Wednesday Morning

Well Tuesday was a busy day with a good workout at the rec in the morning, some baby sitting, reading and then a bike ride in the late afternoon. It looked as if we may have had a light rain shower during the night as the road had some puddles which was great to see. The weather is still rather warm with 80's but the humidity has come back so the a/c is on once again, oh well.

I started the morning much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to my daily morning routines. After my handful of Nutrilite vitamins and supplements washed down with a cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric I posted this ramble then spent some quiet moments with my Creator in humble thanksgiving for another day and to lift up several. The latest on Paw Paw is he is doing better but still in the hospital in Martinsburg, W.Va. Josie puts up posts almost daily as well as phones a couple times a week. The mountains where our cabin finally got some much needed rain to help with the drought but mainly to dampen the forests against fire. It's so sad to see the fire damage to the Gatlinburg area which officials think was arson. Many folks are homeless as well as a few have lost their lives and many businesses are gone as well.

I had one of the best workouts with 3 other A players on the pickle ball court for over an hour and half and left their with a soaked t-shirt and fatigued, yeow. I'm finally getting back into shape as I'm now playing almost everyday except Sunday and some Saturdays when the gym is closed for the basketball players and games. We have a small core group of good players starting to come back to the rec and that makes for some great play. I'm still at times mingling with some of the good B players which at least keeps me active. I'm in this sport for the exercise and helping others to achieve good play as well.

I headed home just before 10'ish to watch Eliza Faye as Nancy and Amy Christmas shopped for clothes for the grand kiddos. We had a grand time together and she mainly played with the Nativity scene under the tree and then fell asleep for an hour or so. She is such a cutie and so mannerly as well. She loves he snacks and I of course loaded her up with mini oreos. The girls got home just before 2'ish and I had to run out for a meeting with my financial advisor as I turn 70 1/2 In February as I must take a withdrawal from my IRA's. We set that up for the upcoming year. I've been blessed with a great advisor who helped me become secure in my retirement and who is a strong Believer as well.

Nancy and I took a nice long bike ride through the hood until 5'ish. We spoke with our "mountain mom" and she and her siblings had a good trip over to Tennessee for Thanksgiving Day dinner. She said they got some much needed rain and that more is on the way in the next day or so. It's been fairly mild so far with above seasonable temps but the lack of rain has been throughout the Carolinas and made for drought conditions and of course a fire hazard. Hopefully this rain will lessen that condition for all of the mountains and towns.

I grilled bone-in pork chops with fresh rosemary from the garden, yeow were they ever delicious and accompanied by Brussel sprouts slathered in mustard and butter. This in not only a very healthy veggie but so tasty as well. I tried to grow them one year but they take so long and they require so much space that is easier to just buy them. The collards will be ripe for picking next week as well as some lettuces. It looks as if most all of the recently transplanted romaine and bibb lettuces will survive and I can get them in the ground sometime later this week as well. I like for them to have at least 3 leaves before moving them into the ground. The tomato's continue to set fruit and it looks as if the cucumber are going to make as those seedlings have now added extra leaves. For some reason I don't have good luck with them here in Florida in this garden. The 1/2 runner green beans are sending out runners and will be climbing the fence I made for them and the bush beans are really making nice plants as well.

Well we tuned into the Fox Cable News and the radical Islamic terrorists have struck again in Ohio. Thankfully the campus cop killed him. Trump is so right on with his message to vet all immigrants from countries that are supporters of these radicals or deny them entrance until they are vetted. It's so unfortunate that we have politicians who care only for the PC crowd and not our citizens. THANK GOD Clinton didn't get elected as she wanted hundreds of thousands of these radicals to migrate to our nation without any vetting at all. Trump continues to infuriate the left with his appointments as he drains the swamp in D.C. Please pray for his willingness to clean the slime from within our politicians and let the country know just how sleazy this present potus has been for the last 8 years, LATER

On a business note today is the last day of the month to order Nutrilite products and get them BOGO. This is an unbelievable offer from our team leaders ONLY; however the first two weeks in December they have decided to offer everything in the catalog(store) BOGO that includes the Ribbon Gift Albums as well. So if you didn't get your order in for this month you can still take advantage of the Bogo for the first two weeks only next month(December). Also to spice up the offer you will have your shipping costs reimbursed if your order is at least 30 PV's and you order by the 10th of the month. Great savings as well for the holiday period. I will post this offer later next month.

Tuesday Morning

Well Monday saw us with a mixture of temps as the morning started off on the cool side and by late afternoon and evening Nancy had the a/c on once again. We purchased our live Frasier Fir Christmas tree from Home Depot and got it decorated by day's end. We had Amy, GG and Eliza for lunch and even Bobby stopped by as well as he was working out in this area. We then had GG again for supper as we cleaned up her leftover flank steak in fajitas which were awesome. I did get in a good workout at the rec earlier in the morning.

Well the day started much the usual with a little before 6 roll out for me. I did my morning routines of posting this ramble and then some quiet moments with my Creator lifting up those I know and love who need some divine healing. Paw Paw is still one of those, however I did hear his voice later in the afternoon. He was unable to carry on a conversation on the cell phone as his hearing is terrible. They don't have a room phone at the VA some Josie has him speak on her phone. We managed a limited conversation with her interpreting. They are still waiting on test results from his inflamed hip and we won't know anything until we hear back from the doctor on what the next course of action will be. He is still somewhat bed fast and on the catheter which makes for limited exercise and rehab.

I headed out around 8'ish on my bike for the rec and got in nearly two hours of continuous pickle ball play. We have a new player who just moved here and is going to add to the list of A players. I had a wet shirt when I left and we are trying to get the play started a little earlier before 8 if possible. I came back and we set out to Home Depot and Nancy picked out a nice Fir Tree from the Grandfather Mountain area of N.C. I set it in a stand and let it fall into place before we placed it in the house for decorating later in the day. Nancy was off with her mom, GG shopping and running errands with her while I piddled around in the garden and yards.

I moved some romaine lettuce seedlings up into 9 pack's and then fed and watered most of the plants. The new Thai basil looks as if if it may survive as one stem is showing new growth. This basil has a licorice flavor and I had some in my Pho dish a couple weeks ago and the owner of the eatery told me to just stick the leftover stems in dirt and it will grow. I'm hoping it will make as the flavor is awesome in Pho and hopefully salads. After lunch I got down all of the Christmas tubs from the attic and then cleaned out the debris from the gutters as it actually looked like we might get some rain. It did sprinkle about 30 drops which felt like a flock of birds flying over head. The sun came back out and that was it for our wet weather. I never left the garden but did drag out the hose and hand watered everything. I have lots of green tomatoes set on the 2 plants on the side of the house. So far nothing has broken the plants off but the radishes never materialized and the recently resowed carrot seeds haven't showed any color either. Last year I had the best carrots ever. The Swiss chard is showing nice new seedlings about an inch in height and the lettuce seedlings are adding new leaves daily. Hopefully next week I can begin to harvest some.

Well I picked up GG and we had black beans and "gold" rice we purchased in Charleston along with sautee'd peppers, onions and the leftover flank steak, yeow with a jalapeno pepper on mine and some sour cream they were delicious. After the cleanup we watched the Fox Cable News and once more saw where an unvetted Somali refugee granted status by this present inept potus has injured several innocent folks in Ohio. Folks we have to use some common sense when allowing the "fox into the hen house". These radical muslim terrorist want to disrupt and change our way of life and we must vet them in a thorough way and if that means discriminating so what. We can not allow them in from countries that hate US(A). Trump is right on when he wants to stop all migrations from these countries until we can assure they are coming here to assimilate into our culture. The PC and leftist crowd will just have to get over it until we make certain they are legit immigrants.

Well we watched the O'Reilly Factor and he is right on on with his commentary on most issues that we are facing as a nation. The left is constantly with the help of the biased media going to make Trump's presidency a struggle and a difficult one; but I'm telling you the working class of America is fed up with the left and the PC(political correct) crowd and the slime in politics in D.C. His movement with this election should be a wake up call to those who constantly do their darnest to destroy our culture. This Republican Party had better govern now that we have both houses of Congress and the White House and tell these democraps to take a hike. We want our nation back from the influence peddlers, greedy politicians and race baiting folks who have no respect for our laws and law enforcement officers. The fact this potus glorifies the brutal dictator Castro is just one example of their leftist ideology and a disgrace to all of those folks he brutalized in Cuba over the last 50 years, LATER

Monday Morning

Well Sunday was another awesome day spent with family and friends at our local church, Bridgepoint. Nancy and I volunteer a couple times a month as greeters, ushers and offering collectors. We had a packed house and I gave out lots of hugs and handshakes. We always meet new folks each week and Pastor Tim had an awesome message on generosity. If your interested check out the message at Bridgepoint Church in St. Petersburg as its archived on Google. We rode with the Botbyl's our good friends and neighbors and afterwards had a delicious lunch at Applebees in Largo.

Well the morning started with my usual roll out around 6'ish. We still had overnight guests; niece Arianne and Errol from the Miami area so I did my morning routines;  posted this ramble while in the kitchen and spent a few quiet moments with my Creator. They were still sleeping when I finished so I headed out to hand water the gardens and then got ready for church as we had to leave at 9:15. They emerged and decided to spent some time with GG before heading south later in the day. It's about a 4 hour drive or so as they are north of the big city but they both teach in the city of Miami. Miami was erupting with a festive spirit as the dictator Fidel Castro had died a couple days ago. He was a brutal Communist dictator who held the Cuban people hostage for over 50 years. The Cuban society was so excited for his demise there was dancing in the streets of the little Havana area in Miami.

After church we headed to Applebees for a delicious lunch and then home where I spent the afternoon reading and watching football. The Bucs played a very good team from Seattle and beat them to everyone's surprise as they were leading their division. Bobby and Katie were in attendance as well along with some of her family and the day was just magnificent weather wise. Nancy took off shopping and then made a stop at GG's getting home in the late afternoon. We skipped supper after the large noon meal and I popped some corn the old fashion way. She was on the Internet while I read and watched NFL football until bed time around 10'ish for me.

We had a grand visit with two of our nieces Erica and her 9 kiddos and Arianne who is still trying to have her first over the holiday. There was way too much delicious eating and I'm afraid to get on the scales this morning. It's back to our weekly routines until the Christmas holiday of baking, eating and family get together's. I did manage to stay away from the taters, desserts and breads except for the stuffing's, oh well, LATER

Sunday Morning

Well Saturday saw us with another almost perfect day weather wise with a front moving through with dry and somewhat cooler temps; still no rain though. We got in a bike ride in the afternoon and I got in a good workout at the rec on the pickle ball courts with about 20 other players. There were some really good new players and when I left I had a wet shirt. Once again we had several here for a supper of leftovers.

The day started much the usual with my morning routines except I wrote this ramble was the kitchen table as we still have guests in the computer or spare bedroom. I kind of like this different setting for composing this ramble. I had my morning cup of hot green tea laced with the herb turmeric which I have every day now for joint pain. This stuff really works and once you get over the initial yucky taste it's really not that bad. I never would have thought this herb could be so beneficial for your health. I spent a few quiet moments with my Creator lifting up those I know and love, especially Paw Paw who is still under doctors care at the VA. We are hoping for some good news in the next couple of days with regard to his hip and urinary issues.

I headed out on my bike around 8"ish to the rec. and got in a good wet shirt workout. We had several new folks who were visiting the area with family and were very good players. Too bad they don't live here as they would be a great addition to our mix of players. I headed home around 9:30 as we still have out of town guests who should be up for the day. They are night owls along with Nancy and all were still in the sack when I left for the rec.

I piddled around in the garden hand watering when I got back to the house then Amy wanted me to bring the ladder over so Tyler could put up their outside Christmas lights.  Afterwards it was set around and visit until it was football time on the tube. The Michigan vs Ohio State was a real good game with a double overtime win for the Buckeyes. Arianne of course is a Michigan fan as she is from there. We had a lunch of leftovers and then we decided to have everyone minus the Miami Shuster Family with 9 kiddos and Bobby and Katie. We still had about 9 adults and the Ross kiddos which made for a full house again. Afterwards we got into a new old game called THINGS. I think this game was a gift from years ago but we never played it. Ava was able to play with us and she was a good guesser. It was a good game and we must play it with our other friends who are out in California when they get back around Christmas time.

They all headed out somewhere around 9:30 which was a good thing as the sandman was calling on me. I watched a little of the Florida teams in a battle for awhile but shortly after a hot shower I was turning the lights outa little after 10. Nancy said they stayed up until after 1'ish watching house hunters on the tube, LATER

Don't forget today is corporate worship day with other Believers. Show your support and love for our Creator by making a stand for his blessings and influence in your life. We have been given a reprieve from the corrupt Clinton's and secular progressives in this divine influenced election so let those who voted for the "slime in the swamp" know we are not going to let them be such an influence any longer. We must take back our government, our morals and protect the innocents as well as drain the swamp in the government with honest folks who love the nation. Let the media know we are no longer beholding to their retched influence for the secular's and special interests. We must clean the Sodom and Gomorrah's left leaning bunch from among our folks and once more choose our Judeo-Christian way of life. So stand up and be counted for CHRIST.  

Saturday Morning

Well we celebrated Thanksgiving Day supper again yesterday evening with family here in Seminole, yikes did we ever prepare too much food once again. We had 27 folks here which did require some juggling of tables so we all could set down together. Needless to say the conversations were many and the kiddos all seem to have a great time as well. Afterwards we headed back over to GG's house for dessert and then charades until nearly 9:30. A fun time was had by all.

I started the day with a 7'ish rollout for a change. That is quite different for me but the extra hour was great. I did my usual morning routines and quiet times but settled out in the kitchen to post this ramble. I like this setting instead of in the spare bedroom/computer desk as the Arianne and Errol were sleeping there. I watched the sun rise out the kitchen window and it was a beauty. Everyone came to life some where around 8'ish and we prepared a lite breakfast. Mostly everyone is into their coffee cups but I had my green tea laced with turmeric. Nancy made eggs and I cut up a jalapeno pepper in mine to start the gastric juices flowing. We sat around and talked until it was time for me to head out to the gardens for some hand watering.

The kale seedling transplants seemed to have survived over night and looked good as well as did every thing else. The new lettuces have put on another leaf and I'm feeling confident we will be eating from them in about a week or less. I'm ready for some homegrown greens. The tomato's continue to set fruit as well despite the loss of another large limb. It looks as if something was munching on it and then it broke off or a squirrel ran through the plant getting to the fence, anyhow they are taking a beating this year. The collards are adding leaves as are the cabbages. I'm still hand watering at least once and sometimes twice a day as the rain clouds have stayed away.

Well the supper last evening saw two turkeys being roasted along with a ham and two kinds of dressings or stuffings, smashed taters and gravy, yams, green bean and spinach casseroles, yeast biscuits and the desserts were plentiful with a spice and carrot cake, and the pies included pecan, apple, pumpkin, and lemon with ice cream. I forced myself to stay away from the dessert table which took some doing as pecan pie is one of my fav's. We played charades for nearly an hour or so and the youngsters got involved as well with Ava and Jacob doing a good job. We cleaned up and then headed for home and a hot shower for me. I did tune into the final moments of the Lightning game and they lost for a change to the Columbus team here in Tampa. They played like they were here for supper, stuffed, LATER

Friday Morning

Well Thanksgiving Day saw us in Brandon(near Tampa) around 2'ish for a huge dinner at Bobby and Katie's house. Most of her immediate family attended as well as did his. While he prepared a huge turkey with the gravy all of us brought dishes most of which were old family recipes past down through the ages and I must say all were exceptional in taste and abundance. The desserts filled a whole table and were all homemade as well.

I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out. Nancy got up shortly after I started my routines as she was baking two apple pies along with a spinach dish to take with us to Bobby's. I spent some quiet moments with my Creator in humble thanksgiving lifting up several especially Paw Paw whom we spoke with briefly. We are still awaiting test results on his hip pain and what the next step is in his rehab. Hopefully he will get stronger and be able to have some quality of health in the near future as this has been going on since summer.

After our morning routines we got busy on last minute house prep for our overnighters from Miami. Arianne and Errol will be staying with us while Erica and family (9 kids) will be staying with GG for at least two nights. We will have them all here plus the Ross's, Bobby and Katie and Nancy's sister Betsy's family here on Friday(this evening) I think a total of 27 folks here to eat and maneuver around with walking on a kid, oh well this should be an experience. (I sure hope we have plenty of vino).

We are preparing two turkeys, a ham plus tons of dishes and stuffing both dry and wet and the desserts will fill a whole table. I must say I passed on all the desserts yesterday and it wasn't as difficult as I anticipated however I do love pecan pie. There was a couple of dishes yesterday that really was like a dessert the sweet tater casserole was almost like a dessert and the lime jello salad was very sweet as well so I din't miss the apple, pumpkin, pecan and chocolate pies that adorned one whole table.

We left there around 7'ish and headed to GG's where we got there before they had eaten so we helped them get that on the table and I even washed dishes. They had several pies, cakes and desserts laid out as these kids can really eat. It was going on 10'ish when we left for home and it was a shower time for me and then some horizontal lab, LATER

Thursday Morning Thanksgiving Day 2016

Well the holiday season is upon us starting with today's family get togethers, eating some rich foods, football games and lots of hugs and well wishes for another year.

Wednesday was a busy day that started with my usual 6'ish roll out. I did my morning routines had my cup of hot green tea laced with some turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent some quiet time with my Creator in humble thanksgiving and intercessory prayer for those I know and Love especially Paw Paw who is still in the hospital in W.VA. Josie his oldest daughter lives in the area and keeps me and the others updated on his progress with her almost daily visits. I headed out around 8'ish for the Rec. on my bike for a solid non stop workout on the pickle ball court. We had 5 good players plus two other courts of B players so we A players managed to stay together for the entire two hours which made for some sore muscles this morning. I've been limiting myself to about an hour or so each day but with these good players on a court all to ourselves I went the extra hour, yikes am I ever stiff and sore this AM, oh well it was worth as we now have two days off with the Rec. closed until Saturday.

I stopped off at the library and picked up a book for GG before heading home to work in the yards and gardens. I fired up the mower and mowed the almost dried out lawns and sucked up lots of dried oak leaves and weeds which manage to grow even when there is no rain. I edged and then took the blower and cleaned the porches and sidewalk before heading to the back yard gardens. I had a couple dozen lettuces that needed to go into the ground so I got a space really for them as well as put the two pepper plants I had separated from a single pot into the ground. I got a bargain on the egg plant and bell pepper plants as there were two seedlings in one pot for the price of one. I separated them successfully and now have twice as many as I purchased of course one pot was almost four bucks at home depot. I had sowed extra half runner bean seeds and they are up as well. I now have kale and romaine lettuces up with two leaves and will soon move them into 9 packs before transplanting them into the garden. I grow as much as I can from seeds but egg plant, cabbage, collards, bell peppers and jalapeno's are so difficult to start from seeds.

Amy and the kiddos all came for lunch and she took off to shop while the kiddos and Phoenix our neighbor boy who is Ava's age came to play. They never stopped running around for the next couple of hours and little Eliza Faye was right with them. She is tough as nails and runs and plays with them the whole time. She is so proud of herself that now she is potty trained announcing to everyone when she does number two on the potty. We promised her when she uses the potty totally and turns three she can take ballerina lessons and she reminds us every time she is through. She is such a precious child with great expressions and her manners are impeccable for her age.

After Amy and the kiddos left we took off on a long bike ride through the hood as we missed yesterdays ride. It was such a beautiful day for a ride with a soft gentle breeze and plenty of sunshine. We came back and Nancy took down the laundry from the clothesline while I hand watered the gardens and yards. I set the sprinkler out front for a couple hours after supper so as to give what grass is still alive a drink. We had a Marie Callender chicken pot pie for supper. These are the tastiest pies ever and perfect when accompanied by a fresh salad. I checked the scale this morning and saw my lowest reading of 184; that's down 10 pounds from 3 weeks ago. I'm thrilled and have seen some reduction in the spare tire. I want to see 180 if possible then maintain. I've basically reduced my portions and stayed away from heavy foods and almost all desserts. The desserts is no problem for me but the breads, crackers, cheese, spuds and pastas are my weakness. I still have my glass of red vino before supper and an occasional cold one for lunch when working outside. So with the extra bike ride and pickle ball it's been fun dropping these few pounds.

We settled into the Fox Cable news channel and we love this newest personality Tucker Carson. He is a breath of fresh air and pulls no punches when he interviews these biased folks on the left. I think he will overtake O'Reilly with his in depth interviewing. I'm tired of Megn Kelly and wish that Hannity would move up to an earlier time slot, oh well. I tuned into the Lightning vs Flyers hockey game and they were losing in the third period when I shut the lights out 10'ish. I'll have to read about the final later.

Well we want to wish all a Happy Thanksgiving as we do have so much to be thankful for. We can rest assured that corruption and special interests will be stalled in our government with this election of Trump. The biased main stream media is put on notice that we the working class are fed up with their interference in elections as seen by their electing of a community organizer and the last 8 years of his inept leadership at home and abroad. We stood up and our voice was finally heard and while they are having a difficult time adjusting we sent the republicans to both houses of congress now lets hope we have some folks with some guts to right the ship, put folks back to work and restore our influence in the world with our military and be a beacon once again for liberty and individual freedoms which have sorely diminished when the democraps like Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Obama. It's time to make America great again, LATER  

Wednesday Morning

Well Tuesday was another chilly start for the day. Down into the low 50's but eventually warmed to the high 70's another great afternoon and evening weather wise. I did get in a good workout at the Rec. then a dentist visit for a chipped tooth, some shopping at Sam's Club and Home Depot before finally spending the evening working in the garden. We missed our bike ride as the Ross grand kiddos came for an hour or so when we usually take our ride. Nancy had me grill marinated chicken breasts for our supper.

Well the day started much the usual with a 6'ish roll out for me. I had my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while posting this ramble then spent a few quiet moments with my Creator in humble thanksgiving and intercessory prayer for those who we know and love are hurting. Paw Paw is still in the VA Hospital and we are awaiting results of some tests they performed to see what the next step is in his rehab and care. Afterwards I grabbed an apple on my way out the door to the Rec. for some pickle ball. We had some new visitors from N.C. and they were both very good players as well as a full gym with three courts in action. Hopefully we will have enough for a good workout today as the Rec. will be closed until Saturday.

I came back and took Nancy to her mom's(GG) so they could take her car and run errands. I needed the truck for my dentist visit at 11. I had chipped my front tooth which wasn't noticeable but Nancy good feel the rough edge and refused any kisses until I had it fixed. Well initially the dentist said he would just buff the ragged edge when I had my cleaning last week but decided at the last moment that I needed to have it filled and then buffed out; well that changed the outcome to 225 bucks for about 30 minutes of work. I was a little disappointed in the costs but at least the edge is now smooth and the kisses have returned. So thats good.

I headed to Sam's for some gas, solar salt and other goodies for the big dinner as well as some items I needed from the Home Depot for my garden. I bought new carrot seeds and got them in the ground later in the day. I had to resow some sugar peas as several failed to sprout which is very unusual. I now have a couple dozen green tomato's set on different plants and the extra half runner beans seeds I sowed over the weekend are up as well. Most everything is looking great and growing in these warm sunny afternoons and cool nights especially the cabbage, collards and lettuces. Hopefully by next week I can make my first harvest of lettuce. The beets I brought back are so healthy looking and producing beautiful leaves for harvesting as well. They add so much to a fresh salad.

We spoke with our "mountain mom" Helen and she and her brother Joe and sister Martha are driving over to Tennessee to have the big dinner with Joe's family but only for the day. The mornings have been cold there but yesterday the temps once more reached the 60's for a high which is unusual for this time of the year. They are still waiting on some moisture from rain or snow as the area is a tinderbox. I only hope the deer hunters don't smoke in the woods as the season is in for our area. Southern North Carolina has lots of wild fires and the smoke has become evident to our area. Ashe County which is about an hours drive or so has had some fires but I think they have been controlled by fire fighters. We need some of that snow to dampen the area that has enveloped the mid west last week with a blizzard like condition, oh well.

That was about it except for some grilled chicken breast accompanied by some fresh asparagus for supper. We are both trying to lose some of these extra ounces we gathered this summer to our middrift. I've dropped almost 10 pounds and have 2-4 more to go and them maintain. Hopefully I can maintain through this holiday season of rich eating with home baked goodies, oh well, LATER

Tuesday Morning

Well Monday found us with our first really chilly morning with temps into the low 40's and even some frost in the northern inland counties. The breeze made it feel even cooler. By late afternoon the sun had warmed the air enough to sit outside and read but not under the shade of the big oak. The cold front brought us no rain which we desperately need here in Florida as well as the Carolinas. I got in a good morning workout on the pickle ball court as well as an afternoon workout on the bikes with Nancy.

The morning started much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to dark skies. I did my routines and the cup of hot green tea was a welcome on this chilly morning. The house was still warm without any heat needed from all of the folks from the night before. We even opened the windows for awhile during the afternoon to air the house out. I had my tea laced with turmeric while posted this ramble before spending a few minutes with my Creator in humble thanksgiving. Speaking of thanksgiving we will have a house full here on Friday with 12 kids and 12 adults, yeow I don't know where we will put everyone but there should be some interesting conversations. We will head over to Bobby's for Thursday dinner with all of Katie's family and our family minus GG as her Miami family is coming that day for the weekend. We will have another big dinner on Friday at our house with those folks, oh well so much for reducing the spare tire.

I had a good workout on the pickle ball courts with a wet shirt to show for it by 10'ish then pedaled home on my bike to piddle around in the garden. I have a good stand of kale seedlings up that will need to be transplanted into 9-packs this week. Most everything is looking good except for the carrots which is either taking a long time to show some color or the seeds are no longer any good. I'm beginning to think the latter is true. I'm off to the dentist today and then home depot for some new seeds and a few extras while Nancy runs GG around to several appointments. Amy dropped the three Ross kiddos off while she grocery shopped then all stayed for lunch and then until the late afternoon playing outside with Phoenix who visited after lunch. I sat outside watching them play ball and wrestle around on the ground. That Eliza Faye is just as tough as the bigger kids and she is right in there with them wrestling around. She is so funny and never fusses when they get a little rough. I mainly kept them out of my gardens from damaging my plants while retrieving the ball.

We ate the leftover burgers for supper along with a salad and then settled into the Fox Cable News. The dreadful killing of our police officers is out of hand with four incidents just yesterday. This is such an unexceptable characteristic of our society and just another part of this present potus's failed legacy. This justice department is so weak in making this a crime punishable with the automatic death penalty. We have to have respect for the rule of law which the democraps starting with Hillary and Obama have avoided. Now we are seeing where they have allowed these thugs and special interests groups to become prevalent with their rioting and destruction of lives and property. They are trying their best to disrupt our president elect and obama is helping them with his complete disregard for a smooth transition while telling them to voice their opinions by being disruptive. These folks in this administration, the millennials, the welfare bums and the race baiters are doing all they can to destroy our way of life and soon the workingman is going to get fed up with their anarchy. We showed then during this election we were through with their secular progressivism and their destructive ways.

Well I tuned into MNF until 10'ish while watching the FOX News and what I see isn't good for the nation. This potus is doing all he can to destroy this nation and any chances Trump may have to put the ship back on the right path. I'm just so disgusted with the folks who care about their special interests and who must be drained along with the swamp in D.C., LATER      

Monday Morning

Well Sunday was a rather nippy one as this cold front that left snow, sleet and below freezing temps for most of the nation which brought some winter weather for Florida. It was also very windy which made the 40's seem even colder. The sun was shining and by late afternoon it had warmed up into the 60's. We had an awesome worship day at Bridgepoint where both Nancy and I worked or volunteered to greet folks as they entered the worship center, help with taking up the offering and passing out bulletins. We had a packed house for this 10 o'clock service which will move to the new time of 9:30 next month to make room for an additional service which will be 4 in the morning and 1 in the evening.

Afterwards we (the Botbyl's) headed over to a new eatery called First Watch. I never would have recognized the building as a breakfast and lunch only restaurant. Well there was a waiting line to enter and despite the wait the food was very good. Mostly all fresh and supposedly organic only food with unusual drinks made with fresh kale, carrots and other veggies and herbs We tried the kale drink which was tasty as well as their soup, salad and half a sandwich. Their prices were a little higher than most but the dishes we had were good. I would choose the Pho for lunch at Jades Bistro over this menu but we will probably go there again in the future. We were having the whole family for a supper of burgers, dogs, mac and cheese plus salad.

I tuned into the Bucs game versus the Chiefs and the Bucs won in a close victory in their home stadium. We are now 5-5 for the season and in second place behind the Falcon's and played much better on offense. There maybe a chance to make the playoffs if they continue to play well. Mike Evans the receiver who brought shame to the club for not standing for our national anthem last Sunday in protest of Trump has apologized and I'm glad of that. These rich spoiled players don't know the meaning of honoring our country with their lack of love for the constitution and the military which keeps us free to protest and live these opulent lifestyles from being an athlete while playing a game. I have no respect for those players and I'm glad some of the owners threaten them with dismissal if they refuse to honor the anthem.

Well all of the family including GG were her for supper and the house was in an uproar when the neighborhood boy Phoneix came by later to play. The wrestling on the floor made me tired just watching Bobby, Tyler and all of the kiddos on the floor. It was going on 8'ish before all left for their homes and then we put the house back together. I tuned into Fox Cable Channel for the hour long show about Trump and learned he is a good guy despite being so successful in business. He was afforded a lifestyle many of us would never have except for for his father being a brilliant businessman. He doesn't use alcohol, tobacco or any drugs and forbids anyone in his family to use them. He has had several marriages but makes his kids work who have all become successful as well in the real estate arena. He was well thought of before he ever became a viable candidate in politics and most people wrote him off as a non entity in that field; but he said he hated to see America being run by such inept people and our culture being destroyed which was his motivation to seek the presidency. I find that an honorable decision and that's why he won. The corruption and destruction of our nation by these career inept crooked politicians have finally found someone who can't be bought off and hopefully will drain the swamp in D.C. of their influence.

Well I watched a little of the late game until 10'ish then it was lights out for me. I now have a new great nephew born of our niece Hally Jo in Colorado yesterday. I don't have all of the particulars but both mom and new son are doing fine. His Grandparents Mike and Dee Dillon where there for his grand appearance into this world. Congrats to the family and may GOD bless them all. Well That's about it except this is the week of the start of the holiday season with Thanksgiving on Thursday then a month away with be Christmas then New Years. I love this time of the year as we gather with family and friends for the great fellowship that comes with the season. I did get to speak briefly with Paw Paw at the VA Hospital during the afternoon. He sounds much better but his hearing is not quite up to par. He will be evaluated hopefully today. Josie sees him a couple of times a week and is keeping us up to date on all that's going on and we are so thankful for her help as well as Pat and Dee's who have to travel so far to see him, Later

Sunday Morning

Well Saturday turned out to be another gorgeous day here in central Florida. We are just about 5 miles as the crow flies from the Gulf of Mexico. There was a sea breeze which kept the temps and the humidity at bay despite the bright sunshine and blue skies. We are so fortunate this time of the year as we noticed the blizzard conditions in the mid west heading toward the eastern seaboard at a rapid pace. The snow is a welcome relief to those drought areas especially for the wild fire conditions.

I started the day with my usual 6'ish roll out and my morning routines. I was planning on pickle ball again this morning so I posted this ramble then spent some quiet time with my Creator in thanksgiving and lifting up those I know and love who need someone extra praying for them. I'm a firm believer in the intercessory prayer and I know lots of believers who feel the same way. Today is a special day set aside to honor our Creator and if you are one of those folks who are fortunate enough to not have to work or be on duty take some time to honor, worship at a church gathering and give thanks for our blessings. There are many who are hurting in our families and amongst our friends so lift them up to GOD and also lift up our new president elect. I know in my heart this was a divine revelation that he was elected to lead our nation from the secular progressives who have just about destroyed our way of life. This is not going to be easy to do as we are a divided nation as seen by the demonstrators, media and this outgoing administration.

We had some new and good players on the pickle ball courts this AM and I managed a wet shirt for about an hour and a half. I headed home around 10'ish to piddle around in the garden and noticed I now have a row of Swiss chard up. This is one of our favorite leafy veggies and so good for the body with its medicinal effects in combating diseases. The sugar peas are also up and the recently transplanted lettuces have put on a second leaf. Almost every hill of beans are up with second leaves as well. Kale is up in a container so I must transplant it into larger 9 packs later in the week. The garden is nearly full of plants and seedling all except the carrots which do so well here but my seeds must be old. They were last years so I need to purchase new seeds this coming week.

Nancy was shopping which is her favorite job so I had a lite lunch alone and then sat and waited for her to return home so I could wash off the Carolina dust from the truck. We were driving over to Bobby's around 4'ish for an Amway supper and meeting and taking Dan and Carol with us. We had 20 or so folks there and Bobby had a delicious meal of Greek food and all of the homemade sauces that accompany that meal. He is such a splendid chef and loves preparing and planning these get togethers. He and Katie's new home is beautifully decorated and so large but we mostly gathered in and near the kitchen which is like when everyone comes to our house. The kitchen is the central gathering spot and probably the smallest room in their house. They did a beautiful job redecorating it and Katie is so good at making even the small things great especially her desire for close work when painting. She puts me to shame with her ability to paint so precise. It's a big joke between us as she pushed me out of the "cutting in" of some rooms we were painting before they moved in.

We got back to Seminole somewhere around 9'ish or later and since I'd showered before we left it wasn't long until 10 came upon us and my eye lids were closing. There is something about the hour of 6 and 10 which has become so dominate in my life. I need to break the cycle and play more games at night. We will have a house full this coming week with family visiting from Miami area over Thanksgiving and hopefully after the kiddos are down for the night we can have some card games. We love the holidays with awesome food and fellowship with family, LATER

Saturday Morning

Well Friday turned out to be another super weather wise day with bright sunshine, blue skies and just a touch more humidity but very tolerable to be outside either working in the garden, sitting under the big oak reading and bike riding later in the day. I managed to do all three as the day progressed. I got in a good hour plus of pickle ball in the morning then made a stop off at the library before heading home and rode my bike out to the barber shop for an ear lowing. While at the shop I noticed an older gentleman and he looked somewhat familiar so after he left I asked Patty my barber if she knew this man and he was an old friend of hers and and an attorney. When she spoke his name it came to me clearly that I had given several depositions with him as he was a personal injury attorney many years ago while I was an investigator for traffic homicides and car crashes. He looked to be in up into his 80's and seemed very fit and while we didn't speak to each other we both nodded to each other. Small world.

I started the morning with my usual rollout around 6'ish. I did my morning routines and then spent some quiet time with my Creator in humble thanksgiving and lifting up several by name that I know and love. Paw Paw is doing better and gaining some strength, Joe is doing much better and is home again and several others are holding their own. I pray for Trump daily that he will be an asset to the nation as well. I have some family and friends who did not vote for him many of whom are very idealistic, but despite some locker room talk I think he has the country's best interests at heart. I know the biased left leaning media continues excoriate him and the election making excuses for the most corrupt and crooked candidate ever. This present potus continues to promote disruption for those who were shocked when the secular Hillary was defeated.  He fails to realize in his own words that she was running on his legacy and was a direct result of what the folks felt about his 8 years as potus which in my thinking was a complete disaster, oh well.

We had 2 pickle ball courts in action at the REC. and after nearly an hour and half I had my fill. I'm back everyday and its taking a while to get these muscles in shape as well as drop the extra pounds. The spare tire has shrunk a little and the pounds are down but its taking will power and rationing my eating and food portions. We are still taking that 45 minute bike ride before supper which has helped tremendously. We are eating lots of salads and staying away from the carbs as much as possible or at least I am. I had a grilled chicken breast on a bed of lettuce for lunch and a grilled salmon filet on a salad for supper.

The garden is showing some new kale seeds popping up. The heirloom kale seeds Tyler gave me never germinated for some reason. The romaine lettuce seeds are up after just 3 days as well. If all goes well we should be eating of the lettuces in a couple of weeks or less. The black seeded lettuces grow so fast here in this sandy soil whereas the bibb and romaine takes a little longer. The collards are adding new leaves almost every day and should be really for the first round of harvesting in a couple weeks as well. The one large tomato is still green despite being big enough to pick for the past two weeks. It's hard to believe we have been back for two weeks already.

Nancy took GG for a mid morning doctors appointment then shopping and out to lunch. No one came for lunch today so after the ear lowering and lunch I sat out under the big oak and finished the second book of the Century Trilogy by Ken Follett. He is a great historical novelist that follows the lives of several families from WWI through WWII and now with this third book we are into the cold war and the separation of Germany after Hitler was defeated. He is a great history story teller only the names of some have been changed to protect the innocent but it runs true to life with the various themes from each side of the equation between the USA, Germany, Russia and England.

We took a nice ride on the bikes through the hood in the late afternoon. Darkness comes so quickly now which makes for a long evening in front of the tube. I would must rather be outside until 9'ish piddling around like we do in the mountains but by 9'ish here I'm nodding off especially if there are no sports on the tube. After a hot shower I retired to the bedroom where I have a small TV and can watch sports or the Fox Cable channel and by 10'ish its lights out for me, LATER

Friday Morning

Well Thursday was another fantastic day for being outside and we did spend some great time out there and even GG who came for lunch and stayed for supper sat out under the big oak in the back yard reading while we took a bike ride before supper. I did pickle ball in the morning, worked in the garden until lunch then I sat under the big oak and read for a couple hours until it was time for a ride through the hood. It was maybe in the low 80's and no or very little humidity but I would gladly like to see a day of rain and clouds as we are that dry.

The day started with we awakening in the spare room as Nancy has a head cold and her snoring started around midnight so I slipped out to get a few hours of sleep. I wear ear plugs but with this cold she is sounding much louder. I did get a little rest despite being in a strange and unfamiliar bed. I rolled out around 6'ish which is normal for me to my usual routines. I had my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric to wash down my vitamins and supplements while I posted this ramble. Afterwards I spent some quiet time with my Creator in humble thanksgiving and intercessory prayers for those I know who need some divine intervention for healing and comfort. Paw Paw seems to be progressing ever so slightly and now there is talk of where he will go for rehab once again when he is released from the VA Hospital. That is a good sign and the fact he is grouchy.

I headed out to the REC. around 8'ish and had a good hour and half workout with two courts in action. We finally got back one of the Canadian players who is very good and we are hoping for more of the better players to arrive as well. Our REC charges 5 bucks to play daily if your not a residence of the city or not a seasonal member whereas many of the REC. departments around allow you or anyone to play for free or a nominal charge of 2 bucks at the most; so we have lost several good players to these other venues over time. We still have a few A players but most of what we have are B's. Anyhow I'm only interested at this point in time in a good wet shirt workout.

I stopped off at the library for the third book in Ken Follett century trilogy. I discovered him by accident and he is a marvelous historical novelist and I've learned several of his books have been made into movies. I'm excited to read all of his work but these books are 900 pages or more long. He is such a good writer that you must read every word or you will miss some important point; as a speed reader I sometime can gloss over more of the mundane parts but not with Follett works. I spent a couple hours after a lunch of BLT's under the shade of the big back yard oak tree. We had brought back several packages of bacon we purchased in Edinburg, Va. from a local meat packer which is the best bacon ever at a reasonable cost. We froze it in separate pound packs and gave some to the kids but kept several pound packs for ourselves, delicious!!! I think we purchased 12-15 pounds of this bacon this summer while visiting Dee and Mike in Woodstock, Va.

Amy, GG and Eliza Faye all came for lunch and she was her grown up self at nearly three as she and Nancy are best buds. She carries her purse around with this old phone in it talking to "grandma" all the time. What an imagination and she just loves it when Nancy gets down on the floor in the playroom and plays with the doll house. She wants to do ballerina when she turns three and that is used as an incentive for her behavior choices at times. She has impeccable manners and salutations for a not yet three year old but oh so cute as well. Amy is a fantastic mom with her as she is really very mature for her age and quite opinionated.

Well we took a nice beautiful bike ride in the late afternoon and the cool breeze made it so pleasant. I had transplanted more lettuces and I put these in the ground as I had plenty from the first batch of transplanting leftover. I have more green beans up and I noticed lots of small green tomato's setting as well. I'm still waiting on the carrots to make an intro as well as the Swiss chard. The cucumber plants are taking off as well. All of the green leafy veggies are looking great as they love these warm days and cool nights. Nancy had GG stay for supper as she too loves venison. She chicken fried up a pack of steaks and along with a baked tater and fresh frozen spinach. Yeow we licked the platter clean. That venison is sweet and so tender you could cut it with a fork and once again many thanks to young Caleb Dalton for not only harvesting it but showing me how to extract the best meat portions while skinning. He is a real frontiersman and a patriot as well and so unlike these whining and spoiled youths of today.

Well after the clean up I set the sprinkler out in the front yard while Nancy took GG home and got her settled. We tuned into the FOX Cable News and now look forward to the Tucker Carson show as well as O'Reilley. Afterwards I headed for the shower and then watched the Lightning beat a Buffalo team in their home arena. I no longer watch the vivacious Megn Kelly as she has turned liberal and we are hoping she will be replaced by the Judge Jeannie. We are hoping that Trump will continue to surround himself and create a unified team of knowledgeable folks who will right this ship and make the country great again and drain the swamp of the slime that has been festering in D.C. with this past bunch of Obama and Clinton sycophants and kool-aid drinkers. I know I need to get off the fence and state my thoughts about these politicians who are sent to D.C to work for us, the American folks but they have become self seekers of their own fortunes and have sold the nation out to special interests, money and racial groups who want to make us a secular nation. We were founded on the principles of Judeo-Christian ethics and that is what our culture should reflect. The very idea some radicals want Sharia Law is outrageous and these folks chant death to America, Wake Up America and pray for our new president that he can save us from these kind of folks, LATER  

Thursday Morning

Well Wednesday was a fun day with pickle ball at a different venue in St.Pete and then off to the dentist for a cleaning and later in the afternoon we took a nice long bike ride through the hood. The weather was exemplarily with bright sunshine and a slight breeze. We reached the lower 80's but no humidity which made for a perfect day to have the windows and doors open with the a/c off.

The day started for me with my usual 6'ish roll out. I did my morning routines, spent a few quiet minutes with my Creator in intercessory prayer for others and then had a lite breakfast of soft boiled eggs, jalapeno pepper with a tomato before getting ready to meet up with two other pickle ball players and car pool down to Walter Fuller Park. They don't charge for pickle ball play in the gym or outside on their two courts specially made for pickle ball. I've played against the majority of these players in tournaments and they offer some good competition on the court. There were so many players for the gym that 10 of us headed outside to play which is a totally different game using a different ball as well. It takes some getting use to with the sun and wind as they are a big influence on the game as well as the style of the game. Most older players like it outside as its a dink and dunk game whereas inside it's more of a power game. I prefer the inside game as that's what I've been playing mostly for the past 10 years or so.

We had a good workout both inside and out and I will try that venue once a week until the snowbirds fill the courts and make it difficult to get in a good wet shirt workout. I'll be back at our Rec. for the remainder of the week as it close with just a short bike ride away. I'm more interested in the workout than the competition at this stage. I think my tournament play is somewhat limited but now that I'm 70,  I will be in another age group so I may reconsider later in the year. I'm definitely not considering outside tournament play at this stage. This sport is addicting and I do love to play it in both arenas but like the power game better.

I game back before lunch and found where a squirrel must have climbed onto one of my staked tomato plants and broke it off near ground level. It had several small tomato's set. That's the second large tomato plant they have broken off. They are a pesky nuisance and are always digging up or burying acorns in the gardens thus I have to keep newly sowed seeds covered with chicken wire. I sure wish they had a critter to keep them in check and except for the ones I find squashed by a car in the road I know of no other control. GG, Amy and Eliza Faye came for lunch of Zuppa Soup. I had to be at the dentist for a teeth cleaning at noon so I missed the soup for lunch but finished the leftovers for supper. Wow that is one delicious soup. I piddled around in the garden hand watering and so far the recently transplanted lettuce seedlings are doing great. I showed off the garden to one of the players that stopped by and now he wants some of my blooming vines that grow on my fences. These vines send up runners so I'll dig up a couple for him for his fences. I'm not sure what they are called but an old friend from FHP gave me a cutting or a slip a few years back and they have just proliferated and make a dense border between the houses with a red bloom.

Well that was about it for the day after a very nice bike ride before supper. Nancy's muscles are acclimating as well as are mine and maybe we can take a ride soon on the Pinellas Trail to the various small cites in the county. We are hoping the Botbyl's will be up for some adventures on the Trail as well as they too have new bikes. We settled into the Fox Cable News and learned once again the biased media are excoriating the Trump presidency with false accusations and innuendos about the transition from this inept administration of Obama who they helped elect to the Trump victory which they vigorously opposed. The working class of the nation was finally fed up with the secular progressive agenda, the racial strife and disrespect for the rule of law and the lack of border control and voted the sleazy corrupt candidate Clinton out. It's a wonder this ever occurred due to all of the money they spent and the influence of the biased media that Trump won so big in both popular and electoral vote. The libs are so discouraged they are beside themselves and can not accept defeat of their chosen Hillary who by the way is the most contemptible woman ever. She belongs in prison for her treasonous acts of disregard for classified data and money grubbing for influence while in office, LATER    

Wednesday Morning

Well Tuesday saw us with more beautiful weather, great temps with no humidity and lots of sunshine. There was a slight breeze which made for great outdoor working and playing. I took advantage of that for most of the day working in the garden, yards and eventually an afternoon bike ride. The nights cool down to the low 60's and even a few 50's in the more northern part of the county and then back up to the low 80's by late afternoon.

I started the day with a 6'ish roll out to my usual morning routines which included my daily handful of Nutrilite vitamins and supplements washed down with a cup of hot green tea laced with the herb turmeric while I posted this ramble. Afterwards I spent a few quiet moments with my Creator lifting up those I know and love for some divine healing especially Paw Paw who I learned yesterday maybe making some progress with getting rid of the catheter. He said to Josie last evening he is finally starting to get the urge to go on his own which is a remarkable sign after such a long time. Our friend Joe is back home and doing as well as can be expected also.

I headed out to the REC. around 8'ish and we had two courts in action with some decent rallies. I'm finally starting to work the body back into shape with this everyday play whereas in the mountains if was one a week if I was lucky. I stayed stiff for a day or so afterwards but here with the everyday play the muscles are discharging or dissipating the lactic acid much quicker so I'm not as stiff and sore. Nancy is finding this out as well after her first bike ride in ages and now with riding a little everyday she is starting to find the muscles not nearly as stiff and sore especially the inner thighs muscles. In a week or so she will be pain free in the muscles. The weather has been perfect for an afternoon ride as well with just enough of a breeze to keep you cool while riding.

I worked in the garden after pickle ball until lunch time when Amy, GG and Eliza Faye came. We had a salad topped with some lunch meat and then Nancy made a Zuppa Toscana Soup for our supper. Wow was that ever tasty and there is plenty for a couple of lunches for the rest of the week. I transplanted two different types lettuces into 9 pack containers and still have more to transplant. I'll wait and see if each of the individual lettuces survive before digging up the rest. We are big on salads and love our fresh organic grown lettuces. I have two more lettuces; a red leaf and a romaine waiting to come up before transplanting them into the garden. I have a completed fence for my 1/2 runner beans to climb on and now have bush beans up and showing leaves. I sowed another row of carrots as I don't think these seeds are any good or maybe I watered the row too much and rotted the seeds. Anyhow the first row never matured as of yet. I know it usually takes carrots a while to germinate so maybe I'm pushing them. I notice lots of new green tomato's setting as well as the collards have put on a couple new leaves. The onions are doing great and have doubled in size so far. The transplanted beets are looking great and I will harvest some leaves for our next salad as well.

After Amy, GG and Eliza left to pick up Ava and Sam we got ready for a ride through the hood. We took a different route today over into Amy's old neighborhood. We noticed lots of houses for sale in the area and was wondering what is going on with so many on the market. It was a pleasant ride and after about 45 minutes or so we headed home. It gets dark so early now and that makes for long evenings after supper. We tuned into the Fox Cable News to learn this potus is on another world tour castigating Trump and pushing his legacy. This man is without humility and so arrogant and refuses to believe he and his administration are the reason we have a man like Trump as the next potus. His legacy is a disaster with such corrupt and inept folks pushing his secular progressivism on the country. He will no doubt be the worst leader ever in our history and its such a shame. Men like Dr. Ben Carson would have made a much better first black potus.

I'm a little surprised that several mayors in the big cities are refusing to obey the dissolving of sanctuary city status. This is so wrong as these criminal illegal immigrants are welcomed there with open arms. I hope Trump cuts off any federal funding for these who do not want to make the American folks safe from these illegals who are murdering, raping and creating violent crime in our nation. It's so ludicrous to think we have such leaders in these cities who care about this class of folks instead of their own citizens, Wake Up America and get rid of these mayors and their agendas to weaken our country and make us less safe.

I tuned into the NHL and saw where the Red Wings came back to tie the score with just a few minutes left in the game after being down 2 goals. I'll have to read about the winner later as the sandman calleth around 10'ish, LATER

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Tuesday Morning

Well Monday was another great day of exercise, work and beautiful weather although it was cloudy, the temps were perfect for being outside. I played pickle ball, worked outside in my garden and then did a few odd jobs for GG and then we took off on a good 5-6 mile bike ride through the hood before supper. Old muscles were screaming with lactic acid buildup but I'm sure after a few days riding this too will go away. We both need fat butt seats for the bike.

The day started with my usual 6'ish roll out. I sure wish at times I could get beyond that time for a sleep in but I can't hardly get by the 10 o'clock hour at nights to stay up, unless we are playing games with friends. I did my morning routines and then spent some quiet time with my Creator in thanksgiving and lifting up those I know and love who are hurting. We still haven'y gotten any word for the cause of the blood loss with Paw Paw but he seems to be eating better and wants to recover. The girls(Josie, Pat and Dee) look in after him and are in close proximity so they see him regularly. The few times I call he is unable to hear on the phone due to his lack of aids. We spoke with our mountain mom and her brother Joe is doing much better and is on the way back to his home in Sparta. Seems he has diverticulitis which is more common with old age and thus the bleeding. I'm beginning to wonder if that's maybe Paw Paw's problem as they both are about the same age.

We had a good crowd of pickle ballers at the Rec and I got in a good hour and half workout. It's taking some time to get back in shape but my stamina is showing up once again. I just wish I could reduce this spare tire more quickly. I've been eating an apple for breakfast and just a salad for lunch and just a meat and veggie for supper plus I've been on my feet all morning and most of the afternoon plus a bike ride. I'm still holding about 10 pounds more than I want, oh well. I dread the holidays with all of the goodies and delicious foods but I must show some restraint with small helpings and stay away from those pecan an apple pies. I still have my glass of red vino before supper which maybe the reason for the spare tire not reducing in size any quicker. I'm hoping I won't have to give that up.

I now have bush beans as well as half runners up so I built a wire fence for them to climb on which makes for easier harvesting. Everything else is looking good, especially the onions seedlings. I loosen the soil around them and then fed them with a mixture of garden magic which is a bunch of essential and trace elements along with some liquid fertilizer. They are hardy eaters. Today I will move up some lettuce seedlings into 9-packs for transplanting in a week or so. Lettuce does so much better here when planted individually instead of in a bed which is how its done in the mountain garden. I still haven't had any germination with some heirloom kale seeds so I sowed some regular seeds. The beets are producing great greens of which we add to our salads. These are the ones I brought back from the cabin and the replanted. The sugar peas are popping through the ground and should be climbing the fences in a few days. I still have that one large green tomato but now they are showing several small green ones on several of the tomato plants. I've just about used up all of the green ones that turned red from the mountain garden, oh they had such flavor after ripening in the window sill.

Well we took GG to the library them headed home to repaint the kitchen door and touch up a few areas as well as repainted the front porch bench with a second coat. I then cleaned out her gutters of leaves and debris before we headed back home. It was just 4:30 so we took off on a good 45 minute ride through the 'hood on our new bikes. It was a perfect day with temps in the low 70's and very little humidity despite the overcast skies. We need rain here as well as does the mountains. Helen said it was 19 degrees yesterday with a heavy frost that looked like snow on all the fields, oh well. I grilled a bone-in pork chop and we had fresh broccoli to accompany, yeow! After the cleanup we settled in to the Fox Cable News and see where the pundits who favored the criminal Hillary is already lambasting Trump. This will not cease for the next four years as these progressives in the media are so biased. Already Trump has made a difference on the world scene and he isn't president yet. Obama is out there on a world tour promoting his failed legacy in his last days which is a waste of time in my opinion. How did folks ever elect this incompetent a second time and give him a free ride for 8 years. The first time was because of his ethnicity but the second time? I voted neither time for this inept politician and I'm thrilled he is on his way out.

It will take sometime for Trump to bring the ship back to the upright position but I feel confident he is capable. The biased media will never help as we see them promoting all of the anti-Trump protests on the tube. They are as big a problem as the whiners and freeloaders who suck off the government tit along with academia who are just out there for their own agendas in promoting socialism. I surely hope Trump will continue to point out the hypocrisy of the media and the elites in D.C. and "drain the swamp", LATER

Monday Morning

Well Sunday found us worshipping at Bridgepoint Church in St.Petersburg with about 5-600 other folks in one of the four services and which next month they will add another service due to the increased volume of so many winter visitors. Afterwards we headed to our favorite Asia eatery called Jade's Bistro where we had a delicious meal of spring rolls, sweet and sour soup, a baked veggie&chicken crock with rice and I had the Pho' which is a soup with noodles and lots of fresh herbs, Delicious. The owner Kim came by for a visit and afterwards sent us over to her folks place in Seminole who is quite the gardener who blessed us with some hot Asian peppers and a pepper plant for each of us as well a some star fruit. Later in the evening we headed over to GG's for a birthday supper for Nancy's sister Betsy who turned 62. The Ross family was there as well as Braden and Gus for a change.

The morning started with a 6'ish roll out for me and then my morning routines where I started with a cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric that helped wash down a handful of Nutrilite vitamins and supplements. I then posted this ramble and spent a few quiet moments to reflect, give thanks and lift up several by name who need some divine healing. I haven't heard anything on Paw Paw's condition except he is back on a regular diet after a biopsy of his stomach or anything on Helen's brother Joe who was hospitalized in Tennessee. I should hear today how both of them are doing. I saw pictures where our paraplegic friend Eddie attended a Marine Corp Ball in Sparta. along with his family. That is great news for his ability to mingle with friends other than his his family. He is a fighter and will not give in to his lack of physical abilities.

The weather here is just so nice with low temps in the 60's and the high in the 80's with little or no humidity. We could use some much needed rain as can the mountains. There are wildfires all over the western areas of the Carolinas and we are hoping for some rain to lessen that threat in the mountains near our cabin. My garden is doing unbelievable with this mild weather. I do have to water daily but with the shallow well its no problem. A squirrel or some animal broke off one of my larger tomato plants overnight that had lots of blooms and I'm hoping I can save that plant. I will soon have a full garden and I'm ready for some home grown lettuces to start the harvesting which should be in about 10 days or so. I will put up some wire for the half runner beans to climb on today and get ready for them to start producing in a couple of weeks. Beet greens are ready for the salad bowl as is all of the herbs I brought back from the cabin.

Well I tuned into the Bucs vs Bears NFL game and we won big with a 36-10 victory. We were the only team in our division to win yesterday which keeps us in contention for the playoffs as of now. We had several family members attending that game which was played at home in great weather conditions. Katie's family are big Buc fans which is great for Bobby as he is a diehard fan as well. We had  a delicious roast beef supper with smashed taters and gravy along with Brussel sprouts and green beans as well a fresh salad and crusty bread with a chocolate cake for dessert. I passed on the spuds, bread and dessert for a change which always adds to my spare tire. I'm trying really hard to limit my intake s well as my choices to help with this reduction around the middle.  Now that Nancy has a new bike we can ride every evening and of course I'm back on the pickle ball court daily as well. You would think I would be a stick with all of the activities as well as the garden and yard work but the belly roll is still there. It's so much easier to acquire than reduce the added girth, oh well.

I see where the progressives are having a difficult time with the election results as they will have to give up some of their handouts. It's about time these wimps earned there way and became self sufficient in the real world although I feel sure the democrap(t) losers are paying these malcontents to riot and protest on the streets. We finally have someone who is beholding to no special interests or who isn't in control that is only there for the power which brings them money. I wish folks would ask how did the Clinton's amass such a fortune on government salaries? They were selling influence for money as seen in the corrupt foundation they started to launder money and garner vast wealth. Hopefully they will have to return those funds back to the people or nations who expected her to win and get favors as a result. She was pure corruption as a government cabinet member and yet there are those who cry foul that she wasn't crowned. We have a bunch of sycophants to these corrupt Clinton's and I hope Trump cleans the whole bunch out of D.C. while draining the swamp that has been there for years.

Well enough politics but I'm still at a loss for those who can't see how this past 8 years have lessen our quality of life and made us so weak an ineffective with defeating this cancer called ISIS. We have been hoodwinked in thinking America is recovering its economy with the lack of a workforce who is on the government dole and with so many not even looking for a job. The intrusion of illegals in the country and their free reign of terror that kill the innocent folks on the street. The working man has spoken with this election that was never to be and now lets get back to work and make our country great again, LATER  

Sunday Morning

Well Saturday was basically a fun day that required lots of energy as I played hard at the Rec. and then the two of us rode hard after lunch on our new bikes. In between I did some gardening and never really sat down or rested as we were on the go right up until 8'ish last evening after a Nutrilite party at Neal and Danielle's house.

I started the day with my usual roll 6'ish roll out and then to my morning routines of posting this ramble and then spending some quiet time with my Creator in humble thanksgiving and lifting up several who need some special divine intervention. Included in that group are Paw Paw, Joe(Helen's brother) and always Eddie our paraplegic friend in the mountains. Afterwards I got ready to ride out to the Rec. for pickle ball and I saw lots of new faces and some were very good players. A couple of new players were teen agers and they were very good players. Talent is great but with youth and talent it's even better. They throw themselves around on the court with out regard for their own safety chasing down balls, Yeow to have that quickness and stamina again and they never give up. We had a full gym with three courts in action and a couple waiting to get on. Once you get on the court you stay on if you win and I managed to stay on for nearly and hour.

We took off for Wal-Mart to do some bike shopping and Nancy found one to her liking. She did a little more shopping before we stopped at Home Depot for some seeds and seedlings for the garden. After a lite lunch I headed out to spade up more of the garden for some Swiss chard seeds as well as some romaine lettuce. I separated a couple of bell pepper plants that were in one pot and then hand watered the gardens. I now have half runner beans up from seeds as well as okra, lettuces and cucumbers and have planted from seedlings; cabbage, collards, onions, egg plant, jalapeno and bell peppers plus the beets I brought back along with parsley, thyme, rosemary and cilantro. I still am waiting on the sugar peas and radishes which I just sowed as well as carrots and bush beans. I will have a full garden if all of these make plus I have 7 tomato plants that I planted in September one of which has green tomato's.

We decided to break in her new bike with a two hour ride on the trail and then over to Walsingham Park. Needless to say we need to break in our behinds as those bike seats were hard. I think I will trade my seat for hers(its big butt seat) and then get her a gel seat. We had a great ride despite the hardness of the seats. I saw a couple of teenagers walking by our driveway and offered them my old bike and they were thrilled and couldn't believe I blessed them with this bike that worked perfectly. It was just old but all of the gears and brakes worked fine but Bobby and Amy got me this new bike for my birthday so I had to turn loose the old one which took some doing, oh well.

We piddled around the house until suppertime when Nancy pan grilled a couple of Salmon fillets along with a toss salad. I tuned into a couple of football games while waiting to head over to the Anderson's for a Nutrilite Party. There were 14 folks there as they were introduced to these wholesome products and a couple of demonstrations of how some of these effected food in the digestive system. I was most impressed with these energy drinks purchased on the market and what happens to them when they get into your stomach. Never use Red Bull or Monster energy drinks which are so popular as they cause severe digestive issues and they turn to clabber when coming into contact with any dairy products. Also the use of digestive enzymes we sell cause foods to break down for easy digestion into liquids almost immediately when reaching the stomach.  We sampled some new very tasty and healthy energy bars as well but seldom use them.

We left there around 8'ish and headed home for hot showers and then some sports on the tube for me and by 10'ish I was ready for some horizontal lab. Don't forget to gather with other believers this day in a corporate worship setting and honor our GOD. I truly believe this election was ordained as our last best hope for our nations freedoms and liberties. Our nation was founded on and our system of laws and rules that set us apart were inspired by Judeo-Christian ethics. We have been a blessed people because our founders made honoring GOD an essential in our government despite what the secular progressives babble about, so take some time to once again honor our Creator with your presence in corporate worship if possible and just maybe we can turn this train wreck that was inevitable with this present administration and the one the Clinton's were going to impose on us if she were elected around. GOD Bless America and now lets make her great again with HIS help to heal our nation, LATER  

Saturday Morning

Well Friday was a busy work filled day that started with some gardening then a hike through the hood and finally finishing up the paint job at GG's house. It really turned out nice and the light green color was perfect. We left there around 4:30 and headed home where we spoke with our mountain mom, Helen before supper. It's supposed to turn wintery there with temps down into the 20's overnight but they still need rain. The western part of the state has several wild fires which is a grave concern to us all.

I started the day with my usual 6'ish roll out and my morning routines of a handful of Nutrilite vitamins and supplements washed down with a cup of hot green teas laced with the herb turmeric while I posted this ramble from the day before's activities. Afterwards I spent some time with my Creator in thanksgiving and lifting up several whom I know in prayer for some divine healing. Afterwards I checked on the social media and found many accolades regarding my military service to my country as it was Veteran's Day holiday. I have a feeling Mr.Trump will make the plight of the disable veteran much easier in life at least with better health care. He seems to have a respect for the military and those who served their country whereas this last administration and candidate had such disdain for those in uniform.

I not only spent 4 years active but 3 years in an active mode while getting my bachelor's at Cal. State. That meant I did the same job, flying around the world in and out of Vietnam for a total of 7 years. I never questioned the reason we were there but honored my oath when I enlisted my service in the Air Force. I felt I was a patriot only to learn the civilian world(democrats and liberals) painted the military as baby killers and gave us an unwelcome return. These same people kill unborn babies by sucking their brains out in their final trimester in the mothers womb and call that a women's right to choose. These are the same folks who supported this crooked and corrupt woman in this last election. Finally the working class of America had enough of these secular progressives and left leaning liberal politicians and made the difference for the nation. I certainly hope Trump "drains the swamp" of these elites in the government. Please pray for him and his decisions to make America great again.

Well that was about it for the day as we watched the Fox Cable News network and see where the left is rioting and destroying property in some of the larger cities. I say lock them up and put them on a hard labor farm as most of them have been pampered by their folks and the government. It's time to crack down on the destruction they are creating and make them pay for their deeds. I'm all for the 1st amendment but not for the destruction or injury of folks. I say lock them up along with her and once more make everyone subject to the laws and rules no matter who you are,  LATER    

Friday Morning..Veterans Day

First many Thanks to All who now serve and have served this once great nation and with the blessing of GOD and the election of Trump she will be once more a great nation. I served in the military for a total of 7 years and signed on to defend and serve our nation against those who want to destroy our way of life from beyond our borders but now we must serve and defend our folks who still love our way of life from those who want to destroy the nation from within and the fist step was the election of Donald Trump. We must rid the government of those who are called secular progressives and drain the swamp that permeates the nations capital. God Bless our Veterans and now they will receive the care and attention they so deserve from those in this new government.

Well Thursday was a busy day that saw me at the VA Hospital at Bay Pines for my eye examination. I must say the care I received was thorough and first class and everyone was very friendly and honored me with their attitude. I received good news that some of my issues have been resolved and no further progression on some issues of glaucoma and macular degeneration. The high powered vitamins specifically for the eyes that I've been prescribed by the VA have really made a difference in those two issues that were starting to show in my eyes as well as my continued use of fresh veggies, especially kale and carrots. I grow both of these in my organic gardens as we love kale in our salads and soups and of course carrots are a must in salad and just plain munching. I tell my grand kids "did you ever see a rabbit wearing glasses". They too love the raw carrots for snacks.

I started the day much the usual with my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then spent some time with my Creator in a humble prayer of thanksgiving for another day and that our nation might survive now that the Clinton Crime Family is no longer going to be in highest office of the country. I lifted up several who need some special consideration especially Paw Paw who is still in the VA Hospital in W.Va. I haven't heard the results of his tests earlier this week that checked on what was causing his blood loss. The latest word was he was resting and eating better. He has such hearing loss and won't wear any aides so we can't speak with him directly but rely on the girls who visit him almost daily. Josie and Dee are the ones closest while Pat and I are the furtherest away.

Our nation is at a turning point and now we have a man who is beholding to no special interests and does not need any money so greed should not be an issue in his governing. I know this election was a divine message sent to US(A) and now we must rally around this man who seems to have the nations best interests first instead of his own. We All must give thanks for this election for the country could not stand anther 4 years of the same with the Obama administration. There is no doubt in my mind he was trying his best to destroy our way of life from within and beyond our borders with his inept foreign policies and lack of leadership in making us safe from those who chant"death to America".

After my visit to the VA and a lite lunch with GG, Amy and Eliza Faye I headed over to GG's and helped Gus complete the house painting. We painted until dark then GG treated us all to Chinese take out from a local eatery. It was very good and we haven't had that in years except for a local Vietnamese eatery which is close in substance and taste. We headed home sometime around 7'ish and hit the showers. It wasn't long after the O'Reilly program on the Fox Cable News that I headed in to watch the Lightning beat the Islanders 3-1 in hockey. I now have a sport to watch since football is a bust with all of the political crap with dishonoring our national anthem. These spoiled millionaires make me so sick.

Well that was about it for the day as the temps here have been so great with cool mornings and temps down into the low 60's and in the low 80's for the high. Perfect gardening weather but we could use some rain which is not in the forecast. Don't forget to hug a veteran today or at least say a prayer for the safety of the ones in harms way while protecting this nation. We now have a commander in chief who loves them and the nation and will give them the means to defeat those who want to harm us and our way of life, LATER

Thursday Morning. Day after this historical election for Trump

Well I must say Wednesday started early for me as I was up most of the early morning hours looking to see when and if Trump won the election and some time around 3 'ish he was granted the needed votes to become the 45th president of these United States of America. I'm thrilled that a non politician was voted in by the silent majority of folks who are the backbone of this nation and have sent a message to the special interests, the media and those elitist in politics who have sold their souls for greed. We woke up America and I know many think Trump is unfit because of his brashness and his calling out the corrupt nature of so many who care only about their personal fortunes while in the employ of we the people. GOD Bless him and GOD Bless this nation.

I was up with so much adrenalin in my system I couldn't sleep due to this momentous election which I never thought would have happened unless there was some divine intervention and I'm saying that must have occurred. I did my usual morning routines with a hot cup of green tea laced with turmeric after washing down a handful of Nutrilite vitamins and supplements. I posted this ramble then spent some quiet time with my Creator in thanksgiving and lifting up those I know and love who need some special healing and for surrounding our president elect with protection. Paw Paw is still in the hospital at the VA center in W.Va. We still don't know what the cause was for his blood loss as the biopsy hasn't returned any results as of yet.

I had a couple of soft boiled eggs with a Jalapeno' pepper and a tomato for breakfast as I was playing some real competitive pickle ball at a different facility around 9'ish. I rode with another player from Seminole and we found out we have a family friend in common as well. His neighbor is Nancy's brother Eric best friend here in Florida. What a small world. I played 4 matches with different players and we won each handily. I recognized several players from around the area that play tournaments and was invited back to play again at the center on a weekly basis. I had a soaked shirt and by 10:30 was ready to call it a day on the court. Great play against some some top notch players and it was good for my game as well.

Amy, GG and Eliza Faye came for a lunch of salad and then I spent some time hand watering my gardens. Everything but one cabbage plant that was partially broken at the stem seemed to be doing good. I have no seeds up yet but the temps here are perfect for gardening. I should have a garden full of veggies in a couple of weeks. It's close to 80 or so but very little humidity and today it was somewhat cloudy but still no rain which we need. After lunch I read for awhile before heading over to GG's and helping Betsy's husband Gus who was painting GG's house. He had about 2/3 of the house painted except for the front and the trim. It didn't take but a couple of hours to roll the front and one side and then today(Thur.) I will head over after lunch and finish the cut in and trim with a brush.

Nancy made chicken fried deer steaks and gravy over gold rice(from Charleston) for our supper along with Brussel sprouts, yeow this meat is so flavorful and tender and its like eating beef filet's. Many Thanks to our "mountain buddy" Caleb Dalton for the one shot with an arrow to bring down this young doe. After the cleanup it was pitch black outside so we settled into the Fox Cable news channel. We love the O'Reilley show and he was so astute in his opinion in how Trump won the hearts and minds of the "deplorables" that are the backbone of the nation. The polls were so biased as well as the main stream media in their effort to win the election for "crooked Hillary" that is was embarrassing for them.  No wonder so many were crying on T.V. and in shock that the American folks have spoken despite all of their biased reporting and helping "crooked Hillary". There will have to be some major rethinking of those biases if we ever put any credence into the major networks, again. The money and influence of the evil George Soros is over for now and who has done everything to undermine the constitution and the rule of law. The legacy of this inept potus who was given a free ride because of his ethnicity is in shambles and will be regarded as the worst ever(even worst than Carter) to be in the white house and should be reflected in disgrace onto those who voted and supported him.

Well that was about it for the day as by 9'ish I falling asleep after a hot shower, LATER