Merry Christmas

Rich and I sat here last night, just the two of us having finished the wrapping of gifts, and baking the pies for Christmas Dinner with friends.  We were sitting out on the lanai, just looking at the water and the Christmas lights across the canal on Phil and Doreen's house and we got to reminiscing about "Christmas Past."  We were remembering the time with family when we'd have 20 or 30 people at my parents house, or at an aunt and uncles house.  And the times when all my brothers and sisters (8 of them)  and their families would gather at my mother's house; she'd play the piano and we'd all sing Christmas Carols, the whiskey sours and venison meatballs...................the homemade fudge and ribbon candy!!!   Oh how things have changed!

But Christmas Day was really quite perfect.  I think this was the first year EVER that Rich was up before me.  It wasn't much past 7:30 am, when I heard him walking by the bedroom door saying....  "I think Santa Clause has been here!"   When I got up, the coffee was done.....the Christmas tree lights were turned on and the Christmas music was playing.   Santa was VERY good to both of us.   Besides those gifts that we get for each other, that are actually things we NEED.......we each got a pretty special surprise.  I got Rich two wall hangings for his office, the Wall Street Bear, and the Wall Street Bull.  He really liked them.  And I go a one hour massage and one hour facial at The Spa at Hammock Falls in Sebring.  Can't Wait!!!

We were invited for Christmas Day and Dinner at Nick and Tonyia's place in Sebring.  Before heading out I made my phone call to my brother Dave, but missed him and left a message I'd call later.  Wish we lived closer!!!!

So mid morning we headed from Sebring to spend the day with our friends.  Our son Dennis called to wish us Merry Xmas.  That's the call that Rich is always anxious to get so despite the fact that he was driving - he took the phone..... and they talked until the signal started to go!!! We love you Dennis and Crystal and Dalton and Chauna!!!!   And we miss you soooooooooo much!

   When we arrived....Tonyia had just taken fresh cinnamon buns from the oven and had a fresh pot of coffee waiting for us.  Delicious!  We took or treats to the sun room where we exchanged gifts.  Thank you Nick and Tonyia for the lovely set of mugs and the Olive Garden gift certificate.  We will truly enjoy them both!

Rich and Nick headed outside while Tonyia and  I started the first of two games of Mexican Train, interrupted periodically by trips to the kitchen to check the oven and finish the preparation of dinner, AND make up a batch of Eggnog and Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey for everyone. 

Tonyia - dinner was fabulous!  The table festive and beautiful with the Holiday dinnerware, and the food was excellently prepared and delicious.  Dinner was Ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, candied yams, green bean casserole, carrots and dinner rolls, and of course Rich's pumpkin pie!   Thanks for the leftovers!!!!

As usual - the guys headed back outside.  Why not?  The day was perfect for a campfire, which is where they spent most of the day.  After cleaning up and doing dishes we cut the pumpkin pie and joined them outside.  Nick has done a great job building the fire pit and fireplace and decorating...... and we sat and talked and enjoyed the fire until after dark and it was time to hug and say our goodbye's.  It was a perfect day!  Thank you again Nick and Tonyia.

 
Merry Christmas to all of our friends and family!  God Bless you all!

Twas The Week Before Christmas

It's been a busy but fun week.  A little fishing, a little work, a little play, a little of our favorite holiday beverage, a little baking, a little party planning..........................

Earlier in the week Rich and our neighbor Phil did a little fishing from the doc.  That's Phil on his dock just across the canal from us.  Don't think he had much luck that day, but Rich did manage to bring in another decent large mouth bass.  Most of the bass he's been catching is between 2/1/2 - 3 lbs. Nothing real big.  And this one fell into that same category.

Rich got a little bit more done on the back deck.  He flipped the boards that were there, and several of them were good.  But there were quite a few that were either cracked badly or warped and they needed to be replaces.  One day during the week while out finishing his Christmas Shopping he stopped and picked up the lumber at Lowes.   We are still discussing our options on what exactly we want to do with the deck.  It's either going to be a Pergola, or a Sun Setter Awning with a decorative banister.  

And then it was Christmas Eve.............. The stock market closed at one - but Rich was able to get away around noon. Plans were to go to the Sebring Diner for breakfast ( best in the area!),  continue on into Sebring back to Lowes for a a couple more board for the deck and the deck paint.  The weather was looking a little threatening for rain, so we decided to make the trip to Lowes first.  With the wood, paint and painting supplies loaded in the car we made our way to the diner.  It was now after 1:00 - so we opted for lunch instead of breakfast.  Rich did the Bacon Cheese Burger and I enjoyed an excellent Reuben.  Back on the road we stopped and the local package store to pick up some Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey ( which we enjoyed later that day mixed with Eggnog), then a quick stop at CVS and we were back home, making peanut butter fudge and Pumpkin Pies for Christmas Dinner.  It's now nearly 6:00 pm, the presents are all wrapped and under the tree and the stockings are ready for Santa to fill.  It was supposed to be Spaghetti and Meatballs for our Christmas Eve Dinner .................but it was a late/big lunch, so I don't think that's going to happen. 

We'll await Santa's visit tonight.  Tomorrow after we wake up, have our coffee, open our gifts and talk with family.........we'll head back to Sebring.  We been invited to Nick and Tonyia's for Christmas Dinner.  Can't wait!

God Bless and Merry Christmas to all.................

The Family That Bakes Together

Well, not REALLY TOGETHER........but close enough!

It's that time of year when everyone seems to prepare their favorite holiday treats.  Last night we thought it was about time to make the potato candy.  One of Rich's very favorite treats and simple  enough to  make.  ( We only do simple!)     Got this recipe from his Mom!

Ingredients:
One boiled potato
Confectioners/Powered Sugar
Peanut Butter

Preparation: 
Make small batches at a time, as the dough hardens very quickly.   Take about 1/3 of a potato in a small mixing bowl and mash with a fork.  Add ( and just keep adding a little bit at a time) until you can make a dough.  Knead and then roll out on waxed or parchment paper.  Spread the dough with your favorite peanut butter and roll it up!  Cut in desired size pieces.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to eat/serve!  This is very very sweet - but very good.  

 Meanwhile - out in the state of Iowa ..............The Donald family was "invaded by reindeer"!!
That was the message when our daughter-in-law, Crystal, sent us this picture.  She is so very creative!.  And I'll bet they taste even better than they look!

Merry Christmas!!!

Visiting Friends, Attending Seminars and Enjoying the Wildlife

As the holidays approach, it seems that the days go by faster and faster.  Probably because we keep procrastinating about shopping for gifts!  This week however  I did manage to get finish up the shopping for family and got everything mailed on Friday.

Last Saturday we were invited to Nick and Tonyia's for  a cookout.  Their new home and yard is really starting to look nice.  I'd been down there a few times helping Tonyia clean and sort and get ready for a yard sale  It was nice to visit and just relax and enjoy a meal together.  They did a full rack of ribs and grilled potatoes and veggies that were excellent.  It was so good - we all forgot about the gingerbread she had made for dessert!  Below is couple of pictures of the great job Nick has done on the fire pit/fireplace area of their yard.

On Tuesday or Wednesday I was ready to make a trip to Sebring to do some shopping when Tonyia called to say she was coming over to play some Mexican Train..........It seems like forever since we've played and she won two of the three games we played.  We took a few breaks to go out and see if Rich was catching any fish ( not today!).  And joining him in the backyard today were two beautiful wood storks, joined a little later by a couple of dozen White Ibis.  Rich fishing on the dock did not seem to matter to them.  They didn't even fly away when I walked right next to them going down to the dock.

Thursday was a trip to Sebring for a Seminar at Homers Restaurant.  The seminar was put on by the Lakeview Memorial Gardens and covered all the things you need to plan/do in preparation for your burial/cremation......I know sounds morbid, but it was very informative...........and lunch at Homers was great!  That was followed by some Christmas and Grocery Shopping.......

Rich was back out fishing again on Friday and caught this real nice 17 inch, 2 1/2 pound large mouth bass.  No fishing today...........the chicken barbecue (packaged/not home made) did not settle well with him and after a bad night he's still not feeling too good today.  He better get better soon!  I know he has not done any shopping for my Christmas gifts yet!!!!   Nice fish Rich!!!!

Working and Baking and Decorating

This past week went by so fast!  

As you know by Saturday after Thanksgiving the pumpkin pies were gone .... devoured!

And of course the week was sure to include turkey sandwiches and  left over turkey and gravy  and just about turkey everything!   But what is all that Thanksgiving food without the pie?   Yes........I was sent to the store for more pumpkin!  And on Sunday afternoon Rich backed three more pies!  Today is Saturday, and you guessed it ...........they are long gone!!!!

With all that extra food, you have to find a way to work it off......So the project on the back deck was started.  The wood/boards were looking pretty bad from the weather and our original thought was that would either have to replace them all.  Paint was all we could do - the boards too old to try and stain.  Someone had mentioned pull the boards and flipping them.  Great idea!  So all but the front board is pulled and while there are one or two that will need to be replaced - it is looking good.  We have a pretty good size black snake that makes his home under this deck.....didn't see him at all this week, but we did find this little ceramic duck!!!

.All Work and No Play............well you know how it goes.
Still had some of those shiners left so Rich headed down to the dock a couple of times.  Had a couple nice Bass get away but did bring in this Garpike.    He was about 26 or 27 inches long.

As for me......... I've been getting my Christmas Cards ready for mailing, and starting to do some Holiday decorating.   The tree is up in the living room, and a little table tree in the family room, and a couple on the mantle, two little ones on the front porch and my red candle tree on the kitchen counter. 

 

And the sleigh and cornucopia and table center piece......

Now if the weather would cooperate.  It's winter for goodness sake!  This 80 degree weather is just not right.  

Happy Turkey Day!

To all our family and friends who follow our blog - We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. As you can tell from what we share here on our blog, we are very very blessed.  We are fortunate enough and so thankful to have the very best family and friends in the whole world!!

This Thanksgiving was a quiet one. It was just me and Rich!   But we cooked and baked like we were entertaining many. 

It started on Wednesday evening, when Rich made his traditional pumpkin pies.  He always makes three and generally finishes the first one for breakfast on Thursday morning!  

You'll see pretty quickly that when there are not a lot of people around I forget about my camera. No pictures of the pies OR the Turkey!!!!!   Fear not - I DID get a picture of the pumpkin pie!!  

Believe it or not we still have this much left on Saturday morning!  

Dinner was excellent.  The turkey about fell apart taking it out of the roasting pan. A typical dinner of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, sausage stuffing, green bean casserole and cranberry sauce topped off with pumpkin pie with whipped cream!   Once again - no pictures of the turkey but Rich remembered to get one of his dinner plate!

Our friends Nick and Tonyia just moved into their new home this past week.  Knowing that they

would be working hard and not be ready to prepare a big meal we had invited them to our place, but with all the work to be done, they declined.  I had gone down and spent several hours a couple of days helping Tonyia, and knew she would not be preparing anything fancy for the two of them, so Rich and I told them not to worry - we would bring Thanksgiving Dinner to them.  And so we packed a bit of everything and delivered it along with a bottle of wine about 4:00 pm.  I'm sure it would have tasted better hot off the stove and fresh from the oven, but we hope they enjoyed their Thanksgiving Dinner. 

I tried calling my Brother Dave several times Thanksgiving Day - but I either got a message saying his voice messaging was not turned on...........or the phone rang and rang and no one answered.  While we had the windows and doors open and the sun was shining...............Dave was enjoying a REAL NY Thanksgiving Day!  This is a picture of his home in Kikrwood, NY - just outside of Binghamton.  A great country location; a beautiful picture perfect day!  

On Friday the Stock Market was open until early afternoon - so that's where Rich could be found.  A few errands to run ( No not shopping on Black Friday - never find me out there) and then he enjoyed the rest of the day (between the helpings of pumpkin pie and whipped cream!) fishing off the dock!  He caught a couple of real nice bass.  The first one was not quite long enough to keep.  The second went about 2 1/4 lbs!  Nice job Rich!  

The past few days have been busy!

One of the best things about this past week has been the weather ( although - I doubt that Rich would agree)  Tuesday and Wednesday gave us overnight temps of the low 50"s and daily highs in the 60's.  What  a welcome change from the 90 degree days that seem to have lasted forever.  I love being able to just leave the window's and doors open and let the fresh air in.  Too bad it only stays that way for a few days.  By Friday and Saturday the sun was back and temps returned to the mid 80's during the day.

The cooler weather also means that the Bass are spawning, which means they have moved from the deeper waters of the lake to the canals.

Rich had a few shiners left and fished off the dock one afternoon and caught this 2 1/4 lb, 17/ 1/2 inch bass.

 Nice job Rich.

On Wednesday, our very good friends, Nick and Tonyia became homeowners.  They have sold their RV/Bus, and their park model at Lake Glenada  and now have a small home in Sebring, FL.  We're excited - it's not as far to drive when we want to visit!  They have a lot of work to do make this the home they really want..........but they are both ambitious and hard workers and we know it will feel like home before they know it.  We visited on Wednesday afternoon.  They were both pretty exhausted (buying a house, packing and moving can do that to you!) so I snapped a few pictures of their beautiful yard and we took off to Hibachi Grill for dinner.  That side yard is going to make one nice area for a campfire and cookout!  Congrats Nick and Tonyia.

The house across the canal from us now has new tenants, Phil and Doreen. (bottom right in photo below)  We've had a few conversations across the water, learning their names and that they moved here from Broward County in South Florida.  Their home is actually diagonal from ours, but is directly behind our neighbors, John and Diane.  So we decided it would be a good idea to do the neighborly thing............invite them over and get to know them a little better. We had originally planned Saturday - but that was changed to Sunday afternoon.  We invited them AND our neighbors John and Diane (bottom left in photo below).  They all arrived about 4:00 pm and we shared a beverage and some snacks before dinner.    Rich put the Chicken Ka-bobs on the grill, and as luck would have it - we ran out of propane!!!  Phil had an extra propane tank - already full and saved the day!!!

Dinner was excellent.  I had made a cabbage and pineapple salad along with the chick ka-bobs.  Diane shared a delicious potato salad and Doreen a broccoli cornbread to die for!   For dessert we had coconut cream pie ( from Publix) and I had made some pumpkin/white chocolate cookies and some peanut butter/chocolate chip cookies.    John  - never the one to sit for long - wanted to get back to work on making his trunks, so they left shortly after dessert.  We moved to the family room and sat and talked until nearly 8:00 pm with Phil and Doreen before we all called it a day. So glad that we asked them over.  A very very nice couple that we are glad to have as neighbors.  It was a very enjoyable evening.

The Birds are coming back!!!

Sunday we tried our luck fishing for Bass off the dock.  It was an absolutely beautiful day; sun shining, a slight breeze and perfect temperature.  We still had some of those shiners left from yesterday, still nice and lively.  No.....we did not catch any bass at all, but Rich did hook on to a nice pickerel about 16 inches.

While sitting there fishing our neighbor next door was out planting his onions, and then the new neighbors across the canal came out to say Hi.  By the time everyone went back inside we had scheduled a cookout at our house for the the six of us next Saturday.  It will be nice getting to know the new neighbors; moved here from south Florida - Miami/Ft Lauderdale, I think.

And our favorite visitors are starting to arrive.  The birds and water fowl that make our backyard their home for the winter months.  For the first time since we've lived here the Sandhill Cranes made their way to our front yard,  The Whistling Ducks are back - not as many yet as last year, but they sometimes take over the back yard, or the roof of the boathouse.  Today they are lined up like a chorus line down near our windmill, along the water's edge.  And for the past couple of days this Anhinga has found his favorite place to dry his wings........sitting on the pole, on the dock, just behind the boat motor.  Love to see him stretch that neck and wings.

No Luck Fishing Today~

The weather recently has just been too warm to get out fishing.......but Saturday morning the forecast was for the mid/high 50's in the morning so just a few minutes after 6:00 am........we headed out with our minnow bucket filled with shiners, to see if we could bring home a nice bass.   Bundled in sweats and hooded t-shirts we braved the wind an headed to the north bay......... and then moved to the bay closer to home.........but the bass were just not hungry today!  The only thing that found its way to our net was this HUGE snapping turtle!   I thought I had a BIG one on the line as I reeled this in.  So did Rich!   Oh well..........no fish today. 

We did learn later in the day that it's now spawning time for the bass..............which means that we would probably have a better chance of catching one right off our dock in the canal.   Going to try that tomorrow!

Back to the Broadway Palm.....

A week or so ago we got an invitation to visit Direct Buy in Ft. Myers.   As a member of Direct Buy you have access to dealer pricing that is not available to the public.  Basically for a minimal membership fee you can buy everything (except food and clothing) that you buy in any store in town or on line without the markup and shipping that you pay when you purchase in a store or on-line.    There is still a lot that we want to do here with the house - so we decided to make the trip to Ft. Myers.

Saturday was also Vendor Day........ which they have every two weeks, were local vendors are on site for your assistance.

We were very impressed and decided to become members.  In addition to our membership we received a new U3ISlate Tablet, and a $100 Restaurant Gift Certificate.  Those of you who know us - know that we have not yet graduated to the Smart Phone - so it could take us a while to figure out how to use this Tablet!!

Our appointment was for Saturday......but we decided to go down on Friday afternoon, and go back to the Broadway Palm Dinner Theater for the Friday night presentation of Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story.

We were here for the first time a couple of weeks ago to see Those Were the Days - which was so good, we wanted to try it again.  And we were not disappointed.   The buffet menu was different tonight featuring a great salad bar, pork/vegetable soup, baked potato, veggies, beef tips/rice, fish ( can't remember what kind - cuz I don't eat baked fish!), and some kind of chicken cooked with peaches which was wonderful!  And of course every dessert you can possibly think of on the dessert tables.

The show was terrific.  Started out a little slow, but got better and better as the night went on.  By the end of the show everyone - even Rich!!! was on their feet singing along, clapping and dancing in the isles!  We had a great time.  I think we're going to look into their special - where you save $12/ticket if you attend four shows during the year!  Tickets are a little pricey - but the food is delicious and the entertainment is excellent.  

We slept in Saturday morning and didn't leave the hotel until 11:00.   Since we missed breakfast at the hotel we decided to stop at Denny's on the way to Direct Buy.

This skillet breakfast with eggs, sausage, onions, peppers, mushrooms and home fries is excellent!!  I skipped the mushrooms and shared some of mine with Rich!

We were home about 4:00.  Breakfast was BIG - so I didn't fix any dinner.  We chilled, watched a little  TV - grabbed a sandwich for dinner a little later and called it a day!

Fising on Lake June......

WOW........It has been a while since we've been out fishing.  The summer season brought lots and lots of rain,  but thankfully no serious tropical storms or threats of hurricanes.  If it wasn't raining, it was so hot that neither of us were in the mood for baking in the sun out on the water.   But this past week the humidity has been down, the rain has tapered off and while the sun is still warm, the mornings are very comfortable.

So ..........Rich set the alarm for 6:00 am  Saturday morning, and I had the coffee maker set to start at 5:45,   The plan was to head out in the boat by 7:00 am;  the sun's not up yet, but it's light enough to see where we're going.  I woke up at 6:30!!!! and tried to get Rich up.    The alarm had rang, been turned off, with all intentions of getting up...........but sleep it was to be.

So................He slept in.  One half hour was not enough time for him to have coffee and wake up.  So no fishing on Saturday.  For me it was an early trip to Publix for groceries.

We tried the same for Sunday morning..............And we were heading down the canal for the lake by 7:00 am.  It was  a beautiful morning, the weather was perfect and the sunrise over the lake was superb.

Unfortunately - we went home empty handed. No Fish today.  We did not have any live bait with us this morning; we fished with artificial worms, and jigs.  After about 3 hours we called it a day. And by then the sun was getting pretty warm. 

So we headed into town for breakfast.  We stopped at the Interlake Boulevard Cafe, right here in Lake Placid.  Rich did the bacon, eggs, home fries, and toast, and I had the Western Omelet.    From there we headed to the bait shop and picked up a dozen shiners, and a box of red worms for morning. 

We were up on time, had our coffee on the lanai, and headed out about 7:00 am again on Monday morning. It was another beautiful morning; a bit more windy and the water a little choppy.  But today we would at least bring in a few fish.  I caught 3 small Crappie and a Gar Pike.  And finally Rich pulled in his one and only.........Also a Gar Pike.  I think mine was bigger - He says his was bigger!!

And this fellow made the morning a little more exciting.  There were a couple of times when he flew sooooo low, that we were sure he was going to land on the boat.  But it seems there were a lot of small minnows or fish near the surface near our boat, so this guy would come near the boat and just hang there waiting for the right time to dive and catch his breakfast.     They really are beautiful birds though.

Maybe we'll get back out some evening this week.  We'll see.  But it was really nice getting back out there, relaxing, fishing and enjoying the beautiful weather.  

A Weekend of Hard Work!!

Last weekend was our trip to Ft. Myers, and the weekend before that it rained both Saturday and Sunday.  That means that no outside work has been done in a while, save for the great lady that mows our lawn each week!   Nick and Tonyia invited us for a cookout and games on Sunday, but after much debate we decided that since the weather forecast was good, we had to spend the weekend getting some much needed and much past due work done outside.

So............Rich pulled out the power washer and finished the remaining two sides of the house AND the walkway from the house to the dock/boathouse AND the entire boathouse!  He spent both Saturday and Sunday completing the mission.  Unfortunately I snapped the picture before he finished the drip edge on the dock house.......but once done everything was sparkling clean and really looked great!

What did I do????  Well I was the go-fer.  I turned the water off/on and the power washer off, and I brought Rich coffee or a cold drink when I knew he needed it!!!   Actually (yes, I did to all that!) I pulled some weeds and trimmed the dead leaves from that elephant plant in the back yard, washed windows,  rearranged some shelves in the garage,  cleaned the front porch, scrubbed the kitchen floor, cleaned the closed in the office and sorted and filed a lot of papers.  And I made a meatloaf dinner on Saturday and Chicken and red potatoes on Sunday!  

Rich was up before me this morning and I heard him in the bathroom............and then I heard the pill bottle.  He rolled out of bed (literally!).............all that work the past few days had really got to those back muscles.  So today his best friend is the bottle of Aleve!!!

Ft. Myers Weekend

It was way back in July when we made plans with Nick and Tonyia to go to Ft. Myers.  What drew my attention was the Broadway Palm Dinner Theater - so we decided to make it a weekend.

Nick and Tonyia picked us up mid morning on Saturday.  We packed the car, made a quick stop at McDonald's for breakfast and headed down US 27........

We arrived early afternoon at the hotel and were pleasantly surprised when they checked us right in.  With  what little time we spend in our hotel room, I am always looking for a bargain.   I found the  Americas Best Value Inn on Cleveland Ave in Ft. Myers.  This little hotel was recently remodeled, was very clean, with the small frig and microwave in the room, a continental breakfast in the morning and was in a decent location.  In the front of the hotel is this statue of three horses.  Very nice - but as Nick brought to our attention AND to the owner of the hotel - it really does look like the horse is taking a leak...........non-stop!

Since we had time before the dinner show we headed out to play some miniature golf, but along the way we passed the Lakes Regional Park and Nick decided to pull in, park and see what it was all about.  Glad he did.  This is a beautiful park located on 279 acres with 158 acres of freshwater quarry lake.  Below are some pictures of our fun day at the park.

This picture shows the fragrance garden, a view of the park, lake and walking/riding trails.  One of two vendors on site is Wheel Fun Rentals.  You can rent a paddle boat or bicycle for up to four people to enjoy and tour the park.

Of course - Rich saw the sign for Ice Cream......so off we went.. Nick opted for a couple of hot dogs, while the rest of us had a dish or cone.......

We sat outside while enjoying our ice cream.......and watched the turtles!  And shared some of our ice cream with the turtles!

Th other vendor on site is the /Railroad Museum of South Florida .  In addition to the museum is a train play area for kids, and a train  ride for all ages. 

For a while we posed for pictures, enjoyed the scenery and exhibits and acted like kids, pretending to be alligators!  When we walked along the boardwalk there was a group of kids fishing from the dock.  One of them managed to get their hook "hooked" underneath the doc.  So Rich and Nick gave them a hand getting it free..........their good deed for the day!

It was a pretty hot day...........and we were already feeling it when we left the park and headed next door to Castle Golf!  This was a beautiful course, and lots of fun, BUT 18 holes in the hot sun was a little TOO much. They tried to be-head me for cheating, which I did NOT - but I did manage to get a hole in one at hole number 12, and when I spun the wheel and it landed on 12, I got a free game.   AND Rich only beat me by ONE point!

  

We headed back to the hotel to shower and get ready for dinner.  The main reason for our visit was to attend the Broadway Palm Dinner Theater.  Tonight the show was " Those Were The Day".    Tickets to the show included a buffet dinner that was excellent and included Turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, chicken, veggies, pasta, and stuffed cabbage.  Soup was beef barley that was excellent, as was the salad and dessert bars.   And our waitress, Caroline, was a sweetheart!

The show was sooooooooooo good and soooooooooo funny!  It was a musical review taking us back to the 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's, and it kept us laughing almost non-stop!  The singers were great and the entertainment excellent.  It was one of those shows that you did not want to end.  We highly recommend this venue.  Will definitely come back again. 

Sunday morning we had a quick breakfast at the hotel before leaving.  Prior to our visit, I had tried to find something exciting for us to do on Sunday - but could not find a thing.  Stuff to do in the evening, but not during the day, and with the weather so hot......we were not in the mood for outdoor activity.  Way too much sun the day before.  Nick took a ride along the beach in search of something that might catch our fancy, but we didn't find anything.  Got home early afternoon.  Nick and Tonyia didn't stay long; but long enough for Nick to adjust my pantry doors!  They now stay closed! Thanks Nick. 

Rich and I were both exhausted.  I think the miniature golf in the sun, and the lack of sleep Saturday evening, after drinking high test coffee at dinner was the cause.   We were so tired that dinner was a can of chicken noodle soup!  And I think we were both sound to sleep before 9:00pm. 

The Weekend - Rain and Hard Work!

The weather this weekend was not very cooperative!

Some of the lower limbs on the tree down near the boathouse were handing pretty low, almost on the roof, and others were dying.  The boathouse is scheduled for a power wash and then paint.   So, on Saturday  Rich and I trimmed the branches and then bagged or tied all the limbs for pick-up on Wednesday.   (Rich trimmed and tied!  I bagged!)   I also trimmed up the topiary in the front yard.  Rain in the afternoon pretty much cancelled anything else planned outside so I spent much of the day cleaning and re-arranging kitchen cupboards and drawers.  ( How do so many crumbs find their way to the silverware tray?)

On Sunday, Rich worked hard outside again.  He got caught in the rain a couple of times ( some pretty hard downpours!), so I'm not sure if the wet clothes were from rain or hard work!!   Last week he got all the lanai and all the walkways around the house cleaned and Sunday he worked very hard as he began the task of power-washing the house.  He completed the peak, the front and one side on Sunday, It looks like it just had a new coat of paint!  Beautiful.

We were standing in the garage during a "rain" break when a young man pulled up and asked if we wanted the large tree in the yard

trimmed.  It's actually our neighbor's  (John) tree, but some of the limbs hand over close to our roof.  We told him to talk with John, and if he wanted to have it done, we would split the cost with him.  So  - the tree trimming is done.  No more large branches over the house.  They are all nicely decorating our neighbor's front yard, waiting to be hauled away on Monday.  We still have tied limbs and three bags of weeds and limbs in the garage that will be taken away on Wednesday.
  

   
While the guys played in the rain...............I had on last cupboard in the kitchen to finish ( the spices) and then I set out making spaghetti sauce and meatballs for dinner.   The sauce cooked most of the day .....................and dinner was delicious.

We relaxed and watched a movie............and called it a weekend!

Just the normal "at home" stuff.........

As you can tell from the infrequency of updating this blog -  living in a "house"  means that many things become routine - so what I had for dinner and with who kind of becomes repetitive.  When we were RV'ing it seemed that while we were not always travelling, we were always meeting new people and always having friendly "happy hours" at one site or another.    That part of RV'ing we really do miss.

Having said that, we are very happy here on the lake, and we have some wonderful neighbors and friends;  and we still have many of those that we met during our RV life and continue to stay in touch with.    As a matter of fact Nick and Tonyia were here again this weekend for dinner. ( I know - repetitive!!!)  But we had a great Pot Roast made in the crock pot with red potatoes, fresh veggies and fresh herbs.  It was delicious!   Tonyia and I had time to play a couple of games while we waited for dinner.............It was a very enjoyable day.

This past week has not been a real busy one.......... for me at least.  I LOVE to clean - so  I'm right on schedule with all the things that need to be done!  Rich still enjoys his time with the Stock Market  so he spends a good part of the day on that. BUT.......he still worked on his "honey do list" and was actually more productive than me!

In addition to pulling weeds, charging the boat battery, fertilizing the palm trees and cleaning the gutters......he painted my desk chair!!

This chair was part of an old kitchen set in the park model that Nick and Tonyia bought.  All it needed was a fresh coat of paint and a cushion for the seat. The green/tan colors go perfectly in the living room.

Last night I also got a break from cooking dinner.  Rich made his "home made pizza".  This is an old family recipe, and while it looks like pizza, it really has a taste all its' own.

This time he topped it with a little hot Italian sausage.  Baking time - 11-12 minutes!  From oven to table...............And we enjoyed it in the family room watching one of our favorite shows.

 Great Job Rich!!

Then!  What a sweetheart!  He knows that I always leave my camera near the back lanai, just in case we get a visit from a new bird, duck etc.....

During the summer we don't see a real lot in the back yard, and we miss them.  The other day we did have four or five of the white Ibis back, and the Blue Heron is back too.  But this morning, before I was even out of bed, Rich snapped this picture.   Not very pretty for a butterfly...............but it's actually a Polyphemus Moth (Antheraea Polyphemus

 It was on the screen and actually stayed there while Rich went outside to get a picture.  After reading a little bit about it - I understand why he/she so nicely opened it's wings.  They are nocturnal by nature, and opening and closing their wings and glaring with those eyes  is what they do when they are frightened.

 It was actually still on the screen when I awoke and I could not believe how BIG it was.  

Not a lot on the agenda for today.........but Rich did mention that we should probably go out for dinner tonight!  Country Club?  Mexican?

UPDATE:  We went to the Placid Lakes Country Club for dinner.  We both ordered the spaghetti and meatballs. Rich got the salad and I tried the home made potato soup.  The soup was excellent!  Good thing - because the pasta was just OK.  Wish they would stop changing their sauce.  Too much,  Too Thick.  I ate less than 1/2  and Rich took one of my meatballs.  On a scale of 1-10 I'd give it about a 5 tonight.