And a thank you. . . .

It's always good to know that people are reading my blog.  Sometimes I don't get much feed back.

 Three times in as many days, people have mentioned it.

* My good friend Marcia always writes when she's worried about me.  "Haven't heard from you lately. You haven't posted lately "  (She means, I hope, I hope you're okay.)

 *Epril and Bill came today, and Epril said her mother wants to say hi.  She reads my blog all the time in the Philippines.  Yes.  I haven't written in three weeks.

*Saw Edna and Mike on Monday for lunch - Edna said - Mike likes to read what I've written  about Gracie. 

So - there you are - three people, three different circumstances.  Thank you! Thank you!  I appreciate your concern and enjoy your comments about my writings.

Speaking of my writing: I don't consider myself a good writer.  I've been trying to figure out what's wrong with it.  It's my general  way with words,  and I realize that I'm handicapped in that - I was in elementary school for so long, my vocabulary just hasn't increased enough to make my vocabulary get better.   I suppose that's what happens to elementary school teachers. 

I can remember when Bob, his wife, Sue, mom and I went to Key West one vacation and we were seated near a group of older women at a restaurant.  Bob said - listen - they're elementary school teachers.  Listen how they talk.  It's true.  You could tell.  They talked slowly and concisely. 

 Of course, when I was growing up,  girls were either a nurse, a secretary, or a teacher.  It's hard for people to realize nowadays that  not much was available to us. And  retired teachers flock together.  You can pick out the kindergarten, first grade teachers  especially.  I taught Kindergarten for seven years.  Then I taught remedial reading. Stunted vocab.

I especially envy my son Bill's  and my daughter Nancy's vocabulary and ability to write.  I suppose if I'd gotten out of elementary school, in my 29 year career,  my writing would have been better. My grandfather on my mother's side was a writer. 

Before I forget - Yep.  We're in Florida now.  We left on Monday, had lunch with Edna and Mike.  BTW Edna - still want that recipe for the sweet n sour ham you had.  It was delicious! Monday - 400 miles.  Tuesday we did 500 miles.  Wednesday we did 400+.  I don't know why but we both found the trip tiring this time.  Are we getting older?  Nah.  I'm sure I can find another reason for it! If I try hard enuf. 

It doesn't seem possible that it's Saturday.  My grandson Vincent and his dad, Dan, are at the World Series in St. Louis .  Can you imagine what that must be like for a seven year old???  Wow.  And his dad to be sharing it with him.  Way to go, Dan.  The whole family is in St. Louis for Dan's birthday, and the Cardinals, whom Dan's whole family adore very conveniently are in the World Series.  We're rooting for the Cardinals of course. 

So - we enjoyed seeing Bill and Epril this afternoon for a short time before they went on to Tampa and Busch Gardens' Halloween spectacular. It'll be really scary, and Epril will enjoy it all, while saying she's scared.  We saw an advertisement on the tv for it tonight.  Should be good, Epril!  They were meeting several friends and staying overnight with some friends.   They're coming back here on their way home tomorrow for a steak dinner.  That'll be nice. 

Speaking of dinner, Paul had his birthday dinner (yesterday) at Outback.  Uncle Bob, his son Paul joined us.  A nice time. We had shrimp cocktail here at the house with cocktails. The food was delicious at the Outback, but we ate too much. We were too stuffed to have birthday cake, so we're saving it for tomorrow when Bill and Epril are here.  . 

Bob went to Disneyworld today.  He'll be gone til Tuesday.  He's meeting his daughter, Christine and his grandchildren Susan and Tommy there and he'll be "watching" the kids while Christine goes to a conference.  He won't be babysitting them because they're too old, but they'll be watched out for.

So - he left Martini home with Paul.  Paul was working today, so Bob called and asked me if I could let Martini out.  Of course.  And I brought her back here with us.  Interesting that Gracie was quite jealous when I was outside with Martini.  Paul said she put up quite a racket.  Can't put anything over on her.  You can see quite well from the windows in our lanaii.  Even  little dogs can.

 Martini wasn't too happy being here.  She wanted to go home, but it gave her some change from being alone.  And Bill and Epril arrived and took her mind off of missing Bob. Before they came, I noticed when I sat in the lanaii (to keep her company) she lay down near me.  And when I said Good dog, she wagged her tail.   Of course Gracie thought I was speaking to her. She was in the other room watching tv with Paul.   I didn't mention anyone's name.  If the shoe fits. . .

Did I mention that Gracie watches tv?  She does.  If an animal is on, her head comes up, and she is definitely entranced by it.  She also barks at the TV doorbell or a knock on the TV door.   Since her head is always facing the tv, she watches more than we realize.  I expect her to begin carrying on a conversation any time now.  Her vocabulary is increasing. . . . even though mine is not.

Supper tonight wasn't what I'd planned.  Because - I only had frozen vegetables in the freezer from the Year One.  We'd been to the store several times, but I never remembered that one part of dinner.  No fresh ones also obviously.  We went out to Bob Evans and had a dinner loaded with carbs, calories and whatever else comes to mind when you have comfort food. (turkey dinner. . . me.  meatloaf .. . Paul.) Not good.   Tomorrow after church we're going to get a ton of veggies to have on hand. 

The weather has been beautiful since we got here.  Really.  Everyone has said we brought the good weather.  It's been mid 70's, no humidity, and sunny.  I'm glad it's continuing to be good for Epril and Bill up in Tampa. 

My sister-in-law, Carole, (my previous one, but I consider her still to be one) a widow, moved from the house she raised her kids in.   A lot of deja vue moments.  I remember it clearly.  Not easy, but she has a great new place to go to. Not sure if she reads this, but "Good luck, Carole. What great experiences you have to look forward to!"  Look at me!  Who would have thunk it? Love that word.

What else is new?  Can't think of much more right now. 

So - what's happenin' in your neck o' the woods?

So many thoughts and so much preparation

The weeks are going by very fast.  - it must've been more than one week since I've written.  Apparently not.  I don't know about you, but it seems impossible that it's not August any more.

 September just flew by.  Now it's going towards the middle of October.  The weather says it all:  The temps going down.  Sunday - 80.  Today - mid 40's  but warming up to 64.  Sunny all day long.    Paul was outside a while ago with hat, coat and gloves on - continuing getting the place ready for winter, and our trip to the Southlands.

  He's taking a breather right now, perusing his computer. He keeps accurate records each year.  It surprises me as he reads them aloud: we're six days earlier getting the "animals and the elves in".  The porch furniture - the 16th.  The year before that,  the 19th. The hottub last year - on the 17th.   We're getting earlier each year.   Paul glanced out the window -  "There's a robin out there.  He's supposed to be headin' south."  Like us.  Soon.  We still have things to do, people to see, places to go.  Food to eat.  (tryin' to clean out the freezer)

 We have scarecrows and a electric-lit jack-o-lantern on the porch.  (And Paul's put up candles in the windows.  For Christmas. Or for anytime at all.  True.)

Getting this house "ready" for Christmas.  Yes!

 We're coming back for three weeks this year because Nancy and family, Brenda and family will be headin' "East." to us.  Brenda, Eric and Emma's exchange student Lena will be coming from Germany. And of course, Greg and family will be traveling up from Gainesville. 

 It's all very exciting, but needs lots of preparation on our part - waaaay ahead of time.

 We have our airline tickets all set, which means one for Gracie too.  She'll need to have medication which she has  to try ahead of time. This time our trip to the airport takes only an hour.  We leave from St. Petersburg.  To Elmira - which is 15 minutes from our house here.  Nonstop.  Fantastic!

Gifts:

 I'm thinking of ordering gifts on-line to be delivered to my next door neighbor. I can pick them up when I get home.  I haven't talked to her yet, so it's still in the "thinking stage."

 Last year I sent packages to Nancy's in-laws because she was spending the holidays there.  Unfortunately, I didn't have them wrapped.  It's  expensive.   I combined  gifts for both grandchildren  in shipping boxes.  They had to be opened, wrapped, tagged, and poor Nancy was stuck on Christmas Eve.  I really hadn't thought that through very well.  It should have been One box, One child.

I use Amazon Prime, a service on Amazon.com, and a lot of shipping is free.  I use it all year long.  It's fun,  it's easy, and costs the same as going to the store. Or less - thinking of gas. Plus -  I do a lot of window-shopping, or is it monitor-shopping?  Black Monday, after Thanksgiving, is wonderful!

So - that's what's happenin' in our neck o' the woods?  What's happenin' in yours?

Every once in a while I go past a church that has  messages out front on a sign.    Two. . .

                                                 Aspire to Inspire
                                                Before you Expire


                                                 A family Altar
                                                 Alters a family

This time  I looked, they were advertising some person coming to preach.  I'm waiting for them to put up some more quotable ones

We're in the midst of Indian Summer.  It's just absolutely beautiful around here.  The leaves haven't changed completely or even half-way, but it is beautiful.  And it portends to more.  Paul is enjoying mowing the lawn.  He said he finds it very relaxing.  He's out there on his tractor pulling a huge branch down the bank.  He said he chopped down two trees.

We had Lue here for her birthday last week and invited Sharon and her family for cake and ice cream later.  Ida had soccer practice until 6:15, so they came at 7.   Ida is now taller than me, and she's in the fourth grade, or is it the fifth grade?  Now, only Vincent, Evie and Walter are shorter than me.   Older people get shorter with age.  I'm old. I'm now 4'11 and 3/4ths. Or is it 1/4th?  I prefer the first number.   Life really is short, but I don't like being short too.  

We have doctors' appointments all week long - our checkups before we go to Florida and get our checkups there.  There doesn't seem to be a redundancy, since Paul has his dermatologist in Fla.  We both have a GP down there too.  Perhaps that's double, but needed.  I had my pulmonologist in Corning today, and went by myself.  (Paul had things to do around here and he really wasn't needed to tell the doctor I'm fine, and hear  the doctor say - "You're fine.  See you next year."  Which is what happened.  My next appointment is October 2014. 

I always enjoy going to Corning.  That's where I taught for so many years and have such happy memories.  I always meet people I know in Wegman's Grocery Store. I saw two people from Corning and one from Bath. 

An acquaintance came up to me and was brave enough to say - I know you, but I don't remember your name.  We've all tried to fake it when we see someone  we're supposed to know, and it comes off lame.  Why lie.  Just tell the truth.  Like she did. It's worth the try.  I ended up getting little things from Wegman's  and from the Corning Outlet Store.  It was such a nice day.  The hills are starting to color up.  It's a 25 mile trip. 

Saturday, we took Gracie went to the Windmill, the Amish Trade Fair, situated out in the country up near Penn Yan, near Keuka Lake.  Beautiful spot.  They're open every Saturday until December 8th.  The weather was beautiful.  Paul and I decided there were about 5,000 people.  Give or take a couple of 100.  It's a spot you can bring your leashed dog.  And there were many different breeds.  Such beautiful dogs - big and small.  Paul had to hold Gracie when we went into some buildings.  Too many people.  Too close quarters.

We've gone there before, but this was the first time that about one out of four people knew she was a Papillon.  Interesting. Or stated they knew what she was . . .she was a Papillon.  We even met a person who had to stop and tell us that she had had a Papillon who lived for 9 years.  He was the runt of the litter, and only weighted 2+ pounds. She had tears in her eyes as she spoke of him.   Someone else's parents, who lived in Pennsylvania,  raised Papillons.  Before, everyone would ask - what kind of dog is she?  Is she full grown?  Is she a long-haired Chihuahua?  Will she grow into her ears

My favorite and closest ice cream stand closed for the season this past weekend.  We stopped on our way back with Gracie.  Last year I was able to purchase ice cream from them to put in our freezer, but this year they didn't have any extras to sell.  Good for them.  Not for me.  Good thing we're leaving for Florida where I have several favorites. Not too far away.

Cousin Alice is just back in Venice from visiting her son, Rick and his family in Vermont.  Bob picked her up at the airport today.  He's back from visiting his son, Jon, who moved from Sarasota to Alpharetta, Ga. this summer.  Bob stayed several weeks with Jon and his family. 

So - how're things goin' in your neck o' the woods?