Old enough...

...to now draw social security! Ouch........how'd that happen? Yep, Dick got official first, then me just recently. He said I ought to try signing up online. Why not? Our nearest SS office is close to 30 miles away, and what with fuel prices climbing...........let my fingers do the typing. I went online, filled out the form a week ago, and a real live fella actually called me to ask me a couple of questions.....mainly, why hadn't my hubby filed yet, since he was old enough?

I told this nice guy that hubby was still trying to decide whether to sign up now, or wait till the next magic age of 66. I had him call hubby.........he signed up. We'll see when the first checks arrive. They'll help support our travel habits!

In light of getting old, here is a bit of philosophy from the famous:

Don't worry about avoiding temptation as you grow older, it will avoid you-- Winston Churchill

Sunny Sunday!

This is a pic of the bathroom onboard a Costa cruise we enjoyed back in '02 over in the Mediterranean. With it being Sunday and lots of folks went to Sunday School this morning, here is a bathroom joke:

A Sunday School teacher of preschoolers was concerned that his students might be a little confused about Jesus Christ because of the Christmas season emphasis on His birth. He wanted to make sure they understood that the birth of Jesus occurred for real. He asked his class, "Where is Jesus today?"

Steven raised his hand and said, "He's in Heaven." Mary was called on and answered, "He's in my heart." Little Johnny, waving his hand furiously, blurted out, "I know, I know! He's in our bathroom!!!"

The whole class got very quiet, looked at the teacher, and waited for a response. The teacher was completely at a loss for a few very long seconds. Finally, he gathered his wits and asked Little Johnny how he knew this. Little Johnny said, "Well, every morning, my father gets up, bangs on the bathroom door, and yells, 'Good Lord, are you still in there?!'"

Happy birthday, #1 daughter!

The tall gal is 36 today. Happy birthday, honey! How can she be that old? It wasn't terribly long ago that I got out of bed to experience my water breaking...and Dick rushed me to the hospital.......where this gal took her own sweet time in arriving about 10p that night. She was worth every contraction and stretch mark (as were the two who followed...thankfully a few years apart!). And now look what we are blessed with...

These two wee g/daughters spent the night with us last night...Dick and I took them out for pizza...yumm...stayed up late watching "Enchanted"...perfect little girl movie:-) Grumps opted not to watch it...no surprise there. And today was play dress-up time! All of my old petticoats and square dance outfits make lovely play clothes for two little girls. And high heels that I no longer wear had little feet slapped in them so they could clomp around and make lots of noise prancing about. They had a ball making a mess, but that's perfectly OK. We've had fun, and that is what life is all about...family, friends and fun. Tonight we'll gather together as a huge family to celebrate this special day. Life doesn't get any better than that, y'all!

Sonogram day...

Spaghetti boy has a sibling in the oven......almost 30 weeks old by today's measurement. I was invited to go with our daughter to the doctor's office this morning, and that was quite a thrill. This picture isn't the actual view of 'our' baby, but looks pretty much like what I got to see on the screen. We know for sure that there is only one baby inside........we just don't know what s/he is yet, and Mom and Dad don't want to find out until opening day. So to speak. Baby Piglet appears to have all the necessary arms and legs and is quite active...and Doc Deb was careful not to position the pointer over the, um, privates and spoil the surprise...but she does indeed know the sex already. And is keeping it a secret. Today's heartbeat count indicates a girl, but it did that a time or two and outdoor plumbing obviously arrived the first time around for this daughter. It won't matter to any of us, just as long as we have a healthy baby and a healthy mama in the process. Life is grand!

Wednesday hump day...the gift!

Here's a funny to help y'all enjoy hump day:

After spending 3-1/2 hours enduring the long lines, surly clerks, and insane regulations at the department of motor vehicles, I stopped at a toy store to pick up a gift for my son.

I brought my selection - a baseball bat - to the cash register.

"Cash or charge?" the clerk asked.

"Cash," I snapped. Then, apologizing for my rudeness, I explained, "I've spent the afternoon at the motor-vehicle bureau."
"Shall I gift wrap the bat?" the clerk asked sweetly. "Or are you going back there?

Wow...my counter thingy is rolling up the numbers...but a lot of you aren't leaving me a comment. Hmmm, wonder why. It isn't painful; doesn't cost a thing; is EASY to do...and I love reading them. I entertain easily, but y'all figured that out, right?! So leave me a HI, OK?

Spaghetti smile!

One happy boy! Good, but good, Aunt Haley.

I got to keep the spaghetti boy this morning while his mommie went to a meeting. We had fun and now all the toys are picked up and put away and I have to get to work. That's boring! Playing with little boys is a lot more fun than doing laundry and paperwork...welcome to the real world! Hope y'all enjoy your Tuesday.

Manic Monday -- "Eggs"

Empress Bee told everyone how to boil a perfect egg, so I'll now tell y'all how to make the best Deviled Eggs. After the eggs have cooled down, peel them, cut them in half long wise. Dump those pretty yolks in a small bowl and mash them up. Add enough mayo to give them a nice consistency; next add salt and pepper to taste and maybe a touch of mustard. Next comes the sweet pickle relish, along with some of the pickle juice. Mound the yolk mixture in the egg halves. Yummmm....Everything I Need to Know, I Learned from the Easter Bunny...

Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Walk softly and carry a big carrot.

Everyone needs a friend who is all ears.
There's no such thing as too much candy.
All work and no play can make you a basket case.

A cute little tail attracts a lot of attention.

Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day.

Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits.

Some body parts should be floppy.

Keep your paws off other people's jellybeans.

Good things come in small sugar-coated packages.

The grass is greener in someone else's basket.

An Easter bonnet can cover the wildest hare.

To show your true colors, you have to come out of your shell.

The best things in life are still sweet and gooey.

Note: I don't have the M/M box thingy figgered out yet, although I have signed up. Blame it on the snow that is coming down here in Mayberry...and it is spring! Later...

So far, so good...

Here is the pic of the illegal cross after last night's installaton...note the full moon smiling down on JJ's deed. Hope she doesn't get caught tonight taking it down...the adventure isn't over yet.

Hallelujah...Happy Easter, y'all!

What an Easter basket this is! Who wants to come over and hide Easter eggs with me??? Y'all can eat the eggs, jellybeans and the peeps...I'll just munch on the chocolate stuff, thank you very much!

We can play after church...that comes first, to celebrate the reason for Easter. But, if you don't celebrate Easter, we'll just celebrate spring! The very same Creator made us all...and it is all GOOD! Blessings to everyone....especially JJ. Hmmm, wonder if she is in jail this morning for putting up her cross again? Stay tuned...

Easter Saturday

Before writing my blog for today, I sat down at the computer with my cup of coffee in hand and clicked on Empress Bee's blog first to see what she is up to today. I was greeted with the above sight...and remembered seeing it on her blog last year. Here is what she has to say about it:

My friend JJ put this up last year and the year before too. You can see it from I95 in West Palm Beach. It is in a public park and it is not legally there but she puts it up at Easter and takes it down the next day and so far has not had any problems. I love that she does this for her faith. Notice the moon in the photograph too.

I also know "JJ" and am touched by this wee risk she takes year after year. My Easter bonnet is lifted high for you, JJ! You go, girl!!!

Good Friday

Good Friday is always greeted with mixed feelings, religious wise...I know it is necessary before we can experience Easter, but it still always feel a bit strange and a bit sad to me. I am an Easter person, so this day is always a tuff one with it being about The One dying on a cross. Just so you know.

So........I'll focus beyond that to dinner tonight, which always means planning ahead when there is a crowd arriving...and there will be a crowd to be sure. All the chitlins, tall and short, plus a couple new to Mayberry, Brian's friends Mark and Steph who now our new friends. See how easily we adopt new folks?! And feed them. They are ATL residents, so they'll only be up on weekends, but they'll be welcome additions to the 'hood.

The Windstream fella came and fixed our DSL problem...so that creates big smiles around here. Life is indeed GOOD...on this Good Friday. Blessings to all y'all (that's extra plural!).

Welcome to Georgia!

Hi from home! We got in yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon after an uneventful trip. We both got good knee check ups (hooray!!!)...good to go another few miles or so on the parts God gave us. That is definitely good news. All the local kids/grandkids came by...one included dinner, too! Now that was a nice treat, especially with all the unloading, putting away, mail sorting...yuck. Just about makes me want to stay home. Naw, that's not gonna happen.

We were greeted to a dead phone line and no internet...that was not a treat. That will hopefully be fixed today or tomorrow, but it was just what it took to get Dick to hook up our internet satellite here at the new house. Yaaayyyy...we are back online, able to communicate with the world wide web! That's a good thing, since we have RV park reservations coming in right regularly now and I do need to stay in touch.

We enjoyed seeing the progression of spring as we traveled nawth. There were azaleas, dogwood and Bradford pears blooming in So. GA. Here in Mayberry there is only the really early stuff popping out--forsythia, daffodils, weeping willow beginning to open up its unique green coloring, and not very much else. Dick and I are both upstairs in the office right now, and were just treated to a small deer scampering across our driveway heading over to our old house. With today being the first day of spring, that's a nice all around welcome back home!

On the road again..........

All loaded up and homeward bound this morning! After a stop by the knee doc for a check up times TWO tomorrow morning, we'll be pulling into the driveway by afternoon...and looking for some wee ones to bring some 'sugah' to Grammie shortly thereafter! I love the sound of that...I've missed those critters and can't wait to see how they've grown.


We are leaving 80-something weather for 60-something weather. What's wrong with that picture??? But...we have our park to get opened by the first, so work is calling. Sigh. We're ready for the next adventure!

Top o' the mornin' to y'all!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to each of you. Don't forget to wear your green today or you'll get pinched for sure. Don't *DRINK* too much green beer...and may you each have a bit 'o fun and the luck of the Irish all day long.

Announcing another cruise destination...

Y'all aren't surprised, are you?! We'll scratch off another item on our to-do list before we die...we are doing the Baltic Sea area and St. Petersburg, Russia, in August...this coming August! We fly ATL to Copenhagen on 8/2, so we will get to see Jeff/Bjarne...maybe Mette?...if they save the date of August 3 for us on their busy calendar. The neat thing about this cruise (other than seeing lots of new places) is that we come back to the States via the cruise ship, although we come home to NY, but that's OK. We at least won't have jet lag. That's a big plus.

After departing C'hagen the second time on the 10th, we hit Norway, Faroe Islands (wherever that is), Iceland, Newfoundland (didn't go there on our Maritime trip), then to Nova Scotia ahead of our NY arrival. Pretty neat, huh? We'll be onboard for 25 days, a new record for us. So many cruises, so little time.........

Stuff...

Dick and I enjoyed watching our Celine Dion DVD, A new day... That lady can sing!!! The stage and lighting were awesome...and of course, so was the music. This is definitely a DVD we will watch again.

I had fun yesterday doing a little rubber stamping...got three (different) cards made. It was challenging and not entirely easy to manage in our small quarters, but I managed...with Parker’s supervision. Organizing my stamping space at home is one of my top priorities once we get settled back in back at Mayberry. We are counting down the days til departure!

Strangers in a box...

Who are these people, these strangers in a box? Being the one who does genealogy for both sides of our family, I am the recipient of dozens of old and not-so-old photos...many of which need identifying. And I am just as guilty as the next person. We have 40 years of photos that need identifying and put *safely* in scrapbooks. That is a job that is ever so slowly getting done.

Daughter Haley has scanned in lots of old photos for me...definitely a work in progress! Some got identified last October at the annual Bell clan gathering, and I have now gone back and correctly labeled them. Daunting task that! I have scanned in many more that I have labeled to the best of my ability. We'll work on this more at the next clan gathering for sure.

My point being...get yourself an archival safe pen---do NOT use a ballpoint pen---and write names/date/place on the back of your photos (click over on "inkyscrapper" in my sidebar if you want to easily purchase one). Future generations will appreciate that, even if the photos simply stay in a box. At least your 'kin' will know who those folks were...and some of them will even care.

Georgia on my mind...

Yes, we both have Georgia on our minds......we empty the tanks, pull in the slides, put away all the loose items and head nawth exactly one week from today! Hard to believe we've been here in WPB almost three months...time has flown by. It's been fun seeing old friends down here, but it is time to head home and settle back in there, just in time to spend Easter at our church and with our family...see what the Easter Bunny has brought the grandchildren...all that important stuff in the lives of grandparents. And do some serious Easter cooking! Yummm.

We still have plenty on the calendar to do between now and next Tuesday...we seem to stay busy...or as busy as we want to be. Life is good!

Party pics...

Pat & Jack Tucker
The Tucker Clan
Bananas Foster...no chocolate peanut-butter pie though.
Smile for the camera!

The party guests were treated to a limo ride to/from the hotel...the meal was fabulous...DJ did a fine job with music and dancing.......and it was soooo good seeing old friends and meeting new ones. My, how their grandkids have grown! Guess we are all getting older, but that is a blessing, right? Life is grand.

Happy 50!

We are heading to Altamonte Springs (just N of Orlando) today for a dinner celebration tonight for Jack and Pat Tucker. They had a marvelous restaurant in Mayberry for many, many years...finally retired and moved to FL. That is required when people retire, don'tcha know. When our girls got married, their receptions were held at Tucker's Restaurant. Haley's hubby grew up with the Tucker kids. I've emceed many a fashion show there...and eaten lots of their good cooking. Yes, we share long history with the Tuckers. Good people.

We look forward to seeing them and their family...and of course, having lots of good food (although it is going to be at a restaurant and not Pat/Jack's cooking) and many laughs. I'll have pics to prove it tomorrow night. Hope these two good people have many more years of togetherness. We sure miss them up in Mayberry. Wonder if we'll have any of Mother Tucker's famous chocolate peanut butter pie at the party?

Use sunscreen!

Today was dermatologist day. Yep, sun damage from trying to get a tan as a teenager...which didn't even work back then, and now I am paying for it. Literally. The doc froze off several places on the backs of my hands and one arm. The dark spot on my leg checked last year is still that...dark, but not a problem. I don't plan to enter any leg contests in the near future, so that's OK. There was a wee spot on my chest (that leaves myself open for loads of comments!) that was biopsied, and hopefully is just nothing. They'll see me in a year. Life is good........

Here, that is. We have sunshine but loads of wind. Mayberry is expecting snow this weekend. Sure hope this is the last gasp of winter, since we'll be heading up there very soon. I don't like cold weather, but we do need to get home. I sure miss my kiddies...and Easter will soon be here and Grammie needs to be home to see Easter outfits and see what the Easter Bunny brings! Can there be anything sweeter than little kids and Easter baskets? That thought sure puts a big smile on my face!

More random photos...

It is overcast and now raining...so here is a bit of visual sunshine.

Tin critter...
Real critter...he relieved us of a few lizards during his walk about.
Ribbit!

OK...time to get dressed and go to the "beauty saloon" for a haircut, then food shopping at Publix to figger out the age-old problem of "what's for dinner." Funny, when I have not even had breakfast, nothing sounds good to fix for dinner yet. Maybe I'll be inspired after a time in JJ's chair. At least she'll entertain me while she cuts away the hair bulk. Oh yes, she's another Red Hatter, the Queen of the local chapter...and a friend of Empress Bee. Need I say more??? :-)

Random Resort photos...

MetLife blimp overhead
Pretty bromeliads
Wade & Ginger's fountain
Another fountain. This is a nice place to live during the winter. Life is sweet!

Brian, the official pilot!

It is official...the skies are unsafe...there is a brand new, private pilot loose in the air. Brian passed his check ride and oral exam with the flight examiner yesterday. He's a happy camper, and us two senior pilots are mighty proud of him. I told him I would give up my co-pilot's seat the next time he flies with Dick and me. That way, he can get some time in a more powerful aircraft than what he has been flying, complete with retractable gear...another thing he will have to learn about. Although he is obviously familiar with our plane, it is a different matter to be actually doing the flying...and the landing! He and Dick will certainly have fun going out and playing. Way to go, sweetie! This is just your license to learn. Have fun, but be careful!

Concert, food, friends...

Lynn & Terry met us at John G's (where else?) for breakfast, then came up to see our Resort.
Relaxing on the patio...note long pants and sleeves! It was chilly...I know y'all feel our pain:-)

The Celtic Woman concert on the big screen at the Rec Hall on Thursday night was well attended. Folks were impressed with their talent, and it was a good way to get people together to get acquainted. We'll put on a Celine Dion concert on 3/13. This one was done at Caesar's Palace and looks interesting (we haven't seen it yet). We have a lot of Canadians here in the Resort, so we think a lot of folks will show up for that one, especially with this much advance notice.

Today has been beautiful, so I've been out photographing flowers, fountains and various lawn critters. They'll show up here eventually, since I don't have time to post them now...more food about to happen. The activities committee is putting on a BBQ tonight, so we're going over for that. Yummmm....I know y'all are envious.