Leap - 2/29/16

Hey there! We have "an extra" day. What are you doing with it? 

Mark and I are (still) working on our RV today. 

I'm Re-lining the cabinets with Rubbermaid no slip shelf liner. Things are getting sorted at the same time! 

Well that kicked my butt. I've got a sore back now! LOL. It's nothing that 2 Advil and a lay down on the sofa won't cure!!

At 4:30 we watched the local news then went out back for happy hour with the kids. Funny, but our pals (and neighbors ALL refer to our pups as "the kids!"!

Well, here are Robbie and Belize sitting at the back patio bar.  LOL. We just finished our koobie and cheese snacks. (They had Mother Hubbard's peanut butter biscuits.) 

Meanwhile, Bob and Jill are on their way home to Canada. They will spend tonight at Ashley and Kyle's; pick up their dog at the kennel, then drive home tomorrow. We hope the trip goes well.

Tomorrow, we will finish our backsplash project in the RV and begin loading for our three day trip. We have booked a golf cart for our adventure weekend! I'm sure it will be lots of fun!!!

That's it for this evening. Ta ta till tomorrow!

Projects - 2/28/16

It's a door open type of day! Mark made breakfast while I fed the Scotties, scrubbed birdbaths and refilled our bird feeder. We're ready to rock 'n roll on our backsplash project now. 

Our plans for later today include meeting aunt Jane and her fiancé Cliff at Ichi Ban for dinner. They moved three months ago to a larger home but we haven't seen their new place yet. Jane is still sorting through boxes. It must be very difficult and stressful to handle a 2nd move in 2 years when they're both in their 80s! (I never want to move again!) 

Speaking of moving, Bonnie and Roger are working on their Tulsa home getting it ready for the market. 

Roger is removing wallpaper in the bathroom. (That, to me, is the worst job to get stuck with!) Kudos Roger, you're doing a great job! Meanwhile, Bonnie is getting Cabby and Ella ready for the show ring next week. 

Here's handsome Cabby ... Ready to show! (Belize's brother!) 

Next, Miss Ella (10 months). 

She will be a challenge! Haha ... Miss Frisky! No lack of enthusiasm from this girl!

Meanwhile, our project continues. 

We now need longer screws for the window trim piece. That means a trip to Home Depot, or Lowes. (I'm thinking I don't want the blind on the kitchen window! It blocks too much view!) Hmm. 

It's difficult to see the color in the photo. 

This is Rust-Oleum's Hammered Copper enamel paint. I may want to extend the new look around the dining table area,

on the lower portion of the 3 walls. We shall see ...

Tonight, we met aunt Jane and Cliff for dinner. They are doing quite well for 2 octogenarians ++. Sammy, aunt Jane's 14 year old daschund passed away three weeks ago. They said no more dogs but yesterday were at the pound looking for a new pal. We discussed older dogs and think they're looking for one. All in all, a good visit. 

Tonight, the Scotties had fortune cookie pieces, chicken, broccoli and Purina kibble for dinner. We stopped at Petsupermarket and splurged for a boar bristle brush for them. It's a dog's life here. LOL

Mz B is watching a squirrel on the Sycamore tree, calmly! What a great gal she is. 

RV Project - 2/27/16

Good day, eh? No, Mark did not start his day with wine ... 

I just love this pic of happy daddy with his BeeZee girl.

It was a perfect morning for pulling the RV out to begin a minor update. We're replacing the vinyl wallpaper backsplash with a copper finish wallboard. 

Step 1 ... remove all foo-fa-rah, light switch covers, lambrequin and window blind. 

Step 2 ... I paint and prepare the panels while Mark sets up the saw. 

Step 3 ... Accept dinner invitation! Jill is doing a pork roast tonight! YEEHAW! 

Removing the window trim ... 

(Oh how we love a little project.) 

BeeZee raced around the RV with Robs ... he showed her his favorite lookouts.

And where to sit for meals ...

and upstairs to bed. Haha. 

Well, we arrived at Randy's about 610, and Jill had hors d'oeuvres ready for us. Dawn was at work until 8 o'clock so was late getting to the party. The five of us played Kings in the corner, and Randy won the pot! Apparently, he has been lucky the last four or five times. Jill had cooked fried chicken in the oven, and a pork loin on the barbecue. We had a delicious dinner followed by key lime pie. Many stories were told, and hundreds of laughs. Bob and Jill go home to Winnipeg on Monday. We will look forward to seeing them in June. Robbie and Belize had treats, a few ice cubes, and lots of cuddles on their visit. 

Bob and Jill had been laying on the deck today and both sunburnt. Jill looks as if hers will be OK, but I bet that Bob is going to peel. Yuck. 

Well that's it for today. We are on our way home at 11:20, and it's gotten quite cool. Tomorrow's another day. Ta ta. 

R 'n R on their way 2-26-16

Although it seems very early in the season for heading north to Canada, Rick and Ruth have their 7000 mile drive planned with family and friend visits along the way. 

It would be so much simpler if Robbie and Daisy could get along, because Belize I think, would be fine with Daisy. Maybe, if R 'n R become neighbors, they would get used to each other. 

Tonight, Rick and Ruth are staying at Georgia Boys Fishcamp to visit Diane. Kris is apparently at The Villages house, doing work.

They will have another driveway to camp on tonight, before starting for New Orleans on Saturday. 

Us? We caught up on chores, had a nap and headed to Guadalajara's for dinner. Tomorrow, Ashley and Kyle fly home to Winnipeg. The gang went to the Hideaway for drinks while Mark and I headed to Georgefest in downtown Eustis. 

Home by 8:30 the pups were happy to see us. We lit a fire and sat with them, relaxing. Ta ta til tomorrow. 

Flea Market Finds - 2/25/16

It's a bright beautiful (chilly) 57F morning! 

Rick's cooking blueberry pancakes for our breakfast. Mark has apparently had too much Columbian coffee. LOL

After a delicious breakfast, we decided to browse our local fairground flea market in Eustis. 

Although we needed nothing, we all came home with bags. Mark and Ruth bought plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. (I need to get home for another diet Sunkist orange before my body goes into shock from all this fresh stuff. LOL)

Apparently Ruth didn't eat enough blueberry pancakes as she was hot for a tamale.

This food truck was not in the best of condition and Rick was certain Ruth would get sick. Anyway, she changed her mind as there was no menu in sight. 

Back home, Ruth whipped up a batch of strawberry jam! Several berries didn't pass "Go", which I ate. Rick tried a Honeybell orange but lost half to Ruth. Then, Mark made avocado and beefsteak tomato salad! You see, I wasn't kidding about needing a soda! LOL

Meanwhile, at K's house, Julius seems to be feeling better after his tooth extraction but Wayne is still coughing, likely from allergies. 

The RanDawn excursion is now heading home from Saint Augustine, complete with hangovers! You see, they invented their own mix of booze called a 43 special. 

So, we all ran out to watch the launch at 6:46 PM, and 6:44 PM it was scrubbed. Wha-wa-wa! Lew came outside to watch the launch as well, and then he and Lynn came over for a glass of wine. About 1030, everyone was ready for bed. Ta ta til tomorrow!

R 'n R ... 2/24/16

Good morning! 

Yes, this is the face that greeted me on my iPhone! LOL. (Never leave your phone lying about ... right Bob K.?) 

Mark whipped up breakfast for us then helped Rick with an RV battery issue. Ruth and I devised a travel plan for their drive to Canada via California. Then, the guys and Daisy went off to downtown Eustis for shopping. Ruth and I enjoyed the front porch for an hour with the Scotties. 

Robbie's man cave was invaded by the Queen Bee today. LOL

If you look closely, you can see Robs upside down under the coffee table. Poor guy. Hee hee. 

Yesterday was windy ... here's a scene from Hitchcock's "The Birds"!

The marina at Wooten Park in Tavares, yesterday. 

It's now 5:15 and Wine:30 ... everyone was rather laid back today compared with yesterday. Tonight, Ruth is cooking Monte Cristo's for our dinner. Nice. 

Speaking of nice ... here's a pic of Wayne with SHP at the Liberty Rally last month. 

Cute! 

This evening, we watched a movie called Saint Vincent. If you get a chance to see it, do so. It was great. By 930, Ruth, then Rick, we're off to bed. What??? OK, more tomorrow. 

Cruising 'n Chili ... 2/23/16

Darn. I wanted to sleep in but my brain had different things in mind. After taking the kids out back I got into watching 60 Minutes  and caught up on 120 minutes of shows I missed. LOL. 

Our boating day's weather forecast changed from NO rain to 70% chance. Being 90% optimist, we're going on our "3 hour tour"!  Ha!

Bob, Jill, Randy, Dawn, Kyle and Ashley all arrived four minutes early. Wow! We loaded up the boat and were on our way by 11:15. Lake Eustis was quite choppy with a south wind, but beautiful when we entered the Dora canal. We cruised to Wooten Park in Tavares where everyone took a break and walked around. After that, it was down the Dead River to Hurricanes for lunch. By that time, we were all hungry! After lunch, we headed back to homebase and let the dogs out. While we were sitting out back, Rick and Ruth arrived with Daisy. The party continued outside while Mark got the chili ready to serve. 

Cruising ... a great day on the water!

Back home, Mark sent Bob to get a bar stool for himself from our Sunroom. 

After Bob hauled the heavy stool outside, we realized Robbie was sitting in the one beside me. 

Hahaha. 

Meanwhile, Randy and Dawn caught a nap on the boat ... in the boathouse, for about an hour! We tried to find our rubber spider or the boat canned air horn, but couldn't find either. Alas, we let them sleep.

Notice that Randy is still holding his wine glass in his left hand. Haha. 

Jill and Bob brought us a lovely card welcoming Belize to the family and, a fancy bling collar for her. 

Mz B was very happy to show off her collar and sit on a barstool too! 

Mark's chili hit the spot!

Kyle, Ashley, Ruth, Jill, Bob and Mark

Rick, Randy & Dawn

We intended to play either Mexican Dominoes or Kings in the Corner, but ran out of time! We sure had a lot of laughs all afternoon. And, as you can see from the photos, the weatherman was totally wrong and we had an absolutely perfect day. It's now 1030, everyone's gone home, the dishwasher is loaded and it's time for bed. Ta ta til tomorrow!

2/22/16

Good morning. I was up at seven to let the kids out for a minute back then all went back to bed until nine! 

Today is tidy up and prep for Rick 'n Ruth in the driveway...plus boating with the whole crew tomorrow! We're food shopping and organizing for tomorrow. Otherwise, we're taking it easy. 

It was golf day for Bob, Kyle & Randy ... plenty of laughs I'm sure! Dawn worked today ... this evening they're all on a booze run. Oh yeah, the Canadians are on holiday. LOL

Mark and I decided on bowling tonight ... got there and the place was packed with league bowlers! Plan B was the Mexican restaurant in downtown Eustis where I had the BEST Chimichanga ever. It was lovely dining al fresco tonight! Rain is expected at 9 o'clock and 2 a.m. with clearing by morning. 

Sue and Wayne set the cat trap tonight hoping to capture feral cat #3 for neuter and release. I wonder if this is their trap?

LOL

A shoebox is great too!

Meow. 

More tomorrow! Ta ta. 

Dad's Day 2/21/16

Good morning. It's lovely to put feet on the floor and have a wee Scottie girl greet us! (Robbie, not a morning guy, tends to sleep in ... upside down!) LOL

First walk of the day ...

Queen Bee in the lead ... Robbie prancing along behind. Cute, aren't they?

It's a busy day! The Daytona 500 race ... meet Jane & Cliff for dinner ... pop in at RanDawn's tonight. But right now, we're all relaxing. 

I began stringing rose pearls onto the cameo pendant Bonnie and Roger bought for me. After I strung them, I took a pic and decided to add a strand of cherry quartz chips. Before I could decide whether or not I liked the addition, BeeZee jumped on my lap to help. LOL

Yep; a big kissy helper. Muuuah. 

Our plans for dinner with Jane and Cliff were dashed when she phoned to say they couldn't make it. Unfortunately, Jane wasn't feeling well. We shall try for next week. So, Mark and I went to Stonegate Grill on Lake Eustis. Mark had Mahi Mahi and I a bacon cheddar burger; both meals were very good. We saw Annette there having dinner on the deck with her family. They had come by boat. It was a perfect day ... we should have been on the boat!

Randy and Dawn had Jill and Bob, and Ashley and Kyle plus another couple from the Hideaway for dinner. It was a bit of a madhouse when we first got there, but we all went and watched the fellows play pool in the Harley room afterward. 

Randy was beaten on his own table by houseguest Kyle. LOL. 

Bob was missing their girl Sadie so thought the surest way to a Scottie's heart ...

was on their height. Robbie humored Bob, but BeeZee was off to the next adventure. 

Both Robbie and Belize had plenty of attention and laps to sit on. 

In the end, an old plastic water bottle was just the most fun. 

We arrived home in time to watch one of our favorite shows, Downton Abbey. Mark fell asleep within the first 15 minutes, so I guess we will re-watch it tomorrow. LOL. Ta ta. 

Whether to Weather 2/20/16

Well that was interesting! At 6:10 I took the kids out the back door for potty. As I was standing there, waiting, I caught a glimpse of something out the corner of my eye. WTF? Nothing there! Hmm, there it is again. I was seeing my exhale! Strange!

That's my temp ... 50F ... don't we just see our breath when it's really cold outside? (Mom used to say I should be a weather girl on TV ... to which I'd reply I wasn't good looking.) Anyway, that phenomenon must be dew point related, similar to fog ... except there wasn't any fog. (Add that to the weather mystery; like having to scrape car windows at 38F in Oklahoma City.)

So a few rough calculations led me to believe that my exhale was about 90F ... which cooled relatively quickly to about 50F (I learned that was the outside temp) ... and relative humidity must be above 50%. Voilà ... my own contrails. 

Diane sent me this one on Facebook messenger today. I love it.

And we all know which (witch?) child this refers to. LOL. 

Mark was going to Home Depot today so took our two eBay packages to the post office. That's nice, maybe we won't have to rush around Monday morning. (He's picking up Rustoleum Hammered Copper paint for an RV project.)

Sue and Wayne have Rose dog sitting while they go dancing at the Elks! What a great friend she is!

Randy and Dawn had an "at home" night ... catching up on TV and relaxing. (Company arrives tomorrow.)

Bonnie was grooming Cabby and Ella for an upcoming dog show while Roger installs a new bathroom faucet set. Busy, busy. 

Cabby ... Bonhaven Cabana Boy ... Looking handsome! 

Sharon & Art's dinner party was fun. There were 16 (2 we didn't know), with plenty of salads, lasagna, ham, scalloped potatoes and garlic bread. It was fun ... a good group of friends! 

We came home for the kids by 8:15 ... less than 4 hours. They were both happy to see us. So now it's relax and Telly time. G'night. 

At Home - 2/19/16

Bonjour! It's a breezy 64F this morning and we have no plans! That's rather nice, isn't it?

Mark took the Scotties outback while he removed seed pods from the Queen Palms and tidied up our backyard. It's so nice that both dogs are so quiet as in no barking. Neighbor dogs all around us bark, but not Robbie and BeeZee.  They're hoping the bird or squirrel doesn't notice them ... until it's too late. LOL

Gee, it's 5:30 and we've been puttering all day. I listed a few items on eBay and had 2 sales tonight; the first in a week. 

This is a pretty, triple strand necklace I made with several shades of blue glass beads. I really like the icy blue chips. But, I can't keep them all. Haha. 

Finally, Robbie and Belize had a fun dog run!!! Yay! That was the first real play since we got home a little over a week ago. It took a little time, but they are well-connected now.

Sue and Wayne took Shorty and Julius to Rose's condo to have dinner with her and Jim. It's nice they can take the dogs. Next Monday, Julius is scheduled to have a tooth removed that is causing him pain and stress. 

Randy finished his driveway project and went to the Hideaway with Dawn for supper. He was sorry to miss bowling yesterday, but needed to finish before company arrives Sunday. 

Tomorrow night, we're invited to Sharon & Art's for a dinner party. Fun. Ta ta.

Bowling & Baths - 2/18/16

Good day, eh? Well, it is here in Central Florida. The sun is shining, our front door guarded by two Scotties, open wide to nature. Ha! Squirrels and birds and an occasional dog walker. No, we haven't seen the bears lately. 

We left the dogs to look after the house at noon and went to run a few errands and bowling. Robbie and Belize are getting along perfectly fine. We don't even have to close our bedroom door, they are both so extremely well behaved. Sue suggested I buy a pheromone plug-in for the dogs when we went to Tulsa. Maybe it had a terrific affect on introducing Robbie to Collier's pack. Robbie got along very well with everyone, except Cabbie, an intact male. I wish he had gotten along with him, as I would've taken Cabbie too if Bonnie would've allowed it. LOL. He is such a sweet boy, a real cuddle bug, like Belize and it seemed he bonded with us. (I went through similar feelings with Tubs, Robbie's brother. I always regret not adopting him too.) BTW, Tubs found a fab home with children! :-)

This afternoon, Mark bathed the doggies well I sorted our kitchen pots 'n pans. What started this, was hints from Better Homes & Gardens on email. 

DONE! More space, less clutter. Dangerous cookware in the trash. Rah!

Mark called BeeZee "Woodchuck" during her bath ... she kept popping up! LOL

What a sweet girl. We're guessing she's not fond of water?

Mr Robs loves his sitz bath ... much better than slipping and sliding in the shower. 

Tonight, brushing in front of the fireplace. Yes, it dropping to 56 tonight; great for a small fire!

Today, Dawn was at work while Randy was laying landscape stones alongside the new driveway. We invited him to come bowling with us, but he was too busy.  

So that's it for tonight, ta ta till tomorrow. 

Harbor Shores Lunch - 2/17/16

Good day! It was foggy when the kids and I went out back at 6:30. It's forecast to be 74F and sunny later today. YeeHaw!

Our Harbor Shores luncheon is at Tillie's in downtown Eustis. Of course we'll pop into Peddler's Wagon afterward ... and I need some laundry scent essential oil. While I'm out with the girls, Mark is designing a window seat for BeeZee. Yes, she has a leather footstool to stand on, but Mark doesn't think it's appropriate. LOL. Yes, he intends on spoiling his little girlie. 

Home from lunch, it was a very nice afternoon and the food was delicious. Several of the gals hadn't been in Peddler's Wagon so it was my duty to introduce them. They were all drinking Mimosas when I saw them a few minutes later. Several left with bags of goods. Ha! I thought they would like it.

Mark and I had plans to go on the boat for happy hour today and take the pups. It would be BeeZee's first boat ride. However, we hit a snag. Mark said the boat was tough to start but he thought it was something loose with the ignition switch. Perhaps we will forego our happy hour and instead go out tomorrow morning in the boat.

So, Happy Hour occurred (not in itself a surprise), but aboard Mrs R B! This was Mz BeeZee's 1st boat ride. 

Bee was very interested in every sound. She was so good, though, sitting with Mark or me. 

Robbie took it all in stride and maintained his dignity by displaying perfect behavior. Scotties are the easiest pups! 

Well, I saw this on Facebook and had to laugh.

Jerry (and Angie) must be Pinot Grigio drinkers. LOL.  OK, so that was an inside joke, but I must share. During a party, or at Sue and Wayne's, I corrected Jerry on his "lousy Italian accent" and suggested he work on it. LOL. Well, the next day, Sue informed me that both Jerry and Angie were born and raised in Italy. Hahaha. I thought Jerry was a Frenchman. Haha. My bad. 

Well that's it for our day. Sue and Wayne went to the Elks tonight for dancing. Les and Lynne are spending their evening at K's dog sitting. Sue, Lynne & Rose went shopping together today. (Something I miss doing with them!)

Ta ta til tomorrow!