This was a blowout event, so I couldn’t publish just one pic.
For johnbo’s Cellpic Sunday
In a bottle of Mescal labelled “Alacran.”
If you haven’t read my “Most Original Gift” blog, go HERE and read it first.
I decided to research whether people actually drank the mezcal that is bottled with scorpions (and in my case a snake as well) and I just read this:
The scorpions are added live, and they release the venom into the mezcal as they die. It is used medically to relieve a cough or used topically for muscle pain.
For my birthday, Brad took me to a wonderful new restaurant. When I walked in, who happened to be there but my friend Aurora, who was having lunch with the mayor’s wife and another friend. This was coincidence but a nice addition to the day. Then later another friend came in and sat at an adjoining table. It had been at least 10 years since we had seen each other. She reminded me of her name and asked me to remind her of mine. We never did figure out how we knew each other but both remembered we’d once seen each other often. This happens more and more frequently. It wasn’t until I got home and looked her up on Facebook that I discovered she was celebrating her birthday today as well!
Unfortunately, I was having such a good time that I forgot to take any photos except for the beautiful garden, the lovely center arrangement and this appetizer, which was delicious. Our meals were wonderful, but strangely enough, Brad promptly asked for the bill before dessert. He said he was sorry, but he had other plans, so he drove me home, walked me into the house, opened the door and. . . 
Click on the below photos to see captions.
Go HERE to see my first birthday surprise, HERE to see and hear Patrick singing his song, and HERE to see and hear Becky singing her song.
Forgottenman says I need to explain this Bobby Jerry photo in today’s Numbers Game Post. . I thought I’d written about it before and sure enough, found it in an old Skype conversation with him. This is part of that conversation::
[7/3/17, 11:21:59 PM] Forgottenman:Tell me about Bobby Jerry?
[7/3/17, 11:28:11 PM] Judy: When I was born, my sister Patti was not quite 4 yet. Earlier, as they were discussing what to name me, my dad had teased her that he wanted to name the baby Hazel. Later, She dictated this letter to add to a card to send to my mom and me in the hospital. She said, “The bees is buzzing from flower to flower today. Please don’t name my baby brother Hazel. I want to name him Bobby Jerry.” (She refused to believe I was a girl.)
So, I had told that story to Forgottenman and the first time I flew out to see him after that, he met me at the plane holding a sign that said, “Bobby Jerry Dykstra-Brown.”
UPDATE from Forgottenman: I held up that Bobby Jerry sign at our second airport meeting. At our first, I greeted her with a single rose and a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. (Man+Woman+Chocolate+Peanut Butter is a sure recipe for romance! The rose was just a feint.) HERE is a photo of that first magic meeting.
Born on the 3rd of July!!!
Behold the Crab who walks on toes
to all the hot spots where he goes.
And though July is Cancer’s sign
and so the Crab is also mine,
I can’t walk up on toes at all,
for if I do, I’m sure to fall!
A 44-word poem for:dVerse Quadrille: Feeling Crabby. (The photo is copied from the prompt site.)
To see other crabby poems, go HERE.
Click on photos to enlarge.
Yes, it was open-air and cold. Yes, the music was TOO LOUD!!! And Yes, it was fun. (And no. Not really 28. It’s an in-joke.)
Afterwards we came to my house to swim until dark. All-in-all, a perfect day.
The Embarkation of Miss Emily
He strolled into her module acting all hale and hearty,
issuing an invitation to his birthday party.
He was throwing a big shindig like those raves of yore—
the kind where she was sure she’d be perceived as quite a bore.
They’d sail out to an island on a rented yacht.
A bikini would be clothes enough. The weather would be hot!
She’d have to take a day off work. There’d be no compensation,
but this was not the reason for her main hesitation.
She did not feel affronted. She felt no perturbation.
Rather, she debated her own qualification.
She was no party animal, nor had she ever been.
Her parents both regarded such revelry as sin.
She had no experience with pot, cocaine or gin
and even less experience when it came to men!
So her positive response, though wary, was wholehearted.
if she was going to be wild, ’twas high time she got started!
Prompt words are hale, affront, qualification, module, yore and compensation.
lifelessons - a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown 