Camera Crazy

I used to be someone who you might call, "confidant with color." Picking paint colors was pretty much simply a matter of thinking I wanted, say, a green bedroom, and going to Sherwin Williams and choosing one I liked. Perhaps the turning point for me was when I met Cheryle who is really, really confidant with color. Now, when I want to paint something Bruce says fine but why not consult with Cheryle? And so I do, but not before going through a big rigamarole first!

I did tell you I wanted to have the house painted didn't I? I felt the same way in November 2009 when the house looked like this:
Before that, when we moved in, it was peach with white trim, and forest green doors. I had it painted sage when that color was all the rage. This photo also shows the big oak that used to be outside Bruce's office window before we had to take it down. :(

During the height of the recession, when we were fortunate to escape any hardship, I decided to go light on the house. Calling…

Starting with a photo of my beautiful new hanging geranium before getting into the nitty gritty.

This article, posted by one of Matt's friends, brought back so many memories of my early days as both a student, and x-ray tech. To say that the piece is good is not nearly enough praise. As such, I thought today I might veer a bit from my usual fluff pieces, and dredge up a few of those memories.

I, too, was just 17 years old when I began x-ray school at Winter Park Memorial Hospital. Little did I know what I was getting myself into. First, it should be noted, I got into the program after learning about the profession from one of my sister Maureen's friends who had gone the same route. Convincing my father that I should do so was the first hurdle. The cost of the two year program was $100, and $125 for books. My eagerness was fueled by the opportunity to return to Orlando and be with Bruce. Eventually my Dad was on board, and I moved in with Maureen and her daughter Elizabeth on Ze…

I've got two choices in front of me---doing all the stacked up dishes in the kitchen from our guests last evening, or writing. Which is more fun? Writing it is....

Sunday's market was better than expected, what with it being the weekend of both, the
Bay Hill golf tournament, and the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival, two of the biggest events of the year. Spurts of big crowds happened every now and again, but more importantly, the Canadian woman I was talking to when I fell ill came to see me. Meet Linda! And, wouldn't you know it, I screwed up her photo!
Looking at it just now I recall she wasn't going to look at the camera, deciding apparently at the last minute to do so, thus, the non-focus on her face. Nevertheless, it was so helpful to hear from her, what she saw happen. Furthermore, I learned it was she who grabbed the policeman, telling him to call the ambulance. I've wondered about how she must have felt seeing me go down like I did, and now I know. If only …

A high note indeed. Not only did my darling husband return from his four days away, BUT I received the good news that the test for c-diff was negative!! If that isn't enough to make a girl happy, I don't know what is. Apparently, it takes time for things to work properly after having a colon infection.

With that out of the way, let's move onto something other than toilet talk.

I'd spent the week eating some seriously crazy dinners, including one night of popcorn. So, once I knew I had the go ahead, I asked B about going to eat at Chuy's, a new place, or new to us, only a few miles away. Thinking the name sounded familiar, I checked with Jonathan, and indeed, it is his favorite taco place from Austin. With that endorsement, we checked it out.
The food was seriously yummy, while the place was seriously busy. They make their own tortillas:
Because Bruce slept poorly while away, we did not linger, and I'm glad that was the case because the setting sun we saw on our…

And, just like that, the blooms are gone. Sarah, a friend on fb pointed out how when the trees are going crazy in Florida, it is sort of like fall in the North. I like that comparison. Ahh...if only their beauty stayed around longer. I can't seem to stop myself from taking this same photograph of our neighbor's yard, year after year, not only because I love the old chairs but, that yellow carpet!
Can you blame me? Early this morning I read this informative article in the Sentinel, and before I'd had time to write this, our niece Laura posted it on my fb wall! Click here to learn how they came to grace the Orlando landscape. I like how he used the term "supernova" in the article!

My yellow covered tree, just like that, is no more.
The bench looks pretty vibrant though. The salvia I plucked from the side of the road is showing signs of new life. Look who I found sunning on one of the blooms.
I really love my home, I do, but after staying home alone for two days, I …

Well, this is one way to lose weight, not that I was trying to, however, it appears to be a fact of life for me at the moment. My innards just don't seem to want to return to normal, so I'm being re-tested. Bummer....

On a happier note though, let's talk about how wonderful this time of year is in Central Florida. And do you want to know just why it is so marvelous? The tabebuia trees are blooming everywhere, and I mean everywhere, even in your blogger's yard! Maybe six years ago, somewhere in that time frame, we had a yard guy for about a year who planted a baby tree in our yard. Except it was pink. Pink can be a glorious color, however, when it comes to the tabebuia tree, yellow reigns supreme. Or, at least I think it does. He was kind enough to switch it out with a little whining from you know who.

While Northerners are just digging their cars out from the snow, down here, people are getting a blossom shower! I put together a little collage of some nearby trees, and…