D is for Dinner, Drive-In, Dancing

Going out to dinner is a typical thing to do on a date, right? We have a favorite restaurant that we go to sometimes 3 times a year, once for my birthday, once for hubby’s birthday and once for our anniversary. It is Benihana and it is kind of expensive so we’ve cut down a bit. It is one of those restaurants where they cook the food right at your table. The chef usually does some fancy tricks as he is cooking, like making smiley faces with the eggs and a heart shape with the rice. We’ve been so often that we usually know what’s going to happen in advance but if there are kids at the table it is fun to see their reaction.

For the longest time they would take a picture of you for your birthday. The last couple times we went was after the pandemic and I didn’t see them do it anymore. We are going again on Thursday because Bill’s birthday is this week and we got a $30.00 coupon to use during his birthday month!

One fun date that I don’t have any personal pictures for is the Drive-in. We used to have a few around us but like the bowling alleys, they are mostly gone. The closest one is about 45 minutes or an hour away. Still, if you do have one nearby, it is a fun date. I know there were a couple of pop-up ones in vacant lots during the pandemic but we didn’t go. Now you can listen to the audio through your car radio instead of having the speakers that come through the window. Nothing worse than getting all settled and then finding out the speakers don’t work!

And then there’s dancing. While I love to dance, my hubby has to be in the right mood and it has to be the right song. Needless to say, that is not one of the things we do very often anymore. These are from some company Christmas parties we went to when he was still working for Sara Lee Coffee and Tea. There is an Arthur Murray Dance Studio located very close to us and I had considered signing us up for some lessons. We are going to a wedding at the end of the month and maybe I’ll get him to dance one or two with me then.

Not too many pictures this time but at least I’m still in the game. See you tomorrow with E.

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December Reflections - 2019 and #SLS

Our prompt today for Song Lyric Sunday is chin/ears/eyes/face/mouth/nose.  I don't know why but I thought of the song "Spanish Eyes" as sung by Al Martino.  It takes me back to when I was about 18 or 19 and went to a few Knights of Columbus dances with my parents.  They figured it would be a good place for me to meet a nice Italian Catholic boy.  Unfortunately, they had me in the wrong generation and all of their friends had children older than me so there weren't any eligible young bachelors around.  It was a fun night anyway because I got to see my mom and dad dance and I got to dance with my dad a few times. 

Mom and dad at my sister's wedding.

This song was one of the ones I remember dancing with him to.  He's been gone for about 38 years now and I really miss him around the holidays especially.  Elvis Presley, Englebert Humperdink and Willie Nelson all have versions of this song too but Al Martino's is the one that reminds me of dad. 

The lyrics:

Blue Spanish eyes
Teardrops are falling from your Spanish eyes
Please, please don't cry

This is just adios and not goodbye
Soon I'll return
Bringing you all the love your heart can hold
Please say "Si, si"
Say you and your Spanish eyes will wait for me

Blue Spanish eyes
Prettiest eyes in all of Mexico
True Spanish eyes

Please smile at me once more before I go
Soon I'll return
Bringing you all the love your heart can hold
Please say "Si, si"
Say you and your Spanish eyes will wait for me
Say you and your Spanish eyes will wait for me

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Carlos Villalobos / Garry Applebaum

Spanish Eyes lyrics © BMG Rights Management US, LLC

All righty then.  December is officially underway.

Observations in October - #31Things - Nourish

I have a problem with food.  I like it.  Carbs especially.  I'm Italian and I love my pasta, and steak, and occasionally a berry pie.  I am still struggling to control those impulses and follow along with the Hungry Girl eating plan but it is a long, slow process just like everything that has to do with self-control.  I'll keep at it but I don't want to write about that now. 

I think instead I'd like to talk about nourishing the soul, because that is just as important, if not more important than nourishing the body.

Some things that nourish my soul:

Family and Friends - I have a great family.  We also have some really terrific friends.  The kind that you can call for any reason and they will come running.  Spending time with them is so beneficial. 

Music - You know I love my concerts but even just listening to music while I'm driving or walking is energizing for me.  Everyone has "those" songs that have certain meaning for them but I have such an eclectic taste that my favorite thing is just to put my iTunes on shuffle and see what pops up:

Water - Watching the waves in the ocean or walking along the Bay trail.  I'm a Pisces so it's no surprise that the water is a calming thing for me. 

And watching the sunset over the ocean is icing on the cake!

Reading - A good book nourishes me too.  I really think that if I had no other commitments I could spend the whole day just reading.  I know that I used to do that when I was a teen.  I have done it once or twice if I have a cold and just need to rest. 

Scrapbooking - Of course there is my crafting and card making.  I've talked about that a lot.

Here are some of my other self-care and soul nourishing favorites. 

I know that some people like massages or mani/pedi's and some use exercise as a way to nourish and recharge their batteries.  What do you do to nourish your soul?