Saturday

WOW, what a day this has been. It so reminded me of the North Carolina morning we are use to in the month of May. Bright sunshine, cool temps with blue skies, Yea Buddy!!! After rolling out of bed a little after 8 AM, Nancy and I did our quiet time and then had a late breakfast of blueberry buckwheat pancakes with a couple of eggs on top. Wow, we even had a N.C. breakfast. After putting away a short stack of cakes(3) loaded with homemade wild blackberry jelly it was after 10 AM so I decided to mow the leaves in the yard. There is no grass growing just a few blooming weeds with beggar stickers that give the impression of green grass covered with dry brown oak leaves. I sucked up 20 bags of leaves and weeds and then mulched the gardens. There are at least that many if not more leaves still hanging on the trees. I had to cut away lots of dead leaves from the beans, squash, cuke's and tomato plants; however I replanted the cuke's and transplanted some lettuce seedlings I had growning from seed. I still see lots of life in some of these plants so maybe they will continue to grow, although I think the cuke's are dead.

I finally came in the house after 2 PM and opened all the windows to fresh warm air. It must have reached 75 today. Just a perfect weather wise day. I could smell the sauce Nancy was making for a lasagna dinner on Sunday to celebrate Bobby birthday with the family. What a delicious smell drifting out the kitchen window with all the spiced sausage in a tomato sauce with fresh oregano. Those pancakes stayed with me all day until I came in and tried a small bowl of that sauce.

We were heading out at 5 PM for dinner at the Botbyl's house which was delicious as well. Steaks on the grill with oven spuds.Nancy brought fresh broccoli and a garden salad. YUMMM!!! After dinner we played 3 games of oh hell(not sure where the name came from). It fast and fun which requires you to make your bid.

We got back around 10 PM and must get ready to get up early as we will make the 8:30 service at SFBC. Well will close for now and will enclose dinner pictures tomorrow of the grand girls. LATER.

Friday

Well the morning started out with temp's in the 30's and lots of frost. This time my garden wasn't so lucky. I lost some beans, cuke's, squash and the 'mater plants took a hit but I don't think it killed them completely. After my usual quiet time and a banana for breakfast I watered the garden to take the frost off before heading off to the Rec. I got in 2 hours of pickle ball with 10 other players then did 30 minutes(3.2 miles) on the elliptical and some heavy weights as well as 50 sit ups and crunches. Wow I love this workout but still haven't lost the extra 5 lbs or love handles around the waist.

The temp's were already starting to moderate by the time I left the Rec. and eventually reached the low 70's by early afternoon. The slight breeze kept the temp's from really get high but the bright sunshine and blue skies sure made for a beautiful Florida day. After lunch with Amy and Ava the girls sat out on the back yard in the sunshine and I finished a great read called COLD OCEANS by Jon Turk. Man against the elements with a kayak, dog sled and a row boat. If you like adventure this is definitely a mans book although he took his wife on several of his adventures.

We headed over to Amy and Tyler for dinner. Amy made pulled pork, cole slaw, french fries and mac./cheese. Great dinner then we played domino's with Amy coming from behind on the last hand to whup up on Tyler who led the whole game and me coming in second and at one point I was in the 500's before anyone. Oh well it was fun and we had such a great time playing with Ava before she had to go to bed.

Well tomorrow its supposed to be even warmer day, as we drove home the temp's were back down in the 40's. Not to bad but for Florida that's cool.Well will close for now. LATER

Thursday

Wow was it ever nippy this morning. At first I thought the garden had frozen out with all the cold temps last night but after further inspection its seems only a few leaves of the squash, cuke's and beans were damaged badly; of course we have to wait and see what happens tonight as its supposed to be nearly as cold. After my quiet time and cereal for breakfast the ride to the Rec. on the bike was a cold one with my eyes watering all the way. I don't believe it reached 50 today and if it did the strong wind kept the wind chill down into the the 40's or lower all day.

I got a good workout with 10 pickle ball players today and we played hard. We are starting to choose our team players for the Good Life Games of Florida which occur the end of March and pickle ball will be played at our facilities, so we have a little advantage with the familiarity of the courts.

This afternoon at 1 pm I headed back to the Rec. for 1 1/2 hours of badminton. That is another game which elevates your cardio-vascular.I thoroughly love the game, almost as much as pickle ball. Ava and Amy came for lunch then took off for Target and the vegetable stand when I left for the Rec. Ava came for dinner as Amy and Tyler went out for dinner to celebrate their wedding anniversary . Where does the time go? They were married on this day 4 years ago. It sure seemed a lot warmer then as I remember. Nancy made Ava her favorite macaroni, green beans and a pork chop for dinner. She ate great and so did grand dad.

Well will close for now. LATER!

Tuesday and Wednesday

First of all let me wish my oldest child, my son Bobby Happy 28th Birthday!!! My how time just slips away especially the older we become. Tuesday started out great with cooler temps and lots of wind. After my quiet time I headed out to the Rec.and got in 2 good hours of pickle ball, elliptical, heavy weights and crunches. I stopped off at the library on the way home and picked up the DVD A Time to Kill, based on the John Grisham novel.

After lunch with Amy and Ava, Nancy got home from shopping for the Wednesday night meal at church. I went back to the Rec. for another hour and a half for badminton(Tues & Thur). Wow I sure got my exercise in on Tuesday. Amy and Ava had left for her afternoon nap by the time I got home so I watched the DVD until it was time for dinner. Nancy mad a great baked fresh salmon, garlic butter angel hair pasta and fresh steamed asparagus. That has to be one of my favorite meals. After dinner and the clean up Nancy and I headed over to a friends house for our weekly Bible study until about 8:45. We got home in time to see a little of American Idol.

Wednesday morning brought cold temps with a stiff breeze, once again it was down in the 40's. After my quiet time and cereal for breakfast I headed out on the bike for the Rec. Wow did my eyes water from the cold wind. I got in 2 good hours of work out and then headed for home. I hung a load of laundry and watered my garden as it was very dry from the strong wind and cold temps. I then managed to catch up on some reading as Nancy was gone for the day. Amy and Ava picked me up at 4 PM to head to church and work in the kitchen. Nancy made shepherds pie, mixed veggies, biscuits and chocolate cake for dessert. We were out of the kitchen by 6:30 and the temp had already dropped back to 44 by then. They are saying we will get below 32 this night and it will be our coldest night in nearly 6 years. Well there goes the vegetable garden. I picked green beans yesterday and lots of lettuce tonight after we got back from our Element house church at 9 PM. We had 10 people for our first house church The Botbyls tonight.
Well will close for now. LATER

Monday is Rain and Cooler

The day started out with a few sprinkles of rain and by the time I had finished my quiet time and a light breakfast and headed out for the Rec. is was coming down a little harder. I jumped on the bike and made it to the Rec. without getting too wet. After 2 hours of pickleball with 9 players I met up with Nancy in the exercise room where she was on the treadmill. I did another 30 minutes on the elliptical, several weights for the arms and shoulder and 50 sit ups and crunches. I stopped by the library to pick up a 1040A tax form as I found out since I've starting drawing social security I no longer can use the 1040EZ. Oh well!!!

I got home just in time as the skies opened up with a solid rain for most of the afternoon. Amy and Ava came by after lunch as Amy had a plumber come and fix their leaking commode. It seems the wax ring had cracked and the commode had become loose letting water leak into the bathroom. Dan and Carole had the same problem in their bathroom and when he took the commode apart their was a tree root growing up and around the sewer pipe and into the base of their commode causing it to leak water into the bathroom. Unbelievable!!! Amy stayed until it was time for Ava's nap around 3 PM and the rain had slacked off some. The weather man says its going to be in the 30's a couple morning this week. It reached 66 today with tomorrow only in the 50's. I checked the web cam in Roaring Gap and the golf course is covered in several inches of snow; pretty but cold looking.

Well we had a veggie only dinner tonight with a baked spud, green peas, fresh cold slaw and canned sliced beets. I love those meatless dinners of course I had leftover smoked chicken on a salad for lunch with Greek Dressing.

Well that's about it for now. To all our mountain friends stay warm and safe with the slick roads. LATER.

Sunday and Super Bowl in Tampa

Wow it turned cold here on Saturday night and there was frost once again in some of the yards this morning. My yard was once again protected by the 2 oak trees. After our quiet time and a light breakfast we headed out to Tampa and Element Church to worship with Bobby. There was a nice crowd of about 150 folks and Bobby did an excellent job both with the music and his sermon.

We got back to Seminole a little after noon and had a fresh salad and some left over smoked chicken. We then got really to head out to Freedom Square Nursing pavilion to do our Sunday afternoon church service for the patients. We pushed about 10 wheelchairs and there were a couple on their motorized chairs. We sang 5 songs and had a short devotional and just loved up on those patients and gave them some attention.

I spent the rest of the afternoon finishing up the Band of Brothers HBO series. Wow was the real footage amazing as well as the stories those who survived had to tell. The 101 Airborne and Easy Company were a great bunch of young men who gave so much for this nation and to the defeat of Nazi Germany.

We headed over to Amy and Tyler with finger food for a super bowl party with Tyler's college ministry group. They were a neat bunch of young folks and we left at half time with Ava so she could get to bed near her bedtime. After her bath Nancy read a couple of stories and she was ready bed. She is such a sweet youngun. The second half of the game was exciting and the Cardinals nearly pulled it off with a great come from behind effort. I must congratulate the Steelers for their victory; although they had a few players who were less than professional. Any how I will miss football until next August. GO BUCS now that they have a new coach. Well will close for now. LATER

Friday and Saturday

Well Friday brought much cooler temperatures after the rain which fell all night and most of the morning. I had to wear my old USAF raincoat(43 yrs old) on the bike to the Rec after my quiet time and fruit for breakfast. Anyhow, got there dry and cold as the temp's were dropping fast. I got in a good workout with a real wet shirt before stopping off at the library on the way home. We were expecting Bob, Jill and Annsley for lunch as well as Amy and Ava.

The Triplett's got here about 1 PM(we were famished, Amy and I) and the girls were so cute with one another. They ran and played calling one another names. Lunch was great as Nancy set in a stock of ham and roast beef for sandwiches, chips, pickles and cookies as well as brownies. I'm still off regular potato chips and desserts and I've lost almost 4 lbs since N.Y.Day, still about 2 pinches around the gut to go before I'll be satisfied.

About 2 PM I put the whole chickens on the smoker with a beer in the rear along with oak wood that had been soaking in the rain all morning. Well what a great smell. About 4 PM I decided to put more wood in the smoker well I messed up and got the wood on the electric element which because the oak wood burns so hot caused the element to melt thus shorting it out so now it quit smoking and cooking. I found this out about 5:45 which is when the chickens are normally cooked. Anyhow there were mostly done but 30 minutes in the oven on bake did the job and the birds were beautiful and tasty. Now I need to purchase another heating element so if you have an electric smoker be careful about placing your wood especially oak wood on the element.

G/G, Pap, Tyler, Amy, Ava and old friend of the family Amber Kineer came for dinner as well. Nancy made oven spuds rolled in fresh rosemary and parsley and baked in the oven along with corn, and fresh green beans(from the garden) and a salad as well as 2 pans of cornbread. Another batch of brownies from G/G's for dessert. Wow what a feast and then we played cards until nearly 10 PM after putting Ava to bed around 8:30.

Saturday we woke up to cold temp's in the 30's but bright sunshine. We had a piece of leftover ham along with leftover spuds and a couple eggs for breakfast about 9:30. After our morning routines of quiet time and checking Facebook I watered the garden(sandy soil) then we headed out to the Rec. to workout on the elliptical, treadmill and some other exercises. I got a good hour workout and Nancy did her 30 minutes on the treadmill.

The afternoon finally reached the 60's but with a cool breeze out of the North. I sat around and watched 3 discs of the Band Of Brothers(WWII) Bobby left with me the day before. I had read the book by Stephen Ambrose several years ago and never got to watch all the HBO series that was shown on TV. Its a great watch and pretty close to the book with several of the survivors giving testimony on the occurrences.

We took off about 5:30 for the Botbyl's house (3 doors up) for dinner. We brought our leftover salad, cornbread and brownies and Carol had pulled pork Bar B Que sandwiches and some great vino from San Sebastian Winery in St Augustine. We played a couple rounds of cards with you who as the winner of both games. They watched my hands the whole time(Jodie) even though I am the score keeper. Well will close for now as we are getting ready to head to Tampa for Element Church. LATER