Author: Roberta
Hubby is always encouraging me to go to the fitness center, or should I say NAGGING me! Much to his surprise, the other day it was I who wanted to go, and I asked him to join me. No, I didn’t want to exercise. I wanted a steam bath and a jacuzzi. I also like to wash my hair there and shave my legs. The shampoo is much better than the stuff I have at home. Also, there is shaving gel instead of the plain soap I usually use. With great zeal, Hubby joined me, and off we went. I…
I’ve always been smug about one of the true joys of living in California—especially in the desert. Why? Compared to other states, there are NO BUGS, or at least very few! Yeah, right. If it’s not one thing, it’s another. Once again, life has let me down. What happened? Living in the desert, Hubby and I often relax outside in the evenings, sipping wine and enjoying our happy hour. It has always been so pleasant. But the other evening, when we came inside, we both started to itch! And no, for those with dirty minds, it was nothing like that!…
Recently, I’ve been reflecting on the things I’ve purchased. As I’ve mentioned many times, Costco is my go-to store. Some people complain about having to buy items in large quantities there, but I usually appreciate it. For example, when I stock up on toilet paper or paper towels, I don’t have to worry about running out for a long time. I remember when they first started selling gasoline—I asked how much I had to buy! Thankfully, I could purchase just as much, or as little, as I needed. What gave me the idea for this post? Well, Hubby received an…
It just goes to show you, if it isn’t one thing, it’s another. A few days ago, our electricity went out. So what, you might ask? The temperature was forecast to reach 116 degrees where I live. No power meant no air conditioning! It also meant the refrigerator and freezer would stop working. Of course, I had just returned from a Costco run, so our freezer was packed. I also stopped at the grocery store and bought our favorite ice creams—Carb Free Peanut Butter Chocolate for my husband and New York Super Fudge Chunk for myself. An hour after our…
The other day, while watching TV – my favorite pastime these days – I saw a commercial that’s been nagging at me. It opens with a stunning view of a lush green valley with snow-capped mountains in the distant background. In the foreground, a large herd of healthy black Angus cattle graze in a verdant green pasture and drink from a pristine stream of rushing water – a perfect vista suitable for the opening of a western romance movie. Jarringly, the commercial immediately cuts from that scene to intimate, close-up shots of luscious, tender cuts of beef—deep red meat with…
I haven’t written a post for a while – why is that? Because I’ve been distracted. I’ve been using all my energy and imagination trying to decide what to cook and what to eat! It all started when I watched a TV commercial for an ultra-premium dog food called The Farmer’s Dog. It’s very close to human food. As I tried to wrap my brain around that concept, I wondered why there isn’t The Farmer’s Cat? My research found that such a product wouldn’t be profitable because of intense competition in the cat food market, and the fact that cats…
Every calendar year has eleven federal holidays and over sixty religious holidays, but my favorite holiday has always been the 4th of July. Lots of food, fun, and friends! I don’t dislike the other holidays, but I don’t enjoy them as much. The reasons are many. Labor Day is a US federal holiday celebrated on the first Monday of September to honor the American labor movement and its contribution to America’s industrial success. That’s a good thing, of course. So what’s my problem? Growing up, Labor Day was the last day of summer. The school year always started the day…
Father’s Day is already here, and I barely survived Mother’s Day! I say that for two reasons. First and foremost, I dearly miss my mother, who left this earth 45 years ago. I would have loved to share a cup of coffee and chat with her one more time, but I know that wouldn’t be enough. The second reason I’ve survived Mother’s Day is because of the hype surrounding it. Sometimes I receive a card—sometimes I don’t—but I always get a phone call. When my son was younger, he was more attentive. One year, he picked a bunch of dandelions…
We’ve had cats before….two, to be exact. Our first cat was Smokey Dawn, an exotic shorthair Persian show cat. My secretary raised pedigreed Persian cats, and when her mother became terminally ill, she needed a distraction, so she started breeding them. After her mother passed away, she found herself with 30 cats and wanted a break, opting to give away the ones she couldn’t sell. Smokey Dawn was a beautiful cat, 5 years old, and the mother of several show litters herself. Smokey Dawn won many awards for her beauty. I displayed her trophies on our étagère alongside Hubby’s Emmy…
Recently, we learned that scientists had successfully cloned the extinct dire wolf. The word dire comes from the Latin dirus, which means dreadful, ominous, or detestable. The dire wolf is an extinct canine species native to the Americas thousands of years ago. The original canis dirus weighed as much as 150 pounds, about 25% heavier than the modern gray wolf (canis lupus). The largest known dire wolf specimens were found in the Aucilla River region of north Florida. Scientists extracted DNA from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull to create healthy dire wolf puppies. I’m not quite sure why they…