Tuesday Morning

Well due to an oversleep which hasn't happened in many a moon this will be a shorten ramble today about yesterday's activities which were rather mundane as always unless we are eating big which we did later in the evening or visiting strange places.

The morning started much the usual on Monday with a before 6 wake up which was or has been routine for quite a spell but for some reason that changed this morning (tues.) as it was after 7 when I heard Nancy calling to me. I had been awake several times through out the early morning as I tried to calm her from her loud breathing which is called snoring but she calls it something else anyhow I was out like a light.

I doubt that I will be able to add much to the ramble except everything was routine except for supper out at The Texas Roadhouse with the Ross Family and GG as 10 % of the proceeds from the meal went to Keswick School. The place was packed with school kids and their families and the meal was awesome.

I will be away from the laptop for tomorrow morning we travel to N.C. before heading up to Va. a day or so after that. I won't have any internet connection until we get to Woodstock on Friday, LATER

Monday Morning

Well Sunday was an awesome day of worship and then we headed over to Indian Rocks beach with cousins Chris and Bill along with GG where we had an awesome supper out on the patio at Kegans Seafood eatery where we listened to a very talented one man band. What a beautiful setting and the food was very good.

I started the day around a 5'ish rollout as I wanted to be at the Rec. to help set up the church for our initial launch of this new Seminole campus for Bridgepoint Church. We had a very large crowd of volunteers over the course of the morning as several of us unloaded a huge truck packed with large roll on cases. We set up the kids area, cafe, greeters areas, sound system, the parking lot with flags and message boards and at 9:30 headed in to the worship area where we heard Pastor Tom preach a super message via video. This will be the same scene next week as we want to get this down before we actually invite the public on Easter morning and then every week until we find a permanent building as we are committed to this for the next 6 months. We have some very organized leaders and they are dedicated to bringing the Gospel message to Seminole in a powerful way. We are a community of believers and want to share with those who are missing out on what "community" really means with JESUS and his teachings as the center piece.

We left just the Rec. just before noon as I had been there since about 6:15 AM with Dan and then Nancy came around 8:30 with Carol. We met up with the Tracy's at Applebee's for a delicious lunch and met the new girl who has moved in with the Botbyl's temporarily until she can get on her feet permanently. She is a graduated from the ETC program which gave her a second chance in life as is now working as a server at this eatery. She did good and seems like a very nice person who got messed up with the wrong friends.

We started making plans for our trip on Wednesday Morning as we put together some things to take back to the mountains. We are anticipating on leaving here and staying over two nights at the cabin before heading north to see Paw Paw and then being there when his surgery occurs on Monday. Hopefully if all goes well we will head back to the cabin on Wed. or Thurs. for an overnight stay before heading back to Florida. We are hopefully picking up the new Ford truck on Monday afternoon and seeing if it will fit in the garage as we were just were able to get the '06 inside.

We had a great meal on the beach with Chris, Bill and GG and enjoyed sitting outside until the sunset with very comfortable temps and great music from the 60's from a one man band at Kegan's. We will take them to the airport this morning for their plane ride back to chilly Lancaster, Pa. Well that was about it for the day as it wasn't long before I was ready for some horizontal lab around 10'ish, LATER

Sunday Morning

Well Saturday found us heading over to Brandon to watch grandson Gabe to play baseball while son Bobby managed the team. They played great but lost at the end. The weather was perfect with just enough of a dry breeze to keep you comfortable but by late evening the humidity had returned. We were truck shopping either as a lease or outright purchase so we stopped at the largest Ford dealer in Tampa and wow what a place with salesmen everywhere and hundreds of new vehicles but no new Ford trucks to meet what we were looking for. One of our main goals was to have the front seat split so we could seat 6 adults, well all of the trucks were bucket seats so they decided we could order one. They made an offer on our truck which I thought was decent and fair and almost a third more than the big dealer in Tampa. So hopefully we will be driving our new truck when we leave on Wednesday.

We decided to go by where we had previously purchased two new trucks in the past and we had a salesman on line send a picture of what we wanted with a price. The more we thought about the seat we wanted we thought it best to make sure this was the seat that he had in the truck. So we stopped only to check out the truck as we were running short on time. We had company coming for a huge family dinner.

Well this truck had the seat we wanted and we were puzzled about the huge place in Tampa not having a truck with this front seat, anyhow we test drive the truck and loved it and they gave more than we thought for our truck so we made a deal. I will pick it up on Monday as they will install a bed liner and a roll up Tonneau cargo and detail it for us. Anyhow what a day.

We got back around 4:30 and since we had the house ready from the day before with lots of food prep. Our company arrived within the next half hour and we had three flank steaks marinating, oven taters, fresh garden carrots and salad, baked spinach casserole, crusty bread and two cake desserts and a little vino before hand. We had 11 adults and 5 kiddos so the house was full until after 10'ish. The Ross kiddos were going home with Bobby except for Eliza so they all got baths before leaving. After the cleanup which I was in charge of we sat around and talked until late in the evening.

This morning I'm up at 5:30 as I head out on my bike to the Rec. to help with the first run through for Bridgepoint Church. I'm basically a greeter but will help with the set up as well. Time to go, LATER

Saturday Morning

Well Friday was a fun day with pickle ball in the morning and reading for most of the afternoon. The heat and humidity are back so the a/c is on yet the wind has really been strong the past couple of days. Nancy was at her Friday Bible study class so I hand watered the gardens when I got back from the Rec. and then Amy and Eliza came for lunch.

The day started much the usual with a before 6 roll out. I had my usual cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then spent a dew quiet moments with my Creator in thanksgiving and intercessory prayers for those I know and love who need to be remembered. I lost another old USAF buddy yesterday who just didn't wake up according to his wife. Joe was quite a bit younger but had some really severe health issues. The last picture of him was he looked very old and debilitated; at least he went quietly during his sleep.

I left the Rec. with a wet shirt once again after a total work out for almost two hours. The ride home was against a strong north wind and I was whupped completely by then. The garden dries out so quickly with the lack of rain and this strong wind but the shallow well has saved me once again as I hand water sometimes twice a day. I picked more tomatoes, collards and herbs as well as some beautiful carrots the day before for the family supper tonight(sat.) We will have a house full.

We head over to Brandon this morning to see Gabe play baseball and will stop at the big Ford place to get some estimates on a lease or outright purchase of a new truck. Ours is 11 years old but still runs great and looks decent but we are considering a new one this year. We will probably wait until we get back from Virginia the first of April as we leave in about 5 days, LATER

Friday Morning

Well Thursday was basically a play day except for some garden work and a great work out at the Rec. on the pickle ball court. The humidity has crept back into the picture so the a/c is back on after nearly a week of cool temps that had us down into the low 40's and the highs of only 60. The new leaves on the trees are really busting out with vigor and the birds must be nesting as their songs are so busy and constant.

I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to a cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent some quiet time with my Creator. Afterwards I got ready to head out on my bike for nearly two hours of constant play and when I left the shirt was soaked. I made a quick stop at the library before heading back to the house. Nancy took off on her morning hike while I worked in the garden watering and pulling weeds. I pulled a nice mess of carrots for our big family supper on Saturday. Nancy took a picture and put it on Facebook. The carrots are so sweet and firm this year. The parsley is starting to die I think from setting the sprinkler from over watering I suppose but every thing else is looking good. I picked a nice mess of Swiss chard to go along with our supper at GG's house.

I babysat Eliza for a short while until Nancy got back from running errands with GG during the afternoon but I mostly read the afternoon away until we headed over to GG's along with Betsy and Gus for supper. That was about it for the day as nothing to important to report. I'm getting all kinds of quotes on a new Ford truck for an outright buy as well as leasing. It's kind of interesting to think a vehicle cost more than I originally paid for this house, oh well, LATER

Thursday Morning

Well Wednesday was mostly a fun day as it started out with my usual 6'ish roll out and then my routines that started with a cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble. I then spent a few quiet moments with my Creator before getting ready to head out to the Rec. for a good workout on the pickle ball court. I left with a wet shirt after nearly two hours of play.

I rode home on my bike after a stop at the library and then hand watered the gardens. There were a few small areas where the nail heads were showing slightly on the quarter round next to the flooring so I found a small brush as covered them with white paint then piddled around until lunch time when Amy, GG and Eliza came around 12:30. GG showed me her insurance renewal on her car which sits in the garage most of the time and it was outrageous at close to 2300 a year. I took her and we went up to the AAA building to discuss this with one of the agents as this company was underwritten by them. I found out the reason was because GG doesn't have a drivers license and has never had one so I put my name on the insurance and we changed firms and went with AAA which saved her over 800 bucks. That is still to high but she needs to keep the car for now as we sometimes have appointments that overlap, oh well. I think we should drop the insurance all together next year and sell the car, oh well.

I took GG home then we played around on the internet and got ready for the Tracy's to arrive from Dade City. We were heading out to eat at a new pizza place which was packed with lots of various ages but mostly folks older than me. It's a new place on the beach and very yuppie and the food was good but a little too pricy for my tastes. We came back to the house and talked about the May wedding in Mew Orleans where their daughter is getting married. The Botbyl's and us rented a place in the French Quarter for three nights and we will ride with them and help with expenses. The place cost close to 400 bucks for that weekend which is the Memorial Day.

We tuned into the FOX News and saw where Trump was right again with his tweet that he was being "wiretapped" by the Obama administration under the pretense of national security and then leaking the names who were mentioned. That prior bunch is nothing but corrupt and crooked and should all be made to answer for their illegal activity, LATER

Wednesday Morning

Well Tuesday morning was anything but usual as I had to fast for a blood draw at the Bay Pines VA Hospital. I awakened about the same time as my internal alarm goes off around 6 or a little before every day. I had a cup of hot water while I posted this ramble and spent some quiet time with my Creator. I had bagged my vitamins and supplements to take with me so after the blood draw I found a water fountain and downed them. I left my truck over at Twill Auto for an oil change and a radiator flush with new coolant added for the first time since owning the truck.

I made a stop at Wal-Mart on the way for the oil, filter and coolant which was right next door to the hospital. I made the walk over to the hospital which was probably a good 3/4 quarters of a mile each way but what a glorious walk as the air was crisp from the overnight chill and the sound of the birds singing. Spring time is definitely here in Florida and the new light green leaves were evident on the oak trees. The lab section of the hospital was filled with close to a hundred veterans waiting for their turn and they took about 20 or so at a time. This draw was unusual for me as they only needed one vial whereas its usually at least two or more vials. I was out of the lab despite the number waiting in less than an hour.

I headed home to hand water the gardens until it was time to pick up GG and bring her for lunch. We made a stop at her bank on the way. Bobby, Amy and Eliza came for lunch. I finished up some leftovers and the rest had salad and deli sandwiches. Afterwards I retired to the reading room until it was time to take GG to my financial advisor and broker where she was introduced to him and his new associate who will manage her accounts. The broker at her bank wasn't handling her account responsibly so we made the change plus they never consulted her on their buying thus she was paying high rates to them and she never got any funds added to her account. Hopefully she will be satisfied as I have been with my broker and advisor.

I took her home and checked out her new insurance bill for her car which she doesn't drive. So today we will head to the insurance agent and check out why their rates are so steep. I'm also checking out the idea of leasing a new truck so I'm getting lots of feed back from dealers and almost right away got some calls on my inquiry. We will take this up idea seriously in the near future as my present truck in an '06 but still in great running condition and paid for; actually we paid cash in '06. The idea of a new truck every three years sounds great as well but there is the trade off of having no equity or resale, oh well.

I grilled bone-in pork chops along with fresh asparagus. Asparagus on the grill is the way to go as it just takes a few minutes and oh so tasty. I put them on the last 5 minutes along with the chops and they were accompanied by a fresh garden salad, yeow!!! After the cleanup which was mostly adding the rinsed dishes to the dish washer we settled into the FOX Cable news. The Dem's are such hypocrites and obstructionist that it's almost criminal in how they are trying to destroy this presidents agenda. They have no concern for the country or our success and the grilling of this Scotus candidate is without warrant. I'm afraid the nation is so divided by the liberals we may never recover except an all out revolution between the left(libs) and the right(conservatives). They are letting illegals infiltrate the schools who are criminals and now we see the rape of a young girls in one of the high schools by two illegals who should have been deported, LATER

Tuesday Morning

Well Monday was a mixture of play and work but the weather was much like a spring morning in the mountains at the cabin. The cool mornings and warm afternoons and the birds are so happy with their noisy chatter and singing they are almost annoying. The fuzzies are here with the new green leaves popping out and the little green worms hanging from the trees are so spring time.

I started the day with my usual 6 ish roll out to a cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then I spent some time with my Creator in thanksgiving and prayer for those I know and love who are hurting. I spoke with Paw Paw and he seemed in good spirits as he gets ready in two weeks for a total hip replacement at Walter Reed Hospital in Maryland. It's one of the best VA Hospitals for this procedure as is the VA facility here at Bay Pines in St. Pete. I'm heading there this morning(TUE) for my yearly blood work after a morning fast. We are heading up to see him on the 2nd of April before undergoing this major surgery. We will spent a night at the cabin on the way up and then again on the way back. I will open up the cabin from the winter and maybe get some work done for a day or so on the way back. Hopefully the hard freezes are over for this year but just last week they had temps in the single digits but only for a day or so.

I headed out to the Rec. around 8'ish and spent nearly two hours on the pickle ball court before leaving with a wet shirt. We has some great play and I managed to retain my winning ways during that whole time and was relieved when I finally got matched up with a less experienced player as a partner and lost to two A players. It was a good workout to say the least. I made a quick stop at the library for a couple new reads then headed home. I wanted to finish the second coat of paint on master bedroom before the lunch crowd arrived at 12:30.

After a lunch of left over soup I set the outside door frame and put new weather stripping on it and puttied it in as the old was starting to dry rot after nearly 30 years. Afterwards I took the rest of the afternoon resting and read until suppertime. I started a new read titled Big Cherry Holler which is a sequel to Big Stone Gap. I love the way this author Trigiani tells a story about the every day common folks and their trials and experiences in a community with the characters that are so real to life. We spoke with our mountain mom Helen for a few while I grilled marinated chicken breasts for fajitas with sauteed' green peppers and onions from the garden as well as fresh tomatoes, cilantro and Thai basil all from the garden, Yeow fantastic eatin' and oh so good and healthy.

After the cleanup we settled into the FOX CABLE Channel and then watched a Trump rally in Kentucky. He is certainly attempting to do what he had promised on the campaign trail but is fighting with the corrupt elitist politicians on both sides of the aisle as well as the past crooked administrations of Obama and Hillary who have the mainstream media as sycophants. It's disgraceful that activist judges are doing their best to leave the nation vulnerable to radical Islamic terrorist who are entering the nation as refugees and immigrants without proper vetting just so they can oppose Trump. I certainly hope all of this corruption is brought to light for the American folks to see what has been done to this nation in the name of liberal secular progressive legislation and that Trump will drain the swamp completely. He is our last best hope with the help of GOD to turn this runaway train of destruction around, LATER

Monday Morning

Well Sunday we headed off to a different church to worship as our son Bobby led the worship at a fast growing church in Largo. He occasionally fills in for their worship pastor when they are out of town for conferences so we decided to visit. We know several who attend there as well, so it was a bit like old home week. Bobby did some really great worship music and while this venue holds just about half what our main campus at Bridgepoint does they had a good band. Instead of a message they had a round table discussion on the need for life groups which comprise community. It was interesting.

I started the day with my usual 6 ish rollout and a cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric which I posted about the day before's activities and then I spent some quiet time with my Creator. We headed out around 10'ish for the short ride up to Largo and afterwards we took Bobby for a leisurely lunch at Jade's Bistro in Pinellas Park. He wanted to try the food and was completely satisfied. We made a stop at Sam's Club as it was on the way home and then again at Audi's. It was nearly 3 PM when we walked in the door and had to leave again at 4 for a meeting at our Tyrone campus regarding the FOR SEMINOLE startup service which is next week. Nancy and I are both a part of the launch team and look forward to serving.

We will have two dry runs (services with just the launch team)before the service is open to the public on Easter Sunday. I would say from the number of folks at the meeting we will have close to 75 to 100 folks in the launch team and they will be moving to that campus. Our commitment is for 6 months. We will have a campus pastor, band and launch team but the message will be brought by video tape each week from the main Tyrone campus. We will have two services; at 9:30 and 11:00 and we are committed to serve both so we will be there from about 6:30 AM to help with the set up until the tear down around 1PM. That will make for a long day in helping folks get closer to GOD. We are excited and yet sadden as we will be leaving the launch team the end of May for the mountains.

Well I popped a bowl of pop corn and that was our supper after a lunch of; Pho, dumplings, spring rolls, hot and sour soup and two kinds of noodle dishes with shrimp and chicken. I settled into the NCAA and saw some good close games. I don't really have a favorite but did pull for the N.C. and the Florida team's. I was ready for some horizontal lab by 10'ish, LATER

Sunday Morning

Well Saturday was a mixture of play and more redo with painting the master bedroom one coat of paint. I will give it a second coat either Sunday afternoon or Monday depending when the time is available. I got in a good workout on the pickle ball for our first Saturday back at the gym for us players who play during the week. We get some different talent on the weekend as most of these are much younger as they still work.

I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to a cup of hot green tea laced with some turmeric while I posted this ramble and spent some quiet time with my Creator in thanksgiving for another day and lifting up those I know and love for comfort and healing. Afterwards I got ready to ride out to the Rec. on my bike. It was still a bit chilly but not nearly as cold as it has been the past couple of days and by the late afternoon we had the windows and doors open. It cooled down a little as the evening progressed after sunset.

I headed to Home Depot for a couple moulding's one for the outside kitchen door that had some dry rot and for a new piece of quarter round on the bathroom sink in the guest bathroom as well as a gallon of paint to change the color of the bedroom. I started on the painting around 1 and finished the first coat around 4. Dan, Carol and Patrick picked us up at 4:30 and we headed out to an early supper at the Texas Roadhouse. That place was packed at this early hour and I can see why. Their food is very good, plentiful and reasonable. Kathryn was still in New Orleans making arrangements for their daughters wedding there the end of May of which we will attend before coming to the mountains. We will probably spent 3 nights there and then come home and pack for the summer at the cabin.

I had a nice sirloin grilled perfectly as did Nancy who had a rib eye along with a baked spun and a salad. I cleaned my plate as I had skipped lunch but they do have a never ending bucket of roasted peanuts on the table which are addicting to me. Everyone enjoyed their meal and our server was very "johnny on the spot" as well. I really like dining there as the booths are huge with wall dividers and plenty of TV's with sports channels tuned in. They also start you out with fresh baked yeast rolls and cinnamon butter with are so delicious. They have a window that shows you the steaks much like several of the more upscale eateries and the meat is grilled over wood burning fire.

Well they all came by the house to see the new paint job before heading home. I tuned in to the "march madness playoffs" and then watched part of the games while also seeing the Lightning lose again at home. They are seeing their playoff hopes evaporate with these losses of late. The Florida "gators" were winning big over a Virginia team when I shut the lights out around 10:30 but the Florida "seminoles" lost big to Xaiver earlier.

Today we will head out to a local church called Mission City which is growing as fast like our  Bridgepoint where our son Bobby will lead worship for two services. He occasionally fills in for their worship leader so we will hear him in the late service then take him out to lunch afterwards, LATER

Saturday Morning

Well Friday was mainly a play day as I worked out at the Rec. for almost two hours on the pickle ball court then make a stop at the library for one of the most interesting reads from an unknown author to me. The title of the book is Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigianni. I was browsing through books looking for a specific author when this book title caught my eye. I've been familiar with this small town in some way and may have even been there as it's in Southwestern Virginia in the coal mining area of Appalachia; anyhow its a terrific read and it borders on a chick book which I seldom ever find interesting but this read is very intriguing and the author can really tell a story about the most mundane things in life.

Nancy was at her Friday morning Bible study so I read until noon then heated up the last of the lasagna and had a small bowl of the leftover veggie soup. It was a bit chilly to start the day but the north wind had begun to lay down which allowed the warm sunshine to warm the outside air and by late evening I was out hand watering the garden without a jacket. I still had long britches and a long sleeve shirt on as in the shade you could really tell a difference. By evening and after dark that type of clothing was necessary once again.

GG, Amy and the kiddos all came for a lunch of leftover Zuppa Soup. I took the afternoon and read and even laid down on the spare room bed for a small nap. We were scheduled to pick up GG around 6'ish and head to the St.Pete/ Clearwater airport to pick up Nancy's cousin Chris and Bill. The plane was on time and we got away from there by 7'ish then headed down to our favorite Asian eatery Jade's Bistro in Pinellas Park. The food was awesome and we all left with full bellies and got back to GG's around 9:30. They were all wiped out since being at the airport from early afternoon so we made plans to get together next Saturday for supper at our place before they head back up north the first of the following week. Looks like we will take them to the airport when they leave.

Well it wasn't long after we got home it was a hot shower for me then a little of the NCAA basketball that I was ready for some horizontal lab. I learned yesterday the Rec. with be open for pickle ball once again on Saturdays as it been closed for little league basketball the past few months, so I'll head up this Saturday for some extra playtime, LATER

Friday Morning

Well Thursday was a more relaxing day after a great almost two hour workout on the pickle ball court. I did a few little piddling jobs then read for most of the day as Nancy was gone when I got home from the Rec. driving GG around to appointments and than shopping. They eventually got back around noon and then Amy and the three kiddos came for lunch. I did hang out a couple loads of laundry as it was a perfect day for drying clothes outside. It was rather chilly to start the day and in the shade it stayed that way all day long. If you could find a spot out of the wind and in the sun it was quite comfortable. It's supposed to start warming up to the 70's by the week end.

I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to a cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I did my morning routines which included posting this ramble then a few quiet moments with my Creator. Afterwards I got ready for a cold ride out to the rec. on my bike. Tears were streaming down my face from the cold wind which I thought was gone until next Fall; but I was fooled on this date in March when we usually have the a/c running. The wind really made it feel even colder but nothing like the mountains are experiencing. I sure hope it warms up some before we attempt to open the cabin up in a couple of weeks for an overnight stay on our way up to see Paw Paw before his surgery and then again on the way back to Florida.

We had a full house at the rec. and one court was kept open for the advanced players which kept me on the court for nearly the whole time and I left with a wet head and wet shirt, wow what a workout. It's taken me a couple of good workouts to get back my stamina back after being off for nearly a week due to the rec. being closed. We had some great rallies with some really good players all of which but one player much younger than me. I did some reading after lunch and relaxed as the warm soup left me drowsy. The kiddos where outside running around with the neighbor boy as they played a tag game. Even little Eliza Faye was right in there playing as well and the screams of the kids was a joy to my ears. Nancy took her mom home and Amy left so it was quiet once more and I headed out to hand water the garden. I needed a jacket in the shade of the big oak as the north wind was still quite strong.

Well Nancy made pot of Zuppa soup for supper which was delicious. My kale is so plentiful this year and we loaded the pot with lots of it. All of the kiddos love this soup and they along with GG will be here again today(Fri.) for lunch. We pick up Nancy's cousin Chris and husband Bill at the airport this evening then will eat out at our Asian eatery as they are down from Pennsylvania for a couple of weeks. Hopefully they can get a flight out as more snow is predicted for their area. They were right in the middle of that last storm. Well after the cleanup we settled into the Fox news and then I headed to the bedroom to watch the Lightning lose big time to the Toronto team in hockey. It was a blow out when I turned the lights out at 10, LATER

Thursday Morning

Well it turned winter once again which is quite unusual for this time of the year. This AM(thur.)it's 43 degrees outside which is almost our coldest morning of the year, oh well. The wind was very strong during the day which made it feel even colder than the 50's which was the high for the day. They were calling for a freeze just north of the Bay Area.

I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to my morning routines that started with a cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then then spent some quiet time in prayer and thanksgiving for those I know and love. I headed out for the Rec. around 8 on my bike for a work out on the pickle ball court with a full house. We had three courts in action and when I left around 9:30 I was whupped with a wet shirt.

Nancy was taking her mom to a doctors appointment then out to lunch and some shopping so I had the house to myself. I wanted to give the bedroom doors a final coat of paint since no one was coming for lunch except Bobby dropped by unexpectedly as he was checking on a couple houses in our area. We had a nice few moments together but he is one busy person with this job as estimator for redo's on houses. After he left I finished up the paint job then settled into the Killing the Rising Sun. This is a must read read and probably no one knows of the vicious killings that were done to the captives by the Japanese unless you read the book Unbroken. Truman was correct in unleashing the Atomic Bombs on this island nation two cities which finally caused them to surrender and end WWII.

Nancy got back and made a huge pot of vegetable beef soup using fresh green beans, carrots, kale, parsley and tomato's from the garden along with lots of other fresh veggies. The soup was awesome and great for a cool evening. We had the Ross Family along with GG and we nearly finished this huge pot which was superb in flavor. After they left somewhere around 8'ish we settled in to the O'Reilley program and then watched president Trump at a rally in Tennessee where once again he reiterated much of what he said on the campaign trail and the crowd was cheering strongly for him and his message. I too think he is our last best hope to right this country and get us back on the nation we once were as a beacon in the world with our constitution that guarantees our freedoms and liberties and a government of and for the people, LATER

Wednesday Morning

Well Tuesday was a definite change in the weather pattern as we had great temps with little humidity and a breeze form the east. There is no comparison to the winter storm that has hit the northeast although I don't think it's as terrible as the weather folks forecast. I headed out to the Rec. for pickle ball and good wet shirt before heading home on my bike. Yesterday was the first day in awhile I didn't have to hand water the gardens as we had a deluge of rain the night before.

I started the day much the usual with a before 6 ish roll out to temps which had dropped to the high 50's over night. I had my morning cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent a few quiet moments in prayer and thanksgiving with my Creator as well as lifted up several by name for healing and comfort. I did speak with Paw Paw before supper and he sounded good and we chatted about his up and coming hip replacement in April. He is looking forward to us coming up and visiting and being there when this procedure happens. He said he's eating well and resting and getting about somewhat on his own but needs assistance whenever he walks without the wheelchair.

I picked up GG and brought her for lunch along with Amy and the three kiddos who are off on spring break. I finished gluing the quarter round in the bathrooms and worked out a method to adhere the dishwasher to the granite countertop as it had been screwed into the bottom laminate to keep it from falling forward when the bottom tray was pulled out. I used some Fuze which is a liquid nails to hold a piece of wood against the granite then set a couple of small screws into the wood. So far that seems to be working or the other method would be to drill into the granite with a diamond bit and then set a screw, oh well. I'm just about complete the redo except to repaint the master bedroom and I want to repaint the doors into a couple of the rooms giving them a good coat of primer before painting.

Well I managed to get in some reading time before supper and the Killing of the Rising Sun is a fantastic read and should be mandatory for all students of history especially the millennials who seem to have a different philosophy for success with their privileged attitudes that everything should be given them without any hard work or effort. We have created a class of "snowflakes" dependent on the government thus a socialist inspired lifestyle who are unable to accept reality as has been seen in their recent protests and riots of the election of Trump. They are a disgrace to those who have sacrificed, died and honored our traditions of God, family and liberty. They are even now protesting the freedom to voice any opposition to their opinions; of course they have such limited role models with the likes of the Hollywood crowd and the dem's in congress who have no backbone or love to see the nation be great. It's such a shame that we finally have a leader who loves the country and wants jobs, respect from our adversaries, the ghettos an intercity crime stopped and the drug traffic destroyed and everyone given the chance for an education so they can succeed. What's not to like about this new Potus and his ideas to make us Great Again. In all honesty Trump is much like a stern parent and these "snowflakes" are so use to getting their way they can't handle it.

Well Nancy cooked up some 1/2 runner beans, taters and ham in a broth much like a soup which was delicious on this cool evening for supper along with a fresh garden salad. After the clean up we settled into the FOX Cable News until the Lightning game came on so I hit the shower and then watched the game until overtime which was around 10'ish. I'm not sure who won but the Lightning have been rallying for a chance to make the playoffs with lots of unknown players who are rookies, LATER

Tuesday Morning

Well Monday started with my usual 6 ish rollout to overcast skies and it finally rained during the late afternoon and most of the evening. It was a welcome event as its been so dry. I let my well rest for a day. I headed to the Rec. for a good workout on the pickle ball courts then spent the rest of the day working on the woodwork around the finished flooring. I still have a couple of days work before finishing the moulding around the baseboards.

I started the day much the usual with a hot cup of green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then I spent a few quiet moments with my Creator in thanksgiving and intercessory prayers for those I know and love. We spoke with our "mountain mom" and she said her brother Joe was doing much better and they had been to Applebee's for supper in Galax, Va. We are glad to hear of his recovery and now he is back to living alone albeit Helen is close by. I haven't heard any news on Paw Paw except the total hip replacement is on April 3rd at Walter Reed Hospital in Maryland. Nancy and I will travel up to see him that is if the snow from the last blizzard is gone. Wow that is supposed to be some storm heading into the northeast.

Amy and all three kiddos came for lunch and Nancy fried up two beautiful egg plants and had enough leftover that I had them again for supper with some lasagna sauce much like egg plant parmesan. My two plants are still loaded with fruit in varying sizes and I've given away several already. I picked a half bushel basket of 1/2 runner green beans and still have more to pick and the tomatoes are just ripening faster than we can use and give away. This garden has been fantastic and I picked some small lettuces leaves from the recent seedlings for our salad.

The neighbor hood boy who is Ava's age age came over as well and the four of them ran and played outside as it wasn't too hot for a change. After they left I got into finishing the bottom of the door frames after taping them off to paint and now I only have to caulk. I worked until after 5'ish when we decided to call Helen. They had a few snowflakes but it's supposed to turn bitter cold as well. We are forecasted for some cooler temps in the 60's for highs here the next couple of days.

Well after the cleanup we settled into the Fox News and listened to the sound of rain pounding on the roof and it wasn't long after 9 that I was in a hot shower. I watched the last of the Lightning game and they won again in New York and are still in the running for the playoffs, LATER

Monday Morning

Well Sunday was a great day of worship at Bridgepoint Church in St.Pete which turned out to be our last Sunday serving there as a greeter as we will move with the launch team to Seminole to start our third campus in Pinellas County. We let the community know on Saturday with our float in the Pow Wow parade of our intentions of having the first service on Easter Sunday. We are excited about being a part of this team to help people get closer to GOD in our area.

The day started of course with the time change as we lost an hour by springing forward. I know those folks in the northeast are looking forward to some weather change after this next blizzard clears out; so much for global warming in March as Spring approaches. We are forecasted for the highs in the low 60's for the next several days which is quite unusual as well. Hopefully this front will bring us some rain. We also had Kathryn as an overnight guest which limited my morning routines. She said she slept well as we left early to head out to church. She attended a service with the Botbyl's whose soon to be daughter in law was getting baptized at a different church in Largo.

After the service we hurried home as Chris our floor installer wanted to finish up the job this afternoon as he is booked solid all this next week. He was here for about 4 hours and with my help we finished the flooring and the quarter round in all of the rooms. I have some extra work in the bathrooms as the quarter rounds need to be glued down but he cut the angles which will make the job easier for me. It was close to 6 before I finally called it quits for the day and ate some leftover lasagna for supper. Nancy had been with a meeting for the launch team with the Botbyl's as they too are a part of the team FOR SEMINOLE. Our shirts we wore in the parade were printed with this slogan.

After the cleanup we settled into the Fox News and it wasn't long until the sandman calleth when I noticed it was going on 9 o'clock. After a hot shower I watched a little of the Justice with Judge Jeannie Show then It was lights out for me by 10'ish. Today its back on the pickle ball court. I gave away some egg plants, tomatoes, Swiss chard, kale and carrots to our friends. I also need to pick beans which are starting to bloom again. I did notice the mountains had a little wind blown snow in some areas but I don't think they are getting the big snow forecasted for the northeast, oh well,LATER

Sunday Morning

Well Saturday was a total fun play day that ended with a surprise 60th birthday party at our neighbor and friends house that started around 4'ish. Nancy was completely surprised and even more surprised when she found out that I had known about the party and failed to give any hints that I knew. Everyone was to keep it a secret especially from me because they all say "I can't keep a secret". Oh well now we know I can.

The day started with my usual 6 ish roll out to my morning routines that start with a cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then spent some quiet time with my Creator. I've learned that Paw Paw is scheduled for a total hip replacement on April 3 so we will head north on the 30th so as to see him before the surgery. We will make an overnight stop at the cabin on the way up and back. I do believe the winter's hard freeze's are over for this year so we will open the cabin from the winter regiment.

We had planned on being at the Seminole Rec. at 9 to meet up with our Bridgepoint Family as we were promoting the opening day(service) which is Easter for our new campus church at the Rec. We will have a live band, campus pastor but the message will be by video from the Tyrone Campus. We had a huge float and Nancy and I rode it along with several others as well. Some of our youths walked the 1/2 mile parade route passing out bracelets and waters to those watching. We got lots of high 5's, cheers and clapping along the parade route as our float played some lively music. Needless to say we were definitely the top attraction and we hoped that brought attention to our motto or goal which is to "help bring folks closer to GOD".

We got back just before noon and then settled into some lunch before Nancy took off with Amy and the kiddos to look for a possible pet. Ava is so allergic to pets that causes her to break out in hives so they will forgo that notion. Sam and Tyler met up with Bobby and Gabe at the Yankee's ball park in Tampa for a great time right behind home plate. I finished up a read and then headed to Home depot to pick up the extra two boxes of flooring so we can finish that project. Hopefully we can have the installers finish up this week and do the quarter round as well. I need to paint one more bedroom and then I will be finished with this redo or renovations that started with the kitchen and progressed through out the house.

Well Nancy had no idea we were planning a surprise for her 60th but the Botbyl's and Tracy's were planning this at first without my knowledge but I picked up on a couple of remarks that gave me the inside scoop. Nancy and I headed up to their house around 4'ish and there was no one there but I noticed the addition of some items but hadn't quite figured out how and when. We were all sitting out on their back patio and keeping her eyes from the front of the house. I was notified everyone was coming up from our house and then into their front door for the surprise when old"eagle eye" spotted Annsley and Ava coming up the sidewalk. Nancy walked around to the front of the house and then she knew something was going on when everyone on the walk up yelled surprise. She was completely surprised. Bobby's family, Amy's family, GG, John's Perry's Family, Betsy, Neil and Danielle plus Kathryn. Patrick didn't make it as he was home in Dade City with a bad cold. We had a grand time and the eatin' once again was terrific.

Well Kathryn spent the night with us as she didn't want to make the hour long drive. She will go to church with the Botbyl's as their soon to be daughter in law is getting baptized this morning. This will be our last Sunday at the main campus then we will transfer to Seminole for two practice Sunday's before opening the service to the public on Easter Sunday. Don't forget to worship today with other believers and honor our Creator. Pray for our nation and for those who want to make the nation a shining city on a hill with our Judeo-Christian principles, freedoms and liberties. Pray for those who have NO honor or respect for our constitution and who are corrupt in their thinking to allow foreign philosophies and religions to become mainstream.

We have been a blessed nation and there are those who want to see us fail totally; unfortunately some have even been elected. We have allowed corrupt politicians to gain a foothold and have allowed those who hate our way of life so much they are trying to destroy US(A) from within. It's only with the grace of GOD in His helping with defeating the Clinton's and Obama's in the last election that we still have hope. Now we must stand up for what is right; to protect the innocent unborn, defeat the crooked politicians, vet those who seek solace here from their cruel governments and defeat the biased media and once more honor our GOD and the principles set forth in His Word, LATER

Saturday Morning

Well we had another house full last evening for supper as Bobby and Amy's families were here along with Nancy's mom, sister Betsy and husband and nephew Philip his wife and son. Philip and his family were getting ready to head back to Michigan later in the evening as they drive all night. It was a delicious Italian meal with two kinds of lasagna; one with meat in the sauce and one meatless as Philip is Catholic and they still go meatless on Fridays. Needless to say with six kids from the ages of 3 to 9 there was plenty of energy in the house.

The day started with my usual 6'ish roll out to a cup of hot tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent some quiet time with my Creator. I haven't heard how the procedure went with Paw Paw at Walter Reed with his hip but should know something soon. I wanted to repaint the intake grill for the a/c but decided all it needed was a good cleaning with a strong detergent and it did clean up nice. I also changed out the seats on the shower spigots which required shutting off the water so while Nancy was at her weekly Bible study I did get that accomplished.

Amy and Eliza came for lunch and afterwards Nancy was in the kitchen putting together enough food to feed the hood and send plenty home with everyone when they left last night. GG made a carrot cake which was awesome and I had a piece as well. Two nights in a row I had dessert so I must watch out for all that sugar as that was my down fall last time with the weight gain.

Well I did get to read a little in the afternoon before I headed out to hand water the gardens. The day was rather nice despite the lack of rain. The humidity wasn't so bad as the eastern breeze kept it comfortable but I see a hot summer approaching, LATER

Friday Morning

Well Thursday was another work day that ended with a big family supper and we will do a repeat for this evening as well. We had a house full minus Tyler and Bobby's gang so it will really be a house full this evening. I did work all morning on stripping, priming and repainting two doors but the results were satisfactory as both doors needed the attention which was brought to my attention by Nancy. I was originally going to play pickle ball this AM(Fri.) but have cancelled as the fellow who was picking me up change his plans; so I'll just work on the redo which has lots of little things to do.

The day started with my usual roll out around 6 and with that my cup of green tea laced with turmeric with I posted this ramble about the day before's activities. I spent some quiet time with my Creator then did the news from Fox and the Drudge Report and then the social media with FB where I some times get in trouble with Nancy chastising me for some of my comments. I'm not one to let issues that annoy me or some people who say ridiculous things about some things I hold near and dear such as my Judeo-Christian beliefs, my love for the nation,  the military and law enforcement family and our liberties and freedoms that come from those who died while protecting us. Now we have the liberal or left along with the biased media who want our newly elected president Trump to fail because they are so afraid he will succeed. What is going on with these people.

After a lite breakfast that started with my usual apple and then a couple hours later an energy bar I began to strip one of the bedroom doors which for some reason failed to hold the new paint. Years ago I had failed to use a primer and every time something brushes against the door it cause raised up areas so I began to strip it clean so I could sand and finally prime it. What a messy job and I had white paint flecks everywhere on the dark flooring which required the vacuum cleaner. Luckily Nancy stayed away as she is very particular about keeping the dark flooring clean, oh well. The repaint turned out nice as did the front door of the house which also needed some primer and repaint as well. It took me all morning to complete these two jobs.

Amy and Eliza came for a lunch of pizza and salad and afterwards I touched up the window seat and baseboards with fresh paint as Nancy was busy in the kitchen getting ready for our evening supper crowd. I grilled tons of marinated chicken breasts and legs doing them in shifts as my grill here is about half the size of the cabin grill. We also had oven taters slathered in fresh rosemary and parsley rolled in olive oil and a salad with crusty bread. Nancy had made a chocolate cheesecake for the dessert and with me holding in the 180 range give or take a pound or two either way I had a piece which was awesome.  They all headed out around 8'ish which was just fine with me as the day's work, fine eatin' and time of the evening was starting to catch up with me. I watched a little of the O'Reilley Show then headed for the shower and was soon reading for awhile before turning off the light around 10'ish, LATER    

Thursday Morning

Well Wednesday was another all day work day but mostly outside in the yard as the leaves had piled up in both GG and my yards. It was too terribly hot and muggy but in the sunshine it was quite warm. I did have a wet shirt despite the somewhat low humidity.

I started the day with my before 6 roll out. I had my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then I spent my daily morning quiet time with my Creator in humble prayer and thanksgiving while lifting up by name those I know and love. I usually checkin with the social medias and the news which includes the Drudge Report, Fox News and then the local website at Rays Weather and the Winchester Evening Star for who passed away in my home town area. Nancy mentioned GG raked leaves from her front yard yesterday as she is impatient with waiting for me to do the job so I headed over with several large bags and my rake. Well our nephew and his wife and son had just arrived who is the son of Eric for a few days visit from Michigan so they gave me hand and we loaded up 8 bags of leaves and I took them with me for my garden.

I was back home by 10'ish and started on my front yard. I mowed up several huge trash cans of fallen leaves then mulched them with mower and scattered them in the garden for the earthworms to do their magic trick of turning them into soil and fertilizer. Worm poop is the best natural potting soil ever. That kept me busy until close 3 PM I set the sprinkler on the gardens and then headed in to put stickon felt pads to all the chair feet and some of the furniture especially the homemade stuff so as to save the new flooring from scuff marks. I finally sat down and rested while Nancy got the beans ready for our supper of venison and beans in a gravy, Yeow was that ever delicious.

I got a call later in the evening from and old trooper friend and his son in law is the pitching coach for the minor league Yankee farm club in Tampa. So they will be here in the bay area until the end of the baseball season and we are hoping to get together sometime in April. We settled into the Fox News after supper and the cleanup and I was extremely drowsy while waiting to hear what O'Reilly had to say about the corruption that is happening with the criminal leaks within the security departments. It seems there is direct evidence that Obama is and was wiretapping Trump both prior to the election and afterwards and they are pushing that the Russia's were responsible. I think that is subversion of our national security and grounds for the charge of treason. Hopefully there will be a continued investigation of these actions by the those who are responsible for this criminal activity and be brought to justice, LATER

Wednesday Morning

Well Tuesday was a total work day that started early and I never stopped until about 5 ish when I headed over to pick up Nancy at GG's house where Nancy had dropped her car off. She had been running GG to all kinds of appointments so she used her car which is easier for her to get in and out of. No one came for lunch today as the Ross household is still having some stomach issues, GG stayed home because of her schedule and Bobby never called about being over here in Pinellas and stopping by for a sandwich. I took about 15 minutes for a lunch break then it was back to work.

The morning started with my usual roll out a little before 6. I did my morning routines that started with a hot cup of green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent some quiet time with my Creator in thanksgiving for another day and lifting up by name those who are hurting for some healing and comfort. Afterwards I had an apple for breakfast and started on taking all of the pulls off of the cabinets in the kitchen. I wanted to give them their final coat of paint with a sponge roller which takes away all of the brush marks and smoothes the surface.

That kept me busy for several hours. I even repainted the kitchen door and began gluing the baseboards around the window seat and caulking it as well. I put new face plates on the outlets in the living room and then cleaned out the garage as we have been leaving the truck out in the driveway for the past couple of weeks. Now that the old freezer is gone and I can move it back into the garage at nights. I noticed yellow pollen from the oaks covered the surface so I took the water hose and washed it off before putting it inside. I did hand water the gardens and gave my neighbors some collards, tomatoes and an eggplant along with some fresh herbs. Nancy fried up an egg plant while we waited for the chicken wings to cook on the grill. I picked some Thai basil to add to the egg plant and did it ever spark up the flavor along with some sweet basil. I grilled the wings along with some fresh asparagus, wow. That is the best way ever to cook asparagus.

After the clean up we settled into the Fox News Cable Channel and once more we are learning just how corrupt the past administration is and was. They blame this new administration for the very thing they were illegally doing all along and the biased media reports it as fact. We now have some major issues on the table because of the failed national security polices that have allowed North Korea, Iran, China and Russia to operate without guidelines. Trump has some major problems to deal with in these countries aggressive tactics especially with Korea now sending up missiles toward Japan and threatening nuclear attacks on them and US(A). At least the economy is seeing some life once again and the job's are coming back with many corporations starting to reinvest in the nation. Now if we could just get the dem's to lay side their partisanship and work with Trump maybe we can become a great nation once again but we have those within our own party who are less than ideal as well, LATER  

Tuesday Morning

Well Monday was a mixture of play which was more like work as I met up with several other A pickle ball players at a gym where only A players meet twice a week. It costs a few bucks but what a work out with some great rallies and hard fought games. I managed to hold my hold for the nearly three hours of play winning with several different partners. The work started after lunch with the paint brush once again until nearly 4:30 when I decided to call it a day and head out to the back yard and hand water the gardens.

The morning started with my usual before 6 roll out to my usual morning routines that started with a cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric. I've gotten so use to the taste I'm not sure I could enjoy a cup of hot tea with out the turmeric plus it is a pain reliever for the joints especially my one knee I hyperextended a few years ago. I spent a few quiet moments with my Creator in thanksgiving and intercessory thoughts and prayers for those I know who are hurting and needing healing in some form or another. Paw Paw is heading down to D.C. on Friday for some procedure on the hip at Walter Reed Hospital and brother Joe in the mountains is slowly recuperating but now needs constant care with having someone in the family to be with him. We spoke with our "mountain mom" last evening and one day it's brutally cold and windy and the next day it's like springtime, oh well.

I rode my bike over to Walgreens to meet up with two other players as we car pooled over to Pinellas Par. We had 10 layers on two courts and the action never stopped unless you lost a set then you waited to team up with a new partner for the next set. I sat very little during the nearly 3 hours of play and when we left a little after 11'ish my shirt was soaked. I had brought a power bar and drink with me which helped with keeping the energy level during the workout. Since our Rec. is closed for whole week I think I'll go back on Friday for another round with these A players. Most of the guys have tournament wins and most are a but younger as well but I did alright with only two losses all morning.

Well Bobby came for lunch as Amy and Eliza stayed away due to some stomach issues with Eliza during the night and now Tyler had some stomach issues at work so he came home and worked from there. Nancy had taken GG to a doctor's appointment and then she herself saw a doctor about a rash she has developed on her face. I think it's from the change in her makeup and so does the doctor. She prescribed a cortizone cream and to not use the make up for a few days; I should have hanged out my shingle as that is exactly what I mentioned to her but I have no M.D. behind my name, oh well.

I picked 4 nice green peppers and along with fresh mushrooms, onions and cherry tomatoes and grilled them along with marinated chicken breasts for our supper and ate them fajitas style with some hot sauce, delicious to say the least. After the cleanup we settled into the FOX News Channel and once more this past administration has left several bombs to destroy the Trump chance to put the country on the right track with the biased help of the media. I really think they are criminals as many Obama sycophants and himself are doing everything they can to disrupt this new administrations efforts. I'm beginning to wonder if these efforts are bordering on being treasonous in nature.

We are learning of huge giveaways to a country like Kenya, (his birth place in my opinion) done at the last minute without congressional approval in his last hours before Trump was sworn into office. We will eventually will find out all of the corruption within his sphere of influence; I just hope the rest of the country will find out as well because the mainstream media is failing on their job to report this except for Fox News. Now he is responsible for leaking wiretapped conversations which smells of several felonies as well and undermining national security. There is no end or cause these folks will do to cause havoc for Trump and the new administration, LATER

Monday Morning

Well Sunday was an awesome day of worship at Bridgepoint Church where we also served as a door greeter which means we give out lots of hugs, handshakes, smiles, programs and help with taking up the offering. We see so many different folks each Sunday in addition to several regulars. Afterwards we met up with the Cool Peoples Club minus Patrick at Chili's which is just around the corner for lunch which also held us throughout the rest of the day except for a bowl of pop corn I fixed the old fashion way.

It was a bit chilly with the strong wind out of the East which was rather strong for most of the day. It sure dried out the gardens so I set the sprinkler while I did some painting during the afternoon while Nancy took her mom, GG shopping. I did settle in the Nascar Race later in the afternoon and saw where Ford's prevailed once again as the fastest cars on the track. Being a Ford man I was thrilled they are finally making a good showing after being beat out the past few years by Toyota and Chevy's.

I spoke with Paw Paw and he sounded good and we learned he goes back to Walter Reed this Friday for a procedure to determine what will be done with regard to the pain in his hip. We are hopeful that something can be done to reduce completely the pain so he can have some quality of life and get out to being active again. Josie was with him and said he ate a good supper and seemed better in his spirit. He was never one for being incapacitated for any length of time but this started back in September and he hasn't gotten much better and if anything worst since then.

Nancy's sister Betsy came by for some collards out of the garden as she was so thrilled after fixing them the way I told her. the first time. She insisted they were the best greens she had ever eaten and of course they were fresh and grown organically which I think makes all the difference as well. I read until I got sleepy then hit the showers and watched a little of Fox News until 10, LATER

Sunday Morning

Well Saturday morning saw us on the road to Brandon to watch our son Bobby coach and his son Gabe win their first game of the season against the number two team and they won big 11-3. Gabe had a couple of hits and scored and made some nice plays in the field as well as was the catcher for an inning; all of the kids love to put on the catchers equipment and walk out onto the field but due very little in the way of actually catching the ball behind the plate.

I started the day with 6 'ish roll out for a change as it's usually well before 6 but not this morning as it was actually near 6:30, yeow. I did my morning routines that started with a cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble from the day before's activities and then I spent a few quiet moments with my Creator. I've been reprimanded once again for voicing my thoughts on FB which I find are biblical as well as letting my conservative thoughts about the liberal political class in America be known. I just tell the truth and that's just me, oh well.

I made myself a couple of soft eggs with grits and a couple of tomato's for breakfast for a change then I got ready as we needed to head out for the hour long ride. The traffic at 9'ish in the morning was more like rush hour traffic in the afternoon. The interstate was stop and go at times and on the way home in the early afternoon it was even worst. The new upgrades to I-4 are out dated as well as the area just east of the big bridge is a bottle neck as well. There was some poor engineering done on that stretch of the road where 4 lanes from the bridge merge to two lanes and another two lanes entered onto the two that have been merged from the bridge. They need to fire who ever designed that area. It's stop and go for nearly 2-3 miles in that area.

It was a bit chilly with the low humidity and strong breeze as we sat outside at the ball game. We were all looking for sunshine area to sit in whereas we usually are looking for a shady spot. The team played a great game and they won their first game of the season against a team with the second best record. Our team so far was the worst with no wins but that all changed in this game. Afterwards we met up with Katie's dad, grand dad and sister Kayla for a lunch in Brandon before heading home. I wanted to give the living room its second coast of paint as we still had the room in disarray with all of the wall pictures and curtains off and most of the furniture pulled away from the wall as well. I finished that job which took about half of the time less than the first coat of paint. I now need to redo the crown moulding with a brighter shade of white as the contrast isn't quite what Nancy wanted . I mentioned that when she picked this paint color but it was her decision so now I have to redo the trim, oh well such as it is.

We picked up GG and headed to the Ross's for a birthday supper for Sam. He wanted smoked ribs, corn on the cob, mac and cheese and salad. Nancy made the birthday cake. We had a delicious meal and the meat fell off of the bones. We all sang both to Sam and Nancy as it was both of their birthdays. We had a grand time and I even indulged in the cake an ice cream for a change as I'm maintaining the 180 mark rather consistent despite the meals out more frequently. By 8'ish I could barely keep my eyes open so we took GG home and then I jumped in the shower only to become wide awake. I watched the Lightning win in overtime in a shootout against a good Buffalo team which keeps their playoff hopes alive.

Today we honor our Creator with worship and a day of rest and I'm looking forward to both. We will soon be moving our place of worship to the Seminole area at the REC where on Easter Sunday we will have a service open to the public. Since we live so close we thought we would be a part of the launch team. We will have a campus pastor with our own live music but the message will be delivered via simulcast. We are looking forward to see what GOD will do in this area as our long term goal is to have several campus's in the county. Our goal is to help folks get closer to GOD, LATER

Saturday Morning

Well Friday was a work day after a great morning workout on the pickle ball court and then we met up with friends and neighbors for supper at the Olive Garden to celebrate Nancy's 60th birthday. Afterwards we came back to the Botbyl's where we played a game of Euchre and the guys prevailed in a close game. The air had chilled down for what will be our last bit of cool temps until next winter as it was in the 50's this morning. It did quickly warm up to the low 80's but without the humidity which was great.

I started the day much the usual with a before 6 roll out. I had my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I post this ramble and then I spent some quiet moments in thanksgiving and intercessory prayers for those I know and love who are hurting. Afterwards I got ready to ride out to the Rec. on my bike for a long workout as I've been cutting them short to about an hour or so but today I stayed for two hours which is the time we have the gym for to play. I left with a wet shirt and whupped.

I harvested some lettuces, kale and Swiss chard and cleaned it and then set the sprinkler to water the gardens as I wanted to get started on painting the living room and hallways. I also picked a dozen or so ripe tomatoes most of which were the small teardrop type that are very tasty on a salad. Nancy was at her weekly Bible study class then picked up GG and brought her for lunch. Amy came by with all three of her kids and they had just a half day of school. Nancy had made cupcakes for them and of course for the birthday boy, Sam who is now 7 years old, yikes where did that time go. They stayed for a couple hours then headed out and Nancy soon took her mom home as well.

I finished up the walls and cutting in with one coat around 4:30 and then we got ready to meet for our supper out. The place was jumping so we sat at the bar where I met some new folks and we shared where we were from and I mentioned pickle ball and then mentioned about we were starting a church campus at the Rec. on Easter Sunday. They seemed interested in both but mainly about the town of Sparta, N.C. They live on the other side of Lake Seminole which is where GG lives but in the exclusive Bardmoor area.

Patrick and Kathryn met us there as they had driven down from Dade City to spend the weekend with Dan and Carol. I really think they are having second thoughts on moving so far from us and the Cool Peoples Club. Well they even bought our dinner of which Nancy and I shared a chicken entree but with Zuppa soup to start the meal along with those garlic crusted breadsticks. We had a raucous good time. This eatery was still packed with folks waiting to be seated when we left around 8:30. Well that was about it for the day as it was going on 10'ish when we walked back to the house. I still have it torn up from the painting and I want to give it a second when we get back from Brandon and Gabe's ball game this morning(Sat) before putting in back in order. Tonight we are eating at the Ross's to celebrate Sam's birthday and Nancy's for a supper that he choose and that's smoked ribs, LATER

Friday Morning

Well Thursday was basically a work day except for the first part of the morning where I got in a good workout on the pickle ball court but from then on it was work until nearly supper time. We did get our new fridge delivered before lunch and the floor installers came and just about finished up except for a few small cuts in the closets. I'll explain later why they never finished.

I started the day with my before 6 roll out to my usual morning routines. I had my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent some time with my Creator in thanksgiving for another day and then lifted up those I know who need some special care and consideration. Afterwards I got ready to ride out to the Rec. on my bike for some pickle ball play for about an hour and a half. I left with a wet shirt. I headed home and hand watered the gardens until the  installers arrived around 10'ish.

They were wanting to finish up the job but since they had to redo the hall that took up our extra flooring and we ran out of material which was just about three pieces. The needed pieces were cuts along the wall and in one closet; so I headed to Home Depot but they had nothing to come close to this color despite most of it being covered by the quarter round molding. To make a long story short I went ahead and ordered two more boxes just in case we would need them in the future. The issue is it will take another 10 days to get here from what the delivery date states on the invoice so we will not be able to do the quarter round. Oh well. We are very pleased with their work and what quarter round he did install looks fantastic.

The new fridge was so big the deliver men had to take off the doors to get it in the house and it just fits in between the cabinets. I'm still not sure we needed one this big but we now have it in place so no more garage runs to retrieve our cold items from the old black fridge. This new one is a stainless steel front. I said good-bye to the old Kenmore freezer which I've had since before Nancy and I were married. It's at least 40 years old and still running but since it had to be defrosted by hand every so often that had become a pain as well. Well things are starting to come close to being finished. I still have to paint the large living room area and reinstall the closets doors then I'm going to tackle the garage which needs some attention.

We had a frozen pizza and salad for our supper then settled into the Fox News Channel. It's a disgrace the dem's have done everything possible to disrupt the Trump folks to govern and get rid of most of the last inept potus's actions by claiming the Russian's influenced the election. Every state but the two welfare states(Calif.&N.Y.) voted for Trump and for his changes he wanted to implement  for American's. I've yet to see any evidence of corruption with Trump's people but the baseless charges by the dem's are giving the biased media front page headlines and if its promoted long enough some will start to believe it. It disgraceful and treasonous in my book and my way of thinking. I'm starting to think we may be headed for another civil war between the conservative and liberals in the land, Oh well, LATER

Thursday Morning

Well Wednesday found us with another summer day for Florida with high heat and humidity but by the evening the sea breeze cooled things down to where it was quite nice outside. I workout on the pickle ball in the morning then did a few garden chores and after lunch read for most of the afternoon while I baby sat Eliza Faye so the girls could shop for new lamps.

The day started with me rolling out a little before 6 and I had pushed one of my ear plugs in so deep that Nancy had to pick it out with a tooth pick. Needless to say I disposed of that one for some newer ones as I've never had that happen before which made for a moment of panic with my head feeling as if I was in an altitude chamber. I did my morning routines that started with a cup of hot green tea laced with ground turmeric while I posted this ramble and then spent a few quiet moments with my Creator in thanksgiving for another day and then lifting up those by name I know and love and those who are hurting. I got word that Paw Paw was taken to the ER again as his blood pressure dropped while at the VA with a doctor. Hopefully he will regain some strength and have some quality of life in these his advanced years.

I headed out around 8 on my bike for a good hour plus workout on the pickle ball court and left with a wet shirt. I piddled around in the gardens hand watering and picked Amy a nice mess of kale for her Zuppa Soup she was making for their supper. Amy, GG and Eliza all came for lunch and afterwards they all took off to the mall. Eliza fell asleep on the floor watching a show so I sat and read a true murder story that took place in Panama with young Americans from N.C. The culprit and his wife murdered 5 fellow ex-pats and buried them in the jungle and took over their properties. They were eventually captured and both were arrested after they had fled into the interior. There were some big name folks in this story titled THE JOLLY ROGER SOCIAL CLUB.

We took GG  home then stopped at Home Depot for paint as Nancy now wants to change the color of the living room walls to match the floors. I'm hoping this will stop soon as she has new curtains as well for our bedroom, new lamps and comforter for the bed. We did find some P. Buckley Moss framed prints which we paid dearly for years ago in one of the closets and we hung them in our bedroom which made a nice addition as there was some blue in the print that matched the new pillow for the bed. Well I will paint the walls today(Thur.) while the floor installers are here as well as the new fridge is supposed to be delivered. This should be a busy day as I did very little on Wed. I did grill chicken breasts and we had them for our supper along with a fresh garden salad. The neighbors from across the street came by to see the results so far as they leave to go back to Michigan after being here since Christmas. It will be in the 30's when they get home, oh well. I could use a few cooler days and now I'm longing for the cabin and the cool mornings.

We settled into the Fox News channel after the cleanup and see where president Trump made a great impression on most of American with the new polling except for those who will never support him or the country. These are sycophants of the secular progressive left, democrats, millennials and illegals who are sucking off of the federal government handouts which just happens to be our tax money, LATER

Wednesday Morning March 1st

Well Tuesday was another total work day except for an hour or so in the morning when I managed a good work out on the pickle ball court. Afterwards it was a total work day until lunch and then afterwards it was once again painting and getting the bedrooms ready for new flooring. It also was a record breaking day for temps and humidity. We also had our usual lunch crowd with GG, Amy and Eliza Faye.

I started the day with a before 6 roll out. I had my usual cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then spent some quiet moments with my Creator in thanksgiving and lifting up those who are hurting. I did speak with Paw Paw and he seemed in good spirits for what he is going through. He has been walking again and putting some weight on that leg and hip as he awaits the VA decision. If he is given a hip replacement we will probably be heading to Va. to see him in the near future. We will cross that bridge when the time comes. I got ready and headed out on my bike to the Rec. where I had a great workout and left around 9:30 with a wet shirt.

Nancy was at the hair dressers so I started on the other bedroom taking out the carpet in pieces as well as the padding and tack strips. That required moving the bed and furniture around as well as emptying the closet of baby toys, furniture etc. Amy seems to have stored most of her new baby stuff in our closet. After lunch I painted all of the baseboards which is a killer on the knees and then the inside of the closets as well as removed the doors. Later we went through all of the hanging clothes and got rid of some we never wear or have out grown. It was a full time job deciding what we could wear or what we would wear. The local church clothes closet got a nice assortment of some pieces for those who could use them.

We had leftover collards and kielbasa for our supper. I did manage to hand water the the new lettuce seedlings and they seem to be doing fine in this heat. We are expecting another hot,  muggy day before the temps get back to normal with some chance for some rain later in the week. We settled into the Fox News and were really interested in what our new President Trump had to say as he addressed both houses of the congress. Well that was one of the finest speeches ever as he addressed our national needs and let the world know we would no longer be a globalist except for the fight to eradicate the radical Islamic terrorists who kill, rape and destroy indiscriminately, but especially Christians and Jews. He also made it know we would stand by our friend Israel to the end. His speech reached out to all Americans to make our nation once more safe and secure with opportunities to succeed for all who come here to honor our values and respect our laws. He wants to revive the corporations who manufacture and offer jobs for those citizens who seek a better life for their families. He wants respect for our law enforcement families as well as the military and most of all to honor our veterans. Those who come here illegally and bring crime with them are no longer welcome as are the cities that give them sanctuary.

This speech was no doubt GREAT to say the least and if those who are on the other side of the aisle will make an attempt to fulfill their elected duties we can achieve much for the nations folks and restore our nation that our founding father visioned. We must do away with the influence of the special interests and the corruption associated with "play for pay" and once again give a vision for all who work hard and play by the rules. I see this man as becoming one of the great presidents in our history with a vision that puts us once again as the shining city on a hill for those who want freedom, liberty and the chance to make the best life for their families and to make America Great Again as we were all created by the same GOD, LATER