A dull night for a change

And there is nothing really engaging for me to watch on TV at this moment, so when all else fails--football! It has been a busy busy day so it feels wonderful to be at home and settled in this evening. My morning began as usual on Thurdays with a drive to Victory for Bible story. I tried calling Mom as is my custom but her line was busy. I think she miscalculated the time or something and was on-line when I tried calling her, which ties up her phone line. Oops! Instead I made my Prayer Chain calls to the ladies, letting them know about the passing of Jane Brown. We had no arrangements to report to folks as of this morning but since then Mike has let me know the plans. More calls were made to my folks on the Chain with that information. Pastor is out of town, returning on Monday. Carol, the 'organizer' of the funerals, is returning to town after this weekend and will have to jump right back into it!

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We were missing a few people this a.m. but still had five plus Pastor Hoyer for the class. Victory is still looking for a few more children for their VPK as they are short of the enrollment they had last year, for some unknown reason. The congregation has hopes of adding grades in the future and I hope this does not indicate a set-back for them. Justin and I left in my car for lunch and when I suggested going for Chinese, he mentioned Mama Fu's. We did a u-turn and headed back to church to get his car, as the restaurant he chose is not far from where he is staying. (Do you remember Ron, who joined my family and friends for Easter dinner this year? His mom and grandma came, too. Well, Justin is staying with them for the time being, until November, I understand.) Anyway, we enjoyed our lunch el fresco at Mama Fu's, a place my neighbor, Jessica, raved about last night. That's why I was on board for going to eat there and it was good! I ordered brown rice and sweet/sour chicken, plus picked up some food to take home for Jessica, as she sent me a text with her desires. When I delivered it upstairs, she presented me with a plate of cookies, about a half dozen as my reward!

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Leaving Justin, I headed toward home and called Mom, this time getting through to her. She told me about getting her auto insurance all figured out, reducing her expenses because she is not driving any longer, yet must cover her car as long as she owns it. Alayna went with her grandma to help get things figured out as it can be quite complicated. Anyway, Mom was doing well, had gone out for her walk already that morning even though it was sort of chilly. Their hot weather has moved on, it seems.

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At 2:00 I had a dental appointment so I hung up with Mom and got myself turned around to head to the Island for my check-up. This time I had a substitute hygienist because Roblee was sick. It was my first opportunity to have the stand-up panoramic imaging done of my mouth. Besides that one, Lisa took several more using the digital x-rays with some of them giving her a hard time. My mouth is still tender from biting down on the rigid plastic thing. Ouch! There were no cavities but one area of concern above a tooth which already has a root canal in it. Peggy gave me a scrip for penicillin to have on hand in case, in case, something goes on with it. It's free from Publix so I can go anytime to have it filled and 'spend $200 while you wait", as Peggy said. Right!

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My original plan was to go to Wal*Mart afterward but I decided to just go on home. After having my teeth pressure washed, x-rayed, poked, prodded, flossed, polished, and everything else, I was done! It was nearly 3:30 pm and had enough for one day. Later I took the food upstairs to Jessica and visited for a bit. We discussed the events of last evening and she, too, was a bit surprised at how we did not get a real dinner out of it. I told her how my friend, Penny, called to ask me how I enjoyed it and I filled her in. She said they (those at Happy Hour not part of the Scotch tasting) wondered aloud when we were going to get our dinner, as they could see us through the doors. Kerrie, the owner, told them there was no dinner, only appetizers and Penny said all were taken aback at that. We just won't do that again!

An evening of note

My very first, and I would guess, last, Scotch Tasting event! Yes, that is what I did last night at The Club. Now that I know how this all works, I will know that I am not interested in taking part in it, not matter how delicious the filet mignon crustinis are! Oh, my goodness, were they wonderful!!! The other food items, served buffet-style and on the trays of the roving waitstaff, were mainly fish-based so I feasted on the filet served with caramelized onions on a crispy tiny piece of bread. Silly me! I assumed we would sit around tables and enjoy our meal, rather than having it be served more like appetizers. After we were done with the appetizers, we were escorted into the 'fireplace room' of the mansion where we sat at tables with glasses in front of us. Each glass had a dribble of Scotch whiskey in it, on a placemat marked with its origin. Those in attendance got a history lesson and chemistry lesson on how scotch is made, how long it sits in barrels, how the barrels are made, etc.

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Now, I used the 'we' word several times without clarifying who was with me. Sunday at the pool, Ellen, Maggie and I were talking about Wednesday's pending Happy Hour and the later scotch tasting. Neither Ellen or I drink scotch but Maggie was interested so Ellen made reservations for us. The menu sounded so delicious, except for the fish things for me, but give me filet mignon, and I am in! Only next time I will be wise to the appetizer vs. table service serving style. Ellen had other guests with her including a long time friend of theirs, Steve, and a relatively famous young man named Jasin, whom Maggie used to date. He has a long history and connections to the family and the band (Skynyrd) but he was as down-to-earth acting as Billy and Ellen ever were, are. He took great delight in mocking my accent (doncha know?) and watching my head spin around when I tasted those potent liquors. Jessica joined us at the last minute, and we had great fun as Ellen, Jasin, and I won door prizes, we ladies each getting stainless business card holders that say "Johnny Walker" on the outside, and Jasin getting cuff links!

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While I was not a fan of LS before I moved in here, I studied up a bit so as not to be a big dumbie when talking with my new neighbors. A couple years ago Justin sent me a link to a youtube video to listen to a song originally written for Skynyrd but covered by this group called Shine Down. Justin sent it because he knew I would like the message (I know I have written about this before...) and like the acoustic version of this song. I did like it, and have already included this version of the song to be played at my funeral after-party in his honor because he basically chose it for me. And now I have sipped Scotch with the man who sings on that version of "Simple Man", doncha know?!

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Speaking of funerals, on my way out of The Club last night, I saw a message had come from Mike C. reporting that our member, Jane, had passed away that day. Jane is Kristi's mom and has had some health problems for some time now. Her hubby, Bill, will certainly miss his Janie, as he called her, even had her name tattooed on his arm before they were even married, over 50 years ago. Heaven just got even sweeter with Jane there!

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Later on when I was at home on Facebook, Justin instant messaged me to complain about sharing a birthday with George Bernard Shaw. Shaw is a well-known playwright who was also in favor of "thinning of the herd", being a proponent of Hitler's selective elimination of those less than perfect in society, etc. The only solution was to change his birthday. I told him about my Scotch tasting thing and he was surprised. He asked if I liked it and I told him I did not but managed to drink the last 'brand' by pouring it into my Diet Coke! I wrote that just as he wrote to me that it is okay in Diet Coke....Great minds think alike! I did that once with some cognac shared by a friend of ours from Waterford Landing and he was horrified that I corrupted his French liqueur by dumping it in my soda!

I think it's time for lunch!

It just occurred to me how hungry I am, after getting in from the pool almost an hour ago. Marlena gave Randy and I a bag of Lay's potato chips which really did hold me over until now. Randy enjoyed a glass of Cabernet after class and I had brought down several sodas in case Maggie O. showed up. She did not make it so I drank them all myself!! The day was so glorious again with cloudless skies, cerulean blue, as I learned in water color class. When Randy took his first sip of wine, he let loose with an "Ahhhh....." and then said he could have easily just slugged it down without taking a breath, that's how refreshing it was! That is a feeling I have at times with an icy cold Diet Coke!

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My fridge is getting cleaned out of its 'to-go' boxes and the shelves are bare, ready for washing. Kerry sent me an e-mail this early morning telling me of her 'needs' for when she is here. Like me, she is not necessarily a breakfast eater but wouldn't mind some plain dough-nut holes or an egg, if pressed. I plan at this point at least one breakfast out at The Club, as they began serving to the membership last week. Marlena said she talked to 'Chef' about continuing the breakfast next month because Miss Kim has company coming. He was not sure who Miss Kim was until Marlena said, "the hot dog lady"---then he knew! I had talked to him about the yukky hot dogs at the cabana so they changed brands and now all is well! So, I am now the 'hot dog lady'! You are what you eat! Anyway, he suggested I call a day ahead of our pending breakfast, and they will prepare a made-to-order feast for us. The privileges of membership! In contrast, we are also going to have breakfast one morning at Grumpy's and Kerry is going to wear her Grumpy's T-shirt that day!

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As of this writing, I believe my precious record albums are on their way to WI with the Kuske's. If they could not fit them in, he was going to call me, and thus far, I have not heard a peep. Since I could not, or would not, lift it, and Justin was across the river at work, I got my downstairs neighbor's son to come get them. It meant so much to me and I gave David a $5, which he at first refused, but then took at my insistence. It was so nice of him to do that for this old lady....Whew! Mike C. carried them into the Fellowship Hall last night before Bible study and had a good time looking at the 'old records'. Some of them are! I told the story of how I always thought they would be the first thing I would grab if the house was on fire. My former spouse (before we had kids) said, "You'd leave the office files behind to grab your records?" Oops! My priorities have since been adjusted, as the precious memories are on their way north.

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In the meantime, however, my bed is now littered with memorabilia from the bin, and now, where do I go with it??? I found the tickets from the Inaugural Jaguar game, the placard Justin and his father had to hold up at the appointed time as part of the half-time events, the day's Play Book, all that neat, historic paraphernalia from the game. Another special item is the newspaper front page, center, with a Jaguar player named Don Davey, wearing #92, roaring in victory! He lived next door to us in Manitowoc on Manistee Court. Very cool! Perhaps having Dee mount and frame the items would be a way to preserve them but would also make them less accessible for viewing. Hmmmm....will have to think about this a bit....

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Since I have had several sodas already I am drinking my water like a good girl. Later in the day, time will be spent at The Club, inside, for Happy Hour which tonight features Scotch tasting. Yech! There is also going to be a dinner tonight, a rather nice event with crab dishes, shrimp beignets, scallops plus filet mignon crostini and mini-pizzas for us non-fish eaters. Ellen made reservations for us already and I am looking forward to it for sure! As I look over my shoulder, manatees are frolicking in the basin, which delights me because Kerry is so looking forward to seeing them when she is here. Hopefully they will stick around through the middle of September while my company is here!!!!

Letting Go of History

It's too early for a nap right now but my eyes are weary. I think this is because of the brightness of the sun today, not a cloud to be seen when we did our water aerobics. Awesomeness! Boy, will I ever miss that class when it's too cold to be in the pool....This a.m. I was sort of sleeping until 8:30 or so, waking up earlier, then drifting in and out for a while. Even had one of those goofy dreams, this time about going to the funeral home to have a medical check-up. I guess that is in case the news is not good! Who knows with dreams??

Mary Lew, my book and movie lender, celebrated her birthday today poolside, complete with a muffin 'cake' and candle!

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Here is Mary Lew listening to us sing for her before blowing the candle out. She did not want us to sing the entire song, but we did anyway!

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As pictured above, Mary Lew, one of my older friends at The Club, informed us it was her birthday today so we stayed to have lunch and even sang a song for her. Randy could not stay as he has a piano lesson on Tuesdays but three of us plus the lifeguard enjoyed her special day after water exercises were over. Both the other ladies are workers for The Club on occasion and so interesting to talk with. I should have some paper and a pen with me when they begin telling their stories!

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Mary Lew gave me "I Feel Bad About My Neck" written by Nora Ephron, the well-known screenwriter and author, which I finished late evening. Yay! I have read another book to the end this year, making eight thus far! As I closed it, I thought "Hmmm....that was good!!" particularly her closing chapter where she wrote about how much she misses her lady friend. Though having been married a number of times, and is at present, it is her best friend that she mourns for, thinks about five times a day, keeps her memorabilia handy. Yes, I get that, and I got all choked up thinking about it, how it will be for me when my dearest ones 'go home'. Knowing that my dearest ones are known to the Lord and know Him, too, makes the thought a bit easier to consider, but I really have the 'pity party' down to a science. It really is all about me! I am sure they would feel the same way, would miss me and all that, but the tears and sorrow will not, should not, be for me, but because their hearts hurt. Read this book, ladies!

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On that same topic, Nora tells about how she wore her friend's scarf or shawl all the time and even slept with it for a while after the death. She thinks about how on such and such a date they would be doing fall shopping in Paris, or see the opening of a show, or meet for lunch at Tavern on the Green. Those really would, will, be the type of things I would remember, too. Hmmmm.....You guys know who you are, I hope. I would like to rejoice over the times we did have, instead of the times we won't any more.

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This afternoon I had to stand on my head in the front hall closet to pull out my plastic bin full of albums. Pastor Kuske is taking his daughter to Watertown, WI for high school and offered to take my records that far for me. My niece will pick them up from Kuske's on Saturday and hold them for me until such time as the Schipper's come that direction and can get them. I transferred them into a wire basket, open-topped, to compact them, but it is wwaayy too heavy for me to lift. I have sent Justin a text message to see if he can take the bin to my car for me. If he cannot, I will have to ask one of my neighbors to do the heavy lifting for me. The bin is about 13 x 13" square, packed tightly from end to end with parts of my history. At first I was going to pick through them and keep some back because of the sentimental value but resisted that desire. Oh my goodness, this is really tougher for me than I thought it would be!!!!

Assembling some thoughts

I just came back from starting a load of laundry, tossing in a pair of white pants that I wore to church yesterday. When I got home after having lunch with Judy C. and Michael at Sam's St. Johns Seafood, across from Moosehaven, I changed clothes immediately to get ready for the pool. Every second counts on these summer afternoons since the storms move in and out so quickly. I was going to put my white pants back on the hanger for wearing to The Club on Wednesday night (no denim rule) and what did I see? A big blotch of red on the back of my pants! Oh my goodness! That would give anyone a start but particularly an older female who is well passed that happening. It turned out to be ketchup. Now how did THAT happen? It seems that I had my purse sitting on the floor at my feet in the restaurant and then put my purse on the driver's seat as I went through the political paperwork I had picked up Thursday night to share with Michael. Evidently the ketchup was on the bottom of my purse, and then on my car seat and then on my pants! Yikes! My sister gave me a decorative hook to use for hanging my purse off the table's edge but I never think to use it. I should from now on!

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My friend, Maggie O., recently appeared in a play in a cameo role at "Players by the Sea" at the Beaches. She played the comedic relief as a maid and was nominated for an award for her efforts. The ceremony, The Pelicans, was held this weekend and Ellen was there to applaud for Maggie, who won in her catagory. Congratulations to Maggie O. for being a came-o! She is a retired drama teacher from Ed White High School and might even have 'worked' with some of her former students in this production!

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As I was doing the laundry, it occurred to me that I should get some more soap one of these days so I have plenty when Kerry is here. I had to chuckle to myself, remembering those couple of summers that Alayna spent here in Florida, how Kerry was worried about her getting the proper foods. One time she asked Alayna, "Are you eating something other than French fries?" In that same conversation I heard Alayna tell her mom, "All the fruit Kim has here is either wood or plastic....", so when she was off the phone, we got in the car and went to the store for fruit. I gave her a plastic basket and told her to pick out whatever she wanted to eat, in order to be in compliance with her mom's requirements. Alayna does like fruit, in fact, we bought fruit when she was here at Christmas this past year, too. I ended up eating the last two of the apples but gave the extra oranges to Lori and David for their drive home.

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Kerry is even a more picky eater than I am, with even odder choices than mine. Over the years when we lived in Manitowoc yet, Kerry lived with us. She would buy fish, chubs I believe (no relation) and would eat them, complete with eyes! It would freak me out to open the fridge and have something looking back at me. But when I would make a batch of chocolate chip cookies, I had make a few for her without chocolate chips! She could eat smoked chubs with eyeballs but not chocolate chips!! She likes really spicy food and I do not. She watches blood 'n guts TV programs and I do not. No worries, though, we will work it out! I am going to take her to the fish camps where she can dine on strange fish and I can have fried dill pickles! Kerry also likes to cook but then we miss the social opportunities by eating in, unless I would invite folks to come here. Since I am having a dinner when Lynn and Linda arrive, I likely won't have one when Kerry is here. I want to show her the town!

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Last week I attempted to watch the VHS movie loaned to me by Randy's wife, Carol, called "Tea with Mussolini" which is filmed primarily in Florence, Italy. She knew I would like to see the familiar sights and such, so I put the movie into my player, which is part of the TV. It kept popping right back out again, sounded like rewinding going on, and out it popped. Finally I got up to see what was happening and pulled the tape out of the player. Ooops!, the tape was caught inside and was now dangling from the case. Not good! It's worse that I borrowed it from someone else and now have to replace an obsolete recording of this movie. Thanks to Amazon.com, mission accomplished! Woo hoo! I have tried putting one of my own videos in for play back and all the machine did was whine, so my guess is, I no longer have a VHS player in my bedroom. The only working one, then, is in the guest room, so if I want to watch the movie, will have to lie on the daybed to do so. That's fine, but not as pleasant, I guess.

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Regarding the movie, "Eat, Pray, Love", let me answer the question most often asked, "How was it?" I know I can be a pain in the butt about stuff like this but let me say, the Eastern religion stuff was over-the-top for me. Others likely have no problem with it. This movie is based on a true story and if this was her journey, great! Liz, played by Julia Roberts, was a writer in search of herself, and supposedly God. At one point she actually did get down on her knees and attempted to pray to Him, awkwardly. No wonder her life was such a mess, she did not have a good leader! Anyway, in the movie, a 'voice' tells her to go back to bed. She does so, telling her hubby she does not want to be married any more. He ends up broken-hearted and she basically goes on a walk-about for a year, to achieve balance in her life. Of course, starting in Rome is a terrific way to go, as she begins a "carbohydrate conflagration", enjoying the great food, meeting people, learning the language as well as learning to 'let go' and have fun!

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From Italy she was off to India and then Bali, living in a ashram and scrubbing floors to learn humbleness and such, chanting and meditating, and meeting other non-Indians who are there for the same reason as she. One man, a Texan, was particularly gruff with her, telling her the way it was, and coaching her to forgive herself and forget it, that type of thing. In Bali she meets a few wonderful folks, including a divorced mom with a young daughter for whom Liz raises money so they can have their own home. Liz also meets, by accident, a man who becomes her lover. I liked him myself, as he was openly affectionate with his twenty-something son, crying as he sent his son off to college. Makes points with me! (Here is a secret---in the next book, she is married to Philippe...shhhh!) Oh, I guess it is not a secret, her website shows the follow-up book already. Anyway, the scenery and such is fantastic, especially Italy, but I am prejudiced. Go ahead and see it, and just bear with the chanting and mantras...

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Well, I guess I had better get moving around here and take care of a few thing neglected over the busy past couple of days. Of course, being away tends to keep things a bit tidier but my dishwasher needs to be run because it smells sour from sitting in this heat with dirty dishes. When the washer or dryer are going, and the dishwasher running, I feel extremely productive! Or, I could get my swimsuit on and go for a dip....It's not raining yet, but it likely will. I have the entire day off so can do whatever I wish. Like always!

Busy last couple of days!

Incredibly so! A mere mortal would not be able to do it, and I, being a mere mortal, am bushed! It feels divine perched on my bed, feet up, with laptop in front of me, watching and enjoying a "House" marathon....ahhhh! Oh, my goodness, what a wild ride it's been!

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Let's revisit that schedule, in case anything was missed in previous postings: Starting with Thursday, I did my usual ride to the southside for Bible study and lunch with Justin. After being home a while in the afternoon, Martie came over and we went downtown to a political hobnob and then had dinner. Some of my neighbors and I had made plans to watch some planets align, and meteor shower which we thought would take place around 10:00 pm but later we found out it would not be visible here until the wee hours of the morning. My understanding is the cloud cover prevented seeing it, as Ellen stood watch and could not see anything. Fortunately, it was too overcast to see the meteor shower which I likely would have slept through.

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Friday was the Chamber event at the Carmike theater which Brenda and I attended. Lunch was provided by Carrabba's and there were numerous vendors and displays set up around the lobby to catch our interest. Oh, and ice cream samples from Peterbrooke!!! Brenda and I enjoyed the movie, "Eat, Pray, Love", once I got passed the Eastern religion stuff, and just watched. When that was over, I took Brenda home and then went to my house to pack for my overnight trip to St. Augustine. Suzanne played with the Chamber Orchestra at Trinity Episcopal Church Friday night, and did very well. The place was full, and the audience even joined in singing "Happy Birthday" to both Suzanne and the trumpet players 88 year-old mom!

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From the concert I drove on down the road to Palm Coast and found my motel easily. After adjusting to the racket of staying at a discount place, I managed to get a few hour's rest before meeting Marian and Biff for breakfast at Perkin's. That is a treat for me, usually enjoyed only when I go to Manitowoc. From the restaurant and a quick stop at Publix, Marian, Biff, and I went to their daughter's home. Christina is not feeling well but managed to serve as an excellent hostess. Maya liked her birthday presents and we spent some time in their brand, new pool before heading for home again.

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Suzanne's birthday party (party, party, party!) was that late afternoon and evening, with a low-country boil and Boston butt. Talk about yum!!! The Hoyer's were at Suzanne's and we had to laugh when Anne expressed her amazement at the very long hike it was to get there! Probably at least an hour from their house to Suzanne's at Lake Asbury! Jim B. came over, as he lives in the same neighborhood, Jayne and David, and the Pate's, plus others of their family and neighbors. It was a great time! Suzanne walked me to my car and we talked for a bit longer before I said good-bye. The last thing she said was to watch out for deer-----sure enough, if I did not have to stand up on my brakes, sending everything from the back of my car flying, to avoid a deer standing in the road! I am so glad she warned me because I might not have been attentive and seen the deer standing there! I called to tell her about the close call, unreal!

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After a wonderful night's sleep in my own bed, I was up early running posters and invitations for an event coming up next month. Judy C. wanted 'save the date' notices put up for a Mystery Dinner taking place when Lynn and Linda are here next month. Done! Plus one for the congregation in Keystone Heights. Off to Bible study and worship, with several folks noticeably absent. Judy said that she is telling John and Suzanne no more parties on Saturday nights!!!

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Emily and I had communion set-up this weekend and she took care of that on Saturday. It was my job to clean everything up afterward so I got busy washing things in the kitchen. Emily helped put away the stuff in the church and came into the kitchen where little Sarah was helping wash the individual glasses by dropping them into the soapy water. Such a help!!! I excused Emily since she'd done much already, as I was prepared to do the clean-up. Judy came in and asked me to lunch, but I refused due to my kitchen duties. She said they would wait and even grabbed a towel to pitch in! Great! We went to Sam's St. Johns Seafood again, as we did last week. Believe it or not, I just love their fried pollack. It was nice of Judy to help out and to be willing to wait for me in the first place.

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After lunch, I came home and got immediately ready for the pool. It was over cast but plenty warm outside so I knew I would be okay out there. Oh, I forgot to mention that during church, I got a text message from Maggie reporting that it was a bright, beautiful day but no one was at the pool yet, and it appeared the cabana wasn't open. "What gives?", she wanted to know. Obviously I did not answer her and turned the phone off to avoid any more 'message' announcements. Oops! So, I paddled around in the water and ta da!, the sun came out! So did Maggie and later, Gus, who bought a round for the house, or for the pool, as the case might be. He brought down a mess of CDs for Danny to play while we splashed around. Later Ellen came out and Penny walked over from her townhouse and we had ourselves a wonderful, restful time. Until it started to thunder!!

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The thunder was all talk but was enough to make us come out of the water, not big risk takers we. Just before Danny closed the cabana, he made my dinner for me to take upstairs. When I got back to my condo, I called Sharon S., (she'd left me a message earlier) to let her know I was in from the pool, so I could come over. We had been trying to get together for some time and the 'stars aligned' properly this afternoon to make that happen. She has some difficulties in her life so it was good for us to talk. She has a lovely view of the river from her place, just a bit south of my building, but yet on the property. Her patio is open so the breezes were delightful, with the rain holding off until just moments before I was leaving. Sharon's place is on the second floor so I did some stairs after doing my pool laps! Wow! That's alot of stuff for a weekend, wouldn't you say?

"Are you leaving yet?"

I guess I wore out my welcome, as far as Maya was concerned anyway. Her question made me roar with laughter, perhaps not her mom who was appalled by the question, but the other adults found it amusing. Before I got to my niece, Tina's, house this a.m. after having breakfast with Marian and Biff, Maya was making those on the home front nutso with her regular questioning about when was I getting there and was I going to go swimming with her, and so on. Now that I was there, she changed her tune! She is such a bright little girl and wanted to be the center of attention, not having her mom converse with Marian, me, or her mom-in-law, Joan. I had to laugh, though, and say that this type of thing happens often to me, people asking me 'are you leaving yet"???

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Little Rayna is just adorable and napped part of the time I was there visiting. She is a bit slow with her speech development but folks come to the girl's day care to work with her, to help her catch up. Rayna, who was two on New Year's Eve, suffered with ear troubles until this past spring when she had tubes put in to remove the excess fluid from her ears, so soon talking should get underway. One must be careful what they wish for....But she is so pretty and has a wonderful smile complete with twinkly eyes. Tomorrow is Maya's actual 4th birthday and the rest of the party will take place but I was glad to be able to spend this time today and get to see Marian and Biff for awhile. Marian and Biff were both lying down when I finally DID leave but I got say 'good-bye' to Marian. While she is now able to walk without benefit of her cane, she still has back and hip troubles which prevent her from enjoying much activity. Not even the pool was fun for her because she was afraid of getting in too deep, despite having hold of flotation devices and getting dizzy if the water moved too much. Joan, the other grandma, is 76 and enjoyed the pool, aside from needing assistance getting in and out of the pool, which had no railing. She still works 5 days a week in a school library and I give her lots of credit for doing that!

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Maya enjoyed her birthday presents which consisted of butterfly wings to wear on her back, plus fancy ballet slippers complete with matching bracelet. The slippers were a bit large right now, did not come according to sizes, but the wings and bracelet were perfect. She was unsure about the Play Doh thing which was actually an extruder but once someone can sit down and show her how it works, she will have a blast! I hope....Gabe and Manny sure entertain themselves well with Play Doh and I am sure Maya will, too!

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Last night I stayed in a motel in Palm Coast after Suzanne's concert in St. Augustine. Being more accustomed to staying in a hotel vs. motel, it was tough getting used to commotion going on outside, car doors and room doors banging, people laughing and getting settled in for the night, etc. Eventually I did fall asleep in the very comfy bed and woke up around 7:15 or so, before my alarm went off. Without the sun beaming through the windows, it was hard to tell what time it was!

A photo taken with my phone at the concert last night

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Suzanne's concert was fabulous, very well done and very well attended. The audience even sang happy birthday to her, accompanied by the 25 piece orchestra. Her children were extremely well behaved in spite of the hour and the venue, and likely slept all the way home! Besides John, Judy, and her kids, the only other person who came besides me was Rachel, from Victory. That was so nice of her, and I thanked her for making the effort. She went up front following the concert to check out the pipe organ which serves Trinity Episcopal. Awesome! Today is Suzanne's birthday party so in an hour or so, I will be heading to Lake Asbury to join the fun at her low country boil and bbq! Whoo hoo!!!