Lots To Do Today

March 16, 2016

Good morning.  Today is cloudy, but warmer than yesterday.  Temps will get back up into the 50's today and the rain has stopped.  I'll be able to clean out the bird feeder and re-fill it with dry seed.  This will make my little birdies happy.  I'll put out some new peanut butter treats too, and some peanuts for the squirrels.

I've been up a while, but I had a few things to do before sitting down at my laptop.  My front door is open so that I can see when the fuel delivery truck gets here, and my favorite little guy is curled up next to me.  It's a good morning indeed.

You know, I never watch the voting news programs on TV that show us how many votes each contestant got in the different states.  But last night I did.  Mostly I watched to see how Missouri was doing.  Goodness, what a nail biter!!!  In the wee hours of the morning, the officials in that state decided to call it a night and stop counting.  At this point, both parties had virtual ties.  They would be getting back to the counting this morning.  It will be interesting to see how it turns out. 

This morning I got a lovely surprise in my email box.  My friend Beth has made a beautiful scrap layout using yesterday's quick page.  As you can see, she used a QP within a QP.  I love it Beth.  Thank you so much.

I did not get rid of very many dust bunnies yesterday, so I'll have another go at it today.  There's a mountain of catalogues and magazines to go through again, and another bag full of things needing to be shredded.  It looks like a very busy day coming up.

Yesterday, I ordered a new tall storage cabinet for my little kitchen.  It's ready for pickup and I'm hoping that the box will fit in my car.  I'll see if Joe will go with me later or tomorrow to pick it up.  My hands are busy coping with arthritis so I won't be able to do much lifting or carrying anything heavy. 

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day.  Oh wow, I'll have to make another QP for that too.  Hmmm, I'm going to very busy today right up until bedtime.  I think DIL Janet might be coming by after work today too.  I haven't a clue what we'll have for supper.  Yup, very busy.

Ah well, I do have another QP for you for today.  My little friend, Zlata, is down in the dumps about something, and her animal friends are trying to figure out how to cheer her up.

Here's your download link:
Expired

Now I think it's time for me to get busy.  Today is one of those "so much to do, so little time" days.  It's a good thing I'm retired.  (I have a lot more time to do a lot less!)  haha.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a fantabulous day.

Hugs, Edna B.

Do You Think Our Votes Really Count?

March 15, 2016

Good morning.  This morning the temps are in the 40's and it is cloudy and wet outside.  The forecast for today is rain.  There are a lot of buds on green stems in my little gardens, so I'm sure they will welcome a bit of water.

Today I want to talk about the violence that is following the GOP debates and the Trump rallies.  I am so tired of hearing the media place the blame on Trump's followers.  The real blame goes to the news media for the outrageous way they have been trying to shove their opinions down our throats and take away our right to choose a candidate for ourselves. 

The rest of the Republican party also shares the blame.  I am ashamed of the way elected government officials have been trying to tell us who we can and cannot vote for.  They want what they want, and they do not want us to have a choice in the selection of eligible candidates. 

The news media should be ashamed of the way they have been reporting and misconstruing many events, which has actually encouraged violence.  They are not supposed to be biased, but they are.  They are supposed to report the news, not invent the news and smother us with their biases.  It's time the news media started sticking to reporting what is really being said and done.

Regardless of which candidate you are voting for, you and I are supposed to have the right to be able to listen to the candidates and make our own decisions.  Myself, I would like to see all the name calling and bashing being stopped.  I would like to be able to listen to the different candidates' views on important issues. 

On the other hand, there has been some chatter on different news programs or talk shows about Ms. Clinton's legal issues and whether or not she will be held responsible for any of the laws she has broken.  These stories, of course, have been quickly shoved under a rug.  WHY? 

If any of the Republican candidates (or even Bernie Sanders) were facing these severe issues, they'd have been banned from running for office.  Other good men, in other presidential races in the past, have been disqualified from running for office for much lesser offenses.

So let me ask, why does the government have such huge rights that they can pick and choose who they want in an office, and we don't really have a say in the matter.  Supposedly, these people in office are elected by us, and are supposed to be seeing that our wants and needs are taken care of.  That means backing us in our choices of candidates.

It's too bad we can't fire them (elected officials) all and start over.  Supposedly we actually can do this, but I doubt if any of us would be allowed to follow through with this right.  Little by little, we are being stripped of all our rights.  I want our right to listen and choose for ourselves given back to us.

Sorry folks, but I just had to get all of this off my chest.  I am totally disgusted with most of the news media and today's government.  Some honesty and fairness would be oh so refreshing.  I've been thinking for a long time that our voting system is useless.  That our votes have no meaning and do not count.  That government officials have already made their choices as to who and what we will have to abide by. 

Yes, I still go to the polls and vote, but do you suppose any of my votes ever counted?   The last two times I went to vote during presidential elections, I was flabbergasted and disgusted at a lot of what I saw happening and being allowed at the polls.  This only reassured my thoughts on whether or not my vote was important enough for me to go to the polls and vote.

Yes, I will go again to the polls this year.  I was taught that voting was a right and a privilege.  It would be nice though to be able to think that my vote is needed.

Okay!!  Nuff said!!  For being so polite by letting me vent, I have a freebie for you.  Later today, I'll be working on another one, hopefully for tomorrow's post.  Today's QP is very "Springy" and happy.

Here is your download link:
Expired

I also have a couple more photos of the hot air balloons that we saw in Florida.  It was awesome to be able to sit on our porch and enjoy a cup of coffee while we watched these magnificent balloons go by in the sky overhead. 

Today, I must call the fuel company to order a delivery for tomorrow.  I also have to be on the alert for a package being delivered.  Yesterday, I spoke with my SIL Eddie about doing some renovation work on our upstairs bathroom.  So, some time soon he will be coming by to put in a new vanity and whatever else the room needs. 

Maybe I'll have him do my bathroom floor too.  I've had the new tiles for quite a while.  It just hasn't been a priority.  I also need to go to the bank this week.  I'm thinking of changing an account to another bank.  I'm not happy with the service at the current bank this account is at. 

Maybe later I will put a few more rows on the Honeydew green afghan.  It only needs about seven more rows to be finished.  My hands have been giving me a bit of grief so I've not been rushing to finish this project. 

Well that's about it for today.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a fantabulous day.

Hugs, Edna B.

A Very Busy Day Today

March 14, 2016

Good afternoon.  Gosh I'm very late today with my posting.  It's been a hectic morning with lots to do and not enough time.   There was a mountain of mail waiting for me when I got home.  Lots and lots of bills wanting to be paid all at once and right away!!

A very important package that I was waiting for never got delivered because no one was here to sign for it when it arrived.  There was an orange slip left asking someone to call for a re-delivery.  No one called.   This morning I called and arranged for the package to be delivered tomorrow.  One down, and tons to go. 

I paid a pile of bills, and left another big pile to pay another day.  My taxes were prepared and sent to me.  OH WOW!  Not a very good surprise for me.  I thought I was in pretty good shape and all set here, but oh no.   The taxes were much higher, and I have to pay more.  It's a good thing all of this came in after I left for Florida.  As long as I did not know about it, I was able to have a good time on vacation.

Enough already of the gloomy stuff.  Pogo woke me up a little after 5 a.m. this morning wanting his breakfast.  His tummy must have been grumbling because he kept barking at me until I got up and cooked him some hamburger.   I figured as long as I was up I may as well have something to eat too so I had me a bowl of pineapple chunks.  Mmmm, very tasty!

We went back to bed after eating, and I got to sleep until 10 a.m.  I would have liked to keep right on sleeping but there was this huge stack of mail needing my attention.  Ah well, time to start my day.  After tending to the bills and making some phone calls, I decided to take a break and make some lunch and visit here on my blog for a while. 

I tried uploading a quick page to MediaFire so that I could post it here but alas, MediaFire was down making some repairs.  Sorry about that.  Hopefully, I'll be able to upload later.

Yesterday, I managed to do a load of laundry (all the clothes in my suitcase) and put everything away.  I was busy most of the day, but I can't really think what it was that I was so busy with.  Hmmm, I think my brains have gone back to Florida without me.

Today I have more photos from Florida.  This first one is a cute little squirrel who was sitting on a fence enjoying some tasty treats that he had found.

This next photo is one of the hedges planted on the grounds at our timeshare.  A lot of these bushes have little flowers and this one had the prettiest rosy red berries.

Here is one of the many palm trees growing everywhere.  I thought the trunk had quite an interesting texture so I took a close up photo of it.  It sort of looks like old weathered barn wood.

 Well, I still have a lot of the mail to go through, and it's time for me to get back to work here.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a beautiful day.

Hugs, Edna B.

Home At Last

March 13, 2016

Good morning.  Pogo and I are back home now  Oh my such a day we had yesterday.  It started off pretty good.  Our driver from the rental car company came to pick us up and got us to the airport on time.  We made it to our gate just fine to wait for our plane.

That's when the fun started.  After waiting for quite a while, I finally asked if they had changed the gate for our departure, or what.  I was then informed that my flight was delayed for approximately four hours.  Hmmm, I wonder why they did not send me an email earlier to inform me. 

I felt so bad for Pogo because it was going to be an extra long day for him with no chance to go potty.  I did take him to the ladies room and put down a pee pad in the handicap stall, but it was so noisy that he could not do anything. 

Of course, on the plus side, he charmed all the passengers waiting for planes, and those arriving on incoming flights at our gate.  He even had airport employees and flight attendants coming by to see the "adorable little dog at Gate 3."

Eventually, three hours later, we were able to board our plane and take off for Boston.  During the flight, Pogo lays down in his little carrier and takes a nap.  As soon as we got to Boston, I took Pogo out of his carrier (I only put him in it while we are on the plane), and he began charming everyone around us again.  During the whole trip, everyone commented on how well behaved my little Pogo was.  Of course, I beamed like any proud mama.

Deanne, Eddie and Jazzy came to pick us up.  Boy oh boy, was Pogo ever so glad to see his absolute favorite person (besides me).  He couldn't wait for Auntie Dee to pick him up and give him cuddles.  When we got to our house, the first thing Pogo did was to make a dash for a patch of grass.  Oooooh, that really felt good!!!

Today, I have a lot of unpacking to do.  For some reason, I cannot get my emails to come in, so I will have to spend a while trying to figure that out.   My computer guru, Wayne, has retired, so I am at a total loss when it comes to fixing things on my laptop. 

All my clocks are showing different times.  The one on the cable box is the only one with the correct time.  The kitchen clock only needs to be reset (I can change this one), but the batteries in the living room clock are struggling to stay alive, and I have no idea which time zone this clock is running on.  I cannot reach it, so I'll just ignore it until the next time SIL Eddie comes by.

Pogo has been missing his turkey treats this whole past week.  He will only take them from Joe, so this morning he went dashing out to the main house to find Joe.  Now that he has had his treats, Pogo is napping happily on his chair.

I have some photos to share this morning.  Here's a photo of Pogo resting on the sofa in Florida as he waits for me to finish typing a blog post.

 

And this is how I would start my morning - a cup of coffee, check the emails (if possible) and post on blog.  After that, my time was Pogo's.

There weren't as many beautiful blooms around this year because everything had been heavily pruned.  However, this one beautiful bush was even prettier this year than last year.  I don't know what it is called, but it is a show stopper.  This photo only shows one of the two gorgeous bushes.

Well, that's my news for this morning.  I have lots to do now.  My suitcase is sitting on the living room floor just waiting for me to unpack it.  Oh joy, oh joy.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a fantabulous day.

Hugs, Edna B.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EDDIE

March 12, 2016

Good morning.  Alas, this is our last morning here in beautiful Florida.  After lunch today, Pogo and I will be picked up and taken to the airport.  Next stop, Boston, Massachusetts.  Deanne and Eddie will be waiting at the airport to pick us up and take us home. 

By the way, today is SIL Eddie's birthday.  I had ordered a birthday present for him before I left to come down here, and hopefully it has arrived.  Eddie, I hope your day is fun and filled with happiness.  Happy Birthday Eddie.

Yesterday I was busy packing things away in our suitcase.  It's a good thing I was able to send things home in Joe's carry on because now there is room in my suitcase for the afghan that I've been working on.   I only have thirteen more rows to go and it will be finished.  Woo Hoo!

Today I have some photos of trees to share.  This first photo is a set of young palm trees whose roots have wrapped around a larger palm tree, and two of the smaller trees are growing from the trunk of the larger tree.   I've made a close up to show the tangling of the roots.

There is another fascinating tree not far from our unit.  This one looks as if several young saplings were twisted together before being planted.  I don't know what kind of tree this is, but it is rather interesting.  Again, I've made a close up to show how the trunks are intertwined.

Today Pogo and I will mostly relax (what else is new?) and make sure we are leaving everything clean and tidy.  In a little while, we will take the trash down to the dumpster.  I'll take my camera with us.  Who knows?  Maybe we'll run into a fascinating bird or something!!  Hmmm, not likely.

Last night, there were quite a lot of folks outside with us as we watched the fireworks display.  The land on the other side of us is being developed, so we probably won't be able to see any fireworks next year.  That makes this year's showing a special treat. 

Well now I think I should wash our breakfast dishes and then get rid of the trash.  Then we'll sit out on the porch for one last time.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a magnificent day.

Hugs, Edna B.

Enjoying Our Last Full Day Here

March 11, 2016

Good morning.  I'm sorry I could not post yesterday, but the internet here went out Wednesday afternoon, and was not repaired until last evening.  I was not the happiest little camper around here.  So I rested a lot and crocheted.. I only have twenty five more rows to go for the afghan to be finished. 

Wednesday Pogo and I went to the flea market to do a bit of browsing and shopping.  On the way home, we stopped at a Walgreen's to get bread and ice cream.  Next we stopped at the gas station to fill up the gas tank on our rental car.  Then we headed back to our condo to have lunch. 

It was when I decided to check my emails that I discovered that the internet was out.  I get a lot of emails so if I don't check them every day, they get out of hand.  Oh boy, I would have a lot of work to do when the internet was working again.

Daughter Deanne called me yesterday to let me know that my grandson Kevin was on a plane to Orlando with his college baseball team.  When they get here, they will travel another hour and a half by bus to their destination.  Kevin is not feeling very well, and the heat here will raise havoc with his breathing.  However, even if he were all tied up in casts, he would be out on the field playing with his team.  I hope he starts to feel better because they have several baseball games scheduled.  Good luck Kevin.  My prayers are with you.

Today I have some photos of one of the hot air balloons that we were watching one  morning last week.  I love this little camera and its 50x zoom. 

As I sit here typing, Pogo is curled up on the chair next to me having a nap.  He has finished his breakfast, checked out all the children and adults walking by on their way to the pool, and now it is time for a little rest. 

Today is our last full day here.  Tonight I will pack our suitcase, and then tomorrow after breakfast, I'll check once more to make sure we haven't forgotten anything.  I'd really like to put my little screened porch in my suitcase, but alas it can't be done. 

Tomorrow afternoon, the fellow from the car rental company will come by to pick us up and take us back to the airport.  We only have one more night to watch the fireworks display.  Did I mention that they are from Disney World?  Our property backs up to Disney, so we get to see all the fireworks that make it up over the tops of the trees.

Well that's about all my news for now.  I'll post again in the morning.  So, till then, Y'all have a splendid day.

Hugs, Edna B.

The Early Bird Gets A Better Internet

March 9, 2016

Good morning.  It's not daylight yet.  I've been up for about an hour.  Methinks that the nap I took late yesterday afternoon wrecked my full night's sleep.  Not a problem.  Pogo and I are not on a time schedule here. 

The good part of getting up so early is that the internet service is a little better.  I did not have to wait so long for my emails to come up.  Last evening, I purchased a few new scrap kits, but I can't download them.  I'll have to wait until I get home where  the  internet is so much better. 

We didn't do very much yesterday.  I worked on my afghan, played Farm Heroes on my phone, and did a few Find A Word puzzles.  Housekeeping was here, and Pogo was busy keeping an eye on them.  He is a super little watch doggie.

Folks, if you've noticed that I've haven't been visiting many blogs and leaving comments these two weeks, it's because I don't have all my blog and email addresses on this little laptop.  As soon as I get home, I will catch up with all my blog reading.  Next year, I'll have to make sure that all my current addresses are on this laptop. 

Last evening, Pogo and I went outside to enjoy the fireworks display.  Every night, I take a lot of photos of the display in hopes of getting some good photos.  I don't have my tripod with me, and I'm hanging on to Pogo's stroller while I'm taking the photos.  However, a lot of the shots come out quite pleasant.

I love this last shot.  It reminds me of the "bombs bursting in air" from the Star Spangled Banner.  When I get home, I need to download a copy of the user manual for this camera.  (It took me a while to finally find one on-line)  Once I can figure out where some of the things on this camera are, I'll be able to take better photos with it.  I hope.

This morning Pogo and I are going to the flea market.  I need to pick up a couple things.  Somehow, I've lost my sweatshirt jacket that I wore down here, so maybe I can find another one today.  We'll see.  There's a 7Eleven store nearby, and if they'll let me bring Pogo in with me, I'll stop in and buy some bread.  If not, I'll do without.

Well that's my news for this morning.  So till tomorrow, Y'all have a fantabulous day. 

Hugs, Edna B.