Friday

Well it was not the usual day for us as we have our oldest grandson, Sam with us for the weekend as his parents have gone to Disney with Ava and his grandmother and sister. I started out the morning with putting Sam in bed with us around 4:30 as he awakened then I got ready to head out for pickle ball around 7:30. I was able to get in about 2 hours of play before heading home then returning to the rec with Nancy and Sam. Nancy did the treadmill while Sam and I did the playground. He is quite the climber and just loves going up all those steps for the slides, we did the swings as well and on the way home he fell asleep so we put him down for a nap and he slept 2 1/2 hours, which he never does at home. We finally ate lunch around 2 PM. Afterwards we just read books and played inside until it was time for supper.

After supper Sam and I went outside and played in the back yard while Nancy cleaned up then we took a long walk in the stroller and on the way back he fell asleep so we got him into the bath then it wasn't long after he was ready for bed around 8 PM. After putting him into bed of which he slept through the night until 7 AM Saturday morning( he doesn't do that at home). Well I got a little Lightning playoff hockey in as they beat the Washington Cap's but the Rays lost to the Angels. Today will be another full day, LATER

Thursday

Well not much different except we are keeping our oldest grandson , Samuel for the next 4 days. He is such a cutie but all boy!!! What a climber he has become but so sweet as he now gives kisses. He is such a good eater as well for example last night he ate a whole fillet of fish, broccoli and cauliflower, mac and cheese and spinach. Yikes we were beginning to think he had a hollow leg. After supper we took him around the blocks in our hood and then let him walk up and down the side walk. After his bath he slept until the early morning hours then we put him in bed with us(grandparents do that) so now when mommy and daddy get home he will just have to cry himself back to sleep, oh well!

After my quiet time and the the usual bowl of oatmeal with fruit I headed out to the rec on the bike for some pickle ball. We had 4 players the first hour or so then a few more came by and we played hard for the whole 2 1/2 hours. Afterwards I did my 100 crunches before heading home to water my new transplants. I was whipped and I'm sure glad we had a couple hours before Sam was due to arrive. We picked up a piece of furniture daughter-in-law Jill purchased on line near us and we will transport over to her on Sunday then stopped off for the portable bed at Amy's. It was good to see Tyler's grandmother, Loretta and sister, Holly and Rialan. Rialan is just a little younger than Ava and they are in their own little play world. They should have fun at Disney the next 3 days or so. Their flight in from Kansas via Tennessee was harrowing as they encountered many of the storms that so devastated the South on Wednesday.

Well not much else except the Ray's continue to play good baseball after sweeping a double hitter from the Twins yesterday. I'm counting down till we head to the mountains with about 21 or so days to go. LATER

Wednesday

The day started out much the usual with my quiet time, hot green tea and a bowl of oatmeal with fruit then a ride out to the rec for some 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball. We had a lite crowd but did manage a good workout as several are gone, on vacation and recuperating from the tournament on Tuesday. Afterwards I headed into the weight room for some 100 plus crunches then a stop at the library for some books I had on hold.

Amy and the grand babies came for lunch and after Avonlea they headed out for afternoon naps. I read until it was time to get ready for supper. Its just too hot and humid to do anything outside until after supper when it finally cooled down enough to work in the garden. I pulled up my collards and tomato plants as they are about gone then transplanted the little seedlings into bigger pots so I can take them with to the mountains. I'm keeping them in the shade and so far they are looking good. I'm really getting mountain fever as well as garden planting fever. Looks like its been wet in the mountains and hopefully will be the start of a good growing season.

The Lighning advanced to the next round of Stanley Cup playoffs with a great game last night in Pittsburg as well as the Rays won again in Minnesota. It was snowing so hard there it was visible on the t.v. Wow crazy weather. LATER

Pictures from Monday's Birthday

Tuesday

Well what a busy day with the morning much the usual with my few quiet moments, bowl of oatmeal with a banana and then a ride out to the rec. Today was an in house pickle ball tournament with 4 men's doubles team and 2 mixed women's double as well as 2 women's double teams. I played in both doubles team and got a good workout as I played 4 matches winning 3 out of the 4. I was whipped by 11 o'clock but had some real good play. The one match we lost was a rematch as we had beat that team in straight sets to start the tournament, anyhow it was fun.

After getting back to the house after a stop at the library we had some lunch with Amy and the kids then I took a little nap reading until it was time to get ready for supper. Boy has the humidity ever returned and in full force. After a supper of grilled salmon, garlic basil pasta and cooked spinach I took neighbor Dan and Carol to Lowes to pick up a new vanity, mirror and doors for their bathroom remodeling as well as some white elastic roof paint for my flat roof. I then transplanted some grass plugs in the front yard and set the sprinkler. The daggum mosquito's are horrendous while trying to do any yard work in the evenings. LATER

Monday

Well it was a routine morning with my quiet time before a boring bowl of oatmeal with a banana then a ride on the bike to the rec for some 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball. There were 4 of us the first hour or so then a few more dribbled in to where we had 10 for the day. Afterwards I played 5 sets of ping pong with some very good women players, but managed to with my pardner, Priscilla win all 5 sets. Afterwards I headed home on the bike for garden time before eating a lite lunch.

The nice rain we had Sunday kept the ground moist enough I didn't have to water. We had about 3 inches an about an hour on Sunday night. Nancy was busy with baking and decorating Ava's birthday cake as today was her 4th year. Wow where did the time go??? We left the camera at Amy's last night after her dinner of; grilled marinated chicken, Greek potato salad, corn on the cob, pinto beans with fresh scallions and the cake. I passed on the cake and ice cream but I surely wanted it. The supper was very good and GG and Pap was there along with the GAB(Betsy). We got Ava her first 2 wheel bike with training wheels plus dolls and clothes. It looked like Christmas especially with all the gifts from Kansas and other family members. She was in her glory with the clothes as well.

The Lightning won last night and will send the playoffs back to Pittsburg for the deciding game on Wednesday. LATER I will post some birthday pics tomorrow.

Sunday

Wow is all I can say about Easter Day. We headed over to Tampa for worship at the gathering at Element Church. We had a almost a packed house with several new faces and many we hadn't seen a quite awhile. The service was awesome with some incredible music that brought honor and praise to JESUS. Afterwards we headed home with Dan and Carol (as we carpool) to get ready and head out around 2 PM for the nursing home service.

We pushed wheelchair patients to the service and took communion with them as well. What a heart breaking occasion seeing so many invalids without family but being there to render them some small joy in their now limited life. Many will only leave there upon death.

We came back and started once again to prepare for the evening get together with the family meal of; ham, spud casserole, lime jello, green beans, carrots, pickled eggs and beets, chocolate and lemon pie plus crusty bread. Yikes was that ever good. We had a house full with 18 people total including 6 kids. First cousin Tammy came with her family and went to church with us as well. We had a super time and her girls Megan and Brooke are just delightful. Ava and Annsley were just in their element with them. On top of all that we finally got a hard rain which we so desperately needed. LATER

Saturday on Sunday

Well what another fun filled busy day as we slept in until nearly 8, of course after the rooster next door yelled his lungs out. We had a good country breakfast of baco, eggs and taters. Afterwards I headed out to transplant some marigolds and water whats left of the garden. Sam came by after a lite lunch and spent the afternoon as Amy and Tyler took Ava to see RIO for her birthday treat.We finally got him to take a good long nap as he's been suffering from all the new teeth coming, poor little feller has no idea why his mouth hurts so much.

After they got back from the movie Tyler and I headed down to SFBC to pick up a table and chairs for Sunday's big Easter dinner. I then watched a little of the Lighning and Ray's win their games before we got ready to head over to Redington Beach to meet with cousin Tammy and her family for supper at the Salt Rock grille. Wow did we ever have a good supper and it was nearly 3 hours of non stop eating and gabbing. Bob and Jill drove over from Tampa to dine with us as well. It was nearly 10PM before we finally exited the restaurant.

After getting back we got ready for bed as we had to be in Tampa by 9:30 in the morning for worship at Element Church

Friday

Well it was much the usual morning after my quiet time, a banana and a ride out to the rec for some 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball. We had just 5 players the first hour which kept us constantly playing except for every 5th game which gave you a 5-minute or so break. Finally after an hour or so a few more players arrived and the constant play picked up again. We had a wet shirt morning. I passed on the crunches and the weigh workout.

Nancy took off when I got home so I decided to cut the water off to the house and change a Moen cartridge in the kitchen faucet. Well that turned out to be more difficult than I planned but after calling a plumber friend he managed to assist in about 5 minutes and we got the old one out and a new one in. Eddie has been a family friend of mine since he was in high school and is quite a plumber. If you ever need that kind of work let me know and I'll set you up, very reasonable and knowledgeable. After Eddie left Amy and the grand babies came for lunch and we were glad to hear that Sam didn't have an ear infection just some symptons that go with teething. They stayed until it was time for his nap then we started to clean the house as we have tons of company coming on Sunday for supper.

We got ready for the Good Friday service at Element in Tampa and headed out about 5 o'clock with friends Dan and Carol. Dan is an elder in the church and had to be there early as he was part of the service. We had a grand time the service was inspiring and the music was awesome. We got to visit with Annsley and Gabey as well. It was a really nice crowd for a 6:30 service. Afterwards we stopped at Olive Garden in Largo for a late supper for us. I think we were served our meal around 9 PM and the place was still busy, at least we didn't have to wait. The food was good but not good for the waist line. The Zuppa soup was great as well as the bread sticks and on top of that we shared a chicken Alfredo pizza, yikes!!! Talk about calories.

We got home and watched the Rays lose another game in the 11th inning in Toronto, Canada. Finally after showers we called it a night and a full day, LATER

Thursday

Well it was much the usual morning with my quiet time, V-8 and a lite breakfast of leftover baked beans as we were out of bananas and I didn't feel like boring oatmea, so I ate a small bowl of baked beans with Sonny's barbeque sauce, Oh well. I pedalled out to the rec for some 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball then a trip to the weight room for a hundred crunches before heading home. We had 4 players for the first hour and had some really good play until some of the general players arrived but no really poor players. Afterwards I headed home and got ready to head out to Sam's Club for our weekly trip. Gas was about 15 cents a gallon cheaper than just up the road plus we picked up some other goodies for this coming weekend.

After Sam's we stopped by GG and Paps and dropped some lemons for them we got at Sam's then stayed and had a lunch of egg drop soup and meatloaf sandwiches. We also go to visit with Amy and the kids as they had lunch there also. Sam loved the soup as he is such a good eater unlike Ava who has become very picky. We headed home and I set the sprinkler on the back garden and then I took a small nap while Nancy went to Target and then to the rec for her workout. Amy and the kids came for supper as we had soft and hard taco's. After supper I headed out to mow the front yard and give it another layer of fertilyzer. Wow was it ever dry even after I had set the sprinkler last evening. We need rain.

Well the Ray's are losing tonight but are making a small come back. LATER

Wednesday

Well the day started out much the usual with my quiet time, V-8 and banana before riding out to the rec for some couple hours of pickle ball. We had a good gang of players most of the morning with some super rallies. We are missing a few players of course some of the general players are heading back up north. I stopped off in the weight room for some crunches before stopping by the library on my way home.

Amy had dropped the kids off as they went to out to qualify for a loan as they plan on looking for a house to buy. We are sure glad of that as the rental house is just getting too small. We had a fun time playing with Ava and Sam and then we had lunch together. Wow does he ever like peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He is such a good eater and especially likes greens. After Amy got back the girls watched Avonlea before heading out around 3 PM. We got ready for our picnic at the park as we were having our monthly get together to eat with our house church family. Nancy made green bean casserole and baked beans as well as provided all the cups, plates ,etc. We had a good turn out with only one couple unable to attend. The kids had a great time at the play ground and Sam especially as he had someplace to climb. The park was comfortable and no bugs so we stayed until after 8 PM. It was a fun time and too much to eat with all the grille hot dogs and other dishes. We ran into another mother there with her 16 month old little boy and I thought she looked familiar and she as we use to watch her and her brother after school when they were like 6 and 8 years of age. Its a small world as we had no contact with them for all these years.

The Ray's won again but our Lightning lost in double overtime, Oh well!!!LATER

Tuesday

Well things are kind of quiet around here as the gobbler is gone and the rooster now has another pullet(young hen) keeping him company. The morning started out the usual with my quiet time, a V-8 and a banana before pedalling out to the rec for some 2 1/2hours of pickle ball. We were a couple players short and a few have come up with some minor muscle pulls after to days play. We started with 4 players and ended with 10 for the day. It was a good workout and I headed into the weight room for some crunches before heading home.

I climbed onto the roof with the blower and cleaned it off of the leaf, fuzz and dead twig build up from the past month or so since the new leaf formation. I trimmed a couple trash cans full of limbs that were hanging down over the roof before calling it a morning. It was starting to get hot once again plus it was lunch time. Amy and Nancy had gone to Target for some kid's stuff and pulled in just as I was finishing up cleaning the yard. We had left over lasagna and salad for lunch. That Sam now is able to climb into the window seat and then onto the table, he is such a cutie but really jabbers when you take him down. We learned we are watching him next week for 3 nights as Tyler's other sister, Holly and his grandma are coming in for Ava's birthday from Kansas so they are heading for Disney World for a few days. Should be fun with his family here and of course Sam is so young he would only make it more difficult for them to enjoy all the activity.

After lunch we played and looked at pictures on the computer with him just jabbering away, when he starts to talk he will be a motor mouth like Ava. They headed out after watching Avonlea and Nancy took off for the rec and the treadmill. I pulled a nice mess of collard greens and got them on the stove. I read until it was time for the porch chops to go on the grill along with a baked spud for supper. Yumm!!

The Ray'd just won a close from the White Sox and are tied for second place next to the Yankees. The pitching was good with a complete game for Shields as well as some incredible defense. Great Game!! LATER

Monday

Well it was nice to be back in one's bed after an uneventful(kids wise) night with grand babies Annsley and Gabriel. We now know why couples have children when they are still young. After my quiet time, a V-8 and a banana I pedalled out to the rec for pickle ball. We had a good crowd today with 11 players and some really good play the first hour or so. Finally a few women players showed but by then we needed a break and some slow down play as the wet shirts were everywhere. Afterwards I headed into the game with 3 other ladies who are excellent ping pong players as they needed a fourth. That is another workout as well but I played well after having shunned the sport for nearly a year.

I stopped by the library for a couple new reads before pedalling home to work in the yard and garden until it was lunch time. Amy came with Ava and Sam and we had a great lunch and fun time with them. After their Avonlea DVD they headed home so I caught up on some reading until it was time to set the sprinkler in the back yard. We could use some rain as Florida is dry.

We ate lite for supper with sauteed yellow squash over wild rice and a little soy sauce, yummm!! After the clean up I watched the Ray's win another game over the White Sox with some clutch hitting and unbelievable defense. After the game I watched the last period of the Lightning lose to the Penguins in a hockey playoff game. They are down 2-1 in the best of seven.

Well not much else except this is quite a week for believers of CHRIST as Easter is this Sunday. LATER

Sunday

Well Saturday was a little different for us as we spent the night at our son's house in Riverview watching grand babies Annsley and Gabriel. Needless to say one doesn't sleep well in a different bed as well as being on constant edge with the farewell of little ones. The afternoon and evening went better than expected with lots of playtime, snuggling and changing diapers. We had a fun time and really enjoyed the bonding time with those two despite having a 4 AM wake up for a smilely Gabe and a bottle. He went back to sleep and stayed in bed until nearly 8 AM. Annsley was just a joy and showed off her abilty to recognize words or she just has great memorization cause she read word for word some of the library I read to her.

Gabey is still having some chest congestion so we did a couple breathing techniques with a vapor machine as well as the taking of some medicines but he did well and is such a cute smilely boy with a sweet disposition. We handed them over to Jill's folks after church as they were now in charge until Bob and Jill get home tomorrow. After church we headed to Wal-Mart to pick up Easter candy, a birthday bike for Ava and a few other goodies. We finally got back home around 2 PM as they was a major trafffic tie up due to a crash on the Howard Frankland Bridge.

I set the sprinkler on the garden and back yard and picked a handful of tomato's before having a bowl of left over soup for lunch. I spent the rest of the afternoon watching the Ray's lose a close game but they won 5 out of their 6 games in the later innings. It's fun to watch a young team play decent ball and they have done that since they lost their first 5 or 6 games to start.

Well Nancy has thawed out a lasgna we had frozen and will pop that in the oven around 5:30.It will be good to be back in our own bed

Saturday Picture of the turkey

Saturday

Well after sleeping in until 7 AM we got ready for our overnight trip to Riverview where we will look after grand children Annsley and Gabriel while Bob and Jill head to south Florida to marry a couple who were former Element Church folks.

Nancy made a semi-mountain breakfast with some left over spuds she fried along with a couple cackle berries. Speaking of fowl the gobbler next door left this morning for a farm in Plant City where the owner shows turkeys. This fellow was a beautiful bird and had the personality to go along with it. He will be missed as he was the most photographed and talked about turkey, I know in the world. Sam and Ava will miss him a lot.

Well better get off here as I've lots to do for the overnighter, LATER

Friday

Well it was another very nice day even though the temps reached the middle 80's. After my quiet time and the usual bowl of oatmeal I pedalled out to the rec for some couple hours of pickle ball. It was a lite crowd of only 8 or so with lots of good play. Afterwards I stopped off at the weight room for some crunches before heading to the library and then to the house.

Amy and the grand babies came for lunch then headed out around 2:30 as I got the smoker ready to put a 5 pound rib roast in around 3:30 for supper. My did it ever turn out great. I always picked a nice mess of 1/2 runner beans and a couple fresh beets to go along with sweet taters and the roast. Medium rare and was it ever delicious. After the clean up we go in a game of chickfoot dominos and Nancy won on the last go round. We had a great time of fellowship with Dan and Carol and on top of that both the Rays and Lightning won their games tonight

Thursday

Well it was another nice morning with cool temps in the 60's with bright sunshine and clear skies as I rode out to the rec for pickle ball after my quiet time and a bowl of oatmeal with fresh strawberries. We had a good showing today until a couple general female players arrived then the quality of play went quickly south, but since we are a public rec there is little we can do but play with them. After the good 2 1/2 workout I checked in at the weight room for some 100 crunches before pedaling home to work in the the back yard.

Nancy took off for her workout and I worked on some tools as I had to head over to her folks to cut some bushes and trim some dead limbs from their orange tree. We had lunch with them as did Amy and the grand babies. After those chores we stopped and picked up a small table to go with the 2 chairs for the front porch. I set the sprinkler on the garden which was shaded by now then settled down to read until it was time to pick some fresh kale for the Zuppa soup for supper. Amy and the grand babies came to eat then after supper we headed outside to water and play in the front yard. Sam just loves getting his feet wet as well as does Ava.

Well not much else is going on as we have a Dan and Carol tomorrow for supper then we are off to spend the night in Tampa watching Annsley and Gabriel, LATER

Wednesday

Well the temps actually dropped a little to make it feel cool and dry, wow what an April so far, while we did reach the middle 80's the gentle breeze made it nice to be outside working which is what I did. I got the yards mowed, garden weeded and sowed some seeds so they will be big enought to transplant into my spring garden in the mountains. We are hopeful to be there in about 38 days.

The morning started out the usual with my quiet time and some fruit for breakfast before heading out to the rec for pickle ball, what a workout even though we were a couple good players short. There was 8 of us the first hour or so and it was non stop rallies. Afterwards I dropped by the library to pick up a couple reads before heading home to work outside until lunch. Amy headed to Tampa with the grand babies to have lunch with Tyler so we headed out after eating to Home Depot for some new front porch chairs and a few other things. I did a few other chores outside before finally heading in to help get ready for house church of which we had 13 adults and 3kiddo's.

The Lightning lost their first play off hockey game to Pittsburgh last night and the Ray's game was postponed due to rain. LATER

Tuesday

Once again it was a usual morning with bright sunshine and clear blue skies as I pedalled out to the rec after my quiet time and bowl of oatmeal. We had 8 players initially for the first hour then some general players trinkled in until we had about 11 players for the day. Afterwards I headed home to work in the garden where I harvested the last of the lettuce from this garden before pulling up the parsnips which had turned woody as well as the Swiss chard where it too was attacked by root knot and some kind of fungus. We ate the last of it for supper tonight , man was that ever good. The heat is staying up in the day to the middle to high 80's so it won't be long before everything will be gone except for the peppers and herbs.

Amy brought the grand babies for lunch and we had a great time playing with them before she had to take Sam to have his blood drawn for some kind of a one year check-up. He had tears in his eyes and fell asleep on the way back to our place, he and I laid on the bed taking a small nap together. After the kids left we took off to run some errands at Sam's Club, Christian book store and Lowes for some fertilizer. We picked up a rotisserie chicken for supper that went along with our Swiss chard and wild rice. After the cleanup I spread some fertilizer on the yards and set the sprinkler while we took a walk in the hood. Not much else is going on except the Ray's are winning again over the Red Sox as I write. LATER

Monday

The morning started out with the usual wake up at 6:30 and then my quiet time followed by a lite breakfast of V-8 juice and a banana. Afterwards I pedalled out to the rec for 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball. We had a large turn out but the first hour had 8 men with some really good play until the general players arrived around 9 AM. Seems we are losing a couple general players as they head back to Canada tomorrow for the summer. Speaking of heading out it seems about 40 more days and we will be heading to the mountain as well, hopefully. The weather there had finally turned warm and we saw lots of great pictures of the many spring flowers in bloom. The heat is starting to take its toll on the garden as well as the nematodes(root knot).

After pickle ball I headed home to pick green beans, tomato's and some green onions for the salad I was putting together for lunch. I may have enough lettuce for another salad tomorrow but the tomato's are still producing with lots of little ones. The herbs are still hanging and I'm hoping to bring enough with me to transplant in May. Amy and the grand babies came for lunch so we had a nice salad while the kids ate ham and cheese. After their Avonlea fix they headed out for home. The girls talked me into purchasing season 5 for them from Amazon.

Well I grilled a couple bone in pork chops along with parsley spuds and fresh asparagus for supper. I had pulled a couple parsnips but they were too woody, Nancy doesn't care for them but the couple times I grilled them in a little olive oil they were superb, oh well. We have the Ray's baseball on and they scored 6 runs in one inning against the Red Sox, actually that's more runs than they scored all season in seven other games, go figure!!! LATER

Sunday

Well it was a laid back day after worship in Tampa at Element Church with son Bobby and family. Little Gabriel is growing so fast and is such a cutie with always a smile and a cuddle. I held him for the first part of the service and he loved it as his mommy was singing on stage this AM. After awile he wanted to lay down and take a nap in the nursery where grandma Nancy took over. Attendance is still a little down but lots of regulars are out of town but I did see see several first timers. After worship we headed back to Pinellas with Dan and Carol as we are now carpooling with the high price of gas beside we just live a couple doors down from them, so why not unless we have something else going on as we did but we were going to the same place after church; the nursing home.

We pushed several to the 2 PM service and Tyler brought Ava along and the older ladies were just so thrilled to see a young person visiting them. Many wanted to touch her hand and one wanted a picture of her. I assured he I would get her a picture the next time we visited which would be Easter Sunday. After the nursing home we just chilled as I watched a little baseball but with the same sad loss once again for the Ray's so I then found on PBS the series about the civil war. Wow I could watch that forever as the many phtos depicted the actual battles, the dead and od course the soldiers. Nancy took off with her folks and Arriane to Carrabas for supper and I ate what she brought home in the doggie bag. Not much else except I set the sprinklers all evening on the garden and yard. The grass is starting to show some promise and Jim agreed to once again mow for us while we are gone this summer.LATER

Saturday

Well we headed out to the beach after our quiet time and a lite breakfast this morning, yikes was it ever nice. There were just a few lite rollers breaking in which made it perfect for swimming but as I headed down to the water line I noticed several large stingrays coming up almost onto the sand. For a moment I thought they were trying to beach themselves then I realized this is the time of the year they head inland to the beaches to lay their eggs or give birth in the surf. Needless to say I only walked in the water about calf deep while nejoying the water. I saw only 2 other people venture out to about waist high the cpouple hours we were there, but other than that it was a magnificent morning for the first time this year at the beach. Nancy had purchased some 95 sunblock for a face so we decided to head out and see if it worked.

The rest of the afternoon was mainly getting ready for the supper with family later in the evening as neice Arriane arrived from Miami to take GG to Tampa to see an off broadway play at 2 PM. We had chicken breasts in a marinade and potato's for baking and I pulled 3 beets from the garden which were so big they filled a large pot after sliced and fed the whole gang. Some people aren't crazy about beets the those who ate them wanted some to take home for later use. They were delicious!!! I also pulled several green onions to go with the herbs I cut for toppings on the tater.

After vacumming I settled in to watch the Ray's get beat again but they have a new player who came from Chicago who is a little guys but what an amazing catch he made in a losing effort, Go Sam Fuld!!! The family came about 5:30 and stayed to 11:00PM, when I headed out to the shower.

Sunday is worship day at the gathering in Tampa for Element Church. This afternoon at 2 PM we have nursing home duty for those who are in wheelchairs, looks like another busy day. LATER

Friday

Well once again it was the usual morning except for having the windows closed and the a/c on. It seems as summer has arrived on the suncoast of Florida, but thats why we live here especially when the snow is blowing , Im wearing shorts. After my usual bowl of oatmeal after my quiet time I headed out to the rec for some pickle ball. It was wonderful this AM as we had only men for nearly the first hour and a half and was there ever some good play. We had a few players who hadn't been there in a while but overall the play was fast. Afterwards I headed to the weight room for my hundred crunches plus and a weigh-in. I'm still holding and down another 1/2 pound but I'm not progressing like I wanted to as I still have about 5 pounds to go.

The kids came for lunch and we had a fun time playing with Ava and Sam before they headed out for their afternoon naps, actually Sam took a small with us and I'm sure Ava has now out growm her naps as she will be 4 in a couple weeks. Boy I wish I could still be made to take afternoon naps, anyhow I watered the garden(whats left) and read before heading out to cut what maybe the last mess or two of Swiss chard. The lettuce is about gone and the heat is taking over the leafy green veggie's. What a run we had this year, probably one of the best for them. The collards and kale are still not wilting yet but they are getting close to the end. I think I will try to blanch and freeze a bag or two. The green beans are coming in but I've noticed the nematoids are back so they haven't really done well as I expected. The herbs are still great except the dill is showing signs as well as the cilantro of drying up. Hopefully the basil, thyme, rosemary will make it so I can transplant in the N.C. garden next month.

We fried of some fish alonf with tater tots and sauteed Swiss chard for supper as we were babysitting Ava and Sam. The kids really like the greens and Sam had 2 helpings, he is such a good eater especially if its green. After supper we gave them baths then took them over to their home for bed. They are such cuties and Sam went right down for bed around 8:30. He is not a whinner at all unless his gums are hurting from all the new teeth he is getting. We started watching the Ray's but turned them off when they got behind for the 7 th staright game and I figured it was anothe loss, but we learned this AM they came from behind in the 9 th to win, GO RAYS, also the Lightning won last night and are in the playoffs.

Well today we are heading to the beach for the first time this year, Nancy purchased some 90 sunblock and I will take the umbrella and get in a good swim. Well neice Arrianne is coming up from Miami today and we will have another family supper here later this evening. Should be a fun week-end. LATER

Thursday

Well it was another very nice morning with temps into the middle 60's with a heavy dew. The crisp fresh morning air reminded me of a N.C. morning but the day surely warmed by afternoon into the middle 80's. The humidity has returned once again so the typical Florida weather is present. After my quiet time and a litr breakfast I pedalled out to the rec for some 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball. Wow did we ever have some good play the first hour until the general players arrived. Sandy my doubles pardner came and we played together as we got ready for another tournament being held at our gym on the 26th of April.

After the gym I stopped off at the weight room for some crunches before heading home to pick some lettuce for a salad for lunch. Amy and the kids came for lunch and afterwards we played with them until it was time for them to head out. Nancy and I read and I caught a little of the last couple innings of the Rays game with the White Sox which they lost for their 6th consective game. We were eating out with the Botbyl's for supper so we chilled until it was time to head out. We dined on chicken picata, spuds, garden fresh green beans and a cucumber and tomato salad. After the clean up we palyed a game of phase 10 which Carol won on the last hand

Wednesday

Brrr was it ever chilly this morning in the low 50's and by nights end the a/c was back on due to the humidity. Anyhow the morning was pretty much the usual with my quiet time and a bow of oatmeal with fruit before riding out to the rec for some 2 hours of pickle ball. I cut short my play as we had to run some errands before Amy and the kids came plus I was beat after the first hour of contineous great play.

After the run to Sam's Club we share a salad and a frozen pizza for lunch. The kids came and we with them then I settled in to learn all about this medicare program I'm heading for in August, I can't belive I'll be sixty-five, yikes thats scary, anyhow after re=reading all of this literature plus several on-line sites I'm begining to understand a little more, I think. I then spent an hour on the last book I mentioned Agent Zigzag, wow what an intriguing character and a marveleous spy for Britain during WWII.

We were having house church tonight at our abode so I needed to help with getting ready so I vaccumed and got the grill ready for some chicken. We finished up the leftover mashed potato's and gravy from Sunday so that made for a quick and easy supper. We had a great turnout for house church and a few even stayed after 10 PM. Not much else going on except tomorrow we are dining at Dan and Carols for supper and then maybe a card game later, LATER

Tuesday

After my usual quiet times and a lite breakfast the skies showed a promise of rain but it was still dry as I rode out to the rec for some pickle ball. We had 9 players for the day and some really good play as the rain kept most of the general players away. When I say rain it really poured so much so I left my bike at the rec and caught a ride home. After lunch it cleared off and Amy dropped me off on her way to the dentist to retrieve my bike.

We played with the kids and had a fun time and I even got Sam to take a nap. He is cutting new molars and is in so much discomfort that he is very clingy and unsettled. He is such a cutie though and we just enjoy him so much. We just chilled after dropping Amy and the kids off as she was having her car worked on at Twill Auto. Nancy took off on a walk and I read AGENT ZIGZAG. Its a true story about a English criminal who became a spy for Germany during WWII, actually he became a double agent. It's a tremendeous read.

I grilled some salmon and sauteed some Swiss chard while Nancy made some garlic penne pasta with fresh basil, Yum what good eatin'. LATER

Monday

Well it was much the usual morning with a few quiet moments and then a bowl of oatmeal before heading out to the rec on the bike for some 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball. Well the first hour was fast and furious with some great rallies amongst 8 players before some general players arrived. By 10 AM I was bushed and ready for a break but I headed to the weight room for some crunches and a weight-in. Needless to say I put a couple pounds back over the week-end which I guess is understandable after all the great eatin' we did. Pizza,turkey and dressing plus mashed potato's, etc. Yikes it's no wonder I have to monitor what a stuff down my gullet, at least I passed on the chocolate chip cookies, fresh blueberry pie with vanilla ice cream and fresh homemade pumpkin pie with whipped cream, yikes those were hard to pass up but I did and I still weigh-in more than I did on Friday. Sometimes I wonder if its worth passing on all those goodies but hopefully it will pay off down the road.

After pickle ball the kids came for lunch and I had a salad with a little left over turkey, nothing overly fattening. I played with Sam and Ava until it was time for them to head out for their nap then I did some reading while Nancy took off to the mall. Not much else is going on as the temps have climbed back into the upper 80's and the humidity is once again high. We are supposed to get another cold front come through tonight or early morning with a little temp drop while not as humid. Looking forward to that change.

I had marinated some deer steak in Italian dressing over the week end and I grilled it tonight along with some fresh broccoli and sugar peas over white rice for supper. Yum and no fat or hormones in the meat, even Nancy commented how tasty the deer was. Well not much else is going on except Tyler did some update and changed the program for my blog so once again I'm able to make paragraphs, LATER

Sunday

Well it was another beautiful day and a great time of worship with son Bobby at Element Church in Tampa. Afterwards we brought grand daughter Annsley home with us so she could play the afternoon with Ava.

We were having a family dinner with all to celebrate Pap's 87 birthday. We had a roast turkey, stuffing, smashed taters and gravy with cooked carrots. There was fresh blueberry pie with vanilla ice cream and pumkin pie with whipped cream which I passed on, it was rough but I'm holding true to by word about for going any desserts.They all just left a few minutes ago. Gabriel is really starting too smile and becoming aware of his surrounding and he and Sam loved having books read to them. It was a fun day with lots of good eating. LATER

Saturday on Sunday Morning

Well the day was just magnificent with cool temps, no humidity and bright sunshine. I opened the windows up and they are still open as I write. This is most unusual for April, but we love it. I saw on the web cam for Roaring Gap yesterday(Sat) the ground was covered in snow, Yikes no wonder its cool here and my home town(Winchester, Va) also had some snow on the ground as well as freezing temps. What happened to all those global warming scientist??

After our quiet times Nancy made some buckwheat pancakes and I did a couple poached eggs so we had a "mountain breakfast." Actually we have cut down on the meat for breakfast and the fried spuds as well. Anyhow after eating I headed out to check on the gardens and to get ready to run some errands for GG and Pap, which we did around 11AM. After our trip to Home Depot we came back and had a pizza with Amy and the grand babies. Tyler called and was on his way home from Orlando after spending a week there for his work but was delayed due to a flat tire and a low in air spare.

We had an early supper with just a garden salad as Nancy was headed out to watch her mother sing in a concert. I stayed home and ran the sprinkler for the garden and yard and of course watched the NCAA tournament as well as the Rays lose their second game. We sure miss the big sticks that got away and of course the pitching as well. I think it will be a long season. I almost forgot to mention our old friends the Carlsons came by for a short visit on Friday as they were in Florida after moving permanently to N.C. They never regretted that move and have a beautiful home near Winston-Salem. Their youngest daughter, Morgan is a freshman, wow where did the time go??

Today is get ready to head out for worship at the gathering in Tampa. We will be bringing Annsley back with us so she can play with Ava the afternoon as we are celebrating Pap's 87 birthday with a turkey dinner and all the trimming at our house this evening. Should be a fun time and of course too much to eat. Will comment later, LATER (I still haven't figuered out what I did to change the format with paragraphs, hopefully Tyler can fix that this evening, sorry about the run on)

Friday

Well what a difference a day makes, especially when there are no tornado's hovering outside your neighbor. I learned there were 9 of those that touched down here in central Florida and there are still thousands of folks without power. We were certainly lucky here in our 'hood with just a few tree branches and lots of dead limbs in the yard but that took all of an hour to clean up. We never lost power but there was lots of flickering with the lights. Anyhow Friday was a superb day as I opened the morning with my usual few moments to give thanks and reflect on those who need answered prayers and then the usual bowl of boring oatmeal with blueberries and a banana before riding out to the rec on the bike for some 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball.

The day was great with only 8 players and most of these were good players and no general players. We had great exercise, wet shirts and long rallies for the first hour or so with just 6 of us then 2 more came so we had 2 courts going until we all just about gave out. I stopped by the weight room to work on the belly abs and upper arms as I must get ready for the"mountain work" which I'm hoping to start the end of next month, YEA!!! After the weight room I picked up 5 new reads that I had oredered from the library then headed home to work in the garden as Nancy was at her Friday morning Bible study. The rain all 6-8 inches seemed to just drain right through this sandy soil and by evening I was hand watering again. Most of the bib lettuce is starting to bolt but I found a hand full of tomato's that were turning. The kale and Swiss chard need using as well as the parsnips and beets. I picked a couple hot green peppers I started from seeds from our mountain friends pepper plants last year and they have a bite(hot) so I put 2 on my baked potato at supper, wow did that bring out the flavor with a fresh green garden onion and a little sour cream. Amy brought the kids for lunch and we played with them until it was time for their naps.

I then mowed the yard as the rain sent up lots of uneven shoots of grass so this just even the grass and weeds. I harvested some broccoli shoots, sugar peas and Nancy fixed them along with some yellow squash(store bought) in addition to salmon cakes for supper as well. First she fried a couple yellow squash which we loaded with thyme, basil, oregano and dill on top as your tastes dictated. Sam loved the yellow squash and baked potato. he is a good little eater. After the clean up, and bath's the kids headed for home. I settled into the opening baseball game with the Ray's and Orioles and we got whupped 4-1. Well I'm writing this on Saturday morning, LATER.