Tuesday Morning Dec 31st 2024..Last post from this year

Well Monday was another warm one after the morning overcast burned off before lunch. I started the day with a before 6 roll out to my usual routines that begin with some quiet times to honor my lord, Jesus, give thanks for another day and to lift up several by name for comfort and healing. All seem to be holding with this post. Grand daughter Ava is feeling better and still not able to play last evening in the championship game at Keswick and the score proved she was needed as the team from Jacksonville, Florida blew out our girls by 35 points in a lop sided final. Oh well at least the team won by great shooting from the floor and a defense that held our team to just a couple of baskets. Our team travels to south Florida next week to play a couple of games down there and we still aren't sure if Ava can play. Her health and well being is more important than winning games.

I headed off to Sam's Club before lunch for some items that we will bring to the New Year's eve party tonight and for the evening dinner tomorrow. I'll grill some chicken wings and then along with some finger foods we will join our neighbor and other good friend's for food and games tonight until the new year and that depends on how Nancy is feeling. We may leave early as she is still coughing and blowing her nose with an upper respiratory issue; no fever but she sounds horrible, oh well. I really could care less about watching the ball drop but its been a tradition for years since I retired. We will have a house full on Wednesday for supper so there will be lots of honey do's before supper.

I did head out in the afternoon to hand water the gardens as the sun came out and dried up all the rain from the night before. I harvested a load of leafy greens for the salad bowl and then picked a hand full of green beans for the vegetable beef soup Nancy made from the leftover prime rib bones and gravy, yeow was that ever delicious and I had two bowls for supper after a lite lunch of cheese and crackers. I finished another true read about a young woman from Australia who got swept out to sea for 3 days in a small canoe type boat that she hung onto after a storm capsized the canoe and she was eventually rescued by a fishing boat in the Philippines. Its a miracle she survived to tell of her experience and how GOD helped to save her. Its titled A MIGHTY TEMPEST by the author's Michelle and her mother Rachelle Hamilton who were visiting there on vacation.

Well after my delicious soup supper I cleaned up what few items needed washing by hand and then headed out to Keswick School to watch the finals in the consolation round of the boys and that was a close game and then our girls final which wasn't very good for Keswick and then the first quarter of the boys finals. There was a huge crowd on hand and I saw lots of familiar faces. It was going on 9 before I got home and watched some of the last MNF game of this season and that was a close game. It wasn't long I got ready for bed around 10:30, LATER

Monday Morning Dec 30th

Well Sunday was a great day of worship both here at home on line and then again at our local church. Nancy was under the weather and stayed home, so I worked the front doors as a greeter, welcoming many with hugs and handshakes. We had just the one service and we had a great group of close to 800 in attendance who heard a great message on "perseverance". That usually means dealing with issues mostly beyond our control. I got to meet up with several who along with myself have been dealing with that very issue and we have managed to weather those storms and honor GOD with our presence in corporate worship.

I started the day with a well before 6 rollout to my routines that begin with some quiet times to honor my lord, Jesus, to give thanks for another day and to lift up several by name for comfort and healing. All seem to be holding and I just learned where a first cousin of mine had open heart surgery and is now back home on the mend. Keep Dixie in your thoughts and prayers for complete recovery. I must say its amazing how our medical society can diagnose and then repair the many health issues we face at a moments notice. I'm almost totally healed and I'm raring to get back on the pickle ball court and start getting back in to shape or at least lose a couple of pounds and build back some stamina.

It looked cloudy around the area and Tampa did get some lite rain in the afternoon, but before dark it really poured here at home which was much needed. I had some leftovers for lunch and then settled into the NFL games and the Bucs acted like a real football team with both areas of the team showing up to play. They ended up beating the Panthers 40-14 after at one time being down 14-7 in the first half. Many of our extended family was in attendance. The Lightning got blown out after blowing out a different team on Saturday, so I was switching back and forth between the football and hockey, both of which I like. We had some bean burritos for our supper which is always a fav of mine as we load them up with fresh onions, jalapeno pepper, sour cream and cheese with some taco sauce, yeow delicious on a tortilla. 

I headed into the bedroom to watch the late game, so Nancy could watch her new HGTV shows and it was a good game which benefitted the Bucs in the overtime loss by the Falcons to the old Redskin team in D.C. The Falcons had the edge on the Bucs with two wins during the season so it was a must the Bucs win and they lose if they want to win the division. Truthfully I've happy the Bucs will be in the playoffs but I do not expect them to go far because of their inept play at times, but who knows as on any given day any team could win. Later today Monday we head to Keswick to watch the finals in the girls basketball tournament. I doubt Ava will be released to play due to her back issues. We will make a trip to Sam's Club for some New Year eve's goodies as we celebrate with friends at our neighbor Dan and Carol's place. Its hard to believe another year has gone by so quickly, LATER

Sunday Morning Dec 29th

 Well, its summer time once again here in central Florida or it seems that way with high heat and humidity. It does cool down some what over night but there is plenty of heat and sunshine during the day. I almost look forward to some cooler temps at least enough to turn off the a/c and open the windows for a day or so. We are in need of some rain as well as I'm daily hand watering the gardens which are doing quite well with tons of leafy greens and now the green beans are maturing as are a couple of tomato's plants and I have several egg plants set as well. I'm looking forward to some fried egg plant and fried zucchini of which I had two to mature on my one vine.

I started the day with a well before 6 rollout as Nancy is back into her snoring mode so I was up early and went to bed before 10'ish as well, so as to get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. She can really blow the rafters off the bedroom and now that she has a cold its even worst, oh well. I did my usual routines of some quiet time after posting this ramble to lift up several for comfort and healing. Grand daughter Ava is doing better each day but is still not on the basketball court as of yet. She missed the tournament yesterday against a very tough team from Plant High School who we were losing to by 6 pts at half time, but put that behind them and won by 10 at the end. 

Helen our mountain mom is here now in Largo at an ALF and she didn't know where she was. She is starting to lose it big time and I believe getting sundowners where she mixed up night and day as she calls several times a day and evening and doesn't answer the phone, oh well. At least we can go see her once Nancy gets over this cold she picked up over Christmas.

Nancy washed a couple loads of clothes and we hung them outside to dry on the line and did they ever in no time as the sun was hot. We ate a lite lunch of s frozen pizza and then headed out to Keswick for the basketball tournament where we saw 3 games and it was still going on when we left around 6'ish. The finals are on Monday and we will attend as the girls will be in the finals and the boys lost in a close one to a good team from Trinity. The girls travel next Wednesday to Ft. Lauderdale for a tournament so we will take care of Rocky the Ross Family dog as the whole family will attend. Hopefully Ava can be well enough to play again.

We stopped at Wal-Mart after the game and picked up a few items as we were close to the store and then headed over to Culver's for a cod dinner. I saw an old very good pickle ball player there with his wife. He certainly has aged and hasn't played in a couple of years. I truly believe staying active helps keep you young. He had some shoulder issues as the reason he quit playing and I know how that is with my back, oh well as old age is creeping up on us all. I'm still having a hard time with an FHP classmate who passed at 71 this week as he was the epitome of youth and a great physical specimen.

Well today is corporate worship day at S.R.B.C. where we will once again be door greeters and welcome folks to church. I just love all the greetings, the hugs and handshakes and the warm wishes we give and get and then we get ready for another big dinner on New Years Day with our usual sauerkraut and pork dish with dogs and kielbasa as well a black eyed pea soup, smashed tatters and a garden salad. Seems we will have both kids and their kiddo's as well as Betsy and Gus. I've put on 4 pounds since the holidays began and afterwards I'll get back on the pickle ball court the following Monday and eat lite, LATER

Saturday Morning Dec 28th

Well Friday turned out to be another beautiful winter day in Florida with tons of sunshine after a some what overcast start and warm temps that reached in to the upper 80's, wow, especially with temps in the mountains for a high of the 40's. I started the day with a well before 6 rollout as Nancy has congestion and that just makes her snoring very loud, which it usually is but very loud now, oh well. I did my usual routines that start with some quiet times to honor my lord, Jesus, give thanks for another day and to lift several up by name for comfort and healing as well as the nation of Israel and those hostages. Grand daughter Ava was back at the chiropractor for an early morning adjustment and is doing some what better and we got word that our "mountain mom" Helen is on her way here in Florida to the small town of Largo which is about 15 minutes from us here in Seminole. Her only child Rick and a friend were driving her back over night to spend out her days at this ALF. The pictures look so much nicer than the place in Elkin as it really was a dump and she was always getting sick there with covid. Hopefully she will like this place and its closer to Rick and us and we can visit more often.

I headed out to hand water the gardens after a lite breakfast which is needed because I put on a couple pounds already and we haven't celebrated the fine eatin' on New Years Day when all of the family come for dinner, oh well. After the holidays its on a strict diet with smaller portions and no desserts for awhile, but the ride has been good thus far through Christmas and all of the fine dining. On a sad note I lost a younger trooper classmate from patrol school who was the epitome of health at one time and after retiring from the patrol he became a local high sheriff in the pan handle of Florida. He was the youngest in our class whereas I was 3rd or 4th oldest at the age of 28 and he was 21, you just never know when your number is up.

We headed out around 11 to Keswick School to watch Ava's team play against a local county high school where Nancy graduated from and we won by 30 + points. Ava wasn't able to play but sat on the bench with her team. We left shortly there after and made a stop at the library for a book I had on hold then headed home for a lunch of a fresh garden salad, wow was that ever tasty. I read the afternoon away and then for supper we had a salmon filet pan fried along with some garlic buttered noodles and left over spinach casserole. I did watch a little of one of the bowl games before a shower and then some room TV with the gator hunting in the bayou's of Louisiana. This evening we go back to Keswick to watch Ava's team play a very good team from Plant H.S. who won by 30 points on Friday morning. Hopefully Keswick will do well without the great play of Ava who is a stand out on the team, but with her back out of whack she should take another week off from playing, LATER

Friday Morning Dec 27th

 Well Thursday was another rather nice winter day with a little chill in the air and some overcast skies to start the day but as the day wore on it became cloudless with bright sunshine and warm temps, Nancy even had the a/c on before bedtime which was mainly because of her hot flashes. I started the day much the usual with a before 6 rollout to my routines that begin with some quiet moments to honor my lord, Jesus, give thanks for another day and to lift up several by name for comfort and healing, all seem to be holding. Now we need to keep my first grand child Ava in your prayers as she has injured her lower back and was off to see a chiropractor during the day for some relief. Not sure how she is this morning but she was hurting so bad she couldn't drive her truck home from basketball practice. Hopefully its just a pulled muscle or maybe out of alignment and she will be O.K. to play again.

We had the leftovers from our Christmas breakfast which held me the rest of the day until supper. The casserole and blintzes were still as tasty as the day they were made and I had a couple of biscuits with homemade black raspberry jelly we made last summer from our bushes on them. Delicious is all I can say. I headed out to piddle around in the gardens burying table scraps and hand watering the gardens since I didn't the day before, everything looked great thus far and the collards are ready for harvesting. I just need somebody beside myself to cook them. I finished up the ones I had from a couple days ago with my supper of ham and leftover tatter tots and they were so good and melted in your mouth. From now on I'm going to eat them after a day or two of cooking them as they seem to absorb the bacon taste and the broth is just delicious as well.

While Amy and Tyler took Ava to the chiropractor I picked up Sam and Eliza and took them to Largo and dropped Sam off for his Jiu jitsu class and then brought Eliza back home with me where they later came to get her. It was a year ago Ava got hurt with the eye injury during this tournament that is being held today (Friday) at Keswick School which we are planning on attending this morning. Hopefully Ava will be better enough to play but it seems doubtful now with her back hurting so much. She is a gamer but we will see.

We finished up some leftovers for our supper then settled into the Fox News channel until it was shower time and then some NFL on my Roku tv which gets the prime channel. It was a boring game between two less than stellar teams so at half time I turned it off and went to sleep. We did keep busy during the day vacuuming and washing clothes and hanging them outside to dry as well as just house cleaning after having two groups during the day with lots of food prep, LATER

Thursday Morning Dec 26th

 Well Christmas day was awesome here in Seminole with delicious dining both for breakfast and then again for supper. The morning feast had the Ross Family(daughter) along with neighbors Dan and Carol and the evening meal had both son and daughter families attending with Nancy's sister Betsy and husband Gus. In between those meals we opened presents Bobby's family arrived from Brandon since they are mixed family sharing the older two kids Annsley and Gabe with their mothers family in the morning and Bobby getting them in the afternoon. Its complicated but manageable and it has mellowed some what over the years. Their grand mother on the mothers side is the sticking point for civility and always will be an issue. The mother and step dad of the kids has become much easier to get along with, oh well.

I started the day with a before 6 rollout to my routines that begin with some quiet times to honor my lord, Jesus, give thanks for another day and to lift up several by name for comfort and healing, all seem to be holding. Nancy was buy getting the dining room table set and the prepared food out to warm up for the stove which we were serving at 10 AM. She had a huge egg and ham casserole, tatter tots, biscuits, Amy brought cheese blintz's and Carole a fruit salad, yikes was that ever some great cuisine and our bellies stayed full until dinner at 6'ish after Betsy arrived with her spinach casserole to accompany the medium to rare rib roast of 15 pounds, smashed tatters, a garden salad and Bobby''s specialty of glazed carrots along with a delicious gravy he doctored up with wine, and mustard. Needless to say it was the finest roast we've ever made and it melted in your mouth. Amy brought apple pies with vanilla ice cream. We cleaned up the roast which barely fit in our roaster. We did save the bones and leftover scraps for a soup to be made later this week.

The opening of presents took awhile and everyone got plenty of gifts and I received a couple of bottles of bourbon to share here as well as in the mountains next summer when we have visitors. The kids received everything they wanted from a list they gave Nancy and of course she fulfilled all of their wishes. The little fellers received tons of toys and coloring books as well as clothes. It seems the gifts we got them a couple weeks for their birthday have left marks on their bodies from the sword fighting events while wearing their armor, oh well boys will be boys. It was a fun time and then we settled into a new game called In The Gap which is a knowledge game between the generations which was fun. 

Well it was going on 10 when the last folks finally left and we attempted to put the house back in order. It was a fun evening and the eating was high on the hog. Another Christmas in the books and everyone is older and the kids all love each others company which is always a plus. Next year Ava will have in college after graduating this summer and Annsley will be a senior in high school the twins will be 6 years old and I'll be 79 and the other grands will be some where in between; where did that time go, LATER

Wednesday Morning Christmas Morning Dec 25th 2024

 Well the big day has arrived and when I look back on all those Christmas mornings when Bobby and Amy were little and believed in Santa Claus and how they were filled with so much joy and excitement with the anticipation of this morning and the presents under the tree. It so warms my heart with tears of love and thankfulness for their lives and the grandkids they have blessed me with all these years and that I love them so much.

I started the day on Tuesday with a 6'ish rollout to my routines that begin with some quiet times to honor my lord, Jesus and to give thanks for another day as well as lift up several by name for comfort and healing. All are holding with this post. I piddled around on the internet checking on Israel and the terrorists they are eliminating from the world and I pray they continue to eliminate them as well as Iran and Yemen with our help. We must never let these terrorist get a nuclear bomb because we see what they did to innocent folks with regular munitions. I pray daily that Trump will help with settling the world's issues with proxies of Iran along with Israel and then take out N. Korea and Turkey's leaders as well. These tyrants are so corrupt and so full of evil its hard to believe the folks in these nations haven't revolted against them as well as the corrupt Iranian regime.

I headed out to work in the gardens doing some hoeing and weeding as well as hand watering and transplanting more beet seedlings as well as sowing more lettuce and radishes seeds in my now, new planter for starting seedlings. The squirrels are still so bad digging in the gardens and where ever I sow seeds that I have to place a sheet of chicken wire across the sowed area. I harvested a huge mess of the leafy greens and cleaned them for the salad bowl which we will have with our prime rib dinner later in the evening when Bobby and Amy's families all come along with Nancy's sister Betsy and husband Gus who will also take a couple plates for their sons home with them. Nancy picked up the 6 bone roast from Publix's and then put together a huge egg and ham casserole for our breakfast with Amy's family and neighbor's Dan and Carol. 

We headed out around 5'ish for our church where we worked the front doors greeting and then handed out candles for the 6 o'clock service. The 4:30 service was packed and we helped with them leaving, by  collecting candles which have a battery. I saw some old friends and got lots of hugs and handshakes from many and the service was quite different than most for Christmas eve with lots of singing from the children's and adult choirs as well as the congregation with all referring to the gift of Jesus to the world by GOD the Father for the remission of our sins and that all we have to do is accept that gift, repent and make Jesus lord of our lives; so simple but so profound as we celebrate the birth of that gift. 

We came back and since we ate a lite lunch late, decided to have some shrimp that was already cooked and deveined and along with some cocktail sauce and a noodle dish that was previously frozen as well and all you had to do was microwave it, both were delicious and with very little cleanup and no cooking since Nancy was in the kitchen most of the day getting ready for today dining both at breakfast and then again at dinner. Afterwards I read until 9'ish then hit the shower and some TV about hunting gator's in Louisiana until 10, LATER....  MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

Tuesday Morning Dec 24th ...Christmas Eve 2024

Well Monday was a bit nippy to start the day but by mid morning I shucked my long pants and long sleeve shirt and was down to my usual attire which is shorts and t-shirt. It warmed up to the middle 70's and just absolutely beautiful for a winters day. We also took the xtra blanket off the bed before retiring for the night.

I started the day with my usual routines of a 6'ish rollout to some quiet time to honor my lord, Jesus, give thanks for another day as well as the healing for me and for many of those I lift up daily for comfort and healing. All are holding with this post. I headed out to hoe and weed the gardens as well as transplanted a couple cucumber seedlings into the side garden along the chain link fence in hopes they will climb the fence. All of the lettuce and beet seedlings are doing fine and adding leaves. I picked two tomato's that were turning as well as a couple cherry tomato's which were turning but some what black in color. I think they need calcium and I have a little lime which I will spread around the plant this morning. I've used egg shells from time to time which add calcium to the soil but I think I need some garden lime right away.

I did finish another Mark Sullivan book and ordered a couple more from the library and noticed I had a couple real life survival books ready for pickup, so I headed up on my bike to check them out then decided it was time to test the back and leg on a 5 mile ride through the neighborhood. Well it was gorgeous weather and temps to say the least and the back and leg did just fine. I'm going to do this daily until the first of the year and then get back on the pickle ball court. I'm so thankful for the healing by the chiropractor and will do a maintenance checkup with him monthly as I never want to go through that severe pain again with sciatica.

I hand watered the gardens as well as the area from the stump grinding of the big oak which I missed the shade on this very warm afternoon, oh well everyone else is happy the big oak is gone but me, but I knew it was time. Now Nancy doesn't have to fret now when we are in the mountains about the tree being blown down on the house during storms. I harvested some herbs for our taco meat for supper which was spread on chips with tomato, onion, pepper, cheese, sour cream etc. I of course added a garden grown jalapeno on mine which made for a delicious supper to say the least. After the cleanup it had turned dark already so I headed in check on the updates in Israel and they are taking it to the terrorists in the area. Hamas is still holding those hostages and once if ever they are released those barbarians should be shot on sight. I know thats not the way most folks would handle it, but at least once they were annihilated they would never do it again and hopefully set the example for anyone who did it again. At least Iran and it proxies are being decimated by Israel and now the USA, especially in Yemen.

I tuned into the Lightning game and they were shutting out the best team in hockey, the Panthers in their  home rink, 4-0. I believe it was back to back games and the Panthers won in Tampa but the Lightning were winning in south Florida, oh well. I hit the sack around 10'ish and called it a day, LATER

Monday Morning Dec 23rd

 Well its just about Christmas time in a couple days as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus with family get togethers, present exchanges and worship services which just about the whole world celebrates and then just another week as we start a new year. This certainly is a festive time of year and one looks forward to after all of the evil things that occur between humans, even if some are barbarians and hate another race or ethnic group which has become evident in the middle east. Lets hope America is still the beacon of hope for freedom loving folks on earth. Now that we have a new POTUS who will soon take charge and who is for America First and its freedoms which is something we can be thankful and praise GOD for. America needs to be strong with a good leader because strength and power from it, is what deteres those who are evil.

I started the day out on Sunday morning with a before 6 rollout to my routines that begin with some quiet time to honor my lord, Jesus, give thanks for another day and to lift up several by name for comfort and healing, all seem to be holding with this post. We ate lite for breakfast before getting ready on this cold morning for church. We were working one of the side doors which has a lot of traffic coming from the side buildings into the main auditorium and while we were dressed with warm coats the cold wind made it quite uncomfortable. The church was nearly full on this cold morning and afterwards we headed home as the outside temps were finally warming up to around 60 after a low 40's start. There was plenty of bright sunshine which eventually warmed the outside air to a comfortable upper 60's by night fall.

I headed out after eating a bowl of leftover soup for lunch which warmed my innards to hand water the gardens which looked great despite the cold morning start. We sure could use some rain but the shallow well is doing great with plenty of water for the gardens and yards. Afterwards around 1'ish I tuned into the NFL and watched several games and the best was the eagles vs commanders(redskins) which had a great come back and a team effort to want to make the playoffs, much more so than our buc's which lost big time and probably got knocked out of any chance in the playoffs by a less than stellar team the cowboys. I was so disappointed to see such inept play except for a couple stand outs and the officiating wasn't great for them as well. I even stayed up close to 11:30 to watch them in hopes they would make a rebound but shut the TV off with a couple minutes to go, oh well.

Today Monday I'm going to stay once again around the house and do some garden work as well as take a bike ride or maybe just a walk to get this back and leg back into shape for some pickle ball play after the first of the year. Hopefully it will stand up to that movement once again. I haven't taken any pain meds now for a week and thats giving me a good feelings about my recovery from a very severe painful couple of weeks, LATER

Sunday Morning Dec 22nd

 Well the days start getting longer until June 21st. Which means we will hopefully be in the mountains on that date and that means it will be warm again after this cold snap which in now in Florida. It's not freezing but very chilly when it requires me to don long pants and long sleeve shirts other than on Sunday which is church days. Speaking of church days today is corporate worship day both on line and in person at our local place of worship. We both are back with working the doors at S.R.B.C. greeting folks, either with handshakes or hugs and I love it, although it will be a might chilly this morning with temps down into the 40's to start the day.

I started the day on Saturday with a before 6 rollout to my routines that start with some quiet times to honor my lord, Jesus, give thanks for another day and to lift up several by name for comfort and healing. All seem to be holding with this post. It was quite chilly to start the day but the sunshine was bright and has promises of eventually warming up which it did to the low 60's with a breeze which made if feel even colder. I did head out around mid morning wearing a hoodie to piddle around in the gardens and then to hand water everything. I've got a tomato turning and maybe a couple of more as well and the green beans are tiny with the plants loaded; that should be a bumper crop as well. Most everything else is looking good and the cucumber seedlings looked a little wilted for some reason and maybe its the cold. All of the leafy greens are looking super.

Nancy was off with sister Betsy shopping during the afternoon and college football as well as the pro's were on TV the rest of the day, so I was glued to the TV flipping back and forth between the two until bedtime or shower time around 8'ish. The last game was a bust so I read until lights out at 10'ish with a new read by Mark Sullivan titled THIEF. Well its another page turner as was the last two I read a couple of days ago. These last two are pure fiction but very good reading and a great story line.

I ate lite for the day except for two buckeyes of which they are just about gone from the fridge. At least they don't have as much sugar as most cookies do. I ate an orange for breakfast then a bowl of leftover Zuppa soup for lunch and then a bowl of those collard greens I cooked on Friday which are so much better the next day after sitting in the bacon fat and chicken broth over night. They melted in your mouth along with a slice of smoked ham with supper. After the clean up I watched more football but the last game was a blow out in the first quarter so I headed for the reading room until shower time and lights out, LATER

Saturday Morning Dec 21st..shortest day of the year

Well Friday started out with the temps dropping down to comfort level with a front that moved into the area. No rain which is needed but some clouds that looked like rain at times, but by night fall it was jacket or sweater weather. I didn't do much except work in the gardens and then finished a good read by Mark Sullivan titled ROGUE. Nancy shopped for the Christmas dinner and breakfast when we feed lots of family and friends which is what she does best these days, oh well.

I started the day much the usual with a before 6 rollout to my routines that begin with some quiet times to honor my lord, Jesus, give thanks for another day and to lift several up by name for comfort and healing, all seem to be holding with this post. I ate lite for breakfast with just an orange before heading out around 9'ish to check the gardens. Everything looks good and I saw where a tomato is turning on one of the plants, so I'm hoping for tomato's before Christmas or at least one. I did clean and cook up a pot of collard greens with bacon, onion and chicken stock. I had them cooking at low heat for several hours and then cooled them off before putting them in the fridge and having them with pork chops tonight with our supper.

Nancy decided to start wrapping the way to many gifts we bought for family which took her all afternoon. She has become obsessed with buying and shopping and doesn't understand their is a saying of "enough is enough". I love that we can give gifts but she just over does it spending hundreds of dollars on each person as well as giving cash to several as well. I do enjoy sharing a great breakfast with family and neighbors Dan and Carol and then a huge prime rib dinner with family including Betsy and Gus and then sending plates homes with them for their two boys. I'm just thankful we can afford it as I have a pension  and no debt. I've always been a responsible gift giver for peoples needs and do not expect anything in return because what do I need, nothing, but good health and the love of Jesus. I don't get into the commercialization of the holidays which comes from growing up on a farm and subsistence living at times, oh well.

We picked up neighbors Dan and Carol and headed over to the Nymark's for supper and games around 5:30. They had meatball subs and we brought a garden salad, they also had some finger foods and a little vino. Their house is huge compared to ours and great for large crowds and are just a couple doors down from Amy and Tyler's house. Well the guys won last night after getting whupped the night before in hand, knee and foot and then we played the game Smart Ass which Steve won, so it was a guys night. It was after 9 when we headed out for home and dropped the Botbyl's off. I hit the shower and then watched a little TV before lights out at 10'ish, LATER

Friday Morning Dec 20th

 Well Thursday was another quite warm day after a foggy start which burned off by mid morning and then the sun quickly brought the outside temps up close to the middle 80's once again; except for a cold snap a week or so ago its been almost summer time here with high heat and humidity. I mowed the yards for the first time since pulling a back muscle and getting sciatica and while I could feel a little pressure in the lower back, the pain never developed which was a blessing. I worked outside until lunch time then settled into reading the afternoon away except for hand watering the gardens.

I had started the day much the usual with a roll out before 6 to my usual routines that always start with some quiet times to honor my lord, Jesus, give thanks for a other day and to lift up several by name for comfort and healing. All seem to be holding with this post. Nancy made a mountain breakfast of sausage and eggs with toast and I added a jalapeno pepper to mine that held me until late afternoon when I cleaned up some leftover pop corn and had a buckeye or two, which is the last of her Christmas cookies that are kept in the fridge.

We had the Nymark's and Botbyl's coming for supper which was leftover soups and a fresh garden salad and of course fresh baked cookies but everyone passed on them, but Nancy. We also had crusty bread and crackers and afterwards we played hand, knee and foot which the gals won big, but not as big as we won on Monday night. It was going on 9 when everyone left and I had cleaned up the pots and dishes before heading to the shower. My one ear was waxed up so I had put some ear wax removal liquid in the ear earlier in the day and it felt blocked, but after using some hot water and a bulb it cleaned out, yikes that is so annoying to me and I make a lot of wax for some reason, oh well.

We were supposed to go to Ava game tonight(Friday) but the opposing team cancelled so we will go to the Nymark's along with the Botbyl's for another supper and card games which will be hand, knee and foot I'm sure. Well this time next week Christmas will be over and we will be looking forward to 2025 and a new administration in another couple weeks. America is in need of a new POTUS as this one is so inept and weak and Israel needs him as well, to back them up as they take on the surge of the middle east. We can only hope both countries survive until then, LATER

Thursday Morning Dec 19th

 Well Wednesday was mostly a work day and into the evening as well with us hosting a table at our church was some needy families and we had a really sweet family who the grand parents were raising their 3 grand children; 2 girls and boy. The youngest was 4 and the oldest girl was 10 with a boy around 7. Both grands were not in good physical condition with the g/mother quite large with a bad back and the g/father some what aged, but both were just as humble and thankful and the kids so well mannered. It was a pleasure to assist and be a help while making them feel cared for and loved, while we spread our faith in Jesus which was the reason for the season.

I started the day with my before 6 rollout to my routines that begin with some quiet times to honor my lord, Jesus, give thanks for another day and to lift several up by name for comfort and healing. I'm so thankful for all of those who kept me prayed up as well as I'm back to everything but pickle ball. I even rode by bike to the library yesterday afternoon for a couple new read by Mark Sullivan novels. I've so enjoyed his historical books from the WWII era that I wanted to read his fiction.

I did some gardening which included setting out some red romaine seedlings I bought on Tuesday at Lowes as well as hoeing some weeds and hand watering the gardens. Everything is looking good and I harvested some collards for neighbors as well. It was another hot and humid day until evening when it finally cooled down a little but still was in the 70's when we came home after a party at church around 8:30.

We has as many volunteers as we did guests or seemed that way which is quite unusual in church setting with 10% of folks doing 90% of the work, but our church is quite the opposite as we so enjoy mingling and working with and getting to know different folks. The two top leaders wives are great examples as they both are right in there getting their hands dirty and busy with everything and are a joy to serve with. Great examples of their love for folks and the lord and being the leadership behind the scenes. The food was prepared off campus and was delicious except for the fried chicken which was prepared by a food vendor. Everything else was made at homes and then brought together to be shared and it was definitely home cooked flavor.

We not only fed these families but entertained them with crafts, cookie decorating for the kids, quizzes on Christmas trivia for the adults and then loaded them up with bags of wrapped presents; it was a big deal and then gave them food to go from the leftovers which were plentiful. The hall was decorated along with the tables with candy canes, coloring pictures for the kids, etc. It definitely was a Christmas Party for these folks and we so enjoyed being able to share that with them. Our folks were very interested in the church as well as they lived not to far away and they had AWANA age grands. I sure hope they felt the love of Jesus through us and our fellowship and join us in worship on Sunday's, LATER

Wednesday Morning Dec 18th... A week until Christmas

 Well Tuesday started out on the warm side and by the afternoon if felt like August outside with high heat and humidity, wow was it ever hot in the direct sunshine. A week ago we had the heat on to take the chill out of the house to start the day. I started the morning with a before 6 rollout to my routines that begin with some quiet time to honor my lord, Jesus, give thanks for another day and to lift up several by name for comfort and healing, all seem to be holding. I'm afraid our "mountain mom" Helen is having sundowners and memory loss as she calls all hours of the day and evening but hangs up, anyhow she mentioned her son Rick is bringing her back to Florida to live out her last days, at least we can visit with her here more often. She doesn't remember where in Florida and when, oh well.

I headed off to the chiropractor for a tune up on the back and neck and decided along with him to do a maintenance check up every couple weeks until I can get back on the court for pickle ball. I'm not taking any pain meds now for 4 nights in a row and I'm back to doing lots of physical things, but do take it easy from time to time. I made a couple stops on the way home at Sam's Club for fuel and some things then a stop at Lowes for some things and a final stop at the library for stamps before getting back and having a bite of lunch. It was a long line at the post office as folks were mailing packages.  Stamps are out of site in price as well.

I wanted to work in the gardens as I bought some red romaine seedlings but it was just too hot to work outside. I did loosen up the side garden soil and sowed some carrot seeds which was mainly in the shade, but it was just high heat in the direct sunshine. I sure miss the big oak tree on days like this with the lack of its shade, oh well at least Nancy and Amy are happy. I read the rest of the afternoon away until 4'ish when it began to cool down a little and then I headed out to hand water the gardens and I harvested a mess of collards for neighbor Bobby who has been a great neighbor and friend. His son came by and pressure washed our driveway while we were in Brandon last Saturday and it looks brand new. I think that was the first time in 45 years it has been pressure washed. There are lots of cracks in it and the ants have taken up residence in them so I applied some ant poison in them as well as some in the ant hills in the back yard around the gardens.

Well we ate lite for supper as we headed out around 6'ish for our church where Keswick was having their elementary concert using our large auditorium. They had to have the K thru 2nd grade early and then those folks had to exit the place so the 3rd thru 5th grade could have their program, plus there was an accident that broke the water main to the church so no bathrooms were available. Yikes! The place was packed and the musical was up beat with Eliza being one of the main characters. She did a flawless job with her lines and all of the movements in the Bethlehem Beat play. Next year she will be in middle school and Ava will be in college, where did that time go?

We got back and tuned into the Lightning game and they were winning with just a couple minutes to go when I hit the shower and then some horizontal lab, LATER

Tuesday Morning Dec 17th

Well Monday was another nice day here in sunny Florida with temps into the upper 70's and maybe even low 80's by the afternoon. Nancy had the A/C on most of the day as it was a work day around the house and yards as we were entertaining our life group for supper, games and gift exchange; however only two other couples made it due to illnesses and other issues. Nancy had made two kinds of soups, Zuppa and Chicken plus a huge garden salad with crusty bread of which we have enough leftover when we have the Nymark's and Botbyl's over on Thursday for supper and games. I did all kinds of honey do's around the house, some yard and garden work and kept busy all day long. My back and leg held up nicely as well.

I had started the day with a 6'ish rollout to my usual routines that begin with some quiet times to honor my lord, Jesus, give thanks for another day and to lift up several by name for comfort and healing. All seem to be holding with this post. I ate a banana for breakfast before heading out to hand water the gardens and do some hoeing and weeding. The green beans are loaded with blooms as are the tomatoes. We should have plenty of both in a week or so. All of the lettuce seedlings have added leaves and now the collards need harvesting as well. I did harvest a nice mess of kale for the Zuppa soup as well as fresh dill and Thai basil for the salads. 

I even washed windows and screens as we got ready for company when several called and said they couldn't make it. Thankfully we had plenty because folks were supposed to bring soups, salads and desserts but we had plenty when Nancy decided to make a second delicious chicken vegetable soup and we always have plenty of leafy greens from the garden. The Bards and Botbyl's each brought the desserts they signed up for and they were delicious. We after eating played 4 rounds of hand, knee and foot and the guys were on tonight with the final score some where close to 65K to 29K. We didn't even add the final round as we were getting all types of cards. It was going on 10 when ever one left after playing a new game of exchanging small gifts that Carol thought up. I ended up with a devotional book and Nancy ended up with our gift we brought to the party which was a smelly candle and Chick filet gift card. The 6 of us had a grand time and plan once again some time the end of January as our schedule to host is just too busy with basketball games etc. LATER

Monday Morning Dec 16th

 Well Sunday was another beautiful day but it got a little warm according to Nancy so she had the A/C on by late evening after getting home from church and lunch out with friends. I had started the day with a before 6 rollout as we had corporate worship this morning, but I wanted to start the day as usual with some quiet time to honor my lord, Jesus, give thanks for another day and to lift up several by name for comfort and healing, all seem to be holding with this post.

We tuned into Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg Va. and heard a great message from Gary Hamrick who is one of the premier Bible teachers along with our pastor here at S.R.B.C. We headed out a little early as we wanted to return a winter coat that Nancy had ordered on line at Wal-Mart and we could return it by Fed Ex on our way to church and get one a size smaller. I just love part of the new technology by using a QR code on the smart phones which is awesome at times. We headed onto church and they had breakfast treats for all volunteers so I had a yogurt and an orange juice as we had arrived about 30 minutes early and saw the lady in charge of us volunteers and she wanted us to partake despite the fact I was going to fast for breakfast, oh well.

 My back  and leg are getting stronger with less pain to almost none daily. We worked the side doors greeting folks before heading in the sanctuary. We are now volunteering on Wednesday night this coming week for a dinner and program for 18 families in the neighborhood. We will host a table for one family and give them a dinner plus gifts and make Christmas special for them. I wasn't sure I would be able too with the issues I had, but now I feel I can contribute as a volunteer once again. Last year I spent several hours at the same event but in the sink washing dishes, pots and pans and I once thought bending over in the sink was good for my back and sciatica, but now I can at least host a dinner.

We heard a great message from our pastor on the gift that GOD gave to the world in the form of JESUS, who was used as a way to reconnect with GOD's grace and love and who took the sins of mankind upon himself; all we had to do was accept that gift and make HIM the lord of our lives. We met up with friends who just came back from Missouri for the winter and along with neighbors Dan and Carol for a delicious and filling lunch at Olive Garden which held me the rest of the day. It was a little pricey at 48 bucks for two and with a tip you spent over half of a C-note(100 bucks) Thankfully I had a gift card from Discover when I cashed in some points from using their money, oh well. I had a seafood pasta and salad with some of their decadent bread sticks which kept me completely satisfied the rest of the day and evening. Thsoe bread sticks are not helpful in trying to stay slim, but I only had two with my salad.

I vegetated on the couch watching the NFL the rest of the day until bedtime. The Bucs came from behind in the first half to win big over the Chargers and remain in the playoff hunt. Nancy had gone off with her sister Betsy shopping in the late afternoon and it was dark before she got home with more shopping bags. She is addicted to shopping I firmly believe, oh well, LATER

Sunday Morning Dec 15th

 Well Saturday was a busy fun filled day that started with a 6'ish rollout to my usual routines that always begin with some quiet time to honor my lord, Jesus, give thanks for another day and to lift up several by name for healing and comfort. All of those that I know are holding including myself. Last night was the first night in many nights that I didn't take either a pain pill or muscle relaxer at bedtime and I slept rather  pain free. Praise GOD I'm on the mend and can get off any meds for this back and sciatica issue. I did do a lot of standing around yesterday at both the twins birthday party in Brandon during the morning and afternoon hours and then again later in the evening at the surprise birthday party for Dan in Seminole until after 8 and occasionally I would feel them but after sitting for a few they went away.

I did hand water the gardens on this chilly start to the day which quickly warmed up to the middle 70's by the end of day and while it was mild as darkness fell we by the lake with the wind's breeze made things a little chilly as the evening progressed and so did the jackets an outer wear. There were a couple propane heaters that many stood around on the outside yards. The  twins party that started at 11 was a sell out with lots of 5 year olds and even younger as well as older kids filled the pool patio areas and outside side yards and play areas. We ate dogs and chips and watched the kids play but mainly caught up with old friends and met some new ones as well. Amy and Eliza rode over with us. We had two huge bags of presents as well as 3 dozen cupcakes to share. We did bring a few back to leave with Amy and family. I broke down and ate one later in the day as they were my fav of chocolate with white icing dyed green for the birthday theme of dragons and swords.

It was 3 ish before getting home after dropping Amy and Eliza off and I settled into the Army vs Navy game and it was close at half time. We had to be at Danielle's  place before 5:30 to hide for when Dan and Carol were to arrive for supper. All of his siblings flew in from up north and many from who were from  out of town were there, plus us neighbors locally. I met some folks I hadn't seen for ever and some never but knew of them. It was a grand time of food and fellowship as both Bobby and Amy came with part of their families. Dan was taken back after mentioning he was surprised no one was giving him a party for his 70th like they gave me 8 years ago, so we all got a laugh out of that and his attitude. They had a a one man band guy who was awesome and was a friend of the family. There must have been at 50 or more there and we parked at a local business and they golf carted us down to their place on Lake Seminole. Pulled pork, nuggets, mac and cheese, salad, baked beans and lots of finger foods all prepared by friends and family. Delicious to say the least.

Well today is corporate worship day at S.R.B.C. where we will be a greeter and door holder which we love doing and then tomorrow its another party at our house with our life group for supper and gift exchange. Lots of fun stuff with this Christmas season and then in 10 days another couple of days of feasting and celebrations. I'm just so thankful for the prayers for me as I'm on the mend and hopefully in a couple weeks back on the pickle ball court next year, LATER

Saturday Morning Dec 14th

Well Friday was a work day for me as I'm feeling much better so I was able to catch up on some honey do's as well as mop the floors after vacuuming as well as hoed most of the gardens. It was a chilly start to the morning as Nancy had the heat on and by the afternoon it was a/c time  I even hung a load of laundry in between all of the chores and hand scrubbed the kitchen rug and had it drying in the back yard on a chair as the sun was blazing.

I started the day with my usual well before 6 rollout to my routines that begin with some quiet times to honor my lord, Jesus, give thanks for another day and to lift up several by name for comfort and healing. All seem to be holding with this post. I did catch up on Israel's war in the middle east with Amir's post on Telegram which seems to be the only reputable program of news that tells the truth about the genocide by the Islamist in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon as well as in Syria and Iran. Those barbarians are just tha,t with no concern for the locals. Anyhow Israel is kicking their rears and making it difficult for the radicals of these countries to mount an attack on Israel using captured weapons once the governments armies have fled and surrendered or been killed by the terrorists. It seems Russia and Iran have backed off supporting the Assad's in Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon has almost been cleaned out, thanks to the IDF and their fighting force. It hard to believe we have 70 some democrats in congress who want to stop giving ammo to Israel in their effort to save their country along with the corrupt Biden's who have really not been a supporter of Israel with out conditions.

Well we headed out around 4:30 with a stop at the library and Publix's on the way to the Nymark's for supper and cards. We had a delicious Caesar salad with rotisserie chicken as well as some snacks later in the games. The guys whupped the gals in hand, knee and foot but they beat us severely in a game of spades. It was after 8 so we headed home as today Saturday is a busy day with picking up Amy, Ava and Eliza and heading to Bobby's in Brandon as we celebrate the twins 5th birthday with a party. Nancy has two huge bags of presents for each boy and then later in the evening we have a 70th surprise birthday party for Dan at his daughters house around 5'ish. Just another day of partying and I'm so glad the back and leg are doing much better and the on Monday evening we have our Life Group supper and Christmas party here at the house, Wow what a busy next couple of weeks, LATER

Friday Morning Dec 13th

Well it turned cold once again with temps down in the 40's for a low but it warmed up to the low 70's with bright sunshine and a steady gentle breeze for most of the day but did drop back into the low 50's while we were at The Keswick Concert held at our church last evening. Ava and Sam were magnificent in their singing and in their dress codes.

I started the morning with sleeping in the spare bedroom after Nancy snored so loud around 3'ish I could no longer stay in our bed and really didn't get much sleep as this was the room when just a couple days ago had me in so much pain from the sciatica it brought back memories of the occasion. Anyhow I finally got up some where around 5'ish and thankfully the internet was working, so I did my quiet times to honor my lord, Jesus, give thanks for another day and to lift up several by name for comfort and healing, all seem to be holding. I'm getting better it seems each day but still after standing for any length of time get a reminder of what I went through a couple weeks ago. I purchased this supplement called Sciaticasoothe which as several ingredients that are supposed to help with easing that issue and I'm hoping it works as I'm not inclined to go through that again. I'm still seeing the chiro doctor now just once a week and it looks like I'm not getting any help from the VA on paying that bill, but just to be pain free is worth it since the original issue with my back started after an operation on L5 back in the 60's while serving in the USAF during VietNam.

Nancy was off with sister betsy shopping once again and I'm thinking she is now a shopaholic because she buys so much stuff, especially clothes that the closets are so full of that she never wears and her tummy isn't shrinking but getting bigger especially with her cookie baking. I'm starting to worry she has some issues with her eating and bathroom visits, oh well. She doesn't listen to me at all when trying to help her solve her issues.

Well I did some honey do's around the house then worked outside in the gardens hand watering and harvesting leafy greens for the salad bowl. I cleaned and then spun them dry and made up a huge bowl for the fridge. She was at McDonalds on the way home from shopping with a coffee drink and fries which bothered her all evening at the concert. Those were two things she never should have eaten, oh well. She was in the bathroom several times during that event. It was going on 9 before we got home and I hit the shower and then tried to get on the sports channel to watch the Lightning play and could never get it on the Roku but we did get it on the TV and the laptop, but I wanted it in the bedroom where I usually watch TV after my shower, oh well. That will be an issue today to correct if possible with my TV provider which is Spectrum, LATER

Thursday Morning Dec 12th

 Well after getting the internet fixed we were able to check all of our updates and finally felt at ease after some scammer tried to steal our info from some foreign country, thankfully we couldn't understand him and finally hung up after he said there were 22 people on our account and they had been ordering porn and playing some online betting game, oh well. We finally spoke to an American and she straightened it all out and we are back on line once again.Never ask google for a phone number as they gave us the scammer's number.

I started the day with a 6'ish rollout but since I couldn't get online I read until 8'ish and I did finish this read titled THE LAST GREEN VALLEY by Mark Sullivan. Well its a real page turner and I shed a few tears at the end as its based on a true story that started before WWII with the killing of the Jews by Hitler and then run for your life from Stalin and this family caught in between. I did my quiet times after getting on line to honor my lord, Jesus, give thanks for another day and to lift up several by name for comfort and healing as well as myself. I'm doing much better as the chiropractor has done a great job getting me back in line and the lessening of the sciatica pain in the leg and lower back. Wow, was I ever glad for that relief and I'm back doing more garden work and honey do's. I'm still not back on the pickle ball court just yet and I'm waiting until after the after holidays just in case I get a flare up. I'm still having some issues after standing for awhile or doing too much activity.

We did get some rain during the mid morning and I had just transplanted some beets seedlings into the garden proper before the skies opened up, that I had growing in a planter. They all had really good roots so I'm expecting good greens for the salad bowl in a week or so. I harvested two zucchini's and noticed several more new green tomato's set and now the bush beans are starting to bloom. I hope this cold snap doesn't set them back as its only supposed to be in the low 60's for the highs today. The leafy greens are doing quite well also and I will harvest plenty today for the salad bowl while Nancy is shopping. We go back to church this evening where Keswick School uses our large auditorium for their high school concert as we see both Ava and Sam involved in it. Its their big event of the year with black ties for the boys and gowns for the girls.

We headed over to the Nymark's after lunch to take them some cookies as we want to get rid of them because they are calling our names and while there we got in 3 rounds of hand, knee and foot and the gals whupped us again. We had to quit early as Steve picks up his grand daughter from school daily around 2:30 then we made a stop on the way home before settling in until 6:30, when we headed over to S. R.B.C. for our Wednesday evening get together and got rid of more cookies. Nancy made hundreds of them and we still have several to give away today. It was after 8:30 before we got back to the house and I read the issues going on in Syria as well as with the lame duck dem's trying to stall Trump's agenda when he takes over the country in January. The dem's are so corrupt and I'll never vote for any of them ever again, LATER

Wednesday Morning Dec 11th

 Well we've been having internet issues and finally got it resolved after speaking with an agent who led us through several steps. First we had a bogus number with some one in another country which led us to believe we had been inundated with crooks trying to steal our info, oh well we changed our security code right away and are now back in business. Thankfully.

I started Tuesday with a before 6 rollout to my usual routines that begin with some quiet times to honor my lord, Jesus, give thanks for another day and to lift up several by name and myself included. I'm progressing daily and was back at the chiropractor around mid morning. I blessed him and another person with some fresh collards and some kale and they were thrilled. I did make a stop for gas at Sam's and Lowes on the way home. I did finish up the screws in the shed and now hopefully it is put back together to be secured for further use. 

Nancy was finishing up the baking of cookies and I delivered them to neighbors and friends and then we had lunch and an early supper before we headed off to Keswick to watch the girls basketball team beat another good Catholic team from Tampa. It was after 8 before we got back to the house and no internet. Anyhow we are back in business for now, hopefully we didn't lose any info to these crooks on the internet, LATER

Tuesday Morning Dec 10th

 Well Monday was another nice day after a cool morning. I soon donned some lighter clothing and by late afternoon Nancy had the a/c back on, oh well, that is Florida weather and temps during the winter. It was a great day of working outside for me and thats what I did, first in the gardens and then buddy Steve came by for an hour or so and helped me finished the construction project on the Lifetime Shed that had been struck by the neighbor behind me, huge tree. Thankfully it just knocked out all the screws that held it together and so I needed an extra hand in that project. I had worked it over a month ago but since I hurt my back I couldn't finish and yesterday I felt good enough with his help to do that. I now need to find some longer screws like the one's that came with the original construction as we just have it in place and then I'll finish the job. It's made of heavy plastic material and very durable and now I know why its called a Life Time shed as it won't rust or wear out if you can keep it together with screws.

I started the day with my usual routines that begin with some quiet time to honor my lord, Jesus, give thanks for another day and to lift up several by name for healing and comfort and myself as well, but I'm starting to be able to work again without considerable pain in the back and leg from the sciatica. I'm progressing and not taking any pain meds except at bedtime which helps me sleep. I'm catching up on many chores before I head back on the court which now maybe after the holidays, as I want to be sure to not reinjure the back and especially the sciatica, wow was that ever painful and don't wish that on anyone. I'm still seeing the chiropractor weekly for now to just make sure I stay in alignment.

It got really hot after lunch and Steve and I finished about then thankfully. Nancy was still in the kitchen making and baking cookies and I think she has one more day to go with that project then we can pass them out to friends and neighbors and those who service us like the letter carrier and garbage guys. I did sample a couple of them as I basically skipped lunch except for an apple after a sausage, eggs and toast breakfast to start the day. She was whupped from all the kitchen work so we ate a frozen pizza for supper with a garden salad which was excellent as she doctored up the pizza with fresh mushrooms and extra cheese. 

I did head up to the library for a new read that son Bobby turned me on to and its titled THE LAST GREEN VALLEY by Mark Sullivan. Well its a real page turner based on a true life experience during WWII of refugees from Ukraine fleeing Hitlers Germany with the Stalin Soviets in hot pursuit. I read for a couple hours sitting outside in the shade during the rather hot afternoon and then again before bedtime and after a hot shower. I did catch up on the news from Fox which seems to be the most unbiased network and of course from Amir on telegram. Syria has fallen from the dictator to the muslims rebels which weakens Iran's influence but still not great friends of democracy and Israel, Penny was acquitted in a sham trial and indictment and the murderer of the CEO was caught in Pennsylvania and some world leaders are welcoming Trump back as a world leader again.. Lets hope Biden and Harris fade away and do nothing to start WWIII with Russia, LATER

Monday Morning Dec 9th

 Well Sunday started out on the chilly side but quickly warmed up to the low 70's by early afternoon which made for a pleasant day with tons of sunshine through out the day. It also was a great day of worship first both online with Gary Hamrick at Cornerstone chapel in Leesburg, Va, and later in person at our local S.R.B.C. where we both worked the side doors greeting and welcoming folks. We both love doing that and Nancy went back in the evening to help with WinterFest which was an out reach to the community. I stayed home and watched the NFL as I'm still not a 100% with the back.

We ate some left overs for lunch which held me the rest of the day as I fasted for breakfast and basically ate very little at suppertime with just some nuts and a glass of vino. I'm curbing my appetite to lost some more weight. I did hand water the gardens before the NFL started and basically was a couch sitter reading in between commercials and watching the Bucs win again. They are now division leaders and if they continue to win will make the playoffs in a couple of weeks. They looked good for a quarter but after that it was miscues and poor play and the Raiders were within 3 points of the score. I watched a second game then retired to the computer room reading until bedtime.

Not much else to write about except I did do my quiet time to start the day after posting this ramble to lift up several by name for comfort and healing and myself included, all seem to be holding with this post. I'm not totally pain free yet and maybe never will be because of the issues with age and the old injuries to the back from years ago. I ordered some sciatica supplements that are supposed to calm the nerve and regenerate the nerves in that area, I sure hope they work as the personal testaments sound encouraging, LATER

Sunday Morning Dec 8th

 Well Saturday was a busy fun filled day and evening as the Ross grands and Amy came by for cookie making and lunch and then we headed off to the Nymark's for a friend filled evening of good food and a game of Bunco. There were 16 of us which was perfect for the game and Nancy won the prize for the most Bunco's with three for the evening. I had one but the wins exceeded the loss games by just a couple. It was fun as you play with several different people through out the 24 games.

I had started the day with another sleep in until 7'ish which I'm enjoying for a change, but my routine are much the same with some quiet time to honor my lord, Jesus, give thanks for another day and to lift up several by name for comfort and healing as well as myself as I still have some pain and aches but nothing like before. It was another chilly morning with temps down into the upper 40's but it soon warmed to the upper 60's and may have reached 70 by the late afternoon before it started cooling off again for the night time temps. This is our usual winter weather with lots of sunshine as well. The garden loves this weather and is really starting to mature with tons of leafy greens as well as tomato's setting and some zucchini's with 3 on the plant and of course green and jalapeno peppers maturing.

I did set and watch some college playoff games but before we headed to the Nymark's and then again during the time period there as we kept updates and then the first half of the last game before hitting the shower and heading off to bed around 10:30 My ear and head were some what clogged so I took  a Benadryl before going to bed and my head and ears are open this AM. I didn't even take a pain pill before bed either, and the normally pain in my back and leg are feeling better was well. Thank GOD for that. I want to get back on the court as soon as possible and work out as well.

Today is corporate worship day at S.R.B.C. where I will be a greeter at one of the doors and then Nancy goes back to work the Winterfest event for the neighbor hood which includes games and fun for the whole family. Its usually a huge turnout for the event. I'll pass as it means standing on my feet which usually brings some pain in the lower back, oh well, LATER

Saturday Morning Dec 7th

Well Friday was another beautiful day after a chilly start with some over cast, but it warmed up to shorts and T-shirt weather. I did lots of garden work after a trip to the chiro doctor who always has me feeling great after a session. I do believe I'll be able to get back on the PB court shortly if things work out as they are now. I started the day with another sleep in until 7'ish and then did my routines that begin with some quiet time to honor my lord, Jesus, give thanks for another day and to lift up several by name for comfort and healing, myself included. All seem to be holding with this post. I knew I had a late morning visit to the chiropractor so I didn't do anything except hand water the gardens before leaving for St. Pete.

I saw our dear friends Steve and Sheri there as well as they do a maintenance adjustment with the clinic and I too once I'm completely healed with do the same. After the adjustments I headed home for a light lunch of a garden salad and then I was out the door to work outside for the next couple hours transplanting more seedlings and then turning over an area the weeds had taken over a couple weeks, while I wasn't able to do much, physically. I did harvest my chiro doctor a nice mess of collards as he too is a gardener. He was pleasantly surprised at the beauty of the leaves. He is from Colorado and has always had a garden but wanted the inside on Florida gardening and I gave him what I knew to do. The biggest problem here are the nematodes which are root knots, but they do not like marigolds which is a natural enemy of them so I kept the dried heads as well as the plants in abundance in my ground as well as regular fishing worms.

I transplanted 4 large volunteer tomato plants in the side garden after turning over that ground with a shovel. That was a job as the bobcat which was used to transport the heavy oak tree trunk over that area was packed down like hard concrete. I finally got it loosened up and pulled out all of the grass roots and set the tomato plants with some fertilizer and composted soil. Hopefully they will produce. I did spray weed and grass killer around the edges of the gardens and yards and then cut off the dying leaves on some of the greens. I harvested a nice mess of kale which was just beautiful as well as tasty for our Zuppa soup which Nancy made for our supper. The grands are coming today for cookie baking and lunch and this soup is their favorite as well as mine.

Nancy was in the kitchen for most of the day making cookie dough as the Ross grands come today for Christmas cookie making and baking. She also made another couple batches of different cookies to hand out for our neighbors, family, post man and garbage guys as well. The freezer is full of them. I did eat a couple of buckeyes which are my favorite after supper, but I'm trying to stay away from sweets as I want to continue on my dropping some fat from my spare tire. It has shrunk a little from 203 to 193 so I feel good about that. I'm hoping to get back on the court and continue to work out, plus bike ride and gardening. Its tough this time of the year as we indulge on fine eatin' with Christmas parties, one of which we are attending at the Nymark's this evening.

I did watch a little of the Lightening Hockey game before hitting the shower and then some reading before bedtime. I finished a great read titled OPEN SECRETS by Carlton Stowers and now I started a book about the Scott Peterson murder of his pregnant wife, titled A DEADLY  GAME by Catherine Crier. A lot of what didn't come out at the trial as well the police who immediately on the day she went missing did have a rush to judgement which eventually convicted him of this brutal crime. Peterson is now wanting to be released or a new trial which was briefly in the news. The guy is a monster sociopath, LATER

Friday Morning Dec 6th

 Well Thursday started out on the chilly side but quickly warmed up so I was taking off clothes quicker than I put them on to work outside in the yard and garden. It stayed very nice all day long with barely any humidity. I did work up a sweat while hoeing and raking and transplanting. More on that later. I did my usual routines that stared with some quiet time to honor my lord, Jesus, lift up several by name for comfort and healing and myself as well as I'm still hurting in the back and leg areas but nothing severe as before; just a constant dull ache. Everyone else seems to be holding with this post.

Speaking of the garden work after a hardy breakfast of eggs and toast I headed out and used a shovel to turned over a large space to transplant 4 rows of black seeded Simpson lettuce seedlings, I started from seeds in one area of the garden and then and extra row in the other garden, so we will have plenty of leaf lettuce to accompany all of the other leafy greens like Swiss chard, romaine, kale and soon beet greens which are all excellent for your health and even for my issues with sciatica.

I also transplanted several cilantro and dill seedlings into the garden proper along with some volunteer tomato plants that were quite large. If they all make I'll have plenty to share with friends and neighbors. Speaking of neighbors a young couple across the street brought over a plate of delicious fried fish he caught last week. They were delicious and there was three different kinds of fillets. He and his buddies go way out in the gulf and bring back coolers of grouper and snapper. When I have plenty of veggies I share but I'm no doubt getting the best of the barters.

Well we had a rib eye for our supper which we had brought back frozen from the cabin and Nancy pan fried it which I think is the best ever and so quick as it seals in the flavor and with it some sauteed yellow squash . I'm still trying lose some some fat and bring down by HDL's which is a little high from all the feasts we had during the summer, oh well. After the clean up we got ready to head over to Keswick school to watch the girls play basketball against a huge public school from Sarasota called Booker. Well they were late arriving and the JV girls won that game against their all black girls by 9 points but the varsity girls which looked like college size girls were all black with one white player were aggressive. Well they blew our girls out by 30 points in the final. 

Our grand daughter Ava was the high scorer for our team with 14 points which was about half of the final score around 30 to 60. Our best player was away and really we had no other point guard to bring the ball up the court, but I still enjoy seeing the first game of the season for me. The girls won over a school in Tampa on Tuesday so they have a winning record thus far for the season. The black coach of this Booker school was rude and very loud and received a technical from the referees a couple times, oh well such a leaning experience for the team, but they were your usual in your face obnoxious and very physical but great ball handlers compared to our girls. It was going on 10 before we got home and then a hot shower before lights out, LATER

Thursday Morning Dec 5th

Well Wednesday started out on the nippy side with high 40's and by 10 AM is was very pleasant to be outside in the bright sunshine and that's what I did for the next two hours; working in my garden. More on that later but the back held up nicely as I wore my back brace, now I just need to get back on the court in another week or so.

I started the day with my usual routines that begin with some quiet times to honor my lord, Jesus and to give thanks for another day and the pain mainly gone from my back and leg. I did feel a little after standing so much at church last evening but it eventually dissipated after a shower and into bed. All of those I lift up daily seem to be holding and I thank all who have kept me in your prayers as well.

I had a lite breakfast of yogurt and a banana before heading out after the sun had taken the chill out of the air and replanted my cucumber plants back along the chain link fence that had been removed during the big oak removal. I had replanted them in hopes of saving them during that event and while they didn't look great most had good roots. I also replanted some tomato's from seeds in the garden patch along side the house. I still have room for more volunteer tomato plants there as well and last year they did great there or maybe sow some carrot seeds which also did great there a year ago.

I hoed about half of the garden before I started to feel some pain, so I gave it a rest but did hand water everything including the area where the big oak once stood. I miss the tree as it was a friend for 45 plus years, but it really was becoming an issue between Nancy, Amy and the grands as it was messy after a storm and the idea it might blow down during a major storm onto the roof, oh well its gone and I'm out 4 grand. The neighbor's were tickled as well as it could pose a danger to them in a major storm.

I read the afternoon away and then we headed out to S.R.B.C. for our evening get together in a more relaxed setting with a good 25 minute message on Solomon and how he messed up and how that relates to our life and decisions which was called Tipping Points. We had a small group meeting before leaving and getting back home around 8:30. It wasn't long before a hot shower and then some reading before lights out around 10:30'ish, LATER

Wednesday Morning Dec 4th

Well Tuesday started out on the chilly side with temps in the high 40's and it warmed up as the day progressed to some where in the high 60's maybe even low 70's as it was long sleeve shirt with shorts for me all day long. I started the day with a sleep in until nearly 7'ish as I'm finally getting to rest all night long without any serious pain. Thankfully the chiropractor has and is still doing a magnificent job in easing the pain in both my lower back and sciatica that runs down my right leg into my knee which was unbearable at times and I Praise GOD is all I can say because for a few days I was completely in such pain and discomfort I wondered if I would ever recover, but I have and I'm thankful for another almost pain free day. Ever since I had that L5 herniated disc operation in the 60's while serving in the USAF I've had some issues at times in the lower back and sciatica to the leg.

What started this issue this time was me helping a neighbor unload a chest freezer from his truck. I should have worn a back brace which I have, but I was watching a football game on TV when he came to the door and I didn't want to miss the game and take time to put on the brace, so I quickly went next door and attempted to lift one end but I knew when I did it that something felt different in the lower back. I just put it out of my mind at the time except for some rub before bed and then I was off playing pickle ball the next morning and noticed the discomfort was a little more evident, but the real kicker was when I left my new F150 at the dealer to have the gear shift replaced as it was defective and they had to order the part so they gave me a loner vehicle which was a sharp car, but a new Mustang. Well I had, had surgery on my left hip area with some skin removed and the stitches were evident when made me lean more to the right hip and while driving that bumper car which it felt like, that was so close to the road that every bump was painful. Well it was then I began to have severe pain down into the right leg when we drove back from Brandon after a birthday party for the grands at son Bobby's house. Well needless to say I was in so much pain from the sciatica nerve I wanted to cut my leg off.

That started the next two weeks of so much pain that I was in the ER at the VA twice within a week getting morphine shots, opioids and other pain meds which only mask the pain to the brain and finally I went back on naproxen and using ice as well as heat and finally to a DPT and a chiropractor. The last two made the difference in the relief of pain as well as some strong other than opioids to ease the pain. My VA doctor has been great in helping me as well and I'm much thankful for her help. She is also a pickle ball enthusiast along with her husband who is a doctor as well. Anyhow I'm almost pain free except for some lingering discomfort in both areas at times.

I went back to the skin doctor and had more stitches removed from a couple biopsies before lunch then headed down to Lowes for a couple items. It was quite pleasant outside in the sun but the shade had some chill to it. I hand watered the gardens and the area where my oak tree once stood, now that the stump grinding was complete and the mulch removed by son Bobby and son in law Tyler as well as grandsons Sam and the twins, Ryder and Huck. I now have lots of gardening work to do as the grasses are evident to most of the areas, plus I want to move some lettuce seedlings into the garden proper along with some tomato seedlings and cilantro seedlings, all while wearing a back brace as I've learned my lesson. I sure miss the big oak but it sure will make a difference for the grands when they take care of the lawn next year when we go to the cabin for 5 months. The tree was a head ache when storms came through as well, as it spread debris everywhere in the yards and the roof.

Well I cleaned up some left overs from the turkey day as Nancy was off with the Ross family to watch Ava's basketball team win in Tampa against a good Berkley Prep school. I'm not ready for bleacher sitting just yet but hope to go to her game on Thursday night at Keswick, LATER

Tuesday Morning Dec 3rd

 Well it was down right chilly to start the day here in normal warm and hot sunny Florida. The temps were in the upper 40's which is cold here with a stiff breeze ,but it warmed up to the low 70's by the late afternoon when the temps began to drop over night. I started the day with a 7'ish rollout to my routines that begin with some quiet time to honor my lord, Jesus, give thanks for another day and to lift several up by name for comfort and healing. I myself am starting to heal with less pain in the back and leg, but at times I can feel it, but bearable to say the least. I headed to the chiropractor after breakfast around 10'ish and got another adjustment which helped and a couple new stretches for the back and leg.

I got a low tire air warning light on the truck which has been coming on for a couple days so I stopped at a tire place and had all of the tires checked and aired up, so now this light is gone which was annoying. Not sure why the dealer had such low tire pressure at 28 PSI when the tire guy said I needed 35 PSI, anyhow at least that warning light is gone and I learned something about the positive traction on the truck so that when you make a turn one of tires drags, which I had no idea why it was driving weird on turns. There is a button when you select the mode and if you by accident touch this button the transmission goes into positive traction which means both rear tires are in drive whereas normally only one wheel is in drive, oh well. I learn something new every day.

I made a stop at my barber shop for an ear lowering before heading home for a lite lunch around 1'ish. Nancy had been in the kitchen all morning doing her Christmas cookie baking and had two finished and in the freezer. She will bake about 8 or so different cookies and then give them out to the neighbors a day before Christmas. I did try a couple despite not wanting the extra sugar which adds up to fat. I'm down close to 10 pounds since getting back from the mountains and I have at least 5 more to go. I need to bring my LDL's down a few points. I did head out after lunch and hand watered the gardens and the back yard where the tree once stood. The tree guys came and put back my fence and now I need to place the blocks back around the small garden area and set out those couple of tomato plants I started from seeds, plus I need to get the cucumber seedlings back in that area as well. I did manage to save them before the tree folks took down the fence and used a bob cat to haul out the tree trunk and limbs that weren't cranked out.

We had a left over burger for supper as well as some tater tots and then we settled into ordering Christmas gifts for the grands on line. Wow, did we ever order and its so much easier than actual shopping and they deliver it right to your door which means no fighting the traffic and crowds in the mall, I love it. I did watch the NFL game until the third quarter then headed off to bed and slept through the night which is great. Last week I was in misery with such pain from the sciatica nerve that I wanted to cut off my leg, but the chiropractor did an amazing job on me thus far. I'll need to keep in a maintenance stage with him and just maybe I can get back on the court after the new year for sure or maybe even earlier if I can convince Nancy that I'm healed, LATER

Monday Morning Dec 2nd

Well Sunday was another busy and while the back and leg pain is still there its a lot more subdued and manageable as I was able to attend church and then we had a house full of family during the afternoon and evening for a delicious supper.

I had started the day with a 7'ish rollout to my routines that begin with some quiet time to honor my lord, Jesus, give thanks for another day and to lift up several by name for comfort and healing, all are holding and I'm feeling the prayers for me by so many at church as well. Well the pain is tolerable and I'm only on some Tylenol at night time and I do feel things are getting better, hopefully. I slept great the past two nights and I think that helps as well as doing the stretches during the day. I'm hoping that maybe today's chiro visit will be one of my lasts, except for a maintenance one in the future. 

Nancy and I actually worked the side door at church and I had so many wishing me well and that prayers were said for me during this period. It was great to be able to function despite some pain in the back and leg as we greeted and then we heard an awesome message as well. We came back and I helped a little around the house as Nancy prepared for 15 folks for a supper of burgers and dogs, salads, mac and cheese and tater salad as well as desserts which I stayed away from. Before we ate Bobby, Tyler and Sam moved that pile of mulch from the stump grinder into one section of my garden that I will let meld before using it to mulch my plants out in front of the house. That was a tremendous help to say the least now I just need to get the tree guys back to put up my fence they took down when removing the tree from the back yard.

After supper we all sat around talking and sharing stories from old times as it was a good reunion for both Betsy and Nancy with their brother Eric who was down for Thanksgiving to visit Arriane. She brought him and then another brother Philip came by as well as our kids and grands minus Annsley and Gabe. It was another full house but very enjoyable. We watched the Bucs finally win a game after nearly losing to a 3-8 team in Charlotte. After the game which was going on 8 everyone left for home. I watched a little of the blow out in Buffalo in a snow storm until half time then retired to the computer until lights out at 10, LATER

Sunday Morning Dec 1st 2024

 Well I woke up this morning feeling great for the first time in weeks but after a few minutes on my feet the dad gum pain in the back and leg came back, but at least at first I felt good, oh well. Maybe I stretched to hard after awaking and before getting out of bed, but I did sleep with out pain for most of the night which is a good sign that its healing up.

I started the morning on Saturday with some pain in the back and leg and felt it most of the day but not severely as we headed to son Bobby's place around 2:30 with the Ross Family. We took tons of food with us as well and had a really great time visiting with lots of family from both sides of our kin and Katie's kin folks and the food was delicious and plentiful as well as was the vino and football games. I could feel the pain at times while standing but it was manageable, so I sat mainly without any real discomfort as Tyler drove all of us.

The temps are down into the upper 40's here this morning with bright sunshine. I was hoping to go to church with Nancy but I'm thinking I better not and give it another day of rest just to make sure I don't have that pain occur which can be severe at times. We are entertaining several of Nancy's kin folks this evening with a meal of burgers and salads. her brother Eric and two of his siblings are coming with their kids along with both of our kids and grands as well. Hopefully I will keep this pain at bay while they are all here, LATER

Saturday Morning Nov 30th

Well we finally got some cold temps for a change after some lite rain during the day on Friday and wow did it ever get chilly. Around  10'ish I headed into ST.Pete to see the chiro doctor and he had me feeling great the rest of the day, but after a hot shower last night the pain returned to the back and leg once again. I thought heat was good for the issues, but I had trouble getting to sleep once more. I'm still in the spare room as I tossed and turned until late in the morning when I finally fell asleep only to be awakened around 7:30 this morning.

I started the day with some quiet times to honor my lord, Jesus, give thanks for another day and to lift up several including myself for some comfort and healing. All seem to be holding with this post. I did do good the rest of the day after getting adjusted once more with the chiropractor. I stopped at Sam's Club on the way home to gas up at 2.95 a gallon and then bought some already made into patties of hamburger meat as we are having another large family get together Sunday evening for supper. The back and knee felt great with just a dull ache.

We had a salad for lunch and then I vegetated on the couch watching college football and some hockey before a supper of leftovers from the dinner the night before. It was delicious to say the least and I headed back to the couch to watch more football until shower time around 8'ish and then read until 10'ish before hitting the sack. The dull ache was back after the shower and is still with me this morning in both the leg and back, DANG. I thought sure it was gone after yesterday's adjustments, oh well. 

We are supposed to go to Bobby's this afternoon in Brandon for another Thanksgiving Day dinner with Katie's family and also with Annsley and Gabe as they missed the dinner at our house. There will be cousins from my side of the family as well as cousins from Nancy's side. It should be a fun time and once more high calorie eating. I think we will ride with Amy and Tyler as he offered with my back being so prone to pain especially after driving with the right leg which has the sciatica issue, LATER

Friday Morning Nov 29th

Well Thursday started out with heavy dense fog that gave everything outside a drink as it hasn't rained in quite a spell but by noon it was all gone and bright sunshine enveloped the area. The temps were mild despite the bright sunshine some where in the middle 70's. We had a house full for our traditional Thanksgiving Day meal with both of our kids and 5 of our grands as the two older kids of Bobby's were at their mothers place for dinner. It was her turn with them as they share on holidays, but that has turned out to be much better as time goes on with the sharing of the kids on special days.

I had started the morning with my usual quiet time to honor my lord, Jesus and to lift up several by name for comfort and healing myself included. All seem to be holding with this post. We did speak with Helen briefly as her son Rick is in the area from Florida. She is holding on for her age but her memory is slipping at times, but for 96 she still has a sense of humor and laughs a lot.

I'm still nursing this lower back ache as well as some leg pain which has now become dull and not as throbbing as it once was. I'n still limited on what I can do but now I'm sleeping much better after stretching a couple of times during the day. It not looking like this issue is going away any time soon but I'm managing to remain hopeful for complete healing and recovery until I can function normally again as some days are better than other. At least the severe pain has subsided for now and its mainly a dull ache with an occasion zinger to remind me of the sciatica, oh well.

Nancy was busy all day prepping for the get together, I helped as much as the pain would allow me to help and the food was excellent. We fed 12 at the table and sent two plates home with Betsy and Gus for their boys. Nancy did the turkey, green beans, gravy, rolls and a pecan pie while Betsy brought dry stuffing and yam's, Amy did a couple apple pies an ice cream and Bobby the smashed tatters and some vino. They all stayed until close to 8 with Katie and Bobby leaving earlier with the twins and the rest later on helping with the cleanup. I mainly watched football until bed time for me around 10'ish. Tyler was a great help doing what I usually do with washing the dishes, pots and pans that wouldn't fit in the dish washer. 

We did take pictures in the back yard before eating and despite it being torn up from the tree removal we managed a few great picture of the family. The grands all ate together in the kitchen and enjoyed one another's company, LATER

Thursday Morning Nov 28th Thanksgiving Day

 Well its a foggy morning once again and the temps are quite mild to start the day it was on Wednesday morning. I'm getting better with the back and knee as I walked quite a bit yesterday to the doctor office for my 6 month check up and then again to the library for a couple of books. The hurt is back a little this morning after a decent nights rest and sleep. Not sure why the hurt is there but its not excruciating yet, oh well. We are having tons of folks here this afternoon for the traditional Thanksgiving Day meal and then we will do it all over again on Saturday at Bobby's house with lots of different folks as well.

I had started the day once again with a 7'ish rollout from the spare room as the back and knee have kept me out of our regular sleeping arrangements, since I have to start out on my tummy to ease the pain in the knee which is actually the sciatica issue. I do toss and turn during the night finding the right position to ease the pain so its just easier for me in the spare room and Nancy can at least get some sleep.

I did hand water the gardens a couple times yesterday and its looking great with everything starting to mature as is the weeds and grasses. I'm hoping to get back to doing some gardening over the next couple of days as the back and knee felt good for most of the day, but it reminds me from time to time as well that its not business as usual. We finished up the Zuppa soup along with a fresh garden salad for our supper with Betsy and Gus help as they came by to drop off the roaster oven to do the turkey in today. It was  delicious but at least now we don't have that as a leftover because we should have plenty from todays feast.

We watched the Fox News channel and its amazing all of the dems are so down on Trump for beating their woke candidate and putting the nation back on the right path once again after Biden and Kamala nearly destroyed the country. What a bunch of misfit cry babies as is she and the MSM. There is no love of country for them and now Biden is trying to get us into another war with Russia as well as demanding that Israel make peace with the terrorists in Lebanon. More messes left for Trump to clean up, LATER

Wednesday Morning Nov 27th

Well the back is feeling some what better and the sciatica pain down the right leg has almost dissipated as well which is a total blessing. There were several days when I just wanted to cut off the leg as the pain was that intense. Anyhow things are looking up some what, but I know I must take it easy on the back for some time to come.

I started the day with my waking up time in the spare room since I've had this pain issue and trying to whether the pain through out the nights and getting very little sleep as well. I did get up around 7'ish and did and abbreviated post that started with some quiet time to honor my lord, Jesus, give thanks for another day and pray for comfort and healing not only for me but for several others on my daily list of lifting up those to the lord. All seem to be holding with this post.

I didn't do much since the back and leg were still having some pain issues but nothing so severe I couldn't function. I knew the tree gang was coming back to haul away the big oak which had been cut up and stored on the front yard for them to haul away to the land fill or where ever it was dumped. They came around 10'ish and hauled two full loads away and the trunk of the tree weighed over 12 tons, wow I knew it was heavy but had no idea as they had to pay 50 bucks a ton to dump it. The second load was only 4 or 5 tones in weight. They were finished around noon and I settled up with them as the stump grinder was on the way to grind down the stump. He was here about and hour and left me quite a large pile of mulch which I will store on one section of the garden for future use. I'm hoping my son's and grands will lean up that pile for me on Thursday before we feed them supper.

We noticed a squirrel which was setting on the stump in the morning was wondering what happened to his tree. I will not miss them running across the roof and then having leaves filling up the gutters as well as branches down after wind storms. I will miss the shade it provided and the leaves for the compost but the neighbors have plenty of trees that will fill the need before we leave in May when the trees begin to bud out and drop their leaves.

Nancy was off with sister Betsy during the afternoon shopping, so I read and hand watered the gardens and caught up on some internet reading. It seems Israel is about to entertain a ceasefire with Hezbolla as they are getting their rears kicked by the IDF. I'm totally surprised Israel would let them off the hook for total destruction of those terrorists but our inept potus is holding back funding for the IDF if they don't agree. Biden needs to just keep his nose out of their business except for total support to Israel, oh well.

Nancy made a pot of zuppa soup for supper as my kale is growing like weeds which is the green in the soup. Betsy stayed for supper then left as we headed over to the Nymark's around 6'ish for a game of cards. The guys won the first game but lost the second after having a huge lead. It felt good to get away for reasons other than going to the doctors or hospital ER's. It was going on 10 when we headed home and then a hot shower for me and then trying to get some sleep around 10:30, LATER