Tickled Tuesday....

Happy Tuesday!  Here are a couple of little ditties that made me giggle.  Hope you smile at them too!

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We are up and out early this morning.  After having the day free, we got a call from our friend Gregory asking us to take him into Orlando for an appointment with his surgeon.  He is having some pain and thought he should see the doctor about it.  We are happy we can help him out.

Joe and I went to Sam's Club yesterday.  Our list was long and the basket was filled.  We had bottled water, Propel, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and much, much more.  When we got home, we started to unload.  We typically do it like an assembly line.  Joe brings things to me in the doorway and I put them in the house.  That way we both avoid making multiple trips up and down the three steps.  It has always worked beautifully for us until yesterday.  Joe handed me a case of spring water.  I turned to set it down on the table and, in turning, I was thrown off balance.  I dropped the case of water, hoping to right myself but down I went, hitting really hard on my 'good' knee and bashed my face against a box.  My lip is swollen and my knee is really buggered up.  Nothing is broken (that I can tell) but I am keeping ice on the knee and dug out my brace to help support it. I really need new knees. Sigh.

Anyway....we are off to Orlando this morning.  Thanks for your visit today on this last day of November!  Happy Halloween!  Peace & hugs.

Weekend Recap on Monday.....

A new week is ahead of us and with it comes a new month too!  November, daylight savings time ends, Thanksgiving happens and we will be full steam ahead for Christmas. WOW!  Are you ready?

I usually start my weekend recaps with Friday so I will tell you that I did laundry on Friday and our insurance man came by to sign me up for a new prescription plan to begin in January.  It was a pretty lazy day.

Saturday started much earlier than I am used to now!!  I actually saw the sunrise!!

Half a bus full of women from Mas Verde, myself included, boarded at 7:30 a.m.

for our trip to Mount Dora for their Arts & Crafts Festival.

We stopped at another community, Sandpiper, to fill the other side of the bus

with residents from there.  It was a lively ride with lots of conversations happening.

There were over 400 vendors and artists who took over

the downtown area of Mt. Dora.  There was no way to see them all. 

There was a sea of people wherever you looked, making

it nearly impossible at times to even see inside the booths.

A bagpipe band marched through a few times

playing some great music.  My Highlander blood

sings when I hear bagpipes!  

I sat with and walked around with Theresa.  We had a great time

and enjoyed an Italian lunch at this little restaurant, Gianni's.

We both had the Manicotti, followed by a dip of Gelato for dessert.

The bus pulled out at 3:00 and we were home by 4:45. I was really exhausted and my entire body hurt...not just my knees. That was more walking than I've done in months and months. It was lots of fun, though. I bought some toffee candy from a man who said it was his mom's recipe, and a visor because the sun was almost blinding and I didn't have a hat or sunglasses....and lunch of course.

Sunday afternoon we went to visit with our friend Gregory who is still recovering from his hernia surgery.  It was good to see him looking so well and to also get to play with his sweet pup, Paisley.  These photos are not from Sunday, but I took them at other times.

And speaking of pets, I took these photos of our sweet cats over the weekend.

This is Vinny's favorite place to sleep lately. It the top tube of our cat tree.

Lilly has claimed a roll of screening that I put on the day-bed out in

our den/catch-all room. She snuggles up to it every day.  I need to rescreen one of the

doors and just haven't gotten to it yet.  I'll just give her some more time.... (LOL)

Our Lucy....always the Diva, posing for pictures that show her beauty.

We have nothing on the calendar for today OR tomorrow. That feels good after the busy week we had last week.  I'm sure we will find something to do. The grocery list is growing so we will most likely be visiting Sam's Club and Publix on one of the two free days.

We were told there are never trick-or-treaters here in Mas Verde so Halloween will skip on by and that is just fine with us.  We haven't handed out candy in years and years.

Wishing you a good week ahead and I appreciate your visit here!  Peace & hugs!!

Sunday Blessing.....

The Sunday Stealing meme for today was just too hard for me to understand.  I am writing this on Saturday night and I am tired from a day on my feet and in the sun. I decided to just stop thinking about it and post some scripture instead.  I hope this blesses your day as it always blesses mine!!

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,

they gathered together, and one of them,

a scholar of the law tested him by asking,

"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" 

He said to him,

"You shall love the Lord, your God,

with all your heart,

with all your soul,

and with all your mind.

This is the greatest and the first commandment.

The second is like it:

You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 

The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."

Matthew 22: 34-40

Happy Sunday to you!  Thanks for your visit and I send you peace & hugs.

Saturday 9 is a Monster Mash!!

Monster Mash

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

Saturday 9: Monster Mash (1962)

Unfamiliar with this week's featured song? Hear it here.

1) In your younger days, did you ever trick or treat while dressed as a monster or ghoul?  I don't remember dressing up as a monster or ghoul.  Actually, I don't really remember any of my costumes.  Not very memorable I guess.

2) Do you enjoy being frightened by celluloid boys-gone-bad, like Michael Myers (Halloween) or Jason (Friday the 13th)? No.  I have never watched those movies and don't believe I ever will.  Give me Hitchcock or the old black and white Chiller Theater style movies any day.  No blood or guts and SO scary!

3) When you were a kid, did you ever TP a neighbor's house or indulge in any other Halloween acts of vandalism? (Don't worry, the statute of limitations is up.)  Several of us TP'd our band director's house one Halloween.

4) Will you be attending any Halloween parties this year? If so, will you dress up?  No Halloween parties and I don't dress up anymore.

5) Can you see any Halloween decorations as you answer these 9 questions?  Just these little guys....

6) While Halloween is most popular in the United States and Canada, and isn't really celebrated at all in Japan or South Korea. How would you explain our Halloween customs to a visitor from another land?  Fun for kiddos and a chance for adults to pretend they are someone else.  I would send them to Wikipedia since I don't really understand it myself.

7) "Monster Mash" is one of Halloween's most played songs. Are you happy to hear it every year? Or does it set your teeth on edge?  Haha.  I enjoy hearing it and actually know most all of the words to sing along.  There is a dance that goes with it too.  If you were a teen in the 60s, you probably know how to do it!

8) This week's featured artist, Bobby "Boris" Pickett, started as a stand-up comedian who incorporated his imitations of Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi into his act. Can you impersonate anyone?  No, I can't.  It would be fun though!

9) Dick Clark was an impossibly young looking 33 in this week's featured clip. Are you often told you look good for your age?  I've been told I look younger than my nearly 66 years.  Now that my hair is 'natural' (not colored) that doesn't happen often anymore.

Thanks to Sam Winters/The Gal Herself for this week's questions!!  Happy Halloween!  You can find the questions and link-up HERE!!

Thanks for coming by my blog!  Happy Saturday!!  Peace & hugs.

Friday Foto Friends.....

Fridays are all about Deb's Friday Foto Friends meme.  Find the link-up at Breathing in Grace!

I posted a bunch of photos yesterday and only have a couple of new photos to share today.  The Mas Verde ladies have a Wine & Cheese event the last week of every month.  I went to my first one yesterday.  It had a Halloween theme but only a few got really dressed up for it.  I wore jack-o-lantern earrings.  Here are the ladies who made an effort....

It was fun.  You didn't have to drink wine (and I didn't) but there was lots of wine disappearing.  We were also asked to bring something to nibble.  It wasn't all cheese. There were chicken wings, wraps, cookies, pumpkin roll and lots of other goodies, including cheese and crackers.  I made Cheese Crisps that turned out okay.  Not my favorite but several ladies commented on how good they were BEFORE they knew I made them.  I figured that was a good sign that they were okay.

They are a kind of cheese straw....a southern staple for parties (so I'm told).

2 sticks of butter softened
2 cups of flour
2 cups of rice crispies
2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
cayenne pepper (to taste) (I sprinkled it on some rather than mix it in)

Combine all ingredients using your CLEAN hands.  There is no way to do it with a spoon and you really can't use a mixer.  When it is all combined, roll into 1-inch balls.  Place on a cookie sheet covered in parchment and use a fork to squash it down and make marks.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes.  Makes 50.  The recipe says 52, but mine made 50.

I took Anne and Sharon to the clubhouse with me.  Sharon's husband was to pick her up at 5:00.  Anne and I stayed until 4:30.  That was long enough for me! LOL  It was fun meeting some of the other ladies and talking with a few that I already knew.

Tomorrow (Saturday) is our bus trip up to Mt. Dora for the Arts & Craft Show.  It should be fun.  Watch for my weekend recap on Monday!!

Thanks for your visit!  Happy Friday!! Peace & hugs.

Thankful Thursday....

I am linking up with Rebecca Jo at Knit By God's Hand for her Thankful Thursday!

There are so many things and people in my life that I am thankful for.  I mention them all the time in this blog.  You may be getting tired of my Thursday posts including photos from my time at the ranch with Joe and his clients, but I find such peace and beauty there. It was windy and cool. I wore a jacket!  Hoping the video of the horses will open for you.

I would never tire of this view!

 I got to visit with the horses again this week!

Open this video of horses!

The chickens are still free-ranging, but the new hen-house is going up!

 Got my dog fix with this little guy on my lap!

We filled the car with gasoline at Sam's Club.  $2.22 a gallon.

Thankful the price is down again.

Thanks for your visit!!  Peace & hugs.

The Hodgepodge is Back!!

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 326

Our hostess is back this week with another fun Hodgepodge of Questions for us to answer and then link back to her blog to join other Hodgepodgers!!  HERE is the link you need to join us!    

1. What's surprised you most about your life or life in general?  How FAST it goes and how precious it is. Whew!

2.  Sweet potato fries, sweet potato casserole, a baked sweet potato, a bowl of butternut squash soup, a caramel apple or a slice of pumpkin pie...you have to order one thing on this list right now. Which one do you go for?  I would enjoy any of them (but the pumpkin pie).  Right now I would probably order the baked sweet potato.  Yum.

3. What's a famous book set in your home state?  A Land Remembered, by Patrick Smith  Have you read it?   Yes.  On a scale of 1-5 (5 is fantastic) how many stars does it rate? I would give it four stars.  There are lots of books set in Florida, but this one is based on real people and real events in Florida's early history, beginning in the 1850s.  Carl Hiaasen writes very funny books about Florida. I've read quite a few of them.  If you want to chuckle all the way through a book, check him out (adults only)!

4. There are 60 days until Christmas...have you started your shopping? No.  How do you stay organized for the holidays?  I am a list maker. Always have been. Maybe that's the answer.  Make a list!!

5. October 26th is National Tennessee Day. Have you ever lived or spent any time in Tennessee?  I have never lived in Tennessee but I have spent a few days there.  Is this a state you'd like to visit one day?  I would go again!  The top rated tourist attractions in Tennessee are-

The Great Smoky Mountain National Park (Gatlinburg area), Elvis's Graceland (Memphis), Birth of the Music Biz (Memphis and Nashville), Dollywood (Pigeon Forge), Tennessee's Military Heritage (many battlefields), The Hermitage (Andrew Jackson's home), The Parthenon (Nashville), Oak Ridge American Museum of Science and Energy, Chattanooga and the Tennessee Valley Railroad, Downtown Knoxville, Lookout Mountain, The Titanic Museum (Pigeon Forge), The Museum of Appalachia (Clinton), and The Lost Sea Adventure (Sweetwater)

How many on this list have you seen?  I have been to Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Chattanooga and saw many of the attractions there, including the GSM Nat'l Park, and have been to Lookout Mountain.  Which one on the list would you most like to see?  I would like to go to Nashville someday.  

6.  Insert your own random thought here.  I am loving retirement (can you tell!).  I still get at least one call a week from someone about something back at the Museum but I am happy to help however I can.  It is still a transition time there.  Activities are picking up here at Mas Verde and we are meeting more of our fellow Mas Verdians.  Yesterday I mentioned the bus trip coming up this Saturday, but we have a ladies' wine and cheese this Thursday at 2:00.  I signed up to attend and there are about 30 women on the list.  I am terrible at remembering names but each time I see some of the same folks I'll remember another name or two.  Next month there is a fashion show and tea that supports the local children's home.  They are doing a Thanksgiving dinner at the clubhouse but we will have Joey & Darlene and Helen & Cheryl here for turkey and the trimmings.  We are so blessed to have found and become part of this community!!  If you are thinking of retiring to Florida....check out Mas Verde!!

Thanks again to Joyce for bringing us this week's Hodgepodge!  Thanks to you for your visit!  Peace & hugs!!

Tickled Tuesday....

I found a couple of cute cat funnies to share with you on this Tickled Tuesday!

Besides being tickled by those, I am also 'tickled' that Walking Dead is back!!  Fall shows are coming back for new seasons!  Do any of you watch Walking Dead?  Oh my goodness, we got hooked on it a couple of years ago.  I saw a really funny thing about zombies the other day.  It said, "The thing I fear most about becoming a zombie is all the walking I would have to do."  Made me laugh!

We did not go to the beach yesterday.  It rained nearly all day.  Rain is predicted for today, too.  Joe and I did go to Crispers for lunch, then to Bed Bath & Beyond for a couple of things.  Anne, from across the street, stopped in for a visit.  We have a couple of fun things planned with Anne and Paul coming up over the next few weeks. 

This Saturday, a bus full of ladies from Mas Verde are traveling to the Mount Dora Arts & Craft Festival.  I'm looking forward to it!  Theresa, Anne, and Sharon are going too.  Not sure what kind of trouble our 'boys' will find while we are gone all day.  Time will tell.

Happy Tuesday to you and thanks for taking the time to stop by!  Peace & hugs.

Weekend Recap on Monday....

Another weekend behind us.  Time sure hasn't slowed down with retirement!

We were busy, but not really.  That doesn't really make sense, but basically we had something to do each day with lots of lazy time too.

Friday we were invited out to dinner with Helen and Cheryl and Helen's nephew and his wife. We hadn't met them before so it was nice to put faces with names.  They were staying in Orlando with one of their kids and the grandkids and drove over to see their Aunt Helen. They treated us all for dinner.  Nice.

Saturday we were invited to a little party at our next door neighbors' house.  I took a cheese ball and crackers (everyone brought something to share).  It was fun to meet some more of our neighbors.  There were six couples and two solo women.  Lots of fun!  The 'snowbirds' are returning to their winter nests and three of the couples are snowbirds from Michigan and Canada.

Sunday we got up earlier than usual and went to breakfast (at 9:00) with Al and Theresa.  It was fun catching up with them.  They are settling in here and love their new home.  We are happy about that since we recommended that they move here!

Today we are considering a couple of things to do.  One is a trip over to the beach. Not sure yet, since I am writing this on Sunday to post on Monday morning.  Will keep you posted later!!

The cats have become spoiled with the bird and squirrel videos.  As soon as I sit down in my chair, one or two will join me and "ask" for the video.  As bad as kids and their technology!! LOL

I'm looking forward to reading about your weekend!! Thanks for the visit!  Peace & hugs!!

Sunday Stealing Time....

Thanks to Bev for this week's questions, stolen as noted below!  Join in HERE!!

 
Bud stole a meme from Sleepy Rambles several years ago.  I checked the site out and found a lot more. (Someone complained it took a long time to answer these memes, so I only chose 15 questions this time!)








Have you ever eaten at a restaurant and you realized you forgot your money?  No.  Hopefully, I never will!

True or false-you can pat your head and rub your tummy at the same time. True.

Do you prefer to drink out of cans or bottles?  I don't really care.

Do your socks match today?  No socks in Florida.

What was the last book you read?  Eleanore Oliphant is Completely Fine. Would you recommend it?  Yes, I recommend it.  I enjoyed it and look forward to the movie!

Are you currently borrowing something from someone?  Nothing borrowed at this time.

Write an extremely random statement.  I wish there was a 5th season of Rectify.

Are there any major holidays you don’t celebrate?  I'm not completely sure what constitutes a "major holiday".  I don't celebrate the holidays of other non-Christian religions but we do celebrate those 10 that are considered holidays in the USA.

What is one thing you will never understand?  Oh, there are many things I will never understand, starting with spoken languages other than English.

Have you ever stepped on a bee?  Yes, I have and it is painful. I'm allergic.

What helps you wake up in the morning?  Our cats wanting to be fed.

What did you have for breakfast this morning?  We are going out to breakfast with Al and Theresa this morning.  Fred's is a buffet so we will be having way too many things for breakfast.

What is your favorite thing in your room?  The recliner I am sitting in. Ahhhh...

Who was your first kiss with?  I'm sure it was with my mom, but if you are talking a romantic kiss, I am sad to say I don't remember.  We played 'flashlight' in junior high at parties....

Do you worry about small things?  I don't worry about small things or big things anymore.  Worry solves nothing.  Prayer works much better!

Thanks for visiting today!  Happy Sunday - peace & hugs.

Saturday 9 Time....

Voices Carry

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

Saturday 9: Voices Carry (1985)
 
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

This song was chosen because October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Please share this link to The National Domestic Violence Hotline. Let's spread the word that there's help out there.

1) In this song, a woman is "hushed" by her lover. When were you last told to "keep it down?"  I can't remember ever being told to keep it down.  I am not the noisy or rowdy one.

2) Her lover tells her tears are something to hide. Researchers tell us that crying can be good for us because by releasing emotional stress, it lessens physical stress on the cardiovascular system. Are you comfortable crying in front of other people?  I am a blubber-head and cry in front of people all the time.  Happy tears, sad tears....

3) In this video, the woman makes a scene by speaking up in a theater. Today theatergoers are more likely to be disturbed by a cell phone ringing or its screen illuminating. Are you careful to turn your phone off in the theater, church, etc.?  Yes, I silence my phone frequently.

4) When this group, Til Tuesday, was still struggling, Cyndi Lauper was already a star. Cyndi offered to record this song, which would have brought the group some fast cash, but only if they agreed not to record it themselves. Obviously, they didn't take the deal. Tell us about a time you took a risk on yourself, and it paid off.  I'm not a big risk taker but we took a huge risk to move to Florida almost 29 years ago....no jobs, no friends, no family.  We just knew we wanted to live in Florida.  So glad we made the move!!

5) Til Tuesday's lead singer, Aimee Mann, went to Open High School in Richmond, Virginia. This charter high school is dedicated to helping students become "self-determined thinkers and learners." Do you recall your high school as permissive or regimented?  Definitely regimented. We had some pretty strict dress codes and a Principal who kept us all in line.

6) Aimee has been on the road through 2017 and, like most artists, sells tour merchandise. Her line includes reusable tote bags. Do you bring your own bag to the grocery store?  No, we have them bag in plastic which we reuse all the time in trash cans and to clean litter boxes.

7) Aimee has tried her hand at acting and appeared on Buffy, The Vampire Slayer. From Dracula to Barnabas Collins to Lestat, vampires are a popular culture staple (especially in October). What do you suppose accounts for their enduring popularity?  I think we are all just a little fascinated by vampires and being a little scared.  There is a certain romance involved, in spite of the violence and gore. I am a Barnabas Collins fan and read all of Ann Rice's vampire books.

8) In 1985, when this song was popular, Bruce Springsteen was at the top of the charts with Born in the USA. A massive commercial success, Born in the USA has sold more than 15,000,000 copies in the United States alone. Is it in your collection?  I don't collect music anymore. I donated all my vinyl years ago to a DJ at our church.  Now we listen to Amazon Prime music at home or Serius in the car.  Born in the USA is a GREAT song though!

  

9) Random question: In which race would you do better -- the Iditarod, with sled dogs in Nome, or speeding in a car at 200+ mph at the Indianapolis 500?  If I HAVE to pick, I'll take the Indy 500. I do not like being cold anymore. I would love the sled dogs and we would all stay cozy in front of a fire while everyone else ran the race.

Big thanks to Crazy Sam Winters for this week's Saturday 9!!  Join the fun HERE!!

Thanks for your visit!!  Peace & hugs.

Friday Foto Friends.....

I am linking up with Deb over at Breathing In Grace for her Friday Foto Friends link-up.  Visit her HERE.

I have some more photos to share from my Wednesday morning at the farm.

I have posted pictures of Vinny and Lucy watching the cat video of birds and squirrels.  Lilly never seemed interested until a couple of days ago.  Here she is.....

We had a very pretty sunset earlier this week. I went out to our little front yard

and took this picture. Missed the prettiest pink, but got part of it.

And last but not least, I copied from Facebook (without permission but hoping it's okay) one of Jean's photos of our hubbies actually smiling when we were at lunch on Tuesday.  My photo caught them pre-smile.  Hers is much better!  Aren't they cute!!!

The weather was so nice yesterday morning that I told Joe I had to make a big pot of soup.  I called our next door neighbors (who just returned from Italy) and our across-the-street neighbors to see if they all wanted to come for a lite supper of soup and salad. They accepted the invite. I also made my mom's pumpkin bread and some fresh pizzelles.  Everyone had seconds and we sat and talked for three hours. It was good fun.  We are so blessed to have such nice neighbors!

Today is laundry day this week!

Happy Friday, all!!  Thanks for your visit!  Peace & hugs.