Close to Home

 It only seems fitting that I should title this one, "Close to Home" because all of the photos are either taken inside the house, or outside of it. And why, pray tell, might that be the case? It is certainly not because it has been all that pleasant around here of late, although, it was a most welcome surprise that after days of absolutely unbelievable noise, Friday, Saturday, AND Sunday were blessedly silent. It almost felt weird. Today there is activity but it is not of the destructive kind so we are fine with it. Actually, the sound barely registers with Bruce, however, your favorite blogger thinks otherwise!

Stop the car honey, I have been dying to get a photo of the blooming Plumeria tree!

I've seen some beauties around town, but none that rival this one at LPV. So not technically just outside of our home, but still on the property. Seems to me that this year the blooms have been plentiful on all of the trees that I have seen.

I am undecided whether or not I agree with the assessment that cold sores can be brought on by stress or not. Seemingly that is the case with my latest, what with the condo hullabaloo and the construction. I felt it coming on early in the week and by Saturday, it was so darn ugly that I stayed home from pickleball, continuing that theme into Sunday when we stayed home from church. I used Abreva the moment I felt it coming on, my upper right lip btw, but it was pretty much useless. Before you go telling me to get some oral medication for it next time, I've heard that advice and am now heeding it for the next time. Thankfully, the big fat scab (sorry to be so graphic), came off overnight allowing me to once again show my face in public.   

In the meantime, I've amused myself with my surroundings. So thrilled to see the otter again. There is a large ripple effect when one is swimming in the lake and when I saw it over the weekend, I grabbed my camera, watching from the shoreline. When it began coming closer I positioned myself to get the shot when he came onto shore to either run to the other lake, or as was the case on this day, rub around in the dirt before darting back into the water.

Have you missed seeing ducklings like I have? Our upstairs neighbor Julie used to put feed out which drew lots of ducks that were great about producing ducklings. She quit some months before moving away, thus our duck population has diminished. That said, we do have two fake swans on the lake, so there's that!

Sherry put up a bird feeder between our new patios and was lamenting the fact that not nearly as many birds have come as she'd expected. I took this one,  through the screen, to show her this pretty little Downey Woodpecker who was enjoying her offering.

That's out back and here is what is out front. 

Female cardinals don't get much love but I think that they are pretty in their own right, don't you? I imagine not many folks get too excited about House Finches but don't count me amongst them. Since they have only just begun showing up, after four years of having a feeder, I celebrate them each visit.

They are a bit camouflaged, however, since I have a bunch of very smart readers who surely can play "where's finches" with me, that should not be a problem. Now if that orchid behind the red finch decides to bloom we are in a bit of a quandary. I will say that this year the birds are making quite the mess, requiring nearly daily clean up. They seem to very much like that type of sunflower seed.

Let's visit the kitchen next. I am here to tell you that these are the best tater tots in the freezer case at Publix. Oh how crispy and yummy they are. Don't ask me why I chose them over Ore-Ida this time, but I am glad that I did.

Around our house, if I think I will have room in the freezer for a bag of tots, I buy them because one never knows when one will get a hankering for a nice, hot and crispy, tater tot!

Do you think prices have gone up? Here's a great visual.

Needing to open a new bag while making some chocolate chip cookies over the weekend, I was stunned at the percentage of this hike in the price of brown sugar. It is really something, isn't it? While .70cents does not seem like a whole bunch for one item, when you multiply it by loads of things in your grocery cart and it can make for some dramatic moments at the cashier. As in, "can you believe how much these groceries cost???", says Gail under her breath to Bruce? We always go back to our early days of marriage, as one is wont to do when one ages, and compare living costs. Our wages no doubt were way less, but it is an interesting, albeit worthless, exercise. 

Oh my heavens, the grinding has begun above my head again. :(  There is some good news on the remodeling front though and that is the upstairs condo, adjacent to the one being remodeled, was sold and now it is not. Something about probate. I am so breathing a sigh of relief over that happy news. 

Well look what Bruce did for us...

While I searched my blog for when he last did the seat cushions on our kitchen chairs, I was unsuccessful. I can't really say how many years ago it was, but I can say that it has been a bunch and it was time for a refresh. I was so delighted when I found the new fabric, pictured on the left, at Joanne's, as it was not only perfect for our needs, but the cashier gave me 40% off with an in-store coupon. We began the project together but really, I was only in the way. Now we should be good to go for another decade or so.

The dining room table has been covered with puzzle pieces for two weeks or so. You don't need me to tell you who sorted this batch out do you? Hint, the name begins with a B.

In our bedroom, on the very table I am sitting at right this moment, I made a new bag to carry my pickleball gear because the last one I made turned out to be a wee bit too small. I used some of my vintage stash of fabrics and in a new twist, quilted this bag.

Should you be wondering, those are the handles pictured above. The pattern I use from this blog, has a very clever and easy way of making handles. 

For far more months than she expected, Nancy has been out with a bicep injury. Finally her arm felt improved enough to give pickleball a go again. At the same time, Bill injured his calf and was sitting out as well. Both of them joined me at the courts to practice and it all went well until we could no longer stand the heat at midday. I kid you not, it was extreme.

Much print has been used to talk about pickleball injuries and while no one would deny that you can get hurt, the reports, in my opinion, have been exaggerated. Millions and millions of people are playing every day now and it is only a handful that are injured. Plus, what would anyone expect when a bunch of old folks go out and run around gleefully? Perhaps you have read that the participants are getting younger and younger and that is the absolute truth. Loads of twenty somethings play at Dover Shores in the evening and on Saturdays. As you may recall, when we began going to Dover Shores the crowds were minimal, however, and this is a big however, that was a year ago and since that time more and more people have learned of this fantastic game either from a friend or a family member. This past Saturday, according to photographic reports, all courts were full (24) and there were 28 paddles lined up for people waiting to play. Simply remarkable.

I cannot remember if I documented this yet, but if I did so before, please forgive me. Our friend Connie's brother is one of Mayor Dyer's best friends. This came from her brother: When Mayor Dyer was leading a seminar in Washington, DC at the annual mayor's conference about how cities can manage the demand for pickleball, it was standing room only. Sadly, the seminars addressing far more serious issues went lightly attended. 

There's just something about this game....

Did you know that at one time I set up an Etsy shop, this is like when it first began, and I called it Peck's Pics, using a woodpecker as my symbol? Something like that. Well, I am still interested in woodpeckers.

Thinking of that took me down a little rabbit hole. I rarely Google my name, but I did so today and found that my publisher has my work on more sites than I even knew existed. Seeing this one on Art. com made me happy. I took this when we were celebrating an anniversary, probably, ten years ago. Our hands have aged since them. And here we are on the cusp of our 50th anniversary. Nancy was over on Saturday afternoon and I brought out a few of our old yearbooks. Closer to our anniversary I might spend some time typing the sentiments people wrote back then. Lots about us staying together forever. They had no idea how prophetic they would turn out to be.

The weather has been tolerable for the most part although today was meant to be rainy. So far, not much. Sort of like the red in the sky this morning.

A new friend, Mary, invited me to join her for a street photography workshop and while it might be fun, my computer is groaning over the volume that now exists on this machine, along with two external hard drives. 

And yet, I can't stop myself because I love taking photographs so much, even if it is close to home. 

your friend,

Gail

Don't Take Much to Make Me Happy

There was a time when I surrounded myself with music, whether in the car or in our home; rarely did I live with silence. Growing up, music was a natural part of our life with my Mom loving Elvis, so much so that she requested one of his songs at her funeral mass! My Dad was in love with Ella Fitzgerald, although I think Peggy Lee was in contention for his favorite too. I suspect it would have made them so proud to see what an accomplished musician Bill has become, teaching himself other instruments after mastering the guitar in a big way. Exciting news from their household, Fallon has been accepted to Nurse Practitioner's school and will begin in January. We are so proud of her!

What happened? I can't rightly tell you, however, after immersing ourselves in the Ken Burn's documentary, my passion was reignited and I've been listening every chance I get. So it is that I have Mary Chapin Carpenter to thank for today's title, after her song of the same. If you know her music at all, you know that she has a beautiful soothing voice, and when her song came on my playlist, it stopped me in my tracks because it perfectly describes how I feel at this time in my journey through life. Knowing that all four of our sons and their spouses are doing well is first and foremost. Admittedly, I am still grieving the loss of Carol, but knowing she no longer suffers eases the pain. Unfortunately our extended families are not without challenges, but when the circle is so large I guess that is to be expected. 

Otherwise, it takes very little to make me happy, including my love for watches and clocks. What it is about the two that I love so much is not clear to me, but when we saw the clock below at the Winter Park Autumn Art Festival, I fell in love. 

Isn't it just so fun? Handmade by a Winter Springs artist, here is his website with other amazing creations that we could not afford! The clock though, well Merry Christmas Gail, or so I told Bruce, however that was not his idea. It just occurred to me because, at this stage of our life, buying gifts for one another can be challenging. Mostly we've not gone to any art shows because, frankly, when I was doing them, even though I did surprisingly well, I could not always get past the fact that the artists are merely the talent if you will, meaning, most people have no intention of buying anything and merely go for a pleasant outing. I suppose that sounds silly to some, yet after spending hundreds of dollars for your booth space, and countless hours setting up, folks just looking is not what an artist needs. This time, however, we were in search of art for our bedroom, although either things were out of our price range, or we just didn't fall in love. The clock for the kitchen, on the other hand, well, that was just the ticket.

Speaking of doing art shows, while standing in front of Stevotomic's booth, I was overjoyed and embarrassed when Alan Fraser called my name. Embarrassed because we'd spent countless hours together chatting at the Winter Garden market and I did not recognize him! Overjoyed because he looked so well after nearly dying from a bacterial infection that claimed both his legs. Although I'd not seen him in years, I should have recognized him. That said, he is both taller with his prosthetics and buffer, working out every day to keep himself strong. Gosh I liked him so much and was crushed when he was so ill. Well, I still like him, and having now caught up with one another, promises were made to keep in touch.

Tim and Alan are planning a move to Palm Springs next year where my new clock would fit right in.

Living lakeside has given me more joy than I could ever have imagined, watching days unfold, beginning at dawn,

through the sparkling water under the noonday sun.

 Later in the afternoon, puffy clouds appear, mirrored in the lake,    

with the glow of the Hunter's Moon casting crazy bright light shimmering on the lake's surface.

Because the photo above is not much, up very early the next morning, I walked down to the big lake to see it from another perspective. Seriously thrilling watching it move rapidly down the horizon as if it were the setting sun.

Walking back to our place, again the sky was beautiful with the cries of scores of crows filling the air.

See how easily I am pleased? Then there is the quilt I've been working on. Originally designed with our bedroom in mind before changing color schemes, the pieces were all cut to make a queen sized quilt. Somewhat scrappy as is Bruce's preference, it did nothing for me, so I put it all in the baskets under my desk. Now, however, with the need for one for our camping set up, I began piecing them row by row, finishing early Sunday evening. Spreading it out on the living room floor to measure for a backing, for some inexplicable reason, I found the imperfect work of the back interesting. Not all the seams are pressed as they should be, it still brought me happiness. Even more so when I found that the five yards of fabric that I'd purchased at an estate sale would work perfectly for a backing.

The cost of that fabric? $3.00!! That is enough to make anyone happy, spending $3 instead of $50! There are a few weeks before the weather is cool enough to go camping, giving me enough time to do the quilting and bind it, hopefully useful for some years to come. 

Then there was the first deer we saw on our excursion yesterday....

 Oh my goodness!

More to come in my next post and I hope that for you too, it "don't take much to make you happy."

your friend,

Gail

Have We Got Things to Talk About

You will not be surprised in the slightest that I'm brimming with things to discuss, beginning with this intriguing feature from the New York Times. What invention of the last 150 years do you think matters the most? Please weigh in!!

I was in total agreement with the person who scoffed at anyone saying the smart phone was the winner because when you think about it, it is merely a collection of things we've had before. Maps, telephone service obviously, calculator, notepad, even messaging is kind of like a new- fangled version of the telegraph. Furthermore while it has spawned some jobs, it has killed way more. Although it is not true for the rest of the country, Florida has benefited greatly from the wide spread availability, not to mention, affordability of AIR CONDITIONING!! It may not matter the most, but it sure is great. Just ask anyone who grew up here without it!  Our population growth during the last thirty years has largely been due to this marvel of engineering. Thank God for our inventors.

Finishing the photo challenge over on fb, my final photo was of the sunrise at Lake Conway yesterday morning. I was up early---what can I say?

From there I rode to see the eagles, however, I found the eaglet, (wonder where the other one is?), on the pine tree across the lake from the nest. Too dim to get a good shot, so on to see what my owlets were up to. Good choice Gail. Arriving, I saw one in the magnolia tree, and one in the birdbath...score! What happened next was fun to watch..

Yup, just perching on the shingles...

Those big brown eyes staring are just too much!

Over the weekend we were lucky enough to use David's tickets to see an Orlando City game which proved to be entertaining in loads of ways. I seriously can't help myself when I photograph things that either interest or amuse me. Does this remind you of a character from a book or movie? It did me, however, the name eludes me.

It is both a sporting and a cultural event for long time Orlandoans like us. For one thing, they have up and changed the name of the stadium which kind of bugs me because it is such a silly name.

Then too, there were only about three people sitting in our vicinity, aside from ourselves, of course, that spoke English. That said, excitement in any language is easily discernible--the crowd went crazy when the Lions scored the winning goal.

Sunday, following church, the "kids" met us at Dubsdread for a birthday lunch for Mr. Bruce. Surprisingly, both outings we enjoyed pleasant weather, much to our relief.

While it is true that I have gained weight in the last year, I didn't think it was enough to put me into a size 12 sewing pattern, but indeed that is the case. As such, I threw away some old ones, that no doubt, will never be used again.

You do remember that I said sewing patterns bear no relation to ready to wear clothes, don't you? Talking to Nancy about this, she asked had I taken my measurements to find the right fit? No, I was guessing before. Now I'm not!

It is also true that the very first garment I made in Home Ec, all those years ago, was an A-line skirt out of blue kettlecloth, a fabric I've not seen in years. So, what better way to break in my new machine than repeating that same garment? This white skirt is made from denim with a little spandex for comfort. The top you will remember from my last post.

I am all dressed and ready for the monthly Days for Girls get together. There were eighteen women in attendance, all working like busy bees. Sharleen, pictured below, is our fearless leader who organizes everything. As well, she brings all of the materials, spending the better part of a week getting ready.

I took quite a number of photos yesterday to show you what it is like. Kim, to the right of Sharleen is not a sewist, however, her work is invaluable to the effort. I got a chance to visit with her yesterday, learning she was a baker at Disney for thirty years before retiring. Bev, pictured below taught 3rd and 5th grade at Pershing for years and years. She worked on cutting which you will understand momentarily. The quilt tops on the wall are unreal..

The one on the right has pinned fabric in the middle of it, marring the look just a smidge but in person it is fantastic. Sharleen explained to me it is a pattern called Bargello, something I am going to research when I finish this! Susan, below, is working on the pads, or what will become the pads once they are cut apart by Bev. I did the same.

Once they are cut into thirds, they are serged, which is what Judy is working on below.

By way of explanation, a serged seam is what you find in ready to wear clothes. Look at this stack of pads!!

And we are back to Kim who is both tying the ends of those pads and using fray check for insurance. As you can see there are so many steps, and I'm not even including all of them. Each girl receives eight pads, pictured above, which are folded in thirds to use with the liners. It is definitely a labor of love for everyone, but no one more so than Sharleen. You've always heard the saying, "if you want something done, ask a busy person" and that rings true for her because not only does she spend so much time on this project, she sews for other charities!! What an inspiration.

All in all it was such a good day, beginning with the sunrise, and ending with the sunset over Lake Jennie Jewel where someone on the street has been so kind as to place a bench for the purpose of watching sunsets.

If you think the owl photos look cute today, wait until I show you what I saw this morning!!

Tune in again,

Gail

Celebrating Life

Who needs a blood moon and a lunar eclipse anyway? Me, that's who! It was not to be however, due to last night's complete cloud cover over Central Florida. I was hoping that by early morning said cloud cover would have dissipated, and I'd at least be able to see the super moon. Waking up before five this morning, I eagerly went out back to nothing. Clouds everywhere you turned. After Mr. Bruce took off for the airport, this photographer thought, well, if the night sky was to have been so dramatic, maybe the early morning sky would do the same? I drove over to the closest field I could find off Conway Road to watch the sunrise.

The clouds were good for something anyway! I waited patiently..

Siri told me the sunrise would be at 7:16, and so it was.

So, that was the start to my Monday. How about yours?

Last Friday, September 25, would have been our Mom's 90th birthday which Maureen and I celebrated over lunch at Smashburger. Our Mom loved a good burger and milkshake.

If you've yet to try Smashburger, I highly recommend that you do!

Quarter to five on Friday, during a driving rainstorm, I picked Bruce up at the airport. Here's something that perhaps you've not tried before, a little secret I learned from my sister Carol. Pick folks up at Departing Flights because they won't jump all over you for parking your car! Works like a charm. Arriving home, Baxter, as you can imagine, was delighted to see him, as was I. After going without a good night's sleep for almost all of the twelve days he was gone, it wasn't long after supper that he took to the couch.

And who can blame him?

Saturday morning, after getting his expense report done, (well over $3,000 for the hotel!!), we got the yard done, because not only is it what we do on Saturday, but we were having guests in the evening. Our friend, Cathy, decided it could be fun to have a progressive dinner, so, after much planning on her part, we did. We began the night at Cheryle and David's for champagne. The gardeners found their way outside to commiserate on plants.

Cathy, in the black and white dress, meted out the dishes we were to prepare from a Cook's Illustrated Menu Cookbook. Needless to say, the recipes were complicated! As well, she and Bunker (khaki pants above), went to ABC Liquors with said menu for wine pairings, aided by the "wine guy" there.

Next up was our home where we had appetizers, including a terrine made by yours truly, Prosciutto wrapped asparagus made by Roxanne, and caramelized onions with goat cheese and crackers, made by Cheryle. Before we ate a thing though, I took a group photo outside.

Well, I guess some had their wine already, didn't they?

My dish was a first for me, in fact, I tried something like it in the past that was a wreck. This time, after consulting with Pam, I froze it between each layer of ingredients. Called a Pesto and Sun Dried Tomato Cheese Terrine, it actually turned out just fine. Because a big bunch of fresh basil is hard to come by this time of year, I made the pesto with arugula, and folks seemed to like it. Making pesto was a first for me as well.

Turn about is fair play because once, while over at Bill and Roxanne's for a party, I begged to turn on the tv so I could finish watching Jordan Spieth win a golf tournament. Saturday night, Bill asked for the Florida football game, so who was I to turn him down?

Once the sun went down we all converged on Bunker and Cathy's lovely home where they'd set up tables poolside for the main dish of Beef Stew Provencal served over noodles brought by Lisa and Oren. I just counted the ingredient list for that stew--17!! I told you these were complicated recipes!

Bruce is paying our wine bill which was a very reasonable $11 a person.

Pat made the salad which again was crazy complicated, requiring her to special order Belgian Endive. Everything was delicious, including the french bread from the East End market bakery. Did I mention that wine was served with each course? All very good. In case you are worried, each pour was small.

Ending the evening on a sweet note, we walked the three doors down to Pam and Glenn's house. Pam made a scrumptious, albeit crazy time consuming, Chocolate Caramel Walnut Tart ,which I made sure to photograph for posterity. She claimed she is not making caramel again any time soon!

In case you are wondering about her rooster in the middle of table, I suspect she bought that during the two years she and Glenn lived in New Zealand. Looks like a magazine doesn't it?

She's serving Roxanne, as Cathy patiently waits her turn. Just how full do you think we were? Very full! It was such a fun evening we can't wait to do it again, albeit, or at least the cooks agree, with somewhat simpler recipes! I now have fourteen wine glasses, so that part is taken care of.

Following Saturday's busyness, Sunday was a quiet day indeed. We went to church again so that Bruce could decide what he thought, and pretty much either rested, ate, or watched golf. Yup, Jordan Speith did it again! He is a boy wonder.

The day was a mix of sun and clouds up until around 5PM, then some rain fell, and those pesky clouds never went away. We went to bed early. I may have not gotten any photographs of the celestial phenomenon, however others sure took some wonderful shots in this link. Don't miss it!

Finally, this week at the restaurant, there are still challenges awaiting Bruce, but food is being delivered which is an exciting milestone indeed. Stay tuned...

Celebrating life in all its fullness,

Gail