Friday Morning..Jan 31st

Well January is history and time just moves on so quickly as we age. I told Nancy that we are just 4 months away from heading to the cabin for the summer; not that I'm excited, but I am looking forward to the change of pace and the lack of surrounding high rises, concrete, cars and neighborhoods, oh well. Each place has its advantages as well as some draw backs and we really love both and the folks in each place.

I started Thursday with a before 6 roll out to my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then did some quiet time with my Creator and Lord giving thanks and lifting up several by name. All seem as well as can be expected at this point in time due to their health and age issues. I got ready and headed out on my bike for the Rec. at 8 and 2 hours of constant pickle ball play which left me whupped. We played inside the gym today which is a totally different game from the outside game. Both games leaves you with a great workout and a wet shirt.

I stopped off at the library for a couple new reads I had ordered then headed home. It was still a bit breezy with temps in the low 60's so you needed a sweat shirt. I had watered the gardens despite it being overcast and looked like rain but none fell. I did hang a load of laundry on the clothesline and the sun did appear later in the afternoon. After a lunch of some leftovers I headed into the garage to construct a new window seat for the kitchen bay window.


Nancy wanted the surface to match the table top and the chair seats so I had purchased one pine 10 ft.board at Home Depot for 25 bucks and managed to get two pieces to fit into the area. It took some precise cutting to get the angles but it worked out O.K. I stained it after giving it a good sanding and let it rest until today Friday when I will give it the last coat of wax and stain to match the look she wanted. I'll have to remove the old window seat but the new boards will have to cure for a couple days so I have a project for next week. I'll do corner round the new seat to give it a finished look.

Well I tuned into the hearing on this sham impeachment and learned nothing new except the dems are in a panic for their inept and shameful investigation to destroy our potus and the constitution by insisting that Trump is a national security threat and that he is a sycophant of Putin. These biased dems are so idiotic its laughable if it wasn't such a serious threat to our democracy for what they are doing. The MSM is so complicit with them they are the real threat to the nation. I do believe all of this is to cover for their corruption in the Obama administration and the deep state attempt to pull off a coup of Potus Trump using several in the FBI, DOJ and the state department who were holdovers and who all were involved in this attempted coup to fatten their bank accounts.

I harvested a couple green tomato's along with two egg plants and thats what we had for our supper along with some guacamole. We love them fried in olive oil and rolled in cracker crumbs and then we add fresh herbs from the garden such a dill, cilantro and I add chopped fresh jalapeno pepper to mine as well. Oh my what a delicious supper. After the cleanup we settled into the Fox Cable Shows until my eye lids started to get heavy so it was shower time, LATE

Thursday Morning..Jan 30th

Well Wednesday was a much needed stay at home kind of day after being gone just about everyday for some reason. It was a bit on the chilly side to start the day but we did get some sunshine and warmth in the air by late afternoon. It did show some clouds and maybe a sprinkle just before dark but nothing to amount to anything.

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 quiet moments with my Creator and Lord lifting up several and giving thanks. All seem well that I mention by name and a few of these folks need a miracle. I headed to the Rec. a little before 8 on my bike which was a chilly ride. I got in 2 plus hours of good pickle ball play with most of it being outside before heading home on my bike which was about 20 degrees warmer than when I arrived.

I piddled around in the gardens hand watering, pulling some weeds which grow better than the veggies. The recently transplanted Bibb seedling look as if they will make and that will give me 30 some heads of lettuce if they all mature. I'm still waiting on the other lettuce seeds to show some color as well as the radishes and beets seeds I sowed a couple days ago. I harvested the last of the Bibb along with some Swiss chard, kale, beet greens and Romaine for a huge salad for our use. I did check on the carrots and they are large enough to harvest as well and the recently sowed carrot seeds have shown some colors as well. I try to keep a continual mess of veggies up until it gets so hot before we leave for the cabin which is just 4 month away. I'm counting the months and can not wait to count the days.

The egg plants bushes are loaded with little ones but they are the elongated fruit which was not what they were supposed to be according to the marker; anyhow they are loaded with fruit and on one plant I counted 7 or so maturing albeit they will not be the big fruit. The sugar peas have now a few beautiful white blooms and we will soon be adding the pods to our salads. I harvested my first slicing tomato that was turning pink. I picked it early because the squirrels also like red tomato's and have already chosen a couple of the small red ones to munch on. The herbs especially the dill, parsley and cilantro are having a bumper year. I did start another cutting for the Rosemary herb which I love to smell and use on grilling chicken breast and for use on oven taters. I will have an extra to take to the summer garden in the mountains.

Well after a lunch of leftovers I ventured in to listen to the sham impeachment hearings questions all of which is predicated on the dems delusional and biased investigation which gave our Potus no chance of defending himself or his actions. I say read the transcript of the call and since there are no questions the call was perfect from one heads of state to another the dems are going nuts trying to cover what their VP did with his son in the country that was the question of the call. The Bidens are corrupt and used the influence of his office to procure favorites because of the office. Its corrupt and now we know the Kerry's as well the Pelosi's had favoritism from the same influence as well from a corrupt company, all of which they are accusing Tump of doing. I sure hope this sends all of them packing from the gov't because they are corrupt and I hope this implicates the Obama's as well because this was done on his watch with his blessings.

Nancy made a great meatloaf which always leaves some for cold sandwiches for lunch which a favorite on pumpernickel bread, mayo, sliced sweet onion and tomato. Yumm! I harvested some beet greens and she sauteed them to accompany the meat loaf. Beet greens are like velvet to your mouth and so delicious. We love both the beets themselves but the greens we eat raw in our salads and cooked which is much like cooked spinach. After supper we spoke with our "mountain mom" Helen and she is finally getting her new floor in her cabin. The fellows who did our floors up stairs at the cabin and put in the new shower are doing her floors. She seems excited about the final results despite it taking them awhile to get to her. Its cold there with a forecast of snow for the area.

Well that was about it for the day, LATER

Wednesday Morning..Jan 29th

Well Tuesday was a grand parents fondest days as we headed to Brandon to babysit with Ryder and Huckston for about 9 hours as Katie their mom needed some much needed sleep and rest especially having twins for her first time of being a mom and their dad our son Bobby was out of town.

I started the day much the usual with a before 6 roll out to my usual cup of of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent some quiet time with my Creator and Lord giving thanks and lifting several up for healing and even for a miracle healing if any of those He saw fit to bestow. I've heard nothing to the contrary of those I lift up by name so as the saying goes No News is Good News. I got ready and soon headed out on my bike for the Rec. where I got in an hour and half of some good continuous play before heading home to hand water the garden and help Nancy as she was making supper to take with us to Brandon. We wanted to be there by 12:30 so that meant leaving by 11:30 which during the middle of the day the interstates should be open.

I also harvested some Romaine and got it ready for the Caesar Salad bowl which we took with us and she was preparing a large Shepherd's Pie for our supper with enough leftovers for anyone who came back to help with the boys. We learned a lot about the reflux the boys were suffering especially the littlest feller Huck who had the most issues. We took over shortly after getting all the info we needed to feed, change diapers and love on these two guys for the next 8-9 hours while Katie got some much needed rest. Huck needed to be held and his tummy rubbed to help with the pain of his little tummy both before and after eating all day long. His spit ups where greatly reduced with some additional tips from a mom who went through this with her son and was a dear friend of Katie's. Ryder the big guy did much better but he too needed lots of attention with tummy rubs as well as just being held but he did go down occasionally. I hadn't changed a diaper in years but changed three filled ones during the day.

It was a joy to be of service to her and them and now we are scheduled to come every Tuesday and spend the day and evening to help care for them while she gets some rest. Her mom and sister live in the 'hood and have spent the nights but they too need a break and we will be that break. Having one preemie with issues is a lot of work but having two is almost unthinkable and both Nancy and I agree thats she needs at least two people there when they both need feedings which by the way is every three hours and she has to pump her breast milk for the bottles which means she only gets 3 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

It was going on 11 when we finally got back to Seminole and hit the showers. Katie's mom relieved us around 9:30, had some of the supper we brought and then she and Katie had the boys for the night. She is a school teacher and still works so she is under a lot of pressure as well but dad Bobby will be home tonight and he will take over until he has to leave again next week, LATER

Just a couple pics of the boys; the little guy Huckston and the big guy Ryder

Tuesday Morning ...Jan 28th

Well Monday 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 some quiet time with my Creator in humble thanksgiving while lifting up several by name for comfort and healing. All seem as well as can be expected due to their issues.

I headed out before 8 on my bike to overcast skies and it looked like it could rain at any moment during the day. We could use some rain as I'm still hand watering the gardens daily. The old bean seeds did not germinate so I purchased some new ones after lunch at the Depot as well as some more lettuce seeds and got them in the ground. Despite it being chilly to start the day when we did see some sunshine it warmed up to a comfortable afternoon. I brought one of my pickle ball buddies by to load him up with fresh leafy greens from the garden. He drives a Tesala, one of them all electric cars. He loves it and showed me all of the features and said he would never own another gas vehicle.

We had a great workout at the Rec. inside for the first hour then because so many were waiting to play 4 of us moved outside and set up the net and played another hour and half. We are fortunate the B players do not like to play outside so the play is great and we 4 left whupped with wet shirts. I harvested more radishes and they were so mild and crispy and we added to our lunch time salad. Grand daughter Ava had a 4 o'clock basketball game at Shorecrest School so we left a little after 3 and got there in time for the tip off. She played great in their last school game of this season but they lost to a much older girls team who won the tournament last week that Ava's team came in third place. That is a very nice facility and huge as well. It's not a christian school and we were somewhat disappointed they started the game without prayer for the safety of the girls, oh well. They did have a moment of silence for the Kobe Bryant Family and those killed yesterday in the copter crash.

Well we stopped at Aldi's for some goodies on the way home and one of their pop in the oven pizzas which was quite good for our supper. It was close to 7 before we sat down to eat and after the clean up we settled into the FOX Cable shows until I hit the shower around 8:30. It's sad we have such a hate biased filled bunch of democrats who hate this Potus so much they are willing to subvert the constitution and impeach this non politician who has America on the right track once again. Trump is putting the nation first and we can see how much he has done in 3 years while the do nothing dems are being shown up for their lack of putting Americans first in decades. I'm hoping patriotic Americans show up at the polls and vote every dem out as well as a few rino's next November, LATER

 Our lunch;  a garden salad and zuppa soup

Monday Morning..Jan 27th

Well Sunday was a bit on the chilly side especially at 5 'ish in the morning when I headed out on my bike to the college for the load in for BridgePoint Church. Darren and I were the only volunteers there to unload the two huge trailers to start with and finally the doors were opened at 6 and by then several more guys and gals came to help with the set up. What a great bunch of dedicated weekly folks to make the college auditorium and commons a place for folks can come and worship weekly.

The service was awesome with our lead pastor closing out a series on Neighbors and despite it being a local holiday weekend with Gasparilla we still had over a hundred in each service plus half that many volunteers. So it was a great day with cool temps, blue skies and bright sunshine. We are usually looking for the shade but this morning we were seeking the sunlight as I worked the greeting area as you come into the building for both services and was able to hear the message with Nancy in the first service. We both love being a part of the volunteers who help make a difference for our church and its relationship to the community. She usually works the cafe and kidspoint while I mingle, hug necks and shake hands and just plain greet folks with a smile. One of my few qualities is smiling and remembering names and making contact with the little ones of which I adore.

Since we had spent the afternoon and evening in Brandon with son Bobby's family and the new twins we decided to spent after church the evening mellowing out at home. Nancy did take off for Home Goods after a lunch of Zuppa Soup and crusty bread which held me the rest of the day except for a handful of almonds around 7'ish and a hot chocolate. I headed out to hand water the gardens and the new seedlings after lunch. The cucumbers are now up about and inch and the recently transplanted bibb lettuces seedlings are looking better each. day. I'm hoping the other seeds I sowed will show some color in the next day or so. I did sow some half runner beans seeds but they are some I saved from a harvest a year or so ago so I'm not sure it they are even viable or not. I should head down to Home Depot and pick up some fresh seeds before they close them out for the winter.

Well I caught up on some reading and finished the INSTITUTE by Stephen King. It's good read and not nearly out there as some of his material has a tendency to be. He is a good writer and story teller so I'm now waiting for the next reads to come in from the library but in the meantime I'm reading LOVE DOES by Bob Goff who we saw, heard and even hd our our picture taken with him at the New Life Conference a couple months back. He is funny and a lover of Christ as well as a big opponent of abortion which we all are in agreement with. His stories are awesome, funny, wholesome and down to earth. That was about it for this last Sunday in January, LATER

Not sure why Nancy took these photos but this is our new living room with the Apple TV which we are having a difficult time learning how to use the remote since we just had it installed as our new internet and TV provider through Spectrum

Sunday Morning..Jan 26th

Well Saturday was a busy fun filled day with ideal temps. A bit nippy to start and then the low to middle 70's with bright sunshine and blue skies and then after dark the chill came back with no humidity; however there was a heavy dew with water dripping from the roof.

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 with my Creator and Lord in thanksgiving and lifting up several by name. All seem as well as can be expected and sister Pat's husband Keith is still in the hospital as they regular his blood pressure with meds. Bobby and Katie needs some prayers as they attempt to get these two little fellers in a routine so they can get some rest. We spend the afternoon and evening helping out with their care. They sleep only for a few minutes before needing some attention but the little one is now 5 pounds and the larger one is up to 8 lbs. We had a grand time holding, feeding, burping and loving up on both of them until late in the evening while Katie got some sleep. Ansley and Gabe where there as well so we had some time with them also.

Bobby had pulled pork tacos and we brought them Zuppa soup and a fresh salad with crusty bread for their meal today Sunday. It seems we will try to help out on Saturdays for the next few weeks giving them a chance to rest and catch up while we entertain the boys and care for them in between feedings. Wow what a job they have on their hands with twice the work, oh well. I piddled around in the gardens and yards before we had to head over to Eliza's birthday party for her friends at the gym where she takes gymnastics. There were about a dozen or so kids and parents there for the party. Nancy made cup cakes and they had some snacks for everyone after playing on all of the equipment in the gym. We headed out before 4 for Brandon.

Ryder is a Triplett with his looks and dark hair much like Gabe's and Huckston is a Korte with his reddish blonde hair and facial features. They like to be held and Nancy and I both took turns with each one. Anns and Gabe are very sweet to them as well and seem interested in their welfare. Huck is a squirmer whereas Ryder is more placid and both have a little of the reflux which is common among preemies; but both are gaining weight.

I was up at way before 5this Sunday morning as I headed out on my bike to the college for the load in for BridgePoint Church. It took us about an hour to get set up as we have lots of volunteers but only two of us was there to unload the big trailers and get the storage boxes lined up on the sidewalk for the 6 AM door opening for the college. It was in the 40's again this AM and Nancy has the heat on but I loved the dark early morning bike ride to the college, LATER

Just a few pics of the grands that we visited for the evening in Brandon now that they are home.

Saturday Morning...Jan 25th

Well Friday was another beautiful winter day with temps back up into the 70's after a high 50's start. There was plenty of sunshine and a gentle breeze which kept it quite comfortable to work outside as well as play pickle ball for a couple hours in the early morning hours. We started inside the gym but there were so many waiting to get on the courts that 4 of us headed outside to play for the next hour and half. What a great workout and the morning was just beautiful.

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 gave thanks to my Creator and Lord for another day and then lifted several up by name for comfort and healing. All seem to be holding their own as I make this post and Keith is now in the hospital. They have regulated his blood pressure with meds and hopefully doing well. Everyone else is doing as well as can be expected. I headed out on my bike for a much pleasant morning ride compared to just two days ago when it was in the 30's. It was 30 degrees difference in that morning ride as compared to yesterday's which was in the low 60's, oh well.

Nancy was at her Friday morning Bible study class at SFBC so I piddled around in the gardens after getting home around 10:30. The Pest control guy came by and treated the outside of the house and yards with ant killer granules which he does every 3 months. Nancy goes ballistic whenever she sees an ant in the house but the yards and gardens hold plenty of hills for some reason despite having a pest control agency. He remarked to me all they can do is to drive them out of the area because there is no way to kill them all especially a small ant called bighead, oh well. Having them come and spray makes her feel better.

I picked some fresh dill and cilantro for a guacamole I made for our lunch. It was delicious and then I took out two nice ribeye steaks to grill for supper we brought back from the cabin freezer. I harvested a nice mess of greens for neighbor Carol and then noticed the recently sowed cucumber seeds were breaking ground. I'm hopeful these will give us some fruit whereas the last vines were beautiful up until one day when they went south in a hurry, oh well. I did harvest a huge mess of the curly leaf kale for Nancy's two pots of Zuppa soup she made in the afternoon; one to take to Bobby's and one for us. She also made a couple dozen cup cakes for Eliza's birthday party at a fun center this afternoon(Sat) around 2'ish. We will head over to Brandon after that to have supper with Bobby and the family and to see the grand kiddos. The "boys" will have been home since Wednesday and we are curious to know how they are doing, LATER

Friday Morning...Jan 24th

Well this week has sure flown by with Monday being a holiday and not being able to play pickle ball; however on Thursday, I had 2 1/2 hours of non stop play with first and hour inside the gym then 5 of us better players headed outside to play as the temps warmed up. I was whupped by the time I got home around 11. What a great day of play as the temps reached the low 70's with bright sunshine.

I started the morning with a before 6 roll out to my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent some quiet moments with my Creator and Lord giving thanks and lifting us several. I now have a new family member to add to the list as sister Pat's husband Keith is in the hospital. Everyone else seems to be holding as I write. The temps were close to 20 degrees warmer than the morning before which saw us with the coldest temps thus far this winter.

The garden continues to produce and once more I loaded up a pickle ball player with a sack of the leafy greens and lettuces and still have lots to give away before they bolt. I did transplant about 18 Bibb seedlings that had second leaves into 6 packs which I hope will keep us in fresh lettuces for our salads until at least April when it usually become too hot to grow anything leafy green. I harvested a nice bunch of radishes and I will sow more seeds today as the moon is in the dark phase which does make a difference on whether you get all tops or all radishes. I've done this several times and its true.

We had our big meal of the day around 1 as we were heading out to Keswick School to watch Ava play at 4:30 and then to watch the junior varsity boys play after her game which usually puts us home around 7'ish. We hate to eat that late anymore. Nancy made a delicious pasta dish with fresh spinach, shrimp and a cream sauce that was so good and she just made the ingredients up as she went along. Ava won her game and was the top scorer once again but her defense and rebounds were out of site being the tops in both departments. She has evolved into a good player and with her hustle she will eventually get a scholarship to some fine school if she stays healthy and continues to grow upwards.

Well the dems are showing contempt for the rule of law by lying about their investigation in the house of our duly elected Potus Trump. They have no grounds to this sham proceedings and America is waking up to their destructive lack of action and attempted coup backed by the corrupt main stream media. It's a sad time in our history and I sure hope they pay the ultimate price of losing their seats in the next election, LATER

Thursday Morning..Jan 23 rd

Well it was the coldest morning since last winter we have had here in central Florida except of course the cold mornings we experienced at the cabin before coming home in November. It hit close to the freezing mark, but I saw no evidence of any frost or any real damage to the garden. The tomato plants looked a little touched but only the most tender leaves and I think by tomorrow when the temps get back to the 70's they'll be fine.

I started the day with my usual before 6 roll out and to my routines that always have the cup of hot green tea with turmeric while spending some time with my Creator which was delightful on the cold morning. I checked the thermostat and it was 67 in the house so I turned the heat on for the first in over a year and it did come on occasionally during the day after getting the house warmed up to a mild 73. I headed out on my bike with an extra shirt and a ball cap but I must admit it was a cold ride against the wind until I got it behind me with my eyes watering from the chill.

I got in two solid hours of pickle ball with good players before heading out at 10. I had one of my players come by for a sack of leafy greens that included a couple lettuce heads, Swiss chard, kale and beet greens. He was thrilled and was amazed that I could grow such healthy looking vegetables in my back yard and grow so much as to give away almost daily to neighbors and friends. I must say its been a fantastic growing season thus far and I don't think this cold snap will effect anything except the cucumber plants which have already died from something, oh well.

We got ready and headed to the local post office for our passport appointment. We had all the necessary paperwork with us as well as my old official military passport which helped with my information. It was over a 300 hundred bucks visit for the two of us which included them taking photos on scene; anyhow we are all set with our cruise arrangements come next September to Alaska. We headed back home after a banking stop. The outside air was still in the upper 40's but plenty of sunshine. I headed out to hand water the gardening after a lunch of leftovers.

Well I read until it was time to leave for our local barbecue house where we met up with friends from Michigan who use to live across the street and whose folks were our dear friends before passing. I did try to watch the hearing in the senate but after about 30 minutes of the Schiff lies I tuned out and read the newest book by Stephen King titled THE INSTITUTE. Wow what a great read and besides some of his more "out there" stories that were about the occult and its players this is not so scary as of yet but I do see some vestiges of the "twilight zone". Anyhow it interesting thus far.

We met Toni and Mark at the Willy Jewels for their special which was fantastic; an appetizer, two platters of your choice and two banana puddings for 19.99. I brought half of my pulled pork home and the puddings for another day. The amount of food was filling and we waddled out of the place. We came back to hot drinks and games. Mark won both of the dice games and then we guys played against the gals in a game of spades to 1000. It was nip and tuck for the next couple hours but the guys prevailed at the end. It was after 9 when we finished and everyone was yawning. I blessed them with a huge bag of Swiss chard which is funny because Mark is a very picky eater as he doesn't eat leafy greens but does love Swiss chard sauteed. Toni loved the leafy greens that I gave her last week but still had plenty from the last batch. I'm slowly eating down and giving away the lettuces which are heading up. I'll take some to Bobby's on Saturday when we head over for a visit with them and the "boys" as they were released  from the Nicu unit today(Wed.) around noon. Bobby was out of town on business but her sister and mom where there to support Katie and the boys for their first night at home, LATER

Wednesday Morning..Jan 22nd

Well we finally got a taste of winter weather with temps in the upper 30's but the breeze the last couple days has added to the wind chill which makes it feel even colder. North of us here in the bay area there was forecasted a hard freeze. I do believe the water surrounding our county will keep us from that occurring and by tomorrow we will be back into the upper 60's and 70's. So much for winter and thats one of the things I like about being here during these months.

I started the day on Tuesday with a before 6 roll out to my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent some quiet time with my Creator and Lord in thanksgiving and lifting several by name. All seem as well as can be expected at this point in time. I headed out on my bike before 8 to the Rec. My eyes watered the whole way due to the cold and the breeze. It did warm up a little by 10 but the chill was still in the air and stayed that way despite the bright sunshine. A sweat shirt was needed throughout the day.

I hand watered the gardens which were dried out from the cold and the wind. I harvested a nice mess of collard greens and got them cooking for our supper. Amy and the kiddos came for supper and all but Eliza love the greens. I hand sanded the chairs with a very fine grit just to smooth out the paint and I finished up putting the table top onto the base as well as fastening the chair seats to the frames. Nancy was excited and thrilled at how well they looked and added so much to her idea of an HGTV kitchen. The chairs are larger than the ones we had and do add to take up some of the space. Anyhow all is well when she approves of my work.

I sat and read for awhile then watched the sham impeachment proceeding in the Senate and what a bunch of liars the dems are that gave their statements over and over again and now they want the senate to do the job they never did. They were such a kangaroo court to begin with and the managers are so full of vitriol for our potus its sickenings. I hope the senate votes immediately to acquit and sends the dems packing. I'm so over those dems who are filled with the TDS thats it frightening to think what they could do to an "average Joe" type of person when they are trying to destroy the potus.

I gave away another mess of leafy greens and harvested a mess for our salad bowl as well. I have more bibb seedlings putting on another leaf and I will soon transplant them into 6 packs. I'm hoping the romaine seeds come up but so far they haven't sprouted. I like to have both for the salad bowl and hoping to have enough to last until the heat wipes everything out. Well later this morning we are applying for our passports as we continue to prepare for our Alaskan cruise in September with another couple. They have been on that cruise several times and know all the ropes. It will be our our first cruise and already Nancy is worrying about sea sickness. We have scheduled going on a whale watching excursion which should be interesting plus taking a train ride through the lower part of the state. It should be fun, LATER

Tuesday Morning...Jan 21st

Well the weather changed during the early morning hours and it was quite chilly with a stiff breeze. We saw the 40's for a change which felt quite nice from the 80's and humidity to none over night. There was plenty of sunshine so I worked outside all day long as there was no pickle ball due to it being MLK Day and the rec. was closed.

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 then spent some quiet time with my Creator and Lord giving thanks and lifting up several by name. All seem as well as can be expected as I've heard nothing to the contrary. Both my son Bobby and and son in law Tyler are away this week for at least a couple days with their jobs so keep them in your prayers for both them and their families. Everyone else seems as well as can be expected.

I headed out around 9'ish to hand water the gardens as they got no water from the expected rain which never fell here but did all round us with down pours as the front moved in Sunday morning which brought this chilly weather. It did warm up to the middle 60's which was great for outside work. I spaded part of the garden after mowing both yards, resowed some old seeds, pulled weeds and cut more lettuces and gave it away to neighbors. I also planted some grass sprigs I had growing for a couple bare spots on the side yard and hoed the whole garden. I did find 5 beautiful purple egg plants growing within the two huge plants and staked the large limbs which were weighted down by the fruit. I did find where the squirrels had chewed part of a small tomato which they use to do and we do see them pulling off the kale leaves eating them from time to time. They haven't been as big a pest since the big oak in the front yard is gone but they still climb the one oak in the back and dig in the gardens.

Well Nancy made a cake using an old recipe so Betsy and the Ross Family came by for some later in the evening. We lost out internet after supper for a spell and once again we wondered about the new install with Spectrum. I'll give them a year and then I'll make a judgement on whether to keep them since this new 5 G's is coming out. I'm still not use to this Apple TV app. which is annoying at times on the main TV but I'm getting somewhat use to the ROKU TV in the bedroom, oh well. I'm so use to picking up the remote and getting a station whereas now it takes moments to find what I'm looking for and the remote which is so little and sensitive is difficult to work.

Well Dem's are shooting themselves in the foot and except for the extreme radical socialist libs who are free loaders in my book they have lost middle America and the values that have made us a great nation. Their extreme thinking on genders, abortion, gun control, religion and social mores have made them domestic terrorists in my book and with what they are offering up to be in control of the gov't of America is frightening. We see how they are in the House which I'm beginning to think the election was rigged and a fraud when we see members of congress loving terrorist over our Potus, loving illegal murders over keeping us safe and wanting to give everything away for free. We at least have a Potus who has done more in 3 years than some of the leaders who have been in the congress for over 30 years and all have become multi-millionaires while their districts and cities they control politically are slums. This coming election will either make or break this nation we call America and I can only hope and pray our GOD will intervene once again and give us 4 more years of the Trump presidency and then another like him and his policies to Make and Keep America Great and safe from those who hate our way of life yet they come here illegally and try to change it, LATER

Monday Morning ..Jan 20th

Well Sunday was another great day of corporate worship with our BridgePoint Family that started with a 5'ish roll out to assist with the load in at the college. Our volunteers are awesome and I was back at the house around 7 to get ready to head back to the college around 8'ish for the huddle before we all get ready for our 9 AM first service. It's exciting to be a part of helping all folks get closer to GOD and we had a great turnout with many new faces in both services. Its a privilege to welcome folks by shaking hands and give hugs.

The morning routines are abbreviated with the load in but I try to always have some quiet moments with my Creator and Lord each morning giving thanks and lifting up folks by name who are on my list to pray for healing and comfort. We did speak with Paw Paw for a few moments as we traveled to the hospital to visit the "boys" in the Nicu unit around lunch time. He doesn't hear very well so the conversations are very limited but he sounded strong for a man of 92. He was spending the weekend with his youngest daughter Dee, to give the middle daughter, Pat who is now his permanent care giver a break.

The "boys" are doing so well for being born 6 weeks early but the larger of the two, Ryder still has an occasional Brady which is he stops breathing momentarily and that issue is keeping both of them for another couple days in the unit. As soon as he passes a test for that issue they both will be released to go home and that could come as soon as Wednesday of this week. I got to hold Ryder for a few and he is a chunk compared to Huck but he Huck has put on over a pound during this first month and he has no breathing issues, oh well.

We made a Sams Club stop for some items and to gas up before heading home. The roads here are just filled with traffic as it seems every car is from out of state. I can see why with such cold weather up north and we are supposed to have a change in the weather the next couple days. It was supposed to rain but only a few drops fell in our area. I once again took a couple coolers of collards and lettuces to the church to give away as I have so much to share. This past week the lettuces have matured and I've given away 20-30 heads of the bibb, romaine and iceberg lettuces as well as several messes of collards and kale. What a bountiful harvest and I love blessing others with my green thumb. I'm contemplating starting a learning group with our Seminole group on backyard gardening from BridgePoint and the interest for that is very high.

Well I tuned into the NFL games and while the Chiefs game has some excited on the frozen tundra the 49' niner game was a blow out and I didn't watch the second half as I needed to catch up on some reading until 10'ish when it was lights out for me after an early start. From what I saw the 49' niners should win the Super Bowl as they looked unstoppable with their running game. There is no pickle ball today as its MLK Day so I'll catch up on finishing the recently painted chairs and put the table back together as well as do some yard work, LATER

The Boys at one month.

Sunday Morning..Jan 19th

Well Saturday was a fun day that was spent watching middle school girls basketball at the campus of St.Pete Christian Academy. It was another beautiful day with temps in the 70's and lots of sunshine and a stiff breeze. We did come home for lunch after being there at 9 Am for Ava's first game of the day and then left there after dark as her team clinched a trophy for third place after a hard fought 3 games in one day events. The team that won first place beat her team on Friday night by 5 points which sent them to the losers bracket and the best they could place was the third place. Ava was remarkable in two of the games with being the high scorer at 17 points which was the highest ever of any of her team mates. She didn't score as much in the final win as she was the best rebounder and was a terror on defense. She loves the game and ran up and down the court on every play through 3 games as she played all three games without taking a break. I must say she was the star of the three games we watched her play.

There wasn't much else to write about except for our daily usual morning routines which we abbreviated to get to the facility by 9 for the first game and then we took Amy, Sam and Eliza home as Ava and Tyler wanted to watch the two teams play for the first place win in the late game. We went to Culvers for supper which was delicious for a fast food eatery and the place was packed even at this hour. It was close to 8 before we got home and hit the showers as I had to be up early(this morning) on Sunday morning for the load in at the college for BridgePoint Church, LATER

 The picture of Annsley was for her gymnastic tournament where she captured several medals in south Florida which was just too far for us to attend. The others are of Ava and her team after the third place win in this 6 team tournament in St.Pete

Saturday Morning ..Jan 18th

Well Friday was much like any other day that started with a before 6 roll out to my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and then spent some quiet time with my Creator and Lord in thanksgiving and lifting up several by name. I want to emphasize that praying for our nation, our Potus Trump, the military and our LEO's is a high priority as well as those I know and love who are hurting and even some I'm not particular fond of, oh well. Jesus said to pray for your enemies and I must say its difficult to lift up some of my liberal friends who are brainwashed against this nation and our commander in chief; but I do it in hopes they will see just how damaging their posts are for us patriots.

I headed out on my bike for the Rec. for two solid hours of pickle ball play and left with a wet shirt  and whupped a little after 10. It had warmed up and with the breeze it really dried out the gardens despite a good watering the evening before. I'm still harvesting lettuces and giving most of it away while its still beautiful and delicious in taste. I sowed more bibb lettuce seeds the other day and already they are showing some green and I also resowed some cucumber seeds as something had ruined these vines. I think maybe I used too much bone meal which sent them into a downward spiral from the beautiful vibrant vines loaded with blooms and nubbins.

Nancy was off to her Friday Bible study at SFBC so I repainted the kitchen chairs a second coat which kept me busy until nearly 1 when she got home and we had a fresh salad for lunch. I did manage to get in a couple hours of read time while the paint dried and then we got ready to head over to our cruise friends house to solidify our plans in September for our first ship cruise to Alaska. Sheri and Steve who are Nancy's age have been there a couple times and was able to talk her into a cruise which I've always wanted to do. We leave the first week in September for a 10 day cruise and then a train excursion before flying back to the Carolinas. She was once a travel agent and knew all the in's and out's of the business and helped us set up our accounts, hotels and connecting flights, etc. They will visit us before the flight to Vancouver and then a few days afterwards while we show them the mountains. We have so many friends in common before our BridgePoint family as they were sponsors for the youth at Indian Rocks Church for decades where Bobby and Amy both attended and graduated.

Well after a light supper we chatted and went on line making arrangements until after 9'ish. The time just flies when we are together and so much fun. I tuned into the Lightning game and they were destroying the Jets when I finally shut the lights off around 10'ish. This morning we are off to watch Ava play basketball in a tournament in St.Pete, LATER

Nancy thinks Ryder has my ears thus the picture of my old ear and Ryder filling his britches and of course the smile he has I also claim as well.

Friday Morning Jan 17th

Well Thursday was another busy day that started with a before 6 rollout to my usual cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and spent some quiet moments with my Creator and Lord in thanksgiving and lifting up several by name. It was another rather warm actually hot afternoon after a pleasant morning with lots of sunshine. Thankfully we have been having some rather heavy dew over night so the grass is surviving but we do need some rain. I'm hand watering the gardens which is holding except for the cucumber vines which are dying after such a beautiful start, oh well.

I headed out to the Rec. on my bike a little before 8 and stayed for the next 2 plus hours playing pickle ball with some really good players. The first two hours on Tue. and Thur. have now been allocated my management to the A players much to the chagrin of the lesser experienced players but they have the gym after 10 and either we move outside or let them interplay with us, anyhow after 2 hours I'm whupped and they can play all they want. There are so many winter players and most of them are less than our standard play although we do not grade them but there are a couple who can play with us and we invite them and their level of play which we all want to achieve when you play with some one better than you; not with beginners and that was our beef. We only use two of the three courts so they do have the availability to play.

I headed for home after a stop at the library for a couple new reads I had on hold but since I've been so busy with this kitchen table and chairs project I haven't had much time to read in the afternoon; instead I've been in the hot garage painting, sanding and now another repaint on the chairs this afternoon. Hopefully that will be a final coat today (Fri) after sanding the paint runs and roughness all afternoon on Thursday. Our old neighborhood friends who now live in Michigan and come down for the winter came by for a visit and we set a date for supper out and then some game playing next week. We are so busy with basketball which we attended Ava's game last evening and they beat a tough team who beat them last week as well as running to Tampa to see the "boys" in the Nicu unit. We got word from Bobby they maybe going home this weekend so that will mean trips to Brandon now instead of Tampa. We are thrilled they are doing so well.

I harvested lettuces for 8 families as the bibb, romaine and iceberg lettuces have quickly matured and must be used because of the heat which causes them to mature but also to bolt when not harvested. I'll take another bunch to our supper out this evening with the couple we are taking a cruise on in September and who we attend church with weekly. Its non stop around here with me playing pickle ball during the morning hours which I throughly love doing and then all of the other projects. I did manage to catch the news on the Fox Cable Network and the radical dems never seem to stop their vitriol and efforts to damage our duly elected potus who continues to deliver wins for America. I sure hope we patriotic Americans deliver him a win in November and vote the these dems out forever, LATER

A beautiful sunset as we left Ava's basketball game last evening

Thursday Morning..Jan 16th

Well time is just moving right along with over half of this first month of the year gone. Wednesday was another rather warm day until the evening hours when it cooled down just a little as I was out for a meeting with several others from BridgePoint. It also was another one of those days I never sat down except to eat lunch as I played two plus hours of pickle ball in the morning and then painted the chairs in the garage their first coat of primer and and then a first coat of the final finish.

I started the day much the usual with a before 6 roll out to my usual morning routines that start with a cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent some quiet time with my Creator and Lord in thanksgiving and lifting up several by name. Our friend and neighbor Dan's dad passed away yesterday after several years of unbelievable degradation to his physical body and at the end he was unable to even speak for the last several months. It was a blessing to him and to the family but as always in death its final until we all are reunited as Believers with Christ some day in Heaven. That is the one hope that separates us from the evil one who roams the earth looking for victims and believe me today we are seeing such evil in the world.

I had two hours plus of pickle ball outside on this day as there was an overcast for the first couple hours and no wind so the play was good with 5 of us better players. It seems you get a better workout and we all left around 10:30 with a wet shirt. I headed home on my bike to hand water the gardens. The lettuces are maturing so fast and are just beautiful so I harvested enough to give away to three neighbors plus a huge bag for Betsy later in the evening. I'm not sure what happened to the cucumber nubbin but it rotted on the vine and now the vines look awful. I did notice a couple more tomato's turning pink so I'm picking them before they too rot, oh well. The heat here is really bad during the day.

Well we had a meeting of group leaders and potential group leaders at the Rec. for about 30-40 folks from BridgePoint. Our life Group leader was there and really we are way too big and should break apart with 10-15 folks instead of the 30-40 or so who come at different times for events and get togethers. We just love our group and several have started their own groups from our original group as we do life together, oh well. We can not commit to a year long group as we are gone 5 months out of the year but we will see.

We watched a little of the FOX Cable news when I got home around 8'ish and Trump signed the China trade deal which is a big occasion for America but the vile dem's went ahead with voting to send their sham impeachment to the senate which is such a travesty for the nation, but one I think will be a definite win for the common hard working God fearing American and it will reassure his victory in the next election in November. Never before in the history of our nation have we seen such partisan voting against a sitting Potus who is delivering on his promises and was duly elected by the electorate. The corruption runs deep in the gov't from the last administration and they are so worried Trump is and will expose their nefarious actions. Already we see this in nothing more than their fear of his winning policies while making the nation once again great. God Bless Trump and those who are still American patriots, LATER

Wednesday Morning Jan 15th

Well its hot and muggy here in Central Florida but at least it does cool down some what after the sun goes down and becomes pleasant outside. The day was another busy one as I never got time to set down and read during hottest part of the day. I'm learning the new TV set up but the internet is so much better so far with no breaks in service like wow allowed.

I started the day with a before 6 rollout to my usual routines that start with the cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble and spent some time with my Creator and Lord in thanksgiving and lifting several up by name for comfort, healing and even a miracle for a couple who are wheel chair bound. I headed out on my bike to the rec. before 8 for two hours of continuous pickle ball play. I was whupped by 10'ish and headed home to piddle around in the gardens mostly hand watering and resowing some lettuce seeds. All of my lettuces are maturing at one time or there a bouts so I wanted to have a continuous supply until it get too hot for it to grow. I noticed my first tomato although its a small one, turning pink. I also have a nubbin on the cucumber vine as well.

I headed into the garage to begin work on the new chair seats by sanding them a little more although they were milled perfectly and look so sturdy. I gave the seats underneath areas a coat of primer and let that dry for an hour or so then gave the seat part a coat of stain that will match the table top. I will finish that project today with a final coat of stain and sealer and then start on priming the chair frames. I put together the other three frames which kept me busy for a couple hours and they came in many pieces. They sure turned out to be very sturdy and well made and they went together rather easy with just a lots of pieces to construct and tightened with bolts and screws.

We headed out around 4 for Keswick School to watch Ava play basketball and then part of the boys game before heading. The other team in Ava's game forfeited as they didn't have enough players to make the trip so the girls scrimmaged each other and they played hard with Ava doing very well. We got back to the house around 6 ish and Nancy had made a pot of pasta fagioli soup which was excellent. She saved the ham broth from all of the ham salad she made a couple days ago and use that as the base which was so tasty. After the clean up we settled into the Fox Cable News channel to get the real scoop on the world news and then I headed into the bedroom to watch on my new 32' tv the Lightning hockey game. They beat the LA Kings in a shoot out which is over time. Afterwards it was lights out for me, LATER

Tuesday Morning Jan 14th

Well Monday was another very warm day for January with the temps in the 80's lots of sunshine and humidity. It was also a special day as our youngest grand daughter Eliza Faye turned 6; I kidded her all evening that she was now two hands which had her thinking. 5 fingers on one hand and now one on the other. She is a charmer and now missing both upper front teeth just adds to her personality with cuteness.

I started the day much the usual with 6 ish rollout to my cup of hot green tea laced with turmeric while I posted this ramble then spent some quiet time with my Creator and Lord in thanksgiving and lifting up several by name. All seem well and I spoke with Paw Paw for a few around lunch time. Seems the house hold had the stomach bug and now a cold but all sounded well. They had around 5 inches of snow the past couple days but it's gone as it warmed up.

I headed out before 8 on my bike for the rec. and got in a couple hours of pickle ball with the first hour or so in the gym and then and hour or so outside. Both places make for different styles of play and the weather conditions play a part with the sun and the breeze. Both are a good workouts but except for Tue and Thurs. when the skilled A players have the gym we have to share with the B players; so we go outside where they do not like to play. We are trying to get the rec. to paint another set of court lines so we can have two courts in action outside.

I came back and hand watered the gardens as the breeze and the high heart dried everything out. I watered twice yesterday. After lunch I read awhile until the UPS delivered our 4 chairs which I have to put together then paint the frames and stain the seats to match the table top. They are very sturdy and were made in Viet Nam of all places. They look fantastic. I'll start on them today.

Amy had us over for delicious supper of "sour belly" when is chicken off the bone in a gravy over smashed taters and egg noodles. Lots of carbs but oh so good and a lot of work for a now working mother. Nancy made the birthday cake for Eliza with sprinkles in and through out the cake and it too was delicious. She opened her 13 gifts or so as she counted them which mostly was clothes from us except a frozen doll. We headed out just before 8 so the kids could get baths and do home work. Amy does a great job handling three kiddo and working full time at the school.

I headed up to the Botbyl's as Patrick and his son Ryan were visiting to watch the college football game with Dan. Kathryn was under the weather so it was a guys thing as Nancy flipped channels at home as did Carol in her bedroom. The game was exciting and I left at half time with LSU ahead. I came back and hit the showers and then saw Clemson score in the second half and make in a 3 point LSU lead when I turned the lights out. I see this AM that LSU went on and won the game by a good margin, LATER

Monday morning Jan 13th

Well Sunday was an awesome day of worship at BridgePoint. Nancy and I both had the privilege to work and to serve as well as to hear a message on forgiveness which is a heart thing and speaks directly to your out look and attitude. We had so many new faces in both services as we reach the folks in Seminole and help them get closer to GOD.

I was up early for the load in at the college as we are back to that weekly event. The college was great to let us leave our setup over the holidays and Christmas break. We sort of got spoiled for 3 Sundays for not having to be there at 5'ish, oh well. I worked the front greeting sidewalk and welcome tent before the first service and the ushered the second service while hearing the message by Tyler. He is a young preacher and very talented with his words and very fast speaking. We have 5 speakers and they rotate bringing the message from the main campus at Tyrone and all do a fantastic job.

Right after the close of the second service we headed out to Tampa. We made a stop at the house to change clothes and eat a quick lunch of the ham salad on fresh rolls before packing up a dish for Bobby to take to him. I had a cooler and ice as the temps were in the 80's once again. We got to hold both Ryder and Huck and both are doing great. There are just a couple hiccups in their final decision to leave the nicu unit and go home but the nurses are very pleased with how they have progressed. Annsley and Gabe were there as well and we all left together after a couple hours.

We made a stop at the super Walmart on the way home and I purchased a new 32" roku Phillips tv for the bedroom a the old 19" was no longer compatible with the new apple tv we just had installed in the living room. This one is WIFI fed and I need a degree to understand how to make it work but I did get it set up and watched the Packers beat the Seahawks in final NFL game of the day. The Chiefs made history by coming back from 24-0 to beat the Texans, yikes I got to watch the last half of that game. We settled on a fresh garden salad that I harvested after getting home and it was delicious, LATER

 Just a few pics of the Triplett grands.

Sunday Morning...Jan 12th

Well Saturday was another busy fun filled day that saw the temps on the rise along with the humidity, yikes did it ever get warm and sticky. The a/c is back on after having a couple days of near perfect weather, oh well. I did my morning routines, quiet times and then had a breakfast of fried leftover baked tater and eggs, delicious for a change from the usual morning fare of an apple.

Since there was no pickle ball as the gym is being used now on Saturday mornings for youth basket ball and it was way too windy to play outside I decided to work out in the weight room on the tread mill for close to an hour. I left with a sweat as the incline is not like the mountains but close when it comes to working up a sweat. I ran a couple errands then came back and piddled around in the gardens hand watering. The wind was heavy all day long and I feared it may topple my 6 foot high tomato plants. It did bend several of the taller limbs down but the main plant held inside the wire cages.

Nancy was busy in the kitchen making a huge batch of ham salad to take to Bobby's, Amy's and to Dan and Carol plus we have enough for several lunches this coming week. I messed around with the new Apple TV app. that is now our mode of watching the tube and thus far I hate it. It takes a lot of getting use to but Neighbor Dan felt the same for the first couple of weeks as they had it installed in their house with Spectrum. Anyhow it is so sensitive to the touch and the remote is nothing like what we are use to, I hate it thus far. I did manage to find a couple of sports channels and did watch them for a bit before heading in to read and look for another TV for the bedroom which I'm sure I'll use instead of the one in the living room. Did I mention I hate it thus far, oh well.

I headed for the shower early in the day as we would be at our Life Group in the evening for a social which included a supper of soups and salads plus dessert. I stayed away from that table but did taste all 4 soups and a couple of the different salads. The event started at 5 and lasted close to 8:30 after a devotional time. We had close to 30 folks and played the game Bunco which is a riot which allows you to get to know those in attendance as your partnered up with different folks throughout the evening. We loved it and Nancy got the prize for the most Bunco's during the night.

Well it wasn't long after getting back I was able to get the Lightning on the tube and watched them win again in Philly with a 10 game win streak, yeow.  I was up a little after 5ish this morning Sunday as I'm back to helping with the load in for BridgePoint Church at the college. After church we will head to TGH and visit with the "boys" in the NICU unit and with Bobby and Katie, LATER

Here are the "blonde brownies and ham salad from Nancy's kitchen.

Saturday Morning..Jan 11th

Well Friday was another one of those busy days that leaves little time for idleness, which I personally love being busy. We finally got the TV up and working after the tech called in the morning and said he was on our sight and his phone showed everything was in place. he spent a good amount of time helping us set up this new apple tv application that come with Spectrum and since we already have an ipad and laptop which are also apple this should make it easy to watch tv anywhere with either device. We are becoming so up to date all of a sudden but still dumb as a box of rocks in setting up this new wave of electronics. I did return all of the WOW equipment to a store and I wasn't the only customer returning equipment, oh well.

I started the day a little unusual as I had to visit the spare bedroom in the early morning hours due to Nancy's chainsaw. I did my morning routines that start with the green tea and quiet time with my Creator and Lord. It seems whenever there is any stress and setting up the tv last evening was such  and she explodes with her nasal activity, oh well. I was up very early and just stayed up and soon headed out to the Rec. for a good 2 hours of pickle ball inside the gym as the wind was just too strong to play outside. We are hoping the Rec. director will have another set of lines for pickle ball painted on the outside basket ball court. We may have to personally pay for that as she sometimes is not a big fan of us players, oh well. I left at 10 with a wet head and shirt as we had one court set up for the A players and the play was fast with good rallies.

I headed home to hand water the gardens after doing some weeding and hoeing and I did sow another row of carrot seeds. They did not come up too well the first sowing and I think the seeds maybe old but I do have some getting close to eating size. The egg plant continue to set buds and the one set of tomatoes that were volunteers are loaded with green ones in both sizes. One plant will be the salad tomato and the other plants I think will be sandwich size fruit. These three came up in my compost pile at the cabin and they have done quite well with all three over 6 foot tall and just loaded with fruit. I'm disappointed in the jalapeno pepper as the blooms fell off and no fruit appeared. I'm contemplating buying another plant as it takes forever for pepper seeds to germinate, oh well.

Nancy got back from her morning Bible class at SFBC and we had a bite of lunch then I headed over to the WOW store and then stopped off at Sam's Club to gas up at $2.34 where as the local stores have it at 10 cents higher per gallon. I did not get to see or hear the rally in Ohio for Trump last night but the crowd looks huge and the dems should take notice and stop being such obstructionist and hate filled legislators. I surely hope those who have perpetrated this sham proceedings go down in defeat next election. We do need a two party system even when the conservatives are in power but these hate filled terrorist loving anti Americans are just too much and I surely hope these large crowds at the rallies send them packing and even a couple back to their native origins. The"squad" is purely an anti American muslim, terrorist loving bunch filled with such vitriol they should be impeached along with those who head the dem party for treason.

We finally have a real Potus who is NOT a lying politician and they are thwarting him at every turn because they and the msm can not control or buy him off and they are in a panic as he drains the swamp and exposes their corruption. I ask how did we get so many millionaires while working in the gov't; and the answer is they are stone cold crooks and are scared Tump will expose their duplicity and whats worse with people who chant "death to America" and shoot down innocent airplanes and then blame it on our potus; disgusting and vile to say the least.

We headed out to watch Ava's basketball game and they came up short at the end of the game. Ava played well on defense but she needed better team mates to help her with ball handling and setting up plays. There were just too many easy points on turn overs for their opponents. We stayed and watched half of the JV boys team and that was a spirited match as well. We left and headed to Panera for supper. The food was delicious and while a little pricey for a half sandwich and a small bowl of soup it was close to 25 bucks for two. We had a gift card so that made it easy to swallow, not pun intended.

I was bushed to to the lack of sleep and the great workout and I do not have a tv in the bedroom yet to watch sports as the little one I had is not a smart tv. I'll donate this small one to the thrift store and get one a little larger that jells with the apple tv application. It seems everything now is what is known as streaming over the WiFi which the new thing will be 5 G's, Oh well. I read until the sandman calleth a little before 10, LATER

Friday Morning...Jan 10th

Well Thursday was a busy day with cool temps to start but by late afternoon it has warmed up nicely despite it being overcast for most of the morning. It did look like rain but none fell. It was pickle ball for me in the morning then some gardening before working on the kitchen table as I gave it two coats of paint and sealer and then the Spectrum tech came around 5:30 and was here for nearly 3 hours hooking up my internet and the new Apple TV. We never did get the TV to work which is a wonder to me because the office made it know it would take 24 hours for it to install, oh well.

I started he day 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 quiet time with my Creator and Lord giving thanks and lifting up several by name. All seem as well as can be expected and my classmate from JWHS seems to be recovering albeit slow from cancer which had spread from her breasts to her bones. Everyone else is holding as I make this post.

I headed out a little before 8 to the Rec. on my bike and it was a chilly ride with the overcast. I played inside the gym for about an hour when so many B players came that 4 of us headed out to play on the outside court. We played for another hour and half with good rallies and the sun finally broke through which added to the play along with a slight breeze. It's so much better outside as you can see better plus we get a better workout with longer rallies and no B players.

I stopped off at the library for a new read I had on hold then pedaled home to hand water the gardens. Nancy was having her yearly physical and got back just in time for lunch. We had some leftovers then I headed out to work on the table giving it a final sanding and applying the stain coat which had to dry for 4 hours before adding the final coat. Carol came down who is the one who showed Nancy this procedure and she liked the results which started this whole event of redoing the table top and purchasing 4 new unfinished chairs which I will make the seats to match the table top then paint the chairs frames white, oh well.

The item that Spectrum sent me came via UPS so I called the company and they had an opening for an install between 5 and 6. So I took it. The Tech turned out to be very helpful and he had the internet up and running in no time but setting up the Apple TV was a different story. We never could get any local channels last night as the company said it took 24 hours to come on line which seemed rather weird. He stayed until after his get off from work time at 8. I blessed him with some fresh leafy greens from the garden and that seemed to help. It seems with the smart tv there is an application that Spectrum uses called the Apple TV which allows you to do all kinds of streaming from one device to the other and the rep. from Spectrum sold us on that for some reason, plus Dan and Carol told us about it so we just figured that is the new thing with the 5G coming out nationwide. Anyhow I think it will be great once we learn all of the bells and whistles.

I read until bedtime so I didn't miss the TV except for Fox News but I had the internet so I wasn't totally in the blind. The dems never quit with their excoriation of our duly elected Trump and are showing just how biased and anti-American they are. The "squad" needs to be replaced next November for their disrespect for our potus and the military who keeps us all safe from their terrorist heroes. It's totally despicable how they reacted in the congress to the explanation Trump gave for taking out the butcher of American service personnel, LATER

 Just a picture of the chairs we ordered and of the light fixture she is thinking of buying for over the dining room table.