CELEBRATIONS ARE AS INDIVIDUAL AS THE PARTICIPANTS

Some people just can’t allow a birthday to pass without getting in their licks. That would be my neighbor, Jan Stewart. She’s always been a rabble rouser. What is a person to do when you’d prefer to let 70 pass quietly under the radar? Or even better, turn it back to 69 for awhile longer.
It was just a simple- “come on over for dinner” invitation among neighbors. My birthday was days ago. 

And my neighbor and house-sitter, Karen, is just as bad. She brought me a bouquet of roses and baked me my favorite dessert, home made apple pie.

At Jan’s, the table was set for she and Jerry, Jim and I and Karen with one space for Karen’s blind date.

A talking head.

With mic in hand, Jim spoke through the head and gave it some salacious dialogue. Talking heads at Jan’s? Nothing surprising there,  so, I still think this is just a crazy-like-Jan dinner.

Then they haul out the birthday stuff, cards and presents like Cheap Slut hand soap, body finger paint that glows in the dark, (which we immediately had to test. It glows.) Some questionable candy and other stuff came out of the package they presented to me. Plus a delightful cake. There is no slipping under the radar with Jan in the neighborhood.

Now I get to spill the beans. Jan is a Wiccan and that is NOT mistletoe she and Jerry are testing. Its oregano, and I have no idea what that means. But I do know, we always have fun at Jan’s

SOOTHING FALL

California transitions into fall. The days are shorter, darker. Then, thud. You get a cold day, an even colder night, and suddenly its time to put on the wool blanket, close the windows, and make soup. It doesn’t test your courage to turn on the oven. Yesterday, my neighbor and I baked an apple pie with the skins on. Grated in the food processor, you’d never know you didn’t have to peel. for me from my own apples.
This morning I started the applesauce. We had applesauce for breakfast and more to tuck in the freezer. No sugar needed with these galas.

Some trees are just beginning to show color, a tinge of orange and yellow.Its soothing to me when the weather changes and signals a new season, even if it signals rain and cold to come. I’m tired of the heat and welcome the chance to tuck in, read more, do less yard work and more slow cooking, applesauce and beans and stews. And, home made pie from the oven.