LIFE IN THE VILLAGE

You’ve heard the expression “When the word gives you lemons, make lemonade”. Well, that’s what we’re going to have to do. Somehow our beautiful lime tree by the front gate ripened into a lemon tree! So now we have lots of lemons and no need for the baby one that we planted. We are giving it to a friend and getting a lime tree instead.

The village just had the opening of the new restaurant at the golf club house. Russell came down for a quick visit so we went to lunch there. What a wonderful setting over the 27-hole golf course. The last time we were in Shanghai, we went to a bird shop and fell in love with a rock. Poor Helen had to lug it home in her suitcase and they stored it for us. Russell brought it down with him this visit and we added it to our waterfall. We really love the effect.

I have started the Foodies Club here and have an enthusiastic group. They all offered suggestions of recommended restaurants and we have quite a list. It will be fun to find people with a common interest in good food and restaurants. It seems that each city here has a ‘restaurant week’ where they have prix fixe lunches and dinners at very good prices. We may just have to try them (all?).

As mentioned in a previous blog, we are going to go to several concerts at the Soka Performing Arts Center so we received an invitation to a free concert. It was our first time inside the award winning auditorium. What a beautiful facility. The President of the Philharmonic Society of Orange County announced the concerts for the2012-2013 season which include Joshua Bell, Itzach Perlman and Yo Yo Ma. The pianist Judy Huang played an amazing selection of very fast pieces. The acoustics were wonderful. For a change my walker was an advantage as we were seated right down front where we could watch her hands zipping across the keys. Hors d’oeuvres and wine were served in the lobby. It was a lovely afternoon outing.