Perfect Weather Equals Perfect Weekend

As you well know, after reading this blog for some time now, I am very, very affected by the weather. And not just because I work outside. Nope, if the weather is gloomy, and I'm home, my energy level sinks. With the kind of weather we've had for the last five or so days, there is not one plausible excuse I can think of for not getting in gear!

As such, I've actually done some housecleaning, along with painting my kitchen, washing all the decorative pieces while doing so. Every vase on top of my cabinets came down for a soak, as did everything else. Well, not everything. I need to dream up some way to clean fake greenery as the two big baskets filled with them could, most certainly, do with some attention. Typically when re-painting I try out a new color, however, after an exhaustive search with Carol, I've gone against the grain, and it looks much as it did before painting, only fresher.

Very recently, it struck me that in a matter of months, I will no longer be in my fifties. Another decade has come and gone, and to tell you the truth, I can hardly believe it. Seems like only yesterday I left my forties. Turning 50 was not my best birthday because my Mom died thirty days before the big day. After nursing her for six months, I was still feeling pretty low when the big day rolled around. The one bright spot was the purchase of my adorable yellow MINI Cooper with the black top. I dubbed it my "happy face" car, and boy was I happy to drive that little cutie. To this day, I cannot believe I'm driving the behemoth that I am; in my heart I'll always be a MINI driver. :)

One lovely thing about this time of the year is the incredible sunsets, including this one I took after leaving Angela's house the other evening.

This is a view across Lake Lancaster towards Orange Avenue and the new building under construction at ORMC, or whatever they call it these days. During my time working for the organization they must have changed the name three times, annoying me to no end.

Driving home from somewhere late last week, I pulled into a parking lot to get a photograph of a super chromy (made up word?) red VW. What I didn't expect to find was this new take on a door knob.

Pretty clever, right? I'd hoped to take some photos surreptitiously, however, just as I was walking towards the car, the driver came walking towards it as well. He was agreeable, allowing me to take a few shots, telling me it was a 1972 Beetle. Did I ever tell you I had a 1963 VW Beetle? Well, I did while in x-ray school, making it only 10 years old when I got it. Haha! If I remember corectly, my father paid $300 for the car, only to have to replace the engine at some point for the same amount.  One day, after putting baby Matt in his little car seat, when I put my foot through the floor board, I realized it was time to say goodbye. I know that almost sounds made up, but it's not!

Most every room is getting some sort of upgrade--hey, I'm having a big party soon, a girl's got to get ready! Redecorating is so much cheaper than moving, as Angela is quickly discovering. While we were in England, Jane gave me some ORANGE pillow covers, made in Wales, where the Price family comes from. Between she and Matt, they've traced my father's family back for centuries.

In a big clean up of my desk, I've misplaced the paperwork, so I cannot provide the details of the pillows, but in any case, they look sweet don't they?

Friday, when Bruce finally got home for the weekend, I drug him out shopping. Actually I'm so darn lucky because he is always up for shopping, in some cases, more than I am. Nearly every time he lands at the airport, he calls, asking if I need anything. Oh, I'm a lucky one.

Speaking of lucky, I was delighted to open the envelope from Sun Dance the other day. Angela was over, digging up some of my plants to use in her garden, when I got the mail. Not having my reading glasses on, I was not entirely sure if what I saw on the check was accurate. Asking her if this says what I think it says, she confirmed the amount--my biggest mailbox money to date. I'm not getting used to it, because next month's check may be minuscule, but I'm counting my blessings for the moment.

Here's a funny picture from Saturday's market at Winter Garden. Just when the weather turns nice, everyone and their brother has a festival, keeping folks away from our weekly event. Hardly any folks=hardly any sales. But don't feel bad for me, they will come when they are supposed to.

Pretty darn sunny, wouldn't you say? I'm not entirely clear what it was all about, but there were loads and loads of teams on a scavenger hunt walking,

and, running through the market.

The outfits were something to behold. Then too, there was a costume contest for the vendors with two months free rent as the first place prize. Here's the lucky winner talking to some scavenger participants:

No clue as to what that costume is, but with only a handful participating, someone had to win. I was a hold out.

The older we get, the less we want to go out at night. Saturday night we made an exception, and are we ever glad we did. Matt sent me a link to buy tickets very cheaply to Jessie Ware's concert at the House of Blues. Although I adore her singing, without that nudge I'm sure we would have spent the evening watching college football. Perhaps that is why the crowd was so small, or maybe all the Halloween parties, don't know, but that just meant we could get super close to the stage. Hurray!

Before she came on, Mikky Ekko played.

Although some people talked through the opening act, neither Bruce nor I did. He was really good, in spite of his weird made-up name. We'd never heard of him before, however using our handy phones, we discovered he got a big career boost from doing a duet with Rhianna.

Slightly, what us old folks call racy, but good. I wonder what Rhianna's mother thinks about her shaving half her head?

I talked to a few people--imagine that--including a family of Brits who were so surprised at how small the crowd was because she is creating quite the buzz in England, as well she should.

Yes, that is a long tuxedo coat she is wearing. Mostly all she does is sing, which is just the way I like it. She opened with this awesome song:

Adorable is what she was, joking with the crowd about her trip to Disney World earlier in the day. Although she is only 29 in some ways she seems older, like wearing semi-flats on stage.

Her smile lit up the room, as did her laugh. Oh yeah--that voice, just as super in person as recorded. The awesome thing is, that because she only has one album, the concert was short, getting over around 10. No complaints from us as we made our way to the parking lot and home. Bruce was completely unfamiliar with her music; following the concert, he was in love.

All in all, it was a perfect weekend with perfect weather. Who could ask for more?