Dresses

I'm waiting on Bruce to return from New Jersey. Tonight is the annual "The Art of the Dress" exhibit at the Avalon Gallery on Pine and Magnolia. Last year it was loads of fun, partly because it was super crowded, partly because the art was so fun.

Yesterday, Nancy will be thrilled to know that I shook off my slacker ways and cleaned the house, or at least my version of cleaning. Some days, everything I see is a picture, some days  I see nothing. Cleaning supplies, when lit properly, can even be interesting, at least to me.

After finishing my cleaning I made lunch for Bill who was taking a vacation day. I don't get to see my boys often enough so I took the opportunity to have him over while he was available. Working on the weekends has it's drawbacks for sure.

Finally I sat down at the sewing machine and started back on the dress you first saw in JUNE!

No doubt you're wondering why in the world it's taken me so long and you would be right to wonder. For some crazy reason I bought an invisible zipper for the dress along with the special foot to install it. Guess what? Could not read the instructions, even with a magnifying glass! Some of the print is getting too darn small for an old lady like me. So, it sat.

Eventually I purchased a regular zipper, planning on getting to it soon. Well, maybe not soon, but in the near future. The future is now, or at least yesterday and today.

Today I missed bridge because we did not have a foursome which makes things difficult. One friend has a dad in the hospital, one is on a Mediterranean cruise. Next week I hope!  So, after walking Baxter I sat back down and got to work.

Interestingly enough, the pattern suggested a way to make a lapped zipper installation that I've never used. For all the years I've sewn you baste the seam together and then work from the inside. Not this method, which worked like a dream. Best zipper I've put in in as long as I can remember.

Next the side and shoulder seams, the facing, the sleeves and finally the hem. The dress is finished!

Although there are some interesting details on the front you'd hardly notice them with the busy print. The pattern is a 60's retro Simplicity--thus I wanted a little bit of Flower Power, or maybe a lot. :) I've got it on now--figured it was a good event to show off my crazy little dress.

Speaking of which, after a trip to the library yesterday afternoon, I have some new reading material. I found Flower Children by Maxine Swann,  choosing it, not only did I think I might like the story, but the cover photograph is cool as well. You know when you read the first page of a book and realize--yup, this will work? Well when I read the opening line: "They're free to run anywhere they like whenever they like, so they do." I knew right off this book was for me; I stayed up late, nearly finishing it last night!

Mostly, after boring you to tears writing about our cardinals, I have steered clear of the subject of late. I've had to content myself with this adorable mug I bought a few weeks ago to get my bird fix.

HOWEVER, the birds are back with the slightly cooler weather. I did my best to get this shot of what I'm hoping is the baby, although, heaven knows I can't be sure.

This morning you would have thought we were a park what with a dove, crow, tit mouse, cardinal and squirrel all hanging around the new tree and bird feeder. Nice. Don't you just believe in silver linings? I do. If the big tree hadn't come down we would never have had this much fun with our feathered friends. Of course, all of my friends and loved ones who are having such health challenges undoubtedly cannot see a silver lining in their future. Who can blame them? That said, if I'd never gotten sick for so long, I would never have gotten started with my business. Maybe it's only some of the time......

The other day a man, after looking through my baskets said he was impressed with my still lifes. I said that if I can't find something out and about to photograph, I make something up at home. I'm sure this isn't really true, but he said that he'd heard that painters and photographers need go no further than a two mile radius from their homes to be good. Now that I've typed that, it does sound pretty crazy, but it worked for Monet. Walking Baxter this morning, we stopped down at the lake, something we've done countless times. It just struck me today to get way down and see what happened.

Plain and simple, but I like it. Imagine that it's the first time I've thought to do it after so many times standing right in front of it! I just wasn't looking with my photographic eyes.

Finally Bruce just called from the runway. We'll be late, but we'll be there.

Good night dear ones.

Gail

How About That?

Sunday evening, after finishing my market work, think PayPal transactions and market photo album, I suggested to Bruce that we might want to try a restaurant on Orange Avenue. Said restaurant has gone through both multiple owners and decors. Presently it is called "Tommy Addisons." It is lighter and brighter than the last incarnation and after being seated we took stock of the place. The menu had multiple choices I could be happy with and the prices are reasonable. All good.

Because the tables were fairly close together, I overheard the waiter serving the adjacent couple that he is a student at Rosen College, part of UCF. Doe's that name sound familiar to you? It should if your memory is better than mine. That is where Dr. Severt teaches, you know, the crazy friend of mine? I couldn't help myself, once he turned his attention to us, I asked if he'd taken him.  "No, he replied, but I wish I had. All of my friends say he is the best professor they ever had!" I'm so sure. If you had the time to watch that crazy video of him dancing you would understand that he's a man who is not afraid to do whatever it takes to get his point across. I was happy to hear how highly regarded he is with the student population.

After that exchange Bruce and I wondered about the number of cars in the parking lot compared to the amount of people we saw around us. I said I'd head to the restroom for a recognizance mission. Who should I see on said mission but two very wonderful couples from our past. And we are talking way past. I may have written about seeing the Logombinas at the market recently after not seeing them for years and years. Their companions were the Sellers. Matt and Jonathan may recognize both names. As Kathy Logambina was telling the table about seeing me at the market with my "art", their server said, "I thought I recognized you!" As it turns out, she is one of my very first customers. Nice.

As they were leaving they stopped by our table to chat with Bruce. Nice. Both of the ladies have a place in our home because Kathy helped me pack up our old house to move to this one. Christy Sellers yard was filled with spider plants which she broke apart, giving me oodles of them to use in our yard where they still are planted--nearly 16 years strong. Small world my friends, or at least Orlando still is a small town, regardless of their aspirations to be BIG. Speaking of plants, I bought this neat one from Jim and Kathy. It is called "Million Hearts."

Spider plants are in the background.

I was all set to tell you that Steve is much improved, going home after just a few days in the hospital; apparently his blood pressure was in serious need of regulation. Unfortunately, and I have very few details, he had to go back last night. I'm awaiting more information.

Yesterday I waited and waited for the guy to come work on the pool. The bottom, as well as some on the side, has some darkening in the finish. Obviously not good after such a short time. Finally I called and discovered that they forgot to call me and reschedule the appointment. I hate that. Furthermore, Baxter was to have his teeth cleaning today, which has also been rescheduled because the ultrasonic machine is in for repairs. Allegedly the pool guy is coming first thing this morning. We shall see.

Earlier, when I began typing this, the moon was so bright and beautiful I could have probably typed outdoors if I'd had a notion to. The sky is just beginning to show some signs of the oncoming day.

Another update: Regina's daughter is now on disability, having tried most all the chemotherapy available. Regina wrote that she is either praying for a miracle or mercy. My heart hurts bad for her.
Corrine, on the other hand, is shrinking by the day, having lost more than 30 pounds now. She is, however, regaining her strength and is getting out and about some. It's always so difficult to understand how one woman is dying at 42, while another nearing 85 hangs on.

On a happier note, the other evening I had a hankering for Giada's Dirty Risotto. Over the weekend while browsing through my Bon Appetit, there was a feature about "mis en place", which if ever a recipe called for it, this is the one. Let's take a look at how I did it.

The bacon and Italian sausage are browning with all the ingredients chopped and ready for action.

Next you add the vegetables:

Looking good! Stir and cook until somewhat soft, adding the arborio rice next. Meanwhile you have your pan of chicken stock simmering nearby, ready to add by half cup fulls.

This shot is taken when the rice is still mostly white, before any broth addition.

Below, I've finished the browning, added the peppers and onions, wine, rice and  some of the broth.

The recipe is unlike any risotto I've made before because you have all this stuff in the pan when you add the rice. If you've made any yourself, you'll know what I mean. I have mentioned previously that although I have loads of cookbooks, most of them yield only one or two recipes that are eaten in regular rotation around here. This is one delicious risotto for sure. Ugly--kind of. Delicious--oh my! So here is the finished product--dinner for one.

I should have wiped that bowl edge! I mean if I'm taking the photo and all....
Some people are amazed that I will go to so much trouble for myself and there are nights that I won't but because I am very set on eating breakfast, lunch and dinner, I need something to eat at night! I will tell you that this batch turned out especially good because the grains of rice are somewhat shiny, a sure sign of nicely done risotto.

Finally, speaking of cooking, I heard the woman who wrote that piece on Home Economics I was touting, interviewed on Talk of the Nation. If you're interested click on the link. I always wonder how a story like that in the mainstream press moves from one outlet to another. Good publicists perhaps?

Because I couldn't leave yesterday morning I finally got my big order to Mr. Roger; I dread seeing the bill. Actually, I won't even look at it--you know, the whole idea of what you don't know can't hurt you!

Have a lovely day my friends.

Gail

Where Were You?

Yes, everyone is writing about where they were on September 11, 2011 prompting me to do the same.


I was a full time mammographer in those days, working at what was then called Sand Lake Hospital. I distinctly remember being in the midst of a biopsy procedure in my tiny room that fateful morning. I won't bore you with how it is done, but I will tell you that I never left the room, thus, a helper, in this case my boss Dave, would wait outside the room for me to hand him the film cassette, which in turn, he would develop and show to the radiologist. I'm not sure how anyone even knew what was happening, perhaps, a television somewhere in the hospital, I don't have a clue? Anyway, as I opened the door slightly to do the exchange, Dave told me one of the towers had been hit. Now Dave was a bit of a joker so that was my first thought--surely, he's kidding. He was not, as we all know. Shock and disbelief set in. Now I don't recall if I told the patient or not, but what I do know is I was panicking because my dear Bruce was out of town. For once, his Monday travel was a very, very good thing. The boys began calling the hospital to inquire about their Dad's whereabouts. You may recall that the nation was a buzz with fear that horrible things might happen somewhere else. He was safe and sound in Iowa, however, getting home was quite a challenge a few days later. Sadly, that one day changed the way we all live. I wonder how many years it will be until once again we regain our national optimism?

Speaking of which, this piece on the National Theater is quite good. Now what, pray tell, does that have to do with the price of tea in China? Just joking there, folks, an old saying from my mother. Seriously, regular, albeit few, readers will remember we saw "War Horse" at the National during our London holiday. What I'm trying to say, however poorly, is that the world has seen great tragedy before, and good people have recovered and in some ways become even stronger. Let us all hope that our nation can do the same.

A quote in the above piece from the Times spoke to me regarding my photography. The creative director of the National Theater said that they try and produce plays that "would be as interesting as possible to as many people as possible." Aha! Therein lies my problem! Currently I have 125 different numbered prints in my baskets. Good grief, no wonder I can't keep up with it all. Yet, I don't quite know how to do it any differently. Once again, looking for an EDITOR! Another good weekend with my markets; perhaps it is a new beginning?

Rarely do I post picture taken at the market but I couldn't help thinking that it would hard to find a more colorful photograph than this one taken yesterday:

My friend and neighbor at Lake Eola, Kathy gushes every Sunday about all the dogs we see. I, on the other hand, gush about the darling children, including this little beauty:

Those of a certain age may see a resemblance to a Gerber baby.


Just before closing at the Winter Garden market on Saturday, this young couple showed up:

I love how she seems to be noticing his t-shirt for the first time, obviously not a fan. My Friday Night Light buddies will instantly recognize why I'm posting this. After our marathon viewing on Friday night, Bruce and I found out Coach Taylor, our hero, was demoted to East Dillon, an unfair move if ever there were one. During my conversation with the young man I learned he was just as avid about the show as we are! Plus, they use cool music including one of Matt's favorites, Sufjan Stevens, whose songs are filled with Christian themes in a completely non-traditional way. He loves God and isn't afraid to say so. Who can't love God when they see His handiwork like this beautiful sunset from the other evening?

Amazing artist is our God. Speaking of art, since Nancy's departure, I have dropped all pretenses about liking to clean. I don't. I've spent very little time cleaning which means more time for READING. Two novels of late merit a mention. The multi-talented Steve Martin, has tackled the high stakes New York art world in An Object of Beauty. His heroine is not so likeable, nor for that matter, is the world she moves in, however, if you have an interest in art you might enjoy it. Secondly, I read The Upright Piano Player, a first novel by a retired advertising executive from London, David Abbot. Surely you know by now that a happy ending is not a requisite of mine. Once someone asked me if I only read sad things, which was, to be fair, an honest question. That said, although the writing is terrific, there are some very disturbing events, not to mention themes in this novel. I was taken aback when the "bad guy" in the novel, after hammering nails in the truck tires of the boss who fired him, decided that the nearby guard dog deserved the same. Yikes! Make of it what you will.


My blog post regarding my visit to the Brevard Zoo referenced two jaguars, however, I neglected to post the second one, pictured here, hanging out during the heat of the day, trying to stay cool.

Taking photographs through glass can be quite challenging for a multitude of reasons. Next time you are faced with that situation I have to hints. One-- place your camera/lens directly on the glass to minimize all the surrounding reflections. Two--NEVER use flash. You've all seen how that works out. Stumbling upon my blog, curiously called Camera Crazy, a person would be led to believe it was full of camera tips. Obviously, they would be false assumptions, however, every now and again, I like to share what four solid years of taking photographs have taught me.


The sky is sparkling blue, the humidity is down, and the outdoors is calling to me.....talk to you soon.


Gail

p.s. This post has taken forever, first I lost most of it, then I couldn't publish it, then when it did, most of it was missing.....yikes--you would think I was new at this! Finally, I wrote it in Firefox than had to copy and paste it into my dashboard on Chrome. I'm not sure it was worth all the trouble, but here it is nevertheless.

Reinvention, or Not?

I spent an inordinate amount of time Wednesday looking back through pictures from the past four years. So much time, in fact, that when I looked at my watch it read 2:45 in the afternoon! I NEVER skip meals, but never say never, huh?

I found this one that I really loved, taken years ago at the market.

 The light and the adorable girls makes me smile every time I see it.

Why exactly was I looking? Well, Winter Park is looming and I need to order at least 10 large canvases for the walls. Always a big struggle for me. Most people who come by my booth cannot imagine the struggle I go through! I decided to fall back on a technique I've used before--having small prints made at Target to set out and see what grabs me.

Astute readers will note the material in the upper right. Still not done with that dress....

Angela called and I invited her over for her opinion. She chose four. Bruce took a look this morning and chose five completely different ones. So, where does that leave me? One thing Bruce told me was that I need not feel like I must reinvent myself for every show.

That is quite the dilemma for me. For one thing, I get bored selling "Beach Daisies" time and again. As well, I have quite a few repeat customers and it seems to me that they are looking for something new. The whole thing just stops me in my tracks.

While looking I came across this photo of our very first show in Baldwin Park:

This was a few months after meeting Mr. Roger. Notice we are showing only one canvas, displayed hanging on the right side of the photograph. My goodness my tent looked nice and clean, unlike these days. I must consider investing in my infrastructure! The funny thing about that canvas is that the person who bought it was the woman who initially denied me access to the market I've now called my Sunday home for the last four years!

My bridge time yesterday was both fun and painful, with me losing multiple hands! Good thing I'm not very competitive. The ladies were kind enough to not give me a hard time.

Today was spent signing prints, doing laundry and mowing the lawn. All is done. Tonight, after having our supper we plan a Friday Night Lights marathon. Monday night we finished the final episode of the third series which left us hanging! Bruce told me to head out on Tuesday to get the next series, however, I used my Amazon Prime to have it shipped in only two days. While weeding last evening, the UPS guy pulled up and I thanked him. If you've not seen Friday Night Lights you are really, really missing a good show. Time to eat dinner.....

You Win Some, You Lose Some

After seeing the giraffe at Silver Springs, I decided to check out the Brevard Zoo website. Only last week I'd read in the paper that a new giraffe was born there, with the public showing scheduled for October. As well, the article mentioned that in April there was a birth.  Curious, I discovered the darling video I'm sharing with the above link.

I have to admit, I don't think I've given giraffe's their due. Once you are close to an animal, your appreciation skyrockets, as did Bruce and mines after our Monday experience. From the website I also discovered that for the month of September they are having $2.00 Tuesdays. Well, what was stopping me now that I've quit the Polasek? Nothing. So, off I went. Try as I might, I can no longer seem to embed the slideshow, however, if you want to see the sights, click please--I don't think you'll be disappointed.

A Morning at the Brevard Zoo

The weather was not too unpleasant and the crowds were slim. Bonus factor--only took me 45 minutes to get there. I was so impressed with everything. Now I know some folks have a thing against zoos, but I'm not among them. I was so very lucky because the giraffes come and go as they please, spending most of their time roaming the five acres allotted to them. I began my visit there, seeing five of the six giraffes, however, after roaming the zoo I returned and not a one was in sight. A big, big storm was moments away; apparently, according the volunteer, the giraffes were probably safely in their barn to wait it out. Fortunately, I was able to make it back to my car just as the torrential rain began falling.

Once I was in the car I discovered I had bird poop on my white shirt in two places, including right in the middle of the front! Sometimes nostalgia is a good thing, sometimes, not so much. In my case, as I was exiting I-95, I saw a Belk department store just off the interstate. Our mother worked at Belk after our father died, long enough to even get a small pension. During those years I shopped quite a bit at Belk, buying lots of the boys clothing there among other things. Because it was only a short distance away, I thought why not go over there and buy a new shirt to replace my soiled one? Bad move. I can't remember the last time when I've seen a more sorry collection of clothing. Absolutely everything was just plain ugly to me. They were practically giving away a bunch of clothes on the sales rack, yet I still had a hard time finding anything! Eventually I settled on a plain white v-neck sleeveless shirt for $4.50. After purchasing it, I went into the dressing room to change only to discover it was really too big. Angela is now the owner of said shirt.

After eating an excellent sandwich at Pita Pit, I made my way over to the ocean. The skies were dreary, however, I was so close I went anyway.

Driving along A1A, I pulled in a few places, to see what I could see. For someone who calls her business Out & About Photography, I've spent too much time at home this year, with the exception of our holiday. In the coming months, Bruce will be traveling most of the weeks which may translate into me doing the same. The scene below made me chuckle a bit:

No doubt, there have been some weird weather patterns of late, however, I'm pretty confidant that an earthquake and tsunami won't be coming our way any time soon. But then again, what do I know?

Taking the long way home, a stop in downtown Melbourne was a pleasant surprise. Lots of colorfully painted storefronts and restaurants. Very cute. The empty sidewalk may be the result of a rainy Tuesday afternoon. I sure hope the shops are doing well.

Baxter was very pleased to see me upon my return at 5:00. So here's where the title comes in. Checking my email I learned that I DID NOT get into the DeLand show in November. So what? As you may know I usually hope to do three shows a season--now I'm down to two. Plus I usually sell around $2,000 for the weekend. Bummer.

Soon thereafter though, my disappointment fell into perspective. While I was over delivering the shirt to Angela, Bruce was leaving a sad message. Apparently, his best friend Steve had what they think is a stroke yesterday morning. Now that is bad news. Bruce was hoping I could locate his whereabouts. After calling Orlando Health (it still galls me to use that stupid name!), the kind woman after declaring he was not in their system, transferred me to Florida Hospital. Although this kind woman told me he was not in any of their seven hospitals, turns out, upon further checking, he is in the main hospital on Mills. Calling his room was taking a chance and indeed, I did not get to talk with Steve, but I did talk to his brother who gave me the details. Both Bruce and I are surprised because in the last year Steve has lost a tremendous amount of weight, consistently exercising to keep it off. Furthermore, he's the happiest we've seen him in years after falling in love with Barbara. I suppose it reinforces what I already know--we can only control so much. After witnessing Maureen's recovery, not to mention Karen's, I'm thinking positive. Only time will tell.

Home

Duh--I didn't realize that young woman I meet who don't know how to cook never took Home Economics in school. I wonder how long it's been missing from the curriculum? Probably the same length of time boys haven't been taking shop. The author of the piece makes a very good case for re-introducing the subject, only this time boys undoubtedly would be welcome. I know there are young woman and men who paid attention to their parents teachings, but from what I hear all the time--not enough.

If it weren't for Home Ec, I'm sure I never would have learned to sew. I can still recall making my very first A-line skirt out of blue kettlecloth. There was no waistband, only facing, and a zipper. My teacher claimed I'd never learn--she was wrong. I had a STRONG desire for new clothing in those days which in a family of six children were hard to come by. Carol and Nancy followed my example by becoming excellent seamstresses--much better than me.

Although our mother owned a terrific sewing machine, it mostly went unused because she hated sewing. As I recall she said it made her nervous. Thus, home ec was invaluable to me. Cooking, on the other hand, was something my mother knew how to do, and do well. You wouldn't know it sometimes because just as soon as we were capable, the cooking duties were shifted to the girls, beginning with Maureen who carried the burden of feeding our family long before she should have. Because she moved out when I was thirteen, I came up to bat next. As far as the younger girls are concerned, I don't think it was quite so bad.

The previous paragraph may sound a bit harsh, however, I sure learned how to make quantities of food, a skill which served me well while I had a houseful of boys. Because I carried the idea with me that I'd been forced to do so much at a young age, I erred on the other side, never making the boys do things I could. Furthermore, Bruce did the same. That said, we did teach them how to cook, clean, do laundry, take care of a lawn, manage money...that sort of thing. We just didn't use them as "slave" labor.

It would be easier to hold a grudge against my parents, however, I choose not to. Ever the eternal optimist, I try to focus on the good they instilled with their mostly non-existent parenting skills. It made me responsible, focused, and competent at a good number of things. As well, we had food, and mostly plenty of it, something that many people can not say, especially these days.

Finally, while still on the subject of home economics, I can say with confidence that I have used what I learned in those classes far more than what I learned in algebra! Bring it on for the next generation.

Bruce left just a bit ago for the airport. He was not thrilled because he just concluded an 11 day stint, mostly working from home. Because he was able to get so much done at home without the distraction of traveling and co-workers, he had time to do the yard on Saturday while I was at the market. My, the yard looks very nice despite the ongoing heat. Loafing around at home with Baxter on Sunday was a rare treat. Of course, he still worked as a "roadie" but other than those few hours, he mostly relaxed. Yesterday, we took a little road trip.

Before we talk about that, I'll tell you I still haven't heard anything, negative or positive. Maybe today? The markets surprised me both days--very nice sales. Between the two there were 28. While setting up on Sunday a couple stopped for a moment, saying how great something would look in their home. Claiming they would be back, both Bruce and I were skeptical because we've heard that before. Call me shocked when they returned after Bruce left, buying both a large canvas and two small ones. They even told me to keep the change! If that weren't enough, later in the day, another young man did the same, giving me $60 for a $50 purchase. Can you believe that? Another bonus was the temperature was not so blistering. I called it a "teaser" weekend because you and I both know we are still in for a month of hot weather. Soon, very soon, it will get cooler.....

Predictions of 60% rain chance did not keep us from heading out of the driveway just after 7 on Labor Day. Heading up towards Ocala, we stopped in Eustis at a Huddle House for delicious breakfast. Bruce said I made the short order cooks day when I told him I enjoyed watching him juggle the orders while we were eating at the counter. Onwards....

Our plan was to visit Silver Springs, home of the famous glass bottomed boats. Claiming that no amount of begging his parents yielded a trip there, he wanted to make up for that earlier denial. After our visit he claimed he was still miffed that he'd not been able to visit during it's heyday. More on that momentarily...

For a long time Bruce has wondered about the Rodman Dam, part of an aborted attempt to construct a cross Florida barge canal system. Because it was only 15 miles up the road from our turn off to SS, we went. Now he's seen it and so have you.

Bruce joined others for a few casts:

Some readers may be unfamiliar with the knobs jutting out of the land in the foreground. Cypress knees. Funny name, but that's what they are called. 

Crisscrossing the forest, we made our way to Silver Springs. Bruce does not like me to take his picture nearly as much I as I'd like to. Here's his idea of a shot!

Originally, we'd planned to do the glass bottomed boats, however, the lines were long so we skipped it. I'm glad the lines were long, because from the condition of the park, they can use all the revenue that comes their way. The highlights were actually seeing some great animals. I'm crazy for this bird,

Remarkable creatures! Bruce was thrilled with both the giraffe,

and the cougars, which we learned are often called either pumas or mountain lions.

You should have seen their tails--so long! Because we were there in the middle of the day, mostly they were resting, however, at one point the one whose face you see began licking the other one. So cute.

There were plenty of alligators including this albino alligator.

Too bad my striped shirt is reflected in the glass! In this space you've seen "white alligators" before, which if you'll recall have a blue eye. These had what you traditionally think of when you think albino--pink.

A gigantic rainstorm came along, passing as quickly as it came. Leaving, we moseyed home the long way, enjoying our time together and looking forward to returning to our comfortable home. Recently I received a thank you card for a lunch I prepared for my friend Cindy. I smiled when I read that she thought our home was not only lovely, but relaxing as well. Nice.

*a note to readers--please forgive any errors, I need to eat and NOW.

884

Earlier today I re-read a few blog posts from the beginning of Camera Crazy. One entry I forwarded to Matthew because it detailed his arrival in London. I called him a chameleon then and that thought still stands. He adapts and changes to his environment so darn easily. He wrote back saying he couldn't believe I'd kept my blog going for so long. February 2007 was the first posting and today I begin writing my 884th post. So, here we go....

September 1, 2011 will not go down in history, or on this blog for that matter, as a good day for Peck men. Not all the Peck men, but certainly two of them. While I was happily playing bridge, Jonathan called the house, surprised I'm sure that his dad picked up. I'm glad he did because I would have been upset by the news that on their way to work, Jonathan swerved to miss hitting a car. The good news is the damage to both vehicles was minor--the bad news is that it shook Alissa up pretty good. Mentally that is. Her first time for an accident. Not for Jonathan, as he reminded me later of one years ago. A neighbor was driving her son and Jonathan somewhere when an accident happened. Jonathan still remembers not having his seat belt on in the back seat and being thrown around a bit. One accident he can't remember was when he was only 10 months old. While driving Matt to the doctor for a strep throat test, a woman drove straight at me on Crystal Lake Drive, totaling our car. Amazingly, neither myself, Matt or Jonathan were injured, although Matt did sport a stripe on his chest diagonally for a while--evidence of how the seat belt saved his life. Jonathan, strapped in his car seat in the back was mostly unfazed. I remember just before the impact thinking I wouldn't be able to nurse Jonathan anymore because I was going to be in the hospital! Judy, sister-in-law extraordinaire, drove to the scene to help. This was long, long before mobile phones. Somehow we made it work.

So that was bad phone call number one.

Around 6, after just putting some home made rolls in the oven, the phone rang again. I said to Bruce, "probably Bill calling on his way home from work." Answering the phone, it was Bill alright. Immediately I knew from his distraught voice that something bad had occurred, a mother's worst nightmare. I handed the phone to Bruce who jumped up from his desk and told Bill to calm down, he was on his way over.

As bad as it was, it could have been worse. His body his fine. It was his condo. Damn it, but someone broke in while he was at work, stealing all manner of things. His place was a mess with clothes strewn all over the floor, cupboards open, things scattered. The robber even had the NERVE to break a frame with baby Baxter in the picture!

After the attempted break in a few weeks ago Bruce went over to install a safety bar on the sliding door. The window, however, did not have any extra security and it was through that opening the robber entered, stealing among other things 10 pairs of designer jeans. Can you imagine? The laptop I can understand, the jeans, not so much. An expensive necklace and watch are gone. When the police were there later on they told Bill to look at his bed to see if they had taken his pillowcase which indeed was gone. Apparently, that's the method used sometimes to carry the loot! Pathetic. The thought is that a young person living in the complex is responsible. We'll see.

Today Bill has calmed down, even sleeping better than his dad last night. Every few hours Bruce was tossing and turning, thinking about things. A month or so ago, Bruce was given an unexpected bonus for working so hard last year. I asked him for a little of what I called "mad money" from the bonus, which is not really my style. In fact, of said "mad money", most of it is still in my possession, except for a new shuffle, which truth be told is not nearly as good as my old one. Just plain too small even for someone with small hands like myself.

Bruce, uncharacteristically decided to do the same, setting some aside for himself. It's gone now. He woke up saying he was going to use it to buy Bill a new computer today, meeting him at Costco around lunch time. I just got off the phone with Bill, who is very grateful for having such a loving dad.

Heard enough bad news for one post? Me too. So let's look at something colorful, shall we? Some carrot soup that looks much better than it taste. The orzo with roasted asparagus, on the other hand was delicious.

For the party Trish brought over the veggies, including about a FIVE pound bag of baby carrots. Not one to waste things, I gave this soup a go, but won't be doing so again no matter HOW MANY carrots I have! The remainder of the soup went into the disposal.

Just in case you've been wondering, Corrine is much improved, going so far as to return to work! She has, however, now lost 30 pounds, prompting Bruce to say she doesn't even look like herself. Visiting with her a few days ago, she claims to be feeling, in her words, "pretty good."

I won't go into the six or so hours I wasted with a minor car problem; it was frustrating enough to go live without writing about it. The bottom line is, the car is all better now. On my way home from Honda this morning I parked the car for a few minutes at Lake Eola, seeing this:

Those baby swans are growing up, although I don't know if the grayish ones are going to turn white or black. Time will tell as it usually does.

No word from Mt. Dora yet. You'll be one of the first to know when I hear something.