They Paved Paradise

Layin' Low in the Low Country

2009-10-15T14:54:00.001-07:00

Good vacation beer

The fish were biting at Broadway at the Beach

I Want to Be Eight Again

2009-09-14T18:44:00.001-07:00

This little beautie turned eight years old last weekend.

There was face painting. And chest painting. You'll notice Captain Morgan with the shark on his chest.

Her Dad flipped the burgers.

It was a special day for all her friends. Too bad we all have to grow up.

Mike's friend and I spent most of Sunday making a throw quilt. She started it with a seriously marked down scarf from Urban Outfitters, one of Mike's favorite stores. We shopped for supplies, and didn't plan on going the distance, but under Max's watchful eye (see black blob in upper left). . . . . . .

Ta Da!!! It turned out great. We used fleece, fake suede and fur trim which made it very heavy and very snuggly. We tacked it with hot pink to add that "pop" of color.

Good bye to Patrick Swayze. I watch his hokey movies every time they're on TV. I did like Point Break, though.

Milestones

2009-08-03T16:28:00.001-07:00

We're proud of our newest graduate.

All smiles! I'm so glad Emily was able to come.

Looking forward to a bright future.

Mike's girlfriend went to graduation.

And so did his good friend. We attended his graduation last year.

Mike's girlfriend and her mom made a great cake.

Emily's good friend came to congratulate Michael. He also came for the lasagna. I made he and his roomates a pan of lasagna when they all first started college.

I have already loaded the pictures onto the digital frame Susie and Matt sent me. I love it!

Our next adventure was a trip to Winter Park by Emily and I to see Rollins again, and to check out the area for a wedding reception. Emily fell in love with this place, and another one next door. It's a very small secluded area off Park Avenue. It's the old, restored main street of Winter Park. Rollins College Chapel is at the head of the Avenue. Very convenient.

Just outside these two restaurants are little courtyards, and there is a tiny pub between them. There is a "boom boom" room up over the pub.

Emily loved being back in her old element. She celebrated with an ugly pillow.

We then headed to a bridal shop, along with her maid of honor to try on some dresses. Emily did not like any of them. Her friend's new baby boy was not impressed either.

Small World

2009-07-21T16:53:00.000-07:00

This was in our local paper this morning!

Bountiful

2009-07-19T13:59:00.001-07:00

My weekly trip to CVS cost me 30 cents this morning. I got free school supplies for Emily.

I messed up getting my pictures in order, but here they are anyway.

Oscar was at the BBQ we went to last night. He's an odd dog

David was at the bar in his zippy new T-shirt Mike got for him in Austin.

The other David was cooking oysters with Creole seasoning.

His brother took care of the shrimp on the barby.

The new air conditioning unit. Not much to look at, but a lot to pay for.
The old one died on the 4th of July. Might as well celebrate by blowing things up.

This is the new outside apparatus. It sucks and blows with amazing efficiency.

Travels With Mike

2009-06-27T19:09:00.001-07:00

Michael sent me some pictures from his phone. He is still in Austin and will be home by Monday.

The Texas state Capitol
Michael Jackson side walk art.

Doing the East Coast

2009-06-24T18:16:00.001-07:00

Grandmother is pretty happy with Emily's beau.

Ed will always be Ed. I brought him offerings of buckwheat noddles and edemame from a little Asian market in Charlottesville. We had take out from their nice little restaurant next door.

Mom and Dad's hostess was most gracious. She makes a mean chicken casserole! Just kidding. She also made a raspberry pie, which I haven't had for years. It's my absolute favorite.

Here's Mom showing off Dad's Father's Day present from Jay. It is the coolest planter, and takes 10 minutes to make. I can't wait to build one.

I think this is the Canadian goose family that hatched on Mom and Dad's lawn. They made a pit stop before swimming off.

I had to bring my planter onto the lanai because flowers fry in front of the house this time of year. I planted exotic ivys (from Kmart) instead. They are doing very well. I'm also rooting some ivy from Dad's trellis that he got at Jay's. The ivy, not the trellis. Em, I'm sure I mangled that sentence.

Crepe Mrytle was in various stages of bloom every where we went. This one on our front lawn has never bloomed this much before.

NEWS FLASH I just heard from Mike. He left this morning for Austin, Texas with his band mates. They just crossed in to Alabama, and they sound like they are having a blast. I googled his trip, and it's about 23 hours and 1300 miles to Austin. Have fun with that. You're only young once.

I was trying to video Emily's new kitty, who wanted to play slumber party with me all night. I am in love. We also went to the SPCA where Em and Jeff volunteer on Saturdays. For a shelter, it was very posh. You still want to take all the animals home with you. This video had to end because Panda discovered the lens cap dangling from my camera, and she wouldn't back off.

Of Princesses and Players

2009-06-13T04:56:00.001-07:00

Emily's in love. She has been volunteering at the SPCA as a "hugger". She said she resisted as long as she could.

Meet Panda. She is the latest in a string of Emily's cat rescues. Two of her previous rescues live with us. I'm forgetting to mention the birds, guinia pigs, hamsters, rats and rabbits. Oh yeah, fish, too.

She is also very happy about her beautiful new bauble. It comes with a doctor!

This is the picture I asked her to send me. So pretty

She is in a happy place right now. Yesterday was new teacher orientation in Fairfax, and she said it went very well.

We started our weekend with a trip to Tarpon Springs to hear Mike's band play at the Neptune Lounge. They got the best reaction when they played a heavy metal version of Eddie Murphy's one hit, Party All the Time. Tarpon Springs is only about an hour north of us, and we spotted a Five Guys Burgers and Fries on US 19 (the old route up and down the left coast of Florida). Route 19 is like Route 1 in Maine. Older and touristy. Tarpon Springs is totally Greek. It's where the famous sponge divers are. They also dive into the ocean after a gold cross on Epiphany. "Toss-a-Cross"! Every other business is named Olympia, and there are certainly lots of old Greek restaurants. Oompah!

I'm trying to prep for my east coast tour next week.

I need to get away from work for awhile.

I need to win the Powerball.

The Rains Have Come

2009-05-31T12:16:00.001-07:00

It had not rained for about a month, but this week it rained enough for the Rain Lillies to bloom. We put these in this pot Mom painted because they were spreading into the lawn.

Jack loves bamboo, to eat I mean. I have been picking up stalks of it when I see it. I found two-footers for cheap.

David and I ventured out for awhile to the Olympia Performing Arts Center where Michael is helping out. They have done a lot of work on the old theater. It was just a shell with a stage behind it where Mike's band has played.

This band played in the new interior. Very nice, but the band was LOUD.

This is the new stage in the back. Catchy name, don't you think? They also have a full-blown bar in the back. There was an improv comedy group performing on the back stage.

The Marquis

The street front

**********************************

Last weekend I was walking this beach. There were lots of people on Medeira Beach, but definately not crowded for Memorial Day weekend.

I walked past hese nice units.

Fun in the Sun

2009-05-19T16:49:00.001-07:00

although, it has rained for the last three days, but this is the first rain in about 35 days. My trees are happy. Tomorrow is supposed to be a wet and wild one. I guess the Carolinas are getting it too.

This is Mike's new band. You can check them out at--- myspace.com/defythetidesband. Their first show is June 10th somewhere in Tampa.

Mike is a hit on the band's my space. I think it's the "guy liner". He gets a lot of Adam Lambert remarks, and keep in mind this is a publicity shot.

We went to th neighbor's graduation party for their daughter on Saturday. Excellent food as always. I had my first fried pickles, and they were the best. The lit up parrot was a new addition to the tiki bar.

One couple arrived in this 1950 car. It's fully restored inside and out.

This cutie was my best model.

Wicked Hot Weekend

2009-05-13T15:28:00.001-07:00

The canned food drive at work was a success. I made the front page of the Bradenton Herald on line. This is some of the crew at the Palmetto post office. Out of about eight post offices, we took in the most cans by weight.

Then we cooled off at Mattison's Riverside with a couple of Yinglings.
I called this a productive weekend.

Critters Gone Wild

2009-05-09T04:44:00.000-07:00

I am finally getting used to these animals in the back yard. They fight like crazy, and I cannot find anything cute about them. Their hands or paws or whatever you call them are just plain creepy. Max and Jack don't know what to think about a rat that is bigger than they are.Some critters just want to rock!

Birthday Boy

2009-05-03T06:46:00.001-07:00

Mike got all pretty for his birthday. We got him a GPS for his car so he won't have to call us when he is lost, which happens frequently. It's very easy to do when trying to navigate Tampa or Orlando. He is in a new band that seems very gung-ho, and they will be playing alot in Tampa. Sweet music I'm sure.

Mike's friend and her mom made a delicious pudding cake. It was a monster.

I took some of our plants to the plant clinic this morning. By this I mean I repotted some, trimmed some, and dragged the big plants from the lanai outside to hose off the citrus pollen and dust so they can photosythesize more efficiently. Biology 101 or HGTV taught me this. I don't remember which. The Crown of Thorns was enjoying the "sunkissed dew".

and Neil Goes Wheeee!!!!!

2009-04-19T13:56:00.001-07:00

Sorry the picture is blurry, but Neil was at super sonic speed on the moped.

Here are some samples of the "Photo shoot" I did for a friend....

He's growing up fast.

I like this picture very much. It came out really great in black and white.

I like this picture of the grandpa, too. I used the spotlight feature and sepia tint.

And this little guy was just too cute.

I worked at our annual fund raiser for work. 450 people! My feet hurt.

I was held at the same place as last year, the board president's place. This is his back yard.

April has Been a Busy Month

2009-04-12T06:25:00.001-07:00

The Spring Breakers arrived last weekend after delayed flight drama. Actually, Emily had an interview in Palm Beach, too. They ate, from Mama's lasagne to Mexican market tacos. They shopped, from the flea market to Ikea. Then they flew away.

Next to fly in Tuesday will be Uncle Neil. He's anxious to get back to his spot on the lanai.

A pan of lasagne was also made for Neil's vacation visit.
I also made my first souffle. Believe it or not, during 4 years of Home Economics education I avoided making souffles. I saw too many girls cry when they got a C grade for their deflated attempts. This is a grits and parmesan souffle, and yes, it was poofy when it came out of the oven. Yesterday I made Dump Bars from Marjorie Standish's cookbook. I guess the name comes from "dumping" in what you have on hand. Emily and Jeff left behind a bag of trail mix, so I dumped it in. You start with 1/2 pound of butter and a pound of brown sugar, so why wouldn't they be good?

Mike found this wine for his friend from Alaska. I thought the Mainiacs might want to hunt down a bottle. Moose -- The Other Red Meat.

David has been busy with Ebay lately. What other job can you do at 1 AM while eating Doritos and typing with your pinkies. (to avoid Doritos dust on the keyboard)

Here's a sample of one of my CVS assaults. With the research, coupons and extra bucks, these items averaged out to 1 dollar each. Thanks Em for being so frugal!

Happy Easter Everyone

Wonderful Weekend

2009-03-15T17:29:00.001-07:00

You never know what's going to land on our fence. Those are the neighbor's banana plants in the background. They got hit with frost, but they always seem to recover.

I made a trip to the flea market today along with every snowbird for miles around. You hear a lot of oohs and ahhs when they see all the vegetables, and how big some of them are. Take these strawberries for instance.

Graduation panic! Mike has to make his final presentation for his internship this week, then he's done classes and officially in posession of a Bachelor's degree. Let's see if he can buy a job with it!

Mike won't let me take a decent picture. He has to screw it up. These two are headed to a St. Paddy's Day party.

It's been Too Long

2009-02-22T15:52:00.001-08:00

The Amaryllis are in bloom again.

Mike makes a mean Chicken Parm, but he hates the onion chopping procedure. He has been busy with his internship at TPS (Total Productions Systems) in Tampa. They provide sound equipment for events in the Tampa area.

Our neighbors invited us to a Valentine's Day, engagement, bar baptism and barbecue last weekend. Their new tiki bar is impressive.

Everyone seems to agree!

The hawk is back again for a visit. At least, I think it's the same one. I think he's looking for Buddy, the squirrel. Buddy spent the weekend feasting on my slightly burned microwave popcorn.

I have been helping David catalog some of his father's coins. They are easier to determine the value when you can see them full screen on a computer monitor. Almost like looking through a microscope.

I guess they have medicine for everything now!

Blog Update (or avoiding packing Christmas away)

2009-01-03T06:23:00.001-08:00

Jack helped David celebrate his Birthday on New Year's day. Jack looks evil in this picture, but he is actually half asleep. He looks like he might be thinking too, but I doubt it very much.

Instead of napping on my day off, I went to the new Publix right in town and bought the ingredients for some yummy, healthy dishes. Asian broccoli slaw and veggie rice with an Indian flair. I could not find the bags of broccoli slaw, so I slawed a big organic bunch of it. It cost more than lobster, but you get to use an entire bunch of broccoli, stalk and all. Oh, I did not grind up the florets. (Big mess) Think of the bountiful nutrition-ness!

I don't know what the term is, and I should know being a Home Ec major. Could it be an infusion? You cook the cardamon pods, cumin seed and dried bay leaves in oil for a few minutes before you add the rice. The house smelled really nice for awile. Recipes available upon request.

Afterward, we blew the nutrition-ness out of the water with bakery goods from aformentioned Publix.

My little sprig of yellow Christmas cactus has two blossoms! A former fellow employee gave it to me. It needs to grow before I can give out pieces of it. Very unique

The lemon tree is bountiful this year, but they are actually cross-bred with the orange tree. Not a very good tasting fruit, but the tree is pretty.

My patio tomatoes are doing OK. It has been warmer than usual, and I think they need some tomato food.

We are making an effort this year to use fewer paper towels. Maybe I'll remember to take my cloth shopping bags INTO the stores this year. Happy New Year

Tropical Holiday

2008-12-25T15:44:00.001-08:00

This was in the Bradenton paper last Sunday! It's been very warm for the last week, which is unusual for this time of year, but no one is complaining. Emily has been enjoying it since she has been here.

This is the tree at the Christmas party at work last week. They have a company that provides holiday decorations, and they are incredible.

Our chef and one of our marketing people got married a couple weeks ago. She's British and very petite. He's a boisterous Chek.

I work with the lady on the right.

I can't believe these have not been broken. I got them at Waccamaw Pottery in Myrtle Beach when we were on our way to Forida, U-Haul and all.

Michael threw his full concentration into making precision peppermint filled candies. He got straight A's by the way, and he starts his internship on January 5th at Olympia Theater in Palmetto. You go, son!

I got to use my "swimming pool" bowl. How festive!

We also celebrated Michael's friend's "Birthmas".

Merry Christmas, everyone

Happy Christmahanakwanzika

2008-12-14T16:55:00.001-08:00

It must be Christmas, there's lasagna being made.

Max is always happy to see balls, even if it's only once a year.

Mike's friend joined the festivities by helping to "tip" the pine cones.

Which added a nice touch to the annual decorating of the lobster buoy.

The elves got lit.

This is my Southwestern Christmas scape. Succulents and lizards. HO HO HO!

This is downtown Bradenton at the mouth of the Manatee River. David and his buddy went fishing about 10 miles up the river since the Gulf was choppy.

The Captain. He is the guy who got the mopeds running, which makes him my buddy, too.

David loves his boat. This is the view from the helm, I think. The captain caught three Crevalle Jack approximately 1 1/2 to 2 feet long, but David wasn't so lucky. This is what they look like. They are a beautiful fish, but not good to eat.

Christmas Capers

2008-12-07T17:38:00.001-08:00

I have started to decroate the outside of my doll house. There is not much done inside, but I do have a lit tree in it.

I'm having fun with it.

Mike's friend and I wrapped these empty boxes. There is a lot of space up there to decorate, so make it big.

Mike's idea of a tree topper until we found the more traditional one.

Amber and Michael put the tree up and decorated it for us. Amber mostly

Remember this guy at five weeks....

At five months. He's a happy little one.

Change of Scenery

2008-11-16T06:42:00.000-08:00

Michael and his friend and I went out to the beach to see the results of the annual sand sculpture competition. Most of them looked like the snow scultpures in high school, but this one was done by a competion sand sculpture team. Gotta love Florida. They have a team for everything. I still feel weird going to the beach in November, but I got over it after gobbling a fish platter at the Cafe on the Beach. Music by Darryl. After that, it's a must to go to the ice cream shop. My choice last night was almond caramel turtle.

It's all in the details.

Knight Rider

2008-11-09T09:42:00.001-08:00

I don't know what happened to my original text for this blog, so here's the short version. David wanted you to see the fully-illuminated red moped.

Recession garden. Patio tomatoes.

Home made crackers. They're OK, but paying 3 dollars for a box, ripping it open, and eating half of them is soooo much easier.

Preparing my assault on CVS.

Better late, than never. Hand-carved, of course.

2008-10-26T17:56:00.000-07:00

Busy, Busy

2008-10-26T17:25:00.000-07:00

Try to get a cat to pose for a picture. Jack has a very short attention span, and was more interested in shredding the tassles on my tablecloth. I puttered all weekend, and never left the house. I was busy though, except for the two naps on Saturday. Baked more Anadama bread, made soup, and cleaned all the ceiling fans. Wild times!

I transplanted my "exotic ivy" purchased at Walmart in the planter Dad made. We had to move it out of the sun in front of the house. Everything we planted out there got fried.

When in hell did I get so fat. I guess mopeds add pounds.

Today our friend got the blue one fine tuned. Note the upside down bottle of Joy. That's the temporary gas tank until the other is cleaned. The following video is David on a test flight, and Michael working on his tough biker image.

Seeing Red

2008-10-19T18:55:00.001-07:00

This is the rental car I got while they're fixing the Corolla. A guy backed into my driver's side door last week. This is a Pontiac Vibe GT with 45 miles on it. Goes like a rocket. My car is done, and we'll pick it up tomorrow. It's a lot like Emily's Matrix but I like her's better. This one had cool wheels, though.
Speaking of Pontaics, Mike's friend left her Firebird at the house while they went to a Tattoo/Horror Festival in Orlando.

Mike sent me this picture using his phone. I don't know what kind of car Christine is (from the Stephen King movie), but Michael said it was on display at the Fest.

Another red vehicle has been revived from 1981. Mom's Yamahopper is running like a top, and we have been polishing it up. We bought new batteries for both mopeds, and I need to get a new mirror for one, and a couple of replacement reflectors. We're going to paint the baskets that go on the back. This one has saddlebags, too. My blue one is next to be fined tuned. I took my first ride in about 10 years. What a hoot!

150 miles to the gallon with a top speed of almost 30. Harley riders can eat my dust!

Always innoculate your turkay breast against Avian flu. Actually, it's butter.

Saturday night I worked at a Halloween fundraiser for work. The ballroom had incredible decorations.

So did the library.

Who's afraid?

Piddley Projects

2008-09-21T17:44:00.001-07:00

I decided to try to go back to making bread while shopping on Saturday. I refuse to pay $3.00 plus for a loaf of bread. This is Anadama bread made with Marjorie Standish's recipe. The texture was supurb. I can't wait till we have smellavision!.

I filled the book case for my doll house. They are one of the many printable dollhouse accessories I have found. I also printed a round stained glass window on a clear sheet for the window in the peak of my dollhouse. The cats are from Red Rose tea. Mike made the toy doll house.

Back to the Flea market and Beyond

2008-08-23T14:25:00.001-07:00

We ventured out to the beach because they have a great place to eat. We had fish boats which was just enough. I took Susie there where she got her first fire ant bite.

You can see by the clouds that Fay is still around. The surf was really high for the Gulf of Mexico.

Buy this for me, Daddy.

These two artists were going at it. We saw them the day before and they had barely started this mural. For you fisherman, he's painting a snook.

You can find the most distinctive accents for your home at the Red Barn Flea Market.

Two Weekends for the Price of One

2008-08-22T13:50:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Medeira Beach! It's just North of St. Pete Beach, about 45 minutes from Palmetto.

I took an early morning walk up the beach toward Teasure Island. I found turtle nests and birds.

...of every kind.

You need a red cowboy hat to go to the Red Barn Flea market.

Dad is on a quest to find books by John Carpenter.

Everything can be bought at The Red Barn - from veggies to Minature Dachsund puppies.

Exciting Anniversary

2008-08-10T17:20:00.001-07:00

David spent Saturday morning bleaching the roof. It gets mildewed over time, so he sprays a bleach soluntion on it a couple of times a year. It will be clear in a few days. I had to talk him into coming off the roof Friday night. There was lightening everywhere.

We spent a wild and crazy Saturday night at Sams's club. I made the mistake of buying 3 1/2 pounds of chocolate chips. These are the best!

This dried fruit made really good rolls with a little cinnamon.

What the hell kind of spider is this? It's not very big, but knowing Florida, it will probably kill you.

Going Greener

2008-08-03T09:08:00.003-07:00

Our thanks to Steve, the electrician who helped David hook up the new toy. I'm sorry Steve had to climb around in our hot, cramped, dirty attic. I'll bet he cleans up real nice! Hooking up a tankless water heater was a new experience for him, too. He gets an A+.

Can you imagine trying to take this on a plane with you? You'd probably get the full body cavity search with this baby in your luggage. It's working great, and we're going to monitor our electric use use to see how much the bill goes down. It had better. Going green costs more green in the beginning.

I found another picture of Michael relaxing in the pool a few years ago.

Off To the City

2008-07-20T06:45:00.001-07:00

Mike and I headed to his friend's graduation in Tampa early Saturday morning. The Skyway bridge from Palmetto to St Pete is looking much better since they are repainting it.

I had never been to the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. It's a very nice location, with lots of fountains and greenery.

Pretty city scape, and the graduate and his little friend.

Mike is hot and uncomfortable waiting to get inside for the graduation.

Mike is cool and comfortable after Taco Bell and a dip.

When we were heading home from Tampa we noticed a whole lot of traffic heading into the city. There were a lot of helicopeters above the graduation, and we saw skydivers trailing smoke. The Red Bull Pflutag was held yesterday. 110,000 people!Third place winners. Idiots.

Happy Fourth of July

2008-07-06T17:16:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful night for fireworks in dowtown Palmetto. I don't do very well with night photos because you have to be so steady, and I didn't bring a tripod. It looks like the moon just blew up.

I'm working on keeping it green. I also watched a show about bedbugs which prompted me to wash everything on every bed.

This is one of my first infant portraits. (9 days old) He would not wake up no matter how much we tossed him around.

Finally, Up and Running

2008-06-29T05:35:00.001-07:00

Davis has been studying hard every night since he started school. He's really enjoying it.He even made me take his picture on his first day.

Here is another school picture I found. I found this picture of young Steven Tyler in the same yearbook. Aerosmith played at UMF, obviously before they hit the big time.

Michael has adopted a more "conservative" look, meaning the hair is one color. He and Caitlin went to Orlando for new do's last night. Can't wait to see the results!

Mike's Asian pork dish was a big hit.

The chipotle burgers weren't bad either.

Some kind of hawk was in a tree across the street. I had to super zoom it.

These guys weren't too excited about the bird. I can't believe they are napping this close to each other. Usually Max won't allow it.

I've Made My Choice

2008-05-29T18:54:00.000-07:00

Emily, HELP!

2008-05-29T16:22:00.000-07:00

Holiday Weekends!!

2008-05-27T17:17:00.001-07:00

Finally got a chance to sit down and blog. Here is the hostess with the mostess at the Meals on WheelsVIP Grand Opening.

The shrimp cocktail bar was my favorite. It was a large shrimp in a gazpacho shooter.

Here are some pictures of my trip to Inverness.

Crab boats right before sunset.

Our sailing vessel. Brand new with lots of bells and whistles (and a potty, too). Pontoon boats are the most popular on this river since sometimes it's only 3 feet deep. We went to a cove in the river where the manatees hang out at the state park, but there were so many boats and people I'm sure they found a quiter place to hide out.

Captain B.C. and crew.

The place where we had lunch was on the river. The restaurant maintains "Monkey Island" with a half dozen spider monkeys on it. They have it made.

Can you tell what these palm trees are made from? Hint: it's at a marina.

My hostess for the weekend. She's a great gal and a lot of fun.

Our host, Sylvester, one of two of her cats.
At the end of the day, we went out into the Gulf of Mexico. At the mouth of the river the dolphins were feeding. They chase fish up into the river, and were all round the boat. Very exciting! I took a lot of videos, but the suckers are extremely fast.

Domestification

2008-04-28T17:11:00.001-07:00

Our home away from home in Orlando.

Just me and the ducks in the morning.

The wedding was on the golf course next to a lake. This bird was cooling his jets. Don't know what it is. Maybe a Coot.

The bride and her daughter.

Emily and her favorite girl.

Working the camera with a Nicole Ritchie arm pop.

David working the cake table.

I had one of the cooks at work make her incredible lemon pound cake for Mike for his birthday.

I got the coolest cell phone skin for my new phone at the coolest mall in Orlando. We shopped and then shopped some more.

The new Ikea is right next to the Mall of the Millenia. How convenient. Emily and I both got magazine storage and plant bling. Everything is so unbelievably cheap, but well made and stylish. The Swedish meatballs with gooseberry relish is yum. Yes, there is even a restaurant.

I also got this little shelf which doubles the space. Ikea is all about storage. I bought a crap load of stuff for Susie and Matt, too. It's on it's way, sista.

This clip shows you what I have to listen to every night around 9:00 o'clock.

Fun Fundraising Weekend

2008-04-20T17:36:00.001-07:00

This post got lost in cyber-space, but I finally figured it out. Better late than never.

Our biggest fundraiser at work was this weekend. It's a lot of work, but it's over for another year. It was held at our board president's home. Nice shack! He is the owner of a very large landscaping company.450 guests!

The table centerpieces are always beautiful.

Can't beat a landscapers landscaping.

It was a Bourbon Street theme this year. This is one of the street performers.

This lady works in our kitchen, and she provides our snacks every day.

I took this picture of our neighbor's bottle brush tree across the street.

You can see how it got it's name.

Once again, my car took a hit from a flying rock. This is the worst one I have ever seen.

Mike has new hair again.

What's up with this guy? He was waiting for the train like me, and I had nothing else to do.

Sorry, I blogged this quickly, because were off to Orlando tomorrow. This is Em and david with the happy couple.

Putterin'

2008-04-06T16:14:00.001-07:00

The herb garden is getting away from us already. I made gourmet American chop suey with fresh oregano and Thai basil.

Time for pool maintenance. David is going to repaint the rim of the pool, and spent the afternoon taking pieces of it off. There are a lot of them.

I hope it goes back together as easy as it came apart. I have been vaccuuming it , and it's up to 80 degrees today. I'm ready to take the plunge!

Mike came home from Port Richey in time to help me make sesame cookies. They are basically a sugar cookie dough dipped in milk and rolled in sesame seeds. I found Chinese and Italian recipes.

They "plate up" nicely. They're also low sugar, and are recommended for breakfast, if they last till then.

Another triumph for Michael this week. Cracked pepper coated petit sirloins topped with bleu cheese and a tower of onion rings. The dipping sauce is ranch and chipotle. Very delicious. We had steak fajitas with the leftovers the next night. Another taste sensation.

New Ink

2008-04-01T17:35:00.000-07:00

Look what Michael went and did to himself. I'm glad it hurt. He plans on adding parchment sheet music to it at some point.

Caitlin is no stranger to the tattoo process. She has many, but it's a little odd taking pictures of pictures on someone's body.

This took hours I guess. They're shiney because they're covered with diaper rash ointment.

The artist who did this for them said his mother slaps him around everytime she sees him because of his tattoo's.

Flight Over Florida

2008-03-26T16:45:00.000-07:00

I'm excited everytime the space shuttle takes off or lands. It was amazing one morning about 6 a.m. It was dark, but when the shuttle lifted off and got higher, the sun hit it and there were giant clouds of pink smoke. It lit up like a bright star. Very cool. I couldn't get anyone else in the house up. Their loss. Most of the time it's too cloudy. Everyone on the street will be out tonite about 8:15 right before the shuttle is about to land. We are supposed to hear a series of booms as it goes over. (See map). Someday I hope to see a live launch.

Just thought you might be interested in how Mike gets his hair so freaky. Meet Dahvee, Mike's hair dresser in Orlando.

I'm psyched for Sandra and Brandon's wedding in Orlando next month. Emily and David and I will be hanging out for 3 days in O-Town. Ikea, here we come!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T11:49:00.000-07:00

This and That

2008-03-13T18:01:00.001-07:00

Michael and Caitlin attended an art gallery opening and fashion show last weekend in St. Pete. I had him email me these picture's.
His friend and classmate was one of the designers in the fashion show. She is originally from Alaska. When she went home for Christmas she brought Mike a "pooping penguin" candy dispenser.

This is representative of her designs. I don't think this type of design is geared for my age group, but it's popular among the girls Mike's age.

My pictures are fuzzy, sorry. This turned into a group project the other night. Mike's Great Books, Great Movies class project included a UFO made of Rice Krispies treats. I have been feeding the leftovers to my fellow employees for two days.

I splurged on this beer the same time I splurged on T-Bones. It's a British beer Michael discovered in London. It's a cider beer. I will critique it once I have tried. it. Nothing beats the Japanese beer so far. The Strong bow is bottled in Vermont. I have found Kirin, the Budwiser of Japan, but it was bottled by Anhauser Busch. AB assures me a Japanese brewmaster oversees the brewing of Kirin in the US. I know because I called their 1-800 number on the bottle. It says if you have questions you can call. Always go to the source.

David has been keeping up with the state quarters. Mom and Dad gave Michael this map quite a few years ago. Washington state 2007 is missing and David can't seem to find one.

Playing Catchup

2008-03-08T16:15:00.001-08:00

Emily left to go back to school this morning after a brunch of quiche, popovers and fruit salad. The fruit salad was mango, bananas, red raisins and coconut. Wicked good. She and Chris were first going to a Braves spring training game somewhere between here and Atlanta. I'm sure he thinks we're nuts. I found this Picasso print for sale in a magazine. It kinda reminds me of Emily. The print was really expensive, so I scanned it from the magazine instead.

Michael has been working on a big marketing strategy project. Here he is "distressing" a tool box for part of a presentation. It involved hammering, rough sandpaper and flinging paint.

We have had tornado warnings, driving rain and loud whipping wind for the last two days. Mike headed to New Port Richey, north of Clearwater tonight. He's putting the hair to the test!

He made some amazing pork tenderloin the other night. It's breaded and topped with Asiago and posuitto. He made a fresh sage and butter sauce for it. Quite the gourmet.

This is my best picture of the lunar eclipse before the heavy clouds came in.

The rest of the weekend will probably involve eating too much and watching too much TV. Can't ask for more than that.

American Idol Fans

2008-02-20T15:43:00.000-08:00

If anyone out there is an American Idol fan, this girl is one of the top 24. She went to Booker High School's VPA program the same year as Mike did. Don't know how to spell her name.

Everyone's Been Busy

2008-02-10T16:46:00.000-08:00

The bathroom makeover is officially complete. We were going for "up-scale urban", whatever that is. Nice job, Dave.

It's February and the Amaryllis are in bloom.

Five for a dollar garlic from the flea market. Roasted with olive oil and salt and pepper and added to your mashed potatoes is so delicious. Stinks the house up big time.

Mike's Big Adventure........

The accommodations were quite adaquate.

I could do this.

This is the Ginn Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast Florida if you want to google it. I don't know how to link anything yet.

Mike and a crew of about thirty had to erect this entire stage and lighting.

This is the finished set up.

There was time for some putt-putt golf.

I'm tired, and I'm sore, but it was soooo worth it.

This video was an afternoon sound check. Pat's still got it!

Just too Much Excitement

2008-02-03T18:24:00.001-08:00

One of my co-workers won a make over for 15 people at Saks Fifth Avenue in Sarasota. It would be expensive and time consuming for me to follow their plan, but it was fun, and we got goodies. I have re-planted the planter with lots of pansies from my weekly trip to Walmart.

I also got some new bathroom swag. David is putting down a new floor and painting the walls. I will post the finished product when completed.

I dug deep in the 2 for $10.00 DVD bin, and came up with some winners. The Hitchcock one has 20 episodes of his old TV show.

Mike attended a show in Sarasota where 13 bands played. He was going to sing with one of his previous bands, but the other singer cursed, so the management pulled their plug. I played with some special effects in this picture. I call it "Super Cool Dude". Next weekend - the Pat Benetar show.

Not So Exciting Update

2008-01-28T17:29:00.000-08:00

It's been a little chilly here, but a fur collar helps. Jack reminds me of Verna Phillbrick's fox collar she wore. It looked like road kill to me. What kind of statement does this shirt make?

Mike is putting the finishing squeeze on his Mexican stuffed peppers. I got the peppers at the flea market for el cheapo along with strawberries and Honeybell oranges. Susan, I will get you some lucky bamboo when the weather is warmer up there. I don't know if it would survive the trip.

The lawn boys at Meals on Wheels struck again. Nothing is broken, but who needs this stuff thrown at your car. This means war.

Emily posted a great frolicking- in- the-snow picture on her blog. I have one, too. Don't kill me, Em.

Happy MLK Day

2008-01-22T15:09:00.000-08:00

Michael's new boss. At 21 he's buying his first pair of work gloves. Make's you proud.

I saw the best bumper sticker today ---

Monica Lewinsky's ex-boyfriend's wife
for President

Post-Christmas Doings

2008-01-13T05:56:00.000-08:00

David and I went to hear Rudy Giuliani speak at the Meals on Wheels ballroom. Lots of official looking people around. Lots of New Yorkers, too. He was about an hour late, and we stayed for about an hour because the place was packed. He is a good speaker, but he has had lots of practice in Florida. He thinks he is going to win here.

The paper today said about 800 people attended. We were in the very back. The previous picture was taken with my zoom lens. I love to zoom.

Tons of media people! I recognized some of the local news casters.

Michael's last day at Target he bought these roses. So pretty. He says he will miss the job because of the money, but he worked hard for it. Very stressful on a Super Target express lane.

Mike and David made donut balls from one of Giada's shows. They're made with frozen bead dough and rolled in cinnamon and sugar. Wish you had smellavision?

Thank you to my family for all the new lounge wear!

Just got an update from Emily on the move. She is about an hour south of Savannah and very bored. She's missing Meatball Sunday, too.

I'm going to get busy so later I can watch Road to Purdition with Tom Hanks, Paul Newman and Jude Law. Sometimes the 2 for $10.00 movie bin at Walmart yields some good ones. They must have just refilled it.

Susan, look for a package in a couple days!

First Post for 2008

2008-01-06T05:22:00.001-08:00

Jack likes to help put away the Christmas wrapping paper, mostly buy shredding it. Another Hello Kitty fan.I made muffins for New Years breakfast and Birthday Dad. Emily and I made the pilgrimage to the Red Barn Flea Market for more Lucky Bamboo. Emily got the one on the left in August to take to UVA. You can see how much it has grown compared to the new ones. Unfortunately, the one she brought home was invaded by ants, and Jack ate the leaves on one of the new ones. Her bamboo is not so lucky. Yesterday we found some cool vases at White House Black Market marked way down. They are for the tall ones. I'm sure Em will blog them when she has them arranged. Very cool.

In the mean time, I built an "Asian scape" on the lanai.

New accessory for my Corolla.

Fixed promptly by the good folks of Gulf Coast Autoglass.

We cracked open David's new cookbook Mike gave him for Christmas. Chicken Casablanca with prunes, cinnamon, cumin, garbanzos, etc. Served on couscous.

I don't know if these videos will work for you or not. If they do, I hope you enjoy them. I know how much you all like pictures of cats. I do need to work on my video skills, though. I don't know if Dad has the connection to view these, give it a shot.

Happy New Year to All!!

Ho Ho Ho!

2007-12-25T15:19:00.001-08:00

These are some of the hundreds of Poinsettias donated to Meals on Wheels.

Mike's friend Catlin brought a bunch of stuff to make a gingerbread house on Christmas eve. I thought they would give up, but they actually spent hours making it.

Sometimes it was tense....

But the end result was really cute.

The gingerbread artists in their Christmas finery.

The champagne froze while waiting for the gingerbread house to be finished.

We had an around-the-world buffet featuring couscous salad, humus and toasted pitas, quiche lorraine, and local strawberries and melon. Yum.

I took this picture of our tree. You can see me in the red ball. Merry Christmas Y'all!

On the Road and Back Again.

2007-12-15T04:15:00.001-08:00

Saw a whole lot of these on the way back from Myrtle Beach.

We came across a cotton field on our "alternate" route home.

Looks like pickin' time to me.

The Christmas deer have new dressings this year, and in keeping with a Florida Christmas, lots of flowers are in bloom.

I have four colors of Christmas cactus. Two are blooming now.

This ameryllis appeared while we were gone. I have eight of them planted in one of those oak half barrels. I'm told they bloom in April, but some of mine are confused, I guess.

Christmas Prep

2007-12-04T18:46:00.000-08:00

We're headed to Myrtle Beach tomorrow. I went to the flea market for, in my opinion, the best oranges from Florida. They're Tangelos, a combination or tangerine and orange. Very sweet, and the juice runs off your elbows.

Mike helped me make lasagna. He's turning in to a regular chef.

He made peanut butter cookies, and he didn't burn them like I usually do. Note the laptop with web cam so his friend can watch him bake.

Melt in your mouth goodness!

I was excited to find naan at the local grocery store, since I can't find the Indian market in Bradenton. Thanks to Emily, we had all the ingredients on hand to make humus. Mike made an herbed version.

This is my tomato cage "Santa Man" as we call him. It's not as elaborate as Susie's, but it was super simple. His hair and beard are from a sheep at the Common Ground fair in Maine. A lady was spinning yarn with it.

I love the hood.

There is a flower packing business near our house. They donated 50 of these beautiful mums to Meals on Wheels. I have never seen this particular one before.
So pretty!

Holiday Happenings

2007-11-25T16:23:00.003-08:00

Found this in the attic while digging for Christmas crap. I had no idea it was up there. Each year something disappears and something new appears. Mom said she made it for the kids years ago.

Found nifty stuff at the dollar store. I'm such a tulle.

The lit planter is in the test phase. I'm not sure what to do next.

The cats move in under the tree as soon as it is up. We started extra early this year. I don't know why.

We even got a new "cat mat". The ornament has actually been hinging there since last Christmas.

We will update you on all the Holiday fun as it happens.

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-23T04:33:00.001-08:00

...from "the boys"

and buddy, too!

Weekend Antics

2007-11-19T17:13:00.001-08:00

Unlike my sister who is deeply involved in a Christmas project, I take the easy way out, but I can still say my candles are hand crafted. Buy plain candles 'cause they're cheaper, and stick 'em with thumb tacks. I also got the berry garland for a dollar. The bear is for my Secret Santa person at work. Every year she wants a bear with the year stitched on it.

More nut pictures. The pistachio tree has decided to produce for the second time this year. It's loaded with these pods, but the squirrels are doing their best to cart them off. Squirrels need wheel barrows.

My poor Toymotor caught a rock on the interstate. I think the only thing holding it in place is the Meals on Wheels sticker. David has since replaced it with the latest technology. Duct Tape.

He also had to engineer the underside of my bumper. A giant racoon got caught underneath when we were pulling out of a parking lot on the beach. Michael saw one cross the road in front of him a while ago, and it was walking upright on it's hind legs. He thought it was the local fabled Skunk Ape. Racoons get pretty big here since, like the squirrels, they don't hibernate. I haven't had the opportunity to run over an armadillo yet. They aren't that plentiful. They tell me it's like hitting a big coconut.

I'm Excited!

2007-11-15T17:42:00.000-08:00

Ikea opened this week in Orlando. There were actually people camping out in front of the store for two days. Their concept is not necessarily unique, you put it together yourself, but everything they sell has some style and quality to it. Not to mention cheap. Emily got the coolest bed and mattress at the Ikea outside of Washington. Some of the people I work with want to make a pilgrimage before Christmas. I smell an overnighter. Check them out on line. You can order their catalog, too.

All I Want for Christmas

2007-11-03T05:28:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween

2007-10-31T17:46:00.000-07:00

Which Jack-o-Lantern is your favorite?

Mike is prepping for Halloween, but the hair is his everyday look.

One of our gifts Mike brought from London. It's a poster of the last album made at Apple Records, I believe.

I don't know if this is the final ceiling fan or not. Now Mike's room looks like a disco when this baby is lit up.

My biddies are proud of their pickled eggs. I have included the recipe which you can see has been around a while. I actually typed this recipe flyer for the Oxford County Extension Service a million years ago. I ran it on a mimeograph. Making the stencil was a bitch because it was a tri-fold pamphlet. So much easier to do with a computer.

Another Day in Palmetto Point

2007-10-14T17:02:00.000-07:00

Dad posted some lovely beach pictures today. This was taken last weekend at Longboat Pass. We were too late, as usual for sunset, but it was beautiful there just the same. It's a narrow pass between Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key where the intercoastal waterway and the Gulf of Mexico exchange water. I don't know if Mom and Dad remember Frank taking us through there in his boat a few years ago. It is very turbulent, and there was a dolphin going through the pass with us.

Beach walkers after a chow-down at Chili's.

This dude came strolling through the yard today. It was about 4 feet tall.

Michael's creation. It's an Italian salad on the back of the Ramen Noodle package. Good, but salty.

David wanted to show off some of his new equipent. These are the insulin pens he uses. One lasts him about 2-3 weeks. He is definately feeling better.

A blast from the past! I was inspired one Halloween to make this guy out of plywood. It was from a coloring book. Happy Halloween, Susie!

Living for the Weekend

2007-10-06T04:51:00.001-07:00

Michael's guest for the last few days, Danielle has been busy doing all things Florida. She and Michael made dinner last night. It was a delicious stir fry that smelled like all the restaurants in Japan. Except for the conveyor belt sushi bar that smelled like bait. She plans to start at IADT in January to major in photography. I'm jealous of her 10 megapixel camera.

Who's in charge!

Garnished with toasted sesame seeds and lime juice. Yum.

Michel's contribution to the Halloween decor.

The infamous high end, really cool fan that blew absolutely no air. Beware of halogen bulbs, too. This fan had three of them. The bulbs are 5 dollars each, and they put out so much heat, the room must heat up 10 degress. It has been replaced by a traditional monster that will blow you off the bed.

This is who met me at the door when I came home from work the other night. The picture is deceiving. The snake was actually only about a foot long.

Happy Birthday to Sister Susie

2007-09-29T05:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my sister!

These pictures were in the Christmas scrap book she made for me. She didn't think they would come back to haunt her. Hurray for the power of technology. Happy belated Birthday, Susie.

It's the Weekend Update!

2007-09-23T18:16:00.000-07:00

David and I attended the Annual Luau at the Eagles Club on Saturday Night. The place was rockin'. The food was delicious, too. The pork was marinated and served like pulled pork but it was more teriyaki flavored.

There was good company. This is Larry and Dottie, two of the Meals on Wheels faithful volunteers. The Luau was a benefit for Meals on Wheels. There was also fine entertainment...

Mike is working hard to get back into the Florida mode. He's trying to revive his tan after being in the rain for 3 months.

David is putting the finishing touches on the guest/Emily's room. We will be having a guest sooner than we thought. Michael is hosting a prospective student at IADT for 4 days. I spoke with her by phone the other night. She lives in Albany, and wants to go to IADT for photography. She also mentioned Busch Gardens and the beaches. If I had a choice between Albany and Siesta Key beach, what would I do?

After getting my new do at the upscale salon, Fantastic Sam's, I strolled the exclusive shops, Family Dollar and Kmart. I did get Croc bling for a dollar. They aren't nearly as nice as my manatee though.

One of my co-workers threw a recipe at me last week and said, "Make this, and tell me if it's good". It's Apple Orchard Meatloaf, and it was really good as far as meatloaf goes. I made her a sampler meatloaf, to see if it meets with her approval. Mike loves meatloaf, and since he has been living on hot dogs, anything is a treat.

He likes lemon cake alot, too. Locals make the best lemon pound cake with a very zingy glaze. Mine was an OK attempt to make one. God Bless Jiffy Mix. Every time a try to get a recipe for anything around here it starts with "Git you some Jiffy".

The Weekend is Over

2007-09-16T18:03:00.001-07:00

These came out much better than I thought they would. Emily left behind some mocha capuccino mouse mix. It's sugar free and low fat. I used a bakers bag to inject it into cream puffs, also sugar free. So YUM!!

David can have these, too. He has been laying low since he started his new medications. He has about three days of feeling like crap, and then the doctor said he should feel much better. He is staying within normal numbers most of the time now.

There was also back yard drama today......

Evil Geico Gecko

Super Squirrel

Weekend Excitement

2007-09-10T15:21:00.001-07:00

In case you can't get into Michael's Myspace, here's the boy in Glasgow Scotland this weekend. The dude in a skirt might give away his location, too. Gotta love the hair!

I got this map last weekend, and have been on a search for colored push pins. Very hard to find for some reason. We're going to map out our travels.

This is not very clear, but it's a collage of concert flyers Mike has been to. Or to which Mike has been. Correct me, Em. Part of the bedroom re-do.

This Ikea pan is the best ever. I wish I had bought one for everybody. This is the best part....

This is the story of Fios

They install a box on the outside of the garage,

which connects to this box IN the garage,

which connects to the black box that connects to the idiot box. The remote is a nightmare for someone who grew up on 8 track tapes. The TV picture is extra clear, and the internet is very zippy, though.

The Long Weekend Was Too Short

2007-09-04T16:16:00.000-07:00

Thanks again for the yard art, Mom and Dad. A touch of class!

We have been laboring over the Labor Day weekend. Emily's room is in a state of confusion, but we are making good progress on the do over.

Must finish painting the closet doors. I hate 'em.

Poor Mike. We are moving all of his stuff around, which I wouldn't care for, but I think he's going to like it. I have already found a spot for his autographed set lists from shows he has been to.

While moving crap around from one crap pile to another, I came across some of the sweaters that Mom made for the kids when they were little. I have saved all of them. There are more in a trunk somewhere, too.

Maybe it was the long cold winters in Maine, or the boredom, or maybe I used to take my knitting more seriously, but I can't believe I used to have the patience to do this. Oh Yeah, I don't think I was working at the time.

Saturday Night

2007-09-01T18:44:00.001-07:00

It's an update on the pistachios we have been growing for about three years. I decided to pick some since the pods were splitting, which they are supposed to do. Google "How to Roast Your Nuts". It's easy to roast your nuts in Palmetto in August. The squirrels have been after them, too. If I was a squirrel, I would be excited about finding a nut tree. Buddy the squirrel has a new main squeeze. If you don't know, his first mate met her fate on the mean streets. The most recent one is a bit smaller than Buddy, but Buddy is a about the size of a trailer park poodle. Must be the nuts.

A neighbor decided to drop in today. He didn't really drop in, but he did fly over the house. I used my photo super powers to zoom him in.

Lazy Blogger

2007-09-01T06:30:00.000-07:00

This is a champagne bucket, complete with champagne I won at an employee silent auction. I won the bid for $4.00! Yea, me.

Another Meal on Wheels benefit. A resort in Fort Meyers donated a couple hundred patio furniture items. I acquired these lovelies for $5.00 each.
Neil moved back to Maine this week, and he couldn't fit these 3 bar stools in his Uhaul, so we picked them up for him. They are too nice and new to leave behind. I'm hoping we can get them to Neil at some point.

I had to tell Mom and Dad a few years ago that I had all the chairs I needed and then some. They had antique chairs refinished and caned, and I have Mom's rocking chair from the house in Lee where she grew up. I have 12 chairs in my living/dining room at the moment, not including the couch. I have four lounge chairs, and no one is here to lounge. Is it an obsession?

This is an experimental video to see it I can actually do this. It's out the front door on the tail end of a rather violent thunder storm. Let me know if it works, and I will try to improve my video skills.

UVA Mission Accomplished

2007-08-11T15:55:00.000-07:00

A nice welcome to Harris Road in Charlottesville.

The dining area. Emily was in the process of talking to lots of idiots at Comcast cable. Because of the area code on her cell phone, they kept sending her to the Miami office. When she complained about that, they sent her to the Salt Lake City office. Communication is a wonderful thing when other people listen.

There is a relatively large living room.

The kitchen is old, but the appliances are new. It's very sunny, and looks out on the back yard.

Said back yard.

The painter is finishing up the trim on the outside of the house.

The third small bedroom will be Emily's extra room. Note the ten thousand pound treadmill.

Emily's pretty little Matrix has to hang out with all these cars belonging to the guy who lives in the basement apartment. He has been told to move them. This picture is from the front porch.

After all the hassles, she finally has her cozy nest.

I went with Emily to find the UVA grounds the next morning. She found the library where her interviews will be held, got her ID, and got a dose of internet. You really need access to the internet for just about everything, and they would not be installing it in her house until Friday.

Outside one of the 3 libraries at UVA.

Moving is fun when it's 108 degrees.

We made several wrong turns during our travels, but none of them caused more grief than this guy's wrong turn. EWWWWW!!

I was playing with my photo program, and ended up with this kinda kool picture of Mike. He has decided to spread his wings, and is planning trips to Switzerland, Paris and Morocco. Go Mikey.

Back to Bloggin'

2007-07-30T16:48:00.001-07:00

I have been slacking on posting stuff lately. Busy Busy what with moving Emily out. You gotta take it slow as you can see. It's even too hot to shop according to Emily, but she manages.

We had a tour of the new Senior Enrichment Center that Meals on Wheels is building. Actually, it was a Winn Dixie. It's aimed at baby boomers with the ball room and all, but there will also be a clinic, a bistro, library, etc. There is a huge commercial kitchen which they will use for special functions like weddings and such. There is a fairly big stage, too.

The unfinished ball room.

It will be grand, but I'm staying in the old building. This is where it all happens!

As I said, Emily can shop in the hottest weather. Case in point, the hot pumps. A must for every English major.

Have to prepare to start to get ready to take a trip. Will post more soon.

Busy Cats

2007-07-14T08:09:00.000-07:00

This is what cats do on Saturday morning. Life is tough.

News from Michael

2007-07-07T07:43:00.000-07:00

Mike's blog is up and running. I heard from him this morning.. It's londoncalling1.blogspot.com

London Calls

2007-07-06T18:04:00.000-07:00

The boys are ready to fly to London, but is London ready for the boys!

One of Mike's last calls. I had to pry the phone out of his hand. Of course he already has another one to use while he is gone.

Goodbye to the family.

Mike's "flat mate", Jeff and his Mom and Grandmom.

The Crepe Myrtle is in full bloom. David did some trimming, and it really took off.

David planted a new shade tree in the front yard. It might be 100 years before we get any shade, but it's pretty. It's a Cherry Laurel, and it has white blossoms in the spring.

A lovely lady gave me these Amaryllis bulbs this week. She thinks they're mostly red. Can't wait to see them bloom.

The hawk came back again just before we left for the airport. I threw it a piece of hot dog, and it took off. The wing span is about 4 feet! Watch out Jack.

Birthday Happenings

2007-06-28T15:48:00.001-07:00

I came home from work today, and David had planted a new hedge in front of the house. We have been trying to decide what to plant since we painted the house. They are really hardy and Florida friendly which means not much water. Frank, Jr. had a big hedge of it in front of his house here in Palmetto Point. It always looked nice. David wants me to post the official name of his new lovlies. It's vibernum suspennsum.

We finally got to Let's Eat Dinner last night. It's a blast. I'm anxious to try the dishes we made. Emily has posted pictures on her blog, too. Here's Em and Mike at the "wrapping station". They also have pre-printed labels with cooking instructions and a wine suggestion.

Here's David preparing the Southwestern Chicken dish. There are other places out there now that operate the same way. I read in our paper today one has just opened up in Bradenton called Thyme for Dinner. How cute. It's a neat concept. Check it out at letseatdinner.com.

After you are finished preparing one of your eight meals, you have a reserved cooler space to keep them till you're done.

It's the Weekend!

2007-06-24T17:12:00.000-07:00

Emily got presents on Saturday. She got the latest, limited time Kit Kats from Asuka. She is the Japanese student who stayed with us a few months ago. They are bitter orange flavor and lemon flavor. Emily won't open them. She wants to take them to school. Bummer. She also got her financial award letter from UVA . That's some scary figures!

The Palmetto Point Association had their first Luau on Saturday night. A good time was had by all. It was a very hot day, but the clubhouse is on the water, so there was a nice breeze. There aren't any bugs yet this year because of the drought conditions, but we have been told there will be a big hatching if it rains three days in a row. Alot of my neightbors were there in their tropical finary.

I didn't get any pictures of the food, but it was delicious. There was roasted pork with all kinds of salsas and chutneys to put on it. Yummy!

This is the boat launch at the clubhouse. Like I said, it was a beautiful night.

Monday Madness!

2007-06-18T17:28:00.000-07:00

What do you do when it is 97 degrees? Once you get situated (without folding up) they are very comfortable, and don't forget your cell phone to call the main house for drinks.

The rain lilys keep coming up and are developing seed pods, which I was told, will spread next year. I like no-care gardening. In Florida it's easy because everything grows Jurassic size very quickly.

This was a 2 foot house plant I bought at the flea market.

Emily brought us the wall hanging from India, so I tried to work the colors into the bedroom. Yes, it looks like a whorehouse, but I wanted to show you the goose down blanket David bought.

Emily bought a king size thick one for her winter in Virginia (wimp), but it is like being wrapped in a cloud. We went duvet shopping because white ain't gonna cut it. Emily has decided to go with all white anyway with black accents for her bedroom at school. We haven't figured out how to pay for a Masters degree, but by God we know how to decorate! At least she can wash the duvet. Our blanket is thinner so we can use it year round.

One of several reasons to by a cover for a white dry clean only blanket. So practical.

Another Week is Over, Yeah!!

2007-06-15T17:39:00.000-07:00

No big plans this weekend, just some shopping maybe. I received a generous gift from Mommy and Daddy for my birthday, so I'm going to look for a new bicycle. Nothing fancy, but my bike is history. We bought it for 99 dollars at Sears a few years before we moved to Florida. I rode it many miles, though. I used to put the kids on the school bus and do a 9.9 mile loop through the woods and then on to the highway ( a power ride). Emily and Michael are making plans for their respective launches. Mike's buddy Jeff, who is going to London with him is an excitable boy. He's told Mike to plan to go somewhere in Europe every weekend. They already have tickets for a concert in Amsterdam., and Emily bought Michael a ticket to the Tower of London. Mike is driving to Casselberry, north of Orlando to have some dude give him a haircut called "The Gunshot". Can't wait. Nothing surprises me anymore. They plan to do some guitar jammin' too. He met another student at IADT who is doing her intership in London, so Mike and Jeff will be able to connect with her while in London. I'm so jealous. Emily is chomping at the bit to get to school. She and another English major are renting a house together. Mom and Dad are going to scope it out on their trip up the east coast.
Neil celebrated the new stove purchase by inviting us for, of course, pizza. Actually it's the first stove he's had for 8 years. You can do a lot with a grill, a microwave and a toaster oven. His kitchen looks really great. He has generously offered to make the traditional Father's Day meatballs and sauce.

Never go easy on the peperoni!!

Emily and her "friend"Adam. He' currently working at a pediatric clinic in Arkansas.

Cleaning House

2007-06-04T17:57:00.001-07:00

I have been deleting and cleaning up my picture files instead of puttering around the house. Emily will probably hate me for posting these pictures of her trip to Vegas, but they are on my computer so they are fair game.

Michael has a new look of the month. He shaved his beard after years of having one, I think since the 7th grade. He's traveling to Cassleberry, north of Orlando to have some guy cut his hair. Preparations are under way for his trip to London. Gotta be the hair!

I'm not a big beef eater anymore, although I will drink Beefeater. Aren't the palace guards in London called Beefeaters? I'm not sure, but these were some yummy ribeyes.

One of the Meals on Wheels volunteers gave me these Rain Lily bulbs last year. They finally bloomed.

We buy the $4.88 bunch of flowers from Walmart every two weeks. They last that long. Gives the manse a touch of class.

Back to Blogging

2007-05-27T13:57:00.001-07:00

I don't know what kind of hawk this is, but he sits on our fence occasionally.

The pistachio tree is starting to leaf out. I trimmed it back quite a bit because it was getting very bushy.We celebrated Cinco de Mayo with friends and neighbors. This is Regina, my former co-worker and Jackie, my former supervisor. We were supposed to be celebrating the Mexicans' victory over the French in some battle for something, but it's more of an excuse to drink Margaritas. We all live in Palmetto Point now.

Neil is just about finished with his renovations! It really is a nice little hide-away. Everything is new, from plumbing to walls to windows, and he is very particular. There is a nice screened porch on the other side of the manse.

How Stella Got Her Blog Back

2007-05-22T15:28:00.000-07:00

After pissing and moaning for a couple months, and several attempts to get my blog back, Emily set me up in 30 seconds. She had a good laugh. I'm excited anyway. Pictures to come.

Emily had to go see the Doc today for pink eye. Mike had it last week, so I'll probably be next.

She's off to Missouri on Thursday for a week. I think I mangled that sentence.

HELLO WORLD

2007-05-22T15:19:00.001-07:00

Catching Up

2007-02-04T04:19:00.000-08:00

.
Now that's a tractor! With the planter behind David's head, don't you think he looks like Bullwinkle? We had a good time at the fair even though it was cold.
Not a good picture, sorry. Asuka sampled lot's of food at the fair. The girl has an appetite!
For her last night in Florida we had spagetti and a concerto.Emily has known Jessica since Junior High. The were in the orchestra together. Asuka brought us a bottle of "Star Sand" from Okinawa. I used my super-duper macro lens so you could see the grains of sand. Weird.
Glass made in Okinawa. The bubbles make it unique.

Cruisin'

2007-01-21T18:39:00.000-08:00

For the Birthday celebration we took "our boat" out for a cruise into Sarasota Bay and the Intercoastal Waterway.

Captain JoIt was a beautiful day for a boat ride. This is along the Intercoastal.
Members of the crew.
View of downtown Sarasota.
These women were having such a good time. We also did a little house shopping. Can't make up my mind which one to buy. The white one was a project by the Design Department of one of the colleges here, can't remember which one. Sweeeeet!!!

Emerson Point, Palmetto

2007-01-19T13:28:00.000-08:00

Skyway to Tampa

Sea Grape

We're taking a cruise on Sarasota Bay tomorrow which is Mama's birthday.

Mom and Dad Have Arrived

2007-01-17T17:58:00.000-08:00

Mom and Dad had a safe, uneventful trip to Palmetto. I'm glad the weather has stayed very nice. It's cool in the morning and evening, though. We have many outdoor events planned so no rain, please. Tomorrow we're going to have lunch at Jim's restaurant on the beach. He grew up with our departed friend Jeff in New Jersey. Jim is a stereotypical Jersey boy, a Greek with muscles, black hair and a no bullshit attitude. In the evening we're going to "Get Down Downtown". They close off the old restored main street on the river. There will be live music and all the restaurants and bars can serve on the street. Then it's off to the County Fair on Friday. We also have to go to the flea market where Mom discovered chili cheese fries the last time she was here. I want to take them out to Emerson Point which is right near the house. It's a state park where there was an Indian settlement. You have great views of the water on three sides. A picnic perhaps. Oh, and also we will be taking a 2 hour cruise on Sarasota Bay to check out the dolphins and the outragious mansions on the bay. Full bar service, yeah. I want to check out Stephen King's place. Em and Mike have been working since Mom and Dad arrived. I'm sure they will cross paths. We plan to celebrate Mom's birthday at El Mocahetes, the new Mexican restaurant with a Mariachi band. Sounds like a jam-packed week, don't you think? I'm beat just writing about it.

No Comment

2007-01-09T15:25:00.000-08:00

Susan, Your blog won't let me post a comment. Talk to you soon.

Weekend Update

2007-01-06T16:06:00.000-08:00

After some confusion with the cruise schedule, the ship sailed. Here are some of the cruisers with their port limo driver. Sandra's boyfriend has not been on a cruise, so he was quite excited.
Mike made the moose brownie mix he got from Susan for Christmas. He dusted them with sugar to look like snow. Very yummy!

Weekend Update

2006-12-30T05:37:00.000-08:00

No one else was picture presentable but Emily this Christmas.
Michael used his Christmas monies to buy a Wii. For the less techno informed, it's a wireless video game that involves actually moving around using the wireless controllers. What a hoot! I love the bowling, and tennis is a real workout. Now we all play with Michael's Wii. I tried to post a movie of him playing this thing on my blog, but I don't have tha hang of it yet.
Me and my new top I got from Susan. Man, I better get on that treadmill!
I got a post card from Chiharu for Christmas. She is the one on the right.

Neil installed a new dishwasher for us for Christmas. Very sleek and really quiet.

HO HO HO!!!

2006-12-23T08:51:00.000-08:00

Remember these elves my mother made? They were missing for a couple years, but they turned up.
Not a great picture of the tree.
I made Edna's meat pies for the first time this year. They are very promising. I'm trying a new edge design. I might make it my signature. I also have to make the lasagne. Busy, busy!

Plant City stawberries are starting to come into season. Plant City bills itself as the strawberry capitol. It's between Palmetto and Orlando. There is one road side stand there that sells the best strawberry shortcake. The also hold the Stawberry Festival of course, and it is a big one.

David made dozens of peanut butter cups. He got nabbed with a sample.

Dogs love Christmas, too. Ralph and Daisy about 1980

Catching Up

2006-12-09T14:31:00.000-08:00

One of the volunteers at Meals on Wheels brought in these bulbs. She called them Rain Lillys, which is not their real name, but they come up after the spring rains. I put a little chicken wire cage over them to keep the "critters" out. She said the flowers are small and white with a little pink. We'll see.

We did some more decorating today. I couldn't pass up this plant at Walmart this morning.
I filled the pots on the side of the garage and hung the lighted wreath.
I dressed the reindeer . They're back for another year.

David is demonstrating our new toy.
It has quite a cock pit. Be careful which buttons you push! My portable DVD player fits on the book rack nicely, however I don't recommend watching March of the Penguins while on a treadmill.

Cats don't get very excited about Christmas.

Holiday Happenings

2006-11-24T16:05:00.000-08:00

We tried something new this year for Thanksgiving. He was injected with chicken broth, butter, onion powder, lemon juice and pepper. He had no final statement, but he was juicy!

I started my smashed plate mosaic. I soon realized I need to use smaller pieces. I think it will work out better. I thought this would be a theraputic project, but it's stressful trying to decide which piece to put where. The mouth isn't working for me either.

Setting up the Giving Tree.

The tree is completed. Let's eat!!!

(My blog got a little out of order. There was some kind of problem with the pictures)

Holiday Weekend

2006-11-24T15:38:00.000-08:00

Emily had dinner with a friend in Sarasota. He is attending law school in Chicago, I believe. He is "The Angry Sicilian"!

Emily had to set up a "Giving Tree" for Meals on Wheels this morning, so I offered to help her out. I wanted to see the new Lakewood Ranch Main Street anyway. A few years ago it was cow pasture and orange groves. It's wierd because everything including the trees and landscaping are brand new. It's a very pretty area, but kind of sterile right now. We did have a great lunch though. I had a salmon club sandwich and Emily had a crab cake burger. Lots of very cool shops and an amazing deli. We set up the tree in the deli, and tomorrow we wrap gifts at the Raymond James firm which is a brand new three story office complex on the new Main Street.
Notice the apartments above the shops. It is a new trend in this area. Supposedly a neighborhood kind of feel.
This is the central roundabout complete with fountain.

We found a home for David's old college typewriter. One of the drivers for Meals on Wheels takes care of a woman with MS. He had to quit because of hip surgery. Now they both ride around on scooters, and are always on the road. He was looking for one of these dinosaurs for some reason.

Welcome the newest member of our Toyota family

2006-11-15T18:25:00.000-08:00

Emily loves the car, but the resposibility of paying for it scares her. Hell, it scares me, too.
It is a very cool ride, though. It's bigger than my car inside, but it's hard to tell because it's designed a lot different than the Corolla, even though that's what it is. It just has a sportier and definately Japanese look to it. She calls it a swagon (SUV-wagon). The dash is very festive at night. At least she has a safe, reliable car.

Wild Weekend

2006-11-12T14:14:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Bernard Ayotte on winning a seat in the House in Aroostook County. This photo is from my 1972 year book. He was my biology teacher and a friend of my parents.

David is proud of his creations. His father used to make pizza on Saturday nights.

The End Result!

Taste of Manatee

2006-11-05T17:53:00.000-08:00

It was the 20th Anniversary of the Taste of Manatee, the fundraiser for Meals on Wheels. David and I helped man the Coke booth, and he also delivered lots of ice to each of the beer tents. It was a perfect night on the river with a nice breeze and the temperature about 75 degrees. The band was good and not too loud. I don't know how many area restaurants were there, but they were all busy. The event is held in downtown Bradenton on the south side of the Manatee River. I got a chance to take some pictures of the marina. They are very "Florida Postcardy".
I added a little yellowish hue to this picture.

I used some kind of enhancement feature in my photo program to make this effect. I added blue and texture. Look what happened to the moon!

2006-11-01T15:21:00.000-08:00

After two hours, a big slimey mess, and cramped fingers I'm ready for halloween. Eat your heart out, Angelo.
I got the pattern for my "skele-clown" from the internet. It wasn't easy, but I was determined.
I used my candle light setting on my camera and it made a big difference.

I'm loving the new chairs. I have been looking for just the right ones, and stumbled on these while returning a pair of pants. They're big and heavy and durable.

BOOOO!

2006-10-31T17:41:00.000-08:00

Spooky Kitty

Happy Halloween, Annabelle!
from The Gang

For some reason, I just lost the ability to blog. I'll try again later.

Busy Sunday

2006-10-23T18:13:00.000-07:00

One of the volunteers at work brought in these really nice avocados from the tree in his yard. I'm searching for a a good guacamole recipe. I'm also going to try to germinate the seed.
Giant spiders have also invaded Palmetto. It's on the fence in front. Michael almost had a heart attack when he came home.
Wack-Master Dave!
David found this air plant growing in our hedge. I have never seen one this big. We found a good spot for it in this bentwood planter Mom and Dad got us in northern Florida.