Too Hot To Green Thumb Sunday

I did look around the garden today and I have to say that my shoe gardening isn't working out too well. I am guessing it is all the rain we've had or the hot temps. I dunno. Looks like I will need to replant and perhaps I don't use succulents again.

For the first time ever, I saw a Roseate Spoonbill standing on something. Typically they are working the waters of the retention pond or standing beside the pond. Until today I had never seen one perch.


Crockpotting again. Have three going right now. Making chicken adobo, beef paprikash, and a ham & wild rice soup. This will feed us all week and will have dishes to share with MIL who really can't do much cooking anymore. The bill at the grocery store today was $44. Not bad, I say. It took me a long time to really use slow cookers but now I am hooked. Notice the modern girl cook here - have to have my laptop in the kitchen for recipes, lol.

Finally, my hubby thinks we don't need those windows with the mini blinds built in. He thinks they are too expensive. You be the judge.....................

Saturday With Mom

With the exception of taking my mother-in-law to her hair appointment today, I spent the day with my mom. We went to Disney on Ice at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, then shopping, and then dinner.

The skies looked daunting so we opted not to take the downtown trolley along channelside after the performance and headed back to Pinellas county where the wheather was perfect. Hot, but perfect :)

Even the street musicians were in a Disney mood playing "When You Wish Upon A Star" and "It's A Small World Afterall". lol

Since the St. Pete Times Forum is home to the Tampa Bay Lightening, there was lots of hockey stuff - photos, paraphenalia, and this guy. You were supposed to get behind and put your face in the mask but those photos didn't turn out too hot.

We had "rinkside dining" tickets meaning that we spent the preshow time in the XO club and enjoyed a buffet and beverages. Funny, it was kid's buffet with spaghetti, mac-n-cheese, tater tots, chicken tenders, tacos, and for the adults, ceasar salad. Oh, and cookies and punch for dessert.

Here's the lounge and the buffet. Pretty dark in there. Lots of TV's. There was a bar on the other side but mom and I were soda pop drinkers so we didn't take advantage of that feature.

The stage and ice just before the show started. We are on the ground level in the second row back, first and second seat from the center aisle so our seats were pretty much perfect.

It was titled something like Mickey & Minnie's Adventure so it started with them dressed in safari gear. It was Lion King oriented but my photos didn't turn out :(

Pluto the dog, not the planet. (snicker, snicker)

Daisey Duck too!

The next act was under the sea with the little Mermaid.

Then they went to Hawaii where we met Stitch

Next was London for Peter Pan

And the grand finale with characters from each act.

Cousin Erica's Brithday

Last night we took Cousin Erica to Cody's for her birthday dinner. It's very noisy in there but the food was good. According to Jerr, the "deal" on the menu is the half a rotisserie chicken and half rack of ribs. Today Erica and her daughter Sarah came over and we spent the afternoon in the pool and Jerr cooked hotdogs for us.

This is what happens when you let a 5 year old girl get ahold of your rat terrier :)

My Visit To Sam Ash

My mother-in-law lives next door to a Sam Ash music store and after taking her to a hair appointment and shopping today, I finally went in. Wow! I needed to buy a music stand and wanted to browse some sheet music. I ended up purchasing a book of Mozart for flute and a PINK music stand! But, that's not all........................

I also bought a pink Ukulele! As if I need another hobby ;) Seriously though, I love the sound of a Ukulele. It reminds me of vacation. It's probably going to be the closest I get to Hawaii for a while.

I've learned two important lessons so far trying to teach myself to play: first, I need to cut my nails and second, I will have to practice, practice, practice to make my fingers curl to mash down on only the correct string(s). I love that it is small and lighweight. I have a guitar that I finger pick by ear but it feels so bulky trying to learn to play the chords.

Now, back to practicing my flute with my new pink music stand!

Rambling Photographer

Getting closer.....down to 500 miles. Any quesses as to the date and tine my odometer will roll over to the big 100,000? Julie, you sticking with September 30th?


If there were 52 year-old flower children, this is what one might look like. We had 60s & 70's day at work - just couldn't do the disco thing. I am so far ahead on my Halloween costume for this year n- thanks to my work party. This SHOULD mean no down to the wire sewing.

Woody, my foster, not terribly photogentic. He runs from the camera and I had to hold him to take the photo and then shoot him from under the bed for more photos. :(