Anniversary Cruise - Regal Princess Western Caribbean

Once again we celebrated our anniversary with a Caribbean cruise! Why not? We live in Central Florida so it's accessible, easy, and can be quite the value. This is our third time on the Regal and it's really a beautiful ship.

Western Caribbean Cruise

Through our Costco membership we got a great deal on a Carnival cruise. We visited Grand Cayman and Cozumel Mexico. We took an awesome excursion to Sting Ray City in Grand Cayman - a must do in my book.

Niagara Falls - Bucket List!!

I've always wanted to go to Niagara falls and we finally did it last fall! It really is a "must do" by my way of thinking. We also purchased an excursion that took us several places including, my favorite, behind the falls. We stayed on the Canada side with it's great views.

Washington DC with My Cousin

My cousin Lea and her husband Don joined us for a trip to Washington DC in June. The timing was during DAR Continental Congress so we got dressed up one night.

More Arkansas Christmas

 My Aunt Joyce and Uncle Bob's Christmas tree. It was a warm Christmas.

Their festive fireplace.

 

Aunt Joyce with her great granddaughter Dallas

 

Santa left us a baby with batteries included!

I didn't take a lot of photos while in Arkansas but here's a recap of what we did and who we saw.

We took a quick car ride to Memphis because my aunt and uncle do their shopping on Christmas Eve. I say short because the store was closed by the time we got there. But, the store was near Graceland so I got to see the huge manager scene on the lawn of Graceland.

I cooked a Christmas Eve dinner of prime rib, scalloped potatoes, and some really sweet corn on the cob. I just love Arkansas produce and I live in Florida! After dinner we discovered we were almost out of milk so at 7:45 we were searching stores in West Memphis trying to find something open where we could buy milk. Finally ended up finding a Walgreens and it was so busy that people were triple parked! They were leaving the store with carts full of product - I guess shopping at the last minute is a West Memphis area kind of thing.

The next morning I made breakfast of two quiches and a fruit salad. Mom slept late and we were all kinda lazy drinking coffee and watching Christmas movies so it was almost noon before we opened presents.

Midafternoon my cousins Vickie (aunt Joyce and uncle Bob's daughter) came over with her son, daughter in law, and granddaughter. They had prepared much of Christmas dinner at their house but finished cooking at my Aunt's. She smoked a fresh ham and it was delicious. After dinner there was napping and visiting.

Pretty low key and non stressful.

The day after Christmas Jerry, me, and my aunt and uncle took a drive to Lawrence County to the family cemetery so I could visit my dad and my Manning family. My mom got terrible news that a longtime family friend has a terminal illness so it was a somber drive home.

Childhood Friend

A childhood friend of Jerry's was recently visiting in our area. Dave & Jerry grew up in Philadelphia and their dad's both worked for the Philadelphia Gas Company. His sister, Joyce, also came. Jerry really enjoyed visiting and catching up and I was happy to finally meet the folks I'd heard so much about.

Me, Dave, and Jerry in our house

Dave & Jerry

Brother and sister - Joyce & Dave

Joyce & Dave at Bonefish Grill

Sanibel For The New Year

 

After Christmas there was New Year's dinner at my moms. Then there was a weekend in Sanibel! Jerry & I and Hellen & Les left on Friday the 2nd and returned on Sunday the 4th. We stayed at the Seaside Inn again (see post from Mother's day 2014 for photos) and ate some nice meals, hung out on the beach, enjoyed the view, and relaxed. Got a couple photos. The surf was too rough for shelling.

Christmas 2014

Our advent - we forgot to light one of the candles on week#3 so week#4 we lit the last two.

 



Christmas dinner at mom's (above is Hellen hiding, Lea, and Sarah - below is Jerry, Lea, Sonya, Sarah, tommy, Don, Les, Hellen, Mom))

The dogs had a secret santa and we opened some gift early and some Christmas morning

Christmas morning shot of the annual Swarovski crystal snowflake that Jerry gives me every year. 2014 is particularly beautiful.

Random shot of Eddie with Uncle Les

And, for the final, yes I did give my hubby pooper scooper service for Christmas!

No Camera

My lack of posting, especially during the holidays, is the result of my digital camera going kaput a few months ago. I'm less motivated to blog without photos. But, we had such an exciting holiday season that I want to document/share. So, I'm going to use photos from my iPhone and try to catch up.

Shortly after Thanksgiving I FINALLY talked my husband into going to the Thai temple in Tampa on a Sunday morning. We met a coworker (tip) there. The dragons in the photo were in the Palm River on the night of Loi Krathong. We ate noodle soup, desserts, summer rolls, and visited for several hours with a couple of my coworkers and their friends.

Did I ever mention that I found two albumns of our Solana/Lani/Lollie online? They were from when her previous owner had recently acquired her and was excited to have her. So excited, when she got old she dumped her in a kill shelter. (Exiting my soap box) Here are the links to see Lani as a youngster: http://imageevent.com/sierras_heaven/diamondvalleyssolanashlani/solanalani and http://imageevent.com/sierras_heaven/diamondvalleyssolanaatsh/thegiftsofthemagifamily

My nickname for her is Sasquatch because she has big feet. That big girl can twist and fold herself into the smallest of spaces and prefers to sleep in tiny beds.

At my work place we sometimes have available free or discounted tickets to performances at a local venue that the city manages. Just to be clear, we do have to report the value of the tickets on our federal taxes. Usually they are unsold or complimentary tickets. I was able to secure a couple to the Florida Orchestra's holiday performance and Jerry and I made a date of it! The performance was awesome and then we went to a steak house for dinner and that was great. Couldn't help getting a photo of the cows dressed up for Christmas. 

Thanksgiving Break

At my work place we traded Columbus day for the day after Thanksgiving meaning I get a four days off in a row. Initially I scheduled Wednesday off because I volunteered to cook the Thanksgiving feast; however, my cousin Sonya in Lakeland wanted everyone to come to her house. This worked out great because the plague hit my work and we were crippled by low attendance at work so taking Wednesday off would have been canceled anyway. (Really low, like only 32% of people one day.)Well, the plague hopped from work to friends and family because cousin Lea was too sick to drive over to Lakeland so thanksgiving dinner was moved to cousin Erica's which was OK by me because she only lives 10 minutes away. Sadly, Lea still wasn't up to joining us but Erica was able to invite her neighbor who lost his wife a couple years ago AND Aunt Mary joined us.

Aunt Mary & mom in front, cousins Sonya & Erica in back

 

Uncle Larry and cousin Lea's husband Don (Sonya & Erica's dad)

 

Gathering to say the blessing so we could eat! Erica's neighbor BJ, hubby Jerry, Uncle Larry, Erica's coworker Aaron and her sister Kelly, Sonya and her husband Tommy, Erica's daughter Sarah, and mom and Erica in the foreground with their backs to me.

 

We had a traditional thanksgiving feast of turkey, ham, sweet potatoes, dressing, deviled eggs, cranberries, desserts corn plus a tasty Indian rice dish brought by Erica's neighbor.

 

The next day mom and I cooked a turkey with the all the fixing again at my house so that we had leftovers. This has become a tradition to redo Thanksgiving if we go somewhere. Jerry loves cold turkey sandwiches and I love figuring out new leftover turkey recipes each year. We had one of Jerry's coworkers over since he's in retail and they and they had to work the Friday following thanksgiving.

Hope yours was great and spent with those important to you. 

Memorial Day 2014

Jerry had to work this memorial day. So, I took a volunteer opportunity to photo 12 headstones in a local cemetery. Well, that didn't work out - the office was closed and the cemetery way to big to just happen upon the right headstones. I spent over an hour there but even at 9am it was starting to get hot and very sunny. Lots of fire ants too!

I understand it's a municipal cemetery and the employees get municipal holidays off, just as I do as a municipal employee, but it seems memorial day should be the one day of the year that you can count on a cemetery office open. I would even argue they should have extra staff and provide customer service. Enough whining.

I ended up doing volunteer work for Ratbone instead and then grocery shopping and making a cookout type dinner for jerry even though I don't use the grill (scared of the propane tank).



I put together this little collage of my hubby and dads in their uniforms. Luckily they all came back safely. Jerry is on the left, my dad on top, father in law in middle, and step dad on bottom.

We always line our sidewalk on patriotic holidays. So do some of our neighbors. After 911 pretty much everyone did and it looked awesome!

A peace lily at the front door representing my desire for making peace and not war heros.

Loni Ratbone beat Jerry to his chair this morning.lol

Birthday Weekend

This weekend was Jerry's birthday weekend. In our family birthdays are always celebrated on a Saturday but this year Jerry's really was on a Saturday. My Aunt Hellen (yes, that is how it is spelled) and Uncle Les are visiting from out of state so all 5 of us went to dinner at Basco's Chop House.



My family - Jerry, Les, Hellen, mom

Jerry & me - and I thought I was a bad photographer! lol

Last year for his birthday I signed Jerry up for Medicare part A. I did even better this year and signed him up for social security! 

Thanksgiving 2013

Jerry & I went to Mom's for Thanksgiving dinner. Sadly, Marge just wasn't up to attending. We had talked it up the last couple weeks and her ALF had her dressed up and hair done but when Jerry went to pick her up she had nodded off and refused to go. We're learning you can't get agreement from her if you wake her up. He hung around a while hoping she would change her mind but, instead, we had our first Thanksgiving without her.

What a surprise when we got there. We were expecting cousins Lea and Sonja (with their husbands) but Aunt Mary and Uncle Larry were there too! Mom knew but didn't tell any of us. We had a nice meal and a nice visit. After dinner mom and I went to Michael's which is our Thanksgiving tradition. Every year I ask the Michael's staff how they feel about working Thanksgiving evening and they say they love it because if you work Thanksgiving night you get black Friday off.

Mom's beautiful fireplace and the garland we made for it last year

Me and Jerry

Cousin Lea and Don

Aunt Mary and Uncle Larry

Cousin Sonja and Tommy

The Thanksgiving table

Lunch on the Beach

Jerry and I both had a Monday off recently - he for Columbus day and me for a canceled appointment - so we took my mom to lunch at Clearwater Beach. We ate at Frenchy's on Rockaway. Competative  parking but great view. Food was above average for a casual fish joint.

 

 Can't go to the beach without putting your toes in the sand. That's easy when all you wear are flip flops and slip ons :)

After lunch we stopped to visit Marge at her ALF.  It was a very nice day.



Marge Turns 92!

Happy Birthday! The facility where she lives had a party for her on the Friday before her actual day and we got a better photo that I will try to remember to scan. Here's Jerry helping her open her Belgium chocolates.

Just a random shot of orchids from my yard. I took them to the nail salon when I got my last pedicure.

Observing Decorating Day

Today we drove up to the Florida National Cemetery near Bushnell. Jerry's dad is buried there and both of us donated our dad's casket flags for them to fly on the appropriate holidays. So, even though my dad is buried in Arkansas, I know his flag is flying in Florida so it's like visiting him in a way.

 

 We start at the flower stand about a mile from the cemetery entrance. Because it's a busy holiday the folks were there but sometimes when we come there is a lock box and they use the honor system for folks to pay for the flowers they take.

The entrance and the entire cemetery is lined with flags that once draped the caskets of deceased vets. It's really a moving sight.

 Jerry at his dad's headstone. Each burial site will/can hold two people. The first to go is engraved on the front of the headstone and the spouse on the back when they pass. When we first started coming the backs were blank but they are starting to fill.

 Each section looks like this - very uniform. The grounds are well maintained. It's a really nice place with an office to help you find graves, restrooms, etc, For someone who visits graves for genealogical purposes, this one is top notch.

We drove out to Bayport after visiting the cemetery and ate at the Bayport Inn & Restaurant. This is a photo of my Fried Fiesta minus the French fries, salad, bread. They do a fantastic job on the scallops.