Thursday Morning

Well Wednesday was another wet day until late afternoon when the rain stopped and it cleared off for the rest of the day and evening and we began to dry out. Nancy was having her ladies group so I took off for the evening to the library until they closed at 9 then only had to wait another 15 minutes or so for them to leave before heading in the house to watch a little of the Stanley Cup finals. The Caps were winning when I shut the lights off at 10:30.

The day started much the usual except for sleeping in until after 6'ish. Our new times at the rec. have thrown me off to some degree but there wasn't much else I could do as its been to wet outside to get anything done but stay on the internet. I drove to the rec. in the pouring rain and we did get half of the gym for a couple hours. I managed a good sweat as I never the court for the first hour as we play winners split with new partners after each set. I had good team members so I stayed on the court until 11:30 then headed home as Bobby was stopping by for lunch.

After lunch I read for a couple hours then got my shower out of the way before eating a light supper of salad around 5:30 so that Nancy could do her last minute what evers when company is coming. She has us booked each night for the next week then I put my foot down and said no more as we must get ready to leave for 5 months. I found a nice airbnb near the wedding venue in Michigan for a reasonable cost in the month of August; cheaper than the hotel but not the same one we stayed in last time as Nancy does not like the idea of a shared bathroom, plus the last one was a little farther away from the wedding. I'm looking for another airbnb near where her brother Eric who is caring for her mom for another couple days so we can visit with her.

I perused books at the library then choose 4 to keep me busy for the next few days before we leave. There is much to do and pack as we always take way to much with us. I've found a different route to by-pass Charlotte due to the road construction and congestion which is 50 miles longer but I'm sure a faster route and I know more scenic. The route will take us through Winston-Salem where we can stock up on items at Sam's Club as well as a super Wal-Mart and Lowes all are right there together. I'm really getting excited about the move to the cabin. I'm helping another standout worker and volunteer at Bridgepoint to move this Friday to the Dakotas. He is going for good and he is a Florida native; what a change he and his wife are in for this coming winter.

Well that was about it for this day as we are supposed to dine with the Cool Peoples Club but the Botbyl's are sick with a bug so they will probably come here again this evening, LATER

Wednesday Morning

Well this week is about half gone and the time is just flying by and we are down to 16 days until I will be on the road for the mountains. It was another hot muggy day on Tuesday with no rain but lots of low lying dark clouds which looked like rain all day long. It also was the first day of the new hours at the rec. for us pickle ball players and we did have quite a turn out with three courts in action but it started at 10:30 which is usually when I back home after the 8 AM start, oh well. I did go into the weight room for an hour and walk on the treadmill before playing.

The day started much the usual with a before 6 roll out to my cup of green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent some time with my Creator in thanksgiving for another day and all the blessings as well as lifted up several by name. All is well with those as of this date and we are looking forward to visiting with all of them this summer. Some will require a long trip to see them from the mountains and we will have to make accommodations for overnight visits as well.

Amy and Eliza came for lunch and then after they left we made an errand run and finally to Sam's Club for some goodies before getting back around 4:30. We decided to finally start eating up some of the freezer foods so I grilled Italian sausages and along with a garden salad and called that supper. Afterwards I fired up the mower and cut both yards. The grass is growing so fast that I'm now cutting it almost every 5 days, yikes. I can't imagine how high the grass is at the cabin with all of the rain they are receiving. The new tree is doing great and I've removed the ropes to hold it in place during the heavy winds and it did find after this weekend where we saw some really strong gusts.

Well tonight Nancy is hosting her woman's Soul Sister Bible group so I'm looking for a place to crash for a couple hours. I guess I'll wind up at the library until it closes down as neighbor Dan has some kind of bug or maybe I'll head over to Amy's. Anyhow it entertain until its time to leave for the cabin, LATER

Tuesday Morning

Well it was a rather wet at times Memorial Day here on the usual sunny Suncoast of Florida. At least the temps were held down into the upper 80's but the humidity was evident. We had a cancellation on our evening get together as Dan came down with a bug so we watched the Ray's win in 13 innings in Oakland, Ca. 1-0 and then I watched the first two periods of the hockey game which was tied 3-3 when I shut the lights out around 10:30.

The day started with my usual before 6 roll out to my usual morning routines that started with a cup of green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent some quiet time with my Creator in thanksgiving and lifting several up by name. I spoke with Paw Paw and he sounded rather good and was spending the day home sitting on the front porch and Nancy spoke with Helen who sounded good. She never did speak with her mom as her phone was never answered. Anyhow I headed outside to work in the yard and gardens as the sun was shinning the first part of the day.

It got really hot and muggy about lunch time and we could see the black clouds rolling in and from then it was showers and very hard at times the rest of the day and evening. This storm Alberto should be out of here by now and onto the panhandle of Florida. I chilled the rest of the day thinking we were getting together with neighbors and when that cancelled I took a nap while reading before turning on the tube to watch some of the service at Arlington Cemetery honoring our hero's who gave their all for this nation and the freedoms and liberties she stands for.

That was about it for the day as it was horizontal time around 10'ish, LATER

Monday Morning..Happy Memorial Day to All who served

Well Sunday was at times blustery with rain and wind and of course high heat when the clouds parted in the afternoon. I started the day with a 5'ish roll out to help with the load in at SPC for BridgePoint Church. The message was awesome and both Nancy and I sat in on the second service while working the first one. We got away around 12:45 and headed over to a new eatery which was having a grand opening called Willie Jewels Barbecue in the Seminole Center which is just 5 minutes from the house.

We saw out daughter Amy and her family from Seminole First along with several of their friends and kiddos who shared a table with our grands. We also saw several old friends from years past and it was like a reunion Sunday. The food was excellent as I had the smoked turkey and Nancy the smoked brisket with two sides each of fries, slaw and toast which held us for the rest of the day. The meat was plentiful and delicious. I would go back there again.

We are down to our last two Sundays at BridgePoint and already several are lamenting our departure as we both work both services and are now seeking folks to take our places. Our attendance held today despite the rainy weather and I see new faces each Sunday. We are looking for a permanent structure to hold our services in the Seminole Area which would eliminate the early morning load in's; but so far our volunteers have increased as well and we are only using about an hour an half to make it ready for the 9:30 service. We have got to know so many and really enjoy our Life Groups and they will be missed when we leave for the summer; but it will be good to be back in the mountains with all of our old friends and church family there as well. We are expecting several visits this summer from folks and family from Florida. I found an old friend on FB who I hadn't any contact with since I went into the USAF in 1966. He lives in Gastonia, N.C. and we are hoping to get together this summer. That will be a hoot as were once college roommates at Gardener-Webb and now he and his wife have great grands, wow.

Well we watched the Rays win big at home over the Orioles and then watched a movie title Seabiscuit about a famous race horse in the 30's. It was a really good movie and it depicted the culture in America before and after the great depression and the trials of the jockey who rode this racer. Very good flick with a good message. Well it wasn't long until the early morning roll out caught me nodding off so it was horizontal lab for me around 10, LATER

Sunday Morning

Well there is no sun out here today as the first tropical storm is heading into the Gulf Of Mexico and the load in at SPC for BridgePoint Church is a wet one; but we got the big truck unloaded and set up with minimal wetness.

Saturday was a mixture of rain and sunshine but with lots of humidity. I'm ready for the mountains. I received a couple pictures from neighbor Gerald who was visiting his cabin next door to mine. Everything looked green and several of the flowers were blooming and of course the grass was knee high. I look forward to the big change we will make in the first week there with manicuring the yards, weeding the flower and veggie gardens. I usually work from sunup to sunset which I love to do and the results are just so satisfying as we once again give thanks for such a great place to go to in the summer months. I love this part of retirement and of course we will visit with all of our mountain friends and church family at Cornerstone.

I did my usual morning routines then headed out to the rec. for two hours of pickle ball play. There were several newbies this Saturday morning with some who were not bad and some who were just brand new and had much to learn; anyhow I worked out and left with a wet shirt around 10'ish. The rec. is closed until Tuesday morning and then we have new hours for us pickle ballers that start at 10:30 instead of 8. I'm an early morning player but we will see how that plays out(no pun intended). We were having the Cool Peoples Club for early afternoon(3:30) get together and then a Mexican supper. Afterwards we played 12 rounds of OH -ell with the newest gal of the gang, Elizabeth winning on the last round. They all left just before dark as the weather had turned to rain and they had an hour's drive back to their place which is two doors down from the Tracy's near Dade City.

Well it wasn't long after they left that we cleaned up and got ready for some horizontal lab ourselves as I had an early morning rise for the load in at the college, LATER

Saturday Morning..Wow the last one in May

Well Friday was a most uneventful day except the tumble from the step ladder when cleaning out the gutters after getting back from the rec. I skinned up my elbow and wrist when the ladder folded after sinking into the soft earth and flipping me onto my backside. It wasn't that big of a deal except for the loss of skin and putting the broken ladder in the garbage.

I started the day with my before 6 roll out to my routines that started with a cup of hot tea laced with turmeric after washing down a handful of Nutrilite vitamins and supplements with a swallow of V-8 laced with hot sauce. I spent some quiet time with my Creator after posting this ramble lifting up several by name. All seem well as I write. I headed out for the rec. on my bike for two hours of pickle ball and this will be the last week day where we can have the gym at 8 AM as the summer camp starts on Tuesday after the Memorial Day weekend. We have the gym at 10:30 until noon each day which is good as the past years we only had it one morning and a couple evenings and Sat. morning. Anyhow I'm an early person and I'm usually home by 10:30, oh well will see if we get many players at that time of the day; beside I've only 3 weeks left before we leave for the cabin.

After nearly breaking my neck I piddled around in the yard and gardens and hung a load of laundry. Nancy got back at lunch time from her Bible Study group at SFBC and then Amy and Eliza came for lunch. It was rather muggy but plenty of sunshine until around 2'ish then it clouded up and we got a light shower. Luckily the clothes had dried on the line and we managed to get them in before the clouds opened up for a few minutes then it cleared off. We are supposed to get some heavy rain over the week end from the tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico which is headed towards the panhandle of Florida.

We got our Ross grand kiddos around 5'ish and kept them until sometime close to 11 as Amy and Tyler had a date night with supper out and then a trip to the Trop to watch the Orioles beat the Ray's 2-0. It was not one of their better games and they traded one of their good players before the game, no wonder their fan base is in the tank, oh well. The kiddos were full of energy and they ate well with a supper of fried chicken strips, yellow rice, peas and carrot strips with sundaes afterwards. After their baths they wanted pop corn while they watched a movie. Eliza and I fell asleep around 10'ish before Amy and Tyler got home. We entertain again this evening with the Cool Peoples Club for supper and games, LATER 

Friday Morning

Well Thursday was a busy day of play and then work. It was hot and muggy once again and we did get a thunder storm with some rain in the late evening but no "gully washer as predicted, although one is predicted for this weekend with a tropical disturbance heading our way from the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane season has officially started already.

It was a usual morning for me with a before 6 roll out to my routines that start with a cup of green tea laced with turmeric while I posted the ramble and spent some quiet time with my Creator lifting several up by name. All of those are doing well as can be expected due to their ages. Nancy speaks with her mom daily and I try Paw Paw every other day but he sounds as if its been weeks since he last heard from me. His memory is fading. Helen is doing wonderful and she is older than GG and a few months younger than Paw Paw. She amazes me with her doing for herself and for brother Joe as well as riding her golf cart, mowing with her old tractor and driving folks around. She loves to burn and is always outside with her trimming shrubs, trees and making burn piles. We talk almost daily.

Well I headed out to the rec. on my bike for two hours of pickle ball play and left with a wet shirt. I decided to work in the yard as if was rather cloudy and not extremely hot although it was high humidity. I mowed and then hoed weeds and took down three tomato plants that were not producing and sure enough the nematodes had gathered at the roots. The roots were gnarled and ropey with the microscopic worms sucking all of the life from the plant despite it still being green with blooms. The other two plants haven't been affected with them as they are on the other side of the garden and are still setting fruit. The volunteer cherry tomato is loaded with fruit and I have a couple other volunteer plants which I may bring with me. The cold winter kills the nematodes so there is no worry of infecting the cabin gardens but here in Florida they are rampart.

The grass has really filled in with some crab grasses which requires hoeing them out but at least it is green. I took the mower blade off and sharpened it for Ava Mae who will be mowing the yards this summer. She will earn some money and I will have my yards looked after. The tree is doing fine and I think will survive unless a strong wind takes it down. Amy and Eliza came for lunch then I read until 4'ish with a cat nap at times. Dan and Carol stopped by for a visit and then we finished the leftover zucchini pie from last nights supper. I headed out to give the new beets a drink as well as the new cucumber plant. The sun was shining brightly as there was not evidence of rain in the area but that changed within the hour and we got a storm and some rain. We settled into the Ray's game and they were beating first place Boston finally. It wasn't long until it was shower time and then I tuned into the Fox Cable news until it was lights out at 10'ish, LATER 

Thursday Morning

Well Wednesday started much the usual with a before 6 roll out to my usual cup of green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent some quiet time with my Creator. All is well with those I lift up daily by name despite their advancing ages. I headed out to the rec. for a couple hours of pickle ball play before stopping off at the library for a couple of new reads. I had called WOW our cable and internet provider about us losing our internet service and a tech was once again at the house when I got there. He was probably the most competent of any tech thus far and explained to us why he thought our service would fluctuate at times and about their equipment which has a built in modem and router thus eliminating our WiFi. They seem to be cancelling each other out at times and maybe the reason our connection is interrupted. We will see.

I piddled around outside in the garden and yards until lunch time when it became just too hot and muggy to be outside. We went one day without rain so that helped to dry things out. The wet weather has stirred up the ants and they were seeking some place and decided our garage was where they wanted to be so I sprayed it with a deadly spray but the smell is awful to say the least and then around the house and along the eves, yuck it's that bad and its called Malathion. The garden continues to grow and I made another cutting of Thai Basil as well as Rosemary to take with me to the cabin in June. I sowed some kale and Swiss chard and they should be up in a day or so as the beets were up after just a couple of days. I'm still harvesting tomato's but this rain has taken its toll on the vines.

Well it was a tough night for the Lightning as they lost big time to the Capitals in the final conference game and are out of the playoffs. It was a brutal game but no goals for the Bolts as they went down 4-0 and the Ray's lost as well in the last inning to the Red Sox. Well that is about it for the day except we are learning more as the deep state is being exposed to the public and I'm beginning to think the MSM is an integral part of the corruption as well. We know the MSM is biased against our duly elected POTUS Trump but now I'm thinking they are complicit in their desire to destroy his presidency along with the heads in the DOJ, FBI and CIA as well as Obama. We all knew he knew and that maybe he directed these agencies in their actions; if so then he should be charged with treason and arrested, LATER

Wednesday Morning

Well Tuesday saw us with heavy rain in the afternoon and evening and once again stuck in heavy traffic as we made our way over to Tampa for the evening awards ceremony at Belle Shoals Christian School where Annsley and Gabe attend. It took us two hours to make the 50 miles or so drive.

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 and prayer for several by name. All of those are doing as well as can be expected. I spoke with Paw Paw and Nancy spoke with her mom in Michigan on the way back from Tampa last evening. I headed out for the rec. around 8 and got in two solid hours of pickle ball play and then headed home to catch up on some garden and yards chores before it rained again. The grass is growing so fast and I had started several clipping in the garden which now all had roots so it was time to get them in the bare spots around the yards with all of the daily rain. Nancy was at the rec. doing her workout on the treadmill.

The internet is still not working properly as it goes down quite frequently but at least I'm able to get this ramble out the past couple of days. We have another scheduled tech coming this morning to try and figure out the issues; hopefully they can determine the problem and correct it. I pulled my first black beauty egg plant and we had it for our lunch, yeow was it ever delicious fried and then we added several different herbs from the garden along with some left over salsa; that was our lunch. I know frying is not supposed to be that good for you but fried yellow squash, okra, green tomato's and egg plant are the best ever. I have several other egg plants in various sizes coming on so I will be giving them away to friends and neighbors.

Amy and Eliza came for lunch and of course Amy loves the egg plant as well as does most of her kids especially Ava. Tyler is not a fan so she never prepares it at home. After they left I jumped in the shower as I knew it would be late when we got back from Tampa plus I had been working and playing hard during the morning. We headed out a little before 4 to make the 6 PM program and the traffic on the toll road was stop and go and bumper to bumper, Yikes when with this ever clear out and the rain made it worst with several accidents on the side of the roads.

Annsley received several awards for her writing and math accomplishments and the most coveted Principal's Award as having straight A's all year long. There were a few students in each of the grades achieving that award. She was brought up to the stage several times throughout the ceremony. Not only is she going to be a beauty but a smart one as well. We headed over to a local eatery for some supper with Bobby and Katie before heading back across the bridge. Thankfully the traffic had thinned out and we made it in the usual traveling time. I noticed gas prices had gone to almost 3 bucks a gallon in just a little over a week. Well its summer driving time with school out and this always happens this time of the year but still with US(A) now and oil exporting nation the prices should be lower.

We tuned into the FOX CABLE NEWS on Sirius radio on the way home and then again on TV and the dem's and lib's are in big trouble with the corruption of the deep state being exposed and Hillary may yet be in trouble and hopefully charged for her collusion and being complicit in spying on the Trump party and trying to ruin him after he beat her in the election. We are learning just how corrupt she and Obama where in politics and in trying to destroy our duly elected POTUS TRUMP. The corruption at the top of the DOJ, FBI and CIA is frightening as it subverts the constitution and the equal justice laws. We never would have know any of this corruption if she had won. I believe it was GOD sparing the nation and which caused many of Americans who had never voted before to make sure she never got the votes. Thank You GOD, LATER     

Tuesday Morning

Well I'm back on the internet which is almost like losing your where with all. It sure is strange we have become so dependent on being able to connect with the world instantly especially the first thing each day with posting this ramble. Since I could not get on the web I sat and read until it was time to get ready and head out to the rec. for some pickle ball.

I had a good workout on the courts then stopped off at the library was a couple new reads and one by Grisham which I have just about finished during the day and its titled WHISTLER. Wow what a good read and since it rained all afternoon thats just what I did. Its a must read especially for those who enjoy good investigative action. I called WOW and they said a tech would come by some time during the day to check out the problem and they did around 11 and was here for over an hour and did change out the modem and it corrected the problem but then it went down again so I'm on their wifi instead of my router which is fine with me but there is still an issue which the tech could not decide what the problem was so he said his boss was going to come by and check out the issue.

Amy and Eliza came for lunch and it poured rained off an on through out the afternoon and really down poured as she left to pick up Ava and Sam at school. We got ready as we were invited out to supper with another couple from BridgePoint along with the Botbyl's. I picked them up in the pouring rain a little before 6. We brought salsa and guacamole and Carol brought a delicious frozen strawberry pie. We sat in the Hurley's inter coastal side home watching the dolphins feed in the water while enjoying an adult beverage(some of us did) until it was time to chow down. Brenda had made pulled pork, baked beans, Cole slaw and pasta salad all very delicious. After eating we played chicken foot domino's as they had never played it before. We were there until nearly 9:30 and left in another down pour. We are sure getting our share of rain after being dry for such a long time.

The garden is loving these wet cool days with periods of bright sunshine. I noticed I have beets up from seeds in just 4 days and I will eventually take them with me to the cabin for the summer garden. I'm thinking of starting some Swiss chard and kale in the next day or so. The tomato's are coming so quickly and with so many. I picked a dozen yesterday and gave away 2 to 3 dozen over the weekend plus the one cherry tomato plant is producing out of control. My neighbors love them and so I give all of them away.

The Lightning were losing in the 6th game in Washington when I shut the TV off around 10:30 and now they will come back to Tampa to play the final game to see who goes to the finals in the Stanley Cup, Oh well, LATER

Monday Afternoon..NO DADGUM INTERNET

Well I finally got the internet back after it being down since Sunday afternoon and for the past couple of weeks it has been going down every time you turn around. I just got a call from one of my daily readers about why I hadn't posted a ramble.

Sunday saw me with an early start around 5'ish as I got ready to head over to the college for the load in at BridgePoint Church with several other volunteers. I got back to the house around 7:30 to get ready to head back out around 8:30 for the 9:30 service which both Nancy and I worked. We both got to sit in on the second service at 11:00 which the message was awesome to say the least. We left shortly there after for home to eat leftovers for lunch which held us until late evening when I popped some corn.

The afternoon found me napping after the early start and reading until the Ray's game came on and then we watched some HGTV and finally the Legend and Lies show about the Civil War on Fox Cable Show. It wasn't long after 10'ish I was ready for some horizontal, LATER

Sunday Morning

Well Saturday started out much the usual with a before 6 roll out to a cup of green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent some quiet time with my Creator. All is well with those I lift up each and every day. I got ready then headed out on my bike to the rec. for a couple hours of pickle ball with 5 other players. We did work up a sweat. I headed home to piddle around in the garden and yards when we got a call from Betsy,Nancy's sister who was at the Seminole post office that she suddenly became very dizzy and needed to be driven to Clearwater where she lives. So I drove her car and Nancy drove her in the truck. It took one person each side of her to get her in and out of the truck and eventually she went to the ER at Morton Plant Hospital.

We headed home around noon to have lunch then I read for a couple hours as black clouds appeared but quickly went away. We did get some rain later in the evening but nothing like the other day when it poured. Today was Amy's birthday so Nancy was making a cake and getting ready for the Ross Family around 6. Amy called around 1'ish that Tyler had cut his finger deeply with his pocket knife and was on the way to the ER as well for stitches.

I headed over to help Amy with finishing the mowing and sweeping then headed home before large black cloud erupted and rained on the laundry. After getting that in I settled in for a couple hours of reading while Nancy put the sauerkraut and pork ribs in the oven. She also had a pot of taters peeled and ready to cook and smash. She was watching the build up to the big horse race and was it ever a muddy sloppy track but the favorite won and now is just one race away from being a Triple Crown Winner.

The Ross's came around 6'ish and we dined on some great comfort food with chocolate cake with white icing and vanilla ice cream for dessert. After the cleanup we settled into a game of Trivia Pursuit with both kid and adult questions while peaking at the Lightning game. Sam won the overall game for the kids and Tyler won for the adults and the Lightning won their game as well. The Ray's were winning in California when I shut the TV off at 10, LATER

Saturday Morning..Happy Big Day to daughter Amy

Well Friday was once again a mixture of work and play which was mainly eating at a restaurant in Tampa called Bellas Italian just off Bayshore Blvd in the old down town area. Yikes the area is filled with majestic homes facing the Bay of Tampa. Word is this is the longest continuous sidewalk in America at 11 miles around the bay.

I started the day much the usual with a before 6 roll out to my cup of green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble from the day before's  activities and then some quiet moments with my Creator in thanksgiving and intercessory thoughts for many by name. All of those are holding their own at this date. I headed out on my bike for the rec. for two hours of pickle ball play and we had a couple good players mixed in the group so I managed a wet shirt before heading out to the library and then home. I fired up the lawn mower and gave both yards a good mowing and worked up another wet shirt from the job, the heat and humidity. Summer is here on the Suncoast of Florida.

Nancy was at her heart doctor getting her yearly checkup for her racing heart which is now under control with scripts. I pulled more ripening tomato's and then hand watered the gardens after mowing. The grasses have really filled in on both of the yards and the tree is looking good as well. I don't think we will get any blooms this year but we did get lots of new growth and I do think its doing great in the whole of the old rotten oak stump.

Amy and Eliza came for lunch and then I settled into the reading room for a couple hours as it was just to hot to be outside. I hit the shower around 2'ish as we were leaving at 3 with the Botbyl's for Tampa to meet up with Tracy's and Martin's. We sat outside under a patio as they brought along(dog sitting) the dog Roux which is their daughter's English Bulldog who is in Spain on vacation. He barely made any noise and unless you mentioned his name he was a no show. Anyhow the food was a bit pricey and what I had was delicious but I wouldn't go back again. We dined and cut up for over two hours and had an enjoyable time as we made plans for the summer. The Tracy's and Martin's will be coming to the cabin and now we learned the Botbyl's are maybe skipping out this summer as Carol is taking on a new job with her daughter and will be traveling to Orlando once a week, oh well.

We got back to Seminole a little before 7'ish and then settled into the Fox Cable News and eventually into the other playoff hockey game. I just love hockey especially when our team is playing. They play again tonight in Tampa, LATER

Friday Morning

Well Thursday was a busy day that started with a before 6 roll out to my usual morning routines with a cup of green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent some quiet time with my Creator in thanksgiving and lifting up several by name. All is well as I've heard nothing to the contrary.

I headed out on my bike for the rec. for a couple hours of pickle ball with 5 good players and quite a workout before heading to the library on the way home. I piddled around in the garden picking tomato's and hand watering what's left of the plants before hand watering the the front yard. Nancy was off to the eye doctor for a follow up visit and it seems this last round of eye drops worked. The redness has lessened and the morning stuff has ceased to be evident in the eyes. The doctor prescribed a new drop for the redness which doesn't hurt the eye like the over the counter drops.

Amy and Eliza postponed their lunch date so we ate alone and then I read for a couple hours before getting ready to meet up with son Bobby and Katie in Tampa for a light supper before Annsley's school program at Belle Shoals School. It took us and hour and half to go 50 miles or so as the traffic was like a parking lot on the interstate. The trip back was a lot faster as we came back on the toll road. We met up at the Acropolis eatery which was very delicious and plentiful then headed to the school. Annsley had several memory parts as well as several songs with a 5 girl group who sang numerous songs in the play "Alice in Wonderland with a twist". It was an enjoyable musical put on with 3 through 8th graders. We ran into some heavy rain in Tampa at times but it was mostly clear on the way home just before dark.

I watched the first 2 periods of the Lightning game in D.C. and the score was tied when I shut the lights out at 10'ish. I read this morning where they won and tied the series up with 2 games a piece and will come back to Tampa on Saturday for the next game. It seems this series may go the full 7 games and lets hope the Lightning prevail. The Ray's were in California so it was really late when they started playing. I will check the boxscores later. seems we are back in Tampa again this evening(friday) for a dinner at some nice eatery for Kathryn's birthday, LATER

Thursday Morning

Well Wednesday was an uneventful day except for son Bobby stopping by for lunch while he was over in our county. Most every thing else was much the usual for me except I did harvest the last of the carrots which were awesome this year. They were the largest ones I've ever grown and in the same small bed on the side of the house. I gave away carrots to everyone and we ate plenty for ourselves.

I started the day with my usual before 6 rollout to my hot tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent some quiet moments with my Creator in prayer and thanksgiving while lifting several up by name for comfort and healing. All is well with those I mention daily during that time and of course I pray for our nation and our president and his family. He is doing a remarkable job as the nation is on a course of recovering some values and our economy. He honored our law enforcement community which hasn't been done in the last 8 years under the past potus who was responsible for the loss of respect for those who are on the daily front line of keeping us safe from criminals. What an honor they have become with this potus.

I did my workout on the pickle ball court despite having a small crowd of players and then stopped off in the weight room for a 30 minute work out on the incline of the tread mill. I need to start getting my climbing legs back as hopefully we will be hiking the steep back trail at the cabin in less than a month. We have some friends who are back in the mountains and the wild flowers are in bloom. We will miss the lilac's and the peonies again as they usually bloom in late April and early May, oh well. I love the smell of both and the dog wood's should be blooming by now or maybe they too are finished. I love the Spring time in the mountains.

I picked a dozen or more ripe tomato's and now have several egg plants starting to really fill out. I'm ready for some fried egg plant or maybe some parmesan. I will have several to give away as I bought one plant but it had two stems, so I separated them and now they are both over 4 feet tall and loaded with new fruit and tons of blossoms. I picked some of the dried bean pods and will use them for next years planting after shelling the dried beans out of the pods. I have a total of seven beautiful white orchids which are still gorgeous after several days. The rain did start to break them down but has brought on the grasses and the new Crepe Myrtle tree in the front yard. We so needed that rain.

Well the Ray's won again and it was a sweep of the Royals and the Lightning play again tonight (Thur.)  Let's hope we can get back to being even in the game wins with the Capitals. We are learning more ever day of the corruption within the higher ups of the DOJ and the FBI and how they along with the CIA, NSA and the Obama administration decided to undermine our duly elected POTUS. This is treason in my book and all of them should be imprisoned or put to death including the past potus who we all know was in charge, LATER

Wednesday Morning

Well Tuesday started 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 a few quiet moments with my Creator in thanksgiving for all the blessings and then to lift up several by name for comfort and healing. There hasn't been any change with any of those and that is well. I spoke with Paw Paw and he sounded much better since he has been going to the senior center 4-5 days a week and he mentioned he was getting ready to mow his small yards with his push mower; so he must be feeling good.

I headed out on my bike to the rec for two hours of pickle ball. Many of the good players have gone back north but we still have enough to get in a work out with a wet shirt before heading home after a stop at the library. I hand watered a bit in the afternoon as the heat and wind have dried up much of the rain from Sunday and Monday but we got another hard rain during the late evening hours. The heat and humidity are back with vengeance Florida style.

I headed out for the Drivers License Bureau and what a wait that was, nearly an hour to get in to renew the DL; at least this renewed one is good for 8 years and I had to show all kinds of documents which I had never done before. I can see why there is such necessity to prove who you are but not to vote in any election. Doesn't make sense to me, oh well. I got back to the house after a stop at Ace Hardware for some propane gas for the grill around noontime and ate a lunch of salad. Amy and Eliza were not coming today so I headed into the computer room to read the afternoon away. Nancy was off to the rec for a workout and a stop at Publix. We had to be at Keswick School in the evening where Ava Mae was having her spring piano recital along with 20 or more other students. She did fantastic and we are so proud of her. We noticed several parents of students there attend our BridgePoint Seminole campus.

Well it poured during the program and it was a wet drive home. We tuned into the Lightning game they were leading 4-1 in the third period when I shut the TV off as was the Ray's beating Kansas 5-3 late in the game. I'll check for the final score but the Bolts needed a victory in the best of 7 games, LATER

Tuesday Morning May 15

Wow this month is nearly half gone already and a month from today or yesterday we should be spending our first night at the cabin in 7 months. I'm really getting antsy about going and looking forward to seeing all of the great folks there we see nearly every day and getting the cabin and the garden and flower beds in shape for company. We got down pours all day long on Monday and I have a bucket I left out with over 5 inches of rain water, wonderful.

Well Monday found me with my usual morning routines that started with a before 6 rollout to my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent a few quiet moments with my Creator. Everyone seems to be in well at this point and GG was doing a crossword puzzle so thats a great sign she hasn't any brain damage from the mini stroke she suffered last summer. I spoke with Paw Paw on Friday and he sounded much better and now he is off to the senior center almost daily and is getting at least one good meal a day.

The rain had let up about the time I usually ride out to the rec despite the black clouds in the area so off I went on my bike. One of the women players gave me a ride home around 10'ish as the rain was pouring. She is off to Upper Michigan this morning until October so we will lose another good player. I headed to the VA Hospital after lunch for my eye checkup which has seen much improvement with these prescribed vitamins. I'm still 20/20 in one eye and 20/25 in the other and the pressure has been reduced and I no longer see the ring of lights occasionally at night when driving. This was the first time I ever had pictures taken of my eye. I made a stop at my barber and had my ears lowered on the way home and it was a cloud burst to say the least. I know FHP was busy as the roads had not been rained on in months and the oil made them slick and accident prone. Sure glad those working days are over and I really don't miss all the paper work.

Well we read the rest of the afternoon until it was time to heat up some leftovers from Sunday's supper then we settled in to the Ray's game in Kansas. They won in a close one after losing in Baltimore. The Lightning play again on Tuesday night so we are hopeful they can get back to their winning ways, LATER

Monday Morning

Well Sunday was a great day or worship with our BridgePoint Family and then the rest of the family minus Bobby and Katie and their family as they were away in Tennessee for a little time together. We had Betsy and Gus and all of the Ross Family for a Mother's Day feast and then after they left I settled into the Lightning playoff game and they got blown away again by the Capitals here at home. It's not looking good for them as they now got to Washington to play on their home ice.

I started the day with a 5'ish roll out as I had to be at the college for the load in for the church and then we were there until close to 1 before getting home. We ate a salad for lunch as we knew we were eating big for supper around 6'ish. I chilled after the lunch except for hand watering the gardens and watched the Ray's get blown away by the Orioles 17-1, wow what a loss to the worst team in our division. It was a bad day for the Tampa Bay Area sports teams.

I grilled fresh peppers and onions in my grill basket them grilled Italian sausages along with a pork chop for Tyler as he is allergic to of all things; garlic. The sausages are loaded with garlic and it really causes him pain and discomfort in his joints. Betsy made a huge bowl of Greek tater salad and so we made tatter tots for the kiddos and Tyler as well and we also had a fresh garden salad. There was a Village Inn lemon pie along with butter braids for dessert, Yeow there goes my 180 mark, oh well it all tasted marvelous especially the spinach artichoke dip to get the juices flowing along with a glass of red vino while sitting in the back yard. It was overcast and there was a few sprinkles of rain in the area which felt so good and it did eventually rain later with enough to run off the roof. We surely needed this wetness.

They all left around 8 and we settled into the hockey which was rather good for the first half of the game when the Lightning started to mishandle the puck and we were ahead for quite awhile when it suddenly changed and we were behind going into the final period. I shut the lights out at 10 and read where we never scored again and they did twice more. It is a long road back especially heading north but there is still the chance with 5 more games to play before the best of 7 occurs, LATER

Sunday Morning..HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

Well just got back from the load in at SPC for BridgePoint Church so I'm a little late. It will be nice when we can find a permanent building to call home here in the Seminole area, oh well all in GOD's timing.

Saturday was a mixture of fun and games with some work thrown in for good measure. It also was a first for us as we played a game called Bunco with 12 others in our Life Group from BridgePoint. I will explain later. I started the day much the usual with a little later roll out as we were out late on Friday night; so it was 6:30 before I started the day and then it was much the usual after that with a cup of tea laced with turmeric while I spent a few moments with my Creator and then posting this ramble. I headed out to the rec for two hours of pickle ball on what I thought was my bike being refurbished but quickly found another major problem with the hub where the pedals are attached. The bearings were bad there also so it was back to the bike shop for another major repair which is now the cost of a new bike but since the kids bought this bike for me a couple years ago I had it repaired. Hopefully that will last until I can no longer ride one or want to ride a bike.

We made a stop at Sam's after dropping the bike off and then again at Aldi's on the way home before Chick Filet for lunch. I knew we were having appetizers at the Nymark's house later in the evening so we skipped supper and settled for the salads, dips and various finger foods through the evening while we learned the game of Bunco. The game has 4 folks at one table with three dice and you roll through each sequence starting with 1-6 and we played 4 sets each of the 6. The scoring is a little complicated to explain but you have partners and if no one reaches all three dice of that particular number then the scores are added until you reach 21 points. It fast and furious and you change partners after each set or whenever someone calls Bunco. It took about an hour to play the 4 sets of six and you move between the tables. It's a hoot and it all comes down to the "roll of the dice". There is a winner each time for that team and there are losers at each table and the losers move to a different table. very fast game and exciting but you need at 8 players, I guess you could play with 4 but more is better.

We found ourselves home around 9'ish then I watched the Ray's finally win again in Baltimore after losing two straight. Lets hope the Lightning do better tonight in Tampa, Later

Saturday Morning

Well Friday was a mixture of play that ended some time close to 11 PM which was way past by bedtime and then some work which occurred after two hours of pickle ball. It was another hot day but not as muggy as could be as there were some low clouds.

I started the day much the usual with a before 6 roll out to my usual routines; cup of green tea with turmeric, quiet time and then heading out a little before 8 on Nancy's bike for the rec for two hours of pickle ball. Everyone is in good shape as we spoke with all of our seniors who are 90 and older. Helen is in the best shape of all and still lives alone in the mountains. Nancy was at her Friday Bible study until noon so I worked outside after getting back from the rec hand watering and working in the yards and gardens.

She got home a little after noon and we ate lunch then I read for a couple hours as Amy was dropping Eliza Faye off for a couple hours as Amy was needed at school for a middle school teachers meeting with the parents. Seems the education level is rising with much more home work as well as the changes these students will be going through called puberty especially the girls and that has already started with Ava at age 11. After Amy picked up Eliza we headed out to the grocery for a few items and then to pick up my bike from the shop after they replaced the bearing in the rear hub and some other adjustments for a reasonable price.


We were picking up the Botbyl's for a game night at one of our BridgePoint familys house at 7:30 which was just a couple miles away. We had a marvelous time and got to know two other families as well. The games were enjoyable and three games we had never played before with one of the games that placed the gals vs guys. Guys won. We learned the Lightning were losing big in Tampa against the Capitals in hockey. Luckily I had showered earlier so it wasn't long after getting home I was ready for bed. It was strange that I never got sleepy at my usual bed time of 10 while playing the games, oh well, LATER

Friday Morning

Well Thursday was a rather low key day with a good work out then some piddling chores around the house and a great grilled salmon fillet for supper. Since we had been eating "high on the hog" which is a country saying for eating good we decided to do guacamole and salsa for lunch and a salad with the fillet for supper. I had put back a couple of pounds and didn't want to start the inflation of the spare tire again.

I started the day much the usual with a before 6 roll out to my hot tea laced with turmeric after washing down a handful of vitamins and supplements with just an apple to start the juices flowing on my way to the rec a little before 8. I spent some quiet moments in thanksgiving and lifting up several by name to my Creator. I got ahold of Paw Paw and he sounded the best I've heard in awhile. Seems he goes 4-5 times a week to the senior center where he stays several hours and has a hot meal. They pick him up and then drop him off and he seems to really enjoy the company as he can tell stories non stop which is right up his ally. I'm not sure how much of its true but he can elaborate.

Amy and Eliza came for lunch and she is such a cutie and too smart. She has the vocabulary of an 11 year old and thinks she is that age as well. Amy is teaching her daily the alphabet and her numbers as well as phonics to go along with each letter. After getting back from the rec around 10 I fired up the mower and gave both yards a good mowing and then set the sprinkler out front on the new tree which has added several new branches and leaves and seems much taller as well. I took away the ropes that help to hold the tree upright during the heavy winds but since there is so much new growth I want to see if the roots will hold the tree erect while we are gone this summer.

After lunch I chilled reading for the next couple of hours until it was wine time around 4 ish. Then I headed out with a glass to hand and to water the veggies in the garden. I have several egg plants starting to show some color and the tomato's are ripening faster than we can use them so I'm blessing the neighbors. I have four beautiful white orchids in full bloom and two more buds about to open. They are so delicate and gorgeous to look at. I do absolutely nothing for their care with maybe an occasional sprinkle from the garden hose.

Well we are finding out more and more about the deep state within the DOJ and FBI. It's treason to subvert a sitting president and I surely hope the folks of this land recognize these nefarious folks and deeds. Trump is doing a magnificent job in my opinion and now we see where he met 3 prisoners let lose from N.Korea at 3 in the morning. I find him at times to nice to those who are trying to impeach him and destroy his works thus far especially those with in his party. Really I don't think he has a party which I find refreshing and he is just for the nation first and the party second which in all actually is the way it should be. America First and that is just what he is doing after the last potus destroyed our standing in the world and gave into the terrorist regimes of Iran and N.Korea. No longer will that be the case with this POTUS who wants to make America Great Again, GOD BLESS him and his family and this nation, LATER

Thursday Morning

Well Wednesday was a day of gastronomic delights as we had an old favorite bacon, egg and onion sandwiches loaded with my fresh garden tomatoes and then again for supper we dined on smoked beer in the rear chicken with all the fixins' at the Cool People Club get together at the Botbyl's house.

Th day started much the usual with a before 6 roll out to my proverbial cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I composed and wrote about the day before's activities as well as spent some quiet time with my Creator in lifting several up by name for comfort and healing in this their time of need. Some I lift up everyday as their ages needs some daily reminders to Him. Everything is well as I haven't heard anything different from Paw Paw and GG is doing O.K. Helen is finally getting outside after this cold snowy winter and doing her thing which is riding her tractor and golf cart. The weather is perfect there in the mountains and I'm yearning to breathe that air that's never been breathed before as well as smell the good earth when tuned over from its winters rest and sow my vegetable and flower gardens. Pictures show the grass is green and I'm sure ready to bale for hay in my yard, oh well. I so look forward to playing farmer when I get there and get out of this afternoon heat.

I did my two hours on the pickle ball court at the rec. then took my bike the kids bought me a couple years ago to shop as the bearings in the hub were shot. A bike place said they could repair for a nominal fee so I left it then made a stop at the Keswick thrift store to drop off some items for resale. Amy and Eliza came for a delicious lunch of one of GG's famous dishes. It was so good with fresh sweet onion and a sliced ripe 'mater. Wow. We thought of her and how she was doing as she prepared this meal several times over the years. I think this was the first time we ever prepared it since she took ill over a year ago. She is back to reading which is a good sign as she was a prolific reader at one time.

I piddled around in the yards and gardens hand watering and pulling some weeds. I have several small black beauty egg plants setting on both of the two plants which are now 3 feet or more in height. The cantaloupes are blooming on two volunteer plants and I'm curious to see if they will set fruit as is a volunteer I think cucumber plant. The 'mater plants are producing and so far the fruit flies have stayed away from the Sevin dust which has made a big difference in the harvest. I'm steadily giving away to neighbors and friends.

The supper at the Botbyl's was awesome as Dan smoked two whole chickens and the 6 of us destroyed them with just enough leftover for a sandwich or two. We also had green beans and corn on the cob as well as a garden salad Nancy put together and then her coconut cake from scratch was a winner also. We headed out after the boys won in Sequence 2 out of 3 games, a game of Euchre and a round of OH -ell. It was an all boys night for a change' of course the girls accused us cheating even when we lose. They sound like democrat liberals.

We tuned into the Ray's game and it was a big loss to the Braves for the second night in a row, oh well. The Lightning play on Friday night so hopefully we will have something to cheer about, LATER

Wednesday Morning

Well Tuesday found us once again with a beautiful morning until about noon when the heat and humidity enveloped the area until around 5'ish when a breeze made if very comfortable outside. It hasn't reached the point where you just sweat by walking to the mailbox at the driveway but I'm sure that time won't be far off.

The day started with my usual before 6 roll out to my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then spent some quiet moments with my Creator. Nancy spoke with GG and Helen and all is well with them but I haven't heard from Paw Paw in a few days and he never answers his phone(s). The girls haven't mentioned anything in awhile but there was some news he maybe going to a senior center during the day but I haven't heard anything on that issue either. All is well with my grands as we had supper with the Ross's last night(Tues) which was awesome in flavor. We never prepare this meal which was one that GG introduced Amy to and her family love. It's basically a stewed chicken with noodles and smashed taters and I think she called it "sour belly". GG use to make homemade noodles but now its tastes about the same when using store bought ones. It was fantastic despite all of the carbs which we have tried cutting down.

I got in close to two hours of pickle ball play at the rec. then headed home to catch up on more small projects as well as help the neighbor boy who graduates next week from high school use his car jack. His mother purchased him a Nissan sports car a few years old but very sporty. He swerved to miss a car that pulled out in front of him and struck the curb with the side cowling and loosened some clips and was looking under it while I was watering the front yard. He didn't know how to get the cowling reattached so I showed him how to use the jack and we succeeded in getting the front end off the ground and reinserting the clip to hold the cowling. He is a hard worker but has no dad or brother as his father passed away when he was very small and is very quiet and an introvert. Anyhow he told his mother we fixed the problem as she was on the phone to a garage to make the repair for him.

I clipped bushes and pulled more weeds as well as hand watered until lunch time then had a fresh salad with my home grown tomatoes which are really starting to taste great. This one plant has several green ones and I know I've picked a couple dozen lately with no rot since I sprinkled Sevin dust on the plant. I give away a couple dozen a week along with the one cherry tomato plant which produces daily a couple handfuls. They are so good and both of my neighbors love them. Nancy made a old cake recipe which hasn't worked in years for some reason but it was successful this time for our supper at the Botbyl's tonight(Wed) with the Tracy's.

Well the Ray's lost in a close game to the Braves at the Trop but they are not the worse team in the division as the Orioles have that distinction at present. Our awesome POTUS has refused to sign on to the terrible Iran deal that Obama made with the regime that chants death to America. Trump is doing what he was elected to do and that is straighten out the mess that Obama and Hillary along with traitor Kerry but on the nation. The msm fails to report all of these awesome things that are a result of his leadership as our economy is booming, national security is the best since Reagan with Peace through Strength and we are now honoring our GOD and the Flag; those things that made US(A) great nation. We need to expose all of the corruption in the DOJ and FBI and let the American folks see what the last administration did to ruin the country with their deep state corrupt politicians, LATER

Tuesday Morning

Well Monday saw us with some extra heat and humidity especially after the noon hour which kept me inside until after 4'ish when a nice sea breeze rustled the trees and drove the heat away. I got in a couple hours of work before lunch and then a couple hours until dark.

The day started much the usual with my before 6 roll out to a cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent some quiet moments in thanksgiving for another day and lifting up several by name for comfort and healing. GG is doing as well as can be expected  and I never heard back from Paw Paw after several phone calls and left messages. Helen is thrilled she is able to get outside where its warmed up and now she is working on her place burning and mowing. She is something else at the age of 90. Joe is doing a little better at living alone as he now thinks he can once again ride his lawn mower.

I got in two hours of pickle ball at the rec. with 6 other players as we now are having a shortage of good players. Most of what's left are good B's and a few A's but at least I'm working out doing something I like instead of in the weight room on the treadmill which to me is most boring. I'm trying to maintain this 180's mark but it's difficult with all of the dinners and eating out. We are trying to eat down the freezers as well so as to not leave much when we head for the cabin in June. I'm catching up on some small honey do's as well as keeping the gardens and the new grasses watered by hand. The egg plants are starting to set fruit and I'm getting lots of tomato's most of which I'm giving away to friends, family and neighbors. I still eat at least one a day or more for lunch.

Well I watched a little playoff hockey until lights out at 10 and one game was in the overtime mode. The winner of this series will play the Lightning sometime later this week. The Ray's must have been off as I couldn't find them on the sports channel. The witch hunt for Trump is still on by the biased Mueller bunch in their hopes of bringing this POTUS down. I think there may be a revolt coming in this nation if they continue on their mandate to do so along with their biased cohorts the main stream media, LATER

Monday Morning

Well Sunday was a fantastic day at BridgePoint Church as we worked one service then sat in on the second where we heard a super message. Afterwards we had the Botbyl's for leftovers and then I vegetated on the couch with the Ray's who lost in the last inning and then with the Lightning who won this best of 7 games against the Bruins to advance to the semi's in the road to the Stanley Cup. We took off for SFBC to watch the church youth program which featured Ava in the leading role as well as several small parts with Sam. It was quite a production with the program using the old movie theme back to the future in a time machine but in this case it was back to the cross.

The day started for me with a 5'ish roll out to head over to the college on my bike to help with the load in for BridgePoint. I was back to the house by 7:30 to get ready to head back by 8:30 to serve with the First Impressions Team where this week I was a front door holder for the first service. I love greeting, shaking hands and giving hugs while keeping the door open for the folks. I'm used where ever they need me as each week there is a sign up sheet which probably has close to 40-50 volunteers for each service. We mostly serve one service then set in on the next but have got away from helping to load out around 12:30'ish.

We had a few missing folks this week in each service for some reason and our attendance was down a few families but I still noticed several new families with kids. Our Kidspoint group does a great job with their presentations and the youngsters run to the area where they check in before heading off to the class rooms. Pastor Tim started a new 4 week series on Messed Up which means we all have fallen short and only Christ can make it right with the Father as he came to shoulder our messes or sins. Awesome message to say the least.

We along with Dan and Carol settled down to clean up the leftover shepherds pie along with a fresh salad most of which came from the garden. The lettuces are gone but with some kale, beet greens, Chinese cabbage and tomatoes from the garden; we supplemented with store bought Bibb lettuce we feasted. That held us until 8'ish when I popped corn the old fashion way which was awesome when popped using olive oil. We got back to the house from the program before 8 and so I set the sprinkler on the front yards until it was close to bedtime. There was the threat of rain with dark clouds but nothing fell to the earth in our area, LATER 

Sunday Morning

Well I just got back from the load in for BridgePoint at the college which started at 6 AM. We had a good turn out of volunteers and put the place in shape for the 9:30 service. It's a bit overcast and muggy and lets hope we get some liquid sunshine today as we are desperate for some rain. The well is holding with plenty of water but the two a day waterings are getting to be rather boring; however the tomatoes are ripening and are so delicious with such awesome flavor.

Saturday found us in Brandon for Gabe's last game of the season at 9 AM. Yikes it takes an hour to get there and so Nancy was up at 6 to be ready for the 8 departure. The drive was uneventful as the traffic had not reached the stop and go mess on the interstate in what we call the "malfunction junction" where 4 lanes are reduced down to two lanes and where two more lanes from another roadway intersect the already reduced down to two lanes. Who ever the engineer with the state was who developed this cluster should be fired and made to drive this section of the interstate especially during rush hour every hour on the hour. It's not only dangerous but embarrassing to think we have such incompetent traffic engineers.

Gabe's team lost so the good thing is we don't have to make that trip on Saturdays for awhile. We made a stop at PDQ's eatery in Pinellas Park for lunch which was awesome and then we met up with the Cool Peoples Club minus Kathryn for supper and to watch the Derby at 6. We had salad, pizza, wings and brownies to munch on which was delicious to say the least. We didn't hang around much after the race as we(Dan and I) both help with the load in at 6 AM. I did watch the Ray's win again and some playoff hockey until 10 then it was lights out for me, LATER

Saturday Morning

Well Friday saw us with a complete change of plans from leaving here and traveling to Tampa to staying here and doing our usual morning routines as Nancy had some very serious eye issues. She started the night before and by morning her eyes were matted shut, redness and very painful. She did get in to see an eye doctor at 4'ish.

I started the day much the usual with my 6'ish roll out and then had my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then lifted up several by name to my Creator. All is well with those I mentioned and nothing has changed since the day before. I got ready and headed out on my bike for two hours of pickle ball at the rec. We had some decent play with two courts in action. Afterwards I headed home on my bike to work outside in the yards and gardens until lunch time.

Amy and Eliza wasn't coming for lunch as their plans hadn't changed so I ate alone then headed in to read for a couple hours during the hottest pat of the day. Nancy left around 3:30 for the eye doctor and discovered she is probably having an allergic reaction as no infection was discovered. She had been using an anti-biotic which did help at first but since then caused severe pain. This doctor prescribes some type of drops which seemed to help immediately.

We ate light for supper using up some leftovers and of course lots of fresh sliced tomatoes. I gave away several again today as well as using them for both lunch and supper. Nancy took off with friend Carol for women conference featuring Tim Tebow's mom as the guest speaker. She was feeling that much better after seeing the eye doctor(no pun intended). Well I worked outside after supper and the temps had dropped with a nice breeze and made for some great hours of working outside until nearly dark.

I tuned into the Lightning vs Bruins hockey game and what a hard fought game that went into overtime and the Lightning won. They are now 3-1 and come back to Tampa on Saturday for hopefully the final game in this series. The Ray's won big over the Jays at the Trop as I flipped back and forth. Both teams in the Bay area are looking good as of right now. We head over to Brandon this morning to watch Gabe play in his last baseball game of the season before coming back and watching the Derby, LATER

Friday Morning

Well the heat and humidity is back but not as bad as it usually is especially in the morning which have been ideal. The fresh morning air is so delicious and comfortable but by 10'ish it starts to heat up. We had company for supper and then games afterwards with the Cool Peoples Club minus the new couple Elizabeth and Tom.

I started the day off much the usual with a 6'ish roll out to my cup of green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then spent some time with my Creator. Those I mention by name daily are doing O.K. with nothing major happening as I write but there was a message from oldest sister Josie than she was enrolling Paw Paw in a Senior Center program which will get him out of the house and at least one good meal a day with other folks his age. This will be awesome for him and then maybe he will get out of that old house that is just an accident waiting to happen with those stairs.

I headed out around 8'ish for the rec. and got in two hours of pickle ball play. I even instructed three newbie's on the game and one of them the oldest gal has some good potential to pick the game up quickly. We have lost so many players due to them being snowbirds but we will have some around for the summer which the rec. limits to days the gym is open for play. We were supposed to go to Tampa this morning for a school program for Annsley and Gabe but Nancy once again came down with some eye issues which may be contagious so we cancelled. She still has antibiotics for the eye but she uses these eye make ups and I really think her body is rejecting their use and now she is allergic, oh well.

Amy and Eliza came for lunch and then after they left we cleaned house and got ready for our company around 4 ish. I pulled several nice carrots and along with a kale salad we dined on Shepard's Pie at the requests of several. It was O.K. and we have enough leftover for another meal possibility on Sunday after church, anyhow there was too many orderves' that featured salsa, humis and some cheese dip as well as cheese along with some vino. By the time the entree was served we were are full, oh well. After the quick cleanup we played the best of three games of Sequence and the gals won again but the one game of Euchre was won by the guys on the last hand as they made a remarkable recovery from being down 8-3 to cause a tie at 9 all with one hand to go. Guys Win finally.

Well it wasn't long after they left around 9'ish we hit the showers as Nancy was fighting with the eye matting shut again. We had to cancel our trip this AM and hopefully we can make the ball game on Saturday in Tampa, LATER

Thursday Morning

Well Wednesday was nothing short of great pickle ball play at the the Walter Fuller Complex in St.Pete with some very talented guys and a gal who was one of the best players ever; of course she was in her 40's and over 6 feet tall with a powerful serve and her range was unbelievable on the court. I loss one game to her and her partner and then won two games with her. Wow what play and I left after nearly three hours with a shirt soaked.

The day started much the usual with a before 6 roll out to my hot tea and turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent some quiet time with my Creator. All is well with those I lift up daily. I was meeting one of my rec. buddies to car pool down to this new venue and we met at 9 and left there around noon for a new eatery in Seminole called Big Jims Grill. Two of these fellows were leaving for the season  so we wanted to get to know each other a little better. The lunch was superb and now I know where we can dine on a different occasion close to home. We said our goodbyes and it was after 1 before I got back to the house.

Well it was time to relax for awhile so I read and then we got ready for leftovers for our supper and afterwards I headed out to work in the yards and gardens. I watched the Ray's lose in another 1 run loss and then Lightning won big4-1 in Boston which was a fantastic game, LATER

Wednesday Morning

Well Tuesday was a busy day that first started with some pickle ball then some outside gardening and then we had the Ross Family for grilled chicken for supper as Amy and Tyler had an afternoon appointment to have Eliza Faye's cast removed. The arm had healed very nicely but they wanted her to wear a brace when she was playing for a couple weeks to make sure one of the bones was completely healed.

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 and then spent some quiet time with my Creator lifting several up by name for healing. All is well as I spoke with Paw Paw, Dee the day before as she is doing quite well with her hip replacement, GG and Helen. Joe is still having feet and legs issues which is probably not going to go away except for some pain relief. He needs a ramp built into his front porch so he doesn't have to navigate those steep stairs; maybe this summer I can help with getting that job done for him with some help from Andy and Gerald. We tried to do that last summer but he refused the help but now he needs a cane to just walk so maybe we will get that accomplished for him.

I got in two hours of continuous pickle ball play before stopping off at the library for some new reads I had ordered. I'm down to 6 weeks of reading before giving that up for awhile as I'll be busy getting the cabin in order this summer. I'm looking forward to a change in scenery as well as some cooler weather and temps as well as getting my seeds in the ground for another growing season. I'm picking tomato's here 4 to 5 daily and so I gave away several to neighbors as well as eating 'mater sandwiches for lunch. Wow, these newest ones are ever loaded with flavor much like I remember them from days past. I also pulled several carrots and some where 8-10 inches long and full of flavor. The Ross grand kiddos ate them as quick as we could get them washed. I grilled a cut up chicken from Earthfare an organic store and it was very good and Nancy made parsley taters. I was reading where parsley is so healthy for you with all kinds of benefits. I remember days past when a sprig was served on your plate at eateries. Not only is it used for breath control but so many other good things for your body and I have two plants that I cut back every couple of days and it just lays on the ground and dies. I'm going to start using some everyday on my sandwiches and in my salads.

Well after they left for evening as it was a school night I watched the Ray's lose a very close game 2-1 to the Tigers in Detroit and then some hockey playoffs. The Lightning play tonight (Wed) in Boston which we hope will be a win for us but they are a very rough team and we will be on their ice, oh well. I'm heading off today to play at a different venue this morning for pickle ball as one of the better players is leaving tomorrow for Canada so we will have lunch out afterwards and then say goodbye until next winter when the snow starts blowing. He has a place here for 5 months out of the year and is a good PB player. We have a full schedule this week as we head to Brando at least once and maybe twice this week for baseball and school activities with Gabe and Annsley, a supper with the Cool Peoples Club here at the house and then our weekend with the Kentucky Derby party and of course all our church activities on Sunday, LATER

Tuesday Morning... MAY 1ST

Well time is moving right a long at such a pace which is hard to imagine. The day started out much the usual with a before 6 roll out to my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then gave thanks for all of the blessings and lifted up several by name to my Creator. It was another very nice morning with just no humidity which made it feel like a "cabin morning". The birds where singing and the fresh smell of Confederate Jasmine and Magnolia Blooms in the cool morning was awesome as I rode out on my bike to the rec.

I got in two hours of pickle ball play but the crowd is now down to just 8 players or so as many have gone back north. We still have a few A players but not many but the B's have left also and now we have mostly beginner's which makes it hard to get good play. I think I'll try a couple different venues later this week and for sure one on Wednesday as one more good player leaves for the summer, oh well. It's been good play for most of the winter months and at times almost too many players for these three courts.

I worked outside after leaving the rec until lunch time when Amy and Eliza Faye came. I pulled the rest of the sweet onions and for some reason they were just about rotted through and through. I did manage to save the heart of few of them but not many. I have no idea what caused that to happen. The tomato's are ripening in droves with 4-6 daily. The Sevin dust has helped with them being not infested with the fruit flies and rotting. I hate to use any pesticide but a little dust has made a big difference.

I hand watered the yards and the new plugs and they have really started sending out runners. The new tree is really sending out new growth as well with lite green leaves on the tips of the limbs. I'm hoping we will get some blooms which are supposed to be purple in color. It really is a nice shaped tree and has made a stark difference in the landscape with the new sod around it. I'm pleased with how it turned out. Well after taking a supper of a chicken and wild rice casserole to a shut in we came back and dined on one just like it with a kale salad as well. It was delicious. I headed out to hand water the gardens and the new grass again before dark as the evenings here are perfect for being outside.

I tuned into the Lightning versus the Bruin playoff hockey game and what a game as the Lightning won 4-2. Wow a physical game and now we go there for two games in Boston. I was flipping back and forth on the Ray's game from Detroit and that too was a close one but the Ray's won 3-2 in a game where all of the scoring was in the last inning. The relief pitching for the Ray's isn't the best and they nearly lost it after having a three run in the 9th, oh well. It wasn't long after the end of the game it was lights out for me a little after 10'ish, LATER