Yard work, cooking and obstructing our view!

Another couple of weeks and not a whole lot going on. 

I'm still on the eye drops - and just one more week to go!   Then I need to get to the optometrist to get my reading glasses ordered.  Tomorrow is another trip to Sebring for follow-up, so it will most likely be dining out night as well.

Rich has continued to do repairs on the wall in the bathroom, and yesterday finished  those areas with the speckling.  And no, that is not new modern art on the wall over the sink.....We got that huge mirror off the wall, without breaking it, and it is safely stored in the bedroom with all the other remodel stuff!

Our view across the canal has changed significantly!  The lot was very overgrown, and during the last hurricane, several trees were down, some partially in the canal. Owners of the lot live in Miami, and have not, since we moved here taken care of this property, and as such had become a fire hazard, it was reported,the owners notified..................and their decision?  They did not even come to LOOK at the property.  They were so upset with neighbors complaining, that they hired a crew to come and CLEAR the lot...... take down EVERY tree!!  So no instead of trees.....we get to see an ugly lot and housed across the canal a block away.



Rich has been finding recipes on line and spending a lot more time in the kitchen...... and I'm not complaining!  It's fun working together..... I get everything out he needs, and clean up the mess........and he does the rest.

This week our neighbor knocked at the door.......and delivered a fresh pineapple out of his yard. Delicious!   Rich found a new pizza crust recipe this week, and so we enjoyed a ground beef and pepperoni pizza!!    I did a big pot of potato soup, and another night some delicious Oven Baked Barbecue Home Style Ribs!
And yesterday Rich made another batch of his Peanut-butter candy.

Started my Christmas lists.....and got a few things ordered for family yesterday.  Time just seems to flying by soooo fast.  I'm planning Thanksgiving here with friends, and then trying to figure out what we'll do when Dennis & Crystal visit in December.

Probably won't be updating for a while......so

Shopping, Remodeling, Bird Watching

I think it's been better than a couple of weeks, since I've updated the Blog....  It's been pretty quiet..........  

The eyes are doing well.  Still taking the eye drops, but down to only three times a day.  Two more weeks to go.  Had my post op visit and everything is healing nicely.  My vision for distance is much improved.......but I will still need glasses for reading...........and over the counter is just not working real well any more.   

Rich I I both had our 6 month blood work done.........and had our follow-up visit.  All good!!!!  Tomorrow we head to Advent Health in Sebring, as it's time for Rich's  yearly Colonoscopy.   Today was the fun day day on an all liquid diet!  Appointment is at 6:30 AM!!!!!

Not even real busy in the kitchen recently.........lots of leftovers (pasta, meatballs, tuna noodle, meatloaf)  Chinese Takeout one night.  And the Chicken Quesadillas were so good that we decided to have them again!

Marlin Marble came and measured for replacing the doors on the bathroom vanity.  Having the doors and drawer fronts replaced with White Thermofoil. with a taller double door in the middle.  Everything from inside is packed in a box for now.   In the mean time Rich has removed all the tower rods, toilet paper holder, shelves, and is doing some repair on the walls.  Went in to town on day during the week and picked up paint for the walls,  sheet rock, drill bit, speckling, etc.....and the new toilet.  Still need to take down that huge mirror before they come to do the tear out and installation.  Should be withing the next two weeks. 

Today sitting on the back lanai we had a couple of interesting visitors.  First, the Anhinga, also called the snake-bird or darter.  We see him quite frequently.  When they swim, only their neck is above water, and they hunt by spearing their pray with their sharp thin beak.... and they always have  their wings spread to dry.  The Second bird certainly looked like a stork, but I wasn't sure.  Found that it was a Wood Stork, the largest American wading bird AND Federally designated Endangered.  Found primarily in Florida around the Apalachicola Rive.  Today, he was enjoying himself on the boathouse roof, right here in Lake Placid.

Cataract Surgery #2, Lots of cooking, Dinner w/Friends

We returned to Newsome Eye on Wednesday, Oct 2nd, for Cataract surgery, part 2..... the right eye.  Once again, the process was quick, an uneventful.  Still doing the eye drops every day, but have decreased the number of daily drops.  Each eye started with 12 drops a day and for a couple of days, between the  2 eyes, I was doing 24 per day.  Now I'm down to 7 a day total, and that will decrease to  5 next week,  and then 4, and then 2.... and then I'm done.  Post Op visit is  scheduled for the 17th.  I still may consider having my eyelids lifted..... and that should also help with my vision.

Rich and I both went for our blood work today.......and have our semi-annual visit with our primary on the 19th.

Remodel of the guest bath will be underway soon.   But have to get the before and after pictures.

As you can see - the porcelain was cracking/breaking in the sink.... so guess it's time replace.

Today we started to get done some of the prework like taking down curtains, towel rods, shelves, and emptying the lower vanity.  Then we'll can just pull out the drawers.  Tomorrow we hope to get the huge mirror off the wall, and make our trip to Home Depot for shower  and sink fixtures, new shower rod, and hand towel rods, a toilet.......already purchased the grab bar. Marlin Marble will be doing most of the work.  The tub is coming out, making it a walk-in shower, and the piece of marble shown above (color - 6xTaupe on Bisquit) will be the shower round AND the sink and vanity top. Fixtures will be in Rubbed Nickel, and new doors and handles/pulls have been ordered for vanity.

But we still had time for cooking! A couple new recipes including Crock Pot Smothered Pork-chops, Chicken Quesadillas (they were excellent!)  Rich was in the mood for fried dough -  so he found a recipe.... and that was lunch..... he fixed some with powdered sugar, and some with cinnamon.........and decided he likes the powdered sugar the best!   Linguine and Meatballs one night.... and later in the week meatball subs.........and finally.... a couple dozen peanut butter cookies.

September just seemed to go by sooooo fast!  We generally meet up with the Showalters and the Douglas' once/month for dinner........but it didn't happen in September.  Tonight we did meet up at Red Lobster!  It was all you can eat shrimp week and we all took advantage...........The Shrimp Scampi and the Shrimp Linguine Alfredo was excellent..... and their cheddar biscuits are my favorite.  No room for dessert tonight, but we had a great time.   Unfortunately, Dianne continues to get worse.......she can't walk, her speech is getting worse, and she is now getting a lot of pain in her legs. We keep her in our prayers daily....And we hope to see both of these couples here at our place for Thanksgiving Dinner.