Monday, July 31, 2023

Good morning. Well, the tree cutters arrived at 9 o’clock and stood around the road looking up at our giant sweet gum tree. After getting tools and equipment out, they reckoned that their lift is not high enough. It only goes to 60 feet. Well, anyone looking could see the tree is taller than that. So, we are back to square one. The tree company has a connection at Florida power and we will, once again, try to have the tree topped by the power company with their bigger truck lifts so someone can take it down for us. Tree cutters zero – sweet gum tree 2. 😂

Sunday, July 30, 2023

Good evening! It’s Sunday, suddenly. 😂

Friday was a good time. We met RanDawn at fun bowl along with our regular groupies … Nancy, Linda, Dan, and Paul. There was some good bowling! Mark won $26 on a jackpot strike plus the quarters we won amounted to a freebee bowling for us. 🎳😃 

Meanwhile, up north, Donna & Dennis hosted a dinner party. 

We’re knowing it was delicious food and a fun time! 🤩

Saturday was spent at the K’s doing needed maintenance and some decorating over the kitchen cabinets. Up and down the ladder 🪜 a dozen or more times and it looks good! We stretched the new rugs and ‘plumb-bobbed’ them exactly. The place is ready for furniture. There isn’t much more unpacking I can do til the living room wall unit and the dining room china cabinets are moved. A renovation on one kitchen cabinet and installation of garage a/c is yet to be done. 

Today, we puttered about at our home and had decided to go out for dinner. Storms were all around us and the weather radio blaring warnings … so we stayed home with the kids! So far, no rain here. 🤷‍♀️

Tomorrow is scheduled for tree removal. Our huge sweet gum has become more dangerous with the climate change forecasts. It’s sad. That’s our last big deciduous tree in the front yard. The main trouble is it has grown between power lines to our house and our neighbor’s. It’s more than 80’ tall with massive branches. Several times falling branches have caught fire 🔥 and knocked out power to many homes. Still, it’s been home to many critters over the years. 😢 

Thursday, July 27, 2023

Good morning. It seems like quite a while since I’ve had a few minutes to start the blog in the morning. I always expect a quiet summer, but it never quite works out that way. Ha ha. We are so happy to have discovery bowling and a whole new outlet for our energy. we have met so many interesting people from different walks of life, most of them retired and able to enjoy activities during the day. However, that does not mean that the laundry and the watering of the plants and the regular chores don’t still need to be done. Ha ha ha. Mark has just gone out to fuel up the car for tonight’s adventure. 

We went to Sawgrass Grove, a newer area of the villages to see Alan Darcy. There were hundreds of people there, and it was a very lovely, cool evening. There was a good breeze and 80. Judging by the crowd and the number of dancers, I’d say Alan and Scott were a big hit. Of course we knew they would be, having watched their careers skyrocket.

After we left Sawgrass Grove Square, we went to home goods nearby. Well, the GPS took us all the way around and it was nearly 45 minutes to get there. Anyway, we had just enough time to make a sweep of the store and pick up a couple of things. Then it was off home for the doggies. 

Randy and Dawn phoned while we were watching the show. We will see them Friday at fun bowl. We really do have such a fun time together. 

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Good evening. We have just gotten home from dinner at Pizza Amore in Mount Dora, where we met Wayne and LaDonna. We were celebrating LaDonna’s birthday, which was earlier this month. We were quite well behaved and did not eat the garlic rolls, but the Alfredo pizza, yummy.

Earlier today we bowled with Mike, Dan, Bruce, Nancy, Mark, and I. Mark had a really high score of 234 in one of the games. Nancy was bowling very well, and I was just bowling my average. It was a really fun afternoon.

At home, we had left the dogs with a lot of toys with treats. The house looks like a cyclone had hit with toys in every room. They certainly get a good workout when we do that.

This was last Sunday at the K’s …

Mark cut boards for above the cabinets for decor. 

A minor win was getting a display piece unpacked and set up at the new house

Sunday, July 23, 2023

Good evening! There hasn’t been enough news lately for a daily posting …

Watching Dr. Steven Greer now as I “Light Relief” my sore (from standing stress) foot. Mark is napping with ice on his low back. 😂 What a couple of crocks! Puttering around the K’s new house puts between 8-10,000 steps on each of us. It’s amazing, we’re getting a lot done. Soon it’ll be a slowdown until furniture arrives. 

Anyway, Friday was a fun time bowling with friends that carried on through the entire evening. After we got home and fed the doggies we took a ride to Nancy’s with some PVC and a dog toy for her pitbull friend, Alice. Friends Linda and Jerry are in the Keys for the Hemmingway contest. 

Heeheehee … we may have been overserved! Always a fun time with Nancy. 

That’s it. 

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

Good evening! We’ve had a busy enough week so far. Hope everyone is doing well?

Monday was our bowling league games against some seasoned leaguers. The first game we lost … then  rallied in the next … winning 3 of the 4! It was a good win. 🎳 One of the bowlers is a bit of a nasty guy. He thinks he’s funny (I guess) but needs some reining in. 

Tuesday, Mark discovered our SwimSpa was losing water … a few inches a day. We called the factory in Clearwater Florida and waited for a diagnosis. That was disappointing. No pool night!

Wednesday we were off to The Villages for more moving fun. Mark got a call from the repair service that he was on the way. Lucky that Mark left it ready and the gate open. The pool was drained with a huge pump and the ozonator replaced. It seems it was damaged during delivery. So … tomorrow we refill the pool. Ugh. Chemical balancing… 

After getting our steps in today at the K’s we came home after 4, showered, fed the kids (they’d been with us all day) and went bowling! I know!!! I couldn’t believe Mark had the energy after hours of schlepping boxes. So, we had a quick dinner at the lanes and played 3 games! 

Back home we had eBay sales and some TV time! 

Sunday, July 16, 2023

Good evening! Where have the days gone? Friday was Fun Bowl with our usual bowling friends minus RanDawn. Thursday afternoon Dawn had an accident at work between her hand and a door jamb. Friday was her usual day off, so they skipped bowling in favor of letting it heal. We spoke to them today, and she’s doing fine.

Yesterday, Mark and I went to Sue and Wayne’s houses and did some moving. We got the big barbecue moved, Wayne’s desk, the file cabinet, and a wicker display chest. More packing was done and the day disappeared quickly.

Last night we met Kim Bob, and had a swim in their pool. It was a beautiful evening and as usual with them lots of laughs. Mark’s birthday was celebrated with a nice bottle of crown and some fancy cigars. He and Bob enjoyed a smoke on the porch while Kim and I swam. Coming home at 9:30. Mark didn’t realize that he had Bob’s flip-flops on instead of his own. Bob sent a text this morning. They had some funny sayings about it … the new word is whopper-flopper. 🤣 You had to be there. 

Haha. 

Ta ta til tomorrow! 

Thursday, July 13, 2023

Good afternoon. We’re sitting outside the post office waiting for the rain to let up. We finally have a few eBay things selling again. It’s odd how eBay sales goes in fits and starts. Anyway, yesterday we worked at the K’s house packing up at one house and delivering to the other. We are getting somewhere. Ha ha. We have the big wall unit to pack up and the dining room china. Otherwise, most things will wait until the one house is sold. We don’t want to move the furniture until there’s a buyer. Homes generally show better with furniture in place.

Today is a relaxing one. Overall, just going to run a few errands. Tomorrow is fun bowl with Nancy and our bowling alley friends. Randy and Dawn may join us.

Well, it turns out that Dawn injured her hand at work. Fortunately, she’s off for the next few days, but will be unable to bowl with us tomorrow.  

Apparently, Wayne is at Heather and Bruce’s for a dinner party. Sue has a cold, so she opted out.  

Watching Skinwalker Ranch is now mind expanding! 

Ya gotta watch it! Wow. 

That’s the news for now. Ta ta. 

Monday, July 10, 2023

Good morning. And, happy birthday to LaDonna who we will celebrate with later in the month.  🥳🥰

Saturday, we worked at the K’s house getting things unpacked and organized. The garage is emptied, or almost. While Mark was there loading up some boxes a Realtor came in to show the house. 

Sunday, we both relaxed, napped and went in the pool. We’re rewatching The Expanse … found we’d missed an episode or two. 😝 

A few pics from cousin Lyn and Tony’s 60th wedding anniversary luncheon. 

Debbie made this gorgeous cake! 

Sophie, Debbie, Lynn, Tony and Mark

Linford’s girlfriend and Linford, Tony, Mark, Sharon, Freya, Sharon, Debbie, Delford,  Lynn, Elisha and Elisha’s boyfriend. 

Meanwhile, back here in Florida, we bowled today. It was against a “bye” which means we won’t know until next week whether we won or lost. Oh, well, we certainly had fun.

Speaking of fun …

Look who’s photobombing me. 😂

Tonight, we met at Applebee’s with Nancy, Linda, Jerry, Steve, and Lynn. Dinner was great, and we had a couple of rounds of drinks. On the way out, I met a movie star.  🤩

Friday, July 7, 2023

Good afternoon! Wow, it really rained … like 7” in a few hours. We were in the bowling alley at our Friday fun bowl with friends. 

Lessons are paying off for me in consistency! I’m pleased with my progress. 

Nancy and I went to our 4 o’clock lesson with Rich and both struggled to get it. 😝 So it goes. I had arranged a double lesson for Mark for his birthday and he arrived as we were finishing up. 🎳 

That was our day in a nutshell. Hope yours was epic. 

Thursday, July 6, 2023

It’s evening already! Happy birthday Mark! 🥳🥂🍾❤️🎶💋 The Facebook post and phone calls made Mark’s birthday special. So many wonderful posts, phone calls and texts. 

It was YaYa’s tonight at Laurie’s … and we had so much fun. 

It was a big turnout for summertime! 

Overseas, cousins Lynn and Tony celebrated their Diamond Anniversary with congratulations from King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla. 

🥳🥂🍾

That’s it for today. Ta ta. 

Wednesday, July 5, 2023

Good morning. It’s Wednesday, hump day! I hope you have all enjoyed a happy long weekend. The fireworks last night were nearby, but it didn’t keep Robbie nor Balise awake. They were at the K’s new house with us for two days “helping.” Actually, they were very good and just tried to stay out of the way. Robbie found a corner in the dining room and had a great sleep. Bee was annoyed and anxious when Mark was changing the alarm code, because it would beep with various sounds, as he push the buttons. Anyway, the kitchen, other than food items is put together.

Quite the kitchen! This pots n pans rack slides in and over using the deep side cabinet. (Ingenuity indeed!)

Today we are bowling with Nancy. Randy and Dawn expected to have the girls today and may bring them bowling as well. We shall see they had a choice of that or a new movie that’s just out.

Saturday, July 1, 2023

Happy Canada Day everyone! Our local town is celebrating the 4th of July tonight … fireworks 💥 going off now. With 3 towns around the chain of lakes there’ll be celebrations all weekend. Our Scotties are indifferent to them just like we are. 🤷‍♀️

Yesterday’s Fun Bowl was, well, fun! RanDawn were there plus Nancy, Lynn, Steve and Dan. We all won a little money and had a good afternoon! Mark went home for the kids while Nancy and I went to our bowling lesson. Rich worked us hard … lots of tweaks to our ball delivery. It was good! We came home tired.

We celebrated Dawn’s birthday 🥳 with dinner at PizzAmore in Mount Dora. 

It was delicious! We had different dishes and all were happy with our choices. Mark and I took the scenic ride home around the lakes. It was a beautiful evening!