Whenever possible, I spend some of my birthday month in Tehachapi with Leslie and her mom, Barbara. Both have been a large part of my life since 1982. This past March, I was gleeful that my timing allowed me to, once again, carry on this decades-old tradition. In April, we lost Barbara after a rather sudden series of insurmountable medical challeges.

My 48th Birthday Month

Since we were going to be closer to her while we're in Temecula, I convinced Leslie that sorrow is best shared with an old friend. Long story short, she is here for three days of new, happy memories being made.She arrived with perfect timing to attend the musical Once Upon A Mattress.
And the icing on the cake was running into old friends, Mike and Diana, before the show began.
Once Upon a Mattress is a comedic musical from 1959 (music by Mary Rodgers, lyrics by Marshall Barer) loosely based on the fairy tale The Princess and the Pea. The story takes place in a kingdom ruled by the domineering Queen Aggravain, who has decreed that no one may marry until her son, Prince Dauntless, weds first. The catch: she keeps sabotaging every princess who comes to court, ensuring none passes her impossible tests. Everything changes when the boisterous, lovable Princess Winnifred (“Fred”) swims the moat to compete for Dauntless’ hand.
While not my favorite live production, the actors were talented and the evening out on the town was a wonderful way to commence the friendship merriment.