Doubleknot

Rawlings

2009-12-09T11:18:00.002-05:00

This is the porch where Marjorie Rawlings wrote her books. The chairs have deer hide seats in them and the table is held up with a log.
This is a sign of Marjorie Rawlings last words in her book Cross Creek. I think if you enlarge it you may be able to read it.
This is the monument declaring Marjorie Rawlings house a historical land mark.

I have been having trouble with putting pictures on blogger but got through this time. I have a program that stops pop ups and when I try to put a picture up it treats it as a pop up and won't do it sometimes - but I was able to do it this time.

Marjorie Rawlings

2009-12-07T10:16:00.002-05:00

On the trip up to Macon before Thanksgiving my daughter and I stopped in at the Marjorie Rawlings Historical Site. I have lots of pictures but I just have to move them from one computer to another to post them on my blog.

My daughter was able to get pictures inside the house because her camera doesn't need a flash. I will be posting more pictures later on.

Marjorie Rawlings was a northerner that came to Florida and fell in love with it and stayed. She is the author of The Yearling which won a Pulitzer Prize. It has been made into movies several times. She also wrote many stories and books about life in Florida in the forties and fifties. I have all of her books and short stories but alas there will be no more Marjorie Rawlings died in 1953 so we will never know how many wonderful stories she would have written.

Slash

2009-11-29T13:34:00.003-05:00

I made the mistake of leaving my suit case open before I hung up my clothes and when I went back to the bedroom Slash had made his self very comfortable on my clothes. I thought it was so cute - he looked like he was really comfortable. I got to hang my clothes up after he decided to move. From then on I kept my suit case closed but Slash still laid on top of it to take a nap.

Home Again

2009-11-28T13:18:00.002-05:00

We had a great family feast at my daughter's for Thanksgiving. Had to put the extra leaf in the table.
This is the cane syrup pecan pie that my daughter's husband cooked. It was really good. Ate a little too much of it and had to watch that I didn't pick at some more.
This is my daughter's booth at the craft fair that she went to in Atlanta. Her web page is www.FluffyFlowers.com from there you can go to her blog or her Etsy store. She did well at the fair and had a lot of fun. There were a lot of people there. My daughter set out early to get set up and later in the day her husband and I drove up to Atlanta to see the fair. I ended up buying a couple of magnets and a t shirt.

It was nice visiting with my daughter for Thanksgiving. It did rain for a few days but it didn't really turn cold till the morning we left to drive back to Tampa. We are having our own little cold snap down here right now - then it is suppose to warm up again.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-23T13:16:00.002-05:00

Spending Thanksgiving with my daughter and her husband. We will have his mother and hopefully her boyfriend and a brother and his wife. Of course there will be the two dogs and cats who get very excited when the Thanksgiving meal is being cooked. They hang around the kitchen and wait for something to drop on the floor. I know this from last year.

My daughter stopped at Marjorie Rawlings historical site and were able to take pictures inside the house because my daughter's camera works without a flash. There are so many pictures I want that my daughter's husband is going to put them on a disk for me so I can post some pictures.

This may be the last post till after Thanksgiving so everyone have a nice Thanksgiving.

Afghan

2009-11-13T13:09:00.002-05:00

You may recognize this afghan from a few years ago - it isn't the same one. When I moved I was giving so much away to the mission that somehow my afghan went missing. I really was down about losing it and my daughter was kind enough to go on Ebay and find the same yarn I used and I have been working on a duplicate for a while. Now I have finished it and feel like I got a little back from all the things that went missing when I moved.

My sis and I had us a feast on Monday. She came by picked me up and we went and bought some blue crabs. We came back to my place and cooked and ate them here because her husband doesn't like the smell. I think we have had our fill of blue crabs for a while. When we were all finished and cleaned up my sis said I forgot to take any pictures but it looked pretty much the same as when we had crabs at her place while her husband was on a fishing trip.

I can't believe I haven't updated my blog since October. Seems everyone is on face book or my space - my server is not recognized by face book so I can't access it. For some reason they let me set up an account but I can't get to it.

Thanksgiving is coming. It will be here before we know it. If I don't get to blog again before then HAPPY THANKSGIVING to everyone.

Nice Weekend

2009-10-05T10:44:00.002-05:00

Spent a nice weekend with my sis. We bought some blue crabs which my sis hadn't had in years and had ourselves a feast. We left some off for mom also along with a nice huge deviled crab. This little sandwich shop has the best and biggest deviled crabs. One will fill you up. We got there at lunch time and it was really crowded. The pictures show all the shells and mess we made but by eating them on news paper it was an easy clean up.

Saturday we took mom and headed for St. Pete to go to a Philippine restaurant. It didn't turn out too good. We all agreed that we could cook Philippine food better at home. We won't be going there again it is too long of a drive.

My sis is great. We had a lot of fun watching movies and talking and just hanging out.

Lunch

2009-09-08T16:04:00.002-05:00

Forgot to take my camera so no pictures of my lunch with my sis, Suzie. We had mussels and shrimp then noddles and various other oriental foods and ended it with a little ice cream and macaroon.

We went down to Beal's Outlet and it has moved to a bigger store just in the same plaza. I was able to find a nice black and white jacket to go with my black dress I bought a while back. I got it for half off because it had a dot on it. At the Outlet they have dots that are different colors and each one gives so much off the price of the item - you can get up to 80% off I think if I remember right. Any way it is fun looking for those dots.

Despite my resolve to keep up with my blogging I am shocked at how much time passes before I have anything to post. Just have a quiet life which is OK with me.

Books

2009-08-26T19:45:00.002-05:00

These are the pictures that were suppose to go with the post LARGE PRINT BOOKS. I found out why my pictures wouldn't load - it wasn't Bloggers fought at all. I have a Juno Turbo on my internet and it has a pop up protector that thinks when I click on the photo that it is a pop up and blocks it. Now all I have to do is turn off the Turbo before I go to my blog. I was getting very frustrated with the whole thing till I figured out what was happening. I am going to try and post a little more often then I have been doing.

LARGE PRINT BOOKS

2009-08-26T14:34:00.002-05:00

Well I had a couple of pictures to add to this post but Blogger won't let me load them up.

I have discovered Large Print Books. At my age my eyes aren't what they used to be and as much as I read discovering the Large Print section of the library was a pleasant surprise. I have to give my daughter credit for steering me to that section.

I can get on line to my county library system and order large print books from other libraries. There are a lot of them out there.

If I could have posted the pictures you would have seen that three of the books were by Nora Roberts. I had always passed over her books till my daughter got me to reading Nora Roberts works and now I am working my way through all of her books I can find. I have a list that I mark off what I have read so I won't order the same book when I am on line to the library.

Lost

2009-08-20T16:51:00.002-05:00

My daughter and I among friends too enjoy the TV show Lost. My daughter works in a library and has built a huge Lost display. A Lost fan had made a list of all the books that were on the show which inspired my daughter to build the display. You can see it here: http://staffweb.maconstate.edu/library/blog/

There are also more pictures on a flicker account you can access from the blog.

Discovered Park

2009-06-23T12:23:00.002-05:00

I stole some of my daughter's pictures off of her blog - http://fluffyflowers.typepad.com/ - she was down here for a visit and we set out to find the Civic Center and we also found a nice park right next to it. I forgot to take my camera but she always has hers with her so she got some good pictures of squirrels, ducks - we don't know what kind of ducks these are, we had never seen any like them with the little tuff of feathers at the top of their heads. She also got a good picture of the ropes leading up to the pier.

We had fun while she was here. Even found a Cuban Restaurant that I didn't know was in the area. My sister and I got out Monday and had lunch at the restaurant - my sis likes Cuban food too.

Quiet day today. The weather predicts rain but so far we haven't gotten any. I wouldn't mind some nice rain and curling up with a book.

Flowers and Signs

2009-06-12T10:06:00.002-05:00

My daughter came down for a visit last week and we found the new library they built. It is really big. The sign out side was unusual for me because I had never seen horseplay included in warnings about what not to do on the side walks.

We went and visited my daughter's grand mother and while we were there it rained and made a lot of blooms fall from her tree onto my daughter's car. It was just covered with them. My daughter says that orange is her favorite color any way.

We had a nice time and discovered a few places like a park that I didn't know was near me and a Cuban restaurant that all this time I thought was Spanish. We had fun but I am afraid I got too tired out and couldn't go as much as we wanted to.

Nice Outing

2009-05-28T12:13:00.002-05:00

My sis and I escaped to Brandon this morning and had a fun time. We went to Micheal's where I found the eucalyptus that I had been looking for to put in the wall vase that she gave me. I think It looks really nice and I love the smell.

We ate at Pop Eyes which has the best cajun chicken and red beans and rice in the area. I had the cajun fries. I don't think that I will eat much for dinner. Two pieces of chicken a to die for biscuit and fries filled me up pretty good.

We stopped at a Cuban Market and looked around. I bought some really sweet coconut things that I will put three in the freezer and just eat one now and then so I won't get a sugar over load.

I know I had a really good time. I really like to get out with my sis every now and then. School is going to be out soon so our get away days will either have to include her grandkids or maybe their mother could watch them.

We had a terrible thunder storm here last night - I was sure it hit one of the trees around my house but I didn't see any damage. The electric didn't even go out which it does when there is a lot of lightening.

Time for me to take a rest.

More Blooms

2009-05-25T07:32:00.003-05:00

Good thing I didn't pull up my geraniums because they have set more blooms. Maybe they rest between blooms. We have been having such cloudy weather here that my plants on the porch weren't getting enough sun so I had to move them. My pepper plant is growing a whole lot of peppers right now. Nothing is happening with the egg plant.

After all the excitement Sunday about the snake I took it easy Monday and watched various services for our service men and women. My father was a vet. He retired from the Navy. Steve was a vet - he was in Viet Nam. I pray that all the fighting will come to an end soon and everyone can come home.

Surpise

2009-05-24T13:56:00.002-05:00

On my way out to get in my truck to go to Wal Mart what do I see but a huge huge snake crawling under my truck. The neighbor came down and between us got the other neighbor's cell phone number and called them that their snake was lose. It took about an hour and all sorts of people started showing up. Turns out the neighbors were just watching it for someone else. He just got one of the other guys to help carry the snake and put it in the back of his car. The snake broke out of it's cage. We don't know exactly when it got out but there seems to be fewer cats around then usual - maybe they all ran away and hid.
Did make it to Wal Mart.

First Pepper

2009-05-15T16:10:00.002-05:00

Well I tried to post a picture of my first banana pepper from my bush but Blogger doesn't respond to posting pictures. The pepper was a good size and there are little peppers popping all out on the plant. I can't wait till I get enough to cook some again.

Been sick for a while but am over it now. Feel pretty good.

It is really hot down here now but we are getting some rain here and there.

First Try

2009-04-18T11:10:00.002-05:00

Well I do believe that my first try at cooking the banana peppers turned out pretty good. I only had trouble with the coating sticking to some of them.

I did a dumb dumb - after I had cleaned the seeds out of the peppers for some reason I licked my finger - wow - the heat stays on your hands. Maybe I will make some pickled seeds to put on my hands when they hurt.

I am off to try my peppers - they should be cooled off enough now.

Shelves and Peppers

2009-04-17T13:02:00.002-05:00

My sis Suzie came over and brought screws and brackets to hang my shelves with. I had forgotten about my shelves because they were tucked behind the table and I didn't know what to use to hang them on the wall. I had always just set them on a counter or when I lived in my teeny tiny place used them as a bedside night stand.
Here she almost has the shelves up. She is just a wonder when it comes to stuff like that. And she enjoys doing it too.
She also brought me a wonderful gift - some banana peppers. Her and her husband were at a big flea market that has a large fruit and vegetable section and she saw those peppers and knew I had been looking for some to cook. Now I can try the recipe that AIP gave me on how to cook them. I sure am glad I asked for instructions or I would have just tried to cook the whole. Instead you cut them open, remove seeds and stem then coat them with onion ring mix or pancake mix. Too tired today to try and cook some but just wait till tomorrow - unless I wake up in the middle of the night and decide I can't wait any longer to try cooking them LOL.

Flowers?

2009-03-25T05:34:00.002-05:00

My daughter suggested I share about my first experience with growing marigolds. I had never grew them before and planted seeds. Well were we lived a weed grew that looked a lot like marigolds - yes guessed it - I pulled up the marigolds and let the weeds grow. Those were the prettiest lush weeds you ever saw just no flowers. I bought a pot of marigolds and got to comparing them with what was growing in my garden and found out that marigold leaves have a smell to them that those plants didn't so I finally figured out I was growing weeds. It has been many years since I grew my first weeds after that I was more careful about what I pulled up. Used to have a book that showed what plants looked like when they were just starting. It was a big help when I grew some carrots - there was a weed that looked a lot like carrots when they first start but thank goodness I figured out what the carrots looked like before I pulled them up.

Weather is still nice and cool in the mornings here but by the afternoon the a/c needs to be on. What we really need now is rain. People can't even use their sprinklers now to water their lawns they have to use a hose. I worry about all the leaves around my place but there are too many for me to rake up. I have a big oak tree that I have to park under and the front of my truck is loaded with leaves and pollen every morning. I will be glad when the leaves stop falling but the news says we are going to have the pollen for a while.

Plants

2009-03-24T12:15:00.002-05:00

Now that the weather has warmed up I couldn't wait to get some pots and buy a banana pepper plant. I didn't know what I was going to put in the other pot till I saw the egg plants and remembered that I had grown them in pots before and they did good.

The pots are sitting on an out side bench that my sis gave me. I didn't want to cover up too much of the nice picture that is on the top of the bench. Here's hoping that my plants grow.

Bought a little too much dirt so I think I may be putting something else in a pot later on. I would like some flowers - just don't know what yet.

Geraniums

2009-03-19T14:51:00.002-05:00

Aren't they lovely. I actually found some nice red geraniums to put in the porch planter that my dear sis gave me - she even mounted it for me with a little help from me. Geraniums are suppose to be easy to grow and I really like the red color.

Been busy with the doctor's office. He is going to take a look down in my stomach and see how my ulcers are doing. I think the medicine he gave me has worked wonders and as long as I am careful not to over eat everything is fine. My stomach doesn't hurt so I hope he finds that they have gone away. No acid reflux either.

It has turned warm here in the Sunshine State. Things are blooming all over and pollen is all in the air. We haven't had any rain to wash the air clean. I have to park under an oak tree and the front of my truck is turning yellow from the pollen. I guess I could rinse it off once in a while but I feel guilty about wasting water. We are in a sever drought here now and they are fining people for watering their lawns on the wrong day. People can only water once a week. It will be another month before our rainy season starts. I hope we can hold out till then and that it rains a lot.

Spring

2009-03-09T17:40:00.002-05:00

It must be near spring because my amaryllis is busting out with flowers.

My it bloomed fast. I have another pot of amaryllis that is getting ready. I hope they are the double ones.

I have been exploring ordering books to read from the library on line and got my first two books delivered to my local library the other day. I am almost finished with the first one and since I like the author I think I will be ordering more of her books. Just finished reading Marley and Me by John Grogan. They made a movie of it but I haven't seen it. The book was so funny in parts that I was laughing with tears in my eyes. If you like books about dogs and get a chance to read it do so. I will be looking for the DVD of the book but I don't know how they can do justice to the book.

Angels

2009-03-02T16:03:00.002-05:00

Here is my shelf all dressed up with my angels and a beautiful wooden bowl. Haven't decided yet what to hang on the bar beneath the shelf but one of these days I will come upon something and say oh, yes that would be just right.

Chilly here yesterday and today. Suppose to be in the thirties tonight. For us that live in the Sunshine State that is cold enough for us. We don't have many days to wait then we will be back up in the eighties. Soon it will level off and we will be wishing we had these cool days back.

Have to make a trip to the library Tuesday - I am almost out of reading material. I know that seems silly since I have so many books of my own but I want new books to read. My reading has slowed down a bit. I didn't have much luck with the books I checked out last time - three of them were just unreadable. I like mysteries that keep you guessing and that have a lot going on. I did check out one of Sharon Sala's books and it was so good I went on line and ordered two more of her books - hope they are as good as the one I read.

Shelf

2009-02-28T11:16:00.002-05:00

This is the shelf that my sis gave to me. She even came back and hung it up for me - I helped a little. Need to take another picture of it because now it has a wonderful wooden bowl on it and my angels I had on the counter. Now I can set things on the counter and see the TV from the kitchen.

Thought I had messed up my email totally last night. Was trying to save my Juno and did something that made it not open. I had an updated disk and installed the new Juno and wow what a mess. It kept freezing up and the only way I could check my mail was on the web. It would open a window when I tried to get to a site and then freeze up. I was hitting those ctrl-alt-delet buttons a lot.

Went into my programs and found that the old Juno was still there so I just made a short cut to the desk top and I had my old Juno back. Guess I am just too old fashioned to change.

Looks like we may get a little rain tomorrow - we really need it - we are on high alert for brush fires. So far not many homes have been destroyed or damaged but the smoke makes it hard to drive in certain places and they have to close the roads. Rainy season is a few months off for us. They are warning people not to throw cigarettes out their car windows and to turn your car off if you have to pull off the side of the road - they are even considering cutting down when people can water their lawns - now it is once a week maybe they will change that to once every two weeks. At least there is not a lot of brush around my place.

Orchids

2009-01-07T22:57:00.003-05:00

There are so many beautiful orchids - I can see how people can become obsessed with them.

Orchids

2009-01-07T22:34:00.004-05:00

I am reading a book about orchids - 'The Orchid Thief' by Susan Orlean. It is a novel based on a true story. I am learning everything I ever wanted to know about orchids as the novel has a lot of factual material. It reminded me of when my sister and I went to Selby Gardens and saw so many beautiful orchids. I think I have the right orchid matched up with the sign. You have to look real close to see the dove and if you don't see it I have the wrong picture.

Family Christmas

2008-12-27T10:13:00.003-05:00

We had a very nice family get together for Christmas. We had it at my little sister's new house. We had family and friends over. She had a lovely angel for the top of her tree.
This is me, my little sis and my mom. We all wore something red for the holidays festivities.
Just some of the loads of food we had. After eating we all just sat around and caught up and remembered the past till it was almost dark so that the ones of us that couldn't drive after dark had to leave.

It was a very nice Christmas.

Angel Bells

2008-12-25T11:18:00.002-05:00

Thanks to my email friend she sent me some Christmas and these two bell angels. They are so delicate and lovely. I couldn't imagine what they were till I got through the packaging.
I didn't hang them on the tree but put them with my other angels so I can ring their bells once in a while.

All my family is gathering at my sister's new house this afternoon. They wanted everyone to come because it is their first Christmas in their new house. I better take a rest before I have to get going.

Birthday Lunch

2008-12-21T17:10:00.002-05:00

This is a very nice angel named Hope that my sis gave me for my birthday. She also took me out to eat a nice lunch at Steak and Shake. We had her little grand daughter with us - I am her great aunt. The child was so well behaved and quiet. She loosened up a little after we explained who I was and she got her lunch eaten. All in all it was a very nice day. I am just so full still I won't want any dinner.

Tang

2008-12-20T11:01:00.002-05:00

This is me at Thanksgiving at my daughter's. I really tried to read the box but my daughter was the one to put it in the oven and keep an eye on it and take it out of the oven so I think she qualifies for cooking the pumpkin pie.
I found it. That elusive Tang. Found it at Wal Mart. It no longer comes in a jar - it comes in a little plastic container. Couldn't wait till I got home and had a glass. Tasted just like the Tang I used to remember. I have been drinking a lot of juice lately - I suppose it is good for me. Better then drinking so much coffee since I am not suppose to drink all that much coffee but I do drink decaf a lot.

Today is my birthday. I am a whole 59 years old today. Next year will be the big 60. My how time seems to be slipping right on by. It is hard to believe this is the second Christmas that Steve won't be here. Last Christmas we had all Steph's kids and things were just too hectic to have time to think much less miss Steve too much. This year is different - I finally have the peace to think about him and how much I miss him. I catch myself every now and then seeing something that I know he would love for Christmas. Acceptance is coming to me now. He just went so fast that it was a shock.

My sister Maria and her husband Warren have their own house now and have invited the whole family over in the afternoon of Christmas day to eat and visit. I wasn't going to go but my mother said I could ride with her - my brother is suppose to ride with her also. I am sure we will have a nice time.

Pumpkin Pie

2008-12-18T22:52:00.002-05:00

This is how my daughter's pumpkin pie turned out at Thanksgiving. I am going to try my hand at cooking one and hope it turns out just as good after all how hard can it be you take the frozen pie out of the box - very important first step - put it on a cookie sheet and pop it in the oven for an hour or so. Wish me luck.

Found some Emergen C drink that helps you fight off colds and flu. All the time I was at my daughter's we were all drinking it. I bought some orange flavored and it tastes just like a watered down Tang. Went looking for Tang at Winn Dixie but didn't find any. Do they still make Tang? Maybe I will google it and see what happens.

Not many days left till Christmas now.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE!

Food Shopping for Christmas

2008-12-12T16:16:00.002-05:00

Well I went today and got the rest of the food on my Christmas list. I bought a spiral ham last week when the store still had some small ones left - it is tucked nicely away in the freezer along with a pie and some sausage for sausage stuffing - I tried the recipe once already and think I can do better this time. The recipe came from my daughter's mother in law at Thanksgiving. I liked it so much I want to learn how to make it so it turns out like Mary's.

Wish my daughter would send me the picture of me holding a pie box with a perplexed look on my face - that was for Thanksgiving. We couldn't find any thaw and eat pies so had to get one you had to cook. That is what is also tucked away in my freezers one of those pies. I thought about pecan pie but it is too sweet for me and I know I would eat some.

I don't plan on eating all this food myself - I plan on making plates for my neighbors. What is left I can put in smaller packages and put them away in my freezer so I can have some left overs to eat on for a while.

My Angels

2008-12-12T15:58:00.002-05:00

Here is the top of my Christmas tree - almost the only place there isn't an angel. If you enlarge the picture you can see the tree is mostly angels. I don't know when I started collecting angels and decorating my Christmas tree and house with them but I really love them.
A close up of some of my tree angels.
More angels. Some of them were given to me by family but most I have collected over the years. I didn't even hang all the angels on the tree this year - I may have to get a bigger tree or just rotate angels every year.

UFOS???

2008-12-10T02:59:00.002-05:00

This is my daughter's alien Christmas tree. She picked up the tree at a thrift store and an Etsy friend sent her the ornaments. If you enlarge it you can see the robots and maybe one of the UFOs that are on the tree. Thought I had more pictures of it but can't find them.

Going to be time to down load my pictures to a disk again soon. I want to wait till after Christmas though because I have already started a Christmas folder for this year.

Hard to believe that soon it will be 2009. Time just keeps on slipping by.

Brrrr....

2008-12-08T05:37:00.002-05:00

Cold here this morning. Have the heaters going. For Florida thirties and forties are cold for us thin blooded Floridians. Would you believe it is going to be almost in the 80s in the next few days. Hot then cold - you never know what the weather is going to bring here.

Suppose to get out and do a few things today but it is just too cold for these old bones right now. Maybe if it warms up fast today I will venture out.

Found a small spiral cut ham - they are on sale already - I knew if I didn't buy it now that all the small ones would be gone so it is tucked nicely in the freezer awaiting Christmas. Steve loved spiral cut ham and we had to have it at Christmas every year. I plan on sharing this one with my neighbors and I will have a lot left to put in the freezer.

I think I am all set for Christmas. Have some packages to mail off. I am dreading the wait at the post office but maybe I will luck out and the lines won't be so long.

My cable went out the other day and the lady I talked to said that they couldn't get out to fix it till Monday. Two days without cable!!! After a few hours my cable box came back on and I called the cable company to tell them it was back and no one needed to come out. This time the lady I talked to said that there had been an outage in my area - the first lady must not have know it - anyway I have my cable back. Tonight is Lost on the Sci Fi channel. Four hours every Monday night and I get to see it during the week on G4. Totally hooked on this soap opera of people stranded by a plane crash on a strange island. I am glad I had the chance to see it from the beginning or I wouldn't know what was going on.

Coffee calls. I am bundled up but still cold. Just have little heaters to heat the place up and I concentrate them on the living room where the TV and computer are. After a while they will take the chill off. Now if everyone gets up and turns on their heat at one time we will lose our electric. This has happened several times.

December

2008-12-04T12:49:00.002-05:00

It is December and I seem to be getting into the Christmas spirit early. Put up my tree. Hung all my little angels on it. It fit really nice on a TV tray right next to the TV and a bookcase.
I put my stuffed animals on the floor in front of the tree. Some people gave me some I bought but I like to have them out. Couldn't put them out last year because of the kids. I don't have to worry about that this year. It is too bad that they haven't contacted me and I have no way of getting in touch with them.
This is the tree skirt I made a couple of years ago. It really is big enough to go around a bigger tree - what you can't see is it folded up in the back. I really like it and it is one of my projects that turned out good.
Here are some of my angels. I only put some of them out all the time then put the rest out for Christmas.

I didn't know if I would feel like doing anything for Christmas this year but I have surprised myself. I enjoy looking at my little tree and angels. By the time Christmas gets here I will be ready to take every thing down.

Treasure

2008-12-03T07:58:00.002-05:00

While I was at my daughter's in Georgia I slept in the guest bedroom which just happened to be where Slash the cat liked to sleep. I slept with the door closed so he couldn't get in till I opened the door in the morning then he dashed in and got on the bed.
Here is Slash sleeping on the bed.
While going to the antique stores I found this angel. I try to limit myself to one angel a year - a lot of them I don't pull out till Christmas but some I keep out all the time and I think this is one I will keep out. She is named Serenity and has a number stamped on her bottom so I guess she was a limited edition. Guess what I paid for her - a whole six dollars. Couldn't believe she was so cheap. She is solid too not hollow like most angels.

Antiques

2008-12-01T15:18:00.003-05:00

Us girls had a lot of fun going to antique malls - poor Kevin was just dragged along but he did managed to find a few treasures for his self. This is one of the booths inside the mall. It is very easy to get lost in there. After a while I had to go up front and just sit down and wait for the others to catch up with me.
Here is my daughter with some of her treasures she found at a booth that had everything marked down to seventy five percent off. She will sell most of the items on her Etsy shop - Fluffy Flowers Vintage. We were tired but very happy with the things we found.
This is Kevin's mother with some beautiful blue and white cloth that she found. She is collecting blue and white dishes and the cloth fit right into her theme. Now she just has to figure out what to make with it.
This is me in front of one of the bigger antique malls we went to. If the airlines hadn't changed checked baggage to just one bag I would have come home with more. I left with a thirty three pound bag and returned with a forty pound bag.

The weather were I lived said it was cold in Georgia so I went prepared with sweats and warm clothes but the weather was mostly very mild and we were in short sleeve shirts. I came home to a hot house and had to turn my A/C on for a while. It is off now as it is cooling off - suppose to be in the fifties in the morning. We will have more cold weather soon.

Georgia

2008-12-01T14:57:00.003-05:00

I have done the pictures backwards so bear with me. Just spent the week in Georgia with my daughter. Her husband's mother also spent several days with us. This picture is of Mary helping to wash up as you can't put fine china in the dish washer.
Here we are waiting to eat. We had a lovely dinner. The turkey turned out very moist.
This is me and Ginger, the dog, waiting for dinner to be ready. I did help with cooking but there wasn't much for me to do. I really enjoyed spending the week with my daughter. I won't see her till next year.

Discovered wheel chairs at the airport. I can't walk too far without my oxygen and decided to snag a wheel chair as it went by empty - what a difference it made. On my trip back my daughter made sure that I had a wheel chair to take me to my gate. When I arrived home and got off the plane there was a whole row of wheel chairs there and I asked the young man if I could get one of those wheel chairs to take me to baggage claim - he took me all the way there. My sis was waiting for me with the two grand kids. We managed to get my bag and she had parked close so I didn't have far to walk. There was such a big deal about taking oxygen on airplanes so I had arranged to have oxygen waiting for me in Georgia. It worked out just fine.

Sleep Study

2008-11-08T10:23:00.002-05:00

Had to go for my sleep study Wednesday night. Had to be there at nine at night. I didn't enjoy the drive over as I hardly ever drive at night but I made it there just fine. They did a two part study one a couple of hours with me sleeping without my cpap then a couple of hours with my cpap mask and machine on. I woke up at four in the morning and couldn't go back to sleep so they said they had enough information and were sending me home. I don't go back to the doctor till Feb. 2009 to get the results but I am pretty sure I am going to need my cpap to sleep with still.

My sis and mom came to visit and I hadn't gotten any sleep so by Thursday night I was exhausted. I finally went to bed and slept through the night but it has taken me a couple of days to recover.

I was so disappointed last night - they were suppose to start the new Law and Order Criminal Intent shows last night but instead they had a House show on. I hope they start them next week. They have been advertising them every day. Maybe they got the day wrong. I will just have to look for it.

Nice sunny Saturday today.

New Afhgan

2008-11-05T08:46:00.002-05:00

Thanks to my daughter who found the yarn on the web for me I am going to be able to duplicate the afghan that was lost in the move. I have looked everywhere for it and it just isn't here. Who knows maybe it was donated by accident - I was donating things right and left since I wouldn't have room for a lot of things. I am still working on Christmas gifts but just couldn't resist starting on my afghan last night. I found the paper where I had scanned the pattern - much easier to use then having the big book open. Found the hook, had the yarn, so here I go. I hope it turns out as good as the other one did.

Lost

2008-10-25T10:57:00.002-05:00

My daughter has me totally hooked on the show 'Lost'. For those of you who don't know what it is it is about a group of people whose airplane crashed on a strange island. There are lots of characters and lots of story lines. I get it on the Sci Fi channel Monday nights starting at seven then they show four shows in a row. I had the opportunity to start from the beginning of the show so I know what is going on. Unless you watch it regularly you become lost. It is like a soap opera. So I am hooked on the show.

Post in a tree

2008-10-24T10:41:00.002-05:00

Went outside to take a picture of a post that a tree had grown around and this little fellow was sitting on top of it and just sat there and posed for me. You may have to enlarge the picture to see him good.
How many years did it take for this tree to wrap around this post? The post must be made of some hard wood since it hasn't rotted away. Just thought it was it interesting thing.

Law and Order CI

2008-10-20T14:30:00.002-05:00

I have to admit it I have been a fan of Law and Order Criminal Intent since it began. I liked the characters of Ames and Goren the best. I really didn't care for the character Noth played but.....
they are adding another of my favorite actors to the cast - Jeff Goldblum. I have always thought of him as a well rounded actor and am looking forward to see how he does in Law and Order CI.

Bougainvillea

2008-10-17T17:22:00.004-05:00

Found this picture on the web of some bougainvillea. Right now the bush by my house looks more like sticks and a few leaves but maybe if I start caring for it it may reward me with blooms like these.

Need to buy another hose to go at the back of the house - thank goodness there is a facet there. Some fertilizer when the weather starts warming up - I need to look into how to care for a bougainvillea.

Quiet day today. Thought I had missed the trash this morning but it was running late so I was able to get my little bit of trash out to the road and just wait till they emptied my trash can. The neighbors did the same thing.

My Chives

2008-10-17T08:53:00.002-05:00

At last I repotted some of my chives. They have been in the same pot for years. The people who lived here before left some long planters and I got one of those and put some of my chives in. I still need to get a bigger pot. The one the chives have been in is getting pretty old.

It was seventy three degrees here this morning. It was nice and cool for me to mess with my plant. Here it is going to be cold soon and I have the itch to plant something. Oh well, winter won't be around for long. Things haven't been turning brown yet but they will soon.

Just took my neighbor down to the post office in Gibsonton - she is a much older lady and I told her any time she needed a ride to ask me. I had to put gas in my truck anyway. When I got back my clothes I was drying were done. My post office box is in Riverview the other way from Gibsonton - just checked my mail yesterday so I think I will wait till Sunday to check it again.

Going to be a quiet day. I should get to work on my crochet project today.

Mended Hole?

2008-10-16T17:57:00.003-05:00

Well I followed the instructions that my sis in Ohio gave me and tried to catch all the knitted ends. You can't tell from the picture but it is a little bumpy. I hope it holds though because my poor daughter is so busy all the time I don't like to bother her with making me a new pair of socks. Besides I really liked this pair. My toes tend to cramp if they get chilly even if the rest of me is warm. I know it is poor circulation in the feet but that comes with diabetes and getting older. Caught between elevating my feet for the swelling and my toes cramping because they are elevated and not getting the circulation they need.

My crochet project has gone into the second phase and if I keep up this pace I will have everything done by Christmas.

I have finished the book 'Garden Spells' and really liked it. I just may read it again before the book discussion at the library. Never been to a book discussion so I am looking forward to.

Corner of my house

2008-10-16T07:03:00.002-05:00

This is the corner of my house. You can see a couple of bushes on the side - one of them is a bougainvillea which I have always wanted but was never able to grow. Now I have one but can't really start caring for it except to water it because it is too late in the year to fertilize it but I am looking forward to spring. Thank goodness there is another facet behind the house now all I have to do is buy another hose to put back there. The hose I have in front is too big to drag around the house - I am not sure it would reach any way.

Now that cooler weather is settling in I am getting the itch to plant something but can't because that cooler weather may turn into colder weather and kill anything I plant. I am going to divide my chives though. The people who lived here before left behind a nice long planter with good soil in it so I pulled the weeds and moved it next to my other plants. Now I just have to get the energy to go do it. I looked all over for my rubber gloves and foundly found them so I won't get dirt in my nails and on my hands - that isn't being picky it is just that I am crocheting a project right now and don't want ground in dirt on my hands.

Sob, sob - a hole

2008-10-15T12:17:00.002-05:00

My favorite pair of socks to keep my feet warm sprang a hole. My toes where cold and I pulled them out to put them on and there it was the mystery hole. How it got there I really don't know and I haven't a clue as how to mend it since it is knitted.

These socks are very special to me because my daughter made them for me one Christmas a few years ago. She is the knitter in the family. She is so busy now adays with work and her Etsy shops I don't know if she would have time to make me a new pair. Or maybe she can tell me how to mend it.

Alas poor socks, you served me well and now we must bid aduie.

Home Away From Home

2008-10-13T08:48:00.002-05:00

It is hard to believe that I live behind Wal Mart - not right behind but a street over. It takes me less then five minuets to get there. My home away from home.
This is where I usually park at the Garden Center because there are parking spaces and I don't buy much at a time so it is easy to just check out in the garden center.
Tried to get some pictures of the inside but couldn't get but one with no one in the picture. All those goodies and so few dollars.

When the Wal Mart first opened they had benches through the store for people to rest on but they did away with them to make room for new merchandise. They also did away with their cloth section which means now the closet to us to buy cloth is Brandon about a thirty minuet drive away - fighting traffic all the way.

Wal Mart prices are good on most things but I still have to go to my Winn Dixie for some things Wal Mart doesn't have.

Today is a holiday for Federal workers. I mailed a bill off but didn't bother to go inside to check my mail. If anything was in my box it would be bills. I want to put that off as long as I can.

Since it is a holiday I think I will kick back with some music and read the book I got from the library.

Library

2008-10-12T06:06:00.002-05:00

Made it to the library in time to get a book for the book discussion group. Couldn't get a picture of the library sign as there were cars parked there and a tree was hanging down in front of it.

The book that the discussion group is reading this month is 'Garden Spells' by Sara Addison Allen - I have already started reading it and it looks interesting.

My daughter had the privilege of meeting the author at a book fair in Georgia and even got a signed edition of her second book. My daughter was thrilled that I was reading Allen's book. She is sure I will really enjoy it.

The Riverview Library is a nice place with lots of trees around it. They are in the process of extending their parking spaces since they don't have enough for everyone who wants to go to the library.

White Horse

2008-10-11T10:31:00.002-05:00

When I came home this morning the white horse was standing at the fence like hey you took the brown horse's picture yesterday it's my turn.

Did a little running around today but put off putting gas in my truck. For some reason the traffic was heavy this morning. Tomorrow is Sunday so in the morning there won't be too much traffic. It is hot already today. We are suppose to get some cool weather though soon.

Neghbors

2008-10-11T03:20:00.003-05:00

At last both horses were near the fence and I was able to get some pictures of them. It is hard to believe that I live behind a Super Wal Mart yet still have horses as neighbors. I have been trying to get pictures of them for a long time. I was going to Wal Mart and had my camera in my purse when I went out to get in the truck and there they were. I didn't want to get too close and maybe scare them but the brown horse put his head over the fence making for a nice picture. You can see the white one off to the side.

At the old place I had one white horse for a neighbor here I have a white and a brown horse. They are very well cared for. It makes me feel like I am still in the country.

Everyone around here has cats. There are cats all over the place - some friendly some wild. I miss Moocher but I know he had another home he was eating at because he would disappear for days and always looked well fed. I never could find him. All the moving and the kids being there scared him off.

Though I am glad I don't have the kids to take care of any more I still miss them. Steph's two oldest girls are in Maryland with their dad and Steph and the baby are in Illinois with her husband. I don't know where Dawn is she hasn't called. It seemed like things just feel apart after Steve died. I got through yesterday but was tired.

Thanks to all who left comments on my post.

Steve

2008-10-10T07:44:00.002-05:00

Today marks six months since Steve died. It only seems like a short time. He is still missed very much. The tree is from Simmons Park where he liked to fish.
Steve cleaned up really nice when he wanted to. This picture was taken about four years ago. He hadn't yet started getting his hair cut short.
This is what he loved to do best was fish. Even after he hurt his arm he managed to fish a little with a buddy even though he paid for it later with his arm hurting. He couldn't cast the rod so had to do a little side ways throw. He caught some fish too.
This is Steve as a young boy - his father gave him a blot of ground to grow strawberries on. Steve grew them sold them and used the money to buy his first car. He always found something to do when young like mowing so he wouldn't have to ask his parents for money.

Steve taught me a lot about life. Until I met Steve the men in my life hadn't been all that good. I learned from him that a man can love his children and grand children unconditionally. He loved me and always remembered the holidays and the day we started officially going together. I knew him for thirteen years. He will forever be missed.

He also taught me how to cook. For a lot of years in my marriage I could only cook a certain way and Steve taught me that I can add onions to things and how to fix his version of soft tacos,and how to make a really good tuna salad. I remember the first time I tried to make hamburgers - they fell apart so I threw a can of Manwich in it and we had Manwich sandwiches. Steve told me to add just a little flour to the hamburger and they would stay together. He also liked to add a package of Lipton Onion soup mix. My hamburgers got better after his advice.

It is still hard to accept that he is gone. He wouldn't have wanted to live with what they had to do to him even if he hadn't had the massive stroke. He will forever remain my love in my heart.

Lost Packages

2008-10-08T09:48:00.002-05:00

Found out where my packages have been disappearing to. When I hadn't received supplies for my cpap machine twice I called them up again and they suggested that I ask the neighbors. Well I went up to the trailer in front of my house and asked there but no packages as I was leaving I glanced at the porch next door to them and there was a package there - I decided to check and see if it was for me - it was. The people who live there are away for a while but someone must be checking their mail for them.

I put more numbers on what is actually the front of my house hoping that UPS will see it. The cpap suppliers are also going to tell UPS they have been leaving the packages at the wrong place.

To top it off yesterday for some reason the trash people didn't empty my trash can so now I have to wait till Friday and put it back out there. It was sitting a little apart from the others because no one had put theirs out when I put mine out. Friday I am going to put it right next to the road or rather Thursday night because they come early in the morning on Fridays.

Things are going along pretty good. Hooked up the VCR that my sis gave me. I started taping Lost Monday night because it seems I always fall asleep - where I live the Sci Fi channel shows four hours at a time on Monday night thus the taping but guess what yep - didn't go to sleep.

Nothing else much going on right now. Still haven't been able to get a picture of the horses next door.

Bargain Chair

2008-10-01T13:04:00.002-05:00

After realizing that I had no where for any company to sit I took myself off to the mission to drop off the stuff I have had in the back of the truck for weeks and check out the chair situation. I hit it just right - they had so many recliners and chairs that they were selling them for five dollars each. The one I picked said ten dollars on it but the lady gave it to me for five. There are no tears or worn spots it just needed a little cleaning with some Resolve and it looks fine. I get tickled to find such bargains since I live on a fixed income.

Looking forward to the weekend - I get to see my sis. I have to take pictures. We plan on going yard saleing and thrift store shopping see what kind of treasures we can find that we can't live without.

Snakes

2008-09-27T17:24:00.002-05:00

I blogged about these snakes a few years ago but a snake story brought them to mind again. Years ago when I was living in the country and had a garden I had a pair of black snakes also know as indigo snakes living in my yard. The female is always bigger then the male. The male was shy and would take off when I went out side but the female would hang around with me in the garden.
I can't really tell how long the female was but it had to be at least three feet or more. I used to go to the neighbors and beg them not to kill the black snakes as legend has it that rattlesnakes will stay away as long as they are there. They eat mice and other small things too.

I haven't seen any snakes around my new place but did see a couple at the old place. Brown rat snakes.

Another snake story: before my blacksnakes moved in I was getting ready to step out my back door when I paused for some reason and looked down and there was the biggest cotton mouth I had ever seen. It's eyes were blue which meant it was shedding it's skin and was blind and would strike at anything. I just eased the door closed went back in the house and got the rifle and went out the front door and it was still curled up there so I shot it. I would have tried to chase it off but when their eyes are blue they are very cranky and we had small children as neighbors then. I put it in a bucket and showed it to them so they would know what to stay away from. Too bad I had to shoot it but sometimes with poisious snakes it is the best thing to do when they move into your yard and make it their territory.

Simmon's Park Part 2

2008-09-26T15:22:00.002-05:00

Back at Simmon's Park. Here are two posts that have been there for as long as I can remember. They block a wide space so people won't be tempted to load or unload their boats there. On the other side of the park is a large boat ramp with lots of parking for cars and boat trailers.
New palm trees starting to grow their leaves out. They were newly planted a while back when I went to the park.
All around the park they have these little walk ways you can go out on and fish or just enjoy the view. They used to have benches on them I guess they rotted away or someone stole the ones from this walk way.
A nice view from the walk way. You can see part of the railing they have all the way around so people won't fall in.

AIP suggested I tell the tale of the way ward raccoons. A few years back people started feeding the raccoons and they became so many that when you drove up in your vehicle they would gather around you and it was hard getting out and shooing them away. You didn't dare leave a window or back of your truck or car open or they would climb right in after anything they could find to eat. They would try to steal your bait and fish and if you were drinking a soft drink and set it down they would be after it in a flash. The park posted do not feed the animals signs and stopped people from feeding them. I don't know how they got rid of so many raccoons but you don't see any now. They are a nocturnal animal and being out in the day was unusual for them. I heard that one of the park rangers was bitten and had to have rabies shots - it was after that that they really cracked down on people feeding the raccoons. I have to admit it is much more pleasant now that they are gone.

Simmons Park

2008-09-25T10:47:00.002-05:00

Made it to the lab for my blood tests today. Stopped off at McDonald's and got me a big cup of coffee - it was fasting blood work - then drove down to Simmon's Park for a while. Was going yesterday but Tommy, the handyman, came to fix my bathtub facet so I had to wait till today. It was high tide so this is a picture of a tree that is out of the water at low tide.
These are cement blocks that they put so the sand won't erode away. There is no swimming in this part of the park only fishing.
One of our old fishing spots. The one we used to go to is all over grown now and with the tide high you can't even tell where it was.
Nice view of an island - there are plenty of little islands in the park waters. When the raccoons used to be so bad you could see them swimming from some of the island when you drove up. The park people made people stop feeding them and you don't even see them now.

I have more pictures that I will share but I didn't want to overload blogger - been having trouble getting in lately.

Family Visit

2008-09-23T13:00:00.002-05:00

Mom and sis came to visit me and see my little house. They really liked it. This is a picture of mom in my living room. My darling sis brought me some goodies too like paper towels and dish soap and some lovely bath products.
We all went to the Lucky Buffet for lunch and of course we all ate too much. We don't do this all the time so once in a while is OK and it tastes so good.
Here's my sis in the car as we were leaving the Lucky Buffet.

Sis picked mom up then came to my place - she didn't have any trouble finding it and I had put my trash can out with the numbers on it facing the way she would come so she found it pretty easy. Need to go get the trash can but it is hot out there now. We are suppose to start having a few cool nights soon. Maybe some rain later today but none for the rest of the week.

All in all it was a very nice day. My sis brought me a shelf that I am going to have to have her help mounting it. I gave my big box of mics screws and nails and things to the mission because it was just too full to sort out. Now I have to start another box with odds and ends - I just won't let it get out of hand like I did my old box.

Peacful Day

2008-09-21T16:53:00.002-05:00

Having such peaceful days now. Feel like my nerves are recovering. Next month will be six months since Steve died - it just doesn't feel like he has been gone that long. When I had all the kids to watch I didn't have time to think about him - now I do. I tried watching a football game today and couldn't do it - I missed watching them with Steve.

I am really keeping busy with things - reading, word puzzles, jig saw puzzles, crocheting, cleaning and guess what things stay clean for a while. I am only having to wash one load of clothes a week unless I wash my sheets then it is two but I only wash my sheets every other week - I figure I am clean when I go to bed so they aren't getting that dirty.

Jig saw puzzles - bought a different kind - it is a hologram of a bunch of different frogs. It looks really neat only I had to set it aside for now because I couldn't see the pieces. Time to break down and go get a new pair of glasses. Been putting it off but I have time now and maybe next month I will have the money.

The neighbor is taking my trash up by the road for me - taking pity on a poor old lady. I just can't think of anything I can do for him in return.

The newspaper people found my mail box - I put BIG numbers on it only they can't find my house. I am tucked back behind everyone. I requested the paper to be delivered to my porch but the closest they have come is the mail box by the road. Drove up there today to see if the paper was there again and if not go to Wal Mart and buy one - I didn't get to go to Wal Mart which is a good thing didn't spend any money.

Blogger hasn't been being kind to me lately - it wouldn't let me post. Wouldn't let me go to blogs. It is behaving it's self today.

Getting Settled In

2008-09-08T07:04:00.002-05:00

For the first time in almost four years I was able to unpack my collection of Marjorie Rawling's books and my books on Florida. There just wasn't any place to put them in the old place. Besides I wanted them safe.
I think I am going to need a bigger coffee table. Now I can leave my remotes and puzzles and pens right there on the table and no little hands are going to get them.
My little nest on the couch. It feels so good right now with no little kids running around.

As far as I know every one is doing fine now. No one knows where I live right now and since I am still in the process of getting my nerves calmed down that is fine with me. I did tell my mother though.

Still have some little stuff to sort through and decide if I want to keep it or if it goes to the mission. Have one box for them but am not going to make a trip for one box - gas is too dear to waste on one box.

All Moved

2008-09-03T13:48:00.002-05:00

All moved in but not really settled yet - it will take time and a few more trips to the mission before I get things sorted out.

Wasn't suppose to have my phone service till the ninth but I called them yesterday and after a lot of waiting they agreed to come today. I missed my email and now that I have time to blog I can.

An unfortunate occurrence I can't find Moocher. Two trips back over to the old place and he was still no where to be seen. I guess all the moving drove him to the other place he has been visiting. I hope they keep him safe. I will miss him.

Had my cable hooked up the other day. The guy got here right at five and it was past eight thirty when he left. He had to change all the outside wires and call in another guy to help him. He told me he was going to come back and ground my house but I didn't know when. Someone knocked on the door last night and I wouldn't open it - it was the cable man I saw him through the window putting that ground in at about eight thirty at night again.

Things are so nice and quiet here. I can leave things laying around like the remotes and not worry about kids getting them or any one else for that matter.

I'll get some pictures when I get things sorted out a bit more.

Quiet

2008-08-21T21:56:00.003-05:00

Steph's two oldest girls left Wednesday morning for Maryland. Their flight was delayed twice because of the storm we had here. Steph, the baby and her mother in law went to St. Louis. Unfortunately Steph's mother in law had some sort of seizure when they arrived and died. I feel bad for them but at least Mike did get to see his mother one last time.

I have been busy packing. Moving to a new place. It is very tiny but just right for me. I had the mission here today taking away a lot of stuff Steph left behind and a lot of stuff that I won't need any more. When you set out to cook for one person you don't need a lot of pots and pans. Two trips to the library too to donate books. Just have to be ruthless with myself and get rid of stuff. I am sure once I try moving in I will be making a few trips to the mission to get rid of stuff.

For the first time in months Moocher came inside and ate and stayed in for a while. He jumped up in my lap and we had a real petting and loving time. That is the first time he has been in my lap since Steph moved in.

It is so peaceful here now. Now I can do what I want to do and not have to watch kids all the time. Almost everything is packed. Can't wait to get moved.

Sick Baby?

2008-07-21T21:14:00.003-05:00

This little girl got very sick just about an hour ago. I pulled out the bucket after I put the comforter in to wash and she promptly took over the bucket. She turned it up side down and sat on it.
She put her toys in it and found that if she put too many it was too heavy.
Then she decided to sit in the bucket. I missed the picture of her putting it on her head. At least she didn't get sick any more and is now sleeping like a little angel. Once her mom leaves for work she lays right down and goes to sleep. The other two girls are spending the week with their grand mother and grand father.

The kids are the reason I haven't been posting lately. When I have all three by the time I get them to sleep I am just too tired to do any thing except lay down myself. I am so greatful their grand mother has taken them this week as my back has really been bothering me. I am afraid I am going to have to break down and go see the doctor about it.

Things seem to be falling apart here we had to have a new water heater installed, two doors fixed and today the water pipe to the hot water heater broke and it took them all day to get around to fixing it - they tried but kept getting the wrong parts and had to work on some one else's place too. I just love my land lord he fixes things that break and doesn't raise the rent - not like where I used to live if a repair needed to be done the rent was raised.

Not long till my daughter's birthday. She will be thirty nine. It is hard to belive that my little baby is that old. She is taking the birthday well knowing it is the last one in the thirties and next year she will start another decade.

We have had another death in the family Amber, Steve's grand daughter, lost her father to cancer a few days ago. The night before he died he was trying to call everyone and tell them that he loved them. It was hard to understand him as he could hardly talk. Will will really be missed. I don't think he ever really recovered from his first bout with cancer. Amber is down here with her mother for the summer, I guess she will stay now. They drove up to Live Oak and saw Will before he passed.

Climbing the Walls

2008-07-12T15:31:00.002-05:00

I have to give credit to a blogger friend for the title to this post. This is why I haven't been blogging too much lately. The two oldest girls are down here visiting their mother for the summer. They found out they could climb up the walls in the hall - one foot and hand on one side and the other side. They have stopped doing it now when they knocked the cover off the heat thermostat. Some times I feel like I am about to climb the walls when I watch all three girls.

Had a little break from the girls Friday but had to stay home because of our hot water heater springing a leak. The land lord had his man put a brand new water heater in. It took all day. But we should be set for hot water for a few years. The hot water heater that was in there didn't look that old.

We are getting lots of rain lately - which we really need. I could just do with out the lightening and thunder that comes with the storms.

It has been hard adjusting to Steve not being here. Sometimes I catch myself waiting for him to come home. I have put together a picture album of just him right up to the burial. Now I can look at it and remember when the pictures were taken.

Well Moocher is pawing at the window for something to eat. He won't come in the house any more because of all the kids even when they aren't here.

Gas

2008-06-18T18:33:00.002-05:00

Every one is talking about the high price of gas. Seems like my old truck has decided to drink the stuff now like water. Maybe I just think I am getting worse gas milage because it cost so much to fill it up now.

Combining tasks has become a must. A trip to the grocery store is put off till time to check the mail at the post office and if anything needs picking up at Wal Greens which all those places are close together.

They are pushing the hybrid cars but where can you find fuel for them? I am not even sure I understand what a hybrid car is.

Things are just going along the same here. I am watching the baby a lot but her mom doesn't have to work tonight so she has her in their bedroom trying to make her lay down. The baby was up early this morning so she might go to sleep. For her mom's sake I hope she does. Watching a two year old can really wear you out. The potty training is coming along but she messes her diaper then wants to pull it off and go potty - you can imagine the messes we have had to clean up. Some day soon now the baby will get the idea of going potty before she goes in her diaper.

Dress Up

2008-06-12T05:43:00.003-05:00

Marissa got her mother's sweat shirt and wanted to put it on. You can see her mother sleeping on the couch.
Isn't this such an angelic little face. We are working on potty training and she is doing pretty good. She went potty yesterday and was so excited she was running around and telling her momie that she went potty. Hope the training goes good she is really getting too big to be in diapers but she is hard headed. We praise her a lot when she manages to make it to the potty.

Days and nights are pretty much filled with watching the baby if I don't have a doctor's appointment. Nothing much else going on.

Summer Visit

2008-06-07T16:06:00.002-05:00

Here is Amber - Steve's grand daughter. She is going to be all of eleven on the eleventh of this month. She is down here to spend the summer with her mother. She is a tall girl but tallness runs in the family. She will be spending the night with us a couple of times and with her grand mother.

This is Amber and her mom, Steve's daughter, Dawn. She is a tall one too.

I am really relaxing in the coolness of the house. We went three days without A/C during the hottest days we have had so far. I have to admit that the land lord, some of his men, and even the neighbor tried to fix it for me but they put a different fan in and it was running backwards. The regular A/C man was out of town but as soon as he got back he came over. He had to go to the land lord's and get the old parts that they took off and rebuild the fan and put the parts they had left out back in. I was so grateful that he got it fixed. Slept pretty good last night. Was able to use my oxygen - the machine puts off too much heat to run it with no A/C on. That is the machine I use when I am sleeping. It was hard for me to breath with it so hot in here. There was no breeze blowing and I think opening the windows made it hotter in the house.

Baby went to a birthday party today and was worn out. She got her pillow and blanket and laid down and went to sleep - I know I shouldn't let her sleep so late but I will wake her up in a little while. The baby has almost stopped throwing fits - she found out they don't do any good. Now we are working on her throwing things. If she throws something at me I snag it and won't give it back to her.
The potty training isn't coming along too good. She still hasn't gotten the idea that she is suppose to sit on the potty before not after she wets her diaper. One day the idea will click.

Have a whole row of yellow stickers for doctor's appointments but think I am going to change a couple of them. This heat has just gotten me tired out. I can't wait till it starts raining and cooling things off some.

Sleep

2008-05-29T10:05:00.005-05:00

Not much sleep last night. Baby was up way early too. I just returned from Wal Mart and I guess Steph and the baby have laid down to have a nap.

This was my second trip to Wal Mart this morning - I bought some shorts and every one of them was too big. At least I saved some money by returning them because I could only find a few in the next smaller size. Should have tried them on in the store and saved myself the extra trip. With gas prices what they are even going just down the road costs a dollar or two or three.

All of my flower bulbs have bloomed for the year - this is a picture from last year I think. My daughter took a lot of bulbs back with her when she came down here in April. Just can't seem to be able to keep up the flowers like I used to before.

Baby did real good yesterday. She got her pillow herself and laid down and took a nap. She went to sleep a little past her bed time but didn't put up a fuss. She has been a real terror the last few days so this was a pleasant break. Would we be so lucky that the terrible twos aren't going to be that bad?

I sucessfully changed my portable oxygen tank to a new one. You have to take the gauge off and put it on the new bottle. Thank goodness there were a few instructions in the paper work they gave me. Now I know how to do it.

Terible Twos

2008-05-25T15:35:00.002-05:00

Can this little angelic face be the monster who has appeared in our home? The terrible twos seem to have arrived right on time. From crying and throwing fits and biting we don't know what happened to the happy baby we had before. Hope this phase passes quickly. I think the baby just gets frustrated with things she can't do yet. She was trying to draw on her magnetic board and it wouldn't come out like she wanted - I ended up having to take it away from her because she was throwing it all over the place.

Well our windows are all fixed with plexi glass. Tommy who fixed them said he found the rocks that broke them. I guess this will keep happening till that whole side that faces the road has plexi glass windows. At least this is Sunday and I don't have to watch the mail box. Every one who has one in the row are checking their mail before dark. Just what do they do with any checks they might get? I guess some one would cash them for them. They should have to ask for ID before cashing any checks. I am just upset that this is one more thing I have to worry about.

Baby has spent yesterday last night and today with her dad so I got to clean in peace. Bought a Swifter mop and I just love the thing. No more mixing water in a bucket. Just slap one of those pads on and go to work - it dries fast too. I don't know what they put in there to clean with but it sure does the trick. I was going to tackle the dusting but a nap caught me before I could start. I can dust when the baby is here any way.

My little mystery flowers don't seem to be doing too good. I may have to replace them with something else. Mean while I am still getting up nerve to divide my chives. They have been growing in the same pot for about three years and need to be thinned out. They are hardy things. The only herb I have really had success with growing in a pot.

Birthday Girl

2008-05-19T08:07:00.002-05:00

Here is the birthday girl - all of two years old now. Hope those terrible twos pass her by. She is wearing shades that some one gave her. She got lots of toys and mom is right now sorting out some older toys to donate to the mission. Birthday girl got a baby stroller and has been strolling her babies around in it. All in all I think she had a nice birthday.

We are having trouble with someone breaking our windows again. We live right on the road and there are lots of kids that walk past our place. This time it is two windows. The land lord will be here later to fix them. Why do people do dumb things like that - they don't know us. We don't know any one who would do that to us.

Portable

2008-05-18T07:47:00.002-05:00

This is my oxygen tank that I carry with me when I am going to the store, etc. Tried it out yesterday in the grocery store and was amazed at what a difference it made. I didn't get out of breath walking around - bought more then I planned on though.

This morning I had to go to Wal Mart which is just down the road to get cat food and of course I forgot my oxygen. I parked in the garden section and the pet food is just inside the door so I didn't have to walk very far.

We have a lot of clouds around but the weather man said it may not rain. We need rain desperately. It did rain a dab yesterday but not even enough to wet things good. Hope this drought ends soon. We have so many wild fires going on down here. Some dumb people are even setting them. One man got arrested for throwing a cigarette out his car window - it started a fire - guess some one saw him and reported it.

Today is Marissa's birthday - two years old today - oh boy, the terrible twos - hope they pass quickly.

Oxygen

2008-05-17T09:05:00.002-05:00

Well the doctor put me on oxygen and they just delivered it this morning. This is the machine that hooks up to my cpap machine so I get oxygen during the night. Just enough room to fit it in my crowed room.
These are my portable oxygen tanks that I have to carry around while walking - like the grocery store. I only use one at a time.
This is my back up tank in case the electric goes off and I need my oxygen.

I am not thrilled with having to have oxygen. The lady giving me the breathing test had to stop the other day my oxygen dropped so low they had to give me oxygen in the doctor's office. Guess I will have to learn to lug around that little tank. I am curious to find out if it does help me in the stores. I'll find out this morning as I am off to the grocery store.

Mother's Day

2008-05-11T07:22:00.002-05:00

This is a lovely pouch that my daughter sent me. What makes it so special is she made it herself. She has mastered the art of the zipper which I never could. She has a blog and Etsy site - Fluffy Flowers.com - which will take you to either site.

Quiet Mother's Day around here this year. Steph is feeling much better after being sick for a few days and is off with her friends. My mom is going to my sister's after church - my niece and her kids are at my sister's. My sis has a house full now.

Guess I will sort out some things this morning. Already took a stack of clothes out to the truck to go to the mission. I have to be ruthless with myself and just get rid of some of the clothes that have been hanging in my closet not worn. Wish me luck.

Washing

2008-05-07T07:16:00.002-05:00

This morning I am washing things - my truck - the topper mostly gets green scum on it and you have to brush it off. I just used plain water. Couldn't find my hose end so had to resort to squeezing the hose off when I wasn't using it. Got nice and wet but it feels good. Now I am washing clothes. I washed up the bathroom. I am going to run out of steam shortly.

The baby isn't here this morning so I am able to get some things done. She will be back later and everything will just have to be put on hold. How in the world did I ever raise a kid and take care of cleaning too - we had play pens back then that we could corral the kids in so they wouldn't get in trouble. Guess no one uses them now a days.

No I am not sick with 'gazanias' I realised how funny that sounded when I got a comment on it - giggle, giggle.

Need to get busy again while those clothes are washing maybe I can get the kitchen floor done. How in the world does one little kid get things so sticky and dirty.

Mystery Flowers

2008-05-05T13:14:00.002-05:00

My wise sister who makes all sorts of items with pressed flowers says she thinks I have gazanias. I was right in Wal Mart this morning and forgot all about asking about the flowers. She has a shop on Etsy call Felicia's Flowers - the name is very close to my daughter's Fluffy Flowers whose name also happens to be Felicia.

Summer is here down here it is hot hot hot outside and you just melt going from air conditioned car to air conditioned store or home - isn't A/C the greatest invention?

open flowers

2008-05-04T08:46:00.002-05:00

My flowers opened up - still don't know what they are or how big they will get but they have a pot big enough.

Woke up with the best of intentions today but only got as far as cleaning the ceiling fan and vacuuming on yes and trimming one plant outside. On my list was washing my truck and repoting some of my chives that have come back nicely from not getting any water. At least I watered everything again this morning.

I want to wash the truck when it is real early and the dirt is wet with dew - to late now the sun is out and it looks like it is going to be a hot one today with no chance of rain.

Baby spent the night with her dad so I had a pretty good night's sleep. Woke up really early but made myself go back to sleep planning on all the stuff I was going to do today. Oh well, it will get done sooner or later.

Steph got new tires for the front of her car which she really needed and is amazed at how well it drives. I can hardly wait to get new tires on my truck - I really need them too. I keep losing air in one of them and have to check it all the time.

Things have been quiet around here yesterday and this morning. It is nice to have a break from the baby but I miss her too. She keeps you on your toes constantly.

New Flowers

2008-05-03T07:17:00.002-05:00

I was out early this morning buying flowers to go in the big pot we used to grow tomatoes in. Since I don't like tomatoes that much and my mom gave me some I decided on flowers. Have not a clue as to what they are there was no tag on them nor a sign but I liked their looks so here's hoping for the best. The land lord took away some of my bigger pots for me. Steve used to help me take care of things but it was just too much for me to handle. Most everything was dead any way.

Keep my hibiscus and gardenia and two pots of amaryllis. My daughter took some of the bulbs with her to Georgia where they seem to be thriving just fine.

Steph scared me to death this morning she came tearing out of her room to get the baby some juice and I didn't even know they were home. Looks like from the styro foam containers some one must have taken them out to eat last night.

Had a nice call from Dawn the other sister. The sisters have been arguing but have made peace now. There isn't much she can do for me except keep in touch. None of us went to the family reuion. It would have just hurt so much not to see Steve there. The missing him is getting a little better but it won't go away ever.

Gone

2008-05-01T04:59:00.002-05:00

My sis took me to my doctor's appointment way up in Tampa. We were talking so hard we were there before we knew it and wonder of wonders they took me in early. My old doctor retired and I have a new lady doctor - she is nice.
After the doctor we decided to eat at Ho One the Chinese buffet that my family has eaten at for years. You can imagine our shock when we got there and discovered it was closed and the space was up for lease. I guess all good things come to an end sometimes.
We just drove back to Riverview right down the road from my house and had lunch at Lucky Buffet. The place always has lots of people in it. Our lunch was good. My sis snapped this shot of me outside. Guess this will turn into the family restaurant now.

Poor little Marissa we have been putting pull ups on her hoping that she will get the idea of the potty - yesterday her pull up must have been full and when she went wee wee it ran down her leg - such a shocked look on her face it was very comical. Thank goodness she was in the kitchen on the tile instead of on the carpet. I couldn't stop laughing it was so funny.

Hope I get one of those IRS refunds. I sent in the paper work now I just have to wait. I more then likely won't get it till June. It sure will come in handy no matter how much I get.

Barbque

2008-04-27T08:55:00.003-05:00

This is what I will miss Steve's barbque. I can't barbque - things get burned. Steve introduced me to the joys of barbque ribs and pork chops. He loved to do it too. After his arm was hurt it took both of us to manage but I just followed instructions.
Still have the horse for our neighbor. It is nice to see his big pasture next door. You wouldn't believe we were living in the middle of a city.

Toys

2008-04-25T07:10:00.002-05:00

If all else fails dump the toys and sit in the basket to amuse yourself. Guess who got to pick up the toys - yep me. At least it kept her happy for a while and you have to admire her for thinking it up.

Marissa climbs in bed with me in the middle of the night - we are getting a routine down. She absolutely will not go to sleep till nine thirty no matter how tired she is but come nine thirty and you tell her to lay down she is gone in a few minuets.

She really isn't hard to watch. She likes Sponge Bob. I think soon I can recite the words to the shows but if it keeps her happy then I and her mom are happy.

Been trying potty training but so far she goes in her pull ups then takes them off and wants to sit on the potty. She has the idea right now for that break through moment when she realizes she should go potty before going in her pull ups.

Steve

2008-04-24T11:35:00.002-05:00

Steve was a kind man - a little rough on the outside but if he was your friend you could rely on him. This picture is I think when he had his arm in a sling after the second operation they did on his shoulder.
Are you catching a theme here. Steve kept in touch with family and friends by phone all the time. Most of his family lives somewhere else so having a long distance plan was a must.
Here is one of the few pictures I have of him at the beach without a fishing rod in his hand. We had taken Steph's two girls to the beach. We didn't stay long they wanted to go to McDonalds.

I miss him. I miss the one sided conversations I would listen to while he was talking on the phone. Of course every now and then I would throw my two cents in and he would get a laugh out of it. What really made him laugh was when I would hear him talking to his sisters about some food their mother used to fix and that I had no idea that he liked so I would jump up and go write it on my grocery list. He will not be forgotten. To be taken so soon and so quickly has us all shocked but we are hanging in there. My family has been a great comfort to me and Steve's family are still in touch with me.

Yarn Search

2008-04-22T19:49:00.002-05:00

My sis picked me up this afternoon and we went on a yarn search. She needed a certain shade to finish an afghan but first we had to stop at big lots. Found a few goodies in the food isle and bought myself a three dollar movie - Mortal Thoughts - has to be pretty good it has Bruce Willess in it.
Here is Sis trying to find the yarn she needed in Jo Ann's. There is suppose to be no lot number so each color is suppose to match but these that were suppose to be brilliant white had a purple tint to them. Sis is going to email the company and try to find the yarn she needs on line. She checked out Michaels and Wal Mart too but no luck.
I was just graping the yarn to feel it really - I have to use up some of the yarn I still have before buying more but oh it was so nice to see all that yarn.
Of course we had to stop and eat a bite. We were both craving burgers so Steak and Shake was the perfect place. We bought the smallest milk shakes they sell but ended up having to get to go cups for them we were so full.

It was a really nice day. I am so lucky that I have such a wonderful sis. She has helped me through my grieving for Steve too.

Baby

2008-04-18T08:57:00.002-05:00

This cute little face has kept me busy in these difficult times. I miss Steve so much but she keeps me busy busy busy which is good.

I am getting out and getting some things done. Had to have my oil changed in my truck. At last I took the chair that has been in the back of my truck for a couple of months to the mission. I have a topper on my truck so the rain didn't hurt it. I also took some shoes my daughter thought I could wear but I couldn't. The mission was happy to have them.

My daughter came down here for the viewing. I don' think I would have been able to handle it if she hadn't come. My mother and sister were there too. Steve was buried in Stark, Fl. which is about seventy miles from here. I decided not to go and I am glad I didn't. I stayed here and watched the baby while everyone else went.

Well the baby is wanting some attention so I guess I will wrap this up.

My Friend

2008-04-12T20:07:00.003-05:00

On April 10, 2008 I lost my best friend, my companion, my heart mate. It was so sudden. He was sick a little with a cough then he got an infection that went wild in his body. He had a massive stroke that left him brain dead so for his wish his family let him go. I was with him till the end.

I want to thank everyone who has sent messages to me. I thank AIP has helped me through this a lot and know she will be there for me in the hard days to come.

Little One

2008-03-08T18:36:00.002-05:00

Haven't had much time to post lately. Picture speaks for it's self - an eighteen month old with all hands and getting into everything. She is a doll though. I think that I am learning all the Sponge Bob cartoons. Oops gotta go.

Babysitting

2008-02-22T07:55:00.002-05:00

Steve and I volunteered to baby sit Steph's baby. We have done OK so far. She is a little doll and such a good baby.

Moocher was a little jealous at first he climbed up in my lap but let Marissa pet him. He isn't wanting to come in so often now though.

Steph works at night so we have the baby over night. So most of the time she is with us she is sleeping.

Lost in the Big City

2008-02-06T23:22:00.000-05:00

There is one doctor that I have to go see in the big city of Tampa. For some reason I missed my turn and became totally lost. I had never been in that part of the city and found myself going around in circles. I stopped at a store and asked how to get to Armenia which is where my doctor is and the kind lady gave me some directions. Well I drove and drove and figured out I must have misunderstood her so I turned around and ended right back at the same store. This time she gave me some different directions and I followed them faithfully even when it seemed I would never reach the streets she had told me to turn on. I made it to my nine fortyfive doctor's appointment at eleven fortyfive and my doctor had already left but another doctor said she would see me before she went to lunch which I couldn't thank her enough for.

The trip home was OK except for the traffic. I know one thing going into my truck tomrrow is a map of Tampa. Maybe I should get myself a thingy that tells you if you are going north or south. It wouldn't have helped today though because I had no idea if I was south or north of my destination.

I wasted a lot of gas. I am going to make sure this doesn't happen again. I only have to see this doctor once every three months for check ups but I have to go to them.

Wish me luck for the next trip I take to the big city. Leave me to my neighborhood driving and Brandon driving where I know where each of my doctors are there.

More Waiting

2008-02-05T02:13:00.000-05:00

Well the big court date came and went. What was suppose to be about an hour turned into over three hours and poor Steve still has to wait three weeks or so for the judge's decision. So more waiting.

We enjoyed the Super Bowl and was very happy when the Giants scored that touch down in the last seconds of the game. We both yelled - guess the neighbors thought we were fighting! Now both Mannings have Super Bowl wins. The cameras kept showing Patten watching his little brother play and getting excited.

Haven't been working on anything lately - still need to finish my shawl by the time I do I won't need it. We are have some pretty warm weather here and this weekend it is suppose to be in the eighties. What we really need is rain. It is raining all around us but just not on us.

I have to remember not to try and go to Wal Mart on Super Bowl day any more - people were buying drinks and snacks and tables and chairs and grills and it seemed every one of them was in a bad mood. The only good thing was picking up the chicken wings we ordered. Beef O'Bradys had a table set up just inside the door for pick ups they had so many. My little order of twenty five wings and one order of onion rings was dinky compared to the other orders people were picking up. They needed boxes to haul the stuff out of there. The wings were good with enough left over that I didn't have to fix anything else to eat the next day.

The Big Day

2008-01-31T02:59:00.000-05:00

Steve's court date has arrived at last. I don't know if he is getting any sleep but I sure am not. It is a little warm in here for me but not warm enough to turn the A/C on. I like it cool when I sleep.

I plan on getting a lot of house work done while Steve is gone to keep my mind off of what may be happening at court. His brother Ronnie is going with him which is a good thing. Ronnie knows about these things and he has a calming influence on Steve who has no patience with anything.

Our friends sold their hardware store which they have been trying to do for a while and are very happy about it. We are happy for them too.

It looks like Moocher has run out of girl friends for the time being. He calls when he goes outside but I haven't seen any other female cats around. He was a busy fellow for a while there though I don't know if he ever really 'made contact' if you know what I mean.

My daughter has the cutest little puppies now on her fluffy flowers blog - they have floppy ears.

My sister and her hubby just got a new addition to the family a new puppy. They have one dog already a little poddle named Cody - last I heard the new puppy didn't have a name yet. Oh, just read my sis's blog and they had to take the puppy back - both of them turned out to be allergic to the little thing. Too bad they seemed so happy.

Tarot with picture

2008-01-24T01:14:00.001-05:00

You are The High Priestess

Science, Wisdom, Knowledge, Education.

The High Priestess is the card of knowledge, instinctual, supernatural, secret knowledge. She holds scrolls of arcane information that she might, or might not reveal to you. The moon crown on her head as well as the crescent by her foot indicates her willingness to illuminate what you otherwise might not see, reveal the secrets you need to know. The High Priestess is also associated with the moon however and can also indicate change or fluxuation, particularily when it comes to your moods.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Fill kind of dumb forgot that when you post every picture is in code - I hope this shows the pretty picture. Here goes!

Tarot

2008-01-24T00:18:00.000-05:00

I was inspired by AIP to see what Tarot card I was but couldn't figure out how to get the picture on my blog but this is what it said about me:

You are The High Priestess
Science, Wisdom, Knowledge, Education.

The High Priestess is the card of knowledge, instinctual, supernatural, secret knowledge. She holds scrolls of arcane information that she might, or might not reveal to you. The moon crown on her head as well as the crescent by her foot indicates her willingness to illuminate what you otherwise might not see, reveal the secrets you need to know. The High Priestess is also associated with the moon however and can also indicate change or fluctuation, particularly when it comes to your moods.

Pretty much sounds like me I guess. Love to learn new things and I know a little of it seems like everything.

I guess I am going to have to go to the doctor for my dizziness. I thought it might be my diabetes but my sugar is right where it is suppose to be and it isn't my ears - I thought with the cold maybe my ears were getting it but they don't hurt. The only thing I am left with it is my blood pressure. Guess I better go have it checked out but it has always been just a little high not really bad.

We have had a whole day of westerns here on the movie channel. Wednesday is cowboy day and they showed Randolf Scott movies all day. Didn't even get to see the Rifle Man or Batmasterson this week. Saw a couple I had never seen but I'll be darned if I can remember the names now.

I laid down early to do some reading. Have another bag full to trade in at the book store next time I have to go to a doctor in Brandon - just twenty or thirty minuets away from us. At last I broke down and ordered a new Almanac and a new movie guide from Half.com. My other ones are so outdated we couldn't find information we were looking for. Our favorite things is to watch an old movie and look it up to see when it was made and who starred in it.

My loving sister gave me her old cell phone - the kind you put minuets on - I haven't figured it all out yet but have the instruction books and am working on it. I did manage to call my own phone from the list but now I want to add a number and I have to figure out how to do that. Maybe if I am not so dizzy tomorrow I will try and learn some more about it. Her and her hubby got a family plan because he needed an extra cell phone and with the rebates their phones were free.

I do declare I have seen a new female cat in our yard. Where are they coming from. Moocher must have something special for all these cats to show up. It must be mating season. I should take him off to the vet and take care of something but just can't afford it right now. He has to be over three years old now because he was grown when we moved here and we have been here over three years now. I wonder why the people before us just left him - I guess they couldn't take him with him and he figured this was home so he stayed.

Lunch

2008-01-22T08:27:00.000-05:00

Spent a few nice hours with my sis yesterday. She took me to lunch at the Lucky Buffet. We do it up right with all that oriental food. Back to my tofu and veggies and fruit now.
We also stopped at Beal's Outlet and bought a few things. All in all we had a nice time and didn't realize how late it was getting.
No pictures - I am getting bad about not taking my camera with me. I should get back in the habit no telling what I may spot that would make a nice picture.
Woke up dizzy this morning so the doctor's trip is off. Guess the cold is still with me the antihistamine just masked the symptoms. The appointment was just for an eye test that I have already put off once.
It was such a lovely day yesterday except the wind was a bit on the strong side.
Steve is all set for his court date at the end of the month - hopefully this will be the settlement. He went to another doctor and was tested and the doctor could tell he was trying real hard but he failed all the tests.

From cold to warm

2008-01-11T02:13:00.000-05:00

Well it has warmed back up again enough to turn the A/C on again - just wait a week and we will be back in long pants and running the heat - for a few days.

My appointment with my pulmonary went well except that he found out my cpap machine was set on seven when it was suppose to be set on ten. I had to take the whole thing back to the doctors the next day and have them reset it. With the higher pressure I am trying to get adjusted so there will be no air leaks. Found out tonight I didn't have the strap tight enough on my head. I can stand the strap tighter rather then the air leaks around my nose piece. Thought I had a picture but I think that was one I deleted when I was trying to add some pictures to my computer and it informed me that it was going to crash if I went ahead. I have the pictures on CD any way. I will have to find it.

Steve has several appointments to go to - his lawyer on Friday which is more then likely part of why I can't sleep tonight. Can't help but worry till this court thing is settled.

Moocher has had a girl friend visiting him for the last few days. I don't know where she comes from but think she lives across the street. Moocher must be popular with the girls because there was a different female cat hanging around for a while. He doesn't wonder off looking for these ladies they come to him.

Checked out the Wal Mart health food section and found my tofu and some soybeans that are cooked fresh. That is the first time I have seen them for sale and I graped a package - they are delicious. I wasn't too impressed with the tofu chicken. I would just rather buy the unflavored kind. I am going to keep buying stuff so they won't do away with their health food section like Winn Dixie did.

Cold and Batteries

2008-01-06T06:55:00.000-05:00

Our cold snap finished off Steve's battery in his truck. Neither one of us have jumper cables - which may be a good thing to buy - but his friend had a charger so Steve put that on his battery and sure enough it charged enough so it started up. He went to return the charger to his friend and his truck would hardly start so when it did start he high tailed it over to the auto place we use all the time and they told him his battery was pretty much dead so he had them install a new one.

Steve has a lot of appointments to keep this month. All having to do with his settlement from work. With this cold weather his shoulder and arm are really hurting. Even his left shoulder hurts but I imagine it is also because he uses it more.

Found out why the squirrels haven't been eating the corn that falls on the ground there was a totally black cat out there sitting right by the tree - when a squirrel would come down the cat would hiss at it. I guess it has been hanging out around there somewhere it just happened to be where I could see it yesterday.

Seems we are rushing into the new year. We are almost a week into it already. I have a feeling that this year is going to go fast.

Appointment with my pulmonary doctor on Monday - you don't dare miss without calling because they charge $200 for a missed appointment. Every thing seems about the same I am using my cpap machine at night and feel rested most mornings. I sometimes still pull it off in my sleep but wake up enough to put it back on.

Watched a good football game last night the Jaguars against - oh dear I forgot who they played for the moment, it will come to me later - but they won which is what we wanted. I couldn't stay up for the second game. The Bucs play today - hope it is an early game. I enjoy watching football. I like to see all those big guys pile into each other and the reffere try to untangle them. You don't really see how big those guys are until they happen to be standing next to someone of normal size.

Coffee is getting cold. Heat just came on again. Time to go for now.

Christmas

2008-01-03T07:49:00.000-05:00

We had a happy Christmas. The two oldest girls were able to fly down for Christmas but had to return to Maryland while the lawyers try to get custody back to Steph their mother.

Everyone enjoyed their presents and as usual the cheapest ones were the favorites. I should have bought the six year old one harder books she had already read one by the time they left to go home. I am almost thinking she has a photograph memory. She will ask you to spell a word and you just spell it then she will write it down and remember it. No wonder they wanted to put her up a grade when she was down here.

Don't laugh those of you facing snow and real cold but it is thirty degrees down here in sunshiny Florida and us poor thin blooded Floridians are freezing. Of course it is going to warm up later into the seventies which is fine with me. I can just see that electric meter racing around because the heater just won't turn off.

Just about finished with this round of doctors. Eye doctor said everything looked good in my eye balls - have to go back for a test that measures how far you can see to the sides. Waiting for some results from another test but that one looks good too. My primary loves to give me referrals to other doctors if she even suspects something may be wrong. I suppose I should be glad that I have a doctor that is on the ball but it does get tiresome going to doctors all the time.

Well this is a new year hard to believe it is 2008. When I was young 2000 looked so far away and now we are eight years into a new century. I know how my grandmother felt now about all the new inventions in her life time. I am totally lost when it comes to ipods, and all those cell phones and the new computers, cars that talk to you and tell you where to go - I just can't keep up with all the new stuff. Oh well, what I don't know won't bother me.

I know this is late but Happy New Year to everyone.

Catching Up

2007-12-24T07:59:00.000-05:00

Well I have had a birthday since the last post. I am now all of fifty eight years old. Inside I don't feel that old but outside my body has all the aches and pains of getting on in years.

My daughter sent me this neat fish. You would think it is real until you touched it. The fish is enclosed in clear soap. She sent me a box for Christmas and I think I will open it this Christmas Eve - can't wait any more.

I actually braved Wal Mart twice on Sunday. Thought there might not be too many people there but it was packed. I had bought Steve, my room mate a pair of Wrangler jeans and we were watching a commercial on TV for them and he said he didn't like them. Now I am a receipt saver but I looked high and low for the receipt for the jeans and couldn't find it. Wal Mart let me exchange them for a different brand. He wanted Rustlers but I couldn't find any. You can bet this time I saved the receipt so if he doesn't like them we can exchange them.

Well the turkey is thawing. The pies are thawing too - afraid I have gotten lazy in my old age and go the easy way - not even bring home and bake but bring home and thaw out. Hopefully we will have the kids and Steve's daughter and her husband all day Christmas day. They are going to help me cook too isn't that nice. Steph's husband is a strong fellow and I am going to let him handle getting the turkey in and out of the oven. Steve can't help because of his arm.

Merry Christmas to everyone out there in blogger land.

Creatures

2007-11-29T17:15:00.000-05:00

My daughter gave me some of her creatures while I was visiting but they wouldn't fit in my suitcase so she had to mail them to me. Two Christmas stocking dolls that fit right in with the stuffed toys I put near the tree. I don't think I will let the kids play with them though.
This is really my favorite - purple creature. Kids can play with him.