For Laura

See the red hat, down in front of the cabana? That is Laura the Life Guard, busily pressure washing the stone benches and other fixtures around the pool area. This photo was taken the same day I photographed the deeply darkened skies right above her. She was so intent in her work that she did not at first notice the storm literally rolling in, until it got really dark!

It's gone!

Sorry ladies and gentlemen, but somehow or another, my original posting from Thursday vanished! I went into the posting to edit a word which was misused and poof!, it's gone! I did not hit DELETE, I only pushed the EDIT button and away it went into the blogosphere.....If you see it, send it back to me, please.

In a brief recap, I mentioned the afternoon storms which occasionally bring high winds. Today's winds broke loose a cobweb from the corner of my window and made it flap in the breeze. INSIDE! Yikes! Guess there is nothing much I can do about that, and am thankful the glass did not break. If the worst of it is having a cobweb attached now to my sun catcher (web catcher!), I am good with that! The wind also opened one of my screens on the slider about half way. Glad it was short-lived!

Justin came in from work late and thoroughly exhausted. He had pretty much decided not to attend the football game and stay home to watch the convention, but his boss sort of made that decision for him. Having two new properties added to the end of the route certainly obliterated any plans to attend the 6:30 game.

We ordered pizza for dinner and settled in to watch TV in the family room. Both of us had our laptops in front of us, and at one point, even my phone was being used to text with Linda. The battery finally quit on that so we switched over to Facebook. 

Justin and I were anxiously awaiting the appearance of the "mystery speaker" for the night. I think expectations were quite high but he did okay anyway. Some of the references I did not care for at all, but Eastwood spoke off the cuff, and was not edited by anyone. His point was well taken, and he even made us laugh, providing some needed levity on an otherwise intense night at the convention. The highlight after the acceptance speech was watching the kids play with the balloons. I hope they all went home with the same kids they brought in!

Part of the speech really stirred me, us, when Mitt mentioned how his sons would re-enact a different world war every night, and then expressed his wife's and his desire to once more have those battles in their living room, or wake up to a pile of kids in their bedroom....That stirred in me what I have mentioned in the past, how I miss getting pegged in the back of the head with toys when driving the car! Or, just once more seeing my little guy standing alongside my bed, in his undies,  a blanket wrapped around him, sporting a ranger hat. Gulp!

                                                    

Because I still have Justin, I don't get as emotional remembering his "Justinisms" but a couple came to mind this week, hearing the stories of what it's like to start and run small businesses. I recalled for him the time I opened my eyes from a nap, to see him standing on the dining room table and swinging the light fixture back and forth. Yikes! He was supposed to nap while I did because I had to go to work in the evening at Sprint. Worked in the office during the day and then went to Sprint to rest! 

Justin as a toddler

Another time, what seems to be prophetic now, Justin woke me up to tell me he wanted to be a crash dummy when he grew up. I remember telling him I was not going to spend a lot of money on college for such a short career! Another morning he woke us up to inquire as to whether or not our minivan had air bags in it. At that time, vehicles did not come with them, and he was a bit upset about this. What goes on in that little boy's head?  Was this a reference to my driving skills or what???

These are the type of memories stirred when listening to speeches made during the convention. Justin is like me in that regard, which is why it's best he watches with me and not elsewhere. Some hit closer to home for him than for me, and visa versa. Hopefully everyone who watched and listened came away with confirmation or assurance that our country can yet head in the right direction and pull us back from the edge.

Stormy skies

Justin called me from the road, on the way to his father's house, to suggest I go up to the 5th floor to check out the sky. I am so glad he did! Wow! This particular view is from my river room, looking south down the river.

Looking south from the 5th floor courtyard

This shot is over the top of the trees and cabana 

South view from the 5th floor deck

Almost straight west from the 5th floor courtyard, seeing the edge of the storm

Was just thinkin'....

I had to laugh at myself on Sunday. After church, we had a brief meeting of the Fellowship committee to go over the plans upcoming for the congregation. One of the ladies, Renee, mentioned that her husband and she were hosting an Oktoberfest event in October (September was too busy already). This excited me as I am fan of both German food and fellowship events. 

As we sat and waited for our fearless leader to arrive, I asked Renee what I could do to help with the event, thinking along the lines of publicity or other type of organizing. She told me I should just come, that they were serving all German-style foods. I offered to make German potato salad, as I am quite proud of it. Sure!, she thought that would be great. So, that is all set, I will make the hot potato salad....

And then she said to me, "We are doing this as a fund raiser for the audio/visual stuff for the Fellowship Hall." Oops! I am not a proponent of this project and now, I am going to aid and abet, just because I like to eat and fellowship! Sometimes I raise my hand too quickly...Brats, anyone?

                                             

That night I did a load of wash using the very last of the laundry soap. Because the water going into the machine was so noisy, I did not hear Justin in the hallway. As I headed toward the kitchen with the empty jug from the soap, he leaped out of the hall bathroom, yelling, "Boo!" I shrieked like a mad woman, thrashing  him with the jug. That rascal!!!! After I recovered, he got busy with a towel, wiping up the floor. No, it was laundry soap---NOT what you were thinking!!!

On Towel Duty

Back in the Monday morning Bible study routine again! There were 13 in our class this a.m. Sunday, at church, the announced subject was "Angels and Demons" but when we sat down, it turned out Pastor realized this morning we'd covered this on Sundays a few years ago. So, on the fly, he came up with a study on selected Psalms.

                                                

After class he took a poll of those who wish to remain in Psalms or cover again the angels/demons topic. Some of those on Mondays are not there on Sundays so they would not be repeating the study. It was decided to do the Psalms study for a few weeks and then start a topical study. 

The rains had begun and were fairly steady when we got out of Bible study this forenoon. Judy C. tried to share her tiny umbrella with me but usually I don't do umbrellas. She was gracious to try, though. Our group resumed our routine of going to Longhorn for lunch, with six of us around the table. Twila was back in our midst, having completed her cardio-compression therapy. 

The service was remarkably slow, making me wonder if perhaps we ladies should rethink our lunchtime destination. We were seated before noon but our food had not yet arrived at 12:45 pm. Two of us had ordered sweet potatoes and it seemed the shipment of potatoes had only just come in, and the delay was the baking of the potatoes. What? I think the waiter, Jason, the guy who asked us for extra tips to help with his rent, should have told us and we could have ordered differently. Not that I personally had a tight schedule but some of the ladies did have appointments and such. 

Judy had a few minutes before she had to leave to be in Lake Asbury when her grands got home from school, so we had time to catch up. She had been gone to Charleston over the weekend,  attending church with her daughter's family. She told about how their church has a blank wall in the altar area where, before worship, a count-down clock appeared, showing how many minutes and seconds there were before the service began. Blast-off!!!

The rain was light for the ride home, with no wind or lightning. The good news was the rain was not wind driven but the bad news was, it came into my house. ***Sigh*** This prompted me to go upstairs to 404 to check the towel situation there. One was thoroughly soaked, and the other damp. I switched them out with dry ones and took theirs down with me to rinse/dry for next time. No water was coming down their wall, but the floor was soaked along the sliding door. 

       

The cute toes and shoes are mine, the yukky water is coming up from under the tiles.

An hour later, I went back up with the dry towels and found the ones on the floor were again soaked through. Hmmmm....How can that be with no water coming down the walls? Aha, it's coming from under the door! And under the tile. And then down my wall! I let both Travis and Jessica know about this amazing discovery, and they arranged to have Butch come over tomorrow to look at it with me. Yay! I feel a deep sense of relief as this is potentially a solution to some of my leaks!

Later, Justin and I ate dinner, with me reheating steaks leftover from Longhorn, one from today and one frozen from a couple weeks ago. We shared the sweet potato which was now thoroughly cooked. As we walked through the dining room and hall area, we both noticed a strong urine smell. What in the world??? He noticed it in the laundry room, too, and then suddenly realized it was from the towels brought down from upstairs, spun out and then dried in our dryer. They had cats!!!! 

                                                     

Justin freaked because he is already concerned about how his clothes smell so he made a clean towel wet in his bath tub and then put it in the dryer with two softener sheets to freshen it up. Plus we ran the A/C to move the air around and get the dampness out of the rooms. He plugged in the dehumidifier again and got it busy sucking moisture from the air and floors. From now on, I will actually wash with soap instead of simply spinning out the towels in case more cat smell comes down. And I had carried them against myself to get down here so I stripped my clothes off and will wash them when Justin's load is done!

A non-pool day

Sundays, it seems, are often non-pool days this summer, and this was one of those. At one point, from my desk, I did see an area of blue sky, but the rest of the day was a yukky greyness. The wind was blowing most of the day, more than the usual breezy weather we are accustomed to on the river. At one point I suggested opening the doors and letting the wind in but Justin felt it was too warm out for that. Once he is gone, those doors go open, but I am in no real hurry to see him leave.

We had about six or seven people in Bible study this a.m. which had a different set-up. We were in the Fellowship Hall for the first time since early January, for the class. Pastor started it out and then switched teachers to Michael for the second half. It was Sunday school kick-off day so they had refreshments and such set up back in the classroom building for the parents and kids.

A new member was there for class, too. His name is Corey, who I believe is from MN. He serves in the Navy, stationed at the base in GA, and knows our member, Sterling. They were stationed together in Honolulu. His wife and two daughters are living in MN during his stint at Kings' Bay because he will be on deployment for long periods of time. A month or so ago we met the family, and one of the young ladies thanked Joe Z. for his service during 'the War'. I hugged her!

Since it was the kick-off for Sunday school, the service was themed on Christian education. The staff was installed for the coming school year and there was a full front pew for the 'children's sermon'. Two of the kids are from a family who visits us sporadically. I hope they come to Sunday school when it begins in two weeks.

Justin and I went to lunch with Terri T., with Judy being gone for the weekend. I switched up my order and got the sliders with onion strings, and tried the new appetizer of pretzel sticks. Oh my goodness, are they ever delicious!!! Like freshly baked bread delicious...A new favorite! 3 of my sliders came home with me because of enjoying the pretzel sticks.

                                                         

Last week Sunday my little laptop began acting up, did an emergency hard reset or something like that, entirely out of the blue. In fact, the screen went blue with strange-fonted text telling about this happening. My ever-patient in-house IT guy told me I must have done something (I HATE when he does that!) because, as I explained to him, I was in the midst of writing an e-mail when it happened. I touched nothing! Justin further explained that there might have been a virus hiding in the machine and it came out of hibernation to attack. Rats!

Ever since then, though, we (Justin and I) have not been able to make use of Google Chrome on this machine, my program of choice. I am using Internet Explorer now, which is less flexible and more exposed than Chrome. When I type, the words take a long time to catch up with me, and other sorts of similar 'problems' are happening.

My friend, Linda J., recently got herself an iPad primarily for downloading books but has more purposes than only reading. Knowing this machine is not long for this world, it seems, I began looking for a replacement.

iPads are twice as much as this netbook but I do not download books on this machine. Justin is always about the newest and best, but wondered if I would like the different style of keyboard. He reminded me of what Tatiana would tell Timmy, in her eastern European accent, 'curve fingers, curve fingers', during his piano lessons. To type on the iPad, one needs to have the tips only on the 'keys', like playing the piano. I couldn't resist telling Justin, "I type it the way I want it!", like his brother would tell his piano teacher. He told me I would have to resist making on-the-spot corrections in my typing, knowing full well that would make me even wackier. In the morning, when I wake up, I thank God for allowing men to create word processors so we don't have to use the old upright typewriters any more!

 That point is moot, though, because I got a wonderful offer via GroupOn today. While not immanently in need of a new computer, I bought one! This is SOOO not like me at all, but the price was fantastic! It was 53% off the price, larger monitor than the one I have, long-life on the battery, and the best thing of all, I would have Internet connectivity built into it. By some amazing fashion, I would be able to write e-mails and my blog when visiting my mother, from this new laptop! For less than half the price of an iPad, with tax and shipping, and less than this sized laptop in front of me, I have a new little laptop coming. Another plus---it will work on my lap desk, which the iPad may not have. Nice!

That was not all I bought today though, as Justin and I stopped at Winn Dixie on the way home from church/lunch. We were out of laundry soap so got that on a buy one/get one deal. We got two different scents because Justin thinks if one uses the same scent all the time, the nose gets used to it. I love shopping with him---he's a stitch! We also got some Drano as I had two drains needing some cleaning out, plus a few other things.

Justin had seen a recipe for raspberry pie so we bought the ingredients for making it. One of the items listed was orange liqueur which he felt I could get simply by posting on Facebook my need to borrow a tablespoonful of orange liqueur. Oh my!

Surely someone in my building would have this liqueur, or over at The Club. I reminded him that I had a strange bottle in my fridge (from Randy!) and we should look at that first. Sure enough, we had orange liqueur on hand! The pie, made in a graham cracker crust, was sort of like a cheese cake consistency, topped with a raspberry sauce he had to cook on the stove. Have I mentioned recently how much I will miss him when he moves out????

One for the books

The day began horrendously early because I, of course, heard something. But what? After I determined nothing was leaking, I listened more intently, and realized it was coming from outside. Because it was dark outside, my flashlight was required but did little to expose what was making the noise. It could have been something like a cooler banging against the rocks, or against the bulkhead below my window, or simply a different wave pattern caused by the storm at work to the south of us. I know not because when light came, I could not see a thing which would make noise. But it was enough to wake me up!

 

Justin had to go to work for a couple hours before we went to the movie. It was expected to be a four hour job but in fact it was about an hour. He was frustrated that he had to get up so early for a short job, after having gotten home after 2:00 a.m. He had taken his Xbox to his friends' house to watch The Avengers and a second movie which I cannot recall right now. Extra sleep would have a blessing to him this morning.

 

We left early for the movie, with me thinking there would be a line for the showing and because Justin wanted to buy some jeans at Old Navy. He dropped me at the door and then went back to park the car. I bought our tickets, went in and stood in line at the concession stand and was barely getting settled in my seat when Justin found me in the theater. (I am picturing a couple Seinfeld episodes right now...)

 

The movie was good but I did myself a disservice by not taking the Dramamine beforehand, because there was hand-held or extra camera movement. Justin didn't think I would need it because of it being a documentary but there were scenes of riding trains or open vehicles through Kenya, Indonesia, and India. I only got a bit urpy, not enough to cause a problem.

 

Following the show, Justin and I walked down a bit on the exterior of the Mall to Five Guys to have lunch. Justin had the small burger (which is still generously sized) while I had the grilled hot dog. Yum! We shared a small fry and ended up throwing the rest of them away. The charm of 5 Guys fries!

 

Not being sure of what the weather is going to change to, as soon as we got home again, I got 'suited up' and went to to the pool. Justin was getting himself ready for a nap! When I got up the stairs to the pool, I saw my friend's son at the teen pool. He told me his mom was at the other end so immediately I sent Justin a message, asking him to bring me a book and movie from the kitchen counter. I knew he wasn't asleep yet. What a nice boy he is for doing that!

 

He got to meet a few of my friends (Lee, Maureen, Gigi, Susie, and her hubby) plus some obnoxious females who have been known in the past to be escorted from the premises, not always under their own power. I am so glad they had not appeared when Mom and Lynn were here! Later he told me those girls (females) sort of weirded him out. He has heard my stories of their behavior so sort of knew what the scoop was there. Maureen's daughter took the book and movie along home for her.

                                            

We ladies and gentleman had a very nice visit in today's slightly warmer water, and I did not get upstairs again until after 5:00 pm. Justin was still snoozing or was at least quiet in his room. Later he did tell me that he did not sleep that entire time. We finished the rest of the taco salad for dinner and decided to watch "Julie and Julia" on DVD since it was showing on commercial TV. That was so nice!

 

I remember seeing it with him at the theater where he elbowed me every now and again when something reminded him of me! Not necessarily the cooking but the blogging part and some of the more outrageous traits of Julia. Especially the scene where she meets her sister at the train station---such screaming and carrying on. My family and friends can be so glad they no longer have to travel by train and have to be greeted by me!!!!

A gorgeous Friday

When Mom and Lynn were here, I made every effort to introduce them to people with whom I associate. Those folks include my church friends, pool friends, and those from Victory whose names show up in my blog or Facebook. I did fairly well, even arranging to meet Anne H. for breakfast so Mom could see her, and having Stephanie and Erica join us. Now Mom and Lynn can put faces and personalities to the names!

They got to meet almost all my pool friends, and when they were getting ready to leave, I said, "The only one I wanted you to meet yet was Lee..." Mom said, "Lee? I can't say I recall your mentioning a Lee." Well, I have, and we recently 'celebrated' our one year anniversary, as I met her on the same day she was closing the deal on her house, which is nearby. Mom said there are too many people for her to meet but I like her to meet the folks who mean something to me.

When I went out at noon yesterday, there she was. She had been away from the area and from the pool for a couple weeks. Lee thought my company was coming in September, so was sad to have missed Mom and Lynn.

She allowed me to photograph her as she lounged in the sun

We had a great time visiting, with another neighbor from the Villas, Bob, joining us. He often calls me The Queen, and likes to tease me. Bob remarked at how my mom sure is spritely for her age, got a kick out of watching enjoy the water. His own mom still lives, too, but has Alzheimers Disease, so he can't really enjoy her much. His mom came for a visit in June but remembers nothing of it. The visit was more for his benefit, I reminded him, and not so much for her. He agreed that this was true. One day when my mom was here, he carried her sandals to the edge of the pool so she wouldn't burn her feet on the hot pavement. He was also impressed that she still does crossword puzzles. His mom can neither go into the pool nor do puzzles so he was pleased about my mom's abilities.

Anyway, the air was nice and warm but the water was not. My, oh my, was the water ever chilly! The recent rains have cooled things substantially and overcast days prevent the water from warming. We were thankful to have the water to cool off in after sitting in the sun, gradually becoming accustomed to the colder water. Lee loves it this way while Fran, Rick, and I do not! Fran would only sit on the edge of the pool, not getting in. Was so glad to see Fran and Rick again, with them asking if my company got home safely, and such.

                        

For a Friday, it was nice to see people coming and going from the pools, and not so many kids due to school being in session again. Saturday might be different, provided the weather holds. Lee and I had lunch together, with Fran and Rick eating later. I surprised Julius by ordering a hot dog because he had anticipated my ordering a burger. It was already on the grille. Lee got a kick out of that, as though I had a standing order. Marlena asked me the other day if I was going to have a hot dog since they got the special ones I like, so I felt obligated to have one. Oh the pressure!!!

Late afternoon, I decided to go back up stairs for a while, and took a shower. Instead of putting my nightie back on, I got dressed. Not my usual modus operandi, but I figured I would go back out later on. Marlena asked me if I would come back out and sing karaoke in the cabana. She wanted to put my name on the marquis. I made no promises and was glad she did not put my name in lights as no one was singing. Instead, we gathered around a table and enjoyed the lovely summer evening. Must have been a dozen of us, with chairs being added and moved around all evening. I did have a burger for my dinner, made to order by Julius. Mmmmm!

Justin and I are going to the movies in the morning, nearly afternoon, for the cheap ticket rate. Rick wished he could go too but has to work this weekend. Shoot! I am to give him a report about it. Judy J. was going to go with us but she went on her own this afternoon, and loved it. We will compare notes once I have seen it. I am anticipating long lines but Justin says people won't stand in line for a documentary. We shall see!

Laughing my head off

As I write I am watching "Seinfeld"---the 'can you spare a square' episode. Kramer and George go rock climbing (in New York City??) with Elaine's boyfriend, on whom George has a man-crush. Jerry suspects that Elaine dates Tony only because he is attractive, and that Tony is a "male bimbo", or a "mimbo" for short. .Jerry finds Tony quite comical, of course, and mocks his cool good looks and hip attitude. Too funny for a Thursday night!

 

Justin and I combined efforts on a taco salad to eat while watching the football game. He nicely went to the store plus got gas in my car, after he got home from work. What WILL I do when he moves away from me? Guess I will get my own gas....It was his idea to make the taco salad so he went to the store. When he buys his gas at Gate, he earns Jaguar bonus bucks so does not mind one little bit getting my car filled up for me.

 

The Jaguar game was a dismal one this time, so we retired to our rooms during the 3rd quarter. I did get to see Michael Oher, though, which was cool. At least the Packers won their game.

 

Earlier in the day I decided to bake the special treat I had planned to make when Mom and Lynn were here. When they arrived, Lynn told me I had to help her stay on her diet so was careful not to put too much temptation in her path. She had recently lost over 20 pounds and wanted to keep it off, which is not easy to do in my house. So, anyway, I made the treats which consisted of chocolate chip cookie dough pressed into a muffin cup, topped with a peanut butter cup, and then covered with brownie mix. I know, right?

They turned out deliciously, which was an accomplishment, since I did not know how long to bake them. I had three cookies which did not get brownie mix and they dried up nicely. Justin teased me when he tried to eat one, remarking, "My mama made these!" He did try a completed one and enjoyed it greatly, without complaint.

 

When I was leaving for Bible study this a.m., Connie stopped me to tell which spots under roof were available for parking in case the tropical storm comes our way. She is going to have me send out an e-mail to everyone, cautioning folks to clean off their exposed patios to avoid stuff flying off or through windows. She gave me a spot in the detached garage but I told her that Justin should use it because his sunroof leaks.

 

I couldn't stay long to chat with her as I was already a bit behind schedule because Judy J. called me about going to the movies this weekend. Somehow I was able to dress and do everything except brush my teeth while talking with her...the queen of multitasking! Not a good idea to apply lipstick before using the toothbrush, though. She is going to accompany Justin and me on Saturday morning for the cheap show, his favorite time to go. I will start getting ready sooner on Saturday to spare my lipstick getting smeared all over my new toothbrush!

Another day with rain

As you can see, a storm was brewing! Don't those clouds look ferocious?

 Oh shoot! The repairs the 5th floor family attempted as of last week have not worked as water puddles on the floor in Travis' river room. I put down two towels to soak up the water in this empty unit, and used one in mine.

This shot is looking up the wall at the water making its way down, in Travis' river room. Mine made it all the way to the floor but when I took this photo, the streaming had not gotten to the floor yet. The other other puddle came from under their door and they are going to see about getting that caulked when the guy comes back to do Herve's repairs. Let's hope and pray that TS Isaac goes further west and leaves FL alone. In particular it should avoid Tampa and Jacksonville!!!

Photos from the Mystery Dinner

People are pouring over the obscure hints as to what is on the menu, trying to figure out the puzzling clues. After a certain point, one must simply make a decision and have fun with the results. This table features Jayne's family, with her step-son, Trey, at the head. Further down is Julaine, Judy J., and the Douglas's.

Jim was given a bottle of bubbling grape juice in lieu of wine (from Pastor) and he wished to share with us all. Carol got the mini-cups and the communion cup filler to help him share his wine. Debbie, Jean, and Twila watch the process. Miraculously, after we all had a little taste of the 'wine', there was yet a half bottle remaining.

Mom's first course turned out to be chicken, two big pieces, plus deep fried corn 'n rice balls. Oh, and a spoon with which to eat it! A spoon was not needed for this very hot finger food, however. She was able to take home the larger piece of chicken since it was too much to eat in a short period of time between courses.  

Gretchen, Terri T., and I all got a large brownie with a scoop of ice cream and whipped topping for our first course, along with buttered bread. And a spoon. We are not fools---we had dessert first! Gretchen was in her glory, as she loves nothing better than chocolate and bread. She recently told me that she could live on sandwiches, using Publix bread, but knows she should not. That's where the chocolate comes in!

The wrap up

This is the sky that began the day, an hour prior to our departure for the airport. Mom and Lynn were quite ready to go with Mom even coming to my door to check that I had not overslept. It was only 7:20 with our planned departure at 8:00 a.m. Oh yes, I was up but just not at 'em!

When I did dress and come out, Lynn helped me carry down some of the trash, leaving the empty soda cans at Connie's door and throwing my trash into the bin. I got my neighbor's mail to free up space in her box, as this is my job for now. I think I might turn the keys over to the neighbor who held them previous to me, since they have returned from vacation.

I moved the car closer to the lobby area to make it easier to load the luggage. Connie had arrived in the meanwhile and helped us get the suitcases and the walker into the back of the car. We were leaving plenty of time for the commute, being warned the day before by those who do this daily. It is the first day of school in Duval County which complicates things and add to that possible storms. The way things worked out, we got there with about two hours before Mom and Lynn's flight was due to take off which is what they wanted. Perfect!

Hugs and kisses ensued with many thanks for the visit and hospitality...and now, my heart is heavy as I face my mostly empty home. As I Windex the glass table in the living room, my prayers of thanksgiving go up that Lynn was able to escort Mom to see her old friends, and me, as well as asking the Lord to be with them on their travels home. The only thing that comforts me is strawberry pretzel torte....

Our last day together

Today after church, a group of us, 8 total, went to lunch at Chili's. Because we go so often, Justin and Terri T. qualify for  the free chips and salsa appetizer. I had my usual meal of potato skins and chucken tenders on the sampler platter, while Lynn enjoyed quesidillas and soup. Mom had a BLT with baked potato soup. Justin had a fiesta salad, just to embarras me, I like to say. The last thing we needed in the fridge was more leftovers, but yet, some of mine came home with me. Oh well....

While we ladies were at church last night for the Mystery Dinner, Justin was at home making strawberry pretzel torte for his auntie and grandma. And for me! We were so full from our dinner and to allow the torte to properly set, the decision was made to have it for breakfast instead. So, this photo shows Mom having a nice piece of torte before church this a.m. Such is life at Kim's house!

Dinner was a Mystery!

Tonight at church, in our newly remodeled fellowship hall, we enjoyed a Mystery Dinner. We were presented with a menu with vague or entirely opaque clues on it from which we were to choose our meals. Served in three courses, a person could choose wisely and get an appetizer to eat with a fork. If one did not figure out the system, they would enjoy a lovely brownie with ice cream and buttered bread as the first course---maybe even get a spoon to eat it with!! Such fun seeing the strange combinations some came up with. I was the one who had the dessert and bread for my first course and ended up having to bribe the waiter for a fork later on. It really was fun and better than that---delicious!!!!

Pool time!

With nothing on the schedule for today, Mom, Lynn, and I went out to the pool late morning in hopes of spending the better part of day there. It was not to be! Before the storm rolled in, we did get to enjoy a couple hours of outdoor fun and a wonderful lunch from the cabana. Mom really likes to get in the water and move around freely, the way water allows one to do. Lynn floated around on my exercise noodle for a bit. Both ladies are getting lovely tans, at least on the upper torso. 

We heard the thunder rolling and then Laura the lifeguard came around to urge folks from the pool. We could have waited it out in the cabana but are extremely glad we did not. The storm was a powerful one of high winds, lots of lightning, even junk hitting my windows! Lynn was thinking we should move the glass pieces from the window in the living room because the trees were bent over so far, almost touching the window. We did not do that, as the storm had a comparatively short run. 

Lynn and I kept our swim suits on for a while in case we could go back out but the weather was simply not going to cooperate. Drizzle continued and the sky was clouded over, not in keeping with my terms for enjoyment at the pool.  

Mom had requested a meal which I used to make when I was married, called Busy Day Chicken. Mid-afternoon I got busy in the kitchen making the dish, getting it ready to put in the oven when it was closer to dinner time. Justin came home from work, showered, and then collapsed on his bed to rest after his busy day. His plans did not include dinner with us as he was joining his friends at Bahama Breeze later on.

Lynn, Mom, and I sat down to watch the Jaguar game but Mom didn't make it to the end. So glad the team is doing well in the preseason and allowing such great entertainment on Friday nights! Tomorrow night we are dining at church (yay! the fellowship hall is done!) but the menu is a Mystery. Can't wait to see what's in store for our dining pleasure....

I missed Wednesday!!!

Mom got her wish and we went to eat at Clark's Fish Camp for dinner. Our original plan had been to go after Bible study this noon but fortunately, one of the ladies mentioned they might not be open for lunch. She was right! 

Going for dinner instead allowed Justin to join us, BUT he messed with me (us) tonight----because he had worked outside all day in the beastly heat, he wanted to eat indoors. My face got a cramp giving him the stink eye but if we wanted him along (why????), we ate indoors. He owes me big time!

The table we were given had full glass on two sides of it, with Mom and Lynn facing out toward the water so it was 'almost' like being outside, with only one fly to swat at as we ate. The fried dill pickles were great, and my fish fingers a delight. Mom enjoyed her all-time favorite fish dish at Clark's, the crab stuffed flounder. Licked her plate clean!

Justin had the tilapia basket while Lynn had crab cakes. No dessert for us as we were satisfied with what we had. On the way out, the four of us visited the aquarium and alligator tank they have recently added, and used the new elevated height bathrooms. No more water coming up through the floor, or, if it does, Clark's has big problems!

Sadly, the Packer game was not being shown in our market, which is probably a good thing since they were doing horribly. I did get a very nice comment on my Facebook page from the former pastor at FG, Steve Hahm, who sent his greeting via me to my mom. He also relayed a link to a memorial service recently conducted for a lady at his church in Baton Rouge, where he sang " MÜDE BIN ICH GEH ZUR RUH" at the close of the service. He has promised to sing it for Mom's service "unless she outlives us all!" 

Primary day

This morning the day began with water exercise class for Lynn and I, with Mom serving as the audience. We had a great class with a few new faces, some who were guests of the hotel. Lynn fits in perfectly due in part to her being with us before plus she works out daily at the fitness center in Manty. Jokingly I said she should not talk to Marlena about this so as not to give her ideas for tougher routines!

Mom and Lynn had gotten up hours earlier with a plan to see the sunrise. Around 5:00 a.m. they did see the moon, a quarter moon, and some stars, but no sun. Mom was thinking it would come up an hour earlier here than it does in WI but it does not work that way. Closer to 7:00 a.m. the sun came up in a less than spectacular way, but only Mom saw it as Lynn had fallen asleep in the living room chair. I looked up the sunrise times online and told them to be watching at 6:52 tomorrow. Or sleep, whichever.

As we enjoyed our time outdoors we could see folks going in to vote at The Club. It is primary day with several of my friends or acquaintances running for seats. Diane H. manages some money for me and is a dear friend, running for Travis' seat on the Board of Commissioners. The lady who manages Travis' races, Marge, is running for the same seat, but my heart and vote belongs to Diane. Both ladies have invited me to 'watch parties' tonight but I accepted neither invitation.

One of my friends wrote on Facebook about a horrible exchange she had while waiting for her dinner to go: a 20-something young man saw her "I Voted" sticker and asked if she voted for president. She told him no, but she did vote for judges, sheriff, school board members, county commissioners, and so on. The guy asked, "Oh, they let you vote for them?" The good news about this was this young man's vote did not cancel out any of hers. We have a problem, America!

                                           

No problem in my house, though, as between making dinner for us all, Justin went over to The Club to vote. He made us a stuffed chicken breast dinner using a Publix recipe. It was good! There are some leftovers of that as well as the potatoes he made to go with the chicken. He admits that potatoes are not his best attempts which his grandma attributes to his not liking them as a child. So, there you go!

For lunch we went to Honey B's on Fleming Island, at Lynn's request. The former Sister's Tea Room folks run this one, and the food is divine. I brought home toast points to snack on and a dessert of bread pudding for Justin. Next, we went to Wal*Mart for a few things and got to see Danny Roy, as he called to me down the aisle. Nice! 

Wednesday is our shopping day, after water exercises, of course. Mom wants to get to Beall's for sure, and Wednesday is Senior Discount Day. Lynn is looking for shoes and there is a big shoe store in the same plaza, if Beall's does not have what she likes. 

In order to squeeze in our all dining out (as Lynn said, "So many restaurants, so little time!), I think we will have lunch at Cracker Barrel. Mom can have the breakfast she wants, and Lynn, her catfish! Likely, meatloaf for me, or perhaps I will be in the mood for pancakes!

A day at the beach

Mom, Lynn, and I went to the beach in St. Augustine, after I checked the weather and saw a big, yellow sunshine in the afternoon. Should have not been a problem, right? Wrong! 

We left home shortly before 10:00 a.m., stopping for gas and to pick up our sandwiches from Publix. After one slight misstep in getting down there (I second guessed myself on the first turn in St. Augustine), the GPS got me turned around and we found the beach.

Because Mom has a handicap-flag for the car, we were able to get in for a discounted rate. Nice! We got the car parked not too far from the porto-lets and off we went to the water. Mom drove her walker to edge of the water and with Lynn and I flanking her, in we went!

Mom loved it, always did, getting batted around by the waves but we did not stay in very long. She was hesitant and unsure of her feet so we took her back to the chairs. We got our lunch out and began to eat. Lynn had a couple more bites left of her sandwich when it began to rain. Quickly we gathered all the stuff together and hustled to the car. The plan was to wait for a bit to see if it blew over.

Most everyone else around us had left, though. A sheriff pulled up not far from my car so I went to ask him if we should stay or go. He could check the radar and showed it would likely be moving through, if we wished to wait it out. We turned the car around, facing the water, and watched the storm. After almost an hour, we made the executive decision to leave. 

As we headed out, I mentioned that there were many stores and shops we passed on the way to the beach. The ladies were asked to watch for an interesting spot where we could stop for a treat, and we found Panera. We could use the restrooms, then enjoy a treat on the patio, as it was not storming there.

Once back to OP, Lynn and I got Mom situated upstairs and then went back out to the pool. At first the sun was out but sure enough---the clouds rolled in and blocked the rays. I got the chills and eventually Lynn did too. But we had a nice time floating around and chatting with some pool friends. 

Justin originally had planned to make our dinner but then decided to go for wings with Jesse. He was concerned that we would starve but I knew I could rustle some grub. How cute he is! I made us scrambled eggs with ham for dinner---so there!

More words than photos

Things have not been whirlwind but more laid back since Mom and Lynn arrived. We have watched two night football games together, with Lynn and I getting more from that than Mom did. At least Mom has been staying up later than she does at her house. Not sure she can sleep as well as she does at home, though, but 'differently'.

Saturday was the luncheon for the ladies and all went nicely. Justin went to Chick-Fil-A to pick up the sandwiches while I put fruit chunks on skewers. There were potato chips to go with the sandwiches and fruit, with sour cream cake topped with cherry almond sauce for dessert. My favorite Pampered Chef product is the sauce!

The ladies enjoyed the punch of cranberry juice mixed with 7-Up, drinking every last drop of it! Mom had a good time catching up with her friends, as did Lynn. We had taken a cruise with some of these folks in 2007 so Lynn became better acquainted with them at that time. I know this was easier for Mom than trying to catch everyone at church Sunday. 

Once the hubbub was over, Lynn and I went to the pool. Of course, we were barely wet when the heavens opened and pelted us with huge, cold drops. The two of us hustled back into the house just in time for a storm to roll through, leaving sunshine in its wake. Too late now---we were in our nighties!

Mom had a good time resting Saturday afternoon watching a Perry Mason Marathon on a network I didn't know I had. Every time Lynn comes, she finds new stations! According to our cable plan at The Palace, I am to have Basic in some form provided with my monthly fees. Somehow, I get more than I am actually entitled to or should, as far as I can tell. I am not complaining or anything, but it surprises me what is available. Maybe I am mistaken about this, but the Preview Channel on my TV only shows 99 stations....and I get more! Hence, Perry Mason Marathons!

The rest of the day and into the evening was spent at home, with me making dinner for us that night. I had thrown together, Kim-style, a chicken parmesan dish using some of the 'free' chicken patties from Winn Dixie. I cooked some pasta, which took the longest of all the prep, and layered the chicken patties over the top of the pasta. The jar of sauce was just right and the flavor of the entire dish was great. I made a nice meal for us!

Sunday was Bible study and church for us. The study was interesting even with break-out sessions to compare the Bible translations. We, our little group, skips the discussion aspect for the most part and I simply write what needs writing. It was fun to read the various interpretations of a paragraph, from one language into the next and back again. Things get all mixed up and misused phrases, and so on. Each culture has its idioms and expressions, some which do not translate well into other tongues. I often think of something Joe Z. told me once, when trying to explain something: "My mother (Hungarian) used to say, 'English doesn't have a word for it...'" I think that happens alot!

Robbie came to church today and was warmly greeted. He sang the psalm tones during the liturgy with the congregation singing the refrain, and sang a capella a hymn during the offering. Mom was pleased to hear him sing and had a chance to tell him so after church. 

The Fellowship committee had a quick meeting following the service as Bruce has a meeting Monday night and needed to know what to report. Funny! Our hopes are yet to have the Mystery Dinner on Saturday night but the chefs say if the Fellowship Hall is not done, no dinner. It is simply not doable to prepare the food in the kitchen and transport it, plate by plate to the classroom building. It would be logistically a problem. I do hope all is ready because Mom and Lynn scheduled their trip around the dinner and the dinner was scheduled with their visit in mind! The work was to have been completed in time for VBS in early July but alas....

The Luncheon

 Here is Carol and Mom, posing in the living room

Carol, Jackie, Mom, and Lynn 

A shot of the table, with a look at the back of Lynn's and my heads! From left is Lynn, Judy J., Jackie, Gretchen, Ethel, Terri T., Twila, Carol, Mom, and then me!

Gretchen, Lynn, Mom and Ethel. These ladies are long time buddies of Mom's. They keep in touch with notes and phones, but now, in the flesh!

 Lynn, Kim, and Mom

 Terri T. posed with Lynn and Mom

Twila is yukking it up with her old pal, Kathy. Lynn is smiling so beautifully for the camera