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Showing posts from September, 2011

A Long Legged Bird

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We finally tackled the shed today, also known as the building that houses our well.  I believe it's called the Pump House.  What a blessing to have a truck to haul away all the broken glass, rusted tools and broken and spilled pesticides that were in the shed when we moved in.  It was a lengthy job for Bill, as he needed to stop frequently and rest his heart. A job that might have taken a few hours in another life.  How nice not to be under pressure to work at a normal pace.  I helped by bringing out iced tea, lunch and poking through a few ruined boxes  to see if anything could be salvaged.  Gracie and I were not allowed to help as a rat had been spotted early on. We are happy to see there is a cement floor that can be swept and we can spray for any lingering vermin that thinks this is where they are retiring also.  Nothing will be able to be stored out there except the mower, yard tools and the ladder.  The roof leaks and boxes were moldy, bags were torn open and contents rui

The Silver Treasure

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It's a big night for Mom, she is a special guest at a fancy 25th anniversary party of her Sweet Adaline's chapter on October 1st.  She is one of five or six charter members and it was suggested the charter members come attired in silver to honor the occasion. Two of the original members Edie and Mom You know how that is.  It's pressure cooker time.  Not only do you need to shop for something appropriate, but your color choices are narrowed down to ONE.  My sis and I decided to help.  We took Saturday afternoon and combed the shops along Highway 19 looking for silver.  The shops have not stocked their winter holiday silver clothing yet, so looking for the right shimmer among the patchwork, orange and black, fall casual clothing would be impossible.  We turned to the resale shops. Always looks beautiful The low prices were a boon.  We didn't have Mom with us to try things on.  She was lounging in a salon having her hair or nails or something done.  An air

Happy First Day of Autumn

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Welcome Fall!  The first day of a new season is always special!  I trimmed the palm tree, but not close enough.  I'll need to go back and trim each one closer. Wished the elves Autumn luck Rejoiced  that these flowers bloom year around! I hung our bird feeder from Shanty Hollow And now we'll just enjoy the season until I put my fall decorations out. When do you put out your fall decorations? What is your favorite fall activity?

As the Season Turns

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                It's officially Fall tomorrow but Gracie couldn't care less.  It's always cool in the living room!                                                               Hickory Dickory Dock......                                                    We love our new addition to the family!   There is always some knitting going on.                                                  Gracie keeps a careful watch on the house when sitting out in The Garden Shop! That is.....when she isn't rolling in the sandy dirt! Bill's flag pole made it just fine.  Even with Fall arriving in a few hours, the leaves are as green as ever.  There is an old saying....if the leaves are slow to fall prepare for a cold winter.  Should I be worried?   I think not.  So let fall come, we did enjoy the last hours of our first summer in Florida

The Garden Shop

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We enjoyed the weekend with Janet and James.  It was impromptu and sometimes that is the best way to have fun.  A quiet evening at home talking late in the night out on the patio was so comfortable.                               They liked the wicker chairs. The evening air was warm.  The music was oldies, dare I say...Golden Gate Greats?  It was soft and  non intrusive.  A perfect background for talking over old times.  The smoke drifted lazily out the screens while the evening drifted by.                                    Even the dinosaurs were listening.  Inside the screens. Our little Garden Shop, is going to have lots of use this fall and into the winter.  I'm just going to love it here.

An Old Interview Surfaced

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James' big bro, Billy  Billy came across this interview online and sent it to me with a smile and a wink.  It had some pretty amusing parts.    I don't remember seeing it before.  After reading it a few mornings ago I have been pondering about this one portion...... Quote: Apart from fans, what do your families think of your music? James: My mom loves it and I don’t why, I like to think she loves it in a motherly way but I honestly will walk in on her listening to some death metal band on myspace. It’s so random and I will ask her why she’s listening to it and she’ll say “well I think they’re pretty good” (in his best female impression which gets Mike and myself in hysterics). She took to it and follows it much the same as my sister. My family never listened to music and ever since I have been doing this they have all of a sudden re-found music and me being the example they have kind of taken to this type of music. Unquote James Baney There is a simple exp

Literary Tattoos

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What? I was reading a review about literary tattoos and started to write a comment.  When my comment became so long I decided it was really a blog post. Therefore I shortened my comment to simply:  "A novel idea!"  and decided to share my real comments with you.  Literary tattoos are a whole new world for me.  My experience with tattoos is somewhat limited since no one in my immediate, and very few in our extended family, has one.  But living on the fringes of the music world for a brief time, the tats I've seen at shows seem all wrong for me.  If I were going to choose any I've seen, I'm telling you, I'm going to pass right now on all the skulls, zombies and especially the seven deadly curses God sent to Egypt. The ones I was slightly interested in were the floral, birds, angels, and more feminine ones, but they still seem all wrong for me. Then I saw a photo recently on Facebook.  It was a picture of an online friend with Maud Hart Lovelace &quo

A Little Excitement at Tortoise Cottage Today

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I had been out all afternoon.  Mom and I  had completed a lot of errands.  We had been shopping, to the hairdresser, out to lunch and made several stops.  I realized, after we loaded up the car with items from Wal-Mart that needed refrigerated, that I still had to pick up a reserved book at the library.  Well, it wasn't going to happen in the Florida heat.  I didn't know then I was about to learn something new about the Florida Heat. I  took mom home and jumped into the truck that I left parked alongside her house and wheeled it around the corner in my haste to get home.  I felt like Bo and Luke as it slid a bit, but I was in a hurry to pick up Bill and get back to the library before it closed.  They close at ungodly hours here...some days as early as four in the afternoon!    As I skidded into the driveway I noticed a police car driving down the road.  I watched in the rear view mirror to see it go by but it didn't.  I'm flummoxed because I looked around both sides