Third time is a Charm – No Kings #3

Two days ago, and just 1.2 miles from our house, thousands convened to express our opposition. Some like me have been protesting since last April, but for many, this was their first protest. All ages attended, from babies in strollers to seniors in wheelchairs. Democrats, Republicans and Independents were welcomed with open hearts.

There were signs, music and a strong sense of comradery. Eight million people around the world in 6 continents spoke with one voice. We the people stood together to proclaim the United States of America is a Democracy, not a Monarchy. 

 

When Life Gives You Tangerines Part Two

"Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently." Henry Ford

After much thought and careful consideration, I decided to begin my Tangerine Dream by making glazed tangerine muffins. Sounded yummy and with an easy recipe I figured I'd have them in and out of the oven in no time flat. No pun intended. 

The first step was to cut the tangerines into small pieces (skin included) and blend until liquified. This is where the easy peasy did a U-turn. The reason I had a problem was because these tangerines were very tiny and overflowing with very tiny seeds. So, when I removed the seeds there was little left of the tangerine segments. Obstacle, yes. But I was determined to not let this minor (or so I thought) inconvenience ruin the inaugural Tangerine Dream event.  

After about a half-hour of prep, and since there were no raw eggs in the mix, I tasted the batter. Sadly, all I could taste was the sugar, so I added more tangerines. Cut and blend. Cut and blend.

Shall we cut to the chase? In the end, I was left with a sink full of dirty dishes and a dozen rather awful tasting muffins.

Moral of the story...dreams can become nightmares or use larger tangerines.

 When Life Gives You Tangerines...

Tangerine Jam. Tangerine Marmalade. Tangerine Tarte. Tangerine Cheesecake. Tangerine Sorbet. Tangerine Cake. Tangerine Pudding. Tangerine Jello. Tangerine Cupcakes. Tangerine Muffins. Tangerine Upside Down Cake. Tangerine Pound Cake. Chocolate Dipped Tangerine Slices. Tangerine Mousse. Tangerine Cookies.

???????

 

Purple - The Royal Color

Back in January, I went through angst over the red glasses I eventually purchased. But it was a good decision, because I wear them every day and simply love them. So, when my new insurance entitled me to a pair of glasses as long as I capped the cost at $250, off I went to the America's Best Eyeglasses for a new pair of distance glasses.

My first frame color choice was green, second was blue, and last but not least was purple. I searched and the two gals working there searched, but we couldn’t find anything that fit the bill. And then I spotted them. A bright purple pair in my price range. They were perfect, except for one teeny tiny thing. They were not women’s frames, but youth frames.

Could I get away with it even though I was 79 and not 9? In my defense I am young at heart. So, in the end, I figured these are the perfect pair for me. Just call me Queen EllenBee.

UPDATE - I hate to admit it, but the frames were so small that I couldn't wear them more than a few minutes before they screamed, "Take me Off or I will pinch your head!" They won the fight and I sadly exchanged them for adult women's glasses. 😞😢I have been dethroned. But the good news is they are BLUE! Hey, second place ain't too bad.

 

 

AMAZON REVIEW #3

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Resist Bear Only You Can Prevent Protest Men Women T-Shirt

★★★★★

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I protest once a week and have a lot of protest t shirts. Was looking for a new shirt to celebrate the 3rd No Kings Protest. By far, this is now my favorite shirt. It's so soft and just the right amount of weight to wear alone or with a sweatshirt. Bought two so my husband and I can protest together. 

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Smokey the Bear may be Old - 80 - but he's Still Fighting (Wars, Inequity, Ice etc.) 

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AMAZON REVIEW #2

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Longing

★  

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I longed for this film to end…quickly.

Seriously folks, this is one of the worst films I have ever seen. I don’t know who gets the credit. The Writer? Director? Actors? Or all three?

*SPOILER ALERT* If you sadly lost your beautiful daughter to suicide, and met a man whose son died committing a crime, would you hold a pretend wedding so that they (who had never met when they were alive) could spend their afterlife together in holy matrimony? If you said yes, then this is the film for you.

One of the worst things about this movie that really disturbed me was that the so-called wonderful son, drugged an old sick lady so he could have sex with her 13-year-old granddaughter.

And please don’t get me started on Richard Gere’s character. An emotionally closed off man goes to a high school class and obviously mistakenly thinks he is visiting a therapist, so confesses that his father beat him every day of his life until he was seventeen. Can imagine a conversation between a parent and one of these students. Parent, “So, how was your day? Did you learn anything?” Son/ daughter, “Yep. In French class I learned that the father of a former student was beat up by his father.”

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This is no Pretty Woman comedy. This is an Ugly Man tragedy.

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AMAZON REVIEW #1

How was this item?

LISYIZ Women's Ankle Combat Boots Lace Up Booties with Side Zipper Low Heel Fashion Combat Booties for Fall 

★★★★★

Now that the weather is changing, (brr) my converse sneakers just weren't making it. My old Doc Martin's had died a slow painful death, so it was time for a new pair of boots. EEK! The cost of new Doc Martin's would be $150+ so I was on the hunt for a pair of very reasonable priced boots. Found them! These boots are made well and more importantly, budget friendly. Easy to get on and off with the zipper and so comfortable that I can wear them all day. 

FYI although they advertise them as combat boots, I did not wear them into battle. Unless that is, you consider Trader Joe's and the mall a war zone. On second thought, maybe I did go into battle. Am happy to report I emerged victoriously and best of all, no blood was shed. 

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These Boots Are Made For Walking!

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I wanted to know ow much exercise a woman my age, 79, needed to do to stay fit and healthy. So, of course I asked the internet AKA AI. “Older adults need 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity each week. Or they could get an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity.”

Suggestions include:

1. Mow the lawn or rake the leaves. And fire our wonderful gardener? No way. We love Raoul.

2. Learn a new dance. I am learning to tap dance, so this is a big time YES.

3. Walk to the store. I did say that when the new Dollar Tree opened, I was going to walk there and back. It’s only a 3-mile trek and very doable, so that will happen! Eventually. One day. Soon.

4. Hike a trail. Wednesdays, weather permitted.

5. Do active forms of yoga (such as Vinyasa or power yoga). Never a yoga gal, much prefer Pilates.

6. Ride a bike inside or outside. Don’t like the bike solely because the seat is always uncomfortable. Ouch.

7. Join a water aerobics class. Unless I’m wearing a cap, the water makes my hair frizz.

Guess I’m sticking with my Treadmill and rower.

 

You Don't Stop Working Out When You Get Old.

During Covid I said good-bye to the gym and hello to transforming my craft studio affectionally called– The Beehive - into a backyard gym.

I replaced my large craft table with a treadmill, and my many storage containers stuffed with crafting misc. for a rowing machine. Then I filled the 10’x12’ room with things I love. My Frida Kahlo shrine, my RBG collection and a half dozen photos of my daughter Cassandra. Alexa took up residence in The Beehive for non-stop music and with 4 windows and a glass panel door, I never feel claustrophobic.

IMO the 5 best things about having a home gym are –

1. Wearing old, tattered gym clothes. Nobody sees, nobody cares.

2. Singing out-loud with Alexa. Current favorite duet is with Frank Sinatra – NY, NY.

3. Not having to store my purse in a locker. 

4. Not having to tell the front desk that I forgot my locker code. Again.  

5. Not having to see mature ladies exercising like they are teenagers, wearing make-up and Lululemon gym clothes.

 You Get Old When You Stop Working Out.

 

Monday, Monday 

So good to me

I try and workout 5 times a week. One hour on the Treadmill while watching a movie, and then 15 minutes on the Rower listening to music.

Last Month, when we had that horrendous rainstorm, I asked Alexa to play songs about rain. My favorite has to be “Singing in the Rain” by Gene Kelley. Although, I also love Umbrella by Rhianna and of course “Set Fire to the Rain” by Adele. And wait, what about Barbra Streisand and "Don't Rain on My Parade" and then I can't forget "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" by B.J. Thomas.  Okay, so maybe I don't have just one favorite.

Meanwhile, back to the story. The 15 minutes flew by, and in what must have been a delusional moment, I decided to make every Monday on the rower a themed music workout. Great idea, yeah?

Just checked the calendar. Uh oh, there’s a problem here. It seems there are 44 Mondays left in 2026. Change of plans. Perhaps one Monday every month? That's only 9 themes. Yes, very doable.

April's theme is going to be New York, featuring music by Sting "Englishman in New York", Frank Sinatra, "New York, New York", and Bruce Springsteen, "New York State of Mind".

May is Peace, June is California, June is...

 Book Reviews

I used to be a various reader. Now I find that when I read, I either get tired or my eyes burn. It’s official, old age and dry eyes have arrived.

Book #1 – 107 Days

I love Kamala and was a volunteer for her first and second Presidential campaign. I was deeply shattered when she lost, but I still proudly wear her Kamala for President t-shirt.

Having said that, I was a bit disappointed with her book. It read like excerpts from a day planner. I wish she had added more personal tidbits.

Book #2 – Raising Hare

I found this non-fiction book an easy read. It’s a story about a woman in England who finds a lost baby Hare. She never gave the Hare a name, because her goal was for the Hare to live in the wild and not end up as a pet. Her connection with the Hare opened her heart to the wonders of nature – a wonderful lesson for all of us.

Book #3 - The Other Bennet Sister

I recently read about an upcoming BBC series called The Other Benett Sister. Since I couldn’t see the series unless I was transported to England, (Dr. No, you out there??) I immediately purchased the book on Kindle.

Since I love all things Pride and Prejudice, I expected to also love this book. And, for the first 100 pages or so I couldn’t put my kindle down. And then things changed. It became more a romance novel than a Jane Austen novel. Unfortunately, I am not a fan of Lifetime movies or romance novels.

Onto Book #4

 

To return or not to return, that is the question:

I’m definitely out of the loop. Until recently I had never heard of the Shopping Cart theory. Developed in 2020, the author of this theory claims the humble shopping cart is a way to judge one’s moral character. Who knew?

I’m not saying I’m better than other people, but even if I have frozen food in the car, and it's 100+ outside, I take the time to return the cart. Where I shop, I rarely see a lonely cart. So, do people who shop at TJ’s and Sprouts have better morals? 

IMHO I'd wager that folks who regularly don’t return carts feel entitled. They figure someone gets paid to return the carts from the parking lot to the store, so why should they have to do that person’s job. Maybe so, but they are missing something important. That good feeling one gets when they return the cart. It's like finding something a stranger dropped - like a wallet or a phone - and handing it the store manager. You don't get a thank you, but you know you have done the right thing.

Okay, I get it. It is moral character. 

 

Ding Dong Ditch

This past Friday at around 9:00PM, Tony and I were snuggled in bed watching The Forsythe Saga on Netflix. Since all the lights in the house were out, a passerby would probably think we were asleep.

All of the sudden, we heard loud banging at our front door. Really hard and furious, which scared the bejesus out of me. Tony ran to the door, opened it and saw 4 young people running down the street. I grabbed the phone thinking I might need to call 911, but they didn’t return.

We had no idea what was going on, so I had no choice but to ask AI. It seems we had been the subject of Knock, Knock, Ginger, Ding Dong Ditch. Historians believe this prank started in England in the 1800's. As it spread across the globe, it birthed additional names such as Runaway Knock, Runaway Ring Doorbell Ditch and Doorbell Dixie.

I have absolutely no idea how it got to Canoga Park, but it's here to stay like a nasty bug. I'm thinking about putting a sign on our door. Do Not Knock Unless You Are From Publishers Clearing House. Think it might work?