I Can't Taste a Thing!

On the second or third day after chemo, Mr. Indi always starts complaining about his taste buds. It seems that everything starts to taste awful and he can't get rid of the nasty fuzzy feeling in his mouth. In fact, he likens his mouth to the inside of a Russian wrestler's jock strap! NOW, I don't know how or when he became familiar with the intimate details of a foreign athlete's nether regions and I'm not going to ask! But - because of this issue - meal planning has become a problem.

Last night I decided to BBQ a lovely piece of top sirloin. I also made scalloped potatoes and served a bowl of fresh fruit - cherries, cantaloupe and plums. I was surprised to see his Lordship getting it all down his neck. He said that the steak had just hit the spot and while he wasn't that big on the spuds, he did enjoy the fruit because it was so ripe and juicy. There is enough meat and fruit left for tonight and I will serve it with a salad. So - that's that!

Yesterday morning, while I was watering the front garden, I spotted a young raccoon ambling down the middle of the street. Silly thing. It was a very pretty animal with a beautifully ringed tail and he seemed oblivious to me and my watering. I expect he is the same one who has been digging around my vincas - hmmmm - time to get the mothballs out again.

Today's picture was taken at the children's playground at Lake Arrowhead. I loved this horsey! He's got his eye on you!

Peace and Quiet! - Ha!

So there I was, sitting in the Italian joint, picking lumps of Gorgonzola cheese off Mr. Indi's chopped salad and talking to his Lordship about the cost of tomatoes when - KER BANG - the building lurched several feet to the left and immediately sprang back to its original position. Before anyone could say a word, the shaking started; glasses and bottles tinkled and clinked; ceiling fans swayed and sputtered; the chef crossed himself and started praying, and I prepared to dive under the table - But - it was all over in a matter of 30 seconds and everyone returned to the matter at hand - lunch!

The Italian restaurant is only about 8 miles from the epicenter of the 5.4 earthquake and I will say that we both got a bit of a fright. My heart hasn't had a work-out like that since the last time I heard Rod Stewart singing Embraceable You. We had a couple of fair sized after-shocks during the afternoon but everything has been quiet for several hours now. For those interested in our shaking, here is the California shake map:

http://quake.usgs.gov/recenteqs/latest.htm

The reason me and him were discussing the price of tomatoes is because (as you can see by today's picture) our homegrown tomato crop has been less than stellar! The largest of the haul is about 2 inches across and has a nasty looking fungus on its bottom! The green one has been green since mid May and apparently is lacking in red genes. The small ones are just a few centimeters in diameter; are as hard as bullets and could easily be used as ammo for a BB gun! None of them would be welcome in my salad and, therefore, I am having to pay $3.49 a pound for toms. I can grow dahlias - I can't grow tommy arters!

Mr. Indi is feeling fair to middling today and has gone to work - although I hope he will not stay there too long. I also hope there are no more earthquakes while I am here alone!

All's Well

Thank goodness! Everything went well with yesterday's chemo session and Mr. Indi was finished by 4 p.m. He was looking very pale when I picked him up but was acting quite chipper. JoAnne said that the platinum in the Cisplatin is the cause of the paleness as it draws down the red blood cells. She reminded us that it's imperative that Mr. Indi keep up with his Procrit injections every Friday to ensure a rejuvenation of bone marrow.

The staff at the chemo lab are always surprised at Mr. Indi's lack of nausea during and after chemo. I'm not surprised - after all, this is a chap who will eat anything that isn't moving faster than he is! They don't call him "Old Cast Iron Guts" for nothing! But, just to be on the safe side, JoAnne gave him a free sample of an anti-nausea drug, Kytril, to try - just in case!

Mr. Indi is staying home from work today. He had a restless night and is feeling a bit wobbly this morning. He's able to stay in touch with the office via his laptop and cell phone but should be able to get a few naps in during the day. So, today will be peace and quiet - we hope!

The pic above is another from Quail Gardens.

Fingers Crossed!

We didn't do much of anything yesterday. Mr. Indi wasn't feeling very well; suffering the side effects of the Lupron injection that he got last Wednesday while he was at the doc's. Lupron does something to the body's hormones that causes them to go bozo and then to cease production for a time. Prostate cancer feeds on testosterone and Lupron helps to block that hormone. But one of the side effects is hot flashes and feeling faint - and with the temperature at over 90F - the poor chap was suffering.

We did get a bit of household drudgery done - him pushing the vacuum and me waving a dust rag. I also cut all the dead geranium flowers and did a general tidy of the patio plants. The roses are looking quite sad now and I don't think I will get anymore pretty blooms this year - too much sun!

With the hot weather, we are now relying on cold meats and salads for dinner. Last night was smoked turkey - red spuds - avocado and tomato slices - cranberry jelly. Yumptious!

Well, today is chemo day again - it's amazing how three weeks flies away! Mr. Indi will be receiving Cisplatin, Taxotere and the bone hardening drug, Aredia. They will also pump him full of Benadryl, Decadron and Xanax to suppress the nausea. I will drop him off at the chemo lab at 9 a.m and I expect that he will be there most of the day. I am thankful that Dr. J. will be in the cancer center today and will be able to keep his eye on things. So - fingers are crossed!

The picture was taken at Quail Gardens.

Moosehead on Tap! Heaven!

For our mystery trip, I drove to Lake Arrowhead. I took the back route up the mountains and had forgotten how windey the roads are - Ohhhh - lots of fun. The lake is at 5,100 feet but one must drive to about 7,000 feet to get over the mountain and down to the lake. We hadn't been to the lake for about 10 years and the village has been greatly improved. As you can see from the photos, Lake Arrowhead is a beautiful place and the weather was perfect.



There were lots of boats on the lake and a few brave water skiers - but that lake water is very cold - rather them than me! For a time it looked as though the storm clouds would gather but luckily the thunder stayed away.

It was actually quite hot in the sun - about 80F - and this lovely little waterfall in the village shopping center made a very welcome tinkling!

Lots of wildlife inhabit the lake including many mallards - some with babies. One of the shops was selling duck food to the kids for a few cents - and -by the amount of duck food being chucked in the water, those ducks should be fat as pigs!

However, the highlight of our day was when we walked into "Woody's" pub and Mr. Indi saw Moosehead on tap! He thought he had died and gone to heaven! We stayed and had a couple of brews and were interested to watch the barman, Troy, mixing a strange drink called a Mojito. He put some slices of lime and a few sprigs of mint along with a measure of sugar in the bottom of a tall glass and gave it all a good bashing with a wooden spoon. He then filled the glass with ice - poured in a big shot of white rum - and topped it off with sparkling water. Mr. Indi tried one and I had a sip. Yuck! Sorry but no thanks!

We had a great day out. Lake Arrowhead is a beautiful spot.

The Story of Simon

As I mentioned earlier, while at San Luis Rey, I took a picture of the grave of Simon Gomez who died in France during WWI. My friend, A, who is devoted to helping people find the graves of soldiers lost in war, has discovered some interesting things about Simon AND, would you believe - A PHOTOGRAPH!

It looks as though Simon was born in the little township of San Luis Rey. In the 1900 census he is there with his parents and three sisters, Natidava, Aurelia and Levinia, and his four brothers, Sylvester, Roman (named after his father,) Ignacio and Francisco. In 1910, Simon is still in San Luis Rey and working as a day laborer but by the time he registered for the draft, he had moved to Los Angles and was working as a miller for Globe Mills. Simon never married.

It's interesting that while several documents give Simon's birth date as January 5th - there are discrepancies as to the year of his birth. According to the 1900 and 1910 census, he was born in 1889. His draft card says 1888 and his headstone says 1891. I think 1889 is probably correct but , as anyone who dabbles in family history knows, your guess is as good as mine!

What is certain is that Simon was killed at Ypres - that most terrible battle that took so many thousands of lives. Simon was drafted into the 363rd. Infantry Company, 91st. Division, San Francisco. The 91st. Division lost 1,414 men at Ypres -with over 4,000 wounded.

A pointed out to me that Simon's mother, Custodia, had died on July 22 - and I visited her grave on July 19th. Had I known, I would have taken flowers for her and Simon. I would like to thank A for her dedication to fallen soldiers - xxx

Today, I am taking Mr. Indi on a mystery drive! Pictures will follow!

Quail Botanical Gardens

As promised, here are a few of the pictures that I took at the Quail Botanical Gardens. If you would like to learn more about the gardens, see this web page. http://www.qbgardens.org/ The first picture is the view from one of the highest points in the gardens - you can see the ocean - if you stand on your tippy toes!

I don't know what these daisy like flowers are called - but just in case you are on an old black and white puter - they are yellow!

There are Bromeliads growing on the ground all over the gardens. They are all different colours and shapes. I liked these pink and yellow ones. Bromeliads are such interesting plants. They are a member of the pineapple family. They attach their roots around the bark of trees or stones. I'm lucky enough to have several growing in pots in the back garden.

In the center of the gardens is a lovely pond and luckily the water lilies were in bloom.

I thought this topiary Mariachi band was the hokiest thing I had ever seen but it kind of grows on ya! I know of a couple of people who will love this photo! Mr. Indi and I really enjoyed our trip to the Quail Botanical Gardens.

It's Down - It's Up - It's Good!

Mr. Indi had his check-up with Dr. J yesterday in preparation for more chemo next Monday. The results of Tuesday's blood tests were in and looking good. The PSA has dropped to 105 - down from 255 last month. (Normal is less than 4.0) So, it would seem that the combination of Cisplatin and Taxotere is doing some good. His red cell count is also moving in the right direction - up to 9.3 from 9.1 (Normal is 12.0) So, he has to keep up with the Procrit injections every Friday. Ah, we shall be collecting more tiny little milk churns!

We had printed out several articles found on a search of Abiraterone - the new prostate cancer drug that has been in the news lately. We were surprised to find that Dr. J hadn't heard of the studies involving Abiraterone - especially as the drug is manufactured in Los Angeles. We left the printouts with him and he promised to look into the possibility that Mr. Indi may be able to receive the drug. However, Mr. Indi will not be eligible for a study group as he is on his 4th regimen of chemo and this would taint the results. But, sometimes the FDA allows a drug to be given to a patient on compassionate grounds even when the drug has not yet been approved. We are hopeful!

Poor old Mr. Indi got his head sunburned last weekend while sitting on the rocks at Cardiff. You can see it in the photo that was taken at Oggie's Pizza and Brew. The beer is Oggie's Sunset Amber Ale. Very apropos for someone who has the sun setting on his noggin!

Mission San Luis Rey de Francia

We visited the mission on Saturday, July 19. It is a most impressive building that can be seen from far away as it sits on the top of a hill. When we got there it was quite foggy but I was able to get a shot with a little slice of sun as we were leaving. The mission was founded in 1798 and is named after St. Louis IX, King of France.

The mission is a working parish church and also a religious retreat and as such, much of the grounds were off limits but the cemetery was open to the public. It is a beautiful and very restful place.

We stopped to read many of the graves and I was particularly moved by this one. I took the photo for my friend, Annie. This young man was killed in France when he was aged 27. He is remembered next to the grave of his mother.

This bell is overlooking part of the private gardens. I wanted to ring it. Mr. Indi told me to behave!

As with most of the missions, there are lots of cacti and lovely bougainvillea. The dark red leaf bracts are stunning against the white walls. Mission San Luis Rey isn't my favourite - that distinction belongs to San Juan Bautista - but it is a lovely old building and worth a visit.

Am I Psychic - or What?

I said that the bloody thing would flower on Sunday and it did. By the time we arrived home at 4 p.m. yesterday afternoon this is what it looked like! Pffftt!

We were sorry to leave Encinitas as we had such a great time there. My friend had suggested that we visit the Quail Gardens before leaving the area and we are so glad that we took her advise. The gardens are so interesting with lots of wonderful - mostly drought resistant - plants.

I took some great pictures (even if I do say so myself!) and will post the best of the lot soon. Quail Gardens is quite hilly and so both me and him took it fairly slowly on the uphill grades! We managed to speed up on the down slope! What a pleasant couple of hours we had!

Feeling peckish after all that hiking, we drove back down the road to Oggies Pizza joint and Brew House. It was OK but very expensive for a pizza place. Mr. Indi was pleased about the brew house part of the business and tried the Oggie's Sunset Amber Ale which he thought was wonderful. I had a sip and while it wasn't too bad, it wasn't good enough to gush over!

We took the inland route home. It's amazing how many vineyards can be seen along the highway where there used to be nothingness. I quite like the rows of vines - like little battalions of soldiers on parade in the fields. We stopped in Murietta to look at the scenery! Hahahaha! And the bathroom was very clean!

So, here we are, home again and back to the old routine. Mr. Indi has blood tests today and doctors tomorrow and I have to do some serious watering of the garden - it is gasping for a drink. More pictures of our trip will follow.

Aren't I Smart?

I was so happy that my friend could come and meet us for lunch. We drove to The Beach House in Cardiff by the Sea and had a lovely meal - shame about the 2 tables full of screaming babies and other assorted tiddlers! But, I concentrated on my lobster and tried to ignore the interruptions. The weather was splendid, and, after lunch, we went for a climb on the nearby rocks and then sat in the sun while discussing family history.

We went for a short drive down the coast and stopped at Solana Beach where we poked about in the Cedros Design District. This is where I took the photo of the Smart Car - and I love the picture because I managed to get myself in it! The shops on Cedros Avenue are lovely with smashing hats and shoes! I tried on a pair of sparkly flip-flops - but at $81 - Nah! After enjoying a nice cold beer on a restaurant patio, it was time to say goodbye to my friend. We had a lovely time.

Mr. Indi and I went to Robbie's in Encinitas for dinner. I had read mixed reviews about the food and I would have to say that it was so-so. I had Fillet Mignon with a Gorgonzola sauce. The meat was too rare for me- I had asked for medium and it was still mooing! Mr.Indi had a burger that he really enjoyed. The service was OK so I suppose I would give Robbie's a 6 (out of 10)

We will be packing up and going home today -boo hoo! I love the beach.

A Foggy Day in...

The coastal fog didn't clear all day yesterday - not that we minded - it felt really good after being in the inland heat for weeks. It always feels wonderful to go to bed without the burning feet!

We left the house at around 10 a.m. and had a leisurely drive down to Oceanside, arriving at San Luis Rey at about 11:30. We were both a bit peckish so stopped for lunch before going into the mission. We opted for an Italian joint - Capozzoli's Pizzeria. The food was very good. I had chicken piccata and his Lordship had his old standby - sausage and mushroom pizza. They only make pizza in one size - HUGE! When I saw it, I realised I should have shared it instead of indulging in a delicious meal of chicken in butter, capers, and artichoke hearts - but what the hey! I'm on me hols!

Mr. Indi was pleased to see that Capozzoli's carried micro-brew beers, including several brews from the Stone Brewing Co. of Escondido - AND - in honour of his lovely wife - Mrs. IPA - he tried their India Pale Ale. I tried a sip too, but it's way too bitter for my taste. Our waitress also gave us a sample of a pale ale brewed by the Oceanside Ale Works. Mr. Indi quite liked it but I thought it had a peculiar taste - almost like chocolate. I prefer my beer to taste like - duh - BEER!

After lunch, it was just a short drive up the hill to the Mission San Luis Rey de Francia. We were quite disappointed to find that some of the mission is closed to the public - they hold religious retreats there - the nerve! We did visit the cemetery and the museum though and I was able to get quite a few pictures which I will be posting when we get back home.

We spent a couple of hours at the mission and then drove another 10 miles or so to our hotel. Our rooms are very nice. I say rooms because it's a suite -ohhh - la-de-dah! Actually, it is very good value for the money. It has a kitchen, living area, and a separate bedroom with a king sized bed. Mr. Indi suggested that I could make dinner instead of going out. I suggested that Mr.Indi - ehhm, never mind!

After a little nap, we drove into town and had a walk along the main street. Not much happens in Encinitas! We saw a bar where they had the trivia game that I love and we went in for a quick drink and a game but no one else was playing and the place was lacking in ambiance -there wasn't anything hanging from the ceiling! By now, lunch had worn off and it was time for dinner. I was just dying for a big gooey hamburger so we headed up the street to Angelo's, a really grotty hole in the wall, where you can get fabulous burgers and even more fabulous milk shakes. Heaven.

The picture above is of a cactus at the Mission. It is the same as my cactus at home that has probably bloomed today. Sigh!

Ta ta!

It's all happening here this morning. Hustle and bustle. Well, maybe just hustle! You would think that we're going away for 2 weeks instead of 2 days. What with all the meds - the tea making paraphernalia - lap top and briefcase full of dead people research - 2 cameras with spare batteries and card reader - 4 puzzle books and 2 novels - what did I forget?

Our timing for this get-away weekend could not have been worse! My beautiful cactus is going to flower. It only flowers once a year and only for one day! And - it will probably flower on Sunday while we are gone! The bud is ready to burst. Mr. Indi suggested that I bring it with us. He noted that the hotel allows pets Oh - OK! It's only about 7 foot across. I would look a bit conspicuous lugging it up to the room - on a leash!

I've been in touch with my friend S from San Diego and we are hopeful that we can meet up for lunch or dinner. I look forward to seeing her.

The weather is supposed to be very good - not too hot but with buckets of sunshine. I might even do a little sunbathing by the pool! Egads! What a horrible sight!

The baby blanket is growing - slowly. I hope to get a few more hearts done over the next few days. Mr. Indi is going to drive and I love to knit while watching the countryside fly by.

My next entry will be from far-away Encinitas.

Did I Mention...?

A few weeks ago, Mr. Indi got a traffic ticket. He was driving down to the gas station to fill up the car and was not wearing his seat belt - EVEN THOUGH - I have told him a thousand times that the cops around here are like piranhas and the city receives half its income from traffic citations. But, there are times when Mr. Indi is a doofus and doesn't pay attention.

He was going to go down to the courthouse and pay the ticket but somehow didn't get around to it - what with chemo and everything - so a couple of weeks ago he sent them a check to cover the fine. Well, it seems that when he made the check out, he was 18 cents short. Did I mention that he's a bit of a doofus?

The city has now sent us 2 letters to say that he owes 18 cents and has until September 20th to pay it! So - let's think about this for a minute. The stamps for 2 letters cost 84 cents - the paper and envelopes cost a couple of cents and the labor and admin involved cost a few more cents. The city's outlay to recoup 18 cents is probably in the area of $1-$1.50. Well, heck - no wonder the cops write a lot of tickets! The city is losing money!

The picture above is a baby lizard - about 2 inches long - who came to visit yesterday.

We're Off!

I've made a reservation for us - we are going to Encinitas this weekend. I am so looking forward to getting away for a couple of days - although I shall worry about my plants! We shall go down on Saturday and be back home by dinner time on Monday. It was very difficult to find a hotel room at this time of the year and the hotel that I have found is at least a mile from the beach but that's OK - we will just have to drive down to the ocean. We stayed at the same place a couple of years ago and there is plenty to see and do in the area and we look forward to visiting the Mission San Luis Rey which is just outside of Oceanside. Got me camera at the ready!

Anyway - I expect to see some of you lot down there this weekend - we shall be hanging out in Del Mar, Carlsbad and Cardiff by the Sea. We will buy you a drink if we see you! We shall be wearing clothes and carrying a camera!

Mr. Indi is doing quite well this week. He has been at work every day although he only manages about 6 hours at his office. He has a rest in the afternoon and then is able to keep going until the dinner dishes are washed! (What do you think I keep him around for?)

I, on the other hand, have not been doing as well - having lots of trouble with my throat - bleeding and pain - grrrr. I expect it is the after effects of the radiation. I go in to see Dr. K in a couple of weeks - I hope it is better by then.

The picture above is the impatiens that are in a big pot in the front of my house.

Tastes Like Chicken!

Yesterday, I was shooting some humming birds.

They are really really tiny.

So we had them as hors d'oeuvres.

Our main dish was: bangers and egg and chips and peas and fried tomatoes. It was good!

It Keeps Him Off the Street.

Mr. Indi is getting very wrapped up in his model making these days and, consequently, has his model making paraphernalia scattered all across the dining room table. He is very careful to make the clothing of his little figures as authentic as possible and consults several oracles before painting them. I really don't know how he paints them so beautifully because he's got thumbs like sledge hammers! The little 1/48th scale chap in the picture above is an airman who is getting ready to fly his Spitfire.

While Mr. Indi paints Lilliputian people, I sit on the couch and bodge away at my knitting while watching tripe on the big tele. The baby blanket is coming along nicely but I will be glad when it's finished as I want to start a lace shawl that I have seen in Vogue Knitting mag.

Yesterday afternoon, we went down to the Wings place and I finally saw Marcus and collected my 10 bucks from the bet on the basketball series. Marcus is a good sport. We immediately spent the $10 on a couple of cold beers Easy come - easy go! I asked about the movie making that was going on last week and it turns out that they weren't making a movie - they were making an advertisement for the Wings place. It will be shown this winter during football games.

I guess the big truck that I saw with King Kong on the side must have been the King Kong Trucking Company! Duh!

Mr. Indi wants to get away for a couple of days before his next chemo session so I will spend today looking for a good deal on a hotel room - maybe Ventura this time.

Mr. & Mrs. Indi At The Movies!

Since we got the big tele, we've watched a few movies and the big tele really makes all the difference in the world. Well, not just the big tele but the big sound system which reverberates throughout the house and part way down the street! Serves them right! That'll show them barking dogs a thing or two!

The other day we watched 3:10 to Yuma. I'm not a big Russell Crowe fan but he was very good as Ben Wade - an outlaw. Crowe is always sexy and I think more so when he's a bad guy! I also liked Ben Foster as Charlie Prince - also an outlaw. What is it about bad men? Mr. Indi enjoyed the flick very much. He is a big fan of shootouts and hangings and mayhem - and the "bang-bang you're dead" scenes where great! So - we give it a BIG thumbs up!

Last night we watched There Will Be Blood. It was OK but far too long - almost 3 hours. I can see why Daniel Day-Lewis won the Oscar for best actor though. He's brilliant. But I also like Paul Dano who played twin roles in the film. (Paul Sunday and his brother, the preacher, Eli.)Mr. Indi liked the sets and the clothing - Mr. Indi is a big fan of period clothing. But, he too got tired of waiting for the movie to end. Overall it was fair to middling and we give it a sideways thumb!

Mr. Indi is back at work today and is feeling quite good. He is just about over his chemo roller-coaster so should be good for a while - until the next session.

The picture today is one that was sent to me by my friend JP - Hi Jan xx. The lovely plant is a bignonia growing in France.

Mountain Air - Cough, Gasp, Choke, Gasp!

We had a good trip to the mountains. The weather was very pleasant - not too hot and just a little bit humid. The sandstone rock outcrop is in the high desert - just off the highway - on the way up to the ski resort of Wrightwood. I am always amazed at the silence of the desert - it actually ROARS in silence.

The little town of Wrightwood is at 5,200 feet above sea level and the main street is on quite a grade, so between the steep hill and the rarefied air, me and him were staggering along like a pair of old uns - Oh, I forgot - we are!

Shortly after we arrived, a cavalcade of classic cars drove up the hill. There were some real beauties there - but I fell in love with this 1967 Mercury cougar which is the same as the one that Uncle Bob owned - 'cept his was dark green

This cute little mountain cottage had no windows on this large outside wall - so they painted some on. Isn't that cute! Or maybe not!

On the way back down the mountain, I stopped to take pictures of the Joshua trees. Mr. Indi was yelling at me to watch out for the "buzz worms" I took no notice and wandered about wearing just a pair of flip-flops. Then I rememberd what "buzz worms" are - YIKES! I was back in the car - poste haste!

Odd and Odder!

I have always thought that Mr. Indi was odd - in a nice kind of a way! And, after living with him for nigh on 30 years - he is getting odder - or maybe it's the meds!

Yesterday was Procrit day and after going through his "grab my belly and stab myself with a very sharp needle" routine, Mr. Indi came looking for me with the little empty drug vial in his hand. "You know," he said "I hate to throw these things away. I could paint them with silver paint and we could use them as little milk churns for the doll house cottage." "Oh. OK," I replied "Why didn't I think of that?" - (See what I mean?)

I'm happy to report that both of our motor cars are repaired and back home and the rental car (what a load of rubbish that was!) has gone back without a mark on her. The Toyota has had an extensive make-over including a new coil thingy for the spark plug wire whatsits and she is now running like a top. The Pontiac had her organ transplant and the new dash array is working like a champ - HOWEVER - the auto mechanic noticed a large bubble in one of her tires so Mr. Indi drove her down to the tire shop to get it checked and had all 4 replaced. Say ADIOS to another $500! To say that this has been an expensive week would be rather an understatement but we are happy that we both have our cars fixed. Nothing worse than being without wheels! We shall now eat cat food for the rest of the week!

Today, we are going for a little drive up into the mountains. We haven't been to Wrightwood for a couple of years and it will be good to breathe some clean mountain air. It will also give me an opportunity to take some pictures!

The picture above is my prize winning dahlia - it's a beaut!

The Rest of Capistrano

Before I forget, I will finish up the story of our trip to San Juan Capistrano.

After spending a couple of hours at the mission, we went for a walk around the old part of town. There, we spent some time browsing in a huge antiques mart where I found 3 old photos with names on the back! And, they were a bargain at $3 a pop. Some places are now charging $8-10 for old photos.

By now we were getting peckish and so it was time for a bite to eat. We chose El Adobe for our luncheon spot. It's a lovely old building and was refreshingly cool inside. Our waiter, Roberto, was smashing - he had a permanent smile on his face - I'm sure if I had said that the food stunk - he would have grinned from ear to ear! Mr. Indi had one of his favorite dishes, Chili Verde, and I had salmon and avocado with a chipotle sauce. It was delicious - and the beer was cold and fizzy! Just right.

After lunch, we went for a walk in the revitalized section of town down by the railway station. There are lots of shops, restaurants and boutiques in the neighborhood but I really enjoyed walking in the back streets where there are lots of pretty cottages - one of them an English Tea Shop. My only purchase was a hat - an orange and gold cap - it matched my blouse exactly!

We started to wander back to the car but thirst took over and we scooted into a bar called The Swallow Inn. Well, let me describe this place! From the ceiling you will see hanging; several bras, some of them quite large; several panties, some of them quite small; cowboy boots, football cleats, ice skates, and at least one rubber chicken! You get the idea? But the one thing that made us smile - a shuffleboard table! We haven't played shuffleboard since we played in Lake Elsinore about 10 years ago! So, we had a quick couple of games while enjoying some really cold beer. The patrons of the bar all seemed like a friendly bunch and we will definitely visit the Swallow Inn again!

The picture above is Mr. Indi having lunch at El Adobe. And, no, that isn't the only shirt he owns! And, yes, he does take his hat off in restaurants but I wanted it on for the photo so that he didn't break the camera!

Oooooo! They're Making a Movie!

First, an update on the trials and tribulations of being an automobile owner. Yesterday, the first thing we did was to rent a car from Enterprise - it's a nice new car - only 5,000 miles on her and has that nice new car smell - but it's pretty gutless - I think it's a 6 banger - but what the hay! It will get us around for a few days while we await the return of our motors.

The Pontiac is now in a hospital for cars with electrical problems. It will need a transplant - a new dashboard gauge cluster at a cost of a mere $600. She will be coming home on Friday.

The Toyota is in a more general hospital where she is having her fuel filter changed and all of her fuel lines blown out under pressure - she was constipated. That will cost a mere $800. Add that to the cost of the rental and poooof! there goes my pension! The Toyota is due home this afternoon - all being well.

Yesterday, after dropping off all the sick cars, we went down to the Wings place to get lunch - they do a cheap lunch on Tuesdays. When we got down there we couldn't get near the restaurant - there were trucks all over the place and tents and marquees and people sitting in director's chairs....WOW! They were shooting a movie! On the side of one of the huge trucks it said King Kong - I wonder if they are making a sequel at our Wings place! The restaurant won't open back up until tomorrow and I will ask Juan, the manager, what the movie shoot was all about - AND why wasn't I asked to be in the movie! What nerve!

Mr. Indi stayed home again today and worked on his computer - month end reports etc. He is still coming down from all the steroids plus feeling dopey from the Benadryl. He's up and down like a yo-yo!

The picture above is a large bell flower plant (don't know the name) taken at San Juan Capistrano last Saturday.

More Capistrano!

My friend, Granny Williams, asked about the missions and here is a little history lesson! The California Missions were founded by Father Junipero Serra, who came from Majorca and entered New California in about 1769. There are 21 missions between San Diego and San Francisco - each about a day's march apart.
The purpose of the missions was two-fold. First, to bring Christianity to California and second to house garrisons of Spanish soldiers. In bringing Christianity to the native American Indians, many Indians were killed and much of the Indian culture was destroyed.
Father Junipero Serra is a saint to some and a devil to others. Depends on your point of view.
Mr. Indi and I are not religious people and have no spiritual reasons for visiting the missions. We do enjoy the historic buildings and, the serene gardens are a good place to get away from the California hustle and bustle.
Hard to believe that the mission at San Juan Capistrano is less than 1/4 mile from one of California's busiest freeways!

A Long, Long Day!

Mr. Indi survived the Cisplatin and is feeling OK this morning although a bit wobbly if he stands up too fast. He is working from home today but should be OK for work tomorrow - that is IF we can find a car that will get him there! Grrrr - story to follow!

Yesterday was a very long day. I dropped his Lordship off at the chemo lab at 9 a.m. JoAnn had already warned us that he would be there for most of the day so we had packed him a lunch and some snacks and he armed himself with several puzzle books - crosswords, sudoku, etc. - and a novel that he has been struggling to get into. As I backed the car out of the parking space, I heard some odd thumping sounds - Oh well! Not to worry.

I swung by the grocery store and picked up some fresh veg for dinner - I can't believe the price of brussel sprouts - and as I drove out of the parking lot I heard some more odd thumping and clumping sounds. Oh well, not to worry! I got onto the freeway and felt the car struggling to change gears (it's an automatic) but once at cruising speed everything seemed to be OK. At last, I neared the house and as I drove up the hill, the car started shuddering and juddering and thumping and clumping and a warning light came on! Yikes Time to worry!

I checked the owners manual and learned that the warning light comes on if you are out of gas (I wasn't) the gas cap isn't on right (it was) or----get this------there is a problem with the electrical system of the engine or the transmission - oh GREAT! It seems that my car had caught the same electrical system bugs that had infected Mr. Indi's car - hrmphhh! I shouldn't have parked them so close together!

The rest of the day was spent living on tenterhooks - worrying about Mr. Indi and wondering if the car would make it back to the chemo center to bring him home. But everything worked out in the end. I picked him up at 4:30 p.m. and drove through town rather than the freeway. We were both very happy when we arrived back at the house. So, we now have 2 broken cars and will spend today trying to get one or the other fixed and/or renting a car from Enterprise, who, luckily, have a depot about a mile from here.

The picture is a hollyhock at Mission San Juan Capistrano

San Juan Capistrano - The Jewel of the Missions

We hadn't been to Capistrano for a long time and yesterday seemed like a good day to go back and check out the beautiful mission. Last time we saw the Stone Church, it was surrounded by scaffolding as they worked on renovation after the 1987 earthquake - it took many years to complete.

The Kiicha or Wikiup is where the native people lived. It is made of willow branches

The monument called "Empty Saddles" is a lovely thing. I'm not sure who it is for though!

The mission grounds are splendid with gardens full of beautiful flowers - gorgeous old roses and lots of bouganvilla growing on the walls of the lovely old buildings.

We couldn't go into the chapel as someone had selfishly decided to die and have their funeral at the very time that I had intended to visit. How rude.