Well Thursday turned out to be another hot, humid and breezy day which is typical for Florida this time of the year. The morning started much the usual with roosters crowing around 5'ish. I managed to roll over until 6 when I finally decided to start the day with a cup of tea, my quiet moments after posting this babble and a lite breakfast before riding out to the rec for some 3 hours of workout. We had a small group of pickle ball players so that left very little down time in the 2 plus hours of play. The wet shirts were evident on all of us and afterwards I headed into the weight room for another 30 minutes of treadmill with an incline and some heavy weights. Nancy was also doing her regiment on the treadmill and bicycle.
I headed home after by-passing the library which is one of my favorite places. I do have a book that's waiting for me and it should in my down time keep me busy until Monday. I had to cancel several books I had on order but I have access to the library in Sparta so I will use that some this summer. I read some great books this past 7 months and along with pickle ball reading is one of my favorite pastimes activities.
The garden is so dry despite the daily watering's and the grass is starting to crinkle under your feet when you walk on it. We are in a watering ban to just once a week for the yards but no limit on the gardens but still it's drying up as well. I pulled a mess of collards and gave them to the gals next door then took the plants out as they are getting huge. I'm still getting some peppers but they have been attacked by nematodes so they are about gone as well. The tomatoes are really producing and I picked about 50 or so today; of course these aren't the large variety but they are great for salads. I'm hoping they will make it to the N.C. garden as several of my seedlings are bearing fruit. We will see if they make it as I still have them in pots.
It was just Nancy and I for lunch for a change and it really was quiet around here without Amy, Sam and GG. We had a huge salad topped with some leftover chicken and ham which made for a great chef's salad. Afterwards Nancy ran errands with her mom and I read and caught up on some little things. The days are busy and we are excited about making the trip back to the cabin after 7 months of being away. It's hard to believe it's been that long since we were last there. It was cold and freezing when we left last November for warm sunny Florida and that helped with being away from our place and our friends who we know and love and now we are leaving this hot place and heading for some cool mornings with lush vegetation everywhere. It will be good to renew old friendships, to walk in the woods and share stories and food together.
Nancy made a pasta dish of sautéed garlic and butter with shrimp and mushrooms and spinach over a bed of Penna for supper, yeow was that ever delicious. I settled into the Fox News, O'Reilley and then the Ray's game of which they beat the Marlins for the 4th straight game. What's going on as they are starting to play well and I'm leaving the area. I will have to watch the games on the Internet but that's not quite the same, LATER
Friday, May 31, 2013
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Thursday Morning
Well Wednesday was another hot one with the early morning temp's in the 70's. I spoke with out "mountain mom" and she said it got up into the 70's for a high on such a beautiful day in the mountains. I reached the middle 90's by the afternoon with a stiff breeze which made it to hot to do much of anything outside until after supper when if finally cooled down a little. I did manage to pull some weeds and spread some of the bagged leaves I had collected and stored for ground cover on my Florida garden; plus the leaves give food for my earth worms and help keep some moisture in the ground for them as well.
After an early start with a wake up around 5'ish by the feathered fowl I did my usual routine with a cup of green tea, a few quiet moments after making this post and then a lite breakfast of a smoothie with fresh fruit and almond milk before riding out to the rec on my bike. I got in nearly 3 good hours of workout on the pickle ball court and then in the weight room. Despite all of the family dinners and Nancy's good cooking I haven't added to the spare tire and I'm feeling much stronger especially in the arms and shoulder areas. The tendinitis in the elbows have really gotten a lot better but I still feel twitches of it from time to time.
I headed home after the workout to hand water what's left of the garden. I picked about 40-50 small tomatoes as they range in size from golf ball to a egg shape in size and quite tasty. The seedlings are getting so large I may have to top them again just to get them in the truck. The Zinnias now have 4-5 leaves and looks like they will survive to make it for the transplant at the cabin. The beets have gotten so big I'm wondering if they will make the transplant; if not I will eat them. Most of the seedlings have become root bound in the pots and need to be set out soon.
Amy and Sam came for lunch and we watched him while Amy ran some errands. The Ross family is leaving the day after we leave for the mountains for Kansas. They will be gone for a couple weeks as Tyler's younger sister, Kelsey is getting married. Tyler will drive straight through leaving in the early evening which lets the kids sleep through the night. That makes it easier on the little ones when asking "when will we be there". I remember those days and I did the same thing except most of our trips were around 18 hours straight whereas his trip is 25 plus hours, yikes. They have to be careful as well with the severe weather that is in that part of Kansas and the mid-west.
We cleaned up the last of the ribs and Nancy sautéed the last of the yellow squash with some onion for supper. Seems we have been invited out for supper 3 nights this coming week end. We are slowly but surely getting the Florida house ready to leave for an extended period. I've pretty much got the outside yard and gardens ready to leave and our once neighbor Jim who has a lawn service on the side from his firefighter job will mow ours when he comes to mow his house that he rents out. Nancy is packing up her necessities which I think we don't need so much of but it's like her security blankets, oh well. The truck will be loaded down once again as we head to higher ground. I've called all of our utilities to put them vacation here in Florida and reinstalled the ones at the cabin as well as a change of address, yikes so much to do.
I watched the last few innings of the Ray's vs marlins in Miami and we won again for the third straight game, LATER
After an early start with a wake up around 5'ish by the feathered fowl I did my usual routine with a cup of green tea, a few quiet moments after making this post and then a lite breakfast of a smoothie with fresh fruit and almond milk before riding out to the rec on my bike. I got in nearly 3 good hours of workout on the pickle ball court and then in the weight room. Despite all of the family dinners and Nancy's good cooking I haven't added to the spare tire and I'm feeling much stronger especially in the arms and shoulder areas. The tendinitis in the elbows have really gotten a lot better but I still feel twitches of it from time to time.
I headed home after the workout to hand water what's left of the garden. I picked about 40-50 small tomatoes as they range in size from golf ball to a egg shape in size and quite tasty. The seedlings are getting so large I may have to top them again just to get them in the truck. The Zinnias now have 4-5 leaves and looks like they will survive to make it for the transplant at the cabin. The beets have gotten so big I'm wondering if they will make the transplant; if not I will eat them. Most of the seedlings have become root bound in the pots and need to be set out soon.
Amy and Sam came for lunch and we watched him while Amy ran some errands. The Ross family is leaving the day after we leave for the mountains for Kansas. They will be gone for a couple weeks as Tyler's younger sister, Kelsey is getting married. Tyler will drive straight through leaving in the early evening which lets the kids sleep through the night. That makes it easier on the little ones when asking "when will we be there". I remember those days and I did the same thing except most of our trips were around 18 hours straight whereas his trip is 25 plus hours, yikes. They have to be careful as well with the severe weather that is in that part of Kansas and the mid-west.
We cleaned up the last of the ribs and Nancy sautéed the last of the yellow squash with some onion for supper. Seems we have been invited out for supper 3 nights this coming week end. We are slowly but surely getting the Florida house ready to leave for an extended period. I've pretty much got the outside yard and gardens ready to leave and our once neighbor Jim who has a lawn service on the side from his firefighter job will mow ours when he comes to mow his house that he rents out. Nancy is packing up her necessities which I think we don't need so much of but it's like her security blankets, oh well. The truck will be loaded down once again as we head to higher ground. I've called all of our utilities to put them vacation here in Florida and reinstalled the ones at the cabin as well as a change of address, yikes so much to do.
I watched the last few innings of the Ray's vs marlins in Miami and we won again for the third straight game, LATER
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Wednesday Morning
Well Tuesday was a pretty much usual day for a change. It was wild having 4 grand kids running around and all of them under the age of 6 except for Ava who just turned 6. It was great bonding them and them with each other but they can wear you out or maybe it's just because we are growing older and our stamina isn't quite what it use to be. It sure was quiet around here most of the day except for lunch time when GG, Amy and Sam arrived; but they left in the early afternoon so we got in a little reading time as well as a power nap before heading over to GG's for supper.
The morning was back to the usual routine with a 5'ish crow off, then a few quiet moments before a lite breakfast then a ride out to the rec on my bike for some 2 plus hours of workout on the pickle ball court. We had a small crowd today but with a new player from Missouri who was visiting and he was good player as well. We had some great matches and lots of wet shirts. Afterwards I headed home as the weight room was being cleaned and the machines oiled. Nancy and I came back after lunch for a good hour plus workout on the elliptical, treadmill, bike and I did some heavy weights plus we walked in the 90 degree heat back and forth to the gym, so we had another good workout as well.
That was about it for the day as we continue to do little things to get ready for the trip to the cabin. After a delicious supper of chicken casserole and salad at GG's we came home to watch Fox news and then the Ray's game and finally they won a game in the bottom of the 9th after being behind most of the game, LATER
The morning was back to the usual routine with a 5'ish crow off, then a few quiet moments before a lite breakfast then a ride out to the rec on my bike for some 2 plus hours of workout on the pickle ball court. We had a small crowd today but with a new player from Missouri who was visiting and he was good player as well. We had some great matches and lots of wet shirts. Afterwards I headed home as the weight room was being cleaned and the machines oiled. Nancy and I came back after lunch for a good hour plus workout on the elliptical, treadmill, bike and I did some heavy weights plus we walked in the 90 degree heat back and forth to the gym, so we had another good workout as well.
That was about it for the day as we continue to do little things to get ready for the trip to the cabin. After a delicious supper of chicken casserole and salad at GG's we came home to watch Fox news and then the Ray's game and finally they won a game in the bottom of the 9th after being behind most of the game, LATER
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Tuesday Morning
Well Monday was one of those days that was non-stop from early morning until about 10 PM. We had all 4 grand kids since Sunday after church until Monday evening and believe me when I say "where do they get all of that energy". Ava woke us up at 4:49 in the morning wondering where she was but she did go back to sleep until around 7 when they all got up. It's difficult to really relax especially for Nancy as she is constantly afraid one of them will get hurt, lost or drown; but none of that occurred, thankfully despite having them at the beach twice. The girls are really starting to bond and both of them were in tears when it was time for them to head for home around 7'ish. The boys played much better together but there is still a little of the wanting the same toy at times.
After a breakfast of scrambled eggs and pastries we headed out to the beach with Amy and Tyler's help. Luckily for us they stayed around all week-end except for some moments when they disappeared for the night and then in the afternoon to prepare a potato casserole to go with our smoked/grilled ribs, salad and lemon pies from the Village Inn. It was another delicious family meal that started with homemade guacamole, salsa and chips and a little vino while the ribs were finishing up on the grill. Bob brought Sugar their dog who helped wear the kiddos down for awhile. It was non-stop action from the start and Nancy and I were plumb worn out by the time everyone left and we put the house somewhat back in order. We were in bed by 10 PM. We did get to see a little of the Ray's win over the Marlins for a winning streak of 2 games, Yeah!!!
I should mention the beach was just awesome and it's hard to believe we have been there 4 out of the last 5 days, while last Thursday was just on the beach for our house church the last 3 were in the water, swimming and crashing waves, building sand castles, looking for shells and just loving the beach conditions. They were perfect with the water refreshing along with an off shore breeze which was awesome. Inland it was hot with dry conditions but still in the 90's plus for the highs.
This time next week we should be on the road and on our way to N.C. hopefully for an extended stay throughout the summer. It sure will be difficult to leave our family as well as our church family and now the beach as well. I can't believe we waited nearly 7 months to visit the beach which is 5 miles away; what's with that, LATER
After a breakfast of scrambled eggs and pastries we headed out to the beach with Amy and Tyler's help. Luckily for us they stayed around all week-end except for some moments when they disappeared for the night and then in the afternoon to prepare a potato casserole to go with our smoked/grilled ribs, salad and lemon pies from the Village Inn. It was another delicious family meal that started with homemade guacamole, salsa and chips and a little vino while the ribs were finishing up on the grill. Bob brought Sugar their dog who helped wear the kiddos down for awhile. It was non-stop action from the start and Nancy and I were plumb worn out by the time everyone left and we put the house somewhat back in order. We were in bed by 10 PM. We did get to see a little of the Ray's win over the Marlins for a winning streak of 2 games, Yeah!!!
I should mention the beach was just awesome and it's hard to believe we have been there 4 out of the last 5 days, while last Thursday was just on the beach for our house church the last 3 were in the water, swimming and crashing waves, building sand castles, looking for shells and just loving the beach conditions. They were perfect with the water refreshing along with an off shore breeze which was awesome. Inland it was hot with dry conditions but still in the 90's plus for the highs.
This time next week we should be on the road and on our way to N.C. hopefully for an extended stay throughout the summer. It sure will be difficult to leave our family as well as our church family and now the beach as well. I can't believe we waited nearly 7 months to visit the beach which is 5 miles away; what's with that, LATER
Monday, May 27, 2013
Monday Morning(Memorial Day)
Well Sunday was anything but usual except for the roosters that started crowing at 5'ish in the morning. After a 6:30 roll out we started the day with our cups of hot liquids, a few quiet moments then a lite breakfast before heading out to Tampa and Element Church. Bobby had a great message on the prodigal son and what love a father has for his sons. What a different perspective of love and how it relates to us and our Father. Great job son and lots of teary eyes in the crowd. It makes a father proud.
After the service we gathered up Annsley and Gabe and headed out for home. They were staying the night as Bob and Jill had all kinds of meetings with Amway. Jill is making this her profession and is doing quite well with it. We stopped off at Sam's for some goodies before heading home to a lite lunch. After lunch I headed over to pick up Amy, Ava and Sam as Tyler was doing the church service at the nursing home. After he finished up we got the gang ready and headed to the beach for an hour or so. The kids had a great time and except for mother hen Nancy who could not relax we wore the kids out or at least we thought we did as it was close to 10 PM before the last one finally fell asleep.
We had salad and pizza for supper and the kids did work up an appetite and then after their baths I popped them some corn then we got their sleeping bags out and put in the movie UP. While they watched the movie we got in a couple card games of OH -ell which Nancy won barely by beating Tyler as Amy and I had identical scores but I smoked them all in a short game of golf. It was shower time for me after Amy and Tyler left and lights out by 11. On a better note the Ray's whupped the Yankees finally 8-3 to avoid the sweep, LATER
After the service we gathered up Annsley and Gabe and headed out for home. They were staying the night as Bob and Jill had all kinds of meetings with Amway. Jill is making this her profession and is doing quite well with it. We stopped off at Sam's for some goodies before heading home to a lite lunch. After lunch I headed over to pick up Amy, Ava and Sam as Tyler was doing the church service at the nursing home. After he finished up we got the gang ready and headed to the beach for an hour or so. The kids had a great time and except for mother hen Nancy who could not relax we wore the kids out or at least we thought we did as it was close to 10 PM before the last one finally fell asleep.
We had salad and pizza for supper and the kids did work up an appetite and then after their baths I popped them some corn then we got their sleeping bags out and put in the movie UP. While they watched the movie we got in a couple card games of OH -ell which Nancy won barely by beating Tyler as Amy and I had identical scores but I smoked them all in a short game of golf. It was shower time for me after Amy and Tyler left and lights out by 11. On a better note the Ray's whupped the Yankees finally 8-3 to avoid the sweep, LATER
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Sunday Morning
Well Saturday was a day of first in a long time once again as we headed to the beach after lunch. The morning started out the usual with the roosters crowing around 5'ish. We managed to tune them out until nearly 7 before rolling out to start the day. I had lots of chores to do so after my spot of tea and the posting of yesterday's happenings so my grand kids could read about their grand parents some day in the future; I had a lite breakfast of poached eggs and grits.
I headed up on the roof to blow away all of the sticks, leaves and debris that collects there from the big oaks that surround the abode. Then I sprayed some malathion around the perimeter of the roof as we get these little ants that make their way into the house from time to time. I think the dead limbs that fall on the roof from the oak are usually infested with them so occasionally they intrude and Nancy isn't a lover of ants. Anyhow after that chore I pulled out the hedge clippers and began whacking away at all the vines on the fences, shaping the bushes out front and on the side of the house. Nancy decided to make a Sam's Club run with her mother as we are smoking some ribs for the big dinner on Monday as we celebrate Memorial Day with the family. We are bringing Annsley and Gabe home with us today(Sunday)after church so Bob and Jill will join us Monday for supper and to pick up the kiddos.
While Nancy was gone I continued to fight the ants as I blew powered boric acid into the attic with the leaf blower. This creates a fine dust which covers the ants and causes them to die. After that unpleasant job I mowed and edged then watered the back and side gardens. I had Zinnias that sprouted in just 2 days from seeds so they were now about 2-3 inches in height, so I separated them and transplanted them into 9 packs. I have about 40 plants that look as if they will survive. We love Zinnias, plus they are hardy and make just beautiful multicolored flowers.
After a lunch of leftover soup for me we decided to head to the beach at our old haunt on Redington Shores. The truck thermometer read 92 degrees but the air seemed rather dry with a strong off shore breeze. We finally found a place to park and when we walked onto the beach we understood why. The place was jumping with sunbathers. We set up the big umbrella only to have the wind carry it away a couple times before we decided to leave it closed. We then noticed some kids that looked like Ava and Sam playing in the water down from us and sure enough it was them. We played with them and then spent most of the next hour or so in the water. The water was just perfect not to hot and just enough coolness to be refreshing. We stayed about 2 hours and when we left the temperature had risen to 97, yeow that was hot but not sweltering as the air was dry.
We got back about 3:30 so I took the garden hose and washed off all the salt and sand in the backyard and did that ever feel great. Nancy headed for the shower. After letting the sun dry me I ventured in to watch the Ray's and Yankee's and once again with a 2 run lead in the 9th with 2 outs and 2 strikes on the batter the Yank's score 2 runs to tie and then went on to win in the top of the 11th. It's gonna' be a long season I'm afraid for the Ray's. I picked some red and green peppers and we sautéed them up with some rotisserie chicken from Sam's to make fajitas for supper along with some yellow squash. Wow we are eating healthy today.
It was a fun day and I can't believe we decide to start going to the beach with just one week to go before we head to higher ground. This is such a beautiful vacation place and the beaches are just awesome and we live 5 miles from it; what's wrong with this picture, oh well, LATER
I headed up on the roof to blow away all of the sticks, leaves and debris that collects there from the big oaks that surround the abode. Then I sprayed some malathion around the perimeter of the roof as we get these little ants that make their way into the house from time to time. I think the dead limbs that fall on the roof from the oak are usually infested with them so occasionally they intrude and Nancy isn't a lover of ants. Anyhow after that chore I pulled out the hedge clippers and began whacking away at all the vines on the fences, shaping the bushes out front and on the side of the house. Nancy decided to make a Sam's Club run with her mother as we are smoking some ribs for the big dinner on Monday as we celebrate Memorial Day with the family. We are bringing Annsley and Gabe home with us today(Sunday)after church so Bob and Jill will join us Monday for supper and to pick up the kiddos.
While Nancy was gone I continued to fight the ants as I blew powered boric acid into the attic with the leaf blower. This creates a fine dust which covers the ants and causes them to die. After that unpleasant job I mowed and edged then watered the back and side gardens. I had Zinnias that sprouted in just 2 days from seeds so they were now about 2-3 inches in height, so I separated them and transplanted them into 9 packs. I have about 40 plants that look as if they will survive. We love Zinnias, plus they are hardy and make just beautiful multicolored flowers.
After a lunch of leftover soup for me we decided to head to the beach at our old haunt on Redington Shores. The truck thermometer read 92 degrees but the air seemed rather dry with a strong off shore breeze. We finally found a place to park and when we walked onto the beach we understood why. The place was jumping with sunbathers. We set up the big umbrella only to have the wind carry it away a couple times before we decided to leave it closed. We then noticed some kids that looked like Ava and Sam playing in the water down from us and sure enough it was them. We played with them and then spent most of the next hour or so in the water. The water was just perfect not to hot and just enough coolness to be refreshing. We stayed about 2 hours and when we left the temperature had risen to 97, yeow that was hot but not sweltering as the air was dry.
We got back about 3:30 so I took the garden hose and washed off all the salt and sand in the backyard and did that ever feel great. Nancy headed for the shower. After letting the sun dry me I ventured in to watch the Ray's and Yankee's and once again with a 2 run lead in the 9th with 2 outs and 2 strikes on the batter the Yank's score 2 runs to tie and then went on to win in the top of the 11th. It's gonna' be a long season I'm afraid for the Ray's. I picked some red and green peppers and we sautéed them up with some rotisserie chicken from Sam's to make fajitas for supper along with some yellow squash. Wow we are eating healthy today.
It was a fun day and I can't believe we decide to start going to the beach with just one week to go before we head to higher ground. This is such a beautiful vacation place and the beaches are just awesome and we live 5 miles from it; what's wrong with this picture, oh well, LATER
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Saturday Morning
Well Friday was a busy day that started early for me as I awakened around 5'ish with the roosters crowing right after I finished planting the garden, mowing and a few other chores in my state of semi-consciousness. It's getting difficult to get a full nights sleep due to the anticipation of traveling to the cabin and with all the chores that must be fulfilled here in Seminole before leaving. I'm like an excited kid getting ready to go fishing, oh well. I headed out to the rec for some couple hours of pickle ball after a few quiet moments and a lite breakfast. I dropped the truck off at neighbor Dan's so he could replace the rear brake pads and picked up his car in exchange. I had a meeting at the VA center about trying to update or correct my DD 214 on my way to pick up my truck at Dan's shop which is just across the way from the VA center.
I got home just before noon and we ate some leftover Italian bean soup after Amy and Sam came for lunch. We had a good visit and I caught up on some paperwork then read for a couple hours after hand watering the gardens. It is in the 90's and just too hot to work outside for very long. After Amy and Sam left we got the house ready for the gang that was coming for supper as we celebrated Amy birthday with a family supper. Bob and family couldn't make it due to prior commitments. I vacuumed while Nancy did the rest of the house and the spaghetti sauce aroma filled the house with this awesome smell, yeow was that ever mouth watering. Nancy headed out about 5 to pick up GG who made a salad to go along with the spaghetti and chocolate cake with white icing. I even broke down and had a piece of that cake as its the very best to all of our tastes.
We had a house full as Betsy came as well and its looks like we will do it all over again on Monday as I'm smoking some ribs as we commemorate Memorial Day. Bob and the family are coming as well. It was a fun filled evening as the kids were full of energy and they plumb wore me out. After their baths it was after 9 so every one headed out and I headed for the shower. It wasn't long before I could barely keep my eyes open due to the early start. I did manage to watch some of the Yankee's slaughter the Ray's pitching staff, at one time it was 9-0. Yikes it's going to be a long season for them. Maybe I won't miss them so much knowing how bad they play at times while in the mountains. All I have to do is read the box scores and be spared from watching their poor play.
I spoke with Paw Paw in Winchester and he said it was in the 50's and that he wore a coat while mowing the yard. I wish we could send some of this heat up there in exchange for some of their cool air, yikes wearing a coat near the first of June, LATER
I got home just before noon and we ate some leftover Italian bean soup after Amy and Sam came for lunch. We had a good visit and I caught up on some paperwork then read for a couple hours after hand watering the gardens. It is in the 90's and just too hot to work outside for very long. After Amy and Sam left we got the house ready for the gang that was coming for supper as we celebrated Amy birthday with a family supper. Bob and family couldn't make it due to prior commitments. I vacuumed while Nancy did the rest of the house and the spaghetti sauce aroma filled the house with this awesome smell, yeow was that ever mouth watering. Nancy headed out about 5 to pick up GG who made a salad to go along with the spaghetti and chocolate cake with white icing. I even broke down and had a piece of that cake as its the very best to all of our tastes.
We had a house full as Betsy came as well and its looks like we will do it all over again on Monday as I'm smoking some ribs as we commemorate Memorial Day. Bob and the family are coming as well. It was a fun filled evening as the kids were full of energy and they plumb wore me out. After their baths it was after 9 so every one headed out and I headed for the shower. It wasn't long before I could barely keep my eyes open due to the early start. I did manage to watch some of the Yankee's slaughter the Ray's pitching staff, at one time it was 9-0. Yikes it's going to be a long season for them. Maybe I won't miss them so much knowing how bad they play at times while in the mountains. All I have to do is read the box scores and be spared from watching their poor play.
I spoke with Paw Paw in Winchester and he said it was in the 50's and that he wore a coat while mowing the yard. I wish we could send some of this heat up there in exchange for some of their cool air, yikes wearing a coat near the first of June, LATER
Friday, May 24, 2013
Friday Morning
Well the count down continues with just 11 more days before we are finally on the road to the cabin. We learned it has been raining once again there and another cold front is coming through which will bring the highs only in the 50's for a couple days. Those temps would really feel good here in hot, humid and dry Florida.
The morning for Thursday was nothing usual as we were heading out to Annsley's graduation from pre-K which was to start at 9 AM in the Riverview area. Needless to say we were up at 5:30 for a 7:45 departure and which we were a few minutes late getting there due to the rush hour traffic. Luckily for us the program was late starting so we missed nothing. We saw more traffic this AM than we will see all summer in the mountains. It was a special time for these little ones as they sang, danced and wore their caps with the tassels as they received their graduation diplomas. Afterwards we headed out to Mimi's Café for lunch.
The food was great and very reasonable and we had an enjoyable time with Annsley's other grand parents(Brian and Susan) as well as Bob, Jill and Gabe. Afterwards we headed back to Seminole which got us home around 2 PM. Nancy got busy on baking Amy a birthday cake she requested for her supper on Friday night as we didn't get to celebrate last weekend her 30th birthday due to the wedding in Miami. We will have a big family spaghetti supper on Friday evening(she requested as well). I headed out to water the gardens and the new seedlings. I sowed Zinnias 2 days ago and they are breaking ground already. I will bring them to the cabin as well as we just love the beauty of the flower and they do so well there. The tomato seedlings have small tomatoes set so if I can get them in the ground there, I will be one of the first to have 'maters ready to eat this season.
We had a lite supper of salad and soup before heading over to the beach for our house church get together at Kathryn and Patrick's house. We just took beach chairs across Gulf Blvd which is just a stones throw from their condo and we were on the beach. The sunset around 8:30 and we were on the beach about 45 minutes before that happened and Nancy captured it on film as well as the moon in all of its splendor. We had a new person, Kevin to join us who is a retired Army officer. We had a great discussion from the book of Galatians about legalism in the church and how that can separate us from pleasing GOD. Believers must ask themselves the all important question of "who do I strive to please with my life" man or GOD and many times that causes people to stay away from church and honoring GOD because of these stringent rules, ceremony's, dress codes, types of worship music, etc.(legalism's).
The ambiance was awesome as we listened to the waves, felt the cool breeze and saw the amazing setting of the sun and the rise of the full moon and to think all of these things were set in place by our Creator. There is no other planet like Earth. Well it was a great time as we shared some of our life experiences together then Kathryn spoiled us with chocolate cake before we headed home. It was going on 10 PM by the time we hit the showers and got ready for bed. I will enclose some pictures from the beach get together, LATER
The morning for Thursday was nothing usual as we were heading out to Annsley's graduation from pre-K which was to start at 9 AM in the Riverview area. Needless to say we were up at 5:30 for a 7:45 departure and which we were a few minutes late getting there due to the rush hour traffic. Luckily for us the program was late starting so we missed nothing. We saw more traffic this AM than we will see all summer in the mountains. It was a special time for these little ones as they sang, danced and wore their caps with the tassels as they received their graduation diplomas. Afterwards we headed out to Mimi's Café for lunch.
The food was great and very reasonable and we had an enjoyable time with Annsley's other grand parents(Brian and Susan) as well as Bob, Jill and Gabe. Afterwards we headed back to Seminole which got us home around 2 PM. Nancy got busy on baking Amy a birthday cake she requested for her supper on Friday night as we didn't get to celebrate last weekend her 30th birthday due to the wedding in Miami. We will have a big family spaghetti supper on Friday evening(she requested as well). I headed out to water the gardens and the new seedlings. I sowed Zinnias 2 days ago and they are breaking ground already. I will bring them to the cabin as well as we just love the beauty of the flower and they do so well there. The tomato seedlings have small tomatoes set so if I can get them in the ground there, I will be one of the first to have 'maters ready to eat this season.
We had a lite supper of salad and soup before heading over to the beach for our house church get together at Kathryn and Patrick's house. We just took beach chairs across Gulf Blvd which is just a stones throw from their condo and we were on the beach. The sunset around 8:30 and we were on the beach about 45 minutes before that happened and Nancy captured it on film as well as the moon in all of its splendor. We had a new person, Kevin to join us who is a retired Army officer. We had a great discussion from the book of Galatians about legalism in the church and how that can separate us from pleasing GOD. Believers must ask themselves the all important question of "who do I strive to please with my life" man or GOD and many times that causes people to stay away from church and honoring GOD because of these stringent rules, ceremony's, dress codes, types of worship music, etc.(legalism's).
The ambiance was awesome as we listened to the waves, felt the cool breeze and saw the amazing setting of the sun and the rise of the full moon and to think all of these things were set in place by our Creator. There is no other planet like Earth. Well it was a great time as we shared some of our life experiences together then Kathryn spoiled us with chocolate cake before we headed home. It was going on 10 PM by the time we hit the showers and got ready for bed. I will enclose some pictures from the beach get together, LATER
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Thursday Morning
Well Wednesday was another typical summer day for the sunshine state; hot, humid and no rain in our area. The morning started rather early for me as I'm getting keyed up about our move to the cabin. It seems after about 4-5 hours of sleep I wake up and then just toss and turn until the roosters start crowing around 5'ish. After that it's look at the clock until around 6 then I'm up for the day, oh well. This happens every year the last few days as we get closer to leaving for the mountains.
After my cup of tea and a few quiet moments I had a lite breakfast of fresh fruit and almond milk blended into a smoothie before heading out to the rec for some 3 hours. We had a small group of pickle ball players but was able to get in a good workout before heading over to workout on the elliptical and then some heavy weights. Yeow that really warmed up the muscles and my shirt was dripping when I left for home.
I hand watered the gardens which is just about finished except for the plants I'm hoping will survive until I can get them in the ground at the cabin. It is just so hot now that even 2 watering a day are barely enough to keep the plants alive. The summer is upon us in a big way and I'm ready for cool weather. Amy and Sam picked up GG and they came for lunch and afterwards Nancy took GG shopping and then home. I spent the biggest part of the afternoon in the reading room and watching the Ray's game as its just too hot to work outside. After a supper of Italian bean soup I ventured out to hand water just before dark. I did get to watch the Ray's lose another game in extra innings to the Jay's. We have no bull pen pitchers or closers as we were ahead in the 9th inning, oh well. The Yankees come to town on Friday, LATER
After my cup of tea and a few quiet moments I had a lite breakfast of fresh fruit and almond milk blended into a smoothie before heading out to the rec for some 3 hours. We had a small group of pickle ball players but was able to get in a good workout before heading over to workout on the elliptical and then some heavy weights. Yeow that really warmed up the muscles and my shirt was dripping when I left for home.
I hand watered the gardens which is just about finished except for the plants I'm hoping will survive until I can get them in the ground at the cabin. It is just so hot now that even 2 watering a day are barely enough to keep the plants alive. The summer is upon us in a big way and I'm ready for cool weather. Amy and Sam picked up GG and they came for lunch and afterwards Nancy took GG shopping and then home. I spent the biggest part of the afternoon in the reading room and watching the Ray's game as its just too hot to work outside. After a supper of Italian bean soup I ventured out to hand water just before dark. I did get to watch the Ray's lose another game in extra innings to the Jay's. We have no bull pen pitchers or closers as we were ahead in the 9th inning, oh well. The Yankees come to town on Friday, LATER
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Wednesday Morning
Well the count down is on with just 13 days until we head out for the cabin. I can hardly sleep at night due to the anticipation; I've planted my garden, mowed the grass and weeded the flower beds all while in bed. Wouldn't that be nice if you really could do all of those things while in a horizontal position with your eyes closed, oh well.
The morning started on Tuesday with the routine wake up around 5' ish by the feathered boys next door then my cup of tea and a few quiet moments before a smoothie made with strawberries, red raspberries and an apple with some almond milk and cinnamon, yeow was that ever tasty and healthy. I then headed out to the rec for some nearly 3 hours of workout. We had a small group of 6 players for pickle ball which meant there was very little down time and then afterwards I headed into the weight room for some extra treadmill time on the incline. I have to get ready for those stairs and the mountain hikes. I did several sets of heavy weights trying to build those arms and chest areas. Wow is it ever tough to work yourself back into shape especially since I've had tendinitis in both of my elbows most of the past 6 months.
After the workout I headed home to water what is left in the garden. The 1/2 runner bean seeds are sprouting so I will be able to put them in the ground once we get to the cabin and the tomato seedling are setting fruit. I will have plenty of marigolds and 4 geraniums plants that I started from cuttings from last years plants I will bring back for the porches. The Swiss chard is history as the heat has taken over despite watering it twice a day. I cut enough for supper to go along with fried fish and rice. The heat has caused the chard to be just a bit bitter so I pulled out the plants after supper.
Well that's about it for Tuesday as I tuned into the news as watched where the recovery is still going on with the devastation from the killer tornadoes in Oklahoma, wow what a storm. I did managed to watch the Ray's beat the Jays barely after being ahead by 3 runs in the late innings and nearly blew another game, LATER
The morning started on Tuesday with the routine wake up around 5' ish by the feathered boys next door then my cup of tea and a few quiet moments before a smoothie made with strawberries, red raspberries and an apple with some almond milk and cinnamon, yeow was that ever tasty and healthy. I then headed out to the rec for some nearly 3 hours of workout. We had a small group of 6 players for pickle ball which meant there was very little down time and then afterwards I headed into the weight room for some extra treadmill time on the incline. I have to get ready for those stairs and the mountain hikes. I did several sets of heavy weights trying to build those arms and chest areas. Wow is it ever tough to work yourself back into shape especially since I've had tendinitis in both of my elbows most of the past 6 months.
After the workout I headed home to water what is left in the garden. The 1/2 runner bean seeds are sprouting so I will be able to put them in the ground once we get to the cabin and the tomato seedling are setting fruit. I will have plenty of marigolds and 4 geraniums plants that I started from cuttings from last years plants I will bring back for the porches. The Swiss chard is history as the heat has taken over despite watering it twice a day. I cut enough for supper to go along with fried fish and rice. The heat has caused the chard to be just a bit bitter so I pulled out the plants after supper.
Well that's about it for Tuesday as I tuned into the news as watched where the recovery is still going on with the devastation from the killer tornadoes in Oklahoma, wow what a storm. I did managed to watch the Ray's beat the Jays barely after being ahead by 3 runs in the late innings and nearly blew another game, LATER
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Tuesday Morning
Well its 2 weeks from this day that we will be on the road to the mountains and we are so looking forward to that adventure once again. Cool mornings, quiet and stillness of the cabin as well as the renewing of friendships and lots of gardening and hiking. Oh well, we are still faced with temps in the 90's here in Florida with no rain and high humidity. Monday started out much the usual with the roosters next door crowing around 5'ish in the morning. After my cup of tea, a few quiet moments and then a smoothie made with strawberries, banana and some almond milk I started out to the rec for some 3 hours of workout. We had a nice crowd of pickle ball players and some really good play and then I headed to the weight room for some additional cardio and some heavy weights to build up my arms and shoulders.
I stopped at the library for a couple new reads that I had ordered and one was titled WILD by Cheryl Strayer. It's a great read about a gal who hikes the Pacific Coast Trail alone from Mexico north through the Sierra Mountains in California. After the library I headed home to work in the garden and then to wash the truck as I parked under some tree overnight in Miami and it dropped flower pedals and some sap on the truck. We did hit some rain on the way north from there but not enough to wash all the sap off.
Amy and Sam picked up GG and they came for lunch. We had salad and cold cuts for sandwiches and then afterwards I retired to the reading room where I read until it was time to get ready for supper. We ate leftover Mexican food from the other night and it was delicious. After supper I headed out to the garden as the heat had somewhat abated so I pulled weeds and got it ready for some bags of leaves I have been saving to cover the garden while we are gone for the next 5-6 months. My worms love the leaves and it provides good food for them while we are gone plus it helps hold down the weeds and hold in the moisture. I had to top some of my tomato seedlings that I'm bringing to the mountain as they are almost to large to transplant. Some of them have fruit set so I need to get them in the ground as soon as possible when I get there. The 2 + days we were gone to Miami and no rain killed the cukes and just about killed the egg plants and peppers as well. They have begun to perk up somewhat with extra watering's and I should be able to bring some fruit with us for later use.
Well that's about it for Monday we did learn that Annsley is graduating pre-K on Thursday morning so we will try to make that event as its around rush hour in Tampa. That should be fun. We will bring Annsley and Gabe home with us after church on Sunday as they will spend the night with us as well. Nancy started packing up some things in tubs for us to take to the cabin so the reading room in starting to fill up. We spoke with our mountain mom and she indicated its been raining off and on for days and they are tired of this wet weather. I would imagine our grass is knee high to a light pole in the yards and gardens so we will have fun turning the place into being livable again. I'm anxious to see if the potatoes I planted last fall in November made it through the winter and have come up. Gardening is a challenge in the mountains with the clay soil and rocks but we both love it especially the beautiful flowers that come up each year and grace our place, LATER
I stopped at the library for a couple new reads that I had ordered and one was titled WILD by Cheryl Strayer. It's a great read about a gal who hikes the Pacific Coast Trail alone from Mexico north through the Sierra Mountains in California. After the library I headed home to work in the garden and then to wash the truck as I parked under some tree overnight in Miami and it dropped flower pedals and some sap on the truck. We did hit some rain on the way north from there but not enough to wash all the sap off.
Amy and Sam picked up GG and they came for lunch. We had salad and cold cuts for sandwiches and then afterwards I retired to the reading room where I read until it was time to get ready for supper. We ate leftover Mexican food from the other night and it was delicious. After supper I headed out to the garden as the heat had somewhat abated so I pulled weeds and got it ready for some bags of leaves I have been saving to cover the garden while we are gone for the next 5-6 months. My worms love the leaves and it provides good food for them while we are gone plus it helps hold down the weeds and hold in the moisture. I had to top some of my tomato seedlings that I'm bringing to the mountain as they are almost to large to transplant. Some of them have fruit set so I need to get them in the ground as soon as possible when I get there. The 2 + days we were gone to Miami and no rain killed the cukes and just about killed the egg plants and peppers as well. They have begun to perk up somewhat with extra watering's and I should be able to bring some fruit with us for later use.
Well that's about it for Monday we did learn that Annsley is graduating pre-K on Thursday morning so we will try to make that event as its around rush hour in Tampa. That should be fun. We will bring Annsley and Gabe home with us after church on Sunday as they will spend the night with us as well. Nancy started packing up some things in tubs for us to take to the cabin so the reading room in starting to fill up. We spoke with our mountain mom and she indicated its been raining off and on for days and they are tired of this wet weather. I would imagine our grass is knee high to a light pole in the yards and gardens so we will have fun turning the place into being livable again. I'm anxious to see if the potatoes I planted last fall in November made it through the winter and have come up. Gardening is a challenge in the mountains with the clay soil and rocks but we both love it especially the beautiful flowers that come up each year and grace our place, LATER
Monday, May 20, 2013
Monday Morning
Well after a whirlwind weekend in beautiful Miami, yes you heard me correctly the Kendall area of Miami is absolutely gorgeous. The vegetation is undeniably unique and adds so much to the scenery along with the sweet smells in the air. I was so apprehensive about spending the week end there because of all the crime associated with big cities but I must say the area we were in seemed very sedate, relaxed and I never saw one person who gave me the beware look. The traffic is unreal with 6 and 8 lanes on some of the roads as well as toll roads everywhere.
Well Sunday started out once again with the internal alarm clock going off at a little after 6. I did manage to roll over and stay in the sack until nearly 7 before rising. I spent a few minutes working on Saturday's post before heading down to bring hot drinks back to the room from the dining area. I found the Cuban people to be very warm and helpful despite not speaking much English, especially the lady who worked the food area at the hotel. We met up later with Amy and her family to head down for breakfast around 8. After eating Tyler and I took Ava and Sam to the pool once again for about an hour before checking out at 11. Ava is finally starting to master some forms of swimming now that she is getting over her fear of the water. Sam is still frighten of the water but did do well with his floaties on.
We headed over to the reception house where most all of the Everett's from out of town stayed. This house which was offered up by Arianne's good friend Lisa was just huge and beautiful despite its aging façade. We were there on Friday night for a huge get together then all day Saturday with hundreds of people for the reception and then on Sunday we all pitched in and gave it a good cleaning. I did the vacuuming which kept me busy for over an hour while others scrubbed floors, moved furniture, cleaned windows, bathrooms etc. We did a general house cleaning while Lisa and her daughter and son were at church. Afterwards we ate left overs from the reception and then headed out around 2:30 for home.
Arriane and Errol came by before we left and it was great to see all of the Everett Family once again while just missing one son Austin whose wife is expecting in a few weeks with their first child a boy. We hope to see them this summer as they now live in Charlotte, N.C. Wow what a large group when all of the kids, cousins and spouses get together. Ava and Sam got to bond with many of their cousins who live in Miami and in Michigan and the kids spent most of Saturday as well as Sunday morning in the pool while we cleaned the big house. It was sad to head out and we don't know when we will get together again as we will miss the next big wedding in September when Alexandria gets married in Michigan.
We got back to Pinellas around 6:30 and stopped at BJ's restaurant in Pinellas Park for supper. Today was our beautiful daughter Amy's 30th birthday so we celebrated over pizzas and what looked like a yummy dessert that Ava was crazy about. It was a fun time had by all. It was good to get home after what seemed like a week and I noticed the garden was dried up so I hand watered quickly and then I noticed several of the plants were eaten down. Yikes I found at least one huge green tomato worm that was as big as a cigar munching away. So I picked him and squashed it but it was getting so dark I couldn't check the rest of the plants. That will be on the agenda tomorrow during the daylight hours, LATER...
Here are a few pictures of the Everett clan and the group picture is of all the family that were at the wedding. I was holding the youngest of 7 in one family and the young girl who was with the bride Arriane was a dear family friend also from Michigan and who wore me out on the dance floor.
Well Sunday started out once again with the internal alarm clock going off at a little after 6. I did manage to roll over and stay in the sack until nearly 7 before rising. I spent a few minutes working on Saturday's post before heading down to bring hot drinks back to the room from the dining area. I found the Cuban people to be very warm and helpful despite not speaking much English, especially the lady who worked the food area at the hotel. We met up later with Amy and her family to head down for breakfast around 8. After eating Tyler and I took Ava and Sam to the pool once again for about an hour before checking out at 11. Ava is finally starting to master some forms of swimming now that she is getting over her fear of the water. Sam is still frighten of the water but did do well with his floaties on.
We headed over to the reception house where most all of the Everett's from out of town stayed. This house which was offered up by Arianne's good friend Lisa was just huge and beautiful despite its aging façade. We were there on Friday night for a huge get together then all day Saturday with hundreds of people for the reception and then on Sunday we all pitched in and gave it a good cleaning. I did the vacuuming which kept me busy for over an hour while others scrubbed floors, moved furniture, cleaned windows, bathrooms etc. We did a general house cleaning while Lisa and her daughter and son were at church. Afterwards we ate left overs from the reception and then headed out around 2:30 for home.
We got back to Pinellas around 6:30 and stopped at BJ's restaurant in Pinellas Park for supper. Today was our beautiful daughter Amy's 30th birthday so we celebrated over pizzas and what looked like a yummy dessert that Ava was crazy about. It was a fun time had by all. It was good to get home after what seemed like a week and I noticed the garden was dried up so I hand watered quickly and then I noticed several of the plants were eaten down. Yikes I found at least one huge green tomato worm that was as big as a cigar munching away. So I picked him and squashed it but it was getting so dark I couldn't check the rest of the plants. That will be on the agenda tomorrow during the daylight hours, LATER...
Here are a few pictures of the Everett clan and the group picture is of all the family that were at the wedding. I was holding the youngest of 7 in one family and the young girl who was with the bride Arriane was a dear family friend also from Michigan and who wore me out on the dance floor.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Sunday Morning
Well what a busy fun filled day we had on Saturday in Miami. The morning started with nothing being the usual as we were able to sleep in until my automatic internal alarm clock went off at the early hour of 6 AM. I rolled out and headed down to the lobby area for hot coffee for Nancy and a cup of hot herb tea for me. I checked out the window to make sure our truck was still in the parking lot as the F-150 was the top type of vehicle that is stolen in this area. It wasn't long afterwards we heard some stirring in the next room where Amy and Tyler were staying with Ava and Sam.
We headed down to breakfast where GG had already been as I saw her when I headed down for the hot drinks about an hour earlier. The breakfast looked amazing and I thought tasted as good as it looked. After eating Tyler and the kids and I headed down to the pool for some swimming before getting ready to head to the church for the 11 AM start. Well this church building is gigantic and is very lavious with marble everywhere. It must seat close to a thousand folks and I would say it was close to half full. The music was awesome with a orchestra in the balcony. It was a full mass and I must say the priest made the ceremony very personal which is quite unusual for a Catholics wedding as I remember from past experience.
Arianne was absolutely gorgeous and there wasn't a dry eye in the church as she walked down the isle. Outside the church was a white 1966 Rolls Royce waiting to drive them off to the reception. This was a surprise from her friends to her along with a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket. I can't describe what pictures will show but that was a cameo moment. We headed back to the large house we were at last night along with about 2/3's of the church for an afternoon of finger foods, drinks and a live band. Actually the band was Errol's band that he performs with and he did some playing for us on something resembling a xylophone. Theses guys were awesome as well as was Errol and they played for hours. I managed to get in some dancing with lots of different partners.
There was a buffet dinner along with an open bar all afternoon and evening. It was a little warm outside under a tent but we managed through the heat and perspiration. Some of us brought clothes to change into after leaving the church which helped with the facing the heat and humidity. It was a grand time until Nancy had some intestinal discomfront some we headed back to the hotel around 7 PM. I think we heard Amy and family come back sometime around 9'ish.
Well its time to head back to the Seminole area as we will have breakfast then a possible swim
before checking out by 11, LATER
We headed down to breakfast where GG had already been as I saw her when I headed down for the hot drinks about an hour earlier. The breakfast looked amazing and I thought tasted as good as it looked. After eating Tyler and the kids and I headed down to the pool for some swimming before getting ready to head to the church for the 11 AM start. Well this church building is gigantic and is very lavious with marble everywhere. It must seat close to a thousand folks and I would say it was close to half full. The music was awesome with a orchestra in the balcony. It was a full mass and I must say the priest made the ceremony very personal which is quite unusual for a Catholics wedding as I remember from past experience.
Arianne was absolutely gorgeous and there wasn't a dry eye in the church as she walked down the isle. Outside the church was a white 1966 Rolls Royce waiting to drive them off to the reception. This was a surprise from her friends to her along with a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket. I can't describe what pictures will show but that was a cameo moment. We headed back to the large house we were at last night along with about 2/3's of the church for an afternoon of finger foods, drinks and a live band. Actually the band was Errol's band that he performs with and he did some playing for us on something resembling a xylophone. Theses guys were awesome as well as was Errol and they played for hours. I managed to get in some dancing with lots of different partners.
There was a buffet dinner along with an open bar all afternoon and evening. It was a little warm outside under a tent but we managed through the heat and perspiration. Some of us brought clothes to change into after leaving the church which helped with the facing the heat and humidity. It was a grand time until Nancy had some intestinal discomfront some we headed back to the hotel around 7 PM. I think we heard Amy and family come back sometime around 9'ish.
Well its time to head back to the Seminole area as we will have breakfast then a possible swim
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Saturday Morning in Miami
Well we had a busy day after a usual start around 5'ish with a rooster wake up. The temps have warmed back up to the low 70's for an overnight low and of course the humidity is back. After a cup of green tea, a few quiet moments and a smoothie made from fresh strawberries, a banana and some almond milk I headed out to the rec on my bike for about an hour and half of workout on the pickle ball court. There were 3 courts in play with a really large turnout with some good play. I had a wet shirt by the time I left around 9:30.
We were trying to get away from the house by 11 as we needed to make a couple stops before heading south to Miami. Well its been many years since I've been this far south and the changes are just remarkable. It use to be all scrub pines, palmettos and palm trees once you left any metropolis areas but now the areas are booming with shopping malls out in the middle of no where and alligator alley is nothing like I once remembered it. Now Miami is another subject as its built all the way out to the ally. We no sooner got off the toll road when we saw huge cloverleafs of raise roadways and overpasses and then the traffic began. I'm a firm believer once again in the Garmin GPS and it took us right to our destination with ease. We never heard recalculating from the "girl in the box" all evening.
I headed to the pool and got in a good swim before any of the others arrived. Our rooms are really nice and I would compare it to a Hampton Inn as only the name is the difference in the amenities. The hotel staff while Cuban were extremely accommodating and very nice. They even brought out chocolate chip cookies for the kids as we left the hotel around 6:30 for where the reception will be held tomorrow but on this night there was a large family and friends get together.
Finally all of our parties arrived with Bob and Jill to be the last to arrive. We headed out to a home in a really nice area that was hosting the party tonight and again tomorrow after the ceremony, Yeow this house in on at least a couple acres or more, with tennis courts and we put about a dozen cars in the driveway. It was such a huge beautiful house which had 6-7 bathrooms, 2 storied and we learned it was for sale at 2.9 million as the family was splitting up. Wow what a house. All of Errol's family from Bulgaria was there as well as Nancy's brothers family which he has 11 kids. All but one were there and their wives and their kids. Ava and Sam played with all of their cousins and they had a separate room with all kinds of toys and gadgets.
There are huge tents set up for the reception held tomorrow after the ceremony with live music. There were all kinds of buffet style serve your self pasta, chicken wings, salads, bread etc plus a wet bar. It was a fun time had by all especially the kids as they interacted. We had never seen many of our nieces and nephews kids as this was the first time there had been a family reunion since '05. We mingled and ate mingled and ate some more then watched the Ray's almost lose a game to the Orioles after leading 12-4 . It was going on 11 by the time we left for the hotel.
This part of Miami I could live in as it wasn't hot and there was a breeze and it was just beautiful with all the unique vegetation. The homes were all gated on huge plots of land and very nice. Will post more Later
We were trying to get away from the house by 11 as we needed to make a couple stops before heading south to Miami. Well its been many years since I've been this far south and the changes are just remarkable. It use to be all scrub pines, palmettos and palm trees once you left any metropolis areas but now the areas are booming with shopping malls out in the middle of no where and alligator alley is nothing like I once remembered it. Now Miami is another subject as its built all the way out to the ally. We no sooner got off the toll road when we saw huge cloverleafs of raise roadways and overpasses and then the traffic began. I'm a firm believer once again in the Garmin GPS and it took us right to our destination with ease. We never heard recalculating from the "girl in the box" all evening.
I headed to the pool and got in a good swim before any of the others arrived. Our rooms are really nice and I would compare it to a Hampton Inn as only the name is the difference in the amenities. The hotel staff while Cuban were extremely accommodating and very nice. They even brought out chocolate chip cookies for the kids as we left the hotel around 6:30 for where the reception will be held tomorrow but on this night there was a large family and friends get together.
Finally all of our parties arrived with Bob and Jill to be the last to arrive. We headed out to a home in a really nice area that was hosting the party tonight and again tomorrow after the ceremony, Yeow this house in on at least a couple acres or more, with tennis courts and we put about a dozen cars in the driveway. It was such a huge beautiful house which had 6-7 bathrooms, 2 storied and we learned it was for sale at 2.9 million as the family was splitting up. Wow what a house. All of Errol's family from Bulgaria was there as well as Nancy's brothers family which he has 11 kids. All but one were there and their wives and their kids. Ava and Sam played with all of their cousins and they had a separate room with all kinds of toys and gadgets.
There are huge tents set up for the reception held tomorrow after the ceremony with live music. There were all kinds of buffet style serve your self pasta, chicken wings, salads, bread etc plus a wet bar. It was a fun time had by all especially the kids as they interacted. We had never seen many of our nieces and nephews kids as this was the first time there had been a family reunion since '05. We mingled and ate mingled and ate some more then watched the Ray's almost lose a game to the Orioles after leading 12-4 . It was going on 11 by the time we left for the hotel.
This part of Miami I could live in as it wasn't hot and there was a breeze and it was just beautiful with all the unique vegetation. The homes were all gated on huge plots of land and very nice. Will post more Later
Friday, May 17, 2013
Friday Morning
Well Thursday turned out to be a busy day with lots going on and a first for Nancy and I since we have been back in Florida this year; we went to the beach. The morning started out much the usual with the roosters dueling at 5'ish in the AM. I finally rolled out around 6:15 to start the day with a cup of green tea, a few quiet moments and then a smoothie made with strawberries, a banana with almond milk, yeow was that ever tasty with just a splash of cinnamon on top. I then got ready and pedaled out to the rec for nearly 3 hours of workout with pickle ball and finally the weight room. I'm still holding with the weight but the muscles seem to be a little firmer as well as the spare tire.
After the rec I stopped off at the library before heading home to hand water the gardens as it has once more become terribly dry. Nancy was at the rec getting her workout in so I hung a lot of laundry then headed in to do some computer work before Amy and Sam came for lunch. Nancy made a great salad and while most of the greenery is store bought I still contribute some kale, beet greens, tomato's, onions and basil to the mix from the garden. While she was making a salad for lunch she went ahead and made a salad to take with us to our house church group get together later in the evening at the Tracy's condo on the beach.
I got the luggage down from the attic as we are heading to Miami on Friday morning for our niece Arianne's wedding on Saturday. We will be gone 3 days and 2 nights and while we are excited about the wedding we aren't too excited about the Miami area traffic and crime. Luckily they are in what is still believed to be the better part of the area . Bobby and Amy's families will also be there and we are staying out near the airport area called Kendall.
We headed out to the Tracy's around 7 with Dan and Carol and on the way Carol started feeling bad some we took her home and then headed out once again. Seems she was having some intestinal issues so she missed a great time of fellowship and a beach experience at sunset. We had some finger food to start with before heading over to the beach which is just across the street from their condo on Indian Rocks Beach. It was such a beautiful evening with little humidity and a nice breeze. We did some devotions, took a few pics then headed back to a sumptuous meal with a Mexican theme. We all love this type of food and Kathryn had plenty to go along with our salad and Carol's chocolate cake. It was going on 10 PM before we headed out for home with doggie bags as well.
Well we got home in time
to see who won the Idol contest and I managed to see the Ray's lose another game with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th and they were winning by 2 runs when their closer loaded the bases with walks then a hit by Boston and they were losers once again, Oh well, LATER Here are a few pics from the beach last evening.
After the rec I stopped off at the library before heading home to hand water the gardens as it has once more become terribly dry. Nancy was at the rec getting her workout in so I hung a lot of laundry then headed in to do some computer work before Amy and Sam came for lunch. Nancy made a great salad and while most of the greenery is store bought I still contribute some kale, beet greens, tomato's, onions and basil to the mix from the garden. While she was making a salad for lunch she went ahead and made a salad to take with us to our house church group get together later in the evening at the Tracy's condo on the beach.
I got the luggage down from the attic as we are heading to Miami on Friday morning for our niece Arianne's wedding on Saturday. We will be gone 3 days and 2 nights and while we are excited about the wedding we aren't too excited about the Miami area traffic and crime. Luckily they are in what is still believed to be the better part of the area . Bobby and Amy's families will also be there and we are staying out near the airport area called Kendall.
We headed out to the Tracy's around 7 with Dan and Carol and on the way Carol started feeling bad some we took her home and then headed out once again. Seems she was having some intestinal issues so she missed a great time of fellowship and a beach experience at sunset. We had some finger food to start with before heading over to the beach which is just across the street from their condo on Indian Rocks Beach. It was such a beautiful evening with little humidity and a nice breeze. We did some devotions, took a few pics then headed back to a sumptuous meal with a Mexican theme. We all love this type of food and Kathryn had plenty to go along with our salad and Carol's chocolate cake. It was going on 10 PM before we headed out for home with doggie bags as well.
Well we got home in time
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Thursday Morning
Wednesday turned out to be another beautiful day with early morning temps at nearly 60 degrees with lots of bright sunshine and less humidity; however by the end of the day everything changed and the a/c is once more back on.The day started much the normal with the roosters crowing at 5 'ish in the morning so I rolled out around 6 :15. I did my usual cup of tea, a few quiet moments and then I blended up some frozen strawberries, black berries and a banana with some almond milk for my breakfast. Yeow was that ever tasty for a breakfast; it was so good I think I will do that for awhile to use up some of these berries I have in the freezer. I headed out on my bike to the rec for some nearly 3 hours of workout; 2 + on the pickle ball court and then another 1/2 hour in the weight room before heading to the library.
Nancy was at the dentist for another major appointment of replacing several filings that didn't take to the whitening and then to repair several other teeth. Once again I need a second mortgage to pay the bill but the dentist seems to know what he is doing and she is thoroughly pleased. He has made a difference in the discomfort for her when she chews so that's a plus. She got home around 12:30 and we had a lunch of salad with just the two of us as we missed Amy, Sam and GG. GG was coming later for supper.
I headed into the reading room for a couple hours while Nancy baked a ton of cookies to take with us to the wedding in Miami on Saturday. I chilled until it was time to head over and pick up GG then I cut Swiss Chard and got it ready to sautéed with fresh garlic and rice bran oil, then I grilled some pork chops and chicken legs to go along with some parsley taters for supper. It was rather tasty especially the Swiss chard and we licked the pot clean. I headed out to hand water the garden after the clean up then Betsy came by for some cookies and then dropped GG off on her way home. We settled into the Fox news channel until Idol came on for Nancy as well as the Ray's game for me. The Ray's game was a bust with our star pitcher out with some type of injury in the 3rd inning as well as down 4 runs.
Well it seems once again our leaders in D.C. is stinking up the country with 3 scandals that are going on all at once; the Libya fiasco, the IRS as well as the Associated Press wire taps. I had a bad feeling about this administration from the get go and hopefully we can repair what this bunch has tried to destroy; and that is our Constitution rights, our liberty and safety from both foreign and domestic enemies as well as our financial stability. I think we should clean house in D.C., have term limits and all of our leaders should have to obey by the same laws and regulations we have to. No more special laws just for them, LATER
Nancy was at the dentist for another major appointment of replacing several filings that didn't take to the whitening and then to repair several other teeth. Once again I need a second mortgage to pay the bill but the dentist seems to know what he is doing and she is thoroughly pleased. He has made a difference in the discomfort for her when she chews so that's a plus. She got home around 12:30 and we had a lunch of salad with just the two of us as we missed Amy, Sam and GG. GG was coming later for supper.
I headed into the reading room for a couple hours while Nancy baked a ton of cookies to take with us to the wedding in Miami on Saturday. I chilled until it was time to head over and pick up GG then I cut Swiss Chard and got it ready to sautéed with fresh garlic and rice bran oil, then I grilled some pork chops and chicken legs to go along with some parsley taters for supper. It was rather tasty especially the Swiss chard and we licked the pot clean. I headed out to hand water the garden after the clean up then Betsy came by for some cookies and then dropped GG off on her way home. We settled into the Fox news channel until Idol came on for Nancy as well as the Ray's game for me. The Ray's game was a bust with our star pitcher out with some type of injury in the 3rd inning as well as down 4 runs.
Well it seems once again our leaders in D.C. is stinking up the country with 3 scandals that are going on all at once; the Libya fiasco, the IRS as well as the Associated Press wire taps. I had a bad feeling about this administration from the get go and hopefully we can repair what this bunch has tried to destroy; and that is our Constitution rights, our liberty and safety from both foreign and domestic enemies as well as our financial stability. I think we should clean house in D.C., have term limits and all of our leaders should have to obey by the same laws and regulations we have to. No more special laws just for them, LATER
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Wednesday Morning
Well this week is just moving along at a rapid pace as I started the day around a 5'ish wake up by the feathered duel from the roosters next door. It was 59 this morning which is unheard of for May in Florida and it stayed pleasant all day. We kept the windows and doors open until it was time for bed. The morning start was much the usual with the cup of green tea and a little cinnamon, my quiet time then a lite breakfast before riding out on my bike to the rec for 2 plus hours of pickle ball. The weight room was closed so I missed that portion of my workout but will pick it back up on Wednesday.
We had a small group of 6 players for the day which made for some great play for most of the morning. We are pretty evenly matched so we had some great rallies and of course a few wet shirts. After the workout I stopped off at the library for a couple reads before pedaling home to do some garden work. Once again we could use some rain as the grass and the gardens are drying up. I'm harvesting my sweet onions as the green tops are starting die but the bulb is as sweet as an apple. I will definitely be planting these from now on in both gardens.
Amy and Sam picked up GG and came for a lunch of salad and we finished the last of the leftovers. Amy's potato casserole seemed to have gotten more tastier as it aged and I was sorry to see it end. I'm always complaining that we prepare too much food but this was one time I really sad to see the empty containers. After lunch the gals all sat in the back yard in the sun as the cool breeze was evident in the shade. I headed for the reading room and chilled for a couple hours then Nancy took GG home after a stop at the market.
I grilled a couple hamburger patties along with some fresh green pepper and mushrooms on skewers for supper as we tried to eat lite after that large lunch of leftovers and salad. After the cleanup we took off on a nice hike through the hood and Nancy had on a long sleeve shirt. I thought it was just perfect. We came back to watch Fox News and then I switched to the Ray's game against Boston. We prevailed again and that's 5 in a row with a 5-3 win. We just need the Yanks and Orioles to start losing so we can get back in the divisional race. Well we have about 20 days until we head for the mountains and are so looking forward to once again renew old friendships and get our mountain cabin perked up, LATER
We had a small group of 6 players for the day which made for some great play for most of the morning. We are pretty evenly matched so we had some great rallies and of course a few wet shirts. After the workout I stopped off at the library for a couple reads before pedaling home to do some garden work. Once again we could use some rain as the grass and the gardens are drying up. I'm harvesting my sweet onions as the green tops are starting die but the bulb is as sweet as an apple. I will definitely be planting these from now on in both gardens.
Amy and Sam picked up GG and came for a lunch of salad and we finished the last of the leftovers. Amy's potato casserole seemed to have gotten more tastier as it aged and I was sorry to see it end. I'm always complaining that we prepare too much food but this was one time I really sad to see the empty containers. After lunch the gals all sat in the back yard in the sun as the cool breeze was evident in the shade. I headed for the reading room and chilled for a couple hours then Nancy took GG home after a stop at the market.
I grilled a couple hamburger patties along with some fresh green pepper and mushrooms on skewers for supper as we tried to eat lite after that large lunch of leftovers and salad. After the cleanup we took off on a nice hike through the hood and Nancy had on a long sleeve shirt. I thought it was just perfect. We came back to watch Fox News and then I switched to the Ray's game against Boston. We prevailed again and that's 5 in a row with a 5-3 win. We just need the Yanks and Orioles to start losing so we can get back in the divisional race. Well we have about 20 days until we head for the mountains and are so looking forward to once again renew old friendships and get our mountain cabin perked up, LATER
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Tuesday Morning
Well Monday was such a change in ambient air that I have to mention the cool front that came through in the late afternoon and early evening hours, wow what a difference as the humidity left and the temps dropped rapidly. We even opened the doors and windows for a couple hours before bedtime last night.
Monday morning started much the usual with a 5'ish wake up by the dueling roosters next door. I rolled out a little after 6 to have my cup of hot green tea with a little cinnamon. I read where several folks are doing the hot honey drink with cinnamon for weight loss so I thought I would give my boring green tea some jazz and it maybe will help with some weight loss as well. Time will time but I really like the difference the cinnamon makes in my tea. After my quiet time and bowl of oatmeal I pedaled out to the rec for 3 hours of pickle ball and weight room workout. We had a good crew today which kept the play fast and continuous and then I did 30 minutes on the elliptical and a good regiment on the heavy weights with hopes of getting my arms and shoulders back in shape. When I left my shirt was dripping.
Nancy was on her way up to the rec as I left so we passed each other on the way. She spied an injured bird which we later came back to see if maybe it had string around its legs; but the bird as about dead from some kind of trauma. I stopped off to see if any books I had on order were in, then I headed home to work in the gardens. I pulled weeds and moved some seedlings up into bigger pots as I get ready to move them to the mountains in just 3 weeks. The new tomato's are coming on albeit they are the small ones as picked a couple to put in the window sill for further ripening. The sweet onions are just beautiful as the green tops are starting to die and the size of them are like tennis balls. They are very sweet.
Amy and Sam came for lunch and I ate leftovers from the week end. It was still pretty hot outside as the front hadn't reached us yet so Sam played in the house for change and I read until it was supper time. After a supper of leftovers we headed out for a walk and what a big difference in the temp's as the humidity left and it felt 10-15 degrees cooler. We took a nice long hike through the 'hood and then stopped off for a visit at Dan and Carol's before heading home. I set the sprinkler in the front yard as once again the grass is drying out. There is no rain in the forecast for our area despite the cool front. I learned after speaking with our "mountain mom" that they had over 7 inches of rain this past week. That should interpret to that our grass at the cabin is about knee high when we get there.
Well we headed in to watch the news and it seems our 4 Americans were sacrificed for political purposes in Libya, disgusting and now the attempt to cover it up maybe the down fall of many much like the Watergate cover up with the Nixon administration many years ago, yikes!!! Oh well I just hope the truth is known and now it seems the IRS was used to bully and threat anyone who believed in American or who was a conservative in their political thinking, LATER
Monday morning started much the usual with a 5'ish wake up by the dueling roosters next door. I rolled out a little after 6 to have my cup of hot green tea with a little cinnamon. I read where several folks are doing the hot honey drink with cinnamon for weight loss so I thought I would give my boring green tea some jazz and it maybe will help with some weight loss as well. Time will time but I really like the difference the cinnamon makes in my tea. After my quiet time and bowl of oatmeal I pedaled out to the rec for 3 hours of pickle ball and weight room workout. We had a good crew today which kept the play fast and continuous and then I did 30 minutes on the elliptical and a good regiment on the heavy weights with hopes of getting my arms and shoulders back in shape. When I left my shirt was dripping.
Nancy was on her way up to the rec as I left so we passed each other on the way. She spied an injured bird which we later came back to see if maybe it had string around its legs; but the bird as about dead from some kind of trauma. I stopped off to see if any books I had on order were in, then I headed home to work in the gardens. I pulled weeds and moved some seedlings up into bigger pots as I get ready to move them to the mountains in just 3 weeks. The new tomato's are coming on albeit they are the small ones as picked a couple to put in the window sill for further ripening. The sweet onions are just beautiful as the green tops are starting to die and the size of them are like tennis balls. They are very sweet.
Amy and Sam came for lunch and I ate leftovers from the week end. It was still pretty hot outside as the front hadn't reached us yet so Sam played in the house for change and I read until it was supper time. After a supper of leftovers we headed out for a walk and what a big difference in the temp's as the humidity left and it felt 10-15 degrees cooler. We took a nice long hike through the 'hood and then stopped off for a visit at Dan and Carol's before heading home. I set the sprinkler in the front yard as once again the grass is drying out. There is no rain in the forecast for our area despite the cool front. I learned after speaking with our "mountain mom" that they had over 7 inches of rain this past week. That should interpret to that our grass at the cabin is about knee high when we get there.
Well we headed in to watch the news and it seems our 4 Americans were sacrificed for political purposes in Libya, disgusting and now the attempt to cover it up maybe the down fall of many much like the Watergate cover up with the Nixon administration many years ago, yikes!!! Oh well I just hope the truth is known and now it seems the IRS was used to bully and threat anyone who believed in American or who was a conservative in their political thinking, LATER
Monday, May 13, 2013
Monday Morning
Well Sunday was another busy day that started much the usual with the feathered fowl next door doing their early morning crow off between the 2 roosters. I rolled out to start the day around 6:30 with a cup of green tea and cinnamon, then a few quiet moments to reflect and give thanks and then a lite breakfast of oatmeal and banana. Today was worship day in Tampa with son Bobby at Element Church. It also was my turn to drive as we carpool with neighbors Dan and Carol.
It was Mothers Day and also baby dedication day which Bobby does about twice a year so we had lots of grandparents visiting for the first time and a large crowd. Bobby had another great message in a series on the meaning of the resurrection and the music was awesome to go along with the 4 babies and one youngster who was introduced to the church. We headed out shortly after the service to get ready for the gang coming for a family supper at out place later in the afternoon.
I once again vacuumed and helped with the small honey-do's as we got ready for Amy's family, Bobby's family, GG, Betsy and Braden. Nancy had chicken breasts marinating overnight and along with Italian sausages all cooked on the grill. I picked several red peppers to be sautéed with onions for the sausages from the garden as well as a few hot peppers for the salsa. GG made a black raspberry pie from some of the berries we brought back from the mountains last year along with a cherry pie. Amy brought a delicious Pioneer Women recipe of scalloped potatoes and Betsy brought her usual spinach casserole. Bobby brought the fixins' for a salad with his homemade gourmet dressing. We sat around sipping some fruit of the vine in the back yard while the casseroles cooked as well as snacking on chips salsa and some cheese. There goes the spare tire being inflated once again. There was a nice breeze under the oak tree and it seemed the high humidity from the past several days had abated.
The kiddos had fun as they are now pretty much in their own little sphere especially Ava and Annsley. Sam and Gabe play much better together as well and it was nice to see them all eating together. Bobby brought their pup, Sugar so she helped with the boys outside as they ran chasing her and each other. It was after 9 before Bobby headed out for their drive back to Riverview and then others slowly left for home as we put the house back together. It was a fun evening as we celebrated Mother's Day with food, gifts and family, LATER
It was Mothers Day and also baby dedication day which Bobby does about twice a year so we had lots of grandparents visiting for the first time and a large crowd. Bobby had another great message in a series on the meaning of the resurrection and the music was awesome to go along with the 4 babies and one youngster who was introduced to the church. We headed out shortly after the service to get ready for the gang coming for a family supper at out place later in the afternoon.
I once again vacuumed and helped with the small honey-do's as we got ready for Amy's family, Bobby's family, GG, Betsy and Braden. Nancy had chicken breasts marinating overnight and along with Italian sausages all cooked on the grill. I picked several red peppers to be sautéed with onions for the sausages from the garden as well as a few hot peppers for the salsa. GG made a black raspberry pie from some of the berries we brought back from the mountains last year along with a cherry pie. Amy brought a delicious Pioneer Women recipe of scalloped potatoes and Betsy brought her usual spinach casserole. Bobby brought the fixins' for a salad with his homemade gourmet dressing. We sat around sipping some fruit of the vine in the back yard while the casseroles cooked as well as snacking on chips salsa and some cheese. There goes the spare tire being inflated once again. There was a nice breeze under the oak tree and it seemed the high humidity from the past several days had abated.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Sunday Morning
Well Saturday was a busy day and a fun one that ran late into the night as we ventured over to Bobby for a 300 point dinner. Each month for those who sell or buy at least 300 PV of products from Amway he prepares a gourmet dinner at his house. I will go into the evening a little later as there were 7 couples who were able to make it to the dinner and games afterwards. It was a fun evening but ran way late as we had to drive nearly and hour back home.
The roosters had us awake at the usual time but we managed to sleep in until nearly 7 before starting the day.After our usual routine of tea for me and the posting of my ramblings for the grand kids to read at a later time and date we had a lite breakfast of oatmeal and a banana before getting ready to head to the rec for a workout. I did 30 minutes on the elliptical for nearly 2 miles and burned according to the machine nearly a hundred calories. My shirt was soaked much like pickle ball but not nearly as much fun. I did about 15 minutes on the heavy weights for my arms and chest areas as this doesn't get as much as the legs do and next month they will get a workout planting and preparing my gardens. Nancy did the treadmill and bike.
We headed to Home Depot to pick up some fertilizer and a few other things then headed home to a lite lunch of salad. I fed both of the yards then watered the gardens before deciding it was too hot to work outside any longer. It was humid and hot with temps in the 90 and no breeze. So I helped with getting ready for the family crowd that is coming for supper on Sunday as we celebrate Mothers Day. I vacuumed while Nancy did her dusting and cleaning then I settled into a new book until it was time to get ready to head over to Bob's.
Dan and Carl also made the 300 point dinner so we rode together. Bob had premade about 8 separate homemade pizza crusts and had lots of different topping some really unheard of combinations and they were excellent along with a huge Caesar salad. There was caramelized onions, Gorgonzola cheese, sausage, bacon, pesto, mushrooms and on and on and they were prepared with just such awesome flavor. The food was excellent and plentiful as well. Afterwards we played a game of what if and then we all had to choose who wrote the answers. It was a fun time and the evening went fast as it was around 10 PM before we broke up and then headed home. Most of the couples were all Element Church folks and a few from as far away as Sarasota. I think we were probably the furthest and it was after 11 before we got home, LATER
The roosters had us awake at the usual time but we managed to sleep in until nearly 7 before starting the day.After our usual routine of tea for me and the posting of my ramblings for the grand kids to read at a later time and date we had a lite breakfast of oatmeal and a banana before getting ready to head to the rec for a workout. I did 30 minutes on the elliptical for nearly 2 miles and burned according to the machine nearly a hundred calories. My shirt was soaked much like pickle ball but not nearly as much fun. I did about 15 minutes on the heavy weights for my arms and chest areas as this doesn't get as much as the legs do and next month they will get a workout planting and preparing my gardens. Nancy did the treadmill and bike.
We headed to Home Depot to pick up some fertilizer and a few other things then headed home to a lite lunch of salad. I fed both of the yards then watered the gardens before deciding it was too hot to work outside any longer. It was humid and hot with temps in the 90 and no breeze. So I helped with getting ready for the family crowd that is coming for supper on Sunday as we celebrate Mothers Day. I vacuumed while Nancy did her dusting and cleaning then I settled into a new book until it was time to get ready to head over to Bob's.
Dan and Carl also made the 300 point dinner so we rode together. Bob had premade about 8 separate homemade pizza crusts and had lots of different topping some really unheard of combinations and they were excellent along with a huge Caesar salad. There was caramelized onions, Gorgonzola cheese, sausage, bacon, pesto, mushrooms and on and on and they were prepared with just such awesome flavor. The food was excellent and plentiful as well. Afterwards we played a game of what if and then we all had to choose who wrote the answers. It was a fun time and the evening went fast as it was around 10 PM before we broke up and then headed home. Most of the couples were all Element Church folks and a few from as far away as Sarasota. I think we were probably the furthest and it was after 11 before we got home, LATER
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Saturday Morning
Well summer is back with us with morning temps in the 70's with 96% humidity and the highs in the low 90's, yikes I'm ready for the cool mountain temps. Friday started with the usual 5'ish crow off between the feathered boys next door. I rolled out to start the day a little after 6 then had my cup of green tea with a little cinnamon, did my usual quiet time and then had a lite breakfast of oatmeal and a banana with almond milk. Now I really like the taste of that milk and its supposed to be healthier for you. I headed out to the rec on my bike for some 2 plus hours of pickle ball.
We had large enough crew for 2 courts and the play was fast and furious at times with long rallies. Afterwards I headed into the weight room for another 20 minutes on the elliptical then some heavy weights before riding home. I'm down nearly another pound with about 3 more to go for my goal. I can tell some difference with the spare tire and the weights are causing me to feel the tummy muscles tightening up.
Nancy watched Sam most of the morning while Amy attended a mother's day program at Ava's school then she took off when I got home for her hair appointment. It was time to cover up all the gray she says I caused her and then a stop at Sam's Club for some goodies for the Sunday family get together. I worked in the yard and gardens while she was gone then had a lite lunch after mowing up the little bit of grass that is still alive. We sure could use some more rain as I had to set the sprinkler on the front yard after dark. I spent the rest of the afternoon out of the heat reading. It's not to bad in the shade as there is a breeze but the humidity has gone way up.
Amy and Tyler had a date night so we watched Ava and Sam. I grilled some chicken legs and Nancy fixed them egg noodles, cooked carrots and we had a salad. Ava loves tomatoes and Sam loves fresh kale. They both seem to be eating much better. After the clean up we took a long walk around the hood then came back to the house around 7:30. They played then after their baths I popped them some old fashion popcorn and they watched a movie and fell asleep on the couch by the time Amy and Tyler came to pick them up around 10. Nancy and I already had our showers by then some we were whipped and it wasn't long afterwards we hit the sack. I'm sure glad we had kids at an early age 'cause they plum wear us out now. I managed to sneak in a few innings of the Ray's game while reading a book to Sam. They won against a good Padres team, LATER
We had large enough crew for 2 courts and the play was fast and furious at times with long rallies. Afterwards I headed into the weight room for another 20 minutes on the elliptical then some heavy weights before riding home. I'm down nearly another pound with about 3 more to go for my goal. I can tell some difference with the spare tire and the weights are causing me to feel the tummy muscles tightening up.
Nancy watched Sam most of the morning while Amy attended a mother's day program at Ava's school then she took off when I got home for her hair appointment. It was time to cover up all the gray she says I caused her and then a stop at Sam's Club for some goodies for the Sunday family get together. I worked in the yard and gardens while she was gone then had a lite lunch after mowing up the little bit of grass that is still alive. We sure could use some more rain as I had to set the sprinkler on the front yard after dark. I spent the rest of the afternoon out of the heat reading. It's not to bad in the shade as there is a breeze but the humidity has gone way up.
Amy and Tyler had a date night so we watched Ava and Sam. I grilled some chicken legs and Nancy fixed them egg noodles, cooked carrots and we had a salad. Ava loves tomatoes and Sam loves fresh kale. They both seem to be eating much better. After the clean up we took a long walk around the hood then came back to the house around 7:30. They played then after their baths I popped them some old fashion popcorn and they watched a movie and fell asleep on the couch by the time Amy and Tyler came to pick them up around 10. Nancy and I already had our showers by then some we were whipped and it wasn't long afterwards we hit the sack. I'm sure glad we had kids at an early age 'cause they plum wear us out now. I managed to sneak in a few innings of the Ray's game while reading a book to Sam. They won against a good Padres team, LATER
Friday, May 10, 2013
Friday Morning
Thursday was a little bit warmer and the humidity crept back in to the atmosphere so the a/c went back on. It was still nice in the morning with temps in the 60's and a breeze. The morning started about the same time with a rooster wake up around 5'ish then my usual activities; a cup of green tea with cinnamon, a few quiet moments, a lite breakfast of strawberries and oatmeal before pedaling out to the rec for some 2 plus hours of workout on the pickle ball court. We had a small crew with just 5 players for the first 45 minutes then a few wondered in and we managed to have some good play until 10 AM. Afterwards I headed into the weight room for some additional exercise on the elliptical and heavy weights. I have lost 3-4 pounds and I'm within that many for my goal of 180. After the workout I stopped off for a couple new reads from the library.
I hand watered the garden while Nancy was at the rec doing her workout then headed in to catch up on some computer time. Nancy was taking her mom and Amy out to lunch as I stayed home and watched Sam. She wanted me to back the truck out of the garage for her as she got ready to leave and for some reason I had something on my mind that caused me to have a mental lapse. The truck barely fits into the garage with just inches to spare on the mirror sides and I scrapped the right side mirror. Luckily it didn't break and caused only minor damage to the frame but still to me its noticeable. Last year Nancy took that whole mirror off as she backed out and I had to replace the thing, oh well. I know how she felt.
Sam and I had a lite lunch then he wanted to watch a movie so while he watched Tangled I read until Amy got back from the restaurant. Amy took Sam out to the back yard to play with the chickens. Nancy had to drive her mother(GG) to the dentist then later picked her up and took her home. I spent the afternoon in the a/c reading and finished the book 102 MINUTES. Wow what terror occurred in those twin towers and while it was mentioned about people jumping out from 1300 feet up it happened more than we were lead to believe as the smoke and fire was present and people were gasping for air. The book is based on phone calls and e-mails sent from those within as well as those who survived with lots of history from the 1993 attempt to blow the buildings.
Well I grilled a couple marinated chicken breasts and we put that over a fresh salad with some onions, kale, beet greens, peppers, tomato's and basil still from my garden but the lettuces are gone as well as the sugar peas. After the cleanup we headed out on a walk around the hood for about an hour. We came back and watched the Fox News channel until Idol started and then I headed into the bedroom to watch the Ray's win in extra innings over the Blue Jay's. It was lights out at 11 for me, LATER
I hand watered the garden while Nancy was at the rec doing her workout then headed in to catch up on some computer time. Nancy was taking her mom and Amy out to lunch as I stayed home and watched Sam. She wanted me to back the truck out of the garage for her as she got ready to leave and for some reason I had something on my mind that caused me to have a mental lapse. The truck barely fits into the garage with just inches to spare on the mirror sides and I scrapped the right side mirror. Luckily it didn't break and caused only minor damage to the frame but still to me its noticeable. Last year Nancy took that whole mirror off as she backed out and I had to replace the thing, oh well. I know how she felt.
Sam and I had a lite lunch then he wanted to watch a movie so while he watched Tangled I read until Amy got back from the restaurant. Amy took Sam out to the back yard to play with the chickens. Nancy had to drive her mother(GG) to the dentist then later picked her up and took her home. I spent the afternoon in the a/c reading and finished the book 102 MINUTES. Wow what terror occurred in those twin towers and while it was mentioned about people jumping out from 1300 feet up it happened more than we were lead to believe as the smoke and fire was present and people were gasping for air. The book is based on phone calls and e-mails sent from those within as well as those who survived with lots of history from the 1993 attempt to blow the buildings.
Well I grilled a couple marinated chicken breasts and we put that over a fresh salad with some onions, kale, beet greens, peppers, tomato's and basil still from my garden but the lettuces are gone as well as the sugar peas. After the cleanup we headed out on a walk around the hood for about an hour. We came back and watched the Fox News channel until Idol started and then I headed into the bedroom to watch the Ray's win in extra innings over the Blue Jay's. It was lights out at 11 for me, LATER
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Thursday Morning
Well Wednesday started out with temps down into the 50's which is unheard of for several decades for this time of the year in Florida, wow was it ever nice but it did warm up into the high 70's by late afternoon. The nice breeze kept it very pleasant as we were able to once more keep the windows open. The morning started with the crowing next door around 5'ish; I wish I knew what triggered them roosters to crowing so early. Well after my cup of green tea with a little cinnamon, an a few quiet moments I ate the last of the cereal before getting ready to head out on my bike for the rec.
We had a small crew of 3 pickle baller's to start with but did manage to get a fourth and then a couple more came later but I did get in a good 2 hours of play. Afterwards I headed into the weight room for another 30 minute workout on the elliptical and finally the heavy weights. I was able to get a wet shirt by the time I left there. Nancy joined me for her workout as I was about to leave, then I stopped off at the library on the way home.
I hand watered the gardens until Nancy got home then she took off to the mall with her mother to look for a tie to match my orange shirt I'm wearing to the wedding next week end. Wow is that ever a beautiful shirt and the tie she picked out looks great as well. I read while she was gone and finished some leftovers for lunch as we had no company. It sure was quiet around here at lunch time and the book 102 Minutes is an awesome read. I picked a mess of collards for myself for supper and gave the neighbor gals a mess as well. Wow were they ever delicious as I cut up a whole onion as well as a couple slices of hickory smoked bacon to season the pot. I had them slow cooking for about 6 hours and they just melted in your mouth.
We had GG coming for supper as Amy dropped her off on the way to pick up Ava who came for a visit while Sam had a dental appointment. I grilled cubed venison steaks and Nancy had oven taters rolled in olive oil and coasted with rosemary and parsley. We licked the pots and platters clean. After the clean up we visited with GG then Nancy drove her home while I tuned into Fox News and the Ray's game. The Ray's finally won big10-4. Well the big news is how the administration left 4 Americans to fend for themselves against the radical Islamists in Libya and then tried to cover it up; Jodi Arias was finally convicted of the death of her boyfriend and then the gals who were rescued from a house in Cleveland who had been kidnapped for years. We have some sick people in this world I'm sorry to say. Oh well!
We are about 3 weeks or so from heading out to the cabin and our days are filling up fast; Mothers Day this Sunday with a large family supper after a Saturday night supper at son Bobby and Jill house because we did so well last month with our Amway sales. Thanks to all who made this possible but really the Nutrilite products sell themselves with their quality. We have great team leaders who are so generous by offering all the monthly bogo's they pay for out of their pockets. I must say Chris and Melody are awesome leaders and CHRIST followers as well. Then next week end its to Miami for 3 days and 2 nights for the big wedding of niece Arianne to Errol, plus it will be a big reunion with Nancy's brother Eric and many of his 11 children who are traveling down from different parts of the country. This should be a fun time as its been years since we have all been together. After that we have Amy's birthday celebration then Ava 's graduation from kindergarten. Then it's leaving the next day or so for the cabin and packing the truck. We will be busy but we are so looking forward to the quietness of the mountains and of course all of our friends and family there. Its been over 6 months and we always are concerned about the condition of the unattended cabin. Luckily we have great neighbors there who when they are in town keep an eye on the place, LATER
We had a small crew of 3 pickle baller's to start with but did manage to get a fourth and then a couple more came later but I did get in a good 2 hours of play. Afterwards I headed into the weight room for another 30 minute workout on the elliptical and finally the heavy weights. I was able to get a wet shirt by the time I left there. Nancy joined me for her workout as I was about to leave, then I stopped off at the library on the way home.
I hand watered the gardens until Nancy got home then she took off to the mall with her mother to look for a tie to match my orange shirt I'm wearing to the wedding next week end. Wow is that ever a beautiful shirt and the tie she picked out looks great as well. I read while she was gone and finished some leftovers for lunch as we had no company. It sure was quiet around here at lunch time and the book 102 Minutes is an awesome read. I picked a mess of collards for myself for supper and gave the neighbor gals a mess as well. Wow were they ever delicious as I cut up a whole onion as well as a couple slices of hickory smoked bacon to season the pot. I had them slow cooking for about 6 hours and they just melted in your mouth.
We had GG coming for supper as Amy dropped her off on the way to pick up Ava who came for a visit while Sam had a dental appointment. I grilled cubed venison steaks and Nancy had oven taters rolled in olive oil and coasted with rosemary and parsley. We licked the pots and platters clean. After the clean up we visited with GG then Nancy drove her home while I tuned into Fox News and the Ray's game. The Ray's finally won big10-4. Well the big news is how the administration left 4 Americans to fend for themselves against the radical Islamists in Libya and then tried to cover it up; Jodi Arias was finally convicted of the death of her boyfriend and then the gals who were rescued from a house in Cleveland who had been kidnapped for years. We have some sick people in this world I'm sorry to say. Oh well!
We are about 3 weeks or so from heading out to the cabin and our days are filling up fast; Mothers Day this Sunday with a large family supper after a Saturday night supper at son Bobby and Jill house because we did so well last month with our Amway sales. Thanks to all who made this possible but really the Nutrilite products sell themselves with their quality. We have great team leaders who are so generous by offering all the monthly bogo's they pay for out of their pockets. I must say Chris and Melody are awesome leaders and CHRIST followers as well. Then next week end its to Miami for 3 days and 2 nights for the big wedding of niece Arianne to Errol, plus it will be a big reunion with Nancy's brother Eric and many of his 11 children who are traveling down from different parts of the country. This should be a fun time as its been years since we have all been together. After that we have Amy's birthday celebration then Ava 's graduation from kindergarten. Then it's leaving the next day or so for the cabin and packing the truck. We will be busy but we are so looking forward to the quietness of the mountains and of course all of our friends and family there. Its been over 6 months and we always are concerned about the condition of the unattended cabin. Luckily we have great neighbors there who when they are in town keep an eye on the place, LATER
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Wednesday Morning
Tuesday started out once again with temps in the low 60's, what's with that? We love it here on the normally hot and humid Sun Coast for the month of May. I know its coming but maybe those days will wait another couple of weeks. The mountains are getting their share of cold wet weather as its been raining non stop for several days. That rain is wonderful as we usually have some really dry spells during the summer. Oh well!
The morning started out with fellers next door crowing around 5:30; I have no idea why they start so early as its pitch black at that time of the morning. After the usual cup of tea, my quiet moments to reflect and give thanks then a lite breakfast before pedaling out to the rec for some 2 plus hours of pickle ball. After that workout I headed into the weight room where I did an extra workout on the elliptical and the heavy weights. I did that for about 30 minutes then headed to the library for a new read. I picked up a book title 102 MINUTES. It's about the fight to survive inside the twin towers on 9-11. Looks very interesting and I can't wait to start it.
Amy and Sam picked up GG and they all came for lunch. They had salad and I finished up some leftovers then we all went out in the yard. It was such a nice day with no humidity that the girls had sweat shirts on in the shade. Once again we have the a/c off and the windows open. I read most of the afternoon until it was time to start supper. I picked 4 egg plants and peeled them then coated them with rice bran oil, Rosemary and garlic then grilled them along with a couple Swaii fillets while Nancy had fresh asparagus steaming on the stove. It was such a healthy lite supper we decided to take an extra long hike after the clean up. While grilled egg plant was tasty its so much better fried which is not as healthy and while the Swaii fish is healthy on the grill its so much tastier fried as well.
After the long hike it was going on 8 PM so we headed in to watch a little of FOX News before I headed for the other T.V. and Ray's baseball. Once again they lost a lead in the later innings and fell to the Jays, Oh well it is going to be a long season for them as they are out of contention in their division, LATER
The morning started out with fellers next door crowing around 5:30; I have no idea why they start so early as its pitch black at that time of the morning. After the usual cup of tea, my quiet moments to reflect and give thanks then a lite breakfast before pedaling out to the rec for some 2 plus hours of pickle ball. After that workout I headed into the weight room where I did an extra workout on the elliptical and the heavy weights. I did that for about 30 minutes then headed to the library for a new read. I picked up a book title 102 MINUTES. It's about the fight to survive inside the twin towers on 9-11. Looks very interesting and I can't wait to start it.
Amy and Sam picked up GG and they all came for lunch. They had salad and I finished up some leftovers then we all went out in the yard. It was such a nice day with no humidity that the girls had sweat shirts on in the shade. Once again we have the a/c off and the windows open. I read most of the afternoon until it was time to start supper. I picked 4 egg plants and peeled them then coated them with rice bran oil, Rosemary and garlic then grilled them along with a couple Swaii fillets while Nancy had fresh asparagus steaming on the stove. It was such a healthy lite supper we decided to take an extra long hike after the clean up. While grilled egg plant was tasty its so much better fried which is not as healthy and while the Swaii fish is healthy on the grill its so much tastier fried as well.
After the long hike it was going on 8 PM so we headed in to watch a little of FOX News before I headed for the other T.V. and Ray's baseball. Once again they lost a lead in the later innings and fell to the Jays, Oh well it is going to be a long season for them as they are out of contention in their division, LATER
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Tuesday Morning
Monday started out with temps we usually see in Feb. and March. The 60's is just great to start the day with and no humidity and I see where Texas and the mid-west had some really cold weather as well, oh well so much for the theory of global warming.
The day started with the feathered fowls next door around 5:30 with their dueling crow off. I rolled out a little after 6 to start my day while Nancy slumbered until nearly 7 before rising. I started with the usual, cup of green tea with a little cinnamon in it as I read where that spice is helpful with regulating blood sugar and the storage of fat cells. I'll try anything that will help me get rid of this spare tire. After my quiet time and a bowl of cereal I got ready to ride out to the rec on my bike for some 2 plus hours of pickle ball and workout. We had a large crowd today with 3 courts going and others waiting to get on to play.
After PB I stopped by the weight room where Nancy was doing her routine and decided to do an extra 15 minutes on the elliptical and some heavy weights. I need to work the upper body as I will be doing lots of lifting, hoeing, shoveling and carrying around a weed whacker in about a month or less; here in Florida I can turn my whole garden over in a couple hours with a shovel as there is nary a rock or stone where at the cabin it's just the opposite. I think those rocks and stones actually grow during the winter months while we are gone and some of them even grow legs as I wonder how some many have moved back into my garden while it lays dormant during the winter, Oh well!
After the work out I stopped off for a couple new reads and wow they are hard to put down. An investigation about the murder of 4 youths in Texas that went unanswered for over 3 years before the culprits were brought to justice is just a great read. WE WILL NEVER SEE THEM AGAIN is about the Houston police department's investigation along with the father of one of the victims who was persistent in their efforts to capture the couple who did this massacre. It's a well written story and easy to follow about what it took to finally get a good lead and arrest the bad folks. The irony of it all is 2 of the victims helped the bad girl when she was in times of need in high school and then she turned around and murdered the 2 girls, yeow!
Well Amy and Sam picked up GG and came for lunch. I made a guacamole dip and along with fresh lunch meat from the deli we had us a delicious lunch. Afterwards the girls all took off for the mall for a couple hours while Sam and I played outside. It was just beautiful in the back yard but after an hour or so he wanted a snack and then to watch a movie. He loves the movie Bolt so he watched it twice until the gals got back. I read.
I cut a mess of Swiss Chard for supper to go along with hamburger patties, mac and cheese that Amy had left over from a college function at her house on Sunday night. After the clean up we took off on a couple mile hike through the hood before coming back and settling into another loss for the Ray's after leading 7-0. Wow do they ever need some help on the mound, LATER
The day started with the feathered fowls next door around 5:30 with their dueling crow off. I rolled out a little after 6 to start my day while Nancy slumbered until nearly 7 before rising. I started with the usual, cup of green tea with a little cinnamon in it as I read where that spice is helpful with regulating blood sugar and the storage of fat cells. I'll try anything that will help me get rid of this spare tire. After my quiet time and a bowl of cereal I got ready to ride out to the rec on my bike for some 2 plus hours of pickle ball and workout. We had a large crowd today with 3 courts going and others waiting to get on to play.
After PB I stopped by the weight room where Nancy was doing her routine and decided to do an extra 15 minutes on the elliptical and some heavy weights. I need to work the upper body as I will be doing lots of lifting, hoeing, shoveling and carrying around a weed whacker in about a month or less; here in Florida I can turn my whole garden over in a couple hours with a shovel as there is nary a rock or stone where at the cabin it's just the opposite. I think those rocks and stones actually grow during the winter months while we are gone and some of them even grow legs as I wonder how some many have moved back into my garden while it lays dormant during the winter, Oh well!
After the work out I stopped off for a couple new reads and wow they are hard to put down. An investigation about the murder of 4 youths in Texas that went unanswered for over 3 years before the culprits were brought to justice is just a great read. WE WILL NEVER SEE THEM AGAIN is about the Houston police department's investigation along with the father of one of the victims who was persistent in their efforts to capture the couple who did this massacre. It's a well written story and easy to follow about what it took to finally get a good lead and arrest the bad folks. The irony of it all is 2 of the victims helped the bad girl when she was in times of need in high school and then she turned around and murdered the 2 girls, yeow!
Well Amy and Sam picked up GG and came for lunch. I made a guacamole dip and along with fresh lunch meat from the deli we had us a delicious lunch. Afterwards the girls all took off for the mall for a couple hours while Sam and I played outside. It was just beautiful in the back yard but after an hour or so he wanted a snack and then to watch a movie. He loves the movie Bolt so he watched it twice until the gals got back. I read.
I cut a mess of Swiss Chard for supper to go along with hamburger patties, mac and cheese that Amy had left over from a college function at her house on Sunday night. After the clean up we took off on a couple mile hike through the hood before coming back and settling into another loss for the Ray's after leading 7-0. Wow do they ever need some help on the mound, LATER
Monday, May 6, 2013
Monday Morning
Sunday was just an awesome day at Element Church in Tampa. We were there twice as the evening saw us commissioning 4 men as elders in an epic ceremony; but more on that later. The day started with chilly temps for us as it was near 60 degrees, yikes what is going on with this weather this time of the year. It didn't much get into the high 70's for the day as a stiff northern breeze kept it quite comfortable with no humidity. We sat outside after lunch under the big oak and Nancy has a sweat shirt on as she was chilled and we even moved at times into the sun to warm up. Never would I have thought we would turn the a/c off and open the windows in May; but we did and its still off as I write this post.
The roosters did their usual crowing at 5:30 or so but I managed to tune them out until nearly 7 when we started the day with our quiet times then a lite breakfast before getting ready for church. We were riding with Dan and Carol so they picked us up a little before 9. The girls had the front desk at Element for children check-in as it was the first Sunday of the month and that is their responsibility. We had a nice crowd and lots of children and learned one of the new elders and his wife are expecting their second child. Speaking of elders we had an epic service later in the evening for them being brought on board for the church. Bobby planned a unique service for them and their families and even knighted them much like a leader would knight them into service for the kingdom. The touching of them with a real sword was awesome and very dramatic. There was hardly a dry eye in the place.
We spent the afternoon reading and enjoying this cool temperature outside in the back yard after a lite lunch. It was just one of those days we seldom get here in sunny Florida. We are counting down to when we can really enjoy some cooler weather on the mountain. We are under a month for when we leave for the cabin and time is all of a sudden moving fast. Mothers Day is next Sunday so we will have a large family get together then off to Miami the next week-end for Arianne's wedding and before we know we will be packing for the trip to the cabin, yeah. I'm looking forward to getting my garden planted up there and then a trip to my old stomping grounds in Virginia and a visit with my kin folks, LATER
The roosters did their usual crowing at 5:30 or so but I managed to tune them out until nearly 7 when we started the day with our quiet times then a lite breakfast before getting ready for church. We were riding with Dan and Carol so they picked us up a little before 9. The girls had the front desk at Element for children check-in as it was the first Sunday of the month and that is their responsibility. We had a nice crowd and lots of children and learned one of the new elders and his wife are expecting their second child. Speaking of elders we had an epic service later in the evening for them being brought on board for the church. Bobby planned a unique service for them and their families and even knighted them much like a leader would knight them into service for the kingdom. The touching of them with a real sword was awesome and very dramatic. There was hardly a dry eye in the place.
We spent the afternoon reading and enjoying this cool temperature outside in the back yard after a lite lunch. It was just one of those days we seldom get here in sunny Florida. We are counting down to when we can really enjoy some cooler weather on the mountain. We are under a month for when we leave for the cabin and time is all of a sudden moving fast. Mothers Day is next Sunday so we will have a large family get together then off to Miami the next week-end for Arianne's wedding and before we know we will be packing for the trip to the cabin, yeah. I'm looking forward to getting my garden planted up there and then a trip to my old stomping grounds in Virginia and a visit with my kin folks, LATER
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Sunday Morning
Saturday morning was once again very unusual temperature wise with 60's for the month of May. I can't remember when it was this cool for this time of the year but we love it. Reminds us of the summer morning temps at the cabin. Speaking of the cabin we hopefully will be there in about a month. The roosters started the day off once again around 5:30 with their dueling crows. We managed to tune them out until nearly 7 before rolling out. After our quiet times we fried up a couple leftover baked potatoes with the skins on, a couple pieces of leftover ham lunch meat then had a couple cackle berries(eggs) to start the day.
We decided to make a Sam's Club run for fresh salmon and a few other goodies as well as gas up at $3.25 a gallon. That's the lowest I've seen in quite awhile, hopefully it will hold at that price as we head to the mountains. It takes me about 35-40 gallons to make that haul up to the mountains; of course the truck is loaded down with all kinds of clothes Nancy never wears but we must have it just in case. I never understood why women have to pack so much stuff, oh well! We stopped off at GG's on the way home then took her to Publix before we headed on back to the house.
We ate a lite lunch then I headed out to work in the garden. I pulled up my tomato plants that I planted last Nov. and the roots were free of nematodes, which tells me the marigolds I planted next to them actually worked. I'm thrilled and now next year I must plants marigolds in my row of beans as their roots looked like an arthritic limb, yeow where they ever knobby and bumpy. Amy and the family came over for a short visit as Tyler needed some stakes for his garden. Sam and Ava played with the chickens feeding them some old lettuce I had pulled up.
Well it was Kentucky Derby Day and Nancy spent the afternoon glued to all the pre-race hoopla on the T.V. We were having Dan and Carole for a supper of grilled salmon, broccoli fixed with mushrooms and Carol brought a spinach salad. We skipped dessert as all of us need to drop a few pounds. After eating we sat around and picked who we thought would finish in the top 4 slots and I picked 2 of the 4 horses while others only managed to get 1 horse and one of us picked none. We then played around of golf and Carol was the winner of that card game despite not picking any horses in the derby.
Well after they left we watched the Rays get blown out again after being ahead of the Rockies. I have a feeling it's going to be a long year despite Sports Illustrated picking the Ray's to win it all, Oh well! Today(Sunday) is worship day in Tampa at Element Church where son Bobby is the pastor, LATER
We decided to make a Sam's Club run for fresh salmon and a few other goodies as well as gas up at $3.25 a gallon. That's the lowest I've seen in quite awhile, hopefully it will hold at that price as we head to the mountains. It takes me about 35-40 gallons to make that haul up to the mountains; of course the truck is loaded down with all kinds of clothes Nancy never wears but we must have it just in case. I never understood why women have to pack so much stuff, oh well! We stopped off at GG's on the way home then took her to Publix before we headed on back to the house.
We ate a lite lunch then I headed out to work in the garden. I pulled up my tomato plants that I planted last Nov. and the roots were free of nematodes, which tells me the marigolds I planted next to them actually worked. I'm thrilled and now next year I must plants marigolds in my row of beans as their roots looked like an arthritic limb, yeow where they ever knobby and bumpy. Amy and the family came over for a short visit as Tyler needed some stakes for his garden. Sam and Ava played with the chickens feeding them some old lettuce I had pulled up.
Well it was Kentucky Derby Day and Nancy spent the afternoon glued to all the pre-race hoopla on the T.V. We were having Dan and Carole for a supper of grilled salmon, broccoli fixed with mushrooms and Carol brought a spinach salad. We skipped dessert as all of us need to drop a few pounds. After eating we sat around and picked who we thought would finish in the top 4 slots and I picked 2 of the 4 horses while others only managed to get 1 horse and one of us picked none. We then played around of golf and Carol was the winner of that card game despite not picking any horses in the derby.
Well after they left we watched the Rays get blown out again after being ahead of the Rockies. I have a feeling it's going to be a long year despite Sports Illustrated picking the Ray's to win it all, Oh well! Today(Sunday) is worship day in Tampa at Element Church where son Bobby is the pastor, LATER
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