Monday, February 28, 2022

Monday, February 28, 2022

Good morning. We have an overcast start to our day with a few showers predicted for later on. I now have my new echo dot speaker set up in the living room and can use my voice to turn on music and lights, get the forecast and essentially ask anything I want. So I now have Carlos who vacuums, Siri who reminds me of all sorts of things I must do, and now Alexa who turns on lights and does a world of things. If only I could get a jet pack like they had on the Jetsons TV show !!!

So yesterday, Mark hung the painting I did. I absolutely love it in that location. It’s a bit on the humorous side which makes it a good addition to the house. (One of the strange things that happens when I am dictating on the blog is “how many seasons of Dexter” pops up!!!) What the heck is with that? Anyway, here is the picture I took last night after we hung it.




Sunday, February 27, 2022

Sunday, February 27, 2022

Good morning. We are still dog sitting, so Mark was across the street by 7:30 with coffee in hand to tend to Mark and Lani‘s dogs. By the time I got up, he had eggs cooked for our dogs, and us, and a batch of ground turkey frying for dog dinners. Busy household!

While watching the news Mark saw that Mims Florida, a tiny town where Bob and Kim hail from, made the national news. Someone stole a bow from a sporting good store. Well, it turns out to be where Mark and Bob had their hunting bows restrung last year. So, Mark sang “it’s a small small world” for Bob 😂 

I have plenty to do today too, making up the vegetable mix for the dogs dinners, and painting the picture frame window that Mark is building. And of course, there’s all the other things that just happen daily. We are coming into the century by getting Amazon‘s Alexa system for our home. We will be able to turn on lights with our voice and get even more sedentary than we are. Ha ha ha. I am especially going to enjoy it for playing music. 

Sue and Wayne are in South Florida for a couple of days with the coach. It’s a lovely neighborhood where they are keeping their coach on their own, owned pad. There’s everything there, including entertainment.

After having a salad, we sat on our front porch for a quick drink before dinner. However, Lani and Mark spotted us and came over. Two hours later, Mark got the fish and the shrimp on the grill. 😂 We had lots of laughs, and Mark is helping him pick up three JetSki‘s tomorrow that he bought.  

Tomorrow I will post pictures of my finished painting that Mark has framed.  



First you need a backing board!




Then, spray seal the paintings …

The big reveal … tomorrow. 

Tonight, American Idol starts at 8 o’clock. It’s one of our favorites.  
 


Friday, February 25, 2022

Friday, February 25, 2022

Good afternoon. It’s a bright beautiful sunshiny day here and Central Florida. It’s a day for paperwork, filing, shredding and the like. But that’s my job. Mark has begun work on my artwork frame he is building! 



I think I see him muttering to himself as he walks by carrying frame bits. 😂

LaDonna and Wayno are back from their New York State winter trip. It seems they had a wonderful time with family and brought back a few gifts. One of ours is fresh mozzarella cheese, a lot of it. I had some for lunch, and it’s so rich and creamy. it’s great to see them and we can’t wait to get together for dinner, but after our dogsitting adventure is over this weekend. Lani and Markymark are visiting friends in southern Florida and we are dog sitting.

I came across this cute idea … 



too bad I just donated my old jeans. 😁 

It’s Isabella’s birthday today 🥳🎶❤️ and she’s a girl of few words as evidenced here … 






🤣 Glad she liked it!!! 



Thursday, February 24, 2022

Thursday, February 24, 2022

Good morning sunshine! It’s another beauteous day in paradise. Today’s task is Robbie’s dental cleaning. Fingers crossed that he tolerated it well, no anesthetic. 

Mz BeeZee gets hers done next month, just spreading out the expense at $190 each. 

Well, BOTH dogs had their teeth cleaned! And, they look great! We now have dental kits to try and brush them at home. 😁


BeeZee wrapped like a burrito ready for her dental. 🥰

After supper, Mark and I were sitting outside when Nancy walked by getting her steps in. We called her over to finish up the Chardonnay wine left over from Pam. She was enjoying sitting with us when Mark and Lani saw activity and came over for drinks. Pretty soon we had a little party going on on our wee front porch! I imagine if we expanded it, no one would come. Ha ha.

Tomorrow, we are dog sitting for a few days while Lani and Mark visit their friends June and John in Sebring. 

Sue and Wayne went to dinner tonight with Amy and Raymond, plus Diane and Kris to Longhorn steakhouse. It seems they had a great time. 


Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Wednesday February 23, 2022

Good afternoon y’all. We had a great day boating with K’s friends Amy & Raymond. Gorgeous day with a high of 85. 


Cruising down the Dead River



Lake Dora cruising


Entering the Dora Canal from Lake Dora



Tiki lunch at Hurricane’s 







Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Tuesday February 22, 2022

Good morning sunshine! It’s a bright, beautiful start here in Central Florida. 

Pam left for Apple Valley, Minnesota about 5 o’clock this morning. Actually, Mark said they were here a few minutes early and I missed her. I actually got up at 4:50 to say goodbye. It looked like a snowy runway when she landed at the airport. The plane did a little skid down the runway. 🥶



That’s quite a difference from leaving Florida three hours before! 

Mark did some shopping at Home Depot, unloaded wood from a neighbors garage, and then did grocery shopping. Meanwhile, I caught up with a few things around the house and got ready for Sue’s company tomorrow. We are taking their friends Amy and Raymond out boating. 

Tonight, our newest neighbors, Anna and Steve, have invited us for dinner. (It was a nice evening … very casual, help yourself. We played a round of LRC and Steve was the eventual winner.) It was extra nice to see Lynn there with Ozzie. Candi and Jim arrived at 6:15 and had dinner too. We enjoyed catching up with them too! 

Monday, February 21, 2022

Monday, February 21, 2022

Good morning. We have the front door open and it’s the same temperature inside and outside, 75°F. Pam is enjoying her second cuppa coffee with the kids on the front porch. There was a SpaceX launch at 9:45 which we missed by a moment, but saw the exhaust trail. 



Today, we remember dad’s birthday and all the good times we enjoyed together. 🥳❤️ It wasn’t a party til Dad arrived … perhaps the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. 😊 

Mark decided to take us to puddle jumpers in Tavares for lunch. When we got there at 1:30, there was a half hour wait for a table. So we opted for a tiki West, across the street. We had a good lunch along with some huge mozzarella sticks. I wish I had taken a picture of them, each one was the size of a burrito! 




We were too full to eat dinner tonight, and just opted for a piece of cheesecake and a drink on the front porch. Markymark and Lani were walking their dogs, and promised some ginger snap cookies for Pam‘s flight home. (He makes great ginger snaps!)  As promised, they came over about 8 o’clock with a bag of cookies and had a drink with us. Of course we had lots of laughs.

Meanwhile, at the K’s house, friends Amy and Raymond met Diane and Kris … and a party occurred. 🥳 





Making memories … and hearing family stories 😂

Wayne and Raymond went fishing at Lake Griffin State Park today. 


Wayne caught one!

That’s it for today. Pam leaves at five in the morning for the airport, so we are having an earlier night than usual.  Ta ta. 


Sunday, February 20, 2022

Sunday February 20, 2022

Good morning! It was such a pretty morning that I left my chores and went walking with Mark and the Scotties. Overnight in the 50’s … daytime 80! 


Meanwhile, this is Wayne’s world at Winnipeg airport. 

Toni and Aurelia sent pictures of the amount of snow they received in Winnipeg. Wow! It looks to be about 2 feet. 

So today, we relaxed a bit, watched little Olympic coverage, sat on the front porch, took a golf cart ride, and then went to Stavros for dinner. It was just a nice easy-going day.

Sue and Wayne’s friends Amy and Raymond arrived in their motorhome for a visit. (They will be staying at an RV resort nearby.) we will have a chance to meet them and do a little boating and lunch on Wednesday. 


Pam rode shotgun on The Caddy. 



Stavros for dinner! It was so busy, we waited more than 20 minutes for a table. Anyway, it was all worth waiting for. And, Pam has some leftovers for tomorrow. 

Back home we watch the closing ceremonies and everybody went to bed except for me and watched a couple of Hometown shows. Ta ta til tomorrow. 
 

Saturday, February 19, 2022

Saturday, February 19, 2022

It was a lazier day here following a hectic week. Mark and Pam ran a few chores … a run through the car wash, fuel up, humane society store and picked up pizza for lunch. 


About 3 o’clock we took Mrs R B for a cruise … 


Captain BeeZee and dad



Pam and BeeZee … 

Meanwhile, Sue had dinner with Diane and Kris then went dancing at the Spanish Springs square.


The Square looks nice. 

And, meantime in Oh Canada land, Wayne attended Harry’s funeral and had a tough drive back from Elma in blowing snow. 



Lynne S. drove him to the airport hotel … and if he passes the Covid test … he’ll be back to sunshine and palm trees tomorrow. 

Now it’s time to watch some Olympic coverage. 




Friday, February 18, 2022

Friday February 18, 2022

Good afternoon all y’all from 78F Central Florida. Pam and I went shopping to Cato and Bealls for some R & R while Mark held the fort. 😊 I bought some bell bottom jeans for tonight’s Beatles concert. 

Markymark and Lani put on a barbecue for seven of us before we left for the concert. We took over a Caesar salad, Kim brought broccoli cheesy side dish, and Markymark cooked burgers and sausages. It was quite the feast. 



It’s now going on 6 o’clock and we are leaving for the concert. More pictures to follow.

Nice venue … free parking … cold beer … nice washrooms and good entertainment. 






Our fun group of groupies. 

Thursday, February 17, 2022

Thursday February 17, 2022

Good evening y’all … another full day here in la la land. 

We took Pam with us to have lunch with Sue, Diane & Kris at Lighthouse Point Bar & Grill in The Villages. 



Mark and Pam 

The food was good … my first try at cauliflower crust with shrimp, capers and cheese. Delicious! 



No selfie stick today … just my long arms. 😂

Tonight we enjoyed the front porch … Nancy stopped by after getting in her walk and had a wine with us. 

Now it’s Olympic time. 

Wednesday, February 16, 2022

Wednesday, February 16, 2022

Good evening … after a relaxing day we celebrated “friends night out” at Jeremiah’s in Mount Dora!



L-R … Nancy, me, Pam, Rose, Jim, Mark, Eddi, Ken, Pat, Deenna 




Margaritas were two for 1 … and a PARTAY ensued. 🥳🤣



There was a learning curve to the new PINK selfie stick. 😂

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Tuesday February 15, 2022

Good evening! It was a nice sunny start to our day … we headed out for a drive about town. We stopped in The Yard Stop as I wanted a couple of fresh and different house plants. I picked out 4 … and a bag of potting mix. Then Mark wanted to browse another area … and I found a long umbrella rain chain with solar lights. 😂 

Lunch at The Chowder House was really good … it’s a cute place with a New England flair. Mark and Pam had the clam chowder and proclaimed it “really good!” I had their lobster bisque … delicious! 


Mark, Pam and me enjoying a beer. 



Cute place … limited parking! 

Back home, I repotted a few plants and hung a few macramé hangers in the sunroom. Tonight, Mark is cooking pork chops on the grill for our dinner. It’s going to be an evening of watching Olympic coverage.

After dinner of pork chops and brussels sprouts, we sat on the front porch while Mark had a cigar. He let the propane fire and then Lani and Markymark came over and join the fun. We always have lots of laughs with them.

Monday, February 14, 2022

Valentine’s Day 2022

Good evening and Happy Valentine’s Day! It’s a lovely sunny day here but chilly with a north wind! 



Pam arrives today, and then I promise I will put in more pictures.  

Sue and Wayne have gone out tonight with Diane and Kris to a local restaurant in Spanish Springs. Fortunately, they got a reservation after someone had canceled. It was a new restaurant, and I hope it was good.



Champagne with Pam when she arrived around 8 o’clock! 

Sunday, February 13, 2022

Sunday, February 13, 2022

Good evening y’all … 

It was Valentine’s Day here … we always celebrate the day before to avoid the rush. Tonight it was Red Lobster where we had a nice dinner and good service. 



Happy Valentine’s Day … with my sweetie ❤️🥂

Dinner was good … we sharec bacon wrapped sea scallops appetizers. It was Caesar salad, lobster tail and baked potato for moi … Mark had a salmon bowl.

When we got home, Markymark ran over with some Valentines cupcakes that Lani had just made. Sweet. 


Ha! 


Now it’s time to watch Super Bowl 56 … go Bengals! 

Wayno and LaDonna are away in New Jersey. LaDonna had never experienced snow, but she sure is now.  They had a couple of inches overnight, with 1 to 2 more feet coming.


It’s all fun and games … at first. 🤩




Lunch at the Jersey shore with Wayno’s family. 


Saturday, February 12, 2022

Saturday, February 12, 2022

Good morning! It’s full on chores today … Pam arrives Monday! Mark is cleaning the front gutters and discovered standing water in one section. That’ll have to be fixed! I gave the kitchen its weekly polishing and tidying. 

Last night we sat out front with Lani and Markymark … they’ve just listed their efficiency suite on Airbnb and have 3 bookings already! It’s a new adventure for them. They’re selling a couple of Orlando area rental properties to buy some fixer-uppers closer to home. The Orlando traffic is heavy nowadays! 





Mark dusted off the Caddy and took the kids for a ride around the ‘hood. It’s been too chilly … but today will be near 80F. 


What a fun evening we enjoyed at RanDawn’s lovely home! Chili, Fixin’s, Cheesecake & Champagne for my birthday toast! Boy oh boy I am spoiled. 🥳🥂❤️


Chiki Wee Monkee 




Friday, February 11, 2022

Friday, February 11, 2022

It’s already evening! This day has flown by. 


I worked a few hours on my “window” project … more to go. 

Mark got the truck washed, fueled up and covered today. That’s always a big job done. Then, he took the touch up paint and went around the Kia where we had a couple of highway stone chips. There’s always something to keep up with, isn’t there?

I got in touch with Empire today and wrote a letter a couple of weeks ago. Finally today, they settled. The $2000 it was fraudulently charged to my account has been reversed, and they will reimburse us for the baseboards which were in the original quote, but never provided. All in all, I’ve never used them again.



Thursday, February 10, 2022

Thursday, February 10, 2022

Good afternoon. It’s a bright beautiful sunshiny day at 69°F. Mark and I ran our errands this morning and have this afternoon to enjoy the sunshine. After all the gloom and misty rain the last two days, this is perfect.



Along our stops we went to the Crazy Gator for a Eustis Cobb salad and Buffalo chicken bites. And beer. 🍻 It was busy when we got there! 



Our lunchtime view. 

Back home by 3 o’clock, Mark finished hanging my new birthday present fan. I wanted an oscillating fan in the upper corner of our front porch. (Having a fan on the floor isn’t much good and I had to sweep around it. Mark had to fabricate several angle brackets to secure it to the post. It was a big job. Thanks 😍 Mark.


Yayah! That’s exactly what I wanted! 🎁 

Today is Ruth M’s birthday! Happy birthday wishes to Ruth. I am betting that Rick is cooking her a favorite dinner with a pie for dessert. 🥳

Mz BeeZee is feeling good today (it seems.) We will keep her on a low fat diet with rice for another day or two just to be sure she’s over the bilious stomach. 

Have you been watching the Olympics? I’ve been up all hours … tonight is men’s snowboarding! Schweeet.