Will uploading work? YES!!!! Disney

Let's See If This Works?!?!?!?

Oh yes!   Thank you computer magic dust!  After several hours of work I got it working again.  Whew!!

So now that I can again do my blog, the pictures will be a smorgasbord of pictures from the last month and a half.   So above is our trip to Disney World last week.  So much fun.  We spent a day in Hollywood Studios.

Dad, Mom, Me, and Sandy going into the Polynesian Luau Dinner.  The food was great - BQ chicken, pork shreaded, and ribs.  Pineapple bread - I must learn how to make.  Bread pudding with caramel sauce for desert.  The show was in three parts and wonderful.  Thank you Disney!

Dad in his leis.   He also got a kiss.  

Sandy with her leis and eating the salad.

Mom with her leis also working on the salad.  Pineapple coleslaw and fresh pineapple, salad with mango dressing. 

We saw Beauty and the Beast.  Row one!  What a wonderful view. That was maybe our favorite of the day.

We have some flowers here in Gulf Breeze.   Mostly pansies but of course Disney has beautiful flowers everywhere.   Soon it will be their Flower Show in March.   I went last year and was in awe of the beauty.

We ate lunch at the Fifties Restaurant in Hollywood Studios.   EAT YOUR VEGETABLES!

Those Disney buses get crowded and we were there at one of the least crowded days of the year.

Kacey stayed at Best Friends in Disney World.  When we walked in, their guest's pictures rotate up on their tv screen.   Look at my cute Kacey.

Kacey sent me an email on day two that she was having a great time, made lots of friends, and was eating her food.  Along with it came this picture.

 

What a joy it is to walk out your door and pick a mango orange off of your own tree.  It is a small tree but gave us 18 oranges this year.  So sweet!!

Here is a beach sandman waving hello to all!

The quality of some of these pictures could be better.  My IPhone had an unfortunate accident and died during the trip but now I have the new IPHONE 6.   I have not even really taken pictures with it yet so we shall soon see how the quality of those come out.

SOME GOOD NEWS TO SHARE!

• Everyone is healthy.   Let's keep it that way.
• Kelly and her family are coming down for a week the end of June.  I just can't wait!
• My lessons are getting ready for Solo and Ensemble Contest mid February.   Have have students that I so enjoy working with in lessons.
• We purchased a few new large pots for our pool area decorations and need to get to work on pulling some plants out that did not make it through the 30 degree weather.
• My Aunt Sandy has been to almost every Disney trip with us and she is so fun!   We love her company......come back soon Sandy!    She says she wants to wait until the pool is warm.
• Speaking of pool, I bought a new bathing suit today so I am ready.

I hoped to drive over to the beach and take some pictures tomorrow but it is going to be rainy so I will wait for a sunny day.  Our weather has been wonderful for January - upper 60's and sunny.  Hey, if I can wear capris and flip flops - I am happy!   

Cold Everywhere

Well, cold here!  
         Colder further north!  
                   Colder yet even more further north than that!!
                                    And  DOWN RIGHT FRIDGED when you get to the upper states!
Checking out the weather Channel at 11:30 PM Hobart, Indiana is -7°. And hour and a half south Monticello Indiana is -8°.  Gulf  Breeze,  Florida is a toasty 34° and going down to 24 degrees by 5 a.m.    Yes,I said toasty. Because after 55 years of living in Northwest Indiana, I so remember zero and below degrees and the wind blowing.  I really hate to remember using the snowblower to clear the driveway and the wind blows the snow back into your face.
Any temperature below freezing here in Florida can cause problems. We have always heard of the orange groves losing a lot of their trees because of the frost. The same happens with some of the palm trees and many of the tropical plants that grow here.  Because of that we cover some of the plants to protect them - with the sheets over them they look like a ghosts's convention in our yard.  Other than covering water Spicket's and some of the pipes for the pump that is about all we can do to protect ourselves from the cold.
We won't have any ice or snow on the ground when we get up in the morning.  There will be frost on the windshield but if you wait till later in the morning that too will be gone.  No snowman, no snowball fights, no ice skating.  Well actually there is an ice skating rink in Destin.  And none of the students that I give private lessons to have ever seen snow in their life.
So to all my family and friends up north keep bundled up, drive safely, and a good supply of hot chocolate and chicken noodle soup seems to help get through the cold winter.
    Take care and keep warm!

Pictures

I have some pictures to post; no specific order or subject.  Mostly of Christmas so let's start with those.  And the pictures are tiny.  For some reason I can't upload the pictures from my IPHONE to the computer properly.  I have already worked on this problem for several hours......frustrating!

  Our Tree always has a star on top.

  The bulbs all have a history.

 Ron and I.

   Dave and Ron beginning with gifts.  Oh yes, and Sage.

  A giraffe Holly and Tom bought Mom.  It is beautiful.

   Mom was weak from surgery so we took her for a ride by the beach.  Hot chocolate to make the ride even more special!

 

   Merry Christmas morning.

   No snowmen but sandmen can be found.

  On their 61st Anniversary.

   Ornament - Santa boating.

  Neighbors had New Year's Day brunch.  YUM!

   Dad opening gifts.

  Beautiful sunsets.

   This guy hangs around a lot when Ron is here.

These two silly dogs!  I was trying for a picture for next year's Christmas card and do you think they would both look forward at the same time?   To honest, Kacey was the biggest problem.

 

63 Degrees here today and that is noteworthy if you know the extreme cold temperatures that Indiana is having.   And it is going to get worse.   I went to Target today because I read on Facebook about the Christmas deals that were 90% off.   I did get a few things.   The Target I went to is in Fort Walton and it is a beautiful drive along the water.  Another unusual pet service they have here is the Pet Caravan.   They visit the Walgreens throughout the county each month and you can get your dog or cat's shots at a cheaper fee.   This is the 4th year we have done this with Kacey.  

 

Our trip to Disney World is coming soon and we still have not decided which park to go to this time.   We do one park on each trip.   For now, that is it and again I have a snoring doggy at my feet so it is bedtime for us.

Keep warm everyone........

Where Have I Been?

I know, there have been no  postings for awhile - I am so sorry.  It is not because I have had nothing to say but because there has been too much to say.  We have visited the ER, the hospital, and ICU way more than seems possible in the last month.   I will mention a few difficult times we have had in the last month but most of the blog will be on the good times!

• Mom feels bad on Thanksgiving - taken to ER with twisted bowels - 15 scary days later comes home exhausted and weak.  Kept out after surgery for 48 hours due to swelling of breathing passages.
• Mom has lots of doctor appointments because of the above surgery.
• Flu virus A hits Dad hard - took to ER.  Then hits Peggy not so bad. We wore masks in the house so not to spread the germs.    As of yet, Mom is ok.
• The house next door remains as it was after the fire - quite dangerous. 

Enough of that!  Now the good!

And there is so much good!

• Mom was home to enjoy Christmas with her boys.  Dave and Ron spent a week here for Christmas.  Her exhaustion hasn't improved but the doctors are working on that.
• Sandy was here for two weeks while Mom was in the hospital.  What a help to have her here.  We just felt bad that we did not get to go out and have fun more.
• Thanksgiving was a joy even though Mom was in the hospital.  The Thomas/Basala side of the family was here and it was great to visit.   Tom and Holly stayed an extra day and we visited Mom.   Dad and Tom hung out together, and we went to the Fish House for dinner!  WOW!  What a delicious meal!
• The nurses loved the story that Mom got up and prepared the turkey and placed it into the pan.  Then said "I need to go to emergency."   A good old-fashion American woman.  Cook the meal before you go to the ER.
• I shopped more on-line than I ever had done before and got some great deals - especially from Maceys.
• All Christmas decor is down and back in the attic.  Ahhhhh....I love Christmas but love also getting the house back to normal.
• Warm weather - about 70 degrees each day makes for capris and flip flops.  
• And I am so excited!  Can you guess why?  Yep!  We are heading to Disney World this month.  We have not decided which park to go into yet but I have our reservations in All Star Music and Best Friends Kennel for Kacey.     I also have reservations for an afternoon Tea Party for Mom, Sandy, and I in the Floridian.   (Dad will not go to that so he can have some time on his own.) 

So tomorrow is THE day.  You know, the day all kids and teachers go back to school.   You can just feel the depression in the air.  But I can tell you, by 11:00 am, you feel that you have been back for days and you are back into the groove. 

 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!  We did and look forward to 2015!