I'm back

 I haven't been posting anything lately...just haven't had much excitement around here.......and I just couldn't seem to get motivated ....and decided not to bore you with any more rants...hahha Life has been moving along as usual. Work is steady for John...some fishing but not quite as much. Glad football is back in season; it gives us something to watch a few days a week! Fall is definitely in the air...even if it's just a hint. This morning was so nice. A little bit of a cool breeze from the north. It got hot as the day progressed, but at least for an hour or two...it felt nice. I took a bike ride...ventured down to Karen's favorite spot down by the river.

 Sat on the swing and just enjoyed the nice view and the fresh air. A few dolphins were swimming around out in the river.

No one else was around...except a guy trimming palm fronds at the church....So the swing was all mine! I love this time of year...but it doesn't always like me. Lots of early morning headaches. I try to refrain from taking anything...until I get up and get going. Usually a cup of coffee or two and just getting UP does the trick. I wake up around 4am...I'm fine...but my sinuses don't seem to like the last hour or two (more like 3) that I want to stay in bed! Oh well...for a day like today it's worth it. And once I got up, got going and then took a bike ride today...I was fine. When that doesn't work Excedrin does wonders. When it was off the market for a while...I was really anxious for it to come back. Had my two bottles that I did NOT turn in...and hoarded them! hahah Since my migraine medicine  costs $50.00 a pill...till I switch back to Imitrex...I'll take one Excedrin...maybe two...and nine times out of ten it does the trick.. Sometimes I do seem to get the kind  of headache that just won't go away...a 2-3 day thing. It doesn't knock me out...but it's just there...lurking in the background. (usually when a front is coming through.) Anyway.... today was a good day.
Beautiful all day...and then a nice evening too. John and I went to the Chart House...missed Happy Hour by 10 minutes...but managed to find some tasty options anyway. We had a couple of appetizers and I ordered Chicken Romano. It was great! After dinner John took me to see
 Special EFX a "Smooth" Jazz group performing at the Henegar Center. Tickets were reasonable...and some good seats were still available when we made our last minute plans.


Speaking of plans...we had all sorts of different plans this weekend...since for whatever  crazy schedule reason I ended up with Friday,Sat-Sun-Mon off. Every so often it works out that way...and I always feel like I should actually DO something...but so far my attempts to find someone who wants to go to Disney World have failed...haha. I have been dying to go...it's not as hot or as busy this time of year. Eventually I'll get there! (Megan I need you! hahaha)
Another option was to go down to The Keys...to Islamorada (sp?)..(not Islamabad like spell check wants me to change it to...haha) John did work for a friend and the house is done now. Part of the arrangement was that John could use the place a couple of times. He has been wanting to show me the place...more "Old Florida Keys"...versus the tacky (as far as I was concerned) Keys we visited last time we went. I did not really like Key West...just wanted to get out of there. A job he was working on this past week had a few hitches...and he wasn't able to finish up as quickly as he's hoped....so we decided to try another time.
Since my Disney plans didn't work out...and the Keys didn't come through...John was feeling badly...even though I tried to tell him not to worry about it...he just wanted to have A plan...so...came up with dinner and the concert. That was nice...I appreciated that.  For whatever reason I was a little out of sorts the last day or two...no particular reason...just feeling a little off. The bike ride helped and then a nice evening too...both helped.
I had a good day yesterday...nice group for Story time...this year I have been having  consistent numbers...unlike last year when I was wondering if I was going to get to keep having the program...because it seemed like hardly anyone was coming! This fall I've had lots of new kids and moms/dads/grandmas/babysitters. Some are little ones that have moved up from Dianne's Toddler Time...others just friends of friends...etc. The group is a little younger than I've had...but that's okay...just have to keep things moving. I have a few that have trouble sitting still...and it's a challenge when they get together...but yesterday...everyone was good! The one little girl who likes to get up and run around...didn't have anyone else that she could get interested...so she settled down too.  Everyone was interested and participating in the stories. If I asked a question...they all answered...and they were really cute! It was fun..
.So...again...don't know why I was a little off today....oh well...some days are like that. For the rest of the weekend I will watch the Gators tomorrow...we should be able to beat Tennessee.(I hope! haha). and then......who knows. John has plans to take me fishing Monday with Charlie and Gayle. I am trying to get used to the idea and not get too anxious thinking about it...because I think once I get out in the ocean I will enjoy it...I just can't think about that boat out i n all that water...with no land in sight...because that kind of makes me nervous!   We shall see.......:}

Birthday party surprise

Linda and John saying "SURPRISE!"

Last Sunday we went over to Orlando for our friend Karen's surprise birthday party.

she really had no idea anything was up...she thought her son Eric had made plans for Karen, Al and her mother to meet him for lunch.

Karen and her sister Linda have been helping their mother take care of their sister Laura for the last year and a half.

Her son decided after all she had been through......first helping with care of Laura...then negotiating with care givers, doctors, lawyers, social workers etc...to find a place that could take care of her when the job got to be too much for the family. Anyone who has been through this with a family member...knows the whole process can be exhausting. You get one person to do what they need to do (fill out forms, etc) then you have to make sure everyone else is also doing their part. They went back and forth with the social worker...and finally had to get a lawyer to help. It took months...all the while they were doing their best to take care of Laura. Finally in April (?) if I remember correctly, they managed to get all the pieces in place and they got Laura into a facility. It happens to be only 15 minutes from Karen's home in Casselberry...so it all worked out well.  After all of this...her son Eric decided he wanted to do something special for her.

Linda, Lisa, Linda,Karen, Anne and Jane- friends from over the last 4o some years.

Karen and the boys

He sent out a notice to family and friends...inviting us to come and surprise her. He had a cookout planned....and of course it had to include her favorite chocolate cake! (Linda made it...it was good!) As you can see there were actually several cakes...NO Problem!...hahah the more the better.
John and I rode over with Lisa...which was nice. we got to catch up on the way over and back...and with Lisa's GPS and John in charge of reading the directions...we only made one or two wrong turns... ;)
 It was a nice day...and a good surprise for Karen.

Time to catch up

 It's been a week or two since I wrote anything...and I can't figure out what's been keeping me "busy"...but I figured I'd just catch up a bit.

 Nothing too exciting going on. Brenna and Haze came for a visit. Mel High had their 10 year reunion...and the visit happened to be the same weekend as the reunion. Brenna and her friend Amy didn't actually attend the planned events...but ran into some people downtown. Sometimes that's all you have to do...just go where the party is taking place...you're bound to see someone!

love Queen Anne's Lace

 Once again here's some pictures from our afternoon in Thornville, Ohio.  We were all acting kind of lazy the day after Ian and Tara's wedding...but my brother kept sending us messages telling us we were missing out. There was a place on the lake...that had a great band playing. We ignored the first

 few texts...but they just kept coming...and he finally convinced everyone to get going and join them at Papa Boo's.

 We got the whole gang together... Martha, Tony, Ian,Liz, Jon, Ryan, Meredith, Megan, Brenna, Rob, Shane, John, and I and decided it was a nice afternoon...sunset on the lake might not be such a bad idea.

 We made sure we had a table to sit at when we got there...didn't want to get there and have to hover around

 and we walked in when "Tainted Love" was being played by the band. (Filthy Habits). Okay...we were off to a good start.

 We sat kind of close to the stage...but not directly in front of the speakers...so it was loud...but not terrible. And...I liked the music. I recognized almost every song....most are on my I-pod somewhere.

 I guess you could compare it to  Lou's Blues.....a local spot in Indialantic. Lots of motorcycles...lots of tattoos, lots of smokers...but we were outside...so the smoke was not too bad. And...everyone was friendly and having a good time. We all managed to fit right in with the locals.

No Sleep Till Brooklyn!

first nice afternoon in a while apparently...so the place was packed...that and the fact the the band was really good. Put on a fun show.

It was a great evening on the last day of our trip. I don't know what I expected Ohio to be like...I didn't really have any expectations...but it was interesting. And they definitely...seem to like the same music as I do...because the band, the DJ and the radio all seemed to have a lot of songs that I liked on their play lists. That was NICE! And now...back to Indialantic.....things have been pretty quiet since we got back. John's been out fishing a couple of times. So has everyone else who likes to fish...because people have been catching tuna lately.

                          Like this 90 pounder caught by Ron and friends a couple of weeks ago. When you have this much fresh tuna...you need to get some people together to eat it all!

                               Ron has some friends who transformed the fish above into this

All that sushi just waiting to be eaten!   And we did...a friend had everyone over for some fresh fish...we had sushi, seared, a delicious lobster avocado and pasta salad,  etc. It was all good!

                                                            And when we were done.....

Can you tell there's nothing going on?

 When the big excietment of my day is the nice sunset...well...that's just the way it is.

 I have been thinking about maybe signing up for a photography class.....I would love to actually capture what I really want to.

 We finally got some rain today...never thought I'd long for rain...but it's been really hot and dry this past week or two. The grass was looking thirsty...even after getting watered twice a week. We had thought about taking an evening walk...but when I took Kiena out for her walk...I spotted these clouds to the west.

 North of us apparently got drenched...we only got a little bit of rain here. Then came the pinkish glow...so I went out looking for the rainbow I knew would be there.

 It was a full rainbow

 Then it was back to the front yard to see the sunset...I knew it would be a good one.

It was...I enjoyed watching the sky as it changed with the sinking sun. The end of another pretty good ...if uneventful...day.

Magical Mondays and Terrific Tuesday

 Wispy clouds on Monday made me think of a co-worker who always arrives Monday mornings and says "It's Magical Monday".

Whether or not the day turned out to be magical...well...I don't know...but it wasn't bad.

 

And speaking of co-workers...we had a surprise party for Sue and Dianne today; both of whom have new grandchildren. I found a set of baby shower plates, napkins, etc...with a Dr. Seuss theme. Perfect for librarians don't you think? We kept it pretty simple...because we didn't have too much time. We open at noon on Tuesdays...so we had about 45 minutes from start to finish.

 The decorations were cute and colorful.. we had coffee, cake and juice...but I had to get some colored goldfish crackers to go along with the theme.

 and I put my fish bowls  (that happen to have red, blue, green and yellow fish swimming around the rim)to use... by filling them with blue and pink candies. (those Cookies and Creme Kisses...were really good. White chocolate with crunchy cookie bits...YUM!)

This cake almost qualifies for a Cake wreck entry...those balloons look a little like sperm...don't you think?

Well...back to the party...both ladies got some nice gifts for their grandchildren. Dianne planned to re-wrap everything so her daughter-in-law could open them tonight. The little outfits she got were so cute...especially a dinosaur print little suit with matching bib and dino feet socks. Also some little  plaid shorts and matching top in orange , yellow and green. (Actually everything was really cute...little, tigers, frogs, trucks and monkeys!) Sue got some sweet little girl things for her granddaughter... my favorite...I think the leggings with little tutu attached, plenty of pink and ruffled clothes..."Gram" will enjoy taking her out in.
It was nice...neither of them had any idea we were planning this...and I think they were both surprised and touched by all the gifts.
As for me....I had fun getting decorations together...and best of all Cake from Publix....tasty even if it wasn't the greatest looking thing.