Easter weekend

We really didn't have any plans for this weekend...other than going to Sunrise Service on Easter. But...things happen and two last minute invitations came along and made for a fun weekend. Saturday night we ended up joining the Lawson's for dinner at Meg O'Malleys.
Jordan's birthday is next week...and they were celebrating early. Since John is her Godfather...we always try to remember her birthday in some way...and enjoyed having dinner with her.
Then we got up at 5:30am to get ready for the sunrise mass. No mass in Melbourne Beach this year...so we headed up to Canova Beach for Holy Name's mass.
From the road you might be fooled into thinking there weren't that many people in attendance...but if you happened to take a peek down at the beach there were thousands of people. This picture is a little blurry (I didn't take it...hahaa)but there were people sitting from the edge of the water all the way to the dune line.. up and down from Canova Beach Park.(...some of the people near the water got wet as the tide started coming in.)
Yesterday we got a call from Maureen Hogg...her daughter Elaine and Mrs. Fiore decided we needed to revive the Easter morning after mass brunch. For years the Spino family hosted it...until health issues interfered. Last year was the first time there was NO brunch...this year it was just like old times, only at the Hogg's. Good food, good friends and just like one big happy family.This is one of the few pictures I took...of Beth Spino and John. I didn't take too many photos I was too busy talking...haha John was getting over a bad cold...so we didn't stay too long...but long enough to sneak a look at some of the hidden Easter eggs.

Happy Easter!

Just another quiet afternoon....or not

Last night John, Reid, Chandler and Ron got back after a few days of fishing in the Bahamas. They had a good trip and caught numerous fish. Well...the plan was to clean them today after watching the Gator game.
But the word got out and news travels fast
and before we knew it...here's what the street looked like.( One minute Amy ran to the store for some cooking oil...when she returned...she had to find a place to park.)
And so...our quiet afternoon...turned into a little party. I managed to use up get rid of the last of my Christmas cookies...along with the fish and macaroni and cheese and cole slaw.
Most of the guys brought their own beer...we had plenty of fish and a variety of sauces. John and Chandler cleaned the boat...Ron cleaned the fish, Ben fried it up...and Mike stopped by and seared some of the wahoo until the grill ran out of gas!
We all celebrated the fact the the Gators went out on a winning note, it was a beautiful afternoon that slowly started getting cold...and we all chatted, ate and drank.
I guess this was my Happy New Year!...just a couple of days late. :)

Good bye friend

Margaret Mary "Ra" Popham
February 4, 1948-November 7, 2011

Grieve not....
nor speak of me with tears...
but laugh and talk of me...
as though I were beside you. I loved you so...
"twas Heaven here with you.

That's the saying on Ra's mass card. That along with one of her favorite Irish blessings.
We attended her funeral mass today with her family and friends. I did fine until the bagpiper started playing...........But I know Ra was a woman of great faith and she was not afraid to die. She was at peace, just sad to be leaving sooner than she had hoped. After the mass we gathered for a lovely lunch reception at the Doubletree Inn. (Ra had many a Sunday breakfast there after mass, usually with her granddaughters and our neighbor Pilar.) I'm sure she had all the details spelled out :) The bagpiper and drummer played one last song for Ra...one of her favorites that they always played for her at her St. Patrick's Day party.....and her sisters, nieces, daughter -in-law and several friends got up and danced...it was a perfect celebration of her life. We'll miss her.

Witch Way 5K

So after a crummy week the weekend turned out to be a lot of fun. We decided that the weather was nice and there was a full moon...so why not have a cookout and have some friends over for dinner. We did just that. Made up some Chicken Shish-ka-bobs along with the side dishes and had Mike, Denise and Chris over for a relaxing poolside dinner. (Heather wasn't feeling too great and her visiting friend Pam had already planned to stay home with the kids) so we had a small group but we enjoyed ourselves. and
Saturday evening my friend Diane talked me into walking in the 3RD Annual Witch Way 5K...we had seen her at the Longdoggers Walk/Run... she mentioned it and after thinking about it...I figured why not? John decided to join us. It started at 6pm which was great since it's still warmer than usual here..plus I have more energy at 6pm than 6 am
There were over 600 walkers and runners, a wheelchair or two, a few strollers...skateboards, skates...and a some costumes too. Cracked up when we passed one guy who was smoking a CIGAR! while he walked!
As usual we walked...but I walked faster than some runners...and we beat our last time by 30 seconds or so...only ran the last half block to beat 45 minute mark!
It was fun. We passed some friends who lived along the way...walked through some streets in Indialantic around Orlando Park...nice and green and quiet back there... I forgot how nice it was back that part of the neighborhood.
Afterwards there was a gathering at City Tropics...but we didn't stay there long...too crowded...free drink was hard to get and I didn't want it anyway...so we headed over to where else?????Longdoggers for a bite to eat and a cold drink. We watched football and enjoyed talking to some friends.
Sunday we met some friends at Bunky's to watch the show down between my team...The Steelers and everyone else's team...The Dolphins...as you probably know...the Steelers squeaked by with a win... which I admit was questionable...but I'm not complaining...it was fun! and I felt better!The final cap of my weekend was a much need trip to the Chiropractor and a massage (after work yesterday)...I could feel the stress getting pushed right out of me...it really made me feel better. I slept really well last night!

In the neighborhood

newest neighbor on the block 3 day old Matthew W with Aunt Maggie
on his daddy's
Remarkably calm new mama holding a toy(?) that represents her family name and her sister-in-law, holding Matthew
M was very proud of her costume...pointed out all the features and posed for lots of pictures

after the photos...she asked me..."Who should I go show my costume to now?"

MelHigh 1973-1978 Reunion

Senior pictures...(not the best...they didn't put the one I chose in the yearbook...but that's the way it goes and the photos were kind of dark in the yearbook...but you must admit...David was pretty cute!)
The shack in Gainesville....my Uncle Dave once said "I can only enter this house under cover of darkness" hahahaha
Ellen. Judy and Leonard chatting out back... by our lovely view of the empty lot next door..hahaA Halloween party none of us will ever forget...in case you can't tell...we had FUN.
This past weekend there was a Melbourne High School Reunion. The guy who organized it was smart...he included the classes of 1973-1978. I always thought more than one year should be included, since most people weren't just friends with people in their graduating class. He planned the event to coincide with the August date of Melbourne's downtown "Friday Fest". John was fishing, so I was on my own. Luckily my friend Lisa told me she would go with me...otherwise I don't know if I would've gone...I don't like walking into a bar by myself...never have. Lisa, her husband and I met up at a little after 8pm on Friday night. The get together started at 7pm. Well...we did not see anyone we really knew. Ha...except for people we always see...and we were hoping to see others! well...Lisa and Bill left and I decided to stick it out a bit longer
because I knew my brother David would be there eventually and our friend Charlie and his sister, Debbie were there somewhere. I ventured in and found Charlie (who was having a grand old time...he knew lots of people). I got a glass of wine liquid courage and sat down with Darlene McGee and Debbie and an old friend Lindy Yotti. We had good seats...it was cool and inside for one thing, and we were right in view of anyone coming or going to the bathrooms...so sooner or later most people would be going that way. I spotted another friend (of my brothers) Mike L. and said Hello. He told me David was very excited because a friend he hadn't seen in 30 years was going to be there. Leonard McGill! OH MY GOD! I hadn't seen Leonard either...and then and there decided I was staying at least until I talked to him! Leonard lived up the street on Oak Ridge Drive...so we all went through Jr High and High School together.... As a matter of fact I then got many rides to and from Gainesville (UF) in Leonard's (in)famous van! Our third year he actually was one our roommates (Ellen, Liz and Judy & I) in a ramshackle house downtown near the Public Library. Over the years my kids have heard stories about Leonard...and I told him he was somewhat of a legend around my house. we both laughed about that! It was great to visit with him after all these years. He came with another old friend...Brian Raun. Brian was a classmate, friend and fellow catechism student. (there were several adventures with Brian over the years including a trip to the local biker bar with Brian (who weighed about 98 lbs), our friend Mark McCormick, my friend Karen...who assured me if anything happened...Mark and Brian would "protect" us. HAHA...I probably could take some one on better than them haha) (Luckily no protection was needed and the band who played cover songs of Jimi Hendrix tunes was really good....come to find out that's how the 4 of us wound up there...Brian had a friend in the band...all these years I couldn't remember how that unlikely combination of the 4 of us wound up not only together...but at The Bamboo Lounge!)
Leonard and I posing for a photo...so I could show Ellen, Megan and Brenna..........hahaAlso spotted Kim and Robin (formerly Richards) and Kim's husband in the crowd. I always enjoy them. I believe Kim was David's first "girlfriend" (he was a senior...she was a couple of years younger)and to this day they are still good friends...as are Kim's parents....they come to various Art events, etc...always pleasant...alwys nice to see them.
I talked to several others...Charlie Burklew, Nancy Schultze, Ellen (no Jane) Owens, and was warmly greeted by someone...she threw her arms around me "ANNE!"...for the life of me I couldn't figure out who exactly she was......kept asking questions...trying to get a clue...I think it was Barbara S......not sure she seemed so glad to see me...I didn't have the heart to ask her who she was....which reminds me of the song I heard the next day..."Whatsername" by Green Day. If I was in charge that would be the signature class reunion song....." She went away and I took a different path...I remember the face by I don't recall the name...now I wonder how Whatsername has been. Seems that she disappeared without a trace...did she ever marry old Whatshisface" etc, etc haha That was pretty much how the night went..haha Charlie M said he was talking to one girl for 5 minutes before he realized it was one of his old girlfriends...ha.
Now this post will not be complete with one of the legendary Leonard stories. He had a blue van...( I have no clue the make and model)and it served him well. As time went on the weather and wear and tear took it's toll. On one trip back to Gainesville he and I were driving along when we heard a snap.....we wondered what it was...then I noticed the passenger's side window slowly sinking down into the door...it had rusted out.....I held it for a few minutes...then decided there was no way I was going to continue holding it up for the next 1 1/2 hours...we just zipped up/put our jackets and rode along.(The temperature difference between Indialantic and Gainesville could be 10 degrees in the winter) But the best story was the time Leonard was driving Me, Ellen, Mike Penn and Liz Carty(?) I think... it must've been Thanksgiving...and were were riding along when it started to rain. Well...there was part of the floorboard missing on the passenger side...so water was splashing up on Mike. Next water started coming in in a few spots in the back....which we plugged up...welll the rain got harder and pretty soon it was like we were all in a sinking boat! hahahahahah...there was no stopping the water from coming in...I think the only one who was dry was Leonard! However...we all laughed and we were happy to have a ride (3 hours) home for the weekend. From past experience at class reunions...I have always found that other than the usual people that I always enjoy catching up with...there is at least ONE person who shows up unexpectedly that is worth whatever the cost of the get together was... and this year...that would be Leonard!
*One note...it was HOT and HUMID that night and we were outside...everyone was feeling pretty damp and droopy..I swear I could feel my hair growing flatter by the minute.....so by the time we got around to taking photos....no one's hair looked too great!...but luckily...I really wasn't out to impress anyone....so it didn't matter! haha

Continued from Sunday

Okay...after spending WAY more time than necessary...I think I finally have the pictures to go with the big wahoo story. The computer is acting up...it's almost like it has had a stroke....or what I assume a brain is like after a stroke...or trauma...it gets the message...but doesn't necessarily interpret it / or respond to it correctly or...something like that. It took not 1, not 2, but 3 tries to get the pictures downloaded to the RIGHT place...so I could then upload them to the blog....ahhhh the things we do for....???????? self satisfaction? so in no real order... here's my brother Paul and friend Pete who both stopped by for a bite after work.
out and in the pool

Hey! what happened to the couch??????? it was recently spotted up in Huntsville, Al...hahaha

Pat, Chris and Chuck rolling up the sushi
the source of the sushi... pretty big fish...isn't it? 47 lbs
in the kitchen...setting things up


A good time was had by all!

Another big fish = lots of fresh sushi

So....the camera has the pictures...but I can't get them downloaded onto the computer....so just the story for now. Yesterday...Ron went offshore with Reid and Chandler. John opted to go golfing instead. Ron called about 12 noon to let John know they had caught a BIG wahoo...47pounder to be exact! After that call...John proceeded to get on the phone and call everyone to come over for an afternoon cookout. The key people...Chris DeVries and Chuck Tanner...because they had the necessary equipment to roll up some fresh sushi....both were available and willing to come over and work and EAT! Amy and her sister Lynn, along with her family came...they brought a Golf Ball Toss game and a delicious Strawberry Walnut Salad.(I originally gave them the recipe...it's good. I actually got it from my sister Elizabeth). Anthony and his friend Stephanie came with a big pan of hot spinach dip with pumpernickel bread and tortilla chips(yum) and the fixings for a batch of "Poki"
a sushi appetizer....with too many things in it to mention here. It was good. I had cookies (of course!) and made a big fruit salad...because you can't go wrong with fruit salad. Then we had the sushi rolls.....fresh wahoo (hours old) with avocado, red pepper, cucumber, seaweed wrap...etc...and plenty of dipping sauces. As fast as Chris and Chuck (and Pat) rolled...we all ate! haha John also seared some on the grill....and before long...that 47 pd fish was disappearing! (We did bag some up)
We played the golf ball toss game....we swam in the pool...(that felt like a bit like a lukewarm bath)...(.but still refreshing.)..we talked, ate and drank....all 31 of us! We listened to music...and eventually had a Dance -off...with the Wii game. Courtney was the undefeated champion! We all got a work out trying to beat her!
Stephanie was the only one who came close....she beat the rest of us...but couldn't beat Courtney! I figure it's because she has been to the "Mike Roy School of Dance"...haha...I told that to Mike (her dad) his reply??? "Damn right! haha" Plus she's been listening to and watching the rest of us dance to that music since she was about 2! I guess Julia and Ellie will be the future champions...we are training them now...hahah!
So far this season the guys aren't catching nearly as many fish as they did last year...especially the Yellow Fin Tuna...but in the last two weeks...they got the 58 pd mahi, the 47 pd wahoo and Ron and some friends had a second place 37 (?) pd tuna...so we have been eating pretty well!

Friends celebrating

I mentioned Megan was home for the weekend to attend a friend's wedding. She has been friends with Chelsea since elementary school...and she enjoyed getting together with some of the girls she's been friends with since about 2nd grade. Like...Erika here with Megan and John on a trip to Fort Wilderness
or when Allison, Megan and Chelsea(?)(and Peyton) were in a group chosen to be part of the "World's Largest Chorus" or something like that over at EPCOT. ( Allison 3rd from left and Megan on bottom right)
or at Megan's (American Girl) 50's Bowling Birthday party.
Allison and Megan at one of our back yard "carnival" parties.
A.,A.,A.,C.,G.,L.& Megan at 6th grade graduation doesn't seem that long ago!
and the now college graduates...Allison in Pharmacy program at UF, Erika just graduated from Clemson University..(with a degree in Recreation...just like me:)!) off to Honduras to work on a Divemasters (?) program and Megan ( currently one semester away from getting her Masters at George Mason University) all enjoying a little break between school and work and real life! hahha
A., Chelsea, Megan and Erika

Megan all ready to go. The wedding was in the evening...ouside at the Hilton on the beach. Thank goodness all the love bugs had temporarily moved out...because Chelsea's mom was a nervous wreck wondering if her daughter was going to walk down the aisle in a swarm of love bugs!...Happy to report they were all gone for the time being...Megan really enjoyed seeing all her old friends again...during college their breaks didn't always fall at the same time....or one was here one was there...etc....so this was the first time in 2-4 years that she was together with the girls. They all are happy and looking forward to what's next...enjoying the summer/weeks off before reality sets in...haha I enjoyed seeing them all too!