All Over Town....

or so it seemed. Firs,t I drove out to get the first oil change for my Pilot this morning on South Orange Blossom Trail, followed by a trip to Longwood which is in the COMPLETE opposite direction.

Is it just me, or do some of you mind the incessant noise everywhere you go? Seeking some semblance of quiet, I went outside at the Honda dealership to read my book, sitting at a picnic table already occupied by "Dee." Asking if she minded if I joined her, she said "no, of course sit here, the weather is beautiful." And so I did. After introducing herself, she proceeded to tell me all of her family details which is pretty normal for folks I'm talking to. What most surprised me though was the fact that she was there to think about MAYBE replacing her Honda Pilot, although it is still running just fine with 250,000 miles!!! I've put close to 5,000 miles on mine since I purchased it in early April, so I'm thinking I may very well have this car until I die! Not only do I have fresh oil, but I have a sparkling clean vehicle so that my darling eldest son, along with his charming boyfriend, can ride around in style when they arrive from London tomorrow evening. Well, maybe not style, but at least in a clean vehicle. Bruce, after unloading following yesterday's market, vacuumed it like nobodies business, however, there was no time to wash the monster as it was already getting dark. Having a silver car is the best--I'm pretty sure this is maybe only the third washing?

Following the oil change, and a stop by the house to not only eat, but to check on the laundry, I got on I-4, heading to Longwood, more specifically--Petty's Meats. Although they've been in business for 33 years, this is my first visit to the family-owned store. Think before Whole Foods, Fresh Market, and the like. They were here before the big boys. All of my sons are difficult to find neat Christmas gifts for, meaning every year I struggle trying to think of things that might delight them. Anyway, Mr. Grill Guy, who has pretty much everything, and makes more money than we do, is one of the hardest to shop for. Then, the other day I thought of Petty's--thus my trip for a gift certificate. The place is jam-packed with delicious foods, not just meat. I saw a jar of Biscoff spread there! If you've ever flown Delta you'll know Biscoff as the deliciously addictive cookies served onboard. The bakery case was pretty darn yummy looking.

Rudolph's Nose indeed. See that lonely eclair in the case? It's found a home. :)

I'll tell you what--the traffic on a few roads was pretty darn heavy. On my way home from the oil change, instead of taking Taft-Vineland Road, like I should have, I drove down the Trail, and got stuck in this mess around noon time.

Just so you don't get all worried about me driving and taking photos, I was sitting, patiently waiting.The photo is one taken with Snapseed, a phone app that links to Google +. I wish more folks used Google+ because it is very good looking, as are all things Google in my book. I tapped the drama editing button to make it more intense. In the foreground is my shiny, clean car!

So, anyway, while I was in Longwood, I delivered my sister Lisa's birthday gift, although I had to leave it on the porch because she was not home to receive it. Lisa is quite the project girl--even more than I am. This must be a reclaimed high chair:

Super cute isn't it? And then there is her beloved fountain in the front yard which I'm quite envious of, if I do say so myself.

I quit writing to fix my dinner of polenta, sliced tomatoes, and carrots and radishes, and while finishing up the preparations, Lisa called saying she was delighted with her little turtle box.

Speaking of presents, I received my first Christmas gift from Bev last week, a set, and I mean a huge set, of notecards, she purchased from a favorite Michigan artist, Gwen Frostic. To say that I was delighted is putting it mildly.

Aren't they adorable? Lisa likes turtles--I like birds, as if I needed to tell you. The best part is that I've already had an occasion to use one. Late last week, I stopped at the Russell Home to buy Corrine a Winter Rose Poinsettia for her 87th birthday. As well, I carried over some Lemon Delight Pound Cake, one of Jonathan's favorites. This time I made it using some Lemon oil I purchased at Marshalls which was super fantastic.

Over the weekend I did both the Winter Garden and Lake Eola markets; surprisingly, I made more money at Winter Garden--go figure.  A charming booth at WG for Christmas:

As is always the case, I take a lot of market photos, but this is one of my favorites from Sunday:

I know I'm kind of partial to boys, but I bet every one of you is thinking the same thing--he is the cutest! Santa came to the market to visit with the boys and girls:

Dana thinks of everything doesn't she? 

Mr. Bruce is in Sacramento tonight, so I'm on my own, which means getting some reading done. A few weeks ago, Bev loaned me a book which I began today at the Honda place, Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Story of an Owl and His Girl. To tell you the truth, I was a little sad when they called my name because I was just getting into it. I'll tell you more as I go along...

Oh, before I forget, after Longwood it was College Park, for another gift idea. Indeed, I was all over town.