Much needed R&R and where better to spend my vacation than Quiet Water? And I have my 3 oldest grandsons with me to help me have fun. On our arrival Friday night we had our first "adventure" with the snake that greeted us on the stair landing. Not sure who was more scared,, the boys or the snake. Kyle decided it was a corn snake...at least we decided it was not a coral snake or anything else dangerous.
Saturday was spent getting unpacked, shopping for groceries (the 3 boys thought that was torture even though they got to help choose the food) and getting settled. The day was overcast and rainy here and there. Hot dogs, corn on the cob and ice cream for dinner. Watched a litte TV and off to bed.
Sunday was a little more sunny. We had a lazy morning before dressing for church. After church we had lunch at Lazydays and changed clothes (in the car) for a LONG walk on the old 7 Mile Bridge. At least I walked. The boys rode scooters and the Skut. The water was so clear we could see top to bottom. The boys kept looking for sharks and were fascinated to be able to look down into boats anchored by the bridge or watch them go under the bridge. Came back to QW for dinner: mac & cheese, steamed broccoli, apple/banana salad with raspberry yogurt dressing.
Monday was overcast again. We stayed around here all day with the boys chasing iguanas and crabs. Riding scooters under the house and racing. Lots of fussing going on with who was winning. I had to step in and referee at times. We were going to have Tacos for dinner but the ground sirloin did not look or smell good so it was thrown away and we had pancakes, fruit and bacon instead. Breakfast for dinner...yum. Z & T helped me make dinner :) After that we tried to light our sparklers but the breeze was too strong and the matches would not stay lit long enough to light them. Fireworks started around 9:00 and we sat on the porch and watched 3 separate displays. Sombrero was not as spectacular as usual but still pretty impressive.
Tuesday dawned beautiful and sunshiny. We decided to take full advantage as the weather channel was advising that there are two fronts bringing lots of rain. I am not complaining because we really need the rain here and all over the state of Florida. We left about 9:30 and went to Bahia Honda to play on the beach. The boys built sand "structures" ...I would not call them castles and enjoyed playing in the water. I am really bummed that Coco Plum Beach has been deemed unsafe because of bacteria as we like to just walk to the beach to play. After the beach we went to Sunset Grille for lunch and some swim time in the pool. Z scared everybody by the pool except me when he jumped off the side and started swimming to the steps. He is a good little swimmer and has joined the other two as genuine little "fishes". K & T got to try out their new masks/snorkels. We came back to QW to rest for a little while and then went to Miss Annette's for dinner. Apparently they had worked up a big appetite as they ate every scrap of food on their plates and had dessert!
It is Wednesday and the rains have arrived. We may do as planned and go down to Key West for a little while but not sure yet. We are doing the Keys thing and playing each day by ear. If we don't go to KW today we might find something to do around here and go to the movies tonight. No Schedules!!! Right now my 3 boys are doing art and crafts and making some pretty cool things. Big black clouds out there :(
Oh, and yes, we have made a valiant effort to rig some fishing poles to catch fish off the dock. The second set of fishing poles were as bad as the first. All have been or will be taken back to Big K for refunds. The outside aquarium at Capt Hook's is great. Two sharks, a barracuda and lots of other fish.
July 6, 2011
December 4, 2010
Reflections
I always try to spend this particular weekend at QW as it is easier somehow to be here than anywhere else as the anniversary of Ed's death approaches. Memories of him are still so vivid and I can remember and smile (or laugh) over some of the good times we had in our 33 years together.
So many things have changed since he died including our "hometown". As I was making a trip to the post office this morning I was noting some of the changes that have taken place in the past 13 years. Some favorite places are no longer there: Gary's Pub (the last place we watched the SEC championship game) closed a few years ago and has now been razed; the Quay (destroyed by Wilma) and horror of all horrors, Don Pedro's is now Bubba's BBQ! Leigh Ann's Coffee House has moved to a new locale (thank goodness still in business) and we have a new Cuban restaurant El Siboney (and it is good). Publix came to town a few years ago (again thank goodness) and of course Home Depot.
QW has undergone some changes as well and I believe they are all good and Ed would have approved and hopefully he applauded from where he is. I found myself thinking each time I made a change, even painting, would Ed like this? And I find myself thinking, yes he would.
This might be my last visit for a while as friends from Tennessee will be coming in the first week of January and there will be someone here until April. I miss not being able to visit during that time. Perhaps will try to get here at the end of the month but not sure.
The weather here this weekend is absolutely gorgeous and the doors are all open to the fresh air. It's nice to let the fresh air in after the months of having the house all closed up. Have not seen even one iguana so far. Is it too cold for them right now? I can hope they all succumb to the cold can't I?
Our family had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration this year and it was special to have all of us together in one place. I thank God every day that both my girls and their families were able to be there. It is bittersweet for those of us who live so far away. It is hard to see how much my parents have declined after not seeing them for a while. Each holiday has become more special as the years have gone by. I hate to think of not having my mama & daddy in my life. What great memories we made this year.
My heartfelt wish is that all my family and friends have a wonderful holiday season and that the New Year is good to all.
So many things have changed since he died including our "hometown". As I was making a trip to the post office this morning I was noting some of the changes that have taken place in the past 13 years. Some favorite places are no longer there: Gary's Pub (the last place we watched the SEC championship game) closed a few years ago and has now been razed; the Quay (destroyed by Wilma) and horror of all horrors, Don Pedro's is now Bubba's BBQ! Leigh Ann's Coffee House has moved to a new locale (thank goodness still in business) and we have a new Cuban restaurant El Siboney (and it is good). Publix came to town a few years ago (again thank goodness) and of course Home Depot.
QW has undergone some changes as well and I believe they are all good and Ed would have approved and hopefully he applauded from where he is. I found myself thinking each time I made a change, even painting, would Ed like this? And I find myself thinking, yes he would.
This might be my last visit for a while as friends from Tennessee will be coming in the first week of January and there will be someone here until April. I miss not being able to visit during that time. Perhaps will try to get here at the end of the month but not sure.
The weather here this weekend is absolutely gorgeous and the doors are all open to the fresh air. It's nice to let the fresh air in after the months of having the house all closed up. Have not seen even one iguana so far. Is it too cold for them right now? I can hope they all succumb to the cold can't I?
Our family had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration this year and it was special to have all of us together in one place. I thank God every day that both my girls and their families were able to be there. It is bittersweet for those of us who live so far away. It is hard to see how much my parents have declined after not seeing them for a while. Each holiday has become more special as the years have gone by. I hate to think of not having my mama & daddy in my life. What great memories we made this year.
My heartfelt wish is that all my family and friends have a wonderful holiday season and that the New Year is good to all.
August 16, 2010
A Great Week
I spent the last 8 days at Quiet Water with Ashley, Kevin and the kiddos. What a great week. Started off with 3 days of rain so there was lots of UNO, movies, and a day in Key West. By Wednesday there was blue sky, a few white clouds and sunshine with each day being better than the last. I kept Miss C some while the rest of the crew went fishing and snorkeling. She and I joined everyone for the sandbar excursions and swimming the "redneck" pool.
Kyle and Todd had a great time tubing. Todd told me "thank you Pappi for letting us use your FAST boat for tubing". He thought it was fast until we started back in from the sandbar and we had a head start on his daddy and his boat passed us by before we got to the first marker at our channel. He 'splained it through: Daddy has two engines and Pappi only has one!
It was so nice to see the Long family have some good times after the hard year they have just gone through. We are looking forward to celebrating Miss C's 1st birthday next weekend and then Kyle's 7th birthday Labor Day weekend. Wow, how can he be 7 and Todd 5 already? Just not possible.
Stopped in to get a quick hug and kiss from Zane and Baird (and their mama & daddy :) before I left FM last evening. Little B is growing so fast and still has that full head of hair. Paige and PG think he likes to eat so much that he overfills his tummy and he has a tendancy to spit up a little after he nurses. Seems to be keeping enough down to be packing on the pounds though.
All of my grands are just beautiful and sweet and they fill my life with such joy.
It was back to reality today. Had an appointment with an orthopedic doc this morning to find out what's going on with my knee. I am terribly afraid they are going to just say it is just age but hope that there is something that can be done. I hate feeling like a handicapped person. MRI on Wednesday...........wish me luck.
Kyle and Todd had a great time tubing. Todd told me "thank you Pappi for letting us use your FAST boat for tubing". He thought it was fast until we started back in from the sandbar and we had a head start on his daddy and his boat passed us by before we got to the first marker at our channel. He 'splained it through: Daddy has two engines and Pappi only has one!
It was so nice to see the Long family have some good times after the hard year they have just gone through. We are looking forward to celebrating Miss C's 1st birthday next weekend and then Kyle's 7th birthday Labor Day weekend. Wow, how can he be 7 and Todd 5 already? Just not possible.
Stopped in to get a quick hug and kiss from Zane and Baird (and their mama & daddy :) before I left FM last evening. Little B is growing so fast and still has that full head of hair. Paige and PG think he likes to eat so much that he overfills his tummy and he has a tendancy to spit up a little after he nurses. Seems to be keeping enough down to be packing on the pounds though.
All of my grands are just beautiful and sweet and they fill my life with such joy.
It was back to reality today. Had an appointment with an orthopedic doc this morning to find out what's going on with my knee. I am terribly afraid they are going to just say it is just age but hope that there is something that can be done. I hate feeling like a handicapped person. MRI on Wednesday...........wish me luck.
April 17, 2010
QW for Second Time this Month: Lucky Me
Had wanted to have all my boys down here for the weekend with me but that didn't work out as I had hoped. But I have sweet Zane with me and we have had a lot of fun. It's kinda overcast today and the Weather Channel is saying it will rain and it's supposed to be worse tomorrow so we might pack it up and go on back to Fort Myers later this afternoon. Might be better for Z too as we will be traveling up to Clearwater tomorrow so that PG can pick him up to travel up to Tallahassee. Would break up his trip and the most time would be done. About 4-1/2 hours from here to FM and then another 2 to Clearwater. He gets to stay with his mama next week and I know they both will enjoy that.
QW is beautiful as ever and I so love being here........rain or shine. Had some business to do downtown yesterday then we went to Publix and picked up groceries before coming back home. The fish off the dock loved that Z was feeding them bread. We got to play around in the yard a bit, no iguanas in sight, and then we went to KMart to get some beach shoes for Z (hope we get to use them today). Zane loves riding by the airport to see the planes and helicopters. Had dinner at Annette's (Nemo is back and has a friend with him) and back home for a good night's sleep.
Okay, now it is raining outside so we have to go to Plan B for our day. Oh well.....it's still great to spend the day at my beautiful QW.
QW is beautiful as ever and I so love being here........rain or shine. Had some business to do downtown yesterday then we went to Publix and picked up groceries before coming back home. The fish off the dock loved that Z was feeding them bread. We got to play around in the yard a bit, no iguanas in sight, and then we went to KMart to get some beach shoes for Z (hope we get to use them today). Zane loves riding by the airport to see the planes and helicopters. Had dinner at Annette's (Nemo is back and has a friend with him) and back home for a good night's sleep.
Okay, now it is raining outside so we have to go to Plan B for our day. Oh well.....it's still great to spend the day at my beautiful QW.
March 26, 2010
Another Anniversary
It has been a good anniversary day with no sadness in my heart. I think that is because I have been babysitting Zane this week and a 2 year old gives you very little time to dwell on anything outside of playing, giving hugs and kisses, and just plain having fun. And I was able to attend one of Todd's T-ball games this week. (Boy, would his grandpa Ed be proud of the way he plays baseball) And of course, spent time with my Kyle (such a big guy now) and little C.
45 years ago today I said "I do" to someone who cannot be here today to celebrate this day with me. I miss Eddie every day but time has a way of making sadness and grief less intense. Don't get me wrong, there are moments when my heart aches and I would love to turn back the clock and have him with me again. But life is not like that. There are twists and turns. Along with happiness will come sadness. But then happiness again.
Even though Eddie could only stay with us for a short time I am so very glad to have had him in my life. If only he could have lived long enough to see all our beautiful grands. He would have been as a great granddad as he was a daddy to my girls.
Was looking at the moon tonight and as always I think of you Eddie. Good night and sleep tight love. You will always be in our hearts.
45 years ago today I said "I do" to someone who cannot be here today to celebrate this day with me. I miss Eddie every day but time has a way of making sadness and grief less intense. Don't get me wrong, there are moments when my heart aches and I would love to turn back the clock and have him with me again. But life is not like that. There are twists and turns. Along with happiness will come sadness. But then happiness again.
Even though Eddie could only stay with us for a short time I am so very glad to have had him in my life. If only he could have lived long enough to see all our beautiful grands. He would have been as a great granddad as he was a daddy to my girls.
Was looking at the moon tonight and as always I think of you Eddie. Good night and sleep tight love. You will always be in our hearts.
February 3, 2010
Memories of my Uncle Max
I was saddened today with the news that one of my favorites has passed out of this life. Even though I am sad I am also happy to know that he will no longer have to suffer with the physical aches and pains. I understand he had told his family that he was just tired.
I have wonderful memories of Uncle Max. He is my daddy's older brother and was another father figure to me. While growing, up our family and his would gather every Saturday night at Nanny and Peepaw's (my paternal grandparents) for family supper.(Shoe string french fries......I am sure my older cousins remember that) Uncle Max was a barber and also affectionately known as the "candy man". He brought a bag of candy with him every Saturday night for all the kids.
My heart goes out to Aunt Beth. She has been a devoted wife to Uncle Max for so many years. It's hard to lose your soul mate and one you have loved so much for so long. My cousins have given such devoted care to their daddy for the past few years. My prayers are with all of you as you travel through this sad time.
We continue to lose our family members one by one. Growing old is a fact of life and we all have to face into it but it is SO HARD. Now there are only 3 siblings left in my daddy's family. I have also been thinking of him, Uncle Haurice and Aunt Frances tonight as I know they are feeling sorrow and loss.
Sending big hugs and much love to all my family tonight.
I have wonderful memories of Uncle Max. He is my daddy's older brother and was another father figure to me. While growing, up our family and his would gather every Saturday night at Nanny and Peepaw's (my paternal grandparents) for family supper.(Shoe string french fries......I am sure my older cousins remember that) Uncle Max was a barber and also affectionately known as the "candy man". He brought a bag of candy with him every Saturday night for all the kids.
My heart goes out to Aunt Beth. She has been a devoted wife to Uncle Max for so many years. It's hard to lose your soul mate and one you have loved so much for so long. My cousins have given such devoted care to their daddy for the past few years. My prayers are with all of you as you travel through this sad time.
We continue to lose our family members one by one. Growing old is a fact of life and we all have to face into it but it is SO HARD. Now there are only 3 siblings left in my daddy's family. I have also been thinking of him, Uncle Haurice and Aunt Frances tonight as I know they are feeling sorrow and loss.
Sending big hugs and much love to all my family tonight.
January 5, 2010
Welcome to Year 2010
2009 seems like a big blur. Wasn't it only yesterday I was trying to remember to write 2009 on my checks and correspondence? There are many highlights from last year and I think I have touched on each one in previous posts.
The first weekend of 2010 was spent at home in Marathon. After arriving late on Friday night (didn't bother turning on water) I awoke Saturday morning to no water in the house. Checking on it I found a broken valve, a water meter full of mud and it was COLD outside. It is an understatment to say that the people in the Keys are a special lot. I called 3rd Generation Plumbing at 7:30 and by 8:00 there were two plumbers at the house to check out the problem. In the meantime the supervisor had called FKAA and about 15 minutes later two people arrived from there. Even though FKAA did not have the responsibility to do the repairs, Steve took the time to do so because he had the pipes and fitting that were needed. What a great guy. Problem solved.
On Saturday afternoon I got a call from the Tennessee folks who were to arrive on Tuesday. It was 14 degrees and snowing where they live so they got of Tennessee early and arrived at Quiet Water on Sunday afternoon. I think they brought more cold weather with them as it has been bitterly cold in Clearwater (and the Keys) since Sunday.
Makes me sad to know that I won't be back home again until April, but it also brings me relief there is someone staying in the house and I don't have to be concerned about maintenance for a while.
My wish for all is a happy, healthy, safe and prosperous 2010.
The first weekend of 2010 was spent at home in Marathon. After arriving late on Friday night (didn't bother turning on water) I awoke Saturday morning to no water in the house. Checking on it I found a broken valve, a water meter full of mud and it was COLD outside. It is an understatment to say that the people in the Keys are a special lot. I called 3rd Generation Plumbing at 7:30 and by 8:00 there were two plumbers at the house to check out the problem. In the meantime the supervisor had called FKAA and about 15 minutes later two people arrived from there. Even though FKAA did not have the responsibility to do the repairs, Steve took the time to do so because he had the pipes and fitting that were needed. What a great guy. Problem solved.
On Saturday afternoon I got a call from the Tennessee folks who were to arrive on Tuesday. It was 14 degrees and snowing where they live so they got of Tennessee early and arrived at Quiet Water on Sunday afternoon. I think they brought more cold weather with them as it has been bitterly cold in Clearwater (and the Keys) since Sunday.
Makes me sad to know that I won't be back home again until April, but it also brings me relief there is someone staying in the house and I don't have to be concerned about maintenance for a while.
My wish for all is a happy, healthy, safe and prosperous 2010.
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