TUESDAY DECEMBER 23, 2014

 TWO TURTLE DOVES ...

Naughty Santa! 

Good (wee hours) morning! I'm going to be a tired elf by noon ... oh well, that's what naps are for!

Today, I'll set the table for Christmas dinner ... grocery shop for fresh produce ... polish the granite countertops ...

and meet Randy and Dawn at Olivia's for breakfast. Update on meeting Randy and Dawn. They had a fantastically funny story to share. Yesterday, they were shopping at Rural King. Dawn ran off to find the washroom before they continued their Christmas shopping elsewhere. They were waiting on the cashier when Randy noticed another queue which seemed quicker. They moved over there, checked out and left the store, arm in arm, to the car. At the car, Randy discovered Dawn had 12 inches of toilet paper hanging from her waistband like a tail. LOL. They were in stitches laughing. Dawn couldn't believe "people" would let her walk around a store like that. Hahaha.  

Wayne is now driving while Sue and Rose  sip Mimosas and relax! Ho Ho Ho, it's the only way to travel. They should be here about 4 o'clock. 

Ha Ha Ha ...

Rick and Ruth decided to arrive on Christmas Eve (afternoon). They will encounter heavy traffic but are riding in luxury too!

What's your favorite Christmas Carol??? (I love them all ... but maybe it's "Little Town of Bethlehem".) Mark's pal Frankie Ellers would belt out that song with his pronunciation of "BETH-A-LA-HAM". You're missed Frankie! Amen. 

Oh, poor Santa!

P-fffaaarrrttt. Oh, that's a little rough. Haha. 

Frosty the snowman WAS a jolly happy soul ... 

Oh, that's a creepy looking snowman! Hey, am I right? Yikes. 

OH OH !

And, we're all waiting for Santa's big day! 

Well, apparently, LOL, Santa arrived at K's house already! WOW ... 

Just home from Stavros with full bellies. Thanks Wayne! It was delicious. We're expecting RanDawn shortly for a visit. 

Ta ta. Tomorrow's Christmas Eve!

MONDAY DECEMBER 22, 2014

THREE FRENCH HENS ...

Good morning! We met Randy & Dawn at 10 o'clock to bowl ... the first in several weeks! It was fun ... and LOTS OF LAUGHS! (I lost grip on my ball and it rolled back to the spectator area! Randy had a fit of hysterics as he noticed I had continued approaching the foul line after the ball hit the floor behind me!) Hahaha. Mark had two good games ... one with 4 strikes in a row! Sweet spot found. Randy was sipping coffee when Dawn hugged him from behind and spilled hot coffee on his crotch. Hahaha. They were going shopping afterwards ... when he discovered the sole on one boot was detaching at the heel. We all laughed and said he was a "shoe-in for great pan-handling" today! LOL. Randy and Dawn had a very busy day finishing Christmas shopping and then meeting her daughter and son and families tonight. 

Aha! There's the "Elf on the Shelf"!!!

Fritz, this one's for you and your "catty" family. Thomas would most certainly be the leader. ;-)

TMI ... hahaha. have you ever watched Axe Men? Well, if you haven't, Shelby, a crazy redneck, wears thong underwear. I know, I watch the best shows with Mark! LOL

Longwood of the Gingerbread men. LOL

And my favorite ... 

Hahaha. This is why you should never attend the office Christmas party! 

Today is housekeeping ... tweaking the place for Christmas! Sue, Wayne, Julius, Shorty and Rose arrive tomorrow in the big Prevost. Yay; it's party time (again)!  Rick, Ruth and Daisy will arrive in their Mercedes "View" either tomorrow or Wednesday. It's going to be tons of fun!

The mailman just arrived with a parcel from Australia! Thank you Mel and Alastair! We will save opening it until Christmas Day. xoxo

I guess that's the news for now. Tomorrow is another busy day, but tonight is relaxation in front of the boob tube. Keep smiling. 

SUNDAY DECEMBER 21, 2014

FOUR CALLING BIRDS ...

Ho ho ho. Good morning! It's the first day of winter, and forecast to be 79° here in Central Florida. Not too shabby.

Haha. If laughter is the best medicine, here's your dose. ;-)

Actually, Santa's reindeer are ALL females! 

Ouch! I remember dressing Tango in doll clothes and putting him in my little carriage! I was very scratched up. Haha. 

Aw, adorbs! (Why do some words like "adorable" get shortened and used repeatedly?) 

Meowy Christmas! Sweet faces. 

Cheep cheep. Now that's a tiny Santa hat. Hahaha

Seven sweet Boston Terriers! (We've had several in the family ... Chipper, Guv'nor and Sparky!) 

So, while dozens of neighbors were walking around last night, Mr. Bear was watching ...

and planning his own party. Haha. This is our "newest" neighbor, just 4 houses away, on our street. It's time to bring the bird feeders in at night!!!

This afternoon, Mark and I met friends at the State Theatre in Eustis to see Johnny Dee and the Starlights. It was a great show ... dancing in the aisles ... and a Christmas treat from Nancy and Thomas! Nice. 

We found an open air place for drinks and sat for an hour to talk. It was lots of fun. Hope your Sunday was nice too. Ta ta. 

SATURDAY DECEMBER 20, 2014

FIVE GOLDEN RINGS (& ADORABLE SCOTTIES) ...

A-roooo, A-roooo, A-roooo. LOL

Good morning! It's a bright, pretty day with 72F temperature. Randy had Dawn drop him off at Gator Harley this morn to pick up his bike, so, he popped in for a visit and coffee. Last night, they were at The Hideaway for Rob Nichols' "Elvis" concert, an annual event. They have another party tonight, too. Haha. Randy looked pretty sleepy! Dawn had to be at work til 8 o'clock tonight. I bet she's tired too!

Mark and I are relaxing today before our two Christmas parties tonight! Both are in our neighborhood!!! Excellent ... we can walk there!

OK, this is strange ... Christmas outfits for penguins? Cute though. Haha. 

Speaking of cute ... Granddaughter Isabella with her dog, Lady. 

Earlier this week, Sue and Wayne became grandparents (again) to Ron and Penny's baby boy. Sorry, I don't know his name (yet)!

Sharon and Art's party was wonderful, as usual. The house was overflowing with Christmas trees, food, family and guests. Al was on the saxophone and with his singing partner, very entertaining. About 930, we went to Candi and Jim's party where they had a country singer. Although we didn't know anyone, it was a nice warm crowd and we had a good time! 

Tomorrow, we're going to the Eustis Players Theater with Nancy, Thomas, Pat and Ken ... a Christmas treat from Nancy and Thomas. We're very lucky to have nice friends. 

So, it was a lovely day. Ta ta. 

FRIDAY DECEMBER 19, 2014

SIX GEESE-A-LAYING ...

Hahaha ... gotcha, eh?

Good morning from 54° Central Florida. We're going to a high of 73, a little cooler than usual but back to 80° for tomorrow! Mark decided it was a perfect morning to spend in the Ocala Forest. Lately, he hasn't had to go to the forest to see wildlife. LOL. We've had a very large bear roaming our streets! 

I saw this on Facebook today and got quite a laugh from it.

I hope you get a giggle from it too.

I suspect I'll be awhile at the doctors. I overheard the receptionist talking ON THE PHONE to him ... hadn't arrived yet. Hmmm ... 12 in waiting room. Grrr

This afternoon, Mark and I decided we were not going to Carol's party tonight. We're just not in the festive spirits at the moment. So, this evening, we had a great bonfire, burned the old tax records, ate popcorn and drank wine. We did this from six until 11 tonight. It was wonderful sitting outside, looking at the stars and talking. 

So, Ta ta until tomorrow. You know we hate to miss a party, we were feeling less than festive. Tomorrow's another day, and another chance to get it right. 

THURSDAY DECEMBER 18, 2014

SEVEN SWANS-A-SWIMMING ...

Good morning! My friend, insomnia, is back. (Groan.)  Haha. So, I finished reading "Lost in Shangri-La" ... enjoyable. Maybe, just maybe, I'll read another i-book. 

How about a walk down memory lane today? Well, at least some cool vintage Christmas pics!

Gorgeous vintage baubles ... love the old Mercury glass!

1973 Winnipeg's Portage Avenue! The city's Christmas lights were fantastic!

Do you remember this? Our family always had a real tree but I recall Linda Jonsson's family having this "modern" tree. 

Gosh, the ones my parents had were so old they were fabric wrapped wires! Yikes. 

And we thought those Frasier firs were wonderful Christmas trees. LOL

Bubble lights! Darn they got hot!!! It didn't stop kids from touching them just to be sure. Haha. 

Eaton's and The Bay on Portage Avenue in Winnipeg decorated each window front with different vignettes. 

It was a family event to drive around Winnipeg and "see the lights!" 

With all these old Christmas pictures, it got me feeling nostalgic. I had to go in search of Christmas party crackers.  You know, with paper hats and a cheap prize! (Mark couldn't believe the price. Haha. Hey, it's part of the tradition.) We took Robbie for a ride and after the party shop, went to Arby's for lunch! Lucky dog. LOL. We were a little late getting back to the house to meet Randy. He was waiting at our house. You see, Dawn's secret NATO crypto gift had arrived. He stayed for a coffee and we yakked for awhile. Then, he strapped the package on the motorcycle and headed to Gator Harley. Dawn is picking him up there; the bike staying for maintenance. Today is The Hideaway's annual Christmas party. Poor Dawn, she has to work tomorrow! Haha. Advil alert. 

We had plans to go bowling this afternoon, but it'll have to wait until tomorrow or Saturday. It's been awhile; I must earn a new bowling ball. I've gotten close a few times ...

Mark is back at his lumberjack job, ha ha, and our landscaper Matt Yoder send his crew to pick up the wood. There was a lot of it, as it was a very large tree. But we have enough firewood for this year ... let someone else enjoy it. We checked into renting a stump grinder but not at $440 for one day! WTF? So, Plan B is to drill holes into the stump, pour in some accelerants and let it burn baby. LOL

I heard through the grapevine that Greg, Sue, and Carol were going bowling today ... the high score, 161 for Greg!

Rod and Shay phoned about 5 o'clock to see how we're faring while they were having cocktails on the patio! It was nice of them to call; we miss seeing our Boca Raton pals. 

Enjoy. Ta ta. 

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 17, 2014

EIGHT MAIDS-A-MILKING ...

Good morning y'all. It's Robbie's 4th birthday! What are we doing to celebrate ... extra playtime ... extra chicken ... and SONIC for dinner!!! Yahoo!

Robbie the Bruce ... at 3 1/2 months old. 

And, now. Kiss kiss. 

Today is lunch with "the girls". We're off to the Lakeside Inn, Mount Dora. 

Mark and I have gone by boat to the Lakeside Inn several times ... stayed once in 2000 with my parents and enjoyed our 15th anniversary in the Beauclaire dining room. It's a fabulous old place ... worth a visit ... and walking around Mount Dora is convenient. 

Lunch was excellent at the Lakeside Inn. I had a Reuben sandwich with homemade fries ... several of the ladies had homemade chicken pot pie with a croissant topping. Of course we had lots of fun, and lots of laughs. 

When I arrived home, Habitat for Humanity had already picked up the washer and dryer, the missing Christmas presents had been delivered by the post office, and Amerigas Propane was filling our tank. Gee, I should go out to lunch more often; things get done!

Mark went outside to tackle the camphor tree's trunk in the backyard. This is the one cracking our Sunroom tile! Well, as you know, one job leads to another. 

Mark tied a line around the trunk, and cut the tree, nearly through, just above the line. I stood 50' away, holding the rope taut. Okey-dokey! Mark didn't cut it through enough the first time; he tugged and tugged but the tree resisted! He went back up the ladder while I resumed holding the rope taut and cut a deeper notch. When he took the line from me and jerked it, the tree came crashing down. 

As I said, one job leads to another. LOL. As you can see, now we have a vinyl fence to repair.

This afternoon, Sue had some help putting away items from the garage sale. She wanted to pack them neatly and stack the boxes for the next sale. Well, it got "done", but maybe not as fussy as Sue would have liked. LOL

Randy and Dawn were both busy today. Dawn had lunch with one of her friends while Randy shopped. We'll see him tomorrow ... a package arrived here that he was waiting for. ;-)

So that's it for now. Was a beautiful day, 72°.