A Tree Falls and Much More

Indeed, much has happened since last I wrote, some good, some not as good. Perhaps a good place to start is with the finished sun room. which turned out so good in my opinion.

I really have tried living with dull wall colors but it just is not in me long term. While I can appreciate the neutral look in others homes, in ours, it just doesn't feel right. Having been known to overdo it on occasion, I chose this color instead of something new. Introducing another color might have fallen into the overdoing it category, so in order to it to feel more cohesive, Sun Bleached Ochre it was.

When I think back on it, when we bought this place and were in a hurry to get it ready before our move, the painter stipulated that I could choose four colors only. For the life of me I can't remember why, but in our haste, I agreed to it. The dining room wall was meant to be a little wow factor in an otherwise sea of neutrality. Continuing the wow factor just makes sense. Four years later, three of which we've lived here, the kitchen, both bathrooms, and our bedroom have all received new colors with only the front bedroom remaining. I'm thinking the sage green from the bathroom might just work when that room receives its makeover. Should you have missed the last post of Camera Crazy,  the before of the room is documented there. 

Speaking of the front bedroom, things are looking mighty different in there since Thursday. Oh my goodness, they are. So here's what happened--Bruce has been working on a project at the church involving the preschool classrooms. In order to protect the front of the low bookcases he was tasked with covering them in a hard plastic which I'll show you in a sec. It must have been Tuesday morning because that's not a therapy day, he asked me to come along to "help". Not that I'm much good at that these days, what with my clumsy hand, but I agreed nonetheless. He began the process by cutting out notches to fit around the shelves using a hacksaw.

Initially my job was to apply the tape, but not having much strength in my left hand proved to be a handicap and he took that job over as well. I did, however, get the tape ready by tearing strips. While difficult, I kept repeating in my head the words of my first therapist Darlene, "motion is lotion" which helped me complete the task. 

So what does this have to do with Thursday you ask? Well, he went solo on Wednesday afternoon to do another room, leaving the tape on for the glue to dry overnight. While he was doing that, drumroll please, I got my sewing machine out and used it! Rarely do I leave a project unfinished but this small quilt was one of those that just hung around for maybe five years? After hand quilting it, I'd run out of fabric with which to bind it so having purchased some after therapy on Wednesday morning, I got the job done. Not with ease but perseverance.

Unfortunately everything is difficult for me these days, but a girl can hope that won't always be the case.

Back to Thursday morning, Bruce left the house at 6AM to remove the tape before we were meant to leave to watch Bill in the tournament, the date which had finally arrived. Seeing him off and getting the newspaper from the front porch I was freaking out because in the light of the lamp pole, I saw the owl perched in the open right in front of me!! Seriously it was but feet away. Being the silly goose that I am, I took it as a good omen for Bill. Don't ask me why, because it sounds so crazy, but that's what I was thinking. I was also thinking that I needed to get my hair washed so I drug myself indoors. Once that task was over, I walked back into the kitchen and realized something was amiss. And what was amiss, pray tell? 

If I've been asked once, I've been asked ten times, "how did you fall?" I'm old and I just did. The same could be said of this massive oak tree that fell out of the blue. 

While we are heartsick, no one was injured and there was little property damage. The quality of the photo is terrible due to the lighting conditions at that time of the morning.

By now it was around 6:30 and I texted David who came down to see for himself.

He's talking to a neighbor who had planned to leave for work until he realized his car was behind the fallen tree. The little puff ball in the foreground is David and Michelle's beloved Gracie who turned four this weekend. So, it missed that young man's car, scratched another one a wee bit, and missed my parked car and did not block Bruce's because he was at the church! How's that for a blessing? Calling Bruce, I told him to come around the other way because there was no getting through from his usual direction. We missed all of the rest of the story because we spent all day and into the night at the tournament. Apparently, a massive crane arrived, using the space where I'd moved my car which is a story unto itself. Connie had to go into our house, get keys to the MINI, and move my car in order for them to have clear access. Sadly, instead of the magnificent shade we enjoyed before, it now looks like this.

And that, my friends, is why the front bedroom and our porch is now bathed in light. Oddly enough, it was earlier in the week that I mentioned to Bruce that soon I would not be able to see the sky in front of our place, between that massive oak and our Jack in the Beanstalk tree, which continues growing as if it was part of that fairy tale. 

Whew, time to drive to Lake Nona for the tournament. Meeting Fallon in the parking lot, we found Bill and learned his first match was to begin a little before 9. And what a match it was. When we saw his opponent our hearts sank a little as he was a pretty big guy.

He might have looked intimidating, but he was such a nice guy, complimenting Bill on some of his shots.  In three grueling games, Bill was the victor in the two out of three format. Did I tell you it was hot? It was. Did I tell you Bill had been fighting a cold for several weeks ahead of this? He was. 

A short time later we saw him again and I asked him how tall he was. 6'1 in case you are wondering. During our conversation we learned that not only was he an All American for Penn State, he also played for the Atlanta Falcons for ten years. Seeing him again later, this time when Bill was with us, he cheered Bill on for his next match. I told you he was a nice guy.

Playing singles is a pretty tough way to enjoy pickleball, but there seemed to be no shortage of players enjoying doing just that. (This is but one side of courts with an equal number on the other)

It must have maybe 15 minutes later and Bill had another court assignment. His opponent could not have been anymore different, and proving that you cannot always judge a book by its cover, Bill lost in two games.

Jose was smooth as silk on the court and proved it on his way to winning the Silver medal later in the day.

Because Bill lost to Jose, he was moved to the losers bracket meaning he had a long ways to go to win a medal. After a three hour rain delay, the games began again in earnest. He played one fellow and won handily in the game to 15. By now he was worn out, sweating and breathing with difficulty. We learned that the games just keep coming whether you are up for it or not. He played another fellow, this time working harder to win. By the next game, he was pretty well worn down, playing well, but ultimately lost, and that was that.  Needless to say winning more would have been exciting, but for a first time competing in an athletic event since his teens, we are all super pleased. Unlike Bruce who did not find playing in a tournament to his liking, Bill is ready to do it again.

Friday we decided to head back to watch the pros play in center court. Over the last year we've watched matches on YouTube like crazy, so having the easy opportunity to see them in person was pretty much a no-brainer.  Pictured on the right is Ben Johns and Simone Jardim, the top ranked woman and man in the sport. Ben is doing a between the leg shot.

All of the pros are former tennis players that have switched over to pickleball for one reason or another. That would be Dekel Bar and Vivienne David on the left who were actually warming up on the court of Bill's last match! He had to ask them to move! You can see how close we are, but you can't see is how HOT it was. Oh my goodness! An excellent experience for us aside from the heat. 

Some fans getting their picture made with Jesse Irvine who graciously posed and kept smiling as the person fumbled with their phone.

Proving that pickleball is a game for all ages, we learned from other spectators that the woman on the upper left is 80 years old!

Something else we did last week was the drive at Lake Apopka. While we saw very few birds, as it is not migration season just yet, we did see an astonishing number of alligators including two different young ones.

Because of all the rain we've had of late, the water was high with so many gators! How many did we see? 48!

When Matt and Tom visited we went out there so Tom could see his first American Alligator in the wild and we saw plenty, but 48 is a new record for us.

In other news, Bruce's friend is still in ICU fighting for his life. I know I sound like a broken record but good grief, get vaccinated already! I continue to be amazed at people's reluctance. 

your friend,

Gail

January 2012 Begins

I just awoke from a long winter's nap, minus the winter. Still warm, however, predictions for colder weather are here. I'm titling this post using 2012 mostly because I want to start getting used to it immediately!

Just looking at the volume of people enjoying the pool at both the Marriott

and the Ritz

would make one think it was summer, and truthfully it was pretty darn warm. I wore a sleeveless dress on my birthday which has happened before but is always surprising when it happens again.

Arriving just before our scheduled 3:00 check in we walked into their beautifully decorated lobby,

only to be told that the room was not ready. Because we are early-to-bed types, my plan was to take a nap in our room allowing us to possibly stay awake until midnight. Instead we roamed around the property, both at the Ritz and the Marriott, marveling at the beauty.

After a drink at the poolside bar, we finally had our room and what a room it was! Before we went up I convinced Bruce to let me re-shoot the hand picture which did not turn out nearly as well as our previous one, mostly because it was so darn sunny!

 Opening the door this is what we saw:

a big suite! The bedroom was gigantic,

as was the bathroom which I did not photograph for some reason. You'll have to trust me when I say it was, and still is, for that matter, as large as one of the bedrooms at our house! Showering the next morning, I thought it was some kind of new design, no step in for the shower, however, Bruce thinks it is a handicapped room, perhaps accounting for the large size. At any rate, lovely.

After a short nap by Mr. Bruce, we spiffed up and walked over to the Ritz arriving at 6:30. They offered either an early seating beginning at 5:30, or one at 9:00. You can imagine we chose the former. The room was lovely with impeccable service and food.

The ambient lighting made for some serious photographic challenges! Bruce is choosing his courses,

settling on just the opposite of what I ordered. I noticed that in a very 2011 move, they offered vegetarian choices at each course, although the price seems a little steep for Saffron Scented Quinoa.

The table to Bruce's left turned over while we were there, with the next couple bringing their daughter who was more content to read than converse.

I must admit that although they knew it was my birthday they did not put a candle in my dessert.

On the other hand, they did put a flower on top...

After dinner we walked back to the Marriott which for me was no mean feat considering I was wearing heels, somewhat of a rarity these days! It was all so very lovely, what with multiple decorated Christmas trees, an event on the lawn between the properties and all the gorgeous outdoor lighting.

Although there was dancing and music in the lobby bar, which is big in case you're wondering, all of the tables were full by the time we arrived. Lots of children were claiming seats which seemed kind of silly. From what I've just read in the paper, Adele's song, "Rolling in the Deep" was the number one song of 2011. Apparently the band knows this with the female vocalist doing her best imitation.

Up to our room and off to sleep before midnight. Nothing unusual there. The gigantic fireworks display woke me;  pulling the curtains aside I was mesmerized for a time. Loud, very, very loud!

I am someone who always wears a watch. In fact, watches are a bit of a passion of mine. I did not wear a watch with my fancy dress, thus I did not know that the bedside clock was off by an hour. This, I learned, when I got up in the morning, thinking it was 8:30 and I'd probably had enough sleep. Bummer. Because of our early rising, we were off to Gatorland, which is quite near the hotel. Before we left I took this with a phone application called Instamatic which not only allows you to share your photo but turn it into something it really is not.

I do love Gatorland, even more so when they offer the Florida discount admission rate of $10. Although Bruce was only going to extend my birthday celebration, we both had a good time watching the animals. I've never understood why alligators will keep this pose for quite some time.

I'm still looking for a great rooster picture but because of the brilliant sunshine, this was not the day to make it happen.

We only stayed for like two hours then headed home with a stop off at Publix. In a crazy twist of fate, Bruce called David to tell him he thought he saw a professional wrestler. As we made our way to the check out what should we see but......

Always so weird to see your children randomly out in public! They were shopping for a bar-b-que by the pool after working out together. Being an identical twin means you always have a best friend.

Before we left for our little excursion Angela arrived with birthday gifts just in time to see our FaceTime with Matt and Tom.  British humor followed. I opened this in front of the computer for viewing on both sides of the Atlantic:

So cute and bone china no less! As well she brought roses which are beautiful. Messing around with yet another phone application called, snapseed, I shot this after we took down all the decorations yesterday afternoon.

Because of the editing you really can't tell that, although they are all beautiful, there are three that are this amazing coral red. Another day for that. So, the house is back to normal, and the tree was picked up by the garbage men an hour ago. Another beautiful Christmas has come and gone. Time to mow the lawn before our visit this afternoon with Bruce's brother Cris and the gang. Mowing the lawn on January 2? Only in Florida my friends, only in Florida.

I hope you've enjoyed our little trip, I know I did.

Until we meet again,
Gail

Close to Home

To answer Nancy's question--no, I don't get my booth money back, which was $325. I'm moving on, but before I do, those new readers to Camera Crazy will better understand my dismay if they go back in time. Last year I wrote this. Enough said.

I don't know about you but I tend to like articles I agree with; somehow if a professional writer agrees with me, I feel validated. Here's an article from the Times hmmmm....... which definitely gives one pause. As many of you know, I was a mammographer for many years. I saw first hand the number of false positives, as well as the diagnosis of cancers that physicians have no idea what would happen if left alone--a type called Ductal Carcinoma InSitu, which in laymen's terms means, minute cancer cells in the duct that has not spread. One of the reasons you hear so much about women having breast cancer is because of this very diagnosis which is slightly dubious. There is growing suspicion that many women, pre mammogram screenings, lived with no ill effect, however, when given the option today, most women opt for radical treatment. Decisions, decisions.

Before I was a mammographer I took x-rays of all parts of the body. After graduating in 1971 I worked for a short while at a small place called Colonial Lab which no longer exists. If you can imagine, there was no image intensifier on the flouroscopy machine. The radiologist had to wear read goggles while performing a barium enema or upper GI series! If you've ever watched any medical shows and seen maybe a heart cath done, the doctor looks at a monitor to see what is happening inside the body. No monitors in that little place. Bruce and I were newlyweds then.

From there I went to a hospital on the west side of town which was then known as Mercy Hospital. The same radiologists I trained with at Winter Park Memorial Hospital practiced there. The funky thing about that place is that it was a Catholic hospital; the director of our department was a nun named Sister Ruth Ann. This was back in the days of white uniforms, shoes and stockings. Pant suits were just beginning to be acceptable wear--a really big deal.

Yesterday morning I had a 7AM appointment to have work done on the Honda--a recall thing. By 8:30 the work was completed. Because the dealership is adjacent to Mercy Drive I decided to see what the hospital looks like now that it is a substance abuse hospital.

Gosh, it has been so very long since I saw the place, which has a lovely setting on a lake and in the midst of very many pine trees. That said it is on a major road that is known as a high crime region. In fact, it's been that way for more than 35 years despite efforts to change things. Driving onto the property brought back so many memories. One I recall-- one night, just weeks before I was to deliver Matthew, I was called into the hospital in the middle of the night to x-ray a leg. I'd worn a kerchief on my messy bed head and a maternity dress. Walking into the emergency room, the staff, who I knew well,  didn't recognize me, thinking instead I was there to deliver! The patient stands out in my mind clearly. It was a femur x-ray on a gunshot victim. When I lifted the leg to put the x-ray cassette (film holder) underneath, I was met with a bloody, mangled mess. Yikes! In those days no one wore gloves, so you know what that must have been like.

As well, I worked there once the Catholic church sold the place to a private hospital group; actually several, as it went through multiple name changes through the years. Mostly I didn't work when the children were small, or at least not full time. I took a part time weekend job which nearly killed me. I needn't tell you that paying for day care for four children was out of the question. So...I took a job on Saturday working 16 hours, mostly by myself. By the time I drove home just after 11PM on that scary road, I was so tired I couldn't think. Many times, my feet hurt so bad from running around the hospital for so long, I could hardly stand on Sunday morning. I can't recall how long this went on, but what I do remember is that Bruce found caring for four boys all day Saturday pretty challenging! In reality, probably no more so than I.

Finally, while thinking of those days, AIDS comes to mind. Back then, it was a pretty misunderstood condition, with people frightened for their safety around patients with AIDS. Most hospitals did not welcome AIDS patients, however, there was an infectious disease doctor whose primary practice was for those patients, admitting them all to our hospital. I came to know and love them. Because I only worked once a week, oftentimes they would die before I returned, breaking my heart. As a young mother I couldn't help but think that they were somebodies beloved child. I did countless portable chest x-rays on patients because they oftentimes developed a particular kind of pneumonia that needed monitoring. Thank God there have been advances in that arena!

A serious road trip never materialized this week, however, because I was half-way there, I decided to drive out to Winter Garden to really get a feel for the town. From the hospital I traveled on Silver Star Road, an easy drive which led me right into the town. My first stop was where folks park when they want to ride on the "Rails to Trails" path that runs through the town. From there I took the road down to the shores of Lake Apopka, a huge lake, with 40 miles of shoreline. The link gives you a bit of the backstory, how the lake died due to fertilizer runoff as well as the devastation to wildlife. Efforts to return the lake to its former glory are ongoing. Bruce called just as I was heading out onto the long dock. As we were chatting I said, oh my gosh, I see an alligator:

I'm pretty sure he saw me too because he went underwater as I approached. There weren't a lot of birds but I did see one I've never encountered before. Great colors don't you think?

The bird kept hopping between all the foliage, and at times flapping it's wings.

While doing the market I had a customer mention "Trailer City" to me. I had no idea what she meant but now I do, as do you if you click the link. It is pictured in the background on the left:

Extremely neat and tidy.

There weren't many folks around as I meandered the pathway beside the lake; a very peaceful experience. I saw two things I've never seen before, one of which is this lightening monitor:

and secondly, this:

I told you that little town is dedicated to the future. The homes surrounding downtown are on large lots with giant oak canopies shading the streets. I'd love to live on a street named Surprise like I saw there. Our street name is so cumbersome.

You've got to love a little downtown with angled parking don't you? So easy and convenient.

Plus, well maintained brick streets! There are lots of little shops and restaurants, including this French bakery:

Music is a big part of Winter Garden's downtown life. I'm not alone in suffering from last weekend's rain. A three day music festival had to be all but canceled because of the weather.

Being in no hurry, I toured the Edgewater Hotel on Plant Street. Built in 1926, it has the original Otis elevator which the young woman operated with some sort of crank. I'm not entirely clear how it worked. As we were heading up to the second floor to see the rooms, I couldn't help but marvel at the invention of the Otis elevator. Now that was a game changer for sure! Very cool lobby area:

The rooms are reasonably priced and very tidy. In passing I mentioned the rails-trails running through town which is known as the West Orange Trail. Bike shops are abundant as are bike rentals. On a Saturday morning, there are scads of cyclists on the downtown streets ready for their ride, with some coming to the market to see what it's all about.

One shop I went browsing in surprised me with their vast record collection, all of which is for sale:

There were so many 45 rpm--apparently I'm behind the times and record players with the little adapter in the middle are easily purchased these days. One of the records I saw which I remember just loving to pieces when I was young was "Downtown" by Petula Clark. Let's see, in 1965 I was 12. Funny how you can remember the lyrics to songs isn't it? I've no doubt studies have been conducted on this phenomenon!

Earlier, I'd walked by a bar-b-que place which now that it was lunch time I had to try:

It was very difficult to decide on my side to go along with my half brisket sandwich. Fried okra or fried pickles? Pickles it was:

If you've never had them you should give them a try. Very tasty! Browsing a few more shops and that was that. My little road trip close to home.