#776

Yesterday morning after folding all 24 of these:

I cleaned the pool. What a mess it was from Monday and Tuesday's strong winds. Beautiful now, I must say. With the exception of the top of my Jatropha tree, the plants survived the below freezing temperatures just fine. Ironically, while our neighbors yards have turned brown from the freezes, ours is still green. Yesterday warmed up nicely, with today's forecast even warmer. Let's hope we have some nice weather for Matt and Tom's arrival on Monday. At the very least, I know we'll have sunshine, which as you know, is in very short supply this time of year in London.

Last week I got my first orange juice of the season from Red Hill Groves, and let me just tell you, it was delicious! I have to admit I'm not a big fruit person, primarily because most of the time although it looks delicious, the taste is just not there. With that in mind, I purchased only three tangelos while there. That was a mistake this time because those tangelos were perfect in every way. Easy to peel, nearly seedless, juicy, and sweet/tangy. So...I headed the Element that way after the pool cleaning session. At this price it would have been silly not to bring home a bag full!

 

Before going to RHG, I loaded up seven pairs of Bruce's jeans to give away. Near our home there is a Community Center, which I thought was run by a mega church. Furthermore, I thought I'd seen a sign asking for jeans donations. Pulling up, I saw the sign for a thrift store, but, silly me, I didn't really think it was stuff for sale. Opening the door, I discovered a large, dark warehouse space with a few folks and that thrift store smell. You've smelled it haven't you? Here is what happened:

• Worker: "Do you have a donation?"
• Me: " I do, but I thought this was a place where they gave things away, not sold them."
• Worker: "We do work with the homeless."
• Nearby Customer: As the worker was taking my things, she said, "They charge way too much here for everything." 
• Me: "Really."
• Customer: "Yes they do. It's better to just take them to the shelter."
• Me: "Good idea. Sir, I'd like those jeans back please."
• Worker: "I'm not sure I can do that."
• Manager: " You can't have them back."
• Me: Incredulous. "Well, I thought you gave things away here and that's what I was trying to do."
• Manager: "We do help the homeless. I'm not making a killing here. You probably make more than I do."
• Me: More incredulous! "Well, that may be, but I'd like my jeans back."
• Manager: "You mean to say you donated them, and now want them back?"
• Me: "Indeed."
• Worker: With attitude--"Here you are."
• Nearby Customer smiles.

So, that's what I did. Drove the few miles to where the homeless shelters are. At one point I thought about leaving them on the street corner, but in the end I took them to the Orlando Union Rescue Mission where a very nice man took them from me, saying every night he has men coming in looking for a change of pants. Mission accomplished.

Nancy called last evening and we got to talking about baking. The conversation turned to cookies which I said I'd be baking today. She reminded me that her former mother-in-law was a wonderful cook, to which I replied that I still had one of Mimi Batchelor's recipes for a Graham Nut Cake that I recalled being delicious although I'd not made it in eons. Well, while searching for my drop sugar cookie recipe, which I'm sick to relate, I couldn't find, I came across the cake recipe. While we were talking I decided to make it then and there. Using the loaf pan my friend Mary gave me, I finished it off with a glaze, adding some of that wonderful orange juice and zest from my tangelos.

 

Tasting it this morning, I discovered it was just as delicious as I'd remembered. Funny how I could find the cake recipe, one I've already said I hadn't made in 30 years or so, and I can't find my sugar cookie recipe. I've been making that most Christmases since I cut it out of the Orange County Register 33 years ago while living in California. I must find it!!!

Bruce arrived home last night around 11:00, instead of the planned 5:30, because he missed his flight. In over 18 years of traveling, he's rarely missed a flight, however, between a white-out in the DC area, AND his GPS sending him the wrong way, he was too late to catch his scheduled flight. Seriously, because he could barely see, even though traffic on I-95 was only moving at 6 miles an hour, he followed the talking head and went way, way in the wrong direction. All's well that ends well, but it was scary going there for a while.

Because this blog is based loosely on my photography, here's a couple of things that caught my fancy this week:

Red shoes are so glamorous aren't they? That Stuart Weitzman pair on top are to die for! And then there's this adorable little girl who came with her Mommy to the Polasek on Tuesday. Rarely do children come, so this was a great treat.

That's her proud momma smiling in the background at her darling little girl. If you're wondering, she gave me permission.

Today's title refers to my post number. I don't know about you, but I come across blogs where people haven't posted anything in months, or even years which always surprises me.  If I didn't know better, you would think I was a writer with that longevity!

Friends

Because we got married young, and because we were parents young, both Bruce and I have not had as much time for friends as young people today. They spend much of their early adulthood hanging out with friends, whereas we spent that time with our children. I think too, because I have so many sisters, there was little time left for other women in my life. That said, I do have friends, but mostly they are newish. Well sort of...

I've been away from my computer because I've been out and about with friends, sometimes planned, sometimes not. Thursday afternoon Sue, a woman who grew up on Nancy Street with Bruce, invited me to an open house at a space on Orange Avenue where she has a little booth.

They've just painted it this bright green which, naturally, I was all for. Formerly this space was "Guitar Den" owned by the father of one of Bill's first bandmates. His wife Renee, took it over after the soaring rent forced her to close her downtown store.  The band was called Blunder, an early winner at Boone High School's Battle of the Bands. The year was maybe 1993? My, those were the days! Bill used to practice alone incessantly, joining the other two boys in our garage as their band practice space. Our neighbors at the time were thrilled when we moved to this new house! Who could blame them? Did I mention the other two boys were also named William? I was all for the band being called Triple Bill, however, they would have none of that!

Sorry for the nostalgia trip! In the above pictured space there are lots of little indoor booths if you will, with all sorts of interesting things. I found Sue right off, and with pride, she showed off her space. Here's a link to her blog if you like old things: http://suebees-karensue.blogspot.com/. Ignore the music! I've noticed people who do "vintage" blogs seem to always have music. Anyway, as I was talking to Sue, her daughter, and Renee, who should I see but Jeanette! Oh how I adore Jeanette, one of the coolest ladies I've ever had the privilege to know. Naturally I couldn't remember how long we'd known each other but she could.

The year was 1984, the place was Brookwood Hospital, now defunct as we knew it, but am I ever glad it was there back then. Not only did I meet Jeanette there, I also met my dear, dear friend Karen Hirsch there. Both of these ladies have added so much to my life.

So, where were we? Oh yes, Jeanette has a space there as well. We immediately retreated to her little corner, talking as fast as we could to catch up with one another. She's the kind of friend who I see infrequently, but when i do, we can't stop talking. She's a wise woman; I always take something away from our conversations. We somehow got on the topic of making the bed, a hot topic if ever there were one! We discussed how many young people think it's unnecessary, which we find crazy. Here's how she puts it--order follows order. If you find your life in chaos, check out your home environment for clues as to why. I'll let you draw your own conclusions.

Here's the two things I purchased from my friends:

Mr. and Mrs. Claus from Sue, and the spice grinder from Jeanette. It was a pleasant evening made even more so by the unexpected Jeanette sighting!

Another invitation from Sue for the following night was for a wine party for a good cause. A donation was taken at the door with the raffle ticket winner claiming the pot for their favorite charity. My number was one off! Although I'd been to this annual event once before a few years ago, I didn't expect to know many of the ladies. Silly me! Here's Sue's sister, Sherrie on the right, and and old high school friend, Phyllis:

Sherrie still remembers a time when Cris, Bruce's brother, tackled her like a boy when the neighborhood was playing football in the street! Speaking of which, do children play anymore? I'm not so sure. While having my nails cleaned up, Rudi, my most excellent manicurist, was chatting a bit about her children.

I asked her what the girls wanted for Christmas. The 5 year old wants an "Easy Bake Oven", however add just three years, and daughter number two wants a LAPTOP! Miss Naiveté was speechless. Well, maybe that's an exaggeration, because really, when have you ever known me to be speechless? I don't know why it so took me by surprise, everyone else has their face in a screen, why not an eight year old girl?

On Sunday the market was slow. Super slow. The highlight was a visit from Bill and Melanie. Here's a first--Bill smiling in a picture. Apparently, he can't quit smiling these days:

This makes his mother happy. Very, very happy.

I'm unsure about the time frame exactly, but sometime this year I received an email from another old friend, Karen Howard. We knew each other well from church back in the 80's. Turns out one of her sons sent her the link to my blog. How he found it, I'll never know. She began reading the blog. She liked the blog. She sent me an email letting me know she was a regular. How nice is that? Both she and her husband Jim retired from the school system and built a new home and life in Murphy, NC. From reading the blog she knew I had some interest in genealogy so when she and Jim were heading down here for a visit, she asked about getting together. Absolutely!

They arrived yesterday morning before 10 and we visited around some baby blueberry muffins and hot tea. I'm always up for hot tea and as it turns out, they were as well. Jim left for some fun errands and after Karen perused the Loveland documents, as well as Oscar's diary (she's jealous!), we headed to my computer. Luckily, Karen is a Mac user and knows a lot more about it than I do. Hours and hours later, during which time we had some homemade chicken noodle soup for lunch, we had made some discoveries. Using her account with Ancestry.com, we worked on my father's family which proved fascinating. Looking at the actual census sheets from 1920 and seeing my dad listed as a 5 year old was so cool. Apparently an uncle lived with them. Going back a bit further we found out that my grandfather's mother was a widow at 40. Searching and searching turned up who we think might possibly be his father, Reese Price, a coal miner from Wales. Neither of us can remember how we made this assumption but for now that's who we think my great grandfather was. Or should I have said is? Anyway, it's time consuming stuff, explaining why Jim did not come to pick her up until 5:30, by which time I needed to cover the plants for the expected freeze.

The genealogy stuff was cool, but what was really cool, is that we picked up as if it hadn't been nearly 20 years since last we met. I love that. It seems as if when you click with another person, you click. The explanation for that is a mystery to me, however, I'm glad that's how it can work out.

Taking no chances, I covered every single one of the new plants, using about anything I could find! Not surprising, or at least to a skeptic like me, the temperature only dipped to about 35 degrees. Oh well, I'll take a non-freeze over a freeze any day. Those new windows in the sun room are showing their stuff this morning!