Girl's Weekend

We're leaving for a "girls" weekend away in Jacksonville. Well, mostly girls:) Gene is coming up on his Harley Friday night or Saturday morning weather depending. And Richard will be there! But we girls plan to get some shopping in. And we get to see baby's ultrasound Friday afternoon! Yea! Hopefully will have pictures to post when we get back.

BORED?

I've been busy, errr, bad this morning!
I unstuffed one of my toys!



I've been chasing John and Tigger, trying to get them to play with me!

I'm still hungry! I've had my breakfast already! Amanda told Grandma I had to go on a diet cause I've gained 17 lbs since I came to live with them! I keep going in and looking at my empty bowl! I think Grandma is gonna give me something else to eat!

It's Beginning To Look Like Fall!

The weather outside certainly doesn't feel like fall, so since I am a Harley Widow on Thursday nights, I decided to put some fall accessories out and take pictures! This is the family room coffee table. I love the leaf vase I found in Tennessee a couple of years ago.

The breakfast nook table with my Starbucks pumpkin coffee mugs hanging in the background. Amanda gave them to me last year.

A closer shot of the pumpkin mugs.

The leaf bowl Emily gave me last year. I think I need to learn how to take better pics!

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Have to bring my own fall smell into the house with a Yankee Harvest Candle with the turkey topper sitting beside. I love this candle!

A close up of the pumpkin topiaries I found this year at Homegoods.

The fall wreath hanging from the mirror in the living room.

Ella wanted to be included too! She followed me around the house as I was taking the pics! Of course she always turned her head just as I would snap the picture!

Flowers in a pumpkin and the wheat candle holders on the table in the foyer.

My illuminated scarecrow. I also have one of these in my office at work.

This pic was supposed to be #1. Gene heading off to join his boss and a few other guys for a ride to Ft. Pierce to bike night. This has become a Thursday night tradition. I'm glad he is able to go out and ride his bike with other responsible guys.

Heading off!

Wreath on the front door.

Arrangement on the buffet in the dining room.

The dining room table. I had 2 of these turkeys and I broke one carrying it down the stairs. I was so upset! This is my attempt at bringing fall to South Florida. Now, if the weather would cool down just a bit, I would be very happy.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Happy 4th Anniversary to Richard and Emily!

Have a wonderful day!

We love you and miss you!

Photos of Gene I thought I would share!

I found these pictures of Gene today and I thought they were just too good not to share them! The first one is from 1984.


This picture is from 1990! I don't know where I was at, but I totally missed these stages of his life!
Sorry, Honey!

Exciting News!

We are anxiously awaiting the exciting news that will be forthcoming tomorrow morning around 9:30 AM! And, we may be changing our tickers!

A TASTE OF FALL

I am so anxious for fall to arrive that when I opened my latest Taste of Home magazine this week and saw this recipe for Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake, I just had to make it! It is really good and nice and moist, but I don't like the way it calls for the nuts to be put into the pan before the batter and then the rest on top of the batter. I think if I make it again, I will incorporate the nuts into the batter! But, it satisfied my cravings for a taste of fall!

A Few Pics

Well, I wanted to put these pictures in a certain order but since I am home alone I cannot figure out how to get them there so they will be as they are! We traveled to Jacksonville Labor Day weekend and spent the weekend with Emily and Richard. This is Phoenix and Ella enjoying their Busy Bones! with Gene lounging in the background! Phoenix and Ella love each other and each has to do whatever the other is doing!

We took a ferry boat ride on the St. Johns River. A view of Jacksonville Landing from the ferry boat with Emily's ever present Icee on the side!

The Birthday Boy!

Justin celebrated his 14th birthday this past Sunday with a party at his house.

Kim and Vicki...sister-in-law and Mother of Justin! They put on the spread that kept us all happy!

Taylor and Aryiah and another little girl who was at the party. Lounging on the bed! I think they were watching a movie.

Richard and Emily on the ferry boat on the St. Johns River in Jax.

Amanda on the ferry with Richard in the background.

Another pic of The Three Musketeers

Emily and Richard comparing pregnant bellies in Dunkin Donuts with Amanda being greatly amused!

For some strange reason there were 7 or 8 chickens/roosters running around the Dunkin Donuts parking lot. Richard was greatly amused by them and went outside to feed them his Flatbread sandwich. Apparently he was not impressed with the Sandwich. The chickens seemed to love it however. I thought I had a picture of Richard with the chicks but did not. There was also a pig outside, at least thats what the Dunkin Donuts iced coffee maker told me! We didn't see it, but neither did we look for it!

My handsome hubby sitting on the seawall on the St. Johns River with downtown Jacksonville in the background.

Emily and Richard with Jax in the background.

Amanda shooting pics hoping to become a part of the paparazzi in the future! Friendship Fountain in the background.

Downtown Jacksonville.

And yet another view of downtown Jax. We saw dolphins jumping in the water. An enjoyable time was had by all. We girls also did quite a bit of shopping, but no pictures!

A few thoughts while home alone!

I see I haven't posted anything in a while, so since I am home alone tonight thought I should post something. My dear Hubby left me home alone to go Harley riding with his boss and some other guys! He called me just a few minutes ago to tell me they are in downtown Ft. Pierce at Bike Night! Hmm! So, it's just me and the Dog and the Cats. I've already taken the Dog for her walk around the block, read the newspaper, made Rice Pudding (one of my favorite comfort foods), ate some rice pudding, washed the dishes and fed the animals. So now it's my turn to sit down and relax. I still have to pay a few bills then I am going to call it a night!

I had to go to my Doctor yesterday for followup from having my blood drawn. That really got me to thinking about what it's like getting older and health care and insurance and or lack of insurance. I've learned to keep my mouth quiet and not complain when I'm there or it's another test to endure or another Doctor to visit. She wants to see me every 3 months to follow my dreaded diagnosis of diabetes. Seems a bit often to me, so I went a year!!! without seeing her and now I am making up for it. She made me return to see her in a month to discuss labs, now she wants to see me in another month because she changed my medication. Then down the list she goes...pap smear, what do you mean it's been over a year, off to the gynecologist. Opthamologist...again, over a year. Off to see him! "Have you seen the Podiatrist yet?" Why, my feet are Ok! "No, you have to see the Podiatrist every year!" Maybe going to the Podiatrist will make me want to have my horribly ugly toes fixed! Cardiologist...talked her out of that one. Learned my lesson after having a stress test and cardiac cath! And then its a yearly mammogram. Then off to see a specialist because the mammogram was abnormal. But, it's really OK. Oh, and a bone density test every 2 years. "Have you had your colonoscopy yet?" No, you know you are over 50 now. You have to have a colonoscopy! Gene just had his done. Think I'll see how long I can keep away from that one! On and on it goes it seems. Thank goodness we have insurance, even though we have deductibles and copay's. I feel very bad for the people who have no insurance, It's fine when you are young and healthy, but time has a way of bringing ailments on. The Docs just don't seem to have a care about what these tests and visits are costing their customers. As much as I hated HMO's I loved not having to pay a cent for our health care. The girls and I all had surgeries and we never had to pay one red cent! Those are a thing of the past now and we are back to paying a percentage of the cost and it really gets one to asking if this test is really needed and questioning the Doc why it is being ordered. OK. enough on that. I'm off to pay the bills now.

Oh, and guess what! In case you didn't know, I am going to be a Grandma! Did you notice my ticker?

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Happy 59th Anniversary to Mom and Dad!

8/14/49 My handsome father married his Sweetheart, who was barely 16! Must have been right cause 59 years later they are still together!

Here she is celebrating her 75th Birthday, just 5 days before her wedding anniversary! We all celebrated by taking her and Dad to Outback steakhouse for dinner. Then on to our house for Too Jays Banana Dream Cake and home made Blackberry Cobbler and vanilla ice cream.

And in other news, Mr. Madison celebrated his 11th birthday smack dab between Mom's Birthday and Mom and Dad's Anniversary. We had yummy appetizers and ice cream cake at his house. Here is Madison, Taylor and Justin ready for some action!