Thursday Morning--Last day of Nov.2017

Well where has this month gone? Christmas is just 25 days away and then a new year, wow. The time is just flying by and soon we will be heading back north to the mountains. There has been only one chilly morning so far here in sunny Florida and while I'm not complaining I would like some days where I could shut off the a/c for more than a couple of hours, oh well.

The day stared much the usual with a 6'ish roll out for me to a cup of hot tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then spent a few quiet moments to honor my Creator in thanksgiving for all the blessings and then to lift up several by name for healing and for comfort. The update on GG is good considering what it has been for the past several months. Paw Paw is still living on his own and will soon be 90 in a few days after he went through some rough times with health issues. Bobby too has overcome some severe sinus infections that required prednisone to overcome the issue and he is back to normal. Our dear friend Joe in the mountains needs lots of prayers for some comfort with his constant pain in the legs but he too is still at home living alone so that is a plus.

I got in a good two hours of steady pickle ball play at the Rec. and left with a wet shirt around 10'ish. I stopped off at the library for a couple new reads I had ordered and one was a could not put down book titled PRISONER B-3087. This young Jewish man of 13 was a Nazi prisoner for several years and lived in 10 different camps and skirted death so many times.  He was alive to be liberated by the Americans at the end of the war and eventually became a US citizen and served in the Army in Korea. I read half the book in one sitting. It's an awesome read how one person could survive the atrocities by Hitler's Nazi's who tried his best to eradicate the Jewish people from Europe. The Holocaust was real folks despite the liberals who try their best to denounce this abomination.

We were heading over to Brandon in the early evening to watch grandson Gabe play in a season ending baseball tournament. We made a stop on the way for supper at a Red Lobster eatery which we had a gift card for. The food was delicious and the service was nice and we made it to the game before it started . We left early because of the traffic and decided to eat in the area as it would be close to 9'ish before the game was over. We learned our server lives in our county and travels daily to Brandon to work so we invited her to BridgePoint Church as she mentioned she was a Believer and was looking for a church. I'm not sure I would visit this eatery again in the near future as its such a distance to drive but the fare was nice.

We watch Gabe get a couple of good hits but the fielding was horrible for the team and they lost the game after leading into the later innings, Oh well. We met up with Katie's family who were in attendance for the game and Bobby did a good job of coaching the team. They were hitting the ball but the other team made less error's especially with their throws which gave the game away for Gabe's team. Anyhow we are thrilled he was able to play and it looks as if he will progress upwards as he shows lots of enthusiasm and skill for the game. We got home around 10'ish and then hit the shower. I was amazed at the traffic at this time of the evening on the interstate and so many reckless drivers traveling at such high rates of speeds. I wish at times I still had the blue light special for some of these idiotic drivers who put so many folks in harms way with their speed and unsafe lane changes while driving, LATER

Wednesday Morning

Well Tuesday was another nice day but the humidity had crept back into the area so the a/c is back on. We had the windows open to start the day with temps in the upper 50's but by lunch the heat was back into the 80's along with the rise in moisture. I had a good work out on the pickle ball court for nearly two hours and then we headed to Home Depot for a Christmas Tree.

The day started much the usual with a before 6'ish roll out. I had my cup of tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and spent some quiet time with my Creator in thanksgiving for another day and all the blessings of life while lifting up several by name for comfort and healing. The update on GG is about the same as she progresses a little more each day. She had physical therapy today and they got her up to where she is taking a couple of steps while using a walker and her speech is so much better. She sounds normal at times and one would never know she suffered a mini stroke.

I headed for the rec a little before 8 and met up with several good players and we never stopped for the next two hours. I left with a wet shirt and tired legs around 10'ish then headed home on my bike. Nancy was ready so we headed to purchase our tree. It came from a neighboring county in N.C. from the Sexton Tree Farm in West Jefferson. It was a Frazier Fir and formed very nice. The cost of trees have gone up over last year by about 10 bucks as we learned there is a shortage this year. One would never know that by the number of trees lining the hills in N.C. There was a tractor trailer unloading trees just brought in from the mountains as we purchased ours.

Well the rest of the morning was getting the Christmas decorations down from the attic and putting the tree up and then getting it dressed with lights and ornaments. Amy and Eliza came for lunch and of course both helped to decorate the tree. Eliza was so excited about the season and the decorating. After lunch I headed out to piddle around in the garden and hand watered and then I sat out under the big oak in the back yard and read for awhile until the mosquitoes drove me inside.  After Amy left to pick up Ava and Sam Nancy took off on her bike for a ride through the hood as she missed her workout on the treadmill at the rec during the morning.

Well I grilled red, yellow and green  peppers along with  onions and mushroom for chicken fajitas for our supper. I added some raw jalapeno and some Thai basil from the garden to mine which added so much flavor, yeow where they ever delicious with some sour cream on top. After the cleanup we settled into the FOX News channel and once again learn more about the corruption with the kickbacks to Obama and Hillary and the cover up by the FBI and the intelligence departments. I'm beginning to wonder if all of the heads of those agencies are involved in taking bribes to allow this uranium deal to pass. Each day more light is being shone on this corrupt and treasonous deal with Russia to gain our material to make nuclear weapons to be used against us Americans. This is unconscionable and we would never have know if Hillary would have been elected. I'm talking about billions of dollars poured into the Clinton foundation which was never reported and I'm sure distributed to all of those involved in this crooked deal to weaken the nations military.

We are being used by the media the Clinton and Obamas sycophants to weaken our resolve to make America Great Again. I'm afraid the money trail is going to lead to prominent politicians in both parties as they do their best to destroy our POTUS and his agenda. The liberals have such a foothold with the biased MSM and their ability to create fake news. Thankfully the inspector general is now going public with his concerns after being told to not do his job when he uncovered this deal that went through with the loss of our uranium to Russia. This could be the end hopefully in my opinion of the Clintons, Obama's and even some very high up's in the congress. Lets hope and pray they are found out and the details are made know to the public of their dealings to denigrate our ability to arm ourselves with weapons that need plutonium grade uranium. I think this is very treasonous, LATER

Tuesday Morning

Well Monday once again was a gorgeous day with temps in the upper 50's to start the morning and then by the afternoon the middle 70's and no humidity. There was just a slight breeze which made it perfect for working outside. I worked in the garden and yards until lunch after a good two hours of pickle ball.

The morning routines were usual with a 6'ish rollout to a cup of hot tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then spent some quiet moments with my Creator in thanksgiving for another day and lifting up several by name. Nancy spoke with her mom, GG via phone and she sounded lucid and is now using the potty which is making a big difference in her health. That one thing we so take for granted has reduced her UTI's which will allow her to gain some strength. The fact she is able with support to actually put some weight on her legs is amazing as well. I spoke with Paw Paw and he sounded good and lucid as well but his short term memory is slipping as he asks if I'm in N.C. or Florida. Each time when I call I tell him but he forgets which I also do at times, oh well.

The garden is doing well along with the weeds which seem to grow faster than the veggies. The new tomato's from seeds are adding and extra leaf a day but for some reason the dill seedlings aren't doing well. I separated them the other day and now I've lost one but every thing else is growing. The collards are really starting to add leaves and since I've put chicken wire around the tomato plants whatever was nipping the tops off(twice) they are sending out new leaves and tops as well. The replanted bush beans are sending up new sprouts. I need to buy new carrot and sugar pea seeds and get them in the ground as well as get a Christmas Tree at Home Depot.

Amy and Eliza came for lunch and we had a huge fresh garden salad topped with the last of the cold turkey from Thanksgiving and then for supper we cleaned up the last of the smashed taters, gravy and veggies. Finally the fridge is getting cleaned out, but the those leftovers were oh so delicious, oh well. Well after the clean up I settled into the FOX Cable News and once more our POTUS is driving the liberals nuts with his tweets which I personally love.

The tweet on liberal Sen. Elizabeth Warren about being a native American to get prefer status and who is now dubbed Pocohantas was awesome and so very true. They are by nature very hypocritical and will lie, obfuscate and deflect the truth to warrant personal gain. The refusal of the congressmen to resign over criminal sexual harassment action is awful. If that had been a republican the media and the dem's would be in a tizzy but to a larger degree the dem's have some real trouble now with Hillary's email server and classified info. Finally a key figure is coming forth and telling all about the security being breached by her and several big whigs in the Obama administration i.e. Clapper and Comey. I'm hoping heads will fall and she will be indicted as well as several others. It past time to drain the crooks from the swamp in D.C., LATER

Monday Morning

Well Sunday was an awesome day of worship at BridgePoint. We worked with the other volunteers in both services getting ready to help folks get closer to GOD with our smiles, hugs and hand shakes as well as setting up and then breaking down the facility which is in the local college. It's a beautiful place with a great auditorium for acoustics with wide screens for our video casts.

I started the day with my usual 6'ish roll out. We had Arianne and Errol once again staying the night with us so I did my routines in the kitchen posting this ramble and then some quiet time before we got ready to head out around 8:30 for church. They left about the same time for their church as well. Afterwards we met up with Dan and Carol for lunch at Applebee's in the new Seminole Mall and had a good meal which held up the rest of the day except for a little pop corn around 7'ish. Nancy was gone with her sister Betsy from about 4 on until nearly 8.

I broke down and watched the hapless Bucs lose again on TV in Atlanta. What a sorry bunch of millionaires who are the stepping stone of the league. I'm almost totally non supportive of the NFL after their outward displayed of unpatriotic gestures toward the flag and the anthem. I hate to say it because I was a fan despite the ineptness of the Bucs but I wouldn't miss them at all if the league failed. I'm a hockey fan and these players are true athletes and make for great entertainment.  Pro football and basketball players can dry up and go away in my book. They are mostly a bunch of thugs with many like those in congress, criminals who beat their wives and girlfriends, sexual harassers and deviants with criminal records who then buy their way out and then covered up by the league in a hush fund. What in the world is happening to our cultures where now everything that once was wrong is now right and just the opposite with what was once right is now wrong. Oh how the liberals and left wing special interests have changed our morals and culture.

I did watch the Alaska Family Shows which are awesome. The ingenuity of these folks living in the wild is extraordinary. I could live there in a heartbeat with something to do all the time plus the hunting and fishing is just wonderful with no junk in their food supply, LATER 

Sunday Morning

Well Saturday was another gorgeous day with cool temps to start the day and quite pleasant throughout with lots of sunshine and a slight breeze. I had a good workout on the pickle ball court early in the morning and then did some garden work before heading over to help with loading the U-Haul truck at GG's. We then had both Bobby and Amy's families here for supper.

The day started much the usual for me with a 6'ish rollout. I had my usual cup of hot tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then spent a few quiet moments with my Creator in thanksgiving and lifting up several by name. The update on GG is a favorable one as she has taken a couple of steps with the walker while working with her physical therapist. This is a complete turn around from what we saw while we were visiting in Michigan in October.

I headed out around 8'ish for the Rec. and got in some good play with three courts in action and several waiting to play. I headed home afterwards on my bike to piddle around in the garden while Nancy got ready to go to the funeral for a friend of Eric's wife who suddenly passed away at 62. Bobby dropped his kids off while they met up with some friends from now Oregon who were visiting in St.Pete. Amy brought her three kiddos and they all had lunch while waiting to make cookies with Nancy after she got home.

I headed over to GG's and we loaded and packed the large truck with items to take back to Michigan that GG wanted. That kept me busy until nearly 5 when I headed home to grill marinated chicken breasts for our supper. I had made a huge fresh garden salad on Friday which was perfect and oh so good with our grilled chicken. They all hung out until 7: 30 or so then headed out for Brandon and Seminole. Amy stayed around for another hour as we put the house back in order and then it wasn't long until it was shower time for me and then I hit the sack around 10'ish. Today is our corporate worship day or as I like to think time to together with other Believers and honor our GOD with praises in songs and a message of encouragement, LATER

Saturday Morning

Well Friday was a busy day that started with my usual 6'ish rollout. It was overcast with some lite rain at times but mainly wet out. I haven't had to hand water the garden the past couple of days. I don't have a rain gauge here but would guess we've had close to a half inch all together the past couple of days. That's not much when you consider the soil is so sandy but I did hand feed the seedlings after harvesting this morning.

I harvested Swiss chard, red leaf and Bibb lettuces as well as beet greens and sweet basil. The Simpson leaf lettuce isn't quite big enough yet to add to the salads but within a week it will be. I cleaned the harvest then used the salad spinner and made a huge salad. We will add cabbage, onions and tomato's later with some cucumbers on the side. I have one cucumber seedling from all of the seeds I sowed that made it and it now has added a third leaf. I will get it in the ground this coming week. The collards, kale and onions are coming along nicely and I will be adding them to the table soon as well.

I got in a nice 30 minute or more bike ride through the hood and while its flat and level the north breeze adds to the extra energy needed to make the 5 miles or so ride. At least I worked up a good heart rate. It's damp and cool but Nancy is hot all the time so she has the a/c on. We had a lite lunch then headed over to GG's to help with once again packing up her place so Eric can put the house on the market. I took a load of donations to the Goodwill and then did some shopping at Sam's Club. Afterwards I headed over to Amy's to drop off the extension ladder so Tyler could put up their outside Christmas lights. They had their tree up and it was beautiful. All of the kiddos were excited especially Eliza Faye.

I came back to the house and piddled around in the garden chasing the squirrels out with the BB gun then settled into the college football game between UCF and USF which are both Florida teams. It was a barn burner with UCF staying undefeated in a last minute win. The Miami team lost their first game of the season to Pitt so UCF will move up in ranking as the only team without a loss. They are no power house like some of the teams but should get a bowl bid. Nancy stayed at GG's with Arianne and Errol to pack and clean. Eric and Dianne were due to spend the night and then Eric fly's back to Michigan today after the funeral of a close friend who passed at the age of 62 this week. Arianne and Errol spent the night with us.

Well I ate some leftovers and then headed over to pick Nancy up around 7'ish so she could get cookie dough ready for all the grand kiddos who are coming this afternoon to bake cookies after the funeral which Nancy will attend. I'm staying back as Bobby will drop off the kiddos before the service is over so I will head to the Rec. this morning for some much needed exercise after all of the calories the past couple of days, LATER

Friday Morning

Well after two nights of Thanksgiving suppers I'm feeling like a stuffed turkey; but I must admit the eatin' was very good. The side dishes were a bit different each night as well as the desserts and afterwards we played a game of Logo which helped with digestion.

Thursday started out with my usual 6'ish rollout. I had my cup of hot tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent some quiet moments with my Creator. Nancy had GG on video chat and she was quiet lucid and seemed in good spirits as we all wished her well and showed her the big dinner plate of food which she has been a part of for the last close to 40 years. We had some of her dishes from her recipes and they were fabulous to say the least especially her dry stuffing and candied yams with Triple Sec liquor.

It was lite rainy and overcast kind of day with an occasional sun beam but for the most part a humid and muggy day. I did get in a bike ride before lunch for about 30 minutes or so through the hood as Nancy was it her sphere in the kitchen for most of the day. We snacked on some pickles and cheese for a lite lunch as we wanted to eat supper around 5 or before. We mentioned to Betsy we were eating between 3 and 4 as she is always an hour late which she was as she got here close to 5, oh well. I finished the Guthrie book in the afternoon before the Ross Family got here at 4 'ish. Then it was bedlam until they headed out around 9:30.

I did tune in to the NFL and watched a little of the games and was pleasantly surprised to see none of the cry baby millionaires taking a knee during the anthem. I'm fed up with their disrespect for the nation and could care less if the league survives. I've always enjoyed pro football but not unpatriotic actions toward what many have sacrificed their lives for. I would say the biggest part of the players are criminals and thugs and not role models. As a matter of fact most of them are just the opposite when it comes to being seen as upstanding citizens and in my opinion right up there with the congress.

We had the turkey falling off the bone around 4'ish and the gravy was GG's style and flavor along with her dried stuffing and yam's. We had fresh broccoli and corn to accompany. We skipped any snacks before hand except for a little vino as the food was over flowing. We sent two plates home with Betsy and Gus for their boys as Braden was working at the hospital. Garret didn't want to come as he felt there was no one for him to converse with. We all were able to sit together at the big table which the kiddo's liked as they usually have to sit in the kitchen due to lack of table space. There were pumpkin, apple and pecan pies for dessert with ice cream and whipped cream. I passed on these until today when I will eat pecan pie for breakfast, oh well.

After the cleanup which took me and Tyler nearly and hour to wash the pots and pans, debone the turkey and load the dishwasher we settled into a game of Logo. Tyler was the big winner with me coming in a close second. Gus took the early lead but fizzled out about mid game. Ava and Sam played as well and Sam stuck it out while Ava became bored about midway. Eliza fell asleep. Sam read most of the questions as he and Tyler teamed up and he is reading very well for a second grader.

After they all left before 10 ,I settled into a few minutes of the third NFL game for a few minutes before hitting the sack. Thankfully no big family dinners for a day as Bobby and family come on Saturday with Amy's family and possibly Arianne,  Eric and Dianne who are coming down for a funeral on Saturday and then finish packing up GG's house for a transport back up to Michigan later in the week,  LATER

Thursday Morning -Thanksgiving Day

Well we are celebrating two turkey days as we ate with Bobby and his family plus the Ross Family in Brandon last evening and then again today here with the Ross Family and Betsy's Family. Seems because of the blended families it makes it difficult getting together so the kiddos can be together and they had a great time last evening at Bobby's.

The day started with my usual 6'ish roll out. I did my routines that started with the cup of hot tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then spent a few quiet moments with my Creator. The update on GG is still promising as she continues to rehab; more so than I would have ever given her a chance especially at her advanced age. We are hoping she will be able to walk again unassisted but time will tell as she has other issues besides just being mostly bed ridden since last May. Paw Paw went through a period much like that and he is now living on his own, going up and down the stairs several times a day and once again driving during the day time only. So we are hopeful for GG as he is a year or so older.

I reflect back to my teenage years on the farm where every Thanksgiving Day we butchered 4 to 5 hogs for our meat for the winter and the coming year. I always enjoyed that day as the fresh meat was awesome plus the adventure of the killing, scalding, scraping the hair off, hanging the whole hogs on tripod poles for gutting and then the cutting of the meat in separate parts. The smell of the fires under the kettles that cooked the meat and rendered down the fat into a liquid that later became solid for our lard and then fresh liver fried for our meal instead of turkey. It was usually cold and sometimes snowed while this event lasted all day and into the late evening before all of the meat was prepared for hanging in the smoke house and curing, some for canning and some frozen. The fresh cracklings were awesome which were the side meat pieces cut up with the skin on while they cooked in a large black kettle to render the fat into a liquid which we later used for shortening or grease. The stuff you buy in the store called pork rinds were the equivalate of the pressed cakes called cracklings but usually there was some meat that was cooked onto the rind. Oh so good when heated on top of the wood stove on a cold day as they melted and puffed up. Anyhow they would keep for ages in the smoke house and cold temps. Such memories and it occurred each Thanksgiving Day until I left home in '64.

Well I got in two really good hours of pickle ball with 4 other A players and never sat down for the morning. My tail was dragging by 10'ish so I pedaled home to piddle around and feed the seedlings in my garden with some Miracle Grow to get them started. I noticed lots of earthworms starting to multiple who make the best fertilizer ever called casings. I have lots of greens ready for harvesting to add to fresh salads. I moved up a couple more volunteer tomato seedlings so with the seeds I bought I should have close to a dozen or so plants to bear fruit. I need to purchase new carrot and sugar pea seeds as my old ones never germinated. I now have radishes up as well as some more kale seedlings. I took some of our Mexican neighbors a bag of the hot peppers which are so plentiful but a little too hot for me. I can use one chopped up on baked tater but need lots of sour cream to help with the heat. They are very hot and come from Thailand.

After a lite lunch of a PBJ sandwich I read for an hour or so before getting ready to head to Brandon around 3'ish. Yikes the traffic was backed up for miles trying to get on the toll road which is supposed to ease the traffic from the interstates. I can't imagine how backed up those roads were. It seems the snowbirds are back in full force and I don't blame them as the weather has been very nice for November. We had the usually fare at Bobby's for the occasion. Amy brought two different kinds of pies and we were stuffed after eating. The kiddos ran and played until 9'ish before we headed out for home which is close to an hours drive. The traffic had thinned out but there where still more cars on the road than we saw all summer in the mountains.

We tuned into the Lightning hockey game and they were down two goals when we left Brandon. We caught the last 10 minutes or so and they came back with three unanswered goals to beat Chicago in overtime. We are still the best team in the NHL so far. It wasn't long after the game ended I hit the sack around 10:30. We have to do the big turkey day meal again today so I know the spare tire will inflate, LATER

Wednesday Morning

Well Tuesday was quiet a bit warmer than Monday morning with temps in the upper 60's to start the day. There were lots of clouds around and we did get a light rain shower in the late afternoon. There isn't much excitement except the grand kiddos coming for lunch each day as they are on their Thanksgiving break. The neighbor boy who is Ava's age came over and they played awhile outside until the rain came so then it was a mad house inside. I wonder where they get all this energy.

I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish roll out or a little before. I had my cup of tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent a few quiet moments with my Creator in thanksgiving and intercessory prayers for several. The update on GG still is good as Nancy speaks with her daily and she is now able to use the bathroom with some assistance. The physical therapy is finally working to get her back onto her feet enough to walk with a walker or cane.

I headed out around 8'ish for the Rec. and once again played with some good players for nearly two solid hours. It was a good tired feeling as I headed home on the bike around 10:30. I piddled around in the garden setting out the rest of the lettuce seedlings after turning over the area with a shovel and racking it smooth of roots. The neighboring trees all send out roots during the year to get to the rich soil in my garden. I noticed I have three new tomato seedlings from the seeds at sowed as well as 4 volunteer tomato's seedlings I moved them into pots to transplant as soon as I get them large enough. If all make I will have to open a veggie stand in the hood. I'm about ready to harvest Swiss chard again for the salads as well as finally some beet greens to add to the mixture and the lettuces I bought at Home Depot are ready for some harvesting as well. There is nothing like fresh grown garden salads.

Well we had a huge lunch with frozen pizzas doctored up with fresh mushrooms and Amy brought some left over taco meat. I'm enjoying a big meal at lunch and a lite smaller meal for supper. Anyhow we just had salad for supper which was perfect as I'm trying to shrink the stomach and the spare tire. I'm down 6-7 pounds with just an apple for breakfast to start the day. I'm also increasing my water consumption which is helping to flush out the system and keep me with the full feeling. So far so good. I've even given up my beer a day for the past week or so but do still like a glass of red vino before supper.

Well the hypocrite Democrat party is coming apart with all of their "do as I say and not what I do" attitude. They had a great role model in Clinton who disregarded and then lied about all of his criminal activities. The Republicans have not exactly been lily white either. Well anyhow the truth will find you out and it seems that's just what's happening with the crooks in government. Now if we will only find out the truth with Obama and how he tried to destroy our culture and nation so both he and Hillary should be tried for corruption and even treason. It would give the nation a big step forward and warn those who are crooked to go straight. There should be no two levels of justice for those who are to important to be justified. We have a constitution which gives all of us even the little person hope for a good life and the laws are for everyone; not just the privilege few, LATER 

Tuesday Morning

Well Monday turned out to be just beautiful after a chilly start with temps into the low 50's. I checked the weather for the cabin and it was in the low 20's with high winds but no snow on the ground. I wore a flannel shirt to pickle ball while riding my bike but could have easily stripped it off on the way home after two hours time.

I started the day much the usual with my 6'ish roll out. I had a cup of hot tea laced with turmeric while I spent some quiet moments with my Creator in humble thanksgiving and then lifting up several by name for comfort and healing. The update on GG(Nancy's mom) is a little better each day as she is getting lots of therapy. We are hopeful she will walk again one day which I never thought would ever happen. The news on our dear friend Joe the brother of our "mountain mom" Helen isn't good as well we hoped for. He is 90 years young and is still living alone at this time but seems to be having lots of issues with his legs;  keep him in your prayers for some relief from the constant pain.

I had a good workout on the pickle ball court with a couple of A players and worked up a good sweat for about 2 hours before calling it a day. We only have three days this week as the Rec. closes Thur. and Fri. for Thanksgiving. We had a young lady( 21yrs.) who is the daughter of one of the better players and she has lots of potential with the game and she played with us most of the morning as well as a couple of other good players. It was great fun. I made a stop at the library before heading home to work in the garden the rest of the morning and then until around 3'ish before giving it up for some reads.

I transplanted a couple dozen lettuce seedlings as well as mowed the back yard and then mulched the rows in the garden. I lost another cabbage plant seedling but I'm having a hard time figuring out the cause. I think two of the seedlings were infected when I bought the 6 pack as those two looked peaked. I really should not grow cabbages as they take up a lot of room and are slow growing but I do like the look of them in the garden. Everything else is doing great. I need to get some new carrot seeds and get them in the ground as old seeds never sprouted.

After lunch Nancy along with Amy, Ava and Eliza all took off shopping as the kiddos are out of school this week. Lots of Christmas presents were purchased and thankfully most where clothes for them. New shoes and outfits were the order for the day which the kiddos need instead of toys and games. We finished up the leftover chicken on a salad which was perfect for supper. Well after the cleanup I tuned into the FOX Cable to catch up on the news. The Dem's are really having some issues as well as several news people who are being found out for their sexual harassment activities. It's about time even the liberal rags are condemming the role model of the Clinton's for being enablers. I love the old saying "if you live in a glass house don't throw rocks" and the chickens are coming home to roost with many of the rock throwers and we are starting to see many of them being condemmed and found out in both political parties and in Hollywood. What is disgusting the tax payers have spent over 15 million bucks to these people who have been sexually harassed by the members of the congress in hush fund. What is going on. We need know all of the particulars and they should be exposed and have to pay back from their own funds for their misdeeds.

After a hot shower I read until 10'ish then called it a night, LATER

Monday Morning

Well Sunday was a great day of worship with our BridgePoint Church Family and then lunch out at Miller's Ale House with neighbors and friends. We had a front go through around noon which brought some much needed rain and cooler temps. Nancy was off to the mall for the afternoon so I did break down and watch the Bucs win against the Dolphins in Miami.

The day started with a 6'ish rollout for me, Nancy followed about an hour later as we had to leave for church at 8:30. I did my morning routines before getting ready to head out. We have such an awesome group of volunteers who are here every Sunday helping with getting the college ready for our church service. We took communion this morning which is a rarity in a unique fashion much like in the upper room where folks come forward and take the bread and drink while standing around the table.

We sat in on the first service then worked the second service. I was a door holder along with another lady and we struck up a conversation after the service stated and she knew the area where I grew up. Her dad was from my home area and I knew the last name quite well and while speaking with her another volunteer came by and joined in and I found out her son and our friend Jamie (D/PT) graduated together in St. Augustine. What a small world. It was like finding old home week all over again. We had our picture taken with him and sent it to Jamie in Va. Nancy keeps in touch with her as she refers to us as her "mountain parents". Oh well.

We had a delicious lunch at Miller's which is in the old Seminole Mall area but has been completely renovated with tons of store and eateries. This place has great food at reasonable prices and we all had something different. Nancy had a great steak grilled to perfection and I had the fish tacos, very tasty. We did stop at the Botbyl's and pick up a piece of the cheesecake Kathryn made and I ate that later for my supper.

Well Nancy bought new dishes which I had no idea our old ones didn't match the kitchen decor any longer, oh well. We've had our green dishes for years so I guess it was time to replace them was her reason. I'm beginning to wonder if she is having the same thoughts about replacing me using the same reasoning, oh well. I settled into some reading and watching some later games with one eye but have basically written off the NFL for their unpatriotic stance to our anthem and flag. I'm sure all of this is the left leaning MSM, liberals and Rino's with Soros funding them and the Never Trumpers trying their best to discredit our Potus. I'm hoping all of this back fires on them come next election cycle and the nation will see what a bunch of radicals they have become, LATER

Sunday Morning

Well Saturday was just an absolutely gorgeous day with low humidity, bright blue skies and tons of Florida sunshine with just enough of a breeze to keep you comfortable while working outside and that's what I did from about 10 until 3. I got in two hours of pickle ball with a full gym at the Rec. with lots of different weekend players from 8 to 10. It was a great workout.

I started the day much the same with a 6'ish rollout to a cup of hot tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then spend some quiet time with my Creator. I was saddened to learn that our dear friend in the mountains passed away Saturday morning. He use to own the Pizzeria in Sparta and we got to know him from when the whole gang descended upon his eatery after canoe trips on the New River and then on Sundays after church. We actually invited him to Cornerstone and he seemed very interested and excited about trying our church and then he became a fixture from then on with his wife Margaret. He was there every time the doors were opened and did so much for and with the church in cleaning, mowing, garbage details and every occasion serving in the kitchen. He was a fantastic gardener and we became close sharing not only our methods but the bounty of our efforts.

The update on GG is good with her now actually taking some steps and standing on her feet using a walker which amazes me. I never thought she would ever walk again but this is a big plus and she is getting some speech therapy as well which is helping with her communication skills. So things are looking up with her in Michigan with her son and his family. We are thrilled she is with loved ones instead a nursing facility. She has changed insurance companies which has helped getting away from Humana and all of their idiotic rules which does not help the patient. She is with Blue Cross Blue Shield and its making a big difference in the health care she is getting with doctor and therapist coming to the house regularly for care.

Nancy was off with her sister Betsy for most of the day shopping. I stayed in the back yard except for a sandwich for lunch working in the garden sowing, transplanting and pulling weeds and watering. I lost one cabbage seedling and I'm not sure why. I have lettuces ready to harvest. I had to replant some green beans as either the seeds were old or for some reason as only about 7-8 hills sprouted. I also resowed radish seeds as I think those seeds were old as well. I did take a break around 3 and sat under the oak tree and read for an hour. Well that was about it until Nancy got home. around 4'ish.

We got ready and headed up to Dan and Carol's around 5'ish for supper. We had some cheeses and vino for starters and then a delicious supper of roasted asparagus and Brussel Sprouts which Nancy put together along with turkey meat balls and smashed taters and gravy. Yeow what a feast and then an hour or so later we have a fabulous slice of cheesecake Kathryn made. I broke down and had a sliver and wished I had a taken a larger piece it was that creamy and tasty. It was the best ever and it was Patrick's mothers recipe, wow fantastic. They were spending the night with the Botbyl's and then going to BridgePoint Church this morning. We are attending the first service then working the second service at 11. Our attendance continues to rise with new faces each Sunday at the Seminole campus.

We got into what originally was the best of 5 games of Sequence which the boys smoked the gals 3-1 but they didn't want to quit so we played the best of 9 which found us tied at 4 each. We had lost our edge and they won 5-4, oh well it was a raucous night of Sequence but fun. We watched the Lightning come from a 4 goal deficient to come within a one goal defeat to the Islanders, LATER       

Saturday Morning

Well Friday was another beautiful day weather wise here in sunny Florida. We actually have the a/c off with the windows open as it was in the the middle 70's with a nice north breeze and no humidity. Such is the winter weather in Florida for right now. The day was a mixture of play and work and then we had the grands here for supper and the evening as Amy and Tyler had a date night. Such joy they are and maturing so fast. Eliza is the catbird of the three as she just amazes you with her level of thinking and vocabulary.

Well I started the day much the usual with my 6'ish roll out. I did my routines with a cup of hot tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then spent some quiet moments with my Creator. I learned last evening and associate of ours who was just diagnosed with cancer passed away suddenly after being given months to survive. She was in her early 60's. She and her husband were good friends of Nancy's brother Eric but I also knew them as they were neighbors to one of my pickle ball friends who sent me an email she had suddenly passed, yeow one never knows do we. The update on GG is still promising so we hold to the fact that she will continue to improve and get some quality of life back.

I had a good work out with several A players at the Rec. and left there after two hours with a wet shirt. I'm down another pound so I'm at 190 which is still too much for me. I'm shooting for 185  and hopeful back to 180 or so before all is said and done. I was that weight before GG went to Miami which started the swell on the spare tire with eating out in restaurants and late at night and being inactive while sitting in the hospital for 9 weeks, oh well. I need to ease up also on the size of my portions.

We loaded up Amy's bed which was a very nice queen size and donated it to the thrift store for Keswick School. The manager already had it sold when we arrived despite it being 25 years old. It still looked brand new and the mattress and box springs were in good condition as well. We then headed over to GG's to retrieve the full size bed that no one wanted and put in place of the queen which gave us more room in the toy room and then donated a dresser to ETC for one of their many rehab houses. While we got the bed free we still had to purchase sheets, comforter, etc. It did make a big difference in the room. The grand kiddos are usually the only ones who spend the night so it will be plenty big.

Well I grilled chicken legs and wings for our supper as the grands love to eat off the bone along with black beans and rice which is another of their fav's. Nancy had ice cream bars for them and I popped corn later after all their baths. I passed on all the goodies but did enjoy the meal with a hot Asian pepper from my garden to give it some spark, yeow. Nancy was shopping for most of the afternoon so I started a new Guthrie book titled THE WAY WEST. It's a classic. That was about it for the day so I hit the shower while the kiddos were watching some animated movie then headed for the bedroom to read until lights out at 10, LATER   

Friday Morning

Well Thursday was a mixture of play and work and then I too headed to the new mall in Seminole to purchase some new tennis shoes. Wow I've never seen so many shops and businesses as well as eateries in one place and the cars parked there were the most I've ever seen in the space in years. Who ever developed this mall has done an awesome job and its just 5 minutes from the house. I kind of like it especially when compared to what use to be there.

I started the day with my usual 6 ish rollout. I had my cup of hot tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then spent some time with my Creator in thanksgiving and to lift up several. It seems our dear friend in the mountains isn't doing so well but he is a Believer and will soon be in the arms of our Lord. GG seems to be improving a little each day and I finally got a hold of Paw Paw last evening and he sounded great as well. We all need to pray for our nation as the left is trying their best to destroy our culture along with the liberal's in the government. These maybe the times that try us the most with all of the improprieties in the congress and public figures; of course they had a great role model in Bill Clinton who got away with in while being the potus. The left helped him as well as the feminists and the MSM and now we see the results, oh well.

I had a good work out at the Rec. on the pickle ball court. Pat is back from Canada and he brings good play and we had a new couple who are very nice players and a couple of the players we hadn't seen in some time showed up. We managed several games with A players and I had a wet shirt for the first time in a while. I'm starting to slowly melt the spare tire as I was 191 this AM. I still have 11 lbs to go but the lost of 6 lbs in two weeks is a good start. I'm hoping to keep up the daily PB except on Sundays as well as working in the garden and yards. I'm seeing some results in the garden as I transplanted a dozen or so lettuce seedlings and will harvest some the next time a salad is made. The two tomato plants that were nearly cut in half are starting to send out new leaves and I think they will make it as well as a couple of volunteers seedlings I saved from the compost pile. The radishes did not come up as I first thought and neither have the carrots. I need to but new seeds and replant.

Well Amy and Eliza came for lunch and they both love Zuppa Soup. I had a bowl for lunch as well as a small salad and then it was deer steak pan fried quickly with a left over baked tater cut up and skillet fried with a hot pepper from my garden for supper, Yeow. I love the flavor of venison especially breaded and fried like chicken. Well after the clean up we settled into the Fox News until the Lightning Hockey team came on and then I switched to the game against the Dallas Stars. Well it was 5-1 in our favor when I shut the lights off at 10'ish, LATER

Thursday Morning

Well Wednesday was our first real chill in the air as I rode my bike to the Rec. around 8 for some pickle ball. I almost turned around and headed back home for a long sleeve shirt as the brisk wind was down right chilly but I knew by 10'ish when I left the gym it would be back up into the 70's and it did reach the low 80's again by lunchtime.

I started the day much the usual with a 6'ish rollout to a cup of hot tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent a few quiet moments with my Creator. The update on GG is getting better as she now is able to stand using the walker which is a very big milestone. I still haven't heard from Paw Paw but all is well according to Josie the oldest daughter. Bobby is having some issues with a sinus infection that will just not go away so keep him in your thoughts and prayers. He and Katie are taking the kids on a 3 night Disney Cruise this weekend so lets hope he gets some relief before then.

I got in some pickle ball at the Rec. for nearly 2 hours. The beginners are putting a damper on any real good play but I'm at least helping them up to a point and getting some exercise. I never broke a sweat which is my bench mark for a good workout but at least I helped several newbies out with the game. I headed home and commenced to work on the back yard as a grass/weed has taken over the St.Augustine grass and is choking it out. Luckily it comes up very easily when pulling by hand. It's a sort of carpet grass so I filled 4-5 wheel barrow loads while pulling by hand the rest of the morning and afternoon and then I fertilized and hand watered the yard. Hopefully the St.Augustine grass will choke any remnants of the carpet grass/weed that I missed. I have no idea where it came from but it sure took over quickly. My knees, back and fingers are a little sore this morning from all the pulling.

Amy and Eliza came for lunch and we finished up some leftover's from her house as well as some sauce from our fridge. I headed back outside after eating as it was a great day for working and was back on my knees pulling grass until nearly 3 o'clock. I did hand water and feed several of the small seedlings in the garden. The green beans are poking through the ground and adding a leaf almost as I watched them grow while hand watering. Wow, things grow quickly here in this warm sandy soil that needs watering nearly everyday.

Nancy had a pot of Zuppa Toscana soup cooking on the stove. The smell was mouth watering as we each two bowls for our supper. After the cleanup we settled into the Fox News Channel to get the real scoop on the news. I heard our Potus give a report on his 12 day trip to the East and what he accomplished was amazing but there was nothing but criticism from the liberals and Dem's. Trump is such a negotiator with the foreign leaders and they showed him the red carpet treatment where ever he and Melania went. Thankfully we have a Potus who is now putting America first when dealing with our allies who are now seeing America as a strong nation and not kowtowing to the terrorist and extremist. It's such a shame the hatred for him by the special interests and the libs in both parties. Well it seems finally AG Sessions maybe moving on investigating the real collusion with the Russians to affect the last election and that is with the dossier that Hillary and the Dem's paid for. It also includes collusion with the FBI and the pretense on how they used that salacious dossier to investigate Trump and his associates which was totally illegal. I think we may be at the tip of the iceberg of corruption that is associated with Hillary and Obama.

Well I finally finished Guthrie's book The Big Sky which is a classic to say the least. I was some what disappointed with the ending but understood how the mountain men where drawn to the freedom that came with their life style. It's a great read and now I want to read some sequels to that era written by him, LATER 

Wednesday Morning

Well Tuesday saw us with temps a couple of degrees cooler and less humidity as a front moved through the area. Not a lot of coolness but the change in humidity is wonderful. It was still in the 80's but pleasant outside in the shade. Not much beyond the usual except I did fix a couple of the kitchen chairs that needed gluing and some nails in the rungs that had worked loose which I did after leaving the Rec.

I started the day back to my 6 ish rollout or just a few minutes before. I did my morning routines that start with a cup of tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent a few quiet moments with my Creator in thanksgiving and lifting up several by name for comfort and healing and now especially our Potus who is under attack again by the left liberals and the main stream media as well as many within his party. What has become of our nation and patriotism?

I headed out to the Rec. on my bike around 8'ish for two hours of pickle ball play. Neighbor Dan has joined us the past couple of mornings for an hour or so and has played well and he seems to really enjoy the game. Hopefully he will continue. We had three courts in action throughout the morning with mostly B players. Dan will move up with more experience to an A player status as he picked the game up quite well. After the workout I headed home to do some upkeep on a couple of the oak kitchen chairs that have a few loose rungs. They are at least 35 years old or more as we bought them second hand along with the circle table when we were first married. I've refinished then a time or two over the years but they are still worthy of keeping.

Amy and Eliza came for lunch and afterwards I settled into some gardening and then read for a couple hours in the heat of the day. The garden is still doing well despite the tomato plants being chewed off. I picked my first mess of Swiss chard to add to the fresh salad for supper and these plants are so hardy and beautiful. I think they are as good as lettuce and you can eat them steamed or raw in salads. I brought back three rows of plants with some more mature than others but all of them seemed to love the warm temps. The beet seedlings I brought back are sending up new shoots or leaves and I will soon harvest the leaves to add to the salads as well. The couple dozen black seeded Thompson lettuces are adding another leaf so they too soon will find their way into the salad bowl. I'm still waiting on the kale seeds to produce some seedlings as they too will enter the bowl.

I now have green beans popping through the ground in just about 5 days of sowing and I noticed a few carrots popping through as well. Now if I can just keep the squirrels from digging despite the chicken wire covering the rows and messing up the new seedlings. The pepper plants I brought back are putting out new leaves after the shock of being uprooted from the cold clay soil to the new warm sandy ground of Florida. I'm still waiting on cucumbers to sprout so maybe the seeds are old and no good. Anyhow the gardening chore in Florida is so much fun and the benefits are enormous with fresh veggies. We still purchase lots at the markets but do enjoy walking out into the back yard and collecting some for our meals.

Well we finally finished up the left over spaghetti sauce and noodles for our supper along with a fresh salad. After the cleanup it was FOX NEWS time and we learned where there are women coming out of the wood work from nearly 40 years ago to ruined the candidate from Alabama chances to become a senator. It surely sounds like a paid hit job on this man who was once a supreme court judge from the state and I can not imagine he would have achieved this position without proper vetting; do I smell another dossier faked like the one Hillary paid for to discredit Trump. Sounds fishy to me but if the allegations are true then he should resign. I think its a; he said, she said scenario and how will you prove it.

Well it wasn't long after a hot shower and nearly 10 pm that I turned in for the night for some horizontal lab, LATER

Tuesday Morning

Well Monday was another warm day with temps into the 80's and much more humidity. I got rather sweaty after lunch working in the garden. The morning found me at the Rec. for pickle ball until nearly 10 then I left from there to the VA at Bay Pines for my semi yearly eye checkup. Everything was within the norms for a feller my age and my vision seems great with only glasses for reading close up.

I started the day with my usual 6'ish roll out to a cup of hot tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then spent a few quiet moments with my Creator in thanksgiving and prayer. The update on GG is she seems to be improving and is now able to stand a little with the help of her PT partner. That is helping with the lack of UTI's as she now is able to use the bathroom but still needs help getting to it. What an improvement for everyone and now her goal is to get strong enough to get to a hair dresser. We are thrilled she has a goal that will make her want to help herself. Her speech and thought process is much better as well. I still haven't heard from Paw Paw after calling his cell phone almost daily. He use to answer it right away before the house phone so maybe his hearing is gone.

I headed to the Rec. around 8 ish and got in a good workout and neighbor Dan came as well and seemed to really enjoy playing. He is a natural athlete so he picked it up rather quickly. Hopefully he will come again. I played until nearly 10 then changed my shirt and headed out for my eye appointment. Afterwards I made a stop at Home Depot for some tomato seeds as I'm going to start my own tomato plants at 2 bucks for packet of seeds vs 3.69 per plant which some critter chopped off the tops and outer leaves. I still haven't figured out what did that damage to my collards and my two tomato plants.

Amy and Eliza came for lunch and I finished some of Nancy's leftovers from Sunday's lunch out. We made a guacamole along with some store bought salsa and then for supper a nice salad with leftover grilled chicken. I'm down almost 5 pounds since getting back from the cabin but still have a bowling ball to go. That's the analogy I use for being overweight in the spare tire area. I spoke with neighbor Gerald at the cabin he said the roofers came last week and fixed the roof cap with rubber gaskets under the ridge and replaced several screws that hold the roof on with larger screws. Hopefully that will stop any leaks from the rain when it down pours and blows back up and under the roof cap and then drips into the upstairs bathroom. I still haven't heard from the roofer and his charges. Folks are so trusting in the mountains plus he is friend of our dear friend Gerald Luffman who recommended him and his crew.

Neighbor Gerald said he harvested two deer from the property which is good as they were starting to become a nuisance with eating everything. He also mentioned he put over 100 tons of gravel and rock on our road into the cabins and driveways. Most of the landowners contribute some money about every couple of years or so and then Gerald and neighbor George have tractors that keep it in good condition by scraping it from time to time.

Well thats about it for Monday as we settled into the FOX News shows and see finally the attorney general is going to appoint some special investigations into the crooked Clinton Crime Family and maybe expose the corruption in the Obama administration as well and the slime that has taken over government in D.C. I'm beginning to wonder if there are any legit politicians in both parties as most or all have become multi millionaires while supposedly serving we the people who elected them. I've never seen a more necessary call for term limits for all in government as this bunch which is now in the congress. Trump is exposing their biases as he calls them out and especially the msm which is so pro liberal and left wing it's almost criminal. I'm wondering how much their talking heads are paid to spread their disinformation and to cover for the Clinton Crime Family with the reporting of fake news and the hurting of his efforts to right the ship of America and may her great again, LATER

Monday Morning

Well Sunday saw us with a light rain which lasted most of the morning. We had our overnight house guests and they too headed out around 8:30 for their Catholic Church service as we too left for BridgePoint. We were working the first service as hallway greeters and Nancy was working the Christmas Shoe Box area.

I started the morning with my usual 6'ish rollout but since we had guests and I wasn't able to get to my laptop to do this ramble which I later in the afternoon posted. I did my quiet time out in the kitchen but the views where nothing like the cabin views out the back windows. One thing I don't miss it all of the walking up and down the yards but you would have thought that would have helped to keep the weight off; I think the food tastes so good there with the delicious water and the clean air which keeps your appetite wetted, oh well I've managed to drop a couple pounds the first week despite the two family dinners both of which occurred late in the evening. The five days of pickle ball last week helped as did the gardening and yard work.

We met up with neighbors and friends Dan and Carol after church for a noon meal at Miller's Ale House which is just down the road from us. That held me the rest of the day until Nancy got home around 8'ish from GG's house when I popped some corn so she could take her pill. She along with Eric, Arianne, Betsy and Gus sorted through GG's belonging to see which of her things were going to Michigan before they put the house on the market for resale. They also took a load to the Goodwill as well as pitched several bags of junk. I stayed away as it was basically a family sibling encounter. I did sit and watch some of the NFL but not wholeheartedly. I noticed where the shows were heavy on featuring the military and veterans which was just after a day of honoring our veterans but I think the the kneeling during the anthem has hurt their credibility and their pocketbooks and now they are trying to make amends. There were lots of empty seats with some of the games I watched.

The Bucs won but looked lousy against another inept team from New York. I looked at it sparingly while reading but it was on in the back ground. I do love the shows from Alaska with the families who live there. It was quite interesting to know there are shrimp in those cold waters and the relocating of a small herd of buffalo via a boat. Wow, that was quite the ordeal with the use of a helicopter to round them up and heard them into a pen. The Kilchner Families are quite the pioneers and very resourceful and at times I wonder how that got all of these modern modes of transportation and equipment up to the frontier. Some of these are quite expensive to own and operate as they produce nothing to sell. I know it's TV revenues and their daily living experiences which sells and affords them a somewhat comfortable existence; but they are still at the mercy of the weather, wild animals and distances from civilization(malls, shopping, doctors, etc). I personally would live as they do in a minute, LATER

Sunday Morning

Well Saturday was a play and do nothing day as we entertained Nancy's sister Betsy and husband for a late birthday supper as well as her brother Eric and Arianne and the Ross Family. It was late when every one finally showed up to eat around 7:30, oh well.

The day started much the usual with a 6'ish roll out. Eric and Arianne spent the night with us as they along with Nancy go through GG's house checking on what needs to be saved and what needs to be hauled to Michigan or given away and what needs to be trashed. I did my routines then watched them all get ready after a breakfast of bacon and eggs while I stayed with the apple for my start. I did get in a nice hour long bike ride through the hood and hand watered the gardens a couple times through the day. I still have some kind of critter chewing the leaves and top's off of my tomato's during the day. I'm never seen anything like despite coating the tomato plants with Sevin dust. Whatever it was it also chewed the top leaves off of a collard plant.

I watched some good college football with a couple upset games from undefeated teams and only 1 team remains with a perfect season so far and that is the Miami Hurricanes as they destroyed #3 Notre Dame. #1 Georgia was destroyed by Auburn as well. I grilled lots of chicken parts and we had fresh broccoli, baked taters and corn along with a fresh salad and a chocolate cake with white icing. I passed on the cake which was hard to do as well as any bread . So far down a couple pounds but it's hard to do when your eating large late meals.

Well we just got home from church then out to Miller's Ale House for an early lunch. We worked the first service as greeters and then watched the sermon via a large screen TV in the common area of the college where we now hold our two services. Nancy is off to her mom's house to continue sorting, separating and deciding what items need's to be saved or shipped to Michigan, LATER

Saturday Morning

Well Friday once again was a mixture of play first and then work. We had a houseful for supper and then Nancy's brother Eric and his daughter Arianne spent the night(That's why I'm late getting this post out). We had The Ross Family as well as our house guests all for a late spaghetti and salad supper.

The day started much the usual for me with a 6'ish roll out. I had my cup of hot tea laced with turmeric while I spent a few quiet moments with my Creator in thanksgiving and lifting up by name several for comfort and healing. The update on GG, Nancy's mom condition is some what promising as she continues to make some slow progress towards rehabbing at Eric's place in Pinckney, Michigan. It's cold there now with some snow but not a great accumulation. We sure have missed having her almost daily for lunch and then for supper several nights a week. I called Paw Paw a couple times but he must be doing alright as he never calls back, so no news in good news I suspect.

I headed out to the Rec. for a couple hours of pickle ball and then made a stop at the library for a couple new reads before pedaling home. Nancy was off with her sister Betsy shopping for GG at several different stores so I worked on the shrubs until nearly 1 PM. I loaded up 4 trash cans of cut limbs and debris from the vines and luckily the trash collectors came just as I finished cutting and collecting. The girls still hadn't come home so I read the rest of the afternoon. They were meeting with Eric and Arianne at GG's to collect some items she wanted to have in Michigan.

Well the supper was very delicious despite eating sometime around 7'ish. Amy made a gluten free cheesecake for dessert with strawberries so I broke down and had a sliver. First sweet thing except for apple each morning for breakfast this past week. I've dropped a couple pounds but still have 10 more to go. Let me say it's easy to put on the weight but so hard to get rid of it especially eating late in the evening. Nancy mentioned no one remembered Betsy's birthday which was yesterday(not even her husband or son) so we are cooking for her tonight her while Eric and Arianne are here. I smell bacon and eggs cooking in the kitchen while they eat big but I'm sticking with the morning apple, LATER 

Friday Morning

Well this time last week I was on the road to Florida, its hard to believe we have been here a whole week. The weather has turned cold in the mountains with the low's somewhere around the 20's and we are supposed to get a cool front coming our way as well. I could use a little cooling off as its been in the 80's, thankfully the humidity hasn't been extreme.

I started Thursday much the same with a 6'ish rollout. I had my usual cup of tea with turmeric while I spent a few quiet moments with my Creator in thanksgiving for another day and my many blessings as well as lifted up several by name for comfort and healing. The update on GG is fairly good as she has been getting some rehab and now is somewhat assisting with her ability to get in and out of bed. She slowly making some progress but it's a long way off to where she will walk again which is what she needs. Eric is flying down to Arianne's in W. Palm beach then driving up today (Friday) and then up to Seminole to her house. We will all have supper together with Amy's family the next couple of evenings.

I headed out to the Rec. around 8'ish and got in a good workout on the pickle ball courts. I'm finally starting to get back into shape and losing a couple of pounds in the interim. Wow do I ever need to reduce this spare tire. I came home around 10'ish and put some laundry in and then hand watered the gardens. Most of the seedlings look as if they going to make it and now if the pesky squirrels will just stay out. I have chicken wire across the rows of sowed seeds which has helped with their constant digging.

I did take it easy after lunch and read for a change except for hanging two of laundry and piddling around doing some honey do chores. Nancy was off shopping again for company this evening and another supper on Saturday. Kind of reminds me of all the dinners at the cabin as we were always entertaining at least a couple times a week. Nancy picked up some grass fed fillets at Earthfare which is an organic type of grocery near the house and I will say they were the best ever grilled medium rare. We cut them with a butter knife. Yeow oh so tasty and at 5 bucks a piece. Very good and I will be thrilled when they go on special again. We had boiled yellow squash with the fillet which made for a perfect supper. After the clean up we headed in to get a bag of clothes ready for the Red Cross charity. They are making a drive in our area and left a message for clothes; most of which I have out grown and never wear which are perfectly good for someone.

We tuned into the Fox Cable News shows to avoid the hypocrisy of the MSM and the sycophants to Hillary and Obama. There is no evil the MSM will not do to attack the conservatives in our nation. It's such a shame and now there is a story where nearly 40 years ago sexual harassment charges are being levied against a judge who posted the Ten Commandments in his court room in Alabama and is up for election in a month to the senate. Sean Hannity had a good session on his show how the MSM rushed to judgement destroying so many folks over the years especially by our former potus against the police. I think those calls he rushed to make were the start of so much violence against our folks in the law enforcement community, LATER

Thursday Morning

Well Wednesday once again was a very warm day as it got up into the middle 80's not quite a record but close for November. It was also a mixture of pickle ball play in the early morning and then outside work until nearly 4 with most of it being in the garden planting, sowing and tilling the soil with a shovel. The ground here has no rocks so I can go down the depth of the shovel blade rather easily except for the occasional roots from the oak tree that snake their way into the garden area.

I started the day with a 6'ish rollout. The internal alarm is back to its original time slot but since I'm usually shutting the lights off at 10'ish I'm getting a good 8 hours. I had my cup of hot tea laced with turmeric while spending some quiet time with my Creator and then posting this ramble. I've cut out the honey in my tea as I'm wondering if that may be contributing to the excess fat around the spare tire. Anyhow I got ready and left the house around 8 on my bike for a ride to the Rec. for a good hour and half play. We had a few more better players today so I got in a good workout.

I planted cabbages, collards, tomato's, red leaf and Boston Bibb lettuces from seedlings as well as sowed carrots, sugar peas and radishes in the side garden. I've had good luck with those in that area which gets limited sunshine. The Simpson lettuce's are popping up nicely under some chicken wire in just a few days since sowing. Maybe by next week I can move them up into 9 packs before planting them in rows. I managed to fertilize all of the yards and even hand watered them before supper. It gets dark so early now so once we eat supper its stay in the house for the rest of the evening.

Amy and Eliza picked up Nancy around 10:30 and they all took off to do some shopping while I worked in the back yard. I ate leftovers for my lunch and then Nancy fried fish for our supper which is always one of my favorites. After the cleanup it was FOX Cable news time with the three anchors in Martha, Tucker and Sean. I do like Brett as well but usually miss the first half of his show. When the Lightning are playing I forgo all of them as that is one great spectator sport.

Well that was about it as all of the liberal pundits are making a big deal about the Reps. losing two governor races. Big deal because neither of these states voted for Trump in the general election. This was not a referendum on his policies but was a show of how the liberals in N. Virginia have become entrenched in that metro area. They even elected a transgender to the state house. What has this world become, LATER

Wednesday Morning

Well Tuesday once again was a mixture of play in the morning on the pickle ball court and then the rest of the day was spent mending fence and gardening; being outside in the heat and somewhat humidity. I'm catching up on some major outside jobs and have a few more projects to go, at least I'm sweating and burning the calories so I'm down a pound or so already with about 10 more to go.

The day started with a 6'ish roll out. The internal alarm is back to where is usually has been for the past several years. I'm not quite sure why is lost it's time for awhile with some 7'ish wake up's and even nearly and 8 one morning, oh well. I did my routines that started with a handful of Nutrilite vitamins and supplements washed down with a cup of hot tea. I did my quiet time to give thanks and honor my Creator for another day and all the blessings. The update on GG is somewhat better each day as Nancy video chats with her daily. After a lite breakfast of an apple I got ready and headed out on my bike to the Rec. for and hour or so of pickle ball. We had several newbies which doesn't give me much of a challenge but at least I worked up a sweat and did get in a few good games with some good B players. Hopefully Friday I will have got back in shape enough to head down to St.Petersburg for some games with an A player group.

I stopped off at the post office to pick up our hold mail and then pedaled home to work outside for the rest of the day except for a brief lunch break. Amy and Eliza came for lunch but I was outside and it was too hot for them to venture out. It was in the upper 80's which is a little unusual for this time of the year and I think we were close to a record being set. The humidity wasn't terrible but I tried to work as much as possible in the shade of the big oak.

Neighbor Carol had her fence replaced so she had some good boards of which I pilfered through to fix the boards on my neighbors fence behind me. He has some physical limits so I fixed the fence for him that is between us. That kept me busy taking down the broken boards and replacing it with new old ones for several hours and then I helped her get rid of the used fence from her yard and out to the curb. I noticed I have Black Seeded Simpson lettuce's poking through the ground in just 3 days since sowing. I lost a couple pepper and tomato seedlings I brought back from the cabin but most everything else is doing good. I'm of course hand watering a couple times a day with this heat and no rainfall.

Well that was about it for the day as Nancy made a delicious chicken stir fry for supper. After the cleanup we settled into the FOX Cable News to check on the real news which is to the point and not biased or fake like the rest of the stations which hide the corruption of the Clinton Crime Family and the inept Obama administration. President Trump is doing an awesome job to bring back some respect to the nation after Obama apologized to the world for our successes while destroying the military. We no longer are becoming a third world country which he was aiming to do. The Democrat Party is corrupt along with several who are Rino's and they are being exposed by some within their party. I think when we follow the money trail we will see just how corrupt those in the congress have become. We definitely need term limits and no matter who you think is doing a good job in either party. No more career politicians will be a start to draining the swamp as well, LATER   

Tuesday Morning

Well Monday was a mixture of play at the rec for some pickle ball and then the rest of the day working in the garden and yards. It was rather warm with temps in the upper 80's but the humidity was low. I put in a good day of gardening and did not miss the up and down of the hills at the mountain cabin which will plumb where you out just doing that. I did make a quick trip to Walmart for a new bicycle pump and then a stop at Home Depot for seedlings and some bagged cow manure soil.

The day started with me rolling out around 7'ish as I'm catching up on that one night of no sleep. I sure miss checking the back yards views of seeing deer and the many trees but I'm quickly acclimating to this view as I really don't miss the cold mornings. I did my routines that started with a cup of hot tea laced with turmeric while I spent some quiet time with my Creator and then the posting of this ramble. The update on GG is some what encouraging as she is doing some rehab with therapist which we hope will get her back on her feet some day. Paw Paw seems to be doing OK on his own and Richard our cousin is progressing from his open heart surgery.

I played pickle ball for an hour and half with mostly B players but did get in a good workout. I stopped off at the library for a couple new reads about the mountain men of the west and the fur trading companies. I picked up a book from the cabin library a couple weeks ago and found a bibliography of several books from that era and some how I could relate with living off the land with the adventure of seeing new an unexplored country. I can't wait until I get all of my work done so I can immerse myself in these books. Amy and Eliza came for lunch and stayed several hours as the power company was still hanging new wires in their area from the storm damage of weeks back.

I planted sweet onion seedlings, green beans(bush) plus lettuce, kale tomato, cucumber and egg plant seeds and mulched up two huge piles of debris from the weeds that grew over the summer. The seedlings I got from Home Depot I planted in their pot in the ground to give them a boost before setting them out. I had to put a wire fence around them to keep the pesky squirrels from digging. We did some front yard rehab as well which took three trash cans to hold the clippings and debris.

Well we had a delicious supper of baked cod fish, Brussel sprouts and salad. I'm trying to eat less and stay away from the fatty foods which usually are delicious but add to the spare tire which has inflated over the summer with the Miami stay and the traveling adventures, oh well. We tuned into the Fox Cable Channel after the clean up and once more we are finding the real truth about the corrupt Clinton Family and their influence into the FBI, Justice Dept. and the Obama administration. Never would I have thought there is such negative actions by these agencies but I think when all is found out we will see that money under the table was the real cause for their downfall and now we are learning that several MSM journalist were on the take as well; thus the reporting of "fake news" seen in their broadcasts. Trump was right and I whole heartedly support him and his attempt to drain the swamp in D.C.

Well it wasn't long after a hot shower and some Carlson and Hannity I called it a night around 10'ish. If you want the real news watch the Fox Cable News, LATER

Monday Morning Nov 6

Well Sunday was an awesome day that started with seeing our BridgePoint Church Family and worshiping together at our new gathering place which is St. Petersburg College. The facility is top notch and several steps up from the Rec. with both facilities adjoining one another. Then we had the whole family over for a late lunch as the grand kiddos ran and played together until late afternoon. What a joy that was as the cousins all enjoy each other.

The day started with us getting back into our routines which doesn't deviate much from the mountains. I was up after an extra hour of sleep as we gain back that hour we lost in the spring. We had our cups of hot drinks while we each did our quiet times and I wrote this ramble. We had to be at church as we were greeters by 8:30 for a meeting of the volunteers for the 9:30 service start. We felt like celebrities with all the hugs and smiles and welcome back we received. The service was packed and we saw and met so many new faces as we present our two services in hopes of helping folks get closer to GOD. We have our own campus pastor as well as the band but the message is video taped from the main campus in St. Petersburg. We have TV's through the vestibule so we volunteers get to see and hear the service while staying outside the main auditorium.

Bobby and Katie came around 1'ish and we watched the Buc's play another  horrible game versus the Saints while waiting on Amy and Tyler and 5 grand kiddos. The kiddos are in their own world when together. I grilled burgers and dogs while Nancy had a huge fresh salad as well as two large trays of tater tots which everyone seems to love. The kiddos devoured a large plate of cheese and crackers while we waited for the taters to cook. After eating they all played together until 4 'ish when the dismal game was over. Tyler left after eating as he had to do some studying for his master's class in cyber security. Nancy took off to the shoe store so I vegetated on the couch watching another game. We had such a late lunch that we skipped super except for a bowl of popcorn around 7'ish. I could barely keep my eyes open as the lack of sleep or whatever was catching up with me so by 10ish I was ready for some horizontal lab, LATER

Sunday Morning in Florida

Well Saturday was a great day despite the temps in the middle 80's however the humidity wasn't bad as I spent most of the day outside. In the morning we were at Gabe's ball game and the afternoon I spent in the back yard working up my garden. I finally got a good nights sleep after being up nearly 48 hours. It's so different being back seeing only flat land, cars and lots of houses. Thankfully we still have the two Oaks trees which give lots of shade.

We headed out to Brandon which is just east of down town Tampa. The complex was packed with folks as several games were going on in this sports complex. Gabe's team loss by one run in the bottom of the last inning but he had two hits and scored twice and made a couple of nice stops. We picked up subs from Publix's and headed to Bob's for lunch then brought the kiddos with us to Amy and Tyler's where they spent the night. They dropped me off at the house so I could work in my garden.

Most everything lived so far except a couple of the very small tomato seedlings. I planted nearly have of one side with the seedings and then sowed some seeds covering them with chicken wire to keep the squirrels out. I worked the garden until nearly 5:30 when Nancy yelled to get the grill going for some salmon along with sweet tater fries which she made in the oven. Yeow delicious. After the cleanup I settled into a couple of ball games but mainly watched the Lightening beat a good Columbus hockey team in a shoot out. I hit the showers then did some social media before setting the clocks back and then it was lights out for me.

Today we will once again reconnect with our BridgePoint Church family for the 9:30 service and work the first service as a greeter and door holder. After the service we are having all the family here for burgers and dogs as Bobby and Katie get back from south Florida where they attended the wedding of a close friend. We sure miss the mountains and all our friends there but are so looking forward to being back with family and friends here in flat sunny Florida. Take time today and everyday to give thanks for our many blessings and the freedom which we take for granted and pray for the safety of our POTUS and his family who is overseas, LATER

Saturday Morning in Florida

Well Friday found us awake ay 3 and then on the road at 4 AM. It was such a bright moon lite morning you could almost see without the headlights. We headed out and on the way out our drive we saw the biggest buck with the largest rack ever. It had to be at least 8 to 10 or more points on it head of horns. We then noticed several doe's in the area as well. This buck walked across the road right in front of the truck and then walked off down into a field. It was like I'm the king of the hill and nothing makes me run away. Oh well such a magnificent animal and the rut will start soon and I'm sure he will sire many off spring for next year.

The trip was uneventful thankfully and we made our usual stops for eating, gassing up(maybe in that order) and our periodic walks the doctor prescribed for me years back when I had that blood clot in the leg. It does make a difference when stopping every hour and half and exercising the legs. Now with the interstates and a couple back roads all being at least divided with mostly 3 lanes the traveling time is very nice at 11 hours this trip. Not bad as we missed the big backups that are notorious around Charlotte, Columbia and Tampa.

Nancy was on the phone with her sister for a couple hours now that we have the smart phone so that helped with her adjustment as she rode shot gun all the way home. I was keyed up from the night before and never slept but managed to stay awake even as the sun started to rise which is usually the roughest time for me. Luckily I had a stop just about then for breakfast at Mickey D's so a splash of cold water on the face awakened me as well as good walk in the brisk morning air after eating. That was our longest stop at nearly 45 minutes.

Well the house was in good shape just as we had left it in September. We unloaded and then Nancy took off for the grocery. I noticed the tomato plants I set out when we were here September were gone. It looked as if a cut worm or a rabbit ate them off at the ground. I did have a Thai Basil and a sweet basil plant alive along with a green pepper plant. Ava and Tyler had the yard looking looking as she mowed it for money this summer. She enjoyed doing that and we will make that same offer for next year. The weeds were some what in the garden but nothing like usual. The seedlings I brought back all looked good despite being in the back of the truck. The new bed covering is black and generates heat whereas the old covering was white and reflected the heat. It was 86 when we got to the house but the humidity was almost non existent which made for a pleasant and comfortable start from the 50 this past morning, oh well. The a/c is on but not running constantly.

Amy had us over for a delicious supper and the grand kiddos especially Eliza was beside herself with excitement to see us. There were lots of hugs and kisses. Ava has grown so tall and is just a beauty, Sam is now very studious and such a handsome boy and Eliza Faye was into showing us all of her dance moves. It was glorious reunion and now today Saturday we will head to Tampa to see Bobby and his family while watching Gabe play base ball. We will bring those kiddos back and they will spent the night with the Ross kiddos and then tomorrow Sunday after church with our BridgePoint family we will have everyone here for a late lunch/ early supper. Let the fun begin for the next 7 months until we leave next June.

I love the cabin and the ambiance but family is so much more important and we are so lucky to be able to enjoy two different lifestyles each year and with several different friends. The Luffman Family have become almost like family and of course like our "mountain mom" Helen. The neighbors on top like Joe and Jetta have really moved into our close circle of friends as well as neighbor Gerald who visits occasionally from Blacksburg. We really enjoy all of the mountain folks  there and the locals are just fantastic with their love of people, LATER

Thursday Morning Nov 2

Well its hard to believe October is gone as well as the first day in Nov. and this morning will be my last post for a day or so as we will be traveling tomorrow(Fri.) This time on Friday I'm hoping to be close to I-95 after a 4 AM departure. We will get up at 3 and leave at 4 so I can miss the traffic in Charlotte with all of the construction on I-77 Hopefully it won't be bad with many of the snowbirds already gone from the mountains.

Wednesday was another nice day but not nearly as gorgeous as Tuesday. It was overcast at times which made it feel colder but we did see some sunshine and rather mild temps into the 50's. I hung a load of towels outside and they dried nicely so the air was dry despite the overcast skies. I started the day much the usual except for a sleep in until nearly 7. I'm loving this new supplement I take for sleep which is all natural that is hops and valerian from Nutrilite. I know a few folks who are having sleep issues and this may help without the script. I think this month's bogo special from my store at Amway is all Legacy of Clean products. We use all of these products and they are environmental safe. I'll post something on Facebook as soon as I hear for sure of the special.

I did my quiet time while sipping my hot tea laced with honey and turmeric and posting this ramble. Nancy spoke with her mom and there has been some good improvement with her rehab which is an answer to prayer. We worked around the cabin getting it ready to be alone for the next 7 months. I took up all the garden plants that I will replant in Florida such as ; beet seedlings, Swiss chard seedlings and some mature plants, tomato seedling, jalapeno  and bell pepper plants, thyme, oregano and then Jetta blessed us with an Italian parsley plant that would have died soon with winter coming on. She also spoiled us with a piece of fresh homemade coconut cream pie which was awesome. Nothing like eating dessert at 4 in the afternoon, oh well. We did clean most of the leftovers from last nights supper and then settled into the Fox News channel before the MLB game 7 came on.

Well I headed to bed around 11'ish as we watched the Astro's beating the Dodgers in LA. The final score was the same 3 innings to go. Houston needs some good after all the beatings they took from the hurricane and the flooding this summer. Well we got invited out to supper at the Luffmans tonight so we will make a garbage run to town on the way after packing most of the truck for the trip. We did take a golf cart ride out to the mailbox and stopped and visited with Grant and then George stopped by who was scraping the road. We didn't see much of them this summer as they had health issues with Shirley's mom who is 90 and with son Jarrod despite Grant retiring from Food Lion in June.

Well that was about it for the day and evening. I'm surprised I slept as good as I did with a nearly 8 wake up this morning. I know tonight will be a toss and turn night as the adrenalin will keep me awake anticipating the ride back to Florida; I'm like a kid excited about going fishing, oh well. We will miss all of our friends and church family here but are eagerly excited about seeing the kids and grand's on Friday evening for supper at Amy and Tyler and then on Saturday morning as we travel to Tampa to watch Gabe's ball game and then bring them back with us to spend the night with their Ross cousins, LATER

Wednesday Morning

Well Tuesday started out a bit nippy with temps in the low 40's and finally reached the upper 50's by late afternoon; but the skies were a beautiful deep blue with bright sunshine. The steady breeze which we love in summertime kept you in long pants especially in the shaded areas of the woods. We are trying to use of some of the extra food we had purchased when we had guests so we had supper with the Luffman's and then a raucous game of Sequence afterwards before they all headed out before the World Series at 8.

The day started much the usual except for 7'ish roll out for me. The cabin temp was down to the low 60's so I turned on the two portable heaters and soon had it up to a toasty 70 when Nancy decided to make her appearance. I had my cup of hot green tea laced with honey and turmeric while I spent a few quiet moments with my Creator in Thanksgiving and lifting up several by name for comfort and healing. Nancy spoke with her mom in Michigan and she is progressing with doing some physical therapy. We are hoping she can get back on her feet, literally after being down since last May.

I hung a load of laundry outside and what a perfect day for drying and oh the fresh smell plus the savings. I called several business folks as we get ready to put the cabin in a winterized mode for the next 7 months. Phone, internet and tv all need to be put on vacation and the local paper needs a change of address. It costs about 50 bucks a month to keep the power readily accessible as well as our phone number when we come back which is cheaper than a total disconnect. I do cut the breaker in the basement which shuts everything down but when I return all I have to do it switch the breaker back on and then call the phone company to reset my fios network. The loss of power this year was a first in many years with the terrible wind storms that blew huge trees across the power lines.

We got in a hike to the top of the mountain in the early afternoon and visited with our dear friends the Browning's for a spell. The sunshine was so bright on top of the mountain and the skies so clear. We watched a huge jet at about 30 thousand feet flying over and we could see the contrail so clearly. Nancy had some 2 packs of country style ribs in a roaster with sauerkraut in the oven and the smell had our mouths watering for the next couple of hours while waited to see the Luffman's for the last time this year. The Sequence games were a total wipeout or a sweep for the gals at 4-0 and they gloated as last time we wiped the floor with them.

Well our time is drawing near here in the mountains and then its back to the flat land of Florida and warmer temps. I'm getting things ready for packing on Thursday evening for an early morning start. Today, Wednesday is supposed to warm up into the high 60's which is just perfect and makes it even harder to leave these mountains. We will make a garbage run to town on Thursday morning and that will be our last trip to Sparta for about 7 months.

On a sad note the liberal judges who have blocked this president's attempt to regulate the illegals and jihadist's from entering the country now have blood on their hands and souls with the needless killings in New York yesterday. It's a shame and also criminal to coddle and make entering the country easy for these who want to terrorize the nation as we have seen them do in Europe. The effort to destroy this president at the cost of the safety for the US(A) is outrageous and despicable to say the least. Those liberals in the congress who continue to thwart our duly elected POTUS with not only this egregious act but the subversion of due process with the Clinton and Obama administration in bringing them to justice is treasonous in my book and I think most rational people see these actions as unpatriotic and wanton hatred for America; I know I do and I will never forgive them, LATER