Pretty in Pink

All I have today is the picture. It's a beautiful pink tree that I photographed when we were at the Temecula Creek Inn for lunch.

Both me and him are feeling our age today. My arthritis is chronic - can't lift my arms! Grr. His back is painful from the bone cancer. He also has pulled a muscle in his leg. Oh dear - poor old things we are!

Stormy Weather?

After many weeks of cloudless blue skies, we finally saw some clouds yesterday afternoon and although they didn't hold any rain, today looks more promising in the moisture department - Ah! One can dream!

Mr. Indi forgot to do his "grab a handful of belly and stab myself with a very sharp needle" routine yesterday. Not that it matters - he'll do it today. Overall, he's feeling pretty good but glad that the weekend is here after working all 5 days this week.

This is the Labor Day weekend and we won't be straying far from the house - too many people on the road for driving to be enjoyable. Mr. Indi will continue with his model making and I shall be knitting. What a boring old pair of wrinklies! Still, we both woke up this morning - and we're happy with that!

Baby Blanket

Here, by popular demand - OK, per the request of my friend, Granny Williams - is a picture of the heart motif baby blanket. If I don't get an address to send it to soon, it will go to the highest bidder - OR - it will go in the bin! BTW - the pattern for this blanket can be found on the web at:

http://www.knittingonthenet.com/

Some really good patterns there - FREE!. American instructions but easy to convert to English if you've got half a brain. Or, if you don't - drop me a line and I will help you!

Cor - I just realized that the hearts are upside down - Doh! Now I'll have to redo the whole thing!

Glug Glug Glug!

The prime rib was delicious and the Bailey's on the rocks was pretty good too! We had a nice visit with J and L - exploring one of the antique shops in Old Town, Temecula, before having dinner at Penfold's. The shops all close at 5 p.m. during the week so we didn't get to see too many of them but have made a date to do more antiquing in the future.

This summertime weather is starting to get very old. We shall both be very happy to see some cooler temperatures which are promised next week. Mr. Indi suffers badly in the heat as his hot flashes - brought on by the drug Lupron - seem to intensify when the temperature goes over 90F. And so, with this in mind, I have made reservations for us to go away to the beach on the 5th September for a couple of days and to soak up some lovely cool ocean breezes. I can't wait!

I got my hair done yesterday and it turned into a disaster - No - not my hair but the visit to the beauty shop. I had put a bottle of water into my handbag and I didn't have the cap screwed on properly. Arghhhhh! Everything in my bag was floating including Mr. Indi's wallet and all the $1 bills therein! When he came home from work, the money was all set out on the counter to dry - money laundering! Duh!

I took the picture in Temecula in July.

Old Socks and Mooooooo!

Yesterday was a quiet day - well, for the most part! Mr. Indi is having chemo gas problems again! Oy Oy Oy! But he is feeling better. The nausea is fading away and food is tasting more or less normal. He should be feeling quite perky by the weekend.

We have been eating red meat every day for 5 days now - Mooooooo! Last night was London Broil (top sirloin steak)cooked rare on the BBQ, sliced thin on the diagonal and served with garlic potatoes (they were a bit over the top with the garlic - I would rename them old socks potatoes) and salad with avocado. I really fancy a bit of chicken but today will probably be red meat again! Mr. Indi's blood count should be very good!

Today will be red meat no doubt, because we are going down to Temecula this afternoon, after his Lordship gets home from work, to meet J and L, who have been staying down there for a few days. I expect we shall go to Penfold's for an early dinner - and Penfolds has prime rib to die for. Mooooooooo!

I have finished the baby blanket and it is ready to put in the post to England. I am waiting for an address to send it to. Oy - You out there! Yoo Hoo! Anybody - send me the address for G and S. Ta very much!

The picture is a pretty flower growing in Prospect Park, Redlands.

Clifton and Frederick - A Combination

People have asked me why Mr. Indi keeps on working when his prognosis is terminal and he is struggling with the side effects of chemo and all the other drugs that he must take. Well, I have asked him the same thing myself - many times - and the answer is that if he quits work, it will be giving up on a big part of his life. And he will not give up.

He loves his job - the actual work - the problem solving and decision making. He loves the people he works with. He calls them his "Little United Nations" with folks from Cuba, Guatemala, Russia, Armenia, India, Viet Nam and beyond. He loves the interaction and learning about each person's culture. So, while he doesn't much care for the 45 mile commute each way, he will not consider giving up his job. He won't give up! And, anyway - who would keep the candy dish filled up with salt water taffy if he leaves? Huh? Answer me that!

Yesterday we had a funny conversation about our favorite music. Mr. Indi's faves are Zydeco and Chopin! Well, it suits him perfectly!If you don't know Zydeco just search for it on YouTube. Clifton Chenier is the King of the Bayou and he does Zydeco! Now, if you don't know Chopin - Oh dear!

Today's picture is of the grounds of the Asistencia in Redlands. The trees along the back wall are pomegranate trees and they were loaded with fruit.

We're Just Kids!

Yesterday afternoon, the temperature reached 107F (42C) in my backyard and so we went down to the pizza parlor for an hour. It feels good to use someone else's air conditioning while sipping a cold beer.

I love the pizza parlor for a couple of reasons; a) The beer is cheaper than most places and the glasses are always clean! b) I love Brian. Brian is the owner of the Lamppost Pizza and Brewhouse and he is one of the nicest guys on the planet. After being absent from the pizza joint for several years, we started visiting again once or twice a week and are always happy to see Brian's lovely smile and twinkly eyes! There we go, me - old enough to be Brian's mother -hobbling along with my arthritis all flared up because of the heat and his Lordship - in all his white headed glory - weaving in and out of the benches as he struggles with his nausea and vertigo and Brian pops his head out from behind the counter and yells. "Hi Kids." I can't help but smile!

Mr. Indi is starting to come out of his chemo funk - the tummy is starting to quiet down and he has started to enjoy his food again. I BBQ'd steak last night (he needs red meat) and it was delish. He needs to go in for more blood tests next Tuesday and so we shall probably be having liver for our Labor Day dinner on Monday - hmm - I wonder if I could BBQ it and shove it in a bun and pretend it's hot dogs? Any suggestions?

Today's picture is of some beautiful oleanders in Temecula.

Something to Crowe over?

Yesterday morning, Mr. Indi suffered another bout of low blood pressure, rapid heartbeat and nausea. He was unable to get out of the bed and he put it all down to the fact that he had spent most of the night on the loo and had become badly dehydrated. I got my Nurse Ratchett hat on again and made him large mugs of beef broth followed by glasses of Gatorade. By 9:am he was feeling much better but remained a bit wobbly for the rest of the day.

So, yesterday was a stay at home day - except for a brief jaunt to the video store and the supermarket - and, after a nice long nap, his Lordship was in the mood to watch a movie. We chose American Gangster with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. (Hmmm Russell Crowe sure is in a lot of movies!) I thought the performances of Mr. Washington and Mr. Crowe were excellent and there was only marginal violence ( surprising in a film about drug dealing) - BUT - it went on and on and on! Alright Already!!!! I get it - He's a dope dealer and you're a narc - so kill him or summat! I finally gave up and did some knitting on the porch and Mr. Indi came and got me when the end was nigh. So - would I watch it again - cor struth NO - I don't have enough time left in my life! However, Mr. Indi liked it a lot.

His Lordship is feeling better today and went to work with the birdies this morning. I expect he will be home by lunch time. The picture is of a pretty kitty who lives at the Asistencia.

Asistencia - Redlands

Yesterday, we took another drive out to Redlands to see more of the sights. This time we stopped at the Asistencia of the San Gabriel Mission. It's a lovely little mission-like compound that was created as an outpost to the main mission which is at least 50 miles to the west. The bell tower is quite modern but lovely nevertheless. You can see just how blue the sky was yesterday and the weather was very warm in the afternoon.

The little chapel is very plain but very sweet. I would think that the Asistencia is a lovely place to have a wedding. I was only able to take one photo though as the smell of the candles caused me to have another of my choking fits! Grrr!

The little museum is full of very old dioramas. I thought this one was was quite lovely and the mountains in the background are very realistic.

After our little tour of the Asistencia, we went on a round-about drive through the posh section of Redlands looking for Prospect Park where there is supposed to be a lovely mansion. Well, we found the park - well hidden to keep the riff raff out, I suppose - but the mansion and gardens were closed to the public. Pfft! Still, we had a nice walk around the park - not a soul about - so peaceful - and I was able to get some nice flower pics which will be posted in the future. I liked this arbor with a vine growing up each of its 6 legs.

We went back to the Gourmet Pizza Shoppe for lunch - Mr. Indi was craving some more of that yummy stuff. He had a pizza called Tequila Sunrise! It was chock-a-block with scrambled egg, bacon, sausage and green chilies - kinda like an omelet on a pizza crust! I had a pizza called No Kissing Tonight - guess what it was? Yes, pesto, chopped garlic, red onions, feta cheese and tomato - bloody luxury! After lunch, we took a walk around the shops and ended up at the Royal Falconer - an English pub - or so it says! It was OK and we spent a pleasant hour people watching and looking at the Olympics on a big tele.

Unfortunately, our day ended with Mr. Indi feeling very ill. He has been up most of the night and is resting in bed as I type. I hope he feels better soon.

To Bee or Not to Bee!

Mr. Indi stayed home yesterday. He had had a lousy night and his back was hurting quite badly. Also, his boss was on vacation so it seemed like a good time to play hookie! He worked most of the morning on his laptop and when it became lunchtime he was hungry but because of the big wad of cotton that seemed to be filling his mouth, he couldn't decide what to eat. I suggested the Indian joint - there's a place with some flavours that were bound to break through those dastardly taste buds!

Actually, my choice of the Indian restaurant was quite brave. One - because I wasn't sure that my poor old throat could take it - and two - because driving on the Southern California freeway system at noon on a Friday is risking life and limb. You have to contend with huge 18 wheelers barreling along within 5 feet of your rear end at 75 mph; retirees in motor homes the size of double-decker buses towing trailers full of dirt bikes, push bikes, lawn chairs and toilet seat extensions, who can't decide which off ramp to take because it's a toss up between Palm Springs and Las Vegas; young people in sports cars that they can't afford and don't have insurance on but are equipped with $5000 worth of stereo equipment being played at 6000 decibels; illegal alien gardeners with a myriad of dangerous looking gardening tools tied to the sides of dilapidated pick up trucks with shoe laces - driving 45 mph in the fast lane; and of course, one or two garbage collection trucks with used plastic bags and bits of paper flying out of the back end. And that's just on my street!

However, I was able to negotiate the obstacle course and arrive safely at the Bombay Palace. At lunch time, they have a very tasty and varied buffet and Mr. Indi really enjoyed it - especially the Chicken Tikka Masala and the Lamb Rogan Josh. We split a bottle of Taj Mahal beer and he could even taste that, too. So, our choice of luncheon venue was a wise one. And all I had to do was drive the 15 miles back home! EEEK!!

Today's picture is a bee! My camera has a macro feature which I am just now learning how to use. It's fun.

Blog Update - Comments

I have changed my settings ( I didn't even know I had settings!) so that anyone can leave a comment on my blog. I will still moderate all comments so please don't leave any remarks that make fun of my legs, refer to my parentage or comment on my housekeeping abilities. Thanks.

Hey Jude!

Mr. Indi was up before the birds had even gone to bed yesterday, and off he went to the office. However, he called me at about 6 a.m. to say that he had started to flag and would be coming home in a little while. When I got back from the grocery store at 9:15, he had left a phone message to let me know that I should prepare for his imminent arrival! In other words - Put the kettle on!

Mr. Indi had an ulterior motive for leaving work early - he did not want to be charged with crimes against humanity! It seems that, once again, the chemo emissions are leaking out of his body! (OK - his bum) And he was afraid that the haz-mat team would soon show up and evacuate the building and douse everyone in foam. If he had been a coal miner, the canary would be toast! If he keeps it up - I might be toast!

A friend of mine, who has just lost a friend to cancer, has suggested that all the money spent on the Olympics would be better spent on cancer research and while I agree in theory - I really can't see getting rid of the Olympic Games - I think they are wonderful. I think it is marvelous to see countries who are sworn enemies compete on a neutral playing field. I also think it is great to see such great patriotism as has been shown even by little countries like Jamaica - isn't that Bolt amazing? Yes, I think much more should be spent on cancer research but what about all those other terrible diseases - Alzheimer's, MS, etc? Where does one start? sigh!

Today's picture is of St. Jude in the cemetery at the Mission San Luis Rey. Isn't he lovely? The bird's cute too!

A Perfect Cactus

Yesterday, I got up at about 4:30 a.m. - put the kettle on for a cup of cha and turned on the big tele to watch the early news. The first thing I saw was a traffic alert. A large tanker truck had overturned on PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) and spilled it's contents - raw sewage - across all traffic lanes. What a shitty way to start the day!

Mr. Indi was feeling quite perky yesterday and went off to work at 0 dark thirty. He came home just after noon and we went out for a bite to eat. However, by about 3 p.m. his window of perkiness was closing down and he lay down for an hour and gave his snoring muscles a work out!

When Mr. Indi had his chemo treatment last Monday, it was supposed to be the last treatment in this series but Dr. J has decided to continue with this regimen to try and bring the PSA down further - so another dose of Cisplatin is scheduled for September 8th. The big problems with Cisplatin are; hearing loss and kidney damage. I have already seen that his Lordship is having some hearing problems and I hope that blood tests will detect any kidney problems that may be lurking. Worry, worry!

As I have said, I am enjoying the book "Devil in the White City" and I am now really interested in a chap named Frederick Law Olmsted. He was the landscape architect who designed the landscape for the Chicago World's Fair. (He also gave birth to New York's Central Park) While working on the fair, Olmsted became ill and took time off to recuperate in Europe. While in England, he said that he had never seen anything so beautiful as the English countryside but he couldn't abide by those childish formal gardens - I agree!

Today's picture is a mess! Well, actually it's a cactus in a courtyard at Mission San Luis Rey. I was playing with Paint Shop Pro and got carried away! I need to get a life!

Ding - a - Ling!

Yesterday was somehow out of kilter - I never seemed to be operating on all cylinders. Mr. Indi was OK though - in fact doing quite well for most of the day. His mood was greatly enhanced by a nice long afternoon nap with snoring that reached ear-splitting levels. I sat on the porch and did some knitting while the roof rose up and down!

Earlier in the day, we went down to the World Market to get some ginger candies and bottled drink. I parked the car and, as I got out, the door swung wide open and bumped the side of the car parked next to me. It wasn't even 3 seconds later that the man who had been sitting in said car was standing directly in front of me and yelling that I had hit his car and caused the whole car to shake! We both looked at the side panel of his car and could see nothing - not a scratch - not a dent - nothing. He was getting irate and insisting that there had to be some damage! Whoa! Dude! Chill Out! Your car is not a Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Sport (worth $2 million, by the way!) It's a regular old Ford SUV and - I hate to say this - when you park in a parking lot, you may get a few dings. Get over it! Pfft!

We bought a few extra bags of chewy ginger candy for the patients at the chemo center and swung by there to drop them off. I had my knitting with me and Trisha, the receptionist, was so pleased to see it. She is a lovely young lady of twenty something who has learned to knit recently and is loving it. I'm happy to see that the art of bodging away with the needles is being kept alive.

As long as we were in the neighborhood, I swung by Dr. K's office and asked Sharon for a hug. She is a very good hugger and I needed one. She gave me two - one to pass on to his Lordship.

Today's picture is one that I took a couple of weeks ago at the local plant center. I didn't buy any - just took pictures of them!

The Liver Worked!

The latest blood test results showed a hematocrit level of 28.8 Woooo! That liver did the job!

I dropped him off at the chemo center at 9:00 a.m. and I picked him up at 4:20 p.m. A long old day - especially for him but the stress was getting to be a bit much for me, too. I hate the waiting game but I can't bring myself to sit with him for all those hours. Selfish, I know! It's just that I get so upset by the sight of all the cancer patients - especially the young ones - and if I spend 8 hours at the clinic, I feel guilty about chores not getting done - a can't-win situation.

But, Monday is behind us and the chemo went well, albeit slowly. Now Mr. Indi begins his week long cycle of no sleep, no taste, nausea and sweating. He has used up all the ginger chewy candies so I will be down at the World Market this morning, stocking up. While there, I must remember to get some English baked beans - so I can have some baked beans on toast for lunch - yum!

When I got back home with his Lordship, the first thing we did was have lots of hugs - Mr. Indi is ambivalent about hugs but I needed hugs - lots of them! I then made us a nice easy dinner of cold ham, baby red potatoes, salad and sliced plums. He ate most of it - and I was happy about that. We went to bed early but while I crashed, he has had no sleep at all and has been up since 3:00 a.m. working on his laptop. I hope he will get some rest later this morning.

Today's picture is a pretty dahlia growing in a flower bed outside of a pub in Newport Beach.

Kevyn Lettau - WOW!

Yesterday, we had a real treat. We went to Mario's Place in Riverside for a luncheon and jazz afternoon. The featured artist was Kevyn Lettau and she was outstanding - but first lets start with the luncheon. Each table was set with a beautiful red rose that had a fragrance to die for. There was a set menu with a choice of two starters - we both had the Yellow Gazpacho Soup - and a choice of three main dishes - both me and him chose the Spicy Breast of Chicken with Baby Artichoke Caponata & Lemon Zest Jus - which was superb. And for desert we had Tulipe of Orange Flower Water Gelato with Fresh Strawberries. All very yummmmmm!


The show started at 3:00p.m. and from the very first song, we knew that Kevyn Lettau was GOOD. She can scat as well as any - including Ella! She did some fabulous renditions of some wonderful tunes including No More Blues by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Have a Talk with God by Stevie Wonder. The trio who accompanied her were fabulous - especially the chap on the keyboard who was lost in his music!

The show ended at 5:00p.m. and I was sorry when it was over. If you love jazz and ever get the chance to see Kevyn Lettau - don't pass it up. She is super. http://www.kevynlettau.com/

For those of you who are keeping tabs - before we went to the show, we washed both cars, did all the ironing and watered the garden! Ain't we good? Today is chemo day and I am hoping all goes well with his Lordship.

This Won't Get the Baby a New Frock!

On Saturday morning, we got up early with every intention of working on a long list of chores. We needed to wash both cars, do piles of yard work, shove the vacuum cleaner around and attack the pile of ironing in that is growing on the bed in the spare room. So did we? Of course not! We went to Newport Beach!

The weather forecast called for a foggy morning at the beach but by the time we arrived at 9:30 the fog had stated to recede back across the ocean and the sun was shining - in fact the weather was perfect. We parked quite a long way from the pier and took our shoes off and walked along the sand. There were lots of surfers and body boarders riding the waves which were quite flat but they didn't care! Some of them would surf even if there was no surf!

There is a fleet of Dory fishing boats that fish just off the pier and one of them had parked his boat as he unloaded his catch at the small fish market. He had sand dabs, catfish and crabs for sale - I was going to get some but there was something fishy about it!

Also near the pier, you will find artists rendering their view of the Newport Beach scene. This lady was painting her interpretation of the fish market. I wish I was so talented.

As usually happens when I'm at the beach, I ended up under the pier trying to find that perfect composition of pylons and planks. I think this one is pretty good.

We had a lovely day out - lunch was OK - a burger at a strange pub-like place called The Blue Beet! - and we enjoyed a cold brew while watching the Olympics (equestrian dressage and a bit of badminton) at a beach front bar where a lovely ocean breeze wafted in through the open front door - heaven. Unfortunately, when we arrived home, the cars were still dirty, the bits were still on the carpet and the garden still looked like a jungle. Such is the price of goofing off!

Choo Choo!

Mr. Indi was home yesterday for blood tests. When he was finished with that, he came home and worked from the house on his laptop and cell phone for the rest of the morning. We were going to go to the fish place for lunch but I know that he has been craving Mexican food - and even though it's a bit tricky with my nasty throat - I suggested that we try a couple of cervezas and some frijoles!

The only decent Mexican joint within 10 miles of here is Senor Pepe's - BUT - it is such a dive. The food is great but the restaurant is old and shabby, the waitresses are old and shabby, the beer is warm and the glasses are plastic! I just couldn't face the prospect of being served by a 70 year old crone with smudged lipstick and a dirty apron so I suggested that we try Jauncho's, a little cafe-like place that we haven't been to in about 15 years.

Jauncho's is tucked away in between a church and a winery and is easy to miss if you blink your eyes. Inside the place is spotless and the waitresses are young and pleasant and wear clean aprons - so right away, we knew that we had made the right decision. Our lunch was very good. He had Chilli Verde and I had Chilli Relleno - we both had cerveza which was chilled and served in a clean glass that was glass! As we were driving away from Jauncho's, Mr. Indi remarked that it would be a very good place to have a wake. One could have the funeral at the church, a couple of glasses of wine at the winery, and a bit of nosh at the Mexican joint! I told him that I would make a note of his suggestion!

Today's picture is another part of the mural in Temecula. Sorry about the perspective - but you get the idea!

It's All Rubbish!

Well, we had our liver dinner and it was delish. I had done some research earlier in the day and discovered that when eating foods high in iron e.g. liver, red meat, tuna, the iron is more easily absorbed by the body if the meal includes a green leafy vegetable - soooooo - off I went in search of green leafy veg. I found some lovely Swiss chard - the kind with the red veins - and steamed it for about 10 mins then chopped it up with a little margarine and pepper. The liver I cooked in the oven - covered with rashers of bacon - for about 20 mins. I then took the liver out and left the bacon in the oven for an extra 10 mins to cook up. I made yummy mashed potatoes and smothered everything in home made gravy. We finished our meal off with some delicious black plums. And, if that ain't healthy - I don't know what is!

So, today he goes for more blood tests and he is now so full of iron he is turning a delightful shade of rust!

I had a good giggle yesterday when I read in the BBC about a major blunder made by the City Council of my old home town, Birmingham, England. It seems that they put out a brochure regarding the city's rubbish recycling program. The brochure was very well done - most professional looking - with a picture of the Birmingham skyline at the top. The problem was that it was a picture of the skyline of Birmingham, Alabama! Doh! It's a good thing I got out of there when I did - I might be even dumber than I am now!

Today's picture is one I took yesterday of a pretty little miniature rose in a pot on the patio.

The Cure is - Liver!

Tonight, I shall be making liver and bacon for dinner. This will be my attempt at helping Mr. Indi boost his hemoglobin and hematocrit levels. He is border line anemic and I know that liver will help! Now, before you all start yelling that liver is yucky and liver is high in cholesterol and liver gross - let me tell you that WE LIKE LIVER! and when one is dying of cancer, one tends not to worry so much about cholesterol!

Mr. Indi's hemoglobin is at 9.5 and his hematocrit is 27.7 but they will not do chemo next Monday unless his hematocrit is 28.0. The doc advised him to do his Procrit injection last night - which he did - and get more blood tests on Friday. So we will keep our fingers crossed that the levels are up by Monday morning, when they can do another blood test at the chemo lab. If not, they will postpone chemo for a week and if the levels are still no good, it will be back to the hospital for a transfusion - grrrr! The good news is that his PSA is still going down - now down to 95.7

The visit to the docs was very sad yesterday. A poor old gent had had an accident and pee'd all over the floor - he didn't even know it! A middle aged lady sat in the corner with her head shrouded in a scarf and her eyes lowered - I can only suppose she didn't want anyone to know that she is bald from chemo. A young woman in her thirties was sobbing in the arms of an older woman - maybe her mother - as she had just learned she has breast cancer. This was in contrast to the girls in the reception area who where laughing and talking and playing a rock station on the radio. Sometimes I want to scream!

Today's picture is of the lake at the 18th hole of the golf course at the Temecula Creek Inn. The bar overlooks this view and I could sit there all day!

She's Going to Oz!

As soon as I can get to the post office, this sweet lady will be on her way to Australia and life with her new found family! Bon Voyage!

An Orphan Found

As I have mentioned before, I buy old photos from junk - err sorry - antique shops and try to find a surviving family member in order to reunite the lost photo with it's family. I have previously had one success story and now can claim another.

Yesterday I got an email from Bob in Oz who saw my message on Genealogy.com and believes that the photo of "Sister Ingleby" is, in all likelihood, his relative. How neat is that, then? I will send him a scanned copy today, and, if he is correct in his assumption, I will send the original to Oz. That will mean that this old picture (taken circa 1900) will have travelled from Stockton-on-Tees in England to an antique shop in Montana - where it was purchased by my daughter - to me in California - to Bob in Australia. Now, I only have about 50 more photos to go!

Yesterday, we went to the Wings place and we saw our friend and waitress, Carnelian. I am fascinated with her lovely name and had to ask her how she came by it. It seems that the name was chosen by her father and uncle from a passage in the book of Revelation in the Bible! When I got home, I looked it up and found that Carnelian is also a lovely red gem stone. This morning I woke up and the name Carnelian Room jumped into my brain and I remembered the restaurant at the top of the B of A building in San Fran with fabulous food and breathtaking views. So, Carnelian has some lovely connotations. More than can be said for India Pale Ale!

Mr. Indi is at work this morning but will be home at lunch time as he has an appointment with Dr, J this afternoon. The doc will lets us know, based on the latest blood tests, whether there is to be more chemo next Monday.

Today's picture is of the beautiful grapes in a vineyard in Temecula.

Chemo Emissions!

Mr. Indi and I don't usually sleep together - sad, I know. But - it's for good reason. His snoring is beyond chronic and I'm an old lady who needs her beauty rest. So, by mutual agreement, we have separate bedrooms except for when we go away for the weekend and then we get up close and personal!

During our recent foray into the local wine country, we shared a delightful but small room, with a view of the nearby mountains. Very pleasant - until we had to go to bed. Mr. Indi had been suffering from a bad bout of very loud and obnoxious flatulence for nearly two weeks prior to our trip. In fact, he diagnosed the problem as being associated with his last chemo treatment. But I believe that the problem could be traced back to several sources including but not limited to: Eating too much rare beef - Drinking too much local micro brew - Late night snacking on a disgusting hunk of rotten Stilton cheese that he had hidden in the bottom of our ice chest.

However, I'm not going to argue the toss over the cause of the problem. I write this blog entry merely as a warning to others. If you have a spouse, lover or significant other who is on chemo and eats smelly cheese, DON'T put your head under the covers! You may not make it out alive!

The picture is of Mr. Indi hiding in the weeds behind the bus depot in Temecula. The air quality of the city was badly compromised.

Rods, Hogs, and Bones!

Here are a few of the interesting things that I snapped in Temecula. The mural is painted on a huge wooden wall that lines the parking lot by the bus depot. The mural is about 50 yards long by about 10 feet high and depicts old Temecula when it was a railroad depot. It's very well done.

Each weekend , you will find all kinds of classic cars cruising the main street of Temecula. This one is a 1959 Cadillac with the most amazing paint job. The interior upholstery was gorgeous, too - a creamy white leather. That must have cost a couple of bob!

The other thing you will see in Temecula on a Saturday and Sunday are hogs - hundreds of them. There is a very large Harley-Davidson dealer in town and the bikers come from all over to show off their rides. I fell in love with this red and white beauty and tried to get Mr. Indi to buy one - but he refused - what a wimp!

The black one is kinda nice too - if you like your hog chopped. These pictures where taken outside of Mad Madeline's Grill - a wonderful burger joint that serves icy cold beer on a hot day - heaven.

The final picture is of a cute little tongue-in cheek Boot Hill tucked away in the corner of the main street. I like the signs!

So, our trip to Temecula is over and we are now back home. We both have sore legs from so much walking - but I'm sure that it must be good for us! Mr. Indi is home today because he has blood tests this morning in preparation for an appointment with Dr. J on Wednesday - so it's back to the old grind!

Wining and Whining!

Yesterday started out well. We spent a couple of hours laying about - reading - puzzle solving - knitting and loafing before we finally got organized and drove out to the Pechanga Casino. The casino is on the Pachanga Indian Reservation and we had not been there since the construction of the giant casino was completed. We were amazed at how much like a Las Vegas casino it is with all the slot machines and gaming tables, restaurants and bars - the only things missing are roulette and craps tables. We stayed for a couple of hours during which time I put a couple of bucks into a poker machine and got it up to $225 - and then got it back down to $0. Easy come.....

For lunch we drove to Killarney's Irish pub. It advertises 'authentic Irish food' whatever that is. I had potato soup in a hollowed-out sour dough loaf. He had bangers and mash and baked beans. My soup was delish with onions, carrots, leeks and bits of corned beef as well as the potatoes. His bangers had a hint of sage and were very good. He had a Newcastle Brown on tap - more heaven!

After lunch we got the map out and and took a drive through Temecula Wine Country. It really is very pretty countryside and the wineries all welcome visitors to their tasting rooms. We stopped at Thorntons - one of the best known wineries - but their tasting is quite formal with a sit down menu so we didn't bother but I did take a few nice pics of the vineyards etc. Other wineries were very crowded - it being Saturday afternoon and all - so we just mosied around and had a gander. On our way back to the hotel we stopped for a cold one at a biker bar near the Greyhound bus depot - There was some bloke playing his guitar and singing for the fans who didn't seem to notice him as they were all watching the Olympics on the big screen tele. He really was awful and I hope he hasn't given up his day job. Mr. Indi's glass had a big crack in it and we decided that we just aren't cut out for the biker scene.

For dinner we went to a very posh place in Old Town, Temecula called Bailey's. I could write reams on what was wrong with my dinner but I don't want to relive the experience. The two lobster tails were like a pair of shrivelled up slugs and had the texture of boiled tripe. The broccoli was lime green with yellow florets and was cold and limp. I told the waitress to take it all away and said that I would not be paying for it. When the bill came she smiled condescendingly and said that the manager had removed my dinner from the bill. I said that I didn't give a diddly whether he took it off or not - I weren't paying for it! Pfffft!

After the unfortunate dining experience, I felt it only fair to treat me and him (his dinner was nothing to write home about) to a couple of Bailey's on the rocks. We walked down to a nice little Mexican joint called The Bank, see web: http://www.thebankofmexicanfood.com/2051773.html

where we sat outside under a mister and watched the world go by as we sipped our drinks.

The picture is of an old lady taking a picture of some winery tat. WAIT A MINUTE - It's me!

A Golfing We Will Go! Not!

We got down to Temecula just in time to go to lunch at the Temecula Creek Inn - a very nice resort hotel with a beautiful golf course. We had a lovely meal. I had herb crusted salmon with garlic mash - yummy. He had chicken chilli relleno crepes with black beans and lots of cilantro. He quite enjoyed it. He also enjoyed the Sierra Nevada Summer Brew. A nice light ale.

After lunch, it was still too early to check into our hotel so we forced ourselves to sit in the bar overlooking the 18th. hole and sample some more of that Sierra Nevada beer - checking for the quality of the brew, of course! I don't know how people manage to get around the course in 100F degree heat - I expect they are in love with the game - but, as we sat there, diligently taste testing our drinks, several golfers stumbled in, gasping for something cold to drink. They didn't order water! And I'm amazed that gin and tonic can sate your thirst!

We checked into our room - ordinary motel type of room - and Mr. Indi laid down for a rest. I sat by the side of the pool and dangled my poor old hot feet into the water. Heaven! I suppose I should get a bathing suit one of these days so that I can dunk my whole body in the water. However, I don't want to take the chance of frightening small children or dogs.

After a couple of hours of lazing about it was time to think about more food and drink. Off we went to explore the bright lights of downtown Temecula. I jest. Downtown Temecula has one main street and you can walk up and down both sides in about a half an hour. Still, it is very quaint and has several eateries to chose from. We opted for Penfold's. We have eaten there before and it is very good. We started with Brie en Croute with an apricot chutney and if I had died following that, I would have died happy! For the main course, I had a wonderful chunk of prime rib - so tender that I didn't need to use my teeth to chew it! He had fillet mignon that was equally tender. We finished off with a desert of Bailey's on the rocks. Yum! And, we both went to bed with a full tummy!

The picture is of a flower on a table in the bar of the Temecula Creek Inn.

Look Out - Here We Come!

I am looking forward to our weekend away - even though we shall only be one hour from home. At least I will not have to cook for a couple of days and I'm hoping to get some time to read and finish my knitting. Mr. Indi has not been reading anything lately - he's on a crossword puzzle jag -but I am well into my Erik Larson book and loving it.

Erik Larson writes non-fiction books based on historical facts but he has such a marvelous way of telling a story that it could quite easily be a who done it novel. I was introduced to Larson when I read Thunderstruck - as the Los Angeles Times said - A ripping yarn of murder and invention. It tells the intertwined stories of Gugielmo Marconi, the communications genius and Hawley Crippen, the cold blooded murderer. The chase scene at the end is as good as any I've read!

I am now reading The Devil in the White City - Murder, Magic, and Madness at The Fair that Changed America. It is the intertwined story of the construction of the Chicago World's Fair c1893 and the cold blooded killer, Henry Holmes, who used the fair to his own murderous advantage. Having lived in Chicago at one time (for 5 years in the 1970s) I am fascinated by the details of life in the city in gay nineties - hint - they weren't so gay!

Mr. Indi is feeling much better and his taste buds seem to be back up to par. We went out to lunch yesterday - nothing special - but ran into a chap we know and he was brimming with news about his new job. It seems he is now a rep for Samuel Adams Brewery! Now - there's a good bloke to know!

Today's pic is the 4th bloom to appear on my prize winning dahlia. I've never had more than three blooms but this year there have been a total of five. I love this plant.

Yippeeeeeee!

Today's picture is red because red is the happiest colour and today is a happy day! I saw Dr. K yesterday and everything is OK. He stuck that awful snake thingy down my sinuses and into my throat and said, "WOW - your vocal chords look marvelous - there is NO sign of the tumor." I could have kissed him - smooch smooch xxxxxx.

I have to go back again in October and will keep going back every couple of months for the duration - although Dr. K is cautiously optimistic that the radiation has killed that horrible thing. As far as the pain etc. that I've been having - he reminded me that the after effects of radiation can last up to one year or more. So - the message was - Shut Up and Be Happy!

Yesterday was a happy day for Mr. Indi, too. It was the first day since chemo that he has been able to taste his food and therefore he wanted to go out to a nice lunch. We went to a local quasi-Italian come California cuisine joint and I have to say I was not impressed - but his Lordship had a nice roast beef sarnie with cheese and Ortega chillies and he enjoyed it. He also enjoyed his pint of Samuel Adams Summer Ale.

After lunch, his Lordship insisted that I celebrate my good fortune by spending some money. I was happy to oblige and got a new outfit to wear on our trip this weekend. So - if you are in Temecula on Saturday and see an old lady wearing pink checkered Capri pants with a shocking pink shirt, please don't stare!

Today's beautiful red (OK it's more pinkish) flower is on a gorgeous tree at the Quail Botanical Gardens.

Today's the Day!

I go to see Dr. K today and he will put that dreadful microscope thingy up my nose and down the back of my throat to see what is happening with my vocal chords. I think everything will be OK as my voice is fine although I'm still having some pain and bleeding. Anyway - what will be......

I made BBQ chicken breasts last night. However, the wind came up and blew the ash from the barbie all over the chicken. I hate when that happens. I had to bring my breasts in and wash them. In the end, they tasted great with BBQ baked beans, asparagus and fresh fruit.

I think we are going away this weekend to Temecula. Mr. Indi wants to take me to the country club where he had his works meeting a few months ago. He says it's fabulous and quite posh - ooo errr - I'll have to watch me manners! No belching allowed.

The pic is yet another flower from the Quail Botanical Gardens.

Anybody Seen Ginger?

A fellow blogger, Vanessa, had suggested that Mr. Indi try some ginger to calm his bumbly tummy following chemo - and, after she mentioned this, I recall that Ma used to give us Ginger Beer (no alcohol) when we were kids with a bellyache. So, on Sunday we went in search of ginger.

We didn't have to go far because the World Market carries all kinds of ginger products - many of them manufactured by a company called: the ginger people (gp) Here is a link to their web: http://www.gingerpeople.com/ and others by the Chimes Gourmet Co: http://www.chimesgourmet.com/ There were several products to choose from and we decided on 2 types of candy and a bottle of ginger drink.

Chimes ( distributed by Roxy Trading Co.) are little chewy candies made with ginger essence. They are quite delicious and VERY gingery - bordering on hot. Gin-Gins are a hard candy that are also very gingery but not quite as hot as the Chimes. Mr. Indi found both of them very soothing on his tummy and very refreshing on his taste buds which are still a bit fuzzy. The drink that we found is called Ginger Soother with honey and lemon. The sediment that collects on the bottom of the bottle was a bit off-putting but after a good shake, the drink looked quite civilized. I had a taste and must say it is quite lovely - very smooth and a little warm but not hot. Mr. Indi has had a glass of it each day before going to work and he says it is helping with his queasies.

If you are on chemo or know someone who is - get down to the World Market and get some ginger products for relief of nausea. AND - a big Thank You to Vanessa for suggesting this.

Today's picture is one that I took at Quail Gardens. It's some kind of a trailing vine. Quite stunning.

Beautiful Redlands

More about our visit to Redlands. The city is home to many buildings that are of architectural significance including the beautiful Morey Mansion - pictured here. The mansion was built in 1890 by David Morey, a ship's carpenter. It is considered one of the finest American Victorian homes in the West and has had many famous visitors including Clark Gable.

The grounds surrounding the mansion are planted with trees and shrubs that compliment the colours of the lovely building.

The Morey Mansion is now an upscale Bed and Breakfast Inn and if you would like to spend a few days there you can see the info at this link. http://www.moreymansion.com/rooms.htm

For our lunch in Redlands, we went to the Gourmet Pizza Shoppe on State Street. Let me tell you, this pizza is to die for. The ambiance is nothing to write home about - kind of like sitting in a giant warehouse with a very high ceiling and lots of clattering, banging and echoes swirling around. When we walked in there was a poor old chap with artificial legs sitting at the first table - he had taken his legs off and propped them up against the wall! As I said - not great in the ambiance department! BUT - I have never seen a pizza joint where you can get pizza with bacon and scrambled egg or mashed potatoes and gravy - ON THE PIZZA! Yes. I'll bet it's delish too. We had the Saucy Sicilian and it was heavenly.

On my way back to the freeway as we were heading home, I saw this sign. I stopped the car in the middle of the street - left it running - dived out with my camera and snapped it! Mr. Indi thought I had finally gone completely bonkers - but I had to do it. AND I hope she likes it! XXX

Hangar 24 - Pale Ale

Yesterday, Mr. Indi was feeling 100% better and wanted to get out of the house so I drove out to Redlands to visit the Hangar 24 Brewery. We had learned about the brewery when Mr. Indi tried their Pale Ale a few weeks ago at Mario's Place. The brewery really is in an airplane hangar at Redlands Airport and it's easy to spot because of the large vat or tank or summat to do with brewing that sits outside of the building.

It's a very small brewery with just one room (about 1/2 of the hanger) full of equipment. I just love these huge copper vats. I bet they cost a few bob! They have beer tasting on Saturdays from noon till 5 - so we had a little taste. Mr. Indi tried the Apricot Wheat beer. Yucko! I had the Pale Ale which is very nice and very close to an English beer in flavour. They are launching a new brew this month; Extra Special Bitter. We might have to drive out there again and sample

As well as beer, you can also purchase the obligatory t-shirt with the company logo. Very nice.

As you can see from the photo - they don't get too many jumbo jets at Redlands Airport - just a few Cessnas and a cement mixer - I wonder where he flew in from? We had a lovely day out as we explored other parts of Redlands too. Will share that in next blog.