....always a Halloween theme with my neighbors and friends from school. This one is classic. Back: left to right: Charlene Gregerson, Marsha Milne, Verlene Blake, Phyllis Squire, Sandra Arslanian behind me, Ruth Ann Larson behind Stefinee Esplin, Laurel Steed behind Robyn Arslanian, Lorna Miles. Front row: Linda Adams (cousin) Joyce, Thelora Wilcox and Linda Iverson. I hated that my mom made me wear risque outfits (anything sleeveless fit in that category). Mom always threw great birthday parties.
My parties now......
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This year, Randy and I were in San Diego in a beautiful room that overlooked the bay. We traveled to be with Ashley and Stephen on their wedding day on Nov. 1. We wanted to try an airbandb so we booked earlier but couldn't check in until the next day so we headed over to Vista California to which we thought was the Flying Mermaid airbandb..........
...winding through a very sketchy neighborhood in a very "run-down" part of town looking for said Flying Mermaid. We got to the address and found it, but it wasn't anything like we saw on their website....but we wanted to be good sports so we started to settle in. The room was a converted garage with 2 small windows, very nice and very clean but I don't like staying in the room all the time and this is how we found the grounds.....
....the bottom left pic is me sitting at the nice little chair where I would like to have enjoyed the sunset but greeting me was the Aquafina bottle filled not only with water but cigarette butts, oodles of them from the previous guest. Everything plantwise was dead and in the back was a nice sitting area also with green chairs they had been painted white and the paint was peeling from the many months of being exposed to the weather but I didn't want my pants to be exposed to the paint so I didn't sit.
The top picture is from the website and the bottom is reality. Not bad, and I'm usually not picky but just not quite up to my standards and not very welcoming to say the least. We went back inside where it really was nice but honestly, I would have stayed awake all night waiting for the robbers to come but I could handle that I guess.....but deep down, it just isn't right to present your place one way and then have it be another so we called the agency. She told us to call the host but I said I didn't want to for fear what he might come kill us so she called him and he called us right back and told us that it was the most highly rated place in all of southern California. Then I felt really bad and wondered if I was just being snooty but I really wasn't, honestly. Three nights in that place, I just couldn't do it. He asked us what we wanted and I suggested that before the next guests arrive that he remove the water bottle of cigs........then we asked for our money back. He said if we wouldn't give him a rating on line.....so we agreed and headed over to a nice hotel and spent three lovely days celebrating with family.
Kaila and Steve were there and we drove a short distance to the beach and walked out on the pier to Ruby's Diner and had a great time visiting with them.
I do love the ocean but it's only a "I'm here to look at it, hear it, smell it" kinda gal but I don't necessarily need to get in it so it was a good day. Then the big day. Never have I been to a more joyful wedding than Stephen and Ashley.....oh, my - they were so happy and the event was a total blast from just hanging around and meeting family, even Ashley's birth mom and family to watching them walk down the isle, btw, we were all crying. It was just such a wonderful event that I'm glad I got to be a part of.
The food was delish, the dancing was fun and sending them off with a barrage of bubbles........well..
what more can I say.
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Can't remember which day but we did take in the Mormon Battalion Historic Site...really fun and Randy did such a good job as a soldier......
Randy had never been in San Diego so I HAD to take him to Seaport Village where my family has made a lot of fun memories through the years.
We did what we came to do and had a great time so we headed out a day earlier than planned (I always love to get home) and enjoyed Randy's birthday on Sunday. Yes, he did get his cake and he did eat it too. We are both on the tail end of our 60's.....we live life large here in Pine Valley and find joy in each day.
We arranged for the newleyweds to have this cute honeymoon cabin here in Pine Valley and have enjoyed visiting with them each day. We sure love these two.
May their new life be blessed with joy each day too. This truly is a match made in Heaven.
That's it for now. Just a reminder to y'all.....be sure to CHOOSE JOY..
Off to Austin for some girlfriend time.....safe travels to all of us.
