Days to Remember

If only I could! Thus, a blog that should I wonder about something in my past, I can look it up!!

Speaking of memory, before I forget, I wanted to discuss what's happening in the neighborhood. On our street, the only remaining original resident has now gone into a home. Well, they call it a Memory Care Center, but it is still a home for the aged. Miriam had round-the-clock caregivers for the last five years, however, she now needs even more looking after, which I suppose most of us will at some point in our lives.

So, while her house now sits empty, the rest of our immediate neighbors are now 30 somethings, several with children as young as one. For instance, Elie and Maria, next door on the Appleton side of our yard, decided they were ready to move up in the world, selling their home to a young couple with a one year old son, and moving to Southern Oaks. I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to hear that little one with his family in their swimming pool while I am in mine. Indeed they will look back on this time as days to remember.

Across the driveway, Herb and Corrine have been replaced by his grandson, and the three children. Down at the end of our cul de sac is another little one, a girl of two. George and Lucia are now living in Angela's old house, a really sweet, and industrious couple. I shake my head every time I see them mowing and trimming in the worst heat of the day! They too are in their 30's. Although I knew the neighborhood would be turning over, still when it has now occurred, it feels both weird and refreshing.

While I am on the subject of neighbors, when AT&T were installing UVerse next door, they cut into our yard, and in the process, cut the wires to our back yard sprinklers! I am trying to recoup the $157 I spent on the repair but they are not making it easy. Uggghhh...

What else is going on? Always something! Bruce needed to pick up something at the mall, but before we went to TMobile, I insisted on having a look at the progress. Looking at the photo below, keep in mind B has to know every detail of the restaurant, not to mention handle the budget! At times it is daunting, made even more so these days because of the lack of skilled craftsman available. Bring back vocational schools and apprenticeships.....we all need these types of workers!!!

Andrew is nearly finished with the mural...

So, while Bruce was doing his business I went over to Macy's to use the restroom. Big deal, right? Anyway, on my way back I was pretty amused by this gentleman standing outside the salon, using what looked to be a Blackberry, while waiting for his hair color to take. Seriously?

Maureen called, needing help with her kitchen chairs because the wood was splitting on the legs...Bruce to the rescue! Even after all these years, I take such pleasure in watching Bruce work with wood.

While he was at the men's group on Saturday morning, I actually left the house to do some errands. I am such the homebody these days! The front page of the newspaper carried a photograph of Hillary Clinton visiting Pulse on Friday, and although I did not see her, I did see the white roses she left.

People are still visiting and leaving mementoes,

and you would not need to be a rocket scientist to know that many of the victims were Catholic.

Or gay, for that matter. It is a really, really sad place.

Saturday evening, following the service for Nancy, a group made plans to gather at Johnny's Other Side on Michigan. A rare, at least for this summer, thunderstorm fell as we were exiting, stopping just in time.

I am the absolute worst at remembering most people from high school; they are far better than I, however, it can be somewhat embarrassing when they call me by name, and I am clueless. Two things to point out in the photo below.

The standing man in the black shirt on the left is Doc Holiday. Now Bruce is much better than I at the name business, however, even he was shocked when Doc reminded him that he was the fellow who broke Bruce's collarbone while playing football in ninth grade. He also told B that the whole team was mad at him because Bruce was the center. Come to think of it, he still plays that role.

Secondly, the fellow in the white shirt talking to Bruce is Kenny Lester, or to folks in Seminole County, Judge Lester. I remember reading in the newspaper that he was the judge assigned to the Trayvon Martin case which worried me, however, talking to him about it, he was cavalier concerning the whole thing. A technicality resulted in a new judge trying the case. Another funny thing he said was when someone mentioned family strife, he asked if it involved guns, or beatings. Of course not! Well, you don't know family strife then!  It was good to reminisce about old Orlando with folks who feel the same as we do about how much our city has changed. Mostly bewildered is probably a good description.

During the summer there is no choir at church, instead special musicians fill the musical needs. Last week it was a jazz trio, really great btw, whereas this week I read in the bulletin the music would be provided by a barbershop quartet. Are you as surprised as I was at the make up of the group?

They were terrific! Who knew there were young folks singing in that style?

We tried a new restaurant on the way home--ASH, which stands for Ashley Nickell.

Apparently she was a contestant on both Cutthroat Kitchen, as well as Hell's Kitchen. My bar-b-que, a Sunday special, was excellent!

Sunday evening we gathered at Cheryle and David's home to wish Catherine goodbye for another six months. Returning to her home in the Isle of Wight, no doubt she will be back in January. Nonetheless, she gave a speech about how much she will miss everyone.

Oops, I almost forgot...following church we drove over to Orange Blossom Trail to see for ourself the mobile home park that is home to 13 tiny houses! Bruce is crazy for that show on HGTV. Set amongst the existing RV's, they are cute as can be. The plan is that when an RVer leaves the space will be opened up for another tiny home.

This is one of the larger ones; some we saw B estimated to be less than 200 square feet!!

Thank you ever so much for keeping up with me. Kenny told me that he was Googling something, and he came across this blog. I think I will take it as a compliment that he said he felt like he was a part of our lives. :)

Hoping for rain,

Gail