Happy Memorial Day!

The Jacaranda Trees along La Quarta

What a beautiful time of year!  The Jacarandas are in full glory, their purple blooms decorating much of the area I live in.  Their colorful shady canopy along La Quarta is sublime. 

This has been a lovely - and full - weekend.  Full of friends, good food, family and fun!

To start with, I attended a pool party up at Jackie & Maura's place.  It was great to see old friends and spend a nice, restful day poolside.

 Kids in the pool

Mystery writer Gina and her handsome husband Dearl

I've seen you twice in one month, Gina!  And Dearl, too!  Why, the world as we know if may be coming to an end!  So glad you could come down and schmooze with the Crew!

 Yummy barbeque spread!  Hamburgers, hot dogs and corn on the cob.  Rah Rah America!

This sweet little fellow is one of Jenn's.  I hadn't seen his mommy and daddy since the baby shower for his older brother!

The gang at the pool

The weekend continued down in Newport Beach at the Newport Coast Resort where I met up with my niece Linnea and her studly hubby Jeff.

We had a nice afternoon/evening together!  It was fun but all too brief of a visit.

Next up - as if I hadn't had fun enough - a backyard barbeque with another set of friends back in my home town:

 Cucina Master BBQ-er Tony, with the food table and kids gathered round.

Chef Tony did a good job.  The ribs were terrific!  Actually, everything was terrific.  Good food and good company.  Below you'll find the teens busy freezing the home-made ice cream with the kids looking on.

All the cousins had fun playing together.  Here they are filling water balloons on the sly... okay, we knew what they were up to!

 Playing a strange version of horseshoes with oversized washers. 

 Our charming hostess Meredith enjoying the day.  The weather couldn't have been lovelier.

Andrea and Patrick.  Two of my very favorite people.

Back home with Jack, I decided we would be slugs for the rest of the day.

Great three day weekend!  Thanks everyone! 

And lest I forget, a special thanks to all those who have suffered and died to give us the freedoms we enjoy - to be able to party and worship and do everything else we want to in a free society.  There is nothing we can do to repay you for that blessing.  But we can sure enjoy those freedoms in sweet, peaceful ways with the people we love.