July 31 Hodgepodge - It's Wednesday!

 

 Here are the questions and my answers for this week:

1. Share one way you think the world has changed for the better since you were a kid?  Advances in medical care have changed the world!  I am old(er), so have seen lots of changes, and unfortunately many of them have not been for the good of the world.

2. How 'bout one way it's changed for the worse?  The loss of the ‘traditional’ family unit. There is something to be said for gathering at the table as a family for dinner, and starting with grace. Families are too busy these days, and something very important has been lost to all the hurry and stress.

3. Starlight, starfish, starling, Starbucks...your favorite 'star'?  Well, lately I would have to say that STARchy is my favorite ‘star’ word.  I have been craving pasta, potatoes, and eating way too much bread.  Starchy carbs…..

4. Name a song that's overplayed, but you love it anyway.  I listen to Spotify at work, and there are rarely songs played twice during the day, and in the car I listen to an oldies station that overplays Beatles songs. I have never been a Beatles fan, but do seem to know all the words to most of their songs and catch myself singing along, anyway.

5. When did you last have home made ice cream? Your latest favorite flavor?  We have an electric ice cream machine, but it has been a few months since I bought the heavy cream to make some of that cold, delicious treat.  My favorite flavor of ice cream is just plain old chocolate.  My favorite store-bought delight is a frozen yogurt we get at Publix, called Espresso Chip (as in chocolate chip!). Yum.

6. What do you think is the best way to inspire or motivate people?  Inspire people by your own actions, and motivate them with encouragement.  How you encourage really depends on the person and situation, but most of us just need a little push forward sometimes, from a trusted friend or family member.

7. When was the last time you were without power?  Two months ago, the electric company was installing new somethings in the neighborhood. The  power was out for about three hours.  Back in 2004, when three hurricanes blew through almost back-to-back, we were without power for three days.  We now have a generator in the garage!

8. Insert your own random thought here.  On Monday, I reported that I was “weary”.  I am happy to say that the weariness has gone and I am feeling much better.  I would love, though, to just be able to replace a battery, or plug in somewhere, to recharge my get-up-and-go!! Know what I mean?

 
Wishing everyone a great "hump day"! Downhill to the weekend, now.   Thanks for stopping by!  Peace, love & hugs.

Tuesday Quick Thoughts....

I think I just made up that title, but I'm going with it!!

• The auditors are keeping me busy. Not a bad thing, but hard to get regular work done.
• I have my every-four-weeks facial tonight. It is usually on Thursday nights, but Dawn asked me to switch so someone could be worked in before a vacation (or something). I don't mind at all!
• I am over being weary. Not sure what bug I had yesterday, but I seem to have shaken it off.
• Our friend, Al, who died in March, would have celebrated his 86th birthday this Saturday. We are taking Helen out for dinner to remember his special day (though we are going Friday evening, instead of Saturday).
• The sun is shining for the second day in a row! Have our rains actually stopped? Could we be so lucky?
• Prayers have been answered for my blogging friend, Chuck, and his wife Pat, who got word yesterday that her cancerous tumor is GONE!! Praise God. Makes me happy when we can win the battle! Cancer sucks.
• Speaking of cancer, my brother-in-law got through his radioactive iodine treatment for his thyroid cancer. Been there, done that. More prayers answered!

I really don't have anything else to blab about today. I am blessed with your friendship, and I thank you for stopping by! Have a good evening!  Peace, love & hugs!

I decided that the right word today is weary. I'm not sleepy tired, or suffering from exhaustion....I'm just weary.  Not necessarily a good way to start the week.  

The auditors were in all day, and it is moving along. They are nice people and pleasant to work with, though both are young and new.  The auditor we had last year had been doing it with us for four years, but she moved to Georgia. I did get a Facebook message from her today and we joked about me training the new auditors. That was fun.  The auditor before her also piped in on our little back-and-forth. Fun. 

When I got home from work, we had to go to Sam's Club for Joe's prescription and some food items, then we also went to Publix. I had to get some Hibiclenz to shower with before my surgery on the 14th, plus we prefer getting deli items and fresh produce there.  We got some prepared chicken from the deli, and I made peas and potatoes to go with it when we got home.

Need to go to bed now.  Just weary.  Peace, love & hugs!!

Sunday night...

The weekend is over much too fast (as are most weekend, I guess)!

We had a very nice time with Tristan this weekend.  We tried to talk him into bringing his cat and coming back with us for the rest of the week, but he is happy staying home alone (with his cat).  He is studying for his SATs, got a new bass guitar that he is learning to play, and is just enjoying his time before school starts again. His best friend is on a cruise with his family, so it's been a little lonely, I think. Kathy and Jim get home on Thursday.

We got home around 1:30, and I got the laundry started (yes, it's Sunday and I have to mention laundry).  Put things away, made some dinner and now we are watching a couple more episodes of Midsomer, on Netflix. Love this British series!! Look for it, if you like interesting detective stories...very much like Murder, She Wrote and Columbo. We love it.

The audit starts tomorrow, at work. It always goes well, buy I am always anxious to get it going and even more anxious to have it over.

Wishing you a good week ahead!!  Peace, love & hugs.

Fun with Grandson!

We arrived in Naples, FL, yesterday, around 4:00, as scheduled. Tristan was expecting us, but the painters weren't!  We walked into the condo to find two painters working in the living room! That was a bit of a surprise for all of us! The new house is still a work in progress. Old furniture has been shifted around and/or given away or placed on consignment.  The new house is bigger than the old one, and a totally different configuration - most important...no stairs!!  It will be just beautiful when the decorator and Kathy are finished with it.  The guest room is like a 5-star hotel room, and I think the master suite is nearly as big as our entire house. Marble and granite everywhere. When it is done, I will certainly be getting some photos to share. 

Let's see, we went to Red Lobster for dinner last night. Kathy left a gift card for us to use.  Today, we all slept late (Tristan later than us!!). We went to see RED2 this afternoon, then went out to dinner at a Thai place we had been to before. The food there is delicious!  We all enjoyed it immensely!  Dinner tonight was on us!

In between the movie and dinner, we took a walk over to a Naples landmark.... Tin City.  It is three buildings full of tourist junk and bad restaurants, but we had a good time walking through and looking at everything. It is HOT here, though, and we were happy to get home to air conditioning.

Our visit has been too short. We have to leave in the morning.  Boohoo.  The condo next door is still vacant. Joe said maybe we can win the lotto and buy it. Yes....if only.

Tristan video chats with his mom every day. I had an email from her this morning. They are enjoying their vacation in Italy.

Hoping our drive home is as rain-free as our trip here.  Wishing you all a good Saturday night and Sunday!!  Peace, love & hugs.

Fun Friday!!

Today, I am off from work so we can get some things done this morning, and then head down to Naples, FL, to spend the weekend with our grandson, Tristan.

His mom and step-dad have gone to Italy, to attend a wedding. (I know - must be nice!)  He is home alone (though his best friend's mom is checking in) and we were asked to go down for the weekend.  Didn't have to ask twice! We love spending time with Tristan, and are just glad that (at almost 17 years old) he seems to enjoy spending time with us.

I will take my computer with me, but don't know how much time I'll have to check in.  We will be home on Sunday, so I'll catch up then if not before!

I'll be thinking about you, and prayers continue if you are on my  prayer list.  Thanks for checking in!  Peace, love & hugs!

Wordless Wednesday on Thursday!

This is what we woke up to this morning (except you can't hear the thunder or see the lightening), what I drove through to get to work, and how it looked out my office window when I arrived.  I'm really tired of these rains, even though I know we need them.  So, not so wordless after all, but here it is!!

At least it isn't a hurricane or tropical storm....just a monsoon!  LOL

Hope you have sunshine wherever you are!  Peace, love & hugs!

Hodgepodge Wednesday!

Here are my answers to this week's Hodgepodge questions! 

1. July 24th is Amelia Earhart Day.  Earhart was the first female to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.  What's something you've recently accomplished solo?  Nothing I can think of, so nothing worth mentioning, I guess.  I made a cheesecake from a new recipe last weekend.  I don’t do BIG things like flying solo across the ocean!

2.  What's one product you use that never ever fails? Witch Hazel

3. Have you found your place in the world? Where is it?  I am right where I am meant to be, I believe. Florida, with Joe, and in my job at the Museum.

4.  Worst movie you ever saw? I’ve seen lots of bad movies, and promptly forget about them. Have never walked out on a movie, but have changed the channel many times. The one that sticks out in my mind, though, is “Glengarry Glenn Ross”, with Jack Lemon. I was horribly disappointed in it, and did not finish watching it.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glengarry_Glen_Ross_%28film%29

5. What's the last fun thing you did?  Joe and I went to see The Lone Ranger, at Cobb Theaters on Sunday. That was lots of fun. We shared a large popcorn, and laughed - it is a funny movie!

6. The month of July is named for Roman Emperor Julius Caesar...ever been to Rome? What's your favorite Italian dish? I have been to Rome.  My most memorable meal while in Italy was white truffle pasta, in a little restaurant in Orvieto. I love pasta of any kind, though.  So do my hips.

7. What is one piece of advice you'd offer new mom Kate Middleton? Don’t let the nanny do it all.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.  It is raining again. I was just longing for September, when the hot steamy rains will (hopefully) stop for us.

Tuesday Thoughts....

• It is raining again, just in time to go home from work.
• I am tired this afternoon.  
• I don't know what to make for dinner. I promised to cook all week, but I would sure like to go out tonight. I am tired this afternoon.  Did I mention that already? ;)
• I have an eye appointment in September. Last year, the prescription didn't change much. I think it has changed this year. I need new glasses, I'm sure of it. 
• The internet has been going off, then on, then off all day today. I know it's the rain. Hard to get work done, when the internet keeps going down. I didn't get a lunch hour today, so am taking a break to do my blog.
• I am happy for the Royal Family and their new baby!!  What a blessing!  Diana would have been so happy and proud! I still miss her.
• Did I mention that I am tired?  It's the weather, I think. I woke up with a sinus headache and that kind of set the pace for me today.  Could be a lot worse, though!

I think I'll stop there, before I do yet another "I am tired" bullet point!  Hope your day has been better than mine! On to tomorrow!!  Hump day, here we come!  Have a good evening! Peace, love & hugs.

Monday Evening...

A busy day at work. Crazy busy. Will be for the next couple of weeks, so bear with me.

Wanted you to know that I made dinner for us tonight. Just hamburgers and a couple of sides, but I did cook! LOL  Made the burgers fresh, from ground chuck. A better effort than just using frozen burgers!  Day one of my promise to cook this week is done!

I saw the new surgeon today, and I like him very much. The surgery appointment has been changed to Wednesday, August 14th (from Tuesday, August 13).  The first surgeon has been informed of the change, so we are good to go.  I just need to get blood work done again. The labs I did last week for Dr.#1 are not as extensive as my new Dr. #2 wants. 

My BFF Elaine, sent the following to me by email.  I just have to share them. I love old photos and this is a collection I've not seen before!  Enjoy!

 Miss America 1924



Helen Keller Meeting Charlie Chaplin



Leather gloves worn by Lincoln to Ford's Theater on the night of his assassination. Blood stains are visible at the cuffs.



Phoebe Mozee (aka: Annie Oakley). Famed for her marksmanship by 12 years old, she once shot the ashes off of Kaiser Wihelm II's cigarette at his invitation. When she out-shot famed exhibition marksman Frank Butler, he fell in love with her and they married. They remained married the rest of their lives.



Very Young Lucy Lucille Ball circa 1930



This is one of five known X-rays of Hitler's head, part of his medical records compiled by American military intelligence after the German's surrendered and declassified in 1958. The records also include doctor's reports, diagrams of his teeth and nose and electrocardiograms. He had bad teeth, lots of fillings and crowns.



Two Victorian sideshow performers boxing - the fat man and the thin man.



Prison Garb 1924. Belva Annan murderess whose trial records became the musical " Chicago ."



Maud Allen: Seductive US dancing girl who was sued for being too lewd, outed as a lesbian, and fled London after being branded a German spy who was sleeping with the prime minister's wife.



John Fitzgerald Kennedy



Caroline Otero, courtesan, the most sought after woman in all of Europe . She associated herself with the likes of Prince Albert I of Monaco, King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, Kings of Serbia, and Kings of Spain as well as Russian Grand Dukes Peter and Nicholas, the Duke of Westminster and writer Gabriele DAnnunzio. Six men reportedly committed suicide after their love affairs with Otero ended. Two men fought a duel over her. She was famed for her voluptuous breasts.



Filming the MGM Logo



Mae Questel ca. 1930s, the voice of Betty Boop and Olive Oyl, Minnie Mouse, Felix the Cat (for three shorts by the Van Beuren Studios), Little Lulu, Little Audrey and Casper, the Friendly Ghost



Bea Arthur (ne Bernice Frankel) (1922-2009) SSgt. USMC 1943-45 WW II. Enlisted and assigned as typist at Marine HQ in Wash DC, then air stations in VA and NC. Best remembered for her title role in the TV series Maude and as Dorothy in "Golden Girls".



In 1911, Bobby Leach survived a plunge over Niagara Falls in a steel barrel. Fourteen years later, in New Zealand , he slipped on an orange peel and died.



Three days before his 19th birthday, George H.W. Bush became the youngest aviator in the US Navy.



Market Street, San Francisco after the earthquake, 1906.



Zelda Boden, circus performer, ca. 1910.



Geraldine Doyle, who was the inspiration behind the famous Rosie the Riveter poster.



Vintage Baked Potato Cart. A legitimate fast food lunch option back in the day.



Cyclists ride in the first running of the Tour de France, in 1903.





Sergeant Stubby (1916 or 1917 April 4, 1926), was the most decorated war dog of World War I and the only dog to be promoted to sergeant through combat. America 's first war dog, Stubby, served 18 months 'over there' and participated in seventeen battles on the Western Front. He saved his regiment from surprise mustard gas attacks, found and comforted the wounded, and even once caught a German spy by the seat of his pants (holding him there til American Soldiers found him).



Nightwitches - Female Russian bombers who bombed Germany during WW2. They had old, noisy planes & the engines used to conk out halfway through their missions, so they had to climb out on the wings mid-flight to restart the props. To stop Germans from hearing them & starting up the anti aircraft guns, theyd climb to a certain height, coast down to German positions, drop their bombs, restart their engines in midair & get the hell out of dodge. Their leader flew 200+ missions & was never captured.



Marilyn Monroe meets Queen Elizabeth II, London , 1956 Both women are 30 years old.



Chief Petty Officer Graham Jackson plays Going Home as FDRs body is borne past in Warm Springs , GA , where the President was scheduled to attend a barbecue on the day he died. April, 1945.

Not much else to report. Hope your day has been a good one, and that tomorrow will be even better!  Peace, love & hugs. 

Sunday is almost over....

This weekend has just flown by, with our Sunday nearly over.  I have sure enjoyed these two days, though!

Today started late, too, but I didn't sleep in as long as yesterday.  I made us a nice breakfast, did a little cleaning (very little), and got the laundry started.  You will always see laundry in my Sunday blogs!

We decided to go to the movies this afternoon, and we saw The Lone Ranger, with Johnny Depp.  He is good in whatever role he takes on!  We really enjoyed the movie, and were very surprised that the theater was totally filled. I think there might have been two seats way down in the front row that were empty.  It was great, and I recommend it, if you enjoy Johnny Depp and/or like westerns.  It was actually much better than we thought it would be, after seeing some of the reviews.  I would suggest that you go without comparisons to the old Lone Ranger TV series, though.  Preconceived notions will go right out the window!!

We had sweet corn and hot dogs for dinner. Have you tried the new Angus Hot dogs yet? They are quite tasty!  The fresh corn on the cob was really good, too.

The cheesecake I made yesterday is yummy.  Joe is thrilled with it, and I even enjoyed it (I'm not a big cheesecake fan).  I promised the recipe, so it follows.  It is very lite, not too sweet and can be eaten with any flavor pie filling or fruit you want. Joe even ate a piece with no fruit and loved it plain. So easy to make!

No-Bake Cheesecake:

8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
8 oz. cool whip
Graham Cracker Pie Crust

Beat together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Fold in the cool whip. Spoon the filling into the pie crust and cool for at least two hours.  Spread the top with your favorite pie filling or fresh fruit and serve!

(I opened a can of cherry pie filling (Joe's favorite) and blueberry (which I like). Spooned on our favorite as we got our slice on a saucer.

Really easy, and quite tasty.  I'm sure you could use low-fat cream cheese, and sugar-free cool whip if you want to cut some of the fat and calories.

Wishing everyone a good week ahead! Thanks for stopping by! Peace, love & hugs.

Slow, Sleepy Saturday....

Glorious Saturday!!  In spite of the rain this afternoon, it has been glorious. I didn't get up until almost 9:00 a.m.! It sure did feel good to sleep until I felt like getting up. 

Once we got ourselves moving, Joe and I went to the hospital to visit with Gregory. He has been moved to a private room, which is good. His old roommate snored (Gregory said) and he couldn't get any sleep. He is doing a little better and is finally being allowed to try some clear liquid foods. If he tolerates those, they will try him on some soft foods tonight and perhaps solids tomorrow. He might get to go home tomorrow, but I have a feeling it won't be until Monday.  His folks came in while we were there, and we all had a nice visit. His mom told us that they are sending him home with nursing care, because there are still two drains in the incision that need to be cared for. Poor thing. I feel so bad for him. Please keep him on your prayer lists, if you will.

After the hospital, we stopped in at Walmart for a few things we always get there, then went on to Publix for our more extensive list of items. I just made a no-bake cheesecake and put it in the refrigerator. It has to set for at least two hours.  If it is tasty, and passes the Joe-my-favorite-thing-to-eat-is-cheesecake taste test, I will put the recipe on here tomorrow.

I took a little nap while Joe watched his Philly's baseball game.  We had a late lunch of ham and Swiss cheese sandwiches, on fresh Kaiser rolls, so I think we will just pick at stuff for dinner, and (hopefully) enjoy the cheesecake later!

At least is didn't start raining until we got back from our running around.  The rain, I think, is making my knees bark at me a bit - and my hands and ankles today.  It's arthritis flare-up weather, I guess.

I hope you have had just the kind of Saturday you wanted when you got up this morning! Blessings for a wonderful Sunday ahead! Peace, love & hugs! Thanks for stopping by.

Random 5 Friday

I won't officially link up with the Random 5 Friday gang, but do like the idea, and have enjoyed reading the random 5s of some of you!

• I had lunch today, with my friend Shirley. Cindee was to join us, too, but she got word that her dad has to have surgery, so she is off to the northwest on a  plane this afternoon, instead. Prayers for her dad are being lifted!  He fell and hit his head pretty hard.
• I am seeing a new surgeon on Monday, because I don't really care for the surgeon I was "assigned" at the Women's Center last week. Just didn't connect with her. Have to feel good about the person who will be cutting you, don't you agree?
• I finished my financial reports for June and am just tidying up things so I can send my trial balance off to the auditors next week. The load has been lifted, that's for sure!
• I need to go to the grocery (Publix) tonight. I have made a shopping list of things needed to make some of the recipes that have been posted on Blogger this week (and FB). I have resolved to cook dinner every night next week. We go out to eat way to much. We'll see how long my resolve lasts!
• We have three vacancies at work, and just made an offer to a woman for one of the positions. She accepted!! We interviewed seven people for the position in Visitor Services.  I have her paperwork sitting on my desk, waiting for her to pick it up. Feels good to have one of the positions filled.  If any of you are experienced fund raisers and would like to move to Florida, send me your resume please. The other vacancy is in our education department. Requires a teaching certificate and/or an art history background with an interest in Museum work.

That's my random five. I wish you all a good weekend!  Thanks for stopping by! Peace, love & hugs.

Happy Friday Eve!

Friends, it has been a long week, but - by golly - tomorrow is Friday, and I am just about ready to send a trial balance to the auditors!  I was able to close our fiscal year 2013 yesterday, finished journal entries and reconciliations today, and will have tomorrow to write the year-end financial reports. Whew! High fives all around! Excuse me, please, for writing about this, but that's been my week, and I am feeling pretty good.

Four of us went to visit a co-worker, who had surgery on Tuesday and is in the hospital until tomorrow or Saturday. Say a prayer for Gregory M., if you will.  He had complications from a surgery he had six months ago, and has a tough recovery ahead. 

When we left the hospital, we stopped at a little restaurant, the Purple Onion, for some lunch. It was nice to be out of the office and spending some time with co-workers I don't get to talk with much. Their offices are downstairs, while mine is upstairs. It was good to see Gregory, and nice to be out for lunch.

Joe and I went to Sam's Club after work, for a prescription and some groceries.  We found some very nice fresh strawberries, a cantaloupe, and some apricots. I made a quick stir-fry for dinner when we got home.

I need to catch up on everyone's posts, so will sign off for now.  Thanks for stopping by!  Peace, love & hugs.

It's Hodgepodge Wednesday!

1. Picture postcards were first printed back in the mid-1800's and deltiology is the official name for postcard collecting. When did you last send a postcard?  Receive one? Do you save postcards sent to you? Do you collect and/or send postcards when you travel?  I haven’t sent a postcard in years, but we did just receive one from Joe’s cousin, who lives in Italy.  I do not send postcards when we travel, just because we only travel to see the people we would be sending cards to!!  When we went to Italy, we would have beaten the mail back, so we just brought souvenirs home with us to give to people.

2. What treat do you most like to indulge in while on vacation?  It is only a vacation, in my estimate, if I stay in a hotel, and someone else makes the beds, picks up dirty towels, and I get three meals out in a restaurant, with no dishes to wash.  We also like to shop when we travel, and rarely do at home (except for necessities) , so I guess eating and shopping would be the greatest indulgence.

3. Are you good at hiding your feelings?  Nope.  My face and eyes give me away all the time, so I don’t even try to hide my feelings anymore.

4. Does your town/city/county still deliver telephone books to your home? Do you check the yellow pages when searching for a local business number or has the internet replaced the phone book in your home?  We haven’t received a phone book in a long, long time, and even when we did, it is easier to do a quick search on the internet.

5. Would you rather be first or last?  I am always happy being last.  I don’t like being the center of attention, I don’t care about winning, and I would rather put others first.

6. July is National Park and Recreation Month (in America, but everyone can still play along)...where and when were you last in a park?  Did you participate in any recreational activities while you were there?  We have lots of parks here in Lakeland, and the last time I was actually in one was in May, during our local art festival, which takes place in two parks.  I don’t participate in any recreational activities, whether I’m in a park or someplace else. That’s terrible, isn’t it!

7.  What was one of your worst ideas?  Selling Avon, and later Mary Kay. I am not a home-party kind of person, and ended up only buying for myself and gifts for others.  Sales is not one of my strengths.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.  A church I pass on my way to work each morning has a sign out front that (this week) says "If Jesus knocked on your door today, would you let him in?"  I've been thinking about that all week.  In this day and age, would anyone let a stranger into your house without some kind of identification?  Would Jesus return to us, looking like all the pictures we see that portray Him with long brown curls, a beard and gentle eyes?  What would he look like, dressed as we dress today?  How will we know who He is when He returns?  What are your thoughts about this? I really want to know.

Thankful Tuesday!

I am thankful on this Tuesday that the ultrasound I had this morning came back negative! 

I am thankful on this Tuesday that I have friends who pray for me, because prayers are heard and felt!

I am thankful on this Tuesday for more things than I have room here to write, but I especially wanted you all to see the first two. Blessed and thankful!!

Wishing you a blessed and thankful Tuesday!  Peace, love & hugs.

Memory Monday....

I won't go so far as to link this to others doing Memory Monday, because I am not doing it "officially".  I do like the idea of posting a memory on Monday (or any day), though, because it is a way to let folks get to know you/me better, and our memories are (mine are, anyway) very special and helped to form who we are today.  Okay - enough of that!

My friend, Karen, posted about her dad and growing up on Buckeye Lake in her blog today. Karen and I have been friends since 5th or 6th grade, and I think we both are blessed to have stayed in touch through the years. We have visited back and forth a few times, even though they were in Ohio (and now Virginia), while we were in the Metro DC area and now Florida. Facebook, email, and blogs keep us close!  Her kiddos are all grown up and out on their own now, and she is also a grandma many times over (but we won't go there...that grandma word! LOL). Seems like yesterday that we were 15 years old and having so much fun.

I grew up at one end of Buckeye Lake, in central Ohio.  Buckeye Lake is 30 miles or so east of Columbus, right off I-70.  If you have traveled I-70, you have seen the signs for Buckeye Lake, though my little town is called Millersport.  Karen lived at Fairfield Beach, also on the Lake, and had to ride the bus in for school. My house was only a block from school (K-12 all in one facility).

Millersport had and still has one traffic light. In "our day" the hang-out places were either the local pizza place (Romano's), Weldon's Ice Cream Factory, or (if you could drive or knew someone who had a car) the 76 Truck Stop at I-70 and SR 37.  In the summer, we could boat, ski, swim or just hang out at Weldon's Ice Cream Factory (where I worked for 2 summers during high school - and met my first husband). In the winter, it was ice skating!  We had the entire lake at our disposal, and 'back then' it would freeze solid and stay that way for a few months! At night, if you knew someone who had lake-front property, the dads would start fires right on the ice and we could roast marshmallows or hot dogs. Moms would have hot chocolate ready - then we'd be off skating again.  The fires never seemed to burn through the ice - it was that thick!  There were even motorcycle races on the ice at Lieb's Island!! (Click on photo to enlarge the map.)

I've spent many, many enjoyable hours on Buckeye Lake.  I took swimming lessons in the pool at what used to be the Buckeye Lake Amusement Park. Went all the way through life-saving classes, and was qualified as a life guard.  Trouble was, the State of Ohio would not hire girls (back then) to work at the public beaches, and Millersport didn't have a swimming pool at the time. I never got to work as a life guard.

The Buckeye Lake Amusement Park has quite a history, going back to the big-band days, with two ballrooms.  All the big names  played there.  The park was "the" place to go.  If you would like to learn more about Buckeye Lake, they do have a museum and historical society now.  Here is the link, which I am putting here as much for me, as for any of you who might be interested:  http://www.buckeyelakehistory.org/home.html   It is interesting to see Donna Braig's picture when the page opens.  She was my high school health & phys ed teacher, making her my track and basketball coach, as well (late 60s). Gosh - has it really been that long?!!

Hope you are having a good Monday!  Thanks for reading about today's memories!  Thanks to Karen for the subject matter of today's post!!  Peace, love & hugs.

Rain, rain and more rain.

We get up to sunshine and blue, fluffy white cloud-filled skies and by noon, the dark clouds blow in and the rain starts. I am really tired of rain, thunder and humidity! 

I did a light dusting and vacuuming this morning, to get up most of the cat hair in the house. Steam mopped the laundry room and kitchen, and have the laundry started. The work is nearly done for the day. I still need to decide what to make for our dinner. I really get tired of making cooking decisions, and that is probably why we go out to eat more than we should.

Vinny has formed a truce with Cookie and Onyx. He and Lilly are cautiously playing, with Lucy being the grumpy hold-out.  Vinny is still not sure he wants to go outside. We find this funny, since he had never been inside a house before we brought him home. You would think he would be longing for the outdoors. He used to chase squirrels and climb trees, according to my sister. Now, he is happy to stay inside. I guess when he is ready, he'll take that step... he IS curious, but just not ready.

I have a busy week at work, coming up. The audit starts on the 26th, so I have to finish up all the year-end things and get ready for the auditors to be there.  Tuesday is my second ultrasound, so that will take a couple of hours out of my day.  It will all get done, though.

I hope your Sunday is progressing nicely and that your weather is more agreeable than ours.  Wishing you a good week ahead!!  Thanks for popping in.  Your friendships are treasured.  Peace, love & hugs.

Simply Saturday...

Happy Saturday to you! Thanks for stopping by!

We got up around 8:00 this morning, and went downtown to the Farmer's Market! We arrived shortly before 10:00 so most of the early morning crowd was gone, but there were still lots of vendors and quite a few folks looking and buying.  The bread lady drew our attention. We purchased bagels and some oatmeal cookies from her.  Then we saw the Strollo booth.  The Strollo family used to own and operate a wonderful Italian restaurant here in Lakeland. They closed 10-12 years ago, or so. One of the family members is making and selling their tomato sauce, and their homemade biscotti.  Joe and I both loved Strollo's and hated to see it close, so he thought we should buy two quarts of the sauce, and he also got a bag of her biscotti.  I am anxious, now, to taste her sauce again.  Since we had just purchased a good bit of produce from Publix, we passed on the vegetables, though the tomatoes looked very good.  There were also a couple of artists selling their paintings, and a couple of jewelry artists selling baubles, oh - and a basket maker. It covers two city blocks, and the traffic is re-routed around it. We had to park a few blocks away, so got in a good walk this morning, too.

I got my hair cut yesterday, and it is shorter than it's been in a long time. I love it! Every time I get it cut short, I say I will never let it grow out again, then I always do. I made my next appointment for four weeks, and told Teena that she needs to keep it short for me, and to not let me talk her into growing it out again! I snapped this photo while I was waiting my turn.  "Elvis" is usually outside, in front of the barbershop, but they have been keeping him inside because of the rain.  He is all decked out for July 4th.  

On the way home from the Farmer's Market, we stopped at IHOP for breakfast. Always yummy, and it was crowded this morning.  When we got home from there, I decided to put on my bathing suit and get in the pool.  I no sooner got in and swam a couple of laps when the wind picked up, blew in some gray clouds, and the thunder started. Had to get out of the water, and in two minutes, it was pouring rain.  Sigh.  So, now we have scattered showers for the rest of the day. I am ready for the sun to shine again!

Hope your Saturday is going well. I am just going to relax, now. Joe is watching his Phillies in a double header, so he is enjoying his afternoon too. Thanks again for stopping in!  Peace, love & hugs.