Byrd Loves 2 Dance

Dancing with the Doctors

2011-07-30T09:49:00.007-04:00

Two weeks ago, we went to a fundraiser organized by Dr. Justin Ferns. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Marion County were the main recipients along with the Youth Programs of the Ocala Police Department.

Trish Sands, a local dance instructor, taught some of the kids an east coast swing dance routine to perform at this glittering event held at Jumbolair in Anthony. It's cute. They did pretty good considering this probably isn't the kind of music OR dance the kids are used to. Betty Dangar, a friend of ours as well as a Board member of USA Dance, made the costumes for the girls in just a few days.

There were also a lot of professional dancers giving exhibitions as well as local doctors. We didn't have enough card memory to record all the exhibitions, but they were amazing.

Here's a west coast swing performed by one of our favorite teachers, Donna Steinfeld, and her dance partner, Shawn Swaithes. It's kind of hard to see because they are wearing black and the background is black, but it's still pretty awesome. Dennis remarked that the routine was so professional there weren't any moves he could "steal". *chuckle* What Donna and Shawn are doing is performance dancing, I can't imagine doing a lot of this on a regular dance floor.

There was some open dancing which was fun, but it was a small dance floor and there were a lot of really good dancers wanting to "strut their stuff".

It was a catered dinner (Chef Brothers Catering) which was surprisingly good. I was ever so shocked when the waitress came by our table asking if anyone would prefer a vegetarian meal. Of course, immediately my hand shot up, but I was the only one at our table of ten. And it was delicious. I had all the veggies the other diners had as well as a spicy pasta and eggplant parmesan. In fact, there was more than I could eat. Dennis said his meal was delicious too. Oh and how could I forget the scrumptious dessert! Chocolate dipped strawberries, cheesecake and chocolate mousse. (I made room for all of it.)

Um, have I mentioned I'm having a little trouble keeping my weight down? Dennis and I are eating out more often ... and this dinner certainly didn't help. LOL

It's a Whole Family!

2011-07-25T17:01:00.000-04:00

Looks like I have more than just one armadillo, I've got three! Last night the dogs were going crazy in the back yard, trying to get at something just on the other side of the fence. I went out and discovered three armadillos, not just the one I thought I had. Two of them headed back to the den, but one of them just ignored the dogs and continued rooting around in the flower bed just inches from two snarling, barking dogs as if he didn't hear a thing. *sigh* I had to herd the dogs inside and close the doggie door so we didn't further annoy the (human) neighbors.

So hear are more pictures of my new neighbors:

They are very quiet neighbors, even if my dogs are not. LOL

Birthday Party

2011-07-23T11:23:00.000-04:00

Dennis turned 62 on Thursday, so I hosted a party for him. I've been in this house for 2-1/2 years and it's the first party I've had. The living room is particularly large and I've always thought it would be good for dancing. Finally I found out I was right.

Dennis blowing out the candles

I had the food catered by Genesis Heaven and Health in Ocala. Mark & Rene Ramirez specialize in organic, healthy food and smoothies. The restaurant on Broadway is just a hole in the wall but it's a little treasure. The cake was from Betty Cakes in Your Heart's Desire on Silver Springs Blvd. It was all delicious.

Eileen and Norma

Uncle Henry, Richard, Dennis J, Rudy and Henry H.

Pat and Mary

There were about 20 people and it was just a bit crowded since my kitchen isn't that large. But that's where the food was and so that's where everyone congregated. LOL

After most of the food was gone we moved into the living room for dancing. What fun that was. I was truly amazed that we could get five couples following line of dance for waltz and fox trot in my living room!

Merle and Dennis, I'm sitting

Den danced with most of the ladies there. Here he's doing an East Coast Swing with Merle. Which reminds me ... the police came to the door during the party. It appears that Merle parked her SUV where she was blocking someone's driveway and instead of coming to me, they called the police! I thought it was kind of funny, actually.

Dennis and I dancing

I did get a few dances in with Dennis, but honestly my feet were killing me by the time the group had moved to the living room. My dance shoes aren't made for standing around.

Oh and Mom came. A few of the folks from OTOW remembered her from when she and Dad took dance lessons from Trish. (Not that they needed lessons; they've always danced together and did it effortlessly and gracefully.) It was great that they were able to reconnect. And she looked great, I thought.

So Dennis had a fun birthday party and I got to see how well dancing fit in my living room. I am now more willing to have more dance parties in the future. It was delightful!

Mr. Armadillo

2011-07-23T10:37:00.003-04:00

I have a new neighbor. He built (or perhaps it would be more proper to say "dug") his home under this big rock at the corner of my property. It really is an ideal location. The rock is really large so there's plenty of room. Then the ligustrum and crepe myrtles provide lovely shade.

This morning, while returning from the dog walk, we saw him hustling toward home. I had enough time to get my camera and just barely caught him.

I finally got the zoom to work so you can see Mr. Armadillo a little better.

Here's a close-up of his front door.

I added this little sign so the yard workers won't disturb him.

There's also a coyote around our community but I don't know where the den is. I love all this wildlife. Amazing to find it in a gated retirement community! LOL

Finished Bath Remodel

2011-07-11T14:50:00.002-04:00

Well, I was going to do a week by week visual of the remodeling of my bath, but ... not going to happen. What I'll provide is before and after pictures. I'm so lazy.

So here's a before picture. The laundry baskets sat behind the door. I would sit on the toilet to put on makeup.

Now I have an area where I can sit and put on make-up and a whole lot more storage space. The laundry baskets are in the corner under the counter. The door was replaced by a pocket door so there's a lot more space.

The other side of the bathroom before the remodel. I had a portable radiator (seen on bottom left corner) to warm my towel (yes I know that's weird in Florida but I like it).

I changed the overall color scheme from white to cream with natural wood cabinets.

Instead of the portable radiator I had a towel warmer installed (there on the left) which doubles as the towel rack. I also had a seat built in (behind the knee wall) at a specific height that would make bathing the dogs easier. Yes, my life revolves around my pups. And instead of sliding shower doors we installed a swinging glass door.

Just Shoot Me Now

2011-03-30T14:42:00.000-04:00

A year ago I remodeled a screened in porch into an enclosed sunroom. It was a very messy project that lasted (what seemed like) forever. I don't know what I was thinking when I decided to remodel my master bath. I should have remembered the dust, debris and disruption that remodeling causes.

Plastic in bedroom

Right down to the studs

Future pocket door

The first day was tear out. Although they laid a paper trail from the bath to the front door, placed plastic between the bath and the master bedroom and kept the bedroom door closed (sometimes) ... gritty gypsum dust found its way into every nook and cranny of my entire house! Argh!! But they took it down to the studs.

Two gangs and new piping

On the second day, the electricians put in wiring for the lights and towel warmer switch. I questioned the two single gang outlets by the door and was told one switch was for the towel warmer and one was for the lights and fan. Noooooo. I specifically mentioned that I liked having a dimmer switch in the bathroom and that single switch wasn't going to work. I also noticed that the electricians had not strung wiring for the single light fixture that will be in the central corner of the vanity. Troy, one of the supervisors, agreed and the electrician had to come back.

Troy and Kim with towel warmer

The plumber moved the piping for the shower. The controls to turn on the water and set the temperature had been on the same wall as the shower head. Since I'm losing the sliding door and replacing it with a swinging door, the controls needed to be moved to the opposite wall.

They needed to see just how big the towel warmer was so they could place the deadwood between the studs for bracing it, so Troy and Kim (the other supervisor) unpacked it. They were surprised at how large and heavy it was.

In the background are two cabinets that were for my garage, still in packing. I had two guys come help me organize my garage and attic while this other stuff was going on inside. I worked alongside Jim and Steve in the garage and in the attic. Luckily the weather was nice, not too hot but sunny enough to keep my solar attic fan running.

I've been taking pictures every day of the progress, but so far these are the only ones I've downloaded.

Short Cruise to Nassau

2011-02-20T19:31:00.000-05:00

We just got back from a very short cruise to the Bahamas. Den had a horrible first experience with a cruise 20 or so years ago so I wanted to show him that the ships have stabilizers now and it's a lot better. Three days seemed survivable, so he agreed.

In the Polo Lounge

Well, Carnival's Sensation, apparently does NOT have great stabilizers! Everyone was weaving from side to side the first night. I didn't think the seas were all that rough, but the ship was rolling. Luckily, Den got a patch before we sailed and he whipped that puppy on his neck within an hour of sailing. It worked and he's no longer apprehensive about cruising. YAY

The first day we walked around the ship. Our room was mid-ship and it seemed like we were constantly turning the wrong way to get where we wanted to go. And, of course, the elevators nearest our room didn't go all the way to the Lido deck where the food was. We did eat reasonably the first day - Mongolian veggies and noodles for lunch and salad for dinner. Sigh. That was the last time.

Punchliner Comedy Club, Plaza Lounge

We enjoyed the comedy acts - Allyn Ball and Diane Ford. They each performed one show that was suitable for all ages, including children, during the early evening, then gave adult only performances later. Quite honestly, we enjoyed the early acts better. When they warn you to leave if you're easily offended, they aren't kidding. I can't say we were offended by Allyn Ball ... I just didn't think his style of humor which denigrated different cultures and people was particularly funny.

One surprise was how cold the indoor areas were. The Plaza Lounge was freezing. I was snuggled up to Den during the comedy acts for warmth. I finally had to buy a sweater and carry a shawl to keep warm.

Jill

We decided to go on a shore excursion to swim with dolphins. This took us to Atlantis, a first class resort. A guide met us at the transport bus and led us through the casino which had some amazingly large glass sculptures. Outside there were numerous pools with sharks and other fish as well as man-made beaches and some amazing slides.

When we finally got to Dolphin Cay, we changed into wet suits. And let me tell you that was fun ... NOT. Those things are tight! However, the water was quite chilly and I was grateful for the insulation. Of course, we got used to it after a while but the wet suit certainly eased the transition.

Kissing Jill

Our group was small, only about 10, and Jill swam back and forth letting us pet her tummy and back. Then she verrrrry patiently allowed each of us to kiss her and posed with us. It's probably not healthy for the dolphins. Sigh. We rubbed her tail and fed her little fish. It was a once in a lifetime experience.

Seahorse

After we changed back to our street clothes, we walked through The Dig. It's a simulation of what they might have found if they'd found the real Atlantis. Interspersed around are viewing areas for the amazing aquarium. There were jelly fish, seahorses, manta rays, huge eels and some big fish that looked pre-historic.

"Artifact"

Although we ate before the tour left the ship, we found we were really hungry so we stopped at a little bar near the casino and had the most amazing tuna sandwich and a Guinness. I don't know if the tuna was spicy or the bread but it was delicious. It was also nearly $12 for one sandwich.

The drive back to the ship took a while. Traffic was bumper to bumper. It gave us a chance to really see some of the old buildings in Nassau.

Captain's Party

We were exhausted when we got back to the ship but there was a Captain's Party in the Fantasy Lounge that evening and free drinks were available. Plus we'd been assured there would be dancing from 7:00 to 8:00. Oh yeah, there was dancing alright ... but we had to climb up on the stage to do it!!! Bless Dennis's heart, we did a foxtrot and a cha-cha all alone up there. Sadly we have no pictures of that. But it was gratifying that at the end of the evening, when the "party" was over and the band was still playing, a lot of people seemed to stay and watch us dance even if they didn't join us.

Each day we started off with breakfast delivered to the room. And until the last day, we also chose to use the stairs rather than the elevators. However, by the last day, I confess, we were eating to capacity (and then some) and relying on the elevators. Every once in a while one of us would just oink.

Dancing in Michelangelo's

On the last day at sea, we found Michelangelo's, a little lounge where nothing was happening during the day. However, we could hear the music that was playing in the Mirage Bar around the corner. At 5:00, the Sensational Showband played some Motown music and we danced ... all by ourselves. It was fun.

A few grumbles here. No hairdryers. I was not happy to have bad hair days the whole time. I needed a hairdryer!!!! And the coffee was awful. It was very strong and smelled of sewer water. Den loves (craves) coffee but he couldn't add enough sugar or cream to make it palatable. I cut it with half a mug of hot chocolate and half coffee.

At any rate, now Den is comfortable with cruising and overall, we had a wonderful time.

January Trips

2011-02-02T15:14:00.000-05:00

Total Wall booth

The week of January 17 was really busy. There was a trade show in Orlando where Den's company, Total Wall, had a booth. It was hosted by Sherwin Williams in the Dolphin Hotel at Disney World. He travelled down there and back a couple of nights a week for dinner meetings before the show began and then stayed for one night. I went with him on Monday night for the quick drive down and back. Tuesday night it was all business, so I didn't go.

Me, Den, Vinnie, Mike

I decided to join him on Thursday night and figured since I was going to be right there at Epcot, I might as well have some fun. So a girlfriend and I drove down early Thursday and spent the day at Epcot. I've always loved those big drums and the Japanese section had a drumming group. Luckily we were just in time to see them. It was a very interesting but tiring. Then she drove back to Ocala while I stayed with Den.

Japanese Drummers at Epcot

We went to dinner with all the salesmen but something in the air really aggravated my sinuses and we had to retire for the evening. I just couldn't stop sneezing. The next day I helped at the booth, asking if anyone had questions and then snagging a salesman for them. I certainly couldn't answer any questions. *grin*

The worst part of the trip was at the end. Vinnie had supervised the unloading of the Total Wall booth but he forgot to take pictures so the parts could be packed correctly. The salesmen had to pack everything up to be shipped back to Wisconsin and no one had any idea how they fit together in the styrofoam forms. It got very uncomfortable with tempers rising so I just left. I know it was rude not to say goodbye but I was afraid I was going to say the wrong thing to someone.

We got home at last but it was very late that night. The trip was complicated by the entrance ramps to the Turnpike being blocked and we had to find another way. Luckily Den has spent a lot of time in Orlando so he knew how to find another access ramp. I was quite impressed by his cool control throughout this stressful day.

Den & Neal

The next morning we were off to Daytona Beach where his senior men's tennis team was in the State finals. Den and Neal won their matches but the team came in second. Although the team won more matches it apparently came down to who won more sets. I don't understand it, but that's how it shook out. We still had fun, even though it was freezing cold and windy. I was very proud of Den.

Having Fun Again

2010-12-24T12:00:00.000-05:00

Playing with the blog layout. It's just so much fun.

When I was younger, I used to move residences every year. I was renting and didn't have much furniture so it wasn't a big deal. Then, when I was in a more permanent home, I'd change the furniture around. Just needing a change of scenery. Now I'm doing it with my blog. heh heh

The Year 2010 in Review

2010-12-21T13:23:00.000-05:00

I remember when my parents retired (almost 30 years ago), they seemed busier than when they were working. I’m beginning to understand this phenomenon better. I honestly don’t believe I’ve ever been as active and social as I am right now.

Sandy and Liz are still getting walked twice a day. The morning walk is long for two reasons. First, Sandy has to take some pills for his liver that need an hour in his system before he eats. So pills, as soon as I wake up, then walk – for nearly an hour. The mornings are the best time (in the summer) for the long walk because the temperature is as low as it’s going to get for the day. Most of this summer it wasn’t over 80 and was usually around 70. Of course, it’s already gotten below freezing a few mornings this year, and last winter the cold was brutal…for Florida. In January and February, many people lost a lot of plants, trees and bushes to the freezing temperatures. Brrrrr.

Uncle Henry & my mom, Clara

Every day I go across the street and have afternoon tea with Mom and Dad. Then at 4:25, not 4:15 and not 4:30, Mom and I feed all our dogs and go for the afternoon walk. Mom has this schedule, you understand, and she really likes to stick to it. LOL On Sundays, I also go over at 10:00am to visit until lunch at noon. Uncle Henry (Mom's younger brother) comes over too. Most of the time we get take-away and either Henry or I go get it. Occasionally, Mom cooks.

I’m still dancing – usually three or four times a week. Dennis and I are exclusive now and we’re so intuitive that our dancing just flows. In April, we were asked to do a dance exhibition to replace a couple who cancelled at the last minute – we had 6 days to prepare something. We chose a rumba because it’s our favorite dance. It turned out very well, I think. Our friend, Richard, videotaped the performance. Then, later in October, we were asked to do another exhibition and this time we did a west coast swing. It was great fun, learning new moves in preparation for the performance. The song we chose, Why Don’t We Just Dance, was perhaps a little too fast for the dance, but we did it anyway. The camera ran out of space so we didn’t get a video of that one.

Mom and I have season tickets to Ocala Civic Theater. That's the local playhouse and they do some fantastic productions. Their Signature Series shows are suitable for all ages, like Peter Pan and The Wizard of Oz, which were absolutely amazing. Then there is the Ovation Series for mature audiences. These are wonderful too, but in a different way, with smaller casts and are often thought provoking. Nothing too controversial ... although they are putting on The Full Monty next month.

Charity Ball

Dennis and I were co-chairs for the Charity Ball given by USA Dance Ocala to benefit Hospice of Marion County. We both feel a connection to Hospice because both our spouses were under hospice care when they died. It was a labor of love and it was also lots of fun. We raised $1,700 for Hospice.

In June, we went to Las Vegas for an Ince family reunion (that’s my mother’s maiden name). Uncle Henry was celebrating his 80th birthday, Don (his oldest son) was celebrating a birthday and Andy (the youngest son) was celebrating a wedding anniversary. Dennis was amazing as he memorized everyone’s names – children, grandchildren, girlfriends and miscellaneous friends. At the end of the week, the whole crowd went to see Cirque du Soleil’s show Mystere, which was fantastic.

Kitchen

I’ve done some remodeling in my lovely home. I put wood floors throughout and converted a vinyl windowed sun porch into a finished, air-conditioned sunroom with sliding glass doors and a built in doggie door. It was seven weeks of construction: living with workers coming at 7:00 am, dust everywhere and torrential rains at just the wrong times. I spend most of my time in this room now and just love it. The kitchen also got a facelift – brown quartz countertops, new stove, dishwasher and sink. It looks pretty snazzy.

In May, I reconnected with two old friends. Dale was a roommate in college (nearly 40 years ago). She discovered that I only live a few blocks from her mom, so when she came down to visit, we spent some time together. Then, my old Sifu from kung fu days, David Rose, and his wife, Zan, were in Crystal River scuba diving for a week, so Den and I drove over and had dinner with them.

Birthday Party at Gabrielle's

The week before Thanksgiving, I went to Pennsylvania with Dennis to meet his family. His aunt, Esther Chichilitti, was celebrating her 80th birthday and all the cousins wanted to make it special for her. It was just a bit intimidating for an only child to meet such a large family, but I survived. It helped that I met one small group at a time. We stayed with Aunt Esther who still lives in the same house she was born in. I can now admit that my body has become acclimated to Florida. I thought I’d never get warm while we were in PA and it wasn’t even freezing!

Hilda & Linda

For Thanksgiving, Mom and Dad had a crowd. Dennis came with his Uncle Bill and a friend of the family, Hilda. Uncle Henry was there along with two of my friends (Richard and Gail) who were at loose ends. Add in my two dogs and Mom's dog, Lacey, all begging at the table and it was quite a gathering. Den and I picked up meals from The Mason Jar to save Mom from the hectic stress of cooking. We served and cleaned up and all Mom had to do was entertain. From what we could hear in the kitchen, she was doing a great job at that – everyone was laughing at her stories.

Sunset on Captiva Island

This year I turned 60 and my birthday happened to fall on the same day as our USA Dance. It was fun, like a party where everyone gets to dance. Dennis arranged to surprise me with a cake and candles and everyone at the dance sang happy birthday to me (and this is just never done). Then Den had the DJ (Bob Arthur) play "our song", Beyond the Sea by Bobby Darin and we danced a foxtrot around the dance floor. It was glorious and romantic. He's a real treasure. I'm so lucky to have found him. Topping off my birthday, was a trip to Captiva Island for two days with Den. I believe this may have been the best birthday EVER.

Dinner at Carmine's Cafe

2010-11-14T19:55:00.003-05:00

Dennis and I had dinner at Carmine's the other night. It was our first time and was a delightful surprise. Outwardly it is an unassuming restaurant in a little strip mall about three minutes from where I live. In fact, I've never noticed it before. But a couple of women were talking about this wonderful meal they'd had at a local restaurant so I asked them where it was. Imagine my surprise to learn it was so close by.

Anyway, when we arrived there were a couple of children running around outside and as we neared the entrance, the little boy banged on the door and yelled "There's someone coming! Unlock the door!" We were wondering what was going on. Turns out there were three kids playing and one of them had locked the door on the other two. I imagine their parents were just a tad embarrassed. *grin*

We were seated at a very nice table for two along the wall and immediately given menus. Then the accordionist began to play. This gave the place an authentic atmosphere and Den became quite nostalgic. His two uncles used to play the accordion. So he tipped the accordion player to "serenade" me. Later he asked the man to play "Spanish Eyes" so we could dance a little rumba. *sigh* It was soooo romantic.

And there there's the food. Although there were a number of dishes in the menu that appealed to us, we decided to go with the two specials. Angelo, the owner, served our meals, himself. Since it was a little slow and because we were new, he spent a little while chatting with us. The food was fantastic. Den ate all of his (and regretted it later) while I saved half and ate it the next day. The portions were quite generous.

When we arrived there was only one other couple in the restaurant but by the time we left, four other couples had come in. It's not a large establishment so it has a nice, intimate feel and everyone who came in after us was greeted like a regular. This is a well kept secret in SW Ocala and it could very well become our favorite place to dine.

Dressed Up for Halloween, Again

2010-11-10T18:24:00.002-05:00

Dennis and I both enjoy dressing up for Halloween.

Once again we went to the Ocala Civic Theater for costumes, but only for his. Doesn't he make a scary executioner? *shudder* The only drawback was that it was a very heavy and HOT costume. Tough to dance in.

I actually did two different outfits this year. We had planned to go with the medieval theme so I bought a tavern wench dress a while back. I'll use it again whenever we go to the Hoggetowne Faire in Gainesville or some other renaissance fair. The wig was surprisingly like my hair when I was in my teens and 20's.

But we also went to the first Vampire Ball which was a fundraiser for the Humane Society. Tavern wench didn't seem quite right so I wore a little black dress with a cape that had spider webs on it. That was quite an affair. Everyone came in costume - the more gruesome, the better. And some people were amazingly creative. One gal I spoke to spent over an hour making up her face to look like a skeleton. Another guy had airbrushed his torso and head black and red so he looked like a devil. All in all, it was FUN!!!

On Halloween night, Den and I dressed up to hand out candy to the kids. We stayed outside and played spooky sounds and the candy was in a box that looked like a book of spells. It was fun seeing all the costumes and goofing around with the teens.

We're already talking about costumes for next year.

Las Vegas

2010-06-10T11:00:00.001-04:00

Just got back from my first visit to Las Vegas. I'll just admit up front that it's not my kind of town. I'm not a gambler and I'm a real wimp when it comes to the heat. Yeah, I know, I live in Florida, it's hot here too, BUT when I walked outside in the sun in Vegas it felt like someone was touching my skin with an iron. That's just too hot, dry or not.

We stayed at the Stratosphere which was nice enough but it was at the far end of the Strip - too far for me to walk, even at night, although it didn't seem to faze the younger generation. Geez, it didn't cool down at all at night like it does here in Florida. Every time we took a taxi somewhere it cost $20. That adds up quickly.

Anyway, the purpose of the trip was my Uncle Henry decided to have a family reunion to celebrate his 80th birthday as well as his son's birthday (Don) and another son's wedding anniversary (Andy and Marie). That's Henry in the black suit, Don is standing and Bob (the third son) is in the blue shirt. There were 27 people there including friends and slightly extended family members (me). It was fun seeing the children of my cousins and catching up on what they've been doing.

Most of the time everyone scattered and did their own thing. One day we visited the Aria hotel and casino. My neighbors who are walking the pups while I'm gone have a son who works there and we had promised to say hi. We loved that hotel. It had a quiet elegance that was not as nerve jangling as the other casinos. And they had a great ventilation system that handled the smoke. Yeah, I hated having to walk through a smoky casino to get anywhere. Blech! Anyway, when we found Randy at a craps table he got really nervous and indicated we should move away. Turned out he was working a table that had been reserved by a "whale" which is what they call the really big spenders. The table had been roped off and the guy didn't want any women within his line of sight while he was playing. He had a 3 million dollar credit limit. Whew! No wonder they were catering to him. We also went to the Aria to have lunch with a couple we met on the plane from Orlando. They were a lot of fun.

On our second night there we went to a show where the performers imitated famous entertainers. It was an uneven performance but we did enjoy the Elvis, Charlie Daniels and Michael Jackson impersonators. In fact, the Charlie Daniels impersonator was a fill in for another performer and I thought he was the best of the lot. LOL And except for the Britney Spears act, the music was all good.

There was a vendor in the hotel who did temporary tattoos and Dennis convinced me to get one. *shaking head* I still can't believe I did that. But I went along because, hey, you do stuff in Vegas you wouldn't do anywhere else. Right?

One of the "rides" at the Stratosphere is a bungee jump from the observation tower. Keep in mind the tower is one of the tallest buildings in the US and Sally, Bob's daughter, decided she wanted to jump, so her mom and dad paid for it. Den and I kept her company on the tower until she jumped, the rest of the gang watched from the 8th floor pool (outside) and I think her mom cowered somewhere until it was over. Carla has a severe fear of heights and when we saw her a few minutes after Sally's jump she was white as a sheet. Pictured with Sally here are Jeff and Eric (two of Don's sons).

On the last night, we all got together for a dinner at Fellini's in a private dining room. It was very congenial although a bit cramped. The food was excellent although there was way too much. The wait staff was excellent. Henry was sure that starting the dinner at 5:30 would give us plenty of time to get to the show which started at 9:30 but we ended up having to rush. The show was incredible - a perfect ending to our stay in Las Vegas. It was Cirque du Soleil's Mystere. As all of Cirque's shows are magical, so was this one. The acts were astounding, the music hauntingly beautiful, the comedy hilarious and the ending blew me away. When Den and I were talking about shows to see, I mentioned that I would love to attend a performance of those large Japanese drums. And that was the finale to Mystere. What are the odds?

So now I can say I've been to Vegas. Oh, and yes, I did gamble a little. Den talked me into it. I played the penny and nickel poker machines and in the end came out ahead by $2.40.

Charity Ball - May 18

2010-06-03T10:00:00.003-04:00

This year, Dennis and I were co-chairs for the Charity Ball given by USA Dance to benefit Hospice of Marion County. We both feel a connection to Hospice because both our spouses were under hospice care when they died. Plus Den's wife, Sandy, worked for Hospice of Marion County.

We arrived at the Pioneer Gardens around 5:00 to set up and the air conditioning was off. That was fun ... NOT. Thankfully, someone came and turned it on just before the dance started. One other little hiccup was that one bag full of decorations for the VIP tables somehow didn't make it to the dance so Den went out and bought new tablecloths, napkins and champagne glasses. My hero came to the rescue.

We got "Automatic" Amee and Henry as the band and they were wonderful. They played a good number of fox trots and waltzes and rumbas as well as cha-chas, swings and slow dances. There was something for everyone since we had quite a few non-ballroom dancers as well as our ballroom dance members. On the right is a good shot of the dance floor with Norma and Bill in the foreground.

We had a lot of help with decorations and food from various club members. At left, Gail, painted butterfly centerpieces for all the tables since the butterfly is the symbol for Hospice. There was VIP seating at an extra charge that had black tablecloths with silver butterflies and champagne. Lots of people brought food for the buffet table which really could have been called a "groaning table". Frieda and Al always take care of the refreshments and they kept an eye on everything this night as well.

Many of the area dance teachers provided dance exhibitions: Joe Mounts, Jamey Webb, Danila Tobias and Charles Cook. On the right is Jamey Webb with Diedre. All the dances were wonderful entertainment. Jamey's dance was particularly mesmerizing.

Another thing we did for the charity ball that we don't normally do at our dances was have raffles. One of our volunteers, Ella, sold tickets and we had nearly 20 gift baskets in which one could place as many tickets as one wished in hopes of winning that gift. The most popular gift basket was the $50 gift certificate to Horse & Hounds Restaurant. During one of the breaks between dance exhibitions, Dennis announced our sponsors and Wayne and Susan helped distribute the gifts. It flowed smoothly because Wayne and Susan worked great together.

After all the expenses were deducted we raised $1700 for Hospice of Marion County. For such a small organization as ours, that is phenomenal.

Another Old Friend

2010-06-01T09:57:00.001-04:00

The day after my visit with Dale, another old friend came down to Florida. Two friends, actually ... well, one was a friend the other was my "Sifu" when I was taking kung fu in Virginia. Can't really call him my friend. In fact, it was strange calling him David. He was always "Sifu". Always. With respect and a bow.

David and Zan had come down to Crystal River to dive for a few days so Dennis and I drove over to have dinner with them. They were celebrating their 25th anniversary during this trip. I haven't seen them since I left Virginia to move to Albuquerque in '83 or '84. Although we've kept in touch every Christmas, it was delightful seeing them again. David is now a "Master" although he isn't teaching as much as he used to. Zan quit kung fu just short of her black sash, right around the time they got married.

We had a little trouble finding the hotel even though I had googled the location and printed out the directions. Den had his iPhone map out and insisted we turn left on route 19. We kept driving and driving and finally he had to acknowledge that perhaps we were going the wrong way. LOL It's apparently the first time his iPhone map has steered him wrong. If my google directions had been wrong I wouldn't have been surprised because it has taken me to the wrong location on numerous occasions but this time it was right. *sigh*

Poor Zan was a little stiff because the dive site had a lot of stairs and they had to walk them wearing all their gear. Every time we came to a few steps she'd say, "Oh look, Zan, steps." Then we'd all laugh. Den kept us entertained during dinner with one funny story after another, then we ended up in a round robin of joke telling (except for me, of course). The food at Charlie's was excellent. All in all, the evening was wonderful.

Catching Up with Old Friends

2010-05-17T12:06:00.000-04:00

Sunday, I visited with a girlfriend from college. She was a freshman during my senior year but we belonged to the same sorority. We recently reconnected through Facebook. My memories of Dale are that she was particularly kind and thoughtful. I must say, time has only improved her character.

She was down here in Ocala visiting her mother and was looking through the OTOW phone book looking for a particular name. She ran across mine and wondered if I could possibly be the same person. I found her email at the end of the day just before I was going out for the evening so I emailed back that indeed I was. Her Mom just happened to live two blocks away. We arranged to meet and visit on Sunday afternoon. I met her Mom, then Dale came over to my house for a little while, we walked my dogs around the block and then she met my Mom and Dad. A truly lovely afternoon.

Rumba Dance Exhibition, Tuesday, April 13, 2010

2010-04-20T11:45:00.004-04:00

Or PANIC IN THE TRENCHES

Thursday night (April 8), Dennis got a call from the president of the Ocala Dance Club. The message simply said, "Call me". I asked Den if he had any idea what it might be about; did he think maybe someone had complained that we had been too affectionate on the dance floor, or something. Of course, he didn't know.

So Friday the 9th, he talks with Joe and Joe asks if Den would do a dance exhibition for the club. The couple who had been scheduled, cancelled. The performance would be on Tuesday night, the 13th. Well, Dennis doesn't say no very well, so he figured he could call me and I'd say it for him. We danced around it for a bit with, "Well, do you want to do it?" "I don't know, what do you want to do?" Finally, I said if he thought we could do it without embarrassing ourselves, I would try.

Dennis left a message for our dance instructor, Trish, to please call, but she didn't. So, Friday night we wrote down a list of all the moves we have in rumba, three of which we had just been shown in our intermediate rumba class on Thursday night. We didn't really HAVE the moves, we just had an idea of how they worked. Then we put everything we knew together in a string.

Saturday the 10th we practiced again but since we hadn't heard from Trish, Den called Joe Mounts, another ballroom dance teacher. He returned the call immediately and said he'd come to my house on Sunday to help us. Bless his heart.

Sunday the 11th, we had at least a very full hour with Joe. He cleaned up my turns, showed me how to do one of the new moves correctly, and tweaked the ending. Then we practiced for another couple of hours.

Monday the 12th, I kept working on my turns and the move called fan and hockey stick. I wasn't stepping correctly although sometimes I'd get it right. I wasn't happy with that, so I repeated it until the right way was the only way I could do it. Practice, practice, practice. We got together again that night and worked on it until we did it three times without messing up.

On Tuesday morning, 7:45, Trish called Den and told him she forbid him using the new moves she had just shown us in class the previous week. She said, "Linda doesn't have the footwork or the turns and she has no styling. It will look ridiculous." Den said, "Okay." Of course, it was too late to change anything. And then it was showtime.

I didn't have time to get nervous. I just did it.

Dennis is such a good dancer, he makes me look much better than I am. His leads were perfect and he remembered the sequence of moves. We had a good time while we were performing and I think it showed. I enjoy dancing with him so much.

It was funny how the men admired the way he rose slowly from the kneeling position with only my finger under his chin. And it was impressive. He's very fit and his legs are really strong for any age, much less 60.

Remodeling Week Seven 4/5 - 4/11

2010-04-19T08:00:00.001-04:00

Charlie laid the flooring in the sunroom, at last. Troy is pretty sure he sealed the source of the water intrusion.

We added some trim around the Neuma doors in the bedroom.

Here's Troy and Jerritt after they hung my swing.

And here are the "finished" pictures.

*sigh*

FINALLY

Remodeling Week Six 3/29 - 4/4

2010-04-18T07:52:00.003-04:00

March 28th there was a very strong thunderstorm that passed through and I had leaks. Not from the ceiling but seeping along the floor. Argh! Troy and Jerritt, my two supervisors, aren't really sure where the water intrusion is occurring. It's all along the East wall as well as the South side where the sliding glass doors are. Naturally, the floors were supposed to be installed Monday, the 29th. *sigh* Two weeks before, I waited for the plaster to dry, now I have to wait for the floor to dry. AND we need to find out where the water is seeping in so it doesn't happen again.

While Troy and Jerritt were investigating the water intrusion problem, Charlie Carpenter (yup, that's really his name and he's really a carpenter) replaced the carpet in my library and two bedrooms with laminate flooring which matches the flooring in the rest of the house. Charlie and his helper, Jeff, moved all the furniture so the library wasn't too bad to clear out. However, I had to move all the clothes from the guest closet so they had easy access to the floor. I had also been using that closet for miscellaneous storage. There was a lot of stuff in there! This forced me to get better organized. So, Tuesday Charlie did the library, Wednesday, the guest bedroom and Friday was the master bedroom.

Also on Tuesday, I got the rest of my fence put up. Now the whole back yard is fenced and the dogs can use the doggy door. Of course, the floor is dusty but the dogs don't care.

Remodeling Week Five 3/22 - 3/28

2010-04-17T07:52:00.000-04:00

Now I'm catching up.

Monday, the plaster finally dried and the painters did the room in a nice, soft tan which matches my den. The match is important because the two areas flow together now.

Tuesday, the electrician finished his work but he had to put up my old light fixture outside because the pretty one he brought wouldn't fit. There's about a foot between the fixture and the overhang so the light need to hang down. I told him I'd buy one then he could come back and replace it. He agreed.

Wednesday, some trim work was done as well as the termite treatment which is apparently a requirement. It's not that any bugs were found. Also the French door to the bedroom was removed. Immediate egress from a bedroom to the outside must be possible or a house doesn't pass inspection.

Thursday, the home inspector came by and I passed! Yay!!!

Friday, Windows Plus installed some awesome sliding glass doors with blinds in the doors. They are made by Neuma. I wish I'd seen it before the outside doors had been installed because I would have chosen this door for the outside instead of what was used. Oh well.

A Defective Mac?

2010-04-16T08:43:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it! Except it happened to me. *sigh* The disc drive didn't work on my new MacBook Pro. I didn't discover it until Wednesday when I tried to burn a DVD. (If I can ever figure out how to get the video to play in my blog I'll post it, but so far no luck.)

Anyway, Dennis and I performed a rumba exhibition which a friend of ours videotaped. We tried to burn a copy so my parents could watch it on their TV. It wouldn't work. At first we thought it was the disc but then we found it wouldn't play CDs or DVDs either.

I called Apple and they offered to replace it. Sadly that meant I would have to return the new Mac before they would send a new one. I did that yesterday. The good news is they are sending me the new model that just came out. It will have a new intel core processor either i5 or i7 (my guess is i5), next generation NVIDIA graphics and a 10-hour battery life. Now I'm not a techie but I did notice that the Mac I'm returning had 2.8GHz processor and the new Mac will have 2.66GHz processor and that doesn't sound faster or better but we'll see. Don't know when I'll get it, but at least I still have my old Mac. Bless it's reliable little heart.

An in spite of this, I can't imagine ever going back to a PC. EVER.

Oops, my bad

2010-03-30T14:52:00.000-04:00

Must have been a temporary glitch. Everything is working like it was before.

So how do you you like my new format?

Where'd My Pictures Go?

2010-03-29T13:38:00.001-04:00

The great news is I got a new MacBook Pro. It's quite a step up from my little MacBook and has all kinds of nifty features.

However, the bad news is that Blogger no longer seems to be able to find the pictures on my computer. What's up with that? To upload a picture Blogger only allows me to choose from pictures on either Picasa or a url. Arrgghhhh!

Remodeling Week Four 3/15 - 3/21

2010-03-24T08:00:00.014-04:00

I forgot to mention the big plastic room divider they built in part of my den. It's to keep a lot of the dust out of the house now that the arched doorway is open to the sunroom. So I have my dining room table sitting in front of half my couch and a big plastic wall that rustles. Oh yeah, and there's dust - everywhere.

Actually this week all we've been doing is waiting for the plaster to dry.

I also had a stump removed from right in front of one of my pin oaks. The new fencing will have to be contoured around the rise at the base of the tree but the stump was really in the way. It was ground out in about 15 minutes. Barkley's Tree Service came out as soon as I called and did a great job. Thank you Richard.

Wayland-Felton Wedding Reception

2010-03-23T08:00:00.007-04:00

Norma Jean & Bill

Last Friday, Dennis and I went to a wedding reception for two dear friends of ours in the dance community - Bill Wayland and Norma Jean Felton. It was held at the Pioneer Garden Club where USA Dance holds their dances. Norma's daughter-in-law organized the whole thing. It was catered and Bob & Gladys Arthur were the DJs. More than half of the celebrants were dancers and it was called: Come Dance at My Wedding. We were more than happy to oblige. LOL

Dennis & Me

Norma and Bill had a huge picture of themselves from the wedding in the reception area and it had a wide bordered mat around which attendees were asked to sign. What a great idea! Much better than a guest book. Every time they look at the picture they can see who came to the reception.

Frank, Betty & Hilda

This last picture is of three special friends. Hilda is an "adopted" member of Den's family and is the sweetest person. Sitting with her are Frank and Betty. Betty has been dancing a long time; Frank took up dancing and that's how he met Betty. He's been taking a lot of private dance lessons to keep up with her. LOL I get such a kick out of Frank. He's perfected the grumpy old man routine (although he really isn't) and he puts me in stitches all the time, laughing.

Den and I stayed for the entire three hours and danced almost every dance. Every once in a while, I'd suggest he ought to ask a single woman to dance. He's really good about doing this and the women are so very appreciative because he's such a joy to dance with. I'm a lucky woman because I get most of the dances.

Remodeling Week Three

2010-03-22T08:00:00.001-04:00

So now the space has a new concrete floor, sliding glass doors with a doggy door in between and a shingled roof. We're ready to put in a vent for the A/C, insulation and drywall. The framer suggested that arches in the doorway to the den would be a nice touch since I don't plan to close the door anyway. Although I had promised Robert that I wouldn't make ANY changes once I'd signed the contract, I asked if this would be too much trouble and he said, no. In fact, I understand I won't even be charged extra for it. Yay! This was accomplished in three days.

The electrician came out and put the switches where they should have been and then it rained again. This time it was a real gully-washer. Thursday we got six inches of rain. I had a waterfall coming off the back roof. Plus the drywall and concrete floor were having a hard time drying because of all the moisture in the air. It didn't help that the drywall guy left the sliding glass doors open while he worked which let some rain in, as well. So Troy put an industrial fan in the room to try and dry the walls. This thing is LOUD. I finally had to turn it off and use my own little oscillating fan. The drying may take longer but I'll still have my sanity. *grin*

FABI Conference at Mission Inn

2010-03-21T08:00:00.002-04:00

A week ago, Dennis was the seminar presenter at a FABI (Florida Institute of Building Inspectors) conference. He talked about toxic drywall - what it was and how to recognize it. Then he had a session on Portland cement, it's history and composition. He took them on two walk-throughs of tricky inspections he had done. And last, he had a session on the chemistry of building materials.

Now I'll be honest, I couldn't imagine how he'd keep their attention and presence in that last lecture, but he did. I've seen one of his training videos and Dennis is a talented instructor. He keeps it light and interesting using jokes and a few magic tricks and he talks directly to the audience without any notes. He doesn't mind questions. But what is most impressive is how he deals with someone saying they really don't understand something. Instead of just saying it again, but slowly, he actually approaches the subject from a completely different point of view, explaining it so that the person can understand it. It's a gift.

The conference was held at the Mission Inn which is located in Howie-in-the-Hills. The Mission Inn is a beautiful resort hotel which we've been to once before. This time was even better. FABI put us up in the Valencia Suite, next door to the FABI Hospitality Suite. What a beautiful room and it had an even better view! Actually I don't think there's a bad view anywhere. I neglected to take any pictures on this trip so this view on the right is from our room during our first visit to the resort. In the suite, however, the balcony ran the length of the bedroom and the living room.

I didn't stay the whole weekend. Mom had gotten tickets for us to go to a fashion show at On Top of the World but we weren't certain about the date until after I had agreed to go with Dennis on this weekend. So Saturday, I drove to Ocala to attend the (three hour) fashion show and then drove back to Howie-in-the-Hills for the remainder of the weekend. Luckily it was only a 65 minute drive. But I had to miss almost all of Dennis's lectures.

Sunday morning was lovely. Although we stayed on the comfy couch, we had the doors open to the balcony and we were sitting with our coffee, eating the fruit and cheese that was included with the room, listening to the birds sing and watching an eagle (we think it was an eagle) feeding a hatchling.

Dennis had a lecture at 9:30 and then things kind of fell apart, for me. He sent me back to the room for a camera. I couldn't get in - the key card wouldn't work. Well, I'd noticed it didn't always work the first time from the beginning but thought it was operator error. I went down to the front desk and got a new card and returned to the room. *sigh* That one didn't work either. So, still thinking it was operator error, I went down to the desk again and asked for assistance. The doorman tried the key card and it still didn't work so he called for assistance from Engineering. They had this contraption that would open the door manually. Todd, the first man to respond to the call, couldn't work the contraption right so he called for Richard, who had more experience with this sort of thing. Apparently it was a dead battery in the door lock. Yay, not operator error after all. However, Dennis was getting worried because I had been gone nearly 90 minutes.

When I finally got back to him he was on the chemistry lecture and I was amazed because 90% of the conference participants were still there. It's a testament to how interesting they found him that they were willing to brave a session on the chemistry of building products. And many stayed afterward with questions. He definitely held their interest for the whole weekend. A number of them told him he was the best presenter they'd had. I was very proud of him.

Remodeling Week Two

2010-03-20T08:00:00.004-04:00

The shingles went on, Monday, March 1. Someone was still on the roof, finishing up, when I left at 6:45 PM.

On March 2nd they continued to work on the roof and did some framing for the new walls. They removed a window and boarded it up on the 3rd.

Finally, on the 4th, they installed the two sliding glass doors with a doggy door panel in between that will be the walls of my new sunroom and put in the new wiring.

Friday Troy and I had our first disagreement. The electrician had placed the switches for the room four feet away from the door. This was what was specified on his drawing but I was certain that was not what I had told Robert when we were drawing up the contract. In fact, I'm pretty sure I specified where I wanted the switches for the light and fan. It was NOT where the electrician put them. Troy called Robert and explained the situation. Robert's reply was simple and to the point, "Make her happy." heh heh That works for me.

That evening I looked at my contract papers and, sure enough, on the drawings which I approved, the light switches for the fan and light were beside the doorway - just where I had requested. Someone decided to change their location without clearing it with me first. But at least I knew the error was not mine.

Remodeling Week One

2010-03-19T08:00:00.001-04:00

I contracted with COA, Inc. They are the division of On Top of the World that does remodeling as opposed to new construction. Robert Colen (part of the Colen family that owns OTOW) has been my contact. He has been everything helpful and very accommodating. My main supervisor is Troy but Jerritt, who is the backup supervisor, is usually here at the same time. They, too, have been generous with information and keeping me up to date with what comes next.

On February 22 construction began when they removed the roof and the aluminum & vinyl walls. Wow, I loved all the sunlight ... until it rained. Water seeped into the spare bedroom which was carpeted. Argh! I had to call Troy to come out and lay down some foam at the French doors to the spare bedroom and the door to the den to stop the water from coming in any further. Poor guy - it was cold and raining.

February 23rd, they removed the old concrete and poured a new slab extending it out four feet from the wall (or where the wall would be). When it finally stopped raining, the roofing company put up the new trusses and roofing felt on the 26th.

And then it rained again but at least the water wasn't coming close to the doorways. Good test for potential leaks. Actually, there have been a lot of opportunities to test for leaks since the construction has begun. *sigh*

Remodeling the Lanai

2010-03-18T13:45:00.005-04:00

It's not as though I don't have enough room in my house (har har) but I decided to convert the lanai to a fully air conditioned room. Also, my Mom wanted a "project." So, I'm happy to oblige. She's the reason I moved to Florida, after all. These are my "before" pictures.

The lanai was at the back of the house and had a doggy door that gave the pups easy access to the tiny fenced backyard (see left). There was a French door leading to the spare bedroom (see right).

The outside wall was aluminum with vinyl windows and screens permanently fixed on the outside. The problem with the permanent screens was the male squirrels liked to hang on the screens and spray the vinyl. Because of the vertical blinds I couldn't clean the windows. Just squirting water on them didn't cut the squirrel spray. Yuck. Disgusting.

The roof was aluminum which was lovely during a rain but it was leaking, somewhere, and I had to lay down towels every time it rained. The floor was concrete and the area didn't have a vent for A/C or heat. In spite of this, it has become my favorite place to sit. I bought a porch swing that can convert to a flat surface and could be an extra bed, if I really needed it. It's really great for naps ... and I do love afternoon naps.

Yup, I Changed the Title

2010-02-01T13:29:00.003-05:00

As much as I used to enjoy reading, I don't do much of it anymore. My passion has become dancing; hence, the name change.

Den and I are taking a private tango lesson tonight so we can begin intermediate tango lessons on Thursday nights. And we'll continue with the advanced fox trot classes on Wednesdays with Trish Sands. I feel very lucky to have started my dancing with her as my instructor. She keeps at me until I get it right. I don't think Den is as enthusiastic about the tango as I am. It's been an excuse for him to "sit one out" in the past, but he's doing this for me. Awwwww.

Christmas Newsletter aka The Year in Review

2009-12-24T07:27:00.017-05:00

What a year this has been! I started out reading as much as I did when Bill was alive – about a book a day – however, I did add the physical exercise of walking the dogs twice a day because they no longer had a backyard. I also had to walk Mom’s dog, Lacy, because Mom had a broken foot which was finally healed by April.

I have also had to figure out what I like to eat versus what I had been cooking for the last 23 years. This became quite a challenge. It seems that I prefer salads, fruit, nuts and cheese. *snicker* I really don’t like to cook. *laughing*

I met a neighbor in February who encouraged me to get involved in some of the activities here in the community, particularly ballroom dancing. What a blessing. That month I learned the waltz and I’ve been dancing ever since. Now I know the basics of fox trot, cha-cha, tango, rumba, salsa, samba, East Coast swing, West Coast swing and bolero.

That same month I had a fence installed in back which gave the dogs a little area to run around in. Liz likes to go out and bark, so I installed a "bark breaker" that discourages the barking. Sandy likes to lay with his head resting in the doggie door hoping a squirrel will be foolish enough to enter the fenced area. *snort* Yeah, right.

In March I began going to the USA Dance Club, which is Ocala’s ballroom dancing club. I was so intimidated. The dancers were all experienced and I was so not. Different men would ask me to dance and I’d say I didn’t know this one but they’d get me up anyway saying they could show me. Bless their hearts. Now that I know better what I’m doing, I recognize what a generous act that is – asking a gal to dance who doesn’t know how.

Through ballroom dancing I have become part of a wonderful circle of friends. As much as we all love to dance, we also enjoy taking day trips together, like the one we took to Tarpon Springs, and getting together for parties. The members of this little group all live within 5 miles of me and we ride to the dances together since they all seem to be on the other side of town, at least 30 minutes away. Here we are. I’m second from left in this picture.

I met Dennis in May. He was recently widowed and wasn’t really ready to jump into another relationship but we kept running into each other at different venues and he felt he ought to pay attention. I wasn’t looking for a relationship either, but we had so much in common besides dancing like caring for aging relatives, a love of science fiction and similar spiritual beliefs. It was hard to ignore the connection. We are now dance partners and are dating exclusively. He’s a much more experienced ballroom dancer and he makes me look better than I am. He says I’m better than I think I am and a joy to lead. All I know is, I love dancing with him and people come up to us at dances and compliment us. Oh, and have I mentioned that we go dancing four or five times a week? Loverly. I’m lucky to read a book a month, now. Perhaps I should change my email addy and blog from byrdloves2read to byrdloves2dance. *chuckle*

In October I sold the house in Tennessee and in November I bought the house in Ocala that I had been renting. I’m really settling down quite nicely here in Florida. I love the sunshine, even in August, and especially now, in winter. Life is good – really good.

Marc Antony and Cleopatra

2009-11-04T11:37:00.008-05:00

We had fun as Marc and Cleo from choosing the costumes to all the costume parties.

It all started at the Ocala Civic Theater. We had heard that they rented costumes so decided to see what was available. I wandered about looking for something pretty while Den explored further back in the huge warehouse of costumes. I just couldn't find anything that appealed when suddenly he appeared with the helmut seen here and asked Bridget, who is the costume department, "What can you build around this?" So she gathered the tunic and cape and whatever that thing is around his waist and a breast plate that covered his entire chest. Well, the breast plate was just not going to work when we danced so we substituted the smaller one seen in the picture. She also provided forearm braces and knee-high soft boots. He had the sword and belt - and yes it was a real sword!

By this time, Den had decided he was a Roman centurion and from there made the leap to Marc Antony and wanted me outfitted like Cleopatra. Bridget came up with this Egyptian costume. It's a leotard, white pants gathered at the ankles, a belt and collar of matching material, a gold head cover topped by an open weave black headdress with gold beads. I bought a couple of snake armbands to finish her off. No pun intended. LOL

So we started with a costume party on the 18th at Sensational Singles. I usually ride with my friends and Den and I meet up there but since our costumes were linked we decided to ride together. When we arrived, Gail was standing in the line for ladies in a mixer so we walked up to her and said hi. She didn't recognize me. I went pretty heavy with the make-up around the eyes so I wasn't too surprised, but it was fun. We discovered pretty quickly that Den couldn't turn me as fast as we're used to because the beads on my headdress swing out. So we modified our dancing style to accommodate that.

October 23rd we went to another costume dance at Dancin' Around. You can see some of the other costumes in the picture. This was fun because it was mostly ballroom dancing. Just about everyone came in costume including John Whipple, the owner/dance instructor of Dancin' Around. We hardly sat down at all - only when a tango was played.

Our last costume dance was in Beverly Hills at the Kellerman Auditorium on the 31st. This was also ballroom dancing and by this time we'd gotten our revised timing worked out pretty well to accommodate the headdress. We also found we had to make some adjustments for his cape when he spun about in the Swing. Luckily they played many more West Coast Swings so our movements were slower. Perhaps two-thirds of the people came in costume and there were some interesting ones. Of course, I think ours were the best.

We really had fun as Mark and Cleo. Den enjoys dressing up for Halloween a lot. It was a new experience for me but I'm so glad we did this.

Ocala Dance Club

2009-10-19T08:00:00.001-04:00

Back in February I blogged about a neighbor who introduced me to ballroom dancing. I've been looking for some way that I might show him how much I appreciate his effort because not only did I reconnect with dancing but he also introduced me to a group of singles who live on this side of town and ride together to a lot of dances. A few of them have become very special friends.

Well, recently I attended a dance held by the Ocala Dance Club. It's the oldest ballroom dance club in Ocala and also one of the nicest. Men wear coats and ties, women dress in semi-formal dresses and the decorations are tasteful and elegant. In order to join this club one must have a partner and it costs $55 a year in dues. Plus you must be sponsored by a current member. The dues cover the expense of the once a month dances with live bands and the Christmas dinner/dance. Den invited me to be his guest last week because he already belongs with his partner, Hilda. She used to be his uncle's "girlfriend" before he died. Den offered to sponsor us and said if I joined with Paul, he'd back off and let Paul have first claim on my dances. Very honorable, but I hope he doesn't back off too much.

So I asked Paul if he'd like to join with me as his partner and I offered to pay our membership fee as my way of saying "thank you". He accepted. I hope he loves the club as much as I did. I want my thank you gift to be special.

The Weather Changed

2009-10-18T08:00:00.001-04:00

I love the early morning walks. Slowly but surely we've been working our way up to 3 miles which a neighbor assured me is the distance from our villas to the Arbor Club and back. Friday it was pretty nice but still warmish and humid. The dogs were trying to lick the dew off the grass on the return home. I figured I was going to have to cart water for them from now on.

Saturday morning, I dressed as usual in shorts and t-shirt but the temperature had dropped about 20 degrees from yesterday. Rather than go back and change I decided we'd just add a little jog here and there to the walk to warm up. Worked like a charm. And we made it all the way to the Arbor Club. Easy. Of course we started pretty early for a change (like 6:15 AM) so it was dark all the way but there was also a lot less traffic. The pups were still eager to walk by the time we got home - I guess the heat and humidity really takes a lot out of them.

Saturday afternoon I went to a West Coast swing workshop at 1:00. I dressed as usual in shorts and t-shirt but when I stepped outside, I found the temperature hadn't risen much. Back inside to change, this time into slacks and 3/4 arm length top. Funny how I now find 70 to be cool. It didn't take me long to become acclimated to Florida's weather. Naturally, I opened all the windows and doors to let the breezes blow through. Fantastic!

You're a beautiful woman

2009-10-17T08:35:00.006-04:00

Last night I heard those words for the first time in my life. They are really powerful. Of course, I don't really believe it but it's wonderful to hear. I think Robert Heinlein said it best, "A man does not insist on physical beauty in a woman who builds up his morale. After a while he realizes that she is beautiful - he just hadn't noticed it at first." Although, I think Den spends more time building up my morale rather that the other way around.

We went to a dance last night at the Arbor Club here at On Top of the World. This picture isn't from that dance but from one at Oak Run. Tomaura was playing and they are really good - head and shoulders above the other live bands that play at the various dances. We both dressed up a little, he was all in black while I had on a flirty little black and white dress. Quite a few people came up to us at various times throughout the evening complimenting us on our dancing or saying how nice we looked. This is so completely new to me I hardly know how to respond. I think Den is more accustomed to it. He seems to take it in stride anyway. I always tell the women (and it's always a woman) that he's the one responsible for making us look good on the dance floor. He is, after all, the leader. But as a dance teacher told us the other day, it's a partnership. The woman can't be passive, she needs to take an active role in the dance and I think I do.

While I may not be beautiful, Den makes me feel beautiful. What more could a woman want?

My New Passion

2009-09-28T08:23:00.004-04:00

Well, it's nearly October and I've had the full complement of ballroom dance lessons - intro to fox trot, waltz, cha-cha, samba, bolero, salsa, merengue, East Coast swing, West Coast swing, two-step and rumba. One each month. The little group of singles I hang out with has been going to four or five dances a week lately although not all of them are ballroom dances so I've been getting a lot of practice. Then lo and behold I've acquired a "primary dance partner." He's way more experienced than I and we dance very well together.

Last week USA Dance, Ocala chapter, hosted a dance exhibition in the shopping mall just outside Belks Department Store. We were trying to get more people interested in ballroom dancing. So here my partner and I are just getting ready to do an East Coast swing. Perhaps one day I'll get someone to take a video of us dancing. He's a wonderful leader and he makes me look better than I am.

Ballroom dancing is so much fun and it's really great exercise. What more could you ask for?

The Morning Walk

2009-09-13T08:36:00.004-04:00

I got a little wet. Took a gamble and lost big time. Sheesh.

It was pretty dark when we (the dogs and I) left the house for our morning walk so I couldn't see the clouds. After we got out from under the trees near home, I noticed a lot of cloud cover but since I could also see some stars I figured we'd be okay. Not this time. We got, oh, about a mile from home when it started misting, so I figured we should turn around and head back. Then I heard the rain as it moved toward us. It was a downpour. Yikes. I tried to take cover under a tree but, while it helped some, I still got drenched. And had to walk home soaking wet, water dripping in my eyes from my hair *shudder* - cold, wet t-shirt. I'm just glad I decided to wear a bra this morning. LOL Oh yeah, and puddles everywhere. I'm not sure my tennies will ever be the same.

I guess I'm pretty lucky that I've only been caught three times in the rain since I moved to Florida. I was lucky the first two times because I was near houses and could take refuge on someone's porch. This is the first time I've been caught out in the open with no place to hide. Oh well, it's not like I'll melt. And after all, it is Florida so it's not all that cold either. *grin*

The Son-in-Law from Heaven

2009-08-30T15:11:00.005-04:00

Stefan has to be the best husband and father in the world. My step-daughter, Stephanie, is so lucky and I think she knows it! These two people have been a real blessing in my life. They are not just beautiful on the outside as one can see from the picture, but they are truly beautiful inside.

Next weekend is their anniversary so I asked Stefan if they had anything special planned for it. He said no but he had remodeled their daughters' bathroom this weekend while Steph was at the beach with some girlfriends. She had been talking about updating the girls' bath for a while and he had a good idea of what she wanted so he decided to surprise her. On top of that, he let the oldest girl, Riley, help. Since she's only five, you know how much "help" she was. LOL But what a great memory for that little girl. *sigh* If girls look for men like their fathers, I think he's setting the bar really high.

Do I Feel Sexy?

2009-08-17T10:30:00.001-04:00

Lately I've been having some interesting discussions with a male friend. He's a fellow ballroom dancer who is way better than I am but he still says he enjoys dancing with me. We also spend a lot of time on the phone, talking. He has a way of asking questions that makes me think, and then think again. Now, I don't normally spend a lot of time on introspection, so I don't usually come to the same conclusions he does. He thinks he knows me better than I know myself. *eye roll*

A few weeks ago, he started suggesting I should make more of my looks by wearing make-up. I don't wear any and have been quite comfortable this way. My mother didn't wear any and it just seems normal to me. I think I look okay without it so I haven't given it any thought in a long time. Plus, since I have little experience with it, I'm not very good at applying it. But, I decided to give it a try - a little foundation, blush, light brown eye shadow and mascara - still trying to keep it as natural looking as possible. Went to a dance and quite honestly I didn't feel any different. I asked him that night when we were talking on the phone whether he noticed my make-up. The slight hesitation before he answered told me he never noticed. LOL To my way of thinking that just proved my point, but of course he answered, yes. *snort* Sure he did.

Well, anyway, I did the make-up thing again for the next dance I attended and surprisingly got asked for a date. So now I'm thinking, hmmm, maybe this stuff really does work. The problem is that I've been raised to look beyond the surface of a person, so I rather hope that other people will too. Um, did I mention I'm an optimist? Well, I thought the date went well, but he must not have thought so because I haven't been called back for a second one. At least I had a good time. *grin*

So last night this friend and I were talking about west coast swing and he wanted to know if I would learn some of the sexy moves in west coast swing. I'm thinking probably not because I don't like to see that overt sexuality on the dance floor. It seems inappropriate to me. You know, take it to the bedroom but don't do it in front of an audience. I'm not an exhibitionist. I'd prefer to be seen as a classy lady rather than a sexy one. Now if I was dancing with a special someone at home, yeah, I could do that. I'd love to do that. But while we dance really well together, this friend has made it clear he doesn't have romantic feelings for me and quite honestly, since both of our spouses died recently, neither of us is ready for a relationship. So friends we are, just friends.

But all of this got me to thinking about women who get involved with controlling men. I've always thought I wouldn't be vulnerable to it, but I've begun to see how, with his subtle questions designed to make me doubt myself, I started changing my behavior (wearing make-up) and questioning my self-image (wondering about my "sex appeal"). However, I think if you see it happening it is possible to avoid the trap. And after all I've experienced in my life, I refuse to allow a man to erode what self-confidence I do have.

While it might be splitting hairs, I would have to say that while I don't feel sexy (and never have) I do feel very sensual. I like to touch and be touched. That's probably why I enjoy ballroom dancing so much because you are always touching your partner. I just realized that's why I love the moments when I'm dancing that I can close my eyes and trust my partner to lead me anywhere and everywhere. *sigh* Oh yes, I may not be sexy, but I am sensual.

PS for my reading buddies out there: That's probably why I enjoy Nalini Singh's changelings so much, I love the idea of "skin privileges".

That's What Friends Are For

2009-06-16T14:40:00.002-04:00

Earlier I blogged about how sick my furbaby, Sandy, was. He's requiring some hand-feeding or he just won't eat so there was no way I could board him in a kennel. That's not even considering the pill he has to take at least an hour before eating and the other pills he needs twice a day. Well, I ended up cancelling a trip I'd been looking forward to for a year so I could take care of him.

Every year, Lori Foster and Diane Castell sponsor a weekend for authors and readers to get together and visit. It's much more laid back than the large conferences like RWA and there are lots of opportunities to just sit and chat. So at the last minute I cancelled my (non-refundable) airline ticket *sigh*, rental car reservations and the hotel room. I let the girlfriends with whom I'd planned to meet know I wouldn't be there. While not really depressed I was extremely disappointed.

Ironically there was a big fundraiser for Animal Adoption Foundation, as well. Lori Foster edited an anthology, Tails of Love, and all proceeds from the sale of it went to AAF. I'd known this was coming and was looking forward to getting all the authors to sign my book. I already know many of them, love their work and I count a few of them as friends. Still, Sandy - my living, breathing tail of love - came first. When I emailed Lori, she said she'd send me one of her copies that would be autographed by all the authors if I'd send her the price of the book. Of course, I jumped on that and sent a little extra donation for AAF.

Yesterday I got the book ... but it wasn't from Lori Foster. My girlfriend, Karen, bought the book for me and walked it around to all the authors and got their signatures for me. Many of them were personalized. Wasn't that sweet! And in the same post, Lori Foster returned my check and said all her copies were gone.

Everything works out for the best.

In the Barn

2009-05-27T08:00:00.001-04:00

Watching Dreams with Sharp Teeth had me searching out my very old copy of Again, Dangerous Visions edited by Harlan Ellison. I have hauled this book everywhere and it shows the wear and tear. As I stated earlier, this book really had an impact on me.

I scanned the names of the various authors, wondering which of them had become successful after being published in this anthology, then looked at the table of contents wondering if any of the titles would ring a bell. I recognized In the Barn by Piers Anthony immediately. It's a shocking tale of an investigator who visits an alternate reality Earth where animals couldn't survive. Humans are required to fulfill all the roles that animals fill in our world. Women are literally the cows in the barn. Hitch, the protagonist, is shocked down to his toes, but in the end wonders which world is a better, more moral, place for humans.

Although I did not become a vegetarian after reading that story (way back in 1972), it must have been churning around in my subconscious enough for me to eventually give up meat sometime in the early 90's. Yeah, yeah, I know, 20 years is a long gestation period. *snort*

I think I'll start looking for Dangerous Visions in some used book stores.

Dreams With Sharp Teeth

2009-05-26T07:40:00.008-04:00

Last night I watched the documentary, Dreams With Sharp Teeth, about Harlan Ellison, an iconoclastic science fiction/fantasy writer. Wow! He may now be in his 70's but he's still an angry SOB. Wikipedia describes him as "argumentative and contentious ... and a dust jacket from one of Ellison's own books includes a passage that described him as 'possibly the most contentious person on Earth.' " Injustices and stupidity still send him over the top. I'm quite surprised his heart hasn't just burst from all the pressure. Of course, he doesn't hold anything back, so maybe venting works for him. I just watched him in amazement that he could get so worked up over so many things. It was entertaining to watch but I can't imagine actually being around someone like that.

I can't say I'm a fan of his but one of the anthologies he edited, Again Dangerous Visions, had quite an impact on my view of the world. He didn't write any of the stories, but he challenged the writers to go beyond all boundaries ... and boy they sure did. Ellison doesn't do happy endings and given his frustration with the world around him, I'm not surprised.

He sees writing as a job just like any other. Once he was given a sealed envelope which he opened at a bookstore one morning. His typewriter was set up in the display window and his challenge was to write a story based on the few words Tom Brokaw had written inside that envelope. Five hours later, the story was finished while people watched. I don't know how good the story was but Ellison is a perfectionist so my guess is it satisfied him or he wouldn't have stopped.

He has written screenplays for Outer Limits, Star Trek and was a consultant on Babylon 5 (which I though was a brilliant show). He's had a long association with Hollywood although it hasn't been pleasurable for him. No one seems able to translate his vision of his stories to the screen to his satisfaction. No surprise. Those of us who love to read are seldom pleased with the results when a book is made into a movie.

I thoroughly enjoyed this documentary about Harlan Ellison. He's brilliant and irritating, funny (although he may not always intend to be), a really fiesty bantam rooster. I strongly urge everyone to buy the DVD, he's worth watching more than once.

Sandy pup is not well

2009-05-22T22:22:00.005-04:00

My sweet pound puppy, Sandy, is sick. A few weeks ago I took him to the vet for his yearly physical. I asked for blood work because my vet in Tennessee used to do that as a matter of course. Well, his liver enzymes were 10 times what they should have been. The vet, Dr. Gail, suggested we wait a couple of weeks and do another blood test with Sandy fasting. So that's what we did on Monday. Tuesday she called and said I needed to bring Sandy in for X-rays and an ultra-sound. His liver enzymes were now 100 times higher than normal.

Turns out his liver is really small, has some lesions and appears to have a mass in it. So now he's on antibiotics and anti-nausea pills as well as some medication that aids in liver function. Dr. Gail provided a couple of Pill Pockets to see if they would help Sandy take the pills. What a wonder they are. They look like soft Tootsie Roll segments but they have a hole inside where you stick the pill. The beef flavored ones smell really strong. The best thing is Sandy takes it like it's a treat so there's no hassle getting him to take the medication.

And what a difference the pills have made. Just one day after starting the medications, Sandy was trying to play with Liz, gnawing at her legs, nuzzling her stomach to push her off balance. He's bouncing around like a puppy again. I hadn't realized he was so sick.

I don't really know how sick he is or how long he has. Dr. Gail did not offer a cure so I suspect the medication is palliative care. He's such a sweet, affectionate dog, it's hard to think I won't have him much longer. I rescued Sandy from certain death at the pound in Chattanooga and he has been my devoted companion since 2001. Since he's a small dog I really thought I'd have 15 years or so with him. He's only about 9 years old now, maybe 10.

Smoke on the Water

2009-05-17T20:50:00.002-04:00

I've been listening to classic rock on the TV and, oh my, the memories from my youth! Just thought I'd share this:

Look at Deep Purple''s fans, It's really funny seeing what we looked like back then with the long hair and scruffy clothes.

The Dating Pool

2009-05-16T08:48:00.003-04:00

I thought I might dip my toe in the dating pool but I've decided there are too many poisonous snakes in it.

There's going to be a dance here in my gated community so I thought I'd ask one of the dancers from outside it to come with me. This seemed like a safe bet. I've known them a few months and all seem very nice.

The first man I asked, who's also the best dancer, had to work. A valid excuse since I knew he worked night shift every other week. It might have been a convenient excuse but he did request that I ask again if another dance came up. That's not a brush off, is it?

But the second guy I asked said he'd have to check his schedule and get back to me. So we exchanged email addresses. A week later he says in an email, "By the way, did you know I'm married? Does that make a difference?" Hell yes it makes a difference! Good grief. Why didn't he say that when I asked him to the dance? He doesn't wear a wedding ring, why would I suspect he was married when he'd been flirting with me?

Granted it's been a long time since I've been single but I don't remember ever being approached by a married man for a date. Okay, technically I'm the one who approached him, but still. Blech! It still gives me the creeps to know I almost dated a married man. *sigh* All I wanted to do was go to a dance with someone who enjoyed dancing. It's too soon for me to be considering anything else. I wonder if he thought I'd be easy since I'm recently widowed? Possibly. But honor and integrity are two essential ingredients that I value in a person's character. It's obvious the second guy is lacking both. Thank goodness he at least mentioned it. I can't imagine how I would have felt if I'd found out later, after the dance. *shudder*

So now I'll ask my older neighbor friend and hope he doesn't get the wrong idea. Wish me luck.

Walking in the Neighborhood

2009-05-14T13:00:00.005-04:00

Many years ago I lived in Norfolk, Virginia, near Old Dominion University. Although I lived in an old apartment complex, there was a neighborhood nearby that I used to ride my bike through almost every day. They were older homes and most of them had porches. People sat on those porches and waved or spoke when people walked by. I've always wanted to live in a neighborhood like that.

Apparently I live in a neighborhood just like that now. Although this is a gated community, there are distinctively different communities within it. The one I live in is about 20 years old and consists of rows of connected homes, sometimes three units in a row, sometimes, five. There are a lot of trees - pine, pin oak, maple and palms. After 20 years those trees offer a lot of shade and I think that's why people are comfortable sitting on their porches even when it is hot. Between the shade and the breeze, it's quite comfortable.

We have walked around some of the other communities but no one is out. I suspect it's because they are newer and have no trees and therefore no shade.

I love walking my dogs in our neighborhood. People speak, we visit. It's friendly. It's delightful!

Too Busy Living

2009-05-12T14:30:00.000-04:00

I've neglected my blog. Bad girl. Two swats with a newspaper.

But I've been enjoying my new life in Florida. This gated community I moved to has so much to offer - much more than I can do. I'm still indulging my love for reading by frequenting the public library as well as my community's library and buying books. But I'm happy to say I'm no longer reading a book a day. I used to enjoy it but I've discovered there's more fun outside of the books.

I spend a few hours every with my parents ... they are, after all, the reason I moved down here. Sometimes Mom and I work in the yard - planting, weeding, moving plants from one spot to another. And there's afternoon tea with Mom's homemade oatmeal cookies. Yum. After tea we feed our dogs and she walks her dog and I walk my two.

Even though it has been in the 90's, by 5:00 pm it starts to cool down. And there's always a breeze here. Sometimes it comes from the Atlantic and sometimes, from the Gulf. If it's too hot, we take a short walk after the dogs have been fed and then go for a longer one closer to sunset. Yesterday I was so restless we went for a mile walk at both 5:00 and 7:30. Of course, the dogs are happy to go whenever I want.

I'm still taking ballroom dance lessons. This month it's tango and bolero. The dances are more fun now too. I have been told I'm very easy to lead and I'm getting braver at dancing the different dances.

Complaint Against Dr. Mackler Denied

2009-03-07T20:10:00.003-05:00

I filed a complaint against a Dr. Donald Mackler who treated Bill during his last days but the Tennessee Department of Health Office of Investigations determined "that this practitioner did not violate the statutes or rules governing the practice of medicine in Tennessee. Therefore, the complaint has been closed." Since I can't get any satisfaction by legal means, I'll just publish the story here and pray the word gets around. The man has no ethics or morality. But I'll leave it to readers to decide.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2008
My husband, Bill, went to the ER at 1:30pm and was immediately taken to an ER room. They put him on oxygen and began monitoring his vitals. Within an hour his oxygen level began dropping. He was scheduled for a panendoscopy the following morning. They ordered a CT scan and a chest X-ray. The X-ray revealed that he had pneumonia. He was still scheduled for the panendoscopy and was admitted to the hospital under the care of Dr. Mackler who would perform the test the next day.

We finally got to a room (203) on the cardiac care floor by midnight wherein he was awakened often for one test or another.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29
Bill was much weaker. I think he was put on antibiotics here, not really sure. We went down for the panendoscopy at 11:00am and first spoke with the anesthesiologist. He determined Bill was not in good enough shape for him to anesthetize. Then Dr. Mackler came in. He talked for at least ½ hour, shocked that Bill had been scheduled for the procedure at all. He also regaled us with numerous stories of his accomplishments.

Bill was sent back to room 203.

His oxygen level concerned everyone so he was put on the mask that covers the nose and mouth. I think we met Dr. Adams then. He said he’d been asked to oversee Bill’s case.

Another night filled with interruptions and no rest.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30
One doctor after another came in, checked his heart, listened to his lungs and left. We asked Dr. Adams if we could have a quiet night and he told us about silence protocol. It helped.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31
Bill was moved to PCU because his condition was getting worse. He was put on one of those masks that forces air into the lungs. Knowing that we were not going to be needing Dr. Mackler’s services, I requested Dr. Adams take over as primary physician.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1
Dr. Pesche came in to see Bill and recommended intubation. Bill refused and requested that he be allowed to go home under hospice care. Dr. Pesch made sure Bill understood what he was asking and then agreed.

Dr. Zhang, who had been assigned to Bill when he was admitted although we had never seen him before, came in asking if Bill knew the Lord. Then, making sure Bill understood the situation, he approved the move under hospice care.

Dr. Adams came in and also verified that this was Bill’s choice and when satisfied, agreed it was probably best.

THEN DR. MACKLER SHOWED UP. He tried to tell Bill he’s giving up too soon. He, Dr. Mackler, has never lost a patient, just give him a chance and he’ll fix everything, or something to that effect. When we finally convinced him that Bill knew what he was doing, Dr. Mackler commented to me that since I’d be without a man now, would I be interested in a man like him. I looked at him in disbelief and said no. He then proceeded to try and talk me into it. I again told him forcefully, no. Bill’s nurse, Meg, was standing in the doorway of the room while he did this. I moved to the other side of Bill’s bed to put some distance between us. Did he stop there? No. He decided to tell a dirty joke about not finding a certain part of his anatomy because his belly hung over so far. I told him that was completely inappropriate. Later he came in and apologized FOR TRYING TO TALK BILL OUT OF GOING HOME. I don’t think he realized that his sexist talk was offensive.

We got Bill home at 6:00pm under hospice care.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2
Bill died at noon. He was asleep and surrounded by his loved ones. It was a peaceful passing.

Are there no ethical rules of conduct for medical practitioners in Tennessee? Is propositioning a dying man's wife in front of him acceptable behavior? I'm so angry I could scream. I wish there was a way to publicize this in the Chattanooga area but I wouldn't know where to start.

February Reads

2009-02-28T15:27:00.002-05:00

I'm going to cheat a little and post my review from another site of all the books I've read this month.

February started out with a bang. Everything I read was excellent plus I was working on two series: Romney Marsh and Arcane Society.

A Gentleman By Any Other Name by Kasey Michaels *A*

The first book of the Romney Marsh series. One of the few series I actually started with the first book. LOL Really good historical. There are seven adopted children and one natural child of Ainsley Becket and each one gets a story. This book is about the oldest, Chance. He was a teen when rescued by Ainsley but is now an adult who works for the war office in London. All the characters are fully fleshed. He has hired Julia to be nanny to his daughter and must travel immediately to Romney Marsh to investigate smuggling for the war office. He's walking a fine line because he knows there's probably smuggling going on but family loyalty outweighs loyalty to country. Julia is originally from this part of the country and is very familiar with the smuggling routine. It takes a while but finally the family trusts her. There's an ongoing theme in the series where a little more info about Ainsley's background comes out in each book.

The Dangerous Debutante by Kasey Michaels *A* (Romney Marsh book 2) This is Morgan's book. She's a fiery temptress who's mistaken for somebody else's mistress when she first meets her hero, Ethan, who is an earl.

Beware of Virtuous Women by Kasey Michaels *A* (Romney Marsh book 3) This is Eleanor's story. She's quiet but has a way of making things happen. She goes to London pretending to be Jack Eastwood's wife in an attempt to find out who is attempting to ruin their smuggling operation. Jack has worked with the Beckets for years but hasn't really noticed quiet Elly before. When they are thrown together he begins to appreciate her and, of course, there's your HEA. There's more about her heritage and even more is revealed about Ainley's background.

A Reckless Beauty by Kasey Michaels *C* (Romney Marsh book 5) This is Fanny's story. She and her adopted brother, Rian, have been inseparable until he goes to war following Napolean's escape from Elba. She follows him and comes to the attention of Valentine Clement, Earl of Brede. Not the best story in the series but still enjoyable. Fanny learns that her love for Rian really is that of a sister for a brother as she falls in love with Brede.

The Return of the Prodigal by Kasey Michaels (Romney Marsh book 6) *B* This is Rian's story. After he's wounded, he's cared for by the daughter of the Becket's enemy, Edmund Beales. She helps him escape her father. I appreciated her waffling between wanting to do what her father wants because she craves his love and doing what she can to help Rian with whom she has fallen in love. Lots of push me-pull me in this.

Becket's Last Stand by Kasey Michaels (Romney Marsh book 7) *B* This is both Callie and Court's book. She was given into his care by her mother just before her mother was killed and Court has watched over her ever since. She's all grown up now and it's a little hard for him to make the transition. Everyone in the family has assumed they would eventually be a couple when Callie became a woman, even Callie, so it's just a matter of convincing Court. Not really much of a romance but a terrific end to the series.

White Lies by Jayne Ann Krentz *A*(Arcane Society contemporary) Clare is a level 10 sensitive who can tell if a person is telling the truth or not. Kinda tough to have a relationship when you can tell if your lover is lying. She meets up with Jake who is a level 10 hunter. After I started this (picked it up at the library) I realized I'd already read it, but it was a treat reading it again.

Second Sight by Amanda Quick *A* (Arcane Society historical) Venetia meets Gabriel at the Arcane House when she's hired to photograph the artifact collection. She can see auras, he is a preternatural hunter.

The Third Circle by Amanda Quick *A* (Arcane Society historical) Leona is a gifted crystal worker who runs into Thaddeus when they are both trying to steal the aurora stone and encounter a murdered woman. Thaddeus can hypnotize people. Leona insists the crystal has belonged to her family for generations; Thaddeus insists it belongs to the Arcane Society and needs to be in a safe place. They are playing a cat and mouse game with a hunter who enjoys killing women.

Sizzle and Burn by Jayne Ann Krentz *B* (Arcane Society contemporary) Maybe I'm getting burned out on JAK, but this didn't seem to have the intensity between Zack and Raine that I'd come to expect from the other Arcane Society novels. The mystery to be solved wasn't particularly riveting either. I like this world that JAK has built but this story seemed to be lacking something.

Finding Ian by Stella Cameron *AA* This was published in 2001 but I just picked it up at the library. Wow, what an emotional story. Years ago, when Byron Frazer's wife died in childbirth, he chose to allow the boy to be adopted. Now those adoptive parents are dead and the boy has been sent to England to live with relatives he's never met. Byron visits England to make sure the boy is in good hands. But while he's there he meets a young woman, Jade Perron, who makes him think he could love again. He also gets to know the boy and decides he wants to be part of his life. Although the author didn't capture the cadence and speech of Cornwall, she certainly brought to life the connections in a small town and how everyone knows everyone else's business. Everyone is given depth and texture, not just the main characters. Jade's struggle with her dad's chauvinism, her aunt's struggle to be there for Ian, Byron's agonizing over his past and how to be there for Ian in the future are all dealt with compassionately.

Tall, Dark and Texan by Jodi Thomas *A* This is a historical western. I admit I do enjoy Jodi Thomas's stories. This one is about a young, timid widow who ends up on a ranch with a bear of a man. Jessie's not frightened of him, which puts her one up on everyone in town. The reason is that she had corresponded with him for many years when she ran a bookstore. Teagan always thought he was writing to a man since she signed the letters with her husband's name. Now she needs a safe place and decided Teagan would be just that. I loved the scenes between Teagan and her little girls. He doesn't really know what to do with all of them, however. It's a delight watching them grow into a family.

Double Fantasy by Cheryl Holt *B* Two romances in one story about Jack and Jamie who were twins.

To Wed a Wicked Prince by Jane Feather *B* The wicked prince was a Russian double agent whose mother had been English.

Autumn Lover by Elizabeth Lowell *B* Wonderful story but really wanted to smack Hunter upside the head. He never remembered that Elyssa was NOT like his first wife, she WASN'T spoiled and she WASN'T a flirt. He'd realize it and promptly forget. It got really annoying.

All Smiles by Stella Cameron *D* A great disappointment. After reading Finding Ian I expected some powerful emotional writing. As much as I like regency era romance, this was not very compelling.

Marrying Walker McKay by Lori Copeland *C* It was just OK but had too many head-banging moments for me to recommend. Plot setup was so convoluted and outrageous as to be unbelievable.

Star Bright by Catherine Anderson *B* Rainie escapes her abusive husband and Parker teaches her to love and trust again. There was a lot of buzz about the overuse of Catholic references. Personally I liked them and felt they added depth to Parker. I'm not really a fan of stories about abused women running from abusive men because I know they will always be found and it's gonna be scary - Play Misty For Me scary.

A Very Special Delivery by Linda Goodnight A free ebook from Harlequin - Steeple Hill. Since my faith is so important to me I thought I might enjoy Steeple Hill. Meh, not so much, if this is anything to go by.

Baby Bonanza by Maureen Child Another free ebook from Harlequin. A rich man discovers he's the father of twins. Another formula I don't usually read, but I enjoyed this one. Many moments when the emotion hit me in the gut so hard I flushed, so I'd give it a B, maybe an A. I'll definitely look for more by Maureen Child.

Tender Secrets by Ann Christopher - One of my favorite authors. As the story began I wasn't sure I was going to like this one: a reporter all set to do an expose on the family who ruined her father and sent him on the road to self destruction. I should have known the author would make the characters so strong and deep that I'd get sucked in. *A*

Movies and Memories

2009-02-25T13:47:00.006-05:00

I just got such a laugh reading a blog by Karen Rose over at Goddess Blogs.

A special movie memory for me as an author is connected to The English Patient - a film I totally despised. (And which, incidentally, won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1996. Don’t get me started.) But it’s special because, while standing in line to buy tickets, I asked Mr. R - quite out of the blue, “If you wanted to escape your husband and fake your own death, how long before you’d be declared dead?” I’ll never forget the stunned look on his face as he turned and stared at me. “Is there something you want to tell me?” he asked. LOL. It was the plot of my first novel, DON’T TELL, which I sold in 2001. Because Mr. R and I mutually despised the movie, we spent our dinner afterward discussing my book idea. It’s a memory I’ll always keep.

Can you imagine a husband's initial reaction?

So, some memorable movies for me:

Gone With the Wind - Not particularly memorable for me but for my parents. They took me to see GWTW when I was verrrrry young. At the moment when Rhett Butler sweeps Scarlett up in his arms and carries her up the winding staircase where we know they are going to have mad, passionate sex after their fight, I piped up and asked, "What's he gonna do, Momma, spank her?" Snort Apparently, all within listening range laughed.

Romeo and Juliet (Franco Zeffirelli's) - Saw this in college with my boyfriend, roommate and her date. She and I were both English majors and I thought we (at least) would enjoy a little Shakespeare brought to life. When we left, she was crying, sobbing actually. I didn't understand why, as I said to her at the time, it's not like you didn't know how it would end. Wrong. She had no clue, had never read the play or heard anything about it. A college English major! Shocking, absolutely shocking!

The King and I (Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr) - I watched that movie more than any other I can recall. Love the music. And Yul Brenner. Yum. I still know all the words to all the songs. LOL

Gallipoli (1981 early Mel Gibson) - This story broke my heart. It's about young Australians who join up to fight in WWI and are sent to Turkey. One of the young men is an Olympic hopeful. His coach drilled him by saying, "How fast can you run?" Archy would answer, "Fast as a leopard." "What are your legs?" "Steel springs!" At the end, the commanders need a runner to take a message to another battalion so they won't attack as it would be a slaughter. Instead of sending the runner, they send Mel Gibson's character who doesn't make it in time. At the end of the movie, Archy is going over the top and saying his mantra - How fast can you run ... Fast as a leopard ... What are your legs ... Steel springs. And he's shot as the slaughter begins. I get choked up even now as I remember it. That was the end of the movie. I had to sit in my car, couldn't go anywhere because I was crying too hard, for half an hour at least. Really powerful.

I guess I can't end this without mentioning LOTR. It was pure pleasure seeing one of my favorite tales brought to life. It was so well done and Peter Jackson was so faithful to the books. I went by myself, in the middle of the day, to see each one when they were released. I even bought the DVDs, special edition.

2008 Taxes

2009-02-23T19:24:00.007-05:00

I'M DONE!

I had set aside three days, beginning today, to do my taxes. It was fairly complicated because Bill had a business as an antiques consultant and part of our home was his office. I always dreaded doing the taxes when he was alive because I'd be constantly running to him asking one question or another. This year I had to do it without him. A truly scary thought. So with Turbo Tax in hand I began at 8:00 this morning and by 4:00 this afternoon, I was finished.

There were a few hiccups along the way. Instructions said if we had filed married-filing-jointly the year before I should put our names on the return in the same order (that would be with Bill's name first). But I hadn't gotten very far before Turbo Tax decided we were both deceased and I couldn't get it to accept my edit and admit that I was still alive. Apparently I needed to put my name first on the tax return.

Then Turbo Tax couldn't understand that Bill never resided in Florida. I even put the effective date of residency in mid-December and it still made me answer certain questions as though Bill had moved with me.

I printed the return a couple of times to read it over and see if it had all the information that had been filed in previous years. Thank goodness I did because I found a few extra deductions that Turbo Tax hadn't prompted me for. Still and all, it's over and done.

So now it's time to relax and have a beer. Cheers y'all.

Two Wolves

2009-02-19T11:24:00.002-05:00

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside all people. He said, 'My son, the battle is between two 'wolves' inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.'

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: 'Which wolf wins?'

The old Cherokee simply replied, 'The one you feed.'

An old friend sent this to me recently and I wanted to share. It is so powerful. I have believed for a very long time that what you think is what you attract to you. Maybe that's because I am a Pollyanna at heart. I want to believe the best of everyone. I expect people to live up to what I see in them so I prefer to see the good in them. Perhaps I am sometimes disappointed but most often not. I guess that's feeding the good wolf.

Thanks LawDog

2009-02-18T15:05:00.001-05:00

I have to thank LawDog for the info about Tundra. I too was a fan of Gary Lawson's The Far Side and missed his cartoons when he stopped drawing them. Tundra has the same warped sense of humor that I sooo appreciate. This one is from Tundra's archives.

Hmmm, I also miss Doonesbury. Although I don't read the comics like I used to. Can't say when I quit or why. They stopped being very funny, I guess, and so not worth the effort.

New Fence

2009-02-17T11:37:00.006-05:00

Got a new fence on Monday. It's basically a dog run but at least the pups will have a little freedom outside. They had such a wonderful, large fenced yard in Tennessee. If dogs can miss things, they miss that yard.

Just before Bill went into the hospital in October, he ordered a bark control gadget that we were going to hang outside in the backyard. Sometimes the dogs would just not stop barking, like when a squirrel would get just out of reach - and stay there taunting them. heh heh When the box arrived (after Bill died) I didn't even open it because I knew I was moving. There didn't seem any point to unboxing something that would just have to be packed up again.

So yesterday, after the fence was installed, I opened the box. I was surprised to find a lot more there than just the bark controller. Bill had order a bunch of other stuff I didn't know about. Luckily, Hammacher Schlemmer was willing to accept the return even so long after it was delivered. Bless their hearts.

So I hung the bark controller on the fence and waited for the first bark. I was pleasantly surprised when the first bark was not followed by another one. They barked one or two more times and each time was followed by blessed silence. Apparently, IT WORKS. Yippee! As you can see, the houses are very close together so a little barking can irritate a lot of people quickly. The last thing I want to do is annoy my neighbors.

Now I need to buy some vines to cover up the fence. In this community you are required to have plantings around all fences to "beautify" them. We're going to look for confederate jasmine. A neighbor has it and it has survived the freezes we've been experiencing lately. It also is supposed to bloom for a few months each year so that will be lovely too.

Working in the Yard

2009-02-14T12:45:00.002-05:00

Mom came over this morning and we worked on the backyard. Monday I'm getting a fence for the dogs - HALLELUJAH - and the area needed to be cleaned out. Now, you need to understand, this is something my mother loves to do. If she could, she'd be outside raking, mowing, sowing, pruning, weeding, planting, anything as long as she's outside with plants. Since she's pretty well run out of projects at her own home, now she's got mine to mess with. I'm more than happy to let her have at it over here. LOL Unfortunately for her, I need to do this in the cool morning hours. She likes to work in the heat of the day. Ugh.

So we swept and raked leaves, moved a palm that was still in the pot but had taken root where it had been left, pulled weeds and removed a bunch of ivy that is trying to strangle one of the beautiful live oaks just outside my window. Some of the vines were nearly the size of my wrist. The yard crew out here is supposed to take care of this but they don't. It's one thing for the Spanish moss to grow on these live oaks but if ivy gets established it will kill the tree eventually. (So says my mother. And if she tells me to cut something, I ask how much and where, no questions asked.) We also pruned a couple of bushes that will be inside the fence. I don't have a clue what they are or if they survived the freezing weather we had the last couple of weeks.

Ballroom Dancing

2009-02-13T13:13:00.006-05:00

In my younger days, I loved dancing. As a child, I took ballet and tap. As a teen, I studied jazz and attended cotillion dance classes. Oh those cotillion dances were fun for the girls but I doubt the guys enjoyed it very much. We learned the "old fashioned" dances like the waltz, fox trot and cha-cha. This was all in preparation for my debut as a debutante. *sigh* All so long ago.

As much as I enjoyed contemporary dances as a teen, like the twist, I really enjoyed partner dancing most. Unfortunately, most men of my generation don't know this kind of dancing. When I moved to New Mexico, I learned country/western swing and two-step. It was fantastic. Sadly, Bill never got the hang of it so we never went dancing together. It just wasn't his "thing".

Now I'm in Florida, living in a retirement community and I'm taking up dancing again. Woo Hoo! I was chatting with a neighbor a couple of nights ago and he was telling me about all the clubs and activities that are offered here. One was ballroom dancing. Well, as much as I would enjoy it, since I don't have a partner, I figured that was out of the question. He said, no, absolutely not. There are always men available to partner single women. He suggested I go to the class being held the next day, so I agreed.

Bless his heart, he met me at the Arbor Club and introduced me to the instructor. It could have been so awkward because I'm awfully shy in groups, but he made it very easy. Then he stayed for the lesson. There were actually three men there without a partner and I was the only woman without one. So I got to switch out with them to practice all the new steps. I was tired but oh so happy when the hour was over. It's much more structured than the dancing I've done in the past, but that's okay. I'm dancing again and that's what matters.

Ugh, Migraines

2009-02-11T12:51:00.019-05:00

Sometimes I wonder if just thinking about them brings them on. *sigh* I was reading a group list and one member said she had a migraine. Another said her meds usually worked unless she woke up with it. I commented that luckily, my meds work whenever I take it. Was I just tempting fate? Probably.

Of course I woke up with a migraine. Once I convinced myself it wasn't going to get better by just laying there, I slipped a Zomig in my mouth and let it dissolve. Then, because I was running late, I took the dogs for a walk. Sure enough, by the time I was home the migraine was gone. What a relief.

I used to get migraine headaches a lot, but since I've moved to Florida, they have significantly diminished. I guess I used to worry about Bill more than I realized.

A Book a Day

2009-02-10T20:17:00.004-05:00

Sometimes it seems like I read a book a day. Today, for sure, I did. It was so good, I just couldn't put it down. *sigh* I had a list of things I intended to do today, none of it got done. None. Of. It. The book was Finding Ian by Stella Cameron. It's an older book, published in 2001. I found it at the OTOW library. If it didn't belong to the library it would become one of my keepers.

For a few shining moments, Byron Frazer had it all - an adoring wife, a newborn son - until one was snatched by the cruel hands of death, and the other was cast away by Byron himself as he launched into a downward spiral of grief and pain. He'd assured himself that he had made the right decision, and that his son would find contentment in the arms of another couple. After all, he told himself, Lori would have wanted it that way.

Traveling across the ocean to a distant land of stone walls and cobbled roads, Byron will fulfill the promise to his lost wife - and be free to move on at last. Yet as he discovers his son, he also experiences an unexpectedly fierce paternal longing. Too soon, he realizes that Ian is destined to become as much a part of the close-knit Cornish village as the lush honeysuckle that scents the summer air. As much a part of it as Jade Perron is.

Reeling from a shattered marriage, Jade, Ian's lovely, protective cousin, is struggling to rebuild her life without a man and determined to do it here, in the only home she has ever known. She's vowed that nothing can change her mind - certainly not a brash American whose eyes betray haunting heartache. . .and forbidden desire.

This book was a very emotional story. You learn of Byron's past with his wife by selected snippets of memory that are scattered through the book. As the saying goes, he's a very deep well. And Jade is dealing with a lot of issues as well with her father being extremely chauvinistic and her ex-husband trying every trick in the book to get her back. They are both very wounded individuals who come together and have the potential to heal each other. The boy Ian is also a character that you just want to grab and hug. Shoot. I can't do this book justice in a review. It was emotional, gut-wrenching and ultimately, satisfying. If you can find it, read it.

A Guilty Pleasure

2009-02-09T10:04:00.001-05:00

I just purchased a hug me pillow. In some stores it's called a boyfriend pillow. I saw a mention of it on Nalini Singh's weblog which linked me to Saskia Walker's blog. It intrigued me. Saskia's blog linked to Amazon where it was sold for about $40. That was a bit expensive so I did a search on hug pillow and found the same thing at overstock.com for half the price. I could justify this useless indulgence at that price. LOL

Now one of the reviews said the pillow was too hard and one of them said it was kinda soft. So I'm hoping I'll be like Goldilocks and find it's just right. A couple of reviewers said their husbands bought it for them because they traveled a lot. One review was really sweet from a mom who bought it for her daughter who wanted to be cuddled all the time. Between this and a B.O.B., looks like I'm all set.

Learning to Bake Sticky Buns

2009-02-08T09:00:00.002-05:00

A couple of weeks ago a neighbor invited me over for dinner to meet some of my other neighbors. Although I've met many of them while out walking the dogs, this was an opportunity to sit down and have a chat and relax. One of the men I met used to be a baker so I asked if he would teach me how to make bread. I just love the smell and taste of freshly baked bread but I've never had the chance to be taught.

Saturday, I went to Fred and Jinny's house and learned to make sticky buns. Granted we didn't start from scratch, but these were awesome. We started with Pillsbury crescent rolls and made a sauce with brown and white sugar,butter, cinnamon and orange juice. Oh, and nuts. It was great having someone show me just how boiling and for how long and how well done the bread needed to be before you take it out of the oven. It's the nuances that make such a difference between a masterpiece and a disaster.

I left a quarter with Fred and Jinny, another quarter went to Mom and Dad and a third quarter to another neighbor. That leaves enough for me to enjoy the fruits of my labor but not enough to overdo. LOL

It's Been Three Months

2009-02-07T15:15:00.002-05:00

Bill died three months ago and my how life has changed.

Moving to Florida on short notice sure kept me busy between mid November and mid December. Sorting through all the things in the house, deciding what to take with me, what to sell and what to give away. I also had to get renter's insurance for my place in Florida and discovered that USAA would not do it. *sigh*

Once I was settled in Florida, we discovered that my mother's foot (which had been hurting for over a month) was truly broken.

So my life, for five weeks revolved around dog walking. I had gotten used to getting up whenever I woke up, in Tennessee. Not any longer. Mom was on a routine so Lacey, her Shih Tsu, had to be walked at 7:30 am and 4:30 pm. Sandy and Liz get worked in between. Since there is no yard, the only exercise they get is when I take them for a walk. So we went out at 0 dark 30 and to walk for 1.2 miles. You bet I measured it! Got to take a flashlight to find the poop and clean it up (a requirement in this community) and I wear a flashing light so I can be seen by drivers. I've gotten to where I really enjoy the long walks. At least I did before the mornings were 20 degrees and windy. For the past week or so I've actually waited until sunrise before dressing in long johns, woolly mitten, earmuffs and fleece hat.

In the afternoons, I take the dogs to Mom's, have a cup of tea, visit a while and then we feed them all together. I walk Lacey and then come back for Sandy and Liz when we do another 1.2 miles.

I just started reading a book on grief and it emphasizes that we must force ourselves to get out and walk, for the exercise. I've had to do it and I'm glad. Plus I've lost a little weight - a VERY good thing.

Every day I'll notice something that I tell Bill about. Yes, I do. I talk to him. Not long conversations, but just a mention like, "You would have enjoyed that". Sort of like my conversations with God. Hmmm.

Down to the Wire

2008-12-06T07:59:00.002-05:00

It's almost time for the packers to arrive. I still need to clean out the refrigerator, take all the emptied glass and plastic containers to the recycling center. There are a number of items I don't want to take to Florida but I can't find anyone to pick them up: Bill's old desk and work table, three office chairs, three filing cabinets, a lift chair and three sets of golf clubs.

I'm dreading disconnecting from the internet, but the modem has to go back to the cable company. If a friend will return the modem and two DVRs, I can wait until the last day to unplug. *shiver* It's like losing a lifeline!

Before moving I decided I should get an appraisal of the paintings Bill had collected over the years. Luckily the appraiser was able to do it quickly. I was gob-smacked when I got it. Now I'm hustling to get more insurance before the move. Even though I always knew Bill "didn't collect no junk", I wasn't expecting the value to be so high.

At least I was able to ship most of the memorabilia he had collected in his 76 years to his children and the grandchildren. He never threw anything away so there were trunks full of pictures, miscellaneous military papers, commemorative mugs and plaques. Thank goodness for UPS.

Now I need to "practice pack" the car.

I'm Back

2008-11-27T07:41:00.000-05:00

When Bill died I deleted my previous blog thinking I wouldn't continue blogging. They say one shouldn't make any rash decisions following the death of a loved one, I guess this was one of those decisions I shouldn't have made.

I haven't had much time to just sit and grieve. Shortly after we buried him, I decided to move to Florida to take care of my mother who is currently trying to care for my father who has Alzheimer's. This is really stressing her out. I've found a house to rent directly across the street from my parents so I will have my own space, a little peace and quiet (as much as one can have with two terrier mix dogs). I'm going to miss my life and friends on Signal Mountain - tai ji, church, Bible study, exercise group, walks in the woods with the dogs, doggie door to fenced back yard. Oh am I going to miss that doggie door. The new digs don't even have a fenced area for me to let the dogs out - I'll have to walk them every time they need to go out.

Moving on such short notice is exhausting. So is sorting through 60 years of accumulation by Bill. The man never threw anything away. I've been sending trunks of pictures and other memorabilia to his children and grandchildren who live on the other side of the country.

Thanksgiving will be a quiet time for me - more sorting through drawers and cabinets. I already have a truckload of stuff that needs to go to the dump.

Yesterday, I sent a truckload to Northgate Auction for sale. Since Bill was a well-known and much beloved figure at these auctions for the past 20 years, I suspect a lot of people will bid on the pieces just because they once belonged to him. Everyone knew Bill didn't buy junk. He was always willing to offer his expertise concerning antiques and paintings. His closest friends thought is was a divvy. I'm not the only one who will miss him.

I haven't had much time for reading. I'm exhausted by the end of each day; it's hard to keep my eyes open when the sun goes down. It's been so long since I had to make all the decisions by myself.