Monday

Well Sunday evening turned out to be just a pleasant fun filled family event. We arrived there after taking the scenic route(missed the turn off) into the heart of Hillsborough County's farm land. The Dover area is just loaded with tons of truck farming from all kinds of veggies and fruit growing, especially strawberry's. The day was warm with temps in the upper 70's. We missed the baptism's but got there in time for a little flag football, a huge bonfire ( which I put together with one flick of the bic) food and a great time of music, worship and thanksgiving. I would guesstimate 75 + folks attended for what could be an annual event. We were on our way home by 7 PM.

Monday morning was just absolutely fine with cool temps in the 60's to start and reached the middle 70's by afternoon. After an early start of the day at 6:30, quiet time an a lite breakfast(leftover 7 up pound cake) I pedalled out to the rec for some pickle ball. We had 5 initial players and ended up with about 14 for the 2 1/2 hours we played. Great play with lots of wet tee shirts. Nancy did her 30 minutes on the treadmill and she later in the afternoon took about a 2 mile walk through the hood. I passed on the walk with her.

We headed out to Walmart in Pinellas Park after the rec so I could get my truck serviced and she could get her baking supplies as its that cookie baking time for the holidays. We got back at noon and Amy and Ava came for lunch. Ava is just starting to get into the Christmas spirit as she now talks about Santa and just loves playing with all the decorations. She is so aware of everything and never stops talking. Nancy and I are not going to have a dull moment when we keep her for several days in January while Amy and Tyler go to Atlanta for Passion with the college group he teaches. Ava just loves being outside and involved in whatever your doing. She loves to garden and to pretend she is planting. Today she and the next door turkey got into a verbal shouting or gobbling match. It was so funny as she stands right next to the turkey(through the chain link fence) and mimics that bird.

Well I finally got the grill out of the shed and did a couple of marinated chicken breasts for fajitas along with black beans, rice and a salad for dinner. YUMMM!!!! I will enclose a couple of pics from yesterday's Element event. LATER.

Saturday on Sunday Morning

The morning was rather nippy for Florida standards. After our quiet time and superb mountain breakfast of buckwheat cakes with a banana in the batter, bacon and egg on top I ventured out to do some garden work. I wore an old jacket but had shorts on so it wasn't extremely cold. The sun was shining brightly with clear blue skies. Nancy took off to Largo Mall with her mother to do a little Christmas shopping. I jumped on the bike and headed for the library and then did a little power biking through the hood to get the heart rate up on the way home. The air was still nippy in the shade but I could feel the temps were going to be nice by the afternoon. I don't believe it reached 70 but it was close.

Lunch was just snacking due to the late big breakfast and besides we were eating out at 5:30 at our neighbor's Dan and Carol for dinner. I mostly read and watched a little football until Nancy got home then headed out to hand water the gardens and front yard, again. The grass seed I planted 2 weeks ago is finally poking through the once "dust bowl" front yard. The huge oak sucks up all the moisture and nutrients from the yard so its an everyday job to keep the dirt wet. Hopefully we can get grass to grow there again. Neighbor Jim dumped some much needed dirt from when he dug out his back yard to put in an above ground pool. He spread the dirt around the big oak this summer while we were in the mountains. What a neighbor!!The Bermuda grass is slowly showing some color.

The Florida Gators ripped the Florida State Seminoles up yesterday in Gainesville. Tim Tebow is a super athlete and a strong follower of CHRIST. Many of our Seminole friends are sure glad to see him graduate this year. I'm just proud that he is not ashamed of his love for the LORD and proudly wears his beliefs for all to see. AMEN brother!!!

Well we had sumptuous lasagna Carol made and a crisp fresh salad with Greek dressing Nancy made for dinner. Yikes was that ever good and tasty. We then played Mexican Train dominoes and Nancy whupped us all. I was dead last by several hundred points. The fact the gals are always winning of late is getting quite boring. We need to play a new game like RISK or BATTLESHIP just to get our confidence restored.

This morning, Sunday we will not be going to ELEMENT for the usual 10 AM service as it being Thanksgiving Day weekend we are going to have an afternoon gathering outside with a cook out, baptism, vespers and bonfire from 3 PM until after dark. Definitely a different way to gather for worship and offer our praises unto the FATHER. I imagine the setting will be like many when our nation was first settled as well the 40 years of wandering after leaving Egypt before finally reaching the promised land. This should be interesting especially with the coolness in the air around a bonfire. I will post pictures later.

Well better go. LATER.

Friday

Well when we awakened this AM it was downright cold for Florida. I don't think it got much over 60's today because of a steady brisk breeze. The sun was brillant and beautiful with clear blue skies. It's so nice to have the a/c off and actually we have closed the windows but it was nice earlier this day with the windows open. After our quiet times and the leftover breakfast from yesterday I ventured out to work in the garden for about an hour.

Nancy's folks came by just before lunch and picked up some the sherrid tomato soup Nancy made yesterday. Boy was that ever good and we had enough as well for a small bowl for lunch along with some garlic bread. We took off for about an hour walk and had to wear long sleeve clothing; however I still wore shorts. It wasn't the great cardio workout we get while hiking up the back trail to the top of the mountain but at least it was better than sitting around doing nothing. I then climbed into the attic to retrieve several large tubs of Christmas decorations as Nancy likes to put the tree up the day after Thanksgiving. Well we got the tree up and trimmed as well as her many other decorations though out the house. The cold air sure helps one to get into the Christmas spirit. We stayed away from the malls and that mad rush.

Well our neighbors took off this afternoon to the Brooksville area to camp out for the next couple of nights where its supposed to go down into the 30's. Yikes that will be a big change for us warm, thin blooded Florida folks. Well not much else going on except a lite supper of Mahi-Mahi, salad and bread. LATER.

THANKSGIVING DAY on Friday

Well we awakened to bright sunshine with much cooler, drier temp's. It actually felt like a N.C. morning. YEOW !!! that is one of the reason's except for family we live in Florida in the winter. After our quiet times we got ready to host our daughter, Amy and her family as well as friends and neighbors, Dan and Carol for a sumptuous breakfast. Nancy made the day before a ham and cheese casserole that just needed to go in the oven and bake as we were expecting to eat between 8:30-9:00. Amy brought hash browns and fruit and Carol made cheese blitz's. My what a good eatin'. I forgot to take any pictures of this beautiful breakfast, Oh well!!

After eating we just lazied around letting this high fat and carb meal add inches to our waistlines, actually that was just a warm up for what we would consume later in the day around 5PM at son Bobby's house in Riverview. After the kids and neighbors left I did a little garden work; hoed, weeded and believe it or not I had to hand water the garden, even though we must of had a couple inches of must needed rain the past couple of days. The sandy soil here in Florida will just not hold moisture for very long.

We were planning on heading out to Bob's around 2 PM after picking up Amy, Tyler and Ava. Nancy made a delicious sherried tomato soup from Pioneer Woman's recipe book as well as about 10-12 lbs of fresh asparagus which needed to be in a cooler along with Amy's 2 pumpkin pies. G/G (Nancy's mom)was bringing her famous dry stuffing and candied yams and the GAB(great aunt Betsy,Nancy's sister) brought her frozen cranberry salad. Susan(Jill's mom) made ton's of smashed 'taters, candied pecans and rolls. Brian (Jill's dad) made his perfect sliced apple pies. Bobby made a beautiful brine(overnight) infused 25 pound turkey and the gravy which had blackberry's in it as one of the ingredients along with tons of other good tasting stuff. I must say I had never had gravy with blackberry's. It was YUMMM!! We feasted and then sat around watching Ava and Annsley be cute while our waistlines once again grew and just chatted up one another while trying to enjoy the mismatched football games on the T.V.

We headed out about 9 PM and the traffic was as heavy then as it was earlier in the day. I could barely keep my eyes open after a hot shower. I think I'm still on DST or could it be my waistline was growing. I will enclose a few pic from yesterday at Bob's. Altogether there were 19 family members and friends. Later.

Wednesday

Well it was another cloudy, overcast, muggy and eventually rainy day with heavy downpours at times. Even as I write this the hard rain is evident on the roof. The a/c is still on and we are hoping for some relief in that area tomorrow as a cold front is headed our way with lows into the 50's. After my quiet time this morning and a banana I pedalled out to the rec where we had 14 players trying to get in that last workout for the week until Monday as the rec will be closed the rest of the week. We had some spirited play and lots of wet tee shirts. Luckily Nancy drove the truck for her workout so I had a ride home from the rec as the skies opened up and its rained off and on since then.

After getting home we got ready and headed out to Pinellas Park to the bookstore and then to Sam's for some last minute items and some gifts cards for the family. We got back home around 1 PM and found Amy and Ava at the house for lunch. After lunch I replaced our worn out DVD player with a new one we purchased at Sam's and then we played with Ava until it was time for her to head home for her afternoon nap. I took a small nap of about 10 minutes then read the rest of the afternoon until it was time to eat dinner. Nancy oven baked a couple chix breasts, made a super good turnip casserole and a fresh salad. Mmnn was that ever good eatin'!!!

Ava is here now as Amy and Tyler headed out to do some toy shopping for Ava. Tomorrow will be a big day as we all are heading to Bob's after lunch around 3 PM to visit and celebrate dinner with Jill's family as well. Should be a fun day with lots of good eatin' as everyone is bringing their speciality dish as Bob will prepare the turkey. LATER.

Tuesday

Well it sure was foggy, overcast and muggy all day here in whats supposed to be sunny Florida. I believe I did see the sun for just a moment right before we had a much needed downpour around 4 PM. After my quiet time and a banana for breakfast I headed out to the rec at 7:20 on the bike for some pickle ball. There were 3 die hard players at first then we had a 75 year old lady to join us who played absolutely wonderful. Irma had been to the rec before and was know by the other 2 players, anyhow we teamed up and managed to play 5 sets before winning the 5th and final set 12-10. She is a delight to play with and so much more so at her age. There was a total of 9 players altogether as several were away for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Tomorrow is the last day until next Monday as the rec will be closed for the weekend.

After a wet tee shirt and 2 1/2hours of play I stopped off at the library to pick up a book I had ordered before heading home to do a little garden and yard work. Nancy had taken her mother and sister to Citrus Park Mall to do Christmas shopping so I had the rest of the day to catch up on some reading. I read a book by Philip Carlo entitled THE NIGHT STALKER. Yikes this book with make you make sure your house is closed up tight at night. What an animal he was and is thankfully now on death row in California.

Nancy got home around 5 PM so we had oven french fries, bratwurst's and green peas for dinner. Quick and easy. Well not much else going on, LATER.

Monday

We had some much needed rain Sunday evening and through out the night. The morning was a wet one but there was sunshine in the east when I headed out to the rec. after my quiet time and a lite breakfast. We still have the a/c on as the humidity is still high with temp's in the low 80's all day. After a good 2 1/2 hour workout at pickle ball with about 14 players I headed home on the bike and got another good hour before lunch in the garden.

Amy, Ava and Nancy headed off to the grocery store to pick up a few things and I finished up the leftover chili from last week for lunch while the girls made BLT's. After lunch I worked in the garden transplanting lettuce, staking my pole beans and weeding until nearly 3 PM. Boy did I ever work up a sweat. I sat out under the big oak tree in the back yard and read for nearly an hour before it was time to get ready and head to Amy and Tyler's for supper. She made a chicken and rice casserole, green beans and stuffing on top. Nancy brought a salad. Yikes, Amy that was really good. Thanks for having us.

Not much else going on around here except I'm ready to cut the a/c off and let in some fresh cool air. LATER