Monday

Well the morning started with Chester crowing his head off as usual and I don't blame him as it felt like a Spring morning with temps in the 50's and eventually climbed to the middle 70's, just a gorgeous day. After Chester's wake up it was much the usual afterwards; my few quiet moments, then a bowl of cereal with strawberries and a banana before jumping on the old bike for a ride to the rec for a couple hours of pickle ball. We had a large crowd with three courts going for most of the morning as I worked up a good sweat. It felt good to be back on the court especially after all these family meals.

After the rec I stopped off at the library and picked up a couple new reads as I finished THE GRAPES OF WRATH. I understand why Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel prize for literature for this write. He put you right there and the ending blew me away. Its definitely a must read in your life time I may even read it again as it will become one of my favorite reads, much like LONESOME DOVE by McMurtry.

I harvested a beautiful head of cabbage for cabbage rolls for supper. We were having GG, Eric and Amy's family for supper and Betsy and even Nelson one of Eric's friends stopped by and ate also. Nancy spent a couple hours putting this special together and believe me it was special when eaten along with smashed potato's and the red sauce spooned over the top and a fresh garden salad with crusty bread on the side. Amy made an Angel food cake with goop and strawberries for dessert, yikes was that ever a dewisheous supper. There goes the spare tire again as we sat around for an hour before finally setting down to eat at 7 while sipping a little vino.

Well not much else is going except GG seems to be doing well and has mentioned some things she wants to do. She now is getting some of Pap's papers and their accounts in order with Eric's assistance while he is here. We were glad to hear that Cris and Daryl made it safely back to Pennsylvania and we sure enjoyed their visit only wish it could have been for different reasons. LATER

Sunday

The day was a little different than our normal Sunday as it was the 5th Sunday so instead of meeting for worship at Element we had a house church gathering. Several brought food to share and we sat around the table to fellowship. There was an egg and sausage casserole, french toast, fruit salad and sweet cakes along with juice and coffee. We had good time of fellowship after prayer. We left around 11:30 as it was being held at Dan and Carol's house which is just up the street.

I headed out to hand water the gardens and check on the new seedlings as well as the what needed to be harvested. Everything is looking good considering the damage those pesky squirrels do to digging. My neighbor has trapped several but they seem to be multiplying faster than we can haul them away, Oh well. The temperature has been just great with 50's at night and low 70's for the day and with little humidity. Too bad it couldn't stay this way for the next couple months.

GG seems to be getting on with her life as she and her sister and niece along with her son attended a concert on Saturday night then went out to dinner with friends on Sunday night. Her sister, Daryl and niece, Cris left on Sunday to return home in Pennsylvania so she will still have son Eric for a few more days this week. We will have them for supper on Monday night. I have a huge head of cabbage so we will make stuffed cabbage rolls along with smashed 'taters and of course the great salad from my garden. The lettuce just loves this weather especially the cool nights.

Not much else is going on except we took a long walk during the afternoon and ate a salad for supper. I read most of the evening and have really got into the Steinback book; I can see why he won the Nobel prize for writing. He writes as if this book is his autobiography. Its a great read about that era in American history. LATER

Saturday

Once again another busy but relaxing day as we started the morning out with a sleep in until around 7 despite big beak Chester next door crowing. We did our quiet times and caught up on some reading then got ready to meet with GG, Eric, Aunt Daryl and cousin Cris. We headed over to Indian Rocks Beach for lunch at Keegan's a seafood house which has been in the neighborhood for years, could even have been centuries when looking at the building but it had high reviews and was even reviewed by the Food Network. I use to play pickle ball with the owners son but they have since sold out and moved on. We tried a house specialty grilled octopus as an appetizer and it was dewisheous. I learned it is soaked in a marinate of citrus juices and a few other spices for 24 hours and then grilled, yikes some of us were pleasantly surprised at the texture and taste. You then dip it in melted butter much like you do lobster. Actually the texture reminded me of lobster as well. I would get that again.

We were surprised at the freshness and the great taste of every one's meal. Daryl had a cup of the she crab soup and grouper bites and said it was very good as well. Most had fried grouper sandwiches except Eric had the triple tail and I had amber jack both were blackened sandwiches. The desserts were were awesome and homemade; key lime pie and derby pie which is pecan pie with a bourbon sauce. Yikes was that awesome as well and we each had a fork full as well. I can see why the restaurant food was rated high while the decor was definitely Florida "cracker". We had a great waiter who was a mountain of info but was in hurricane motion. I want to go back again.

We stopped off at our house on the way back from Keegan's and confirmed Cris and Daryl's flight info for their Sunday departure back to Lancaster, Pa. We sat around and shared stories while the sisters cat napped(GG & Daryl). It was a pleasant day with just enough chill in the air to make it comfortable with the windows closed and by evening the air cooled off once again to where you needed at least long pants on. We headed over to GG's to visit some more and to eat a quick and lite supper of turkey tetrazzini and a salad. We of course set around sipping some vino until it was time to eat once again sharing old family stories and perusing old photos. It was really a fun day sharing family time together as well as eating. GG, Eric, Daryl and Cris were heading out to a concert while Nancy and I cleaned up after supper. There was a lot of history about the family we learned on the Rouse side, very interesting to say the least.

Well we headed home and after the clean up I got ready for an early bed time after being out late most every nite the past 3-4 days. I caught up on some reading and a little business as well. Just a reminder for all of you who use any of the Nutrilite drinks, juices or shakes and the XS energy drinks or the Perfect Water(I just tried the pomegranated and blueberry Perfect Water and I now use it when I'm working out on the pickle ball court and its unbelievable how it restores your body) are BOGO (buy one and get one free)until the end of this month which is Tuesday. Stock up as I have no idea when this special will happen again. Remember your order has free shipping to your door when your total order is $120 or larger. Check us out at Amway.com/JNTriplett and take advantage of this offer.LATER

Friday

We had a nice rain during the early morning hours but let up enough so I could ride my bike to the rec for my workout on the pickle ball court. I didn't hear from Chester until later as the rain must have kept him subdued; anyhow after my quiet time and a bowl of cereal with lots of fresh strawberries and a banana I headed out. We had a good group of players and there were lots of wet t-shirts by 10 AM. We did a little warm up for the upcoming tournament in Feb. with our pardners in the mixed doubles play. Mitsuko and I will try once again to play together as last year she had to cancel at the last moment and go back to Japan for her aged mother.

After the rec I stopped off and picked up THE GRAPES OF WRATH to supplement me over the weekend as I've just about finished Sparks latest book. I've been wanting to read Steinbeck especially this one again after many years. It was pretty wet outside so I didn't have to hand water the garden so I took off on the bike for the barber shop which isn't too far away. After getting the ears lowered I headed back to wait for Amy and the kiddos to arrive for lunch.

Well I cleaned out some leftovers; a little bit of meat loaf on a sandwich and a taste of homemade soup. Yikes was that ever good eatin'. Sam and I read books together and played trucks until it was time for them to head out for their and mine's afternoon naps. I laid down and took a 10 minute power nap then read until Nancy got back from the rec and her workout on the treadmill. We then got things together to head over to GG's for supper and an evening of chit chat, eatin' and chicken foot domino's.

Cris(Nancy's first cousin) made her famous Cincinnati chili and I brought lots of fresh lettuce from the garden for a nice garden salad plus lots of crusty bread. Needless to say before it was time to eat we sat around and chatted and sipped a little vino and we set GG up for a new install of her phone system as it rained and her Verizon land line went on the blink. She has the same trouble as we did and we don't need for her to be without a phone now that she will be there alone. The chili was scrumptious as its much like a modified spaghetti and we licked the pot clean. The GAB(great aunt Betsy) and Braden came late and brought a couple lemon pies from the Village Inn, yikes were they ever tasty.

The game began of double 12 chicken foot domino's around 7:30 and ended with Cris winning in the final round at 11 PM. Wow did we ever cut up and banner one another and had a great time of fellowship. Amy and the kids left around 8 as it was their bedtime so she missed out on all the fun. Tyler had to work late so he also missed out on the fun but the evening was a success as we ate and played together. Tomorrow we are getting together for lunch at a beach side restaurant for seafood as Daryl,GG, Eric and Cris have tickets to see and listen to GG's old group of singers perform in a concert later in the evening. That will be a good time for her as she will get to see her gang perform. Cris and Daryl fly out on Sunday morning back to Pennsylvania but Eric will stay on another week to out GG get settled into her new lifestyle. There will be some major changes for all of us but she seems to be handling it quite well at this point. LATER

Thursday

Things are quite busy around here with company still in town after the funeral. Our morning started out the usual with the wake-up around 5 with big mouth Chester next door, then my quiet time and a bowl of cereal with fruit before riding out to the rec for my 2 plus hours of pickle ball. Wow did it feel good to be back again and we had a good turn out with some good play. After the workout I stopped off for a couple reads at the library and picked up the newest Nicholas Sparks THE BEST OF ME book. Actually I got that for Nancy but I read nearly half of it during the afternoon.

I transplanted some more bush bean seedlings and then picked 1/2 runner beans and lots of lettuces and kale for a huge salad for supper as we were all meeting once again at GG's for supper. Originally the whole gang was coming to our house but Daryl(GG's sister) likes to go to bed early as she is nearly 90 years old so we cooked the dinner and brought it to her house. We had mac and cheese, smoked brisket, salad, squash casserole, crusty bread and Amy made a carrot cake. What a feed that was and then we played a little Sequence The guys whupped the gals 5-1 in a hotly as always contested match. One gal had to be a guy and we still whupped them even though there was some collusion going on.

We stayed and visited until after 10 PM and had a great time cutting up, eating and telling stories. Diane's brother L.W. and his wife Kathy came over from Okeechobee( about 3 hours to the southeast)and spent the day as well. Friday Diane flies back to Detroit and Eric will stay on for a few days longer as will Daryl and Chris. There is another family dinner scheduled for Friday night.

GG seems to be doing well but did make a remark of how lonely it will be once every one leaves in a week or so. She is only about 10 minutes from us and I'm sure we will be there daily as her needs will be many. LATER

Wednesday

We couldn't have scripted a day of remembering her dad any better especially since the day before was total disaster for Nancy. We awakened of course with Chester, Sam's buddy the rooster to a 5'ish wake up song but we did manage to lay around until nearly 7:30 as there was no sleep the night before due to the bug which had invaded her tummy. We weren't sure she would be able to attend the service scheduled for noon and I was very sceptical I would be alright to go as well; but everything worked out. The service was awesome and quite a tribute to her dad and mom as well. Bobby did a superb job and we all were in tears as well as laughter throughout.There were many in attendance we hadn't seen or been in contact with in years and the pictures displayed on the T.V. monitor regarding their lives together was great.

After the service all of the family and a few friends met in Largo at the Olive Garden restaurant where we had a separate room and then dined together. The food was very good and we had great service. We decided to meet at GG's house around 6 PM to gather together again for food and sharing thoughts and memories again as many were leaving for Miami later that evening. A van load pulled out around 9:30 for that long drive south as their commitments were many; plus the kids would sleep through the night making it a more enjoyable drive. We had a house full at GG's and we decorated the house with many of the flower arrangements giving the place a festive attitude and we thank all of you for your beautiful arrangements for this solemn occasion. The food and vino flowed as well as did more stories of her dad and the family.

We had a spiral cut ham as well as a fresh garden salad adorned with homemade Greek potato salad and homemade Greek dressing, cold cut sandwiches already made from the deli as well as homemade pies and cakes, what a feast.It was so nice outside we even had the doors and windows open. The little ones were having a grand time as they played and entertained us as well until it was way past their bedtime; I think there were 10 of them all under the age of 10 which kept the volume level high.

Pap would have enjoyed all the food but we weren't to sure he would have enjoyed all the kids and the noise and we know he wouldn't have had the doors and windows open so already we are breaking the mold he had established which seemed to make it a little easier saying good-by. We are having all the family except for the Miami gang which was 9 folks again on Thursday at our house for smoked brisket, mac and cheese another garden salad with all the fixin's. GG's sister, Daryl and niece, Chris are here from Pennsylvania as well as Diane and Eric from Michigan who will stay through the week-end.

We headed for home around 10 PM and sleep came fast. I feel very fortunate I escaped the bug that Nancy suffered through and we were very skeptical at first we would be able to be a part of the celebration of her dad's life with the rest of the family and friends. All in all it was a wonderful day with family and friends and we know Pap would have enjoyed himself especially with the food and the stories shared by many had he not been with the Lord. LATER

Tuesday

Yikes what a day of being busy and doctoring Nancy. It all started around midnight when she complained of stomach aches and then it went down hill around 4 AM. The intestinal bug struck and it wasn't pretty; luckily I didn't feel bad and thought maybe I was going to skate on this one. A couple years ago on Christmas we both were down for the count for a couple days with the same bug, hopefully it won't happen again but as I write this post I'm starting to hear my stomach gurgle so if you don't hear from this writer for a day or so you will know I've met up with Montezuma. On a better note Nancy is feeling better after nearly 12 constant hours of pain and elimination and lots of Imodium tablets. I got her to eat a bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup made and brought over by her Bible study leader last evening for supper. That was the first thing she felt like trying to eat in nearly 24hours. That soup really seemed to help her and we still have enough leftover in case I may need it.

After I got her settled enough during the mid-morning I headed to the Tampa airport to pick up her family that was flying in from Detroit. I warned them all that no hugging was to take place because of Nancy's condition as I may be contagious. I dropped them off at GG's house along with all kinds of food Nancy had prepared ahead for the funeral gathering for her dad. When they left Detroit it was freezing and nearly 80 when they arrived here around 11 AM; what a contrast as I picked them up in shorts and a t-shirt and they had bundled up in heavy winter clothing. Wow were they ever tickled to have this weather.

I spent the rest of the day taking care of some needs like washing clothes and trying to make Nancy comfortable and finally around supper time she was able to get up and eat a bowl of soup. Thanks again Jeanette Brown from SFBC; not only did she make the soup for Nancy but several dishes for the funeral gathering as well and delivered them to GG's house.

Well that's about all for now as this morning(Wednesday) Nancy is up and seems to be feeling better. She wants to attend her dad's funeral at noon today as she missed the viewing and visitation last evening; of course no one wanted her there passing the bug around. Hopefully she is beyond that stage and will get to interact with all of her family. I'm not to sure at this point if I want to take a chance and venture out for that occasion. LATER

Monday

Well it was another gorgeous day with cool crisp morning to start the day and by afternoon we were pushing 80 with bright blue skies and lots of sunshine. I did the usual with Chester waking we up with his crowing around 5 then my quiet time before a bowl of oatmeal with lots of fruit before riding out to the rec for a couple hours of pickle ball. Afterwards I stopped off at the library for what seems to be an excellent read so far titled THE END TO NORMAL by Stephanie Madoff Mack. She is the young widow of Mark Madoff who was the oldest son of Bernie Madoff the big ponzi scheme founder. Anyhow its really an interesting story so far.

After getting home from the library we ran errands to buy food for the upcoming meals related to her dad's funeral and for lots of out of town guest and family. There were trips to Sam's Club, Aldi's and Publix plus the vegetable stand. We got back to have lunch with Amy and the kiddos and then played with them until it was time for their naps and mine(but I never got one). Instead I had to replace a fan in the spare bedroom, fix a leaky sink in the kitchen and wash dishes and pans as Nancy began preparing food for Tuesday. She made a couple meat loafs that could be used for sandwiches as well as our supper, also baked a couple nut breads and chocolate chip cookies. After that clean up I read and watered the gardens until supper. I picked broccoli and sugar peas to go along with our parsley red potato's and meat loaf. Yumm!!

Just about bedtime Nancy began complaining of her stomach causing her some pain and discomfort. We both were at the nursing home on Sunday after church and she worked in the nursery where a couple babies has some diarrhea and she thought well she contracted a bug; and sure enough she did as she was up most all of the early morning hours. I won't go into detail but it wasn't pretty and as I write this she is still in a lot of discomfort so much so we don't want to contaminate her mom, brother Eric and his wife Diane and niece Arianne when they arrive today from Detroit. I'm hoping I will be able to pick them up but this bug she has is very volatile and gives you no warning and I don't want to be on the interstate when it strikes. Oh well I will see how the gut feels as it gets closer to the time of going to the airport. LATER

Sunday

Well we had a great day of worship at Element Church with son Bobby, once again his message in a series on Grace was awesome as well was the praise music. His Canvass project that offers the artists of the Bay area a venue to display their talents was a big success with over 800 folks having the opportunity to view and purchase these works in a one night showing, plus they were shown the hospitality and love of the folks that call themselves the church at Element. Great to hear such different ways to reach a group of folks many of which are unchurched.

We started the morning the usual with Chester blowing his beak around 5'ish then our getting ready for our trip to Tampa for church. The day was another gorgeous one with 50's in the AM and high 70's by afternoon. We stopped off at Subway and had a lite lunch on the way home before heading out to the local nursing home to assist with our bi-weekly church service for those patients. Several were so glad to see us there and said over an over how much they(patient)needed company and the opportunity to worship. Many are all alone in the world and some are in such severe stages of health deterioration. We could relate as we saw how Nancy's dad was going through this final stage of his life; fortunately he passed while at the home of loved ones.

After the nursing home I settled in to watch the NFL playoffs the rest of the afternoon and evening. Both games were really good games but I was shocked to see the Giants beat the 49 niners and surprised the Ravens nearly won that game as well. Oh well as they say on any given day any team can beat another except for our lowly Bucs. Oh well!!!

We are inundated with calls and messages of condolences and we are thankful for all who have expressed their sympathy. The next couple days will be filled with making plans for the return of GG and of course the funeral on Wednesday plus the preparations for out of town families, so we will be busy. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers as well as a dear friend Mechelle, our mountain sister who is under going an operation within her stomach on Monday. LATER

Saturday

Well it was a busy day which helped with all the activity that surrounds a family when a loved one passes on. Much of the day was spent getting ready for GG to return to her house along with son Eric and his wife Diane as they escort her back from Michigan and making funeral arrangements for Pap.

After our quiet times and a bowl of cereal with all kinds of fruit for breakfast I headed out into the garden while Nancy got ready to head over to GG's. I transplanted a tray of bean seedlings as well as several tomato seedlings into the one garden that gets the most full sun. The weather here is just fantastic especially for gardening with the 50's at night and up to the low 70's during the day. I seriously doubt we will get any more really cold or freezing weather this winter. January is nearly gone and by February we usually start with the best weather of all for the year, much like Spring time in the mountains. I'm able to save a few tomato's and I'm ripening them in the window. The squirrels have gotten wise to my cage and I've gone catch less the last couple days, oh well!!!

We headed over to GG's with cleaning supplies and my rug shampooer. I spent a couple hours vacuuming and cleaning their carpets and I must say they turned out better than the last commercial cleaning they had done. Nancy scrubbed, dusted and clean bathrooms so GG won't be faced with all that after just getting back from a long stay, away in Michigan. I checked on and fixed a small drip from the water supply line in the bathroom as well as checked on the gutters. I need to bring my leaf blower over in a week or so and clean the gutters once again as their oak tree is really losing it leaves.

The funeral arrangements are set for Wednesday as I make this post at noon in Safety Harbor at the Sylvan Abbey Cemetery. We are expecting family up from Miami and down from Michigan so there will be lots of food preparations for family dinners and get togethers. Well it will be a bitter sweet occasion as Nancy is thrilled her dad got saved before his death and now we can celebrate knowing we will be reunited with him again. Bobby will officate the funeral as Pap ask him weeks ago do so. I know that will really be a tough go for him as well.

Well thats about all except we went through lots of old photos in GG and Pap's collection and they even found some post cards dated back to Pap's grand parents in the 1880's, wow that was only 20 years after the Civil War. It was interesting to hear the language used especially when writing about how the cow wasn't fresh yet( what that means is the cow hadn't had her calf yet). I remember hearing the term used when I grew up on the farm. LATER

Friday

Well today was a day of mixed emotions as the morning started much the usual with Chester waking me up around 5'ish, my quiet time then the posting of my blog from the day before until I checked the e-mail and found that Nancy's dad had passed away just after midnight. She was still sleeping so I quickly let all of you know about his passing before giving that info to her. I fixed my usual breakfast of oatmeal and lots of fresh fruit and got ready to head out to the rec as I usually do when she awakened. She handled the news very well as we have been conditioned by this long illness and actually when he went into a coma 4-5 days ago we knew he was gone; so in away it was a blessing that he no longer lingered at deaths door. The fact he had made a profession of faith certainly made his passing so much easier.

I headed out for the rec which gave her time to reflect and gather her thoughts about her dad. After the rec we headed over to her folks house to find some funeral contracts and then we headed to Twill Auto to use their fax machine. Thanks to our friends the Botbyl's for helping us send these much needed documents to Michigan. We headed home afterwards and Amy and the kiddos came for lunch. Sam and I played outside while Amy and Nancy comforted one another sitting in the warm sun in the back yard. I made some calls which seemed to bother Nancy the most with informing those old friends of the family about her dad's passing.

We just idled away here at the house on the phone and Nancy sat in the warm sun on the front porch writing some thoughts about her dad's life. That seemed to help putting these thoughts on paper and will be shared at his funeral service next week. He will be shipped back here to Florida for burial the first of the week as it now stands.

We want to thank ALL of you who prayed for him to accept Jesus as Lord and he did, also for all the kind words and sympathies you have shared for us and our family. Now we just need to keep Nancy's mom, GG in your prayers to also accept Jesus as Lord as well. This will be a tough time for her as she and Pap were married 61 years together. There will be some life changing decisions for her in the next few months as well. Thank You all again for remembering our family, LATER

Update to Thursday's post

We just got word that Nancy's dad passed away early this morning and that he is home with the LORD.

Thursday

It sure felt like a Spring morning in the mountains with the dampness in the crisp cool air as temps were in the 50's. Even though we had a front move through with a nice rain the temps stayed about normal for us. Wow the garden loves this weather and once again I harvested lettuces, kale, beet greens, green beans and another cabbage. The few tomatoes I'm eating are ones that I've ripen in the windows.

The morning was much the usual with Chester crowing his off head at 5'ish then my quiet time and a bowl of cereal before riding out to the rec for my couple hours of pickle ball. We had a very small crowd for the first hour as 3 of us plum wore each other out in a modified game of 2 on 1(Australian). Finally a couple more players strolled in so we could at least have some rest periods between games; but what a work out. I stopped off at the library to check on some books but they hadn't arrived yet so I headed home to work in the garden. The kids weren't coming today so we ran over to GG and Pap's house to do some chores after a lite lunch of salad and leftover Zuppa.

I caught another squirrel in my cage and took him with us to the other side of the lake and turned him or her lose. That makes 4 I've caught in the last couple days and it seems there is that many or more I need to move. Peanut butter is the trick inside the cage and once in there,they are mine. I only wish these were woods squirrels as they make some fine eatin'. Back on the farm we ate them constantly as my dad was quiet a squirrel hunter, nothing like squirrel pot pie or fried squirrel, Yumm, but these critters here in the city eat any and everything and way to much junk. I'm sure if we would have a famine or something we could eat them. Oh well!!!

We stopped off at the grocery on the way home for a couple items before heading home to chill and read the rest of the afternoon. Nancy was on the phone to Michigan and there has been absolutely no change in her dad's condition. He just lays there like he is sleeping, breathing through his mouth with no response from any type of stimuli. This is very disheartening for GG as she feels he will just wake up and everything will be normal again. We are making plans for when the inevitable occurs; however we did hear from a friend who had a parent exist like that under those same conditions for nearly 5 weeks, Oh well!!!

Not much else except we had some dewisheous chicken fried deer tenderloin for supper with mashed red potatoes and I made a milk gravy from the deer drippings, Yeow was that ever some good eatin'. LATER

Wednesday

Well it was a spring like morning with a cool crispness in the air. Eventually by early afternoon we had a nice rain giving everything a drink which caused the temps to drop a little. The morning was much the usual with a 5'ish wake up from big beak Chester from next door. He and Sam today were so funny together as he loves for Sam to grab his feathers and hold on. He giggles and of course Nancy and Amy think he is hurting the rooster but Chester comes right back to the fence for more of Sam's attentions. So funny.

After my quiet time and the bowl of oatmeal laden with fruit I pedalled out for my morning 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball at the rec. We had a good crowd once again and the play was fast and furious. We are starting to tune up for the Good Life Games in March which will feature a tournament at out gym with players from all around the state. Should be fun. After the rec I dropped off a couple books at the library before pedalling home to water the gardens. Nancy was watching Sam as Amy took Ava to the dentist for her checkup. Sam and I played outside and he is definitely all boy as he loves the dirt, bugs and of course Chester the rooster. He now likes to pull flower pedals and heads as Ava use to as well as a few of my pea pods. We have a grand time in the back yard and after he leaves I have empty plant pots, rocks, etc all over the yard. They went to Tampa to have lunch with Tyler so it was each man for himself for lunch, so I finished the little bit of stir fry and a nice garden salad.

Well we had house church and the attendance was low with only 6 adults as many were sick so we were glad they stayed away as we just got over the crud ourselves a few weeks ago. We are doing a discussion on Beautiful Outlaw a John Eldridge book and it really opens up some interesting ideas about the personality of Jesus. Nancy made oatmeal cookies and I had to restrain myself to eat only one when they came out of the oven. I fixed fried cabbage again for supper minus the bacon and we had a baked sweet potato; once again we are trying to limit out intake of fat and sugars. Speaking of fats and sugars I read wear Paula Deen has diabetes and she is overweight and smokes. Wow all that good eatin' or fixin's has sure changed her life and now she is promoting a drug for type II diabetics, Yikes I wonder about her life style and endorsements.Oh well!!!

Nancy's dad's health hasn't changed and I was wondering how he could maintain life at all after so many days of no nutrition or water. I'm wondering if he isn't hanging on so GG(Nancy's mom) will make a faith commitment as he did upon his death bed. Only GOD knows but that could be a reason for his lingering as he wants her to also join him in Heaven after she passes. Just a thought!!! LATER

Tuesday

Brrr in the morning but by afternoon it was nearly 80 in some areas of the county. We had our doors and windows open and it was pleasant to set out under the big oak in the back yard while the kiddos played. The morning was much the usual with the 5'ish wake up by big beak Chester next door, then my quiet time and a bowl of cereal with fruit before riding out to the rec for some 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball. Wow what a workout as we had 2 courts going most of the morning with some really good play. I sure can tell a difference when we have 3 days off in a row from my workout.

After pickle ball I stopped off at the library on the way home for a couple reads then headed home to hand water the garden. Almost all of the bush bean seeds sprouted and what the squirrels didn't destroy of the new lettuce seedlings. Those varmints are sure a pain in the you know what; but I caught 2 today in my peanut butter baited steel cage trap. The only problem is I have to drive them over behind the library to set them free. Maybe this will at least move their population back to the woods and away from my garden. I don't know if their territorial or not but maybe I will catch the breeders and give my yard and garden a break until the next batch is born. I can see squirrel nests in every tree in our hood so this maybe a lost cause. Oh well!!!

Amy and the kiddos came for lunch so we had left over Zuppa and a fresh garden salad. Wow was that ever good. I need to start watching my portions again as I can feel and see the spare tire inflating around the middle despite my workouts. Oh but I do love to eat especially good food. For supper I picked fresh broccoli, sugar peas, cabbage and green scallions from the garden then added fresh mushrooms and canned bamboo shoots to make a stir fry which we put over Jasmine rice, Yeow was that ever dewisheous with a little soy sauce. I stuck with only one helping and have a little left for lunch tomorrow. After eating I headed to the library to release another squirrel that I caught just before dark. I really wanted to do this one in but the better part of me and Nancy insisted that it be released; so I did.

There is no change in her dad's condition as he is in a coma like state. Hospice continues to tell us it will be the end shortly as the metabolic function of his body is barely working. This is really taking its toll on GG as she sets by his bed during the day trying to stimulate some response from him. Keep her in your thoughts and prayers. Well not much else is going on on, LATER

Monday

Well it was brr this morning with temps in the 40's but quickly warmed to the low 70's by lunch time and we went from the heat on to the windows and doors open. That's Florida winter weather. We slept in until nearly 7:30 despite big beak, Chester next door. Nancy was feeling the effects of giving blood on Sunday as she usually does after that event but as for me luckily its never a bother. We did our quiet times then I had grits and poached eggs whereas she had her usual bowl of oatmeal with fresh strawberries. Yeow the Plant City strawberries are in the markets and are they ever dewisheous.

After the breakfast clean up I ventured out to hand water the gardens. Amy and the kiddos were coming for lunch so I picked lettuces, kale and beet greens and cleaned them for a nice salad. The pesky squirrels continue to dig and help themselves to my garden plants but as long as I'm outside they stay away. I managed to stay out in the yards for most of the afternoon as Sam and Ava wanted to play outside with me after lunch. They have a fun time playing with Chester, finding buggies and playing in the dirt. We played hide and seek which Ava just loves to do, so while we were in the yard the pesky critters stayed away. Actually they came back just before dark and I scared them out of the trees with a few BB shots.

Nancy and I took off after the kids left for their naps to run a few errands; we went to her folks place to check on it and take down some curtains that need dry cleaning then stopped off at the grocery and the veggie stand for some tomatoes. Amy had brought over some cabbage plants in small containers as well as some tomato seedling that Tyler was going to plant in his garden but now they are moving in February to a new house they let me plant them in my garden as I now have some room. Speaking of cabbage we are now eating mine and the size of the heads are staggered so I don't have to eat or give away them all at one time. I did give my neighbor Jim one and he was amazed I grew that head in my yard. The heads are beautiful and probably weighed 5 pounds or greater.

Nancy made a pot of Zuppa soup for super and we puts lots of our home grown kale in it and was that ever dewisheous. That is such an easy soup to make and so tasty. Well we watched a little FOX NEWS and then I tuned into the debates at 9 and watched the whole thing until 11. I once again conjured up some changes about who I thought would be best to lead our country out of this mess we are in and still keep the USA safe; and there is definitely one I would not want to be in the white house. Its still up in the air who I will support but I observed some real keys that were there I had not observed before.

Nancy's dad is still hanging in there in a semi-conscious state. Diane said he seemed at peace in his condition while he continues to breathe on his own but makes no signs or responses. It has become almost that the prayers for his recovery are keeping him alive and maybe we just need to pray that he will pass away in his sleep and let GOD'S will be done. Those were Nancy's thoughts as well as many others in the family and we are excited knowing he will be reunited again some day with his family. Just an update on the newest great grandchild; John Sebastian is still in the hospital but progress is coming with regard to his lungs. LATER

Sunday

Brr once again for us flatlanders here in sunny usually warm Florida. There was frost everywhere except on my garden which I did not cover with blankets; thanks to the big oaks that still have their leaves. After taking the chill off the house we began to meander around; Nancy was dressed like an Eskimo with 3 layers on and I finally put on a long legged pair of pants. I can almost guarantee she would never make in the frozen mountains of N.C. in the wintertime, anyhow after our quiet times and the usual bowl of oatmeal with fruit we got ready to head to Tampa for worship at Element Church.

There was a rather large crowd with many new faces especially for as cold as it was this morning. I think it hit the low 30's there whereas we in Pinellas County are 5-10 degrees warmer due to being surrounded by water which has a temp of in the high 50's this time of the year. There isn't much swimming in the Gulf except for those winter visitors who think this water temp is just right; at least they don't have to break the ice to get in the water. Today was Bloody Sunday as the blood mobile was waiting so I headed out as well as did Nancy; she has the good rare blood A negative whereas I'm a universal O positive. Bobby had an awesome message and the music was uplifting and very worshipful. Its great that we don't have to fear for our opportunity to give thanks and worship GOD.

We headed home with much trepidation as we still are awaiting the final word on her Dad's health. It now seems he has lapsed into semi-consciousness and doesn't respond to any speaking. He hasn't taken any sustenance in a day or so and his kidneys are not functioning at all. The morphine is keeping him comfortable and helps him to breathe with ease; it will be just a matter of hours before he passes. Everyone is almost at the relief stage when that does occur.

I sat on the couch the rest of the afternoon watching NFL playoff games while Nancy was on the phone with family. The Ravens won a squeaker over the Texans which really surprised me because if they play like that against the Patriots its all over for them as Brady looked unstoppable against the Broncos. The Giant game was a surprise for me as I actually pulled for them(underdog) and they out played the invincible(I thought) Packers. Michael Strahan was right on both of his picks against all the other NFL prognosticators; he picked the 49 niners and the Giants. I think the 49 niners will beat the Giants especially since they are playing in California. That should be a good game and I think the Pat's will defeather the Birds, although I would like to see the birds win.

We just picked and ate leftovers for lunch and supper but on Monday we making another pot of Zuppa soup; one of my favorites. Its supposed to be nearly 70 on Monday and the lows back to the 50's, now that's Florida winter weather. Not much else is going on, LATER

Saturday

Brrr most of the day with lots of cloudy skies even though we stayed chilly we were able to walk in the afternoon and with a jacket on it was rather nice. We didn't have to have the heat but the house chilled down to 66 overnight. It felt good snuggling under a couple blankets except for big beak Chester we could have slept in later than 7:30. After a mountain breakfast of buckwheat cakes with a couple cackle berries on top I headed out to check on the gardens.

The bush bean seeds are all up so as soon as they get a little larger I will transplant them in hopes the pesky squirrels won't dig them up; also the new lettuce seeds are up and it will be awhile before I can move them into larger seedling packs as well. I've been picking my tomato's green as the squirrels have taken a liking to their flavor as well so I have managed to ripen about a half dozen in the window so far but the flavor is not the same. Oh well.

I watched the Saints and 49 Niners in what has to be one of the most exciting playoff games ever in the last quarter as the lead changed hands several times. I have been to Candlestick Park in Frisco and its a town crazy about their team and a beautiful place to play. I'm tickled for them and their win as I once rooted for them for years while stationed about 50 miles north of the Bay Area. I only managed to watch 3 quarters of the the Broncos and the Patriots as the Pats took the Denver team apart. They beat up on them so bad it was almost embarrassing to watch and I really felt for the young rookie Tebow as he played his heart out, but got little support for the rest of the team. The team was certainly and underdog and its showed. Their should be some good games on today(Sunday) as the season winds down to the 2 super bowl selections.

Well with the near passing of Pap Pap(Nancy's dad) another great grandson of his was born On Saturday. Brett and Liz Everett gave birth to a son John Sebastion weighing in at a lite weight of nearly 6 pounds. He initially had some lung problems at birth but has recovered and is doing better. It seems almost ironic that as his great grand father is passing on a new life is born in his lineage. Well there isn't much new to post other than these 2 occasions which we celebrate one and are saddened by the other and they both have to do with life and death. We are delighted that Nancy's dad accepted Jesus into his life and maybe this will lead to her mom making that same decision as well; as granddaughter Arianne stated Heaven will not be the same without them. LATER

Friday

Well the weather sure changed here in sunny Florida on Friday with another front moving through the area and a drastic change in temps. The morning was much the usual with 5 AM wake up from big beak Chester, my quiet time, a bowl of oatmeal with all kinds of fresh berries and a banana before jumping on the bike for a ride to the rec. I did 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball play with a few breaks but not many as we had a big crowd today with lots of good rallies. The rec is closed on Monday for MLK Day so I will have to find something else to expend my energy on. Anyhow after the work out I stopped off at the library for a couple reads for over the weekend before pedalling home.

Those pesky squirrels know how to trip my traps and still eat the bait and love to set on the back fence with a green tomato in their paws eating it. I shoot at them with the BB gun but as soon as the back door opens they high tail it out of there so I very seldom am able to hit them on the run, and when I do it only stings them. Oh well I don't mind sharing with the wild life but this is getting out of hand as they don't completely eat what they bite, so they ruin them all. I have resorted to picking the green ones and putting them in the window but the taste is not the same, oh well.

I think I mention in the post that was some how cut into on Thursday that I made fried cabbage for supper the other night. Wow was that ever good. Nancy wasn't to interested at first but she changed her mind after tasting it. I think the idea of frying something turned her off but really what your doing is sauteing it. Here is my recipe; 2 or 3 slices of bacon cut into bite sizes fried in a skillet, 1/2 chopped onion(I used a sweet one and this is optional), add a little sea salt, black pepper and crisp it up especially the bacon, I took a large home grown cabbage and halved it and chopped it into bite size pieces and added to the skillet mixture, mixed that up and add a few red pepper flakes and cover at low heat for about 20-30 minutes, occasionally mixing until the cabbage is no longer crunchy but not soggy either. Yikes does that ever compliment a dish. Nancy really liked it and I can remember that along with fried cornbread made a wonderful inexpensive meal when I was single and just getting by. That's and old country dish I learned when living in N.C.

Well on a more somber note Nancy's dad is coming to the end of his life as he can hardly breathe. Hospice has taken over and is making his last few days left comfortable. We have begun to make arrangements here in Florida for various things to assist when he is shipped back here for burial. I suspect that would occur sometime in the next week or even days. She did speak to him by phone again on Friday afternoon but for just a few seconds. He is still lucid but sleeps constantly due to the morphine which is helping to ease the pain that is associated with being unable to breathe. He reaffirmed he had asked Jesus into his life so that helps with all the fear that's goes along with death here on earth. All we can hope for is that we will all who believe be reunited on the other side. Keep Nancy's family in your thoughts and prayers and especially her mom as she is still not a believer and the sting of losing her mate of 60 plus years will be hard on her.

Well Saturday will find Nancy and I babysitting for Ava and Sam as Amy and Tyler get a night out together. They had planned this last weekend but we had to change that because of all the activities with Bob and his family,LATER

Thursday(continued)

Not sure what happened to blogger but it cut half of my post off so I will try to follow up on what was left. Nancy's dad is now in the hands of Hospice and has been moved back to Diane to wait the end. He is having a hard breathing so he is on morphine to help with his discomfort. Nancy spoke with him and he seemed to know that his time was close to an end and he did reaffirm his decision to accept Christ, so that helped to take some of the sting out of the situation especially for Nancy and the rest of the family. I think her mom has also realized the end is near as well. We followed Diane's suggestions about doing a few things to make the end a little easier with making floral arrangements, choosing pictures to reflect her dad's life and checking out food to serve after the funeral. We headed to Sam's and the florist as well.

Well I had better go as its time to ride out to the rec; I will finish this post later in the day on Friday, LATER

Thursday

Well the day started with Chester showing off his loud crow around 5 AM; what a big mouth he is, anyhow after the wakeup, cup of green tea, my quiet time and my usual bowl of oatmeal doctored up with berries galore and a banana, I got ready to head out to the rec for a couple hours of pickle ball. The play was once again constant, fast and very aggressive for most of the morning. Wow was there ever lots of wet shirts.

Amy and the kiddos weren't coming for lunch as they did a play date at the park with several of Ava's school mates so After Nancy gor back from the rec and her workout on the treadmill we had a bowl of soup. She then got a call from Diane in Michigan that Hospice was taking over her dad's care. He was being moved back to Diane's house from the hospital until the end. Seems his heart is giving out and he can

Wednesday

We finally got a light rain this morning and then a gully washer after I got home from pickle ball. The morning other than the much needed rain was much the usual. Chester did his 5 AM show, my quiet time and a bowl of oatmeal with tons of berries and a banana before riding out to the rec for 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball play. The play was very good and by 10 AM I was ready for a break with a wet shirt. I stopped by the library and picked up a new read before beating the rain home as the skies were heavy with black clouds.

Amy and the kiddos came for lunch so we had bean burritos and wraps, wow were they ever tasty. Sam and I stayed inside as it was too wet to play outside so we looked at old pictures together dating back to '03 on the computer; plus we read several books together. His retention level is great as well as he is a fast learner. He and Ava rough house together and he is a tough one but she is to strong for him yet and he usually winds up getting hurt, albeit for just moments. He is really talking and putting sentences together and is quickly learning his numbers and colors.

After the kids left which was late we decided to postpone our weekly Sam's trip until Thursday as there still was some showers and lightning bouncing around the area. It was a good afternoon to nap and read. I did vacuum as we were having house church tonight. We had 8 adults and one child for a study on the John Eldridge book; BEAUTIFUL OUTLAW. He is a great author and we did a men's study on his book WILD AT HEART a couple years ago when we were still at SFBC.

Nancy had a pot of beef vegetable soup cooking on the stove most of the afternoon and wow did that ever smell good and when we ate it around 5:30 it tasted as good as it smelled. We have plenty leftover for lunch for a couple days; one of my favorites. Well not much else is new except there has been very little good news about her dad's health. He is still in the hospital with fluid buildup and now he is unable to even move his legs. It's not looking as if all of these different treatments are working; but he is still lucid and aware of his surrounding. There is not much else that can be done at this point except pray that he is not suffering with pain, which he has not complained of yet. LATER

Tuesday

Once again another Spring like day with cool temps to start the morning and eventually reaching the high 70's, yikes this is great weather as the humidity has stayed away another day. The morning was much the usual with Chester crowing me awake around 5 AM, then a cup of green tea, my quiet moments to reflect, give thanks and to lift up those I know who are in need. Afterwards I had my bowl of oatmeal with blueberries, strawberries and a banana before jumping on the old bike and pedaling out to the rec for some pickle ball. We had a good crowd once again as many of the snowbirds have come South and the play was excellent once again. Lots of wet shirts. After 2 1/2 hours I pedaled out for home.

Amy and the kiddos were coming for lunch so I picked 3 lettuces, kale, beet greens and a green pepper and made a huge salad for lunch while Nancy was at the rec doing her treadmill workout. We were eating healthy today and going meatless after the nice tenderloin for supper last night. After lunch Sam and I headed outside to play and work in the garden. He and Chester were once again pals and they played along the fence; that keeps Sam entertained as well. He also loves to play with bugs much like Ava did when she was that age and to dig in the dirt. Each day when he leaves us Amy has to bathe him before putting him down for his nap; he is a boy through and through.

After Amy and the kiddos left we chilled reading and Nancy speaking with her folks in Michigan. No real change either way except her dad is now eating very little so that's not a good sign for any progress health wise. The staff has to now use a lift to get him up and into a chair. The edema is still present but not nearly as much.

I cut a huge pot of Swiss chard and sauteed that with olive oil and fresh garlic in a large skillet. That dish has to be one of my all time favorites and it complements any entree. We just a had baked sweet potato and the Swiss chard for supper, yikes was that ever good. After supper our good friends and neighbors, Dan and Carol came by and we took a good long walk through the hood. We got back to the house a little after 8 PM. I headed to the shower and it wasn't long afterwards while watching a PBS special on the Pharaoh Ramses the sandman came by. LATER

Monday

The morning started with the usual fowl wake up around 5'ish, that Chester has the loudest crow and yet he and Sam are the best buddy's. Sam grabs him around the head and plays with him, touching his eyes, comb and beak. I'm surprised Chester doesn't peck him but as soon as Sam gets outside Chester comes a running to the fence. It's so cute hearing Sam giggle while touching Chester and then they run back and forth along the fence together, Oh well I want to cook him at 5 in the morning, especially on days when I don't have pickle ball.

After my quiet time and a bowl of oatmeal with blue berries, and a banana I pedalled out to the rec for 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball play. We had a large crew today and there were tons of wet shirts. I headed into to the game room afterwards as three ladies needed a fourth for ping pong so after about 30 minutes and 4 games I pedalled towards home after a quick stop at the library to pick up a book I had ordered. I was ready for a break from activity as it was a great workout morning. The temps were very nice after a chilly(50's) start and had warmed up to the high 60's and nearly 80 by the afternoon with clear blue skies and bright sunshine. What a perfect day as the humidity stayed away. I hand watered the garden after picking green beans which we had for supper, along with a nice beef tenderloin I grilled and some leftover pasta.

Amy and the kiddos came for lunch and we finished the last of the Zuppa soup and both Sam and Ava really like that soup as well. Wow was that ever dewisheous and Amy brought fresh rolls and lunch meat for sandwiches as well. Sam and I headed outside after lunch; he and Chester did their thing until he started looking for buggies. I have a new crop of grey and red bugs that live on the fence and he love playing with them. Ava came outside after helping Nancy make chocolate chip cookies and played as well with Chester then they all headed for home and their naps. I sat outside for awhile reading before we headed to the grocery and vegetable stand. I finally have a few small tomato's starting to turn but the rats and the squirrels are having a field day ruining them. I'm having to pick them green and put them in the window to ripen or else they bite holes them; I've D-Con the rats but the bloody squirrels are hard to keep out unless I stay outside constantly. They really are a nuisance here in Florida, Oh well.

Nancy's dad wasn't having a good day as she spoke with her mom in the afternoon at the hospital as his cough has returned due to the fluid buildup in the lungs, but he is still hanging on for now. Not much else is going on except the weather has been perfect with cool nights; 50's and warm day's in the high 70's and a few low 80's. We do need some rain and a front is supposed to bring of some on Wednesday then cooler temp's for the rest of the week. Our friends from Michigan who are visiting across the street are heading back north on Wednesday just in time for winter weather there after almost summer weather here. They are hoping to sell her business and move down here in couple years and get away from the winters for good. They use to live down here years ago but the job market was lousy so they moved back and bought a bridal boutique shop and have been able to make do but they are tired of the winters and want to retire to Florida as his folks live in Zepherhills which is about and hour or so drive from here. Her mom Ms Carol lives across the street and we look after her to an extent and I'm always doing little odd jobs for her.

Well that's about it for a Monday except I watched a little of the boring college football game between Alabama and LSU and it had a baseball score when I cut the lights off. This was the second time these 2 teams played this season so why were they playing again; and the first game was boring as well. I think BCS has some revamping to do for next year, just my opinion!!! LATER

Sunday

Chester(rooster)next door was having a fine time at 5 in the morning, must be the full moon has him thinking its daybreak. Finally he shut up enough to drift back off until nearly 7 before rolling out and getting ready to head to Tampa for worship at Element Church. Wow was there ever a large crowd with lots of new faces and some very old faces we hadn't seen in awhile. Bobby's message on Grace was awesome and had us in tears as well as the praise music was very endearing and uplifting; my son amazes us with his gift of speaking and putting together a message.

After the service we headed back to home for a quick lunch of left over's before heading out to the nursing home to assist with the church service there for the elderly and afflicted. We pushed about 15 or so patients in wheelchairs to the short service and then again back to their rooms afterwards. Many of them are in need of assistance and prayer for improved health and remind us so much of Nancy's dad condition. At least he is with family(Nancy's brother) and gets some love but these folks have no one. We do see a few visitors to some of the rooms but the ones we push to the service many will pass on alone except for the nursing staff.

Well Nancy put on a pot of Zuppa soup for supper and I picked from the garden some absolutely beautiful tender Kale to add to the soup. We took our pot of soup up to the Botbyl's and with their tostitoes we had a sumptuous meal and got to play a game of Phase 10 after eating while watching the NFL playoffs. Wow can you believe Tim Tebow, a rookie quarterback for the Denver Broncos? He is catching all kinds of flak because he is Christian and tells the world he is unashamed to be one. Well he is one tough young man as well and he comes from Florida. You gotta love a guy who is being true to his family and himself while putting all the analyst in a tizzy. Go Tebow!!!

Nancy's dad didn't have as good a day as Saturday but he is still hanging on. The doctors are thinking maybe a pacemaker for the heart may stimulate it to work harder to get the fluid moving to his kidneys as they seem to be functioning a little better at this point; of course that could change any moment so he still needs prayer. Bobby in his message this morning spoke about how his Pap(Nancy's dad)had accepted Christ as his Lord and had us all in tears.

Well on a business note if any of you who use energy drinks or want some great mineralized water check out our website as ALL Nutrilite drinks,juices and shakes, All XS energy drinks and the Perfect Water is BOGO(buy one and get one Free). Your order must have at least 25PV to receive the BOGO. I've tried them all and I'm stocking up at this 1/2 price sale. I have to put my order in before the 10th to get Free shipping so if any of you want these items let me know and I will have them shipped to me as my order goes in shortly, LATER

Saturday

Well did we ever have a busy fun filled day which started with Chester crowing at 5'ish waking up Gabe but what we didn't know he was already in bed with Bob and Jill as he quickly went back to sleep. We all managed to stay in bed despite his crowing until nearly 7 o'clock. Nancy made French toast for breakfast then Bob and Jill got ready to head out to their Saturday Conference which was going to be another all day session. After they left we got ready to head out to Largo Central Park where there are miniature trains you can ride.

These rides only happen on the first full week-end in the month. The child must be big enough to straddle a seat with an adult and the ride is very cool; it goes through a tunnel, over a bridge and through the woods. The cost is only a donation and the trains are part of a club that mostly retired folks do as a hobby. Some are steam engines running on coal, some on propane but mostly they are gas engines and built to look like the real full size trains. Its about a 15 minute ride per train and you can ride all you want with about a 15 minute wait in between rides as there were 4 different trains that carried about 25 riders at a time plus the engineer and conductor. The boys and Tyler and I rode them twice while the girls headed to the fantastic playground. That placed was packed with kids and Ava and Annsley were like jitterbugs running from one set of equipment to another.

We left there around lunch time and headed for home and Amy and Tyler picked up a couple pizzas for lunch. We had the boys in our truck and they were so cute together mimicking on each other all the way home. If one smacked their lips or made any noises the other copied kated and they giggled at each other. They were hilarious together. The weather was fantastic as well with cool enough temps to keep it pleasant in long pants and yet warm enough for short sleeves in the bright sunshine. After a lunch Amy took Annsley to their house so the girls could play with Ava multitude of toys and Sam could take a nap. We were hoping Gabe would nap which he eventually did around 2:30.

Tammy and Rich(she is my first cousin) came by for a visit as they had attended the conference along with Bob and Jill but they decided to spent the afternoon visiting with us as they weren't interested in the afternoon or night programs. They flew in from Shallotte,N.C. and spent the night on Sand Key then had dinner at the Salt Rock Grill. We had taken them there last year and they had such great meal they wanted to have an excuse to do it again and the conference made it happen. They came to our house and visited for 4-5 hours loving up on the kiddos and renewing old friendships and old times. They are very comfortable in our family setting and are hoping to come back to Florida around Easter and eat dinner with us as they did last year. Their girls are getting grown up and the oldest Megan who is now a teenager is going to Europe this summer with a group of gifted students. Megan is very artistic and unusually talented as she has her own studio but she is facing the same problems all puberty kids are challenged with. Any how we certainly enjoyed their company and they headed out around 7'ish for a Greek restaurant Bobby mentioned. She is having some back problems with bulging disc so she stood most of the time here.

We bathed the kids and got them ready for bed. Sam and Gabe played together as well as Annsley. Tyler had taken Ava to the circus which had been planned in advance so we watched the 3 of them until it was Sam's bedtime. Bob and Jill showed up around 9'ish then we packed all of their belongings and they headed out. Wow was it ever quiet when they left. We headed for the showers and I cat napped through some play off games and then fell asleep. Yikes those little ones can wear you plum out; but we had a great time and the kids really bonded together.

Well today its church day in Tampa, I almost for got to mention Nancy's dad is still hanging in there as the kidneys are functioning a little better helping to rid some of the edema buildup; thanks again for your thoughts and prayers, LATER

Friday

Now I know why people have kids when they are young, 'cause these grand babies plum wore us out. The day was a busy one with lots of going on's. The morning started with the usual 5'ish wake up by Chester next door then a spot of hot green tea , my quiet time then a ride out to the rec on the bike for some 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball. We had a great turnout with some long rallies and lots of wet shirts. The morning temps were really starting to climb upwards from the chilly start and by the afternoon we had windows and doors open to gorgeous weather.

After a quick stop at the library for a couple reads I headed home to water the gardens and get ready for Bobby and family as they were spending the night. They were attending an Amway conference in Clearwater so instead of driving all the way back to Riverview which is a 100 miles round trip they spent the night. We had Ava spend the night with Annsley as they were pals together sleeping together in a tent. They were like a couple jack rabbits and were in constant motion, finally around 10:30 they were worn out or at least we were and settled down. Chester woke everyone up with his 5 AM symphony but thankfully they fell back asleep until around 7 AM.

I fixed cheeseburgers on the grill along with fresh cold slaw made from a cabbage from the garden and Nancy made oven 'taters rolled in fresh rosemary and parsley also from the garden. Wow what a yummy supper that made and there were chocolate chip cookies for dessert. Bob and Jill took off around 5 :30 and came back around 11:00. We watched movies, popped pop corn and let the kids wear themselves out.

Nancy spoke with her mom in Michigan and things aren't improving at all for her dad as his health continues on a downward slide. There are a couple procedures the doctors want to try to alleviate some of the edema buildup but that would require a heart procedure. The decision hasn't been made yet as to try that operation.

Well its Saturday morning and we are getting ready to watch the Annsley and Gabe for the day as both Bob and Jill are off for the whole day at the conference. We are planning on taking the kids to a park in Largo where there is a miniature train; should be another busy fun day. LATER

Thursday

Frost was everywhere as I rode out to the rec this AM; roof tops, car tops, yards but the big oaks around my garden saved the plants from any visible ice. The morning started out in the 30's but eventually by the afternoon somewhere in the high 60's maybe even low 70's. We opened the the windows after having the heat on most of the morning. Chester woke us up around 5 AM so I snuggled under the extra blanket until nearly 6 AM before venturing out to get ready for my ride to the rec. After a spot of HOT green tea and my quiet time I ate a bowl of warm oatmeal then bundled up for the ride. Only my legs and face was exposed as it was really chilly.

We had a full crowd today at pickle ball with some great play and there were lots of wet shirts, after 2 1/2 hours I headed home to check on the gardens. At first I was startled to see so much frost everywhere as it was supposed to be not as cold as the night before so I didn't cover my tomato's or herbs; but as I said before the canopy of the big oak save my garden. I watered really good as wet ground stays warmer than dry soil and with the wind yesterday the roots dried out fast in this sandy soil.

Amy and the kids were going to the park to play and have a picnic with some of Ava's school mates so Nancy and I took off for Sam's as we are having a family supper on Friday night. We are having Bobby and the family for an overnighter as they are attending an Amway conference in Clearwater over the weekend, and they will stay with us as well, as will Ava so the girls can play together. That will make it easier than driving back to Riverview late at night plus it will give the kids a chance to play with one another. Should be a busy, fun week end and the weather is supposed to be gorgeous with lows in the 50's and highs in the 70's and no rain.

Well I finished THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE by Steig Larrson and I must say he was an interesting author with never a dull page; too bad he has passed on. I'm really looking forward to reading the first and last book in the trilogy. I sat outside in the sun and read for a couple hours before picking lettuces, kale , beet greens and a green pepper for a large salad. We were having chicken fried deer cube steak(thanks once again to the Dalton's) along with Jasmine rice, Brussel sprouts and a nice milk gravy I made from the deer drippings, WOW that is some good eatin' and so good for you. No hormones, steroids and god only knows what else our beef is fed to make then bigger, fatter and pleasing to the eye at the market, anyhow if I had my choice of red meat I would take venison anytime.

Well after supper and the clean up we walked across the street to Carol Heckman's house as her number 3 daughter, Toni and her husband Mark are visiting for a couple weeks and we try to get together to play games with them. They are the folks who taught us Golf(card game) and last night they taught us a new way of playing Mexican train domino's. Wow was it ever different and fun. Nancy cleaned up again with a big win and girls won in the 5 games of Sequence; once again I had to play a "Harvey hand" as we were one guy short. The gals won in a squeaker with lots of table talk in the fifth and deciding game. We headed home around 9:30 after 9 rounds of domino's.

Well Nancy's dad is about the same as she tried to speak with him over the phone. He is alert and eating but the fluid has really progressed up to the chest cavity and surrounding his heart. He has accepted the fact there isn't much that can be done at this point because of all his maladies, but he is still lucid and alert. Thanks to all of you who continue and have kept him in your thoughts and prayers, LATER.

Wednesday

Well it was another cold morning for us flatlanders with temps into the high 30's, I saw frost on the grass and roof tops away from the tree areas as I rode out on the bike this morning, Yikes my eyes were watering by the time I reached the rec. After the Chester wake up I did my quiet time then had a bowl of fruit salad before heading for my 2 1/2 hour workout on the pickle ball court.

I headed home after a quick stop at the library to hand water the gardens; seems it was spared from the frost due to the large oak tree. The basil is not a lover of cool temps and even though I put it in the shed it still doesn't look good, everything else looks O.K. We finally put the heat on for the first time this winter as it was 65 in the house when we awakened. I like the crisp cool air especially when your snuggled in between lots of blankets, Nancy was dressed like a snow boarder between those same sheets, oh well!!!

We didn't have the kids for lunch today as they went to Tampa to have lunch with Tyler; Nancyhad a mammogram appointment. I just read most of the afternoon until it was time to vacuum as we were having house church later in the evening. We had 8 adults and 1 kid and discussed doing a study on a book by John Eldridge the author of Wild At Heart.

Nancy spoke with her mom and dad and he seems to have responded to this new round of treatment and Dianne referred to him as the comeback kid, she was very encouraged his quality of life had improved somewhat even though we all know its terminal due to the congestive heart failure. This little rally and the fact he made a life decision about CHRIST has helped take the sting out of the inevitable and that's something we all at one in our life will face; death.

Hey just a business update on a lighter note; this month's special from our team leaders at Amway are BOGO(buy one get one free) all Nutrilite drinks( that's shakes, juices, twist tubes, etc)and all Perfect Waters and XS energy drinks; however your order must have at least 25 PV total to get the BOGO. PV points are attached to each item you purchase and depends on the value of the items. When you decide to order add those PV's and make sure they are at least 25 for the total order also that number applies to any items you order and goes toward the BOGO'S as well. If you spend at least $120 your shipping is Free as well. This is a time to stock up.

Well stay warm to all our northern family and friends we are supposed to reach 70 again by the week's end so our cold is just temporary, LATER

Tuesday

Brrr it was a bit nippy here in the usually hot and humid coast of central Florida as it got down into the 40's last night. It was in the low 50's to start the day and gradually during the day the cold north wind caused the temps to stay around the middle 40's for most of the day until the sun went down, Oh well this is good for the mosquito control. The morning was so blustery with gusting winds of 15-25 mph so I drove to the rec instead of pedaling; beside I wanted to be home in time to watch Sam while Nancy and Amy ran to the store together. Ava was back in school so the girls had the morning free to shop.

After the usual wake up around 5 from Chester, I had my usual cup of hot green tea then a bowl of fruit salad after my quiet time before heading out for nearly 2 hours of workout on the pickle ball court. We had a good turnout with constant play even though we were missing several. A new player showed and he's a pretty good player but with an unusual name, Swan. He hails from Oregon.

Sam and I had a grand time together playing cars and trucks and he loves for me to read books and point out things to him as well as make all the noises for the animals we see in the books. He loves to climb up on my lap and look at pictures on the computer and he names the people he sees. He is such a sweet boy and loves his grand dad. The girls got home before lunch and we heated up the oven and had a frozen pizza. I headed out to water the garden after lunch as the wind had really dried things out.

We made a quick trip to Aldi's after the kids left for their naps to pick up a few goodies then Nancy headed to the rec for her workout. We could really tell the temps were dropping fast through out the afternoon and the forcast was for a heavy freeze north of the bay area and down into the 30's around us. I don't believe it was supposed to freeze in Pinellas County but come close; because we are surrounded by water which has a temperature in the 60's. I pulled out my box of old sheets and blankets and covered my tomato plants, peppers and herbs, hopefully they will survive and its supposed to be back in the high 50's on Wednesday and get progressively warmer by the weekend which is looking like the middle 70's again, ahhh!!!

Well Nancy's dad is hanging in there but we aren't sure for how long as his heart is now weakening due to all the fluid buildup. It seems the kidney medicine weakens the heart and vice versa so its a constant battle. He's is nearly immobile which doesn't help at all in moving the fluid back and out of his body, plus now he has reinjuried his knee somehow from a fall last week when he tried to stand by himself when no one was around. He is a bit trying at times and refuses to listen to those folks who have his best interests at heart; but that has always been his nature to certain extent. Thanks for all the prayers and thoughts for him and Nancy's mom. She is just about worn out and of course seeing her husband is such weakening conditions is very disheartening.

We headed over to Amy and Tyler's for supper as she made her famous chicken green bean casserole, dewisheous it was and we watched some home movies from their visit in Kansas with Tyler's family over Christmas. The sledding movies were hilarious and it looked cold as well. Sam and Ava were so funny in the snow and sledding as well with a few wipe outs as they were towed behind grandpa Robb's truck. We headed home around 8 and headed for the hot showers. We actually put and extra blanket on the bed for the night. I watched some of the Michigan vs Va.Tech then turned the lights out at half time, LATER

Monday

Well it was another busy day with really nice morning temp's around 60 then as the day wore on it began cooling off especially with the wind chill. The wind blew hard out of the north as that front passed through our area. I eventually put on long pants but it was really nice that the humidity had abated. I did move my recently transplanted sweet basil into my shed for the night as it does not like cool or cold temps.

After our 5'ish wake up call by Chester(rooster) we did our quiet times and had our bowls of oatmeal then Nancy spent the rest of the morning on the phone to Michigan. Her dad was taken to the hospital again on Sunday and wasn't doing well at all. Eric(brother) had a priest come in and speak with her dad giving him "last rites" and praying with him and her dad did pray to receive CHRIST as his personal saviour. Seems he finally realized the seriousness of his condition as his heart and kidney were almost at the non functioning stage. Well he has made some remarkable overnight gains and we can only attribute that to all of you who have lifted him up in prayer because his kidneys started working again as well as his heart function. They(hospital staff) got him up out of bed and he stood with their help for a brief period, unbelievable. We thought surely Sunday was the end of the road for him and now with his acceptance of CHRIST maybe that will help lead Nancy's mom to accepting CHRIST as well. Only time will time as grand daughter Arianne told her grand father Sunday that heaven would not be the same without him. She stayed with him most of Sunday night as she thought to that he was near the end.

Well that was great news regarding her dad and lifted our spirits for the day especially Nancy as she has constantly reminded her dad about the choices he needed to make. She spoke with him briefly and her mom and he actually ate some lunch and supper, so that's a plus. I spent the rest of the afternoon watching some really great college bowl games off and on. We managed to get in a good 45 minute walk through the hood in between visiting with our neighbor, Carol Heckman. Her daughter and her husband are visiting for a couple weeks from Coldwater, Michigan and we try to get together with them and play some games at least once when they are here. I will probably help him do some repairs to her house as he is quite handy and she needs a new roof over her back entrance way.

Well we snacked on left overs for supper as I finished the black-eyed pea soup YUMM was that ever dewisheous. I read and watched a little more football right up to the time it was to sign off for the night. The wind was howling outside and I don't believe it got as cold as they predicted as the temp this morning showed 53 for Seminole on the Internet. LATER

NEW YEARS DAY

Well it was a wide awake night for me as I drank tons of sweet ice tea while playing games New years Eve at the Botbyl's house; so me who seldom uses caffeine was awake the entire night, anyhow I didn't feel bad or tired during the day on Sunday. Speaking of Sunday we headed out for worship at Element Church with Dan and Carol as we now carpool switching off each Sunday. The service attendance was lite but that was to be expected as lots of these young families were out of town but the praise music was awesome as well as a short message then we took the LORD'S SUPPER together.

We headed straight home this week as Nancy was preparing a large supper for Amy and her family as well as we invited Dan and Carol also. We usually eat out together after church somewhere around the Bay Area. Nancy put a pork loin in to roast along with smashed spuds, sauerkraut, Kielbasa, hot dogs and crusty bread. Amy picked up a lemon pie from the Village Inn which is always awesome. I saved my piece for Monday as I was too full from all the other goodies.

We spent the afternoon speaking with her in laws in Michigan as her dad was taken once again to the hospital. His kidneys are nearly shut down completely so it appears it will be just a matter of time, so keep all of us in your thoughts and prayers. He has rallied before but this time it isn't looking quite as promising. He still is somewhat lucid but unable to lift his limbs. He was admitted after spending the afternoon in the emergency room with the hope of flushing his kidneys and heart. I'm not sure what flushing means but that was the terminology used when describing the next step or procedure.

I watched a little NFL throughout the afternoon and our home town team the "hapless Bucs" were on par for a sub par performance against the Falcons and at one time were losing by the score of 42-0. The Falcon's put the bench warmers in and we did score about 26 points to make it look better. I think we need a whole new group of coaches as well as some of the players need to be prison. We have a bunch of thugs and law breakers on the the team who constantly shoot themselves in the foot as well as the local population. Unbelievable these guys are paid a ton of money to perform so badly. Enough said about the Bucs as you can tell my loyalty has left the Bay Area.

There should be some great college games on starting Monday and lasting through out the day as well as next week. These players show their desire to play hard without making the big bucks, although some of them are caught cheating as well. Sometimes I think we put to much emphasis on sports and not enough on things that matter. Well I started a new read by Steig Larsson and he is a great author(unfortunately he is dead) with super intrigue. I had heard alot about his novels and me not being much of a fiction reader finally was able to acquire one through the library system. There are 3 books in this triology so I'm reading the second one first.

Well it was nice enough we had the windows open with a house full of company and today we are planning on a low profile day with maybe getting a walk in and eat some leftovers. The for cast here is for the high 30's on Wednesday morning, Yikes my garden doesn't like that outlook. It was 62 this morning with some clouds and the sun just broke through. Hope your New Year is a healthy and prosperous one, LATER

Saturday

Yikes, can you believe this is the last day of 2011??? Well there is no doubt time moves on and we grow older with each passing day and hopefully wiser(when did I become so profound). Anyhow we had a busy day and of course I'm writing this post on Sunday morning which means we saw the ball drop(big deal) because I was wide awake from drinking sweet tea all evening instead of vino; so I had a caffeine sugar high which had me awake ALL night. I'm still not tired this AM and feel like I should be heading out for my 2 plus hour workout.

The morning started out with the fowl call from Chester next door around 5 but we rolled over and slept in until nearly 7:30. We did our quiet times and I wrote my post then we did buckwheat pancakes with a banana in the batter and a couple cackleberries on top for breakfast, wow was that ever good eatin'. After the cleanup which seems to have migrated to my side of the marriage vows I headed outside to water the gardens by hand. It was plum warm out but the humidity seemed to be way down south which made for a gorgeous day. Nancy put a load of clothes in laundry and then we got ready for a long walk through the 'hood after she hung the laundry.

The afternoon found us reading, relaxing and talking on the phone to her Michigan family. Her dad isn't doing well as the fluid continues to build up in his lower extremities so we are anxious about what each day will bring. I had a nice chat with oldest sister, Josie in W.Va. and my dad in Va.as well. They all seem well and the weather there has really been nice for this time of the year. We headed out to neighbors Dan and Carol around 6 PM bearing some dewisheous smoked Salmon spread and crackers along with some fresh picked lettuce and herbs. We had never eaten lettuce rolls per say but I liked the idea and they turned out great with a lot less carbs. Carol has sauteed chicken beasts (bite-size) with bean sprouts, onions, garlic and some assortment of sauces and you spoon that on a lettuce leaf, add your favorite herb or sauce, roll or wrap it and eat. Very Good!

After the clean up we played Sequence and the guys smoked the gals the first 3 games but had to win in a tie breaker in the 7th game to win 4-3, way to go for the last match of 2011 guys!!! We then played 18 holes(rounds) of Golf and Nancy won, then we played 7 rounds of chickenfoot domino's and Carol won, so overall it was a gals win on the individual games but as a team effort the guys won. We headed out around 10:30and decided since we have church on Sunday morning we would watch the ball drop at our places. I drank way too much sweet ice tea which had me awake all night. I should have stuck with a little vino before eating. LATER