well done. Feel very fortunate it went so well and now we have two beautiful bathrooms.

Bathroom Remodel Day 12

New silouette window shades hung in both bathrooms.

Tuesday April 10, 2012, Charlie, Abel and Leonardo arrived about 9:00 and left at 4:00. Charlie and I went to Lowes to return the medicine cabinet and look at crown molding. We bought 2 additional knobs. When he arrived I had told him we changed our minds about the medicine cabinet. He thought that was a mistake but no problem returning. We also discussed changing the placement of the wall socket to the right of the mirror. I asked for some additional extra marble pieces to be cut and polished. Tomorrow will probably be the last day as things are almost done.

Marble counter top and sink installed

Mirror framed and hung,

Marble at foot of shower

Light switch rerouted to far right wall.

Closet doors in.

Tile grouted sealed, cabinets in with doors.