A Lot Has Happened in the Last Five Years!

My last posting, in 2014, had me preparing for our trip to Italy and London! It was a great trip; we had a lot of fun! We both enjoyed Italy. We especially love Venice! It would be wonderful if we got to go to Venice again and maybe spend a whole month there! There is a lot to explore. I would like to go to the island of Burano and the other little isles. We have been to Murano, the glass island, twice.  We stayed with some friends in London for a few days after the Italy trip. It is always fun to go to London, one of my favorite cities, and to visit with our good friends.  Since the trip to Italy and London, we have taken two cruises.  Both on Princess Cruises. In 2016 we took the California Coastal Cruise and in 2018 we took the Hawaiian Cruise. Our cruising friends, Buzz and Diane, were on both cruises with us! The Coastal Cruise was great, we sailed up the coast to San Francisco and under the Golden Gate Bridge into the bay. On the way back down we stopped in Santa Barbara, San Diego and Ensenada, then back to San Pedro. The 2018 Hawaiian Cruise was our first 15 day cruise. It is a four day sailing to Hilo. I had been concerned that with four sea days in a row, the most we've ever had on a cruise, that we might not have enough to do. I need not have worried! There were activities galore! Lei making, hula lessons, nature talks and ukulele lessons! Yes! Ukulele lessons! Corey had a ukulele from his youth, so I got it fixed up and we took it. The ship had one that I could borrow. Corey decided that his fingers were too wide and the frets were too narrow, so he decided not to continue. I turned in my borrowed uke and used his for the rest of the trip. On the way back we participated in a show for the whole ship which included the hula dancers as well! It was a lot of fun and I have continued my ukulele playing since then. I have been playing in a group at OLLI and am considering taking private lessons this year.

Our next big cruising adventure is a Panama Canal crossing cruise in the spring. We will leave from Ft. Lauderdale and end up in San Pedro.

Another of the big things that has happened since my last writing in 2014 is that I was laid off my job. I was 61, a tad too early to take my Social Security, but I did not feel like starting over. I have started over many times and decided no more. So I consider myself retired, although technically I am unemployed. I have enjoyed being retired! My time is my own, and I don't have any schedules to follow. When I was working I would get up at 3:30 a.m., but now I can sleep in! Until 6 a.m.! I am a morning person, so sleeping in until 6 makes me feel kinda like a bum!

I go to Disneyland every Wednesday! I have met several other people that also go on a regular basis! Some even go every day! It has been great having Disneyland friends! And when other friends come down to Disneyland, I am able to meet up with them for awhile!

I have also started attending Old People's College! It is really called OLLI, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at CSULB. I have even started teaching a digital scrapbooking class. It has been fun!

Long Time No See!

Hello! Well, here I go again! LOL
We are getting ready to go on a Perillo Tour of Italy! I was curious as to what type of Business Class  Amenity Kits we would get on Delta. So I did some searching and found blogs that review the different kits offered by the airlines! Very interesting, there are blogs for everything! I also found out that I could buy some on eBay! LOL so, I went a tad bit crazy! I bought a Delta kit, a Lufthansa summer edition kit, and a United special kit that comes in a large tin with a picture of a LAX on it.

Let's do a bit of a review, All three kits are about the same size, 7 1/2". They all 3 have eye masks and soft socks. All three pairs of socks feel about the same quality. The eye mask for Lufthansa is in a little cellophane wrapper, the other two are not wrapped up in anything. It also has a soft satiny feel to it. The United eye mask is cottony on the outside and the part that touches your eyes has a soft cottony felt like touch to it. It is soft. The Delta bag is made by Tumi and do is the eye mask. The outside cover of the eye ask is a texturey feel to it, sturdy, the inside is a fabric but I can't decide what type, not really cottony.  For me, I'd have to say I prefer the Lufthansa eye mask. The socks are not completely cheapo as a few years ago,but they probably would not stand up to daily use. For what they are meant for, all are good, with the United docks just a step lower.
They all three have:
Earplugs
Toothbrush and paste (Delta and United also have a flossing pick)
Hand cream and lip balm

Lufthansa also has a set of covers for their headphones

United and Delta also have a hand sanitizer wipe
A comb
A little (and I mean little) pack of tissues
A pen

United also had a pack of two mints
Delta has a shoe horn and a small tub of shoe polish

I will see if I can post some pictures.

I have a couple more arriving shortly and will also do a little review of those.
Added!
SwissAir Business Class Amenity Kit by Qwstion.
In the shipping pack a single use refreshing tissue was included.
The zipper pouch itself is quite nice. A sturdy clothe with a ribbon that goes around combining a design feature with a strap. There is even an open outside pocket.
Included in the kit is a welcome card. Qwstion is a luggage company it seems. It says designed and developed in Zurich. Interesting, I wonder where the actual product is made? It reminds me of Apple prodects, designed in Palo Alto, etc. The card also says: "please
 accept this Travel a comfort Kit with our compliments. We hope that this specially designed bag by QWSTION enhances your overall inflight enjoyment and will be of use to you long after your flight with us. "
Evidently there are cosmetics in the plane's lavatories as well as other items available by request:
Shaving kit
Nail file
Shoe horn (included in some of the other kits)
Sewing kit

Now onto the items in the kit!
Toothbrush and small tube of toothpaste
Earplugs
Brown socks (feels nice and soft, nice quality)
Eye mask, brown, soft cotton, has a nice little  flap that will block light from the top
Lip balm, I don't see any lotion

There is a little wrapped Ricola Elderflowers Seiss herb drop.
With the size of the little box it came in, I was expecting at least three drops.

Overall, this is a nice kit.

Monday Morning

Hope everyone had a good weekend! Saturday afternoon we went to Glendora to visit my aunt in her nursing home. She was happy to see us. I took her a picture I had taken of her and my mom last December. She was pleased to get it! On the way home we went to Clearman's Northwoods Inn for dinner. I could not remember how long it had been since the last time we had been there. Dinner was very good and the garlic bread as good as I remembered. It is nice to know some things don't change, because everything else has! That area certainly looked different! Clearman's has been in that spot as long as I can remember. I am glad it is still there. This past weekend I read the book Zero Day by David Baldacci. I love his books! The problem I have though, is that once I pick one up and start reading it, I have a hard time putting it down until I finish it! His characters and story line just pull you in and you can't stop. This is another good story. If you like good stories with mystery, intrigue and great characters, then this is a book for you. I do not want to spoil it for you. I highly recommend this book! Actually, I highly recommend any of his books. His first novel, Absolute Power, was a Clint Eastwood movie. That is how I was introduced to David Baldacci when I read about the movie coming out. The article mentioned that it was from an author's first novel; I knew I had to read it because I figured it had to be good if it became a Clint Eastwood movie! I do not remember where I was flying to at the time, but I bought the paperback at an airport gift shop and had the novel completed by the time the plane landed!

Our New Garden!

Over the years the backyard has become a bit overgrown and rather unloved! Several times we've made attempts to clean it up and "do something" with it, but "something else" always came up to divert our attention! Well, finally Corey came into the crafts room (where I spend most of my time) and said, okay, go find someone like we see on HGTV that fix up a backyard!

So, I went online, found John of New Leaf, and made an appointment. He came over and we looked over the yard and discussed what we wanted! He quoted a price, and a couple of days later I called him and said, okay! Get started!

This is just after the initial tear down! They had to clear all the old shrubbery. We tore down that old, ugly, crumbling wall!


This is what it looked like after that old wall was completely torn down!

We had decided to dig out the old grass and have sod installed. I'm glad we did, because the grass wouldn't have survived the construction.

We'd decided to have a patio installed so we could get some table and chairs to sit outside.

When we first bought our house, we both thought this back corner would make a good place for a waterfall at some point! After 11 years, "some point" finallly arrived!

This is the view I saw when I came home from work to find the building part of the job completed!

John laid out the plants so we could see them before they were planted.

I first saw the bleeding heart plant up north at Filoli. I love this little pink heart-shaped flowers!

It was a little late for daffodils, but I did get some tulips!

We've got Star Jasmine along this wall and Honeysuckle along the other wall. We've also got some Spanish Lavendar!

The honeysuckle plants are blooming already and are very happy where they are! We are fortunate to have a nice sunny yard most of the day!

I just love our new garden! No more "backyard"! But a lovely garden to roam in! We're gong to get a swinging chair and patio table this summer! It is going to be so lovely! It already is! I love just going out and looking at it all! The violas and daisies are doing very well already! I think they all love their new home!

We installed some spotlights! This is a night shot, came out pretty good I thought! I love looking out the office window to see the garden at night! It is truly beautiful!

Finally!

Okay, so this "new and improved" blogger has kept me out all night! Now that I've finally gotten in, it is past my bedtime! Will have to try again tomorrow!
Night all!

The Sun is Out!

It rained all day yesterday! And through the night! But this afternoon the sun is shining and the wet streets are drying up! I know we have needed the rain, but not all in one shot! I do not know if it is supposed to rain some more this weekend or not.

This morning I went to my local bead shop, Chic Beads, and took a soldering class in making s-clasps. I have a couple of bracelet ideas I want to make, and I'd like to make my own clasps for them as well! It was a good chance also to get my torch out and play with fire!

Happy Saturday!

The First Month of the New Year

Time flies when you're having fun - or not looking! Hard to believe that January is already just about a memory! Also, it has been one month since I last sat down and did a little scribbling here! California has been in a drought situation for about the last 3 or so years - cities have rationed water, put down strict restrictions on water usage - etc., but this month we have had some pretty ferocious rains! Our street has flooded a little bit, some areas of Long Beach flooded so badly they were on the news! Last fall we had a lot of fires in some of the canyon and hillside areas - and that is always a worry when rain comes - because mudslides could happen. Luckily, even with all the rain and flooding, there weren't the mudslides that everyone feared would happen. That doesn't mean they won't happen if we get more rain - but holding off disaster is always a good thing! The last week has been sunny and clear, but they are predicting rain again this week.

On the 22nd and 23rd I was able to attend the CHA sponsored Craft SuperShow - I took a few classes and got to see a lot of crafts! It was more than scrapbooking and rubber stamping - welding, painting, a little beading. The stores were there with demostrations and make 'n takes - it was a lot of fun!

Last evening we went to Disneland to meet up with my brother, his wife, my niece and my mom - they surprised her with her own Disneyland Annual Pass! She was thrilled! We got her on It's A Small World, Tiki Room, and Pirates. It was a nice little unplanned adventure.

This morning some tree trimmers are cutting back all those awful branches and yucky trees that have been growing wildly for the past 10 years! The cypress trees aren't even ours! They are actually growing from the yard behind us - and he has let them get out of control on his side - I've been wanting them down for years - they are a mess to live with! So finally they are being cut back away from our side.

So now I need to sit down and make up a little blueprint of what I'd like to see happen to the yard!

I really hate it when I forget to save! I wrote a neat little diddy and I forgot to save! Now it is lost forever in byteland! Oh well! On to the next thing!

One other thing I did this month was to make some bookmarks for a swap I joined last fall. We had a deadline date of 15 February. I actually had them completed early this month, but only got around to mailing them off yesterday! We did a bookmark swap a couple of years ago and it was so awesome! The bookmarks I recieved back from the other swapers are gorgeous! I love to read and it has been so fun trying to "match" the bookmark to the book I'm about to read! Last fall a few of us mentioned how much we enjoyed that swap - and one of the girls in the group offered to be the hostess!

I use embossed metal this time around to make my bookmarks! I hand embossed some of them and one some of them ran them through my Big Shot machine! You get a different look when you do that. It was a lot of fun! I also used my alchaol inks on the metal - very cool! I can't wait to see all the cool designs I get back this time around!