It's been great down here weatherwise.  I hate to tell you people in the Northeast that, after all you've been through.  It's not been easy for you.  Paul got some pictures from his brother Howard and his wife Alice who live in a little beautiful Connecticut town that we visited last October.  Wow.  That's a lot of snow.  I can remember snowstorms like that, and can't say I miss them.  Although Paul wrote he'd kinda like to be out shoveling.  Sorry, my dear, you have to make up for it by watering the flowers. 

We've been doing a lot of shopping via the internet this year.  Paul, Bob and I went down to Best Buy in Port Charlotte on Saturday.  We had a lot of fun windowshopping.  We looked at all kinds of things, phones, Kindles, Kindle equipment, cameras, TV's, movies - (a lot more 3D movies, which we can use upstate NY with our TV set, so we'll enjoy looking up there in the late Spring.)

Let me back up - our DVD player has stopped playing movies.  Paul tried each and every way to get it to play, getting a company representative on the phone,  but to no avail. It said it needed some new updates.  However, they weren't available for our machine.  And it's only two years old!  Grrr.    Plus . . .We never could get captions on streaming videos.  That makes it almost impossible for Paul to enjoy them.   But  guess what we read recently. . . that certain newer machines will do it! Thus our trip to Best Buy where we saw a Home Theatre that included all the things we wanted, got the model number, came home and ordered it.  I can hear he's having fun with the sound. 

That was Saturday.  This is Tuesday.   It's amazing how fast ordering over the internet is. It came today and Paul's been getting it ready. .  Plus it was almost $80 cheaper.  No charge for shipping either.   I don't think there was a tax. 

Friday we went to the outlet mall on the other side of Sarasota.  (About 40 miles away).  We needed new Rockport sneakers and I needed some Corningware casserole dishes.  Got the dishes, but the Rockports we couldn't find in our sizes.  So when we got home we ordered them online.  At least Paul ordered his.  I haven't been able to find mine but I did find a pair I liked, so I'll probably order it too.  I need to study it a bit.

As you know, we've been trying to find a contractor to do the work on our lanaii that we want done: move out the wall to the drip-line (about two feet), raise up the floor so it's the same level as the rest of the house, take out the movable glass walls and put in a regular wall with windows.

  It's been a lot of waiting for initial reviews, written estimates, but we finally found one! He's done a lot of homes here in Circlewood, so he knows the houses, the area and what needs to be done.  He guaranteed (?)(not really) but said it would be completed by April first, (the fifteenth the latest.)  Since he knows houses here, he can probably give us a reliable timeline.  Good! 

He came today, and I signed the papers, and gave him a check to start the process going.  It is so exciting.

 I have mixed feelings, as I can remember my mother on that lanaii enjoying the screened in porch when the sliding wall is moved back.  My parents were very proud of this house when it was built in 1980.  It had all the most modern things.  Including the sunken lanaii.  My mother would sit in her chair and enjoy the cool breeze, or the sun,  with what she called  her "office" which was an old Kamenstein black plastic circular gadget that spun around so that she could get her magnifying glass (her eyesight was very poor)or  scissors, paper clips, her name/address stamp,  or papers, pencils, pens, etc.

 But we have such a nice patio now outside that Paul put in I know we're not going to miss it.  It's great to sit out there and read, or have a drink, or just talk.  And Gracie and Martini can "chase" squirrels, lizards. They never catch them.

Paul and I have been walking Gracie around the circle.  We think it's a mile around, Bob thinks it's seven tenths of a mile. Gotta check that out.  I walked over to see Carol O. yesterday.  She had a friend of ours from Bath visiting - Pam.  Carol's been having lots of visitors, and she's been very busy with them.  Good for her.  She's being a page turner again for me at Showtime this year.  That'll be helpful.   I haven't had her at the first rehearsals but when it gets closer, I'll need her. 

Talked with Nancy today.  She's home full-time since Friday, waiting for the baby.  Vincent and Evie were early.  Her due date is February 19th.  So. . .it could be any time.  I had forgotten it was Lincoln's birthday.  Vincent was off from school.  They were about to go out to the store. So we didn't talk for long.

Bob and Paul went out to lunch yesterday with a group from our church called ROMEO'S  It stands for Retired Old Men Eating Out.  This was the first time for them.  They both said they enjoyed it,  and I think they're planning on going again. It was a small group - only nine.   ROMEO'S meets the second and fourth Mondays of the month at different restaurants around here. 

We had practice this afternoon in the Clubhouse.  The director has it all planned out so that every twenty minutes another group works.  I got there a little early.  I should have checked the schedule a little more.  So I know that next time I can arrive later.  Cousin Carol and Cousin Alice are both in it.

So - as you can see - we've been busy.  Can't wait for the lanaii to get started though.  Should be next week, I would think.  Or perhaps we have to wait for permits.  Forgot about that.  I'm excited. 

Heard from stepdaughter Sharon last week and she said Lee's looking at colleges; it's such an exciting time of life. 

Where has the time gone?  Got an e-mail from Lue wondering when I was writing.  Sorry for not sending this out.  Time flies by here.

It's Valentine's Day - Thursday -  sent out a lot of e-valentines.  Hope you enjoyed them if you got one.   It's begun to rain and we have reservations for dinner at my favorite restaurant. . . . outside.  I guess they'll have to do something about it, or the rain - which we need a lot.  I can't really say negative things about it.   Got some beautiful flowers from Paul, which are in my blue glass vase on the lanaii. 

Got a call from the contractor.  The windows for the lanaii should be delivered on March 9th.  Hooray!

So - what's been going on in your part of the woods? That's what's happenin' in our neck o' the woods