Friday- the last post for a couple days!!

Well Thursday was one of those busy days that started around a 6'ish roll out and continued on to almost bedtime. I should have stayed up as I tossed and turned the whole night through and tonight will be much the same as I'm geared up for the trip north to the mountains. Wow am I ever ready for some cool morning and drier conditions as it hit the 90's again here and the humidity had my shirt wet all day starting with an hour and half of pickle ball.

The morning was much the same usual routine(s) except I cut short my pickle ball play by a half hour as I had lots to do. I got back home around 9:30 then hand watered the seedlings before heading up on the roof to blow off the debris that collects there from the 2 big oaks. My widowed neighbor mentioned she needed her roof cleaned as well so while had the ladder out I headed over to clean hers also. Wow I'm glad I'm not a roofer this time of the year as the heat radiated from on top. After that chore I mowed the front yard after trimming the hedges and edging. That kept me busy until lunch time and I took a couple hours break helping Nancy with watching Eliza and Sam. It was just to hot out to do much anyway until later in the evening.

We did some inside work as we get ready to leave here early on Saturday morning. After supper I headed out to mow the back yard and then spray roundup along the fence lines. That kept me busy until nearly dark when it was time for the shower and watch a little Stanley Cup Hockey. I was hoping that would get me in the sleep mode but no, it had no effect. I'm worse than a kid going on a fishing trip the night before but this is two nights before, yuck. Anyhow I did rest and I'm energized and ready to go again. Maybe I can get in an afternoon nap since we are having no lunch crowd today as Amy is fixing a turkey supper for us this evening.

Our Ava had to have a tooth pulled as one of her baby molars abscessed. This was one of the teeth the first dentist filled with mercury filings and they had to have that removed and later refilled. She is very susceptible to mercury poisoning now and has to watch any kind of food she eats especially fish since that dentist loaded her up with amalgams at such a young age. She managed well and she showed us her tooth as it looked fine but the dentist noticed the root was showing some infection on her x-rays. Well that was about it for Thursday as we have one more night before heading out. I will be away from this keyboard for a few days as we travel on Saturday and have tons of work to do at the cabin the next few days.

I will dig up and get my seedlings ready for the journey northward today and then when I get there I must get the gardens ready for transplanting them as soon as possible. I wrap most of them in wet newspaper while transporting and keep them in the shade when I arrive until I can get the ground ready to plant. The nasty slugs ate everyone of my lettuce seedlings that were up in pots so I will have to start over with them but maybe I can find some lettuce seedlings at Lowes or Wal-Mart as we are salad eaters, Oh well.

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers for safe travel and hopefully I will be back with some before and after pictures from the cabin in a couple days. It's been 7 months since we've last been there and we are getting excited about seeing our old friends and breathing that mountain air that's never been breathed before. I miss the sound of the crows off in the distance the first thing about day break and of course I will have to adjust once more to walking on uneven ground. There is nothing flat except in the cabin or on the porch. What adjustments and some are very drastic as it's 8 miles to the nearest grocery store, oh well, LATER

Thursday

Well once again we had a normal day for Florida this time of the year with high heat and humidity. There were rain clouds, thunder and lightning all around but we never got a drop which is also typical for here. I've seen it rain on my neighbor 's yard across the street and not on mine, oh well. We are on the count down mode with just 2 days until we head north to the mountains. We are excited but also dreading to leave our kids and grand babies.

The day started with a 6'ish roll out for me and then my usual routine(s) before heading out to the rec for nearly 2 hours of pickle ball. We had 6 good players and the shirts were wet in no time. Afterwards I made a quick stop at the library to return some books and pick up a couple off the shelf to bind me over until Friday. I headed home on the bike and it already was starting to warm up rather fast. I hand watered the seedlings and checked for slugs under the pots and found nearly another dozen of the slimy breeders and several smaller ones in the snell shells. Needless to say I sent them off to never never land. I cleaned out the kale patch as the heat was quickly turning them old. I now only have herbs, onions, peppers and carrots for consumption plus all of my seedlings which I will bring with me.

I caught up on some small chores until lunch time and then I stayed in the house during the hot afternoon after lunch. Amy, Ava , Sam and Eliza came for lunch as GG was singing with her choral group. I had a great music time with Eliza after lunch and she is just so cute and cuddly. Ava is out of school for the summer so she and Sam are best buds now. After they left I changed out the shower spigot seats and then I read for a couple hours until it was time to head out to Dan and Carol's for our last house church meeting until next fall. Carol wanted to do a baked potato supper with all the fixin's along with a salad and banana pudding for dessert. It was very tasty and beautiful to look at.

 Afterwards we watched an hour long DVD on The Harbinger Decoded. Wow what an awesome video about the parallel's between Israel and the USA found in Isaiah 9:10. I read the book but this video or DVD explains it much better about how the nation of Israel that turned away from GOD and was rendered for judgment and how the USA also turned away from GOD and 9-11 occurred and what we are continuing to do to render ourselves for more judgment. Our nation was founded on the principals that GOD set forth with the Puritans who first settled here and as a result we have been the most prosperous nation in the world; but we have slowly distanced ourselves from the Judeo-Christian laws and mores that we are now ripe for more judgment. The story behind this book and video will leave you with an awareness of what is occurring in our land as the main stream mores are changing the very culture of the USA. We are being lead to believe that we no longer need or believe in GOD and thus we will be judged according.

Well we headed home around 9 and said our good-byes until we see them in July as they are supposed to travel to the mountains. Kathryn and Patrick will be in the mountains for 4 months so we will see them regularly this summer. After a shower I tuned into the Ray's and they were tied went I shut the lights out at 10'ish, LATER.    

Wednesday

Well Tuesday wasn't quite as hot as it was over the week end and we did get a really nice rain shower for 30 minutes or more around 5 PM. It was muggy but the temps did recede down into the middle 80's from the 90's the last couple days. Yeow are we ever looking forward to some cooler and less humid conditions at the cabin. Well it's only a couple more days before we head out on Saturday. We did get some packing and some extra cleaning in today after our regular lunch gang headed out.

The morning started much the usual for me with a 6 'ish roll out. After my usual routine(s) of a cup of hot green tea after my handful of vitamins and supplements, a few quiet moments and then a lite breakfast of cereal before pedaling out to the rec for some 2 hours of pickle ball. We had 6 players which made it nice as you occasionally got a water break and a few moments to catch your breath. The wet shirts were in abundance as well with all really good players. I stopped off at the library on the way home.

I'm catching up with keeping the yard and gardens in good shape and I will mow once more on Thursday then my once neighbor will look after the yards while I'm gone for the summer as he comes by weekly to mow his rental house next door. I pulled the last of the Brussel sprouts for supper and then cut those plants up. The heat is really taking its toll on the older garden plants except for the Serrano peppers and the herbs. The kale is on its way out as well and I will pull those plants in a day or so. I'm still pulling carrots and they are just delicious along with some sweet onions. The seedlings are doing fine but we are having some slug problems here for the first time ever. I killed 3 huge breeders under one of my 9 pack of zinnia seedling plants which they have been munching on as well as I lost a seedling pepper plant. I usually don't have a problem with insects but these slugs are voracious eaters.

GG invited us over for a supper of flank steak, baked taters and I brought the sprouts. It was delicious despite having to pan fry the steak due to the thunder and rain storm. We made a stop at Home Depot on the way home from GG's after the cleanup. We tuned into the Fox News until the Ray's came on and despite scoring 6 runs they lost again to the Blue Jay's which by the way are leading our division. They are a hitting team which had several homers in the game, LATER Here are a few pics from Memorial Day with Amy and the grand babies.

Tuesday

Well Monday was once again a hot and humid day and we thought surely we would get another late afternoon thunder storm but they happened all around us which is normal. We got the rain on Sunday and all around us it stayed dry. The temps reached the middle 90's once again and you didn't stay long outside unless you were in the shade.

We had a relatively quiet day until around 4 when the family began arriving for a big meal with Amy's family, Arianne and Errol and Betsy. I put marinated chicken breasts on the grille loaded with fresh rosemary, a potato casserole, fresh broccoli, carrots from the garden and a salad with crusty bread. We had pumpkin and lemon pie for dessert. Wow what a feed and we waddled away from the table. It was after 7 when everyone started to leave as it was a 4 hour drive back to Miami for Arianne and Errol and of course a school night for Ava.

I almost forgot to mention Tyler took Sam to his first baseball game on Sunday afternoon and he received a foul baseball from one of the young teenage boys sitting near him. He was thrilled and really got into the game so he brought his ball with him to show me. He and Tyler were actually shown on T.V. as he held Sam up with his ball. They were both dressed in their Ray's hats and shirts.

Well we spent a quiet afternoon after getting the house ready for company. I managed a nap and then read until the gang arrived before starting the grille. This was our final family supper here as we start to pack and get ready for leaving on Saturday morning. I'm getting excited about the trip and seeing our mountain friends as well as trips up to see my relatives in northern Virginia. I can't believe its been nearly 7 months since we said good-bye there, LATER

Monday (Memorial Day)

Well Sunday was another busy day that started with our son Bobby leaving early to head back with their dog, Sugar to drop her off at his house then meet us at Element Church in Tampa. We got Annsley and Gabe up after they slept soundly for about 10 hours straight, wow were they ever conched out from all the activity with their cousins on Friday and Saturday. We slept rather well ourselves from our activity monitoring them.

We headed out around 9'ish after feeding them breakfast and getting them dressed for church. We picked up neighbor Dan as he rode with us to church. There was a small crowd due to the holiday weekend with many regulars away but we did see a few new faces. The praise music and message was awesome and we were saddened to think we won't see some of these folks until next November. We have really got to know these young folks and hope the church sees the closing of this chapter in their history as we seek some property and move out of the warehouse. The cost is very high to rent this building whereas the purchasing of property and have a mortgage would help with our financial costs. Some of the elders have investigated a property close to our present location and if it's GOD'S will it will happen.

We said good-bye's and shed a few tears along with lots of hugs as we headed out for home with a couple stops on the way at Wal-Mart and then at Sam's Club. We are having one more family supper today(Monday) as Arianne and Errol came in from Miami for the week end so I will grille marinated chicken breasts and others will pull the rest of the meal. After getting back from Tampa we had a bite to eat for lunch then headed over to GG's to visit for a couple hours with Arianne and Errol. I managed to watch most of the Ray's game and they came back for a sweep of the Red Sox despite a bench clearing episode.

We headed out around 5'ish as we had plans for our house church gang to meet at the Bone Fish Grille for supper in Largo, yeow was that ever some fine dining and then afterwards we headed back to Dan and Carol's for Sequence and Golf. Well the gals won again in the best 3 out of 5 games and Dan won the game of Golf. We headed out for home after 9'oclock to lightning and thunder in the distance. We did get a torrential downpour around 2 PM that lasted a good 30 minutes. We had a river running down the street in front of the house then the sun came out and you would never know it had rained.

Well we are getting antsy about our up and coming trip to the cabin. We will start packing after today. It looks as if Bobby will try staying in the house here in Seminole as his marriage is on the rocks. He has taken another job in Tampa and while the daily commute will be rather long at least he will have a place to bring the kids on the weekends when he gets them. We are truly saddened beyond words of this situation but life must go on despite the valley's, LATER

I want to say Thanks to all those veterans who served before, with and after me in defense of our great nation. My prayer is for honest, just and loyal leadership for those in charge to honor our GOD, our nation and our way of life. I see very little of that with our present leadership and administration.      

Sunday

Well Saturday was one of those days that we had very little down time with 4 grand kids around from the night before and all day as well. Wow what a day of activities that started early in the morning and lasted until 9' ish at night. Whew was I ever beat and looked forward to some horizontal lab.

We started the morning with a 7' ish roll out and then breakfast to order for all of the kiddos and us. Ava and Sam spent the night as well so there was much entertainment for the kiddos with each other. They ran and played until it was time to head for the beach. Amy came by with Eliza and we headed out to Redington Beach for some 2 plus hours. I got in a nice swim while the kids and Bobby built a huge sand castle.

After a lunch of deli sandwiches we hung around in the back yard playing with Sugar their dog and then Bob and I headed to the rec for some playground time and then we made a visit to the senior lounge on the second floor and discovered a Wii set. The kiddos got in a game of bowling which helped to cool them down as the playground was starting to heat up despite in being under shade. Bob had made his homemade pizza dough so we had pizza for supper around 5. Amy and Tyler was attending a wedding so we watched little Eliza as well in between the ceremony and the reception.

After supper we took the kiddos down to Smugglers Cove for some 18 holes of putt putt golf. This was the first time any of the kiddos every played it and they had a great time as well. We stopped off for coolers at 7-11 on the way home and then it was bath time for the 4 of them. By then it was 9 PM and we were whupped. The Ray's won again in extra innings so maybe things are looking up for them as well, LATER

Saturday

Well Friday was a busy day that started with a 6'ish roll out. The weather continues to be hot and dry with a decent breeze which made for pleasant temps especially in the late afternoons. We had Bobby and his kiddos coming for the week end and then after a large family supper Ava and Sam spent the night as well. So we had an active house hold after 5 o'clock.

After my usual routine(s) I headed out around 7:30 for the rec for some 2 hours of pickle ball. We had a full gang with 2 courts in action for most of the morning. I had a good sweat when I headed out for home on my bike. I hand watered the gardens and yards before settling in to read and catch up on some paperwork. Nancy was at her Friday morning Bible study so I had a couple hours to catch up on some honey do chores.

After a lunch of leftovers we got ready for the gang coming for the week end so we were having some cleaning chores as well as some meal prep. GG was bringing her marinated flatiron steaks which I was going to grille along with a fresh salad, green bean casserole and macaroni. The kids all headed out to the back yard after supper and played until nearly dark. They all had nutty buddies ice cream cones for dessert which was a big hit. After baths we got them settled around 10:30 all in one room and they slept all night until 7'ish this morning.

The Ray's came back the last 2 nights to win in the bottom of the 9th so that was a good ending for a change for them and their fans. It wasn't long afterwards we hit the showers and was soon headed for some horizontal lab as well. We are taking all of the grand kids to the beach today as well as watching Ava, Sam and Eliza while Amy and Tyler go to a wedding this evening. So it should be a raucous, fun day once again, LATER

Friday

Well Thursday was a busy day that started around a 6'ish roll out. Once again we are in the doldrums of summer with high heat and humidity but due to a strong breeze it bearable in the shade. I had several appointments through out the afternoon so I sure missed my nap and reading time as well as play time with Sam and Eliza after lunch.

After my usual morning routine(s) I headed out to the rec around 7:30 on my bike for some nearly 2 hours of pickle ball play. We once again had a small group with just 6 players which made for an occasional break but the wet shirts were in abundance. I headed home to hand water the gardens and front yard. The new grass sprigs have just about taken over and there are very few bare spots visible. I finally will have a lush green front yard when we leave for the mountains and now we just need an occasional rain to keep it that way through the summer.

I had an appointment with the VA about a follow up on my hand procedure that seems to have worked so far. My little finger is staying straight and the cord that was evident has dissipated as well for the most part. I still wear a brace that keeps the little finger straight throughout the night. The doctors where pleased with the success so far with the hand and released me for now. After leaving the VA I headed over to Twill's Auto for an oil change and a check of all the fluids in the truck as we leave next week for the 700 plus mile trip to the cabin. After leaving the shop I headed down to my chiropractor for my last VA paid appointment. The back has responded wonderfully to his manipulations of the spine and I'm a firm believer in their practice of helping the body to heal itself without invasive surgery or medications.

I made a grocery stop on the way home as we are expecting Bobby and his kiddos for 2 nights this weekend as well as a couple family suppers and get togethers.  We were watching Amy and Tyler's kiddos tonight as they had an evening out to enjoy each other over a quiet supper. We made tacos which is a favorite of both Ava and Sam and afterwards we headed out to the back yard where they played for nearly an hour. Eliza loved being outside as well as she watched Ava and Sam play kick ball and T-ball. She got a little fussy as it was her bedtime but she would not take the bottle and she put up quite a fit when Nancy tried her best to give it to her. She finally fussed her self to sleep as she missed the real nipple. They are going to have a hard time with her if they ever want to leave her for any extended period of time as she is quite adamant about not taking a pacifier or a bottle, Oh well!!

Shortly after the kiddos had their baths Amy and Tyler came back. Eliza heard them and she awaken to nurse. They all headed out around 8:30 as it was a school night. They will all be here again tonight to play with Annsley and Gabe. We love these grand babies immensely but they do wear you out and after this week-end the serenity of the cabin will be quite an adjustment. I had forgotten how busy kids that age can be especially after 2 fudge sickles each after supper.  It wasn't long after they left I had my shower and settled into the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs and then by 10, I was ready for some horizontal lab, LATER  

Thursday

Well Wednesday's temperature reflected the normal for Florida in the summer; hot, humid and a bit breezy at times that scorched the grass and gardens. We hit somewhere around the 90's and this weekend its supposed to be the hottest for us in several months. It's rarely we hit the 100 mark but it's in the forecast especially the more inland you travel, oh well.

I started the day with a 6'ish roll out after a somewhat less than fulfilled sleep. It seems along with all the drama on our plates I'm once again anticipating the move to the mountains for a few months and that always has me filled with excitement as well as some trepidation and sadness as we leave our kids and grand kids. I started my usual routine(s) with a cup of hot green tea after a handful of vitamins and supplements, a few quiet moments and then the posting of this ramble before a lite breakfast of cereal. I mounted my trusty bike which actually was Bob's from when he was a teenager and headed out to the rec for some hour and half workout on the pickle ball court. Once again we only had 5 players but I was whipped in that amount of time and headed out while the others continued to play. It takes only a day or two to get out of shape but seems forever to reclaim your stamina, oh well I had a good workout with a wet shirt.

I headed home after a stop at the library for a new read by Jodi Picoult titled the STORYTELLER. Wow what a book and despite it being a novel I think it is based on a factual historical era in the history of mankind. This is a powerful read about the holocaust and a real page turner. This is the first book of hers I've ever read and I think I will become one of her biggest fans if the rest of her writings are as great as this book. Anyhow I worked outside until nearly lunch time with periodic trips to the shade trees as the sun was burning hot. I hand watered everything especially the new seedlings which I have buried in the ground in their 9 packs to help protect them from the heat and keep them moist. Many of the seedlings have put on second and third leaves so that means I'm starting to get some good roots and should help when transplanting them to the summer garden at the cabin. I sowed 4 types of lettuce seeds today as well which should only take a couple days to sprout.

I headed to the dentist after lunch to have Dr. Beirl look at the molar that lost it crown last week. Well I was hoping it was a simple glued the crown back on, but no as there was a reason the crown came off and that was the tooth had cracked; so that means a another crown at a later date. He fashioned a temporary crown and glued it as he would a final crown. That will last until we get back from the mountains for the year sometime this fall.  This crown that fell off was applied by the most incompetent dentist ever and thankfully he has some what retired from the practice. This is the second crown I've had to do over because of his failed abilities, oh well. I was in the chair over 2 hours but there was some good news as I didn't need a root canal for the tooth.

I read the afternoon after getting back from the dentist until it was supper time. I grilled a couple marinated salmon steaks and we cleaned up some leftover yellow rice and green beans before heading out to our weekly house church at Dan and Carol's which is just 3 doors up. We had good attendance with our usual couples and Danielle. We snacked or they did, I even turned down a piece of chocolate ganosh(sic) cake which looked decadent. We watched the story about the blood moons and their biblical important. We are having 4 more these next two years of which it's been centuries since any occurred. Wow is this something to think and ponder about and their significances to GOD'S seasons or feasts in Israel's history. This is a must see documentary based on what is found in the Hebrew texts, Yeow!!!  Blood Moons!!!

Well I tuned into the Ray's game which was abysmal as it usually is and then watched the final show on who was this years American Idol. The guys won again but he wasn't exactly my choice for his genre of music, oh well to each his own. It wasn't long before lights for me around 10:30, LATER

Wednesday

Well Tuesday was back to being a more routine type of day with once again the heat and humidity present which is typical for this time of the year. We are in a dry period where some much needed rain would be appreciated as I'm back to watering the garden(what's left of it) twice and sometimes 3 times a day especially the young seedlings.

I started the day with a 6'ish roll out after awaking around 3 in the morning with much on my mind. I never really did go back to sound sleep as this issue with Bob and Jill's marriage is starting to consume me. I did my usual routine's before heading out to the rec for and hour and a half of pickle ball with 4 other players. We were really lite in attendance as many are gone until the Fall and several are on vacation with the memorial Day holiday approaching. I managed in no time to wet up a shirt due to the 4 days I was off due to the chest congestion. Thankfully that has passed.

I came back and worked outside until nearly lunch time and the heat finally ran me in the house. Amy, GG and the kiddos came for lunch and after they left I took a small nap while reading. We decided to eat up some leftovers for supper as we have plenty of pulled pork from Monday nights supper. I headed outside after the cleanup to edge the yards, clip shrubs and hand water until nearly dark. After a shower I tried to watch the bumbling Ray's lose another game at home but instead watched Fox News until 10'ish when I decided to call it a night, LATER

Tuesday(Amy's 31 birthday)

Well Monday started out with a 5'ish roll out as we had to be in east Tampa area at 8:30 for Annsley's chapel where she graduates from kindergarten on Friday. There was a joint chapel with all of the elementary students and their parents and grand parents so we headed out at 7 with GG as well for the ceremony and school program. Annsley was beautiful and did a fine job with her solo parts and then she received some very nice awards one being the first student in 20 years to make a 100 on the math test given in the kindergarten department plus she received the best story or writer award for her class.(Gets that from her daddy) We were proud of her and I could tell it meant a lot for us to be there.

We headed back home around 10'ish and made a couple stops on the way home before getting back around lunch time. Amy came with Sam and Eliza and we ate leftovers and fresh salad. Nancy made a batch of chocolate chip cookies as well. I had a large pork shoulder in the oven at low neat all morning while we were gone and then I transferred it to the smoker for the next 5 plus hours with some hickory wood. Wow was that ever delicious as we were having a supper with the Ross family, Bobby and GG. We were having to be at the library at 7 for Bobby's book being showcased at the library as well as his talk about the trilogy in general. We had 13 people in attendance with all being family and friends but one. It was a nice hour we spent as he gave a presentation then signed books purchased. We were back home around 8:30.

The pulled pork was excellent on a fresh bakery bun an along with Amy's mac and cheese we had fresh green beans and salad as well. GG made chocolate pudding and there was cookies as well. Well after the cleanup and everyone left we hit the showers and I was out by 10 as I slept little the night before for some reason, LATER

Monday

Well Sunday was another wonderful day with great weather once again. There was actually a chill in the air to start the day as I headed out to hand water my seedlings before we headed off to church in Tampa; of course that chill was short lived as the sun began to warm the atmosphere. We are just finding these cool morning temps to be an anomaly for this time of the year.

We started the day with a 7'ish roll out as we were heading to Tampa around 9 with neighbor Dan for the gathering at Element Church. There was a good crowd on hand despite the news that Bobby had stepped down for the time being due to the difficulties in his marriage. It seemed Biblical for him to do that so the church council and elders will do the pastoral duties until September when a decision will be made regarding that paid position. We had a good owners(members)meeting after the service with about 50 people who stayed around to help with sprucing up the warehouse. We decided that since Dan's shoulder was bothering him and I'm still on antibiotics for this congestion we would forego the cleaning and head back to Pinellas.

We decided on the way back to grab a bite at Chilli's in Pinellas Park before heading on to Seminole. The meal was very tasty and their chicken enchiladas are some of the best ever and that held me through out the evening. I tuned into the Ray's game and they were getting blasted once again by the Angels in Anaheim. I ventured out to hand water around 5'ish the seedlings and the yards for an hour or so before dark. The nice breeze which has kept the temp's down also has dried out the yards. Well that was about it for a Sunday, LATER

Sunday

Well Saturday was once again another nice day with temps that stayed rather nice and low humidity; what a welcomed relief from the high heat which we normally have this time of the year. We actually had the windows open during the day as a nice breeze kept it comfortable. I started the day with a 7'ish roll out as I wanted to head over to Nancy's mom, GG's for some promised chores before we head to the mountains in less than 2 weeks.

After my usual morning routines of my quiet time and the posting of this ramble I made a delicious breakfast burrito adorned with a green onion and a Serano pepper with some thyme all from my garden. It was quite tasty and held me all through the morning until lunch time. I took some paint scrappers and headed over to GG's to tackle the front porch railings and post. After scrapping the dried paint and some rust spots I painted it with a brush while having to deal with the front shrubs as well. Needless to say I was up on a ladder and then down on my knees reaching through the latticed railing. It was not the easiest of jobs while I managed to work up a good sweat in the process and the finished results were quite an improvement. I may have to give it a second coat which should be a lot easier to apply. I then vacuumed all of her ceiling fans before heading home for a bite of lunch.

After lunch I headed out to transplant or move up some seedlings into 9 pack containers for the transfer to the mountain garden in a couple weeks. I moved up 2 kinds of tomato(teardrop and better boys) that I started from seeds, Swiss chard, Serano peppers and Zinnias as well as moved up sweet basil I started from cutting. I then moved some of the sweet onions into larger packs and found good roots on them as they will eventually produce large sweet onions. I need to sow some lettuce seeds next week for transplanting as well. I will take thyme, basil, rosemary and parsley with me from my garden here for transplanting there as well. I'm looking forward to the cool nights and warm days in the mountains which usually makes for great gardening.

I headed for the shower around 4 o'clock as we were having a birthday dinner for Kathryn(house church member) at Dan and Carol's house. Nancy made a chocolate mouse' cheesecake, Carol was making a salad and Kathryn was bringing a lasagna. We kind of surprised Kathryn a head of time as her birthday is next week. We had delicious eatin' and afterwards settled in a raucous game of Sequence which the gals finally won 4-3 for the first time this year and then Carol won the game of golf; so it was a gals night for a change. We headed out around 9'ish as today (Sunday) we will head to Element Church in Tampa for the weekly gathering. We are saddened to say our son, Bobby who planted Element over 5 years ago has stepped down as lead pastor due to difficulties in his marriage which is in a downward spiral at this time despite counseling, LATER

Saturday

Well Friday was such a change in temps that I almost needed a jacket or extra shirt when I headed out to the rec around 7:30. A front moved in over night and the humidity moved out and brought the temps down 15 degrees or more. It felt like a spring or fall day, wow was it ever nice so we opened the windows and doors and actually kept them open into late in the evening when the house started to warm due to the family supper.

The day started around the usual 6'ish roll out for me and after my usual routine(s) of a few quiet moments and the posting of this ramble before a lite breakfast I headed out on my bike for some exercise on the pickle ball courts. While I'm still not back completely from this upper respiratory I'm starting to feel better and I only did about an hour or so of hard action with 8 other players. I did manage a good sweat before heading home around 9. The breeze was so nice keeping the air very pleasant despite the heat in the direct sunlight.

I watered my seedlings and then headed in to read until lunch time when Amy, GG and the kiddos came around noon. I've been reading two non-fiction stories about murder(s) that took place in two different eras. The first book titled THE CAST OF KILLERS occurred in the 20's with a movie director whose murder went unsolved for over 60 years. This is a fantastic read and a great investigation without the police by another film director. The second book of which I'm nearing the end is titled THE PRINCE OF PARADISE. This read is about the murders of principals in the story of the hotel in Miami called the Fontainebleau and its aftermath with relatives. This another page turner and read every word.

We had the family over to celebrate Amy's birthday which will happen on Monday. We already are doing a big supper on Monday but will then head to the library for Bobby's book signing and won't be able to do a cake so we decided to do it early. We had roast

beef with smashed taters, broccoli, carrots and salad and of course Nancy's famous chocolate cake with white icing. What a feed that turned out to be and we surely missed our son and his kiddos as he has started a new job. His family situation has not improved and doesn't look too promising at this time as he has stepped down from his lead pastor position at Element.

Well little Eliza Faye had several shots on Thursday and we don't know if she is having some reactions to them but she has been really fussy at times since then. Her little legs are bruised where she was injected so maybe that is causing her such discomfort, we are just besides ourselves trying to make her comfortable. They all headed out around 9'ish or so as she wasn't to happy. Our beautiful daughter will be 31 on Monday and we wonder where did that time go, LATER

Friday

Well Thursday started out with what appeared to be rain clouds in the area and it did eventually rain from time to time and the clouds kept the temps down into the low 80's which made it nice. I started the day with my usual rollout around 6'ish to my routine(s) before riding out to the rec for a abbreviated workout on the pickle ball courts. I'm still not over this upper respiratory discomfort so I didn't want to weakened my resistance my physically over doing it but I needed activity. I cut the play to about an hour with 7 other players.

On the way home I stopped off at the library for a couple new reads before heading home. The garden and grass sprigs got a good watering overnight so I headed into read until lunchtime. Amy, GG and the kiddos were coming for lunch after little Eliza had her 4 month checkup of which she got 3 invacinations. She wasn't a happy camper after the shots and it took her awhile to get back to her normal sweet self. We played in the music room after lunch for before she finally nursed and took a short nap. She takes 15-20 minutes naps which are short but she does sleep all night and has been for quite sometime which is really a blessing for Amy.

After they left we took GG and headed to Sam's Club, Publix and Aldi's before finally getting back to Seminole around 4:30 after dropping GG and her goodies off at her house. We are having Amy's birthday dinner with the family on Friday evening so we needed a beef roast and other goodies. I grilled a couple bone-in pork chops along with canned peas and yellow rice for supper. After the clean up Nancy decided to take a short hike through the hood as she missed her workout today so I settled into the Fox News channel until it was time for the showers. I tuned into the left coast where the Ray's were beating the Angels after a couple innings but after a shot of cough syrup I decided to call it a day a round 11. Not much else going on except it really been raining a lot in the mountain's and the web cam shows the new leaves starting to really pop out with grasses looking a bright green, LATER

Thursday

Well Wednesday was another hot, muggy day which is typical for Florida but we did get some rain in the late afternoon. Actually it was a heavy down pour around 4:30 and it rained off and on during the night as well. I started the morning feeling pretty good so I headed out to the rec for a workout after my usual morning routine(s). We had a small crowd of players with many who were in the average range of play and a few who were just beginners. I stayed for about an hour then headed out as I didn't want to overdo it after a 4 day lay off and still having a little congestion from the cold or allergy.

I headed home around 9 ish and then hand watered the gardens and yards before deciding to get in out of the heat. It was no time and we were in the 90's once again. The breeze helped a little but the sun was scorching hot. Amy and the kiddos came for lunch and we had an awesome time with Sam and Eliza. Sam was into the Star Wars make believe and both Amy and I helped with his play acting scenarios. Eliza was in her listening to music mood so we drug out some of the toys which lite up and play music. She was fascinated to say the least and we got some great shots of her many facial expressions.

After Amy left to pick up Ava we settled into to reading and then a lite nap for me. We decided to grill a chicken breast for the top of a salad for supper. We knew there would be finger food at our weekly house church get together at 6:30 so we ate lite. We had a new couple join us for our meeting and we found we had lots in common besides our faith. Mike is a retired fireman who remembered me as a trooper with many of his assists at my crash scenes over the years in the Seminole area and Cindy his wife fit right in with us as well. I think they will become a part of our regular group despite the fact we and the Tracy's will be leaving the area this summer. We finished up the last video on the Andy Stanley series of Guardrails and it was awesome.

The Anderson's, Neil and Danielle our youngest house church members will be celebrating 7 years of marriage on our daughter Amy's birthday the 19th of this month. We wonder where that time went. We had a time of sharing our concerns for those who are experiencing some valley's in their life especially with our son Bobby and his wife and with Cindy and her health and some issues with members of her family. We then took time to lift these concerns to the Father and then we headed out a little after 9 for home which is just a few houses down the street. I settled into the Ray's game and they were leading by 2 runs going into the 9th inning in Seattle, LATER

Wednesday

Well Tuesday found me recuperating either from a summer cold or some form of allergies from either the Jasmine, Magnolia or possibly the honey suckle that is blooming in my yard. I walk outside and I can smell all three at once and what a delicious aroma, oh well. In all actually I think I picked up a bug from either the grand kids or someone at church, but I'm on the road to recovery as the voice has cleared up and only an occasional cough so I'm heading back to the rec this morning for an abbreviated workout to say the least.

The morning on Tuesday found us sleeping in until nearly 7:30 again as I decided to skip pickle ball for the second day in a row. I just flirted away the morning on the computer after my quiet times and a lite breakfast. I did head out to hand water the new seedlings and the grass sprigs. Amy was bringing Sam and Eliza by around 10 as she had her yearly eye appointment. Sam was into a pirate movie along with several snacks. That boy is starting to pack away the food as he must be in a growth spurt. Eliza was her usual laid back self with lots of smiles and cooing. We entertained on the bed with the music box as well as singing.

Amy picked up GG for lunch and we had leftovers; brats, hot dogs, salad, etc. from the weekend fares. After they left around 2:30 to pick Ava up from school we decided to read and take a nap and we fell asleep for a good 30 minute nap, wow did that ever feel good. We decided to share a grilled salmon steak with some homemade fried rice that had some carrots from the garden mixed in. That dish has become one of our all time favorites and we just started preparing it recently. That dish takes me back to my flying days into the Orient when it was a daily dish when eating off base. You can add whatever such as peas, mushrooms, carrots, pork, shrimp, beef, etc. It is very tasty with a little soy sauce but best eaten with a fork whereas we had to eat it with chop sticks in Japan.

Well after the cleanup I headed out to give the gardens and yards another drink. It was so hot and muggy in the afternoon and the breeze made it feel like a convection oven but by late evening the clouds moved in and it looked like rain but we never got a drop. Thankfully it cooled down a just a little to make it bearable to hand water. We settled into the Fox News channel and then I headed for the showers. The Ray's are playing on the left coast so I missed their last 2 games as they start when I'm heading for some horizontal lab, LATER.

This is my white orchid that had 7 blooms this year but the slugs managed to destroy 5 of them but this one survived. It is just gorgeous and the smell is delicious. This is the easiest flowering plant I know to take care of. I do almost nothing as it's an air plant; maybe an occasional shot of water from the hose and maybe once a year a shot of miracle grow and that's it as they grow in a pot of pine bark underneath some vines for shade up off the ground.  

Tuesday

Well this old allergy is still hanging on with a stuffy nose and some congestion in the chest so I decided to forego any pickle ball for a couple days. That meant I slept in until nearly 8:30 before starting the day. One of the nice things about being retired.

After a cup of hot green tea and a handful of vitamins and supplements I started the day with the posting of this ramble and a few quiet moments. My whole routine was juxtaposed due to the hoarse voice and fuzzy head which I think is from the Night Blooming Jasmine that is on our front porch and back fence and possibly the Magnolia Tree that is full bloom next door. The smells are awesome around the house or maybe I have contracted a summer cold; either of which had left me somewhat limited as to how much of a workout I want to put my body through. I know by last Friday at 10 o'clock I was whipped from all of the pickle ball play during the week so maybe I let my resistance down from too much activity.

I headed out after a lite breakfast to hand water the new seedlings as we never received any of the forecasted rain. The summer heat and humidity are here to stay it seems like.  After watering the garden and front yards by hand I headed in to read until lunch time. Amy picked up GG and dropped Sam off while Nancy was at her 6 months doctor's appointment. Her results came back with the limits. Sam and I were buddy's as he is in a constant snack mode. He even ate fairly large lunch as well. Amy and GG brought some leftovers from Carrabas Restaurant for me and they were tasty and a bit spicy.

After lunch I did my music time Eliza and she was in the entertainment mode as she smiles and cooed the whole time especially when she fills her britches. She is such a delight. Well after they left I took a short nap then read while Nancy did here trek through the hood with the temps in the low 90. She was red faced when she got home. We chilled until it was time to heat up a leftover brat and some potato salad for supper. After the cleanup I headed out to hand water the seedlings in the garden and the front grass sprigs again until nearly dark.

Well that was about it for the day as we both headed for the showers and then I watched a little Fox News before falling asleep around 10, LATER  

Monday

Well we had a family supper celebrate for the mothers in our family. Once again the house was filled with the smell's of good food and the endless chatter that is associated with a get together. We started the day getting ready for our weekly gathering at Element Church in Tampa. There were a few new faces as they gathered with family members to celebrate their moms. Several of the young ladies had platters of finger food for the mom's who attended and it was a nice crowd. It also was baby dedication Sunday and 4 babies were brought forth and we the congregation vowed to be role models as well as be helpful in their walk towards and with GOD. It also was Bobby's last Sunday as the lead pastor as he has decided that stepping down would be best for the church due the difficulties in his marriage. We are saddened it has come to that but he will still attend the church and lead worship from time to time but no longer be the lead pastor. I must say it was a tearful moment for most of the crowd as well as our house church gang. Bobby has taken another job not associated with pastoral duties in Tampa and this will also help with the church's financial situation so he will no longer be on staff and draw a salary.

We dropped Dan and Carol off as we drove this Sunday and then headed home to get ready for the evening gang. I made a guacamole for the snack and before we settled into brats, dogs, sautéed onions and peppers, German potato salad and toss salad. For dessert we had 7-up pound cake with vanilla custard and whipped cream. Wow what a feed and so delicious. We watched the Ray's lose again at home and some of our friends were at the game celebrating with their mother. It was a tough week-end; the passing of our great Uncle Warnie at 93, the stepping down of Bobby as the pastor from the church he helped plant, the difficulties in his marriage and the no show of our grand kids from that side of the family because of those difficulties.

It was a little subdued at the house because Annsely and Gabe stayed with their mother in Riverview. We hope that doesn't become the norm. Phoenix who is Ava's age came from across the street and helped to entertain the kiddo's. Their whole family was in attendance at Element this morning as well. Well it was after 9 when most everyone headed out except for Bobby who left a little earlier as he starts a new job this morning(Monday). He had to pick up some clothing at his house before heading out to wherever he is temporarily staying. Keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers.

I have somewhere picked up a bug or have some allergies as my throat was sore on Thursday and now I have some congestion in my voice. I don't feel sick but sound terrible, LATER

Sunday (Mothers Day)

Well Saturday started us out with the sad news that Nancy's Uncle Warnie had passed on during the early the morning hours. He was 93 years young and had been in great shape right up until the last week. He loved gardening and his grow boxes as I write are filled with vegetables for the family. He requested there be no funeral service only a celebration of his life with patriotic songs so his immediate family decided to do so on the 4th of July when Nancy's mom(GG) will be there and we will be able to drive up from the cabin. I contacted a nursery there in Lancaster and had them deliver a continuing blooming Lilac to his residence. I never heard of one but they are supposed to be beautiful. Our Lilac's always bloom before we get there in the Spring and we never get to see or smell them.

After a breakfast of egg tortillas we got ready to head over to Sam's Club for some gas and some goodies we will be serving today as we celebrate Mothers Day with all of the family. We stopped by and dropped off some stuff for GG as well on the way home. After a lite lunch I headed out to detail the truck with a wash and wax job, vacuuming and some new floor mats. That kept me busy until nearly 3 pm. I was under the big oak in the front yard which kept me mostly in the shade so it made for comfortable working conditions.

Dan and Carole picked us up at 4:30 and we headed over to a new restaurant called the Red Mesa Inn on 4th street. It's a Mexican eatery and I thought the food was superb and luckily Patrick and Kathryn were there early to reserve a table for us as there was a large line waiting to get in. The food was hot and spicy just the way I like it and we had unlimited salsa and chips to start with as well. Patrick was such a sweet guy as he had 3 long stem red roses brought to the table; one for each of the gals. He made all kinds of points with that move but soon loss them when the boys beat the gals 5-1 in Sequence and then he won the game of golf big time as well.

It was a fun evening but somehow I picked up a little congestion in my chest either from allergies or a summer cold, hopefully it isn't contagious as I don't feel sick. We headed home around 9:30 and then I called it a day. We head over to Tampa this morning to Element Church as it's baby dedication day and we have several new little ones. Bobby will teach today and this will probably be his last time for awhile as he is stepping down from his leadership in the church. He will still be a member or owner but will have others doing the teaching(preaching) for a time until he and Jill decide what is going to happen in their marriage. Keep both of them and the church in your thought and prayers, LATER

Saturday

Well Friday was another busy day with the usual morning routine(s) after a 6 'ish roll out for me. Nancy slept in until I headed out around 7:30 for the rec. I did my cup of hot green tea after a handful of vitamins and supplements, and then a few quiet moments to reflect and give thanks, then the posting of this ramble from what happened on Thursday the day before and finally a bowl of cereal for breakfast. The weather for Friday was typical for Florida this time of the year; beautiful mornings and by late morning heat and humidity completed the rest of the day until later evening when it became bearable again to work or play outside.

I headed to the rec after breakfast for some 2 hours of pickle ball. We had a 2 courts in action for most of the morning and the play at times was filled with long rallies and of course wet shirts were abundant. On the way there as I crossed the 4 lane roadway a major rear crash had recently occurred as rescue vehicles were just coming on the scene. The vehicles had severe damage to the front and rear ends. After my workout I stopped off at the library for a couple new reads for the week-end and returned a couple books as well.

I hand watered the new seedlings as well as the front yard and garden before heading in to get out of the heat. Nancy was at her weekly Bible study class at SFBC so I read until she got home. Amy picked up GG and they came for a lunch along with Sam and Eliza. We doctored up a couple frozen pizzas with fresh peppers, mushrooms and some herbs. Wow were they ever tasty with a little dried red pepper flakes for me. Afterwards I took Eliza Faye into the reading room and we did music time. She is such a delight and oh so cute. I will be difficult to leave all of the grand babies but especially her as she is really starting to show some personality. We love the way she looks at you and raises her eyebrows when speaking to her as well as her smiles and cooing.

They headed out around 2:30 to pick up Ava from school so Nancy decided she needed a workout and took off on a hike around the 'hood with temps in the 90's. Wow she was red faced when she got back. I read and napped while she was gone. I had a pot of collards on the stove since after lunch and the smell permeated the house. We were having baked sweet tater's along with baked chicken legs and greens for supper. That was a yummy for me and especially the homegrown collards. The heat is starting to take away the flavor somewhat but they were still delicious with some ham base, onions and then apple cider vinegar.

After the cleanup from supper I headed out to work in the yards. I mowed both yards and then hand watered them until dark. I headed for the shower and afterwards settled in to watch the Ray's blow a 2-0 lead in the final innings to the Cleveland Indians with some poor pitching once again. This may not be a good year for them as they play great for a couple games then just terrible for the next several games. They are currently at the bottom in their division.

We received a call from Nancy's cousin, Chris in Pennsylvania that her Uncle Warnie (Chris's father) was on death's doorsill. He is 93 and has always been in great shape both mentally and physically but has suffered an aneurism in the aorta. Instead of having a funeral at his wishes he wanted a patriotic celebration around the 4th of July in honor of him. He will be cremated and then have his ashes spread at various important places in his life and then when is wife, Daryl(GG's sister) passes their ashes will be interned together in the family cemetery in West Newton, PA. where they grew up. He is the last one on his side of the family. We will travel to the Lancaster area of Pennsylvania over the 4th of July to be a part of that celebration of his life as GG will be there on vacation. I think that is a fantastic idea, LATER  

Friday

Well Thursday was another busy day that started with a roll out a little before 6. The weather here has turned summer all except for the afternoon rain showers and thunder storms. It use to be we could set our clocks to a 4 PM 10-15 minute thunder storm with lightning and torrential down pours.

After my usual morning routine(s) I headed out on the bike to the rec for some 2 plus hours of pickle ball around 7:30. We had a small gang of players as several have now started leaving to head back up north for the summer. We managed 2 courts of play for most of the morning with a couple less advanced players mixed in with gang. I still had a good workout and was bushed by 10 with a soaked shirt. I stopped off at the library for a couple new reads before pedaling home to work outside. The morning have just been beautiful until about 10'ish when the heat and humidity start to roll in and I seek the shade of the big oaks in the yards.

I moved up some of my onions into bigger container as most all of them have good roots and moved the marigolds into the ground as they were becoming root bound. I will dig them up the night before we head out and wrap them in wet newspaper for the trip to the cabin along with most everything else. I'm hoping the geranium cuttings will make along with the sweet basil cuttings. I started one of them a month or so back and the cutting took and I repotted it. I will no longer have to buy basil or rosemary plants as those cutting did alright as well. I find it fun to try new ways of propagating plants and especially herbs that I use everyday.

Amy, Nancy and GG headed for the mall for mother's day shopping so Sam and I were buddies. He ate the whole time until it was lunchtime as he is going through a growth spurt. Sam is such a sweet boy at times and has the imagination of a much older boy. He loves fresh raw vegetables and herbs out of the garden. It was after 1 before the gals showed up from shopping and Sam was already on his second movie and 4 snacks plus a cheese tortilla for lunch. I headed out for a 2 PM appointment.

Nancy took off about 4 to pick up GG and do some grocery shopping and then brought her back here for supper. I grilled some delicious burgers and then afterwards I headed out to work in the yards. The temps had abated somewhat from the middle 90's and the evening breeze was delightful. I finished edging(by hand) the perimeter of both yards and used the sprigs in some areas where its still bare in the front yards. The daily watering's have really helped and the grass runners are now finally closing up most of the bare spots. Nancy took her mother home and I continued to hand water until nearing dark.

After a shower I settled into the Ray's vs the Orioles and once more the birds were winning for what looks like a sweep of the Ray's by them, Oh well!!! That was about it for Thursday as the time is now finally getting close to heading to the high country, LATER

Thursday

Well Wednesday's weather was hot and dry. The humidity is creeping back into the picture which makes for some quite uncomfortable temp's outside in the afternoon and evening until we get the breeze off the Gulf. The mornings are just awesome around daybreak until about 10 o'clock.

I started the day with a little before 6 roll out. I did my usual routine(s) of a hand full of vitamins and supplements washed down with either spicy V-8 or orange juice, a cup of hot green tea, a few quiet moments, the posting of yesterday's activities then a bowl of cereal before heading out on my bike for a 10 minute ride to the rec for some 2 hours of pickle ball. We had 2 courts in action but with a blend of players so the action wasn't quite as great when with just the advanced players but we all still had wet shirts by 10 o'clock.

I piddled around outside in the garden sowing some flower seeds, Swiss chard and tomato seeds and then hand watering the seedlings and what's left of the winter garden before moving around to the front of the house and working in the front yard. I edged the front yards then hand watered the new sprigs which are really starting to spread out over the bare spots where I had weeded. This kept me busy until Amy and the kiddo's came for lunch. GG was off singing with her group so she missed the salad for lunch. Little Eliza Faye and I had our usual half hour of music after lunch while the gals cleaned up until it was nap time for her. We both got in a small siesta before they headed out.

After they left to pickup Ava from school I read until it was time to grill a couple bone-in pork chops for supper. I finished a good read by Jeanette Walls titled THE SILVER STAR, she is the author of THE GLASS CASTLE which was her memoir. We were having house church at 6:30 just up the street and I knew we were having some dips to munch on so we ate lite at supper with just canned spinach and some fried apples to accompany our chops. Nancy made a spinach and artichoke dip and Kathryn brought a taco dip both were awesome and Carol made brownies which I passed on. We watched a video about a new mega church that started in Charlotte, N.C. with just about 8 core group couples and they call themselves Elevation Church. They all decided they wanted to be a mega church and with 5 years they were seeing a weekly attendance close to 10 thousand folks. Their story is awesome and reminded us how Element was started as well as Cornerstone with a dedicated core group. They all sold out from their homes in Shelby(I use to live there many moons ago) and moved lock, stock and barrel to Charlotte to start this church. Now that is dedication to their mission statement and vision for how they wanted to reach the unchurched for CHRIST.

We headed home to watch the Ray's blow another game while Nancy was into the Idol show. I had lights out around 10'ish for me, LATER

Wednesday

Well Tuesday turned out to be another hot day with temp's into the low 90's but the humidity wasn't terrible for a change. I did a little work outside after supper until dark and it was rather nice out as the temps dropped and a nice breeze picked up.

I started the day much the usual although sleep was sort of limited for the night. I have so many things running through my mind that I was a clock watcher for most of the night. I always start a couple weeks before any major project or any change about to occur of not sleeping soundly despite keeping active. I'm like a kid waiting to go fishing the next day, anyhow Tuesday was another busy day that started with me rolling out a little before 6. I had my usual routine(s) of a cup of green tea after a handful of vitamins and supplements, a few quiet moments, the posting of this ramble from yesterday's activities, a lite breakfast of cereal then a ride out to the rec on my bike. I must say despite the heated afternoons the mornings here have been just awesome.

Myself and 7 other pickle ball players put in 2 good hours of continuous play and our shirts were dripping wet by 10. You would think I would be a stick after 5 days a week of dripping sweat from all of the workouts, but no. I'm trying to cut down on my portions and I still can not reduce this spare tire, oh well. I stopped off at the library for a couple reads before heading home to work outside in the gardens and yard hand watering. The grass sprigs are starting to really takeoff and by the end of the month I should have a good stand of grass. I know the grass is probably knee high at the cabin by now as the weather there has been warm with lots of rain. Hopefully it will be a good season for both vegetable and flower gardening there.

Well I made a guacamole for lunch as GG, Amy and the kiddo's came. I picked up GG from her doctors appointment around 11 and then I took her home when I headed out for my chiropractor appointment around 2. I have one more visit scheduled with him from my VA allocation and he has done wonders for me and my back. I headed home afterwards and read until it was time for supper. We had leftover fajitas from the night before.

We got some sad news about GG's sisters husband Uncle Warnie who is 93 years young around lunch time. He has suffered an aneurysm attack and the prognosis is good especially at his age. GG's sister Daryl isn't in the best of health either as she is in the early stages of Alzheimer. They both live with their daughter Chris and her husband Bill in Pennsylvania. GG was scheduled visit for a 2 week visit there in June but we will see what happens and what changes are to occur. Keep Uncle Warnie in your thoughts and prayers.

Well that was about it for Tuesday except the Ray's were losing to the Orioles in the late innings after a day off and their weekend wins over the Yankees, LATER

Just a business note for all you gals who use Artistry beauty products. Our team leaders at Amway are offering BOGO for this month of May all products that have that label. Check us out at our store and remember this offer is only from our store at www.amway.com/JNTriplett

Tuesday

Well Monday despite the humidity and the higher temps that found it's way back into our area I did managed to get quite a bit done outside in the yard and gardens. Today and the rest of the week we will see temp's back into the 90's which is normal for this area and time of the year. The mountains with it's cooler temps is quickly calling my name and we hopefully will arrive on the 31st.

The morning was much the usual for me as I rolled out a little before 6 to start the day. After my hand full of vitamins and supplements, a cup of hot green tea, a few quiet moments, the posting of this ramble and then a bowl of cereal I pedaled out to the rec around 7:30 for some 2 plus hours of pickle ball. We had a small gang with just 7 players but still managed to soak up a shirt in sweat in no time. Afterwards I filled in on the ping pong table for a game before heading out with a stop at the library on my way home.

I worked outside in the garden harvesting some lettuces which have just about dried up. I managed enough for a couple meals of salad before we have to use store bought. I then transplanted some kale seedlings into 9 pack trays for the mountain garden. I hand watered the front yard grass sprigs giving them a good soaking despite the 2-3 inches of rain we received on Saturday. The soil is so sandy here it dries out in no time. Amy brought Sam by while she took GG shopping and Nancy was at the rec doing her workout.

GG brought her leftover Zuppa Toscana soup and we all chowed down on that for lunch. Afterwards little Eliza Faye and I did our music time while the gals cleaned up from lunch. Eliza is such a sweet cuddly baby and is easily entertained. She is trying her hardest to talk and sing along with the music. Sam was into building Star War ships with his legos and he brought his creations in to show us as well. After they left for the afternoon I got in some reading for a couple hours until it was time to grill the last package of deer steaks. Nancy had them in a marinate of Italian dressing for most of the day. She sautéed onions and peppers and then I thinly sliced the grilled meat and mixed it with the sautéed veggies for fajitas, Yeow was that ever tasty with a little sour cream, Chrystal hot sauce and a Seranno pepper for me and a few tomatoes on top in a flour tortilla. We finished the left over Cole slaw from Saturday nights supper as well. Delicious!!!

After the cleanup I headed outside as the temps had dropped somewhat but a nice breeze kicked in which really made in comfortable. I mowed both yards then Nancy hand watered the front yards for me while I put up a new barrier around my one garden with old cinder blocks. I've been wanting to do that for sometime as the boards were starting breakdown with some rot despite being pressure treated. I started some honey suckle clippings in water in hopes they will root so I can take some to the cabin. That smell is just awesome along with all of the Confederate jasmine that is now blooming. Those two smells are prevalent in my back yard. I worked outside until nearly dark and then headed for the showers.

Well it seems our POTUS and his team is once more involved in some nefarious undertakings with the cover up of the cover up that left 4 of our citizens fighting for their lives which they eventually lost. Despicable!! I'm thrilled the congress will investigate this to the fullest and if he is not to blame then he should be exonerated; but if he let these folks die because of his re-election campaign then he should be impeached for that as well as the cover up and Hillary should be made to go down with him. I'm disappointed in our left wing media except for FOX News that has given this administration a pass. Folks this is what happened in Nazi Germany not so long ago and one other bit of information is the possibility of our currency being devalued because of our ever mounting debt. The dollar is the currency that is held in reserve for the world which means all products and services are based on the dollar value and if we lose that status our savings and retirement will be devalued as another currency will become the benchmark. Wake up America! I honestly think this socialist leaning administration wants to see America decline and this health care act is just one more part of the puzzle that will accelerate our debt and along with these scandals to concentrate power to the executive branch of our government. Well I'll get off my soapbox and just hope and pray we find out the truth before its too late, LATER   

Monday

Well Sunday turned out to be just a beautiful day with a slight chill in the air; actually after the front moved through on Saturday evening it brought dry air into the bay area and by Sunday morning it felt as if it had cooled down. By late afternoon the temp's began to rise back to the usual.

Sunday morning found us getting ready to head to Tampa for the gathering at Element Church. We left around 9 as Nancy had to work the check-in desk for the youngsters with Carol. This will be her last Sunday to do that for awhile as she and Carol do that the first Sunday of every month. Hopefully the first Sunday in June we will be at Cornerstone in Sparta, N.C.

After church we headed home  and dropped Carol off at her house as Dan had a late meeting with the elders at Element. We ate left over spaghetti for a late lunch and that held me the rest of the day. I vegetated on the couch to watch the Ray's beat the Yankees 5-1 in the final game of this series before they head home for a few days. We headed out around 5:30 to pick up GG and take her with us to see Ava perform in a musical play at SFBC with the youth group. Ava was awesome and she received many accolades as well as she was center stage in the singing choir and movements. It was a nice performance and afterwards they had a social in the fellowship hall. We chatted up several of our old friends before heading out. It was a good time of fellowship.

I settled into reading and watching some T.V. before it was lights out for me at 10, LATER

Sunday

Well Saturday was a wash out until late afternoon and then the sun came out and the humidity went away and it actually cooled down. I never got outside except for a trip to the grocery in a light rain except for late afternoon when we headed up to our friends and neighbors for a Kentucky Derby bash at 5 o'clock.

The morning started with us sleeping in until nearly 7:30, despite me awakening at my normal 5:45. The rain was beating on the roof so I was able to roll over and maintain the sleep mode for another hour or so. I did my post, quiet time and Nancy made a semi-mountain breakfast without the buckwheat cakes. Sausage patties, fried eggs and toast. I added the last of my tomato's along with a Serrano pepper and a little homemade apple butter to the mix and that held me until supper, except for a lite snack around 2.The rain was falling with thunder in the distance but no lightning. We decided to head out around noon for a grocery run as we were bringing baked sweet taters' and Cold slaw to the pulled supper at 5 o'clock at the Botbyl's house along with Kathryn and Patrick.

I watched the Ray's on T.V. and they lost this game after coming back from behind in the 14th inning to down the Yankees the night before and the night before that they also came from behind in extra innings to sweep a double hitter from the Red Sox. Their play is looking up finally but I think they were just worn out in the game yesterday despite blowing a 3-0 lead for about 5 innings. We then watched all of the race prep for the Derby. The California horse lived up to its billing with a convincing win and just maybe we will have a triple crown winner this year.

The Derby Bash was awesome with baby back ribs on the smoker by Dan, baked sweet taters' and Cole slaw by us, a roasted vegetable medley Kathryn made along with a silk chocolate pie for dessert. Yeow was that ever some fine eatin' and then afterwards we settled into the game of Sequence. Once more the men of Seminole were winners in a close match 4-3 over the women. So far this year the gals haven't won at Sequence in Florida; that could change as we prepare to take the game to the mountains of North Carolina in less than a month. Needless to say it was a raucous time with lots of banter and laughter. We headed out after 9 for the hacienda a couple doors down. Today(Sunday) is the gathering at Element Church in Tampa for worship. If you don't take at least one day a week to give thanks you are missing a blessing, LATER

Saturday

Well today and Friday were the wettest days we've had in several days and it was welcomed, especially by the new grass sprigs. I'm not to sure my yard man will appreciate it this summer but at least the yard will look pretty for a change. Maintaining a yard here in Florida is quite different than our mountain cabin yards.

I started Friday morning much the usual with a 6'ish roll out then my routines before dodging the rain showers on my way to the rec for some 2 plus hours of pickle ball. Wow did we ever have some great play with long rallies. My shirt was dripping sweat by 10. The rain pounded on the gym roof for most of the 2 hours and just about 10 it eased to just a sprinkle so I headed out for the library to drop off some reads before dashing home on the bike. The lite rain felt good as I pedaled home.

Well it rained the rest of the day so I didn't have to water which freed up some extra reading time. Nancy was at SFBC for her Friday morning Bible study. I was on the phone with Direct T.V. trying to get them to change their policy for only allowing me 6 months of vacation time for my service at the cabin. They accommodated me due to my 10 plus years of being a loyal customer so I won't have to pay for a month of service when we aren't there as that usually is 5 months

Amy, GG and the kiddo's came for lunch and I got in a good half hour of music time with Eliza Faye. What a cutie she is and is just maturing so rapidly. I even did a little Star Wars playtime with Sam as he too is quite the imaginative one with his make belief scenarios. After they all left around 2:30 to pickup Ava from school Nancy and I both read until it was time to start supper. The Ross family was coming for fried flounder, Brussel sprouts, oven tater's and macaroni for Ava and Sam. I picked a nice mess of the sprouts in between the rain showers as well as herbs for the taters and a green onion and Serrano pepper for me. Yikes what fine eatin' and we licked the platters clean.

After the clean up we got into a game of golf while the kiddo's played the ipads and then a game of hearts. It was a good night for me as I whupped them in both games. We had the Ray's game on in the background and I must confess they played well in Boston sweeping them and a double hitter on Thursday night. Last night in extra innings they whupped the Yankees(I turned it off with a tied score after 9 innings) as well so maybe they are starting to come alive. Well, it's rain here all night and this morning Saturday its raining with thunder in the background. Today is Kentucky Derby day so we are getting together with our house church gang this evening for supper with floppy hats and mint juleps, LATER

Friday

Well Thursday was another hot and humid day with lots of sunshine. The morning started with a 6'ish roll out then my usual routine(s) of a cup of hot green tea, a few quiet moments, the posting of this ramble, a lite breakfast of cereal before pedaling out to the rec for some 2 plus hours of pickle ball. We had 7 advanced players and the action for fast and furious. Our shirts were wringing with sweat by 10 AM. I stopped off at the library on the way home.

I worked in the yard and garden hand watering and then headed out to the front yard where I edged and then transplanted more grass sprigs. That kept me busy until lunch and then it got just to hot outside to do any work. Amy, GG and the kiddo's came for lunch and afterwards little Eliza and myself did our after lunch music time for about a half hour. She tries to sing along with the little music box and tries to manipulate the box as well. Despite her gums bothering her she is quite the happy baby and growing like a weed.

After they left for the day I took a small siesta and then read until it was time to grille some marinated chicken breasts for supper. I picked some fresh parsley for boiled taters' and a green onion along with a hot pepper to garnish them. I skipped on the salad as I had a large one for lunch. After the cleanup we headed out to do so more yard work as the temps had dropped considerably and a cloud cover kept the direct sunlight away. It looked a little like rain. We could use a little as it's very dry. Thankfully, I have a shallow well and use it daily.  It was close to 8 when we headed inside. After a hot shower we settled into our respective T.V.'s.

The Ray's won the first game of a double hitter with the Red Sox and were leading in the second game only to have more poor pitching; 3 walks and a hit batter all in the same inning. I tuned them out and into the Fox News channel and learned the e-mail's are finally coming to light about the cover up in the Benghazi slaughter of 4 Americans. What a disgrace this administration is and was from the beginning of their tenure as they lie about their failed policies and then try to cover it up with more lies from the very beginning of this attack. I really want to know where the POTUS was when this came to light that our embassy was under attack by terrorist on the anniversary of 9/11, LATER

Thursday (May 1st)

Well Wednesday was right up there with a typical Florida day; hot and muggy. We saw very little of the rain that inundated the panhandle of Florida over the last couple days that caused death and major destruction to the area. We had just enough rain to wet or settle the dust.

I started the day out much the usual with a 6'ish roll out then my usual routines before heading out to the rec on my bike around 7:30 for some 2 hours or so of pickle ball. We had a rather small crowd of players with just 7 at one time. The play wasn't too bad as we had a couple of the intermediate players mixed; the wet shirts weren't quite as prevalent as the day before. After leaving the rec I stopped off to pick up a couple new reads at the library before heading home.

I picked fresh lettuce, kale, onions and basil to help with the salad Nancy was making for our house church get together later in the evening. I then headed out to hand water the new grass sprigs and they looked great and still a solid green. I picked a couple messes of collards for neighbors and our house church gang. The collards are still doing great and now my newly sown beets are breaking ground as well as the kale seedlings are up. My recently tomato seedlings bit the dust for some reason so I must sow them again today. So far the herbs are doing well and I should have at least the 3 biggies to take with me to the cabin; rosemary, thyme and basil and I'm hoping my cilantro will survive the heat.

Well Amy, GG and the kiddo's came for a lunch of sandwiches and I ate leftover black beans and rice. Eliza and I had our 30 minutes of music and play time after lunch in the reading room. She is not one to take day time naps much like her mother was, but she does sleep through the night. After they left I read until it was time to get ready to head over to Kathryn and Patrick's place on the beach for our weekly house church get together. Their neighbor Kevin and Robin joined us as well as Dan and Carol who came late. We brought a huge salad and they purchased  3 kinds of pizza from a small shop on the beach which was delicious and then Kathryn made a delicious German chocolate cake. I sampled a small piece as it was that scrumptious.

After eating we settled into a video about the legacy of Israel and how all but one of the major prophecies have been fulfilled regarding what the Biblical prophets spoke about in the scriptures a couple thousand years ago. This is an eye opener and the narration is easily understood with some incredible video taken from the holocaust museum as well as what the land called Palestine looked like just several decades ago and what the transformation is now. I want to watch this video again as there is so much history and prophecy set forth and the realization of what will come to be when the final stage is set. Yikes this is an eye opener and we must never give up on our biggest ally and the smallest nation in the world set between hostile countries.

It was after 10 before we left for home. We are happy to announce that Patrick and Kathryn are renting a beautiful cabin in the Sparta area for 4 months this summer. They are such delightful people and we will really enjoy their company, LATER