Good Morning!!!

***For those who do not already know, we lost my beautiful mother on 12/30/2011 unexpectantly to cancer. In honor of her, and simply because I missing her terribly, I will try to post some of her posts that she had in drafts. They may not mean a whole lot to most people. But to catch a tiny glimpse of her 'thoughts' is exactly what I am needing. - Nancy (her daughter)***

Just a quick drop in this morning. I didn't make it last night and I have to be quick right now as I have to leave work to meet the electrician.

We have no electric in the back of the house. We think we blew a breaker, but none show blown so we are assuming the breaker went bad.

We pay a couple a bucks a month with the power company and when things like this happens, they will come out and fix it up to $500. If over $500 you will get 15% off the bill.Not bad, and I bet the power company makes out like a bandit, because most people probably forget they signed up for it. We will see how it goes!!

I know I have been lax in posting so with that I am going to catchup posting some of my LO I have put blood and tears into!!! LOL

I am hoping to be back on again tonight, so we will see. Till I am back on, have a great day!

At Last!!

At last I got the mojo flowing and got my LO done! I still find it so odd that you can stare at a LO for so long and nothing happens. Then all of a sudden it gets off dead center. 

Here it the first LO of when Gloria came to visit. It was such a good time. This is when Nancy and her family was able to meet up with us at Cracker Barrel. 

It was great getting to see her and Larry after twenty plus years! It had only been about nineteen or twenty years for Nancy because Gloria and she worked together, also. 

I was pleased at how it finally turned out.

Click on image for larger view

I am going to start on another one. I could kick myself for not taking more pictures and also for not getting better background. Oh well. Live and learn. I will overcome it somehow!! LOL

Nothing big going on around here. Just been pottsing around doing this and that which has amounted to not much. I really don't know where all the time goes; it just does.

It is so nice to see the flowers starting to bloom. I know that you northerners don't think we have seasons here in Florida, but we sure do. Everyone is into planting and WATERING. With not rain in sight for a while, we sure have to dump the water on the new plantings. We do have a rainy season, but not until June.

I told Jim the other day it was not wonder that we couldn't grow flowers very well when we worked. We will leave in the morning to go do a little something and by the time we get back shortly after noon, the marigolds are all wilted already. Well, by the time we would have gotten home from work, the poor little things would have been beyond help. At least we can revive them now!! And they look beautiful.

My plumerias, you know, the ones that they make leis out of , are slow to take off this year. However, there is one with blossoms coming and the poor thing only has one leaf on it. These are the plants that loose all their leaves each year and only look like a stick in the ground until in the spring when they get their leaves and then the beautiful blossoms. I think I will try to go out and get a picture of one of them. You will see how ugly they are. When we first moved here we wondered what in the heck people had sticks planted in their yards. We soon found out why they put up with all the ugliness. Because they are beautiful when they bloom, and they bloom longer then they are barren.

Here is a picture of what they look like when they loose all their leaves.

But then they get these beautiful and very fragrant flowers. It is worth having a bare stick in your yard for a while!!

Guess that is about it for this writing. Hope you all have a great evening and thanks for stopping by.

Oh, we had to go out for a while in between writing this and on the way home the thermometer down the street said it was...95!!!!!!! Can you believe??? It is only April!!! Just had to add that. I thought it was just way too hot!!

Basking In the Sun

Temps in the high eighties!!! Don't like to complain about those, except did it have to get into the 80's so fast??? Feels good, but it went as usual, from winter to summer. No time to get used to the rising temps.

But, I know you won't believe this but it is 79 in the house and I am sitting with a down filled throw over me!!! Don't know why. Took a chill and can not get warm. Just now got feeling in my feet so thought I would blog and say hi!!!

Just watched the news and while the temps are great I am afraid only the northern Spring breakers will be brave enough to go in the water...which is a good thing because a local would never brave the beaches at Spring break! The water temp in Clearwater is only 78. Oh hush. I can hear you all now. While that has to sound beautiful to most of you, we are used to about 93!!!! Wowser!! That's cold. The weatherman said you probably would acclimate after you got in!!! LOL

Da Da!! Now I can tell you!! GLORIA and LARRY, our old friends from Ohio were here!!! Oh my! It was fantastic!!! We had not seen each other in probably twenty-five years or so. It was so awesome. It was like we never skipped a beat. And get this...they look the same. Go figure!!! I felt like a grandma standing next to Gloria. Ever notice how some people never age?? Well, she does wear glasses now...but other than that...golly...she looks the same!!!

I don't have any LO's yet of our reunion. I am in stall mode. I want them to be perfect and I can't get with them. I have changed the color of the one I have started it seems like a million times. I will get it, but I won't stop until I get it just where I want it.

For taking as many pictures that we did we really took a lot of the same pose. I won't let that happen the next time!! 

I was so happy that our daughter Nancy and her family were able to meet up with us at Cracker Barrel. I was looking at the picture that a wonderful customer took of all of us, and if I am thinking right, Nancy's middle child, Siana, is the age that Nancy was when they last saw each other!!! Mind boggling!!

More on the dog dodo slinger. I was sitting in my infamous chair looking out my wonderful patio door the other morning, and what now do I see? A NEIGHBOR...walking their dog. OK. But, doggy decided to go dodo...and he LEAVES it and walks away!!! Now I have to think...which is worse? The lady that at least picked it up and put it in a nice bag...or one that leaves it there for you to step in? None of this is what I would hope a dog owner would do. Oh well. I can't change the world. 

You know, the Internet is great. We have been so hungry for a dish that TGI Friday served over twenty years ago when we moved down here. Santa Fe Pasta. Oh, my. It just really hit the spot for us. Restaurant owners should be scarred if Jim and I like a dish. It is always the kiss of death for it!!

So the other day a neighbor gave us a big bunch of Cilantro, which was a main ingredient in the dish, so I decided to search the Internet for the recipe

I had searched for over a half hour, changing my search terms, and thought I would check one more page...and I FOUND IT!! Oh my. I made it the other day and I think I could have just laid my head in it and breathed for a while. Have you ever wanted something like that and thought you would probably never taste it again?? So I am sure I will be making it again...and soon!!!  Needless to say, not the healthiest, but isn't that always the way it goes???

Hum. Due to the fact I can't satisfy myself with my scrap page, I only have two LO's that I haven't posted. At least I don't think they have been posted. 

This is one of Brian when he was on this Mediterranean working tour and decided to get his scuba certification while he was there.

And this is my date and nut bread recipe LO! I only make it at Christmas as was the family tradition, but I would just love to have a nice thick slice with cream cheese on it right now!! LOL I go through these food desires about twice a year LOL Every sale that came on TV today, I had to tell Jim what a great deal that was. Well, come on. You don't get calories just dreaming!!! LOL

I love that Santa. He was at a mall in the area last year!!! One of the few that I have liked out of his traditional red suite.

Hey! I am finally warm. I am going to go turn the air back on!!! I am beginning to glow! That is what one of our ministers used to say. Men sweat. Women glow!!! I thought that was sweet of him!

Take care. Have a great night. And enjoy!!!

So Many Things I Never Knew!!!

The longer I live the more I realize I am so uninformed about things, which doesn't bother me, but still makes me wonder what I do know!! LOL

We were watching either the History or Discover channel the other night and they were talking about the center or inside of the earth. I was reading at the time so I was only catching bits and pieces of the show. But I did catch this part.

There are holes or caverns into the earth and this particular one was the size of the Empire State Building. Well now, that was exciting enough but not the clincher for me. What really got to me was...that people parachute into the silly thing!! They only have, if I recall, twelve seconds to pull the cord or they will not land OK. Then after they land at the bottom of this they are hauled back up to the surface with a harness and metal cable. Positively does not sound like fun to me, but to each his own, I guess!!!

They did not elaborate on what happens if you don't pull the cord soon enough and crash land. Maybe, I hope, it has never happened! I would think that you certainly would remember if your life was depending on those twelve seconds!!!

Anyway, all these things that I don't know. And then when I watch more TV and see people talking about all these astronomy things, all the weather details, all that is known about plants and medicines...just to name a few...makes you know that you really don't know much at all!!! Life is fascinating. 

Haven't been doing much of anything. Just watching the bad weather roll in and out. Had company in, two different sets of people, both which we haven't seen in about twenty-five years!! It was unbelievable!! We had so much fun but it was just too short. More about both of those in a later blog!!

I have decided to do a quote scrapbook album. There is a friend that is doing one for each of her grandchildren using pictures of them for it, but I thought I would use random pictures. I am a quote nut and love them so much. They say so much in such few words.

I am probably going to use this one to start: "There is never enough time to do all the nothin' you want", Calvin, from Calvin and Hobbs!! I saw it on a LO of another friend, Laura, on Designer Digitals last week. I love it and thought it would be a good place to start. I just need to find the pic that I want to use. Take a look at it. Laura is a great scrapper and I think it is a beautiful LO!

I have been scrapping, scrapping, scrapping. It feels so good when it all "happens" for you. Let me see what I have to post.

Click for larger view

These are my flamingos. I don't know why but I love to scrap them. Guess it is the color. No matter how many times I go to Busch, I always come home with more pics of them. So you will always see more and more pages of my flamingos.

Click for larger view

Of course there are the lions. I love them, too. Guess maybe I just love the animals!! LOL They never put on an act. They are just being themselves, and I love that. I hate fakiness, and animals don't do that!

And the last one is of one of the beaches by us. We only live about twelve minutes away from the beach and just love them. The entire side of the coast of Florida where we live is just one beach after another. They are all different. Some have boardwalks you have to use to get to them, others you can get to just from street side. Just get out of your car and there you are. Jim and I promised each other never to get used to the peaceful beauty of the 'oce'...short for ocean as we call the Gulf of Mexico!!!...the fine white sand beaches and the palm trees. We often go there just to unwind for a while...or watch the sun set. 

Click for larger view

That is about it for today. Have a few things to do and then I think I am going to read. I haven't been reading much and have missed it.

As always, thanks for stopping by and have a great day!!!

Boy! I just don't know what I feel...

Yesterday I was sitting in my rocking chair at the patio door in our living room watching the world go by. Oh the joys of retirement!!! LOL

I heard some dogs barking so I turned a little and saw a young lady about in her late thirties with two beautiful, very large dogs across the street at the side yard of our neighbors.

She is making them stand still as she pulls of a doggy bag to pick up their deposit in the yard. I thought, well that is nice, she is cleaning up after her dogs, which is not only what the park says you will do if you want a dog, but what is the nice thing to do!! No one should have to have their yard used as the potty for YOUR dog!

So, I turn back around and watch her go past the side yard, past the neighbor's and get to the side yard of the neighbor diagonally across from us. Then...picture this. She takes that rather large blue dogie potty bag, swings it around two times and heaves it into the side yard right next to the neighbor's car!! Can you even believe?

If I could have gotten to her fast enough I would have screamed at her!!! I guess because she had a double leash in one hand and her water bottle in the other, the doggy bag was just not what she wanted to carry. After all...she did at least put it in a bag for them. Unbelievable. To make it even a little worse, this man, who I think lives alone, is partially disabled. I need to go over and pick that up today. Sometimes he is not out for days at a time.

I had thought that the guy I worked with was bad. He would walk his dog. Clean up after her and them put it in someone's garbage can as he went by. You see, he always walked the dog with a beer in one hand and the dog leash in the other. He didn't have a free hand to carry the filled bag!! Yuk!! But at least he put it in the garbage; but I still don't approve of that move either!!

People. I just will never understand them!

Well. My gripe for today. That just really made an impression on me.

I have been scrapping. It feels good, but I am getting way low on pics to scrap. I do have a few of friends that came to visit so I think those will be the next.

This is the one I finished last night. I took these when I still worked. Joe and Buck had wanted gas money and they had brought me the money box. I guess they were in a hurry. They grabbed the box and off they went. The journaling tells the story. I laughed so hard at them. They were always doing things like this!

Click to read journaling

This is not one of my favorites but it is OK. It is of the kangaroos at Busch Gardens, Tampa. They were so cute. Then I found a quote by Erma Bombeck that I just loved and decided I should pair them together.

Click to view larger image

                                                         

And the last for today is My Home. It is a bird that I saw at Busch Gardens that I loved. He looked so happy and like he was very much at home where he was.

 

Click to read journaling

                                        
Don't really know what else is on tap for today. We have had a very wonderful week with friends visiting from Ohio. Haven't felt the best yesterday and today so I think we will probably just hang around. I have not been reading...I know...really strange for me...so I think it is time to revisit my Kindle.

Uh...might I just say...it is supposed to be 89 today and tomorrow!!! Wowser!!! It is about time!!!!!!! I know that is way too hot for Serene, but for us Floridians it feels soooo good! Maybe my bones will decide to start moving again without a groan from me!!!

Savor the rest of the day. Back to the grind stone tomorrow. But that isn't so bad. Everyone needs to be needed!!! Someone is counting on you.

Thanks for stopping by.

What A Day!!!

I will try to control myself so that this blog doesn't get so long but what a day we have had already!!! 

We had bad weather yesterday and they warned us that we would have more today. But usually, once you have one bad day, the next day is not AS bad. WRONG! The weather people were really surprised, too!!!

It started this morning when the weather radio went off at six o'clock!! Do you all have weather radios? We never did when we lived up north but you sure do need one in Florida. Bad, really bad weather is able to strike up the band at anytime, and you need to be made aware of it!! So we all have radios that go off when weather gets bad!!

Now. Six A.M. I am always up by then but do I really need to think about tornadic weather heading straight at out daughter's and my son-in-law being chased down by it on his way to work?

I do need to add, too, that we get BAD weather all the time here and the weather people don't make a big deal of it. They are just keeping an eye on it for you. But when they sit there and go "Oh my! Oh, my! This is really very bad!! You soon perk up and watch. On our radar here is shows spirals wherever there is a possibility of a tornado forming.

What it amounted to was really BAD, BAD weather with many tornadoes embedded in it!! Starting up north by our daughter's and then us then south below us. In fact it is three in the afternoon and we are still under tornado watch. And we really don't get many tornadoes. And when we do they are very short lived, but these were on the ground moving across the state until 1:30!! I stopped watching continually so I am not sure if they have made it all the way across yet or not! So rare!

Daughter and son-in-law were safe, thank God. But, then it was our turn at 11:30. With our great weather forecasting we knew for about a half hour that a tornado was headed directly for us. Anxiety does build, that is for sure. 

As it worked out, it didn't go directly over us but rather a block to the south of us. I did hear the freight train sound but I said to myself...aw...that's just thunder! LOL As it turned out, there were towers down, houses destroyed, buildings destroyed, roofs off...the whole bit. Thank God, we, ourselves, were unscathed.

We live a couple miles from the Clearwater/St. Pete International airport and they had power poles down, buildings destroyed and planes tipped over. There was also a Sun 'n' Fun air show at an airport in Tampa and tents were down, planes turned over...all that nasty stuff. And it is reported a plane hanger somewhere...I forget where...was damaged and people were trapped in there.

Not a great day...but thank God, I have not heard of anyone being hurt.

With that, I am going to shut off the blog because I could go on and on. So many things being damaged. If you want to see some pics go here.  There is a link to see photos.

I have done some LO's since I posted last. I will post a couple.

Click for Larger View

This is the last one I did of Brian in Egypt. I need to get some more done!!

Click for Larger View

Ugh!! Raining hard again. We have gotten more rain in the last two days than we get in the normal month of March. From dry to squishy!! 

Need to get going. Have some laundry Jim wants to get done. Have to go to the Clubhouse since our washer rusted out!! LOL So it goes on, and on and on....

Later all my dear taters!!!

Just Stopping By

Just a quick hello for today. Have not done a silly thing today except went out to get a bite for lunch.

Watched a whole lot of TV, but I haven't even really read!! Just one of those "I can't get into it" days!!! LOL

I did see one think off my Facebook that I really liked. It was this sotry about a Kitty and a Crow. It is so cute so I wanted to post it here, too.

It just goes to show you, that all of us really can get along together and care about each other if we really wanted to, and no one told us we shouldn't!!!

 See if you like it!! It is a little slow in spots but I still think it is worth it! I hope it works. I am not good at these kinds of copies!!

 So here is the story that I am calling: Kitty & Crow 

Hope it works and hope you enjoy it.

Now take note, I said this would be short and I really meant it. Enjoy the rest of your night and will be back again, very soon!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

He asked us...

is that a PIG????

Please!!! We were walking our lovely puppy...well 14 year old puppy!!!

I didn't know whether to cry or laugh. LOL But as I looked at Zoe I had to admit, with her weight, being coal black and walking with her head down and a strange gait because of her bad hips, she could possibly look like one of those black pigs that they keep as pets now. And the older guy was a distance away leaning on his car in his driveway!!! LOL

Here is a LO I did of our pretty baby from a while back.

 Click on image to enlarge

This is when Jim used to take her every Sunday to get her own egg McMuffin!! We didn't get anything, this was for HER!! Well, maybe she had one too many muffins!!! But, she doesn't go anymore because her hips are too bad and she can't jump into the car. Poor baby. It isn't fun to get OLD! But I will have to tell him next time that she prefers to be called Porker!!!

He was a nice man. We had never met before and spent a few minutes getting to know each other. He is from New York, testified by his accent. What surprised me was that he asked us where we were from because HE detected an accent. I had never had anyone tell me I had an accent before, but Jim says people tell him that all the time. So I guess Ohioans have accents, too!!

Spent yesterday doing a LO. I hope I get on a roll. I miss scrapping, but have not been motivated. And when that happens...nothing happens!!

This is a quote I found of Charlotte Bronte while reading The Apothecary's Daughter, by Julie Klassen. While not a book, I thought, with a great plot, it was one that made you think about the underlying things the book was saying about relationships. In that respect a very good book. An easy read with a surprising ending.

Loved my little seals that I saw while at Sea World, Orlando!! They are my favorites...but oh, are they ever noisy!!!

Well,  my breakfast has been served, so I had better go get it while the getting is good. Isn't Jim a sweetie??!!!

Have a great Sunday; for most, it is back to the grist mill in a very short time.

Thanks for taking time to stop by.



 

Pig graphic courtesy of Designed To a T.

I was told something

that I have known for a long time!! LOL Terry told me I am weird!!! LOL

You see, our washer went kibbutz the other day and so today we went to the club house to do some laundry! I was telling her how I, personally, would rather do the laundry at a laundromat or whatever. You can start the loads, 1, 2, 3. Take them out to dry, 1, 2, 3 and fold them or hang them as they come out, 1...2...3!! All done in just a couple hours rather than an all day affair!! And hey, you can hang out at the pool while you wait. Is that really cool or what?!!

But I said I really can't stop and think about everybody else using the washers and shoving their dirty laundry in them. I know they get washed, but the idea that dirty clothes go in there bothers me!!! LOL LOL

 

That's when she told me I was weird. Now really. Tell me something I don't already know!!!

Anyway that is the bit of insight into me tonight and all you are going to get!!!

Just in from walking/riding the dog time. Man. I love the night walk on Fridays and Saturdays. As you drive past the homes you can smell all the clean laundry. All the pretty detergents and fabric softeners everyone uses. It smells so good!! I know. Add that to the list of weird things about me.

I guess some of you wonder how that can be, because you haven't lived in Florida in a mobile home park. In that case, I need to explain that most people have their washer and dryer on their patios, outside utility rooms or carports because it gives more room inside and all that heat isn't inside that you have to cool.

So as you go by on the weekends you hear the washers and dryers running and the wonderful sweet smells of all the detergents and softeners. I happen to like it. It smells good and makes the area smell really homey!! Now. Are you convinced? Terry really does know me!! LOL (Weird!)

Well now. I do have a few more LO's to post. Let me see what they are.

This one you northerners ought to relate to. Golly. I am setting myself up here. This may also place me in the weird category! When I lived in Ohio I always HATED the snow after it got all schmucked up and dirty. I never really knew what to call it. Then one day I was watching Regis and Kelly and heard Kelly talk about this. Then she said the word. I fell in love with it and is my word for the year. From what I have heard it has been around for a while, but being slow and usually out of the loop I had never heard it. So I decided to make a LO about it. Here it is. Hope you like it!!

Bahahahaha!! It is call snirt!! Isn't that funny? A combination of snow and dirt!! Oh well. I liked it!! LOL Thanks to my Designer Digitals friend and photographer, sweet Anke,  that sent me this wonderful picture.

Oh, BTW. Just so you know what you can do with digital scrapping. In that picture, there was a bright red stop sign right between the two bushes and smack dab in the center of that white car. It really stuck out badly!! So. I did what they called cloning and made the stop sign disappear. It took about 10 minutes but so worth it!!

This is our son Brian when he was on the Mediterranean tour and went to Egypt. If you click the LO it should enlarge so you can read the journaling. It was a funny story.

And the last one is still in Egypt. At the pyramids.

That is about it for today. Working on another LO tonight but I am a slow go so it might be a couple days. Aw. At least I am having fun. That's what life is about.

So...HAVE FUN!!!

It has been brought to my attention....

that I have not blogged in a very long time. Yeh. That's right. I have been in a lag. Not doing much of anything really. Yet, wondering if I really want to blog at all.

One does not want to think too long about the Internet, you know. That once you post something...it is there eternally. Do I really want that? Not sure. I guess being retired has given me much time to pause. That can be a good thing. That can be a bad thing.

Anyway, here I am, so for now, I presume it is a go!!

However, I must admit, not much has been going on here. Same ole, same ole, but I really do like it that way. 

I have not even been scrapping much. But I have done a few and will post here.

I can say the weather has improved here. Yesterday it was 85 and purely delightful. However, I am not sure I need it to warm this quickly, as when I ride my bike in the morning, I was building up a head of steam, which I am not quite ready for yet! LOL But by the evening ride, the air had cooled and it was so wonderful to ride and greet friends in the park.
 

In the mornings, it is just Jim, Zoe, the dog and me because kids have taken off for school and parents are long gone to work. So that is our alone time which is really special. You can smell the aftermath of breakfasts having been cooked, the sounds of dogs saying hi, the birds starting to sing and an occasional shout of a mom to her still at home little one to do something they are not wanting to do!!! LOL I think this is my favorite of the two rides! I have always loved mornings. Guess that is why I am still up no later than 5 even though I have no reason to get up that early. 

I have become such a book worm. Right now I would rather read than anything else. I even take my Kindle when we go in the car because we usually have to stop at a store and Jim just runs in for something. It is so easy to flip on the Kindle and continue reading. Oh well, I guess it is good to keep your mind active!! LOL

So, here are the LO's I have been doing. I hope I remember which ones I have posted and don't double post.

This one is of Jim on one of the first 80 degree days we had when he decided to take in some sun!!

This is of our son Brian and his group that toured the Mediterranean for three months on the Vistafjord.

And this one is when he was doing a production called New Moon. 

I didn't know I had done so many that I had not posted. I have some more but will save them for later.

Till then, thanks for stopping by. Leave me a note and let me know you were here!! 

To Tase or Not to Tase!!

I saw something on TV yesterday that made me think about Tasers again. I had thought about this before but until yesterday hadn't thought about it recently.

There had been a news article on TV a while back here where we live, that was talking about Tasers. 

As just a little background, Tasers are electroshock weapons that use electrical current to disrupt voluntary control of muscles. Per Wikipedia, "Taser International call the effects neuromuscluar incapacitation". Woo sounds bad.

I totally believe we need to use these. Da Da!! I watch Cops!!! LOL It seems as if sometimes that is their only choice, and it is better than shooting someone. Whether or not to use them really is not in question here.

My question is this. Did you know that in most police situations, at least from the information I saw on TV, which is all I have to base my knowledge on, is that in order for a police officer to be allowed to USE a Taser gun, he has to submit to having it used on him/herself?

First of all, while the Taser is not SUPPOSED to permanently harm, it has, as I have read, in some cases, caused permanent damage and even death. Unfortunate, but there are risks.

I just find it odd, that with the fact that the Taser carries risks, that you have to submit to the use of it on yourself before you are given consent to use it on someone else. After all, you don't have to have to be shot in order to use a gun.

I realize they want you to know what kind of pain you are dealing with, but you sure are not having to feel the pain of a bullet to know what kind of pain you are dealing with. Are you with me here?

Anyway, at this point, that is my stand. If anyone can explain why you have to have the Taser used on yourself before you can use it on someone else, let me know. I am still open minded about this; I  just don't understand the reasoning. Someone clue me in.

OK. That had been on my mind and I guess I have finally come to that decision about it unless someone else can elucidate for me. Not that what I feel changes anything, but I just like to get things settled in my mind about where I stand on some things.

Nothing going on here for sure. Just moseying along having a great time. Weather has improved somewhat. I think a little about the Ohio visitors loving this weather and I am saying I am COLD!! But good ole Jim reminds me that if I was coming from zero or below freezing temps I would be loving this, too. He's right as always!!!

Just finished a good book called The Justice Game, by Randy Singer. Excellent book about gun the control debate. He wrote the book because of a situation at the school his wife taught at and his children attended which had what could have been another Columbine. One lady had been killed and he had represented her family in the lawsuit against the gun store. This book was written seven years later.

He presented both sides of whether or not there should be gun control, all in a mystery type novel. He then put an online video showing the fictional case at the heart of this book and portions of the closing arguments for both lawyers. He asked viewers to watch the video and render a verdict. The verdict of the story reflected the verdict of the majority of the viewers.

A thriller of a book and a real eye opener. I thought I knew my feelings about gun control until I read this marvelous book. My views...while I won't say what they are...have change.

This is a great read and a real thought provoker. I highly recommend it!!

Well, I really have written a lot of feelings today. Guess that happens sometimes. Let me know your feelings on that Taser. I am in a need to know how you feel mood!!

Haven't scrapped, so nothing new on that front. Need to get busy and find some pictures!

Life is good. It's a great day. Enjoy!!

Back with my taters later.

And Then the Rain Came Down!!!

Oh  my goodness!!! Raining so hard. Has been since I got up and Jim says it is to rain for thirty-six hours!! We so need it, though. But we don't need gully washers like this. It is just going to roll off!!

I really do love rainy days. They eye doctor said it is probably because my eyes are sun sensitive. I don't know, everything always seems so clean and new when it rains and I love to hear the rain on our house. We have a metal roof and it is really loud but it sounds so pretty. You just have to crank up the TV if you really want to hear it clearly!! LOL Or maybe it is just us in our hearing getting worse. Nah. Can't be that!! LOL

I am so excited. My son, Brian, is a licenced massage therapist and he is trying to find a Reiki Master for me. This is a type of massage, I guess your would list it with that although it isn't massage. It is about realigning your body energy. It is supposed to help so many things in your health because it removes blockages because of stress. I hope I am explaining it right. But the guy he found to do it, he wants no other than a master, no longer is in Florida. But he is still trying to locate one. I am really excited about it. The hospitals are using it in the area and are having great help with it for cancer. I am hoping it will help with my MG and fibromyalgia!!

I want you to know I did yet another LO!! Yeah!!! Two in two days!! I am hoping I am getting back in the groove.

This is Morgan, Gloria's grand daughter. She has been dancing since she was in first grade. This is her performance in The Nutcracker with the Ashland (Ohio) Ballet Company last year. She is adorable!!! I am so proud of her even though I have never met her!! LOL I have done so many LO's of the kids of Gloria's kids, which I do know, that I feel like I even know THEIR kids!! OK. So I am a bubble or two off. I am comfortable there!

Click for larger image.

Not much going on today that I know of with all this rain. The morning is speeding by for some reason and we were up early.

Looking forward to my scrapper friend, Lynnie, coming down to Florida in a couple weeks. We met on Designer Digitals. She, too, lives in Ohio and I can't wait to see her and her husband, Dick. This time since we are not working we are going to spend some time together. This is the LO I did when she was down last year.

I have no sense!! Who would ever put a picture of themselves up like that without running it through Photoshop?  LOL LOL I guess I am just over that stuff. I am who I am. I earned those wrinkles so I guess I am going to claim them!! Besides, I don't look that bad for seventy-one. Right?

LOL I always add a few years. Well, until recently when I inadvertently forgot to do it! LOL Ah, old age, a wonderful thing...can't remember anything. But I really did used to do that. That way everyone thought I looked great for my age rather than saying, "Wow! Those kids have been HARD on her!!!" Made good sense to me. LOL

Well, lucky for you The Price is Right is on. Time to enjoy some TV with Jim. We have a simple life but boy do we enjoy it!!

It has been fun and will be back again. Enjoy your day. Smile. It makes life easier. Impossible to grump when you are smiling. I used to do that when I would get cantankerous customers on the phone at work. Never could be harsh as long as I smiled. Try it!

Take care all my taters.

More Time Equals Less Time

Seriously. Now that I am retired everyone thinks I have so much time. It is just not true. I have less time!! Honestly.

And it is all because I have more time to do all those fun things that I had to put off before. I still don't do more of the mundane things like clean...what fun would retirement be to do that? But now I have time to actually watch TV...and lots of it!! I am a talk show, game show and oldie but goodies freak!! Bewitched, Andy Griffith, I Love Lucy, Daniel Boone...plus my very favorite that I didn't watch when it was current...MONK!!! Oh my goodness!! I have never been a star follower person, but I really would adore being able to meet Tony Shalhoub. I know that in his role on Monk he plays a compulsive person, but I have seen him in other roles and this man is the finest actor I have ever seen. He plays roles to perfection, without a doubt!!

I have time to do my stitching like counted cross stitch, read book after book on my Kindle that I got from Brian for Christmas, play computer and Kindle games and run around with Jim at a moment's notice. So see...having more time is actually having less time.

All my different playing around has also cut into my scrapping time. To top it off, I had lost some of the mojo at the same time. Here is a LO I just did about it!

Click on image for larger view

This is the only thing I have scrapped since Christmas or before, I think. Hopefully I am back at it again!!

I have to tell you, though, how much I adore my Kindle. What a wonderful thing!! Not only can I read on it but I can surf the net, too. And it is so comfy to hold and you can even read it in the blaring sun which will be great for at the pool this summer. Print too small? You can enlarge it!! As Brian said, "Great for old people!!" I think he meant us!! He got his dad one, too!! LOL

I can't believe how fast it will download books. I downloaded a complete Bible on it in less than thirty seconds!! How I love having my Bible on it. I can highlight and make notes on it without a pen and highlighter in hand. Also Jim and I are synced together, so that we can both read the same books and can see each others notes or highlights about them. It is just too, too cool. I LOVE it!!!

I do feel compelled to complain about the weather, though! COLD. Freeze warnings!! Today is the warmest it has been in weeks and it is 67. It should warm up but is still called to bounce around some more before it is all over!!

In true Ohio fashion, we have a ceramic goose in our flower bed. At the time, she has no adorable outfit on. They have all sun-bleached out. Just as a funny, I need to tell you the neighbor told Jim this morning that he had the flowers covered with sheets to keep them warm but left the goose without anything!! Jim said it was OK. She said she was just ducky!! LOL Oh well, I thought it was funny!

Just one more thing I HAVE to share. I just had my birthday. I got one of the best birthday presents evah!!! I was sitting in my recliner, no doubt watching TV, on my birthday and the phone rang and it said (someone's name which I won't say here of course!) was calling. I could not believe my eyes. It was my best friend Gloria from Ohio!!! We had not talked in well over 20 years!!! Remember, I told you we had been friends forever in Ohio and somehow had drifted apart, but reconnected this past year?? That was about the greatest surprise I have ever had!!! And it was if there never had been a break in the time. We just picked up where we left off. Her voice was exactly the same!!! Her giggle and everything. It was just super!  So I just had to share that. Talk about birthday joy!! 

I had planned on calling HER on Christmas eve and for some reason every time I thought about doing it, I  never could pick up the phone and do it. Now I know, God was saying not to call and spoil her surprise. How great was that?

OK. I am out of  here for this time. Closing I am posting a LO of our beautiful grand daughter, Siana. It was her thirteenth birthday last year and I wanted to put it down on paper. 

Love each of you for stopping by. Till later, my taters...

Unbelievable!!!

We went out today!! Out to the stores, that is. Oh my goodness. What a mess!! We decided to stop in Jo-ann's to look for some Christmas stamps. Nothing. Not surprised being it is so close to Christmas. But haven't been in a scrap store for over a year and was really surprised. Jo-ann's, where I usually shopped, had virtually nothing. They had scrap things, just not much. They always had so much. And my goodness...was it ever expensive!!! And of course everything was 40-60% off as usual so that you couldn't use coupons on them.

So we went on down the the street a couple of blocks to Michaels. Wow! They used to be the ones that didn't have much and they had quite a bit. Their prices were up a bit from last I was in but they were still more reasonable. But still no stamps.

It was fun to look around again, though. I can't say I would ever go back to hands on. Just not there anymore. And I would hate having to go hunt for everything I need again. Now I sit and browse and when I find it, it is very inexpensive.

Anyway, back to my point. The stores, the craft stores at this point, were PACKED. People were not friendly, clerks or customers, so you could tell the holiday was pressing in on everyone.

After going to Michaels we decided to stop at the mall next door and grab some Chick-fil-A in the food court. PACKED. Everyone there was growling, too. 

Really. If this is what the Christmas celebration is...I say we either need to change our ways or give it up. I am wondering what God is thinking as He is seeing all this kind of attitude in honor or the birth of His son, our Saviour. Makes me sad.

We ate and started for home. Traffic was horrendous. We were probably six miles away from home at the farthest point...a straight line up the street to our house. Took forty-five minutes. First traffic was just slow. Then it came to a standstill. As it was...an accident. Got past that and as we were in the last couple blocks from our house we could see flashers at the intersection where we had to turn left to our place. We thought the street was open, but as we approached...road closed...accident. Did a "huey" as we call them  here and went around the block and came in from the other way. Traffic at a standstill again. So on and henceforth. We finally got home safe and sound, forty-five minutes later, thank the Lord!!

I think I will be staying home as much as possible.

Got a couple more LO's done, though. One is a collage of Gloria's stampers group's Christmas party. I like the way it turned out. Oh, BTW, I do need to say that the "liquid" that was being consumed out of the bottles was none less than Sparkling Grape Juice. You can't see the labels in the small pictures, but I can assure you it was indeed!! They were all laughing...but that was strictly from all the fun they were having!! LOL

Click for larger image

The last one I just finished today is one of where I worked. I was going through pictures and saw them and thought I need to do a retirement LO. So I did. I like this one, too. It is starting to scare me that I am liking my LO's. Perhaps I have finally found the style I like. That would be nice. It has only taken me about three years!! LOL

That is about it for today. Think I am about to curl up in the chair for a night of TV. Have recorded a bunch of Monk and they make me laugh. Jim says it is because we are so much alike!! You know, I did find myself straightening the apples in a display at the grocery the other day so all the stems were in the same place!! No kidding. (I just like stuff to be organized. OK???) Jim got a good laugh out of that one. I didn't even realize I was doing it. I was just by the apples waiting on Jim or something so I started straightening them. Duh!

Again, you have made my day stopping by to read my ramble, but I do have to say, I can ramble well!! LOL  (Quiet, Terry! I just give the facts!!) Thanks and hope to see you back here again.

A Yukky Day`

It is cold, dreary and raining, and neither Jim nor I feel like doing much. So I have been sitting at this computer most of the day giving myself a gigantic backache! Guess I can't complain about it then, can I?

I am seriously considering going and putting on my Eeyore slippers. I am that cold. It is about 77 in the house but it is damp and I still feel cold. I had wanted to go out on the screened porch and look at some things in my hands on stash but it is too cold. I will wait till tomorrow. Yowser, though, Tuesday we are supposed to have a high of 48. I might reconsider that thought and go out in a few minutes.

Did one LO this morning...actually really early this morning. Woke up thinking about it at 3 this morning, so I got up and worked on it till 4:15. Went back to bed and finished it when I got up this morning. I love to scrap about 3 in the morning. I don't know why, I just seem to do my best thinking then. I have to watch, though. When I do that, I keep going for several hours and if I do it too many days in a row, I want to reverse my days and nights like little babies do. That is not fun to try to get over. So I try to keep it under control and only do it once or twice a week.

Started another LO. Have the pictures in place but no idea what paper or anything I am going to use. I am leaning towards browns but one is never sure until you start looking at what you have!!

I had such a nice thing happen the other day right outside my own door. I was going out the door and standing at the car at the end of the driveway waiting for Jim to come out of the house when the cutest little girl about 8 or so came walking by. She lives about four houses away and has just recently moved in.

She was smiling so big and had a book opened in her hands. She couldn't wait to talk to me. She beamed as she closed her book and held it against her chest. She said, "I finally got the book I had been wanting!!" She was really honestly thrilled. She said, holding the book out away from her and looking at it, "I have to keep my cat away from it so it doesn't hurt it. It is a library book and I wouldn't want anything to happen to it!!!"  

She was the  most precious thing. I have not seen a child so excited about a book or so conscientious about taking care of one...or anything for that matter, in a very long time. We chatted until Jim came out and she said her goodbyes and was on her way. I need to see her again. She made my day and I have to find out if she enjoyed her book. She seemed happy, too, that someone was interested in her new "find". My hope is renewed. I was beginning to think kids were not reading anymore and that is a tragedy!! Sounds like teachers are teaching somewhere around here!!!

The tree decorating is proceeding. The tree is up and lights are on. Need to take another picture. I love having stages in pictures because I love each stage. So I need to do that as soon as I am done.

I have a few LO's to post this time. Going to the remainder of them just to get caught up.

Click on image for larger view

This is our son, Russ' daughter, Mariah. Pretty, pretty girl!!

This is another Gloria album page. They went to Cedar Point in Ohio, but only took a family picture. So I contacted Cedar Point and they were sweet enough to let me grab pictures off their web site. Would you believe they have seventeen roller coasters there? But many thanks to Cedar Point!!

This is Russ' youngest daughter, another beauty, Tabitha. She is the youngest.

And this one is of Nancy's daughter, Siana. I love this...seeing how her looks have changed through the years!!

Hang on, only two more!!!

And this little guy is Braisen, Nancy's youngest. I love the look on his face as if he can't remember what word he is supposed to say!!!!!

And last but not least...another of my favorites. Man Ideas. This one is of Buck, at work, when we were invaded by bees and he thought he would get rid of them after the bug man chased them from above the drop ceiling in the office. The bees waited outside the building for their scout to come back and tell them where to go. Buck, though, was afraid they would come back into the building. So he made his move. It never entered his mind that the bees would be faster than him. You know. After he sucked them up in the vac, I never asked what he did with them. Some things are just better not knowing.

Now I think I am about caught up. I have one hidden away, yet and one I am working on...that is it. I do need to take some new pictures.

So I am off and running. I don't know to where, but I am on my way.

Hope you have a great night and stay peaceful as the holidays get closer. Remember the reason for the season.

Blessings.

Floridians Don't Need It!!

I thought that Mother Nature knew this, but obviously she doesn't or perhaps it has slipped her mind.

Floridians DO NOT need cold temperatures to get into the Christmas spirit! We are quite content to experience a somewhat cooler climate than usual, but there is no need to get crazy about it! One cool snap, I repeat, cool snap, and we are good to go for the Christmas season!

We are the ones that really appreciate shopping in stores for Christmas presents, without sweating from wearing our coats inside where the management keeps the heat up because it is regulated from a state up north where it is below zero and they think all stores are experiencing the same deep freeze, or lugging it around with everything else while trying to look through all sorts of racks and shelves.

We are the ones that like to drive around looking a Christmas lights with the top or windows down, not freezing or trying to see out steamed up windows!! Better yet, we LOVE to take walks up and down the streets, being able to talk to everyone as we see the beautiful displays and hear the music they are playing to make their display even more meaningful!!

We don't need snow. We don't need slush. We don't need the wind blowing. We don't need a below zero wind chill. We don't need the winter coats. We don't need boots. And we sure don't need dead batteries!!

So she is on official notice. We have already had enough. We are in the Christmas spirit. Now you can move on. We get it. We remember what the holiday up north was like. Thank you for the reminder. Now scram!

Next week, we are to have a high of 48!! Come on. We don't have coats...at least most of us don't. We have a high transient population, especially in winter, that come here because they can not live outside up north. What are they to do? Freeze is the word. I feel bad about that. We have some shelters, but not nearly enough. It is very serious. And so many fires burn down homes and kill occupants because they are trying to stay warm with heaters and even candles. I don't think most people realize how hard it is here when the temps get so cold. So I ask for your prayers for the homeless and families not fortunate enough to have heat in their houses. Many, many homes have no heating system here.

With that being said and feeling very blessed, it has been a good week. Busy. Had to start getting ready to renew my driver's license. Have you done that yet? Oh brother!!! What a winner that is.

There is so much you have to take with you now to prove that you are not a terrorist. You only have to do it once unless something changes about you like your name or something, so it reads in the info.

I had to send to my birth county and get a certified birth certificate. $22. I had to locate my marriage license because my name had changed from my birth name. If it is not original, you have to get a certified copy. Get my original social security card. Still have mine so that was no problem. Get two proofs of residence. Home loan, credit card statement, bank statement...you get that one. I think that covers it for me. You are given a few options. No biggie if you plan early enough. It takes about a month to get a certified copy of anything...so beware. 

Then we have an eye test. Needed to get new glasses. So did that Tuesday. Will get them soon.

Then had to go online and set an appointment. If you don't you can wait three hours in line. Three of the places near me were already booked for all of December. My license expires the first couple days of January. So I finally found a place and got an appointment. 

Then would you believe...I had a two page form to fill out to take with me unless I wanted to do it when I got there. My idea of a good day is to get in there and out. So I filled it out and printed it off. It is ready to go now, too.

So everything is underway. Now I can go back to having fun again!! LOL Don't like being forced into time slots again. I gave that up when I retired. But I guess you can't get away from it all.

I have scrapped since my last blog. Let's see. Wow. I have done more than I thought. OK. I will just post a couple right now.

The first one is Gloria's album cover. I think it turned out pretty warm and homey feeling which is what you always feel at her house.

Click for larger view

The other one is of a bird and it's trainer that we saw at Busch Gardens, Tampa Bay. It was so cute to see how this cute bird reacted with the trainer. You knew for sure they had a love for each other.

So that is it for now. Going to get some things done. We are starting to put the tree up but we do it in stages. It is a bear to do. It is so old, as I have stated before, the same one we had for all the kids and Russ is 44. All the color is worn off the ends of the branches that tell you the order and there are 250 branches. But I just can't get rid of it! LOL

Hope you have a wonderful day. Thanks for sharing part of your day with me. I love each of you!!!

OH. Forgot that I haven't written about meeting with Serene. Had a blast!!!!! Will tell you more next time!!