A Wonderful Week in Southern Caifornia

It's Sunday and we've had an exhaustive, wonderful weekend in San Diego. Let me tell you about it.

My son and daughter-in-law treated us to the weekend in San Diego. He and his family live near San Bernadino so it was a 2 hour drive down. When we lived here many years ago, the Pacific Coast Highway was the only way to get there. Now, there are freeways everywhere! We had a blast.

Saturday, we, our son, his wife and 3 boys—drove down and went to USMC Recruit Depot and to the post exchange for shopping. Son and his wife wouldn't let me or hubby spend a cent. Hubby and I were gifted with a free room, USMC merchandise from the post exchange (where only the high-end clothing, shoes, perfumes, cosmetics and purses are sold), designer perfumes, dinners, lunches, breakfasts, a day at the Hilton spa in downtown San Diego and massage (which was exquisite), the facial (which was exquisite) and some very pricey cosmetics at the Hilton Spa. The facial made me feel 10 years younger. My daughter-in-law is over 50 and has an amazingly beautiful, wrinkle-free face. I absolutely loved being pampered for a couple of hours. I'll remember the experience for a long time. I had to stop picking things up and admiring them or they'd pick it up and put it in the basket to purchase for us! I did spy a pair of Coach loafers and wouldn't let them see them so I could pay for them myself. They're darling, but I was getting too spoiled. It would be easy to get used to this life! :-) I even made our son raise the screens on his Mercedes to pretend we wouldn't be mobbed by any "celebrity seekers." LOL It was really a fun time. But truly, I miss my Idaho! I'm just a simple woman but I'm incredibly happy where I live now with my sweetheart.

I think the past 10 days we've cooked 2 meals at home. The rest we ate at restaurants the whole 10  days. What a treat to not have any of us tired out from cooking!! If I mentioned a restaurant, we went to that restaurant: Outback, Chilis, Olive Garden, Pacific Fish Co., whatever I wanted to eat, I got! The spa experience was as if we were being treated like royalty. Fantastic people being incredibly caring to us. We enjoyed the whole experience.  Both my kids are fantastic to us.

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I think this is an absolutely charming dining room. I especially love the chairs.

This one also.

Isn't this an amazing chandelier? I couldn't duplicate it if I wanted to.

Charming vignette in a garden.

A darling tiny screen house in a garden. Doesn't look too big but sure adds a lot of pizzazz to the yard.

This looks like a stone home in another country but I love the red roof with the light yellow front.

What a cute window treatment and chandelier for a vintage kitchen.

A beautiful tin tub of dried flowers, ribbon and tulle surrounding it.

Beautiful bedding and roses on top.

You know I'll always show you gorgeous bouquets of roses. Well, here are some.

I have some Christmas balls just like these.

One way to decorate an old galvanized bucket. This  homeowner outdid herself on this one!

An antique lace shop. I'll bet it would be fun shopping here.

And living in this old house is someone's dream I'm sure. ;-)

What a colorful living room. I'm not fond of orange but this is cute!

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The English Language

Okay, grammar check again. You know by now how OCD I am about the use of our language today by younger people—and some older people also. Just a tip for success to log into your brain if you can remember this. Lots of blogs or even news stories written by professionals today are saying this: "him/her and me"  like to hang out together. That's atrocious language and shows your ignorance. It's "he/she and I" like to hang out together, not him and me. And always put the pronouns he or she before I. Teach this to others as the word needs to get around. And don't let them tell you that's the way everybody talks! Ask them if they want to remain ignorant all their lives and have themselves defined by how incorrectly they speak. And why don't our teachers correct them in class? A small fraction of time being embarrassed with save them a lifetime of embarrassment and possibly success in their future endeavors.
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Why oh why do men, and now some women, turn their ball caps around and wear them backwards? The visor was invented to keep the sun out of your eyes and to tip your hat to ladies. Have you ever seen a league ball player wear it backwards? No, they know what a cap is for. My hubby always takes it off indoors at restaurants and even when going up to the church to do some catching up on the computer, not especially in stores.
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Things I've seen around the blogs lately:

Boo Hoo Whore embroidery? What the heck is that embroidered on a pillow?

Dream all you want, there are no unicorns or fairies. I'm a bit sick of seeing posts of people idolizing species that do NOT exist, especially when the fairies are pretty much naked. ;-)

Bloggers who talk about intimate, private things on their blogs. Keep it to yourself! It's disgusting and lurid to those of us who wince when we first see it. Private means not discussing it with others. Get it?
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A beautiful small cottage with the lush grounds we associate with cottages.

Purple is one of my favorite colors. It's a great accent for pink and I do have some in my living room.

Is that a fan in the garden? I've never thought of bringing a fan outside but it's a great idea.

An amusing little vignette.

Jewels on pillows? Oh, yes! Beautiful.

I adore this kitchen even though I'd want something a little newer.

My favorite color of blue for clothes.

Now we're talkin' when I saw this kitchen. Beautiful!

Pink oreos? Why not? Loving pink like I do, I'd buy them if they still tasted like chocolate. ;-)

Lovin' this red kitchen. Pink and red and yellow would be my dream kitchen.

Yeah, yeah, here's hoping our clematis will look like this someday.

Beautiful for seashore or beach decor.

Now we're talking beauty!! Love this pink in the kitchen.

Perfect weathered old bench in a park.

Never enough roses in a house in my opinion, even if on a cake. ;-)

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Tidbit:

When Orson Welles won the Best Screenplay Oscar for his classic Citizen Kane in 1941, it wasn't a popular choice. The audience booed.

Potential Oscar winners were told to keep acceptance speeches to 45 seconds after Greer Garson's 1942 speech clocked in at five minutes and 30 seconds.

In 1979 Oscar-wining actress Shirley MacLaine used the podium to cheer up her sibling Warren Beatty, who lost out for Heaven Can Wait. "I want to use this opportunity to say how proud I am of my little brother. Just imagine what you could accomplish if you tried celibacy?" He was not amused.
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Talking Mushrooms

Near the end of last year, our great granddaughter started talking about 
"talking mushrooms." She told her mummy and Santa Claus that she wanted mushrooms for Christmas. None of us—she absolutely stumped Santa—could figure out what she meant. My granddaughter asked the teachers at her daycare/pre-school if they had read a story or mentioned talking mushrooms at all to Caroline. They said, "No."

Then one day while they were eating breakfast out at a restaurant, a little boy heard her talking about talking mushrooms and said he loved them too, more than the current "hero" to that age group. So he grabbed Caroline's hand and off they went in the restaurant, their own little world.

So I went online and googled talking mushrooms and came up with a book and the old Mario-type movies of talking mushrooms. We asked her if this was what she was talking about but she said no. I bought the book to the tune of $25 and sent it to her and she loved it anyway, but in her 2 year-old mind she couldn't explain exactly what she meant.

Then one day at Michaels they had some candy called talking mushrooms so I bought that for her and she was fine—candy cures everything, ya know. But we've never been able to figure out what exactly talking mushrooms are. So if anyone out there knows, we'd be grateful for the information. We're still stymied.
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Isn't this exquisite? I don't think I'd like to clean it but it is beautiful.

See, flowers can make anything look gorgeous.

While it looks like it's crumbling, it still has a lot of character with its verdigris shutters.

Just beautiful plates.

Even grunge can look pretty if done correctly. ;-)

I like the red and white checks on this chair.

Those verdigris shutters again on a different house, but notice the gorgeous roses also.

I cant quite figure this out except that it's a kitchen somewhere but the banner looks like a medieval joust is about to take place.

I love this little vignette of pink and white striped candles, roses, pink ribbon and pink candy.

Such a pretty solitary place to sit, shaded with an arbor and clematis.

I believe this is a section of a store with all that stuff around but it is none-the-less gorgeous. I see some things I'd like for my home.

How cute are these red and white checked shoes!!

Regular old jars done up pretty for a party. Take a hint for your next party.

Just because I love roses...

I like what they've done with the lawn chairs but the setting is quite striking also.

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Tidbit:

The average person in the UK drinks as much tea as 23 Italians.
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A Taco Bell Incident

Not long ago, I noticed a dark spot on the carpet and told hubs I think he spilled some chocolate from his mini-drumstick. (Remember, I've banned the ones with nuts on them because they were forever falling off and I'd be stepping on them in my bare feet all the time. As much as I love the Drumsticks with chopped nuts on them, I love my feet more!) He said he didn't think he did it, but I hadn't had any chocolate so it had to be him. Anyway, he got the spot remover and I got it up and all was well. Then I asked him how he was always dropping stuff from the cone onto the carpet. His reply to me: Because nothing gets past your chest. He's so right! That's one of the problem larger-chested women have. So be happy if you have a small chest. We've discussed this before, have we not?!? Hmmm?!
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Then recently there was the Friday trip to Taco Bell. I love Taco Bell and don't think anyone can beat them for Mexican fast food. But this night was a disaster. I ordered a taco and a burrito with beans and rice on it and a small drink. I filled it with lemonade, took it to a table, put it down and it immediately spilled over 2 tables, floor and me. Sigh. Then I got some burrito on my shirt. I tell you, be glad you're small in the bust department. It was truly ugly that night. I even offered to mop up the lemonade for them, but being kind they refused. I was so embarrassed but that's my life sometimes.
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A quote I love:
All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on. This can apply to people and houses.
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If this photo doesn't make you happy, there's no hope for you. These colorful cottages are adorable. The foliage looks tropical but it looks like snow on the ground, but it must be sand.

What a way to decorate for a party. This is first-class, I tell ya.

Just some beautiful flowers. Almost seem tropical with their vibrant colors.

Yeah, yeah, I know, you want the bed but the pillows must come with it, right? In fact, I'd like a couple of those pillows but I have enough to start a store now.

Just love the patina of this door and the balcony.

Learn your geography while spending time in this bathroom. It's a wee bit busy for me, but very creative. Wonder if it's in England. Hmmmm, could be.

A rose covered old cottage.

This looks like a vintage photograph but I'm sure it isn't. The photographer did a very good job on this though.

While the yard and path are gorgeous, I threw this in for a friend of mine, who loves dogs.

A stunning room. I'd love my office to be this cute.

For you lovers of cups and red ware.

Look how this homeowner has made the dining room so cute with these old barrel chairs painted white and shabby-ed up a bit. Then the gorgeous display of roses on the table and the huge plant on the credenza with a huge mirror. This is a lovely room.

I haven't a clue what kind of tree this is but I love its purple flowers and the serene setting for a luncheon.

This is in no way my style, but I just love the little daybed. Very colorful room though.

You've probably noticed I have a "thing" for secluded spots for lunches. Even indoors at restaurants I prefer a secluded spot if available.

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Tidbit:

The Netherlands has built 800 miles of massive dikes and seawalls to hold back the sea.
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