Playing Bridge at Wellings

The flight from Calgary to Las Vegas was early and only two hours and 26 minutes.  Of course when we did arrive, there was no gate available for us to park. So we sat on the tarmac with nothing to do but wait and finally we were parked at a gate. Then the hustle bustle through the busy airport to the escalator that takes you down to the rapid trains. Take the Red Line to terminal 3 where our luggage is waiting. And waiting also were Tracy and Lisa. Soon Tracy had my luggage and my golf clubs loaded into the SUV. In no time we were out of the airport and to their home.

The weather here has been beautiful. I sit by the pool with my coffee early each morning with the temperature already about 60°F and no wind!

Lisa was out running errands on Wednesday and when she came home she had purchased seven large Honeycrisp apples. She promptly went to the pantry and brought out the sugar, flour, oatmeal and cinnamon.  Grammo, she said, “ Your job for tomorrow is to make an Apple Crisp.” In the morning I found an apple crisp recipe – Easy Apple Crisp by Chef Dennis. In no time I had the crisp in the oven and here is the result.

Hey it is even great for breakfasts!

Thursday night we had a small celebration of Tracy’s Birthday. We went to Biscuit’s and Bourbon on Water Street here in Henderson.  

It’s a cute little cafe just started up by locals.  The food was good and we were home early.

Happy Birthday Tracy

Yesterday afternoon Lisa and I got to work on preparing a chuck roast for the oven.  The braising of the roast and browning the carrots and onions took about one hour. Then add the broth and seasonings, put it into into the oven and wait 3-4 hours for the desired result. We made gravy to go with the baby baked potatoes and heated some green peas. Then we sat down to a delicious dinner.

 Just in time for the first pitch of the Dodgers/Yankee’s game of the World Series.Needless to say I was on pins and needles with every pitch for nine innings.

After the top of the 10th inning and now the Yankees were ahead 3 to 2.  The Dodgers had one (Taylor) and two (Edman) on base with singles.  Then they walked  Mookie Betts to bring up Freddie Freeman.  I said to Tracy that we need a walk-off win now.  With two outs he said it was do or die for Freddie…..

AND Freddie Freeman made MLB History by hitting a GRAND SLAM HOME RUN. This is the first time EVER for a grand slam homer in the World Series.  Did you hear: EVER, EVER, EVER.

Way to go Freddie

Game 2 tonight.  Go Dodgers.

In case you are wondering about the heading —–Digs is derived from the earlier term diggings, which shares the same meaning of “living quarters” or “lodging.”

After the hustle and bustle of moving in to a new place you always wonder what you will like and dislike. Is the traffic on Glenmore Trail, just a stone’s throw outside my window to the south, going to be too noisy? That’s a no. I only hear the revving of the odd motorcycle.
Every day I seemed to find another reason to appreciate my surroundings. Simple things: the washer works well and spins so much of the water out of the clothes that the clothes dry quicker with less wrinkles, the pot lights in the kitchen give great lighting for working in the sink (no shadow from your head), the fridge and freezer both beep if the door is left open too long, the A/C is efficient with low, medium and high fan speeds, the entrance, elevators and hallways are bright and clean as well as the underground storage and waste collection area.

My social activities have increased immensely since I moved here. The Social Committee has done a great job of meeting new and original residents with coffee parties, card games and monthly BBQ’s. The collection by the social committee of recyclable bottled, cans etc. garners money to subsidize the costs of these BBQ’s. Residents also donate extras such as beans, salads and desserts.

Pictures in the collage include: the view from the fourth floor, the Social Room next to the courtyard, a number of pics of the courtyard itself, BBQing, main entrance and a sunset with a partial rainbow.

I noticed on the monthly bulletin that Bridge was played here on Thursday nights starting at 6:30 p.m. so of course I have been playing almost every Thursday. I was told there was Bridge Tuesday mornings at a place in our community called the Good Companions Club. I was invited by one of our bridge group to go there on a Tuesday and try it out. I loved the group right away and promptly bought a membership. Since that time I have not missed one Tuesday.
This club has just celebrated 50 years in operation and has a lot to offer from trips, yoga, dances, foot clinics,cruises, dinners, Pub Nights and so much more!

I am enjoying the people in our building and those at the Good Companion Club. Everyone has been so kind and caring. That is good.
Ttyl.

That’s a line from a Tom T. Hall song

‘Watermelon Wine”

but it is also one I use when I am asked my age. I was taught as a youngster that is was impolite to ask someone how old they were so I am usually surprised when confronted with the question! I usually answer with something like the heading of this post or “what would you guess?”

People are usually polite and guess a much lower number than they actually think.

When I tell them that I am hoping to be 90 in October they want to know the secret to my longevity. And I have to tell them it is most likely my Swedish roots. My Mom passed away (93) and my sister Georgie (96) and were quite healthy until the last couple of years of their lives.

I’d like to tell you that exercise, good food, and a positive attitude are key, but I’m not perfect. I don’t follow those keys all the time.
I do believe a good night’s sleep and a great bed are important, as well as eating three meals a day. Breakfast energizes your brain, so eat as soon as you get up. Protein is important for muscle tone, regardless of the source. Many people suffer from daily aches and pains; over-the-counter painkillers can help. Exercise is vital for health, but choose activities you can handle. Some exercises can hurt your feet, which are crucial for balance. You can find plenty of exercises online; just search. Find the exercises that fits your lifestyle.

As most of you know I have moved into a smaller apartment condo. The people here are very friendly and have an active social group that is involved in many activities in the Westview room on the top floor. There Cards, scrabble, etc are available to participate in most evenings of the week.

We have a large courtyard with a BBQ off another social room and just last week hamburgers and hotdogs were served with lots of good food prepared by each of us in attendance.

Yesterday we had a meet/greet for new residents in the courtyard from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Lots of laughs and one lady mentioned having just purchased a whole watermelon.
And would you believe another lady then gave us a 15 minute course on buying, carving, and not only making wine but soup with watermelons.

Was this a coincidence? I write about watermelon wine and now I’m educated in all things watermelon!

You can learn all about watermelons online.

On a hot day have a slice of fresh, ripe watermelon. Yummy.
ttyl