My day 83 ride with Tilda-Hilda was yesterday. It was my birthday ride, from our house to my favorite coffee shop just over 13 miles away. Whoo-hoo! Starting off! We've done longer rides, but this is the first time I've ever pedaled Tilda-Hilda to San Juan Bautista, which I've been wanting to do for three years. I was hoping to accomplish my goal this past August, but my knees got all whiny and worrisome. For about four months, we mostly pedaled around our neighborhood and it wasn't until the end of November that I ventured out and about. Although I only worked up to a few miles per trip, I decided last week to simply do this ride on my birthday, if the weather is good (no rain nor thick fog) and my knees are in good order. Looking back from whence we came: The highway we crossed at the end of the field. I admit I was a bit scared leading to yesterday, although I have often driven the path I would be taking. I would be crossing a highway, which worried

I'm writing this yesterday. Not caring about proper grammar. Because today is my birthday. Giggle.  This old lady is a young 6-2. Ha! If the weather and my body cooperated,  and I didn't chicken out, Tilda-Hilda and I have begun my new adventure around the sun by pedaling our way over to San Juan Bautista for breakfast. The Husband shall have driven over and met us there. And, together we shall have figured how to tie Tilda-Hilda into the trunk for our trip back home. Knock on wood . Until later, dear friends.

After a rain, a temporary shallow puddle develops on our patio. I like to call it our cement pond. The cool thing about this cement pond is the reflection I can see in it.  That's what I saw this morning.

I love the way the leaves cover our front yard this year. This may be the first year the yellow-and-red blanket is is thick.  The photos show how it looked today.  The Husband raked the leaves the day before yesterday.  While the Husband raked, I put up a few Christmas decorations around the yard to cheer up the Mama as she looked out the window as she ate her breakfast.  This time I did more than add red bows to the tree. See the green bough on the fence? That's new, thanks to the Godmother. She was downsizing her Christmas stuff, so she gave me the bough and a bunch of cool ornaments. The Autumn leaves and the holiday decorations in the front yard are a few of the things that perked me up this week. How about you? I'm linking up with the lovely Jenny Matlock's Warm Heart Wednesday . Click here to join the meme and/or read more warming posts.

While I was at the dentist this morning, the tech guy came to fix our Internet connection. I didn't realize he would need to go in our office. Otherwise, I would've stuffed the dirty laundry further into its basket, which is in the hallway outside the office and picked up my bra off the office chair. Or, if I was home, I would've run up the stairs before him and quickly put the unsightly out of sight. The Husband said he apologized for the mess. "That's OK," the tech guy said. "Is it that time of year?" "No," the Husband said. "That's who we are." The Husband was nice. It's really who I am. We both wondered what the tech guy meant by 'the time of year'. Will I be better about the clutter, piles, and things tossed around the office, the hallway, the stairs, and our other spaces? I doubt it.  I'm going outside to rake some leaves.

We're without Internet access at home today. With good fortune, the company will find the problem tomorrow. Until then, I shall go roaming town for free Wi-Fi. In the process, I'll learn how to use this iPAD.  And until Internet returns at home, I'll post old drawings. Here's five-year-old Su-sieee! Mac jumping a ditch.

This afternoon I bought a very large burlap sack at our favorite cafe for $5.41. (What a deal!) It once held coffee beans from India. Now, what shall I do with it? Use it as a canvas? Sew tote bags? Make a skirt? Cover a box? What? What would you create with this beautiful, very large burlap sack?

"This is scary," said the Husband, as he cut above a chunk of rubber-banded hair. "Oh-oh." "Hearing you say 'Oh-oh' is scary," I said, keeping my head still. He had two more chunks of hair to cut off. "I wish you'd go to a professional." "Why should I, when I have you—Monsieur Dicky." This morning I woke up with a decision. Several, actually, but those can keep for other posts. Maybe. This decision was to have the Husband cut my hair. He cut my hair earlier this year, and it turned out nicely. Unless people were simply being nice about my haircut. Doesn't matter. I haven't taken a good look at the result yet. He says that the left side is shorter than the right. I told him we have a new style. It's a hairstyle in progress. I cut myself bangs, but I may have cut them too short to be bangs. We'll know once I wash my hair. Yup, you heard right. I didn't wash my hair before having the Husban

A cute huge puppy lives next door. Whenever his humans go to work, they put him in his kennel outside. That is near our kitchen window. Bark, Bark! Hooooooowwwwwwl! All day. The puppy has gotten better about barking and howling less. And, as long as I'm on the other side of our house, I can tolerate his whines and demands to be brought back inside the house. But, there are times when my patience wears thin. The Mama told me to be nice and not tell them about the barking and howling.  What about them being nice, I said. His humans are nice people. A young couple. The Husband and I talked with them a couple of weeks ago. It turned out they are aware of the puppy's barking and howling. We were the third neighbor to inform them. The puppy's humans are doing their best to resolve the problem.  At least, I hope so. I do feel sorry for the puppy being out in the elements during the day. Still. Bark, Bark! Hooooooowwwwwwl!

We've had frosty mornings for the past two weeks now. I'm pretty much used to it now. Yesterday, I noticed a rose bud waving as I was raking leaves in the backyard. Then I noticed several more here and there around the yard. They are the Mama's blooms. Today, I'm linking up with Warm Heart Wednesday, a new meme hosted by the lovely Jenny Matlock. Click here to read joyful posts.

"I'd like to be under the sea in an octopus's garden in the shade.  . ." That Beatles' song was looping in my head as Tilda-Hilda and I pedaled up and down hills this morning. Over 8.5 miles in 53 minutes! Perfect song for the ride. Today, I'm hooking up with two cool memes. Click on the links to check out other bloggers. One meme is Our World Tuesday . The other is Creative Every Day . See you tomorrow with Jane Austen, Action Doll.

Did you see the Google doodle today?  It honors L.M. Montgomery, the author of the Anne of Green Gable series and many other books. Today is Ms. Montgomery's birthday. She would've been 141 years young. A baby compared to Methuselah. Anne of Green Gables was one of the books that Mrs. Patterson, my fifth grade teacher, read to us after lunch to settle us down. It instantly became one of my favorite stories. I didn't want to be Anne, but I did want to be like her: imaginative, creative, kindhearted, mischievous, spunky, intelligent, open, and spiritual. I  learned to appreciate nature through Anne's adventures, as well as to recognize when I had met a kindred spirit. I don't know much about L.M. Montgomery. Only today did I learn that L.M. stands for Lucy Maud. A nice solid friendly name. Reading this brief biography , I learned how Ms. Montgomery's life somewhat parallels Anne's life. Going to Prince Edward Island is still one of the places I want

"It's 9:01!" "It is!" exclaimed the Husband, throwing the bed covers off him. As if it mattered that we got up late. We didn't have to get anywhere or have anything done by 9:00 a.m. today.  Although getting up later meant no early bike ride with Tilda-Hilda. Maybe we'll go for a spin around the neighborhood after I rake leaves in the backyard and prune some vines and such in the front yard. I wondered why our alarm clock didn't wake us up. I opened the blinds in the living room. Molly the Cat looked up from the couch. Ha! The Mama? I peeked into her bedroom. She was sleeping soundly. Yes, a perfect Sunday morning. Now a perfect Sunday afternoon. I still haven't gone outside. Those colored pencils distracted me.

Tilda-Hilda and I pedaled just over seven miles in 42 minutes this morning. Hurrah!

"Are my teeth over there?" asked the Mama, as she slowly shuffled towards the kitchen. Hence, began an all-day search for the Mama's dentures. We went through her clothes pockets, looked behind and under things, moved things from here to there in her bedroom and bathroom, the kitchen, the hallway, and the living room. Several times. The fortunate thing was that the Mama had not gone outside into her garden that morning. The plus side to the Mama misplacing her dentures was that she found her cute, green hand towels and she reorganized her bathroom. I also think she was mentally stimulated by the challenge. I thought I could see her brain cells tightening as she recalled more of her path between the kitchen and her bedroom. So, where did the Mama finally find her dentures? Precisely where she put them. In her vest pocket, which was on her bedroom closet floor. The one piece of clothing she normally wears that we had not thought to look through. Oh well. I&

Brrrr.  The frost was heavy on the roof tops and fields this morning. Maybe if I hadn't eaten that second helping yesterday, I wouldn't have insisted on going.  Hilda-Tilda and I pedaled 6.5 miles in 42 minutes.

Tilda-Hilda and I pedaled nearly six miles in 41 minutes this morning. We managed to get up a couple of hills that we hadn't done in a few months. I am very thankful that we still have the power. To break up the difficulty of the first hill, we popped by to say hello to the Daddy. Tilda-Hilda requested a photo with him. I think the Daddy would've been happily surprised that Tilda-Hilda is bright pink. Best wishes and Happy Giving of Thanks Day to you all, Dear Readers!

Tilda-Hilda and I went out for an early ride this morning, just over four miles. We went downtown so I could take photos for my other blog, Take 25 to Hollister . We did a lot of stopping, so I figure I got a bit more exercise in from getting on and off Tilda-Hilda and walking her along the sidewalk. It was a nice brisk morning to be out there. We even got to ride through a few rain puddles. Yay!

I pulled out the high school yearbook of my senior year the other evening and came across this note I wrote to myself in the book.  I must've written it days or weeks after I graduated. Warning: The grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation  may make you cringe. I'll just have to write small, for the last two hours I've gone through 4 years of yearbooks and from what I've wrote in the 1st year I am still with the same problems namely weight, vocation, myself, and etc. but I think I have changed. In fact I know I have. Especially in my grades. I resolve 'TO" keep a "B" average at least next year." Right! I resolve "To MEET the hero so I can either be disappointed or happily insane." I resolve "to shock people next year." Yearbooks are wonderful. Together you have pictures of the people you like and dislike. Ah, may life go on and good luck till you die. . . . I signed it simply "I".  Let's see. I accom

Yesterday, Georgy, of Jubilee Street and Remember Freedom , wrote a post on her former blog that sparked a memory bubble. (Thanks, Georgy. ) That's watching "Bonanza" with the Daddy on Sunday evenings. It came on after "The Wonderful World of Disney." I can't recall if the Daddy watched that with me. If he did, that was nice of him to let me watch it. We watched TV nearly every evening together in our favorite spots. The Daddy sat on his recliner while I laid on the floor with my legs on the couch.  I had a good excuse for being near the TV. I was the Daddy's channel changer and fixer of the horizontal line on the TV screen. P.S. I'm linking up with Art Every Day Month Day at Creative Every Day. P.P.S. Monica, hostess of the NatureFootstep Digital Art Meme , invited me to link up. So, I shall.  Thanks, Monica.

A warning for delicate ears: Bodily toots are being mentioned on today's post. (giggle) Yesterday, I wrote   how I forgot the topic about which I wanted to write. Well, it came to mind last night when I saw a cartoon that a friend posted on Facebook. Thanks, Thomas. So, here's what I couldn't remember yesterday. (giggle) I'm one of those people whose body systems get all relaxed when she wanders around a bookstore. The moment I enter the door, total zen. Unfortunately for those around me, I'm one of those book browsers who not only gives the occasional loud ah! when she sees an interesting book cover, but also an occasional silent toot, leaving a lingering aroma. I try not to, but, hey better out than in. Sorry for the TMI, but it's to set you up for this next paragraph. (snort) The future-Husband and my first adventure included a visit to a used bookstore in his neighborhood. I have no idea if the shop still exists. I hope it's still there. It&

Just before we turned off the lights last night, the Husband and I were talking about something that reminded of something else that I thought would be fun to write about today. I always like when that happens. This morning, I woke up thinking about what I wanted to write. But, I couldn't recall. The Husband couldn't remember either. I figure the thought would pop up by lunchtime. It didn't happen. Nor, did the thought reveal itself after lunch. Still, I wrote about something. Ha! See you tomorrow.

This evening I will step out of my comfort zone when the Husband and I pull up to the local country club for dinner. I would think that by now I wouldn't be silly about such things. After all, we've been there for breakfast, a drink at the bar, and a special event. But, dinner. This will be a first. I definitely want to go to dinner, as it's the club's prime rib buffet with several yummy choices of dessert. I've been craving prime rib for a long time. Plus, one of our favorite bands will be playing. I'm interested to hear what they'll play for dinner music. Some Frank Sinatra? Lawrence Welk? The Husband said go look at the band's website for a sample of songs they might play. Wowza! How am I going to eat my dinner if I'm bopping in my seat along to "Mack the Knife," "Girl from Ipanema," or "Lonely Bull." There, I feel a little bit better.  I think I'll wear my yellow or sparkly purple Converse shoes in case

Warm Hearted Wednesday is a weekly meme that reminds us to think of the joys that happen in our lives, which range from buying a new colored pencil (yes!) to celebrating an anniversary (whooo-hooo!). The meme is hosted by the delightful Jenny Matlock who started it this week. Want to join in or learn more? Please click here . My positive thing this past week is our lawn. I live in California. For those who don't know, we're in our fourth year of a severe drought. This year, we really let the lawn go. Now and then the Husband hand watered it for about 10 minutes to appease the Mama, who loves her green lawn. But, she had to choose this year:  Either water the lawn or water her flower and vegetable gardens. For the past three or four weeks, we've had one day of steady rain each week. Hurrah! There was enough rain to bring much of the lawn back on its own.  It's nice to see the lawn happy again, for awhile. To read more Warm Hearted Wednesday posts, click here .

Our original avocado tree has about 30 fruits. The Mama and I counted them a few weeks ago. I learned that avocados start to ripen once they're picked, and the best place to store avocados are on their trees. Up until a point. And, that's when they look like they're about to shrivel, which means they'll soon fall. Those we won't want to eat. I'm sure the Mama would still say, "Nothing wrong with them." Anyway, I don't want the avocados to get to that point. Maybe after Thanksgiving, we can pick an avocado and see if it'll ripen in two weeks. Yummmm. Knock on wood.

Today is a sunny day, but quite chilly because of the wind factor. According to the thermometer, it's about 52 degrees in the sun. Molly the Cat came inside about 20 minutes ago. How about the Mama? The Mama says it's colder inside, even with the heater on. She'd come in if the garden happened to be inside.  Maybe.

Is it coincidence that there are dates in both the Husband's and my family that are common? Or, is it synchronicity? I prefer thinking it's the latter. I also prefer not figuring out how it's so. That said, November 15, for example,  is special for both the Husband and me. November 15 is the Husband's Dad's birthday. Jim would've been 97 years old today. Happy Birthday, Jim! November 15 is the Mama's and the Daddy's wedding anniversary. They would've celebrated 68 years together. Happy Anniversary to the Mama and the Daddy!

See Molly the Cat. See her sleep. She sleeps on what once was the Mama's favorite chair to sit when she read the newspaper or her novels and biographies. The once-upon-a-time favorite chair of the Mama's is now one of Molly's favorite places to nap. I don't think the Mama cares that Molly has taken over her chair. There's no more daily paper to read. We stopped it because it cost over $80 a month for mostly advertisements and selected pieces of old news. We still get the weekly local paper, which the Mama reads on the sofa between watcher her favorite games on television. Maybe the Mama will reclaim her chair from Molly if she decides to read her books when the weather gets too cold and wet to go outside. We shall see. 

Today ends the round of Alphabe Thursday hosted by the wonderful Mrs. Jenny Matlock. It's also the final round of the meme.  Jenny has decided to retire it due to her health, which I hope the doctors can resolve very soon. Thank you, Jenny, for being you. My theme this round has been the Places I've Been . Hence, for the letter Z, I give you some of the places that almost always put me in my Happy Zone. In the Water ~ Photo taken by the Husband. In Hawaii ~ Photo taken by the Husband. In the Mama's Garden At a Library (or Bookstore) Wherever the Husband and I Dance ~ Photo taken by Lisa Q. Any W here Tilda-Hilda and I Ride Around the House with Molly the Cat Any Place with the Mama And, Most of All, Everywhere with the Husband ~Photo taken by a friendly woman amused at our antics.   There you go, my letter Z for Alphabe Thursday . To join in or to read other Z posts,

It's not my birthday. It feels like it though.   Today, the Husband and I drove over to Freedom to buy food for Molly the Cat. Our task was done quicker than we estimated, so we headed down the road to Watsonville to visit the art store and bookshop before lunch. I'd only planned to buy a couple of new colored pencils at Wild Rose's Artists' Supplies and Custom Framing , but you know how it goes. I checked out the shop's art paper. Marbled paper. Oooooh. Wavy, corrugated paper. Gotta have that. Small rectangle-shaped suede paper. 25 cents, sold! My plan is to make masks. Yup. At Crossroads Books , I bought a mystery called Shaking in Her Flip-Flops . Can't go wrong with a title like that.  Another neat thing about the book is that it's written by Joyce Oroz, an author who lives in nearby Aromas . The Husband and I also decided to purchase a copy of The 2016 Farmer's Almanac . That's always fun reading. To top off getting all this coo

"You want to go outside?" Molly the Cat was sniffing at the front door, as I came down the stairs. I opened the door and out she tumbled into the morning. The ground was wet from yesterday's rain, but she managed to find her way through the maze of flowers to the sidewalk and her favorite patch of grass. The lawn, by the way, is starting to look like a lawn again. Thank you, rain! Molly had no interest in walking beyond the flowers. She would've seen the rainbow, if she had. "Stop with the camera," said Molly, turning back to the house. "It's time for food."

This morning I took Tilda-Hilda out on a spin because I wanted to get some early morning photos that I might use for my other blog, Take 25 to Hollister . I caught a scene that I liked, which is here . Tilda-Hilda and I pedaled through some of Hollister's original residential neighborhood and then out towards new development. All in all, we traveled about five miles.  It felt wonderful being out in the crispy Autumn morning. By the way, Tilda-Hilda is posing in front of the high school where I went. San Benito High School. Haybalers, aka Balers, are us!

Lately, I've been using a facial cream made up of tallow from grass-fed cows and organic extra-virgin olive oil. Every time I rub the stuff into my face, I think of fried steak. Yummmm. That's the smell of the cream. And, that's what my face smells like. The Husband has no sense of smell. Poor guy. He doesn't get to smell how deliciously like fried steak I am. Why am I using this yummy eau de fried steak ? I have a horrible case of facial eczema and experts say that tallow fat mimics human skin, has minerals that help heal and protect the skin, and has natural cleansing and anti-inflammatory properties. It's too early to say if eau de fried steak is working. No. I haven't been eating a lot of fried steak lately. But, I do think about it each time I apply eau de fried steak on my face. P.S. Tilda-Hilda and I did a quick pedal around the neighborhood this morning. I totally got myself out of breath. Maybe, I'll talk myself—and the Husband—into