OUR BIG DAY

 Thank you to all of you fine Gentle Readers who sent us congratulation messages yesterday on our Golden Anniversary.

And to questions and hopes that we celebrated properly, I show you this.

Judy's expertly-prepared Martini on the Rocks in a frosted glass.

Martinis are rare around here so when she calls for one (and makes it herself) you can be assured it's a special occasion.

As for dining, we supped on our delayed Easter Dinner.

That and a dessert of Tiramisu capped off a perfect day for two geezers who shun large gatherings and prefer each other's company.

Happy Days!

CELEBRATION

 I said last evening that today was going to be a big day for us and I promised to tell you about it.

So here it is.

Today marks the one month anniversary of our second shots of the Moderna vaccine.

And as indicated by the errands and running around and haircut by yours truly yesterday our lives are beginning, slowly, to return to normal.

Oh I was careful.

I put on my mask whenever I had to deal with anyone face to face.

Except for when a young lady, masked in glittery blue, clipped my hair.

So today is a day of celebration for us.

Oh, and there's one other thing.

On April 7th, 1971, Judy and I were married in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Apparently it was a sure bet because the event came just 89 days after we first met.

I've been counting down the days for the past months and the pandemic has made that a bit of an uneasy process.

But as I said to her this morning, "We made it!"

Now, for the next fifty years . . .

SHORN

 I went to an actual barber shop (hair salon) today and got a haircut.

My first outside the home in over a year.

Not that I had locks clear down my back.

SWMBO has been doing yeoman job whenever the tresses got long enough for her to barf.

But she said the other day "I want you to go and get a professional haircut", so . . . tomorrow being a big day* . . . I did.

Here is the result.

Actually not bad, I think, for a guy nearing his 81st trip around the sun.

And, as you may be able to see, it's time for ALOHA SHIRTS once again in sunny Arizona!

So I'm happy, SWMBO is happy, there is joy in the world.

(About that * above - you'll find out tomorrow.)

THEY CALL IT EASTER MONDAY

 

SPECIAL SUNDAY

 Today is Easter Sunday and the final day of Passover.

And still another sign of Spring.

SAAAAT - URRRRR - DAY

 Carol the Comic just missed yesterday's deadline with this one so I told her I'd use it today.

The Weather Gods say it's supposed to be 80 degrees here today and Phoenix, down the hill, may reach 100 on Easter Sunday.

Better find all those eggs or they'll be a mess.

I was chatting with SWMBO as we sat out on the patio yesterday evening about what kind of plants she wanted to buy for our herb garden.

She said she had a list but it would be another month before she'd buy them.

She said there's always a break in the early Spring when the temperature drops way down and there may even be a late snowfall.

Her Gardening Goddess said the stores know this and that's why they always offer seedlings early, because they know people are in a hurry to plant and they get suckered.

Ergo, the stores get to sell them their seedlings TWICE!

Well, since I have learned not to bet against SWMBO . . .

 . . . I just shut my mouth and listened. 

We will wait until May.

But today is already a beautiful day.

It looks like it will be a lovely weekend here in Arizona.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

 I don't know about you but I managed to get through yesterday only being "fooled" once.

So I feel free to act the complete fool today in trying to put smiles on your faces for the weekend.

And possibly, thanks to Wacky Wally, give you an earworm!

So let me wish you a Happy Easter Egg Day and whether you mark that day off your calendars or not, a gratifying weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

APRIL THE FOIST

 Ha!

My April Fool's Day joke is that I didn't fool you!

I couldn't think of anything funny but still I was a victim.

The BRD and her Beau Jack got me this morning.

I won't honor them by telling you how but they got me and laughed uproarishly as I shouted nasty names at them over the telephone.

So enjoy yourselves, ********!

In the meantime, I'll save my jokes for tomorrow.

GROOMING

 I went out to fill the birdbath a little while ago and noticed that the yard had gotten messy again.

The hose drags the red bark chips around when I pull it over to fill the bath.

SWMBO likes a nice clean perimeter so I got out the rake and raked the yard, bringing as many of the straying red chips as possible back to where they belonged.

You probably can't see much improvement but believe me it looks better.

I guess this sunny day with temperatures climbing found me ambitious.

DREAM ON

 Apropos of nothing other than the fact that I bought some lottery tickets recently in hopes of winning the Powerball or the MegaMillions or just The Pick . . this cartoon sent to me today rang a bell and made me laugh.

I hope it does you too.

Unless it makes you cry.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, I had 7 tickets on three separate "games".

I got no numbers on any of them.

Zip.

Nada.

Zilch.

(sigh)

A CONCENTRATED GAZE

 Well, surprise.

On one of several visits to our yard by the Siamese and the Gray, I DID get a photo.

Although the Siamese did come right up to the slider by the time I got there with my camera he had skittishly left again.

But this guy.

What a confident stare and what a beautiful face.

(cue the close-up)

WEATHER REPORT (again)

 To those of you concerned about my crumby weather a few days ago, I just wanted you to know that it's blue skies, sunshine and 70 degrees today.

No, really!

And we've had a plethora of pussies in the yard today.

Matty rounded up a beautiful Siamese who followed him over to visit and that one was followed by a gray that we saw the other day.

For once everyone was peaceful and why didn't I get any pictures of them?

Because I'm hopeless.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

 Here we are once again at the antepenultimate day of the week.

Or the penultimate if you, like the calendar, believe a new week begins with Sunday.

Whatever you call today, it's Friday.

And I'm sure you know what that means.

So there you are - sure fire weight loss.

I hope you have a fruitful weekend, full of frolic and fun.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(Awwwww . . . .)

TBT & FFP

 Many years ago we inherited a chair from my late aunt in San Francisco.

She apparently favored a few antiques in furnishing her home.

This one we called The Monk's Chair.

It's been with us for several decades now from home to home, country to country, state to state and city to city.

But always with the admonition my aunt gave us when we first laid eyes on it: that chair is never to be sat on.

When we've gone on the BRD will inherit it and hopefully she'll take as good care of it as we have.

The M thinks it goes quite well with one of her two Music Tables.

That takes care of TBT in the title of this post (ThrowBack Thursday).

And now for the FFP.

Courtesy of Carol the Comic, a Friday Funnies Preview.

Yuk-Yuk-Yuk!

WEATHER REPORT

 The rain and snow has passed on but today is a mostly cloudy day in my part of Arizona.

A tad of blue sky peeking through here and there.

Promising sunnier skies and warmer temperatues for the weekend.

OH, YEAH?

 Lessee, what was I saying the other day about Spring finally being here?

Well, here's what's happening in my part of Arizona right now.

Yeah, that's right.

If Spring has sprung, it's got a funny way of showing it.

But I remember when we opened our bookstore back in mid-March of 1996.

A blizzard hit overnight and though I drove through snow to open the store on schedule, I think we only did about 30 bucks in business that first day.

As people say all over the world, the weather is unpredictable and if you don't like what you've got, just wait an hour and it will change.

A NEW BEGINNING

It's finally come.

Spring has now officially arrived.

I know, Colorado is expecting another snow storm.

And even here in the pleasant climes of the foothills in Arizona our temperatures most of the week will only be in the 50's.

But hope is in store and brighter days are ahead.

SWMBO and I have marked two weeks today since our second Covid vaccination.

So we should be good.

But we're still going to take care, wearing masks and staying away from crowds and washing our hands for the time being.

After all we have something to look forward to next month.

We are coming face to face with our 50th Wedding Anniversary!

Now that's a day to mark.

Not so much our birthdays in the next couple of months.

So I'll leave you today with an old Burma Shave jingle that I can never resist at this time of year.

Spring has sprung

The grass has riz

Where last year's

Careless drivers is

Happy springtime, everybody, whenever it comes!