Wednesday Morning

Well Tuesday was not quite as hot as it has been but still in the 80's with less humidity which always makes it feel nice. We didn't do much except Nancy and I did go to Home Depot in the afternoon to look for shelving for the bathroom and get new knobs for the vanity. It looking more and more like I will be painting that oak piece white like the cabinets in the kitchen, oh well.

The day started out with my usual before 6ish rollout to a cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent some quiet time in humble thanksgiving and lifting several up by name. All is well with those I lifted up in thought and prayer. I got ready and headed out to the Rec. on my bike for 2 hours of pickle ball. We managed to keep one court for just the better players and I left with a wet head and shirt, wow what a workout with the action being non stop.

I headed home around 10:30 and Nancy was leaving to go shopping and wouldn't be back until lunch time. I hand watered the gardens and fed some of my new seedlings which are growing in these cool nights and hot days. The mulched leaves are holding some of the moisture in the ground but I'm still watering sometimes twice a day. I now have tomatoes big enough to eat but they are still green an I'm thinking of some fried green tomatoes of which we both love. We had stir fry for supper using my sweet pea pods and it was so delicious, yeow. I'll be picking green beans in a few days and the lettuces are ripe for salads once again. I say this each year but this garden is really producing and now every time I turned some of the soil over the wigglers are present. It will be a bumper crop of worms which make the best plant food ever.

I called a local tree arborist as the contractor who is going to remove my big oak is in Tampa and the arborist there didn't want to sign off unless they got a part of the job so I found one who will check off on the permit for 75 bucks plus 25 for the permit. He is the local arborist for the city of Seminole which should help with getting a permit. The big oak will hopefully soon be no more as the rot is evident several places in the trunk. I loved the old tree and the shade it provided was immeasurably over the years. I also will miss the tons of leaves that go into my garden each year as well but hopefully this will limit the number of squirrels in the yard as this is one of their hangouts.

Well I headed over to meet the new neighbors who bought Bill and Carol's place across the street. A young couple and she seemed very nice. He works for Duke Energy which should be a plus for the hood if we every have power issues. I'm not sure if she works but I would say they are or she is in their 20's. I haven't met him but one of her girlfriends was visiting from Lakeland. Hopefully they will be great neighbors. It wasn't long after the cleanup from supper we settled into the Fox Channel for our news then I hit the showers and was soon into the horizontal lab position by 10'ish, LATER

Tuesday Morning

Well Monday was a busy fun filled day that ended with a performance from the Sozo Children's Choir from Uganda, Africa at the main campus of BridgePoint. These are children who have been saved from a life of despair, poverty and disease in a country where many were homeless with no future except death. Our church partnerships with them in helping to provide all of the amenities of life as well spiritual help by sharing the Word and the love of GOD through Jesus Christ. It was a two hour worship service at times and a personal time of sharing by each child with their knowledge and yet they were still Ugandan's while singing in their language and clothing. They were not being Americanized but simply being native while experiencing the love of GOD and sharing that back into their villages with help from Americans.

I started the day much the usual with a before 6 roll out to my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent some time in thanksgiving with my Creator. All is well with those who I left up by name each morning and we are so glad for that. At least the winter freeze up North has thawed and now the beginning of Spring is a bit premature while still in the month of February with too much warm temps. I sure hope we don't get another freeze since lots of the flowers are starting pop up in the mountains, oh well. It has been an usual winter with such cold temps and snow and now this shift towards such warm temps while still in this winter month.

I got in two good hours of pickle ball and left with a wet head and shirt around 10. I headed home to to water the gardens and do some touch up painting in the bathroom until lunch time. Nancy made a guacamole for lunch and afterwards I headed into the reading room for a couple hours. I was whupped from the workout as it was my first since back on the courts since last Thursday. I managed a nap after Amy and Eliza left for the day then we got ready to pickup the Botbyl's around 5'ish for a ride down to the Texas Roadhouse for supper on our way to the concert at BridgePoint. You never leave that place hungry and the service was awesome as well. Nancy left a big portion of her meal which was a shame as we had no way to keep it from spoiling since we would be at the church until after 9.

We met up with the Tracy's at the church and entered the lines waiting to enter the building. Every seat was filled when the show started with an overflow room which had a live video. The place was packed and the show was very entertaining. These kids will do 90 performances while here in the states as they are on a fund raising tour to continue with their building of homes and a village in the heart of Uganda, Africa for kids. BridgePoint offered to purchase at least two homes at 70 grand a piece as well as committed to funding at least a 100 kids at 35 bucks a month plus the love offering they raised this night. The generosity of this church is overwhelming and they put their money where their hearts are in supporting the mission of sharing the love of Christ not only here but abroad, LATER 

Monday Morning

Well Sunday was an awesome day that started with me up at 5'ish and on my bike for a short ride over to the college which is next door to the Rec. to help with the 6 AM load in for BridgePoint Church along with a few other good men and women; actually the women come a little later but there are 4-6 men who push several huge containers from the truck into the building and then begin setting. The production team arrives as well as do other volunteers throughout the early morning and does the inside auditorium for the service on the stage while I usually stay away from there and work the area where folks initially come into the building and see all of the signs, tables with info and the Kidspoint area where they are checked into via computer and given name tags with all of their parents info. I head home around 7:30 and get ready to come back with Nancy.

Nancy and I both came back around 8:15 as the church was rewarding all of the volunteers with a catered delicious breakfast before the first service. There was yogurt with toppings, toast, egg and sausage casserole, juice and drinks. I would say we had a whole church of volunteers who man their posts throughout the morning in attendance with at least close to a hundred. Wow, its such a privilege to be a part of such wholesome enterprise from greeting, the cafe, door holders, ushers, kids helpers and just general all around "helping folks to get closer to GOD". There is no doubt that is definitely needed today within our society as the morale decay is prevalent since we as a nation have shunned His existence within the PC culture.

The message was awesome on the Collateral Damage as a result of our broken relationships which has been a four part series that ended today. We are getting ready for our first year celebration of the Seminole Campus at BridgePoint this Easter. It so far has been a success with many of our first timers now becoming volunteers and growing the family. Never have I ever seen such growth in a new church setting with new faces each week seeking the spiritual reward that comes from hearing about Jesus and Bible teachings. The staff at BridgePoint are committed to reaching a hundred thousand folks in our county with at least 10 campuses throughout; so far we have three and are working on another campus.

We stayed on until the end of the last service and then helped to pack up the area Nancy was working and then left around 12:30 or so to head over to Amy's for lunch. Bobby has driven over from his interim worship leader position in South Tampa to pick up Annsley and Gabe after they spent the night with the Ross Family. The cousins love each other and play so well together. They are in another world when together and are within 6 months in age of each gender. We had pizza and Nancy brought a huge fresh garden salad with dressing and the last of the oatmeal cookies for dessert. It was going on three before we got home and relaxed after an early morning start for me. It wasn't a great day for not eating carbs but it was enjoyable to say the least. We have been trying to stay away from carbs so as to drop a few pounds and so far its has worked with me down over 10 and Nancy close to that as well.

I vegetated on the couch with some boxing matches on HBO the rest of the afternoon while Nancy called her mom and several mountain friends. We skipped any supper after the late big lunch except for a snack around 7. We watched some old Duck Dynasty programs and then I got ready for some horizontal lab around 10'ish, LATER

Saturday Morning

Well Friday was a lazy day with no real activity as we had grandparents day at Keswick School with Ava and Sam. It was a nice change and the program put on by the kids for us was really nice and endearing. We checked them out around 11 and brought them home with us for lunch. We went to their separate rooms; Nancy to Ava's and me to Sams where we were read to and interviewed and then pictures were taken respectively.

I started the day with a sleep in until 6:30 despite being awake around 5:30. I did my routine that started with hot tea and then quiet times after posting this ramble. I knew there was no pickle ball so I laid in bed a little extra. We had to be at the school by 9 so we left around 8:30 as the auditorium fills up quickly as well as the parking spaces. We got there in time for both. We had bought two nice egg plants the day before knowing everyone in the Ross Family loves fried egg plant but Tyler so that is what we fixed for lunch and the kiddos loved it. I had harvested fresh herbs that we added to the fried slices and Sam and Ava were eating them as fast as they cooled; even Eliza Faye said she liked it for a change. The fresh cilantro, Thai basil, oregano and thyme made them extra delicious.

After lunch I headed in to give the bathroom a final coat of paint and then cleaned up the area so Nancy could accessorize the room with new towels, rug, bath mat and shower curtains as well as a new picture. She still wants to add a couple small pictures to complete the job and now she wants me to repaint the master bedroom as the light brown color just doesn't do the blue dining room justice, oh well here we go again. I do have some leftover paint for that room and may only need a quart to finish the room. I guess that will start next week.

After they all left for the day neighbor Jon came over with his 2 year old Scarlett for a visit then after he left Nancy headed to Target and I took a quick nap and read for a hour or so. I had picked up some sea scallops at Sam's Club yesterday and had a dozen or so thawing. I loved them sauteed in garlic butter while Nancy wasn't all that satisfied. They are rather expensive at 15 bucks a pound but I've not had any in years and loved the flavor. They came in a two pound bag so there is enough for two more meals for me as she said to grilled salmon for her when I want scallops. Next time I want to try grilling them and then pan fry them in olive oil. They were so tender and sweet with no waste.

After the clean up we settled into the Fox News and then I headed for the shower around 8'ish and found a weird movie on HBO until it was lights out for me at 10. Today Sat. we head over to Brandon for Gabe's baseball game then we will bring both Annsley and Gabe back with us to spend the day and then the night with the other Ross kiddos at their house. They will go to church with them then Bobby and Katie will pick them up Sunday afternoon, LATER

Friday Morning

Well Thursday was both a fun day and a work day but the temps have really soared to new records for this time of the year. We saw 90 on the truck thermometer when we headed out around 3 for Sam's Club. The humidity has not returned totally yet, but I'm sure that's in the forecast. In the afternoon shade it's rather pleasant outside under the big oak.

I started the day much the usual with a before 6 roll out to my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric which has helped tremendously with the joints especially now since I'm on the pickle ball court 5 times a week and for two hours at a time. I'm amazed how this simple herb can be so effective and nothing scripted. I sometimes think prescriptions cause more harm than good, oh well. I did my quiet time after posting this ramble then got ready to ride out on my bike to the Rec. for two hours of continuous pickle ball play with a challenge court. That means if you win you split partners and play with new ones for each game and I never sat down for over an hour, yeow I was hoping for a partner at times to lose and get a rest.

I headed home afterwards with a wet shirt and wet head to find Nancy on her way out for shopping for the redo on the bathroom. I set the sprinkler on the garden and got to work on the second coat of paint. I will need to give the area where I painted a test dark blue/gray paint again to day a second coat. I think she likes this light gray color on the walls as she has already purchased shower curtains and towels to accentuate the colors, oh well she watches too much HGTV.

Amy and Eliza came for lunch and stayed until it was time to pick up Ava and Sam from school. Eliza likes to ride her bike on the sidewalk as they have none in their hood. After lunch I managed to read a little and then take a power nap for a few moments while they were all outside. It felt good to relax after a lite lunch of fresh raw veggies and dip. I'm down now 10 + pounds and want to go for another couple as we stay away from the carbs. I'm hoping for between 180-185 which we be 12 pounds down. We have been having a meat/fish with just a veggie for our suppers which I think has made a huge difference and Nancy is down several pounds as well.

We took off for Sam's and I filled up at a 1.32 which is down from last week at 1.69 but up from earlier this year where we saw 1.19 a gallon. I'm not sure why since we are exporting energy and not relying on the Arabs for our oil, oh well. We picked up some fresh Steelhead Salmon and I grilled a nice fillet along with some zucchini, onions and mushrooms in my grill pan, yeow delicious and very few carbs. After the cleanup we settled into the Fox News Cable network and once again the dem's and libs are pushing gun control after this school shooting. There does seem to be some changes that should be made but never take away our second amendment rights. When lawful folks give up that right then only unlawful people will be in control and the libs and dem's can not understand that especially if government gets its way. Trump is doing his best to hear both sides and make recommendations to the congress but at least he is listening and the MSM is constantly blaming him for any and all occurrences which they deem unfit.

The FBI under Obama is to blame for this tragedy because they spent all of their time trying to destroy our duly elected POTUS instead of doing their job which is to keep us safe and apprehend criminals. I'm glad there are others who think the way I do in regard to the complicity of these heads in the FBI, DOJ, CIA and the MSM to undermine and destroy this president and his agenda. It's a sad day when our own political leaders hate our POTUS so much they will let the nation suffer. I hope all of these traitors are exposed and locked up, LATER

Thursday Morning

Well I'm back redoing the bathroom in the front of the house as Nancy wanted to change the color of the walls, patching the nail holes and getting new shower curtains, pictures, etc. This woman watches too much HGTV late at night, oh well.


The day started with my usual before 6 rollout to my routines that start with a cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric after washing down a handful of vitamins and supplements. I posted this ramble then spent some time with my Creator in humble thanksgiving for another day and lifting up several by name. We lost one of the most influential men of this century at the age of 99 who openly professed to the world that everyone needed Jesus Christ in their lives to know the meaning of the love of GOD. Billy Graham will be sorely missed as his evangelism for Christ covered the world and he is now with his Maker in Heaven. There will none other like him in my time here on this earth.

I headed out for the Rec. a little before 8 and got in two hours of pickle ball play as 5 of us A players had the challenge court for all of the morning session. I was whupped by 10 and left with a wet shirt once agin. This active play has helped me whittle down my weight to 187 this morning from 197. Wow did it ever take a whole lot longer to take off than put on these 10 pounds. I'm hopeful to be able to maintain and possibly go down to my target level of 180; but that is doubtful as I'm a lover of eatin'.

I hand watered the gardens then got the bathroom ready for painting samples which Nancy had in mind. We settled on the same color of the kitchen which is a light gray paint and luckily I have plenty leftover after painting a couple areas a dark blue color, oh well. At least its not a large space so I should complete the walls by Friday afternoon with a second coat and even a third coat to cover the sample blue paint. I did get in a short reading and nap session after Amy and Eliza left around 2:30. We set records for heat this time of the year despite records set throughout the nation for cold and snow and we had the heat on here for the first in years with days at a time. It was 88 here with a breeze that dries everything out especially the garden despite all of the mulching. I hand watered twice during the day but it was a great day for drying clothes on the line.

I grilled a couple pork ribs and put a pot of collard greens on the stove after getting back from pickle ball. They simmered all day in a pot of chicken broth, smoked bacon and onions. Oh My were they ever delicious with our ribs. We are trying to stay away from from carbs as much as possible except for my handful of mixed nuts with my glass of vino around 4'ish. I did get some fantastic news from the VA Hospital that the tests that first indicated I may have Hepatitis C was a only the fact I had been exposed to the virus sometime in my lifetime. It seems the body remembers of that exposure but my immune system rejected the virus and I'm virus free so no further testing or ultrasound is needed. That was great news on a day we were saddened with the passing of Dr. Graham.

Well we tuned into the Fox News channel which seems to be the only network that broadcasts the real unbiased news. I saw clips where the major MSM outlets are constantly making up their agenda to destroy this POTUS and now we are seeing how they are complicit with covering for Obama and Hillary. Finally the DOJ is starting investigations into all of their criminal dealings with the heads of the FBI, DOJ and now the State Dept. We also are seeing where the CIA and some of their heads are being looked into for lying and covering for them as well in what's been referred to as the "deep state" put in place by Obama. We have a mess on our hands with those who disregarded the constitution and the laws and now we know why there has been such lying and obfuscation by the Dem's and the liberals to destroy Trump. He isn't afraid of them and hopefully he will expose all of those in the government both Dem's and Rep's who helped to circumvent the law. NO ONE is above the law which means Hillary and Obama should be tried if found complicit in these crimes. We can only send a message to other crooks and criminals that our Constitution and Bill of Rights made US(A) and great nation,  LATER

Wednesday Morning

Well Tuesday was another warm day with some humidity creeping back into the picture as we had some clouds off an on during the day an at times it sure looked like rain; but none fell. Anyhow about the only remarkable happening was son Bobby came by for a quick visit which seldom happens since he is now mainly in the office and not out on the road over seeing jobs.

I started the day with my usual before 6 roll out to a cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then spent so quiet time with my Creator in thanksgiving and intercessory prayers for many by name. I spoke with Paw Paw and he said it had warmed up close to the 70's and he was eating some ice cream out on the porch. He sounds good and not much happening in his life except life itself. GG sounded good when I last spoke with her as did Helen. Helen had her 90th birthday party over the weekend with son Rick flying up from Florida and having the luncheon catered. We did send her a nice bouquet of flowers. My friend Shelby had her tummy surgery and is home recovering as I write.

Well I headed out a little before 8 for the Rec. on my bike for a couple hours of pickle ball. I got in a good hour inside with some good play but then we got too many B players and had to give up our challenge court so 5 of us headed outside to play for nearly an hour. Yikes, the wind, sun and humidity really changes the game itself but we hate to sit around waiting to play. I headed home a little after 10 to hand water the gardens as Nancy was at the dentist for a cleaning.

Amy and Eliza came for lunch so I did a little reading until Bobby came by for a visit. He has a great job as the director in the southeast states of the country for renovations for this national company. He is such a great people manager and gets the most out of folks while treating them with dignity and respect. We caught up on his and Katies weekend away to St. Augustine with 2 other couples and all that's going on with Gabe in baseball and Annsley with her gymnastics. He and Katie are so busy with her stay at home job and their togetherness with the kiddos.

Nancy sauteed shrimp in a garlic butter sauce and I harvested fresh Swiss chard for our supper, delicious. I'm not sure how much longer the chard will last as it not a big fan of hot weather. The green beans are really starting to set. Today I will harvest collard greens and put a pot on to cook mid morning with some smoked bacon, onions and chicken broth and along with some grilled pork chops we will have a country supper, LATER

Tuesday Morning

Well Monday was another beautiful sunny warm day with temps in the low 80's and the humidity wasn't bad as of yet. It was also a busy day for me as I started the day with a before 6 roll out while Nancy did sleep in until nearly 7. I did my usual morning routines that started with the cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent some with my Creator in lifting up several by name and in thanksgiving for another day and all the blessings of life. Afterwards I got ready to ride to the Rec. to meet up with 4 other men and we car pooled down to Madeira Beach for 2 1/2 hours of pickle ball on the outside court. What a different game that is from the inside game where you must allow for the sun and wind. It was a great workout and it felt good to be outside.

I got back around 11 and hand watered the gardens then had a bite of lunch. We were expecting a technician from WOW to pull new lines from the living room and bedroom through the attic to the box outside. A young lady came around 2 ish and did she ever manage to go in the attic as one of the lines would not pull cleanly. It was a hot nasty job and she was a real trooper but the job got completed and hopefully no more issues with this form of communications. They spent several hours getting our service right and we are thankful for that.

The furniture man came for just a few minutes and informed us when furniture is put together in the states they use a metal band inside and when it's put together overseas they use a velcro type band and when its new you hear what sounds like your skin is clinging to the seat when getting up after setting for a while. We were relieved to hear that and wanted it noted in case something wasn't right. He was in and out in 10 minutes flat. I headed out to the back yard to mulch up 13 bags of leaves I had taken from a neighbors yard. It took me 5 wheelbarrow trips to get them home and two hours to mulch them and put in the garden for my worms to digest and turn it into plant food. The garden is looking good all except the Swiss chard which the nematodes have discovered. I noticed a couple of the plants looking wilted despite the watering and checked the roots and they looked like knots. These microscopic worms suck all of the nutrients from the plants and they eventually wilt and die. Because we have no freeze of the soil here in Florida they are rampant.

Nancy had a deer roast we brought back from the mountains that neighbor Gerald had killed on our property in the crock pot overnight and most of the day and it smelled so delicious and it was superb with awesome gravy. All of the kiddos loved it and we had plenty with some to share with Tyler and enough for my lunch for today. I would never eat beef again it I could get this meat regularly. I suppose I shouldn't rely on someone else to kill it and start myself but I enjoy the eating too much although we killed hogs every Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember before leaving home.

Well after supper and the cleanup the Ross Family headed home as it was back to school for the kiddos this morning so I hit the shower and then watched Fox News and some of the Olympics. They have been kind of boring to me with the announcers from NBC and by 10'ish I was ready for some horizontal lab, LATER 

Monday Morning

Well Sunday was an awesome day of worship and the temps held steady around 80 with bright sunshine after a very foggy morning which added a lot of moisture to the ground. I was at SPC at 6 A.M. to help with the load in for BridgePoint Church and when I left around 7:30 my bicycle seat was dripping wetness as I had left it outside. I eventually hand watered the gardens around 3'ish after we got home from meeting the Ross Family in St.Pete for lunch at Pei Lei's. It's an upscale fast Asian food eatery which the grand kiddo's love and we ate there many times last summer in Miami. Very reasonable as well as fresh but lots of carbs. That held us except for a snack around 6:30.

After the early wake up and load in I came home until we had to be back around 8:30 for our volunteer meeting and to get ready for our 9:30 first service. I had a pickle ball friend and his wife attending for the first time who is a Canadian and he seemed to really enjoy the service and lots of my friends made him feel welcome as did the campus pastor. The message was awesome along with the music. We had over a hundred in the first service and 70-80 in the second with lots of our regulars traveling because of the holiday weekend. After the second service which Nancy attended while I worked the first service we headed out to meet up with Amy and family for lunch. Carol was under the weather and wasn't up for attending church or lunch out.

We made a stop at Walmart on the way home as we needed a few things for tonights roast venison supper with the Ross Family. Nancy put the roast in last night in the crock pot and cooked it slow over night. It smells delicious this morning. I laid around and read for a couple hours then we tuned into the Olympics for awhile before eating some fresh veggies leftover from the appetizers of last nights get together. Yeow so good with a little ranch dressing. We chilled until I started getting sleepy around 9'ish. It wasn't long after 10, I was ready for some horizontal lab as it had been an early wake up which was about 15-20 minutes earlier than I usually get up. I think its all psychological as I usually wake up before 6 with no alarm on but with the alarm set for 5:30 and it usually goes off I'm thinking it much earlier, oh well, LATER

Sunday Morning

Well Saturday was another beautiful winter day in Florida. The temps were around the low 80's with plenty of fog to start the morning and then beautiful sunshine and blue skies the rest of the day with a gentle breeze that kept the humidity at bay. We had our Life group from BridgePoint Church here around 5 for the start of a progressive dinner that ended around 9:30 after four different houses. We did the appetizers and out house was full with about 30 some folks for an hour.

I started the day with a sleep in until 7'ish then did my usual routines that started with a cup of hot green tea laced with the herb turmeric while I did my quiet time after posting this ramble.  Everyone is doing good and a few came through surgery just fine as well. God is good. We had a lite breakfast of eggs which I eat only once a week as its usually an apple while I ride out to the Rec. Since there was no pickle ball today I ate differently and the eggs were tasty with some hot sauce a and a couple tomatoes mixed in.

I vacuumed the house and helped with getting ready for the crowd at 5 as Nancy was puttering around in the kitchen making last minute preps. We had the WOW tech come around noon to change out our modem and WiFi again as the internet kept going down and he did away with the equipment in the computer room. Seems all the work we did last Tuesday was for naught and now we are scheduled for a rewire in the attic area which the last tech did not change out, oh well at least they are doing all this work on the free install and their quality control is excellent.

I did get in some read time in the afternoon after working in the garden which was a big hit for our guests. They were quite impressed with the vegetables and wanted some tips for starting their own veggie patches; of course I've had my garden in for years and it takes time to build up good soil with lots of earthworms which really is the key to good gardening.

Well we had dessert around 9'ish at the last house and then headed home after vespers around 9:30. Our neighbor and friend Carol isn't doing well as she is having some sciatica problems and she went home after leaving our house. We rode with Dan the rest of the evening and brought her a plate of ribs, taters and green bean casserole on the way to the dessert house. The other three places were so large we could put our whole house in their living room and two houses were on the Intercoastal waterway with boats tied up at their docks. All seemed to have a grand time in fellowship and eatin' and we had a few guests who were visiting with family members, LATER

Don't forget today is corporate worship day with other Believers in a gathering setting to honor our Creator and Savior

Saturday Morning

Well Friday was another very warm and muggy day but this morning its so foggy outside you can barely see down the street. I started the day much the usual with a before 6 roll out to a cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent a few quiet ,moments with my Creator in humble thanksgiving for another day and all the blessing in life as well as lifted several up by name. I headed out on my bike before 8 for the Rec. where I got in two solid hours of pickle ball. What a workout and I left with a wet shirt and worn out body. I made a stop at the library on the way home for some reads I had ordered.

I piddled around in the yard mulching up leaves and spreading them around in the garden for the worms. They love oak leaves and they turn them into the best plant food ever but they have to be broken down for that to occur. I spent the rest of the morning working in the garden, transplanting some volunteer cucumber seedlings from my compost pile and hand watering the garden as well as the grass. Eventually in the afternoon I hand watered the front yards as I'm finally starting to see some green where the piled broken branches from the big oak lay for weeks killing all of the grass after the last hurricane.

After a lite lunch we headed over to Home Depot for items Nancy needed to finish her decorating with a new lamp shade and some daylight LED bulbs. Boy are they expensive but really give off the light. I did pick up from the garden section a black beauty egg plant and some soil with cow manure composted. She spent the most of the morning getting her vegetable tray ready for this evening(SAT) get together with our Life Group from church. We are expecting over 30 folks to attend our house for appetizers and then three other stops throughout the evening for a progressive dinner. Should be fun as we get to know our group more intimately other than just on Sunday mornings.

I spoke with Paw Paw, Helen and GG and all are doing as well as can be expected for their ages which all are 90 on just a year away on either side. Nancy had deer steak marinating for fajitas for our supper and were they ever delicious as I grilled the peppers and onions, Yeow that is some fine eatin'. After supper which was running late as Betsy came by to see the new furniture it was after 7. We were tuning into the news when we saw on one of the HBO channels a movie we saw last year with our group and decided to watch it again. It is a Christian movie and the acting and storyline is very good in the Resurrection of Gavin Stone. I headed for the shower after the flick then watched some of the Olympics, Gold Rush and Fox news before signing off at 10, Later

Friday morning

Well Thursday was another busy day that started with my usual before 6 roll out and then a couple hours of pickle ball, some gardening and then some paint touch up's to the kitchen cabinets as well as painted the window bench seat and hung some rugs out on the clothesline. Nancy is caught up with having the house just right for our Life Group on Saturday evening as 30 plus folks will be here at 5 to the start of a progressive dinner. We are doing the appetizer's before moving on to three other houses.

I did my quiet time and posted this ramble with my usual cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric. The updates are good on everyone as of today and the 12-14 inch snowfall is finally melting in Michigan. I spoke with GG while Nancy was out last evening purchasing just the right pictures to adorn the walls that match the new furniture. This woman is driving me crazy at times. Luckily neighbor Carol came down and helped us with their laser in setting the pictures on the walls in the right places, oh well. I will be glad when this redo is over and I can enjoy some tranquillity.

I had a great workout on the pickle ball court and was whupped by 10. It has really warmed up but the garden is loving these warm days and cool nights. Not really cool but in the high 60's at night. I harvested my first mess of sugar peas and they are so delicious raw on salads or just right off the vine. The new lettuce seedling will be ready in a couple of days as they are maturing quite fast. I now have blooms on the cherry tomato plant and the new jalapeno plant is budding as well with new blooms and soon to be peppers. The beets seeds are sprouting which is a good sign.

I grilled filets for supper along with fresh asparagus which was awesome. The filets are grain fed and at 5 bucks apiece for a 6 oz. steak its a real treat from Earth Fare, a new organic store in Seminole City Square. After the cleanup we hung pictures and paintings along with new lamps and finally she called Carol to help her with her decisions. I was staying out of the decision making; just doing the work and paying the bills. There are still some honey do's to do today after I get back from the Rec. but I think we have a handle on most of the projects. This group will be here for about 45-minutes to an hour and then we move on to a different house.

Well an old childhood friend messaged me who now lives on the east coast of Florida. His sister(Kit) and I were childhood buddies before I ever went to live with Paw Paw and I went to live with him when I was 5 or so. She and her family lived in the biggest house in Mt. Falls as her dad was a retired WWII colonel. Her brother(Sprout, as his folks called him is actually a Jr. ) is a couple years older than me and was very smart as was Kit his sister my pal. They both graduated with the highest grades ever in high school as well as in college. He mentioned he has some home movies his folks took of Kit and I when we were around the ages of 4 and 5 and would like to give me a copy. He went on to be awarded the Andrew Jackson presidential academic award while in high school.

Well I watched the Lightning beat the Red Wings and stayed away from the depressing school shootings. I feel the FBI let down those kids who were killed down by not doing their job when several folks mentioned to them he was a threat as a school shooter on social media. They were too involved in bringing down Trump and subverting the constitution and covering up for Obama and Hillary and the "deep state". I think they have blood on their hands for their ineptness and corruption with this fake dossier paid for by the democrats and Hillary. The biased MSM also has blood on them as well for not covering the scandal of the last administration and are complicit as well with the FBI and the DOJ for failing to do a proper investigation which eventually resulted in the death of these kids, LATER

Thursday Morning

Well Wednesday was another busy fun filled day with great friends and some fine eatin' that started with a cold lunch and then delicious chicken marsala for supper, yeow. I rolled out of bed at my usual before 6'ish time frame and headed for the kitchen to down a handful of Nutrilite vitamins and supplements another daily routine while making a cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then spend some quiet moments with my Creator.

After my posting I checked the news and social media before getting ready to ride out to the Rec. on my bike for nearly two hours of pickle ball with several other A players. I had a wet shirt when I left and headed home to hand water the gardens. We were meeting up with the Botbyl's and heading north to Dade City about an hour away to spend the day with the Tracy's in their new home that is in the Tampa Bay Golf and Country Club which is a huge 55 and over only facility. We got there right at noon and Kathryn has a big spread laid out for us and after eating the girls took off for the city of Bushnell which is just up the road to do what girls do and we men hate to do; shop. We did have to run down to a mall for a pair of swim trunks as Dan failed to bring his but that was just in and out the store and the first I've been in a clothing store except for WalMart in years.

We came back and changed out into our trunks and headed to the outdoors pickle ball court where we played in the hot sun for nearly and hour around 2:30. Wow did we ever work up a sweat and we played 2 on 1 which Patrick quickly picked up on. Needless to say the outside game is all together different than playing inside and Dan quickly saw the difference as he has been playing a couple times a week inside at the Rec. with me. We had a great workout and was looking forward to a swim in the club's huge swimming pool. Oh my was it ever nice and heated which was perfect for relaxing and the water was not the usual strong smell of chlorine. They must use a different system of keeping the water safe and clear. The pool is so big with an island in the middle and just deep enough to where you didn't have to tread. We spent an hour in the refreshing water and then headed home only to find the girls where back from their shopping trip just as we drove into the driveway.

Some of us(Kathryn and me) had a glass of " fruit of the vine"  while putting together the supper which was delicious to say the least. We did hear of the school shooting in south Florida so we were glued to the tube while the meal was being prepared. Such unnecessary killings in the school these days by once students who have slipped under the radar and have some grudge or issue against fellow students or teachers. When we took the control of the teachers away from the students in the classroom and took GOD and patriotism away we are left with bulling kids who commit these atrocities. So sad for the loss of life but the horror that is left with those who survive will never go away.

Carol has made and brought a delicious kale and apple salad to compliment the main course and Nancy made an brought a white cake with pink icing for the dessert. Actually we cut the cake after lunch as well so we had it twice and brought just enough back for Eliza Faye to have a piece as she spied it the day Nancy made it. We had a grand time and by 7'ish it was time to head home and the traffic was still back to back going the other way out of Tampa. It's unbelievable the amount of traffic on the interstates this time of the year with all the snowbirds here enjoying the 80's and bright sunshine, LATER   

Wednesday Morning

Well Tuesday was a most busy day and one we will not forget in awhile as we finally received our new living room furniture and Nancy was ecstatic despite the postponement of the delivery time from 2 to almost 7 PM. I also helped with the WOW tech who came to rewire my house for the internet/TV as the initial installer used my original wiring which according to another tech was a no no.

I started the day with my usual before 6 ish roll out to a cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and spent a few quiet moments with my Creator. There were several names who needed some extra special lifting up as they were facing surgery and one of my elementary school mates had passed away up in Winchester. The update on GG, Paw Paw, Joe and Helen were all good. It seems winter has finally broken to where the temps are starting to get back to normal for this time of the year.

I headed out on my bike a little before 8 for the Rec. for nearly two hours of pickle ball and had a wet shirt and worn out legs by 10. I headed home and hand watered the gardens then decided to get a head start on the WOW tech incase he had to replace the lines inside the attic(which eventually we did not). I moved Christmas boxes and stuff stored up there I hadn't seen in 20-30 years out of the way and eventually filled 4 trash cans of "stuff" that even the plastic bags had fallen apart they had been up there that long. I did find some treasures one of which were our kids children's books in a nice container so we gave them to Amy for Eliza. I found a starter golf bag I had purchased in California with clubs that looked antique and put them out by the road for someone to take but no one even wanted them they were so old.

The tech came just with in the time frame given but on the late end around noon. I found him to be very personable so with my help he installed a new continuous wire from the modem around the roof line of the house to the line which comes in from the pole into a box. So far it seems to be working thankfully. He was a nice young black man and father of two and he made a comment about my garden and I offered him some collard greens and he was thrilled along with a new recipe for cooking them using chicken broth. He had never heard of that but was thrilled with this new method. He mentioned his momma would be interested with preparing the greens using my recipe.

After he left which was around the time frame the furniture was supposed to arrive but we received a call they would be at least two hours later so I made reservations at the Hilton Inn in Auburn Hills, Michigan for the August wedding of our nephew Gregory Everett. We wanted to visit GG in the summer in Pinkney, Michigan and decided to take care of both events in one trip from the cabin. Neighbor Dan came down with his truck around 6'ish and we loaded up our love seat on his truck and then neighbor John came over and helped us load the couch onto our truck which was a job. It has two reclining seats which added extra weight. I took off the legs and we still just managed to turn this piece upside down and get it out the door as it was that heavy. We then took it over to Amy's and had to get it in their door. Thankfully a young strong neighbor came and gave us a hand to get it in. We took their old love seat to be used for the non-profit foundation ETC to a house on the beach and unloaded it.

Well we got back to our house and Dan and Carol came down and came us some pointers and loved the new digs. We moved hanging curtains and pictures around to better bring out the colors. It's another redo in the house it seems as we now need new lamps, etc. reminds me of the "red trash can" story that nothing matches. I told Nancy this was the last time we buy new furniture at my age, oh well. It is very beautiful and almost cottage like as our living room is small. I should be so lucky she doesn't want a new and bigger house but then why would we need a new and bigger house as we are at the cabin nearly 5 months out of the year.

My garden is doing so well with this weather. I need to harvest sugar pea pods for our salads and the new lettuces are doing great as well as are the green beans. I now have beets up from seeds in a pot as we are eating ours we brought back from the cabin. They are tricky to transplant when just small seedlings but hopefully I can managed as I bought some different potting soil. The sweet onions are huge with the green tops two feet tall. I loosened the soil around them so they could bulb out and give us those sweet delicious onions.

Well after a hot shower I watched a little of the Olympics while catching the news on the Fox channel and the corruption within the Obama administration deepens as they were sure Hillary would win the election. It seems all of the dem's were so sure of her victory and their crooked ways would never be found out but now its coming to light of the corruption within the whole party which had in place at the heads of the FBI and the DOJ. The nation is in turmoil in D.C. with this "deep state" ideology and its coming to light and we the American people had better wake up to who we vote for and to get term limits. We need honorable elected officials as well as patriots who will decide to put away their biases and do what has made America great in the past and honor this POTUS. We are on the edge of a revolution and we need to make sure no one is above the law and that means the Clintons and Obama sycophants, LATER

Tuesday Morning

Well Monday was quite different to start the day as we had no internet and it was on only occasionally through out the day. I finally called WOW and a technician came by around 7'ish and said the initial install was done using our old outdated wiring and it was breaking down so she set me up  for a re-wire this morning around 10-12. So I sat and read until it was time to head out to the Rec. on my bike for two hours of pickle ball. I left the Rec. with a wet shirt and worn out.

It's so weird when you lose the internet as all of your routines and interest in the outside world is shut off. We did have cable TV but neither of us watch the tube until after supper unless Eliza Faye watches it sometimes after lunch when its too hot to go outside and ride her bike. I worked in the garden after hanging a load of laundry as the air was quite warm with a breeze; perfect for drying the flannel sheets which we have changed out now that cold weather has passed us by for another winter.

Nancy was off shopping so I settled into catching up on some honey do's and then I was able to get on the internet for about 10-20 minutes at time before it would fail. I'm surprised this morning its working while I make this post. We are having a busy day today as we are scheduled for our furniture to be delivered after lunch around 2'ish and then of course the new rewire. I suppose I will have to get in the attic and start removing items so the tech's can string a new wire through the insulation and all of the stored items. This will be a real issue but I'm sure they have some methods of replacing the old wire, oh well. It's not supposed to cost me anything as the initial install was less than two months ago and they used the old wiring. Lets hope so.

Amy and Eliza came for lunch and Nancy made a delicious guacamole with fresh cilantro from the garden, so tasty. Afterwards I headed into the reading room and cat napped and read for a couple hours after the hard work out on the courts. I spoke with Paw Paw and he sounded good as did Nancy's mom GG. We spoke with our "mountain mom" Helen and she sounded good but said the rain was ever present over the weekend. I also called the Browning's on top of the mountain and they were doing good as well despite the cold winter. I'm starting to get cabin fever and longing for the hills as the weather here is starting to heat up with humidity.

We tuned into the FOX News channel after supper and then the Olympics until it was time to hit the shower for me around 9'ish. I stayed up and watched some events then it was horizontal lab for me at 10, LATER

Monday Morning

Well we had NO internet this morning so I'm now writing this post, oh well.

Sunday was a busy day that stared with a 5:30n rollout and then a ride to SPC which is next door to the Rec. for the load in fro BridgePoint Church. We worked the first service and then attended the second service. Our young associate pastor brought the message today and he did a fine job and the music was awesome to say the least. Afterwards we headed out around 12:30 for Texas Roadhouse where we had a delicious lunch that started with fried dill pickles and then we shared a combo meal and left perfectly satisfied with the 10 oz, ribeye medium rare and a half rack of ribs with a baked sweet tater and mixed veggies of broccoli and baby carrots. Their dinner rolls are decadent as well as and large bucket of salted roasted peanuts on every table. You do not go away from hungry and that held me the rest of the day an evening except for my daily glass of cabernet around 6.

Nancy took off shopping after dropping me off around 2'ish and I took a quick nap then read until late evening when I headed out to hand water the gardens. It was quiet around here after Saturday nights family dinner. We tuned into the Olympics for awhile and then I headed into the bedroom around 8 and found an old John Belushi movie on HBO and laughed through that until lights out before 10. It was a rather mundane day except for the gathering at BridgePoint. The Botbyl's were off doing their own thing so we didn't get together, LATER

Sunday Morning

Just got back from loading in at SPC for BridgePointe Church where I met several others at 6 AM to unload the huge truck which carries all of our necessary equipment for the band, cafe, kidspoint and info desk in huge roll in cases. That takes about and hour and half just to get the college ready with our signs, computers, literature etc not including the auditorium where band members, production team with their special electronic equipment for the sound and lights, yeow a well oiled machine with tons of volunteers(enough for most small churches with just the volunteers in attendance) to help folks get closer to GOD. I look forward to the camaraderie each week with this event of just loading in.

Nancy helps with both services at the info booth or greetings as do I and we do usually get to sit in on one of the services. I'm now not loading out and leave after the second service but it's a fun filled morning as we greet and assist hopefully with making a difference in someone life with some many other dedicated folks. I will miss this event when we finally get a building where we can leave our equipment weekly.

Saturday was another busy day that started with my usual 6'ish rollout despite no pickle ball. We had to be at Ava's school for her first basketball game and she made 3 or 4 baskets and played quite well. Several of her school mates attend our church as well and it was like old home week. We were there until lunch time then headed home after a stop at Wal-Mart which is close o the school for some last minutes items. We were having Bobby and Amy's families to celebrate Bobby's birthday as well as Valentine's Day. Nancy's sister Betsy and husband Gus came as well.

I got in some garden work after lunch while Nancy spent the day in the kitchen making two kinds of lasagna, a garden salad and garlic bread as well as peach and blackberry cobbler. Wow what a feed that was and she made so much we will be eating that leftover as well as sending large containers home with each family. The kiddo were fueled by Valentine candy and they were a whirlwind especially when all 5 get together. It was a grand time with family and I was whupped by the time we cleaned up the dishes, vacuumed and put the house back in order. I hit the showers then watched the Lightning beating the LA Kings in hockey for the first two periods.

Take time today and thank our GOD for all the blessings in a corporate worship setting. If not check out our service on line at BridgePoint Church in St.Petersburg, LATER

Saturday Morning

Well Friday was another busy day that started out with a before 6 roll out. It turned out to be another warm muggy day so the a/c is still on while Nancy's mom is experiencing a record snowfall in Michigan with 10 inches or so on the ground and still falling, yeow.

I had my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent some quiet time with my Creator in thanksgiving for another day and lifting several up by name for healing and comfort. I headed out a little before 8 on my bike to the Rec. for two hours of pickle ball and left with a wet shirt. Wow, what a workout. We have two new players from New York visiting and one of them own's a warehouse where he has three pickle ball courts as that sport is really taking off in his area. He was pleasantly surprised by the caliber of play at our Rec. which was quite a compliment. They will be here for a couple more weeks on vacation.

I stopped off at the library for a couple reads I had on order then headed home to hand water the garden. The new transplanted seedlings are looking good, except for one which the pesky squirrels dug out. Needless to say I ran them off each time I come in the back yard with my BB gun, oh well. I had lunch before Amy and Eliza came and hit the shower as I had a doctor's yearly checkup at the VA Hospital.

My blood work was awesome with great HDL cholesterol and the overhaul was at 199. My BP was 107 over 64 and the doctor was amazed for my age. I attribute it to pickle ball and being active. I had one issue as they now are checking all baby boomers for Hepatitis C and I had a reactive to the test. So the doctor had me go back to the lab for more blood tests. If that is affirmative then and ultrasound will be taken of my liver and the treatment is with a pill daily. The pill in the civilian world is 5 thousand bucks a pill, yikes but with the VA it's free since I'm a veteran. I probably contracted it some time while flying overseas during the Vietnam Era. Most people have no idea they have the disease and neither do I if that happens, oh well.

I worked outside in the yard until suppertime as I had several wheel barrow loads of fallen oak leaves that needed mulching and then spread into the garden for my worms to turn into casings which is the ultimate plant fertilizer. I have a great crop of worms in the garden as each shovel full of soil I turn over are filled with wiggling worms. That kept me busy until supper time as we ate late around 6:30. I took apart the homemade coffee table that I made for Amy years ago and then we had it in our house for a couple years but now it doesn't go with Nancy's new furniture which is coming next week. I will take it with me to the cabin and reassemble it there.

We settled into the Fox News after the cleanup from a Marie Callendar's chicken pot pie and fresh broccoli and mushrooms, yeow so delicious. We are learning more each day of the corruption in D.C. and the need to drain the swamp. I'm just amazed at how many in the congress are being exposed at their willingness to destroy this Potus and his agenda. The Clinton's are the most corrupt people ever and they were right in there with Obama to retain power and completely ruin this nation. I'm hoping all of these corrupt folks will go to prison for their complicity to destroy the will of the people in the last election especially the FBI heads and those in the DOJ who conspired with them. Its a shame the MSM has failed to report the truth and they too are a willing partner to destroy our Potus. May they all fail and go bankrupt as investigative journalism is null and void. They have become a willing accessory to the liberal left leaning dem's and the special interests who care little about middle America, God Help US(A), LATER

Friday Morning

Well Thursday was a busy day that started much the usual with a before 6 rollout to a cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then did some quiet time with my Creator in thanksgiving for another day and lifting up several by name. I headed out to the Rec. in the truck as I had to be at the VA center for a blood draw after an hour and half of pickle ball. I had a great workout and left with a wet shirt around 9:30. I brought a change of clothes with me.

I made a couple of stops for new plants at Wal-Mart and Home Depot before heading home. I picked up a cherry tomato plant and a jumbo jalapeno pepper plant as well as a pack of Chinese cabbage sets. I put those in the ground after lunch. I headed up on the roof where several dead limbs had fallen and used the long hand pole saw for some limbs and then used the blower to clean out the gutters and clean all the debris from the roof. That kept me busy for a couple hours and I worked up a sweat as the heat and humidity has arrived back on the Suncoast. Winter is gone and the a/c is on. The garden loves this weather and I now have tomato's set on two of my oldest plants both of which a squirrel had chewed the tops off when they were but seedlings. They now are nearly 5 foot tall and loaded with blooms.

The sugar peas have set fruit with several blooms and I now have sweet and jalapeno peppers set. All of the garden is doing well except the old lettuces plants are fazing out; but I set out nearly two dozen new seedlings which will produce in about a week or so as I started these from seeds. My collards need harvesting and I may make a batch for supper tonight. The carrots are nearly a foot tall as well and the half runner beans are climbing the fence. My one cucumber plant is blooming albeit's small in size and did survive the cold nights which I never counted on. I have trouble with growing cuke's here but not at the cabin, oh well. The radishes and beets are the best ever as is the Swiss chard as it continues to add new stalks almost daily. We have discovered the chard is great raw in salads as well as sauteed'.

Nancy was in the kitchen all day as she prepared a meal for a church members family who had surgery and then made extra sauce for lasagna on Saturday night for Bobby's birthday dinner with the family. We delivered the spaghetti dinner with fresh garden salad, garlic bread and fresh baked chocolate chip cookies just before 5 and then came back and enjoyed the same dinner. After supper I headed out to the garden to transplant more lettuce seedlings I had in 9 packs I had started from seeds. The day's are getting longer which is awesome for outside work. It looked like it might rain so I wanted to get them in the ground before dark.

We settled into the Fox News and then I hit the shower and watched the Lightning beating a Canadian team in hockey. It wasn't long until it was lights out for me as I missed my afternoon read and nap time, LATER

Thursday Morning

Well Wednesday started out rather nice but by late afternoon the heat and humidity was back so the a/c went on once again and will probably stay on for quite a spell unless we get another cool front coming this way. It's snowing up north and just above breezing in the mountains and Winchester had snow for awhile this morning.

I started the day much the usual with a before 6 roll out to a cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent a few moments in thanksgiving for another day and lifting several up by name. Afterwards I got ready to head out on my bike for the Rec. and some two hours of pickle ball. We had three courts in action and I left worn out with a sweat. It had really warmed up by the time I got home. Nancy was gone shopping and running errands so I hand watered the gardens and then set out more lettuce seedlings.

The update on GG was good as can be expected and I finally got through to Paw Paw. He sounded good but said he had the heat up to 80 in his house as snow was on the ground which turned to freezing rain. He wanted to know if we are in Florida as his short term memory is slowly diminishing. We talked for several minutes and he mentioned he was doing fine going up and down those steps in his house.

I piddled around doing a few honey do jobs and then I settled into reading while waiting for Nancy, Amy and Eliza come for lunch. It was going on one before they showed up and I was famished as all I had for breakfast was an apple. Anyhow we had some leftover chili, salsa and chips and then I chilled for a couple hours doing my income taxes. I got those done and sent off via the internet. Not getting much back this year but at least I didn't have to pay any extra taxes. Hopefully the new tax plan by our POTUS will see more money in my pocket for next year and less for the illegals who seem to be the model for the dem's who could care less about American citizens. They want a voting block so they can retain power and control in the congress with no voters ID and all of the illegals voting for them, unbelievable, OH well.

I grilled a couple steak sizzlers and along with fresh beets from the garden and asparagus; we dined delightfully, oh my such delicious flavor from those garden beets. I have another dozen or so that give us plenty of beet greens for our salads but the beet itself was so mild and tender that I sowed more seeds and hopefully they will transplant. They are hard to transplant when just young sprout seedlings but when they get older they transplant well as all I have in this garden came from my fall garden in the mountains.

After the cleanup we settled into the Fox News and learned so much more that implicates the DNC, FBI and DOJ and now as well as the past potus himself and Hillary. We are learning there is more collusion with the Russians with them than ever with Trump and now we see where obvious attempts were being made to cover up Hillary's crimes and subvert the Trump presidency. I think we have a case for corruption and treason like never see before. We will see how the biased MSM will report these findings as they are entirely in the bank with Hillary. We never would have known just how corrupt these bureau heads were if Trump had not won. The cleansing is happening in the Obama administration and hopefully the swamp will be drained in D.C. GOD BLESS Trump for being forthright and not being bought off by these crooked politicians, LATER

Wednesday Morning

Well Tuesday really warmed up in the afternoon until Nancy was contemplating turning on the a/c; however it did start to cool down just enough to avoid that from happening.We got our new coffee table and refinished end table the Botbyl's did for us. Both turned out perfect to match our new furniture that is supposed to be here next week(a week later than promised) anyhow we are getting other areas redone in the house as well.

I started the day much the usual with a before 6 rollout to my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then some quiet time with my Creator while lifting up several by name for some divine attention. GG sounded great on the phone but where she is in Michigan there was snow falling and it was cold. I haven't heard from Paw Paw but Joe and Helen are doing as well as can be expected. It seems now he may put a mobile home on Helens property and live there for awhile as his house has sold and he must get out. GG's house was closed on yesterday so that is gone as well, anyhow such is life as it goes on.

I headed out before 8 to the Rec. on my bike for a two hour workout on the pickle ball court and we had some great play. I left at 10 with a wet shirt and worn out legs. I made a quick stop at the library for a new read while waiting for some reads I had on order. I piddled around in the garden hand watering and then decided the top of the TV cabinet needed another coat of paint so I did that before Eliza and Amy came for lunch as well as gave the laundry cabinet a coat of fresh white paint.

It was lunch time and I was hungry waiting on the crowd so I went ahead and ate a ham salad roll up with some salsas with guacamole that was left over, delicious. I took an hour after lunch to read and cat nap before heading out to trim the vine on the porch then take off the storm door handle and spray paint it as it was looking worn. While it dried I headed to the back garden and transplanted several lettuce seedlings into the ground. I worked up a sweat when Nancy saw me and mentioned it was time for the a/c. Luckily she headed up to the Botbyl's and got out of the sun so we brought down our new furniture they had refinished for a very reasonable cost. They did a magnificent job and so we moved the old table out and the new in.

I grilled bone-in pork chops and Nancy sauteed yellow squash with some green beans from the garden which were very delicious for our supper. Nancy spoke with Helen while I cleaned up the few dishes then we settled into the Fox News Channel until it was shower time. We did watch a little of a movie set in the 50's on HBO which was really cute. Shortly thereafter it was lights out for me at 10'ish, LATER

Tuesday Morning

Well Monday was a bit wet and foggy after the late evening storm that dumped lots of rain on us for most of the evening and night. It did clear off and warm up by lunch time which made for almost perfect conditions on a winter day. By late evening there was just enough chill in the air to make it comfortable coming into the warm house as we walked back from a spaghetti supper with the Cool Peoples Club at the Botbyl's minus Patrick. Afterwards we played 12 rounds of Oh -ell a card game and Kathryn was the big winner.

I started the day with my usual routines of a cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and spent a few quiet moments with my Creator in thanksgiving for another day. I lifted up several by name and then prayed that the truth will be exposed about the corrupt folks in the last administration and the election of 2016. I'm really afraid the core of our democracy is being gutted by the dem's, the left and definitely the main stream media as they all seem to be led by the Obama sycophants with the corruption in the FBI and DOJ. Pray those will be charged and exposed by our POTUS who is doing his best to put America back on solid ground.

I headed out on my bike a little before 8 for the REC. We had 6 really good players and we kept one court for our own for two hours and I was whupped by 10. I never sat down for the first hour as I had good partners and managed to win every set. There were three courts in action through out the morning. I did managed after lunch to catch a quick nap as I was running short on sleep from over the weekends many late night and early morning activities. Amy and Eliza came for lunch and she was so cute with her bike riding ability. I did give the TV stand another coat of paint on the top as some marks were evident and now maybe one more coat today as well.

I didn't need to hand water the garden but did harvest some lettuces for a salad to take up to the Botbyl's to accompany our spaghetti supper. It wasn't long after a hot shower and watching Hannity on Fox News I turned in for the night, LATER

Monday Morning

Well Sunday started out early for me as I was up at 5:30 and on my bike to the college to help with the load in for BridgePoint Church. We are hoping for a permanent building and something may be in the works sometime this coming year. It sure would make it nice to not have to set up and break down every Sunday. We did that with Cornerstone in Sparta for a year or so until we bought property and built a building.

The service was awesome and we had one of our largest first service crowds with several new faces. We didn't stay for the second service for a chance as we weren't needed to serve so after purchasing soup for the food kitchen and dropping it off we headed home and Nancy dropped me off while she went out to shop. I got a second coat of paint on the one cabinet after eating a peanut butter and onion sandwich then harvested and cleaned greens from the garden for a salad. We were having a get together with 3 other couples at the Botbyl's around 5 and the snack foods would be plentiful.

It started raining around 3'ish and it poured once again almost all evening with occasional flashes of lightning and thunder, yeow most unusual especially during this time of the year. The rain was a welcome as this is normally our dry season and the start of wild fires. We had to drive to our neighbors as it was raining that hard and we were carrying lots of goodies. I had grilled several hot wings and Nancy had salsa and chips as well as fresh baked cookies. There was also meat balls, jalapeno poppers, and several dips plus a veggie tray and then a delicious parfait of chocolate pudding with whipped cream, yeow. We did sit and watch the game as this was a planned Super Bowl Party which turned out to be a close one.

Everyone was Eagles fans as most of them grew up in the Philly area or lived there at one time and while I've never pulled for the Pat's I've watched Brady pull games out of his hat before so I was the antagonist throughout the game and when the Pat's went ahead I rubbed it in as much to their dismay. The QB for the Eagles was a "Tom Brady" as he played magnificently and brought the team back for the win in the final minutes which usually happens the other way. I must say for the final game of the season it was interesting and the dynasty has been stopped by the Eagles. Brady for and older QB was at times precise but the Eagles defense never came him much time to pick out receivers as they rushed him all night. One of the best last games of the year and I was impressed with the attempt of the ads and the NFL to make up for the disgraceful actions by some players towards the military. They may have saved their league with honoring the vets who had achieved the highest award for their service. I thought that was honorable in and of itself. We stayed for the final moments of play then headed out as I'd been up early after a late night the day before, LATER

Sunday Morning

Well Saturday was a long day that started around 7'ish and it was close to midnight before I ever finally was able to get to sleep. I worked all day long then we got ready to head to Brandon around 5:30 to help with celebrating son, Bobby's 37th birthday. I 'm not sure how he picked up on the number 37 but that has been a special number with him and of course with this being his 37th birthday it was all that much more special.

Katie and his friends decorated the yard to the hilt with the Hobbit theme. There were between 35 and 40 young folks in attendance with only Katie's folks and us there representing the oldies. Bobby had smoked a couple Boston butts, made Cole slaw and pasta salad and several folks brought desserts. I was a grand time with a video produced by Melody and Chris which was hilarious and at the same time very heart warming and solemn. He has great friends and associates and is highly thought of by them.

I had a semi-mountain breakfast with eggs and grits then got to work after my quiet time and the posting of this ramble. Nancy wanted the entertainment center painted as it had begun to show some yellowing. I used some liquid sander on it then gave it a coat of white paint and while it dried I painted the other cabinet which also had turned somewhat yellow. It was a painting day as by early afternoon the first coat had dried and so I gave the T.V. stand another coat of paint. It turned out better than expected. I will give the other piece a second coat today after church.

I was up at 5:30 this morning Sunday and headed out on my bike for the college to help with the load in of BridgePointe Church. That took about an hour and half then I headed back on my bike. I noticed a huge circle around the moon and that is an indicator of weather to come in the next 24 hours or so according to the old timers. We will attend both services working one and then setting in to hear the message then we will head home as we are meeting with the Kool Peoples Club and another couple around 5'ish for a super bowl party.

 I'm rather disappointed in the NFL as the players use the field to dishonor the vets and the military and our POTUS. The failure to honor the flag and the anthem just galls me to no end and I hope they get their just reward. The politics in America have become nasty and so polarized with the last potus and his corrupt administration and now its finally coming to light with the FBI and the DOJ doing his dirty work to make Trump fail which in essence is hoping the nation fails. never would I have thought this possible but its happened. We should all be aware of the violation of constitutional rights with this spying and assault on our liberty as Americans.

Well its time to get ready to head out for worship. Take a moment and give thanks for all of the blessings we have and that America still is a nation of Believers in Christ Jesus and finally we have a POTUS who honors that premise, LATER

Saturday Morning

Well Friday was another beautiful winter day for Florida. Warm temps, bright sunshine and blue skies. I didn't do a whole lot after my pickle ball work out at the Rec except for some garden work and then entertaining my three Ross grand kiddos in the evening while Amy and Tyler celebrated their 13th year together at the Salt Rock Grille.

I started the day much the usual with a before 6 roll out to a cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent some quiet time with my Creator in thanksgiving for another day. There isn't much new on the updates for those I've been lifting up in prayers as everyone seems to be doing well as can be expected especially those who are advanced in age. Today we celebrate our first born son's birthday in Brandon with a party of family and close friends. Actually the only old folks(as I'm now referred as) with be Nancy and I and Katie's mom Lynn and dad Bruce, the rest with be close friends and associates all around his age of 37; wow where did that time go.

I headed out to the Rec just before 8 and played hard for two hours and was whupped by 10'ish. After a nice bike ride home I hand watered and fed the gardens. The new transplants will soon be needed to put into the ground. Another critter of some sort managed to chew the top out of one of my large tomato plants again, I think it's a squirrel of all things as I've seen them picking Swiss chard leaves and eating them. We saw one the other day with an avocado rind in its mouth chewing on it. There aren't any acorns for them to eat so they will eat anything so I put chicken wire around a couple of the tomato plants, anyhow they will soon be lost as the big oak in front yard is scheduled to be gone sometime before we head to the mountains in June. I'm just waiting on an arborist to sign off on it.

Amy and Eliza came for a lunch of pizza and then she headed out to ride her bike on the sidewalk. I carried one of our chairs over to Amy's as she is getting all of our furniture. Tyler got rid of their couch a little early so they were left with nothing but the love seat. We got word our delivery date has been pushed back a week for our new stuff, oh well. I grilled chicken breast for our supper with the Ross kiddos and of course they love tater tots. Nancy baked chocolate chip cookies for dessert and then Eliza wanted popcorn after her bath.

Amy and Tyler got back around 9'ish after a delightful dinner out and then they headed home. I hit the shower and then tuned into Hannity on the FOX NEWS CHANNEL. We learned just how crooked the director and his assistants in the FBI as well as some in the DOJ who lied or failed to give all of the correct info needed to get a warrant based on a false report on Trump and his associates before and after the election. This never would have come out if she had won. Spying on Americans is a violation of our constitution with out just cause and I certainly hope who were responsible will be adjudicated in a court of law. This is a direct violation perpetrated by the DNC which was Hillary and the cover up was systemic with the heads of these two departments as well as some in the congress. I think there is more to be found out about the lawlessness in the Obama administration, LATER

Friday morning

Well Thursday once again was a busy day that started with pickle ball, a second coat of paint in the dining room, a trip to Sam's Club and finally some afternoon garden work. The weather was perfect with temps in the middle 70's and lots of sunshine and blue skies. I even hung a load of laundry outside on the clothesline as it was a perfect day with no humidity.

I started the day with a before 6'ish rollout to a cup of hot green tea as the morning temps were a bit nippy in the low 50's but by 10'ish it was middle 60's and only got better by noon. I spent a few minutes posting this ramble then a few quiet minutes honoring my Creator with a thanksgiving prayer and then for several by name. GG sounded the best ever on the phone around supper time. Her speech is back to normal and now she is walking some with a walker albeit's with a therapist but there is some progress. Haven't heard from Paw Paw for a couple of days as he use to call once a week and Helen's brother Joe is doing great considering all he went through. Our friend Dana who had back surgery is home and doing well.

I headed out around 8'ish and got in two good hours of pickle ball play at the Rec. then stopped off at the library for a couple new reads before heading home to hand water the gardens. I think most everything made it and I harvested a nice mess of Swiss chard for our supper that accompanied a grilled bone-in pork chop. The bone-in's are so much juicier than the tenderloin on the grill and with some fat marbling they are so much better tasting and of course I'm a bone picker. It's funny how you remember things from your youth and my bio mom was a bone picker when ever she came to visit me while I lived with Paw Paw her brother. We loved to have GG for supper with those bone-in chops as she was just the opposite and always gave me her bone-in chop after cutting out the center portion; now Nancy is some what of a bone picker but not as through as me, oh well.

We loaded up on goodies at Sam's and I saw and old deputy friend from years past and he just moved back to Florida after selling out in N.C. We have some friends in common who use to back me up on the road on those midnight shifts. We were such few troopers on the road and there were always plenty of deputies around to help. I for one was most thankful for their added help especially in some of the less savory crime laden areas. We stopped at Lowes for some knobs for the new coffee table Dan and Carol are refinishing for us then headed home.

After the cleanup from supper we settled into the Fox News Network until 7'ish and I checked out one of the HBO channels and saw the movie Sandlot which is about neighborhood kids playing baseball and their adventure with a junk yard dog. It was really a cute movie and one I could identify with my two close buddies, Brian and Pud growing up playing ball in an empty hay field on the farm.  After the movie I hit the showers and then tuned into the Lightning hockey game who were playing in Canada. I watched the first period then it was lights out for me at 10 with the score tied. I noticed this morning they went on a scoring drive and won 7-4. They are still in first place in their division and hopefully will make the playoffs this year, LATER

Thursday Morning Feb 1st

Well January saw us with the coldest winter weather in years but to hear the global warming crowd it was caused by warm weather. Where did we find these scientist or whatever they are called because it seemed totally political to me and just another way for the gov't to redistribute money, oh well. Wednesday was a busy day for me that started out on the pickle ball court and then in the dining room with a paint brush as I covered the red walls with deep blue paint.

I started the day much the usual with a before 6 roll out to a cup of hot green tea laced with the herb turmeric after washing down a handful of Nutrilite vitamins. I posted this ramble then spent a few quiet moments with my Creator in thanksgiving for another day and lifting up several to Him by name for comfort and healing and for some doctors who were performing surgery on a few folks we know. The prayers worked if your a Believer in Him or if you just believe in happenstance. I believe in Him. I headed out a little before 8 on my bike to the Rec. and the cold wind had the eyes watering most of the way.

I got in two solid hours of pickle ball play and while my cardio is back I was whupped by 10 o'clock and ready for a rest. I made a stop at the library for a couple of reads I had ordered and now I'm back to reading the author Ed McBain who is a fine mystery writer based on the 87th police district in New York City. He has passed on in life but his books are plentiful. I got home and then cleaned the walls and crown moulding before cutting in with a paint brush which took me right up to lunch time. After lunch I used a sponge roller and gave the walls the first coat of blue paint which will accentuate the new blue leather couch and love seat as well as two high back chairs which are supposed to come Mon. or Tues. That kept me busy until Amy and Eliza left to pick up Ava and Sam from school. Nancy took off shopping and I finally got to rest and read for a couple hours before supper.

I grilled a couple hamburger steaks and along with a fresh garden salad and a can of sweet peas we dined. Delicious to say the least.  After the cleanup we settled into the Fox News Network and found out some very interesting things about the dem's and lib's. They do not want to work with this POTUS at all and actually hate the American people all because they want to get back in control and promote the divisiveness started by the Obama administration. Unbelievable. There are a few folks in the democrat party like Senator Manchin from W.Va. who want what's best for the nation and are willing to work with the republicans but the vitriolic black caucus and the special interest liberals want no part in helping to make America great again, disgusting to say the least.

I certainly did not hear anything to cause divide by President Trump in the SOTU speech but the liberals only heard that and they are such fools to think that most patriotic Americans didn't hear that either. We will see just what the Obama White House along with the FBI and DOJ did to try and derail our POTUS before and after the election with this memo about to be released and I think we will have some grave concerns for our democracy and the violations by these department heads in thwarting the rule of law and our constitution, LATER