Sunday

Just a little about another beautiful day weather wise in the Sunshine State. We are happy to hear our cabin friends are finally getting some warm, sunny days with temps in the 60's. Our morning started out the usual with temps down into the high 40's but quickly moved upwards as the sunshine warmed the air to the middle 70's and no northern breeze which actually made it feel warmer. After our quiet time and oatmeal with fruit for breakfast we got ready to travel to Tampa for worship with son, Bobby at Element Church.

This Sunday was the blood drive Sunday and the area was in dire need of O positive and negative blood as much was used to try and save the lives of 2 St.Pete officers who were gunned down last week and eventually died.We watched some of the funeral services on T.V. and what a testament the wife of one officer had in her strong faith. Anyhow, Nancy and I both gave blood along with others who were still giving as we left after the service. We took granddaughter Annsley with us to her house where we spent the rest of the day until about 8 o'clock.

We brought a large fresh salad from home then shared some of Bob's very tasty smoked pork butt from his get together with Jill's family the night before for lunch. It was very good and he eventually decided to make burgers along with sweet potato fries for supper after he got back from the orphan home later in the evening. My those were great burgers and fries as well. We spent the afternoon playing and loving up on Gabey and Annsley. It was a fun family day as well a day to give thanks through our worship. LATER

Saturday

Well it was a gorgeous day here in sunny Florida, finally. After our quiet times and a mountain breakfast of leftover 'taters that we fried with a couple eggs, Yumm. That held us until early afternoon when an apple held me until supper. I spent the morning working in the garden until it was time to take a good hour hike through the hood then I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting under the big oak in the back yard reading. Wow was it ever nice and the sun was hot.

We had a good friends and neighbors Dan and Carol for pork chops on the grille, sauteed swiss chard and beet greens, cauliflower and a garden salad. Good eating once again but few carbs. Afterwards we played Phase 10 and then oh -ell(h). We split with the girls and guys each taking a game but the Botbyls won both. Later

Friday

Yea it warmed up enough to sit in the sun for an couple hours and to be outside without a coat. After my quiet time and the usual bowl of oatmeal with some fruit I pedalled( it was rather nippy as I rode out on the bike) out to the rec for some 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball. You would think with all this exercise I would start to trim this excess belly fat but NO, not yet !!! I think it has a lot to do with all these family meals and last night was no exception(I'm writing this on Sat. morning).

After pickle ball I stopped by the library and picked up a sack of books I ordered last week on line then headed for the garden. I watered and fed the new seedlings and if my bib lettuce makes I will have plenty to share. The tomato's are still growing but the cold has really stunned their growth and the fruit is not very big but they are still home grown and delicious. Everything else is doing great especially the snow peas(sugar), broccoli, kale, swiss chard, onions, beets, collards, parsnips and a multitude of herbs. Peppers are a little stunned but I do see some new growth, anyhow unless we get a new freeze we should be able to feed the 'hood.

Nancy was at her Friday morning Bible study at SFBC so I vacuumed the house and got the smoker ready for a new creation, smoked turkey. We had about a 15 pounder we bought on sale before Christmas so I wanted to do beer in the rear bird which we all like with a chicken. There were lots of "I sure will miss the gravy" or "it will be so dried out" or "make sure it's done" anyhow this was my idea and not many were for it especially the old folks. Well we separated the skin from the meat around the breast and put fresh thyme, garlic powder, Lowery Seasoning and I put a onion in the hole where the neck would be, stuffed it with fresh parsley then stuffed a tall can of beer into the cavity and loaded the smoker with apple wood and hickory. At 5:30 I turned the electric off and this baby was beautiful and the edges around the drumstick were starting to recede. I stuck a thermometer into the thigh and it was 160 degrees, actually 135-140 was the temp. to indicate it was done so I knew I wouldn't have any problems in that department. We let it set for about 30 minutes while we tried some of my now much improved with time homemade blackberry vino.

Nancy had baked spuds with all the trimmings, a broccoli casserole, Amy made a fresh garden salad from Tyler's garden, plus brownies for the girls and GG brought 2 pies; lemon and chocolate. Needless to say when I carved this beautiful bird the meat fell literally off the bone and it was the juiciest meat ever. There was so much incredulity by all except me, the taste was magnificent and the smoke did not linger in your belly(no burping it later). The wood smoke is very mild whereas usually oak and mesquite wood can leave a lingering taste afterwards. This meat flavor was so mild and delicious. We nearly devoured the whole bird with just little left for maybe a sandwich or two tomorrow.

Little Sam ate and ate this bird and we were amazed at his appetite for meat which he can be picky. Everyone was just amazed at the moistness after being in the smoker for 5 1/2 hours. next time I can probably reduce the time to 5 hours of course that depends on the size. I think its 20 minutes per pound in the smoker(electric).

A fun time was had by all and after baths, book reading and just general visiting they headed out for home around 10 o'clock. I was ready for a shower after the clean up and had no trouble falling asleep. I think the neighbors have put the feathered alarm clock in the garage at nights. Yea for that. Saturday morning looks like its going to be a bright, warm sunny shine day with tempos near 70. I took some pics of the evening but as you can tell by my picture taking Nancy is the pro. I will post a few. LATER

Thursday

Well the morning started out with rather chilly temps down into the low 40's but at least the sun was shining. After my quiet time and a bowl of oatmeal with some fruit I pedalled out to the rec for some pickle ball. We had a good turn out with 18 players and had some super rallies with lots of wet shirts. I headed home after the workout to work in the garden. I had to hand feed the plants after the heavy rains from the day before. The winds made it to too cold to stay outside and work in the yard for long.

Amy and the kids came for lunch and we ate the left over pizza, baked zitti and some salad. After they left around 2:30 we just chilled and I read until it was time to start supper. We had Amy and the kids for supper tonight so we had tacos using lots of our home grown veggies. Well not much else is going on except we are having a big supper here tomorrow evening with family. I'm smoking a turkey with a beer in the rear. Will let you know how it turns out. LATER

Wednesday

Well the morning sure looked like it was going to pour rain at any moment, but it held off and by the time I left the rec at 10 AM the sun was shining brightly with a stiff northern breeze. After my quiet time and the usual bowl of boring oatmeal with some fruit I pedalled out to the rec for some pickle ball with about 16 others. We had some good play especially the first hour or so. Afterwards I headed on home to check on the garden after the couple inches of rain we had on Tuesday through out the day. Everything looks like it will make it although the new lettuce seedlings took a beating. The radish seeds I planted a couple days ago are up; I only hope I got them planted in the waning sign of the moon.

We took off after I got home for a trip to Sam's club for some goodies and a stop at Winn Dixie for a rib roast on sale at 4.49 a pound whereas its usually 7.99 a pound and up. We had them to cut 10 steaks and a nice 3-4 bone roast from the whole loin. Looks like I'm smoking a 15 pound turkey on Friday and having the family over for a big dinner. That will be first time I've ever done a beer in the turkey, I just hope its as good as the chicken smoked that way. After Sam's we fixed a frozen pizza and had a fresh salad for lunch. I'm still a little nasally but Nancy is finally getting over her cold and can now taste again. She headed to the rec in the early afternoon for a workout while I chilled and finished up a good read.

We picked up a rotisserie chicken at Sam's for supper and had a fresh salad to go with it before heading out to house church at 7 PM. There was a good crowd and we had a couple new faces as well as we missed a few familiar faces. I stayed in a room with the little ones and had my hands full with the 4 of them. Well not much else is going on, LATER

Tuesday

Yikes, what a day in the flat land of the sub-tropics. The morning started with me actually asleep when the alarm went off(where's that bloody rooster, more on that later). After our quiet time and a bowl of boring oatmeal with some rasp and blueberries, I straddled the 18 speed and pedalled to the rec for a workout on the pickle ball courts. We had a moderate turnout with about 15 players and the play was fast and furious, we were missing a couple of regulars hopefully they will be back tomorrow. I'm still recovering from the head cold so at times I was a little lax in my play but I had a good wet shirt from the workout. It sure was good to get back and move the blood around in the body.

After the rec I stopped by the library and picked up another read as I'm about finished a great true story read titled A DEADLY SECRET by Matt Birkbeck, yeow what a great job by some troopers in New York State. This is a don't want to put down read until the end. Pictures included!!!!I pedalled on home in the warm temp's so I hand watered the garden and played around pulling weeds. I had heard we were getting a major rain fall later in the day so I didn't soak it as much as usual.

Amy and the grand babies came for lunch so I finished off the tortilla soup which actually seemed to get spicy the more it sat but was still a good dish. I took another antihistamine because of the lingering congestion but at least I can breathe through my nose. Nancy is doing much better since starting the amoxicilin, me I'm still doing it the wagon train way, but I may cheat tonight at bed time and throw down a couple of those pilfered antibiotics as Nancy proclaims I'll never use all of the 7 days prescribed for me. She is so nice to share her meds, especially after she gave me the dang infection. Oh well!!!

After lunch the kids played a while and the girls watched an Avonlee disc so I read and then felt like taking a nap. I laid on the bed in the green room and had a good nap only to wake up to a heavy down pour with lighting. I mean a downpour with a river running down our street. There were tornado warning everywhere with 50-60 mile gusts and super heavy rain. Thankfully we sustained no damage in our neighborhood but some areas had lots of trees down and lots of street flooding. Nancy fixed salmon cakes with a baked spud and cooked spinach for supper. Now that's working on reducing some belly fat; especially since I left the butter off the spud and just used some chopped radishes and a touch of sour cream for a topping. Yummm!!!

Nancy noticed our neighbor leaving this afternoon with that dang rooster sitting on the front seat of his truck as they left the 'hood. Not looking good to eat that bird at this point or any time soon. Well not much else is going on here in the deep south except lots of much needed rain and of course the temps are supposed to cool off again after this front moves through. I see where our northern family and friends are expecting some more of that frozen rain as this front heads their way. We had some great news about our little baby friend Harrison who has had a tremendous amount of health issues since making his way into the world. Keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers. LATER

Monday

Well the heat ran all night long but as the morning progressed the cold temp's went away and the bright sunshine brought warmth. I decided to sleep in because I was still somewhat clogged due to the head cold Nancy shared with me on Friday evening. She had gone to the doctor on Friday for a diagnosis but still the runny nose, clogged head and crud oozed from her body so we decided she would fill her prescription amoxicillin after breakfast and that I would stay home from the rec. I could feel myself getting somewhat better as the day went along and she took her first 1000mg dosage around lunch time. Anyhow after our quiet times, I finished the leftover pancakes from Saturday's breakfast before I headed out to check on the gardens.

Speaking of lunch Amy made my favorite Italian bean soup for supper on Friday and brought me a enough for a couple bowls when she came with Ava and Sam for lunch today. Yumm that is the best soup ever. The herbs I had stored in the shed last night due to the very cold temps seemed fine so I took them out and then took off all the sheets covering the tomato and pepper plants. Certainly hope this will be the end of near freezing temps for our area.

The temps suddenly began to rise and by 2 o'clock I had opened the windows and put on shorts and a T- shirts. We decided we should get some exercise so we did a 3-4 mile walk through the hood. It was just beautiful out. I came back to read a while before starting the grill for some marinated chicken breasts that we were putting on a bed of fresh garden salad for supper. Yikes was that ever good eatin'.

Well not much else exciting with us but on a sad note we had 2 local St.Pete police officers shot and killed this morning along with a U.S. Marshall as they tried to serve a warrant for man who had already been in prison once before. One officer left 3 children.Well better go as I'm planning on returning to the rec for a workout. LATER

Sunday

Well it was another morning of runny noses and clogged sinus's. We decided after wakening to not share our wet gifts to any of our family and friends at Element Church. The morning was another chilly one for Florida with temps down into the low 30's. I had covered my tomato's and peppers the night before and moved several small seedlings and herbs into the shed. The wind just made it feel so cold even though we had bright sunshine for most of the day. By evening the temps had moved up close to the 50 mark so I know our mountain friends were thinking that was a heat wave.

After hacking, coughing and blowing well I won't get to graphic, we decided after our quiet times to make a mountain breakfast of buckwheat cakes with rasp and blue berries in the batter also I fried up the last of the hickory smoked bacon and we added the last of the eggs on top so that lasted us all day. I was checking some comments about stuffy noses, heads, sinus and what not when some wrote about a Nettie Pot. I never heard that before so I googled it and sure enough there was a video of some guy with a tea pitcher pouring a salty solution up and into his nostril and letting it run out the other nostril. Yikes that looked like a great idea for eliciting secrets from the enemy but I thought back to the days of when I would get water up my nose from swimming, painful so right away decided there must be a better way to clean out the head. The further I explored some one mentioned making a tent and sticking your nose into the tent and breathing deeply or at least attempt to; with a stopped up nose that's a little difficult well low and behold(isn't that a biblical term) it worked and I found that while stirring the solution which stirs up those salty vapors and breathing at the same time. So I showed this to Nancy and of course she was skeptical but eventually she tried it and it worked. She distrusts or is at the least mildly apprehensive about my contributions to her health care, of course I ALWAYS interject the theory what if she was on a wagon train headed west, OH Well, that's another day. Anyhow she found some relief and actually was able to taste some of her homemade chocolate chip cookies and later the delicious pot of tortilla soup for supper. It always help when other's like Eleana and sister Dee make comments on the infamous Face Book which has become her go to authority.

Well after unclogging the head I ventured out bundled up of course in the sub-tropics of Florida with the wind chill down near freezing, I even wore a hat to check on the garden's and to strip off the sheets. I checked my rat trap and caught a big one who I thing has been sampling my tomato's at night. The plants looked to have survived and I buried the rat in my garden; worm food.

We spent the rest of the day reading both in books and on the Net and finally some NFL football came on the tube. Only one more game and that's the super bowl which should be a good one between the Packers and Steelers. Man can you believe playing in temps that cold. Well better go looks like the temps may warm up to the high 60's on Monday. LATER

Saturday

Well the day started out with the rooster crowing around 5 AM but we were able to tune him out until around 7:30. The clogged head was still there and of course the runny nose was still running. I seemed to have gotten worse overnight even with ingesting all of my home remedies. The doctor informed Nancy to let it run is course and she will be one week tomorrow and of course I have just started. I don't really feel that bad just a stuffy head with sneezing and runny nose. After our quiet times I started a breakfast of grits, poached eggs and toast. After the clean up I headed out to check on the gardens.

We had so much rain on Thursday and Friday that many of my new seedlings suffered with a beat down from the rain as well as a wash out. When I headed out side I noticed right away the drop in temp's. Yikes with the strong wind it really felt wintry yet we did have some sunshine at times for the day. I loaded up some newly transplanted seedlings into the wheelbarrow to move out to the front yard so they would be in the direct sunlight until just before dark. Lots of my herbs don't like the cold temps so they were put into the shed just before sundown and then I drug out the sheets once again to cover the peppers and tomatoes. There is the chance of seeing the middle 30's again tonight, dang I'm ready for the warm temps again and to get rid of this head cold.

We did head out to the CVS for some antihistamine for Nancy as she is limited to the over the counter cold stuff because of her blood pressure medicine. I picked up some decongestant for me and have been taking it along with my; garlic, Vit C, hot tea with ginger and lime juice. I guess I to will have to let it run its course but neither of us are thrilled. At least we don't have the other end running and we aren't confined to the bed so we feel lucky. Its just difficult to constantly blow your nose and breathe through your mouth especially while eating. I did manage to finish an exceptional good read entitled WOMAN ON TRIAL. The true story is about love, corruption and murder regarding Lawrencia Bembenek who was falsely prosecuted for murder and I found out on the Internet she at the age of 52 passed away this past November. Interesting and you may remember her saga and the slogan of "run Bambi run" as her story was told without prejudice while she fought to clear her name.

We ate some rib roast we had frozen from Christmas day dinner along with some Brussel sprouts and a fresh garden salad. The cold weather doesn't seem to bother the leafy green veggies and man was the salad ever a good. I added beet greens, red cabbage, Florida sweet onion and a couple of my small home grown tomato's. Yikes was that ever good eatin, at least I can taste whereas Nancy's taste buds are dormant due to the head cold. LATER

Friday

Well I was awakened very early in the morning by heavy rain and thunder and then the crowing rooster, so around 6:15 I gave up and got up for the day. After my quiet time and a bowl of oatmeal with fresh strawberries and blueberries I pedalled out to the rec for some pickle ball. The clouds were just waiting to burst open again but the rain held off until about 9 AM when the clouds once again opened up and gave us another heavy deluge of rain. At 10 AM the rain stopped once again just in time for me to ride home without getting a soaking and seemed to hold for most of the day; around 4 PM the sun finally shown itself for just a few brief moments. The temps have dropped down into the 50's and once again we are expecting high 30's tonight. We had a good turnout today for pickle ball and there were lots of wet shirts so the workout was great.

Nancy had gone to see the doctor about her head cold and stopped up head. Not much could be done except for a prescription of antibiotics of which she didn't fill. The doctor thinks it's a virus and only gave the script in case she had some pain in her sinuses. I now have acquired this head cold so I just took it easy after the workout. We spoke with the folks back in cold Virginia and cold snowy N.C. Yikes, what a winter they are having once again.

Amy called about 4 PM and invited us to meet them at Telly's Restaurant in Seminole Mall for supper so we did. We use to take Bobby and Amy there when they were little and now we are taking our grand kids there. We had a super antipasto salad and mushroom pizzas. Ava and Sam were so cute. We walked around the mall after eating and the place was a ghost town except for Telly's. Well not much else is going on so we will just chill and try to recover from this head cold. LATER

Thursday

Well the morning started out with the usual quiet time and a bowl of oatmeal with fruit before heading out to the rec for some pickle ball. We had a good crowd today and after 2 plus hours I was ready for a break. It seems I've contracted this head cold of Nancy's so I was a little washed out from that as well. She is off to see the doctor tomorrow morning but as for me I'll continue with the raw garlic and Vit C. Its a good thing she can't taste or smell so the garlic doesn't seem to bother her at this point.

After the rec I worked in the garden until it was time for a bowl of chili before we headed over to GG and Pap's to trim some bushes. Afterwards we stopped by the veggie stand for some fruit and veggies. Afterwards I transplanted some bean seedlings into the garden to replace some of the beans that were nipped by the frost. It was just a beautiful day with temp's into the high 70's and bright sunshine. I actually sat down for an hour and finished a read I had started a couple days ago about police officers who murder. Yikes there are some crazy people out there wearing a badge and carrying a gun, anyhow I often wondered about some of the rogue cops I met over the 30 years I was in law enforcement.

While basking in the sunshine an old friend called from Clemmons thats in the Winston-Salem area of N.C. and he mentioned their weather was really nice at around 40 degrees. They are sick of the cold, snow and ice but they made a life change a couple years ago to move from here in Florida to N.C. It was good to hear from him and that his girls are all doing good. His youngest is a freshman in high school. Yikes where did all this time go???

Well I cut some fresh Swiss chard for the first time from this garden; sauteed it in olive oil and fresh garlic, added a little sea salt and pepper and wow is all I can say about the taste. We had that along with a fresh garden salad, wild rice and fish. Amy and the grand babies came for supper as Tyler is teaching ESL at SFBC. Well not much else is going on except we cancelled smoking a turkey for Saturday as Nancy can't smell or taste and we don't want to infect the rest of the family, so we will try that dish another time. LATER

Wednesday

Well the morning started out with usual quiet time and a bowl of oatmeal with blueberry's and strawberry's before heading out to the rec on my bike for some pickle ball. The temp's weren't bad but there was a lot of low ground fog and dew. We had a small gang with only 10 players so the play was continuous for 2 plus hours.The day eventually warmed up to the 70's and it turned out to be one of those N.C. Spring days. The birds were singing and the air was so fresh and clean after the real early morning shower.

I have Spring fever so once again after pickle ball and a quick trip to Sam's Club I headed outside to work in the gardens. I spent the rest of the afternoon outside and even the grand babies came after lunch and spent some time in the warm sun. Nancy still has her head cold with a runny nose but seems to be getting better, slowly. I'm sucking down Vitamin C in hopes I can ward this bug away, so far so good. We headed out to house church at 6:30 with a big pot of chili and along with other kinds of chili and dogs we had a great gang for food, fellowship, singing praise songs and prayer. We had 15 adults and 5 youngun's.

Oh by the way grand son Samuel took his first step today so it won't be long til he's running. What a sweet smiley boy he is and with those blue eyes and blond hair he is a charmer. Ava is quite the second mom to him and she is such a sweetheart as well. Well not much else is going tomorrow(Thursday) we are heading over to GG and Pap's to do some yard work and to have lunch with them after pickle ball in the morning. LATER

Tuesday

Well was it ever foggy this morning but at least in was warm compared to the last several morning. After my quiet time and a breakfast of oatmeal, blueberries and a banana I pedalled out about 7:30 to the rec. We had about 20 players for the day but initially started out with 4 players and had some good play before the general crowd arrived. I played until nearly 10:30 and then headed over to the weight room for some lifts and crunches before heading for home. The fog had lifted and a warm sunny day emerged. I headed for the garden and after the good rain yesterday I decided to transplant some Bib lettuce into the ground where the radishes had been. I probably transplanted a couple dozen seedlings and still have that many more. It seems every seed I planted sprouted, sure wish I could get that good of germination on the rest of my seeds.

Amy and the kids came for lunch and I ate a salad and a couple pieces of celery with peanut butter. I'm trying to hold down my over eating so as to lose a little of this belly fat. After the kids left I started raking the back yard of the many oak leaves then took the mower and ran over the piles,mulching them. After mulching I raked the leaves up and put them in the garden around my plants. The mulching helps with the quick breakdown and the plants love the oak leaves acidity. I worked outside until 4:30 and finally did both front and back yards.

We ate the left overs from last nights supper and they were as good today as last night. I sure missed the cornbread but that is definitely not good in keeping the waistline slim, so since it was all eaten last night we decided to fore go fixing another pan.Well not much else is going on except Nancy contracted a head cold from someone so she has a clogged head with a runny nose. LATER

Monday

Well were awaken this morning around 5 o'clock by thunder, lightning and a downpour which lasted until the mid afternoon with a rain fall total of about 5 inches. After our quiet times and a breakfast of grits with a couple poached on top for me I pulled out a great read and finally finished it after the kids left after lunch. Speaking of eating, for supper I pulled a large bunch of fresh collards, Amy made a pot of pinto beans and Nancy made a fresh turnip casserole and I grilled pork chops. We had GG and Pap as well as Amy and Tyler and the kids for supper. Nancy also made a batch of cornbread and Amy made a batch of brownies for dessert. Well needless to say I lost no belly fat today.

Not much going on today but tomorrow its back to the rec for pickle ball and then to the weigh room for some heavy weights. LATER

Sunday

Well it was a great day of worship, family time and football. We headed out around nine this morning for worship at Element Church with son Bobby. He had a great message on why "we do what we do" and the music was awesome as well. Afterwards we took grand daughter Annsley with us and we stopped at Subway for subs for lunch then headed back to her house where we ate, played and watched a little football.

It was 76 today in Riverview but as we left around 3:30 and came back across the bridge into Pinellas County we could feel the temp change as the cool water made almost a 10 degree difference at our house. It was still nice but has since cooled down a bunch since the sun went down. The Seahawks were beaten by a very good Bears team in cold snowy Chicago. We have some friends the Chonko's and Thompson's who once lived here in Pinellas but have long since moved by to that area and we know they are excited for their Bears. The Jets beat a good Patriot team which I didn't think would happen in the Patriots town but once again upsets seems to be the theme for this years playoffs.

We are having the family all except for Bobby's for supper tomorrow of chops, collards, pintos, turnip casserole and salad. There will be no rec workout tomorrow as its MLK Day so we can sleep in. LATER

Saturday

Well finally the cold eased a little as the heat ran sparingly during the morning and by afternoon I opened the windows and the warm air was delightful, but by late afternoon the sea breeze off the cold Gulf waters once again quickly dropped the temps back down into the 50's and clouds hid the warm bright sunshine.

The rooster had us awake at 5:30 but we decided to roll over and outlast his early morning crowing and we fell back asleep until going on nine, yikes whats happening to us as half the day was gone. Anyhow after our quiet times we decided on a mountain breakfast of buckwheat cakes with a banana in the batter, bacon and a couple cackle berry's(eggs). It was after 10 before we chowed down and then I headed out to work in the gardens. It was very nice as I wore only a t-shirt and some cut-offs. I transplanted about 3 dozen bib lettuce seedlings into larger pots, watered and pulled weeds until it was time to head out for a couple miles through the hood. I actually worked up a sweat on the walk and it was just a gorgeous day to be in the outdoors and in the sun. I had to run to keep up with Nancy's long strides and quizzed me about why in the mountains I'm always ahead of her and she is struggling to keep up. The answer is long legs and flat land or vice versa.

After the couple miles I watered the front yard plugs and weeds and decided that it was time to use some weed killer on the front dirt hill with plugs, actually it looks a lot better and all of the plugs made it even with the cold weather and freezing temps. The red inpatients really helped with the front yard as well. An old friend was walking as well and she stopped to chat for nearly an hour as we worked in the front yard. They are thinking of moving out of the hood after putting a bid on a vacant 1/4 acre lot west of us. They are nearing our age and have one of the nicer small houses in the hood. He retired from Florida Power a couple years ago and his folks left them a ton of money. Sure hate to see them leave as they really keep their place nice.

The temps were dropping fast so I headed to the house to close it up and get really for some playoff NFL Football. Wow the first game was really a good game but playing in that cold weather is not much fun as I remember from my high school days in northern Virginia in the month of November. One never heard of wearing gloves in those days and your hands took a beating especially on cold helmets. Oh well!!! We had a 1/2 of a rotisserie chicken left so we microwaved it and Nancy roasted some oven 'taters and with a fresh home grown garden salad that was our supper. We had an earlier invite to GG's for ham pot pie but we both decided in order to reduce this belly fat we had to made some concessions. We realized we ate no lunch and didn't really miss it, of course with a handful of almonds while waiting for the taters to roast was sufficient.

Well Sunday is looking to be another sunshine day and of course our get together at the gathering in Tampa for worship at Element. It will be great to see all especially son Bobby and family. LATER

Friday

Well once again it was a cold morning here in the Sunshine State with temps down into the 30's but around lunch time it actually began to warm up and reached the high 50's. There were a few high clouds with a breeze which made it feel colder. After my quiet time and a bowl of oatmeal I bundled up for the ride to the rec on my bike. Needless to say I had a ton of looks with my bare legs showing and my eyes were teared from the cold breeze. Yikes what was I thinking??? Anyhow we had a good size crowd with fast and furious play the first hour and continued until it was time to take down the nets at 10AM. The rec is closed on Monday so only 4 days next week to play.

After getting back to the house with a stop at the library I hand watered the gardens then fed the plants with a little miracle grow solution so to give them a boost because of these cold temps. I think every plant made it through this cold snap although the sheets and blankets weighed down the plants. Amy and the grand babies came for lunch and we finished the last of the beef barley vegetable soup, Yumm is all I can say. We were invited up to neighbors Dan and Carol for supper and to play cards. After the kids left Nancy took off walking to the rec to get her workout in and I just chilled with a good book.

We had a roast for supper with carrots, spuds and Nancy made broccoli and cauliflower as well as a big fresh salad. I won the Phase 10 game and Carol won the Oh (H) well game. It was going on 10 before we headed home. LATER

Thursday

The day was pretty much the usual with the heat running most of the night and once again I covered my garden with sheets and blankets in hope's of saving some plants. It was down to the freezing mark once again but the dang wind makes it so much colder. Anyhow after my quiet times and a bowl I pedalled out to the rec. It was so dang cold my eyes watered all the way there but at least by the time I finished a little after 10 it had warmed up to the low 40's, that's a heat wave for Florida, right!!!

I did manage to save most of the garden but a few leaves and branches of the maters showed some wilt. Everything else looked peaked but still green so I really hand watered it. I read where keeping the ground wet actually produces heat and protects against a dry cold.

Nancy and I ran some errands to Lowes, veggie stand and Sweetbay. Seems a little mouse slept in our garage last night and left a few droppings on a towel on the dryer so it was off to buy some traps and D-Con. The little feller was cold and he must have slipped in while the garage door was up. Anyhow it big time game hunter for the little creature.

Amy and the kids came for supper and she likes this pasta dish with lots of fresh oregano, basil and thyme with Roma 'maters and fresh garlic over penne pasta. I had picked lots of lettuce as well and it was a delicious supper only bad part was once again I had seconds. Never going to get rid of this belly fat that way. The kids stayed til after 8 and we gave Ava and Sam a bath together, they are so cute and that Sam what a squirmier when it comes to getting him dressed or to change a diaper. It takes 2 of us as he uses all of his evasive tactics to keep from laying still. So funny!!

Well its time to head for the showers and read before turning out the lights. LATER

Wednesday

Yikes it was bloody cold here most of the day and especially in the morning hours. I had to drive to the rec after my quiet time and bowl of oatmeal with fruit. The wind never ceased all day. Enough is enough, I'm sick and tried of cold temps in Florida. I want to to turn the a/c on again, sweat when I work in my garden and yard and get under the big oak to cool off. Tell me where is Al Bore and his scam on us with global warming?? Oh well I feel better now that I've got that off my to do list, dang heat is running again and I'm sure the roof tops and grass is covered with ice once again. Hopefully the sheets and blankets kept my 'maters from freezing last night.

After an abbreviated workout on the pickle ball court I headed home in the truck(too cold to ride the bike) to pick up our neighbors and ferry them to TIA(airport in Tampa) for their trip back to Coldwater, Michigan, wow what's in a name. They had been down here for a couple weeks visiting her mom, our neighbor. After dropping them off we headed to Sam's to gas up and get a few goodies. Man gas is above 3 bucks a gallon again and I'm sure it will go higher by summer.

Amy and the grand babies came for lunch and Sam is teething again and seems very irritable and his appetite is diminished as well, but he is such a cute little feller and he is handling it well. He stands by himself and it won't be long until he will be walking. Ava is such a beauty and now she is in that"I'm a puppy dog stage where she is hopping around on all fours and barking". So cute I had forgotten how kids like to pretend they're animals. We had some of that great soup Nancy made for lunch and my oh my was that ever good on such a cold day.

We had picked up a rotisserie chicken at Sam's for supper and along with a fresh garden salad we ate lite as later we were heading to our neighborhood house church at 7 PM. We had a good showing with about 12 adults and 5 kids and had a good discussion on the first chapter in Colossians. We are trying to stick to an hour of study and only have fellowship time(eat,etc) once a month. So far I like this more structured approach.

I came back to watch the Lightning beat Washington in ice hockey. LATER

Tuesday

Well we are certainly blessed here in the Sunshine State with decent weather even though the temps will be rather cool the next few days but nothing compares to the bitter cold and snow our mountain friends are experiencing. Those school kids in N.C. (Allegheny)haven't been back to school since the 23rd of Dec. Looks as if they will go all summer at this rate of missed days due to snow. The morning here wasn't to cold as I pedalled out to the rec on my bike after my quiet time and a piece of leftover cherry pie in a bowl of milk for breakfast. We picked those cherries last year from our neighbors tree and they were just tard enough for pie making.

We once gain had a large crowd for pickle ball with about 16 players and the play was great for about 2 1/2 hours. We missed several of our regular player and it seems we have picked up a couple new player as well. Tomorrow I have to cut the playtime short as I'm taking some neighbors back to the airport for a morning flight back to Michigan then Nancy and I will stop by Sam's Club. Amy and the kids came for lunch and we had a grand time playing with Ava and Sam. After they left around 2 PM Nancy headed out to the rec for her workout on the treadmill. She had earlier boiled up the standing rib roast bones that we had frozen from our Christmas dinner to make a pot of vegetable beef, barley soup for supper. Wow was that ever delicious and on such a cool evening it hit the spot. We have enough leftover soup for lunch for several days, especially since we are expecting temps close to the freezing mark once again later in the week. I covered my tomato's and peppers with sheets and moved some new seedlings and herbs into the shed for the night.

I spoke with our "mountain mom" this evening and she thinks there is about 5 plus inches of new snow on the ground plus more is expected in the next day or so. Yikes what a winter so far and it still is along way until Spring. LATER

Monday

Well the morning started out the usual with our quiet times and a leftover buckwheat pancake for me with 2 poached eggs. Afterwards I headed out to the rec on my bike for a good 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball. What a crew we had today with 20 plus players. Afterwards I stopped by the library before heading home to hand water the gardens. Amy and the grand babies came around noon and we had lunch together then played with them until it was time for them to head home for afternoon naps.

After they left we just chilled until it was time to head over to Amy's around 5 PM for supper. She was making her in-laws recipe for cube steak and smashed spuds. Nancy brought a pan of broccoli and cauliflower and GG made a cherry pie from cherries we picked in the mountains last spring and brought home. The dinner was very tasty and so good I once again broke my vow to watch my portions by having seconds. We headed out around 8 PM for home and after a shower all I wanted to do was vegetate. I did manage to stay awake for the first half of the Auburn vs Oregon football of which I found out this morning Auburn won the game on the last play with a field goal. GO SEC!!! LATER

Sunday

The morning started out with cool temps down into the 50's but soon warmed to the high 60's for most of the day. There was lots of sunshine but a little bit of a breeze most of the day. We got ready to head out to Element Church in Tampa for worship after our quiet times and a lite breakfast.

Worship was awesome and Bobby used Jesus's first miracle in a new an exciting dimension one that I had never heard before but I'm in awe of where he drew this analogy with the way we live our life and the way we honor and worship GOD. Superb job son and the music was just right on as well. Danielle did an amazing job on the song,Hosanna. After worship we headed out with grand daughter Annsley to her house where we met up with Bobby and Gabriel as Jill had a meeting after church. We spent the afternoon eating and playing with both Annsley and Gabriel as Bobby had a 4 o'clock wedding. I managed to watch a little football while rocking Gabey and Nancy did a little doll house playtime with Annsley. It was a great fun time as we only get to see and play with them usually on Sunday's after church. Its about a 100 miles round trip but we usually make the day of it when we do visit. Bobby got back around 5:30 and made some super tasty grilled chicken tacos, black beans and yellow rice. Great eating there as well. We headed out around 8 PM and was back in Seminole around 9 PM. I just chilled and watch the tube while Nancy played around on the computer until it was time to turn out the lights. Enclosed are a couple pics from Saturday night and Sunday with the grand babies.LATER

Saturday

Well the day started out with bright sunshine an a little chill in the air, we like to call that a our N.C.mornings. The rooster next day door was doing his thing about 6 or so but we managed to turn over and sleep in until 7. After our quiet times, computer updates and deciding what we wanted to start the day off with to eat; well a mountain breakfast was the No 1 pick but we decided since we need to start trimming this belly fat we would do it in the "lite" fashion. A couple poached eggs on a blueberry buckwheat pancake for me without any syrup, however I had a spoonful of freezer strawberry jam to give the cakes just a little sweetness. My was that ever good eatin'.

Well we got a couple phone calls from the Winchester area and they were having snow and the N.C. folks were getting part of the same winter storm with snow on the ground and freezing temp's. Yikes what a winter so far and the coldest months haven't arrived as of yet. I ventured out after the cleanup to feed and water my garden's. It was actually pretty nice out and stayed that way until late in the evening when the temps dropped down into the low 50's for the night. I opened the house and aired it out and enjoyed the warm sunshine.

After a lite lunch of just salad we took off on a couple mile walk through the hood. It was nothing like the hike up the back trail at the cabin and the walk along the ridge of the mountain. We talked about our old friends there and how they were coping with the loss of a loved one and the cold weather with all the snow so early in the season. We sure miss all there but not the problems that go with getting in and out of our lane, up the slippery hills and trying to stay warm day in and day out. But the biggest thing I think is the lack of sunshine daily. YUCK!!!!

We were getting ready for Ava and Sam to come for supper and then to watch them while Amy and Tyler had a date night. I grilled a couple chicken breasts, green Lima beans, macaroni and a salad for supper. Sam must be cuttin' teeth again as his appetite which is normally great was rather diminished, he did eat some meat but wasn't interested in the rest where usually you can't keep it on his tray fast enough. Amy said he didn't eat much for lunch either. Anyhow we played until it was bath time and we put them both in the tub together and they were so cute together. He loves taking a bath with Ava as they play with all kinds of toys. He loves to slash. After their baths we read several books and Nancy gave him a bottle of "pumped milk" and he went right down to sleep. Ava was tired as well and actually said she was ready for bed around 8:30.

I managed to watch a little of the Seahawks who were 11 point underdogs upset last years Super Bowl Champs Saints, the Who Dat's. Yeow what a win for them as they had the worse record in all of football to make the playoffs. Our Bucs won both games over them in the last 2 weeks but we are watching the playoffs from home, Oh well!!! The Jets finally beat the Colts in the late game and it was a nail bitter as well.

Its off for worship at Element this morning and then to look after Annsley and Gabriel while Bob and Jill have some meetings and a wedding to perform later this evening. I'll try to catch bits of the playoffs in between having fun with them. I never knew being a grand parent could be so rewarding and busy. We just love it. LATER

Friday

Well it was a bit nippy when I rode out to the rec after my quiet time and a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. By the afternoon it had warmed up to the high 60's and was really nice in the sun. We had 14 players for pickle ball and it was another good 2 1/2 hours of play and workout. Afterwards I stopped by the library for a couple reads before heading home to water the gardens. I picked a nice mess of lettuce for a fresh salad along with radishes and another tomato which was starting to turn. I hate to pick them before they get red but the squirrels nibble on them which cause them to rot so as soon as they start to change I pull them and set them in the window.

Amy and the kids came for lunch then she and Nancy took off to the mall while I watched the little ones. I had fun playing with Sam and Ava watched a Tinkerbell movie. After they left for their afternoon naps I sat around and read. We were going out with neighbors for supper so we just relaxed until time to head out. After supper we played Phase 10 at their house and I won on the last hand. We were back home by 9:30 then just chilled watching a little football before calling it a night. LATER

Thursday

Well it was raining cats and dogs in the early morning hours and by the time it was time to ride out to the rec on the bike at 7:30 after my quiet time and a bowl of oatmeal with fruit, the rain had ceased. The skies were overcast but no precipitation and the northern wind had chilled down the air enough I needed a flannel shirt. We had a full house at pickle ball today with 3 courts going at once and 4-5 players waiting to get on. After 2 1/2 hours I was ready to head home and take a break.

Amy was picking up Nancy and they were going to GG's for lunch so I spent the afternoon after a sandwich reading. It was so peaceful around here I was missing Amy and the grand babies. Finally the sun came out so I ventured outside to clean the rain gutters of acorns, twigs and leaves. The flat roof on the back of the house is littered with dead twigs, leaves and acorns from the 2 big oaks around the house. I need a good dry day to take the blower up onto the roof and get rid of this debris.

Well Nancy headed outside to take some pictures of the garden and the critters next door. I will post a few pics at the end. Amy was coming for supper with Ava and Sam as Tyler was teaching ESL at SFBC, so we were having fried eggplant, yellow rice and grilled pork chops. The egg plant was marvelous and of course I like to doctor mine with fresh thyme, oregano, dill and ground red pepper and even a little basil. Wow, I could make a meal on that dish alone; anyhow the chops were great as well as the yellow rice. Sam loved the egg plant but Ava wouldn't eat any of it, I think she has Tyler's aversion to texture such as; squash, tomato's, etc. Sam took his first bath in the tub tonight with Ava. They are so cute together. LATER.

Wednesday

Once again the temps were really nice and I was reminded of a N.C. morning that we have during the summer months at the cabin. After my quiet time and a bowl of fruit for breakfast I pedalled out to the rec for my 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball. We had some great play the first hour then as more players arrived the level of play eased off but by 10 AM I was bushed and really to call it a day. I stopped by the library and picked up 3 books I had on hold then headed home to water the gardens. The kids went to Tampa today so it was just Nancy and myself for lunch so we cleaned up the left over roast pork, black eyed pea soup and salad. I was famished as I didn't eat any oatmeal with my fruit for breakfast.

We noticed a large ring on the arm of the leather couch a couple days ago which is still under warranty so we had a person to look at it and it took her about 2 hours to restore the couch as she matched up the color with some paint. It looks as good as it did before the arm was damaged. It seems a hot cup of coffee was set momentarily on the arm and it left a white circle.

After the lady left we just chilled as we got ready for an early supper as tonight was our neighborhood house church at 7 PM. We had about 15 adults and 5 kids present. We did a short Bible study, lifted up those who had prayer requests and sang 3 great praise and worship songs. Nancy had a made a large pan of brownies so afterwards the kids got their chocolate fixes. I passed on the dessert as I was on the scales after my PB and I was about 5-8 pounds heavier than when I got back to Florida from the cabin. Yeow, I must cut down on all the good stuff and try not to eat so much as well. LATER

Tuesday

The morning started out with the usual quiet time and a bowl of oatmeal after our rooster next door began crowing around 4:30 in the morning. I managed to get a little more shuteye after his wake up crow but was wide awake before the alarm sounded at 6:30. I mention this evening maybe we should roast him and the man of the house next door was in agreement but his wife has some kind of affection for this feathered friend. Oh well!!!. After breakfast I rode out to the rec on the bike for some pickle ball. We had a full house by 9 AM but the first 1/2 to 3/4 hour we had some great play that was fast and furious. There were lots of wet shirts today and by 10 AM I was ready for a breather. I stopped off at the library and picked up a good read titled ONCE UPON A TIME by Harry MacLean. Its story of a little girl who was murdered in Calif. in 1969 and 20 years later the deceased friend remembers her father a fireman was the killer. Very interesting!!!

I hand watered the garden when I got home and picked a few green beans. The warmer weather has really helped with garden and I noticed my first tomato albeit a small one is starting to turn pink. Yeah am I really for some home grown tomato's. The lettuce is doing fantastic and I picked a handful of sugar peas Nancy put in with the stir fry brocolli for supper tonight over white rice. YUMMM!!!

Amy and the kids came for lunch and afterwards I headed out to get my ears lowered at the barber shop. The sun was in an out but the temps were in the low 70's as it made for a pleasant ride on the bike. After the kids left we decided to clean out a closet a day and dispose of the things we no longer fit in, no longer wear or use. We have a pile of clothes for the Goodwill as well as filled up a trash can plus set aside several articles of clothing I can use while working in the mountains. Wow its unbelievable what one can accumulate and then forget you have it stored somewhere.

Not much else is going except I aired up my bike tires after the ride to the barber shop and then picked up a bicycle tire I had lent to a neighbor who had a flat and now she wanted it out of her garage as she to is cleaning house. Wow is it spring cleaning already or has this warm weather made us feel like its that time of the years.LATER

Monday

Well it was once again a cloudy overcast ,morning but the temp's were pleasant with just a little damp coolness in the air. By the late afternoon the sun came out and we had a mild 70 degrees and still no rain. After my quiet time and a lite breakfast of oatmeal with blueberries and a banana I headed out to the rec on the bike for some pickle ball. We had a couple players we hadn't seen in a couple weeks and the play was fast with several wet shirts. By the time 10 AM rolled around I was ready to call it a day. I stopped off at the library before heading home to hand water the gardens.

Amy and the kids were coming at noon for lunch so we finished up some leftover Zuppa soup, hot dogs and ham salad. After lunch we played with Ava and Sam until it was time for them to head out for their afternoon naps. We headed over to show some folks Nancy's brothers rental house to a really nice couple who are interested in renting this gorgeous house intil the end of the school year as the previous renter left the middle of December.

We came back after showing the house and I picked 4 kinds of fresh lettuce, beet greens, dill and pulled some radishes for a salad from my garden we were taking to Amy's for supper. Amy makes this chicken casserole which is scrumptious with green beans and bread crumbs on top. Its really tasty and of course I had seconds which only adds to my spare tire. Yuck, I use to eat whatever and as much as I wanted and never gained an ounce; but not now.

Well not much else is going on, LATER.

Sunday

The day started out with cloudy overcast skies but in the 60's even though it had rained a little during the early morning hours it wasn't enough to settle the dust. We had our quiet times and a bowl of oatmeal before getting ready to head out for worship at the gathering in Tampa at Element Church. Bobby had a great message and afterwards we took grand daughter Annsley with us to pick up pizzas and a Greek salad for lunch at their house in Riverview. We spent the afternoon watching the Bucs beat last years Super Bowl Champs the New Orleans Saints but we got no help from any other teams so we are through for this year with a 10-6 record. That was much better than expected by the youngest most inexperienced team in the NFL, OH Well!!!

We played, held and visited with the family before heading by to Seminole. On the way we stopped at the super Wal-Mart to pick up a few goodies which usually are much cheaper than Publix. It was after 6 before we finally got home. I was still not hungry from the late lunch we had but did finish the last of the "dirt dessert" Amy made for New Years Day dinner. I just chilled and watched the football until it was time to "turn the lights, cause the party's over." That was a great saying that Dandy Don Meredith used to say on Monday Night Football. He passed away in December and was one of the most colorful commentators right up there with Howard Cosell. LATER

NEW YEARS DAY (Saturday)

Well after watching the ball drop with Dick Clark we headed home from neighbors Dan and Carol's house where Amy, Tyler, Ava, Samuel and us celebrated the old out and the new in. The neighborhood was exploding major fire works but shortly after going to bed that calmed down as well. Saturday morning much to our delight found us with warm temp's but a strong east wind so that caused us to change our going to the beach plans, instead we hung around getting ready for the big family dinner later in the evening. So after our quiet times and oatmeal with a banana and blueberries I headed out to hand water the gardens. This warm weather is really helping the 'maters and beans make a come back. I pulled about a dozen radishes and believe me when I say plant them in the right signs of the moon as I have beautiful sweet red radishes. Nancy and I ate them all for lunch along with a ham salad sandwich. Ava loves them as well as she ate a hand full last week with lunch.

Well I turned on the bowl games and we really had a great Outback Bowl here in Tampa with Florida versus Penn State and Urban Meyers coaching his last game at Florida. They won in the last minute or so. It really was a good game for a change and the weather was super for all the players and fans after last weeks cold temps. I watched the Rose Bowl and that was a great game as well as TCU beat the big boys from Wisconsin. Those were the 2 best games of the day and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Rangers from New York in hockey.

Amy and Tyler came by in the afternoon on bikes with Ava and Sam in the pull behind carrier. The kids were having a great time and both looked so cute in their caps sitting together.

We had a house full with Bobby and Amy's family as well as GG, Pap and Aunt Betsy's and her son Braden. The grand girls played well together and were little whirlwinds of energy as they ran and played. The rest of us over ate; roast pork, kielbasa, Nathan dogs, sauerkraut, smashed spuds, black eyed beans and crusty bread. Amy made a dirt dessert made famous by Cornerstone(N.C.) friend Gay Galyean. We then got into a hot game of Trivial Pursuit and once again the brilliant minds of the guys whupped the gals. Everyone starting leaving by 8 PM as the next day was worship for most of us.

We all celebrated not only 2011 but 60 years ago on this date as Nancy's folks, GG and Pap were married. They have 3 kids; Uncle Eric is the oldest, The Gab (great aunt Betsy) and the baby is Nancy(my wife of 31 plus years). They have 15 grandchildren and 12 great grand children so far with many of the grand children just getting married, Yikes!!! Congratulations to them>

Its hard to believe another year has passed so quickly; I always wondered why when your a kid it takes for ever to grown up and do things on your own , but once you have have reached that pinnacle in life, time just seems to move so fast and then moves even faster when you become a grand parent. Well here's hoping all our northern family and mountain friends are getting a warm up from all that snow and cold temp's and we wish ALL a Happy New Year. LATER

Friday

Well once again the temps in Florida have moderated to the usual warm and sunny we are accustom to. Not to many years ago I would swim in the back yard pool on Christmas and New Years day but with the "global warming" that has changed to the water hose being frozen shut the week of Christmas. What!!!After our quiet time we decided to try out our new egg poachers. Wow they worked perfectly and are easily stored as they are made of a soft material. You just turn them inside out and the egg plops out into your bowl or on a piece of toast and the grits with them made for a great breakfast to start the day.

I headed out to hand water the gardens and yard before we got ready to head to Sam's to pick up some goodies for the big dinner on New Years Day. We also made a stop at Publix as well. The rest of the day was just enjoying the warm sunshine as I opened the windows and doors and sat out in the back yard for a couple hours reading. Yeow what a splendid day!

Nancy had boiled off a fresh ham on Thursday and made ham salad so with the fresh bakery rolls we made a couple ham salad sandwiches for lunch, Yummm!! The rest of the day was just one of those where we decided earlier to walk the 'hood but when it came to it we just chilled her on Face book and me with a book until it was time to get ready to make one of my favorite dishes. Zuppa soup(Olive Garden potato soup)!!! I picked a bunch of fresh kale which is added near the end of its cooking. We took that to Dan and Carole house as we were celebrating the end of the year with them along with Amy, Tyler and the grand babies. Ava stayed awake and watched the ball falling in Times Square with Dick Clark. Boy did he sound bad and looked old. Anyhow we ate hamburgers, salsa and chips, concasio dip and Zuppa. What a combination. We finally digested enough that we could play 16 rounds of "oh well" and Tyler was the winner. By then it was close to midnight and we chilled listening to many neighbors putting off fireworks. Finally it was the New Year of 2011. Wow where did 2010 go??

I see where big oil or someone is getting us acclimated to 3 bucks a gallon for gas as everywhere its that or more as we filled up. Unbelievable!!! Well that was about it for Friday the last day of 2010. We hope all of you had a good year and even a better one coming up. We had a 2 great additions this past year with the birth of Samuel Tyler Ross on Nancy's birthday in March and then Gabriel Robert Triplett in September. We now have 2 of each and they will be mothered I'm sure by their older sisters Ava and Annsley. GOD has blessed us immeasurably and we are so thankful.

I certainly hope we haven't bored anyone with my ramblings about our everyday mundane life but we want our grand babies to know us and a little about us and what we did daily through this blog and the pictures we post. Most of us don't remember our grand parents and especially great- grand parents so this is a way for them to reflect back with their children some day of who and what we were to them when they were but just babies. It would be nice if we could hold their children someday. LATER