Saturday

Well after speaking with family up north we are in a very nice place weather wise. The morning started out in the 60's and warmed up to the 70's before the rain set in around lunch time. It's really dull and gray with high winds but right now its 66. In Virginia its 18 with about 6-8 inches of snow and still falling, Yikes. Anyhow back to our day as we slept in until 7:30. After our quiet time and a mountain breakfast of buckwheat cakes with a banana and fresh blueberries in the batter and a couple cackleberries on top we headed out to do one of our service projects for our house church.

We had 20 appointments scheduled for single moms to service their cars; change oil and filter, do a 27 points check on their vehicles and give them a gift bag which included a 10 dollar gift card for gas. We started at 8 AM and concluded at 1 PM. It was totally free with no strings attached. It was our way to serve and be a blessing to those single moms. We advertised through a couple of churches, the pregnancy center and one person said they heard about it on the radio. We aren't sure how that got there but she showed up. Our group which is a house church for Pinellas County and affiliated with Element Church in Tampa did this with Twill Auto Service allowing us to use their facility. Many thanks to the Twill family as its a family owned business. The next scheduled service date is the end of May, so mark it on your calendar all you single moms.

The afternoon found us reading and watching a little T.V. as the rains kept us indoors. Nancy fixed a little fried yellow squash as an appetizer before we ate our supper of baked pork chops, baked sweet potato's and the rest of the yellow squashed boiled. I of course doctored my fried squash with a little ground red pepper, fresh cilantro and oregano. Yumm, I could make a meal of that by its self.

Well not much else going on except for worship tomorrow at Element in Tampa. I understand all services are cancelled in Sparta, N.C. due to the heavy snow and probably so in northern Virginia. We will keep all of you in our thoughts and prayers. LATER

Friday

Yikes!! Where did this week go??It's almost the end of the month and only 4 more months until we will be preparing to head back to the mountains, of course I wouldn't want to be there this week end with the forecast of 10-14 inches of the white stuff.

The day started out the usual with a few moments of quietness with the Creator in thanksgiving and prayer for those we know who need that extra special lift of care and healing. After my daily dose of oatmeal, cinnamon and honey for breakfast I got ready to ride out on the 2 wheeler to the rec for some pickle ball. Wow, we had a full house today with 3 nets(12 Players) plus 3 more waiting to get in the game. There were 6 of us there early so we had some good, fast play before the masses arrived after 8. We had one newbie but he is a youngster so he may have a problem with the 50 + crowd of seniors, although he picked the game up pretty quick as he has tennis experience which really helps for good play.

After the rec I stopped by the library and picked up some reading for the weekend. The morning had warmed up nicely with just enough high clouds to keep it from being to hot. I headed home to hand water the garden, transplant some more lettuce seedlings, replant cuke's and pull a few weeds. My bell pepper plant is blooming, finally; while my jalapeno pepper is producing a few mild ones. For supper tonight I picked some collards and kale. I strip the center stem from the leaves, roll the leave then slice and chop the leaves into small pieces. Next I saute a raw garlic clove in a couple tbl. spoons of olive oil and gradually add the chopped leaves. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper while cooking. The greens cook down to about 1/10th of the original size. Cook for about 10-12 minutes at medium heat. A little apple cider vinegar is added in your bowl of greens but add to taste. I like vinegar on mine; Nancy doesn't.

After a lite lunch with Ava and Amy I took Ava out to ride her trike. Amy was heading out to the OBGYN for her checkup. Little Samuel is measuring close to 38 weeks. Won't be long now until I will have my first grandson. Ava and grandma Nancy made chocolate chip cookies while I sat in the sun reading. What a lovely day. After the kids left Nancy took a couple mile walk through the 'hood for some exercise and I vegetated with a book.

Supper turned out to be one of my favorite meals with; salmon on the grill, coated in garlic powder and lemon pepper salt with fresh dill on top, penne pasta in garlic butter with fresh mushrooms and of course the greens I mentioned earlier. Today was our garlic day. In case I failed to mention it, garlic is a natural antibiotic. It has so many medicinal properties plus I love its taste in cooking when used with olive oil.

Tomorrow our house church is doing a service project for single moms at Twill Auto in the Bay Pines Area from 8-1. Well, will close for now hoping all of our mountain friends are snug and safe from the big winter storm heading your way. Yeow, 10-14 inches of the the frozen stuff will make getting out and around difficult for a few days. Stay safe and out of the ditches.LATER

Thursday

Well what a gorgeous day after a chilly start this morning. It was rather nippy as I pedaled out for pickle ball around 7:25,but as the day progress it warmed to the middle 70's and by late afternoon it was so warm I had to move into the shaded areas in the back yard as I caught up on some reading. After my quiet time and once again a breakfast of oatmeal, cinnamon and a banana I was ready for 2 1/2 hours of play. We had 15 players with a couple newbies for the first time and promises of more to come. It seems the news article opened the flood gates; however we had some great play for about 45 minutes(3 sets) before the late arrivers showed up.

I headed on home after visiting with the Fit for 50 clinic that is held at the rec every 6 months with tons of give aways for health, fitness and what generally interests seniors and retirees. I still think the best medicine is being active for both the body and mind. Speaking of health Nancy seems much better today with just an occasional cough and she even walked 1/2 of her usual neighborhood stroll, Amy and Ava both seem on the way to healing and a full recovery. After a lite lunch Ava and I played out side with her riding her trike on the sidewalk for several houses. She is a fast learner and very tenacious when she has a mind to do something. I will enclose a couple photos of her at not 3 years old pedalling her trike.

While the girls sat out front in the sun with Ava as she did side walk chalk I slipped off to the backyard to read. My oh my was it marvelous soaking up some of that warm sunshine. Amy and Ava headed out about 3 for her afternoon nap so I continued with a great Ann Rule book called a Fever in the Heart. We had a great fried fish for supper with Brussel sprouts in Dijon mustard as well as a wild rice in mushroom sauce. Yumm!!

Well I will close for now and wish all of our northern friends and family a warm day before the next what looks like snow storm hits on Saturday, Yikes 8- 12 inches of the white stuff in the mountains, somebody cut that big toe off and send it to the North Pole. LATER

Wednesday

The morning started out with chilly temp's but eventually warmed up to the high 60's with bright sunshine and a slight breeze. After my quiet time and a lite breakfast of oatmeal, cinnamon and honey I headed out to the rec for 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball. We had nearly an hour of good play before the general crowd arrived so there was lots of wet shirts. The local Seminole paper The Beacon did a story on the rec and the seniors who play pickle ball and you guessed it I made the paper as well with a picture. A group of us from the rec are planning on heading over to Sun City Center around the 20th of Feb. to play in a pickle ball tournament. Many thnks to Jersey Jim for his good work and dedication as our administrative guru as well as a hard charging player.

After the rec I worked in the garden until Amy and Ava came for lunch. We finished up the bean soup from last night and then Ava and I played outside with her riding her trike. She has finally started to master the steering while pedaling and just loves riding outside on her trike. I headed out about 1 PM to the library to pick up a couple books on hold before heading out to the dentist. I needed to have a cleaning as well as a complete evaluation with x-rays.Well I made it back a little after 4 PM and with the need of a couple thousand bucks worth of dental work to be done. Another crown and several filings to be replaced. Yikes!!!

Tonight after a supper of oven fried chicken, baked potato's, fresh broccoli and a salad we headed out to our house church. We had 13 in attendance and decided what service projects we were going to be involved in the next months. This Saturday we will do a service project for single mom's by changing the oil in their cars(free of charge), also checking all the fluid levels and giving them 1o dollar gas card's. So far we have 20 appointments that start at 8 Am and last until 1 PM. One of our house church members is dedicating his place of business to perform these tasks. We are planning a supper to go along with next weeks get together as well as celebrating a couple birthdays.

Amy, Ava as well as Nancy are starting to show some positive progress with their illnesses. I will close for now as not much else is happening.LATER

Tuesday

Well it was down right nippy this morning but quickly warmed up as the sun began to shine. By the time I rode out on my bike to the rec it was like a North Carolina Morning in June. After my few quiet moments and a lite breakfast of oatmeal, blue berries and honey I was ready for 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball. We 11 players today and some some great play for the first 45 minutes before the general crowd arrived.

I headed on home around 10 AM to hand water the garden. I have new beans up after having to replant due to the freeze, plus lots of new lettuce seedlings to transplant. I took off to run some errands as Nancy is still hacking so I hit Sam's Club for some needed items plus the vegetable stand for some goodies as well. I got back just in time for lunch with Amy and Ava. After lunch Ava and I got her trike out so she could ride down the driveway and on the sidewalk. She is finally learning to steer the trike in the middle of the sidewalk as she pedals and now comes coasting down the driveway to me as I stop her before heading out into the street.

After the girls left Nancy and I just chilled reading and cat napping on the bed. She is still coughing way too much as well is Amy. Ava seems to be getting better each day.So far I have managed to fight off this illness with Vit C and garlic. Nancy made a big pot of bean soup for supper and invited Amy, Tyler and Ava over to eat with us. She also made scratch corn bread and a fresh garden salad. Yumm!!

Well not much else going on this evening except American Idol. I can't believe they have me watching this show. What happened to the deadliest catch show?? LATER.

Monday

Well I must admit I was too taken by the great football games played on Sunday evening to update my ramblings. Can you believe for the first time in many moons the 2 best teams with over all season records are going to meet in the super bowl in 2 weeks. It's about time that should happen for a change. Actually all of the games yesterday were worth watching. The old man Brett almost and should have been the victor in the game but it wasn't to be and I'm tickled the Saints are going to the big dance(super bowl) for their first time in their history. I can remember when their fans were as embarrassed as we Buc fans were of our team. It's worth mentioning the Saints,Bucs, Panthers and Falcons are all in the same division and the lowly Bucs actually beat the Saints in the latter part of the season for their second win. Oh well!!!

We stayed home from church on Sunday because Nancy was hacking and coughing up colorful luges as well as was having chills off and on for most of the day. We just took it easy by reading, eating and watching football games( that's what I did). The weather here was very nice with temp's into the low 70's and lots of sunshine but very windy. Amy, Ava and Tyler came by for visit around 6:30 as they all needed to change scenery's from their house. Seemed they had been cooped up as well because of their coughing and fevers. We had a good visit but it was evident all was fighting this bug, so much so Nancy went to the doctor this morning for a Z pact and Ava visited her doctor this afternoon and was prescribed a new and different antibiotic. Amy still has congestion in her chest but has a another day of antibiotics so maybe she will be responding better tomorrow. Me, so far I have been sucking up the Vitamin C and taking garlic, which by the way is a natural antibiotic. Nancy is aghast that folks may smell me, but so what it seems to be working.

This morning after my quiet time and a lite breakfast of oatmeal with cinnamon and honey I pedalled out to the rec at 7:25 for 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball. We had 14 players today with several who had wet shirts, yea the sign of a good workout. A few players are talking about entering a tournament at Wesley Chapel on the 20th of Feb. as well as playing the Good Life Games which are once again held at our facility in March. The interest is just taking off for seniors(50+) in our area.

Well after PB Amy and Ava came by for lunch and I picked fresh lettuce, kale, beet greens and mustard greens to add to a nice big garden salad, Yumm!!! They stayed until it was time for Ava's doctors appointment at 3 PM. We headed out to the sidewalk so she could ride her bike(tricycle) in the bright warm sunshine however I could feel the shift in the wind as the outside temperature felt cooler. Ava is such a cutie and very perceptive. We saw and visited briefly with one of our elderly neighbor ladies(Jenny) who is taking chemo for a cancer condition who has lost all her hair. Ava noticed she had a special bike(walker) compared to her bike.

Well not much else is happening except I grilled a couple steaks, Nancy fried some potatoes and onions and warmed up a can of asparagus for supper. Yumm no wonder I can't lose any of this tummy. Well will close for now. LATER

Saturday on Sunday Morning

Well we weathered the coughing through the night but Nancy was once again congested as she started moving about. The fever seemed to have abated but deep down in her lungs she has a rumble and as the day progressed it lessened. So good so far for me. I'm still a little washed out. The morning started out with cool temp's and warmed up nicely the rest of the day, so much so that after lunch I sat out in the back yard reading for about 4 hours. By the way I read IN COLD BLOOD by Truman Capote. I'd heard about the true story of the Kansas murder that occurred in 1959 but just never read the book, mainly because I never cared for the author. Well let me assure you Capote did a masterful job of telling this story and now I know why he received much acclaim for this book. Absolutely one of the best investigating stories I've ever read; however the story is like the title of the book. Its hard to imagine that we(Americans) fight for the lives of killer's like Dick and Perry, yet want to kill helpless unborn babies. Read the book, its one you won't want to put down.

Nancy and I just vegetated for most of the day; she on the computer and reading me doing a little garden work and reading. We did get a load of laundry on the line with the bright sunshine and fresh east wind until clouds blew in around 4 PM. We got about a 15 minute rain shower. Just as we thought about putting something together for supper Amy called and invited us to supper. Seems Tyler was needing a little change of scenery from caring for 2 not feeling so well girls. He was making a new recipe for chicken fajitas on the stove, black beans and rice as well as greens. It was good to see Amy and Ava were doing a little better and the dinner was marvelous. We didn't stay long after the clean-up.

We got up with the intention to head out to Element this morning but Nancy was still hacking and expelling colorful luges so we thought why take the change on infecting others. We are doing our worship during our quiet time but sure do miss the "gathering" at Element. I almost forgot to mention we received so exciting news from grand daughter Annsley on Saturday morning. I will share that news at a later date.LATER

Friday

Well we were awakened in the early morning hours with a heavy rain downpour and it continued right up to the time I would normally ride out on my bike to the rec. I cancelled playing pickle ball this AM as Nancy was coughing up luge's with color and I felt a little flushed like I may be trying to catch some of the kids crud. Ava had a temperature of 102 when she left for her doctor's appointment yesterday so I didn't want to lower my ability to fight this stuff by wearing myself out on the court. We decided shortly after awakening that it would be best to cancel our baby sitting of Annsley and over night visit with the Hoffman's. We felt it was best to not infect them with what we had been exposed to the past couple days. We were very concerned regarding Amy's continued deterioration as she found very little relief during the night from her constant cough; so I picked up Ava at 9:30 AM so Amy could rest during the day. She sounded horrible and just looked really exhausted. Ava seemed a little better after getting started on antibiotics but still required a little Motrin during the day for fever.

We just hung around resting and taking lots of Vitamin C during the day while helping to entertain Ava. After lunch Nancy got her to take about a 3 hour nap then made a pot of vegetable soup with chicken broth. It wasn't a soup to remember but was probably good for us. Nancy's cough has slowed down with little or no luge's since lunch. I'm a little less washed out and hope maybe we have gotten beyond the infection stage to others. We kept Ava until Tyler came about 5:30 after work to take her home. Nancy sent a pot of the soup home for them for supper as well.

It looks as if we will have decent weather the rest of the weekend with temp's into the low 70's for a high and high 40's for a low. That's pretty much normal for us this time of the year. With the heavy rain this morning I didn't need to hand water the garden. I think I went outside to get the mail and that was about it for this day. Well, will close for now and hope that Amy and Ava are much better tomorrow and that we made the right choice by not infecting others this week end. We had a big weekend planned with family and friends but there is always another day. LATER

Thursday

Well this day will be one I don't want to duplicate in the near future. It started out with a good morning after quiet times and a lite breakfast and of course 2 hours of pickle ball play with a couple new players. I had to leave around 9:30 as Nancy had to take Amy to the hospital. She has contracted walking pneumonia and spent 6 hours in the women's section at Morton Plant with a monitor for little unborn Samuel. The doctor finally gave her a shot and prescribed lots of medicine. Little Ava was also running a fever most of the day with a nagging cough as well with lots of head congestion. Tyler came and picked her up from my babysitting around 4 and took her to the doctor as well. She also was prescribed lots of medicine. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day health wise for both of them.

I got the spuds and chicken ready while Nancy was with Amy but the dinner turned out well with out all of Nancy's little fixin's. I put the chicken on the grill around 4:30 and we ate at 6. The red potatoes were cooked up with parsley and we had a fresh salad along with fresh green beans. We fixed plates for Amy, Tyler and Ava to take home and eat. Sorry Ava never got to meet her cousins last night from Miami and her Uncle Eric missed seeing her tonight. Oh well we just hope Amy and Ava can get some relief and rest tonight from the high fevers and coughing. Tomorrow we will watch Ava during the day until its time for her nap and us taking off to Tampa for the evening and night.

Nancy's folks are both on antibiotics as well for coughing. It will be a miracle we don't catch something as well. Well we got in a game of Phase 10 after dinner and G/G (Nancy's Mom) won on the last round. Eric is flying out tomorrow night back to cold Michigan so we won't see him probably until July when one of his son's get married in Michigan. LATER .

Wednesday

Well the morning was a little chilly but after awhile it warmed up to the low 70's with lots of sunshine. I missed my pickle ball play today as I headed to Tampa Airport to pick up Nancy's older brother Eric who is down from Detroit until Friday. After my quiet time and a lite breakfast I stopped by and picked up W.B(Nancy's Dad) so he good ride along. I was back home by 9:30 after stopping and refueling a propane tank at U-Haul.

Nancy and I got ready and started out for a neighborhood walk of about 4 miles. On the way back we stopped and visited Ava and Amy for a short while. Amy wasn't feeling so good as she's been fighting a cough as well as a fever. Ava still has a runny and and now has developed a cough as well. After a lite lunch of salad we headed over to pick up Ava so Amy could get some rest.I never could get her to take a nap as she kept saying" her eyes didn't want to sleep".

Nancy made a large casserole dish of Shepherds pie as well as a chocolate cake with white icing to take to G/G and Pap's house for supper with Eric's oldest daughter and her family. Erica has 5 children with oldest who just turned 7 today.The youngest is just a little over 1. We had quite a house full and were sorry Amy,Tyler and Ava weren't feeling well enough to join us. We sent food home for them for supper. Erica and family have to return to Miami tomorrow but we will once again have a family supper at our house for Eric. Erica's youngsters are musically inclined and talented with the 7 year old girl playing the piano, 5 yr old boy on trumpet and harmonica. Yikes all I can do is play pickle ball!!!

We got a note from a fellow mountain friend that lives near our cabin that the Todd's have their place up for sale through a realtor. We are sorry to hear that but understand with the weather this year and his health they need to be nearer to town. We will certainly miss them as great neighbors and friends.

I got an interesting comment from a fellow pickle baller who reads my ramblings and is a club player in Sun City Center, Florida. I believe that's down toward Ellington and Bradenton area which is south of us. Thanks for your interest and maybe I can get some of our Seminole PB group to head your way for the tournament your sponsoring the 20th of February.

Will close for now, hoping our Amy and Ava are feeling better tomorrow. LATER

Tuesday

Well the day started out with cool temp's as Nancy had the heat on and by the afternoon I had the windows open. After a breakfast of a left over pancake(microwaved) and my quiet time I rode out to the rec for pickle ball on my bike. It was a North Carolina morning with cool temps, bird singing and sun shining. There was such a freshness in the air that we always compare to the beautiful mornings in the mountains during the summer months.

We had 13 players with 3 courts going and some really fast and furious play. I got in nearly 3 hours as some of us started play around 7:30. I will miss play tomorrow as I have to pick up brother-in-law Eric at the airport in Tampa at 8:30 AM who flies in from Detroit, Mi. He will be in for a treat as today the temp's reached into the 70's with clear skies. After leaving the rec I made a library stop before heading home and hand watering the garden. Ava and Amy came around 11 for lunch as they wanted to head out for shopping after eating. Nancy made a fresh garden salad using my lettuce, kale, beet greens, mustard greens, dill and oregano. These veggies like the cool nights and warm days.

After lunch I gave the rocking chair and end table a second coat of paint then once they dried I hauled them over to Amy's for their front porch. I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting in the sun in the back yard reading until it was time to help with supper. Nancy made a fresh turnip casserole, fresh Brussel sprouts in Dijon mustard and a couple of baked pork tenderloin chops. Once again real good eatin'. Well will close for now. LATER

Monday

Well it was nice to sleep in this morning although I really needed the workout from pickle ball but I'll be back at it tomorrow at 7:30 AM. Nancy made a great breakfast of buckwheat cakes after our quiet times and of course she put a ripe banana in the batter and instead of syrup I used honey. Now that is some good eatin' folks and good for you as well. The outside temps seemed to get colder as the day progressed as the sun was partially hidden with high clouds and the breeze was out of the north. I still wore shorts all day but eventually put on a long sleeve shirt while sanding and priming a rocking chair and table for Amy and Tyler. I also got a little garden work in as well. Amy and Ava came for a visit after lunch today and stayed until it was her nap time.

After the kids left Nancy and I took off on a long walk through the hood for about an hour and stopped off to see one of our neighbors new 36 foot motor home, yikes is that ever a neat way to vacation but the cost of gas is outrageous as it get about 5 miles per gallon. Anyhow we got back around 4 so we caught up on a little reading before heading over to Amy and Tyler for supper at 5:30. Amy had a chicken roasting in the oven and what a good smell as well as smashed spuds and gravy, fresh carrots and corn. Good eatin' daughter, your a chip off your mommas block!!! After cleaning up and playing with Ava we decided to get in a game of Phase 10. Tyler came out the winner in a close game.

Well not much else is a happening except the out side temps will probably go down in the 40's tonight. LATER.

Sunday

What an awesome day of worship, dedication and relationship building. We headed out to Element in Tampa with a few rain showers still lingering around but with temps in the 70's. What a difference a week makes as last week it was down below freezing. This morning would be the first time the kids get to use the new classroom's. We had 30-40 kid's and tons of visitors plus we dedicated 6 new babies and their families. Bobby's message was just inspiring and so right on. Wow what a group of people and Nancy and I feel so blessed to have made so many new relationships. This group of believers are so much like our friends at Cornerstone. The part of showing ownership in a church makes all the differene in how we relate to one another and our walk with CHRIST.

After the service we dedicated the new classrooms, had a shower for the kids and then celebrated with a huge cake(I was strong and didn't eat any). Its amazing what a group of folks can do when we all pull together. We got home around 1 PM and I vegetated watching the NFL except for some brief moments. A couple upsets today I thought with the Cowboys and Chargers losing. Amy, Tyler and Ava came for supper around 6 so I grilled deer burgers for Tyler and myself and hamburgers for the girls. The deer actually tasted better than the ground sirloin Nancy bought at the store, even she agreed. The kids stayed until about 8 as Tyler leads his college group on Sunday night.

Well tomorrow is a stay home day(no pickle ball) as its a holiday so we will just catch up on some little things and then head for Amy and Tyler 's for dinner. It sure was good to see little Annsley today. We are babysitting her this Friday night then we will get together with friends Becky and Jerry Hoffman who live in the Brandon area. They visited us this past fall at the cabin for a couple days. Looking forward to this next busy week and weekend. Nancy's brother Eric fly's in on Wednesday morning from Detroit and then flys out on Friday evening so that means there will be some great family dinner's this week as well. Enclosed are a few pics taken at Element this morning.LATER.

Saturday

Well the temp's have surely become more like what we Floridians are accustomed too. It was in the 70's most of the day with a breeze and by Saturday night a strong line of thunderstorms with some lightning stuck around for most of the evening and night with down pours at time. The morning started out with us sleeping in until after 7 then Nancy made us our favorite mountain breakfast; buckwheat cakes with a banana in the batter along with fresh blueberries after our quiet times. I headed out to work in the garden after eating wearing shorts and a t-shirt, it was that warm.

Speaking of the garden I replanted the cuke's, squash and beans and some radishes. The greens are doing well after the cold and 3 'maters plants survived. Two of those survivors I never covered and one survived that was covered, go figure that out. The frost was heavy here for a week, oh well maybe its the variety. These 10 plants that I did have were all volunteers, 9 of which I brought by from my compost pile at the cabin. I have no idea their make except they coudl be of the 3 varieties I had last summer; Roma, big boys and cherry. As long as they eat like a 'mater I'm tickled. About half of the 1/2 runner beans survived so I replanted right alongside of the dad or burned ones. The ones that did make it are blooming again and sending out new runners.

I then mowed the back yard and picked 5 bags of mostly leaves, weeds and a little grass clipping to be use as a mulch and to give my fishin' worms some food as well. Ava came around lunch but we had such a big breakfast we skipped eating anything until later when we all snacked on raw carrots,celery and cucumbers with ranch dressing. We had Ava until late in the evening as Amy and Tyler when looking for a new and bigger vehicle. They found a used Honda Accord with 16K miles and it looks brand new. Ava was thrilled as she climbed around in it when the kids got home.

Dan and Carol came for dinner and we had BBQ ribs, oven spuds, salad, spaghetti squash and sauteed mushrooms. The kids ate with us then left as Ava didn't take a nap. We didn't realize she had a pull-up in her bag and sometimes when she's napping she wees a little. Anyhow I layed down on the bed to read and rest my eye lids and Ava wanted to know if I had a pull-up on. She is so darn cute.

Better go as I need to leave for Element shortly, dedication Sunday for the newly completed classrooms for he kids. LATER

Friday

Wow was it ever a nice Florida morning for a change. The day itself turned out to be just great with temps into the 70's,bright sunshine and no humidity. I headed out to the rec on my bike after my quiet time and a breakfast of oatmeal with a banana, blue berries, honey and cinnamon. I got in nearly 2 1/2hours of play with a total of about 12 players. The first 1/2 hour was fast and furious with some long rallies and super shots. We will have the next 3 days off as the rec is closed Monday for a national holiday. I was whipped by 10 AM and looking forward to babysitting Ava while Amy had a doctor's appointment with the "to be born" in the near future, Samuel.

Ava and I played outside and hung a load of laundry on the clothesline. What a great day for airing out the house and that's just what we did as we opened the windows and cut the heat off. It warmed up to 73 inside the house. We understood the mountains reached 55 today. That must have helped to melt a lot of that snow on the ground. Glad to see the break in the weather not only for us here but for those in the mountains. Our friends Toni and Mark head back to Michigan tomorrow and even their temp's reached to about the freezing level today. I think they spent the morning and early afternoon at the beach.

Ava and I after a lite lunch of leftovers played outside with her new trike her grandparents from Kansas send to her a day ago. She can reach the pedal's with her feet, but is having a little difficulty keeping it on the side walk. With a little practice she will master this exercise in no time. We crossed the street and played with "Sadie Dog" who gave Ava several kisses. Once again the girls took off to several places so Ava and I watched UP 3 more times while they were gone. I managed to read a little. Well after Ava left for her afternoon nap Nancy and I visited across the street Toni and Mark at Ms Carol's house as they head back north tomorrow.

Well not much else is going on so we had a meatless dinner tonight with black beans, rice and fresh broccoli. Tomorrow we are having neighbors Dan and Carol for dinner and have barbecue ribs on the menu. I will enclose a few pics of Ava today. LATER.

Wednesday and Thursday

Well once again the frost was so heavy as I rode out to the rec you could have sled ridden on it, that's if you could have found a hill steep enough. Needless to say it was cold with frozen stuff everywhere. After my usual quiet time and a lite breakfast I got in 2 good hours of pickle ball play before heading home for a quick bite of lunch before heading out to St.Pete for a root canal. Well let me tell that is not a great thing to look forward too but the opposite could mean infection that eventually could leave you very sick. It seems I was right; I had the start of an abscess in the tooth I just had capped or crowned. This dentist was pain free and although I was in the chair a couple hours I felt he was competent and seem to care how I felt. Finally after getting sedated around lunch time I was out of there and trying to fill a prescription for penicillin at Walmart around 3 PM.

After getting home I started to feel the effects of the procedure as the Novocaine began to wear off. Anyhow I managed to get through the evening as we were having our house church with dinner included. My what another good meal as both Nancy and Carol made lasagnas, Amy brought a super salad with home made Greek dressing and Lucy made an apple dessert(I refrained from the dessert). After our meeting we headed home and I took my first pain medicine for the evening and that's been the extent of my pain. My upper jaw near the area of the the root is still sore to touch and somewhat red as a result of the abscess. Sleep last night was good.

This morning(Thursday) found me up and ready to ride out to the rec on my bike after my quiet time and a lite breakfast of oatmeal. We had 14 players today and a reporter from the local Seminole Beacon came by and got the scoop on our group of pickle ball players.He took several action shots and is preparing a write up in the senior activity section. Hopefully we will get some good press, however I'm not to sure we want any more players as we are almost at capacity unless management gives us more gym time.

After leaving the rec and Nancy as she was on the (t)dreadmill; I headed home to water the gardens or what is left of it after the 5 straight nights of frost and cold temp's. We got ready to head to Tampa and Element Church and stopped on the way for Subway for lunch. We helped to put the finishing touches on room setup, cleaning, mopping and vacuuming as well as some minor carpentry. We carried in the table and chairs and set them up in the craft room. We headed back to Pinellas around 3 PM and made a couple stops at Sam's and Publix's. I noticed the truck thermometer was at 76 for a short period and even now the outside temp is still at 65.

Nancy fried up some excellent fish along with yellow rice and a fresh salad for supper. Yeow was that ever good eatin'. Well tomorrow is pretty much the usual except I'm watching Ava while Amy has a doctor's appointment and Nancy has her weekly Friday Bible study at SFBC. I'm thrilled the temp's has moderated back to our normal cycle. Sorry I missed last nights blog but there wasn't a whole to tell and by the time I popped a couple ibuprofen and showered I was ready for the sack LATER.

Tuesday

What a heavy frost this morning even though the temps were about 8 to 10 degrees warmer than yesterday. This last round has just about done in some of my garden plant, although some plants have actually done better. I think I may have 3 tomato plant out of 10 that could survive an maybe a hand full of bean plants. The squash and cuke's are gone along with most of my marigolds. The peas, kale, beets, mustard greens, lettuce and broccoli look like they will survive. After my quiet time and a lite breakfast of oatmeal with cinnamon, honey, banana and a few fresh blueberries I rode out once again on the bike to the rec for 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball. Great play with just 4 of us for nearly 45 minutes. Wow what fast and furious play until the general players arrived around 8:15 then we ended up 10 players for the day. Once again we had another newbie female player.

Ava and Amy came for lunch and we finished off the Tortilla Soup from last nights dinner. We each had 2 bowels and little Ava ate a whole bowel herself. That is very unusual for her as she is a snacker. The girls took off to exchange some Christmas presents so Ava stayed with me an we watched UP again. We had a great time together and of course she had a couple snacks. I'm still having discomfort in the jaw from the recently broken tooth even after a crown. Well I was back to the dentist for another evaluation and my worst case scenario has occurred. Tomorrow I go in for a root canal and that's another boat load of bucks. Oh well I'm told don't have it pulled especially since I already have over a grand invested in the tooth.

The temps this afternoon nearly reached 60 and with the bright sunshine it actually felt delicious. I believe we are forecasted for even warmer temps tomorrow. Looking forward to some 70's with lows in the 60's. Now that is Florida in the winter. I spoke with an old mountain friend last night and they have been with below freezing temps for over a month. I feel blessed with our just a few days of cold weather and they are forecasted with more snow. Well not much else going on. LATER

Monday

Yikes was it ever downright COLD this morning, and the 28 degrees for our area of Florida set all kinds of records. My oh my was it chilly on the bike as I rode to the rec after my quiet time and a lite breakfast of oatmeal with blueberries and a banana. There was ice and frost everywhere on the tops of houses, cars and all over the lawns. I had my garden pretty much covered with old sheets,buckets and cardboard boxes to help save the plants. I had 3 tomato plants that look as if they may have survived the freeze as well as a couple of bean plants. but most all the leafy green plants actually looked better after all the cold but the rest of the garden looked frozen.

We had 14 players for pickle ball once again on this cold morning. It sure was nice to be able to play in a warm gymnasium. I had a good 2 1/2 hour workout and then did another 15 minutes on the elliptical while waiting for Nancy to arrive. She was brave and ventured out walking to the rec in this cold.I stopped off at the library and picked up a book before heading home to take off all the blankets, etc from my plants. I had used them on my plants since Saturday. I sure was disappointed at all the cold damage, Oh well at last we have heat. Several of our friends are without heat as their heat pumps have quit working or are just worn out. The power company has reduced power to several of the schools who are out of session for "snow days" due to the cold. That is hard to believe but the mention of rolling blackouts are a real possibility because of such power demands.

Next Sunday we are having a "classroom shower" for the new kids warehouse at Element Church. Nancy and I decided to find a table and chairs to donate as our small part so we headed over to Oldsmar to the Classroom Furniture warehouse where we found a new 30"x 60" adjustable steel leg table and 6 12"in high chairs to go in the toddlers classroom. This furniture is well made and looks great as well.

Nancy made her famous tortilla soup for dinner and did that ever hit the spot for this chilly evening. Its suppose to once again be in the low 30's in our area with a hard freeze just to the north of us for the night and early morning. We are sure looking forward to the possibility of high 60's later on this week. Well not much else is happening except to say Amy and Ava came by today for lunch and to visit until it was time for Ava's nap. Ava burned her wrist over the week end on the stove top but seems to be recovering quite nicely. She is such a cutie and of course we watched UP with her after lunch. LATER.

Sunday

Well it indeed was sunny today but colder than all get out. Down below freezing for hours. I definitely lost some plants but won't know until tomorrow afternoon if I loss it all as I kept the blankets on all day. The highest today was 42. Now that's not right for Florida especially when it was 90+ in October and the a/c running Christmas Day.

We had a good time of worship at Element this morning in Tampa with cold windy temps in the 30's. The Florida Blood Sevices visited our campus with a bloodmobile at 10 AM, so I was one the first give blood. We learned for every unit given there is at least 3 people effected. Our Pinellas house church started this tradition a couple months ago and we hope to continue with it every 8 weeks or so. I think our total for the morning was 23 donors. Several attempted to give but were rejected because of the 8 weeks time period in between donations. There was a big move after the message to get the classrooms ready for next weeks use and dedication of the new classrooms for our kids and grand kids. Most of the old classroom furniture was moved into the new building in anticipation of its use.

We stopped off at Sonny's Barbecue for lunch on the way home before stocking up on some items from Walmart and Sam's Club. I spent the rest of the afternoon watching the Ravens whup the Patriots and then what a game between the Packers and Cardinals. I read Kurt Warner's biography a couple years ago when he was with the Rams. He is a great role model as well as a super human being. I had to pull for him and their team won in overtime. What a high scoring game at 96 total points. Obviously, neither team has a dominant defense.

Well not much else going on except trying to stay warm. It looks as if we will get some Florida warmth back this way by the weekend, at least it will be above freezing. LATER.

Saturday

Wow its been 10 to 12 years since we have last seen temps this cold in Tampa Bay and probably 20 + years to have it sustained for this amount of time. As I write its already at 32 and fore casted to go into the 20's tonight and tomorrow the high is only to the 40's and even colder tomorrow night. I made an effort to protect what I could in the garden by spreading old sheets on my beans, placed 5 gallon buckets on top of several tomato plants and moved what potted plants and flowers into the shed. I wrapped my cuke's with a towel and placed cardboard boxes on some newly sprouted lettuce seedling.

Well the rain woke us this morning as well as the heat pump constantly running. We slept in until after 8 as we stayed up and visited with neighbors until after midnight last night. Nancy and I won both PHASE 10 games last night. That's a fun game but I sure miss the raucous play that goes with the game of Sequence or maybe its the rowdy play of our mountain friends that I miss most. Nancy made a mountain breakfast of buckwheat hotcakes and cackleberries, Yummm!! Sure miss those free range brown eggs.

Not much else going on as its too dabblame COLD outside to do anything else. Tomorrow we head to Element in Tampa for worship then we give blood at the Florida Blood Services bloodmobile that will be at the church. Our particular house church here in Pinellas County started that tradition for Element. We certainly hope we can be a blessing to someone in need.

Well will close for now as the second NFL playoff game is about to start. The Jets beat the Bengals in the early game and now the Eagles play the Cowboys in the second. I have lots of family and friends who are die hard Cowboy fans so I'm rooting for them. Stay warm and take a moment to give thanks. Join in with a group folks and worship the LORD, especially tomorrow on Sunday. LATER

Friday

Well I thought I would get a jump on posting for today as we are having friends over tonight to play cards. Toni and Mark are down from Coldwater, Michigan for a week or so and we use to get together with them to play games going back 30 plus years. Toni's mom and dad were great neighbors and friends for years and still live just across the street. Her dad Mr. Bill has since passed away and Carol (mother)lives alone and is up in years. We or I do little odd jobs from time to time to help her out. We have remained friends over the years.

After my quiet time this morning and a lite breakfast I headed out to the rec on my bike and I wore only my flannel shirt for warmth. The temps were up into the middle 40's and it was actually pleasant compared to the last couple of mornings. We had 3 nets for pickle ball play with 14 players. A raucous good time of play was had by all and by 10 AM we were ready to call it a good workout, especially since we had been there since 7:30. I stopped off at the library on the way home. Nancy was at her 10 AM Bible study at SFBC.

Amy and Ava came about 11:30 for lunch and to give Tyler a chance to get a little work done from home as he was feeling under the weather. We baked up a pizza, fresh salad and I finished the leftover mac and cheese. Pickle ball leaves me ravenous . We played with Ava until it was time for her to head home for her afternoon nap and mine. The weather had since turned nasty after the pleasant morning with rain and quickly falling temp's. The heat is still on as I write and is expecting to drop in the 30's tonight.

Well not much else is going around here except trying to stay warm and looking forward to some sunshine and warmer temp's. LATER.

Thursday

There was a heavy coat of frost this morning on everything, but once again I'm happy to report my garden was spared, do to the surrounding trees. Tonight its not supposed to be as cold with lows in the upper 30's but this week end the forecast is for the high 20's here. Yeow, doesn't look as if the veggies will survive those temp's especially with the wind chill. My eyes watered all the way to the rec as I rode my bike after my quiet time and a lite breakfast, but by 10 AM the temps had risen to the middle 40's and really wasn't so bad. Speaking of the rec we had 9 players today with some good fast play at times with another female newbie. I got a call from the local paper that want to do a story along with an interview of me regarding pickle ball at our rec. sometime next week. Seems like there is interest out there for this sport among the 50 and over crowd.

After the rec I made a stop at the library for a couple new reads then headed on home to hand water the gardens. The sun was shining brightly and by 11 AM it actually felt good in the protected areas. I believe it may have been close to 55 today, not bad considering the cold the past several days. At least there is sunshine. Amy and Ava came for lunch and we finished off the homemade beef barley vegetable soup, Yumm!! Ava wanted to watch UP after lunch and have her many snacks. We played with her until it was time for her to head home for her afternoon nap and that's just what I did as well. Ahh, retirement!!!

Well around 3:30, Nancy went for her walk through the neighbor even though she did 30 minutes on the (t)dreadmill at the rec this morning; I decline after having a good 2 hour workout this morning. I caught up on Crazyguyonabike.com website of a few interesting journals of guys, girls and some have even taken their babies with them, who pedal all around the world and share their adventures plus great pictures. Check it out.

Nancy and I decided to cut out meat a couple nights a week if we are having a starch, so tonight we fixed a couple baked spuds and a large salad much of which I picked from my garden such as; lettuce, kale, mustard greens, beet greens, radishes and fresh dill. My basil doesn't like this cold weather,as I sure miss its flavor on salads and I'm not sure if its going to make it. I like minced fresh jalapeno pepper on my baked spud, try it as it wakes up your taste buds, even Nancy likes it at times. My peppers are starting to produce and homegrown ones always taste better than store bought.

Well not much else going on except the big college football game of the season between Alabama and Texas tonight. I would have liked to have seen Tim Tebow lead a team to the championship but maybe some day he will be a great example in the NFL. That sport seriously needs some great young men to be good examples for our football athletes instead of the "criminal element" that seem to be so pervasive among the players. Anyhow that's another soapbox for another day. LATER.

Wednesday

Well I must say we had lots of bright sunshine all day but the temps stayed down in the 40's with a heavy frost this morning. Luckily the large oaks that surround my back yard protected the garden once again from the killing frost. The cuke's and beans were touched a little with the cold wind but I think at this point they will recover. After a light breakfast and my quiet time I rode out to the rec on the bike and once again my eyes watered the whole ride which is probably less than 2 miles but felt like I was on the Iditarod Race in Alaska. Ava was awake when the alarm sounded at 6:15 AM and immediately wanted to watch UP again as she wanted her juice and snacks.

WE had 14 players this morning for pickle ball with 5 of us starting play around 7:30 which lasted until 10 AM. The play was fast and furious with wet shirts even as cold as it was.

This was our last morning with Ava before Amy came to pick her up later in the day. She was such a joy to watch and there is never a dull moment when she is awake. Annsley and Jill came around 11 AM as she needed to have Twill Auto work(brakes,tuneup,oil change etc.) on her car. Dan the owner is our friend and neighbor who is very honest and trustworthy. That is unusual in this market today. The girls gathered here at our place to play, have lunch and eventually help grand ma Nancy make cookies. They left about 2 PM to pick up Jill's car. Nancy had frozen the rib bones from the standing rib roast on Christmas Day and she made a great pot of beef barley vegetable soup using the bones for her base flavor. My that made for a great soup for lunch and each of us had 2 bowls on this cold day. Yikes I'm ready for warm days and having the a/c on again.

Not much else going on except the house is sure quiet with out Ava entertaining and keeping us busy at the same time. Ahhh the joys of grand parenting. We spoke with our "mountain mom" (Helen) just before supper and the temps up there have not been any where near being above the freezing level for nearly a week, plus they had more snow last night and our friend(Mechelle's) big toe is forecasting another snow right away. I'm really convinced I'm not ready to spend the winter up there anytime soon.Well I've rambled enough, enclosed are a couple pics of the girls from today's visit.Here's wishing all a warm and snugly evening. I almost forgot to congratulate the Iowa State Hawkeyes football team on their win last night as well as the Boise State Bronco's the night before. Both games were refreshing to watch for a change even though I have no allegiance to either school.LATER

Tuesday

Yikes its COLD in Florida!! I will forever have a greater appreciation for Spring and Summer. You know a friend of ours prayed for the coldest weather this past October when it was 90 degrees every day here in Florida; but now I know that I can always handle finding a cool spot when I'm hot. This morning found me riding out to the rec at 7:30 on the bike with my eyes watering and the cold wind ripping through my flannel shirt. We don't wear coats in Florida where its a/c weather at Christmas, but this morning I had an inkling of what our mountain friends have been facing the last couple of weeks. Mind numbing cold. After my quiet time and a breakfast of oatmeal, cinnamon and honey I pedaled out.

We had 14 players once again for 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball with lots of wet shirts. The play was fast and furious. I actually saw my shadow a couple times in the late afternoon, but for the most part it didn't get much above 45 all day. Nancy headed out of course driving to the rec to do her 30 minutes on the (t)dreadmill before heading off for her Publix fix. After she got home we had a lite lunch then I played with Ava until it was time to head out for a couple errands plus get my new crown fitted for my tooth I broke before Christmas. Wow, Dr.Moss did a great job saving that tooth and the crown looks so natural. I headed over for a meeting with my financial advisor before stopping by to water Tyler's garden and check on the mail. I could see my breath as I watered.

Nancy made meatloaf, mac and cheese and peas for dinner. Man was that ever tasty plus the oven added a little more heat in the kitchen. After dinner I cleaned up and we played with Ava . Tonight is our last night for awhile with her. She has been a delight and our days will take some getting use to, especially the evenings. We have watched UP the movie with her so much that we actually will miss watching it 20 times a day. Such a cutie is she and just down right sweet and loving. Tomorrow Jill is bringing Annsley over for the day so the girls will have a chance to play until its time for them to head back to Riverview.

Well will close for now as its close to Ava's bath time, just as soon as UP is through playing. LATER

Sunday Evening on Monday

Yikes its down right nippy for Florida with a cold drab overcast day that didn't get out of the 40's. What's with this weather? We just stayed around the house all day as we were afraid Ava's sore tummy my reappear especially if we took her out in this cold damp air. I just watched the Bucs play a lousy game. Sure glad its their last one for this year and from the crowd in the stands looked like so did everybody else. I don't know why it was televised. The Cowboys whupped the Eagles which also tuned out to be a lopsided game and not much fun to watch as well as the Jets tore the Bengals apart as well. I'm kind a glad the regular season is over.

Ava and I watched the movie UP a couple times. It's a real cute movie and one I recommend highly. We have had a grand time so far with her especially with her in her Tinkerbell costume while riding Blaze, her horse. I will enclose of couple pics.

This morning around 5 AM she came into our bed with us and slept until it was time for the alarm at 6 :15. She was out of bed right a way wanting her snacks and wanting to watch UP again. I headed out to the rec with additional clothing on as there was frost last night. Luckily the trees in the yard sheltered my garden so there as no damage. Brr it was cold riding to the rec on the bike.Today the temp's haven't reached the 50's as of yet although the sun is shining brightly. At the rec we had 14 players today and a newbie as well. She wasn't a bad player for the first time. We had 2 good hours of workout and believe me I needed the workout after being stuck in the house for most of the weekend due to the cold temp's.

We took Ava to the rec around 11:30 so she could play outside on the playground equipment while Nancy did her 30 minutes on the (t)dreadmill. The air was awfully cold in the shaded areas. After the rec we had some hot soup then hung a couple loads of laundry. After lunch we watched UP again until it was time for Ava's nap. I then layed down with her while she slept for nearly 2 hours. I managed a little reading time in while she napped. She and Nancy are now making chocolate chip cookies before we head over to G/G's for lasagna for dinner around 5.

Well, will go for now, not much else except we are tired of these cold temp's all day long. LATER

Saturday on Sunday Morning

Well I will catch up on yesterday(Sat. after lunch) as we are once again parenting as grand parents. Ava is such a delight but she must have a little elephant in her as she doesn't forget a thing. We were a little concerned as she acted tired and complained a little from time to time that her tummy hurt. It seems she picked up a stomach bug with several bouts of diarrhea over the course of the day. She slept nearly 10 hours and I think that helped her immensely. This morning she ate a whole banana and a buckwheat pancake for breakfast. I think the trip back from Kansas and getting to bed around 2 AM plus up until after midnight on New Years Eve and the excitement at the family dinner all within a short time frame just stressed her system.

The weather here is cold with temp's down into the 30's but no frost last night so the garden was spared once again; but I see a little sunshine peeping through the grey skies. We cancelled our get together with Annsley after church this morning as we didn't want to pass this bug around, especially with a group of toddlers at Element. Nancy and I managed to get our quiet times in between video's of Peter Pan, Snow White and Blaze galloping off into the living room.

Well we are sure not use to this sustained period of cold for Florida but this chill is nothing to what our northern and mountain friend's are experiencing, YIKES!! it is down right nasty up there. We hope for warmer days and that Spring is not too far off for all of you. I'm having a tough time accepting this "global warming conspiracy"promoted by those who stand to make tons of dollars.

Well were glad to hear Amy and Tyler had a safe trip to cold Atlanta with the 17 folks in their group. I sure hope the Atlanta Falcons come to Tampa today, cold. This is the final game of the regular season and the Bucs are on a 2 game winning streak after knocking off the 13-1 Saint' last Sunday. GO BUCS!!I almost forgot to mention the USF Bulls(Tampa town team) another good team from the Big East who just happened to beat an Illinois team in a bowl game yesterday.


Well I'm rambled on long enough, top of the day to all. LATER

Friday on Saturday Morning

Well the day started out early with rain falling on the roof during the early morning hours. I finally managed a decent nights sleep after 2 nights of not sleeping to good. I drug myself out of the sack a little after 8 AM. That reminded me of some of those peaceful mountain mornings from last summer when we would sleep in after 8 almost every morning. However, I wouldn't want to be in the mountains at the cabin this time of the year.The snow is still on the ground with lots of ice and the wind chill this morning was a minus 12 degree's. Holy Cow, that is cold!!! We have the heat on here as I write with the temp's not getting much above 50 today and for the next several days. Lows are expected to be right about the freezing mark. I certainly hope my garden survives but it's looking doubtful for the beans, 'maters and some of the herbs. The strong breeze is making it downright cold out there.

Nancy fixed us a couple blueberry buckwheat cakes for breakfast with an egg on top, now that's a good breakfast to start out the new year. After a clean up we got a ham bone on to boil for the bean soup we were preparing to go along with the traditional supper for New Year's Day; later on this evening when the whole family comes to celebrate. G/G was roasting a pork loin with sauerkraut, kielbasa and a few hot dogs and Nancy was making the smashed 'taters, pumpkin and fresh blueberry pies. What a tasty treat as sauerkraut and pork have become one of our favorite meals.

We just spent the rest of the evening as well as most of the day watching some really good( for a change) college bowl games. It was great to see Coach Bobby Bowden of FSU go out with a win after his team beat a ranked team as well as a super young man, Tim Tebow took the number 3 team in the nation apart with his superb leadership. Florida is blessed to have 2 great schools with outstanding football teams, actually 3 teams as we can't forget the Miami 'Canes. The Outback Bowl in Tampa was an overtime game with a great finish as was the Rose Bowl with a hard fought game.

Nancy and I are looking after Ava while Amy and Tyler lead a group of 17 students to Atlanta, Georgia for the Passion Conference for college students. They will begone until Wednesday so we will have lots of grand parenting to do with Ava. She is such a joy and so smart. Both Ava and Annsley will get to be together again on Sunday as we will visit the afternoon after church. The girls play so well together and are so much fun.

Well we are getting some laundry out and if it warms up enough we will go to the rec center for some playtime after lunch so Ava can play on the playground equipment. Not much else planned other than staying warm and playing with Ava. Later.