Tuesday 4...

Thanks to Annie for this week's Tuesday 4!  You can join in HERE!

The Fourth of July

Welcome to Tuesday 4 in memory and honor of our friend Toni Taddeo.

This week, let's talk about the Fourth of July.

1. Do you think the 4th is an important holiday?  Why, why not?  Of course, it 

is important!  It is when we celebrate winning our freedom from tyranny and becoming a 

great republic. Let's help make American great again!!

2. How do you celebrate?  We usually have friends over for a cook-out. Not so sure 

about this year.

 If you are not American, do you celebrate your nation's national holiday?

3. In the time of Laura Ingalls Wilder,  all Americans read the Declaration of 

Independence every year on the 4th and lemonade was a big treat for the town picnic.

Do you read the Declaration of Independence?  I have, but not regularly.

Or, your nation's important papers?  Not regularly.

How about lemonade? Are you a fan?  Yes, I do like lemonade.

4. Picnic, eat inside the house, or eat out for the 4th?  This is Florida. It is too hot to eat outside in July.

Thanks for your visit today!

Good-bye to June...

Peace & hugs!  God bless!!

Monday's Weekend Recap...

I said it before and I'll say it again... this week just flew by and I'm not really sure why. Go figure!!

Thursday morning took me to physical therapy where we decided I had had enough. The doctor told me, the day before, that it was too soon for strength training. I needed to wait at least three months to do strength training.  My range of motion was great. What I need is to strengthen the muscles. SO... I'll be getting in the pool now, walking and working on flexibility and lighter strength training.  If I feel I need to go further with it, come August, the doc will write a prescription for that. It's good news. I'm happy to be done with appointments and the therapist was okay with it. I think they would have rather had me use their therapy pool (so they could charge medicare) but she understood.

Thursday afternoon was facial time.  You know I love getting a facial and Dawn has been doing them for nearly 20 years. She was a single mom when I first started going to her. Now she is married and has two grands. She is a friend and it is always a gab-fest when I get there.  We do socialize now and then.  Our two guys like each other, too.

Not the best picture, but we were at a 1950s birthday party.

Dawn, DeWayne, and Joe (talking!)

Thursday evening, we went to Cheddar's with Helen and Cheryl. I posted that photo on Friday.  The food was good and it was good to see Helen eat well. She always gets a child's meal, usually grilled chicken and carrots or broccoli. She cleaned her plate.  Helen is 92 and barely weighs 100 pounds.

On Friday, we had nothing on the calendar until it was time to check-in for the live-streaming of Nick's (Joe's younger brother) memorial service.  I am so glad we got to participate by watching on-line.  Nick's son-in-law, Conrad, is a youth minister and he did the service/eulogy.  It was perfect.  Nick's daughter, Carly, finished with some fun memories of their dad which was moving and funny and sweet.  There was also music and the one that stood out and had both of us crying was "I Can Only Imagine". Wow.

There was a video of photos that Carly sent to me since we didn't get to see it before the service started.  Lots of wonderful photos and memories.  Here are a three I copied off to share...

Nick & Deb in better times...

With five of their seven kids and seven of their ten grands...

This was just a while back.  Deb is also fighting cancer

and has lost her beautiful hair from her chemo.

Now she has lost her husband of 35 years.  Please pray for Deb.

Her tumors have been shrinking and we are hoping surgery will be possible soon.

Saturday started out with making brunch for our friends, Al & Theresa.  Al still works at the Museum. We have known him and his wife for years and years and two years ago they moved in here at Mas Verde.  They are youngsters, just turning 60, but we have fun.  I made pancakes, bacon, eggs, and had a fruit salad.  Coffee, of course.  They stayed for a couple of hours... it took us that long to catch up!!  We hadn't seen them, other than a quick wave or a quick hello from the car window, since the end of February.  Their first grand is starting to walk so we also had pictures to look at and videos to see!  I got the kitchen cleaned up and the laundry done after they left.

We went to church on Sunday morning, three weeks in a row and it feels great.  Our community group is meeting in person this week, at the church instead of our leader's home.  It will be nice to connect in person again.  I think we are all tired of Zooming.

So, that is long and more than you needed to see and read but we also do these blogs as journals, don't we!  I feel compelled to get some things down in writing just for posterity.  Thanks for getting this far!!

Blogging friends are the best!

Peace & hugs!  God bless!!

Sunday Stealing...

Thanks to Bev for this week's questions!  You can join in HERE!

Thursday Thunks

Hi! I'm your host Bev Sykes of the blog "Funny the World". . Welcome to Sunday Stealing. This feature originated and published on WTIT: The Blog. Here we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions. Cheers to all of us thieves!

Questions from Thursday Thunk










1. If you could be a Muppet, which would you be?  I don't really follow the Muppets but looked them up and decided, since I am tall, I'll be Sweetums...

2. Why is a chicken crossing the road in the first place??  No big mystery! To get to the other side!

3. What's your favorite muscle?  I had to look this up too and decided to go with the masseter which works the jaw and makes it possible to eat!!  LOL

4. Cheerios or Rice Krispies?  I am not a cereal lover but if this is all there is then Cheerios.

5. Is summer ever going to get here?  It has been here in Florida for a month or more.

6. Have you ever had a utility turned off by mistake or some other reason besides weather or nonpayment?  Not that I recall. 

7. What was your "last day" of something?  My last day of working at the museum was July 31, 2017. Retired!!

8. If you had to be trapped in a TV show for a month, which one would you choose?  The Incredible Dr. Pol!  I would love to hang out with those veterinarians and see all the animals.

9. Did you have any type of class trip, band trip, etc in high school? Where did you go, what did you do?  I went on lots of band trips all through high school.  Our senior class trip was to Washington DC and New York City.  We had a blast.

10. Do your feet smell?  I don't think so!!

11. Do you know how to french braid?  I know how but it has been years and years since I tried it.

12. Two guys are walking down the street. One drops his hat and reaches down to pick it up, the other kicks him in the ass. Do you laugh?  Probably!!

13. You wake up one morning and dogs are meowing and cats are meowing - what are fish, elephants, and crocodiles doing?  I have no idea but perhaps they are also meowing...

14. You are going to your high school reunion. What award are you going to win?  Probably nothing.  I won't come the farthest (one lives in CA), I only have three grandchildren, but I might just be the oldest since my birthday is in December and I started school later than most because of it.

15. You find yourself stranded on a deserted island. Soon you find a laptop with a lifelong battery & internet connection, then you find a cave with an endless supply of food and a spring of freshwater. A cruise ship comes along to save you - do you get on it?  Probably, though I might think about it for a few days! LOL

16. How many shortcuts do you have on your desktop?  Too many!  It is probably time to clean house a bit.

17. I offer you a pie... the most delicious pie you have ever seen. You either have to eat the entire thing in one sitting or allow me to slam it into your face, which do you choose?  I could not eat it all in one sitting so go ahead and make me sticky.

18. Are you a pen stealer?  Nope, and I used to hate it when people would walk out of my office with my pen.  I would chase them down!

19. A dude from China comes up and offers you German chocolate cake, French fries, and a Boston cream pie... what color is your car?  My mind is too lazy right now to try to consider if this is a puzzle so I'll just say my car is silver.

20. Sometimes you just have to tap your foot to your favorite song - which tv series season finale are you watching?  We just finished Black Sails (Treasure Island comes to life with Blackbeard, Long John Silver, Captain Vane, and Captain Flint - but not for young audiences!) on Starz and the theme song was a toe-tapper!! 

--------------------------------------------------------

We are blessed to be off to church again today! Three Sundays in a row, now!  We are also blessed that our little retirement community is so far C-19 free!   We haven't been to the pool yet, but we will be starting next week!

Thanks for your visit and comments!

Peace & hugs!  God bless!!

Saturday 9...

A big thanks to Crazy Sam for this week's questions!  Join in HERE!

Beautiful People

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: Beautiful People (2019)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.


1) This song is about the fantasy of being one of the "beautiful people," but how hollow the reality can be. Do you often find yourself envying others for what they have?  I do not.  I will say there were times when I was envious of others but age and experience and a deepening faith have all cured me. I am so very blessed!!

2) Ed Sheeran sings that he and his girl don't fit in well because they're "just ourselves." Who among your close friends do you find it easiest to be "just yourself?"  Joe, of course, but really, all of them. If they are my friend, they know me as I am. That age and experience thing above... I don't really care what others think.  Just get to know me before you pass judgment.  I don't play games.

3) The lyrics refer to Hummers and Lamborghinis. What's your dream ride?  One that starts when I turn the key and gets me from point A to point B.  IF I won the lottery, I might go look at a Land Rover though.

4) Ed believes in giving back. One cause he supports is No Cold Homes, which helps ensure that everyone in the English city of Bristol has the fuel needed to keep their homes safe and comfortable. Here in the United States, he's raised funds for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Is there a cause that's near and dear to your heart?  I have raised quite a bit of money for the American Cancer Society as a Relay For Life team captain for seven years in a row. Now we just support our church and any of the local kids who are selling things for school projects.

5) Ed's arms are covered in tattoos, so clearly he doesn't suffer from trypanophobia or a fear of needles. How about you? Do you look away when the doctor gives you a shot?  I used to hate needles and couldn't look, but I am a 10-gallon blood donor and the needles don't bother me anymore. Not my favorite thing, but they don't bother me.

6) One of Ed's tattoos is a bottle of Heinz Ketchup. What condiments would we find if we peeked into your refrigerator this morning?  Not ketchup.  Joe hates cold ketchup so it stays in the pantry. You will find several mustards, Duke's Mayonnaise, hot sauces, siracha, salad dressings, etc., etc.

7) Ed is a natural redhead, a trait he shares with only 2% of the population. Does red hair run in your family?  It does but passed me by.  My granny was a redhead, my sister Patti is a redhead, and my brother had strawberry blonde hair.  My hair was always light blonde but darkened as I got older (before it turned gray & white). 

8)  In 2019, when this song was released, the FDA recommended the approval of a drug for treating peanut allergies in children. Do you suffer from any food allergies or sensitivities?  No food allergies, evident by my backside.

9) Random question: What of these do you think is the biggest contributing factor to success -- hard work, luck, or talent?  They all come into play but I think talent first, hard work second, and a little luck thrown in for good measure.

--------------------------------------------

Our friends, Al & Theresa, have come out of C-19 hiding and are coming for brunch today! I'm just doing pancakes, eggs, bacon, and a fruit salad.  It will be good to catch up with them!

Peace & hugs!  God bless!!

Friday Fotos...

Carrying on the tradition begun by Deb at Breathing In grace, here are some photos from my week...

You may have seen this one of Facebook. I am trying to learn what crop this is. There are

three fields growing between Lakeland and Tampa. We saw them on the way to

my surgeon's office.  So far the consensus is hemp but that is a guess. 

What do you think?

We were at the farm (Joe's client) Wednesday afternoon.

Pistol and Doc got apples and carrotts.

... and Pistol got a little testy with Doc.  Pistol can be rather aggressive.

Majesty is so beautiful.  He got treats too...

... as did Vanna.

Doc and Pistol were not pleased when I went to see Majesty and Vanna,

God's beauty.  It was so hot, but so green and blue!

Another gorgeous view!

And a lone bull (a very big boy) was in what used to be a goat pasture.

I didn't ask but assume they are keeping him from the girls right now.

The bull's pasture that goes down to the pond.

It was late when we left the farm and had been a long day.  We stopped at

Sonny's BBQ for an early (4:45) dinner before heading on home.

Yesterday was also a busy day. I called Helen to see if they wanted to meet us at

Cheddar's for dinner. We hadn't seen Helen all week.

It is a good picture of Helen but I caught Cheryl with her eyes closed.

We enjoyed our meals and the company. I'm so glad restaurants are open again!

Happy Friday!

Peace & hugs!  God bless!!

Whimsical Wednesday on Thursday...

There are no rules and there is no linky.

Check out the dress and then tell us which shoes she should wear!

It's just a whimsical thing!! 

You can read what others thought in the comments below!

(Photos from the Storybook of Dreams and Beauty.)

I can see this at a gala fundraiser or even an evening wedding MoB/MoG!

Shoe #1 by Chiara Ferragoni

Shoe #2 by Jimmy Choo

Shoe #3 by Aquazzura

My thoughts:   Well, I kind of fell in love with the dress and might even try to wear it (with Spanx!).  I also kind of fell in love with shoe #1, even though I could never wear them or #2 or #3. What are your thoughts?!

------------------------------------------------------------------

Today is also Thankful Thursday over at Rebecca Jo's Knit By God's Hand.  Stop in HERE and share your blessings with others!  I am blessed that my knee has healed and I can start working on it in the pool!!  Thankful for my great surgeon and amazing physical therapists!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for your visit today!  I hope you have fun with this!

Peace & hugs!  God bless!!

The Wednesday Hodgepodge...

I am joining Joyce, From this Sie of the Pond, and all the other Hodgepodgers today.

You can find the questions and join in right HERE!

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 374

1. This time last year where were you?  No big surprise, - right here where I am today!  Though, looking back I see that week we were expecting a visit from blogging friend, Barb, and her Beloved.  Gosh, has it really been a year since that visit?!!

2. In honor of National Pink Day (June 23rd) tell us your favorite pink food or beverage. Was it on the menu at your house yesterday? Do you like to wear the color pink? If we came to visit would we find this color in your home decor? Blush-Fuschia-salmon-raspberry-your favorite shade of pink?  Oh my... I do like pink lemonade; it was not on the menu yesterday but I made a pitcher of Crystal Light pink lemonade last weekend.  I do like to wear pink but only have a couple of things in my closet of that color.  There is no pink in my house but we have a pink flamingo out front.  I like a light shade of pink best, but do have a Fuschia top that I like to wear.

3. Stop and smell the roses, looking through rose-colored glasses, a rose by any other name, not all moonlight and roses, no rose without a thorn...which rosy saying currently fits your life in some way? Explain.   No rose without a thorn... a friend from church/our community group stopped by with a bouquet of roses and a condolence card for us at the death of Joe's brother.  They were roses from her yard and had thorns, plus it was a sad occasion but a sweet gesture.

4. Are you a 'reader'? Do you tend to read lighter books in the summer months? Do you have a summer reading list? If so, give us a title or two.  I AM a reader and read for entertainment/enjoyment so lighter books are usually what I choose.  I love reading cozy mysteries and normally get them for free on my Kindle.  Of course, I read my Bible daily, following our Community Bible Reading guide from our church.  

5. Share with us one rose and one thorn from your weekend.  The rose was that we joined other worshipers at our church on Sunday - second Sunday in a row that we were back together!!  I can't think of a thorn unless it was doing laundry on Saturday... but even that is always a good thing.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  Not so random... I am off to Tamps this morning for my final visit with the surgeon (until September, anyway).  I am anxious to have him sign off on my knee so I'll be allowed to get in the pool and continue getting some exercise by walking in the water - aqua-fit.  

I have been texting with the woman who was my roommate in the hospital.  When we learned we were both from Lakeland we had a bond.  Then we had the same nurse for our home care.  Of course, we both had the same surgeon.  She had her hip done and I had my knee.  Anyway, her home therapy has taken longer but we are beginning to talk about getting together for lunch soon.   It is fun having a new friend from such crazy circumstances!  Her name is Susan.

Some folks asked about our "cat circus" yesterday.  It really is a circus when we have to round up all three cats for a visit to the Vet.  All doors get shut so they can't go under beds, etc., and we do our best to get them corraled into a smaller area where we can catch them.  Lilly made it to the top of the kitchen cupboards, in spite of our efforts, and Lucy was under a loveseat.  Vinny just gave up. We did manage to get them all to their appointments, though, and they are good to go for another year!!  Here they are, lined up in the back seat, in their carriers.  Shots done and nails clipped...

Thanks for stopping by!! Happy hump day!

Peace & hugs!  God bless!!

No Tuesday 4 ???

I've been watching for the Tuesday 4 questions and at bedtime, they have not yet appeared.  

?????????

Wishing you a happy Tuesday!

We will be capturing cats for a trip to the vet this afternoon.

Wish us luck!!

Peace & hugs!!  God bless!!

Monday's Weekend Recap...

I hope everyone had a decent weekend.  Ours was a bit lazy but we got some stuff done.

Thursday was my physical therapy.  We are concentrating on strengthening my knees and hips.  I am learning that my hips are in terrible shape.  Not the joints, just that I have been so sedentary for so long...

Friday was another lazy day with nothing on the calendar. Nice.

Saturday, we had a 4-page grocery list (not really 4 pages) so we were off to Publix.  The bagger had to use two carts to get us out the door... it was that bad.  She even asked me how I got it all into one cart! LOL  (I'm good!)  It is nice to have the fridge and pantry restocked again.  When I finally got everything put away, I started the laundry and got it all done before bedtime.

Yesterday, we were off to church for the second Sunday in a row!  It sure feels good to be there in person.  We stopped at a local Italian Deli (Uncle Nick's) for Joe's preferred Father's Day meal of an Italian sub.  I got a Sweet Caroline sub (ham & cheese).  They were so big that we ate half for lunch and saved the other half for our dinner.  Joe took a nap after lunch.  He heard from our son, Joey, who is in Kuwait, Friday night, DIL Darlene called yesterday, and we heard from our son, Jeff, yesterday.  Joe got texts from the grandkids and from a couple of our nieces. The D'Orsaneo nieces are so good about keeping in touch with their Uncle Joe.  Hoping for a visit from some of them again soon.

We have nothing on the calendar today but I should do a little cleaning.  Tomorrow, Joe takes the car in for an oil change in the morning and we finally have an appointment in the afternoon to get all three cats to the vet for their annual shots and checkups. It will be another circus around here, trying to capture them and get them into their carriers.

Wednesday morning, I go for my final knee check-up, over in Tampa.  We will go to the farm (Joe's client) in the afternoon.  I hope to get the okay to go to the pool for some aqua-therapy. The incision has healed nicely (as far as I'm concerned).  How was your weekend?  It was heart-warming to see all of the dad photos on Facebook yesterday. I know many were not blessed by a loving dad and I count my blessings knowing that I was.

Happy week, y'all, and thanks for your visit!

Peace & hugs!!  God bless!!