Memory is begining to fade....

Is this happening to you too?  I write myself notes so I can remember to blog about them....but half the time I forget to write the note!  I don't know why I can't blog everyday, it's not like I don't have the time...I always promise myself to do better, yet I put it off.

Last Monday Jim worked in the office all day.  The cabins have been standing empty lately, so I guess you'd call this the slow season.  It was sunny but cool, low 60's.  There's a cold front coming and predictions of freezes have me wondering about the winter here.  It's only November and they're predicting a freeze!!!???  Oh Well, time will tell

Tuesday was a rainy start and most of the day was gloomy.  I couldn't put it off any longer, we needed some groceries and I had an order to pick up at Viva la Verde.  I had gotten a sample of pecan butter and needed more.  This concoction is very good!  I even got some for Sonsearae.  So after making the bed and getting dressed I headed to Crescent City.   I was lucky and dodged the rain showers

While I was gone Jim vacuumed and dusted and did the breakfast dishes.  Gotta a love a man who helps with my chores!   Of course this wore him out so he took a nap and missed the appearance of the sun around 1400.

When I defrosted the freezer the other day I found a small steak and had mentioned it to Jim.  So he said he'd like to grill out sometime this week and I had it in my mind that tonight was the night.  The rain had mostly passed and the temperature was nice even if it was dark by the time we have dinner. I fixed twice backed potatoes for us and Jim fired up the grill....don't you know halfway through the cooking process the rain started coming down pretty heavy!  His steak was cooked, whew!  But it meant cleaning the grill was tricky.  Between showers Jim managed to get er done.  

Are you a Star Trek fan?  I love most of the series and watch them whenever I can.  Tuesday we watched a couple episodes of The Next Generation

The rain continued off and on all night as this cold front pushed through.  I like it when it rains at night, the gentle sound on the roof is soothing to me.  What about you?  I'm not talking about those storms that rock the rig, but a gentle coming and going of rain pattering on the roof.

105 days

• 9,113,581 seconds
• 151,893 minutes (rounded down)
• 2531 hours (rounded down)
• 105 days (rounded down)
• 15 weeks

Short and Sweet

From our home to yours, may this day be filled with family, friends and fabulous food

No matter where you are today share the love for this day will day come again

New Faucet

On Friday the sun made an appearance around 1430 but that only lasted about 10 minutes.  But the rain had stopped so that was good!

Saturday was a wonderful day!  Jim said we could have days like this all the time and he'd be happy.  After breakfast Jim did the dishes and set about installing the new kitchen faucet.  This is his second one and I believe he's getting better as a handyman.  The main problem with installing is the tight quarters he has to work in.  I cleared out from under the sink and let him have the space.  We both grabbed a quick bite to eat about this time...peanut butter sandwiches.  I didn't time it and there is no way I could take pictures of the process but as you can see we have a lovely new faucet!



After he put away his tools and cleaned his mess I set about putting all the 'stuff' back under the sink.  Jim took his rags to be washed and came back to have some lunch, you see he skipped breakfast he was so eager to get this job done and his peanut butter sandwich had worn off.  But I suggested we go to 3 Bananas and sit outside with some cold beer.  My handyman deserved a reward!

So we hopped in the truck and headed for Crescent City.  At 1330 it was in the mid 80's and the breeze off the water was wonderful.  We ordered a pitcher of Shock Top and we each got a bite to eat.  Chicken quesadilla for Jim and I had a chicken sandwich

These pictures were taken after lunch, but you can see how lovely our view was

The back of the restaurant looks out over the lake and two sides have a screened porch.  We sat right about where the palm tree on the right is located

There were coots on the water and this heron and grackle sat still long enough for photos

Back home we just enjoyed the rest of this balmy day.  Had our coffee sitting outside on the patio.  We just ate snacks or leftovers for dinner and listened to music most of the evening.

Sunday Jim worked in the morning cleaning a cottage.  With many hands to help it usually doesn't take long.  He was home in time for lunch and football.  He was hungry and opened a can of soup.  I think he was chilled! The day started in the low 60's and it didn't warm up at all.  Matter of fact the temperature kept dropping and the winds picked up.  At 1530 it was 59 degrees...what a difference a day makes!
We had the space heater on so it wasn't to cold inside.

I cooked up a pot of pinto beans and nuked a pot of rice and had that for lunch.  With no Saints game we watched the Chiefs, then the Giants.

For dinner I fixed mashed potatoes and peas for us and Jim had a mini pot roast from Schwann's.  Perfect dinner on a chilly day.  Jim tested the furnace to make sure it works, it does..So when it really gets cold we can use it.

On Sunday I passed 60,000 page views...I'm amazed that 1 anyone reads my blog
2 that so many people have checked it out

Thank you!

110 days

• 9,536,076 seconds
• 158,934 minutes (rounded down)
• 2648 hours (rounded down)
• 110 days (rounded down)
• 15 weeks (rounded down)

Birth of a New Tradition

I received an email from Pat Bonish owner of Low-Key Hideaway Motel in Cedar Key, Florida.  This really struck a chord in me...the older I get, the more consumerism I see, makes me sad.  We don't don't need more stuff!

"As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods -- merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American labor.

This year will be different. This year Americans will give the gift of genuine concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American hands. Oh.... Yes there is! It is time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper? Here are a few ideas to keep your money close to home and keep it in American hands.

Everyone – yes, EVERYONE, gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates from your local American hair salon or barber?

Find a local artist, painter, photographer, wood carver or potter and either buy some of their work to give as a gift, or get a gift certificate from them to give as a present.

Every family loves to have family portraits taken. Find a local photographer and get a gift certificate for a friend for a sit-down family photo to be taken. This is something they’ll cherish for decades, even generations to come. Long after that cheap plastic toy or trinket has been thrown away.

Gym membership? It's appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some health improvement.

Gift certificates as gifts to the local restaurants/pizza joints/bars that are supporting local workers, tax payers and your local community.

Who wouldn't appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American owned detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a book of gift certificates.

Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plunking down the Benjamins on a Chinese-made flat-screen TV? Perhaps that grateful gift receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local golf course.

There are a gazillion owner-run restaurants -- all offering gift certificates. And, if your intended isn't the fancy eatery sort, what about a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint.

Remember, folks this isn't about big National chains -- this is about supporting your home town Americans with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.

How many people couldn't use an oil change for their car, truck or motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy?

Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a local cleaning lady for a day.

My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some young guy who is struggling to get his repair business up and running.

OK, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people spin their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, and pottery and beautiful wooden boxes. Support your local artists first and foremost

Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave your server a nice tip. This is keeping your hard earned money as close to home as you can!

And, how about going out to see a play or ballet at your hometown theatre. Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.

Honestly people, do you REALLY need to buy another ten thousand Chinese lights for the house? When you buy a five dollar string of lights, about fifty cents stays in the community.

If you have those kinds of bucks to burn, leave the mailman, trash guy or babysitter a nice BIG tip.

You see, Christmas is no longer about draining American pockets so that China can build another glittering city. Christmas is now about caring about US (We the People), encouraging American small businesses to keep plugging away to follow their dreams. And, when we care about other Americans, we care about our communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we could not imagine."

THIS is the new American Christmas tradition!!

Please pass this around. We can make a difference. Can't we?

Just catching up

Sunday turned out to be an overcast, rainy day.  Couldn't think of anything better to do while Jim was at work so I defrosted the freezer.  Not the most exciting thing to do but necessary.  Jim was cleaning today so he was home for lunch and then a nap.

About this time the clouds were clearing and it was a sultry 83 degrees by 1400.

Of course we watched the New Orleans Saints squeeze in a win, 23-20 over the 49er's...that was a nail biter!

Monday Jim worked and I did laundry...and what's up with me and Facebook?  I can't get my laptop or iPad to load the page.  Jim can't either and another two folks here can't either.  It has to be their problem as we can get other websites to open and display properly.

I finished my crochet scarf...I really like the colors on this.  The pattern is a simple shell stitch

There are details on the Crochet page if you're interested in the size and price.

Tuesday started out cool but it wasn't to cold to sit out at Corky Bell's and enjoy a seafood lunch with ice cold beer!   Jim had fried shrimp with cheese grits and a baked potato while I had grilled flounder and shrimp with green beans and slaw.  If you recall, they serve two for one beer and we did...On the way home we stopped at Dollar General and Family Dollar and bought something in each store.  Once we got home Jim needed a nap and I actually snoozed for a bit on the recliner.

TV wise, Tuesday is NCIS night so that's how we ended the day.

Wednesday Jim emptied the black tank and I did laundry.  I think I stripped the bed.....so hard to remember all this exciting stuff!  Mid morning it started to rain and continued for the rest of the day.  We started watching the Count of Monte Cristo with Gerard Depardieu on Netflix.  It's a mini series and it was in French...We watched two episodes and then we watched Inspector Morse.

Just before we went to bed we discovered the upstairs air conditioner doesn't work.  Geeze, another repair to take care of.  It's the same problem we had last September and we're pretty sure we're going to have to replace the compressor

Thursday it rained all day....just a steady, gentle rain mixed with misty rain.  We've been having trouble with our kitchen faucet, it won't stop the water flow without a lot of hassle.  So after lunch we headed to Home Depot because I had a $5 off $50 coupon.  Found a faucet we both liked and bought it along with an Amaryllis bulb and a couple clamps. Didn't use the coupon but did get a 10 percent Military discount.

We finished watching the Count of Monte Cristo and we both agreed it was excellent!  We then had dinner and showered in time to watch the Saints!  Another Squeaker!!!!  17-13 was the final score.  We stayed up past our bedtime just to make sure they won against the Atlanta Falcons.  This is a division rivalry and always makes for an intense game.

Jim is working this rainy Friday.  We got some news we've been expecting.  Kathy and John should be here in two weeks.  John is Jim's younger brother.  This will be their first 'snowbird' season.  Hopefully they'll enjoy  visiting with us and perhaps we can teach them something about our way of life.  First lesson!  Live by the number 2....stop driving by 2 pm or 200 hundred miles whichever comes first!   Remember, it's the journey not the destination...

113 days

• 9,779,565 seconds
• 162,992 minutes (rounded down)
• 2716 hours (rounded down)
• 113 days (rounded down)
• 16 weeks (rounded down)

Where were you?

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the death of John F Kennedy.  Do you remember what you were doing when you first heard the news?  I was cleaning the living room, one of my chores after school was to take the dust mop and clean around the carpet.  The radio was on when I heard the awful news and I remember letting loose of the handle and hearing it hit the floor.  I suppose this is the first time that the outside world affected me, a high school student.  He was such a popular man and along with his wife, I was more aware of politics and life outside of my home.

So where were you?

This week in Welaka

Monday was Veteran's Day and we didn't do much of anything...just stayed home and enjoyed each other's company.  Jim was still battling his mouth infection.  We watched an episode of Inspector Morse on Netflix

Tuesday started started off with fog and at 0630 the temperature was 68.  We had a list of items that we know are cheaper at Walmart so we made a run to pick them up.  We also made a stop at Dollar Tree and Publix.  Wonderful weather day and we sat outside with our afternoon coffee

Wednesday Jim had to work.  During the night a cold front started coming through and our temperature never got above 60....I had the fireplace on all day.  We also had repairmen show up at the same time to fix two different problems!  The wash machine was not agitating properly and about a week prior I discovered oil on the floor.  Apparently it needs a new transmission.  Good news, it's still under warranty and the fix will be free.  The washer still works so I'm continuing to use it.  It will get repaired the day before Thanksgiving

The other repairman was for our electric hot water heater.  It stopped working again.  This repair cost us but at least now we have hot water using the electric heater.  The wires behind the unit was the culprit.  Once he replaced those everything worked just fine!

Thursday Jim had to work and I did laundry.  It was a crisp fall day that started out at 47 degrees.

Friday started out rainy and chilly...around 0930 we made the decision to go out!  Why stay home a grumble about the weather?  We headed to Jacksonville around 1030 in the drizzly rain.  Once we arrived at St John's Town Center it was time for lunch and we stopped in at BJ's Brewhouse.  First time since we left the RGV.

Had a lovely lunch with a couple of brews.  Jim had tacos, either fish or shrimp, can't remember and I had soup and salad.

Our first stop was a mistake!  We both like the REI store and I found a few things that came home with us.  A jacket, finger-less gloves, a hooded sweat shirt and a Fitbit for me.  Jim didn't buy anything!

One of the reasons for this particular shopping center was to take my iPad to the Apple store.  For some time I've not unplugged my iPad for fear I'd never get it recharged again.  The original cord had stopped working and I was using the iPod cord which didn't fit properly. We were even looking into replacing the tablet....no need to!  All it needed was a new cord.  Cheap fix...

We stopped in at Starbucks and took advantage of the BOGO they had going on.  Jim got a peppermint mocha coffee and I tried the caramel creme brule frappachino.  My coffee was a creamy sweet treat that is good maybe once in a lifetime!  

We wandered through Williams Sonoma mostly because I love the store but also because there was a wonderful aroma wafting out of the doors.  They had turkey and stuffing to sample and it was yummy!  We could have had our lunch there.

No rainy day would be complete without stopping in at Barnes and Nobles so we spent an hour or so there before heading home.  Boo was mighty glad to see us!  It was past his dinner time...

Saturday Jim worked outside most of the morning doing various chores he had.  You know, there's always a list of little jobs 'you'll get to'.  This was that day.

After lunch he took a much deserved nap.  Boo is keeping us awake nights with scratching.  I wish we could figure out what it is that causes it.  I'm sure it's allergies but just like humans it costs to test.  During the afternoon a light rain started falling and it continued on through the evening and night.

It's now Sunday morning and it's still overcast but no rain.  And it is a lot warmer.  I think our high today will be in the low 80's.  Jim will be working but should be home in time for the Saint's Football game later this afternoon.

There you have it, the week in review!

118 days

• 10,235,400 seconds
• 170,590 minutes
• 2843 hours (rounded down)
• 118 days (rounded down)
• 16 weeks (rounded down)

Fort Matanzas

Our destination Saturday was Ft Matanzas but we had to make some stops along the way.  The day was lovely and during the course of the afternoon I heard many people express this many times.

After breakfast and doing the morning chores we dressed and headed to St Augustine.  Our first stop was Bed, Bath and Beyond.  For Veterans they had 20 percent off your entire purchase so we decided to see what they had that we couldn't live without.  I found some serving pieces to go with our new silverware (more on that in another post) and we found a rug that fit the front door entry...have to laugh, we don't have a back door!

Next I dashed into Michael's right next door for some crafting supplies and Horehound drops for Jim.  I picked some up last time we were here and he likes them...

Next we headed to Verizon to see if the screen protectors for Jim's phone were in stock....they were. 

Whew all this shopping makes you hungry! Across the street was a Carrabba's so we popped in for a wonderful lunch.  Jim had Sangria and I had Chianti to drink with the delicious bread and olive oil they supply you with while waiting for our meal.  Jim ordered a shrimp Alfredo dish and I had linguine with tomatoes, mushrooms, artichokes and garlic.  I brought a lot home and they gave me another loaf of bread to eat with it!

Then it was off to Diane's Natural Market for some coffee creamer.  I'm not sure why, but they always give me a hard time with coupons!

Now that the shopping is out of the way we headed for the coast.  Driving south on A1A is always enjoyable and before long we were pulling into Ft Matanzas National Monument By the way, there is no charge to enter



After a short, free ferry ride we disembarked to tour this well preserved fort. I think this is the smallest fort I've ever seen.  It's 50 feet on either side with a 30 foot tower.  Only seven men were assigned here.  One officer, four infantrymen and two gunners.  The brochure say up to 50 men could be here during a crisis...I think it would be standing room only!

 

I have to admit the view from all four sides would keep me entertained.

 

 

 

 

 

After the tour we headed across the street to the beach.  there was a northeast wind blowing and the waves were pretty

 

Continuing down A1A we stopped in at this gallery because of this guy out front.  He is a huge driftwood sculpture

Baliker Gallery

Head here to see more  pictures of sculptures Of course not all of them are at this gallery.  But if we had a yard I'd be tempted to buy one.

After drooling over the artworks inside and outside we hopped back into the truck, heading south and stopped in at Washington Gardens State Park.  No camping here but it's great for gatherings and picnics. Great park on both sides of the highway. Access to the intracoastal waterway on the west for fishing and the Atlantic for the ocean

By now we're about done for the day so we headed further south on A1A to Flagler Beach where it looked like something was happening...cars and people everywhere!  We just kept driving heading west and going home.

Sunday Jim woke up with an infection in his mouth.  It really looked like someone punched him and it would have been comical except he was in pain also. Still he went to work and I planned mushy foods for him to eat.

The Saints played the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football and we watched until they pulled Drew Brees from the game.  We looked and looked but couldn't see Sonsearae and Chris in the crowd!  They went over to New Orleans for the weekend to see the game and to have fun with friends who happen to be Cowboy fans.

122 days

• 10,540,800 seconds
• 175,680 minutes
• 2928 hours
• 122 days
• 17 weeks (rounded down)

Zoya, Art of Beauty

Do you polish your nails?  Now I'm sure the male readers of this blog don't but do you ladies give yourselves manicures and pedicures?

One of the things I stopped doing when my eyes got cloudy was doing my nails...I made a mess of it most of the time and it frustrated me.  So along with reading long periods of time and working on the computer I just stopped.

Well I can see again and I love doing my nails!  First I did my toes but I'll spare you a picture of that.  For the most part I use Zoya because it's vegan.  It doesn't have formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, camphor or dibutyl phthalate, what they call the Big 5.  Since it doesn't smell it isn't necessary to wait until Jim is out of the house to use it.


Isn't that pretty?

OK, done with that on with the rest of this update.

Last Friday the weather was perfect for outdoor work and Jim was on the roof pressure washing it.  One bad thing about living in a humid area is the upkeep on the rig.  It gets nasty and looks really bad.  It was so nice that he ended up washing the whole rig!

Meanwhile inside I stripped the bed.  While doing that I was started by a lizard!  This anole was just hanging around near the ceiling watching everything that was going on.  I tried to catch him but he was to fast and he ducked under the bed somewhere.  I did keep looking for him all day and spotted him once or twice but no luck in capturing him.  I think this is the third one we've had indoors, who knows how many have wandered in and are lurking about?

I am happy to report that after my evening shower we discovered this five inch lizard in the top of the shower door.  Jim was able to capture it and toss it outside.  Good thing, because I can't imagine trying to sleep knowing this little dragon was in the bedroom just waiting to pounce on us while we sleep!

124 days

• 10,713,600 seconds
• 178,560 minutes
• 2976 hours
• 124 days
• 17 weeks (rounded down)

Veterans Day 2013

How many Veterans do you personally know?  Have you thanked them?

In my family there are quite a few and starting with my Husband, James P Goudelock USN Retired I'd like to thank them and list them here

Our daughter Sonsearae D Stanley USN
Jim's son William S Stoneback USN retired
Jim's Father Hugh J Goudelock USA Air Corp
My Father William C Reichow USA
My Paternal Grandfather George Reichow USN
cousins of mine
Fred Raby USN
Charles Jones USN
David Maynard USA

And any that I may have missed, I thank you!

Also to the families of Military personnel....they serve too, by holding down the home front and dealing with all the mundane, I salute you!  I've been there.

Whatever happened to the Vets who handed out red poppies on this day?  I guess WWII is all but forgotten...

I dream of giving birth to a child who will ask, "Mother, what was war?"  ~Eve Merriam

Pedaling around Welaka

Monday Jim worked all day and our weather was wonderful.  It warmed up to about 75 degrees

Tuesday was another day to visit Jacksonville.  I had my followup visit with the eye doctor and the appointment was at 1450.  We left around 1030 and had a leisurely drive to St Augustine with the intention of catching A1A and driving north to Jacksonville.  Well we missed the first turnoff and had to drive inland for a bit until we caught highway 210 to Ponte Vedra Beach. We had time so it was no big deal.

When we made it to Jacksonville Beach we were getting hungry so I was assigned the task of finding a place to eat...Apparently Jim was hungry because he turned in at the first restaurant I mentioned!  But we didn't eat there.  Across the street I spotted Jason's Deli where we ended up splitting a muffaletta that was really tasty! Almost as good as Central Market in New Orleans.  We both agreed it could use more olive salad. It came with a ton of chips and we chose water to drink.

We still had time to kill so we wandered around the Home Goods store next door.  I'll bet a third of the store was devoted to Christmas items.  It's way to early for this!!!  Every year the Christmas Season starts earlier and earlier.  It's not about decorating people!

When we had explored all of the store we left and made our way to the Atlantic Eye Institute.  

I should mention that when we left home the weather was nice and we both were in shorts and sandals.  Jacksonville is a bit northeast and as the day wore on the temperature kept dropping.  When we popped into the Institute it was 68 degrees and dropped to 64 while we were in there!

My exam turned out great.  My current prescription is good and I don't need to buy new glasses unless I want to make a fashion statement.

It was around 1530 when we headed home and coffee sounded good but no Starbucks nearby...so we just drove on.  It started raining about two thirds the way home.  Not real heavy but enough to make you stay alert.

Once home I changed into long pants and put some socks on!  I was chilled by the cooler temperature and damp conditions.

There was a last minute booking and Jim ended up working Wednesday for a few hours.  No matter, it rained off and on most of the day.

Yesterday we went for a bike ride!  Not far, I think Jim said it was just under 5 miles.  But we went up and down the streets here in Welaka and found the Sandhill Cranes and some flowers and fall color


My Trike

I love these palm trees, they look so elegant

I've leaned these are called beauty berries and one of my neighbors even made a jelly from them.  Tasty!

The river was almost glassy

This moss had some fall leaves from a vine

huge morning glories among the beauty berries and if you look on the upper right you can see some lantana with it's tiny orange flowers

I think it would be awesome to look out my window and see these lovely cranes in my yard.  I expect folks around here are used to it and don't see them

Rain Trees are the only large fall color happening around here.  I have noticed the cypress trees are dropping their needles which carpets the ground with a rusty color.  Of course all the oaks are dropping acorns too

We were home from our ride just after the noon hour.  Time for lunch!  After lunch Jim napped, apparently worn out from all the fresh air and our ride

Once he was up I got busy roasting some pumpkin seeds using some Chevy's Fuego Spice Mix to take to the pizza pot luck.  We spent a couple hours playing games and reading on the computers and having our afternoon coffee.

I grabbed a bite to eat and then we headed to the pot luck just after 1800.  Besides my seeds and various pizzas there was a huge salad (with no cheese!) and a trifle that Sarah made.  Jim had two helpings so it must have been good. I did partake of the salad and sprinkled some of my seeds on it.

We both had a good time but when everyone migrated to the fire we headed home.  A quick shower and a quiet evening is how we ended the day

128 days

• 11,059,200 seconds
• 184,320 minutes
• 3072 hours
• 128 days
• 18 weeks (rounded down)

Back to the Normal Routine

Why is it, when you've eaten a good meal, that the next day you 'suffer' from it?  Thursday was a ho-hum day just hanging around the house not doing much.  We weren't sick, just lethargic.

Our chores were done, Jim took off and ran errands like filling the propane tank and picking up the parts to repair the toilet. He also dropped off the old batteries to be recycled.

The rest of the day was quiet...just us on our computers and we didn't go to the pot luck.

Friday I made a grocery run and Jim fixed the toilet.  I bought a loaf of Tuscan bread and decided potato soup would go well with it!  Brought a pizza home for lunch.

Saturday we had plans to head to the Pioneer Settlement south of here but it rained most of the day, thus we stayed in just amusing ourselves on the computer.

The rain ended and brought cooler temperatures.  This time of year can be challenging because I get to make the bed several times a day it seems.  Quilts off, comforter on, comforter off, quilts on...We do enjoy sleeping under the comforter when the temperature drops below 55 degrees.  Sometimes we have to run the AC when we first go to bed to keep from roasting under the covers!

We managed to slip out of daylight savings time just fine...I think Boo had an issue with it.  Loosing an hour of sleep is no big deal when you can sleep in!

Sunday Jim worked but was home by lunchtime.  We were able to watch the Saints game.  What an awful game!  Apparently Boo doesn't like it when we watch football, he spends most of the time hiding in the bedroom...I guess I make to much noise :-)

We had spring rolls during the game so I wasn't hungry for dinner.  We just had 'skip it's' as my friend Anne says.

129 days

• 11,145,600 seconds
• 185,760 minutes
• 3096 hours
• 129 days
• 18 weeks (rounded down)

Day of the Dead Dinner

This past week has gone by quickly!  Last Sunday we both worked, Jim cleaning cottages and me doing housework.  I also baked some Lemon Poppy seed muffins

Monday Jim worked but I can't recall if it was all day or just a cleaning day.  When he cleans everyone is off when the cabins are done.  If he works in the office he doesn't get home until after 1700.  Don't have a clue as to what I did...couldn't have been all that exciting

Tuesday we drove to Jacksonville for another eye procedure. This time it was my right eye and it was as easy as the last time.  Jim also had his eyes examined and he ordered new glasses.  I have to go back Tuesday for a followup and with a lot of luck I won't need new glasses.  Maybe Jim's glasses will be ready and we can skip going to Jax for a few weeks!  We also had lunch at Whole Foods followed by  some shopping for groceries.

Wednesday was a slow day.  Jim putzed around outside doing a few things. Nothing strenuous because we had dinner plans!

Because I signed up for emails we learned that De La Vega would have a Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) dinner.  We rarely eat out at night, mostly because it costs more than the lunch menu.  But this was special and we made reservations for 1800.  We both like Latino food and eager to try this restaurant again.





It was a set menu and everyone got pumpkin soup, a pupusa (thick corn tortilla with a queso/onion filling topped with mole sauce), choice of entree and pumpkin flan for dessert.  There were three entrees to choose from, Jim chose the chicken and I chose the chipotle glazed salmon.  All of this was delicioso!  We started with a glass of Merlot from Chile and with our meal I had a Chardonnay and Jim chose Sangria (which turned out to be two for one!).  We also enjoyed the guitar music and singing.  Interesting to hear a Latino singing Neil Diamond and other pop songs.  But he did sing some Spanish love songs and even did a mariachi tune.

It was a lovely evening that lasted over two hours.  We had a good time chatting with the couples on either side of us.  We met and talked with Chef Nora and learned she is from Mexico City.  How she landed in the college town of Deland is  a mystery that perhaps we'll learn another time because I'm sure we'll go back.  She said they plan on doing evenings like this again and mentioned New Years Eve.  Now that would be fun!